PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
PLAY
Interview With Lawrence Goldstone, Author Of The Anatomy of Deception
PLAY
PLAY
The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Obsession, Commerce, and Adventure
PLAY
Interview With Joseph Boyden, Author of Through Black Spruce
PLAY
PLAY
Interview with Nino Ricci, Governor-General Award-Winning Author
Moving to college means that students have a new found freedom. As students finally living on your own, you are now in charge of your bed time, meals and sex life.
Although I’m sure you all appreciate not having to leave the door open when you have someone of the opposite sex over, you may still want to get some questions answered by your parents. There are some things about sex that are obvious and then there are somethings that aren’t.
One in four kids is not graduating high school, which is a worse rate than their parents. Meaning, your kids are less likely to graduate from high school than you were. And, the US is the only industrialized country where that is the case. And apparently, the schools’ graduation goals aren’t helping either. Read more…
IRVING, Texas, April 1, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Coca-Cola, in conjunction with Chuck E. Cheese’s — the home of safe, fun family entertainment — is teaming up on a college scholarship promotion. Parents can visit the Web site — http://www.ncaa.com/collegebound – and enter for the chance to win Coca-Cola’s $25,000 College Bound Scholarship for their kids as part of its partnership with the NCAA.
“At Coca-Cola FoodService, we work to help our customers be successful, whether that’s providing them with a portfolio of great beverages or helping them bring exciting programs like this NCAA partnership to help a lucky student,” said Terry Bucher, vice president national sales for Coca-Cola Foodservice.
“It’s a natural fit for Coca-Cola and Chuck E. Cheese’s to offer our guests the chance to win a college scholarship,” said Brenda Holloway, company spokesperson for CEC Entertainment, Inc. “Most people know we care about ensuring kids have a fun, safe time when they’re in our entertainment centers. But we also care about children’s’ well-being when they leave our centers.”
“This scholarship coincides with Chuck E. Cheese’s commitment to being more than just an entertainment center,” continued Holloway. “Our centers are havens for all ages that afford the opportunity for active play, which in turn can contribute to a healthy lifestyle.”
Coca-Cola partnered with Chuck E. Cheese’s in developing this contest. The Coca-Cola Company, an official NCAA® Corporate Champion, brought the NCAA partnership to the table, and asked Chuck E. Cheese’s to help formulate a method to market to its consumers in a new way. The online contest was created, as well as the college scholarship, which is a first-ever endeavor for Chuck E. Cheese’s.
“In addition to the scholarship, during this year’s playoff weekend in San Antonio, we will host a basketball clinic with an NCAA Division I coach at a local San Antonio Chuck E. Cheese’s,” said Bucher.
“This is the first time we’ve worked with Coca-Cola and its NCAA partnership,” continued Holloway. “It’s a new approach to marketing for us, but we think it’s a great way to reach a new audience. Our commitment to promoting an active lifestyle and supporting education goes hand in hand with the mission and goals of Coca-Cola and the NCAA.”
The clinic will be held on Friday, April 4, from 4 - 5 p.m. at Chuck E. Cheese’s located at 11735 Bandera Road in San Antonio. Ten middle school students from the area have been invited to take part in this event, which will be hosted by a Division I coach. Though the student participants have been pre-selected, the event is open to the public for those who would like to observe a Division I basketball coach’s expertise first-hand.
To enter this scholarship contest, which runs through April 30, consumers visit the Web site at http://www.ncaa.com/collegebound or http://www.chuckecheese.com to enter. For official rules and details, visit http://www.ncaa.com/collegebound.
INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ — USA Funds, the nation’s leading education loan guarantor, advises college students, former students and their parents that they may be able to reduce their federal income tax bills if they paid certain college expenses during 2007.”In recent years the U.S. Congress has enacted measures that have expanded federal income tax benefits for families that pay tuition, fees and other higher education expenses,” said Carl C. Dalstrom, USA Funds president and CEO. “USA Funds urges taxpayers to consider potential tax benefits that may apply to them as they prepare their 2007 income tax returns.”
Among the higher education tax benefits for the 2007 tax year are the following items:
Student loan interest deduction. Taxpayers who paid interest on qualified
student loans during 2007 may be eligible to deduct up to $2,500 from
their taxable income. Income limits to qualify for the deduction are
higher in 2007. Single taxpayers with modified adjusted gross incomes of
less than $70,000 and married taxpayers who file joint tax returns
reporting modified adjusted incomes of less than $140,000 may qualify for
at least a partial deduction.
Hope and Lifetime Learning credits. The maximum income permitted to
qualify for the Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits has been increased.
Single taxpayers with modified adjusted gross incomes of less than $57,000
and married taxpayers filing jointly with incomes of less than $114,000
now qualify for at least a partial credit. On the other hand, tax
provisions that offered larger Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits to
residents of portions of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi affected by
the 2005 hurricanes have expired and will not apply to 2007 returns. The
Hope tax credit permits taxpayers to reduce their taxes by as much as
$1,650 per student for out-of-pocket tuition and fees for each of the
first two years of postsecondary study. The Lifetime Learning credit
provides a maximum $2,000 credit based on qualified tuition and related
expenses paid for any year of postsecondary study.
Deduction for higher education expenses. Taxpayers whose incomes exceed
the limits to qualify for the Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits may
consider this deduction. The maximum deduction of $4,000 is available to
single taxpayers with modified adjusted gross incomes of $65,000 or less,
or married taxpayers with incomes of $130,000 or less. Single taxpayers
with incomes greater than $65,000 but not more than $80,000, and married
taxpayers with incomes greater than $130,000 but not more than $160,000,
may qualify for a deduction of up to $2,000. Taxpayers don't have to
itemize their deductions to claim this benefit.
Other higher education tax benefits. Taxpayers also should consider
potential tax savings based on earnings from so-called 529 college savings
plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, as well as employer-paid
education benefits.
To help students and parents take advantage of these benefits, USA Funds offers a summary of these higher education tax benefits on its Web site at www.usafunds.org/taxbenefits. USA Funds also provides a brochure “Higher- Education Tax Benefits - Expanded Taxpayer Savings,” which is available free of charge from many colleges, universities and private career colleges.
NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ — MTV and The Associated Press today began releasing the findings of an in-depth, seven-month study into happiness and young people: how happy they are, what makes them happy and what they’re doing to ensure future happiness. Overall the study shows that young people (13-24) today are generally very happy, optimistic about the future and have goals in place to achieve a happier tomorrow. At the same time, the results paint a complex portrait of today’s youth, with happiness varying greatly along racial lines, faith and family playing an important role in the pursuit of happiness, and younger sexually active respondents reporting much lower levels of happiness.The Associated Press today released its first report on the findings, offering an overview of the study’s most compelling points and key themes. In the days ahead, the AP will more closely examine specific issues related to young people and their happiness, including racial dynamics, financial views, spirituality and stress/fears. Select findings from these and other areas are highlighted below. Full findings of the study are available on Research.MTV.com and Surveys.AP.org.
1) General Happiness - The study found that overall, most American young
people (aged 13-24) report being happy with their lives and are
optimistic about the future. 65 percent of respondents say they are
happy with the way things are going in their lives in general and 62
percent think they will be happier in the future than they are now.
Only one out of five say they are unhappy. Young people who are
non-Hispanic whites are happier than blacks and Hispanics by a wide
margin: 72 percent of whites say they are happy with life in general,
compared with just 56 percent of blacks and 51 percent of Hispanics.
2) Parents, Family and Relationships - Parents are seen as an
overwhelmingly positive influence in the lives of most young people.
Remarkably, nearly half of respondents mention at least one of their
parents as a hero. When asked "What one thing in life makes you most
happy?" 46 percent of respondents say spending time with friends,
family and loved ones. 30 percent of blacks and Hispanics identified
family as the one thing in life that brings them the most happiness,
compared with 15 percent of whites.
3) Religion and Spirituality - Religion and spirituality are an integral
part of happiness for most American young people. 44 percent say that
religion and spirituality are either a very important or the single
most important thing in their lives, with more than one in ten
reporting the latter. And those for whom religion and spirituality
play a bigger role in life tend to be happier. 80 percent of those who
say spirituality is the most important thing in life say they are happy
with life in general, compared with 60 percent of those who say that
spirituality is not an important part of life at all.
4) Fortune and Fame - Money and its relationship to the happiness of young
people is a complicated issue. Almost no respondents mentioned
anything financial or material as a source of happiness when asked an
unaided question about what makes them happy. But many young people
report financial woes as a source of unhappiness. In looking to the
future, 70 percent say they want to be rich - and nearly half think
it's at least somewhat likely they will be someday - but just 29
percent want to be famous. Only 17 percent think they will be famous.
5) Technology - Cell phones, the Internet and other technologies are
integrally woven into the lives of today's young people and nearly two
thirds say they make people happier. Half of those young people polled
say the Internet alone helps them feel happier. And contrary to
popular views of technology as a source of stress, many young people
would be more stressed out without technology, with nearly half saying
they never turn off their cell phones - even when they're trying to
chill out.
MTV has an esteemed research pedigree and this study is part of the network’s ongoing commitment to maintaining an unparalleled understanding of the youth audience. The qualitative portion of the study was conducted by MTV and the DC-based research and consulting firm Social Technologies, began in January of this year, and included extensive field research with small discussion groups in diverse American cities around the country. The quantitative part of the study was conducted by Knowledge Networks, Inc. on behalf of MTV and the AP. 1,280 young people aged 13 to 24 years old were interviewed in late April of this year. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 2.7 percent.
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ — The average first-year college student now spends over $900 on textbooks and the cost of college textbooks continue to rise. Industry-wide practices such as “bundling” and increased marketing costs drive more and more students to purchase cheaper textbooks online. With many sites offering “lowest prices” and “savings”, CampusBooks.com stands out as a resource that offers students a reliable alternative to high-priced books and bookstores.
With new editions of the same textbook released nearly every year with little new content but higher retail prices, students and parents often do not know where to turn for perspective in this competitive cost landscape. CampusBooks.com serves more than one million textbook price comparisons to students each year.
“CampusBooks.com is a comparison shopping Web site where students can view price results from over 40 of the top online bookstores,” said Alex Neal, President and Founder of CampusBooks.com. “We not only offer students both new and used textbooks from over 5,000,000 titles, we also offer cutting-edge services to make the shopping experience easier and less painful.”
At CampusBooks.com, students save an average of $40 on the cost of a new textbook and $56 on the cost of a used textbook. Students select from search results that include prices from the different bookstores searched as well as the CampusBooks Marketplace. In addition to providing cost comparisons free-of-charge to users, CampusBooks.com facilitates a marketplace where students buy and sell books directly to each other online without disclosing their personal information. The CampusBooks book database includes the book title, author, ISBN, publisher, publish date, format, and edition so students can make sure they are buying or selling the correct book. This allows students to have equal footing with major bookstores and all search results are displayed on the same page.
Students also have access to price alert, a service that allows students to enter an ISBN and preferred price and when the book hits the price listed, an email is sent to notify the buyer. To increase the overall ease of shopping, CampusBooks.com also offers a book bag pricing service that allows users to enter all of the books they need and let CampusBooks.com do all of the work — securing all of the books for the lowest price from a single purchase point. CampusBooks.com can also secure eBooks as an alternative to traditional paper textbooks.
“The average student saved over $180 buying their books on our site,” says Neal. “Students also sell their books for $24 more on average than what they would have gotten at the campus bookstore buyback.”
About CampusBooks.com
CampusBooks.com was founded in 1998 and is the leading textbook comparison shopping web site serving hundreds of thousands of students each year. Our goal is to make buying textbooks easy and affordable with the guaranteed lowest price on new and used textbooks and friendly service. Please visit us at http://www.campusbooks.com.
