Recap of Visiting Team Zomo

Most people wouldn't think that spending a day with ex-fighting dogs would be therapeutic, but it was.
Zander, Taco and Homer greeted me with a series of long, deep barks and I was sure that this would not be a relaxing time. However, I was wrong.
The dogs were timid at first. There is no doubt about that. But there was something inside of them that looked like they wanted to be touched and loved. Kelly and Kerry told me to crouch down and hold out my fist, letting Homer pick up my scent. It probably helped that I had a can of spray cheese with me...
Then I met Jaxx, who is not in Team Zomo. He was found in an abandoned building in Detroit, locked up for a year. He had BB gun pellets under his skin and lacerations around his eyes. He came right up to me, jumping in my lap, wagging his tail.
How could something that was treated so awful still find it in them to trust someone? This visit and interview really effected me, and I will never forget how open and loving those dogs were, even with their horrific past.

"Ruff" Life: 367 Edition (Story #2)

Kelly McLaughlin didn't think she was going to have her own rescue. After working for a corrupt rescue downtown for a year, she was disgusted with the whole scene. But she ended up renting a warehouse, buying some crates and housing some of the country's worst dog fighting victims, turning them in to lovable and adoptable dogs.
Kelly and her sister Kerry founded Team Zomo, an affliate of Bar[k] Nation. On their website, they chronicle the crazy everyday lives of the original three survivors: Taco, Homer and Zander. They update supporters on their progress, sharing silly pictures and heartwarming stories.
They are hosting their first fundraiser after being deemed a 503 (c) non-profit this September in Detroit. They hope to have a huge outcome of people and the dogs will be present as well.

Consensus: Work, Work, Work. Then Work some more.

Going into this subject, I was interested in hearing the different viewpoints of students working during the year. I had always heard about kids getting up at six, going to work, going to school then going back to work. How do you keep up the grades? Is this healthy? Will this pay off in the end?

The consensus from everyone was yes, it will.

Although Munch talked about how extremely difficult it was to balance classes, she says that it helped her pay the bills and take the stress off of that. Tackett, on the other hand, has build up her resume on LinkedIn, and thinks her three jobs look awesome on it.

Dan Birkholz shares his working environment with many students in his Co-Op house, and says he wouldn't have it any other way. 

Students don't necessarily enjoy working, but they know the benefits from it. I find it ironic how this generation is named the "entitlement" generation, yet the majority of students I have come in contact with have more responsibilities than their parents when they were younger. It is almost odd if you don't have a job during the school year nowadays, and if the debt increases per student, per year, I could only imagine what the next generation would have to balance.

Workaholics Anonymous...MSU Students?!

It's that time of year again: back to school. For college students, it may not even seem as if there was a summer. That's because the days of summer are spent working, trying to pay off student loan debt and other bills for school. For some, that means working unreasonable hours.
Caitlin Munch, Professional Writing Major, works full-time during the summer and "part-time" during the school year, including for the MSU Writing Center. Erica Tackett, PR Major, works three jobs during her days at Michigan State University, including as a Firm Director at PRSSA and Account Executive at Hubbell Connections.
On the other hand, Dan Birkholz is a part of MSU CO-Op, where he lives in the same place where he works.
Whatever happened to classes and studying for hours on end? Now, it seems as if students are more concerned about jobs and resumes. Only time will tell if their dedication will pay off...

CE Aftermath

Mainly focused on Drive:Michigan this summer, Sarah decided to preview a couple of documentaries and their introductions. Since her project will ultimately end up becoming a documentary, she wanted an in-depth look on how to start a film off. Some of the choices were absurd, including The Search Behind Zombies and Animal Hoarding, but a couple definitely focused her attention. One of those was the documentary Forgotten Planet (in multiple episodes) that is about abandoned America. Since one of her major cities to focus on is Detroit, she grabbed a few ideas from the opening scenes. However, even watching Netflix takes a toll on the full-time work and school student. By 4 pm, it is time to call it quits-until tomorrow, that is.

Preview: Creativity Exploratory

Living up to its name, the Creativity Exploratory has its employees explore new ways of learning. Although it is the summertime, many students stick around and work on their projects—some even full time. As a result, they are always utlizing the countless number of resources the CE has, and even coming up with their own. What other job allows you to watch Netflix to help with your creative flow? Sarah Fagerman, a CE fellow, previewed a few documentaries for her project Drive:Michigan, hoping to find out more in the style department. However, sometimes long hours of work and class in the summer can get her a little off-track.