The Northern Star Alumni Banquet was held on October 10th in the beautiful Sky Center Room on top of the Holmes Student Center. It was a full house that included time for alumni to see old friends, enjoy a good meal, and listen to speeches from very talented alums. The following day included a tour of the Star and tailgating at the homecoming game. In addition to the award ceremony, Tri Swine Omega (a Star group from the 60s) was resurrected with Mike Korcek (Class of 1970) inducting present-day Star students into this exclusive organization.

A new format was introduced this year which added 3 award categories to the traditional Hall of Fame Award including Making A+ Difference, Star Innovators and Rising Stars. All of these awards serve as a way to keep recognize alumni and keep them actively involved in support of the Northern Star. The awards also encourage present Northern Star students to reach for excellence in their chosen career paths.

Hall of Fame
This award honors former students, former advisers, and friends of the Northern Star who have made significant impacts on the Northern Star, journalism and related fields, or who have otherwise achieved notoriety based in part on experience gained at the Northern Star.

This year’s inductees were Caron Weil Blitz, Phil Jurik, Richard Nelson, David Oliveira, and Jason Schaumburg.

Making A+ Difference

The Making A+ Difference Award was designed to recognize alumni who have made a difference through charitable work, inventions, or social programs. This award recognizes outstanding work outside or related to the recipient’s career.

This year’s inductees were Jim Elliott, Jean Davidson Meister, and Vicki Quade.

Star Innovators
The Star Innovators Award recognizes alumni who make a difference in their career through innovations such as creating improvements or a new way of conducting their work for the betterment of the profession or industry.

This year’s inductees were John Kariotis, David Lipien, Brendan Sullivan, and Jeffery Vogelsang.

Rising Stars
Alumni with five to fifteen years of professional experience who show outstanding promise in their field are recognized with this award.

This year’s inductees were Greg Clemens, Marc Marin, David Moore, and Carl Schweihs.