Monday, May 18, 2009
Graduation...
Normally the economy or social issues dominate this space, but I put this blog together to discuss financial aid, and it's been a long time since I've examined the topic. I had a difficult session this morning, and I admit I'm fairly strident (to the point I'm considered unsympathetic) in how I apply the rules. There is some flexibility built into the system, and with the proper paperwork, this student could have benefited from the various programs available.
The key phrase is "proper paperwork" or "proof." People claim all sorts of situations, and I generally don't believe them. It isn't up to me anyway, since the Dept. of Education is fairly clear about what will or will not suffice. The student and family did not meet the threshold in this case, and I was called an asshole for being a "stickler." Yep, I am! I'm paid to be! Oh well. I nearly lost my cool, and it ended in a row. We almost had a scrum. With the bad economy I predict we'll have many more of these interactions, and in other news I predict water will be wet.
That's not what is on my mind today though. It's almost graduation, and a couple of the students with whom I've been friendly will be leaving. Every year this happens, but this one is deeper than normal. Part of it will be the departure of a German student I've gotten to know, and despite our friendship, I wonder if we'll keep in touch. Other colleges have a tradition of keeping their students in the fold, but community colleges are not know for such habits. I'm not sure you could include sarcastic financial aid counelors in the former camp anyway. I've been on the other end as well, and I could have kept in contact with some of my teachers, but without that class connection it felt weird. I'm sure I hurt their feelings, and expect a similar fate for myself.
I'm not paid to meet people, obviously. This is a good thing since, I don't like most of the people I meet at this job anyway. I am paid to help them, surly though I might be. Even being friendly has it's disadavntages, since I give out government money for a living, and what little flexibility exists in the system is ripe for abuse. This explains my snarling visage, although I'm really a mushy little kitty at heart. The only group to regularly pierce the armor is older single moms. They have it the toughest that I've seen. Their resources are limited; they often get no help from the fathers, and they are coming back to school after extended periods away. I bend over backwards for them, and rightfully so. American society is dead in the water without them.
Whether it's a single mom in her mid-30's trying to make it on her own for the first ime in years, or some 18 year old merely satisfying her parents, or one of my vets home from Iraq and a little lost in the civilian world, the college is a means to an end, not an end to itself. All the students are in motion, running toward the skills and knowledge that will take them to the next phase of their life and hopefully success. I, on the other hand, stand still. It's been almost 10 years since I began working in financial aid, and I never expected to be in this field for so long. Time got away from me, and I guess I'm feeling the tiniest bit of regret and how I've spent my life. Helping others go to college is not a bad way to make a living, but I never get to hear the end of the story. That, for me, is the most difficult part of the job. If I have invest my effort, I want to know the end result.
So here I sit, having just awarded a mom in her 30's. Will she succeed? I'll never know. I'm a way stop in the course of their lives. I can only hope I'm an effective and helpful one.
The key phrase is "proper paperwork" or "proof." People claim all sorts of situations, and I generally don't believe them. It isn't up to me anyway, since the Dept. of Education is fairly clear about what will or will not suffice. The student and family did not meet the threshold in this case, and I was called an asshole for being a "stickler." Yep, I am! I'm paid to be! Oh well. I nearly lost my cool, and it ended in a row. We almost had a scrum. With the bad economy I predict we'll have many more of these interactions, and in other news I predict water will be wet.
That's not what is on my mind today though. It's almost graduation, and a couple of the students with whom I've been friendly will be leaving. Every year this happens, but this one is deeper than normal. Part of it will be the departure of a German student I've gotten to know, and despite our friendship, I wonder if we'll keep in touch. Other colleges have a tradition of keeping their students in the fold, but community colleges are not know for such habits. I'm not sure you could include sarcastic financial aid counelors in the former camp anyway. I've been on the other end as well, and I could have kept in contact with some of my teachers, but without that class connection it felt weird. I'm sure I hurt their feelings, and expect a similar fate for myself.
I'm not paid to meet people, obviously. This is a good thing since, I don't like most of the people I meet at this job anyway. I am paid to help them, surly though I might be. Even being friendly has it's disadavntages, since I give out government money for a living, and what little flexibility exists in the system is ripe for abuse. This explains my snarling visage, although I'm really a mushy little kitty at heart. The only group to regularly pierce the armor is older single moms. They have it the toughest that I've seen. Their resources are limited; they often get no help from the fathers, and they are coming back to school after extended periods away. I bend over backwards for them, and rightfully so. American society is dead in the water without them.
Whether it's a single mom in her mid-30's trying to make it on her own for the first ime in years, or some 18 year old merely satisfying her parents, or one of my vets home from Iraq and a little lost in the civilian world, the college is a means to an end, not an end to itself. All the students are in motion, running toward the skills and knowledge that will take them to the next phase of their life and hopefully success. I, on the other hand, stand still. It's been almost 10 years since I began working in financial aid, and I never expected to be in this field for so long. Time got away from me, and I guess I'm feeling the tiniest bit of regret and how I've spent my life. Helping others go to college is not a bad way to make a living, but I never get to hear the end of the story. That, for me, is the most difficult part of the job. If I have invest my effort, I want to know the end result.
So here I sit, having just awarded a mom in her 30's. Will she succeed? I'll never know. I'm a way stop in the course of their lives. I can only hope I'm an effective and helpful one.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Evidently thrift really is in vogue....
It hasn't always been fashionable, but I loved to grab stuff from the trash and rehab it for future use. It was also a great way to find Playboys as a kid, since I had no older brothers to supply me. Puberty would not be denied! Anyway, I found many interesting and salvageable things. My fave was a 1000 page cookbook with instructions on making everything from eggs Benedict to spinning your own sugar for decorating wedding cakes. The price of the book (during the early 80's) was $50 back then (!) and I loved reading it. It was "lost" by my mother, though to this day I'm convinced she sold it to a neighbor. I don't dumpster dive much these days, since I do actually make a decent living. If I really want to be cheap, I can trundle over to Goodwill or the Salvation Army stores. I like saving money (in certain ways anyway), but I'm not that broke.
Although I always found good stuff, I was never very vocal about my hobby, and in Westchester, that was a good thing. People are much less shamed (by anything!) these days, so websites such as freecycle.com and others have grown in popularity. They existed before the present economic mess, but their growth has been much greater since people started losing homes, jobs, and their artificial sense of safety. As someone who was twice homeless, I can say it can happen to anyone, even nice Catholic boys from Mamaroneck. Props to the family for helping me when I was down and out.
Prior to our current mess, people reclaimed usable trash for a few reasons. Mine was simple curiosity, but others used these items for art, or somethings may have been antiquities, or they couldn't stand the idea that something usable should be wasted in the garbage. I'll place those who survived the Great Depression in the latter category. Others were just really cheap/thrifty and filled needs with their hunting.
Westchester County is prime territory for dumpster diving, since my home territory is very wealthy. As such, perfectly usable (and often quite nice ) furniture, etc. is often found curbside. One friend actually knows the dates of bulk pick-up in Northern Westchester towns, and hunts accordingly. Living in a co-op like myself, I often see usable items at the dumpster. If you feel like getting in shape, you could equip a home gym with all the stationary bikes and treadmills people toss on the pile right after Christmas. Tinsel? Check? Dead Christmas tree? Check? $1000 brand-new Bowflex? Fuck yeah! (Occasionally you'll find the instructions along with the home gym.) Again, whether or not I need these items, I pause before I pick. Can I, with my salary and other methods of making money, excuse the act?
I had to ask this question twice recently. As mentioned, I don't need many things, but I do need a chest of drawers. Living out of a hamper of clean clothes is fine, but I don't think many ladies would understand my dedication to efficiency. I would like to start biking again, although I'm not overwhelmed with motivation. As such, I don't feel like spending money on a new bike.
The bike presented itself first. It was at the dumpster for my building on a Thursday, and I was tempted to snatch it. It was in good shape, and I might have used it. The fact that I wasn't sure stopped me, so I decided to wait. If it was there by Sunday night, I would take it. The bike was gone a day or so after it was placed in the garbage.
The chest of drawers was next. This was something I actually needed, although it is more a cosmetic need rather than a pressing one. It is bulk pickup today in Yorktown, so my regular trips from Croton to Starbucks over the weekend were also journeys into people's junk. The amount one family spends on mattresses must be staggering. In addition to the usual items such as broken chairs, old fans, etc. was a tall, narrow chest of drawers. It was in good shape as far as I could tell. It even had all it's knobs! It seemed to be a child's item, but I really didn't care. It wasn't so juvenile that I would have been embarrassed to have it in my apartment. I was back and forth all day yesterday, so I planned on stuffing it in the back seat on the way home after meeting (cough) with friends Sunday night. As I drove home in the early afternoon, it was still there.
As I drove from Croton to Yorktown, I saw the pile of stuff. What I did not see was the chest! Yep, I was beaten to the punch yet again. This happens more often than I care to admit. Still, if I couldn't have it, I'm glad it won't just be taken to a dump. It had plenty of life left; it shouldn't have been thrown away. Poor people around the world would freak at some of the stuff we Americans consider garbage. The bike and drawers would have been a prime example.
I know I'll never be one of those who tries to spend no money at all. Freecycling so a perfectly useful item is saved from a landfill is one thing, but others take it to an extreme. I won't dumpster dive for food, as an example. If you think I'm nuts, or exaggerating, go search Cnn.com on the topic and get back to me. This is not a political stance on my part; it's more the thrill of the hunt and a desire to live cheaply.
Although I always found good stuff, I was never very vocal about my hobby, and in Westchester, that was a good thing. People are much less shamed (by anything!) these days, so websites such as freecycle.com and others have grown in popularity. They existed before the present economic mess, but their growth has been much greater since people started losing homes, jobs, and their artificial sense of safety. As someone who was twice homeless, I can say it can happen to anyone, even nice Catholic boys from Mamaroneck. Props to the family for helping me when I was down and out.
Prior to our current mess, people reclaimed usable trash for a few reasons. Mine was simple curiosity, but others used these items for art, or somethings may have been antiquities, or they couldn't stand the idea that something usable should be wasted in the garbage. I'll place those who survived the Great Depression in the latter category. Others were just really cheap/thrifty and filled needs with their hunting.
Westchester County is prime territory for dumpster diving, since my home territory is very wealthy. As such, perfectly usable (and often quite nice ) furniture, etc. is often found curbside. One friend actually knows the dates of bulk pick-up in Northern Westchester towns, and hunts accordingly. Living in a co-op like myself, I often see usable items at the dumpster. If you feel like getting in shape, you could equip a home gym with all the stationary bikes and treadmills people toss on the pile right after Christmas. Tinsel? Check? Dead Christmas tree? Check? $1000 brand-new Bowflex? Fuck yeah! (Occasionally you'll find the instructions along with the home gym.) Again, whether or not I need these items, I pause before I pick. Can I, with my salary and other methods of making money, excuse the act?
I had to ask this question twice recently. As mentioned, I don't need many things, but I do need a chest of drawers. Living out of a hamper of clean clothes is fine, but I don't think many ladies would understand my dedication to efficiency. I would like to start biking again, although I'm not overwhelmed with motivation. As such, I don't feel like spending money on a new bike.
The bike presented itself first. It was at the dumpster for my building on a Thursday, and I was tempted to snatch it. It was in good shape, and I might have used it. The fact that I wasn't sure stopped me, so I decided to wait. If it was there by Sunday night, I would take it. The bike was gone a day or so after it was placed in the garbage.
The chest of drawers was next. This was something I actually needed, although it is more a cosmetic need rather than a pressing one. It is bulk pickup today in Yorktown, so my regular trips from Croton to Starbucks over the weekend were also journeys into people's junk. The amount one family spends on mattresses must be staggering. In addition to the usual items such as broken chairs, old fans, etc. was a tall, narrow chest of drawers. It was in good shape as far as I could tell. It even had all it's knobs! It seemed to be a child's item, but I really didn't care. It wasn't so juvenile that I would have been embarrassed to have it in my apartment. I was back and forth all day yesterday, so I planned on stuffing it in the back seat on the way home after meeting (cough) with friends Sunday night. As I drove home in the early afternoon, it was still there.
As I drove from Croton to Yorktown, I saw the pile of stuff. What I did not see was the chest! Yep, I was beaten to the punch yet again. This happens more often than I care to admit. Still, if I couldn't have it, I'm glad it won't just be taken to a dump. It had plenty of life left; it shouldn't have been thrown away. Poor people around the world would freak at some of the stuff we Americans consider garbage. The bike and drawers would have been a prime example.
I know I'll never be one of those who tries to spend no money at all. Freecycling so a perfectly useful item is saved from a landfill is one thing, but others take it to an extreme. I won't dumpster dive for food, as an example. If you think I'm nuts, or exaggerating, go search Cnn.com on the topic and get back to me. This is not a political stance on my part; it's more the thrill of the hunt and a desire to live cheaply.
