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SPEAK
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Photo by Evan Palmer
Small town girl: On her first job interview in New York City, Kate rushed to the multi-story building in stilletos and nervously waited for her name to be called. Despite a minor fashion disaster, unrelenting nerves and a stone-faced interviewer, she made it to the end and has since learned to handle last-minute catastrophes and improved her interviewing skills.
My stomach was in knots. My hands were clammy and my right leg was bouncing up and down nervously as I sat in the lobby. The only sounds were the fingers of the receptionist typing on her keyboard and the pounding of my heart. I was at my first job interview for a fashion magazine in New York and I was plagued with self-doubt. I nervously picked at a piece of lint on the jacket of the pinsstriped suit I had meticulously chosen and tried to keep my composure. I took a deep breath, checked the time on my phone and went over my resume in my head for the millionth time that day.
But the city had been against me that day. Traffic was more insane than usual because of the St. Patrick's Day Parade and I had to stop my cab ride short so I could cut across the parade and walk the last mile to the larger-than-life building. I cursed myself for choosing impractical, but fashionable, five-inch stiletto heels as I stepped onto the congested and loud street. With every step the pain from my regretted footwear increased and my confidence level lowered. It was hot and I was sweating. People clad in green and reeking of beer kept bumping into me and stepping on my already throbbing toes. By the time I finally reached my destination, I was a mess.
Twenty-four hours earlier, I looked out the window at the city during my flight's descent into La Guardia Airport, excited for the interview. I had perfected my resume and had my awesome speech memorized. I was ready and confident.
Luckily, I had brought basic beauty products with me in case of a fashion disaster, which with my hair frizzing, make-up running, and armpits sweating, I was the definition of. With the help of the hand drier in the ladies restroom and my emergency products, I was able to put myself back together — physically, that is.
My name still hadn't been called and I pretended to read a magazine and psych myself up as I waited. I attempted to resurrect the self-confidence I had possessed before I walked through the intimidating glass doors of the 48-story building, but my nerves were shot.
The receptionist finally called my name and I cautiously walked to the elevator, hearing the echo of my stiletto heels follow me as they clicked on the shiny granite floor.
I got onto the elevator and took a deep breath. I looked in the mirror: "You can do this," I said, unconvincedly, to myself. With every floor the elevator passed, ascending toward my impending doom, the more my heart pounded. The elevator stopped and I timidly stepped onto the 33rd floor where I was met by the assistant
of the editor interviewing me. I followed her to a corner office where the editor, who was in the middle of a phone conversation, greeted me with a distracted glance and a quick hand gesture to sit down.
This question and answer exchange continued on for about five minutes, during which the editor did not look up from my résumé nor changed her facial expression. In every word she spoke I heard annoyance and harsh judgment. I was terrified.
I pulled up a chair and sat uncomfortably, holding my resumé, trying not to shake it. While she finished her conversation, I awkwardly tried to look as hire-able as possible. I carefully placed my resumé on her desk, put my hands politely in my lap and crossed my feet. She finally hung up and we were off. She took my resumé, looked down and set her face into an intimidating expression and started interrogating me.
She interrupted me as I was describing my job as a copyeditor, and her eyes met mine for the first time since I stepped into her office. She put her hand up.
Editor: Why should I hire you to be an intern this summer?
Me: Um, well, I have a lot of experience with newspaper writing and would love the opportunity to work for a magazine.
Editor: Okay, why this magazine?
Me: I've been a long-time reader and I think my writing style would be a good fit here.
Editor: I'm going to stop you there.
Me: Um, Okay.
Editor: You are talking entirely too fast.
Me: I'm sorry, I guess I'm just nervous.
Editor: You should know I don't smile. I maybe smile five minutes a day. Continue
She looked back down at my résumé. I froze. I tried to collect my thoughts.
Me: I'm sorry, where was I?
Editor: Stop saying I'm sorry.'
Me: I'm sorry. Wait. Sorry. Nevermind.
I laughed nervously. My fear was palpable and my mind was blank. I was completely flustered but somehow I managed to finish my interview without crying or throwing up. I shook the editor's hand and thanked her for her time. I walked to the elevator, sprinted out of the building, and hailed a cab.
Weeks went by, life went on and I moved past my terrible first job interview. I ended up getting an offer for another internship in Los Angeles. But, while I may have moved on, I have not forgotten that interview. I was totally prepared but I psyched myself out and lost my confidence because of things I couldn't control. The city wasn't just working against me that day, I was working against myself. My inability to mentally adapt to a change in plans is what made that interview terrible. Things aren't always going to go perfectly and the ability to adjust to change is crucial to success. The best approach to life is to be prepared, but you have to take it as it comes and just go with it. Jp
e that every twig said. "In n we operate port the local of supporting you are using port your local
mpster diving" van foraging," be easier for
"see hands-on thrown away," seconds after effectively good, risk it. they ters full every
To better promote this initiative, the group designed a year-long program with monthly themes to teach third- and fourth-graders at the school how to become healthier, both mentally and physically. This month's theme is teamwork. The children played games where they
ing" isn't the food though. homore fromaber of Daily tion that goes
The activity was part of a program that the on-campus group GROW started this year. Erica Bennett, a junior from Emporia and co-coordinator of GROW, said the club is an initiative to promote healthy habits.
a Department billion pounds on away each the subsidizes local food by
with their eyes shut, trying to find their fellow mooers or quackers.
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Monica Powers, left, and Erica Bennett, are co-coordinators of GROW, an on-campus group that promotes healthy habits for children.
Audit finds School of Business to be mostly consistent in course fee usage
ADMINISTRATION
The report addresses concerns from several MBA students who lodged complaints with the Kansas Board of Regents this summer. The findings are from an audit by BKD LLC, the same accounting firm that investigated the Athletics Department ticket scandal.
BY GARTH SEARS gsears@kansan.com
The report "confirms that we have used those funds for the benefit of our students and the advancement of the programs in our school," said William Fuerst, dean of the School of Business.
Of the $30 million the School of Business has raised since 2004 from course fees, a third-party accounting firm reported that the school spent 99.8 percent appropriately.
The proposal established a student advisory committee, responsible for overseeing how the course fees were spent. But the committee was disbanded by 2006, perhaps the students' biggest complaint.
Some of the MBA students also called for Fuerst to be fired. He announced Sept. 22 that he would step down after the academic year, but a school spokesperson told The University Daily Kansan that his
BKD LLC's audit found that 0.2 percent, or about $60,000, of the $30 million in spending was inconsistent with the original fee proposal. BKD reported that almost $28,000 in payroll to some professors over the summer of 2005 was inconsistent with the fee proposal. The audit also found that the school used more than $24,000 of course fees inappropriately to pay for fees related to accreditation and membership in the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
Provost Jeffrey Vitter called dis-
Course fees, also called differential tuition rates, represent about 40 percent of the school's budget. On top of normal tuition, business students paid an extra $102 per credit hour in course fees this semester, and master's business students paid an extra $187 per hour.
resignation wasn't related to those demands.
The school instituted the course fees in 2004, and the tuition proposal for it specified where the money could be used.
The committee was re-established Oct. 21 and agreed to meet again to discuss the findings of this review.
"If this doesn't answer the issues of critics, then that's their issue," Vitter said. "I don't think anything
BKDS report, released Thursday, includes an appendix accounting for just under $30 million, listed by year and broken down into 17 categories of spending.
Vitter said the committee will receive reports on expenditures and planned expenditures in the future.
— Edited by Alex Tretbar
banding the committee "an oversight," and said that keeping the committee might have prevented conflict.
"Could we have avoided the controversy by having a mechanism in place?" Vitter said. "I think the answer is yes."
Although BKD found that the school spent nearly all of the fee money appropriately, the report also said the fee proposal was vague in places and that "there could be differences of opinion" about whether an expenditure conflicted with the fee proposal.
will ever answer their issue."
In a response letter at the end of the report, Fuerst said the school will review what BKD identified as inappropriate spending with the student advisory committee.
The provost's office contracted BKD to perform the audit, which cost an estimated $50,000 and was overseen by a committee of students, faculty and staff. The provost's office paid for the audit with private donations.
Kansas receives higher grade in sustainability,but isn't perfect
Columnist Kate Larrabee explains how the University scored a higher grade this year, but still needs more student involvement and leadership in sustainability. Kansas received a 'B'; just behind Texas and Colorado.
CLUBS|6A
The University's new paintball club is starting practices for competitive and recreational players alike. The members hope to compete against other schools later in the year as well.
Resurrected club lets the paint fly in growing sport
Classifieds...2B
Crossword...4A
Cryptoquips...4A
Opinion...5A
Sports...1B
Sudoku...4A
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