On Hand cover art

On Hand

On Hand

By: Michigan Public
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About this listen

Ever wondered why we call ourselves “Michiganders”? Or why we say “pop” instead of “soda”? Or, seriously, how many people need to be rescued from Sleeping Bear Dunes every year? That’s why we’re bringing you a new podcast - On Hand - to answer all your questions about what makes our state so special.

To share a story or submit your questions, head to michiganpublic.org/onhand

If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

2026 Michigan Radio
Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Your Stories: Euchre for dishes
    Apr 24 2026

    In last week's episode, we dug into the history of euchre and whether the quintessential Michigan game was actually created in the mitten. Turns out, not quite. The trick-taking game came to the Midwest — including Michigan — through farmers who visited New Orleans and Pennsylvania and came in contact with Alsatian immigrants, from a region along the Rhine River where France and Germany meet. The Civil War also helped spread the game across the country.

    From the 1700s to today, the way we play euchre has evolved in countless ways and we heard from some of you on how you've managed to make the game your own.

    Today, we’re sharing your euchre stories.

    GUESTS:

    • Keith Kim, an Ann Arbor resident who in college managed to skip doing the dishes countless of times by winning a few rounds of euchre

    • Eric Farnum from Grand Ledge is one of the masterminds behind what he and his friends liked to call "Bastard Euchre"

    Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

    Online Submission Form

    Call us: 734-764-7840

    Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

    If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show More Show Less
    9 mins
  • Where does euchre come from?
    Apr 17 2026

    For many Michiganders, euchre (pronounced yoo-kur) feels like a quintessentially Michigan game—but was it actually created here? Long story short, no. But the story of how the trick-taking game made its way to the Mitten state and became one of its most popular card game is an interesting one.

    GUESTS ON THIS EPISODE:

    Jamie and Becky DeVries, hosts of monthly euchre tournament at Oakestown Brewery in Grandville, Michigan
    Steven Zink, retired IT professor at the University of Nevada and unofficial euchre historian

    Want to submit a question to On Hand or a story about a game of euchre? Here’s how:

    • Online Submission Form

    • Call us: 734-764-7840

    • Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

    If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • Why does Michigan have two peninsulas?
    Apr 3 2026

    Michigan is the only state in the country with two distinct peninsulas. How did it come to be this way? We share an episode of the Points North podcast that digs into the history of our states boundary lines. They story of our peninsula "up north" actually begins with a boundary dispute down south - in Ohio.

    • Find a transcript of the episode here
    • Check out more episodes of Points North from Interlochen Public Radio

    GUESTS:

    • Ryan Schnurr, producer, assistant professor in the Department of Humanities and Communication at Trine University
    • Ted Long, author, local historian, and storyteller based in Toledo, OH
    • Marty Herschock, professor of history at the University of Michigan-Dearborn

    Cover photo from: AlgerCounty.gov

    Want to submit a question to On Hand? Do it here:

    • Online Submission Form

    • Call us: 734-764-7840

    • Email us: onhand@michiganpublic.org

    If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work: michiganpublic.org/podfund

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
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