It’s the time of year for a senior class to look forward to that fateful graduation day with impending dread — the fear that once they have their diplomas in hand, they’ll march off the stage and into the unemployment line.
However, this year’s graduating seniors might be able to rest a whole lot easier than last year’s.
According to a recent report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, employers plan to hire 19.3 percent more college graduates this year. And right here on the campus, the University Career Center has seen a jump in employer activity across all fields and departments this year.
William Jones Jr., the career center’s assistant director for employee outreach, said the number of on-campus interviews between this April and last year’s increased from 41 to 74, and the number of employers posting part-time and full-time positions on Careers4Terps also increased by 55.25 percent through March of this year. Moreover, the number of employers at campus career fairs had also spiked since last year.
Jones attributed the renewed employer interest to a recovering economy, career center outreach efforts and the university’s ideal location.
“In this area, hiring is still a lot better than many other places, we’re in one of the best regions to get a job,” said Jones. “But we did see a small decrease this semester in the government sector.”
While graduating seniors were encouraged to hear about these numbers, they said finding a good job was still no easy feat.
“It doesn’t really make me any less worried about finding a job,” said senior history major Ashley Chapman. “It also makes me wonder what types of jobs are hiring more. Anyone can get a job in retail, but I am looking for something that I can support myself with.”
— Kelly Farrell

There was a DJ, game of pong and over a hundred people — but it wasn’t a frat party.

The 2013 Class Council hosted a donation drive at the Eppley Recreation Center’s outdoor pool last night to collect old shoes, clothes, money and cans of soup to be given to My Sister’s Place — a non-profit organization that offers battered women and their children shelter and programs in Washington.

Although donations were mandatory, council Vice President of Marketing Kristen Fiery said the group also provided incentives, providing students with one raffle ticket for each given item. Students could win prizes including a Nintendo Wii, a $100 Visa gift card and Skullcandy headphones.

“We also encouraged people to donate because the more donations they [brought] — money, a can of food, T-shirts or sneakers — the better chance they have of winning,” Fiery said.

The event also hosted splash contests, water balloon tossing contests, chicken wing eating contests, cornhole tournaments and water pong tournaments.

“Our main goal was just to get a large group of people here for the whole duration and not just come get food and leave,” Fiery said. “We were hoping that it will be one of the biggest events we have thrown since freshman year just because we now have more connections and a better idea of how to run things.”

And students came from different all classes to check out the event — and to donate.

“Our friend was coming from our sorority so we decided to come, too, even though we aren’t sophomores,” freshman Russian and government and politics major Peyton Wilson said of she and her friend junior public health major Brittany Merek.

“We’re really glad we came, we’re having a lot of fun,” Merek added.

From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., students from every class swam, played basketball and ate free pizza and Rita’s water ice. At the end of the event, the donated items spanned several folding tables.

“It was a success, a really, really big success,” said class president and sophomore business major Joseph Sakla.

— By Erin Egan