Improvisational comedians have a gift for making something out of nothing — a talent that came in handy for Teagan Fitzpatrick a few years ago. With a handful of friends, Fitzpatrick created the KU Improv Club to pursue the off-the-cuff comedy she grew to love during high school. Today, the club often packs dozens of members on stage for bi-weekly performances. Graduating in May 2018 with degrees in theatre performance and film & media studies, Fitzpatrick is passing off club leadership to Spencer Frank, a political science and English double major. She’ll leave with confidence created skit by skit — and memories that started with a small spark and ended with big laughs. You can catch the KU Improv Club in action Sunday nights during the academic year. Students brave enough to take the stage can attend open auditions each semester. “We’re a no-cut club, so if you audition and you’re interested, you’re in the club,” Fitzpatrick says.

Replant Mount Oread [http://bit.ly/ReplantKU] is an effort to bring together campus departments, student organizations, community members, and alumni to help plant trees on our beloved home on the Hill. They also developed a "tree bank" to fund future tree replacement, breathing new life into our campus forest. In 2017, KU's Center for Sustainability returned to their roots with a planting in historic Marvin Grove. On Friday, April 28, volunteers planted 3 American Linden, 4 Kentucky Coffee, and 4 Red Oak trees in an area of the grove just west of the Spencer Museum of Art. The project also added 9 Redbuds to the Mississippi Street Terrace along Jayhawk Boulevard. A total of 20 trees were planted as part of this project. Check out the list of projects here: http://bit.ly/1Fs5tEw and get involved in their next planting. Rock Chalk!

Every Jayhawk has a story to tell. Bring yours to Faces of KU! On Monday, Sept. 24, KU Marketing Communications will be in front of Marvin Hall interviewing students about their life on the Hill. Stop by and answer a few questions. If you do, you could be featured in videos like this:

KU's 12 scholarship halls help Jayhawks build a community to explore KU – finding their home away from home. Living with 50 other Jayhawks and taking on housekeeping roles fosters a family environment that many students miss while at college. The students complete weekly duties which allows the scholarship halls to be provided at a lower rate. Visit http://bit.ly/2teMyzj for more information on how to apply.

Lights. Camera. Give Back. Watch our greek community sing, dance, and become crayons in Rock Chalk Revue, a variety show for charity. Yes, we said crayons. Shows are 7 p.m. March 3, 4, and 5 at the Lied Center. Get your tickets online or at the door. A year's worth of planning, practicing, and bedazzling goes into each show, which raises thousands for local charities. This year, the show’s theme is "Now You're Talking," and the money raised will support the House that Hawks Built and Habitat for Humanity. Come to the Lied Center to explore KU and experience a KU tradition. Purchase tickets online by following this link: http://bit.ly/1Ts2Prs Tickets will also be available to buy at The Lied Center each night of the show.

Jayhawks are encouraged to grasp opportunities to work closely with faculty, learn how to conduct research, and develop critical thinking skills for situations they will later face in their professions. In the Environmental Studies Program at KU, one of these opportunities is in fieldwork courses. In the course Environment (EVRN) 460, Jayhawks are introduced to research methods for environmental science. The course emphasizes the development of skills in data analysis and interpretation that are essential to a full understanding of environmental issues. Better yet, the fieldwork is performed in KU’s very own Field Station that houses a diverse array of ecosystems. Watch the video see a small sampling (see what we did there?) of what it's like to take this course. Did you know the Field Station fosters scholarly research, environmental education and science-based stewardship of natural resources? Learn more about the KU Field Station and visit soon: http://bit.ly/KUfldstn

The power of music is real. Especially at KU, where an Adaptive Use Musical Instrument (AUMI) means every body has the chance to create music. Explore KU and its music therapy program through AUMI Community Jams. It's a service learning project for KU’s music therapy students and, more importantly, the community at large. The project, which provides an opportunity for people with limited physical and cognitive abilities to play music through body movements, is an interdisciplinary collaboration between AUMI-KU InterArts, Independence, Inc., and the Lawrence Public Library Sound+Vision Studio. KU’s music therapy programs is one of the top producers of music therapy research in the country. More of its graduate students become college professors than graduates from any other school in the world.

The prospect of not sitting for 10 hours may seem daunting when you first hear about the KU Dance Marathon (KUDM). [Learn more: http://bit.ly/KUdmorg] Then you participate, dance, laugh, compete in different games and relays, dance some more, and in the end, you realize you did it all for the kids. Jayhawks are not just standing, but dancing for those who can't. The marathon fundraises money and provides emotional support for sick children and their families at KU Pediatrics. This year marks 10 years of fundraising and over $400,000 contributed to KU Pediatrics. KUDM plans to raise over $100,000 at this year's event to push their total contributions over the half a million mark. Join them on February 10, 2018. Dance with KUDM: http://bit.ly/2zmXsp4 Donate: http://bit.ly/2zBlpK9