As promised, below are all the submissions and posts from our previous blog. We will begin updating this blog with new entries in the coming weeks! Enjoy!
Media Blogs and
Photos
2013
* * *
A Day in the
Life for Finals!
So I'm in the
midst of finals, and it is a hectic time to say the least. Everyone is
running around, and coffee is a luxury item. Today I woke up at around
10am, got ready for the day, and went to Lower Dining Hall to study in the
middle of the Christmas decorations (for some reason they are a sort of calming
reminder that home is around the corner). I sat studying until noon, and
then met someone for lunch. The nicest thing about finals is how much
free time you have. The only things that you need to wrap your schedule
around are your exams. After grabbing lunch, I went back to my room and
studied until 3pm. My Financial Accounting test was at 4pm, so after my super
secret pre-test ritual, I went over to the classroom where my test was
scheduled. The test took me 3-hours, but wasn't difficult since I
studied. I tell people all the time that as long as you study, nothing is
going to be impossible. After the test, I went back to my room and passed
into a finals sleep (these are very deep sleeps, much like hibernating for
bears). A finals Thursday thus came and went.
Will Campbell
* * *
Professor
Wesner
I thought I
would take one blog post to rant about how great Professor Wesner is. He
teaches my Intro to Business Law class, and I don't think that I've had a more
inspiring professor. He has a very quirky teaching style that is
hilarious yet informative. He is certainly not a guy who is afraid of
laughing in the classroom. On top of that, he is ridiculously smart.
He and I have had countless conversations about law, and, every time, he
blows me away with how much he knows. What also makes him so great is his
approachability. In college it can be hard to establish personal
relationships with professors, but it has been no challenge with Professor
Wesner. He actually likes to get to know his students on a personal
level. If you have the opportunity to take him, do it!
Will Campbell
* * *
Boston College was not my first
choice school. Weird, right? I don’t think anyone would guess it by seeing me
at a hockey game, or an a cappella performance, or walking out the front doors
of Bapst after a long night of studying. But back during the long process that
is college applications, I never pictured myself doing any of those things. I
visited BC as a high school junior and was certainly impressed, but there was
something about it that kept it on the back burner through the whole process.
The student body was so much bigger than the other schools I was looking at,
and I couldn’t picture myself in giant lecture halls during class, or not
knowing everyone in my dorm even as an upperclassman. The other schools were
smaller, felt more homey already. I imagined that one of those schools was the
right choice for me; I could get into BC or not, and I didn’t think I would be
emotionally affected either way.
But then
March and April rolled around, and the letters started coming in. Five
rejections, five acceptances, BC among the latter. Accepted Student Days and
serious thought ruled out three of those five. The final week of April left me
with a choice between BC and a small liberal arts college in upstate New York.
I talked it out and thought it through. And I realized, more through logic than
any gut reaction, that I wanted a social atmosphere and access to more friends
and more opportunities – a bigger school would better offer me those criteria.
So BC it was.
It took
awhile for me to really feel like it was the right choice. Through high-school
graduation and the summer before move-in day, people would say things like,
“Wow, what a great choice!” or “You must be so
excited!” And I was happy with my choice, and it was exciting. But nerves
were getting the better of me. What if I couldn’t find a place among this mass
of maroon and gold? As Welcome Week revved up and wound down, what if I never
reconnected with any one of those thousand handshakes or icebreaker partners?
What if BC had been the wrong choice all along?
Those
worries are legitimate, and I don’t pretend to have been alone in them. But
since settling into life here over the past three semesters, I’ve learned that
if you seek it out, there is a place for anyone at BC. The clubs, student
organizations, campus events and access to Boston feel truly unparalleled;
every student has a story to share, a passion to act on, and it has been such a
privilege to interact with this campus in so many ways. Whether I chose BC by
logic, by necessity, or by some innate force pulling me to the Heights, I could
not feel luckier to be here. I wear that Superfan shirt with pride (and usually
a hoarse voice to accompany it on game days). I’m an avid follower of a
cappella groups, lecturers, and campus events. And leaving Bapst will always
feel like a small everyday victory. Boston College is a community all its own
and I would be so proud to have YOU be part of it!
Melissa Warten, A&S 2016
* * *
Tuesdays
during my second semester of college were by far my busiest and most eventful
of the days of the week, but they were also the most fun and rewarding. Nearly
every Tuesday I would wake up around 10 or 10:30. Slow to get up, I eventually
moved to the shower. Following the shower I would make my bed and turn on the
TV to CNN while I poured the orange juice from my fridge and went under my bed
to grab a bar. I would eat and watch CNN
until around 11:45, and then I would go off to my 12:00 class, Psychology.
Psychology ended at 1:15, and after this class I would head over to Fulton Hall
for Business Statistics at 1:30. Once this class ended at 2:45 I would go to
Eagle’s Nest and grab lunch with a few of my friends from Stats. We would be
there until around 3:15 or so, and I was pretty tired as I headed back to my
dorm room. The next hour and a half was usually a chill time for me. I
typically watched a show on Netflix or just listened to music until I had to
go. At 5:00 I met up with some of best friends in the lobby of my building and
we walked down to Lower together to meet up with the rest of our leadership
group. I joined the Emerging Leader Program at Boston College, and nearly every
Tuesday most of us would meet as a group in Lower dining hall before heading up
to our meeting in the Walsh Function room at 6:00. Our meetings consisted of speakers and
presentations from people such as the President of Boston College to the
Sheriff of Boston. These meetings went until 8, and following the meeting a
bunch of us would go to Bapst Library to do homework on the beautiful upper
floor. I would be there until around 11 or 12 doing work, and then I would go
back to my room to relax until I went to bed around 1 o’clock. This was a
typical Tuesday during my second semester as a freshman at Boston College, and
I enjoyed every minute of them no matter how hectic they got.
Alec Ellis
* * *
When one of the BC splash e-board members approached me
about becoming a Splash leader, I have to admit that I really didn’t want to do
it. A Sunday consisting of working with
high school kids did not sound appealing to me, mostly because I normally sleep
in on the weekends. Basically, the way the program works is that high school
students come to BC and take classes that are interesting to them, while
learning a bit more about college in the process. The reason I decided to be a
Splash leader was because I really liked the idea of helping high school
students learn about college academics and the freedom to find classes that are
interesting to each individual person. However, I still had no idea what to
expect on the day of my first Splash lesson. On that particular Sunday, my
group partner and I were assigned a group of kids to play icebreakers with and
help out as they went to their classes. I had so much fun holding up a sign as
we welcomed all of the kids and then proceeded to learn all about them and play
games with them. This fun continued throughout the entire day, and one my
favorite times was lunch when all of the kids ate with the Splash leaders and
asked us all about college and the college life. What I thought would be an
unexciting day turned out to be a great day full of laughs and new friendships.
It occurred to me that we could miss so much if we sleep in too late. I did all
of these events before many college kids even woke up, and I was very glad I
did so. BC Splash turned out to be one of my favorite days at Boston College,
and I will almost certainly be participating next year.
Alec Ellis
* * *
It would be trite at this point to remark that this campus is beautiful.
Everyone who has ever set foot on it can tell you that. I thank God often that
I have the opportunity to study at such a magnificently beautiful school, and
feel so blessed to be here each day. Studying for an exam is a whole lot easier
when you’re surrounded by beauty, and I find this especially rings true
whenever I am in Stokes.
Stokes Hall is without a doubt my favorite place on campus. Aside from
the fact that two of my four classes this semester are located inside the
building, I spend more than my fair share of time in and around it getting
coffee or a sweet treat at the Chocolate Bar, finding an empty classroom to
just think in, lounging with my
laptop in one of the chairs that overlooks the campus on the bridge between
North and South, and even sitting in the McNeil Family Garden with a friend to
just chat and relax. Stokes is much more to me than simply a building in which
I learn each morning: it is a place I can go to for virtually any need that I
may have, and find solace in the beauty, quietness, and comfort that is the
building and its surroundings. I know that I’ll never get tired of being there,
as I grow to love it more and more every time I step foot inside. I’m so lucky
to have the opportunity to spend much of my time over the next four years in
Stokes Hall, and I am certain that I will seize this chance whenever possible.
Arev Doursounian
* * *
Last April, while I was still
deciding whether or not to come to Boston College, I visited an old friend who
was already a student here. She gave me an informal tour of the campus and
showed me around from the perspective of a student; it was an invaluable
experience because I could truly picture myself here as a student for the first
time. After we parted ways (and after I had grabbed my first of many delicious
frappes from the Chocolate Bar!), I took to exploring the campus on my own. It
was an incredibly perfect, sunny day—and as luck would have it, it turned out
to be some sort of special student activities day, because everyone was out on
the quad together, talking and laughing and blasting music. It sounds like a
scene right out of a movie, I know—but it’s true! This is my first recollection
of the time I knew BC was the right place for me. Right then and there, on such
a beautiful day when it seemed like the campus was literally alive with the
energy of all of its students, I knew that I wanted to be nowhere else. Maybe
I’m just overly nostalgic, but the coming spring excites me because it will
constantly remind of this wonderful memory and reiterate to me how happy and
lucky I am to be here.
Arev Doursounian
* * *
I sing in the University Chorale,
and this past weekend we performed a series of three Christmas concerts in
conjunction with the Boston College Symphony Orchestra, who sounded absolutely
beautiful. We sang sixteen Christmas classics; everything from the timeless Hark the Herald Angels Sing to a moving
rendition of Ave Maria. Each night,
the audience was invited to sing along. From the perspective of a singer, it
was amazing to see how traditional Christmas songs could move people so
strongly. Audience members became very emotional and invested in the pieces we
were singing; it was clear that our music meant a lot to them, and being able
to contribute to those feelings simply by singing—by doing what I love to do
most—was incredible. As per usual, the concert ended with the Hallelujah
chorus, and our director, John Finney, invited alumni of the Chorale to come up
and sing it with us. Many audience members did indeed join us, which
demonstrated the strength and timelessness of alumni’s bond to Boston College,
and especially to the music program. I’m so happy to be a part of it!
P.S. I learned this weekend that Mr. Clinton Kelly, of What Not To Wear, not only graduated
from BC, but was President of the Chorale during his time here! My friends and
I had the pleasure of meeting him after our Friday show. He was very nice, and
of course, extremely well-dressed. (That’s me on the left!)
Arev Doursounian
* * *
On December 7th, myself
and a few other Executive Board members of BC’s Bellarmine Pre-Law Society
volunteered in Roslindale with Habitat For Humanity. We arrived on site to find
the construction of an unfinished house, and were instructed to each grab a
pair of safety glasses, a hammer, some nails, and work gloves, and to head
right up to the third floor (which had no roof or walls!). The four of us got
to work right away hammering nails into two-by-fours, placing individual pieces
together to form the walls of the house, and filling them with foam insulation.
It was remarkable how much work had to go into the creation of just one
wall—our small group worked together for six hours and the fruit of our labor
was only a piece of the puzzle that was the construction of the house as a
whole. Yet, we did more than simply hammer away; we helped to build someone’s
future home. It’s so incredible to
think that one day, people will live under the roof we assisted in creating; we
will have helped others in ways we cannot even imagine. I’m so grateful to have
been able to participate, and encourage anyone who has the opportunity to
volunteer his or her time with Habitat For Humanity; you will not regret it!
It’s just another one of the ways that students here at Boston College can
represent the Jesuit ideal of “men and women for others,” and to truly make a
difference.
Here we are in front of the house we worked on!
Arev Doursounian
* * *
Funny to find
that some of the most beautiful places on campus weren't necessarily designed
to be beautiful. I love how the campus is beautiful wherever you go.
This is my view as I leave my dorm (66) on lower to go study in the
library. BC's campus is a comfort in itself!
Will Campbell
* * *
Friends enjoy beautiful weather and music on the Heights at
the Stokes amphitheater. Students love
this new green space, recently added to campus in 2013 as a part of the
university’s master plan.
Melissa Warten
* * *
I'm an RA for
Duchesne Hall, a residence hall in the first year area here at BC. This picture
was taken the night of the Class of 2017's First Year Academic Convocation, a
ceremony organized by the Office of First Year Experience and “filled with ritual,
ideas, and conversation that kick off the academic year.” I am so excited
to see my residents start their BC journey and to go set the world aflame.
Colin Mageary
* * *
BC fans cheer and await a kickoff as BC faces off against
ACC rival North Carolina State in November 2013. BC won the game 38-21 and clinched bowl
eligibility for the Eagles for the first time since the 2010-2011 season.
Darren
Duguay
* *
*
Approximately half of the freshman class at Boston College
attends a 48 Hours weekend retreat. The retreat is run by the Office of First
Year Experience and revolves around conversation and reflection on freedom and
responsibility, academics, extracurricular involvement, social pressures, and
friends and relationships. Upperclassmen students help to facilitate the
weekend, and help plan meaningful activities for the weekend, including this
tradition of string bracelets and affirmations.
Josh
Beauregard
* *
*
A favorite among students, the annual Christmas tree
lighting is a December tradition here at Boston College. As University
President Father William Leahy, SJ announces, “let there be light,” the tree
shins a bright, red glow, illuminating the campus. Christmas cookies, music
from several a cappella groups, and, of course, pictures with Santa himself
compete the evening for hundreds of students and faculty.
Colin
Mageary
Connor Desmond
Sarah
Steiger
* *
*
Freshmen at Boston College take a
study break and enjoy “tray sledding” after the first snow of the year.
Connor
Desmond
* *
*
Boston College has an awesome hockey team and it is so much
fun to attend the games! Every year,
Boston College, Harvard, Northeastern, and Boston University compete in the
Beanpot Tournament at Boston’s TD Garden. BC won this year!
Danielle
LaBruzzo
* *
*
Boston College students celebrate Holi,
the festival of colors, on Brighton campus.
Colin
Mageary
* *
*
Here is an image of team
camaraderie moments before the Boston College men’s ice hockey play with an
audience of Superfans.
Colin
Mageary
* * *
Each year, the Residence Hall Association hosts a Mr. Upper
competition. First year students help to plan and then love to attend this
funny and popular event.
Margaret
LePre
* * *
This is the
view of Gasson Hall from the entrance to the O'Neill Library. Even a blizzard
can't take away the beauty of Gasson Hall!
Bobby Looney
* * *
Our very own
Boston College Eagles hockey team celebrates its fifth consecutive Beanpot
victory over Northeastern! The new banner is being raised to the rafters of the
TD Garden, home of the Beanpot Championships!
Bobby Looney
* * *
This picture
was taken during First Year Academic Convocation, a ceremony in which the
entire freshman class is together for the first time! In the picture, you can
see Gasson Hall from the viewpoint of Linden Lane.
Bobby
Looney
* *
*
It is really
fun to watch the Boston Marathon from the main gate of campus. BC students come
together to support the runners and the greater city of Boston. Boston Strong!
Danielle
LaBruzzo
* * *
Friends enjoying some ice cream in
Boston!
Rachel
French
***
Enjoying a Monopoly night in a
freshman residence hall lounge!
Rachel
French
* *
*
A group of first year students
commemorating their weekend in Plymouth, MA on 48 Hours!
Rachel
French
