All posts by Eugene Thomas

Announcements, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Hall Life

Include Your Voice in MU Student Health Data!

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Student Health, something that we all sometimes neglect in the midst of taking on life. More often than not we find ourselves just barely hanging on to the grips of college and breezing by. But it goes without saying, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the misinformation about student health and campus health.

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But that can change! Beginning today there is an active survey that will make your voice heard. Upon completing the survey about Student Health, you can be 1 out of 5 student winners. The student(s) will win a $50 gift card from the University Store. If you check your email periodically, you will see an email titled: Include Your Voice in MU Student Health Data. This email will be sent from The American College Health Association. The survey will be active from April 15th, 2018 until April 29th, 2018.

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Now is this time to have your voice heard! Use this PDF below as a resource for any outstanding questions you may have. Enjoy your weekend in good health!

MU CHEP_Student Health Survey Poster_HR_4.03

 

Announcements, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle / Hall Life

Right Now It’s April, but soon It’s Gonna Be May!

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We are now in April, but what does that mean exactly? We find ourselves scrambling to get ourselves together mentally, physically, and socially. It takes a lot to get through the semester—with all the tests, quizzes, no sleep, calling your parents, and keeping a balanced diet. Trying to keep all of these factors in line, it is difficult to think about how the days pass and what you have to do to stay on top of your life.

Its Gonna Be May

April is crunch time. You submit those final papers, beg your professors to turn that 68 into a 90, and hope that we will finally see Spring weather. Whatever the case may be, with all those present worries, it is hard to make time for yourself and step away from school. But there are ways you can move past this April slump and make the best of May with the following tips and tricks to conquer Spring semester!

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  1. When studying, study with a friend so they can help you succeed!
  2. Don’t let the stress, stress you out.
  3. Get a planner and plan ahead for upcoming events.
  4. Take time for yourself; self-care is important.
  5. Get some gains, go to the gym and exercise.
  6. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE
  7. Get your rest and count those sheep!
  8. Make sure you stop and breathe—breathing helps you stay alive.
  9. Distract yourself with family and friends, they can be a great resource.
  10. Counseling is a good resource for a stress-free environment.

There are always resources readily available to students who feel the overwhelming amounts of stress this time around. These tips and tricks can really keep a student calm in the midst of chaos and the seemingly unbearable stress. Millersville’s Center for Counseling & Human Development also offers tips to deal with stress and ways to manage it. http://www.millersville.edu/counsel/  This link will connect you to available resources if you find yourself looking for that additional help to free yourself from the burden of stress. Look to the future, knowing that you are not alone even with May slowly approaching! There is always someone there to help!

 

Announcements

Summer Conference Assistant! Accepting Applications Now!

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 Housing and Residential Programs is interviewing Millersville University students for employment as Summer Conference Assistants during the summer conference season this year.  The Summer Conference Assistants are employees of the Housing and Residential Programs Office hired for the summer to assist with check-in and checkout of guests/groups on campus during the summer who are attending camps and conferences on campus sponsored by the University or outside vendors.
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These employees are responsible for room key distribution and collection, room checks before and after groups, answering questions about the campus and providing directions to locations on campus and in the local community and very detailed and accurate record keeping for billing purposes.  The work can be very fast paced with large numbers of arrivals and departures over short periods of time.  Ability to keep accurate legible hand written records, engage with campus visitors, and work in a team approach is essential.  The SCA staff is also responsible for providing assistance to summer school housing in the residence hall including the enforcement of University and Residence Hall policy.  The successful candidate must be available to work varying shifts weekdays and weekends.  Scheduling can be short notice and is subject to change to accommodate the changing conference schedule.

If you are interested in meeting and greeting our summer clientele and learning more about the campus this summer, you may find this to be a very good opportunity and the BEST SUMMER JOB EVER!

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Pick up an application at the Housing and Residential Programs Office in the Lombardo Welcome  Center during regular business hours weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or download the application packet from the Housing & Residential Programs department website at http://www.millersville.edu/housing/files/SCAAppforHarp2018.pdf
Announcements

Same Room Selection!

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Do you love your current room? Do you want to avoid the hassle of selecting a new room and picking another roommate? Well, there’s hope—you are allowed to return to and select the same room that you were placed in.

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You can select your same room— avoid the confusion of a new building, make it easier to feel comfortable, and not encounter the readjustment that comes with a new room.  As long as the steps taken to secure your room have been made, there will be no issues selecting the room you are currently occupying.

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The “Same Room Selection” process begins Monday, March 26th, 2018 and will end on March 28th, 2018 at 11:59p.m. If you decide that your same room is what you want, then make the choice while you have the time! Happy Room Hunting!

Announcements, Events / Programs, Lifestyle / Hall Life, Social Advocacy / Justice

5 Faces of Oppression

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Oppression, as we define it is—prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control. Of course what we might start to realize is oppression can take on many forms. It can affect many dimensions of society and social life. Oppression can attach itself to the workplace, within institutions, possibly within homes, in the realm of education, and occur between person to person.

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On Wednesday, March 28th, 2018 at 6:00p.m. in the South Village Great Room, a discussion will be held observing oppression. It will not only talk about how we define it, but also how oppression itself has five (5) faces. These faces are: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, violence, and cultural imperialism. Through this discussion we will be looking to expand on ideas such as these:

  • Discuss what racism can be and how it can take many forms. 
  • How to confidently respond to acts of discrimination. 

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The goal of this event is to not only facilitate a dialogue, but also affirm with a “call to action” identifying oppression as a whole and its associated umbrella terms. More so to that, inspire students who feel lost about how to approach these conversations. What we are urging is that students come to this event looking to learn and respond affectively and actively to halting oppression. Students have a role that determines the success of the program. Not only will you be asked to generate a willing participation, but also to ask questions. The idea behind this event is to show how students can carry this information into tense situations. It encourages a stronger,   more positive approach to impacting negative ways of thinking.

If you are willing and able to commit to this event, not only for your benefit but for others as well—we would to have your company. RA LaChaun Freeland and RA Eugene Thomas will be hosting this event. Be sure to bring your friends who may have a passion for justice or just has trouble helping others. See you there!

 

 

Announcements, Lifestyle / Hall Life, Room Selection, Save the Date

Room Selection Smackdown! UPDATE!

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Can you smell what Room Selection is cooking!? Well if you can, that means that is time to apply and secure your Housing for Fall 2018-Spring 2019! Of course around this time you get frantic not knowing where to live, but rest assured that when you’re done reading, all of your worries will go away!

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If you already “Rock Bottomed” your Housing Deposit, then you are on the right track. If you haven’t already, put a “Smackdown” on that (non-refundable) $200. You still have time to do so! Housing Deposits have opened again effectively immediately! After that, you still want to be sure that you Apply Online and Sign the Housing Agreement: MAX Account->Student Services->Housing and Dining->My Housing->Apply Online 

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Now you’re onto Matching Roommates! Since the time frame for the Housing Deposit has been changed, being able to select a roommate will considerably be more flexible for all of you! 25s7bf

You are almost done! You have Batista Bombed, Five Knuckle Shuffled, and RKO’d your way to successfully selecting your room! There is just one thing left to do…The dates of the Residence Hall openings either for a new dorm, same room, or open room are listed below:

Shenks Hall Only: March 23rd (Shenks fills up fast! You have been warned) 

Same Room selection: March 26th-March 29th 

New Residence Hall: March 29th-April 13th

Well would you look at that…you are the champion of Room selection. Be sure to talk with your friends about what you have read, so when the time comes rooming together will not be an issue! Also let parents know what your plans are so they can help too! Happy Room Selection. Be sure to adhere to the dates in bold and underlined they will help you!

Announcements, Lifestyle / Hall Life

Welcome to Lombardo! Come on In!

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Hey,  I heard this was going to be the new building for Admissions? Is that a solar panel? These might be the first few questions you ask yourself when you walk past the new Lombardo Welcome Center. You might be leaving McComsey peering over at the glass windows or looking at the walkways so inviting you have to take a trip. All the while, you bite your nails, grind your teeth, and wonder—should I go inside?

IMG_3781Yes! You should go inside, whether you are looking for Admissions  or having some persisting Housing trouble, this is the place to be. But other than that—what makes the Lombardo Welcome Center live up to its name? It is known most currently for its efforts to maintain a safe and sustainable environment. But what you can also look forward to is the interactive touch screen display that compiles information about Lombardo. From “Millersville & YOU,” “Why Millersville,” to “Social Media Feeds,” and “University Fast Facts.” The display has it all! Even if you’re thirsty, there are stations to fill up your water bottle on the go. You might want a place to sit and talk, there’s a space for that—you can kick back and soak up the ambiance of it all! IMG_3790

“I enjoy being able to have a lot of room to move around. I also like the fact that we can work together with other departments without going too far.” —Kevin Maldonado, Resident Assistant & Housing Intern

“The building is modern and constructed openly for better collaboration with coworkers. The environment’s atmosphere is lively and fun.”—Gabrielle Reed, Resident Assistant & Student Worker

Even though Lombardo is brand new the reviews have been positive. Whether the feedback is from interns, staff themselves,  or residents—they all exclaim “WOW!” Everyone who I have seen come through those glass doors have all smiled, had wide eyes, or stood around just to socialize. Lombardo makes people want to come inside, ask questions, and interact. So if you are wondering what is on the other side of the glass doors, feel free to come in! Be willing to not only visit Housing and Admissions, but the people just like you standing around amazed.  You may learn something new and find out more how Millersville is improving one day at a time.

Photos Courtesy of Eugene Thomas 

Academics, Announcements, Events / Programs

For The Journal You’ve Never Heard Of…

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For those who know or may not know, Millersville University showcases achievement beyond the realms of a classroom with the Made In Millersville Conference. You might be aware of the signs that say “Apply Now” or emails that premiere how you can put yourself out there to represent your findings, content analyses, or begging questions about a topic of your interest. You find yourself applying, getting a T-shirt for your commitment to the success of presenting, shaking hands with folks, or sitting on a panel while you grab the attention of everyone in the room—either from your peers, professors, friends, or persons from another university.

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What you may find however is not many know about the Made In Millersville Journal. These five Millersville students are the voice behind the Made in Millersville Journal. Shaakirah, Daniel, Allie, Sara, and Mikayla are the interns for The Made In Millersville Journal. The journal itself is an online interactive database where anyone can look at both current and previous years of student and faculty findings in areas of multiple disciplines that composite scholarly work, creativity, and collaborative learning. The team feverishly works on the journal for others to see—through their meetings they find new and innovative ways to inform the masses on social media platforms via Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter to spread the word about the journal.

Check out the Website here: https://www.mimjournal.com

They will  be presenting with the title: “For The Journal You’ve Never Heard Of.” Their goal with this title, from the team themselves was to establish a voice many may not have heard of—ultimately they want to widen their outreach to not only the  Millersville area, but to the Lancaster area and beyond. They hope to have other like-minded communities observe and commend Millersville University for their admiration, dedication, and approach to learning.

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“I’m learning a lot about subjects I’ve not been around since I declared my major. It’s been really nice to be in a different kind of learning environment  all while being appreciated for my own skills.”—Mikayla

“Working on the journal has been a great learning experience for me so far. Between learning how to run social media accounts and promoting the journal, I’ve already picked up on  a lot of new skills. It’s also been nice to work in a collaborative setting where every team member brings a different  skill to the table. We’re all really excited about the journal!” —Sara

For the journal you’ve never heard of, now you know what you have to look forward to. Be on the lookout for these interns and the work of students, faculty, and your peers! Also be active on Instagram and follow the Made In Millersville Journal for updates, activities, pictures, and most importantly the Conference itself located in McNairy Library. You can follow: mim_journal on Instagram, madeinmujournal on Snapchat,  mimjournal on Twitter, and Made in Millersville Journal on Facebook. See you all there on April 17th, 2018! 

Photos courtesy of Eugene Thomas

Announcements

Spring Break Bulletin 2018

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Spring Break will start at 7:00 p.m. on Friday March 9, 2018. The residence halls will be available for occupancy during Spring Break, but resident students must register their intention to stay on campus during the Spring Break through the following link no later than 8:00 p.m. on Monday, March 5, 2018:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7LHJYMS

Helpful Hint:  If you have trouble connecting to this link, copy and paste it into a browser.  For best results use Goggle Chrome or Firefox – not Internet Explorer.

The Residence Hall Staff may conduct Health and Safety Inspections in each residence hall suite in preparation for the start of the Spring Break. Please review the following instructions and information carefully to avoid violations of the Student Code of Conduct for improper maintenance of your residence hall suite/room.

Spring Break Housing Information:

  • The residence halls will be operational during Spring Break for residents who register for break housing.
  • All University Administrative Offices will be open during regular business hours for Spring Break.
  • Meal plans are not active during Spring Break.  See the Dining Services website and postings for hours of operation. Cash, Flex, and Marauder Gold may be used during hours of operation.
  • Health Services will be open during normal hours of operation over Spring Break. Use local hospitals or urgent care centers as needed after hours.
  • Students are not required to surrender residence hall keys to the staff prior to leaving for the break.
  • Visitation is not allowed during Spring Break.
  • The Housekeeping and Facilities Management Staffs may be working in the campus residence halls to perform maintenance tasks during portions of the break that require entrance to resident rooms. The Housing Staff will post a courtesy sign on your door indicating that the room is occupied. This sign will ensure that workers will not enter your room without knocking. Please leave it in place for the duration of the break.

Spring Break Preparation Procedures:

Prior to the start of the break, all resident students MUST:

  • Dispose of all trash by removing it to the dumpster in the parking lots outside your residence hall.
  • Clean the room/suite including sweeping the floor and wiping down furniture.
  • Clean your bathroom and report any issues with constant run toilets, sinks, showers to the residence hall staff.
  • Remove stale food from your refrigerator and properly dispose of it through proper trash removal
  • If you are leaving for the break, turn off the lights
  • If you are leaving for the break, set the thermostat to 70degrees
  • If you are leaving for the break, close and lock the window
  • If you are leaving for the break, lower the blinds halfway but leave them open
  • If you are leaving for the break, lock your bedroom door and your suite door
  • If you are leaving for the break please move all items from your residence hall floor, especially computer equipment and any items that can be damaged by flooding.
  • If you are leaving for the break and you have a Learning Services approved animal in your room, you must take the animal with you.  You may not leave animals in the residence hall in the care of another student or staff member.

Residence Hall Spring Break will end and Residence Halls will resume normal operations:  Sunday March 18, 2018 at Noon.

Announcements, Social Advocacy / Justice

What Does It Mean To Be An Ally?

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What does it mean to be an ally? What does it take to become an ally? Does the word ally mean just wearing a pin to show solidarity? Does an ally mean being a good citizen as well?

What would it take to think an ally is more than that—to think it is more active work and not passive work? An ally can be as simple as calling someone out on their oppressive behavior, stopping someone from making hasty generalizations about someone who is trans, disabled, racially different, affected by stereotypes, or being a victim of any form of abuse and mistreatment. An ally can simply just mean being able to not be a bystander—to be engaging and informed about what’s going on.

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“If we tell ourselves that the only problem here is hate, we avoid facing the reality that it is mostly nice non-hating people who perpetuate racial inequality.” —Ellis Cose, 1997

“As racism has become less visibly obvious since the 1960s, it has become easier for those not directly victimized by it to ignore it.” —Clarence Page, 1996

“To those who believe the battle against discrimination has been won, I  say, look at the realities of paychecks and power.” —Linda Chavez-Thompson, 1997

How can we come to the conclusion of what an ally is? Maybe we can start a conversation about what is really going on in the world. We can start listening to others and their perspectives—we can remain open-hearted and open-minded. If we see how useful working together is, we can find a way to accomplish more goals. The goal itself is to be active; to make sure that we call out injustice, unfair treatment, and the barriers we seem to think are invisible. Once we realize the bridging the gap will not work—we fill the gap. If we are conscientious and committed to the work we do as a society, as individuals, on the local level, on the regional level, on the institutional level,  and beyond, we can define and even reify the essence of what an ally is, can be, or should be.