Hurricane Sandy

Hello everyone, 

Well, it's official. Monday marked the first day of canceled classes this winter season. BC rarely closes down for weather-related reasons, but this hurricane packed enough power to shut down the university. Audible cheers and celebrations could be heard in the dorms and around campus when emails circulated about the canceled classes. Students obviously did not mind the extended weekend.

A view from my bedroom window on Monday during Hurricane Sandy

My roommates and I decided to take advantage of our free time and whipped up a Monday morning brunch. Unlike underclassmen dorms, junior and senior suites come equipped with large fridges. We stocked up this weekend in preparation for the storm. We ate muffins, pancakes, fruit and eggs in the warmth and safety of our room. As I ate breakfast, I noticed all of the schedules on the wall. At the beginning of the semester, my roommates and I made schedules and put them up near the kitchen. We wrote down not only our classes but our weekly clubs, jobs, and group meetings. 

Impromptu brunch

Chocolate chip pancakes

Our schedules

In addition to classes, clubs, intramural sports, and other extracurricular activities were canceled on Monday. Hurricane Sandy really did shut down the school for a day.

My roommates and I participate in a range of activities on campus apart from our classes. Some of our extracurriculars include the Synergy Hip Hop Dance Company, the Hawaii Club, the Orthodox Christian Fellowship, the Appalachia Volunteers Program, the Pom Squad and many other groups. Several of us, myself included, TA for classes and work on campus during the week. We probably spend as much time at our extracurriculars as we do in class each week.

Personally, I spend about twenty hours a week at my various jobs and clubs. I am the type of person who works better with more structure in my day. My clubs and jobs do not just help me structure my time, they act as social outlets. For example, I TA for a class, Learning to Learn, with several friends. We meet once a week with all the TAs and the professors to discuss student progress and lesson plans. I then meet an hour a week with each of my students throughout the semester. The TA position offers leadership opportunity and acts as a social outlet as well. So when I received the email about canceled classes on Monday, I also knew my TA sessions and other extracurriculars were canceled as well. I almost did not know what to do with my extra time on Monday. 

Luckily, classes resumed on Tuesday and life on campus returned to normal. Several large trees on campus were uprooted during the storm but BC was spared the major damage many others experienced during the hurricane. I will keep you updated in the next couple of weeks through the election and the start of the holiday season!


Emily

P.S. Here are some pictures from the week...

An uprooted tree on Linden Lane by Gasson Hall

The last foliage shots before Hurricane Sandy

Foliage outside Vouté Hall on Lower Campus before Hurricane Sandy

The BC vs. Maryland game. Congrats on the win, Eagles!

Midterm Season

Hello again, 

Well, midterm season snuck up faster than I expected this year. Typically, midterms occur six to seven weeks into every course. Not surprisingly, I fell victim to some of the distractions of senior year and did not realize how quickly time passed the first month and a half of the semester. For the past two weeks, most of the undergrads have been sequestered in our main libraries to prepare for the first round of exams this fall. Fortunately, my exams fell on different days so my work load felt very manageable.

For example, in my American Architecture class, our professor projected pictures of buildings on the overhead and we identified the architect, style, period and location of the buildings. We also analyzed the style changes in the 17th and 18th centuries in the U.S. In Argumentation Theory, our exam was a fairly typical true/false and multiple choice style test. For the most part, my midterms felt reasonable and best of all there were no surprises. 

I finished all my work in time to meet up with some friends from my semester abroad this weekend. I studied abroad last spring in Prague, Czech Republic on an "external program." In essence, the BC Office of International Programs allows students to study abroad on Boston College programs or on approved external programs. Because BC did not offer a Prague program, the office suggested several external programs students could attend in Prague.

Prague, one of the most magical cities I have ever seen, was a perfect place for me to spend a semester. Just 23 years after the fall of communism in the Czech Republic, the rich history of the Czech people could be felt everywhere in the city. Students on my program attended schools all over the U.S.  Each program, BC or external, offers different pros and cons for each student based on individual preference. Personally, an external program in Prague met my priorities for my time overseas. Most importantly, I finished my five months in Europe with dear friends and memorable stories.

My favorite view in Prague

This Saturday, several friends from my time in Prague met up with me in Boston to reminisce about last semester. So when I overhear different groups of sophomores and juniors discuss their future trips abroad and I cannot help but feel a tinge of jealously. Just a year ago, I nervously committed to living in a country for five months where I did not know the language nor a single person at the school. I survived the coldest winter in the Czech Republic in thirty years (remember, I am a California girl) and returned home with some intermediate Czech proficiency and a new understanding of Central Europe. Towards the end of my semester, two friends and I made an impromptu trip to Bratislava, Slovakia. The freedom to hop on a bus or a train and spend a weekend in a different country made me feel incredibly grateful for my opportunity to study abroad.

Old Town Hall in Bratislava

In other news, I want to congratulate the men's ice hockey team, the 2012 National Champions, for a strong start to the season and the women's soccer team for beating number 1 ranked Florida State University. Also, if you have not already, check out this fall's lineup at Robsham Theater. Here are some foliage pictures from this week! I've been trying to snap as many pictures as I can before the last of the leaves fall. 

That's all for now,
Emily

Election Season

Stow, MA

Hello again,

I hope you all enjoyed Columbus Day weekend and the opportunity to spend time with friends and family or to catch up on some work. I took advantage of the holiday and ventured to Stow, MA to pick apples with a couple of friends. It was the perfect weekend to check another item off of my senior bucket list. 

With just weeks left until the election, I can feel the energy building on and around campus. Both in class and in the dorms, people cannot stop chatting about the latest election updates. Just this month, former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, NBC newsman Tom Brokaw and correspondent Luke Russert ’08 spoke on campus in front of engaged audiences.

Two of my classes in particular, Rhetorical Criticism and Argumentation Theory, often cover the election because it fits so nicely with our course material. After the first debate, our Argumentation class broke down the candidates' different debate styles. It was definitely the most heated class discussion so far. No matter the setting, I just appreciate watching students debate and discuss certain issues because the election seems to bring out everyone's political side. A quick reminder: do not forget to register to vote or to sign up for your absentee ballot!

The election just adds to the number of things going on around the Heights these days. It seems as if everyone's schedules have filled up for the next month! With guest speakers, job interviews, internship interviews, athletic events, the ALC Boat Cruise, and Homecoming (not to mention classes, of course) on the horizon, students will soon look around and it will already be Thanksgiving. To avoid the craze of campus for a couple hours, this weekend a classmate and I will visit the J.F.K. Memorial Library for our American Architecture class. Before the weather gets wintry, I advise students to take a look at the variety of different exhibits they can see for free in Boston. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, one of my absolute favorites, is one of the many museums students can visit for free with their BC ID. Do not forget about the Paul Klee exhibit on campus in the McMullen Museum!

On a final note, congratulations to Brad Bates, the new Boston College Athletic Director. Many of my friends on several different athletic teams expressed enthusiasm over the newest BC Eagle.

I will keep you posted as the fall (and election season on campus) continues. Here are a couple of pictures from this week.

Emily

Passing period on Middle Campus

A beautiful walk despite the rain on Lower Campus

A view of BC from the Chestnut Hill Reservoir

October 1st

Hello and 'Rabbit, rabbit',

Every first of the month I try to remember to say 'Rabbit, rabbit' right when I wake up for good luck (unfortunately I forgot until right now). Anyway, I cannot believe it is already October! In the past two weeks, the campus completely transformed. The leaves changed, the weather cooled off, and the students started to bundle up. Being from California, I tend to migrate from my summer to fall wardrobe much faster than most of my friends. This year was no exception.

St. Clement's Hall on the Brighton Campus

Foliage near Fulton Hall

Most weeks, I struggle to get out of bed on Monday mornings. Today felt harder than usual because I spent the whole weekend running around with my parents for Parents' Weekend. 

On Friday, my parents and I attended the 20th Pops on the Heights concert in Conte Forum. Proceeds from the evening benefit the Pops Scholars, a longstanding student aid initiative that enables bright young men and women to attend the University. Harry Connick, Jr., the special guest, and Branford Marsalis stole the show with their spectacular performance. My parents almost fell off their seats as they leaned forward to watch the music. The show ended as everyone in the audience waved glow sticks to the beat of "For Boston," the Boston College Fight Song. Talk about an electrifying evening. 

The Pops

Balloons fell over the crowd during the finale

On Saturday, Mother Nature surprised BC and gave us cloudy skies instead of the predicted rainfall. Alumni, students, and parents gathered around the stadium and Shea field to tailgate before the game. You could feel the excitement as different members of the community entered Alumni Stadium to watch the game, which was nationally televised for BC fans at home. The team played well and gave a solid effort. Unfortunately, Clemson won 45-31. I always want the Eagles to win, but this weekend I just appreciated sitting in the stands with my parents. We spent most of the game chatting with '05 grads and swapping stories because I live in Rubenstein, their old dorm.

Our view of the Clemson game

All in all, the weekend seemed to be a complete success.  As a senior, I loved showing my parents around during their first (and last) Parents' Weekend. They met my friends' families and felt more connected than ever to the community by the end of their trip. Most of the parents I met this weekend felt the same way. Everyone just appreciated the time with their family and friends.

Today, we start week 5 of classes and I can tell the professors and students have finally settled into their routines. I will continue to keep you updated on campus highlights. I know the faculty, staff, and students will appreciate next Monday off for Columbus Day.

Gasson Hall

That's all for now,
Emily