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Thursday September 29, 2011
Fresh ideas! Fresh Perspectives! Fresh Voices!
Important reminders for getting loans By Dana Jackson Editor-in-Chief Financial aid plays an important role in keeping the education at Eastern affordable. This includes: grants, scholarships, work-study jobs, and loans. Jerry Donna, director for financial aid, said “The first important thing students need to know is, to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid online (FAFSA) by March 1.” “You will get the best Financial Aid if you do it on time, it limits your eligibility for loans if you don’t,” he said. “It’s about access and making education affordable, I went to U of I on financial aid, I know how it feels and what it means to need funds for school.” “Access and affordability for students is the purpose for financial aid.” According to money coach .com slash your need for student loans by getting your college to give you a better financial aid package—especially scholarships, grants or work-study awards. You may be able to do this if your family situation has changed substantially since you applied for aid. For example, a divorce among the parents, a death of the family or a serious illness is some reasons. The second thing Donna recommended students should know about loans is that “students should borrow what they need, and not just apply for more loans for personal benefits,” he said. “Students need to keep track of what they borrow; because they have to pay this money back”
Donna stated that in the last class of 201l, 68 percent of the students received financial aid with an average debt of $22,812 when they graduated. According to money coach.com one way to get rid of college debt is to have your boss pay it off. Many employers will do so if you sign an employment incentive contract. This means that as a “bonus” to an individual the job pays their student loans. In turn, that individual agrees to be a loyal employee and remain with the company for a given time period, say at least two to three years. The third thing Donna recommended students should know about student loans is try to keep a budget while in school. “Students need to have a balanced budget along with their expenses,” he said.“Unfortunately, if you don’t pay off your loans you could run into wage garnishment.” According to money coach. com federal student loans have better loan forgiveness, forbearance, and deferment options than private loans. They’re also much cheaper loans—and they’ll be even less costly in the near future. Right now, the federal cap on Stafford Loans, is the most common type of federal student loan, is fixed at 6.8 percent for undergraduates. The good news is that any student taking out new, subsidized Stafford loans will have progressively lower interest rates now and in the future, thanks to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. Subsidized loans are the ones where the government pays the inter-
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Working hard for the money, or working hard for the grades? Many students today are doing both just to be able to stay in school. Many Eastern Illinois University students are working full- time jobs while enrolled in full- time credit hours. As tuition continues to rise, and the cost of living goes up, more and more students are finding themselves in the work place. Modupeda Sobitan, a senior Health Studies major, is one of those students who is working full -time and also taking 16 credit hours this semester. Sobitan works for Developmental Foundations Inc.
(DFI) in Charleston, IL, where she serves as an in-home caretaker for over 17 residents. Her duties include assisting people with disabilities, helping them with everyday tasks that they are unable to complete on their own, and encouraging positive behaviors. Sobitan works anywhere from 2540 hours a week, while still taking classes; she says that having a job while in school makes her want to work harder. “I have no room to procrastinate,” Sobitan said. Sobitan admits that she’s working only to help her mother out, who is actually helping her out. She lives in an apartment off-campus, which is paid for by her mother and one day, Sobitan would like to help pay the rent.
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The good news is that she states that she is able to study while at work since her workplace is such a homelike environment. Although she says work does not really interfere with her studies, Sobitan does admit that her social life has become impossible to maintain. “Everything I do socially has to be planned now. I can’t have random fun anymore,” she says. Shae-Anne Wiggan, a senior family consumer science major, is also a full - time student worker. Wiggan works for Charleston Transitional Facility, caring for adults with mental disabilities, similar to Sobitan. Wiggan also states, “I have been able to find a balance between my work and my studies.” She goes on to say that it’s not easy.
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your payments,” he said. “We want to make it convenient for them. We never want to hear I can’t from a graduate, because they can’t afford it.”
Dana Jackson can be reached at dajackson@eiu.edu.
Students split time between work and school By Rikki Wright Staff Reporter
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Screamin’ in the Quad est on the loans while the student is in school. Donna said the message he wants to send out to the students is to stay in touch with the financial aid and loan service office when they graduate. “There have been times when people have lost their jobs. The financial aid office will let you delay
SEPTEMBER 29, 2011
Although Sobitan and Wiggan are able to maintain their grades while working full-time, there are other students who are not that lucky. EIU offers many resources for students who are struggling with their studies. One resource is the Student Success Center that offers study tips, time management tips, and other services to help students. Students can contact the Student Success Center at (217) 581-6696 or visit them in person at 1302 9th St. Hall Charleston, IL 61920.
Rikki Wright can be reached at rdwright@eiu.edu.
By Robyn Dexter Staff Reporter
KIMBERLY FOSTER | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Read the full story Phil Kominski, vocalist for the Washington D.C.-based band Lloyd Dobler on the UB Lawn Effect, sings the band’s original song “I Have the Touch” from the album Party on page 3. “Candles” Sunday during the University Board’s Lawn Party on the South Quad. The event also included spin art frisbees, popcorn and a root beer keg.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
The Council for Academic Affairs meeting today will include the selection of a CAA representative to both the Ad-Hoc Committee on Online Education and the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee. Aseret Gonzalez, a senior sociology major and the Student Vice President of Academic Affairs, said the CAA was not able to appoint a representative for the Ad-Hoc Committee on Online Education at their Sept. 22 meeting. “We didn’t have a quorum when this was discussed, so that’s why there wasn’t an appointment made,” she said. According to an announcement written by Andrew Methven, the chairman of the faculty senate, this member will help investigate the future and current direction of Eastern’s online course offerings and serve along with members represent-
ing different Eastern colleges and committees. The CAA will also select a representative to serve on the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee, as was discussed at the previous meeting. This member will serve a oneyear term on the committee. According to Debra Reid, a history professor and CAA member, the Enrollment Management Advisory Committee representative would “advise enrollment management in ways that would sustain the academic integrity of EIU.” According to the CAA agenda, they plan to discuss an announcement from the Council on Graduate Studies regarding the School of Business’ Position Paper on EIU Textbook Rental Service. Members of the Council on Graduate Studies have asked the CAA to review whether the Textbook Rental Service is including online software and materials to the best of its ability. See CAA, page 5
GUEST SPEAKER
Senate discusses Speaker reveals ‘Booby Prize’ online textbooks By Brittany Martin Staff Reporter
By Kathryn Richter Staff Reporter
Aseret Gonzalez, the student vice president of academic affairs, revealed at Wednesday’s meeting the Council on Academic Affairs is discussing the possibility of online textbooks. Gonzales assured the student senate members that whatever the outcome of the discussion, no action will be taken yet. John Poshepny, a senior finance major and student senate member, said he is not in favor of online textbooks. “I’m not a fan of them,” Poshepny said. “As a finance major, I like to have my (physical) textbook to reference.” Although Poshepny said he is also understanding of the arguments made in favor of textbook conversion. “I think it’s a very double sword issue,” he said. Tommy Nierman, a senior business major and student senate member, said he believes that as a technologically advanced society online textbooks are a natural progression but he feels that implementing online textbooks now would be a little too early. “More research needs to be done on students’ opinions as well,” Nierman said. However, as the discussion progressed, the senate seemed divided on the issue.
Mitchell Gurick, a freshman career and technical education major, said online textbooks would be better both economically and environmentally, as well as better for student’s backs instead of carrying a backpack full of books. Kaci Abolt, the student vice president for student affairs and a junior communication studies major, said she thinks the conversation should not end in student senate but continue among students. “It’s a good conversation to have with students and faculty together,” Abolt said. “I think it’s definitely something to look into.” Abolt said she remains unsure of whether or not she liked the idea of reading textbooks on a computer screen. Jarrod Scherle, a student executive vice president and a graduate business student, said he would not be swayed one way or the other regarding the issue. The tradition of textbook rental, which has been at Eastern since 1899, would be something he would miss, Scherle said. “I think it would be a shame to give up that tradition,” Scherle said. Other topics of discussion from the meeting included the opening of the leadership wall in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union is being scheduled for an Oct. 26 release. See SENATE, page 5
“Friendship,” “therapist,” “sister,” “mom” and “dad” are the words that Heather Carver described in her comedy show “Booby Prize: A Comedy about Breast Cancer” Wednesday. Carver is the artistic director and co-founder of the Troubling Violence Performance Project, and the associate professor of playwriting, performance studies at the University of Missouri and a breast cancer survivor. This comedy series was about how Carver dealt with having breast cancer for six years. Carver, who was dressed as a clown, interacted with the audience, asking them to guess what is inside the box she had placed on the stage. The audience came up with a variety of suggestions including more clowns or a stripper. Carver surprised the audience with a piece of paper with two words “booby prize.” She said she won the booby prize, talking mainly about her breast cancer. She said her and her husband both suffered cancer. She said she has two daughters of her own and she wants to be able to stay strong for them. Even though she has been diagnosed with breast cancer, she still believes in life. Carver said she hopes her story inspired the audience and persuaded them that just because someone has breast cancer, that does not mean they do not still have a life. She said she wants to raise awareness about breast cancer, to let women know they are not a statistic. Carver stated that 1 out of 7 women are suffering breast cancer in the United States. Carver said she loves theater and she believes that theater is a way of being able to share your stories with one another. “You have to be inspired in order to tell your stories and being able to be comfortable with life,” Carver said. Brittany Martin can be reached at 581-7942 or bgmartin@eiu.edu.
DANNY DAMIANI | THE DAILY EASTERN NE WS
Heather Carver, Associate Professor of playwriting and performance studies at the University of Missouri, asks the audience to help her open a present with applause during her one-woman performance “Booby Prize: A Comedy about Breast Cancer” Wednesday in the Doudna Fine Arts Center’s Black Box. After opening the present she revealed that the “booby prize” was in the box, and she began her autobiographical performance through audience participation.