Recent Entries by Zeinab  

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to talk a little about this huge event that we're holding at UMR. The event is called 'Enough Silence, Speak up for Syria'. Keep in mind this event is not to raise money, but to raise awareness! We want to show the public that even though our school is located at the top of a shopping center that we DO keep up to date with what's going on in the outside world. Unfortunately, not many people know what's really going on there. Not many people know that there are approximately 1 million refugees at the moment, and that people are dying every day. This is really sad. You cannot trust what the media says. Ever. Let's just say that the news reporters don't really care to expose the gruesome details of what's really going on. Did you know that Bashar (Syrian president) cut off the internet so that the people of Syria were not able to communicate with the outside world?! Why do you think he did that? It's obviously really bad out there and perhaps he didn't want the world to see what he's doing to the people of Syria! But enough about that. UMR MSA is collaborating with as many groups that are interested to form a huge 'silent' flash mob on the first and second floor of the mall on April 24th (more details to come). Not only is this a chance to show the public what UMR is capable of, but it's also a way for the clubs to showcase their talents! Each and every club at UMR is unique in one way or another, and is going to help make this event a HUGE success! There will be an informational meeting held on April 3rd, 2013 in Room 10 of 318 Commons from 5 to 6pm. Dr. Ford will be doing a presentation on Syria to inform all the people that are interested in participating in this event of what's actually going on in Syria. There will be free food, and sign up lists for you to sign yourself or your club up! Bring a friend and come support UMR as we take a stand for Syria!!! Here is the Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/events/388370394593543/ If you have a Facebook, make sure to confirm that you're coming! :)

If you're like me, forgetful and lagging behind on deadlines, get yourself acquainted with a calendar. You might ask, "What's the best and most innovative calendar to be acquainted with?" My definite response: the Google Calendar. If you haven't heard, you better start listening. Here's what I love most about GC.

1. You can add professor Just Ask Hours directly from the Just Ask site.
How cool is that?! You can switch on/switch off the Just Ask calendars as you please. This, by the way, is a great time management tool. You can quickly see and decide which Just Ask hours you are available to attend to get your questions answered. This is by far the best tool for those (like me) who lack time management skills and cannot seem to find time and arrange to see a professor during their Just Ask hours.

2. Never forget about another meeting!
If you check your email frequently, set up an email reminder that will email you a reminder about a meeting (or any event you set up). Or you can set up a pop-up reminder, which (as long as you have your calendar open somewhere on your task bar) will pop up your calendar to remind you of your event. It's like a personal secretary, but free (stupendous!).

3. Thinking about hanging out? Send an Invite!
Every Friday, my friends and I go out and about to spend some time away from all the studying, homework, and stress, Sometimes I find it best to just add an event to my calendar and add my friends as guests to the event. I can click on my event to find out who's accepted my invitation and who can't make it. It's fast and easy, and takes 30 seconds to add to my calendar, so I don't forget.

The best part about all of this is that you can access your calendars via phone, iPod, tablet, etc.

There's more greatness to this wonderful invention. You'll just have to go explore on your own. Seriously though, it doesn't take much effort to set up a Google Calendar for yourself. Get yourself on track with school work deadlines, so you never miss another assignment.

Moral of this blog: Use Google Calendar!

Alright, I'm done preaching. ;P

Peace,
Love,
Logain.

I'm always getting told that I have a really chill attitude when it comes to school, and apparently I never stress out. This is totally not true! I just don't get all worked up about homework and exams, because I get everything done early and manage my time wisely, therefore avoiding a lot of stress ;).

Fortunately, there's plenty of things you can do to avoid stressing out too much. Whenever I feel super stressed, I take a break and do something fun; such as seeing a movie with friends, shopping, or grabbing a coffee or something with a friend. If those things aren't an option, then I usually just call up a good friend and talk to them for a bit and just try to forget about all the things I need to do. Otherwise, I just watch YouTube hair and makeup tutorials ...because you know.. that always works too. :-) I also changed my whole sleeping pattern, and it's horrible some days, but it works perfectly for me and I always end up getting enough sleep so it's okay. Another thing I do when I'm really stressed is just draw. I love art, and I actually wanted to major in it for a while! Usually I draw rather than paint, but I think I'm going to start painting soon. Plus acrylics are only 1$ per bottle!! Super cheap and the quality is great! I know a lot of people like to play sports too, and UMR is conveniently located near the Y, so if you ever just need an hour break or something then you could easily walk over to the Y for a bit.

So much to do to take your mind off school and anything else stressing you out, so just choose something you like, and do it! :D

I feel like people don't do enough traveling in their lives, and it's really unfortunate because there's so much to see in this world!! I know that there's a lot of reasons that people might not be able to travel, such as money, time, and even fear. Not many people want to go and visit new countries, because they're too comfortable where they are now. But here at UMR, everyone is given the chance to study abroad! Which is so convenient and really cool. Not many schools spent their time helping you plan such an amazing experience for your last year of college.

I really think that traveling and exploring other countries and their cultures really changes a person's views. Unfortunately, not many people are familiar with cultures other than their own. Being able to experience other peoples' cultures is a really awesome experience. Many of us may have misconceptions about people and their cultures, but to be able to actually go and visit their country and learn more about how they live would be such a great experience!

A few months ago, I met a guy at a different college in town, and he was taking an Arabic class and trying to learn the language because he wanted to move to Egypt. I thought that was so amazing!!! I definitely wanted to keep in touch so that I could answer any questions if he had any. That's another thing too, there's plenty of people who might be from the country you want to visit, and if you take the time to ask them I'm sure they can give you great tips such as where to stay, good schools and programs, and they can even explain a little more about the culture over there.

So I guess what i'm saying is that you should go out and see what the world has to offer! Even in America, there are many differences between the East Coast and West Coast. Just imagine how much different it'll be outside of the country! I really encourage everyone to take advantage of UMR's study abroad options, and go out and learn something new!

Here are some places I recommend going to/plan on traveling to:

Alexandria, Egypt
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Tokyo, Japan
Maldives
New Delhi, India
South Africa
Morocco

Safe travels! xo

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to let you guys know about some upcoming events that are going on in the community. We need all the volunteers we can get!

First off, we (Olmsted County Youth Commission) are collecting bikes on March 16th at all of the local high schools in town. There are two shifts that you can sign up to work at: 9 - 11:30 or 11:30 - 2. We need volunteers to help unload bikes, and help organize everything. The whole purpose of this is to collect bikes for those in need. Not many people realize it, but a lot of people don't attend school and it's all because they don't have any way of getting there. So what we're doing is collecting bikes and then later fixing them up so that we can donate them to people who need them! A bike can come in handy when you don't have a car or any other way of getting to school. We're also going to need volunteers to help fix up the bikes, because not all of them are going to be in perfect condition. If you don't have much experience when it comes to fixing bikes, don't worry. There will be people there teaching you how to do that.

On March 23rd we will be holding a collection day at Barlows Hy-Vee. We will be collecting non perishable food and personal hygiene items for use at high school food shelves including Golden Hill Learning Center. Volunteers are needed to handout lists of items that we're looking for, and to help organize the items once we get them. We've done this before and raised about $900.00 in non perishable food and hygiene items. I think that there were so many items donated that Golden Hill didn't even have enough space to hold everything.

If you're interested in participating, let me know (abdel078@umn.edu) and I'll make sure to sign you up and provide you with more info! :)

Hello again! I know that with school going on we rarely have time to pamper ourselves, but making sure we have time to take care of our skin and overall appearance is pretty important. I've noticed that when people get really stressed out, they tend to break out a little more than they usually do. Now, that never used to happen to me but lately it's been happening more than I'd like it to be. That being said, I spent a few hours on the internet searching for great masks and hair treatments that I could easily do at home! Of course I found a bunch of results, but the one that really caught my eye was...

Huda Kattan's beauty blog! She has the most amazing tips! Basically she's an Iraqi makeup artist based in the U.S. and Dubai. She does lots of reviews and always shares great makeup/skin care tips with her viewers. You can find more tips at hudabeauty.com, but today I wanted to share some easy to make masks that I found on her site. Taking an hour or so out of your day to just relax and take care of yourself really does make a huge difference. I cannot wait for the next few days to be over so that I can finally take some time to do some of these masks and hair treatments. That's another thing, she also has advice on hair! There's posts on oil treatments/hair masks/hair styles, and more! My hair used to be really long, I mean I guess it's not really short right now, but it's not as long as it once used to be - and that's because I would straighten it too much, or not comb it enough because I'd come home so tired everyday that my hair was the last thing on my mind! That's why I've been using her tips and they actually do help! DO NOT NEGLECT YOUR HAIR!

Just like I promised, here are some useful tips that you can do over break to get you ready for next semester, and even for any upcoming parties or big events you have going on! Enjoy! xo

1. Jessica Biel Inspired Face Mask (Very simple!)
Do you ever wonder how Jessica Biel gets such nice skin? Well, wonder no more! All she does is take an avocado and mash it up. She then applies it all over her face and lets it sit for 20 minutes and then rinses it off! The purpose of this mask is to moisturize your skin, it also gives it a nice glow! (I've tried this and it's my favorite! Works magic!)

2. Yogurt/Honey/Pineapple Mask!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of plain yogurt
2 - 3 cubes of pineapple
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of aloe (optional!)

Directions:
Mince the pineapples until they're very small. In a small bowl, mix together the honey, yogurt, and aloe (if you used it) with a fork until blended well. Then, add in pineapples and fold into the mixture. Apply on your face until completely covered; let it sit for 15 - 20 minutes and then rinse.

3. Walnut Face Scrub
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of plain yogurt
1/3 cup of ground walnuts
1 tablespoon of honey

Directions:
Mix together honey and yogurt, and then add walnuts. Work into skin, massaging into the t-zone (which is the forehead and nose region) and nose. Rinse with warm water and pat dry. Follow with your favorite moisturizer! :-)

4. Blueberry Face Mask
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
1/3 cup of honey
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of quick oats

Directions:
In a a blender, blend the blueberries until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Add blueberries. Apply to skin using an old makeup brush, let sit for 15 minutes!

5. Shine & Gorgeous Hair Mask!
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of raw honey
2 tablespoons of almond oil (coconut oil can be used as a substitute)
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

Directions:
Mix together ingredients and work into hair root to tip! Leave on hair for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then wash with shampoo and condition as usual. Style as usual.

These are some of the pictures from the Cultural Awareness Week at UMR, where some of the students and professors dressed in their traditional cultural colthing and shared their customs and traditions with other students.

This event was organized by the Intercultural Club of UMR.

Soumya (left) wearing the Indian sari, Hawa (middle) and Muna (right) wearing the Somali diraac

Hi everyone! I just wanted to tell you all a little about myself, and give you all some advice.
My name is Zeinab Abdelhai. I am mostly Sudanese; I was born in the city of Khartoum, Sudan. I moved to America when I was 11 months old, so I've pretty much been here all my life. I have three siblings, two younger brothers (one is a sophomore in high school, and the other an 8th grader) and a little sister who's three years old. I speak one other language - Arabic. I love meeting new people and learning about other cultures! I love being involved in the community! I am the Youth Chair of Olmsted County Youth Commission (It's a network of youth and adults who come together to give the youth a voice. We also do tons of volunteer work in the community!). I would definitely encourage all of you to come join in on a meeting - meetings are open to the public and are held the first Wednesday of each month at the Government center cafeteria from 4:45 - 6pm. It's my third year participating in Youth Commission and I absolutely love it! I am also a part of the Mayo Clinic Young Volunteers program! I work at the Charlton building information desk for an hour and a half on Mondays. I started working with this program about a year ago, and I love it. There's so many volunteering opportunities available at the Mayo Clinic! I also participate in the Fall and Spring tree plantings with our Neighbors every year! You'd think that planting trees is boring, but it's actually a lot of fun, and the people are great. Aside from that, I'm the Director of Service for RCTC Phi Theta Kappa. I've also volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army, and other great organizations! If you're interested in doing any volunteer work, just contact me and I'll give you some ideas! :-)
I also enjoy traveling a lot!! I've been to Sudan, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi so far. I really want to visit Tokyo, so hopefully I'll get the chance to do that! I don't do much traveling within the United States because I only have immediate family living in America, and they live here in Rochester. The rest of my family is divided throughout Sudan, UAE, and Saudi Arabia. The last time I went to Sudan was two summers ago actually, and I hope to go there and to Abu Dhabi this summer if possible! I know a lot of people have misconceptions about the country of Sudan and it's all because of the way the media portrays it. But Sudan is a beautiful country and I love it! Here's some pictures of Sudan that I thought I'd share with you all (I didn't take these photographs):

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for reading. :-)

Hi everyone! :-) I just wanted to share my reasons as to why I decided to attend UMR this year!

Last year was a pretty relaxed year for me, and I had some time on my hands so I would spend a lot of my time at UMR visiting some of my friends that go here. I didn't really find it that appealing. I always wanted to go to a huge school in an even bigger city. I wanted to be in a place that always had things going on so that I would never be bored; and I didn't really view UMR as a prospective school in my future. But my thoughts definitely changed by the end of that semester! The more time I spent here, the more I liked it. The first thing that really caught my attention was 318 Commons. I loved that the students there had such nice living arrangements! Most of my time was spent there. The second floor of that building was where I'd always find my friends in the afternoons, and so I'd just hang out there and do my homework for a little bit and spend some time with everyone. That still didn't fully convince me though. However, I needed a science and math credit and I was told that UMR had excellent science and math courses, so I decided to apply and take those classes here. I'm glad I did though, because this school has definitely grown since last year and I love it!

There's more people and more activities and events going on! It's starting to feel like a traditional campus, which is interesting because this school has only been open for a few years. It's great here! I really love how the professors are so helpful! I've never seen such dedicated teachers. They give so much of their time to their students. Yes, the courses here are rigorous, but it's only going to benefit you in the future. Besides, there's so much help available here that you'll do just fine!! I can't wait to see how much this school changes in the next few years!! I also love how the school is located downtown - it's so convenient! UMR is small, but it's growing and will continue to grow in the future!