Hey there! I haven't talked to you guys in a while. What's been up? Sorry I haven't posted in a while; I've been insanely busy as of late but I still should have at least posted something. And for that, I am sorry.
Down to business; I am currently on the MegaBus, on my way to Pittsburgh, to hop on another bus to Philadelphia. Why, you ask? Well I'm glad you asked that.
It all started back in March. technically in October-ish. Early during the school year, I was approached by my friend Ashiyr Pierson, a fellow Journalism major, about starting an organization for black journalists. Of course I was down for the cause He said he would get me details later.
Skip ahead several months to February. Ashiyr has yet to give me any details outside of the name of the organization (National Association of Black Journalists). So I did what I do best and completely hounded him until he gave me answers. We set up a meeting to discuss what needed to happen and set a March deadline to accomplish our goals.
There was a whirlwind of activity following that meeting. I met Antonice Strickland, one of our vice presidents and editor of Voice Magazine, and several other members during our hustle to get established. We recruited several new members and ambushed our advisor Joe Grimm. We were having weekly meetings and things were starting to look up.
We discovered the NABJ Conference in Philadelphia and decided it would be a great move as a new organization to go. We made phone calls and PowerPoint presentations and begged the MSU J-School to fund our adventure. They agreed, and we set out to get ready.
So here I am, several months and a couple hundred dollars later, on a bus after a slightly excruciating car ride, on the way to Philadelphia with Ashiyr & Antonice. I'll be blogging, tweeting (@Smidget_Dee) and Facebooking hopefully all week. Let's go PHILLY!!!!!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Still too much...
Alright kiddies we're back and here to discuss federal student loans *dun dun dun* Many of us have them, so lets get it all out and into the open.
There are two main types of federal students loans: Stafford Subsidized Loans and Stafford Unsubsidized Loans. The biggest difference between the two of these is the interest on subsidized loans, students only pay the original amount of the loan whereas the original loan plus whatever interest has accumulated over time must be paid back with the unsubsidized loan. Although subsidized loans are better, they usually yield less money that unsubsidized. In either case, students have 10 years to fully pay back their loans after graduating or dropping out of school.
There are also Parent Plus Loans, which parents can take out to help their children pay for college. Although the loan is not need-based and has a low fixed interest rate (currently 7.9%), it must be paid back more quickly than Stafford loans.
Before any loans can be dispersed, a Master Promissory Note must be filled out. This is essentially a contract between you and the government saying you know what your doing and your going to pay the money back in a timely fashion. A huge buzz-kill for the MPN is you must complete a quiz about the types of loans and payment systems and achieve a satisfactory score before any money can be shelled out. Luckily, however, one MPN is good for ten years (woo-hoo!).
Luckily for us MSU Spartans (Go State!), our Office of Financial Aid has posted some great videos to walk students through any questions they may have about loans, scholarships, grants, and financial aid. Oh yes; be jealous.
That's all for now y'all cause I'm tired. Till next time...
There are two main types of federal students loans: Stafford Subsidized Loans and Stafford Unsubsidized Loans. The biggest difference between the two of these is the interest on subsidized loans, students only pay the original amount of the loan whereas the original loan plus whatever interest has accumulated over time must be paid back with the unsubsidized loan. Although subsidized loans are better, they usually yield less money that unsubsidized. In either case, students have 10 years to fully pay back their loans after graduating or dropping out of school.
There are also Parent Plus Loans, which parents can take out to help their children pay for college. Although the loan is not need-based and has a low fixed interest rate (currently 7.9%), it must be paid back more quickly than Stafford loans.
Before any loans can be dispersed, a Master Promissory Note must be filled out. This is essentially a contract between you and the government saying you know what your doing and your going to pay the money back in a timely fashion. A huge buzz-kill for the MPN is you must complete a quiz about the types of loans and payment systems and achieve a satisfactory score before any money can be shelled out. Luckily, however, one MPN is good for ten years (woo-hoo!).
Luckily for us MSU Spartans (Go State!), our Office of Financial Aid has posted some great videos to walk students through any questions they may have about loans, scholarships, grants, and financial aid. Oh yes; be jealous.
That's all for now y'all cause I'm tired. Till next time...
Why So Much?
Today, my dears, we're going to talk about the importance of a college education; aren't you excited? Yay!
First thing you need to fill out to get any sort of government aid is your FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This application determines how much money you and your family can pay out-of-pocket for your education, and also how much money the government is willing to shell out to you.
Next you send your FAFSA along with your test scores and applications to the college of your choice. Without the FAFSA, colleges aren't able to provide you with aid and then you'll be straight screwed.
Now if the government decides your worthy of their money, there are a variety of things that must be accomplished, depending on what kind of money they decide to give you.
If your lucky enough to have the government give you free money, all you really need to do is nothing. These are usually reserved for ridiculously intelligent people that make you feel bad about your life when they tell you their majors. However for those of us who have work study, effort is involved. Most colleges require to find an on-campus job before they pay out the scholarship. A small price to pay for free money, if you ask me.
Now for those of us who aren't lucky enough to receive scot-free money from the government, there are always government loans. Yes, I know they suck, but society wants us to have an education but wants to pay as little as possible for it. Screw society.
Next blog, we'll talk about everything you ever wanted to know about federal loans. Exciting right? Oh yeah; you know you want to read about it...
First thing you need to fill out to get any sort of government aid is your FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This application determines how much money you and your family can pay out-of-pocket for your education, and also how much money the government is willing to shell out to you.
Next you send your FAFSA along with your test scores and applications to the college of your choice. Without the FAFSA, colleges aren't able to provide you with aid and then you'll be straight screwed.
Now if the government decides your worthy of their money, there are a variety of things that must be accomplished, depending on what kind of money they decide to give you.
If your lucky enough to have the government give you free money, all you really need to do is nothing. These are usually reserved for ridiculously intelligent people that make you feel bad about your life when they tell you their majors. However for those of us who have work study, effort is involved. Most colleges require to find an on-campus job before they pay out the scholarship. A small price to pay for free money, if you ask me.
Now for those of us who aren't lucky enough to receive scot-free money from the government, there are always government loans. Yes, I know they suck, but society wants us to have an education but wants to pay as little as possible for it. Screw society.
Next blog, we'll talk about everything you ever wanted to know about federal loans. Exciting right? Oh yeah; you know you want to read about it...
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Release Therapy
I’m writing this because my brother A’keem told me to; shout out and big ups to him for helping me through. Before we start this, I have two disclaimers:
One: Many of you are not going to want to read this because it is going to be long and extremely depressing and I know you’re used to me being funny. So continue at your own peril.
Two: There is NOTHING WRONG with being single. Let me reiterate: NOTHING WRONG. I am in no way dissatisfied with being single; it’s how it came about that I take issue with.
Leggo, y’all…
About a month ago, after almost two years, I became single. It happened in the middle of the night. It was sudden. I was shocked. I was hurt.
Let me tell you what it felt like: for the first 10 minutes I was numb. I couldn’t move, my mind was foggy, I was speechless. He said he was sorry he hurt me and my self-defense mechanism kicked in: I told him not to be. He wouldn’t even look at me.
People who know me well know two things: I don’t cry and I don’t smile. I have nothing against either function; it’s just not something I allow myself to partake in.
That night… I cried. I tried to keep quiet so my roommates wouldn’t wake up but it was no use. It was intense. I literally cried for hours; I couldn’t stop to save my life. The more I tried to quit, the faster and the harder the tears fell. It felt like my whole world had just been crushed; my heart ripped into a thousand tiny pieces, doused in kerosene and burned. The ashes were unceremoniously flushed down a public toilet.
I woke up the next day feeling absolutely gross. My eyes burned, my body hurt. Everyone kept texting my phone, asking me what happened, bringing up the pain I was trying to push down. I was in the middle of writing two essays and I sobbed the entire time; I was a total train wreck.
I had every intention of going to my biology class, but I just couldn’t leave the room. This had never happened before; rarely had I ever felt a pain this all-consuming. I tried to get myself together, but I failed miserably; I cried all morning.
My poor roommates were so scared; they tried to comfort me but they didn’t know what to do. They ended up leaving me alone in the room to sort through the shambles that was my life.
I talked to A’Keem, who had a similar experience. He told me just about everything I told him when he was going through, but I didn’t want to hear any of it. I wanted him back. I wanted to end this nightmare, I wanted my heart to become whole again
Time passed. I hung out, I partied, I thought I was doing okay. But I wasn’t; not even a week later I was back to sobbing uncontrollably. I didn’t understand why it happened; I still don’t. I was breaking and the one person who usually helped me through was the one breaking me; I didn’t know what to do.
Gradually I tried to get better. But the worse was yet to come.
That night he said he still cared about me. He said he would always be there for me. He said he wanted us to still be friends. And then… he ignored me. He wouldn’t answer my texts. He wouldn’t mail my stuff. I gave him the world and he wouldn’t even give me a cold shoulder; it burned me to my very core.
All of a sudden in the middle of the night he texts me. He said just about everything I wanted to hear short of “I made a mistake; please take me back.” Trying to protect what little dignity I had left, I tried to push my hopes down and assumed he was drunk.
We talked about it the next day. Not only was he sober, he was dead serious. But I was still angry; I don’t take too kindly to getting my heart ashes flushed down a toilet. And that anger leaked out before I could stop it: “You left me. You took everything I had and you left. You didn’t even say I love you…”
He got pissed and stopped answering, and the few times we spoke after that he always got mad. I didn’t know what to do; I was so confused.
And then one day it stopped completely. He ignored any attempt through any medium to contact him. It hurt even more than him breaking up with me. I felt like such a fool. And he still had my stuff; I don’t think I’m ever going to get it back.
I don’t know what to do, y’all. I’ve been crying the ENTIRE time I’ve been writing this; the pain is as searing as the day it happened.
One thing I’ve never believed in was the power of love. I mean yeah it sounds nice and it’s the dream little girls are fed since birth but it was never for me. As long as I’ve been dating I’ve been using them, abusing them, and tossing them to the side.
And of course the one time I let go of the illusion, it backhands the crap out of me. I was a fool. And I was stupid and naïve and horribly girlish. I let my guard down and got burned for it.
Lately though, my self-defense mechanism has been kicking in. Better late than never, right? Wrong.
For whatever reason, probably to protect my sanity, my mind has been… erasing certain memories. Things I used to think about all the time don’t even come up on my mind anymore. Daydreams, fantasies, indulgences, all gone, just like that.
You have no idea how hard it is. Every day I think about it. I wish I could be mad but… I can’t. I’m still the naïve little girl who let her guard down, who let her heart go. No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do to try to change it, I can’t help myself.
So I’m back at square one. But this square is different; its foreign and unfamiliar. I don’t like it in the least bit.
I was a good girlfriend; no. I was a great girlfriend. When I say I gave him the world, I snatched it up, gift-wrapped it, and had it delivered on the backs of elephants. I go hard in relationships; that’s just how I am. My philosophy is if I don’t do it, some basic crumb-snatching broad will.
I don’t know what I’m going to do now. We’ll see how everything plays out… There may be a Release Therapy Part 2 in the near future…
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Morbidly Obese...
We're back to talk about even MORE options. That's right; there's no need to rub your grumbling tummy and nibble Saltines after midnight, or even during the day. This blog post is especially directed towards the current and incoming freshman, since I know most of you aren't privy to the information I'm about to share with you. We're in college; life is awesome.
There are several websites that will show you menus from surrounding restaurants for those days when you're tired of the cafeteria. Campusfood.com is one of my favorites because they offer a huge selection of menus, both from sit-down restaurants and from places that deliver. GoGreenMenus.com is also a good website as it caters directly to MSU Spartans.
I'm going to say this twice, because the majority of you aren't going to believe me. Here goes: IHOP delivers. Yes, that's exactly what I said. Once more: IHOP DELIVERS. Because of a wonderful service called Special Delivery you can get that pancake goodness delivered right to your door. And they don't just deliver IHOP; you can get Taco Bell, Apple Bee's, Carraba's, and just about any other restaurant in about a 10 mile radius.
And finally, if you're feeling adventurous (or cause your girlfriend is tired of eating at McDonald's) there are several delicious sit-down restaurants in the area. Los Tres Amigos, a popular spot and one of my favorite hang-outs, has three locations in Lansing alone. And since corporate America is no stranger to college students' sparse bank accounts, many restaurants run specials that will keep you and your wallet quite full.
Well there you have it. You will not starve; help has arrived. Stop eating those Saltines and pick up a menu. And here's a tip: next time you call Gumby's at 1am looking for Pokey Stix, ask for the Gumby's Giveaway. You can thank me later... or now is fine, too...
There are several websites that will show you menus from surrounding restaurants for those days when you're tired of the cafeteria. Campusfood.com is one of my favorites because they offer a huge selection of menus, both from sit-down restaurants and from places that deliver. GoGreenMenus.com is also a good website as it caters directly to MSU Spartans.
I'm going to say this twice, because the majority of you aren't going to believe me. Here goes: IHOP delivers. Yes, that's exactly what I said. Once more: IHOP DELIVERS. Because of a wonderful service called Special Delivery you can get that pancake goodness delivered right to your door. And they don't just deliver IHOP; you can get Taco Bell, Apple Bee's, Carraba's, and just about any other restaurant in about a 10 mile radius.
And finally, if you're feeling adventurous (or cause your girlfriend is tired of eating at McDonald's) there are several delicious sit-down restaurants in the area. Los Tres Amigos, a popular spot and one of my favorite hang-outs, has three locations in Lansing alone. And since corporate America is no stranger to college students' sparse bank accounts, many restaurants run specials that will keep you and your wallet quite full.
Well there you have it. You will not starve; help has arrived. Stop eating those Saltines and pick up a menu. And here's a tip: next time you call Gumby's at 1am looking for Pokey Stix, ask for the Gumby's Giveaway. You can thank me later... or now is fine, too...
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Life of a Concessionaire Part 2
And we're back.
Concessions is responsible for providing food at several different venues, including Munn Ice Arena, the Breslin Center, Spartan Stadium, and the Agriculture Pavilion. Fortunately for those of us who are students, the only place we work the actual stands are the Pavilion.
The people you see when you come up to buy that billion dollar large Pepsi are non-profit service groups. They work for Concessions during large events like football, basketball, hockey, volleyball, and special events like the Harlem Globetrotters. In exchange for their services, the nonprofits get to keep a percentage of the earnings from the event.
I bet your wondering "if other people are running the stands, what's your purpose in being there?" Well I'm glad you asked.
As a student employee, it is my job to count the inventory in the stands and help them in whatever way possible. This usually means I turn on all their equipment before they arrive, help them with their paperwork, fix any broken equipment, and bring them whatever they need. I also deliver inventory items during the course of the event such as pizza, cases of water,and boxes of pretzels.
The best part of the whole deal is since I don't run the stand, I'm usually in the office eating pizza & drinking pop during the event. A lot of the time I even get to watch the event; I got to see WWE Raw live when they came to the Breslin Center this past March and let em tell you it was pretty freaking sweet.
Don't get me wrong; there are downsides. Running through a large crowd with 3ft tall bags of popcorn is no fun whatsoever. I almost got jumped by the cheerleading squad during Midnight Madness this year when I walked past them with a large stack of fresh-out-the-oven pizzas. A lot of the time the nonprofits ask for stuff we students really don't want to do, like changing the pop bibs.
Its all good, though. I get a free meal every time I work an event and I've gotten to see some pretty cool things. I've gotten to watch all but two football games this season and I've seen several of last season's men's and women's basketball games. I've worked WWE Raw, Carrie Underwood, and Conan O'Brien. I've seen huge quarter horses and the most adorable puppies ever at the Agriculture Pavilion.
I guess Concessions isn't that bad. I'll take Concessions over working in the cafeteria any day...
Concessions is responsible for providing food at several different venues, including Munn Ice Arena, the Breslin Center, Spartan Stadium, and the Agriculture Pavilion. Fortunately for those of us who are students, the only place we work the actual stands are the Pavilion.
The people you see when you come up to buy that billion dollar large Pepsi are non-profit service groups. They work for Concessions during large events like football, basketball, hockey, volleyball, and special events like the Harlem Globetrotters. In exchange for their services, the nonprofits get to keep a percentage of the earnings from the event.
I bet your wondering "if other people are running the stands, what's your purpose in being there?" Well I'm glad you asked.
As a student employee, it is my job to count the inventory in the stands and help them in whatever way possible. This usually means I turn on all their equipment before they arrive, help them with their paperwork, fix any broken equipment, and bring them whatever they need. I also deliver inventory items during the course of the event such as pizza, cases of water,and boxes of pretzels.
The best part of the whole deal is since I don't run the stand, I'm usually in the office eating pizza & drinking pop during the event. A lot of the time I even get to watch the event; I got to see WWE Raw live when they came to the Breslin Center this past March and let em tell you it was pretty freaking sweet.
Don't get me wrong; there are downsides. Running through a large crowd with 3ft tall bags of popcorn is no fun whatsoever. I almost got jumped by the cheerleading squad during Midnight Madness this year when I walked past them with a large stack of fresh-out-the-oven pizzas. A lot of the time the nonprofits ask for stuff we students really don't want to do, like changing the pop bibs.
Its all good, though. I get a free meal every time I work an event and I've gotten to see some pretty cool things. I've gotten to watch all but two football games this season and I've seen several of last season's men's and women's basketball games. I've worked WWE Raw, Carrie Underwood, and Conan O'Brien. I've seen huge quarter horses and the most adorable puppies ever at the Agriculture Pavilion.
I guess Concessions isn't that bad. I'll take Concessions over working in the cafeteria any day...
Life of a Concessionaire Part 1
As most of you know, I work my tail off about 5 times a week for Michigan State University Department of Concessions. Its hard work and its minimum wage but for whatever reason I can't seem to bring myself to quit and get a new job. I even found a better job this summer and still ended up working for Concessions.
We're going to start this story about a year ago, back when I was first accepted into Michigan State University. My first thought was "it's time to find employment." So I filled out application for a ton of places on campus and emailed them all out. And then I waited.
The first department to give me a callback was Concessions, so I jumped on it. I did my phone interview in the middle of class and scheduled my in-person interview for the day before my AOP (Academic Orientation Program). I was super excited to finally have a legitimate legal job.
I did my in-person interview and the bosses loved me. I was hired on the spot, even though I wouldn't be able to work for two months after I was hired. I moved into the dorms a week before school started so I could begin to work. I filled out my paperwork the day after moving in and met one of my best friends, Katie Kennedy, who was filling out her paperwork that day too.
The next day was rough to say the least. I was thrown into the back of a huge truck with windows only in the front. I was taken to the Agriculture Pavilion. Now, this was back when Farm Lane was closed down for construction, so it took way longer than normal to get there. I had no idea where I was and I was scared out my mind.
I walk in the Pavilion and my nostrils are instantly assailed with the glorious scent of horse manure. My supervisor for the day showed me & the other two people working with me how to scrub refrigerators, wipe down counters, clean shelves, sweep, mop, and generally sanitize the stand. It was gross.
After that I swore up and down I was going to quit. But here I am a year later, still working for freaking Concessions. I've seen tons of my friends fired, I've seen events that were total messes. I've even seen two nonprofit groups get fired. Its madness, but... I love my job.
That's all for this blog, folks. Next time, I'll talk about more adventures int he life of a concessionaire.
We're going to start this story about a year ago, back when I was first accepted into Michigan State University. My first thought was "it's time to find employment." So I filled out application for a ton of places on campus and emailed them all out. And then I waited.
The first department to give me a callback was Concessions, so I jumped on it. I did my phone interview in the middle of class and scheduled my in-person interview for the day before my AOP (Academic Orientation Program). I was super excited to finally have a legitimate legal job.
I did my in-person interview and the bosses loved me. I was hired on the spot, even though I wouldn't be able to work for two months after I was hired. I moved into the dorms a week before school started so I could begin to work. I filled out my paperwork the day after moving in and met one of my best friends, Katie Kennedy, who was filling out her paperwork that day too.
The next day was rough to say the least. I was thrown into the back of a huge truck with windows only in the front. I was taken to the Agriculture Pavilion. Now, this was back when Farm Lane was closed down for construction, so it took way longer than normal to get there. I had no idea where I was and I was scared out my mind.
I walk in the Pavilion and my nostrils are instantly assailed with the glorious scent of horse manure. My supervisor for the day showed me & the other two people working with me how to scrub refrigerators, wipe down counters, clean shelves, sweep, mop, and generally sanitize the stand. It was gross.
After that I swore up and down I was going to quit. But here I am a year later, still working for freaking Concessions. I've seen tons of my friends fired, I've seen events that were total messes. I've even seen two nonprofit groups get fired. Its madness, but... I love my job.
That's all for this blog, folks. Next time, I'll talk about more adventures int he life of a concessionaire.
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