MANUAL
get some culture // FIRST FRIDAYS
it's not all about fast food and beer pong.
Every first Friday of the month, the streets in the Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City. Mo., are taken over by thousands of people. They crowd in this one square mile in downtown to have a look at art galleries and retailers showcasing art throughout the evening. "The neighborhood can easily attract over 10,000 people on a nice fall night," says
David Kuhn, owner of the Blue Gallery, 118 Southwest Blvd., Ste. 100.
First Fridays center around art openings. Kuhn says that galleries across the country traditionally have art openings on the first Friday of the month. But at the Crossroads art is featured everywhere from restaurants to dentist's offices. "It could just be a vacant store front that the landlord lets the artist use to display his art," Kuhn says.
There are also plenty of things going on outside, including street vendors, musicians and
movies being played on the sides of buildings — it all depends on the night. Kuhn describes it as a calm Mardi Gras environment with people from all walks of life. "It's definitely a way to see an exorbitant amount of art in a short period of time," he says.
Galleries usually showcase their art on First Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
// PATRICK DE OLIVEIRA
Contributed photo
Art all around: Visitors to the Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City, Mo., during First Fridays can see art anywhere from galleries to restaurants to dentist's offices.
essential life skills // RECOMMENDATION LETTERS
in case of emergency, read quickly.
Photo illustration by Andrea Olsen
It's easy to let them slip through the cracks, but recommendation letters are definitely not something to procrastinate on. The right recommendation letter can be key in landing you internships, jobs or other opportunities.
Ready to recommend: Choosing a professor or supervisor who knows you well to write your recommendation letter is vital.
Lori Reesor, associate vice provost for student success, says time is the biggest thing to remember — you should give people plenty of time to write and submit their letters for you, but you also need to take the time to get to
know the people writing them.
The first step in preparing recommendation letters is gathering your materials. Look at the application and see how many letters to submit, where to send them and whether you need any special forms. Once you know what format the program wants, you can approach your references. It's best to ask them at least two weeks before the due date, that way they have plenty of time to work.
It's important to provide the writer with all the necessary criteria when you request a recommendation letter. Let them know what you are applying for and why, as well as information they should include pertaining to the program. You should also clearly state the instructions about how and where to submit the letter. Include a resume and provide the writer with a stamped and addressed envelope to use. And most importantly, tell him or her when it's due.
One of the biggest mistakes Reesor sees students make is requesting letters from faculty members who don't know them well. She says it's important to make relationships with professors early on and continue them through your college career so you will have strong references. Resumes can only offer so much information; you need to have that personal connection to really make an impression.
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// ANDREA OLSEN
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