Students@UM-Flint

My fellow inductees and I are committed to improving public health in Flint and Genesee County by way of health education. It is a great start on my journey within public health. Anyone who is a health education major or minor can join. As Dr. Parker said to us on our induction day, this is our organization. I am looking forward to all the things that we plan to do on campus in the future! Go Eta Sigma Gamma! Go public health!

Speaking of events, the first event I participated in with Eta Sigma Gamma was the Children Health Fair last Monday (April 10^th). This program was created by Georgiana Logan, Director of Health Education for PTHeart and Vice-President for Eta Sigma Gamma for the children in the Early Development Childhood Center in the White Building. One classroom became a carnival for health for the attendees where I was the ticket master!

There were countless stations teaching the children about brushing their teeth, washing their hands, and creating a balanced meal. The kids couldn’t wait to get the prizes and were actually excited to get healthy snacks! A lot of times, we as adults don’t give kids the credit due. They actually do like healthy foods as long as they are presented in the right way. I guess adults are that way too (we’re all just big kids at heart!). In the end, the fair was extremely successful and the best part of all was that the kids came out of the fair a little bit more knowledgeable about ways to stay healthy, which is what we at PT Heart and Eta Sigma Gamma are all about.

Brush those teeth!

This week I participated in the 2^nd Annual Red Cross Blood Drive here on campus! It was coordinated by the graduate students enrolled in Dr. Lisa M. Lapeyrouse’s Health Communications course (HED 545). The Masters in Health Education and also Masters in Public Health students collaborated with the Great Lakes Region American Red Cross to put on this blood drive. At this drive they had food and games and prizes for potential blood donors. What a great idea!

I decided to go after my technical writing course got out early. I was so excited that nobody was in line! But as I read the important “Before You Decide to Give Blood” manual, it was printed in bold “EAT BEFORE YOU GIVE BLOOD. DON’T SKIP MEALS”. Foolishly I had run out of the house so quickly that morning to turn in a final project that breakfast surely skipped my mind! So I dashed to the info desk and picked up a bagel. As I ate, however, the line seemed to grow and grow. What once was “next in line” excitement suddenly turned into “I’m #46 and they’re on #32” frustration. However, It was my own fault that I lost my initial spot for not eating, so I calmly sat down and waited my turn. On the bright side, this would give my food time to digest. Fortunately enough, the line moved quickly! Before I knew it, it was my turn. As I walked in, one girl was receiving medical attention for having a dizzy spell. I took a deep breath as I walked in, hoping that didn’t happen to me.

I started out at a computer where a nurse ran a few tests to make sure my blood was plentiful enough to give a pint away. Then a survey was administered that had some background questions. Your girl passed both sections with flying colors! Now it was time to give my pint. As they prepped me for the drawing, I warned them that most people have a hard time finding my veins. In fact, one vein was very close to a tendon, so it was very important I didn’t move my arm, sooo nerve wrecking. After a little pinch, I was ready to go. You never realize how long it takes for a pint of blood to be drawn! Right as the wait became a little unbearable, I was done. Everyone was so nice. They bandaged me up and sent me on my way.

Outside the Happenings room, there were snacks and desserts for people who had just donated. There was also a raffle going on to receive prizes! If you answered a question about blood donation correctly, you were able to spin a “Price is Right” type wheel to dictate how many tickets you could put in the raffle, and I won 4 tickets woo hoo! Eventually I received a phone call that said I had won something. I thought my prize would be a water bottle or a pen, but actually it was a gift certificate to Buffalo Wild Wings! Nice, wings on me!

Overall, it was a great experience and I understand why the Red Cross wanted to partner with students once again. The graduate students did a great job making everyone feel comfortable while still educating people about the importance of giving blood. The Red Cross did a great job of moving everyone along in a timely manner. All in all, the blood drive seemed like a success and I will definitely do it again next year.

Okay that “wings on me” part was a joke….you read nothing….it was all a dream…so don’t call me. 🙂

Being a student is expensive. Costs appear everywhere. As a commuter, there was gas, car insurance, and maintenance on my vehicle to pay for. Maintaining a cell phone and the costs of food were also necessary expenses. And the price of housing is as high as ever. That is where student employment can help. I have mitigated the costs that would have otherwise left me unable to stay in school solely through employment on campus.

If you are looking for employment on campus, umjobs.org is the first place you should go. This site has all the official job listings at the university. Different departments and offices have different requirements so taking a thorough look through it is necessary. Also job postings pop up all the time, some with small windows of opportunity to apply, so if you are in the market for on-campus work then checking back regularly is a must.

Many of the jobs on the umjobs.org site that are available to students are work-study based. Work-study is a federally sponsored program that is a part of a student’s financial aid package. While filling out your FAFSA, you have the ability to check a box that says you would like to receive work-study aid for the upcoming academic year. Once your financial aid package has been processed, there may be an option for you to either accept or deny work-study funding. Work-study positions are not only a great way to make ends meet while attending class, but can also be a source of valuable experience for certain career fields. If an office that holds your major has an opening, it is a great chance to work alongside professionals and boost your credentials.

I happened to get a position working in the Financial Aid Office during my second year here. It was an amazing opportunity. I gained a network of supportive student-orientated staff members who treated me with respect in regards to my student status. They worked around my class, homework, and exam schedule as well as motivated me to do well in regards to my academics. I learned a lot about what it takes to run a department at a major institution like UM-Flint and was able to add that valuable experience to my resume. Besides the professional and financial benefits, I also felt like I had a small home on campus that made me feel welcome and valued.

I have also had the pleasure of working for professors in the psychology department and Housing and Residential Life. My experiences have been different for each employer, but one thing has remained consistent. My employers had a regard for my studies and my advancement as a student that an outside employer may not have had.

There may also be an opportunity to create your own position within the university. Be bold and ask around your major’s department. Talk to a professor after class to inquire about any teaching assistant positions that may be available. Often departments or offices on campus have funding that can be allotted to a part time position that could fit you perfectly. My best advice is to keep your ears open and do not limit yourself when searching for student employment. Check your email, visit umjobs.org, and work your networks to find that position. College is much more than an opportunity to learn in a classroom. It can be an opportunity to gain experience and make some cash until you land that big CEO position after graduation.

Cassie Cowan shared with us the following photos taken on Wednesday at My Brother’s Keeper.

Guest blogger Cassie Cowan is a student at UM-Flint, and a board member for Alternative Spring Break.  

University of Michigan-Flint’s Alternative Spring Break program enables students to learn about issues such as homelessness, poverty, hunger, violence, environmental issues, and complex social and cultural issues. Students will listen to and understand community needs and continue a commitment to community service and social change. This month, the Students@UM-Flint blog will feature posts from students in the program. 

Beecher 9th Grade Academy

Carriage Town Ministries

King’s Karate

Guest blogger Carol Gao is a student at UM-Flint, and a board member for Alternative Spring Break.  

University of Michigan-Flint’s Alternative Spring Break program enables students to learn about issues such as homelessness, poverty, hunger, violence, environmental issues, and complex social and cultural issues. Students will listen to and understand community needs and continue a commitment to community service and social change. This month, the Students@UM-Flint blog will feature posts from students in the program. 

Painting children’s bedrooms at Whaley Children’s Center and making a difference in the community!

Guest blogger Krysten Perkins is a student at UM-Flint, and a board member for Alternative Spring Break.  

University of Michigan-Flint’s Alternative Spring Break program enables students to learn about issues such as homelessness, poverty, hunger, violence, environmental issues, and complex social and cultural issues. Students will listen to and understand community needs and continue a commitment to community service and social change. This month, the Students@UM-Flint blog will feature posts from students in the program. 

My name is Adam Weidman. I am a junior here at the University of Michigan-Flint studying Nuclear Engineering and Physics as part of the 2 + 2 transfer program between UM-Flint and UM-Ann Arbor. This is my third year serving on the University of Michigan-Flint’s Alternative Spring Break board. Some of the non-profit organizations I have served alongside in the Flint area include Carriage Town Ministries, Salem Housing, Genesee County Land Bank, King’s Karate, Beecher 9th Grade Academy, Boy and Girls Club of Flint, and Flint River Farm.

I chose to participate in ASB as a board member because, as an Eagle Scout and a Vigil Honor Member in the Order of the Arrow Leadership in Service, this is how we should live our lives. There are multiple local agencies here in Flint whose main goal is helping the people who are struggling in the city. These agencies don’t have a ton of resources, especially people to help volunteer. So taking one week and spending it, instead of partying or going away for spring break, volunteering alongside community leaders giving back to the city of Flint is the least I can do. Flint has been good to me these past three years and I am glad to leave her in a better place each year.

Guest blogger Adam Weidman is a junior at UM-Flint, and a board member for Alternative Spring Break.  

University of Michigan-Flint’s Alternative Spring Break program enables students to learn about issues such as homelessness, poverty, hunger, violence, environmental issues, and complex social and cultural issues. Students will listen to and understand community needs and continue a commitment to community service and social change. This month, the Students@UM-Flint blog will feature posts from students in the program. 

Using my photography minor at a recent event for my job.

This is always a really important topic when determining which school to attend and what degree to seek while in attendance. You don’t want a degree that’s out of date, irrelevant, or doesn’t prepare you for what you’re going to face when you get a “big kid” job in the “real world.” When I walked across that stage a few months ago, even I was skeptical as to whether or not my degree in Communication with a concentration in professional communication would actually be what I needed to survive. Just weeks into my full-time position as a Public Relations Rep, I can safely say that it’s exactly what I needed. My degree has more than prepared me for my career.

Just today I was given the task of creating a press release for an upcoming event my we’re hosting. No problem. I’ve taken two different Public Relations courses that gave me multiple opportunities to create mock press releases. I was done with the press release and asking for edits in under a half-hour. Without my PR courses I would still be searching Google to find a good template to use. One of the goals given to me when I started this position was to create an extensive three- to four-year marketing strategy with a coordinating budget. That’s a huge task. Luckily my PR courses as well as my Advertising courses have given me the opportunity to work on real advertising and PR campaigns where I’ve had to do smaller scale versions of marketing strategies. It’s still a big task to do by myself, but at least I’m not completely lost.

Sure I haven’t applied my knowledge in research methods to anything I’ve done yet, and my knowledge of the history of graphic design hasn’t been tested. I do, however, feel like my money and time were already well spent here at UM-Flint. I’m using what I learned within months of graduating. I can’t imagine entering the work force and discovering the last three and a half years of school were for nothing. Good thing I won’t have to.

My beauty blog, microscopebeauty.com

Although I’ve graduated from college I by no means feel like I’m an expert at how to traverse the years of college successfully. However there’s one thing I’d recommend to anyone looking for some good college survival tips. Of course I’m a strong advocate of the usual advice (get involved, find what study habits work for you, etc.), but I find something else equally important. Hobbies. I know college can be stressful, packed with things to do, and just overall a scheduling nightmare, but one thing that really helped keep me relaxed was my hobby. I run a beauty blog in my free time that I’ve since began posting on daily, but back in college I posted about once or twice a week. I set time aside to take photos and write posts and it was incredibly nice to do something I wanted to do for myself.

Me disc golfing for the first time last summer!

I know keeping a hobby isn’t the easiest thing to do and can fall to the wayside of other responsibilities, but remembering and actively seeking out time to do something for yourself—be it scrapbooking, disc golfing, what have you—can really lower your stress levels, keep you creative, and make you an overall a happier person. Plus it helps make you a more well-rounded person. You have interests outside of school, have things to talk about, and gain different skills and abilities you won’t necessarily get from classes.

So pick up that guitar you used to play or find something new to fall in love with.

You know, this school year has been an exceptional one for me. I have a job at the International Center on campus that I enjoy, I am meeting more people and more people every day, school is starting to make sense, I’ve even been to the gym more than twice (an all-time high for moi), but my last little hurdle of “non-suck” was joining an organization. I know that’s what all parents and super-involved “gold star” students tell you to do when you first come to college, but for most of us, we don’t do it. If you do get to the almighty step of actually signing up for a club, you don’t show up to the first meeting.  Even fewer of us show up to the second. It just seems to be how things go in college.

I was definitely one of those students. I would sign up for everything, feeling all “involved,” and then once the first email popped up, it would get lost in the abundance of emails that pop up every day through my school email. Because in all honestly, if you’re not passionate about the cause for the group/club/organization, you aren’t going to go. That’s just the truth. To be an integrated part of a group or team, you have to be committed. That means all the meetings, and events, and fundraisers. It’s a lot of work outside your other commitments such as school and work. So no matter how much the President of the whatever club tries to guilt you into putting down your email address at their table, really think about if it is an org that you can really see yourself being a part of. If you’re not sure, but you’re still interested, there’s nothing wrong with going to that first meeting to get some more information. Just don’t just sign up for something because that’s what you think you’re supposed to do to become the “Ultimate College Student.”  Because no matter how many clubs you’re part of, no job cares about the fact that you helped out at the registration booth that one time at that one event. They want to see that a person really impacted the organization or at least gained some important skills from being involved with a certain group.

One of the best things to do is join a group dealing with your major and/or minor. It’s inevitable that you would find something in common with the people associated with that group, you guys are probably in class together!  (Whew, got that icebreaker out of the way). That’s how I learned about PTHeart (short for Physical Therapy Health Education and Rehabilitation Treatment).  They are a group of physical therapy and health education students that travel to the North End Soup Kitchen every Friday. Last Friday, the 7^th, was my first Friday working with the health education side of the group. I had a lot of fun and I can really see myself being a part of the group for the long run. I’ll have more to tell about my Fridays there on my next blog post.

So don’t be discouraged if you went three years in college without really being involved (like me), it’s never too late! Once you find a group you can really connect with, just work from there!  Just six months of involvement is better than none. But really think about your interest, don’t go on a sign-up rampage. And if you don’t like any of the orgs on campus, start your own! I’ve even heard someone has started a Pizza Club on campus. Wow, I’m hungry just thinking about that….

…so um where’s the first meeting?