Archive for September, 2009

When we get together with the older folks (we will be smart and not place an age on them), there often tends to be more than a wisp of nostalgia. They seem to recall with great sincerity the bittersweet feelings of days long ago.

At times yearning for the things and the situations they experienced in the days of their youth, their notion is that the good old days are behind us. And when it comes to building reliable machinery, well, we simply do not build them “like we used to.”

Automotive Accidents

Of course, in some ways, nothing could be further from the truth. While we have every right to get frustrated when an item fails, it is important to realize just how far we have come.

Such evidence is on clear display when one examines the recent results from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests of car safety. To get a sense of the improvements, the Institute filmed a head-on collision between a 1959 Chevy Bel Air and a 2009 Chevy Malibu.

The collision was an example of a “frontal offset” collision, driver to driver, at a speed of 40 m.p.h. Crash test dummies recorded the carnage that would have been wrought on each driver.

Of course, the 1959 Bel Air lacked seat belts and a neck restraint. In addition, the passenger cabin was unable to withstand the impact, crumpling inward.

The data revealed that a real driver in the Bel Air would have suffered severe injuries in the neck, chest, and both legs.

The Malibu, complete with air bag offered a dramatically different final appearance. In addition, the crash test dummy escaped unscathed.

“It was night and day, the difference in occupant protection,” stated Institute president Adrian Lund. “What this test shows is that automakers don’t build cars like they used to. They build them better.”

Not So Fast

When it comes to safety, it seems that it is a good thing that they do not build them like they used to. But the same agency gives cars much lower marks (pdf) on the cost of repair after they experience a collision.

In fact, when it comes to the 2009 Chevy Malibu, the IIHS ranks the vehicle very poorly when it comes to the assessment of how well bumpers resist damage in everyday fender-benders. Using four different types of collisions, front and rear full-width impacts at 6 mph and front and rear corner impacts at 3 mph, cars are given a rating of acceptable to poor.

For those interested, the Mazda 6, Ford Focus, Scion xB, and Smart Fortwo obtained vehicle ratings of acceptable. The average repair costs for the Mazda 6 were a shade less than $900 after the 4 tests at 3 and 6 mph.

On the flip side, the Malibu’s rear test resulted in almost $3,500 in damage, the highest among the midsize cars evaluated. Such a shocking repair bill came as a result of a 6 mph strike in the rear, the typical speed of a common parking mishap such as backing into another vehicle.

As for the front, avoid the Ford Fusion. In the full front test, the Fusion had $2,529 in damage, topping even that of the Malibu ($2,092).

Other ratings were marginal for the Mitsubishi Galant and Toyota Camry and poor for Chrysler Sebring, Nissan Altima, Pontiac G6, Saturn AURA, Subaru Legacy, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, and Volvo S40 earn poor ratings (the Volvo S40’s poor rating comes more from the high prices on parts and labor).

So when it comes to this question of nostalgia and the question of the good old days, well, it seems that they were.

And they weren’t.

It is deemed to be one of the “most popular courses in Harvard’s history.” And now, thanks to WGBH television and Harvard University, every American has an opportunity to examine the moral and ethical issues that form Michael Sandel’s course “Justice.”

In opening this classroom to the world, Harvard gives us a taste of the future of higher education. With the proper preparation and a gifted-instructor, the course is proof-positive that high quality education can be delivered online.

In fact, one might honestly ask, what is the advantage of actually being seated in the auditorium where Sandel teaches. The incredible numbers of students eliminate any intimacy and any real possibility of discussion within the “classroom setting,” i.e. stadium-style lecture halls.

That said, the critical components of the twelve-part series are the content and the complex moral questions being posed. Addressing the hot topics of our day (affirmative action, same-sex marriage, patriotism and rights), Sandel offers a constant stream of provocative questions that provide for outstanding discussion opportunities.

As but one example of how to use content to drive instruction, in episode 2, How to Measure Pleasure, Sandel offers video clips from three distinct and different elements of the entertainment world: clips from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the reality show Fear Factor, and The Simpsons.

The course also features opinion polls, pop quizzes, in-depth readings and discussion guides offering two levels of debate, beginner and advanced depending on your current background.

As for one rationale for the online version exceeding the traditional classroom model, online classes now offer literally endless possibilities for rich discussions with viewers from around the world. Not only are such discussions impossible in the auditorium where the class is presented, online discussion forums remove the need for students to gather collectively on a single campus.

The two drawbacks? First, there is that same mentality that features the typical time constraints of all education, materials are being released weekly.

Second, the method for earning those all-important credits that can be collected to earn a college diploma.

But as for the model of what could be, Justice is the real deal!

“What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner.” Colette

Louis C.K., number 98 on Comedy Central’s list of the “100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time,” is seeing a lot of air time for a bit he did on Conan O’Brien a few months back. The Emmy Award-winning writer certainly has some strong words for today’s digital generation:

“Everything is amazing right now and nobody’s happy…. We live in this amazing, amazing world and we are wasting it on the crappiest generation of just spoiled idiots that don’t care.”

As with all great humor, it is entirely based in reality – the moaning and groaning as we wait for a signal; our complete frustration with any flight delay; etc.

Of course, with technology comes expectations, eh?

And when expectations are not met, well, just what are we to do?

As for total irony, perhaps you could download this clip and watch it on your next flight via your laptop or iphone.

By all accounts, the job placement data for the Class of 2009 was exceedingly dismal. While everyone is hopeful of a better future and most signs point to an economy on the rebound, career experts insist that the Class of 2010 could well see similar job placement challenges.

The reason is quite simple – it seems that the poor 2009 job placement rates came in great part because a large number of 2008 graduates had been unable to secure a job in their field. Now, the Class of 2010 faces a double whammy, the cascading effect of two consecutive poor placement years.

Therefore, even as the economy turns the corner, next year’s grads will be competing with a number of currently unemployed folks for the few additional jobs that become available.

Becoming a Recession Proof Graduate

Given this sobering scenario, today we turn to Charlie Hoehn, the author of the interesting SlideShare ebook, “Recession Proof Graduate.” A 2008 graduate of Colorado State University, Charlie holds degrees in marketing and media studies.

Currently touring the country with Tucker Max during the screening of his new movie: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, Charlie continues to work with Ramit Sethi, a partnership that led to Sethi’s recent book becoming a NY Times and Wall Street Journal best-seller, and with Tim Ferriss, author of the NY Times best-seller, The Four-Hour Workweek.

Charlie provides some pretty radical advice in Recession Proof Graduate. After reading his recommendations, we wanted to give Charlie some time to discuss his job search process, particularly his decision to throw out the traditional search model after seeing conventional techniques produce dismal results for him.

In your book, you talk about your initial job search upon graduating and the difficulties you had. At some point you came to the realization that the recession was not the issue, it was your use of conventional job-hunting methods and your expectations related to that search. Which realization came first, the need to change your expectations or your need to try a new search technique?

The need to change my expectations definitely came first. After I got turned away from a company I’d interned with for three months (and they LOVED me, by the way), I kinda knew the odds of me finding a well-paying, fun job were pretty slim. I changed my job hunting tactics later on out of sheer desperation, after trying the traditional methods for a few months and seeing godawful results.

You certainly turn one standard goal of the job search process on its head. Can you explain why the goal for graduates should not be focused so much on making loads of money?

I’m all for making a lot of money, but I knew that I didn’t necessarily deserve a big paycheck right away. I had to earn that right. So I think the goal for graduates should not be to immediately find a high paying gig, but rather to figure out how to maximize their potential future earnings. This can be done by learning in-demand skills, doing free work for specific people, etc. This way, you’re setting yourself up for making more money in the long run, while also making yourself more valuable as an employee and building your network.

Another reason I don’t think grads should be too focused on money is because it will REALLY force you to figure out what your priorities are. I have a few friends who jumped into industries they don’t like because they were tempted by the promise of $60-80K in the first year on the job. Even I played with the idea of being a landman for an oil and gas company because I would have made $70K straightaway. But I also would have quickly grown to hate my life. And after a certain point, I would have been so emotionally and financially dependent on that big paycheck that there’d be no turning back. It’s far better, I think, to do free work for a few months. You’ll figure out what you truly want to do.

And really, should a student consider throwing away their resume?

Maybe not literally, but I do think resumes suck. Just from an aesthetic standpoint, I think resumes are awful. They all look the same — plain and boring — and when you consider that you’re in a pile with dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of other resumes, you have to realize that it’s nearly impossible to stand out. The average graduate will not have any remarkable credentials under his belt, so how is he going to beat out all these other faceless resumes? He won’t. So I say throw away your resume. A one-page document shouldn’t represent your past, present, and future. A blog or a portfolio are superior alternatives, and they can vividly illustrate a person’s thought process and skills.

The idea of working for free to obtain critical experience and skills isn’t really new is it? Is this not just the concept of an internship? And, didn’t you get the skills you needed in college?

Free work is very different from an internship, as Seth Godin pointed out. Free work allows you to work on your own terms: you get to work with the people you want to, on the projects you want to work on, in the industry you want to work in. The relationships with the people you work for will develop organically, and they won’t look at you as just an intern — they’ll actually want to help you learn and grow.

Did I get the skills I needed while I was in college? Yes and no. Yes, because all of the skills I’m currently hired and paid for were things I taught myself while I was in college. No, because college didn’t really teach me any new skills that employers would want to hire me for. College gave me a degree, a GPA, and four years of fun memories. None of those hold much weight in a recession.

In your ebook you explain that many folks insist that you have this new job search process all wrong – one honest fear of some of the folks I have talked to is that once you work for free that will become the ongoing expectation – how do you respond to folks who raise this concern?

I briefly addressed this at the end of the e-book. It’s all about managing expectations. If you don’t lay down a deadline for when the free work transitions to paid work (or introductions to other people, new opportunities, etc.), then you’re setting yourself up to be taken advantage of. Most people who take you under their wing to do free work will be more than willing to reciprocate and help you out if you do a really great job, but you need to make that clear upfront. I’ve done free work for a bunch of people over the last year and a half. I only felt like I got burned once, and that was when I did work for a struggling entrepreneur who was working on his first startup (which is why I recommend that graduates work for successful entrepreneurs).

I also try to work with people who are dependent on maintaining a strong, healthy personal brand online. I’ve built up enough credibility and have enough followers that it’s a bigger liability for them if they take advantage of me. This is not to say I would ever hold this over their head, or threaten them with it if things started to go poorly. Rather, it’s just to point out that it’s in their best interest to take care of me (which they do).

One key element is the suggestion to seek to do this free work virtually – why is this a point of emphasis in the process?

Doing work virtually really frees you up to work with anyone you want — you’re not limited to whatever local opportunities are available. You can work with people in other states, or other countries. Virtual free work is probably the best dynamic for graduates, because you can take on a bunch of projects all at once and choose which ones you want to continue pursuing. There’s very little risk involved for the employer (no money spent, no time wasted training), and there’s very little risk for the graduate. What’s the employer going to do if you screw up? “Fire” you? Probably not — you’re not eating up their payroll and you’re not using much of their time either. Even if you do end up parting ways, it’s not the end of the world.

You not only talk about the importance of a person’s online presence, you honestly inform folks that your initial online presence did not portray you in a very flattering light. Can you explain to readers what your initial presence looked like and the process you used to bury the negative elements to the Google hinterlands?

What shows up in Google when you search for someone’s name is a little different from having an online presence. A few years ago, I had a Facebook and LinkedIn account — technically, that’s an online presence. But when you searched for ‘Charlie Hoehn,’ a CollegeHumor video of my friend riding his bike drunkenly down a flight of stairs (and crashing) was one of my top 5 results. Another one of my top results was an online article from CSU’s newspaper where I was quoted talking about abortion. My old Google results didn’t really give any employer much to work with in terms of figuring out what I’m like or whether I’d be worth hiring.

I had to start a blog for the virtual internship I did with Seth Godin (I never planned on having one). Eventually, people started to link to me and actually write about me, for whatever reason. And all of those posts started to accumulate and bury my negative Google results. It wasn’t actually an intentional process to put me in a positive light online — it just sort of happened on its own.

How long did this process actually take?

I’m not entirely sure, but I want to say it was between 2-4 months before I had control of the top 5 search results for my name. It took a few more months to really get a stranglehold on the top 10 results. I have a fairly rare last name, so I’m sure it will take a lot longer for some people.

Your advice about starting a blog to help define your online brand comes with a couple of cautions – talk a little bit about those cautions.

A lot of people, especially graduates, make a huge mistake when they start blogging: they’re honest to a fault. They treat their blog as a personal diary, where they can talk about their alcoholism, or their inability to talk to women, or whatever other shortcomings they have. If you want to do that, go find an anonymous forum or something. Don’t do it on your personal blog if you’re legitimately trying to use it as a tool to get hired. You want to paint an honest yet flattering picture of yourself, so be professional.

Quality of content is also HUGELY important. If you write up something half-assed and you know it’s not very good, don’t post it. I think it’s more of a liability to have a bad blog than it is to have no blog at all. You can talk your way out of mediocre search results, but if the writing on your blog sucks, you can’t really dig yourself out of that hole.

Two really key elements of your philosophy are to choose the right person to work for and to choose projects you really care about. Can you talk a little bit about the characteristics you focus in on when deciding which person or industry to target?

I have several questions I ask myself when deciding whether I want to work with a person or not:

• Does this opportunity excite me?
• Is it going to be fun, challenging, and intellectually stimulating? i.e. Will it help me grow as a person?
• Will more opportunities open up to me when this is over?
• Can I learn a new skill set if I work with them?
• How flexible will my schedule be if I take this? This is important, because if it’s a huge time-kill, I won’t take it.
• Is this person a successful entrepreneur? If no, proceed with caution. Entrepreneurs who have never succeeded are a big risk, and are usually too poor to ever pay much. They’re fun to work with, but it’s usually not worth the time.
• How well does it/will it pay?

There aren’t many criteria for deciding which industry to target. Basically, I just go after the ones that look the most fun.

When contacting potential targets, you rightfully note the need to do some intense homework on the target. You then note that that the student should suggest specific examples of free work he/she could do that will have a measurable impact on the targeted business. My fear is that this would come off sounding a bit presumptuous to the recipient?

It’s hard to approach an employer with some vague description of what you can do for them or, even worse, saying you’ll help out however you can. It’s too broad and vague, so it’s hard for them to visualize how you’d be an asset. But if you lay out in specific terms how you think you can help them, and give them a few suggestions, it helps them fill in the gaps. You won’t force them to rack their brain on how they can use you. Instead, you’re helping them visualize how you’ll fit into the picture. Trust me, they’ll be very impressed that you brought a list of ways in which you could help.

Can you give our readers a sense of a how you used this strategy to land some critical first opportunities?

Everyone I’ve approached for work in the last year has hired me because I laid out how I could help them specifically. Ramit Sethi was the first person I used this strategy on, and he eventually introduced me to Tim Ferriss. I gave Tucker specific examples of how I could help him, as well. Giving suggestions shows your initiative, and your willingness to emotionally commit to a job before you even get it. Try it, you’d be surprised at how effective it is.

Photos courtesy of Charlie Hoehn.

So you are at the supermarket. You are standing in the aisle that features a gazillion different types of toilet paper wondering which product you should buy.

If you were home, you could Google-search each brand to see which one might be the most ecologically sound to purchase. Of course, if you were so inclined, you could also whip out your cell phone, get online and start the process right at the store.

But as amazing as Google is as a search engine and as amazing as the world wide web is as a data storage system, the idea of researching which toilet paper is the most ecologically-sound purchase is currently far too cumbersome to enact while standing in the aisle.

However, not too surprisingly, some folks have begun asking, is there a way we could make such information available to the purchaser, a process that might allow us to access the available data via that cell phone without ever taking the device out of our pocket? And could there be a way to transfer the data stored on the web via the cell phone so as to appear on the very package you are considering purchasing?

Sixth Sense

As far-fetched as that might sound, the idea forms the basis for the work of two cutting edge researchers, Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry.

Maes is well known for her contributions related to media work having been a key architect behind the concept called “collaborative filtering” (the principles used to generate music at Pandora.com). An associate professor in MIT’s Program in Media Arts and Sciences, Maes founded and currently directs the Media Lab’s Fluid Interfaces group. Mistry, a PhD student within the Fluid Interfaces Group, is deemed the genius behind this new concept called Sixth Sense.

Combining two electronic devices already readily available to most people, a camera and a cell phone, with two not currently as ‘en vogue,’ a portable projector and a mirror, these researchers have built a prototype device that plugs into the net in an entirely new way. The ingenious, not-so-chic, wearable device truly allows one to rethink the ways in which humans and computers interact.

With Sixth Sense, “the computer is no longer a distinct object, but a source of intelligence that’s embedded in our environment.” Then “by outfitting ourselves with digital accessories,” we are able to “continually learn from (and teach) our surroundings.”

The concept essentially turns your entire world into a computer, a step that allows us to build upon the use of our five natural senses to evaluate our surroundings. In doing so, it adds the most powerful element possible as the data stored on the world-wide web becomes available to provide one more evaluator.

Digital World Meets the Physical World

Most noticeably, the device is the first attempt to link connected digital devices directly to the physical world. Instead of information being confined to paper or to a screen connected to a computer, every physical object has the potential to become a computer interface.

The projector and the camera are both connected to whatever mobile computing device might be in the user’s pocket. The projector projects the visual information onto whatever surface is available: a wall, a table, even your hand.

But the real genius lies in the ability to use natural hand gestures and arm movements to interact with the information being made available. The camera is able to recognize a user’s hand gestures through computer-vision based techniques.

Imagine using your finger to sketch the @ symbol in the air and immediately having your email projected upon the wall in front of you? How about placing your fingers and hands into a framing gesture and having the camera snap a picture? Or drawing a circle on your wrist to have the device project an analog watch onto your arm?

Perhaps, with the right gesture, even helping you decide which toilet paper to purchase.

It seems that the concept of YouTube, as popular as it is, is not producing the revenue streams needed to support its existence. Firmly ensconced in this viewer’s life, that development makes me fearful.

Where else might we go today to see amateurs and professionals alike creating music and posting comedy. Of course, the fact that the selective taste lies totally with the viewer remains the key element of YouTube’s attractiveness.

Here are at least nine reasons why YouTube rocks.

We begin with one of those enormously creative how to videos:

Other great how-to videos include Captain Kirk’s How to Kiss a Woman (be sure to watch it until it concludes) and how to make some remotely viable use of giant Tesla Coils.

Tiger Woods is currently the greatest golfer on the planet and likely the best of all time. He didn’t get that way without a relentless desire to succeed. His appeal to youngsters is as legendary as his temper and thus we get this YouTube “Be Like” Tiger video:

Of course, something does not set quite right when adults use a cute little girl to make their point but it sure should get people thinking.

Once upon a time, one could never imagine the likes of this amateur, oldy but goody, ever being seen by 60,000,000 million folks. OK, it is much too long but:

Yes this promotes T-Mobile but lord do I love to see Grammy and Grampa and the guy with Lyle Lovett hair-do get down:

You can even see how it is they came to pull this off.

It wasn’t too long ago that one might never have a chance to see their favorite rocker, John Hiatt, playing his perfectly good guitar in a phenomenal unplugged version of Tennessee Plates.

OK so most folks go for Perfectly Good Guitar or his brilliant Have a Little Faith in Me but we still like the acoustic stuff better.

Of course, we now get multiple cracks at Frank Caliendo, whether it be his Bush/Clinton routine or John Madden. Every now and then we watch this montage he did on Letterman that flows from one character to the next.

September marks the seventh anniversary of the passing of the genius who gave us Werewolves of London, The Envoy, the absolutely rocking and diabolical Excitable Boy, and Lawyers, Guns and Money. As he battled cancer knowing his days were numbered he wrote Keep Me in your Heart for A While, a tune one aspiring artist and filmmaker, Hammy Woodchuck, used to honor the man’s legacy.

Then there is the chance to see again and again those wondrous renditions that formed the Playing for Change series. From Stand by Me, Don’t Worry, Bring It On Home, Chanda Mama and the absolutely stunning rendition of Bob Marley’s One Love:

The brilliance of comedians like Robin Williams, George Carlin and Richard Pryor who can deliver some of the most off-color humor imaginable or straight up intellectual humor like:

Alexa Re Rancourt may be just 18-years-old but her resume is ripe with accomplishments. One of the more amazing came this summer when she took home her second straight Maine Amateur Golf Championship in astonishing fashion.

The now freshman at Furman University posted a three round, one under par total of 215 at a challenging Augusta Country Club layout. What made the accomplishment so astonishing was that Rancourt’s closest challenger was Debby Gardner of the Waterville CC. Gardner posted a three day total of 238, a full 23 strokes behind Rancourt’s pace.

But the 2009 Valedictorian of The Pendleton School in Bradenton, FL is now well-known for setting such pace. She not only won the 2007 Maine Junior Championship by posting the best score in the qualifying round, she went on to close out the title by winning her match play rounds 10 & 8, 8 & 7 and 6 & 5.

And despite the fact she just completed high school, she has also posted a 4th and a 5th place finish at the 2008 and 2009 New England Women’s Amateur Championships.

In addition to her 4.4 GPA, Rancourt somehow has found the time to perform in local Maine theaters and to work on her many dance moves (12 years of street funk, hip hop, jazz, or ballet). Perhaps even more importantly, the gifted young athlete is also in the habit of giving back to the community through her numerous volunteers efforts.

Whether it be fundraising with “Art from the Heart,” mentoring in the Buddy Lunch program at a local elementary school, or working with Habitat for Humanity, Rancourt’s volunteer time clearly demonstrates that not all of today’s youngsters are focused solely on themselves.

Just prior to the start of her freshman year at Furman, we spent some time talking with Alexa regarding the challenges of balancing academics and time for the game of golf, her decision to attend Furman on a combined academic and athletic scholarship, and what the game of golf has taught her about being a better person and student.

Can you talk a little bit about when and how you became interested in the game of golf?

My grandfather and my dad got me started with my first set of golf clubs when I was about 5. I didn’t take an immediate liking to it though. Actually, besides driving the cart and trying to hit the ball as far off the tee as I could, I didn’t find much interest in the game at all. Then, when I was in 8th grade, my dad and I took a winter road trip to Myrtle Beach, SC and played 8 rounds of golf in a week. I’m not exactly sure what is was about that trip, but on our way back home I remember telling my dad that I was hooked, and that golf was something that I wanted to pursue.

You are still considered a resident of Maine yet you attend the David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Can you explain to our readers how you came to attend school in Florida? How important has this prestigious school been in your development as a player?

Because of my interest in golf and the lack of a season in Maine, my parents and I began looking at schools down south when I was entering my freshman year in high school. I ended up staying at Waynflete in Maine for my freshman year, but I knew that I wanted to go somewhere warm after that, somewhere where I could take golf more seriously. At first we looked at public schools in South Carolina and Florida but then my dad came across a few different golf academies (DLGA and one in Hilton Head, SC). I visited IMG Academy (which is the name of the entire sports academy that DLGA is a part of) and absolutely fell in love with it. The school itself has played an integral part in my growth as a golfer; the coaching, the facilities and the scheduling have all helped me to develop my game. However, just being in Florida and playing in tournaments against some of the best juniors in the country has helped me improve immensely.

I see where you graduated first in your class at Pendleton. Can you talk a little about the school, its size, your academic program there, etc.?

Pendleton is a fairly small school. I don’t know the exact size, but there were 114 students in my graduating class, which gives you an idea. It’s a fairly new private school (I think it was founded about 10 years ago) and it was started specifically for student-athletes at IMG Academies. Because of this, it’s right on the campus of the sports academy and anyone who attends the school is also part of the sports program (basketball, soccer, tennis, golf or baseball). The classes are split up into morning and afternoon blocks, depending on when your practices are. For example, I played golf in the morning so after lunch I would attend my classes. My first one was at 12:45 and on days that I had two classes I got out at 3:30. On alternating days, when I had three classes, I got out of class at 5:00. The program was really well organized in the fact that the teachers were very understanding of travel for tournaments and a lot of classes actually did online work so that you could take your work with you easily if you had to leave for long periods of time on tournament.

strong>I understand you will be attending Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina this fall on a combined academic and athletic scholarship. How does a combined scholarship differ from a traditional athletic scholarship? Are there specific academic requirements that must be met?

My scholarship is about 75% athletic and 25% academic. The distribution of the athletic money is decided completely by the golf coach. Each sports team has a certain number of scholarships that they can give out and they can break them up or distribute them any way that the coach sees fit. For example, my golf team has six scholarships, but the coach could break it up any way she wants. This also means that depending on your performance from year to year, the coach can reassess the scholarships and then add or remove money for each player. As far as my academic scholarship goes, it’s based on my grades and test scores and transcripts from high school. In order to keep the academic scholarship from year to year I just have to keep above a 3.0 GPA. Initially, I thought that I wanted a full athletic scholarship but looking back I am actually glad that it was split between golf and academics because it means I am being recognized by the school in both areas of achievement, golf and academics.

How did you come to select Furman as your school? What will be your major and what are your future goals related to that major?

Furman was one of the last schools that I talked to for golf. I contacted Jen (my golf coach at Furman) at the beginning of my senior year, which is pretty late when it comes to recruiting. I talked to her a little bit through email and knew that I liked what I saw when it came to the golf program. She invited me on what’s called an “official visit,” which is where the school pays for the entire trip (flights, food, housing, etc.) and I went and spent 48 hours with the team at the school. When Jen first drove me onto the campus, about an hour after my flight arrived, I knew then and there that Furman was going to be a perfect fit for me. I got that feeling that everyone talks about where you “just know”. The rest of the trip just got better from there, and when Jen brought me back to the airport two days later and made the scholarship offer I knew that I was going to say yes. This was in the first week of November, 2008. The early signing period for athletes was the following week so I signed my letter of intent then and applied early decision. It was nice because while all of my friends were filling out pages and pages of multiple college applications, I only had to fill out one!

Right now, I am undecided on a major. I love English, so my initial thought would be something that allows me to pursue writing and literature (i.e. Journalism or an English major) but I’m really not committed to anything yet. As far as future plans, I want to play on the LPGA Tour after college. Since much of my attention is focused on achieving this goal, I haven’t thought much about plans related to whatever my major is. Once I select a major, I’m sure I will have a better idea of future plans related to that path should golf not work out.

Can you explain to our readers your golf training regimen, both the fitness segment and how you go about practicing the game?

I work out three to four times a week. When I was at IMG, we had a workout routine based mostly around core and strength training with a lot of weights. However, the weights can often make you more tight and less flexible and therefore restrict the golf swing. Our college workout is much more to my liking because we work three times a week (as a team) with a pilates instructor who teaches golf-specific workouts. In just two weeks of this workout, I have already become more aware of my body and how it should be functioning in my swing.

As far as practice goes, I spend at least four hours every day working on my game. My coach gives us drills each day which help us to have a focus in our practice so that we aren’t just hitting as many balls as possible or aimlessly making putts. Instead we have goals, such as “make 10 three footers from four different sides of the hole” or “hit 20 balls, alternating between driver and 8 iron, going through your full routine and picking a different shot to hit each time”. The majority of the practice time (when we are on the range) is spent on short game; I would say, about 75% of the time. We normally play three times a week. Whether it’s 9 holes or 18, it’s a chance for us to implement our practice on the golf course.

Can you give our readers some hints as to how you balance your commitment to the game with your school responsibilities?

Sometimes the balance can be hard but I feel like I enjoy my school work and learning just as much as I enjoy being on the golf course. Because of this, it’s not so much an issue of balancing my commitment as it is just staying on top of my time management. IMG really helped me in this aspect because the schedule is very similar to that of a college athlete. I had to learn early on (in my sophomore year of high school) how to schedule things so that I had time for practice, studying and socializing. I think the key to this is prioritizing. For example, golf practice and my classes are the main priorities and then I schedule studying time around that. The remaining time is left for any number of things; socializing, relaxing, more practice, etc. Time management is key to being a successful student athlete, whether it’s at the high school or college level.

You have a number of other interests beyond golf – the theater and dance among others! Can you talk a little about your background in these areas? Will you continue to do both of these activities while at Furman?

I have always loved the performing arts (theater, dance and singing). My dad is a musician, he plays casually now but it used to be how he made his living. I’ve grown up around music and singing my entire life, so singing, whether it be in front of people or just around the house, has always been a part of me. I stopped dancing when I went to Florida three years ago, but it is definitely something that I would love to get back into. In fact, I think that it would be extremely beneficial for my golf game because it keeps you flexible and limber. Theater has been an interest of mine for a while, as well. The last production that I was in was about two years ago but I would love to try to get into some plays here at Furman, even if they are just small shows. It’s difficult in the fall and the spring because our schedule with golf is so time consuming, but I am hoping that I have a little bit of time in the winter to pursue some of these activities a little more seriously.

What serves as your best emotional outlet? The game of golf? One of the aforementioned activities? Other?

Golf is definitely a great emotional outlet for me. I feel so at home on the golf course that I tend to forget about whatever is happening off the course. One of my favorite emotional outlets besides golf though is definitely writing. Whether it’s just scribbling down my thoughts or taking those thoughts and forming them into poetry, I feel like writing allows me to release my emotions, happy or sad, and put them into a useful and creative form.

You have been involved in a number of community service activities as well. Can you talk a little bit about those activities and why you do them? Are there similar types of activities you hope to be involved with at Furman?

Community service is very important to me. I have been given so much in my 18 years, from my parents, grandparents, school and even people that I don’t know. I feel extremely fortunate to have been given all the opportunities that I have had and I feel that through community service, I can give some of that back. I’ve helped out with Habitat for Humanity before and I think that’s one of my favorite service activities because it’s extremely hands on and you have a clear visual of the work that you are doing to help somebody else. I also really enjoy working with kids. I’ve helped out with the First Tee and a few other junior golf clinics for girls and those have been incredibly enjoyable. My team just did a clinic for young girls a week ago and it was great to see the interest that the girls had in golf at such a young age. Jen, my coach, is very big on community service and giving back so we already have some activities planned for the year. Actually, one of the reasons why I loved Furman so much when I came on my official visit was because I built a doghouse with the team for a charity that rescues neglected and abused dogs. My golf team, and Furman in general, puts a huge emphasis on giving back to the community.

Do you think golf as a game has helped you become a better person? A better student academically? If so how?

It definitely has. Golf is a game of honestly and integrity and I think that to become a successful golfer it demands that you have a certain level of maturity. The game of golf teaches you to accept responsibility for your actions, because whether you play well or you play badly, it lies completely in your own hands. To play at the competitive level that I am now at, you have to have diligence and focus and a desire to better yourself on and off the golf course. So yes, I believe that golf has helped me develop into a stronger individual which has in turn helped me on the course and in the classroom.

You have a number of accomplishments thus far in your young life. Which one has brought you the greatest satisfaction and why?

I think it’s a draw between two moments. Getting a full scholarship to college has been one of my greatest moments so far. It was extremely satisfying for me because it was a goal that I had been working towards since my freshman year of high school and it felt very good to have achieved it. Also, my parents sacrificed so much for me in order to allow me the opportunity to pursue golf and it felt great to be able to tell them that my college education would not cost them a penny. Also at the top of my list though is when I qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur this past summer. My goal is to play on the LPGA Tour and for me, qualifying for the Amateur, one of the most prestigious tournaments at the amateur level, helped to show me that I am on the right track to achieving my goals in golf. Plus, I had so much support from friends and family and even from people that I didn’t know personally. It was amazing experience to go to St. Louis and compete, knowing that I had so much support back home in Maine.

We have cautioned students on more than one occasion to think very carefully about the items they post on their social networking profile. The stories of Stacy Snyder and Kevin Colvin provide great examples of why one must carefully guard their personal online brand.

Of course, many current students as well as adults in their twenties and thirties have cried foul over what they deem an invasion into their private worlds. They argue that doing something on their own time, whether it be in poor taste or not, should play no role in their everyday world of work.

Prospective and current college students with such a mindset need to think again – even those who understand the need for student privacy note that using social networking profiles for admissions or job-placement is reasonable.

S. Craig Watkins

To get a sense of the thresholds for using profiles, we turn to the Wired Campus blog at the Chronicle of Higher Education and the recent Q & A with S. Craig Watkins, an associate professor of radio, TV, and film at the University of Texas at Austin. Watkins recently penned “The Young and the Digital: What the Migration to Social Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future” and is deemed an expert in matters related to the “new age of social networking and media.”

Indeed, Professor Watkins seems to have a great sense as to what the current crop of college students bring to their respective campuses. He rightly acknowledges that we digital natives are tired of the lecture format and therefore want a more engaging learning environment.

He also notes that we prefer a classroom that actively utilizes the vast world of technology and all its elements (laptops, netbooks, pda’s and cell phones) to enhance the learning environment.

Given his stature and understanding of current culture, students must carefully consider his insight into the whole Facebook and MySpace privacy discussion.

Online Profiles and Digital Monitoring

Watkins is clear about one trend he is not in favor of, that of colleges policing material on social networking sites, specifically to determine if the postings represent facets of campus life. When asked if it is a college administrator’s responsibility to be checking up on students through online profiles, Watkins states:

“I would encourage universities not to use technologies in that way — as a surveillance mechanism or tool. I would be reluctant to agree with or believe that’s an appropriate use of the tool.”

But while Watkins sees the monitoring of such sites as off limits for policing students, he offers a very different view when it comes to college admissions officers looking through student profiles when screening applicants.

“I don’t necessarily have a problem with that,” states Watkins. “The problem becomes if they start fishing for unflattering or potentially damaging kind of content — pictures or wall posts — sort of deliberately using it to hunt for that kind of content, as opposed to simply trying to make maybe a better informed, insightful admission decision about a student. It is an opportunity to learn about people’s interest, the kinds of things they are engaged in, in terms of community-related issues and social issues. In that sense, it does provide a window into a person’s life, and into a person’s interests that can be a value to an admissions committee.”

And as for employers looking, Watkins insists it is now a permanent part of the hiring landscape.

“That’s becoming more and more of a common practice. Graduating students, one of the things that they indicated is that when they went out for interviews for jobs, one of the first thing they were asked is, ‘Are you on MySpace?’ or, ‘Are you on Facebook?’ Their potential employers wanted to get access to their profiles.”

Clearly, when it comes to selecting a new employee businesses want to be certain they are making the right choice. And because of the importance to them in making the right hire, students can expect potential employers to do some digging to see if they turn up anything negative.

Not too surprisingly, Watkins notes that such questions routinely cause a certain amount of panic among the group of students who have failed to consider the importance of their personal brand. In a flurry of activity, they attempt to undo any damage that has been years in the making.

Don’t be one of the foolish ones – carefully think about everything you post online. While it is possible, sometimes, to take down questionable materials prior to the wrong person seeing them, the chance that you will miss something is very high.

And don’t try to convince yourself that decision-makers looking at such profiles is somehow an invasion of privacy. If something should truly be kept private, then don’t post it online.

Flickr photo courtesy of Stabilo Boss.

OK, so you are talking with a fellow student and he insists that he, and his lady friend, have a long-established relationship, one that began in high school. You are both somewhat amazed that they are still an item, their relationship still going strong after three, four, maybe even five years.

The person makes it sound like an eternity and well, when we are still in our late teens or early twenties, four or five years is a long time. After all, it represents a full 20 to 25 percent of the time we have been in existence. Actually, since we can’t remember years one to four much at all, the time represents upwards of 35 percent of our life to date.

Of course, the older folks chuckle at our incredibly naive view. This past week it was easy to understand why.

Together Forever?

It was the kind of news that spread like internet virus. Touching and amazing all at the same time.

It seems that Britain’s current longest married couple recently came to the “death do us part” stage of their marriage. On September 1st, at the ripe old age of 101, Frank Milford of Plymouth went to meet his maker.

That meant his wife Anita was now on her own for the first time in 81 years.

Yep, 81 years.

According to the BBC, the couple met at a YMCA dance in Plymouth, Devon, in 1926. Two years later they took their vows.

The closest they likely came to being separated was during World War II. Again, according to the BBC, “during the Blitz they narrowly escaped two bombs, including one which fell on their house.”

The incredibly sweet couple acknowledged their secret – the Milfords’ insisted their marriage was one of “give and take” and a little time for some romance. They were still together in an assisted living center at the time of Frank’ death.

While one might be astonished by the incredible length of time the couple had been together, it seems they fell short of becoming the longest married couple in Britain. Mr. and Mrs. Milford would have had to spend another six months together, until February of 2010, to claim the longest British marriage ever, a mark held by Thomas and Elizabeth Morgan of Caerleon, South Wales, a total of 81 years and 60 days (Guinness World Records).