The worst part about winter in Michigan can be seen in the late afternoon; it’s cold, it’s dark and more likely than not there’s gross slush everywhere. It’s times like these when days of lying in the late afternoon sun, surrounded by your best friends and eating good food seem like a far-off summer dream. But the dream might not be so far off.
On Jan. 18, Eastern Michigan University will be hosting its annual TRUEMU All-University Free Picnic. Also, for those seniors and other locals who see summer as the time for searching for a job, the Graduate Open House on Jan. 14 will be an opportunity to get a head start on those future plans so this summer can be a time to relax and have fun.
“Brave the cold outside to come inside,” says Theodore Coutilish, the Associate Vice President of Marketing. The TRUEMU Picnic will be located in the Student Center Grand Ballroom from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Hosting the picnic will be Eastern Michigan’s own men and women’s basketball teams, who will also be available to talk and hang out. Meet with athletes like Da’Shonte Riley, Glenn Bryant or Chelsea Hite as you enjoy free beef, turkey or vegetarian hot dogs.
But what’s food without entertainment? While playing fun games, including ball toss, a hula-hoop contest and a trivia contest, a local Metro Detroit radio station will be playing music. To add to the fun, there will also be prizes available, like t-shirts at the trivia table.
“The whole idea is to increase visibility awareness of our men’s and women’s basketball teams,” Coutilish continued. “We promote both of them. We feel both of them are equal.”
In the past, this picnic, which is predicted to bring in 500-1000 students, has increased attendance to both teams’ games.
The associate vice president remarks, “You support who you know.” It’s because of this Coutilish encourages, “The more interaction, the better.”
Coutilish’s comment is applicable not only the TRUEMU picnic, but also the Graduate Open House.
“When you go to an open house, you get a much wider view of Eastern Michigan, because there are so many people there. You can talk to a professor or financial aid advisor or a student. It’s really the all-in-one approach.”
The Open House is from 10 a.m. to noon, and will also be in the Student Center Grand Ballroom.
It’s an “academic fair with faculty advisor and Financial Aid presentation,” Coutilish says. “Make a smart investment in yourself.”
The Open House makes it easy to figure out a way to get a master’s degree that can fit your schedule with online classes and off-campus class sites. Also, if you apply at the open house, the application fee for Eastern Michigan’s graduate school is waved. Even better, it provides opportunities for three winners to gain up to three free class credits — a value of $1500!
Master degree programs range from Educational Leadership or Social Work to Speech/Language Pathology. Other options available to learn about include graduate assistantships, doctoral fellowships, application process, community involvement opportunities, as well as campus tours in case you’ve never seen the beautiful campus that lies in the middle of the bustling city of Ypsilanti.
Between the TRUEMU picnic and upcoming basketball games, summer will be here before you know it. In the mean time you might not even feel the winter blast. Even better, by going to the Graduate Open House, you’ll have time during the summer to relax and not worry about having to find a job or apply for school. Truly, this will feel like a long and beautiful summer.
