Tag: Comm Ave

What I’ll Miss When I Graduate

By Morgan Donohue (CAS’22)

1. Being a short walk from just about anyone and anything

One of my best pieces of advice is that Google Maps lies about how long it takes to walk somewhere. On campus, your furthest walk will probably be no more than 20 minutes. This made getting to class, stopping for lunch, meeting up with friends, and studying so convenient, because your destination was never too far away. If something is a little far, the weather isn’t fantastic, or you’re looking to go off campus, the T runs right through campus and you can hop on with your CharlieCard. If you want to go even further away, there are several ZipCar locations around campus that make quick daytrips very convenient. I will definitely miss the proximity of all of the places and people I’ve grown to know and love over the past four years.

2. The Kilachand advising office

Being in Kilachand means that the Honors College offices are right on the first floor. This is where you can stop by for meetings with your Kilachand advisor and other members of the administration. Your Kilachand advisor is there to help you navigate your way through Kilachand and the Hub, but they are also there to support you as a person. I will absolutely miss going to the advising office just to chat, and having a dedicated advisor who was there to help me along the way.

3. Bay State Road

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When I visited campus for my first open house, there was no parking close to Kilachand, so my family had to park and walk back, all the way down Bay State Road. And boy was it worth it. Bay State Road is, in my humble opinion, one of the most beautiful streets ever. It is gorgeous in the fall when the leaves change color. It is picture-perfect in the winter when it snows. It is beautiful in the spring when the trees start to blossom again. Even if you’ve had a busy day and you’re exhausted, it’s hard to walk down Bay State Road and not enjoy yourself. I am going to miss running down the street in the mornings and admiring the gorgeous buildings on my walks home from class.

4. The Dog Pound

I was never a huge sports watcher, and I am still not, but I will make an exception for BU Hockey. I absolutely loved everything about hockey nights, eating dinner a little early so you can get the good seats, learning the chants, hearing the BU Pep Band, and getting Raising Cane’s afterwards. With a Sports Pass, you can get tickets to any home game you want, and I highly recommend heading over to Agganis Arena for some hockey. I am going to miss putting on my hockey jersey and cheering in the stands, but I hope to come back and catch the 2022 Beanpot Champions at another game.

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5. My on-campus housing

I lived in Kilachand Hall my freshman and sophomore years, and I absolutely loved my room. I loved having a bathroom in my room, being across from the Marciano Dining Hall, and living close to the Kenmore T station. This year I am living in South Campus in on-campus apartment-style housing, and I love it! I get to cook my own meals, so I am learning new recipes all the time. I live in a brownstone, so I have those iconic bowed-out windows that get plenty of sunlight. Living on campus kept me close to my classes and my friends, and I was able to make dorms and on-campus apartments into comfortable homes during the school year. I am going to miss all of that, but especially my current apartment and its view of Beacon Street.

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6. Student discounts

Your BUID comes with a lot, and I mean a LOT, of perks. With your @bu.edu email address, you can get access to discounts for digital subscriptions like The New York Times and Spotify+Hulu, software packages like Microsoft Office and MatLab, and many online clothes retailers offer discounts after you verify your student identity. You can also get free or discounted admission to museums like the MFA and the Institute of Contemporary Art if you show your BUID or order online with promo codes. I am going to miss the savings, but mostly I will miss the easy opportunities to go and experience something new without a huge price tag.

Images © Morgan Donohue 2022 

Getting Around Campus

By Matt Kim (CAS ‘22)

Above: Walking down Comm Ave during a sunset. The bustling atmosphere of students going about their day in West Campus really brings the city feel to life.

Boston is one of those walking cities. It’s walkable because things are close by, but it’s also walkable because the sights are so beautiful. Coming from a fairly small town myself, I was taken aback by the cityscape every time I walked to class in East Campus or to hockey practice in West. Many of you will start off your first year by walking around everywhere to get a feel of campus, and it’s the best way to do it! You get to explore the atmosphere and experience, firsthand, of life in a city college.

Whether you bike, skate, take the bus, or walk to class, there’s something for everyone. Since you’ll be living in the Kilachand dorm, you’ll be placed squarely in East Campus. If you want to make it to the other side of campus, it’s a short walk to the BU bus stop, or a pleasant 15 minute walk over. There are your Blue Bikes, where you can pay a small fee to borrow a bike if you’re really in a hurry; the bike lanes are wide and safe enough for bikers and the skateboarder/scooterer (is that a real word?). Alternatively, if you bring your own bike, Kilachand has a neat space to store it on the first floor. And of course, there’s the famous T that shoots down the entire length of campus. You can either pay per ride, or get a semester pass for unlimited use during the academic semester (found on the StudentLink). For those not familiar with the T system, it has stops all throughout BU’s campus, so it’s a quick and efficient way of travel. And not to mention, it goes directly into downtown Boston for a fun weekend with your new roommate(s) and friends!

The BU bus is my main method of transportation nowadays, since I have to travel back and forth from class to practice to research to home. The bus runs every day and during most hours of the day, so you can get around whenever you need to. You can download the BU bus app on your phone, and once you find the bus stops, it’s a piece of cake to catch a quick ride to wherever you’re going to. But walking has its perks too. You get to be surrounded by other students while walking down Baystate Road and admiring the beautiful scenery, or strolling past the BU Beach and the Esplanade, the GSU (George Sherman Union) building, and even Agganis Arena. Walking is both therapeutic and good for your health, especially after a year of staying inside. So whether you have your own wheels or just your feet, go out there and explore campus!

A Day in the Life

By Marie Kimball (CAS'23)

8:00 AM: I wake up, open the blinds, and answer some of my texts. I’m quick to shut my alarm off as my roommate is still sleeping. I go wash my face and brush my teeth, and then come back to my room to make some cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. Then I get dressed for the day. It looks like it's going to be a windy one, so I’ll make sure to bundle up. On the way out I stop into the Kilachand Offices, say hi to whoever might be in there and chat for a second, and grab some green tea.

9:00 AM: I arrive to Spanish class located in the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development. We have presentations today about creating audio descriptions for those who speak Spanish and are blind, so that they can understand all of the movements on the screen despite being unable to see them. My classmates are creative, and we have some laughs while improving our Spanish.

10:30 AM: I take a 10 minute walk over to history class on the upper floor of the George Sherman Union. On the way I stop at the Starbucks in front of Warren Towers to grab, you guessed it, some green tea. Making it just in time to class, I walk in and my professor is discussing a largely unknown incident which occurred during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. U.S.S.R. Vice Admiral Vasily Arkipov prevented his captain from firing a nuclear weapon at U.S. ships above, which were essentially creating a blockade around Cuba.

12:00 PM: With my friends Kristin and James, I head over to the nearest dining hall to grab some lunch. We chat about our days so far, and talk about the Co-Curricular yesterday, in which Hakeem Oluseyi, renowned astrophysicist, spoke.

1:00 PM: I walk over to Mugar Library in order to work on some homework and finish up a paper. At City-Co I grab a smoothie to stay energized. During the last 20 minutes of my stay here, I check in with my manager at the cafe at which I work, and arrange my schedule for the next few weeks.

3:00 PM: I head over to the School of Theology, where my Kilachand Seminar in Marriage and Family Law is being held. We discuss topics ranging from same-sex marriage, CRISPR technologies, and international adoption. A wide variety of opinions regarding ethics and politics are voiced.

4:30 PM: I walk back home to change and then hit the gym. There is a local crossfit gym which I love going to. Hopefully today I can hit a personal best on my deadlift.

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Looking east down a quiet Commonwealth Avenue toward the famous Citgo sign in Kenmore Square and the Prudential Tower in the distance. Credit: Marie K.

6:00 PM: I arrive home again, shower, and change into comfy clothes. I hit the dining hall with my roommate, Lauren. Tonight there is BBQ turkey, and butternut squash soup, so we are both excited. We run into a few other people in our Kilachand writing studio, and decide to all sit together and unwind after the day. On the way back to my dorm, I stop by Faculty-in-Residence Professor Woodward to catch up for a few and grab some of his famous nachos.

8:00 PM: I get back home and head up to the 9th floor of Kilachand to put the finishing touches on that paper I was working on earlier, as well as to begin a project I have due next week for an anthropology class regarding modern eating habits.

10:00 PM: I return home to watch an episode of the Office with my suitemate Sarah and eat some ice cream.

11:30 PM: I wash up my face and brush my teeth, and before getting to sleep chat with my roommate a little bit about a party we might go to this weekend. Oh, also, don’t forget to email your Kilachand advisor to set up an appointment, as registration for classes next semester is in a few weeks. I say goodnight to Lauren, and then fall fast asleep after another long, exciting, interesting, and fun day as a BU and Kilachand Honors College student.