Grand Finale – UNCW Arts & Music

Hello blog friends,

Today we’re presenting you with the final post in our series dedicated to our celebration of UNCW Week. We’ve had so much fun this week talking with our guests, our fellow Wilmington business associate, and our social media followers about our celebration – it’s more than a little sad to see this coming to a close. One final plug for our great University – they have been so very supportive of this whole project. Every person we’ve dealt with at UNCW has shown the utmost desire to be helpful to our cause, and they’ve all been anxiously awaiting to see the posts highlighting each area of the campus experience being published.

Tonight, we’re going to conclude our series with a quick look at UNCW’s Arts & Music programs.

UNCW’s Office of Cultural Arts acts as the official liaison between the University and the community in matters of arts and music. If you live in Wilmington and have never been to a concert or a show on campus, I strongly suggest you give it a try! The University has its students frequently on display, and outside performers are regularly scheduled to have shows on campus. For special events that will take place in the Kenan Auditorium, advance tickets are made available for purchase online through the school’s eTix account. (And don’t delay on purchasing special event tickets – events that include big names such as Wynton Marsalis tend to see out quickly!)

“UNCW Presents” is the office at UNCW that handles the scheduling of all forms of performing arts. This office is also responsible for arranging lecture series events throughout the community. Most of the performers brought into the spotlight by “UNCW Presents” are not officially part of the University, but every once in awhile you’ll see in the schedule where a student musical group is scheduled to back up a more well-known musician or other performance artist (for example, the UNCW Big Band will perform with Karrin Allyson when she comes to town on April 20, 2012).

UNCW maintains an impressing Arts Calendar for those who always want to be “in the know” about what’s available on campus. (This is also a great place to check if you’re a guest of ours who wants something entertaining to do at night after a long day at work!) Most events on the calendar clearly specify whether or not they are open to the public; if you have any questions, you may contact the organizer of a specific event.

Annnnnnnnnnnd, that’s it! That’s all we have time for today and that is the final chapter in our UNCW Week book. Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who have joined us on this journey – we write our blog for you guys! Where will we turn our spotlight on to next???? Only we know – you’ll have to check back in to find out!

Regards,

–The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center

Happy 2012 Homecoming UNCW!!!

Good morning everyone!!!

The title says it all today – it’s Homecoming Day at UNCW!!! This annual celebration is important to alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents, future students, and the Wilmington community! The University shines in its teal, gold, and navy school colors during this celebration of what it is to be a Seahawk – in the past, in the present, and in the future.

While we’re talking about Homecoming, let’s also discuss the University’s outreach efforts. I said in the previous paragraph that Homecoming is important to future students and the Wilmington community – now we’ll give you one tidbit about how that is. If you’ll be in town today, be sure to check out the Annual Homecoming Parade from 4:30-5:30om this afternoon! Everyone is invited to attend this event and learn about Seahawk Pride!

UNCW offers the younger members of our community the opportunity to learn alongside UNCW students and faculty members through various programs. The most exciting one (to me, at least!) is a program called MarineQuest. MarineQuest is a year-round program that offers everything from opportunities for students on field trips to learn about the ocean and marine biology, to opportunities for interested young people age 5-17 to attend summer camp at UNCW with a major focus of their time spent on learning about all things water-related!

The Center for Leadership Education and Service is the office responsible for coordinating things like student volunteer opportunities within the community and the development of students’ leadership skills. The University knows that there’s more to a student’s education than just time spent in the classroom and with books and the CLES cultivates another large part of what a student’s University experience should contain. Graduating seniors are even asked to take the Graduation Pledge, in which they promise to continue their involvement with civic activities after graduation!

The final cornerstone of the University’s outreach program is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. This program seeks to provide senior citizens age 50 and over the opportunity to learn about a variety of topics from UNCW’s staff. The current course catalog for the OLLI can be downloaded here or picked up at the OLLI building at 620 South College Road. My favorite part about this initiative is the Adult Scholars Leadership Program, where community members are provided with current insight to market conditions and trends, as well as opportunities for enhanced civic involvement through an intensive and dynamic learning session that class members are hand-chosen for.

We’ll leave our discussion of UNCW’s Outreach programs there for the time being. If you’re interested in becoming involved with the University in a non-student track, please check out the Outreach Department’s web site for more comprehensive information about their activities. On Monday, we will conclude UNCW Week with a post about Arts & Music programs on campus.

Again, HAPPY 2012 HOMECOMING to all!

Regards,

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center

Pass, Dribble, Shoot, SCORE!!! (UNCW Athletics)

Good afternoon everyone!!!

I hope that you’re all thoroughly enjoying our UNCW Week thus far! It certainly has been a pleasure of mine to bring information about the University to all of our friends, fans, and followers through this special celebration. It’s been so much fun that we may repeat it again some time in the future!

Today, we’re going to briefly go over UNCW’s Athletics Department. The department is headed by UNCW’s Director of Athletics, Jimmy Bass. The Seahawks play 19 sports at the intercollegiate Division I level. The school is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association.

Here’s a list of (& official links to) the University’s Teams:

• Baseball
• Men’s Basketball
• Men’s Cross Country
• Men’s Golf
• Men’s Soccer
• Men’s Swimming & Diving
• Men’s Tennis
• Men’s Track & Field
• Women’s Basketball
• Women’s Cross Country
• Women’s Golf
• Women’s Soccer
• Softball
• Women’s Swimming & Diving
• Women’s Tennis
• Women’s Track & Field
• Volleyball

You’ll find that many of these sport maintain their own social media accounts, so if you have a particular sport that you’d like to follow, be sure to look for them on Facebook and/or Twitter!

Many of our guests are interested as to why UNCW doesn’t have a football team. We’re still not totally certain of all of the reasons, but I did find this article from the Star News that does a pretty good job laying out the history of the matter and why the school has never chosen to field a football team. The comments area beneath the article also gives a pretty good feel for how most “UNCW Football” discussions go.

In addition to the University-sanctioned Division I sports, many UNCW students participate in Club and Intramural Sports sponsored by the school’s Department of Campus Recreation. The school’s 27 Club Sports are played a level shy of Division I competition, but they give students the opportunity to face opponents from other universities. Intramural sports are all played at UNCW and the participants can be faculty, staff, or students.

And that’s our time for the day….I hope you’ve enjoyed our brief look at UNCW’s athletic opportunities! For more information, be sure to check out the school’s official web site at http://www.uncw.edu/ .

Have a wonderful day!

–The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center

Dub Love: A Parent’s Perspective

Greetings blog world!!!!

In my list of 2012 Blog Year Resolutions, I promised to find a few guest bloggers through the year, and I’m so excited to announce that this post has been written by our VERY FIRST EVER(!) guest blogger! So, I’d like to offer a very big round of applause for Mr. Peters and his wonderful write-up of his experiences with “The Dub.” Enjoy!

–Jessica

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The fine staff at the Holiday Inn Express Wilmington – our home away from home in Wilmington – has asked me to share a parent’s take on why we love UNCW. This is a happy task! I’m grateful for the opportunity, and before I tap out a few paragraphs about the Dub, a few completely unsolicited words about the Holiday Inn Express Wilmington are in order. The great location, consistently fine accommodations, friendly staff and service of the HIEX Wilmington make it our ONLY choice when we visit UNCW. Folks, this is a seriously good place to stay.

 Our daughter is a UNCW senior.
Little brother is a UNCC freshman.

I’m a UNCW parent, and my wife and I are big fans of UNC Wilmington. It’s a good thing: our precious daughter – along with a big slice of the family treasure – have been traveling US 74 from Charlotte for four years now. UNCW has provided her a complete college experience, with the wonderful City of Wilmington thrown in as a bonus. Our daughter, a senior mathematics/secondary education major and Hurst Scholar, chose UNCW after her dream of following Mom’s footsteps to Chapel Hill was scuttled by the “Great State of Mecklenburg Problem.” If UNC-CH admitted every qualifying Mecklenburg County student, every other county in North Carolina would be left out! After a year at the Dub, all of us were certain the good Lord had a better plan in Wilmington.

Our experience as parents is that our daughter has enjoyed a truly complete college experience at The Dub. She’s lived on campus the entire time – in a traditional dorm as a freshman, then in an on-campus apartment the past three years. The apartments are equal to or better than almost any off-campus complexes. They’re large, very secure, and well-equipped. Parking is plentiful, but like most things collegiate, there’s a fee. Students have nearly limitless on-campus amenities and activities to fill up extra-curricular time. The student center and sports facilities are modern and well-maintained.

Academically, we’ve been very pleased with the way the faculty has engaged our daughter. She’s an ambitious student, and the faculty consistently rewards ambition with opportunities. She accepted an invitation to join a program that will result in a Master’s degree in five years, and she’s been part of a state-sponsored education research project. In a few weeks, she gets to present the research at an academic conference along with her professor. This is a rare and valuable opportunity for an undergrad! While our experience has been mostly with the Math and Education departments, I know that other major departments such as Nursing and Business enjoy equally great reputations.

We expected that at a big, secular state university, a number of classes would challenge the conservative biblical world view of our daughter’s upbringing. UNCW didn’t disappoint. That could be really scary for a parent, but choosing a state university is all about knowing your child. We’ve been blessed with a child who thinks critically, discerns truth from error, and communicates with us almost daily. And wow – Wilmington has a great faith community! We have been overjoyed that a local church has wrapped its arms tightly around our girl and loves her like their own daughter.

As I mentioned previously, along with UNCW, the City of Wilmington is a bonus that comes along with the school. The downtown area and its riverfront are bustling. The restaurant scene is very good, and no attraction is more than about 20 minutes away from campus. A personal fave is watching dolphins swimming through Snow’s Cut from the rocky banks south of Monkey Junction. And oh yeah –the beach too! Wrightsville Beach is just minutes away from campus. Now if you’re thinking of sending your child to the beach for college, don’t worry. Actually the distance from Wrightsville is far enough to keep it from being a huge distraction (unless your kid’s a surfer or oceanography major).

UNCW has been a great experience for our daughter, and Wilmington is now a family favorite destination for much more than just the University. We have a great go-to hotel that’s always there for us, new friends, and new memories. We plan on enjoying all of these things for a long time to come.

Guest blogger Guy Peters is a civil engineer from Charlotte. Guy and his wife Donna, a graphic designer, love all things North Carolina, from the mountains to the coast.

Academics Are The Reason They’re There!

Being a major University, and a highly-ranked and well-respected one at that, UNCW has its major focus in just the right place – on academics. UNCW offers undergraduate and graduate programs through its 5 colleges – the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Health and Human Services, the Cameron School of Business, the Watson School of Education, and the Graduate School. Students at UNCW select from one (or two or three…) of the school’s 52 Undergraduate programs or one of its 33 Master’s / Doctoral programs.

Students at UNCW are provided with additional opportunities to learn at various academic support and research facilities, such as the Center for Business and Economic Services, the Center for Marine Science, the Center for Support of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships, the Center for Teaching Excellence, the Honors College,  and the Science and Mathematics Education Center.

Freshmen often have a little trouble adjusting to college life, and UNCW offers a solution to that problem with their Freshman Seminar. This fantastic resource offers guidance and direction to freshmen on both academic and personal issues (a lot of parents highly recommend this!). Other students can receive help along the way through the University Learning Center, which opened in 2005. The ULC consolidated various academic support services offered by the University into one place. The ULC offers study sessions, study skills, peer tutoring services, and more – so if you’re a student at UNCW, be sure to check out this valuable resource!

This all sounds perfect so far, right? UNCW is a school with plenty of options for learning and support for students of all levels….but how much is this going to cost??? The school estimates that annual expenses for an in-state undergraduate student will be approximately $17,332. Out-of-state students can expect to pay roughly $29,152. This may seem like a fairly large amount, but those who read yesterday’s post will remember that UNCW is very highly ranked among all schools in the United States for providing value. You could pay a lot more at other schools and not get nearly as much academic support … at UNCW, you’ll pay a reasonable amount AND get a phenomenal education. The Office of Financial Aid is armed with plenty of tools to ensure that you’ll get assistance from as many grants, scholarships, and loans as you can while you’re working towards your academic goals.

We’re going to call it a day here – I could write on and on about the University’s academic programs, but I certainly feel as if this post will give you a brief (and “value”able) insight into what’s going on with UNCW’s academic programs! I hope that you’ve all enjoyed learning a little more about Wilmington, NC’s University and I look forward to seeing you back here on our blog tomorrow and we continue our celebration of UNCW Week!

Regards,

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center

Let’s Get Down to Basics : UNCW Edition

Good morning everyone!!!!

I hope that you all were able to enjoy a safe and fun weekend. We loved being about to “play host” to all of our guests who were in Wilmington, NC to enjoy the phenomenal January weather! We’re now ready to spend this week making the big transition into the second month of 2012, and along the way, we’ll be celebrating UNCW Week on our blog in preparation for the University’s 2012 Homecoming that’s scheduled for this Saturday!

Today, we’ve got fast facts, maps, and tidbits of information about UNCW to share with you!

• UNCW’s official name is the “University of North Carolina Wilmington.” It is frequently referred to as “The Dub.”
• UNCW opened in 1947 under the name of “Wilmington College.” It then became the “University of North Carolina Wilmington” in 1969, and began offering graduate level programs in 1977.

• The University’s physical address is 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403-3201. The school’s main phone number is (910) 962-3000.
• UNCW has a comprehensive web site available at http://www.uncw.edu/ . They are also active on both Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/uncwilmington ) and Twitter ( http://twitter.com/UNCWilmington/ ). Many departments and organizations maintain their own social media sites for purposes of distributing information.
• Today, the University offers 52 Bachelor’s degree programs, 31 Master’s level programs, and 2 Doctoral programs to almost 12,000 undergraduate and over 1,200 graduate students.
• The University’s Mascot is the Seahawk.

• The latest official colors were adopted in 2009. The primary color is teal, with gold and navy as accentuating colors. These shades are said to represent the  “green of the ocean and the gold of the sand with the blue of the deep ocean.”
• The University’s Fight Song can be heard here.
• UNCW’s motto is “Discere Aude,” which has been roughly translated to both “Dare to Learn” and “In order to discover the truth firsthand, be courageous.”
• The University holds these distinctions in national rankings:
  –U.S. News & World Report – Public Master’s Universities in the South – Tied w/ the College of Charleston for 4th Place
  –The University has been recognized in both The Princeton Review and The Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of the best colleges in its region.
  –Forbes tells its readers that UNCW is #17 on the list of “America’s Best College Buys.”
  –Kiplinger’s ranks UNCW as the 27th best value among public institutions of higher learning in the United States (UNCW is also one of the top 3 values in North Carolina).
  –The University also holds various other honors that are program-specific.
• There are 19 sports sponsored by the University and played by UNCW students. The school is part of the Colonial Athletic Association.

• Being Greek is an important part of student life for approximately 10% of undergraduate students. There are 26 officially chartered fraternities and sororities to choose from at UNCW.

• The University has a great presence with international students. The Class of 2015 is compromised of students from 25 countries.
• The Clock Tower, which is a prominent feature of the campus, was a gift from the Class of 2000.

I hope that you’ve all enjoyed learning a little more about the University of North Carolina Wilmington! We are so proud of this school and can’t wait to elaborate on its academics, athletics, outreach, and community involvement for the remainder of this week. A very BIG thank you goes out to UNCW for allowing us to use official campus images while we highlight the university!!!! We truly appreciate the image rights that have been bestowed to our blog and hope that all of our readers will enjoy the campus’ beauty through these photographs!

Have a wonderful Monday and we’ll see you all here again tomorrow for another post in celebration of “UNCW Week!”

Regards,

–The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center

Let’s Get Ready for UNCW Week!!!

Good morning blog followers!

I certainly hope that you’ve all been able to enjoy as mild of a winter as we have had in Wilmington, NC this year. Temperatures have been consistently warmer than average for the last few weeks and there hasn’t been much rain to contend with (thanks La Niña!!!!). Even our most diehard business travelers have found themselves feeling pulled to either spend a few hours on the beach in the evenings or to enjoy some of downtown Wilmington’s finest outdoor dining experiences. We certainly encourage you to check the weather before you come, but go ahead and plan that trip you’ve been wanting to take – we’re ready to welcome you to coastal North Carolina!

Between Sunday, January 29th and Sunday, February 5th, you’ll see some very neat changes on our blog. We have decided to feature UNCW on our blog in conjunction with their 2012 Homecoming, which has been scheduled for Saturday, February 4th. Our blog’s colors will be theirs and our posts will be solely about the University. We plan to share information including basic tidbits of knowledge about UNCW, academic honors that they hold, why it is that students (and parents!) tend to fall in love at first sight with the University, what Wilmington has to offer to the school, and what kind of activities are held on the campus that are available to our community members. We’ll have great images for you to check out – which will be a huge asset if you’re just beginning to think about UNCW as a college choice. So please join us next week on our blog as we feature our very favorite University!

Regards,

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center

2012 Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon Hotel Promotion

Good afternoon blog followers,

I hope that you all had a wonderful week this week. It’s flown by here at the hotel, and we’ve made some great progress on projects both online and offline.

Now, on to our business for the day – It’s THAT time again! Time to get ready for the Quintiles Wrightsville Beach Marathon!

This fun event brings endurance athletes by the thousands to our great city each year. Runners can choose from a half marathon (13.1 miles) or a full marathon (26.2 miles). This year’s event will be held on Sunday, March 18, 2012, with a start time of 6:30AM (yes, I typed that right – be ready to get up EARLY that day ). The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center  is a quick 5 miles from the official starting point of the race, so getting there that morning shouldn’t be a hassle for our guests! Our hotel is offering special rates for marathon participants and spectators, ranging between $74-$89+tax for rooms of one king bed, two queen beds, or one of our suite options. All standard hotel amenities will be offered to guests, and late check-outs will be available to all Priority Club members on the day of the race (and if you’re not a Priority Club member yet, don’t worry – we can take care of that when you check in ). For reservations, call our hotel at (910) 392-3227 and mention that you’re coming into town for the “2012 Quintiles Marathon” to obtain this special rate.

Thanks to everyone who’s stopped by today to check out our blog! We love the support you give to our hotel online!!

Regards,

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center

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About the Blogger

Good morning everyone!!!

I’m following up on one of my Blog Year Resolutions this morning. This promises to be one of the toughest posts I’ve ever written, simply because I’ll be reaching outside of my comfort zone and officially introducing myself on a corporate blog that I’ve been writing for several years now.

So, hi everyone! My name is Jessica Dowell and I am the primary blogger for the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington – University Center. I have been with the hotel since 2007 and have enjoyed becoming part the Wilmington, NC business community and getting to know our guests through this blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and at in-person meetups. Prior to working with the Holiday Inn Express, I have worked with several other brands of hotels, as well as within the food and beverage industry. I was born and raised in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I earned a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Virginia Tech in 2004.

The part I love most about my job is connecting with people – getting to know them on a more personal level. I enjoy keeping up with new jobs, family members, pets, vacations, and other adventures that life brings. I talk mostly about the hotel when I’m at work, but if you’ve followed our social media accounts for a long time you’ll know that I love to talk about the Hokies, especially during football season. I also occasionally mention my own family, which includes my husband, my two daughters, and our pets. I’m interested in cutting-edge technology, specifically as it applies to the travel industry, and enjoy being an early adopter of emerging social networks. I’m also fairly thrifty and budget-conscious about ensuring that I get a great value when I make a purchase (which makes me a great fit for the Holiday Inn Express brand!).

I hope to continue bringing you news via this blog and our other social media accounts for a long time to come! I’m always here to answer questions that you have about the hotel, what we offer, and about the Wilmington, NC area in general. I invite you to comment on any (and every ) post that I make, and I always welcome suggestions for how we can improve our blog. Thank you for taking the time today to read our blog, and please continue to check back often for updates!

Regards,

Jessica