Things To Get You Started On Your Way (campus and beyond)

Get a Life! The Goods on where to eat, hang, and fun things to do in Madison. The Onion- America's Finest News Source:  a Madison favorite for some of the best social satire around The Isthmus- a  weekly newspaper with a great events calendar, and a helpful classified section.

Top Five Things to Do When You Get to Campus

1. Go for a walk! Madison is best experienced on foot (or by bike, in my newly formed opinion). So, grab a map if you’re feeling navigationally-challenged, and explore. It’s a pretty easy city to figure out, so seek out the hot spots as soon as you get here, and you’ll be all set. Key areas to know: Bascom Hill, Southeast Residence Halls, Humanities, Library Mall, Memorial Union and Red Gym…

2. Introduce yourself! Figure out which Res. Halls you’ll be working with, and go make friends. Having a connection with the staff at the Res. Halls is indispensable!

3. Meet with your student leaders… the sooner you meet with them, the better! This includes Jewish House Fellows and RA’s who will be one of your greatest resources in Res. Hall programming.

4. Make a date with everyone at work… spend some one-on-one time with Greg, Jamie, Chris, Andrea, Matt, and anyone else that joins the force that is UW-Hillel staff!

5. Get organized. Figure out what will work best for you- whether it’s a palm pilot and a filing system that could rival NASA’s space program, or a mosaic of post-it notes, develop a system to keep your head on straight!

In my humble opinion, life in Madison sometimes feels like “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood”. You get to know the people who fill your coffee cup in the morning, make your sandwich, or rent you a video. It’s possible to have at least 5 “everywhere people” (you know, that guy you always see on the street) at a time. There is a lot of cross-over between the people in your neighborhood, and people who can help you on your way as a JCSC…. A few people to know:

Tara Mathison at Canterbury Books Tara is the Events Coordinator and Aesthete for Canterbury Books, one of my favorite spots off State St. In addition to her job at Canterbury (and being one of the coolest chicks in Madison), Tara also hosts a great radio show on WSUM- she’d be glad to have you on as a guest! So, if you’re planning an event that in any way has to do with authors, books, reading (and sometimes even if it doesn’t!) go talk to Tara and pick her brain for ideas on everything from cosponsorship (i.e. $), to how to make the event 10x cooler than it already is!

Mark at the Sunroom: conveniently located behind and up the stairs from Hillel, the Sunroom Café is a great place to grab coffee or lunch. Mark, the owner, is also incredibly helpful when it comes to needing ice or blenders for a smoothie party, or to set up a small dinner party for visiting guest lecturers.

Ian of Ian’s Pizza: Ian G., a graduate of UMass Amherst is the brains behind Ian’s Pizza, one of Madison’s best pizza joints. With specialties such as Tater Tot and Macaroni and Cheese pizza, students LOVE this place. For last semester’s De-Stress Fest, Ian worked with us to find a great price for over 30 specialty pies, plus 5 free gift certificates to raffle off. Give him a call next time you need pizza for a program- and go over there yourself and grab a slice!

Rob, Jana, and Laura (aka Jamie’s Grad School Friends): apparently most of Jamie’s grad school class decided to work for UW-Madison, and we are all the luckier for it! Rob (Chadbourne), Jana (Lakeshore), and Laura (Southeast) are important connections to have when planning Residence Hall programming!