Posts filed under 'News'
One of the things we love about college is that when it comes to style, you can be yourself. But on college campuses this fall, some students are getting attention for their unstylish garb. It’s not just students’ gossiping, but enraged football fans complaining about some of these fashion faux pas. That’s because certain college football players are wearing new Nike and Under Armour uniforms with questionable color combinations and non-traditional designs.
In their defense, these players have no choice – it’s the decision of the school to have them wear the new jerseys, pants and helmets, sometimes for one game, but possibly throughout the entire season.
U-G-L-Y This ain't got no alibi. It's ugly!
The buzz about these college football uniforms is bringing even more attention to longtime college football powerhouses and nationally ranked teams. Boise State (a rare all-white look), Georgia (some said they looked like Power Rangers), and Oklahoma State (especially the all gray ensemble) are among the schools whose new uniforms caused negative comments from fans. Others, like Navy, Army, and LSU have avoided the same type of outrage.
Whether people love the uniforms or hate them for being so ugly, we love that the furor over football fashion is giving more attention to schools like Maryland, which isn’t known for their football programs. Some thought Maryland’s odd garb (see photo above), with the helmets and jerseys split down the middle to reflect the state flag, looked like the colorful attire of the knights at Medieval Times – the joust-filled dinner venue. The uniforms – seen during a nationally televised game in early September – was just one of 32 different combinations from Under Armour, and more than a few spectators got dizzy looking at them.
Of course, one would hope that you’re not going to choose a school based on a football uniform or even how fashionable students are on campus. But consider the fuss over football uniforms as just one more way to learn about more schools and college life.
What do you think? Offensively ugly or much ado about nothing?
–Lori Johnston
September 22nd, 2011
As a kid, you learned to look both ways before you cross the street, and it’s a guideline that shouldn’t be ignored once you’re in college. But year after year, students on campuses across the country are injured or even killed in accidents while walking on campus. Sometimes it is the drivers’ fault, but there are cases when students get in the way of danger by jaywalking, being distracted while texting and walking, or losing their focus when running into a friend on a busy street.
Being safe on campus is not just something that students attending college in a city need to consider. On suburban and even rural campuses, there are so many things that could put you in danger – buses, bikes, cars, scooters, and even other students rushing to get to class on foot.
You may have searched safety on campus when you were applying to colleges, but government data about crimes doesn’t include the incidents that happen when students are hit by vehicles. Last year, a student at UConn was killed by a campus bus. At a lot of schools, current students can easily pick out spots where jaywalking is common, which could lead to injuries. The tragedies are so common that some schools, such as Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY have had guards monitoring crosswalks to prevent jaywalking.
Police at Valdosta State University in Georgia this month are giving $112 tickets to students and other caught jaywalking in an effort to make the roads safer, according to WCTV.
The University of Minnesota in April ticketed more than 120 people (the fees were $100) for jaywalking on campus. One student told a TV station: “For me, it’s changed the way I walk. I used to just go when there weren’t any cars. Now, I look both ways and make sure there are no cops around.”
We’re proud, just as you are, that you are attending college, and we want you to have a safe and wonderful experience on campus. So while you’re rushing to reach class on time, or are ready to get back to your dorm room or apartment, don’t let a lack of focus on the streets keep you from being safe while on campus.
–Lori Johnston
September 19th, 2011
Just when you think you got high school figured out, it’s time to start thinking about college. Many high school students are wasting no time at all and are starting their college search during their sophomore year.
A recent study by Eduventures finds that 42 percent of high school students start looking at colleges as early as the second year of high school. The Boston company quizzed about 11,000 high school juniors and seniors in the U.S. to get their results.
Starting early is not a bad idea. In fact, getting a jump start on discovering which colleges and majors are of interest to you and how much it could cost to attend can help relieve some of the college search stress during your last year of high school. So go ahead: start thinking about whether a community college, public university, or private college is best for you. And don’t forget: starting early gives you more time to visit schools.
But starting early doesn’t mean students are narrowing the choices down more. The survey found:
• Almost 20 percent of students are now applying to 10 or more colleges and universities. (That’s a LOT of application fees!)
• The mean number of applications for high school seniors increased from 6.3 to 7.3 since 2008.
At the start of your search, you may be lured by a college’s glossy brochure showing a picturesque campus and giving an enticing overview of the reasons that you would want to attend. But as students get closer to high school graduation, the survey found them relying more on websites to get information about schools. The survey also says something you might have already suspected: Social media outlets are becoming more common among juniors and seniors. In fact, a whopping 44 percent are using YouTube channels and 41 percent are using Facebook pages.
Did you start looking at colleges as a sophomore? How much have you relied on Facebook, YouTube and other social media in your college search?
–Lori Johnston
September 15th, 2011
As a New Yorker, I’m constantly reminded of the tragic events of 9/11. I live on Staten Island, and when I’m driving through the streets, I often see two sets of street signs: one for the official name of the street, and another memorial sign that displays the name of a 9/11 victim. American flags now fly from buildings, homes, and even cars at all times of the year, not just for the 4th of July. And of course, there’s that gaping hole in our iconic skyline, as well as in the hearts of everyone who lost loved ones that day.
We’ve got so many visual reminders of 9/11 in New York City on a regular basis that it’s easy for us to forget that the rest of the country mourned that day as well, and that they will be joining us to commemorate the 10th anniversary of that tragic day on Sunday. And we sometimes forget that they’ve been joined with us ever since that day and have created memorials all throughout the country.
Colleges and universities in particular have commemorated the victims and heroes of 9/11 in some very touching ways. Over the past decade, schools have planted trees, erected statues and monuments, and funded scholarships in the memory of 9/11 victims. Many schools will also be honoring the 10th anniversary of 9/11, including these schools:
The University of Denver will sponsor a “tolerance picnic” similar to what was held 15 days after 9/11. At the time, anti-Middle Eastern sentiments caused restaurants serving Middle Eastern cuisine to see a marked decrease in customers. The university’s chancellor at the time, Dan Ritchie, held a campus picnic that was catered by nine Middle Eastern restaurants in Denver. This unifying gesture will be repeated this year on September 12, when the dining halls will close for lunch so that the meal can instead be catered by Middle Eastern restaurants in the area. Additionally, a tulip tree stands near the Sturm College of Law in memory of 1996 law graduate Mari-Rae Sopper, who was a passenger on Flight 77 that struck the Pentagon.
Two alumni of Susquehanna University—Colleen Supinski ’96 and Chris Vialong ’93—were among those we lost a decade ago. In 2002, the university dedicated a memorial to them on campus. Since then, SU purchased a 124-pound piece of debris from Ground Zero, and it will be added to the memorial as part of a rededication ceremony on September 11.
At Roanoke College, the Sigma Chi house has a plaque in memory of Stephen LaMantia, who was one of the many Cantor Fitzgerald employees who died on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower. The fraternity also offers a scholarship in LaMantia’s name for Roanoke students “whose parents have died in the line of duty.”
Another Cantor Fitzgerald employee, Frank T. Aquilino, is memorialized with a scholarship at his alma mater, York College of Pennsylvania.
Matthew T. McDermott, an Eckerd College alumnus who perished when the towers fell, is honored by his alma mater with an annual golf tournament. This is a fitting tribute to McDermott, who was a passionate golfer, and the tournament has raised more than $150,000 in funds for an endowed scholarship in his name. The scholarship is awarded annually to a senior on the men’s and/or women’s golf team who has demonstrated leadership both on and off the golf course.
The University of Rochester is home to the Jeremy L. Glick Memorial Scholarship. Glick was one of the brave people aboard Flight 93 who helped thwart attempts to crash that plane into the U.S. Capitol. Glick was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity, and so the scholarship in his name is awarded to students in fraternities or sororities demonstrating financial need.
Please share in the comments section any of the other countless ways in which colleges and universities honor the victims of 9/11.
–Barbara Bellesi
September 9th, 2011
For years, “recession” has been the word on everyone’s lips. We’ve fretted about students dropping out of school in droves, because who could afford the cost of higher education? But, as it turns out, the recession’s effect on college enrollment – among traditional-age, first-time students (that’s you!) – is nothing to cry about.
According to a new report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, overall enrollments of new students rose from 1.997 million in 2006 to 2.135 million in 2010 – an increase of 6.8 percent. Public and private colleges, two-year and four-year, have maintained and even increased enrollments. The report, “National Postsecondary Enrollment Trends: Before, During, and After the Great Recession,” also examines enrollment patterns by region. Use this interactive tool to check out enrollment trends in your neck of the woods.
Kickin’ it at community college
Gone are the days when the only choice for high school grads is a four-year college. Research reveals that community college has become all the rage. In 2006, 41.7 percent of traditional-age students enrolled at two-year colleges; in 2009, 44.5 percent did so. Did you catch that? Almost half of all the kids going to college are opting for two-year schools.
But what’s in store for community colleges now that the recession is behind us? (Officially, the recession ran from December 2007 to June 2009, though we’re still experiencing its effects.) Between 2008 and 2009, enrollments of traditional-age, first-time students at two-year colleges increased by 8.3 percent. By 2010, however, enrollments decreased by 5.1 percent. The report suggests that many students flocked to community colleges because they couldn’t afford to go elsewhere. But time and again, these schools have proved to be an excellent higher education choice – Jill Biden herself has called community colleges “one of America’s best-kept secrets.”
The report also suggests that during the recession, students who would have gone to work right after high school opted to go to community college instead. Now, with a college education, these students can have much better employment opportunities than they would have had with just a high school diploma. Maybe the recession brought some good our way after all.
Staying in school
Another interesting feature of the recession research is the exploration of retention vs. persistence. Retention refers to a student’s continuing enrollment at the same college and persistence means a student’s continuing enrollment at any college. Oftentimes, we hear about low retention rates and bemoan the fact that students are dropping out of school. But without looking at persistence, we’re not getting the full story.
The research reveals that first- to second-year persistence rates were about 13 percentage points higher than retention rates. So students may have left one school, but they continued their education at another. This is especially true at community colleges, which were found to have the greatest gaps between retention and persistence. But as long as students are going to school somewhere, does it matter that it’s not where they started out? I don’t think so.
And more good news: though persistence rates were higher than retention rates, the report did not reveal significant drops in retention or persistence rates overall. So the recession didn’t bring about the mass dropouts we feared.
Improving your situation by pursuing higher education is always a good choice – no matter what the economic climate.
–Robyn Tellefsen
August 30th, 2011
When you’re in college, you have the ability to buy food, clothes, iTunes purchases, and other things that may have required your parents’ permission in high school.Sure, there are major purchases like books, but the feeling of freedom that comes with being able to swipe a debit or credit card to buy something, big or small, on impulse is one that some students can’t resist. But when the bills arrive, it can be very stressful, especially if you don’t have enough money in your bank account to pay them.
So while you’re having fun meeting your new roommate and hallmates in the dorms, get real with yourself about spending. Jason Alderman, personal finance expert and the senior director of Global Financial Education Programs for Visa, offers a few tips to help you manage your finances in college:
1. Create and stick to a budget
2. Pay bills on time
3. Keep credit card balances low
4. Monitor your credit score
If you are looking to open a new checking account, don’t just choose the first place you see (or the one giving away a free koozie). Find a bank or credit union that offers these cost-saving benefits:
• No monthly usage fee
• No minimum balance
• ATMs near you (that can keep you from out-of-network ATM fees)
• Sign up for text or email alerts to let you know when your balance falls below a certain level, when payments are due, or when checks and deposits clear
School – and paying for school – can be stressful enough. So don’t add to it by making money mistakes your first semester. You may feel pressure from friends who have a larger budget than you to go shopping with them, blow your budget on road trips, buy pizza every night, or splurge on weekly pedicures. But at the same time, there are plenty of other students who can survive on a super-small budget where ramen noodles and an ongoing search for freebies are the norm.
You also can go onto Mint.com or other sites that allow you to track your spending.
Will freshman year be your first time managing your finances? Are you worried about overspending or keeping track of your spending? If you think you’re a pro at this, what are some tips you can offer to other students? One of the biggest lessons you can learn, starting your freshman year, is how to carefully manage your money. And that’s something that will stay with you for life!
–Lori Johnston
August 19th, 2011
Dorms or residence halls are the most common living situation for students heading off to school. Both give you the opportunity to live among other students your age or with your same major. There’s no doubt the relationships you form in a dorm could last throughout your college career.
But not all schools guarantee housing for freshman, especially if on-campus housing is limited. And it seems like every fall you hear of schools who have overbooked their dorms, causing some students to live in the dorm’s student lounges or with resident advisors. Or some are sent to hotels. Students at New York University were sent to a hotel last year, and some may be doing the same year. Students at Daemen College in Amherst, NY can stay at a Homewood Suites near the school while waiting for a spot on campus or in a renovated housing development where students from a variety of schools live.
At Virginia Tech, some students were enticed by “buyouts” to cancel their housing contracts; the offer was guaranteed suite housing and early preferences for housing next year, plus $300 in dining dollars.
Consider these other college housing options:
1. Find a family setting.
Some families offer rooms in their homes for student during the academic year. It’s a good option for students who want to have a family environment and enjoy the home-away-from-home feel that a family setting provides. Sometimes these situations are connected with a nanny job opportunity, in which you could live rent free in exchange for watching the homeowner’s children. Some placement agencies can help connect students with families seeking child care; in other instances, it may be connected to relationship you have with a mentor or someone from a church. You will want to discuss upfront your required financial contribution and your responsibilities as a student in the home. Plus, will they set the dreaded curfew, or will you be able to come and go as you please?
2. Rent out a basement.
Rentals in a college town don’t just include apartments, but some professors and other homeowners offer a portion of their basement, or their entire basement, for students to live in. The setup typically allows students to have their own entrance in the house, so it’s not as close quarters as living with a family. You’ll want to find out about rent costs as well as what utilities are covered in the deal. Plus, you’ll want to make sure that the basement dwelling offers some type of security, as that part of a house can be a prime target for break-ins.
3. Lodge at the sorority or fraternity house.
This is not typically the option for freshman members, but is something that sophomores and upperclassmen do as part of their involvement in a sorority or fraternity. The fraternity or sorority will have requirements for living in a chapter house, which are located on and off campus at public and private schools. It’s a plus for students whose social life will revolve around activities at the house.
4. Live in a unique dorm community.
At some schools, students from the same major, such as engineering, all live together in a home offered on or near campus through particular programs, often with student advisers. Some religious organizations also have residences for students of the same faith to bunk together.
5. House sit, or swap houses.
If you find someone who won’t be living in their home for a year, offer to house sit (for free or at a reduced rate). This could be the case if a professor is going abroad to teach. You will need to be responsible about living in someone else’s home, especially if you have friends over. Or, you could swap your current place for a condo or home in your college town. Sites like Craigslist often advertise home exchanges.
6. Think outside the box.
When it comes to finding affordable housing, some students go with even more unique choices, such as living in trailers and RVs! Now that’s one way to break the ice during Freshmen Orientation!
What’s the most unique college housing situation you’ve heard about or experienced? Let us know in the comment section below.
–Lori Johnston
August 17th, 2011
One of the most burning questions college-bound students have before the start of freshman year is: Who’s gonna bring the TV? Whichever roommate has the biggest screen usually wins, and that means a lot of prime real estate will be reserved for it in a tiny dorm room.
Although you may still be planning on bringing a TV to school with you this fall, chances are you’ll be catching the latest episodes of your favorite show on your laptop or iPad, too. Because young adults like you are watching shows and movies online, it’s one of the reasons why the number of U.S. households with TV sets has dropped for the first time in 20 years, according to data by TV ratings company Nielsen. It declined just 98.9 percent to 96.7 percent, but considering how much our society loves TV, it’s a pretty big drop.
A common sight on college campuses today is students sitting around on campus or in their dorms with a laptop. Sure, they might be checking their email, but chances are they’re catching up with the latest antics of the “Jersey Shore” cast or laughing at a scene from a recently released comedy.
Rebecca Morrow, interim director of residential life at Albright College in Reading, Penn., writes in an e-mail: “In some cases yes, students opt not to have a TV in the room. I would say that for the most part students are still bringing a television (usually a flat screen) to campus. Generally, females bring smaller televisions and guys bring larger TVs for video games.”
Chad Quinones, who is on the residence life staff at Roanoke College in Salem, Va., says that students arrange their rooms around their flat screen HD TVs, which are brought in mostly to play video games.
Are you planning on bringing a TV to college? If so, will you watch TV or movies on it, or is it mostly for playing video games with friends?
–Lori Johnston
August 8th, 2011
I never really wanted to even so much as mention Casey Anthony on this or any of CBN’s blogs, even though I strongly believe that if anyone can benefit from education at this point, it’s her. I’m breaking my silence on this issue, however, to simply say this: Don’t worry, Ohio State University. No one will hold it against you that Casey Anthony is wearing your baseball cap.
Some news outlets like TMZ have been following the freed woman around the country as she attempts to assimilate herself back into regular life. Recent photographers have spotted her in Ohio, and in some of the photos, she is seen sporting Buckeyes regalia.
OSU issued a statement: “We are never surprised to see Buckeye pride displayed across the world. Buckeye hoodies and hats have traditionally been spotted across the world, and we understand that as a result, our logo will be seen in a wide range of news situations, whether positive or negative.”
Somehow, I don’t think Ohio State fans are exactly celebrating.
–Barbara Bellesi
August 4th, 2011
Some colleges get the dubious distinction of being named a top party school by The Princeton Review or even Playboy magazine. These rankings just further show how much drinking is part of college life, which is often a temptation that causes some students to plummet academically during freshman year–usually as their perceived social status is rising.
It’s common for college students, underage or not, to say they must drink to handle the stress of school, or to spend weekends blowing off steam related to the flurry of exams, papers, and projects combined with work and financial pressures. But some colleges are paying attention to the tough topic of alcohol and drug use by offering programs and even on-campus housing where students can counter addiction.
Residence halls for students who have been treated for drug and alcohol abuse are offered by schools including Augsburg College in Minneapolis, the University of Vermont, and Rutgers University in New Jersey, USA Today recently reported. At Rutgers, the substance-free campus housing allows students to live in a place free of nicotine, alcohol, and drugs, and with access to support from counselors to handle the demands of college.
These and other efforts at schools across the country show that if you have had problems with drug and alcohol abuse in high school, you don’t have to face a losing battle in college. If you’re in this situation, consider searching for a school that is making a point not just to teach academics, but also to provide life lessons to students.
The more services and help that schools offer related to drug and alcohol abuse can put you on a better path once you graduate. Students will be better prepared to handle the stress of the real world – without using alcohol or drugs to help them through it.
–Lori Johnston
May 9th, 2011
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