There are many places to grab a bite to eat near and around campus, but there are a few spots that you should know about and go to often. Sometimes you only have an awkward 50-minute break between two classes that didn’t fit back to back on your schedule, and if that is the case, Campus Corner is the place. Two prime places to grub are Tea Café and Fuzzy’s. At Tea Café, you have to try the chicken fried rice; it’s better than Christmas. At Fuzzy’s, try cheese nachos with refried beans added in. I’m from San Antonio so trust me on this one.

For dinner, you should really venture out into the city of Norman.  The Garage and The Mont are the places to go. The Garage has, hands down, the best burgers in town. Get them any way you like them and the fries are delicious. The Mont is Mexican food, but they offer a variety of options including chicken strips, for those of you who don’t venture off the kids menu, hamburgers, or actual Mexican food. And queso. Always start with queso.

Try these great places and let us know what you think of them by tweeting us @OUClassof2016.

-Courtney Chapman

Class of 2016 Council PR Chair

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Wow!

Sophomore year is coming to an end…which means graduation is that much closer! I can’t believe it has been almost two years since we first came to the University!

As we wrap up the semester and count down the days until summer, it seems like the weather gets nicer and nicer every day! It makes it so much more difficult to spend time inside studying or doing homework. But, it is important to remember that most classes are hinged on the final grade! Despite your performance throughout the semester, your final grade will determine how well you do in the class. I say this not to add more stress to your life, but as a word of encouragement and motivation! Here are some ideas that might help us FINISH STRONG our sophomore year:

  • Take frequent breaks! Create small milestones for yourself, and following the completion of that milestone take a break! Go outside, check Facebook, or do something else you enjoy. The key here is not to make your breaks longer than your study time.
  • Try to study with someone! This will create a since of accountability for the both of you. From personal experience, I have done best on the exams in which I have studied with someone else!
  • Don’t expect to study for a huge final a couple of days before. It only adds stress! Start early and do a little bit every day!
  • Utilize action tutoring!
  • Don’t cut out exercise from your busy schedule! It is important to exercise daily; it stimulates your brain and relieves stress.
  • It is OK to say NO! It seems like a lot organization’s host their events toward the end of the spring semester. Committing yourself to too many can cause stress and less time for studying. Remember it is OK to say NO!

Let’s ENJOY the rest of our sophomore year and FINISH STRONG

Avery Frix

Class of 2016 Council, Vice Chair

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Tips for a Safe Spring Break

 

As we finish the last of the dreaded midterm, Spring Break starts to take over the majority of our thoughts. Most people dream of the sandy beach in Panama City Beach while others look forward to the ski slopes in Breckenridge. Whatever you decide to do, there is one thing that is universal: making sure you’re safe. Here are some tips that you should consider while planning the vacation everyone desperately needs.

 

1. Unfamiliar territory = stay in groups

The new friend that invited you to the Luke Bryan concert may end up being really cool, but going by yourself anywhere can lead to more trouble than good. Make sure that everyone going on the Spring Break trip has a partner that they are held accountable for to avoid the horror stories. It may seem a little “kindergartenish”, but you’ll be thankful when y’all make it back to school safely.

 

2. Have identification on you at all times.

This may seem like a given, but you’d be surprised at how many people go to the beach or the slopes without anything on them. Having identification is one of those things where in case of an emergency is super important. A purse or wallet may seem like a pain to carry around, but will be helpful in the long run.

 

3. HAVE FUN!

Spring Break is the time where you have a week to relax from the stress that is college. It’s also a time that you’ll remember when you don’t have those weeks off when we get into that thing called the real world. Make the most of it and allow yourself to create those memories.

 

Spring Break can be fun, but at the same time be safe. These tips are just a few of many that can be followed to have a relaxing and responsible vacation!

 

Kelly

Class of 2016 Council

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Hi Class of 2016!

This week, I wanted to let you know about an incredible opportunity to serve your Norman community through the Campus Activities Council’s official philanthropy, Soonerthon.

Over 2800 people register every year to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network at OU’s official Dance Marathon. Last year, the event raised thousands of dollars For The Kids. This year, the event is on March 8th from 10am-10pm. Speaking from my own background, Soonerthon is an amazing, life-changing experience. Not only do you get to dance around all day, you get to interact with and celebrate the lives of “Miracle Children.” These children are living with or have recovered from debilitating diseases and inspire us as we dance for them.

If you are have participated in Soonerthon in the past, you may be aware that most participants sign up in teams. Signing up as an individual can be intimidating, since these teams are usually large campus organizations or Greek houses. We in Class Councils have decided to change that this year by adding a team for each graduating class. You will be able to sign up with one or two friends, and still feel like you are a part of a team. This will allow you to meet and bond with members of your class, and raise money while doing it!

Even though you may be seeing this the week of March 8th, you still have time to sign up! Just go to helpmakemiracles.org, click on dance marathons, then choose OU’s Soonerthon. After that, just remember to join the Class of 2016 team. I hope to see you all bright and early on March 8th!

FTK!

Holly Loeffler

Class of 2016 Council

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Hey Class of 2016!

April 5th will mark the 14th year of an awesome OU tradition, The Big Event. Big Event is the largest day of community service for The University of Oklahoma. This event is a great way to give back to the community that has given so much to us.  It is a great opportunity to connect with fellow students and staff while serving a great cause.  You can sign up as an individual or you can sign up as a group. Groups can be as small as two people or be as large as 20 people.

Last year I volunteered with the Student Alumni Association at a park in Oklahoma City called Mesta Park.  At this jobsite we painted a gazebo and bench that had fallen victim of neighborhood hooligans with a knack for graffiti. We also mulched new trees and planted flowers.

Through this experience I interacted with other on-campus organizations, and people that I would not normally interact with, all while serving the community.  I had a great experience with Big Event, an organization that does so much good, and asks only for a small time commitment on a Saturday morning.

This year I am on the executive team of Big Event as the Social Media Expert.  Serving on exec, we volunteer every month at one of our many jobsites throughout the metro area, interacting with the people that are so appreciative of what Big Event does, and our mission.  All of the hard work that is put in behind the scenes throughout the year for this one day to come together is really incredible, and I think everybody needs to experience Big Event.

Applications are available at bigevent.ou.edu sign up today!

Evan Baldaccini

Class of 2016 Council

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Hello Class of 2016!

Today I am writing to you about study strategies and tips.  As a sophomore myself, I realize that studying while maintaining a social life is quite the task!  Here are a few simple tips that I have found personally helpful that you may like as well:

  • Plan your study times.  If you’re like me, studying will get placed on the back burner unless I plan a concrete time to do it each week.
  • When it’s time to study, find a comfortable place away from your friends and other distractions.  Everyone loves friends, but they make it hard to focus and lengthen the time it takes to study by a lot!  Some study spots on campus that I recommend are Gaylord Hall, the study rooms upstairs in Wagner, and of course the Biz (Bizzel Library).
  • Take notes while you are in class and while you are reading your textbook.  This makes for a lot less work when an exam comes around because you already know most of the important things from the chapter. It also keeps you from only memorizing definitions.
  • Lastly, when its study time, STUDY!  If you apply yourself and work hard for a few hours then you will have much more free time and feel better about your exams.

I hope that these tips find you well this spring semester.  Be encouraged, you are not alone in your struggle to achieve good study habits, balance school and social activities, have fun and love OU!

Aubrey Duncan, Class of 2016 Council

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As the Spring 2014 semester is beginning, everyone is coming in with high hopes and resolutions to do better this semester or do just as good as last semester.  Though as the semester goes on, some of the goals seem harder to reach. Stuff happen and then our stress levels rise which can then possibly damage our health.

Over my three semesters here at the University of Oklahoma, I have learned the right and wrong ways to tackle stress.  Here are a few pointers that will help you lead a semi stress free semester so you can meet all of your goals.

  1. The number one way to tackle stress is to get a good night’s rest
  • I’ve been guilty of pulling late night study sessions to cram for tests and study for hard classes, but studies have shown that you will retain more information when you are well rested instead of being energized by coffee or energy drinks. Sleep is good for you, and it will make you feel better, so don’t neglect it.
  1. Be Confident
  • Sometimes when your grades are hanging by a thread, it is hard to be confident, but confidence is another healthy energy source. So find something that makes you feel good, whether it’s an up beat song, bright shoes, or red lipstick for you ladies. If you walk into class feeling confident in yourself that you’ll meet your goals, you will be more alert and ready to learn.
  1. Get Help
  • In order to back up your confidence on your performance in class, don’t be afraid to get help from friends or tutors. The Student Learning Center provides UC Action Tutoring for walk – ins, small group appointments and online tutoring. These are usually held in Wagner and the Learning Center in Muldrow Tower of Adams. You may not think you need help in your classes, but it never hurt to be ahead or to get extra help. This way you don’t fall behind in your classes and you can meet the goals you have set for this semester.
  1. Take it stride by stride
  • When things start to pile up and you feel like every teacher got together and made everything due on the same week you can still tackle these high stress weeks by just taking everything one piece at a time. Make a list of what needs to be done and plan your time out accordingly. Be sure to give yourself breaks here and there for you to re-coop. Also, remember you can’t climb Mt. Everest in one day and you don’t have to get it six deadlines done in one day either.

With these four tips, you can lower your stress level and meet your goals and maybe even exceed the goals you have set for yourself. With just a little sleep, confidence, a little extra help, and taking things stride by stride you can work your way to stress free success.

Best Always,

Tiffany Stuart

University of Oklahoma ‘16

Class of 2016 Council Events Committee

The Spring 2014 semester has officially started and I couldn’t help but start to notice that things were changing. Then I realized that it is my fourth semester at the best university in the nation.  How could it possibly be my fourth semester in Norman?  Time sure does fly when you are having fun; it seems like just yesterday I was moving into Couch tower, getting lost in Norman, and exploring this wonderful campus I now call home.

Now that we as Sophomores are starting to figure out our majors and have scattered around campus based on our individual interests, I am starting to miss the days that we all took the same classes together in Dale Hall or all walked to class together on the South Oval.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t miss being surrounded by five hundred of my peers listening to a lecture I’m not interested in, but what happened to seeing familiar faces in class?  I walk into my upper division classes now without setting foot on the South Oval and I recognize maybe two or three faces in the room.

We are no longer freshmen, and we have all come a long way since last year.  I congratulate each and every member of the class of 2016 for making it this far; we are almost half way there!  As we continue through the next two and a half years (or so) remember that we are the class of 2016 and that will remain with us far beyond graduation, giving us an eternal connection to the one and only University of Oklahoma.

Your Class of 2016 Council Secretary,

Sam Pusar

Four-hundred-twenty miles away, I made the decision my senior year to leave the comfy suburbs of Cypress, Texas for Oklahoma. It wasn’t made lightly, but as soon as I fell in love with the campus and Norman, I knew it was the right choice. Most of my friends stayed within their comfort zone and went to other schools (one might include the color orange) in Texas that made it easy to go home whenever they pleased. The realization didn’t hit me that I wouldn’t be able to do the same until I sat in my dorm room on a grueling, hot August day and my parents were saying, ”See you in six weeks.”

I’m the type of person who likes to be surrounded by people the majority of the time and be involved in organizations that ultimately help people. I wasted no time being homesick and went straight forward in the process to getting what I desired. Joining my sorority was the first step and to this day, I believe it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made in my college career. The second best choice I made was joining Class Council. These people are friends that I get to see every Monday and talk about how the past week has gone while planning events to make the best school in the entire world better. I met my “twin”, who has become one of my greatest friends. I met my sorority little, which created our bond and made us big/little. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t decided on that grueling, hot day in August while in my dorm, to not let the fact that I was far from home keep me from being the best version of myself.

As the year continues, I advise everyone to get out there and find the organization that makes them feel like they’re at home and the people that make it worth their while.

Boomer!

Kelly Davis

Hey, Sophomores!

Sophomores-wow. We’re really getting old. But I think we can all admit that we’re glad we survived freshmen year. Living in the dorms was a great experience but personally, I think I prefer the apartment life. You get more independence, more privacy, and a bigger living space. But there is a small drawback- you’re much farther away from campus than you used to be. When you think about it, that extra mile-ish isn’t that far physically. What separates you from what your life was like when you lived on campus last year are the little things you may miss out on because you’re more disconnected  and  less informed. When you don’t live next to your RA and hundreds of other people who seem to know what’s going on, you don’t have daily reminders of events happeing around campus.  If you miss out on these events, you might start to forget how fun OU can be outside of your classes.

So how do you stay connected to campus?

Well that’s where I come in! Here are some tips for you to stay informed of all of the fantastic things going on at OU:

  1. Read the OU Daily- It’s free! The student newspaper is available in almost every classroom building plus the student union. It’s a pretty fast read- and a nice distraction from homework. The calendar of events they publish on the second page every day is especially helpful in planning out your week or weekend.
  2. READ emails- I know all of you get the mass emails that organizations send out to the entire world hoping that at least some people will show up to their event. And I also know that a lot of the time the emails you get don’t interest you at all and when you see OUMM in the subject line you automatically hit the delete button. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read them!! There’s always a chance that what you read could interest you and lead to new opportunities.
  3. Read the sidewalk (but be careful)- The sidewalk can be a great source of news! And the people who chalk work hard to get their news to you. Don’t forget to look out for bikes though!
  4. Follow organizations on Facebook/Twitter- The Class of 2016, Campus Activities Council and Union Programming Board pages are a great place to start!

Boomer Sooner,

Holly Loeffler

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