LORENA CHOUZA
Executive Editor

This morning I busted out my planner (yes, planner, don’t judge, a girl’s got to be organized!) to write down what seemed like the millionth assignment due this week. Flipping through the pages and dreading what’s due in the next couple of days, my eyes landed on a date that was circled off: Tuesday, May 19.

The words, “Graduation! Wouu!!” stared back at me. I’m not going to lie, a slight shiver ran down my spine. What should be a remarkably happy day, the culmination of years upon years of studying, now seems, well, kind of scary and oh-so-depressing.

The fact that the end of my schooling as I know it is just, what, about a week away, is shocking. I, at 21, will be done with classes forever. The thought doesn’t even seem to process correctly. What do you mean that’s it? What do you mean I’m done? Now what?

Now what?

It seems like ages ago when I first stepped onto this campus, a nervous freshie hopeful of what the next couple of years would hold. Right off the bat I joined clubs, yes it sounds lame, but I figured it would be the easiest way to build friendships.

When I first came to The Metro I honestly just wanted to build my resume, whip up a few published clips and that’s it. Turns out I got much more involved than expected, starting off as a lowly staff writer and working my way up to copy editor and now, writing my last piece as your executive editor!

As cheesy as it may sound, I never thought I’d actually be involved in a school club that I was so very proud of. The school community may not realize it, but endless hours upon hours are poured into this paper. Our writers put their heart into every article they write. And us editors? Well, let’s just say The Metro office is our official dorm on layout nights.

Looking back on all those never ending nights, whipping together last minute articles to fill up space, editing like a maniac fueled solely on coffee, and getting into a scream-fest with Quark (Maggy!), I can say, I’ll actually miss this. No, I am not a masochist. But as I sit here typing this, surrounded by my fellow editors and our amazing adviser, I can’t help but fight back the tears, or is it just the four hours of sleep kicking in?

All that I hope for in the future of our student newspaper is that the following editors and staff continue to put all their love and devotion into every single page.

Take advantage of having a well functioning media outlet, an outlet that’s there by the students for the students.

As for my Metro people, here it comes, you knew this was coming! I feel like I’m on stage receiving an Oscar here.

To our assistant editors, thanks for pitching in and doing the annoying, little details that are really important in the end. Angela, we’re graduating! Kristin and Sam, enjoy the time you have left here, it really, truly flies.

To our photo editor, Dan, thanks for being our resident photo expert, improving the quality of our photos and giving our readers something beautiful to look at.

To our editors, thanks for tracking down our writers, and getting our sections together. Elyse and Kayla, good luck next year! Make us proud, don’t let all our hard work go to waste! We’ll be watching you!

To our utterly amazing adviser, Sarah, words cannot express how thankful I am for everything you have done for us. You’ve been not only an inspiration, teaching us the basics of journalism, but you’ve been a guidance and support beam for all those nights when we wanted to throw the Mac out of the window and give up.

We know how much you’ve done for us, and I don’t think we can ever repay you for what you’ve done. You’ve far exceeded what’s expected of an adviser. We love you!

To my partner in crime, my forever twinsie, Maggy, our editor-in-chief… Oh god, I feel like I’ll need a novel to write about all we’ve been through. We’ve known each other since freshman year and I love how we’ve actually bonded and built a true friendship over our many, many hours at The Metro.

I’ll treasure it all, from the Youtube clips to entertain our lives at the office, to the hysterical fits you throw after the clock strikes 11 on Monday layout nights. I’m so glad it was you and me this year, leading our staff, improving the quality of our paper, and establishing a fully functioning Web site. We are utterly amazing, aren’t we? Love you!

To our faithful readers, thank you for appreciating all that we do. To our faculty, thanks for giving us feedback, providing us with sources and pushing us to make the paper better issue by issue.

As we begin to recheck the articles, shut down the computers, and fill up this last empty space, I realize how fast time really goes by. God I feel old.

I better end now before the water works start rolling in.

Even though spring break is officially over, some seniors (and underclassmen too!) are looking for grand getaways post graduation. After searching the Web for some fabulous finds last week, these Recessionistas are hooking you up with the best tips for May vacays that will get you started on your tan.

First off, surf the Web to check out blogs that may lead you to some great deals and travel advice. Jauntsetter.com lists travel deals of the week where the editors scout different Web sites for the best airline prices, hotel deals and great packages. This week Jauntsetter features deals for London, Costa Rica and some American destinations.

Want to jump start your tan? Costa Rican hotel Recreo (an all-inclusive resort) is booking villas for just $149 per person if booked by July 1. Students can also fly to Miami for $179 non-stop from Laguardia if booking a mid-week flight. If you’re planning a European excursion, you can book a trip to Rome for just $488 out of Continental if you search through Kayak.com.

Travelocity also has a great section of their Web site devoted to tracking the lowest fares. You can click on the Last Minute Packages to find hotel and flight deals for as low as $168 for Washington D.C. or $171 for Niagara Falls.

Another option to land your dream vacay is FareCompare.com.  Just as the name implies, the site compares prices from the top airlines, going through other sites such as Orbitz.com and Expedia.com to get you the best deal. Just plug in where you’re departing from, your dream spot, dates and ta-da! tons of cheap flights right at your fingertips!

As mentioned, Orbitz.com also has a Deals tab that shows hotel, flight and rental information. Flights here were featured to Hawaii for just $369!  

Lazy? Expedia.com does it all for you, from flight to hotel and activities to keep yourself busy. Scared of flying? Why not try out a cruise instead?  Expedia.com has a cruise tab, with cruises to the Bahamas starting at just $229.

If you’re completely lost and have no idea what to do when you get there, check out HomeandAbroad.com.  Click on Quick Planner, plug in your destination and fill out just a quick survey on your interests and an itinerary will be created for you, complete with free (yes free!) activities and sites to see.

Just because money is tight, doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in a little something-something for yourself. With prices this cheap, you won’t feel guilty about that gorgeous tan.
Check back next week for new advice for frugal finds. Happy travels!

LORENA CHOUZA AND MAGGY PATRICK
Staff Writers

Hey there fashionistas! Are you tired of pulling on sweaters and boots yet? Spring is officially here - and now it’s time to go on the hunt for the best deals on the cutest outfits.

What’s that? Don’t have much dinero to spend on a new wardrobe? Luckily, stores all across the U.S. have started to lower prices and create mega-deals to get you in their stores. Even discount doors like Target are offering designer duds for less than a whole month’s paycheck.

Target, known for its trendy Go International line, has debuted British designer Alexander McQueen’s “McQ” line for a limited time. Normally McQueen’s tops sell for a pretty $480 or more, according to his Web site - but on Target.com you can get a trendy t-shirt for $22.99. The line features everything from dresses to jumpsuits, all accessible on target.com.

Target is also featuring a handbag collection from designers Hayden-Harnett, whose leather Sonia Tote sells on the designer’s Web site for $548. If you find their line at Target, you can find something comparable (probably without the steel detailing) on clearance for $31.49. Target has also debuted a new handbag line from Felix Rey, online now.

Frugal favorite Forever 21 is also becoming insanely popular during these difficult times. Even though the clothes may not last you years of wear, the store has something for every trend setter - from jumpsuit shorts to flowing hippy dresses, at very reasonable prices.

Visiting the Forever 21 Web site has become easier now too - they have combined sister stores Heritage 1981 and Twelve by Twelve. The popular shop has now incorporated a shoe and bathing suit line, attracting us poor college students to their racks.

The Daily 21 Specials feature random outfits every day for the lowest of prices. Here, you can find a Knotted Front Tunic in red for $12.62, a pair of Grosgrain Pumps for $15.84, and a Glitter Clutch for $14.24. If you keep checking back, you are bound to find something that catches your eye.

Another option that’s pocket friendly? Why not take a peek at H&M’s spring line? With designer Matthew Williamson jumping on board to dish out deliciously cute pieces such as jewel-toned mini-dresses, buttery cropped leather jackets and retro-inspired clutches, what’s not to like? Bonus factor - H&M also has a surprisingly chic shoe collection to complement your spanking new outfit. We’re just dying to get our hands on the pair of cream colored, tie-up wedge sandals!

Want a shoe option with a little more bang for the buck? Steve Madden has been a recent fave of ours, ever since scoring a pair of leather ankle booties for under $100, and trust us, those babies have been put to good use. The store is known for its more than generous sales, with prices on their trendy styles being slashed at times up to 50 percent off or more.

Just browsing through their online store, SteveMadden.com, can turn up amazing finds. Click on the “Under $50,” “Sale,” or “Clearance” tabs and cha-ching! everything from versatile gold ballet flats to classic black pumps to comfy flat boots - right at your fingertips!

Shopping on the Web might be easy, but those shipping fees can really rack up the bill. To find some quick discounts for your favorite stores, go to Web sites like retailmenot.com or dealio.com. Sometimes the deals are magnificent (20 percent off my order from American Apparel!) and some are duds. It doesn’t hurt to try though, right?

Until next time, recessionistas! Bring your change to TD Bank and hit up the closest deals.
Happy shopping!

- The Recessionistas

LORENA CHOUZA and
MAGGY PATRICK
Executive Editor and Editor-in-Chief

Full time student. Full time worker. Big time overachiever.

Used to the life of all work and no play? Welcome to the life of the super student. Free time is obviously not in our dictionary.

Gone are the days when students would do, well, just that, study. It seems that nowadays, more than ever, students are engaged in a balancing act with school, multiple jobs and a little thing called life in general. On top of a demanding full time class schedule, most students here at FDU are struggling to juggle the seemingly short hours in their everyday lives. Little or no time is allotted to the simple things most take for granted; sleep and down-time are precious and rare.

Freshman Anthony Pace is all too accustomed to this lifestyle. A full time student, enrolled in 15 credits this semester, Pace has managed to fit in a 15- to 18-hour work week at the Office of Student Life into his already packed schedule. As classes take up most of the daytime hours (from around 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. straight), he finds himself working the night shift, usually from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Pace admits that free time is rare, since any given moment is usually dedicated to multi-tasking as a means to getting things done.

“Every free moment I get at work is spent doing homework, writing papers,” he said.

Having an on-campus job seems to be the norm for many students at FDU. Junior Karina Arevalo also works at the Office of Student Life. Her days, classes combined with work, usually end around 12 a.m. She admits that this life style does tend to be not only hectic but also problematic.

“It can become problematic when it comes to school work, as when I work I don’t want to be thinking of school. However when I return to my dorm all I want to do is sleep,” she said.

A general complaint among working students is lack of sleep or time for a healthy social life. The dangerous balancing act of a non-stop day with class and work back-to-back leaves most students stressed.

“Juggling a schedule like this one is no easy task, and sometimes it proves almost impossible,” Pace said. “As for work, by the time I get done, it’s too late or early for much of a social life. Because I spend so many hours awake, there are sometimes I find myself sleeping all day, and napping every chance I get, just so that I can continue on with the work schedule.”

Making matters worse, a common trend that is surfacing around this campus is that many students do not only have one, but multiple jobs.

Junior Caitlin Taylor works at the Office of Global Learning and at the Career Center on campus. She finds it difficult to prioritize her schedule having an 18-credit semester load and a senior thesis to write. Taylor has stuck to an 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. schedule, working three days a week, making her work schedule alone about 14 hours a week.

“Honestly, I don’t know how I do it,” Taylor said.

Pace finds himself commuting back home to fit in another job besides his on-campus one.

“Because my on-campus job doesn’t exactly finance the almost $50,000 tuition that FDU requires, I do have a job off campus. I work as an EMT for a fire department in my hometown of Bridgeton, N.J., on the weekends to help make ends meet,” he said.

Pace said that his entire work schedule is extremely hectic, fitting in hours during the weekend to make up for time spent on campus during the week.

Although Pace works a 12-hour night shift, which runs from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., he finds it necessary because his off-campus job pays twice as much as his on-campus job.

“This line of work can really take the energy out of you, so it’s no fun to have to ride all the way back to school with your windows down and radio up to keep you awake while driving because work allows no time for rest,” he said.

Despite the fact that this work schedule is stressful and time consuming, Pace admits that he has become accustomed to it.

“Over the past year, I have found myself doing nothing but work,” he said. “Sometimes I was working three jobs for a total of over 40 hours a week, and still trying to squeeze in school work.”

Arevalo, although already working, wouldn’t mind adding another job to her schedule.

“I only have an on-campus job, although I direly need another as well,” she said.

Yet why are these students pressuring themselves into the work field while still in school?

Pace lays out a detailed list of necessities: “Phone bill, car insurance, food, gas, as well as for spending money, because we all know that college is nothing but four to five years of money spending.”

Besides paying off necessities, another factor that is possibly contributing is the current state of the economy. The impact of the recession seems to have trickled down to students as well, hitting their pockets hard.

“More students are attempting to acquire jobs due to the joblessness of parents or said parents aren’t making as much because of our failing economy,” Arevalo said. “Also, it could be that some loans are no longer going through or fail to cover portions of tuitions, forcing students to place such tabs on credit cards or other means.”

Taylor agrees that the economy has a major role in students’ lives. “Even if a student doesn’t need to work, they may need to now, because chances are their parents are probably tighter on money,” she said.

Arevalo sees a close connection between the economy, the increased standard of living and the number of jobs students are now taking up.

“With every year that passes it is becoming increasingly expensive to live, let alone attend college,” she said. “It’s so hard for students to finance our studies, maintain acceptable credit for loans, and just overall live. Students really have to become super students if they want to survive.”

Thus the life of the super student. An unhealthy, overwhelmingly stressful life that has become the norm for the young adult attending college.

“Students play the role of super student, super employee and part-time human being,” Pace said.
Here’s to hoping that we don’t encounter any kryptonite along the way.

LORENA CHOUZA
EXECUTIVE EDITOR

It was only a matter of time before every aspect of student life went online. First there were e-mails from the director of student life informing students about events, then students were able to avoid long lines at the bookstore by ordering texts online. Finally teachers started to take a more technology-focused approach to their curriculum, and student clubs and organizations are finally starting to make the leap onto the World Wide Web.

One club ready to jump on the Internet platform in hopes of reaching out to a wider audience is FDU’s WFDM radio station.

Students can now listen in to WFDM by going to www.fduradio.org. New shows or music are continuously playing on the site, and according to Selena Edwards, the president of WFDM, there is never a time where there is dead air.

The process of getting the radio station online was not as easy as it might seem. Plans to get the programming on the site commenced years ago, but according to Edwards, it was a “very long and complicated” process. 

“I decided in the summer of 2006 with the provost, deans, Sarah Azavedo and Jen Lehr that going online was more beneficial,” said Edwards. “Many people don’t listen to the radio on FM or AM anymore, unless they are in their car. And even that is not true because many people just use their iPod.”

As Edwards explains, “The sensible thing seemed to be to allow students and others to access our radio station through the Web for when they are studying, doing homework or stalking people on Facebook.”

When the radio was primarily being transmitted through the FDU television channels, Edwards found that less and less people were tuning in because of the bad quality of the broadcasts. She is hoping that the students will prefer to listen online.

 “The thing I disliked and many others disliked about the radio being on TV was the fact that if it was on your TV, that was all you were watching or listening to. You would miss shows and had a weird feedback,” said Edwards. “When you listen to it online, you can open numerous windows and watch TV.”

Starting with a new faculty adviser, David Bernstein, the radio has grown over recent semesters.
“One of the best changes we’ve ever done was getting assigned a faculty advisor that had a large amount of knowledge of the radio industry,” said Edwards. “He’s been a great mentor and influence to us.”

Recently, the radio has made plans to change base, moving from a semi-isolated station in Florence Twombly to the first floor in the Student Center. As The Metro reported in a Dec. 11 issue, the radio, along with other clubs stationed in the Student Center, might see a change of scenery in upcoming semesters.  The radio may be relocated to the back of the Student Center in the empty space that is now occupied with couches, according to Dean of Students Brian Mauro.

“I’m not really excited about moving the station but we are all being really optimistic because our changes in location in the past has not done anything but benefit us,” said Edwards.

Edwards is hopeful to see what the future holds. She explained that new shows and additions to the staff are improvements that she is welcoming.

BY LORENA CHOUZA
EXECUTIVE EDITOR

I never liked politics. In fact, I never took interest in the goings on of our government, or such things as the state of our economy. It all seemed so distant. I mean, how would those things ever affect me?

When Bush came into power, and continued in power, the minimal interest I did have was diminished little by little. Now let me explain that a bit, I had, in fact, begun paying attention to how our government handles itself after the tragic events of Sept. 11.

How could one not pay attention to how our nation dealt with such a traumatic event, one that shakes the stability of a 13-year-old’s world? Let me not mention our entrance into a war that I was frankly afraid of and one that I still do not understand.

Yet the mere fact that someone who caused all this fear, and dismantled the very integrity of this nation on a global scale, continued to be in power and was actually voted to stay in office, confused me.

That small fire of interest that took birth beneath the embers was washed out. I lost trust in the political system, which just seemed like an entanglement of deception. It all seemed hopeless to me.

So the upcoming presidential election put me in an interesting predicament. Should I care? Should I submit myself to the bombardment of politically themed news casts, advertisements, articles and programs?

At first the election just seemed like any other, but as time went on it got to the point where one actually had to take sides, and I’m not just talking about political affiliation. By choosing sides I mean that either one cares about who will be in charge of our country for the next four years, or one doesn’t and just stands on the sidelines, watching as that person elected into office dictates the very society you live in.

I decided not to just watch someone dictate me but actually dictate who is put into office. I have recently registered to vote and could not be more proud of myself. (If you are wondering, I was not old enough to vote in 2004, being only 16 at the time, hence the not registering to vote until now).

Although I was not swayed by a particular candidate in this election to begin with, I realized that this is one of the most important presidential elections in the history of the United States. Not meaning to exaggerate, but have you taken note of where our country is headed as of lately: down the drain. It is truly shocking how our nation has taken a turn for the worst, how our economy is dangling on a fragile string, how thousands of our very own are dying in war and how our debt has accumulated to a number that most of us cannot fathom. We can either stand by and say “Yeah, whatever,” or come to realize that how we get out of this mess matters on who will be our next president.

I am not here to tell you who to vote for or here to convince you to chose one over the other; that is up to you. (Although I do admit that one of the candidates has become particularly inspiring to me and makes me actually want to watch the debates and not only hope for, but actually believe, that change is possible). I know that most of us now are finally old enough to vote and why not have a say in who are leader will be for the next four years?

After all this person will be in charge when many of us graduate and go out into the real world in search for a job, when we will have to deal with real life issues as paying for rent, buying our own food and getting all those bills paid without the safety net of our parents paying for everything for us. Not to hit you with the harsh reality, but it will eventually fall on us to pay our student loans and how will we do that if our economy is in shambles?

Our nation right now is on unstable ground. We need someone who will be able to fix the cracks in our system and restore the foundation of our economy, our government and our future. It is up to you to decide who that will be. Change is possible. Improvement is possible. Politics not being “your thing,” is no longer an excuse; as it was for me for far too long.

LORENA CHOUZA
Executive Editor