UConn Learning Communities

A look into Wimse with Katie Lainas!

2012-01-31T15:23:00.003-05:00

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

2012-01-30T10:31:00.006-05:00

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

2012-01-24T15:22:00.010-05:00

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

2012-01-10T09:44:00.005-05:00

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

2012-01-03T15:02:00.008-05:00

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

2011-12-13T12:07:00.007-05:00

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!

2011-11-14T11:37:00.003-05:00

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

2011-11-09T13:05:00.005-05:00

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

2011-10-25T12:32:00.005-04:00

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

2011-10-15T13:25:00.008-04:00

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

2011-10-13T11:28:00.004-04:00

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

2011-10-11T13:17:00.008-04:00

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

2011-10-10T12:27:00.004-04:00

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

2011-09-27T13:08:00.003-04:00

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!

2011-09-22T14:20:00.008-04:00

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!

2011-09-08T15:33:00.008-04:00

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!

2011-07-12T15:02:00.004-04:00

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!

2011-06-29T10:40:00.011-04:00

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!

2011-06-14T14:41:00.003-04:00

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

2011-05-27T11:56:00.005-04:00

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

2011-04-26T10:48:00.000-04:00

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

2011-04-12T10:41:00.001-04:00

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

2011-04-07T20:58:00.007-04:00

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

2011-03-29T16:15:00.001-04:00

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.

Leadership LC Reflects on "Half the Sky", Evaluating the Opression of Women Worldwide

2011-03-15T15:13:00.003-04:00

by Yoo Mi Thompson, Senior Business Finance Major, Leadership LC Mentor

On the last day of February, students of the Leadership Learning Community met to discuss “Half the Sky”—an incredibly influential, pragmatic, and inspirational book that discussed our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world. Written by New York Times Op-Ed columnist Nick Kristof and his wife Sheryl WuDunn, “Half the Sky” introduces its readers to women around the world that have faced the toughest challenges of life and leaders who have combated the issues.

Our book club discussion was lively while also delving into challenging discussion. When I asked for initial reactions, a student immediately referred to a horrific and severe medical condition called obstetric fistula.[1] This condition develops when a young girl’s pelvis is too small, or underdeveloped, to properly deliver a baby. The baby’s head can get stuck, compressed against the mother’s tissue making it so that the tissue dies. This condition is prevalent in areas of inadequate birthing care. Many students were appalled that this condition—its corrective surgery only costs about $300—can also ostracize these young girls from their communities.

From this medical condition, we then discussed how some of these girls and women become empowered to fight back and regain their life. Kristof includes a brilliant and moving story about a woman named Usha who stood up to the village’s gang leader, Akku Yadav. Akku Yadav and his gang terrorized the community with rapes, burnings, public killings, and more. Misharo, a LLC student, expressed her disbelief that a term—stoic docility—even existed to describe the constant oppression of women to a point where they would “accept abuse rather than fight back and risk being killed” (Kristof 47). Usha contradicted this term with her heroic story that eliminated Akku Yadav and his gang from the community, thereby providing hope, strength, and motivation for many other women in surrounding towns and around the world.

As we discussed and marveled at Usha’s strength, we also realized that it cannot be applied everywhere and in all other situations. We considered the stories pertaining to brothels (prostitutions houses) in India and Thailand; in these places, forced prostitution and sex trafficking have become so ingrained in the town’s culture. Nick Kristof even came across border policemen who turned a blind eye to trafficking, yet searched everyone for pirated DVDs. Even when Kristof paid for the freedom of one of the girls from the brothels, he returned a year later only to learn that she returned due to her addiction to the drugs (mostly methamphetamine) available at the brothels. With a horrific situation so present on a daily basis and ingrained in the country’s society, it takes that much more energy, effort, and empowerment for women and men to stand up for what is right.

Towards the end of the discussion, members of the LLC started to discuss what can be done to combat these issues around the world. Many students echoed the need for education; not only for those in developing countries, but also for us in the developed world. Without a doubt, some of these stories are hard to digest, but it is critical that we reflect upon what is happening in the world and our own country. Do these conditions exist around us? Where do we stand with other countries? Are we making a difference or perpetuating the issue?

Lastly, I asked the students how they would define leadership as shown throughout the book. Stephen M. reminded everyone that being a leader can include setting a fine line of when to continue fighting a problem and when to shift one’s focus to another project that could make a great difference.

Before we left, the group collectively claimed the following as the main message of “Half the Sky”: It’s a collection of stories that exemplify how people overcome fears; these fears of brothels, drugs, fistulas, honor killings, prostitution, etc. hold women back. If we start to eliminate some of these factors then women will be able to shine; after all, it’s amazing what anyone can do if they have the chance.

With this, I would highly recommend others to watch the short video clip below, called “The Girl Effect.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIvmE4_KMNw

[1] Obstetric fistula is a medical condition in which a fistula (hole) develops between a woman’s rectum and vagina, or bladder and vagina. Those who have this condition cannot control their bodily wastes.

Nursing Mentor Program

2011-02-08T13:28:00.003-05:00

by Maggie Murolo, Senior Nursing Major

On January 31st, the UConn School of Nursing Mentor Program hosted their first game night. The night was full of fun including board games, ping pong, pool, and cards. Everyone loved bonding, eating wings, and making new friends.

More than 25 nursing students attended the event hosted right here on campus in the Batterson Game Room next to the Northwest Nursing Learning Community. We can't wait to get together again for some fun, food, and friendship.

Public Health House Holiday Party

2010-11-19T11:14:00.010-05:00

by Alana Benito, Sophomore Nutritional Sciences Major, Public Health House Mentor

On November 17, Public Health House residents gathered in their study lounge to relax, eat and enjoy each other's company. Kevin Sullivan from the Office of First Year Programs and Learning Communities was the night's guest speaker. He explained the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which is a personality test the students took prior to listening to his talk. Students were able to learn about the different ways they communicate with each other, study, and work based on their specific personality type. This valuable information will help students to choose rewarding service learning projects next semester.

After the talk, students enjoyed wings, salad and cake to celebrate the holiday season.

WiMSE Field Trip to the Connecticut Science Center

2010-10-26T16:10:00.002-04:00

WiMSE Field Trip, October 2010

Connecticut Science Center, Hartford

This October, WiMSE students were given the opportunity to take a field trip to the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford. The students were able to explore the museum made up of 150 hands-on exhibits and a 3D digital theater, offering them the opportunity to explore various aspects of science during their trip!

Students explored the Planet Earth exhibit, where they were able to take on the role of a geologist, meteorologist, environmentalist, and paleontologist and use some of the same techniques these scientists use!

WiMSE students explored the River of Life exhibit, where they were able to learn about unique perspectives of the Connecticut River and how human activity has an impact on the life of the river.

WiMSE students posed in front of the advertisment for Wild Ocean, the 3D film featured in the museums 3D science theather. The movie introduced the students to the underwater struggle, examining the effects of global warming and over fishing.

Students explored the Picture of Health exhibit where they examined the connections between their mind and bodies and learned how science is being used to detect and treat illnesses.

In the Exploring Space exhibit, students were able to use the technologies that have been developed to help satisfy the common curiosity about Space and what exactly lies outside of the Earth's boundaries. WiMSE students in the photo above were strapped into a flight chair, as they participated in a simulated Mars Flyover.

Community Service Bonding

2010-10-24T17:50:00.005-04:00

With our bags all packed and excitement and adventure in the air the Community Service Learning Community loaded up the vans and headed out to Camp Horizons in South Windham Connecticut. On the agenda for the Labor Day Weekend was some service as a community, some community bonding and in general having fun. Upon arriving we took to the cabins and found our bunks and then headed outside to the field for some ice breakers. We played several games where we worked on learning everyones names. With just over 50 of us in the LC that was no short task. Alex Senetcky, our LC mentor, lead the ice breakers, and even though we gave him a hard time for so many, we all appreciated the effort he put into coming up with them and they were lots of fun. After lunch the first day we helped the staff of Camp Horizons with various activities. Some people helped with landscaping, some used their artistic skills in the gym, others still helped with cleaning and helping to make sure Camp was ready for their fall programs. As groups finished with their individual projects they found other groups that were still working and by they end we were all working as one big group. In between service and dinner was some free time. Some people watched the football game, some people chilled in their bunk and some took part in an epic game of frisbee. After free time and dinner the Learning Community took the time to discuss what community means to us, our expectations for the year and form committees. After this great session we were all looking forward to the year to come and took this energy to the campfire. Many of us gathered around to cook s'mores and enjoy the beautiful summer night. Some impromptu campfire singing broke out and it was a very cool moment because you could see the community beginning to become comfortable with each other and beginning to form those bonds that are so important when living and learning together.

Day two of the Camp Horizons Labor Day Weekend Retreat began with a solid breakfast before beginning more service. This time we worked in our formed committees in order to learn more about our members. We continued similar projects from the day before including landscaping, clearing a path to the water front, and cleaning up the Camp and our bunk areas. After a lunch break we all continued to help Camp Horizons. We all worked hard to get the camp into a position that they could work with in preparation for their programs that started this fall. Towards the end of the day, again we came together to help one group finish their task. We were all working hard, using all our energy to get things done. By the end of the weekend we had accomplished so much. The Camp looked spectacular, seriously the staff were ecstatic with how much we had gotten done, and we were beginning to look like a community. We ended mid afternoon and took some time for a serious photo session and to discuss our experience over the weekend. The general feeling of accomplishment and of community had been developed in a mere 36 hours. Coming home was hard because we all had such a great time at Camp Horizons. It was a great way to kick off the school year, and set us off on a service high. Many exciting things are being planned for the year and with so many passionate LC members I know that we will get done all that we set out to do that Labor Day weekend.

A major thank you to the CSLC team members and to the staff at Camp Horizons for making the awesome weekend possible!

Interested in Being an LC RA During the 2011-2012 School Year?

2010-10-14T16:20:00.001-04:00

Be a Learning Community RA for Fall 2011-Spring 2012!

RAs spelling out UConn for a TV commercial

Are you enjoying your experience living in a Learning Community? Do you like to be involved in programs related to your community? Would you consider yourself an ‘idea person?' Is being part of your community important to you?

If any of these questions made you think, ‘that’s me!’, then I’d also like to invite you to think about applying to be a Resident Assistant [RA].

Why should you apply??

RAs are student peer leaders responsible for communities of residents in on-campus housing. The RA position is a premiere leadership experience and one of the most challenging and fulfilling student leadership opportunities at UConn.

If you’re compassionate, responsible, fun, and can also be out-going, you have the potential to be a student leader who serves as a valuable resource to your residents.

RAs receive extensive training and classroom instruction in preparation for carrying out their responsibilities. The RA position is more than just a job; it is a leadership journey that offers infinite opportunities for one’s success and development at UConn and beyond.

Where can I get more information?

I encourage you to talk with your current RA and/or other RAs you may know. Ask them about the position and why you should apply.

Come to one of our RA Applicant Information Meetings:

October 26 Asian American Cultural Center 6:00-7:00pm

November 3 Rainbow Center 3:00-4:00pm

November 11 CUE 134 4:30-5:30pm*

November 15 Puerto Rican/Latin American Cultural Center 4:00-5:00pm

December 7 Women’s Center 5:00-6:00pm*

*A focus on Learning Community RA Positions [Although 2 of the meetings have a focus on the Learning Community RA position, position information will be shared at all meetings.]

Check out our website: www.reslife.uconn.edu

Contact: nancy.abohatab@uconn.edu

Global House Participates in Homecoming

2010-10-06T13:34:00.009-04:00

By Gudrun Haider, McMahon Hall Director

You hear the sound of an a-cappella group practicing as soon as you enter McMahon Hall. If it's around 10:30 p.m. and you glance into the closed dining hall, you will see students moving tables and chairs to clear a dance space for LipSync practice. For an entire weekend, the Global House lounge is turned into an art studio as the banner is being painted; just a week later, garbage bags on the floor hint at another art project--this time tie-dying t-shirts for the parade.

Throughout the month of September, Global House was busy preparing for Homecoming, and during the last week of September, the Global House students involved in different events lived and breathed Homecoming. Participating in Homecoming activities has become a tradition for Global House students, but at our first Learning Community staff meeting this semester, we weren't sure if students would be able to organize fast enough now that Homecoming was in September. However, when we asked students at out first meeting, they didn't just want to participate, they wanted to go all out and take part in every single Homecoming activity. Two of our Learning Community RAs graciously volunteered to take the lead and soon we were caught up in the excitement of getting our Homecoming team ready.

At first, it was a taunting task. Students would only show up to meetings and practices sporadically and were hesitant to take on leadership roles. There were moments when the RAs and I were stressed out and tired. Having never done Homecoming before, we had millions of questions and weren't sure who to turn to for guidance. But as the month went on, more and more students became involved and we saw the first leaders emerge. One of our residents took charge of the Alma Mater group and just went with it. She organized practices, recruited more students, asked friends to help her translate part of the Alma Mater into various languages and was often seen practicing different parts with students by the piano. Two students volunteered to run for Homecoming King and Queen, and while at first reluctant to even volunteer, just one week later, they could be seen tabling in McMahon, asking students to vote for them. While waiting for the parade to start, students quickly brainstormed, and as a team came up with a Global House cheer that conveyed what Global House is all about and helped us win first place for Marching Group. Some of our quieter students were able to showcase their artistic abilities when decorating the banner and got to bond with other during the hours of tracing and painting the sheet. And even LipSync, which had started as a staff-organized group, had more and more students stepping up to leadership roles: student choreographers were putting together dance routines and practicing them with their dancers, and one of the students took the initiative to re-record and fix the voice-overs, which hadn't turned out so great during our first try.

Now that Homecoming is over, we can look back and glory in the five trophies we won, including first place overall in our category, but what really matters are the leadership skills students gained and the community that was built. I was able to truly observe that during our Homecoming Victory Party after LipSync. Students, who hadn't known each other prior to LipSync, were hugging each other and talking excitedly. One of the leaders who had emerged came up to me and asked if she could be one of the main leaders for Homecoming next year. Pictures were taken with the different groups from events and the individual dance teams from LipSync. After most students had left, I found myself sitting in the lounge with a group of our informal leaders listening to them plan out their time in college: their main goals were studying abroad, continuing to live in Global House and becoming RAs for Global House. Homecoming had shown them how much fun living in this community can be; but most of all, it taught them that they have the skills necessary to take on leadership roles in their community.

Announcing 2009-10 LC Photo Contest Winners!

2010-09-03T13:05:00.048-04:00

First Place: Danielle Lanslots, EcoHouse

Category: LC Life in the Community

"Living in EcoHouse has been an indescribable experience, & I have met some of my closest friends yet. It took me a while to find my place here at UConn, but I can honestly say that it has become a home away from home, thanks to EcoHouse." ~Danielle Lanslots, junior environmental science major

EcoHousers Pat Larkin, Stephanie Green & Andrew Lyons
on Lake Anna during Alternative Spring Break trip in VA.

2nd Place: Alex Kuehnle, Community Service LC

Category: LC Life in the Community

"Being the RA of a LC has deeply enriched my UConn experience both inside & outside of the Residence Hall through service learning & my understanding of what it means to be an active global citizen throughout the campus & community." ~Alexandra Kuehnle, junior international security & political science major

Miguel Colon & students in front of Gampel Pavilion depicting "LC" signs
before driving to West Virginia for their Alternative Spring Break Trip

2nd Place: Victoria Heyse, Leadership LC

Category: LC Life on Campus

"Living in a LC has greatly added to my experience at UConn thus far. My transition to college was easier because the LC made the big campus seem smaller. The floor grew close quickly due to the common interests & experiences we shared both in & out of class." ~Victoria Heyse, 1st-year biological sciences major

Leadership Housers pose for team photo after winning game
of kickball against another floor making W's for winners!

2nd Place: Jenna Burns, Nursing LC

Category: LC Residence Hall Life

"Living in a LC has provided me with a supportive 'family' away from home during my freshman year. It has been an irreplaceable experience." ~Jenna Burns, 1st-year nursing major

Jenna Burns, Necole Morrissey &
Samantha Foley bonding on their floor.

3rd Place: Theresa Connolly, Nursing LC

Category: LC Life in the Community

"I have grown so close with all of the other members of the Nursing LC, & I am so glad I chose to live in it." ~Theresa Connolly, 1st-year nursing major

Justine Kokoszka, Courtney Hulbert, Kaleigh Burns & Theresa Connolly
in Orlando, FL for National Student Nurses Association Convention

3rd Place: Rachel Ramos, Honors Program LC

Category: LC Life on Campus

"I loved being an RA in the Honors Community because I could help new students get the most out of their inclusion in the Honors Program." ~Rachel Ramos, Senior Honors RA, human development & family studies major with minor in Spanish

Devan Newton, Rachel Ramos, Kaela Crystal, MJ Jones,
Margaret Ferguson & Aimee Ouimet of the Honors
Program LC celebrate World Peace Day 2009.

3rd Place: Nancy Jaser, (Pre-)Pharmacy LC

Category: LC Residence Hall Life

"Living in the (Pre-)Pharm LC for the past two years has been a great experience. I made many good friends. It was nice to have floormates in all of my classes because I always had someone to sit with & talk about classes with." ~Nancy Jaser, sophomore pre-pharmacy major

Jen Keohane, Michelle Yu, Elizabeth Nguyen,
Mandy Chang, Hing Sze, Evaline Liu,
Vivian Wang & Nhi Tran, all (Pre-)Pharmacy Housers,
gathered to watch Twilight in Nancy Jaser's room!

LC Students Gather to Bring in the New Year!

2010-09-01T14:44:00.012-04:00

by Anne Zinn, junior English major
Welcome new and returning Learning Community students!

1,000 students came in their LC t-shirts to kick off the year!

On Sunday, August 29, the First Year Programs & Learning Communities office held a Learning Communities Kick-Off event during Husky WoW. The event was short and sweet, welcoming new and returning students to Learning Communities and UConn, while showing students the famous Gampel Pavilion.

There was fun to be had by all while Co Hawes (a GA in the office) MCed the event and played a UConn trivia game with the students, including questions such as "How many seats are in Gampel Pavilion?"David T. Ouimette, the Executive Director for First Year Programs & Learning Communities, spoke to students about what a wonderful opportunity they were about to embark on and said a few words to thank those across the University who have helped and supported Learning Communities. He also encouraged new students to get involved, and he shared some of the many experiences LC students have had throughout this past year.

Ashley & Aimee

Following David, five experienced LC students took their turn to speak to the crowd about how their LC has helped shape their college experience and the activities they are involved in today. Speakers included Danielle Lanslots (EcoHouse), Matthew Baker (Leadership), Katie Histen (Leadership RA), Ashley Smith ((Pre-)Pharmacy), and Aimee Dietle ((Pre-)Pharmacy RA).

Thanks to all of those who were in attendance on Sunday and good luck with your classes and the semester!

Danielle, Matt & Katie

Not a Registered Voter Yet?

2010-09-01T14:41:00.004-04:00

Don't Worry!

A student group on campus, Idealists United, will be registering students to vote for the next two weeks in the Student Union.

Also, take a look at this article, remembering the day that women were given the right to vote 90 years ago...

"My Favorite August" by Gail Collins

University of Connecticut Receives Grant from Davis Educational Foundation for Integrating Freshman Writing Courses into Learning Communities

2010-07-06T15:38:00.003-04:00

June 30, 2010

The University of Connecticut Office of First Year Programs and Learning Communities received a $203,000 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation to integrate freshman writing courses into Learning Communities. UConn is engaged in an initiative to enhance its Learning Communities (LC) program aimed at providing undergraduate students with an integrated educational experience within their major program of study or based on an interdisciplinary topic such as the arts, the environment, global citizenship, or public health. Forty percent of the incoming class of 2014 will be participating in 15 Living and Learning Communities (LLCs) and 9 non-residential Learning Communities. Returning and transfer students can also participate in LLCs beyond their first year.

The first year of college is crucial for providing a foundation for critical thought, inquiry and engagement within the institution. In collaboration with the Freshman English Program, UConn piloted four Learning Community-themed sections of a required four-credit academic writing seminar and linked those sections to the Community Service, EcoHouse and Environmental Science student cohorts in Fall 2009. Class sizes are small for both the LC integrative seminars and the English courses, providing an ideal classroom environment for in-depth discussions of complex issues and encouraging habits of collaboration, teamwork, and problem-solving. The context for their writing allows students to explore themes in a more powerful and relevant way, and because the writing was so content driven, students wrote with more rigor, complexity, and style in the LC-themed English classes. In addition, since the students engaged in rich discussions of the material within the course, outside the course in residence halls, and in their FYE courses, the Freshman English instructors found that students were more motivated overall. Students, quite simply, had more to say because they had more to care about.

The Davis Educational Foundation grant will support further curricular planning between writing instructors, FYE instructors, and other Learning Community team members to refine and implement a coherent academic model that embeds writing into the content specific goals of each Learning Community. The purpose of this initiative is to enhance the academic value of our Learning Communities through making greater curricular connections through pedagogues that foster a sense of intellectual inquiry and deeper student engagement.

This project will be co-led by the Director of the Freshman English Program, Professor Thomas Recchio, and the Executive Director of First Year Programs and Learning Communities, David Ouimette, in conjunction with faculty and staff Directors in the Learning Communities.

The Davis Educational Foundation was established by Stanton and Elisabeth after Mr. Davis's retirement as chairman of Shaw's Supermarket's, Inc.

2010 Udall Scholar Winner & Honorable Mention from EcoHouse

2010-05-06T21:28:00.002-04:00

Christopher Berthiaume ('12) and Colin Carlson ('12) from EcoHouse were nominated for the prestigious Udall Scholarship, one of the most competitive undergraduate awards in the United States.

Colin, majoring in ecology & evolutionary biology and environmental studies, is one of 80 students nationwide to be named a 2010 Udall Scholar. Christopher is one of 50 Honorable Mentions.

This year's Udall Scholars were selected from 537 candidates nominated by 256 colleges and universities. Each scholarship provides up to $5,000 for the Scholar's junior or senior year. Honorable Mentions receive a $350 award.

The 2010 Udall Scholars will receive their awards August 4-8, 2010, in Tucson,Arizona, where they will have an opportunity to meet policymakers and communityleaders in environmental fields, tribal health care, and governance.

Congratulations Colin and Christopher!

Photos: top right - Colin Carlson; bottom left - Christopher Berthiaume standing (middle left)

Anthony DiNicola Wins $50K Grant

2010-05-06T21:00:00.001-04:00

Please join me in congratulating Anthony DiNicola, a 1st year business management major living in the Community Service Learning Community, who won a $50,000 grant through the Pepsi Refresh Project. He won by getting enough people to vote for his project idea daily for a month, leaving him in the top 10 for the $50,000 category. The top 10 ideas get funded.

Anthony found out his idea was funded on-line at 6:00 am Saturday morning, May 1, and he received a phone call from Pepsi while at a Community Service House & EcoHouse end-of-year picnic held at Mansfield Hollow State Park with students, faculty and staff Saturday afternoon.

The grant will be used for a waterfront renovation project at a Cub Scout camp – Camp Tadma – in Bozrah, Connecticut. Anthony spent his youth at the camp, and credits it to helping him learn to do things he originally thought he could not because he suffers from cerebral palsy.

Anthony’s words: http://sites.google.com/site/camptadmawaterfront/manager-s-message

Anthony plans to involve UConn students living in the Community Service Learning Community, and beyond, in the renovation work.

Thanks to all who voted!!!

Follow Community Service's Alex S. To Beards Fork, West Virginia!

2010-04-15T13:35:00.007-04:00

by Alexander Senetcky, sophomore Physiology and Neurobiology major

This Spring Break had a lot of firsts. It was my first time directing an Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trip; it was Community Outreach's first Appalachian based ASB and it was the first Learning Community ASB at UConn (alongside EcoHouse's). It was even many of the participants' first trip too! With so many firsts, it was bound to be an amazing trip, or to go horribly wrong. Thankfully, it was the former rather than the latter. The ASB was awesome. We may have taken the longest way possible on the way down, but when we got to Beards Fork, West Virginia, all anxiety had been politely pushed aside. We worked alongside the Southern Appalachian Labor School (SALS) and they were incredible. We were lucky enough to be the second ones there that day and shared the newly built dorms (all volunteer built) with Boston University, a great group of people as well as volunteers. Yay, new Facebook friends!

We woke up with the Monday sun and headed off to our prospective work sites. The first day we were all on the same site, tasked with rebuilding a woman's home. It was supposed to be a semi-routine procedure. Install a few new windows and paint and viola! Although, it didn't quite pan out that way. Throughout the week, we replaced windows, we found walls and studs that needed to be rebuilt because of rot. Siding needed to be redone and the underside of the house insulated. Paint had to be scrapped off so the ceiling so it could be primed and painted. The house was poorly built to begin with, which is sad because the owner paid enough for a respectable home. At the end of the week, we rebuilt a substantial portion of the house. Although we did not see it finished, it was a rewarding experience knowing that the home we worked on will be livable again. Rewind back to the second day of service, the second half of us went to a different site and they worked there for the whole week. I wasn't there, so I'm not entirely sure what went on, but seems to me like they did A LOT of digging. I also heard that Amy almost fell into a septic tank...enough said! If anyone has pictures of that, I would love to see the look on her face!

In our spare time, we hiked the mountains, yes, that's right, mountains. There actually wasn't a whole lot else to do outside of the service other than those hikes and chill with BU. When we got to those summits though, all the hardship encountered on the way up...and the supposed bears some were worried about...just melted away. It was beautiful and serene, standing atop. West Virginia was a sight to behold. The condition of our clothing on the way back down was equally a sight to behold. As Casey helped Amy to wash the mud off her clothes after the trip was over, she claims Amy brought half of West Virginia back home with them!

The week continued on and as we grew through our reflections, we began to realize how difficult it was going to be to leave this place and our new found friends amongst ourselves, SALS, and BU. Our service brought all of us together and our awesome use of team builders made us closer. Mafia anyone, or is Bunny Bunny Toki Toki more of your thing? We had yet to realize just how hard it was going to be to leave our new friends until news broke that the only exit our of Beards Fork was under 4 feet of water! Now it was impossible to leave. Eventually, the waters receded...almost 6 hours later and we had yet another sad goodbye. Like the waters, we too had left Beards Fork, hopefully just not in a state of disarray. Now we are all back home patiently looking forward to the next time we may cross those country roads in Beards Fork.

Our Semester Touring Campus Labs

2010-04-13T22:39:00.004-04:00

Pictured L-R: Amanda Cartier, Sharyn Rusch, Leelyn Chong, Danielle LaPointe, Julia Ryan, Marie Garofoli, Miko Kempton, Christine Vareed

by Amanda Cartier, WiMSE Member, Biological Sciences Major, Philosophy Minor

So much has happened this semester during our WiMSE class. It's been such a fun time. I can't believe all of the connections that have been made and the different knowledge that has been gained. Here's a recap:

Week 1 ~ We visited the lab of Dr. Barbara Mellone who works with centromeres at various stages of mitosis. She uses fluorescent proteins attached to the centromere proteins to video and photograph the centromeres forming and going away. In doing this, she learns more about how the centromeres form and what they are made of. She showed us some pictures and videos, and they were really cool! It was great to see what a real lab looked like as well as how they function. I liked that Dr. Mellone was newer so that we could see a lab in development.

Week 2 ~ We visited the lab of Dr. Eigsti who researches brain activity in children with Autism as well as normal children so she can compare the two. She works with others who form numerical data about her studies and use it to educate people about the linguistic aspects of children with Autism. Although we didn't get to see her actual lab, we got to see a non-MCB/Chemistry science researcher. I have always thought psychology was interesting, and it was nice to learn about research that could potentially help others.

Week 3 ~ Our class visited Dr. Parnas who works with protein-based polymers. So far, they have produced material that has a very high stiffness and could replace many epoxies (fiber-reinforced plastic materials and general purpose adhesives). There are major challenges in designing a polymer that resists water and biodegradation. To create all of these proteins, they design additives to modify the protein structure and analyze different materials with chemical and mechanical testing. Dr. Parnas also works with producing biodiesel fuel used to power UConn shuttle buses and tractors for Farm Services.

Week 4 ~ We visited the lab of Dr. Holly Fitch who studies human development disorders. They have found that the brains of mice and rats have similar behaviors to those of young children. They use the rats to perform auditory discrimination tasks and mazes. The way the animals complete these tasks help them get a better look those with brain abnormalities so they can analyze why the animals behaved how they did versus how an animal with a normal brain would have. We even got to see a brain that was half gone which was kind of weird. Dr. Fitch's grad students run their own experiments and make their own slides which is cool.

Week 5 ~ We visited the lab, or should I say many labs, of Dr. Joe Laturco who had students working on cerebral cortex research. He had many types of microscopes and methods of analyzing data. I thought it was awesome to finally walk around the Pharmacy building instead of just walking through it to get to my chemistry classes. Dr. Laturco was very adamant in telling us to find what we really wanted to do since science is such a broad field.

Week 6 ~ We visited the lab of Dr. James Chrobak who studies the neurophysiology of the brain and its effects on brain behavior. His studies also involve learning under the effects of drugs such as ketamine. He demonstrated his interest in pharmacology when he gave us mini anatomy and physiology lessons involving the brain and its chemicals. Dr. Chrobak's research involved showing rats where a platform in a pool was and testing to see if they could find it. The platform location changed daily. Dr. Chrobak would either give the rats ketamine before or after the second time they would try to find the platform and see the effects of the drug on the rats' performance.

Week 7 ~ This week we did a community outreach program at the Goodwin School for third graders. It involved looking at the differences in behavior and reactions between acids and bases. They seemed to really enjoy it. I liked doing the presentation because I love interacting with people, and the children were cute and precocious. Working with the kids helped me learn something about myself. I tend to talk "cutesie" with children, and I realized that I shouldn't do that since they were very intelligent. Next time, I think we should better manage our time so that we have time to get in everything that we want the kids to see and do.

Week 8 ~ We visited the lab of Dr. Kasi who prepares polymers that show muscle-like functions and are stimuli-responsive. There are many types of external stimuli like pH, magnets, radiation, temperature, etc. They use these polymers to help treat specific diseases by delivering therapeutics in a more controlled way. We met four of Dr. Kasi's graduate students who told us about grad school. They also showed us humongous different types of microscopes and their clean room where they prepare very sensitive wet and dry samples.

In the last couple of weeks of class, we will visit the labs of Dr. Martha Morton in chemistry and Dr. Linda Strasbaugh who likes to call her lab the best kept secret on campus. I am so excited to see these last two labs but also sad that this class is almost over. It was a GREAT experience.

Music in the City

2010-04-13T12:39:00.001-04:00

by Jon Garcia, Music Cluster RA

On Friday, April 9, the Music Learning Community from South Campus went on a trip to see a performance of the Hartford Symphony Jazz Orchestra (HSO) at the Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford. Music professor Marvin McNeill joined us.

The theme of the night was Ella and Gershwin: featuring the music of Ella Fitzgerald and George Gershwin. As a surprise, we actually had the opportunity to see two of our UConn music professors perform with the HSO, including saxophone adjunct professor John Mastrionni, and trombone professor and friend George Sanders. We had a great time talking to them after the performance. The music cluster enjoyed the trip, and we would definitely do it again. We are thankful to the Learning Community program for allowing this to happen.

Pharmacy 4K Fun Run

2010-03-31T19:04:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, March 27, 2010, several (Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community students joined with a group of 300 School of Pharmacy faculty, staff, alumni, and students, along with community members, for the 4th Annual Pharmacy Fun Run. This year the group raised over $4,000 for the James Malaney Scholarship Fund. James was a Pharmacy student who passed away this year after a battle with cancer. If you look closely, you can see some of our blue (Pre-)Pharmacy t-shirts in the photo. Photo Credit: Colleen Teevan

Lake Anna State Park gets a Spring Cleaning

2010-03-23T15:32:00.008-04:00

By Irene Luck, The Central Virginian Newspaper

Many college kids imagine spending spring break on the sandy beaches of the warmer parts of the United States. For one group of students from the University of Connecticut, warmer weather is one perk of their spring break, but it comes with manual labor and frosty spring mornings in Central Virginia.

The Alternative Spring Break group from UConn arrived at Lake Anna State Park on Saturday night and spent Sunday in team-building activities and orienting themselves to the park and its staff. The 19 students and their advisor are volunteering at the park doing a variety of projects from cleaning away trees and limbs downed by winter's storms to sprucing up the park in anticipation of visitors flocking to the lake as spring and summer arrives.

"This is a great opportunity for the park staff to get some projects done with the extra help," said Doug Graham, park manager. "This is taking a good part of the work load off the staff in getting ready for spring.

Several of the students have participated in similar programs such as the Youth Conservation Corps or Americorps or through local projects in their home communities, but this is the first time the group has spent the spring break together on a project.

The 19 students are part of EcoHouse, a learning community at the University of Connecticut. EcoHouse is a dormitory setting with approximately 50 residents who all have an interest in sustainability and being environmentally conscious.

As part of the EcoHouse community, students immerse themselves in sustainable living and learning. This is the first year the students are living together under one roof and, while the dorm is not a "green" facility, the residents are working together to make the building more environmentally friendly. They are looking at modifications such as dual-flushing toilets, replacing light bulbs, and additional recycling.

While at the park, the groups are cleaning the normal winter debris from the beach area and multi-use trails as well as cutting fallen trees and limbs left from the February snowstorm. They also have time built into their schedules to take part in some of the activities at the park as well as visit local tourist attractions. The group will head back north on Saturday with a stop planned in Washington, D.C. before returning to UConn to finish the semester.

We're excited to have them here," said Annette Bareford, regional manager. "This is a larger group than I normally have seen for the Alternative Spring Break program. Unusually they include 10 to 12 students. This groups is so enthusiastic about what they are doing and is different than other ones I've worked with."

Captions for Photos: The members of the Alternative Spring Break group from the University of Connecticut pose in front of the entrance sign to Lake Anna State Park before dividing into teams and heading off for their work projects for the day.

Two members of the UConn group gather leaves and vines removed from the rip rap along the beach shoreline.

See What Connecting With the Arts & Fine Arts Have Been Up To!

2010-03-16T15:00:00.013-04:00

So far, this semester has been very busy for the Connecting with the Arts and Fine Arts Communities! Nathan Rodriguez, the RA for both communities, let us know that "the residents all remain very close, along with some new additions." Although Nathan has held a couple of floor dinners to welcome the new members, the residents of the communities have dinner together almost every night and the new students are fitting in very nicely.

Last semester, the members of the two communities held "Glee" nights, a time when they all came together to watch the popular show Glee. While they await the new season (to begin in April), they have had a few American Idol nights to hold them over. Along with dinner and movie nights, the Arts communities attend many art functions on campus, including a Step Show at the beginning of the semester, and the production of Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors. The members also attended a Puppetry Slam in support of the floor puppeteers.

Finally, Nathan is collecting inspirational and humorous quotes from the members of the communities to create a decorate the floor with a Wall of Quotes to welcome in Spring.

(Photo: CWTA meets Folk Singer, Arlo Guthrie)

Life after WiMSE

2010-03-11T12:17:00.003-05:00

by Selina Osei, UConn '08, B.S., Chemistry

During the 2004-05 academic year, I lived in the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE, now WiMSE) Learning Community (LC). Initially, I assumed that being in a learning community was just about students with the same major living together. However, I did not consider the benefits of having a required seminar course as part of the experience. Alas! I was none the wiser; I recognized during my sophomore year, when my colleagues and I no longer lived on the same floor, what the point was. Living together as science, math and engineering majors, in my opinion, was the most important experience any of us could have asked for given the fact that we were women in largely male dominated fields. My confidence and self-esteem in my capabilities were strengthened as I got to talk to my peers about my troubles, fears and anxiety about studying science. Our shared fears made life easier because I knew I was not alone. We had in each other a peer support system, and while we were from diverse backgrounds, the diversity was an opportunity to learn and be introduced to innovative ideas. It is significant to note that that while we were all science students, our exposure to science issues varied relatively. The discussions and activities in the LC course where students shared stories about what interested them in science heightened my interest in other science topics. In that way, WiMSE was an eye-opening experience.

Indeed, the LC course served as a platform to truly think about my chosen career path and what it meant to be a woman in my field. For me, a particular discussion about striking a balance as a career woman in science and having a traditional family life (which is just as important to me) prompted me to consider all options and reevaluate my interest in science. Majoring in Chemistry was no longer about what classes I excelled at, but of those classes, I had to consider what aspects excited me and how I would find that unique balance. Having the opportunity during my first year to think about careers in science opened doors to me as far as connections with mentors and opportunities to engage in undergraduate research projects in subsequent years. While I had once strongly believed research was all life was about, I became increasingly aware about the environmental impact of the chemical industry. As a result, I decided to pursue a career that aimed to rectify damage done to our environment and our health by the rapid advancements made in the chemical industry. With my continued academic interest in chemistry, my option for a career is to match with equal enthusiasm, a strong desire to protect the public from adverse environmental health outcomes. To this end, I am currently pursuing a Masters’ degree in Public Health with a concentration in Environmental Health Science. I am specifically interested in the effects of environmental chemical agents on children’s health outcomes. I plan to have a career developing and implementing public health programs to improve population health status in underserved and vulnerable populations.

Living in the WiMSE Learning Community allowed me to explore how to be an agent of change with a career in science. As a freshman, it facilitated my thoughts about my long term career goal and helped me to consider how to make my goal a reality. The value of the support system provided to me by WiMSE is immeasurable, and to this day, I still network and communicate with the ladies of Hartford (North) Hall 3rd floor (‘04-’05) and I look forward to a lifetime of continued friendship.

Heart Healthy Strawberries!

2010-03-02T14:57:00.012-05:00

Recently, the Pre-Pharmacy Learning Community joined together to help in the fight against Heart Disease. Since February is American Heart and Stroke Month and as future health professionals, the students of the (Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community got out into their local Towers Dining Hall to promote how to have a "Healthy Heart," and what better way than with dark chocolate! Some volunteers dipped strawberries in dark chocolate while others quizzed Towers Dining Hall patrons about their "Heart Healthy" knowledge and handed out facts about the benefits of dark chocolate. There were over 125 people that came to the table in the dining hall to learn how they can reduce their risk of Heart Disease. As members of the Learning Community, we realize that most college students aren't spending much time thinking about the health of their heart or their blood pressure, but seeing as heart disease is the #1 killer of women in the United States and that 1 person dies every 34 seconds from a heart related incident, it doesn't hurt to start thinking about how to be "Heart Healthy" now when we can prevent heart disease and stroke from happening. (Photo: Michelle Holowaty, left, and Mandy Houle, right)

Dinner with Associate Dean Hubbard

2010-02-25T11:22:00.008-05:00

Several (Pre-)Pharmacy LC students gathered for their first "Dinner with the Deans" this semester in Towers Dining Hall.

Associate Dean Andrea Hubbard from the School of Pharmacy joined students for a meal, and then she spent some time explaining the School of Pharmacy application process and answering students' questions.

She explained what steps the school makes to ensure the process is fair and how she was available to meet with students one-on-one to talk about their progress and future plans. She also discussed the best time to take the PCAT exams, the difference between course options, and the kinds of involvement activities students should take part in to demonstrate their interest in health and helping people.

Some the students had already taken an FYE class or had met with Dr. Hubbard, so she knew them by name.

The LC RAs, Thomas Baran, Justine Dickson, Aimee Dietle, and Sunday (Sunny) Oyeniya, planned and attended the event and it was covered by the LC photographer, Tyler Bechard.

Joe Mingrone Wins 1st Annual EcoHouse Photo Contest

2010-02-16T22:17:00.003-05:00

Congratulations!
Joseph Mingrone'sphoto of a backpacker taken at
Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico
won the 1st Annual EcoHouse Photo Contest!
Joe is asophomore Natural Resource Economics major
and has been involved with thePhilmont Ranch for many years.

Public Health House in the Community

2010-02-11T12:50:00.002-05:00

On February 3rd at the Hartford Convention Center, for the first time in Connecticut, the organizers of Communities Are Responding Everyday (C.A.R.E.) held a Free Health Clinic from noon to 7:00 pm. Community health care providers came out in record numbers to perform various health screenings and diagnoses. C.A.R.E. reported servicing approximately 1,000 people with appointments or walk-ins from around the state.

To assist in this public health community event, four students from Public Health House joined over 1,200 other volunteers to lend a hand. When asked about the experience, Faria Iqbal responded “The event was important in that it provided an opportunity for a free checkup for people who could not always afford to see a doctor. There were people there who had not been to the doctor for over 15 years! I would volunteer again, since I was able to see that the majority of the patients usually never went anywhere for treatment, and the rest resorted to the ER. I want to make a difference in someone's life.”
Photo (back): Chris Seery, Carrie Graham, Khanh Nguyen, (seated) Faria Iqbal, Shruti Yedave

Valentine's Day Smiles for Connecticut Children

2010-02-10T22:36:00.006-05:00

by Justine Dickson, (Pre-)Pharmacy LC RA

This past Tuesday, students living in the (Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community got together to create more than 50 hand-made cards for patients at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center.

After members of the Learning Community made fleece baby blankets for the Center in the fall (see photos below), they were inspired by the positive response received and decided they wanted to do more for the children.

Besides the Valentine's that were made, they are also planning to paint a multitude of cheerful suncatchers later this semester for the children's windows.

Top Photo (left to right): Tran Tran, Kari Behunick, Shannon Coveney
Middle Photo (L to R): Michelle Holowaty, Mandy Houle
Botton Photo (L to R): Kristina Defilippo, Megan Mastin

Pre-Pharmacy Students Prepare for the PCATs!

2010-02-02T14:22:00.012-05:00

by Justine Dickson, RA, (Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community

On January 23rd, sophomores from the (Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community braved the cold and the rising sun to venture to the School of Pharmacy in order to take their early morning PCAT exams. The PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test) is similar to MCATs for Medical School, but they are used for admission into schools of pharmacy.

Fortunately, UConn offers not only a Kaplan prep class but also offers the exam itself right on campus, which makes it easy for the students to take. Taking the PCATs is a requirement for admission to UConn's School of Pharmacy as well as others around the country. Late last semester, the (Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community welcomed a guest Resident Assistant (RA) from South Campus, Dipti Dedhia, who provided an overview of the PCAT as well as some sample questions to help students prepare. The residents of the Learning Community have been studying hard and it will all pay off soon! Applications to the School of Pharmacy were due in January.

The (Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community has many exciting activities planned for the spring semester, including their Second Annual RxTREME Volleyball Tournament, Dinner with the Deans of the School of Pharmacy, as well as a few service projects for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center, to name a few. (Photo: Pre-Pharm LC students enjoy breakfast together before their PCATs on Saturday)

Check Out the Academic Achievement Center!

2010-01-28T12:04:00.003-05:00

Are you looking to improve your study habits? Having trouble figuring out what works best for you? Want to take your learning skills up a notch? Then come to the Acdemic Achievement Center!

The Academic Achievement Center (AAC) provides academic coaching in the necessary areas to produce academic excellence. Talk to successful UConn students with experience as mentors, facilitators, and process tutors who can assist with the design of effective techniques for dealing with class notes, text readings, journal articles, and lab manuals. The AAC Coaches also help with time management, motivation, and stress management skills that will help you succeed as a UConn student and answer any questions you may have!

The AAC is located in the CUE (Center for Undergradute Education) and is open Sunday-Wednesday 4:00-8:00 P.M.

For more information, visit, www.uconn.edu/uconnconnects/AAC or email aac@uconn.edu

***The AAC is not a subject tutor center. Coaches are available to assit and answer questions concerning techniques that could apply to any subject/class.***

A Peek Into the Future for WiMSE Students

2010-01-21T15:10:00.005-05:00

Leelyn Chong is a past resident in the WiMSE (Women in Math, Science and Engineering) Learning Community and is one of the founders of the WiMSE/WISE Club. Reflecting on her connection to WiMSE for the past three years, she states, "I was able to receive many wonderful opportunities because of WiMSE."

These opportunities range from an opportunity to meet UConn President Michael Hogan at the 2nd Annual WiMSE Banquet (she served on the Planning Committee for the Banquet) to being awarded two prestigious grants. Leelyn is recipient of an OUR grant and a Life Science grant which she will use towards her Molecular Nutrition Honors Thesis project. Her work has also been accepted for presentation at the Experimental Biology Conference in Anaheim, California, coming up in April 2010.

Through the WiMSE/WISE Club, Leelyn and the other participants have received special invitations and discounts for a variety of prep courses for the graduate program entrance exams the women will eventually have to take. The club has been notified of scholarship opportunities and has been invited to attend the WomenSphere Conference, which invites professionals to meet and discuss their career paths and advice with young women entering the fields of math, science or engineering.

Leelyn has been invited to serve as a Teaching Assistant (TA) and Student Mentor for theWiMSE Lab Research and Service class being taught by Dr. Erin Mullenfrom the Department of Mathematics this Spring. She will be working with Professor Mullen to intoduce the class to different lab projects occuring across campus, and the students will also prepare presentations to give to school children in the local area.

"A lot of good things can happen to you if you join WiMSE! The support system is great, and I am still in frequent contact with Dr. Brenda Shaw [the WiMSE Faculty Director in 2006] who has been a great help to me. Being a member has helped me get to know other students and professors a lot better," says Chong.

Learning Communities + Marching Band: A Noteworthy Beginning by Tim Monos

2010-01-06T10:14:00.015-05:00

Four months after I first stepped onto the UConn campus, I have the pleasure of reflecting on a combination of activities that made my first semester of college unforgettable. As a freshman, I decided to become a member of both the UConn Marching Band (UCMB tuba section), as well as the living-learning community, EcoHouse. While some may think that participating in two highly involved activities is not a good idea for the first semester of college, I write this blog to prove to them the incredible time one can have if they just dive into the campus life at UConn. (Photo: Ally Kruzansky and Tim Monos from EcoHouse).

When I began my search for a college, like all prospective college students, I had a few priorities in mind. The first of these priorities was, of course, academics, but in a close second were opportunities for musical ensembles, college sports, and campus involvement activities. The UCMB immediately struck me as a must-do activity because I would get to see all the great UConn football and basketball games (for FREE), and I would get to play one of their 22 shiny new sousaphones. In addition to continuing my lifelong interest in music, I wanted to make sure I made quality friends in my new home. Having known band kids all my life, I know joining the UCMB would help me connect with new people in an old way.

In contrast to my choice to join UCMB, I also joined EcoHouse with no idea what the social atmosphere would be like. I was not as familiar with the Learning Communities (LCs) at UConn and had not given them much thought prior to my UConn Freshman Orientation at the end of my senior year of high school. But, it became clear to me that joining a LC would provide a unique and constructive dorm life, an opportunity I could not let go to waste. After reading the descriptions for each of the LCs, I picked EcoHouse for all the obvious reasons: its focus on the environment and service activities centered around raising environmental awareness. In addition to meeting the generic expectations I had for living in EcoHouse before I arrived on campus, I can now say that living in a LC has shaped my college life in additional ways I never expected.

In just one semester, the lectures and service activities, along with my new friends, let me realize a much deeper interest in the environment. But it doesn't stop there. Learning about the environment and sustainable living is infectious and makes one think about all the other aspects of their life that can benefit from healthy habits. Now don't take this the wrong way, we are not a bunch of fanatical "tree huggers" and plastic recyclers; EcoHouse is not a community of people who only ride bikes and have recycled every plastic bottle since they heard of global warming (or don't wear shoes or never take showers to save water), but instead is a community of people who are open to all the ideas that contribute to creating a more sustainable future. There are no check-ups on the amount of waste one saves, or requirements on the number of electrical outlets one uses; EcoHouse, simply put, is a collection of college students of all ages that want to do something, in varying degrees, to help the environment.

In the end, I am so happy that I joined both the UCMB and EcoHouse. I've had the opportunity to travel to South Bend, Indiana and Birmingham, Alabama to watch UConn football, to help install the first green roof at UConn, to participate in over 40 hours of service activities planned by EcoHouse, and ultimately to pursue a new personal passion and niche at UConn. I think it goes without saying, the semester was busy and I had some time conflicts, but in the end, at least for me, I wouldn't change a thing. I have met so many great lecturers, teachers, musicians, and, most importantly, friends. EcoHouse smoothed over a big transition from high school to college and has set up a bright future for my next seven semesters at the great University of Connecticut. (Photo: UConn vs. Rutgers game)

Don't Stress Over Finals!

2009-12-10T10:08:00.009-05:00

Are you stressed about your finals? Worried there isn't enough time in the day? Here are some useful study tips to get you through the next week!

1. Be intentional, don't avoid: Make a plan, stick to it, and don't let a concern for organization replace action.
2. Know how you function at different times of the day: Do you work better before or after your classes? In the morning, afternoon, or night?
3. Say NO!: Say no to friends, phone, Facebook, and any other distraction
4. Take time to prepare for tomorrow: Ask yourself if you can do one last thing before bed or what is one thing you can do now to save yourself time tomorrow
5. Try getting the most important thing done first (even when it's what you are dreading the most!)
6. Build in rewards for yourself; it may help the unpleasant task more enjoyable
7. Don't be afraid to ask for help!
8. Set aside time to study alone and time to study with a group. Studying with other people may give you a different outlook on a concept or idea you may not have seen before.
9. Come up with an efficient study schedule for the week and stick to it!
10. Change the subject you are studying every few hours for variety
11. Vary your study activities: use a variety of study techniques that are right for you to ensure that you are seeing the material in different ways

Here are some helpful tips to manage stress:

1. Avoid caffeine/caffeinated beverages; they stimulate/simulate the stress response
2. Choose a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products
3. Exercise! Movement is a powerful tool to burn off the stress hormones the body creates in a fight or flight situation, allowing us to perform better and maintain our physical and psychological health
4. Take a 20-30 minute brisk walk as a study break; this increases concentration, understanding, and effectiveness.
5. Develop relaxation techniques. Some include: concentrating on changing your breathing pattern to a deeper diaphragmatic breath, and using visualization.

For more information on relaxation techniques, stress management, and effective study techniques, visit Ask Ali.

(Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community Makes Fleece Baby Blankets for Connecticut Children's Medical Center!

2009-12-03T09:21:00.004-05:00

Members of the (Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community got together to make 24 fleece-tied baby blankets to donate to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center for the winter months. Not only did everyone work together and have fun, but they gave back to a community that as future pharmacists they could potentially be working very closely with in the future.
~submitted by Justine Dickson, (Pre-)Pharmacy LC RA

Learning Community Bonds over Low Ropes Course

2009-11-30T13:51:00.009-05:00

by Kate Schneider, first-year Pre-Teaching major

(reprinted from Community UConnections, November 2009)

On October 10, I was fortunate enough to take part in the Community Service Learning Community's Low Ropes Course experience. Early in the morning we bundled up for the crisp fall air and stuffed into CO vans to head out for a fun-filled team bonding exercise at the Four Arrows Ropes course on the University's Depot Campus.

After a warm greeting from our leaders, we began by playing a variety of fun games in the blustery fall day, such as “Capture the Chicken,” played with a rubber chicken, and “Trust Falls,” in which members of the group stand in a circle and catch their teammate as they “fell” into one anothers' raised hands. Every one of the games was geared toward the bonding of individuals into a cohesive team.

Once we had become comfortable with each other, the community ventured out into the woods to push ourselves to our limits on the nearby low ropes course. Students and advisors found themselves confronted with a variety of different obstacles including the “Spiderweb’ where students helped each other through different sized holes of a rope web, both high and low. Twila Hinds, a freshman, said, “It helped us to put our ideas together and learn to work as a team.”

Each task required a considerable amount of strategizing as a team, forcing the community to think outside the box. These tasks were intended to push both students and advisors together as a group and allow us to expand our comfort zone. Our FYE instructor, Heather Wilhelm, believes that the students made “lasting bonds with one another that will carry [them] throughout the school year.”

The ropes course represents just a sampling of the events that the Learning Community has participated in this fall. As a freshman, each event has helped to introduce me to upperclassmen and underclassmen alike and created ties to wonderful people whom I otherwise never would have met. More importantly, the community pushed me to become an active member of the UCONN community, thus greatly aiding my transition to college.

All Learning Community students involved agree both the event and the community as a whole have become a great success, and a big part of their lives on campus. The moments shared by students will certainly be remember for years to come, “I met many new people through [our] learning community. [It is] definitely a good bonding experience,” exclaimed Laura Kim, a freshman. I couldn’t agree more!

Nursing Mentoring Program

2009-11-15T21:30:00.002-05:00

by Sara Ferguson, Nursing Major

Members of the Nursing Learning Community in South Campus have gotten together to begin the Freshman Mentor Program with Nursing majors living in Rogers Hall in Northwest Campus. The Mentor Program is for freshman to become acquainted with college life and the School of Nursing. It allows the new students to have someone to talk to that can relate to the whole first year college experience. On Thursday, November 12th, a pizza dinner was hosted where the mentors could meet their mentees and get to know each other over food, games and Grey’s Anatomy! More group events will be organized in the future as well as individual lunch and dinner dates between the mentors and their mentees.

Invisible Children

2009-11-12T21:43:00.015-05:00

Members of the Community Service Learning Community attended a dinner with two representatives from Invisible Children. Through this dinner, we were able to learn more about the war in Uganda and the unfortunate forcement of children to be soldiers for the oppressive leader, Joseph Kony.

Following the dinner was a viewing of the eye-opening documentary, "The Rescue." Representatives made it clear that it is important for the youth of America to get their voices heard. If you are interested in helping this cause to rescue child soldiers from Joseph Kony, information can be found online: www.invisiblechildren.com.

Democracy's Challenge

2009-11-09T20:47:00.006-05:00

At the end of last month several of the members of the Community Service Learning Community attended a dinner and lecture entitled Democracy's Challenge.

The event focused on how citizens can become more directly involved in society. Those of us who attended this event came to the realization that through smaller organizations, people of this nation can begin to have their voices heard. It is when groups of people come together via religious or social groups that opinions have a stronger effect than that of a single individual. After becoming so interested and motivated by this event, the five of us decided to introduce it to the rest of our upper-classmen LC class. Awareness of topics such as these will play a large role in how we each decide to make a difference in this world.
Picture credit

Meet Andrea Lama!

2009-11-04T10:42:00.018-05:00

Andrea Lama is a Senior International Business Management Major who joined the Leadership Learning Community as a Freshman and never left! Take a minute to learn about Andrea's LC experience and why she decided to continue her journey throughout her UConn career:

How did living in the LC help you academically? Living on the Leadership floor showed me a lot of resources that I wouldn't have been exposed to otherwise. I was also able to network with lots of people in the Leadership and Student Activities community that were really helpful academically. I had the opportunity to meet with many UConn faculty who have helped me with my courses and even internships.

What did you find most beneficial? Definitely the networking I've been able to do through the Leadership LC. I've gotten job offers and fantastic recommendations because of the people I've met, and I've also made incredible friendships with the great people I lived with.

Would you recommend this LC? Definitely! If you're nervous about meeting people, a LC is the best way to start because there is already a set group of people you get to interact with. Also, the Leadership LC just teaches you so much about yourself that you wouldn't necessarily learn elsewhere.

Do you believe living in an LC helped your transition to college? It really did help me adjust to UConn. Being such a huge place, I was worried I'd be lost or unimportant, but with the Leadership LC I got to meet great people right away and the LC gave me such a good foothold on the UConn way of life. If I ever needed anything, the people involved with the Leadership LC were always there to help me.

Did living in an LC encourage or provide opportunities for you to get involved? Living in an LC was such a great introduction to getting involved on campus. It was because of the Leadership floor and the other students in it that we all started HOLDUP! HOLDUP! stands for Husky Outreach for Leadership Development, Understanding, and Pride!, and was started by the Leadership LC in 2006! After loving our LC and the INTD course so much, we decided to make a program that would bring what we learned to others, and HOLDUP! was born! Now HOLDUP! is a UConn program in the Department of Student Activities and it brings interactive workshops on Leadership to at-risk and inner-city high schools around Connecticut. The program wouldn't have come together if it weren't for the Leadership LC and the great people who were in it with me.

Did living in an LC limit you in any way? What was the level of commitment? In absolutely no way did living in the LC limit me. It was so great! A lot of people might be nervous about living in an LC, they might be worried that it's not cool or that they won't get to do fun things if they're committed to a community, but that isn't true! If Leadership isn't your thing, there are SO MANY other communities you could join, and since when is doing something you love uncool? Living in the LC didn't take any more work than anything else at UConn. It's all great stuff and so much fun that you won't think of anything involved as "work."

*Along with being involved in starting HOLDUP!, Andrea also blogs on the Student Activities website. Check it out to see what she's up to!

The Learning Community Journey

2009-10-20T11:51:00.004-04:00

by Alexandra Kuehnle, RA, Political Science Major, Human Rights Minor
(reprinted from Community UConnections, September 2009)

As the Community Service Learning Community embarks upon its third year, students are eager to take the wheel on what promises to be a gratifying journey. This year, Director of Community Outreach, Matt Farley, has taken the reins on the service learning aspect of the learning community by developing coursework designed to catalyze initiatives on social issues and generate active global citizenship through service. Besides growing in size, Learning Community freshmen attend the same English class, as well as a First Year Experience class designed to foster transition to the college environment through the lens of community service. Upperclassmen in the Learning Community earn credits for community service hours as well as partake in a three thousand level interdisciplinary course designed to prepare students for active citizenship by exploring the role of civic engagement and its connection to their personal identities, local communities, and global society.

Besides the coursework, Learning Community students have many plans to implement service on a local and even national level throughout the year by participating in national days of service and constructing local community projects that encompass social issues such as environmental advocacy, literacy awareness, and homelessness. In addition, students will also create a spring alternative break trip, directed by Community Outreach student leader and learning community member, Alexander Senetcky. "I feel lucky to be part of a community with such a fierce passion for service learning. It is comforting to know that despite everything, I can come home at the end of the day to people who have very quickly become some of my closest friends and who have the same values that I do," said Jessica Montana, first year learning community student.

This new face of the Community Service Learning Community is designed to create new student leaders within Community Outreach, on campus, and within global society. Ask any Learning Community student, and they will tell you that they are ready to embrace this challenge and trek this journey, both individually and as an active community.

Bodies Revealed Trip

2009-10-13T12:36:00.003-04:00

Students and staff representing several communities [Nursing, (Pre-)Pharmacy, Public Health, Global House, Leadership, Connecting w/ the Arts, WiMSE, Allied Health, Pathobiology, and the Honors Program] visited the Bodies Revealed Exhibition at Foxwoods Resort Casino. The display features real human specimens, allowing people to view the inner body in a way typically reserved only for medical professionals.

Nursing RA, Emily MacKenzie, held a real human heart and stomach, as she explained to those around her what she was learning about them in her courses. There were whole human bodies, as well as individual organs, or systems displayed.

"Green Game Day" at Rentschler Stadium!

2009-10-01T16:36:00.010-04:00

EcoHousers had already been busy around the Storrs campus but last weekend, they headed to Rentschler Stadium for "Green Game Day." The gorgeous fall day had Jonathan strutting his stuff in an EcoHusky t-shirt, volunteers helping with a pilot recycling program in the tailgating lots, and many more volunteers "Manning the Can" around the stadium.

Green Game Day was the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives hosted in partnership by UConn Athletics and the Office of Environmental Policy. Thanks to all of the volunteers who made the day such a success!

You can read more about Green Game Day and EcoHouse in this press release from UConn Athletics!

Eco-Madness Fall 2009!

2009-09-30T13:15:00.019-04:00

Eco-Madness is a conservation contest between Buckley, Northwest, Towers, Shippee, and West. Each residence complex will compete against each other to see who can conserve the most energy and water per person. The contest will take place from September 28th to October 25th. The winning dorm residents will receive a Dairy Bar Ice Cream party and an Energy Offset Certificate!

Here are some useful conservation tips!
1. Turn off your lights when leaving a room
2. Turn off and unplug appliances (TV, microwave, computer) when not in use
3. Use CFL lightbulbs instead of standard bulbs
4. Keep your heat low & windows closed
5. Bike, walk, or take the bus
6. Use a power strip to turn off multiple appliances at once
7. Take fewer or shorter showers
8. Do not leave the water running while brushing your teeth or washing your hands and face
9. Do only full loads of laundry
10. Hang clothes to dry instead of using the dryer

STOP THE DROP! To report leaks that won't stop, visit https://webcentral.reslife.uconn.edu

Schedule of Eco-House Madness Events:
Monday October 5th: Eco-Trivia in the Dinig Halls 5-7 PM
Sunday October 25th: Eco-Madness Ends

Sign up to be an Eco-Captain!
Eco-Captains are responsible for motivating fellow residents to conserve energy and water and advertising the contest. If you are interested, please contact catherine.pomposi@uconn.edu.

For more information, see: http://ecohusky.uconn.edu

If you live in one of these residence halls, don't forget to conserve!!!

Meet Laura Bozzi!

2009-09-23T13:02:00.011-04:00

Laura Bozzi is a sophomore this year and was (and still is!) involved in the WiMSE (Women in Math, Science, and Engineering) Learning Community. She plans to graduate in 2012 with a degree in Physiology and Neurobiology. We had her answer our questions based on her experience as a freshman last year. Her answers may give women in those tough science/math/engineering majors an idea of what the community is like. (Photo: Amanda Cartier left, Jennifer Newman middle, Laura Bozzi right)

Why did you join a LC? I decided to join a LC because I wanted to interact with people that had common interests in the same fields as I do.

How did living in a LC help you academically? I was able to adjust to college with my peers and having colleagues right down the hall helped me to stay on task and focused. They [colleagues] were also there for support and extra help.

What did you find most beneficial about your LC experience? The class. It got me to meet and interact with the women on my floor. It also helped to turn away the awkwardness there was with being a freshman and helped everyone to get along better.

Would you recommend this LC to other students? I would definitely recommend this to all students because it helps you meet your classmates outside of the classroom.

Do you think living in a LC helped ease your transition to college? It did help me transition and allowed everyone to adjust together. It was great to know that you had a person next door with your major going through the same things you were.

Did living in a LC provide any opportunities for you? The organization [WiMSE Club] helped me to meet different professors and assistants around the campus. I helped plan the Annual WiMSE Banquet this past spring (April 2009) and in the fall (Fall 2009), and I will be one of the co-presidents of the organization. I would have never joined the WiMSE club if it had not been for the learning community. They also got me involved with the Husky for a Day Program where I got to describe UConn to high school seniors, who were in the same position I was in the year before.

Did living in a LC limit you in anyway? At first I wasn't sure how I was going to feel living with all science majors, but I ended up loving it and meeting fantastic people who I had a lot in common with. We all ended up eating together because we all became so close.

Learning Communites are on Facebook

2009-09-21T22:20:00.003-04:00

UConn Learning Communities are now on facebook where regular updates, tips and event notices will be posted. Become a fan!

Individual communities also have their own facebook pages. Find them on the LC website.

Study Technique Workshops

2009-09-18T10:53:00.007-04:00

IS YOUR STUDY TECHNIQUE GOING TO PRODUCE THE GRADES YOU WANT OR NEED?

In order to consistently produce high grades you need to create an intentional approach to processing your course material. That technique needs to help you to understand, remember, and use the notes, readings, articles, problem sets, and labs from your classes.

The following workshops will look at strategies and techniques for effectively and efficiently processing information. No reservation is necessary.

Study Technique Workshops
7:00 pm
Mon., September 21, 2009 or
Tues., September 22, 2009
Location: Q Center, 1st floor Learning Commons area
in the Homer Babbidge Library

Tip! For one-on-one coaching on study techniques,
visit the Academic Achievement Center (AAC)!

MLK T-Shirt Design Contest!

2009-09-15T14:09:00.004-04:00

Announcing the UConn Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 2010 T-Shirt Design Contest! Open to all UConn students! Submissions should reflect the 2010 theme,
“Coalition Building: The Key to Advancing the Dream.”

The winning submission will be used for the 2010 event, and the winning designer will receive ten of the shirts. The event will occur on Monday January 18, 2010 in the afternoon in the Student Union, more information to come soon.

E-Mail your electronic submission to Ryan.Barone@uconn.edu by Friday October 30, 2009.

NOTE: Submissions need to be completed in Illustrator and done in Vector Art. Submissions must be in JPG/PDF format. The design may have a maximum of three colors. The MLK Planning committee reserves the right to alter the winning submission as needed.

Meet Juan Carmona!

2009-09-10T09:51:00.015-04:00

Juan is a senior Resource Economics and Spanish major. He was involved in the Leadership Learning Community his freshmen year; and last year (2008-2009), he was a Resident Assistant for the Leadership Community. We asked him to fill out a short questionnaire that may give some better insight into what a Learning Community is all about! (Photo: Juan is the last person on the right)

Why did you choose to live in a Learning Community (LC)? I chose to live in a LC because I felt it was a great opportunity to get involved on campus early on. I wanted to get to know my floor mates in a setting outside of the residence hall and the LC was a helpful tool in achieving that goal.

How did living here help you academically? The Leadership LC helped me have a better focus on my academics and provided me with numerous resources that allowed me to stay strong academically.

What did you find most beneficial about your LC experience? One of the most valuable things I got out of this experience was the founding of the HOLDUP! Program (Husky Outreach for Leadership Development, Understanding and Pride!). The program is designed to reach out to high school students in our community and bring out their leadership skills. This experience also opened many doors to many blessings, more involvement, and personal success in the last 2 years, so much so that I decided to serve as the LC's RA last year, and it was truly my pleasure to do so. I am extremely grateful for the experience and the faculty/staff who organized the LC, especially Dr. Joseph Briody (Associate Director of Student Development and Learning).

Did living in a LC encourage you, or provide opportunities for you, to get involved on campus? Definitely! I was a Resident Assistant (3rd year), one of the founding members of HOLDUP!, a FYE Mentor for 2 years, a METAS Mentor, Tour Guide, and I was involved in the UCONN DanceSport Club and the Leadership Legacy Experience.

What was the level of commitment needed to live here? The requirements have changed since I was a freshmen, bit I believe the benefits are greater. The things learned in the classroom and in the residence hall are so useful and applicable to the real world, regardless of the students' major.

Events this Week!

2009-09-08T13:36:00.014-04:00

Involvement Fair
>> Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009>> 3-8 pm in the Student UnionOpportunities to get involved!
**********
Study Abroad Fair
>> Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009
>> 4-7 pm Rome Ballroom (upstairs from South Dining Hall)
**********
Allison Gannon, WiMSE RA is holding a
CPR/AED Certification Class
>> Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009
>> 10 am in Hawley Armory, Gym 1
>> Cost: $40 (+$10 optional book)
Contact Allison.Gannon@uconn.edu to sign up!

Taught by certified instructor. Participants will earn official certification from the American Heart Association valid for 2 years.
If enough students sign up, there will be a discount!

2009-10 Kickoff!

2009-09-03T22:31:00.022-04:00

Social Justice: Ashley, Kristen, Kayla, Jarvis, Matthew, Michael

The 2009-10 Learning Community Kickoff was a great success!
Professor Veronica Makowsky,
Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education and
Steve Kremer,
Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs,
addressed the five hundred students, plus faculty and staff, in attendance.

Community Service

Women in Math, Science & Engineering (WiMSE)Leadership
Honors Program
Global House
(Pre-)Pharmacy
Connecting with the Arts and Fine Arts
Public Health/Public Service
Nursing
EcoHouse
Music
Animal Science

Move-in Weekend at UConn!

2009-08-29T13:25:00.008-04:00

Welcome to UConn, students! You are the life & energy of this campus, so we are excited to have you back. Have fun settling in, and for those of you new here, enjoy exploring campus.

All LC Students ~
You're invited to the
Learning Community Kick-off!!
>> Sunday, August 30, 2009
>> 10:30 am
>> Student Union Ballroom (3rd floor)
Wear your LC t-shirt!
Speakers will welcome you, & then we'll move outside (weather permitting) to take some group photos. Full Husky WOW Schedule

Stephen Colbert meets Bill McKibben

2009-08-25T13:19:00.006-04:00

A few days ago, Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, appeared on the Colbert Report! You can use the following link to check out the video: http://www.350.org/billoncolbert.

350.org is an incredible organization, dedicated to raising awareness around the importance of returning atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to 350 ppm in order to avoid the most drastic effects of climate change. The current level is approaching 390 ppm. They're hosting an international day of action on October 24 and as of now, there are 98 countries signed up to participate! If you have any ideas for how EcoHouse or UConn in general could get involved with this day of hope and activism, definitely drop me a line.

2009-08-24T16:23:00.007-04:00

The 6th Annual Festival on the Green! will be held on Sunday, September 13 from noon to 5pm behind the Storrs Center commercial plazas (rain location: E.O. Smith High School) on Route 195.

Don't miss the kick-off event, the Celebrate Mansfield Parade which begins at 12. The parade will run along Storrs Road (Route 195) between Route 275 and Dog Lane.

Plus, there will be performances from local bands (including the headliner, James Montgomery Band), food from local restaurants and vendors, an art show, cooking demonstrations, petting zoo, and more.

The festival is a low-waste event. Not only do all food vendors use compostable cups, bowls, plates, etc., but the "plastic" material used to produce these items is actually corn. The goal of the festival is to divert 90% of the waste generated at the event from the Town of Mansfield's trash incinerator. Bins for recyclables, compostables, trash, and returnable bottles helps with this goal.

Opportunity! Want to be a part of the action? Volunteers are needed for:

Set-up (9:00-12:00)
Parade traffic control (11:00-12:30)
Puppets in the Parade (Time TBD)
Clean-up (5:00-6:30)

If you are interested in volunteering, contact the Mansfield Downtown Partnership at 429-2740 or mdp@mansfieldct.org

UConn Lots Go Green

2009-08-23T22:24:00.013-04:00

UConn has installed different types of porous pavers on campus to test these innovative green materials for usefulness & cost effectiveness (Ch.3 news clip).

Some of you may have held that chunk of porous paver on Dennis House's desk at the Open House EcoHouse table in April! Hey - that's Jenny's chunk!
To learn more about UConn's greening efforts, follow the EcoHusky website.

Take the Coaches' 4.0 Challenge!!

2009-08-18T18:59:00.016-04:00

Have you heard about the
Academic Achievement Center (AAC)?
It exists to help students improve their academic skills and learn how to better manage stressful times during the semester. Everyone can benefit from learning tips for accomplishing coursework more efficiently and effectively. The AAC Coaches are trained students who know first hand what it's like to be a UConn student. Stop by to meet a Coach and see what they can do for you!
Fall '09 AAC Walk-in Hours: Sunday-Wednesday, 4-8 pm
Location: CUE First Level
Follow the AAC Blog at http://uconnAAC.blogspot.com

Opportunity! Take the
Coaches' 4.0 Challenge!
Pledge your commitment to make academics your top priority next semester and aim for a 4.0 GPA!
Attend Info Session to sign up & learn tips to be successful:
Monday, September 14, 2009
5-6 pm in CUE 130
(If you have a conflict, call 486-6972 or email aac@uconn.edu for information.)

tweet!

2009-08-14T15:36:00.017-04:00

Hey Everyone! You can now follow us on twitter:
http://twitter.com/uconnlc

The Physics of Salsa

2009-08-06T15:22:00.011-04:00

Are you looking for an elective? Would you love to learn the fiery dance of Salsa? Do you love to dabble in science, or does it scare you stiff?

Check out this new course offering for Fall '09 (opportunity!)

The Physics of Salsa
INTD 1820.038 (class # 6749) Part 1
INTD 1820.039 (class # 8391) Part 2
M 6-8 pm, starting 8/31

This course will investigate basic newtonian mechanics through the body mechanics of salsa dancing. It is multidisciplinary and will explore physics and dance from a multicultural perspective. The curriculum will cover basic descriptions of motion and forces, as in a traditional mechanics physics class. We will use basic salsa steps, turns, spins and styling as the application of the physical concepts. A strong cultural component will be incorporated for both the scientific and the dance areas of the course, including laboratory and performance techniques.

The first six weeks (section 38) will focus on learning the basics of dance and physics. The second six weeks (section 39) will focus on the application of those basic skills, through development of a performance and poster session for the end of the semester. Sign up for the first session, or both!

Ideal for athletes, kinesiology, sports management, performing arts and elementary education majors; and/or those trying to get their feet wet in the sciences and/or with Latin dance and culture. No previous knowledge of physics or dance required.

Information at http://www.phys.uconn.edu/labs/salsa.htm

Mountains, glaciers, and solar panels!

2009-08-05T14:42:00.015-04:00

I spent the month of July traveling around Italy, Switzerland, and Germany - backpacking, hiking, climbing, biking, and getting inspired by incredible displays of renewable energy and sustainable transportation! I think I may have embarrassed my friends as I stopped again and again to take pictures of recycling bins, bike lanes, solar panels, wind mills, bike stop lights, and more. We, in the United States, have a lot of catching up to do and I'm hoping that EcoHouse will lead the way in the fall!

On the right, you can see one of the bike stop lights in Bremen, Germany. Nearly every street in the city was lined with beautifully maintained bike lanes and every bike rack (and they were everywhere!) was crammed with bikes. Instead of being afraid of getting hit by a car or hitting a pedestrian, my only fear was not knowing all of the proper etiquette for riding with the streams of commuters and causing a giant crash!

Northern Italy had the greatest recycling program that I've ever seen. There were recycling stations like these with separate containers for metal, plastic, paper, and composting throughout every town. Regular trash had to be deposited in your own personal locked bin (located near the recycling stations), and if any recyclables or compostables were found in your trash, you would be fined a substantial amount of money. When you place materials in the bins pictured above, it falls down below street level into larger collection containers which are emptied by trucks that travel in a network of tunnels underneath the streets. Awesome.

With views like these around every corner (actually, not every corner - it took 8 miles and 5500 ft. of elevation gain to get to this point!), it was a little tough to come home, but I can't wait to meet all of the incoming EcoHousers and get to work making this campus as sustainable as we know that it can be.

~Jenny (UConn '08), works with the Office of Environmental Policy (OEP) & EcoHouse

Supporting Women in the Sciences

2009-07-31T23:22:00.008-04:00

The WiMSE Learning Community (pronounced “whimsy” for Women in Math, Science & Engineering) creates a network of support for young women pursuing their interests in these fields. Students can discuss what they're learning, help clarify questions for each other and form study groups in the comfort of their residence hall, supporting each other in their academic, co-curricular, and social pursuits.

The students organize an Annual WiMSE Banquet, inviting successful professionals to address the group about the challenges and rewards of a career in the sciences. Students also enjoy events and field trips together. This Fall, a Bodies Revealed trip is in the works for all of the science Learning Communities – watch for details!

First year WiMSE students take a seminar together taught by a team of faculty (INTD 1810). The class is meant to help smooth the transition to college, create a network of support for students that includes peers and professionals, and introduce them to different research areas and career paths. This year, Professor Erin Terwilleger Mullen will coordinate and teach the seminar. Her primary area of research in the Mathematics Department is in Harmonic Analysis. She also plans to hold a seminar in the Spring semester for WiMSE residents in all years.

UConn also boasts a WiMSE Faculty Group and WiMSE Club open to all students on campus (opportunity!). Why not consider getting involved?

Check out other members of the WiMSE Community Team.

Start Your Fall Job Search Now!

2009-07-30T21:39:00.017-04:00

Want to gain valuable work experience & earn some cash?
New job opportunities are posted frequently on the Student Employment site. Find out all you need to know & apply on-line.

If you received Work-Study funding, you can search for work-study positions on the same website.

Spotlight on Juan Carmona

2009-07-22T23:54:00.022-04:00

Juan Carmona, a 2008-09 Leadership Learning Community RA, was one of the first to welcome me to my new job as Learning Communities Program Coordinator last Fall over e-mail.

I then had the opportunity to meet him at an award ceremony where he was honored as a 2009 Peer Educator of the Year. His warm personality was immediately apparent, and I could see why students & faculty spoke so highly of him.

Juan's activities are highlighted in the latest issue of UConn magazine!

To learn more about his experiences, see:
HOLDUP! - started by Leadership LC students!
2009 Student Life Awards

OPPORTUNITY! DISCOVERY Leadership Program Series
Open to all students with little to no leadership experience at UConn

Media Mention

2009-07-22T23:26:00.011-04:00

Check out President Hogan's mention of UConn's Class of 2013 and Learning Communities in the latest UConn magazine.

TIP! If you're wondering what major to pursue, or whether you've chosen the right major, you can learn much about your options by reading UConn publications to see what other students are doing, or what kind of work or projects different departments on campus engage in.
UConn Magazine
UConn Advance
UConn News
Daily Campus

See more mentions of Learning Communities in the news ... http://lc.uconn.edu/about/news.php.

Favorite Things

2009-07-18T11:35:00.009-04:00

What is your favorite thing about UConn? Mine has always been the rich diversity that exists here. I've had the opportunity to meet, and get to know, people from all over the world, all over the U.S. and all over Connecticut.

And, then, there is the diversity in topics researched and taught, as well as activities that exist here. On one side of campus, scientists and students are working to clone animals or find better treatments for cancer*, while on the other side, engineering and business majors are bringing innovative designs created by student teams to the marketplace. Undergrads are involved in research, in teaching, in serving as peer mentors and helping to run programs. They volunteer their time for community service and take on leadership roles. They join student organizations or start up their own. They play in club sports or check out the art scene. The opportunities to learn and get involved are endless and are waiting for you to discover them.

There is also diversity in our location. Within a one- or two-hour ride, the scenery changes entirely, and you can find yourself dipping your toes in the ocean, hiking up the side of a mountain, shopping or enjoying the nightlife in a city, or visiting historic landmarks. Without leaving campus, you can enjoy cultural events, check out some live music, find a peaceful place to hike, develop your photography skills, meander through a museum or library, lay out in the sun, pet some horses, play frisbee by Mirror Lake, or hang out in a game room.

I would venture to say that no two people experience UConn in the same way. We each discover interesting nuggets, nooks and crannies on campus that others have no idea exist. What will your experience be? What will you discover?

Your Learning Community provides you the opportunity to connect with a diverse group of individuals who happen to share one of your interests, as it introduces you to some of the rich academic and co-curricular opportunities available to you on the UConn campus. What will you discover together? What will you introduce each other to? What will become your favorite thing about UConn?

*Dr. Liisa Kuhn was the Keynote Speaker at the Annual WiMSE Banquet held in April 2009.

EcoHouse Appoints Faculty Director

2009-07-15T22:44:00.020-04:00

We are excited about the opening of EcoHouse this Fall in Hollister Hall located near the heart of campus. About fifty students representing many majors and in all years will come together based on their common interest in the environment and sustainability issues. After enjoying hikes, field trips, and events together, they will also have the opportunity to earn credits for working on projects to green their residence hall building and beyond.

You're hearing it here first ...

Mark Westa, associate professor of landscape architecture in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, has been named Faculty Director for EcoHouse. Educated at Harvard and Cornell University, Mark has been working at UConn since 1998. His design philosophy centers around how people interact with the natural world and creating places that function well while adding interest, beauty and meaning to everyday life.

He will teach a seminar for EcoHouse residents, oversee service learning projects, and will work with the EcoHouse team to coordinate activities. He envisions students taking morning hikes together, and holding coffee house hours in their residence hall with music and conversation.

Stay tuned ... we expect great things for EcoHouse!

Check out Mark Westa in the news, and who makes up the EcoHouse Team.

Photo Credit: Frank Dahlmeyer

UConn Learning Communities

A look into Wimse with Katie Lainas!

Global House Ghana Night

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

Alexander Velazquez: Intern of the Year

Inspiring the Urban Educator

Public Health House's 2012 Legacy Students

The Public Health House Makes a Difference!

PHH Service Learning Spotlight: Migrant Farm Workers Clinic

PHH Service Learning Spotlight: Husky Reads

Public Health House: Learning Through Service

Public Health House and Foodshare: Hunger 101

WiMSE Special Seminar

Public Health House Participates in Walk to End Alzheimer's

Pumpkin Fest 2011

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

Public Health House Celebrates the New Year!

Congratulations ALD!

Please Welcome Clelia Boscolo to the LC Family!

EcoHouse T-Shirt Climbs Mountain!

2010-2011 LC Photo Contest Winnters

2011 Student Life Awards

2011 Student Life Awards

Students Take a Stand Against Sweatshops

Connections Made Lead to Life Altering Experiences

Leadership LC Reflects on "Half the Sky", Evaluating the Opression of Women Worldwide

Nursing Mentor Program

Public Health House Holiday Party

WiMSE Field Trip to the Connecticut Science Center

Community Service Bonding

Interested in Being an LC RA During the 2011-2012 School Year?

Global House Participates in Homecoming

Announcing 2009-10 LC Photo Contest Winners!

LC Students Gather to Bring in the New Year!

Not a Registered Voter Yet?

University of Connecticut Receives Grant from Davis Educational Foundation for Integrating Freshman Writing Courses into Learning Communities

2010 Udall Scholar Winner & Honorable Mention from EcoHouse

Anthony DiNicola Wins $50K Grant

Follow Community Service's Alex S. To Beards Fork, West Virginia!

Our Semester Touring Campus Labs

Music in the City

Pharmacy 4K Fun Run

Lake Anna State Park gets a Spring Cleaning

See What Connecting With the Arts & Fine Arts Have Been Up To!

Life after WiMSE

Heart Healthy Strawberries!

Dinner with Associate Dean Hubbard

Joe Mingrone Wins 1st Annual EcoHouse Photo Contest

Congratulations!Joseph Mingrone'sphoto of a backpacker taken atPhilmont Scout Ranch in New Mexicowon the 1st Annual EcoHouse Photo Contest!Joe is asophomore Natural Resource Economics majorand has been involved with thePhilmont Ranch for many years.

Public Health House in the Community

Valentine's Day Smiles for Connecticut Children

Pre-Pharmacy Students Prepare for the PCATs!

Check Out the Academic Achievement Center!

A Peek Into the Future for WiMSE Students

Learning Communities + Marching Band: A Noteworthy Beginning by Tim Monos

Don't Stress Over Finals!

(Pre-)Pharmacy Learning Community Makes Fleece Baby Blankets for Connecticut Children's Medical Center!

Learning Community Bonds over Low Ropes Course

Nursing Mentoring Program

Invisible Children

Democracy's Challenge

Meet Andrea Lama!

The Learning Community Journey

Bodies Revealed Trip

"Green Game Day" at Rentschler Stadium!

Eco-Madness Fall 2009!

Meet Laura Bozzi!

Learning Communites are on Facebook

Study Technique Workshops

MLK T-Shirt Design Contest!

Meet Juan Carmona!

Events this Week!

2009-10 Kickoff!

Move-in Weekend at UConn!

Stephen Colbert meets Bill McKibben

UConn Lots Go Green

Take the Coaches' 4.0 Challenge!!

tweet!

The Physics of Salsa

Mountains, glaciers, and solar panels!

Congratulations!
Joseph Mingrone'sphoto of a backpacker taken at
Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico
won the 1st Annual EcoHouse Photo Contest!
Joe is asophomore Natural Resource Economics major
and has been involved with thePhilmont Ranch for many years.