Are you a WMU student? What’s your major? If it’s Communications, or in the School of Communication, then boy do I have some interesting thoughts for you!

I am a communications student, and I have thoroughly enjoyed my classes. They have all provided me with sufficient knowledge of my field of study, and have also been a rip snortin’ good time.

First I would like to throw my hands in the air, and give a wild round of applause for my favorite of all of my classes…Interracial Communication. In my two years as a student at WMU, I have never had a better class. The course’s focus was teaching the most sensitive and effective ways to communicate with different races. Our professor was incredibly informative and had a thoughtful way of teaching. The class was based on discussions and she insisted that we share our personal experiences and backgrounds. We learned about each other through personal exchanges of our histories and pasts, creating a more dynamic class with differing opinions and personalities. Each day was something to look forward to, and I couldn’t wait to get to the next class. In my opinion, all classes should feel that way. You should be jumping out of your skin to get to the next lesson, and hanging on every word of your instructor.

One of my other favorite classes was Literary Interpretation. It was my favorite for two reasons. 1. It was genuinely interesting, and our professor was comical and insightful, and 2. I had the class with my boyfriend…but that’s a story for another time. Contrary to the sound of the class, Lit Interp was very exciting, and the conversations were in discussion form, which brought on dissenting opinions and hilariously juvenile topics. The class, though thoroughly interesting, was mostly papers and quizzes based on readings, which was a little difficult to grapple. I prefer a discussion based class as opposed to a lecture with PowerPoint’s, but I would rather not have literary styled papers, with comparisons and contrasts. Aside from those issues, the class was interesting and even has its own soundtrack! (Seriously, our professor gave us a CD with the songs that he considered the soundtrack to the class)

Finally, Franҫais. I enjoyed my French class very thoroughly. Though it was my first semester of my first year, it was one of my better classes. Our professor was a sweet young woman with a bright enthusiastic way of teaching. We learned by reading Disney books that were printed in French, and partaking in cute activities. She enlightened us on French culture, and inspired my interest in studying abroad in French in the coming years. Though it was a little over a year and half ago, it was the most fun French class I have ever taken and I fondly miss it.

Il s’agissait d’une grande classe, et j’ai vraiment aimé ça!

C’est mon opinion de mes classes! Ils étaient si intéressants, et même si vous n’êtes pas de communications importantes, vous devriez vous demander de les prendre.

C’est tout pour aujourd’hui!

Parlez-en à vous bientôt!

We know that the first year of college is by the far the most revered, daunting, and exciting year of college…but what about the other three?

(Not an actual assumption or generalization. All people are different but these are my personal thoughts)

Sophomore year has a bad reputation. Oftentimes known as the sophomore slump, the sophomore year can often start out as being unfocused, sluggish, and unproductive. Halfway through of course, students realize that their grades do matter, and pick up their pace usually finishing strong…or at least better. This isn’t always the case, but many times, sophomores find that they fall short of their previous expectations.

It can be expected and assumed that many juniors have their priorities in order, and are on track with intern or externships, furthering their experience history, and knowledge on their future career. Juniors usually carry themselves in a focused manner, with their future plans all laid out in front of them, and ready to go. They can be the most

Seniors are one of the more interesting kind of students. Full of confusion and anxiety about their future, seniors often portray a nervous, but excited demeanor. They appear calm, but inside they tremble with the fears of adulthood descending upon them. This usually surfaces in the second semester or sometimes even later.
“Super seniors” are a common kind of student, who stick around a little longer than the others in their class. Sometimes it’s genuinely for their major or program, but sometimes students hang back behind the crowd just to hold onto those last few moments of “childhood”. The super senior comes in many forms. Sometimes they huddle anxiously over the younger ones searching for bits and pieces of childhood to radiate off of them. Other times, they sport their super senior-dom proudly by alerting every one of their “extra” status.

That’s what I think!

It has occurred to me rather recently that I have just finished my second year of college. The reality, is that I only have two more years to go before I have my bachelor’s degree…and that is some heavy stuff.

It seems like only a few days ago I was hauling my pink polka-dotted bedroom stuff up the Valley 2 stairs. It was so scary for me to be bunking with someone else. I had never shared a room before, and I was scared out of my mind. I was worried that college would be a big scary place with so much going on that I wouldn’t be able to take it. Now, my brother is on his way to college in the fall. I can’t even begin to wrap my head around it.

It just only goes to show how fast time flies. Before I know it, I will be standing with tear-filled eyes and arms wrapped around family members in my long black robe and matching hat. I can’t even fathom that.

If reality doesn’t hit you till then, well hopefully you’ll be able to cope. But for those of us who are quivering in the frightening reality of the here and now, things can be a little tough to take in.

Seeing all my senior friends in caps and gowns made the reality clearer than ever. They looked so happy and ready for the world. It was the most impossible thing to comprehend. I just hope that when I reach that part of my life, I can sigh and say: “I did everything just the way I wanted, and I have no regrets.”

We all need food to survive, but we usually want it to be good. If you’ve ever been to a bad restaurant, you probably thought to yourself “Man I wish someone told me this restaurant would be bad!” well here are some of my personal tips and recommendations about restaurants in Kalamazoo.

• The first thing you must do, is choose what you want to have. Restaurants offer different entrees, and it’s important to know what you are interested in eating. Some places specialize in burgers, others in fantastic pastas, and others in pizzas.

• Understand that certain restaurants are the same all over. Some restaurants like Wendy’s, Burger King, etc. are fast food choices, and serve the same things everywhere. Other less obvious restaurants like Panera Bread, Noodles and Co., Qdoba, etc. also serve the same foods everywhere. If you are interested in food that stays constant, these might be the better choices for you.

• Kalamazoo is one of those cities that has tons of mom and pop restaurants and shops that are small and locally owned and serviced, and often don’t exist anywhere else. These ones are often good choices for tons of student discounts and foods that you can’t get everywhere else. Bimbos Pizza specializes in pizza for example, and has some of the best pizza around, but is locally owned. Other restaurants like this are great to experience some delicious treats that are specialities to those locations! There also some restaurants on the west side of Michigan that aren’t on the east side of Michigan, so if you’re an east-sider, and never heard of Pita Pit or Menna’s Joint, it’s because they aren’t really on the east side. Other region-specific restaurants like those are also really interesting to try!

• Ask around! Often times, people know about where the good spots are, and will gladly refer them if they are good!

Hope this helps you to make some more informed food decisions!!

As they say in France, Bon Appetite!

Have you wondered? Have you ever thought about what it is that we do? Ever seen a student in a brown sweater or gold polo walking backwards talking to a group of people?

Well here are some quick facts about us, the Student Ambassadors. Take a look at who we are, and what we do

Who: WE are the Student Ambassadors. We are students that attend Western Michigan University, and wish to reach out, and positively impact our future students. We each have something to offer to the program, and we specialize in creating a comfortable and homey atmosphere for our guests.

What: We are a team of students dedicated to reaching out to prospective Western students and their families, and making Western Michigan University a place where they want to be.

Where: Our mini office resides in the Admissions Office, and we are always on campus giving tours to prospective students and their families, as well as high school, middle school, and sometimes elementary school groups.

When: Campus tours occur six of the seven days of every week. We give tours everyday but Sunday. We do break for holidays, but students come to visit our campus all year round! (including blizzards, heat waves, and rainy days!) We also call students in the evenings to answer any and all questions that they have about WMU!

Why: To give students the 411 on WMU’s: physical campus, programs, dining, history, activities, services, accommodations, resources, student body, colleges, athletics, health and wellness, sustainability and MUCH more!

How: We reach out through tours, and telecounseling (talking to students on the phone and giving them information about Western) in order to ensure that they are informed about Western, and know all that they need to in order to make a proper decision.

Hopefully you now have a feel for what we do on campus! We look forward to seeing you! And if you ever see someone in a polo walking backwards, say “Welcome to Western you guys!” it makes us, and the guests feel special that you chose to reach out to us.

Have you thought about what you planned on doing this summer? Going up north for some recreation at a friend’s cabin? Taking a cruise through the Mediterranean Sea? Spending the summer lounging around at home? Well many students are actually going to be staying in Kalamazoo for the summer. Never occurred to you did it?

Yes, although many people go home for the summer, there will be many people sticking around and taking summer classes at good ol’ WMU. It’s no surprise either. People are doing everything they can to graduate on time, and that includes taking extra classes to get there.

So what, you’re in Kalamazoo and feeling like there is nothing for you to do here. Not to worry, you’ve come to one of the finest resources for summer activities…Ahem. That would be me.

Ever rented a bike? Well Alfred E. Bike is the place to get some sun and adventure. Located downtown, Alfred E. Bike rents out bikes to interested riders for 25$ dollars a day. If you are interested in a more prolonged bike rental, they accommodate for that as well and rent bikes out for full weeks. One interesting thing you can do with the bike you’ve freshly rented is take it for an exciting and scenic ride along the Kalamazoo River. I myself have actually done this, and I must say that there is nothing like it! The path is paved, and winds through the woods offering a very open and breathtaking view of trees and even wildlife! (I saw a HUGE turtle out on a log in the water!)

The Kalamazoo Valley Museum is a super fun place too! If you’ve never been, you’ve got to get out there and see it! The museum’s main exhibits change every few weeks or so, giving you a chance to see different things. With free admission, the museum is frequented by students as well as the Kalamazoo community. There are tons of hands-on activities and exhibits that allow you to have a truly enriching experience while learning something new.

Looking for an adrenaline rush? Check out Airways Lanes in portage! Not only is this family fun center a bowling alley, but it also fosters go kart racing, laser tag, laser race, mini golf, an arcade, and much more! Airways Lanes is a tremendous place for people of all ages to have some super high energy fun!

So there! You have some things to do with your Kalamazoo summer! Get out there and grab Kalamazoo by the horns, experiencing every drop of culture, fun, and adventure that it has to offer!

(For more information on fun things to do in Kalamazoo, check out discoverkalamazoo.com)

Everybody knows that finals are coming up in a mere few weeks. Although it is a very stressful time for students everywhere, there are a few things that you can do to keep yourself on track to finish yet another semester, strong.

1) Don’t get relaxed.

Just because school is slowly winding down, doesn’t mean that you should put your feet up, turn the TV on, and zone out. Keep doing the same things that you’ve been doing.

2) Keep the same study habits.

If you studied for 3 hours a day in the middle of the semester, then study 3 hours a day at the end. The more focussed you are, the better you’ll do on your exams. It is important to keep your body in some sort of pattern.

3) Sugary snacks are brain snacks.

During your exam, chew some gum, or pop in a sugary piece of candy. Sweet things often work well for keeping me focused and motivated, so they could work the same way for you!

4) Don’t over-study.

Over-studying is a syndrome that many of us have. The key is to study in small increments instead of large chunks of time. Try studying for 45 minutes and then take a 15 minute break. It might work well for you to take it a little at a time to maximize your memory space.

If you stick to these tips, you will find yourself doing better on your exams than you may think!!

The new Sangren Hall is made of mostly recycled materials, so it is not only beautiful, but it is also green! The parking lot that currently sits in front of the building will be removed, and in its place a beautiful green area will stretch out into a courtyard, with grass blowing in the breezes, and beautiful fountains that gush with nature’s champagne (water), giving it a beautiful earthy appeal.

The construction of Sangren began in the fall of 2010, and it is scheduled to be officially complete by August of 2012. Sangren will sit at the top of Western Michigan University’s list of new buildings, and will proudly open its great glass doors to students in the coming fall.

The priority of Sangren to be rebuilt was very high on WMU’s list of things to be upgraded or rebuilt. The reason why Sangren was such a high priority was because of its use. Many classes were scheduled there, and it had the highest classroom capacity of any WMU building. Being built in 1964, Sangren has been around for quite a while, so it only makes sense for it to get a glamorous new construction and make its way into the modern and ever-changing 21st century.

Is it just me, or is the weather picking up extremely quickly? I mean sure there are some unseasonable weather conditions every once in a while, but 89 degrees in mid march? That is actually quite alarming.

Already there are mosquitos out at night, and flowers blooming all over campus. These trends are rather startling and leave me wondering why it’s gotten up to 75 degrees in late winter. Is it something to do with global warming? or is it just some bizarre occurrence that has dramatically changed he way we view our seasons?

I made an earlier post about how the weather hadn’t gotten warm enough to wear short/light clothes, but now, clearly that has changed, and everyone is responding to the weather by dressing in shorts and tank tops. Although it is nice weather, it just seems really strange to me.

Enjoy it!! before the snow creeps back in and strangles us with colds and viruses!

Did know that the man who invented the food network (Jack Clifford) graduated from Western Michigan University?

Did you know that Western’s original mascot was the “Hilltopper” ?

Did you know that the reason why Western’s colors are brown and gold, is because of the brown and yellow flowers that grew around campus?

Did you know that if you go swimming in Miller fountain you will be charged a 500 dollar fine? And if yo go naked you will be charged an 1000 dollar fine?

Did you know that you can rent 50 books at a time from Waldo library?

Did you know that Sindecuse health center has a sports medicine clinic, and offers massage therapy?

Did you know that there are two police cars circulating campus at all times?

Did you know that two thirds of incoming freshman live in the Valleys?

Hope you enjoyed the WMU edition of “Did You Know” !