Career Services working hard in this economy

It’s no secret that the Tampa Bay area is suffering from the highest unemployment rate in the state. At 13.1%, unemployed citizens of the area are in need of resources and information on how to obtain jobs, internships, or start building connections again. Luckily for The University of Tampa student body, they have all these options right on campus. The Office of Career Services, located in the Riverside Building, has every possible workshop, event, and program that will assist in helping students survive in this dwindling economy.

Every year, the office provides a day long event geared towards graduating seniors. Life After UT, begins with a panel of UT alumni, who give tips and tricks on what to do about applying for jobs, internships, and insider information to successfully transition from school to the real world.

Mark Colvenbach, manager of employer development, opened the program saying, “It’s a touch job market, but there are jobs that you can uncover.”

The panel gave the students some raw advice on staying ahead after school. Josh Taylor, who went right into grad school, gave the perspective on waiting it out in this economy. They discussed everything from resume hints, to networking with people. But Jessie Holder, put it best when she said her best advice would be,  “Always have your resume. And never burn bridges”.

The main consensus of the panel was to make connections, and remember it’s a small town so keep your relationships positive.

Aside from Life After UT, Career Services offers 5 or more programs each week that students can take advantage of. This includes having employers come on campus for job interviews. Also, their database HireUT gives students an assortment of jobs and internships they can apply for. These jobs aren’t just for Florida, but they are located everywhere in the nation. This small office does big things for the future of their students.

Spring Fashions

Dust off your denim shorts, and search for those long lost sundresses because spring weather has finally arrived in Tampa. The Sunshine state is reclaiming the weather is it known for, so let’s shed our cold weather gear and reclaim our fabulous fashions too.

Floral patterns:
How typical, I know. Floral for spring! But, the variety of apparel you have to choose from gives florals a whole new vibe. You can wear this pattern in thigh-skimming dresses, short skirts, and even trendy shorts.

For a casual dress, try Forever21’s ‘Fab Rose Knit Dress’ ($11.50), this short-sleeved darling dress is perfect for the warm weather. Or, for an evening outfit, pair the ‘floral cocktail dress’ ($28) or ‘Eight Sixty Ruffled Silk Dress’ ($98, Nordstrom.com) with Coach ‘new stefanie heel’ ($188) in black.

You can also try floral in other pieces as well. The ‘Silence & Noise Floral Zip Back Racerback’ ($28, urbanoutfitters.com) is a fabulous tank-top blouse that has the allure of innocence with the flowers, but becomes edgy with an expose zipper running down the back. This shirt can be dressed up with skinny jeans and heels, or paired with a pair of shorts for a daytime look.


Ruffles and Tiers:
Tiered dresses, skirts and shirts are not only fashionable, but they’re flattering as well. Tiered dresses are versatile in their range from edgy vibrant colors to elegant lace pieces. For a sleeveless black dress check out ‘Rumor Mesh Tiered Dress’ ($24.80,forever21), which is simple but edgy. Or for a sweeter and lighter style, look at ‘Swept Away Dress’ ($38, lulus.com), which would be perfect with sandals for a beautiful daytime outfit.

Also tiered shirts go fabulously with sleek black pants or jeans. Victorias Secret has a great sleeveless option for $48, ‘Tiered silk georgette shell’ comes in black, very berry, or citronella. Also, ‘Silence & Noise Lace Tiered Zipper Tank’ ($38) from Urban Outfitters is classic because of the lace, but updated with the exposed zipper. Another option is JCrew.com, which carries a lovely t-shirt version in sandstone or wild blackberry, ‘Tulle tiered blouse’ is now on sale for $60.

Another option to wear the tiered style is in a skirt form. J Crew also has a variety of skirts. ‘Tiered brique skirt’ ($128) or the ‘Whisper chambray tiered skirt’ ($138) are both very elegant and classic skirts that would look perfect with black pumps and a blouse tucked in. For a more vibrant option, look at the ‘Hanna G Layered Skirt’ ($68), available at nordstrom.com in cobalt, black or pink.

Sequined and Studded Tanks & Tees:
Liven up that plain old tee with something a bit more rebellious. Studded tees add an edgy look to your plain jeans and cut off shorts. Three options from Victoria’s Secret include the loose fitting t-shirt version, ‘Studded tee’ ($48.50) in tropical turquoise; a tank top version, ‘Studded v-neck tank’ in black or jazzberry (68.50); or a fancier version ‘Embellished cotton & cashmere sweater’ that has jewels and studs across the neck.

Studded mini skirts look great paired with a plain t-shirt. Bluefly.com’s ‘Romeo & Juliet Couture Black Studded Stretch Mini’ ($68) or ‘Silence & Noise Studded Menswear Waistband Skirt’ (urbanoutfitters.com, $68) are both great choices.

Other options for adding studs in a subtly way can be through shoes and accessories, such as the Report Signature ‘Malin platform Pumps’ ($117), Matiko ‘Ashley Platform Wedges’ ($98), Hype ‘Taylor Studded Clutch’ ($90) or Priorities ‘The Loraine’ boyfriend blazer ($117), all available at Bluefly.com.


Tribal prints:
The hint about wearing tribal prints is to downplay the rest of your outfit. If you are going for intense tribal inspired jewelry, then wear a subtle shirt and plain bottoms. These patterns can have a lot going on, so when wearing them as a shirt or dress, you then in turn want to downplay your accessories and the rest of your outfit.

For a top you can wear with cut-off shorts and flip flips, look at ‘Tribal Foil Tank’ (forever21, $12.80), ‘Tribal Scoopneck Tank’ (forever21, $12.90), or ‘Truly Madly Deeply Heart Tribe Tunic’ (urbanoutfitters.com, $28).

For a dress try ‘Woven Tube Tunic w/ Belt’ (Forever21,$15.80), or two options from Lulus.com, ‘Sweet by Miss Me Orleans Iris Day Dress ‘ ($80) and
‘Color Theory Dress’ ($35). All three dresses can be worn casually with sandals or flip flops.

Shoes are also a great option for adding a touch of tribal gems to your wardrobe. Nordstrom.com has a few great sandals to choose from including, ‘Fergie 'Escape' Sandal’ ($100), ‘L.A.M.B. 'Vail' Sandal’ ($299), ‘Vince Camuto 'Emily' Platform Sandal’ ($118), or REPORT 'Calla' Sandal
($60).

Light weight trench coat:
Every season we have a jacket we need to invest in. For spring, a lightweight trench coat is necessary. The versatility to wear this coat dressed up or down makes it that much more appealing. Try to buy a cream colored trench. This is a good color because it is light for spring, but not overpowering to your lively outfits.

Michael Kors has a great coat available at Nordstrom that hits at the thigh and also has a hood, which updates the classic trench coat. ‘Michael Kors Belted Trench Coat’ is $138, and with a coat like this, the best choice is to go for a durable designer brand.

If you feel the classic isn’t exciting enough for you, add some spunk to it, like the ‘Miss Sixty Studded Trench’ ($118). Also available at Nordstrom.

There are many different options for a trench coat including fit, length, and style. Try on a few and see what works best for you.

Keeping up with Corey Smith

With his sweet southern drawl, and guitar skills that rival John Mayer’s, Corey Smith’s music is surprisingly inviting. Like any old country singer, he tells stories in great detail of life lessons, everyday realities, and good old memories. It’s when he starts to passionately sing “F--- the Po-Po,” that we know his music is just a bit different from his country acquaintances.

The songs on “Outtakes from the Georgia Theater” are a combination of country, blues, and soul. But instead of being a mash up of musical genres, Smith somehow blends his love for hard rock and rap into an engaging musical story-time. If this performance is any indication of his newest album, Keeping up with the Joneses, we are sure to be in for a good time with an “$8 Bottle of Wine.”

Listening to Smith sing about getting drunk and having sex, I would never imagine him standing in front of a classroom, teaching high school social studies. But that is just what he did. It is evident that his passion pushed him to continue pursing music, and shy away from the student body. And I am happy he did, because now I want to enjoy a Corey Smith concert in the best way possible, with a beer in one hand, flicking off the cops with the other.

Parole for Children

Parole for adolescent offenders may be in effect if the HB 23 bill for the Florida House of Representatives passes. This bill will give children, ages 15 and younger, the chance at redeeming their life outside the suffocating prison bars. Fortunately, this bill provides an understanding that children sometimes make mistakes, and do not have the proper support system to know any better.

According to the bill, the guidelines for parole of a sentence that is supposed to be for 10 years or more, includes them having no past criminal record before this crime was committed, serving the minimum 8 years, going through an interview process, and completing a GED program.

The bill’s main purpose is to give that second chance that so many children deserve. We believe that the conditions of some people’s lives aren’t always stable to make good decisions, especially in an age where vulnerability is at it’s highest.

The outcome of creating this program will be positive. It will allow children to get an education, and hopefully create a more promising future for themselves than if they were to stay in prison.

With the interview process being a mandatory evaluation of eligibility of parole, it will allow the state to see if there is regret or knowledge of mistake in the prisoners mind. This is important because it assists in showing there is more than just a criminal to the child at hand.

Residents of Tampa agree with us too. Addison Largent said, “It’s sad that someone younger than 15 would get 10 years to life for a crime. But depending on their background they may not know better, so I do think they should get the chance to grow up and realize their mistakes.”

The bill has already been voted in favor to pass at the Public Safety & Domestic Security Policy Committee, hopefully other committees will pass it too and we will soon see more children with a brighter future.

Flyers Prevail

Facebook, twitter, email, and text messaging are the marketing tools of this era. To get the word out quickly about an event, college students have turned to Facebook to promote everything from a sports game to raising money for a charity. But in an era of social media networking, one relic of the past still endures – the college campus bulletin board.
In every building on campus there are old fashion corkboards full of flyers promoting events on campus, but does anyone pay attention to the overload of event information?
Kristen Rodriguez, a sophomore at The University of Tampa said, “I am in the Spring Dance Concert and I walked into the mailroom yesterday, and the floor was covered in our flyers. Nobody wanted them.” Although Rodriguez was disappointed the flyers were on the ground, she is Vice President of Communications for the sorority Alpha Chi Omega, and uses email as her main means of communication with the chapter.

But other student’s would much rather receive a flyer than a Facebook alert. Kaitlinn Kerney, a junior at UT, said, “People need to stop using Facebook to talk about what events are going on every night, you don’t need a Facebook message to tell you what’s happening. It drives me insane now. I would much rather just read a flyer on my own time when I want”.

The over abundance of Facebook messages has become a turn off for other students as well. Freshman, Kyle Jackson said, “If someone just blows up my Facebook wall with event information, I would be very annoyed. The purpose of Facebook has completely changed its form.”

So the verdict is in, flyers are still useful and Facebook messages are annoying. Who would of thought in this generation that students would pay more attention to a piece of paper than to a computer screen.

Delta Zeta Does Good

The University of Tampa is home to the Delta Beta chapter of Delta Zeta sorority. Theses women are not just looking pretty in their famous pink and green apparel, but they are doing good by helping those in need.  

Four of the Delta Zeta women will be traveling to the Pro Bowl in Miami this weekend. There they will be handing out build-a-bears to those who cannot hear. The philanthropy that Delta Zeta supports is for The Speech and Hearing impaired, which is supported on a national and collegiate level.

Leslie Stephenson, a sophomore in DZ said, “ I am excited for this opportunity to help those in need while also spending time with my sorority sisters.”

The four women were chosen on a volunteer basis. 

The women will depart on Tuesday evening and arrive in Miami. The following morning they will start handing out the teddy bears at 9 a.m. and finish at 4 p.m. 

According to the University of Tampa Greek life website, “Throughout the year, Delta Zeta conducts various philanthropic and social activities that foster leadership, community spirit and sisterhood.”

For the rest of the women who didn't get a chance to head to Miami this week to support their philanthropy, the whole chapter will be part of another event this month.

According to President Kaitlin Hall, “DZ will be handing out Valentine’s Day Cards on February 12^th”.

The cards will be free, but there will be a jar for donations that will go to Haiti relief efforts.

Understand more about the Delta Beta chapter of Delta Zeta by checking out their website, tampadeltazeta.com/philanthropy or ut.edu/greeklife

O'Brien vs. Leno vs. College Students

Ask a college student about the debate between Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien and blank stares may be their reply.

According to Kaitlinn Kerney, a junior at The University of Tampa, “I have no interest in those kind of shows, so I really don’t care about the legal problems going on.”

There is a certain audience that enjoys the witty sarcasm and distinct humor that late night talk show hosts’ display, but some college students are immersed in Jersey Shore re-runs instead.

The fight between Leno and O’Brien is much like that of Snooki getting punched in the face (O’Brien being the Snooki of this situation). After being on the NBC network (in a variety of different shows), for 20 years, he said his final farewell on January 22 with a $45 million dollar settlement.

The Leno and O’Brien saga began when Leno had his show moved to 10:00pm and O’Brien was given the glorified 11:35pm time slot. But when ratings for both shows saw a decline, NBC began to rethink their decision. Enter the war between Leno and O’Brien.  Leno, regained his time spot that he held for 17 years before O’Brien came in.

So, since when do college students not care about money and fighting? Apparently Leno and O’Brien just aren’t as appealing as those MTV characters.

Sara Matthews, a junior at The University of Tampa, said “there is nothing I care about less than two men fighting and yet the loser ends up with millions of dollars.”

So the college students have spoken, when Leno returns on March 1^st, NBC will be the last channel their TVs are tuned too.

Wayne Westerlind

Wayne Westerlind, a 21 year old junior at The University of Tampa, is working to find his gateway to a successful life. Between his internship, work, and classes, Westerlind gets through the day with one person in the back of his mind; his mother.

“I look up to my mom; she is what motivates me to succeed. She only has a half-hour a day to herself, and the rest is devoted to her work and her children,” Westerlind said.

Westerlind is spending his days taking classes to complete his degree in Advertising and Public Relations, fulfilling his duties as president-elect of the Public Relations club, while also interning at Schifino Lee Advertising Agency, and bartending at the Bungalow on Tuesday nights.
“I have seen success and failure from both sides. I have seen what it takes to succeed, and what it takes to fail,” Westerlind said, “and that is why I know what I need to do to be successful in my life”.