In honor of the dance....

In honor of the UAA Homecoming Dance and all the fun times, I would like to share a little poem by William Butler Yeats. 

Sweet Dancer

The girl goes dancing there

On the leaf-sown, new-mown, smooth

Grass plot of the garden;

Escaped from bitter youth,

Escaped out of her crowd,

Or out of her black cloud.

Ah, dancer, ah, sweet dancer!

If strange men come from the house

To lead her away, do not say

That she is happy being crazy;

Lead them gently astray;

Let her finish her dance,

Let her finish her dance.

Ah, dancer, ah, sweet dancer!

Where in the world is your barista?

Remember me telling you about that surprise, well... 

S-U-R-P-I-S-E!  I moved back to the Student Union! 

I will be running the shop from 7:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. everyday and I can not wait to see your smiling faces. It's going to be great to see all the familiar faces  along with new ones.

This week our specials have a theme:  In the Summer. 

• Tuesday is Jungle Mocha
• Wednesday is Mango smoothie
• Thursday is Beach Day White Chocolate Mocha 
• Friday is Summer Slice Italian Soda

I will still be running all kinds of specials and even have a few surprises up my sleeve.
 

I hope you had a blast at Homecoming because I know I did, dancing the night away with all my friends. 

The Kendall is this Friday and Saturday and I am so excited. I have been helping put the whole thing together and boy, do we have a show for you!  Make sure to stop by the Student VIP for some free food and prizes.
 

Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes, it sure was a great one.
 

Until next time,
Christina

Talking up Homecoming Week on KLEF

It's not everyday you get invited onto the radio to talk about your work. But Jess Durdahl was invited by KLEF radio's Rick Goodfellow to come and talk about UAA Homecoming 2011 at 7 a.m. !!! on Sept. 28. Here's her report:

How long was the interview?   My portion of the interview lasted around 10 minutes.

What did you talk about? I was the first person to go so I mainly gave an overview of Homecoming week and focused on a new event, the Homecoming Shopping Cart Parade, and a service event -- the Homecoming Blood Drive.

How did Rick react to the Homecoming events – what was he most interested in? Rick was a strong supporter of both UAA and the various Homecoming events we have going on. He seemed very interested that UAA had events for Homecoming that lasted over a week and that there was something for everyone!

Was this a call in?  No.

Were you nervous? No, it was my first on-air radio experience,  but I had a lot of fun with it.

Did you bring students with you? Yes, we had Mallory Wetherington with the Campus Programming Board and Devon with Student Activities.

How did it feel being on the radio? It was a neat experience and made me want to try my hand in radio in the future.

Have you done a lot of this before? With the nature of my job/personality I have done a lot of public speaking, but have not done any on-air interviews in the past.
 
Was Rick good at putting you at ease? Rick was great! He had a genuine appreciation for UAA and loved helping us get the word out about Homecoming and the rest of campus.
 

Tonight's the night: UAA Homecoming Dance

Hello Seawolves Nation,

Tonight is the Homecoming Dance at the Dena'ina Center from 8 p.m.-midnight. There will be shuttle transportation available starting at 7:30 p.m. with pickups every 15 minutes at the Commons and Campus Bookstore.

If you haven’t purchase your tickets yet I would highly encourage you do so now. Students can either purchase their ticket now at the Student Union Information Desk or at the dance. Please remember to bring your UAA ID with you to the dance.

I would like to remind everyone that a UAA student can sponsor one non-student to the dance, but they must be 18 and over. See you all tonight!!

Victory for Seawolf Volleyball Thursday night

I told you to go to the game, and if you did, you know the NEWS. The Seawolves knocked off 15th-ranked Seattle Pacific in four sets Thursday night to move into a first-place tie in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Way to go!

How sweet it is.....

I was soooooo proud. What a way to kick off Homecoming 2011 at UAA. Read the account of their win over at goseawolves.com, and share the moment. Ahhhhhh, yes!

Oh, and here's the Anchorage Daily News write up of the game. Sports writer Beth Bragg wrote that "the UAA volleyball team displayed a smothering, in-your-face block and a balanced, sometimes spectacular attack." Oh, yeah!

The Seawolves take up with the Montana State-Billings at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 in the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. Go see 'em do it, again! Pre-game details here.

Shopping Cart Parade details, and remember, sign up by today

So where did the Shopping Cart Parade idea come from? We asked Jessica Dyrdahl, working in Student Clubs and Greek Life. She's organizing it and has the background. 

The shopping cart idea came from members of the Homecoming committee and we ran with the idea. I believe one of the committee members had heard about a similar parade at another college campus.

How are sign-ups going? 

Colin Buness of SU and Student  Commuters.

Sign-ups are coming in steadily. We are looking to have every cart decorated though,  so we're still encouraging others to sign-up!

So who are some of the groups that have taken the plunge and secured their shopping carts? 

Here are some examples of people that have signed up:

• New Student Orientation/Wolf Pack
• Student Activities
• West Hall
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon
• UAA Campus Bookstore

Who else from your area is working on Homecoming events?

For the BBQ, Greek Council is sponsoring the one on Wednesday. Clubs are getting ready by planning various events and attending Homecoming programs.

It's officially --- Homecoming!

Hello UAA Colleagues,

As you may know, today kicks off the start of UAA’s Homecoming Week! We have a lot of exciting events and programs going on throughout the week, and encourage you to check out the full list of events here: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/homecoming/.

I wanted to highlight a new event for this year, the Homecoming Shopping Cart Parade! We encourage clubs, student organizations, departments and general students to sign up to participate in this year's parade. If your department, colleagues, and or/students would like to decorate a cart and be in the parade, sign up here: http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/clubs/homecoming-shopping-cart-parade.cfm. It is a great way to advertise to the UAA community AND a great way to show school spirit! 

We really appreciate your support for Homecoming and helping spread the word to students about the various events. Go Seawolves!!!!

Seawolf Volleyball, 7 p.m. tonight against Seattle Pacific

Yes, I am supposed to write about free food at Homecoming, but I can't miss the chance to let you the Volleyball team is in TOWN, and you can actually see them match up against Seattle Pacific tonight at 7 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Sports Complex.

Siobhan Johansen, Miranda Doing say, "Oh no you don't!"

Read the pre-game details here, and do some well-informed rooting and cheering. This game is the official launch of Homecoming, and means the team gets to be in town for the Homecoming Dance. Check out that chocolate fountain!

Good luck, Seawolves!

And so, Shakespeare said....

As I take a lengthy sip of water from my brand new, super slick Homecoming 2011 cup, I can't help but reminisce on all of the crazy happenings that will culminate (for me, anyways) in the Viva la Poem Community Reading on Monday.


There was coordinating a location, date, and time (errhmm Student Union, Oct 3, 6-8 p.m.). Thankfully the Student Union threw us a bone, and a tasty bone it was. There was designing, printing, and posting the advertisement. For somebody who is pretty new to Photoshop, that's a good bit of work.

Angry Shakespeare

Oh, and there was this other time when (oh man, this is rich) Shakespeare rose from the grave, called me up, and was pretty darn upset that I didn't send him a personal invitation. He had some choice words, let me tell you.


Well, I won't tell you. But only to spare you the indecency.


Anyways. I have an essay to start on and something like 150 pages to read.


Viva la Poem

What you get when you wear Green & Gold

So the whole concept next week can be summed up in five words:

Wear your Green & Gold.

Since it's new, it's also clean!

Do that, and you will be richly rewarded. Pictured here is the fabulous 2011 UAA Homecoming T-shirt, AND the drinking cup that lets you score free drip coffee all over campus, all during Homecoming Week.  

All you have to do is get caught, wearing your Green & Gold. Easy.

A little Homecoming hockey madness

Video Guy Chris Hargrave, in UAA Advancement, has been working up a project with the Seawolf Hockey team. We won't tell you what it is. That's a secret. 

But we can't wait to share some of the fun.  This puts you on the ice, in a hockey mask.

Just a taste of the fun to come.

Galloping coffee cups

We want coffee!

National Coffee Day must mean something to coffee drinkers. Cuddy Hall barista Christina texted over this photo of the cup line up at 11:20 a.m. this morning, each cup representing someone waiting for that fresh taste of caffeine. "We get kinda busy," she said between pulls.

Some stuff about Field Day that you don't know yet!

Hello Everybody!

Homecoming is coming up quick! And we've got lots planned for your fun and amusement. I'm organizing Field Day on Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Weather permitting, we'll be out on the grass in front of the Wells Fargo Sports Complex. We have room for a few more contestants and players for our amazing Field Day games.

Here's some of what you can do on Field Day:

• Play around in an inflatable obstacle course
• Sign your hoops-playing friends up for a 3-on-3 basketball tournament,
• Try your hand, er.... feet, in the 2-foot high kick
• Get in on some good old-fashioned Four Square (the best of Fourth Grade, revisited).

 So if your interested, then please come over to the Student Union and sign up. And if you're more of a spectator, then be sure to come around on Wednesday, Oct. 5 anywhere between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Watch the fun, and get a free bite to eat!

See you at Field Day. --- Doug

The Barista is back, and it's National Coffee Day -- who knew?

Welcome back readers!

I  have to say that I really enjoyed blogging for the back-to-campus blog, Great Beginnings,  and getting your feedback. We have done a lot since then and are excited to get things rolling.

TODAY, Sept. 29, is National Coffee Day, so stop by your favorite coffee shop to get a special surprise!

Since our last blog,  I have created a Facebook page, not only for all the coffee shops, but for a lot of other projects that my company is handling on campus. Like our page "UAA Seawolf Dining and Catering" to see what kinds of deals you can get.

Homecoming is going to be amazing this year! I am currently working on some specials that will be announced soon, so look for my next blog. If you read Mallory's post, you know that you can get free drip coffee all over campus starting on Monday, Oct., 3, if you are lucky enough to score one of the cool Homecoming cups. You gotta wear your Green & Gold to succeed!

Our new coffee shop at the Health Sciences Building (HSB) is open now and we are all super excited about that. The grand opening will be next week and we have prizes and specials at that location.

I sure hope there are some hockey fans out there cause I know that I can not wait for the Kendall. First game we are playing Clarkson and the second night we will be playing St. Cloud,  which should be an amazing game.

On Friday, Oct. 7,  we will be starting our hockey and coffee promotions. Wear green and gold to show your school spirit and get 10 percent off of your drink at Cuddy Coffee House, Union Station or Fireside. Then on Monday bring your ticket stub in and get 10 percent off again! This special will be running the entire hockey season. GO SEAWOLVES!

Keep checking the blog and our Facebook for some great surprises coming in the next few days. There will also be a big surprise happening Tuesday and I can not wait to share it with you. 

Until next time

--- Christina :)

UAA Alumni Association is ready for Green & Gold Gala No. 2

My name is Kristi Davis and I'm the events chair for the UAA Alumni Association.

We are so excited for the 2nd Annual Green and Gold Gala this Saturday, Oct. 1 at The Hotel Captain Cook. We are sold out of tickets this year and hope to raise a record amount for scholarships for deserving UAA students! If you don't have a ticket for this year, stay tuned for details about next year!

The Gala recognizes UAA Alumni of Distinction, and this year we will be honoring three. Read about their accomplishments here.

Find a recap of last year's event at the UAA Alumni Association website. We were able to raise almost $30,000 for student scholarships! Find a slideshow here.  Yes, we had FUN!

See you Saturday night at the Gala!

Student Clubs and Greek Life bring a new Homecoming event: the Shopping Cart Parade

Doll house on wheels?

My name is Jessica Dyrdahl and I am the Leadership Coordinator for Student Clubs and Greek Life. I am really excited about Homecoming Week!

We're working on a NEW event for this year’s line-up. For the first time in the history of UAA, we are holding a Homecoming Shopping Cart Parade! It'll happen on  Thursday, Oct. 6 @ 2:15 p.m. throughout The Spine.

If your group or department wants to get in on the fun, sign up for a cart here. There are only 40 of them, and once they're spoken for....

Preview at Campus Kick-Off

At Kick-Off this year, we got a sneak preview of just what a Shopping Cart Parade might look like. Chaz Hart, all decked out in Green & Gold, strolled the Cuddy Quad with an unusual .... decorated shopping cart!

We will be decorating the carts the week of Oct. 3, and the top 10 carts will get to show off their designs at the Kendall Classic Hockey Game.

Deadline for registration is Friday, Sept. 30.  Please call the Student Clubs and Greek Life Office at (907) 786-1385 or e-mail aygetinvolved@uaa.alaska.edu for additional information.

Scene from a shopping cart parade

Need inspiration? Check out this You Tube video of a shopping cart parade, and here's a couple of snapshots of what others have done to gussy up their shopping carts.

So go get your Green & Gold on, and figure out what your shopping cart will be!

USUAA: Homecoming Dance Details

Amber Wilkerson of USUAA Public Relations just sent over the press release for the UAA Homecoming Dance. at the Dena'ina Center in downtown Anchorage on Friday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m. to Midnight.

Important details you might need:

Price

$5 for students

$15 for Faculty, Staff and Alumni

Students -- bring a valid ID

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased at the door, cash only, at the Student Union Information Desk, or online at www.uaatix.com.

Shuttles

Students needing a ride or not wanting to deal with down-town traffic, shuttles will run from UAA to the Dena’ina Center. The shuttle pick-up/drop-off locations on-campus will be at the Campus Bookstore and the Commons. The shuttle will be running from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., with pick-ups every 15 minutes.

Fun

There will be plenty of good music and dancing! Music will be provided by Five Star Entertainment. 

Food

Food and refreshments will be available, including a chocolate and caramel fountain. Fresh fruits, marshmallows, pretzels, and more will also be offered for your dipping pleasures. Water and lemonade will be provided as well. 

 

Need More Info?

Visit www.uaa.alaska.edu/unionofstudents/  or contact USUAA Sen. Robert Tran at (907) 632-4919 or roberttran23@hotmail.com.  

Did somebody mention the word FREE?

Campus Programming Board is getting ready for all the FREE STUFF for Homecoming week. Make sure that you are ready for all the FREE FOOD events, starting at 8 a.m. Monday morning.

Good Morning Seawolves (aka FREE breakfast!) will be located in various locations across campus and on satellite campuses throughout the week. Good Morning Seawolves events are sponsored by different groups and departments here on campus where there will be LOTS of FREE FOOD and other FREE ITEMS.

UAA Homecoming Free Food page

On behalf of the Dean of Students office, we will have FREE DRIP COFFEE anywhere on campus.

Campus Programming Board and the Homecoming Committee ordered more than 600 shirts to give away FREE. Get your FREE Homecoming T-shirt, FREE Reusable Travel Mug, FREE FOOD and more!!!

That’s not all. There is FREE lunch at various locations on campus each day, whether a traditional BBQ, or traditional Chinese food, or healthy dining, there is something for everyone.

Also, make sure you get caught wearing you Green and Gold next week! Campus Programming Board will be giving about 100 FREE MEAL VOUCHERS each day to those showing school spirit or wearing green and gold.

www.twitter.com/uaafreefood

That's a lot of FREE STUFF to keep track of. Visit the FREE FOOD page on the UAA Homecoming website, "Like" the UAA Homecoming Facebook page, and follow the UAAfreefood Twitter account.

We guarantee you will not go hungry during Homecoming! All you have to do is wear your Green & Gold.

UAA's Homecoming Dance Friday will have a surprise

I’m Robert Tran, a grad student in the MBA program. I’ve been involved with USUAA student government for the last three years and one of the things I’m currently working on as a member of student government is planning the Homecoming Dance, which is happening this Friday at the Dena'ina Center. 

This is the first time since 2009 that we are bringing the dance back to the Dena'ina Center. Tickets are currently on sale at the Student Union Information Desk. I highly encourage you to go purchase your tickets now if you haven’t done so.

You should all go to the dance because I’ve added something special to the dance that hasn’t been done in previous Homecoming Dances. You will just have to come to the dance and find out what it is.

PS: Don't miss UAA Homecoming on Facebook, where Robert just answered this important question:

Seawolf VB kicks off Homecoming with Thursday match against Seattle Pacific

Hey Everyone!

Going into our 8th week of season already! Time really flies when you’re on the go 24/7! We started off the conference on the 8th with a home game against Western Oregon. As I’m sure you all have heard that game did not go as planned; falling to them in 5 games. Thankfully, we have been able to redeem ourselves since then with 4 straight wins against St. Martins, Fairbanks, Simon Frasier, and Western Washington.

Western Washington was a great win for us on Saturday and it was exactly what we needed to boost our spirits for this Thursday’s game against Seattle Pacific University. We’ve had a few bumps and bruises along the way with injuries and a few losses, but I think it has really brought us together as a team and helped us to become stronger.  With the season coming to its halfway point, we are feeling great and excited for what is to come! Not to mention my teammates and I are pumped to be home for the Homecoming Dance this Friday night as well as many other Homecoming activities!

Hope to see you at Thursday night’s game (and Saturday's, too) and don’t forget:  It’s a great day to be a Seawolf!

Got poems?

As way of introduction: I'm Joe Selmont, a junior/senior in the English literature program, a hater of sentimentality (with an occasional soft spot for some gush), and a huge poetry nerd.

Maybe y'all have seen the flyers for Viva la Poem. That's my contribution to this wonderful week of Homecoming. I like to think of myself as an advocate for poetry culture on campus, and this is one of the ways to let that culture thrive.

 
With the dance kicking off Homecoming this Friday, there's been a ton of work to do. I'm constantly Facebook-promoting, yelling at my friends to spread the word, plastering posters all over downtown, emailing interested poem-folks, and running in smaller and smaller circles. I haven't gone full blown crazy yet, but by George I'm trying.

Allow me a moment of shameless promotion: COME TO THIS EVENT! I'll shake your hand and pour you a cup of coffee. In exchange for that, you can get on our homely stage and read some poetry. Your poem, your friend's poem, T.S. Eliot or Missy Elliot's poem -- it doesn't matter. Come share with us a poem that means something to you. Poetry is just a pretty way to communicate, so come chat with us. I'll look for your face.

Homecoming is here!

These activities and more make Homecoming 2011 a great opportunity to connect with UAA. Come on down!

• Welcome to our latest crowd-sourced blog, giving you details on UAA Homecoming 2011 so you have easy ways to connect up with the fun.  

• Note our list of useful links to the upper right. Anything we need to add, just let us know

• And thanks in advance to our gifted bloggers who will give you the details of how to get involved, and share the fun that happens when you do.  Find their names right beneath the links in the right hand column. If you would like to post to this blog, please contact kmccoy5@uaa.alaska.edu.