CWTA meets Jake Shimabukuro, Ukulele Player

The INTD class for the Connecting with the Arts Learning Community was lucky enough to meet and speak with Jake Shimabukuro, the "Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele." Jake expressed to the students his love and respect for music, saying, "We've all heard that music is the universal language, but I would say to take that a step further, music is the language of the universe." After kindly answering numerous questions about his work, Jake played several pieces for the students, including a Beatles number. His passion for music and his innovative playing of the ukulele was utterly inspiring, and led to most of the students attending his concert later that night.

By Emily Hoynoski, CWTA Learning Community Ambassador

A look into Wimse with Katie Lainas!

The Women in Math, Science, and Engineering Living/Learning Community (WIMSE) is off to a great start for the Spring 2012 semester. For those of you who are unfamiliar with WIMSE, it is a residential community located on the third and fourth floors of Watson in the Alumni Residence Halls. It is a great opportunity for girls interested in science and engineering to further explore and strengthen their knowledge of these disciplines. WIMSE provides girls with the opportunity to meet several specialists and professors of all science fields and visit labs across campus. Throughout the spring semester, the residents will be participating in a Starbase Tutoring opportunity during which they will tutor students in chemistry. They are also looking forward to a bi-weekly book club where they will discuss Nicholas Kristof’s novel, Half the Sky. WIMSE residents are also forming Relay for Life and Adventure Teams. So for any girls interested in science and engineering join WIMSE to have fun and further explore your passions in science!

Global House Ghana Night

By Isaac AmpofoThe evening of January 22, 2012 rolled in with cold, blustery winds, but the students of Global House warmed up with a two-hour sojourn to the shores of Ghana, West Africa; courtesy of Isaac Ampofo, a graduate assistant and Global House coordinator. The event kicked off with a PowerPoint presentation on the West Afican country. Highlights included politics, economy, culture, and language. The students were willing participants, with Mario and Steven (Global House residents) elegantly dressed in matching black and white linen boubous, and with Isaac in brilliantly resplendent native kente cloth. Other African students came dressed in native dress from Rwanda, Uganda, and Sudan. There were pop quizzes that tested the students knowledge on Ghana and winners took home air deodorizers made in the shape of the country's map, complete with its patriotic red, gold, and green colors.

The second part continued to the sound track of contemporary and traditional Ghanaian music, highlighting the country's best talent, all while students enjoyed a food tasting of savory local dishes. The menu featured kelevele (sweet golden fried plantains seasoned with habaneras, ginger, and onions); skewered roasted pork kebabs; oven grilled chicken wings marinated in local seasoning and spicy jollof rice. The event was covered by a professional photographer who caught candids of the entire night, complete with impromptu portraits in front of the Ghana flag, and had also dressed herself in local attire. All in all, it was a night to remember. Greetings from Ghana!

My First Year Experience: The Animal Science Non-Residential Learning Community

By Lauren Strazdis, first year Animal Science Major

(Lauren at Little I, an agricultural event at UConn, with bull, Chief)

At the beginning of my freshman year at UConn, I had little idea of what to expect in a college community. I spent the first few days of class sitting in enormous lecture halls and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the amount of material listed on every syllabus I was handed. My confidence level started to decrease as the week went on, but all my anxiety vanished when I walked into my Animal Science FYE (First Year Experience) class for the first time. Almost immediately after entering the classroom, I was welcomed by the course instructor, Dr. Zinn, and handed a free t-shirt with "Animal Science LC" printed on the back surrounded by various animal figures. I knew then that this was definitely going to be a good class! As I looked around the room, I saw quite a few familiar faces of students that were in the same lectures I had been attending all week. Little did I know, these people would become some of my closest friends through a semester full of group projects, class discussions, campus exploration, and weekly lunches at Towers before class.

Dr. Zinn spent the semester doing as much as he could to help his students become comfortable in their new college environment while introducing them to the numerous things UConn has to offer. In FYE, I experienced everything from receiving critiques on my resume at Career Services, to visiting cultural center in the Student Union, to discovering the abundant resources of the Homer Babbidge Library through a scavenger hunt. I also appreciated the various lessons taught in the class about thriving in a college setting, such as time management, study habits, presentation skills, and even health education.

Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of the class, for me, was the sense of community it created. Whether we spent time working on group presentations or sitting in a circle listing out all our complaints about dorm life on the infamous "whining days," each class brought us closer and closer. Although most of us were taking the same courses given our common major, it would have been difficult to get to know one another so personally through those large classes alone. FYE served as a center point of academic life for me, connecting me to dozens of students in my other courses and making it easy to form groups or find classmates to partner with on homework assignments.

These experiences made what I originally viewed as an overwhelmingly large college environment feel like a smaller, more personal community of friends and caring faculty. I truly learned more than I ever expected in this course and I cannot imagine what my first semester of college would have been like without it. I am eternally grateful for the lessons it taught me as well as the friendships it allowed me to form that will undoubtedly last throughout my college years and beyond.

Alexander Velazquez: Intern of the Year

Alex during his internship at HLRS in Stuttgart, Germany

Eurotech studen Alexander Velazquez (Computer Science & Engineering/German Studies), an Honors student, and on the Dean's list of both the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering has been named UConn's Intern of the Year and will represent UConn on the national level for this award as well. He completed his internship at the High Performance Computing Center at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, working on improving computer supported traffic simulation for the German carmaker Porsche. Alex has been active in outreach activities that aim to involve younger children in engineering projects.


The Eurotech program is for students pursuing a double major in Engineering and German studies who participate in cross-culture opportunities, such as internships in Germany. The Office of First Year Programs and Learning Communities offers support for these students through the Eurotech Learning Community, creating a stable environment for growth and study opportunities within their program.

Inspiring the Urban Educator

By Anne Zinn

Inspiring the Urban Educator is an INTD 1810 course for Pre-Education students interested in Teaching (also known as a Non-Residential Learning Community). The course provides students with the opportunity to explore the career of teaching and learn about the "bigger picture" benefits. Students were able to hear from professionals in the field, gain volunteer experience, and became familiar with educational topics. The course led up to a big community service day at North Windham Elementary School; the students and FYE mentor worked together to plan a community service project, including theme, agenda, decorations, and activities for a fun and engaging event for parents and students of the Before and After School Program. The community service day was held on Friday, December 8, 2011 at 5 p.m. and provided a Winter Wonderland for attendees. Activities included face painting, dinner, reading, pictures with Jonathan the Husky, and much more. Students of the course were greatly involved in face painting, reading stories aloud to students, and eating dinner with children and their families. It was a great way for Pre-Teaching students to get involved with the surrounding school systems and provide a fun evening for children and their parents of the North Windham Elementary School! Check out some of the pictures from that night...

Public Health House's 2012 Legacy Students

By David Andrew, second year Biological Sciences major

I am extremely excited to announce that along with my good friend Alana Benito, I have been selected as a member of the University of Connecticut 2012 Leadership Legacy Experience. Legacy is a fantastic program and I am absolutely thrilled to have been selected for the 2012 cohort, one of only 15 students to be bestowed that honor. I am also pleased to point out that Alana and I are both members of the Public Health House Learning Community, and it has been in large part our work with the Learning Community that has garnered us acceptance into the program.

Alana Benito is a junior Nutritional Sciences major, Residential Assistant, and a student staff member within the Public Health House. In her freshman year she began working as an assistant to the LC's program coordinator, before eventually becoming the FYE Mentor for the freshman FYE course and a programmer and organizer for the community. I remember that Alana was the very first person I met when I came to UConn—she was there at the loading dock with the rest of the residential life staff, and helped me to move my things into the dorm for the very first time. I'm thrilled to be able to share this experience with such an exceptional student and role model.

I was nominated for Legacy by my program coordinator within the Public Health House, and without her support and nomination I would have never known the program existed, let alone be chosen. As a representative of the Learning Communities, I have repeatedly emphasized the opportunities available within the program and the benefits of establishing relationships with faculty members, and my nomination to Legacy is a perfect example. The University of Connecticut system is a huge institution, with a range of opportunities broader and more diverse than any one person could possibly comprehend, let alone a first or second semester student. Through my interactions with faculty and staff, I have been given advice, guidance, and in this case particularly—an opportunity to participate in a prestigious, extensive, and rewarding program, and to meet a stunningly impressive and diverse group of students. I couldn't be more excited, and more thankful.

Public Health House Rules! Legacy 2012!

The Public Health House Makes a Difference!

By Isha Raval, freshman

“Amit Gupta Needs Your Help!” I received a phone call from a family
friend of mine during the first week of November; she told me that she
needed me to immediately help her in organizing a Bone Marrow Drive at
UConn for her friend Amit Gupta. Amit Gupta, barely thirty years old from
Woodbridge, Connecticut, is suffering from Acute Leukemia, and needs to
find matching South Asian Marrow in 15 days! Acute Leukemia is a cancer
which develops when the body produces large number of cancer cells which
quickly grow and replace normal cells in the bone marrow. The biggest
hurdle here is that minorities, like Amit Gupta, face great challenges in
finding South Asian Marrow matches. CNN newscaster, Sanjay Gupta says
that, “South Asia is severely underrepresented in the bone marrow donor
pool…the odds for finding the perfect match is 1 in 20,000.” Without a
match, Amit’s 5 year chance for survival will drop to 30%. With a perfect
match, his time of survival would double. Amit Gupta has only 15 days to
find a match!

After receiving this phone call, I immediately helped organize a Bone
Marrow Drive at an Indian Student Association Cultural Show. With the
help from members from the Public Health House (Claire Price, Matei
Manea, Janisse Ramirez, Chengqian Che (Bruce) and Jen Benson) the Bone
Marrow Drive was a success. The volunteers informed people, handed out
forms, and registered people at the event to be bone marrow donors. The
donors simply had to swab their cheeks and register. Although it was
disappointing to see people ignorantly turn their heads at our booth,
every person who registered made a difference. Without finding a match
within 15 days, Amit Gupta only has a short amount of time to live. We can
make a difference, even when it is just a little difference. The Public
Health House has certainly made a positive impact on Amit Gupta’s chances
of survival. We should all “Choose today to make a difference in the life
of someone else.”

PHH Service Learning Spotlight: Migrant Farm Workers Clinic

by David Andrew, second year biological sciences major

Upon arrival at the farm that evening, I was most shocked by how incredibly quiet and still it was. On campus, I too often allow myself to be constantly stimulated by noise: the iPod in my ears the moment lecture is over, NPR news streaming during my lunch, YouTube and streaming video dominating my laptop, and falling asleep to the sound of my favorite news podcast. On the farm, there was nothing—I felt like I had stepped into a John Steinbeck novel of a hundred years ago. The migrant farm workers lived in a small cluster of humble metal barracks, situated in a low-lying settlement between darkened rolling hills, agricultural buildings standing tall and shadowed, and all of it just beneath a low, dim evening sky, dominated by ashen clouds. Rain had fallen sporadically that entire afternoon, bringing darkness and the night hours early. The noises I heard didn’t come from ear buds; rather, I heard the sounds of evening, the distant calls of birds beyond the hills, a wooden screen door swinging open and slamming shut, muffled voices and nothing else.

The Migrant Farm Workers Clinic is a program run out of the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington with the goal of providing medical and dental screenings for migrant workers, on site, and free of charge. Migrant farm workers “are among the most economically disadvantaged and most medically vulnerable groups in the United States having little, if any, access to health care or medication. In addition to barriers to access to health care that many citizens meet like affordable health insurance, language barriers, and lack of transportation, migrant workers also experience additional barriers such as fear of deportation, loss or garnished wages, and being dismissed or not invited back to work by the employer due to missed work or health issues.” (MFWC Website) Through my INTD courses taken with the Public Health House, I’ve learned about underserved populations and the health disparities they experience as a result of their situation, which shed light on the importance of the services we were providing the workers.

The entire clinic staff is made up of volunteers, ranging from physicians donating their time, to undergraduates like myself seeking out clinical exposure and service opportunities. As an undergraduate, I was tasked with collecting vitals data from patients, their first stop within the clinic before seeing a medical student. My fellow undergrads and I were trained in the use of sphygmomanometers (super fun word for blood pressure cuffs), which we used to acquire blood pressure readings for each patient, along with their blood glucose levels through a thumb prick test. We would then discuss the results of each test with the patient and explain the meaning of each result, such as whether their blood pressure was right on target, a little high, or “pretty high”, as I would tentatively put it. I was lucky in that the patients we were working with on this occasion were English-speaking, which is often not the case. The lack of a prominent language barrier made communication much easier, though effective patient communication is a genuine skill that takes extensive training and practice to develop. In addition to taking vitals, we also shadowed the medical students and other clinic staff as they saw patients and decided on treatment.

I have never had the opportunity to work so closely with patients and actually provide them services, and it was a transformative experience. In the seat next to me, whose arm I held in a sphygmomanometer, was a real person with sincere needs. The clinic was literally set up in the common space of the workers’ barracks (right next to the kitchen), right in the home of need, in the home of underserved and ignored men and women. We saw a dozen patients that night, patients who walked away with their stories heard, pains acknowledged and diagnosed, and their needs—in some small part, and to some small but meaningful extent—addressed.

The migrant farm workers are an invisible population—they come and go, with Connecticut none the wiser. Later that night, we left the farm behind and returned to the Connecticut I know, with its lights, traffic, noise and modern concerns. It had taken only thirty minutes to enter a whole new world, and leave the world of the migrant farm workers behind. That world doesn’t cease to exist, however, and neither does the need for care and attention. Someday, I’ll return.

PHH Service Learning Spotlight: Husky Reads

by David Andrew, second year biological sciences major, pictured above

As a member of the Public Health House Learning Community, I have had the opportunity to get involved with a number of different service programs and groups. One of my first and most affecting involvements was with Husky Reads, a program that puts UConn students in preschools and community centers (such as hospitals or action agencies) to teach young children about nutrition and healthy living through reading books, playing games, and leading fun and educational activities. The goal of this program (and more detailed information can be found on their website) is to promote positive attitudes and health literacy in the children, so to empower them to make healthier decisions and reach better health outcomes.

During our training we watched a video in which children were challenged to identify some different fruits and vegetables. When the host held up an eggplant, I was able to identify it without even thinking. The children in the video didn't fare quite as well. No, it was not a potato, corn, french fries, or as one child repeated adamantly, "Potato Salad". Increasing basic health literacy and food knowledge was a key theme running beneath all of our books, activities, and games. We identified vegetables, body parts, bones; we brought exotic snacks for the kids to try (Hummus?!?!?); we analyzed the food pyramid and identified its components; we dyed ranch dressing green and purple with food coloring so the kids would try it; we jumped, danced, crawled, and most amazingly, sat quickly and quietly at attention.

The program targets low-income families living in urban or economically disadvantaged environments, including Hartford and Willimantic. My site during the fall semester was a preschool in Hartford operated by the Salvation Army. The students at this school were almost universally from low-income and minority families, living in one of the poorest cities in the nation with a notorious food desert problem. (In our LC INTD course we had learned about nutrition-related health disparities and the effects of food deserts and poverty on health outcomes.) Therefore, we understood the factors at play in this environment and the potential beneficial impact of our actions.

Every week, my partner and I would teach our lesson to classrooms 2 and 4, and by the end of the semester we knew the kids by name and habit. It was thrilling to see one child's progress from the first to last week, from refusing to talk (let alone try the snack), to talking incessantly, hugging my knees repeatedly and without warning, and making a total mess (and eating some) of the snack. Our kids came out of the semester knowing the food pyramid like pros, trying new foods, and bragging that their mother or father had brought home this or that vegetable the other day, as opposed to french fries or macaroni and cheese. In addition to challenging me in very new ways and expanding my perspective, the experience was also incredibly fun and heartwarming.

• We read a book about a "Veggie Monster", and then shortly thereafter they began to refer to me, at 6'4, as the Veggie Monster.
• I bargained with children to get them to take a bite of a carrot stick.
• I pretended to love carrot sticks.
• I got to talk at length about Spongebob and illustrate why he's a positive role model.
• I colored with pink and purple crayons and refused to concede them as girls' colors.

It was fantastically rewarding to say goodbye to those kids knowing that we had made some difference, or at least that we had planted a seed in their minds, that they might remember their "UConn Friends" with the Husky t-shirts and the friendly smiles. If these kids ever once asked for milk instead of soda, or tried a new food, or chose to be up and active because they knew it was good for them, then my friends and I had achieved something real and meaningful.

Public Health House: Learning Through Service

by David Andrew, second year biological sciences major

Hello! My name is David and I’m a second year resident of the Public Health House Learning Community. I’ll be posting about different aspects of the Learning Community experience and some of the activities my peers and I participate in through our involvement with the LC.

One of the primary aspects of the Public Health House experience is the emphasis on Service Learning. Service Learning is best defined as “a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.” Through Service Learning, students use the skills and information they have acquired in the classroom on real-world service that benefits the community. They then analyze their experiences (either through reflections or quantitative/qualitative analysis of acquired information) to reach further conclusions. This practical application of knowledge and skills informs the volunteer in a way that strict classroom or book learning could never do, and initiates a continuous cycle of enrichment.

PHH students receive information and instruction through our specially designed INTD courses, as well as guest lectures and seminars. Topics have included, to name just a few: health disparities, public policy, controversies in health care, the effects of social, economic, cultural and environmental factors on health, specific issues like food security and sex education, and extraordinary health care situations. These topics lend themselves to a great number of complex and diverse involvements and programs, just as astoundingly complex and inclusive as the field of Public Health itself. Public Health House members have participated in literally dozens of programs, several of which I will detail in coming posts, such as the Husky Programs, which focus on nutrition and health education outreach for economically disadvantaged children and parents; the Migrant Farm Workers Clinic, which attends to the health care needs of Connecticut’s migrant and seasonal farm workers, and other on and off-campus service programs.

Service Learning is the full package. It provides real world experiences and “street smarts”, benefits the state and community in valuable ways, and moves students from the University of Connecticut to Connecticut itself, revealing the subtle complexities of our world, truths both good and bad, heartening and disheartening, inspiring and unforgettable. It opens new horizons of thought and understanding to the student- it is an education in the truest sense of the word.

Public Health House and Foodshare: Hunger 101

by Alana Benito, junior nutritional sciences major

On October 11th, the Public Health House hosted Foodshare's Hunger 101 presentation. Two volunteers from Foodshare came to Watson Residence Hall to share this presentation with members of the learning community. Foodshare is Hartford and Tolland Counties food bank that serves over 128,000 people in our region who are at risk for food insecurity. Foodshare distributes over 16 tons of food each day to nearly 300 food pantries, soup kitchens and other agencies that help distribute this food to those in need.

The Hunger 101 presentation opened students' eyes to hunger issues that affect our neighbors. Students were given a brief introduction on what Foodshare does for our region and on the hunger demographics of this area. They then participated in a role-play activity where each student took on the role of a hungry person who only had a specific amount of money to buy food for their family for a day. Students all had varying circumstances and levels of hunger and went from the food pantry, corner market, social service agency, bank and emergency funds agency trying to get enough food or money to feed their families for one day. This proved to be a hard task and showed students how, even in Connecticut, people struggle on a daily basis to get enough food to avoid hunger.

The members of the Public Health House who attended were shocked and many were empowered to do something about it. The PHH will be having various volunteer opportunities to combat hunger and work with Foodshare in the future.

WiMSE Special Seminar

by Heather Read, Faculty Director, WiMSE

The Fall 2011 Women in Math, Science, and Engineering (WiMSE) Special Seminar series began Friday, October 7 with a brief video summarizing senior Chemical Engineering major, Ethan Butler's research experience at UConn. Following the clip, senior Physiology & Neurobiology major and WiMSE Student Organization Vice President, Christine Vareed, ran an interview and open discussion with Ethan and the freshmen currently in the WiMSE Learning Community (LC). The students in attendance (despite a tough week of exams) were enthusiastic and joined in with Christine in asking questions about Ethan's research projects, as well as a discussion about what women in the sciences have to offer that men cannot provide in the physical science fields.

Ethan came to the discussion prepared with statistics from UConn on the percentages of women in carious fields of Engineering and pointed out that there are higher numbers of women in Biomedical and Environmental Engineering, where there tends to be a clear link between the major and its positive applications to humanity and the environment. He gave several examples from his own experience of how Chemical Engineering can also contribute to humanity and the environment and made those in attendance wonder if numbers of women in such fields might be due to a lack of public awareness that these majors can have all types of different applications. This was brought up not only with Chemical Engineering, but with Molecular & Cell Biology and Physiology & Neurobiology majors as well.

After the questioning and open discussion, many students approached Ethan and expressed how inspired they were by the idea of having a practical and positive impact within their own area of MSE.

A special thank you goes out to Cheng Yang (sophomore WiMSE LC alum), Laura Bozzi and Christine Vareed (WiMSE Student Organization President and Vice President), Twila Hinds and Katie Lastrina (WiMSE LC RAs) for spreading the word about the first WiMSE Special Seminar. WiMSE hopes to invite Ethan back to be a keynote speaker during the Spring workshop on how to apply for research experiments for undergraduates (REUs), industrial internships, and related summer research programs in MSE.

Ethan Butler with Natalie Van Achen, freshman chemical engineering major and WiMSE resident

Public Health House Participates in Walk to End Alzheimer's

by Alana Benito, junior nutritional sciences major

The Public Health House learning community traveled to Bushnell park on October 2nd to walk in Hartford's Walk to End Alzheimer's. Before the walk, members of the community asked for donations from friends and family and fundraised a total of $143.72!

Pumpkin Fest 2011

Pumpkin Fest 2011 sponsored by Alpha Lamda Delta (ALD)

Friday, October 21, 2011

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Outside the CUE Building (Fairfield Way)

Come to Pumpkin Fest, the annual fall celebration! Come enjoy pumpkin carving and decorating, treats, and the return of Valentine the Clown for face-painting and balloon animals! Treats are $1; we will also be selling Cancer Bands for $1.50.

Learning Communities Fight It Out at the 2nd Annual Learning Communities Field Day!

by Anne Zinn, senior English major and organizer for LC Field Days

On Saturday, September 17, 2011, over 200 students gathered at Memorial Stadium to participate in the 2nd Annual Learning Communities Field Day. Learning Communities were represented across the board, including 2 teams from (Pre-)Pharmacy House, and EuroTech, 3 teams from Global House, Public Health House, and Community Service House, 4 teams from Business Connections House, and Leadership House, and 1 team from both WiMSE and Engineering House.

LC students spent the afternoon competing in activities such as Tug-O-War, various tag games, a blind-folded relay race, and much more. There were 11 main events for students to compete against one another in, along with 3 popular Minute-to-Win-It games, such as Caddy Stack (stacking 3 golf balls on top of one another, which only one student from Nursing accomplished!). Each station was run by an incredible LC volunteer, ranging from RAs to LC directors, and First Year Programs & Learning Communities staff members.

First place went to "The Secret Weapon," a team from Global House, with 92 total points. Second place was narrowly won by "In Kemba We Trust," a Business Connections team, with 83 points, and third place was awarded to "Engineer Engineer (E^2)," the students representing Engineering House, with 82 points. To accompany their trophy for winning first place, Global House will also receive a banner to display proudly in their residence hall (McMahon).

Public Health House Celebrates the New Year!

by Alana Benito

Public Health House students started their year off with an ice cream social followed by the learning community's FYE and EPSY courses. Students got to know each other by participating in team builders and ice breakers. Returning LC students welcomes 34 new members to the learning community! Public Health House has grown in size over the past year, with a total of 66 members who look forward to living, learning, and serving their community together.

Congratulations ALD!

UConn's chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta National First Year Honor Society was recently awarded the Order of the Torch award, which is an annual national award that recognizes outstanding chapters of ALD throughout the country. The chapter created a scrapbook of activities held during the academic year in order to compete for the award. As recognition for this award, the chapter will receive a banner and a special ceremony to recognize the chapter's accomplishments. The UConn chapter of ALD was reactivated in 2005 after seven years of dormancy and it has truly flourished over the past six years. Since reactivation, UConn ALD has had national scholarship winners, organized university-wide events like PumpkinFest, and has increased its membership to 1,200 students. UConn ALD only hopes to grow and expand their chapter in years to come.

ALD is an honor society for students who have maintained a 3.5 or higher GPA and are in the top 20% of their class during their first year or term of higher education. This past year (Fall 2010), Alpha Lambda Delta inducted 649 freshmen into their society. Students stay involved throughout their academics careers at UConn, participating in community service opportunities and building their resumes.

The Order of the Torch Award is a great honor for ALD, as is membership for those students who have worked hard during their first year at UConn.

Please Welcome Clelia Boscolo to the LC Family!

Clelia Boscolo will be joining the Learning Communities Team as a faculty-in-residence living in Global House (McMahon Hall) for the 2011-2012 academic year. Not only will she be supporting Global House, but she will also be teaching Italian and Culture courses for the Department of Modern and Classical Languages.

Clelia is the first Universitas 21 faculty exchange to work with the University of Connecticut. (You can learn more about Universitas 21 here and/or read about the coorporation between UConn and Unversitas 21 here.)

Clelia was born in Turin, Italy and moved to the UK in 1981. She studied Combined Honours Italian and Russian at Birmingham University. She has been teaching Italian as a foreign language for over 20 years and has worked in the Department of Italian Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK since September 1989. Clelia teaches language courses, translation studies, and language-teaching methodology, as well as holding the position of Module Convenor of all compulsory and optional language modules at the Undergraduate level and of the Teaching and Learning Italian module at the Master level. She is also responsible for the coordination of all language courses and for the training of part-time teachers and PTAs.

Clelia's interests lie within the teaching and learning of Italian as a foreign language, translation studies, e-learning, and the Linguistic interference between Italian and English. She has been recently published in The Collins Language Revolution - Italian Grammar Buster (2010) and Easy Learning Italian in a Click (2010), with many more publications to her name.

We welcome her to the Global House team and the Learning Communities family in Fall 2011 with excitement and open minds to the new culture and ideas that she will bring to the table. If you happen to see her in McMahon Dining Hall or around campus, please make sure to say hello and introduce yourself!

EcoHouse T-Shirt Climbs Mountain!

Check out Jenny, a UConn Alum '08, who helped found EcoHouse in 2009! She brought her EcoHouse t-shirt on her many post-UConn adventures. Here, the shirt has made its way to the summit of Pasachoa, a 13,779 ft extinct volcano. The t-shirt also climbed with Jenny to the 17.800th foot of Cotopaxi and continued to explore wherever Jenny went!

2010-2011 LC Photo Contest Winnters

Students had the opportunity to enter a photo contest at the end of the spring semester that represented life in their UConn Learning Community. A panel of student judges selected these photos as the winners. Contest winners received UConn Co-op Bookstore gift certificates!

You can view all photos submitted here: http://LC.uconn.edu,
click "LC Photo Contest!" under the photo on the right.

Category 1: LC Life in the Residence Hall

1st Place: Clare Obarowski, Connecting with the Arts

After Dani Kaplan donated blood, she felt a bit faint. Luckily she had her LC friends Evelyn Obarowski, Louise Daraskevich, and Harrison Haney to catch her. Claire says, "Living with artists just makes living more interesting."

2nd Place: Jazmynn Noia, Nursing

Freshmen nursing majors playing their future roles. Jazmynn says "The best decision I made was entering the Nursing Learning Community - no words, pictures, or stories can truly represent the amazing experiences and connections." Pictured left to right: Jessalyn Pennington, Kaitie Witt, Jessica Van Ingen. Photo taken by Jen Heller (Resident Assistant)

3rd Place: Sandy Honig, Honors

Fun in the Buckley Elevator. Sandy says, "I've really enjoyed living in the honors learning community  - meeting people with similar interests as me and living with them has been a great experience, and I am happy to have been in this LC. Pictured: Max Shakun and Milod Kazerounian

Category 2: LC Life on Campus
1st Place: Jasmine Skinner, Leadership House

Trevor Kilne and Jasmine Skinner performed in the Lip Sync dance competition as Beauty and the Beast. Jasmine says "The Leadership community has molded me into an accomplished freshman, and an influential role model. Living in the LC definitely made my freshman year one of the most amazing years I have yet to experience. It gave me the chance to shine separately among this hugely populated campus."

2nd Place: John Kelleher, (Pre-)Pharmacy House

The (Pre-)Pharmacy LC did a ropes course, and the task was to swing on the rope and have your teammates grab you and squeeze you onto the tiny platform, so that you could hand the rope back over to the next person. Pictured: Stephanie Wong, Tyler Ojeda, Angi Wang, Chris Jensen

3rd Place: Alicia Rozkuszka, (Pre)-Pharmacy House

My roomate, Songyi Ee, and I at an ice skating trip with the (Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community. Alicia says, "My first year at college has been a great one, and I attribute the fun that I had to the (Pre-)Pharmacy LC. Not only did I have a group of best friends after only the first couple days of school, but we also do a lot around the community. I would definitely call the (Pre-)Pharmacy LC my family. We study together, go to class together, do community service together, and have fun together." Photo Credit: Heather Kutzler

Category 3: LC Life in the Community 

 1st Place: Songyi Ee, (Pre)-Pharmacy House

(Pre-)Pharmacy LC students participate in a Florida Winter Relief trip. Songyi says, "Strangers with the same cause become friends forever!"

2nd Place: Theresa Connolly, Nursing House

Courtney Hurlbert and Theresa Connolly at Brighton Ski resort in Utah. Theresa says, "Several nursing students traveled to Salt Lake City for the National Student Nurses Association Convention this past April. We enjoyed learning more about the possibilities open to us in nursing and we were also able to enjoy the beautiful mountains where we skied for half a day." Photo credit: Craig Folcik

3rd Place: Grace Capreol, Public Health House

Public Health House volunteers on the Alternative Spring Break trip in Baltimore, MD.  The end of two days work with Habitat for Humanity, a truly inspiring experience! Grace says, "Life in the LC this year has helped me understand the importance of community service, and the benefits of service learning. By reflecting on the activities and services performed throughout the community, its possible to learn more about Public Health, the community served, and yourself.  It has inspired me to continue community service wherever I end up!"

Congratulations to all of the winners! We would like to thank everyone who submitted photos to the contest! Make sure to keep taking photos of LC events for next year's Photo Contest!

2011 Student Life Awards

Student Multicultural Award Finalists

Finalist: Shang Lin (Tommy) Lee

Tommy Lee has exhibited his passion for creating positive social change through his involvement in the Community Service Learning Community. Tommy also works with the Asian American Cultural Center to coordinate their senior banquet, recognizing the contributions of graduating seniors. Tommy also volunteers with the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program and the Kids with UConn Mentoring Program. In addition to all of these community responsibilities, Tommy is also a brother of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.

Finalist: Leonela Villegas

Majoring in Chemical Engineering, minoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology, and a member of the Honors Program, Leonela Villegas has a history of promoting multicultural awareness in multiple areas on campus. She is a tutor for Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) classes, takes part in the Collegiate Health Service Corps’ Migrant Farm Workers program, and is an active member of the National Society of Black Engineers. She serves as a Child Life Volunteer at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and volunteers at the Windham Bilingual Program, the Fair Haven Free Clinic, and the Mansfield Senior Center in the hopes of becoming a pediatric doctor. Leonela also earned a membership into Alpha Lambda Delta, a national honor’s society for first-year students, and is a member of the Leadership Legacy Experience.

Donald L McCullough Leadership Award

Finalist: Alexandra Kuehnle

Alexandra Kuehnle is pursuing an Individualized Major in Security Studies to supplement her Political Science and Human Rights concentration. She is a New England Scholar, a Truman Scholarship Finalist, and President of the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society. Additionally, Alexis an alumnus of the 2010 Leadership Legacy Experience and the founder and president of the UConn Silver Wings organization. Alex has been a Community Assistant, has worked for the Center for Students with Disabilities, served as Public Relations Coordinator & Communications Director in the Office of Community Outreach, and volunteered as an Assisting Minister and substitute teacher.

Finalist: Danielle Lanslots

Danielle Lanslots, an active member of the EcoHouse Learning Community, serves her community through environmental education and outreach. She is an intern at the Office of Environmental Policy and the assistant coordinator of Alternative Breaks in the Office of Community Outreach, where she works specifically with Learning Community trips. Danielle received the Academic Excellence Award in Biology at the end of her freshman year and hopes to become a biological oceanographer. In addition, she is also an alumnus of the 2010 Leadership Legacy Experience cohort.

2011 Student Life Awards

This year's Student Life Awards are beginning to be announced, and we would like to recognize the Learning Community students who have been honored!

International Student Leadership Award
Recipient: Sandie Gong

Sandie Gong's leadership with and awareness of the international student experience began during her first year at UConn as a volunteer with the Office of Community Outreach in the Conversation Partners program, which pairs international students with domestic students in order to build language skills and friendships. The following year, she led this program and continued in her mission to involve international students in the campus community. In addition to her work with Communtiy Outreach, Sandie was a team leader on the Honors Spring Break trip, which focused on highlighting issues of migrant workers in Florida.

Outstanding Graduate/Teaching Assistant Award
Recipient: Lindy Brady

Over the past year, Lindy has worked with the EcoHouse Learning Community to develop and teach an environmentally themed section of a Freshman English course. In addition to the work coordinating a sustainability themed course, Lindy worked for EcoHouse Coordinators and students to create three service afternoon trips for the students enrolled in the course to clean up areas around campus and the Mansfield communtiy. This semster, Lindy is teaching a seminar course entitled "Advocating Effectively For Local Issues: Environmental Communication in the Real World." Lindy is a pursuing a PhD in English.

To learn more about the Student Life Awards that are announced as part of Student Leaders Recognition Week, see: http://studentactivities.uconn.edu/leadership_index.php.

Students Take a Stand Against Sweatshops

by Trevor King and April Kenney, both 1st-year psychology majors, Community Service LC

I invite you to take a look at the tags on your clothing. How many of them are made in the USA? Chances are all but a small percentage of your clothes are made in other countries. Some may feel that the problem with clothing made out of the country is the lack of jobs being provided in the United States. The real problem, however, is the exploitation that is occurring in other countries so you can have your high quality clothes.

In many other countries, the workers are paid pennies per hour for working in factories that are overcrowded, have poor ventilation, and lock their workers in the building over night for forced overtime without pay. This type of behavior is outrageous, yet is allowed in these countries because they have less restrictions on treatment of employees. Employees in these factories have limited bathroom breaks, no health care, and are forced to endure a large amount of harassment from superiors. On top of all of that, they do not have a voice and cannot speak out about their issues or if they are able to speak up, their voices go unheard or they are punished.

There is a factory in the Dominican Republic called Alta Gracia which has created a new model for how employees should be treated. It all began when the employees of a BJ&B factory rallied to form a union for better treatment, this caused them all to be fired and the factory shut down. After college students across the United States heard about the unfair treatment of BJ&B employees, they formed an alliance with the workers to ensure their better treatment. In turn, the students could stock their university bookstores' shelves knowing everyone was treated humanely as their sweatshirts and t-shirts were made.

On Monday night, in class for the Community Service Learning Community we first Skyped with the current leader of the Cornell University branch of Students United Against Sweatshops. This organization over the past decade has worked with the former workers of BJ&B to both ensure better treatment and ensure universities stop supporting sweatshop labor. It has been a long and constant struggle and there's still a long way to go to ensure all people can work in fair conditions. However, with continued effort and increased awareness of this issue, eventually people everywhere will not have to worry if their human rights will be violated at work and in turn people can buy from companies freely knowing their products were made humanely.

Then, we Skyped with three women who were formally working at BJ&B and are now workers at Alta Gracia. The workers are now able to properly provide for their families. They, have their own homes, health insurance for their family members and are able to put their children through college. At work, the employees are treated kindly and fairly because at the factory, there are no supervisors, since the employees monitor each other.

Overall,what we gained from the experience was information about how shops operate and in turn how to dismantle them. We learned that with hard work students who feel they do not have a say in larger issues can force a company to change how they produce clothing. It's a long road ahead, but we do have a voice, and if we use it correctly we can help workers in other sweatshops gain the rights and freedoms that they deserve.

Connections Made Lead to Life Altering Experiences

by Jessica Schmitt, senior natural resources major, 2009-10 EcoHouse RA

As a senior in high school I was told that college was a time to “discover yourself.” I wasn’t quite sure what everyone meant by that but I was excited to figure it out. Unfortunately, as a freshman, I had a hard time adjusting to such a large school and was unsure what I wanted to study or choose for a major. I wanted to make new friends and have new experiences so I started picking clubs and attending the meetings to see if I liked them. One group stuck – EcoHusky. There, I met Jennifer Sayers who became an inspirational figure for me. Jenny was instrumental in founding the EcoHouse Learning Community. When I first heard her talk about the future formation of EcoHouse, I knew I had to be a part of it. I had no idea what it would do for me, but now I know it was one of the best decisions of my college career. I lived in EcoHouse my junior year as a Resident Assistant. I fell in love with the strong sense of community there and quickly became involved in the classes and service projects. EcoHouse provided many opportunities for me. I was lucky enough to be sponsored to attend the Smart and Sustainable Campuses conference at the University of Maryland with Jenny and a fellow EcoHouse student.

As a first year Learning Community we hosted guest lecturers, participated in rallies and planned events, such as our pancake night fundraiser. Some of the things I took part in were Connecticut Day of Action, 350 Rally, “Re‐think Your Rubbish,” Green Game Days and many more. Spring semester, I founded the Facilities Committee which created a proposal to turn Hollister, the current location of EcoHouse, into a “green building.” Students on the Committee met with Residential Life, and they helped us accomplish many of our goals. I was passionate about creating a green dorm on campus – to be a model for others. As I became a stronger leader and saw my efforts turn to change, I felt motivated to expand my horizons further, and join more programs outside of EcoHouse For instance, I participated in the first ever EcoHouse Alternative Spring Break trip last year and enjoyed that experience so much that this year I am going again. However, this time, I won’t be a participant, but instead a team leader through Community Outreach. Through EcoHouse I met influential people on campus, worked with fellow students on some great projects, further developed my passion for environmental issues and for the first time in my college career, felt that  really was part of a true community.

Although I didn’t want to leave EcoHouse at the end of my Junior year, I knew there was still one more thing I had to do before I graduate – study abroad. In high school, I participated in an exchange program to Argentina and ever since, I’ve known that I had to study abroad in college. I chose to study in Monteverde, Costa Rica through CIEE in the Sustainability and the Environment program. I lived with an energetic family there for three months, learning about their language and culture. I studied sustainability, tropical conservation, Costa Rican natural history and Spanish. I even did an internship with another student, researching rainwater collection systems and then designing one for our study center. I traveled all across Costa Rica and through the Southern part of Nicaragua. My experiences there sparked me to change my eating, buying and overall living habits. I’ve learned to find my passions and dreams and chase after them.

My internship advisor told me that “I must create a system or be enslaved by another man’s,” which means you have to follow your own dreams. I was able to do things I never imagined in Costa Rica. I hiked in many types of rain forests, visited waterfalls, national parks, volcanoes and saw incredible wildlife. The amazing places I visited, the inspirational people I met and the lessons I have learned ‐ not only in the classroom, made my study abroad experience extraordinary.

EcoHouse and my study abroad to Costa Rica have been the two most influential experiences of my college career. They both taught me a lot academically but most of all, they helped me start to “discover myself.” I’ve realized that you can’t wait for things to happen to you, you have to go out and make them happen for yourself, even though you may not realize the significance of such things until much later.

I had no idea that attending one EcoHusky meeting and meeting Jenny would bring me where I am today. I’ve also learned that “discovering yourself” isn’t a four year journey but rather a lifetime journey. EcoHouse and studying abroad in Costa Rica have started me on my journey towards self discovery.

As I was leaving Costa Rica, my internship supervisor, who became a mentor, told me to “Remember that what you learned here is not a recipe, it is the way of mixing the ingredients… which will be different in each place you go.”

So, I will take what I have learned through my EcoHouse and study abroad experiences and use them throughout my life, wherever I am on my journey.