It’s a combo I would have never dreamed of, but he does an excellent job. The video is great; it takes a few moments to transition into Svet’s rendition of hip hop, but it’s so much fun once he gets there. Listen to it, and then listen to it again. You’ll want to!

The show is this Friday at 8 p.m. in North Campus, and it’s free for students.

If you really like sports, but are unsure of the time commitment required of intercollegiate teams, if you want to stay fit during the off-season, or if you just want to run around in the dark and throw light-up Frisbees at your fellow students, intramurals are for you!

Many campuses have intramural teams, where students get together and play for fun. There’s no set practice schedule, and our intramural teams play a lot of sports that are “off the beaten path,” so to speak.

For instance, here’s our schedule for 2011-2012:

Ultimate Frisbee
Dodgeball
Wiffleball
Kickball
Basketball Tournament
Baseball Tournament
Volleyball

In the past we’ve even done floor hockey tournaments. I think that’s part of the fun of intramurals; it’s up to the students what gets played. If you wanted to come here and start an intramural dance team, for instance, or an intramural bowling team, you could! Personally, I love the idea that Frisbee has become a collegiate pastime. Ask any college student anywhere, they’ve probably played Ultimate Frisbee at least once.

If you have any questions about participation or eligibility, just leave a comment.

Cheers!

It’s an acronym that stands for FREE Application for Federal Student Aid. I made that ‘free’ part bold on purpose. Never pay to submit this application. It has the word free right in the title.

Free. Remember that.

The name pretty much says it all. With the FAFSA, you apply for financial aid. Your application goes off to the United States Department of Education, then that information is reported to the schools you want to attend, and those schools can use it to determine your need-based aid.

Most schools require it to get any aid, regardless of your need.

File online at http://www.fafsa.gov

What’s on the application?

In a word: taxes. Once you (or your parents) file taxes, you’ll use the information on your tax return to fill out the application. Before you sit down to file the FAFSA, make sure you have your tax returns and/or your parent’s or parents’ tax returns. (If you only live with one parent, you need the information of the parent you live with most.)

How do I fill out the application?

Online is best. They do the math for you, so there are fewer mistakes, and it speeds up the processing time. Plus, does anyone even use paper forms anymore?

But seriously, just go to www.fafsa.gov. They provide very simple, step-by-step instructions. But here’s the best part, if you get hung up, just give us a call. Our Office of Financial Aid is here to help.

To finish the application, you have to sign up to get a PIN. Both you and your parent(s) will need PINs with which to sign the FAFSA. PIN = Electronic signature. So, keep it secret. Keep it safe.

When do I have to get this done?

Indiana’s deadline is March 10. To get the most of your aid, you should file your FAFSA before that date. If you want financial aid from the University of Saint Francis or the State of Indiana, make sure you file by March 10!

Contact our Office of Financial Aid
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
260-399-8003
finaid@sf.edu
Online Chatting

It’s finals week.

That means lots of studying, staying up late and probably a good amount of coffee. It’s been a busy couple of weeks for students, but it’s ok. They have a month of Christmas break to recoup!

As a college student, I always thought the week before finals was as difficult, if not more so, than the actual week of finals. That’s when all the big projects are due on top of all the studying you have to do for finals. It’s a crazy time for everyone.

Good thing our students have the help of Student Academic Support Services! Also known as SASS, this office is largely known as the tutoring center. But, I think it’s great because they can take it a little further than just explaining facts or paper-proofing. They have professional advisers who can help you learn how to study. They can teach you study skills (Are you a visual learner? Maybe flashcards aren’t the best way for you to study.) and how to manage your time.

Of course, none of our students waited to the last minute to use these services. Right, guys?

What exactly is “professional studies?” At USF, this means education, psychology and social work.

I think their website says it best:

Rooted in the core Franciscan values, which emphasize service to others and reverence for the dignity of each person, the school is a perfect place to obtain not just the knowledge you need, but also the ability to apply it most effectively in your professional setting

Our education isn’t just about learning skills or learning facts. It’s about learning how to use the skills we’ve taught you. Being in Fort Wayne is an asset in this aspect of our education. We’re the second-largest city in Indiana, which means we have a lot of non-profits, schools and counseling agencies nearby through which our students do internships, engage in service learning and volunteer.

The diversity found in Fort Wayne also allows our students to discover their passions. Social Work and Psychology cover so many disciples. Do you want to work with children? Families? Maybe with co-workers? It’s a lot to digest and internships give you the opportunity to figure that out!

Close your eyes for a second and imagine a professional. Whether you think of a man or woman, or someone in a business suit, you think of someone with skill – someone who does a job with confidence and ease. People gain confidence with practice. And at USF, you get the practice of hands-on experience. Whether it’s in the classroom as an education major (you observe a classroom as early as your first year as an education student) or with the practice of an internship or a practicum, you will have the opportunity to develop your professional skills outside of the classroom.

Missed out on what a “school” is? You’re not alone. I was a little lost, too. I talked about it in my first “School of the Week” installment.

There’s some exciting news coming out of the School of Health Sciences recently! Our graduate nursing program was recently listed among the best by U.S. News and World Report. And 100% of our 2011 Physician Assistant passed their National PA Board Exam on the first time!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, our graduates are awesome because of all the hands-on work they do as students. Especially in the healthcare field, it’s paramount that you have really understand what you’re doing. Our students achieve that understanding because they get so many opportunities to practice. Each of our healthcare majors have their own labs.

Here’s a virtual tour of our simulation lab, which is used by all of our healthcare majors.

If you’d like to see them for yourself, I suggest you come for a visit!

If you haven’t seen this hilarious, fast-paced musical comedy, you have to see it! The music is outstanding, the actors are phenomenal and you will laugh your socks off! Showtimes are:

Friday, November 18 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, November 19 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 20 at 2 p.m.

The show is performed in our North Campus Auditorium. (That’s 2702 Spring Street Fort Wayne, IN for you GPS types.)

Tickets are free for USF students, faculty and staff. They are $10 for the general public, but can be purchased for $5 if you bring a bag of canned goods for the “USF Feeds the Fort” food drive!

Here are just a few photos from last weekend’s performances.

Kira, a Greek muse, comes to the 1980s to inspire a young artist.

And she does it on roller skates!

With the help of a few fellow muses, of course!

Everyone has a good time.

So come see it!

Sarah is a sophomore music technology student.
She has a lot of great Fort Wayne Fright Night photos up right now!

Nathan is a junior communication student.
Nathan is a non-traditional student in the communication program, and has a lot to say about what it’s like to balance school, work and family!

Catherine is a senior English student.
As an English student, Catherine’s blogs are always run to read. Right now she has a couple of original poems up!

Jade is a senior communication student.
One of our newest bloggers, Jade likes to blog about fashion!

Kendra is a freshman nursing student.
Kendra just posted her very first blog. Go comment and tell her hi!

Next blog post: Our next School of the Week post!

Craig Culver, co-founder and CEO of Culver’s!

Ok, I’m sure he spends a little more time in a business suit, but this iconic image is too good to pass up.

Mr. Culver came to our CEO forum to share his wealth of knowledge with our students. This year’s theme was “Success Leaves Tracks: Following the Footprints for Business Growth and Success.” Each year we bring a major CEO on to campus to give our business students another point of view. For instance, last year we had ESPN founder Bill Rasmussen!

We’re really big on making sure our students have an understanding of all aspects of business, but my favorite part of the business program here is built into the name: entrepreneurial. We want our students to be successful if they decide to work for someone else, yes, but we also give them the tools to start their own business, if that’s where they want to take their education.

And it’s not just words. Each year we host a business plan competition where students get the opportunity to win venture capital to start their own business!

Also, it helps that we’re right in the middle of the second-largest city in Indiana. There’s so much industry here, our students really have the opportunity to explore the marketplaces and decide where they want to start their career.

If there’s anything else you’d like to know about the School of Business, just comment!

***Update***
Here are a few of our students, look sharp at the CEO Forum.

Business students at the CEO Forum!

I was going to do all of our schools in alphabetical order, which would call for me to discuss the School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership next. However, the School of Creative Arts has a pretty important event coming up for high school artists, and I think it’s important enough to skew the order here.

I’m talking, of course, about Talent Day.

During Talent Day, students will have the opportunity to strut their stuff in exchange for USF scholarships. Different scholarships require different forms of “strutting,” but I won’t worry you with the details now, because they are easily found on our website.

The School of Creative Arts is in a unique position to prove that they know what they’re doing. Check out our student galleries. They speak for themselves.

Then, once you decide, YES! I want to learn how to draw/sculpt/paint/film/speak/animate like that, sign up for Talent Day. The artist you will become thanks you.