Thru Robin's Eyes

The semester is heating up and students are stressing over trying to get every project done in time for the end of the semester. Sometimes, taking a little time to relax and enjoy some down time is a great refresher. I have the perfect “down time” solution for you! I would like to invite everyone to sit back and enjoy the music this Saturday evening in Doermann Theatre as the High School Honors Choir performs.  Before they begin, the UT Women’s Chorus (led by Mr. William Schwepe) and the UT Men’s Chorus (led by Dr. Stephen Hodge) will perform. Please join us – we hope to sing to a full house.  

 The performance begins at 8 PM on Saturday, November 7^th, and will be held in Doermann Theatre in University Hall. See you there!

As this Halloween weekend rapidly approaches, I have one thought in mind: I get an entire additional hour of time this weekend! That’s because this weekend is when we switch from Daylight Savings Time to Eastern Standard Time. Everyone gets an extra hour of sleep, hanging with friends, doing homework, or Trick-or-Treating. This is extremely appreciated seeing as how I am working both Saturday and Sunday this weekend and that means getting up at 4:30 AM each day. Sleeping an hour later Sunday will seem like heaven!    Don’t forget to set your clocks back before you go to sleep Saturday night.

Summer flew by and campus is abuzz with this fall’s record 23,064 new and returning students.  In an effort to unify our college community and celebrate the UT college experience, President Jacobs is encouraging everyone to participate in “Rocket Fridays.”

Getting involved is easy; just wear Midnight Blue & Gold every Friday to show your pride in your college. Everyone can get involved – students, staff, and faculty – young and old.

Join me and Rocky in showing your true colors, and display that Rocket Pride every Friday! 

 GO ROCKETS!!

Last November, I was challenged by Dr. Nicholas Kissoff, director of the Construction Engineering Technology program, to predict the next 70 degree day. I chose a March day earlier than he chose. Luckily, for those of us in Ohio who await spring from the first of January on, the 70 degree day came earlier in March than EITHER of us predicted! Naturally, it was short-lived, but still enough to take the prize, and thus, Dr. Kissoff treated me to tea at Starbucks earlier this summer.

During our conversation I found that Dr. Kissoff began as a student here at The University of Toledo in 1976 and his life has been entangled with the university ever since. After completing his bachelor’s degree here, he completed both masters and doctorate degrees here in 1983 and 1988. After working at SSOE, he has been a professor here at the university since 1999, and has been director of the Construction Engineering Technology program for the last nine years. A couple of interesting tidbits of information about Dr. Kissoff: He was a site engineer for the building of The Glass Bowl as well as being Rocky the Rocket! Click here for Dr. Kissoff’s Home Page: http://cset.sp.utoledo.edu/~nkissoff/ 

Talking with Dr. Kissoff, I found that there’s a lot going on in the Engineering College and specifically in the Engineering Technology programs. The big news right now is the move of the programs’ more than 1,000 students from Scott Park Campus to the Main Campus. Renovation is underway with students expected to begin classes here this upcoming fall semester. Click here for more information and photos of the renovation: http://www.et.utoledo.edu/newLocation.html

This last spring, the Construction Engineering Technology students participated in The Student Steel Bridge Competition. The Student Steel Bridge Competition is an annual competition sponsored by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). At the college level, students work together to design, fabricate, build and test a scale model steel bridge meeting the specifications set by the AISC/ASCE for that year’s competition.

This fall, please join me in welcoming our Engineering Technology faculty and students as they make the move to Main Campus!

A few weeks ago, the Tau Sigma National Honor Society participated in the March of Dime’s March for Babies as one of its annual service projects. It was a beautiful day for a walk!

I included pictures of some of our members prior to the start of the event.

Ashley Adams, T.C. Hops & Justin Brickner

Ashley Adams, Justin Brickner & Robin Utendorf

It’s not to late to donate:  https://www.marchofdimes.com/howtohelp/donate_online.asp

The amazingly nice weather has begun just as the semester is coming to a close. It’s hard to concentrate on all the studying and papers and projects that need completed when you’d rather be out enjoying the sunshine. Maybe I can try to figure out a way to combine them.

It looks to be a busy weekend for me. Besides the end of semester rush, my son has a track meet, my daughter has a band concert, and I am working nights Friday and Saturday both. On top of that, the Tau Sigma National Honor Society is participating in the March of Dimes March for Babies at the Lucas County Rec Center Sunday morning, so I am planning on walking three miles on no sleep.

Check back in with me next week when I post pictures from our March for Babies!

So far this semester has been crazy busy. In the admissions office we are travelling far and wide to promote the UT Guarantee program and I am visiting community college campuses several times a week. While we are still travelling, this week’s spring break has offered me a chance to catch up on a few things while I am not attending classes. One of the things I need to catch up on is writing here.

I would like to share with you an opportunity I had a couple of weeks ago. I attended a benefit dinner at Georgio’s Cafe for the Catherine S. Eberly Center for Women. It was their first annual event and it was very well attended. For those who attended and gave so generously, thank you. This fundraiser was a huge success! Seated at my table were:

• Larry Burns, Vice President for External Affairs
• Larry’s wife, Judy
• Kevin Kucera, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services
• Kathy Bielski, External Affairs Financial Director
• Kaye Patten Wallace, Vice President for Student Affairs
• Larry Sykes, Community Activist
• Chris Henderson, Associate Director for Adult Student Admissions
• Ardelia Schuler-Freeman, Admissions Recruiter

The food was delicious and the surrounding company was engaging. Music was performed by a University of Toledo Jazz Student Trio comprised of Jeff Hart, Johnathan Jelinger, and Mike Thurber.

The purpose of the Eberly Center is to serve women of The University of Toledo and the surrounding Toledo communities by advocating for women’s equity on education, work, and health. Their primary goal is to support women in their efforts to achieve their highest potential.

 For more information about the Catherine S. Eberly Center for Women.

I think I have finally settled in after the start of the new semester.  This semester will truly prove to be a busy one! Keep in touch with me as I frantically try to manage 17 (what was I thinking) credit hours! LOL!! So there was one book I had to buy yet this last week and new classrooms to find. I also needed to stop in this semester at Rocket Solution Central to take care of a few things. As ususal, I was well taken care of and I would like to thank my favorite RSC representative, Dawn Bellner, who patiently added my class and took great care of my financial aid woes. She’s always willing to help me whenever I need a hand.

We are experiencing one of the snowiest Januarys on record here in Ohio. Parking at UT is always my biggest challenge since I commute in every day, and finding parking at the beginning of a new semester is always tricky. With the parking lots covered in snow these last two weeks, it made it next to impossible to see where the parking spots were lined. That made the usual parking nightmares a complete disaster. No one could tell where to park so in an effort to be safe, everyone took up more than their fare share of the parking space. Luckily, while the snow and cold temperatues are still around, the parking lots are mostly cleared, making the parking somewhat manageable again. There is no snow forecasted for the near future, but the cold temps are still present!

Anyone else as ready for spring as I am?  I see palm trees and tropical beaches. How many weeks until spring break?

This is about the time when I realize that there’s only one week left of break before classes begin again and utter chaos ensues. I have long since purchased all of my textbooks and began reading them. This has allowed me to already recognize that I am way in over my head for the upcoming semester. I usually realize this about the time that the first weekend of the semester hits and I have more reading to do than what can possibly be done in one weekend. By getting started early, I’ve managed to start to panic before the semester has begun, which leads me to believe that apparently the panic is inevitable, it’s just the timing that differs.

I have started my New Year’s resolutions. Okay, let’s be honest – I was on the treadmill once and yes, I did go to Gibsonburg for donuts when I got off work this morning. In my own defense, once you’ve managed to stay awake until 7AM, don’t you deserve to be rewarded with a donut or three?

So far I have spent the break working, cleaning my car out, trimming all my bushes and trees (things that should have been done earlier this fall had there actually been time), and “spring” cleaning around the house. I have managed to fill the upcoming week entirely full trying to continue catching up with more friends and family, and with visits to the dentist and eye doctor.  The only thing left to do now is finding time to relax.

I hope that everyone else is having a restful and enjoyable break from classes and that you too have managed to catch up with friends and family. See you next week!

Exam week is finally over and everyone is enjoying an axiously awaited Holiday Break by now. Myself, I have already purchased my textbooks for next semester and plan to jump start my reading soon. This has gotten me to begin pondering my New Year’s resolutions. I am truly a very busy person and now that there is a break betwen classes, it’s time to get started on those resolutions while I still have time. Classes begin again on Januray 12th and by that time I’ll have already begun and broke most of my New Year’s resolutions while the rest of you are still at Wal-Mart buying discount exercise equipment. For an overachiever like myself, it’s important to get the resolutions started as soon as possible in order to be the first one to break them.

Everyone has their own resolutions to strive for: stop smoking, floss daily, exercise more, and I am no exception. Every year I strive to take care of myself better and that begins with exercising and losing a few pounds. I know the importance of regular exercise and keeping fit for life, and saying that you are exercising and eating right for your health sounds less vain than saying your jeans have become impossible to zip because you’ve gained ten pounds from the imbibing on copious plates of Christmas cookies.  So starting tomorrow I vow to get thirty minutes of exercise at least four days a week and to watch my consumption  of sugary snacks. By starting my New Year’s resolutions immediately following exam week, you can understand how I can break them prior to the new year even starting. But you’re probably still wondering, Robin, what are these three simple ways? And can I do it too?

My answer to you is, “Of course you can”!! Allow me to explain. Sugar is the only “all-natural” sweetener, and anything all-natural must be good for you. Sugar produces energy. You need energy for exercising.  So my three simple ways to break New Year’s resolutions are (in no particular order):

1) Dunkin Donuts

2) Krispy Kreme

and my all time personal favorite…

3) Ideal Bakery in Gibsonburg, OH

And now, as an overachiever, let me be the first to wish Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year’s to you and all of your friends and families. I’m off now to let visions of sugar plums dance in my head. (And also the candy canes and gingerbread men and fudge and buckeyes…)