Fellow Students,
Welcome back! We hope you had an enjoyable, relaxing break. For
some of you this is the final stretch, while others of you are still
finding your footing at UVM. Whatever the case, we look forward to
serving you this semester and hope you will let us know what the SGA
can do to address your concerns and make your voice heard. As a
reminder, our SGA Senate meetings are every Tuesday night at 7 pm in
the Livak Ballroom of the Davis Center, with our first meeting being
held on January 15. Included in this message is a special, belated
farewell to the recent graduates and information about the fast
approaching Mid-Term Elections. Read on!
Always at your service,
Kesha and DaVaughn
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In this email:
*December Graduates: Farewell and Good Luck!
*Run for SGA! Mid-Term Elections Are Coming Up...
*What Is SGA Doing For You?
*This Week In Athletics...
*Juniors: Join Mortar Board
*Like Walking Backwards and Showing Off UVM? Apply to be an AdvoCat!
*Exciting Summer Travel Courses in London and Mexico
-------------------------
DEAR DECEMBER GRADUATES:
Firstly, I must apologize for missing December's ceremony. As some
of your family members may have experienced when making their travel
plans to Burlington, the coming snow storm was causing severe flight
delays the weekend of December Graduation. I was really looking
forward to sharing your big moment and a few words of wisdom and I am
truly sorry to have missed it.
To demonstrate my sincerity, I want to share with you the story
that I planned to tell in my ceremonial speech, called "The Investment
Banker and the Fisherman." As you may have gathered from the title,
it is not quite a relic of ancient wisdom that has survived several
generations. My mother heard it on the radio and told it to me when I
was in the emotional throes of college applications and acceptances.
The tale has come back to me in anxious, fearful moments brought on by
thoughts of the inevitable cycle of "getting ahead" and "keeping
afloat" in the unknown world beyond university life. Also, since
December graduates sometimes get stereotyped either as those content
to wander through some extra semesters beyond the traditional four
years or those who fast-forwarded their college career to move on to
the next big thing, perhaps some of you can identify with one of the
two characters. So without, further ado, I give you this anonymous
tale...
One day, an American investment banker was at the pier of a small
coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman
docked. Inside the boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The
investment banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his
fish and asked how long it took to catch them.
The fisherman replied, "Only a little while."
The investment banker then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer
and catch more fish?"
The Mexican replied, "Well, I have enough fish to support my
family's immediate needs so I am content with what I have caught."
The banker was perplexed: "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"
The fisherman answered, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my
children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, and stroll into the village
each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have
a full and busy life."
The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You
should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger
boat. With the profit from the bigger boat, you could buy several
boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead
of selling your catch to a middleman you could sell directly to the
processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the
product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this
small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA, and
eventually New York where you will run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"
To which the American banker replied, "Fifteen to twenty years."
"But what then?"
The banker laughed and said, "That's the best part. When the time
is right, you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the
public and become very rich. You would make millions."
"Millions...and then what?"
The American beamed: "Then you would retire, move to a small
coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little,
play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village
in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with
your amigos."
Luckily, as part of the UVM community, the most important things in
life--friendship, love, laughter, music--are never out of reach.
However, we all succumb to measures of outward success and the
pressures of our day-to-day needs. I hope this story and the memories
you have of your time here will keep you sane and help you find
happiness when these inevitable stressors creep in. I wish you all
the best of luck as you enter the "real world" and I will see you out
there in six months!
Congratulations!
Kesha
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/A MESSAGE FROM SGA ELECTIONS CHAIR EMMA GRADY.../
Dear Students,
MID-TERM ELECTIONS FOR THE POSITION OF STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION
SENATOR ARE QUICKLY APPROACHING!
Attached to this message is the platform sheet that needs to be filled
out and returned to me at [log in to unmask] by TUESDAY, JANUARY 15,
2008! If you would like to include a photograph of yourself, please
send it as a 'jpg' or 'gif' file. The sooner you can get them in to
me, the better. Also, mandatory election packets are now available at
the main desk of the SGA office and on the SGA website (click here for
the pdf[1]). The packet includes rules and regulations for
campaigning and a petition (80 signatures from your fellow
undergraduate students), which must be returned by FRIDAY, JANUARY 18,
2008.
ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD ONLINE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 22 FROM 9:00 AM
TO 12:00 MIDNIGHT. Candidates can spend a maximum of $50 toward their
campaign efforts, and receipts must be turned in to the SGA office by
4 pm on January 22, the day of the election.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [log in to unmask]
Good Luck,
Emma Grady
Elections Chair
Student Government Association
*************************
MID-TERM ELECTIONS CALENDAR
/Sunday, December 13/
Platform sheets available via this email and on the SGA website
Petitions available for sign-out in the SGA office
/Tuesday, January 15/
Platforms must be typed and turned in to Chair Emma Grady at [log in to unmask]
/Friday, January 18/
Petitions must be turned in to the SGA office, complete with 80
signatures/Tuesday, January 22/
Students may vote online from 9 a.m. to 12:00 midnight
Candidates must turn in their campaign receipts by 4:00 p.m. in the SGA office
January 15 ? January 22
Candidates may campaign during this time following all rules and regulations
-------------------------
WHAT IS SGA DOING FOR YOU?
A NEW YEAR, A NEW SEMESTER, WHY NOT A NEW WORK STUDY ROLE WITH SGA?
If you are interested in working in the Davis Center alongside the
student leaders of the SGA, this is the perfect job for you. We are
looking for motivated individuals with the ability to work as part of
the SGA team and on independent projects on behalf of the student
body. On site training offered, flexible work hours, and a pay scale
adjustable to your needs. Interested? Contact SGA Vice President,
DaVaughn Vincent-Bryan ([log in to unmask]).
WINTER ACTIVITIES FAIR!
SGA will be holding the Winter Activities Fair on Tuesday, February 5
in the Davis Center Atrium. It is a great opportunity to recruit new
club members as well as raise awareness about your organization. Stay
tuned for more details! For more information, please contact Student
Activities Chair Marissa Couzens ([log in to unmask]).
LOOKING FOR OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING?
Safe, high quality apartments in Burlington are now on the market for
June 1 leasing. If you are moving off-campus after this semester, now
is the time to start thinking about making the transition. Still not
sure where to go from here? Visit the UVM Rental Database. If you
have further questions, comments, or concerns about renting or would
like more information about living off-campus, stop by the Office of
Student and Community Relations[2] or contact the SGA Committee on
Legislative Affars at (802) 656-8639.
-------------------------
THIS WEEK IN ATHLETICS...
Wednesday, January 16
Women's Basketball vs. Albany: Patrick Gymnasium @ 7:00 PM
Friday, January 18
Track and Field vs. Middlebury w/ McGill: Burlington @ 4:00 PM
Swimming vs. Siena: Forbush Natatorium @ 4:00 PM
Men's Hockey vs. Northeastern: Gutterson Fieldhouse @ 7:05 PM
/Saturday, January 19/
Men's Hockey vs. Northeastern: Gutterson Fieldhouse @ 7:05 PM
/Sunday, January 20/
Women's Basketball vs. UMBC: Patrick Gymnasium @ 1:00 PM
/Monday, January 21/
Men's Basketball vs. Stony Brook: Patrick Gym @ 7:00 PM
/Wednesday, January 23/
Women's Basketball vs. New Hampshire: Patrick Gymnasium @ 7:00 PM
-------------------------
Juniors: An Announcement About UVM's Mortar Board...
If you have junior standing, have a 3.2 or better GPA, and expect to
graduate in either December 2008 or May 2009 (there may be some
exceptions to these general graduation dates), you are eligible to
apply for membership in Mortar Board, a national senior honor society.
For more information about Mortar Board and for application materials
please visit this website: www.uvm.edu/~mboard
-------------------------
Do you LOVE UVM and want to share your enthusiasm with the world?
Apply to be an AdvoCat (campus tour guide)!
The Admissions Office is currently accepting applications for next
years' AdvoCat position. This can be a great opportunity to make some
money, build your resume, and gain leadership skills. If you would
like to learn more, we have two information nights coming up on 2/5
and 2/6 from 6-7pm in the Admissions Visitor Center. Download an
application at www.uvm.edu/studentleaders/?Page=featured.html
Applications are due Friday 2/8. For more information email [log in to unmask]
-------------------------
Looking for some exciting travel courses to fill the upcoming summer months?
Come visit these information sessions to learn more about spending
time in Mexico or London this summer:
Literary London Information Session
January 22, 2008 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Boulder Society Room, Davis Center
Come meet Professor Robyn Warhol and Professor Tom Simone to talk
about spending July focusing on "British Theatre and Literature" while
exploring London!
Mexico Spanish Immersion Information Session
January 22, 2008
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
SGA Presidential Conference Room, Davis Center
Come meet Professor Patricia Riley to learn more about spending May 15
- June 27, 2008 studying Spanish and Music Education in Mexico.
For additional information please contact the Department of Continuing
Education at
656-2085 or go to http://learn.uvm.edu/?Page=worldwide.html
Links:
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[1]
http://www.uvm.edu/sga/documents/midterm_election_application_2007_-_2008.pdf
[2] http://www.uvm.edu/cses/?Page=OSCRcontact.html
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