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Do the Ends Justify the Mean? The Positive and Negative Effects of Cyber Shaming and Cyber Bullying4/27/2015 “#908: We get it. You're miss Tennessee. You can stop posting pictures now.”
![]() It’s the middle of rush week, and she’s in a hurry. Her still-wet hair is wrapped in a towel as she rushes to make her bed and lay out her outfit for the coming night. As a double major, she’s had a full day of classes and now looks forward to a long night filled with sorority events. Suddenly, a resident walks hesitantly into her room, looking for someone in whom to confide. The busy resident advisor stops what she’s doing, invites the girl to sit on the bed with her and encourages her to share the burden she’s been buried beneath all day. The most notable feature about this account is the RA’s eyes. Warm and brown, they are full of genuine concern as she talks her resident through her troubles. They sparkle with enthusiasm once she’s begun to help the girl resolve her frustrations. All the while, there is an overwhelming conscience that this room is bursting with support and sisterly love. This is a typical afternoon for junior Molly Thomas, the resident advisor of White House. RAs are responsible for managing the various housing locations on campus. Each freshman house is composed of a triad of two RAs and a spiritual life advisor to share responsibilities. With 48 residents per house, it can be easy for a resident to feel invisible. But not in Thomas’ house. “Molly is different from other RAs because she is more than just a figure of authority. She is a friend,” Natalie Hagedorn, spiritual life advisor of White House, said. Hagedorn, having only met Thomas three weeks before the start of school, knows her as a genuine and positive person who is filled with enthusiasm. “You can see it in the way her eyes light up that she is incredibly passionate about what she does. I love being able to work with her,” Hagedorn said. Thomas first became interested in becoming an RA as a sophomore, seeking an opportunity to gain leadership experience. But it was the opportunity to be a positive role model in the lives of young women that convinced her to take on the job. “I prayed long and hard about what I wanted to be involved in this year,” Thomas said. “In combining a leadership role with my passion for younger women, this is the perfect job. I can grow alongside my residents spiritually and academically.” With a laugh Thomas added, “It helps that I have the best residents on campus.” Becoming an RA was a particularly ambitious endeavor for Thomas, as she is heavily involved in her community. This year she serves as the director of the philanthropy Anchor Splash, is a junior honor board member for her sorority Delta Gamma, is the director of administration for the women’s ministry Wonderfully Made, serves on the board of directors for the service project Bus for Boyamba and works at J. Crew. While her list of activities leaves her struggling to find balance, she embraces all her activities with equal enthusiasm. “The most challenging part has been time management, or lack thereof,” Thomas said. “Ideally, in a perfect world, I’d be here every minute of every day investing in my residents, but I have classes, I have work, I have my sorority, and I have a great group of friends that all demand my time.” While there are difficulties, being an RA is not without its perks. Compensation includes room and board, the standard meal plan, free leadership training, and a reduced cost of laundry services. Still, her favorite part of being an RA is the invaluable relationships she has built with residents. “Molly really leads by example. She believes in what she does and she is passionate about helping her residents,” long-time-friend Brennan Lee, a junior at Pepperdine University, said. “I’ve known Molly for a long time, and she has always been a compassionate, energized person. But since becoming an RA, she has grown into something more. She is a role model now.” Being so passionate about her position as RA, it comes as no surprise that her residents adore her. “Molly is just incredible. She is so loving and caring and has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. I aspire to be like her,” Christy Panchal, a resident of White House, said. Being an RA has helped Thomas grow and continually challenge herself, and she is grateful for the opportunity. “No matter where I end up career wise, I know my life’s vocation is to inspire young women and help build self-esteem. Being an RA is such an incredibly unique opportunity because it gives me an outlet to do so. This is exactly what I am supposed to be doing, and I love it.” See Ya, Student Loans! 3 Secrets to Land Full Ride Scholarships to Finance College Degrees4/26/2015 ![]() Mission impossible no more! All the inside secrets on how to get full ride scholarships Let’s face it: Not everyone can graduate valedictorian. Nor can everyone be a world-class athlete, a five-generation legacy for an ivy league, juggle 20 hours of community service a week with a part-time job and still find time to pile on five advanced placement classes a year. So how do non-super-human students find full ride scholarships? The answer may surprise you. Earning a full ride scholarship is no easy feat, but it’s not an impossible endeavor. That being said, it still requires hard work, ambition and yes, a healthy college resume. Slim acceptance rates and post-graduation requirements are often the underlying costs of free tuition programs, but still students are saved the long-term headache that is student loans and bank-draining semester tuition checks. Essentially, there are three types of free tuition options: Zero-tuition private schools, military programs and full ride scholarship opportunities. Tuition-Free Colleges Brace yourselves—certain schools do not require students to pay tuition. Repeat: No tuition. Huzzah! These universities commit to covering each student’s financial need through a series of work-study programs, scholarships and grants. They tend to be small universities with noteworthy reputations, and often specialize in a certain field of study. Deep Springs College “Our financial aid program is pretty simple—none of the students admitted to the college pay for tuition, room or board. The only costs the students are responsible for are books, supplies, travel and personal incidentals (toothpaste, etc.),” Niki Frishman, the office manager and bookkeeper of the university, said via email. Like a picturesque Western film, Deep Springs College has a certain undeniable charm, and is nestled on a cattle ranch and alfalfa farm in California’s High Desert. The accredited liberal arts college houses a two-year program in which each of its 26 students work on the farm as they pursue their academic endeavors. It’s an isolated school--30 miles from the nearest town—that provides a truly unique schooling environment. “Deep Springs operates on the belief that manual labor and political deliberation are integral parts of a comprehensive liberal arts education,” the school’s website reads. The faculty and student form a close-knit community, and work alongside each other outside of the classroom setting as well. The physical labor, along with private endowments, covers each students’$50,000 a year tab. College of the Ozarks The school offers a simple formula to explain the $0 tuition fee: “Work Program + Federal and State Grants + College of the Ozarks Scholarship = Your annual tuition!” Through scholarships, grants and generous beneficiaries, this Christian, Missouri-based college does not allow students to pay the $18,300 annual tuition price out of pocket. Instead, they work with each student to secure specific scholarships and grants, and then allow the student to work off the rest of the tuition through work-study programs. However, with accommodated tuition costs come certain disadvantages—namely, a slim acceptance rate of 12.2 percent. Berea College This rural Kentucky college pledges the Tuition Promise Scholarship to each of it’s students. That means that the school will make up the difference for whatever other scholarship and grant money a student earns does not cover. “For most Berea students, the Tuition Promise scholarship amounts to nearly $100,000 over four years,” the college’s website reads. “We are able to provide this level of financial assistance due to the generous support of alumni, friends, organizations, and others who believe, as we do, that a student’s income should not dictate their outcome.” Students pay roughly $870 in other expenses—that’s it. They’re even issued school laptops. The school itself is rated 69th in U.S. News’ National Liberal Arts Colleges, and approximately 34 percent of applicants are accepted. Macaulay Honors College at CUNY A City University of New York, Macaulay Honors College seeks to provide gifted students a mean to realize their dreams and give back to the city. As such, each applicant receives: ▪ Full undergraduate tuition scholarship ▪ An Apple laptop ▪ Cultural Passport to N.Y.C.’s arts and cultural venues As the CUNY honors college, the program provides unique and challenging opportunities designed to inspire and grow students into global citizens. Roughly, the school accepts about 15 percent of applicants (according to 2005 statistics). Curtis Institute of Music Although the annual price tag per student rings in at $38,728, the Curtis Institute of Music does not require that any form of tuition be paid. Instead, the music school maintains an all-scholarship policy that provides merit scholarships to all of its students. The school does factor in outside financial aid, such as grants and private scholarships, and allows students the opportunity for on-campus employment as well. The school does not provide financial assistance to all students for room and board—which totals $14,710 annually— but does accommodate those that demonstrate a profound need. As a music college, the school requires a series of auditions as well as a formal application to be considered for admission. The Philadelphia-based school is quite small, with less than 200 students per class. Academic Military Programs There are a few basic elements to sift through when it comes to military scholarships: First, there are those military academies students may attend as active-duty servicemen, and then there are the benefits provided by the GI Bill that allow veterans and their children to attend college on the government’s dime. Military Academies Don’t be fooled: Being accepted to a military academy is no easy feat. These schools rank as some of the top universities in the nation, and provide top-tier educations in exchange for a minimum of three years military service upon graduation. The top three most prestigious academies are: · U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY o Acceptance rate: 9% · U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD o Acceptance rate: 7.4% · United States Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT o Acceptance rate: 16.5% As active duty military, students who attend these institutions are not required to pay tuition, room or board. These schools provide active duty benefits for students, including a monthly cash allowance, and only require that students pay minimal fees for various activities and benefits. “When choosing colleges, financial aid was a huge factor for me. When I got accepted to West Point, that with the prestige of the school made my decision for me,” Court Harris, a 2007 West Point graduate, said. “My family has a long line of West Point graduates, and that made me even prouder to attend. I received one of the best educations available in the country, and was able to travel and see the world after my entry into the army.” Harris, who’s now using his military expertise degree along with his science in management degree as a platform to run for public office in Illinois, would not have traded his university experience for anything. “I’m a proud American, I love my country. Getting to go to college for free and serve my country; it was an honor and a privilege for me. I knew I didn’t want to be in the military forever, but my experience there was invaluable,” Harris said. “I don’t have any student debt, and since my family didn’t have to spend any money paying for my college, they bought me my dream car—a brand new Audi— for graduation. Win-win.” GI Bill Formally known as the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, the GI Bill is still a work in progress. The bill has been reformed many times—usually after every armed conflict or war—to accommodate returned veterans, and often their spouses and children. As of 2008, the bill now offers “enhanced educational benefits that cover more educational expenses, provide a living allowance, money for books and the ability to transfer unused educational benefits to spouses or children,” the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ website reads. Note that these benefits are not just for returned veterans—they can also extend to their children, meaning it’s not always a requirement to enlist after high school in order to receive these benefits. These benefits vary state by state, but one can calculate his/her GI Bill aid here. “With the signing of this bill a well-rounded program of special veterans’ benefits is nearly completed,” former President Franklin D. Roosevelt said in a statement after signing the GI Bill into law. “It gives emphatic notice to the men and women in our armed forces that the American people do not intend to let them down.” Full-Tuition Scholarships These are the holy grail of scholarships—they cover practically all college expenses including tuition, room and board, meal plans, books and more. With the broad array of expenses accommodated, however, they can be extremely competitive and only offer a slim number of spots. The top full expenses-paid scholarship programs are: Posse Scholarship “The Posse program emphasizes students in leadership roles who will push not only our personal boundaries but lead a community or group to do the same,” Celena Madlansacay, a Posse Scholarship recipient and current Pepperdine University student, said. “Posse scholars are expected to have the tenacity to excel not only in academics, but also in creating a change on campus as well. As a group we each bring something different to the table, but work well enough together in keeping one another to these standards. Students who are able to balance a multi-tasking life and constant risk taking while in leadership roles are just some of the qualities that make a candidate stand out in the interview process.” Established in 1989, the Posse Foundation selects a handful of students from 10 metropolitan areas with outstanding academic and leadership potential. The goal is simple: Give children from different cultural opportunities the means to go to college, and promote an enriched and diverse society. With a 90 percent graduation rate, the program is exceptional in fostering its students, the likes of which have attended distinguished universities from John Hopkins to Yale. However, it is not solely a minority or need-based scholarship program, and the initial application process only begs four criteria be met. Through a series of interviews and screenings, candidates are selected and narrowed until a small ‘posse’ of recipients is chosen from each area. The scholarship winners are then awarded a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to one of 52 Posse-affiliated schools. In 2014 alone, 16,000 students applied for 680 slots—meaning there’s an acceptance rate of just more than four percent. Chick Caddie Evans Scholarship ounded in 1930, this full tuition and housing scholarship program provides outstanding golf caddies with the opportunity to attend university with all expenses paid. Along with being a caddie, applicants must also demonstrate impeccable grades, unblemished character and a financial need. The scholarship is awarded to more than 800 deserving applicants every year, and requires that recipients live together in an Evans Scholarship house, found on each of the 14 campuses with which the scholarship program affiliates. Gates Millennium Scholarship Does ‘Gates’ ring a bell? It should—Bill and Melinda Gates are the founders of this competitive scholarship foundation, and offer 1,000 worthy candidates an all-expenses-paid ride to the university of their choice. Additionally, Gates Millennium Scholarship recipients are also eligible for graduate school scholarships in select areas of science and education. However, applicants must be African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American or Hispanic American in order to be eligible for the scholarship, as well as have a 3.3 un-weighted GPA and be eligible for a Pell Grant. For more outstanding scholarship opportunities, click here. ![]() How Students Cope with the Student Loan Regret, and the Decision Between Universities with Better Financial Aid Packages & Schools With More Academic Allure Let’s play a game of would-you-rather: Would you rather attend a highly prestigious university that provided little to no financial aid, or would you rather pick a less established university that offered a significant scholarship? This isn’t a hypothetical situation; in fact, it’s a commonplace conundrum faced by many students choosing an undergraduate institution. Amongst myriad factors that weigh on the college selection process, cost of attendance and academic merit are both heavyweight contenders. However, the school with the best academic appeal is not always the school that offers the best financial options, leading one to choose a tie-breaking factor: quality of education, or quantity of financial aid. If it’s the former, that often means that student loans must bear the crux of the financial burden. With a Wells Fargo study finding that a third of millennials regret choosing to attend college versus entering the work field immediately after high school, it’s clear that many students who played this ‘would-you-rather’ game might’ve chosen differently. Seven out of 10 students now graduate with debt, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau estimates total student loans in the U.S. exceeded more than $1.2 trillion in 2013. Student loan debt far surpassed credit card debt (a whopping $857 billion in 2013) and now ranks as the second largest form of consumer debt falling behind only home mortgages. But numbers and statistics aside, there’s an even harsher reality behind waiving scholarships for better schools for many of the students who make that decision. Los Angeles-based writer Nicole Adlman knows all about that. A bright and promising student, Adlman had her pick of colleges. Some with better financial aid packages, and some with better reputations. Ultimately, she chose to forgo two full-ride scholarships to attend a more prestigious university with little financial aid. It is a decision that haunts her to this day. “I received full-tuitions to Northeastern University and Penn State— Northeastern was merit-based, Penn State was a diversity scholarship—and an assortment of money to other schools to which I applied,” Adlman said. “Ultimately, I picked the school that sound the best on paper—the University of Miami.” Of the 11 universities she applied to in 2008, Adlman had her heart set on Miami. Coming from New York, she was drawn to the sunshine, the beach and the school’s top-tier ranking. She was overjoyed when she received her acceptance letter. There was just one issue, or a lack thereof: Funding. “Miami offered me nothing at first,” Adlman said. “I wrote a letter to the president, Donna Shalala, telling her how much I'd like to go to her school—after the letter, the financial aid office offered me $11,000 a year.” The $11,000 annual scholarship alleviated the university’s hefty price tag—$49,000 a year in tuition, and then room and board amongst other expenses— and helped put Adlman’s mind at ease. She’d worked hard for Miami. She wanted Miami. And now, with a discounted tuition of $38,000 a year, she decided to go for it. “Stupidity, sunshine and a desire to be far from home drew me to the school. I never imagined that I wouldn’t be happy there,” she said. When Adlman arrived, her version of academic paradise became more mind-numbing doldrums. She disliked the campus, her classes were painfully dull and suddenly the sunshine just became a constant reminder as to the expensive mistake she’d made. “My time at Miami was a breeze. A painful, excruciating breeze,” she said. “I graduated in three years because I wasn't challenged—I could pile 18 to 21 credits at a time and still make it out of the semester with a near 4.0.” A degree in her hand and her future ahead, Adlman didn’t realize what a taxing burden her loans would be until after graduation. The payments crept up, and she struggled to make ends meet. Low-balance emails from the bank plagued her inbox and voice mail. What was worse, she had a teeming pain that the only thing her loans had really bought her was unnecessary stress and an education that wasn’t worth it. Today at 24 years old, Nicole is working as a writer. She’s paying her student loans every month, although her parents have taken over as the primary holders. Still, her decision to forgo a full-ride education gives her great anguish and distress. “I would be a different person, an alternate universe-Nicole if I had taken one of the full-tuition scholarships,” Adlman explained. “It will be a very, very long time before I pay off all the loans. Time in which I could be married and have children, but the money that would have gone toward a nuclear family will go toward paying off loans. The monthly payments are essentially another apartment rent after the real apartment rent.” A Parallel Universe While Adlman’s tale of student loan heartache isn’t all that uncommon, it’s not the only scenario for students who forgo better financial aid packages to attend better universities. Graduating senior Kendall Rowden is proof of that. Like Adlman, Rowden had her heart set on a dream school. She wanted to study psychology and non-profit management at Pepperdine University, and she knew she’d have to sacrifice to do it. So she studied rigorously, piled on the AP courses and bolstered her college resume with volunteer hours, clubs and extracurricular activities. After months of waiting, Rowden received news from the university that she’d been admitted, but her financial aid package was not what she’d hoped it would be. “When it came down to picking schools, there were two main options: the honors college at Arizona State University and Pepperdine. Arizona was practically a full-ride because I lived in-state and had good grades, but Pepperdine was a much better school,” Rowden explained. “At first I got $25,000 a year in scholarship, but that wasn’t enough to cushion the $60,000 a year tuition blow. So I appealed, and ended up getting around $40,000 a year.” Rowden’s financial situation wasn’t one where she could simply make up the difference in tuition out of pocket. Loans were a must. But instead of tackling the loan burden herself, Rowden’s parents offered to tackle the finances for her. “My mom and dad cried at first because they thought they couldn’t afford it, so they said they would do anything to get me here because I worked so hard,” Rowden said. “My parents took out the loans and are paying them. I signed the papers but they pay for them. I’m never going to have to pay my parents back; it’s an incredible thing that they’re doing for me.” Rowden’s parents, who now reside in Texas, both paid for their college educations through loans, and hope to spare their daughter the burden of starting a professional career with loan repayments. The price is high, but the value of their daughter’s education is higher for them. “I don’t regret taking out student loans because Pepperdine is my dream school and I worked so hard to get here. My degree was worth the cost,” Rowden said. “Because of my hard work at Pepperdine and just having the university’s name on my degree, I got a full-ride offer for graduate school [at Texas A&M].” What’s more, Rowden is motivated by her parents sacrifice. She was driven before, but now she’s more determined than ever to succeed in her academic pursuits. “The thing that makes me so motivated to make good grades is knowing that my parents sacrificed so much for me to be here and I need to take advantage of the education I have, cant screw it up,” she said. “To others in my position, I would say go for the better school, in the end you’ll get a better degree more people will be willing to hire you.” Words of Wisdom There is no cookie-cutter mold for picking a college, and each student’s decision carries different implications and benefits. Not all students who choose to take out loans will regret that decision, although many will. The problem then, is this: Why are many students learning about the implications of loans after they graduate? “In high school, they plaster you about scholarships but the reality is most people are going to take out loans. So why isn’t there more loan education in the first place?” Rowden said. Rowden isn’t alone in that assumption either. In a 2013 Wells Fargo study, 79 percent of millennials surveyed said they wish they been taught more about personal finance in high school, particularly in regards to how loans work. Adlman, too, expressed this desire for early student loan education as well. “My guidance counselor, Mrs. Wilson, did nothing but make sure I applied to ‘X’ number of schools. There were no real in-depth discussions about what factors should be most important when coming to a final decision,” Adlman said. “I hate to think that all my loan issues could’ve been avoided had I been taught about loans before I took them out.” And while students like Rowden would make their decision to take out loans all over again, Adlman advises caution. “Above all, take the money,” Adlman said. “There may be a lot of anguish, guilt and Chase low balance notifications if you don't. Be educated before you choose where to go. Do the math. But above all, take the money if money is offered to you. An undergraduate education isn't worth what they charge in the U.S., which means it absolutely isn't worth paying for out of pocket (whether your own or a lender's.)“ ![]() New study reveals sharp link between student loans and depressive symptoms in college students, young adults The logic behind student loans is simple: Take out a loan, go to school, graduate and get a job to pay back the debt. Simple. But what if the very act of taking out a student loan actually hurt one’s ability to repay it? In a recent study at the University of South Carolina in conjunction with the University of California Los Angeles, researchers found a significant relationship between students with debt and depression. According to the study, students with debt are more likely to experience depressive symptoms. While this may seem common sense, the study provides groundbreaking insight into the student loan crisis: The stress felt after taking out student loans may be so overwhelming, that it prevents borrowers from ever paying back their student debt. “The costs of education are rising, and many industries are still in recovery from the last economic downturn. In addition, research has revealed a larger percentage of young adults possess B.A. degrees, which has led more students to pursue graduate training to get a leg-up over their peers,” Dr. Eric D. Nelson, a licensed physiologist at Pepperdine University, said. “In general, when demands (debt) outweigh resources (income), this can be threatening, which can likely contribute to increased depression, in my opinion.” In the past three decades, four-year college tuition rates rose 250 percent, accounting for inflation. With that, the ability to afford college for many students depends on student loans. Seven in ten seniors report graduating with debt, and the average student loan price tag is upwards of $28,400 per borrower. But higher education isn’t a frivolous expense; it’s an investment. Right? It’s simple: Too much student debt and too little income create tension and anxiety, which can lead to depressive symptoms and stress. This stress can translate to an inability to perform well academically or professionally, and make it more difficult to find financial success to pay back loans. “Depression can lead to hopelessness, and a student might simply give up on paying back loans, not realizing that there are programs out there specifically designed to assist them. Instead, they may accidently default on their loans, which only worsens their financial situation and increases the depression,” Nelson added. As a psychologist at Pepperdine University’s counseling center, Nelson understands the pressures students face. In regards to the subsequent depression associated with student loans, Nelson speculated that this lower level of emotional functioning could inhibit a student’s ability to perform in school, and thus also hurt that student’s chance of securing a job or performing well thereafter. “Some of the symptoms of depression include poor concentration, difficulty sleeping, lack of motivation, and decreased energy, all of which can have a major impact on ability to work effectively both academically and vocationally,” Nelson said of depressions’ impact on a student’s ability to perform in school as well as in a career. Just the facts (from the study), mam “We expected to find a link between student loans and mental health because prior research had found that financial strain and other forms of debt are also linked to mental health,” Dr. Katrina Walsemann, Phd, MPH, the study’s lead researcher and a professor at the university of South Carolina, wrote via email. Published in November 2014, the study, “Sick of our loans: Student borrowing and the mental health of young adults in the United States,” concluded that several factors played into student loan related depression, such as parental wealth and the type of higher education institution (i.e. a 4-year school, a 2-year school, or a combination of the two for transfer students). The study noted that while there is extensive research about the effects of debt on psychological well being, there hasn’t been any prior research on the effects of student loans on mental health. “Our data indicate that student loans are associated with poorer psychological functioning,” Walsemann, Dr. Gilbert Gee and Dr. Danielle Gentile, the co-authors of the study, wrote in their journal findings. “This association is seen both for the cumulative amount of student loans borrowed across the course of schooling, as well as for the yearly amount of student loans borrowed while in college.” In regards to parental wealth predicting mental health for students with loans, the study found a surprising result: Students with wealthier families feel more anxiety and depression about their debt. “Our findings suggest that parental wealth moderates the association between student loans and mental health. Among wealthier families, we found that the cumulative amount of student loans borrowed was associated with poorer psychological functioning, as expected,” Walsemann, Gee and Gentile concluded. “The reverse association was found among less wealthy families, such that increasing student loans were related to better psychological functioning.” As an explanation for these results, Walsemann, Gee and Gentile concluded that students without the benefit of wealthier family backings might be in a better mental state about their loan status, as they may have already overcome great obstacles just to enroll in college. Thus, students from more financially comfortable situations may feel more anxiety and apprehension about their loans as they lack the ‘chip on their shoulder’ that might sculpt more positive outlook. Although this study provides meaningful insight into just how perplexing an issue student debt and the subsequent depression it’s associated with is, there’s still further research to be done on the topic. “This study provides preliminary evidence that student loans are associated with poorer psychological functioning while enrolled in school as well as in early adulthood,” the researchers wrote in their findings. WATCH: One Trillion Dollars, Student Debt and Higher Education: Greg Gottesman at TEDxSeattle Student Insight Student loans and the subsequent depression they incur are burdensome issues, and this enigma may actually prevent students from getting a job post-graduation, or from paying back their debts altogether. So then the dilemma is this: If taking out student loans creates such a perplex dilemma, why do it? “I was young, stupid, seventeen,” Nicole Adlman, a 24-year-old writer living in Los Angeles, said of her decision to take out student loans. “I had two full tuition scholarships to Penn State and Northeastern, but was drawn to the sunshine, warmth and what I thought would be genuine happiness at the [University of Miami]. It turned, instead, to be a life-ending decision—the life where I could live without $700-a-month to pay in debt for 20 to 30 years after school was gone.“ Like so many college students now in the real world, Adlman expressed that she wished someone had been there to help her understand the consequences of her decision. That, yes, taking out student loans to finance an education is a noble thing, but the pressure to pay back loans in one’s early 20’s, even 30’s, is immense. While some may not be presented with the options Adlman had, and thus must take out student loans if they wish to receive an education, Dr. Nelson argues that there are still steps one can take to manage student debt and the stress that accompanies it. “One of the best ways to manage the stress is to become educated about the process of paying off student loans. The government knows this is a major issue, and has many programs in place to assist students with large debts (e.g., Income Based Repayment). Many of these programs help students that are having difficulty landing a job or those that have zero income,” Nelson said, providing a preliminary solution for students to manage their student loans post-graduation. “To manage stress, stay active with friends and recreation, practice relaxation strategies (e.g., deep breathing, meditation), manage anxious thoughts, and exercise/eat well.” Still, for many students like Adlman, the stress about student loan repayment is overwhelming not only post-graduation, but during college. “I did [feel stressed about my loans] when I realized I didn’t like Miami. When I realized I had sold my soul—gotten into irrevocable debt—for palm trees and a subpar education,” Adlman said. LISTEN: DEPRESSION ON THE RISE IN COLLEGE STUDENTS (NPR) The issue remains While a link between student loans and depression may be surprising, the fact that this depression may keep students—like Adlman—from ever paying back their loans is both shocking and sobering. A slippery slope of student debt threatens to create a new economic crisis that America’s youth cannot overcome, and may eventually reshape the composition of college-eligible candidates. ![]() Cable TV is speedily becoming obsolete, while streaming services continue to skyrocket and stronghold the television industry Allison Slattery hates cable. It's not that she doesn't enjoy catching an episode of Modern Family or watching Legally Blonde on TV— it’s the commercials, the bundled channels, the hefty monthly bills and the fickle DVR she loathes. But with Netflix, all those aggravations are gone. "I'll watch anything on Netflix over cable," Slattery said. "It's just so easy to grab my laptop and turn on Netflix. Plus I can watch it anywhere versus cable, which is only at home. The TV shows I watch are never on at a convenient time for me to watch them live, so I end up recording things anyways. It's just easier to stream." Slattery, a junior public relations major, isn't alone—in a small survey, 70 percent of students claimed to have a Netflix subscription, compared to 54 percent who had cable within the same sample. Even Pepperdine University canceled its longtime subscription to Charter cable, making the switch to DirecTV and the online streaming service Philo. In recent years, cable companies have plateaued in subscriptions, as streaming giants like Netflix continue to amass customers. While cable companies themselves may not be dying out just yet, the cable services they offer may soon be obsolete. "I do think video streaming will eventually overtake cable TV," Elizabeth Smith, former KTLA live broadcast producer and current Director of Student Journalism, said. "I don’t know what it will look like exactly, but I think the quality of what's streaming now is incredible. I think this overtake will happen sooner than most people think." Industry Insight Smith, who holds an Emmy for her producing work, entered the television industry in 2005. Since, she's witnessed firsthand a drastic industry makeover due to rapidly changing technology, audience tastes and demographics. For Smith, there's one main factor that's intensifying streamed TV's race to eclipse cable. "Programming is changing everything," Smith said. In simpler terms, it's the shows that audiences are watching. Before 2013, streaming sites relied entirely on deals with major cable companies (which own content-producing cable networks) for content. Netflix's first-ever original series House of Cards shattered that completely dependent arrangement. With more and more original content, sites like Netflix will be exceedingly less reliant on networks the ABCs and CBSs of the industry for programming, Smith said. That means less money spent on acquiring existing shows, and more money spent on making new, high quality content "They can get bigger names, make fewer episodes and make them more cost-effective to produce," Smith said. "It may not shut down all of the network shows, but it will change the way production is approached. It's changing how people consume media." Smith isn't kidding about "bigger names" either; in July, the company inked a deal with Chelsea Handler for the first late night talk show exclusively available on a streaming service. On Oct. 2, Netflix announced a deal with Adam Sandler to make four exclusive movies for the company. Another reason for streamed TV's eventual dominance, according to Smith, is a generational matter. Growing up in a world characterized by the immediacy of technology, younger generations crave a television service where they can watch what they want, for as long as they want, whenever they want. "Millennials are not going to be satisfied waiting for content on cable; TV show season aren’t going to exist eventually," Smith said, referencing Netflix's model of released-all-at-once series like Orange is the New Black. "Millennials understand how easy technology can make things. Technology has made things more personal; you can watch an entire series in one night if you want. Content is becoming more individualized, just like technology, and that generation is more in tune to that." Pepperdine's Switch from Cable to Streaming Pepperdine University canceled its Charter cable subscription in the fall 2013 semester in favor of Philo, a college-centered streaming service, and DirecTV. Luke Bost, assistant director of housing, cited better services for low prices as the main reason why the university cut ties with cable. "Charter was not prepared to offer more channels and provide Pepperdine with DVR opportunities. That is one of the main reasons that we switched to Direct TV," Bost explained. "It provides many more channels, DVR access for the main lobby areas, satellite television access for all apartment living rooms and an opportunity for students to order their own personal Direct TV package. Philo was a byproduct of the entire conversation." Bost also claimed that students' preference for streamed TV swayed the university's decision to cut the cord with cable services. "We knew at the time that most students were streaming Amazon, Hulu and Netflix instead of watching Charter TV," Bost said. Unlike Slattery, there are students who still enjoy cable TV. Junior Jazmyne Adeneye is one of them. "I have cable and HBO, and I use it every single day," Adeneye said. "There are certain shows I have to tune-in for, but most shows I record and watch later because I don’t want to watch commercials. I only have cable at home, and Netflix is usually older shows." A National Trend Cable giants like Comcast and Time Warner Cable, who are working to close a $45 billion merger, aren't suffering financially at the hands of streaming-exclusive competitors just yet. Comcast alone reported $5.18 billion in video revenue in the first quarter of 2014 as compared to Netflix, which raked in nearly a fifth of that with $1.27 billion, according to statistics compiled by Varitey.com. While Netflix isn't rolling in the cash that big name cable companies are, consider this: Comcast is 51-years-old; Netflix is less than 20. At first exclusively a mail-based video rental business, Netflix launched instant video streaming in 2007, according to the company's public relations website. That coupled with the company's streaming partnership with X-Box, Blu-ray and Apple, Netflix subscriptions jumped 26 percent within the year. Eager to expand its already impressive audience, Netflix sought new markets. In 2010, they found it: the Netflix Apple Store app. With streaming available for iPhones and iPads, Netflix experienced a whopping 63 percent boost in subscriptions, finishing the year with nearly 20 million subscribers. Today, Netflix is a titan in the television business. It boasts more than 50 million customers worldwide, claiming more than 35 million subscribers in the U.S. alone, according to Netflix. Combined, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have 33 million domestic customers, according to Pew Research. Witnessing firsthand the lightening-speed success Netflix is enjoying, cable companies are following suit. ABC, CBS, AT&T and many other networks now have apps for customers to watch select video content on their mobile devices and laptops. Even Comcast is now offering the streaming services Streampix and Xfinity in addition to cable subscriptions. These new features may just be the beginning of a long process of swapping cable services for streaming. But if customers like Slattery are any indication, cable companies may be eliminating cable altogether sooner rather than later. "Why would I bother with cable? Netflix is just too easy," Slattery said. ![]() Before the turkeys even cold, it happens—Black Friday. Just 24 hours before, families are giving thanks for their loved ones, serving up rich, home-cooked meals and overstuffing their bellies with everything from decadent sweet potato casserole to the last slice of pumpkin pie. Then, the Dr. Jekyll-and-Mr. Hyde switch flips, and families quickly disperse into the materialistic madness that kicks off the holiday shopping season. Mothers who 24-hours before were carving the Thanksgiving turkey are trampling shoppers-turned-competitors to fit through the sliding Wal-Mart doors, fathers abandon their posts at the head of the table to camp out for hours in front of Best Buy and the 'thankful' family that existed on family deteriorates into the mess of Black Friday madness. But it doesn't have t be that way. Black Friday is the first shopping day of the holiday season, always falling the day after Thanksgiving. It tends to be the biggest shopping day of the year, with 2013's Black Friday raking in more than $57.4 billion dollars for retailers according to the National Retail Federation. And while the massive buying free-for-all's that color the evening news—workers getting trampled at Wal-Mart, mothers abandoning their kids in the cars to score a cheap TV—shoppers can still score big savings on Black Friday without the headache of mile-long lines and mall shoppers turned mob participants. So what's the silver lining in this dark Black Friday cloud? Check out these tips, and learn how to navigate Black Friday like a pro in no time. 1. Do Your Homework Black Friday is a big deal, people—huge! Stores spend months in advance preparing for this lucrative shopping day, and the deals are laid out well in advance. While many stores choose not to release they're promotions until hours before or even the day of, larger retailers tend to announce their slew of promotions beginning in the first week of November. "My family always goes to Wal-Mart, because they have the biggest deals every year," Antonia Freund, a freshman at Pepperdine University and yearly Black Friday shopper, said. "They have al the bargain-bins and door-busters announced well in advance, but when you get there they always do surprise flash-deals as well. My family reads the Wal-Mart ads before we go down there on Black Friday, but I also read the advertisements for other big stores too: Target, Macy's Dillard's, Best Buy." Insider tip? Sign up for stores' email lists to hear about the deals first. 2. Pick Your Battles There's a time to wait in line for massively marked down goods, and then there's a time to settle for slightly more expensive prices and preserve one's sanity. "I've seen people wait in line for hours, but personally I have a 20-30 minute rule," Freund explained. "If the deals are really good, and you've got a lot items you know you need for the holiday season in your basket, then maybe you can justify a 45-minute wait. Otherwise, just move on to the next store." 3. All About the Timing In simpler times, Black Friday started on, well, Friday. Today, many Black Friday deals start on Thanksgiving day, and last throughout the week. "Going midafternoon is probably you're best bet on Black Friday if you want to skip most of the crowds and still get goof deals," Jordan Shaner, a sales associate at J. Crew in Malibu said. While Black Fridays at J. Crew tend to be tamer according to Shaner, she's experienced the rush of crowds working retail at other stores. "I worked the midnight to 4 a.m. shift at Levi's and it was crazy," she said. "The deals were better earlier and there was also more merchandise for customers to shop through, so way more people came. It was awful though. Customers are so rude, the lines are outrageous, you can hardly walk and the sales associates are still tired from Thanksgiving the day before." The lesson here: While shopping in the afternoon may yield less abundant merchandise and deals, shoppers can still score discounts—and skip the crowds. 4. Tell me what you want, what you really really want The golden rule of shopping: Go into a store with purpose. Make you holiday shopping list early, pick out what you'll buy (and more importantly what you won't), and shop with the end in mind. "Shoppers generally spend more money on items they don't necessarily need when they go in 'just to look around," Shaner said. 5. What not to buy "Certain things just never go on sale—watches, expensive designer items, newly-released technology like an iPhone 6," Justin Ago, a sales associate at Nordstrom's and menswear specialist, said. If you're going to buy these kinds of items, just wait until Black Friday is over. Chance's are they'll still be there, and you won't have to deal with giant crowds in order to pay for them." As for what to buy on Black Friday? Electronics, toys, accessories and clothing tend to be marked down most, so take advantage of the discounts! 6. David and Goliath effect There are two types of retailers in the Black Friday world—the mega-retailers like Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy, and the smaller stores like Bath & Body Works, Express and Nike. Aside from size, the main difference is that the larger retailers offer a wide array of products, while the smaller retailers offer more specialized, quality merchandise. While many different types of stores participate in Black Friday, it's the large retailers who offer the biggest savings on the widest range of products. Take note when making your Black Friday game plan, and be sure to check smaller retailer's websites 24-hours before Black Friday begins for updated deals. "Working Black Friday at a small boutique is an entirely different experience," Allison Slattery, a past employee of Enchantments boutique in Naperville, Illinois, said. "Sure you get big deals with bigger companies, and small boutiques can't compete with that. But shopping boutiques, you'll usually find more quality and unique items. Plus, it's supporting local business." 7. Hey, Big Spender The average Black Friday shopper will spend $380.95 this year—down a slight six-and-a-half percent from last year's $407.02 per customer. To put it into perspective, the NRF estimates the average consumers will spend $459.87 on gifts for family during the holiday season in 2014, and $80 on gifts for friends. Clearly, Black Friday shoppers are ready to get their holiday shopping over with, and fast. Whether you're planning on knocking out your entire shopping list, or just snagging a few discounted goods, set a budget for yourself that you won't allow yourself to cross. 8. Cyber Monday vs. Black Friday Why fight the Black Friday hoards when you can stay in bed, keep you pajamas on and score the same deals? That's what 126 million Americans planned to do on Cyber Monday, according to NRF. Begun as a spin-off to in-store Black Friday deals, Cyber Monday offers shoppers big deals only online, and often times free shipping guaranteed before Christmas day. "I think Cyber Monday definitely might overtake Black Friday," Slattery said. "There are still people who do Black Friday for the adrenaline rush, and that's fine. But the chance to get all of your shopping done for the holidays without leaving your house? Who's going to turn that down?" And it seems like many shoppers are already on to the trend, with NRF estimating 44 percent of consumers will do their holiday shopping online. ![]() The First Fridays in Venice Experience You Weren't Expecting The concept of First Fridays in Venice evokes a certain vision—twinkling streetlights and dozens of food trucks lined neatly together. The boutiques that dot the upscale Abbott Kinney Boulevard keep their doors open well into the night, with clusters of bemused costumers perusing through novelty merchandise and purchasing a necklace here, a top there. Large crowds of people mingle though the streets, enjoying a relaxed Friday evening. And the food—oh, the food. Imagine the rich scents of butter, garlic and spices floating from the dozens of gourmet food trucks, cloaking the thick night air in a blanket of savory aromas. Then, picture waiting in line for what seems an eternity at the famed Cousins Maine Lobster Truck, growing weary from temptation after watching people order their food and greedily devour every bite. With the soft hum of urban street noise set to the tune of growling stomachs, a lobster roll is finally served, and the exquisite taste that follows can only be described as a divine encounter, worth every second of the wait. This is not what one will find at First Friday's in Venice. Instead, the First Fridays in Venice that locals and tourists experience is a bit of a jumbled mess. The event falls on the First Friday of every month, and the experience is dominated by the street-fair-feel of food trucks. It's not the only First Friday in the greater Los Angeles area—Westchester and the L.A. Country Natural History Museum host their own—but it claims the title as the most recognized event of its kind. The shops that dot Abbott Kinney do remain open, but the insides of the stores are ghost towns. Several food trucks park along the road, but the cluster of trucks that sloppily park in the Brig parking lot drive the majority of First Fridays' traffic. The crowd is an eclectic mix, with distinguishable characteristic indistinguishable based on the poor lighting. For Venice local Suzy, who declined to provide her full name, First Fridays isn't worth the hassle. "I've lived in Venice for two years, and I've come down here three times," she said. "It's crowded and the food truck lines are obviously so long. It's hard to get something and actually enjoy it." Without the hip pulse that beats through Venice culture, the lure of gourmet food trucks and the idea of being spotted at the 'it' locale, Suzy doubts many would come to First Fridays at all. "People come down here to be seen, absolutely. It’s the hotspot, " she said. "It doesn’t have much to do with the food. I feel sorry for the restaurants in the area, because they get robbed by the food trucks." Another bite that puts a bad taste in Suzy's mouth is the fact that many of the aforementioned "people" that flock to the event aren't from Venice at all. "People come from Marina del Ray and LMU. The majority of people are from out-of-town," she explained. "Not many people on my street come down here. And I absolutely wouldn’t miss it if it were gone. Sorry." The First Fridays that takes the streets of Venice today is a corrupted version of what the event was initially. Suzy explained that the initial Friday night gathering revolved around local merchants trying to attract new costumers. "It first started with all the stores on Abbott Kinney doing First Fridays," Suzy said. "They were all open late, and then what happened was a couple food trucks came down. Then it became a food truck thing, but it wasn’t like that in the beginning. In the beginning it was just the stores, and they served cookies or some kind of treat. Then the food trucks came. "It was never supposed to be about food trucks." Sugar Babies Cupcakery co-owner Rachel Crystal remembers the initial First Friday less than four years ago in 2010, before the event's distinct identity was established. With her sister and business partner, Kassandra Workman, the cupcake truck owners (who also maintain a permanent location in Sherman Oaks, Calif.) were among the initial stampede of food truck enthusiast who filled Abbot Kinney on the first Friday night of the month. Then came drama. "We started coming at the beginning of first Fridays, and it was really crazy," Crystal said. "Soon after, the trucks had trouble with the merchants, and there was a lot of discontent and back-and-forth between the truck owners and the merchants. Trucks were parking in spaces they weren’t supposed to in front of businesses, and merchants were putting up their own 'no parking' signs to keep the trucks away." After nasty conflicts ensued between the food truck owners and the Abbot Kinney merchants, Crystal and Workman left the scene altogether for the food-truck-friendly Westchester First Fridays. "We just don’t like drama," Crystal added. But on one recent Friday, Crystal returned to the First Fridays frenzy in Venice. After spending three years at Westchester First Fridays, she explained that slowing business prompted Sugar Babies Cupcakery to drive back to Abbott Kinney. Since she served her last cupcake in Venice three years ago, the rules changed: Instead of 40 to 50 trucks swarming the scene, there's a predetermined, 20-truck lineup. "It was tough to get a permit to come back, since there's a truck limit at First Fridays now," Crystal said. "We were pre-selected this time. We had to apply, and they picked us. The LAPD guided me into my spot tonight; it was intense!" That said, Crystal is more enthused than ever to return to First Fridays. She loves sharing her bite-sized sweets with a hungry crowd. Strawberries and cream, red rose and s'mores are all customer favorites, but it's the pancakes 'n' bacon variety with maple sugar frosting and candied bacon bits that sells out every time. As far as the other food trucks, Crystal's not afraid to taste-test the competition. She frequents barbeque food trucks, and The Grilled Cheese Truck is beyond compare for the cupcake baker. And with a variety of homemade grilled cheese options that range from simple cheddar to brie and slice pears, she's not the only one who frequents the cheesy truck. "I'd never been to First Fridays before, but the food truck I'd heard the most about was The Grilled Cheese Truck. I had to try it," Mia Hendricks, a Pepperdine University student, explained. "It took forever to get my food, but when I did it was delicious. I got a French onion soup melt that came with onion soup broth, and it was hands-down one of the best grilled cheeses I've ever tasted." Grilled cheese aside, Hendricks felt that Venice's Frist Fridays did not live up to the hype. She expected more food options, more organization and a cleaner environment. "It was just totally different than what I thought," she said. "I think I spent more time looking for the line to The Grilled Cheese truck than I actually waited in line. All of the food truck lines overlapped in that tiny parking lot, and it was just a mob. People were bumping into me all night, and even thought every one was friendly, I was irritated. It was really expensive, too—$9 for a grilled cheese!" Indeed, the Venice First Fridays that newcomers experience doesn't resemble the preceding scene. Instead of quaint crowds, it's cramped masses. Instead of quick bites at good prices, it's long lines and hefty rates. That buttery blanket of savory aromas is instead a cloud of kerosene fumes from the food trucks. And as for that lobster roll? Chewy, dull and disappointing. ![]() The LBD turns 99 this year, but can you imagine a world before it? Get up. Get dressed. Go to work. Repeat. This routine is the morning drill for the 72.7 million women in the U.S. workforce. Whether she's a chemical engineer or a second grade school teacher, each of these women have this in common: a need to dress professionally. This 'need' isn't typically characterized by a clothing budget that could finance a third world nation, or style that could be sent down a twinkling Parisian runway, or a closet exploding with heaps of clothes from floor to ceiling. No, what those 72.7 million women need to wear to work they also need to wear out with friends, to dinner, or any day-to-day event. So what single garment is up for the harrowing task? That's easy: the little black dress. "It's easier to list activities where a little black dress isn't appropriate, like gardening or swimming in the ocean," Emily Popp, a Los Angeles based fashion blogger, said. "Short of that, LBDs are appropriate for almost everything. An LBD is so versatile because you can essentially think of it as a blank slate that is figure flattering. Add to it, and you can create a look that is casual or ultra-formal." It's hard to imagine a world before the LBD. Jackie Kennedy, Princess Diana, Victoria Beckham and Angelina Jolie are all champions of the minimalistic design. Before them, it was Hollywood golden era stars like Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor who popularized the simplified fashion staple. The LBD now is a classic. But before Vogue published a sketch of the design 99 years ago, it was just another drawing Coco Chanel's sketchbook. "Coco Chanel designed the 'Little Black Dress' using jersey fabric, making it simple, comfortable and practical," Milly & Grace Girls blogger Caroline Ott explained. "Before Chanel, jersey was only used to produce men’s underwear, so it was inconceivable at the time that the same material could make fashionable dresses for proper ladies. However, Chanel decided to tackle the inconceivable in the hopes of freeing women from their imprisoning clothing." And pre-LBD, women's fashion was a far cry from today's working-girl comfy-chic attire, with suffocating corsets and constricting silhouettes being more the norm. "Contrary to the constraining, heavy clothing of the early 1900s, jersey manufactured soft, lightweight clothing with fluid lines," Ott said of the original LBDs fabric. "Chanel designed the cut of the little black dress to compliment a woman’s figure, rather than to brutally disfigure a woman’s natural body shape the way the corset did. Therefore, her “Little Black Dress” quickly became all the rage." It wasn't just the idea of constructing a dress out of fabric traditionally reserved for men's under garments that made the LBD groundbreaking—it was the 'B' word. "The LBD revolutionized the color black as not being associated with just mourning anymore," Popp said. "Before, a black dress was what you wore to a funeral, but after the 1920s it became much, much more versatile." Today Chanel is a brand for the upper crust, but when Coco founded the small hat-shop-turned-clothing-store in 1910, she had a starkly different market in mind: The nonconformists. Herself a sartorial rebel, she challenged the limits of fashion, and embraced women's emerging roles in society by creating clothes in which they could live their more independent lives. Her brazen blend of androgynous style in the form of the female power suit met sharply divided criticism and praise. Not long after the women's suit, Vogue hand-chose the controversial designer's new LBD to appear in its October edition. LBDs soon evolved into a staple in the 1920s, outliving flapper dresses and other iconic styles of the generation. With the onset of World War II, more and more women entered the workforce, intensifying the demand for practical, professional clothing amidst heavy war rationing. Comfort and versatility made the LBD the obvious choice. Buying an LBD became more than a just splurge—it became a necessity. "You're pretty much guaranteed to get a lot of mileage out of your LBD," Popp said. "Unlike splurging on something trendy, a little black dress is rarely a purchase that you'll regret later, because it's one of the few items that never goes out of style." It's not all work and no play, though. The LBD is an essential component in any professional wardrobe, but its versatile nature allows it to seamlessly transition between countless events: Work, school, lunch dates, parties, dinners and everything in between. "LBDs can run the gamut from relaxed all the way up to very dressy occasions, like a gala," Popp said. "Wear with a pair of flats and a denim jacket and you're casual enough for running errands or going to the airport. Or dress up with heels, your favorite jewelry and a bold lip and suddenly—you're fancy." Whether dressed up for dinner at a five-star restaurant or down for a quick Starbucks meeting, there is one unifying factor that strings all LBDs together: Simplicity. "One of Chanel's famous quotes is 'Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.' She was all about simplifying," Popp said. "The tenants of accessorizing an LBD are easy (add flats for a casual look, add heels for a dressy style—it's not brain surgery), but it's that type of simplicity that makes it so genius." |
Lindsey SireraA comprehensive look at Lindsey's journalistic pursuits while at Pepperdine University. ArchivesCategories |