Feared Statistics Rollerblade Bash New UHD Art Exhibit Required Course Plagues Students X-Games Eat Your Heart Out Relax from Your Hectic Day CAMPUS2 NEWS SPORTS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT74 s t u d e n t - r u n s i n c e v o l u m e o n e DatelineNewspaper for the University: D ofowntown Houston-Downtown Volume 40, Issue 1 JANUARY 28 - FEBUARY 11 www.uhd.edu/dateline Escaping College Debt Save an Arm and a Leg, Apply for Financial Aid By Marika Stepankiw information from the FAFSA to award DATELINE DOWNTOWN non-federal aid to students. Visit www. fafsa.ed.gov for more information or to fill The price for intellectual growth is rising. The out a form for financial aid. average student loan amount for graduating seniors is Unlike the typical loan, grants do not $19,237. By putting in a little effort now, you can save need to be paid back. Many grants are money in the long run and come out of the college designed for low-income and minority experience with a lot less debt. students, but there are also grants avail- There are three main forms of financial aid: loans, able based on a student’s degree subject or grants, and scholarships. Financial aid is offered by degree level. federal and state governments, colleges and universi- Scholarships and fellowships are forms ties, and public and private organizations. of financial aid that also do not need to The first step to paying for your college education be repaid. They are often based on special is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student qualifications, such as academic, artistic, or athletic. their family to attend college, and the “Unmet Need” Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA determines your eligibil- Some scholarships are available to students in a scholarship to students whose combined family ity for federal student financial aid, which includes particular field of study, students from underrepre- income is less than $30,000. Be careful to avoid schol­ grants, loans, and work study programs. The FAFSA sented groups, students who live in a certain area of arship scams. Search for scholarships on reputable, evaluates your need for financial aid based on your the country, or students from a low-income house. free scholarship search engines, such as FastWeb family’s income, assets, family size, number of family Sallie Mae offers several scholarships, including the (www.fastweb.com), College Board’s Fund Finder members attending college, and other factors. You “American Dream” scholarship to African-American (http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome. must renew your FAFSA every year to continue students, the “First in My Family” scholarship to jsp), and Scholarships.com. receiving aid. Many state schools will also use the Hispanic-American students who are the first in see DEBT on page 6 Get With the Program Study Abroad, You’re Already Paying for It By Regina Panis Associate Vice President for Policy and to enrich education with a hands-on England program, such as World DATELINE DOWNTOWN Planning at UHD and in charge of the approach, outside of traditional class­ Politics: The Special Case of Great Study Abroad Program, “All students rooms. You may have noticed signs Britain (POLS 3308), you can get credit Every semester, students are charged are charged a $3 international fee. This around campus for trips to London for about one-half of your course hours fees that range from Computer Lab fee goes into a scholarship pool to sup­ and Hong Kong. Those trips are a part by going to London as a continuation print fees, to Library fees, to a strange, port international education.” of UHD’s Study Abroad program. It of your course studies. little $3 International Fee. What is this From that pool qualified students makes complete sense for a student Those studying Criminal Justice international fee on the tuition receipt? enrolled in a Study Abroad class can studying British Literature to go to also can benefit by studying abroad. Why are we charged $3 a semester? receive a scholarship to offset the cost London or an International Business “Their program involves observing While that does not seem like a lot of of their trip. The maximum award can student studying foreign markets to go and studying law enforcement in other money, $35,379 does. This is the total be up to 40% of the total trip cost or to Hong Kong. countries, for example, police in dif­ amount of $3 multiplied by the amount $2000, whichever is greater. An awards According to Dr. Fairbanks, the ferent European countries,” notes Dr. of students enrolled last Fall. With that committee made up of administrators, College of Humanities has sponsored Fairbanks. amount in mind, questions now need faculty, and students determines the a spring trip to London for the past six If you have participated in a similar answers. What happens to that money? actual amount. years. If you are enrolled in a course program where you traveled for college According to Dr. David Fairbanks, Studying abroad is a different way that participates in the Summer in see STUDY on page 5 Page 2 Jan 28 - Feb 11, 2008 Dateline : Downtown CAMPUS NEWS Contact Us UHD Ambassadors Managing Editor James Philpot Be a Leader, Help Your Fellow Students [email protected] (713) 221-8569 James Quiroga answers: “to promote campus pride, to Room 350 South; or contact Patricia DATELINE DOWNTOWN meet new students, to make new friends, Santos, Assistant Director of Freshman Associate Editor / Layout and to develop a social network among Admissions and Ambassador Advisor, at Andre Poisot Do you know UHD like the back of university constituents.” Other benefits (713) 221-8692. [email protected] your hand? Have you figured out the of being an Ambassador include prior­ Business Manager labyrinth of stairways? Do you find ity registration, a Daniel Almanza yourself showing around bewildered new uniform, and expe­ [email protected] students? You should become a UHD rience to round out (713) 221-8192 Ambassador. one’s resume. UHD Ambassadors assist in campus Formed during Contributing Writers tours and co-host special events such as the Fall 2007 semes­ Will Chinchilla College Fairs and the Hispanic Forum. ter, the Ambassador Tamara Wise Ambassadors can also look forward to program currently Regina Panis Marika Stepankiw participating in morale-boosting social has 12 students, Jacob Benavides events such as the Crossroads Festival although Santos Reggie Plummer and Culture on the Bayou. hopes to see that James Quiroga Ambassador Advisor Patricia Santos number increase Frank Raia describes the University of Houston- to 30. Students James Kern Downtown’s Student Ambassador interested in joining Gloria ReiAan Program enthusiastically, “We take pride the organization Photo Courtesy of: Gerardo Nevarez in leadership, commitment, and ser­ can obtain applica­ Bottom Left to Right: Patricia Santos (Advisor), Victoria Rivera, Yuri Salazar, Faculty Advisor Barbara Perkins, Jeanny Herrera, Carol Say, Rhysia Joseph, Matthew Vetter, Anthony Chiaviello vice.” Asked why a student would want tions at the Office Faria Diane, Elena Hilla, Chris Davis, Gary Acosta, Jason Hyman. [email protected] to become a UHD Ambassador, Santos of Admissions, Not pictured Alexzandria Hill, Monica Flores, and Dale Vanwright (713) 221-8520 Statistically Speaking, We Need Your Help! Letters to the Editor: Dateline welcomes Tutors Desperately Needed for This Difficult But Essential Class letters to the editor from any member of the UH system. Letters should be no more than 250 words, include the author’s full name, phone By Megan Murray-McDonald student success program Achieving the Dream, number or email address, and affiliation with DATELINE DOWNTOWN which annually grants $10,000 to UHD to the University, including classification and major. provide 360 hours of peer tutoring and a faculty Anonymous letters will not be published. Deliver Was there ever a word that instilled more fear supervisor. letters to Room S-260 Main Bldg; email them to in students than statistics? Well their fears may So peer tutors take note: there’s money out [email protected]; fax them to (713) 221- be justified: students who take Statistics for there. And of course, tutoring looks great on a 8119. All submissions are subject to editing. Business I (STAT 3309) are more likely to get resume and helps you give back to the UHD com­ below a C than the semester average of all other munity. Editorial Policy: The opinions and classes combined. Statistics is a “milestone” class; commentaries expressed within reflect the completing the dreaded class is a good indicator Have the impressive brainpower to help? views of the contributing writers. No opinions that you will graduate. Since majors in criminal expressed in the Dateline reflect the viewpoints justice, business, natural science, social science, Contact: of the University of Houston-Downtown or its education, and mathematics all require some Anna Rosenthal Simmons administration or students. Dateline reserves the form of statistics, it is important to make sure you Computer and Mathematical Sciences right to edit or modify submissions for the sake do well. University of Houston Downtown of clarity, content, grammar, or space limitations. An excellent way to get ahead of the curve is by (713) 221-2732 Submissions should be sent to dateline@ peer tutoring. Our university has the experience [email protected] gator.uhd.edu in Microsoft Word format. All and the facilities, such as the Academic Support submissions become property of Dateline and Center, to run a successful peer-tutoring program may not be returned. If you have any questions, in statistics. In fact, UHD participates in the please call (713) 221-8569. Dateline : Downtown Jan 28 - Feb 11, 2008 Page New Year, New Semester, New Rules A Glass Half Empty Column By Lindsay Hagood New Rule #3: There is an old saying, “If you than hearing “buzz buzz” throughout a professor’s DATELINE DOWNTOWN sprinkle when you tinkle, please be neat and wipe lecture.