Daniela: Into the City We Go

Daniela ImageHey everyone! As a new COM Ambassador, this is my first blog, and let me just say I’m so excited for this semester. It’s only been two weeks, and already my schedule is crazy hectic. As much as I love everything I’m a part of, taking a break every once in a while can do wonders to your mindset.

Boston is one of my favorite cities in the world. I grew up in the suburbs, and even though I had Miami and Fort Lauderdale nearby, it’s not the same as actually living in a city. When I came to BU, I told myself I was going to take full advantage of what the city had to offer me, everything from concerts to internships. Sometimes though, it’s difficult to find those precious free moments. These past couple of weeks have definitely been like that. So yesterday, after a long weekend of work and studying, I decided to put everything on hold and enjoy a stress-free night.

Last night, a couple of my friends and I went into the city to watch a movie. Instead of just walking to the Fenway Regal, we took the T downtown to the AMC Loews Theatre by Boston Common. I had never been there before, but I liked it immediately. It was a huge theater, practically empty since it was a Sunday night. The walls were decorated with classic movie posters and large black and white photographs. I looked up to find famous quotes beautifully inscribed on the ceiling. We bought our tickets for Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which I was dying to see after reading the books. We got some ice cream and made friends with the people who worked there, which got us about four extra scoops each!

When the movie ended, it was too late to take the T back. So we walked. There’s something really beautiful about a quiet city in the middle of the night. The chilly air kept our legs moving as our voices echoed in the silent streets. We passed by the Fairmont Copley Plaza and stopped outside the entrance. It was built in 1912, one hundred years ago. We admired the huge golden lions that guard the hotel and decided at once to go in and explore. It’s a beautiful building. Golden lights flood the hallways and the lobby. Everything was polished and classy. We walked around slowly, talking in hushed voices, completely in awe. As we were making our way out, one of the managers came out and politely inquired what exactly we were doing. We told him we had never been inside and were just about to leave. We were then subtly escorted back outside, in the classiest manner possible. We burst out laughing as we walked away, all agreeing that was probably the nicest, most sophisticated way we’ve ever been kicked out of a building.

We kept walking through the streets, until we turned onto Newbury and then finally Commonwealth Avenue. We talked about our happiest memories, and I thought in the back of my mind that this night would have to be added to my list.

I feel very lucky to have such simple opportunities like this. Life moves so fast; it’s easy to get swept away. In everything I do, I’m always looking ahead. But it’s nights like those that remind me how important it is to look around.

So work hard and get involved as much as you can in the BU community. I know I wouldn’t have my schedule any other way. But if you ever need to relax or clear your mind, take a walk around and explore. It might just be exactly what you need.

Mike: Abroad in Madrid!

Mike Image

Hola chicos!

I can’t believe I’ve already been in Madrid for almost three weeks now! I've been going nonstop since getting here and I'm still completely exhausted. I feel like I've been here for ages, it's very strange. But so far I am absolutely loving it. It is so different from home-- the culture, the food, the people, the nightlife. Every street I walk down I have to stop and take pictures. The architecture is like nothing I've ever seen. The people here are all very friendly (so much nicer than New Yorkers), and I am definitely glad I’m being forced to speak Spanish all the time.

My host family is wonderful. My mom, Pilar, is so kind and welcoming. We call her "mapi," a term of endearment her kids called her when they were young. Her daughter, Maria, is also very sweet. She's a lawyer and is always starting up conversations with me, even if I have to take long pauses to try to respond. It has been a lot of head nods, smiles, and "si's" while I've been here. Neither of them speak English. They'll know a few words here and there but I have to speak to them entirely in Spanish, which is certainly frustrating because there is so much I'd like to speak to them about but I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough to carry on full-length conversations. My comprehension is definitely much better than my speaking. My classes are all taught in Spanish so my understanding of the language is rapidly improving.

I’m enrolled in the documentary filmmaking program here (there’s only 3 of us!) so I'm taking four classes: documentary filmmaking, Spanish cinema, colloquial Spanish, and translation for film and theater. So far they are all interesting. In Spanish cinema we are covering a bunch of Almodovar movies, and in the colloquial class I am learning all kinds of Spanish slang ranging from casual greetings to ordering beers at a bar. In the translation class, we are translating scenes from classic movies like Annie Hall into Spanish. Woody Allen is definitely not an easy writer to translate, so it's pretty challenging. The documentary class will consume most of my time as the three of us begin pre-production for the film we are shooting. We’ve been looking around the city the past few weeks to find a topic to explore. We decided to focus on the cultural significance of “pan” or bread in each meal in Spain. We are traveling to different panerias to film the process of bread making and interviewing different families to see how bread plays a role in their family dinners. I’m sure we will be eating a lot of bread along the way so I definitely don’t mind that. Overall, the food here has been delicious. There is ham and egg in everything! And they also barely refrigerate anything! The eggs, milk, and juices are always left out. So strange.

I've already visited Toledo, a small village about an hour outside of Madrid. It was so quaint-- cobblestone streets and beautiful churches and synagogues. I felt like I had stepped into a scene from Don Quijote. Next weekend, we are traveling to Granada, which is supposed to be filled with Moorish architecture. I can’t wait. We have already booked other weekend trips to Sevilla, Barcelona, and Amsterdam. In March, I have a two week spring break where we are planning to go to Dublin and the southern coast of France-- Nice, St Tropez, and Monaco, and then venture over to Italy to cover Florence and Rome. Yup, I know you’re jealous.

I will be sure to keep you guys posted on my travels! I miss Boston and hope everyone is off to a great semester.

Hasta luego,
Mike

Alexa: All About Boston Restaurants

Alexa ImageHey everyone! Boston is such a great place for so many things! We have awesome sports teams, great sightseeing places and incredible food! The dining halls here are great, especially at West campus where I eat frequently, however it’s always nice to go out to eat once in a while.

Roast Beast is located at 1080 Commonwealth Avenue and it’s delicious.  No seriously. This place specializes in both roast beef and turkey sandwiches.  It’s a charming little hole in the wall with a really friendly staff. They can make your order any way you can imagine. I personally order a regular roast beef on onion bread with house barbecue on the side and a bottled cream soda to take it down.  For anyone who is up to a challenge Roast Beast offers the “Thermonuclear Challenge” The task is eating a sandwich with a fiery sauce that has hot peppers in just five minutes. While this may seem like no big deal, I have witnessed this challenge and it is crazy. People cry. However if you win, you’re meal is free and you get a free t-shirt! This place is definitely a must try and if you say Alexa sent you, they’ll… ok they won’t do anything special except for probably comment on how frequent of a visitor I am. But seriously go!

Another great place is called Bottega Florentina. This is an Italian eatery that specializes in many Italian cuisines, especially pasta. There are two locations, one on Newbury Street and the one I usually visit at Coolidge Corner in Brookline. On Tuesdays you can get any type of pasta with any type of sauce imaginable for only five dollars! I usually stick to the classic spaghetti with meat sauce but they have so many delicious options. Like Roast Beast, this place isn’t huge so service is very quick and pleasant and with every order you get fresh, homemade bread. Trust me this place will redefine all your expectations of pasta.

I promise the rest of my blogs will be more about my activities ie. (BUTV, COMlife, Intermural Basketball…) but for now I think it’s worthwhile to know some of the great food establishments that surround BU! Until next time…

Kate: We Made Our Mark

KateEvery January, about a week before classes start, the campus fills with girls—thousands of them—all getting ready for sorority recruitment.  Whether a sorority woman or a potential new member, everyone has a certain excitement and anxiousness that can only be found during recruitment.

Sorority Recruitment 2012
Sorority Recruitment 2012

This year, over 600 PNMs came out to the Marriot Hotel in Copley to “Make Their Mark” on Greek Life.  Only five days later, the same 600+ girls received their bids and excitedly joined their new sisters!

I’ll be honest, Greek Life is not huge at BU, definitely nothing like the “Go Greek or Go Home” schools I grew up around in the Midwest.  But we are a growing community and each year, more and more freshmen and sophomore women are joining the nine chapters we currently have on campus.  I went through recruitment as a freshman and it was a stressful, exciting, tiring, thrilling, and completely worth it week of small talk, pictures, cheering, and lots and lots of girls.   But without it, I wouldn’t have met some of my best friends on campus and future bridesmaids… yes, I went there with that cliché…but its true.

And in addition to the sisters, one thing about BU Greek Life that I really love is the support.  We attend each other’s philanthropy events, help when our community is in need, and encourage each other through everything.  Last year, the nine sororities worked together during Sigma Chi Derby Days, a weeklong philanthropy event to benefit cancer research, and raised almost $30,000! And when a house that members of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity live in caught on fire this semester, the entire community bought supplies and food to get them back on their feet. That service and support will always make me proud to be a member of the Greek community.

My Bid night!
My Bid night!

Greek Life at BU is one of those things that you get out what you put into it.  If you want to get really involved, that opportunity is absolutely available to you.  And if you want it to be one of the many different things you do on campus that's fine too.  But it has provided me an incredible support system over the past year and given me some of the best experiences I’ve had at BU!

For more information about Greek Life, check out www.bu.edu/greeklife or @BUGreeks on Twitter!

Tom: Auditions, Auditions, and More Auditions

TomHey guys! The second week of classes only means one thing for students involved in theater on campus: Auditions.

While running between my own auditions, I figured I would share with you guys the procedure for auditioning for some of our theater groups on campus. For the purposes of this blog post, I’m only going to go into auditions for BU On Broadway and Stage Troupe, but there are also many other theater groups on campus you can get involved in!

First Up: BU On Broadway.

Here’s some background. BU On Broadway (OB) is our premier musical theater group on campus. The group typically puts on two shows a semester (this semester being Spring Awakening and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). Like all extracurricular theater groups, everything is student run from its direction to its acting. Students are welcome to pitch shows as long as they have a director and musical director on the pitch and a committee, along with the executive board, choose the plays that go up each semester.

Now, how to audition. You are welcome to audition for both shows for the group, but are only able to be cast in ONE. After auditions and callbacks, the directors of both shows meet to discuss who is cast in what. Both directing teams are in the same room at the time of the audition, so to make it simple, you just need to prepare one song (16-32 bars) for both shows. If you are lucky enough to get called back for both, they will coordinate with each other to make sure everyone is seen. My favorite part of having two shows is that it casts many more people each semester, as opposed to having just one show that everyone is auditioning for.

Next Up: Stage Troupe.

Here’s some background. Stage Troupe is our oldest and largest theater group on campus. While they predominantly put on straight plays, students are also welcome to pitch a musical for the group. The group puts on four plays a semester ranging from works by Arthur Miller to more contemporary works such as Farragut North and Dog Sees God. The same as OB, students pitch the shows they are interested in directing. Slightly different from OB, the shows are voted on by the general membership.

Now, how to audition. For auditions, the directors are in different rooms, but you are still welcome to audition for more than one (or all) of the shows. In the same fashion as OB, the directors will meet at the end to discuss who is cast in what show. For any straight play you audition for, you do not need to come with anything prepared: The directors will give you a side from the show for a cold-read. If the show is a musical, you will need to prepare 16-32 bars of a song (like OB).

To wrap it up. I’m sure you guys are thinking right now: “wait… how do we know what group to audition for?” The best part is, both groups coordinate with each other as well so you can audition for both groups. You are definitely open to audition for all six shows put on my both groups if you so wanted. My first semester I auditioned for four of the shows and got called back for three. Let me tell you: it certainly was a rough callback night.  A word of advice: I would choose just a few shows to audition for.

That’s all for my audition guidelines. Stay tuned through the semester while I blog about everything from theater to advertising.

Anna: It’s not too early to think about summer!

AnnaHey everyone! I hope you all had an awesome winter break.

I can’t believe it’s January and I’m already getting started on my last semester at BU. Really though, every time I look at a calendar and see that it’s 2012, I get a little confused. Time really does fly by!

I recently decided to finish up my time at BU by going back to work at a place that has had a huge impact on me throughout the past four years. I’m talking of course about Boston University Orientation! I first started working there as a Program Advisor the summer after my freshman year and had an absolutely amazing time. Since then, I’ve worked in the office as an academic year Program Advisor and now I’m back as a Coordinator of Programs.

Not only have I met a ton of cool people through Orientation, but I’ve also learned a lot more about BU and what it has to offer… all while getting paid. (For everyone dreading finding an unpaid internship this summer, listen up!)

Each spring, Orientation and the Community Service Center (CSC) hire Program Advisors, Student Advisors, Community Advisors, FYSOP Coordinators, and CSC Program Assistants to work all summer long. As a Program Advisor in the summer of 2009, my main responsibilities were to help the parents of incoming freshman and transfer students learn about BU’s academic and social programs and also to introduce them to the city the Boston.

Whether you want to help parents (like I did) or you want to welcome new students to BU through Orientation or FYSOP, there is an opportunity for you at Orientation or the CSC.  Check out our website bu.edu/orientation for more info on specific jobs!

Now, I know you may be thinking, ‘Shouldn’t I be getting COM related internship this summer?’ Sure, you totally can. I’ve had three great journalism internships since being in college, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything, but I will tell you that working for Orientation was an equally rewarding experience. I gained incredibly valuable communication and public speaking skills, networked with BU administrators and parents, and developed as a leader.

Also, working for Orientation or the CSC is just simply fun. You get to hang out with people from all over campus that you may have never otherwise met, and you get to stay in Boston for the summer (for free…housing is paid for)!

We are now currently accepting applications for Summer 2012 Leadership positions, so again totally check out bu.edu/orientation or bu.edu/csc for more information about some of the best summer jobs on campus. The application deadline is on Wednesday January 25th, though, so if you’re interested, get going!

Brittany: COM-portunities

Brittany

The last time you heard from me, I was interning at Chronicle on Boston’s WCVB Channel 5. I told you all what a great experience it was for me, but the best had yet to come. By the end of the summer, my hard work earned me the opportunity to be an associate producer for a segment of a show! I came up with my own story idea, organized, planned, made contacts, filled out paperwork, and accompanied the crew on the day of the shoot—all the responsibilities of a real (read: salaried) producer. The episode aired a few days after I left for school, and it was the best way I could have ended my time at the station.

After Chronicle, I started working for New England Sports Network (NESN) in the fall. I’m a Boston Bruins/Hockey East Studio Production intern—a position I’m convinced is the best job in Boston. When the Bruins are home, I ride along to the Garden, where I do one of many things—learn how to run tech equipment from the truck, stage manage the pre-, post-, and intermission reports from the in-house studio, or stage manage the color and play-by-play commentators from their booth. After the game, I usually run tapes of post-game interviews from the locker room to feed them back to the office. There’s a lot of running around the Garden, but there’s no place I’d rather be on game day.

Recently I’ve been doing a lot of work for Hockey East. I was the time out coordinator for the Frozen Fenway games (check out the picture that Dean Sabovik took off of the TV that day!), and I’ve put in countless hours working on Beanpot features in preparation for the tournament in February. My internship at NESN is so multifaceted, I never know what to expect as I walk in in the morning. COM has given me the preparation to handle whatever is expected of me at any given time, and complete the task at a professional level.

Last semester, I applied and got into a class going abroad to London this summer to cover the Olympics with COM. Come next year I will have graduated, and I’m so thankful that I will be able to cap out my three years at BU with such an amazing work experience. You can read more about it here: http://www.bu.edu/com/2011/12/13/students-tapped-to-cover-olympics-in-london/.

The point of my post is this—everything that I talked about truly is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Through COM, I’ve had opportunities and experiences that many college students can only dream of. I’m happy to answer any questions about internships that you might have, and I look forward to sharing my contacts with the next batch of COM students!

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Sarah: True Life: I’m an Intern

SarahHey terriers! While many begin the hunt for a summer internship, I thought I’d reflect a little on my own.

This past summer, I had the most incredible first internship a film student can ask for – being a production assistant on the set of a feature film. The Place Beyond the Pines, a film written and directed by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), and starring Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper, began filming last July in Schenectady, NY. Schenectady might not sound familiar to you, but I grew up practically next-door. It was a BIG deal for such a small town.

Being on set was unlike anything I’ve ever done before. I gained practical knowledge, made connections and experienced feature filmmaking first-hand. It turned out to be the most rewarding (and brag-worthy) internship I could have hoped for. It was also the most overwhelming. I went through a trial and error period in the beginning, but I learned more from my initial uncertainty. Here are just a few things I picked up as a first-time film intern.

1. Comfortable shoes are essential.
Twelve-hour days are average. Fourteen-hour days are typical. Sixteen-hour days are not unlikely. Production assistants do not sit. Ever. You might get twenty minutes to scarf down lunch, but that does not guarantee you any time off of your feet. Flexible shoes with some support will help prevent throbbing feet at the end of the day. After day one, I ditched my tennis shoes for an old pair of running sneakers.

2. It takes a LOT of people to make a movie…
…and you have to know all of them. I was astonished to discover how many people it takes to make a feature film (this was a low-budget, independent film, mind you). Directors, producers, gaffers, electricians, personal assistants, sound mixers, location scouts, prop masters and makeup artists make for a substantial crew. When you consider all of the work done both before and after filming, the crew on set is just a portion of a larger team – a team of hundreds. As the eyes and ears of the assistant directors, production assistants are responsible for knowing who everyone is and what everyone does. Study up right away – there will inevitably be seven Mikes.

3. Filmmaking has its own lingo.
Do you know what sides are? A hero house? A squib? Neither did I. There isn’t any kind of vocabulary list you receive before hand, but nearly everything on set has some shortened ID. The key PA might brief you on your first day, but just like knowing every person on set, it’s your responsibility to know all of the terms used on set. It will mostly come with time and repetition, but doing some research beforehand can’t hurt.

4. Everyone is your boss.
The only position lower than a PA is an interning PA. There is a key PA who all others will generally report to and receive instructions from. The higher-ups will relay instructions, requests and problems to the key PA, who then delegates responsibilities to everyone else. It seems pretty common, however, for other crew memebers on set to ask a PA for assistance. Whatever they ask – do it. For me, most times it was someone asking for a pen or a new radio battery (or to hold an umbrella for Ryan Gosling so the rain won’t smudge his tattoos). If a crewmember asks you to do anything that requires you to leave set or an assigned post, make sure you tell the key PA. They must keep tabs on their minions at all times!

5. Days are long, but not necessarily busy.
On my first day, my key PA told me that the job involves doing everything and doing nothing – bizarre, yet true. There is no single responsibility of a PA. Tasks change with current needs and circumstances on set. Most days, my responsibilities required me to run around set for twenty minutes and then act as a human traffic cone for the rest of the day. It’s the nature of the business; I had to do my job so the actors and directors could do theirs. If you want to impress the crew, be the happiest, most attentive traffic cone on set. And don’t sit down!

6. Call sheets are tricky.
Call sheets hold SO much information. This one piece of paper holds almost everything you need to know for the day – call times, weather, scene numbers, props, location and the entire crew list. It isn’t of much use, however, if you don’t know how to read it. My key PA tried decoding it for me on my first day, but barely made it through the heading before he got pulled away. This is another thing you kind of have to learn through experience. The interns on set would often band together to decipher the scene descriptions. I found out, though, that interns are not the only ones who have trouble reading call sheets. The assistant directors would often joke about holding a Call Sheet 101 class.

If you have the opportunity to work on a movie set, take it! Maybe my rookie mistakes and lessons learned will help you through your first few days!

The Place Beyond the Pines is scheduled to release in the fall – go see it!

Richie: PDPs: Schedule a Bit of Time For Fun!

Richie

Now, we all know Boston University’s College of Communication is a top-notch school with the best in terms of academic classes, but we seldom hear about the other classes available to us as BU students.  It’s true, while completing our general requirements, we’ll likely be exposed to a wide variety of classes in the many colleges throughout our university.  We’ll probably take an incredible philosophy course or a foreign language course we’ll fall in love with.  But what I’m talking about are PDPs.

“What’s a PDP?” you may be asking yourself (along with the question, “Does BU purposefully abbreviate everything to confuse new students”).  I’ll be honest, don’t ask me what “PDP” exactly stands for, but I do know they’re BU’s Physical Education Credit Classes.  Offering an insanely huge amount of diversity, students can sign up from anything to rock climbing, yoga, or even scuba diving with a PDP course!  You can check out over a hundred different classes in categories like court sports, dance, mind and body, aquatics, and more!

Courses are usually somewhere in between 0.5 and 2.0 credits, and since our regular academic classes usually only take up 16 credits, why not fill up the remaining two credits available to you with a class like cardio-jazz funk?! Or if you have the GPA requirement for it, you could go crazy and literally overload with PDPs! (Yes, I am overloading with Hip-Hop, Tango, Springboard Diving, and Intermediate Sailing, but don’t judge me).  If your still hesitant to sign up for one (not sure why you would be after you read “rock climbing”) just think about all the added benefits.

For one, it would definitely have you visit the gym more frequently.  I know many of you are familiar with our state-of-the-art fitness center, but probably  only familiar with it from afar.  I’ll be honest, I visited the gym here in my entire freshman year probably a total of two times and know plenty of students that did the same.  Perhaps a cooking class that meets for two hours a week would help you learn a little more about FitRec.  It could even give you the little extra push you need to actually start visiting our gym independently!

You’re also bound to meet some great friends.  Whether you’re taking a class in something you already have an interest in and find people with common interests, or find someone who is just as clueless as you are about the class; you’re bound to make some great friends!

Finally, I know things can get hectic as a college student. With a part-time job, school work, and classes; scheduling some fun can be extremely beneficial.  Step out of your comfort-zone a bit and sign up for that dance class you’ve always wanted to learn.  The Pass/Fail system of PDPs won’t give you the same amount of stress a regular class would (since passing is only graded on attendance) and you’ll come out of it with a new skill.

By the way, you still have time to sign up for a PDP on the student link! As for me, I can’t wait for the weather to clear up and sailing to begin!