Feeling "Lost"?
OK. I'll admit it. I'm addicted to TV. Well, really to TiVo. By the time I get to start watching TV, given the busy life of an MIT administrator, it usually isn't until at least 10:30 or so, and then I am up till 1:00 or 2:00 watching whatever catches my eye.
This year, my “not-to-miss” show has to be “Lost.” For those of you who haven't seen it or haven't heard about it, the premise is this: an airplane crash-lands on a deserted (?) island somewhere 1000s of miles off course and the survivors have to battle themselves, the island, and the monster on the island to survive. Kind of Survivor meets Gilligan's Island meets The Twilight Zone. I have to say, I am riveted to the TV for this show. Created by JJ Abrams, who is also the creator of “Alias”, it is tightly-written, suspenseful, and gripping.
I don't want the reveal; I don't want to know what the monster is in actuality, or why the paralyzed man can now walk, or whether Jack's father is dead or alive. I want to maintain the mystery.
Interesting, since my purpose in keeping this blog (as well as I can) is to dispel the mystery.
I am Director of Financial Aid here at MIT, a position I have held for the past two and 1/2 years. This is a great place to work, and I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to be a student here, but my role is to be a part of the mystery behind helping families pay for the cost of MIT. I have a wonderful group of peers and colleagues in Student Financial Services who work to make sure that we do the best we can to help families afford the expense of MIT.
But sometimes I wonder if students get lost. If they think of the financial aid process kind of like the deserted island, full of pitfalls and unseen monsters. (OK am I stretching the metaphor too far here?).
So this blog will kind of be a “what do I need to know now” guide along with my rantings and ravings on whatever subject seems to be around and about. Feel free to engage me in dialogue, although if you want your conversation with me to be private, please email me at barkowit at mit dot edu (expressed this way to avoid spam).
Looking forward to seeing how this season turns out, and hoping that you too will find your way out.