Last Day to Register for Presidential PrimaryThe City of Boston’s Board of Election Commissioners is reminding college and university students that Jan. 16 the last day to register to vote to take part in the Presidential Primary on Feb. 5. The Boston Election Department will be open until 8 p.m. on Jan. 16 to accommodate last-minute registrants. Mail-in registration forms can be found at many libraries, community centers and health centers. A mail-in registration form can also be found on the BED web site, www.cityofboston.gov/elections. Students who want to check their voting status online can do so by visiting the BED web site and clicking on “Voter Registration Search.” Questions about voting status or polling locations can be directed to BED at 617-635-3767.
Fourth Annual SoWa Holiday MarketSoWa’s Cathedral High School, located in Boston’s arts and media district, will be transformed into a holiday marketplace on Dec. 8 and 9 and feature 75 artisans from around New England. Some South End stores, restaurants and neighborhood galleries will be open in conjunction with the Holiday Market, offering special discounts. “Lola,” a new publication for women by The Boston Globe, sponsors this year’s show. The South End Holiday Market admission is $5, with free parking. For directions and a list of vendors, visit www.southendholidaymarket.com.
A Textbook Black MarketBookThief, a web site founded by two Central Michigan University alumni, hopes to force college bookstores to compete based on price-locally, at each campus. BookThief hopes to give students a viable alternative to buying and selling textbooks at their campus bookstores, offering classified-style listings for 99 cents. BookThief also allows students to list and buy furniture, lofts and appliances, and post ads for leasing and subleasing apartments. With the cost of textbooks having risen at twice the rate of inflation over the last two decades, BookThief hopes to help students avoid the cost and time associated with buying online or in their college bookstore. For more information, visit www.bookthief.com.
Opportunities, Not Money, Drive for Business StudentsWhen choosing their first employer, college business students want career opportunities, not salary and benefits, according to a survey conducted by KPMG LLP, the audit, tax and advisory firm. In the KPMG survey of 2,409 business students from colleges across the country, 57 percent said that career opportunities would be their primary consideration when choosing an employer, followed by 22 percent who said work/life balance. Only 12 percent felt that the salary and benefits package would be their primary consideration. Additionally, 65 percent think they will be more financially successful than their parents.