Dec 8, 2017 | Feature |
By Alicia Davis, Contributing Writer
CAs in the UMF residence halls are mentally ready to help students during finals week, which is one of the busiest for CAs throughout the entire semester. This is Josh Beckett’s third semester as a CA, this year in Purington. “We have a lot more duty hours because we have to be around to check people out of their rooms,” said Beckett. “The office is typically constantly staffed from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. For finals week, it’s staffed all day long,” he said. CAs feel they have more to do around campus than other college students, but especially during finals week.
Margaret Fogarty, a CA in Scott North, said, “I think we work all the time, so if I’m busy studying for my exams and someone needs me, I have to stop what I’m doing and help them,” said Fogarty. “I’m a lot busier than the average student, [especially] during this week,” she said.
CAs also have to stay on campus longer than most other students. After finals week is over, CAs have to wait extra time before they can go home. “We stay until all the rooms are checked.We have to come back early in January for spring training,” said Beckett. “This gives us a shortervacation than a typical college student,” he said.
During finals week, CAs have a few extra jobs. “There is a CA on duty throughout the day, in addition to the night shift in order to help people who are checking out,” said Loren Marshall, a CA in Dakin.
Some students have been inspired by the work CAs do. Sage van Eekhout is a CA in Stone, and decided to become a CA starting her sophomore year. “I wanted to be a CA because my freshman year all of my friends were CAs, and I saw the impact they made on myself and others,” she said. “I wanted to be there for someone like they were for me.”
Some residence halls have programs that are run during finals week to help students. “In Scott we have a program called Destress Fest, where there are different activities,” said Fogarty.
“There will be yoga, Just Dance, bubble wrap popping, we have different ways to reduce stress,” she said. Collin Regan is in his third semester as a CA in Scott North. Regan said his favorite thing about being a CA is “making the connections and being there for people. Having the knowledge that I am a resource and I am available is a good feeling,” he said.
These CAs work together to create the feeling of a community on campus and in their residence halls to help students feel at home. CAs are always available to help, whether it is tips on studying for finals or any other stresses in life.
Oct 13, 2017 | News |
By Alicia Davis – Contributing Writer
UMF students in Relay For Life are prepare for the busy year ahead.
Relay for Life is a portion of American Cancer Society that raises money for cancer awareness, cancer treatment, provide housing near hospitals and more. The big event for Relay For Life occurs at UMF in April at the FRC, where teams walk around the FRC all night and fundraise to support children and adults with cancer.
In the fall, Relay holds an event called Kickoff. Meredith Laliberte, one of the co-chairs for Relay, said Kickoff is an event for students to find out more about Relay and become educated about the event.
Members of ALD
Kickoff helps Relay find new members, and get more people involved with their club. “People are able to sign up for Relay at Kickoff, or they can form their own team,” said Laliberte. “We do not know the exact date of Kickoff yet, but it will be at some point before second semester.”
This will be Laliberte’s third year with Relay at UMF. “We show a slideshow at Kickoff to show past Relay events, and we have themed activities at Kickoff. At last year’s Kickoff there was ornament and cookie decorating,” said Laliberte.
Brianna Fowles is the secretary for Relay For Life, and this will be her third year with the club. “We have decided that Relay’s theme this year will be Dr. Seuss. We will come up with different decorations and foods to have at the event that go along with this theme,” said Fowles.
Everything that Relay does this year will go along with the Dr. Seuss theme. “Teams at the Relay event will also have tables to fundraise, and teams’ tables typically match our theme at the event,” said Fowles.
From L to R: Heather King, Brianna Fowles, and Danielle Cote.
(Photos Courtesy of Loren Marshall)
Josh Beckett, a junior, has been a part of Relay for three years now at UMF. “I relay because two of my best friends from high school are cancer survivors. Many of my friends have parents or siblings who have beaten cancer or who are currently fighting. It’s so important to me to help raise awareness and to help those who are currently battling cancer. It’s also important for me to show that an ordinary student at UMF can help make such a huge impacts,” said Beckett.
Relay is always open to accepting new members. “Making teams for Relay is easy. We always table for the event, and are open to explaining what Relay is to anyone who is curious,” said Fowles.
Relay has meetings most Monday nights at 7pm, Roberts 107. If anyone has any questions about Relay for Life, they can contact Beckett, Fowles or Laliberte.
From L to R: Meredith Laliberte and Sage van Eekhout at the Fall 2017 Club Fair. (Photo Courtesy of Loren Marshall)
Oct 13, 2017 | News |
By Elina Shapiro – Contributing Writer
UMF’s Technology Commons is being renovated to be more student and faculty friendly; it will now have more office space for staff in the Global Education and internship departments, added classrooms/co-labs and a lounge for students to study and collaborate with each other.
This project is being done in two halves. “We started the construction late spring/early summer, and because of money involved, we’re kind of ‘phasing it.’ So right now we’re going to do the first phase which is the right hand side of the hallway,” said Laurie Gardner, the chief business officer at UMF.
The right hand side, which will include the lounge as well as co-lab space and some offices, should be done within the next month. “Knock on wood, I am hoping, depending on furniture, we should probably see that open mid to late October,” said Gardner.
Because the left side includes finding a place for the computer lab, that part will take longer to start. “I would love to get that done soon, but we have to re-locate a classroom first. That’s going to take some time to do,” said Gardner. “Worst case scenario, we’re looking at this time next year for it to be open 100%. Best case, we’ll be able to do it quicker.”
The tech commons has been a popular spot on campus for students to do homework and print. “I have been there [to work] on assignments, I’ve gone there for classes, and I’ve gone there just to print out assignments for other classes, so it’s a pretty universal, ‘one stop shop’,” said Bryan Eldridge, a junior Elementary Education major. “I think that it’s a great spot for both students and faculty and I think [the Tech Commons] is very heavily used by everyone on campus.”
Many students utilized the Tech Commons when other places weren’t conducive to studying. “I am wondering when it’s going to be all done,” said Kelsey Dunn, a senior Early Childhood Education major. “It was a place I’d get the majority of my homework done. Having Tech Commons open is a good backup for when the study room [in the residence hall] is occupied and the library is closed.”
The goal of renovating the Technology Commons is to make it a space where all of campus can mingle. The renovations will include the addition of a lounge, more classrooms/co-labs, offices for student advancement as well as offices for global studies.
“[We are] making it a space where students can come and work together and create opportunities for themselves” said Laurie Gardner, the chief business officer at UMF. “We’re going to develop, what I think, will be an exciting area.”
