Category: Nick

On the heels of the Chicago Cubs shocking the baseball world and clinching their first World Series championship since 1908 (before sliced bread was even a thing), I thought it would be fitting to talk about one of the topics nearest and dearest to my heart – sports.

You’ve heard it before – how Boston is the City of Champions. The Red Sox broke their own 86-year curse in 2004 and went on to win two more titles, the Celtics won it all with the Big Three in 2008, the Patriots have four championships in this millennium, and the Bruins took home the Stanley Cup in 2011.

Whether you’re an avid sports fan like myself, someone who wants to learn more about sports or simply a casual fan, BU has all of that for you.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can get involved with sports at COM, BU and in Boston:

1. Fenway is in our backyard
One of the biggest draws for me as a Boston sports fan was BU’s proximity to Fenway Park. We are minutes away from one of the most historic ballparks in all of sports (cc Wrigley Field), and fans can get cheap student tickets too (Student 9s). I can’t tell you how many games I’ve been to with my friends since coming to BU. Even if you’re not a Red Sox fan or a fan of baseball, taking in a game at Fenway Park is a Boston experience you don’t wanna pass up.

2. The other pro teams here are pretty darn good
Baseball not your thing? That’s fine, because as mentioned above, all four of the major sports teams in Boston are perennial contenders.

The TD Garden where the Bruins and Celtics play is just a T ride away, and Gillette Stadium in Foxboro makes for a great day trip with some friends to watch some football. Tom Brady can only play for so long, right?

3. BU hockey ROCKS
While BU may not have a football team anymore, the BU men’s hockey team is a perennial contender for a national championship. The team is off to a solid start this season, and three of its freshmen were first round picks in last year’s NHL draft.

Also, the atmosphere at Agganis Arena is always raucous. The pep band kills it and the chants are always a good time. There’s something special about coming together as a school and rooting for a common cause. Similar to attending a game at Fenway Park, watching some BU hockey at Agganis is a vital BU experience. #GoTerriers

4. The sports opportunities in COM are second-to-none

As a sports fanatic with a passion for writing, sports journalism seemed like a logical career path for me. While I’ll be in DC next semester exploring the politic scene, many of the activities I’ve gotten involved with at BU have helped me grow journalistically while also exploring my love of sports.

I’m currently the sports editor of the Daily Free Press, where we cover every BU game throughout the year. This has been an incredible opportunity and experience, as I’ve been able to foster relationships with players, coaches and other beat writers. We have a rolling application, and I’d encourage you to apply. There are also opinion, news, features, layout and blog sections.

Since freshman year I’ve also been involved with BU’s only pro sports talk show Offsides. This has been another amazing experience, as I’ve met some of my best friends through BUTV and learned so much about television production. Plus, my friends and I get to have debates about the hottest topics in sports – which we do anyway.

There are also a bunch of sports journalism courses offered at BU – like sports broadcast, sportswriting, and sports talk radio. Just another example that shows COM has something for everyone.

 

I’m an upperclassman now… Wow, that feels weird to say.

Two years ago, I was a freshman still roaming aimlessly around COM Ave. – unsure of the difference between convenience and dining points. (For the record, dining points can be used at any dining hall, other on-campus dining locations, and Domino’s while convenience points basically BU bucks – they can be used for snacks, laundry, Subway, Cane’s and more.)

Anyway, I feel that I’ve grown a lot since freshman year, and I thank COM for that. I came in as a journalism major because I knew I had a passion for writing and figured, “why not?” I combined my love for writing with my love of sports and planned on being a sports journalist. Since I also loved performance (and was in many a play in high school), I figured sports broadcast would be an ever better route to take.

That being said, I had very little formal experience in journalism – my school didn’t have any journalism classes and my school’s newspaper was in disarray – so I was nervous heading into COM. I shouldn’t have been.

The experience I’ve gotten inside the classroom and out at BU has been incredible and it’s taught me so much about journalism and broadcasting. I’ve been part of the Daily Free Press, the independent student newspaper, since freshman year, which has been an invaluable journalistic experience. I’ve covered a bunch of different BU teams on beats and am now the sports editor there. My involvement with BUTV10’s only pro sports talk show, Offsides, has taught me the fundamentals of studio production.

I’m most excited about my current classes, though. I have the honor of taking TV reporting (JO 351) with Boston legend and former anchor RD Sahl, and am also taking Sports Broadcast (JO 524) with Frank Shorr, who has won EIGHT!! Emmy Awards while the executive producer at WHDH in Boston.

These classes have broadened my horizons in ways I didn’t think possible. Each week I get to learn the skills necessary to thrive in a TV-news environment with RD while making my own professional packages on stories that interest me. In Shorr’s class, we produce “Sportsnite” each Tuesday. The show, filmed in BUTV10’s Studio West, allows me to take on a new role each week – whether it’s live reporting, anchoring, running the soundboard, controlling the switcher, or operating a camera.

So my advice to you is stick it out through those big lectures and intro classes, because as you go further and further into your COM studies, classes will become more and more interesting and will give you the professional experience needed to succeed in the job market.

COM on,

Nick

Hey guys! My name’s Nick, and I’m super stoked to be joining the COM Ambassador team. I’m a sophomore studying journalism, and have spent much of my time at BU on WTBU’s airwaves, working in Studio West to produce Offsides, a weekly sports talk show through BUTV10, and covering various teams as a beat writer for the Daily Free Press. But for my first post, I’d like to tackle a topic that’s near and dear to my heart: the stage.

College is absolutely a place to try new things and step out of your comfort zone, but it is also a space where you can return to old passions, even after some time, and be welcomed with open arms. I recently found this out firsthand after auditioning for BU On Broadway’s production of American Idiot.

I did theater in high school, but for one reason or another – maybe it was a fear that I wouldn’t fit in or worry that I couldn’t balance a show and schoolwork – I hadn’t tried out for a show at BU until this semester. We’re just over a week into the rehearsal process, and do I ever wish I jumped onto this team a long time ago.

BU On Broadway is one of the student-run theater groups on campus, and much like all the experiences I’ve had here, everyone is incredibly friendly. I have some friends in Stage Troupe as well, and they put on some amazing performances. Whether you’re a first time actor, simply a fan of theater, or a performer who is looking to make his or her return to the stage like myself, I would encourage you to check out one of these groups. If you’re not into the whole acting business, there is plenty to do behind the scenes as well, with stage-managing and tech opportunities (or just come out and support – these shows have both had me cackling to a point of exhaustion and on the brink of tears).

Much like the On Broadway group, there is something for everybody on BU’s campus. I encourage you to check out all there is to offer at BU – see what you like (box combo from Cane’s anyone??), see what you don’t (8 AMs…). One lesson I’ve learned through my first year and a half as a college student is not to hold back. If you want to try something out, go for it. You’re only in college once, and we’re in a pretty great spot. You name it, BU probably has it.

Don’t be afraid to sit next to that random person in the GSU and make a new friend. Or join that table-tennis club because you’ve always admired their intensity. Or try out for the new musical. BU’s campus is your oyster, now go out there and do.