COM Ambassador Blog

Carlee: Sitcoms to Add Some Life to Quarantine

If you’ve been like me and many other COM students during quarantine, TV has become a bit of a safe haven. Whether you watch for entertainment, as an escape mechanism, or just to relax at the end of the day, a good TV show can really make all the difference in our stay-at-home lifestyles.

These past few months, I have been watching a lot of sitcoms in particular — and it truly doesn’t get any better. Sitcoms might just be the best genre on TV. They’re usually only 20-minute episodes, so they aren’t a big commitment, and their humor and fun characters bring laughter and joy to any day.

But what happens when you run out of things to watch? You just finished a show that you loved, and you don’t think any other will be able to replace it in your heart (I may have experienced this when I finished Schitt’s Creek). You scroll through your streaming service’s home page, but nothing seems appealing. You wish someone could just tell you what to watch…

That’s where I come in. Here is a list of some of my favorite sitcoms and more to spice up your streaming watch lists.

Schitt’s Creek

https://media3.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2020_03/3185966/200114-moira-alexis-johnny-david-ew-444p_9610e314f170b2fa681be2b3a45d567d.jpg

Where to watch: Netflix

Watch if: you want to actually laugh out loud or you love well-developed, overly-dramatic characters (I might be a bit biased)

Community

https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2020/03/31/11/782f3606-1ca0-4f9e-9024-57a27b636ae5.jpg

Where to watch: Netflix, Hulu

Watch if: you like meta-humor and a great ensemble cast

New Girl

Where to watch: Netflix

Watch if: you love a quirky female protagonist and/or you’re a romantic

Insecure

https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/INS_405_110519_MW_188991.jpg

Where to watch: HBO Max

Watch if: you want a comedy that addresses social issues and really appeals to your feelings

Broad City

Where to watch: Hulu

Watch if: you’re a feminist, love comedy, and love NYC (aka Ilana Glazier). I will always recommend Broad City

Pen15

https://bookandfilmglobe.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/53c341a9-0a2d-421e-8e2a-3af8a0738139.jpeg

Where to watch: Hulu

Watch if: you love cringe comedy or a classic middle school throwback

Parks and Rec

https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F6%2F2020%2F04%2F23%2FGettyImages-485125353.jpg

Where to watch: Peacock

Watch if: you haven’t already seen it ten times or you’re in need of a Leslie Knope pep talk

Awkwafina is Nora from Queens

https://images.ctfassets.net/222wh0et2vup/2YTnQHcdSCvggLlX1q5kYU/28ed5b31bc8449b69339144ec84d6b40/ainfq_s1_web_series_hero_1920x540_121819.jpg

Where to watch: HBO Max

Watch if: you’re looking for a relatable comedy about young adulthood

Arrested Development

Where to watch: Netflix

Watch if: you’re a fan of handheld camera styles and dry humor

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/05/28/arts/28arresteddevelopment2/28arresteddevelopment2-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600-v2.jpg

Sabrina: An Easy Way to Stay Entertained During COVID

myke-simon-atsUqIm3wxo-unsplash

I’m sure I don’t need to remind you all that we’re living in “unprecedented times,” and that as a result, life can get a little bit boring when all you have to entertain yourself is homework and your daily allotted time for staring at that one wall in your room. However, I have a solution for these troubling times: the 100 Movies Bucket List poster.

It may sound cheesy, but trust me, my roommates and I are proof that this poster works. Every night we gather around the TV and ask Siri to pick two numbers between 1 and 10, then we find the movie she has selected and we watch it. It’s become a ritual, and it absolutely keeps us on our toes.

As a film and television major, I’ve found that in a lot of my classes (especially production ones), professors are always referencing famous movies that I’ve never seen. I always add these to a list in my brain so that I might later genuinely understand what they’re talking about.

After a while, though, that list in my brain gets fuzzy and I can’t remember which iconic movies I’m “supposed to watch” in order to fully grasp my film and television education. Then came this poster, and suddenly every movie that has been referenced in my classes is sitting on a poster, ready for me to watch.

You’re probably wondering, is it just a poster with movie titles? And the answer is no, it’s so much more. Every movie has a gray box underneath, and after you watch the movie you grab a coin and you scratch away at the gray to reveal an image that represents the movie. My roommates and I play a game where before we scratch, we try to predict what the image will be. We’re almost always wrong, but it’s fun regardless.

If you’re bored in quarantine, or simply want to elevate your film knowledge, I highly recommend this poster. You can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/Gift-Republic-GR630004-Bucket-Poster/dp/B075SDQ2K8/ref=asc_df_B075SDQ2K8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241885544103&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11096703014978157165&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9061331&hvtargid=pla-384448912262&psc=1

Have fun watching!

Avery: Practicing Self-Care Virtually

max-van-den-oetelaar-buymYm3RQ3U-unsplash

Whether you’re at home, back at school, or taking time off this semester, one thing remains the same for everyone: the “new normal” has been a tough adjustment. In times like these, it’s normal for everybody to have a lot on their minds. Therefore, practicing self-care is essential no matter where you are.

Since everything has shifted online, I want to suggest some virtual ways to keep up with your mental health. Staying in all day can take a toll, but there are some awesome resources out there to help relieve cabin fever. I’ve rounded up my top four apps for meditation, self-care, and mental health.

Headspace

Headspace is an awesome meditation app that can serve as a relaxing escape from your daily routine. It has countless meditations that are just a few minutes long, which is perfect for anyone who might feel too busy to make time for meditating.

The app also has group meditations and exercise-focused meditations that will get you moving in a mindful way. The best part? BU students get a Headspace membership for free with their Kerberos login.

Breathe

Breathe is a personal favorite of mine. This meditation app is super personalized, greeting you with a check-in page upon opening the app. It asks how you’re feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally, and then recommends it meditations for you.

Most of the meditations are under ten minutes, so they’re easy to squeeze into your day. They have meditations that range from a full-body check-in to a guide for getting a good night’s sleep, so you’re sure to find something that interests you.

Happify

I love Happify because it’s not only engaging, but also fun to use! The app provides activities and games that are scientifically proven to reframe negative thoughts, reduce stress, and relieve anxiety. The app is customized, asking about your intentions in order to provide you with the best activities for your mental state.

Yoga & Meditation by Glo

Many people love to do yoga as a mindful activity because it allows you to stay active both physically and mentally, and because it is easily doable from home. This app is great because it personalizes your yoga experience based on what you would like to focus your practice on (strength, balance, core, etc). There are tons of different classes in both yoga and pilates. This one does have a membership fee of $18 a month, but the first 15 days are free!

I hope you found these four apps helpful for practicing self-care virtually. In these uncertain times, remember to make time for your mental health. The most important thing right now is keeping yourself happy and healthy!

Evan: Spooky Season, Quarantine Edition!

gif

‘Tis the season!

Halloween is definitely a favorite amongst most college students, but as this spooky season is quickly approaching, we need to start thinking about how we can celebrate in a more COVID-friendly way! Here are just a few of my favorite festive ideas:

Go to the movies with friends (virtually)

Grab some popcorn and get on Netflix, since there’s no better way to get in the Halloween spirit than to watch some spooky movies! Netflix Party and Disney Plus GroupWatch Parties are two awesome – and COVID-friendly – ways to watch movies from home. Bonus points for creative snacks, like Star Market’s Hocus Pocus-themed cookie dough, and for extra creative picks, like Disney’s Coco on Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead on November 1st).

Decorate pumpkins with your household

Who doesn’t love some fun Halloween decor? Pumpkins are the perfect choice for fall, and you can buy a wide variety of real, plastic, or fabric ones from Target or your favorite grocery store. If you’re not in the mood for pulling out the insides of a real pumpkin, Target has some great DIY kits like this unicorn or spider. Just make sure that, wherever you are, you and your small household are wearing masks and staying 6 feet (or 2 meters) apart!

Get creative with your costumes

Dressing up to stay in is the new trick-or-treating. Who says you can’t dress up in a Cookie Monster onesie and eat cookies at home, or go as a chef and make a five course gourmet meal? Or, you and your friends can get creative with other costumes and makeup and have a virtual costume contest!

Shop the sales online

Arguably, one of the best parts of Halloween is all of the sales that happen on November 1st. Whether you’re eyeing some fun decorations or giant bags of candy, the easiest (and safest) way to shop the sales is online! You know you’ve been wanting that life-size, light up, tap-dancing skeleton 😉

And lastly…

Call voters from home

Whether you’re in or out of costume, a great way to celebrate the season is by texting or calling voters from your dorm, apartment, or home. It’s super easy and a great way to meet other fun people who are phone banking – all while knowing that you’re making a difference for issues you’re passionate about!

Make sure to treat yourself with a Reese’s pumpkin afterwards – you’ve got to take advantage of the best Halloween candy ever while it’s around for such a short time!

That’s all from me! But just because you’ve gotten to the end of this post doesn’t mean that these are the only ways to celebrate spooky season. Whatever you do, though, make sure it’s smart, safe, and socially distant 🙂

Shaun: Why What We’re Doing is Worth It

andrik-langfield-0rTCXZM7Xfo-unsplash (1)

We’ve been doing this thing for a month.

That fact struck me today when I was sitting in a park in Brookline, reading a depressing story in last week’s New Yorker, watching a group of dog owners do their best to stay 6 feet apart from one another, thinking about how nice it was just to sit in the sun because I know it’s going to get too cold to do that in just a few week’s time.

We’ve been doing this face covering, nose swabbing, class streaming, mobile ordering, symptom surveying thing for longer than a lot people thought we could — longer, certainly, than a lot of people thought we should. And it’s going OK. Less than one-tenth of 1 percent of students and employees on campus have tested positive for the virus, the data shows, and lab results are now consistently coming back in less than a day.

So many parts of campus life that felt normal earlier this year — packing so tightly into the BU Shuttle you could barely breathe, waiting in a half-hour line for a bagel at Einstein’s, screaming the words to “Mr. Brightside” in a basement you barely remember — are uncomfortable and distressing to think about now. This pandemic, more than probably anything else in our 18 to 22-year lifetimes so far, has fundamentally changed the way we interact with the world.

Will life at BU ever go back to the way it was? For me, as a senior, it almost certainly will not. The university has already delayed the start of classes next semester and canceled spring break. When I have my graduation ceremony (if I may be so bold as to assume I will graduate) it will be together with the Class of 2020, who got perhaps the worst end of a very ugly stick.

And it would be naive, I think, to assume any aspect of the world around us will ever return to the way it was pre-pandemic. History has never taken place in a vacuum, and our country’s gross inequities around access to healthcare and financial security — which are splintered along racial and socioeconomic lines — will undoubtedly impact future policymaking for years to come.

Even at BU, in our huge but tiny bubble, I’m sure all the infrastructure that was put in place for remote learning and student health services will continue to be used. There’s just no way the university would have taken on the gargantuan cost of bringing back thousands of students, from all over the world, without considering how it can benefit them in the long-run.

But when we look back at this time five, 10, 15 years from now (even at the daily reminders to fill out a survey we’ve already completed), I’m confident we’ll be happy we took the safety measures we did. Following the rules was, we will realize, 100 percent worth it.

Because I’ll say it again: things are going OK right now. And they can continue going OK, too. Whether or not they go OK is up to us. But we’ve been doing it all for a month, which is long enough that to abandon it now would be nothing short of a waste.

Kaylee: COVID-Safe Adventures in Massachusetts

applefarm

Mask up and fall into the semester with this list of COVID-19 safe adventures in Massachusetts!

Are you already overworked, with a calendar booked for months? Take a break from the busy campus and city life and enjoy a day of activities and exploration around gorgeous Massachusetts. Social distancing and masks are enforced at all of these fun fall locations.

If you are in the mood for some time in nature and some sweet treats, go apple picking or to a pumpkin patch. There are multiple orchards to visit right off of the commuter rail. Visit Berlin Orchards, located at Rt. 62 and Lower Sawyer Hill Road in Berlin, Massachusetts. Enjoy a wagon ride up to the apple trees on Monday-Friday from 1-4pm. Host a picnic and enjoy your time on the farm. Check their website to see which apples are the ripest this season!

You can also visit Carlson Orchards, located at 115 Oak Hill Rd Harvard, MA. They have a wide variety of fruits to pick from including apples, apples, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, and pumpkins. If you are not able to make the journey to the physical orchard, you can mail order a gift basket.

Another place to go apple picking is Tougas Family Farm, located at 234 Ball St, Northborough, MA. This friendly farm includes a drive-thru store, fully stocked with freshly made cider donuts and fall fruits. They even have a farm-themed playground. Make a reservation today!

If nature is not for you, how about focusing on something in the arts? Mendon Twin Drive-In, located at 35 Milford St. Mendon, MA, might be the perfect evening for you to enjoy. Check their website for tickets and listings of each film. Enjoy a full snack bar and great film, rain or shine!

If you’re looking for some art, check out the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), located at East India Square, 161 Essex Street, Salem, MA. The museum has reopened to the public Thursday-Sunday from 10-5pm. Tickets are timed in order to practice social distancing. There is even a student discount!

Another museum is the Harvard Museum of Natural History, located at 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, open daily at 9-5pm. This organization has worked hard to display many of their exhibits online through interactive showings. Book tickets for the physical experience or virtual programs!

If you are interested in combining nature and art, The Franklin Park Zoo has an interactive light show called, "Boston Lights: A Lantern Experience." The zoo is located at 1 Franklin Park Rd, Boston, MA. Grab your masks and enjoy exploring 72 acres filled with hundreds of intricate lanterns. Enjoy seeing some of your favorite sights like animals and flower gardens in beautiful lanterns. Walk through the 66-foot-long shark tunnel and past a 197-foot-long dragon. There is even a step-and play piano that allows you to join the light show experience.

I hope some of these ideas were helpful to you -- have some safe and fun fall adventures!

Nature Information (Apple Picking)

https://www.berlinorchards.com

https://newenglandapples.org/orchards/carlson-orchards/

http://tougasfamilyfarm.com

Art Activities

https://www.mendondrivein.com/

https://www.pem.org/

https://hmnh.harvard.edu/

Franklin Park Zoo Light show

https://www.zoonewengland.org/engage/boston-lights?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5eX7BRDQARIsAMhYLP_QGYG_HJ5gJ-t-9cTE-bCbUcFoTh9L5feNdNYRNEERiLjZEkgO9pkaApI7EALw_wcB

Noah: My Favorite Quarantine Movie Picks

corina-rainer-9FDI-_E29fk-unsplash

With the beginning of the new school year upon us, I find less and less time available to just sit down and watch a movie for myself. And while it’s great to be back on campus and to actually have something to keep me busy, I definitely miss being able to make myself nice and comfy and immerse myself in a movie. So, I figured why not reflect on the movies I’ve watched these past few months that took me out of the drab and dreary world we live in? Here are some of my favorites:

La La Land - Dir. Damien Chazelle

lalaland

This was my absolute favorite film I watched during my quarantine. It’s really a hard film to dislike. Dazzling colors, catchy tunes, and a heart-wrenching story make this film so compelling, a throwback to the flashy Hollywood musicals of the mid-twentieth century. If you need an escapist film, this one or any of the films in the genre won’t let you down.

Coast Along the Coast - Agnes Varda

coast

Yes, this is technically a tourist advertisement for the French Riviera directed by French New-Wave icon Agnes Varda, but it was on the Criterion Channel so I’m going to consider it for this article. This is another fantastic film to escape the world with. Complete with jazzy French music, comforting scenes of smiling faces and crowded beaches, and the novelty of sixties beach fashion, this film is a delight to watch. It’s also sure to make you long for a sunny vacation. While devoid of a narrative, this short film will certainly produce an ample serotonin bump.

Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki

spiritedaway

This film speaks for itself. You’ve seen it, I’m sure. If you haven’t, stop reading this and go watch it. Probably Miyazaki’s most celebrated film, Spirited Away is incredibly endearing. Miyazaki creates this fantastical world of unique and memorable characters, so full of youth and wonder that it’s virtually impossible to dislike this film. The music makes it all the more wonderful, and it’s sure to put a smile on your face.

That’s my list! If you’re feeling overwhelmed in this uncertain time, take a breath, grab a blanket, make a batch of Redenbacher’s Movie Theater Butter Popcorn, and sit down with one of these films. Take care of yourselves!

Anika: Study Break Ideas for When You’re At Home All Day

javier-garcia-PUKGAsRSPuk-unsplash

Whether you’re on campus or off this semester, you’re probably cooped up inside due to Zoom meetings for much of the day. Also, when going from class to club meetings to homework is just a matter of closing one tab and opening another, it’s really easy for all the parts of your day to blend together.

I’ve noticed myself feeling drained much more quickly lately because of this, so I wanted to share a few ideas for how to take breaks if you’ve been feeling the same!

Go outside

This seems obvious, but I’ve found that it can be so easy to get caught up in other things and forget. When your days are busy or you don’t have long breaks in between classes, it can be stressful trying to plan a good time to go for a walk or do an outdoor workout. I recommend getting a bit of fresh air every day, even if you only have time to walk down the street and back! I promise even just a few minutes outside can be a game-changer.

Cook something

If you’re like me at all, the word “cook” is subject to a very loose interpretation. For me, this tip usually means something extremely simple like making homemade frozen yogurt. Even just taking a few extra minutes to put together your favorite snack is a great way to show yourself some kindness on your super busy days!

Stretch

When you’re sitting at a desk all day, there’s no doubt that you’ve probably got some tight muscles! A lot of times, we barely even notice because we are so used to it, or we’ll feel like something is off but we can’t quite put our finger on it. Stretching and rolling out your muscles on a daily basis is genuinely life-changing. Again, just like going outside, it’s totally fine if the most you can manage is just a couple of minutes a day.

Listen to music

Blasting your favorite music and dancing around your room is a great way to let off some steam when you’re feeling stressed! It can also be a good way to get in a tiny bit of physical activity when you might be feeling too overwhelmed to carve out time for structured exercise 🙂

Journal

Sometimes, when I’m feeling really stressed about my to-do list, I like to jot down in my journal what exactly is making me feel this way. Is there some unlikely “worst case scenario” that keeps playing anxiously in my head, keeping me from actually buckling down and getting things done? I’ve found that sometimes, just getting it out of my head and onto paper can be enough to let me move past these thoughts and go back into my work with greater focus.

I hope you’ve found a few of these tips helpful! It can be difficult to make sure we’re caring for ourselves, especially when we seem physically attached to our computers now more than ever. But it’s important to take at least a couple minutes out of each day to check in with ourselves.

Megan: Autumn Activities for the Safety-Conscious College Student

autumn

Congratulations everyone, you’ve successfully made it to Spooky Season (aka autumn). While we’d usually all be gearing up for our fall favorites of coffee shop dates and costume parties, things are different this year. However, that doesn’t mean you have to cancel the idea of fun this season. Here are just a few ideas for safe adventures and activities for autumn…

Apple Picking

Okay, I know some of us have been invited to go apple picking and rolled our eyes, but hear me out because when I finally went apple picking I had a wicked good time. There’s something about being in the crisp autumn air with a friend or two that embodies that classic fall feeling we’re searching for. There are farms in the Boston and greater Boston areas, so you can get off campus and make a day of it!

Zoom Baking Parties

unnamed

One of my favorite activities is baking, so baking with friends is even more fun. Even though we can’t be in each other’s homes, we can still cook together through Zoom. Just set up a Zoom call with your friends and pick a recipe. You can all make it at the same time while chatting and enjoying each other’s company. For even more spice, you can make it a competition. Whose looks the best? Whose tastes the best? Who made the fewest mistakes? (an award I never win!)

Pumpkin Carving

pumpkin

The quintessential spooky season activity! College kids are always forgetting their favorite childhood schemes, so now is the perfect time to try an age-old fall favorite. You can Zoom your friends and family or you can go to one of Boston’s public parks and social distance for a more authentic jack-o-lantern experience. (Just make sure to bring your own trash bag for all those pumpkin guts!)

I hope these ideas give you something to look forward to or inspire you to find an autumn adventure of your own. Keep your head up and your Jack-O-Lantern’s lit this spooky season!

Trick or Treat,

Megan

Cam: What to do When Stress Ramps Up

blog_photo

Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I can be a pretty stressed-out person. I worry about a lot of things that out of my control, in my control, or even things that don’t really make a ton of logical sense (for example, the tree outside my window that I’m nervous will fall on me).

And sometimes, these stressors get to be a lot. Especially now, when the entire world is stressed out. It’s hard to get away from it. Despite this, I still find ways to push through my own mental blockers and find a way to cope with everything. Of course, I know I’m not alone in this. As COM students, we’re way too familiar with projects piling up at seemingly the worst times. So, I’ve compiled some of my favorite ways to get ahead of the anxiety – even in a pandemic.

Go on a photo walk

I’m a firm believer that few things clear the mind like getting outside and soaking up some vitamin D. So, why not go on a photo walk? It combines creativity with exercise, and it can be done socially distanced with a trusted friend (we love some fresh, moving air). And, with so many photo editing apps to choose from, you’ll have a collection of beautiful photos to post to the Gram in no time. If you’re looking for even more of a change, consider picking up a disposable film camera at a drug or convenience store nearby. You might have to wait a few days for the pictures to get back, but trust me, it’s worth it.

Write in a journal

Yes, this is a popular one. Most stress-relief articles mention this at least once, but for good reason. Writing down what is stressing you out, making a to-do list, or even just venting to no one can help your mind categorize what’s getting to you. After you’re done, you can tear up the page, stomp on it, keep it to read later, or put it through the garbage disposal (I don’t suggest that one, but you do you). Anything that helps you crush those thoughts in a tangible way can work wonders. Or, if writing down negative thoughts isn’t your style, try writing down 5 things a day that you’re thankful for, proud of, excited about. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to exceed 5.

Get some R&R

Personally, taking naps isn’t the best way for me to deal with anxiety. It usually puts a band-aid on the problem rather than actually help my mind. Instead, I make sure I use my downtime to really slow down and stop my constant movement. Sometimes this means a nice, long shower with some music in the background. Other times, it’s calling my mom or my best friend and sitting on my bed with some great conversation. I’ll play the piano, read a book, make a bracelet, anything that really grounds me. Additionally, I try to stay away from screens during this time. I usually fall back into bad-news Twitter if I have my phone around.

When the world seems like too much, more often than not it really isn’t. Being stressed and having anxious days is something everyone deals with, and everyone deals with it differently. Take some time to slow down, be creative, and calm those thoughts – they have no chance against you.