I made my way to Washington, D.C. on Saturday, January 19th, meandering through New England byways and the length of the New Jersey Turnpike (122.4 miles, according to Google) along the way. On the trip down, I reflected on my eight months of knocking on 2,000 doors and phoning 500 households. I did not expect that my canvassing efforts would result in two tickets to the Inauguration, courtesy of my Congressman.

I imagined these throngs of people, the crowd’s energy, thousands of people moving in a single mass as what the New Year’s Eve ball drop  in  Times Square must be like. The flow of people on Inauguration Day was as organized as an event involving half a million people could be. The  assembly  of Orange Gate ticket holders was as wide as First Ave., NW. By the time I reached the metal detectors just below the Robert A. Taft  Memorial  and Carillon, I had been waiting for more than two hours. For security purposes, we were told by officials to leave our cell phones and cameras on while we passed through the metal detectors.

Once through, I made my way up the lawn of the Capitol to the North Standing Area and found a sparse spot among some holly and rose bushes. The picture below is from that spot.

A few  friends laughed at the picture saying it looks as if it were an inaugural address for one. Though when President Obama spoke, it almost did seem like he was talking to everyone individually. It was a beautiful speech, and I’m glad to say that I had tickets to this once in a lifetime event. He spoke of hope, faith and brighter days ahead. Cheers to that.

I ended my trip with a visit to Gettysburg; the perfect bookend to a weekend that will go down in history.

Coffee @ Finals will take place from 4pm to Midnight from Thursday, May 3 to Saturday, May 5 in CAS 319. The best part is that tutors will be available from 4-8pm each day to help answer any lingering questions you may have, or help clarify a tough course topic that’s still not quite crystal clear.

Tutors will be available in the following subjects, however please know that the schedule changes for each day so not all courses will be available each day:

So stop by to get some guided help, have some coffee, form a study group, or enjoy another quiet space to study on campus. We hope to see you there!

If you’re in this category and just noticed you have six days left to fill with some local fun, but don’t know where to go, check out these easily accessible expeditions around town.

Coit Observatory @ BU

Every Wednesday night, the Coit Observatory has open viewing hours at 7:30pm, assuming clear weather.   Telescopes and binoculars are available to the public for stargazing and you can even learn a little astronomy while you are there.   Bonus: you don’t even have to leave campus! The observatory is accessible through the Astronomy department (5th floor of CAS).  Make sure to check out @BUObservatory for weather updates.

USS Constitution

You may have heard of “Old Ironsides.” The USS Constitution was built in Boston in response to English trade restrictions on American merchants. The 44-gun ship defeated four British ships in the War of 1812 and is still a fully commissioned Navy ship.  Tours run every half hour starting at 10 a.m. from Thursday through Sunday and are led by active-duty Navy sailors.  After your history lesson at the Charlestown Navy Yard, head back across the river and grab some lunch at any of the delicious North End eateries and save room for dessert! Can you say “cannoli?”

South Boston Saint Patrick’s Day Parade

More Boston history trivia: British troops withdrew from Boston on St. Patrick’s Day in 1776 after spotting 59 cannons atop Dorchester Heights and deciding to play it safe rather than risk another defeat by the Continental Army. American troops had secretly moved the cannons some 300 miles from Fort Ticonderoga in New York to scare off the British. It worked. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade commemorates Evacuation Day, the day the British retreated. You can be part of this classic Boston tradition on March 18th.  Celebrate with locals and with the many tourists who visit Boston to see the parade.

Freedom Trail

If you haven’t walked the red line through town yet, this is the week to do it. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red brick (mostly) trail that leads to 16 historic sites including churches, meeting houses and burial grounds. The Granary Burying Ground (near the Park Street T stop), where Paul Revere rests, is one of the stops. The USS Constitution is on the trail, too.

The Institute of Contemporary Art

If modernity is more your style and you’ve already seen the new wings of the MFA and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museums, head to the waterfront and check out the ICA. The museum features contemporary art in all media including film and performance and is free on Thursdays from 5 p.m to 9 p.m. Go once. Go a few times. You’re bound to find something new during every visit.

Around BU

If all else fails, you lost your T pass or you just want to stay close to home, check out campus events on BU Today. Any way you cut it, there’s just no way to be bored if you’re in Boston during Spring Break week.

While your classes are important don’t miss out an opportunity to get more involved in the University while you are here. BU has a lot more to offer than just what you experience in the classroom. Involvement on campus will help you meet people outside of you major/college and provide a nice resume boost.  So don’t spend all your free time holed up in your room instead check out some of the great experiences the University has to offer outside the classroom.

YouDo@BU

Check out the Bulletin Board of Events happening on campus or sort through the exhaustive list of over 500 student clubs and organizations.  Everything from club sports, to Greek life, to Residence Hall Associations, to service and professional associations are listed (and categorized so you can easily find what you are looking for!).

BUCENTRAL

http://bucentral.wordpress.com/calendar/

From comedy shows to a great concert series, BU Central hosts a variety of great programming that is worth getting out of your dorm room to go see!

Research your Professors
http://www.bu.edu/reslife/about-us/faculty-in-residence/
http://www.bu.edu/urop/
Go to department websites, read your professors bios and learn about their research.  Building rapport with a professor whose discipline and career you admire could potentially lead to research opportunities, graduate school or career advice or UROP project ideas. If the conversation continues after BU, you may have discovered a mentor in the process who could possibly write a recommendation down the road. Don’t forget to check out the Professors who lives on campus (Faculty in Residence).  Not only are they great resources for students but they often hold fun events!

Student Employment
http://www.bu.edu/seo/students/getting-a-job/
Another great way to get involved on campus is by working on campus.  You’ll learn a whole other side to the University and get paid while you do it!

I have always been hesitant about networking. I just never have been good at going up and introducing myself to people, so I was rather scared of the career fair. However, the atmosphere of the career fair made it really easy to just go up and talk to employers, and it was super helpful in attempting to find which career path I want to take. I got 2 interviews out of just talking to people!

Katie K.
Office Assistant

I really enjoyed working at the Career Expo yesterday. It was great to see so many people come out and take advantage of this great opportunity to network and gain experience interacting with recruiters. It’s so nice that the Center for Career Development puts these expos together for BU students and alumni– I don’t think many other schools have career expos with over 100 companies present… makes me really appreciate where I go to school!

Laura G.
Office Assistant

Coffee @ Finals will take place from 4pm to Midnight on Tuesday, December 13 and Wednesday, December 14 in CAS 319. The best part is that tutors will be available for the first 2 hours each day to help answer any lingering questions you may have, or help clarify a tough course topic that’s still not quite crystal clear.

Tutors will be available in the following subjects, however please know that the schedule changes for each day so not all courses will be available each day:

So stop by to get some guided help, have some coffee, form a study group, or enjoy another quiet space to study on campus. We hope to see you there!

Go see the Dear Abbeys sing (did you know they are named after Dean Elmore’s wife?! Crazy!). Watch Vibes dance and become insanely jealous that bodies can move like that. Education is not defined solely by the courses you take, but by the different experiences that teach you while you’re here- whether those experiences be in the classroom or not. Take advantage of every single thing that BU has to offer.

Out of everything BU has to offer, hearing Elie Wiesel speak is by far one of the most rewarding experiences. Elie Wiesel is a Holocaust survivor, Noble Laureate, political activist, author of 57 books and a Boston University professor. Two BU students write about their experiences hearing Wiesel speak and how his life has impacted them:

Growing up, Elie Wiesel was a name I heard often. Whether it was in Hebrew school or in Social Studies classes, we always seemed to talk about this great man who survived the Holocaust and somehow managed to not lose his faith. I have read Night many times and have heard about his humanitarian work, meeting with world leaders to promote peace. He has always been, for me, a great representation of what we as people should all work towards.

I knew Elise Wiesel was a professor at Boston University. But because I was focused more on the sciences, I knew it would be difficult to take one of his classes. I did not know that every year he delivers three lectures, and holds a private conversation after the third lecture at the Hillel.

Every time I go to his lectures and hear him speak, he astounds me by how eloquently he conveys his message. His speeches make me think about my religion and the world. He discusses ideas I have never heard about the Torah or explains his views and thoughts about the direction the world is heading and the future of humanity. I feel privileged to have been able to hear such an influential person speak.

-Michelle Brosbe, SAR 2012

We read Night in my middle school. I was the only Jewish girl in the room, and so my classmates bombarded me with questions. I, of course, knew who Elie Wiesel was -but I had never expected him to enter that classroom. With the publication of Night, he brought one of the most tragic moments in history outside of my temple, and outside of my Hebrew school, and made it real to people who had never even heard of the Holocaust. Elie Wiesel, with his story, made big a tragedy I had once imagined confined, only affecting one community and its descendants. He proved me wrong.

Last year, I once again found myself in a classroom; only this time, Elie Wiesel was the professor, with about fifteen students. He didn’t speak much. He preferred to ask questions, for which we would desperately try to supply answers, to no avail. We were never told if our guesses were correct. I suspect he was trying to teach us that some questions are simply unanswerable.

The one time he spoke of his life was to recall how someone had once tried to kidnap him in an elevator, backing him up against the wall, and demanding that he deny the Holocaust. He never told us how he got away.

That’s what I think of when I think of Elie Wiesel- one unanswered question after another; the ability to make a person truly consider.

-Lauren Burnstein, COM 2012

Whether you are back in your native cities and towns or are sticking around Boston this summer, we wanted to tell you about a new PDP course being offered this fall designed to help you keep stress in check. An ERC staff member will help teach a couple of sessions on stress and tests and the smart way of prepping for exams. It’s a great way to add an extra one-credit class in order to improve your college lifestyle for permanent (plus your parents will be really impressed if you tell them you’re taking 5 classes- trust me, they will).

So while you ponder on your fall classes, consider spending a few weeks benefiting yourself for the long run. Check out the link at FitRec here!

If you do decide to request a peer tutor at the ERC and it seems like that’s the kind of support you’re looking for, get your request in by the deadline. Thursday, April 14 is the last day to request a tutor.

Remember that a peer tutor isn’t a magician. Don’t expect to re-live the semester through tutoring sessions. Peer tutors will guide you through tough concepts, but you need to which concepts you find tough. So, if you end up with a peer tutor, go to your session prepared with specific concerns or questions.

And don’t forget about office hours! Your professors are around through the end of the semester. Just because you haven’t been to office hours before doesn’t mean you can’t start now.

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Wellness is also bringing in more than 50 local area providers of wellness services and products. Check out the details on the Fair on the Wellness Education Blog.

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