POEMS OF REFLECTION ApmnoM 2 Star Tech Savanna Jordan De-Aren Thompson Contributing Writer Contributing Writer Chelsea McGlaughlin Staff Writer C is for all the years we shucked corn for Cornhuskin’ 0 is for the obstacles we all had to face N is for the night-before studying we accom plished for exams G is for the great times we spent with friends R is for the retirement of the word “Undergrad” A is for the campus activities that brought us together T is for time spent on course assignments U is for the utterly changing temperatures in the dorm rooms L is for the love we have for our ill’ sisters (Class of 2010) A is for the association we have with Meredith College T is for leaming to take the initiative 1 is for all the hall ice cream parlor meetings O is for the one time we experienced “Alice in Wonderland” N is for all the nights out on the town S is for a special fare well... To The Graduating Class of 2008! May all suc ceed in life’s plans and goals... Before I came to Meredith I didn't really care about it. I was tired of high school And^ready to get away When I applied Just 2 months before graduation day. Once I was accepted I came to visit the school. With my mom in hand, Man I thought I was cool. We explored every inch From the fancy dolls to the green grass. All the walking we did Nearly kicked my @$$. We went to meetings Left and right And took pictures Of all the pretty sights. I was attracted to this school For more reasons than one. From the close knit com munity To the Cornhuskin' fes tivities, I loved it all. And Meredith's reputa tion Was more good than bad. The only thing was. The tuition made me mad! So I saved and saved All summer long. And I prayed and prayed That some assistance would come along. I got lucky And was granted some cash To spend on my books In attempts to earn my sash. And here I sit today. Just 4 short years later. 1 await the day When 1 will start "for ever." Some say it's scary. Others are excited and glad. 1 am just thankful For all the joy I've had. Meredith was fun And it taught me a lot. Spending money isn't bad If it gets you what I've got. With summer quickly approaching, many students may need new transportation for jobs or summer school. Shopping for a new car—whether it's your first or not—can be a daunting task. Is it safe? Reliable? How's the * gas mileage? Should I buy used or new? What about insurance? These are just a sampling of the questions that might surround a new vehicle acquisition. Here I'll give some advice and provide resources to answer the many questions sur- roimding new car pur chases. In an article on the Today Show website, Regina Lewis offers "smart financial advice on how to easily use the best of auto websites." Lewis suggests the eco nomic downturn may be the perfect car-buying environment as dealers scramble to reduce their inventory. Use technol ogy to your advantage! Step one in any car purchase is to do some homework online—it helps to get a feel for model prices and allows you to haggle wisely with salespeople. Have some models in mind? Visit http://www.kbb. com/ to check prices for new and used vehicles. The site also offers a "Perfect Car Finder" application that might be useful if you haven't yet chosen your ideal car. Another important factor to keep in mind is the cost of actually own ing the car. Don't forget to add costs such as gas, insurance, repairs, depre ciation and maintenance when you are calculating expenses. You can find a model-by-model over view of the five-year cost of owning each car by checking out http://www. nadaguides.com/. Already have a spe cific vehicle in mind? Be sure to take a look at its history report. Vehicle history reports alert buy ers to potential deal-kill- ers such as salvage title, wrecks and odometer fraud. Go to http://www. carfax.com/ for a great site that offers many of its vehicle history reports for free. Lewis offers advice on "e-haggling," or price negotiating online. After asking for an initial price quote, potential buyers can oftentimes get deal ers to bring the price down before ever setting foot in the showroom. Lewis also urges car buyers to check out eBay. While buying a car with out seeing it may be a bit of a gamble, you can leam from eBay reports that a car sells every 56 seconds on their site. Read Lewis' full article at http://today.msnbc.msn. com/id/24206369/. Have no idea where to start researching cars? Visit http://www.forbes. com/vehicIes/2007/11/26/ cars-teens-best-forbeslife- cx_lu_1126cars.html to read about the '1?est cars for first-time drivers," which includes new vehi cles under $25,000 jvith good safety, affordability, fuel economy and overall value. The list includes 2008 models such as the Subaru Impreza, Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, and Chrysler 300. Honda Civic: a favorite for first time (or not!) car buyers Photo courtesy http://www.forbes.eom/vehicles/2007/l 1/26/cars-teens-best-for- beslife-cx lu 1126cars.html

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