Monthly Archive for February, 2011

Adventures in Intramural-ing.

Published by Caitlyn Rhodes on February 24, 2011 in Caitlyn. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Question: Did you know that there are free agents in the realm of intramural sports?  That’s hardcore…like parkour. (Which is something for a wholleee different blog.)

Groups around campus put teams together to play in as many sports as they possibly can. One such dedicated group is none other than the infamous Brazos Bulldogs. Brazos House is one of our 5 residence halls on campus and they take passion and competition to a whole other level. I’ve witnessed it first hand at “Dancing with the Mavericks” last semester. They didn’t win…but they should have. They were clearly the only ones with rhythm…but hey…they didn’t ask me to judge.

One of the best ways to get involved around campus and to make friends is to join an intramural team. Brazos helps their residences out by putting teams together for the students who live around each other to get involved in. The Brazos Ballers play basketball, the Brazos Dodgers play dodgeball, and the Brazos Pokemon Trainers play soccer. Don’t ask about that last one…still trying to figure it out, myself. Thanks to Garrett Jones for all the Brazos info!

MavElite also plays intramurals! Last year we had a flag football team and this semester, we’ll have a softball team! So come out and support UTA’s campus tour guides and telecounselors…and Kevin Cheek (one of our admissions counselors). Example time!

One of our tour guides, Kayla, plays co-rec soccer. This weekend, she played the ROTC team and she busted her knee open. Apparently, it was pretty gross. Way to take one for the team, Kayla!

Another one of our tour guides, Kristy, plays both basketball and sand volleyball for the Delta Delta Delta sorority team. Kristy played sports in high school, so for a student who doesn’t continue on with sports after graduation, it’s fun to be able to play on a team again.

Tina Rachel, another tour guide (catching a pattern?),  says “intramurals are an opportunity to relieve the stress of the academic life”. She played flag football and volleyball last semester.

If you have any questions or are curious about UTA’s intramurals, check out their website!

Il est bon avoir des amis partout. Votre amie, Caitlyn!

(It is good to have friends everywhere. Your friend, Caitlyn!)

“Never Say It, Neva-neva Say It.”

Published by Alexzandria Siprian on February 16, 2011 in Alexzandria. 3 Comments Tags: , .

Greetings, people of the World Wide Web!

It’s been a gooood while.

Let me catch you up to where I’m at in one paragraph.

I spent the summer interning in Montana. I battled College Algebra last semester. (It has been added to the Axis of Evil.) I’ve been doing some serious bonding with my Brazos House homies. (My best friend from home, Grace, got to live with us last semester. Epiiic. Lots of adventurous all-nighters, there.) My awesome friends from Montana put money together to buy a plane ticket for me to visit over Christmas break! I played in the snow there! Ah! Speaking of snow, there have been five days out of this semester so far where the University has closed due to awesome snow. Oh yeah! And that pretty much catches you up!

Now, then. Here we are, present day. What is there to talk about? I’ll tell you what we’re going to talk about. I’m sick. Yeah. That’s right. It’s been months since I’ve written a blog, and I’m choosing to talk about sickness. It was in the summer when I started to notice symptoms of what has been diagnosed as a chronic disease. Some people have it, but don’t really know it…That was me. *Sigh*….anyway. My sickness is called joosbiebbretin syndrome. But it’s common name is

BIEBERRR FEEVVEEERRR!!!

Yeah!!! I love Justin Bieber. Not in a creepy I’m-almost-twenty-he’s-sixteen-but-who-cares-he’s-GORGEOUS-AND-TALENTED way…Rather, in a Hey-this-kid-is-pretty-talented-and-he-loves-his-fans-and-yeah-so-his-hair-is-perfect-no-big-let’s-be-best-friends sort of way. So, Friday, Caitlyn decided to take me to see his movie, Never Say Never, for my birthday. (Ps. Justin and I share the same birthday. NBD. And yeah, we’re on a first-name basis.) It. Was. Amazing. By the way,  there are tons of movie theaters around UTA. There’s the one in the Six Flags Mall, there’s the Studio Movie Grill, and so on. We decided to go to the theater in the Parks Mall. Right down the road from UTA….just throwing that out there.

“Okay, Alexz. We get it. You’re a Belieber. But what does that have to do with UTA? Tell me why Justin Bieber is relevant at all when it comes to my consideration of UTA for higher education?”

Justin Bieber’s movie, Never Say Never (which by the way, was double-epic in 3D), has a powerful message. There’s this one line that he says that gets me every time. He says, “There’s gonna be a time when people say you cant do something or live your dreams…. but you know what I say? NEVER. SAY. NEVEEEEERRRR!” You know, there might be a ton of people in your life who tell you that you can’t make something out of your life. You can’t go to college, no one in your family did. You can’t go to a university. You’re going to fail out.  You can’t go because you wouldn’t fit in there. You can’t go because you don’t have the money. You know what?? Never say, “never”! Our motto here at UTA is “Push your limits, in a place where there aren’t any.”  There is no limit to your success. There is no limit to achieving the unachievable. There are no bounds to your dreams here. That’s why I love UTA. Because I can come here, to a Texas university, and do things I’ve never imagined. I can come as a first generation college kid and experience life outside of the small town I hail from. When I thought I couldn’t afford it. When I was afraid of coming hours away from home with no support system nearby. When I had no clue of what to expect because I’m the first in my family to take this path. I’m here, making something out of myself when everyone was thinking that broken homes make broken kids. Heck no, techno. I’ll never say, “never”. Because I’m in a place of ambitions of all sizes. And please believe, my ambitions are as big as Justin Bieber’s resilient smile.

I belieb I have the fever.

Published by Caitlyn Rhodes on February 16, 2011 in Caitlyn. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

Yeah, I said it! ….typed it! I’m a Belieber. If you’re staring at this post with a really confused look on your face, allow me to shed some light:

According to Urban Dictionary:
Belieber = A person who loves Justin Bieber & beliebes in everything that he can do. Example: I am a Belieber because I respect Justin Bieber and I believe in him.
I think that UTA should bring in The Biebs for the Fall concert this year. Then, an influx of small children (mainly girls…okay…they’d all be girls) would come to campus. And we could give them all campus tours. Then they would be sure to come to UTA because Justin Bieber was here. I think it’s genius. All the students on campus that dislike JB could get over it…because we would be ensuring wicked enrollment increases in 10 years’ time. Take one for the team, Mavericks…the future team.
I’m going to admit publicly…that I saw his movie, “Never Say Never”. I have to say…it was really encouraging. The music industry today is so freakishly shady and Bieber’s precious face adds some purple light. I think everyone should see the movie. It made me a belieber. He’s a pretty talented kid. Drums, guitar, singing…take away that pop-py nonsense…and you’ve got some great music.
Okay…I’m done. In the past, our Fall concert has had artists such as Rihanna, Maroon 5, and B.o.B. I have a feeling that the next group to grace us with their presence at Texas Hall with be a rock band. I’m sensing a pattern. EXCEL is an organization on campus that is in charge of bringing these acts to campus and I think they do a pretty great job.
*stands and applauds*
Click here to see what all EXCEL has on their schedule this semester!

Il est bon avoir des amis partout. Votre amie, Caitlyn!

(It is good to have friends everywhere. Your friend, Caitlyn!)

A Super Bowl of snow.

Published by Caitlyn Rhodes on February 10, 2011 in Caitlyn. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

A new semester brings a new flurry of classes…and apparently some flurries of the snow variation.

Last week the university was closed for 4 days. Four days. Four DAYS. Close your eyes…are you imagining UTA closed because of snow and ice? Awesome. Now what are you imagining? Students studying? Students being proactive? Open your eyes.

1.) If that’s what you saw…you are sadly mistaken. A wicked case of cabin fever swept over many of our students. I, personally, didn’t do anything productive. At all. In my Book of Productive Doings, however, I have things such as ‘catching up on my many favorite TV shows’ and ‘reading a book on my sweet, new Kindle’. Those things may not be on your personal list.

2.) If you were able to close your eyes and read the instructions at the same time…call me. I’ll get you in contact with Professor Charles Xavier. (No. He’s not dead.)

So, this semester…I’m taking my last French language class, Intro to Advertising, Writing for Mass Media, Microeconomics, and Communication Theory. My professors have been really awesome! For some reason, all of the professors in the Communications Department have top notch senses of humor. They say the darndest things.

I’ve written posts before about how I want to study abroad. It’s one of the reasons I’m at UTA! I wanted to study in England for a semester, but the more I think about it…the more I realize I have other, better options. (I know…better than London? Poppycock.) The Department of Modern Languages offers a really cool program called “Summer in Paris” where students spend one month in…you guessed it…Paris! Classes are taught by UTA professors and you get actual credit for the classes you take with them. Classes are Monday thru Thursday in the mornings, then in the afternoons your assignments may be, for example, to take a recipe and go to the market, collect ingredients, and prepare dinner! Cultural immersion. Genius! The professors take the students to different monuments and museums! Sounds like the trip of a lifetime! My professor last semester told me that a lot of the students take trips on the weekends, too. So I may get to see London, after all!

In other news, you may have heard of a little thing called the Super Bowl here in little ol’ Arlington. Was traffic ridiculous? Yeah. But it was SO worth it to have a piece of history down the street. A lot of students got the chance to volunteer to help out at the actual event and at the NFL Experience. Lots of great opportunities out there!

Until next week!

Il est bon d’avoir des amis partout. Votre amie, Caitlyn!

(It is good to have friends everywhere. Your friend, Caitlyn!)