All Things PDP
Embracing Intellectual Growth: The Academic and Creative Life of the University
Get involved in the intellectual and creative life of the University.
You are not limited to these activities. You are also encouraged to find activities of your own to make it personal.
Keep in mind, activities are not limited to certain categories, it all depends on the category rationale you provide to your TA.
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Some activities can be done at any time of the year and do not have a specific date or time associated with them, these activities can be found at the bottom of the page.
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DO NOT sign up for any activity without prior approval of the activity and category from your TA.
CMU Jazz Bands Open House
Wednesday September 6, 12pm
Come celebrate the CMU Jazz Band in the Music Building while they hold an open house and perform.
Description from CMU Events:
"Come Play with us! Join us at the Music Building for our CMU Jazz Bands Open House and experience what it is like to make music at the college level! Open to all CMU students. A limited amount of loaner instruments will be available. Ice cream social will follow."
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RSVP Here
That's Entertainment! A Musical Review
Thursday September 7th and Saturday September 9th, 7:30pm
Come to a musical review at Townsend Kiva in Moore Hall.
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Directed and Conceived by Stacey Pattison
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The 39 Steps
Friday September 8, 7:30pm or Sunday September 10, 2pm
Located at the Townsend Kiva in Moore Hall.
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By Patrick Barlow | Directed by Joshua W. Brewer
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POW/MIA Flag Raising and Discussion
Friday September 15 12pm
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Join Dr. Hope May, the Honor's Guard, and other community members in raising the POW/MIA flag in front of the seal in a ceremony learning and honoring the flags long, powerful history regarding women, families, etc. There will be a discussion to follow at 12:30 in Powers 134 that you should attend if you want to count this as a PDP.
For more information about the flag, you may visit the website http://www.dutytoremember.com
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Open Attendance
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Flyer Information
Art From Our Park
Saturday September 23, 12pm-4pm
Location: Deerfield Nature Park - 2425 West Remus Road Mount Pleasant, MI.
The 16th Annual Art From Our Park is the ideal opportunity to creatively enjoy the peacefulness of nature offered by mid-Michigan. This event, hosted by Isabella County Parks and Recreation and Art Reach of Mid Michigan, will begin at noon Saturday, September 23 at Deerfield Nature Park near the Fussman Pavilion.
Participants can enjoy the day in the park, on-site crafts at Creation Stations, a story walk by the Chippewa River District Library, a nature walk led by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy, community art projects, live entertainment, Paddy Wagon Food Truck, scavenger hunt with prizes, screen print t-shirts, free caricatures by Corby Blem, live art demonstrations, and a campfire.
Art From Our Park is a unique, free, outdoor event the entire family will enjoy! Entrance fee to the park will be waived for the event. Event emceed by Tina Sawyer.
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Open Attendance
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More Information
Artist Talk: Scott Hocking - Ancient Monuments of the Future Past
Thursday September 28, 7pm-8pm
Using found objects as mysterious artifacts and relics, internationally acclaimed installation artist Scott Hocking plays with ideas of creation & destruction mythologies, as well as ceremony & ritual, while merging archeology, symbology, and mysticism into an immersive, site-specific installation.
Located in the Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium - Charles V. Park Library
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Open Attendance
NSLA Speaker Series: Becky Macdonald: Women at Risk International
Thursday September 28, 6pm-9pm
Becky Macdonald is founder and president of Women at Risk International. Women at Risk International is a 501(c)(3) organization established to create circles of protection around vulnerable populations. The organization works directly with survivors and those who are at risk of abuse, trafficking, and exploitation through culturally sensitive, value-added intervention projects and partnerships. We hope you will join us to engage in this spectacular opportunity to learn more about Women at Risk International, while also getting the chance to network with other people in the community and on campus, and gaining professional development skills from a fellow leader in the nonprofit sector, Becky Macdonald
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Open Attendance
For more information, click the PDF icon to open the flyer
Meijer Visiting Writers Series Presents: Melissa Crowe
Thursday September 28, 7:00pm-8:00pm
Melissa Crowe is the author of Dear Terror, Dear Splendor (University of Wisconsin Press, 2019) and Lo (University of Iowa Press, 2023), winner of the Iowa Poetry Prize. Her work has appeared recently or is forthcoming in 32 Poems, Gulf Coast, Image, New England Review, and Poetry Northwest, and she was the 2021 winner of the Robert H. Winner Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America. She coordinates the MFA program at UNCW, where she teaches poetry and publishing.
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Open Attendance
The Birds
October 5-7, 12-14 at 7:30 pm and October 8 and 15 at 2pm
Come watch The Birds put of on and performed by the CMU theater department at the Theater-On-The-Side in Moore Hall. The Birds was adapted from a short story by Daphne du Maurier about flocks of birds that have begun to attack. Strangers come together for survival in a world that has begun to collapse around them.
By Conor McPherson | Directed by Jody Price
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Open Attendance
CMU All Major Career Fair presented by AKPSI
Friday October 6, 9am- 1pm
The All Major Career Fair, presented by Alpha Kappa Psi Co-ed Professional Business Fraternity, Career Development Center, and the College of Business Administration, is a forum for making many contacts with recruiters who are offering challenging internships and professional entry-level job opportunities. It is open to ALL CMU undergraduate majors, graduate students, and recent alumni.
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More Information
Book Bans and Why They Matter
Thursday October 5, 7pm
Location: Opperman Auditorium
Join this panel discussion featuring CMU English Department faculty members Dr. Carolin Borsheim-Black, Dr. Mark Freed, and Dr. Joe Sommers, as well as Mount Pleasant High School English Teacher Alexia Cain, Chippewa River District Library Director Corey Friedrich, and State Librarian of Michigan and CMU alumnus Randy Riley. This panel will discuss the phenomena of book banning in the United States throughout history and in our time. CMU's chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, a national English Honors Society, will moderate this event, which is free and open to all.
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Open Attendance
Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass Reading
Friday October 6, 7:42am-11am
Join us at the pond in Fabiano Botanical Garden, across from Park Library, as we take turns reading Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass in its entirety. (Or as far as we get!)
Everyone is welcome, spread the word!
Questions? Email Professor Fanning at fanni1rj@cmich.edu
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Open Attendance
Dr. Jennie Jin: Identifying Remains for the Department of Defense
Wednesday October 11 5pm
Sit in on Dr. Hope May's class in Anspach 255 while forensic anthropologist, Dr. Jennie Jin from the Department of Defense, talks about identifying remains from wars between WW2-present.
Reach out to Dr. Hope May if you have any questions or if you would like to attend this class. (may1he@cmich.edu)
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Bold, Authentic, Unfiltered Women and Allies in Leadership Panel Discussion
Thursday October 12, 2pm-3:15pm
Location: Grawn Atrium
Panel Discussion with CMU Provost, Nancy Mathews, CMU Board of Trustee Member, Sharon Heath, and CMU College of Business Administration Graduates, Dave Queller and Johanna Fox discuss the challenges and opportunities that exist for women in leadership. Question and answer format with opportunity for questions from the audience to promote discussion, learning and networking.
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RSVP Here
The Faculty Reading Series: A Reading By Jeffery Bean and Darrin Doyle
Thursday October 19, 7pm-8pm
Location: Opperman Auditorium
Professors Jeffrey Bean and Darrin Doyle will be reading their own work in the Opperman Auditorium. This event is open to the public.
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Open Attendance
After Hours Improv First Show
Friday October 20, 7pm-9pm
Location: Anspach 161
A fun family show for all ages. We will do some short form improv games with the crowd as well!
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RSVP Here
Celebrate Mole Day
Monday October 23, 4pm-5pm
Location: Dow 175
Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate Mole Day and learn from our special presenters, Dr. Joseph Gair and Dr. Mary Andorfer from Michigan State University.
Celebrated annually on October 23rd, Mole Day commemorates Avogadro's Number, which is a basic measuring unit in chemistry.
Mole Day was created as a way to foster interest in chemistry.
For questions contact Patricia Esch at esch1pa@cmich.edu
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Open Attendance
Religion Program's Annual Halloween Event
Wednesday October 25, 7pm-8pm
Location: Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium
Join us for the Religion Program's annual Halloween Event! We'll feature short stories and spooky talks hosted by Dr. Laurel Zwissler along with prizes and treats! Costumes are encouraged.
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Dr. Guy Newland, "The Tibetan Art of Corpse Reanimation"
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Dr. Ari Berk, "Being 'In The Way' or, The Peril of Faerie Neighbors"
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Dr. Matthew Katz, "Zombies! AI! AI Zombies!"
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Dr. Kelly Murphy, "Demon Pigs and Evil Spirits"
For questions contact Kelly Murphy at kelly.murphy@cmich.edu
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Open Attendance
Clarke Historical Library Speaker Series: Catherine Cangany
Thursday October 26, 7pm-8:03pm
Location: Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium
Dr. Cangany will take us back to Detroit, in April 1910, when the prices of kosher meat in Detroit soared, and local Jewish women, inspired by events in New York and New Jersey, organized and enforced a boycott of kosher meat.
A reception in the Clarke Historical Library follows the event.
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Open Attendance
Frankenstein Friday
Friday October 27, 4pm-7pm
Get into the Halloween spirit and come to the CMU Museum to celebrate the iconic Frankenstein. There will be several hands-on activities as well as games, prizes and candy! This event is hosted by the CMU Museum of Cultural & Natural History and The Midland Section of the American Chemical Society. Halloween costumes are highly encouraged and all ages are welcome.
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Open Attendance
Halloween Flash Contest Reading
Wednesday November 1, 7pm-9pm
Location: Opperman Auditorium
Join us as we showcase the submitted works for our 2023 Halloween Flash Contest by listening to contributors read their pieces and congratulate the winners!
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RSVP Here
The Artist at Witness: Elise Engler
Thursday November 2, 4pm-6pm
Location: University Art Gallery
The CMU Art Gallery presents NYC Artist and author of A Diary of the Plague Year, an Illustrated Chronicle of 2020, Elise Engler. There will be a reception for The Artist as Witness from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. and an Artist Talk in the University Art Gallery at 5:00 p.m.
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Open Attendance
Meijer Visiting Writer Series: Joseph Bates
Tuesday November 7, 7pm-8pm
Location: UC Rotunda
Joseph Bates is the author of the novel The Strikeout Artist (BlazeVOX, 2022), which has been called “a masterpiece of surrealism, but also a bighearted, hilarious, eagle-eyed story about what it means to be a friend, an artist, a teammate, and—for better and for worse—an American.” Bates’ other books include a short story collection, Tomorrowland, and a book on writing craft, Writing Your Novel from Start to Finish. He teaches in the creative writing program at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, where he is co-editor of Miami University Press.
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Open Attendance
Cabaret
November 8-11, 7:30pm and November 12 at 2pm
Come watch the musical Cabaret in the Bush Theater. This play is about a female club entertainer in Weimar Republic era Berlin romances two men while the Nazi Party rises to power around them.
Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, Book by Joe Masteroff
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Directed by Keeley Stanley-Bohn | Music Direction by Bruce Bonnell| Choreography by Heather Trommer-Beardslee
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Open Attendance
Windows Into an Ancient Life: Imaging Fossils With Synchrotron Light and New Contrasts
November 9, 4pm-5pm
Location: Dow 102
What can we learn about animals that roamed the Earth millions of years ago by doing experiments at some of the most advanced particle accelerator laboratories in the world?
Join us for a Physics Seminar talk by Dr. Buno Kerber to find answers to this question at the intersection of Paleontology, Earth Science and Physics . Dr. Kerber is a geoscientists with the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (Brazil), who is currently a visiting scholar at the Department of Physics at CMU.
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Open Attendance
Infusion Dance Team Drop In Class
Friday and Sunday November 10 and 12, 12pm-4pm
Location: Rose Hall 134
Infusion Dance Team will be holding drop-in classes open to all CMU students throughout the semester. Please refer to our Instagram for updates on class styles and instructors. Classes will be led by Infusion Dance Team members as well as special guests.
Questions? Please contact our President, Madeline St. Pierre, at stpie1mp@cmich.edu or our Drop-In Coordinator, Aria Salamango, at salam1aj@cmich.edu
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RSVP Here
(There are multiple of these events, be sure you RSVP for the correct date)
Inspiration Board Workshop
Sunday November 12, 4pm-5pm
Feeling unmotivated and tired? Join TA Brody in the Troutman Hall Lounge, on the 1st floor, to learn about a new method to visualize your goals and stay motivated. Learn about and create your very own Inspiration Board.
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Open Attendance
Life on Campus: Navigating your Resources
Wednesday, November 15 4pm-5:30pm
Location: Anspach 169
Learn how to navigate campus resources with TA Lyvia and Lead TA Emily. You will have the opportunity to learn more about campus resources and a chance to ask questions about how those resources work. Computers are recommended.
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Sign Up Here
Clarke Historical Library Speaker Series: Jack Dempsey
Thursday November 30, 6pm-7pm
Location: Sarah and Daniel Opperman Auditorium
In his talk "Midwest Woman Speaks: The Civil War Story of Ellen Woodworth", Historian Jack Dempsey will share his research into Ellen Preston Woodworth and her husband, Samuel, who left a record of their experiences during the U.S. Civil War; their correspondence and other manuscripts are held in the Clarke Historical Library. Dempsey’s new book, When Slavery and Rebellion Are Destroyed: A Michigan Woman’s Civil War Journal (University of Georgia Press, 2023), connects the experiences of this couple to the national struggle over slavery and freedom.
A reception and book signing in the Clarke Historical Library follows the event.
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Open Attendance
Fall 2023 Central Review Publication Reading
Thursday November 30, 7pm-9pm
Location: Opperman Auditorium
Join us as we showcase the selected works for our Fall 2023 edition of Central Review by listening to contributors read and share their works!
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RSVP Here
Constitution Day Speaker Rong Kohtz
Thursday November 30, 7pm-9pm
Location: Opperman Auditorium
Rong Kohtz, L.L.M./J.D. presents "The Constitutional is Personal: The Supreme Court's Recent Decisions and their Impacts on Americans' Personal Lives."
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Open Attendance
School of Music Performances
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Attend one of the many performances put on by Central Michigan University's School of music! There are events almost every Thursday along with other events sprinkled throughout the weeks. Check out their 2023-2024 Performance Calendar for more information!
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Performance Calendar