(In case you don’t get around to reading the below, at least watch CoPD’s Harlem Shake Video—Ridiculous and Awesome! Created both for fun and as a fundraiser for the Mission Trip to Mexico: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Dwd6PbNrWY&feature=share. )

2012 edition of Movember, recognized by profs (yes, that is Dr. Dunham in there- and Swanoski!) and students alike!!

Pharmacy Broomball team wins Gold Championship vs the Med School- we were ludicrously happy, can you tell?
MAN we have fun in the “Northland”. I think one of the greatest realizations I’ve had during my 4 years (yeesh it’s gone fast) as a student at UMN is that the two campus are indeed different- not in terms of education, which is not only the same in both places but GREAT at that- but in terms of culture, and that that isn’t at all a bad thing, in fact it’s one of the college’s greatest strengths!! I absolutely adored every single thing about being on the Duluth campus, the absolute biggest reason being: the tight-knit, positive, supportive, creative, FUN culture. So many amazing things that happen as a direct result of being in setting where everyone knows everyone (we seriously do!) and we have a million events (I’ve listed just a few below) and traits that are totally campus-unique and not happening in both places:
Just a few of the AWESOME things that happen in Duluth:
– Ridiculous close-knit culture creativeness, case-in-point: HARLEM SHAKE VIDEO!
– Annual Talent Show (SO fun, people are amazing. Check out this original-composition all ABOUT going to Pharm School in Duluth by Taylor Hill from this January: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-IydsWjX2Q&feature=youtu.be)
– Amazing whole-class bonding (on an assignment where the prof mistakenly told us we could work in any-size groups we wanted, my entire class banded together to turn in one single project- a class music video spoof of Ice, Ice Baby-A direct result of being a tight-knit culture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NUJ9qOQwz0&feature=youtu.be)
– A Dean who knows all of us and cares a ridiculous amount. And that goes for the faculty too- vs in a larger campus setting.
– The Commons—so much awesomeness, from resident flamingo’s to microwaves that have names… it’s always a party in there
– Pharmacy Polar Bear Plunge (to raise $ for the Special Olympics- this year team went as waldo, last year as Party Rock, etc!)
– Flannel Fridays
– Annual Pharmacy Duluth Bonspiel
– Intramurals (Duluth Pharmacy has TONS of teams, and we have a strong tradition of winning. Volleyball, soccer, curling, broomball, softball, tennis!)
– UMD PharmD Social Club (hosts tons of awesome events for everyone)
– Ugly Sweater Party
– Wine and Cheese Party
– Duluth Days
– Party Bus
– PDX Pub Crawl in Superior (fun times!)
– American Pharmacists Month Potlucks in the Commons (so delicious!)
– Nights at Grandma’s, Mexico Lindo, Upbar, Dublin’s, Roscoe’s, etc
– Masquerade White Coat Ball
– Class Jokes (MEAT, Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That)
– Class photos and t-shirts
– so so much more ridiculousness, from entering a member in the Universities Man of the Year competition , to beard-growing competitions that include the profs, to pajama days, a Men of Pharmacy Calendar, and so many other things.
I can’t tell which comes first- Duluth somehow gets great people and we therefore are an amazing community to be a part of, or that the culture is so great that amazing people are attracted and/or made, but. I feel truly blessed, and for someone who had originally hoped to be on the Twin Cities campus- I can’t be more grateful that I ended up the amazing positive, supportive, friendly culture that I did.
As always! BK
Katie
/ March 7, 2013Love it BK – this is a great list!
Nichole Brower
/ May 8, 2013I am a COPD pt. and was chating on a FB page for people with Lung Disease about frustration of tripping over extended length O2 tubing. I said we could call it the COPD Shake (as a joke). Just for kicks I decided to search to see if one exsisted. I came across your video. I realize your “COPD” has to do with pharmacy education, but to have ACTUALLY found a Harlem Shake COPD version was hilarious!! I shared the link on our page. This can be a very lonely disease. I hope it brightened other folks day like it did mine!!! Thank you 🙂