Thanks to my girl, Kelly from Simmons, I was inspired to do a EC spin on the alphabet. If you’re a freshman, learning about your college should be like learning the ABC’s for the first time. If you’re not new to Emmanuel, you might relate to this on a spiritual level.
A. The Administration Building. The building that my friend thought was Hogwarts when I snapchatted her. Also, this is the place where you can find the offices for many general needs.
B. Boston. The city is our oyster! We’re so lucky to be able to leave on foot for an adventure around our beautiful city on the weekend.
C. Cardinal Cushing Library. The place some students call their second home. The place where you can get vending machine coffee until 1am. Or the website where you can visit for research paper sources if you’re too lazy to walk there.
D. Dorms. St. Joe’s is the home of the Corner Pocket, the second gym, health services and the impossible to open mailboxes. St. Ann’s, the home of the Science Learning and Living Community. Loretto, with a basement floor of dorm rooms.
E. Emmanuel! The name of the college we go to. It was founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur as a women’s college until 2001 when it became coed.
F. Fingers and Fries at the Atrium. Ever feel like you need greasy food therapy? Well, the Atrium’s Fingers and Fries should do the trick.
G. Group Study rooms. You can go to the Library to use the group study rooms on a first come first serve basis.
H. The Hospital District. We live right next to the Longwood Medical District, home of some of the most prestigious hospitals in the world: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and Boston Children’s Hospital. If you ever get severely ill (we hope not), or just need a specialist, you’ll be in good hands. If you don’t need it for health reasons, you will definitely want it on your resume for internships or volunteer hours.
I. Ice Cream. Don’t put it in the communal fridge. It will get stolen. On a brighter note, the dining hall has a pretty nice ice cream bar. They even have sorbet for those who have dairy sensitivities.
J. The Jean Yawkey Center. Better known as the JYC, This is where you can find the buffet style dining hall, the Atrium, the main fitness center, the gymnasium and the mysterious/hidden Marian Hall.
K. Kanopy the “Netflix” of documentaries! We have access through the Library website. It’s the place professors use to show us educational movies during class. It’s also a great place to do research on certain topics of interest. It’s easy to navigate through subjects, filmmakers, suppliers, languages and year of production.
L. Late night adventures to the Atrium, Star Market (open 24/7), Target, etc.
M. Muddy River Café. The place where you’ll find breakfast sandwiches, coffee and food you can take to eat on the go, plus panini and salad lines out the door.
N. Noise. Living with lots of people means living with noise. The heavy doors don’t help either. Someday it might become white noise.
O. Organizations. We have plenty of clubs and organizations so you can “Go All In” and not be bored in what precious free time you have. For example; S.T.A.R.T. (a social justice program), Saints Giving Back (a group that cooks for families of Children’s Hospital patients), Campus Cursive (a community outreach of love letter writing), and so much more.
P. The Public Gardens across from the Boston Common where the Swan Boats are. You can also enjoy some greenery in the middle of the city.
Q. The quick commute. If you live on campus, you can roll out of bed at 7:50 to make it to your 8 am class. It’s one of those small campus blessings.
R. Residential Life has it’s ups and downs. That’s why we have awesome RAs and RDs. The main downside to living on campus right now is the construction that wakes you up at 6:30am. Eventually, that construction will be a positive when we have the 18-story high rise apartment style campus housing and another place to eat on campus.
S. Saints. Our official mascot is Halo the Saint Bernard. Our honorary mascot is Moose, the real-life Saint Bernard dog, whose owner works for Emmanuel. Such an adorable large ball of fluff.
T. The T, or the train. Two different things. The T is Boston’s name for the Subway, the best way to get around the city, Although everyone is confused when they first come here. From Green to Red to Orange to Blue lines, do yourself a favor and read a map and signs before you board. The train to leave Boston and head to other towns in Massachusetts is called the Commuter Rail. You can get on one of those at North Station, South Station, Back Bay or Ruggles Station.
U. Umbrella. Don’t get caught walking through the city without an umbrella. Even if you hate them, you and your clothes will regret it if you don’t have it as an option when it starts to rain. Also, rain here usually hangs around for a good while, unlike those quick Florida downpours.
V. Varsity Sports. We have Volleyball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Cross Country, Indoor/Outdoor Track, and Softball apart of NCAA’s Greater Northeastern Conference, Division III.
W. Wilkens Science Center, also known as WSC, where science major spend the majority of their four years. If you’re not a science major, you’ll still find yourself in there for general education classes.
X. Xfinity on campus. Watch live TV at any time!
Y. Your backyard. Go out and explore Boston! Newbury Street, Museum of Science, Fenway Park, New England Aquarium, Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Regal Cinemas, Harvard Medical School… The adventures are endless!
Z. Zest Restaurant. A Mediterranean Grill. Just one of the many options of great restaurants in walking distance of Emmanuel College!
Now you know your ABCs of Emmanuel College. While this is a small college, wander outside of the gates because in reality the whole city of Boston is our campus. Hopefully this article guides you through your new adventure and make sure to pass this alphabet on!