Posts filed under 'Pop culture & college'
Let’s face it. This year’s graduating class at Arizona State University had one of the best commencement speakers possible: the President of the United States. With approximately 60,000 audience members gathered in the university’s football stadium – named Sun Devil Stadium – Obama asked graduates to eschew materialistic endeavors in favor of a leading a life of commitment and service to the community.
“It is clear that we need to build a new foundation – a stronger foundation – for our economy and our prosperity, rethinking how we educate our children, and care for our sick, and treat our environment,” said the president.
But unlike most commencement speakers, Obama didn’t receive an honorary degree from the school at which he was speaking. In deference to a tradition of not honoring elected officials, Arizona State University announced prior to the ceremony, that they would not be bestowing a degree upon the president.
Obama understood, even joking about the matter.
“Now, before I begin, I’d just like to clear the air about that little controversy everyone was talking about a few weeks back,” he said. “I have to tell you, I really thought this was much ado about nothing, but I do think we all learned an important lesson. I learned never again to pick another team over the Sun Devils in my NCAA brackets. It won’t happen again.”
For more on the story, head over to Yahoo! News.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
May 15th, 2009
How’s this for procrastination? After dropping out of college approximately 15 years ago, Jimmy Fallon is finally going to receive his bachelor’s degree.
As a former player on Saturday Night Live and the current host of Late Night, Fallon’s long been majoring in humor. But back when he attended the College of St. Rose in Albany between 1992 and 1995, Fallon had his eye first on computer science and then on communications. It’s for the latter discipline that he’ll be receiving his degree this month.
Although Fallon had left college with just a semester left to complete, he was able to earn the last few credits he needed by submitting a portfolio of his work from over the years.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
May 12th, 2009
Amazing! Never thought I’d see my name next to old Bill Shakespeare.
– Ashton Kutcher, @aplusk, via Twitter
Well, to be honest, Ashton, neither did we! But it seems the world of academics is trying to get a little more pop-culture relevant each day – or at least in the UK, it is. According to The Guardian newspaper, cited in this Australian article, the British government is pushing to reinvent the curriculum for primary schools by making classes more tech-savvy.
While all the old subjects and staples will still be present, teachers will be encouraged to be more flexible, integrating lessons on Wikipedia, blogging, podcasting, and even – yes, Ashton – Twitter. (Though I thankfully doubt the courses would focus on analyzing Ashton’s latest tweets on the merits of chest hair.)
Naturally, there are already some detractors popping up to put down the overhaul. John Bangs of the National Union of Twitterers sorry, Teachers, accuses the government recommendations of jumping on the latest trends. That’s a bit over-simplified. According to the article, the report stresses the importance of studying these networks in order for students to familiarize themselves with effective global communication. Students would also have to improve their typing skills and – let’s all be thankful – their spelling as well.
So count me on the side of the UK government. The sooner kids learn how to effectively and safely use the Internet, the better.
And as always, check out what’s happening with the CollegeBound Network on Twitter!
– Genevieve M. Blaber
March 26th, 2009
Last night I had the pleasure of joining the Girl’s Night Out event (GNO) on Twitter. Hosted by Mom It Forward, GNO set lifelong learning as its topic, but discussion eventually covered everything from juggling school while handling children to getting your own kids into the college of their dreams.
Whether the participants were thinking about school for themselves or someone else, one thing was certain: GNOers love learning and they know that the conventional college answers may not be the right solution for every budding student. That’s why it’s important to take a look at all your options, from online schools and continuing education, to career schools and certification.
If you’re interested in checking out what the panelists had to say on all these topics and more, you can use Search.twitter.com to find all tweets marked with the GNO hashtag (#GNO). You can also check out the “Moms Back at School” page for more up-to-date info on bringing an education back into your life or head over to Mom It Forward and enjoy more discussion about last night’s GNO.
And if you’re not already doing so, make sure to follow us on Twitter!
– Genevieve M. Blaber
March 4th, 2009
In the spirit of a winter break, you may want to sit back, relax, and enjoy some movies that take you back to your high school days. Whether these days were years ago, last year, or you are currently living them, these high school movies are sure to keep you entertained. They are definitely some of my faves and have kept me occupied throughout many-a-vacay. Here, I’ve shared with you CB’s Top 10 High School Movies (And Why I Love Them). Take a look to see if your picks are on there and let us know what we might have missed!
Everyone has a favorite movie. What’s yours?
-Amanda Fornecker
Photo: Paramount
December 15th, 2008
With just about two weeks left until Christmas and Hanukkah, you might be at a loss for what to get the collegebound student in your life. Luckily for you, we here at College – U. Got It? have created a one-of-a-kind gift guide to help you through the holidays. While these items probably aren’t on your friend or loved one’s list, they’re just the kind of unique and college-geared presents that will make any teen happy.
You Might Get Bored if You’re a Borg
I was a devout disciple of the Church of Apple during my university days — and most college students still are. While it can be reassuring to know that you’re not the only victim of a Mac-attack, seeing seas of sterling silver and glossy white laptop cases in lecture can get pretty boring. With Gelaskins, however, you can jazz up your Mac, iPod, phone, and even PC, with unique and removable skins that borrow designs from artists both world-famous (M.C. Escher!) and contemporary (Kozyndan).
Price: $14.95 – $29.95, depending on what device you’re buying a skin for.
Also Cool: DecalGirl covers both your computers and your game consoles.
iPod urDorm
Does your college student think s/he is a work of art? Want to make that dream a reality? Then opt for these custom-made prints from iPop My Photo. The iconic black and vibrantly-colored iPod advertisements are as much a pop culture staple as Andy Warhol’s multi-colored Madonna prints, making them a welcome addition to any dorm decor. Best yet, you can customize it with the color and photo you want and specify whether your subject should be rendered with or sans iPod.
Price: $19.95
Also Cool: Andy Warhol-inspired prints from allPopart.com make room for speech bubbles, $300 and up
Use Your Mind, Be on Time
Every student — and adult — knows how easy it is to just hit the snooze and catch more Zs. But the Puzzle Alarm Clock from Bim Bam Banana doesn’t let you drift off so easily thanks to an alarm setting that requires some quick puzzle skills, and more than a little coherence, to shut it off. Your college students will be wide awake before s/he knows what hits him — after all, the alarm sends the puzzle pieces soaring into the air and your student jumping out of bed to retrieve and reassemble them in order to regain the sweet bliss of silence.
Price: $99
Also Cool: Clocky from PerpetualKid.com takes off and rolls around the room, $49.99
Why So Wi-fi?
On college campuses everywhere, only one thing is more important than food, grades, and dating: wireless (wi-fi) access. Though more and more colleges and restaurants are establishing their own wireless networks, finding the right study spot with a strong enough signal to survive your data demands can still be a daunting task: Take out your laptop, turn it on, check networks, move and start again. ThinkGeek’s Wi-Fi Detector Shirt takes care of all this by continuously searching for and displaying the quality of wi-fi signals in the area. It’s the perfect gift for students on the go.
Price: $19.99
Also Cool: The Personal Soundtrack Shirt from ThinkGeek makes every moment musical, $39.99
– Genevieve M. Blaber
December 11th, 2008
I’ve been a more-than-avid gamer ever since I first laid hands on an Atari, but I’ve also had to put up with hearing from teachers and education professionals who proclaimed that video games would rot your brain and turn you into a couch potato. That’s why I was glad to see a little bit of news to the contrary, today.
According to Youth Music, one of biggest music charities in Great Britain, music-oriented game titles like Guitar Hero and Rock Band may be responsible for sparking children’s and teen’s interests in music. Using data collected from 12 million youth — aged 3 to 18 — Youth Music found that six million of them played music games, and a fifth of that number decided to learn how to play an instrument as a result.
That means that approximately 1.2 million of children and teens in Great Britain have had a musical world of opportunity open up to them thanks to picking up a game controller. And it doesn’t stop there either. Becoming a musician, or even a composer, is a legitimate career that’s in demand in practically every industry — from movies and TV, to CDs and games.
In fact, in recognition of the major role music has always played in the world, traditional colleges and universities regularly devote space and faculty, and sometimes entire programs to helping students prepare for musical careers. It’s worth looking into whether you’re regular virtuoso or simply a first-time guitar player inspired by Guitar Hero’s rockin’ chords.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
December 1st, 2008
How’s this for an all-star? Myron Rolle, a safety for Florida State University, was just awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. The honor didn’t come easily though; not only did Rolle finish his pre-med program in just two and half years with a 3.75 GPA, he also managed to juggle his interview in front of the scholarship panel with a performance in one of his team’s most important games of the season.
After finding out that he and Parker Goyer, a former women’s tennis player for Duke University, had been selected to attend the University of Oxford (also known as Oxford University) in England care of the Rhodes Scholarship program, Rolle raced to the game on a private plane. Although the game was already in progress, Rolle made it in time to play in the second quarter and celebrate the 37-3 win with teammates.
Whether Rolle’s future lays in the N.F.L. or in Oxford is still up in the air but, should he choose the latter, the Rhodes Scholar has indicated interest in a one-year master’s degree program in medical anthropology with plans to work as a doctor in a clinic in the Bahamas.
– Genevieve M. Blaber
Photo courtesy of the Florida State University Sports Information Department
November 25th, 2008
At College – U. Got It?, we’re always on the lookout for guest bloggers. This week we asked Vincent Mackey, an administrative assistant for The CollegeBound Network, to share his advice and past experience with working an unpaid internship.
The most important thing I got from college was actually the six months of free labor I gave as an intern. While a lot of people I know scoff at this statement and don’t understand why anyone would want to work for free, it was the best choice I made.
Still skeptical? Read on to find how your thoughts compare to reality…
I can’t afford to work an unpaid internship. Yes, you can! Fall semester of my sophomore year of college, I was thinking the same when I was offered an opportunity to work at Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y) office as an unpaid intern. I was a full-time student and already working a part-time job at a deli on the weekends. What I hadn’t realized until then was that most internships rarely ask for more than 20 hours per week. I was able to attend my internship two days a week, while still working my weekend job and attending the rest of my college courses.
I would rather get a paid internship. You could, but finding an internship that pays is difficult, let alone finding one with prestige. I chose Senator Clinton’s office not only because it was something I was interested in, but because it would allow me to work with real professionals — while adding an impressive line to my resume! I could have taken a paid internship as the mailroom guy in a magazine company, but then I wouldn’t be able to tell prospective employers how I used to prepare daily schedules for a senator of New York and regularly corresponded with Secret Service agents (real work!).
I’m not qualified to work at a cool internship. I soon discovered the best part about acquiring an unpaid internship: they’re not too hard to get. Employers understand that a college intern will be completely inexperienced and, let’s face it, they can’t be too picky with people they’re not paying. Two things that you will need to remember though, are to create a good resume (hint: base the resume on college courses you are currently taking and not on unrelated work experience) and to dress presentably. After you’ve done this, apply and apply often.
But how do I find applications for the internships I want? Create a list of companies you want to intern for and go Internet surfing for applications. Most large companies will almost always offer some type of internship program and if they don’t, call and ask anyway. Another good resource is your college’s career advisement center. Sometimes overlooked by college students, the center can be extremely useful in developing resumes, discovering a career path, and acquiring internships. This is also the only place where you can find out about receiving college credits for your internship or even travel and lunch stipends offered non-inclusively by unpaid internships.
Aside from being an eyebrow-raiser at interviews, working at Senator Clinton’s office had many other perks. I got to meet the senator herself, saw how professionals work firsthand, and was given a great confidence booster. (Not to mention, my girlfriend was happy I was more than a sandwich slinger at a deli all through college).
I admit that I was skeptical at first, but once I realized the potential that could come from working an unpaid internship, I continued on with two more unpaid internships.
Post a comment: What’s your ideal internship?
– Vincent Mackey
November 19th, 2008
Whether you’re aiming to be a celeb, or just want to make a career for yourself, the road to success may be surprisingly devoid
of the red-carpet treatment. You might find yourself working an anything-but-glamorous summer job or having to settle for your second- or third-choice university, but you should never give up on aspiring to more. In fact, you’d be surprised at how many of your favorite celebrities have gone from working minimum-wage jobs to having their names appear in lights.
So before you give up on your dream career or school, take a look at some of these celeb tales and see how they stuck it out for the better. Would you believe that Mariah Carey is a beauty school dropout?
– Genevieve M. Blaber
November 14th, 2008
Next Posts
Previous Posts
