Around the time of midterms and finals, it’s easy to forget to eat well and get lots of sleep. With flu season still upon us and germs abundant, the likelyhood of getting sick is very possible. And during this time of year, you can’t afford sick days.

Spring Break Safety



Spring Break is by far one of the most exciting times of the school year.


Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most dangerous times, especially if you let your anxiousness to get away become your main priority. Safety during this week, especially for those of you who are traveling, is essential.





When going away, keep a few things in mind: you may have the week off to have fun and relax, so do others. Ways to celebrate Spring Break can be different for everyone, so be careful and mindful in choosing ways you want to celebrate.


Here are some other general tips to keep in mind:






IT’S 2010- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY!


Always make sure to have your cell phone with you, charged and ready to use. It’s important for your friends and family to be able to contact you, so make sure it’s available to you. In addition, it can’t hurt to have a GPS ready so you know where you are at all times and avoid getting lost. Lastly, bring a camera; if anything SHOULD happen, documenting the trip in photos will serve as great evidence.






TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS


This includes but is not limited to double-locking your hotel room door, switching to a smaller purse/wallet and being more selective of what you eat/drink. Since you will be away and unfamiliar with places like police stations and hospitals, the best way to stay safe is to put in a little more effort into thinking about your actions.






DOUBLE-CHECK NECCESITIES!


And no, we don’t mean trashy magazines for the beach. Remember to put your money/I.D./license/passport/hotel key in a place that’s safe.






MAKE GOOD DECISIONS!


Whether it is what you eat, where you travel to or who you hang out with, make sure you are making conscience decisions. Be mindful of where you are and what you are doing at all times.


A FEW QUICK SUGGESTIONS:
-Pack some Gatorade/Water bottles in your suitcase, in case the water at your destination is undrinkable
-Don’t disregard suntan lotion/sunblock just because you want a tan- it’s important!

-Dress to impress, but also to relax; spring break is about enjoying yourself, so remember to bring comfortable clothes/activities as well.

Remember, being at college means you are on your own; don’t do anything on Spring Break you wouldn’t do when you are home.

This is how Dwight feels about inappropriate Facebook use.

As you might have remembered us repeating over and over again this summer, you need to be careful about what you make available on your profile. Posting incriminating photos of you drinking, doing illegal drugs, or anything of the like can come back to bite you if you apply for a job [say, Orienation or ResLife, or any job in general] in the future. Employers can contact Facebook and ask for information, and even one incriminating photo can automatically dismiss you as a candidate for a job, even if you’re completely qualified for it.

And simply deleting the content won’t help. Facebook caches [saves] everything. Each photo you put up becomes the property of Facebook and they can use your photos any way they want. Have you ever noticed those ads on the side of Facebook? Many of them use photos uploaded to the site of actual users.

We have loads of fun here at Orientation! 🙂

Hey students!

Remember your FAFSA forms that you had to fill out before coming to UML? Weeeellll! You have to fill those out EVERY YEAR!

The deadline each year is March 1.

Guess who forgot? Yep, Ashley did.

If you forgot, as I did, not to worry! You can still submit your FAFSA information online to receive student aid.

Follow this link >>> https://fafsa.ed.gov/  and you can find all of the information you need on filing your FAFSA!

Some FAQ about the FAFSA that you might want to know:

Where’s my PIN number?
   You can access your PIN number with your Social Security Number, Birthday, and Last Name at >>> http://www.pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp/pinindex.jsp

What IS a PIN number?
    A PIN number is a way to electronically sign your FAFSA application so you can do everything electronically.

What is the difference of doing a FAFSA online or through standard US mail?
     If you apply for your FAFSA online, you’re likely to get your results within a week of submitting. If you apply for your FAFSA through standard US mail, you’re likely to get your results within 2 – 3 weeks of submitting.

So make sure you apply soon if you haven’t already!!

-Ashley

Hey Everyone!

Jeff here to fill your brains with what we are doing here in the office…

We have a new system that we Orientation Ambassadors are implementing in the office.  Everyday there will be blogs, tweets, and someone always on the facebook for you to see what we are up to and to ask us questions.  The good thing about asking us questions on the Facebook is that the answers are immediate.  most departments make you schedule an appointment and that can just be a hassle!  So remember to utilize us as a readily available resource…you’re already our friends now use us :).

Now for the fun stuff….

If you have not heard about the Campus Movie Fest then open your ears because im about to fill them with knowledge.  Now the “fest” itself is a week long event, which started today.  Participants have one week to film a 5 minute short film.  They also have to do all of the editing and preperation ALONE…spooky I know.  The movies will premier on March 25th at Cumnock Hall.  The premiers start at 8PM and run until everything has been shown.  It should be a really cool event and a lot of fun…and plus I am in it with Ben Nguyen as my guide so come and support your fellow directors!

The Movies That Rock series is still kickin’ and this weekend it is Brothers.  It has that guy from Spider Man and that guy from Broke Back Mountain and some other woman.  The Guy from Spider Man goes to war and “dies” so the wife begins to develop a relationship with the guy from Broke Back Mountain, which is the guy from Spider Man’s brother!!!  (OMG I KNOW)…THEN, the guy from Spider Man comes back somehow and flips and then the movie just gets juicy.  So check it out at the Common at Fox Hall on Sunday at 8PM and Monday at the ICC at 8PM.

On Friday March 5, there is a comedian coming to The Common at Fox Hall presented by UML LOL.  His name is Shane Mauss so check him out it’s free and probably going to be funny so it is a nice way to unwind after a stressful week.

Those of you interested in the music that your fellow students produce, guess what?!?!  There is a Wind Ensemble concert in Durgin Hall on Monday March 8.  The concert starts at 7:30 and is free so be sure to come by and listen to some good music!

Alrighty that’s enough from me so I will see you all on the flip side of Facebook.

-Jeff

It’s Monday again! I hope everyone is having a good start to the week after such a rainy weekend. This semester has been SO busy lately that I didn’t realize until today that spring break is only two weeks away! Here are the hours that the residence halls will be closing and re-opening:

Residence Halls Closing:
– Friday March 12, 2010 6:00pm

Residence Halls Opening:
– Sunday March 21, 2010 noon

Everyone needs to be out by 6:00pm. Spring break is still two weeks away, but I hope this helps with your spring break plans!

Tommy

I was watching the Travel Channel the other day and one of those diner shows was on, the ones where some guy roams across the country in search of that perfect local eatery. This episode happened to have a place in NYC that sells deep fried candy bars. (don’t worry, I do have a point) Now, I thought to myself; that sounds disgusting, yet intriguing. Later on that day, (alright, here comes the kicker) I got an e-mail from the honors program about a trip to Mama Lia’s Pizzeria on Merrimack Street in downtown Lowell. It caught my interest, so I thought I’d check out their menu. While browsing their menu I scrolled across their dessert selection and, you guessed it, they sell deep fried candy bars. Upon reading this, I figuratively back flipped out of my computer chair.

Ok, I’m sure they sell other fine items, like pizza for instance. But the only thing on my mind right now is what on Earth a fried Milky Way might taste like. For all of you living at the ICC, this place is right around the corner. For those not interested in going out to eat, they do deliver, as any good pizza place should. If you give this place a try, especially if you sample their fried candy bar selection, let us know what you think. I wonder if they would just deliver a fried Snickers bar?…

-Tommy

I’m surprised I haven’t brought this up before, but I love me some Moe’s. I haven’t been there for a while, then I went there a couple weeks ago and I was back in burrito heaven. They have a really cool menu, with catchy names for their items, such as the “triple lindy” (which I took to be a reference to the 1986 masterpiece “Back to School” starring Rodney Dangerfield), and the “homewrecker”, which is a monstrous burrito filled with your choice of meat plus all the fixings. They also have vegetarian options for those who want it. In other words, Moe’s treats me right.

The best part about this place is how close it is to campus. It’s located in Chelmsford at Drum Hill Plaza right next to Walmart, which is only about a 10 minute drive from south campus. So the next time you and your friends make a Walmart run, I suggest you stop in and give it a try. Let us know what you think!

-Tommy

This morning as I sat sipping my cup of Folders before class, I caught the 5-day forecast, which said rain would be sitting over campus through the weekend; not exactly the first thing that I want to see in the morning. But then I said to myself, this can’t be all bad. I mean, March Madness is just around the corner, which is 4 weeks of college basketball heaven, the Celtics did squeak out a win over the Knicks Wednesday night, and I even managed to pass a Calculus quiz this week.

So cheer up! Even in this glum weather, there will always be something to be happy about. As Woody Harrelson famously said, “enjoy the little things.”

-Tommy