Academic Resource Informational & Spring Course Planning Workshop

Onyx held two events geared towards helping students succeed academically at Penn. The first event, the Academic Resource Informational, was a collaboration with BSL, BWUA, and NSBE. Representatives from CAPS, Satellite Tutoring Center, Weingarten Learning Resources Center, CWiC, Van Pelt Library, SEAS Office of Multicultural Programs and College advising were brought in to talk about the resources their respective institutions provide. Penn offers a plethora of academic resources and no student should leave without taking advantage of them. The second event, the Spring Course Planning Workshop, was an informal event put on with NSBE. During the workshop, upperclassmen were paired with freshmen and sophomores and asked to help them pick classes for the Spring 2010 semester. Aside from your advisors, upperclassmen are probably the best people to seek advice from about classes. They know the teaching styles of different professors, have experienced the workload and can offer they own strategies for success. The workshop also provided the means to build a partnership that will hopefully last long after the event. Links to the institutions from our academic resource informational have been provided below:

CAPS:
Helps students adjust to college life, manage personal problems and cope with stress
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/caps/

The Tutoring Center:
!!FREE!!! Tutoring available for all major subjects
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/tutoring/

Van Pelt Library:
Specialists are available to assist you in finding research for a paper
http://www.library.upenn.edu/

Academic Advising-College of Arts & Sciences:
http://www.college.upenn.edu/advising/

Academic Advising-SEAS:
dhampton@seas.upenn.edu-Administrative Assistant to Ms. Cora Ingrum
Towne Building 125-preferable if you stop by.

Weingarten Learning Resources Center:
Provides one on one academic reading, writing, and study strategies
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/lrc/

CWIC:
Provides assistance for all types of writing assignments
http://writing.upenn.edu/critical/help_wc.html/

Onyx/BSL/DHSA/CSSP Fun Day

On October 14, 2009, Onyx got together with the Black Student League, Dessalines Haitian Students Association and Community School Student Partnerships for an afternoon of games with children from Drew Elementary School. The afternoon started out with board games but quickly moved outside once the kids noticed the huge amount of space in front of Du Bois College House. An intense dodge ball and “flag” football game immediately got underway and lasted well into the end of the day. With no jump ropes available, the crafty students with help from their mentors used Ethernet cables to play Double Dutch. It was truly an afternoon of enjoyment for the various student groups and the kids from Drew. Community School Student Partnerships works closely with Drew Elementary School on a regular basis along with other primary schools in the Philadelphia area. If you are looking for more opportunities to work with students, CSSP is the group to contact.

Onyx/Cipatli/Oracle BBQ

On May 9, 2009, Members of Onyx, Cipatli and Oracle Honors society gathered together for their annual BBQ. For many students in the Onyx class of 2010, this was the first encounter with another honors society on campus. Cipatli is a Latino Honors society dedicated to academic excellence and enriching the Latino Community, while Oracle recognizes students of Asian Pacific descent who exemplify leadership at Penn. Much of the afternoon was spent socializing with new people and meeting our counterparts in the other organizations. Interestingly enough, most of the people I met were individuals I seen before during my time at Penn. It was great to catch up with old faces and now have something in common to talk about. In short, this is probably one the main purposes of this event. It shows us that in addition to Onyx, there are other organizations on Penn’s campus who share a similar goal of advancing the minority community. The event was a great success, and I look forward to see what comes of these groups in the future both individually and collectively.