Tyler TV may be coming to a television set near you (Image: Getty)

Lionsgate May Launch ‘Tyler [Perry] TV’

As if Tyler Perry hasn’t already etched his name across Tinseltown, the multi-talented media mogul may soon follow in the footsteps of his dear friend Oprah Winfrey and launch his very own cable network, tentatively called Tyler TV.

Read more at HuffPost Black Voices…

Stocks End Sharply Lower Amid Fears About Europe

For yet another day, the stock market swung back and forth with ranges of hundreds of points.

After sweeping declines on Monday were followed by huge gains on Tuesday, stocks on Wall Street finished steeply lower on Wednesday as each of the three main indexes dropped more than 4 percent. Wednesday’s trading completely wiped out the gains of the previous day in the broader market as measured by the Standard & Poor’s 500 index.

Read more at the New York Times…

Police Force Beefs Up in London

In an effort to end the city’s worst rioting in a generation, London’s Metropolitan Police Service said Tuesday it would flood the streets with 10,000 more officers in addition to the 6,000 already on patrol.

Read more at USA Today…

Charles Gittens, First Black Secret Service Agent, Dies

Charles L. Gittens, who in 1956 became the first black Secret Service agent, has died. He was 82.

Read more at the Associated Press…

How Students Use Technology

It’s clear that today’s students rely heavily on electronic devices even when they’re not incorporated in the classroom. In one survey of college students, 38% said they couldn’t even go 10 minutes without switching on some sort of electronic device.

Read more at Mashable…

In April, unemployment rose to 8.9%, spreading across nearly all major private-sector industries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As more employers reduce staff, onerous workloads for remaining employees may create just the opportunity for college to students to pursue last minute work opportunities. “There are many internships available at organizations that are all suddenly short staffed,” says Tere Ramos, internship director at Wellesley College, in Boston.

Before you throw in the towel, here are five tips to help you secure a last minute internship for the summer.

Stay local: If you haven’t nailed down an internship by now, chances are, traveling across the country to live it up without mom and dad is out of the question. Instead, stay local. If you live in an on-campus apartment, or plan to go home, search for openings in the region. Tap into your network, too. Talk to professors, former internship advisers, friends and family about any companies or organizations that will need help this summer. Sometimes, a recommendation from a friend can take you further than just a resume.

Read, read, read: Stay abreast on what’s going on in the community where you’d like to intern. “Start reading the local newspaper to find out who is doing what,” Ramos says. “See who’s feeling the downtown,” she adds. If a particular company has cut jobs or even begun working on the new project, chances are, there may be room for you to intern. Do your research and try getting in contact with the human resource manager or even the person you’d likely work under. Remember, there’s a fine line between persistence and annoyance.

Step outside your major: When searching for a last-minute internship, your options may be a bit limited, especially if you’re a college freshman, since most internships are reserved for upperclassmen. I came across this problem my freshman year of college. My recourse? I interned in the marketing department at a local radio station. It was completely out of left field, but the experience set me up for a sweet radio job two years later, and the director wrote an amazing recommendation that helped me out for my next internship.

Look, the point of an internship is to obtain professional experience and interning outside of your major may give you insight on other off radar career choices.

Travel off the beaten path: Focus your search on nontraditional internship opportunities such as start-up companies, non-profit organizations and civic groups, Ramos says. “Many non-profits are looking for interns this year because they don’t have the level of staffing and funding they had in previous years” she says. Also, try looking into local parks and recreation centers, as well as summer school programs.

Ditch the cash for credit: It’s the final hour and unfortunately interning for cash may be an absolute long shot (though not a completely out of the question). Be open to the idea of interning for credit. Again, for many college freshmen and sophomores even getting college credit is out of the question, so you’ll need to be open to interning solely for networking and professional experience. But the return will surely be great, especially for underclassmen, as it can put you a step ahead of your peers. Consider splitting your summer between working a part-time, paying job and an unpaid internship. “Think about what kind of skills you’re going to learn from an internship,” says Deborah Halliday, assistant director of career services at Boston University.

For internship and career help check out:
www.idealist.org
Wesley University’s Internship Guide
Indeed.com

Florida A&M University students look over a sample ballot while standing in line to vote at the Leon County Courthouse. (Source: campusprogress.org)

With less than 30 days left in the presidential race, voter registration drives are in full swing, especially on college campuses. But for students who leave home to attend college, registering in some states may not simple as voting eligibility rules can be vague and confusing.

“It’s up to students to determine voter residency,” says Jennifer Rosenberg, fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice. “Most of the time, if students consider their college address their home they shouldn’t have a hard time voting there.”

But some students have had a hard time. In September, students at Virginia Tech were told by the Montgomery County elections registrar that they’d lose their right to be claimed as dependents on their parents’ tax returns and lose financial aid eligibility if they registered to vote in Blacksburg, where the school is located.

“[Registering] definitely won’t affect federal financial aid. In only a very small number of cases can it affect your state-based aid,” Rosenberg says.

Situations like what happened at Virginia Tech don’t just arise from nowhere. Often they are the result of murky voting laws that lead to twisted interpretations. “The problem with Virginia [codes] is that they are poorly written and very confusing so you have different registrars applying it differently,” says Sujatha Jahagirdar, program coordinator for the Student Public Interest Research Groups’ New Voters Project.

Voting Check List

Find out what your city and state requires before heading to the polls. Stephanie Brown, the national director of NAACP’s youth and college division, recommends students look up identification requirements before heading to the polls. She says students who don’t have ID reflecting the city or state they’re in could face problems.

Also, “people need to do their part and make sure their registration is filled out correctly,” Brown says. Even if you’re trying to fill out the registration form between classes, take your time.

Make sure you’re registered by checking the county’s voter registration rolls. This can be done by logging on to www.866ourvote.com or calling 866-OurVote (866-687-8683). “If you’re not on the rolls go directly to registrar” and find out why you’re name doesn’t  appear, Ronseberg says. Remember, there is some lag time between registering and being placed on the lists.

If there is a challenge to your registration status on Election Day, students can fill out a provisional ballot. “In the even that everything checks out they can count your provisional ballot,” Brown says. The Brennan Center’s Our Vote phone number  (866-687-8683) will serve as a live hotline that day.

Check out the Brennan Center’s student election guide to learn about voting rules in your school’s state.

 Today, Oct. 4, is the last day to register to vote in many states.

Renita Burns is the editorial assistant for BlackEnterprise.com