Thanksgiving Break, by Jesse Frank

So, Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Hip Hip Hooray! In an attempt to procrastinate studying for my exams, I decided to plan out what I am going to do over Thanksgiving break. Having not been home in three months there are a lot of people I want to see. My goal for this break: Never stop moving. I learned last year that a college student over break is like a shark, it must keep moving to survive.

Now I love my family, I really do. But I swear, as soon as I step inside my childhood home I go from 19-year old (semi) mature college student Jesse, to 15 year old totally immature Jesse. I know my mom, dad, and sister can attest to this. I mean how often do I run around college making fart noises using the age-old “hand-under-the-armpit” trick? Never… well maybe once or twice. And how often do I do that when I am home over breaks? At least once a day, if not more. I’m pretty sure my parents think college has not done much for me, but I swear it has (I can do calculus!)

Anyways, I decided I need to “keep moving” so I don’t revert back to 15-year old totally immature Jesse. Essentially, I cannot spend all 10 days of my Turkey Day Break in my house. Since I have a super-long break I can go visit my high-school and camp friends at their respective universities! Hooray for friends!

So less than 10 hours after landing in Michigan I will head to the University of Michigan (sorry family) for football and friends. The next day I’ll continue my journey to see more friends at Michigan State University. Maybe I’ll even get a little studying done with them. Then, like any return trip home, there must be a day chalked up for appointment and errands. That is my Tuesday. Wednesday I’ll finally spend some time with my family and make lots of farting noises. Thursday will be more football and food! I’m calling it now: Lions will beat the Packers (solely because I will be in attendance). Obviously, I will be with my family since it is Turkey Day. In honor of this family-oriented holiday I will (attempt) to withhold any “immature” jokes, acts, etc. from the day. I will most likely fail at this. The chance for a “That’s What She Said” joke will be too enticing.

From this informal schedule of “Jesse’s Thanksgiving Break Plans” you can see I will be at my house for three straight days! Woah! Looks like I need to leave again! Off to Ann Arbor to watch the greatest rivalry in all of college sports: Michigan-Ohio State football. Sidenote: While I do attend the University of Colorado, and am a huge, huge Buff fan, there is something special about UofM-OSU. After the game I get one more day with the fam and then it’s back to Boulder to resume college-like things (aka studying for finals).

Now, I’m sure some (read: all) of you are reading this asking yourself “Why do I care about what Jesse is doing over Thanksgiving break?” Quite honestly I really don’t know why you care about what I’m doing. In fact, you probably don’t give 2 craps about what I’m doing. So, to give this post some meaning, here is what all the above blabbing was about:

Thanksgiving is a time to be with friends and family. So take advantage of your time off from school and work and see as many people as you can! Be with the people you (hopefully) love and care about! But remember, too much of a good thing is still too much. So make like a shark and keep moving!

-Jesse

Is That For The Tacky Sweater Party? It's Not? My Bad. By Elizabeth Hernandez

While we have still been getting lucky with mid-60 degree weather in early November, Thanksgiving is just around the corner. And while Thanksgiving may bring lots of food, fall colors and families together, one thing it also brings is colder weather. I am still having a hard time parting with my wedges, bikinis and sundresses but I am looking forward to new winter boots, trendy new hats, and of course pumpkin spiced lattes from Starbucks.

Much like many fashion trends, everything at one point in time comes back around. For example; holiday sweaters. Oh yes, the ones that your parents made you wear, that not only were itchy and matched your younger siblings, but had a giant reindeer or snowman plastered on the front. Here, let me remind you.

Do I even need to tell you how awful that is? This is one trend I never thought would come back around, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised by anything. I mean, how are you supposed to have a tacky sweater themed party when someone isn't showing up in these things on a regular basis? And not only are these sweaters a popular trend, the price of a piece of clothing you thought escaped from your past is even more ridiculous in some cases. Take a look.

Moncler Shawl Collar Reindeer Cardigan featured at Nordstrom.com $600.00 $600.00?!!! I know you gasped for air just like I did when I saw that. I honestly don't think I would be able to take my guy seriously or any other guy for that matter in this reindeer infested cardigan. Could you? No. Next up is a holiday sweater from American Eagle.

AE Reindeer Sweater $49.50

Not nearly as expensive, but almost equally as awful. I really think if my mom had kept my clothes from when I was little, a smaller version of this sweater would be discovered.

Now what kind of fashion blogger would I be if I didn't offer a more socially acceptable alternative? Certainly not a good one. But luckily I am here to help you around the holidays to pick a sweater that someone is not going to think you are on a dare to wear.

Acceptable printed sweaters- So you want to be a little bit festive with your choice of sweater picking this season? You don't have to have little snowmen covering your sleeves or reindeer flying from left to right to get the point across that you dressed for the holidays. There are several prints that will still do the job.

MALACHITE SWEATER $69.50 ROXY.COM

The colors in this sweater pretty much cover all of the holiday colors without all the tackiness. It is also available in many other color combinations.

ALPINE SWEATER $59.50 ROXY.COM

What is that? Oh why yes it is a snowflake, but notice that it is the center of the sweater and it doesn't look like you just walked through a blizzard.

Holiday Hues-The colors red, green, black and winter white are very festive colors that winter brings.

Off-the-shoulder Tunic Sweater $49.50

Angel Bouclé Cowlneck Sweater $59.50

The Flirty Cardi Sweater $39.50

All sweaters available at www.victoriassecret.com

Glitz and Glam- The big trend this season is bling, and lots of it, but sometimes people tend to get carried away covering themselves in sequin dresses, matching sequin shoes and a sequin hat. Way overboard. Here are some cardigans and sweaters that dress up the holiday season with a littleglitz.

Miss Me V-Neck Wool Blend Sweater $88.00 www.buckle.com

Long Sleeve Sequin Sweater $59.50 www.express.com

Some more helpful sweater tips? Certainly.

1. My biggest fear when trying on sweaters is that I think they make me look bigger than I really am. But if you pair your bulky sweater with some skinny leg pants and some trendy boots you will be sure to make a positive fashion statement.

2. You don't have to look like a trashbag that just stepped out of your mom's closet. Throw on some accessories to give your solid color sweater some personality. Try a sparkly chunky bracelet or even a headband to make your outfit more girly.

3. Try a sweater over top of a dress for a different style than just pants. If it is too cold out throw on a pair of tights.

4. If you are wearing a printed sweater make sure you wear a solid color bottom. You don't want to look like an explosion of textures and prints.

5. Scarves and hats can be your best friends when trying to accessorize your sweater.

Hope this helps this holiday season when you venture out to go sweater shopping.

Stay classy,
<3 Elizabeth

NaNoWriMo - Anne Wrobetz

Ah, the month of October. Fall leaves crunch underfoot, frost graces the windows in the early mornings, snow cakes into the holes that developed in your snowboots during the summer, leaving an unpleasant dampness that lasts all day. Lovely.

Halloween is almost over and the entire campus mourns its death. I am sitting at home watching a Korean horror movie with a group of friends that also happen to be the members of my creative writing club. Yes, the end of October ushers in the beginning of November (in exactly 35 minutes). Not only are we celebrating Halloween with this badly-translated film; we are also celebrating the beginning of NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month. Any person interested in creative writing must understand this momentous occasion. During the month of November, writers are challenged to write 50,000 words toward a novel, ideally finishing the novel by midnight on November 30th. Being a college student, it’s difficult enough to read a novel outside of class, let alone write one. So why not take on the challenge!

Homework, a job, friends, exercise, family, and now a burgeoning writing career? Yes, I am a sucker for my own painful sleep deprivation. But college really is the time to explore who and what you are, what you like to do, what you’re going to be for the rest of your life. Take this time to explore all you interests. Not only will you refine valuable skills (believe me, writing is valuable for almost any career you could possibly yearn for), you will also form wonderful friendships. Being a member of creative writing club gives me a chance to distress from engineering calculations. And who knows, this might be my award-winning novel!

So yes, I have to go to work at nine in the morning. And yes, I have an economics midterm on Wednesday. But in seven minutes, I will begin working on my novel. I might actually finish this time.

10 Ways to Survive Your First Month at College, by Michael Shirzadian

Hi.

So you’re going to college. You’re a little bit nervous—that’s to be expected—and more than nervous, you’re excited, excited to meet new people, to learn new things, to expand your life in thousand different, random directions. You’ve heard from those who have made the journey before you how you should be excited, how the next four years will be the most vibrant and riveting years of your life. You’re skeptical at this sort of comment because you’ve heard it so often, because like Bob Seger, the quintessential ‘been-there’ adults are always regretting the past, how it’s gone, how things trend forward. Ain’t it funny how the night moves?

Before you trek—maybe alone—through the first year of your college experience, check out the following 10 suggestions designed to get you through those first few weeks. It’s cakewalk after that (although number 7 is atemporal and universally applicable and you should never forget that one).

1. Learn the way. You’re gonna get there before classes start, obviously, so spend a day walking your route from dorm to class to class to class to dorm. 7am at Cedarville University, August 26, 2006, I sat down in Fundamentals of Beekeeping looking for Fundamentals of Speech. That’s the sort of mistake you can’t admit, so I sat through syllabus day counting the minutes and learning the jejune, mundane reproductive habits of bees. I did hear that before he published the most significant post-1945 American novel, Catcher in the Rye, author JD Salinger had studied beekeeping in college, before he dropped out. That’s the most significant thing I learned that morning (I hope it’s true), and that one should plan her or his route.
2. Pay attention on syllabus day. First day of class is always syllabus day, and it’s the closest your professor will come to giving you the answers (unless you’re headed to Boston U, or any other school notorious for significant grade inflation). When your prof goes through the due dates and deadlines, write them down (a week or so before they’re due so you’re not cramming the night before). Buy one of those trendy school calendars from your bookstore and write the assignments—at least the big ones—in the calendar as your prof drones on.
3. Be bold. I’m lacking in this category. I was too proud, or too embarrassed, or too something anyway, to interact with the other Cedarville students when I first arrived on campus back in ’06. I felt that way for four years, and it was a lonely time because of it. On your first day, even if it’s not your personality, be outgoing. That’ll go a long way in the vibrant-and-diverse-group-of-friends department. It’s important, in life more generally, to be social. That’s the most important lesson I learned in college, a lesson I’m still learning, still trying to pin down, to reify. (Look it up! It’s an SAT word, I swear!)
4. Meal plan. Look, I know what you’re thinking. It’s really dumb that the school forces us to buy meal plans. Yeah. It is. I’m a Boulder Marxist like the rest of us beneath the mountain, and I too recognize how the bourgeois dogs on the tip-top of the Superstructure trap us in their webs of financial networks. One hand washes the other. But it doesn’t matter, because the meal plan really is the cheapest way to live, on and off campus, and when you don’t have it you’re spending 8 bucks a day on Chipotle (of course) and another $15 on whatever else you need to eat. It adds up. If you’re disciplined enough to cook despite your busy workload, good for you. Next step is to buy local and then you’re really sticking it to those capitalist/futurist neocons running the country from Silicon Valley through lobbyists and corporate personhood.
5. Call your parents. They’re gonna look after you. When you’re lonely or anxious or out of money … or whatever, call your parents. You’re beginning a phase in your life where your parents aren’t the authoritative figures anymore. You stand in a unique position to launch and foster a deep and long-lasting friendship with your parents. When I was lonely at Cedarville on a Friday night, I called my mom. Or she’d call me. That was the start of different kind of relationship, one which I still depend on to sustain me through the lonely days of a new environment.
6. Try new things. Do things you’ve never done before. Skydive.
7. Don’t get married. Yeah. Same old cynicism. I knew seven different girls at Cedarville who dropped out when they got engaged. Admittedly, that sort of sensibility is much more prevalent throughout Cedarville’s Evangelical Christian community, but it’s worth mentioning. The most important thing you can take from your college experience is, first, your degree, and second, your education (another confusing value hierarchy inscribed in our collective consciousness by the bourgeoisie and its institutions; education is free; a degree costs something). On that parenthetical note, marriage is another institution used by the Superstructure to maintain passivity. Rebel! Don’t marry! Viva la revolución!
8. Enjoy the little things. Watch Zombieland, also.
9. Overwork. I can’t stand it when people say ‘don’t push yourself too hard; you’ll burn out’. You might burn out. Fine. That’s educational too. Push yourself too hard and see what you’re capable of. I burned out 1^st semester senior year, which was great. My GPA reflects it. Start strong and coast to the finish. It’s better to burn out than to fade away. Listen to Neil Young.
10. Visit home. Remind yourself where you came from, what you used to know, who you used to be. This is important to navigating the mire of the future, too. Read Joyce Carol Oates’ short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” (only the title, not the content, is applicable here, but it’s a blow-away short story and you’d be missing out should you neglect to read it).

And of course I love you all,

Michael

Fresh Looks for Fall, By Elizabeth Hernandez

When it comes to the word “slacker,” it could be my middle name in reference to the limited amount of blogging I did this summer. Yes, I could throw out a long list of excuses, but all I am going to say is… “I’m back and I’m sorry.”

Unfortunately my favorite season is over. RIP Summer 2011, you will be dearly missed.

As one season changes into another so do fashion trends. Hopefully everyone has been working hard this summer and was able to save up some extra cash for their new Fall 2011 wardrobe because this season there are some new and exciting colors, trends and accessories in store.

1. Mustard

No not the condiment, the color. The hours I spend all summer long perfecting my sun-kissed glow disappears completely when the weather starts to get cold. So if I were to wear this mustard color, I feel like people would start to think I was sick. However, if you are someone who keeps your tan or cheats and goes to the tanning beds, maybe you could give this color a try. Here are some affordable and trendy items: Figure 1 (Lyra mustard dress from Etsy), figure 2 (mustard yellow lace sweater from Etsy).

2. Lace

Move over Victoria Secret lingerie apparel. You aren’t the only one wearing lace this year. This is one trend you have to be careful with because if you overdo it with the “froufrou,” the joke ends up on you. If there is one thing to say about fashion designer Jason Wu, it would be that he loves him some lace. Take a look at his RTW 2011 Fall collection: Figure 1, Figure 2. (Images by: NewYorker)

P.S.- Yes, figure 2 is a mustard colored skirt paired with lace – two trends in one. Notice how Wu pairs one lace garment with a solid color, avoiding too much pattern clash. Another tip to picking out your lace item is to avoid wearing too much to the color cream because then you just look like your grandma’s curtain/tablecloth and who wants that? Not me. Unfortunately, we college students can’t always afford to buy Wu’s eclectic taste in lace, but there are some affordable, trendy solutions: Figure 1 (Lace Book Shorts), figure 2 (Leave It to Me Dress), figure 3 (Twenty Years Bold Skirt), figure 4(Look Like a Dream Dress). All items can be found at ModCloth.

3. Vintage Chokers

Dresses from the 60’s and 70’s have yet to fall out of style this year and with that being said, add a choker necklace and you have the very next trend. And this is no joke when I say the bigger and bulkier the choker, the more of a statement you are going to make. Here’s a few I really liked: Figure 1, figure 2. (Choker necklaces found on Etsy).

4. Bright Colors

This is one trend I never get tired of seeing from season to season, and this Fall color is one thing that is not lacking. Just because it isn’t summer anymore doesn’t mean you should trade in your reds, yellows and oranges for browns, grays and blacks. Much like lace color should be worn in moderation. Take a look at some of the bold and bright colors incorporated in DKNY’s Fall 2011 collection: Figure 1, figure 2. (DKNY Collection- Photo Credit).

Where to buy your bright colored clothes to stand out this Fall 2011?

Figure 1, figure 2, figure 3, figure 4, figure 5! (All items can be found at TopShop).

5. Plaids and Polka Dots

Tartan plaid and girly polka dots are two prints that seem to have taken off for Fall/Winter 2011. Take a look at the runway and how designers incorporated both designs in their collections and find out how you can get the look for less: Figure 1.

Look for less? Items all available at ModCloth:

Figure 1, figure 2, figure 3, figure 4, figure 5.

Keep it classy,
<3 Elizabeth

Good Thing I Got A Pell Grant, by Michael Shirzadian

Recent attempts by both Democrat and Republican leadership to brand their opposition as vicious perpetrators of so-called “Class Warfare” do not suggest, as the media might have us believe, an especially polar or divisive era in contemporary Washington politics—where leaders desperately enlist words like “terror” and “war” in the service of disparate political ideologies—but illustrate, instead, the bipartisan and calculated sense of war requisite to maintaining status-quo (economic) politics, which these leaders have achieved, cleverly, by exercising and displaying a purely-fictive, illusory sense of displeasure, discord, or purpose.

Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) so-called Path to Prosperity (hereafter Path), passed by all but four House Republicans, eliminates funding for Pell Grants, curtails Medicaid, eliminates Medicare, and, according to non-partisan CBO projections, raises the tax burden for 90% of Americans because it so significantly eliminates taxes for those earning over one million dollars (approximately 433,000 Americans). Path cuts the top marginal tax rate for the wealthiest six percent of filers, and brings the corporate income tax to the same rate.

Path so significantly and absurdly harms lower/middle class Americans (and pretty much everyone else) that President Obama nearly betrayed his own important role in the Dem/GOP symbiotic (semiotic) game by commenting on it and its short prehistory so honestly and matter-of-factly. He said: “Middle-class families shouldn’t pay higher taxes than millionaires and billionaires. That’s pretty straightforward. It’s hard to argue against that. Warren Buffett’s secretary shouldn’t pay a higher tax rate than Warren Buffett.”

This of course after Buffett’s Aug. 14 New York Times op-ed Stop Coddling the Superrich, which caught fire on the Internet and locates Buffett as another super-image, an icon representing so broad a camp that his contribution to our political climate—like that of McCain’s endearingly simple Joe the Plumber—amounts to a personal marketing gimmick and, perhaps, the publication of some mundane, broken-record book (also like Joe the Plumber). Apart from these, Buffett’s article has become so significantly removed from any sense of action—refined by the fires of politics and hyperspace—that his contribution to Obama’s long-forgotten campaign slogan Change! is an illusive and elusive one. The core of Buffett’s article, the idea, was lost when the Dems/GOP got hold of it.

Image-Buffett is to Path as Lennon is to McCartney. Or vice versa. What we don’t see, and haven’t as Americans seen, ever, is drastic, radical socioeconomic reform, favoring the lower/middle class, despite our almost-there President and hisc’mon-guys-this-is-obvious rhetoric.

Yes, Mr. President, it’s pretty straightforward.

But healthcare reform (equally straightforward) was a bust because the play’s afoot. What the optimistic Marxist might hope is that our almost-there President will cast off the restrictions of campaign anxiety (an anxiety, chiefly, of donor dollars), and will declare war unequivocally (and this time for real) on our 433,000 American millionaires/billionaires, saying to them something like: Don’t vote for me ‘cause I won’t represent your economic interests; I’ll tax you into the middle class, and saying to everyone else something like: I won’t do that to you. He should disregard all this absurd talk of trickle down and donor dollars and how important it is to placate the bourgeois dogs on the tip-top of the Superstructure.

But it’s a body politic composed of image, boasting diluted entitlement programs and corporate personhood and Bush tax cuts, and anyway the Marxist can’t be too hopeful because she believes capitalism will continue turning its blind, ugly eye to the lower/middle class until it destroys itself, inevitably, and to that end perhaps the Path to Prosperity would indeed function as the best step forward.

Meagan's Bootleg Series Vol. 1

Today I’m going to tread a little bit into the music world. I recently attended a couple of concerts earlier this month, but the film student in me couldn’t stop observing a fairly new trend: cell phone and camera recordings at concerts. It’s not that I haven’t noticed this has been going on for a while, and it’s not a new thing for people to record or take pictures without permission at concerts, but I feel like it’s definitely changing.

One of the acts I saw, Fitz and The Tantrums , had an audience that was widely lit up with cell phone lights. I am going to estimate that around 50-60% of the audience was filming them, at least at some point or another. It actually got so bad that at one point one of the vocalists, Noelle Scaggs, addressed the audience and told them to put away their phones and start enjoying the music (how embarrassing!). I don’t want to downplay the energy of the show, because it was one of the best [sold out] concerts I had ever been to. However, the cell recording was distracting.

On the other hand, I went to see Iron and Wine and while there was the cell phone recording, it was very minimal compared to the Fitz and The Tantrums concert. This show was also packed, so it wasn’t because of a lack of people. I thought to myself, “why is there such a big difference in the amount of bootlegging at this particular concert?”

The difference is in the marketing. Fitz and The Tantrums have used social media marketing in great way to promote their music. A year ago, no one had ever heard of them, and now they are doing a headline tour, TV appearances, and have music videos showcased on music channels. They are all about Facebook, Twitter, updates, photos, videos, etc., because their fans have pretty much spread the word that they are awesome and need to be listened to. Since they are with a more independent record label, they don’t have the marketing [money] power that big label bands have. Iron and Wine, though a smaller artist, is more traditional in his approach to the music industry. He is about performing to get his name out, release records in a more traditional way – his music is also more traditional (folk/rock).

My ultimate opinion on concert bootlegging? Well, again, not so simple. I personally hate taking the time to take pictures or video because 1- I don’t like carrying things around and 2- I love just listening to and watching live music without the extra medium. However, because our society has largely moved to digital and online, it can greatly benefit small acts and give them great success. Even Iron and Wine uses social media, just not as extremely as others. I know that I find new artists I love online now, because it is free and convenient.

But nothing beats discovering a new artist at a summer concert.

By Meagan Flannery

Summer Job Options: Camp Counselor

Hello everyone and happy summer!

As I write this I am sitting in an airport on my way back to camp! Woohoo! No, I’m not a camper (I’m a little old for that). I am working as a camp counselor for the third summer in a row at Tamarack Camps in Ortonville, MI aka the Greatest Place on Earth. I was a camper at Tamarack for 5 years, and it is where I met some of my best friends. This overnight summer camp was the place to be when I was a youngling. And I guess it still kind of is today.

Most of my friends from my camper years are counselors at Tamarack, with many of these friends working in the same village as me. While I am in charge of campers (ninth grade boys and girls this year), being able to live with and work with my friends is almost like being a camper. I am kind of being paid to be camper…just with a lot more responsibility! That is why I think this is the best summer job ever! Not to mention the camp provides me with housing and food for the summer.

With this being said, the final paycheck is not overwhelmingly large. But, I am not spending any of the money I make during the summer as I am living at camp 24/7 (except for a couple days off a session). So, while you don’t get as much budgeting practice, you do not have to worry about blowing through your paycheck during the summer.

I do realize, however, that not everyone is cut out for camp. Luckily there are other options: paid internship, unpaid internship, a summer job (not camp related), or no job. Phew! That’s a lot of options. If you can afford to not work all summer, more power to you! Though personally, I would get pretty bored after two weeks, especially if all of my friends were working during the day. Then again, if I could travel for the summer, that would be pretty awesome. Maybe a backpacking trip through Europe? One of my dreams is to go to the three big cycling events in one summer (Giro d’Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta de Espana).

In order to do this, money is a necessity. Which brings us back to our remaining options: internship (unpaid vs. paid) and a non-camp related summer job. If I were a high school junior or senior I would try to go the internship route. Unpaid or paid you ask? Well, in this case I think it would not matter. Any internship will be a great experience (even the and ones that help you figure out what you DO NOT want to do) and will look good on your resume. Plus, in high school, many kids are still supported by their parents so making money may not be of utmost importance. However, once in college, many students are told to start paying for themselves. Therefore, I would go the paid internship route. An internship will be similar to life after college, as students normally get an internship in a field that interests them. While a normal summer job will bring in the cash-money, an internship will be a great experience to scope out your prospective job field.

Wow that was a lot of writing. So in case you missed anything, here are some cliff notes:

• Camp is awesome
• Being a camp counselor is even awesomer!
• Traveling would be sweet if you can afford it
• Paid Internships, in my opinion, are better than summer jobs, unless said summer job is a camp counselor.

-Jesse

Splash Into Summer, by Elizabeth Hernandez

Well, summer is officially here and what could be better than sunshine, sand and salt water? Oh I know. It’s the new fashion trends – and with every passing season something exciting seems to blossom in the world of fashion. But when it comes to this season’s fashion, the spectrum seems to be endless. Here are just a few of the most popular trends.

Floral Print

Even before the summer season officially kicked off, floral print seemed to be covering girls on campus from head to toe this past spring—literally. Girls were wearing the floral sunglasses, tops, high-waisted skirts and even their shoes were covered in plant life. What floral print does for an outfit is add a little bit of a feminine touch. Even the top designers are including floral print in their Spring/Summer 2011 collections. Take a look straight from the runway: (Figure 1, D&G), (Figure 2, Erdem), (Figure 3, Jil Sander).

But let’s face it. We are on a college budget. So what we are looking for is the cheap, but fashionable alternative to the newest summer statements: (Figure 4- Floral Escapade Dress Forever21- $12.50), (Figure 6- Floral Slub Top from Forever21 -$13.80), (Figure 7 – AE Floral Pocket Cami $24.50), (Figure 8- AE Floral Sweetheart Romper $39.50), (Figure 9 – AE Lace-trimmed Floral Cami – $24.50)

Tribal Print

Not only has floral print been a popular pattern for summer, tribal print has also stepped foot into closets around campus. Want to add a little culture to your wardrobe? This print will do just that. So if you aren’t looking for the girly feminine style that floral print provides maybe try something a little more adventurous and ethnic. Here are some trendy options: (Figure 10- Tribal Cuffed Shorts Forever21 $15.80), (Figure 11- Tribal Ikat Print Dress Forever21 $13.50).

Bright Colors

And finally we have a trend that is back from the ‘80s. Can you guess it? If you guessed neon/bright colors, you are right. If there is one thing that comes to mind when you think of summer it is bright and sunny, so why not dress the part? Many of these lively and vibrant colors were featured on the S/S 2011 fashion runways with oranges and corals being most popular. Just take a look at the color blocking on the S/S 2011 runway. If this doesn’t scream bright and bold I don’t know what does!

So you want the pulsating and vibrant look for less?

(Figure 12- Hera One Shoulder Forever21 $22.80), (Figure 13- H&M Multistriped Dress $14.95), (Figure 14- Fierce Blouson Dress Forever21 $27.80), (Figure 15- Sparkle and Fade Paperbag Shorts Urban Outfitters $48.00), (Figure 16- BDG Cigarette High-Rise Jean Urban Outfitters $58.00), (Figure 17- Volcom Frochickie Short $24.99), (Figure 18- RVCA Lotti Shorts $48.50)

By Elizabeth Hernandez

From the Desk of Anne Wrobetz

After spending eight and a half hours on the computer at work, you wouldn’t think I’d want to get on and write a blog entry. But today was the first day on a new job, which always makes me excited to tell everybody I know. After months of internship-hunting, I finally landed what could be close to my dream job! I’m working for an energy research company in downtown Boulder, learning loads and getting great research experience (as one of my supervisors pointed out to me today). This job seems to combine all my interests and degrees. I am so glad that I stuck out the long and harrowing job search process.

It is nerve-wracking to find a summer job. Filling out applications is tedious. Writing cover letters makes me feel like a peppy cheerleader for each company. Interviews are endless minutes of torture where you’re sure the potential employer is mocking you behind that smiling face. The absolute worst, though, is waiting for a company to get back to you. After an interview, I’m always filled with relief, sure that a job offer is only a day away. But one day passes. Multiple days pass. Whole weeks fly by with nary a word about employment. As my school year job winds down, I begin to sweat. My hair starts to look disheveled from worry. I wish that the companies would just call and tear down my hopes; it would be better than this endless waiting. Last summer I waited for nearly two months, filling out endless applications, before finding a job.

But just in the nick of time, I received a phone call. And two days later, I arrived at my job, drenched from the rain and nervous as I’ve ever been. This was to be my first “intellectual” job. I was greeted immediately with a magnificent sight—my own desk. My own desk. My own desk. My own desk. I can still hardly believe it. The entire day was a dream, from the mountains of free bagels and gallons of free

coffee to the endless Excel spreadsheets and Google searches. I’m positively blissful.

So, here comes my advice on getting a summer internship (coming from someone who just got her first):

1. Apply early, apply often. The more companies you apply to, the more likely it is you’ll get an offer. Also, many companies have application deadlines well before summer starts, so keep an eye out.

2. Get your resume critiqued. Many colleges have a career services office designed to help students get really good jobs. A great resume can mean the difference between getting an interview and (literally) being thrown in the recycling bin.

3. Be personable. If you do get an interview, chat up your potential employer. Don’t focus solely on the job and all its boring details (unless, of course, you’re applying to be a circus performer). Employers want to know that you are a fun person to work with, as well as capable, which brings me to my next point…

4. Brag. Don’t be afraid to tell a company about all your achievements; after all, you earned them! Even seemingly unrelated awards will make you seem hardworking and responsible.

5. Keep in touch. Don’t wait for an employer to contact you. If it’s been more than a week since your interview, it is okay to send an email asking for an update on the position. Just don’t bog down the company with requests.

So there you have it! Getting a summer internship can be a long, drawn-out process, but it is well worth it. (Don’t my desk and I just know it.) Another benefit of internships is that they often lead to full time jobs. Start looking early on and you, too, could have your own desk.

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