Starting Monday, May 3rd, College Rocks will provide students and the campus community with a wide range of fun and exciting activities. This event, which runs all week long, allows students to celebrate the end of another school year while also relaxing before the stress of finals week kicks in.  

Allison Gerland, Student Activities Specialist and advisor for the Yellowjacket Activities Crew (YAC), has been part of the planning committee for this event for the past two years. The idea originated with Dacia Selzler from Student Health & Counseling as an alternative to celebrating the end of the year in a safe environment free of drugs and alcohol. "Students and staff at UWS do so much throughout the course of the school year. College Rocks is our way of celebrating that journey." Though YAC is coordinating the entertainment for the week, Allison is quick to point out that they aren't the only campus organization involved with the event. "There are so many groups helping to make this week one to remember: Residence Hall Association, BBQ Club, Greek Life, Interfaith Campus Council, Campus Life, and AODA are contributing. It really is a campus-wide collaboration." 

According to Gerland, this year's College Rocks Week will follow in the footsteps of last year. "I was very pleased with last year's event. It was nice to see students who don't normally attend campus activities. The bands that we brought in for the concert were very well received." Over two hundred students showed up Friday night to the Rock the Block concert last year.  

Among those students in attendance was Jon Bartczak, a sophomore here at UWS. "I thought the concert was great. The music was nice, and there were free drinks. It was a good way to take a breather before my finals." Many of the week's activities will take place at the new Yellowjacket Union. This was done to promote the new building as the hub of student activiiy for the campus. Each day of College Rocks Week offers an array of different activities. 

Events kick off on Monday the 3rd with a BBQ Club cookout held outside the Yellowjacket Union from 11 am until 2 pm. Around that same time there will be live music and dancing starting at noon. There will also be a texting-based scavenger hunt around campus starting on Monday. Winner will receive a finals gift pack and all finishers will be entered in a drawing to win a parking permit for 2010-2011.  

Tuesday will pick up right where Monday left off. Lawn games will be held outside the Union from 11 am until 2 pm. Beanbag toss, which was quite popular last year, is likely to be a hit this year as well. An Open Mic Preview show will run from noon until 1 pm. Also, the Superior Achievement Awards will take place at 3:30 pm. 

Wednesday's activities will have a certain Latin flair to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Chips and salsa will be available. Inflatable games will be on campus from 11 am until 2 pm and chair massages will be available from 11:30 am until 1:30 pm. There will also be Latin music and student DJs from noon until 1 pm.  

Thursday will host the Jazz Ensemble, playing music starting at noon. From 2 pm until 4 pm, campus staff will have the opportunity to bring in their dogs for pet play. This will take place in the field behind Ostrander Hall. At 8 pm, the final Open Mic Night of the school year will take place at the Yellowjacket Union. Allison has high hopes for this particular show. "I am hoping that we can have everyone who has performed throughout the year at this show. It would be great to see everyone come together."  

Friday is shaping up to be a day jam packed with events. The dunk tank, a crowd favorite last year, will be running from 11 am until 2 pm. Among those volunteering to take the plunge this year include UWS Provost Christopher Markwood, Student Body Vice-President Jordan Appicelli, head of Campus Safety Gary Gulbranson (in uniform), and Student Involvement staff Ann Miller and Allison Gerland. There will be a tailgate party with the BBQ Club to get students psyched for the UWS Men's Baseball game at 3 pm. Students will have the chance to drive a golf cart for the Drunk Driving Awareness obstacle course at 6:30 pm with Campus Safety.  

The grand finale of College Rocks Week begins at 8 pm, as this year's Rock the Block concert will feature Shadows of Me and headliner On the Surface, an exciting band that has opened for many national acts. UWS student and YAC member Joe Mukite was part of the group that decided to bring the band to campus. "We went to this big conference that had lots of bands hoping to get signed to a gig. On the Surface really stood out. I think it's going to be a great time." 

There is no way around it: finals week is a stressful time for even the best of students. You have to study for all sorts of tests. You have to finish writing that paper you've been putting off for the last month. You also have to say goodbye to friends you won't see again till the fall. Though all of these things are important, it is also important to relax so that stress does not affect you in a negative way. From May 3rd to the 7th, College Rocks Week at UWS will give students and staff an opportunity to relieve that anxiety by enjoying games and live music with their friends as they celebrate the end of another semester. 

Article written by Andrew Suralski, UWS Student