Mar
5
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
Feb
27
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
Feb
26
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
Jan
23
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Jan
23
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
Jan
23
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
Jan
23
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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
Jan
23
Hi, my name is Courtney Chapman and I am the Public Relations Director for the Class of 2016 Council. During my freshman year, a friend of mine and I went to a career fair in Oklahoma City just to see what we were getting ourselves into with this whole college thing. We wanted to know what we could do when we left the University of Oklahoma to be successful in the workforce. I talked to many companies, and because I was a freshman I didn’t think I would get anything out of attending. I thought I was just coming with a friend to see what types of companies would hire Sooners.
I talked to the OU Athletic department at their booth at the career fair. They talked about internships, but again I was a freshman and an internship was the last thing on my mind. I thought internships were for juniors and seniors that wanted to be hired by these companies right after they completed their internships. Little did I know, the more internships you acquire during your college years, the more real life experience you have in a certain field that interests you. Athletics interested me.
A couple days later, I got an e-mail from the gentleman I talked to at the career fair, offering me an internship with the marketing department of OU Athletics. I was beyond excited and accepted the offer right away. I had an official interview a few weeks later, and I started my internship this fall during football season.
I attend office hours Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9AM to noon. During these office hours, I scan in paperwork, create spreadsheets for Sooner Rewards, file paperwork, mail autographed footballs and basketballs, organize apparel, advertise upcoming games and events on the South Oval, among many other things.
For football game days, I work an event called Fan Fest. Fan Fest is a large tailgate in the parking lot just in front of Sarkeys and next to McCasland Field House. I work in a trailer giving away free merchandise. We give out football, basketball, baseball, gymnastics, soccer, wrestling and spirit posters. We also give out cozies, schedules and much more. Our main goal is to get as many people to sign up for Sooner Rewards as possible. Sooner Rewards is a website that emails out a lot of cool promotions having to do with the athletics program. If you sign in at each Sooner Rewards hotspot, you gain points. These points accumulate and you win many items, from gift cards all the way to trips to the upcoming bowl game. Hotspots are found at many events around campus, especially games, meets and matches.
This internship has taught me so much about myself, and it has brought out many qualities I never knew I had. It has taught me a great deal about time management. I work my office hours until noon and I work another job from 1PM to 6PM Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I have class all day Tuesdays and Thursdays. I work games on Saturdays. I have to manage my free time wisely, which I do not have much of. I have to use that time to study and make sure I am caught up with all my schoolwork. I also have to make sure I am on time to each event I am scheduled to go to and make sure I am in the correct location at the right time. This internship has also taught me responsibility. Each day when I go into my office hours I have a list of things to do. I complete these tasks eagerly and quickly, and sometimes surprise the people I intern for at the quick pace of the completion of my tasks. I always make sure I get everything done on time and correctly. I have discovered how much I can be independent with this internship. A lot of the time I don’t get direction when asked to do something. I have to figure a lot of things out on my own, and I have learned that asking how to do simple tasks is very unnecessary.
It is never too early to start getting real life experience in the workforce. I discovered so many qualities I never thought I had in just a couple short months of working for the marketing department of OU Athletics. I highly recommend getting an internship if given the opportunity no matter what your grade classification is.
Your 2016 Public Relations Chair,
Courtney Chapman
Jan
23
As we continue into our sophomore year, we quickly realize that classes are much different than our freshmen year. Many of us are getting deeper into classes that relate to our major. Some of us didn’t need any extra help with our freshmen year classes, but are now realizing we need to seek some extra help. If that’s you, maybe it’s time to look into the free academic resources the University offers. The Student Learning Center offers “Action Tutoring” sessions in over 75 different courses. There are sessions for all different majors! The schedule of session times is online at uc.ou.edu/action. Sometimes, the tutor is actually your professor, another professor for the course, or a student that performed well in the course and is now a certified tutor. A common misconception is that you have to stay the entirety of the tutoring session. That is not true! People come late, leave early, or stay the entire time. It all depends on how many questions you have and how much help you desire. I have found Action Tutoring to be a great way to meet other people in my classes and develop study groups. Another service of the Student Learning center is “Action Appointments.” Action Appointments are free one-on-one tutoring sessions with a certified tutor from your area of study. The appointment can take place in person, or online. For both formats, the tutors are very helpful and you are receiving individual attention. To schedule an action appointment, visit uc.ou.edu/action and click on “Action Appointments.” Be aware, appointments are usually scheduled at least a week in advance. For more information on academic services from the Student Learning center, contact 405-325-7621 or studentlearning@ou.edu.
Best of luck Class of 2016, we’re almost half-way done!
Your Class of 2016 Vice Chair,
Avery Frix
Jan
23
You see the shirts all around campus, you hear that Retro Night is better than prom, but what exactly is Camp Crimson? Camp Crimson is OU’s unique way of welcoming those students who are new to campus. I have had the privilege of attending camp twice, once as a camper and once as a small group leader. As a camper you experience the spirit tunnel when you arrive, learn about all of OU’s traditions, and have a blast as you make life-long friendships. It is a one-of-a-kind experience, but what I really want to talk to you about being a small group leader (SGL).
In a word: WOW. The excitement and anticipation amongst the camp staff and SGLs is tangible during the first few days of preparation. When campers arrive, however, the excitement literally explodes. It is a feeling that is uniquely Camp Crimson and a level of Sooner pride is reached that is hard to top. As an SGL you get the opportunity to lead a group of new students through their first experiences at OU and make them rock. You are a camper’s first impression of this great university. This is both an honor and a huge responsibility. Nevertheless, it is an opportunity that should not be passed up!
I am writing this to encourage you to APPLY for a Camp staff or a small group leader position during your time at OU. There is no better way to fall in love with this campus and the people who attend it alongside you. People always tell me, “I’m not outgoing enough”. Well, I am here to tell you that I felt the same way! I decided to apply anyway because the staff side of camp was something that I really wanted to try. As it turned out, camp is only effective when there are all types of people involved in it. If you are a little shy, APPLY ANYWAY! It will be a decision that you will not soon regret. Get out there, get involved, and love with your campus!
Boomer,
Aubrey Duncan
