NMC Students Lead Space Race Forum at Traverse City's Dennos Museum

A music major who only discovered the International Affairs Forum last fall and a recent nursing graduate who came back to NMC just to get more involved stood at the center of Traverse City's biggest international affairs stage Thursday night, running a program on the new space race from start to finish.

Harrison Willow and Zinnia Burks co-chaired "The New Space Race: How Data, Resources, and Power Are Shaping Our Future," presented by Northwestern Michigan College's IAF Student Leadership Team at the Dennos Museum Center's Milliken Auditorium, 1701 E. Front St. The March 19 event marked only the second time in the IAF's 32-year history that NMC students have spearheaded an event entirely on their own.

IAF Executive Director Alex Tank handed the program over deliberately. "We really do hand over the steering wheel for this one," Tank said. "Me and my colleagues are just there as faculty advisors. It's a phenomenal experiential learning opportunity for the students."

The program examined what many analysts describe as a second space race already underway, with consequences reaching well beyond rocket launches into sectors including communications and pharmaceuticals. The first space race effectively ended in 1969 when the United States landed the first man on the moon; the competition reshaping that frontier today carries far broader commercial and geopolitical stakes.

Willow, a music major who relocated to Traverse City last year, had no connection to the IAF until this past fall. Burks took a different path: she completed NMC's licensed practical nurse program in December and then returned to the college this semester specifically to take additional classes and plug into IAF. Together they led a student leadership team that, in previous seasons, focused primarily on promoting programs, volunteering at events, and supporting visiting speakers rather than producing them.

The first time the IAF turned full organizational control over to students was last April, when the student team produced "Echoes of Change: The Legacy of Student Activism," a program built around student-led interviews that examined youth activism and cross-cultural perspectives on civic life.

The event was presented in hybrid format, with an in-person audience at Milliken Auditorium and a simultaneous online livestream. Tickets were available at the door while seats remained; current students, educators, and active-duty military members receive free admission with check-in. General admission runs $15 in advance or $20 at the venue, with online access priced at $10.

The March program was underwritten by Eleanor Lynn, with Grand Traverse Pie Company and Thompson Retractor listed as IAF gold sponsors for the season. The IAF's 32nd season also includes programs on executive power, the Rights of Nature movement, Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding, press freedom, and climate security, most beginning at 7 p.m. with a 6 p.m. reception at the Dennos Museum Center.

More information on upcoming events, membership, and tickets is available at tciaf.com or by contacting the IAF at iaf@nmc.edu or 231-995-1844.