...of Spring Break at home!

Hey there, future Panthers!!

It's that time of year again!  The UNI student body is starting to get a little stir crazy due to all of the cold & snowy weather, and the fact that Spring Break is just around the corner. Some people have elaborate plans to warm and sunny beaches, while I on the other hand, will be spending my Spring Break at home! Now, I understand that it might sound lame, but I am actually very excited!

Last year I spent my spring break at home and, in my opinion, had just as much fun as some of my friends who went on tropical, week long holidays. One of the first days of break was spent road tripping to the Mall of America with my three best friends. This was very exciting for all of us, because with all four of us attending different colleges we rarely get to see each other. We got up early in the morning so we could get there right when the mall opened so we could get premium shopping time, of course! After we cashed out at the mall, we had to make a stop at Ikea.

Reunited with my best friends <3

Now, another positive of being home for spring break was getting to spend time with my family. With my little brother being so busy, it's very rare that all four of us are all together at the same time. I was lucky enough to have break during the week of his high school musical! This was awesome because I got to see a lot of distant family members as well!

Out to dinner with mom before Robby's musical! 

As this spring break roles around, I am extremely excited to head home once again and be reconnected with my roots. So whether you are flying half way around the world, or staying home on your couch over break, be sure to appreciate the time you are getting with the people you are with!

Until next time,
STAR, Megan

...of Writing College Papers

Hey Future Panthers!!

A lot of you have asked how hard college is… well, it really isn’t that difficult!

Remember how you were scared to go to high school, it is kind of the same for college.  Your academics grow with you :)

Plus, UNI has plenty of resources to help you make that academic transition! Read below to find out how you can use them to write that first college paper:

Academic Learning Center

The ALC is located in the ITTC.

The ALC helps students with writing, and plenty other subjects.  You can go to them with a paper and they will help you turn a good paper into a great paper! Cheesiness aside, it is always nice to have an outsider look at your work and point out certain aspects that you may not see.

Stop in and meet some pretty helpful Panthers!

The ALC is open from 8 am - 5 pm every Monday-Friday.

Rod Library

If you look back in the blog, you will see a visual tour of Rod Library, but Rod has more than just great looks.  Rod Library has an extensive online database where you can do all of your research! For my recent research paper, I was able to get all of my resources within an hour by simply searching the topic.  Also, going through Rod is a lot more impressive than typing the topic through google…

Almost 300K credited articles for my research topic!

The online database is available to you 24/7 and we also have 24 hour printing services on campus.  The only thing really hard about college is kicking that procrastination habit in the butt and UNI understands the struggle.

So, do not panic when you are a couple days away from that deadline.  You will soon make friends in those study places Stephanie talked about in a previous post.

Or write your paper on the big screen!!

Until next time!

~STAR Joslyn

...With love in the air!

Hey there, future Panthers!

So, as we all know, the most beloved and most hated holiday was just upon us… Valentines Day. It can get a little old hearing your friends rave about their plans with their special someone or worse yet- hearing those without that special someone complain about their loneliness and likelihood to become a crazy cat lady or lifelong bachelor. Either way, it’s just another day on the calendar. Although yes, it is bursting with sappy cards and chocolaty gushiness, we can all get through it.

One way that my friends and I decided to celebrate by was having an anti-Valentines Day party! What does this entail might you ask? ALL the fun of Valentines Day minus all of the pressure that goes with it! We hung around with our singleton friends and ate food, told jokes, watched movies, played games and had a great time! What could be better? Probably nothing.

There is such a stigma attached to having a significant other and celebrating accordingly on that ONE day the entire year. But I was thinking about it, and why should it have to be that way? Why should I have to designate ONE person to be my Valentine? I remember the good old days in elementary school where we all made personalized card boxes and set them out so everyone in class could walk around and hand out their Batman and Barbie themed cards to every single box and call it a day! I like to think of the day being one where I can spread the love to EVERYONE in my life, not just one person.

Remember all of the people in your life who you love and are lucky to have around and consider them all your Valentines! Don’t just restrict yourself to one person because lets be real- We all have so many amazing people in our lives am I right?!

So next year when you're feeling down and out with no plans on the day of love, remember that it doesn't have to be celebrated as modern society tells us we should. That being said, I hope all of you love birds had a great time celebrating with your special someone. 

So before I sign off, let me just share a little video of STAR Emily and I doing some very enthusiastic Valentine's Day card reading! Hopefully it gives you a little giggle.

Sending love to all of you!!! 

STAR, Molly

...of the Luke Bryan Concert!

There was a buzz on campus a week and half ago, cars were lined up, and country boys and girls gathered from near and far. "For what?" you ask. It was all for none other than LUKE BRYAN! Every year, top performing artists come to UNI's campus and I was lucky enough to receive tickets from my younger sister, Jessica, to attend what was definitely, in my opinion, the best show of the year. Watch the video below of our experience and be sure to see what artists will be coming our way in the future!

Available now for autographs and record deals,

-STAR Stephanie

...of Celebrating Science!

How's it going, Future Panthers?

Okay, so how cool is science? I mean, really think about it...everything from the solar system to the food chain to how medicine is made- all science! It's pretty amazing if you think about it. That being said, this week at UNI is Darwin Week, a week devoted to honoring Charles Darwin, a famous naturalist and geologist. Darwin is most known for his contributions to evolution theory (this dude kind of started the whole concept that humans evolved from monkeys) but his work was revolutionary and changed the world forever!

Darwin gives Ryan Gosling a run for his money.

So, this week at UNI, a bunch of amazing keynote speakers will be coming and talking about science, evolution theory, and lots of other fascinating topics! All events will be held in the Maucker Union at various times throughout the day. Speakers include Kim MacLin, Nate Phelps, Annette Lynch, and many more! You can go to www.darwinweek.com to find out more details!

Additionally, if you miss any of these lectures, you can check out summaries on the University of Northern Iowa Freethinkers & Inquirers website, www.unifreethought.com! 

It is always interesting and fun to learn the views and opinions of those around you. Even if you don't personally agree with what others are saying, opening your mind to all sorts of possibilities can be an incredibly awesome and enlightening experience!

Just ask my boy, Bill Nye.

Alright, I'm headed to the Union to go watch some amazing speakers! 

That's all for now, Future Panthers! Keep striving for excellence!

-Emily (STAR)

...of a College Snow Day!

Hey there Panthers of today, the past, and the future!

Not too long ago, UNI and the Cedar Valley area got hit with a little bit of a snow storm. Not very often, but every once in a great while, classes are cancelled at UNI. Here's a mini video on what I did the day I got to experience my first college snow day!

Peace out Panther Lovers,

-Jill, STAR

...Of Some Good Eats!

Hey, Future Panthers! Part of what makes Cedar Falls such a great college town is the hidden treasures of locally owned shops and restaurants! Today, some of us headed to one of our favorites: J's Homestyle Cooking! Check out our video on this awesome diner below!

The next time you're in town, stop by J's and grab a bite to eat! Now excuse us as we slip into a food coma...

L8R!!!

STARs Emily, Jill, and Megan