Day in the life: New twist on group projects
Group projects are dreaded and despised in most college-level courses, and students usually associate them with chaos, frustration, and a lot of hard work. But this semester’s retail marketing class has a unique opportunity, which changes the concept of working in a group.
Students in Serdar Durmusoglu’s class are working with managers from regional Target stores to develop fresh solutions and strategies for the retailer. One group in particular is focusing on Target’s recent expansion into Canada, the retailer’s first entry into an international market.
“This project is different in that we actually have the Target representatives come into our class and meet with us and consult with us as if we were actual members of a marketing team,” Adrienne Bianchi said. “It’s good to actually get their feedback and work so closely with them.”
The group of five students is researching Canadian customers in order to develop a more accurate idea of their purchasing patterns, lifestyles, and demographics. By gathering this information, the group hopes to develop a marketing campaign, a product assortment, and a financial plan for the Canadian Target stores.
Not only does this project allow the students to work in a unique group comprised of both students and business professionals, but it also exposes them to the internal operations of a large retailer, and gives them the opportunity to gain valuable skills for their future careers.
“This project gives me job skills and allows me to work on something that’s an actual campaign for the Target brand,” Westley Trainum, another group member said.
The group will present their proposals to their class and to the Target representatives at the end of the semester. Whether or not the group’s solutions to Target’s international expansion will be used by the brand will all depend on their final presentation. The managers will decide whose solutions are the most practical and implementable for their brand, and an overall winner will be selected from each class.
As Trainum said, “I’m not just doing something that’s a class and a hypothetical situation, it’s something that could actually be implemented by Target.”
No CommentsDay in the Life: On the road to enlightenment
While most students at the University of Dayton can roll out of bed and walk to class within 10 minutes, some commuters are hitting the road bright and early to head to campus. This morning was no exception for Ashley Dew as she headed south to make it to her 9 a.m. class.
Dew, a second-semester sophomore, is used to the 20-minute drive every morning, but on days like today, she has to be prepared for anything. The Dayton WHIO Twitter account warned Dew of a backup on Interstate 75 southbound, so she opted for the scenic route through the streets of Vandalia and downtown Dayton.
“It all depends on the weather,” Dew said. “If there’s rain or snow, I almost always take the back way. It helps to leave a little early too, just in case there are any accidents or delays.”
Dew attends classes on campus Monday through Friday, which means a lot of driving and a lot of money spent on gas. To cut down on costs, she carpools three days a week with a fellow commuter, Kyle Britton.
Another daily dilemma unique to commuters like Dew and Britton is that they often end up with a few hours to kill in between classes. The Galley has become their home during midday, where they can be found working on homework or watching TV.
As UD is more than just classes and studying every day, commuters can decide their level of involvement within the university. Britton said he enjoys the extra time he can get at home with his family and high school friends, while Dew prefers to participate in more on-campus activities.
Dew believes UD does a great job in including every student in what’s going on, she said, and she pays special attention to each email the university sends out about ways to get involved.
“I appreciate the university’s outreach to students, but overall it is up to the individual, commuter or not, about how involved they want to be,” Dew said. “My first year, I felt nervous and wondered what I could do or what I couldn’t do as a commuter. This year, I found out I could do whatever I want.”
It’s 8:45 a.m. when Dew pulls into the S1 commuter parking lot. She crosses Brown Street and heads up the sidewalk to campus, her home away from home.
No CommentsDay in the Life: Science seen differently
Science is a big component of a liberal arts education and no one escapes college matriculation without sitting in a biology, chemistry or physics class at some point.
But, at the University of Dayton, there are a group of student who see science differently — in a fantasy way. They are the Fantasy and Science Fiction Club (FASFC) and for them it’s about taking foundational science and asking, “What else?”
Tonight, at its weekly meeting, the beginning of the elections process for the club was held with nominations. The names were listed on the whiteboard in the front of the room and members were free to choose who they wanted to add to the list. The different leadership positions include: treasurer, vice president, president and sergeant at arms.
Everyone threw in names of whom they wanted for leadership positions. Some people nominated themselves, with others in the club seconding the measure. The nominees then had the choice of whether they wanted to accept the nomination. The process was fun, relaxed and carefree for people there, with a good dose of humor added to every nomination. One of the nominations for president was Cthulu, a giant monster in science fiction comic books.
“It’s an awesome place where I can be with a bunch of people who like the same things I like,” said Vice President Rachel Armstrong, a sophomore computer engineering major.
Isolde Hannan, a sophomore computer engineering major said, gesturing toward Armstrong, “I found a lot of friends here … I was like ‘Wow, there a lot of people here that I like.’ But you know it’s just random. Sometimes we play games, sometimes we watch YouTube videos. Or we do different events, like Gaming for a Cause is awesome, where we raise money to get games for kids in hospitals, and then we have the convention, which is awesome. It’s just a lot of fun, and I look forward to it every week.”
No Comments
Day in the Life: House hunting, college style
Finding housing at the University of Dayton can be a daunting task. And, being an upperclassman doesn’t always bring with it the perks you might think when it comes to edging out others in the race for bed space.
Due to a recent increase in the number of fifth-year students, some incoming seniors are receiving housing properties that are not typically given to them.
Jess Koney, 21, a junior pre-physical therapy student, says that she has mixed feelings on the issue.
“My roommates and I didn’t end up living where we wanted to,” she said, “but, we got lucky being put in a duplex next to four of our good friends. I guess I’m happy with that,” he said.
On the other hand, Alex Dent, a junior communications major, is one of many incoming seniors who has not been assigned a house yet and is currently on the waiting list. She said she isn’t happy with the system and feels that she should have been guaranteed housing for senior year.
“It’s not based on a fair scale or rating or anything,” she said “It’s the university saying ‘Better be quick on your toes and e-mail us first or you’re not going to be on the waiting list.’”
So, what exactly is the criteria for junior/senior lottery numbers?
“The main criterion for lottery position is credit hours,” said Jim Froehlich, associate director of Housing Operations.
This is the reason why fifth-years have gotten the upper hand this year, he explains.
Over 2,646 junior/senior applications were put in for housing this year. Of that number, 2,211 students had properties selected for them on lottery Friday.
To the other 435 students, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
“We will be sending offers for housing starting today and tomorrow for the students that e-mailed us,” Froehlich said. “This will continue through next week.”
No CommentsDay in the Life: ArtStreet Cafe calls
At 11:50 a.m., a steady stream of students begin to pour into ArtStreet Cafe; quickly grabbing something to eat before they head off to their noon classes.
Most people would find the sudden rush stressful, but for Dave Steele and Sarah Hemler, both second semester seniors, it’s business as usual.
Steele and Hemler have been working at ArtStreet Cafe, a Flyer Enterprises business, since they were freshmen. Both have held executive positions for ArtStreet Cafe, but find working shifts in the cafe itself to be the most enjoyable.
“We meet so many students on campus by having jobs here,” Steele said. “There are so many interesting people and we’ve made friendships that probably wouldn’t have happened had we not had jobs here.”
In fact, Hemler and Steele believe that their long interactions with University of Dayton students set ArtStreet Cafe apart from other Flyer Enterprises businesses, such as The Blend.
“We’re our own location as opposed to being in Miriam Hall like The Blend,” Hemler said. “Because of that, not only do we have more opportunities for interactions with other students, but they’re longer and more meaningful as well.”
As Hemler and Steele continue to work on incoming orders, they reflect on their time working at the cafe. Both agree that they’ve learned time management and responsibility by having full class loads in addition to their jobs.
“Typically, our shifts are three hours and we come straight from class to work or go straight to class after work,” Hemler said. “I’ve had to learn to budget my time which I think working here has definitely helped me learn to do that.”
Steele nodded in agreement, but he said he believes working at ArtStreet Cafe has taught him much more.
“Well it’s definitely a business venture so we learn a lot of different business ideas,” Steele said. “We all work shifts but have jobs outside our shifts like buying or coming up with marketing ideas. It’s definitely going to help us in our future endeavors.”
Hemler and Steele glance up as they hear the door opening. Hemler takes position at the cash register and kindly asks the awaiting student, “How can I help you?”
No Comments
Day in the Life: A tradition of sheet signs
In a rare moment of sunshine on April 11, the girls of 601 Irving Ave. clear the cars from the driveway and find a dry spot where they spread out a large sheet.
Kim, Emma and Meghan grab some paints and brushes and begin determining just exactly what they want to write on the sheet.
Relay 4 Life is coming up this weekend and the girls wanted to show their support and promote the event by writing on a sheet and hanging it from their porch.
“Relay 4 Life is this weekend and what better way to show our support than hanging a big sheet on the front of our house,” Emma McFarland, a senior intervention specialist major, said.
Writing on sheets and hanging them from the roof is a tradition here at the University of Dayton. On any given day you can walk through the student neighborhood, fondly called ‘the Ghetto,’ and see several porches donned with these unique signs.
“I love going through the Ghetto and seeing sheets hanging from houses. It shows our school pride and is a much better way of promoting events than through flyers,” Kim Price, a senior business major, said.
As they begin their work on the sheet, the girls start discussing how important the Relay 4 Life actually is and how it hits home for a lot of people.
Nyla Morgan a sophomore and vice president of campus affairs for Alpha Phi would agree. “Relay for Life is such a great cause. Nearly everyone can say they have been affected by cancer in some way. My mom is currently in remission for lymphoma and one of the advisers for Alpha Phi also had a long battle with cancer before finally beating the disease,” Nyla was one of the instrumental people involved in orchestrating a team of Alpha Phis who have raised over $1000 for the cause.
Just as the clouds begin to once again cover the skies Kim, Emma and Meghan tack their sheet to the front of their house. Although the sun is now behind the clouds, the support and pride the girls have for UD and Relay 4 Life shines through.
No Comments
Day in the Life: Helpful librarians
Jack O’Gorman walks into work every day with one goal in mind: providing students with all the resources available that will help them reach their academic goals.
O’Gorman, the Roesch Library’s reference and instruction librarian, said he and his co-workers enjoy guiding students in their research, helping them access the library’s volumes of print and digital collections, and making the library a comfortable atmosphere for learning.
“Our job, a day in our lives, is to make the library a better place,” he said.
Katy Kelly, Roesch Library’s communications and outreach librarian, said social media has proved a useful tool in engaging students in the library’s activities and events. Kelly is the voice of Roesch’s Twitter account, @RoeschLibrary, which has more than 1,300 followers.
O’Gorman said Kelly’s handling of social media provides them with a “bird’s-eye view” of what the students want from their study space. The library has responded to requests ranging from adjusting the air conditioning to extending their hours of operation, he said.
“It wasn’t until we got on Twitter that we knew we had a nickname, which is ‘Club Roesch,’” he said. “It’s funny, they’ll Tweet at us saying they’re going to ‘close down the club,’”
To learn more about the resources provided by the Roesch Library, visit udayton.edu/libraries.
No Comments
Day in the Life: Balancing work, school
Katy Cooke of Chicago is like thousands of University of Dayton students who find working jobs around a full-time college schedule a necessity to stay in school. For her, balancing a full course load along with working an average of 20 hours a week at Potbelly Sandwich Shop, located on Brown Street, is what being in college is all about.
Cooke has worked at Potbelly since she was a freshman and has worked on average 20 hours a week since she started three years ago.
“I needed to get a job to have spending money at school. I like knowing that I have the ability to pay for things myself,” she explained. “At times it does get hard to balance work and class, but I just have to stay disciplined on my schedule and I am able to get everything done.”
Cooke’s general manager, Jason Schramm, raves about his employee.
“Cooke is a dependable employee with great work ethic and always has a great attitude,” Schramm stated.
The demands of school work can be overwhelming at times, but as Cooke explained, staying disciplined and keeping a schedule will help with having success in the classroom and in the workplace.
Alyssa Shallberg, a senior at the University of Dayton, is a shift lead at Potbelly along with being in some of Katy’s classes.
“Having Katy as an associate is as much of a delight as being her classmate,” Shallberg said. “Katy is able to balance school and work really well. When she is in the classroom she is focused and when she comes into work she is able to execute task and serve customers efficiently.”
UD is has a number of job opportunities for students and in fact, many students do hold jobs around campus. But for those who want to get off campus to work, Brown Street is a close location with multiple establishments that hire students.
No Comments
Day in the Life: Peer tutoring
Day in the Life: Procrastination of a paper
Tom Petty’s infamous quote about college is embedded in the minds of almost every college student.
“You have four years to be irresponsible here. Relax. Work is for people with jobs. You’ll never remember class time, but you’ll remember time you wasted hanging out with your friends. So, stay out late. Go out on a Tuesday with your friends when you have a paper due Wednesday. Spend money you don’t have. Drink ’til sunrise. The work never ends, but college does…”
The part that sticks out the most for junior Jennie Hueneman today is Petty’s advice to go out with your friends the night before a paper is due.
“I wish I could’ve done that! But that’s really hard to do when my paper is supposed to be almost 20 pages long,” Hueneman complained.
Hueneman is double majoring in criminal justice and psychology. She was assigned to write a paper for her criminological theory class, in which she was to apply the routine activities theory to her everyday life.
For Hueneman, this is the longest paper she’s ever had to write for her collegiate career. As a self-proclaimed procrastinator, she’s found writing this paper to be a bit of an uphill battle.
“There are just a lot of different factors playing into writing this. It’s the end of the school year and everyone is starting to get burnt out. No one wants to write this lengthy of a paper,” Hueneman said.
There were quite a few distractions that occurred throughout the night that wasn’t very helpful for Hueneman to write her paper either. She decided to get her work done at her house instead of finding a quiet place at the library. Hueneman claimed her roommates would come in and bother her every so often, which continued to hinder her concentration.
No Comments
