Tag Archives: marauder

The ABC’s of Millersville University

Read below to see all of the great things Millersville University has to offer from A to Z!

A: Alumni mentors are available to offer support and advice to students through Mentor Collective. Click here to learn more.

B: Best friends are made here!

C: Campus Life offers students a variety of ways to get involved in campus life both on campus and virtually. Visit Get Involved to find information about student organizations and events.

D: Diversity Award from “INSIGHT Into Diversity” magazine was awarded to Millersville University for the 9th consecutive year.  Click here to read a blog post about the award and MU’s commitment to diversity.

E: EPPIIC Values are the core values which members of the Millersville University community live by. They include exploration, professionalism, public mission, inclusion, integrity, and compassion.

F: Food truck called the “Marauder Express” is located between South and West Villages and is serving delicious food Monday’s through Friday’s from 7:30am to 1:30pm.

G: Graduate Assistants (GA’s) work hard to help students however they can. Click here to learn about East Villages GA Hannah Stoner, or here to learn about West Villages GA Will Halko, and stay tuned for a post about South Villages GA Gabby Vaxmonsky!

H: Honors College at Millersville encourages students to reach their full potential and provides students with additional opportunities for both academic and personal success.

I: Internship information, career resources, Millersville’s Career Connection Job Database, Job and Internship fairs, and much more are made available to students through Experiential Learning and Career Management (ELCM). 

J: Join organizations on campus to meet new people, experience new things, gain skills, and more. Millersville has over 150 clubs for you to check out!

K: Kick back and relax by the pond after a long day and enjoy the beautiful views:

Millersville pond during fall. Photo Source

L: Library resources like eBooks, research guides, and more are super helpful tools available for students to take advantage of. Visit the McNairy Library and Learning Forum website to learn more.

M: Marauder Gold can be used to make purchases not just on campus, but at local stores, restaurants, and pharmacies. Click here to view the full list of places that accept Marauder Gold. GRUBHUB is now an option as well! More information is forthcoming about how to sign up for and use GRUBHUB with your Marauder Gold.

N: News, reminders, interesting blog posts (like this one!), and more are shared with students, faculty, and staff via email everyday through ‘Ville Daily. Make sure to regularly check the ‘Ville Daily announcements to see what’s new!

O: Over 100 undergraduate majors for students to choose from. Click here for more information.

P: Park City Mall, Lancaster Central Market, and so many other places nearby for Marauders to check out.

Q: Quilt known as the “Negating Hate” digital quilt is a virtual quilt which was made to unite the Millersville University community and promote eliminating all forms of discrimination. Click here to view the quilt.

R: Residence halls provide a safe environment for students to learn, thrive, and make connections in. Visit the Housing and Residential Programs site for more information, or check out some of our other blog posts to learn more!

S: Starbucks and Saxbys are conveniently located right on campus.

T: The Snapper is a student-run newspaper with articles on a wide variety of subjects, as well as podcasts and videos. Click here to check it out.

U: University Activities Board has plenty of fun events and activities  for students to enjoy on-campus or virtually.

V: Volunteer Central is Millersville University’s way to provide students with opportunities to give back to the community through volunteering. Visit the Volunteer Central web page for more information and ways you can help.

W: Writing Center provides students with the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a trained peer tutor for help with writing and editing papers.

X: X-ray spectrometer, atomic force microscope, and a cryogenics unit are among some of the many scientific instruments in Millersville’s inventory which students in scientific fields can use. Click here to view the complete list.

Y: You become part of a family when you attend Millersville University. The Millersville community is supportive and accepting, and is something to always cherish being a part of. Check out our blog post where Marauders expressed what being a member of this community meant to them.

Z: ‘Za (aka pizza) can be picked up or delivered from the Sugar Bowl, House of Pizza, Nino’s Pizzeria, and more local pizza spots.

Want a fun challenge? Comment the first letter in your first name and use that letter to start a sentence saying what you love about Millersville!

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Meet the RA’s: West Village RA’s Delanie Dugan and Deja Outten

Welcome to the third post in our series “Meet the RA’s”! This series consists of posts that will help you get to know more about some of the RA’s that help make the residence halls great. This post will be about West Village RA’s Delanie Dugan and Deja Outten!

Delanie Dugan

Where are you from?

Delanie (D): Lancaster, PA

What is your major?

D: Art with a concentration in Interactive and Graphic Design and a minor in Graphic Communication Technology

What is one fun fact about yourself?

D: My favorite animal is a goat and I hope to have a pet goat one day and name him “Vincent Van Goat”.

What is your favorite hobby/pastime?

D: Buying too many houseplants and then hoping I can keep them all alive.

Who do you see as a role model?

D: I don’t have one specific person, but I try to always learn something from others – whether it be a professor, friend, co-worker,  or fellow RA. Anyone you get the chance to talk to and get to know you always have the opportunity to learn something from.

What advice do you have for new Marauders?

D: Don’t be afraid to get involved with clubs, events, and organizations. Even with an online environment, MU is still having many virtual and socially distanced in-person events. It may be tempting to go home for the weekend or just stay in your room and binge watch Netflix, but try your best to get to know others and enjoy campus life while still keeping yourself and others safe and following the safety guidelines. These guidelines include wearing a mask and socially distancing.

What are you looking forward to most as an RA this year?

D: Being on campus again and getting to meet the residents on my floor and in West Village A.

What do you plan to do after graduating from Millersville?

D: The big dream: Move to a bustling, bright city and become a graphic designer at a Fortune 500 company and work my way up from there.

Deja Outten

Where are you from?

Deja (D): Downingtown, PA

What is your major?

D: Social Work

What is one fun fact about yourself?

D: I am learning American Sign Language.

What is your favorite hobby/pastime?

D: Spending time outdoors and going on hikes.

Who do you see as a role model?

D: My best friend Jimmeaha is my role model because she is unapologetically herself and she taught me to see my own worth.

What advice do you have for new Marauders?

D: Use your planner! A planner will keep you on track and up to date with assignments!

What are you looking forward to most as an RA this year?

D: Getting to know my residents as well as the other RA’s at Millersville.

What do you plan to do after graduating from Millersville?

D: After graduating from Millersville, I plan to work at a non-profit with kids and teens with intellectual disabilities.

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Stay tuned for more posts in this series! If you are a resident and your RA is either Delanie or Deja, let us know what you love about them in the comments.

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The 5 Step Essay Writing Process That Will Help You Write Better Papers

Whether you’re writing a 500 word paper or a 30 page paper, writing an essay can be challenging. Figuring out how to get your point across, the proper diction, paragraph organization, and more before a deadline can feel like a daunting task. Even if you’re a great writer, the writing process isn’t always going to be easy. Fortunately, I have a 5 step writing process that makes essay writing a bit easier, and that helps you write better papers:

Step 1: Determine your purpose for writing the paper.

This first step is probably the most important step you can take when writing a paper. Defining the subject of the paper will help guide you in what to write. It is much easier to research something and write about it when you know exactly what it is you’re trying to write. Look over the assignment carefully to gain a better understanding of what your professor wants from the paper. Ask yourself the following question: What do you want the reader to know after reading this paper? Remember: When you write with a purpose in mind, your paper will have purpose. Make sure you know the goal you’re trying to accomplish well and how you can convey the message to your reader.

Step 2: Write down everything and anything about your topic.

Before you can start to write or even outline, you have to have ideas. Ideas are the starting point of any paper. Think about the overall point you want to get across to your reader that you defined in step one. For example, let’s say you’re writing a paper on why business X is successful. Do research on the business and on what defines success for that business and dump thoughts, links, quotes, statistics, and anything you can find on the subject into a document. This doesn’t need to have any structure or clear reasoning behind it just yet. This is simply a chance for you to brainstorm and collect information. This will also help give you a better understanding of the topic of your paper and will be extremely useful when the time comes to start writing. 

Step 3: Organize your thoughts.

Step three is when you sift through the research from step two and find the most valuable pieces of information that you’ll want to include in your paper. This is the step where you can create an outline. Keep in mind that outlines don’t have to be extremely detailed and lengthy; just think of the main points you want to write about and underneath those points, include supporting information. While you may be eager to begin the writing process and want to skip doing an outline, I wouldn’t recommend it. Outlines are a great way to organize your paper in a logical way. Start with your introduction which should include your thesis (what you want the reader to know after reading your paper), then body paragraphs where you share information that supports your thesis, and a conclusion that ties the paper together and summarizes what you’ve written. It sounds simple enough, and you’ve most likely been writing papers with this structure for most of your life, but it can be easy to neglect the basics and let your paper go off the tracks. Create an outline to organize your paper and see how each element of the paper will work together to accomplish your vision.

Step 4: Start writing, then take a step back.

Step four is when the writing begins. It might sound a little late in the process to start writing the paper itself, but after you’ve done the first three steps, this part of the process will be made significantly easier. Use your outline as a guide for writing. It is also very important to make sure that you read all of your professors guidelines for the paper so you know you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing, as I mentioned in step one. If there is a rubric, make sure to look it over so that you know what you’re being graded on.

Remember that you can always go back to previous steps in this process and do more research or add things to your outline if you realize adjustments need to be made as you write. In fact, I strongly encourage you to do this to make sure your paper is exactly how you want it to be and satisfies the requirements. Refer back to your professors instructions regularly to make sure you’re on the right track. After you’ve written your paper, I recommend you step away from it for a while and do something else. This is so that when you come back to it, you can find mistakes that you may have overlooked before. It also gives you a mental break and prevents you from becoming overwhelmed.

Step 5: Grade your own paper.

This last step requires you to put yourself in your professors shoes. Once your paper is finished, read it over as if you weren’t the one who wrote it. When you’re done reading, write down what you believe the purpose of the paper was. If this matches the purpose you wrote down for yourself in step one, that’s great! That means you effectively conveyed what you wanted to to the reader. However, it’s always good to get a second opinion, so I would recommend having a peer, someone from the Writing Center, or even your professor look it over and give you their thoughts. You should also give yourself a grade and some feedback after reading it. It might feel a little strange to grade your own paper, but it’s very useful. If you feel like your paper was worthy of a B, think about what you could change to make it an A-worthy paper. What do you feel like was missing? What did you like about the paper? Was there anything you disliked about it? Being totally honest with yourself during this step will improve the quality of your paper. 

Try using this 5 step process for your next writing assignment!

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Should You Declare a Minor?

In college, your major is your main focus as far as academics go; it’s what most of your courses are based around and it’s what you’ll receive a degree in. Picking a major can be challenging, especially if you have multiple interests. Fortunately, if you’re interested in a certain subject but don’t want to make it your major, you can minor in it! Minors are a great way to increase your knowledge on a subject, whether that subject ties into your major or if it’s just something you’d like to know more about.

Here is some advice that will help guide your decision of whether or not adding a minor is the right choice for you:

Minors have certain requirements that need to be fulfilled just like majors do. Click here to view the list of minors Millersville offers and their requirements. Your advisor is a great resource to go to with any questions about minors. It’s also important to talk to your advisor when considering a minor to make sure you are actually eligible to minor in that field. For example, a Business Administration major with a concentration in Marketing cannot minor in Management. They would instead have to add management as a second concentration. Before you meet with your advisor, I’d recommend doing some research on your own to learn more about the minor you’re considering. If you’re interested in minoring in Psychology, for example, you could look into Millerville’s Psychology Department, the faculty and staff, and research the required courses to see if it’s a good fit for you.  Having this information can help you decide if declaring a minor is the right choice for you. 

Minors related to your degree are a good way to learn more about the field you’re interested in, may expand your job opportunities after graduation, and can help your resume stand out among other job candidates. However, don’t limit yourself to thinking that you can’t or shouldn’t minor in a field that isn’t related to your major – you can! Robert Kiyosaki, a businessman and author, said that the most important thing a person can do to help themselves is “to know a little about a lot.” Having a minor that isn’t related to your major can help you graduate with a more varied skill set and knowledge in more than one subject area. 

The biggest piece of advice I can give you when deciding on whether or not to declare a minor is to know yourself. Can you handle the additional courses? Will you still graduate on time? Is it something you’re really interested in? What do you want to get out of it? These are all good questions to ask yourself during this process. You may want to declare a minor to appear more well-rounded and hard working to employers, but standing out to employers also requires things like good grades and participation in extracurricular events.  If a minor interferes with these things, it may not be the right choice for you. If you already have your plate full with other courses and maybe a part-time or full-time job, or if you’re struggling to keep your grades up, I’d recommend making a pros and cons list to help you weigh your options and reach out to your advisor for advice. 

It’s important to remember that even without a minor, there’s still plenty you can do to make sure your a good candidate for jobs once you graduate. Click here to read an article from the American Marketing Association where two recruiters answer questions about things such as what they look for in a resume and how to get noticed, or this article from Indeed.com about how to impress potential employers and coworkers during a job interview. Of course, you can also still explore a subject area you’re interested in without declaring a minor in it by simply taking a few elective courses.

You can remove a minor at any time, so there’s no pressure to stick with something that isn’t working out for you. To add, remove, or change a minor, visit this link and fill out the form called “Academic Program Change Request”. This form was called the “Academic Minor” form until very recently, so if you hear it called that, just know the person is talking about the “Academic Program Change Request”.

Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you’re happy with your choice and that you’re doing what’s best for yourself and your education. 

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How to Set and Achieve Your Goals

Setting and achieving goals is important, but can be challenging for a number of reasons. Maybe you’re not sure how to get started, or you’re having trouble staying motivated to reach your goal. Keep reading to find out how to set achievable goals and how you can accomplish them.

It’s important to understand why you should set goals for yourself in the first place. When you set goals for yourself, you set yourself on a path for success. Without goals, you won’t be able to grow and reach your full potential. Vivak Patel, Interim Director of Enrollment Management, says the following about the benefits of setting goals:  “Goal setting not only helps us achieve new heights and grow as an individual, it creates the blueprint for transforming our visions into reality. Progressing towards goals will create a path full of satisfaction and setting goals are your first steps.” Once you recognize that, you can start the goal setting process.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Take responsibility: Acknowledge that you are in control of your life and if there’s something you want, you’re the one who has to take action to get it. Knowing yourself and realizing it’s up to you to follow through with it will help motivate you to take those first steps. As much as I wish I could just snap my fingers and magically do well on all my assignments in order to reach my goal of getting better grades, I know it’s up to me to study harder and put more time into my schoolwork if I want to do better. Plus, reaching a goal through your own efforts rather than the efforts of someone or something else makes reaching your goal feel like an even greater accomplishment.

2. Recognize what you want to achieve: Once you have a goal in mind, understand the reasons you want to achieve that goal. For example, my goal is to get better grades. I want to get better grades because I want to prove to myself that I’m smarter than I think and so I can set myself up for success after college. Knowing why I want to reach a certain goal is especially helpful for when I find myself struggling on the path to reaching it. My reasons for setting the goal in the first place remind me not to give up when things get difficult. On the path to success, you’ll likely face setbacks that may make you question whether or not your goal is really worth it. If something means a lot to you, you need to work to overcome the challenges and keep striving for it. Click here to read an article that shares 8 strategies for how to not give up.

3. Make a plan: When goal setting, it’s important to understand everything that you’ll have to do in order to reach that goal. Make sure your plan is realistic and attainable. Try to make a schedule that you’ll feel encouraged to stick with. For example, if you want to become a vegetarian, it’s much easier to start incorporating vegetarian alternatives into your meals gradually than to completely switch to an all-vegetarian diet. You could pick one day of the week where you only eat vegetarian foods, then slowly add another day, then do three days, and so on. Remember that some things will take time and there may be setbacks, but don’t let that discourage you. Make a plan and try your best to follow it closely, but make adjustments when you feel it’s necessary.

4. Don’t take on too much by yourself: Dr. Rachel Finley-Bowman, Dean of Student Success and Associate Provost, says this about not overwhelming yourself and feeling like you’re alone when trying to accomplish your goals: “When striving to set and achieve goals, two pieces of advice immediately come to mind – (1) think small and (2) ask for and accept support. The first suggestion doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t reach for your greatest dreams, but recognizes instead that any large goal is a sum of smaller parts. Prioritize and focus upon how you can achieve each part along the way. This helps to lessen anxiety about the overall task and gives you victories to celebrate as you progress in your journey. Teamwork and collaboration also promote achievement and so don’t be afraid to ask for support or accept it when it is offered. Every faculty and staff member in the MU learning community are stakeholders in your success. Leverage our expertise and guidance to help you achieve your goals.”

5. Visualize your goals and visualize yourself achieving them: Once you have an idea of what it will look like when you reach your goals, you’ll feel more inspired to achieve them. If your goal is to participate in more community service events, picture what that will look like and how it will feel to help others. Visualizing your goals will also help you recognize if a goal is unrealistic or not. If you’re a student taking several classes and you also have a job where you work long shifts, you may realize that participating in community service events regularly would be a challenge and you can adjust your goal accordingly. Vivak Patel recommends creating a vision board to help with visualization. He says, “Create, print, and cut out images that associate with your goals and hang them up on a board or even your wall. Place it in your room or somewhere that is visible for you. Look at your vision board each morning. Visualization will help you reach the goals that you set and this technique is used by the most successful people in the world.”

6. Reward yourself along the way: As you get closer to reaching your goal, reward yourself as an incentive to keep working. Whenever I study really hard for a test and do well on that test, I like to reward myself by buying my favorite candy. Telling myself that I’ll get M&M’s if I work hard gives me the motivation to get things done. It also makes me feel good after my hard work pays off and makes me want to study harder for my next test.  You should also reward yourself because you deserve to! Working towards a goal takes determination and work. Reaching milestones when trying to accomplish a certain goal, no matter how big or small, deserves recognition and celebration.

If there’s something you want to achieve, follow the steps above to help you achieve it. Remember that the faculty and staff at MU want to help you succeed however they can. Reach out to them for guidance and support when setting and achieving goals. Comment some goals you have that you’d like to start working towards. Remember, if you really want something and believe that it’s attainable, don’t give up on it!

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Fall 2020 MU Academic Resilience Speaker Series

This fall, Dr. Ann Gaudino and Dr. Margaret Mbindyo have organized an Academic Resilience Speaker Series which features great speakers on topics surrounding how and why students can develop academic resilience. Academic resilience is the ability to overcome challenges and grow from them. Academic resilience is especially important now because of the challenges and disruptions brought about by the pandemic.

Webinar meetings run every other Wednesday from 12:00pm-1:00pm between September 9th-November 18th. Click here or here to register, or scan the QR code in the graphic above.

We strongly encourage you to attend these webinars to learn how you can achieve academic success and to receive support!

What Does It Mean to Be A Marauder?

When you enroll as a student at Millersville University, you become more than just a student; you become a member of a family. I say we’re a family because we help each other out by supporting each other, bringing out the best in each other, and growing together as a community. So, what does it really mean to be a part of this family? In other words, what does it mean to be a Marauder? Who better to ask than Marauders themselves! Here’s what some MU students had to say about what being a Marauder means to them:

Lindsey Edwards, an Early Childhood Education and Special Education dual major and member of the class of 2024 says: 

  • Being a Marauder means taking the next step into adulthood with new friends and learning how to succeed in the future!!”

At Millersville University, student success both during and after college is a priority for professors and staff members. However, a big part of success comes from having a support system of fellow students encouraging you to do well, which is exactly what Marauders do!

Marina MacGregor, who plans on graduating in Fall 2020 and is a Social Work major with a minor in Phsychology, says:

  • “Being a Marauder means working toward acceptance and love for others who are from completely different walks of life.”

Diversity is a huge part of what makes Millersville so special, and true Marauders embrace it. Anyone and everyone is welcome and accepted here!

Abigail Azizkhan, another Early Childhood Education and Special Education dual major and member of the class of 2024 agrees:

  • “Being a Marauder means being able to be myself and feeling loved!”

Being a Marauder also means having school spirit. There’s nothing better than going to a school that you can be proud of and that you really love.

Taylor Olszewski, a Music Education Major who will graduate in 2022 says: 

  • “Being a Marauder means having pride in our campus and campus community as well as holding ourselves to the highest standards!”

Member of the class of 2021 Kaitlyn Hopple, an Early Childhood Education  and Special Education dual major with a minor in Psychology, says:

  • “Being a Marauder means being there for others, standing up for what you believe in, and being proud of your campus community and the differences it showcases.”

Pride in the Millersville community and the desire to help others are two traits Marauders embody. Here’s what else Millersville students are saying about what being a Marauder means to them:

Alyx Matchett, a Secondary English Education and Psychology dual major and member of the class of 2021 says:

  • “Being a Marauder means being part of an amazing community of people who are always willing to learn and experience new things together!!!”

Rhys Wallace, a Secondary Education Social Studies major who is also a member of the class of 2021 says: 

  • “Being a Marauder means challenging myself to grow with my peers.”

Francesca Polito-Wroten, a member of the Master of Social Work (MSW) Program who intends to graduate from the program in 2022, says: 

  • “Being a Marauder means being a part of something bigger than myself. It means reaching my goals with friends along the way that are on the same journey as me.”

Cara Haley, who will graduate in May 2022 and is an Early Childhood Education and Special Education dual major with a minor in Integrative STEM Methods says:

  • “Being a Marauder means being part of a great community that provides you with resources to help you grow! They provide opportunities and events to help us grow as learners inside and outside of the classroom.”

There are lots of things that make Marauders great. Whether you’re a current student, an incoming student, or an alumni, you’ll always be a part of the Marauder family. What does being a Marauder mean to you? Let us know in the comments! Go ‘Ville!

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10 Rules For Living Your Best Marauder Life

Are you truly living your best life? If that’s a question you have to think about, or if the answer to it is “No”, don’t worry, we’re here to help. Keep reading to learn our 10 rules for living your very best marauder life:

1. Leave the past in the past: It can be hard not to dwell on the past, but it’s so much better for you when you don’t. You can’t change the past; the only thing you can control is the present and your future. Accepting what has happened and being hopeful about what will happen will help you move on and enjoy every moment of your life.

Source: https://giphy.com/gifs/1n4JO2Nz6DVpaJCP3w

2. Help others: One of the EPPIIC values that members of the Millersville University community live by is compassion. Being compassionate and helping others is a great way to give back and find happiness. Click here to learn about some volunteer opportunities you can take advantage of right now.

3. Remember what you’re working towards: Keep in mind that everything you’re doing has a purpose. Even if you can’t see the benefits of your actions now, they’ll pay off in time. Continue to work hard and set goals for yourself – the results of your work will be worth it!

Source: https://gph.is/28ZV1ch

4. Love yourself: Life is hectic and stressful. Show yourself some love and give yourself a pat on the back for how you handle all of life’s craziness. Be proud of who you are. Remember to also take time to yourself and do things that make you happy. Click here to read our blog post that includes self care tips that will help you show your mind and body some love.

5. Live your values: Like I mentioned before, Millersville University’s core values are EPPIIC. EPPIIC stands for exploration, professionalism, public mission, inclusion, integrity, and compassion. Marauders should strive to be EPPIIC whenever and however they can, while also reinforcing their own personal values. Click here to read more about EPPIIC values at Millersville.

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