comblog – Page 108 – COM Ambassador Blog

Steph: From the Humidity, to the Beach, to the Mountains

Hey there Class of 2016! I hope all of you have been relaxing and getting excited for the fall during these summer months! I’m sure some of you are feeling some anxiety, nerves, and maybe even dread at the prospect of leaving for college in a couple of months…I know I was just a year ago. But don’t worry, this summer, all I can think about is how awesome my freshman year was, and how excited I am to get back to Boston!

This summer I’ve been experiencing some change in the scenery. For one thing, coming home to Miami after spending the Spring semester in Boston was quite a change. Those who have never experienced summer in Miami might believe it’s the perfect summer destination, with the sunshine, the beaches, and the tropical landscape. At those people, I laugh. Most of the time during the summer, temperatures reach close to 90 degrees, with 90-100% humidity, overcast skies, and scattered thunderstorms. Almost every day my friends and I wanted to work on our tans on South Beach, go for a bike ride in the Everglades, or have a nice day at the pool. The on-and-off rainstorms kinda put a damper on those plans. So, to be totally honest with you guys, I spent most of my time in Miami watching a lot of movies with my friends. Which, of course, I did not mind one bit.

My summer has also taken me to Panama to visit my mom’s side of the family. Being half Panamanian, I absolutely LOVE going to the place where my mom grew up, spending time with my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and going to our family’s weekend home in the beach community of Coronado. To me, our house in Coronado is paradise. My grandparents built our small house right on a cliff that slopes down to the beach, complete with a pool, a hut overlooking the ocean, and lots of room outside for the kids to run around. While in Coronado, I get to spend quality time with my family as we take walks on the beach, visit our horses and other animals on our farm, and tell hilarious family stories in hammocks under the stars. Doesn’t that sound perfect?! Spoiler alert: it is.

Finally, my last change of scenery for the summer before heading back to Miami is my current location: Blowing Rock, North Carolina. Blowing Rock is a quaint mountain town where my parents and I have been vacationing almost every summer since I was two. While I’m here, I transform into the definition of outdoorsy. If you know me well, that last sentence would make you laugh out loud. But hey, something about the mountain air just brings out the hiker, biker, and kayaker in me! My favorite outdoor activity that we do every year is the 17-mile bike ride down the Virginia Creeper Trail. The trail used to be home to an old railroad track, and travels through the woods near Damascus, Virginia. It’s absolutely gorgeous, flying by on your bike past creeks and woodland creatures and crossing over beautiful bridges. When I’m not outside, becoming at one with nature, I’ve been eating absurd amounts of Kilwins ice cream, reading Game of Thrones, watching House Hunters International marathons, and anxiously awaiting my flight back to Boston in September.

Kaitlin: My Favorite Summer Yet

Well hellooooo my friends!

This summer has been absolutely insane, and I feel as though it’s just getting started. First of all, I hope the past few weeks or months off of school have been as amazing for you as they have been for me. Actually, as I’m sitting here writing this, recalling everything that’s happened since the middle of May, I can predict that this may be my favorite summer yet.

The biggest event that I was able to cross off of my list of to-dos was Air Force ROTC Field Training. On May 17^th, I left for a 28 day “trip” to Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama- but it was far from a vacation. Over that month, I learned tactics and information that will be vital to me becoming an Air Force officer. We did a whole lot of running, climbing, falling, listening, sweating, shooting, and bug-spray-applying all in the hot Alabama sun. While it was extremely tiring and often times almost unbearable, I learned so much and have never been more motivated to serve my country after I graduate BU. But my absolute favorite part of being there was also the most unusual.

I taught a yoga class to over 75 cadets.

My supervisors found out that I was a yoga instructor, and allowed me to teach a class as part of one of my Leadership Competency Evaluations. It was so incredible and I felt so grateful to be able to share my greatest passion with a whole new group of people.

Which leads me into the rest of my summer. For now, I’ve been able to pack away my fatigues and roll out my yoga mat instead. I teach at least one yoga class per day on Long Island, NY, and was actually just asked to be the Manager of my home studio, The Giving Room! One of the best parts of my new job is being able to use what I’ve learned in all of my PR classes at COM to attract more customers and ultimately better the studio. Needless to say, I’m busy as a bee.

So my yoga teaching life hasn’t been as relaxing as I’ve imagined, but nonetheless I feel as though I’m living the life.

What have you all been up to? Please feel free to tweet at me @itskaitdaddona (especially if you live on Long Island and want a private yoga class…) follow me on Tumblr, whatever. I can’t wait to see you all in the fall!

Mike: A Summer Back in the US

Hey guys!

Wow, it's been a crazy couple of months since I've been back from Madrid. It definitely took a few weeks to adjust back to the American lifestyle. I miss Spain so much! I still keep in touch with my host mom and email her every couple of weeks. She sends me recipes for some of my favorite Spanish dishes. I hope I can go back to visit sometime soon. I'm so mad I wasn't there to see them win the world cup. I heard there were parades in the streets, must have been crazy!

Anyways, I got back from Spain at the end of May and then headed on a road trip in early June to Bonnaroo, the annual music festival down in Tennessee. It was so awesome! Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, and Bon Iver were a few of some of the amazing headliners. Everyone was so friendly and it was a really cool environment. Probably the closest experience to Woodstock I'll ever get!

After Bonnaroo, I managed to squeeze in a nice and relaxing weekend trip to the Hamptons, and then I started my internship. I was lucky enough to get a summer internship so late in the game! I'm interning in the acquisitions department of IFC films which has been really cool so far. IFC is a huge name and a major contender in the world of indie film. Acquisitions is in charge of evaluating the thousands of incoming scripts/ films that are submitted to IFC and deciding which should be acquired and distributed by the company. I have seen some really interesting films so far and it has been a really good learning experience being exposed to world of independent filmmaking.

I'm actually heading up to Boston this weekend to visit friends who I haven't seen since before I went abroad. I can't wait to get back to Beantown, it's been too long. I’m looking forward to walking down Comm Ave for the first time in over six months!

I'm also busy applying to internships for LA in the fall. Madrid, New York, and now LA, I can’t seem to stay in one place! But I can’t wait to go out there through BU’s study abroad internship program. It is going to be much different from Spain but it will be a great introduction into the business. I’m heading out there at the end of August and will keep you all updated on my internship hunt and my experiences out there!

I hope you guys are all enjoying your summers. Stay cool!
Mike

Jason: Life of a Producer

As I write this blog I’m listening to calm Hawaiian music because it feels like I have been working non stop since the summer began.. well not really; but I have been very busy.

So first on my list is my internship at WGBH. As you guys know I’m a production intern at the PBS show, American Experience we are still in the pre production phase but I’ve enjoyed getting to partake fully in the process.

But what’s really been taking over my life is the film I’m producing. This Saturday we’ll begin production for a graduate student thesis film called Flesh Eaters. It’s about a boy who thinks his first communion is actually a zombie initiation rite and that he’ll turn into a zombie when he takes communion. Pretty funny stuff if you ask me. Anyway, my role has been pretty much all of the administrative work. That means finding the actors, extras, locations, budget, and the list goes on and on. It’s definitely a lot bigger of a monster than I had expected but I’m so excited and thankful I’ve been able to tackle such an important role so early on in my college career.

My piece of advice for you guys is to get an internship or a job up here if you can during the summer. It is by far the best place to be. You have such easy access to the Charles River and the endless waterfront activities, a not too far escape to mountains in New Hampshire and other parts of Massachusetts, as well as of course, the entire city of Boston minus all of the students who are usually here crowding the streets.

I’d love to hear what you guys are doing and how you’re enjoying the summer! Tweet at me @jasonkashdan to say hi or ask any questions you have. Hope you all had a great 4^th of July!

Lauren: Blown Away by the Windy City

Hi everyone! I hope you all are having an amazing summer, and I hope you’re ready for the fall! I wanted to share one of my summer adventures with you because it proves that sometimes, taking a chance can really pay off!

When Sigma Kappa national headquarters announced that they were sponsoring two collegiate sisters to attend a leadership conference in Chicago, I knew that I needed to apply! While I thought my chances were slim, I figured it was worth a shot. I wrote an essay describing why I wanted to attend and waited with baited breathe. Finally I heard back, and found out that I would be representing my sorority at the conference! AHH!!!

Before I knew it, on June 3^rd, I was on a flight to Chicago, excited to meet my roommate (another fellow Sigma Kappa) and all the other participants. I was ready for an amazing adventure!

Led by the brilliant Mike Dilbeck (founder & president of the RESPONSE ABILITY Project and founder of the Every|Day Hero Campaign) and the amazing Phired Up! Team, the Be the Person 2012 Conference focused on showing participants that they have the strength to become an everyday hero. We were challenged to inspire change in our community by finding and promoting our own, personal “cause” (mine was to stop the unrealistic portrayal of women’s bodies in the media, and show everyone that they’re beautiful and perfect, exactly the way they are!!)

This was no ordinary conference, however. In fact, the staff didn’t even want us to call it a conference! We didn’t spend hours at a time stuck inside a conference hall or ball room, listening to PowerPoint presentations and lectures. Instead, we got to see the city of Chicago, interact with other people and really learn about ourselves.

We didn’t just talk about making a difference, we actually, well…made a difference. One day we wrote motivational quotes on poster boards and participated in a “kindness flash mob” on the streets of Chicago! The reactions we received from passersby were truly touching, and it meant so much to know that we were actually helping to brighten someone’s day! A police officer driving by in a car even said “keep up the good work ladies and gentleman!” This really showed us that sometimes, even little things can make a huge, meaningful difference. Another day, we “chalked” the Chicago sidewalks, writing inspiring quotes to help people get through their day! I’ve honestly never had so much fun in my whole, entire life!

We also learned about bystander behavior, and discussed why people don’t take action when they see something bad happening. We were inspired to find the courage in ourselves to NOT be a bystander anymore, and to have the strength to be a leader and do what’s right, even when we’re standing alone. It was a really powerful message that definitely resonates, especially in today’s society.

All the activities and lessons really helped the participants bond, and I had the chance to make some great new friends. One highlight of the event was meeting some fellow Terriers! We all were able to bond over our love of BU, and it really helped me feel at home even though I was very far from Boston. It just goes to show that the BU Connection extends far beyond the boundaries of Commonwealth Avenue!

I also had the chance to meet other collegiate members who were representing their sorority! These girls came from college all across the country, and were really remarkable leaders. I loved hearing their story, and learned so much by talking with them.

Though it’s almost been a month since I left the Windy City, I know that I’ll never forget the amazing experience, or the incredible people I met on my journey! I’ve been so inspired, and I can’t wait to really go out in the world and create change!

This summer, challenge yourself to make a difference in someone’s life. Every bit counts.

Jon: Tweetapalooza (AKA Social Media Day 2012)

Hello there future Terriers! I hope you are all having WONDERFUL summers, and getting a chance to go out and enjoy the beach/pond/pool/swimming location of choice. If you’ve seen the Open House 2012 video, you’ll know that I’m partial to the COM lawn fountain. However, I was forced to pull myself away from frolicking on the front lawn of 640 Commonwealth Avenue when I heard that Social Media Day 2012 was coming to Boston!

Ahh, I can hear the ears of all you Facebook fanatics perking up already. But what’s Social Media Day you ask? Well since 2010, social media news site Mashable has hosted Social Media Day, which is an annual event to celebrate and recognize the power of and accomplishments in social media across the world. This year, COM hosted its own meetup in partnership with Mashable.

But what exactly went on? Well, we gathered top social media representatives from major sports teams and businesses including the Boston Red Sox, the Celtics, the New England Patriots, allen&gerritsen, and Startup Health to take part in several panels on the state of social media from the business perspective. Not only was this a chance to hear these professionals speak as well as ask them questions about social media and its business applications, but it was COMPLETELY FREE.

Well as an advertising major, I found it particularly interesting to listen to Tamsen McMahon, Vice President of Digital Strategy for allen&gerritsen, a major agency in Boston. Her frank and often witty insight revealed that your brand, whether that is your brand as an individual, a small business, or an international corporation, should not invest in social media marketing unless you have a strategy and a purpose for doing it. You don’t have anything to blog about? Then don’t blog. Her direct tone was enough to convince this future Mad Man that if one is trying to create a personal connection with a customer, they better know what their brand stands for and what their customer wants.

#smdayBos wasn’t all work and no play. Two lucky winners walked away with Amazon.com giftcards after winning Social Media Buzzword Bingo (multi-platform viral ecosystem anyone?), and the panels were followed by a fabulous reception on the COM lawn complete with music, food, and a chance to hang out with some of my favorite COM people.

Until next time, signing off ~

~ Jon Mayer.

Dany: Los Angeles, Fox Studios, and the Oscars! (Oh my!)

Hey BU2016! I hope you are all enjoying your summer, getting pumped for orientation and the fall semester. It’s going to be here before you know it!

For those of you who don’t remember from my previous blog posts, my main struggle this past semester has been a desperate search for a valuable summer internship in California. I am happy to say that, thanks to the fantastic resources at COM, I have achieved my goal. Greetings from sunny Los Angeles, where I am currently working two part-time internships with Fox Studios and The Oscars!

Backtrack a bit to how I got these amazing opportunities and then I’ll tell you all about the wonderful summer I’ve had so far. There I was at COM Student Services on a seemingly ordinary day. I was talking to Katie, one of our fantastic advisors and my personal life-saver, venting about the difficulties and frustrations about my internship hunt. Upon hearing what I was looking for, she told me about a BU alum, currently working for Twentieth Century Fox, who was looking for an intern in her department. She sent her my resume and after a few phone interviews, I was offered the job! It all happened so fast and before I knew it, I was spending hours on Craigslist every night, all my energy now going into finding a place to live.

The days passed, finals came and went, and as I was packing up my dorm room, I received an email. It was from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, saying they had received my resume and whether I could come in for an interview. I was confused because I hadn’t applied to a position with them. However, it’s been a small dream of mine for years to somehow work for the Oscars, and I didn’t want to pass up this opportunity. I explained that I already had a part-time internship for the summer, and to my delight, they said they would be happy to work around my schedule. So again, after a few phone interviews, they offered me the job and I gladly accepted.

I found out later that my resume had been sent to them by none other than Dean Sabovik! I could not be more grateful to COM for all the help and the resources they provided to get me where I am right now. Which is sitting at a desk in the Communications department of the A.M.P.A.S. building in Beverly Hills, typing this blog post during my lunch break.

I have to say, I thought getting the job would be the hardest part of this whole process, but it turns out relocating to Los Angeles from South Florida as a poor college student was the most stressful thing I’ve ever done. Thankfully, both positions are paid, and I was able to sublet an apartment near both my workplaces. I only started working a few weeks ago, and already I feel like I’ve been here forever. Hollywood is addicting and exciting and tough and everything I thought it would be. At Fox, I work in the publicity department for movies and at The Academy, I work as a public relations and marketing intern. Both jobs have taught me so much already about the industry and everyone I work with has been friendly and super helpful in answering all my questions.

And that’s not to mention all the awesome perks that come with both jobs! Fox does an awesome job with their internship program, setting up cool events and screenings for all of us to mingle. Though I’m the only intern in my department, I’ve been able to meet a ton of other students from all over. Just yesterday, I even met a girl from COM! My excitement knew no bounds as we bonded over BU. The other day, they gave us interns a special tour of the entire Fox Lot, which was awesome. I stood on the set of Modern Family and Bones and walked past the street where they film scenes from How I Met Your Mother (one of my favorite shows of all time). They also took us through all the production and sound studios, and I came away with a newfound appreciation and understanding of the incredible amount of behind-the-scenes work that goes into making a single film.

At The Academy, by far the coolest thing I’ve done this summer is work on the Student Academy Awards. Watching those films and getting to know all the winners made me wonder at the amount of potential we have as students. Thinking back to the amazing work I’ve seen from some of my friends and classmates the past year, I have no doubt in my mind that in the next few years, we’ll see a winner from BU COM being honored with a Student Oscar.

Also, I don’t know how I’m ever going to pay for a movie again. Through Fox, I have been able to attend screenings for all their movies, including Prometheus and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. With my Academy ID, I can attend free screenings at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Last week I saw Seeking A Friend for the End of the World and this weekend, I’m really excited to go check out Magic Mike and Beasts of the Southern Wild. They are also holding an ongoing event called Oscars Outdoors where they screen classic movies, like The Goonies and Ferris Bueller, at the Academy’s new open-air theater.

I honestly don’t know how I’m going to leave LA. I have not been bored from the second the plane landed, and I really believe it is impossible to run out of things to do here. My birthday is coming up in a few days (July 3rd!) and I’m already thinking what kind of adventure to take. Maybe head out to Santa Monica Pier or hike to the Hollywood sign? Road trip to see the Golden Gate Bridge or even to Vegas? Who knows! I am enjoying my time here immensely. I have learned so much and met some really great people. If you guys have any questions or recommendations on things I can do while I’m out here, feel free to shoot me an email (vasquezd@bu.edu) or hit me up on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, whatever!

Have a great rest of the summer guys! Can’t wait to meet all of you!

Richie: Cannes Film Festival, Europe, and Colombia!

I hope everyone’s summer has been going great! For those of you just graduating high school, congratulations! If you haven’t done our Summer Orientation at BU yet, I promise it’s such an awesome experience. Some of my closest friends today, I actually met during my BU Summer Orientation. Enjoy your last few weeks at home, and get excited to finally be at COM in the Fall!

I personally have to say, I’ve had the best summer of my entire life so far. A few months ago I wrote about being accepted into an internship program at the Cannes Film Festival. I was unbelievably excited to start working at the Film Festival in May, but I never expected all the amazing things I would be a part of.

I arrived to the beautiful tropical town of Cannes on May 14th. I had been in Paris for a few days before with my brother and thought most of France would look just like Paris. Obviously, I was surprised when I arrived to beautiful beaches lined with palm trees! The program I had received my internship through, Creative Minds, was also hosting about 150 other students. I quickly became friends with student from Texas, California, China, Mexico, and even The Netherlands!

Some had come with the networking aspect of the program where they partook in dozens of workshops with industry professionals like Randall Emmett. Others came with the filmmaker aspect, and were put in teams to create a short film while at the film festival. I was a part of the internship experience and was placed with WME.

Most of the internships at the film festival have the students work every other day, and sometimes only up to 8 days. Whereas, WME is a very sought after internship, I was working every single day from May 16th to May 27th. My days would usually start around 9:30am and could sometimes even last until 10pm! While the work was tough at times, WME was an incredible agency to work for. I learned an incredible amount of the industry on the talent agency side and was treated very well by all the agents I helped. My duties were mostly errands and any odd job an agent might need for us to do, but they never hesitated to answer our specific industry questions and give us great insight to the world of film.

While I did miss some screenings of films during the day, I still managed to make it to a number of Red Carpet Premieres and other exclusive screenings! My favorite two films would have to be Moonrise Kingdom, Wes Anderson’s new film that premiered on the opening night, and Beasts of The Southern Wild, an American Indie film that won this year’s Grand Jury Prize for dramatic competition at the Sundance Film Festival! Just with every festival, you’re bound to see a few films that you quite honestly won’t enjoy. Yet, I must say Cannes offers an array of all types of films and Beasts has to be one of my favorite films of all time now.

The film festival is also known for some of the craziest and most exclusive parties in the world! While I mentioned I wouldn’t get out of my internship until around 9pm on some days, the night hadn’t even started! I found myself out until 4 and 5 in the morning almost every single night. Different parties hosted the likes of Swedish House Mafia, Busta Rhymes, David Guetta, and many more. A memory that’ll definitely stick out in my head is going to the very exclusive premiere of Cruel Summer, Kanye West’s short film! The film was shown on seven huge screens and all shot with multiple cameras to immerse the audience in all the action. Afterwards I even shook Kanye’s hand and was able to speak to him for a few minutes on his film! Jay Z and Kim Kardashian were in attendence, and afterward the protagonist of Kanye’s film, Kid Cudi, even performed!

I could go on about Cannes but also want to let you guys know how amazing my traveling in Europe was! I had never been to Europe before the Film Festival, and obviously wanted to do a bit of traveling while I was there. As soon as the Film Festival ended, I took a train over to Nice for a night. I stayed at an amazing hostel where I instantly made friends from all over the place! (Traveling through Europe and staying at hostels is highly recommended, definitely the cheapest, funnest, and easiest way to meet plenty of young people with amazing personalities and awesome travel stories! Definitely go through www.hostelworld.com!) I then traveled to Pisa, Florence, Rome, and took a flight back to Paris to be with my older brother. It was a great experience, and traveling alone definitely opens you up to making friends a lot easier! I made one last weekend trip to London and then prepared to leave Europe after about 5 weeks!

It’s been a very eventful summer and right now I’m winding down and spending some family time in Colombia. It’s been about five years since my last visit and I have to say I alway love coming back.

If any of you are interested in the Cannes Film Festival Program, I highly recommend it. I’m actually going to be recruiting new students for next year’s program and would love to answer even more specific questions on how to get in! It’s the experience of a lifetime and looks incredible on a resume no matter what field you want to get into after college! Send me and email at rduque@bu.edu or message me on facebook by just searching my name!

Next post I’ll catch you guys up on the pre-production of my new short film being shot here in Boston during the fall! Can’t wait to meet you all in September!

Sarah: Tales of a Nicktern

Hey there terriers! Whatever you find yourselves doing this summer, I hope you’re making it fun and meaningful. Make these next few weeks count – fall will sneak up on us before we know it!

Your first summer after your first year of college tends to go a bit differently than the previous, especially if you’re a COM student. But fear not! This change is often for the best. Come springtime, if not as a freshman than definitely as a sophomore, you’ll be hit with the same question countless times: “What are your summer plans?” This year, with a smile and maybe just a hint of smug satisfaction, I was able to respond with something that makes the 8-year-old kid in all of us do cartwheels: I’m working for Nickelodeon.

As of last Monday, I officially started my internship with Nickelodeon Animation in beautiful Burbank, California. The program hosts roughly 30 interns on various shows and in various departments. I’m working in the post-production department with the vault librarian, and after only my first week as a Nicktern, I can tell that this will be a near life-changing experience. Nickelodeon has built a climate of genuinely passionate and friendly people who are excited about their jobs and excited to teach interns.

This really isn’t your typical internship program. Our supervisors trust us with a lot of the work and responsibility given to employees. And because of it, we’re held to very high standards. But it’s not all work – being a Nicktern certainly has its perks. Interns have the opportunity to take classes, see screenings, attend networking events, meet with some big names in the industry, and just have a lot of fun (I play ping-pong almost everyday with co-workers in the outdoor courtyard). Nickelodeon really knows how to treat its interns.

Being on the west coast still feels a bit surreal to me. Just weeks ago, I was in student services planning out my schedule so I could participate in the LA program my senior year. Now, two years early, here I am. There were certainly a few bumps in the road. Moving out to the West Coast from New York was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to coordinate (I may have spent more time on Craigslist looking for a place to stay than I did studying for finals). But, it was absolutely worth it!

The perpetual follow-up question I got about my summer plans was, “How did you get that gig?” The simple answer: I applied. Having connections is a great way to get your foot in the door, but NEVER underestimate the power of a polished cover letter and genuine passion for a position. As a BU COM student, some pretty incredible internships are well within your reach. This summer alone, I have COM friends interning at Lifetime, Sirius Radio, VH1, ABC and some other pretty cool companies. Searching for internships can be one of the most stressful tasks as a college student, but in the end, also the most rewarding. Take advantage of all the career services COM provides. And just apply! You’ll never know until you do.

So soak up the sun and enjoy your last few months pre-BU. And be prepared to make next summer count!

See you new terriers in the fall!

Kate: The Countdown Begins…

As the countdown to summer was highly anticipated by many, my countdown is just beginning. The countdown for September 1^st, the day that I will board a 747 with 200 other BU students to London for the next three and a half months. And something tells me that with classes over and that diploma in hand, a few of you have a very similar countdown as you look forward to beginning your freshmen year at BU.

This summer, I’m laying low in preparation of a fantastic three months abroad. No internship, just working, seeing friends and enjoying Boston. And I pass that same advice along to you as you prepare for the next step in your life. Many you are probably feeling the pressure to brush up on high school skills or get an internship related to your intended major. My advice to you: just relax. You will have plenty of time for that once you’ve arrived, trust me. Take this time now to enjoy your home life, your high school friends, your summer freedom and lots of yummy graduation cakes because once all the thrill begins in September, it won’t stop and you won’t want it to.

My countdown says 72 days. What does yours say?