Hidden Treasures: Starved Rock

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Nick Kochetta

A lot of you have heard about a nice state park called Starved Rock but many people don’t know a lot of the hidden joys that the park or the surrounding area has to offer. Starved Rock is mainly a summer hangout for people to visit. There are miles of trails to hike, numerous canyons to discover and a atmosphere to think, picnic, and to enjoy the company of friends or a significant other in. You could even take a day for yourself to melt into the colors, sounds and serene landscapes, away from the rush of college.

6a00d83452cd1869e201539198016c970b 800wi Hidden Treasures: Starved Rock

"Yeah, kinda like that..."

After a nice summer rain, you will be fortunate enough to catch the water careening off the cliffs from above and your ears will be treated to the sounds of the bubbling brew below. Once the summer months pass and the cold sets in, people tend to stray away from outdoor activity but some real beautiful scenes occur at the park once the deep freeze comes. The waterfall becomes a living painting, a powerful rush of water frozen in time against the quiet backdrop of winter. You may even catch a glimpse of climbers scaling the frozen waterfalls during your early year visit.

"I have no words"

For those that enjoy wildlife viewing as much as I do, Eagles are a common sight from the overlooks at Starved Rock. The bald eagles winter here because even when the river is encased in ice, the churn from the dam leaves a small portal open to the water below. It is the only place for miles where they can catch a fish. Because of that, you can see more eagles than you’ve seen in a lifetime in a single day with the right set of binoculars, some really warm clothes, and some good old fashioned patience.

"You don't have to plan a road trip to see natural beauty, it's right in our backyard!"

The town adjacent to the park is Ottawa and it can be just as fun to discover as Starved Rock. History buffs can relive the Lincoln-Douglas debates which occurred there some 9 score and 5 years ago while adrenaline junkies can get their fix with Sky Diving companies that operate just outside of town.

"Or you can get two birds with one stone"

There’s lots of quaint shops as well if you’re going with the family. You can pawn off your mother and grandparents to the local antique shops while you and the siblings hike through canyons and jump out of planes. Whatever you do, if you haven’t gone I urge you to make it out to starved rock. Even if you have been, explore it in a different season and surprise yourself. It’s incredible to see how vastly different the same place can be at different times of the year. Make it a day trip, camp out near the park, or shack up in a cozy cabin, either way I hope you will make it a point to give this hidden treasure so close to NIU a visit. 2.0out

Business Careers House

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Nick Kochetta

One of the most difficult things about going to college or trying something new is figuring out how to fit in. Hundreds of students each year flock to NIU and have to begin their academic careers anew. As a business major, what are the best ways to fit in and flourish in your new environment? I’ve heard this question many times and one of the best answers I can give is the Business Careers House. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Maria Ziebinska, a Community Advisor from the Business Careers House, to learn a little bit more about what they have to offer.

The Business Careers House is a residence hall that serves as a living learning community. In this community, business majors can go and get help in anything business oriented. Whatever students have questions about they can either come to me (a Community Advisor) or they can talk to the House Leader Chris. Students constantly have questions about which classes to take and homework help. Since the residents are business students, I put up a bulletin board about class registration. We include information like what number to call to set up an advising appointment, a sheet containing the Gen. Ed. requirements (specifically the ten core classes to get into the upper level courses), and tips with staying on a four year track.

As Community Advisor for the 10th floor, my job is to help my residents connect at NIU and be successful. I let them know what is going on in the residence halls and around campus. If they have specific interests that they wish to pursue, I help them get in contact with someone that knows where to go to pursue those interests. Basically, whenever students have anything they need to talk about they can come to me.

Business Careers House 1024x768 Business Careers House

Our Community Advisors are Here to Help!

The BCH is located in Grant C and spans five floors from the 8^th to the 12^th. The floors are designated to business majors. We all have common interests and we all hang out and it’s nice to be on the same level with everyone. Since everyone is in the business program many of the residents have similar classes. Because of this, we set up designated study hours where we meet in the study lounge on our floor and do homework. If a student does have questions about an assignment, people are there to help! It definitely feels like a family!

It’s open to all classes, not just underclassman. I’m Upper-class and I have two residents that are taking UBUS 310 right now with me. Transfer students also enjoy the House and have found a great support system here as well. The support is all the same. We cater to residents needs, so if someone speaks up with specific questions as a transfer, freshman, returning students, even upperclassman, it is our job to help.We work hard to point students in the right direction. A few events we have already done with the BCH are Dinner with the Dean, Time Management Tips from the BCH Leaders, and Bowling in the Huskie Den. Dinner with the Dean gave residents a chance to meet the Dean, and she gave tips on how to be successful in the College of Business. Time Management Tips were to give students tips on how to manage their time as they transition from high school to college. Bowling was a chance for all the floors in the BCH to come together and bond.

One of my residents, he was one of the students that didn’t really know what path to go down, so the House Leader and I helped him write up a resume and we took him to the internship fair. We showed him how to network and how to find out more information about the different career paths he enjoyed. Like I said before, we’re all there to help each other out!

To learn more about the Business Careers House and all it has to offer, visit their website at http://www.cob.niu.edu/businesscareershouse/index.asp 2.0out

Carpe Diem

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Nick Kochetta

A wise man once told me that you get three options in College: social life, good grades, and sleep. The catch is you only get to pick two. This year, I’ve chosen social life and good grades so you may have seen me sleepy on more than one occasion in Barsema. This same wise man tells me that food shares a very similar formula: Hot, ready, or delicious. Again, you only get to pick two (think about it, you can’t have all three. Trust me, I’ve tried!). I think he’s put some real thought into this stuff! Anyways, as a senior in college, I want to leave no regrets on the table upon graduation. I will forsake the time that normal people dedicate to sleep to do school work or to go out with friends and make memories that will last longer than any ride on the struggle bus.

Sure, sometimes I will take a weekend to myself and hang around my apartment or at home; I just try my best not to make it a habit. People consistently tell me from their own experiences to live college life to the fullest. Just last week I was scrolling through our student voices blog and that philosophy was reinforced by a post from previous blogger, Nick Lo Vetere.

In his post he states, “The fall semester felt like it was over as soon as it began and the spring semester feels almost as if everything over the past several months happened in a matter of a week.”

He goes on to state that he would take advantage of every opportunity from going out with friends to forming new relationships. His parting quote from the post reads, “I can only hope that if incoming college students stumble across this post that they go to school with the notion that it will go by quick and they need to take advantage of everything as early as possible.”

I feel that I have waited too long to really begin my own experience especially after being stuck at a community college for the first half. Now I feel like I am trying to play catch up and I’m jamming four years worth of experiences into a two year timeline here at NIU. I feel that I have done a fair job but there is only so much time left where you’ll have a month off in winter, a week off every spring, and three months off for summer. Please heed our advice when we say that College moves very quickly. As Ben Franklin, one of our nation’s founding fathers used to say, “Lost time is never found”.

Plan out your time early and often and make your college years memorable. Go on a road trip or see someplace foreign. Go out to apple orchards in the fall or kayak down a river in summer. Do whatever you want; just do something! Go out of your comfort zone and do something remarkable (I’m thinking skydiving for me). Don’t leave college saying I should have done THAT because who knows when the next opportunity to do THAT will be. 2.0out

Reflections on Barsema Hall

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Nick Kochetta

So here I am, sitting in the atrium enjoying a midday hotdog and I can’t help but feel like I’m a part of something much bigger than myself. The atrium feels energetic and full of life. It is the proverbial heartbeat of the college and it is such an interesting and diverse place to be in. Not only is it a place where students take a moment to relax and socialize with their peers but it doubles as a study area where they can complete assignments and other tasks. This work and play atmosphere provides an interesting dynamic to the feel of the space.

As I finish my hotdog, I step outside where I overlook Dad’s Pond from the terrace. This is my place to reflect. In between classes you will often find me here pondering my next move. It’s as though I’m playing a game of chess with life and my responsibilities are the pieces. The benches along the walkway provide me with a moment of clarity and the breeze that passes by comes with almost a rhythmic frequency (*contented sigh*). Just before I get too relaxed, I head back inside to move to my next task.

The thing I enjoy most when I step back inside is the fact that I really feel like a young professional when I enter Barsema Hall. I am surrounded by the future which is kept in the hearts and minds of my peers and in the walls of the institution. The future is born from our motivation and our dreams and I get the opportunity everyday to see other students working hard to live out their own!

For the amount of time that I spend in this building I could almost call it home (I’d rather not call it that because then they’d start charging me rent). The faculty make me feel at home and not a day goes by where I don’t speak with my professors outside of class. A majority of the time, the conversations never have anything to do with classes or related projects. Students will walk by and say hi and it all feels like I have an extended family here. These people have grown with me professionally and worked beside me for the past year. Going through that process really seems to strengthen the ties between students here at the College of Business.

When I was younger I thought that I’d just become another number in College…how much further could I have been from the truth.

These thoughts I catalogued above came to me courtesy of a few minutes between class and a hot dog. Imagine that. Anyways, thanks so much to Dennis and Stacey Barsema for providing this amazing building and thank you to the faculty and students that breathe life into the NIU College of Business. Give yourselves a pat on the back. Together, we’ve made a population of students into a community of students! 2.0out

Behind the Music: UBUS 310

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Nick Kochetta

With Halloween coming up soon I wanted to talk about a scary story that people often hear before ever setting foot in Barsema Hall. The story I’m referring to is the story folks tell about UBUS 310.

Long nights, endless cram sessions, and the Starbuck’s employee getting to know you on a first name basis are the typical tales passed down by 310 alumni. We weave the course to be some sort of monster when in hindsight, I don’t really believe the course should have been that difficult at all. In many cases it is us, the students, who simply aren’t adequately prepared for such an intense course. I am not trying to pass the blame down and say that someone else is responsible for our shortcomings. In the end, it is YOU who ultimately decides your grade. The point I’m trying to make is that students coming in from community colleges or rising up through the general education courses at NIU can give students a false sense of security in their study habits, leading inevitably to struggles in such a detail oriented class like UBUS 310.

Some students are naturally gifted and have not had to study a day in their lives to get the grade. I am telling you right now that if you are one of those students, you MUST study for UBUS 310. I was one of these students and made it through high school and community college with no problem. However, 310 provided me a swift kick to the rear in terms of my study habits. For the first few weeks I struggled and didn’t know why! I had always earned A’s with minimal effort in community college…why wasn’t it the same here? I beat myself up over the matter, thinking I didn’t get the material or wasn’t “cut out” for business until I met with another student and began studying the course material on almost a daily basis.

I see UBUS 310 not as a “weedout” class, but instead, as a great equalizer. I feel that intelligence, GPA, and IQ have nothing to do with success in the class. Don’t write yourself off if you don’t have “numbers” telling you that you’re smart. Instead, work smart! Study daily to retain the most information. Take good notes to look back on and find a group of friends to discuss the material with. Furthermore, speak with your instructors. They are there to help! I never took full advantage of my professors but now I honestly don’t go a day without speaking with them outside of class. Make the introductions early and watch your grades and network grow!

Success is not out of reach for young UBUS 310 students. Keep at it, work hard, work smart, and stay positive. Learn to adapt and respond to this challenging situation and you will be far better off in your courses and your careers. A quote from American writer and futurist, Alvin Toffler, holds true. It reads, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” 2.0 out

Thoughts: Creativity and Identity

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Nick Kochetta

“Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.” -Cyril Connoll

I came across this quote while researching for a project. It sparked a dichotomy of feelings within me that I feel compelled to share with all of you.

Initially, I fell in love with the quote. It spoke to me. It says that in writing or completing tasks, it is better to do it for your own satisfaction than to do those same tasks for the satisfaction of others, and giving up your own identity in the process. Now bear with me…as ethereal a concept as this is, I hope that you can all see the deeper meaning of the quote and understand the point it is trying to get across. There was an old story that may convey the message a bit more clearly.

The story went a little something like this: One day in an elementary school, a teacher gave her class an assignment to draw a tree. The brown and green crayons ran out quickly and children had to wait their turn to use those colors. While everyone else was still waiting on their green and brown colors, a little girl stood up and announced that she was finished. When the teacher walked over, she realized that the tree the little girl had drawn was purple and shades of red. The teacher corrected the little girl and said “I’m sorry sweetie, but I’ve never seen a purple and red tree before.” The small child responded only by saying, “That’s too bad.”

Now as much as I, and perhaps some of you, would love to do exactly as you please in your writing, assignments, and thinking, it is just not a possibility. A wise woman recited a quote to me written by John Donne; “No man is an island.” What we do doesn’t only affect ourselves anymore. Our actions have consequences. In today’s world, we are expected to assist in work that others need done to complete tasks of their own. Our employer or our professor will ask for us to “draw a tree” for them multiple times a day and for many different circumstances. I ask that you all take a moment before beginning your task, not to “fight the power” or “break the chains”, but instead, to reflect on how you would create this tree of yours before quickly snatching for the green and brown crayons.

I believe that exploration outside of typical constraints can lead to learning, growth, and discovery. By infusing your creative self into projects you can become more passionate about the task at hand. This passion leads to a better product and eventually a more rewarding journey. We need to remain conscious of who we are as people, while at the same time, satisfying the needs of our employers and professors. Just remember that you must remain mature enough to assess a situation and understand when it is appropriate to think outside of the box. As challenging as this may be sometimes, I would hope that the creative spark within us all doesn’t dim anytime soon. Think outside the box, but with certain restrictions, and you will be amazed at the things you can achieve! 2.0out

spreadsheets 300x236 Thoughts: Creativity and Identity

Perhaps being overly creative when compiling data in a spreadsheet can make things a little….awkward.

The First Weeks

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Nick Kochetta

I am still coming down from the summer of my dreams. After having the opportunity to travel to Southern California as well as Europe through the NIU Study Abroad Office, the world seemed like a magnificent place; free of stress and worry. This past few weeks of school quickly reminded me that life is just not that simple. A total of five courses, two internships, and three organizations leaves me little time for rest and relaxation without some task on my mind. If I’m not reading a book, I’m doing an assignment, and even when the homework is done the emails for organizations flow like a raging river.

I would be lying to you all if I told you that I wasn’t a little bit stressed. Getting shoved into the deep end of a pool almost always causes a brief moment of panic, regardless of how good you are at swimming. After a few moments of being in the water, you can orient yourself and adjust to the new environment. Before you know it, you’re splashing around in the pool and enjoying yourself; smiling like a possum eating graham crackers.

What I mean in the above analogy is just give it time! If you are stressed like I am, do not worry. Although we just got pushed into the deep end of a freezing pool we will soon find our way and fall into routines that make us successful. Keep with it and soon you’ll find time to manage the responsibilities of your courses, work, organizations, and relationships. I also have a few quick tips that have helped me maintain my sanity, perhaps they can help you too!

1) Write lists

Last year was the first year that I really felt overwhelmed in my work. It got to a point where I had so much on my plate that there was no way I could possibly remember all the tasks I had to complete by the end of the week. By writing out a list of everything that needs to be done, you can visualize what is at hand and begin to nibble away at it and prioritize your items with corresponding numbers or colors. After all, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

See!? It's easy!

2) ”Live in day tight compartments” –Dale Carnegie

By doing all that you can TODAY you will make yourself an easier tomorrow. Instead of waiting to finish that assignment that is due next Tuesday, knock it off the list today so you can move through even more of your list tomorrow and make life easier for your future self.

3) Surround yourself with motivated individuals

If you surround yourself with people who take classes seriously, you will see a tremendous leap in your own productivity. Fly with the eagles and don’t let the turkeys get you down.

turkey not e1348074873604 The First Weeks

Don't be fooled.

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The House Cafe: My Hidden Treasure

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Nick Kochetta

This next guest post is written by Mike Glassberg, a Marketing Student at the NIU College of Business. Follow him on twitter @cubswin716.

To preface the post, “hidden treasures” are the opportunities and events at NIU that you have to seek out. They are the opportunities that aren’t always announced in your classes or sent to your zmail. They are some of the most rewarding activities you can participate in, but they are often overlooked or unknown to many students. Below, Mike will describe one of his own hidden treasures that he uncovered in his NIU experience …

What is your stress reliever? Exercising? Music? Drawing? Video games?

I’ve found out in my 3 years at NIU that if you don’t maintain a mental balance between school life and social life – you will go crazy. My stress relief has always been music – I would get home from a long day of work or class and put on my favorite band and jam out. I’ve been doing this since middle school and thought (until last weekend) that this was the best way for me to relieve stress.

I was wrong.

Last week, I stumbled across an ad on Facebook for a free NIU Jazz Band show at DeKalb’s own “House Cafe.” I convinced a few of my friends to join me and we absolutely loved it.

The House Cafe1 300x225 The House Cafe: My Hidden Treasure

A fun environment that fosters productivity?! Sign me up!

The House Cafe provides an amazing experience:

Good music - The House Cafe features a variety of music – Bluegrass, Funk, Jam, Jazz, Punk, Dance, Rock, Country. You name it, the House Cafe has hosted it.

Off campus - Whenever I get stressed out, all I can think about is school, classes, projects, quizzes, and intangible “points”. I often forget there’s a real world outside of NIU, with real people doing real-life things. The House Cafe provides an amazing escape for students even though it’s less than a mile away from campus.

Atmosphere - Great people. Very non-judge-mental. I’m typing this blog on a brown leather couch in the front of the House Cafe while giving the occasional high-five to friendly people passing by.

I’ve started to, and will continue to use The House Cafe as a study outlet. Last Friday night my friends went out partying. I knew I had entirely too much work to do, so instead of being a hermit and working in my room all night, I decided to come to The House and pay $7 to listen to live music, get productive, and still enjoy a social environment.

The NIU Jazz Band plays on Wednesday nights at the House Cafe (FOR FREE!) I’ll be at The House every Wednesday from now on, sitting at a table with my laptop, enjoying live music while still getting productive. Feel free to come out and do the same, I’d love to share such an awesome experience with other people!

Mike

Words of Advice

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Nick

Last week I did a question and answer session with a College of Business (CoB) student named Rod. He is a very active individual in the CoB. He is a senior finance major and currently the VP of Community Service for his business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi (DSP).

I wanted him to share his thoughts and give words of advice to younger students/incoming students. The only thing I want to add is that I share the same opinions as Rod and think that what he has to offer in this Q&A is very helpful and valuable.

Nick: What lead you to be involved on campus?

Rod: One of the biggest things growing up is to give back to the community. Growing up in impoverished neighborhood I appreciated people coming in to tutor or give time to help someone else develop.

Nick: As a senior; why are you still staying actively involved even though graduation is three weeks away?

Rod: I have a passion to stay involved. Seeing the look on someone’s face when you help them and the big difference it makes to someone to spend a little bit of your time with them. It isn’t a right but an obligation or a duty to give back to our communities. It’s like sucking up crops without fertilizing the ground anymore for the future. I want to build on the legacy for others to further build upon in the future.

Nick: What makes you want to leave the College of Business better when you leave versus when you started here?

Rod: For us to continually be ranked atop the nation, we need to bring in better teachers and better resources for students to be the best that they can be. Personally, for people to become better people you must reinvest time in them. We need to show people how to be a better person so they can do it on their own, similar to movie Paying It Forward.

Nick: What would you have done differently with your time here?

Rod: Academically, I no regrets, I leveraged every opportunity that came. I networked in events, and through my business fraternity (Delta Sigma Pi). The biggest downfall of underclassman is that they do not utilize all the resources around them. An unseen downfall is that they try to become members of so many things and they don’t focus on a handful and become over stretched. You can’t exert your full potential in any one organization. You don’t just join an organization to say you are part of it; you need to be able to devote time and resources in it to make it a great organization. Personally, as VP of Community Service for DSP I wouldn’t be able to hold the position because time would be pulled into other areas.

Nick: What advice can you give to current students and prospective students?

Rod: One of the Biggest pieces of advice I can give without touching on prior information, and is something I give to family friends and my girlfriend is this; step outside your comfort zone, put yourself in uncomfortable situations. It is the only way you can grow. Don’t be afraid to fail because through failure you learn from your mistakes and you become better at what you do. My Mother told me ‘if you’re going to fall, fall fast, so you can get up quick.’ You can apply the same principle for life not just academics. Go in full force and don’t be timid. If you try something and don’t like it, at least you know it’s not for you. But you won’t know until you try.

A big question prospective students get asked is what’s your major, what are you going to be? It is essential to know what you DON’T want to be. If you know what you don’t want to do you know not to go down that path and you can venture down other paths you haven’t been before to explore, grow and find what fits you.

I was an accounting intern at Deloitte for three summers and realized I don’t want to spend all this time out of my life per week for this particular career path. That’s how I ended up going into finance which is similar to accounting. It was a tough choice to switch paths and walk away from great earning potential in an accounting career. But it ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Nick: Any final thoughts?

Rod: Meeting new people has been a big breakthrough in college/academic career. A Lot of people generally tend to stay grounded in their high school niche of friends. You never grow if you stay stagnant. I went from predominantly black grammar school to very diverse high school. I learned quickly to adapt to different cultures and ethnicities. When you go into work force you won’t be working strictly with one nationality or ethnicity. Meeting a variety of people in different settings enables you to learn to identify with each culture and what makes each one unique and different from its own.

One of the key take aways: Get out, meet new people, have fun, and take a chance. Like I said earlier don’t be afraid to try new things, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Take a risk; be it a calculated risk, but take one. Big gains come from big risk. If you see cute girl in the hall way, can’t get a date if you don’t talk to her! Take rejection as a form of constructive criticism; a checklist of what you need to work on to be a better person.

The final piece of advice: No matter what, stay true to who you are and your values. I walk to the beat of my own drum but I still get along with everyone. Be comfortable in your own skin and with who you are. If you don’t like it, do something about it. Never settle for a situation you aren’t comfortable with. Don’t fit in the box, make the box fit around you.

2012 Ethics Case Competition

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Nick

Last week on Friday I participated in an Ethics Case Competition sponsored by the student organization LEAD. The fictional case we were given was about a salesman who was sent overseas in someone’s place in order to win a $50 million contract. The client then told the salesman to bring $6,000 – $7,000 worth of whiskey to the contract signing. The salesman knew there was a company gifting policy and guidelines on what constitutes bribery. However, he could not remember what the guidelines were, nor could he get hold of anyone from his company. It was up to us to do an analysis of the situation and make a recommendation in a ten minute presentation to a panel of judges.

I’m a competitive person just like my competition partner, Abbey Vanderwoude. That’s what drove us to spend a ton of time doing research, preparing our analysis, arguments and presentation. (Don’t be fooled, it requires a lot of effort to deliver a worthy presentation in this competition. You should devote quite a bit of time and energy to it).

Even though we ultimately fell short of victory it was still a good experience to participate in. Sure it was a fictional case, but in listening to Dennis Barsema‘s keynote that day and in talking with my father who also is in sales, situations like this occur in the real world.

It is no surprise that the NIU College of Business truly prepares you for ethical dilemmas and how to best approach them. The College of Business truly stands by its brand statement of “Where the Classroom Meets the Business World” and its philosophy of “Thinking & Doing.” Even though it isn’t really possible to teach someone how to be ethical; this college does do its share in teaching the concept of ethics and provides tools for people to take steps in the right direction. This college is after all, recognized for how it incorporates ethics in its curriculum (ranked 3rd in the nation in 2011 according to Businessweek).

Through an experience such as this and listening to other people’s experiences you can learn to guide yourself in the proper direction. In Mr. Barsema’s words, you need to understand yourself and your values to let your moral compass lead you down the right path in deciding between “doing things right and doing the right thing.”

I encourage everyone to participate in the Ethics Case next year if you have the opportunity to do it. It truly is a wonderful experience.

Student Voices

NIU College of Business … Where the Classroom Meets the Business World

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