Comfort objects help connect to home, family

Students and visitors in the Northwest section of Washington D.C. this week shared some information about their comfort objects, which are objects that help people feel safe.

Dana Foley, 19, from Durham, Connecticut, attends American University and is an orientation leader for the summer.

Her favorite book–and also her comfort object–is The Thornbird by Colleen McCullough.

“I regret not having it now,” Foley said.

Since receiving the book from her parents as a Hanukah gift when she was in eighth grade, Foley has read it innumerable times. Every time she reads the book, she uses a new bookmark. However, she does not recommend McCullough’s book to others.

“It makes it less personal by sharing it,” Foley said.

Will Lee, also an American University student who is from Tenafly, New Jersey, is spending time with his friend who works in the library on campus. His comfort object? His black Lenovo G50 laptop that he’s owned for two months.

Lee described his laptop as a “really good way to unwind.”

He received the laptop as a gift from his father when his old laptop broke. Lee uses it at home for about one to two hours at night after work.

“Everybody loves their laptop, come on,” Lee said.

Tenleytown
Street view of Tenleytown

Tenleytown visitor Kelly Wyndham, from Fort Mill, South Carolina, graduated from American University in 2013 with a major in accounting.

When she was born, she received a white blanket and a Curious George stuffed animal from her grandmother, Lenora, who passed away in 2012.

“I’ll never get rid of them,” said Wyndham, who keeps the two items on a bookshelf in her bedroom.

High school junior John Belisario was born in Baguio City, Philippines, but now lives in Washington, D.C. with his parents and younger sister.

Belisario wears a necklace with a green charm that contains a crab and a silver chain. His best friend, Bilig, gave the necklace to him before he left the Philippines. The gift reminds Belisario of his native home.

When the original thread broke, Belisario kept the charm in a box for about a month. He started wearing it again when he found the new chain. He selected the chain because he could not find anything else, and it appeared sturdy.

Belisario wears the necklace daily. If people ask about the necklace, he will tell them the story behind it.

Tenleytown visitor Isabelle Davidowitz did not identify a particular item as a comfort object, but instead a particular setting: nature.

Davidowitz, who has resided in Frederick, Maryland for six years, enjoys an active lifestyle filled with bicycling, running, hiking, skiing and kayaking. The outdoors in general make her feel safe, but she specifically enjoys the woods.

C.J. Clemente, 16, from Manassas, Virginia, attends a one week ID Tech Camp at American University.

He identified his cell phone that he received from his parents as a Christmas gift as his comfort object.

American University graduate Terrence O’Connor, 21, is looking for jobs in the metropolitan area.

O’Connor began watching the television series Game of Thrones after being introduced to it by his roommate and seeing an interview on The Daily Show with Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister, a character on the show.

In addition to watching the show, O’Connor listens to the Game of Thrones soundtrack because it makes him feel “empowered.”

For O’Connor, watching the series brings back memories of enjoyable experiences and of the moments where he played it originally.

He watches it “more for nostalgia.”

However, O’Connor also enjoys being outside, reading the newspaper, and running in the morning. These activities are included in his daily routine.

It “gives me benefits,” said O’Connor.

 

 

 

Campus summer programs offer future college insights

campus
From left to right: Koji Karuhaka, 16, Bina Lee, 16, Taylor Blowers, 16, and Vanessa Ullman, 17, on America University’s campus through a summer program. Photo by Olivia Blackwell

High school students taking summer programs at American University listed their expectations of their future college experiences as taking challenging classes, meeting people and being busy and tired.

In Fall 2014, about 21 million students were expected to attend American colleges and universities, an increase since 2000, according to the National Center of Education Statistics.

For summer leadership and conference participants on American University’s campus this summer, they are receiving valuable insight into taking classes with college professors and living in dorms without their parents around.

Amy-Beth Hoarty, 17, a participant in the National Leadership Conference, said she has experienced being a part of a community with other students she relates to and connects with. Being in class with people who share her interests made it go faster, unlike her school where she doesn’t really connect with others, she said.

Kelsey Lageraaen, 17, a Long Island native enjoys having an experience different than she would at home.

“There is definitely a more diverse group of people because there is people from different states and countries, so you get to see people’s opinions and ideas based on where they are from.”

This encounter, she said, makes her realize this is definitely something she wants to have at her future college.

Amaris Norwood, 19, said she knew what she was expecting before she got to American University because she did a lot of research. When she got here she was not disappointed; the campus was full of diversity and passionate students, she said.

Norwood said she was surprised by how easy sickness spread in close quarters of the dorms.

“Sicknesses get spread easily,” Norwood said. “Sometimes you forget to eat and then you end up getting sick and passing out.”

Lageraaen feels college is a key part of her future.

“You get a lot of new experiences. It’s the first time for a lot of people being on their own and getting to live with themselves and their friends, so they learn to be independent,” she said.

 

Enrolled and prospective students alike weigh in on college

As the next school year approaches, many high school students are about to make the transition to a university, whether they like it or not.

For some, college presents an opportunity to meet new friends and study interesting courses, but for others it’s a difficult move accompanied by anxiety and fear of the unknown.

“I come from a really small, conservative school,” said Tatiana Melendez, a 16-year-old student in between her junior and senior year of high school attending a summer program at American University. “So, going to college is going be like an ocean of new things.”

A majority of students interviewed on American’s Northwest Washington D.C. campus this week are excited to attend college but some like Jonah Gelfand, 16, a rising senior from Westchester, New York, had their doubts about how easy the jump would be.

“I think it’s a good mix of both, I don’t really think there’s one that’s outweighing the other,” Gelfand said.

Jonah Gelfand, 16, looks ahead toward college.
Jonah Gelfand, 16, looks ahead toward college.

Current college students including 20-year-old Matthew Wilson, a junior at American University studying economics and political science, understood Gelfand and other high school students’ fears.

“I was naturally apprehensive about going,” Wilson said.

“I wish I could tell myself to just relax a lot more and trust the process,” Wilson said later. “Every other student entering college is probably feeling the same way that you are.”

Wilson, a native of Wethersfield, Connecticut, said he never felt like he couldn’t handle the distance to Washington D.C., which is a 6.5-hour drive from home. Even before arriving on campus, the fear of eating alone in the dining hall troubled him more than any potential academic challenges.

“A lot of schools have orientation programs,” Wilson said. “When I came to orientation I met a lot of people. I met my best friend.”

Meenal Goyal, 19, a sophomore and psychology major at American University, had very few doubts about college when she was a prospective student. In addition to specifically seeking out a school far from home, Goyal also said she focused on getting a good scholarship from the beginning of high school.

“I was all gung-ho about it,” Goyal said.

In Washington D.C., Goyal is 10 hours from her home in Hudson, New Hampshire, but she said it was what she wanted. She offered advice to prospective college students: College is incredibly diverse and that everyone can and will find their niche.

Many students interviewed this week noted that in the end they felt like college has or will be a positive experience.

“Have fun,” Wilson said. “Everyone is in the same boat.”

 

 

 

Social media helps students and grads network, stay informed

Students on American University’s campus use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat to obtain news, contact others and even find jobs, ushering in a new era of social media unknown to past generations and even foreign to some millennials.

Journalism and Arab World Studies major Jacquie Lee, 20, interned for a Republican senator from Ohio and wrote for Street Sense, a district publication that advocates for homeless rights. In both positions, social media was a small part of the job. She composed tweets and posted on Facebook.

“It is assumed since you are young, you are good at writing for social media,” Lee said. “But this may not always be the case.”

For Lee, who is headed to study abroad in Jordan in August, Twitter is a great way to see top headlines. It also allows  stories that wouldn’t receive coverage to gain international recognition. Lee talked about the Arab Spring and women in the Middle East.

“Citizen journalists are reporting stories that they see instantly,” Lee said regarding the way news breaks over Twitter.

Not only do students use social media to find out information about the world, but they are also capable of giving the world information about themselves. Many students agreed that the use of Facebook and Twitter is a great way of branding themselves and getting recognized .

Business and entertainment major Toye Adenekan, 20, uses social media to help him stay fresh in his industry.

“I use it for tidbits of news but I am able to put my name out there,” Adenekan said.

Yolanda Martinez, a 26-year-old who earned a graduate degree in journalism from the University of California at Berkeley, uses social media to find news, sources and jobs.

“I definitely view it as a positive,” Martinez said.

College students know the importance of making connections to get ahead. Seventeen-year-old AU student Cassie Castro is pursuing a path in political science and keeps up with others in her field. She uses social media to branch out and make relationships with others.

“Networking is huge, especially in college,” Castro said.

 

Students and graduates struggle, worry about loans

Student loans are controlling the lives of many college graduates in the Washington D.C. area with current students already worried about when their loans are due.

For Samantha Garrison, 20, an American University student, loans are a huge problem.

“I am probably going to spend the rest of my life paying loans,” Garrison said.

Garrison, who identified as low income, receives financial aid but noted she’ll still graduate with between $22,000 and $28,000 in college loans.

Her debt mirrors that of the typical U.S. college student.

Students walk the campus of American University. Photo by Nima Padash.
Students walk the campus of American University. Photo by Nima Padash.
U.S. students graduated with an average of $33,000 in student loan debt, according to a 2015 report from Debt.Org, a part of Bright Horizons Financial Services.
There was a 77 percent increase in average balance size in student loans between 2004 to 2014, according to the 2015 Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Student Loan Borrowing and Repayment Trends.
After college graduation, Garrison said she’ll be the main breadwinner in her metropolitan-area household, but she fears her loans will hold her back. Even with a post-college job, those loans will cut into her income and the family’s quality of life.

“I am still going to have those loans for a while,” said Garrison, who hopes to pursue family law.

But Tommy Bennett, a 19-year-old American University student, is more hopeful about his student loans, saying he is confident a well-paying job out of college will help him start paying them back with little issue.

“I have brothers who have college loans, who are now out of college and are living nice lives,” said Bennett, who thinks repayment will take 15 years if he stays on budget and gets a good job.

Femsu Movaelane, 18, who lives in Washington D.C., is not yet a college student like Bennett, but she already has concerns about the future debt.

Student loans can affect every aspect of a student’s life, from marriage to depression and home buying.

“The burden of student debt is the key factor in young graduates not starting a business and the marriage rate for millennials is down 12 percent,” according to the 2015 Debt.Org report.

Another 2015 report from the Brookings Institution said students with more debt reported lower levels of psychological health.

Cameron Nichols, 19, identifies more with the reports’ findings and sees college loans as something that will hold him back.

Nichols, who attends college in California, does not think that the loans will last long but he said that while he has them his quality of life will suffer, he said.

“It controls your life, takes all your time, and cripples you,” Nichols said.