Weekend Preview: Don’t miss out!

The calm days of summer at UWM have ended. The Sandburg dorms have been booming with incoming freshman moving in, leases for apartments around campus have started, and everyone is getting back into the swing of things for the upcoming Fall semester. BUT with all of the book buying, dorm decorating, and class searching you’ve been doing, I’m sure a few of you are ready for a little fun this weekend. That’s where we come in! We with the Campus KickOff team have set up all kinds of events and activities for all UWM students to attend! Here are a few highlights this weekend:

Friday, August 29th
UWM Volleyball Tournament – 11 A.M. Klotsche Center
If you’ve got a team, we’ve got a court. The UWM Intramural leagues are hosting the first volleyball tournament this weekend during Campus KickOff! Head over to the Klotsche Center starting at 11 a.m. and either bring your team, or a group of friends to watch! If anyone watched the Olympics this month, you know volleyball is an exciting spectator sport.

Disc Golf – 12 P.M. Klotsche Center
This isn’t a game of frisbee with your grandpa. The UWM Klotsche Center has a full-blown disc golf course that even professional players would admire. Join the intramural fun outside of Klotsche center starting at noon!

Bingo – 7:30 P.M. Sandburg
B-4? How about I-13? Anybody? Should I call another number? Anyways, Bingo will be happening at the Dorms this Friday night! If you’ve already moved in, take a break from unpacking and grab a bingo card to win some great prizes! I hear there’s free food and drinks at this event too, so if you’re hungry, you don’t want to miss this!

Saturday, August 30th
Fun Run – 10 A.M. Klotsche Center
Choose from a 1 or 2 mile run this morning with other UWM students during Campus KickOff. Put on your running shoes, and feel free to take a tour of UWM’s massive sports and exercise facility when you’re finished.

UWM Volleyball Tournament – 11 A.M. Klotsche Center
The fun continues into Saturday. Congratulations to the teams who’ve made it into the final rounds, and make sure you don’t miss the exciting matches as we decide UWM’s first intramural volleyball champion!

Tie Dye – 1 P.M. Craft Centre
Head over to the Union for some relaxing tie dye activities in the Craft Centre. If you bring the clothes, we’ll bring the dye. Don’t know how? We’ve got experts on the scene that will help turn your old white T into a psychedelic flurry of colors! Stand out from the crowd this fall with your UWM tie dyes!

Dance and Step Class – 8 P.M. Sandburg
Show me your 1-2 step! Join all of the Sandburg residents and other UWM students as we teach you the basics. Bring a friend or two for dance partners, and prepare for a fun night workout.

Sunday, August 31st
Bike Adventure – 2 P.M. Adventure Center
Bring your Huffy and join other UWM students as we take a nice afternoon cruise throughout the UWM Adventure Center’s trails. Learn the routes, meet new friends, and get a nice workout in on Sunday with the Bike Adventure!

Self-Defense Class – 8 P.M. Sandburg
The UWM campus is one of the safest in Wisconsin, but it’s always a good idea to gain some self-awareness and learn some defense techniques in case you’re ever in a pickle. Plus, it’s a lot of fun, and a great way to meet new people! Join our professional instructors as we teach you some simple grabs, holds, and other moves that will keep you in control and gain self-confidence.
Among these highlights are several other events happening this weekend, so don’t forget to check out the Campus KickOff calender for a complete list. I’ll see you out and about in the next few days, so have a blast, and welcome to UWM!

Campus KickOff Has Begun!!

For all of those not in-the-know, Campus KickOff officially starts today with 10 free events!!  Starting at noon, you can take a tour of the Studio Arts & Crafts Centre in the Union, learn how to scuba dive in the Klotsche pool, or check out the Intimacies photo exhibition in the Union Art Gallery.  The fun doesn’t stop there, at 3pm you can meet with a dietician and have a body composition screening in the Klotsche Atrium.  To end the night, stop by the Union Theatre and see the award-winning film, No Country for Old Men.  Of course, the Union Recreation Center will be open all day offering free table tennis, billiards, and bowling until midnight.

PANTHERFEST tickets are selling like hot cakes!!!

First off, does anyone really know what a hot cake is? I imagine it’s just a pancake that burns the roof of your mouth…

In any event, I just heard from a reliable source that tickets are going fast for PANTHERFEST. Like really fast, you should go down to the concourse in the Union and grab your FREE ticket now. You don’t want to miss out on the biggest party of the year, do you?

Check this link for more ticket info.

Rec Center = FREE

Hopefully you’ve all had a chance to take a look at the Campus KickOff calender on the right side of the blog. If not you should, because it’s an amazing resource. You’ll soon be seeing its paper counterpart around the campus any day now. Although, I’d recommend planning early, so you can get everything in your schedule!

If you look closely at the calender you’ll notice that the Rec Center (lower-level of the Union, next to the Gasthaus) has 12 FREE days of billiards, table tennis and bowling! Who doesn’t love free billiards, table tennis and/or bowling? Right? Here’s the other sweet part: not only is bowling free, but you’ll be able to check out the brand-spanking new digs of the Rec Center! Brand new scoring system, new seats and tables, and new 30″ LCD tvs!

The first day is Monday, August 25th and the last is Friday, September 5th a.k.a. the day of PANTHERFEST.  Don’t forget to check out the calendar to find out about all the events going on in the Rec Center during those 12 days! You can become a fan of the Rec Center on Facebook to hear about all of its events.

That rug really tied the room together

On the evening of March 8th, 1998 a Coen Brothers film was released to the American public. Little did the brothers know that it would receive cult status similar only Star Trek, in fact even spawning fan run festivals! The pairing of Jeff Bridges and John Goodman as two indolent bowlers is the stuff of legend. With memorable lines like, “No, Donny, these men are nihilists. There’s nothing to be afraid of” or “Obviously you’re not a golfer.” Of course, by now you must know that movie is the Big Lebowski.

If you didn’t have a clue as to what I was talking about then you need to check out the Rec Center on Friday, August 29th at 7pm for Big Lebowski Night. Featuring free bowling with your student id, plenty of great prizes like Big Lebowski DVD’s and Rec Center bowling passes and of course a great time with your friends!

Become a Facebook fan!

Make sure to add yourself to growing list of fans for Campus KickOff on Facebook! Then check out the rest of the great stuff like events on the right, the amazing television commercial for PANTHERFEST and feel free to add a comment or two!

Pantherfest ‘07 experience

After four years of college, UWM seemed to figure out something cool to do at the beginning of the year. I remember my freshman year…there were a few activities around, but nothing of this caliber. Then about a week before school started, I heard about a free O.A.R. concert…and seeing as I missed them at Summerfest, I had to go. Concerts always seem a bit vague after the fact, but I remember being impressed with UWM for putting on such a show. Walking into the Summerfest grounds was great. I ran into people I haven’t seen in years…along with meeting some new people. All I have to say is round 2 better be just as good…if not BETTER!

Tour de Milwaukee

Once again, the Adventure Center is offering a free way to get out and enjoy what’s around us. Bring your own bike to the Bike Tour of the East Side and enjoy some sites that make Milwaukee famous. The tour includes Oak Leaf Trail, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Urban Ecology Center, and Alterra Coffee. Designed for newcomers and long-time residents of Milwaukee, and everyone in between, it is sure to be a blast for everyone involved. The tour runs from 2:00-5:00 PM on August 31st. By the way, the Adventure Center has a bike loan program during the semester called UBike; it’s a great way to cut down on gasoline and promotes a healthy lifestyle. Yay for health!

UWM traditionz

Traditions come in many shapes and sizes. Like who gets to carve the turkey, how many hot dogs can you eat on July 4th or what are the total amount of time you can spend at Summerfest before getting heatstroke? Ok, well maybe that last one has only effected me, but you get the point. ComedySportz is no different and has been staple at UWM for quite a long time. Litterally. Did you know ComedySportz has been performing at UWM since the early nineties?!?!

Whether you’re a native or new to the area there is no better way then to get yourself adjusted to the sense of humor of Milwaukee then to check out a ComedySportz show! Stop by the Gasthaus during CampusKickOff.

Here’s the details:

Gasthaus (lower-level of the Union)

It’s all happening on Thursday, August 28th.

Doors open at 7:30 with the show starting at 8pm. Get there early because it will fill up fast!

U-Pass, Segways, Zipcar, U-Bike, oh my!

Ever wondered it would be like to ride on Segway and without the fear of humiliation or failure? Or, what that whole Zipcar thing was about and how to get involved? How about this one: ever wondered it would be like to rent a bike rather then own? You know, like an apartment… Well, then you definitely need to check out the Alternative Transportation Event in Spaights plaza on September 3rd at 11am. They’re going to have a number of alternative ways for students to get around. Check out the list: