Hello again!

On Friday, October 14, I attended Rendezvous with the U, a riveting event held in Rapson (where the School of Architecture is located). The event was co-sponsored by AIA (American Institute of Architects) Minneapolis and the College of Design. If you have the opportunity to become AIAS Vice President, you will serve on the AIA Minneapolis board, which comes with a lot of perks! Pro Tip: AIAS is a great way to network.

The event consisted of a lecture, a tour of the awesome new digital fabrication lab, a reception, and an exhibition of student work abroad. Istanbul-based architects Hasan Çalışlar and Kerem Erginoğlu of Erginoğlu & Çalışlar Architects (ECA) presented the lecture. They gave us a virtual tour of their work including an adaptive reuse of a former salt repository turned into an advertising agency.

After the lecture, a reception containing work from students that have studied abroad in Istanbul, Haiti, and Mexico was hosted in the Rapson Courtyard. We were also allowed to tour the new digital fabrication lab featuring a 3D printer, laser cutters, and a CNC router. I'm extremely excited to say that I have used everything except the 3D printer for my studio projects.

The evening was full of architectural learning and conversation. It was a great event to network at, especially if you haven't had the opportunity to connect with professionals. Pro Tip: I would highly recommend studying abroad for the benefit of networking with professionals. You may have the chance to tour their work and offices overseas!

Have a great week!

-Holly

Hello Friends!

Today I'm going to be telling you about my favorite class of the semester! It's called Fashion: Trends and Communication (ADES 3217); I know what most of you are probably thinking, "That's actually a class?" Yes! It is, and it is awesome! It's a lecture type class, like most of my classes this semester, and it focuses on fashion forecasting and how fashion communicates through designers, media, and people. This class is very interactive; instead of having tests and exams we have writing assignments and class projects. I particularly enjoy the projects because I love hands on learning and exercising my creativity.

Our first project for the class just wrapped up. For the project we were assigned a specific market segment within retail, my group's was wedding gowns. Determining and explaining current trends within the bridal market was part of the assignment; however, we also had to predict the fashion trends to come. Doing the work for this project was very enjoyable, so mush so that I wouldn't even call it work. I got to visit wedding boutiques and examine dress to see what styles and trends brides were currently wearing. I also got to do some online and magazine research to determine the up-and coming trends for 2012. This project was such a blast and I'm very excited to start the 2nd!

This class is just one of many interesting classes that is required for the Retail Merchandising major. So I hope that this gave you all an understanding that not all classes are straight from the textbook and that there some very fun and entertaining classes thrown into the mix!

Have a fantastic week!
-Sashka

This is one of the slides I used in my powerpoint for the market segment project

Tomorrow will be an exciting day for my classmates and me, as we will be visiting a senior housing complex in the area to conduct a post-occupancy evaluation for our upper-level housing course called Housing and the Social Environment. A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) is commonly described as a systematic analysis of existing designed settings to make future buildings better. Put into simpler terms, we will examine how residents interact with the building's design in a variety of ways, ultimately assessing how residents use the structure and the ways they are influenced by its design. Our work will later be compiled into a comprehensive report and given to the building's developer, which can be a useful tool when designing future assisted living communities.

Housing developments such these have been a hot topic lately in the housing field with the rise of the aging baby boom generation (AKA our parents). Two of my housing courses this fall focus largely on the rising need for accessible housing among the aging population, and I'm excited to get a first-hand look at a new development designed to empower those who live there. Assisted living communities are much different than what most would consider a nursing home, and come in a variety of different forms. They are much like any other urban apartment or condominium complex, but cater to the senior population and incorporate accessible design, lots of community space, and available assistance to promote healthy and supportive living. I feel the overall atmosphere will be a bit different than my freshman residence hall, but we have yet to see for sure.

An intuitively designed setup for successful aging was featured last semester in our very own Goldstein Museum of Design, called Smart House, Livable Community, Your Future. The Goldstein is the only design museum in the upper Midwest and it's right inside of our very own McNeal Hall! I walk by it every day on my way to class, very cool!

Have a great week and study hard!

- Jesse

Well I've made it back from Seattle, Washington in one piece and with all of the luggage I left with (which is sometimes a success in itself haha) I wanted to give you an overview of the trip my studio class took last week to Seattle Washington.

On the first day we visited Gas Works park a former industrial area now turned into a public park. Afterwards we walked to the University of Washington and visited their College of Design and Landscape Architecture Department. We went out for a studio wide dinner and then called it a night early as we had a big day ahead of us.

Day two brought design firm visits to both SvR Design and Gustafson Guthrie Nichol, each had high quality work to show us and quality information and advice to share but it was most interesting to see how different offices work on a daily basis or the "office culture" if you will. We visited the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation complex which is both a quality example of architecture and landscape architecture as both the complex and the site are LEED Certified. The building/adjacent landscape received a LEED-Platinum certification and the parking structure recieved a LEED-Gold certification.

The third day we were fortunate enough to visit the Olympic Sculpture Park, and Vineland Place. Vineland Place we especially intriguing because it is comprised entirely of a community garden with only a small helping hand from the city in terms of utilities for the site like electricity. We then took the city bus out to "High Point" a community development project that has received numerous sustainability awards.

Our fourth day we took a day long trip out to the Bloedel Reserve which was nothing short of spectacular. We received a guided tour around the facility and to say it was difficult to choose just one picture is an understatement. If you're ever able to make it out to Seattle, I highly suggest you do not miss the chance to view this extraordinary landscape.

While my trip wasn't the standard study abroad trip it still carried the same ideals of seeing new places, meeting new people and experiences new things. The Landscape Architecture Department at the U of M is committed to its students to provide such chances to have these experiences. For the U of M Study abroad center click on the hyper-link where you can find more of the traditional study abroad programs offered.

Until next week..!

Eric

The College of Design is one of the smallest colleges within the University of Minnesota, and each apparel design graduating class ranges from 10-18 students. Because of this small size, you really get to know not only your classmates, but also your professors, on a personal level. The professors all know your name and really care about you as a student, and as an aspiring designer. The relationships you build with your classmates is also extremely helpful as a designer, because having people to bounce ideas off of in the development process is vital to the design as a whole.

As an apparel design pre-major/major, you will spend a lot of time outside of class working on your projects in studio. The University of Minnesota has two wonderful clothing design studios, these rooms house sewing machines, sergers, mannequins, large cutting tables, etc. Bonding with your classmates early is a great way to make your studio time more enjoyable. Having "studio parties" is a common activity for me on the weekends, where a group of my friends and I all go into studio to work on our projects together. Building close professional and personal relationships with your classmates and professors is something that is unique to the University of Minnesota's College of Design, and is a huge asset.

Here is a photo of my entire class, celebrating after spending a lot of time in studio to create all the pants/shorts we are wearing!

While the University of Minnesota is a large and extensive campus if you are a landscape design and planning or masters of landscape architecture student the vast majority of your classes will take place here in Rapson Hall.
The time spent in this building includes dedicated class time, time spent working in your studio space (more to come on these in future blogs!), fully furnished wood shop, computer labs, digital fabrication workshop(cutting with laser?!) or the central courtyard where a great deal of interaction takes place.

Your probably thinking, "So wait I have to spend all my time in one building?". No, this is certainly not the case as many of your general education courses will take place else where. However all of your College of Design related needs will be under one roof. Talk about convenient! Even your personal academic advisers are located in Rapson Hall and have weekly drop in hours in addition to their scheduled meeting times.

So what's so great about this?
1. Its convenient!
2. It allows for a design community to develop. You will begin to recognize faces and make many new friends with similar interests! This allows for a very large university to seem much smaller. Aka all the benefits of a top 100 research institution at a much more personal scale!
3. Networking! Your professors begin to know you not only by face but by name. They bring in practicing professionals (many of whom are U of M Alumni!) to speak to us and help us with our various projects.

...but for when you do need to get out of the building, the always scenic knoll area of campus is a short walk to the west of rapson as is the Mall area of the University which is considered one of the best campus malls in the nation! (Thank you Clint Hewitt and other faculty from the Department of Landscape Architecture Faculty for your work on this!)

My topic next week: Studying Abroad! (Inspired because I wrote the above blog post while on a flight to Seattle, Washington for my studio course! Hope that gets you excited!

Have a good week everyone!
... Eric

Living off-campus can sometimes be a challenge, especially when trying to get to certain destinations like class, Gophers After Dark events, sports games, the grocery store, etc. Good thing the Twin Cities has an awesome bus and light rail transportation system along with extensive bike paths and a bike service, Nice Ride! I've lived in the Marcy-Holmes and Como neighborhoods in my time here at the University.

My main transportation during the fall is biking because of the weather. On rainy days, I use my Go-To pass. The Go-To pass allows me to put money on a card instead of using exact change all the time. Since I don't use the bus all the time, using a Go-To pass is more economical. During the spring semester, I purchase a U-Pass, because the weather is a bit too harsh to bike in. If you're a dedicated biker, you can invest in snow bike tires.

When riding a bike around the metropolitan area, you have to be safety-smart. Always be cautious of motor vehicles because sometimes they can't see you, even if you are in the bike lane. The U of M provides cheap lights and helmets through Parking and Transportation Services. Erik's Bike Shop and Varsity Bike & Transit are located on Fourth Street SE in Dinkytown and the Hub Bike Co-op on West Bank.

Pro Tip: Wear a helmet and tune up your bike frequently because you'll have to miss class and work if something happens.

Going carless can be as easy as taking a bus or riding your bike. It saves you a lot of money, even if you buy a U-Pass or a Go-To pass. You won't have to worry about gas prices, parking, insurance, tickets, or getting towed. The best reason to bike or take the bus is the fact that you will be helping the environment!

That's it for now. See you next week!

-Holly

I remember when I was getting brochures from schools in the mail as a high school student, and I always thought it was pretty cool when the school showed me their recreation center.

Our recreation center here on campus (fondly known as "The Rec") is currently undergoing a major expansion project. It's still open and ready to use; it's just that the racquetball courts and the south gymnasium will be closed for a while. You might have caught on, but I'm a sucker for digital mockups of architectural space: check out http://www.recsports.umn.edu/expansion.php to see the Rec expansion, which will be completed in Fall 2013.

There are a lot of options available to you in order to be physically active on campus. In the past, there's always been a campus-wide running club, there are intramural sports (visit http://www.recsports.umn.edu/intramurals/schedules.html for a list of sports and schedules--I play volleyball!), and there are a variety of club teams too. I have two friends that play on both the men's and women's club rugby teams, and my roommate freshman year played on the men's club volleyball team for a semester.

My experience with the Rec has always been good. The one time I decided to go swimming on campus, though, I actually went to the St. Paul Gym on the St. Paul campus. For one, I was living in St. Paul at the time, and for another, the pool is only five feet deep at its deepest--now that's my kind of pool.

Just for fun, I'll include the "team pic" from last spring's edition of Balls Boys (and Heidi). I, of course, created our t-shirts!

Hello friends!

Last week I had my two interviews with Kohl's and I am pleased to say that they went really well! I felt both composed and quick on my feet; and I have to thank Career and Internship Services for that. The day before my actual interviews, I went into Career Services for a mock interview. There, I met with a career service advisor who helped refine my interviewing skills. I was put in a similar situational environment and was taped during the process. It was a little nerve-wracking I'll admit, but very necessary; it allowed me to experience the nerves I would feel during the actual meeting with Kohl's. After the faux interview, I conversed with the advisor about my strengths and weaknesses. I was given some wonderful tips on how to improve and be better prepared in answering questions. One tip that I found helpful was to research the company, to look up articles, and explore all that the company has to offer. Having this knowledge is very beneficial, especially during interviews, it showcases your interest in the company and that you are serious about the position at hand. I experienced the usefulness of this tip the following day. One of the first questions both interviewers asked was why I wanted to work for Kohl's? Why I preferred their company over other retailers? I knew exactly how to answer this question, all thanks to the preparation done at career services. I am just so thankful for this resource and all that it offers!

Have a great week!
-Sashka

"For interviews always dress for success."

As I've mentioned before, I have a work-study job in the Student Services office of the College of Design. I am the assistant of the College to Career Coordinator, Lucy Reile. The College to Career program is way awesome because it allows students to connect with design professionals in their industry of choice. Connections like that go a long, long way because you get first hand advice from people who were once in your shoes.

These past few weeks, Lucy and I have been busy putting together all of the necessary things for the CDes Mentor Program. Basically, this program matches juniors and seniors in the College of Design with design professionals who they will be able to relate with, get advice from, and even hang out with. As of now, we're putting the finishing touches together and getting all of the Mentors and Mentees paired. November 2nd is the Mentor Program Kick-Off is and I am beyond excited to see all of the pairs meet for the first time and start getting to know each other! I can't wait to be a junior so I can participate in this program!

Hello again! It has been a busy past few weeks for both me and the rest of the HOUS (Housing Organization for University Students) student group as we prepared for the annual alumni gathering. The gathering is a great opportunity to network and get to know those who have graduated from the housing program before us, and now enjoying a wide variety of different careers. Those who came to the gathering enjoyed catering from Kafé 421, friendly and insightful conversation, and an engaging speech/discussion lead by Professor Crump regarding the foreclosure and sub-prime mortgage debacle.

After all of the planning and poster-making I worked on for the event, an unforeseen obligation came up and I wasn't able to attend, such a bummer! Regardless, the gathering went on without me and everyone had a great time!

Throughout the year, the HOUS group hosts a few different events involving past housing graduates who are still in the area, and it's always so interesting to see the wide variety of careers our alumni pursue. Some of the titles include project managers, property/asset managers, commercial bankers and many more. This goes to show that the different areas of concentration can lead a number of directions when deciding on a career. Career and Internship Services on the St. Paul Campus are always so helpful, they're such a great resource!

As far as things that aren't school related, I've mostly been enjoying the beautiful fall weather and attempting to improve my drawing skills. Maybe I can come up with something good enough to post before the snow starts flying. Thanks for reading and have a good week!

Last Friday I attended the Career and Internship Fair put on by the University club FAB, Fashion And Business. (http://www.fabmn.com/) The College of Design puts on quite a few of these career based events and they are a great resource, and fun to attend! There are speakers, an occasional fashion show, presentations and lots of booths with employers and companies offering internships in the near future. While there I spoke with quite a few companies about their internship opportunities and what they look for in a candidate. While at the Career Fair I picked up a lot of info about a few companies that interested me, as well as business cards, etc. Here is a picture of everything I grabbed at the career fair!

I have been working with Heidi Perman from the CDes Career Center (http://www.careerhelp.umn.edu/) on my resume and cover letter for a few different internships next summer. The career center is great! They really help you pinpoint what is important based on your interests and what company you are applying to intern with. I have already had one internship with a local design company, last fall/spring, and am currently interning with another local designer. Internships are very important to your college experience as a design student, and the Career and Internship Services is a great place to start in your search, the earlier the better! The current application I am working on with Heidi is for a large corporation based out of the Twin Cities. This particular application is due in two weeks, wish me luck!

Being a student (especially a College of Design) one often means hectic schedules and trying to squeeze every last hour out of your work day. Believe it or not it's possible to fit even more into that schedule and I would highly recommend it. I myself was a part of the University of Minnesota Men's Soccer Club (http://www.tc.umn.edu/~soccer/)
team for the past three years, took part in various College of Design Events (http://www.design.umn.edu/calendar/) and am a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects Student Chapter (http://asla-mn.org/).

These various involvements I've had have served as simply as a way of relaxing and getting my mind off of classes or as networking opportunities. More than once my involvement in extracurricular activities has led to some sort of employment (hello blogging!). This brings me to my next thought that goes hand in hand with being involved... Time Management!

As great and rewarding as being involved can be its also important to keep a good schedule. I find it helpful to write out my schedule by full months. That way I can map out due dates for projects and know when I have tough weeks ahead so that I can try to work ahead of time to make that week more bearable. This is also what makes it possible to get involved in some of the activities I mentioned above. I also like to think that just one hour of getting involved in any way will save me two hours in the future. An example of this would be applying for jobs. First you have to look for one, find a few your interested in, apply, wait for a response, interview, wait again for a response, and then hopefully you get the position. If not you start the process all over again. Whereas, maybe an hour spent volunteering somewhere allows you to make a contact with an organization that in a few months ends up having an opening and they remember that guy or girl they had volunteer and what a great candidate they think that person might be.

So take it from me, getting involved is always worth it (not to mention you usually get free food!)

...till next time,

- Eric Maass

It started with working over in Uptown on Sunday morning. Usually I use my UPass
and take the bus to and from work, but I ended up having a free cab fare coupon so I
tried that out and it went well!

After I got home, I had a couple different homework assignments to work on. I did
some sketches for interior design studio collage I was working on, then I did some
different style drawings for another one of my classes. I also wrote a rough draft for
a short essay I was assigned. I felt SO accomplished after getting all that done and
I decided to reward myself by going to the Coffman Student Union to catch a movie
and snag some free food with a couple of friends.

On Tuesday, a girl from my interior design studio and I hopped on the bus to go
downtown so we could check out an art supply store. We got what we needed for
our collage assignments and stopped at a cute little coffee shop for some sweets and
caffeine before heading back home on the bus.

On Thursday, I had a meeting with an advisor in the Career & Internship Services
office in between classes. It's nice that the office is right in McNeal Hall, so I didn't
even have to leave the building to go to my appointment.

At my meeting, Heidi and
I discussed some steps I should take to help me decide on different career goals
as well as good minors I could pair with a degree in interior design. It was a very
helpful session and I plan on going in sometime next week to chat more.

Also on Thursday, I went to a Rogue Valley and Jeremy Messersmith concert
put on by Student Unions & Activities and it was free! I love live music and the
performances were great, so it made for a really good time!

Today is Friday, and luckily I was able to sleep in! Catching those extra Z's was a
real treat. So far I've done some tidying around the apartment and a little bit of
homework. I'll probably go over to Dinkytown for some coffee before returning
to my drawings. I'll plow through some assignments this afternoon before finding
some sort of adventure for the night!

Ciao for now!

Hello! My name is Lucie Mulligan and I am a junior in the Apparel Design program here at the University of Minnesota. I am originally from Iowa City, IA, which is in southeast Iowa, about 5 hours away from the Cities.

I have been interested in apparel and clothing design from about age 13. In high school, when I started looking at colleges I knew I wanted three things:
1) A big ten, "real college" experience.
2) A great school with a great program
3) A community in which to get involved and have fun

First, the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities was perfect for me because it had all three of the criteria listed above. When I thought of "college", I wanted to be able to go to football games in a big stadium, meet new and different people, join clubs that interested me and basically feel like there was always something new for me to try. The "U", has about 50, 000 students, nationally ranked sports teams, hundreds of student groups, a strong Greek community, a diverse student body, and many other things that make it a "real college" experience.

Secondly, the University of Minnesota's College of Design is a great hands-on program. The program is small enough that you really get to know your classmates, and professors. Your professors know your name and care about you, which makes you excited about apparel design! The college also has wonderful studios with high tech equipment and a variety of computer based programs that give apparel design a new edge.

Finally, living in the Twin Cities while attending the U is a great place to be as an aspiring designer. The fashion industry in the Cities is young and thriving and it's easy to get involved: working at fashion shows, interning and even just attending local events! There is always something going on, and going out and experiencing the fashion world in the Cities doubles as a great way to network with professionals.
Check out

I will be posting on this blog weekly and will talk about the ins and outs of the apparel design program here at the U, as well as other relevant experiences I've had while studying here.

I hope you enjoy my blog!

Hello Friends!
So, two weeks ago I attended the St. Paul Job and Internship Fair in hopes of finding a potential internship. An internship is required for all Retail Merchandising majors in order to graduate; I think that it is a fantastic requirement because it requires us to gain work experience in our particular field of study. And internships can also lead to job offers within the company! Meaning that we could have a job waiting for us before we even graduate! How awesome!

Printing out my resume and picking out my 'professional' outfit, I was prepared for the event that took place Wednesday, September 21st. I was nervous; there were going to be many big name companies to talk to. I've heard these companies talk in my classes before but speaking with them one on one was going to be intimidating, I thought. As I walked into the room where the event was taking place, I gathered my thoughts and proceeded to approach the recruiters for the company Kohl's. I introduced myself and expressed intrigue in the internship positions available. They told me about their internships, a store management internship that takes place here in Minneapolis over a 10-week period in the summer and a merchandising analyst internship that is in Milwaukee over a 10-week period in the summer also. They informed me that when placed in either position you are treated as a part of a team, nothing less, and that if you successfully complete the internship full-time job opportunities are available! I told them that I was very interested in both the internship programs and handed them my resume. They then told me that they were holding interviews on campus sometime in the near future and that I should apply online; I told them I would and then thanked them for their time. I was very happy with the conversation I had with the Kohl's recruiters because Kohl's was the company that I was most excited to talk to. I spoke with the other great companies like Express, Gordman's, and Target; those conversations went well also! However, I was still most intrigued by Kohl's. So the following day I applied for both positions online and I now have two interviews with them on October 6th! Wish me luck and I will update you all next week!

Have a great day!
Sashka

Some of the information packets I received from different companies at the Job and Internship Fair.

Greetings! My name is Jesse LaMaack and I am currently a junior in the College of Design majoring in housing studies/housing technology with a minor in architecture. Aside from school and work, I enjoy spending my free time with friends, playing in the snow, and people watching. I am also the vice president of the HOUS (Housing Organization for University Students) student group http://sua.umn.edu/groups/directory/show.php?id=227, and serve as the undergraduate representative for the College of Design’s academic technology committee. I will be blogging weekly, sharing my experiences and creative endeavors with you all.

I originally chose the housing studies program because it enabled me to apply my problem solving skills in a way to benefit others. My coursework so far has opened my eyes to the complex framework of housing, something nearly everyone considers to be a necessity. Housing is an interesting field of study, especially at a time when the housing market plays such a vital role in our nation’s economy.

Originally from a small farming community in southern Minnesota, I chose the U of M because it feels like a city within a city, with so much to do both on and off campus. Being in the College of Design is great because of the small and personal atmosphere, it makes me feel personally obligated to do my very best on every assignment! Being on the St. Paul Campus is also great, it’s a great getaway from where most of my life is centered around the bustling Minneapolis Campus. If you are in the area, check out our design facilities at McNeal Hall in St. Paul. http://cdes.umn.edu/scene/scene7.html

After graduation, I plan to work in the field of residential development or accessible design. I am also considering the prospect of continuing my education to attain a master’s degree in industrial design or historic preservation. There are so many things to learn in the housing program and I look forward to sharing my experiences with you all this year!

Jesse LaMaack

If you're into sports, you've noticed the Gopher football team isn't having the best season. It's really easy for people to be fair-weather friends, leave the games early, or stop coming at all. As a member of the marching band, though, I back the team no matter what.

When I think about game day, I don't think about the football team winning or losing. I think of how much fun it is to be at the stadium, performing for the fans, and keeping people's hearts in the game as much as possible. Of course, the average student doesn't have the same experience I do, but it's still a lot of fun!

First of all, we have the brand new TCF Bank Stadium here on campus, the only college football stadium built since 1960. Our scoreboard is the third largest outdoor video board in the country. Check out the stadium website at http://stadium.gophersports.com/ to get a better idea--some of the information is a little outdated, but if you go to the multimedia tab, they have video tours that I find super interesting.

We also have the Minnesota Spirit Initiative on campus, which is a student group that organizes the most spirited Gopher fans into an exclusive seating section at football, men's basketball, and men's hockey games. It's really awesome to be a part of this section from what I can tell, because you get into all of the games early and no one thinks you're weird for wearing TOO MUCH maroon and gold (is that even a thing?). More info about the Minnesota Spirit Initiative is on their website at http://www.spirit.umn.edu/spirit_sections.html

Fall is a really exciting time on campus with all of the men's and women's sporting events that are available to attend. Fun fact: student tickets are free to volleyball games, and we have one of the best teams in the nation! Head over to http://www.gophersports.com to find all of the information you could want about Golden Gopher Athletics.

See you next week!

Patrick

It all began about four months ago on a hot June day, the 6th annual CANstruction competition commenced with a kick-off meeting in downtown Minneapolis. CANstuction is an international design competition based on feeding hungry people and displaying public art.

Our team, American Institute of Architecture Students - MN Chapter, was the only student group participating in this year's competition. Unlike architecture firms that had donations and sponsors, we were a non-profit trying to raise money for another non-profit so we considered partnering with a great Minnesota based company, Target. After numerous emails and phone calls, we succeeded and agreed to partner with us! This began a long process of design discussion, can selection, and funding. Pro Tip: Great professional connections are created on projects outside of the classroom.

Our design was based on Harry Potter, hence the title of this blog. Target donated more than 2,793 cans! The majority of the cans were tuna. We had a splendiferous experience visiting sixteen different Targets in three days to acquire all of the cans. The competition was held at the Mall of America on September 24th. We were given all day to construct our design. Being smart architecture students, we had practiced assembling our design in the architecture building prior to the big day. We hadn't taken into consideration that the Mall of America shakes due to the Nickelodeon Universe. No worries: our model stood for three days!

Here is a little blurb about our design selection:

"In 2011 many of us said goodbye to some long time friends, the characters of the Harry Potter film series. In the same way that Harry defeated Voldemort in the final film of the series, we wish to defeat hunger by collecting donations for the Second Harvest Heartland Food Shelf. Harry brought hope to his friends and family in the wizarding community. We want to do the same for our friends and family in the Twin Cities community. One way we can do this is by fighting hunger, a real-life enemy as bad as Voldemort. Help us obliviate hunger."

We won a ribbon for best use of labels! The cans were then donated to the Second Harvest Heartland Food Shelf. Harry's Flight Against Hunger gave back to the community by providing meals and public art. We also had a great time assembling the design while meeting other architects and mall patrons.

Remember to get involved in a student group. The benefits of being an active member in a group are far greater than just being in a group so you have something to put on your resume. Pro Tip: Get involved earlier so you can experience being a member and a leader.