Managing the Dollar Demand

By: Joe Walsh

Everyone knows the economy is in rough shape. If you are a college student with a middle class upbringing, money can be very tight when the tuition bill comes. For a student that has a sibling about to enter college, money can be even more of an issue.

Unfortunately, there aren’t an abundance of scholarships that erase a full four year’s of college bills. Oprah and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition have the market cornered on those for their lucky recipients.

Fortunately, there are strategies to help ease the burden. Joseph Weglarz, the Executive Director of Student Financial Services at Marist College, sat down with The River Reporter last week to discuss how to best make the financial burden of college easier on students and their families.

It’s a Jigsaw Puzzle

“I always tell people that ask me how to best pay for college to treat it like a jigsaw puzzle,” Weglarz said. “You have to find multiple ways supplement the cost of college.”

That means those cure-all scholarships mentioned before really are a rarity. Weglarz suggest to use some of the following programs and strategies to

The 529 Plan

“Most people don’t know about this but it can be one of the pieces you use to ease the burden financially.”

There are two subcategories of the 529 Plan: pre-paid tuition plans and college savings plans.

The pre-paid plan lets someone purchase college credits early at a locked in rate. It is only

Plan ahead with your money. From learnnc.org

available for participating universities, but state governments generally guarantee the investment. On the downside it does not cover costs like room and board

The college savings plan is a bit more flexible when it comes to what the money goes towards. Account holders have the money they put in invested for them. On the downside, the investments are riskier and are not usually covered by the state.

If you did not notice, this is something that requires you to save ahead of time for school.

Off Campus Housing

Even though Marist provides on campus housing, Weglarz says, “You can find more affordable housing off campus.”

The trade-off here obviously is the convenience of location with on campus housing and the added expense of gas to commute.

The FASFA

You probably heard of this from your high school guidance counselor. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is received by the federal government and determines if you need federal assistance.

It is all about using multiple sources of money to pay for school. From cardiomyopathy.org.

Weglarz admits however that the average middle class family does not receive much from the FASFA.

“The FASFA doesn’t take into account fact that you may have a mortgage or how much the cost of living is where you live,” Weglarz said. “The government does encourage students and families to contact the school and try to work something out with them.”

Endowed Scholarships

Marist College has a wide range of scholarships students can apply for. They are easily accessible from the Marist Web site. They are awarded based on need and academic major.

“A lot of them have specific requirements, but if you find one that’s for you, you should definitely apply,” Weglarz suggested.

You also need a teacher recommendation for them, so be sure to talk to a professor about getting one.

The Verdict

“Like I said,” Weglarz concluded. “There is no one solution to paying for a higher education. You have to approach it from different sides. Like I said before, it’s like a jigsaw puzzle.”

Swine flu hits New York schools

By Brendan Sherwood

Swine Flu Virus Source: Nationalgeographic.com

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in New York state has risen to 90, the Associated Press reported today. This data does not include an estimated 1000 cases in New York City, according to the Straits Times. St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens reopened today for the first time in a week after about 1000 students caught swine flu. Marist College does not expect to close but has issued instructions in case students catch the virus.

According to Bloomberg, the CDC reported 286 cases of swine flu in 36 states with one death so far. At least 533 schools in 24 states were closed today. The swine flu, also known as “the H1N1 virus,” is most active in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. It affected the largest number of people in Mexico, where people are currently responding well to antiviral treatments. The symptoms are so far similar to those of seasonal flu, but could worsen as seasons change.

The Associated Press reported that health officials are testing for swine flu in New York and found three more cases on Saturday, but “no one is seriously ill and many people being tested are turning out not to have the disease.” State Health Commissioner Richard Daines said that many of the test results show common flu viruses.

Two more New York schools closed recently, the Deer Park Union Free School District on Long Island and the Ed Smith Elementary School in Syracuse. The Long Island school is closed until May 10 due to three “probable cases” of swine flu and the Syracuse school is closed due to one probable case.

A nurse practitioner at Marist College Health Services who wishes to remain anonymous does not think the school will close even if some students catch swine flu. She recalled a severe flu during the 2007 to 2008 school year when several ill students were retained in the Billiards Room next to the Health Services office. Students who had the flu were urged to go home and not to go to classes or “communal places” for five days. There is no infirmary on campus and the college has never shut down due to an illness.

The most recent action Marist College Health Services took concerning swine flu was to send an informational e-mail to the students. The e-mail discouraged spreading rumors about the virus and said that there have been no known cases in the Marist College community. It details what to do if students become ill, including staying away from others and having good hygeine. It also gave some of the symptoms of swine flu (H1N1), which can include fever, body aches and pains, coughing, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, runny nose, and sore throat. It notifies students that flu vaccines do not protect against the illness.

The Marist Health Services website has more detailed information about swine flu, including advice for those with flu-like symptoms. This advice includes calling Health Services, taking antiviral medication, taking Tylenol or Advil, and drinking plenty of fluids. It has links to other health websites like the CDC and World Health Organization.

Marist College Health Services works closely with the Dutchess County Public Health Department and the CDC. When the nurse practitioner was asked if she knew what the college would do if students caught swine flu, she said students would be sent home and urged to talk to close contacts like roommates. She said, “We have a plan ready, but the biggest thing is what the individual can do.”

Hostage Standoff Concluded

By: Joe Walsh

The MV Maersk Alabama. From blogshevik.com.

Richard Phillips, the 53-year-old captain of the MV Maersk Alabama was freed Easter Sunday ending a five-day hostage standoff with Somali pirates.

His rescuers were Navy SEAL Team Six snipers who shot and killed three Somali pirates holding Phillips captive in an enclosed lifeboat hundreds of miles off the Horn of Africa. The fourth pirate in the lifeboat surrendered soon after.

Vice Admiral Bill Gortney ordered the snipers to shoot when he determined Phillips was in imminent danger. The lifeboat was about 25 yards away from snipers positioned on the USS Bainbridge, which was towing it out of rough waters.

“This was the biggest story of our Easter break,” Marist College junior Sal Furino said. “Looking back, it seemed like the only things we did over the weekend were keep close track of the Somali pirate hostage situation and celebrate Easter. It was dreadful but captivating. I was relieved to hear that the captain was finally free.”

Last Wednesday, April 8, Phillips surrendered himself to the pirates to protect the rest of his crew who had held off the intruders by locking themselves in the engine room. They later used what has been called “brute force” to retake the ship and overpower some of their captors.

The USS Bainbridge was the first to arrive near the lifeboat. Upon the Bainbridge’s arrival, the Alabama made its way to the Mombasa port in Kenya, its original destination. The Alabama had a Navy team of armed guards on board for the remainder of the trip.

The Alabama was carrying 17,000 metric tons of U.N. food aid for the East African region.

“The thing that has hit me the most is that these pirates are taking food from people in need,” Michelle Reid, a junior at Marist College said. “They don’t have the right to take it for themselves when there are so many people that need that food.”

Pirates in the region have been reacting to the news, stating that they will now escalate their level of hostility to foreign ships.

“Now they became our number one enemy,” Jamac Habeb, a 30-year-old self-proclaimed pirate told the AP regarding the U.S. “From now on, if we capture foreign ships and their respective countries try to attack us, we will kill them [the hostages].”

The Contemporary Pirate. From wired.com.

The precision of the U.S. Team Six snipers who attacked the pirates, aiming for the heads and shoulders, allowed Phillips to escape the lifeboat unharmed.

Phillips had previously tried to escape the lifeboat on April 10 by swimming but returned when the pirates shot at him.

A U.S. ship had tried to come near the lifeboat early on but retreated after it was fired upon. In an effort to not escalate the situation, the U.S. ship did not return fire.

When Phillips was brought to safety after the 5-day ordeal, he was not looking for praise. His statement to President and CEO of Maersk Line Limited was modest and heartfelt.

“I’m just the byline. The real heroes are the Navy, the SEALs, those who have brought me home.”

Korean Provocateurs

By: Joe Walsh

A North Korean missile launch pad. Image from time.com.

Sunday, April 5 marked North Korea’s first successful launch of a multistage rocket. The rocket went over Japan and landed in the Pacific Ocean at 9:30 p.m. EST.

This demonstration proved to the world that North Korea can not only launch a rocket, but one that has the ability to carry a destructive payload; though this test did not contain such a payload. Regardless, it has become something of deep concern to countries like South Korea, Japan, and the U.S.

“The fact that North Korea has the potential to attack our country in a huge way is shocking,” said Marist College junior Dan Greco. “The only mild sense of security I have is that they are probably more likely to hit a target on the West coast since it is much closer than attacking us here on the East Coast. It’s still clearly unacceptable, but I feel a little safer.”

The U.N. at large has issued several sanctions against North Korea, specifically U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718, in an effort to deter their nuclear ambitions. North Korea’s official news agency tried to assure the international community in an official statement that their efforts were merely to serve as “strictly peaceful purposes, largely to aid our search for food in outer space to meet the needs of our starving population.”

“I don’t know about you, but last time I checked nobody has found an abundance of food just sitting around in space,” Greco said. “They could have at least bothered to come up with a more realistic excuse.”

President Obama is currently abroad, forcing him to give a reaction from outside the White House in a less formal address to the American people and the world community:

“The launch today of a Taepo-dong 2 missile was a clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, which expressly prohibits North Korea from conducting ballistic missile-related activities of any kind. With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations.”

The launch beckons back to Vice President Joe Biden’s famous statement during the 2008 presidential election.

“Mark my words: It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy,” Biden said. The vice president relating the current situation to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

Not even he could have known that the test he spoke of would come less than three months into the president’s first term. Six months was giving anti-U.S. countries too little credit.

“I thought Biden was going to be wrong about us getting tested so soon into Obama’s first term,” Marist College freshman Jimmy Mercadante said. “I’m sure he’s not in the mood to say, ‘I told you so,’ with something like this. Plus, a multistage rocket just sounds intimidating, you can’t deny that.”

A multistage rocket uses two or more “stages” to propel itself. These separate stages have their own fuel and engines so that when the fuel is burned up, the rocket can release the empty sections. This reduces the amount of weight the rocket has to move for future acceleration by the other stages. It can be seen on rockets leaving NASA at Cape Canaveral, FL.

When President Obama was in London a week ago, he asked Chinese President Hu Jintao to

From U.N. Dept. of Public Information

speak with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il in an effort to quell his nuclear ambitions.

“The Chinese…don’t want to see the Japanese get nuclear weapons,” ex-Pentagon official Lawrence Korb said. Korb, currently a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress think tank added, “We need to tell the Chinese if North Korea keeps it up we’re not going to be able to hold Japan back.”

Citizens like writer Michael Hughes are recalling past U.S. conflicts and applying them to current struggles.

“…Obama must exude strength and not blink as he stands eyeball-to-eyeball with Kim Il Jong, because it will set the tone of conflict in these early stages of the New Cold War.”

Colleges ask for more money

Marist College Phone-a-thon

By Brendan Sherwood

Due to the poor economy, increased freshman class sizes and increased financial aid need, colleges have been asking donors for more donations.

According to The New York Times, Richard J. Krasney, wealth manager and philanthropy adviser said, “Using such demand as a fund-raising tool totally makes sense in this environment. More than ever, people want to know that their money is being used to address current needs.”

The New York Times also reported that Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts has increased its financial aid budget for the coming school year by 7.5 percent. Chapman University in Orange, California has had a financial aid demand increase of 88 precent. The college exceeded its phone-a-thon goal for the year, but is still having trouble raising enough funds.

Marist College has also been increasing its campaigning for donations. Jeanine M. Thompson, director of annual giving at Marist College said, “We have increased our direct mail appeals by segmenting them more this Spring. We are cultivating our constituents at this time as well.”

Thompson said the Advancement Department holds full phone-a-thon campaigns for both Fall and Spring semesters. She said, “We have increased the number of personal one-on-one contacts this year when asking for Marist Fund support.”

The Marist Fund is a major part of the Capital Campaign, the college’s main fundraising program. Thompson said, “The Marist Fund is holding ground during the recession as many alums, parents and friends have been affected by the diminishing economy. For many, Marist is dear to their hearts, and the economy has not affected their will or ability to give at some level. The Marist Fund supports scholarships, academic programs and services, first class academic facilities, financial assistance, internship and study abroad opportunities and more.”

Thompson said the Capital Campaign is different because its priorities are to generate more endowed scholarships and increase financial aid. Both continue to be vital because they “bridge the gap between tuition income and the actual cost of a Marist education.”

It seems that Marist College is doing better financially than colleges like University of North Carolina, Greensboro, which according to The New York Times has $30 million in requests for aid outstanding. Its endowment is also down 25.6 percent, and Governor Perdue has proposed cutting state financing to the UNC system by 5 percent. The university’s annual fund has collected 6 percent less than it did last year.

In contrast, according to The New York Times, Hamilton College collected the same amount as last year, which its director of annual giving was pleased with. “The college based its pitch on a recent alumni survey in which almost 90 percent said they wanted their donations to support scholarships.”

At Marist College, alumni are a major part of the six-division Marist Fund, which Thompson said, also includes “parents, businesses and friends.” She said they have not seen any division fall flat, but they do occasionally decrease.

For those interested in giving to the college or learning more about how it raises funds, there are several events that the Advancement Department holds throughout the year. Thompson said these include the “Campus Campaign Luncheon,” “Hudson Valley Scholars Meet & Greet” and “Alumni Chapter Events.” “Not all our events are fund-raisers — more cultivation and stewardship events as well,” Thompson said.

Career Services Director Helps Students in Tough Economy

Career Services is located on the third floor of the Marist Library.

By: Brendan Sherwood

Stephen Cole, executive director of career services at Marist College is responsible for the career fair and helping students achieve their goals in today’s unstable economy. He has a tough but rewarding job and still finds time for his family and friends.

Cole has worked at Marist College for two years and three months but graduated in 1972. He has had an over 30 year corporate career all over New York State as a PR executive, college recruiter, HR manager, PR manager, and director of innovation projects. He spent most of his career at IBM but has served on numerous boards and committees with Marist executives over the years and has always expressed interest in returning to Marist.

His main responsibilities at Marist College now include overall administration of the Center for Career Services, development of employer relationships, staff management and student advising. When asked if there was anything he didn’t like about his job Cole responded, “Not a thing, I love my job. I love working with Marist students.”

The most important recent event he was in charge of was the career fair on April 2.  “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes for the career fair,” Cole said.  “From recruiting companies to attend to scheduling facilities, contracting for exhibitor materials and displays, preparation of an exhibitor’s book, assuring exhibitors’ needs are met, providing outreach and advertisements to get student attendance, listening to student and exhibitor comments and taking them into consideration for future events to the actual setup and dismantling of the event.”

This year’s career fair was difficult to coordinate because of the economy. Cole said, “This is a very challenging time for companies. Many small colleges have had to curtail their events and I was determined that we would not. We had fewer employers from the last event but we still were able to attract prestigious companies and organizations to campus to meet students. We’ve already started planning for the next event in October 2009.”

Jane Fiore, director of the academic learning center at Marist said, “From the statistics this was a tough year to get employers because of the economy. From what I understand they had a great turnout. The office worked hard for quality and quantity of representatives.

Fiore collaborates with Stephen Cole on “many activities throughout the year,” including orientation for new students in Spring and January. She said Cole has done presentations for students in her programs and programs for transfers in January. He also helps her with the Focus program for freshmen and the majors fair. Fiore described his working style as “organized and professional.” He is “intelligent, funny, very practical, straight to the point, clear and concise.”

“His priority is always the students,” Fiore said.

Cole’s devotion to his job shows in his work. “He has a tough job and he really cares about helping students achieve their dreams,” Fiore said.  “The economy has a tremendous impact on how Steve can execute his job.”

Even with the stresses of helping students find jobs in today’s economy, Cole is able to find time for his family. He lives with his wife and they take “great enjoyment” in their two golden retrievers that they have trained for agility events. In addition, Cole said, “We find great pleasure in our grand daughter and what she does with her equestrian and 4H projects. We also enjoy fly fishing, kayaking, boating and hiking. Most anything outdoor related.”

Jane Fiore said, “I don’t think you can know Steve unless you know he likes dogs.”

Returning to his alma mater, helping students, overcoming obstacles, and still having time for his family have led Cole to believe he will not search for another job. He said, “I found my dream job.”

Conficker worm weakened but could return

Map of Conficker infections as of 1/29/09. Source: Team Cymru

By Brendan Sherwood

The Conficker worm, a major computer virus, caused panic last Wednesday when it showed signs of preparing for an attack. Experts say the attack was mostly avoided but the potential for a future attack remains. Marist College students are protected but can still take precautions to make sure they don’t get it in the future.

According to The New York Times, the Conficker software has spread “aggressively” around the world since October. It is a computer virus that connects infected computers to a powerful computer known as “botnet,” which can tell them to distribute malicious software, send e-mail spam, or attack networks and websites.

Marist College ResNet support analyst Adam Jones said, “No one on campus will have Conficker.”

However, Jones said, “We see people every couple days with a virus.”

The Washington Post reported that Conficker was less of a problem than it could have been because the “Conficker Cabal,” a group of security experts, anti-virus vendors, policy makers and private researchers worked together to stop the threat.

Lawrence Baldwin, founder of security consultancy myNetWatchman said, “Anti-virus products basically suck, with one exception: If the threat is on CNN, you can be sure they have a signature to detect it, because if your product doesn’t detect something that’s on CNN, you’re screwed. With a worm like this that’s so mysterious and successful, it’s almost a self-correcting system, because suddenly everyone is going to focus all of their attention on fighting it.”

Adam Jones said, “Students are required to have McAfee and the latest updates installed, that’s what Clean Access does.”

Jones knows of no problems with Marist College’s anti-virus software, which is McAfee Enterprise Edition. Marist students “get better software than they would as consumers,” Jones said.

According to The New York Times, while experts were trying to stop the Conficker worm, the worm’s authors created Conficker C, which was intended to contact 50,000 Internet domains on April 1. In response, researchers around the world have created a system allowing them to trap all attempted botnet communications.

Despite global efforts to stop the worm, PC World reported that about 2.2 million computers are infected with Conficker A and B, and about 1.2 million computers have Conficker C. It also said that nobody knows whether or not Conficker is really a dud and it could return.

Adam Jones said the main ways people can get viruses in general is through illegal file sharing programs such as Limewire and through e-mail attachments. The Marist College ResNet website and CD have free anti-virus programs like Spybot which can make students even safer online. Jones said, “McAfee is not going to catch everything so it’s good to use other free utilities.”

Conficker Eye Chart. Follow Link to make sure your computer isn't infected.

Drowning on Land

By: Joe Walsh

A man is subjected to waterboarding. From www.dailymail.co.uk

“It doesn’t simulate the feeling of drowning. You are being drowned. Slowly.”

The words of writer Christopher Hitchens, writer for Vanity Fair magazine. Hitchens subjected himself last August to the “aggressive interrogation” technique used by the U.S. and other countries to gain perspective on what it is like to be tortured for information. He lasted around 26 seconds before breaking. In a realistic scenario, the subject would provide interrogators with the information they desire.

“But what if you didn’t have anything? What if they got the wrong guy? Then you would really be in danger of losing your mind.” Hitchens most haunting words bring about debate on the effectiveness of the torture technique.

New reports have surfaced saying that waterboarding is not the most effective means of gathering intelligence. The subject has generated a variety of opinions at Marist College.

“Waterboarding is torture, period,” junior Sal Furino said. “I am against torture of all forms. No matter what information might or might not be extracted from the subject. Anyone in the chain-of-command, not just the performers of the torture, should be held responsible.”

Other people feel that the subject isn’t so absolute.

“It’s definitely a subject that no one wants to dwell on,” junior Chris LaFleche said. “But it is a dark reality of the way countries get intelligence. I wouldn’t say I condone torture, but there are times when I do think it is necessary for the safety of lots of innocent people.”

When the CIA began to torture suspected terrorist Abu Zubaida, they used the

Zubaida shortly after being tortured. From historycommons.org.

controversial technique. Though he apparently gave a large amount of information to interrogators, all the leads proved faulty and led the CIA nowhere. It should also be noted that all of the useful information he provided was given before he was waterboarded.

Hitchens described the process as so intense that one would do whatever it takes to end it. Even if that means providing false leads since you are not a major player in a terrorist ring.

“They told me that when I activated the ‘dead man’s handle [way to stop the torture], which is a simple process: you simply release something [metal bars clenched in the hands]. You let it go,” Hitchens said. “I didn’t do that. Even though my hands were bound, as sort of as near as you could, I threw the thing out of my hand. I mean I really wanted it to stop.”

Waterboarding is a straightforward technique that delivers maximum effect. A person is bound to a board with his/her head elevated lower than the chest. The blindfolded subject then has water poured down their nose and mouth with a towel in between acting as gag and disorienting mechanism. It is exactly like drowning but without being underwater.

“That is a scary thing,” junior Matt Laube said. “It’s absolutely terrifying to think of being partially drowned to get information from someone. I don’t know how long I could last, but I would do whatever they wanted me to after. It just seems so traumatic; it’s effective and awful.”

The United States is not the only country that has been criticized lately for the use of waterboarding. In early March, the U.N. released a report that implicated other countries, among them the U.K., for sending people to Guantanamo Bay and “safe houses” in the Middle East with the intention of torturing the enemy.

Former President George W. Bush and his administration were in favor of torturing prisoners. In 2005, after Alberto Gonzalez was made attorney general, he helped to quietly pass another opinion. One that went opposite of the “abhorrent” review the Justice Department gave earlier. It condoned the harshest of tortures for gaining information.

Extreme and secret practices such as these even led Deputy Attorney Gen. James Comey to leave his job. He felt that the process was overstepping many boundaries.

This topic will be a great test for the Obama administration. Seeing where they stand on the subject will likely make an impact on the way the U.S. is viewed abroad as a symbol of the change promised by the president.

People like Chris Hitchens will never forget the time spent on the board. He has experienced nightmares from time to time since the “demonstration.”

“Unable to determine whether I was breathing in or out, and flooded more with sheer panic than with mere water,” Hitchens said. “I triggered the pre-arranged signal and felt the unbelievable relief of being pulled upright and having the soaking and stifling layers pulled off me.”

What do you think of torture?

IBM continues trend of outsourcing technology jobs

IBM's plant in Poughkeepsie, NY. Source: Andrea from Picasa.com

By Brendan Sherwood

IBM announced last Thursday that it would cut about 5000 employees from its Global Business Services Unit and transfer their jobs to India. The announcement has created unrest in the industry because of the troubled economy and job market.

According to Time, labor costs for American workers have been falling and there is a trend of American technology workers losing their jobs. In addition, according to BusinessWeek, the cuts come at an odd time because Congress just passed a $787 billion stimulus package, hoping to create jobs for Americans.

A group called Alliance@IBM is seeking union representation at IBM. Its leader Lee Conrad said the recent layoffs are “all about greed.” According to Businessweek Conrad said, “They’re moving work offshore to pay lower wages and lower taxes. IBM shouldn’t have their hands on stimulus money if they’re offshoring work.”

Some are afraid outsourcing will continue to be a problem for the IT industry. According to ComputerWorld, the latest layoffs continue a trend at IBM as its U.S. workforce declined 5% last year but its workforce in Brazil, China, Russia and India grew 15%.

Stephen Cole, executive director of career services at Marist College, said he hasn’t come across any of the problems with outsourcing that are are in the news. He also commented that people like Lee Conrad are “pushing an agenda.”

IBM is not the only technology company currently cutting jobs. According to the Associated Press, Hewlett-Packard is cutting 24,600 jobs, 8 percent of its work force. Microsoft said in January that it would cut 5000 jobs, the first mass layoffs in the company’s history. Google also plans to lay off about 200 employees in marketing and sales.

Stephen Cole said large employers like IBM are still looking for jobs in finance and IT because they “want to have a presence to meet future needs.” An example of this is the Marist College career fair this Thursday, which will have about 50 employers.

Cole said, “It’s not harder to get an IT job, but the student may need to be more proactive. Companies like IBM are more selective in skills and the educational caliber of the student.”

However, he also said that some companies have been trying to fill IT positions at Marist College for the first time recently.

Poughkeepsie is one of the many areas affected by IBM’s latest announcement. According to The Poughkeepsie Journal, it is possible that IBM will cut 54 local jobs but the company has not released any official information. During IBM’s last round of layoffs in January, about 900 Dutchess County IBM employees lost their jobs. IBM has plants in East Fishkill and Poughkeepsie.

Stephen Cole received an e-mail Monday morning from IBM saying it had “hired annual requirements for internships” from Marist College. This includes one position now, two over the summer and one in the fall. Cole said all segments of the market have limited hiring and are being more selective than in the past because of the economy.

Marist College IT major Andrew Natale is not worried about IBM’s recent layoffs because “there are a lot of other companies hiring in the area, like Morgan Stanley.”

He is more worried about outsourcing in general but said that his classmates are still finding internships and “currently IT and IS has more jobs available out there than other fields such as business because no matter what happens, computers are necessary.”

Chart showing possible outcome of IBM's outsourcing. Source: Patrick Thibodeau, Computerworld

Beyond the Game

By: Joe Walsh

From rushthecourt.net.

For every college basketball team, their conference tournament is crucial to their goal of reaching the NCAA tournament. For every other college student, it’s an excuse to travel, cheer on your team, and of course party.

“Last year, a bunch of friends and I went up to my house near Albany where the tournament was,” Marist College junior Jeff Bode said. “Since it was in Albany again this year, I felt we had to make another trip, so we went up on Friday for the night.”

Marist’s conference tournament for the MAAC took place from March 5 to 9 at the Times Union Center in Albany, NY. Both the men’s and women’s teams strived for an NCAA tournament bid. The men’s team lost in the quarterfinals to Niagra with a score of 79 to 50, losing their shot at the big dance. The women’s team won the championship against Canisius with a score of 78 to 63. Later, the Marist women were given a 12 seed for the NCAA tournament.

Marist women win the MAAC tournament. From yimg.com.

“Yeah, the guys did lose in the quarterfinals,” said Eric Troiano, a junior at Marist. “The good thing was we got to see them win the night we went up during the first round; we went nuts. The six of us who went wanted to catch the women’s game too since they are sick, but it was too early in the day and two people still had class at that point.”

Troiano was quick to move on from the basketball tournament to his personal experience.

“Bode’s parents treated us like royalty,” he added. “When we pulled up, I just expected to be hanging out there for a while eating chips and drinking soda or something. Little do we know that there is an all out three course meal sitting on the table when we walk in! It was amazing to eat so much great food since I cook for myself mostly, and it’s not that good.”

Michael Maresca, a junior, went to Bode’s last year for the tournament, but is currently abroad in Florence, Italy. He also experienced a quality meal and “great company.”

“I wish I could have come this year,” Maresca said. “Even though the excuse was to go see our basketball teams play, it really wasn’t about that. It’s not like everyone at a Super Bowl party is there for the football. My favorite parts of that weekend were hanging out with my friends in an environment that isn’t like school. We rarely get the chance to all chill at someone’s house which is a lot nicer than the dorm feel of college.”

Recreation of the meal served at the Bode house. From foodstuffs.com.

While the games had a record attendance of 50,820 spectators, it seems that those who spoke to The River Reporter consistently talked about the totality of their time spent off Marist’s campus; not just the two hours of basketball they watched. Probably for good reason. It would seem like a waste to only focus one’s energy on two hours of a trip that lasted over 24 hours.

“I think it’s the most logical time to leave for a bit,” said Ben Thiefels, a junior and RA at Marist. “We have been at school for six weeks straight and mid terms are coming up. It’s a nice way to get your mind off school for a bit to recharge. Pretty much the opposite of the pressure our basketball players were under. Guess I feel bad for them regarding that aspect.”

The “Bode Experience,” as it has been called, provided not only a place for Marist students to sleep after the game, but a bonding experience that coming together over sports provides beyond the games themselves.

“I can’t believe that many people went this year,” Michael Maresca said. “I hope we weren’t the only ones having that good of a time. That would be a shame. Man, I love sports.”