COM Ambassador Blog

Julianna: My Top Five Favorite Study Spots on Campus

5. PAL Study Lounge in Mugar Library

I’m the type of person who needs background noise during my study seshs, so the complete silence of Mugar just drives me insane. PAL is the only area in the library where you can talk as loud as you want or unwrap that candy bar without getting glares of doom. During finals week last semester my friends and I crammed around a table in PAL over Arnold Palmers and string cheese and studied our little hearts out.

4. Espresso Royale Caffe

Whenever I have a burning desire to look intellectual as I measure out my life in coffee spoons (a.k.a. read T.S. Eliot), I go to the resident hipster caffe of East Campus. Note, ERC is not owned by BU, but while you are there you are bound to bump into someone for your philosophy class or one or two TAs. I basically lived at ERC last spring during finals week. My routine was to snag a small round table in the back, order a shot of espresso, and get into the zone with my studying while I listened to the indie music playing in the background. Side note, do yourself a favor ladies and use the bathroom at ERC. It’s not immaculately clean or anything, but the stall doors are covered with lyrics and lines from poems. Definitely an experience. Their spicy chai tea is also an experience.

3. COM Lawn

This study spot is only available in September and May when it’s warm, so take advantage! I chill in the grass with my friends in between classes and type up assignments. Let’s be real, studying on the COM Lawn results in mostly people-watching and taking in the sunshine, so save this spot for lighter studying or catching up on emails. COM Lawn days definitely require a pair of Ray Bans or intense, oversized shades alla Mary Kate and Ashley.

2. SMG Starbucks

This Starbucks is located on the second floor of SMG and is basically the watering hole for SMG students, but I spot a decent number of COM kids whenever I’m there. I go to SMG Starbucks to do homework three times a week on average. Make sure to get there at awkward hours, such as 5-10 minutes before and after classes generally begin, so you can get a coveted table by an outlet. Hands down you’ll find me here on most Sunday afternoons with a venti soy iced coffee and in my Sunday finest: leggings and a flannel button-down.

1. Hillel House

BU Hillel is located on Bay State Road, and probably the most beautiful building on campus. It may be the center for Jewish life at BU, but Hillel’s doors are open to all students. Late shameless plug alert: I work as a part-time receptionist Hillel, and it’s basically my second home here at BU. I am obsessed with this place. If I’m not in class or behind the reception desk, then you can find me doing work on the second floor in the student boardroom or in the library on the first floor. During finals week the building is open for extended hours and the fourth floor chapels turn into study spaces with round tables and a traveling “hydration station.”

Steph: The Power of Twitter

When I first heard about Twitter, my initial thought was, “So its just a website dedicated to Facebook status updates. That sounds really dumb.”

I was extremely skeptical about how great Twitter was. I swore I would never get one. That all changed once I got to BU. It quickly became clear to me that everyone and everything at BU had an online presence, especially on Twitter. This realization was also amplified as a COM student, where communication is everything.

So, I caved. Even though I had made one months before, I rarely went on it and never updated. I started following more and more people and things, and was introduced to the wonderful world of Twitter.

Contrary to my original belief, Twitter is not only a place for people to post pointless updates about what they were doing. There is so much information at your fingertips, including tips about all the cool things that are going on around Boston and BU.

As a prospective Film and TV major, I follow the Film and TV department on Twitter (@BUFilmTV). At one point last semester, their Twitter updated that Professor Jaramillo was going to be giving a lecture on the topic of Race in Mad Men. As an enormous fan of Mad Men, I grabbed two of my friends and headed over to the African American Studies House. The lecture was so interesting and thought provoking, and it ended up being one of my favorite things that I did last semester. Without Twitter, I never would have known about it!

Twitter is such a great resource for information. If you don’t already have an account, definitely consider getting one. You never know what you might find!

To get started, here are a few BU accounts that are extremely helpful:

Boston University: @BU_Tweets

BU COM: @comugrad

COM Ambassadors: @COM_Ambassadors

And now for some shameless self-promotion, follow me at @StephSemet!

Kaitlin: How to Survive as a BU Vegetarian

Hello all! I hope everything has been going swimmingly with the college search. If you’re still reading this blog, it looks like you’re on the right track.

Since the summer of 2006, I’ve been an on and off vegetarian. It started simply as an attempt to be cool, to parallel with my hipster-wannabe phase before 9th grade. Over the years, my vegetarianism has evolved into a serious, purposeful habit in an attempt to make a difference while improving my health.

So, when I first came to Boston University, I was so excited to be in the big city of Boston, because cities are usually more vegetarian-friendly than small towns like the one I’m from.

Sadly, I faced some disappointment.

Finding vegetarian places to eat was a lot harder than I thought it would be. But luckily BU offers TONS of options for ALL people, whether they be meat eaters, vegetarians, or vegans. Here’s a quick guide to pinpointing the perfect meals for your meat free and healthy lifestyle.

I always walk around the dining hall to see my choices, and tend to start at the Vegan Delight section. The dishes here are obviously always vegetarian, but you just have to be careful- a lot of the time, the food is fried in someway, which takes it off the healthy list. If this is case, I’ll move on.

The sandwich station is always a great place to stop. Sargent’s Choice offers it’s picks for healthy eating, including whole wheat breads and fat free cheese. Add some fresh, crunchy veggies, and you have a solid meal!

I never automatically rule out the dishes that are presented with meat, because a lot of the time they’ll serve it vegetarian style. This especially goes for pasta dishes. Just ask for your whole wheat penne without chicken and you’re good to go!

Breakfast for breakfast, lunch or dinner is always the easiest to eat for. Check out the healthy, whole grain hot and cold cereals, fat free yogurts, and delicious fruit salad that are available all day!

So, although people may think you’re strange for not eating greasy, fat bacon or constantly question your decision to cut fried chicken from your diet, your choices are just as plentiful as theirs (and a lot of the time, just a bit more healthy). Bon appetite! 🙂

Kate: PR Advanced: Unleash Our Generation Recap

This past weekend, I partook in PR Advanced, an annual conference hosted by the BU Public Relations Student Society of America as a participant and a member of the planning committee. Each year we bring together 200 students from across the United States (people came all the way from Ohio and Louisiana!) for a keynote speech, breakout sessions, a career panel, and a career fair. Our keynote speaker this year was unfortunately snowed in and unable to make it to the conference. But there to save the day were Kenneth Elmore, BU Dean of Students, and Professor Steve Quigley, PRSSA 2011 Educator of the Year, to fill in, offering students advice on where to take their careers. In this day and age, students have many options after graduation:

Agency vs. Corporate
Corporate vs. Government vs. Non-profit
B2B (business to business) vs. B2C (business to consumer)
Start-up vs. Established Company

And with so many options, PR students must understand the importance of culture and finding a niche where they feel comfortable. These motifs continued throughout the day. In the start-ups breakout session, BU alum Kris Ruby shared her story. Knowing her strengths and the market, she decided to take advantage of the changing field and started her own social media and PR firm. Tom O’Keefe a.k.a. Boston Tweet and Joseline Mane, co-founder of Boston TweetUp, shared how they are using social media to further their careers.

After lunch, student attended a career panel with representatives from across the field of communication. Brandi Boatner, an external relations professional at IBM, showed that B2B communication can be just as exciting as traditional B2C. And Mike DiSalvo (probably my favorite speaker of the day) from Ogilvy reminded students to have fun in an interview because that’s when you know the culture is a right fit for you.

Ending the day was the career fair. With a company as small as Ruby Media Group (four employees) to Burson-Marstellar, one of the largest international PR firms in the world, students had the opportunity to find out where they fit into the market.

As the career fair coordinator for the last two years, I have come to understand the importance of attending conferences and networking events like PR Advanced. Public relations is an ever changing field and the best advice you can get doesn’t come from a text book, it comes from the professionals who are in the thick of it all. And the business cards and potential future opportunities don’t hurt either. I highly suggest all students taking advantage PR Advanced in the future.

Daniela: On That Internship Hunt

Hey everyone! Hope your semester has been going well. It is flying by for me despite an increasingly hectic schedule, and I’m already starting to look ahead for summer plans. I’m a Public Relations major, and I want to go into the entertainment and event management side of things. So when I started to ponder internship opportunities, I came to one solid conclusion: I need to go to California.

With the West Coast on my mind, I furtively began scouring the Internet searching for potential companies. It was really difficult at first because I had a very specific interest, and most of the ones I found either did not apply to me or, worse, were unpaid. Another thing I was sure of was that whatever I found had to have some form of compensation. If I’m going to pack up and move out West for an entire summer, I need a little something more than just “experience” as incentive.

So I kept searching. I hit a breakthrough when I stumbled upon this website that listed almost one hundred companies with direct links to their employment/internship opportunities. Finally, I narrowed down about ten solid companies that were actively looking for interns in Los Angeles, seven of which were paying. Perfect.

I’m dedicating myself to editing my resume and sending applications these next couple of days. Here’s hoping for the best! In the meantime, I want to share a couple tips with you guys that could be helpful when you start your own searches!

Know where you want to go

It helps when you have a few set locations in mind of where you want to intern. It narrows down the search, and makes it a lot easier to find what you’re looking for.

Know what you’re looking for

Similarly, nailing down your specific interest will further narrow down your searches. You want to make sure that what you find will give you the best learning experience and long-term benefits.

The Search

Start browsing on internship websites and follow them on Twitter and Facebook. Some of the ones I use are InternMatch.com and YouTern.com as well as following @InternsNtheCity (which tweets about opportunities in NYC), @BostonInternshp (and no that’s not a typo!) and @PRJobLA. Twitter is an incredible resource. Even by just typing “Intern” and the location you want to work in the search bar will give you a ton of solid results. After exhausting that, browse the Center for Career Development and the COM Career Services databases. Update your profile and look for jobs that match you. And of course, don’t forget to look up specific companies if you have a couple in mind!

Get Organized

After searching every last form of “I need an internship” on Google, you’re bound to have a couple solid leads lined up. Bookmark all the ones you find and organize them into priorities. Some applications may have deadlines. Work on those first, as well as the ones you’re most interested in. Don’t leave your dream job for last! While you’re getting yourself organized, be sure to follow their social media. When they look at your application and begin doing some research on you, it looks good when they see the extent of your interest.

Tailor your resume to each company

Before you send in your resume, make sure it is organized in a way that will best represent your skills and what you can do for that specific company. Include their name in your objective, and put all the things you think they will want to see first. Go to COM Career Services and get a second opinion if you’re having trouble. When you’re absolutely satisfied, send away!

Tweet about it

Continue to show your interest in where you are applying. Keep an eye on your email and your phone calls.

Finding internships takes a lot of work. You need to be proactive. With a little bit of luck and motivation though, it will all pay off. So get searching, applying, and hope for the best!

Tom: I Wanna Be a Producer

Hey guys! Last time you saw me I gave you guys the rundown about how to conquer auditions at Boston University. This time I’m back with some more theater for you guys. Now I bet you guys are thinking – “yes, Tom’s really into theater, but what does this have to do with the College of Communication?” Through my involvement with BU On Broadway, I managed to find a way to combine my major in advertising with my passion for theater: I became a Producer.

Last semester, I took on being a producer for the first time for our production of The Producers (I know… producer of The Producers, way too much producer in one sentence.) Taking on the role of producer was a much bigger commitment than I thought it was, but it provided me with a huge resume and experience booster for the future. Plus, it was actually something I enjoyed doing and was applicable to my future career.

So what does a Producer do exactly?

1. Advertising, Advertising, and more Advertising. The Producer’s main job is to sell the show. This involves everything including poster design, T-Shirt design, and handouts for us to give out in the George Sherman Union. We also ran a social media campaign for the production using the hashtag: #PrOBucers (note the “OB” (On Broadway) in the middle).

2. Managing the Budget. Ah, the budget. A COM kid’s least favorite word. Unfortunately, being a Producer isn’t all fun and games advertising. You also need to take the cost of the whole production into account. The producers are responsible for making sure that the tech crew stays within their budget and are reimbursed through the Student Activities Office for all the purchases they made. While very tedious, managing a budget is an extremely valuable skill I picked up that’s relevant to any future in Account Management.

3. Work with the Student Activities Office. As On Broadway is a student group on campus, someone needs to be responsible for checking in with the Student Activities Office. This is where the producers come in. The producers need to fill out numerous forms in addition to making sure everything is set for opening night.

Here’s some advice:

While I’m not recommending everyone interested in communication run out and be a producer, I would advise new COM students to do what their passionate about. I got involved with On Broadway as an actor, and managed to blend my love for theater with my future aspirations in advertising. My advice: be a good student and stick to what you love. Your career aspirations will eventually work out.

That’s all for now! I hope to keep you updated with my newest producing endeavor: this spring’s production of Spring Awakening!

Taylor: How I Met My Roommate

In conversing with others I have noticed that the most popular collegiate related question that family members, neighbors and peers will homogenously parrot other than “How is school going” is, “Do you like your roommate?” Although responses to the question vary, I am certain that a respectable, trusting, and fun living space will produce a healthy roomie relationship.

The First Date. After tension from awaiting news of acceptance has eased down the next perplexing moment that all students endure is waiting for BU’s housing release email. A notice that announces that freshmen can now check student link to unleash the veil that not only states where you will be housed over the next year but more importantly WITH WHOM. The student link section typically discloses the persons name and BU email address. Ideally, once names have been released Facebook friend requests are mutually sent. Yet, what happens next? What if you can’t find your roomie on any social networking site?

If at first you don’t succeed TRY AGAIN. Facebook as well as other social networking sites are largely populated. Don’t undermine your search abilities if you can’t immediately find your assigned roommate. Remember, the university also graciously posts email addresses. Don’t be afraid shooting a welcoming email including a bit about who you are, your major, and fun personality traits. Check out BU’s COM 2016 page https://www.facebook.com/BUCOMClassof2016 as well as other university class pages.

Consult. Regardless of whether or not you have siblings, or if your roommate happens to be your best friend, living in the same quarters is a huge adjustment. Best bit of advice- discuss your ticks. Mind readers are often hard to find, and there’s really no other way for someone else to know what annoys you than voicing it aloud.

Roomance. In an effort to offset cost, most find it helpful to divide up common room appliances prior to moving in. Creating an open atmosphere where there is a mutual dependence on one another aids in ways unimaginable. During the school year you may become ill, may need to vent about a pressing issue, or just yearn for a good laugh. Even when you feel as though no one is by your side, your roommate has no choice.

Anna: Good Music is Right Around the Corner

With Coachella fast approaching and the Lollapalooza lineup leaked this week, I’ve been feeling some serious music envy lately. Really, though, to all of you flying out to California for Coachella in April, stop telling me about your plans. I’m too jealous. If you’re like me and are struggling to find a couple of dollars for your Starbucks order each morning, you probably won’t be headed out to any major festival this spring or summer. Have no fear though! There are some great acts coming to Boston in the coming months. Best of all, these shows are relatively cheap.

As I did with my very first blog post last year, here are my recommendations for five worthwhile concerts coming to a venue near you throughout the spring semester:

Oberhofer

3/22

Brighton Music Hall

$12.00

Known mostly for being featured in endless commercials, Oberhofer is still working on gaining popularity outside of the advertising world. Led by Brad Oberhofer, the band has an upbeat sound that will keep you dancing and happy throughout the show. Check out the songs “Away From You” and “Gold” for a solid sample of the group.

Gotye with Kimbra

3/29

House of Blues

$25.00

I can’t go a day without a new cover of Gotye’s “Somebody I Used to Know” being posted on facebook. The original song, which features New Zealand artist Kimbra, was a huge hit this past summer in Gotye’s native Australia and is slowly becoming popular here in the U.S. Both artists have amazing voices and should put on solid performances separately and together.

Of Montreal 4/1

Paradise Rock Club

$25.00

Even though they’ve been around and popular since the ‘90s, ticket prices for Of Montreal are still shockingly low. With their eleventh album released earlier in the month, the band is continuing their signature psychedelic-pop sound with great results. I wouldn’t hesitate to check out any of their new songs but make sure to listen to some old stuff too. They tend to go retro during their lives performances.

M83 5/9

House of Blues

$22.00

This French electronica band is insanely catchy. The highly addictive single Midnight City has honestly had me dancing by myself for the past couple of months. Similar in sound to a lower-key MGMT, the group has an eclectic mix of songs that range from slow and sad to fast and fun. They also tend to do spontaneous remixes on stage, so they never disappoint live.

Dom 5/11

Brighton Music Hall

$14.00

I saw this band last summer when they opened for the WFNX Clambake, and even though I had no expectations for them, they wound up being fantastic. Hailing from nearby Worcester, their local flavor makes their shows a ton of fun. Maybe it’s because I first saw them in June, but Dom’s sound definitely has a carefree summer-like feel for me. Check out one of their first singles “Living In America,” though, and see for yourself.

Alexa: A Night at TD Garden

There are so many things that I hope to accomplish here in Boston, and one is to catch an NBA Lakers/Celtic game at the TD Garden. However, it wasn’t that easy to accomplish - it took some research, planning and execution. Back in December, about ten minutes after the Celtics schedule was released, I figured out the day the Lakers would be playing the Celtics. I saw that they would be playing February 9^th, which was extremely convenient because my birthday’s February 11^th.Now for the planning part, I knew the odds of attending the game were likely because I could use the gift of Lakers tickets as an early birthday/late Christmas present. So I called my parents in California and told them about my amazing idea. They told me to remember why I was in Boston (for a great education) and I refuted that it would be an educational experience to witness such a rival team and observe how journalists report on such an intense game. Long story short… I was in attendance at the Lakers Celtics game on February 9^th. (Thanks again Mom and Dad!)

While I don’t want to give too much away since most of my wonderful adventure at the TD Garden will be featured on COMlife Episode 5 (premiering February 24^th!) I was fortunate enough (thanks to media contacts I made as a BU COM student last semester) to be given a tour of the Garden with my friend, Sonali. She is also from California too and she could not be talked out of wearing a Lakers jersey no matter how much I begged her.

The tour was great and I was lucky enough to go on the court where I could see some of my favorite players: Jason Kapono, Troy Murphy and Steve Blake, who had just been released for play three hours prior. Since I’m from California and see celebrities I take a lot of pride in the fact that I don’t go senseless over them. I could easily pass by actors at Starbucks in Montecito without bothering them or nonchalantly pass by Oprah at the local grocery store she frequents in the summer without telling her how much I adore her. (Ok, the Oprah encounter has never happened… but if it did, I’d like to think I would be civilized). However, while on the Celtics court, I found it to be a huge struggle to restrain myself from not walking right out on the court to high-five Troy Murphy and hug Steve Blake and tell him that he needs to perfect his crossover if the Lakers want any chance of making it far in the playoffs this year. Other than getting to go on the court level and watching warm ups, the game was incredible. It doesn’t matter if you are a fan of the Celtics or not, the atmosphere they create for the game is phenomenal. The fans are so devoted and even though the crowd was mixed with green and white and purple and gold we were all just there to watch a good sports game. I remember my dad explaining to me the deep rivalry of the teams when I was younger but the way I witnessed it, the two teams were really just friends playing a basketball game. When Celtics player, Kevin Garnett and Lakers player, Ron Artest, sorry, I mean Meta World Peace, both fell after diving for a loose ball, Lakers guard, Kobe Bryant offered a hand to both players which was a huge gesture of sportsmanship and as my mom would say, “That’s my boy!”

To add to this educational experience, I also learned to keep your eyes out for the videographers that shoot video for the above the court Jumbo Tron screen. Sonali and I were featured in slow motion devouring nachos on the Jumbo Tron and then laughing about it (great photo op) and I may have forgotten exactly who won the game… but I posted a link just so we can all double check…

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap/_/id/320209002/la-lakers-lakers-vs-boston-celtics

Taking in the game in person ranks high up there in the greatest experiences I have had in Boston so far. It also helped me realize that sports journalism is something I want to continue to pursue at BU because the energy I felt in the Garden is something that I want to share with others whether it be by putting together pregame feature stories on players, and/or reporting during and after the games. BU offers me the opportunity to learn, develop and tighten the skills to make this a part of my future career.

Jason: The BU Ski Club

So as most of you guys know, this has been a pretty strange winter. There have been record highs across the nation, and every state has noted (with the exception of Alaska) of the lack of snow.

Well this is a real problem for skiers like me. We all know that when it's cold enough, the resorts can make snow but that's just not the same. Not all mountains have the capacity to make snow though! That's left a lot of resorts with a lot less money this season. But let's be honest, any mountain in the Boston area really isn't going to be that great anyway. (I phrase it that way because I have never been skiing in MA but us skiers who have been skiing since they could walk get the idea)

But don't fret! There are options to escape the smaller mountains that bless the great state of Massachusetts. If you don't have the time or energy to commit to the ski team, the BU ski club is for you! I've been a proud member for two years now so let me tell you a little bit about it.

We have a bunch of trips through out the year, starting with the Killington trip in the first weekend in December. We stay at these awesome condos right at the base of the mountain and for those of you who haven't been to the mountain before, it's one of my favorites in New England. (Stratton is my home base where I spent some time with the freestyle tream) The Killington trip's got nothing on the trip I'm going on this weekend. This weekend we're bussing off to Quebec for four days! We ski at Mt. St Anne and Le Massif. It's still not like skiing out west, but definitely better than anything around here. Other than the skiing, I'm definitely looking forward to reviving my Quebecois French and many rounds of poutine.

Our other big trip is to Sugarloaf in the spring and we'll sometimes take sporadic day trips to VT. If the BU Ski club aren't enough for you, an outside company called New England Snow Bus has trips to Stratton, Killington, or Okemo almost every weekend.

If you guys are interested, I put the links for the Ski Club and NESB below. Hope you all get some skiing in during the long weekend!

BU Ski Club: http://people.bu.edu/skiclub/

New England Snow Bus: http://www.newenglandsnowbus.com/index.html