You are currently browsing the monthly archive for March, 2009.
It sucks. The recession is real. I was, until very recently, a paid PR intern at a local insurance company. It went down like this: They brought me into an office and informed me that my position doesn’t exist any more. BAM!! My bread and butter, gone. The company knew I was going to leave when I graduated in a few weeks, so showing me the door at this stage was a real kick in the teeth. Then they axed a couple of my superiors, one of whom was the most competent PR person the company had. Absurd.
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There is a notion, a social normality perhaps, that most people need to go to college. Most students’ parents pay the bills and after you’ve done your four years, you’re good to go. Going to grad school, however, is a different choice. Going back to the classroom is a big decision. Does that mean your undergraduate institution has failed you? Not necessarily. Think of it as a personal and a financial investment. It’s an expensive choice, but it’s one that can open your future up to a new level of possibilities. There are a few big differences that make graduate school a whole new experience than the four years of undergraduate study.
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Last Sunday marked an important day in Boston and an exciting, intoxicated day in an Irish person’s life — The St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Being one of the most Irish cities in America, Boston takes this yearly event seriously. So seriously in fact, the parade took place two days before St. Patrick’s Day — just enough time to sober up enough for the regularly scheduled holiday on March 17. Other than Ireland, I can’t think of a better place to be on this historic day. With temperatures in the 60s, thousands and thousands of people, dressed in green, orange and white, flocked to Broadway Street in South Boston to celebrate their Irish, Boston, and merry-making heritage.
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So you get the weekly newsletter, quickly glance at the table of contents, then go to the one or two new items that strike some interest.
This week’s newsletter featured a few new items, but none qualify as a bigger waste of time then the announcement of COM Named Scholarships.
On the surface, my claim sounds blasphemous. Who, especially in this economic climate, would not apply for a scholarship? After all, of the 16 that are available, chances are you fit the bill to win one. Scholarships mean more money at a low cost; writing an essay of no more than one page explaining why we deserve the award is the easiest task we’ll undertake all semester. We’re COM students, so writing is what we do. And promoting ourselves? Need I mention how many of us are in public relations? If we can’t sell ourselves, how can we expect to sell someone else’s ideas, products and services?
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If you’re going back to the nest at the end of the week, as I am, here are some ideas for those who won’t be entirely couch bound.
1) Make your parents dinner. They fed you for 18 years and would probably be thrilled if you took over the kitchen for one night, even if it’s to make baked mac and cheese (with bacon on top!). Show them you know how to pair pasta with alcohol by grabbing a bottle of white Chuck Shaw instead of red. For the creative, recipe database Epicurious.com lets you search by keyword and users’ comments can help you modify recipes or make wine pairings.
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It’s that time of the year. The winter doldrums are upon us. Just when you think spring is right around the corner—a 55-degree day last Friday in the final days of February will convince you that warm weather is coming—boom! Another storm hits and quashes our hopes and dreams.
“Eight to 12 inches of snow will pummel Massachusetts and most of southern New England,” say the local meteorologists, who are about as popular as the IRS this time of year.
Now is when we collectively say “enough is enough already.” It’s been cold since November, meaning we’re four months into New England’s worst season. Bitter winds slam snow into our faces. Below zero temperatures lead us to second-guess our decision to leave our room. Slush and sleet make walking down Comm. Ave. feel like crossing the Bering Strait.
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