As I sat in the third row, hearing the magnificent and enchanting voice of one of my biggest role models, it was hard to imagine a day that went perfectly according to plan. But like my role model said, “When it looks like the sun won’t shine anymore…God put a rainbow in the clouds.

Even before Tasha Taylor completed her education at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., three years ago, she was determined to be a social worker.

She had watched her mother heroically raise six children after losing a business in her 40s, and Taylor wanted to help welfare recipients rebuild their lives the way her mother had.

This Christmas season, Sarah Kelly, Salve Regina University’s community service coordinator, had the important job of decorating the Christmas tree in Miley Hall’s lobby. It is not garland or a star on top that makes this tree so special. It is the 250 tags, adorned with the names of needy children, that hang from its branches.

With all the presents that come due each December, no one’s going to complain if you set an upper limit of $20 for certain gifts.

Well, not to your face, anyway.

And with some serious sleuthing at great discount stores like Loehmann’s, Marshalls and Ross, it’s not likely they’ll be able to tell the difference.

Like many other college students I sat haplessly at my computer, Thursday night, trying to research my English paper. In my attempts to get to www.google.com, I reloaded the page about seven times and in dire frustration, shut off my computer after about a half hour of unsuccessfully trying.