A Sneak-Peek Inside the New Student Union

As a senator for Parkside Student Government Association, (PSGA), there are a lot of responsibilities that fill my week and make me extra busy. Our meetings are weekly, in Molinaro 137, Fridays at noon. General business includes reports from our staff of directors, and different resolutions and issues that are brought to the floor by senators.

We have a director for everything from Multicultural and Women’s Issues, to University and Legislative Affairs. These folks put together programs to raise awareness of different issues facing the student body, to lobby politicians with student concerns, and to help change university policy so that it fits and meets every student’s need.



A senator generally serves two office hours a week, works on resolutions, and sits on different faculty committees. This week I sat in on the Academic Policies Committee, and helped share a student’s perspective into the new second-language policy change. Trust me, it wasn’t the most exciting meeting, but it is a great learning experience and will definitely translate into the professional world after my graduation.

I also am a voting member of the Segregated University Fees Allocation Committee, (SUFAC), which is the committee that allocates funding to not only student clubs and organizations, but to departments like the Sports and Activities Center and Athletics, the Child Care Center, Student Activities and the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, etc! This will be my third year on the committee, and it has really helped me develop a broad understanding of all the ins-and-outs of the university.

SUFAC and PSGA are responsible for the funding of the new Union construction. If you’re at UW-P, or you’ve been to UW-P within the last year, you probably couldn’t help but notice all of the construction. When I came in, as a freshmen, PSGA had already decided to begin ramping up student seg. fees in order to fund this construction, and it is expected to be open in 2009.

In the meantime, the popular student hangout, known as the Den, and the cinema have been shut down. The arcade games and pool tables have been put in Whyllie Hall until everything opens up. SUFAC got to tour the construction this week, as you can probably tell by the pictures. (Aren’t the hard hats cute?)

It was so cool to see the huge changes that were already in place. We got to see where the ballroom, the radio station, and the grand staircase are going to be. The New Den looks like it will be so cool, even if we no longer have bowling lanes, (they were too expensive). Even though I will have graduated by the time the Union opens, I am still excited. It will be loved by generations to come, and I’m sure my generation will be coming back to visit all the time!

College: Where Tradition becomes Non-Traditional

While working in advising, I have had a lot of students call who are worried about coming to college. It is not that they are intimidated 18 year-olds, they are coming back to school after taking some time off. They are worried that they won’t be able to cut it, that it’s been years since they’ve taken a math class. I ask them what they’ve been doing since high school. Whether it’s work or family, if you can handle doing either you’ve got the time management skills to balance a class schedule!

I only took a year off after high school, but during that year I learned valuable life lessons. I developed responsibility in paying my rent and bills, and established a hardworking mentality. I worked double shifts as a CNA and quickly learned the importance of an education. When I came to UW-Parkside, I was eager to learn and grow. I had respect for my professors and a respect for my education. Even though it is fairly common for students to take a year, or so, off before heading off to college, those students are still considered “non-traditional.”

As a non-traditional student, I won’t lie, I did find math very difficult. I had not had a math class for three years, and it hadn’t been my strongest subject to begin with. I was more than rusty; I was terrible! I had also never really had to study math very hard to pass in high school, and then I was content to struggle by with C’s. College was different. Now I care about my GPA, and understand the importance of good grades. I am finally finished with my math requirement at UW-Parkside, but it was not easy. It took a lot of studying and many visits to the tutoring center. I couldn’t have done it without Isaac, (who was the tutor I would most often turn to). The best part? The UW-Parkside tutoring center is totally free! (Amazing, right?)

I have enjoyed making friends in Parkside Adult Student Alliance, which is a student organization for non-trads like myself. I have really embraced my status as non-traditional student, so much so that I added another non-trad element to my lifestyle this year and got married! I had met Nicholas while working on The Ranger News, (UW-Parkside’s student newspaper), three years ago and have been dating for the past two years. It is challenging balancing school and work, let alone a husband and two kitty-babies, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

And I Thought College was Scary Before...

I woke up Wednesday morning like any other morning ... with lots of coffee! Soon, however, I realized that it was not any average day of the week: it was Halloween! Instead of putting on the same boring old jeans, I got to open my closet and find something funky!

I didn't really have time to go to any costume parties this year, (why do schools celebrate holidays with semester exams?), so I hadn't masterminded any interesting persona. I took the easy way out, grabbed the funkiest dress I could find, and called myself a hippy.

The first thing I saw, after grabbing a Bacon Ranger from Whyllie Market, was this guy that looked like the puppet from the Saw movies, (can't wait to see #4!), and man, that was kind of creepy! He was ridding a little tricycle and everything! I made him stop and take my first Halloween picture of the day!

Throughout the day, while walking to class, I saw so many creative costumes. There were witches, (like my friend Stacy), Salor Moons, and a couple of former presidents roaming the halls. I saw V, from V for Vendetta, but I was so star-struck I forgot to get a picture.

I have no idea who the guys in the masks were, but the guy in the dinner jacket is a friend of mine from PAW (Parkside Association of Wargamers). He looks happy now, but you should see him after I beat him in Smash Brothers! (Oh ... slam!) There were people dressed up in class, but I didn't see any teachers getting in on the action.

Even so, there was an energy in the classroom that reminded me of high school. Usually, everyone is content to sit patiently and eager to learn. Even though we're too old for trick-or-treating, we still couldn't wait to get out of class and enjoy this holiday.