ROFLCon Panelist? NOPE. Chuck Testa. | Photo by Ashley Hansberry.

So it might be a surprise to note that overall, the conference tended to take itself a bit seriously. Some might say, too seriously.

For the uninitiated, ROFLCon was a two-day conference that celebrated, discussed and deconstructed Internet culture. It featured panels, demonstrations, and special guests–familiar faces of Internet superstars, (like this guy, this guy, and this lady) or the unfamiliar faces behind the familiar usernames of movers and shakers behind the web, like Ben Huh, Chris Poole and Alexis Ohanian.

Panels seemed to fall into three categories: there were those that approached light-hearted material in a light-hearted manner, those that approached light-hearted material in a serious manner, and those that approached serious material in a serious manner.

In the first category were panels like Drunk Vegan Black Metal Scanwich Chef and Super Art Fight–lively, delicious and hilarious demonstrations of cooking and competitive art, respectively. Neil Cicierega (the guy who made Potter Puppet Pals and other amazing viral nonsense) carried his solo panel by simply being his funny self. And Craig Allen, the creative mind behind the Old Spice Commercials was expectedly hilarious, and improved everyone’s day by Skyping in Isaiah Mustafa to answer our questions and while a cardboard cutout bikini-Leia stared us down in the background.

Hannah Hart and Vegan Black Metal Chef make magic happen. | Photo by Ashley Hansberry.

Panels like this brought to life the silliness and fun that the Internet truly can be. Drunk people trying to cook is funny, and so is a guy cooking vegan food to death metal by candlelight. Watching comic book artists drawing Rowlf the Dog slip into wild-eyed insanity, doubly so.

Less successful panels took the same silly concepts–memes, jokes and silly videos–and tried to discuss them in an academic or serious way. For instance, “The Distant Future, the Year 2000″ discussed old-school Internet classics like ZomboCom (a Kafkaesque Internet limbo nightmare characterized by an unending loading page, a bizarre welcome message and elevator music) Eric Conveys an Emotion and that dang Badger song. Somehow, the panel fell flat, despite having the owner of Zomboco and the eponymous Eric himself. Even Mr. Weebl, aka Jonti Picking–the most famous of the bunch, as he’s created new classics like Kenya–made an appearance. The goal of the panel was to discuss how Internet culture has changed, but this was better discussed in later panels. Still, hearing Mr. Weebl preform Kenya live was pretty worth the trip.

Saturday’s “Metameme” panel, designed to talk about the way a meme travels, mutates and morphs over time seemed to take itself too seriously as well. Lindsey Weber of Buzzfeed, Christopher Price of Tumblr and the two guys who made Shit Girls Say all tried to discuss the way recent memes have change over time. But everyone, audience and panelists alike, seemed to be having most fun when we were watching the videos and looking at pictures. So it would be at an Internet convention.

Too Big to Know, a panel that was basically about “reading the matrix” of larger sites (YouTube, Reddit and Imgur) might have met the same fate, but David Weinberger of Berkman Center for Internet and Society was an impressive moderator who kept the questions and the momentum of the conversation moving along.

That’s not to say that none of the serious or quasi-academic panels were successful. Saturday morning’s “Supercuts” panel brought together the creators of videos like this, this and this. The three panelists came to talk about their movies, but the conversation covered reality television, presidential politics, cinematic tropes, editing techniques, cinematic rhythm, and the very nature of humanity. It ended in the premiere of Duncan Robson’s supercut, Three Point Landing.

Later in the afternoon, Chris Poole (also known as moot, also known as the founder of the notorious and beloved 4chan) used his panel to discuss the trajectory of the Internet community as he knew it. He used the hour as an open discussion with the audience about what an Internet community could be in an age of Facebook, while members of the audience shared experiences from the good ol’ days of relay chat, message boards and Geocities.

Ben Huh, CEO of Cheezburger, got heckled by trolls. | Photo by Ashley Hansberry.

Not long after Poole, Ben Huh, CEO of Cheezburger Network, took the stage. He clearly intended to discuss intellectual property rights in the age of online creative remixes of images, music and video. But members of his audience had other plans, and Huh’s panel was interrupted. Cheezburger has long drawn criticism for its policy of adding its own watermark to all images posted on the site, particularly by users who feel that their content has been stolen. At least two of those users were very vocal and present, and both were asked to leave the room.

The end of the weekend culminated with one final panel, the topic of which was Internet freedom. Alexis Ohanian of Reddit, Tiff Cheng of Fight For The Future, Derek Slater of Google and Elizabeth Stark of Stanford discussed the task of “Defensing the Internet” against legislation like SOPA and PIPA. The panelists discussed the need for education and action on the part of voters looking to protect the Internet from heavy-handed intervention. There was more than one standing ovation during the course of the panel. Even Tron Guy, a Tea Party conservative, made an appearance.

It is hard to take too seriously a conference in which the phrase “Tron Guy made an appearance” carries gravitas. But ROFLCon deserved the seriousness some of the time. Because memes are fun, and so are pictures of cats, and so is getting free drinks at an after-party with the real-life  Scumbag Steve. But less fun is the threat of a Congress that knows nothing about the Internet passing legislation on the Internet.

This ROFLCon was the last, at least for a while: the creators have announced that ROFLCon III sounds like a good one on which to end. But ROFLCon IV is not out of the question down the line, and is certainly not something to rule out just yet. And who knows what ridiculous memes we might have by 2017?

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The Red Sox are in a competitive league to try to bring another pennant to Fenway Park. | Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Although it’s still early in the season, MLB right now is, for lack of a better description, kind of crazy. Every team is having their moments of really stepping it up, and it’s making the league all the more competitive. It’s still early enough that no team has fallen too far behind, and the ones that are behind are trying as hard as they can not to stay there, giving better teams a run for their money in the process.

That being said, it makes the Red Sox look worse than they are. The AL East is an extremely competitive league. With the usually-shaky Orioles consistently hovering around the top, it can be said that there’s not a single bad team in the league. All five teams have winning percentages at .500 or higher. It seems as though people aren’t noticing that. That, and after a six-game win streak, the Sox are sporting similar records to other solid teams such as the Phillies and the Tigers. The Phillies are in a similar situation to the Sox. They’re sitting in fourth place in the NL East, with the top three teams having a winning percentage over .500.

A Bleacher Report article from Tuesday said the Red Sox were on the verge of their worst season in years. They made some good points about the fact the Jacoby Ellsbury is hurt, our bullpen might be the least consistent in the league, and we have no solid leadership. For one thing, they fail to mention that Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney are finding a pretty good spot in the outfield and at the plate. But either way, they’ve condemned the Sox to fail far too early. There’s still time to get the team glued back together. Even when Andrew Bailey is expected to return, after the All-Star break in July, there’s still a good amount of baseball left to be played in the season. As for the leadership, it may take fans a while to warm up to Bobby Valentine, but once he really connects with the players, the wins will start coming.

The Red Sox are usually a team that cannot really be talked about until late in the season. They tend to have trouble finding their footing at the start of any season. What it really comes down to is if they can find it with enough time to find a spot in the playoffs.

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BU has taken steps against sexual assault culture (like the Take Back the Night rally in March, above) but President Brown's letter represents a truly significant step on the part of the University. | Photo by Kara Korab.

With reporting and contributions by Allan Lasser.

Yesterday, the Boston University student body received a letter, via email, from President Robert A. Brown. Usually these letters contain tragic news; this time the campus had cause to celebrate. In his letter, Brown announced the establishment of a new student center, set to open at the start of the next semester. Brown wrote that the center will be “specifically dedicated to preventing sexual assault through training and outreach and to providing support to victims of sexual assault as well as other forms of abuse, such as hazing.” Additionally, incoming freshman will be “bystander educated,” taught how to care for dangerously drunk friends or strangers. The administration finally proposed a concrete solution to problems that have plagued campus all semester.

Campus news throughout the 2011-2012 school year was riddled with incidents of sexual assault, violent crime, and boys tied up naked in basements. Every month, at least once, students received a letter with some piece of bad news from President Brown, the most recent of which concerned the tragic murder of a graduate student. BU students have come to expect bad news, and many outside the campus community have noticed the worsening climate. Jezebel, a popular online tabloid, went so far as to accuse BU of having a “sexual assault problem,” claiming a complacent attitude and lack of commitment towards any solutions.

It is true that complacency of rape culture has existed at Boston University, and the administration had taken some steps to solve this problem. A task force was implemented to investigate the cases of sexual assault within the men’s hockey team. Students led a Take Back the Night rally on March 30, hoping to bring to light the seriousness of rape within our community. Although resources for victims of assault and abuse existed within the University, they were mostly implicit and unofficial, wrapped up within other student services.

This is precisely why President Brown’s announcement has relieved many students. By acknowledging the University’s unsatisfactory provision of crisis services, by finally appropriating significant funds to its remedy, and by officially educating students about rape culture, BU has taken a turn in the right direction. Even Jezebel commended Brown’s announcement, proclaiming, “Universities, take note: this is how you respond to rape culture on campus.”

Of course, there are still plenty of unaswered questions. When asked about plans, Colin Riley, BU’s Executive Director of Media Relations, explained that he couldn’t make any unfounded assumptions, since “the Center’s location and staffing are still undetermined. There are many questions yet to be resolved.” Riley stated that President Brown’s letter “speaks for itself”—the University is actively working to resolve the problem, but no plans are yet concrete. While the announcement is a big step in the right direction, it is important to remember that it was just that: an announcement, not a binding promise.

The University’s plans may change, and nobody knows what this center will actually contribute to campus. But hopes are high and celebration is deserved, since today it seems as if the darkest days on campus are behind us.

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On Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at approx. 6:35 p.m, an intruder assaulted a female student in Warren Towers. Photo via the Wikimedia Commons.

On Saturday evening, Warren Towers was full of police officers. Both uniformed and in plainclothes, security professionals from BUPD and the Boston Police Department were seen patrolling the halls of Warren Towers.  Some even questioned students, both in common areas and in the middle of the dining hall as they ate dinner. The atmosphere in the entire dorm facility was tense and uncertain. Why were they here? Why were there so many? Hours later, around 9:30 p.m., a BU News alert was issued to residents of Warren Towers that an intruder (male, 5’10, of Middle Eastern descent) had been caught in Warren Towers after inappropriately touching a female student at the 4th floor elevators of A Tower at approximately 6:35 p.m. No other information has been released yet. Evidently, the offender was not apprehended, as police officers were seen questioning students about him. The handling of the situation has left many students feeling at risk and under-informed.

Students are shocked and frightened by the news that an intruder was able to access Warren Towers and commit such a terrible offense, especially after a string of assaults and other crimes in the area of the school this year. As a university that prides itself on its security, it is shocking to see that such a breach occur unnoticed, and—for an inordinate amount of time—unreported on. Throughout the evening, students were anxious and unsure of what had happened—rumors of crimes of escalating heinousness were passed around for the three hours between the crime and the security alert. When the news finally broke, there was little relief to be had.

As a current resident of Warren Tower A, I am used to seeing police officers in and around the building. Security is tighter than any other dorm on campus, and on weekend evenings it’s not uncommon to see one or two police officers around to mitigate a dispute or handle an out-of-control student. Most of the time, seeing one or two blue uniforms makes me feel safe. I thought of Warren Towers as an impregnable fortress. Being surrounded by police officers, however, creates quite the opposite effect. It was obvious that the situation was a serious one, judging by the sheer amount of personnel on site, but it was impossible to know what had happened. Especially after waiting for hours in a sea of stony-faced uniformed officials for an explanation of the night’s events, Warren Towers did not feel like a safe place to be.

Even more curious about the situation is the fact that only residents of Warren Towers were alerted to the intrusion and assault. Many students in Warren Towers at any given time are not residents of Warren, and all students at BU deserve to be alerted when security is at risk. For many students, Saturday night and Sunday were full of rumors—a fact which led to vast misinformation and some harmful rumors being spread.

The fallout from the crime has been remarkable. While discretion on the part of the victim and delicacy in breaking the matter are paramount to handling the situation, I object to the manners in which the crime was investigated and the news was broken. Ideally, a horrifying incident like this one would be discreetly and promptly investigated, and then released quickly to those it affects (namely, all BU students). Instead, students were subjected to hours of uncertainty and tacit silence on the part of the numerous and obvious police officials, followed by a delayed and unclear alert that left students outraged and full of questions: how could an intruder access Warren Towers? How could one escape? Why were more students not alerted, and why did it take so long? Why was the investigation so indiscreet?

After a year marked by numerous crimes on or around the BU campus, including several sexual assaults,  it is more important than ever to consider safety and security at BU. Raising awareness of ways to stay safe (never walk alone at night, learn basic self-defense, have easy access to your cell phone at all times, etc. Read more safety tips here.) and employing them in one’s daily life are of great importance. It is of significant concern, however, that an assumed safe haven like Warren Towers was invaded despite its heavy security. It is equally alarming that the matter was handled with so little discretion or regard for the sense of security of the students. Now more than ever, students need to feel safe and be safe at BU.

Edit: The alert sent out by BUPD did not indicate that the offender was an intruder or a middle-aged man.

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Participants congregated before the race to check in and get their t-shirts. | Photo by Lauren Michael

On April 28, BU students and community members gathered behind Towers at the Charles River Esplanade for Race For Her, a 5-K race from which all proceeds went to stopping human trafficking. The race was organized by BU Students Against Human Trafficking (SAHT) and Mishaal, a group that strives for access to education in underprivileged communities in South Asia.

Those who registered for the event were given t-shirts with the slogan “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls,” and the line of participants checking in stretched far across the Esplanade. According to SAHT President Alyssa Tochka (CAS ’12), the high turnout “surpassed our wildest dreams.”

“We were only expecting there to be around 70 people,” she explained. Close to 400, including volunteers, showed up.

All proceeds from Race For Her went to the Somaly Mam Foundation, an organization that fights sex trafficking in Cambodia, and to Trust to Reach the Unreached (TRU), a group that helps girls in rural India attend high school. Selam Mehretu (CAS ’12), also from SAHT, said, “We chose [these organizations] because these women need help, and we feel like it’s a good cause.”

This is the first time SAHT and Mishaal have organized Race For Her, but it still made End Slavery Now’s International Calendar of Anti-Trafficking Events. The two groups came up with the idea of a 5-K themselves. “We weren’t following any precedent or any other group that had done one for human trafficking before. So it was our own name and our own organization and everything.” said SAHT Public Relations Coordinator Julia Mackin (CAS ’12).

Runners began the 3.1 mile course at noon. | Photo by Lauren Michael

Both of these clubs are passionate about stopping human trafficking. It’s important to Mehretu “because we are women ourselves, and we consider ourselves lucky that we aren’t trafficked. We think that human trafficking is an incredibly serious issue that not enough people know about, and we were able to raise awareness to actually stop this evil occurrence that’s going on throughout the world.”

Participants chose to run in Race For Her for a variety of reasons. One runner, Carolyn Cicalese (COM ’14), came to support a friend. “My friend told us about the event because she’s volunteering today,” she said. “She was telling us about the cause and that we would get t-shirts, which she was really excited about, so we decided to sign up and support her in that.”

Another runner, Joe Chaides (CAS ’13), said he signed up “because I love running 5-Ks. This is the last one I get to do in Boston before I go back to California. I’m using this as a great way to warm up for my marathon in the future.”

“It’s great that we’re doing it for a cause,” he added.

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The tower engraved above a School of Theology doorway. | Photograph by Allan Lasser

A ghost haunts central campus. The copper-plated specter hangs above the doorways to the School of Theology and the College of Arts and Sciences. Recalling the ambitions of a young university, this phantom tower is the key to a campus that could have been.

The Alexander Graham Bell Memorial tower was meant to anchor Boston University’s unified Charles River Campus. It would house the University’s administrative offices and graduate school and cost a million dollars. The tower’s real value, however, was in its rich symbolism. Named for Alexander Graham Bell, who invented the telephone while on the school’s faculty, it would reify the school’s pride and anticipate a brighter future.  It would cast long shadows over MIT and Harvard from across the Charles and forever alter Boston’s skyline, symbolically integrating the University with its city. It would also establish a trans-Atlantic connection with Boston, England, uniting the two cities with twin towers. The tower would rise from a brand new campus, unifying the school into an eminent whole.

Although Boston University was chartered in 1869, the Charles River Campus was not opened until 1938. Before the establishment of the riverside campus, the University’s different departments and schools were scattered across the city. The School of Law neighbored the State House, the School of Theology sat a few blocks west on Mount Vernon Street, and clustered at Copley Square were the administrative buildings and School of Liberal Arts. The school’s wide distribution became increasingly problematic as enrollment grew.

The interwar period was explosive for Boston University. In 1915, the school’s enrollment was 2,060. Five years later it tripled to 6,795 students¹. The huge student body overwhelmed the older buildings. And, with students spread across central Boston, the school lacked unity and a cohesive campus culture. In 1920 the University purchased 15 acres of riverside property. From it would rise a grand campus. Planners and architects were consulted; the October 24, 1928 edition of the Boston University News² reported on the final design presented to the University’s Board of Trustees. By that time the school’s population had again doubled to around 14,000 students and its facilities were overwhelmed³. As compensation, “the new buildings [were] designed…for almost double the present enrollment of the university,” a prophetic precaution considering today’s enrollment: 31,766 students⁴. Multi-story departmental buildings containing offices, laboratories, and classrooms would encircle campus quadrangles. A magnificent tower would crown the new campus along the Charles.

The Commonwealth Avenue side of the campus design. | Image republished with permission from the Howard Gottlieb Archival Research Center

Obviously, this grand campus was never built. A 2007 historical account published by Boston University explained it was “forced to scale back its plans in the late ’20s [because] the State Metropolitan District Commission used the right of eminent domain to claim the land nearest the river for the construction of Storrow Drive”⁵. Yet the pre-WWII highway was never built due to public protest. Storrow Drive wasn’t constructed until after the second World War to address traffic problems arising from increasing suburbanization⁶. Furthermore, the plans of 1928 clearly show the campus bounded by Bay State Road; none of the proposed structures would have intruded upon state property. The University’s explanation for the failed construction of the Alexander Graham Bell Tower does not make sense. It is unlikely that the proposed 1920′s Charles River Parkway disrupted construction. What was the real obstacle?

A likely explanation is found in the publication date of the Boston University News article: October 24, 1928. Exactly one year later came Black Monday and the Great Crash. I haven’t discovered how the depression directly affected the University’s finances. I do know the grand plans for campus rode along a wave of excess and easy credit. I do know that with the economic implosion, enrollment dropped precipitously and resulted in a period of severe austerity for the University. This, much more than an unbuilt highway, seems the most likely reason for postponing construction of the Charles River Campus and abandoning the Alexander Graham Bell Tower.

Arial diagram of the campus complex. | Image republished with permission from the Howard Gottlieb Archival Research Center

Although the tower was never built, it has an obvious contemporary analog. The construction of the John Hancock Student Village was another monumental undertaking for the University. The construction of Student Village Phase II (StuVi2), a 26-story steel skyscraper, was another architectural imposition upon Boston’s skyline. Construction of a third tower (StuVi3) was halted due to the 2008 crash and recession. Another display of BU’s prominence that rode another wave of excess and easy credit, the Student Village is a spiritual sibling to the unbuilt tower.

Campus construction has made the 1920′s master plan obsolete. The campus is still decentralized; it is a mile-long riverside strip instead of a densely packed complex. Still, remnants of BU’s past are scattered throughout campus. Scraping away the layers of history reveal the idealism and ambition of a university at the start of the twentieth century. By comparing the campus that is to the campus that could have been, we can better understand the ambitions of the school we call home.

A proposed campus design, as seen from above the BU Bridge. | Image republished with permission from the Howard Gottlieb Archival Research Center

~

I would like to thank the Howard Gottlieb Archival Research Center for free access to their materials and assistance.

Citations:

^{1 2 3} “Trustees View New Campus Plans.” Boston University News 24 Oct. 1928. Print.

⁴ “Boston University.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_University>.

⁵ ”Between the World Wars.” History. Boston University. Web. 28 Apr. 2012. <http://web.archive.org/web/20071212022404/http://www.bu.edu/visit/about/history/betweenwars.html>.

⁶ Seasholes, Nancy S. “Storrow Drive.” Gaining Ground: A History of Landmaking in Boston. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2003. 206. Print.

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One of the only physical ads BU Central has is the Chalkwall outside the venue. That, and the posters (aslo in GSU)

As we’ve said before, shows at BU Central are vastly under-attended. It seems to be the kind of place where if you’re in, you’re in and if you’re not… well, you’re missing out.

Saturday’s show was Cults, and they were fantastic. The stark change between the mostly white album cover and sunshine associated with Cults and the darkness of the BU Central show only highlighted how complex the band is, bringing out the underside of a band so inextricably woven into the summer air.

“I’m surprised,” said CAS Senior Becca Antonopolis between acts. “There’s no one here.”

Saturday’s show was Antonopolis’s first concert at BU Central in her four years at the university. Antonopolis explained her absence through the theory that, unless a student is plugged in to the basement’s online presence, the only way to hear about shows is through word of mouth.

Which isn’t to say that the online aspect isn’t useful. Students queuing outside the venue before the doors opened seemed to find the online advertising BU Central does very effective, with most of them finding out about the show through BU Central’s e-mails and tweets.

People queuing outside BU Central before Cults

“There are so many different ways that they can reach you” said COM freshman Lindsey Mann.

Kevin Velasquez has been going to shows at BU Central for a few years, citing Tokyo Police Club and the Smith Westerns as the two most recent. “They’re really good with advertising on campus so I always know what’s going on,” he said. He did, however, agree with the same sentiments expressed by Antonopolis – students need to already be in the know to keep updated on BU Central’s happenings.

“I feel like maybe I’m a little more pro-active about finding events” said Velasquez.

And it seems to be that the pro-active students are the ones having the most fun.

Cults’s self-titled album, Cults, was released at the perfect time – summer months meant summer music and that’s exactly what Cults is: airy, beachy, singularly west-coast dream pop with some fifties throwback mixed in.

Spectral's drummer in a Cults t-shirt, showing both sides of Cults's music - light and dark

Which is why seeing them in a dark basement with only surreal projections and deep red stage lights to illuminate the band was so awesome – it introduced the audience to a whole other side of Cults purely through visual elements. The at times disco trance lighting brought out Madeline Follin’s young alto, whereas on the album it sounds like an airy mezzo-soprano. Brian Oblivion’s shredding guitar parts were hauntingly gorgeous as he played in semi-darkness, lost in the swirling polka-dot lights, particularly on the closing song “Oh My God,” where on the album it only adds to the airy feel.

Madeline Follin's intensity is only multiplied by the disco/techno lighting.

Even though BU Central’s new sound system has a way of pumping the bass and making the lyrics inaudible, the show also brought out the darkness in Cults’s lyrics, which can get lost in its sing-alongable melodies. “You Know What I Mean” was the perfect example, with the disco lights going absolutely crazy at the chorus with Folin just belting/yelling “‘Cause I am afraid of the light / Yeah you know what I mean / And I can’t sleep alone at night/ Yeah you know what I mean!” stomping on the ground and pounding her fist at the air like a kid having a tantrum. This mania played beautifully with the mellow pinpoint lights projecting on the band when she pleads “please come and save me/ tell me what’s wrong with my brain ’cause I seem to’ve lost it” swaying and moving all the while. And they’re just really nice people who seemed genuinely happy to be there, exampled by Folin’s huge smiles between songs and Oblivion’s sweet banter.

“I really hope you guys feel like you made the right decision coming here tonight” said Oblivion with a laugh before launching into “Oh My God.”

All of this passion, and three of the band members had strep. Holy hell.

Belting. Love it.

So in the wake of this revelatory show, why on earth was the 350 person capacity BU Central a little more than half-full?

“I think a lot of it is the stigma that people don’t want to come to school events” said BU Central Manager Jake Cox (SMG ’14)

Even as I asked students how they came to know about the show while we were waiting for the doors to open, Cox announced that they were sending around a clipboard asking students to suggest acts for next year and also write down how they found out about the night’s performance.

“I feel like a lot of people are over-saturated already” said Cox about the basement’s online advertising. Cox also said the solution would be to expand to a more physical ad campaign on campus to nudge the student body into being more pro-active.

“We have a lot to offer” said Cox. “We want to make this more of a community space.”

Cults’ Setlist:

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Image by Quad artist Evan Caughey.

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”: a simple sentence that carries with it an awful lot of potential frustration. Working hard to qualify for an internship only to find out its been handed to the CEO’s best friend’s daughter is never a fun moment. Fighting tooth and nail to make it to the final round of interviews and hearing the boss’s cousin scored the position isn’t the greatest, either. The truth, however, is that there’s something to be said for being well-connected. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know and how you worked to meet them,” is a better way of putting it.

The process of securing post-grad employment can never begin too soon. Networking during undergrad can seem an often daunting and sometimes awkward process. With a bit of social tact and the tools of our time, networking during undergrad is manageable, painless, and hopefully fruitful.

When it comes to making meaningful connections, the best place to start is right here on campus. Many of Boston University’s part-time faculty work actively in their respective fields, some of them even holding full-time jobs in addition to their teaching duties. Professors such as these are common in professionally oriented schools like COM, SMG, and even CFA. Don’t shy away from dropping by frequently during these professors’ office hours. Even if you don’t have questions pertaining to class, stopping in for valuable career advice may transform your relationship from academic to professional come the end of the semester. Of course, that’s not saying your professor is going to offer you a job upon graduation – but they may be able to point you in the direction of someone who can.

While connections with professors can be professionally fruitful, the connections you make with classmates are also important. A network of peers with similar career interests may one day provide you with a job opportunity. Helpful advice: don’t hit up the schmuck on Facebook all class long. Those students who also foster their career interests outside the classroom are the ones to connect with.

At BU, we’re lucky enough to have our own Center for Career Development. The CCD advises to “visit early and often.” In much the same way, you should begin networking “early and often.” As part of the CCD’s “3 Steps to Success” program, they advise students to create elevator speeches – prepared pitches to “sell yourself” during impromptu networking opportunities. Along with their useful skills workshops, the CCD provides ample opportunities throughout the year for students to put these skills to good use. This year, the CCD has sponsored several career fairs. Area businesses table at these fairs, business cards in hand, waiting for students eager to network. The next career fair is scheduled for October 17 of this coming fall.

While nothing beats face-to-face networking with peers, professors, and prospective employers, the Internet is also an ideal platform for making connections. Many Boston University students will move back home after graduation and have to search for work in a city different than Boston. Still other students come to BU with a goal – move to LA or New York after graduation. Unfortunately all that “bright lights, big city” isn’t so glamorous when you’ve uprooted your life but can’t find employment. Padding a big city job hunt with ample connections makes the process a far less vulnerable and dim one. This is where the Internet comes in. Using LinkedIn is the obvious choice. There’s also Facebook and Twitter. Following people affiliated with your career of choice and tweeting questions  at them gives them the opportunity to reply quickly. You’re granted the opportunity to get your name on their timeline and in their mind. Target people who work at the location of an organization you’d like to work at. Don’t be afraid to e-mail seeking advice, but always play the student card. In this four-year chunk of pseudo-reality we like to call our undergraduate education, we get to be the fawning fans of those people whose jobs we’d like. An e-mail seeking insight is a stroke of their ego. However, once these four years are up, our inquiries can be seen as annoying acts of job fishing. Play your golden student card while you can.

Making connections is great, but it’s only half the battle. Once an internship has been completed or an e-mail correspondence concluded, don’t let them forget your name. Check back in occasionally. What you do, who you know, how you know them – they’re all important pieces of the post-grad career acquisition puzzle. Most of the basics of establishing and maintaining career connections are self explanatory, but it’s the taking action that calls for gusto. But the image of a rat-infested hole-in-the-wall apartment with a couple grand monthly rent and an empty fridge should be motivation enough for all the undergrad big city dreamers to network, network, network.

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Life after college. | Photo courtesy of Larsinio via Wikimedia Commons

With graduation right around the corner, many seniors still have yet to land jobs. Not surprisingly, they’re starting to get nervous. But not having a job right after graduation doesn’t equate to living at your parents’ house forever. In fact, many employers are still hiring over the summer, according to Eleanor Cartelli, Associate Director for Marketing and Communications at BU’s Center for Career Development. So for anyone who thinks they may be searching for jobs this summer, here’s how you do that in a way that can get you hired.

Cartelli says that the first thing applicants should ask themselves is what exactly they’re looking for. “If the answer is a job, anything I can find, you need to do a little digging to narrow that down,” Cartelli says. “You’re more likely to be successful if you are targeting positions that are a good fit for your skills, values, experience, and personality.”

Once recent graduates know what they’re looking for, they should know where to look for it. Cartelli recommends the BU CareerLink job boards as well as industry-specific job boards. They shouldn’t hesitate to contact someone at a company or organization in which they’re interested to see if the company is hiring. Also, they should check out career fairs, like the Just-In-Time Career Fair that the CCD held last Monday, and actively network.

But there are more preparations an applicant needs before clicking that button to apply. They should double check that the listing is actually what they want to do. “Carefully read job descriptions,” Cartelli says. “Sometimes the job title doesn’t clearly indicate what the job really entails.” With the job description in mind, an applicant should carefully form a cover letter and résumé that address the qualifications of the job. Showing knowledge of the company and of the job impresses employers.

Applicants should also apply this knowledge if they’re called for an interview. They should be prepared to show why they’re the best applicant for the job. “Practice as much as you can,” says Cartelli. “Through BU CareerLink, you can practice using InterviewStream. It is available 24/7 from anywhere. You just need a webcam and the Internet. Be able to address the question of why the employer should select you over all of the other applicants. Be prepared to demonstrate how you fit their needs.”

It’s a good thing recent grads have the time, because the job search doesn’t end there. “Don’t assume that just applying to jobs online is enough,” says Cartelli. “If you’re willing to invest time and energy into doing both a reactive and a proactive job search you are much more likely to succeed.” Applicants should follow up on their applications, but make sure that they respect that their potential employers may not get back to them right away.

Job searching can seem intimidating, but given the right amount of time and effort, it can yield successful results. Organizations like the Center for Career Development are willing to help even when the applicant is an alumnus. So get prepared, don’t hold back, and you’ll be able to get a job.

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None of them are students.

This is not the case everywhere.  More and more, colleges and universities are including student voices where the big decisions are made. A 2010 survey by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges found that 21 percent of private institutions include a student on their board. At public universities, the number jumps up to 70 percent. At half of those universities, the student is a voting member.

Higher education. | Photo from Bain News Service.

The University of Massachusetts is included in the lucky half. There are five schools within the UMass system, and each is granted one student seat on the Board of Trustees. Two of those seats are voting seats; the schools rotate annually for their student’s chance to vote. Massachusetts State college students enjoy similar rights.

On the state’s Board of Higher Education, there are three student members as well, one of them voting. While this is not a perfect system—the student to nonstudent ratio is 1:12—it’s still progress.

So Massachusetts is fairly progressive when it comes to hearing the voices of students and has the structure to prove it. The Board oversees several aspects of higher education in the state from financial planning to financial aid, and from academic policy to academic programs.

But what about schools like Boston University, where such programs are lagging or nonexistent?

Last November, the Center for American Progress put together “Including More Students in Higher Education Policymaking,” an analysis and list of suggestions for change in policy in such cases.

The report offers a list of suggestions for doing so in addition to student representation, namely strong campus newspapers and grassroots movements by on-campus groups.

Boston University in particular has a long history of both of those things: since the days of Silber, student publications have taken an interest in University policy and the decision-making processes. And there is no shortage of student activist interest on-campus.

The Quad chatted with Julie Morgan, a policy analyst for post-secondary education at the Center for American Progress and one of the authors of the report, about what private schools like Boston University–and public schools as well–can do to amplify the voice of students and student government on campus.

In your report, you discuss public universities’ options to work with university officials in the decision-making process (being non-voting members of boards, for instance.) Have you ever heard of that being implemented at private universities?

Public school students must deal with the reality that the state legislature often has more control over the cost of tuition than the school’s administration. But they also may have more formal rights to be involved in the governing process. At private universities, the administration has more control over tuition policies and the university’s direction. But they also have more leeway to keep students out of the conversation, if they so choose. At private schools, students must appeal directly to the administration to get representation on decision-making bodies. And the best way to make that appeal is to show that representation is something that is of broad concern to the student body.

Where do you think students are more likely to be heard by their administrations: public schools, or private schools?

I think it depends more on the individual students’ ability to recognize and use the opportunities available to them. We’ve seen students at private schools be just as effective of advocates as those at public schools because they understand well how to make their voices heard.

What sorts of pressure do you think student-body governments could be putting on University administrations, but are not?

I think student body governments could be better at working across college campuses on the issues that matter to them. Some of the problems that students face these days can be solved on campus, but others–like affordability, quality and availability of classes, and rising student loan debt–require a stronger voice for students at the national and state level.

When talking to a lot of my peers about student governments I will occasionally hear students say that they believe student government to be not only useless, but a figurehead that is just used by the administration. Have you ever found that to be the case? Do you think that administrations actually have an interest in doing that?

I think that’s a common perception, and it really varies by campus. One of the main characteristics of a strong student government is an independent budget. When student governments are dependent upon the administration for their funding, it can have a chilling effect on their ability to represent the students’ interests to the administration. I don’t know about whether administrations are actually using the student governments to accomplish their interests. I think it’s probably more complicated than that–administration officials may view participation in student government as part of the learning experience, and so they may work more closely with the student government to guide that experience.

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Photo courtesy of Chunteh via Wikimedia Commons

Every weekend night, people emerge from their caves to seek out their chosen forms of entertainment for the next few hours. They seek out clubs, bars, apartments, or other party-appropriate locations and spend the night flitting from one such place to another. For those of us who are still under 21, however, things aren’t so easy. It’s hard to find a good time when it seems like everything to do at night in Boston involves alcohol. And early-to-bed Boston, with its self-imposed 11 p.m. curfew, isn’t exactly overflowing with things for us to do after hours.

Not on the surface, anyway. If you know where to look or like to explore, any underage wanderer will discover Boston’s nocturnal culture. After some searching, experiencing, and uncovering of my own, here’s a list that has something for everyone in the way of food, music, and dancing for those of us who’d like a little variety in our Saturday nights.

Feed Your Midnight Chocolate Cravings

Who knew that Max Brenner Chocolate Shop was open until 2 a.m. every night? For those of you who need an introduction, Max Brenner is an Israeli chocolate shop chain that doubles as a restaurant. Stepping in is like stepping into a chic version of Willy Wonka’s factory, with its huge vat of melted chocolate out front to greet guests. The menu features a wide range of delectable chocolate-based drinks and desserts. I personally would recommend the fondues (yes, there is more than one type). While a little on the pricey side, it’s the perfect late night spot to satisfy your sweet tooth. Max Brenner’s Boston location is on Boylston Street, so it’s a relatively easy place to get to.

Classics and Weird Movies After Midnight

It’s a well-known fact that the Coolidge Corner Theater screens a very interesting selection of movies. From current box office babies to cult classics (ahem, The Room) and foreign cinema, it really covers all its bases. However, its “@fter Midnite” program on Friday and Saturday nights really deserves more credit. Self-described as “Late-night, weekend programming for the cool insomniac crowd, including horrifying, weird, camp, avant-garde, tripped-out movies, interactive and cult niche live performances,” it’s the perfect fix for insomniac movie buffs who want to broaden their movie-going experience. It’s also the perfect place for people-watchers because some of the movies (ahem, The Room) are bound to attract a colorful crowd!

Speaking of Cult Classics and Colorful Crowds…

Something that should be experienced at least once in everyone’s lifetime is a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Fortunately, the Full Body Cast over in Harvard Square ensures this with their weekly Saturday night Rocky Horror Floor Show, complete with goodie bags of things to throw at the screen! The screening happens at the AMC Lowes Harvard Square after midnight. Be warned, this is not for the faint of heart.

Dance Anthems of the ‘80s

Sometimes all you want is a night of dancing–good old-fashioned dancing, that is. And for those who haven’t warmed up to the bass-heavy music of the more popular clubs, never fear! TT the Bear’s Place is here. Well, it’s actually in Cambridge behind the Middle East, but you get the point. Aside from having performances seven nights a week, this small musical venue also hosts HEROES, an ‘80s themed dance party every Saturday night from 10PM to 2AM. The event is 18+ with a relatively inexpensive cover charge and the sounds of Bowie, The Smiths, and all that good stuff.

And if You DO Like That Bass-Heavy Stuff…

The Phoenix Landing Bar over in Central Square has your number. Every Thursday night they host Elements, their drum ‘n’ bass night that has been running non-stop for 13+ years. Underground electronic music fans can get a taste of Boston’s scene, and pay no cover charge if they arrive before 9:30PM! The event is 19+ (awkward, yes) and is bound to draw in an eclectic crowd.

Hookah in Habibi

If all you really want is to sit back and relax, Habibi’s Hookah Lounge, down on Commonwealth Ave, is the perfect place. With its offering of 33 hookah flavors and selection of tea and Moroccan food, it’s the perfect place to kick back with friends and make believe you’re in the Middle East. And who doesn’t like good hummus, anyway?

4 a.m. Bacon

That’s right. The South Street Diner over in the South End is open 24 hours. Originally opened to cater to factory workers in the ‘40s, it has now become the final destination of the night for club goers and insomniacs alike. It serves up everything from breakfast to dinner, which students can get at a discounted rate Monday through Thursday. Fun fact: you might have seen it (and other BU locations) in the movie 21.

This is just a fraction of everything there is to do in Boston. While it’s true that the 21+ set have it easier, all hope is not lost! Whether you choose to scope out one of the above locations or decide to buy frozen fruit from Shaw’s and eat it on the Esplanade (I have it on good authority that this is life-changing), there is always something to do in this fun city of ours.

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Mittens is looking as stiff as ever. | Photograph courtesy of user roberthuffstutter via Flickr Commons

With Newt Gingrich suspending his campaign last week and Rick Santorum’s presidential effort a distant memory, Mitt Romney is now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.  Both parties have started acting as though the primary campaign has reached its conclusion, and the only person who seems to remember that Ron Paul is still running a debtless campaign is Ron Paul.

Despite that campaign coverage has now shifted to discussion of a possible running mate for Romney, the Republican Party may have bigger fish to fry.

Mitt Romney appears to have clinched the Republican nomination, and done so with little real competition. According the a New York Times count, Romney has won 847 delegates, with Rick Santorum as his closest competitor with a comparatively insignificant 259 delegates.

Newt Gingrich is expected to officially end it this Wednesday. According to Fox News, Gingrich is considering endorsing Romney, which would make a challenger even less likely. The official nominating convention will not take place until August, but it seems likely that full-scale campaigning will start long before that.

Current Gallup polling shows that President Obama and Romney are essentially in a dead heat. When asked who they would vote for if the election were held today, 47 percent of respondents favored Obama and 46 percent indicated they would vote for Romney.

Of course, as anyone who remembers the 2000 election knows, the percentage of voters who choose each candidate is of little importance. In 2008, Obama won a slim majority of the popular vote, with 51 percent, but he won 67 percent of the electoral votes. What will be important for Romney will not be his ability to convince a majority of Americans to vote for him; it will be convincing a majority the residents of key states to swing his way.

Swing states like Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Michigan (among others) are crucial to presidential campaigns. While it is far too early to say who will win those states – they are often in contention even in the final hours of presidential campaigns – Romney’s primary performance does not inspire confidence. Romney won four of those five states in the Republican primary, losing Colorado to a trending Rick Santorum in February. In the 2008 general election, however, Barack Obama won all five of those swing states. It is unclear if Romney will be able to repeat his primary victories when he faces Obama.

Mitt Romney is easily the most moderate person who ran in this year’s Republican presidential primary. His ability to win swing states over men who hold polarizing views on everything from women’s rights to religion’s role in government is hardly a feat. While he was busy courting moderates, however, Romney has almost totally failed to energize the conservative Republican base. His middling rhetoric and his track record as Governor of perpetually liberal Massachusetts – not to mention his shockingly bland personality and occasional accidental mentions of his massive personal wealth – have alienated him from the religious conservative base that has been crucial to the rise of the Republican party in the 20^th century.

Of the 21 states that went red in 2008 that have held republican primaries in 2012, thirteen have held primaries. Romney has won just four of those states, none of them in the traditional Republican stronghold in the Bible Belt. Without the ability to get voters excited about his campaign, Romney may not be able to hold his own in swing states as an untested, slightly more conservative version of President Obama.

Perhaps more importantly, many swing states are located in the industrial Midwest where social conservatism meets a strong labor presence. Romney has been openly hostile towards unions, and has famously stated (and re-stated) that he believes the American auto industry should have been allowed to go bankrupt rather than allow it to accept government funds. In Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, manufacturing is still a crucial part of the economy.

The Midwest lost hundreds of thousands of jobs to the prolonged auto crisis, and is unlikely to take kindly to hearing that they should have lost hundreds of thousands more. Obama seems to have caught on to this. He has been touting successes in the manufacturing sector as one of the main victories of his first term since he opened his 2012 State of the Union address with praise for the American auto industry’s apparent turnaround.

Romney may stand more of a chance in Florida, especially if he chooses rising star and Florida senator Marco Rubio as his running mate, but without the industrial swing states and with little momentum behind the conservative base, the 2012 election could be an uphill battle for the Romney campaign.

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