And the count down begins..

With only 8 days of classes left there are only a few things on everyone’s mind: Spring Carnival, finals, and SUMMER! So I am going to dedicate my lovely, weekly blog to those three fabulous topics.

What is Spring Carnival?!
It is the highlight of Spring Semeter and it marks the end of another completed year of college! There are a lot of activities that start today and go until next Tuesday, the Wiz Khalifa concert. To get a list of all of the Spring Carnival events, check out this link: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=165626790157203&index=1. It has all the essentials that you need to know.

But on a more serious note, Spring Carnival is known to be the biggest party on college campuses. So be smart about what actions you take this weekend. Remember that you are not allowed to have alcohol in your room in the Resident Halls unless you are 21 years old. And that there is to be no drugs in the Resident Halls either. There will be extra security in each of the Resident Halls starting on Thursday, they are there to make sure everyone is safe through the weekend. If you have any questions on these rules please speak with your Resident Advisor. The RAs would have no problem explaining the rules, in more detail, to you.

Finals. Finals. Finals.
As all of you know, finals are approaching fast and it’s time to start studying. If you don’t know your final schedule yet, you can log into ISIS and there is a Quick Link (the Student Center page) to your exam schedule. Make sure you go to all of your classes following up to finals because your professor’s will be giving you information that will be helpful on the exam and they might even tell you information that you don’t need to study (which saves you a lot of time!).

SUMMER!!!!!
Summer is so close it’s hard to stay focused in class and when you are studying. But do your best because before you know it, you will be at the beach getting a tan. Look though the old blogs that we have posted for some extra study tips.

Good luck in your last few days of classes!!
-Meg (:

Getting to knoooow me! Getting to know all about me!

Hi Everyone! For those of you who don’t know who I am, my name is Daisy. I am a senior Music Education major. TECHNICALLY I am from Foxborough, MA but I have lived in Brooklynn, New York; Bergenfield, NJ; and I was born in Lagos Nigeria. Yeah, I never really stay in one place for too long. In fact, after living in Massachusetts for a while I kind of want to go either back to New York or move to London. I LOVE the English. I can’t even explain to you how much I love British people. I think they are so cool. <3 That might be why I love Harry Potter so much.
Now let’s talk a bit about how obsessed I am with Harry Potter. I was awarded the most likely to transfer to Hogwarts award my first year as an Orientation Leader. And then I convinced my entire floor to do a Harry Potter theme during my second year as an OL. I. Love. Harry. Potter. I am what is called a Potterphile. Don’t judge, it’s a serious condition. I am still convinced that I was supposed to get a Hogwarts letter and the owl got lost or my mom is hiding it from me. Yeah. I sound crazy. Whatev. You can all deal with it. I make it a point to quote HP and Mean Girls every day and not see a problem with it.

I also love music, though. I am a cellist. I should say classical, but if I had a choice I would be playing more pop/hip hop. I think exploring the instrument to its fullest potential is the greatest thing you can do. I spend my Tuesdays and Thursdays teaching a group of kids how to do that very thing and I’ve been doing so for four years now. The kids are great. They drive me crazy sometimes, but I love their enthusiasm. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my days. It was great to come to UMass Lowell and get to have that experience. Not a lot of people can claim that same thing.
http://wimp.com/takingcello/ Check this guy out! He’s like…amazing and I am absoLUTELY jealous.
Here are a few facts about me. ENJOY.
Daisy’s List of Faves
Favorite Food:  Chinese food. Either General Gau’s or Sesame Chicken. Omnomnom
Favorite Movie: Good question. I like a lot of movies and I have a huge collection of it. Queen of the Damned is kind of top of my list right now. And then there’s Mean Girls. Who DOESN’T love that movie?
Favorite Song: At the moment it’s “My Manic and I” by Laura Marling. It speaks to my soul. Either that or any song on Panic! At the Disco’s new cd or Mumford and Son’s. I love music, just saying.
Favorite Season: Fall. Hands down. No discussion. Not too hot, not too cold, no pollen allergies. JUST SAYIN.
Favorite thing to do in my spare time: Read. Do some surfin on the interwebz.
Favorite Store: Target. Like…it has EVERYTHING.

Favorite Colour:  Red.
Favorite Persons:  My best friend Rachel Rice. Quickly followed by my  good friend William. Without these two, I don’t even know HOW I would stay sane.  (Even though they both drive me insane at the same time.) Andy Chau!! My mom. I feel like if I don’t stop now I’ll make someone upset so…I LOVE YOU ALL?
Favorite TV Shows: Grey’s Anatomy, Bones, Brothers and Sisters. I love dramas that I can watch with Ben and Jerry’s.
Favorite Book: Harry fricken Potter. I thought we went over this? J
Favorite Youtube Video: Uh…this video is absolutely UHMAZINGLY funny.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq5MekUgWuM
Daisy’s Bucket List
Travel. I’ve already been to Nigeria but I want to go to London, Japan, Italy, Ireland…a lot of places.
Spend an entire week reading.
Get my LICENSE. Guh. I am so slow. I’ll do it, I swear.
Learn to swim.
Get a starring role in a Broadway production.
Play cello in a soundtrack for a movie.
Teach the world proper grammar. ß This one will be hard.
Marry a Prince. Too bad Prince William’s already taken…darn!
Take ballet classes again. I really regret only being able to do it for a day. Black Swan totally inspired me.

ASK ME QUESTIONS. <3 KBYE

-Daisy

Spring Carnival weekend!!!

Hey All!!!

This week is one of those weeks that the University likes to throw a curve ball at students. THIS Thursday instead of it being a  normal Thursday schedule it’s going to be a FRIDAY schedule because Friday we have NO school!! Woot WOOT. Thus meaning it’s spring carnival weekend!!!!!!!!! Here’s what’s going on:

Wednesday:
Rowdy’s RoadHouse BBQ
11:00AM – 2:00 PM
@ South Campus Quad
***BBQ, MUSIC, + Lots of FUN!!!****

Thursday:
EASTFEST!!!!
5:00PM – MIDNIGHT
@ CRC Lawn
***BBQ, DJ, NOVELTIES, OUTDOOR MOVIE!!!!****
FREE FOR EVERYONE!!!

TOURNAMENTS AND CONTESTS:
 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Corn Toss & Ladder Golf Tournaments!
 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Pong & 9-Ball Tournaments!
Friday:
SPRING CARNIVAL!!!!!!!!!!
Theme: MONSTERS, HEROES and VILLAINS!!
11:00AM – 3:00PM
@ Lester Cushing Field!
Club BOOTHS! Novelties, Music anddd……BATTLE OF THE BANDS FINAL!!!
*Students free, Public $3
FIRST ANNUAL STEP SHOW!
7:00 PM @ Cumnock
Saturday:
Dave & Busters Trip!!!!!!!!!
2:00 PM-8:30 PM
@ Dave and Busters, Bus leaves Fox at 2PM, and leaves D&B at 7 PM!
Price $5!

DON’T MISS OUT!!!!!! This years theme SUPER HERO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy this short week 10 days left of classes!!!!!!!!

~Stef

Getting to know James

Yup. Pretty much. So my name is James Ham and I am a junior here at UML. My major is Music education, so basically one day I want to be a music teacher! Right now my life pretty much revolves around music, but we will get to that in a little bit! So I am an Orientation leader during the summer, and during the school year I am an Ambassador for UML (obviously you already know that).

SO MUSIC YEAH. I would say that it’s a bit cliche to go on and talk about how I pretty much breathe music at this point, but it really is true! I take an absurd amount of classes (11 this semester, 14 last), which also means a stupid amount of credits as well. Since most of these classes are music classes, I live in the music building (Durgin Hall). I go in at around 9am every morning and I’m in and out (mostly in) until 9-11 at night. I have also fallen asleep in one of the practice rooms and woke up very confused around 3am, but that is a story for another time.

When I first got here to UML, I was in my second semester of my freshman year. I transferred here from Middlesex Community College. Not something I’m exactly proud of coming from, but it makes for a great inspirational story. Basically my grades were not the best in High School. I wasn’t exactly the greatest student you have ever seen, so MCC was my only choice for college. I was in a program called the “connections program” at MCC and they told me that if my grades were good and I could get above a 2.5, they would transfer me over in a year. I went above and beyond and got a 3.7, so they decided to transfer me over in a semester instead of a year. I have been to UML ever since and I absolutely LOVE it here!

So during my first semester here at UML, I was appalled at the fact that there was no acapella group here. Pretty much EVERY college has an acapella group, it’s just one of those things! So I decided to make the very first acapella group (from what I gather) to ever be established and continue to be established at this college. So acapella music is pretty much my jam. It is my favorite style of music, I think that it is one of the most clever things ever created. Taking instruments out of the equation completely and just singing guitar parts instead? BRILLIANT. The best part is that everyone can do it. If you think you cant, talk to me sometime. You can. Now sounding really good, that is a whole new ball game.. but the main point is to be having FUN.

JAMES’ FAVORITE LISTS OF FAVORITE THINGS
Favorite quote: “This is a pie chart describing my favorite bars. And this is a bar graph describing my favorite pies.”
Favorite Food: Chicken Parm Sub
Favorite Band: TIE between the Beatles and the Barenaked Ladies
Favorite Movie: Mr. Holland’s Opus
Favorite Animal: PENGUINS
Favorite Meal: Lunch
Favorite T.V Show: SCRUBS (I’m obsessed)
Favorite Game console: N64
Favorite Childhood Game: Mouse Trap
Favorite Childhood Movie: THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER
Favorite Snack: Goldfish
Favorite Sport to play: Tennis

Well there you have it… who I am in a few paragraphs! Have a great long weekend!

~James (Gotta get down on friday)

Getting to know Stefanie

Hey guys!!!

My name is Stefanie, i am a junior, my major is Community Health with a minor in Psychology. I am a tour guide as well as an Ambassador during the school year and during the summertime I am an orientation leader. I currently live in fox hall the 15th floor YIKES!!!!!!!! I am a very shy reserved person but once in the right atmosphere and group of people I’m outgoing.

One of the many things I love to do is travel and cook, I’ve been on over 10 crusies, a few different countries including London, Mexico and Canada. I am constantly traveling every year. My dad used to work  for US Airways, so I get to fly for free!! I recently went to my first cooking class and LOVED it!!!!!!! I have two loving parents who have supported me from day 1. I also have a brother who no matter what he does and how crazy he get’s I still love him.

I like Umass Lowell because of all the opportunties it has given me. Next spring I will be doing an internship hopefully at one of the Hospitals in Boston. I’ve definitely grown as a person since the first day I arrived here. Umass Lowell has thrown me a lot of curve balls and I’ve taken each one as a learning expereience.

Favorites:

Food: I don’t really have one but if I could name one it would be Dim Sum. 

Animal: I have 2 dogs and turtles. I used to have a dog and long story short no one was around to take care of him so we had to give him away 🙁

Place: I LOVE Hawaii!!!!!!!! I went there for my cousins wedding a few years ago and feel in LOOOOOVVVEEE with it. I could spend all day everyday there!!!
Movie: I really don’t have a favorite movie, I love anything BUT scary!
T.V shows: Iron Chief, Dinner Impossible, Restruant Impossible, basically anything on the food network
Ice cream flavor: Choclate chip YUM 🙂
Fears:
1. Spiders
2. Heights (this is a weird one, I love rollar coasters, and wanna jump out of plane but I’m scared at the same time)
3. Snakes (YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can’t even look at them without getting the chills)
Hopes
1. To become very succesful,
2. Travel the world, one of the places I really want to see is China
3. Go sky diving
Any other questions let me know Stef!

Ambassador Week – Day 3: ASHLEY

Well, hello there friends! It’s Ashley-time! Well, as you could’ve guessed my name is….Ashley.  I am a Junior here at UML and am a Psychology Major! For a while, I picked up an Education Minor..but decided teaching wasn’t for me.  I was also looking into a Theater Minor, but my schedule is so busy already that I might not be able to pick that up.

I currently am the Orientation Operations Manager, as well as an Ambassador!  I spend most of my work time registering incoming students for Orientation and thinking of new ways to improve our program!  I love my job and couldn’t imagine working any where else.  The real world better offer me some cool jobs like these ;).

     I am also a Resident Advisor at the UML Inn & Conference Center…our beloved ICC.  It’s a really cool place to live because you can step outside and be in the heart of downtown Lowell.  I love all of the tiny shops and boutiques. My two favorite places to shop downtown are FOUND and HUMANITY. Found has a ton of wicked random collections and items. It’s a place where you can be in for over an hour finding tons of cool things.  Humanity is a clothing store that has a lot of trendy, cool items.  I love their jewelry and always buy on sale. Students get a 10% discount! 🙂  Next year, I’ll be the Assistant Complex Director of South Campus.  I’ll be all around South Campus next year!



     My favorite thing about UMass Lowell is the incredible people and the amazing opportunities. I have made life-long friendships and even met my boyfriend here.  I was really nervous about meeting new people as a Freshman because I lived in Dracut (which if you don’t know…is about 3 minutes down the road from East Campus.)  I figured that so many people from my school went here that I wouldn’t meet any new friends. Boy, was I wrong!! All of my friends are from UML and I like it that way. 🙂

     As for opportunities…they are COUNTLESS. From becoming an Orientation Leader, my options opened up in so many ways!   I learned so much about the University and was able to grow so much from my experiences as an Orientation Leader.  After a semester as a sophomore, I applied to become a Resident Advisor.  I was then promoted from both of my positions to Orientation Operations Manager and to Assistant Complex Director. Both of these positions mean so much to me and I am extremely grateful to the school for allowing me to reach towards my career goals and for helping me learn so much.


What have I done here at UML?…Don’t get me started!…Well, I got my self started so you are in for a treat!
Things Ashley’s Done at UML:
-Played UML Women’s Rugby
-Sang in the University Choir
– Performed in two OBP musicals
– Started my own GLEE CLUB!
Won Campus Moviefest for Best Comedy with my friends
– Played intramural softball

     I’ve done so many things at school that those are just a few! UML keeps me busy with awesome programs and fun events!!



LIST OF FAVORITES!

  1. Favorite Food: Well..this is a complicated question. Favorite Junk Food: Cheetos or Tostitos & Salsa…Favorite Take Out: L19 from Mandarin Lowell (do it)… Favorite Fruit: Berries!  Favorite Pizza: Peppers & Onions…Favorite home cooked meal: Pasta!
  2. Favorite Movie: Any Disney movie or musical!
  3. Favorite Song: Uhmmm…currently Penny & Me by Hanson..YA HANSON, deal with it. or Bills, Bills, Bills from Glee (Destiny’s Child cover)
  4. Favorite Season: Summer, obvi.
  5. Favorite thing to do in my spare time: Cook, watch Netflix, hang out with friends, go out with my Familym, fly.
  6. Favorite Store: Forever 21 & CVS (no joke, I spend like 70$ every time I go to CVS)
  7. Favorite Color: Green & Purple! 
  8. Favorite TV Show: iCarly, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s, J.Shore, Fantasy Factory, Zach & Cody, ya know…big kid shows…



Well…that’s all I got for now.


Have a great AMBASSADOR week! 🙂

–ASH

Getting To Know Cait :)

Ambassador Week-Day 2: Cait

Hey Guys! My name is Caitlin, but I most people know me as Cait. I am a sophomore with a Psychology and Criminal Justice double major. As of right now I have a Biology minor too, but that may change. Aside from being an Ambassador, I also drive the shuttles here at UMass.


 I grew up all over the world until I was 10 because my dad was in the Army. My favorite place was Germany, which I lived in for 3 years. My hometown, however, is Pittsfield, MA (located 10 minutes from the New York border). Although I’m glad to be gone, it is not the boonies, haha. I chose to come to UMass Lowell because it is the perfect distance from home for me. I can’t go home all the time, but I can go home if I really need to. It was also the only non-private school that I applied to so it ended up being the cheapest place for me to go! 


What I love most about UMass Lowell is how awesome most people are. I have made so many life-long friends and tried so many different things. One of the things I have done that I don’t have time for and miss is Rugby. I love the girls on the team and it was just such a fun sport! 

(I’m number 17) 
I live in the Moody Street Apartments, so one of my favorite things to do is cook and bake! I LOVE baking. I love working with cake and fondant mostly; it’s on of my passions. Unfortunately, I don’t have a whole lot of time to do it because I have such a busy schedule but I hope to do it more in the future. 


The Under the Sea Cake I made with my Best Friend Jenn for her birthday. The Lemon cake I made for fun and the Bunny cake was for Easter. Everything is edible! 🙂


List of Favorites!
Favorite Food: My dad’s Stuffed Mushrooms!
Favorite Movie: Happy Feet and Ip Man
Favorite Song: Where the Road Parts by The Dear Hunter
Favorite Season: SUMMER!! (100% agree with Meg!)
Favorite thing to do in my spare time: Cook and Bake
Favorite Store: Forever 21 & Delia*s
Favorite Color: Yellow and Green
Favorite Person: My Dad, and Jenn & Chris (and Cailey Watson, of course…And Mikey G..And Jeff)..And Ash cause she’d feel left out
Favorite TV Show: GREY’S ANATOMY! and Chopped
Favorite Youtube Video: I LOVE Emerson – Mommy’s Nose is Scary! & Bear Can’t Stop Sneezing

Cait’s Bucket List:
Go back and visit Germany and then travel everywhere else!
Do a family tree (I agree with Meg)– I have family from the Mayflower and Native Americans (Cherokee)
Run or own some sort of a bakery!
Run an entire marathon, not only a few legs of it
Get a 4.0 one semester
Get my Ph.D in Psychology
Become a criminal psychologist
Get called up to contestants row on The Price is Right
Win over $100 on a scratch ticket
Build a house in Florida for my Grandfather
Own houses all over the world

Getting to know Meg!

Ambassador Week: Day 1: Meg!

Ambassador Week is a week all about your Orientation Ambassadors so that you can get to know all of us on a better level. You know us as your Facebook friend and the people walking around campus. But we want you to know us even better! So any questions, comments, or conundrums are welcome!


Hii! My name is Meg and I am a sophomore Exercise Physiology major. I grew up in Peabody, MA and went to Bishop Fenwick High School. Currently, I live in the ICC (Inn and Conference Center) and love it! What made me come to UMass Lowell was the strong EP program and that I could continue going here for my Doctorate in Physical Therapy. It was also great that the campus is only 45 minutes away from home because my family is what keeps me sane (or insane which ever way you look at it):
Speak no evil. See no evil. Hear no evil.
But what made me love the campus was all the people I met, my roommates are two of my best friends and I’m sooo happy I met people like them. I also love how much the campus is changing, there is so much potential for this campus and that means a lot about the education we are receiving. Also I got involved which made me meet a lot of people fast. On campus, I am an Orientation Leader& Ambassador and Cheerleading Captain.
Lately my favorite thing to do is pull pranks to my friends that live on my floor, April Fool’s Day inspired me to be a prankster for the month of April. My dream job would to be a famous dance Choerographer OR a Physical Therapist for the Boston Ballet. I was a competitive dancer since I was 3 years old, so anything with dance involved would be a dream job for me.
List of Favorites!
Favorite Food: Moose Tracks ice cream with rainbow sprinkles
Favorite Movie: Grease, 50 First Dates, and Nick&Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Favorite Song: Right now it is, Everybody by Ingrid Michealson
Favorite Season: SUMMER!!
Favorite thing to do in my spare time: Workout and get coffee
Favorite Store: Forever 21
Favorite Color: Pink and yellow!
Favorite Person: My mom and my best friend Sam
Favorite TV Show: I have way too many but So You Think You Can Dance is probably my #1
Favorite Youtube Video: I don’t have just one favorite but this is a good one Sassy Gay Friend
Meg’s Bucket List:
Go to Italy, Ireland, China, and Thiland
Do a family tree (I am related to Al Capone)
Be a part of 100+ walks to raise money for Cancer research
Complete a Rubix cube
Be in 2 places at once
Graduate college
Make a big contribution to Health research
Go to a taping of Jerry Springer and Ellen
Run in a half marathon
Eat a cake from Carlos’ Bakery (I love Cake Boss)
Anything I missed that you wanted to know?! Ask me!
-Meg!


Just because it is low calorie doesn’t mean it isn’t salty!

Hey Y’all!!!!

I hope you are all having a wonderful Thursday, it’s almost friday according to Rebecca black. Yesterday in class my professor showed us this video clip from the today show, the author of the eat this not that book (AMAZING BOOK!!!! You should buy it) was showing america Salty foods in restruants!!! It’s really shocking! On top of that check out these fatty FATTY FATTY foods in the nation… ask yourself would I eat it…..

Alabama home of the bacon wrapped meatloaf

Alaska home of the Eskimo Ice cream, Ingredients:  Reindeer fat, seal oil, salmonberries, and for a little health kick blackberries YUM!!!!  

How do you feel about Colorados 7 pound breakfast burrito
Alright forget Colorado’s 7 pound breakfast burrito how about Georgia’s Luther burger
A burger between two dounts YUM
Everyones dreak thanksgiving turkey stuffed with duck and stuffing. South Caroline dedicates this to the Turducken

Last but not least to top everything off with a cherry. The vermonster: including 20 scoops of ice cream, hot fudge, banana, cookies, and more toppings YUMMY!!!
To check out more foods heres the website http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20393387_46,00.html 
~Stef!!

We truly are the better UMass..

So remember in high school when people asked you why would choose going to UMass Lowell rather than UMass Amherst? Although UMass Amherst is a great school, we are just simply better. UMass Lowell has been popping up in the news all over the place, from being on lists of the Top Universities in the world to our alumni winning awards for their great accomplishments. And I thought that would be a great idea to get all of these great stories together for y’all to read and be reminded about how truly amazing UMass Lowell is.

Why we love UMass Lowell:
SHE Students rock!
Increasing Graduation Rates!
Our Alumni Win Grammys!
Alumni make good money!
Top 200!

Of course these aren’t the only reason why we all love this University. My favorite thing is how welll prepared alumni are when they enter the ‘real world’. I haven’t heard one alumni say they didn’t feel ready for the world after going to college here. Personally, I think that there are soo many great things about UMass Lowell that one blog isn’t enough room for them all! Did I miss your favorite thing? Let us know what your favorite part about UMass Lowell is!

-Meg