On-Campus Jobs Vs. Off-Campus Jobs

One of the nicest aspects of going to a four-year university is having the ability to get an on-campus job. However, there are a few drawbacks. First, you tend to get less hours per week. This is good for someone who really just needs a job to pay for the occasional movie or such but not so good for the person who is paying for their entire tuition.

My suggestion for people in the latter group is to stick to an off-campus job. They may be a little bit harder to get but if you have the right personality and have a connection; you will be able to work much more. Most off- campus jobs will work you as much as 32 hours per week.

Also, some on-campus jobs only pay $8 an hour but an off-campus job can pay more. For example, a job at In-N-Out starts at $10 an hour. This is significantly more per hour. An on-campus job also allows you the option to be a part of the work-study program. This is when the state pays half of your pay and the employer pays the other half, making you more marketable to employers on-campus because they are spending less money.

Lastly, some on-campus jobs allow you to work while having the benefit of seeing your friends.

Off-campus jobs do not tolerate visits from friends or employees working on anything other than what you are being paid to do.

Usually these activities can only be accomplished on breaks and lunches.

The Importance of Multi-tasking

As an employee in retail, you learn the importance of being able to multi-task. At the registered you are required to be friendly, ask questions, as well as insure that the customer isn’t using counterfeit payment, something that has been occurring more and more with the current economy. As a child, multi-tasking isn’t something parents instill in you. It is a trait you acquire in school, especially for those who take the dreaded AP classes, or listen to a lecture as well as take notes. Multi-tasking is difficult to learn, but it is well worth the exasperation whether you are a student, teacher or employee.

Grades for Parents: An Innovative or Erroneous Idea?

Grades are a part of the everyday life of a typical student. However, grades are not a part of a parent’s life. A Florida lawmaker thinks that grades should become a part of a parent’s everyday life, or at least while their child is in Kindergarten through Third Grade.

I think that this, in theory, is a good idea. We have all seen those parents who just do not care about their child’s life. These are the same parents who are more concerned about appearance and their own personal happiness. By adding this grading system, this may possibly help increase the amount of time these types of parents spend with their child. School is vital to a child’s survival in the real world. Without a basic understanding of the principles taught in school, there is a very low chance this child will succeed in life.

However, what about the teachers? It is a well-known fact that teachers are not paid enough for the amount of work they put into the job. Would adding this burden increase their pay rate? Or does the state expect them to take this extra responsibility with stride and without complaints? I highly doubt any teacher will be truly thrilled with the idea.

So, in theory, I think that this is a good idea on paper, but is possibly flawed. For more information, check out the original article featured on CNN.com.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/26/florida.grading.parents/index.html?hpt=Sbin

The Importance of Time Management

Throughout my childhood my parents were always emphasizing how important it was for me to be on time. Whether it was to school, softball practice or dinner, we were never late. I didn’t know then, but they were instilling in me important tools I use in my daily life now. Being able to manage a job and school is a difficult task. I am always on the go, and very rarely do I have a significant break to just “stop and smell the roses.” With the skills my parents instill in me at a young age, I have been able to successfully time manage my life. School is a demanding aspect of my life. It requires a small amount of time in the classroom listening to various lectures, but what makes it hard are the countless hours outside of the classroom reading and immersing myself in the information I need to know. My work, however, is the complete opposite. I spend anywhere from 20-30 hours a week working with customers doing easy tasks such as single copies and faxes, to complicated design jobs. My work has been a learning experience, and in some way, has shaped my ideas for where I want to end up 10 years from now. Being able to balance the demands of school and a job are difficult, and sometimes possibly more than I can handle, but I know that without it, I would not be who I am.

Journalism 170 Post: Full Time Student, Part Time Employee

Choosing to go to college is probably one of the best decisions any high school student could make. However, the question of how to pay for college ALWAYS pops up. With me, it was a 7 month long argument with my dad. Of course it ended up with me, here, at CBU, but not without its drawbacks. I am a full time student, and a part time Office Depot Associate, as I have been for the past two years of my life. It has been hard learning to balance school and work, but it has its rewards. Throughout this semester, I will be blogging about my experiences as a full time student and an employee of a large corporation.

The First Amendment: Where is the Line and the Government Protection?

The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The Bill of Rights clearly states in the first amendment that the Church and State are separate, and that all citizens have the freedom of religion as well as the freedom of speech. However, when speaking about religion, when is it too much, and when has the line been crossed?

               In a recent article published on Yahoo, it was discovered that two billboards where recently purchased by the Catholic League and the American Atheists in New York City by the Lincoln Tunnel.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20101202/ts_yblog_thelookout/atheists-slick-ad-campaigns-sometimes-meet-with-resistance

               The Catholic League had posted on their billboard, “You know its real; This season, celebrate Jesus.” In response, the American Atheists posted on their billboard, “You know it’s a myth; This season, celebrate reason.”

               These two contradictory billboards are just a recent example of how the freedom of speech is mixing with the freedom of religion and causing a lot of controversy.

               One of the many reasons for America’s success is because we are able to believe what we want to believe. On one corner you can find a Christian church, and within a mile of it, you can find a Mormon temple and as well as a Mosque.

               Americans also rejoice in the fact that they can say what they want, hold public demonstrations to bring awareness to their fellow citizens. However, is it fair for those who want to believe in Jesus Christ as their one and only savior to be publicly attacked for their beliefs by those who don’t believe in the existence of Jesus?

               Or, is it fair for those who aren’t religious to be persecuted for their lack of faith?

               In these instances, many would agree that it is not. However, what is being done for those who are being persecuted? And what is being done about these billboards, who offend so many?

               Religious tolerance and freedom of speech need their limits and boundaries, and it is up to the American government to establish those. These billboards are not just an example of persecution because of faith, but of the inexcusable lack of enforcement this country has over those who are intolerable.

               With many becoming more and more frustrated with the Government and its inability to effectively govern during this economic crisis, maybe those who represent us in Congress and other positions with power need to listen to the people, rather than try and abuse their positions.

               So I think it’s time for the American people to make a stand for what we believe in, and demand the American Government what we want: an established line for the First Amendment and action for the failing economy, as well as the many other aspects of the government that are failing to meet the American citizens’ standard of living.

The Dying Culture

In movies such as The Phantom of the Opera, and Little Women, the characters are often seen dressing up and going to shows and the opera. However, this culture has lost its importance in recent years. Within the last 100 years, our culture has put more emphasis on cheesy movies and going to parties where you sit, eat and talk. Now, do not get me wrong, it's a great way to network yourself for jobs and to meet new people, however, the importance of such rich shows have been lost to the point of almost extinction.

In recent years, Broadway shows have become largely popular. With shows such as Wicked and Legally Blonde, actors and actresses have become well-known within the teenage community. However, classic operas such as Pirates of Penzance, and Madame Butterfly have lost their importance.

The idea of getting dressed up in expensive evening gowns to go to the opera on a Saturday night is almost scoffed at. To spend hundreds of dollars on a dress and tux, and then another couple of hundred dollars on the tickets itself seems preposterous to many people. However, operas are culturally enhancing.

Almost all operas are in Italian or French, because of the beauty of the language. It is much prettier to sing Je vous aime compared to I love you. The harsh vowels and constanents of the English language do not make for pretty songs.

Because most operas are in a different language, it causes the viewer to almost be placed in an alternate universe. Many classically trained singers are learning to respect the amount of training it goes into becoming a trained opera singer. It takes time and dedication to manipulating and tuning your voice to have that perfect sound quality.

Opera evokes the emotions of many people because of the emotions felt throughout the play. For example, Julia Robert's Pretty Woman is a classic example of the high emotions felt during an opera. At the end of the opera scene, Roberts is displayed crying hysterically, and remarking that she almost "peed her pants." She had no idea of the power behind opera. This is typical of many who have never seen an actual opera performed.

My favorite opera, Phantom of the Opera, is a powerful love story told through a series of operas and centered on an opera house. The music is beautifully written and powerful. The main character, Christine, is in love with her childhood friend, but is being pursued by the “phantom” of the opera house, who is in love with the idea of being loved despite his ugly exterior. She is also struggling with the fact that she is an orphan and was left in the care of the opera house by her deceased father.

This powerful opera evoke my emotions of being a daughter without a mother, who has struggled with the idea of being alone and without guidance for a while now. Christine has no idea what she should do; save the one she loves by giving her life up to the phantom, or to refuse to pretended to love the phantom, and sacrifice her one true love. Either way she is unhappy. She has no one to turn to, but through a series of events, she saves Raul, and gains her freedom from the phantom.

Another one of my favorite operas is Pirates of Penzance. It is a comical opera about pirates and their desire to marry the daughters of a wealthy general. I liked this opera because it was not just a sappy love story, but it had meaning, and made the audience laugh.

The Magic Flute is another favorite of mine because of its complex nature. It shows a classic representation of good vs. evil. How bad things can trick you into thinking they're good, but in the end you can always discover the falseness of those kinds of things. And how you can always bounce back and good always triumphs over evil.

The popularity of opera is dying in America, but it will always have a culture of its own. It is a matter of whether society learns to appreciate it or not.


http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/429776/opera

http://www.artdesigncentral.com/music/opera-music-history-evolution-and-rebirth/