Skip to main content

Flickr celebrates milestone with photo walks

By WTOP Staff

WASHINGTON — Flickr, a popular photo sharing social network, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this week. To celebrate the milestone, users across the world participated in a global photo shoot featuring 1,000 people in 20 countries, according to Flickr.

Cindy Li, a product designer with Flickr, says people across the world were taking part in a global photo shoot Sunday to celebrate Flickr’s 10th birthday.

“There’s one in New Zealand, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, [and] India,” in addition to Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, says Cindy Li, a product designer for Flickr.

“As part of Flickr’s 10-year anniversary, we thought we’d open up the cemetery and give people a unique opportunity to capture the sunrise from Arlington National Cemetery,” says Jennifer Lynch, a spokeswoman for Arlington National Cemetery.

At 5 a.m. Sunday, cars were lined up on both sides of Memorial Avenue outside of the cemetery.

Lynch says the cemetery is inundated with requests from amateur and professional photographers, so it was a no-brainer to become part of the Flickr photo shoot. She says about 115 people signed up ahead of time: “And you can see from all the cars, they showed up.”

Outside of the cemetery, those who wanted to capture the sunrise from the “Tomb of the Unknown Solider” lined up on the left side of Memorial Avenue. Those who wanted to take pictures from the “Arlington House” lined up on the right side of the street.

Laurie Owens from Fairfax was heading to Arlington House for the sunrise. But she says she isn’t really a Flickr follower. Owens says, “More of a fan of the cemetery and as well as just seeing the sunrise of the city.”

Cathy Underwood, who isn’t a Flickr follower either, captured the moment at the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.” The shutter bugs here got a two-fer: The sunrise and the changing of the guard. Underwood, from Largo, Maryland says, “It was actually really wonderful to see the sunrise and see the changing of the guard at the same time.”

For Pamela Sullivan Pond being here was extra special since both of her parents are buried at Arlington. She says,” It’s pretty amazing to see all the people that have come to see all this. And in fact I couldn’t sleep last night because I just couldn’t wait to get here to see all this. “Wow this is phenomenal,” she says about the view while stopping in-between taking pictures. And adds, “It’s a pretty unique experience and I’ve never been in here this time of morning. I just see sheer beauty.”

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on the WTOP Facebook page.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote