The Commoner

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Here's what's happening in the Honors Commons this week:

Monday,

March 14th

PELP Freshmen and Sophomore mentors and mentees have another mandatory networking night this Monday! Anyone is welcome to attend this painting party, but supplies are limited and priority will be given to the mentors and mentees. The party will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Honors Commons.

Wednesday,

March 16th

This week's What's Up Wednesday will be presented by Karen Sorenson and Christina Chester-Fangman. They will discuss Phi Kappa Phi, an Honor Society on campus! What's Up Wednesdays are held every week beginning at 12:30 p.m. in the Honors Commons.

This Wednesday is also Murder Mystery Night! Participants will help uncover the mystery behind a murder at the disco. The game begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Honors Commons!

Thursday,

March 17th

APSU Alumni Paul Rhodes will be visiting the Honors Commons this Thursday for our Alumni Connection! Mr. Rhodes is the owner of Tropical Smoothies, and he is also a real estate agent. This is a great opportunity to build connections with a local business owner!

Announcements &

Upcoming Events

Formal Information

The Honors and PELP Formal will be held on Thursday, April 7th in the Honors Commons from 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. We are no longer accepting RSVPs. If you have already RSVP'd, you must secure your food ticket by donating 2 items (or 4 items if you have a plus one) to the S.O.S. Food Pantry. These items can be turned into Delaney Atkins, Dr. Winters, or a member of the Honors and PELP Student Advisory Council (HPC). These are the items we are accepting:

Toothpaste
Boxed macaroni and cheese
Pop-tarts
Instant mashed potatoes
Other sealed, canned, or boxed food and hygiene items

Awards will also be distributed during formal. Nominations will be accepted until March 18th. To nominate your peers and professors, please visit this link: https://www.apsu.edu/honors/honors-pelp-awards-nominations.php

Honors and PELP Student Advisory Council Applications

Are you interested in running for a position on the Honors and PELP Student Advisory Council (HPC)? Applications will open Monday, March 14th. Here is the link to the application: https://www.apsu.edu/honors/hpc-application.php

March Madness

Bracket Challenge

Go up against your peers in predicting who is the National Champion in the NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournaments! Scan each QR code to make your respective brackets. Be sure to join the “Honors & PELP” group. The password is APSU! Here is the prize breakdown:

Men's Tournament 1st Place Honors
Women's Tournament 1st Place Honors
Men's Tournament 1st Place PELP
Women's Tournament 1st Place PELP

Registration Celebration

We will be hosting a Registration Celebration next Monday! Come pass the time with us by playing games and eating food until priority registration begins at midnight. Staff, peer leaders, and students will be in attendance to help with the creation of schedules and to resolve any issues that may arise!

REAL Talk Service Project

On Wednesday, March 23rd we will have our next REAL Talk event! REAL Talk aims to heighten students' awareness of current issues within our community and the world. This semester's topic is sustainability. We will be partnering with APSU's Sustainability Coordinator Olivia Herron to perform a service project in the Outdoor Education Center and learn about native biodiversity for next week's event.

Outreach Opportunities

Interested in volunteering? Here are a few opportunities to get started:

Loaves and Fishes needs help Wednesday - Saturday from 8:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m stocking food in their warehouse. Students may also serve as a "Guest Host" Monday - Saturday from 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. A guest host helps sign people in and talks to the guests that come in for a meal. Here is the link to sign up: https://events.civicchamps.com/organizations/2789/calendar/week

Mana Cafe needs volunteers from 8:00 -10:00 a.m. on Saturdays for their two mobile cafe locations. They also have an evening option for the mobile cafe that runs from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. Mobile cafe volunteers distribute pre-boxed foods to guests that stop by. Additionally, Mana Cafe always needs help in their Food Box Building where they package the boxes that are distributed at the mobile cafes. This takes place from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. every Saturday. Here is the link to sign up: https://mannacafeministries.volunteerhub.com/?format=Calendar&filter=All#_=_

if students are interested in volunteering with the S.O.S. Food Pantry on campus, email sos@apsu.edu with the subject line “Need Volunteer Hours,” and they will work with students' schedules to find a time for them to come in.

Weekly Spotlights

Alum Spotlight

This week's alumna is Keri McInnis. She is a graduate of the President's Emerging Leaders Program (PELP). Ms. McInnis is the senior Vice President and Financial Advisor for Pinnacle Financial Partners in Green Hills. She also serves on the Austin Peay Board of Trustees.

Faculty Spotlight

This week's faculty member is Zachary Barnes. Dr. Barnes says he “[loves] teaching honors students. My class discusses the nuances of the K-12 education system, the cornerstone of an educated country. Education is something that every single APSU student has gone through, and my hope is that my students leave my class caring more about the importance of a strong education system."

Student Spotlight

This week's student is Daniel Moore. He is a senior in the President's Emerging Leaders Program (PELP). Daniel Moore was offered a position as a Pediatric ER Nurse at Vanderbilt! Daniel was one of two selected out of a pool of over 200 applicants.

Want to highlight an alum, faculty member, or student?

Email atkinsd@apsu.edu with suggestions!

Weekly Meme

Finally, here is a meme to conclude this week's newsletter!