...of a Happy and Healthy Student

Good Afternon Panther Lovers,

From 6AM to 8PM, you are bound to find an activity/ workout space that fits your needs here at UNI. The Wellness and Recreation Center (WRC) at UNI is a multi-faceted place for any healthy student to thrive. Our WRC has one of the largest rock walls in Iowa, plenty of courts to play a variety of sports, leisure and lap pools, and a plethora of fitness classes and programs.

As a healthy student I have made it a part of my daily schedule to improve my cardiovascular health and participate in strength training. Because I am not a fitness expert (beyond passing Health and Wellness class) I have registered for fitness classes with an instructor who knows the ins and outs of the body. There are classes ranging from Jazz dance to Scuba diving to Pilates to kick boxing..you can definitely find a class for you!

With that being said, I am a Ice Cream LOVER...to the max..and I am a strong believer in rewarding yourself. I just recently took a trip to the Piazza (a dining center on campus) where I requested an ice cream cone with “as many scoops as you can get on it”. The lady behind the desk graciously accepted my challenge and presented me with an 8 scoop ice cream cone!! :) Least to say I was in heaven :) 

Approximately Half way through my delicious treat :)

...So the point of this blog is to tell you that UNI has a lot to offer you in your quest for a healthier body, but it is A-OK to treat yourself and UNI has that too! :)

Wishing you all a happy and healthy life

-Star Olivia

...of My Favorite Thing About UNI!

Hey Future Panthers!

I was starting to think about the thing I love most about UNI, and it was really hard to choose just one thing! When I started to look back on when I first visited campus, I realized that I love the whole atmosphere. I decided that my favorite thing about UNI is really the beautiful campus!

When I first toured UNI, I thought the buildings were so neat, and I really loved the size of campus because it wasn’t too intimidating. I knew when I visited that this was the right choice for me! I totally could see myself here, and I fell in love with the school after visiting.

 





Now that I am a student here, I love walking to class every day because I always see familiar faces and get to enjoy the beauty of our school! I really do feel at home here, and I think that is because of the environment.This makes going to class, even on a Monday, an enjoyable experience and puts me in a good mood for the rest of the day! Just remember to grab your gloves and a hot drink on a cold morning, and you will have a good experience walking to class too! :)

 







If you want to check out our campus, you can register for a visit at http://www.uni.edu/admissions/visit-campus!

Have a great day! :)

-STAR Emily

...Of a Panther Basketball Fan!

Hey Future Panthers, a lot more than just snow is happening here. Our UNI Winter Athletic Teams are having great seasons so far! It's been great going to all the basketball games and wrestling matches, but the UNI Men's Basketball team is giving us an extra reason to smile this year! With a record like 18-2 it is hard to not want to smile when you think of the basketball team!

Your future Men's Basketball team is currently ranked #18 in the nation by the Coaches Poll and #18 in the AP Poll!

Yet again, the University of Northern Iowa makes this experience even better for you, the tickets for ALL athletic events (including Men's Basketball) are free! Yes, free! All you need to do is come with your student ID, and of course your Panther gear :) The Men's Basketball games are played in the McLeod Center on Robert J. McCoy Court, so be sure to head over there!

To get you a little more excited, why not check out last year's (2013-2014) season intro tape, (our 2014-2015 is not available to the public yet, you'll just have to come to a game to check it out)!




And don't forget to learn the interlude and the fight song before you head on over to the McLeod! :)

Here is a video of the Interlude from a white out game in 2011 :) Although you cant see all the moves, we will make sure you know them before the games start at summer orientation!

~STAR Grace

...Of the UNI Varisty Mens Glee Club Christmas Variety Show

Hello future Panthers!

This past weekend (on Friday and Saturday) the UNI Varsity Men's Glee Club held their annual Christmas Variety Show. It is a fantastic show full of entertainment that will put anyone in the holiday spirit! I hope that you all will enjoy my video and the random pictures it contains from this weekend :)

As you saw in the video, this year Panther Palms (our American Sign Language Choir on campus) was asked to interpret the show. Last year at the Glee Club Show, while Dr. Wiles, the director of the Glee Club, was in the lobby he encountered a family using American Sign Language to communicate. It was at that moment he realized that this show was not as inclusive as it could be. After that experience, he connected with Katie O'Brien, an ASL instructor here at UNI, and they began working on a revamped Christmas show that included interpreting during each act. It was a blast working with the Glee Club and we hope this may become a new tradition.

Now I know this post is a little late to notify you about the event, but if you are interested in joining the Glee Club or Panther Palms I strongly suggest you do! They are both groups full of wonderful people doing the things they love.

Peace.Love.UNI

STAR Olivia

...Of an Intramural Volleyball Player!

Hey Future Panthers!

Are you nervous to try out for one of the sports teams here at UNI, or maybe even the club teams? Have no fear! We have intramurals here! While I was in high school, the only sport I played was tennis. I wasn't really involved in sports because I wasn't really the athletic student; I enjoyed the arts. My roommate really wanted me to go to the Wellness and Recreation Center (WRC) with her but I really didn't want to. She motivated me to make the trek over there, and I enjoyed it once I was there! When you become a Panther, really be sure to utilize spaces like the 

WRC because they have an amazing facility!

Many of the girls on my floor wanted to get a volleyball team started because we were not good enough to play for the actual team or club volleyball! We just wanted to play for fun, so we tried out intramurals! Luckily, they have two different levels of competition: A and B league! A league is more competitive than B league so since we were just playing for fun, we chose to play in the B league! This was definitely the best choice because we only won our first game! 

As people say, the game is not about winning; it is all about having fun! Our team definitely reinforced this saying! Even though we didn't win and were not very good, our team definitely would have gotten Best Team Spirit had there been an award for it! We were just excited to get the serve over the net or when our score reached the double digits! After playing every team, they each told us that we were so funny and they enjoyed playing against us. All of the referees enjoyed reffing our games because they would just crack up laughing at us! We even had a game close to Halloween and came dressed as characters from Winnie the Pooh!

Back Row L-R: Kanga (yes, that is me), Pooh, Tigger
Front Row L-R: Eeyore and Piglet

If volleyball is not your thing, there are many other intramural sports you can join, like flag football, racquetball, tennis, swimming & diving, disc golf, and even CANOE BATTLESHIP! It's pretty cool! If you have a chance, check out their video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axh8rZFBVIc 

I strongly encourage you all to at least try playing intramurals! They are so fun and especially if you play with your friends! As much as I didn't know what I was doing, 

I had a great time playing with my friends and made so many memories!

Until next time,

~STAR Hannah

...Of Getting in the Holiday Spirit!

Hi there future panthers!


The holiday season is upon us, and when you are away from home for the first time getting into the holiday spirit can be hard! Here are some tips and ideas to get in the holiday mood!

~STAR Eliza

...of Decorating for Christmas in the Residence Halls

Getting ready for holidays in college is so much fun. Back in October, I posted about decorating for Halloween, and in continuum, I've decided to show you all how my roommate and I are preparing for the Christmas season! 

We wrapped our door with ribbon and wrote a little "to and from" card to resemble a present, and we had a lot of fun cutting paper to make our own snowflakes. It's quite therapeutic, you know.

We brought a little throw rug to occupy our TV and kitchen area, as well as strung up some pretty lights to illuminate the loft.

We made little craft owls, hung up some garland, and strung up more lights over our vanity/sink to brighten the area and bring some Christmas cheer.

 Don't forget the ornaments!

And, last but not least, our Major Award is visible from the window to all who care to see its beauty from outside Hagemann Hall! But be careful - it's fragile (must be Italian)!

-STAR, Lauren