The Geese Are Coming! And so are more bikes!

Following the moons that bring new sunshine, longer sunshine, and the arrival of white hawks, comes the moon that in Alaska is a sure sign of spring; tiŋmirrat tatqiat (pronounced "ding-meer-rut tut-ke-at" in which the 'k' is a stronger guttural sound than that which is used in English), in the northwest Alaskan Inuit language, Iñupiatun, is the way my ancestors identified with what we commonly know in some form or another as the month of April. During these early spring days, it's as if the campus and community shed winter's snow coat and begin feeding off the rejuvenating daylight that continually shines longer each day. For those of you who may have not experienced a winter in Alaska, the arrival of spring is a truly joyous and exciting time to be alive which always reminds me of the Chinese proverb: without having experienced the cold of winter, one cannot appreciate the warmth of spring. Here at UAF, there are many simple yet illustrious ways the community livens up, and if I were to give UAF an Iñupiatun name for the month of April it might be something like 'aksraligautit tatqiat': the bicycles are coming. Snow melts, revealing the earth and the non-winter biker's bikes and, ready to be tuned up to hit the trails and/or roads.

photo from Facebook, UAFairbanks

For more information on learning how to tune up your bike or if you need a hand with such tasks, UAF Green Bikes provides a self-service bike repair stand on campus and trained mechanics that are available a few times a week. There are also tools, pumps, spare parts, and both short-term and long-term rentals! Their website is located here if you're ready to put a little pedal time in during these beautiful spring days. It's a great way to celebrate spring, enjoy the outdoors and in a way that's healthy for the body and reduces ones carbon footprint. Happy trails, and keep an ear out for those geese and an eye out for those bikers - they're coming! :-)

Sage Advice

This Spring is a little different for me here at UAF. For the first time in my life, I am taking my last finals. EVER. That's right, I am a graduating Senior, and it's not bittersweet at all. It's FANTASTIC. I highly recommend 5 years of college just for this feeling. Just kidding. What I'm really trying to say here is that it's nice to see 5 years of blood, sweat, tears, and tuition finally pay off. And I think if I could do it all again, I'd take the following advice:

-Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's ALL small stuff.

-Maintain your perspective. Sometimes, things don't go exactly the way you want them to. But if you keep in mind that your education is the means to an end, you will lose a lot less sleep over that one bad homework score. Also remember that homework is a learning opportunity. Sometimes it feels like a major deal, but it's not, it never is.

-Manage your time. The earlier you can foster that self-discipline that makes you get all your work done on a wednesday night, the more fun you will have going on adventures, going to sporting events, and getting off campus to get to know the Fairbanks community on thursdays, fridays, and saturdays.

-Choose a major that is going to get you a job you want. Everyone tells you to follow your passions. I boldly disagree. Keep your passions, and remember that you will work to live. Not live to work. With that in mind, look at the JOB market. Not the course catalog. Find something you think you'd like to do for the rest of your life, and then TALK to that person. See what their story is, where they came from and what they studied. Sometimes you find the most interesting combinations of major and profession.

-Internships are key. Especially for engineers. It does not matter what your internship is in. TAKE it, and learn from it. You will find that the most important things you learn in life you don't learn in school, and often don't have a formal title.

-Find a study method that works for you and stick to it. For me, it was flashcards. I still have flashcards with organic chemistry compounds...from 5 years ago.


I think that is about all the wisdom I can muster on this lovely tuesday morning. It's beautiful outside. Fairbanks in the spring... with freedom just on the other side of finals! :) Whoopity Whoop!

From Zebras to Bacons&Everything in Between: SpringFest

...And we all know what that means! It's almost time for SpringFest!

We still have about 2 weeks until SpringFest, but I am super pumped for it already. So a brief background information on SpringFest...

SpringFest was originally called All Campus Day. This tradition dates back to the late 1950s. It's actually a lot of thanks to our past professors that we get a whole day off of classes. Professors felt that students should get a day off to fully prepare for their finals. But that wasn't the only reason. Another very important aspect of SpringFest is SpringFest Service. On All Campus Day, students participate in service projects as a way to give back to the community and UAF campus.

Over the years, the name has changed from All Campus Day to Meltdown and finally to SpringFest. As the name changed, some activities have been changed to better suit the student population. An example of that would be Mud Volleyball, which began as Mud Hockey. (Volleyball is actually one of our most popular intramural sport).

The main activities during SpringFest are Kick-Off BBQ/Dance Off, Watermelon Drop, SpringFest Service, Mud Volleyball, Concert, and Field Day. If you're interested in other programs during SpringFest follow the link below and it will take you to the full schedule.


http://www.uaf.edu/woodcenter/activities/traditions/spring/schedule/