Back to School

I believe Adam Sandler puts it best in ‘Billy Madison,’ “Back to school. Back to school, to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool. I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight, I hope I don't get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school. Back to school. Back to school. Well, here goes nothing.”

Just like Sandler, well not exactly, August 30^th marked the first day of the 2010-2011 school year – my last year at the University of Southern Maine. EEEEK!! I can’t believe it’s here already. I feel like I’m still in high school sometimes, but I guess I’m not.

I don’t want to jinx anything, but I’m super excited about my classes this semester. And when I say super, I mean SUPER! It’s definitely going to be a lot of work, but if my upcoming assignments are as fun and challenging as I think they’ll be, it’ll be worth it. Just for kicks – here’s a little preview: planning the school’s first mud run, senior media project (my group is tackling this blog), interviews with sports industry big wigs, a senior portfolio, radio show and social media project.

I’m also a Peer Advisor this year which I’m really excited about. While I haven’t always enjoyed my time in college (freshman year seriously sucked), I do feel like I can be of help to struggling students and/or incoming students. It will be a great opportunity to give back before I leave the good ole US of M.

And now to begin the grad school application process…(Gonna be long and intensive, but I’m so pumped.)

-- Andrea

Love Thy Instructor

It's going to happen if it hasn't already. There are going to be those professors that you love, and then ones that make you re-think your choice to take whatever class they instruct. There is no need to focus your energies thinking about the ones that you don't like. Instead think about the ones you do like. The professors that make you want to attend class. It's instructors like those that will make your college experience that much richer.

My freshman year I was enrolled as a Russell Scholar. The RSP is a program that creates community over specialized classes that focus on getting the most out of the university experience. Many students ask me if the program is for "gifted" students or "slower students". As a trained Peer Advisor I love to tell students that it is actually a wonderful program that is for students who want to build community and academic strength through small classes of mostly Woodward Hall residents. Regardless, I began my RSP courses my Freshman year and liked most of the courses until English 101C. The course was taught by RSP professor Elizabeth Dodge. From the moment I met the small and swift professor I knew that there would be no bull-crapping papers. She told us from the get-go that the english course would be one of the harder courses we would take in college. I remember having an awful struggle with the class. Eventually when my overall grade dropped to a D+ I knew it was time to get help from Professor Dodge. I was nervous to go meet with her since I was scared of her, but it turned out to be the best decision that I could have made in my academic career. She worked with me one-on-one and helped me see where I was making error in my academic work. From that point forward I worked harder than I ever had in class, and turned my D+ into an A- in five weeks. Sounds like a pretty typical success story, but it is unique to me. Professor Dodge is the type of instructor that inspires you to work hard. She presents materials in an enthusiastic manner and wants you to feel the same way. Her classes are the kind of classes where you come back to your dorm room feeling on TOP of the world. Four years later and I can still say that she is the single most influential instructor I have ever had. I still enjoy running into her and chatting about current events and academic happenings.

BUT SHE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE!
I am beginning to have trouble recalling all of the professors who have instructed in such a way that made me leave class feeling like I could do anything in the entire world that I wanted to do (which I believe I can do anyways). Here are a few other professors that I have had that were unforgettable.

Stephen Pollock- Volcanos, Earthquakes & Plates
Professor Wooten- RSP
James Bennett- Personal Finance
Jerry LaSala- Astronomy
Julie Zink- Human Growth & Development, Intro to Communication
Betsy Sholl- Creative Writing
Margaret Moore- Quantitative Decision Making
Deb Dahms- Yoga & Pilates
Clover Jordan- Introductory Math
Michael Connell- CPR/First Response


And of course I recommend running track or cross country because Coach Towle is a wonderful coach.

So get motivated and take some courses from these inspiring faculty members!

-Kaili

Local Community Service

       As I wrote in my first post I am a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity to which we do many community service events throughout the year. I’d like to take some time to talk about some of the events and organizations that we are involved in and emphasize on the benefits of community service.

       Our chapter is required to perform two hundred twenty five total hours of community service hours each semester per our National Organization’s requirements. This is nothing new to me personally as my high school required graduates to perform community service. As most high school aged kids, at that time I considered the measly twenty hours I was required to complete over four years as very lame. My opinion today has changed dramatically. Over the three plus years that I have been involved with the Fraternity I have really enjoyed the entire experience and I’ll explain why in a not so formal list form.

1.     Gratification – It truly feels good after spending the day helping out the community whether if it is helping out a family in need or picking up infamous back bay trash(we once found six hypodermic needles in four hours).

2.     Self-Fulfillment – This is very similar however some people really feel a calling for helping out others. For example; some people who are retired help out every weekend because they simply love helping others and it keeps then busy and happy.

3.     Camaraderie – When you get together with a group of people community service can be very fun. As a chapter, we all get up early usually on Fridays and meet in one location where we have coffee and doughnuts while catching up on events from the previous week. We then set off to the service event and “do work” if you will, all the while strengthening our bond as friends.

4.     Meeting new people – Most everyone loves to meet new and exciting people and community service is a great way to discover new personalities that you would otherwise never come across in your daily routine.

5.     Learn new skills – This is only pertinent to some events however I find it relevant. One of my favorite organizations to volunteer for is Habitat for Humanity which I will elaborate on later. You get to do things that you may have never thought you would encounter from painting to framing a house.

       As a chapter we have put together a benefit concert for the past several years called Rock for a Cure, volunteered for the American Red Cross, and we participate in the white cane awareness walk every year for the Iris Network. I’d like to highlight our most recent community service event for Habitat for Humanity but first here is a little background information. Habitat is a great organization that gives families the opportunity to own their own house. A common misconception about Habitat is that a family is given a house. The potential home owner(s) must go through an application process and once selected they must complete courses on owning a home that range from paying the mortgage and managing finances to basic construction involved in building and maintaining a piece of property. The home owners also have to volunteer for habitat on either their own potential home or in some other way that benefits the organization. Two hundred fifty hours for a single owner or five hundred collective hours for a couple. Once the house is finished the organization will then sell the property and new home to the recipients at cost. For example a brand new home that would sell for around two hundred fifty thousand would be sold to the new owners for around one hundred thousand. 

       When you volunteer for habitat you are given the opportunity to help with the construction of the house depending on the status of the project. The first time I volunteered with Habitat we cleared saplings and brush to be burned to make room for a driveway and were essentially the first to “break ground” if you will. My second experience I found myself framing up bedrooms and actually learning how a house is built. When we volunteered in early September I found myself along with some friends three stories up on scaffolding installing vinyl siding. This was something that I surely was unfamiliar with. After some brief instructions from Art (the project leader) we were off and on our way. It was definitely a learning experience however working on a house is very fun and interesting.

       Anyone who has ever worked with vinyl siding knows that at times it can be very difficult to install, however after some teamwork and brain storming we were able to make things work. The whole day was enjoyable and informative to the point where it didn’t even feel like work. I met some interesting people like Art, who didn’t have much experience in construction when he started volunteering and just wanted to give back to the community.

       At the end of the day we all made a difference in the community and had a great time doing it. And that is simply the main reason why I enjoy community service.

-Kyle

What I Know Now I Wish I'd Known Then...

Now that you’ve had the chance to get to know each of us a bit more and have had your fill of introductions we can move on to the good stuff. I thought since we haven’t even finished the first month of school yet it was the perfect time to write a combination “college survival guide” and “what I know now I wish I’d know then” type of post for the incoming freshman, transfers, and any USM student that just isn’t in the know (don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone who you are). This is the kind of information I wish I’d known two or three years ago and I’m offering it up to you with no strings attached, free of charge. I know, you can thank me later.

What I Know Now I Wish I’d Known Then:

1. Get Involved

I know, I know, every USM faculty and staff members pushes this point until you want to scream and you even spent over half an hour talking about this same subject during student orientation. Trust me, when I went to my orientation I felt exactly the same way. I was so worried that even if I did nothing other than go to class and homework it was a real possibility I might fail all of my classes. With this type of thinking it was impossible for me to even contemplate getting involved in extracurricular activities. Those were valuable study hours I would be losing!

I know that college course work is a step up from high school work and I also know that we all have families, friends, jobs, and of course homework which take up a lot of our time outside of classes. Even if you are busy and involved outside of USM I still really encourage you to get involved in something within the USM community. Getting involved within USM leads to connections with other students (i.e. more friends with similar interests) and faculty and staff members (i.e. references and letters of recommendation). It’s also something to add to (or help fill up) a resume. Plus, a lot of the clubs, organizations, and intramural sports groups are not as big of a time commitment as you might think; some meet only a couple hours a week. Click here for a list of USM’s student clubs and organizations and contact information for each and here for information about intramural sports. 

I can honestly say that getting involved at USM was one of the best decisions I ever made during my time in college. During my freshman year I didn’t take this advice and because of that I limited my opportunities and my circle of friends. I had a few close friends my freshman year and knew some people at USM but that’s nothing compared to what I have now. I met some of my closest friends through my various job at USM and these people have even helped me network in order to find other jobs and opportunities. Learn from my mistakes and get involved early! I guarantee that opening yourself up to one club, job, or organization will springboard you to more opportunities than you can imagine.

2. Seek Help From Your Professors

A lot of new students, and even some upperclassmen, are afraid to approach their professors and introduce themselves, ask questions, and ask for additional help. I don’t know about the professors at other colleges because USM is the only school I’ve ever attended but the professors here truly want to get to know you and want to help you. All professors are required to hold four office hours per week and also be available to meet by appointment. Don’t hesitate to drop by your professor’s office during these times to ask about a grade you received, ask for additional help if you’re struggling, or just simply introduce yourself. I’m sure grading papers all afternoon is boring so he or she will most likely welcome the distraction.

3. Be Engaged in Class

There enough students at USM that when they manage to make it to class just sit in the back of the room and stare off into space for the hour and fifteen minute class period. Don’t be one of them! Sit near the front of the room, actually take notes, and ask questions when something doesn’t make sense. Not only will this help you do better in the class, it will show the professor that you are interested and engaged and professors are more likely to remember these kinds of students. Professors that know you and know that you are invested in the class will be more likely to write you letters of recommendation and even recommend you for opportunities such as teacher’s assistant jobs or internships.

4. College is NOT like High School

Okay, so this one seems a bit obvious on the surface but it’s an important point and thus, in my opinion at least, worth discussing. One of the most important ways that college differs from high school is that learning in college in student directed while learning in high school is teacher directed. What this means is that while in high school your teacher would check-up with you about missing assignments or absences you may have had, in college this won’t happen. Turning in assignments, figuring out what you missed during an absence, and asking for help if you’re struggling is now solely your responsibility, which is why seeking help from your professors is key. They do want to help you but they won’t know that you’re struggling (or that you care that you’re doing poorly in the class) unless you tell them.

5. Use the Resources on Campus

I didn’t even realize the amount of resources for students we actually have on campus until well into my sophomore year. No matter how much you plan and how hard you work you are bound to hit a speed bump once and a while. Maybe your roommate keeps eating all of your food or you just don’t understand organic chemistry no matter how much you study. There are departments and resources on campus that can help you navigate through these problems and many more. Do not hesitate to seek support from these resources—that’s what they’re there for!

Here’s a brief list (there is no way I could possibly list all of them) of resources for students on campus with links to each department's website:

Student Success Centers

Department of Residential Life

University Counseling Services

University Health Services

Portland Tutoring Services

Gorham Tutoring Services

In closing, I’ll provide you with another link (I know, this entire post has been littered with links, but I promise I saved the best for last) to an article in last week’s Portland Phoenix. This article is titled “Portland Student Survival Guide” and since I wanted to include something like this in my next post anyway, I figured this was perfect. It’s essentially a collection of lists naming things such as "five places to go for food at midnight" and "five amazing films from the 'incredibly strange' section at Videoport". I couldn’t have done any better myself so instead of trying to create a b-list version of this article I thought I’d just include the link to the real thing.

Hope to see you guys at some of these places : )

Alesia

 

Hello my name is...

I would like to take my first ever blog post to introduce myself. My name is Kyle Damon and I am senior here at the University of Southern Maine majoring in Media Studies with a focus on production. It only took me four years to get here (USM is a five year school right?).

  

I was born in Bar Harbor, Maine and spent most of my life growing up on Mount Desert Island and the surrounding areas. Because of this I really enjoy being on the water. I love to simply be outside and take in my surroundings. Due to the fact that I spent most of my life in Maine I love to travel and do so whenever it is possible. My favorite season would have to be the summer, however winter comes in a close second due to the fact that I love to ski (one plus of the five year plan is the cheap ski pass). Some of my favorite foods are lasagna and tacos and some of my favorite snacks include carrots with ranch and cucumbers with vinegar (not the most everyday snacks I know). I don’t watch too much television but when I do it’s something informative on History or Discovery. I enjoy documentary style programming like Deadliest Catch. For comedic value, I am a big fan of The Office, Family Guy, and The Daily Show. I am a Celtics fan and for one cannot wait until October 26^th against Miami. Like most people (except for Andrea) I have a love/hate relationship with running, however I feel as though I’ll be getting quite used to it this semester.

I have been a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity since the spring of 2007 and wouldn’t change my experiences for the world. When I first arrived at college I had no intentions of joining a fraternity however the local chapter here at USM was different from what I perceived fraternities to be about. Fraternities enjoy having a good time like all college-aged people; however there is a strong business oriented backbone that truly shapes leaders. In my three-plus years I have learned how a business works and how to manage people and I have done more community service than in my entire life. I also have made some of the best friends I’ll ever meet.

As said before I am Media Studies major with a focus on production. Some may ask well, what is production? Production is simply taking all of the talents in the writing aspect of the media and turning it into something that audiences can see and/or hear. This involves everything from a camera person to the director. Production is taking a script and turning it into an exciting newscast with visuals, or creating something like ESPN radio that is simply audio. Important to think about is that with the rise of the Internet, production has begun to surface online. In my opinion, a simple informative website can be viewed as a form of media production. A website like CNN.com is a prime example of media production. At this time I am slightly more interested in the radio portion of production due to the fact that it is one of the oldest forms of media and it still has its place among listeners. Audiences still enjoy listening to the radio and it has become a niche in people’s lives.

-Kyle

And the chaos begins.

I think it's pretty safe to say that this is the beginning of the end...of my social life. Just this week I signed up for my THIRD job on TOP of 16 credits. You might be wondering how on earth I plan on balancing all of these obligations. I am wondering the same thing.
        My first job is my job from last year working in the cafeteria bagging muffins. Sounds pretty chill right? It is. I will only be working that job for 3 hours a week. My next job is my job working for USM's paint crew. It is one of the most fun jobs that I have had to date. I worked on the paint crew this summer while living in a house I rented with some of my track friends. I will only be working about 7.5 hours a week on the paint crew. Last but certainly not least is my new job at Costello Sports Complex. This job will be about 16 hours a week. The good news about that job is that I will have PLENTY of time to do homework and finish other work that I might have to do, which will contribute more to my schoolwork as opposed to taking time away from my studies.
     When I do have free time I can probably be found running or napping. Rightfully so! Let the chaos begin!

Thats all for now!

-Kaili

And the intros keep coming!!

Hello! My name is Kaili and I am currently beginning my last semester of college at USM! I am enrolled in Media Studies and am working towards finishing a minor in Business. Both areas of study have been incredibly interesting and my interests grow with every class that I take.

            I am originally from Central Maine and grew up in a small town. My house is surrounded by cornfields! I ran track & field in high school and was blessed to have the opportunity to continue track in college as well. I think it is pretty safe to say that I adore running. My first year and a half of indoor and outdoor track I ran the 400m dash and the 200m dash. Both races were exciting and challenging, but I switched over to mid-distance running my last outdoor season and fell in love with the 800m run.  I cannot imagine my life without running. It is not only motivating, but is a form of release for many of the stresses in my life. Running track at USM has been the single most rewarding experience I have had in college and I will be sad to put my colligate running days behind me. Luckily I have memories to look back upon! Everything from spring training trips to Jacksonville Beach FL, to races in freezing rain will be smiled upon!

             After college I hope to join either the United States Coast Guard, or the Army or Air Force.  It is still to be determined whether I go the OCS (Officer Candidate School) route, or enlist. Both come with their own benefits and drawbacks. I don’t think I could ever see myself doing anything that involves sitting at a desk, or staying in one place for a long time. If I don’t join the military I hope to either stay in Portland or relocate to Mass and work by the ocean. Even though I will have my degree, I am not opposed to working in a different field my first few years out of college. Every day when I walk out the door I see how many opportunities there are and how many things there are to explore and learn about. I am excited to follow the paths that my discoveries lead me to.

            My interests are endless! I love everything from fighter jets to nutrition. My main activities are running and just relaxing with friends. I love going to the ocean and poking around in tidal pools, but I can rock out at air shows too! In fact I would probably rather be at the air show! Wakeboarding is another fave too!

            I think it is safe to say that this will be my busiest semester yet. I am taking six classes and working three jobs. I am really not scared to rise to this challenge. If anything I am ready to embrace it and hit the ground running, if needed.  In my free time you can find me reading, swinging off of rope swings into the river with friends, and getting all riled up when I smell jet fuel. 

... and the Introductions Continue ...

And now for intro number two … My name is Andrea Lapointe and I’m currently a senior at the University of Southern Maine. I am a Media Studies major and a Business Administration minor. (Sound familiar? Ya, Alesia and I are basically the same person.)

I hope to attend graduate school next fall for Sports Management and have just begun the application process. (Word of caution: Just signed up for the GRE’s and it’s a whole lot more expensive than my college budget expected. Try $160. Sweet.) In addition to wanting to get ahead of all the job competition out there, I really can’t imagine life without school so grad school seems like the obvious. Hopefully, someday you’ll see me on ESPN, run in one of my very own produced races or be entertained by my sports franchise.

For the first time, this year, I am a Peer Advisor. I’ll be working in the Student Success Center, welcoming incoming and helping current students. I’m pretty excited to do this – I think it will be a great way to give back to USM and I look forward to being someone a fellow student can look to for guidance.

I like to say I’m a woman of many hats. Translation: I take on way too much and can’t say no to anything. In addition to being a full time student and peer advisor, I also work as a server at Olive Garden and a freelance sports writer for the Portland Press Herald. Oh, and I’m still interning once a week at a sports management company until the race season is over. Check out the intern in action:

As far as free time goes – I don’t have much of it. When I’m not working or schooling, you can find me working out/training/running 99 percent of the time. I don’t know when, how or why this happened, but I have developed a true obsession for running. I never understood how people could say that they ‘love to run,’ but I do! I ran my first marathon in May and I’m just under a month away from my second – Maine on October 3. I also really love competing in the multi-sport world. While this has taken a back seat to running, I hope to get back in it more next summer and find a better balance between the two. Here’s my sister and I post-race after my first marathon: Awesome day!!!

Just for fun, here are some quick fun facts about yours truly. I’m a HUGE sports fan. Ever since I was little when my parents used to quiz me on football cards, I have been in love. I think Fenway Park, the Red Sox, the beach, Tom Brady and fall foliage are the best things about New England. I once met James Denton (a.k.a Mike Delfino from ‘Desperate Housewives’) at a Red Sox game and I’m sure all he remembers about this is how sweaty I was from the humidity. FAIL.

I’m a very motivated, success-driven perfectionist that loves all things about the Food Network. I’m definitely not a first-time blogger. I’m actually totally addicted and have been since I started my own in May. Check it out if you’ve got time. It’s pretty much a masterpiece, if I do say so myself. Oh and I love chocolate and Cheez-its.

 

Hey, everyone! My name is Alesia Brennan and I’m a senior this year at USM. I’m a Media Studies major and a Business Administration minor. I originally hail from Dunstable, Massachusetts (don’t worry, no one else has heard of it either) which is a (very) small town about ten miles north of Lowell and about five miles south of Nashua, New Hampshire. About a year ago I decided I’d had enough of the dorm life and moved into an apartment in Portland with my best friend Danielle. The picture of us below was taken in our dorm room during our sophomore year. Things I love about apartment living: My own room, my own bathroom, more privacy, and a full sized bed. Things I don’t love about apartment living: Cleaning my own bathroom, cooking (trust me, as much as you complain about the cafeteria food now, you will come to miss the fact that you don’t cook it or clean up the mess), and noisy neighbors with annoying dogs.

As for some more personal information about me, I’m a slight perfectionist who enjoys reading, eating my way through every restaurant in the greater Portland area, running (I have to burn off those calories somehow!), and I’m also a minor Netflix addict. I do love movies but I’m honestly more of a TV fan so my queue is usually clogged with shows like Lost (yes, I’m a Lost nerd and no, I can’t believe it’s over), Dexter, Friday Night Lights (Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose!), and The Office. Basically, if you want to talk TV, I’m your girl!

Recently, I’ve also begun to develop a thing for documentaries and I’ve been taking advantage of the ones offered instantly on Netflix. One I would recommend to video game enthusiasts and everyone alike is King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters which chronicles two approaching middle aged guys competing for the world record on the original Donkey Kong game. It’s a heartwarming and hilarious movie that honestly made me want to go out in search of an original Donkey Kong game so I could try my hand at it.

Some other random facts about me include: my favorite color is green; I hate coffee but love tea; my favorite season is fall because I have a fondness for pumpkin flavored baked goods and desserts (I even want a pumpkin wedding cake); I love making other people laugh; I have no problem with wild birds but think pet birds are beyond creepy; I think miniature things are absolutely adorable (think the travel sized items section at Target); and I love a good musical.

Other than that, I’m just your typical college student; I go to classes, hang out with friends, work part-time for Undergraduate Admissions as a tour guide, and am a member of the peer advising program at USM which basically means if your part of the School of Business you may meet with me at some point to answer your questions and help you pick out classes.

I’m actually very excited for this new school year to start not only because it’s my last one but because I’m part of that rare breed that actually enjoys school and I’m looking forward to touring again and working as a peer advisor. Tour guide and peer advisor are perfect positions for me because as anyone who’s know me for longer than five minutes can tell you, I LOVE to talk. My philosophy is, if I love to talk why not get paid/get college credit for doing it? Also, sometime last year I realized that I really enjoy helping people in an academic setting and I want to pursue a career in high education administration (advising, admissions counseling, ect). I’m excited to start exploring these career paths more during my last year as an undergraduate.

So there is a not-so-brief introduction to my universe. I hope it held your attention at least somewhat. I also hope that you find future posts interesting, helpful, and informative and that they give you at least a glimpse into the life of four USM seniors. I hope everyone had a fabulous first week or so back and that this semester is a great one!

--Alesia

What's to Come...

Hey there! We're glad you stumbled upon what will be the chronicles of our senior year at the University of Southern Maine. There are four of us--Andrea, Alesia, Kaili, and Kyle. Other than the fact that we are all working towards a Media Studies degree, we have a few things in common...and a few things not so in common. In the posts that follow you'll read about all our similarities and differences, struggles and achievements, highs and lows, and more as we move through our final year of college.    

By now you're probably wondering what this is all about. This is our Senior Project which is meant to showcase everything we've "learned" in the past three-plus years. We'll post about school, the fun we have, and everything in between.  Hope you enjoy!