One of my favorite parts of this experience was being able to write about so many different things. Over the two semesters of blogging, I have written about sports, fundraisers, various organizations around campus, the Macomb community and so much more. If it were not for this opportunity, I would not have known about half of the events held on campus, and even less about the people involved with the events.

Another great thing about working as a RockeNetwork blogger was all the great people I got to meet and speak with. I have walked around campus conducting student polls and I have sat in President Goldfarb’s office while interviewing him. I have met with administrators and faculty, and I have met students of all grade levels. It was a great chance to work with various groups and learn so much about the different people and departments we have on this campus.

Also, it was very comforting knowing how helpful the students, staff, faculty and community members are here at WIU and in Macomb. I have interviewed, e-mailed, and phoned countless people since I have been blogging and each time, people were willing to help me get any information I needed. People were always very willing to meet with me, answer any questions I had, and more often than not they were absolutely thrilled to help. I have always known that WIU and the surrounding community was filled with kind, helpful people, but I guess I did not really realize it until I had met so many of them.

This internship has provided for me an experience I never would have gotten in the classroom. In my journalism classes I learn writing skills, interview skills, and research skills, but it was not until this internship that I got to use those skills. There is no greater journalistic experience than going out, conducting an interview, and writing down what you discovered. The Alumni Association and RockeNetwork have given me that chance to study journalism first-hand and that is something you cannot get from a classroom experience.

I have received countless benefits from being able to blog for RockeNetwork. One of those benefits is that I got to learn a lot more about the Alumni Association and all that they have to offer. Now that I have had the chance to work here, meet the people here, and learn about the Alumni Association, I look forward to keeping a connection with WIU long after I am gone.

This internship has been a great experience and I do not think my college experience would have been the same without it. I learned so much both from the work I have put in and the people I have worked with. I am grateful that I have had this opportunity and will miss blogging for all of you alumni. Hopefully bloggers will continue on and be able to keep me informed once I have left WIU myself!

All semester we have been working hard just to be able to make it through this week. During finals week, most of us have spent too much time at the library, not enough time with friends, and drank too many cups of coffee to keep us alert and studying. Now that our exams are over, it is time to do the exact opposite. Now is the time for seeing friends, sleeping in, and clearing our heads of school for a little bit.

And while we are extremely excited to be done with our classes, the end of the semester can also be a little sad. Each semester, friends graduate from WIU and move away from Macomb. And though we know we will see them during their return visits to WIU, the Leathernecks leaving this semester will surely be missed.

The end of the semester means the end of our classes, and this is another phenomenon that students at WIU find to be bittersweet. Sure, we are excited to be done with the class, tests and homework, but we do not always want to say goodbye to our classmates and teachers. By the time the end of the semester rolls around, I feel like I had finally just become friends with all of my classmates, and close with my teachers. And now, next semester will be a challenge yet again to familiarize ourselves with our fellow Leathernecks in the classroom and our professors. However, I actually get the pleasure of taking majority of my classes next semester with professors I have already had, as well as many of my classes with students that were in my classes this semester. Hopefully that means the adjustment will be very smooth come January.

Now that the actual school work is out of the way, we still have a lot of work to do before we head home for the holidays. Personally, one of my biggest challenges when preparing for winter break is packing. It can be extremely hard to determine what one is going to need while gone for an entire month. Typically, I do not plan beyond a week or two in advance, so preparing for a month can be rather overwhelming. More often than not, I end up throwing everything I own into my suitcase and hope I have packed adequately.

As students pack up and leave town, it seems that most of us cannot get out of here fast enough. But, truth be told, after a week or so at home many of us will find ourselves missing good ole WIU. During winter vacation I often miss running into people around campus, living on my own, and all of my WIU friends. Yet, that does not keep me from enjoying home-cooked meals, shopping malls, and seeing family and friends from home. This semester has been filled with good times, hard work, and a lot of great memories…hopefully the next semester will be just as great, if not better!

During finals week I usually find myself void of any kind of social life, incredibly stressed out, and fairly sleep-deprived. However, this year will be very different for me.  As the semester concludes, I will only be taking two finals during this rigorous testing week. Not only that, but I already took a final earlier this week and the other on Wednesday. So not only do I only have two to take, but they are spaced-out which makes studying easier and, I am still done with school by Wednesday!

And while my finals week will be less challenging than most, I worked extremely hard all semester in order to be exempt from some of my finals. The entire semester I have made sure to turn in every single homework assignment, read every chapter assigned for classes, and maintain an impeccable attendance record. I complained about those assignments and projects all year long, but because I put that extra time in during the semester, this week does not seem nearly as stressful as past finals weeks.

One part of finals week that students really look forward to is selling back books. At the end of each semester, most students find their funds to be a little low. Selling our books back to WIU is a great way to say goodbye to those huge textbooks and hello to a little extra spending money. Though we barely get back a fourth of what we paid for the books, getting that little bit of money is something we always look forward to.

Finals week each semester is the moment of truth for a lot of students. It is our chance to see how much we have learned, and how far that knowledge has taken us. Some students will be grateful to have put in such long hours during the year to lighten the load during finals, while others will be kicking themselves for procrastinating. Some students are experiencing finals week at WIU for the first time, while others are taking their last final exams at WIU. Regardless of the situation, we all have one common goal for this week and that is to get finals over with and head home for a month-long vacation!

We were wrong. This week brought us back to the reality that along with the end of the semester, comes winter weather. We had our first snow of the year last Sunday night. At first, students seemed delighted; it was finally beginning to look like Christmas as snow covered the streets of Macomb. However, when our alarm clocks sounded on Monday morning and we realized we had to venture out into the snow, our initial excitement faded.

The winter weather is hitting us hard and allowing us little time to adjust to the cold. Just a week ago, we were able to walk around campus without jackets and hats. Now, not only do we have snow, we have the infamous winds of Macomb to accompany it. There is not a student who has come through Western Illinois University that does not know what I am talking about. The winds here are unlike any other, and the winds in the winter are the absolute worst.

On Wednesday of this week, winds were reaching 30-40mph and blowing snow in every direction. It felt as though no matter which direction I was headed, the wind was always blowing directly at my face. Other students must have checked the weather forecast before me, because all around campus I saw people in full-on winter gear with nothing showing but their eyes. And while this is only the beginning of what seems like a very long, cold winter, students are already hoping for snow days.

A little bit of sunshine graced us later in the week, but the temperature dropped even lower. As we struggle to get through our last week of classes, it does not help to have a wind chill of -11 degrees. Knowing that there are only a few classes left to attend, and a few finals to take before we head home for the holidays, it is already hard enough to get out of bed. When we are woken by the sound of wind creeping through the cracks of our doors and windows, it gets even harder.

And while it can be easy to be discouraged by the weather, we must force ourselves to look on the bright side. The brightest thing in our near future is winter vacation. One whole month without classes is surely worth the treacherous walk through this cold campus for a few days. Another great way to stay positive about the conditions is to think about what they do give us. Sledding, snowboarding, skiing, snowball fights…none of these things would be possible without the weather of winter, so we should be looking forward to the activities to come!

It is never easy to adjust to the winter weather, but students are doing their best. Despite the tough conditions this week, all of my classes have been well-attended and everyone has managed to get last-minute assignments turned-in on-time! With only a week left in the semester, I am confident that my fellow WIU students and I can get through the snow and the wind to finish finals and head home happily for the holidays!

While Villano has big shoes to fill, WIU has every right to believe he is the right man for the job. Villano was a student-athlete during his college days at Saginaw Valley State University. During his first year there, Villano was named “The Great Lakes Conference Freshman of the Year” in 1991. The following three years Villano continued his successful career becoming a four-time all-conference selection as a pitcher.

Once Villano obtained his degree from Saginaw Valley State University, he was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 24^th-round of the 1994 amateur draft. Villano played professional baseball for a total of nine seasons. That experience alone would make Villano a great addition to WIU, but his qualifications do not stop there.

When Villano left the major leagues, he moved on to Central Michigan University. There, he not only acquired a master’s degree in Physical Education, he also became a member of the baseball coaching staff. For the past six baseball seasons, Villano has been an assistant coach, serving as pitching coach, hitting coach and recruiting coordinator.

Throughout his time at Central Michigan, Villano coached 27 players who went on to play professional baseball. Under Villano’s tutelage, his players improved their batting averages, pitching abilities and overall records. Leatherneck fans are hoping Coach Villano will help WIU players reach their personal bests as well.

WIU students are excited to welcome Villano to our athletics department. With all of his experience as both a player and a coach, we look forward to the knowledge and advise that he will surely provide for our players. Though it will not be an easy transition for players who were accustom to Stan Hyman, Villano will hopefully bring some of the same energy, enthusiasm, and faith in our players.

College students are always especially excited when baseball season rolls around. Not only does it mean the end of winter and walking to classes in cold weather, it also means the arrival of outdoor sports and all that can entail. This year, we will have an extra reason to be excited. WIU students and staff will be eager to see how our team plays under the authority of a new coach. Hopefully Coach Villano will live-up to our expectations, but until then, we will just have to wait until the start of the season to find out!

“There are thousands of alumni out there who could not get access to the stuff that we are selling here in the store. They can’t wear school colors, they can’t get Western wear, they can’t get many of the things that we’re getting and it occurred to us ‘this is a nightmare’”, said Kiah. The initial website planning began around March of this year, and the site went live on October 15. Though very little advertising has been done to promote the new bookstore, Kiah says that they have already been getting hundreds of orders from alumni all across the country.

The creation of the website would not have been possible without web-designer Melissa Blasi, who was originally employed at the bookstore as a temporary clerk. Once Kiah realized she was a whiz in web design, a special position was created just for her. She is now running the website and updating it on a daily basis. Blasi also now helps with choosing apparel items in the store as well.

Kiah hopes the website will be used by any person associated with Western Illinois University. Parents that want to buy Western-wear for themselves or for their children now have the chance to do so without having to visit campus. Students have the ability to visit the bookstore in person, but the website can help to make browsing and purchasing even easier. And of course, the site is aimed to suit our beloved alumni. Kiah explained that, “Our alumni are very proud of going to school here and they want to wear Western’s colors. People want Western stuff and we’re just trying to give that to them. Our stuff is not crazy expensive, it’s well-priced, and our students believe that our apparel line is the best apparel line that they can get anywhere in Macomb.”

Not only does the book store carry trendy, nice-looking clothes, they are also very high quality. WIU apparel can now be found incorporated with the brands of Under Armour, Adidas, Cotton Exchange, and coming soon to the bookstore, Nike. Rather than just simple cotton T-shirts, the bookstore offers good quality merchandise to ensure that buyers can represent WIU for a long time to come.

In addition to the quality of the clothing in the store, Kiah explained that the apparel in the bookstore is becoming, more than ever, a fashion statement. Rather than having only simple T-shirts and sweatshirts with basic designs, they are now making WIU gear coincide with popular trends in today’s society. When walking into the bookstore one will find zebra patterns, bright colors, special fitting clothes, and many other trends to keep the looks updated and interesting. Kiah also explained that from now on, the bookstore will treat their clothing items as any popular store would, as seasonal trends. When something falls out of style, it will fall out of the bookstore and will be replaced with the latest styles. “You will always be able to get certain basics here, such as a Western Illinois University T-shirt. Those are WIU basics that you will always be able to get, but a vast majority of our stuff will be trends,” said Kiah.

While the bookstore updates their stock regularly, the Blasi says the website will follow close behind. “I really want people to know that this will be updated regularly. This is getting updated every day; new products are going up every week. So if you like something, grab it because it might be gone and replaced with something new,” said Blasi.

The new website will also be focusing on textbooks very soon. The beginning of the semester always brings added stress to students because we are never quite sure if we are buying the right books or how much they will cost. With the new addition to the website, students will not only be able to check the prices and availability of books, they will also be able to see a picture of the exact book they are looking for to ensure that it is the right one. This will serve as a huge help to students at the start of each semester.

In a time when we always look to the internet for answers, research, and shopping, it was only a matter of time before WIU created an online store. Not only will the new website be a great convenience for WIU shoppers, it will also help to keep alumni in tune with the latest in WIU fashion.  Students here at WIU know how important it is to wear our school colors with pride, and thanks to this website we can continue to do so long after we are gone!

Sponsored by the University Union Board, Battle of the Bands was created by UUB members to give local musicians a chance to shine. They recognized that there were a lot of student bands looking to display their hard work and this competition gave them the opportunity to do so. Not only do the bands get to play in front of a crowd, they also become eligible to win upwards of $250 in gift certificates.

The winners of the competition were determined by a panel of judges. Diane Cumbie, Assistant Director for Programming in the Office of Student Activities, explained that each judge had a criterion sheet with expectations for the bands to help guide their decisions. There were three judges in total; one from Student Activities, one from the Music Department and one from University Television with a background as a musician. With a variety of backgrounds, the judges were well-prepared to make a smart decision.

Battle of the Bands was held in the Union Grand Ballroom on Tuesday evening and was not only open to the public, but was also completely free. Anyone interested in music or simply wanting to hear some new bands was welcome to attend. According to Cumbie, there were about 100 people that showed up to watch the bands battle for the top spot. The winner of the competition was a band called “The Store Front Lawyers”, and they won by a few points.

Cumbie says she hopes to see the competition continue in the future and hopes to hold another Battle of the Bands next fall. However, the decision whether or not to host the event depends entirely on student interest and participation. Hopefully local bands will work to continue the tradition and put on a great show for the rest of the WIU community. And with hundreds of dollars in prizes up for grabs, bands should continue to be motivated to compete.

While the main idea behind this event was to give student bands the opportunity to showcase their talents and play their music for a crowd, it was also intended to provide a fun night for audience members. “We just hope everyone has a fun time seeing fellow students doing what they love to do, play music!” said Cumbie.  It may not have been a concert of rock star status, but sometimes it can be even more fun to watch the students we see around campus play just as well as celebrities.

Other than the semi-annual Battle of the Bands competition, the University Union Board gives bands additional opportunities to showcase their music throughout the year. They often hold Open Mic Nights through the Coffeehouse Committee, where student bands and individuals can play their music for fellow students. Open Mic Nights are not held in a competitive format. They are simply for those who enjoy playing and/or listening to some good, live music.

WIU is always looking for opportunities to give students the chance to get involved and have fun on campus. So many students are involved with music, whether they play an instrument themselves, attend local shows, or simply walk around campus listening to their iPods. This competition is a fun way for students to show their appreciation and respect for local WIU musicians. We have a lot of local talent around here that too often goes unnoticed and this competition is the perfect way to help bands get the recognition they deserve!

Personally, I was relatively lucky and only had a minimal amount of homework over break. This allowed me to spend most of my free time with friends and family. Fall break is always a great time to return home and spend time with friends and family that we have not seen since summer vacation.

One of students’ favorite parts of this specific break is celebrating Thanksgiving. WIU students, and any college students for that matter, are always grateful for a nice home-cooked meal. Thanksgiving often provides a fairly elaborate home-cooked meal for most of us. This year, I was lucky enough to celebrate the holiday twice, once at my grandmother’s house and again at my father’s. Just like every year, I realized that I have a lot to be thankful for.

First and foremost, I realized how thankful I am for my family. Every break, I am lucky to head home to welcoming and loving people and I was grateful that I got to spend so much time with them this past week. I am also very thankful for my friends, whom I almost consider to be members of an extended family. I am very lucky to have both my friends from home as well as the friends I have made here at WIU in my life. And this year, more than ever, I am also very thankful to be receiving a great education here at Western Illinois University. During a time when unemployment rates are high and many people are finding themselves having to go to work instead of school, I am grateful to be pursuing a higher education.

Among many other things, I was also extremely thankful to get a break from school. Now that we have spent a week relaxing and resting we can prepare for the semester’s home-stretch. With only two weeks of classes before finals week, students are forced to abandon the vacation mentality and get back to the books.

Though a week of vacation does not seem long enough, WIU students got just enough time off to help us get through these upcoming weeks. We got to head home, sleep in, and spend time with loved ones, which is just what we needed. Now we are back from break, ready to study, and counting down the days to winter vacation!

The annual pancake breakfast was held on Wednesday of this week. Costing only $6 at the door, or $5 for tickets bought prior to the event, students got a great deal on breakfast. Even better, the breakfast was held in Knoblauch Hall, which is centrally located on campus and easy for students to find.

One of the sponsors of this event is the Collegiate FFA Organization. WIU’s chapter of this national organization is one of over 7,000 across the country. Established in 1928, the FFA (originally the Future Farmers of America) works to help high school agricultural programs throughout the state of Illinois. Furthermore, the FFA helps to promote scholarships and leadership opportunities for future Agriculture students. The National FFA Organization works alongside WIU students in the Agriculture Department to promote personal growth and academic success of students.

Another organization that helps with, and benefits from, the pancake breakfast is our Ag Ed Club here on campus. The Agricultural Educators Club is a student organization that aims to educate others about the agricultural industry. Members of this organization also aim to enhance their personal knowledge, growth and development within the area of study.

With all of the many different departments and organizations on campus, we are always seeing different types of fundraisers around campus. Some organizations hold bake sales, some sell books and others hold car washes. But the Agricultural Department here on campus has made its mark with the annual pancake breakfast. Not only has it become a little tradition for the organizations involved, it has become a tradition to attendees on campus as well.

This breakfast is completely open to the public, so guests do not have to be affiliated with Western Illinois University in order to attend. The timing of the event is perfect as well. It is held the week before Thanksgiving Break, when we find it a little bit harder to get up in the morning and our grocery supply is running low. For those students in the dorm, the points left on our meal plans seem to be dwindling quickly. There is nothing like a delicious $5 breakfast on campus to get us up, fed, and ready to attend our final classes before heading home for break.

Here at WIU, students are always willing to help fellow classmates with fundraisers and the promotion of organizations. This pancake breakfast is just another example of that. Without the support of the campus behind the Agricultural Department, among others, annual events like this would not be possible. Thanks to all of those supporting and contributing to help WIU clubs and organizations achieve their goals!

Weeks of planning and preparation went into making this event possible here at WIU. Amy Bednarko, a WIU student and a member of the executive board for this event, explained that “Up ‘til Dawn” is a letter writing campaign to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Participants in the event are given the opportunity to mail letters to friends and family asking them to donate to St. Jude. There is no pressure to ask for donations or to make donations, as everything is voluntary. St. Jude provides all of the letters, envelopes, and postage for participants to utilize.

After the letters are written, participants are invited to join a celebration. There, participants will see videos and posters that help explain to students all the great work that St. Jude does for children. There will also be food, music, games, and great prizes including a Wii and an autographed baseball from a member of the Chicago White Sox.

Over 200 colleges nation-wide participate in this event and Western Illinois University is proud to be one of them. The main purpose of this event is to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and to help people realize the great work that St. Jude is doing for kids. The program raises about $5 million annually and has raised more than $20.6 million nationwide in the past 10 years. Bednarko explained that on average, for every 50 letters mailed, more than $250 is donated to St. Jude Research Hospital. “With the money campuses raise, students help advance the mission of finding cures and saving children … so that patients can grow up and go to college, too,” said Bednarko.

Hopefully, students will be able to get more than just donations by participating in this event. “We are hoping that students can learn about St. Jude and how much it helps families in need.  We hope it will make students stop and think about others, putting the kids in front of themselves. We hope that the next time the students think that they have it rough, that they look at one of the pictures of the St. Jude patients and think how hard it must be to be five, fighting cancer, and still managing to have a smile on their face, and make the students appreciate what they have a little more,” said Bednarko.

And while we want to do our best to support the children fighting for their lives, and the research necessary to help them get better, we can help St. Jude help families too. Not only does St. Jude treat children with catastrophic diseases at no cost to the parents, the hospital also pays for the patient and family lodging, food, and transportation while kids get treated St. Jude. “It costs over $1 million a day to run St. Jude and we feel that we should do our part to keep this amazing hospital up and running.  This event allows students to stop and think about others and how lucky they are to be healthy and attending college,” said Bednarko.

Western Illinois University students are always supporting organizations and institutions that help people in need. Through blood drives, food donations, and fundraisers, WIU contributes time and money to those who need it most. With the “Up ‘til Dawn” event, WIU and several other colleges and universities are fighting to help raise awareness and money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Here at WIU, we know how lucky we are to be college students in good health.  This is a way for us to help improve the health of other children around the world.