Why use one form when you can use many?

Apparently I've been "randomly" tasked with completing forms dealing with income verification in order to get work study (and/or student loans) in the Fall.

I talked to financial aid on campus the other day, and was told that while my prospects were good to receive Work Study funds for the fall, I would also have to complete an Independent Verification form to verify the information on my FAFSA. I was told it was random.

I don't even want to get into the bit about why I don't think it is very random, but I do want to touch on the fact that this federally mandated requirement comes with it a bunch of extra work for me. Among other things, I'm required to provide a signed copy of my tax return, my W-2's, Lease agreement and the canceled checks/money orders for my last four months of rent.

This sounds very straight-forward except for a few snags. First of all, I e-file taxes. And, since they don't accept that type of proof, I'm now required to ALSO fill out a 1040. Secondly, I also have to provide the lease agreement for my apartment as well as the canceled rent checks. This could be a problem, especially since I don't pay my rent with checks. I pay them in cash. I just hate having money floating around in signed checks. I live with my landlord, it's just easier to give her cash.

Now, I can go on and on about the ridiculousness of this process but I can't change what I have to do. I understand that people probably lie on their FAFSA forms to get more student aid or WHATEVER, but to be jerks about the requirements and create a considerable amount of work for me to complete it , just so I can get work study in the fall, is ludicrous.

The Rocky is on the block

It was a sad day yesterday after learning the Rocky Mountain News was up for sale. The part that pisses me off the most is the fact that they sprung it on the staff about the same time it was announced to the public.

I can't stand reading the Post and am disappointed that Denver might become a one-newspaper town. Not only is the broadsheet format of the Post a PITA to read, I'm just not that enamored by their content. So I propose that the DNA combines the Rocky and the Post, and send the Post staff packin.

The only other idea I could come up with would be for the Rocky to go purely digital. And just marry the online mirror of the newspaper with digital kitchen tables that display the newspaper in the table top so I can read it while I'm eating breakfast and there is not paper-waste. Why hasn't somebody invented this yet?

CPOY Winners announced

Well the College Photographers of the Year have been announced. For some ridiculous reason it appears that few if any of Metro's fotogs submitted DNC (or anything else), myself included.

Of course we get a lot of flack from a certain unnamed professor for not living up to the standards of so many other schools, and I wonder how much of that has to do with our shyness in submitting said work. We hear a lot about all of these fotogs in the past who have won these great awards and gone on to bigger and better things, something our class(es) seem to lack. I know we can do better than this folks, we have the drive if not the talent.

The idea that we have been swept into this convergence maelstrom is novel, but getting our feet moving and getting those moments needs to be our top priority this year. We could own this thing if we put our hearts and minds to the max on this. I guess I just don't want to feel like we've burned out before we've begun.

Nom nom nom nom

Mmmm cookies

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