Blue Hen Brain Break
During times like these, everyone could use a little pick-me-up. Whether you need a distraction, some background music or to feel connected to fellow Blue Hens and your alma mater, we’ve got you covered. Sometimes, all you need is a few minutes to do something just for yourself. Groom those feathers, Blue Hens.
Spotify Playlists |
Coloring Pages |
Zoom Backgrounds |
Stories |
Blue Hen Authors |
Videos |
Recipes |
Get Social |
Games |
Zoom Backgrounds
Ready to kick your Zoom game up a notch? These Zoom backgrounds ooze UD spirit and are perfect for any of your video calls—whether they be with colleagues, family or friends! Show off your tech savvy UD spirit, Blue Hens.
Download the background file to your desktop from the link. Once you open the Zoom app, go to zoom.us>preferences in the upper left and click on it to open preferences. Once open, click on “virtual background” in the left column. You should be able to see yourself in the preview area. Next, click on the “+” to add the background file from your desktop. It is now loaded for use. Be sure that if you click “mirror my video,” any imagery or logos are not showing in reverse to your viewer(s). Most times this is not the case, even if it is mirrored on your end. You may want to test this before beginning a session.
Blue Hen Authors
Have extra time on your hands for catching up on reading? You may not know that many Blue Hens are authors of some amazing books from all genres! Check them out (and then brag about sharing the alma mater of these fine authors). Kick back, Blue Hens.
Frances Frost, BE92
Life in Spades (2013)
Four African-American women rely on their friendship as they face insecurities, negotiate love, and define happiness: Gina, an admittedly unathletic runner training for a marathon with her White boyfriend in an effort to change her mother’s mind about interracial dating; Sherry, a divorcee enjoying her new single life, but still debating motherhood; Cookie, a cupcake baker wrestling with memories of her late fiancée and an obvious attraction to the delivery man who comes by every day; and Laura, a professional escort who plays by a strict set of self-imposed rules in order to maintain her one-woman business. With humor and insight, they consider their cards and wonder which will be the trump that wins.
Paul Cherry, AS84, 87M
The Ultimate Sales Pro: What the Best Salespeople Do Differently (2018)
Take back ownership of your sales career and sales future! Most salespeople are motivated by the next yes, the next contract, the next lead. All too often, they are too busy to look beyond the immediate to focus on the larger view -- honing the selling skills and knowledge critical for long-term success.
In today's fast-paced world, salespeople get little, if any, coaching or mentoring support. Too often organizations have a 'sink or swim' attitude regarding their teams.
Maureen Johnson, AS94
Truly Devious: A Mystery (2018)
Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early 20th century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. "A place", he said, "where learning is a game."
Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym "Truly, Devious". It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.
Paige Wolf, AS01
Spit that Out!: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Healthy Kids in the Age of Environmental Guilt (2016)
From BPA in baby bottles and asbestos in crayons to misleading "natural" labels—it can despair even the most steadfast parent.
Lighthearted yet authoritative, Spit That Out! cuts through the information overload, sorts cloth from disposable, and empowers readers to make simple but impactful changes.
Daniel Suarez, AS87
Delta-V (2019)
When itinerant cave diver James Tighe receives an invitation to billionaire Nathan Joyce's private island, he thinks it must be a mistake. But Tighe's unique skill set makes him a prime candidate for Joyce's high-risk venture to mine a near-earth asteroid--with the goal of kick-starting an entire off-world economy. The potential rewards and personal risks are staggering, but the competition is fierce and the stakes couldn't be higher.
Jeff Pearlman, AS94
Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL (2018)
The United States Football League—known fondly to millions of sports fans as the USFL—was the last football league to not merely challenge the NFL, but cause its owners and executives to collectively shudder. It spanned three seasons, 1983-85. It secured multiple television deals. It drew millions of fans and launched the careers of legends. But then it died beneath the weight of a particularly egotistical and bombastic owner—a New York businessman named Donald J. Trump. The league featured as many as 18 teams, and included such superstars as Steve Young, Jim Kelly, Herschel Walker, Reggie White, Doug Flutie and Mike Rozier.
Dave Raymond, HS79
The Power of Fun (2019)
From 1978, when he first pulled on the green fur, until he left the Philadelphia Phillies in 1994, Dave Raymond redefined the world of live character performance as the original Phillie Phanatic. Throughout his career working with some of the world’s leading brands, he designed and refined the same process that began creating a multimillion-dollar brand extension for his favorite baseball team. Along the way, his design thinking process helped Dave to get through some of the hardest times of his life. In his book, The Power of Fun, Dave shares the best stories from his performance career, and outlines a simple model – a theory about fun – that can change your life.
Charles Brandt, AS63
I Heard You Paint Houses: Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran & Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa
"I heard you paint houses" are the first words Jimmy Hoffa ever spoke to Frank "the Irishman" Sheeran. To paint a house is to kill a man. The paint is the blood that splatters on the walls and floors. In the course of nearly five years of recorded interviews, Frank Sheeran confessed to Charles Brandt that he handled more than twenty-five hits for the mob, and for his friend Hoffa. He also provided intriguing information about the Mafia's role in the murder of JFK.
Steven Alten, HS84M
The Meg Series (1997-2018) and many more
Seven years ago, and seven miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, Dr. Jonas Taylor encountered something that changed the course of his life. Once a Navy deep-sea submersible pilot, now a marine paleontologist, Taylor is convinced that a remnant population of Carcharodon megalodon—prehistoric sharks growing up to 70 feet long, that subsisted on whales—lurks at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. When offered the opportunity to return to those crushing depths in search of the Megs, Taylor leaps at the chance… but the quest for scientific knowledge (and personal vindication) becomes a desperate fight for survival, when the most vicious predator that the earth has ever known is freed to once-again hunt the surface.
Peter Bailey, AS02
Trick Daddy: Trials of a Native Son (2010)
Trick Daddy was born a thug—just a stone’s throw from downtown Miami, yet a world away from its dazzling beauty and sparkling wealth. Where grinding poverty, deadly crime, and devastating racial tension taught kids to live by the ’hood rules. Remarkably, Trick came from nothing and made it big just when his chances had run out.
Jarret Brachman, AS02M, 06PhD
Global Jihadism: Theory and Practice (2008)
Global Jihadism exposes the core doctrine and strategy of today’s global Jihadist movement.
The first half of the book explores the ideas upon which groups such as Al Qaeda are built, including the concepts of Jihad, al-Wala wal-Bara, Takfir and Tawhid. Brachman exposes a genre of Jihadist strategic scholarship that has been virtually ignored in the West and helps to situate it within the broader Salafist religious movement. The second half explores the thinking and activities of Al Qaeda’s propaganda machine and includes case studies on the rise and fall of global Jihadist terrorism in Saudi Arabia post-9/11, and highlights the explosive results of bringing theory to bear on practice in the UK over the past 20 years. The book concludes by providing innovative strategies for combating the global Jihadist ideology.
Mindy Hall, AS85
Leading with Intention: Every Moment Is a Choice
Leading with Intention challenges you to make a profound, deliberate mark on both your organization and the world around you. Informed by over 25 years of experience with leaders in Fortune 50 companies, biotech start-ups, financial services firms, and non-profit organizations, Leading with Intention provides real-life examples and practical tools for increasing your awareness and being more deliberate in your choices. You'll want to apply its lessons immediately, and return to it again and again as a trusted resource.
Carl Suddler, AS08
Presumed Criminal: Black Youth and the Justice System in Postwar New York
A stark disparity exists between black and white youth experiences in the justice system today. Black youths are perceived to be older and less innocent than their white peers. When it comes to incarceration, race trumps class, and even as black youths articulate their own experiences with carceral authorities, many Americans remain surprised by the inequalities they continue to endure. In this revealing book, Carl Suddler brings to light a much longer history of the policies and strategies that tethered the lives of black youths to the justice system indefinitely.
John Riley, AS68
Delaware Eyewitness: Behind the Scenes in the First State (2019)
Recently recognized by the Delaware Press Association as the best adult non-fiction book of 2019 in the memoir/autobiography category, this book by John Riley features a behind the scenes look at the people, places and events in and around the First State. Beginning with the post-World War II period where the country’s possibilities seemed to know no bounds, through to the crushing reality of assassinations, the draft and decades working for governors and “Chemical Capitol” CEO’s, Riley provides a fascinating look back at the people and places of Delaware and beyond. And with more than six chapters focused on the University of Delaware, readers will recognize many of the Blue Hen names and landmarks.
Toby Thompson, AS66
Fired On: Targeting Western American Art (2020)
The third in a trilogy of collected pieces of reportorial nonfiction, personal essays, and profiles from Toby Thompson, Fired On joins Thompson's Riding the Rough String and Metroliner in charting one of the most respected careers in American letters. For more than forty years, Thompson has been preoccupied with western art and those who create it. From early works by Carl Bodmer, Paul Kane, Charles M. Russell and Fredrick Remington to modern masters like Russell Chatham and T.C. Cannon, in Fired On Thompson considers three centuries' worth of art across western America. In the process and in aggregate, he finally paints a larger portrait of the place and its inhabitants. This anthology includes pieces previously published as well as essays written specifically for this collection.
UD Games
Brain feeling a little mushy? Keep your brain sharp with these games that only a Blue Hen can master. Challenge yourself, Blue Hens!
Bingo
Show us how many you got by sharing and tagging your post with #BlueHensForever!
Download Bingo Card
Crossword
Are you a crossword whiz? Try out this one you won’t find in the newspapers and test your UD knowledge!
Cooking Inspiration
In times of crisis, we seek out comfort … food. If you’re tired of thinking about what to make next, we’ve got you covered with some meal inspiration from UD. Put on your chef hat, Blue Hens!
Coconut Chickpea Stew
If you find yourself eating many of the same staples in quarantine, check out this cooking demonstration from the UD College of Health Sciences. Jen Muzzi, an instructor in Behavioral Health and Nutrition, cooks an easy, five-ingredient Coconut Chickpea Stew. Switch it up, Blue Hens.
Coconut Chickpea Stew
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 1 can lite coconut milk
Instructions
- Sauté onion in pan until soft—3-5 minutes.
- Add zucchini, sauté 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle with curry and toss. Cook for about 1 minute more.
- Remove from heat, add coconut milk.
- Return to low heat, sitting, until warmed through.
Serve and enjoy!
Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
If you’re missing Caesar Rodney Fresh Food Company’s endless supply of sweets, treat yourself. Dining Services’ freshly baked cinnamon-spiced vegan oatmeal-cranberry cookies are a dining hall favorite.
Measures & Ingredients
- 8 oz weighed all-purpose flour
- 4 oz weighed dried cranberry fruit
- 4 oz weighed old fashioned oats cereal
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon spice
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ cup oil blend (90% vegetable and 10% extra virgin olive oil)
- 5 ½ oz weighed light brown sugar
- 5 oz weighed extra-fine granulated sugar
- 3 oz weighed unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tbsp soymilk
- 1 ¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat convection oven to 300 degrees F.
- Combine flour, cranberries, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until well blended.
- In mixer bowl, combine oils and sugars. Using paddle attachment, mix on low speed 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium. Beat 3 minutes. Add applesauce, milk and vanilla. Beat 1 minute.
- Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, one fourth at a time, beating 2 minutes and scraping bowl and paddle after each addition.
- On parchment-lined sheet pan(s), place level scoops of dough 1” apart.
- Bake until edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Rotate pan(s) one-half turn halfway through baking. Cool 25 minutes before removing from pan.
Makes 24 cookies.
Pointers for Getting through Quarantine at Home
In this collection of articles, you’ll find helpful tips for some of the challenges you may be facing during quarantine. Stay well, Blue Hens!
Keeping the Peace With Your Spouse During Quarantine
Is your new 24/7 life together with your partner putting your relationship in a funk? Read these five tips from Dr. J-P Laurenceau, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at UD, to get back to marital bliss.
Fight Back Against Loneliness
Social distancing can have physical impacts on our immune systems. UD researcher Lisa Jaremka, an expert on stress and health, shares important information on keeping your loneliness in check.
How to Work from Home
Some of us are still perfecting the art of working from home. Read these five tips for being productive—and staying sane—during a long stretch of working from home.
Blue Hen Minds
In these talks featuring our very own students, alumni, faculty and staff, you’ll hear life-changing advice and food for thought for all sorts of topics we encounter in life. Feel enlightened, Blue Hens.
"You Are the Only Thing in the Way"
Gillian Williams
TEDxUniversityofDelaware
Gillian Williams, a UD student majoring in Public Policy with a minor in Organizational and Community Leadership, sheds light on how we build, brick-by-brick, walls around us that prevent us from growing and moving forward.
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