Don't Gamble with Your Future...Plan for It:
The Campaign for Student Rights and Responsibilities

By: Mary Zabriskie, Assistant Director for Campus Life

If you thought new students were on their own once Orientation was over and classes began, think again.  There is always First40.
 
Research in higher education shows the importance of new students feeling connected to a campus community in the first month of their college experience. In an effort to support students in making these connections, a team of student services staff from all over campus led by chairs Mary Zabriskie (Campus Life), Danielle Bristow (First Year Programs) and Mary Elliott (Residential Life) as well as Orientation Executive Board member Jen Guo have been hard at work creating and identifying social and cultural opportunities in which new students can engage during their first 40 days on campus. 
 

Day1

To kick off the initiative a new program - known as Day1 - was launched. Instead of parents sending students off to school on the first day of classes, undergraduates were greeted by university staff offering school supplies, a snack, and even the chance to have a first day of school photo taken. 
 
Since then, students have had the opportunity to participate in an all class community service day through Service First, attend the Big Bang (a party at the Saint Louis Science Center), and hear an outdoor concert covering everything from Bach to Hip Hop by members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. These events are just a taste of the wealth of opportunities First40 provides. To learn more about First40 and to see if your student's picture was taken on Day1 check out first40.wustl.edu.

Dance Marathon

On November 6, 2010, the Washington University Athletic Complex will be rocking when the Twelfth Annual Saint Louis Area Dance Marathon (DM) gets under way. At this major campus event, participants from Washington University, as well as other Saint Louis universities, local high schools, and the community will come together for an exciting fundraiser benefiting Children's Miracle Network, a national non-profit organization.
 
DM is a twelve-hour event of dancing, fun, and games. On the day of the event, dancers are joined by Miracle Children and their families, who have been treated at Saint Louis Children's Hospital and Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center. The event provides both mental and physical challenges for the dancers to symbolize the obstacles faced by the children treated at area hospitals. In 2009, the Saint Louis Area Dance Marathon, featuring over a thousand dancers, raised $134,000, of which 100% stayed in Saint Louis for the kids.
Want to know more about Dance Marathon?  Check out www.dmstl.org/.

By: Mike Saxvik, Coordinator for Student Involvement and Leadership

On October 29, 2010, emerging student leaders will head off campus to spend two days exploring leadership roles and skills at an exciting retreat in southern Illinois.
 
Coordinated by Student Involvement and Leadership, the Leadership Summit is an opportunity for freshman and sophomore students to discover leadership at Washington University in St. Louis.  Participants engage in valuable self-discovery, explore what leadership means to them, and contemplate how they might make a difference in the community. Student leaders will also complete the Leadership Practices Inventory and discuss the results in the context of their leadership experiences.
 
Questions about the Leadership Summit should be directed to osaleadership@wustl.edu or contact Mike Saxvik, Coordinator of Student Involvement and Leadership at (314) 935-5038 or Michael.saxvik@wustl.edu.

Over Labor Day, September 5-6, 2010, St. Louis Hillel at Washington University commenced the new academic year with Into the Wild,an overnight retreat for Jewish freshmen. In its tenth year, this popular off-campus excursion takes students out of their usual surroundings and allows them to connect with other Jewish freshmen and student leaders within the Washington University Jewish community. It also helps to familiarize Jewish freshmen with the Jewish resources and opportunities awaiting them back on campus.

Into the Wild

This year, Into the Wild moved to a new overnight camp, Camp Manitowa, located in Rend Lake, Illinois (www.campmanitowa.com). About an hour and a half from the University, Camp Manitowa is nestled in the woods right on the water and provided an ideal locale for the thirty-hour experience. Students could partake in various camp activities such as kayaking and canoeing on the waterfront, a high ropes course, swimming, gaga (a favorite camp game similar to dodge-ball), and basketball or beach volleyball. With over 70 Jewish students in attendance, the beautiful weather and a plethora of outdoor activities, the retreat was a huge success.

Professors Jana Harper and Lutz Koepnick, Faculty Fellows for WGE ResCollege

In 1998, The Faculty Fellows program began when Professor Michael Wysession and his family moved into Danforth House, part of the William Greenleaf Eliot Residential College. During the next few years, the program expanded to include Robert S. Brookings and Park/Mudd Residential Colleges. Currently, there are eight Faculty Fellows (FF) residing in seven residential colleges. Professors Lutz Koepnick and Jana Harper share a joint FF appointment in William Greenleaf Eliot Residential College.

Anca Parvulescu, Erin McGlothlin, Brian Carpenter, Ian MacMullen, Joe Thompson and Margaret West

The Faculty Fellow plays an important role in the life of each Residential College and helps to develop a strong sense of community and positive social, cultural, and intellectual atmosphere within the College. By hosting both informal and formal programs, the Fellows enhance the undergraduate experience by promoting student-faculty interaction through cultural and educational activities and other events. They are available to residents of the College to advise and assist on a variety of academic, personal and other matters, and work with students in the College to attract other faculty and staff to participate in College activities. Moreover, they collaborate with the Residential College Director, Resident Advisors, Faculty Associates, and College Council leaders to oversee College programs and activities while promoting a living-learning environment.

For a list of all of the Faculty Fellows, their assignments, and titles, please click here.

The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) was created to promote and facilitate research by undergraduates. As their mission statement declares:

By: Stephanie Milner

On Friday September 3, 2010 the North Side Association (NSA) held their first event of the year. With the help of team 31, the NSA welcomed students back with barbeque, Vitamin Water, t-shirts, music, and bounce houses galore! It was a great way to kick off an exciting year of NSA events with several hundred students attending to tune into local musician Collin McAfee and hang out with their RAs, friends, and the whole north side team, not to mention snag a great looking henna tattoo or a caricature.

NSA First Friday

The NSA serves to provide the upper class students in both on- and off-campus Residence Life housing with exciting and growth inspiring events all year. Keep a look out for our fall events, including: service projects, social events, life skills classes (like how to write your resume or learning how to cook more than Macaroni-n-Cheese), plus concerts, including our upcoming event in our North Side Concert Series starring Ari Herstand on Monday, October 11th at 7 p.m.! The NSA looks forward to a great year on the North Side...it really is cooler up here!
 
Parents, be on the lookout for a spring tour of the North Side, hosted by the NSA, helping sophomores scout out their new homes and future friends.

By: Becca Madson

Congress of the South 40 (CS40) sponsored several events during orientation and the first 40 days of the semester. Club 40, an annual dance party, was held at the Clocktower on the South 40 and featured pizza and Fitz's root beer. The night before classes, CS40 toasted the new year with cotton candy, snacks, and a showing of "Iron Man 2." On First Friday, students tested their Washington U. knowledge by playing trivia and receiving free ice cream in return. CS40 also hosted a trip to Six Flags St. Louis, and will be sponsoring a trip to the Cardinals game on September 30th. CS40, one of the largest programming bodies on campus, held elections for College Councils on Wednesday, September 15th, welcoming many new students to the organization, and are looking forward to a successful year!

William Greenleaf Eliot: Sunday September 12th, 2010 the ResCollege celebrated the opening of the year with a dinner for the entire Residential College community.  Professor Bob Hansman spoke. WGE will also host "How to work with your Faculty" on the 16th of September. This is a workshop of sorts hosted by the WGE faculty for all students. Also coming up on Oct 2 is "WGE on the Water" a canoe trip on the Merrimac River. WGE will also join Liggett Koenig Residential College on a trip to Little Rock, AR over fall break.
 
Ruby Umrath South 40 House: Celebrated a great start to the year with their ResCollege dinner on September 9th. Whale Week is coming up Sept 26 - 30 where a ton of different events and activities will be hosted by the ResCollege including Apple Picking and Pie baking, Project Runway, Whale Waffles and a Talent Show.
 
Thomas Eliot: Kicked off the year with a Welcome Week featuring an ice cream social, a social hosted by the Faculty Fellow and RCD, A program called "Making the Grade" featuring the faculty of Eliot and a ResCollege Dinner! Eliot is also going on a service trip over night on Sept 18 - 19.
 
On Campus Apts: Opened the year with a Career Fair prep lab to help gear up for the all campus fair, and they are planning a fun trip to the City Museum coming up on the 26th of Sept.
 
Shanedling, Dauten and Rutledge: Will host a pancake breakfast over Parent & Family weekend in October with proceeds going towards the Dance Marathon JKL team! JKL is also hosting their opening ResCollege dinner on the 16th of September.
 
Hitzeman, Hurd, Myers: Will host their Residential College dinner at the end of September and outings are planned to the City Museum and the Balloon Glow in Forest Park!
 
Liggett Koenig: We had our first annual Residential College Dinner in College Hall where we gave our L/K scarves and had Vice Chancellor for Students, Dean Jim McLeod come and talk to the Res. College about the importance of community in college. From 9/12-9/16 we had WeLKome Week with programming every night for L/K to get to know each other and the history of L/K. A group of students will be going to Little Rock, Arkansas for Fall Break. If your student is looking for something to do, tell them to email jgrim@wustl.edu or talk to their RA. Don't forget parents weekend breakfast on Saturday 10/23 @ 8:30AM in the L/K Lobby.

Wayman Crow: Opening their year with a ResCollege Dinner in College Hall on the 19th of September, Wayman Crow is also continuing their long tradition of CROW CAKES - a late night pancake study break in late Sept. The Faculty Fellow is hosting monthly music and singing jam sessions in the lobby which will show off all of their musical talent!
 
Off Campus Apts: Each apartment area held a kick-off event during the first week of classes which encouraged everyone to get to know the people in their community. The Off Campus Apartments is working with the surrounding neighborhoods to put on the Fall Block Party on Sept. 19th. This will be a great opportunity to get to know the families in the neighborhood!
 
Lee Beaumont: We started on a fun and tasty note with Ice Cream bars and Freeze Tag on the lawn, then hosted the BLEEBQ on Sunday the 12th and fed the whole ResCollege! Lee Beau is planning their ResCollege Banquet for Sept 19th and will have a monthly tradition of hot cocoa in the lobby the first Monday of every month.
 
The Village: Each BLOC has hosted successful kick-off events and are quickly planning for the rest of the semester. We're looking forward to a trip to a Haunted House and Six Flags in October. The Village also played host along with the North Side Association to a great day of events for First Friday!
 
Park Mudd: Will kick off a year of events at their ResCollege dinner on the 15th of September along with College Council elections. We'll follow this formal dinner with a cookout on the 23rd of Sept. Our Faculty Fellow, Joe Thompson will be visiting every floor with treats during the next few weeks!
 
Brookings: Campus icon Jim Burmeister helped Brookings kick off the school year by speaking at their ResCollege dinner. September brought the annual "Scorch on the Porch" cookout along with some great weather and we'll be soon starting our Current Affairs Dinners at our Faculty Fellow's home.

The Alumni and Parents Admission Program (APAP) at Washington University is a volunteer organization consisting of WU parents and alumni who help to recruit, interview, enroll, and transition talented students into WU. Parent participation in APAP is a critical component of the success of our program. Parents are one of the best resources for sharing information with prospective and enrolling students and their parents about the University through their Washington U. experiences.
 
Parents can become involved with APAP in several ways:
Parents Resource List - This list is mailed to parents of admitted students in the spring. It contains contact information for APAP parent members whom prospective parents may call to get answers to questions or information about the University. 
 
Parent to Parent Calling Program - APAP parents involved in this program call the parents of enrolling students in June to congratulate them on their child's admission and answer any questions they may have about WU.
 
Admitted Student and Summer Send-Off Receptions- APAP parents can volunteer to host or attend these receptions for admitted and enrolling students to welcome them and their families into the WU community.
 
College Fairs - College Fairs allow high school students and their parents to meet with WU representatives to learn more about the University. Since Admissions Officers are unable to attend every College Fair, we rely on APAP alumni and parent members to represent WU at many of these events.
 
Interview Day Greeters and Minglers - In December and January, APAP volunteers conduct Interview Days in major cities around the country for prospective students who cannot attend an interview on campus. Many parents attend these events with their high school students. APAP parent members can help answer their questions by interacting with parents while they wait for their child's interview to be completed by an APAP alumni member. Parents can also help the Site Leaders of these events with greeting students and parents, check-in tasks, and other event logistics.
 
If you are interested in becoming an APAP member or learning more about the program, please visit our Web site at apap.wustl.edu. If you have any questions, please call (314 or 800) 935-4826 or e-mail us at apap@wustl.edu.

A Resource for Both Students and Families

Not only is Into the Wild an opportunity for Jewish freshmen to meet one another and engage in fun camp activities, it also provides the participants with a chance to meet leaders and mentors within the campus Jewish community through peer-led programs and other activities. St. Louis Hillel staff work closely with Jewish Student Union (JSU) board members and First Year Students of Hillel (FYSH) Liaisons (a select group of upperclassmen tasked with engaging Jewish freshmen) to develop fun and educational programming. JSU leaders created three sessions in the areas of cultural & educational programming (focusing on Israel), religious programming (baking challah and discussing Shabbat and holidays), and social justice programming (discussing tikkun olam - repairing the world).

FYSH Liaisons planned the social and bonding aspects of the retreat with a photo scavenger hunt, Bear Mitzvah (dance & pool party), a campfire complete with s'mores and singing, and an activity called "boundary breakers," which allows students to connect on a deeper level in small groups. FYSH spent the majority of their time building relationships with the freshmen in their designated groups and will work to maintain those relationships back on campus over the course of the year through one-on-one interactions and FYSH programs coordinated specifically for freshmen.

Into the Wild is the annual kick-off to St. Louis Hillel's engagement program, wherein Hillel professional staff and trained student interns focus on engaging uninvolved Jewish students and helping them to create and participate in meaningful Jewish experiences. The retreat continues to be an incredible opportunity for Jewish freshmen to meet one another and connect over their shared experiences as young Jews from around the country. Through Into the Wild and other similar engagement programs, St. Louis Hillel strives to continue to foster Jewish identities among students at Washington University and to provide a space for them to form lasting relationships with their peers.