Arizona State Seeks Funding and Help for New Football Stadium

Posted on August 22, 2013 by buzz

Written by: Eric Forthun

Arizona State University has played in Sun Devil Stadium since 1958, yet they are now searching for a new means to make the stadium more viable. The current stadium, which consists of metal bleachers and older construction (only costing roughly $1 million at the time of build), has been home to professional teams like the Arizona Cardinals, and has hosted countless bowl games and sporting events.

The attempt to build a new stadium, though, could cost upwards of $300 million, a hefty amount for a new college stadium that would serve as an upgrade to the standing body. There is support amongst individuals in the community, particularly the school’s representatives, who see this as an option to not only earn money in the long run, but provide a memorable experience for students. Most do not care for the stadium’s older look and lack of accommodations, but the new upgrade could potentially allow for more amenities for students to search for during breaks.

Another major complaint about the current stadium is the lack of shade it provides, which is one of the largest factors in the new design. Large, wide-spread canopies would cover the stadium, or at least the bleachers, in hopes of providing viewers with more preferable situations. Officials hope that this will not only draw in more customers and students, but also allow for better viewing and more comfortable playing for the football players.

The cost, though, no matter how justifiable for the large upgrades planned, is still struggling to get support. While there are some who believe that the sporting events will draw in money, there are others who don’t see the cost as justifiable in the long run. Especially with the problems arising in public education right now, and the general lack of support amongst students for more ways to spend money that doesn’t go toward actual education, there isn’t enough of a claim by the university to warrant the cost.

The fight will persist, and the university hopes that the new stadium can shed light on the university as one of the top in the country. The new innovations, though, won’t be a complete remodeling, but a sign of rebirth as the college continues to thrive off of its widespread recognition. The football team, with a new coach and new hope for next year, wants there to be more public support for the team and the university itself, and the public may start to come around once the funding feels more opportune and appropriate.

As of now, though, the support isn’t substantial enough to mean anything, which will show the university what needs to be done to make the changes necessary.

Life After College

Posted on November 6, 2012 by buzz

Written by: Aleksandra Lyanskaya

You know those few weeks before graduation day where all you can think about is getting through finals and finally walking across that stage and receiving your diploma? Along with a piece of paper, for which you spent four years working on, in hand, it’s time to get all your friends together for celebratory drinks. Oddly enough, the one thing not all of us think about is where in this world we will go to after moving out of our dorm rooms, our five-roommate houses, our college towns where we’ve set up four years of our lives. So once we’ve payed the biggest guys we know on campus a nice six pack of beer for them to carry our beds and dressers down the stairs, gotten someone willing enough to help us drive all of our things back to our parents’ house, there we are, sitting in our childhood bedrooms. Now what? Where to go? Who to work for? What in the world to do? Decisions, decisions. Well, seeing as just about everyone has made it in life; whether it was sticking with their plan of never leaving their hometown, working a million jobs to afford rent, traveling and exploring the world and all it entails, or finding the career they love. I guess the time has come for those of us who have recently graduated or are on the track coming close to that time in life. No matter where we decide to go, what we decide to do, we just have to know, understand, and mainly believe that it will all work out for each and every one of us.

Backtracking, back in high school, we were told to set up a five year plan, something that would get us on some kind of track to knowing what college we’d be attending in the next few years or at least where we’d be going. A portfolio we thought would be the answer to everything if we were able to present it to five other individuals from the community alongside our teachers and peers. However, looking back, being brave enough to stand in front of this group of people for eight minutes telling them our hopes and dreams didn’t happen to be the answer after all. We’ve all been taught to fake it until you make it. No matter how much we try and learn from our past, procrastination will always be a go-to, with the adrenaline rush and knowing that we’ll have to accomplish something or other in the end, we’re constantly pushing ourselves to strive for whatever the future holds for us. We just have to keep stepping, one foot at a time, to whatever beat that pushes us forward.

Coursera is Changing Online Learning, Higher Education

Posted on November 4, 2012 by buzz

Written by: Stephanie Hsieh

Coursera.org, an independent educational technology company founded by two Stanford professors, is using online learning to bring free higher education courses to students all over the world…for free.

Bringing the Ivy League to your laptop.

Coursera partners with universities from throughout the world, including multiple Ivy League institutions. Professors from partnered universities create the courses, which cover everything from Computer Science to History. Courses are offered to students free of charge and taught primarily through video lectures. Quizzes, assignments, and peer assessments are also submitted online. Given the ease and range of courses that can be offered through Coursera’s system the website almost seems too good to be true. Indeed, some experts are cautioning that a potential down side to Coursera’s educationl offerings is that it’s unclear whether online learning is as effective as the traditional face-to-face kind.

Even so, there is evidence that those worried about the quality of online education need worry no longer. In September 2010 the US Department of Education released a detailed report that analyzed the results of 45 published studies on the subject and concluded there was convincing evidence that at the very least online learning could be, on average, as effective and learning face-to-face. Hybrid methods that combine both online and face-to-face components have been shown to be even more effective than using either method alone.

Another potential down side to Coursera is that not all courses offer certificates of completion. This means that despite completing a course, students may not be able to prove to future employers or academic officials that they have taken and completed. However, this too may soon no longer be a problem as universities are beginning to incorporate Coursera offerings into their curriculum. Just this month Antioch University, a private liberal arts institution based in Washington that has campuses in five states, began allowing Coursera courses to be taken by its students for college credit. The University of Washington, a public research university also based in Washington state, has also stated its intentions to allow Coursera courses to be take for credit by its students, as long as further requirements are met.

All of this is just the beginning of Coursera’s enormous potential as an educational game-changer. Technological advances are improving the delivery platform for online courses and allowing for greater personalization of material. These advances are also allowing educators to gather enormous amounts of data on how their students learn, the analysis of which will allow them to fine tune and improve the learning experience. One thing is absolutely certain about Coursera: with over a million students from 196 countries enrolled in over a hundred courses, the website proven that people around the world are eager for a way to broaden their higher education experience.

Coursera doesn’t intend to stop there. It has expansion in mind as it intends to partner with more schools, widening the range of courses offered even more and bringing more accredited institutions into the fold of online learning. With all this in mind it seems that Coursera, and websites like it, may be on the road to changing the face of higher education as we know it.

You’ve Graduated, Now What?

Posted on June 25, 2012 by buzz

College Graduate

By: Brittany Bluford

Millions of college students will walk the stage, get their diploma, and enter the real world looking for one thing…a job. Unfortunately, recent college graduates have a higher chance of being unemployed than finding a job. The typical time it takes a recent graduate to find a full time career is one year, but there are three alternatives for jobless graduates to invest their time in and add to their resume.

Internships

Internships provide on–the-job training in a particular career or field. Although they are common for college students, they are a great option for recent graduates. These on-the job training opportunities have grown in popularity because they offer flexibility experience and look great on resumes. Recent graduates can dedicate a few hours a week to internships and the rest to their job search. Both paid and unpaid internships are available, and there is a possibility of being offered a job at the end of most internships.

Volunteer Work.

There are several local and international volunteer organizations looking for professionals with certain skill sets. Commitment ranges from regularly to once a month, and there are hundreds of volunteer areas. Different areas include: fundraising, administrative and special events. You can choose to contribute to a great cause alone or in a group. Also, your volunteer experience can be included on your resume if it’s relevant to your career goals. Check your local volunteer database for opportunities.

Networking

Have you been lucky to find a great opportunity because you knew a friend of a friend? Remember the girl who got a job because she knew the right person? The saying goes, it’s not what you know, but who you know, and it’s proved to be true in many cases. Life is all about connections: shaking the right hand, starting a conversation with the right person and handing out business cards to the right people. Take advantage of the alumni events your college gives. Also, there are many groups that connect graduates with professionals in their field. Today’s technology allows networking through social media. LinkedIn is a fairly new site designed for students, graduates, group and professionals to make connections. The network also allows your connections to write recommendations for potential employers to view.

These options are a way to occupy time after graduation and still become a more attractive job candidate. Whether you intern, volunteer or network, you are much closer to landing your dream job.

Recent Lawsuits Bring Attention to the Plight of the Unpaid Intern

Posted on June 11, 2012 by buzz

Written by: Kristiina Yang

Interns are expected to work long hours and are often given menial tasks. (Photo: wesleying.org)

With many college students and recent graduates already or soon partaking in summer internship season, several class-action lawsuits occurring over the past year against major companies are bringing to question the morality, legality and future existence of unpaid internships.

In the United States, there are nearly 1.5 million internships offered each year with approximately half of those being unpaid. In the midst of recession and a difficult job market, many companies are asking and requiring their interns to spend long hours doing work that should be tasked to entry-level employees and often with no financial compensation.

Such was the impetus for three major lawsuits filed this past year- beginning with one in September 2011 against Fox Searchlight Pictures, another in February 2012 against the Hearst Corporation (owner of the magazine Harper’s Bazaar), and one the following month against the “Charlie Rose” show.

In each case, former unpaid interns purported that the hiring companies had required them to work excessively long hours with no compensation, violating federal and state wage and labor laws. While these sued companies have denied wrongdoing and the cases have yet to be resolved, such lawsuits are sending a warning signal to both employers who plan on hiring interns and to students considering taking unpaid internships about exactly what will be expected of them and whether such expectations are legitimate or not.

The New-York-City-based law firm Outten & Golden is behind all three of the class-action suits filed so far and have created a website providing information on the cases and calling on former and current unpaid interns to come to their firm with any information and complaints.

Such legal actions are bringing to question the future of the unpaid internship, a rite of passage that has become prominent for both students in college looking to gain experience and postgraduates hoping to get a foot in the door toward a future career. Although unpaid internships have risen to become extremely desirable and competitive in past decades, these lawsuits show that this norm may be shifting.

Despite such increased public attention on the poor treatment of unpaid interns, companies will still likely continue to offer unpaid internships. However, with companies in fear of having to deal with such potentially time-consuming and reputation-tarnishing lawsuits, paid and unpaid internship programs are seeing and hopefully will continue to see restructuring, returning the internship to the valuable educational experience that it is intended to be.

Impending Student Loan Crisis

Posted on May 13, 2012 by buzz

Written by: Kidist Amanuel

The total student loan debt in United States has now surpassed a record high $1 trillion. Americans now owe more in student loan debtthan credit card and auto loan debt.

Total student loan debt in US has now surpassed a record high $1 trillion

Some experts believe student loan debt will be the next big economic crisis in the United States. The recent recession forced a lot of people out of jobs and back in to school, increasing student matriculation, which when coupled with increase in tuition, has the nation looking straight at a looming student loan crisis. To be more competitive in the work force in this bad economy, students are now attending college in record numbers. Unfortunately, over the past two decades, the cost of attending public and private colleges has grown more rapidly than inflation, which has become less and less affordable for low- and middle-income families. According to the College Board, tuition and fees at public universities have surged almost 130% over the last 20 years.

A Federal Reserve Bank of New York study states that 30% of student loans have past due balance of thirty days or more. Students routinely defer payments on their loans by using grace periods or unemployment, which capitalizes their loans and adds billions of dollars to the total student loan annually. Many believe that increasing amount in the number of student loan defaults could be signaling a financial crisis.

On July 1, the interest rate break included in the College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA), which was passed in 2007, will expire. This is expected to double the federal loan interest rate from 3.4% to 6.8%. The increase would affect interest rates for subsidized Stafford loans for undergraduates issued after July 1, 2012. With students borrowing more money than ever to cover cost of college, this increase in interest rate is daunting for a graduate starting out with low income.

With many graduates struggling with unaffordable student loan payment, many experts have pointed out that it is important that people explore all their options and look for any possible alternatives before starting their education. Taking prerequisites at community college for the first two years before transferring to four year university or college is one example. There are programs that offer to pay tuition for services after graduation. Picking the right major is also critical in these bad economic times. It is important that students understand what jobs are available after they graduate and what income they should expect.

College Etiquette (5 Rules That No One Tells You in High School)

Posted on February 6, 2012 by buzz

written by: Amani Liggett

Some things in life are just learned by experience and observation, and some of the rules of college often fall under this subject.

The first thing you will have to account for is being on time to class. It is important to make small notations about which professors have specific rules about getting to their class on time, as some may even lock the door after a certain amount of time has passed. Generally, it is an unwritten rule that if you are going to be past 15 minutes late to class, it’s best not to show. This is unless you have already cleared it with the professor ahead of time that you will be coming in late. Coming in late is distracting to everyone, and in many older lecture halls, the doors tend to echo loudly when opened or closed. It is best to find a friend in the class who can give you the day’s notes and a brief summary. Or better yet go to the professor’s or TA’s office hours and explain that you didn’t want to disturb class by coming in late and ask for a quick review of the lecture.

Don’t be the one to monopolize lecture time with your discussion points. Please don’t be this person. This person always seems to be missing an essential social filter that leads them to believe his or her opinion out-ranks the professor’s. It is very annoying and time-consuming to have to listen to this person’s diatribe about their own personal experience in the matter. Also, if you are one to skip ahead in the reading or the coursework, there is no need to announce it to the class by trying to discuss ahead of the day’s curriculum. If you’re in a Mystery Fiction class, don’t spoil the ending and say who the killer is just to prove you’re a fast reader.

The third rule relates to the first in that actually getting to class on time can be a bit nerve-wracking. This is especially true on a large campus around noon. Everyone is trying to get to class on time at the exact same time as you, whether by walking, driving, skating, or biking. The rule is simply to be courteous to others. Don’t zoom by with no respect to other’s safety, even if you are late. We all want to get to class in one piece!
Keep you’re religious and political beliefs to yourself. Maybe it was cool to be outspoken in high school, but unless you are presently sitting in a religion, political science, or philosophy class, try to keep it to yourself in college. Even if you are burning with the desire to say something, chances are, no one wants to hear it. And the professor will inevitably get annoyed at the student that starts an off-topic debate that goes on for twenty minutes because everyone gets all riled up. It goes without saying that you do not want to annoy your professors or get on their bad side. Who knows when you might need a recommendation letter?
Lastly, there is food. This is important. Most high schools do not allow any type of food or drink in class, so the tendency when one gets to college is to overdue the new privilege and bring whatever you want to lectures. Try to keep it mostly at small snacks; foods that wont produce a strong odor, or result in messy or noisy eating. Also, be prepared to share. Bringing shareable food, such as crackers or candy, to a classroom where half of the occupants may have skipped breakfast in order to sleep a bit more may result in moochers. Beware the moochers. Good luck!

Common Mistakes on the SAT Writing Section

Posted on January 30, 2012 by buzz

Make sure to go back and check your answers.

Written by Elaine Zuo

If you’re a stellar high school student planning on applying to top colleges, it’s imperative that you ace the SAT. This standardized test is weighed heavily by admissions committees and a good opportunity for you to show off your smarts. Here are some tips to make sure you perform to the maximum on the multiple-choice part of the writing section.

Check to see if your pronouns agree. The makers of the SAT most frequently test the pronoun agreement rule in their multiple-choice questions. The trick here is to see if the noun is plural or not, then assign an appropriate pronoun. If the sentence refers to “someone” eating a salad, don’t fall for the gender-neutral “their”, as in “someone eating their salad”. “Their” is plural and the correct answer would be a singular pronoun such as “her”.
Subject-verb agreement also follows the plurality rule. The premise behind this rule piggybacks on that of pronouns: Use a singular verb with a singular subject and a plural verb with a plural subject. However, the SAT writers go out of their way to make the test more difficult, placing the subject and verb far, far away from each other. When reading the sentence, focus and underline the subject so that when you come upon the verb, you can clearly pinpoint the correct form.
Don’t confuse adverbs with adjectives. Adverbs generally end in –ly, such as terribly and nicely, and are used to describe verbs or other adverbs. Adjectives are used to describe nouns. The most common misuse of an adverb and adjective that turn up on the SAT is that of well and good. Does Patrick perform his solo good? No, Patrick performs his solo well.
Watch out for homonyms and nonexistent words. Cramming might have a negative affect/effect on your score. This is a common mix-up that many people struggle with, as affect and effect are homonyms: words that sound the same but have different meanings. Make sure to think about the definition of both choices before you bubble in your answer. I should have/should of done my homework earlier. In this case, “should of” is an expression that does not exist, but often sounds like a spoken phrase. Be careful- don’t confuse how you speak with what is grammatically correct.

Practice with old SAT tests and you’ll surely see these errors pop up throughout the writing section. Armed with your new knowledge, you’ll definitely breeze through the practices and go on to conquer the real deal.

Getting Money for College Is Easier With the Internet

Posted on January 16, 2012 by buzz

By EMAYENEME GBEMIYE-ETTA

In this day and age and even with the sources available on the Internet so many students are still taking out loans for college when with a bit of planning and work beforehand they could possibly come out of college without any loans at all even without the help of their parents. In fact there is a program airing on Maryland Public television that provides some good information to get started. The show airs on Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 2pm.

The average student still feels that loans have to be a part of their path to getting a college degree which is not the case. What students need to realize is that there are so many options available online for scholarships and grants and the process can be started by the parents of the students as early as when they are babies and it can continue even if they have already started college, it is never too late.

Students need to be aware that other than the resources listed below students can also look to their Church or religion for scholarships and or grants. A couple of sources to use for religious scholarships include: Religious scholarships; Catholic scholarships.

Sources of Financial Aid

FinAid!
Provides information on financial aid resources to students and parents.
FastWeb
This site provides information tat on free scholarships and matches te student’s background against its database of over 600,000 scholarships.
Embark – Provides tools, scholarship search, and advice students and parents and elp wit the financial aid process.
U.S. Department of Education
Maryland National Guard – Provides an alternative form of financial aid.
The College Board – Review the section on the plan for college and click on “Paying for College”.
Peterson’s/Thomson Learning – Features financial aid calculators and search engines for scholarships.
College Savings Plans of Maryland

In so many ways students do not make full use of the resources and money that is available to them. There are many sources for grants and scholarships and they are very easy to get because since they are not well known there is limited competition for them. For most of these rants all they require is an essay and usually filling out a straightforward and easy form.

Sometimes these grants and scholarships are a onetime thing but sometimes the can be easily renewed ever year and just require re-applying before the due date.

Another option for students is to start out at a community college and keep their grades up and be able to get a full scholarship when the transfer to a nearby college. College is expensive but it is doable even for the independent student.

Sources

1. MPT

ASU Saddened By the Loss of a Great Man: W.P. Carey

Posted on January 16, 2012 by buzz

Written By: Jessica Mangiameli

Arizona State University has lost a great role model, friend and contributor, William Polk Carey, who passed away at the age of 81 on January 2, 2012.

William Polk Carey

Carey was an outstanding real estate investor, one of the best in the country. It’s no wonder why then when Carey donated $50 million to Arizona State in 2003, that ASU decided to change the name of their business school to The W.P. Carey School of Business. The W.P. Carey School of Business at ASU remains one of the top ranked business schools in the nation, a very outstanding and proud accomplishment for not only ASU but also remains an honor to Carey. At the time, the $50 million donation was the second largest single donation that was ever received by a business school, according to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and remains the largest donation ever received by Arizona State University.

“The ASU family mourns the loss of our benefactor and friend Bill Carey,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow

Carey and his family had many ties with Arizona State University, which is probably why he selected to donate his money to this particular college. Carey earned a honorary Doctor of Science degree from ASU. Carey’s grandfather was also the one who introduced the legislation that established Arizona State University in 1886.

Carey was born on May 11, 1930 in Baltimore, Maryland. Carey was the founder of W. P. Carey & Co. LLC, a real estate financing firm located in New York City.

The W.P. Carey School of Business is one of the largest business schools in the country. The school contains over 250 faculty and more than 1,500 graduate and 8,300 under graduate students. The W.P. Carey School of Business offers a wide range of business degrees including accounting, economics, finance and management. The W. P. Carey School of Business and the W. P. Carey MBA are accredited by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

Many students from all over the country have received degrees from the business school including comedian and actor, David Spade as well as former Arizona Cardinals player and former Corporal of the US Army Rangers, Pat Tillman.

The W.P. Carey School programs are ranked among the Top 30 nationwide by U.S. News & World Report, The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times.

While ASU mourns the death of a brilliant man, students look to the future hoping to some day become the next William Polk Carey.

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