Vetward Bound Newsletter

APVMA Scholarships Available

So, we finally sent-off our membership dues to the American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association and recieved word back that we are now officially a part of their organization. This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone as it gives members access to internships, scholarships, awards and eligibility for election to the Executive Board for the APVMA. I have posted copies of the forms for the scholarships and awards on the COSO website. These awards are on a national level which is a wonderful way to gain serious recognition for your work and the selection process is rigorous. Awards are selected based on a variety of criteria and are awarded at National Symposium during one of their business casual dinners. The following people are eligible to fill these forms out:

Amanda Stiles, Analisa Edell, Anthony Puccio, Bianca Murphy, Carol Ponce, Christie Gonzalez, Cleon Hendricks, Dana Mulvaney, David Baum, Elizabeth Hodge, Eunike Stenersen, Janah Purland, Karen Diaz-Benza, Kayli Spencer, Kristin Hand, Luisa Velez, Nicole Samilo, Nina Chow, Noelle Lazan, Rachael Matyisin, Tiffany Liesch, Tracy Moran, Trevor Detrick, Tricia Adams

If you decide to fill-out a form, let the Executive Board know so we can track your progress and be ready to cheer you on if you win at Symposium!!

Almost Done!

So, we've almost reached the finish line for Fall 2008. As we all scramble to prepare for finals just remember one thing, all the hard work pays off! Before the end of the term, don't forget to turn in your volunteer hours. For those of you who logged service hours, you should have received an e-mail from Christie Gonzalez outlining your hours earned and the dates and events at which you earned them. If you did not receive a notice, please contact Christie at CGonza48@fau.edu.

Also, don't forget that we have two volunteer events in December during the winter break. On December 14th, we will be hosting pet pictures with Santa at Fur Crazy Pet Salon. See previous blogs for more details. We will also be hosting Canine Christmas Caroling at Mizner Park on December 20th 6-9 pm with a holiday mixer at The Dubliner to follow-up. If you are interested in either, follow the previous blogs posted on this site for more information OR contact Christie Gonzalez at CGonza48@fau.edu. Hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday season!

Last Meeting's Happenings

Announcements: The club has logged 153 volunteer hours!!"Star Volunteer" for Fall 2008 was Liz Hodge. Congratulations, Liz! You get to choose a gift certificate at a store of your choice in the amount of $25. Thanks for helping out! For Heartwalk 2008, we raised $85 for The American Cancer Society. Thanks to all who donated money. Helping Hands and Paws Food Drive was a success this year. We collected over 60 lbs of food and supplies for Boca Helping Hands and Florida Humane Society. We also got 25 more signatures for potential members in the breezeway.

Reports: Dr. Nichols (advisor) met with Dr. Perry, Dean for Biological Sciences to establish pre-veterinary classes. Updates will be posted. COSO approved money for club account in the amount of $2,506. With that money, we plan to fundraise for Florida Humane Society, promote adoption and spay/neuter programs for homeless animals and develop our educational lecture series. The first PVMA newsletter will be posted in late December. All members are encouraged to post articles for the first edition. Pieces must be submitted to CGonza48@fau.edu no later than Dec 5th. Anyone who would like to donate notes/tests from old classes, please contact Dana Mulvaney at dmulvane@fau.edu. We ask that you scan your notes onto a CD if possible before submitting. Dana will post a list in Dec showing subjects available for those who need them for Spring 2009. We will be ordering club t-shirts in January. If you have paid your membership dues, please forward your information and shirt size to CGonza48@fau.edu.

Here is a list of upcoming volunteer opportunities and events:

Pet Pictures with Santa Paws: Happening Dec 14th 12-6 pm, professional photographer on site, Florida Humane Society will be there promoting animal adoptions. This event is scheduled at Fur Crazy Pet Salon in Boca Raton, west of the turnpike on Glades Rd. If you would like to volunteer, contact CGonza48@fau.edu

Decoration Prep: Help us make the props for Pet Pics with Santa Paws Sunday, Nov 30th in the school library 2-5 pm. If you would like to volunteer, contact CGonza48@fau.edu

Canine Christmas Caroling: Bring your pooch Christmas Caroling at local shops and restaurants in Mizner Park on Dec 20th 6-8 PM. Sheet music will be provided. We will be asking for tips to help fundraise for upcoming club events. If you would like to volunteer, contact CGonza48@fau.edu


Presents for the Animals: This event is hosted by the Palm Beach Zoo Dec 21st 9-5 pm. Come visit the animal exhibits and donate money for enrichment gifts for the animals. Fun for all ages.

Florida Humane Society Volunteers needed: Go to the Florida Humane Society link on this page and fill out a volunteer form. We will be hosting volunteer events every second and fourth Sunday of the month 11-3 pm. Volunteers will help socialize dogs and cats, teach basic commands to dogs and help us to develop off-site adoption events in the future at local community events and dog parks.

Tradewinds Stables: Go to the Tradewinds Stables website and fill-out a volunteer form. We will be hosting volunteer events every third Saturday of the month 12-4 pm. Volunteers will help clean-out horse stalls, schedule horse therapy sessions for disabled individuals, learn to groom horses and observe farriers and equine veterinarians assist in the care of the Tradewinds therapy horses.

Jan Events:
First Day of School Jan 5th
Lecture Series, Student, Massey University Jan 14th 4-5pm
General PVMA Meeting Jan 21 4-5 PM

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Jungle Island Tour a Success!

For everyone who got to attend the Jungle Island VIP tour, thanks for your cooperation throughout the entire day. The curator, trainers and staff at Jungle Island were so thrilled to present this opportunity to such an enthusiastic audience. This was a wonderful opportunity for everyone all around and we hope to repeat the experience next year for those of you who could not attend. Special thanks go out to Eunike Stenersen for all her hard work to make this possible!! This was an experience of a lifetime! Great job everyone.

Rumor Control

There is some confusion with regard to the next meeting and the guest speakers. On MONDAY, we have a guest speaker, Dr. Elizabeth Waugh will be giving a talk on life as a small animal vet in a local practice. This will occur 6-7 pm in the Admin Building, Rm 234. We will be serving a buffet dinner. On TUESDAY, we have our general meeting which shall include a surprise guest speaker (no longer a surprise), Dr. Dianne Owen. SHE will be speaking briefly about the feral cat population on-campus and how the FixIt Committee can become involved in helping restore ecological balance to the community of iguanas, cats, tortoises and burrowing owls. This is considered old business and will be addressed in the course of club business. The meeting is scheduled for 5-6 pm in the Admin Bldg, Rm 234. Hope to see you there.

Meeting RE-SCHEDULED

Just a reminder to everyone that the next meeting was re-scheduled due to an issue with our guest speaker's schedule. Dr. Owen will speak to us briefly at our next meeting which has been moved to Tuesday November 25th 5-6 PM in the Admin Bldg, Rm 234.

General Meeting

Come join us for our next general meeting on Nov 25th 5-6 pm in the Admin Bldg, Room 234. We will be covering topics involving upcoming events, advances in development of the Palm Beach Veterinary Society scholarship and important volunteer opportunities you won't want to miss! Please RVSP for this event at CGonza48@fau.edu or contact Christie Gonzalez if you have questions. Get there early, get there late, just get there!

Introduction to Small Animal Medicine by Dr. Elizabeth Waugh

All PVMA members are invited to the first lecture in our educational lecture series, "Introduction to Small Animal Medicine" presented by Dr. Elizabeth Waugh, DVM. The lecture will be hosted in the Admin Bldg, Room 234 6-7pm and will consist of a short 20-minutes introduction by Dr. Waugh followed by a question and answer section. Food will be provided by Chartwell's compliments of Student Government support. Please contact Christie Gonzalez at CGonza48@fau.edu to reserve your spot as seating is limited. We respectfully request that you send your list of questions in advance to the same e-mail address provided above. Hope to see you there.

Helping Hands and Paws Food Drive

The PVMA will be in the breezeway Nov 19th, 20th and 21st to host our first annual Helping Hands and Paws Food Drive. Donated items will benefit Boca Helping Hands, a local human shelter AND the Florida Humane Society, a wonderful no-kill animal shelter, this Thanksgiving season.

Boca Helping Hands needs canned soups, canned vegggies and fruit, canned Chicken and Tuna, vienna sausage, small juice boxes, small cereal boxes, tomato products, large cereals, boxed pasta, beans & rice, Mac-n-Cheese, travel size shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors and seasonal Thanksgiving canned and boxed foods.

FL Humane Society needs Adult/Kitten Wet & Dry food, pet beds, towels, pillow cases, bath rugs, scoopable kitty litter, litter boxes, disinfectant sprays, paper towels, large trash bags , bleach, food and water bowls , adult cat trees, pet toys , pet treats , pet shampoo, slicker brushes, flea combs , scratching posts, collars, and heating blankets.

Help us to make the season of giving alittle brighter for homeless humans AND animals alike. We need volunteers to help host the table in the breezeway between the hours of 11 am and 2 pm. We will also be asking for donations to the PVMA and will have two "mascots" from Florida Humane Society to bring attention to the table. We still need a wagon or cart of some sort to put our donated items in as well as a collection box for PVMA donations. Anyone interested in helping out, please contact Christie Gonzalez at CGonza48@fau.edu or at 772-812-1252. Donate your time for volunteer hours on your transcript or donate items for a good cause.

Jungle Island Tour

All PVMA active members who have paid their dues are eligible to join the PVMA at Jungle Island for a group VIP tour on Sunday, November 23rd. Cost per person will be $20.00 with carpool transportation provided to and from FAU Boca campus. We will meet at FAU in front of the Student Union building in Parking Lot 1 at 8:30 AM on Sunday, November 23rd and will return around 3 PM that same afternoon. Drivers needed. You MUST rsvp for this event no later than Wednesday, November 19th at 5 PM so we can give Jungle Island an accurate headcount. Please come dressed in closed-toed shoes and FAU t-shirts as our event will be filmed for an excerpt in the local newspapers and TV news stations. E-mail your rsvp to Christie Gonzalez at CGonza48@fau.edu. Feel free to call if you have questions or if you can volunteer to drive at 772-812-1252.

Thanks to everyone who volunteered at The Pet Project Dogwash on Saturday, Nov 8th. As you can tell from the pictures, not EVERYONE was as excited as we were about the dogwash but everyone agrees the event was a wonderful success thanks to the volunteers! Good job everyone.

Here is a list of events for November:

Nov 4th - Veteran's Day (No school)
Nov 12th - Exec Board/Chairs Training "Plan a Fundraiser" 12-1 PM
Nov 13th - Exec Board/Chairs Training "Plan a Fundraiser" 12-1 PM
Nov 18th - General Meeting, Admin Bld, Rm 234 5-6 PM
Nov 19th - Helping Hands and Paws Food Drive, Breezeway 11-4 PM
Nov 20th - Helping Hands and Paws Food Drive, Breezeway 11-4 PM
Nov 21st - Helping Hands and Paws Food Drive, Breezeway 11-4 PM
Nov 23rd - Jungle Island Field Trip 9 AM to 4 PM
Nov 24th - Lecture, Dr. Elizabeth Waugh "Intro to Small Animal Medicine
Nov 27th - Thanksgiving Weekend (No school)
Nov 28th - Thanksgiving Weekend (No school)

Please contact Christie Gonzalez with any questions at 772-812-1252 or via e-mail at CGonza48@fau.edu.

The Pet Project "Dog Wash"

Saturday, November 8th The Pet Project is hosting a dog wash in Wilton Manors from 11AM to 3 PM. The Pet Project is a nonprofit organization that serves the needs of low-income pet owners who are living with AIDS, terminal or disabling conditions and illnesses. This organization offers comprehensive services designed to help these individuals keep their animal companions. The dogwash is a fundraiser desgined to raise money for this worthy organization. Dogs will be washed under shaded tents by volunteers for a fee of $15 per dog. Licensed groomers will be on-site to offer assistance to volunteers and to provide dryer services for an additional fee of $10. Everyone is welcome to bring their dogs and the event is open to all.

We need 8-10 volunteers who can work 11-1PM or 1-3PM. Volunteers earn a free t-shirt, a free lunch and the appreciation of pets and pet parents alike!! Please contact Christie Gonzalez at 772-812-1252 if you have questions, need a ride or need directions to the event. Can't wait to see you there.

Leadership Institute

The Division of Student Affairs is excited to introduce a new leadership opportunity for students at FAU! Starting in November, students will be able to participate in one of two monthly leadership institutes based on their self-indentified leadership level. The two leadership institute opportunities are:

Emerging Leader Institute: A monthly leadership program offered to freshman to develop their leadership skills. Students will be placed in groups of 15 – 17 students to engage in a shared leadership curriculum. We will cover topics such as communication, leadership foundation, teamwork, and more!

Breakthrough Leader Institute: The FAU Breakthrough Leader Institute is a monthly leadership program provided to sophomore year and junior year students, with an emphasis on those students presently involved in student clubs/organizations. Participants will be placed in a group of 15 – 17 students to engage in a shared leadership curriculum. We will cover such topics as challenging the process, inspiring a shared vision, modeling the way, and more!

In order for students to take advantage of this opportunity, they simply need to fill out the form on our website and return to the appropriate location by November 7, 2008.

http://www.fau.edu/sda/leadership/institute.php

For those who sign-up, please also contact Ticia Adams at tadams23@fau.edu to ensure your volunteer hours are registered to the PVMA.

Peer Advising Workshop

Registration for Spring 2009 is almost here. The Spring schedule is already up at MYFAU and open registration starts on November 15th. If you are having trouble determining what classes to take, what classes are available or have any other questions concerning registration for the Spring term, please contact Christie Gonzalez at 772-812-1252 or send an e-mail to CGonza48@fau.edu. We will match you up with one our peer advisors, a senior PVMA member, who can help you find the classes you want or need to meet your degree requirements.

Club Logo

Here is a copy of the new logo I prepared. If there are no objections, I will send this one to Creative Services for approval. I will speak to them about adding color to the graphics and letters. Please contact Christie Gonzalez by Monday with your suggestions for color scheme. 772-812-1252.

Relay For Life Update

Hey everyone, we need to select a holiday theme for our Relay For Life team. It was suggested that we use "Pet Appreciation Day" and that we make t-shirts with our favorite pets' pictures on the back. If anyone has any other suggestions, please forward them to our Team Captain, Luisa Velez or to Christie Gonzalez. E-mails are lvelez4@fau.edu or CGonza48@fau.edu.

Also, be sure to sign up as part of the team at the following link.

http://main.acsevents.org/goto/prevetclub

How to sign up: Clik on "Join a Team", locate the team by entering part of the team name (Pre-Vet), hit the search button, click the "Join" button. Enter your participant information (you make up your own login and password), review the registration summary, then develop your own webpage. Share the link with your family and firends so they can donate online. We need to raise $100 as part of our registration fee for the event. Remember, it's all for a wonderful cause and will be ALOT of fun too. We will give you an update on upcoming meetings soon to plan for the event.

Hlloween "Yappy Hour" at Mizner Park

Come join us for our first annual Halloween "Yappy" Hour at Ruby Tuesday's in Mizner Park on Oct. 31st 7-9 PM. This is a great opportunity to meet your fellow Pre-Vet students from FAU along with their favorite pets. You are encouraged to come in costume or bring your pets in costume. Dogs are allowed in outdoor seating only. We will be awarding prizes for most creative human and pet costume!! Come out to see everyone's costumes, meet and greet, or just for the great food and drinks!!

Please contact Christie Gonzalez at 772-812-1252 if you need directions to the event, have a question or need assistance finding a ride to and from Mizner Park. See ya there.

Here is a list of events for October 2008

Thr Oct 2 12pm Vet School Applications Due
Sat Oct 4 9am Beach Clean-Up - Ocean Cay Park 9am - 11am
Wed Oct 15 12pm SDA Training "How to Plan an Event"
Wed Oct 15 4pm PVMA Meeting - FAU Boca Campus
Thr Oct 16 5pm Semester by the Sea Info Session
Tue Oct 21 5pm PVMA General Meeting - FAU Boca Campus

Fri Oct 31 8:30-1:30 Graduate College Open House Live Oak Pavilion
Fri Oct 31 7pm Yappy Hour at Ruby Tuesday's in Mizner Park

Meeting Minutes

Congratulations to our newest Executive Board members:

Treasurer: Eunike Stenersen
Admissions Officer: Rachael Matyisin
Academic Coordinator: Dana Mulvaney
COSO Representative: Janah Purland

Now that we have filled our Executive Board positions, we will focus our attention on the many committees and club projects for this academic year listed below:

Fundraising Committee: No chair as yet, this committee will focus on projects to make money for our educational goals. Ideas for fundraising include car washes, dog washes, gift wrapping at the mall, pet-sitting, and pet pictures with Santa. We are open to new ideas and all will be considered.

Pennies for Puppies Committee: Chaired by Liz Hodge, this committee will focus on a fundraiser to donate money to the Florida Humane Society while educating our youth on the importance of vaccinations and how to be a good pet parent

Relay for Life Committee: Chaired by Luisa Velez, this committee will focus on ensuring the club is prepared for Relay for Life on March 27th-28th. Go to the club webpage to join the team and be sure to e-mail your friends and family to donate to a most worthy cause! http://main.acsevents.org/goto/prevetclub

Symposium Committee: No chair as yet, this committee will focus on gathering information on hotels, travel expenses, registration and seminars for Symposium this year. This event is hosted by the American Pre-Veterinary Medical Association. This year's location is at University of Illinois Urbana.

Fix-It Committee: No chair as yet, this committee will focus on the welfare of the feral cat population at the Boca campus, helping establish a healthy population, ensure vaccinations and assist with capture for spay/neuter programs. Eventually, we would like this project to include the welfare of all the wildlife on-campus (iguanas, racoons, squirrels, etc.).

If you wish to become involved in any of the committees above, please contact Trevor Detrick at 561-414-1831. We also have plenty of opportunities for you to volunteer at FAU-sponsored events. Here are a few upcoming events available:

** Shriek Week is Here**The FAU Dept. for Civic Engagement is hosting the annual Shriek Week Halloween Festival for Kids. They need people to volunteer as part of the Boo Crew (audition required), Tech Crew, Trigger Crew and Round-Up Crew. If interested in helping make this event a success for FAU and for the local kids, contact Christie Gonzalez at 772-812-1252.

**Become a Mentor**The FAU Dept. for Civic Engagement is looking for 20 participants to become tutors for elementary and middle school children October-June from 3 to 5 PM once a week. Mentors will be required to work with one child for at least two hours per week at the Delray Full Service Center. Please contact Christie Gonzalez at 772-812-1252 if interested.

Join dosomething.org

One of our members, Liz Hodge, found a website called dosomething.org that sponsors community projects for persons under 25. The organization provides $500 donations to any project that applicants are passionate about. Projects could include beach cleanings, spay/neuter programs, recycling projects-anything that would help their community. If interested in this opportunity look at plum grants, fill out an application and follow the posted instructions.

The Pre-Veterinary Medical Association will be looking to this organization to try and fund some of the many projects that have been proposed so far. We will have updated information on some of our primary community projects at the next general meeting. In the meantime, get out there and "do something" for your community!

Meeting Tuesday, Oct 21st 5-7 PM

Topics we shall cover at the next general meeting:

Collection of dues - $5 per member
Fundraising Opportunities
Sign-up for Committees
Lecture Series
Shadowing Program
Elections-Academic Coordinator and COSO Representative
Peer Advising Workshop
Educational Programs
Volunteer Opportunities

Please come join us in the Administration Building, room 246. We have alot to accomplish that will greatly enhance the opportunities available to you! Your participation can help us help you. Please RSVP for this event by sending an e-mail to CGonza48@fau.edu. Thank you.

Meeting Wednesday Oct 15th, 4-6 PM

Topics we shall cover at the next general meeting:

Collection of dues - $5 per member
Fundraising Opportunities
Sign-up for Committees
Lecture Series
Shadowing Program
Elections-Treasurer and Admissions Officer
Peer Advising Workshop
Educational Programs
Volunteer Opportunities

Please come join us. We have alot to accomplish that will greatly enhance the opportunities available to you! Your participation can help us help you.

October 5, 2008

Thanks to everyone who attended the Start! Heartwalk at FAU on Saturday, September 27th. The event was a success and we were able to join FAU's largest gathering of students yet to walk a 2.8 mile distance around the FAU campus. Just one more way to add to your volunteer hours and have fun doing it. So get out there and volunteer!

Here are a few upcoming events available:

** Shriek Week is Here**
The FAU Dept. for Civic Engagement is hosting the annual Shriek Week Halloween Festival for Kids. They need people to volunteer as part of the Boo Crew (audition required), Tech Crew, Trigger Crew and Round-Up Crew. If interested in helping make this event a success for FAU and for the local kids, contact Christie Gonzalez at 772-812-1252.

**Become a Mentor**The FAU Dept. for Civic Engagement is looking for 20 participants to become tutors for elementary and middle school children October-June from 3 to 5 PM once a week. Mentors will be required to work with one child for at least two hours per week at the Delray Full Service Center. Please contact Christie Gonzalez at 772-812-1252 if interested.

**Join Relay for Life**
Luisa Velez has set up a webpage where you can sign up to be a part of our team or you can RSVP through the Facebook event and we will forward more information to you. http://main.acsevents.org/goto/prevetclub

**Keep checking back here for more updates about volunteering and shadowing!!!