Gettin Paid and Underage

More and more young adults today are attending four-year colleges in order to pursue a higher education. A lot of these young adults know exactly what they want to do after college, and some of them attend college without an exact career in sight, but rather for the security of having a degree to fall back on. It has been statistically proven that throughout one’s lifetime, people with a college education will end up making $1 million more than those who are only high school graduates. 

Graduating college has a lot of benefits and, although stressful and pricey, is worth it in the long run.

Finding a job right out of college is not an easy process. A lot of employers would like to hire someone with actual work experience rather than only being fresh out of school.

College graduates are likely to in an underpaid job that would not be their first choice. It is lucky and rare that one will find a good paying job relating to their major that they have a deep interest in first thing after graduating.

The recession gives college graduates reason to worry even more about finding a job. According to a study done by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers are not so interested in hiring new graduates. The study illustrates that the rate of hiring new graduates will be down 22% for the college graduates of 2009 than those hired from the Class of 2008. 

Not only do college graduates have to go up against people with experience for jobs, they also have to go against the people who have been laid off and waiting to go back to work. 

As of May 8, 2009, the current unemployment rate is 8.6%. This rate does not give the Class of 2009 anything to be hopeful about.

However, there are success stories to be heard. Many people from the Boston area are aware of the “ Matty in the Morning Show” on Kiss 108 FM. It has been the number one morning show in Boston since 1979, when the station first began running. Kiss 108 remains the number one Hit Music station in Boston. So how does this show continue to stay at the top throughout all of these years? The morning radio personalities, Matt Siegel, Billy Costa, and Lisa Donovan all contribute to the success of the show. Without the staff that helps to put the show together and running five days a week, the show would have a hard time of being pulled off.

The most amazing thing about this is that the crew who makes everything happen behind the scenes at the “Matty in the Morning Show” consists of young adults all under the age of thirty.

Kendra, Suzee, Rich and Buddy are all twenty-somethings who all landed their dream jobs after internships, hard work and never giving up on their dreams. So meet this dedicated and talented crew who plans on staying put - even during this recession.

Man, I love College

After four years of living on campus at UMass Amherst, I know exactly what campus living is all about. I successfully bonded with my University. I went to concerts on campus, I tailgated my way through football games, and my friends and I were always ready for “Spring Week.” If that Asher Roth song “I love College” came out a few years earlier, it would have undoubtedly been blaring from my roommate and my speakers for all of Southwest campus to hear. Man, I did love college.

But I didn’t graduate.

I only took the minimum amount of credits each semester because I had to balance my social life with my academic career, naturally. This put me about a year and some odd classes behind. Instead of being a 5th year senior at Amherst, I decided to take some time off and finish up here at [UMass] Lowell.

Since the Lowell campus is known as a commuter as well as a transfer school, it wasn’t hard for me to get back into the swing of things. In fact, it was almost easier and a lot less stressful. The UML website shows that out of the 2,000 incoming freshman, 825 of them are transfer students. That is a lot of people in the same boat as me.

Brenda Woonton, of the Continuing Education Studies program, helped me transition from full time party animal at Amherst to a hard working student at Lowell. 

"I tell everyone that comes to see me that it's a fresh slate," Woonton said. "I try to explain that when you transfer here, you leave all of the baggage from your previous school at your previous school." said Woonton. 

Woonton was spot on. Since I’m a little older, a little wiser and less likely to pull an all-nighter at the Lowell bars and off campus parties, I find myself having the best GPA I’ve ever had in my college career. I come to campus when I have class, and I leave when I’m done. It’s a pretty simple schedule that makes me get out of bed and come to class instead of strolling into class 20 minutes late in my UMass sweatpants – which was a normal reoccurrence and one of (I thought at the time) added benefits of living on campus.

Woonton sees more focus from everyone who checks in with her throughout their time at Lowell. 

"I can't say that I'm disappointed that students aren't more involved with Campus life and partying because I've seen some of the most amazing turn-arounds from students," said Woonton. "I've had kids come to me who want to graduate so bad but feel it's impossible, and I've seen that it's always possible." said Woonton. 

Even though I’ll be graduating Magna Cum Laude, I find myself reminiscing about the bond I had with Amherst and it got me to thinking: just how much time do transfers/commuters spend on campus and are they missing out on a huge part of college life?

Dave Catanzano, a fellow classmate and transfer student, rarely participates with on campus activities when asked about how much time he spends here. 

“Usually, none,” Catanzano said. “I leave right after my last class. I just want to be home. I have to go to work and stuff. I eat in the dining hall maybe once a week when I have a break in between my Wednesday class.” Catanzano said.

I will go on the record and say that [while] dining hall food is disgusting, but it was sort of a hangover ritual my friends and I had. There was nothing like waking up at noon after a hard night of partying, gathering up all the girls to walk across campus to the dining hall, and dish about the events that took place prior over some yellow PowerAde and a makeshift pizza bagel. Some of the conversations that took place at our local dining hall I'll remember for the rest of my life. 

Kacie Bonin, another classmate and transfer student, feels the same way Catanzano does.

“I probably spend about two hours a week on campus that aren’t class related,” Bonin said. “I go to tutoring but I don’t really get involved in any on campus activities. I used to be a member of the Campus Activities board but I gave that up.” Bonin said.

Campus activities were a key component to having a fun year at Amherst. Spring Week was the most notoriously fun week of all year. The entire campus came together and celebrated the good weather by hosting bbq’s outside of dorms and booking music acts to play outdoor concerts. Everyone was involved and everyone participated. If I never went to Spring Week, I would never be able to tell my children one day how I got on stage at the Naughty by Nature concert for about 1,000 on-looking classmates to see.

I understand that it’s a little different for me because I got to experience both UMass worlds. It just makes me wonder if these students who don’t care to participate in all these activities are missing out on all the fun.

Slave of Honor

I'm at that age where it seems like every weekend I have a wedding to go to. If it's not a wedding I'm going to, it's a bridal shower, or engagement party or a "I'm throwing some sort of wedding-related party so I can get another gift" party.

At first, they were a hoot. It was like one big reunion fully equipped with a DJ and an open bar. Dancing the Macarena while double fist-ing two margaritas with a crowd mixed of crazy uncles and zany aunts was awesome.

Then the weddings became a little more monotonous and the planning of driving/sleeping arrangements became a hassle. My boyfriend and my bank accounts were slowly diminishing and you can only wear the same cocktail dress a few times without it going unnoticed.

Now, I'm in my first wedding. And it's not just any wedding, it's my best friend's wedding and I'm the maid of honor. Cue the gasps.

If you thought the bride had it bad with all of the planning, cut the maid of honor a little slack too. Between picking dresses, getting fitted for dresses, buying dresses, planning the bachellorette party, planning the bridal shower and writing a speech that hopefully gets a few courtesy laughs - I'm tapped out.

Who knew so much went into being a maid of honor? I'm still very happy to be the "chosen one" and I'm super excited for the actual wedding, but there is no reason as to why I have a computer folder on my desktop dedicated to someone elses wedding. All of this has completely skewed my vision of weddings. I no longer want the big, elaborate day after seeing the stress it has caused so many others, including myself.

I'll declare it now: I'm getting married on a boat and no one's invited.

Did you ever know that you're my hero...Alec Baldwin?

Alec Baldwin, like a fine wine, is just getting better with age. Do I know anything about fine wines? No. But I do know that Alec Baldwin cracks me up. I'm talking knee-slapping, spitting out beverage, shouting profanities - laughing.

I don't know too much about Baldwin, but I know that I'm fully obsessed with the show 30 Rock because of all the crazy one-liners he spits out each week. The delivery of each line is perfect. In fact, if I could have some one narrate my life, I strongly believe that I would choose him to do it.

When I was 12 my heros probably were any dreamy teeny bopper gracing the cover of Seventenen magazine. Boy how age has changed me. Now, I'm a 24 year old that dreams of having a beer with Baldwin.

Imagine a life with Alec Baldwin as your sidekick? I can! He'd always be suited up, making crazy accusations and always engaging in some witty banter with me. I picture him always drinking scotch out of a snifter and shouting erroneously. This is the friend I need to have in my life.

Now I just need to figure out how to make him become my friend. Perhaps a Facebook friend request will have to do for now...

Rattle and Let Me In!

U2 recently played at the Somerville theater and this means I got in full stalker mode.

My apartment is in Arlington, which is the neighboring town of Somerville, and when I heard the rumor that U2 was coming to town - I had to be a part of the madness.


I've been to the Somerville theater plenty of times, it's a great little hidden jewel. The theater typically has only 4-5 movies playing at one time because it is a small venue. It reminds me of an old broken down High School auditorium fully equipped with a stage, curtains and balcony seating. Every time I see a movie here, I look up and expect to see Statler and Waldorf, from The Muppets, sitting in the balcony, scowling at the noisy kids below.


Back to the point - U2. I've seen them play a handful of times, but because I knew the intimate setting of the Somerville theater and how their biggest stage only sits about 700 people, I knew I had to find a way into this concert.


Being a fan of MacGyver, I knew I'd have to pull out some sort of sneaky operation. So naturally, I ordered two tickets to the 7 p.m. showing of "He's just not that in to you". I know, I'm a genius. I demanded my roommate come with me by re-using the line "C'mon, we're 24 years old, we should be doing spontaneous stuff like this! I know you have work tomorrow but... we're 24 years old! Let's live a little." The aged-guilt trip works every time.


We jumped the red line to Davis Square and patrolled the outside of the theater. There were hundreds of people outside just waiting, watching and hoping for something to happen. I took my camera out and headed to the back of the theater.


TOUR BUSSES! Three of them - big, shiny tour busses. I snapped about 400 pictures before my roommate made us enter the lobby of the theater.


We were confronted first by a police man asking what we were doing. When we told him we had movie tickets, he laughed and sent us to a different line. We were then escorted downstairs where on the walk I tried to barter with the usher about getting into the main auditorium. A simple "not gonna happen" was what he said sternly.


Me and my roomie opened the theater doors and there was one couple sitting there looking like they were planning to rob a bank. They had everything short of a floor plan to the theater. I struck up a conversation with them to see how they were planning on getting in - but they hesitated to tell me the exact details because they "didn't want us stealing their plan." Seriously?


The husband exited the theater, and about a minute after the wife soon followed. My roommate and I figured we'd wait a couple minutes and then make our way upstairs. In between debating which door we were going to sneak and stomaching some witty banter between Justin Long and Ginnifer Goodwin, we stood up in our seats and started walking to the back of theater. As we approached the door, a cop slammed the door open with a flash light - grabbing the left behind jackets of the married couple who had left just minutes before us. Officer Angry then flashed the light right in my eye and said, "I hope you're not trying what those fools just did."


And with that, we sat back down and continued watching the movie. Every once in a while we could hear the crowd roaring from upstairs, or the loud drumming beats and guitar licks from the band. It was bittersweet.


"I'm glad we came even though we didn't get to see them. You're right, we should be doing more stuff like this while we're still young" my roommate said as we hopped back on the red line home.