End of the year!

So we are wrapping up the end of the year. Most students finished their classes last week and have finals next week. And the big event, GRADUATION is Thursday. Unfortunately I am not graduating but one of our student bloggers Melissa will be! Most people are packing up their dorms and moving home for the summer. It is almost officially the start of summer.

One of my friend's things all packed up to move out of her dorm.

Hogwarts! I wish Northwood was like this!

This year has been definitely a year to remember for me! So many memorable experiences that I have had such as all of the organizations that I am involved in and probably one of the best experiences was getting to go to Orlando a few weeks ago for DECA nationals. My partner Natasha and I didn't advance but we took the experience and definitely know what to work on! The highlight of the trip wasn't competition, though it was a great time, it was getting to go to Universal Studios and seeing the Harry Potter part of the park. Experiences such as these are not only available through DECA but offered through Northwood as a whole. A few of my friends got to experience a trip to Belize a few months ago and I know a couple of people that are doing a term in Asia over the summer. Northwood learning goes beyond the classroom and takes you around the world if you take the experience.



As we here at Northwood are wrapping up the end of another awesome year. We wish you a great summer! Be safe and have fun!


~Christen

Special Moments at NU

The 2010-2011 school year has come to a close.

What moments will you keep hold on to while you 

live your life with your degree?

My favorite moment was when I got a job with a great company, because I knew that the skills and presentations that I had done this past year have really shaped my ability to communicate who I am to my interviewers. Thanks so much to my professors who have taken time out of their lives to help me improve and to really care about me and where I am going. 

You really are life changers!

Here are a few students who shared their favorite parts about this past year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_708c37Ecc

Owl City - Air Traffic

~Enjoy the sun, have peace, and God bless!~

Love, Shawna Grace

Exciting Reflections from Orlando

Since arriving at Northwood three years ago, I have heard tidbits here and there about something called DECA. Occasionally members would host a bake sale, be seen recruiting members at an Organization’s Fair, or post a flyer announcing a meeting. If you had asked me three years ago if I would be part of Collegiate DECA today, I probably would have given you a look of confusion. However, last week, I attended the 50th International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Florida to compete in Advertising Campaigns.

(Chad Fagan, Paige Eldridge, and Josh Shankle)

Collegiate DECA is an organization that has impacted the lives of many Northwood students. Last year, the organization welcomed Josh Shankle as the International President of Collegiate DECA.  This past week, conference attendees witnessed the final days of Shankle’s presidency and welcomed another one of Northwood’s own, Paige Eldridge, into office. Of nine potential candidates, she was chosen by over 150 delegated representatives from all 50 states, Ontario, British Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Paige follows Josh as the 5th National Officer to come out of Northwood.  

Paige reflected upon the campaign as “the absolute greatest experience of [her] life.” She also added that, “all of the other candidates were extremely talented and competitive, yet still so amazing and supportive of each other. Working with everyone to achieve all of our common goals is going to be so rewarding and I can’t put into words how excited I am to begin this journey!” With a busy year ahead, I know we will see great things from Paige!

As a continuation of my previous DECA blog about the Texas State Conference, my sister, Natasha, and I also attended the conference to compete in Advertising Campaigns. I am honored to say that we placed third out of 55 contestants.  It was such a great experience and a great way to top off our senior year! I know I speak for both Natasha and myself when I say that we were pleasantly surprised by the results, and so grateful for the experience and all of the encouragement we received. 

I only wish I would have had the chance to compete in previous years. Collegiate DECA is such an incredible organization and you truly learn a lot through being involved! As first time participants, my sister and I could not believe the caliber of talent brought by the other competitors, as well as the overall dedication, organization, and intensity that is engrained in each student involved in DECA. 

(Myself and Natasha along with Brandon Mason and Wally Trejo, who made Top 12 for their division)

But we would not have been able to compete without the help of our amazing advertising professor and mentor, Jack Allday. Professor Allday supported us all throughout the process and guided us as we worked through developing the campaign. We are so blessed to be working with such a generous and talented teacher. He has truly made an impact in our academic careers, and surely our professional careers beyond Northwood!

~Melissa

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same."

We’ve all been there. We’re standing in front of our closet, staring at our clothes, debating what to wear for that day. Ten minutes later, we’ve given up and end up with sweats and a t-shirt.

A few weeks ago, Julie Bartlett from Colour IQ stopped by Northwood to teach us a little about how to dress professionally! (It’s actually not as bad as it may sound!) Ms. Bartlett started working in the home décor business before finding her way into being a personal consultant. She was at one time a freelance make-up artist with the Chanel Blitz Team in New York. She is currently settled in the Metroplex area, where she serves her clients.

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Even if you don’t pay too much attention to your style, continue reading for tips and some tidbit of information!

 

Always remember:

-To dress well, you have to be aware of colors that work for you; and remember to wear colors that are in that palette.

-A little bit of red is good! It brings energy, so try finding a red lipstick that suits you. Did you know that women who wear lipstick make 26% more than women who wear lipgloss or nothing at all?

-Be aware of what looks good on you!

For interviews:

-Use medium tones. Grey and charcoal grey are great colors for these situations.

-Your jewelry should compliment your outfit, not overpower it!

-Always stick to close-toed shoes, preferably nude or black for interviews.

-Keep your nails simple and short. French tip or nude colors are your best bet.

In regards to color:

Yellow = sunshine/happiness. But be careful, yellow gives the impression/increases the sensation of pain.

Blue = trust. Think policemen. This would be a good color for men or women in finance.

Green = money. Salesmen/women do not wear green. The nonverbal message of green is that all they are thinking about is money. Customers will feel they are being charged more, even if they are not!

Purple = royalty. It’s an intimidating color. If you’re a woman going into an interview where the panel or interviewer is a male, re-think a purple shirt.

White = pure/cleanliness. Always good because it has a sense of transparency. It makes people think you have nothing to hide and are being honest with them.

Grey = can be too much. Only have a few staple pieces that are this color.

Pink = “Come talk to me!” Good in business because it says you are approachable.

Brown = dirt. Not good in business.

Black = authority/expert. Think of it this way: you’ll believe something that’s written in black ink, right?

Orange/Red = can be too strong. Be careful with these. Only use in small pieces.

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As it turns out, how you dress creates boundaries and shows others how you feel about yourself. Ms. Bartlett told us to always love yourself. Leadership begins within. Confidence and self-esteem matter!

 

You can check out Ms. Bartlett’s website by clicking on the Colour IQ logo below! You can also click here to view her blog!
 

-Erica

The Return of Iron Knights!

Founders' Day 2011 brought a lot of fun and games, but I was the most excited for one event in particular: Iron Knights!

As I've mentioned before, I'm part of the Hotel-Restaurant-Resort Management group. Professor Lansing likes for us to organize (or at least participate in) different HRRM events throughout the year.

This year, his sophomore and junior classes were together in the fall. That is when we began planning Iron Knights! I'd never realized how fun yet difficult it is to plan events! We literally started from scratch because Iron Knights had not been done in three-four years. We had different ideas for the event, including the following:

• Having it off-campus, in Cedar Hill

• Fundraiser, which would include selling the dinner tickets

• Including the provost and local mayors in the competition

 

But as most of you know, things don't always go as planned!

When we came back to school from Winter break, we continued to plan. Unfortunately, the sophomore and junior classes were split up for our spring HRRM classes. A few weeks into the semester, Professor Lansing told us that Iron Knights would actually going to be a part of Founders' Day.

Quickly, we had to change plans. Our venue had changed, as well as our target audience/market. The sophomore class was now in charge of the competition-side of Iron Knights, while my class (the juniors) would become in charge of the food-aspect.

After much talk and different arguments, we settled on the menu:

• Caesar salad

• Potato soup in bread boules

• Ice cream

And the sophomore class was finally able to announce the competitors and MCs:

• White Knights: Professors Tiffany Owensby and Martha Heimberg

• Black Knights: Professors Adam Guerrero and Chris Giles

• MCs: Professors Tidwell and D'Alessandro (our Iron Knights champs from previous years)

Both classes had put so much effort into getting everything ready both before and on that day. We were worked hard to make sure the competition was set up for our Knights teams, made salads and drinks, and set-up the line to serve. We did it all, including clean-up!

There was so much going on! We were actually a few minutes late to serve. Most of the junior class had been prepping the food, so we had no idea that the event was actually packed! Janice, Carlos, and I ended up staying at the serving line nearly the entire night because we had students and faculty coming for food the entire time! I've heard we actually served roughly 150 plates, which is a fantastic number!

Although I didn't get to see the competition, I could hear the laughter coming from the event. There was a rap by the White Knights: Professors Owensby and Heimberg. And is it true that Professor Guerrero showed off his new baby for votes?! Oh, and let's not forget that there was almost a food fight!

In the end, I can honestly say that organizing, prepping, participating in, and cleaning up this event was stressful, yet so exciting! Like I said already, we put a lot of work in it; but it was all worth it. We've heard great things about our event, and we hope to make it even better for next year!

I didn't want to bombard you guys with pictures, so I'll just add a few at the end of this blog. But if you'd like, check out the NU Texas' Founders' Day photo album on facebook for more pictures!

I can't wait to see what next year's Iron Knights has in store for us... especially since I've heard a rumor that the senior class will be taking over this event in terms of organizing it all! :)

-Erica

Some of our guys prepping the bread boules earlier that day.

The White Knights were working hard!

Janice and I behind the line!

You thought I was kidding about the rap, weren't you?

An HRRM student collecting votes!

Our HRRM students, competitors, MCs, and professor, all at the end of the event!

Crown Me!

This past Wednesday was Zeta Phi's (the sorority here at Northwood) annual Mr. University. Mr. University is a male beauty pageant where the males of Northwood compete for the title of Mr.U. This
year 's theme was "Superhero Saves the Knight." This year I had the pleasure of planning and emceeing  this event. It was a lot of fun and we had a really great turn out.

The guys competed in 3 categories, Casual wear, talent and formal wear with a question and answer session. We gave the guys a talent of lip syncing to songs like "Big Butts" and "Barbie Girl." I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised that the boys got really into the competition.

All the contestants and some of the Zeta sisters

Mr.University 2011, Wally Trejo

I love doing this event each year! The guys get really into it and everyone has fun! This year was definitely a success!

Boys and Baseballs!!

Congratulations to Knights Baseball, who have been ranked number 10 in the Top 25!!!  

Many other exciting things are surrounding the team, as well. Allow me to start from the beginning…

During a baseball game on May 9^th, 2009, Benjamin Landrey hit the ball and stumbled while running to second base. Just to be safe, his parents decided to take him to the doctor the following Monday. His doctor, Dr. Dalila Riojas, saw the way he was walking and told Kelley (his mom) that she really needed to take him to get an MRI, just to rule anything out. They got a phone call in the middle of the procedure because there was a growth found on Benjamin’s brain; he was promptly admitted to the hospital. Next came the longest day of Kelley and Mark Landry’s life, as Benjamin underwent surgery from 8:50am to 5:30pm...he came out of surgery and was talking within 30 minutes. The struggles continued as he continued to undergo treatment by way of surgeries, radiation, and chemo, which eventually took his eyesight and hearing.

But, through incredible support from their surrounding community, including the Northwood Knights, Benjamin is on the road to recovery. He recently had an MRI that showed no sign of a tumor. Currently, he is cancer free and has been in remission for one year!! He has such an amazing spirit and loudly cheers on the team as they play. 

For the readers that are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area who are interested in helping Benjamin and his cause, dine at El Chico in Desoto on Saturday, April 16^th from 11am until closing time. Twenty percent of the day’s profits will be donated to help pay for the medical expenses!

El Chico in Desoto

1111 N. Interstate Highway 35 E

DeSoto, TX

~Melissa

Three squirrels?

It was a B-E-A-U-tiful weekend here in Cedar Hill! Many students supported the Knights at one of their three baseball games this weekend. Others took the opportunity to participate in the Photography Scavenger Hunt, hosted by Residence Life.

Some of the items included taking a picture of someone demonstrating Northwood spirit…

Spelling out a word using people…

Hugging a tree... 

Or making a human pyramid.

Students were given a list of 29 items or situations to take pictures of and one hour to complete the scavenger hunt. Extra points were awarded for creativity and even for creating a presentation of the photos.

And let me tell you, as a judge, I had quite a few laugh-out-loud moments…some of the pictures were incredibly creative and hilarious. For example, the campus is always in an abundance of busy little squirrels. So, one of the items on the list was to take a picture of three squirrels in one frame. Here’s what two of the groups came up with…

Overall, fun was had by all involved. It was a great opportunity for participants to enjoy the lovely weather; have some fun, friendly competition with their friends; and get silly and creative with pictures!

~Melissa