COM Ambassador Blog

Hanna: Listen to WTBU’s Hottest Radio Show: The BUchelorette!

I love talking about relationships, but I don’t always get the chance without sounding like a love-crazy dream girl. Most of us like to dish about the romance lives of ourselves and others, but while the topic is universal, sometimes it’s a hard conversation to start. What if you are talking to someone with a different sexuality than you and you’re not sure if your questions would be insulting? What if your idea of a good partner completely clashes with everything your friend is saying about theirs? Or what if you want to talk to your partner about something a little taboo (cough, sex, cough) but you just don’t know how to bring it up?

As a college student, I’ve faced all of these scenarios and more. While I’ve wanted conversations about love to continue (they tend to give me a guilty-pleasure feeling), they’ve often been cut short out of caution against awkwardness or personal disclosure.

Luckily, my friend Sarah Sosland felt the same. Sarah recognized how much people learn about themselves and others when discussing relationships, as well as how much fun they had while doing so. A member of improv group Liquid Fun as well as two student theatre groups, BU On Broadway and Stage Troupe, Sarah wanted to find a way to combine comedy and entertainment with topics of love and sex. Sure, relationships are pivotal to most entertainment arenas, but personal reflections about our own perception and understanding of love is much less common.

Thus The BUchelorette was born! COM’s radio station, WTBU, made room for Sarah’s radio show on Monday nights at midnight (ok, it’s technically on Tuesdays). Sarah’s show began with a matchmaking goal – she wanted to feature single contestants (a BUchelor or BUchelorette) and present them an array of potential partners. Through radio games based on that contestant’s likes and dislikes, the contestant, who remains blindfolded until the end, would choose a winner. The prize? One first date, paid for by Sarah herself.

The BUchelorette then evolved into an additional round table, which Sarah likes to call “the pound table.” The show is “sex positive,” meaning that it treats all healthy and consensual sex as a positive thing. However, Sarah’s show is unique in that it opens itself to all romantic and sexual opinions. Discussion panels have been increasingly diverse thus far, with perspectives from people with wide ranges of experience, relationship backgrounds, and thoughts about all things love.

Each week, the pound table features new guests and focuses on a different topic. The first episode, called “Worst Firsts,” centered around stories of first times that went terribly. The “first times” could be anything, from a first kiss, a first date, a first experience with something new, or even just a first celebrity crush.

Another episode focused on crushes, how people respond to them, and how personal crush stories have played out. Another aired on National Coming Out Day and featured stories about, yes, “coming out,” and living as someone of non-straight sexuality.

My favorite thing about the show is not that it’s hilarious. It’s not that it teaches me about relationships in this society and it’s not that it introduces me to many different types of people. All of those things ring true, but my favorite thing about the show is the way I’ve responded when it ends at 2AM. The BUchelorette has led to so many great conversations with my own partner that have made significantly positive impacts on our relationship. I’ve spoken with friends who also tune in, and we’ve explored ideas and topics that we probably should have talked about sooner. Sarah may not have expected her fun dating show to provide an outlet for people to express an important part of their lives in such a healthy way, but that is exactly what she’s doing each week.

Oh, and her first attempt at the BUchelorette game? The couple is still dating four weeks later. If you’re single and searching, you should probably give Sarah a call.

Check out The BUchelorette on their Facebook page and message them if you’d like to be part of the show. You can listen to past episodes here: http://spinitron.com/radio/playlist.php?station=wtbu&showid=2753 and you can tune in live at WTBURadio.org on Monday nights!

Kaley: When Life Happens in the Right Place

On April 28, 2013, my dad dragged me to BU Accepted Students’ day. I had no desire to go, except for, maybe, the free bacon. As I sleepily grumbled in the passenger seat, Dad reassured me that there was no pressure. I didn’t have to like BU. I just had to give it a chance.

Boston always seemed like an inferior sister city to New York. Quieter, duller, older. I was dead set against the cliché college town. There was nothing there for me.

Mapquested directions had us turn down Bay State. A newly-bloomed tree-canopy fell over the car, and my eyes were pulled towards the intricacies of the brownstones. The Charles glimmered from between side-streets. I was hyper-aware of the way my heart was softening. So I did what any COM-destined kid would do, and tweeted about it.

“Kinda falling in love with Boston.”

I wanted to dig my heels in to the cobblestones and march right back through my house and into New York. I really did. But Dad made me stay for the bacon, then past the bacon, and then the BU in LA Internship program presented, and all of the sudden I wanted to stay on my own.

The two-hour drive home was a completely different hue than the one there. Dad and I buzzed with ideas and opportunities and possibilities. No school had a program like BU’s LA semester. At no other college could you spend most of undergrad in America’s oldest city, and then finish your last year in one of our newest. No one else was as established on both coasts. Boston felt right. And the sunshine state at the end of the tunnel felt even more right.

My three years in Boston were bolstered by world series wins and marred by 8-foot snowbanks. Life happened. Most of the time for better, sometimes for worse. And then I made it to the City of Angels.

I woke up for work today looking at a hazy skyline with the Pacific Ocean sprawled behind it. I got in my little red rental car, blasted this new song by the Chainsmokers called “Closer” (don’t know if you’ve heard of it), and eventually screeched into the NBC Universal lot. Up the parking garage I climbed, passing spots reserved for everyone from the executive producers of The Voice to the costuming department for This is Us. I smiled to myself as I parked in an unmarked spot with a view of Harry Potter World, and then trounced through stages where beautiful creative things were happening on the way to my office. Tomorrow I’ll do the same at Warner Brothers, when I pass the Pretty Little Liars set on my way to offer Conan O’Brian cheese plates in his green room.

Born and raised on the East coast, I left everything when I made my first trip West. There are moments – when I’m exhausted from interning 40 hours a week and having class until 10 pm, when 3000-mile stretch marks devastate relationships, when I really just need to hug my mom – there are moments when I question whether I made the right decision. Because, for better and for worse, life is happening.

But since April 28, 2013, I’ve learned that as long as you put yourself in the right place, life will happen as it should.

Esra: Apartment Hack: Easy Kale Chips Recipe

Being self sufficient can be hard -- especially learning to not rely on the dining hall. Here's an easy and healthy snack recipe you can make in your apartment!

This recipe is super simple and one of my go-to’s when I’m craving a salty snack.

What you’ll need:

○ Kale

○ Olive oil

○ Salt

○ Nutritional yeast

The reason I haven’t included measurements is because it’s completely customizable (in a way you can’t really mess up, so those of you who panic without exact measurements, I promise it’ll be fine).

Preheat your oven to 350°F
Wash, de-stem, and cut/rip your kale into small pieces
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Spread kale on parchment paper
- Tip: make sure it’s not piled on top of each other too much or it won’t get as crispy (for example, the batch I photographed could have been spread out more, but I wanted to use up all the kale I had left)
Lightly drizzle kale with olive oil
Salt and nutritional yeast to taste (this is what will give it the cheesy flavor — personally I opt for a bit less salt and a whole lot of nutritional yeast)
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy

Kreag: Why The COM Foundation Requirements Are Great (Even If They Seem Scary)

In his most recent blog post, CA Zach talked a bit about the CAS Focus that all COM students must complete and the ways in which you can work it into your major. That got me thinking a lot about the upcoming Spring semester scheduling as well as one of the biggest concerns potential students always seem to have: our liberal arts foundation requirements, AKA the COM Foundation Requirements.

As an employee of COM Undergraduate Affairs, I constantly speak with prospective students about he various classes they would need to take as a student here. Something that always seems to concern or at least surprise people is the inclusion of the COM Foundation Requirements, previously known as our Freshman/Sophomore Foundation Requirements. Often times people seem to worry about fitting these classes into their future schedules or finding classes that will interest them. Whenever this seems to be a potential students concern, I love to tell them about the endless opportunities that the College of Arts and Sciences provide us in order to fulfill these requirements.

So, if you are looking at BU and you’re concerned about what you’ll have to take a student here, listen up! You have so many choices over in CAS. As a Film student, I was very stressed at the idea of having to take Humanities, History, Philosophy, etc classes. However, once I actually looked at the extensive list of the classes offered, I discovered just how many options I had. I took a Film and Philosophy class my first semester here, something that ended up being one of my favorite classes, and guess what? There goes my philosophy foundation requirement, completed! I know quite a few people taking a class called Politics of The Wire right now that counts as a Political Science class. Honestly, any class that lets me watch TV as homework is okay in my book. And for all you Journalism majors, there is a huge selection of history classes, many of which cover topics relevant to journalism and its history.

But you know what else is cool about the Foundation Requirements? The classes you take don’t HAVE be relevant to your major. As much fun as it is to take a Film Anthropology class, it can also be very cool to take a basic archeology course, or learn about the potential for life on other planets in an Astronomy class. I think one of the greatest strengths of COM’s liberal arts requirements is that it really forces us to explore other topics, things we might not ever have had an interest in. I know I discovered a love for anthropology because I had to take a social science class, and now I’ve taken that interest and made it into my CAS Concentration (maybe a minor, but that’s still up in the air).

As we approach Spring scheduling (yikes, this semester is really flying by), stay open minded. Find the classes that seem interesting to you, or find a class that covers a topic you’ve always wanted to learn about.

Here are some recommendations for some great liberal arts classes:

AN101: Cultural Anthropology: This class was great. I never expected to find anthropology as engaging as I did. I think what appealed to me most is that much of the course material is old in story form via first hand reports on various cultures, and as a writer, this really connected with me.

Philosophy and Film: This was a great philosophy class, especially for someone without much knowledge on the more “theory” based side of film studies. It was also a great way to pick up some basic terminology and concepts before taking Understanding Film, a required FTV major class.

MA113: Elementary Stats: Okay, math is not my favorite subject. But this class made it bearable. Whenever someone comes to COM Undergrad Affairs to talk about math classes, I always urge people to check out this class. Its simple, especially if math is not your strongest subject, but everything you learn is valuable in real world situations. Plus, you don’t have to use a graphing calculator, which is honestly fantastic. I hate graphing calculators.

Zach: How To Make Your CAS Focus Apply to Your Cool COM Major

So, I’m sure all you freshmen/potential are freaking out about what the CAS focus is? Well, in short, is a series of 3 classes in CAS in any subject. A lot of the time, people turn that into a minor, given that CAS minors are usually 5-6 classes. You really can do anything. It’s really freeing. As free as a COM major can be, being able to pick another subject to delve into a little bit is also cool. I have a love affair with Spanish, and I knew going in to college it would be my minor. However, I did not realize how much it would intertwine with my TV studies.

First, I took classes that interested me and related to my career. So far, I’ve taken a Spanish Through Performance and Theatre, and Spanish Film & Media. Both related, pretty obviously, to my major. In my Spanish theatre class, we would do improv (woohoo!) and write plays in Spanish. They didn’t have to be perfect, but they did help me improve my Spanish a lot. In that class, I got an introduction to Spanish Films. That class was so enjoyable that I then took Spanish Film. We took in depth works that ranged genre’s and also the body of work of Alejandro González Iñárritu. It broadened my understanding of the stories being told and introduced me to a genre I really love: magic realism.

This upcoming semester, I plan on taking the next step. I will be studying abroad in Madrid, and I hope to intern while I’m there. I would love to work on a telenovela or Spanish news broadcast. While I won’t be studying in a COM specific abroad program, I will be applying my Film & TV major abroad. I hope to completely invest myself into watching Spanish television to get an understanding of what people are watching outside the US, and what from the US they are watching.

This blog post tbh is just me geeking out because I love Spanish and I love TV, find a CAS focus that you love, and the connections with your major will follow.

Caroline: “In this podcast I listened to…”

I was home for three weeks this summer, and by my second to last day my mom would groan as I began the sentence she heard so many times before: “In this podcast I listened to they were talking about how—" “Caroline please.” But I can’t help it! There’s just so much information to share. The podcasts I listen to all average about an hour per episode. Say I listen to five per week. That’s five hours of information that is just swimming in my brain, just waiting to come out! Well my mom learned to embrace my sudden influx of knowledge. Once I got to school I even called her with an update on one on going episode—not because she cared, but because I felt like she needed to know.

Another great thing about podcasts is that some of them give a glimpse into my future. 28-year olds talking about their lives and jobs and relationships. Its refreshing to hear how sure of themselves they are and how self-aware they are. It gives me hope that my insecure, self-doubting ways will be in the past some day soon. There are also podcasts that open my eyes to injustices and discrepancies in the world and teach me new ways of thinking.

So back to one of the many conversations with my mom… I was telling her about a podcast I listen to called Lizard People, a conspiracy theory podcast on which the host brings her friends to convince her of various conspiracy theories. This particular episode was about the moon landing, and it was particularly convincing. She just thought I was crazy… “drinking the cool-aid” I think she said, but I didn’t care. Another time I told her about a Revisionist History episode on Bates College’s five-star-quality dining hall food at the expense of scholarships for students from low-income families, comparing it to Vassar College, a school with notoriously bad dining hall food, but considerably more economic diversity. This one was particularly interesting, because it made me realize that all of the money a college or university spends comes from somewhere and there are tough decisions to be made about what is the most important to spend that money on.

All that said, here are some of my favorite podcasts:

Honey: Actress/writer/improviser/busybody Julia Meltzer interviews real couples about their fights: how, why, whose fault is it, do you still love each other - THE JUICY STUFF. At times hilarious, at times painful, at times full of heartbreakingly raw honesty, these conversations expose truths about love, human beings, and the concept of partnership. Best podcast I listen to.

Lizard People: What if the government actually did cover something up in Roswell? What if yetis exist and are just really shy? What if super-intelligent lizards are wearing human skin suits, influencing international affairs and recording podcasts? Conspiracy theories are cool because they appeal to our evolved logical human brains and our stupid mammal idiot brains. So join comedian and skeptic Katelyn Hempstead as her brilliant friends try to convince her of these and many other conspiracy theories. Hilarious, definitely recommend.

This American Life: This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 1.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media. This is a great one to learn about the lives of different people.

Revisionist History: A new podcast from Malcolm Gladwell and Panoply Media. Each week, over the course of 10 weeks, Revisionist History will go back and reinterpret something from the past. An event. A person. An idea. Something overlooked. Something misunderstood. Because sometimes the past deserves a second chance. New perspectives!

About the News: Hosted by CBS News’ Bob Schieffer with H. Andrew Schwartz, “About the News” is series of conversations with the top people reporting the news, about the news, and its impact on politics and policy. A collaboration between the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) and the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU, Schieffer and Schwartz host a weekly discussion with the most interesting people working in legacy media, digitally native platforms, social media companies, and top thought leaders. Great for journalists and newsies!

Go on iTunes and search through the Podcasts. They’re free and there are THOUSANDS to choose from. Something for everyone, including fiction podcasts (not my cup of tea, but definitely for some). It’s so easy to listen to a podcast and learn something new on your walk to class or while working out at the gym instead of listening to music. I think its important for everyone to have open minds and learn about the world; be it historical, socio-cultural, technological, or relational. It’s super easy to listen to a podcast, and I would definitely recommend it. Just maybe avoid telling your mother about every episode you listen to…

Angeli: 8 AM’s Sometimes Aren’t The Worst

It's 7:40, and I'm out the door of my adorable, century-old South campus brownstone. Off I stroll with earphones in and my favorite olive jacket on (you snuck up on us, but I see you @fall!!!) I'm heading to an auditorium in SED where, oddly enough, my Intro to Advertising class is held. I'll be honest. I wasn't aiming to take this course from 8 to 9:30 on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, but that's when the professor I wanted was teaching and you know the college drill. After avoiding 8 AM's at all costs my first two semesters at BU, taking this class was quite the wake up call (I crack myself up), but I can't say I've hated it. I came to this realization just like last week as I sat beside my dear pal, and fellow COM Ambassador, Megan. I noticed that she had a cup of orange juice from Einstein's--she claims its her equivalent to coffee--on her desk yet again. Naturally, I made a teasing comment and we got to talking about attending a lecture so bright and early.

"You know, I actually don't find myself sipping my orange juice as much as I thought I'd have to." (Remember that Vit C keeps Megs energized!)

Then it hit me. I myself hadn't had to conjure up all of my might to keep my eyelids open. In fact, I was pretty engaged throughout each class. Ironically enough, I then spent ten minutes or so zoned out as I thought about how I could possibly enjoy a lecture at that hour. Here's what I came up with:

1. Maybe, just maybe, I had finally picked the right major. If you're familiar with my blog posts from last school year or have ever met me even just once, you know I'm as indecisive about everything as 8% of voters are about which candidate to pick (exercise that voting right!!!) By the end of last semester, though, I was pretty convinced Advertising was right for me and this class has really sealed the deal. Taking pleasure in completing assigned readings is always a good sign, but not minding the fact that you have to wake up at the same time as the sun--total exaggeration--is really a red flag that reads "YAS."

2. I have so much more time in my day for stuff! Being out of a lecture hall at 9:20 garners the greatest sigh of relief, especially if you're like me and have no other classes that day. You therefore have hours to kill at your own will and pace. It's soups convenient when you have an on- or off-campus job/internship--I, for instance, do my COM tours and intern on those days--and, if not, you can do other fun things like going to FitRec, volunteering somewhere, meeting up with the orgs you're involved with, or watching season 1 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schidmt, again.

3. Getting homework and projects done is easy breezy (and potentially beautiful when you get that A.) This point is basically a combination of the previous two. I've been leaving Intro to Ad pretty stoked about the material and, in turn, to get my assignments done. With the extra time I have in the mornings, I can do so and not have to sacrifice the most important thing in my life: sleep. End of point.

4. This is completely unique to the course I'm taking, but I get to watch videos!! Frequently!! Luckily, my professor is skilled when it comes to projecting his voice, so it's hard not to be tuned in. He's also pretty good about mixing things up, though, and often shows us example advertisements throughout class. This really keeps the hour and a half from dragging on, not to mention makes me pumped about entering this field. Just for fun, here's an ad we recently watched that left me wanting to bow down to its creators: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB3xM93rXbY.

All in all, friends, if you like the subject enough and could use some extra hours in your day, taking an 8 am might just be a blessing in disguise.

**Special thanks to Megan Barnard and the Einstein Bros for the inspiration**

Joe: The Senior Citizen Club

Wow, another sappy “I’m A Senior” post.

HA! WRONG!

Don’t get me wrong; I am devastated that my college career is coming to an end. But in 3 short months, I will never have to write another paper again. EVER. I have spent 15 years as a student in the American education system and if it has taught me anything, it’s that most forms of homework are actually forms of torture in disguise. Guantanamo-level torture.

Hold on, kids, because this is about to get sappy.

A few nights ago, I texted my friend in NYC, “I’m going to miss college so much.” I don’t remember what prompted the text, but it made me think back to all of the shenanigans my friends and I have gotten into these past few years. Do you ever stalk yourself on social media and look at pictures from pre-college life?

This is an accidental ritual I do probably once a month (mostly because I like to think that college made me hot).

But also as a subtle reminder of how much my life has changed these past 3 and a half years. My one friend likes to remind me that I looked like a worm in high school (she’s not wrong). College is like the cocoon phase of my life. So let’s hope post-grad is when I become a butterfly. Although, my expectations are that I’ll be more of a gross moth. Is that how caterpillars work? I missed that day of elementary school and feel like it’s too late in the game to ask now.

Everyone tells you how fast college goes by, but no one ever takes it seriously. I guess it’s just something you have to live through. The impending doom that is adulthood lurking around the corner is enough to keep anyone from wanting to graduate, but I feel strangely at peace with the whole “college ending” thing (most of the time). Maybe it just hasn’t hit me yet. Until then, this will be me as I write my final few college papers:

Christy: How to stay healthy this fall

There is nothing worse the the inevitable fear of getting sick that comes as the weather gets cooler.

If you manage not to get sick between now and December, kudos to you and please teach me your ways. But unfortunately, most everyone will get sick at some point.

I am currently writing this while wearing sweatshirt, laying under two blankets and waiting for my room mates to return to our apartment with chicken noodle soup for me because — you guessed it — I’m sick. Clearly I don’t sound like the best person to take health advice from, but I do know how I got to this point. So here are my tips on staying healthy this fall (AKA: everything I didn’t do).

1. First, and most importantly, SLEEP. I know it’s hard to find the time between homework, extracurriculars and trying to socializing, but it is so important that you get as many hours in a night as you need to be a functioning person the next day. I know it’s tempting to do literally anything but start your homework until after midnight the night before its due, but you will just hate yourself by the time 5:30 a.m. rolls around and you still need one more page to your eight-page paper due in your 11 a.m. class.

Oddly specific, but exactly what I did the past TWO Thursday nights. Because apparently I didn’t learn the first time.

Also, try to stay on as much as a sleeping schedule as possible. Having a schedule will make you feel better and perform better throughout the day. But sometimes, things are out of our control and we have to break our schedule. For example, I spend Sunday-Thursday nights in The Daily Free Press office, and I often don’t get home until about 12:30 a.m., sometimes later. So my sleep schedule is bound to be thrown off, especially if I have to finish some homework after I get home. However, other things, like watching two extra episodes of Gilmore Girls on Netflix can most definitely wait. Go to bed! You will be so happy you did.

2. Take your daily vitamins! My mom sent me all my vitamins via Amazon at the beginning of the school year. Have I been taking them? Only sporadically. Take your vitamins everyday and keep that immune system up!

3. Speaking of immune system, make sure to get your Vitamin C. As soon as I felt like I was getting sick, multiple friends told me to drink Emergence-C or orange juice. I can not stand the flavor of either, so I completely ignored that advice. Now I regret not toughing it out, plugging my nose and drinking it. So listen to the friends I didn’t listen to and make sure you are getting your Vitamin C.

4. Don’t spread yourself too thin. I tend do more things than I can usually handle, and usually thrive off of it. But there comes a point where you just need to step back and relax. Being wound so tight running from one thing to the next is exhausting and will take a toll on your psychical, and sometimes mental health.

Now that you know exactly how I got sick, I urge you not to make the same mistakes I did — please take care of yourself! There is nothing more wonderful than Boston in the fall, so don't miss it by being stuck in bed.

Amy: Top 10 On-the-Go Snacks for long days!

Now that I’m a senior and living off campus, I don’t have a dining plan or dining points (it’s possible, but I chose not to) I love cooking, but sometimes I’ll be on campus for a long time and I’ll get hungry. On-the-Go snacks that don’t need to be refrigerated are a must for those days when you seem to be running from class to meetings to more class all day and want to make sure you’re still eating healthy!

Granola bars. These are a goodie, but be careful of the kind you choose. I love KIND bars, Luna bars, and a good Trader Joe’s dark chocolate, walnut, and fig bar. YUM.
Banana. Perfect because you don’t eat the skin, so no need to worry about wrapping it up when you put it in your bag! Be cautious not to squash it, but otherwise the perfect snack to keep you going for a few more hours
Ziploc bag of cereal. Because why not breakfast all the time? My go-to is Cinnamon Life, but any good cereal is fun to munch on when your stomach starts grumbling.
Baby carrots. You probably won’t want to leave these out forever, but they’ll survive a morning tucked in your school bag. Easy to eat anywhere, and great because you don’t have to eat them all at once!
Veggie sticks and peanut butter. Step 1: put peanut butter in the bottom of a small jar. Step 2: stick veggie sticks (carrots, celery, zucchini) into peanut butter so they’re standing up. Step 3: close jar. Step 4: Eat and thank your past self for this DIY
No bake energy balls. There are a zillion different recipes out there for these, but they all mostly involve oats, peanut butter, maple syrup or honey, and flavorings of your choosing. Get creative!
Jerky. Okay so some people hate this one, but if you’re the kind of person who needs a little extra protein to get them through the day, this might be for you. Check the sodium content before you buy!
DIY trail mix. This one is fun because there’s very little prep time, and you get to add whatever you want! My favorites: pretzels, almonds, cranberries, and chocolate chips.
Peanut butter cracker sandwiches. Could also use almond butter or hazelnut butter. Spread on a cracker and make a sandwich. Voila!
PB&B&J wrap. This one’s for bigger days when you might just need to pack an entire meal. Take a whole-wheat wrap or tortilla, spread layers of peanut butter and jelly, then top with sliced bananas. Roll up and enjoy!