Fun with Balloons

During the Last Blast event at Moraine Park’s West Bend campus I saw a unicorn balloon and a Rainbow Brite blowtorch.  It’s all because John Cassidy, an entertainer that incorporates comedy, magic, and “really weird things with balloons,” was the entertainment for our end of the year celebration.

John did some amazing tricks with fire, cards, and, of course, balloons. He made a giant poodle, monkeys hanging from trees holding bananas, giant flowers, and even a fruit hat. The cafeteria was practically covered in balloon shapes at the end of the show. He’s earned several Guinness World Records for his incredible speed. I’m certain he could have literally filled the cafeteria.

Why Does the Hallway Smell Like French Toast?

If you were anywhere near the MPTC West Bend cafeteria on Monday you may have noticed the hallways smelled like breakfast food. If you followed your nose you would have found out that Student Senate was hosting a free breakfast.

There was French toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, and hash browns. Some people who needed an extra boost to get them through the day were glad to have a free cup of coffee.

Next time you’re walking down the halls of campus, turn to you’re left or right and look at the flyers posted on the walls. You’ll find advertisements for free events for students. Come early to campus or stay late to partake in these events. They are for you (and some of them are delicious, too)!

Dividing My Time

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 16 – April 22

I had to divide my time this past weekend between friends and schoolwork. I didn’t really mind, though, since the small project I worked on was a video for my Communication Technologies class.

We each made a video about a company that was using social media in a productive way. The videos were then posted to YouTube. I really like watching my classmates’ videos, because I could just watch their video and learn something.

When my friends came to visit this weekend, I surprised one of them with a belated birthday cake. We went to a few stores and we saw the movie, The Lucky One. With summer coming soon there’ll be some outdoor activities, but if it gets too warm, there’s always the air-conditioned movie theater!

Web Developer Club Discusses Technology

WDC meeting room at WB campus

There’s only one Web Developer Club meeting left this semester. It’s hard to believe the time has gone by so quickly.

It’s been an awesome year for the club. We’ve learned many new things outside the classroom. I even gave a presentation about design aesthetics, which was really fun to put together. The tour of SparkNET was one of the highlights of the semester.

April’s meeting was really casual. After taking care of some club business, like the treasurer’s report, we had an open discussion about Web design and technology. There’s so much cutting edge technology being developed. We talked about the new Google glasses and Instagram, a photo sharing app company.

Sundaes on Tuesday

 

To promote our Last Blast, which is Tuesday, April 24, 2012 at the West Bend campus, the Student Senate had a build your own sundae bar.

 

 

There were strawberries, caramel, chocolate, tons of sprinkles, and more!

Along with the ice cream, we gave away hats and sunglasses.

A Very Spring Weekend

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 9 – April 15

I spent part of my weekend at the lake house celebrating my former roommate’s birthday. It was nice to go on a sort of mini vacation only a few hours away from West Bend. It was sunny and warm and it felt like summer.

The weather was perfect up until Saturday night. We had some very scattered thunderstorms roll through. Luckily, the storms were nowhere near as severe as they were down south. It is definitely spring, so make sure you’re prepared for any kind of weather.

There’s a few more weeks left until the end of the semester, so I better stop thinking about summer and get back to thinking about my assignments. Only a handful left to complete!

Let’s Do Some Good

There are lots of opportunities to do some good in the community. At the last Student Senate meeting we learned about some ways Moraine Park students can help others in our community.

One of our guests at the meeting was a representative of Family Promise of Washington County, an organization that provides resources and services to homeless families. In October they would like MPTC’s West Bend campus to host Cardboard Box City. It’s a fundraising event where people can participate in activities during the day and spend the night in cardboard boxes.

Another guest speaker was from Citizen Advocacy of Washington County, an organization that “creates and supports one-on-one relationships between volunteer advocates and people with developmental disabilities.” MPTC students can get involved by volunteering their time to hang out with young adults and have a good time.

On April 26, which is during Earth Week, the Student Senate will be organizing a Campus Clean-up day. Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. we’ll be roaming around the perimeter of the building making sure our campus is clean. There will be free lunch vouchers for those who help. Meet us in room T-101. Let’s hope for great weather that day!

Spring Traditions

Week in Review: A Reflection of April 2 – April 8

Moraine Park campuses were closed Friday through Sunday. I sometimes, though not often, work on assignments in the computer lab on Fridays. It’s good to know when the campus is closed so you don’t drive all the way there and find the doors locked. My assignment notebook from the MPTC bookstore usually gives me a heads up about things like that.

Sunday was Easter at my grandmother’s house. It was nice to see the family some of who I haven’t seen since Christmas. My cousin made a cute coconut bunny cake. My Grandma decorated the lake house.

Unfortunately, it was a little on the chilly side and very windy. It was not a great time for egg hunting in the yard, so that didn’t happen. Although, in my Grandma’s yard I’ve seen snakes so I don’t know if I’d want my little nephew digging behind rocks and bushes for eggs.

I’m always interested in other people’s traditions. Do you have any spring traditions besides Easter egg hunting that you do every year?

The Podcast Project

The podcast project is finished. Two of my classmates and I formed a group for my Communication Technologies class at MPTC. Each group was assigned a different technology such as video, screen motion capture, and podcasting. My group was assigned to learn about podcasting.

Through reading our textbook, learning through articles, websites, and video, we learned how to create one. We created a podcast that explains how to create a podcast. Once we figured out how to do it, it was pretty easy, actually. One of my group members has a great voice for podcasting. The finished product sounds really professional.

In order to help the class understand podcasting, we created our own wiki site where we posted resources, created a FAQ page about podcasting, and embedded our podcast. I used my background in HTML from previous classes to put anchor tags into the FAQ page so people can click on the question and the page jumps to the answer.

We presented last week and the other groups will present later on. I’m excited to see what the other groups put together for their topics. It’s also going to be nice to have access to those resources they’ve created.

Which media tool do you think is the best for learning something new: videos, screen motion capture, or podcasts?

Thinking About Fall in April

Week in Review: A Reflection of March 26 – April 1

It’s not an April Fool’s joke, it really is time to start choosing classes for the Fall 2012 semester. My registration date is next week. Like this semester, I will be focusing on my required classes for the Office Assistant program. I spent some time this past week looking over the class schedule.

When I choose classes I ask myself a few questions before I register:

• Is this class offered in the fall, spring, and/or summer if I don’t take it now?

• Do I need to take a certain class as a prerequisite for another class? It’s best to take those classes as soon as possible.

• What campus is this class held at? I stick to the West Bend campus, IVC, or online classes.

• Are there any scheduling conflicts?

I haven’t completely decided on a schedule yet, but it looks like I will have the option to take all evening classes and maybe an online class. I’m not sure if I have a preference for what time of the day I have class.

Which do you prefer: Morning, afternoon, evening, or online classes? What are the pros and cons to these options?

4 Ways to Get Work Experience

I used to feel discouraged when reading job postings. They all seem to want someone with experience. But if no one hires me, how will I ever get the work experience I need to get hired? Not only was I frustrated, I was going cross-eyed just thinking about this faux paradox. Surely there must be a way to break the cycle? The good news– there is!

Hop Aboard the Internship

They may not pay much, if anything, but internships are a great way to get work experience and college credit. The IT-Web Designer/Developer program, which I’m enrolled in at MPTC, requires internship hours in order to graduate. They won’t let me leave school without getting experience first. It makes sense to me.

Recently, MPTC tweeted a link to an internship site, and I was happy to sign up for it. Keep your eye out for internship opportunities. Sometimes companies will hire an intern after the internship period is over. That’s work experience that can lead directly to a permanent job!

Trade Your Skills for Real World Experience

Volunteering doesn’t pay cash, but it could pay off when you need work experience. It’s a great option if you need schedule flexibility. If you can only give a few hours of your time every other week, they’ll take it. I love volunteering. It’s beneficial for everyone involved. You get to exercise your skills and the organization gets help. Through The Volunteer Center of Washington County I found a volunteer opportunity at an educational non-profit.

Find a non-profit related to your career interests and offer your services. You won’t likely be turned down. PS – It’s a great way to network!

Ahoy Ye! Do It For Free

When you need work experience, consider doing it for free. I have a background in graphic design. Most employers want their graphic designers to have published design work, even for entry-level positions. How did I get published work without having a job first? By creating guest speaker advertisements in the newspaper and designing the directory for my church. I didn’t get paid, but I did get published.

Arrr Ye Forgettin’ Somethin’?

Lastly, this might be something you may have overlooked or dismissed. I did at first. But, you shouldn’t underestimate the importance of your previous jobs. Many people start with jobs in the food and retail industries. They may seem unrelated to your future career, but if you worked in these industries you have customer service experience along with many transferable skills that can apply to almost any job. I learned about transferable skills in my Career Development class at MPTC. You can meet with a career instructor to discuss what transferable skills you may have picked up in previous jobs and learn how to apply it to your future job.

Don’t be lily-livered about not having experience, me maties. Be adventurous in finding opportunities and you may land-ho a job!