McDaniel Weekly - October 20, 2020

From Amanda Gelber, Director of the Office of Student Engagement

Session B is flying by -- and OSE is here to help you enjoy the fall weather by providing a little outdoor fun! The Office of Student Engagement is happy to present Oh-My-Gourd Fall Fun, starting this Friday, October 23rd, and running through Saturday, November 7th!

On Friday, October 23rd, we will be hosting a Kickboxing event at ANW Quad from 5-6pm. You must sign up beforehand -- click here to RSVP! The following Saturday, October 31st, OSE and multiple cultural organizations will host a Halloween Celebration from 6-8pm at the Gazebo and Outdoor Stage, next to Hill Hall. This event will include an open mic night, an awesome costume contest, and Halloween treats (including hot beverages)!

But to truly end this year on the right foot, we want to bring a whole evening filled with fun to you! OH, MY GOURD: Fall Fun Fest will be on Saturday, November 7th from 5-9pm in the Stadium and Caboose Parking Lot. This event will include Bubble Soccer (sign up TBA) from 5-7pm, Food Trucks from 6-9pm, and the last outdoor movie of the semester from 7-9pm. FREE hot comfort food, beverages, fleece blankets, and fun!

Don’t miss out on these upcoming weekend events!

Amanda Gelber

Register for the virtual SmartTalk

On Thursday, October 22nd, at 7pm, President Casey will lead a conversation with Ludley Howard ‘84, President and CEO of Pride Youth Services. Howard’s vision of creating effective, culturally competent services for African American youth and their families led to the founding of Pride Youth Services. He remains committed to empowering the lives of young people from diverse experiences and backgrounds. Click here to RSVP.

File your FAFSA

On October 1st, the 2021-2022 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opened up on studentaid.gov. You MUST complete the FAFSA every year -- it helps determine your eligibility for federal, state, and need-based financial aid for the 21-22 academic year. This year, students who file the FAFSA before October 31st will be entered into a raffle to be one of three winners of a McDaniel beanie and a $25 gift card to Starbucks!!! Email the Financial Aid Office (finaid@mcdaniel.edu) with any questions.

Explore different majors

Have you been wondering what to major in? Are you thinking about adding a minor?

From October 26th-29th, many departments are hosting virtual receptions for undeclared students to learn about their prospective majors or minors of interest.

Hear directly from professors in certain departments and learn more about opportunities within those majors. All undeclared first-year and second-year students interested in the following majors or minors are encouraged to attend:

• Art
• American Sign Language (ASL)
• Biology
• Business, Economics, Marketing, & Accounting
• Communication & Cinema
• Education
• English
• Environmental Studies
• Health Sciences
• History & Art History
• Kinesiology
• Physics & Engineering
• Social Work
• Theatre Arts
• World Languages, Literatures & Cultures (Arabic, French, & Spanish)

Click here to view the schedule and access the reception meeting invitations. Contact the Office of Academic Life (academiclife@mcdaniel.edu) with any questions.

Play Financial Football and win $$$

In honor of Financial Aid Day, the Financial Aid Office is hosting a virtual Financial Football game this Wednesday, October 21st, from 5-6pm. Compete against other students and answer financial-aid questions for your chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card! There will be 6 ten-minute games you can compete in. Click here to join the games (passcode: 393432).

Juniors -- now is the time to talk about scholarships and fellowships

If you’re interested in applying to a competitive scholarship or fellowship, such as the Fulbright, Marshall, Mitchell, Soros, or Truman, now is the time to get started! A competitive scholarship or fellowship can help fund your internship, career, or study abroad experience. The CEO can help you figure out your options, connect with advisors, review application materials, and more. Schedule an appointment with a CEO staff member through Handshake to get started.

Get help with your classes

Did you know that McDaniel offers free tutoring to all students?! The tutoring options for Session B of the Fall 2020 semester are now available and can be found on the Portal.

• Login and click on “Menu.”
• Click on “Student Resources.”
• Click on “Tutoring.”

As always, the Office of Academic Life is here to support you. Reach out to us at academiclife@mcdaniel.edu.

Discuss the global crises of the COVID-19 Pandemic

On Thursday, October 29th, at 7pm, Dr. Christianna Leahy will lead a virtual panel of experts in a discussion about the interrelated nature of the pandemic, climate crisis, and racism. Those on the panel include Dr. Dana Ferraris, Dr. David Blanding, and Ronald Kaltenbaugh. To RSVP for the session, email ipo@mcdaniel.edu.

Take care of math prereqs

Need to retake your math placement exam? On Tuesday, October 2th, from 8am-8pm, the placement tests will be available via Blackboard. To take an online math placement test, register via self-service for 2020UFA MAT-1003-02.

• If you’re attempted the math placement exams previously, but need a little extra support, online sessions of MAT-1001 Basic Arithmetic and MAT-1002 Basic Algebra will be offered over January Term 2021. Consider registering if you:
• Placed into MAT-1001 and/or MAT-1002 and have not yet completed them or MAT-1100.
• Wish to take a class this spring or later that has a prerequisite of MAT-1001 and/or MAT-1002, or MAT-1100. These classes include math courses, some science courses, as well as other courses.
• Took the math placement test previously but were unsuccessful in either basic arithmetic and/or basic algebra.

Understand FERPA and what it means for you

You recently received an annual notification regarding the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). FERPA prohibits the College from sharing information (e.g., grades, class schedule, billing, financial aid, etc.) with others unless you specifically authorize us to do so.

To ensure that faculty and staff may discuss your education information with parents and/or others, you must provide the Registrar’s Office with a completed and signed Authorization for Release of Student Information (FERPA) form.

The form can be found on the Registrar’s Office portal page. This form must be signed by you and submitted to the Registrar’s Office at regoffice@mcdaniel.edu using your McDaniel email. The form cannot be accepted if it is submitted by anyone other than you or if you use a non-McDaniel email.

Understand Person Proxy and what it means for you

Students can provide parents and others with proxy access to electronic information regarding billing, financial aid, and/or grades by completing Proxy Access in Self-Service. Proxy Access may be found in the drop down menu in the upper right of the screen when your cursor hovers over your username. If you have any questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office at regoffice@mcdaniel.edu or 400-857-2755.

Share your innovative business ideas--and get paid!

Submit your innovative business, product, or social entrepreneurship idea to the annual Pitch to Get Paid contest! Up to 7 winners will win $100 right away--PLUS another $175 after 3 follow-up meetings to develop a plan for the spring's Innovation Challenge.

Record a 2-4 min idea pitch for a new product or service (either solo or with a team) and upload it to youtube. Email the url by Friday, November 6th to Dean Ambrose (jambrose@mcdaniel.edu). Reach out today for more pointers/guidelines!

Get your social-justice project started

Got an issue that needs action NOW, but don't have the money/support to make your project a reality? The Griswold-Zepp Award could be your answer! The GZ Award will help you and/or a group of your friends to jump-start your social justice project, addressing a local, regional, national, or even international need.

Both your application and sponsor form are due Friday, November 6th, 2020. Projects can be either in the Spring 2021 or in the Fall of 2021; projects also must include a virtual/remote back-up option to have full consideration.

Katherine Taylor (kataylor@mcdaniel.edu), the Assistant Director of Community Engagement, is holding an information session on Monday, October 26th at 4:30pm. Additional details TBA. They are also available to meet with you one on one if you have questions!

Participate in a cutting-edge, worldwide cybersecurity challenge

On Saturday, November 7th, participate in Capture the Flag -- an online cybersecurity challenge competition that pits teams of 1-4 players against each other, around the world, to answer the challenges for points. The team with the most points on the board at the end wins! Oh, and the top three teams win Amazon gift cards.

Space is limited—McDaniel is currently sponsoring three teams. Email Dean A (jambrose@mcdaniel.edu) by Saturday, October 24th to reserve your slot!

Take part in the first ECJ planning meeting

Interested in working on issues of injustice/oppression within environmental issues and climate change? The Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) Coalition is for you! Click here to receive email notifications about ECJ and click here to fill out a doodle about your availability for the first meeting!