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Anneliese: Summer Reads So Far

As a working girl this summer, I have an hour commute to and from the office. A lot of people would complain about the travel time, but I don’t mind because I don’t have to drive; instead, I take the commuter train that drops me off a quick seven minute walk away from WXPN, where I’m interning (see my previous blog for details!). I love taking the train for the following reasons: I’m not required to be awake during the ride–yay for not risking falling asleep at the wheel!; there’s excellent people watching (I’m looking at you, lovely bearded man with a penchant for plaid); and, when I’m not catching up on sleep or checking people out, I have ample reading time. Seriously, I haven’t had this much time for pleasure reading since high school.

For those of you searching for a good read for your own morning commutes–or for the beach, you lucky kids!–check out what I’ve read so far this summer:

1) Nobody’s Perfect: Billy Wilder, a Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler

I received my first introduction to Billy Wilder in my junior year of high school when my film studies teacher showed us Some Like It Hot, Sunset Boulevard, and Stalag 17. Wilder instantly won me over with his quick-witted dialogue, deep understanding of human nature, and original stories. I’m not a huge fan of biographies (I actually think this is the first one I’ve ever finished), but I sped through Mr. Wilder’s in a couple of days. The biography commences with Billy’s humble beginnings growing up as a Jew in Galicia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and moves through his extraordinary career one film at a time. The biography is written through Billy’s own words, as he recounts his tales to Chandler, and is bolstered by the memories of some of Old Hollywood’s greatest stars–Groucho Marx, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Gloria Swanson among them. Billy Wilder was an incredible filmmaker and led such a colorful life. The biography is a must-read for all film buffs, but would be enjoyable for and accessible to even the most casual reader.

2) Fargo Rock City by Chuck Klosterman

I’ve been a longtime fan of Chuck Klosterman, having read Chuck IV; Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs; Killing Yourself to Live; and Downtown Owl over the years. He’s probably one of the most politically incorrect, yet hilarious and intelligent writers I’ve ever read. Fargo Rock City has been sitting on my shelf for the past four years, but I had never gotten around to reading it because it didn’t interest me at all; the topic of the book is social commentary about hard rock–specifically metal–framed by Klosterman’s memoir of growing up as a metalhead in rural North Dakota. Sure, a fair amount of the metal references soar so far over my head, but this is a book I can enjoy purely for style and voice. I received multiple dirty looks while sitting in the quiet ride car of the train and chuckling at phrases like, “That leads us back to Ozzy Osbourne, who was rarely boring and usually hilarious. At various times in his career, Ozzy has behaved like a satanic pope.”

3) A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Fire & Ice, Book 5) by George R.R. Martin

Yes, I’m one of those awful people who reads Game of Thrones. I don’t even know what to tell you about this book, other than it’s just under 1000 pages, and I read it in a week. So, yeah, it was really good. Martin’s series is so much better than its HBO counterpart (but that’s always the case for book-to-tv/film adaptations); the show skims only the surface of Martin’s highly complex world, and that’s a shame because it’s in the tiny details of his plot that we uncover the most intriguing mysteries. C’mon, there is almost two months of summer left–you have time to catch up!

4) L’ecume des Jours (Foam of the Daze/Froth on the Daydream/Mood Indigo) by Boris Vian

I ordered this book on Amazon for two reasons: 1) The novel is the source material for Michel Gondry’s (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Science of Sleep) new film, and 2) As a French minor, I wanted to keep in practice over the summer. The book is a surrealist work and tells the story of Colin, a wealthy and extravagant young man, who marries Chloé, the woman of his dreams. The couple should live happily ever after, except Chloé falls ill while on their honeymoon, as a water lily begins growing in her lungs. The novel mocks existential ideologies (Vian loathed Sartre) and is full of double entendres and wordplay. Between the dense content and my shoddy knowledge of the French language, it’s slow slow going, but I’m really enjoying the novel. I’ll probably read it in English after I finish the French version to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I’m super stoked to see Gondry’s film adaptation with Romain Duris and Audrey Tautou! (Check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4HIAwI4irs)

Steph: Never Lose Contact

Hey everyone! I hope all of you are having an amazing summer so far. It's SO weird to think that two years ago, I had already gone to Orientation and was anxiously awaiting Freshman Move-In.

Two years later, here I am, back in Miami. Only this time, I have a really awesome internship instead of just hanging out by the pool all day. Well...okay, I'm still hanging out by the pool a lot.

This summer, I'm working as a Production Intern at Zimmerman Advertising in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. As a production intern, I spend my days in the studio, which at Zimmerman is known as StudioZ. This internship has been a really ideal situation for me, since I'm majoring in Film/TV and minoring in Advertising. This way, I get to combine both my interests! I've been putting a lot of my Final Cut Pro skills to use, creating video bases for TV spots. I've also been learning a ton of After Effects, which is the program that creates awesome animations and graphics...essentially Photoshop, but for video. It's super intense and overwhelming, but hopefully by the end of the summer I'll be a pro!

I wouldn't have this awesome internship if it weren't for the connections I've made at COM over the last two years. During my internship search in the spring, I decided to meet with Professor Cakebread, whom I had for Introduction to Advertising the semester before. Since I met with him extensively during the class, I figured he would be a good person to talk to because he knows the advertising world, as well as what kind of experience I was looking for. He got me in contact with a BU alum who was working at Zimmerman, and the rest is history!

The moral of the story is, never lose contact with those that help you along the way. Professor Cakebread was a great teacher and really helped me out in that class, and helped me out now with landing an internship! Don't be afraid to reach out to these people--they are there to help, and, they really do love to see their students succeed. Keep all of this in mind as you start to prepare for your first year at BU!

Lauren: Work & Fun, but Mostly Fun!

Hi COM kiddies! Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer! To COM2015 & COM2016- I can't wait until I get to see you guys back on campus! And to COM2017? Welcome to BU! Get ready for the time of your life!

While I'm anxious to get back on campus and start my senior year (NOOO I never want to graduate!), I'm having the best time in Boston this summer! I'm subletting an amazing apartment in Coolidge Corner, and it's been quite different than living on campus! I'm also cooking for myself for the very first time, which has definitely been a "trial and error" sort of experience, but I love it!

I've actually had my summer planned out for a while. Since February, I knew that I'd be interning full time and singing a cappella for fun on the side. It seemed like an ideal situation: mostly work, and a little bit of fun.

But the second I walked into Digitas and started my internship at this amazing advertising agency, I knew that, while it was going to be long hours, late nights and tough work, it was also going to be TONS of fun! The company has a fantastic internship program! The interns get to enjoy bonding activities (like Red Sox games), training sessions, community service days & more! We're also working on an internship project and growing really close as an intern class. Plus, they have many great past interns who now work at the company (like our very own Tiffany!)

The best part is that no day is exactly the same. You've got to be on your A-game if you're working at an agency, because it's very fast-paced and exciting. There's never a dull moment at Digitas, and I wouldn't have it any other way. And, although I've only been there for three weeks, I've already learned so much. I know I'm always writing about how important internships are, but I really mean it. No textbook or lecture can teach you this stuff! It's an experience like no other.

But I only get to add on to the fun this summer by being in B Line Breakdown, the summer a cappella group at BU! Comprised of singers from many of BU's a cappella groups, we spend our time together bopping and harmonizing to some really cool jams! It's a great way to bond with my fellow Terriers over our love of a cappella. There's nothing quite like being surrounded by people who share the same passion as you!

I feel so lucky that I'm able to do two things that I truly, deeply love. My challenge for you all this summer is to find your own perfect balance between work and fun. But maybe, if you're lucky, you'll find that your work, and your fun, are the same thing!

Kevin: When in Doubt, Talk it Out

If it’s anything worth saying, don’t say it over text. Obviously email and texting is great and helps us all stay in touch, but can also be very unclear.

This summer I’m doing an internship with Crisis Response Journal, a magazine based out of the UK that deals with disasters and emergencies around the world. Last week I went down to NYC to meet with the editor, Emily Hough, who was incredibly helpful and nice. Until then we had only talked over Skype and email, and getting to meet her in person was great. We were able to cover things in just a few minutes that would’ve taken dozens of emails to talk about, really making me a firm believer that if something is important, talking it out in person is more than worthwhile. Over email, sending lots of questions can get overwhelming, but being able to ask her about little things in person and bring up specific things on the computer I had questions about made me feel much more confident that we were on the same page.

That being said, sometimes email is unavoidable, so another lesson I’ve learned is to take time writing your emails! Read through it a few times and try to make it as clear and concise as possible, so that you don’t have to waste the next few emails clarifying!

Can’t wait to meet COM 2017 in the fall, hope you guys have an awesome summer! Enjoy orientation!

Kaitlin: A Yoga Summer

It’s been quite the busy summer, and I really love it! I spent the entire month of May in San Francisco completing my second yoga teacher training and it was absolutely the best experience I’ve ever undergone. I learned a ton and truly began to step into myself as a teacher! Now I’m back home on Long Island teaching several classes a week and even leading some Stand Up Paddleboarding tours on the Sound! I know, my life is paradise.

But perhaps the coolest part of my summer is that I get to do some public relations work for my home yoga studio! As some of you may already know, an internship is required for all PR majors, so I decided to apply what I’ve learned to a job that I know I’d love. I talked to my boss about potential PR work that I could do for her business, got it approved with Professor Quigley, and voilà- the most ideal summer job. Not only am I in an environment I’m quite obsessed with, but I’m also adding a lot of experience and material to my resume and portfolio while earning college credit!

So, you might have a ton of time before you even want to think about interning (and that’s okay), but when you do, make sure you work hard to settle into a place that you’ll know you’ll enjoy working in. Here are a few things I considered when finding my internship spots:

1. Am I interested in the work that is being done? For me, deciding on this internship was easy. I’m a yoga teacher, and I love yoga, so it was pretty much fate. You might not get this lucky all the time, but seek opportunities that you really want to get involved in!

2. Does this agency/business/etc align with my ethics? It’s really important to try to work at a place that not only does business you’re interested in, but one that does it in a way that you’ll be proud to be a part of. Make sure you agree with the work you’re going to get yourself into!

3. Will I get paid? I know no one really likes to talk about money, because it’s awkward and you want to prove to a supervisor or boss that you’re so passionate about your work that you’d be willing to do it for free, but alas it is really important. Value yourself as a worker, and recognize that you deserve to be valued by other people. Of course, it’s not so common for internships to be paid, but if you can find one that you’re interested and is in line with your ethics, go for it.

No matter what you get into for a job or internship, do your work and do it well. Really use everything you learn in class and apply it! Your hard work will be recognized, and there’s no way you’d regret it.

Jon: Hello, World!

These two words are the first thing every programmer learns how to make a computer say. Just a simple print statement declaring that the system exists. A pertinent thought to consider in regards to my summer internship at Facebook.

Facebook is dominated by hacker culture, something born from computer engineers and their love of tinkering and creating. However, hacking is a mindset, and as such is not restricted to any one discipline.

The idea of hacking is to take an idea, and to make it happen as quickly as possible. It doesn’t require long brainstorming sessions. It doesn’t require regular team meetings. It doesn’t require high-level business planning and strategy.

What it takes is a willingness to fail.

Not every hack works, but the lessons learned are often far more useful than the actual product. Hacking teaches teamwork, efficiency, determination and creativity. Hacker culture and Facebook as a company are governed by a mantra of “Done is better than good”. All of these skills are needed to stick to that creed, and to make something be done.

Once it’s finished, you can always make it better. Just make sure the product ships.

I intern on the Direct Sales Operations team, a team of Facebookers that handle ad sales with the biggest advertisers on the platform: clients like P&G, Verizon and American Express. I don’t even come close to looking at code. But we still hack.

Hacking is a labor of love, tenacity and optimism. The rapid ideation and creation involved might create 99 pieces of crap, but the sheer joy of that 1 in 100 masterpiece is worth it.

Every day I feel like I’m learning something new, but if there are two things I’m going to take away from this summer, they are these:

1) Don’t be afraid to fail and/or break something

2) Creating something decent is better than not making something great

I hope you’re all having a great summer, and I look forward to bringing everything I learn this summer back with me in the Fall. In the meantime, get to the beach, enjoy some sun, and keep COM!

Cheers,

Jon

Jason: Summer In Production

It's summer! Well at least it almost is for you all right? We're already coming up on a month of our summer vacation and it has been an incredible month for me.

I'm currently working at a company called Spy Pond Productions. Spy Pond is a documentary production company that has produced films for PBS, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel. The name might not mean much, but let me tell you what I've gotten to do and you might be a little more excited.

The company is making a film about James Baker (wiki him to find out more) and my role as a (paid) production assistant has mostly been to research material for the film and assist with interviews for the film. And now I have to name drop here because there's just no way around it. Three weeks ago I was in NY to help out with our interview with former President Clinton. Last Friday I was in NY again to help out with our interview with Lesley Stahl.

In a few weeks I'll start work at the Academy of Media Production (AMP) as the Co-program coordinator. For those of you who don't know, AMP is a four week long summer program that explores all areas of film and television. I graduated from the program in '09 so I'm really excited to be able to work as one of the camp leaders this summer.

In addition to that I've also been hired by the Skating Club of Boston to produce a few different video projects for them! This has already been an awesome experience, learning how to work with clients and create completely original content based off their needs.

What have you got planned for the summer? Tweet me @jasonkashdan and let me know!

Hannah: Summer Spins

If you’re anything like me your ‘relaxing final summer’ is more of a whirlwind of packing, goodbyes, family vacations, and more packing. Orientation just became one of the added stressors of last summer, so here’s a few things that will hopefully help put you at ease.

First off, you don’t have to meet your best friends at orientation and figure out every single person you’re going to speak to for the next four years. If you do congrats, if you don’t, you’re not alone. Orientation is so jam packed with information and just getting your feet wet at BU that it can be a lot to take in. Don’t get me wrong, play the ice breakers, be social, and make some connections, but also use it as a time to get familiar with your surroundings and answer some of the bigger questions you still have. There will be plenty of time to make all kinds of friends when you get there this fall.

It also doesn’t hurt to do a little research on the Boston University website so you have some idea of what classes you’ll want to take first semester. Before you get too stressed out, there’s going to be tons of expert counselors to walk you through it as well. Be ready for your language placement tests if you’re hoping to skip through some of the beginner courses as well. It doesn’t hurt to take a quick review of some of your old high school notes from Spanish, German, or etc.

I realize this can sound a bit overwhelming, but trust me, it all works out. For my own orientation, I spiked a fever the morning I arrived at the dorms, which followed me through the next forty-eight hours spent on campus. I still arranged a pretty clutch schedule, answered a few last minute questions, and got an idea of what the upcoming fall would feel like. I was feeling less than social and I probably didn’t look like the most approachable person either, but even I managed to meet a few people that really helped me get my footing at school in the fall. Even if you don’t have a ton in common, it’s just nice to know someone who’s in your same shoes. If I survived, so will you and in the mean time just try to enjoy some nice weather with family and friends.

As for myself, coming home for the summer seemed like a really great idea when I left for college last fall, but after having spent two semesters at Boston, coming home then sounded a little less than appealing. I would much rather relocate my family and friends to Boston than relocate myself--and a years worth of clothes back-- home. Yet here I am, one month later, home at last.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, my hometown, is a suburban soccer mom’s paradise, which also means it’s a college kids nightmare. After racing through my summer to do list (gathering furniture for my apartment next year, making job plans for next fall since I’m also a broke college kid, finally setting up a LinkedIn profile and all that important nonsense that feels more like busy work than actual work) I am finally shipping out of Lancaster. Long story short, my roommate and I were both in the same boat for this summer and miraculously pieced together a summer trip throughout Europe that wouldn’t make us too much broker than we already were and would still offer us an escape from our hometowns before we were too burnt out on summer. So in two weeks I’m shipping out to Madrid and that’s my plan for the next couple of weeks till I have to come home in August and repack everything I just finished unpacking.

Anneliese: Resisting Temptation at WXPN

A couple of days ago at my internship, I was organizing the mail when I came across the yet-to-be-released Sigur Rós album, sent from the band’s label. I was so tempted to pop it into my computer and give it a listen before anyone else, but (being the conscientious worker I am), I dropped it into the proper box, consoling myself with the fact that I had at least seen it before anyone else and that I’d probably be able to pluck it from the freebies bin a couple of weeks after it dropped.

That’s not the only temptation I’ve faced at my internship. Oh no, there are plenty more. For one, I had to resist the urge to storm Joshua Radin’s tour bus when we had to very kindly ask his driver to please move it so that Portugal. The Man could unload their van. I then had to restrain myself from begging Portugal. The Man for autographs as I guided them into Elvis (our largest studio) and assisted during soundcheck. (At least I got to witness them autograph our studio wall!)

I’ve also had to practice self-control when typing up scripts for the World Café because all I want to do is Google each and every new artist I come across and see how I like their music. In that situation, I tell myself that I will get to hear the songs when I log the World Café shows in two days time and I force myself onto my next task.

I guess I should place these temptations into context, so you can follow me. This summer, I'm a World Café Programming intern at WXPN, a public radio station based in Philadelphia. The cool part about my internship is that I'm not an intern solely for the station itself, but for the World Café program, which is produced at WXPN and aired nationally via NPR affiliates. On the show, host David Dye interviews various artists and has them perform some songs live in the studio. So far this summer, I've seen Portugal. The Man, La Santa Cecilia, Big Country, KT Tunstall, and The Handsome Family featured on the show. I'm most looking forward to seeing Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin!) and Edie Breckell at the end of the month when they come here to promote their new folk album.

I work at the station 9am-4pm, Monday-Thursday with an hour long commute each way with no pay, so I have to work my real job as a receptionist at hair salon Fridays and Saturdays to support my groovy lifestyle (hah). When I cringe each morning as my alarm goes off at 6:15am and I brood about how I probably won't get a seat on the train, I remind myself about the perks of my internship: The free music and mini "concerts," the relaxed and friendly work environment, and the invaluable experience I'm gaining. I feel so lucky to be working with people who are so passionate about music and the future of public radio. I'm also given a lot of independence and responsibility, so I really feel as though I am actually making a difference here at the station.

I hope all of you are enjoying your summers and keeping busy! Though I'll be sad for my internship to end in August, I miss Boston and I'm looking forward to the fall!

Alexa: Summer on the Cape

This summer I’m spending my time interning for the Cotuit Ketleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. I knew I wanted to do something baseball related this summer and the Cape league seemed like the perfect fit. I’ve only been here for a week but I’ve loved every minute of it! I’ve figured out that sports’ reporting is definitely something I want to do! Being a field reporter for a baseball team means I’m out on the field instead of inside an office, but it doesn’t mean I have a different set of rules. There are five important things I have learned (from COM of course) to do when you have an internship.

1. Make a good first impression

-Seriously, no one will ever forget the first time you meet; make it count.

2. Be on time.

3. Give 100%.

4. Follow the guidelines

5. Have fun. (It’s an Internship; you’re supposed to learn and grow but also supposed to have a good time.)

My first game is this Wednesday and I am so nervous/excited! I’ll let you know how it all goes!