International Celebration!

Before we say our goodbyes to our new found friends from near and far this year, you are invited to celebrate all the things that make us glad to be a part of such a unique and diverse community. On Monday, April 22, from 7 pm – 9 pm Warren Towers Residence Life in conjunction with Warren Towers Residence Hall Association will be hosting an International Celebration.  There will be a wide range of catered appetizers and desserts, fun music, and a variety of games for you to enjoy. So please feel free to join the Warren Towers community to celebrate all that brings our community together.

If you have any questions regarding the event please feel free to contact your current RA or e-mail Markiesha Ollison at mollison@bu.edu. We look forward to seeing you there!

B Tower Resident of the Month – February 2013

The following residents were nominated by their RAs for going above and beyond their role as floormates and making it a better living space for everyone:

5B – Kyle Ortman – Most involved

6B – Avi Rampersaud and Brian Nguyen – Most welcoming

7B – Alex Waterman – Most community-building

8B – Aaren Johnson – Best floor engagement

9B – Chris Laffey – Most friendly

10B – Emma Preston – Actively supporting RHA at all meetings

11B – John  McKaveny and Troy Doliner – Most community-building

12B – Celina Bertoncini – Most friendly

13B – Nancy Tran – Most energetic

14B – Roi Manor – Most SMG

15B – Megan Shantz – Most centered around well-being of the floor

16B – Jene Wheeless – Most spirited

17B – Erwin Wang – Best floor engagement

18B – Sarah Franzblau – Most spirited

Please join us in congratulating these people for bringing their best to Marshall Towers, and truly making our experiences here more memorable.

Astronaut or Art Director? Questioning your Future? Try an Internship.

Job Posting Board

By:

Kimberly DelGizzo, Director

Eleanor Cartelli, Associate Director, Marketing & Communications

Jessica Fenerlis, Marketing & Communications Specialist

Has anyone (besides your parents) ever asked you: “What do you want to do when you graduate?” Or perhaps you’ve been asked that inevitable interview question: “Where do you see yourself in five years?” If you struggle to come up with an answer, an internship might be a good next step.

An internship provides you with a way to get hands-on experience in a particular field or industry of interest. If you’re interested in politics, try an internship at your local representative’s office.

It’s also a great way to see if something is NOT the best fit for your future. You may love your accounting class, but after an accounting internship, you could realize that you miss working in a collaborative, group environment.

Internships aren’t just for the summer. They are also available during the academic semesters and can be part-time or full-time, paid or unpaid. Internships are also offered by all sorts of organizations – from fortune 500 companies to local nonprofits.

The best part? You may do an internship at any point while you’re at BU.

Maybe you’re majoring in biology, but aren’t sure about going the pre-med track. Try your hand at interning for a research lab. Always dreamed of being an award-winning director? Try an internship at a local news station or video production company. You’ll never know if something is the best fit unless you try it out.

There are many benefits to completing an internship, or multiple internships, while you’re at BU:

  1. Experience in greater detail what a full-time job in a particular field might be like.
  2. Strengthen your resume for future opportunities.
  3. Connect with others in the industry you’re most interested in pursuing. They may even help you down the road when it comes time to apply for a full-time position.
  4. Gain valuable skills and experience to carry with you wherever you go, including back at BU in a class or a student leadership role.
  5. Build confidence in your abilities. An internship may allow you the opportunity to lead a meeting, write a proposal, or travel to conferences; It’s excellent experience to add to your resume.

It’s never too early (or too late) to start looking for an internship. Many employers with formalized, competitive programs launch the selection process several months in advance. For example, some federal government programs recruit up to a year in advance.

But it’s not too late for you to start. Most employers start recruiting between late January and late March for summer interns. If you haven’t started yet, spring break is a good time to start your search. Still exploring what industry you’re most interested in? Take this time to do some research.

Ready to see what’s out there? Log in to BU CareerLink, BU’s online hub for career resources, including internship and job postings. Poke around, and see what you find.

Have questions about your internship search? Visit us at the Center for Student Services at 100 Bay State Road on the Sixth Floor. Attend our Landing an Internship workshop (check our calendar for dates and times) and check out more internship resources on our website.

Fill it up!

 

Blog Pictures

by Andrew Cho, President, Warren Towers RHA

From the start of the semester, Warren’s RHA targeted one immediate improvement to the Quality of Life of its residents. They advocated for the magical water bottle fillers that are found in the GSU and 100 Bay State to be installed in Warren as well. Initially, reaching out to the administration was a challenge, but Zach Herbert, the Overarching Executive Council (OEC) President to the RHAs, sought out the Housing Director, who received the idea with as much enthusiasm as the residents did. Soon after the fountain was installed and flowing mid December!

As I take the stairs of B Tower right by the water fountain, I always take note of the ever rising counter of plastic water bottles diverted. The number rose from 23 when I first saw it, then to 70, and in just a few days a couple hundred.

Lindsey Sterling, who had been anticipating the modern marvel, said “I’m so glad we finally have a convenient source of tasty water! I don’t have to bother with the sink anymore.”

For Dean Nguyen, the installation means a successful promise from the RHA. “I knew that this was one of the goals for RHA at the very start. I’m glad that it is there before the end of the semester.”

As the very first Residence to have this water fountain installed, we have a special opportunity to promote its usefulness. The more that Warren residents utilize the fountain, the more readily Housing will work with other RHA’s to implement them in every large residence!

The newly retrofitted water fountain can be found by the bathrooms under B Tower. Upon writing this, at the end of the semester, the counter has already cracked 1,000.

 

 

The Midterms are coming! The Midterms are coming!

studying

By Cecilia Lalama, Assistant Director for Mentoring and Outreach (clalama@bu.edu)
As much as the thought may make you want to run (you won’t get very far, given the size of
those snow banks out there); there’s nothing to fear if you take a few simple steps to study
smarter so you don’t have to study harder.
The single best thing you can do to prepare is to start way in advance.
The next best thing; be prepared by gathering all of your materials.
And then? Prioritize by topics you understand least to best. Finally, take a deep breath.
Here are some common sense study prep strategies:

1. Make a list of all the chapters, concepts and themes that you will be tested on, and identify your weak spots within that list.

2. See how many days out you are from the midterm. Plan to review a little bit from every subject each day. It’s easier to study ten chapters in ten days than it is in five days.

3. Prepare: Create study sheets, answer end of chapter questions, list predicted essay questions and outline, etc. Review: Read study sheets, redo “missed” problems, review formulas, etc. everyday right up until the day before the test.

4. In a 4-6 hour chunk of time, try 1.5 hours of studying, 10 minutes of review, a 5- minute break and repeat. Don’t study for more than 4-6 hours at a time. You’ll just burn out.

5. If test anxiety is an issue, try to take the unknown element out of the equation by taking a practice test at home in the time you would have to take the real midterm. That way, it won’t feel like you’re going through it for the first time when you walk into the classroom.

6. Study with classmates. See if you can take turns teaching each other concepts. If you can teach the material to others, you’ve mastered at least a portion of the subject.

7. Get 8 hours of sleep and eat good food (junk food will just slow you down, so go for healthy proteins, veggies and fruit). Making sure your body is nourished and fueled up can make a big difference in your cognitive abilities (the way that you learn).

8. Always read through the entire test before you begin. If possible, decide how much time you’re going to spend on each section and stick with your plan.  Don’t miss the five easy multiple-choice questions on the very last page of the test.

9. Stay positive. If you don’t know the answer to Question #1, boost your confidence by answering Question #2 first.  The next question may even give you a hint about the one that stumped you the first time around.

10. For essay tests, save incomplete answers for the end. Six incomplete essays will likely score you more points than three complete essays and three blanks.

11. For multiple choice tests, try covering up the answer choices and write down the answer in your own words if none of the choices look right. Uncover the choices and find the closest match to what you wrote down.

12. Reward yourself and leave any negative thoughts associated with the test behind you when you leave the room and move on with your life. Find something fun to do, either on campus or around town. You won’t have to look far to find cool things to do around Boston: http://www.bu.edu/today/.

The Educational Resource Center is located on the 6th floor of the Center for Student Services
at 100 Bay State Road. You can find our calendar, register for workshops or check out our
online workshops here: http://www.bu.edu/erc/workshops/

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year London

by B Tower Residents Jia Jia (Yoki) Yu and JinLu (Savannah) Li

Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year, is the most important and lively holiday in China. It begins on the first day of the lunar calendar and lasts for 15 days, which is the longest holiday except the summer vacation for students. The first day is to put your feet up and relax. We believe cleaning means you’ll sweep all of your good luck out the front door. Another superstition is the color. Red is considered the ultimate luck bringer. Perhaps the most exciting things for kids are eating a big family meal and asking for red-pocket. Chinese New Year’s feast includes dumplings, fish, noodles and hard liquor, which symbolize wealth, abundance, heath and longevity. One basic tradition is to watching the Spring Festival Eve Gala Evening with all family members together while eating snacks and fruits. The holiday surely lights up the whole country. The Lunar New Year ends with Lantern Festival, during which everyone lights a lantern and gather to do the lantern puzzles. It is undoubtedly my favorite holiday.

Chinese New Year is traditionally called “Spring Festival”. It is based on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. It celebrates for unity, happiness and best wishes in the coming year with the family. It has the history of more than 4000 years. On the first day of the lunar calendar, people usually hang Spring Festival Couplets on doors, windows, and play fireworks in order to the drive out the monster called “Nian”.

C-Tower Celeb Ming Fung “Eric” Suen

Ming Fung “Eric” Suen

As featured in HerCampus

Posted Jan 19 2013 – 8:00am
Tagged With: ming fung eric suen

 

Ming Fung “Eric” Suen (CAS ’16) is pretty fly for a freshman studying Economics. Not only does he rock spiffy shoes and pressed pants on the regular, but also he can brighten your day with a genuine smile and a kind compliment. Depending on your language capabilities, he can deliver the compliment in English and/or Cantonese. That’s right. Eric hails from Hong Kong, China and is even a member of BU’s Hong Kong Student Association (HKSA)!

HKSA isn’t the only organization Eric contributes to. Eric is a member of the executive board for BU’s I Embrace You, or as you may recognize it by its campus nickname, “The Free Hug Club”. Eric coordinates the weekly random acts of kindness that I Embrace You brings to the dining halls, dormitories, and CAS classrooms. He also participates in the Chinese Student Association (CSA). You may recognize him from the CSA’s Annual Culture Show that was back in November 2012. Eric was on stage, but he admits that his true talent is voicing Mickey Mouse in Cantonese.

But what is a Mickey to do without a Minnie? When it comes to Eric’s heart, you girls have to win it by masterfully cooking a great meal. Eric says that if a girl “can’t cook but pretends she can,” it’s a deal-breaker. (Maybe he likes cereal?) He dreams that one day he will take Olympic-record-breaking US soccer player Alex Morgan to the Eiffel Tower for a romantic getaway. As I assume the French say: Ooh, la, la! In order for this magical date to happen, Eric may need to borrow another quality he finds attractive: patience!

Typically, as soon as Eric finishes his academic obligations, it’s off to FitRec for basketball or a quick run around the track. (Psst, his workouts are never complete without listening to Kanye West’s “Clique” and Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop.”)  For some downtime, Eric can usually be found in his favorite spot on campus: 10C in Warren Towers. Eric is proud of the fact that his floormates “all have a really good relationship [with] each of the members” and enjoy exploring Beantown together.

On Fridays, you’ll see Eric at Marsh Plaza giving free hugs…and what’s better than a priceless embrace from a Campus Cutie?

AhChoo, AhChoo… here are some ways to avoid the flu

flu shot
Original Post from BU Today

Rich Barlow (BU Today)
Rich Barlow can be reached at barlowr@bu.edu.

You can still get a flu shot. And for God’s sake, don’t come to class or a dining hall if you’re sick.

Those and related reminders were emailed to the BU community last week fromStudent Health Services (SHS) amid a nationwide flu outbreak that’s killed at least 18 in Massachusetts and led Boston to declare a flu emergency.

The good news, according to flu experts, is that this year’s flu vaccine is effective against the new bug. The University has scheduled flu clinics this week for students at the George Sherman Union and FitRec, and for faculty and staff on the Medical Campus and on the Charles River Campus at the Occupational Health Center, 930 Commonwealth Ave., via its Pleasant Street entrance (details below).

“Student Health Services has begun to see some limited influenza activity over the past several weeks,” SHS director David McBride said in his message to the University community. “This news is no cause for alarm, but it does give us all the opportunity to practice effective prevention of this type of illness.”

McBride had previously alerted the BU community to the ineffectiveness of antibiotics in treating the flu. Among his latest email’s suggestions, besides getting a vaccine shot:

  • Wash your hands frequently. To assist, the University has almost 500 hand sanitizer stations in academic, residential, and recreational buildings.
  • Avoid those who have the flu if possible. Those who catch the flu should get bed rest and avoid crowded places, from classrooms to FitRec to dining halls. Dining Services allows stricken students to reserve meals online for pickup and delivery by friends. McBride recommends that those with the flu isolate themselves until they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours after they’ve stopped taking fever medication.
  • Clean frequently touched surfaces in your room or office with Clorox wipes or another antibacterial cleanser.
  • Cough into your sleeve or a tissue, not your hands.
  • Ill or healthy, don’t touch your face, as it spreads germs.
  • If you get the flu, drink lots of fluids, and if you have a fever, take fever medicine such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), or naproxen (Aleve). If taking the fever medicine for three days doesn’t fix the fever, seek medical care, which should also be sought if you persistently vomit up fluids. Students can call SHS at 617-353-3575 with any questions.
  • People with additional, significant medical problems should call SHS or their doctor early after getting the flu.

The University encourages students to contact their professors if they’ll be out of class to arrange catching up on missed studies.

BU’s Custodial Operations has prevention protocols for flu and flu-like illnesses, calling for such things as “more rigorous use of protective gloves and goggles,” frequent hand-washing, and increased cleaning of the array of frequently touched surfaces in campus buildings, along with the extra service hours necessary to do this work.

CDC FluView Influenza Surveillance Report, Week Ending January 5, 2013

Click image to enlarge. The federal Centers for Disease Control’s most recent influenza surveillance report, for the week ending January 5, shows the geographic spread (not severity) of the flu by state. Image courtesy of the CDC

The federal Centers for Disease Control says exact numbers of annual flu deaths are unknown—for one thing, states aren’t required to report them—but that in the last three decades, they’ve ranged from approximately 3,000 to 49,000.

Upcoming flu clinics on the Charles River Campus and the Medical Campus are as follows:

  • Tuesday,  January 15, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Occupational Health Center, 1st floor, 930 Commonwealth Ave. (entrance on Pleasant Street) (employees only)
  • Wednesday, January 16, 1 to 4 p.m., Human Resources, Crosstown Building, 4th floor, 801 Massachusetts Ave. (employees only)
  • Thursday, January 17, 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m., Occupational Health Center, 930 Commonwealth Ave. (employees only)
  • Thursday, January 17, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., George Sherman Union Alley (in the basement adjacent to BU Central), 775 Commonwealth Ave.
  • Friday, January 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., FitRec Dance Studio lobby (enter via Buick Street
  • Friday, January 18, 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m., Occupational Health Center, 930 Commonwealth Ave. (employees only)
  • Tuesday, January 22, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Medical Campus, Hiebert Lounge, 72 E. Concord St.

No appointments are needed, but bring your student ID. Flu shots are free for students with BU’s AETNA student health insurance; if you have your own insurance, SHS will give you a receipt to seek reimbursement (most insurance companies cover flu shots). Students without insurance will have their student accounts charged $30 for a shot. You should not get a flu shot if you’re allergic to eggs, have had a severe reaction to a previous flu shot, are moderately or severely ill, or have developed Guillain-Barre syndrome within six weeks of getting a previous flu shot.

Treat Yo’self and Reduce Stress

Its midterm season. A sweep of the area reveals a few staggering freshman; their eyes are crazed and bloodshot from lack of sleep, their hands trembling from caffeine overload , and they are wearily carrying greasy late-night cartons. Their minds are crammed full of complex equations, anatomy parts, quotes from obscure authors, and numerous dates of wars. It is easy to see the hastily studied information leaking out from their brains, trailing behind them. This is a common sight on most university campuses, especially during term exam season. What is the cause of all of these symptoms? One short answer: Stress.

This past Wednesday, the 14th of November, 27 stressed college students gathered at Center for Student Services at 100 Bay State Road. We were there for the International Stress-Relief Techniques from Around the World workshop. The visiting group included several Warren Towers RAs, a few Warren residents and various other students who were eager to learn how to properly de-stress. A myriad of student ambassadors from the Educational Resource Center (ERC), Student Health Services (SHS) and the Center for Career Development (CCD) lead the session.

They gave us many helpful tips and techniques to cope with stress and its related symptoms. They are below:

  • Physical activity is one of the top outlets that students use to de-stress: a walk around the block could be a quick substitute for a good run, a gym visit or a game of tennis.
    • Many countries such as China, Japan, Korean and Brazil use martial arts techniques as a way to help relieve stress. BU offers many classes (PDP credit and non-credit), clubs and events that involve martial arts.
    • Yoga is a well-known stress reducer. Every Wednesday morning from 7:30AM to 8:30AM, Cristie Siegele leads a Pura Vida Kripalu Yoga class held at StuVi 2 on the top floor. It is free and open to the BU community!
    • Social support plays an essential role in relieving stress. Simple interactions with friends, family, professors, bosses and anyone else is extremely important to remain healthy at mind especially when your books are starting to look like your new best friends.
      • The Swedes understand the importance of social interactions: they have a daily 10-minute sit-down coffee break with a friend to disengage and relax.
  • Massages: treat yo’self!
    • Some Chinese people and Belva traditionally walk around barefoot at home; pressure points on feet are stimulated and relieve stress.
    • 3 types of massages were discussed: head massages, foot massages and the most commonly paid-for Swedish (or back area) massage. Relief also comes via pressure points stimulated. Student Health Services (SHS) provides massages for $40/hour; ask your friends to help out as well!
    • Chinese stress balls also stimulate pressure points and are handily located on Mary’s desk; ask her if you can borrow them for a few minutes!
  • Other interesting stress reducing techniques include
    • Aromatherapy, first used by Egyptian pharaohs, is known to calm and soothe people.
    • Deep breathing is a very easy and quick method to collect yourself and can be done anywhere. Slow, deliberate breathing in and out for 5 to 10 minutes before and exam can clear the mind and help you focus.

The next time you feel stressed, give one or more of these techniques a try!