Batter Up

On Friday, Sept. 26, I joined the Beaver Dam Student Life group on the ball field and cheered on their softball game. It was a beautiful day to be outside and see the excitement and team spirit from the students participating. It was a fun event, and it wasn’t about who was scoring the most runs, who missed the ball or how fast the students went from first, to second, to third base and then home! There was no shortage of talent at the game and, at times, I even got to be the umpire!

I also got to join the batting team and attempt to hit the ball, and “attempt” is exactly what it was. I was grateful for the pitcher who graciously tried to oblige when I would ask him to “pitch it so I can be sure to hit it.”  The students on the sideline offered excellent advice, with the most important being, “keep your eye on the ball!”

If opportunities are there for you to participate in Student Life activities, I encourage you to do so. It is a great way to build new friendships, and you never know when you might see me at that next event!

Welcome Back, Students!

Although it doesn’t feel much like spring, our Spring Semester is into its second week!  I hope everyone had nice and relaxing winter break. Hopefully you all got the chance to attend the welcome back lunches last week featuring John Cassidy. I got a chance to attend at the Fond du Lac campus show and it was definitely an experience!

It was great to see all of you reconnecting with classmates! Make sure to check out some of the photos from the event on our Facebook page. Here are a few of my favorites from each campus:

 

 

I hope this is a wonderful semester for all of our students; we are so happy to have you all back on campus! Whether you are a first-time reader of my blog, or a regular, I hope you continue you to follow along with my blog. Please don’t be afraid to ask questions or share how your semester is going in the comment section below.  

Holiday Happenings at Moraine Park!

The end of semester is always a busy time for students as they are working hard to finish up their end of semester projects and prepare for final exams. In spite of all this, Moraine Park students still found time to give back to their communities this holiday season.

Students in Moraine Park Technical College’s Electrical Power Distribution (EPD) Club rang bells for the Salvation Army at Racheck’s and Shopko in West Bend on Dec. 4, 2013. Pictured from left: Andy Luedtke, Tanner Holzhueter and Erik Hefner.

In Fond du Lac, Student Senate sponsored a diaper drive for the Fond du Lac Family Resource Center. The group also held a Bone Marrow Drive for Be the Match last month. During the drive students learned how to get involved in donating bone marrow through the Be The Match organization.  Many clubs around campus also held drives to collect hats, mittens and food that will all be donated to local organizations.

In West Bend, the Chiropractic Specialist Club, Cosmetology Apprentice Club, Electricity Club, Graphics/IMD Club, SAGA Club, Student Senate, SMARTS Club and the Student Nurses Association held a campus-wide food drive. The West Bend Student Senate and the Student Nurses Association collected items for the Kids2Kids Toy Drive. Kapco’s Kids2Kids toy drive collects over 20,000 toys for low-income children through Southeastern Wisconsin.

 

Winner of Mo-Vember at Mo-Raine Park, William Milbrot.

The Beaver Dam Student Senate found a creative way to raise funds and awareness for men’s health issues through a month-long event called Mo-Vember at Mo-Raine Park. Participants took before and after photos, one clean shaven at the beginning of the month and another at the end of the month and invited anyone to vote for their favorite Mo-Vember moustache for $1. The club also sold Kwik Trip gift cards with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Elks Christmas Baskets, which provides food baskets for families during the holidays. Between the two fundraisers over $700 was raised for the Elks Christmas Baskets. The Human Resources Club conducted a toy drive in conjunction with the Dodge County Toy Bank. The Electrical Power Distribution (EPD) Club rang bells for the Salvation Army. The Beaver Dam Student Nurses Association conducted a food drive for St. Vincent de Paul.

Students in the Beaver Dam and Fond du Lac chapters of the Multicultural Club collected school supplies and other donations this winter to support the Blue Mountain Project. The Blue Mountain Project is an organization committed to improving the health, education and economy in rural Jamaican communities. Some club members and other Moraine Park students will be bringing the items to Jamaica this January during their study abroad trip through Moraine Park’s International Education program!

I am so proud of the effort Moraine Park students have put into giving back to our communities. Their actions are so inspiring.  If you’ve been giving back this year, please be sure and share efforts in the comment section below!  

Welcome back, students!

What an exciting first week back for our students! It was so nice seeing the faces of new and returning students on our Beaver Dam, West Bend, and Fond du Lac campuses, ready to kick off a new semester. Welcome lunches were held throughout the week on each campus for students and staff along with entertainment. I attended the welcome lunch on the Fond du Lac campus and enjoyed entertainment from a Forrest Gump impersonator and professional speaker. Steve Weber used the persona, wit and wisdom of Forrest Gump to deliver an interactive and motivational program. There were some wonderful inspirational messages for students and staff to carry with them throughout the new semester.

Lunch and comedic entertainment also took place on the Beaver Dam and West Bend campuses this week. I hope that students were able to enjoy these events and take advantage of meeting and mingling with new friends, old friends, and fellow classmates in attendance.

Since I’ve been at Moraine Park (it’s hard to believe it’s already been a year), one of my favorite new semester duties is volunteering as a semester greeter. Today, I was stationed at a table and helped students who were looking for a new class, free breakfast, or had general questions about the College. I always enjoy meeting new students and greeting returning students. If you ever see me in the hall, please introduce yourself and say hi. I hope this is a wonderful semester for all of our students. We are so happy you chose to attend or return to Moraine Park!