blugold banner

seal

Student Senate elections were recently held at UW-Eau Claire and it was the largest turnout of voters in 15 years. It’s a good time to be a student at UWEC, and it’s an even better time to lead; just ask Tim Lauer and Meghan Charlier, the newly elected President and Vice President of Student Senate.

It was a close election – and by the campaigns, you might have thought you were looking at the Democratic primary race. There was plenty of chalk talk on campus sidewalks, live debates, campaign posters, and spray painted poster-sheets blowing from the footbridge.

Meghan, a sophomore political science major from Green Bay, has served as the Vice President for Student Senate this past year. She got involved as a freshman serving as an on-campus Senator. Tim is a sophomore biochemistry/molecular biology major from Whitewater, WI. He too got involved his first year at UW-Eau Claire and served as Chief of Staff and Treasurer of the Senate.

Making a Difference
Meghan and Tim look forward to utilizing their leadership in Senate to make UW-Eau Claire a better place and to provide a voice for all students. Meghan said, “I think that Tim and I can really make a difference in the lives of students. We have a good understanding about how our University functions and we have the passion to follow through.”

When asked what she and Tim would like to improve Meghan said, “We think that Senate can accomplish great things - but it starts with getting all or as many students involved as possible. Tim and I really want to inform all students about the voice and influence they can have on campus through Senate.”

Becoming a Better Leader
Meghan said that being on Senate has given her the opportunity to learn so much about the University and how she fits into it. She has learned how to stand up for students and how to become a more effective leader. She has enjoyed reaching out to others to work toward a common goal. Meghan said, “My experience on Senate has been so unique; it’s something I wouldn't trade for anything in the world! It has led me to decide that I want a career working in higher education, where I can help students. I plan to go on to graduate school for a Masters Degree in Student Affairs.”

Life Outside of Senate
Outside of Senate Tim and Meghan are very active on campus. Tim is a member of the UW-Eau Claire track and field team and competes in shot-put, discus, hammer throw and weight throw. He also participates in faculty-student collaborative research in the areas of molecular genetics and biochemistry. His personal passions are cooking (especially when he moves out of the residence halls next year), traveling, painting and drawing.

Meghan serves as a Resident Assistant (RA) for Towers Hall North and is a Campus Ambassador who volunteers her time to work with prospective students. In her free time she plays intramural soccer and cheers on her favorite football team – the Green Bay Packers!

Want a fun way to add a little rock ‘n roll to your resume? The UW-Eau Claire Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Team is putting together the first UW-Eau Claire Battle of the Bands, to take place this spring. The city of Eau Claire will close down three blocks of the Water Street Historic District Saturday afternoon for the competition. The Battle started with twenty-four bands in early April and as the preliminaries continue, the competition gets fiercer. The bands battle is out first at UW-Eau Claire’s on-campus night club – Higherground – and each night two bands are chosen to be a part of the top six that will perform on Water Street. The winner of the Battle of the Bands will perform at Summer Fest in Milwaukee this summer. The Battle is free and open to students as well as community members.

A Band of Leaders SIFE

SIFE is an on-campus organization that provides students an opportunity to network with Fortune 500 executives and develop leadership skills through educational outreach projects. Students involved in SIFE learn how free markets work in a global economy as well as learning the skills it takes for an entrepreneur to succeed and successfully compete in a market economy. Even more than that, SIFE gives students an outlet to practice the skills they learn. UW-Eau Claire SIFE was started in 2003, joining more than 1,500 other colleges and universities across the world who are also involved in SIFE, which is now one of the largest collegiate organizations in the world.

Tough Competition
Although this event is new to UWEC, Blugolds have always had lots of opportunities to see our amazing musicians perform! With the largest undergraduate music program in the state, Blugold musicians are widely recognized for their talents. Whether they are playing for the Pope in Vatican City on New Year’s Day, or performing at Jazz Fest - one of the oldest and largest in the nation -UWEC students know how to put on a show! So chances are, the competition this year at the Battle of the Bands will be fierce!

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to be published in a major medical journal or even have your name in a book? Well here at UW-Eau Claire our students are doing just that! In fact, over 800 students every year are involved in undergraduate research with faculty members right here on campus. Many of UW-EC’s students are presenting their findings at a variety of national and international research symposiums as well as large conferences within their fields. In the end, many are often published along with their faculty mentor! Other students even receive scholarships and awards for the research they have done!

Winning big
Two University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire students have received prestigious 2008-2009 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships and a third student received an honorable mention. This is believed to be the first time a UW-Eau Claire student has received a Goldwater Scholarship, considered to be the premier undergraduate award of its type in the United States in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. Through this program students will receive up to $7,500 in scholarship awards to go towards tuition and room here on campus for up to two years! There were over 1000 nominations for this award, so to have three honored from UW-Eau Claire is quite the accomplishment. "This is a prestigious competition that attracts many of the brightest undergraduate math and science students in the country," said Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich. "I'm thrilled — though not surprised — that three of our students were recognized by the program. This is what happens when you have exceptional students learning from exceptional faculty at a university that values and supports faculty-student collaborative research." To find out more about this award, and to see some of the other exciting things that are happening on campus click here.