Changes

<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif;">The best opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation mean nothing if people aren't involved. We feel that to create a community of entrepreneurs we have to first create a community where people can just be people. That is why one of our main priorities is to bring an organization to campus that will host events where all expectations to be innovative or have creative ideas are eliminated. It's called the Hammock Initiative, or Hi for short and its vision is simple.</span></span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif;">''We want&nbsp;to see people gathered together for the purpose of relaxing, enjoying each other’s company and, literally, hanging out. This vision may not sound audacious or ambitious, and that’s the point. It’s an opportunity for people to be, not do''. -&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif;">[http://hammockinitiative.tumblr.com/post/97170910339/whats-hammock-initiative <span style="color:#000000;">&lt;span class="s1">&gt;@HiFargo&lt;/span&gt;</span>]</span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif;">By getting people together to hammock for the sake of just being, we believe natural conversation where ideas and innovation are born will start all on their own. And with how busy people are, I think we can all agree that some time set aside to relax is needed.&nbsp;</span></span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif;">The Initiative has had a very successful year, holding several events in North Dakota, Minnesota, California, and Florida. It continues to grow with the work of UIF members.</span></span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:medium;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif;">Creating an event/ program that is simply an open house for people to show off what ideas they have both from the community as well as campus. This opportunity, would not be a competition, but rather a simple venue for anyone with an idea to display their work, regardless of stage. This would allow students to present ideas outside of a competition setting where they could "fail" and community members to see what parallels they are doing with research and development that students are already doing. A great way to create contacts and expand the network, but also the pen minds about what the NDSU Fargo region is capable of.&nbsp;</span></span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif;"><span style="font-size:medium;">First year NDSU students are required to take a University 189 course which is essentially a welcome to college class, and for the most part seen as a joke. One challenge we have come up with is to use this opportunity to open the minds of fresh students before they can develop habit and get into their "groove".</span></span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif;"><span style="font-size:medium;">UI Fresh is in the process of getting into the course work and doing design thinking activities with the students, thus giving them the ability to think creatively, introducing them to the opportunities on campus that they would either enjoy working in or use as a resource when need be. First hand design thinking activities allow them to see that Design thinking is a tactic they can apply in any field or in anyway.&nbsp;</span></span></span>

<span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman,times,serif;"><span style="font-size:medium;">This is currently being implemented in 189 classes as stated above. The curriculum portion is still currently being worked on.&nbsp;</span></span></span>