Take a break from studying to celebrate the holidays in Boston!

1. Watch Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Boston Opera House through December 31st. Students may receive a discount through the Boston Ballet.
2. Ring in the New Year on December 31st at Boston’s First Night celebration. This celebration will be free and open to all. Entertainment and specialty attractions will be focused in Copley Square and the Boston Common.
3. Enjoy the Boston Common Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 3rd!
4. Do some holiday shopping at the SOWA Holiday Market on December 12th and 13th. Local vendors and food trucks will be present for this event!
5. Donate winter clothes and accessories to the Friends of Boston’s Homeless Organization.
6. Eat at BU Hillel’s Chanukah mega bash, Latkepalooza on December 9th! Thousands of latke’s are eaten by BU students each year. All students are welcome.
7. Skate at Boston’s Frog Pond all winter long! Please be sure to check the website and the weather beforehand. Admission for adults is $11.
8. Run in the Somerville Jingle Bell Run on December 20th. This event is sponsored by Harpoon Brewery and is followed by a number of events at local bars and restaurants.
9. Laugh at The ImprovBoston Holiday Spectacular through December 26th.
10. Ski or snowboard with BU’s Fitrec Program at Nashoba Valley. This is an excellent program for beginners. Both lessons and equipment are available.

Feel free to contact comgrad@bu.edu if you have any questions.

Take advantage of everything the city has to offer this October.

1. Watch the Head of the Charles Regatta October 17^th – 18^th on either side of the river!
2. Enjoy fall foliage at Harvard's Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain.
3. Drink for free at Sam Adams Brewery: Take a free brewery tour of Sam Adams, and receive complimentary beer too. Get their early if you don’t want to wait too long.
4. Visit the Institute of Contemporary Art: The institute of Contemporary Art is an art museum in South Boston with the mission to exhibit contemporary art. The ICA is free every Thursday night from 5-9pm.
5. Enjoy the South End Open Market before it closes!
6. Visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum for free!
7. Hear a book reading: Brush up on some new literature at the Brookline Booksmith in Coolidge Corner, Brookline. Every month, the store's year-round "writers and readers series" brings authors of all strips to read from their latest works.
8. Visit Salem, MA by MBTA Commuter Rail. There are Halloween Happenings throughout the month of October. (Salem is overwhelmingly busy on 10/31/15.)
9. Boston Halloween Ghost Tour: Get into the Halloween spirit and  celebrate with the best ghost tour in Boston. Aboard the Ghost and Gravestones Tour, you’ll take a 90-minute ride through the dark, haunted streets of Boston where you’ll hear stories of this city’s harrowing past.
10. Watch horror films at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline throughout October!

If you are ever looking for something to do off-campus, visit The Boston Calendar. The calendar covers arts, sports, festivals, restaurant openings and much more. You can also filter by free events to stay on budget!

Feel free to contact comgrad@bu.edu if you have any questions.

By: Alaina Laszewski, Graduate Student

Be curious, read, pick up the phone, and always ask the next question; while their titles are long, their pieces of advice came forth succinctly, with honesty and humor. Audrey Cooper, Editor In Chief, San Francisco Chronicle; Walter Middlebrook, Assistant Managing Editor, The Detroit News; and Tom Cibrowski, Senior Vice President of Programs, News Gathering and Special EventsABC News were the alumni panelists at COM’s Journalism Masterclass on September 24, 2015 entitled, “What I Wish I Knew Then.”

The panelists began the hour by offering an overview of their careers, and then launched into a series of questions varying from “what is an opportunity you wish you’d seized while in college,” to “what is the biggest mistake you see young or aspiring journalists make,” on to “how do you avoid or overcome burnout?” While Cooper, Cibrowski, and Middlebrook live and work in completely different regions of the country, their thoughts touched upon common themes: be patient, work hard, find mentors and stay curious.

In a time when most college students are encouraged to stretch themselves any number of ways, joining numerous clubs and extra-curricular activities, Cooper explained the importance of getting to know people. “One of my bigger regrets from my time here was kind of flitting all over to a lot of different things...I would’ve availed myself more and been a little bit more assertive about getting to know people that might’ve been able to help me.”
When asked whether a journalism degree is necessary, Middlebrook spoke about the importance of a journalistic skill set, regardless of degrees held.

“There are some people who can’t write, but they can ask questions…Some of you are afraid to talk to people and you shouldn’t be in the business. Some of you are afraid to get in front of a microphone and you don’t learn how to enunciate…But there [are] various places in our different shops where you fit in, if this is what you want to be. But you have to practice that skill set.”

Cibrowski cautioned the audience to be careful with social media: “We’re all big on social media…but we’ve had to fire people who Tweet inappropriate things or take a stance. It’s really unfortunate…we can’t show bias. You have to be aware of where you are, who you work for.”

Cooper, Cibrowski, and Middlebrook stayed after the masterclass’ allotted hour, meeting with students to discussing the industry, as well as to offer more personal advice to those who came forward with questions.