This weekend is Spring Jam, one of my favorite times of the year at the University of Minnesota. Spring Jam is an annual campus-wide music festival and is one of the U of M's biggest events of the year. There are concerts, competitions, and a variety of special events put on by Student Unions and Activities to celebrate the warm weather and the end of the school year. Here is what I'm especially looking forward to this week:

Service Project - From noon until 5 p.m. on Thursday there will be a community service opportunity to package meals for Kids Against Hunger. It is a local non-profit organization that provides meals for children and their families in the Twin Cities.

Trampled by Turtles concert - On Thursday night Trampled by Turtles is performing in the Animal Arena on the St. Paul campus. This must-see folk band was founded in Duluth, Minnesota, and has been entertaining crowds across the country for eight years. I'm excited to check-out this local band.

Ballyhoo - Ballyhoo is an annual dance competition between the Greek chapters. Greek chapters perform choreographed dances and are judged on their variety of dance styles, costume, use of theme, music, and more. I am excited to see my sorority sisters perform a Lady Gaga-inspired dance that they have been practicing for months!

Outdoor movie night - On Friday night, there will be an outdoor movie theater set up on Coffman Memorial Union's front plaza. There will be music played by a Beatles tribute band to go along with the Beatles inspired movie, Across the Universe.

Battle of the Bands - On Saturday afternoon, student bands will compete to be the opening band for the headliner concert that evening. Bands are allowed to play a 15 minute set and will be judged on sound, stage presence, and spirit. The number of musically talented people here at the University is amazing!

OK GO - After years of being a fan, I am excited to finally see OK GO live! Their famous treadmill dance is enough to get me to go to the show. The concert will close out a week of good music and fun.  

Visit the Spring Jam website for a full listing of events happening this week and to learn more about Spring Jam.

The University of Minnesota's Formula SAE  (Society of Automotive Engineers) Team is composed of 25 U of M students, primarily majoring in mechanical engineering, who design and build a race car each year. The team will be competing against other Formula SAE teams in Michigan this May under the sponsorship of Honeywell.

The 2011 car averages 75 miles per hour, and can theoretically reach 135 mph. The team has the goal of placing in the top 15. After learning from previous years and incorporating new strategies in design and building, these U of M students have high expectations for the future of our Formula SAE chapter. For more information on this project, visit the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Formula SAE team website.

Many members of the team find jobs have been hired by major engineering corporations as a result of their involvement in the Formula SAE Team. It's a great way to get involved on campus and network with future employers!

Pictured below is the racecar on its first drive of the year on Saturday, April 9th:

During the 2010-2011 school year, a group of University of Minnesota first-year students took photos to document their transition to the campus. Through an exhibit titled "The First-Year Photo Project," this group of freshmen have displayed their photos at the Coffman Arts Gallery in Coffman Memorial Union. You can see many of the photos on the Orientation & First Year Programs website. 

The entries were very impressive, and thoughtfully depicted what it means to be a student at the U of M. Themes of the exhibit include: "Who You Are," "First Days," "Confidence and Anxiety," "Show Your University," and "Closure and Development." 

If you're visiting campus before the exhibit closes on August 11, be sure to check it out!

One of the best things about walking around the U of M campus is constantly seeing and experiencing new things. Today, I learned that it is Ag Awareness Day, hosted by the students of the Minnesota Agricultural Club. I was greeted to campus by live cows, llamas, sheep, and even a pig!

Ag Awareness Day was created to promote awareness of the necessities of life that we as Americans recieve from our agriculutral resources. The necessities of life, such as food, clothing, and fuel, are displayed to show how agricultural resources play a critical role in our modern civilization. Along with students from the Minnesota Agruiculturaul Club, there are also Minnesota agricultural producers and agencies to offer information and display how their agricultural work helps support people all over the state of Minnesota (and around the world).

There is rarely a dull day on campus, so take advantage of events such as this one to enhance your U of M experience! To learn about future events on campus, visit the Campus Event website.

There are literally thousands of opportunities to enhance your college experience and prepare for a successful future. A new website geared toward helping you get involved in the U of M and Twin Cities communities is Engage! This is a website where you can find activites in a specific area of interest. From A to Z there is something for everyone! There are also links for student employment, community outreach, research, and even internships. All the tools you need to enhance your experience and prepare you for success are right at your fingertips. Take some time to look and see what activites you can find that interest you!