This afternoon, Student Development held Rock the Hall in Hammond Hall. Rock the Hall gives students a chance to connect with student Clubs and  Organizations here on campus.

Students in Biology and Chemistry Professor Dr. Michael Nosek's Cell Culture Techniques course work on the last  experiment in the Antonucci Science Complex. This course consists of a survey of the techniques and experimental approaches used in cell culture experimentation. Topics covered will include sterile technique, media preparation, types and sources of cells, cell propagation and quantification, and viability assays. Students will develop their own research project based on their interests. They will use the scientific method to formulate hypotheses and carry out appropriate experiments to address the hypotheses.

Dr. Jonathan Harvey held practice for the Fitchburg State Concert Choir in Weston Auditorium. Learn more about our music programs here.

Students in Nursing Professor Althea Aranda's Med-Surgical Nursing I Foundations Lab work through various scenarios they will face in clinics. This course establishes the foundation for core concepts in the nursing care of adults with common health alterations. The development of critical thinking skills is emphasized. Nursing care is presented using a nursing process framework. Kudos to our Nursing Students and Faculty, for the recently announced that 98% of its May 2023 nursing graduates passed the NCLEX licensure examination on their first try last summer and fall. Read more about that here.

Students in Andrea Olmstead's Ceramics class worked on pinch pot vessels during this morning's ceramics class in Conlon Fine Arts. . A pinch pot is a simple form of hand-made pottery produced from ancient times to the present, a great starting point for the beginning of the semester. Learn more about our Fine Art Program here.

Our Office of Student Development held a Pancakes and Orientation Leader Information event this morning in the Street Level Lobby of Hammond Hall. They served up  some pancakes and information about how current students  can become an Orientation Leader.

Our Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) student club, who won fourth place at the MIT IEEE MicroMouse (Robot) competition in October, received their team, and individual certificates yesterday afternoon. Dean of The School of Business and Technology Dr. Jennifer Hanselman and Engineering Technology Professor Hong Yu presented students with the certificates.

Theater Professor Kelly Morgan broke down the workload and expectations for his Playwriting course during the first meeting of the semester. This course is designed to teach students the craft and art of playwrighting for the stage. The aim of the course is to foster and augment the student to engage in the writing of new theater works in the professional arena.

At the onset of his Writings in Aesthetics course, Dr. Robert Carr read an excerpt from A More Beautiful Question to illustrate how questioning can help with making decisions, sparking creativity, strengthening relationships, and transforming business. Located at the interface between theory and production, this course is a writing intensive Communication Studies course that capitalizes on this vantage point to critically examine the professional arts comprising our curriculum, namely film, video, graphic design, photography, interactive media, and professional communication. Through weekly readings and writings, seminar discussions, presentations, and a term length qualitative research project, this writing intensive course bridges the theory/production dichotomy. 

A new calendar year marks a new semester, and students were met with some not-so-spring-like conditions.