ISSUE 4 JANUARY 2010 VOLUME 7

NEED A PLACE TO

LIVE? ATTEND OUR

OFF-CAMPUS HOUS

ING FAIR ................. 5

LEARN HOW TO BUY A FULL BOX OF GRO- CERIES FOR ONLY $30 ......................... 6

Adult & THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS

ADULT & COMMUTER STUDENT SERVICES

Classes, jobs, family issues, money problems, relationships, ugh!

Students have so much to deal with but we know that suicide is not the

option. Memphis STEPS is a campus-based program that can help .

Suicide prevention - Let’s talk about it “Suicide is a problem year round. It can happen at any time,” said U of M Coordinator of Outreach Dr. Okwumabua. There are a number of reasons that might lead students to en-tertain the thought of suicide, she said. “They tend to feel hopeless. They start to think that nothing can be done about their problems.” Okwumabua points out at a recent study by the big ten Ivy League schools that shows a higher number of suicide rates among students 25 and older due to more stress and more is-sues they face compared to younger students. “Our challenge is to find al-

ternatives to reach those students,” she said. The Memphis STEPS is a ser-vice that provides suicide training, edu-cation and prevention. It aims to in-crease awareness regarding suicide prevention and intervention resources. It also develops and implements train-ing in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of suicidal individuals. Although the number of re-ported suicides among U of M students has been very low, Dr. Okwumabua highlights suicide warning signs that should not be ignored: depression, withdraw from friends and family, con-

stant talk about being stressed and hav-ing a difficult time in life, anxiety, im-pulsive aggressive behavior and recent severe stressors among other factors. Dr. Okwumabua advises peo-ple to talk to their friends or relatives if they are displaying those signs.“People are often afraid to, but they should ask if friends are considering to harm themselves and if there is anything you can do as a friend to help.” On campus, both the Psychol-ogy and the Counseling Centers are open to students needing support and resources to move forward. The Crisis Center in Memphis can also help.

NEW YEAR, NEW LOCATION

Commuter

Connection

We are counting down the days to our move to the new Univer-sity Center! We will have a big-ger lounge and more available resources for you. The new UC will feature pockets of quiet

study areas that we hope you will take advantage of and enjoy. Please remember that both lounges (500 Wilder and 208 Brister) will be closed once we move to the new area.

BRUSH UP ON YOUR

SKILLS. TIME TO HUNT

FOR A SUMMER

INTERNSHIP............ 5

Academic Calendar: HOME

GAMES

January 13

Men's Basketball vs. East Carolina

6:00 PM - FedExForum

January 20

Men's Basketball vs. UTEP

7:00 PM - FedExForum

January 23

Women's Basketball vs. Rice 2:00 PM - FedExForum

Men's Basketball vs. Houston 7:00 PM - FedExForum

January 28

Rifle Tiger Spring Open TBA -Memphis, Tenn.

January 29

Men's Tennis vs. Kennesaw State

10:00 AM - Memphis, Tenn.

Women's Tennis vs. Kennesaw State

10:00 AM - Memphis, Tenn.

Women's Tennis vs. Murray State TBA - Memphis, Tenn.

January 30

Men's Tennis vs. Murray State

12:00 PM - Memphis, Tenn.

A&C Connection - January 2010 - pg 2

Student Activities Calendar:

Thursday, January 14th : Winter Fest — Hot Chocolate

7:30 — 9:30 am, Central Cross Walk & FedEx Cross Walk

Tuesday, January 19th : Winter Fest — Game Night

7 pm, Panhellenic Building

Wednesday, January 20th : Winter Fest — Caricatures

10 — 2 pm, Rose Theatre Lobby

Thursday, January 21st : Winter Fest — Karaoke

7 — 10 pm, Panhellenic Ballroom

Tuesday, January 26th : Tom Ryan: Fight the Freshman 15

7 pm, Rose Theatre

Wednesday, January 27th : Wednesday Night Live — feat. Comedy of Pete Lee

8 pm, Tiger Den

Saturday, January 30th : SAC Cinema: “Inkheart”

2 pm, Johnson Auditorium

Scoring a Summer Internship

“The sooner you take advantage of the resources that Career Services is able to

provide, the more marketable you become after graduation” — Courtney Pierce

E-recruiting

Post your resume

Search job/internship listings

Sign up for on-campus

interviews

Learn about career events.

memphis.edu/careerservices

Career Services Get resume/ interview tips

Post-graduation report

What can I do with a major in…

CareerBeam - career assessment

Optimal Letter and Optimal

Resume - tools for writing great

letters and resumes.

Finding an internship can be a

challenging quest. Some people think it

is all about having connections while

others may say it’s all about confidence

and knowing how to promote your skills.

For many U of M students, it’s all about

Career Services. Located on the fourth

floor of Wilder Tower, the Career Ser-

vices Office offers resume critique,

mock interviews, on-line recruiting and

job search and on-campus interviews.

During the 2008-2009 school

year, 78 students secured jobs and intern-

ships through on-campus interviews

alone. “We had around 24 employers

who came to our campus to interview

our students,” said Assistant Director of

Employer Relations & Internships Court-

ney Pierce. “Some people say we are the

best-kept secret at the U of M. Our ser-

vices and resources play a vital part in

the student’s success. They will be better

equipped to succeed in securing an in-

ternship or job by using our office,” she

said.

According to Pierce, for the

mock interview, students show up pro-

fessionally dressed and career counselors

ask questions that a future employer

would presumably ask. Students are

videotaped during the sessions and they

receive critique and tips for improvement

afterwards while watching the tape.

“One of the biggest things the

Career Services Center offered was guid-

ance about where to look for an intern-

ship. Their resources allowed me to find

opportunities that were available to me

specifically, not the general public,” said

Mahmood Usmani, a sophomore busi-

ness major who completed an internship

with the Shelby County Office of Eco-

nomic Development during his freshman

year.

To get started, students should

schedule an appointment with the office

and access the E-recruiting site using

their U of M login. “We provide each

student with a free E-recruiting account

and they can call us if they have any

problems logging in,” said Pierce. “I

want students to know that going

through an internship is a great addition

to their resumes. They should utilize our

office as early as possible.”

A&C Connection - January 2010 - pg 3

The Adult Scholarship Program is designed to help adult stu-

dents reach their educational goals. This highly competitive,

renewable scholarship is $5,500 per year for full-time stu-

dents/$3,000 per year for part-time students and is awarded

annually to a limited number of students. Applications are

available at memphis.edu/scholarships, at our website mem-

phis.edu/acss and at our ACSS office. Contact the Scholar-

ship office at 678-3213 or scholarships@memphis.edu.

THE 2010-11 ADULT SCHOLARSHIP IS AVAILABLE!

Eligibility Criteria:

1. In-state and out-of-state undergraduate students are eligible.

2. Must be pursuing first undergraduate degree to be eligible.

3. Students must reach their 25th birthday by August 1st of appli-

cation year.

4. Current students must have a 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. and new

students must meet Adult Admission requirements to be consid-

ered for selection.

5. Part-time students must complete a minimum of 6 hours and

full-time students must complete a minimum of 12 hours per se-

mester.

6. Preference given to students who do not already have a schol-

arship. DEADLINE: March 1, 2010

Renewal Requirements:

1. Renewable for up to eight full time or equivalent part-

time semesters.

2. Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.

3. Completion of Service hours: 150 hours per academic

year for full-time students and 75 hours per academic

year for part-time students.

4. Become an active member of the Adult Student Asso-

ciation (ASA).

5. Actively participate in the Adult Scholarship Mentor-

ing Program during your first year on the scholarship.

What is Pinnacle Honor Society? How and when you can join

A&C Connection - January 2010 - pg 4

Dear students,

A new year is a new beginning.

Embrace it. Change what didn’t

work last semester. This is your chance to do and be better

this semester. Having a positive attitude will result into a

productive year, full of great results that you may had

never anticipated before. Don’t procrastinate. If you do a

little each day, you won’t be overwhelmed at the end.

Learn how to manage you money in this economy. Live

within your means and don’t overspend, ask yourself: “Do

I really need this?” Also, if you are thinking about having a

new start at a new place, educate yourself first. Come to

our housing seminar and fair to learn about your rights and

responsibilities as a tenant. Be smart with your time. Focus

on each activity and take time to be with those you love.

Appreciate our diverse community. Find ways to learn

about others, such as attending Black and Women’s His-

tory Month activities and the Multicultural fair; it will en-

rich your life. Avoid distractions such as drugs and alcohol.

If you or someone you know suffers from any addiction,

consider attending our seminar on the subject and talk to a

counselor. Many students have their life impacted physi-

cally, emotionally, financially and academically by addic-

tions, so if that is you, make a resolution to free yourself

from that or to help someone get out of that situation. And

lastly, use all the available resources to you on campus.

Make the most of your U of M experience. There are many

offices like ours that are here to support you while you are

here and beyond, so make sure to utilize them. As always,

my door is always open to you.

Sincerely, Joy Stout

director’s corner >>>

Making the Most of the New Year

Consider these resolutions:

I won’t procrastinate this year — acquire a proactive and positive mindset

I will manage my time and money better — attend our housing seminar and fair

I will embrace others — Black History moth activities and the Multicultural Fair

I will avoid distractions — attend our seminar on alcohol and drug addiction

I will utilize resources available to me — such as our ACSS office and labs

Contact Information

Joy Rogers Stout

Director, Adult and Commuter

Student Services

The University of Memphis

505 Wilder Tower Voice: (901) 678-2644

E-mail: jstout@memphis.edu

Visit us at: memphis.edu/commuterstudents

Visit us at: memphis.edu/adultstudents

Be a part of the Commuter Students Association (CSA)

Join the Adult Student Association (ASA)

Pinnacle is a Non-traditional Honor Society for adults. Qualifying

for Pinnacle membership is an honor for undergraduate and graduate stu-

dents who are 25 years and older and meet eligibility requirements. Eligible

undergraduate students must have earned 90 or more undergraduate credit

hours and have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. Eligible graduate stu-

dents must have earned 12 or more graduate credit hours and have a cumu-

lative GPA of 3.75 or above. If you meet the criteria, you will be receiving

an invitation letter or e-mail in the next month inviting you to join. You will

need to fill out a form and return it by the deadline in order to participate in

the induction ceremony. Stay tuned for more updates.

A&C Connection - January 2010 - pg 5

Art Museum Exhibitions January 30 - February 27

27th Annual Juried Student Exhibition

Health Center Wednesday-Mondays: 8am - 4:30pm

Tuesdays from 9am - 4:30pm

Around Campus: Lunch & Learn Workshop: Jan. 27 - “Tips For Working a Career Fair”

The Adult and Commuter Student Services will be hosting its annual Off-Campus Housing Information Fair on March 24, 2010 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Rose Theatre. This FREE event is open to all students, faculty, and staff who want to obtain information about various housing op-tions in the community. Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with represen-tatives from local apartment leasing properties and other related service industries. If you’re looking for a place to live, this is a great way to save yourself some time and ef-fort. Everything is gathered into one place!

What would you like to see featured in

the next Adult & Commuter

Connection?

Got feedback? E-mail us at:

acss@memphis.edu

Random Acts of Kindness Portal

Channel

The purpose of this channel

is to recognize people for

their random acts of kindness

on campus. It may have hap-

pened to you directly, it may

be something that you wit-

ness, or something you sim-

ply hear about. To add the

“Random Acts of Kindness”

channel to your MyMemphis

portal page, visit the link be-

low for detailed instruc-

tions: memphis.edu/student

affairs/kindness/instructions.

Submissions of 100 words or

less should be sent to the fol-

lowing address:

kindness@memphis.edu.

A&C Connection - January 2010 - pg 6

MISSION

The mission of the Adult & Commuter Student Services

office is to provide a supportive environment for non-

traditional and commuter students that promotes intellec-

tual, social and academic growth and development through

services and programs that foster lifelong learning.

CONTACT AND GENERAL INFORMATION

The Adult and Commuter Student Services office is located on The University

of Memphis campus on the 5th floor of Wilder Tower. Our regular hours are

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30

p.m. Friday. If you need after hours help, please call us to make arrangements.

We welcome comments, questions, or suggestions. We can be reached by

phone at 901-678-2644 during our regular business hours or after hours leave

us a message on voice mail. You may also reach us through e-mail at

acss@memphis.edu.

Visit us on

Facebook:

University of Memphis

Adult & Commuter Student Services

Yes, there is a place where you can get food for the entire

month for only $30 at angelfoodministries.com!

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational organization dedicated to pro-

viding food relief and financial support to communities throughout the United States. The

program serves hundreds of thousands of families every month across 35 states.

Blessings by the box

Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit.

Each month's menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and

frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60. Comparison shopping has

been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery

stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78.

Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for

about one week or a single person for almost a month. The food

is all the same high quality one could purchase at a grocery store.

There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without

labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe. Also offered are specialty

boxes such as steaks, chicken and pork. Many participants in this bonus program appreci-

ate the expanded choices. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of units or bonus

foods an individual can receive, and there are no applications to complete or qualifications

to which participants must adhere. Angel Food Ministries also participates in the U.S.

Food Stamp program, using the Off-Line Food Stamp Voucher system. From angelfoodministries.org

“ ”