First Day!!!!!

The big man had his first day of college today (although his second class was canceled due to the unusually high temperature.) 

Good Luck Smiley! YOU GOT THIS!!

Congratulations Smiley!

This kid got accepted at UWM. No decisions about where he will actual attend yet but CONGRATULATIONS Smiley!!! We are proud of you and love you! - Mom and Dad

photo by Yaya at Slapczynski Shoots

 

A Statement from YaYa

Long, emotional post because I can:

For the past three years I’ve been struggling to feel content or productive within my major of study @ UWM. I’ve had to really reflect on my academics and why I’ve been struggling to progress in a field of study that I’m clearly very passionate about. 

Theatre has been my life for a long time. I can’t remember my life without it and I can’t see my future without it, either. Studying theatre every day since 2015 (thanks, public arts-centric education) has been amazing and I’ve learned enough to feel concrete in my love for the art form. I feel so strongly towards theatre education and the benefits that youth receive from it, but the program at UWM just wasn’t enough for me. 

Intimate class sizes (usually about 4-12 students) seemed so ideal in the beginning but I’d come to dread seeing the same people in each class every day. And not because I don’t like the other theatre ed students - but because it felt very repetitive and stagnant. 

Because of the pandemic, my experience shifted and I was involuntarily removed from tech crews, the campus dorms, and more. It felt like everything I knew was uprooted in a matter of weeks- and though I had hoped I would regain my footing and drive, it never happened. Between the lack of accessible online courses in the theatre ed program and the lack of variety, it just wasn’t working for me.

It took me a long time to come to this conclusion because I love theatre education, period. I’ve been hurting because it stings to accept that I’m moving on. 

But I think it’s for the better.

Today I’ve officially declared a new major of study, Community Engagement & Education. I think this will be a great fit for me and I’m excited to see where it takes me. My path towards higher education hasn’t been linear and it’s been difficult to acknowledge at times. But when I get that degree- and I WILL get there, a few years later- I’ll feel proud. 

As (Doctor) Taylor Swift said: “Part of growing up and moving into new chapters of your life is about catch and release. What I mean by that is, knowing what things to keep, and what things to release. I’m trying to tell you that losing things doesn’t just mean losing. A lot of the time, when we lose things, we gain things too.”

Year 3

tomorrow i start my third year at UWM. excited, scared, ready- covid has changed my academic experience, but I truly do want to make this a great semester. #PantherProud

ps- find me again working as a campus ambassador & on the theatre department marketing team! making moves! 

- YaYa

A Gift

So the oldest wrote a thank you note for a professor who’s class she enjoyed, and got a gift. I’m impressed I don’t remember liking any of my college classes THAT much

- Lisa

Stagecraft

theatre stagecraft 214 class in front of our beautiful set 🥺 - YaYa

Ke$ha

had an amazing time at the kesha concert! we literally had front row seats!  - YaYa

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A Problem at Pantherfest

This guy - perhaps an employee of the venue or artist - refused to accommodate a visibly disabled student at Pantherfest, in the process referring to her as a "cripple."  I'm told the UWM police are now involved.

YaYa's Dorm

the photos are kinda blurry but I think we can hand the "coolest dorm ever" award to my sister  -Junie

The Dorm

all moved in to sandburg! 💓 YaYa

College Orientation with YaYa

College orientation! @divinatixn

Future Panther!

 #FuturePanther #GOMke #embarrassingthekid

She's a Panther!!

Guess who just got accepted into UWM? #WhooHoo #ProudParents #3rdGenPanther

Research

I'm at Golda Meir Library on the UWM Campus. I drafted a research assistant (LuLu).  A little young but on the upside I don't have to pay her much.

College For Kids 2013

Did you read the College for Kids post about this summer's experience? Well, when I was writing it I discovered I'd forgotten to post about last year (2013). So here we go :)

Here's the beautiful lakefront while en route to UWM

Here's the dance recital that closed out LuLu's class

Here's our visit to Eeyore's house: 

Here's the finale of YaYa's acting class: 

And her dance class (with the same teacher as Olivia). Note that I'm sans beard - an every-five years occurrence. 

Here's Junie in the car making a farting noise with something she made in class LOL

and waiting in the Union for her siblings 

and out for dinner after class