St. Mary's Tuition Increasing ONCE AGAIN

Once again St. Mary's tuition will be increasing over the next two years, this time by 0% (for in state students only).

Wait. 0%? As in, no increase? As in tuition is staying the same? As in there is no increase for the first time in years?

This is weird, I don't know how to react. There have tuition increases every year for the past...many years. I don't really feel like looking up what those increases were (via lack of investigative journalism) but I know that c/o 2012 kids had increases every year. Tuition is about 15k according to collegeboard (SMCM says that its 12.5k...but that ignores the 'mandatory fees' which is definitely tuition) which is a lot more than I remember paying.

If memory serves I was looking at about 24k a year (including tuition, housing, board, books, etc.). Now that figure is closer to 30k. I realize the the price of things goes up over time, but that seems a bit extreme.

The bigger issue, I think, is that the Board of Trustees wanted a 4% tuition increase that will now be paid by the state for two years. What happens after that two years?

But on the other hand I'm really proud of Tom Botzman who was (probably) critical in getting this done and I'm happy that for the first time that I know of SMCM is getting a tuition freeze. I'm sure a lot of students and parents are happy right now.

Not just an honors program, but an entire honors college

Donations

Just got off the phone with a 'real student' doing the phone a thon! Every year/throughout the year students get paid to call alumni asking for donations. You may have noticed facebook statuses along the lines of 'wow they are already asking for donations blah blah blah'. ANYWAYS gonna 'rate' this experience.

Student: She is a sophomore economics major and she really enjoyed the Great Room food this evening. I should have asked if they were serving chicken patties. She had a very 'nice' voice and was not annoying so A+++ 10/10. I would say that of all the callers I have had she was the most interesting/made me feel like I was back at St. Mary's for five minutes (Danielle Doubt you don't count since you specifically sought me out when you called me circa 2011ish).

Sales Pitch: IDK I didn't really listen, I mailed in a donation check the other day and changed the subject to more important things like this blog so rating is N/A.

The Blog: So of course I asked her if she knew about this blog and she did! So A++++ 4.0 GPA 10/10 you win, phone a thon girl. That is impressive that student(s) who began their careers at St. Mary's after I had already left still 'read/experience' this blog. Girl from phone a thon (I didn't really hear what her name was via it's spring break and I am not currently mentally capable of real phone conversations) if I ever see you I'll give you a case of boh.

SO CONSIDER PICKING UP THE PHONE WHEN 240-895-2000 calls you up asking for a donation!

SMCM Crushes

I was on twitter the other day (yo follow me @SMCMLOL i follow back~) when I noticed a new follower, @SMCMCrushes.

At first I thought it was some weird "yo tell us ur crushes and we'll match you up with someone who also has a crush on u~" but it's actually pretty entertaining. Essentially you 'anonymously' direct message your crush to the owner (who could it be!?!?) and then they tweet it out. Most are pretty funny, and only a few are legitimately creepy. Highlights:

• "I would talk feminism and Tolkien with Marissa Muldoon for hours if I could. That marriage proposal was only mostly a joke."
• "Too bad that bio babe Lexy McCarty is taken, her gluteus maximus is anatomically perfect."
• "the boys basketball team"

Because I am merely a "student" I only recognized three names at most, but check it out anyway maybe? I think sort of thing is good for creating the "community" that everyone has been 'striving for' lately. Cute, harmless, and kinda funny.

Is this just the new 'send a note with "do u like me circle yes or no"' but now with the Internet? Should these people just take a shot or 2 and go confess their crushes irl ??? (answer: yes, it works at 69% of the time tbh)

Who do u have a 'crush' on? Are crushes even a thing after middle school ??? Are u gonna 'pursue' your crush during senior week (don't wait that long!!!) ???

Alumni Weekend 2013 - June 7-9

Alumni Weekend is approaching! Signups opened up for alumni who have donated (there is no threshold for the donation amount, so consider donating the cost of a few drinks at some point; it also "makes the school look better" to have a lot of donation participation), but if you are not a part of the 1% and failed to donate then you will have to wait.

But, I guess I could ~share the wealth~ and show yall the....LOGO

WOW what a pretty and cool logo! It has a sailboat! Because people at St. Mary's like to sail! For real tho I really dig the logo, and the slogan is nice too! But nothing compares to the logo from last year (via it has a frisbee)

 

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE

As you can see, Shuttle Service to the Green Door is still being provided this year but for the EXORBITANT COST OF $7 WHICH IS $2 MORE THAN LAST YEAR. Actually this is kinda cool. Last year the bracelets sold out, so now they are raising the price due to the increased demand. ECONOMICS! But, look a little more closely...

When exactly is this shuttle? Friday or Saturday? Did some intern make this? Or could it have been newly hired Assistant director of Alumni Relations Larry Mac(Irish)Curtain.

He is good at cleaning, but is he good at creating registrations that make sense ???

Do yall wanna see the all the EXCITING REGISTRATION OPTIONS ??? Click below to read more...

Ice cream social

After mold 2010 we were promised an ice cream social and we never got one

SPAM

Wow looks like The Point News have set their spambots on us for the past several months...and I have been too lazy to FIGHT BACK so I finally enabled 'CATCHPAS' which I KNOW is annoying but...yall gonna have to deal.

Im sorry. I know this may cause you not to 'comment' but it's necessary because I keep getting all these emails and it's annoying cause I check my phone thinking I have a new cool text message from a 'girl' but then it's just MORE SPAM ugh.

Maryland Legislative Reception

St. Mary's hosted a 'legislative reception' on Tuesday ft. free booze and 'appetizers' and invited alumni, so obviously I went. 

Apparently it was also a "networking" event. Apparently people wear 'suits' to "networking" events and not white oxford shirts (w/rolled up sleeves) from TJ Maxx w/a Guinness tie?

But being "gainfully" employed I was more interested in the booze and food and stories about St. Mary's from the 90s 80s etc. 

RATINGS:

Booze: 8/10. Hosts brought wine (red and white) to me and made sure my glass was never empty. The wine reminded me of Franzia, which is a 10/10 in my book. Beer was limited to Heineken and Amstel. IDK why those are considered "fancy event beers" but w/e, they are pretty okay. Kristina nda disappointed in the lack of Natty Boh, via that is what a lot of 'old' (read: older than 25) people complained about.

Food: 5/10. There was some fancy "medium rare steak on a piece of bread" stuff which was rad, and a lot of cheese, but idk I was hoping for mini sandwiches or something that would become my dinner. 

People: 9/10 I met famous sailor Gary Jobson and then bragged to my parents about it. Talked to Urgo, he is still an expert on Faulkner and I still don't know what a Faulkner is. Talked to Chip Jackson, still a great dude. Talked to Tom Botzman about his new job. Apparently they asked him about a blog post I made years ago calling him "cute" (I stand by that remark) during the vetting process (I learned that word on House of Cards). Since he got hired I'm assuming that it was my blog that really tipped the odds in his favor. "The SMCMLOLBLOG Bump." So, you're welcome Tom! He has high hopes for the college getting money from the state this year, I hope he is right. There were also legislators I guess? 

Highlight of the night was meeting IRL Leslie Knope (via Parks and Recreation). She works for the Parks Department (specifically the bay), has blonde hair, is in her 30s, and is very happy/chipper. We got her contact info because we wanted to hang out/drink with her but then we lost it so IF YOU KNOW HER PLEASE GIVE US HER CONTACT INFO via needing to hang out with the real Leslie Knope.

Anyway, hopefully I will drunkenly run into some of those alumni at alumni weekend!

Anyway it was a great event and I got some business cards (via networking)! And gave some out to people who usually just handed them back to me.

At the legislative reception

Some speaker is drunk

Why we need liberal farts education

We do this because the nation needs the most capable minds in its think tanks and policy bureaus, its research laboratories, its judgeships. It needs to cultivate its creators and inventors if we are to progress as a civilization.

Dr. Joseph Urgo, Why We Need the Liberal Arts

See below for an All Student Email sent earlier today by a liberal arts student.