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.

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

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

The Time is NOW!

This Sunday, March 2nd, not only marks the special occasion of the day I was born, but it is the deadline for submitting your housing contracts to make sure you get the perfect room on campus next year! As I mentioned in my last blog, returner self-assignment is a special time where current residents can come pick out exactly where throughout University Housing you will live for the next chapter of your career at UWM.

The actual process of self-assignment will be taking place March 4th and 5th in Sandburg. A letter went out to your campus mailbox February 21st explaining the details of the self-assignment process. Make sure to check your mailbox for this letter which will indicate your scheduled self-assignment appointment. If you want to live in the same room you are currently in, select that option when you fill out your 2014-2015 contract and you will not need to take any further action! That is only applicable if you complete your contract before March 2nd!

Part of self-assignment includes picking your roommates and suite mates. When you come to pick out your room you can pencil in the names of your desired living mates to reserve their spot in your room. However, in order for them to be placed in the same room or suite they must also attend their assigned self-assignment appointment and confirm the room selection! If they do not confirm their reservation their names will be erased and anyone will be able to claim that space so make sure you are communicating with each other!

"Eric, I really want to live in housing again next year, but I have class during my scheduled self-assignment appointment! Does that mean I won't be able to participate?!"

Of course not! You will still get the same priority as everyone else! You can have a proxy come and reserve your space for you. All you have to do is fill out a proxy card, which you received as an email attachment on February 26th. If you need another they are available at the service desk.

In addition, if you lived in and loved your LLC or didn't live in one this year and want to next year you will be able to self-assign into an LLC! Take a look at all of the options and pay special attention to HH2, S'MORE, and Future Fraternity and Sorority Leaders. Those three are all geared towards returning students!

Now it's up to you! Get those contracts filled out by 11:59PM March 2nd and show up to your appointment for the most hassle free living selection process you will ever have!

Happy Self-Assigning, Panthers!

Eric

Live Laugh Love-Live Learn Lead

As you starting thinking about where you want to live next year while filling out your housing contract, you will find a lot of options available to you.  Do you want a single or a double?  Cambridge or Sandburg?  Kitchen or not?  You should also be thinking about LLCs!  What is an LLC you ask, well I am so glad you did.  LLC stands for living learning communities.  They are an opportunity for first year students to live with people who they share a common interest or major with.  All LLC students will take a class together that will put them one step closer to graduating, and their resident assistant (who also has life experience with the shared interest or major) will plan fun events around the selected interest or major.  What options are there??  LOTS!

Last year I was a resident assistant in our beloved RiverView residence hall, and the resident assistant for the Dance Foundations LLC.  Some of our events including watching Milwaukee Ballet and local Wildspace company perform.  The neat thing about Wildspace's performance is the company is sight spcific; meaning their dances are created for a specific area and can only be performed there.  The show we saw was performed in a parking structure.  The students recieve this and much more all at no extra cost to them.
In addition to the Dance Foundation LLC next year we will also offer, Social Welfare, Health Professions, Education and Leadership, and many more.  The best way to learn more about these LLCs is to visit our LLC website.  It will describe the Living Learning Community to you, tell you what class goes with the LLC, and where the LLC is located.  If you are curious about how past LLCs have worked and what events they have done, you can visit UWM's LLC Blog.
Overall LLCs are a great opportunity to make new friends and connect with other students they will most likely later on have classes with.  Even if you don't select an LLC on your contract, you can still add an LLC at any point, as long as it doesn't fill up!  Last of all if you are unsure about what major you want, joining an LLC is a great way to get a taste of something to see if you like it.  And of course Living Learning Communities help you to Live, Learn, Lead!

Extra Extra Read all about it!!!

Happy July! 

             Get excited incoming panthers!! Move-in guides are on their way to a mailbox near you!! Well almost... Start regularly checking your mailboxes mid July and keep an eye out for this guide filled with valuable information about the move-in process and living on campus this upcoming fall. This guide will tell you everything you need to know to make moving into our residence halls as easy as possible. It will have information on what not to wear bring to your new residence hall rooms as well as outline policies and procedures while living on campus. Packing tips, laundry information, mailing addresses, loft information, and maps of each residence halls are also jammed packed into it. My personal favorite part of the move in guide is all of the upcoming events and activities planned for Fall Welcome week! Fall Welcome week occurs after you move in and before classes begin September 3rd, so make sure you stick around after moving into your new home.  Some of these events include: Milwaukee boat tours, trips to museums, Brewers games, and so much more! There will also be a calendar on the UWM Mobile app filled with events and activities during Fall Welcome. Also make sure you thoroughly read the move-in guide, as it should be able to answer a majority of the questions that come up during the remainder of summer vacation. You can also view the move-in guide online before your paper copy arrives in the mail. Finally starting mid July, you can log onto your myhousing@uwm.edu to view your move in time and date. It will also give you the option to request a loft on the myhousing@uwm.edu webpage. Lofts are $100 to rent for the full academic year and will be waiting for you when you move into your room if you request a loft prior to August 1st.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact University housing or ask in the comments below!

Let it slide,

Haley 

Your New Best Friend

RA.  What does it stand for?  Resident Assistant, also known as your new best friend.  They are students just like you.  They go to class, do their homework, and hangout with friends.  They live next door or just down the hall from you.  A RA is available to you 24 hours a day (but don’t wake them up if you don’t have to.)  They plan events as a chance for you to have fun and meet new people.  They are also there during the not so happy times.  If you want a room switch, need a shoulder to cry on, need advice about a class, or are struggling at adjusting to living with your new roommate your RA is your go to kind of pal.  They are available to help you.  In addition, to helping you there are there to keep you safe.

Last year I was a RA in RiverView.  I had the opportunity to meet and get to know about 48 residents.  I was there through the tears and the fights, the smiles and laughter, but most importantly the memories.  I loved having the opportunity to help my residents and watch them grow.

A resident assistant wants you to succeed, learn, and grow.  Don’t be afraid to ask them the “silliest” question or to share one of your biggest fears.  They aren’t there to get you in trouble, just to help create a wonderful experience in college that you’ll never forget.

How to decode room assignments!

Good Afternoon New Panthers,

                As summer quickly passes through and you all continue to receive your room assignments, I am sure you are wondering how to actually decode them! Once you log onto your myhousing@uwm account, scroll to the bottom of the screen.  Under the “2014-2015 Residence Hall Academic Year Contract“ heading, you should see a blue link with letters and numbers. This blue link is your assignment and if you click on that link, it will bring up a new page with your roommates and suitemates names. The person with the exact same room letter as you is your roommate and those listed with different room numbers are your suitemates.

          Room assignments for Sandburg residents would look something like this “N2310A”. The letter N could be replaced with S, W or E just depending on the tower you were assigned to. The first two numbers would tell you what floor in Sandburg your room is on. For “N2310A”, the assigned room would be located on the 23^rd floor of north tower. The third and fourth numbers tell you what suite you were assigned. For “N2310A”, the assigned suite is 10 on the 23^rd floor of north tower. Finally the letter at the end of your assignment is your assigned room. For “N2310A”, the assigned room is room A in suite 10 on the 23^rd floor in North tower.  If you were assigned to Sandburg, your room assignment should be similar for all of the towers.

          Room assignments for Cambridge Commons residents would look something like “CC232B”. The CC in your room assignment lets you know that you were placed in Cambridge Commons. For “CC232B”, the numbers tell you what suite you are assigned to. These numbers also dictate what floor in Cambridge your room is on. For “CC232B”, your assigned room is on the 2nd  floor in suite 232. Finally, the letter at the end of your assignment is your assigned room. For “CC232B”, your assigned room would be B in suite 232 on the 2nd floor of Cambridge Commons.

          Room assignments for RiverView residents would look something like “RV308A”.  The RV in your room assignments lets you know that you were placed in RiverView. For “RV308A”, the numbers tell you what suite you are assigned to. These numbers also dictate what floor in RiverView your room is on. For “RV308A”, your assigned room is on the 3rd floor in suite 308. Finally, the letter at the end of your assignment is your assigned room. For “RV308A”, your assigned room is the A room in suite 308 on the 3rd floor of RiverView.

After you receive your room assignment, check out furniture measurements here, or recaps of Sandburg, RiverView  and Cambridge. Finally, you can also check out specific room dimensions of Sandburg, RiverView and Cambridge!  

Hope this helps and if you have any questions about room assignments please call the University Housing office or ask in the comments below!

Have a Pantheriffic day,
Haley

Welcome Back!

Welcome to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Life @ UWM blog. Here you will read what our students (and occasionally our staff) have to say about University Housing, UWM, Milwaukee, or just residence life, in general.

In University Housing, we are proud to have wonderful student employees. Did you know we hire over 300 student-employees each year (academic year and summer)? This summer, some of our more experienced student staff members will be writing blog entries to give our readers a glimpse of life around UWM during the summer. Others are working on tour videos of each of our buildings, so you get a feel for them before making your first visit to campus. Here's a teaser for the videos they are currently working on.

We were proud to see so many of our students (over 3,700) have their degrees conferred at our Commencement Exercises, held last weekend at the U.S. Cellular Arena, downtown. But now that we’ve sent our most recent group of alumni into the world, it’s time to turn the page to the entering class for Fall 2012.

If you are entering in Fall 2012, remember: we have a summer full of New Student Orientations, Preview Days, Move-In and Fall Welcome to complete before we start the Fall semester. Our goal for this blog is to continue those experiences and provide a wider-lens look at life at UWM, beyond the one or two-day Orientation or Preview experiences you may have had previously. We are excited for you to join us in August, and call University Housing your home.

To the rest of our guests and readers: please share your thoughts and recollections. UWM is a great community, and the wisdom of those who have experience around campus and around Milwaukee is always appreciated.

In the meantime, click on the YouTube video above for a quick glance at our University Housing facilities.

Just A Small Town Girl

*Living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anywhereeeeeee.* (I had to.)

After living in Milwaukee for a little over a month, going back home for the first time was weird, to say the least. My home town has about 14,000 people in it, but there's not much to do. It was extremely unsettling to go from the big city, where there's always something to do, to a small town where you have to strive to think of something to do.

It was nice going home - I got to do my laundry (which was substantially nicer than doing it in the residence halls, mostly because I didn't feel rushed to get my clothes right away, didn't have to worry about bringing anything with me to the laundry room, as it was all there for me already, and I could put things through the wash/dry cycles as many times as I wanted for free. :P) I also got to catch up on the tv shows I've been missing. My roommate has 2 shows that we absolutely have to watch (Gossip Girl and Glee, of course, which I had never watched before but now I don't mind) but other than that neither of us really watch tv that often.

The first thing I did when I got home though, is throw my stuff in my room and went off to find my cat and cuddle with her. If there's one thing I miss about home, that's it. I miss having something fluffy to snuggle with. I even missed my cat frantically pawing at my door at 2 in the morning because she wanted to sleep on someone's bed while my mom was gone (celebrating her birthday with her friends).

I also got my hair cut - another thing I miss about being at home. The local Cost Cutters here is NOTHING compared to the one in my home town. I went all summer without a haircut and had to wait another month and a half to get it cut because I don't trust anyone else to cut my hair. I got 5 inches cut off, and it's now a little past my shoulders. Shorter hair is just easier to manage and looks more mature (in my opinion).

I was glad to come back home to Milwaukee yesterday though. I only stayed at home one night but that's about all I can handle. I was never meant to live in a small town. I craved the city life too much.

Room Tour, Finally

Since I'm stuck at home sick (hey look at that, UWM's home now!) I figured I would take the time to post a room tour.... I am feeling a lot better though, so that's good news :)

Tina's crib *que mtv song*

1 bed

1.5/4 baths (1 shower + 1 toilet + 2 sinks / 4 girls)

1/4 kitchen AKA my fridge.

1/2 car (a bike)

I opted to not loft my bed because I like my bed just tall enough that I roll off and am standing already, none of this climbing up and down nonsense. And futons are a pain to move, especially considering the 6 hour ride with my entire family... I do wish I had a little more open space in my room, especially since it's a single, but having my bed lower is more important to me.

My room during move-in. Hectic day

My closet, it's pretty great, lots of space, and yes, I do have a lot of clothes...

My "kitchen" if you will ;) The water heater's super useful for making tea since we're not allowed microwaves in our rooms, each house (every two floors) shares one. Which I appreciate, given the amount of fire alarms we'd have if everyone had a microwave... A lot. We've already had one for burnt popcorn, the whole tower had to evacuate at 11pm. A lot of people were crabby the next day...

My beautiful new dishes, from the clearance rack of urban outfitters. Well, except that mug in the background, I got that years ago at pier 1 imports.

My bed prior to posters getting posted. Panda wasn't ready for the picture... And that's my hello kitty cd alarm clock on top of the last green drawer :) The drawers under my bed are stackable and pull open, they're useful and they add a lot of color to the room (lime green/purple). My pink storage foot stool adds a little bit of seating in my room when I need it.

My posters that I added above the head of my bead. Billy Joel River of Dreams, Mona Lisa Smile, WWF magazine page, and Dream.

My desk. Take note of my "I'm a republican fan" fan, it makes me giggle everytime I see it :) Oh and andy warhol, no room is complete without him! Oh and yes, lava lamps are fair game in the dorms, I checked the resident handbook on that one... :)

My room's a LOT brighter in person, the comforter itself is pretty blinding in it's hues... Best seen in that first move in picture.

That's pretty much it. Now, as they do it on mtv cribs-

Get out, NOW ;-)