Tailgating as a Panther

Not sure how to make proper tailgate foods when you are getting pumped up for that Brewer's or Panther Baseball game? No worries, UWM Executive Chef Matt Powers is teaching University Housing residents how to grill savory burgers, brats and other traditional tailgate foods tonight at 7 p.m. in the Sandburg.

This class is one of many in a UWM cooking class series aimed at helping students learn how to cook both the Wisconsin classics and the ethnic dishes so they can appreciate the art of independence despite having a conveniently located cafeteria in their building. In the past, Powers and his staff of professional chefs have taught students how to roll sushi, decorate cakes, and the cafe's delicious soups.

If students want to remake the recipes they learn at one of these classes, or simply want to whip out one of their homestyle favorites there are several locations within University Housing where residents can cook. All residents in Sandburg East Tower, Purin Hall, and Kenilworth Square Apartments have their very own kitchen located in their suite or apartment. Students residing in Cambridge Commons have a common kitchen available to them on every one of the building's six floors. RiverView residents can check out the kitchen next to the cafeteria by asking the front desk for the key. Similarly, students in the Sandburg Traditional Towers can check out the key to the kitchen located at the base of South Tower, which was recently stocked with pots, pans and utensils by the South Tower Activities Council.

Moral of the story, cooking is easy in University Housing...we even teach you how to do it!

Kenlei

Hungry Hungry Residents!

With contracts coming out soon I'd like to take a minute to explain the meal plan in more depth to clear up or prevent any confusion that may be surrounding the topic. Any resident that does not have a kitchenette in their suite is required to have a meal plan. When filling out a housing contract, three meal plan levels will be available to choose from. Level 1 is the lowest dollar amount and level 3 is the highest. Anyone assigned to a room which requires a meal plan but selected a no plan choice will default to level 2, if necessary. Each plan also includes (within the cost posted) a Dining Administration Fee which traditionally has been equal to the base amount of meal plan level one. This fee enables Restaurant Operations, who controls and coordinates all food related efforts, to provide the great service and convenience our residents become accustomed to throughout their time in University Housing.

The best place for residents to use their meal plans is in the cafeterias (Cambridge, RiverView and Sandburg plus Palm Gardens in Sandburg) because food purchased with a meal plan at those venues gets a 50% discount! Spending the meal plan money in the cafeterias is the best value for the price and helps you recoup the admin fee.

Everything available for purchase in the cafeterias being a la carte, so each transaction is only for the exact food purchased. There are no buffet-style cafeterias in University Housing (and you don't swipe or pay just to be able to enter the facility).

It is unlikely anyone will spend their entire meal plan in the cafeterias, but this is good information to be aware of and take into consideration when trying to budget out how to spend the meal plan.

"Eric! Help! There's still a month left in the semester and I don't have any more money left on my meal plan! Do I have to starve for the rest of the semester?!"

Absolutely not! Residents can add money to their meal plan online at Managemyid.com or in person at the cafeteria Cash Value Center located in Sandburg. On the other side of the fence, there is no penalty for not using the entire meal plan amount. Any balance at the end of Fall semester is carried over into the Spring semester, and the balance at the end of the contract (end of Spring semester) is refunded back to the resident, less a ten dollar processing fee.

If you have any questions about meal plans or if you would like to change your meal plan level, you can call or email our office at university-housing@uwm.edu.

Hopefully everyone understands meal plans a little better now!

Eric

Give Back on Thanksgiving!

For anyone living far away from home the holidays have potential to be a great time to go back home and see all your friends and family, but for anyone unable to return home it can be an unfortunately sad and lonely time. I have news for you though; it doesn't have to be! If you're not going home to be with family this Thanksgiving I highly suggest checking out a volunteer opportunity somewhere close by. There are too many people who will be cold and hungry this Thanksgiving and volunteering is a great way to do something nice for someone else that will probably elevate your mood a bit as well! To make it easy for you to find a volunteer opportunity I found you this website with contact information for 5 great places to spend one day or start getting involved on a more consistent basis!

 The holidays are a time where we often reflect on how blessed and grateful we are for everything and everyone we are fortunate enough to have in our lives. Not everyone can relate to that feeling and a few hours of your day could mean the world to someone else. Who knows, you might even make a few new friends along the way!

For everyone traveling home this weekend , have a safe journey and enjoy the short break before finals come! I'd also like to remind everyone University Housing is currently in the middle of a food drive so bring some nonperishable food items back to school with you and for every 5 items you donate you'll get a coupon for FREE FOOD from Noodles & Co. The next day for the Noodles' coupons is December 3rd in Sandburg from 11:30AM - 1:00PM.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

Eric

Thinking Green at University Housing

My fellow outreach assistants and I on top of the garden

University Housing is determined to decrease their environmental footprint through implicating various green procedures. One of the ways housing does this is, is by creating and maintaining their own garden on top of Sandburg Residence Halls. This green roof is the largest in Wisconsin and measures to 33,000 square feet. Some of the numerous environmental benefits include reducing storm water run off and filtering pollutant out of the air and water.  Nestled on top of the third floor this garden provides residences with healthier eating choices. Tomatoes, eggplant, basil, and peppers are just some of the fresh vegetables and herbs grown right above the cafeteria! As the summer continues, these fresh edible delights get picked and served in our very own cafeterias around university housing. There is also a garden located beside East Tower that serves as a community garden and has additional spaces for the residence halls cafeterias garden. All of these garden plots help contribute to healthy, sustainable eat choices in university housing!

The video below highlights all of the on campus gardens including the Sandburg rooftop garden!

See you all in around 20 days!
Haley

Healthy Eating at and around UWM

Earlier I wrote about maintaining a healthy lifestyle when coming to college. If I would have to say the top three things to focus on when having a healthy lifestyle are:

1. Food
2. Exercise
3. Maintaining Habits

I'll be writing on the other two in the next couple of weeks, because they are all equally important.