50 Things I’ve Learned in Two Years of College

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Next week is the start of finals… To me this year has gone by pretty fast. Honestly, I can’t believe that it is over. I hope it’s been a good first year for you and that the rest of your college career is a good one.  Today I just want to share what I’ve learned in two years of college from my personal journey and from what I’ve observed of other people. I may also throw in a little bit of advice.

  1. College is NOTHING like I expected it to be, but it is worth it.
  2. If you can get through the first two years of college, then you know that you can finish through it.
  3. Professors and advisors are your biggest advocates in your education.
  4. For those of us that commute to campus, just because you are attending a college close to home doesn’t mean that you won’t meet new people and new friends.
  5. We may be “adults” but that doesn’t mean we don’t have fun, immature moments.
  6. Ramon noodles and Easy Mac really are our go to meals when we are low on cash and low on time.
  7. Almost everyone procrastinates, even though we know we shouldn’t.
  8. Getting involved on campus makes being in college more fun.
  9. I’d much rather spend a few hours in classes than go to school for a full day.
  10. If you plan your schedule out right, you can potentially avoid ever having to have an early morning class.
  11. Don’t be surprised if you change your major. I said that I would never change my major and of course I did change it.
  12. Even students in majors that have a very specific career field, we don’t know where we are going with our lives after graduation.
  13. Don’t give up, you’ve made it too far  to do that.
  14. Projects as finals actually take up more time than just studying for a final exam.
  15. Even here at a regional campus, a small town person can be exposed to so much more than they had in high school.
  16. Traditional students can become good friends with non-traditional students, no matter how big the age gap is.
  17. In high school (even my first semester or two of college) I never understood why many college students take more than four years to get their bachelors degree, now I understand.
  18. Follow your own path, not the path that others want you to follow.
  19. Having a job in college is easier than having a job in high school.
  20. Coffee and energy drinks can be your best friend at times, but it’s better if you don’t make it a habit.
  21. Only take on what you know you can handle. If you are questioning if you can take on that extra class or that second job then it is probably something that will push you above your limits.
  22. Immerse yourself in your education, your paying too much not to do so.
  23. College is an investment, don’t forget that.
  24. Study something that has NOTHING to do with your major, but fulfills a GE requirement. You can learn a lot about yourself if you do.
  25. Prerequisites are more than just classes, they help you make sure that this is the field that you should go into before it is too late to change.
  26. Have fun, but don’t push school away… Also work hard, but don’t forget to have fun.
  27. I still can’t believe it’s been two years since I started college…
  28. It’s a privilege to go to college. There are people out there that want to be in college, but for one reason or another they can’t.
  29. Don’t get yourself too busy for family or close friends.
  30. If you can do an internship or undergrad research, do t.
  31. Online classes are not that bad.
  32. No one understands you better than your classmates in the same major as you.
  33. Join a club, or two, or three.
  34. Go to all of the fun events on campus as possible, this is your only chance to experience them.
  35. Being a Buckeye is pretty great.
  36. Now is the time to make mistakes, just make sure that you learn from them.
  37. Missing a few classes won’t kill you, but being a habitual class skipper can have serious consequences.
  38. Don’t forget about any of your online classes.
  39. The freshman 15 is real and if you don’t do anything about, you will have a hard time getting rid of it your sophomore year.
  40. Study with your friends. It makes it more bearable.
  41. Get to know people that wouldn’t have been in your clique in high school. They just might become your best friends.
  42. Take a road trip in the summer, even short road trips help clear your mind after a long semester.
  43. Attend free events, even the ones that may not seem like they interest you. You may wind up liking it, if not then at least you got some free food.
  44. Watch what you say and do in front of professors, especially if you are staying here all four years.
  45. Do something crazy once in a while. Make sure that what you do is legal though!
  46. If you can rent your textbook, do it.
  47. Get a job in college. Even the smallest job helps you build character.
  48. Make sure that you focus on yourself.
  49. College really helps you find yourself.
  50.  Ten years from now remember these years. Look back at the fun you had and lessons learned and see how they got you to where you are then.

It’s been great getting to share my thoughts and experiences with all of you. I hope that the newsletters and the blogs have been helpful and enjoyable to read.  Good luck on finals!

Best Wishes,

Christina Russell

ALMOST Third Year Student

 

Taking Classes Next Year and Online Classes @ Ohio State

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Many of you will be scheduling your classes this week for your SECOND year of school! Your days as a freshman undergrad are quickly coming to an end and it is time to think about the near future. Do you know what classes you should be taking next year? If not then schedule an appointment with your academic adviser ASAP that way you will not take classes that you do not need to take. No one wants to waste their time or money on classes that are not needed. Do it soon though, because if you wait too long then your classes you need may fill up before you get to schedule them. Today though, I really want to talk about a specific type of class. Last week I discussed how to survive lectures. This week I want to talk about online classes, specifically the benefits of these classes and how to be successful in them.
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During my first two semesters I avoided online classes. Being a new student, I wasn’t sure what to expect out of college and I didn’t want to take an online class if I couldn’t handle it (at that time, there were still EXP classes that were in class only). My first online class wasn’t until the summer after my freshman year. In fact, I took two different online classes that summer that were set up in two different ways. It turned out that online classes were not as bad as I expected and I even enjoy taking them.
In fact there are many pros with online courses…
  1. You get to have class when you want it! This is the best perk for online classes. You can choose when to watch lectures, when to do homework, and even what time of the day to take an exam. Online options are great for those that like the flexibility.
  2. Breakfast in bed… why not lecture in bed? (Yes, I realize that is really corny, deal with it) If you take an online class and have internet at home, you can listen to a lecture in your p.j’s. In fact, you don’t even have to get out of bed if you have a laptop. Online classes can be more comfortable than sitting in class.
  3. You gain more computer skills as the professors typically have specific coursework that requires you to learn about different software and applications that you would not have learned in the regular class. For example, I learned how to use Google drive and Evernote thanks to one of my online classes. I never even heard of Evernote before I took that class.
  4. You don’t have to drive to campus. As long as you have internet and computer access somewhere, you will never have to set foot on campus. This was really nice with my summer classes because I didn’t have to waste gas to get my stuff done. This is also really nice for those of you that are living on campus and want to go home during the summer. You can take an online class or two over the summer right from home. You will not miss the chance to spend quality time with loved ones.
  5. You can take classes that are from Columbus that we do not offer here at Mansfield. This is a nice bonus, especially if you are trying to finish up a GE requirement but haven’t found a class that we offer here that interests you.

Of course, along with all of these perks I must warn you that these classes are not the easiest classes out there. Along with all the freedom, comes responsibility. It is so easy to get behind in an online course because it is easy to forget about it. The first online course I took, I learned quickly that it is easy to forget about the class. It was a full summer course that I was taking and on the third week I made a mistake. I forgot about the class and missed turning in two assignments. Fortunately they were not extremely big assignments, but it was enough to give me a much needed wake up call. It takes some determination to get through the classes. I have some tips to those that are planning on taking online classes in the future, hopefully they can help you!

  1. Plan class time during the week. Many of us are very busy and sometimes the only thing that is keeping us organized with schoolwork is having to go to that class a few times a week. When you sign up for an online class, block off a chunk of your week as your “class time.” The times can vary each week, but they should be pretty consistent. Make adjustments if you notice that you are not having enough time to get through the class.
  2. Know when things are due! This is very important. Most, if not all of your work will be turned in via Carmen dropbox. Dropboxes have a close time, and if you miss the time it is due then you cannot turn in your work. If you had an emergency (or you completely forgot the turn in time), talking to your professor may not help you get to turn in late work. With online classes you usually have a few days to download your assignment on to Carmen and professors will tell you that you had so many days to turn it in. You should have had it done and dropboxed before the last minute.
  3. Have open communication with your professor. Whenever I take an online class, I usually email my professor at least once a week. I email all of the questions that I have, anything from questions about the lesson, to questions about the assignments, and even to questions about computer issues. Even if you know you will never see this professor face to face, it is good to maintain a good relationship with them. They are always helpful, and can help with any issues you have as long as if you talk to them a head of time.
  4. Know how to use Carmen. Not all professors in regular classes use Carmen, but in online classes it is essential. Some professors with online classes will not exclusively use Carmen, but there will always be assignments and information posted on Carmen from the professor. Many professors will use Carmen exclusively, so you are going to have to know how to use and navigate it. If you have any problems with using Carmen, let your professor know. They will be able to help you out.
  5. Don’t give up. It’s easy to let yourself drop an online class, especially since you will probably never see your professor. I was taking an online course this semester, but I got sick in January which made me get behind in that class. I made the choice to give up before I even tried to catch back up. I got it in early enough to not get stuck with a W on my transcript, but I really enjoyed that class. I probably could have gotten myself back on track, but I decided to go the easier route and I still have mixed feelings about that decision. If you get behind in an online class for any reason do not give up on that class, especially if you will receive W for it. I believe that you should only let yourself receive a W if you know 100% that there is no way mathematically that you could get a passing grade in the class. If it is before you receive a W, then you should have plenty of time to get things straight and still get a decent grade. Whatever you do, don’t give up on it!

Keep Yourself Focused During Lectures

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Let’s face it, lectures are not for everyone. People learn in different ways, and for some people sitting and listening is not the way they learn best. Your first year and much of your second year of college consists of a lot of lecture style classes. Once you get into your major program that may change though. Have you ever gotten bored in one of these classes? Has your mind ever wandered during one of these classes? Have you fallen alseep durin one of these classes? If so, then lecture classes may not be the best learning enviornment for you. However, you still have to take these classes and actually learn the information.  The question is how will you get through these classes with decent grades? With a little creativity, you can get through it! Here are some suggestions to try out.

  1. Make your notes colorful- Some people are more visual learners, and others need their brains to to switch thinking more often than others. Taking colorful notes could help out both of these kinds of students. Go to the store and grab a box of pens that come in a variety of different colors. When you are in class taking notes, change the color of pen you are using when the professor brings up different topic. This helps you stay focused on what is being said, because you have to make the connection that a new topic is being brought up. It also brings a change in the class to help your brain to make a switch, which can help you stay focused.
  2. Make your doodles significant- Many students like to doodle when they are in class. I want you to know that there is nothing wrong with doodling as long as it isn’t distracting you from what your professor is saying. I like to doodle, and I remember when I was in middle school a teacher noticed that I was doodling random things onto my notes. She decided that she was going to catch me not being focused in front of the whole class by asking me a question over what she had just said. When she asked me the question I gave her the right answer. Surprised at this she told the class that she doesn’t mind if we were doodling as long as if we could answer questions over what she was teaching. It was great proving her that doodling wasn’t always a sign of not listening. If you can doodle random things and still retain the information from the teacher, then keep on doing what you are doing. It is a good chance that your doodling may be helping your listening skills. However, if you like to doodle but find that you are struggling in class you can still doodle I just have a different way you can do it. One way to doodle in class is make your doodles relevant to what is being taught. If you are learning about the war of 1812, then draw some soldiers battling and put the information around the picture. If you are learning about Pavlov in psychology class, draw a picture of his famous experiement. To get your doodles done, you have no choice but to listen to the information that is being presented to you. It also makes studying for exams more fun as you will literally be studying doodles and cartoons.
  3. Feeling sleepy? Get some caffeine and sit up front!- Is there a class that you have a hard time staying awake in? I think most students can think of at least one class that they have had a hard time listening to, even staying awake in. What do you do? First of all, a little caffeine before class goes a long way. It doesn’t have to be soda or coffee though, a healthier option would be green tea. If it is a long class bring a little more of your coffee, pop, tea, or whatever you choose to get you through it. When in class sit at the front of the room. You will be less likely to let yourself fall alseep if your professor is standing right in front of you.
  4. Try to do your reading before class for a change- I know that it is hard to get all the readings done for your classes, but you need to try to get as much read before class as possible. Usually the reading that the professors want you to have completed before the lecture is the content that they will be teaching that day. If you have a little understanding of the topic for the day, it makes the class a little more interesting. If you are totally pressed for time and you can’t get the reading done, at least skim the material. Even that can help you the next day in class.
  5. If your professor puts material on Carmen, print it out and take it to class- If you have a professor that uploads the PowerPoints onto Carmen before it is taught in class, take some time to look through the material and print it out. Now all you have to do is add anything extra in your notes that your professor presents and highlight important points that are on your printed PowerPoint.

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That’s about all I got for right now. Do you have any specific ways that you get through lecture classes? Do those ways help you with your grades at all? If so, feel free to leave a comment! I would love to hear some feedback. Have a great week and continue to work hard, less than three weeks until finals! Good luck!

Best Wishes,

Christina Russell

Second Year Student

What are You Going to do with Your Life?

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It’s a question that we have heard ever since our senior year of high school, and we will probably continue to hear until well past our college graduation… “What are you going to do with your life?” That is a lot to think about. Many of us go into college thinking that we have a plan only to watch it change ,many of us go in without a plan and form a plan while we are in school, and for a few others of us our plan stays consistent throughout college. What happens when our plans that we develop in college don’t work out in the real world? For example, I’m a middle childhood education major. What happens to me if I can’t find a teaching job right out of college and all of the substitute positions in the area do not pay enough or are not stable enough to support my family? What am I to do if things don’t go my way? Maybe you will spend a few years in your career, but realize you want to go a different route. One very important thing to know about your major is what kind of careers can you go into, especially alternative careers for specific majors.

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One thing you need to know is what kind of skills are you obtaining from your major? You may not know of all the skills you will develop just from your freshman year, so this is something that you can research on or talk to upperclassmen in the same major. You might be surprised how many skills you will learn for your specific major that are good skills to have for a variety of different careers. I’ve done some research for my major and it helped me realize the skills I’m learning besides effective teaching like time management, leadership, problem solving skills, and one site even said bravery. Fortunately all of these skills can easily be implemented into other career choices. Take some time with this, you just might find out a few things about your major that you wouldn’t normally think of.

Once you know the skills that come with your major, how can you apply them to a back-up career plan? My first suggestion is to do a google search on alternative career options for _______ major. You can find many articles that already have great suggestions. For example, I know only a little about engineering but I know that many students go into that major. After just a five minute google search I learned that engineer majors develop skills like analytical thinking, creativity, laboratory skills, and teamwork skills. Many sites also mentioned good alternative careers for this major inlcuding sales engineers, technical writing, business, research, and IT only to name a few. When I did research on my major I learned that businesses, non-profit organizations, publishers, libraries, museums, and many more places will hire people with my degree because the skills that I have learned will be very handy for several positions in that field.

I highly suggest that you start thinking about a back-up plan very soon. Hopefully you will never have to use it, but it is better than being that college graduate still working a minimum wage job because you couldn’t find a job that directly relates to your degree. The more you know about your options, the better you can market yourself to potential employers. It will be worth it in the end, I promise.

Best Wishes,

Christina Russell

Second Year Student

 

 

Welcome Back!

Hopefully everyone had a good time during spring break, but alas all good things must come to an end. It’s back to classes and studying. We are now over halfway through the semester. This is just a reminder to keep going strong with school work! Believe it or not, but one of the best ways to achieve that is by taking care of yourself, especially keeping your stress levels down.

Earlier this month I went to Columbus with some other students to a leadership conference. There we had the opportunity to attend different  workshops over many different topics and one of the workshops I attended was about taking care of yourself. It seems simple, but college students have a hard time staying physically and mentally healthy. For example, this is what I often look like…

It isn’t exactly a pretty sight. We tend to add a lot on our plates, and sometimes we put on more than we can handle. At the conference I attended, this was looked at as a cycle. First we get overwhelmed. Then we have bad thoughts, which gives us bad habits. After that we loose balance in our lives, which leads to more doubt and less connection. After that the cycle starts all over again.The question is, how do we get back on a healthy track? I’ve been asking that since I attended the workshop and I’ve come up with a few different suggestions…

Physically

These will be what you typically think of when trying to take care of yourself, it seems like everyone harps on them but sometimes it seems extremely hard to keep up with them. In fact when we allow ourselves to get too busy, our physical care is usually one of the first things to go.

  1. Get plenty of sleep! I’ve stressed this before in a newsletter last semester. We’ve all been guilty of staying up way too late to study or get work done, but getting a good night of sleep will rejuvenate yourself for the next day. If you have more energy for the next day, you will be able to successfully get more things done during the day instead of dragging around at night.
  2. Exercise. This isn’t the easiest thing to do when you are a college student. I have a hard time with it because I would rather use that time to do something else, like write a paper that is due this week or something like that. The thing about exercise is that it helps relieve stress on your body and considering that many college students are stressed,  it can be a great help to your attitude which reflects in your grades.
  3. Eat Healthy. When you eat healthy, you feel better. Eating a bunch of unhealthy food makes us sluggish and who on earth wants to sit down and write a paper when you feel like dirt? It is as simple as that. Eating healthy seems hard when you are on a budget, but there are ways to work around that. For example, buy fresh fruits and veggies only when they are in season as that is when the produce is at its’ rock bottom price. You can also use coupons and buy products on sale. Recently when I went to buy some cereal I was able to buy the uber healthy cereal cheaper than its’ sugary counterpart. It was on sale (which already made it cheaper than the sugary stuff) and I had a coupon for it which made it even cheaper!

Mentally

Taking care of your mental needs are very important. You will send yourself down a downward spiral if you disregard those needs. Here are some different ways to make sure that those needs are met.

  1. Meditation. Meditating is so good for you. It allows yourself to spend some time in solitude. It can be done in either a religious or non-religious manner, it doesn’t make a difference. What it does is allow the mind to relax. In class we are filling our brains with tons of information, that a mental break can be very good for all of us.
  2. Take a little time out of each week to spend time to talk to others about your life. A great way to let stress out is by telling someone else about what is making you stressed out. There is a sort of relief when you do this because the issues are no longer just held inside you. Find a good friend that is a good listener and let it out, or if you don’t want to bring your issues up to your friends you can always make an appointment with Blake Wagner. He is our campus psychologist and he is happy to talk to you.
  3. Just Relax! How many times have you taken a test and worried about your grade, only to find out a week later that you did better than you expected? I know I have and I can’t be the only one. Those little things that we worry about for no reason really put a lot of stress on. When you start to stress about  something that may or may not happen, take a time out and tell yourself “I have no control over this, whatever happens will happen. It’s o.k.”

For those of you that started classes in the fall, your first year is almost over. It’s hard to believe that we are in the last few weeks of this semester. Time sure has flown by. Finish the year off strong. I know that you can do it.

 

Best Wishes,

Christina Russell

Second Year Student

 

 

A Different Way to Spend Your Spring Break

I can’t believe it, but spring break is just around the corner. This time next week we will NOT be on campus! Wooohooooo! I don’t know about all of you, but I am really excited for a break from classes. For me spring break means some time to relax. In a perfect world here is where I would relax…

Unfortunately since I’m a broke college student that lives in Ohio, my spring break looks a little more like this…
Well it probably will not look that bad out (at least I hope not, they are calling for a few 40 degree days next week), but I will be spending my spring break at home in good old Ohio. I bet a lot of you will be doing the same thing. I refuse not to enjoy my break. So, what on earth can we do in Ohio that can be fun, relaxing, and preferably cheap? Well I have a few suggestions. They may not be extravagant , but they get the job done.
  1. Hang out with friends/family/loved ones: This is so simple. For many of us (myself included) we get so busy with school, work, and everything else that we just don’t spend as much time with those that we care about. Now is your chance, don’t miss it. You could host a get together at your house, or if you have a little more money to spend go out and have some fun with your friends. It really doesn’t matter what you are doing, as long as it is with ones you care about.
  2. Read a fiction book: Bear with me on this one. I know the idea of reading makes college students cringe (I often do). It’s because we just have so much reading to do for our classes. I am a bookworm. I used to read several books a month for fun, but now when I get the chance to read I choose to do something I find more important (like sleep). At least a good book can mentally take you to another place.
  3. Bubble Bath: What a better way to relax then a bubble bath? Nice hot water sounds good to me. Or if you or someone you know has a hot tub then go for that!
  4. If you like the cold and snow and have a little cash on you, go snow tubing. We have a couple of ski resorts in the area with snow tubing, so check them out!
  5. If you are dead set about getting as close to a tropical vacation as possible, Ohio does have many indoor water-park resorts. Many of them include a hotel, but you can also get day passes for under $50 at those resorts. The resorts are always warm and humid, with lazy rivers, hot tubs, and attractions galore. In Ohio it really is the closet we can get to the beach this time of the year.

I could keep on going with my list, but I know that if I did you all would get very very bored of this post. So I’m going to leave it as it is. If you have any good ideas for spring break in Ohio feel free to leave  comment. I’d like to hear other’s ideas as well.

 

Best Wishes,

Christina Russell

Second Year Student

When the Semester is Over… (Originally Posted February 18, 2014)

The semester is almost halfway over! I truly cannot believe how fast this semester is going. The crazy weather may be part of the reason why this semester is going by so fast. No matter the reason, now is a good time to think about what your plans are for this summer (it is a great way to forget about the weather we’ve had recently, at least for a short while). There are many options that you can choose from.

The first option is to relax, but of course that can be easier said than done. Financial  responsibilities and the realization that you may be a few classes behind your fellow peers can keep you from taking a break. While most of us would love to just mentally and physically check out for a few months, it is not a reality. For those of you that can, well let’s just say you are pretty lucky and enjoy it for the rest of us!

Another option is to continue to take classes! That may seem like a crazy choice, but it really isn’t as crazy as it seems. Last summer I decided to take 3 classes and it was totally manageable. You have several options when choosing summer classes. You can take May Session classes, 7 week summer classes, and full summer term classes. May Session classes are four week courses. This year we have a deal with the May Session classes. You can take up to three credit hours for free with those classes. That is over an $800 value! One of the classes that I took last summer was a May Session class and it was so nice knowing that I was getting credit for free. The 7 week summer class begins on June 16th and ends August 1st. The Full Term summer courses begin on May 5th and ends on August 1st. If you want to go back home for the summer you still can. Many of the summer courses are online to make it more convenient for students. If you log onto your buckeye link account you can see when your enrollment appointment begins. It is coming up sooner than you think!

A third option is to work. Many students decide to work during the summer to save as much money as possible. The nice thing about being a student here is that the spring semester ends in April. That means you have a head start over the high school students in your community that may be competing against you to get a summer job. If you do not have a job lined up for summer, but are planning to work over the summer I would start looking/preparing right away. You can also go a different route for summer work. One amazing thing that we offer here is paid internships. That’s right, PAID IN CASH internships.Internships like these are not always the easiest internships to come by, but we are fortunate enough to have a community that can offer them. If you would like to learn more about internships you can contact Tracy Bond or Pam Schopieray.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure that it is the right choice for yourself. Keep working hard this semester and remember, you are almost 3/4th’s of the way finished with your first year of college!

 

Best Wishes,

Christina Russell

Second Year Student

Winter Olympics 2014 (Originally Posted February 11, 2014)

As most of us know, last Friday was the start of the 2014 Winter Olympics! Millions of people from around the world, are watching hoping that their country gets gold. I’ve talked to one student here on campus that is literally changing some of his sleeping habits so he can get up early enough to watch some of his favorite events. USA has had a decent start with six medals already (as of 8 am on 2-11-14): two gold (snowboarding), one silver (free-style skiing), and three in bronze (alpine skiing, figure skating, and free-style skiing). Let’s hope that this continues! I’m trying to keep up with the events here and I found the best way to do that is by visiting this site.
Do you get excited about the Olympics, or does it not really excite you? Or is there anyone like me? Some years I get into it and others I don’t. One fun thing to do is host an Olympic party. Get all your friends together, grab some food, and spend the evening watching the events! If you do get into watching the games, don’t forget about school! We still have 12 more days of events, so be smart about managing your time. Enjoy the events and go U.S.A!
Best Wishes,
Christina Russell
Second Year Student

Black History Month 2014 (Originally Posted February 6th, 2014)

Hey everyone! I hope that your week has been good and that classes are going great. This week seems to have flown by for me. This month is an important month here on campus. Every year we have a big celebration for Black History Month. Each week there will be an event that students can go to. We have already had two events in celebration. If you haven’t had the chance to attend any events yet, that’s o.k! There are still three events you can go to.

The next event is a presentation of the movie Fruitvale Station will be held on February 11th at 7:00 pm in the Student Union. Then, on February 19th from 12:30-1:30 pm there will be a workshop exploring different ways to make good, positive changes to their community titled The Social Change Model of Leadership. It will be held in room 128 in Kee Hall. Then to  finish off the month is our 12th Annual Soul Food Dinner. On Thursday, February 27th at 6:00 pm come to the Eisenhower Campus Cafe for some good old fashioned soul food. The ticket price for this event is $5 for OSU-M, NC State, and Ashland University College of Nursing students and $10 for general admission. You can reserve tickets for the event at the Office of Student Engagement in the Student Union. The tickets need to be paid for and picked up no later than 12:00 pm on February 21st. There will be no tickets at the door.

I hope that you take time this month to take a look at the history behind Black History Month. These average people did extraordinary things that changed the nation.  Our present day would not be the same without them.

Best Wishes,

Christina Russell