DemonTHON 2013

Today’s guest blogger is Mike Stapleton. He is a third year student studying Hospitality Leadership with a concentration in Event Management and a specialization in Sales Marketing with a minor in Spanish. He is originally from Downers Grove, IL. On campus he is involved in DemonTHON, Alpha Phi Omega, and DePaul Men Against Sexual Violence. He shares his story within his leadership position in DemonTHON this year! 

For those of you that do not know, DemonTHON is a yearlong fundraising act that comes to a close in the form of a 24-hour dance marathon. Students fundraise money for the kids at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in downtown Chicago. As a member of the leadership team, I like to view the “Big Event” more as a party to give thanks to all of the dancers that worked so hard to raise the minimum of $250 dollars.

When I say party, I really do mean a party! The Moral team loaded the event with numerous activities and lots of energy that kept the party bumpin’ all night long! My favorite part of the Big Event is always being able to hear the miracle stories that bring a closer look into the big question: Why we dance.  We dance for the kids that can’t and for the kids that we were lucky to have join us! The party doesn’t end there though. This year’s event ended with the greatest gift DemonTHON 2013 could have ever asked for. We raised $150,313.37, that will go directly to the kids and families that are connected to the hospital. Having seen that number pop up on the countdown was an unbelievable moment, but knowing the impact that that will have on the hospital and its patients is what brings me to tears every single year.

Our goal is to let students know that DemonTHON is more than just the party at the end of our school session. DemonTHON is an organization that loves to get involved and give back to the DePaul community as well! We show our support at sporting events, have kickball games with the families from the hospital and even perform flash mobs throughout the year! We also reach out to the community by doing service at Chicago Bears games at Soldier Field.

This year, I had the privilege of being the catering director of the 2013 DemonTHON event and had to feed the 350 dancers and leadership team members that decided to devote their day to standing for the kids! While this was a bit of a strenuous responsibility, I enjoyed all of the experience that this event has given me while I pursue my own career in event management.

This event would not be possible without courageous and daring students that want to contribute to something larger than them selves. Every year we make our mark on history and cherish lives in need. I would love to tell you more about the actual event, but I could not do it justice. DemonTHON 2014 hopes that you will come out and join the family and experience a once in a life time opportunity!

FSL Week 2013: The Only Way to Fly

Happy Fraternity and Sorority Life Week 2013 to all members of the DePaul University Interfraternity Council (IFC) , Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) , and Panhellenic Council (Panhel)! This year’s theme is “The Only Way to Fly” and is filled with events and activities in celebration of the FSL community on campus. The FSL Week committee has been hard at work for several months and they couldn’t be more excited for the week to finally be here. What is the mission of FSL Week you may ask? It is: “We want to bring to you a well- rounded, fulfilling week with great opportunities for all chapters to come together and emphasize the core values of our DePaul Fraternities and Sororities” (FSL 2013 Handbook).

There are events going on all week Monday starting with a Passport Check-In and Unity Stroll Competition & BBQ and ending with the Fraternity & Sorority Life Banquet on Saturday. Some other events during the week include: Variety Show, Can Castle, Olympics, and special guest speaker David Stollman! More details can be found below or on the FSL Week 2013 Facebook page. 

Staff Spotlight: Kevin O’Brien

Today’s staff spotlight is with Kevin O’Brien. Kevin is the Loop Campus Office Manager for the Office of Student Involvement. As a two time Blue Demon, he shares a little bit about himself including his coffee addiction and why he loves working in our office! 

Where did you grow up?

This is kind of a hard question for me. I sort of grew up all over. I was born in Port Angeles, Washington and then spent 11 years in Vancouver, Washington. After that, I moved to Lake Zurich, IL and then Grand Blanc, MI.

Where did you attend undergrad?

DePaul University. #gobluedemons

What were you involved with in college?

What wasn’t I involved with in college is a better question. I was on the executive board of the DePaul Activities Board, worked as the Marketing Coordinator for Welcome Week, and was the Creative Planner for the Office of Student Involvement.

How long have you been working at DePaul?

I have been with OSI for 2 years as a staff professional and was a student worker for 3 years.

What is your favorite thing about working in OSI?

The students. I often tell my student workers they are the reason I come to work and the reason it’s so hard to leave. There is a great sense of community in our loop office that brings together the most unlikely group of students and it just seems to work. We have the best time together and I couldn’t ask for a better work environment.  I also really love my coworkers. They are the best support system and I have grown a lot professionally because of them.

What is your favorite and least favorite thing about Chicago?

Favorite: I love all the great places to eat. I spend a lot of time in Logan Square and the West Loop just eating. It’s great.

Least favorite: The winters. Let’s be real, no one looks cute in those sleeping bag coats and bean boots. Can’t it just be summer, forever?

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?

My collection of GQ from the past 9 years (haven’t missed an issue). A large supply of coffee. Sunscreen, lots and lots of screen (I am pretty pale).

You will never get sick of eating…

Coffee. Does that count? Let’s just say it does. I drink about 8 shots of espresso a day. It’s a real problem.

What is your favorite book?

Catcher in the Rye

What was your favorite vacation?

We used to go to Cannon Beach, Oregon every summer as a kid and I remember that being one of my fondest memories as a child. I mean, there is nothing better than building sand castles, playing in the tide pools, and eating copious amounts of clam chowder from Mo’s. Nothing will ever compare in my adult life to those days.

 

Vincentian Service Day 2013

This week’s guest blogger is Krystal Baisden. She is a sophomore double majoring in Intercultural Communication and Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies. Krystal is heavily involved on campus! She serves in leadership positions in all organizations she’s in which are: Invisible Children DePaul Branch, Global Brigades, W.O.R.C, Young Life and DemonTHON.

This Saturday, May 4th was DePaul’s Annual large campus service event, Vincentian Service Day. One of the organizations I am in, Young Life, decided it would be fun to give up our time and volunteer as a group at one of the sites offered. The site we volunteered at was the Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House off of the Belmont red line stop. At the Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House, we helped plant many flowers and vegetables in their garden. We also cleaned up the lawn. It was really nice to see that we were able to help them beautify their garden and make it feel more homey for them.

 Vincentian Service Day is  special because as a college community we are upholding what our school was founded upon. I think it is important for everyone at DePaul University to uphold the Vincentian Values in their lives. This is why DePaul a unique and beautiful school because of these values. I am already looking forward to next year’s Vincentian Service where I am planning to volunteer at for the third year.

#DPUphoto

Are you a frequent Instagrammer or photographer? Participate in our May Photo of the Day contest! Every day of the week we have a different theme that brings the DePaul community together to represent that Blue Demon spirit we all have. Everyone in our office as well as other departments have been instagramming like crazy, come join in the interactive fun! Be sure to use our hashtag #DPUphoto to get recognition, we are keeping our eyes open to share to the entire community these creative photos. Here is our compiled list of theme days:

We cannot wait to see everyone’s Instagrams, start tagging #DPUphoto and follow us on Instagram at @DPUInvolvement !

Special Edition: Throwback Tuesday with Teresa

Today’s blogger is I also known as the OSI Marketing Team’s Social Media Coordinator, Teresa Nguyen. I’m a sophomore majoring in Public Relations and Advertising. On campus, I am involved in Chi Omega Sorority, Freefall DePaul, and Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity in which I serve as the Vice President of Membership.  I also spent my spring break with the UMIN Service Immersion program in Montgomery, Alabama and I am so grateful to share my story with the DePaul community.

Has it ever crossed your mind how long or what it takes for a person, group of people, or an event to make an impact on your life? This is a question that lingered in my mind in my experience over this spring break service immersion trip.

Hearing wonderful stories from my friends about their service immersion experiences, I was extremely motivated to apply and see where it would go from there. I had very little knowledge of how this experience would be and I think that is what helped me get so much out of this trip. Before our 13-hour excursion to Montgomery, Alabama, we had three meetings with the group of ten where we most importantly, met one another and established what we were looking forward to. We all got along very well and really had no idea how tight knit our group would be in the long run.

In Montgomery, Alabama, we stayed and volunteered with Resurrection Catholic Church. We all had different types of experiences since some of us served with the senior citizen program, the elementary school, and the parish grounds. I worked with the senior citizen program and the elementary school alternating days and it was so much fun! With the senior citizens, I was able to assist them in cleaning their apartments and also delivering hot cooked meals to them. I really enjoyed visiting these seniors because when they opened the door to greet me, their faces lit up seeing that there was company there just for them. Most of the seniors lived alone and were sick therefore being able to provide a smile for them meant so much. I was overwhelmed by how warm and open these people were since they had never met me before yet they were more than happy to share their story with me and provide me with words of wisdom. I also worked in the elementary school with the preschoolers and kindergarteners, who were adorable as can be! With them, I helped them in learning the numbers and alphabet by singing and playing fun songs and games. This reminded me how education and learning can be so exciting, which made me grateful for the educational opportunities I’ve been granted with to this day.

Every night, our group would come together and reflect and share in what ways our volunteerism impacted or touched us. Because we were all spread out at different service sites, we had many things to share with one another. These reflections alerted me that although all of us are so different, we were there for the same reasons and passions in life, which is to selflessly serve in the betterment of the community and the world.

Now that I am back, four weeks later to be exact, I wouldn’t have spent my spring break any other way. This service immersion experience was more than anything I would have expected. The community I worked with in Montgomery and the peers from DePaul that were on the same journey, all changed and impacted my life for the better. Every single person I interacted and encountered with taught me life lessons and things about myself that I never thought of. I always knew that I enjoyed volunteering and volunteering my time to help others but this immersion motivated and even inspired me to turn it into a passionate career path. Not only did I come back to school with a new perspective on the world, myself, and my career aspirations, but also a new family within my fellow Vincentians in Action!

My advice to those who even to the slightest chance are considering on applying on a future UMIN service immersion trip, do it. As you all have witnessed these last three weeks through the reflections of Jorge, Nicole, and I, it is an experience like none other and that was only our first trip! The winter break 2013 service immersion applications are being accepted until May 8^th. More information can be found here. If you would like someone to talk this over with, those at UMIN and even the three of us at OSI are more than willing to speak with you!

OrgConnect 2013

OrgConnect 2013 was jam packed with 300 plus student organization leaders and our lovely OSI staff on Saturday, April 20th. What exactly is OrgConnect you may ask? It is a conference for all student organizations that goes over the registration and renewal process for the following school year.

The day was broken down into three sections: Standards/ImportantPolicies/Registration, OrgSync Breakout Sessions and OrgDevelopment Breakout Sessions which attendants could choose which ones to attend based on their interest or position in their individual organizations. All of these sessions were led by campus staff from the Student Center, Chartwells, and leaders in the various Category Meetings such as service, Fraternity & Sorority Life, etc. OrgSync  and OrgDevelopment breakout sessions were led by OSI staff and interns. Some breakout session topics were: Marketing/ Social Media, OrgSync 101, Event Management, Conflict Management, Officer Transition, and Involvement Fair 2013 just to name a few that were offered. The day concluded with a SAF-B workshop which all student organization Presidents and Treasurers must attend in order to qualify for funding the following school year. Students were also given the opportunity during the lunch hour to promote various events coming up from their organizations!

Our staff worked very hard to put together this day and it was a very large group project but a successful outcome for all. We enjoyed meeting new individuals and seeing old faces that represented the student organizations on campus!