Last week, Margaret Peterson graduated from La Salle University with a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy, to add to her doctorate in theology and ethics.

Due to complications with her husband Dwight’s health, it took the Eastern University professor four years to complete her studies. Dwight, a paraplegic since age 18, who also taught at Eastern, was not expected to live to see his wife graduate. So you can imagine the post-commencement celebration that took place after he watched his wife’s latest achievement via video conference.

We spoke with Peterson hours after her graduation and learned about her years of teaching with Dwight at Eastern and what it took for her to reach this goal.

“It feels a little unreal,” she says. “My husband is really glad to have seen me finish. It feels like a joint project that we got through.” Peterson adds that her husband and 12-year-old son, Mark, took on a “let’s get mom through grad school” mentality that certainly kept her motivated.

But it was hard for anyone to imagine Dwight living to see this day. “He’s been in [hospice care] for 10 months,” says Peterson, citing complications from paraplegia as the cause.

“It’s been difficult. I’ve been teaching. Then I was on sabbatical for an internship, doing the nursing at home, and trying to keep our son on an even keel. There’s been a great deal of help from school and  church. It’s been a lot, and I’m extremely relieved to be done.” Peterson hopes to put her new degree to use by helping families who are dealing with illness and disability. “That’s always been an interest of mine, even before my husband was very ill,” she says. “It’s been a big reality in my life.”

The post Receiving a diploma, with a little help from family appeared first on Metro.us.

Try a gluten-free pie at SliCe.

Whether you’re ditching gluten for health reasons or just want a taste of the food fad, we have some dishes for you to try. Check out these options that let you skip the gluten without missing out on your favorite treats.

Burgers and brews

Of all the reasons to love summer, a cool beer paired with a hot burger is among our favorites. Pub On Passyunk East (P.O.P.E.) has gluten-free options for both, including a burger with fried green tomatoes, grilled onion and basil mayo on a Taffets’ gluten-free Kaiser rolls. Wash it down with a cider, almost always on tap during warm-weathered months, or the Dogfish Head’s Tweason, a strawberry ale that has us saying yes, please.

501 E. Passyunk Ave.

215-755-5125

www.pubonpassyunkeast.com

Pizza

Fear not, skipping the gluten doesn’t require breaking up with pizza. That’s a heartbreak SliCE would never let happen. Owners Marlo and Jason Dilks can cook you up a gluten-free pie, baked and delivered in individual heavy-duty aluminum pans to avoid cross-contamination. All toppings are gluten-free, as are their fresh-cut traditional and sweet potato fries.

1740 Sansom St.

215-557-9299

1180 S. 10th St.

215-463-0868

www.slicepa.com

Sandwiches

With sandwiches that include crispy fried lasagna and roasted suckling pig, Paesano’s has received more “Best Sandwich” awards than we can count. Owner Peter McAndrews has two kids with celiac disease and knows firsthand about the challenges of finding a good gluten-free sandwich. From the start, he made sure that his menu wouldn’t leave anyone out. Taffets bakery supplies the Italian Market Paesano’s with bread, while Sweet Christine’s supplies the Northern Liberties location. Consider filling the space between your two homemade hoagie halves with the Paesano classic, consisting of beef brisket, horseradish, mayo, roasted tomatoes, pepperincino, fried egg and sharp provolone.

1017 South 9th St.

215-440-0371

152 W Girard Ave.

267-886-9556

www.paesanosphillystyle.com

Dessert

Ditch the regular doughnuts and bite into a creative treat free of refined sugar, dairy and gluten from Sweet Freedom. Try the Thinola, a doughnut version of the Girl Scout’s legendary Thin Mint, or grab a salted caramel cupcakes or coconut banana chocolate chip cookies.

1424 South Street

215-545-1899

www.sweetfreedombakery.com

Undercover Gluten-Free: Vietnamese Cuisine

Throw on your chef’s hat and get chopping  on Saturday with TV chef and cooking coach Laura Hahn. Hahn will guide the class through whipping up gluten-free Vietnamese classics like summer rolls and grape leaves. “What’s great about Vietnamese cooking is that most of the ingredients are fresh vegetables and proteins, with naturally gluten-free ingredients like rice papers and rice noodles,” says Hahn, who is gluten-intolerant herself. “My favorite thing to teach is anything to eat with your hands because those fun finger foods are hard to come by once going gluten-free.”

May 25, noon-2 p.m.

Greensgrow Community Kitchen at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church

2139 East Cumberland St.

$35

www.greensgrow.org

The post It’s easy to go gluten-free at these restaurants appeared first on Metro.us.

Gov. Tom Corbett will visit the National Constitution Center Wednesday for what the museum bills as a “historic announcement.”

Corbett, who will be joined by state and local officials, will announce details of a “landmark agreement” between the state and the New York Public Library.

The announcement  will “Make public one of America’s most important and elusive historic artifacts for the benefit of ‘We the People,’” according to a news release.

The announcement will occur at the center, at 525 Arch Street in Independence Mall, around 10 a.m.

The post Gov. Tom Corbett to visit National Constitution Center for announcement appeared first on Metro.us.

Mastery Charter Schools’ hosted a college signing day yesterday at Temple University’s Liacouras Center to celebrate its senior students’ commitment to a college or university for the Fall 2013 semester.

The post PHOTOS: Mastery Charter Schools’ hosted a college signing day appeared first on Metro.us.

A home on Alder Street, before house flipper Mike Tomasetti stepped in.
Credit: Mike Tomasetti

It seems like the housing market is finally starting to steady itself. This year, reports from various sources, including the National Association of Realtors, have shown positive numbers and outlooks for the market, which got us wondering: If we were feeling real saucy, what would it take to flip a house in Philly? We spoke with Mike Tomasetti, real estate investor and owner of Philly Home Flipper, to find out.

Location, location, location

Sounds cliché, sure, but there’s a reason this is the golden rule of real estate. “Investing in desirable neighborhoods reduces risk by ensuring a strong pool of buyers,” Tomasetti tells us. “Areas consistently in demand are Bella Vista, Queen Village, Society Hill, and Washington Square West.”

Of course, a flip-worthy house will not be cheap in these hoods. “These areas require a high capital investment,” says Tomasetti, “but they can reward big returns.”

Tomasetti reminds us that neighborhoods in transition — which he says includes Pennsport, Kensington and Francisville — are also worth investigating. “These areas are desirable to first-time home buyers and require less capital.”

Budget

Make sure you crunch the numbers and remember that every aspect of buying and selling has a price tag. “Before closing a deal, walk through the property with your general contractor to get a solid estimate of construction costs,” says Tomasetti. “If you plan to use investors, make sure you know the cost of those funds. And talk to your insurance agent. Consider closing costs of the purchase and sale.”

Know your buyer

Your flip could be dazzling, but if it isn’t what your buyer had in mind, it could be a flop. According to Tomasetti, there are specific things a flipper should know about his buyer. “How much are they willing to pay? What types of amenities are important to them? To determine these factors, tour open houses in the same neighborhood and get a good understanding of the product,” he says. Remember, you’re flipping the house to fit what the buyer wants, not what you want.

The post Real estate: Avoid a flop when flipping appeared first on Metro.us.

Is happiness something that happens to you, or something that you make happen for yourself? If you ask “Glee’s” Jenna Ushkowitz that question, she’ll tell you it’s the latter.

In fact, she’s written the book on finding your own glee through the power of self-affirmation and positive thinking. “Choosing Glee: 10 Rules to Finding Inspiration, Happiness, and the Real You” is part memoir, part self-help tome, and all motivational. Written through anecdotal vignettes, personal photos, lists and charts, “Choosing Glee” is Ushkowitz’ way of giving back to the world, putting out positivity as a means of reaping more good vibes. “I like to think that positivity is a choice, and you wake up and make a conscious decision,” says the 27-year-old actress. And though she admits, “I’ve never been through any really dark times where I hit rock bottom,” she seems to know what she’s talking about.

So, what’s this book really about?

It’s 10 rules that I live by, to success, to where I’ve gotten, where I am. I just wanted to share that with my fans and readers. You know, to tell them that it’s something you can choose to believe in every day. It’s like your mantra. You know, there are like people who feel that they’re the victim and it’s always happening to them? You can turn that around, and change your outlook on life, and it really makes life a little bit brighter.

Have you always thought this way?

Yeah, I think I’ve always been this way. You could say I was born this way, but I also think I owe it to my parents teaching me to have a good head on my shoulders, and rely on my support system, and always stay true to who you are.

But what about somebody who wasn’t born that way?

Well, again, it’s making it a choice. You make it a choice, and every day you wake up and make it your mantra and say today I’m going to make the best of every situation and look at every situation with the glass half full. And then, after awhile, it sort of becomes subconscious and it becomes a way of life. It’s a lifestyle change, it’s like a diet. People always say, oh, I’m going to diet for this amount of time — well, it’s actually a lifestyle change you need to make.

Can you think of a recent situation where you had to make that choice?

Sure, I mean there was a time in the industry where I did a pilot — my belief is that everything happens for a reason — so I was doing this pilot and it got picked up, and I was all excited, and then I got this phone call that they actually weren’t going to pick me up, that they were going to recast me. And the first thing I thought was, ‘Oh, well, I’m not a good actor; I’m fat, I’m ugly, they hate me!’ (laughs) And then you turn around and say, you know what? It wasn’t me, it wasn’t meant to be, and actually it turned out that the reason was that I was a little too young. But you still believe, Oh, they’re lying,’ so I went to my friends and we vegged out and did our thing, it’s like a breakup. But then you get over it. And I then went on to book “Spring Awakening,” and then “Glee,” and wouldn’t have finished college. So you have to look at it like, well, I wouldn’t have been able to experience those things.

So you’re obviously a big believer in karma.

Oh yeah, 100 percent. Everything happens for a reason and I believe in karma. I believe that what you give to the world — the energy that you give to the world — is what you get back. And it will come back to you if you’re not good to it. (laughs)

The post Jenna Ushkowitz talks the power of positivity in ‘Choosing Glee’ appeared first on Metro.us.

As a member of a generation maligned as self-centered, lazy, and perpetually adolescent, David Burstein wrote his new book “Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation is Shaping Our World” to try and set the record straight about today’s young adults. Through research and interviews with several of the eighty million American Millennials, Burstein paints a nuanced and optimistic portrait of America’s emerging movers and shakers.

You write with more optimism about Millennials than most other people. What drove you to write this book?

For the 2008 election cycle I helped produce a documentary, and have been traveling all over the country showing it at college campuses and registering new voters. A lot of people talked to me about wanting to start an energy company or a business, about doing something about education, or about other problems around them. This is a story that needs to be told. At the same time I was reading all these stories by people from other generations about how our generation is a generation of narcissists, that we’re disengaged, and that’s just not what I’m seeing. So I set out to try and tell the story of our generation from the perspective of the people framing it.

I’m curious as to how the millennial generation is shaped by the Recession.

While this generation is on track to make less money than our parents, the cost of living actually decreasing. We have the lowest levels of car ownership, home ownership and childbirth. Young people today don’t need as much money as they have needed in the past. I think for the first time, you have a group of people not motivated by money as their #1 goal. There is a sense that happiness, fulfillment and community are more important. That is something that is consistently impossible for people of other generations to understand.

How have Millennials adapted the idea of community?

People today are part of so many communities, and they’re consistently and constantly connected to all of them. They take old communities with them, and join new ones along the way. Because of the internet, people can be part of communities across state or international lines, so the ability of young people to spread the work they’re doing is greater than ever before.

The post Are Millennials the worst? Maybe not. appeared first on Metro.us.

No matter how much applause you get at curtain call, it’s never been easy to “make it rain” as a performer. Adam Huttler, the founder and executive director of the arts nonprofit Fractured Atlas, says it can be challenge for performers and artists to see the business for what it is: a business.

“That is what they are — even if they don’t always think of themselves in those terms,” he says. At talks and events, the company helps guide arts organizations toward the financial and nuts-and-bolts incentives that can keep them afloat. This evening, Huttler will lead a panel for Internet Week New York, titled “Revenge of the Art Geeks: How Tech Can Help you Build Audiences and Raise Funds.”

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  VIDEO: “Made Here,” Reggie Watts, Cherry Jones and others share their stories

From the other side of the curtain, actress Cherry Jones is clear about the struggles of getting paid and making art. “It’s intoxicating working downtown — then you have to pay your bills.” she says of the artsy lifestyle in the online documentary series “Made Here.” The relationship between making money and making art in the scrappy downtown performance scene is just one of many topics covered in the series’ three seasons, including health and wellness, raising a family and more.

For Jones, who is most known for her recurring role on the television show “24,” she says television made it possible for her to continue doing the work in the theater that sustains her artistically. “I don’t know anyone left who’s done just theater for the last 30 years. But I have overwhelming respect for them if they have,” she says, with a laugh.” ”I did those two seasons and I made more money than I ever thought I would in my life, and now I can work in the theater any time I want to,” Jones says of her time in TV.

The issues raised in “Made Here” dovetail with the things Huttler encourages arts organizations to address. He says artists need to learn how to “speak business.” “The word ‘customer’ tends to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths,” he says. “People think ‘McDonald’s has customers, we don’t have customers,’ but they do.” Huttler believes that arts organizations that get real about the bottom line have the biggest shot at seeing their art — and their business — succeed.

Huttler has good news for the scrappy artists in “Made Here” and beyond, though:  “For the little guy, I think things are looking brighter than they ever have,” he says. “They have more opportunities to engage with their audiences directly and they can use technology and powerful new ways.”

The post Making art and making a living: Artists on the business appeared first on Metro.us.

There’s a lot to be said for counting calories and eating nutritious, home-cooked meals. There is even more to be said for beer cupcakes garnished with bacon. Philly has officially become a foodie town, with delicious new treats being rolled out everywhere we look. Here are a few to try this weekend.

Brunch

Lamb belly hash

Now that acclaimed chef Mike Stollenwerk, formerly of Fish, is helming Branzino’s new 2,500-square-foot kitchen, the menu is getting more interesting. Even better, the Italian restaurant just added brunch hours on Sundays. We’re intrigued by the lamb belly hash with fried eggs, and the BYO Bloody Bar Branzino plans to add very soon. Bloody Mary, anyone?
Branzino
261 S. 17th St.
215-790-0103
www.branzinophilly.com

Lunch

Chinese/Vietnamese hoagie

This isn’t your mama’s Wawa shortie. The concoction ($4.95) is Vietnamese restaurant Mi Dac Ky’s take on a banh mi, a Vietnamese sandwich, but layered with boneless Peking duck for a Chinese twist. You’ll also be biting into duck liver pate, cucumber, carrots, cilantro, and jalapenos for kick, all on a French baguette. The newly opened restaurant just joined a bunch of other Vietnamese spots in the New World Plaza in South Philly.
Mi Dac Ky
6th St. and Washington Ave.
267-239-5169

Dinner

Braised short rib tacos

These Smokin’ Betty’s tacos started life as a special, but lucky for us they were popular enough to earn a spot on the permanent menu. Bite into a perfect mash up of refried black beans, cheddar cheese, chipotle aioli, avocado, crispy shallots and, of course, braised short rib, on flour tortillas with a side of cherry tomato salsa ($18).
Smokin’ Betty’s
116 S. 11th St.
215-922-6500
www.smokinbettys.com

Dessert

“Drunkin’ Elvis”

Get in line for Ms. Goody’s newest cupcake creation, debuting today in advance of Philly Beer Week. The “Drunkin’ Elvis” ($3) features chocolate chip banana cake infused with Well’s Banana Bread Beer. It’s frosted with peanut butter buttercream and topped with a chocolate-covered piece of bacon. It comes with a napkin to wipe away the tears of joy.
Ms. Goody Cupcake
838 East Passyunk Ave.
215-334-2253
www.msgoodycupcake.com

The post 4 new things we want to eat right now appeared first on Metro.us.

The School Reform Commission, the state agency that oversees the School District of Philadelphia, voted yesterday to close Imani Education Circle Charter School and renew five others.

Imani charter, a K-8 located in Germantown, will most likely stay open for another year.

Imani, a K-8 school that opened in 1999, has a total enrollment of about 450 students.

The five charter schools that received a five-year renewal include Antonia Pantoja, Christopher Columbus, Eugenia DeHostos, Maritime Academy, and Universal Institute.

The post Imani charter to shutter, 5 others renewed appeared first on Metro.us.

The euphoria was understandable when rescuers pulled 19-year-old Reshma Begum alive from the wreckage of the Rana Plaza garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, last week. More than 1,127 were killed and thousands more injured when the factory fell on April 24. It had been 17 days since anyone had been found alive.

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  PHOTOS: Inside the lives of Bangladesh’s garment workers

Even in a country where life expectancy is low, the devastating collapse sparked protests, with rioters calling for the owner of the factory to be hanged. The outrage was worldwide — and had previously been missing among Western observers and consumers about the working conditions in factories in Bangladesh. They have been deplorable for years while churning out cheap clothes for some of the West’s best-known clothing brands. Despite its small size, Bangladesh is the second largest garment exporter in the world with the U.S. being its largest export market, with 19.4 percent of exports coming to the States. Wal-Mart alone does more than $1 billion worth of manufacturing in the severely impoverished country.

But while everyone is quick to point at the labels that produce their clothing there — J.C. Penney, Gap, Sears, Zara, among thousands of others — Chris Rhomberg, associate professor of sociology at Fordham University who specializes labor and labor movements, says it’s a very complex and multilayered situation. “These labels don’t actually own the factories in Bangladesh,” he notes. “They contract the work out to contractors. But this is how the garment industry works: The contractor then contracts them out to subcontractors that are even cheaper and creates this enormous pressure on all the labels to go even cheaper.” Rhomberg and others in his field call this continual outsourcing and downward push of cost “race to the bottom.”

“Bottom” is an apt term. Since there is little to no direct oversight by these western clothing brands, workers making these garments work in shockingly unsafe and unregulated factories. Many are forced to work seven days a week, are bullied into working overtime – and the youngest of them, mainly girls often as young as 10 — earn as little as $400 per year.

“No company is willing to spend the money for safety, adequate standards and wages if that makes their product more expensive than their competitors,” notes Rhomberg. “If you allow this race to the bottom to occur, there is pressure on each one to go cheaper.”

And who is cheap? Women and children. Estimates vary, but up to 30,000 children are said to toil away in the sweatshops. The average age of the children is 13, of whom 10 percent, according to the United States Department of Labor, are married by the age of 10. The USLD report supported the findings of the Institute of Global Labor and Human Rights. “In a recent visit to Bangladesh, a Department of Labor official spoke with children who … also reported that, like adult workers, they are often paid two to four weeks late, and rarely paid extra for overtime.”

Out of the 3.5 million people who work in Bangladesh factories, 85 per cent are women. Although the principle of women working in this predominantly Muslim country has been accepted – largely for economic reasons – they still face paternalism, at best, and outright discrimination at worst, according to the European Union, which noted high levels of forced, early marriage and domestic abuse.

But even with this global spotlight shining brightly on the working conditions in Bangladesh — and the international outcry almost overwhelming — change is still very hard to initiate. There is immense international pressure for brands to sign the binding Fire and Building Safety Agreement, which protects garment workers. This five-year accord, which H&M and Zara signed this week, promises that they will not hire manufacturers and contractors whose clothing factories fail to meet safety standards; it will also commit them to paying for necessary repairs and renovations. The Bangladeshi government is acting as well — they are raising the minimum wage for workers and will make it easier for them to unionize. Still, the Gap, J.C. Penny and most notably Wal-Mart, had refused to sign as of Wednesday afternoon. Wal-Mart believes that their own safety plans are enough. “Walmart believes its safety plan meets or exceeds the IndustriALL proposal, and will get results more quickly,” the company said in a statement.

A major U.S. retail trade group on Wednesday spoke out against a Bangladesh fire and building safety accord, saying that signing on would expose American companies to a legally questionable binding arbitration provision.

“While the proposal put forth by the labor unions addresses a number of shared concerns, the accord veers away from commonsense solutions and seeks to advance a narrow agenda driven by special interests,” Matthew Shay, chief executive of the National Retail Federation, said in a statement.

Unionizers and labor activists worry that if these garment behemoths don’t join the pact, the agreement will lack influence.

Still, H&M’s decision to sign the accord is crucial, said Scott Nova, executive director of Worker Rights Consortium, in Women’s Wear Daily. “They are the single largest producer of apparel in Bangladesh, ahead even of Wal-Mart. This accord now has tremendous momentum.

Rep. George Miller, the senior Democratic member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, who has been working in Congress to fight sweatshops and improve working conditions in factories, also stressed that the onus lies with major fashion brands, not just the Bangladeshi government.

“Right now, [these retailers] must join other brands, unions and civil society groups in [signing on to the Fire and Building Safety Agreement] and begin the very affordable process of making their supplier factories safer. If they fail to sign an enforceable agreement, they are declaring that they accept blood on their labels.”

Eyewitness account

The images that accompany this story were taken by Taslima Akhter, a Dhaka-based photojournalist and activist for the rights of women garment makers in Bangladesh. It shows two workers, a man and a woman, locked in a final embrace in death. Akhter took the image shortly after the collapse of the garment factory on April 24.

She told Metro: “Sometimes owners and the government try to say that activists and workers are trying to make a conspiracy against industrialization – a common tactic when it comes to undermining workers’ rights.

“But as an activist and photographer I want to say that I, other activists, trade union activists and workers support the development of industrialization. We believe that without improving the conditions of workers through proper wages and safety standards, it cannot be possible. And it’s not only our local issue, it’s an international issue too.

“Buyers get products from our country at a very cheap rate, and our labor has become the cheapest labor in the world. International buyers also do not really care about pay rates and safety standards. Through my photography for last five years I am trying to campaign against low wage of workers and insecure working condition of workers.”

Akhter, 39, works as a photography tutor at Pathsala University, Bangladesh. In 2011 she participated the summer course on human rights and photography at New York University.

Involved in student politics during her student life, she became the president of Bangladesh Student Federation. She continues her involvement with women’s and worker organization as an activist. Considering photography as a part of her activism, she chooses to work on gender-environmental-cultural issues and the issues of social discrimination.

Bangladesh by the numbers

Bangladesh’s economy has grown by nearly 6 percent per year since 1996, despite, according to the CIA’s summary of the country, “political instability, poor infrastructure, corruption, insufficient power supplies and slow implementation of economic reforms. Bangladesh remains a poor, overpopulated and inefficiently governed nation.”

The country’s population is 90 percent Bengali Muslim. Per capita income is $2,000 dollars per year – making Bangladesh the world’s 192nd poorest nation. As a comparison, the average wealth per head in the U.S. is nearly $50,000.

Dorothy Robinson and Tina Chadha contributed reporting.

The post Blood on your labels: What you need to know about the Bangladesh factory collapse appeared first on Metro.us.

“They were going to cover up the story when it happened and then it ended up going viral and they reported it all late to the police department,” Green said Tuesday.

Green’s son, whose name was withheld, was attacked by students in the high school’s library on May 7. The incident was reported to police by a student, not the school, Green said.

He was hit with a chair, fists and feet. He was hit and kicked in the head, face and back. The students then dipped into his pockets and stole his cell phone and money and then took his schoolbag, Green said.

Green also said his son had a gun pointed in his face only days earlier.

“When it happened, two days prior, there was a gun pulled in his face on school property,” Green said.

He said the school’s principal said an investigation was underway, but never heard back.

“Tuesday shows up, and next thing you know he gets jumped,” Green said.

Chester Upland School District Receiver Joseph Watkins and Deputy Police Commissioner Otis Blair did not return calls for comment.

He said his son was a victim of “Fight Week,” where Freshmen or newer students are targeted. He suffered a concussion and received about seven stitches in the back of his head.

“They laid him out,” Green said. “It was really ugly.”

The fight was one of many at the school that day.

Five students were arrested and are awaiting trial at Delaware County prison. The preliminary hearing, which was scheduled for Tuesday, was pushed back to May 25th, according to Green.

Green, who lives in Chester but works as a chef at a Philadelphia diner, said his son will be home-schooled for the rest of the year.

“The way that school is being run,” Green said, “I can’t even trust it.”

The post Father says Chester High School tried to cover up son’s assault appeared first on Metro.us.

The Stables are under construction.
Credit: Onion Flats

Some things are worth the long wait. In the case of Stable Flats, or simply the Stables, the wait is nearly over and the payoff for patience looks splendid. The former horse-holding location is evolving into an eco-friendly, 27-unit townhouse building, with three units completed so far. Collaborating on design and development are Onion Flats and Domani, and to say it’s been a long time coming would be an understatement.

The Stables, formerly used to house the working horses of Old City, was dreamed up as a residential project years ago, but put on hold. “In 2008 the world fell apart, and so did this project,” says Onion Flats president Tim McDonald, referring to the economy’s influence on the housing market. “It started as a different project,” he adds. “It was going to be a 70-unit condo project, but we changed it to a townhouse building a few years ago, partially because of our interest in Passive House.”

The Passive House Institute is an organization that has created a certified standard for energy-efficient homes. The Stables will be the second “passive” house in the state, meaning it meets all airtight, low-energy regulations, and heating costs can be reduced by as much as 90 percent. That means one seriously green building. Oh, and the first project in Pennsylvania to wear the Passive House crown? That would be Belfield Homes in North Philly — also by Onion Flats.

The developer wants to prove that although the energy efficiency bar is set pretty high for a passive house, creating one is not an impossible feat. “With the Stables we’re learning if the system of building that we designed is repeatable. Was Belfield a fluke or can we do it again? I think the Stables is a demonstration of a way of building,” explains McDonald. “I see no reason we wouldn’t continue to build this way.” Great news for all the energy-conscious folks who are in the market for inventive and sustainable housing.

“The thing about Passive House is you can design a project, but it has to be airtight. The way you test that is with a blower door. That’s always the geek-fest moment of truth, when you’re all standing around the blower door to see if you hit the most difficult standard in the world.”

The post Wait nearly over for No Libs’ Stables for people appeared first on Metro.us.

According to a study published by Drexel University’s Center for Labor Markets and Policy, teens who spend some time bagging groceries or syphoning fries into happy meals have a larger shot at success throughout their career.

Paul Harrington, a Drexel University labor economist and lead author of the study, says that work experience in a formal job during high school (from ages 16 to 19) correspond to a 20 to 25 percent increase in salary for teens almost a decade later. In this case, a “formal” job means a gig in food service or retail for a larger company, as opposed to work like babysitting or cutting the neighbor’s grass. High school students who work, he says, are also more likely to have a job a decade after high school than their peers. The numbers are even stronger for teen boys, Harrington says.

“I think there’s a dignity in work,” Harrington says. “It’s really important for people to understand how they contribute to making an organization function. The way you understand how that works is by doing it.”

The study did reveal some bad news, however. As the economy has suffered, jobs for teens have become more difficult to come by. In the Metro Philadelphia area, the study revealed that in 2000, about 44 percent of teens between the ages of 16 and 19 had jobs. Today, that number has fallen to 25 percent, mostly due to the lack of employment opportunities and to the fact that older workers are holding onto jobs longer than they have in previous decades.

The other piece of data that the study revealed is that attendance in high school is a very strong indicator of good things to come. Harrington says that having high daily attendance in high school means that students have a much higher chance of graduating from college.

“Woody allen said 90% of life is showing up,” Harrington says. “Turns out he was right.”

The post Tie on that apron, kids: Drexel University study says teens who have jobs are more likely to succeed appeared first on Metro.us.

Fishtown homes are now a hot commodity.

There’s an art to stretching a dollar, especially when it comes to buying a home. Research, naturally, plays an enormous role in getting all the luxuries that you can while remaining within your budget. We found out exactly what you can land, and where to snag it, when you have a $250,000 limit.

In the ritzy areas like Rittenhouse, Fitler Square, and Society Hill you can expect something, well, incredibly cozy. According to Frank L. DeFazio, a realtor at Prudential Fox & Roach, the places with a $250k price tag include “lower end finishes between 300 and 1,100 square feet. Also, studios and junior one bedrooms. Or small two-bedroom condominiums or co-ops.” What you won’t be seeing? “There aren’t any single family homes under $250,000 in these neighborhoods.”

Head over to scenic Queen Village or Bella Vista if you’re looking for a lush neighborhood but want just a little more space than what Rittenhouse can offer. “Here you can get small single-family homes. They’re usually trinity style,” DeFazio says. “Or you’ll find studio and one -bedroom condos.”

Trek northeast, to Fishtown, an area that has been rapidly gaining popularity, and you can get a little more. “So many folks want to be near the Girard/Frankford intersection and close to all the cool shops, restaurants and yoga studios – but there is a cost to that,” says Chris Somers of RE/MAX. “In the heart of Fishtown, in the low $200,000 range you can be in an updated two-bedroom property. For $250,000 you can get a three-bedroom property, but it won’t be as updated.”

Your budget and your neighborhood are going to be the factors that decide what kind of home you buy. Do your homework and you’ll be sitting pretty in your favorite part of town.

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As weather warms, you might be itching to get out of city limits and somewhere where honking is replaced by the gurgling of a river or, simply, the silence of a sparkling lake. So set your GPS for the Finger Lakes, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo just this week called a state tourism “treasure.”  Whether you want a light hike or a great waterside wine, a few hours’ drive will deliver you into a weekend in the sun. Their warm weather is just beginning, so book your trip during their super-quick summer season.

Hike

For a quick hike you can wedge in between wine tastings, head to Grimes Glen in Naples, N.Y., where you hear water gurgling as you step outside the car. This is perfect for a packed itinerary — squeeze it in and get as close as time allows to a beautiful waterfall. Prepare to get shoes muddy or even wet – you may pick your way along large rocks in the creek. Relax after at the famed Monica’s Pies, where locals insist you must try a grape pie.

Ride

Take in the scenery by horseback in the 22-acre land around Painted Bar Stables in Burdett, N.Y., where the owner will select among dozens of horses for you, whether beginner or a practiced rider. The stable offers rides from 45 minutes to overnight, rain or shine, and by moonlight. Right now is the perfect time to swing by — a few horses are expecting foals, and you might glimpse a wobbling baby horse

Explore

Watkins Glen, N.Y., is a great town to use your walking shoes. Explore the quaint downtown and then head to the nearby Watkins Glen State Park to hike.

Watkins Glen State Park is a must-see in this area, boasting 19 waterfalls along trails that wind along the natural wonders and overlook a magnificent gorge. A stream in the glen descends 400 feet, passing 200-foot cliffs that park officials promise will leave you spellbound.

After the hike, stop by the Seneca Lake General Store downtown, which sells breakfast sandwiches in the morning, pastries and candy out of barrels. Nearby, the Village Variety Bookstore is a taste of the past: they have everything from old records to yellowed John Grisham novels and current DVDs, and the owners might share with you what is happening in the Jimmy Stewart movie they’re watching by the cash register.

Sip

Belhurst Castle in Geneva, N.Y., is a property fit for a king — or you, feeling like a queen or king as you sip wine in a chair on the back terrace. Like many wineries dotting Route 14, it overlooks serene Seneca Lake, the deepest of the Finger Lakes and which seems to change color with the clouds. Despite the lavish surroundings, wine tastings are only 50 cents a try, and the Castle is also one of the few wineries open later than 5 p.m. in case you arrive late in the day.

If you are more of a liquor fan, stop by Finger Lakes Distilling on the opposite side of the lake in Burdett, N.Y. The modern, window-paned building has views of the lake from the tasting room. The owners are often nearby for a tasting recommendation, like the rich, aged McKenzie bourbon whiskey or the maple jack liqueur.

To drink with locals, order a beer at Two Goats Brewing in Hector, N.Y. This brewery’s wraparound porch has nearly 360-degree views of the water. Inside, the pointed wooden roof is covered with dollar bills — customers compete to see who can send one sailing with a tack. Brews will only set you back a couple bucks, ranging from cream ales to what one bartender called an IPA “on steroids.” If you’re hungry, you have one option – they only sell roast beef sandwiches, with a verbal warning about the hot sauce.

Eat

After a long day outdoors, reward yourself with dinner.

In the Finger Lakes, farm-to-table isn’t a trend – it’s what has made sense for years already. Spots like Leaf Kitchen in Geneva, N.Y., get everything, and they mean everything, from local sources. You can taste it in the freshness of the pasta (from Flour City Pasta in nearby Pittsford, N.Y.) and the cilantro in the black bean dip. The manager is an East Harlem native, and she and her fiancée (the chef, who makes everything himself) have created a homey atmosphere, literally: the restaurant’s in a refurbished home.

For waterside dining, you can’t beat Seneca Harbor Station in Watkins Glen, N.Y., right alongside Seneca Lake. Tables are covered with white linen napkins, but the casual atmosphere leaves you comfortable enough to dig into your pulled pork sandwich. Another option? Meal cruises that leave out of the station.

For a local fine dining experience, try Stonecat, crafted out of a former farm market. Entrees feature pasture-raised chicken with chipotle-cider barbeque sauce, and local wines are suggested for each. Live music filters out of the different dining rooms, and on a recent weekend celebrating their spring reopening, the place was packed.

Where to stay

If you have your eye on wineries, the Ramada Geneva Lakefront in Geneva, N.Y., is just a quick drive from a string of wineries that flanks the west side of the lake. The hotel is right on the water, and many rooms showcase the views.

For a rich bed-and-breakfast experience, reserve at The Idlwilde Inn in Watkins Glen, N.Y., a gorgeous Victorian mansion. This bed-and-breakfast sits on a hill above Seneca Lake, and you can take in the impressive view from the wraparound porch. The owners retained as much of the original home as possible, and their loving restoration shows, literally, in staircase photos.

If you go

Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival
Begins May 29
Showcases musical theater throughout the summer, beginning with “Singin’ In The Rain”

GlassFest
May 23 through 26
Four-day celebration including glass sculptures at region’s Corning Museum of Glass

Finger Lakes Wine Festival
July 12 to 14
Boasts the largest showing of state wines with more than 90 wineries

The post For an outdoor adventure, head to the Finger Lakes appeared first on Metro.us.

Patrons that head to any area Iron Hill get a Burger Month Bonus, when they eat any five of the 31 burgers of the month. If you eat five, you get $15 off your next purchase. Click here for the full list of burgers — there’s a different sandwich featured for every day of the month.

The first one that caught our eye was May 1, the Chip Kelly Burger. The new Eagles coach already has his own meat monster. The Chip Kelly Burger boasts Oregon blue cheese, red onion confit, crushed potato chips and mushroom spread.

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With so many bars turning their attention to the craft of the quality cocktail, it can be easy to assume that the concept has saturated the bar market. That’s not true, sadly, and — depending on where you live — it can be hard to track down a well-made cocktail in your neighborhood. There’s no reason why you have to actually leave the house to drink in style, however. A new online teaching program called Drink Skool, created by some of the most respected names in the beverage industry, cuts out the middle-man and gives you the basics on how to turn your own bar into a craft cocktail haven. And unlike most DIY home-improvement projects, the worst that can happen here if you screw up is you get to make another cocktail. Sounds like a win-win.

Drink Skool is “definitely for consumers who have some enthusiasm and have some base knowledge about spirits and cocktails, or bartenders that are getting started, but not anything above that,” one of the partners, Doug Frost (also of the industry standard advanced training program Beverage Alcohol Resource — and one of the more renowned wine experts in the world) explains. “What we’ve tried to do, is distill it — sorry for the pun — into bite-sized chunks so people can go, ‘Ok I got that.’” As Frost points out, mixing a perfect cocktail isn’t exactly rocket science; it’s all about following a recipe and locking down a few standard techniques, all of which the — totally free — course walks users through online with a sense of fun and a sense of humor. “I would hope the outcome of what we’re doing is someone will go, ‘This isn’t that hard,’  buy a few a things and start making their own cocktails,” says Frost. “There’s no reason they can’t.”

Among the program’s lessons are the basics of mixing a cocktail, learning how to taste and appreciate the differences between types of spirits, and important bar techniques like muddling.

It’s an attempt to demystify the concept of mixology, Frost says. “I’m hoping that people will take some time to try a couple of techniques, at least for their favorite cocktails, and end up recognizing that there’s no great mystery in this,” he explains. “Instead it’s about measuring, buying better quality products, and using fresh ingredients. You don’t cook with canned stuff and expect it to taste wonderful.”

Get Skooled:

Right off the bat, there are two crucial things home cocktail enthusiasts need to learn, Frost says. First is the difference between shaking and stirring. Get a stirrer, he says, anything will do, but a nice long-handled spoon is best. “Learn to stir so you don’t break the ice up, and all you do is chill down the drink.” Shaking is for when you want a cocktail to be light and airy because it has bubbles in it; learning to know which recipe works best with either technique is a fundamental place to start. Also of primary importance, he says, is freshness — what he calls “the foundation of what has changed mixology in the U.S.” There’s no substitute for fresh juice, he asserts. “If somebody’s squeezing fresh juice, it’s mind-blowing what happens to flavor of that cocktail as opposed to a mix.”

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I broke up with my boyfriend last year and then got involved with my current boyfriend. I don’t have contact with my ex, but I hold a grudge against him and get angry when I think about him. It affects my current relationship because I blame my new guy for issues related to my ex. How can I move on for good?

It’s not surprising that the person with whom you spent three years of your life is still on your mind a year later. He’s someone you likely confided in and shared a life with — someone with whom you thought you had a future. I can only speculate that you moved from one relationship to the next far too quickly. When a relationship ends, time is needed to grieve, reflect and process so that issues don’t go unresolved and spill into the next one. Clearly, this is what’s happening with you.

To get over your ex and find closure, take responsibility for your actions. Ask yourself: “How has my behavior and attitude impacted us? If I could go back and do it again, what would I change about myself?” Now is the time to own up to these things.

As long as you continue to view the relationship through an old lens, you’ll continue to be held hostage by the past. The issue here is one of control: A grudge leads to anger and resentment that energizes you, giving the illusion of control. The grudge may also be a way of holding your ex responsible for the downfall of the relationship. To shake this thinking, ask yourself: “Can I change the situation now? What do I gain by holding a grudge a year later? What will I gain by letting go?”

Finally, pretend you’re packing for a trip and you can only bring essential items. Would you take a healthy, positive attitude and a sense of humor or would you pack anger and resentment? The latter will only weigh you down.  Lighten the load by bringing only what’s beneficial to you and your new relationship.

Jonathan Alpert is a licensed psychotherapist and executive coach. His book, “Be Fearless: Change Your Life in 28 Days,” is available now. Email him your questions at jonathan@jonathanalpert.com and follow him on Twitter: @JonathanAlpert.

— Metro does not endorse the opinions of the author, or any opinions expressed on its pages.

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As a freshman at Philadelphia’s Peirce College in Fall 2012, Carlos Johnson Junior expected to be surrounded by a variety of new and interesting classmates. One fellow student in particular took the healthcare information technology student by surprise – his mother, Marketa Johnson. She was inspired by her 19-year-old son’s success at Peirce to earn her B.A. in business administration.

“At first, I thought it was awkward and it caught me off guard,” Carlos Jr. admits. “But after a while, it’s not just about me succeeding, it’s about her succeeding. We work as a team to get things done.”

While the two have yet to be in a class together, they have shared insights on instructors and helped each other with homework. At home, Carlos Jr. has pitched in with housework to lighten Marketa’s load of night courses and nine-hour workdays as a business administrator at UPenn.

“It’s still a little stressful,” Marketa says, “but it eases my mind to know we’re making progress as a team, and we’ll reach our goals.” Marketa selected a concentration in management to compliment her career. Carlos Jr. works as a clerk in a doctor’s office and intends to use his degree from Peirce to work as a chemist in a laboratory.

After more than a decade away from traditional classrooms, Marketa is surrounded by younger students, whom she jokes keep her young. There are also many students older than Marketa, who is “45 and proud.”

Besides professional development, Marketa hopes her experience as a non-traditional student will help others to follow suit. “I want people to know that if someone like me can go back and do it, then anyone can do it.” Marketa decided to finally pursue her college dreams now that Carlos Jr. and her daughter are teenagers: “Now, it’s Mommy time,” she says.

Carlos Johston Jr. catches up on some schoolwork.

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There’s a lot more to summer camp than bunk beds and campfires. Mason Griffin, head of YMCA camps in New York, has the encouraging spirit and enthusiasm that seems to embody everything that camp represents. He answered some of the most common questions that parents have about summer camp.

How can parents choose the right camp for their children?

It’s important for parents to go to the camp and meet the camp director — they should meet the people that will be caring for their child. That’s a great way to make the decision as to whether or not the kid should go to sleepaway camp, actually. Many times, the child will have a reaction that they’re going to have fun and are ready to take the plunge with sleepaway camp after visiting.

What do children take away from camp?

One of the biggest things we do for kids is have them demonstrate that they can learn. They learn that they can develop archery skills, that they can make more baskets in basketball than when they first arrived, that they can climb up a really scary-looking tower and go through their fear. The child may not be doing well in school, but in camps they are taught that you can learn, you can do things that are hard for you. There is very little bullying at a good camp. It’s a really corrective emotional experience.

How can parents decide if day camp or sleepaway camp is the right option?

Often, the child knows what he or she is ready for, so listening to the child is a good idea. Often a precursor is that the child feels secure staying with friends. Does the child have experience sleeping away from home, away from mom and dad? If the child is not comfortable doing that, then they wouldn’t be comfortable at a sleep-away camp just yet.

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As the air conditioners hum and drip, the summer months in New York can be hot enough to send anyone running indoors. Jamie Bilella, president of the North American Association of Summer Sessions — and dean at Montclair State University — says that while beating the heat, students of all types can benefit from summer classes that will round out their schedule and help them achieve their educational goals.

Take on a challenge. It can seem counter-intuitive, but Bilella says summer is an ideal time to tackle that tough course students may have been avoiding. “There may be one course that students are intimidated by, and the summer is an ideal time to take it,” Bilella says. Because students often take fewer courses at a time in the summer months, he says “they can focus all of their energy on that challenge.”

Explore. For students who want to think outside their major, summer can be a great time to do it. Bilella suggests that students who didn’t get into the class they were coveting, or who want to try a new elective outside of their focus of study should think about the summer. Also, if students have a course required for their major that they didn’t get to take during the year, summer sessions can fill that gap so that they can start the fall semester with their degree requirements on track

Get on it. Bilella says the No. 1 mistake people make regarding summer sessions is to miss out on them until later in their academic career. “Unfortunately, freshmen don’t pay attention to the summer offerings until they’re juniors,” he says. “They should recognize the opportunities of summer and winter early on.”

Stay on track. Graduating on time is good for the bottom line — and taking a summer course can help make that happen. “Maybe you’re looking to catch up because you didn’t take a heavy course load for a few semesters, or you want to get ahead to take advantage of a study abroad opportunity or focus on an internship,” he says. “Summer makes it possible to stay on track to graduation.”

The post Making summer matter appeared first on Metro.us.

Dranoff Properties will be adding a new member to the family with Southstar Lofts, a seven-story apartment building in the works on Broad and South streets.

If the Dranoff name sounds familiar, that’s because you’ve seen their billboards or heard about the luxe apartments they have all over the city, from The Left Bank in University City to Venice Lofts in Manayunk.

“This is the crossroads of two of Philadelphia’s most vibrant streets. It’s the gateway to South Street,” says Carl Dranoff, head of the company, when asked why he jumped at this particular location. The Broad Street Line, along with several bus routes, is a few steps away, which is typically a huge draw for city dwellers. For those with wheels, there will be a small underground garage.

But for Dranoff, the Avenue of the Arts location is prime for more than just transit reasons. Southstar is between two of his company’s other (already completed) projects: the apartments at 777 South Broad and Symphony House, a condo building at Broad and Pine. Which is located exactly where you might expect it to be. “Southstar is midway between the two,” says Dranoff. “We’re just connecting the dots, filling in the gaping holes on South Broad with new residential projects.”

It isn’t just 85 new apartments that will plug up those holes; there will be retail space, too. Though he won’t say yet which vendors would be moving into Southstar’s ground floor, Dranoff did let on that there are negotiations happening now. “There will be shops along South Street. It’ll be very food-oriented,” he says. “And expect to have a noteworthy restaurant on the corner that’s glassy, with high ceilings and big windows.”

For those interested in making this their next home, you’ll have to practice patience. The apartments aren’t expected to be move-in ready until August of next year.

Two wheels

If you don’t own a car, the subway and buses aren’t your thing, and walking is out of the question, there’s always the Dranoff bike-share program. “We know that the city is talking about starting a bike share, but we didn’t feel like waiting so we started our own,” says Dranoff. “[Residents] can rent a bike for free for four hours, and it comes with a helmet and a map.”

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The first time Mario set his hefty foot atop a hapless Goomba, the 2-D sidescroller was born. With each passing generation, game designers find new and innovative ways to keep this ancient genre alive. Here are reviews of two brand new sidescrollers that merge the best parts of the last 30 years.

‘Guacamelee!’
Drinkbox Studios
PS3/Vita
4 (out of 5) Globes

This game technically falls into a category called “Metroidvania,” meaning that it owes great allegiance to both “Metroid” and “Castlevania.” This means an open world to explore, with plenty of side-scrolling action. Exploration is rewarded with new moves and abilities, which in turn let you explore new areas to find even more stuff. The perfect addictive cycle!

The hook with “Guacamelee!” is the world, which is set in Mexico and loosely based on the customs surrounding the country’s Day of the Dead celebration. It’s colorful, laugh-out-loud funny and features great controls.

One caveat though: The platforming in this title can be brutal. You may have to time travel and get your 9-year-old self to beat some of the more difficult segments.

“Terraria” plays like internet sensation “Minecraft” in 2-D.
Credit: 505 Games

‘Terraria’
PS3/Xbox/PC
505 Games
5 (out of 5) Globes

Unless you’ve been hiding under an Internet-disabled rock, you have no doubt heard of indie darling “Minecraft.” That game’s mix of action and literal world-building has made its creator one of the most influential, and wealthiest, men in the video game world. “Terraria” takes the randomized, build-anything tomfoolery of “Minecraft” and makes it 2-D. Yeah. It’s as good as it sounds.

“Terraria” is more a brutal, life-changing addiction than a video game (in a good way). Once you enter your randomized world, you’ll be able to explore every nook and cranny at your leisure. And we do mean every nook and cranny. You can dig all the way to Hell and build bridges all the way into space. There’s also plenty of treasure to find and enemies to fight, including some really cool bosses.

The post Sidescroller: 2-D games can still charm the 3-D world appeared first on Metro.us.

Summer camp doesn’t have to be all about yarn crafts and popsicle sticks. Your kids don’t have to travel to a sprawling forest or be devoured by mosquitoes to have a memorable summer camp experience. These unique day camps cater to a variety of interests and take place right here in NYC.

Walk the catwalk at Fashion Camp NYC

This week-long intensive day camp is designed for teen fashionistas. Campers learn the ins and outs of the retail industry from experts working in design, merchandising and more. The week includes seminars, group projects and field trips.
Starts July 15. Fashioncampnyc.com

Rawk out at Girls Rock! Camp
This all-girls music camp features performances by working musical artists and workshops on topics ranging from songwriting to DJing. The philosophy encourages experimentation and collaboration with other campers.
Starts July 29. http://williemaerockcamp.org

Build a robot butler (maybe) at Brooklyn Robot Foundry
Week-long courses teach young scientists how to build and use robots. Activities vary based on interest and age, but robots are a sure bet. Starts June 12. http://brooklynrobotfoundry.com

Shape up at Exerblast
This high-tech adventure day camp combines fitness with gadgets. Kids design their own obstacle courses, solve puzzles, and rack up points to cash in for prizes.
Starts June 6. www.exerblast.org

Nerd out hardcore at Backpacks and Binoculars
A camp for lively urban explorers ages 5 – 10. Campers travel through all five NYC boroughs, visit major cultural institutions and parks, and embark on walking tours in a variety of neighborhoods. Activities throughout the week focus on STEM education.
Starts June 13. www.backpacksandbinoculars.com

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You may have noticed a few renovations taking place in Fairmount. Among them are the adjacent multi-family buildings at 21st and Spring Garden. The crew at Loonstyn Properties, also responsible for fixing up and renting out several buildings in the Fairmount and Art Museum area, has been working to turn the charming buildings into one bedroom rentals designed for the young professionals that continue to move into the neighborhood.

Bill Loonstyn, president of the property company, will be the first to tell you that 2101 and 2103 Spring Garden St., though classic in their design, were both crying out for attention.

“They are two great buildings in a terrific location, but they were in need of restoration,” says Loonstyn. “We are leveling the floors, repairing any structural deficiencies, replacing the mechanical systems and installing all high-end finishes in order to bring the buildings back to their former glory.”

That “former glory” dates way, way back, like many of the city’s homes. We’re talking 1800s. A home that old is full of character and, in more cases than not, flaws. Loonstyn Properties has been working to keep the buildings’ historic vibe while sbringing everything up to par for renters.

“We’re cleaning and fixing the building exteriors and installing all new windows, new HVAC, plumbing, electrical and roofing systems, new hardwood floors, appliances, cabinets, and bathrooms,” Loonstyn says. It’s a laundry list of upgrades to complete, but Loonstyn seems to have things well underway. The expected completion date is August.

That date works perfectly for the area’s burgeoning enclave of grad students, yet doesn’t leave out the young professionals who can walk to work in Center City.

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The job application process is shifting due to applicant tracking systems, which are online résumé aggregators that most midsize to large nonprofit and corporate entities use to weed through candidates. Trudy Steinfeld, assistant vice president and executive director of the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development, helps you navigate the new system.

Talk to the robots (mostly)

Do: Maximize keyword searching
“Say they’re looking for a candidate who’s detailed, can communicate and is a good editor,” Steinfeld says. “When they get résumés, they’ll search the system for those keywords. If you don’t have those words on your résumé, even if those skills are displayed differently, your résumé is likely not to be identified.”
Don’t: Go overboard
“I recently heard an interesting story: There were 10 openings in this company and one person’s résumé was identified with every keyword search, though the jobs were completely different. The candidate included keywords for every job, made the text white [so it was disguised] and put the résumé over [that text]. They tossed the résumé when they learned of the stunt.

Numbers game: quantify your results
“If you’ve worked on a project and there are quantifiable results, provide the numbers,” she says. “Employers are into analytics; having an actual measure of your success can really help. Say you want to be a fundraiser. If the organization that currently employs you was taking in $1 million a year when you arrived, and now brings in $1.5 million a year, say that. People are results-oriented.

Old is new: Send a fax
“Especially when applying to small organizations, fax your résumé. Most offices still have a machine and — guess what? — it never rings,” Steinfeld says. “I’ve noticed that in my own office, when the fax machine rings, people wonder, ‘What could that be?’ It could be your résumé. It sounds crazy, but the reality is, I test this out all the time with employers and they say, ‘Yeah, if I get a résumé over the fax machine, I’m curious.’ Say, ‘I also sent this online, but I wanted to make sure it got into your hands.’”

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Mobile job search apps, which enable you to apply for a position from your phone, are popping up all over. Major search sites like Monster and Career Builder offer an app that lets you to browse postings, update your status and apply right from your phone. But is all this technology making the search for a new job easier, or is it just one more thing to keep track of?

According to Luis Salazar, more mobile application programs would mean a greater chance at job placement for many hourly workers. Salazar is co-founder and CEO of Jobaline, a mobile platform that connects job-seekers with companies. “The hourly workers, which are 59 percent of our economy, are especially left behind,” says Salazar.

“These important workers often either lack Internet access or only access the Web using mobile phones. When we bridge the gap by providing mobile recruitment tools that address job search needs, workers and employers alike will have the ability to find a better fit.”

Companies that create an app need to focus on keeping it concise and user-friendly. “A well-designed mobile recruitment system can reduce the amount of time and effort necessary for a candidate to apply, leading to higher application rates and fewer orphaned applications,” explains Mahe Bayireddy, CEO of iMomentous, a mobile talent recruiter.

“By integrating with DropBox, Google Drive, and social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn, applying for a job through mobile can be simple. Forms that once took upward of 20 minutes to complete can be automatically pulled from existing profiles,” Bayireddy says. Like so many other technological advances, if you’re not keeping up with the times, you’re falling behind.

“Five years from now, it’s impossible for us to imagine a world where most job searches and applications will not happen through a mobile device,” says Proven’s CEO, Pablo Fuentes. Proven is a job search app that lets users send résumés to job sites. “Today, people are doing banking, travel, and taxes on their phone. Tomorrow, mobile will be the standard for job searches.” Julia west

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Take it seriously
Treat your online profile as a professional asset and determine if it positions you the way you want it to. Google yourself often and see what the world sees when they look for you.

Commit to a professional online persona
You will be judged by what you post and what others do, too. Select a professional voice and spell-check your postings. Don’t post or say anything online that you wouldn’t want your grandmother or boss to see.

Monitor
Sign up for free, no-obligation alerts on a site that manages online reputations. Enter your name or other keywords and be alerted when potentially damaging materials are posted about you. At Reputation Changer, the technology crawls the “deep Web” going beyond what search engines look at to see what dangers may exist.

Take proactive control
Commit to ensuring that the entire first page of Google’s search results for your name or your company bring up websites or pages that you control.

1. Even a site like Yelp or Wikipedia portrays you in a particular way, so make sure you control the message.
2. Set your Facebook privacy settings so that nobody can tag you in a picture without your approval. Review the privacy settings of all the social media sites you use.
3.  Create online assets using your exact personal and/or company name as the title (such as .com or .net). Use social media profiles and free blogs. Update and post to these pages consistently. The volume of activity required depends on how prominent you are. The more prominent you are, the more active you must be.

Prepare for the worst and react fast
Proactively build up some messages that you can release if a negative news story breaks. If you believe that people may post negative or embarrassing things about you, try to head it off, but expect that you cannot. Once it is out there you can only react to it. If you need to apologize, do that, but don’t debate online because it drags out the conversation. Shift the conversation to the things that you want people to focus on.

By the numbers
70 percent of U.S. companies say that they have disqualified candidates based on what they find online about them. By 2014, 53 percent of all retail sales (online and offline) will be influenced by the more than 1.6 trillion searches conducted per year.

— These tips were compiled by Michael Zammuto, president of Reputation Changer, a company that helps people manage their online personas.

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In the aftermath of the attack on the Boston Marathon last Monday many people – both in Boston and across the nation – were left with questions. What can we do to help those affected? What can we do to begin to ease the pain and loss caused by an event that we still do not – and may never – understand?

This drive to help – to combat the darkness with light – mobilized businesses and individuals alike to set up foundations, throw benefit shows and events, and donate what they could to the countless funds for the victims that sprang up in swift response to the visceral call to action the tragedy spurred. One such business is Ctrl Alt Design, a Boston-based creative agency that specializes in graphic design, branding, and experimental marketing. Robert McElaney – Ctrl Alt Design’s creative director – designed an image representing his love for Boston that became the logo for their line of “Boston Love” t-shirts, sold on their website for a limited time only.

The screen-printed tees (the design is printed on American Apparel or Bella cotton shirts) feature a simple yet evocative image of a large red heart, the top arcs of which form Boston’s skyline. Ctrl Art Design is donating all proceeds of the shirt’s sales to One Fund Boston, a non-profit organization set up by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to benefit those most affected by the attack.

“When the tragedy struck, witnessing all the pain and confusion, I felt compelled to create something to convey not only strength, but also compassion, something to bring people together,” said McElaney of the inspiration for his design. “While walking across the Mass Ave Bridge, and viewing the skyline, it hit me.”

As of 5 pm on Sunday, April 21 they’d already sold 267 t-shirts, raising roughly $2,400. It’s an impressive figure, one that speaks to the power of community in Boston, considering the fact that a brief post plugging the shirts appeared on Ctrl Alt Design’s website just two days earlier. McElaney said that the response has been overwhelming, so much so that they’ve extended their campaign through May 1. “We had a lot of people asking [me] to make sure they had the option [to buy] through the week, until they get paid,” he said. “Which somewhat blows my mind. Paycheck to paycheck and still wanting to give…Boston is awesome.”

The positive response to “Boston Love” reflects the anthem the city has adopted following the Marathon attack: ‘Boston Strong.’ “I moved to Boston in my early 20s from the suburbs, roughly 15 years ago. During that time, I’ve been lucky enough to meet a wide range of friends and acquaintances,” said McElaney. “Over time, some have moved out of state, some out of the country. When a tragedy like this strikes they all have responded with care, strength and support. Boston is what ties us all together. That’s what ‘Boston Strong’ means to me.”

“Boston Love” tees can be purchased at ctrla.lt/design or teespring.com for $18. All proceeds benefit onefundboston.org.

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