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(02/19/19 4:48pm)
By Maddi Ference
Staff Writer
Resumes are polished, suits are pressed and business cards are stacked. The only thing this year’s senior class needs is for an employer to take a chance and say, “you’re hired.”
As the College’s seniors, and some underclassmen, begin searching for internships and frantically applying for any opportunities that are relevant to their degrees, the College is working to make the process as stress-free as possible. The Spring Career and Internship Fair features dozens of employers looking for ambitious students who are eager to jumpstart their careers and enter the real world with some security.
But when scrolling through Handshake’s list of employers registered for the event, I find that there aren’t many companies searching for students studying arts and communication. It seems that every other listing has something to do with finance, accounting, technology or engineering. While that’s great for students in those respective schools, it leaves everyone else to fend for themselves and hopefully find a job on their own.
The career fair is geared toward students going into business and science fields, which speaks to the College’s emphasis on the success of this particular group. The lack of opportunities for students in the humanities, whether intentional or not, feeds into the current theory circulating in basic education systems that the only careers that will bring a candidate success are in business or technology because “that is the way society is evolving.” Although some people are more creatively driven, society discourages students from those professions since there is more of a demand for technology-driven jobs. I, along with my peers studying communication, understand that the world is becoming more technology-driven, but that should not mean that liberal arts and creativity are less important and less likely to bring a person success.
As a society, we should be celebrating all different kinds of success, rather than put such an emphasis on business and technology. Not only should we learn to appreciate the humanities and encourage students to enter these fields, but we should also acknowledge the opportunity to blend technology and liberal arts, rather than separate the two.
Steve Jobs once quoted the importance of liberal arts and humanities in the unveiling of the iPad 2.
The tech guru said, “It is in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough — it’s technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the results that make our heart sing.”
If Steve Jobs can understand and emphasize the importance of technology and liberal arts, I am confident that the College can too.
I urge the College to provide more opportunities for those students who want to be successful outside of finance and engineering. This is an institution that is revered for different types of accomplishments by students of all majors— not just business and technology.
Students share opinions around campus
“Are there equal opportunities in all academic schools?”
(10/17/17 3:04am)
By Maddi Ference
Social Media Editor
Zeta Tau Alpha colored the College pink this week, in addition to the traditional blue and gold that lines the campus.
ZTA’s annual “Big Man on Campus,” its male beauty pageant, was hosted on Oct. 4, as part of its Pink Out Week, which ran from Oct. 1 to Oct. 6. Each year, Pink Out Week spreads breast cancer education and raises awareness.
Students eagerly filled the Brower Student Center and prepared to watch eight student participants compete to be crowned contestants, styled in pink attire, matched the various pink banners and decorations pinned up throughout the auditorium. One student even dressed in a hot-pink unicorn sweatshirt.
To prove they were worthy of the tiara, each contestant showcased their talents, answered trivia questions about breast cancer and participated in a pushup contest.
Other events hosted throughout the week, including a Kicks for a Cause kickball tournament, pumpkin painting and a dunk tank, also contributed to breast cancer education and awareness — which is the chapter’s philanthropy.
The sorority did not limit itself to just one week of fundraising.
With October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, ZTA is also partnering with Deli on a Bagel in Pennington, New Jersey, in which a portion of sales go to the sorority’s philanthropy.
Emily McClain, a junior public health major and sister of ZTA, believes that Pink Out Week is a great opportunity for students throughout campus to show their support for a cause that many are personally affected by.
“I haven’t personally been affected by it, but I know a lot of people that have. It’s such a real, crazy thing,” McClain said.
Many of the event’s attendees have been personally affected by the disease. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their life, according to the National Cancer Institute.
“I think it’s a great way for everyone to come together for a greater cause and it’s really awesome to see other organizations supporting us,” McClain said.
Sara Mikula, a junior elementary education and English double major, attended “Big Man on Campus” and felt that Pink Out Week did a good job of raising awareness.
“It was an entertaining night but also one that addressed an essential topic of spreading awareness and education about breast cancer,” Mikula said. “The turnout was great, and listening to different people’s stories about how breast cancer has affected them was really powerful.”
ZTA’s main goals of its philanthropy week was to raise money for the cause and educate those about the disease.
Chris Kalb, a junior mathematics major, understands how impactful cancer can be.
“Cancer affects everybody,” Kalb said. “Personally, I haven’t had a relative or someone I know have breast cancer, but my aunt had cancer so I can understand the same type of effect it has on people.”
There is no cure for breast cancer, only various treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Even with the many treatments available, none are 100 percent effective.
Mikula shared the story of her grandmother’s sister, who died of breast cancer at 25.
“(Breast cancer) has greatly impacted my family,” she said.
Although many students have lost family members or friends to the disease, the education and awareness that Zeta Tau Alpha provides can offer both men and women the knowledge they need for early detection and tips for prevention.
“Spreading awareness and educating others about breast cancer is something my Grandma and family take seriously,” Mikula said. “I think she would really enjoy the work that ZTA is doing.”
(09/26/17 12:46am)
By Maddi Ference
Social Media Editor
Philadelphia’s Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing was filled with excited fans on Sept. 15 as they eagerly awaited Young the Giant’s arrival.
The audience danced and sang along while the openers, Joywave and Cold War Kids, warmed up the crowd, but the main attraction was the Indie-rock band from Irvine, California. Fans waited patiently, crammed as close to the stage as possible in hopes of getting the best view of the band.
When Young the Giant took the stage one by one, the audience erupted with screams and cheers as they knew the set would be one they would never forget. A faint piano riff played on repeat as the band got set, signaling “Amerika” as the opening track.
Jen Piserchia, a junior biomedical engineering major, is no newcomer to Young the Giant concerts.
She saw them in 2016 at the Fillmore, but raved about how this performance was exponentially better, solely based on the energy the band emitted to the crowd.
“They looked like they were just having an amazing time on stage and they just really bring that energy to the crowd,” Piserchia said. “I think that was a huge reason why that was so much fun and I just enjoyed it so much more than last year, even though last year I had an amazing time too.”
The band danced around the stage for over an hour, singing hits like “Cough Syrup” and “Something to Believe In.” The band also surprised die-hard fans with some classics from the band’s first album including “Apartment” and “Strings.”
But the band itself was not the only part of the set that kept audiences entertained. In the back of the stage sat an enormous triangular screen with two eyes on both the left and right sides of it. The screen showed changing images and colors that correlated with each different song. At one point, an outline of Carlton doing his signature dance from the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” appeared on the screen, leaving the audience laughing out loud for a moment rather than singing along.
“(The visuals) were just as much of a show as their songs were,” Piserchia said. “It was so cool to watch the backgrounds change and it really did reflect the band’s persona.”
Young the Giant slowed down the momentum for a few minutes in the middle of the set by playing a few acoustic songs. When the lead singer Sameer Gadhia announced the ballad “Firelight,” he asked the fans to each light a lighter or turn on their cellphone’s flashlight when the percussion came in, creating a beautiful, star-like sight among the darkened audience.
After bringing the energy level back up with a few more songs, Young the Giant walked offstage, but of course not without leaving a boisterous encore. The band closed out the night with its most popular song, “My Body,” leaving the audience satisfied with the night’s performance, but craving more shows equivalent to this in the future.
(09/04/17 8:55pm)
By Maddi Ference
For as long as I can remember, my parents have taken every chance they could get to remind me and my siblings not to drink and drive. Whenever a story would come up on the nightly newscast when we were sitting together as a family at home, my parents would give us a lecture based on other people’s mistakes to serve as a learning experience for us.
At age 12, when I was not even remotely interested in alcohol, my parents would constantly remind me to call them, for future’s sake, if I ever needed a ride as opposed to getting behind the wheel while in an altered state of mind. I would usually shrug off their comments and resume whatever unimportant task I was doing at the time. Now I'm thankful to my parents that they were so persistent with their reminders to never drink and drive. I can’t fathom how people can take such life-altering risks and see no harm in their actions.
Although not all parents are like mine and willing to pick up their child after a night of drinking, there are alternate resources available to avoid getting behind the wheel. Calling for an Uber or Lyft ride are convenient options for anyone with a smartphone. These apps are a small price to pay, and without them the price might be higher, such as a hefty ticket for a DUI, or worse — ending someone’s life.
If you’re tight on cash, asking a friend to come pick you up is another option. If you’re partying at a friend’s house, ask to stay the night and drive home in the morning. With so many ways to drink responsibly, how does driving under the influence still seem like a viable or safe option?
I could go on and on with different ways to avoid drinking and driving, but the problem is that many people still think it is a sensible option, even with the number of resources available.
Recently, news had broken that two women were killed in a car accident near my hometown and that the driver of the same car was charged with death by auto and also received a summons for driving while intoxicated. Not only is the driver facing criminal charges and jail time, but she also has to live with the fact that she took the lives of two innocent women, all because she decided to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. The surrounding community is shattered with the loss of the two women — two lives that could have been saved if the driver decided not to drink and drive.
Our generation has the ability to substantially decrease the amount of drinking and driving related incidents solely based on the technology we have available at our fingertips. With people like the driver stated above who are willing to drive under the influence, we are moving backward in our efforts to combat such irresponsible behavior. People in our generation still feel as though nothing will happen to them if they drink and drive — that is, until it is too late.
With every new semester comes parties, bar trips and other alcohol-related excursions. It is imperative to be safe this year and never get behind the wheel while intoxicated. Take an Uber, call a friend, or stay the night at someone’s house. No party is worth someone’s life, including your own.