The Art of Speaking

by Kaz

Something we can all expect to be asked to do in the future is communicate effectively.The University of Alaska Fairbanks requires that all students take a 100 level Communications class in order to graduate from any of its programs. 

There is some flexibility though, so don't freak out yet!

You can take Fundamentals of Oral Communication in the Group Context or in the Individual Context. This all boils down to whether you want to learn how to communicate effectively in a group or on your own. I will not lie to you; group is hard. While the focus of the class is on group communication, you have to first learn how to communicate effectively as an individual. 

The way we communicate with others and with ourselves ultimately determines the quality of our lives. ~ Tony Robbins

I enrolled in a Group Comm class during the fall semester of 2009 because I wanted to take a class with my best friend. I tried to convince her that we should sit apart from each other the first few classes so our teacher didn't know we were friends and we could sneak into the same group. It didn't work! Save yourselves the work and sit by your friend. The teachers know, through some uncanny ability, who is friends with who.

Before you get a group, you put together and deliver a few individual speeches to your class. You do a few interesting activities and then jump right into the group building games the preclude your final, group project.

Here are a few things I took from my group class that I hope can help you with speeches in general:

• The perfect speech length is 4.5 minutes
• Don't just choose a topic that you find interesting, choose one your class will find interesting.
• Do your research.
• Give yourself at least a day to practice!
• Utilize the Speaking Center located in Gruening 507.

Here are a few things that I think will help with groups:

• Be honest about expectations from the start.
• When making a group contract, keep it specific.
• Include punishments for slacking and other no-nos that can be implemented before your group-mate gets kicked out of the group. 
• Make sure that everyone agrees on the contract.
• Follow the contract, even if someone has to retake the course. 
• Be nice to each other.
• Everyone should put in an equal amount of effort.

"Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it." ~ Robert Frost

You might be wondering: "Why do I need a class on communication to improve my communication?" No matter what your future career, at some point, you will have at least a blurb of information that you will need to deliver to one or more people in order to perform you job. 

 As a future teacher, I must be able to communicate concepts effectively to 20 to 30 students daily and answer questions that dig into the content beyond what I have memorized. A doctor needs to be able to translate the jargon of his/her field into laymen terms for individual patients. An engineer will need to explain their designs, defend them and promote them. 

Speech is more than your memorized blurb. Speech is effectively delivering the information housed in your head. I encourage all of you who have yet to take a 100 level Communications class to take it very seriously and put your best effort in. The skills you pick up will  be needed from you for the rest of your life!

The Magic of Letters

by Iris

                No matter how many times you check your mail, it’s always exciting.  Walk down the stairs to the post office, approaching your box with slight apprehension, insert the key with that hopeful feeling in your stomach and, if there’s mail, extract it with anticipation.  Who could have sent me mail this time?  Credit card offers, bank statements, junk mail… OHMYGOODNESSGRACIOUS IS THAT A HAND-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE?!  *GASP* IT EVEN HAS A HAND-WRITTEN RETURN ADDRESS!!! A hand written letter warrants immediate attention right then and there!

                There is nothing quite like getting a letter.  And I mean a real, hand-written-on-paper letter.  Each one is different and each one is precious.  It could be written on stationary and carefully thought out, or maybe it’s written in chicken-scratch penmanship with words crossed out on notebook paper.  Is it in pencil? Pen? Multiple pens?  Each letter has its own distinct character that accentuates the contents.  The first read through is pure excitement, the second read through is where information is retained, anything after that is just to bring a smile.

                The hardest part of writing letters in this age of social media and instant gratification is having anything to say that hasn’t already been Facebooked or texted or Snapchatted.  I write real letters to several of my friends from swimming and high school and I almost never text these people or look at their Facebook profile.  I actually carefully avoid doing so.  If something super exciting just happened, I start a new letter.  Sometimes I write a letter in half an hour and it’s done and gone.  Sometimes it takes me a week to write my reply.  But it’s always a wonderful stress reliever when I do sit down to write a letter to a friend.  I can rant and rave about whatever has been going on, or tell funny stories of things that happen with complete and utter abandon.  I write each paragraph in a different colored pen (I have 8 colors), and tend to have lots of scratched-out words due to my terrible spelling.  Sometimes I’ll add little sketches to my letters, or print out pictures to send along with them.  It’s just so much fun!

                Needless to say, when I saw the flier for the Pen Pal program, I got pretty excited.  UAF runs a pen pal program with elementary schools in Fairbanks, and sometimes in other states.  I’ve currently have two pen pals, both in elementary school here in Fairbanks.  This is my second year corresponding with one; the other is new this year.  And I love it!  Getting a letter from a friend is fun, but getting a letter from a stranger is just downright exciting, especially when that stranger is in fifth grade!  They just have such a different view on the world.  Do you remember what it was like to be in fifth grade?  And now my elementary school pen pals have at least an inkling of an idea what college is like.  Mutual knowledge expansion is a wonderful thing!

                So when you come to college, or are anywhere else in your life and you get homesick, try writing a letter instead of tweeting, Facebooking, Snapchatting, Instagramming or posting a Vine.  It will start a whole new relationship with whoever the lucky letter recipient is and will relieve some of that stress of being far away from home or your friends.  Besides, it will absolutely make someone’s day to get that letter.  

Life outside classes as an international student

by Bertrand

As an international student, experience outside classes in United States will certainly differ from other local students. Regardless of which part of the world one is from, undergraduate or graduate, regardless of what experience one had before, regardless of which academic major one is following, there are always adjustments that need to be made to fit in this new environment. There is a big range of challenges; from culture shocks, language’s challenge, adjustment to different academic system, home sickness and much more. Fortunately, there are different ways to cope with this challenge. One of the efficient ways to adjust to a new environment is to make new friends, consequently sparing a portion of time spent missing home.

From my own experience, my life outside of classes has been a blast so far. I came to UAF as a graduate student, after completing my undergraduate studies in California. Obviously, the culture shock or English language was no longer the main concern, yet Alaska is different. Alaska was a brand new experience to me: I had never been in Alaska before and I knew nobody, not only at UAF but in the whole state of Alaska; I only knew few names of admission counselors or other administrative personnel who assisted me through my application process. A big applause to them, they made my application process very smooth and enjoyable.

Welcome sign at UAF (online picture)

I came to Alaska with two main goals: Academic objective of course was a priority; however exploring Alaska wonders as much as I could was another important goal. The question was ‘How could I balance my academic life and still maximize my chances to explore Alaska?’  After a little bit over one year in Alaska, I can now suggest an answer to this pertinent question: “Make friends and be involved,” simple as that. From the very first day an international student steps in UAF campus throughout the stay, there are plenty of resources, people who care, and many opportunities available. However, one needs to be involved and stay active to get the most out of it.

One of the common concerns for a non-local student is transportation: as a UAF student, there is no need to worry: Your Polar Express card (Student ID card) got you covered. UAF students ride city buses for free; just show a Polar Express card and then relax and enjoy the ride. The bus network is very convenient; city buses will get someone pretty much everywhere around including neighboring cities such as North Pole.

Another corner-stone step to take as an international student at UAF is to join student clubs or associations. UAF has more than hundred students club and association. They cover a wide range of activities from more recreational-oriented clubs like dancing, running, and cooking, to more academic-oriented club like IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Student Branch. There are no fees or time commitment, just join a club and have fun. The biggest advantage for being a club member is spending time with people with same interest or hobbies. This is an efficient way to make friends, and a golden opportunity for an international student to connect. Not everyone is interested in knowing what’s happening abroad, however a club focus will give you a first & good hint on this: for instance, members of a foreign language club are likely to have a broaden worldview or to have more interest in knowing about international community.

Students posing in front of UAF Time and Temperature sign to join the 40 Below Club 

(Online picture)

I myself am a member of a Soccer Club, IEEE student branch, Catholic Student Association, and French Club. My first friends I made in Alaska are mostly people I met in these clubs. Besides sharing close interests, hobbies and regular meetings; club members are good friends of mine, and our friendship extends beyond club meetings: we organize different activities including potluck parties, volleyball pick-nick, movie nights, and different random parties, or just hang-out.

No matter what one’s hobby (I assume a good hobby of course) or interests are, I bet they will find a matching student club or association at UAF to join, or just start one. Being part of an active student club is super awesome!

Another good resource for an international student is the office of International Programs and Initiatives. As of Fall 2012, UAF had more than 250 international students, about 2.35 percent of all  enrolled students. International Programs and Initiatives' job is to make sure international students’ experience here at UAF is enjoyable. They interact with international students on a daily basis, which means they know a lot about it. As an international student, whatever concern or question one may encounter, it is likely that they have seen it before and know how to handle it.

Flags hanged in Wood Center representing diversity at UAF (online picture)

Last but not least, the Department of Recreation, Adventure, and Wellness (DRAW). DRAW helps and facilitates students to explore Alaska. Their mission is to provide the university community with opportunities and facilities to lead active, healthy lifestyles through sport and recreation on campus and out in the beautiful wilderness of Alaska. At DRAW, students can rent outdoor gear for most of the available adventure in Alaska at an inexpensive price. Equipment includes boats and accessories, climbing gear, camping gear including tents and much more. Moreover, DRAW organizes trip and events. This is my favorite part: At a very affordable price, one can join a trip or an event with enthusiastic students and staff  and get out to explore Alaska. As an international student, I have found this as the most safe, affordable, and informative way to explore Alaska. Trips will range from a one day trip to go rafting or hiking, to a couple of day’s trip camping in the wild. I myself rented canoes from DRAW few times, and went to a rafting trip with friends. It was awesome and I enjoyed being with a group of students and faculty where I could ask any question to know more about Alaska. 

Participants in a UAF Outdoor Adventure day-long raft trip paddle down Nenana River 

(Online picture)

Balancing academic life and social life at college is one of the useful tips to successfully graduate from college. For an international student, socializing inevitably requires making new friends. UAF provide plenty of opportunities for international students to get involved and make new friends. However, it takes one’s personal effort to get up and get involved. 

Working Through College

Posted by Kaz

In an ideal world, every student will be fully funded with scholarships and help from home to allow them to focus all of their energies on academics and the college experience.

In an ideal world, students who do work while in college are able to arrange their classes perfectly around their work schedule throughout the year.

In an ideal world, work would never take time away from academics.

Working through college has been a reality for me throughout my education. When I first came to UAF, I did not have enough money to attend classes and live in Fairbanks without a little extra help. As soon as I got settled into UAF, I went to uakjobs.com and began applying for employment on campus. I applied for some pretty odd ball positions that had no relevance to my goals. I received a few calls but nothing ever worked out.

In October, as financial anxiety was settling in for the winter, I received a call from the Geophysical Institute to come in for an interview. I was a Business Administrative major at the time. I couldn't actually remember applying for a job at a science institute. Why would I apply to a science institute?!

I put my interview outfit on the next day and tried to refresh myself on what I had applied for, what the Geophysical Institute did and how I can help them be better. I sat down with two very nice ladies and talked about my past experiences. They asked me to provide an example of my editing skills. After I finished, they promised to call me whether I got the position or not. The next day, I was hired to be a student worker for the Geophysical Institute's Education Outreach Program.

My first task was to figure out how to fix a malfunctioning disc printer. I spent 6 hours googling, reading manuals and hitting my head against the printer to find out that the hardware was installed incorrectly. Two days in, I was pulled into the hall with my supervisor and another lady I had not met yet. I was sure that I was about to be fired. I would be fired and dropped from school because I wouldn't be able to pay my bill. I was doomed.

Instead, they told me that they would like me to work for this other supervisor because her student worker was going to be leaving soon. So I switched from Education Outreach to Public Relations. I've been there since October, 2009.

In the four years that I have worked for the Geophysical Institute's Public Relations Office, I have learned many things. I learned from my colleagues and friends that it's okay to do what you love, so I changed my major to Elementary Education. I learned a great deal about the aurora since much of my job was answering questions about it. I also learned a lot about UAF and the history of the Geophysical Institute since I gave tours to tourists. I learned all of those valuable office skills that employers expect for entry level positions. I learned how to plan and facilitate an event. I also learned how not to make a parade float. Still working on the correct way to make a parade float.

I'm profoundly lucky to have the supervisor that I have. She actively finds tasks that will shape my work experiences to my chosen major. She actually takes my opinion seriously. She definitely worries more about my academic success than I do. She's also the most protective supervisor I've ever had in that she prevents people not in my chain of command from delegating to me and she actively seeks raises for me so that I can support myself.

Sometimes I think about my first month at UAF and how much money scared me. I think about how scared I was when I got transferred to the Public Relations Office. I think about how scared I get when I am assigned a new task that I think I cannot do. Then I realize that, for four years, I have been successful.

From my experience, here is some advice on how to work through school successfully.

1. Always communicate with your supervisor.
2. At least at the start of semester, put your classes and work schedule into a calendar format.
3. In your calendar, set aside homework blocks. You don't have to go but know that they exist.
4. In your calendar, plan out social time. For example, I have a date with my best friend on Monday nights to catch up on our favorite shows. 
5. If you have to study for a class, have homework to finish or an exam to freak out about, call your boss and take the day off.
6. Don't just be an office decoration and get the most out of your office experience.

If you ever have a question about on campus jobs you can feel free to talk to me. I also suggest contacting the Office of Career Services

Top 5 Places to get a meal in the Wood Center

by Ashley

Students often wonder what the food is like at UAF and where they can get a tasty and affordable meal on campus. Luckily, there are lots of options to choose from! While there are many other great locations both on and off campus, (the new West Ridge Cafe and Collegetown Pizzeria are good examples) some of the best food can be found right within our student union building, the Wood Center. Here are the best five places to go and grab yourself a quick snack, or sit down for a lunch break.....

5.) Pizza Luna: This little pizza place sits in the right hand corner of the main dining area upstairs. They are open Monday through Friday from 11:00am-9:00pm, and Saturdays and Sundays for the afternoon. They offer lots of kinds of pizza, including veggie, Hawaiian, meat-lovers, cheese, and pepperoni. Additionally, you can order soup and pasta on the weekdays. If you want a certain kind of pizza, you can order a pizza with the toppings you select and share it with your friends.
PROS: It's quick, inexpensive, and they give you large slices.
CONS: It's a little greasy, and they don't have green olives.



4.) Taco Construction: This is a new stand which sits in the left corner of the main dining area and it's delicious! They are open Monday-Friday from 11am-3pm, and offer a choose your own ingredients fajita bar.  After picking out the style you want (burrito, quesadilla, tacos) you choose your meat, veggies, and sides. While you wait for your food, you can grab a soda or eat some chips and salsa. Hint: The taco salad bowls are the best!
PROS: Delicious, lots of ingredient choices, and fast.
CONS: Expensive if you're on a tight budget.


3.) The Pub: For students who are 21 and older, the pub is the place to grab a beer and a plate of nachos for you and your friends. Pub Nachos have a reputation on campus for being the most delicious creation north of the border, and they go great with any drink available. For those students under 21, don't despair! It isn't uncommon for students to bring nachos out to their friends in the Wood Center Lounge. The Pub is open Monday-Thursday from 4:30pm-11:15pm, and on Fridays starting at noon and going until 1am. Additionally, you can enjoy a huge variety of fun events ranging from Pub Trivia on Tuesday nights, all the way to casino night and the great cover up event featuring bands from around the area. More events can be found at Pub Events page.
You may not get a lot of studying done, (sometimes even hearing over the music is tough,) but my oh my those nachos....
PROS: Nachos with ALL the fixings, and fun music and events.
CONS: Must be 21 or older to enter, sometimes it is too loud.


2.) Pita Place: Hands down the best "hole in the wall" food place on campus. This is a brand new station which recently opened up in the place of the salad bar in the main dining location upstairs. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 12:00pm-3:00pm, a group of wonderful people come in from the Fairbanks community and sell their magical felafel artistry. The lines literally stretch across the food court and into the hallway, as students have become more and more aware of these amazing creations. Don't know what a pita is? Basically, you order a shell which includes veggies of your choosing, a cucumber sauce, and three to four deep-fried chick pea balls. It is super filling and tastes great! The Sun Star, UAF student newspaper, even wrote an article about the new stand; Check out the Pita Place Article.
If you head to UAF anytime soon, this place is worth checking out!
PROS: SO amazingly good, used to only be available in the summer, promotes trying new things.
CONS: It's expensive,  and there's usually a long line.

1.) Student Food Pantry: While you cannot get immediate meals as mouth-watering as Pita Place serves, the Student Food Pantry is hands down the best location to get food anywhere in the Wood Center and on campus. Why? Because it's free! Students who are struggling to make ends meet or even if you just don't have money to pay for a lunch, the food pantry will help you out. All you do is stop by on Mondays between 11:00am-2:00pm, or Tuesdays from 6:00-9:00pm, and you can get your own food pantry bag filled with important meals for a couple of days. They will ask you to fill out a short form, and then you pick your protein, veggies, fruits, and pastas that you need to get by until your next pay check. I myself have used this service more than once, and I know how important it can be for students when we are struggling to have a place to turn to and get help without feeling guilty or upset. The fine students at the pantry will never make you feel that way, and are excited to bring in new canned foods as well as hand them out.
PROS: It's free, it helps students in times of need, and is a great resource.
CONS: None.



So the next time you are thinking about coming onto campus at UAF, keep in mind that even in just one building on campus, there is so much to offer in terms of food options. Don't get stuck on any one item, just try everything and see for yourself!
Are you hungry yet?

Happy dining!

UAF Inside Out Coming in March

 Posted by Denali

You may be asking what is UAF Inside Out?  What does that even mean?  When is it?  Or should I be involved?

Epic Ice-Nanooks will greet you! Photo by Todd Paris

 UAF Inside Out gives students an insider perspective on the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  This is just not your ordinary experience: sitting in a chair and wondering if the desk could really get any smaller, staring at the board, textbook flopped open, with a notebook on the desk.  This is a way to see where a student's potential may be headed. College isn't about sitting in a desk for hours, it is about putting students' knowledge to the test and applying it.  It is about the clubs and organizations that students are involved in, the internships they attain, and job prospects after graduation. Through meeting UAF students, asking questions, and touring campus, high school students get to see what it's really like to go to UAF! (and there's some cool prizes in it, too!)

On March 14th, juniors and seniors in high school will be getting their questions answered and a small taste of what UAF has to offer.  UAF Inside Out is a free event for students to attend! Here is a link to registration: http://www.uaf.edu/admissions/visit/inside-out/register/.  The application is very simple and takes only a few minutes so I would recommend signing up today, so you are ready to go on March 14th!

Here is what the agenda will look like:

7:45 a.m.Check-In and Registration 

• A casual social atmosphere to start your morning right with coffee or tea.

8:40 a.m. Welcome 

• Learn what it means to be a Nanook!

Students work on building the annual Ice Arch. Photo by Todd Paris

9:15 a.m. Mock Classes

• Find out more about the schools and colleges within UAF which interests you most.

10:15 a.m. Walking Tours

•  Get acquainted with the layout of UAF.

Campus from above--get the low-down version on a fun tour! Photo by Todd Paris

11:45 a.m. -1:45 p.m. Choose your own Schedule

•  Individually choose sessions on what you want to learn more about!

 2:00 p.m. UAF Student Panel

• Ask current students your burning questions and get their honest answers.  Send parents to the the "Taking Care of Business Panel" to let them ask the serious questions.

3:00 p.m. Grand Finale!

• A bundle of fun surprises that we can't tell you about yet... 

It will be as fun as this, but without the hats! Photo by Todd Paris

After a day at UAF, don't forget to apply online at: http://www.uaf.edu/admissions/apply/.