UIS - The Real Deal

This is a test.

2007-02-19T08:49:00.000-06:00

This is a test.

The mandatory snow post

2005-12-14T14:18:00.000-06:00

It's snowing. Yay. :)

Snow picture with Allie.

So yeah, I have a lot to blog about from the past week. Look back a few posts to my comment about some exciting stuff coming out of left field; yeah, it happened. More to come. :)

SHAKE YOUR ISRAA ISRAA

2006-01-23T16:14:00.000-06:00

So I just had an AMAZING weekend at EIU, at the 22nd annual Illinois State Resident Assistant Association conference. Refer to my last post and you see me mention being the president of a statewide RA organization. Well, this is it.

As of this weekend my term of president was over and a new Executive Board was elected. Now who else would you expect to be capable of running this statewide organization, overseeing 1,000+ RA's? No one other than UIS students, of course!

4 of my former residents are now in charge of the organization, plus that cool John Kelly guy. :) Kyle Simpson, the new Twosouth RA, is now the President. Shelly Runyard, the new 3 South RA, is the VP of Administration. Jeremy Wilburn, the new Bluebell RA, is the VP of Communication. Dan Collins was re-elected as VP of Information/Technology. John Kelly was also re-elected as the Treasurer/Secretary.

Now this wouldn't be a worthy post if I didn't have pics! Pictures are compliments Jeremy Wilburn. Let's go!

This is me, welcoming the 200+ in attendance to the ISRAA '06 Conference.

And again..

2005-2006 ISRAA Executive Board doing our skit, complete with choreographed dance.

CASH! at Casino Night.

They had an amazing Elvis impersonator give us a live concert.

Jen and I get hitched in Vegas, until RA do us part. :)

Just Married!... in 6 months. :)

Mark Hudson, EIU Director of Housing and Dining Services, cuts a rug.

E-Board preparing for the annual business meeting.

The UIS Delegation + the UIS E-Board

TWOSOUTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (L to R) Kyle Simpson (Twosouth RA 2006-Present), Emily Eskridge (Twosouth RA 2002-2003), Brad J. Ward (Twosouth RA 2003-2005)

Me, giving the Presidential Address at the closing banquet.

And after announcing Kyle as the new President. :)

Again with Kyle at the podium.

Time to DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE! Let's go.

Kyle and I with superstar Johnny Tenegra.

Rockin' out on leg guitar and tie guitar was necessary.

U of I boys doing a little male chest bumpage.

SHAKE YOUR ISRAA ISRAA

This isn't no small affair.

Get down playa.

Dancing the night away.

Another chapter in my book of life closed, leaving more opportunities ahead. It was a great experience and I learned a lot about leadership and all that good stuff in the process.

GO ISRAA!!!

Elections

2006-04-21T14:43:00.000-05:00

Congrats to the new SGA E-Board:
Student Representative to the Board of Trustees – Sarah Doyle
President – Sam Drews
Vice President – Brie Hudkins
Secretary – Uttra Singh
Treasurer - Holly Fowler
Senator – Public Affairs & Administration: Vishal Ojha
Senator – Liberal Arts & Sciences : Kevin Masseth
Senator – Education & Human Services: Randi Brewbaker
Senator - Business & Management: Brandy Schuerman

You say goodbye and I say hello... hello, hello!

2006-05-16T09:50:00.000-05:00

Yes Blogfans, this is my last official UIS Blogger post. It's been great sharing my thoughts and views of UIS with you over the past 35 posts during these past 32 weeks. In a nutshell, if you want opportunities to succeed (note: you must take advantage of said opportunities), if you want small classes, if you want to know your professors (yes, it's true), then come on out to the the state capital and let us show you a grand time.

Graduation was this past weekend, and it was a great time. Here are some pictures!

Me and my fiancee after the ceremony!

Recieiving my diploma from Chancellor Ringeisen

The place was packed!

The Fab 4 RA's, with 10 total years of work towards making UIS a better place.

Me with my dad, mom, and brother!

Me with my Grandpa and Maggie!

Me with Jen in front of LRH, our home for the past 4 years!

Celebrating in front of the Coll

Supper at the Yacht Club after Graduation.

Well, I think it's time to sign off. If you have any questions about UIS, please email me at bward03s(at)uis.edu or give Admissions a call at 217-206-4UIS. We'd love to have you join the U of I family. :)

It's been a blast,
Brad J. Ward

Moving Out and more

2006-05-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not moving out. But a gazillion other people are. :(

It's always a dull point in the year, watching all your friends leave. I have always been on this side, watching people leave instead of leaving. From the time I arrived on campus in August 2002 until I graduated in December 2005, I always lived on campus. Starting in LRH 3 West (room 315), I headed to Pennyroyal 19 for a summer, then back to LRH to be the Twosouth RA (room 240). I lived there until Summer 2005, when I moved over to Marigold 16 for the summer, then returning to Room 240 for the grand finale. And it was always good times with not much to complain about. Most others have a different story/take on housing, but you know the rules when you come in, and they aren't going to change just for you. So.... deal with it, or move off campus. :)

Move-Out!

In other news, I recently found out I would be 1 of 3 recipients of a new award on campus. It's the Student Leadership Award, and it is given out by the Alumni Association at UIS. It is now the highest-ranking student award that the UIAA-Springfield gives. That's pretty sweet. My fiancee Jen, UIS Journal Editor Heather Shaffer, and myself were the recipients of the award at the ceremony on Wednesday. It was pretty awesome.

Recieving my award from Geoff Obrzut (Chairman of the Springfield Campus Alumni Advisory Board) while Chuck Schrage, VP for Alumni Relations, says a few words.

With my Dad, Mom, and Brother after the ceremony

(L to R) Jennifer Davis, Me, Heather Shaffer

Me with David, my twin brother. Same mom, different dad... it's a long story..... lol :)

Me with two of the studliest studs on campus. Brace Clement on the left, he's a sharpshooter with upper management written all over him. On the right is Stuebe... Jason Stuebe. You will more than likely know him as Governor Stuebe later down the road.

GRADUATION TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!! Pics to follow. :)

Bon voyage,
Brad

Hitting the homestretch...

2006-05-05T10:16:00.000-05:00

Here we are, 8 days from the 35th Annual UIS Commencement Ceremony. Even though I graduated in December and have had my diploma for nearly 2 months now, I still won't feel that overall sense of accomplishment until I march across that stage, shake a hand or 2, recieve a nice diploma case, smile for a picture or two, and celebrate with my closest friends and family. I'm pumped. It's going to be an awesome day.

It's hard to tell you how much I have enjoyed the past 4 years without feeling like I am trying to sell you something, but UIS truly is a great school, and that is the real deal. But this is my blog and my experience so I'm going to talk about myself and what I enjoyed. Keep reading if you wish.

The memories are plentiful, the stories could last forever, all the awards and plaques are nice, but it's what I have taken from the past 4 years and am able to implement into my future years that counts. Leadership skills, event planning and advertising, conflict resolution, time management, interacting with crazy liberals ;) , choosing the right classes to make sure I have 5 or 6 day weekends... wait, that is a thing of the past. Dangit. Anyways, it's been a blast for sure. And it's pretty cool that I work at UIS now, so I will get to stick around and see things change, for better and worse, but more better than worse.

So bottom line, I wouldn't trade my UIS experience for any other college experience. All the fun and mischief from every semester, all of the Intramural Sports, Springfest, Cabin Fever Games, Dodgeball, Farm Games, War of the Wings, and Lounge Decorating Championships. (Hate all you want, we were unstoppable and you know it. Thanks to you were were motivated to win more often. :) ) All of the Who's Who, RA of the Year, School Spirit and Involvement Awards. All of the nights pushing the limits with the Police about the legality of racing scooters in buildings at 3am or shooting slingshots of fruit across campus, and if an airsoft gun on the 5th floor of the PAC really looks like a gun from the 2nd floor. (Yes, it does. Thanks for not shooting me and/or taking me to jail that night.) All the fun with "BigBrother" at the police station.

And what's more enjoyable to me now is watching students who I worked with or was an RA for that are now getting out there on campus and doing great things. John Maxwell considers it one of his 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. It's called the Law of Reproduction (and of course it relates to other laws, such as the Law of Magnetism and the Law of Respect). 8 of my former residents now make up 40% of the RA Staff. That's pretty awesome. I hope I had a part in shaping each of my residents' college life and helping them to get involved, etc. (Maxwell says that leaders became a leader by: 85%-- the influence of another leader, 10%-- natural gifting, 5% -- result of crisis). Many others are now doing great things other than being an RA -- leading student groups, SGA, community involvement, etc. If 10-20 years down the road a former resident thanks me for helping them with [enter life experience here], then I'd say my job here is done.

So to all the ones who have helped me here during my time, and you know who you are, thank you. I am eternally grateful.

Save your collar, pop a balloon.
Brad

Durbin visits UIS

2006-04-17T16:40:00.000-05:00

Senator Durbin came to UIS today to talk with students about the recent changes to financial assistance. There should be a podcast coming out soon. It was a great event!

Elections are coming!

2006-04-14T11:24:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the election websites that I have seen posted. If you are running and have a website or would like your email listed, email me and I will add it. (Names are in alphabetical order by last name)

Student Representative to the Board of Trustees
Sarah Doyle
Suraj Prashad
Bob Skorczewski

SGA President
Sam Drews
Michael Tosh

SGA Vice President
Brie Hudkins
Jeffrey Isbell

SGA Secretary
Renee Rathjen rrath2@uis.edu
Uttra Singh
Jennifer Wilson

SGA Treasurer
Holly Fowler
LaTrice Nettles

PAA Senator
Vishal Ohja
Evan Wilson

LAS Senator
Kevin Masseth

CEHS Senator
Randi Brewbaker

CBAM Senator
Brandy Schuerman

For candidate profiles, goto http://www.uis.edu/sga/elections.html

Mr. UIS 2006

2006-04-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

The 3rd annual Mr. UIS is over. I helped bring this event to campus in '04, modeling it after the now extinct Mr. RHS at my high school. It took a lot of hard work and countless hours to pull off and make sure it didn't flop on its face (which unfortunately happens). This year Jen and I were celebrity judges, so it was nice to sit back and watch the show rather than worry about and monitor the whole show while taking pictures and video.

To see the sights and hear the sounds of Mr. UIS 2006, goto:
http://www.uis.edu/mediaquad/mruis

Bad News, Good News

2006-04-07T16:22:00.000-05:00

Bad News -- The "Blogger" link is gone from the homepage for the "Graduation Information Link".

Good News -- The "Blogger" link is gone from the homepage for the "Graduation Information Link".

I picked up my cap and gown yesterday and will soon be making "The Walk". It's a little odd for me because I graduated nearly 4 months ago, and have been working full-time for 3 months now. Still, it will be a great day of celebration with my friends, family, and wonderful fiancee. *cheer* :)

A lot of students have been volunteering their time to help with tornado relief efforts in the Springfield area lately. Here is a audio slideshow about a few of them:
http://www.uis.edu/mediaquad/uisdrvg

Mr. UIS tonight! According to Mr. Howard Kang, a Mr. UIS contestant, the contest was named after me and this is merely to see who can place second (to borrow from a Chuck Norris joke). Oh, Howard, you so crazy.

Have a great weekend!
Brad

Softballlllllllll

2006-04-06T10:38:00.000-05:00

Yeah, it's softball season!!!!!! Go check out the Prairie Stars in action!!

Also, view a Slideshow of the game on the MediaQuad.

Fellow Blogger Allie Leight rips a line-drive

Chikayla smashes a double to centerfield

JoAnna slides safely into 2nd

Aaron, D Pratt, and Justin show their Blue Crew pride (No, that's not a wig.)

Jenna watches the ball go by.

Coach Joe enjoys the game

Becker slams one

Jenna takes off for 2nd [is she floating? :) ]

Megan lays down the bunt

JoAnna makes the tag at 2nd

Go Stars!
Brad

2 for 1!

2006-04-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

Two posts in 1 day? Yeah, I did it.

Haven't been to a preview day at UIS yet? Well, you're missing out!!

Alive, again.

2006-04-03T10:40:00.000-05:00

I survived Tornado #3 last night. Sweet! Keep em coming, Mother Nature.

Happy 1-2-3-4-5-6 on Wednesday!!!! :)

[1:02.03 am on 4/5/06]

"A Season of Firsts"

2006-03-25T12:01:00.000-06:00

Check it out. :)

Click to begin slideshow.

We survived.

2006-03-14T09:09:00.000-06:00

The UIS Campus was out of harm's way when two F2 tornadoes passed through the city on Sunday/Monday. We were very fortunate to have avoided this storm. If any UIS students are interested in helping with the volunteer effort, contact LaTrice Nettles at lnett2@uis.edu.

Here are some pics from the Springfield area. The hardest hit areas are blocked off, it gets much worse in Jerome and other areas of town!

I hope people remember to replace their damaged flags.

Speed Limit. Unfortunately, we were crawling down Veterans 2-3mph while the wind was over the speed limit at 46mph.

No signals = bad traffic.

Apartments on Seven Pines Rd, near Westchester.

Apartments on Seven Pines Rd, near Westchester.

The flag survived, the pole did not.

A UIS sticker.. :( Notice how the glass held up around the sticker? UIS is strong.

That's not good.

I am glad this guy found his trash can lid!

More torn flags.

** Wal-Mart got hit pretty bad. Maybe that's a sign. Use this opportunity to begin shopping at Meijer or Target for your needs. For more information, goto:
http://walmartwatch.com/
http://www.wakeupwalmart.com/
http://www.walmartmovie.com/

This pole was dangling over Veterans. We didn't feel too safe.

Split.

This appears to be a cart corral from the Gordman's parking lot. Notice the metal fence above that is mangled and bent over.
A guy was working on the Gordman's/SportsMart/Old Navy sign and the wind ripped off a huge piece of metal from the sign and flung it towards Veterans. Luckily our car did not get hit.

Best Buy

Think it'll fit in my trunk?

Wow.

Hope no one was in there. :)

Chi-Chi's on Wabash.

This was all blocked off.

A house on S. 6th. That's not good.

More trees.

A big tree at Bunn Golf Course. At least that par 3 will be easier now. :)

Reporting live from Springfield. Back to you in the studio.

Brad

Kansas City, here we come!!!

2006-03-07T10:30:00.000-06:00

Kansas City has quickly become the Spring Break hotspot for UIS students. Cancun? Maybe soon. Panama City? No thanks. Daytona Beach, so last year.

So what does this city in the middle of the US have to offer for Spring Break, a time for fun in the sun?

The NAIA National Tournament!!!!

On Saturday the UIS Prairie Stars Men's Basketball team defeated McKendree 83-76 in an amazing game. It was a very, very, very good feeling to watch the Bearcats go down. Only 4 short years ago, UIS began its Men's program and now we are heading to Nationals!

The McKendree/UIS rivalry is very intense, and is always a good time. There was some pretty creative stuff being used by the Blue Crew, and the gym was filled to capacity by 6:20.

Ok, I'm done writing. If a picture is worth 1000 words, here are the next 23,000 words I was going to write.

The UIS Blue Crew ignoring the McK intros

Braveheart?

Here come the guys!

The Blue Crew again, ready for the game to start!

Brokeback Basketball, aka Facebook is Watching.

You are my sunshine.... (fellow Blogger Jordan in the background!)

The McKendree Bearcat!!

What is a Bearcat?

KJ getting the team pumped up!

KJ taking it to the hole

D Pratt the Pimp slapping Howard the Smurf

Cheerleaders in action!

Blue Crew still going!

After the game, the court was rushed and it was pretty darn sweet. Everyone was going nuts.

All Conference 1st Team

The guys are enjoying the victory

We are the champions, my friends...

Look at everyone just stare at that trophy!

Nick Malone hoists the hardware

Mike gets his cut of the net

Coach Gamble holds it high

VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats guys!!!!!

See you in Kansas City,
Brad

On our way to NATIONALS!!

2006-03-03T08:54:00.000-06:00

The Prairie Stars are ONE game away from the NAIA National Tournament!!!!! And of course, we have to go through McKendree, our rivals. They have been playing great, and have won 9 of their last 10 games. But, we have them at home, and it's going to be insane.

SATURDAY NIGHT, 7pm. IF you want to be guaranteed a seat, show up no later than 6:30pm.

Last night we had a special guest, Blake from WDBR. He was raising money for the Polar Bear Plunge, and we set up a deal that people could pay $1 to get a picture with him. He raised $43, which was awesome. Dave and Dina just talked about it on the Dave and Dina Show, 103.7 WDBR. Very sweet. Go Prairie Stars!!!

SUCCESS!!!!!

2006-02-23T12:57:00.000-06:00

"Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming." -- John Wooden.

Success.

Time to celebrate :)

Dodgeball and Basketball

2006-02-10T10:26:00.000-06:00

That's what's been going on lately. The Prairie Stars Mens Basketball Team is now NATIONALLY RANKED!!!!! We have been as high as #19 in the nation, but are sitting at #22 right now after a loss to McKendree. Blue Crew is right there to keep them going on the home games, but they are now on a 2 week road trip so hopefully they pull some big wins through that time. We are pretty much guaranteed a conference title though, which is a first.

Also, there was a sweet Dodgeball tournament about a week ago and I got to be a referee. Good times. :) Of course, here are the pics.

And of course I would be remissed if I didnt give a shoutout ot Mike Mayberry, my #1 fan, over in Bluebell 165. Keep it real.

Ready?

Here we go.

Picture time.

The winning dodgeball team, 5-0.
(L to R: John Kelly, Alan Escobar, Cody Cooper, Ian Beall, Nick Schafer, Lance Ennen, Dave Kim, Jeff Black.)

Before a game

Ready, DODGEBALL!

Chance was ruthless.

Frank was as well.

Hey, if Allie won't post about Eric Cromer, I will. What a stud.

KJ takes it to the hoop.

Mike with the patented finger roll.

KJ for 2 again

Antonio hits the 3 with the Blue Crew behind him.

Gettin' pumped.

Cheerleaders doin' what they do

That's some intense school spirit.

Puckett looks for a rebound

Blue Crew does not agree with that call.

Special Sighting: Fellow Blogger Ashley Rook in attendance! ^^^^^^

That's all for now. Check back later for more pictures! Talent Expo is tonight, winner takes home $100.

Check it out!

2006-02-01T14:52:00.000-06:00

So I've spent the last 4-5 weeks developing some new stuff for the Housing website so potential students can get a better idea of what to expect. Check it out!

Virtual Tour: http://www.uis.edu/housing/Virtualtour.html

And for your parents: http://www.uis.edu/housing/parents.html

Until next time,
Brad

Crazy.

2006-01-18T23:35:00.000-06:00

So I just typed a good 4-500 word post about the great opportunities I have been provided with at UIS, such as being an RA (and later becoming the president of a statewide RA organization), an amazing internship, numerous leadership opportunities, and eventually landing a job as a result of all of it, and I deleted it.

Why?

Because I realized that it could all be summed up in 4 words.

Choose your friends wisely.

Involved students on campus do more, learn more, go further, and have a pretty darn good time. And they pay the same amount for college as the kid next door who gained nothing from college but a beer gut. Make the choice, spend your money and time wisely.

Do I sound like your Dad?
Brad

The Real Deal.

2006-01-13T10:44:00.000-06:00

Here it is, the 'Real Deal' on what's happening in my life. So I left my faithful, devout reading audience with a cliffhanger in 2005. I mentioned a few posts ago about all the exciting things happening in my life, and said I would update later. Then Christmas came, then New Years, then work, and now here we finally are. Don't worry, I have a good reason for not updating... no internet. :)

So if you have not heard yet, I am no longer the resident assistant for Twosouth. For the full story, just go there and click on the PDF link at the top, I'm gonna keep it short and sweet here. Last semester I was offered a job at UIS, and I could not pass up the opportunity to begin my professional career right after graduating, especially at the place I love (p.s., that's UIS!). Word of advice for incoming freshman: If you want a place to live at college where drinking, drugs, and peer pressure to do so are few to none, Twosouth is the place to live.

It has also been great showing others that if they get involved, they can accomplish a lot. After 3 RA spots were vacant in December, 3 new RA's were selected. All 3 were my residents and lived in Twosouth during their time in the dorm. That was great to see, real leaders that are going to be great RA's. Congrats Shelly, Kyle, and Jeremy. :)

I will be starting my new job soon as the Marketing/Recruitment Specialist for campus, doing some pretty awesome stuff that will help potential students see how great this campus is (p.s., that's you.)

Since the time I moved out of Twosouth, which has been my home since July 2003, I have gotten a new apartment. The problem is, I'm broke. My apartment has great features such as: no internet, no phone, no cable. It's pretty boring, so I have been reading a lot of books to pass the time. Here are they are:

I recommend all of them. :) Well that is all for now. I get cable and internet hooked up today in my apartment. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Until next time,
Brad

I am a UIS Graduate.

2005-12-09T11:32:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone! I am unofficially graduated! All my tests are done, and all my assignments are turned in. Now I just have to wait for that piece of paper we call a diploma. I can't wait to have it in my hands and realize that I am truly done with my bachelor's degree. I finished in 3 1/2 years, so I am going to go ahead and start my Masters of Business Administration in January. I take the GMAT test on Monday, wish me luck! I better not have to take it twice, it cost $250!! :-/ What a ripoff.

In celebration of the completion of my bachelor's, Kyle picked up some awesome tickets from our BOT Student Rep. for the Illini Game. Tier A, Row 3, Section 35, Seat 5. Sweet. In case you haven't went outside in the past 36 hours, it's nasty out. But we could not pass up the opportunity, and headed to Chambana. 85 miles and 3 hours later, we made it. It was windy and snowy, and the roads were horrible, but I am alive to tell the story. And since a picture is worth 1000 words and I don't feel like typing 6000 words, here are pictures. :)

So my car had a little bit of snow on it...

We got there, and Kyle was a little happy.

Kyle, me, Matt

Dee hits the 3 pointer in the first half. Replay to follow on ESPN, 10pm.

Chief Illiniwek at halftime. Does this look like a bad thing to you? I didn't think so. Don't get me started.

Dee hits a free throw down the stretch to help seal the game.

That's all for now blogfans. We're heading back to my hometown tonight for hottub action, all-you-can-eat pizza, movies, foosball, and more. Expect to see a post about it from Jordan and I.

Yours Truly,
Brad

Finals Week has begun!!!! (....for me.)

2005-12-05T17:05:00.000-06:00

That's right, Finals Week '05, Part 2 has arrived. Every spring and fall, UIS students have the excellent opportunity to showcase their knowledge and talents in this crazy thing called Finals Week.

Let me offer the Brad J. Ward 5 Point Plan to an easy and stressfree Finals Week.

1. Pick your classes properly. Always sign up for at least 1 extra class. You might have to fill out a petition for 19-21 hours every semester, but it's worth it. Review each class after the first week. You heard bad things about Professor X or think the class is going to be a waste of time? Well..... don't take that class! Drop that 10am class like a bad habit while you sit at your computer in your PJ's.... I love technology.
Picking classes can be a grueling process, or it can be easy and relatively simple. I personally refuse to take a Thursday night class, which is one of a few reasons that I ended up going in to Marketing instead of Finance. It seemed like I could never get a class that wasn't on a Thursday night. Which brings me to the next point.

2. Make weekends as long as possible. A college student needs to be refreshed and ready to learn when Monday comes, so what better way to do that than to.... Take Tuesday-Sunday off? It's common sense kids.

3. Work ahead in your classes.
The unprepared college student: "*GASP* They give me that syllabus for a REASON??? Wow! I didn't know that they would tell me every paper I need to write ahead of time!!! I thought I had to wait until the night before it was due!!! If I started ahead of time, I wouldn't get to be stressed, miss sleep, put up zany away messages pertaining to my procrastination, or leave my room during Finals Week!!! Hey, wait... that actually doesn't sound too bad!"
The 5 Point Plan college student: "I'm going to play basketball, who wants to come with me? .... *cricket chirp* ....."
3a. Find friends who also work ahead in their classes.

4. Have fun in times of chaos and deadlines.
I heard some students having a jolly time in the lounge today, and captured some of it.
Click here to view video (~6.5 mb)

5. Take classes early and often. Not early as in Noon (Always start your day at 2pm), early as in freshman/sophomore years. Get those crappy prerequisites that you don't care about out of the way so you can enjoy your upperclassmen years. Also, take classes during the summer. Either online, at UIS, or a local community college (make sure they transfer). I prefer online at UIS, because (1) Online classes rock furiously because you can do everything at 2am if you want, and (2) UIS = not Rushville, IL. Love my Rushville people, hate my Rushville town.

Well there it is! If you have anything that should be added, I will entertain entries in the form of a comment to this blog posting, along with a $20 Paypal to my email address.

Keep working hard in your classes and finish up the semester properly. Don't forget that C's get Degrees, and Chuck Norris is the baddest man alive.

Sleepless in Seattle,
Brad