Less than 35 days till Finals!

Though studying for finals, finishing up projects, and getting in those last minute extra credit assignments may be consuming your mind there is a lot to think about if you are moving out of the residence halls over winter break. Speaking from personal experience, here are 5 things to think about ahead of time that you may forget about.

1. Take items home over thanksgiving break. Get rid of your summer clothes, swimsuits, and sandals. As sad as it is to put them away, lets face reality that winter is coming and you don't need these extra tank tops and shorts laying around.  Bringing home your stuff will save you room and you will have less to take home over winter break.

2. Pack a bag. Even if you don't have all your clothes at school it is important to pack a bag to bring home of clothes you will want over winter break. Also keep in mind even if  you plan on lounging in sweatpants and watching Netflix for a month your parents may want you to dress up for some Holiday Festivities, so make sure you pack your fancy pants too.

3. Bring toiletries home. Don't forget your deodorant, toothbrush, hairbrush, and everything else you keep in your bathroom. It can be easy to run out of your room after finals are over, but trust me you need these items. Also since University Housing cleans the bathrooms over winter break so you will want to make sure everything is emptied from the bathroom so it can be professionally cleaned.

4. Don't forget your chargers. Nothing can be worse than having to ask for a new phone and laptop charger in your stocking, just because you left them at school. Remember to unplug all of your electronics and take those chargers home with you!

5. Bring home the fish. A fish funeral when coming back to school in January can really put a damper on the whole reunion with you and your friends. Make sure to put your fish in a safe place and take him home to meet the family and enjoy the break with you.

Best of luck on your finals and remember you can always contact your RA about any questions regarding move out.

--Becca and Val

It's that time of year again... FALL WELCOME!

It is almost time to start going back to class, chugging coffee, and seeing the people that you have missed all summer. Which means...fall welcome is in full gear! Here are a few events that I will be personally going to, but to see all events go to their website at http://www4.uwm.edu/fallwelcome/.

Thursday, August 27th 

At the Union Cinema at 9pm, the film Get Hard with Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart will be playing.See Will Ferrell get an education in incarceration from Kevin Hart in this new comedy. 

Friday, August 28th

At Sandburg Residence Hall in Flicks at 9pm, Comedy Sportz will be taking place. ComedySportz is an improv comedy show and a tradition in Milwaukee. Two teams of "Actletes" get suggestions from the audience, create scenes on stage, and compete for your laughs. You decide what each scene is about, you decide who you think is funnier, and you decide who wins! Snacks and beverages served; audience participation encouraged; laughter guaranteed! 

Saturday, August 29th

From 12pm-4pm shuttles will be picking up and dropping off students from the library shuttle stop to Bradford Beach! Are you moved in and looking to enjoy the beautiful weather and explore Milwaukee’s lakefront? Visit beautiful Bradford Beach. Get active with beach volleyball or frisbee, or just relax and enjoy the beach and beautiful water of Lake Michigan. . 

Sunday, August 30th

At the Sandburg Hall Green Room at 10am, buses will load to the Brewers vs. Reds: Sponsored by the Campus Actives Board. Join fellow students for a great afternoon at Miller Park as the Milwaukee Brewers face the Cincinnati Reds. All fans in attendance receive a Vintage Brewer bobble head. Bring clothing appropriate for the weather and money to purchase food or other items. 

Wednesday, September 2nd

At the Union Ballroom at 6pm come to check out Greek Life at the Fraternity and Sorority Showcase! Being an active member in Alpha Omicron Pi, I can't explain how amazing of an experience it is being a member of Greek Life at UWM.

Friday, September 4th

Today is the day most of UWM students, including myself look forward to every year. PANTHERFEST! This year Twenty One Pilots and Hoodie Allen will be performing! I cannot wait to see these amazing acts considering one of them is my favorite band :)

Enjoy Fall Welcome!!

-Valerie 

The Awesomeness that is Our Walls

Move-in is less than two weeks! (Wait, two weeks! Really? Summer just started!) As we have been loving meeting all y'all at New Student and Transfer Adult Student orientations we have been receiving a lot of questions! Which is fantastic, it's great to see how excited everyone is for move-in! One of our most received questions has to do with hanging items on the walls and the best practices to make sure you don't get charged for damages at the end of the year. Below is a simple guide of things you can do to avoid getting charged.

For a splash of color:

Don't paint your walls.

Do use posters.

For hanging things (This is a change for the 2015-2016 school year*):

Don't use command strips, pins, or staples.

Do use Poster Puddy and Painters Tape.

For frustration:

Don't punch the walls.

Do use a stress ball.

I hope you find this guide useful and we all look forward to meeting you during move-in!

-Tyler and Valerie

*The reasoning behind this change is due to individuals who were moving out in Cambridge Commons and RiverView Residence Halls telling students they were going to get charged for damage to the walls unless they used Spackle to cover any holes left in the wall. This ended up causing more damage to the walls. To prevent this from happening again, we are only allowing poster puddy and painters tape from now on.

Winter Welcome Events!

Hello panthers!

I hope you all had a wonderful winter break filled with Netflix binge watching and catching up with old friends, but winter break is coming to a close. Make sure you pack your backpack, check your schedule, and stock up on coffee because on January 26th your semester starts!

During your first week back (Jan. 26 - Feb. 1) we will have Winter Welcome Week! Make sure you visit the Winter Welcome Calendar to see all the free activities that will be available to our UWM students.  Here are a few of my personal favorite events going on next week!

Free Fun in the Union Recreation Center (Jan. 26th - Feb 1)

Looking for something fun to do without having to bare the freezing temperatures of Wisconsin? Come to the Union Recreation Center located in the Union for FREE bowling, billiards, ping pong, and video games. This is a great way to get to know your suite mates if you are joining us for your first semester at UWM or a great way to reconnect with your friends you haven't seen in a month!

Beyond the Wall Poster Sale (January 26- January 30th)

Start off the semester with a little redecorating by stopping at the Union Concourse to look at the amazing selection of posters of movies, musicians, celebrities, and much more! My personal favorites are posters of any movies directed by the talented Quentin Tarantino and inspirational Andy Warhol quotes.

 Panthers Men's Basketball Winterfest (January 29th 7pm)

Head down to support the Panthers Mens Basketball team against UIC at the UWM panther area! Doors open at 6pm, but shuttles to the arena will be available from Cambridge, Riverview, and Sandburg beginning at 5:30pm! Make sure to have your UWM student ID with you so you can get in for free and support our panthers from the student section. Keep an eye out for pounce and maybe you will get a picture with our mascot like I did with my wonderful sorority Alpha Omicron Pi. 

SHAC Snowball 2015

Enjoy our 2nd annual Snowball dance held at Kenilworth Art Building on the 6th floor brought to you by SHAC! Dance the night away with the DJ, visit the photo booth, and try out your luck at one of the casino tables. Also download Events at UWM app for free to be kept up to date with upcoming SHAC events.

Whichever events you decide to attend during Winter Welcome share your experience on twitter with us using #winterwelcome and #pantherpride. 

See you soon panthers!

-Valerie

Tips and Tricks to Stay Warm!

Hello my fellow panthers,

It's that time of the year again where Wisconsin likes to remind us how freezing it likes to get! While the snow can be beautiful, UWM's location next to Lake Michigan can make the weather a little ominous at times. Here are some tip and tricks to stay warm!


Take the Shuttle or B.O.S.S.!

If you live in either Cambridge Commons or RiverView and take the University Housing Shuttle to class, wait inside our warm lobbies in our residence halls so you don't freeze outside!! Also if you have a smart phone download our UWM mobile app to track our shuttles individual so you can see exactly how far away they are from you!

If you need to get somewhere off campus between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m., feel free to call Be On the Safe Side (B.O.S.S.) This free taxi like service for Panthers will take you anywhere with in a two mile radius of north and south campus.

Adjust the Heat in Your Suite!

In all of our residence halls you can adjust your heat in your rooms. If for some reason your heat is not working the way it needs to, fill out a work order. Our maintenance staff is friendly, fast, and efficient!

Grab some Hot Chocolate or Hot Apple Cider!

The Restor's across campus offer a 12 ounce cup of coffee for only $1.91 including tax! They also have a lot of options for other hot beverages, premade soups, and microwave goodies to keep your tongue and temperament warm.

Although the Grind in Sandburg is closed for the Winterim, the Student Union location is definitely open and another option for you to stop by and pick up a hot cup of coffee, cider or coco. Once semester starts on Jan. 26 all locations will be buzzing with people getting their caffeine fixes and warmy goodness.

Cozy Up in Your House Lounge!

Every house in University Housing has a common space lounge with comfy couches and TV where you, your friends, and those unknown housemates can curl up in blankets for duel bonding and staying warm time.

The Student Union's fireside lounge also offers a good daytime place for some R&R with the heat of a classic fireplace.

Hope this helps and your winter months can be comfortable despite the sometimes brutal nature of a Wisconsin Winter.

Valarie & Kenlei

University Housing featured in Journal-Sentinel!!!

Hello Panthers!

We would just like to take a moment to thank the Journal-Sentinel staff for coming out to visit our residence halls! Please take a moment to read their story, Full UW-Milwaukee residence halls reflect new focus on campus life.  Take a look at the photo gallery as well, you might recognize some of your fellow Panthers!

Have a wonderful day,

Valerie

PASS to the rescue!

Good morning Panthers!

      Feeling a little overwhelmed with classes, projects, and upcoming exams? Don't you worry PASS is here to help! PASS otherwise known as Panther Academic Support Services, is completely free tutoring available to UWM students. PASS study sessions are held all around campus, including our residence halls. If you are unable to make the specific times PASS is scheduled, they also provide you with online tutoring and the ability for you to schedule your own appointment.  For the tutoring sessions in our residence halls, you can just come right on in because there is no need for an appointment. Listed below are the Cambridge Commons and Sandburg Hall tutoring times and locations for Chemistry and Math. If you are a resident in Cambridge or RiverView we recommend going to PASS at Cambridge and if you are a resident in Sandburg or Purin we recommend you go to PASS at Sandburg Hall.

      PASS tutoring also offers supplemental instruction (SI) to students as well. SI leaders attend class in a larger lecture hall, take notes, and keep up with the readings and homework. Then the leaders hold a review session to cover the materials in a smaller setting generally once every week. This then gives the students the option to ask questions and recover the material that they might not be able to do during lecture. Use online tutoring, go to SI reviews, or use the walk in tutoring in our residence halls! PASS tutoring is an amazing FREE resource you should all take advantage of!

Good luck on your exams!

Valerie 

Move-in hours

Happy Move-in Season!

As Move-in quickly approaches, we have had a ton or questions about the hours of various restaurants operations locations! When do they open? What are the hours? Fear not my incoming panthers! Below is all of the opening and hours during move - in!

Palm Gardens
Regular Hours 8/26 - Tuesday - Regular Hours

RESTOR Sandburg
Regular Hours 8/24 - Sunday- Regular Hours

Sandburg Cafe
8/24 Sunday Regular Hours

RESTOR @ NWQ
Prior - Summer hours
9/2 Tuesday Regular Hours

RiverView Cafe
8/27 Wednesday 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

RESTOR RiverView
8/27 Wednesday Regular Hours

Cambridge Cafe
8/28 Thursday 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
8/29 Regular Hours

RESTOR Cambridge
8/25 Monday Regular Hours

After move- in these hours will go back to 'normal' and will be posted at each location! If you have any question please give our office a call at 414-229-4065

My Experience at UWM!

Way back in 2012 while I was sitting in my yearbook class at Menomonee Falls High School, I would see all of my fellow seniors stressing out about what colleges to apply for. I wasn't one of these frantic students because I knew that the only school I wanted to go to was UW-Milwaukee. My older brother previously went to UWM and when I toured the campus I fell in love. To know that UWM has an amazing journalism program was icing on the cake.

My freshman year I decided to live at home to save money and being from milwaukee it wasn't that far of a drive compared to a lot of others. I was taking about 17 credits, working 40 hours a week at Ernie Von Scheldorn car dealership, and dealing with the stress of commuting. This was just way too much on my plate and I made the decision that I was going to live on campus to alleviate this stress.

My sophomore year I lived on the 2nd floor of East Tower. It was so convenient that I was only 10 minutes away from class instead of having to wake up two hours earlier due to commuting. Not only did university housing give me the chance to actually make new connections with people I was going to class with, but with my roommate and suitemates as well. I started to take yoga at the Klotsche Center, made new friends watching the packers games down at the Gasthaus, and even played some intramural floor hockey! I wish I could go back to my freshman year and live on campus because it was the best decision I ever made. Yes staying at home does save you money, but when it all came down to it living at home did cost me lack of sleep, stress of commuting, and my sanity.

This year I will be living on the 15th floor of North Tower. I choose north tower because I liked the house lounge set up and the amazing view of the lake. Yes east tower does have a kitchen in every suite, but since I can't cook to save my life, the microwave will be more than enough. If you have any questions about housing or UWM in general I will be here to help!

Hope you have a wonderful University Housing experience like I have!

-Valerie

Residence Hall Recap: RiverView

RiverView is one of the newest residence halls available for first-year students. It is located on North Avenue, just down the street from Cambridge Commons and across the street from Pick N’ Save. RiverView opened in 2008 and 90-95% of RiverView is first-year students (but is open to students of all stages of their college careers).

On the main floor (floor three) is a large lounge with a television, computers, a ping pong table, and the “Restor”. The Restor is the convenience store where you can buy chips, candy, soda, and even pints of Ben and Jerry's! On the lower floor of RiverView (floor two) there are two classrooms, a cafeteria, workout facility, and laundry room. Outside of the cafeteria is a large patio with picnic tables, so its a great place to hang out when the weather is beautiful. The cafeteria also will hold themed dinners and cookouts throughout the year.

On each floor there are two lounges available. We have a social lounge which includes chairs, a flat-screen television, and a microwave for community use. We also have a study lounge located on each floor with internet hook ups so it is perfect option to bring in your computer and have a quiet place to study.

RiverView and Cambridge Commons are very similar in the suite set up. Each suite holds four residents (two in each room). Each suite has a bathroom, vanity with sink, and a walk-through closet leading into each room. The vanities are outside of the bathroom, which makes sharing a bathroom with others much easier. Also when decorating your room, we suggest to use push pins and staples to attach your decorations to the walls of your room.

Because RiverView is the smallest residence hall, you will be seeing more friendly faces from day to day and have more of a tight knit community. We hope that you had a wonderful stay at RiverView and if you are a first year student we hope you love RiverView as much as we do!

-Valerie

New members of SHAC executive board!

The Student Housing Administrative Council (SHAC) recently held its Executive Board elections, and today the current Executive Board transitions the new one in! SHAC is the Residence Hall Association for UW- Milwaukee. It acts as a great opportunity for students looking to get involved in the decision making of University Housing. If you were in high school government, student council, or are just overall interested in creating events for our residents, this is probably an organization that would interest you come Fall 2014.
Let's get to know the new Executive Board!

• Emma Price - President

• Michael Sportiello -  Vice President

• Graham Wolfe Luterbach - Events Coordinator

• Cole Meller - Business Manager

• James Cocroft - National Communications Coordinator

My name is Emma Price and I am transitioning from National Communications Coordinator to President of SHAC! I am a third year architecture student. When I am not involved with school, work or extra-curriculars, I enjoy exploring the city, hanging out with friends, and binge watching Netflix. Over the summer I get to study architecture in various Nordic countries. I am ecstatic to be serving the residents of UW Milwaukee as President for the upcoming 2014-2015 year. I want to help create a safe, inclusive, and fun community for every resident. I am honored to be serving as the chair of SHAC to help give every resident a voice in university housing.

I am SHAC's Vice President Mike Sportiello, and I could not be more excited. As part of the executive board of SHAC, I will have the opportunity to directly impact the experiences for students and residents of UWM. I love being loud, excited, and coming up with innovative ideas to change the way things are done to more directly increase the level of happiness in the world. As part of the executive board, I know that this will become a reality. Currently, I serve on West Tower Community Council. I am a first year student who is majoring in Chemistry and Philosophy, and I conduct antibiotic research in chemistry.


My name is Graham Wolfe Luterbach, and I am the Events Coordinator. I'm a very outgoing person! I love to bike, read, drink espresso, draw, dance, listen to music, and work on my blogs. In the past I've been involved in Theater, ten different sports, a hip hop team, ASL Club, DECA, Student Council, and volunteering at numerous places. I'm six feet tall, I'll dress up wherever I can, I have six tattoos, and I'm a brother of Phi Sigma Kappa. I'm looking forward to working with the rest of executive board to create one of the best years of inclusive and exciting events!




Hiya, I'm Cole Meller. I have a subtly strong jaw line and I enjoy moonlit excursions. I came to UW-Milwaukee this semester to increase my opportunities, and I found SHAC! I am pumped to join the executive board as SHAC Business Manager, because it will give me a chance to see how SHAC works from the numbers' side of things. Outside of SHAC, I plan on honing in on either physiology or biology, and in the long run, study psychiatry.

Hello my name is James Martin Cocroft II and I am the 2014-2015 National Communications Coordinator. Guess who's really excited to spend time hand picking delegates in order to accompany me to Glacurh, Wurha, and Nacurh? I am! Wanna know why? Because I think that UW-Milwaukee has a lot of great people to show off to the other UW schools. I also am really excited to start working with the rest of the 2014-2105 executive board. 

We look forward to the amazing events SHAC will create for our residents! 
-Valerie

Sex Week wins Program of the Year!

    On February 21st, WURHA awarded UW-Milwaukee with Program of the Year for Sex Week! Among this award UWM won Best Small School Banner and Tyler Sonnenberg won Advisor of the Year! Sex week took place from November 11- November 14 2013 and was hosted by Student Housing Administrative Council (SHAC). SHAC hosted sex week in the past and it became so successful that is now an annual event. It focused on 4 days full of events including Good Vibrations, Birds & The Bees Trivia Night, Sex in the Dark, and Condom Olympics & Self Defense. Sex week was created to educate students in a less formal setting where they could feel comfortable talking about sex.

 
    Sex Week is arguably one of SHAC's most talked about events including the famous "I Am A Sex Panther"shirts that were given out to students who attended the events. Not only were students excited about the events, but were also surprised on how much information they gained without even knowing it. One student even stated after attending Sex in the Dark, “I had so much fun, I cannot believe that I was learning for two hours".

    Jessica Sime, this years event coordinator, made Sex Week the most popular one yet! With her help and the help of many volunteers, Sex Week was a major success. “All in all, I am very proud of Sex Week," said Sime. "It made me excited and more confident in my ability as a coordinator and manager." SHAC's purpose of this event is to open dialogue between students, collaborate across campus, and to create unique and fun ways to educate. Sex Week accomplished all of SHAC's goals along with creating a special event for UWM students to enjoy! Make sure to check out Sex Week next year in the fall.

Great Job Sex Panthers!

-Valerie

Winning School of the Year!

    It is my pleasure to announce that UW-Milwaukee won Large School Of The Year from the Wisconsin United Resident Hall Association (WURHA)! What does WURHA consist of you might ask? Well WURHA is an organization that some might say, is the meeting point where all information is collected and then promoted to reach different housing communities and all members on campuses located in Wisconsin. UWM attended the WURHA annual conference February 21st along with 17 other Wisconsin colleges at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI.

    UW-Milwaukee was in the running for Large School of the Year with numerous other Universities and this is the first time UWM won this particular award. UWM was chosen for this award with the display of the success and current growth of the residences halls, student organizations, and the campus as a whole. It was also taken into consideration that UWM is the first University in the UW System that has living learning communities available to residents. Commonly referred to as LLC's, LLC's are communities in residence halls that allow students to learn, study, and explore their major or interest with other residents with that same particular major or interest. With the combination of everything that UWM has to offer they won Large School of the Year and we couldn't be more proud!

Way to go panthers!

Valerie

Meet one of the new Outreach Assistants!

Hello everyone!
 
     My name is Valerie Roessler and I am one of the new University Housing Outreach Assistants! I am a Journalism: Public Relations major and it is my second year attending UW-Milwaukee. I was born and raised in Milwaukee and UWM was my first and only choice considering the excellent journalism program that is available. My first year I commuted, but then I wanted to try out the option of living on campus. I couldn't be happier with the choice I made and how many opportunities I have to connect with other UWM students!

   In my free time I enjoy playing tennis, going fishing, and getting a group of my friends together to go to The Gasthaus to watch the brewers, bucks, or packers achieve a victory! I am looking forward to meeting incoming and returning UWM students to show them all the great opportunities University Housing has to offer!

-Valerie