Summer has at last come to an end, but there's no need for despair! Returning and new S.T.A.T. members alike will find contests, gift giveaways, fairs, and special features in this issue of S.T.A.T. Underground to make the transition into the new school year much easier.

So whether it's welcome or welcome back, we hope you enjoy this edition of S.T.A.T. Underground, and we hope you enjoy the beginning of a new semester at the University of Iowa!

Keep up to date with the latest on S.T.A.T. Underground by bookmarking our new site!

Students looking to become involved in something beyond classes and schoolwork, be it a club, volunteer organization, sport, or extracurricular activity, should head to the Student Organization Fair happening behind the IMU from 11am to 2pm on Wednesday, August 29. While you're there, make sure you visit the S.T.A.T. table where S.T.A.T. members will receive a free lunch as well as additional membership materials!

New textbooks, course fees, rent: the start of college classes also heralds the traditional emptying of the wallet. So to help you out, we've got a new way for you to get your hands on some of those elusive greenbacks.
Find out more >>

The best intrastate rivalry in the Midwest is here, and it’s time to show your Hawkeye pride during our fourth annual weeklong festival featuring giveaways, games, an online contest, and more. Tell your friends, and get ready to cheer on the Hawks!

Monday, September 10: Eyes open! Catch sight of the S.T.A.T. Ambassadors in the fire truck on Madison St. at the IMU at 12:30pm and you might receive one of hundreds of free "Beat State" T-shirts! Also, be sure to visit http://www.iowalum.com/beatisu to test your Hawkeye knowledge in our online trivia contest. (Quiz goes live September 11.) Make a perfect score and you'll be entered to win a Tailgate Chair!

Tuesday, September 11: Get decked out in your black and gold. Then prove you bleed black and gold in the S.T.A.T. Blood Drive, 11am to 4pm at the IMU. Pre-register online at http://uiowa.givesblood.org, and you'll receive a free Beat State T-shirt!

Wednesday, September 12: Break out the face paint and gold overalls to show just how much Hawkeye spirit you have. If you're spotted by our prize team, you'll receive some more Hawkeye gear and be entered to win a Tailgate Chair!

Thursday, September 13: Nothing says Iowa more than corn! Stop by the IMU Patio from 11am to 1pm for FREE corn on the cob during the IMU's Burgers and Blues. Then at 12:30, watch the first-ever Beat State corn eating contest. You can sign up to participate in the contest at http://www.iowalum.com/beatisu starting September 10. The winner will get a Hawkeye jersey.
If you missed it before, here's your second chance to prove you bleed black and gold as the S.T.A.T. Blood Drive continues! The blood drive will be from 11am to 4pm in the IMU. All pre-registered donors at http://uiowa.givesblood.org will receive a free Beat State T-shirt!

Friday, September 14: Come down to Madison St. by the IMU at 12:30pm for your last chance to grab a free Beat State T-shirt. The S.T.A.T. Ambassadors on the fire truck will have hundreds more T-shirts to give away!

Saturday, September 15: Support the Hawks as they go to Ames and beat State!

How do you know when you've finally become a full-fledged S.T.A.T. member? When you're basking in the glow of all your free stuff! S.T.A.T. members can drop by and pick up their free goodies outside the IMU bookstore on August 27, 28, 30, and 31 from 10am to 4pm.

It's a rare college student who doesn't know a thing or two about pizza. Any campus, no matter the size, is guaranteed to have at least a handful of pizza places, and here in Iowa City we have countless establishments to choose from. The Take 5 team this month decided to select five local pizza places to order from and rank based on a specific set of criteria. Here's hoping it helps you be slightly more discerning when it comes time to decide where to order from next weekend. See what our reviewers have to say >>

Talk Back
If you’ve got something to add about these pizza places or other establishments that didn’t make the list, let us know with your “Talk Back” comments. We’ll print selected comments in next month’s S.T.A.T. Underground newsletter. Talk back >>

Having trouble waking up for classes? We've got the songs to help get you going. We asked three S.T.A.T. members to identify three songs they listen to in the mornings to get them pumped for all that academic learning. Forget the coffee and crank up these tunes!
Crank up the volume >>

Make Sweet Music...
Do you play in a band? Mix music? We want to hear it! Tell us all about your musical endeavors and you could be featured in an issue of S.T.A.T. Underground. Or, if making music isn't your thing as much as listening to it is, become a part of our rotating panel of reviewers! Your participation will earn you some free iTunes downloads, which is sweet music to everyone's ears. Unless you're playing Michael Bolton. Then that's just cruel.
Contact us >>

S.T.A.T. Underground is a publication of IOWA S.T.A.T. (Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow) and sponsored by the UI Alumni Association.  S.T.A.T. strives to get students involved with their campus and to make their experience at the University of Iowa the time of their lives!

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