Category: L.E.

I know everyone talks about loving all things pumpkin flavor around this time of year but I was the first person to like pumpkin ever. I know this because I was the first person in my grade to drink coffee when I was a kid. That being said, I believe that my opinion on pumpkin flavored items is vital for others looking to get some pumpkin in their life.

I love Trader Joes because 1. its super cheap 2. they have interesting food that you can’t find at other grocery stores and 3. they love and respect the pumpkin flavor more than everyone in the world. So here are my recommendations to get your pumpkin fix the next time you go to TJs.

1. Pumpkin Cereal Bars

These are the best on-the-go fall snacks. I stock up on these because they’re seasonal and I like them more than the regular flavors.

2. Pumpkin Ice Cream

I have to admit, I’ve only tried this once because I don’t really like regular Ice Cream- I’m more of a fro-yo gal. BUT, the one time I had it, it was super good and I wouldn’t be opposed to having it again!!

3. Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s

I don’t normally buy Oreos, but I went kind of pumpkin crazy the last time I went to TJ’s. I bought these and tried one in line and I was surprised by how much I liked them! They’re a pretty specific flavor in a way that one or two is enough- anymore than that would make you feel sick but that’s good because you won’t eat them all at once!! Self-control towards sweets is key during this time of year.

4. Pumpkin O’s

I bought these during my pumpkin splurge and let me tell you, I AM SUCH A FAN. I had them for breakfast with a banana and almond milk and it was so joyful. I went back the other day to by more and almost pitched a fit because they didn’t have them on the shelves. But apparently they brought them back today and they’re on super sale for a dollar!! You heard it here first!!!

5. Pumpkin Bagels

I’ll admit, I haven’t actually tried these yet but my roommate has them and they always smell so good when she toasts them so am adding them to the list.

6. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Spread

I have no shame and I will tell you that I enjoy a pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese on the regular and it is 100% not too much pumpkin. Don’t listen to the haters!!

7. Pumpkin Rolls

I’ll admit again that I’ve never tried these but every year I really want to. However, I can’t justify buying a whole thing of cinnamon rolls for just myself. If your down to go in on a can with me please let me know in the comments below.

8. Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancake Mix

I made these once, 10/10 would recommend.

9. Pumpkin Frosted Toaster Pastries

I bought these in my pumpkin splurge and I was excited for them. However when I finally made one I was a little underwhelmed. Still good though!

10. Pumpkin Cheesecake

I hate pie but I LOVE cheesecake. This is so good, buy a whole one for just yourself.

11. Pumpkin Spice Coffee

My favorite pumpkin item of the season is ALWAYS pumpkin coffee. I wish so badly I could have it every day of the year but unfortunately they only sell it September- November. I still stock up thought.

12. Pumpkin Spice Almond Beverage

Last, but certainly not least, is this new product from TJ’s. I love almond milk so when I saw that they had Pumpkin Spice Almond Milk I was so excited to try it in my coffee. I add it to my pumpkin coffee every morning and it creates such a rich flavor and it’s always the highlight of my day!

I just started my senior year at BU, and like most seniors, I’m starting to reflect on the journey that led me to this very moment. In just 3 short years, my life has changed more than I could have ever imagined.

After a very thorough search for Film and Television schools that would help cultivate me into the person that I wanted to be after graduation, I decided to apply to Boston University early decision. Coming from a suburban town in Orlando— amiably called Celebration—not a lot of students from my High School choose to go out of state for college. But, I knew that I must venture out of the sunshine state in order to achieve my dreams of someday working at a comedy show at NBC in New York.

I am incredibly blessed that my parents supported me to no end (but that fact that BU provides Financial Aid made them more comfortable with the fact). A day that feels like yesterday, December 13^th, 2013, the day I was accepted to BU, changed my life forever. It also helped that Beyonce dropped an album that day WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE.

I’ll be brief with what happened throughout the next few years. I made a lot of new friends. I got heavily involved with COM and other groups on campus. I got a radio show with my best friend. I said goodbye to friends that moved away. I joined a sorority. I traveled the west coast. I fell in love. I moved in with my best friends. I took classes that changed my perspective on the Television industry. I fell out of love. I got to experience a bunch of different internships. I lost a few friends. I gained new mentors. I watched my life be threatened in an accident. I learned how important it is to ask for help. I learned that I am surrounded by the most amazing support system at BU. My family struggled through very difficult hardships. I persisted when I was facing extreme difficulties that were not in my control. I learned that I can’t control everything. I watched my big brother graduate and follow his dreams. I moved into my first apartment. I felt like I lost myself. I persisted to follow my dreams. I made many more friends. I thought that love trumps hate. I felt let down. I studied abroad in Los Angeles. I watched history happen before my eyes. I got to work at one of the best shows in day time television. I made new friends and new mentors. I dealt with health issues. I lived in a studio apartment in NYC with two of my best friends from home. I shared an air mattress for an entire summer. We had a dog for part of it. I struggled financially. I cried and celebrated with new and old friends. I strived to learn more about life and my future. I persisted.

And now here I am, starting my senior year, realizing how lucky I am to have lived a life with both tragedy and beauty. And each day, learning something new about the world and the people I am surrounded by. For the past 6 years, I have to strived to live each day with this quote from Mandy Hale in mind, “There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others.” Yes, I am going in television because it is my greatest passion. However, what fuels my love for the outlet is its affect on people. Television brings light, laughter, information and stories to people all over the world. It provides an escape for people like me, that need to take a break from reality every once in awhile. I am so grateful for the people and the opportunities that I have been given in my life that have led me to where I am today. And when I look back at the years—though hard and tragically beautiful they might have been—I wouldn’t change a single thing.

In just two weeks, I am starting my dream job in NYC and embarking on a journey that will change the rest of my life. It will be difficult, it will be stressful, it will be eye opening, but it will also be beautiful. I am still awestruck at my dreams finally coming true. But now, I can say very confidently that you too can make your dreams come true if you remain persistent, no matter how life treats you, and remember that there is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others. I believe in you, so I hope you do too.

Unfortunately, I'm the first on the list of "abroad posts" so I haven't been gone tooooo long. But I'll do my best to share as much of my experience so far that I can.

So without further ado.....

HELLO FROM LOS ANGELES!!!! I'm currently taking part in the BU LA Study Abroad program. Although I have one semester left in school, I wanted to try out Los Angeles before I graduated so I could see if I wanted to stay after graduation. So here our Five Things about BULA/My experience.

#1 Internships

Most of my internship knowledge is New York-based so I did a lot of research on positions before I met with the BULA Assistant Director (the person who connects us to internship contacts). I knew that I wanted to work in Television and I love talk shows and development so that really narrowed down my choices. I applied to and got offered an internship at one of the talk shows in Burbank, CA. I've been here for a few weeks and don't even have enough words to describe how much I love working here. Everyone in the office is so lively and passionate about what they do, which is the best environment to be in. When looking at internships, definitely think about what type of people you want to be surrounded by because it can really make your experience even better.

#5

That's my brief spiel about studying abroad in Los Angeles, I wish I had more to share and more time to write but if there's one thing you need to know about the program is, be prepared to be BUSY. Between class, work and explorations, you will never have a dull moment but you'll also barely have time to sleep in.

This summer I made the unconventional decision for a Film & TV major and accepted an internship that was "technically" a Public Relations internship. I spent my summer as a Social Media Intern for Boston Children's Hospital.

Every time someone in the office asked me what my major was they would expect me to say "Communications" or "PR." They were even more surprised when they found out that what I actually wanted to do in Television was to write and produce for comedies.

So why did I do it?

I, like many others in the industry, have noticed just how Social Media has taken the world by storm. Every single show you see on television has a twitter or Facebook or instagram or all of the social media platforms. I also had done social media for COM and for some groups on campus so I had enough experience to get the job in the first place.

Currently, there are no classes for Film & TV that really focus on social media so I knew that this opportunity would expand my knowledge base and understanding. And isn't that what internships are for in the first place??

So what did I learn?

I learned A TON. Don't fret- I DID get to go on shoots and actually help film a lot of the videos that BCH uses on their Media Platforms. However, when I look at Social Media now, I understand the marketing and analytics behind it. I also understand the process it takes to create media content and advertise it online. These are processes that can be directly applied to the Television industry.

How so?

One example is a project that I got to work on my own. One of the Directors had informed me that the Boston Police Department was coming to visit a patient and bring him gifts while he was recovering from his 17th surgery. Owen is 6 years old and loooooooves the Police Department. So this was going to be a big deal.

All I had to do was go to the Hospital and get iPhone footage of the visit and then come back to our offices in the Landmark Center and get the story ready. I edited the footage together in FinalCut and sewed together the story I wanted to tell. I also had to contact his Mom and get some information so I could write the social copy for the video.

Once I got the story together, the video went live. It turned out to be our most successful post of the week, receiving 140,000 views, 4,000 likes, 1,086 shares and 140 comments. The story was also picked up by all of the local news affiliates and on Littlethings.com, which filters media through a multitude of platforms such as NBC News and the Today Show. So cool right????

Through this I understood the importance of telling stories like Owen's. I also got to have a hands on experience of finding a story, producing the story and telling the story.

Another jobs of mine was to go through all of the comments on my video and respond to the many viewers. As a producer this was amazing because I got to see first hand what my viewers were responding to my content.

You can see the video here: https://www.facebook.com/BostonChildrensHospital/videos/10157095426895333/

Lessons Learned

By the end of the summer, I couldn't have imagined myself in a better position. I learned so much about how video is taking over the internet and it gave me a perspective on the industry that will help guide me through my entire career. So no matter what your major is, if there's an experience that you think will help shape you as a person then go for it! Don't be afraid to branch out and try new things. If you want to work in Comedy like me, when else are you going to get to work for a Children's hospital??

(the legendary Landmark Center where the Communications and Marketing department for Boston Children's Hospital is located)

 

Being from Florida, I was pretty familiar with the idea of Greek life. I knew that Greek life was not as popular at BU as it was in the south, so I didn’t feel obligated to go through sorority recruitment. When I got to BU, I met so many amazing and inspiring women who happened to be involved in Greek life. I learned that the Greek environment at BU was much different than in the south. Once it became time to sign up for recruitment, I decided to go through the process because most of my friends were signed up and I thought that it would be a great way to meet more COM and non-COM friends that were girls (most of my friends at that point were guys in COM).

The recruitment process is extremely physically and emotionally draining. I had to wake up early and head to the Marriott Copley to spend the majority of my weekend visiting different sorority rooms and having a lifetime of conversations with different girls. After a few identity crises and deep thinking, I finished the recruitment process and awaited Bid-day (the day you find out which sorority offers you a bid for membership).

There are 10 amazing sororities on campus, which makes recruitment SO challenging. However I felt that ADPi was the best fit for me. What I didn’t know at first was how much an impact that my sorority was going to have in my life.

I don’t have enough space to cover all of the great aspects of being in a sorority, so I want to focus on the one that has had the most profound impact on me: sisterhood. Through ADPi, I gained a home filled of so many girls that inspire and support me daily.

This year I am living in a suite with 5 other girls, 4 of them being in my sorority. Before we decided to live together our primary connection was our sorority, we’re all in different schools and are involved in different activities. However, it’s only the beginning of spring semester and these girls have already impacted my life in such a positive way.

In a busy and stressful work week, I know that when I go home I have an amazing support system that is always there for me. I know that if I ever need advice or someone to vent to, there will always be someone there for me. The memories we’ve made are endless and the love and joy that my roommates have poured into my life is immense. I’m already dreading the end of the year and the fact I won’t get to live with them forever.

The best friends that I have gained through my sorority extends beyond my roommates, as I have made so many relationships that I know will be lifelong. Whether it’s needing to talk to someone to talk to at 2 AM, an intern or guest for my radio show, or someone to watch a movie with, these girls have always been there for me. In my college experience this far, there is nothing I am more thankful for than the best friends that I have made here. Friends who constantly inspire me and remind me of who I am and the type of person that I want to be.

My best advice for girls who are any bit interested in recruitment is GO FOR IT! I was never even planning on accepting a bid and if I didn’t take that chance of going through the recruitment process then I never would have met some of my best friends. Greek life is filled with incredible women that work to better the world around them. Whether it’s through philanthropy or friendship, being in a sorority is a great opportunity to mold you as a person and enhance your college experience.

The picture above is from a sisterhood event and below is my roommate and I on our big comfy couch

Roommates + Sophie + Emily for a birthday celebration:

For Film & Television majors there are so many interesting classes that you can choose from that are listed on the degree requirement form. However, what a lot of eager film-gurus do not realize is that there are additional special topics courses that are offered each semester. These special topics vary semester to semester and get specific in course description.

This semester I had the opportunity to take a special topics TV studies class called "NBC: The Anatomy of a Network." In this class we study the multiple facets of network TV using NBC as a case study. Not only was this a great focus since NBC was the first American broadcast network, but I have also loved NBC for as long as TV has been a part of my life (aka always).

When I first heard about this class from an upperclassman friend, I knew I had to take the class because I never knew if they were going to offer it again (the scary thing about special topics courses). I was also nervous to take a graduate level course as a first semester sophomore. Thankfully a spot freed up and I ran to the Film & TV department and had them add me on to the class.

The class is once a week and is a long 3 hour session. However it never feels like a long class because everything we talk about is so entertaining and interesting. We watch full episodes of NBC's best (and worst) shows like ER, SNL and Hill Street Blues. Also you know it's a great class when the professor starts the discussion each week by asking us what TV we've been watching.

Speaking of my professor, if you are interesting in studying TV you MUST take a class with Professor Jaramillo at some point of your BU career. She is brilliant and knows SO MUCH about the TV industry. She's literally a TV scholar and I wish I had the opportunity to learn from her every single day. Next semester, she's teaching two special topics courses: "Uncensored TV" and "Feminist Television." If just the titles of those classes don't intrigue you right off the bat, you can find their course descriptions at http://www.bu.edu/com/files/2015/10/Spring-2016-Special-Topics.pdf

So take a look at the list and see if there are any classes that spark your interest and if you're thinking about adding "Inside YouTube: Understanding the Rise of a Media Juggernaut" I'll see you in class next semester!

There are roughly 16 weekends in a semester, and although Boston holds endless opportunities for weekend adventures, being in the North East provides a plethora of options to get out of town for a mini vacation.

I'm originally from Florida, the land where you need to own a car to get around, so I never really took the initiative to travel by myself. However, thanks to Boston's proximity to other major cities in the United States, it's easy to hop on a bus for a weekend getaway to New York City.

Here are a few easy ways to book your transportation to visit family, friends or even a whole new city:

1a. Commuter rails

Boston has several commuter rails that you can take to travel to a new part of Massachusetts or even other states. Personally, I have only taken the commuter rail to go to Providence, Rhode Island (an amazing city btw), but I have several friends that take it to visit Salem or just to go apple picking. So whether you have a friend that goes to Brown or you want a more suburban adventure, the commuter rail is fast and the fare ranges from $2.10-$11.50.

1b. Other commuter rails

These cheaper trains are found in more than just Boston. For example, this past weekend I took the Marc train from Washington, DC to Baltimore to get dinner with my brother while I was visiting a friend in DC. These trains can make your weekend trip kill two birds with one stone (or train) so check the local train schedules and see if there are any commuter trains that can take you from State A to State B.

2. Bus

There are several bus companies that pick up at South Station and can take you all across the east coast. Personally, I always stick with Megabus because they're reliable and have outlets and wifi on board. This is the most frugal way to get to nearby cities like New York and prices general start at $5. I suggest traveling with a friend the first time you go by bus, but once you get the hang of the bus system it's easy to take weekend getaways by yourself. The 4 hour drive is worth it to save yourself from a $100 plane ticket.

3. Plane

Now planes are generally more expensive, but it's sometimes worth it to spring an extra $50 and save yourself a 10 hour bus ride. If you're out-of-state like I am, you probably fly to and from Boston quite frequently throughout the school year. I found that flight companies like Southwest and Jetblue have great point systems that reward you the more you fly. So if you've saved up your points, a flight to Washington can cost you nothing (unless you're traveling on a holiday, which in that case take the bus- unless you have 30,000 points saved up).

Don't be afraid to venture outside the borders of Massachusetts! Besides, your best friend at NYU misses you and you deserve to treat yourself to a Broadway show every now and then. Look how happy my best friend was when I visited her for Georgetown's Homecoming weekend: 

Last night was the premiere of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. I have been watching Colbert on television for as long as I can remember and I could confidently say that he is a leading factor in why I am here at BU. Now Colbert isn’t an alumnus, nor is COM directly related to his show, but he as an entertainer is what inspired me to want to become a comedy writer. I believe the inspiration that I have drawn from Colbert throughout the years, and from other people I’ve met, is why I am the person I am today.

It’s important to find people throughout life that teach you how to become a better person. That doesn't necessarily mean that you're supposed to model their exact personality or career, but that certain aspects of their character initiate a development in your own character. I like to think of myself as an individual, however I would be nothing without the role models and mentors in my life. Although I draw inspiration from nearly everyone I encounter, I’m just going to focus on three different categories of people that have taught me a lot about what kind of person I want to be and want kind of impact I have in the world.

Obviously I am going to start with Stephen Colbert. As I have a laundry list of comedians that inspire me, I always say that if I could be anyone on the planet I’d be Stephen Colbert (ok he is tied with Lorne Michaels). Character traits spanning from his amount of energy to his captivating sense of excitement, allow him to light up an entire room with just his spirit. His use of satire that extends from the Colbert Report to outlets such as twitter is not only witty but also insightful. He challenges people to not only see the corruption of the media but to question the moral validity of trends and issues in society. He points out absurdity in everyday sexism and continuously challenges people to be active on solving problems. He also uses his platform to fight for things that he believes in and uses politics to solve issues. Does anyone remember the Stephen Colbert Super Pac?

Its inevitable to have a teacher and/or professor that does something that makes you think to yourself “wow you're smart and I want to be like you.” That happens to me a lot more than the average student so there are multiple people I can write about, however I am going to single out my high school English teacher. Mr. Foley is one of those teachers that can get even the students who only care about math or science to care about writing and literature. Not only have I become a better student because of learning from him, but he also taught me a lot about myself and the type of person that I want to be. I could go on and on about him but here is one quote from him that really resonated with me: “There’s not much in this world that you can control. The only thing that you can control, though, are your actions and what you do. When you’re going through life make sure the actions and choices you make reflect the type of person you want to be and the one that you think everyone else would want to be.”

If there were one thing that I’ve learned since coming to BU, it would be that there are so many incredible people here to learn and grow with. At my job in Undergraduate Affairs alone I have so many mentors and peers that have shaped me throughout my first year in COM. One specific role model of mine is my co-worker Jon Mayer (not the singer, I know). From the moment you meet Jon Mayer, his welcoming personality and sense of authenticity intrigues you. I don’t think I ever even had a constant work shift with Jon, but the conversations I’ve shared with him are ones I’ll never forget. Our deep talks about life and philosophical issues range from social and economic equality, the film industry, and education all the way to music and old television. Jon not only recognizes what is going on in the world around him, but he actively seeks out ways that we can create a better future. Jon’s passion for knowledge, film and people in general is something I try to emulate everyday and I am so thankful that COM brought him into my life. It’s people like Jon that you see every now and then on campus that become constant motivators and reminders of the bigger picture.

It’s important to recognize the people that have influenced you to be the person you are today. I hope anyone that is reading this is not only reminded to reflect on those kind of people but also reach out to them and let them know the impact that they’ve had in your life. Or at least write a letter dedicated to them for your COM blog post.