The College Tour at UConn

[Music] welcome everyone to the university of connecticut also known as yukon this top 25 national public university has grown from humble origins 140 years ago into an internationally renowned center of scholarship and learning it also has a pair of basketball teams you may have heard something about with its flagship campus located in the idyllic setting of stores in beautiful eastern connecticut yukon has something for everyone i'm your host alex boylan this is my co-host jonathan xiv the world famous yukon husky that is right he's pretty busy dogs we'll see how long you can stick around for and in the next half hour we're going to explore this vibrant campus talk to some students attending uconn and learn what makes this place so special one word we're gonna hear a lot of is community which uconn students find in their classes their volunteer work their friends and even on the jujitsu map community is a powerful thing and we're gonna learn why people come from all over the country and the world to find it right here so get ready for a great episode welcome to the university of connecticut this is the college tour okay everyone first we're gonna head to fairfield way this is the heart of campus where you'll find everything from the library to the student union to a farmer's market in the fall sean a double major in urban and community studies and psychology is going to tell us about uconn's residential life and learning communities i can't wait to hear about life on campus here it's all you are sean [Music] thanks alex when i first came to uconn i was a little worried it was such a big school and i felt overwhelmed by all the opportunities the size of the campus and everyone i saw walking around i was worried that i might get swallowed up by the size of the university and i knew i needed to have a strong base to be able to explore all the amazing opportunities a big school like uconn had to offer i was able to find that home in my residential community on campus res life staff put so much effort into making sure that you connect with your roommate and floor mates to give you a solid support group here at uconn i remember my first weekend was packed with so many different events from scavenger hunts to concerts that by the end of it i felt like i'd already known my formats for forever as you continue throughout your time at uconn you'll just grow closer with your floormates doing your homework together going to events together even joining clubs together some of my favorite memories have been spent sitting out hanging in the hallway with my floormates late into the night or spending all day long playing volleyball with them on the sanford's and right outside our door past just making amazing friends though living on campus also gives you easy access to all the great opportunities events and dining that uconn has it's just a quick walk away to any of our eight dining halls downtown stores or the student union all which have delicious food it seems like every day on campus there's a different event happening whether it be our learning community field day competition one of the many late night activities our student union plans my favorite is the paint night living on campus truly allows you to get the full yukon experience and if you're looking for an even closer sense of community that's more specialized like i was you might want to consider joining a learning community or lc as we call it we have 20 different residential learning communities all across campus which are groups of students who share a common interest and live together now these interests can be major based like our women in stem learning community which allows you to live and connect with students of similar career interests and in the same classes these can also be interdisciplinary like the one i chose to join the leadership learning community which is more focused on a common interest learning communities also put on even more events trips and professional development activities to help you better yourself as a person and connect with other students at uconn some of my favorite events at uconn have been through my learning community like our annual trip to six flags or our four arrows leadership retreat with such an amazing experience that living on campus at uconn provides it's no wonder that we have one of the highest percentage of students living on campus out of any public university in the nation i hope you've learned a little bit more about what it's like living on campus here at uconn and i'll send it back to you alex sean that was great when you talked about how you instantly connected with people in your residence hall it reminded me how important the residential experience is for college students and it sounds like the learning communities are a way to make those connections even stronger congrats on everything you've accomplished and good luck in the masters of public administration's program okay everyone let's head over to mirror lake the spot on campus for studying people watching and soaking up the sun there we're gonna hear from laura who has an individualized major in organizational behavior and leadership and she's going to tell us about life in stores and all the amazing opportunities available to students in the area laura please take it away thanks alex hey everyone growing up in the northeast i knew that i wanted to come to a school that gave me the opportunity to experience all those seasonal changes that i loved so much while i was growing up there's nothing like the first snowfall of every winter where our campus is blanketed white it's really like we're living inside of a snow globe my favorite day of the spring is the first warm day of the year all of our students gather on the lawn behind our student union hanging out chatting with friends and getting some homework done i do have to say my favorite season in stores must be the fall whether you want to get into the yukon spirit by going to a football or a soccer game or if you go to a local farmers market to pick up some fresh fruit there are so many different things that you can do in the fall another one of my favorite parts about being a uconn student is the sense of community that we have here our main campus is located in stores where you can expect to find that traditional college town feel we also have branch campuses across connecticut in avery point hartford stanford and waterbury these campuses each have their own unique culture but regardless of where you attend classes we have a sense of husky pride that unites us all while our stores campus is located in a relatively small area of connecticut there's no shortage of activity and this keeps our campus exciting i'm standing here on our mirror lake which is relatively close to our downtown stores area i love to head into downtown stores with my friends to grab some coffee and hang out at first yukon might seem like a big school but it's amazing how small it begins to feel because of the sense of community that we've built here i hope hearing my story has given you a sense of what it's like to live and learn here at uconn back to you alex laura thanks for telling us what makes this campus so special no matter where you're from when you say there is no better place to experience the best that all four seasons have to offer i know a lot of people who agree with you thanks again now it's time to head over to the wilbur cross building or just wilbur cross as everyone calls it here we're excited to talk to shane young a finance major who founded a business group for underrepresented students who plays on the practice squad against the best women's basketball team in the country shane tell us about some of the incredible experiences you've had here hey everyone one of my favorite aspects of uconn is the breadth of opportunities available to students as a research one institution with over 700 student organizations the university provides an amazing selection of opportunities to find yourself as well as your people this breadth has challenged me to hold leadership positions in six of the nine organizations that i'm actively involved in as well as apply knowledge obtained from the classroom to real experiential learning opportunities that can have a real impact on people's lives i've been able to merge my interest in consulting for my passion of racial equity to embark on a really unique leadership opportunity within the uconn consulting group and if you can't find an organization that fits your interest you can create your own club which is exactly what i did last fall i founded business leaders of uconn an organization focused on supporting underrepresented students interested in business not only have we supported bypoc in achieving their most ambitious professional goals but more importantly we've created a safe space for bipac to share their experiences and discuss racial equity to maintain collective consciousness of marginalized experiences with the extensive selection of opportunities available you'll be sure to find something that pulls you out of your comfort zone a significant decision i had to make in high school was whether i wanted to play college basketball it would have been a huge commitment instead i found the best of both worlds where i can stay connected to a sport that i've loved my entire life while also having a diverse college experience the uconn women's basketball team takes on male practice players each year through the practice team i've been able to stay connected to a significant sport in my life while also competing against and building relationships with some of the best women's basketball players in the country i've also discovered different parts of the world and learned how my existence is shaped by history and my place in the world my involvement has brought me to new york to give a consulting presentation to a startup company to detroit to learn how housing discrimination blight and the privatization of education is currently subjugating black communities and to tampa to cheer on the women's basketball team in the ncaa final four beyond the us one of the greatest influences in shaping my ideology has been my study abroad experience in barcelona where i study photography fashion marketing and contemporary neocolonialism in college i've embarked on a journey to find myself and my identity in this world and it would not have been possible if more for the amazing extracurricular opportunities here at uconn thanks alex back to you amazing stuff shane getting a chance to study in barcelona sounds like a life-changing experience on top of everything else and how cool is it to say you've played basketball against players with multiple final four appearances to their credit thanks for sharing your story cheers shane okay let's check out one of the most popular spots on campus the statue of jonathan the husky right in front of the famed gamble pavilion nicole a special education major is going to tell us about some of the incredible student groups and activities she's participated in nicole what's the good word thanks for the introduction alex when i first started my college search i knew i wanted to go to a big university with loads of school spirit challenging academics and lots of clubs and organizations to join when i first stepped foot on uconn's campus i knew that i found my perfect fit flash forward to today i'm now a senior special education major in the niag school of education i have joined countless extracurriculars that has shaped my experience here at the university as an unforgettable one i lived in husky village my sophomore year which is on-campus housing exclusive to fraternity and sorority members something unique about husky village is we hold late nights which is food fundraisers for our philanthropies i also join the women's club basketball team uconn is home to 37 different club sports i was a three sport athlete in high school and knew that i wanted to get involved with athletics when i came to uconn considering uconn's women's basketball team is ranked number one in the nation right now joining the varsity team wasn't in the playing cards however my time here on the club team has been nothing short of amazing the most rewarding organization i am a part of is huskython huskython is a year-long philanthropic fundraiser that raises money for connecticut children's medical center this year we raised over 1 million dollars for the kids every spring we celebrate our fundraising efforts with an 18-hour dance marathon with no sitting on top of the hundreds of clubs and organizations to get involved with there are countless traditions that are unique to uconn my favorite tradition is one ton sunday where during winter weekend students can fill an entire bucket with as much ice cream and toppings as they want and it is something that is so fun to do with your friends another really cool tradition is oozeball which is a very muddy volleyball tournament held every spring and it is a favorite tradition that has gone back for decades from the friends and memories that i've made through huskython gamma phi beta and club sports i could not imagine my time here without these organizations uconn offers the student body so much you just have to go out and find it that's all from me back to you alex [Music] panhellenic council club basketball dance marathon talk about a full slate of activities really impressive stuff nicole and the fact that the huskython has raised millions of dollars for children's healthcare is such an inspiring example of how uconn students can make a difference in the world thanks again for that insight take care nicole all right let's check out the makerspace sydney is a biomedical engineering major who has been able to spend time in multiple labs at uconn doing research as an undergraduate one of the many things that sets uconn apart she's going to tell us what it's like to have a hands-on role at a research one university take it away sydney thanks alex hi everyone i'm originally from albany new york and i chose uconn for its sense of community proximity to home and how well-rounded it is many other schools i looked at excelled in one department whereas uconn had great programs all around so i had to take advantage of all these opportunities in the past i've served on the executive board for the undergraduate student government as well as uconn's chapter of the national society of black engineers additionally i've worked as a teaching assistant a campus tour guide and i even sang the national anthem for basketball games volleyball games and many other events one thing you'll find out about uconn is that there's opportunities for everyone here no matter your major i'm a biomedical engineering student yet i work in a material science engineering lab and a civil engineering lab which i was able to do after speaking with my professors uconn is an r1 institution meaning that nearly every professor here is conducting some sort of research in order to get involved students can simply send an email to the professors and set up a meeting to find out more additionally if students have a particular project or idea in mind they can receive funding through uconn's idea grant of up to four thousand dollars to begin a project of their own my friend wawa received this award the summer after her freshman year which goes to show that uconn wants you to get involved as early as your first year here on campus students can also find out about opportunities from our center career development research fair as well as our amazing research website which details all the programs that are currently going on these resources all go to show that uconn wants you to excel in your classes conduct research and still have time to take part in extracurricular activities let me tell you a bit about my research i currently work in the kassman building and the center of campus which is our main engineering building there i assist dr kai and graduate students to understand and analyze the properties of nanofibers within ultra high performance concrete my daily tasks range from mixing samples casting samples grinding and polishing them afterwards we conduct a series of stress and compression tests to understand the benefits of each individual mixture the state of connecticut is currently experiencing a concrete crisis which is affecting the foundations of people's homes so i'm so glad to be a part of the group working on solving this problem when i'm not in this lab i'm in a materials science engineering lab funded by pratt whitney there i work alongside another undergraduate student to analyze thermal barrier coatings at high temperatures we also analyze c-mass samples through viscometers optical pyrometry and a gradient rig i wish i could show you guys the inside of this lab but it's currently top secret so i guess that'd have to be another time so if you couldn't already tell uconn really wants you to become a part of something bigger than yourself i know that i'm beyond grateful for all the opportunities i've had to help make a difference but also because of the connections i've made with undergraduate students and graduate students so thanks alex for letting me share my story back to you sydney that's fantastic i love how even with all the work you've done in labs on campus you've been able to fit in all kinds of other activities even singing the national anthem before basketball games it goes to show how much opportunity there is at uconn regardless of what your passion is thanks sydney next up is a spot on campus that's familiar to anyone who's ever filled out a march madness bracket gample pavilion home of the national champion men's and women's basketball teams adam just completed his bachelor's degree here and is working on his master's degree now he's going to tell us what it means to have husky spirit how's it going adam [Music] hey everyone i'm so excited to talk to you about athletics and the husky spirit here at uconn cheering on the huskies has always been near and dear to my heart growing up in connecticut my whole life and while you may know about the men's and women's basketball teams here on campus there is so much more to cheer for but first i want to tell you why i chose uconn first yes the athletics but second also by education i've always been really good at math and i always really really wanted to help people becoming a math teacher was always a really easy decision for me and my stance on math is that it's not something that you can or cannot do it's something that you need to practice and everyone can do some form of math choosing which teaching program was a bit of a struggle for me though until i read about how great the niag school of education was one campus tour and a childhood of watching uconn basketball later and i was sold on campus i've been the president of the uconn future educators where i found a great group of people to play intramural sports with be it flag football soccer handball volleyball or my personal favorite inner tube water polo the math teacher of me can't help but spew some husky stats 20 division one programs led by men's and women's basketball which have always been the top dogs here on campus and with good reason 15 national championships between the two of them they bring an excitement and buzz to campus come october when basketball season starts and for some of the biggest games of the year the line can go all the way down fairfield way and once you're inside you're in for two hours of non-stop yelling and screaming from the husky fans there are memorable games in madison square garden an exciting tournament in downtown hartford and there's more than just basketball to support here on campus we have football down at wrenchler field and you can't forget about our hockey team they have a brand new arena on campus or you can take the ice bus to see the games in the city and there's our baseball team getting the national recognition it deserves with some proud alumni making it up to the big leagues for me all these athletic events it's all about going with a group of friends and cheering on the huskies i'm a proud member of the yukon gold patrol the best student section in all of college soccer you can expect moroni stadium to be packed and rocking there isn't a better place in the country than a yukon student section jonathan you want to go to a game back to you alex great job adam and good luck with your master's program okay everybody we're gonna head over to the benton museum of art which stages multiple exhibitions every year including student and faculty art rihanna a vocal performance major and first generation college student is going to tell us how the arts made her feel right at home on campus brianna you're on [Music] thanks alex so here's my story as a first generation student i wasn't sure if uconn was for me the idea of higher education intimidated me and it was something my family just couldn't understand at the time i was worried that if i attended uconn i wouldn't be able to find students like myself when i first visited campus however i stumbled across the puerto rican latin american cultural center also known as perlac and the student support services sss office two places that would eventually become my home besides the school of fine arts herlac is what led me to live in the latinx learning community la comunidad i was able to connect with my culture while appreciating the cultures of my peers student support services helped guide me through my first year on campus as a first generation student this is where i met my closest friends and established professional networks from that day i knew uconn was the school for me yukon offers a wide variety of cultural and creative experiences for its students as a student in the school of fine arts i furthered my creativity and broadened my horizons harmony and ear training classes have allowed me to mature as a musician and instrumental technique classes have given me exposure to every instrument under the sun my goal is to become a music educator and i'm so grateful that my journey as a future teacher began in the school of fine arts through uconn choirs i've sung with local groups and choirs all over the world last semester we collaborated with the uni zulu choir in south africa and learned indigenous choral and south african dance if you love the arts there's something for you on campus yukon is home to 10 acapella groups over 15 dance groups and a plethora of annual performances our jorgensen center for the performing arts and connecticut repertory theater hosts many of these performances from the acapella rush concert to plays and musicals a mixture of students broadway stars and celebrities have graced our stages students also have free access to the william benton museum of art and the ballard institute and museum of puppetry during my free time i like to attend performances with my friends and browse the galleries on campus attending uconn has provided me with academic and creative opportunities not only have i been able to explore my passion for music but i've also taken advantage of the many co-curricular opportunities uconn has to offer with support from the women's gender and sexuality studies department i'm creating a documentary about housing insecurity and homelessness in college two issues i'm passionate about besides music exploring socioeconomic status is important to me and in the future i hope to combine my passion for activism and art as i venture into the field of education back over to you alex thank you so much brianna the way you establish yourself with the arts community and with the puerto rican and latin american cultural center really shows the diversity of opportunities and pursuits at uconn getting to sing all over the world with yukon choirs sounds like a dream come true great job brianna now let's go over to the brand new student recreation center and meet up with grace she's been involved in undergraduate student government and writes for the undergraduate political review and she's going to tell us how a passion for fitness helped define her experience at uconn grace how's it going [Music] thank you alex i came to uconn because i believe in the power of public education and i wanted to experience a diverse campus environment as a political science major i am driven by the desire to make change in the world through representation and advocacy through my studies i learned that the barriers ahead of us can only be broken if we work together this idea of unity comes in many forms at uconn in my time here i've been involved in many clubs and organizations all centered around a common cause or interest i've served in the undergraduate student government enrolled in an accelerated master's program for public administration and i also write for the undergraduate political review i believe that you can't have a healthy mind without a healthy body in addition to my major related extracurriculars i also joined the yukon brazilian jiu jitsu club and yukon barbell a club dedicated to the sport of power lifting trust me i'm not the only one on campus who loves to get fit with over 35 club sports teams and numerous intramural sports league so many huskies like to stay healthy personally when i feel like pumping iron i like to hit the campus gym which is also where i work to myself and many others yukon recreation is like a second home being active is such a huge part of campus culture you can tell just by how so many students enter the student recreation center forming a line even before we open uconn recreation has something for everyone group fitness classes a climbing center and my personal favorite the squat rack area we also have two pools an indoor track and our own spin studio after every workout i need to refill my body so i have to hit up mango for a smoothie my go-to order is a chocolate peanut butter protein smoothie with extra protein of course in addition to our clubs sports teams and the gym students find so many other ways to practice wellness on campus during the warm weather sunrise yoga on horse barn hill is an absolute must the student health and wellness department also hosts many events that encourage students to practice mental well-being on campus such as meditation mondays and during final season therapy dogs are brought into the library to give our hard-working students a much needed break here at uconn there are so many ways to become a healthy husky back to you alex [Music] thanks grace all of that sounds so amazing i love the idea of doing sunrise yoga on horse barn hill but i'll probably lead the jiu jitsu to you grace you really showed how the pursuit of excellence at uconn isn't limited to the classroom or lab but takes in the entire student experience thanks again for that okay who's feeling a little hungry let's go over to the whitney dining hall and talk to riley he's a double major in biomedical engineering and spanish who's going to tell us about the most important time of the day meal time riley what's on the menu [Music] hello everyone leaving home for college is a really exciting experience there are so many changes in your academic and social life and let's be honest being away from home has a lot of wonderful advantages but the one thing people don't talk about a lot is often what they really miss the most food those meals snacks take out places from back home that you grew up on that being said food is a huge factor for life at school and here at uconn we have some amazing dining opportunities that do an excellent job at filling in for all that food from home the first thing you'll notice when you come to yukon is how many dining options you have with any of our three different meal plans you can eat as many times a day at our eight different dining halls so in other words you'll never go hungry at yukon you can wake up in the morning and grab breakfast from our south dining hall during the day you can stop by any of our several different cafes or student union marketplace for a quick lunch or coffee and for dinner you might meet up with some of your friends at northwest dining hall which along with two other locations has extended hours for any of those late night cravings you may have no matter where you end up eating at yukon there's always going to be kosher and halal options nearby as well as a range of vegan vegetarian and gluten-free meal options so no matter your preferences there's always something for you yukon dining services is consistently recognized for a wide range of awards for example we regularly rank amongst the top three universities with the best vegan recipe and have also nationally ranked in the top 10 most accommodating gluten-free universities we pride ourselves on the fact that boston children's medical center created their menu based off of our own gluten-free program additionally as a campus we're always trying to reduce our environmental impact and our dining services is at the forefront of that movement yukon dining serves fresh locally sourced produce honey jarred right here on campus and even has their own robust composting program all of which aim to reduce campus waste and emissions we are also fortunate enough to have many off-campus dining options as well several of which are within walking distance or you can venture to those restaurants throughout the surrounding towns my favorite off-campus spot and one of the most popular among students is downtown stores which has everything from a cafe to pizza to even some late night cookies speaking of sweetness i'd be remiss if i didn't mention one of yukon's biggest attractions our world famous dairy bar opened in 1953 the dairy bar serves ice cream made from the milk of the cows that graze right next door on horse barn hill my favorite flavor has to be black raspberry but don't just take my word for it come and try it yourself no matter your needs or preferences yukon dining services is going to work extremely hard to make sure that all of their students desires are satisfied now if you don't mind i'm going to go grab some of that black raspberry ice cream back to you alex [Music] riley that all sounds delicious and it's great that yukon is nationally recognized for its vegan and gluten-free options it's so crucial to have robust real food options for everyone and i'll definitely take your recommendation and swing by the dairy bar before i leave campus for research purposes of course thanks for filling us in riley okay everyone let's head over to one of uconn's greenhouses we're gonna talk with bora who's getting her bachelor's in environmental science with a concentration on sustainable community food systems maura is not only studying these subjects she's experiencing them by living on a working student-run farm pretty cool maura please take it away [Music] hi everyone like most 18 year olds starting the college search there were so many things that factored into my decision as a budding environmental science student i wanted a school that would help me learn how to live a sustainable life that's why i was so excited to learn about uconn's commitment to limiting their impact on the environment i got involved in sustainability at uconn on day one as a member of the ecohouse learning community being surrounded by other students who are motivated to learn about the environment and live sustainably was an amazing experience that's where i learned about so many of uconn's environmentally focused clubs like ecohusky where we would volunteer at green game days picking up trash after the games and informing people how to dispose of waste properly as trash recyclables or compost or the soil and water conservation society where we helped maintain the green infrastructure on campus like the green roofs the bioretention areas and the rain gardens we also got a look inside the many ways campus is becoming greener like the student-led office of sustainability which helps keep uconn in the top 10 of the sierra club's cool school rankings or the food-based disposal strategy which uses quantum biopower to turn excess food into energy in the fall of 2019 we also participated in a global climate strike as part of the fridays for future campaign to show how seriously students take the climate crisis we striked classes and instead spent the day educating each other on climate change we marched the president's office to read him our demands on how uconn could improve and as a response a student-led working group was formed to address the issues and let students voices be heard freshman year i also learned about uconn's spring valley student farm where i've lived for the past year spsf is a three-quarter acre sustainable farm located four miles off campus that uses organic and low till practices to grow fresh pesticide-free produce for the dining halls we're dedicated to sustainability and food justice with the main goal of educating the community uconn students can volunteer with us at farm fridays to learn about sustainable agriculture and how to grow food at spsf we grow all kinds of vegetables we have several beehives which help pollinate the vegetables and we plant pollinator-friendly plants and flowers making us a nationally recognized food campus we're also in the process of installing several solar panels which will help power the greenhouses and the home that we share by immersing myself in sustainability at uconn i'm able to get a unique hands-on experience in topics i otherwise wouldn't have discovered working so closely with food helped me realize a new passion for making food production more sustainable i am confident that the knowledge i've gained here will serve me well at uconn and beyond that's all from me alex back to you [Music] thanks borah it's fitting that a land-grant school with a long history of agriculture education is still making new discoveries and blazing new trails in that field it sounds like uconn has given you the tools you need to go out and make the world a better place more thanks for sharing your experiences with us take care okay everybody how amazing is the university of connecticut i want to thank all the incredibly talented and accomplished students for taking the time today to show us all around and tell us what makes yukon so special this really is a remarkable university in a truly beautiful part of the world but don't just take my word for it come check out uconn for yourself and learn why this year saw the largest number of admissions applications in university history and hopefully we'll see on campus real soon and go huskies how you doing buddy yeah pretty good episode [Music] you

Channel: UConn

Views: 14,129

Rating: 4.9461279 out of 5

Keywords: uconn, university of connecticut, college tour, amazon, campus tour, student life, storrs, connecticut, dining, residence halls, recreation, campus life, location, tv episode, virtual tour, culture, student involvement

Id: V2KtqT5CmF0

Length: 36min 19sec (2179 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 07 2021