Online Smart School

Cliff Lampe of Michigan State University will deliver the next Faculty Guest Lecture at the School of Information on “Social Media and the Public Sector: Inherent Barriers to Adoption” when he visits Tuesday, March 15. Lampe’s talk will be at noon in the Ehrlicher Room, 3100 North Quad. All are invited.

Lampe is an assistant professor in the Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies and Media at MSU. He earned his doctorate at the School of Information, and he also holds degrees from MSU and Kalamazoo College.

In describing his talk, Lampe says:

“Organizations that serve the public, including local units of government and nonprofit organizations, see potential in using social media to serve their residents. Seeking feedback on policies, organizing community events, and micro-broadcasting relevant news are just a few of the activities that these organizations feel social media can facilitate. While the external efficacy of these groups is high, and they believe these tools can improve their service, the internal efficacy is often low as the organizations struggle with how to use the tools.

“In addition, the complexity of of multiple constituents, changing policies, and embedded organizational structures of the public sector can hinder the use of social media to meet these collective action goals. This presentation will review several social media projects involving public sector outreach. We’ll focus in on one project, a crowd-sourcing application for a state-wide organization, with analysis of how inherent barriers affected the use and adoption of the application. Using content analysis, interviews, and surveys in a context of action research, we’ll examine a case where social media was not successfully used, and what contributed to that outcome.”

One of the much-awaited moments of the students of colleges and universities are the breaks and vacations they have every school year. It is the perfect time for them to unwind and get a good rest from academic pressures. One thing that college students like to do is to have a great vacation getaway together will college friends. Although the budget of college students for a good vacation spot is only limited, there are still fun and inexpensive vacation ideas that college students will surely enjoy.

One tip for college students who would like to have a cheap vacation spot is to avoid tourist spots that will experience overcrowding and swamping with other tourists during the time of your vacation because it will sure increase the prices for hotels and accommodations.

Consider going to Mexico

Mexico is one of the best and inexpensive vacation spots for college students. Many places and areas in Mexico offer rest, relaxation, nature tripping, and ocean adventures in the whole country of Mexico. You just need to pick what area you would want to come and what activities you would like to do during your vacation. Food and nightlife is also a fantastic experience in Mexico. From sea to mountains, and from rural to urban life, Mexico will not fail you when it comes to a vacation escapade that you want.

Why not North Carolina?

Are you looking for a quiet and tranquil place where you can enjoy the wonders of Mother Nature and be free from the busy and noisy life from college? Then, one cheap place you can go to is Boone, North Carolina. Cheap but great quality hotel and inn accommodations are available in this vacation spot so your limited college budget will not go to waste if ever you decided to explore mountains, nature museum orchards, the historical Tweetsie train and many more.

If youre over 21 Vegas is a good option

Las Vegas is also a good vacation place for college students. Aside from the casinos, Las Vegas offer more to its people and tourists because of the performing arts theater, hotels, nightlife, gourmet restaurants, night clubs, shopping malls and other places that you can visit. You do not need to be in an expensive or luxurious vacation spot if you really want to enjoy your break. The only thing you need is to be with a good and fun company of friends or relatives, and for sure, the things you will experience are moments full of fun, laughter and genuine happiness.

Youre going to soon find out that college dorm rooms arent the biggest rooms in the world.  Since youre going to have to cram so much into a little space with another roommate, its essential that you look into items that are created for smaller rooms, such as a dorm.

Since theres a good chance that youre going to be writing, as well as using your laptop / computer at night, youre going to find that youre going to need light.  Since you probably wont want to turn the whole light in the room on at 1 in the morning, youre going to want to consider some of the these smaller lamps listed below that are designed for desks.

Sunlight Lamp ($40) - This 150 watt based lap consumes very little energy, is very stylish, and will look great on just about any desk out there.  You will also find that it comes equipped with a 2 years manufacturers warranty.

Glob 5210801 ($15) If youre looking for a lamp that is a little under $20, this lamp created by Globe Electric is 14 inches in height, is energy star efficient, and only requires a 13W max lit bulb.

Normande Lighting LED Desk Lamp ($40) - This LED based lamp has a great looking, unique design, and barely takes up space on a desk.  Made of brushed steel finish, as well as comes equipped with a toggle switch.

Grandrich ES-201 ($50) - This desk lamp created by Grandrich is highly rated online, and is great for just about any table / desk.  It uses a fluorescent lamp, its 26 inches tall, and you can twist and turn the lamp as it has an adjustable gooseneck.

Halotech II Halogen Lamp ($75) - If you have a higher budget, you will find that this Halotech based lamp may be the one that you will want to consider.  This lamp uses one energy efficient 35 watt bulb, has an adjustable neck, as well as a sturdy, metal construction finish.

While there are a lot of lamps on the market, these are some that I have found online that have high reviews.  As you can see, you can get one for a little less than $40.  Consider a few of these, as they will fit great in any dorm room.

In recognition of African-American History Month, we would like to highlight a few of the many organizations working to create a better future by providing students with higher education opportunities:

The United Negro College Fund “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”

The United Negro College Fund administers over 400 scholarship and internship programs at its 39 member colleges. Each year, the UNCF provides financial assistance to over 60,000 college students to help further their education. The organization hosts an annual Evening with the Stars, which is the nation’s largest televised fundraiser for minority education.  The event has raised upwards of $200 million dollars to date. Two of the fund’s key programs are the Gates Millennium Scholars Program and the UNCF-Merck Science Initiative.

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund “Changing the World . . . One Leader at a Time.”

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund has 47 member schools offering more than 1,300 programs in a wide variety of majors. The fund has awarded more than 7,700 scholarships and awards worth over $100 million throughout 22 years of service. The fund is dedicated towards helping students attend the country’s six public historically black law schools. More information about TMCF scholarships can be found on their Scholarship Programs page.

The National Association of Black Accountants “Lifting As We Climb.”

The National Association of Black Accountants is a non-profit association whose aims are to further its members’ professional and academic achievements. To this end, NABA has provided over $8 million in scholarships to enable students to further their business studies. Through its National Scholarship Program, NABA is able to offer up to 70 scholarships from $1,000-$10,000 annually.

If youre thinking about taking Japanese in college, or you just want to learn more about the culture, or learn the language so that youre fluent, youre probably wondering what colleges out there are going to have the best programs for yourself.

Upon doing some research online, I came up with a simple list of the best colleges to consider if youre thinking about majoring in Japanese, or if youre serious about learning it.

Factors to consider when choosing your college:

The reviews on the courses - Before you look into the college, youre going to want to look into what other students thought about the class, as well as get some information in regards to the college to see what they are going to teach you with your major.  You will find that many colleges have courses that vary.

The location - If you really want to get a feel for Japanese, you may want to consider going to a college that is physically located in Japan.  While a lot of us cant afford this, the next thing that you will want to look into is what is near by.  For example, a place such as UCLA has a few small towns in the area that has a huge Japanese presence.

The courses youll take - Look into the what kind of courses that youre going to take.  What you will find is that many colleges are going to vary.  Are there are going to be trips?  Are some of the courses hand on?  These are all things to consider.

With that being said, here are some of the colleges that you will want to look into, if youre wanting to consider a Japanese major, or courses in general.

• Duke
• Middlebury College
• U.C. Berkely
• University of North Carolina
• University of Hawaii
• Earlham
• University of Chicago
• University of Michigan
• Wisconsin-Madison
• Washington-Seattle

Free money for college! Did that get your attention? These college scholarship opportunities end in February! You may also notice a common theme: community service. If you aren’t involved in something that you care about in and around your community, you might want  to start!

Not only do college admissions and scholarship awards committees love to see it, but it’s fun, a way to give something back, and can even help you realize a new passion or interest. Before you apply for these scholarships, be sure to check out My College Guides scholarship application tips!

Best Teen Chef Competition – Slice and dice! If a culinary career is in your future, check out the annual teen chef competition at participating Art Institutes (there’s a list onsite). High school seniors compete for a chance at winning part of the $200,000 tuition scholarships just waiting to be awarded. So get in the kitchen and start practicing!

STOP Hunger Scholarship – Food pantry. Soup kitchen. Have you been there, done that, and have plenty of documented unpaid hours of volunteering to match? Open to students through graduate school, this scholarship awards those who are helping in the fight against hunger: special consideration if you focus on fighting child hunger. Up to five students will be chosen to win $5,000 for college as well as a donation made in their name to a local hunger-related charity. We call that a definite win/win.

KFC Scholars – Are you driven? Do you have an entrepreneurial spirit, need financial help to get to college, and are greatly involved in your community? Apply for your chance to snag this scholarship that pays up to $20,000 in order for you to complete your Bachelor’s Degree. Now that’s an application worth filling out!

NLHA Education Fund Scholarships – Do you live in a low income property or receive Section 8 voucher assistance? The National Leased Housing Association offers up four different types of scholarships, the AIMCO Cares Scholarship, the William F. Gandert Memorial Scholarship, the Mary Lou Manzie Memorial Scholarship, and and the Neil Churchill Memorial Scholarship. Choose the best match for your situation: applicants may only apply to one of them! P.S. Community service can help you out here, too.

Best Buy’s@15m Scholarship Program – How does up to $1000 towards your college education sound? Best Buy is handing out 1200 college scholarships for community-oriented high school students. They will be checking out not only your volunteer efforts, but your academic accomplishments and your work experience. Let your accomplishments work for you!