Clam Chowder

Being a native Mainah (from Maine), there are many things that I like and that are important to me that might seem bizarre to other people. For example, I am obsessed with L.L. Bean (the clothing, the boots, the store..pretty much everything about it), I love lobster, I think driving in the snow is fun, I thrive in the small towns and small cities, I love the beaches and coasts, and I know I couldn't live without the extremes of all four seasons. So, when I came to college I wanted to make sure that I could keep at least something that I loved from Maine: clam chowder.

I was very excited when I found out that Stuart Dining Hall ("Stu", on Newton Campus) served clam chowder a few times a week. I usually end up getting it once or twice a week, depending on when I eat at Stu. This clam chowder is very good, and I considered it one of the best I had ever had (I know, surprising, since it's dining hall food) until I got it at The Rat one day (today!). Oh my goodness, this is probably the most delicious clam chowder I have had in a long time. Although they are both the same brand (Kettle Cuisine), the chowder at The Rat is thicker, creamier, and has more "stuff" in it. By stuff I mean potatoes and chunks of clam. I have had the chowder at Eagle's Nest for lunch and it isn't very good. It's pretty watery, which is fairly disgusting. They barely serve clam chowder at Mac, Lower, and Hillside, so those would have to be at the bottom of my list. Though, I would like it very much if they started serving it there so I could pass judgment.

So, with all that being said, here is my list of rankings:

1. The Rat (delicious!)
2. Stuart Dining Hall (gotta be loyal to my dining hall!)
3. Hillside (although I have never had it, I heard it was decent)
4. Eagle's Nest (never had it here, but I feel like it would be alright)
5. Mac & Lower (never seen either advertised so they must tie for last)

Whether you like clam chowder or not, you will definitely start getting a feel for where you like eating the most and the least the first semester of school. It's important to try different things at different places and see what each dining hall has to offer because each is unique.

http://www.bc.edu/offices/dining/

Questions or comments about clam chowder or anything else? email me! cornisab@bc.edu

:) Abby Sue

I'm New at This!

Hey everyone! My name is Abby Cornish (I often go by Abby Sue) and this is my first time blogging for the Student Admission Program (SAP) at Boston College. I know what you're thinking..it's almost April and she's just blogging now? Well, I just recently started volunteering for SAP a month ago and thought I would give this a shot!

(my roomate is on the left, our friend on the right, and I'm in the middle!)

A little about myself: I'm a freshman in Lynch. I came into the school as a Secondary Education and English double major, but just changed my majors to Human Development and English with a minor in Organizational Studies (in CSOM). I live on Newton campus, which is about a 7 minute bus ride ("the Newton Bus"). I am from a town about half an hour north of Portland, Maine. Crazy, right? People actually living in Maine seems like such a myth to everyone else here. I was really involved in high school, with a few things being that I played basketball and was a Class Officer. I have tried to get involved at BC, too. I am currently a Big Sister to a ten year-old girl at the West End House, which is on the green line. I also do OM (office management) in the SAP volunteer office. I have applied to a few more things on campus that will start next year and I'm waiting to hear back, (wish me luck!)

I really enjoy everything BC has to offer. My friends and I try to make it to most of the sporting events, concerts, musical group performances, lectures, etc. In fact, this weekend there was so much to do that I don't think I even spent more than an hour in the dorm, aside from sleeping of course. There is definitely something for everyone here, whether you know what that is for you or not yet. I'm still finding things that interest me that I never thought would and I've already been here for a year!

I'd love for everyone to follow my blog and please feel free to email me with any questions at cornisab@bc.edu

:) Abby Sue

A New Interest!

Hey everyone!

I know it's been a while since I last blogged! College life can get so crazy sometimes and before you know it it's spring break! Anyway, I wanted to share a little bit about a great experience I had recently. I told my mom, who works in the elementary school that I went to many years ago, that I wanted to observe and help out in the preschool classroom for students with autism. She talked to the principal, and arranged for me to go in on the Friday of spring break. As soon as I stepped through the door that morning I was greeted by eight smiling faces and a few tiny waving hands. The teacher announced, "Kids! Let’s sing hello to our new friend Erica!" and seconds later I was serenaded by the innocent voices of three, four, and five year olds. Over the course of the next few hours, I was able to talk with the teachers and aids, observe the strategies they used, and of course play with the kids. I learned so much and had an absolute blast.

Now you're probably thinking, how does this have anything to do with BC? Let me explain. During course registration at the end of last semester, as I realized that there was a time conflict with two classes that I wanted to take, I found myself frantically searching for the last class to complete my spring semester schedule. I had heard about people taking Working With Students With Special Needs as freshmen, so I set up a meeting with my advisor and found out that it is a required course for Elementary Ed majors. After about 37508924 log-ins on BC UIS (the ancient course registration system) I was able to secure a spot in Professor Ricciato's 1:30 pm section of the class.

My initial thoughts going into the class were that it was probably going to be interesting, and that I might be able to apply some of what I learned to my volunteer work. I volunteer in a program called Creative Kids in the Campus School, where I sing, dance, play instruments and most of all laugh with my buddy, a girl close to my age who has severe special needs. It always brightens up my Fridays and is the perfect way to start the weekend! Back to the class. I honestly had no intentions of teaching in a special education classroom, for I knew that it required a ton of patience and creativity. I didn't think that I had that in me, and figured general education would be the way to go. Needless to say, by the end of the first week I found myself pulling out my phone to call my mom, bubbling with excitement about how much I loved what we were studying. This without a doubt has something to do with my professor as well. Professor Ricciato is the director of the Campus School, and does a fabulous job integrating presentations by psychologists, speech pathologists, and other special needs personnel, as well as his own experiences with students, into the curriculum.

The point I'm trying to make here is that you never know what you're going to become passionate about here at BC. You might not know what you love, or you might be like me, and have something in mind only to have it shift direction after taking a specific class. Keep your mind open, because there are so many possibilities here, and when you find something that you really love, it's an amazing feeling.


If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to e-mail me at e.paglierani@gmail.com! Ta-ta for now!

~Erica

Spring Break

Hello again,

I just got back from my first college spring break: a rite of passage of sorts. I traveled to Ireland with the University Chorale of Boston College. We are a group of about 160 singers who rehearse twice a week for three hours total and perform three times each semester. Every spring break, members of the group have the opportunity to travel abroad. This year we went to Galway, Killarney, and Dublin, Ireland. I had the time of my life! The trip was filled with breathtaking sightseeing, meeting and hanging out with tons of people who I did not even know existed prior to the trip, and singing of course. My absolute favorite part was the opportunity to meet everyone. I made so many great friends who I would probably not have met if I did not go on the trip and now we are continuing to hang out now back at BC. I cannot wait for next year's trip no matter where we go! Please let me know if you have any questions about Chorale, any music group on campus, Lynch School, or BC in general.

~Jessica

shapirjk@bc.edu

Just Checking In

Hey guys!
So today is the first real day of Spring Break (woooohoooo!!!!). I am so excited and I thought I would take a little time out to tell you what my plans are for this week. One of the main pillars of Boston College is "Men and Women for others." Boston College students are encouraged to do their best to share their time and effort with people who are less fortunate. Although it is not required, many students take this pillar to heart and one example of this is the Appalachia Voulenteers Group. Every year around 600 students dedicate their spring break to help out the people of the Appalchian region. I never thought I would go on an alternative spring break trip in college but here I am. I will be heading off to Hurely VA soon and I am very excited. I'll check back in after the trip and share my experience.

Talk to you soon, Nicole

F.Y.P.D.S.

Hi, my name is Jessica Shapiro and I am a freshman honors student in the Lynch School of Education. I am majoring in Elementary Education and Psychology and minoring in History. I live on Upper Campus in the honors dorm (Medeiros) and I am from Santa Monica, California (right outside LA). I want my blog posts to be a more personal view of BC and Lynch so please e-mail me (shapirjk@bc.edu) if there are any topics or issues you think I should address.

There are three majors in the Lynch School of Education: Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Applied Psychology and Human Development. The First-Year Professional Development Seminar is a required 1-credit course (no homework!) for all Lynch freshmen, regardless of major. Groups of 10-15 students meet once a week for an hour with two upperclassmen Lynch students and a faculty or graduate student advisor. Fall semester this course focused a lot on the transition to college and this small-group format was a great forum in which to ask questions about Lynch, BC, or life. I absolutely love my FYPDS group - we are a fairly close-knit group especially considering that we only see each other for an hour a week. My graduate student advisor is one of the best people I have met on the BC campus. He went to Lynch as an undergrad and now works in the Dean's Office so he knows everything there is to know about Lynch. He has also been an RA for three years so he has a lot of general knowledge about the university as a whole. Plus, the upperclassmen advisors are going through exactly what we will be going through later on in our undergraduate careers. It is great for us freshmen to be able to pick their brains about housing, academics, service, and extracurricular activities.

I also love the other 12 freshmen in my group (11 girls and 1 boy). We have become a sort of family - we trust each other with personal issues and "secrets" conveyed through what are called anonymous "yellow bag" statements. Every week we each write a question/concern/comment on a yellow sheet of paper about BC in general or the topic of that week's session and we start the following week's session by addressing these questions and comments. This is a great way for us to develop trust and also get our questions answered.

This semester the course is worth 2 credits so there has been outside readings and videos to watch before each session but they are actually really interesting and foster great discussions. The peer advisors and group leaders do a great job of connecting the readings and videos to hands-on activities we complete in our weekly meetings. So far we have discussed topics such as the value of service, diversity, respect, and world issues. Each week we come prepared with the thoughts of the authors and filmmakers and build on them with our own opinions. This class almost serves as a continuation of orientation and I think it is another thing that makes the Lynch School such a fantastic place to call "home".

Please e-mail me with any questions you have about anything related to FYPDS, the Lynch School, or Boston College as a whole. I look forward to writing again soon.

~Jessica

shapirjk@bc.edu

Hey World

Hey everyone, welcome to my new blog.

My name is Nicole and I am currently a freshmen at Boston College. I am an Elementary Education Major in the Lynch School of Education. Basically, I love it here at BC. The Lynch school is amazing; there is no place else I would rather be. One of my favorite things about BC is the people. From the faculty to the custodial staff, the people here really care about you and want you to succeed. I am going to keep this post short as an introduction and I kind of have to get back to homework but I will try and update often.

Thanks for reading,
Nicole