Finals Week

Now is the most stressful time of year. Not only do we have our final tests in all of our classes but it's also move out time for all the students who are living on campus. That means that while we are trying to study for our finals we also have to be packing up our rooms. It's a bitter sweet time of the year. We say good bye to our friends who are graduating seniors and get ready to move back home. But on the other hand it's almost summer and there are so many cool things that I have planned for this summer. For me I have all my finals on Wednesday and Thursday. So I get the beginning of the week to pack and study and then test taking for the last two days. I will say that the university really tries to make finals a less stressful time for students. They have study breaks at the dinning halls with snacks and free massages at the University Center the weekend before finals. They have movie nights and fun activities to give students a break from studying. They enforce 23 hour quiet hours. That means that for 23 hours of the day people have to be quiet. That means no loud music or anything of that sort. Even though it's the most stressful time of the year, its one of my favorites. I get to look forward to the summer and there are so many fun things happening on campus. You stay busy the whole week and it's always a huge relief when you finish a final and think "yeah that was my last time in that class". Unless you failed, then you would have to take it again, but lets hope that doesn't happen. It also a nice because it's spring time. The weather is getting warmer the days are longer and almost everyone is out side. There are girls sun bathing and guys playing Frisbee or catch. Its also nice to go outside and study under a shading tree. I hope all of you out there have a great finals week and I hope you all have a great summer!

UNC History 101

One of my favorite things about campus is the historical district of central campus. So today I'm going to give you a brief history about UNC. The university was established in 1889 and we were or8iginally called the State Normal School and our mascot was the teacher. Wow talk about an intimidating mascot. "Ahhh loo out its the teachers". Luckily now were the bears. "Ahhhhh look out its the bears". Now that sounds scary. Anyways... The first building built on campus was Cranford Hall back in 1889 when the school first opened. Unfortunately after many years of wear and tear and then a fire they tore down the building in 1972. Today the cornerstone of Cranford hall still stands. They say that if you kiss your sweet heart at midnight in front of the cornerstone you will find true love.

The oldest building still standing on campus is Carter Hall. It was built in 1907 and was originally the library for the university. Today it is our administration building where we have financial aid, student employment, and many more offices. One of my favorite buildings on campus is Gunter. The out side is a beautiful cathedral look building and was dedicated in 1928. It was originally the gymnasium for the university where there was two gyms, a swimming, pool, and examining physician rooms. The building was renovated in 1996 and today it is now the College of Natural and Health Sciences. The old center counrt still remains in the main hall way for all to see and remember what the building used to be. It is said to be bad luck to walk across the center court but the nursing students will walk around it counter clockwise 3 times for good luck on their finals.

Now lets move onto Kepner Hall. Today Kepner is where we have out Monfort College of Business. Back in the day it used to be the training school. The State Normal School would bus students in from kindergarten to high school to be taught by the teaching students of the Normal School. The building was renovated in 1987 and is the home to the Malcome Baldridge National Quality Award.

Gray Hall Was the cool place to be back in the day. It was built in 1916 and was the "Woman's Club". Eventually it was opened to men and was the student union until 1964. Today it is where we have our UNC police department, parking services, and Norton Theatre.

If you would like more history about the buildings on campus feel free to go to the campus map and click on the buildings for fun historical facts.
http://www.unco.edu/uncmap/

Have a BearTastic Day.

Independance

Oh the freedom and responsibilities of college. Buying your own toilet paper, making shopping list, cleaning your own room, doing your own laundry, and balancing your time between you school life and social life. There are so many things that you do as an independent college student. One of those glorious things is registering for your classes. Here at UNC you we have complete control over what classes we take and what time we take them at. The only exception is when you need the class for your major or if its only offered at one time. But other than that you weld the sword of destiny when it comes to your class schedule. Next semester I have one morning class from 9:05 to 9:55 on Monday,Wednesday and Friday then for the rest of the day I'm done with classes. Then on Tuesday and Thursday I have three classes in a row and don't get out till 4:45. The great  thing is that if your a morning personal you can choose to have your classes in the morning. If your normal then you can choose to have all your classes in the afternoon and sleep in. You can have all your classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and take Tuesday and Thursday off. It's amazing how empowering it is to be in charge of your own scheduling destiny. We sign up for fall semester in April and the spring semester in November. I hope all of you out there have a merry scheduling and a happy end of the school year.

Relay For Life

This weekend I attended the University of Northern Colorado's Relay for Life. Relay for life is an event to celebrate, remember, and fight back. Its to celebrate the lives who have battled cancer, remember the lives of loved ones you have lost to cancer, and and fight back against cancer.

The event takes place in the gyms of the campus recreation center. Above the gym we have a suspended track where the walking relay takes place. There has to be one person from your team on the track at all times through out the whole event. Any club or organization can sign up as a team with a maximum 14 people. Each team does its own fundraisers to raise money for Relay. I did Relay for Life with my fraternity and we got together and did a bake sale to raise money. The theme for the event was under the sea, so the night before the event my team made t-shirts with that theme. When it comes to the  night before the event you have to make sure than you get enough sleep. That means you go to bed early and take as many naps as you can all day long. Each team is given a square of space for them to use the whole night. Many teams choose to decorate their space with the theme and others simply use it as a sleeping area. Relay for Life lasted from 6pm until 7 am, so many students sleep for some of the time. When the event starts they have a speaker that talks about their experience with cancer to open the event. Then at 9 p.m. they have an Luminaria ceremony where we remember the loved ones that we have lost to cancer and honor the ones that are still fighting. The speaker for the ceremony was a woman who didn't let cancer in her way or bring her down. She inspired the audience by her cancer story and how she only saw the good things that came out of her diagnosis. All together the even was a great and memorable night that I will always remember. The University of Northern Colorado raised a total of $58,980. I lost my grandmother to breast cancer and this event allows me to remember the great woman she was and to fight for a cure for the future.

For more information go to http://www.relayforlife.org/index .

Food Glorious Food

This weekend I had a life changing experience, I finally had D.P. Dough. My friends from Denver came up to visit me this weekend and they had heard of D.P. Dough so we decided to go there for lunch. I had heard so much about it and how good it was but I had never ventured there. We were all the way over on the other side of campus and decided that it wasn't too far to walk. Normally D.P. Dough isn't that far away but the walk feels a lot longer when it's nice and hot outside. To add to that, my friend thought she knew where she was going and took the long way to get there. Instead of cutting across campus to get there we went all the way around. So when we got there we were hot, thirsty, and very hungry. D.P. Dough serves calzones and personally I'm not usually a huge fan of  them but these were different. They had all kinds of calzones. They had ones with ranch, BBQ sauce, hot sauce, and all kinds of sauces. They had chicken ones, steak ones, and veggie ones. They had a whole page of all the calzones they make. I ended up choosing the Steak BBQ and boy did I make the right choice. It was the best calzone I had ever had and it didn't even taste like a calzone. The heat and long walk was worth the glorious food that I was ingesting. The funny thing is that I would not have tried D.P. Dough if it had not been for my friends. It's funny how hard it is to step out of your own comfort zone but when you do, you sometimes try something that can change your life. I think that's what college is all about, stepping out of your comfort zone and experiencing something amazing.

3OH!3

Every year the University Program Council puts on a concert for UNC students. In that past we have have such performers as Boys Like Girls, Shwayze, The Fray, Maroon 5, and back in the day we had The Red Hot Chilie Peppers. This year we are having 3OH!3, our very own Colorado natives. The event is for UNC and Aims students.

The event is put on in the Butler-Hancock Gymnasium where we also host our basketball games. The University Program Council also puts on events like Open Mic Night, Comedy Club, and Club UNC. The cool thing about the UPC is that its actually a job that students can have here on campus. Every year they hire students who plan all these fun events. Whether you work for, volunteer, or just attended the UPC events, you are guaranteed to have a good time. For more information on the University Program Council visit: http://www.unco.edu/upc/index.html.

Safety Here at UNC

Being away from home can be scary, at least for me it was. Greeley is about an hour and a half away from home. Some of you might be thinking that that's not far enough for you but for me its too far. One of the things I like about UNC is that I feel safe here at UNC. All around campus there are emergency polls. There a tall blue poll with a blue light at the very top, if there is ever an emergency all I have to do is press the red button on the poll and a UNC police officer will be there in under 90 seconds.

Now I have had some of my friends ask if the UNC police officers are real and I am here to tell you that they are. They are certified police officers just like all the police officers in Colorado.Another cool thing that I really like about UNC is their police escort service. This year I have classes that don't get out till after it's dark. I don't know about you but I'm afraid of the dark and unless I walk with someone I get scared. So on those nights all I have to do is call UNC Police Department and they will have a police officer escort me back to my dorm room. Talk about service .

STRIKE

Bowling is one of my favorite sports to play. It's a low energy sport that takes skill and patience. Unfortunately I am not very skilled in bowling, sooo I decided to take bowling as a class here at UNC. That's right SES 111 is a bowling class. I have it every Tuesday and Thursday for 50 minutes. Not only is it a fun class but I;m also learning skills to make me a better bowler. I started out bowling an average score of 60 and now my average is a 95. Now compared to the pros I have a long way to go but I am stoked about my improvements. The class takes place at a bowling ally less than two blocks from campus so it's walking distance. That's great for people like me who don't have cars. YAY! Some of you out there might saying to yourselves "But I don't like to bowl." Well that's not a problem because we have many other SES classes. We have basketball, volleyball, soccer, ice skating, ice hockey, swimming, golf, tennis, hiking, and that's not even half the list. If you want to see all the classes they offer go here: http://catalog.unco.edu/2009-10U/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm#href=CourseDescriptions.12.83.html#1524041.

Like I said there is something for everyone.

Racquetball Fun

This week instead of going to the gym and working on the machines, my friend and I decided to do something different. So we played some racquetball and it was quite fun. We were able to rent the equipment from the rec centers front desk, all we had to do was sign our lives over... I'm just kidding they just needed our names. The really fun part was that my friend and I are not very good racquetball players so we were making complete fools out of ourselvs. We would wince if the ball even came within 4 feet of us and I can't even tell you how many times we completly missed the ball. There were times that I couldnt stop laughing. The other great thing is that the racquetball court has a glass wall so everyone working out could see us, which  made our game that much more fun and it made it so much more funny. I was able to have fun with my friend but still get a great work out at the same time. We left the rec center so sweaty and tired. I never knew how much of a wokeout racquetball could be.
If you are intrested in what all the UNC Rec Center has to offer here is their website: http://www.unco.edu/campusrec/
Check It Out!!!

Monday Night Movies

Personally I am not a fan of the Twilight movies, but I didn't let that keep me away from the Monday Night Movie at UNC. The University Center puts on a movie almost every other Monday. The cool things is that the movies they show are not out on DVD.They usually show the movie a week or two before the movie comes out. So far I have seen: Tron, Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides, Hang Over Part II, Green Hornet, and my latest one was Breaking Dawn Part I. But wait there's more, not only is it a free movie that is not yet out on DVD, but student who attend also have the chance to win prizes. I once won a $50 gift card for the UNC bookstore. The event is held in the Fireside Lounge in the University Center, where they rearrange all the couch to face a big screen but you have to get there early in order to get a good seat on the couches. Personally I like to get there 2 hours early get a good seat then work on any homework I have. Right before the movie starts I go right down stairs to the Munchy Mart for some snacks. I usually get a milk shake and pretzels. When the move starts I snuggle up on a couch, engorge in my snacks, and enjoy the movie.

Yummy!!!

SUPER BOWL

One of the things that I did this weekend was attend a super bowl party in my residence hall. The party was at Turner Hall and it started at 3: 30 which was about and hour before the game started. They had all the couches and chairs in the lobby crowed around a huge big screen television. Seated in one of the seats was a guy in a Giants jersey who could not sit still. He was beyond excited for the super bowl to start. Personally I am a Broncos fan so I wanted the Patriots to loss, so I guess I was rooting for the Giants too. But the real reason I watch the super bowl is for the commercials and some of them were really good this year. My favorites were the M&M's, the Doritos, and the Coca Cola poler bears.

 At the super bowl party there was a whole table of snacks. They had all kinds of chips, cookies, and Oreos. Then after the game started Turners hall director brought in a party sub from Subway. It was delicious!  Over all it was a great game, there was so much action and the last quarter had me on the edge of my seat. Through out the whole game there was one die hard Giants fan that keep screaming at the T.V. When the game ended and the Giants won he ran a whole lap around the outside of the building screaming his head off. It was such a great game and a fun party. There was great food and great people. All I can say is that I hope the Broncos make it to the super bowl next year.

Greek Life

One of the great things about UNC is Greek life. This semester I am joining a professional business fraternity called Alpha Kappa Psi. It's a co-ed fraternity open to all majors that helps you prepair for life in the professional business world. For rush week they are doing water pong with root beer floats, a interview workshop, and then a special surprise event for students who are wanting to pledge. I am so excited to rush. Alpha Kappa Psi does community service, leadership development, and professional training. They put on events with alumni, hear from guest speakers, they put on social events and every year they have a fun retreat for Alpha Kappa Psi's in Colorado. At UNC we have so many different types of Greek life. There are fraternities for majors, one for honor students, multi-cultural sororities, and there is even a marching band fraternity. We also have the social fraternities and sororities. Greek life is one of the great things you can get involved in on campus. It's a great way to make friends and connections that you will have for the rest of your life. Plus they could look really good on a resume when your out in the world looking for a job. So no matter what walks of life you come from there is definitely a way you can get involved on campus. Whether that be a club, organization, sport, or Greek life. My advice to you is to just get involved.

Getting in Shape

One of my new years resolutions this year was to get in shape and I am on my way. I signed up for group classes at the UNC rec center and so far I have attended three classes. I have done a yoga class, a zumba class, and a TNT class (tummy and thighs). I never thought that working out could be so much fun. One thing I really like about a group fitness class is that your not alone, you have people all around you looking just as silly as you. Yoga was very relaxing but don't be fooled its some hard stuff. It takes strength and flexibility. Zumba is a blast, it's dancing while you work out. So not only did I learn so new moves but I was also getting in shape. Today I attended the TNT work out, which stands for tummy and thighs. You spend and entire 45 minutes working only on your stomach and thighs. That means lots of crunches, lunges, and pain. The work out was at 3 pm and I still feel the burn in my thighs. I'm just worried that when I wake up tomorrow I wont be able to move my tummy or thighs. Even though it was hard I cant wait to try some of the other classes that the UNC rec center has. They have kick boxing, cycling, hard core, lethal legs, step energy, dance fusion, and so much more. Its my goal to try all of the classes offered and by the end of this semester I think I might look like the Hulk, just without the green.

First Day!

Today was my first day of classes for spring semester. I always love the first day of classes. There is something refreshing about starting a new semester. I love my Mondays and Fridays. I only have two classes and in done by noon. I will admit that I am a little nervous for tomorrow. I have a day full of classes and start my first 300 level class tomorrow. A 300 level class means that its a junior level class, so it's intimidating for a sophomore like me. I have too 300 level classes this year. I have advertising and public relations, which as you know is my major so they should be tons of fun for me. I really don't know what I want to do with my major when I graduate so I'm looking forward to finding out all the career possibilities out there for me. The cool thing about college is that once you get here you can be whatever you want to be. So far I love my classes for this semester. All the teachers I have meet so far are awesome. So many teachers here are outgoing and just plain fun. Its makes going to class that much more exciting when you have a fun professor. I would also like to mention that I have a bowling class tomorrow. That right you heard me right a bowling class. How awesome is that?!

Dorm Life

Happy New Year! As winter break comes to an end, I am in the process of moving back to Greeley. I have to pack everything and get ready for my classes. One thing I do miss about college life is living on campus in the residence halls. There are 17 residence halls on campus and they are all different. There is suite style and community living, there's big residence halls and small residence halls, and we have them on both central campus and west campus. All freshman students are required to live on campus for their first year and after that you can choose to stay or move into a house or an apartment. I chose to live in the residence halls for my sophomore year, and I love it. Moving to college gives you more freedom but you also have more responsibilities. There is no one there to tell you what to do. You are in charge, for some of us this is a good thing and a bad thing. For me it was a good thing. My first year of college taught me so much. I had to learn to manage my time, my money, and I had to learn to be independent. It sounds hard but the process of growing up is so much fun and you learn so much about yourself. That's one of the amazing things about college.