If you're interested, but not sure if you want to join a club this semester, this might be the perfect event for you! The Native student clubs are joining up to host a potluck in the Gathering Room on October 5th from 5-7:00pm.

Here are the clubs that will be in attendance:

• Native Student Union (NSU)
• American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES)
• Native Alaska Business Leaders (ANSWA)
• Alaska Native Education Student Association (ANESA)
• Festival of Native Arts Club
• Iñu-Yupiaq Dance Group

That familiar crisp air has arrived. We're waking up to frost on sidewalks, snow has fallen, sweaters are making an appearance, and pumpkin spice lattes are back. Do you have all of the gear you need to keep you warm for winter? Do you have too much gear that you'd like to see get used? Winter Warm-Up might be the solution! 

This year, Winter Warm-Up starts up at 10:00am on October 8th at the Hess Rec Center. This is a free-cycle event. Stop by to pick up what you need and drop off what you don't! If you want to donate to the cause but can't make it to the actual event, you can take your items to any drop-off location through October 7th. We have one conveniently located in the Brooks Building. Other locations include the Duckering, Gruening, Murie, and Bunnell Buildings, Constitution Hall, Signers' Hall, the Keith B. Mather Library, and the Fine Arts Complex. 

Festival of Native Arts is on a mission to find its 2017 logo! Will you be the one to create it? The winner of the contest will receive one UAF undergraduate tuition credit (value = $192) and complimentary Festival items featuring the artwork. Be sure to submit your entry to the Department of Alaska Native Studies and Rural Development by 5:00pm on October 14th.

The Festival of Native Arts is a student-run event that brings together people from all over Alaska to celebrate culture. This year, it will be held March 2-4, 2017 and the theme is "Carry the Drum, Carry Your Culture." If logo-creation isn't your thing but you still want to help out, you are more than welcome! The Festival Planning Committee meets every Wednesday from 1-2:00pm in the Brooks Building Gathering Room.

Rural Student Services is hosting two Positive Connection Nights in the Brooks Gathering Room this month! 

October 14th at 5:00pm

The theme is potluck! Just in time for midterms, tonight will be all about relaxing, eating some good food, and lounging. We'll be making a big batch of something, but please bring a dish to share as well! 

October 28th at 5:00pm

This PCN is Halloween-themed. Get the extra mile out of your costume by wearing it to the event. We'll be cooking up some spooky snacks and celebrating RSS style! Which basically means, we don't know what we're going to do yet, but it's going to be awesome. Stay tuned on Facebook to find out!

"Hello! My name is Esau Sinnok and I am Inupiaq Eskimo. I'm the leading student officer for Native Games run through Rural Student Services, and I am also a representative for the Nanook Diversity and Action Center. I am also an Arctic Youth Ambassador for the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council. UAF is my second home; I have been visiting the campus for the past six years for summer programs and summer school. UAF is a great school as it provides a wide range of degrees and certificates that anyone can apply for!"

Esau Sinnok is a Tribal Management major from the village of Shishmaref, Alaska. He is also a student ambassador for UAF. This past summer, Esau interned with Alaska Geographic as a Youth Program Assistant. This summer he was invited to the White House and recognized as a Champion for Climate Equity. Among the people recognized, he was the youngest. Just recently, he was awarded the Denny Wilcher Award for Young Environmental Activists from the Alaska Conservation Foundation for their 2016 Conservation Achievement Awards. Esau challenges other students to "get out of your comfort zone!" As a UAF Ambassador, he is open for questions. Check out his page here.

Terrell Jones

Rural Student Services is home to over 50 plants and we're sharing the love! If you're a plant person or would just like to add a little life to your dorm room, stop by and pick one up. We have two varieties of spider plants, variegated and non-variegated, that need good homes. If you're feeling intimidated, don't. Spider plants are some of the easiest plants to care for. In case you need convincing that taking one home is right for you, here are some fun facts.

• Plants produce oxygen
• Plants increase the humidity of a room
• Plants improve air quality
• Plants reduce stress
• Plants are great for decor
• Plants can be better life-partners than people as they will never ask you to do the dishes or take out the trash