Monday, September 22, 2014

Welcome to the Social Justice, Diversity & Pride LLC!

Hi friends!

I've been so excited for this year to start. No, really! Ever since I knew I was going to be working with the Social Justice LLC, every time someone brought up the coming school year, this is how I reacted:


So anyways, welcome to the Social Justice LLC! A little bit about myself:

Me being casual in a fancy chair.
  • Born in Waukesha, WI
  • Majoring in Communication with a minor in Sociology
  • 2nd (and a half?) year as an RA
  • Spent my summer as an Orientation Leader, so many of you may find me very familiar
  • Also work in the Residence Life office as a Residential Administration Assistant
I'm very excited about the Social Justice LLC. Learning about people and their stories is fascinating to me, especially at UWM, as we are known as the most diverse school in the UW system. I'm hoping that during our time together as an LLC we can step outside of our comfort zones and gain a better understanding of those who we don't share many of the same experience with. The way I see it, life is about learning, and if we can take the opportunity to step back and understand those around us, it will bring forth a more caring and understanding world. 

Both Jen and I are excited to work with you all, and as the semester progresses, we hope to have a lot of fun while learning a ton! Get ready!



Welcome to the Future Fraternity and Sorority Leaders LLC

YAY!

As you all may know, Greek life here at UW-Milwaukee is pretty small compared to other campuses and what is portrayed in the media. However, we are taking major steps into becoming a larger Greek community!




First of all, let me introduce myself!
Name: Scarlett Young
Year: Junior here at UWM
Major: Biochemistry / Pre-Dental Track
Position: 2nd year Resident Assistant at Cambridge Commons

I am a member of the Kappa Tau Sorority and am currently the Chapter Educator. I love Greek life and everything it has to offer!

I am also currently a founding member of the Alpha Lambda Delta First Year Honor Society, and hold the position of Secretary.

This year, the focus of the Future Fraternity/Sorority Leaders Living Learning Community is not so much getting the residents active in Greek Life, but instead giving them opportunities to work on their leadership skills and participate in volunteer activities!

Again, I am super excited about this upcoming year and everything it has to offer! 

Meet the Starchitects!


Hi everyone! It’s a new school year, and the Architecture LLC is back for Round 4 at UWM! We have a lot of fun and exciting things in the works for this year, and we know it will be a great one, so check back often to see what we have going on!

While you wait for all of our awesome events to unfold this year, here are some blurbs about the people involved with the Architecture LLC. Don’t forget to check out the video at the end!


Resident Assistant Derek Ambrose
Derek is from Bloomington, IL and is majoring in Architecture. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, scouting, going to the gym, and involving himself in creative endeavors.

Fun fact: Derek is an Eagle Scout.
Resident Assistant Lindsey Wavrunek
Lindsey is originally from Manitowoc, WI and currently calls Fond du Lac home. She is majoring in Human Resources and Business Management and is pursuing minors in Architecture, Economics, and Marketing. When she can find some free time, Lindsey enjoys playing guitar, biking, and fishing and is a big fan of penguins.

Fun fact: Lindsey can stand on her head for 15 minutes.
Mentor Jess Yester
Jess was born in Virginia Beach, VA and lived there for a few years before moving to Charleston, SC and, eventually, Racine, WI. She now lives in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood and is pursuing a major in Architecture, a certificate in Urban Studies, and just completed a minor in Spanish. Jess is an avid musician and has a growing bank of instruments she plays. She is also a huge lover of animals and rock climbing.

Fun fact: Jess can play Für Elise on the piano with her toes while standing on her head.
Check out our intro video too!
Well, now you know a little about us, and we can all look forward to a great year!

Until next time,
The Architecture LLC

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Welcome to the JAMS LLC



Welcome everyone, 


My name is Danielle Stobb and I am the Resident Assistant for the JAMS LLC.  JAMS stands for Journalism, Advertising and Media Studies.  We are located in Sandburg North Tower, floor 24.  

Last year I was a Resident Assistant in Sandburg West Tower.  I’m excited to be involved the the JAMS community this year because I am a journalism major myself.  This is my third and final year of undergrad. My focus areas are print/online and broadcast. I plan to attend graduate school for media studies (hopefully at UWM) next fall.   Some fun things about me include: my graduating high school class had a mere 20 students, I have an adopted chihuahua named Tegan, I don't know how to swim, and I've visited Disney World 4 times. 


My experience in the journalism sphere include:
  • writing for the UWM Post
  • reporter for Media Milwaukee (student news website)
  • reporter for PantherVision (student broadcast)
  • secretary for UWM Broadcast Club 
  • intern at FOX11 News in Green Bay
  • media intern for docUWM, Milwaukee
  • radio promos with Clear Channel Media, Milwaukee

My most rewarding moment (thus far) as a journalism student is my recent entry in the National Academy of Television Chicago/Midwest Broadcast Chapter.  My piece, “UWM Superfan” has the potential to win a student emmy award.  How exciting! 

My listing of experience is not to brag, but to show JAMS students where they can be in a year or two.  I hope my job as the JAMS LLC RA is not only to provide a fun and safe atmosphere in which to live, but to provide guidance and insight on UWM’s journalism program.  Milwaukee sure has a great one!   

The LLC residents and I have already jump started some fun experience by completing a social media scavenger hunt and attending the Fox 6 news station.  We toured the newsroom, learning behind-the-scenes secrets to the daily newscasts.  Upcoming events include: tours of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and ESPN Milwaukee, as well as hearing from local reporters as guest speakers in the LLC classroom.  

I look forward to an exciting and educational year!      


JAMS LLC eats a picnic lunch during UWM Fall Welcome.
JAMS LLC visits Fox 6 News.


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Beginnings of the Honors LLC


Hello!  My name is Eli King.  I am a second year student and first year Resident Assistant at UW-Milwaukee.  I have come to Milwaukee from the tiny city of Burlington to study Choral Education at the Peck School of the Arts.  Writing the previous two sentences is still slightly surreal; a year ago I would never have imagined that either would be the case.  Initially during freshmen year I was a composition major, who had doubts that his music studies would integrate well with the RA role.  After a change of major and a couple interviews I find myself where I am today, and I couldn't be happier.

I have the extraordinary privilege of inheriting the highly esteemed Honors LLC from Hannah Rarick.  We reside on the 15th and 16th floors of the West Tower of Sandburg Commons.  The term Honors is in reference to students enrolled in the Honors College.  The Honors College is a small liberal arts supplement to a standard degree.  Students usually take one Honors Course per semester in addition to their general coursework.  We encourage all eligible students from any discipline to apply.  The vast majority of my residents are Honors Students from all fields of study, however it's not a universally applicable label; we have a small number of students that are not currently enrolled in the Honors College.  In efforts to be inclusive of these students, we identify not as exclusively Honors students, but as students who take pride in pursuing academic excellence.

I am enrolled in the Honors College. I have found it to be one of the richest components of my education.  I have become a better writer, speaker and a more analytical thinker.  In addition to honing these crucial skills, it allowed me to develop introspection in a way that no other courses have ever allowed me to.  I feel that in being enrolled in the Honors College I have to come to better understand myself in many facets.  I hope that others in my community will experience the same benefits that I have had through the Honors program.   I am very proud to be the Resident Assistant for this LLC, and I am very excited for the coming year.

Until next time!

Eli

Welcome to the Honors LLC!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Hey Global Villagers!

RA's  Katie and Mercedes are really excited for what the year will bring.

Here is a little bit about us!



Hey Friends! I'm Mercedes. It's my 4th year at UWM. I'm majoring in International Studies and minoring in French. It's my 2nd year working with the Global Village LLC. I had such a great time last year, between rock climbing, eating tasty food, and going to visit my favorite animal (Beluga Whales) that I thought I'd come back and do it again! I am from Madison, WI and fell in love with the city of Milwaukee once I moved here. I love exploring the city and finding little shops or places to eat. If you ever need recommendations, I'm your girl!


Hi everybody! I am Katie, and this is my first year working with the Global Village and my second year at UWM. I am majoring in history education and I am going to be minoring in ESL. I grew up about forty minutes south of Saint Louis in a small farming community. I love horses, camping, and fishing. I am so excited to be living in such a great city and I am really looking forward to the upcoming year. I am so happy to be involved in Global Village and can't wait for whats to come!


We have a kickoff event this Sunday, September 14th! We'll be eating cupcakes and meeting our stakeholders to start the year off on the right foot!

Monday, September 8, 2014

Welcome to the Social Welfare LLC!

Hello! My name is Shelbey Puppe and I am the RA for the Social Welfare LLC in Cambridge Commons! I am a 2nd year student at UWM and I'm a social work major. This is my first year as an RA and I cannot wait for all the exciting things to come. After college, I plan to get my Masters Degree in Social Work and would like to work with children and families in crisis situations.

I'm very excited to bring my passion for social welfare related topics to the LLC this year. There is a mix of Social Work and Criminal Justice related majors on our floor and I hope to plan events and activities that tailor to both interests. So far, the residents of the Social Welfare LLC seem excited to explore UWM, Milwaukee, and all the things the community here has to offer them! I hope to play an influential role in this period of transition, and I'm always here to answer questions, help with an issues that may arise, and keep everyone posted about the fun and exciting things happening in the Social Welfare LLC! If you have any questions, you can always contact me at smpuppe@uwm.edu.

Welcome Business Panthers

Welcome to the Business Panthers 2014-2015 Living Learning Community. As the year kicks off the business panthers getting familiar with new classes, meeting new people, and getting involved on campus. The Business Panthers are occupying six floors this year, which means we are the biggest Living Learning Community on campus! 

All of the Resident Assistants and Peer Mentors are excited to see what the business panthers accomplish this year and even more excited to help you along the way. Jenna Evans is a Resident Assistant for the 1st and 2nd floor, Becca Woit is a Resident Assistant for the 3rd floor, Jacob Spender is a Resident Assistant for the 4th floor, and Vakia Bland is the Resident for the 5th and 6th floor. 

We also have three peer mentors for the Living Learning Community; Gabe Rono, Joey Przybylski, and Samantha Serafin-Yehl.  All of us are thrilled to be working with Business Panthers and we are here for you.

We have a lot of special events planned this year for our business panthers to help them get familiar with business in many different aspects. Our first event as an entire Living Learning Community is tonight, in which we will take tour of the Lubar School of Business getting to know all about the resources business students have available to them. Also we will be getting to know each other with an ice cream social to conclude the night!

Go Panthers!



Sunday, September 7, 2014

Welcome to the CQ: The Career Quest LLC 2014-2015


THE START OF OUR JOURNEY: THE CAREER QUEST LLC



First off, I'd like to formally introduce myself. My name is Paul Oshefsky and I am the Resident Assistant for the CQ LLC. I'm a fourth year college student and third year UWM student. My first year was spent at UW-Eau Claire. I am a biology student and my long-term goal is to be an LGBT+ Counselor for a college campus with a small/growing LGBT+ center. Some of my passions are singing, dancing, cheesecake, and Rupaul's Drag Race.

I'm immensely excited to accompany these students on their quest towards finding a career. The unique thing about this LLC is that every student will be on their own unique journey. Not all of them will benefit from the same resources, the same events, or the same opportunities. This makes my job a little more difficult, but I'm fully prepared to help them all with their own individual needs. Our kick-off event will be taking place September 9th. It will mostly be an introductory event with lots of icebreakers and socializing. It will be partnered with the UWM Campus Involvement Fair the following day. All LLC members will be encouraged to go to the fair. I look forward to working with Lauren Lessac from the Career Development Center and Brianna Lee, the student mentor for the LLC. Both of them are phenomenal at what they do.

Some things that can be expected of me and this blog over the course of the year are:
  •  Updates on our upcoming events and reviews of previous events
  • Possibly highlight a few students who do narrow down their career search, pick a major, or make any large advances in their career quest
  • Pictures! Hopefully lot's of pictures. I love pictures (especially jumping pictures!)
Please expect another blog entry soon after our LLC Kick-off Event. I will include specifics on what we did, how it went, and hopefully many pictures will be included. If you have any questions/comments/concerns/suggestions I would love to hear from you. My e-mail is pjojr@uwm.edu

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Jonathan Rooney- Panther Military LLC Introduction





UWM Panther Military LLC (PURIN HALL)

My name is Jonathan Rooney and I am the resident assistant for the Panther Military LLC located at Purin Hall. I am a third year UWM student majoring in Nursing. I am currently in my clinical stage of my nursing career and I could not be more excited! This is my second year as an RA and I look forward to carrying on the tradition of having inclusive communities, successful event turnouts, meeting the second year outcomes in the CLASS model, and most importantly creating a safe, and academic environment for the residents of Purin Hall. Some of my interests include: stand-up comedy, fishing, real estate, personal finance, and interior design. People often describe me as an easy-going, humorous, and determined person. I have already been busy with planning the first two programming events and I am pleased with the interest in these events. I look forward to working with my group of residents and helping them adjust to life on campus. Please feel free to shoot me an email if you would ever like to collaborate on a program or if you have any further questions: jtrooney@uwm.edu 
Hello, and Welcome to the Transfer Community LLC for the 2014-2015 school year!  
Brianna Hoppock (right) and Erika Smith (left) will be your Resident Assistants for the year.

From Brianna:

Hello, I am Brianna Hoppock, RA on the 15th and 16th floors of Sandburg South. This will be my second semester as an RA in Sandburg. I came to UWM in Fall of 2013  for my first year of college and was in West Tower. Spring 2014 was my first semester as an RA and I had the South 19/20 house. 

I am majoring in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Conservation and Environmental Sciences with a Pre-Medicine certificate. I plan on graduating Spring 2016 and continuing on to Medical School to become a doctor. I am currently not sure what specialty I will pursue. 

I look forward to working with the transfer community this year! Can't wait!

From Erika:

Hey all! My name is Erika Smith and I am the RA for South 17 and South 18. This is my 3rd year as an RA here at UWM. I am a 4th year student and for the last 3 years, I have worked and lived in Sandburg North Tower. I am ecstatic to be in South Tower this year, and I look forward to working with the Transfer Students. This is my first year as an LLC RA, and I think it will be a great experience.

I am currently studying Social Work. I intend to graduate in the Spring of 2016. As of right now, I am not entirely sure what I will do after I graduate, but I do know that I want to work with people who live in an inner city environment. 



As Co-RAs, Brianna and I are truly excited to be working with the Transfer Residents this year. As this is your first year at UWM, we urge you to get involved on campus, explore Milwaukee, and to have a great time. As residents who are having similar experiences, build relationships with each other and lean on each other for support during this period of transition! Brianna and I are here for you all as a resource and to assist you in any way possible. Watch for advertisements for the first Transfer LLC event! It's coming up soon.
 

Clinton Plowman - Introduction

Hello to all and welcome to this year's 2014-2015 Health Professions LLC! We are so happy to start off this year on the right note. As of this moment, we are currently packed to the brim with residents who are very eager to start their journey in college.
My name is Clinton Plowman and I am one of the Co-RA's on the 5th floor of the one and only Riverview Residence Hall. I am currently in my second year of studies working on my major in Biomedical Sciences, sub-majoring in Radiologic Technologies while minoring in Healthcare Administration. My major goal for this year for the Health Professions LLC is to create an inclusive floor that loves to live as a community, helping to create memories that will last a life time, and most importantly provide ways to support the residents in their academic studies so that they might succeed in all their classes. The best way to describe myself (as told by others) is I am an outgoing individual, with a cheery personality, who loves to live and laugh and be happy.

Below is a picture of me (left) with one of my friends Collin (right).


The best way to describe this is, I love camping, being outdoors, hiking. If we both had our chances, we would love to be on a survivalist show. I went to Pictured Rocks National Park over the summer, spending two weeks with a group of students from a religious organization. Our group spent the time learning to filter water, build fires, setup hammocks and tents, and cooking differently than using a stove, microwave or grill. Me and my friend built this while on the white sandy shores of Michigan on the Superior side. I look forward to a great academic year and that this message finds you well.

Regards,

Clinton Plowman - 5th Floor RA