.....Of a Panther Palms Member

Hello, beautiful people!

Are any of you interested in Sign Language or know someone whom is Deaf? Through my experiences with the Deaf Community I have grown a passion for Sign Language. Couple that with my love for music, and I am a proud member of Panther Palms, our American Sign Language choir here on UNI's campus. Our director, Katie O'Brien, is a wonderful ASL instructor here at the university. We are made up of a variety of majors, ages, and ASL knowledge. I love being a part of this group and getting to know other people who have a passion like mine. While we are still a newer group on campus, we have performed at a variety of different events and have performed a variety of music (O'Brien is always willing to take requests). November 8th was a particularly busy day for us. We signed the Alma Mater and National Anthem for the UNI vs. NDSU football game and then drove to Waterloo to perform for an AIDS benefit! Our final performance of the semester will be the first week of December, when we perform during the Varsity Men's Glee Club Christmas performance. Hopefully you will all be attending to see Panther Palms signing over 10 Christmas songs and even interpreting a very fun skit the boys wrote. It will be a hoot! :)

Me and a group of us before the football game

Until next time,

Star Olivia

of a Sherman Resident!

Hey future Panthers!

 

Are you nervous about living in the dorms? ...getting to know new people?

Well, your Resident Assistant on your floor knows how to solve these problems! Along with the help of his or her house council, they plan activities to get to know the people on your floor! I live on Sherman floor and am a member of our house council. After the majority of our house completed a survey called "MapWorks" (it simply asks questions about your transition to college), we received a $50 house party! We decided to spend the money on a pizza party!

We had a mandatory house meeting and voted to watch "She's the Man" with Amanda Bynes! We used the $50 to buy 9 pizzas from $5 Pizza, which fed all of us that attended! We gathered downstairs in the rec room, pulled all of the couches and chairs together around the TV, brought our pillows and blankets, and had a girls night full of pizza, snacks, and "She's the Man!"

 

If you're nervous about the transition into college, the RA on your floor makes it so much easier by planning fun house activities to become better friends with the people on your floor! Our movie night was a success and cannot wait to have another one!

 



We destroyed the pizzas!

 

~STAR Hannah 

of surviving the cold weather!

Hey, hey, hey Panthers!

It is that time of year again, when we need to start bundling up, curling up in a warm blanket, and sipping hot chocolate to stay warm.  Winter has struck, and it is really cold for November.  I don't know about you, but I hate wearing winter coats, so last year I had the goal to not wear a winter coat until January 1st.  I achieved that goal, and you might be wondering how I was able to attain that goal when I have to walk from class to class on a college campus.

Here is your survival guide for staying warm on UNI's campus during the winter months:

1.  Know your shortest route to class-  Luckily for you, UNI's college campus is already very compact and only takes about 10 minutes from one side to the other!  However, during the Fall, I figured out which routes would be the shortest to get from one building to the other!

2. Find ways to get inside during your walk to class-  A lot of times there are buildings that you might be able to walk through to get to another building on campus.  Even if you can warm up and be inside for a few minutes while you walk through the building, it can sometimes be enough to give you the motivation you need to make it to your final destination. 

3. Warm up with a warm beverage of your choice- For me, that is hot chocolate, but for you, that might mean coffee, lattes or other warm beverages.  These drinks warm your soul and can remind you of the warmth that you receive during the summer time!  UNI has great coffee shops to choose from located all over campus: Biscotti's, 23rd St. Market, the Book Bistro, and Chats!  

4. Wake up early enough to shower so you don't have wet hair- If you tend to oversleep and miss your alarm like me, you might rush through the door with wet hair.  After one minute of walking outside, your hair is frozen and all you can do at this point is try to Let It Go.  For real though, walking outside with wet hair is going to make you colder compared to if you had just woken up a few minutes earlier and had time to dry your hair before walking outside!

5. ENJOY the Weather-  You know as well as I do that we can't control the weather, and sometimes, when life gives you lemons, you need to make lemonade.  In this situation, life is giving us snow, so let's make a snowman?  Go outside and enjoy spending time with your friends.  Make a snowman or snow fort, go sledding, but most importantly, make memories with the people who are most important to you at UNI!

These are just a few things that helped me to survive the cold weather months, and hopefully, these can help you too!

Sincerely,

STAR Sarah

...Of Getting Ready for Second Semester

I will not lie. Getting ready to start your second semester as a college freshman can be stressful. You ask yourself, "What classes do I have to take to meet requirements?" "What if I don't like my professor?" "What if all the classes I want are taken and I get stuck with an 8a.m.?" "I'm freaking out!"

Well, fear not. UNI has many resources everywhere you look to find ways to plan out your schedules even before you officially do so. MyUniverse, the online database for every UNI student, has an Academic Planner outlining every required credit for each specific major. Also, every student has an advisor specific to what college he or she is a part of, and each student gets to schedule an individual meeting with the advisor.

If a student clicks on his or her Student Center in MyUniverse, everything needed to plan for the Spring semester is right there! How convenient is that?

My meeting is coming up this week, and in all honesty, I'm a tad bit nervous! This is my first time planning my own college schedule with intents to study abroad next year, wondering whether or not I desire to take summer classes, discerning which plays I want to try out for, and what clubs and organizations I want to get involved with. I'm both excited and scared to be moving so quickly through my collegiate journey, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds!

-STAR, Lauren

...of a Big Panther Win!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LtLYxD3tQc

On Saturday, the Panthers beat North Dakota State University! The game was so much fun, and I had an awesome time making new memories at the game!

-STAR Emily

...Of the Pride of Panther Nation!

What's up, Panthers?

The University of Northern Iowa's Panther Marching Band is known as "The Pride of Panther Nation."  This couldn't be more true!  Panther Marching Band (PMB) is one of the many great things happening at UNI and watching them perform gives me the goosebumps every time.  

There are more students in Panther Marching Band this year than any other year in UNI's history.  The record breaking 330 member band also has a great time together and is a great way for students to make connections at UNI and help them to feel that UNI is their home away from home!  Unfortunately, I never got the chance to be involved with PMB but all of my friends who have been in PMB or are currently in the band love their experience!  They have made great friends and had a blast playing at all the home games as well as traveling to The University of Iowa or Iowa State University to perform.

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This past weekend, the Panther Marching Band hosted "Panther Band Day".  This was a day where high school students could come to UNI for the day and play with PMB on the field during UNI's home football game.  There were almost 500 high school students who attended this event which meant that there were about 800 total band members performing on the field! 

If you are thinking about joining the Panther Marching Band, I would definitely encourage you to do so!  You will get the chance to be part of community that loves UNI, loves each other, and loves to play music together.  YOU can have the wonderful opportunity to be part of the Pride of Panther Nation.

Sincerely,

STAR Sarah

...of dancing away at the Wellness Recreation Center

Hey there followers,

STAR Grace again with a fun video from the University of Northern Iowa's Halloween Zumba event! :)

 

Last week I, along with my roommates and lots of other students, attended a FREE Zumba class at the Wellness and Recreation Center (WRC) to celebrate Halloween! Enjoy the video!

...of a Coffee Run with TC & TK!

Enjoy our video!
-STARs Sarah, Emily, & Grace

...Of Prepping for Finals

Hey there Future Panthers!

Here is a video that shows what it is like to prep for finals! #RodLibrary #Livepurple

~STARs Hannah, Olivia, and Eliza