The Beanpot

This past Monday was the first round of the annual Beanpot Hockey Tournament which is held at the TD Garden in Boston. This tournament features some premier hockey clubs including Harvard University, Northeastern University, Boston College, and Boston University. Much of my time in my internship has been devoted to assisting with the organization of this event, which has been a memorable experience to say the least.  

On Monday, I traveled to the TD Garden with each of the four teams’ coaches and captains. In addition to team representatives, there were also officials from Hockey East in attendance as well as media members making for quite an event. I stayed for an hour to interview Boston University captain Wade Megan. Soon after speaking with him, I headed over to Boston College to interview junior forward Kevin Hayes. Overall it was an amazing day. I was thrilled to be able to attend such a prestigious event and be such an integral part of the day’s operations. Traveling through Boston was so much fun and I cannot wait to attend the Beanpot final next Monday between Northeastern University and Boston College.

jay.Thall

Unique Opportunities in the Classroom at WNE

In addition to being a Biology major, I am also a Secondary Education major and I am a part of the Honors Program. These are unique experiences offered at Western New England University for undergraduate students. The Secondary Education program can easily be combined with any major. That is one of the reasons that I chose to go to WNE. It is one of the few schools in Massachusetts that offers this type of combined major program. I am now taking my first education class, Principles and Problems of Education. The best aspect of this program is that it allows your curriculum to focus mostly on the classes that cater to what you will teach later on. So for now, I can enjoy what I love most: learning about Biology so that I can use my knowledge as a part of my teaching career.

I am also a part of the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program. Eligible students are sent letters encouraging an application to the College of Arts and Sciences or Business Honors Program during their senior year of high school. The Program offers a wide variety of classes that are actually chosen by students. The Honors Program strives to have all of their class offerings fulfill general education requirements that all students must meet. With this, members of this program can still take the required courses and not have to sacrifice time or credits with unnecessary classes. For example, this semester, I am taking “How Computers Think” which fills my Computer Science requirement which is needed in order to graduate. It is, as all Honors classes are, a very interesting class. Today, we got to dress up and have a debate about Mac vs. PC computers. 

These classes allow you to think outside the box and are, in my opinion, usually more fun than typical general education required classes. Many of these Honors classes do not have tests. Rather, students are graded based on participation in discussions or essay writing. For more information about the College of Arts and Sciences Honors Program, please visit this link. For information about the College of Business Honors Program, please check out this link.

These are just a few of the perks that WNE has to offer its undergrads and they are making my spring semester successful and exciting.

Cheers! 

Brandi

The Wait is Over

Second semester is here and it is already flying by! It is the third week of the semester and I am busy already! Everyone is settled into their classes and some classes even have exams this week. I have a great feeling about the next few months, though. So far, my classes have been amazing. My two engineering classes are great. We are learning how to use the programs MatLab and LabVIEW as well as product development strategies. I love how I already feel like I am becoming an engineer even though it is only my second semester here.

There are a lot of other exciting things happening on campus that I am a part of. The application process for peer advising has begun and I have applied! A Peer Advisor is someone that helps guide first-year students throughout their transition to college. I really hope that I get the position who knows…maybe I will be an advisor to you! To find out more about the PA program, please visit http://www1.wne.edu/firstyear/.

The other exciting thing that has happened recently is training for the Accepted Student Day Visit Program. In this program an accepted student can come to WNE and follow myself or another current student to their classes, lunch, and any extracurricular activities or meetings that may be happening. I am really excited to start meeting potential new students! If you are an accepted student and would like to sign up for the Day Visit Program, please call the Admissions Office at 413-782-1321.

Besides the formal things, life on campus is full of everyday fun. Intramural sports have started and everyone is really excited about them. My soccer team played tonight and we all had so much fun! It has also been snowing a lot recently, so a few friends and I made a snowman! Life is never dull here at WNE.

World Fest (HQ)

Hi! Johnson here, and it's good to be back!

I have a great feeling about 2013. Here is some awesome footage of World Fest hosted by the U & ME (United & Mutually Equal) club. In World Fest, anyone and everyone can get a little taste of several cultures as U & ME offers free food and entertainment virtually from around the globe. Enjoy!

Networking, Networking, Networking

Here at Western New England, phrase you are going to hear is “you should be networking and making connections with professionals.” This could not be truer for me. Last month, I started an internship with the Springfield Armor, a team in the NBA Developmental League. I am the Game day Operations Intern for the team, which is the affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets of the NBA. This opportunity was presented to me by one of my professors last year, who brought in Eli Perlstein, the Director of Marketing for the Armor, to talk to our class. This was the first time I was able to meet him and I was able to introduce myself to him. While I did not apply for the internship last year, I knew I wanted to have some experience, and this connection was critical in my search. I sent Eli a message over the summer asking what the internship entailed, and I told him I would be interested. He then sent me an application for the internship.

While I was filling out the application, I needed some help, so I turned to other students that have interned with the Armor in the past as well as the Career Center here on campus. These resources were so helpful that I was hired for the internship. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be with the team. My roles with the team vary, but for now I am working in the audio room playing music for the team. This internship would not have been possible if I had not met the people who I have, and that would not have been possible if I did not come to Western New England.

They Say it Goes by Fast

Its truly hard to believe next semester will be my last. I find myself reflecting more often than not on some of the great experiences I have had thus far in my collegiate career. Recognizing that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and never regretting what happened in the past.

As i prepare myself for the opportunities I have gained, including my internship next semester with Hockey East, I can be confident in my mindset and consistent work ethic and be able to apply what i have learned to my internship,and to my new challenges I have set out to conquer.There are several people here who I have been able to rely on for help and guidance. Their support has helped me mature and develop my skills to become a more well-rounded person.

I cant wait to see what is in store for me next and I am excited for the last ride

The End of an Amazing Beginning

The two numbers swirling around my head today are five and thirteen. Five more days of classes and thirteen days until I go back to Rhode Island. It is so difficult to believe that my first semester of college is almost over. It has been a crazy ride and an amazing three and a half months here at WNE. College is everything I expected it to be and more. I have made great friends from all over America and the world! I have done better with my school work that I ever have before. I have learned so much about engineering from my classes and my engineering mentor and I cannot wait to come in January to learn even more. I am excited to go back to Rhode Island to see my friends and family and to relax. The holiday season is just a beautiful time and I am glad I get to spend it with my favorite people. While I am away from school, however, I will miss it. I will miss the walks to and from class and around the campus. I will miss being surrounded by my friends at every moment of the day. And I will miss the beautiful campus and the amazing people here. But it will only be twenty-nine days.

Until January,
-LyndseySJ