Shillings and Sen$e: Use FreeFile, save on tax prep costs

03/20/12 00:00 AM

By Mark Agnew, magnew@smu.edu  The deadline to file income taxes, April 17, is less than a month away. If you haven’t filed your income tax return, it’s time to stop procrastinating and get with it. The IRS offers FreeFile, a free service to file your taxes online for individuals with adjusted gross income of $57,000 or less. For many individuals, income won’t come close to the $57,000 AGI limit. By now you should have all the paperwork you need to prepare the return. Gather your W2 forms and other paperwork now to get that return filed. The sooner you file, the soon you can get that potential refund. You can choose from a variety of software options included in the Free File Alliance, but each company has certain criteria to use their software so...

Graduation Guru: How Facebook Timeline can make (or break) your job search

03/08/12 22:34 PM

Meghan Sikkel, msikkel@smu.edu  Now that you’ve chosen your career path, it’s time to take action. But before you start applying for your dream job, some spring-cleaning is in order. No, I don’t mean that kind of cleaning. I mean online spring-cleaning. Employers are relying on the Web now more than ever for the application process, which is why it’s important to clean up your online profile before embarking on the job hunt. The most obvious place to start is Facebook, where job seekers have become especially vulnerable with the implementation of Timeline (no longer optional in a few weeks). And with the new layout come new rules. Deleting incriminating pictures and removing obscene content from Facebook is not enough to keep employers happy with the...

Mustang Sports: The importance of championships

03/06/12 18:29 PM

Brooke Williamson, kbwilliamson@smu.edu   It is championship season, in basketball that is. A season when Sports Center Top 10 is lit up with the most outstanding plays from what some consider the most important time of a season-championship season. Teams have worked through holidays, traveled to tournaments, suffered through tough losses and celebrated the most poignant wins. In our own backyard, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will make their appearance at the Conference USA Championship in Memphis, Tenn. The teams will board a plane to Memphis, Tenn. taking with them the regular season lessons learned from team meetings, practices and games. Championships are played at the end of a season for a reason. This may seem almost obsolete to...

Police Blotter: Leap Day

03/06/12 18:21 PM

By Mackenzie O'Hara, mohara@smu.edu    SMU PD spent  Leap Day responding to reports of shots being fired — paint ball shots that is. According to the SMU PD crime log a student reported paint balls being shot at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house at 11:12 p.m. Feb. 28 was also a busy day for police: • A staff member reported theft of a pair of Nike cleats sometime between 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 and 8 a.m. Feb. 28. • 1:27 p.m. on Feb. 28 reports of illegal use of a handicapped placard were filed in the commuter lot of 3100 University Blvd. A student was referred to the Student Conduct Office for using an expired handicapped placard. • Later at 9:58 p.m. a student was arrested, booked into University Park jail and referred...

Shillings and Sen$e: How not to go spring ‘broke’ on break

03/06/12 18:16 PM

Mark Agnew, magnew@smu.edu    Spring break is only a few days away. Let’s face it — you already look as good as you’re going to look in that swim suit, but you still have a chance whip your pocketbook into shape. Here are a few tips to ensure you don’t overspend. If you are taking a road trip, be sure to carpool and maximize the number of people in the car. It’s simple division — if you have more people in your car, you can divvy up the gas cost among friends. Be sure to use free apps like GasBuddy to help you find the cheapest gasoline. If you’re staying in a beach house, buying groceries to cooking meals is another way to cut costs. It is also more cost efficient to cook for a group of people. Also, bringing or...