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LOCAL 8' NATIONAL ADVERTISERS To place an ad, contact us via email at business@technewsiit.com. opinion@technewsiit.com TechNews | TuesdayjanuaIyZQ, 2013 Aleppo University bombing: A personal reflection Abdulrhman Amaout TECHNEWS WRITER I studied at Aleppo University for more than 4 years before transferring to IIT last fall, Obviously, it means a lot to me, At every spot on its large campus, I have lots of memories, In the last two years, a revolution has begun in Syria, and the regime has started killing the protesters and activists, I never ex, pected the regime to shell the universities; one would think there is no reason to do that be, cause they house innocent students and staff members, The only weapons they have are their pens and paperl Therefore, I was shocked when I heard what happened few days ago at my university, where the shellng from the regime air forces has killed more than 90 stu dents and staff members, Even though none of the people killed were my close friends, many of them were my acquaintances or classmates, Last time I called my friends in Aleppo, they told me “now before we go to class or an exam, we know that we might die, but we will keep going on, because we under, stand that we are the future of Syria, and the education shall not be stopped whatever the circumstance is?’ I’ll remember these words in each time I go to a class or exam? Here we pay money for the education, but the courageous students in Syria paid their lives for their edu cation. Finally, I thank IIT and the Iusoor organization, who decided to not just stand and watch what is going on there, but to take an active role in helping these students access their respective rights of education, This year, 25 Syrians have transferred to IIT within an initiative that IIT and Iusoor lunched last Au, gust? Thanks to them, our future holds bright Maybe we will return one day to Syria and bring calm, peace, and harmony What I learned from IIT Confessions William Syvongsa TECH N EWS WRITER Sometime during winter break, the Facebook page IIT Confessions started, Meant to model the University of California , San Diego’s Confessions Facebook page, IIT Confessions allowed individuals to submit anonymously stories they needed to get off I their chests but didn’t want to be judged for, What seemed like the perfect way for IIT students to recount their quirky, awkward, and funny interactions on our campus quickly turned into a burn book, one similar to the journal distributed by the titular antagonist, Regina George, in the movie, “Mean Girls" A confession, as defined in the Ox, ford American Dictionary, can be an often humorous and intimate revelation about a person’s private life or occupation presented in a sensationalized form, The first few confese sions adhered to this definition, with stories recounting incidents involving the Man on the Bench or Crown Hall? Then students start, ed to submit their personal feelings regarding other students? Some were positive, talking about a person’s involvement on campus or IIT Confessions Luke Comment Share Student career J. J. Walker TECHNEWS WRITER Today’s economy calls for innovation and a multitude of different approaches when searching for the perfect career, and college students are feeling the pressure enormously. These students spend many years developing the correct knowledge and skills to become readily available for the professional world. Although IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) has career advisors set in place to assist all students during this time, students on campus are feeling more of the advisors’ absence than their actual guidance. IIT is home to a CMC (Career Management Center) that is established to help students fine tune resumes and cover letters, connect students with professional career practices, and support students on current and future career goals. There are many students on campus are ready and available for that assistance, but are unaware of the existence of the CMC advisors who are here to help them. This, for many students, is extremely problematic. “There is no relationship between me and my advisor,” a 3rd year architecture student said, “I had no idea I had a CMC advisor.” This student is just one of many who share similar opinions. Many IIT students are unaware that they are assigned specific CMC advisors based on their majors, and are also unaware ofthe office location. One of the reasons for this seems to be a lack of communication, a their strong personalities, Many were nega tive, objectifying and sexualizing individuals, many being women Then things worsened, Individuals started attackng other individu als, which then lead to attackng student orga nizations, campus employees, and eventually different groups of students based on gender, race, or religion Being recognized as a campus lead, er by various administration and students, I have a deep love for IIT Have a five minute conversation with me and you can sense my passion for attending this school? I will defend the school’s honor in a heartbeat But when this Facebook page that began with good in, tentions took this negative tone, I questioned my passion, Are IIT students really this uni happy? Are we students that will insult others, tear them to shreds so passive aggressively and so publicly? Take a minute and analyze what it means to be a part of this community How you represent yourself and your feelings ref flect how others View the school? Prospective students who want to learn more about our school can come across anything on the inter, net nowadays and what if they saw that page? Would they have the same feelings I had? That students here are unhappy, do not respect each other, and have no ounce of integrity I challenge you IIT students to question every, thing you do and to make sure that when you Confession 484: This page is hilarious, and makes me so glad I didn‘t choose to go to IIT. Despite them offering me pretty much a full ride. Like 90% of the people posting on here sound like uptight whiny little nu.“ wake up each morning to attend classes, to go to campus events, or even when hanging out with friends that if you aren’t happy here to put forth the effort to change that, Because submitting anonymous complaints to the in, ternet will not stop your unhappiness? While this page started with what seemed the best of intentions, the adminis trators had the good sense to shut this page down, With over 500 confessions and prob, ably many more submissions, the page was bound to grow and gain more of a following, But what will we do with our time now that it’s gone, you ask? Go be happy Image courtesy ofHaImaII Larson guidance lacking on campus common setback being expressed by students. “I am never updated on changes or announcements,” a 5th year architecture student stated, “I am not aware on any of the professional events. They are never around on campus for students to see.” Undergraduate business students share advisors with the Stuart School of Business and some are unaware of this fact. Many of them have spent years at IIT without a single visit to their proposed advisor; this even includes graduate students within the school. “I feel like there’s a rift between some students and the advisors,” a 2nd year graduate student in business said, “The rift is that students are forgotten, especially domestic students.” For students who are slightly familiar with CMC advisors, the communication between the two parties is still quite limited. Some stated that they feel that the advisors don’t provide any “adequate” help, hosting a role that is more of a “resume approver” than a “career advisor”. “They just provide information about resume font size and bullets,” a 2nd year graduate student in computer science stated, “It’s not about career or resumes, just formatting. We don’t look for just this kind of advice from an advisor.” NaceLink is an online IIT portal that provides students the opportunity to post resumes and cover letters and search for employment opportunities on and off campus. CMC advisors are tasked with approving the resumes and cover letters that students submit, but students are also complaining about a lengthy wait. While approvals should be completed within 24 to 48 hours, many students have stated a wait time of one week or even longer. Students with coeops and other employment opportunities have complained about a long wait for paper approvals, some time frames reaching to more than 2 months. As the professional aspects in society changes, students are hoping that their advisors reach out to them. “They should have more participation in the career fairs,” a 2nd year biology student said, “They can possibly give advice to students who are confused there. They should make themselves be known and do what their job description says. As an employee, they don’t seem to do much work.” Other requests from students include better availability and walkein hours, more participation in student events, stronger student connections and portfolio reviews, and advice on the link between student majors and their career options. “The advisors don’t seem to be available at all,” a 2nd year graduate student in food processing engineering, stated, “Students need to know they have a career guide.” IIT students have shown an eager need for receiving assistance, especially seniors who are about to enter the professional realm. Building that link between students and advisors can onlylead to a greater success for all of those included in the process. The CMC has a mission, one that students want to be a part of and one that the CMC advisors must be able to accomplish.