Rootbeer Pong

It's finally Friday, and only two more weeks until Spring Break! =)

Although midterms last from this week into next, my only two were for Holy Wars and Western Religious Toleration (Tuesday) and Philosophy (Thursday). Both were the first tests given in the class, so I wasn't quite used to the format, but hopefully I did well.

This weekend should be quite relaxing- I'll spend most of my time recouping from my midterms this week, writing papers, and getting some paintings done. Perhaps I'll stop by the Marley Fest this Saturday, but unfortunately those papers are priority...

But I'll definitely try to stop by the Rootbeer Pong tournament being held in the architecture school's courtyard this afternoon- at only $4 a person, it's something inexpensive and entertaining to do this afternoon.


Have a good weekend =)

SNL: Shalala Night Live

Despite the fact that the only thing on the news these days seems to be concerning stimulus packages, our financial problems are here to stay for a bit longer. No matter what, any plan put into action will take time to resonate throughout the market, and in order to thrive (or just survive) until then, finances need to be reconstructed.

It goes without saying that students here were especially worried- would they lose their scholarships to budget cuts? What would this years annual increase of tuition be? Would they have to worry about losing their jobs on campus?

To answer these (and many other questions), President Donna Shalala visited Vince Cardinal's apartment in Hecht this Monday. Aside from being absolutely stoked that I was sitting less than five feet away from her, I felt reassured at the answers she was giving. She stated that things were difficult- people were donating less, and some budgets would be affected. She made sure to tell us that our scholarships would be honored, and need-based aid would actually increase. Staff would be paid fairly and continue to receive health care benefits- she acknowledged that no matter what the situation, we need to take care of one another and honor what is right. There was also mention of the silver lining of these budget cuts- the GreenU initiative. Energy saving practices will not only save us money, but help the environment as well.

Once everyone's financial questions were answered, the floor opened up for any other things we were wondering about- from why freshmen couldn't have cars to whether or not she planned on leaving the school (rumors had spread that she might leave to take up her post in the cabinet again for the Obama administration, but she assured us that UM is "too fun to leave"). It was a great chance to discuss current events and challenges with one of the most influential and achieved people in our nation.

Oh, and she has great faith in our baseball team. Go 'Canes!

This is Why I'm an Art Major...

I'm really not to fond of mice in buckets.

But for those of you who are, or think you might be, this is a cool UM video you should check out:

Regardless of your position on the mice-in-buckets issue, this is a great example of how even freshmen at the U have a chance to become involved in exciting and unique opportunities in and out of the classroom.

And if you absolutely must see more mice-in-buckets, here's a treat:

Facebook!

I'm quite behind in this, but I've finally created a facebook- you can friend me, follow this blog through my notes, and send me any bumperstickers I may find humerous.

I suppose I should also set myself up a Twitter account, but I really have no idea as to how that whole hot mess operates...

Poverty Conference

This Saturday was the first Poverty Conference held by the University of Miami. Although it required an early morning check-in (8am) and lasted throughout the day (with dinner at 6:30 and a benefit concert from 8-10), a surprisingly large amount of students showed up. All of the sessions were extremely eye opening, but the students were given the chance to know poverty on a more personal level through a discussion panel with four Miami Dade residents. They spoke about their childhood, their struggles with drug addiction, and how they have dealt with being HIV positive.

A local judge also spoke to the students about the issue of mental illnesses and homelessness, and although it would be impossible to transcribe the entire lecture, there is a video he shared with us that is found on youtube:

Before lunch, the students participated in what is known as a hunger banquet. I find it a bit difficult to describe, I found a clear explanation online from discourse.net:

"Guests draw tickets at random that assign them each to either a high-, middle-, or low-income tier and receive a corresponding meal. The 15 percent in the high-income tier are served a sumptuous meal. The 35 percent in the middle-income section eat a simple meal of rice and beans. The 50 percent in the low-income tier help themselves to small portions of rice and water. (High-, middle-, and low-income statistics used in the Oxfam America Hunger Banquet event are based on the World Bank Development Indicators 2007.) Guests can also assume characterizations that describe the situation of a specific person at the income level to which they’ve been assigned."
Later on in the day there were workshops held by representatives from Habitat for Humanity, One Campaign, Service for Peace Miami, and many others.

Hopefully this is a continued program throughout the years- it raises a good many points on how we can initiate change, spread awareness, and become more understanding of the issues poverty presents in today's world.

February Review

February has been a busy month here at the U; we've honored school-wide traditions (such as Sportsfest- Hecht Yeah!) and participated in some of the most exciting and unique programs (with much thanks to the Butler Center). Emmanuel Jal visited campus to give an inspiring performance, and the Miami Poverty Conference (which is being held tomorrow) is sure to spread awareness throughout the 305. Unlike the rest of the country, we found ourselves bathed in warm sunlight- and took advantage of it every chance we were given! With the spring semester under full swing, this month was a time for studying diligently, seeking out new experiences, and enjoying life as a 'Cane.

50th Post

Happy Monday- hope you all had a great Valentine's Day weekend. :-)

In my last post I forgot to mention the occurence of FunDay, which took place on Saturday with great success. The Butler Center's event website describes as "...providing a day dedicated to the special citizens of Miami . We invite many mentally handicapped citizens to campus for a day and have a myriad of events for them including a carnival style event, a BBQ, music therapy, mystery theater, and arts and crafts."

There was also an open house on Sunday, leading to quite the few encounters with parents where I couldn't figure out where they had to be. This campus can still be a bit tricky to navigate, even after 7 or so months.

I'm trying to finish up as much work as possible during the week so I can focus on the Poverty Conference this weekend. Hopefully I have more will power than I think I do.

Happy Friday the 13th!

I figure as long as a day such as today is followed up by something like Valentine's, it's all good.

Not much is on my schedule right now other than homework- and quite a bit of it. I can't wait for next weekend, during which the Poverty Conference will be held. This conference is open to other surrounding college students as well, hoping to spread this message throughout all of Miami-Dade. According to the website,

"Miami Poverty Conference is a brand new initiative started by University of Miami students to educate students from universities and colleges in the Miami-Dade area about the growing problem of poverty in their community. The conference will take place on February 21, 2009 and will have experts speak about the many different aspects of poverty. For the majority of the conference, students will be divided into smaller groups and attend interactive workshops focusing on various aspects of poverty, including education, immigration, race and poverty, health, and many more. We hope that the conference will not only educate students about the growing problem of poverty, but will also inspire students to actively engage in the community and do their part to alleviate poverty. "

It should be a great learning experience for all involved.

Have a great weekend!

Emmanuel Jal visits campus...

Sometimes it takes an encounter with a special human being to realize how privileged and happy a life you lead. Emmanuel Jal fulfills the role of this special human being on a daily basis- a former child of war, he now raps about his experience and promotes peace through his lectures. The University of Miami was fortunate enough to have him visit campus on Monday, and it was an absolutely amazing experience. Although not scheduled for a concert, Emmanuel performed two songs as well as speaking to the audience about his life story and his goals. Afterwards, he was more than happy to meet with everyone in attendance, sign items, and take pictures.

Make sure to check out his site

http://www.emmanueljal.org/

and help donate to his cause- building a school for other war children; giving them an education, freedom, and voice.

Oh Yeah? Hecht Yeah!

So, as expected, Hecht won Sportsfest for the 8th year in a row. It was an absolute blast, and I feel sorry for the few who decided to stay cooped up in their dorms over the weekend. Overall, my floor won 4th place out of the female teams, just 15 points behind 3rd! Our RA and AF helped us Captains keep everything in order, while all of Hecht worked together so as not to forfeit any games. With the exception of a couple minutes of light rain, the weather was perfect. I can't wait for next year's games. :-)

Our fierce Wallyball team- 1st place champs!

the team t-shirt I designed with the help of Bambi's feathered friends

our kick-butt basketball team- we made it to semi-finals!

Me and Auntie Bird (My AF, but we're swallows, get it?)

that boombox helped keep up the spirit all weekend long, especially during the probability defying tug-of-war

our banner won 1st place!

some of the team with Sebastian

It's About To Get HECHTic

Last weekend, the Leadership Summit (whose theme was "The Power of U") was held by Student Leadership Services. An extremely successful event, it's purpose was to "increases awareness of real world leadership concepts and emphasizes the development of one’s leadership potential", boasting keynote speakers Chad Crittenden and a local circuit court judge (whose name I can't remember, but I'll update this once I look at the paperwork!). Throughout the event, leaders at UM and the Miami community held sessions on specific topics that pertained to becomming a better leader and member of society. My favorite part was the StrengthQuest session I participated in- if anyone ever gives you the chance to take this assessment, definitely take them up on the opportunity! My top five strengths (input, strategic, learner, achiever, and ideation) were a bit of a surprise to me, but upon further investigation they helped me learn a lot about myself.

This week has been a crazy one- there's tons of preparation for future events (Relay for Life, the Poverty Summit, Celebration of Involvement, quite a few concerts and fundraisers, etc.), and although it's hard work, it's certainly exciting.

Most exciting of all is the fact that SportsFest is this weekend- and Hecht is about to kick butt for the 8th year in a row.

Here's a slideshow for last year's Sportsfest...



(I also found a video of my RA Lisel.... so adorable! But I'll let her decide whether or not that's shown :-P)

Opening ceremonies begin with the classic torch run, where Hecht brings up the last leg and let's all of the other residential colleges know what's up. After that it's the banner presentation and general parading of how awesome we are. The games start at 7 and don't end until Sunday at 1 (with the tug of war- perfect!). Although I am nowhere NEAR anything CLOSE to resembling a person with ANY athletic abilities, there's still plenty for me to do. I, along with some of the other girls on my floor, volunteered to be a team captain; making sure everyone is where they ought to be. Some of the 'sports' I'm participating in may also come to a surprise; rock, papers, scissors, connect four, rock band, and the classic kickball. Needless to say, it's going to be a good weekend.

Last night Hecht started things off a bit early with a large pep rally in the lobby. Each floor (which makes up a team) was given a chance to show off their team name, their t-shirts, and any cheer they had come up with. There were some great cheers, tons of team names with more than just one meaning, and some great speeches by Leyla and Fletch (whose speech I wish I could repeat, but it wasn't quite..... family friendly. We take this competition seriously, and Stanford needs to watch out.)

Of course this is all in playfulness- it brings residential colleges closer together and unites the UM community.




But seriously- Stanford needs to watch it.

Sportsfest is this Weekend!