Feel like trading the cash you saved for that Prada bag to combat poverty?

No? What if you only lent the money for a few months, then got it all back in time for your next shopping spree? You’re probably thinking, “That doesn’t sound like charity.” It is, but it ain’t. It’s better. It’s a system called Kiva.

Microcharity on a budget – you really can help!
Just because your main meal is ramen noodles doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference. There’s a new form of charity in town and it’s designed for students who want to help but live on a budget! You donate just a little, but help change a lot! And best of all, you can watch the story unfold as your money slowly makes its way back to you.

That’s right – your money comes back to you. In essence, Kiva.org allows you to take the place of a bank as a lender, then recoup your “losses” as the money you lent out gets paid back to you within months.

What is this?

This is a new process called microcredit. You may have heard about it recently. The Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2006, Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, earned the reward for globally applying his system of microcredit. Yunus constructed a way to successfully empower poor people by using his bank to secure microloans for people who would never traditionally qualify for them. By allowing these people to make small and irregular payments back to his institution, his system has become a standard for financing in the Third World.

Not only has it become a globally recognized system, but it has also become quite lucrative for banks and financial institutions to invest in! The best part is, anyone can participate!

What do I do to start microlending?

• You can visit kiva.org and have a look at people who need microloans. Perhaps pick someone whose interests or attitudes align with your own.

• Use the form on the site to send a loan using your credit card or a paypal account.

• Kiva.org directly transfers the funds you send to the local representative office of the business you choose.

• Over time, this revenue office collects small repayments from the entrepreneur you choose and sends you an update on their progress.

• When the microloan is paid back in full, the business person may apply for another with their updated microcredit rating and kiva.org gives your original money back to you electronically.

• You can withdraw your money and deposit it in your bank knowing you did your part, or you can keep the returned money in the holding account and shop for a new business to help!

How did this come to be?
Simply put – it was made possible by the advance of technology. The practice of microlending is now cost-effective due to the spread of cheap communication devices like cell phones and the internet. What used to be expensive and slow because charitable sponsorship traditionally relied on mail and courier services to do business, is now inexpensive and instantaneous. Lending is easier and more people are able to use the service. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!

How is this making a difference?
The World Bank estimates that there are now over 7000 microfinance institutions serving some 16 million poor people in developing countries. The total cash turnover of MFIs world-wide is estimated at U.S. $2.5 billion and the potential for new growth is almost unlimited.

Who else is helping out?
Thousands of people. People like Lisa from Tennessee who’s helping a man from Kenya run a store. People like Janice who is helping 16 people make better lives, because she remembers when she needed a helping hand.

Do you work to pay for school? Why not get your work buddies involved? Get your work group to pick a person in need who is trying to build a business like yours. Companies like Beauty Schools Directory donated to 8 lucky ladies across the world who were trying to start salons and beauty stores of their own. All you need is a few bucks and a computer and you’re on your way.

Put the Prada on hold for a few months – you can pay it forward and feel great!

This is a cool device. As everyone knows, laptop speakers are not exactly the loudest or clearest way to listen to audio. If you are a heavy gamer or like to watch movies on your laptop than you need to check this thing out.

At first I was a little skeptical about it, but after giving it a try I could see a benefit to using the laptop booster. It is incredibly light weight and will house any Mac to PC laptop up to 17”. The underbelly of this will keep your legs comfortable with its padded base and a sturdy top to sit the laptop on. The glowing speakers run on your laptops power giving you a boost for your games or while watching a movie.

The Laptop Sound Blaster includes a USB dock for playing your iPod, downside is that it runs on C batteries. This is the only strike against it I would say there is.
Overall, this is a nice little device. I think that there needs to be a way to run an iPod without using batteries and this would be complete.

The holidays are almost here! Do you know what to expect in your stocking on Christmas morning? Our roving band of reviewers have collected a quick list of the hottest gifts to arrive under the tree. How do the items on Santa’s Top 5 stack up?

MOVIES
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End ~ Disney DVD and Blu-Ray – Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow in this pulse-pounding conclusion in the Pirates trilogy. Rescued from Davy Jones’ locker, Jack is forced to unite the world’s pirate lords in an all-out assault against the British Royal Navy and the cursed Flying Dutchman. The 2-Disc Collector’s Edition DVD includes some bonus features, but not a lot. Also, the film lacks a commentary track – a definite disappointment. Rating: 3 out of 5 candy canes.

MUSIC
Carnival Ride ~ Carrie Underwood – Since winning the American Idol crown in 2005, Underwood has proven that she’s more than a wannabe pop star. She took home 2 Grammys for her first album, Some Hearts. Her new album, Carnival Ride, shows her continued improvement as a vocalist. Underwood co-wrote 4 of the songs on this CD and seems to hit a new level of maturity. On Carnival Ride, she treads into some familiar territory, but her style of melding country and pop will continue to wow fans. Rating: 4 out of 5 candy canes.

BOOKS
His Dark Materials Trilogy ~ Philip Pullman – With the release of The Golden Compass on the big screen, the books that inspired the movie are getting renewed interest. The fantasy story follows Lyra, a young girl whose destiny takes her on a remarkable quest where she meets nomadic Gyptians, armored polar bears and balloon aeronauts. The books are not for kids, but teens should find them interesting, complex, and filled with wondrous mirrors of our own world. Rating: 4 out of 5 candy canes.

VIDEO GAMES
BioShock – In the underwater city of Rapture, you will find a world where science couldn’t be stopped. Undead creatures roam the corridors, where you too are trapped under the ocean. This first-person shooter from 2K Games allows you to biologically mod your body with plasmids, hack devices and systems, upgrade your weapons and craft new ammo variants. It is sure to please Xbox 360 fans, but owners of other consoles will have to settle for the PC version. Rating: 4 out of 5 candy canes.

ELECTRONICS
Apple 8 GB iPod nano – Whoever said that the best things come in small packages must have been thinking of the iPod nano. This 8GB media player now includes a larger, 320-by-240-resolution display for video. Enjoy up to 5 hours of TV shows, movies, video podcasts and other video. Or get 24 hours of music on a single charge! Thinner and sleeker than ever before, the iPod nano is perfect gift! Rating: 5 out of 5 candy canes.

Going off to college was an intimidating experience. For the first time, I was living away from home. I was in a dorm suite with seven guys I didn’t know. My best friend pledged at one of the fraternities, so we didn’t see much of each other during that first week. It could have been one of the worst experiences of my life.

I arrived on campus my freshman year and settled in to my dorm less than a week before the start of classes. Those days were torture. Surrounded by people I didn’t know, in a strange environment, I wanted nothing more than to go home. Then something strange happened. Just when I felt nothing could go right, some of the older guys in the dorm started throwing a Frisbee.

Soon, most of the guys and girls in the dorm gathered outside for the impromptu game. We talked. We learned about one another. Before long, someone suggested we all go to the movies. Minutes later, 17 of us were piling into cars to drive across town to the movie theatre.

Along the way, I discovered that two of the guys in the car shared my interest in comic books. They even offered to take me along to their favorite comic shop every week. I began to feel less alone. I started to feel like one of the gang.

We saw the latest horror flick. Everyone loved it. Afterward, we drove downtown to an old restaurant and overran an entire section. Our tables were crowded together, everyone talking and laughing. We ate chili nachos and swapped stories. By the end of the night, we were no longer a bunch of strangers prone to awkward silences. We were a crowd. We were “those guys.” We were now friends.

We had so much fun, we forgot that we were supposed to be missing our homes and families. The disaster that could have been my first college experience had been averted.

The following year, I felt that it was my responsibility to make sure that the freshmen students in our dorm had a similar experience. We included everyone, billing the event as the Second Annual Kuehne Hall Horror Movie Kick-Off Party. A group even larger than the previous year made the journey to the movies and the after-party at the restaurant.

It didn’t take a university-sponsored event or the work of the Student Life office to make a bunch of freshmen feel at home. All it took was a few upperclassmen who remembered what it was like to be the new kid on campus.

You’ve applied and been accepted to college. You’ve even received a great package of materials that includes all the financial information you need – tuition, room and board and student fees. But no matter how clear the numbers seem to be in black and white, it’s important to budget for some of the hidden costs of a college education!

Many room and board plans contain a set number of meals per week. But it’s important to pay attention to the fine print! Many cafeterias have reduced hours on the weekend – causing you to have to supplement your meals even when you’re not going out for the evening. And don’t forget to budget in money for snacks and quick meals when even the short trip to the cafeteria sounds like an eternity.

Other hidden costs include books and resource materials. Most colleges or universities give an estimate of how much it costs for a semester’s worth of books – don’t depend on that to be the amount you owe! Try to get the reading lists as early as possible and check online for bargains and secondhand books – because it’s not uncommon for the campus bookstore to sell out early, leaving you having to pay full price. And many school libraries charge by the page if you need copies made – even if you can’t check the book out of the library! And if you’re doing a slick presentation for a business class and having it bound at the local copy shop, you could be spending more than you might think.

It’s the little things that get you! Find out about the small costs at your college campus. How much will you be spending for laundry? Is there metered parking? Will you be grabbing a cup of coffee or a soda on the way to class? These small expenses can add up faster than you might think!

Finally, don’t forget to budget in travel costs! Whether you’re going to school an hour away by car or half a day by plane, chances are that you’re going to want to visit home – and between airfare and gas prices, you could be paying a pretty penny. Make sure you know ahead of time how often you’ll be visiting your family – every weekend, every month or once a semester. Of course, you might be able to factor in reduced laundry cost when you do!

Going away to college is a fantastic experience – and one that’s a lot less stressful if you over-budget for all the possible expenses. So as you’re packing for your first days at school, make sure to pack a little extra cash. But try to leave those credit cards at home!

A million possibilities. This is something that Ana Dunham probably never thought she would find. But she did. Literally. She sat in front of a lighted Solid State Logic (SSL) mixing board with dozens of knobs, buttons, switches and toggles that represented all the possible levels and directions that could be around the corner with a turn of a knob.

She had just finished a tour of Ex’pression College for Digital Arts when the tour guide for her group invited her to a mixing session in one of the school’s state- of-the-art studios. She knew at this point that she had found a home.

“When I walked into the studio and stood in front of the SSL mixing board, I had a million flashbacks of the people I’d met there in the last few hours and how many thumps I’d felt in my heart,” Dunham said. “I couldn’t stop smiling. It was a million possibilities laid out in front of me.”

Many students who visit Ex’pression College for Digital Arts probably feel the same way. After all, this is like no other college tour in the country. From multimillion dollar digital editing suites and broadcast stations to a recording studio named after Jimi Hendrix and a recording hall outfitted with a green screen and 3-D capture capability, this is not your average campus tour. This is not your average college.

Ex’pression is located in Emeryville, Calif., in a 102,000-square-foot building just blocks from the shores of San Francisco Bay. More industrial park than palm trees and boardwalk, the small town has become famous for producing some of tomorrow’s brightest sound and graphics artists in the entertainment business. Just two miles down the road is Pixar Studios, makers of Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and, most recently, Ratatouille. The caliber is so high for Ex’pression graduates that many now work at places like Pixar or as engineers at major recording studios. A recent alumnus just won an Oscar for the Dreamgirls soundtrack.

Dunham is now deeply committed to the Sound Arts program at Ex’pression, but after graduating from high school in 2004, she wasn’t so sure about her future. She spent a few years working at jobs she knew she wasn’t passionate about and didn’t always feel like she fit in. She needed a place to call home, a place where she could explore new opportunities and really become engaged in something she loved.

“When you find that place, it grabs you by the heart and you know this is the one,” Dunham said.

That’s when she found Ex’pression. Sure, it has the elements of a regular college campus: a cafeteria, classrooms and computer labs. But, the cafeteria contains sofas to nap on, and the classrooms have ergonomic and adjustable work stations and are wired for the advanced audio and visual teaching supplements. The computer lab is an Apple G5 utopia featuring cinema widescreen monitors, networked computers and printers, and industry-leading design and editing software.

The overall attributes of the school are just as unique: classic bare-knuckle teaching juxtaposed with high-tech classrooms and outfitted with world-class electronics and classrooms painted with bright, lustrous paint schemes.

Noticing a pattern? Ex’pression is different. The school’s strengths lie in the student-centered approach, tremendous technological facilities and industry networking. Dunham equates the school’s teaching philosophies to real life. “They want to make sure that you succeed, but if you don’t want it bad enough, they’re not going to make you,” Dunham said.

Dunham wants it bad enough. She just started the program, but she extols the school’s encouragement of learning independence and creative freedom. The ability to walk into a classroom and consume as much as she wants to. The opportunity to plant herself in a studio and brood over every detail until the most prodigious creation she can think of is perfectly complete.

Before she can move on to her dream project, she must complete a few inevitable general education classes. But she doesn’t mind. She says even these classes intrigue, challenge and set a tangible, concrete base for the rest of her education. She uses the example of understanding the writing and story lines of her American Literature class so she can write better scripts and produce a better movie for her Media Sound and Visual class. Dunham says the seasoned teachers are the foundation of it all, partly because they bring industry expertise to the classroom. Ex’pression’s program director for the Sound Arts program, John Scanlon, has worked on projects for Ben Harper, Tori Amos, Dave Grohl, Jack Johnson and others.

“They’re definitely not typical. They’re impressive,” Dunham said. “The teachers have a different style. Not only do they give you the concepts, they employ them.”

This is what Dunham is hoping to very soon be able to accomplish. She hopes to one day sit down at that SSL mixing board and employ everything she’s learned at Ex’pression to record and produce something with a tangible impact. Something more than a hit pop song or movie soundtrack. Something worthwhile that will begin to fulfill at least a few of those million possibilities.

Remember about a decade ago when you left the protection of your parents’ wings for the first time for a half day of coloring, counting and napping? That was kindergarten – the time when your parents dragged you into unfamiliar territory and left you to survive on your own. You may have initially cried and stomped to display your disapproval, but chances are you became instant best friends with the first person you encountered at the Lego table. Your memory of the experience might be a little fuzzy, but I guarantee that five-year-olds weren’t mingling with only those in their exclusive social circle. Kindergarten was the time when everyone was the new kid, thrown into a room of strangers and left to thrive.

Welcome to the Club
Over the years, that chaotic classroom has evolved – not just because you’ve gotten older, but you and your classmates have come to identify with certain cliques of friends. Although movies often depict the jocks, drama freaks, skaters, hicks, goth kids and band geeks, you don’t have to look to Hollywood portrayals of cliques to understand how they work.

“For the most part, cliques are just a Hollywood stereotype of high school or a rare occurrence in real life,” said Abby Hauver, graduate of Lansing High School in Lansing, Kan. “Sure, people tend to hang out with a group of friends, but that has to do with being comfortable with people that are like you.”

Look around your high school cafeteria. Chances are you can categorize the lunchroom tables. People tend to gravitate toward those who look like them, act like them and do what they do. But the question is, do you really want people to assume they know who you are and what you’re all about based on a quick glance? One would hope not.

Exploring the Unknown
“A group of friends becomes a clique when it becomes exclusive and starts putting others down to make their group seem superior,” said Hauver. “A group of friends are just people who like hanging out with each other and feel comfortable around those people.”
Cliques sometimes provide security for people who aren’t completely confident in their own personality or haven’t made an effort to branch out. While it’s nice to have common interests with the people you spend time with, you can also explore and try new things by hanging out with a different crowd.

Whether you’ve been able to shoot three-pointers since you could stand or have starred in school drama productions since you learned to say, “To be or not to be,” now is the time to break out of the social restraints you have set for yourself. You’ll not only grow as a person, but you can also provide colleges with a more diverse admissions application.

Spread Your Wings
Since your time at high school is coming to an end, remember you’re truly going to leave your parents’ nest when you go off to college. This will be the opportune time for you to broaden your horizons. Just try to handle this transition a little bit differently than you did during kindergarten. No stomping or crying this round, but bring back the same assertiveness you had as a child. Make an effort to meet people from diverse backgrounds and people with different hobbies. Consider living in the college dorms. Join clubs. College is a fresh start at the Lego table.

Wish you could enter college with two semesters under your belt and thousands of dollars in tuition saved? As four-year public and private universities continue to increase tuition and fees, more and more students are attending smaller community colleges before attending larger institutions.

After all, by attending a community college, the savings can be exponential. They usually offer lower tuition, more scholarships, and lower living expenses.

According to the American Association of Community Colleges, the average annual tuition and fees for a community college are $2,272. The average tuition and fees at a public, four-year university are $5,836, more than double the cost of a community college. In addition to tuition for a four-year university, there are often added expenses – food, rent, utilities and miscellaneous expenditures. Students can forego this by attending their local community college and living at home – and save thousands of dollars.

Jennifer Powell completed about 36 credit hours at her local community college and will now only spend three years in college to get her nursing degree. This equated with more than $7,200 in tuition savings.

In high school, she took anatomy and physiology, college algebra, English composition, and sociology. Her high school and the local community college had an exchange program that allowed students to receive high school and college credit for courses at the community college.

Powell is now trying to knock out classes she will eventually have to complete. She is currently attending Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kan., and will be attending Pittsburg State University in 2008.

“I’m essentially taking anything that’s basic and that will transfer,” Powell said. This makes sense, considering that tuition at her current community college is only $75 per credit hour, while it is more than $200 per credit hour at Pittsburg State.

In addition to lower tuition and fees, many community colleges administer more grants and scholarships than the average four-year university. AACC research shows at least 47 percent of community college students receive some type of financial aid. The schools often have so many scholarships and grants that they actively seek out the recipients.

Though community colleges can give a great start and transition to a larger university, students need to remember three things: have an idea of which universities accept which credits, how many credits they are allowed to transfer to their university of interest, and what prerequisites they will need to knock out within their first year at school.

1. Before enrolling in courses, contact your four-year university and ask about transferring community college credits. Many universities will have a database of nearby community colleges and can provide a list of courses that will transfer.
2. Most universities will only allow a certain number of credits to be transferred; know that limit. Attending a community college before a university is intended to get prerequisites out of the way so you can concentrate on core-curriculum classes at the university. For example, a particular college might not allow someone to transfer 45 of the necessary 48 credits to graduate from their architecture program.
3. Understand what prerequisites need to be completed for your degree. If a physical education class is required for a liberal arts degree, it would be a good idea to get that out of the way before attending a university.

Most new college students can’t wait to be on their own. They want to make their own decisions, doing what they want, when they want and how they want. Many new college students also receive a rude awakening when the realization hits home that they truly are on their own. Mom isn’t there to make sure that they get out of bed and go to school or that they have clean clothes to wear. Professors aren’t quite as forgiving as high school teachers when assignment deadlines are missed. Dad isn’t there to provide the few extra bucks needed to satisfy that pizza craving at two o’clock in the morning.

“I had no idea how to do laundry,” said Lauren Morgan, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas. “My mom had always done that for me. It was so embarrassing because I had to ask other people in the laundry room how to work the washer and dryer.”

It’s not too late to become independent as you begin college this semester. Start taking the following steps to make that first year away from home as successful as possible.

Learn how to budget – Plan on putting a set amount in savings each month, and then open a checking account and balance your checkbook diligently. There’s nothing worse than a $10 purchase turning into a $50 purchase because you bounced a check and have to pay a returned check fee.

Find a part-time job – Find this on your own. Don’t allow your parents to pull strings for you. If they have a connection, find out the person’s contact information and get in touch with them yourself.

Introduce yourself to the washer and dryer – The last thing you need is for all of your large white shirts to become extra small pink shirts. Learn how to sort laundry by color and how to use proper water temperatures to protect your clothes – and your pride.

Become a planner – Keep yourself on a schedule with a day planner or PDA. Don’t expect your parents to wake you up and tell you when and where you need to be. Keep track of assignment due dates, activities and meetings. Schedule time during the week for studying so you’re able to relax and enjoy the weekends.

Taking these steps will put you on the fast track to personal independence. You might even end up being the person your roommate goes to when they need to turn on the washer.

Almost every prospective college student wonders where the money is going to come from to go to college. Getting the most out of financial aid and scholarships can be a confusing and sometimes stressful process, so starting early and being educated about your options is the best way to keep the pressure off.

State and Federal Aid
To apply for state and federal aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be filled out. By completing this form, you are eligible for need-based grants, scholarships, work-study programs and loans from the state and federal government. To apply online or find more information, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Private Scholarships
There are millions of dollars out there in a variety of scholarships. Private scholarships typically take some time to find and to apply for. A financial aid expert at Nelnet Enrollment Solutions, Craig Cornell, said, “Scholarships may be ‘free’ money, but you’ll find that the ‘price’ of finding ‘free’ money is the effort and perseverance you will need to uncover all of the opportunities out there.”

Cornell recommends looking at a variety of organizations. Check with your counselor for local scholarship information and then continue your search of community clubs, ethnic organizations, religious groups, education associations, veterans’ organizations and even local colleges.

The following web sites are great resources to find more information about scholarships and financial aid information. Use them, your high school counselor and financial aid professionals at your prospective schools as resources in your search for money to pay for college.

Nelnet
www.nelnet.com
Search a database of more than $8 million in scholarships, allowing you to narrow your search based on who you are, where you live and what you are interested in.

The Sallie Mae Fund
www.thesalliemaefund.org
Last year the Sallie Mae Fund gave out $2.5 million in college scholarships to low-income and minority students.

Hispanic College Fund
www.hispanicfund.org
Information about several scholarships for Hispanic students can be found here. Make sure to look under the resource section to find links to scholarships with a variety of qualifications and interests.

Ronald McDonald National Scholarship Program
www.mcdonalds.com/rmhc/index.html
The Ronald McDonald House Charity offers four scholarships to high school seniors through their chapters nationwide. You can find all the information about scholarships and how to reach the local chapters that offer them on the site.

Other informative sites and scholarships to look at:
The United Negro College Fund
www.uncf.org

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
www.cbcfinc.org

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
www.chci.org

Hispanic Scholarship Fund
www.hsf.net

Coca-Cola Scholars
www.coca-colascholars.org

The Gates Millennium Scholars
www.gmsp.org