Monday, November 29, 2010

The CS Update: November

November began with a bang! North Tower donated eight entire shopping carts up to the brim with nonperishable food items to the Hunger Task Force. Each house competed to see whocould raise the most.

I know you're wondering how the CS faired... AND THE ANSWER IS AWESOMELY.

With just 18 residents total, NG1 amazing pooled enough food to FILL a shopping cart. We came in the third overall. Want to know how awesome it was to see North Tower coming together for such a great cause? It was indescribable.


The MAM

Shortly after the food drive, the NG1ers took a trip downtown to the Milwaukee Art Museum. We saw the special exhibit, European Design, and as much of the permanent collection as we could. For many of the residents, this was the first time at the MAM. Just think what they'd be missing if they'd never joined an LLC.



There's plenty of fun to be had in the CS, the writing and visual culture LLC. An upcoming event is a gallery talk on Thursday night. The artist Loren Schwerd is presenting his work, part of the gallery's show,"Venerate: Collectors of the Human Condition," @ 7:00 p.m.

Check back soon for an update on the end of the semester!

And now to play us off, Clay from NG1:

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Great Semester with the ASL LLC

It has been a great semester with the ASL LLC! We have had a great semester and are looking forward to a new one after a well deserved break! We have such an enthusiastic group! Living in the LLC has taken this bunch of strangers and turned them into great friends!
As exam approach we look forward to a little recreation at the zoo on Dec 11th and then getting down to business as they study for ASL 1,2,3 and 5; as well as Deaf history and Deaf culture together. Continuously helping each other learn and have fun doing it!
As the semester winds down we will be returning home for a month. But while we may be in Appleton, Door County, Racine, Muncie IN, Victoria MN, Kuwait, or Waukesha, we will all be excited to reunite in january and start another spectacular semester!
Wishing all of you a great Holiday and Winter Break!
Talk to you soon,
Kelly and the ASL LLC students

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Lab Rats on the Lake

Hello out there!

Things have been going really well here in Lab Rat Land, lately. The students are currently picking research labs for next semester and deciding how they want to continue in the LLC. The Lab Rat mentor, Amanda, and I have just finished the last details of the final event of the semester. We're taking the Lab Rats to Alterra on the Lake for a study session! We'll buy them a drink and a snack and we can study for our finals, either independently or quizzing each other. Going to Alterra also allows them to check out a new study area and a new part of Milwaukee they likely haven't been to as yet. 

As the semester is winding down things are getting more intense for everyone, myself included! It's important to take some time for yourself and budget your time so you're not pulling all-nighters during the week of finals! Good luck, everyone!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

You are never to old for a trip to the zoo!


The ASL LLC is hoping to take a trip to the zoo in mid-December! Braving the cold is a small price to pay for the LLC residents to get to go to the Milwaukee County Zoo! The trip will allow them to practice their classifiers, which are used in American Sign Language to show movement, location, and appearance. After a signer indicates a person or thing, a classifier can be used in its place to show where and how it moves, what it looks like, and where it is located. We are also planning a final exam study session for our ASL Classes. This will be a great opportunity to get together and practice signing right before the final exam and also, pig out on pizza!

Currently we are all busy picking new classes for next semester and all of our LLC residents are very excited to go on to the next level of ASL and either Deaf History of Deaf Culture (which ever one they are not currently enrolled in)!
One last thing, I would like to invite any resident who is interested in sign language or is in the major or minor to come and hang out on West 2 with the LLC residents! There is always someone out in our lounge and they would love to talk/sign with you any time!

Come join our ASL LLC family and maybe you will consider becoming a part of the LLC next fall!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The CS!

The CS Goes to the MAM!

That's what we WILL be doing on Saturday! And for some residents who have never experienced the Milwaukee Art Museum, this will be a true delight. Together we'll discuss art and culture, lifestyle and politics, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Almost everyone on the floor will get to go and enjoy the art and beautiful museum!

Check back in soon for photos of trip!



On another note...

It's November. That means it's getting cold. That also means classes are well, well, beyond the easy, intro, get-to-know-one-another stages and might actually be causing STRESS.

For artists and other creative people (like the people of NG1-- The CS), November might mean you're in a creative slump. Don't let the weather or stressful classes bog you down! Go and enjoy the final days of fall while you still can! Today the high is 61 degrees! Beautiful. Take time and do things that keep you sane. Continue to do the things that spark creativity.

Now is a critical time in the semester as finals or final projects are looming on the not-so-distant horizon. Prepare. But stay sane. Many of the creative people around you are struggling in the very same way, so don't feel alone either. Just breathe, be organized, and do what you naturally do best: allow creativity to flow forth!

Here's a lovely interactive video piece by artist Chris Milk that inspires me to be creative on the most cold, uncreative of days... "The Wilderness Downtown..."

If you like Arcade Fire, than this video is surely for you.

Thanks for reading! And good luck exploring the infinite abyss (of your creativity).

Lab Rats Update

Well things are chugging along in Lab Rat Land at the moment while Amanda (the Lab Rats mentor) and I finalize our LLC's final "end of semester" bash. Within the class, the students are getting one-on-one interactions with other undergraduates within their majors by visiting their labs and getting some insight in where they could be potentially placed during the next semester. The students are also currently discussing the pros and cons of being engaged in research as a freshman and the importance of time management. Soon, the Lab Rats will be conducting lab interviews with professors in their field of interest until successful research placements for next semester are found.

This is super exciting because the entire point of the seminar is to be placed into a research lab! Once the students begin their experience in the labs, they can have the opportunity of publishing their own work by submitting abstracts to conferences and can really start building their academic resumes.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Just Ten Minutes

The Film LLC decided to help in the University Housings Compete to Reduce Campaign.

University Housing has partnered with the Lucid Design Group to monitor our energy and compete against other schools in the country to see which University Housing can reduce the most. Everyone likes a little friendly competition so to encourage residents to participate we made it a competition within our own housing complexes.

North Tower came up with the idea to get its residents to turn off everything and go unplugged for Just Ten Minutes A Day. We figure everyone can give up ten minutes. Also every Wednesday we have the No Power Hour at 7pm to help reduce our usage.

The Film LLC and a few friends got together and made a video to help! This is what we put together in a couple hours.
Enjoy!

JUST TEN MINUTES



Copyrights: Weigel Broadcasting Co.


To Check UWM's Energy Statuses Check Out:
http://buildingdashboard.net/uwm/

Also there is a bulletin board at the base of North Tower that gives the standings for each day!