A Monthly Newsletter Publication of NKU Student Affairs and Enrollment Management
African American Student Initiatives (AASI) came into January and the New Year with established partnerships to continue hearing from and supporting Black/African American students.
They kicked off the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration with the Black Collaborative, working in conjunction with the Black Faculty and Staff Association, Black Alumni Council, Black student organization leaders, and affinity groups to address ways to break the silos and work together more.
During MLK weekend, the NKU Black Faculty and Staff Association and AASI joined forces again to bring NKU R.O.C.K.S. and Students 2 Scholars (S2S) mentor groups together for a Welcome Back Brunch with the purpose of providing a space for students to connect with Black faculty and staff and share their experiences in college while providing ways to be supported.
AASI closed out the MLK weekend with their Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Program featuring guest speaker and NKU Alumnus, Dr. Joshua A. Harris. He spoke about A Resilient People with more than 300 people in attendance. There were also performances by student leaders.
To wrap up January, students gathered to bring in the Norse Homecoming Spirit before welcoming alumni back home.
February started Black History month, which AASI kicked off with their BHM Reunion Kickoff, open house style. The event provided an opportunity for everyone to meet their team and learn about upcoming programs and ways to get involved. Additionally, there was a display that included books written by Black authors, Black owned games, and more.
Continuing until the end of February, Free Your Mind Fridays: BHM Edition occur each Friday from 11:00a-1:00p in the CSI Lounge. Make sure to stop by to enjoy a game, music, dancing, and even conversation.
Genius Potential's Bert & Det were the first of three special guests to visit NKU with Epic Rap Battles of Black History. They engaged students while addressing relevant topics, in a modern way. The energy was high in the audience during the entire program and feedback was very positive.
Additional programs coming up for Black History Month are as follows:
B.E.S.T. (Black Employers Showcase and Talents)
On Thursday, February 16 from 2:00p - 5:00p in the Student Union Ballroom, AASI will be hosting the inaugural B.E.S.T. AASI has teamed up with NKU's College of Informatics, College of Business, Career Services, Black Alumni Council, and the Northern Kentucky branch of the NAACP to bring this amazing opportunity to campus. It will highlight Black-owned and led businesses and businesses seeking to diversify their candidate pools. Everyone is welcome!
Karyn Parsons
AASI is excited to welcome Ms. Karyn Parsons (Hilary from the Fresh Prince of Bel-air), who will be joining us in honor of Black History Month. She will give a candid talk about her storied career as an actress, author, and business owner. Parsons is founder and owner of Sweet Blackberry, a company that focuses on creating books and media that teach African American history to children. Register online for admission. (Free for NKU Students with code NKUSTUFREE.)
Talking Black in America: The Origins of African American English
The final special guest for Black History Month will be Ms. Lauren Prather. On Tuesday, February 28, at 6:30p in Student Union 107AB, Lauren will lead a film and interactive discussion. Lauren is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist and Ph.D. student researching language and literacy for underserved populations. She examines African American speech, known as the most controversial dialect in American English, while revealing its history, legacy, and triumph over adversity.
For additional programs and events during Black History Month, please visit the African American Student Initiatives website. For pictures from Black History Month, please see the photo album on page 9.
As a part of Women's History Month in March, join us for a day of "Health in the Commonwealth," on March 28, 2023. Local vendors will be in Student Union 107BC to share information about women's health issues ranging from heart disease to sexual health. Get STD and HIV tested! Meet therapy pets and enter a raffle for fabulous prizes. If you want to give back, roll up your sleeve and save lives! There will be a blood drive, also on March 28, 2023, from 9:00a - 2:00p. Each pint of blood collected can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more.
We hope you enjoyed Homecoming 2023! The week started off with the Annual Window painting contest with 15 teams! FSLC won for the White Division, Theta Phi Alpha won for the Black Division, and Alpha Tau Omega won for the Gold Division!
Tuesday started with the return of an NKU Classic event: Canstruction! FSLC brought home another win for the White Division, Theta Phi Alpha as well for the Black Division, and Sigma Phi Epsilon won the Gold Division as well as overall first place! In addition to this Homecoming classic, CSE had the first ever "Fire on the Lake." Celebrity DJ, DJ Dooley, provided the beats while students gathered around Loch Norse to make s'mores, dance, and enjoy the beauty of Norse Nation!
On Wednesday, CSE and APB hosted the first ever "Live @ Lunch" with a DJ set by celebrity DJ, DJ Dooley. Later that night, APB also hosted the highly anticipated Silent Disco Headphone Party where two DJ's from Miami, FL graced the stage and allowed students the opportunity to enjoy a mid-week jam session.
Thursday, CSE and Norse Nation supported the men's basketball team as they beat Green Bay! The 2023 Sophomore/Junior Homecoming Royalty Court Winners were announced. Those students were Mackenzie Nelms (Delta Zeta) and Julia Pohl (Kappa Delta).
Friday, CSE and NPHC hosted the 2023 Homecoming Step Show. The ladies of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., took home first place and the ladies of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., took home second place. Each sorority and fraternity were judged on creativity, precision, and much more!
Saturdays are for tailgates! CSE and the Alumni Council hosted the 2023 Homecoming Tailgate from 11:00a - 3:00p. The tailgate included a live DJ, lots of food, and lots of fun! There were over 20 student organizations represented on the lot and plenty of cornhole bags in the air. CSE and Norse Nation then supported the men's basketball team against Milwaukee! The 2023 Senior Homecoming Royalty Court Winners were announce, including Jasmyn Browder (President of Order of Omega) and Andrew Gazzaroli (Sigma Phi Epsilon). That night, CSE hosted a homecoming tent party that was the finale of homecoming week. This gave students a safe and warm place to let loose and celebrate and enjoy being members of Norse Nation.
For pictures from Homecoming, please visit page 8.
The NKU Student Emergency Fund has undergone changes to streamline processing and ensure students are receiving effective funding in alignment with donors' goals as the large scale disruptions resulting from COVID-19 continue to subside.
To begin, we've updated eligibility requirements to include NKU student applicants that are:
Any funding awarded will count as a form of institutional financial aid and will be processed through the Office of Financial Assistance and Student Account Services, which may affect a student's aid package/amounts (if awarded). These donor funds will continue to be awarded and distributed without being applied to NKU tuition and fee balances.
These shifts will allow us to continue meeting donors' goals for this student success oriented fund while ensuring compliance with the Department of Education and reducing our time to process and distribute these awards. We are working with students that have applied for assistance while this shift occurs on an individual basis, and we encourage questions or concerns to be directed to the deanofstudents@nku.edu email address.
NKU Upward Bound is hiring summer RAs and the application is currently online. See below for more information:
Resident Assistants (RAs) will be responsible for the safety of students and other staff members; enforcing the rules of the Upward Bound Summer Handbook; monitoring, leading, and encouraging a team of students (usually 8-10) in daily and weekly activities; supervising and developing all the student participants (usually 20-25); assisting professional staff members during weekly field trips; designing and implementing evening programs for students; working as a positive team member with the other resident staff members; driving in an emergency; and completing all paperwork by established deadlines.
The RAs will provide live-in supervision and a safe environment for motivated high school students. They will also assist students with academics, leadership abilities, team building, peer relationships, recreational activities, accessing the university campus, and act as a chaperone on field trips.
We need mature, dependable, energetic young adults who enjoy working with teems. Ideal opportunity for future educators, but all majors encouraged.
Room is included and the student will receive a $2,800 stipend. Also included are lunch (Monday - Friday) and dinner (Monday - Thursday). The student needs to have maintained at least a 2.5 GPA, have graduated from high school in 2021 or earlier, and have completed 60 college credits by the end of the spring semester 2023.
Students can apply online on the Upward Bound RA Posting.
Happy New Year from Campus Recreation!
Morning and afternoon swim is back! please visit our website for pool hours.
Spring 2023 Intramural season has begun, and we offer multiple sports leagues and tournaments. Register your team or sign up as a free agent today by visiting our website for more information.
The Geek Your Health Series is a new series by Campus Recreation. Swing by the Bouldering wall for our Spider-Man Rock Wall challenge on February 15, 2023, from 3:00p - 8:00p. We have prizes for all participants and special Spider-Man themed prizes for those who complete specifically designed routes.
Join our Trauma Sensitive Yoga program happening every Monday. This is a free program for students and a great way to calm your mind, body, and soul.
Campus Recreation has a new policy update: All participants must have an NKU Allcard or NKU Campus Rec App to enter the facilities.
Eating six servings of fruits and vegetables every day is encouraged for proper nutrition and a health lifestyle. The 1-2-3 approach suggests eating 1 serving with breakfast, 2 servings with lunch, and 3 servings with dinner and snacks. Measurements for one serving can differ depending on the food type, such as 1 cup of raw or cooked fruits or vegetables, 1/2 cup of legumes, or 3 cups of leafy greens. The Mayo Clinic offers some suggestions for how to incorporate these servings into your regularly scheduled meals:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
For more suggestions, visit the Mayo Clinic website.
The Care Closet has updated hours for the Spring 2023 semester:
Mondays: 1:00p - 6:00p
Tuesdays: CLOSED
Wednesdays: 1:00p - 6:00p
Thursdays: 12:30p - 4:00p
Friday: CLOSED
The Care Closet no longer requires appointments; walk-ins are welcome! All donation inquiries can be sent to their email at carecloset@nku.edu.
On days that the Care Closet is closed, the student workers are usually tabling to advertise the closet and any upcoming events in the Student Union. Visit them there!
Want to build skills in collaboration and leadership? Want to expand your world view about diversity? Would you like to make a difference in someone's life? Do you have one hour per week to spare?
Be a peer mentor with the Supported Higher Education Project (SHEP)! SHEP provides inclusive educational opportunities with disabilities and learning differences on the NKU campus. If you are interested, you can sign-up or learn more by scanning the QR code and providing your contact information, emailing Emily Hellmann, SHEP Program Director, at hellmane2@nku.edu, or stop by the SHEP office in MEP 100.
Join Norse Violence Prevention and AASI as they present the "Week of Rest." On Monday, February 20, learn more about Why We Rest: A Historical Look at Sexual Violence in the Black Community (Student Union, 105; 3:30p - 5:30p.) Other events include the NVP and AASI Roundtable focusing on Rest as Resistance and the opportunity to "Take a Rest" with NVP. To learn more about these programs, please visit the Norse Violence Prevention website.
Additional programming from Norse Violence Prevention this semester includes Your Story to Tell: Breaking Down Gender Expectations (A Women's History Month event on March 15 at 6:00p in HIC 105) and Take Back the Night: Reframing Your Story (on Tuesday, April 4 at 5:30p in the University center Ballroom), featuring Ashlee Haze as the keynote speaker, a resource fair, and a candle-lit march across campus to support survivors of sexual assault.
Self-Defense with Lt. Autumn Reuhl
Feeling that you have some control over your physical well-being can make a big difference in the way that you can experience life. Feeling powerless can take an emotional and mental toll, making one feel as if they are unable to live their life to the fullest. Taking the first step toward regaining that feeling of control and power over your physical well-being can make a major difference in the way you live your life. Come join us in SU 102 on Tuesday, March 14 at 5:00p to learn some self-defense techniques from NKU's Lt. Autumn Reuhl, hosted by LGBTQA+ Student Initiatives. If you have questions, please contact Dr. LaVette Burnette at burnettel1@nku.edu, Alex Vale at valea2@nku.edu, or stop by SU 314.
Working Moms, Burnout, and Resilience
The pressures of life can be overwhelming, resulting in burnout every now and then for anyone. For someone who finds themselves taking classes and/or working a job, and having to be a parent to a child (or multiple children), the threat of burnout might loom a bit larger as the demand for their attention is constant and varied. Come join us in discussion with multiple working moms on Thursday, March 16 at 3:00p in SU 102 (or on Zoom) to hear their personal stories of burnout and resilience, find ways to listen to your body when it needs a break, and be inspired to find reasons in your own life to overcome seemingly insurmountable difficulties. If you have questions, please contact Dr. LaVette Burnette at burnettel1@nku.edu, Alex Vale at valea@nku.edu, or stop by SU 314.
University Police K9 Athena turned 2 years old on February 8, 2023.
BINGO!
BINGO! Get bingo vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Must attend the following events and take a selfie of yourself at that event by April 2. Once you hit bingo, direct message nkucampusrec on Instagram or email Jessica Reichl at reichlj2@nku.edu to receive a prize!
In-Body
Find out your weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass, and more all in under 5 minutes with the In-Body at the Campus Recreation Center! Buy a single test or 5 tests online.
Group Fitness
Try out our group fitness classes led by certified and professional instructors! Classes are Free! Visit our website to register for classes.
Student Employee of the Month
Cedric Evans Jr.
End of Newsletter
This newsletter was created by David Berland on behalf of NKU Student Affairs. Please direct questions, comments, or updates to berlandd1@nku.edu.
Northern Kentucky University
832 Lucas Administrative Center
Highland Heights, KY 41099
Phone: (859) 572-6447
Fax: (859) 572-1310
