THE PILLAR - University of Colorado Denve

1 THE PILLAR . A MONTHLY JOURNAL OF THE TRiO SSS COMMUNITY. Helping Students Realize Their Full Potential . Student Spotlight Maria Sanchez Martinez The TRiO SSS Office is delighted to spotlight Maria Sanchez Mar- tinez in this month's newsletter. She graduates this semester with a major in Creative Writing and a minor in Ethnic Studies. Maria en- April 2016 tered the program in summer 2012 and has been an active member ever since. Maria is an avid reader and writer. In addition, she en- Page Guide joys watching television shows, movies, and documentaries, which Page 1 further inspires her writing. Maria enjoys exploring new things in other languages, because she is intrigued with how different cul- Student Spotlight tures see the world and learning about their unique cultural tradi- Page 2 tions. Maria loves music in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Kore- an. She is open to anything that is pleasing to her ears and will lis- Architecture Spotlight Feed The Need ten to it, ranging from pop to indie to metal.

2 Overall, college has been a great learning experience for Maria, not only in the class- Page 3 room but outside of it. She was able to learn and improve many of her abilities, such as time man- agement, multitasking, and organizational skills. Working to provide for herself and having full-time Denver Free Days 5 Stress Relieving Foods classes has made her more alert to solving problems efficiently. College made her a great student, but also a great person. Maria's short term goals are to graduate this spring and begin an entry level Page 4 position in her field. Maria's long term goal is to be able to write on her own terms without work or Wrapping Up Semester any other thing, being a restriction. She realizes that this goal will take time, but she is confident that Kudos Section she will accomplish it. One of Maria's most memorable moments was when she realized that Crea- tive Writing was what she wanted to study.

3 When she changed majors, she felt a huge relief and Page 5. happiness for making that decision. Maria credits TRiO with providing her the assistance and sup- port she needed throughout her years at CU Denver. She was able to learn how to manage herself Director's Corner better as a student and prioritize things more efficiently. Maria states, Knowing I had a team of sup- Page 6 port available if I needed help was such a huge weight off my shoulders. Maria's advice to other TRiO participants is to utilize TRiO as much as possible, any and Diversity Event all questions and concerns are completely valid and you shouldn't Poem College Memes be afraid of asking them. The TRiO team is there for you.. Page 7 Congratulations to you Maria, and we wish you the best in your future endeavors! Society of TRiO Students End of Semester Event Maria's favorite quote: Job Announcement Prefiero morir de pie que vivir de rodillas.

4 ~ Emiliano Zapata Page 8 (translation: It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.). Workshop Calendar The PILLAR Page 1. Fun and Facts: Architecture Major Being a female architecture student is definitely noticeable on this campus. The majority of architecture students are males, but there are a lot of women too. The learning environment is really awesome here. There is a full floor of studios with open classrooms so students can check out each other's work and give feedback. Also it is a great opportunity to learn from higher level studios. In stu- dio every individual has his/her own creativity, intelligence and way to work with projects that is unique. Some teachers say that teaching architecture can be very hard because its's based on concepts and designing ideas, and they can't teach how to think or how to design. It is really hard for the instructor to say do this and that in a certain way, be- cause there is no right or wrong way to complete the project as long as the purpose of the assignment is being delivered.

5 In my point of view, I truly believe designing is a skill that gets developed through research, practice and feedback. This degree is certainly a degree that is based on passion for what needs to be done and patience, because it can seemingly take forever to get a project done. I always think that if you do something you love and hate at the same time, then it is the right degree to choose. Most of the time, when people know that a close friend or a family member is studying architecture, the first thing they say is You're going to build my house! As exciting as it sounds, and it truly is exciting, reality is another matter. As the time passes and the student earns the degree and is finally able to design a house, 50% of the people back out because they realize it is really expensive to build a house even with a personalized discount by that close friend or family member. Back to the architecture program, overall it is a very competitive environment, students are al- ways challenging themselves to try new ideas and create awesome projects to impress everyone.

6 For that reason, the architecture building is open 24/7. There are many rooms that have screen projectors or flat TV's for presentations. Sometimes these rooms become movie theaters, or are used to play Xbox and PSP. As an architecture student, I would say I have a very unpredictable schedule and demanding college life, but in the end, what I am gaining from this program, is worth it. Submitted By: Jocelyn Mujica-Martinez CU Denver's Feed The Need . The CU Food Pantry has been providing free food for students in need of assistance since 2011 and operates on a donation only basis without funding from student-fees. The Feed the Need event will directly benefit students who visit the food pantry on a weekly basis. Beginning in the Fall 2016 semester, the CU Denver Food Pantry has decided to focus on foods that are nutritionally significant (Ex: Quinoa vs. Macaroni and Cheese). However, they will gladly ac- cept any donations that you donate to the Food Pantry!

7 They are focusing more on quality than quantity. In the good spirit of gathering food items for the CU Food Pantry, there is a competition to reward and recognize the University department that has collected the most food items, as determined by a point system found below. The TRiO SSS program has registered as TEAM TRIO, and you will be able to drop off food items in the Feed the Need box, located in the front of the office. Point System: 3 points: Dry goods (Pasta, spaghetti, etc), Fruit Bags (Assorted varieties). 2 Points: Protein (Tuna, chicken, etc) Dessert Mixes 1 Point: Soup Cans Vegetable Cans and Hygiene items 1/2 point: Snacks Submitted by: Henry Ornelas The PILLAR Page 2. Denver Free Days Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls, and Toys Community Day Sunday, Apr 3, 2016. 1880 Gaylord St, Denver, CO 80206. $1 suggested donation. Denver Botanic Garden-Sunday April 3th. Botanic Park featuring hundreds of native plants & blooms, plus a kids' garden & art York St, Denver, CO 80206.

8 Denver Art Museum-Saturday April 2nd. You're also invited to celebrate creativity and Latin cultura at CelebrARTE on Free First Saturdays with bilingual activities for toda la familia. Denver Museum of Nature and Science-Saturday, Apr 23, 2016. 2001 Colorado Blvd. Denver, CO 80205. 5 Stress Relieving Foods Chamomile tea: This gentle herb can relax muscles and have a calming influence on nervous irritability and anxiety. Avocados: We need B vitamins for healthy nerves and brain cells, and feelings of anxiety may be rooted in a B vitamin deficiency. Avocados are rich in stress-relieving B vitamins. Cashews: One ounce of cashews packs 11% of the daily recommended value of zinc, an essential mineral that may help reduce anxiety. Blueberries: Containing antioxidants and vitamin C blueberries are great stress-busters. When we're stressed, our bodies need vitamin C and antioxidants to help repair and protect cells.

9 Salmon: The mega-3 fatty acids in salmon have anti-inflammatory properties that may help counteract the negative effects of stress hormones From: Submitted By: Amy Abdelrahman The PILLAR Page 3. Wrapping up the Semester Hello everyone, I hope you guys have been doing well academically and physically this semester! Hopefully everyone had a refreshing spring break with time to relax or catch up on some studying. Hang in there, I believe there is only about 6 weeks left! Can you guys believe it? I know I can't. Congrats to everyone especially to those who are graduating this year and those who completed their first year of college! If you are concerned about your grades or anything please feel free to contact your coordinator or peer mentor. In addition, reach out to the resources at the Learning Resource Center such as tutoring, open lab or supplemental instruction. It is never too late! I recall a time when I was struggling in a class and I received tutoring when there were only a few weeks left.

10 Every little bit of help comes a long way! While everyone is busy with classes, work, and extracurricular activities, don't forget to slow down and find time to do things you really enjoy. With that said, I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes: First I was dying to finish high school and start college. Then I was dying to finish college and start working. Then I was dying to marry and have children. Then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work. And then I was dying to retire. And now, I am dying and suddenly I realize that I forgot to live. ~ Unknown Submitted By: Kevin Li Kudos Section This section is dedicated to creating an encouraging environment by highlighting the many achievements accomplishments, and awards that the TRiO SSS students have received. Congratulations to all of the following TRiO Students! Derek Hall received an impressive score in his Abstract Math of 93%, a 96% score in his MATLAB course, and a 99% in his Calculus III course.