A Magazine for Residential Learning Community Students

Nov 2015

what we’ve been up to…

The colder temperatures, snow on the mountains, and colorful array of leaves on the trees these past weeks are signs that fall is departing and winter is just around the corner. This visible

change triggers in me a time to pause and reflect upon the past months of our fall semester here on the mountain campus. Like many, I am amazed at how quickly it seems the semester is going by. In fact, it feels like only a few short weeks ago we welcomed our new class of 2019 to the Lumberjack family.

For you new students participating in our Residential Learning Community (RLC) program, I would suspect that the build-up to this fall semester seemed to move at a much slower pace than the actual semester is unfolding. Hard to imagine that the feelings you had when stepping onto campus in August – feelings which might have included an unfamiliarity with the campus, not knowing many/any friends, or perhaps worrying about the rigor of your college classes – have been replaced in a very short period of time with an understanding of what it is to be a first year student. Congratulations to you for navigating the transition to your college experience these past few months! As you prepare for your final push to the end of the fall semester, I would encourage you to reach out to each other in your residential learning community and ask for direction and help from your mentor. Many things are possible as a community with the potential to impact each of us as an individual. My wish to you at this time of the semester is continued success with your transition.

A special message from...

Sue Belattiassistant director of residential learning communities

CAL Secondary Education- Wall Draw and Faculty Dinner

04

Health and Human Services- Nursing Skills Lab

Leadership- Challenge Course

06

13

11

09

Our Community- Rush the Rec

Psychology- Camer, Lights, Brains!

SEMS- Grand Canyon

08

Outdoor Recreation- NAU Challenge Course

Biomedical Professions- Heart Dissections

14

16

CAL Secondary Education- Wall Draw and Faculty Dinner

Leadership- Challenge Course

Psychology- Camer, Lights, Brains!

SEMS- Grand Canyon

Outdoor Recreation- NAU Challenge Course

Biomedical Professions- Heart Dissections

Writer Kelsey Garner and Rebecca Swain

The CAL Secondary Education RLC had the opportunity to interact with faculty members at the Beasley Wall Draw event on campus in

early October. Their mentor, Kelsey Garner planned an excellent faculty dinner were the community was able to have a Q&A time with Faculty in a creative setting. Community member, Wyatt Wiggins, found the program valuable and commented, “I think beginning to network with faculty and start to develop a good rapport with teachers was the biggest take away from the night.” Additionally, Ryan Hunn, community member stated, “The dinner at the art gallery was very helpful to me. Talking to the different professors in the CAL program made me feel much more confident in what I was going into, and it most certainly cleared up a few questions.”

Community members have also found participating in the Residential Learning Community to be valuable in their transition

to NAU, their major, and in making friends. Wyatt commented, “Being in a real community with people whose end goal is the same as mine is one of the biggest blessings that the RLC gives me. Also it helps me learn. From my friends who wish to teach, I can learn different teaching philosophies they might have. For me, the RLC is the cornerstone of the extremely amazing opportunities at NAU.” Sharing a similar experience, Ryan added, “The biggest thing for me in the RLC has been making friends. Some of the friends I have made I plan on keeping that way for a long time. It’s also really nice being able to work with Kelsey and other Secondary Ed majors with enrollment, and it’s always nice having people with similar interests to talk to about our futures.”

CAL Secondary EducationWall Draw and Faculty Dinner

Wall Draw

The Leadership RLC, led by community mentor Richard Frische, gathered at the end of October to experience the NAU Challenge Course. At the

NAU Challenge Course, students have the opportunity to face their fears, get outside their comfort zone, and bond with their peers as they navigate through low and high ropes courses. Participants face various obstacles that require creative thinking, effective communication, and leadership skills. These include physical obstacles - such as climbing and balancing - as well as mental ones - such as overcoming fears and trusting one’s teammates. Students emerge from the Challenge Course more confident, more connected to their peers, and ready to tackle real-world leadership challenges.

Challenge Course

Leadership

Writer Richard Frische

“My RLC

provides a helpful transition into college, and I’ve made friends

much easier because I live right next to people who

share my passion for leadership”

Brooke Bromund

Challenge Course

“The Challenge Course

forced me to trust my teammates in ways I

hadn’t had to before, and as a result I bonded with them and learned how to

trust my instincts.” Lucretia King

Our Health and Human Services RLC’s put on a skills lab where students had the chance to explore simulation labs and practice some

techniques and skills required for nursing. The goal of the community mentors, Grace Kretschmar, Morgan Jensen, and Tejal Kanabar, was to provide an opportunity for the members of the RLC to interact with the faculty liaison, Barbara Tomlinson, and become more knowledgeable about working with people in the future. HHS member Joselyn Keller commented, “You get new opportunities to do things that are related to your major like taking heart rate, blood pressure and meet faculty that will help you later in the future.” Sierra Lowery, RLC member, not only found the program to be valuable, but expressed appreciation for the community as well. She communicated, “we live with a group of people that have the same classes; therefore we can form study groups a lot easier.”

Nursing Skills Lab

Health and Human Services

Writer Rebecca Swain

Have you ever wondered what the inside of a sheep brain looks like? Taylor Pondy and Kaitlyn Welk-Robbins, Community Mentors

for the Psychology RLC, provided this opportunity to their RLC students during their recent spotlight event.

We began by all walking down to the DuBois Center for the brain dissection. Dr. Melissa Birkett, faculty liaison, did

a demonstration with a sheep brain, walking the students through the different parts of the brain. There was time for several great questions from the students. Student participants were able to learn about different functions of the brain as well as some spooky diseases that can affect the brain (in the spirit of Halloween). Following the demonstration, we then retreated back to Allen hall for an old Hollywood themed murder mystery party. RLC members ate popcorn and candy while mingling to discover who the culprit was. It was a great way for the communities to interact with each other in an educational and fun way.

RLC participant, Cameron Gaetz, explained, “I really enjoyed getting to know more about the brain. Neuroscience is a topic I

am really interested in, so it was good to get to dive into something involving the actual brain. Dr. Birkett made me look forward to taking her class later on. I’m excited to get to actually do it myself at some point. Also, it was cool to get to

meet other psychology students. The RLC has helped me to know that I do love psychology and meet other students who share that.” From the same community, Albert Ochoa shared, “the brain dissection was pretty cool. I thought it was nice to get to meet Dr. Birkett. It was also good to have a ‘mini lecture’ so that I could know if she is a professor I would want to take a course with in the future. The murder mystery party was so fun! We all got to just take a break from school and anything else to get to be someone else. Everyone was really fun to hang with. If we were not all in the RLCs we would probably never get to know each other.” Kaley Greenman has also found value in the programming provided and shared, “I found the brain dissection valuable because it allows students to see the neurology side of psychology. Since most of the students in the RLC are in Psych 101, being able to see different sides of psychology can help direct them in what classes they want to take in future semesters.

Camera, Lights, Brains!

Psychology

Writer Taylor Pondy and Kaitlyn Welk-Robbins

“Participating in the RLC has

been valuable to me because it has allowed me

to make connections within the psychology community, and I enjoy going to meetings and talking with

Kaitlyn and other RLC members every week.”

Kaley Greenman

Camera, Lights, Brains!

By popular demand, the RLC Rush the Rec event returned this year for all RLC participants. Campus Rec services opened the rec center exclusively for RLC participants

to gather and explore the space. Around 300 students joined us in the event taking part in dodgeball, basketball, volleyball, racquetball, and soccer. Additionally, the climbing wall and challenge course were highly coveted. Let’s not forget the amazing fitness classes including Zumba. Here are some snapshots that capture the excitement of the evening.

Rush the Rec

Our Community

Writer Rebecca Swain

Rush the Rec

SEMS

Grand Canyon

Outdoor Recreation

On September 18, 2015, the students in the Outdoor Recreation RLC went to the NAU Challenge Course to participate in

a variety of low and high elements where they learned team building, communication, leadership and cooperation skills, as well as trust in their the group, their partner and themselves. While having fun swinging on boards and ropes and crossing wooden logs and cargo nets 40 feet up in the air, the challenge course taught the students to conquer their fears, work together, and trust in their group. After a long, hot, fun day had by all, the students took the zip-line back down to the ground where they gathered again for a pleasant meal provided by our local Domino’s. Overall, the challenge course allowed the group to bond, have fun, experience new challenges, and work together as a team.

From Kelly Husserl’s perspective, “the most valuable thing about the program was that it was extremely fun and we got to spend time

with the other people in our hall and our mentor, getting to know them, but we also got to work as a team to accomplish the challenges we were given in the activities. Being in the RLC is fun and really beneficial. We get to do all kinds of fun activities with people in our hall, and we also get to learn more about things to do in and around Flagstaff from our mentor and the activities that we do. Also, I love talking to my mentor and getting advice from her.”

Another Outdoor Rec member Troy Spinelli shares, “What’s valuable about the program is that it is not just something you

can do anywhere. How awesome is it that I go to a school where I am able to do a challenge course easily without signing up with a bunch of awkward tourists in some resort? It is right here on campus! I also strongly believe everyone should try the challenge course at least once in their lifetime. It’s super fun and an easy way to get over the fear of heights.” Overall, Troy’s experience with the Residential Learning Community can be expressed in a few words. “I love my RLC! Other than getting to do fun outdoor activities, it’s just a fun group of people to be around. My circle of friends here mostly revolves around my RLC crew.”

NAU Challenge Course (Spotlight Event)Writer Caitlin Jaramillo

Challenge Course

Biomedical Professions

The two biomedical science learning communities participated in a heart dissection facilitated by Dr. Pierotti, an

anatomy professor at NAU. At this event, students witnessed a cow heart dissection performed by Dr. David Pierotti who also gave a short presentation. Dr. Pierotti lectured on what the students would be seeing and feeling, and then let everyone glove up and touch the heart. We all got the chance to touch and feel every part of the heart while understanding the anatomical purposes of each part. The students all got the chance to ask questions and get to know Dr. Pierotti. This event gave the RLC members a sneak peek into what taking an anatomy class would be like.

Kyle Headley, member of the Biomedical Professions I RLC found the program to be valuable because “ we learned a bit more

about where things are located in the heart, what the heart truly does, and what it actually looks like.” Additionally, Kyle was impressed with the opportunity to “meet great professors and to participate in these events that most people don’t get the opportunity to.”

Jessica Fernandez, Biomedical Professions II RLC member shared, “I enjoyed the heart dissection and getting to talk to the students

about their experiences with the class and with the dissection itself. I also enjoy the RLC because it gave me an opportunity to know people with the same interest and goals as me as well as allowing me to meet influential people at the school.”

Another participant in the Biomedical Professions II RLC, Shae Sampson, enthusiastically expressed her experience.

“For the heart dissection, I thought the most valuable part was meeting Dr. P and seeing how his class works and it got me really excited to take anatomy! And my favorite part about being in an RLC is getting to meet new people and having amazing opportunities like meeting Dr. P and Dr. Able.“

Rush the RecWriter Jenna Mote and Paige Mohl

Heart Dissections