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04/12/2022

We forgot to take photos because we were having so much fun being together! On Sunday we celebrated our 21/22 Engage Company and our graduating seniors! It’s been an honor to be a part of your journeys!

03/25/2022

Meet Camryn! Cam is a creative writing major in the RC and has been a member of ETC since 2019. Their favorite memory is the fun and chaos of transfer show rehearsals in 2019. Here's a photo from that show!

03/21/2022

"Hello, my name is Shannon and I would like to tell you my favorite place on campus. I like the park next to north quad that has benches and a lot of open grass. I walk my dog over there."

03/18/2022

Here's a shout out from Tommy this morning! " is a Humans of New York-inspired social media organization that seeks to create space to uplift Asian and Asian American narratives and experiences. With an emphasis on written narrative and photography, Uncover works with interested students to help them develop unique narratives to be shared with the Umich and Asian American communities. Check out their page to view their diverse collection of narratives and to share your own story."

03/16/2022

"My name is Tommy, I am a philosophy major and have been with ETC since my freshman year! My favorite ETC memories are the nights in East Quad after the summer orientation shows. I loved the games, free ice cream, and talking to students about the show and their upcoming college experience; the best way to end performance days!"

03/14/2022

Let's start the week off with a fun activity from Ribhu! "As a math major, I like sharing my love for math and mathematical problem solving with you all. Given that, here is a fun math riddle for you to think about:
“Imagine 100 lightbulbs, each with a switch numbered 1 through 100, all in a row, and all lights off. Suppose you do the following: toggle all of the switches that are multiples of 1, then toggle all switches that are multiples of 2, then toggle all switches that are multiples of 3, etc., all the way to multiples of 100. (To toggle a switch means to flip it on if it is off and flip it off if it is on). When you are done, what lightbulbs are on and which light bulbs are off?”

03/11/2022

More from Ribhu this morning! "Another organization on campus that I am a part of is Phi Sigma Pi at the University of Michigan - Beta Alpha Chapter! It is a national honors fraternity with chapters all across the country! I am currently the DEI co-chair of the U of M chapter, where I coordinate events surrounding DEI, as well as make sure that all members of the organization feel safe and included within the organization."

03/09/2022

"Hi! My name is Ribhu, and I am a senior at U of M studying Honors Math! I joined UMetc during the fall semester of my freshman year. I remember really enjoying the summer orientation show that the company put on during my orientation session, and even though I had never had any theater experience, I took a chance and I got the role! I think that one of my favorite performances was the UHS sketch that I performed during the 2019 International Orientation. Overall, I am really thankful that I got to spend four years with UMetc; I met a lot of people who shared my commitment to social justice, and the skills I developed in facilitation, self-care, and boundary setting have helped me immensely in my other social and academic circles. I have been involved in various organizations for varying amounts of time, but the one constant in my college experience has been UMetc, and I am so glad that it was!"

03/07/2022

We have an activity for you this morning! We spend a lot of time in UMetc reflecting on our goals and progress. Consider these questions! What is a goal you are working on? A goal that you have recently accomplished? Something you are grateful for? A hobby that brings you joy? A habit that you are working on?

03/04/2022

"What up, It’s Finn! I like UMMA. And I love doing the freshman orientation show, but we haven’t done that in a while! Shout out to National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), UM Slam Poetry, MaizePages, Care Not Cops, and the UMich Acappella Community!"

03/02/2022

Kaitlyn has a great practice for us this morning: "I want to share with you all a mindfulness practice I started doing last semester. Life is hard. It just is, especially now. However, I believe there is still beauty and happiness all around us. We just have to look for it. This practice challenges us to do just that. It is to reflect and notice 3 things that made you internally or externally smile every day. It can be something as big as doing well on an assignment that you worked really hard on or as simple as the perfect song playing during your walk to class and how pretty the sky looks. The point is to be aware of and appreciate your moments of happiness no matter how fleeting they are. Knowing that even on my worst days, there's still joy out there for me to experience makes my mood better. It makes me feel hopeful and more connected to my inner child, which is something I need. So right now, I challenge you to comment 3 things that made you smile today. I'll start. Three things that made me smile today were…
1. Making the above canva graphic because I love creating things and I LOVE canva
2. The acapella version of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
3. The cup of tea I had this morning"

02/28/2022

More from Kaitlyn today: "I want to give a very special shout out to MUSKET , the other incredible theatre org I'm thrilled to be working. MUSKET is the oldest student run theatre organization at the university and they are currently putting on a production of the Tony award-winning, critically acclaimed musical, Once On This Island. I first saw a Musket production during my senior year of highschool when they did In the Heights. As soon as I saw it, I made it my goal to be in one of their shows before I graduated college. I was lucky enough to be cast in both The Wiz (aka the show that almost was, thank you COVID) and Once on This Island! This production is so special to me because it features an all Black cast and predominantly Black production team and it gives me another chance to be doing the thing I love most, performing. With that being said, I couldn't be more excited to be a part of this production and I hope you all can make your way to the Power Center from March 18th-20th to see our show!"

02/25/2022

Hey, y'all my name is Kaitlyn Plummer (the one in the bottom left corner) and I am a senior Gender and Health major. This is my 4th and last year in UMetc, which makes it so hard to say goodbye. I joined the company during the fall of my freshman year after seeing the Freshman orientation that summer. I did theatre in high school and was really drawn to how cheesy and fun the whole show felt, and I loved the diverse amount of identities present. This company quickly became my home. It helped me grow into a better facilitator, a better performer, and most importantly a better person. One of my favorite memories in ETC is playing ridiculous theatre games with the members of the company before we started rehearsal. My favorites include Tape Ball, Koomcha Koomcha, 7 Layer Salad, 3-6-9, Zoomie Zoomie, Rodeo, Go Bananas, Hitchhiker, and 5 Things. These names may not mean anything to most people but to us, it is a pinnacle of the UMetc experience.

02/24/2022

Our Engaging Facilitation workshop introduces you to the CPR of facilitation - and we're not talking first aid! We're talking the content, presence, and responsiveness necessary for successful facilitation. This workshop was written by our Engage Company and we want to share it with you! It's 90 minutes, it's free, and we want to share it with your student org!

02/23/2022

We have a new workshop we want you to know about! Over the last year, our Engage company developed a workshop that introduces participants to the basics of facilitation. The workshop is peer facilitated and includes information regarding different facilitation techniques, creating and maintaining inclusive spaces, and social justice resources. We are looking for student organizations who would be willing to participate in piloting this workshop! Just send us a message! In the meantime, check out this buzzfeed quiz to learn which of our facilitator archetypes you are!

Facilitation is a very important skill to have and luckily, there's not just one way to be a good facilitator. Here in UMetc, we have categorized four main facilitator types, and this quiz will give you insight into which one you are. Check our page to learn the meaning of your results and for more....

02/21/2022

Hi I’m Gray, I use she/her pronouns. I am a third year student majoring in Art and Design and my fav place on campus is the Hatcher stacks. Shout out to United Asian American Organizations - UAAO, a coalition organization of 20+ Asian American organizations, dedicated to acting as a resource for advocacy and social justice in the community. I’ve been working with them for the past year and during that period they have thrown many events and workshops that range from teach-ins, to collabs with other orgs, to study recuperation sessions. Another organization I’ve the Inter-Cooperative Council of Ann Arbor, a democratically run student housing non profit organization.

02/18/2022

More from Emma this morning: "This is my shoutout to the University of Michigan Residential College, the hidden gem of this university. We are fiercely passionate students and creators dedicated to the intersection of language learning, visual arts, music, writing, theatre, and social justice activism. Our home base is in East Quad, stop by and say hi!"

02/16/2022

"Hi! I’m Emma and I’m gonna tell you one reason why I’m in ETC: the community we’ve built together. We structure our spaces so we trade off being role models for each other, utilizing each of our strengths to facilitate the learning of the entire group. I am very much a product of the people I have met through in ETC, and I am grateful for the space this JOB (!!) gives me to continue developing my sense of self alongside so many wonderful people doing the same."

02/14/2022

More from Dawn this morning: "i’m also a part of Not Even Really Drama Students - NERDS, the musical group (check out Road Trip coming at the end of this semester!). aside from that, i’m also a part of the Hong Kong Student Association at the University of Michigan, so talk to me about international student stuff!"

02/11/2022

"heya i’m dawn! i’m a junior studying cognitive science and linguistics, so geek out with me about artificial intelligence and languages :) i spend a lot of time outside with squirrels when it’s warm, but right now you can find me on the in the hatcher stacks!"

Wanna get to know Dawn more? Check her out in "Detective Dawn and the Michigan Classroom"!

Our sketch highlights Detective Dawn, an international student slash investigator extraordinaire on a mission to find answers to her most burning questions a...

02/10/2022

Over the next month we'll be posting introductions, shout outs, and creative activities from our current company! We're so excited to share with you and to respond to these creative prompts together!

11/01/2021

Does your boss have a dog who reps the cause? Didn't think so.

10/29/2021

Hi, it’s Emma from ETC! I’m here to share one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned through ETC: Holding someone in my life accountable for their words and actions is a sign of care and investment in my relationship with them. In ETC, we hold each other accountable to create spaces in which everyone can become even more informed, thoughtful, caring versions of themselves. We are not scared of tough conversations because we know our community, and the projects we work on, are better because of them.

10/28/2021

So full of emotions. We are finally back - rehearsing for an in person orientation show in January. It’s amazing to share space with all of you and get ready to welcome some new wolverines!

10/27/2021

Pictured: ETC on the move! We believe that learning can happen anywhere, from nature parks to airport security. We love to stay connected by sharing these moments of growth and reflection with one another, in person and virtually!

10/25/2021

URGENT NEED: We are looking for an accompanist for our winter orientation show! If you're interested, email our Director at [email protected].

10/25/2021

QUESTION: What do Poptropica, BBC’s Sherlock, Club Penguin, and iCarly have in common?
ANSWER: They were all major inspirations for one of our most recent projects!

This summer, ETC members Emma and Tommy made a video covering EVERYTHING WEIRD about UMich classroom culture for incoming international students. They took the lead on the entire process, from scriptwriting to casting to animating to sound design. The result? A video sketch highlighting Detective Dawn, an international student slash investigator extraordinaire on a mission to find answers to her most burning questions about Umich classroom culture. Through witness testimonies from her professor and classmates, Detective Dawn gathers clues about everything from dress formality to “the Michigan hand thing.”

Pictured above: A sneak-peek into the very beginning of this brainstorming process. ETC makes brainstorming more like scrolling through Pinterest - we love moodboards!

10/22/2021

It's Friday! Which means our last from UMetc Engage Company Member, Shannon. "This is my dog Aris who has repeatedly told me she wants to be the mascot for ETC! We are still working on it." Do you think we should get Aris a UMetc tshirt?

10/21/2021

Another post from Shannon for our ! "Being in ETC is like getting paid to do things you love. I personally love theatre, games, and socializing, so being a part of ETC covered ALL of that. I am also interested in social justice issues and education, which is also a huge part of ETC. I get to talk about real issues and engage with content that teaches others."

10/20/2021

Day two of our on UMetc Engage Company Member, Shannon. "I have learned so much with ETC. I’ve learned how to write better, communicate better, and overall be a better theatre artist. Whatever I wanted to work on, Amanda and Mari had workshops and opportunities for me to explore. When working with other programs like IGR (Intergroup Relations) and OSCR (Office of Student Conflict Resolution.) We were taught skills that corresponded to the workshop so we can do our job effectively. ETC has added so much to my resume and skills, that jobs are reaching out to me!"