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Show Westminster College Salt Lake City, Utah VOLUME XLI: ISSUE 9 JANUARY 8, 2008 WWW.THEWESTMINSTERFORUM.COM Alumni guide students via mentoring program Mentors and students paired to explore the transition from college to the professional world Tiauna Anderson Contributing Writer Members of the Alumni Mentoring Program (AMP) filed into the Foster Faculty Lounge early Dec. 15 for their final meeting of 2007. In their usual fashion, each of the 11 participating students grabbed some breakfast, chose a seat around the fireplace and prepared for another day of exploration. Business began as usual as the participants discussed the experiences of last month. Led by alumni Lee Payne and Annalisa Steggell, the AMP was designed to assist Westminster students in making the transition from college to their future career. Organized into two main components, the AMP focuses on creating relationships between alumni and current students. First, we pair a member of the program with an alumnus mentor currently in their field of interest, Payne said. They are required to spend at time a month. least two hours of The second component, Payne said, consists of monthly Saturday sessions in which the mentees meet with both him and Steggell. There they are introduced to AMP mentors who spend a couple of hours telling their story in whichever form they choose. The atmosphere is informal but confidential. According to Payne, confidentiality is a vital part of the success of the program. Individuals need to feel secure the personal experiences they are sharing will not be repeated, he said. Junior Tenzin agreed. At the Saturday sessions, we talk about things others dont ever address, she said. Its very helpful, and the confidenface-to-fa- ce tiality is awesome. time with their personal During their students spend time learning about their spementor, cific interests. Each month the pair meets, face-to-fa- ce post-colle- ge free to discuss anything from career advice to personal struggles. Mentors are instructed to be available it is for consultation to their mentee, but students are expected to make the effort to contact their mentor. The relationship is completely based on the students initiative, Payne said. The members of the AMP seem to be responding positively. It gives you an experience you would not be exposed to otherwise, said junior Natasha. The students arent the only ones excited about the AMP. According to Payne, approximately 67 percent of Westminster alumni expressed interest in mentoring of some kind. t The program is becoming a popular benefit available to students. It was incredibly difficult to choose students because of the large number of applicants, Payne said. I was impressed with the caliber of students. The success of the program is largely due to Continued on page 8 Debt swells after holiday shopping Modest gifts, debit cards recommended to reduce financial stress Kate Reed Contributing Writer , Debt isnt always the first thing consumers think about while shopping for the holidays, but it can be a problem for unprepared buyers. Sales for the 2007 holiday season increased to $474.5 billion, or 4 percent, according to a quote by National Retail Federation (NRF) Chief Econ- omist Rosalind Wells at the associations Web site. Although the NRF predicted consumers would be somewhat more frugal in 2007, buyers are reallocat- - ing their money to bargain sales. Retailers are in for a somewhat challenging holiday season as consumers are faced with numerous economic obstacles, said Wells. When cash isnt an option for consumers to use on their holiday purchases, credit cards come into play. Credit card usage just continues to increase, said Assistant Professor of Ryan Hessenthaler. Holidays are a busy time. Credit cards are common sources of debt, however, Debt is really stressful. Spending beyond your means can be a really uncomfortable situation, said Hessenthaler. Its tough because theres this big pressure to give said Hessenthaler, gifts around the holiday season, who believes sales cause pressure to spend money dur- ing the holidays. Sales are a powerful way to increase peoples potential to spend, said Hessenthaler. The NRFs sales data support Hessenthalers expla- nation. Despite being more frugal in 2007, consum- - Athletics Jt Basketball teams return to campus after tournaments Issue 9 Highlights Page 2 K. hiiMawwiTiim -- ijwi I 4 1 ers still spent more money they just spread it more thinly across different things. Senior Rob Holcombe didnt use a credit card this holiday season. I feel good because I dont have any credit cards, he said. I dont want any extra hassles. Holcombe said he does know that he will have to build credit at some point. According to Julie Sturgeon of www.bankrate.com, a sister Web site of the Federal Reserve Boards Survey of Consumer Finances, Adults between the ages of 18 and 24 saw an even sharper rise in credit card debt from 1992 104 percent, to be precise. The survey says to 2001 young adults, specifically college students, create debt by spending far beyond their means. Hessenthaler provided tips, however, for avoiding debt after the holidays, You can give more modest gifts even though its fun to give nice gifts, said Hessenthaler. A it card is better than a credit card because you are spending money you actually have. Junior Miranda Carter said, I didnt use credit cards to buy Christmas presents, but I did use the debit card a lot. Although a debit card is sometimes the preferred way to pay, using one includes the danger of spending more money than is in the account, Hessenthaler also advises that If youve overspent this holiday season, most financial advisers will tell you that your priority needs to be to pay down your highest interest rate debt purchase first. deb-Finan- ce - A&E Beyond Campus Video games make concert venues of , residence halls. Changes coming to Pioneer Park. Page 6 Page 7 |