commuters

Welcome Back, Bears!

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by HeidiFaith0 on January 23, 2013

After a long winter break and a couple of crazy snowstorms, BSU is officially starting up its Spring 2013 semester. All of here at RCCblog wish you the best on your transition from vacation-mode back into your school routine.

And this year, we want to work even harder to write about the topics YOU want to hear about!

Leave us a comment below and tell us what’s on your mind. Any clubs you’re interested in joining? Have you heard any rumors around campus you want us to look into? Do you STILL have more to complain about when it comes to the parking situation around here? We’d love to hear about it.

So get your textbooks, set your alarms, and when it comes to the crazy drop/add process, may the odds be ever in your favor.

We’ll be back in full gear on Friday!

-Heidi

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Geek Life: At the Movies

by ToriQueeno on December 6, 2012

The holiday season is always the most exciting time for movie lovers. As Hollywood gears up for award season, the most talked about movies of the year, the sure-fire Oscar candidates and crowd-pleasers, are all released at nearly the same time hoping to be fresh in the  minds of voters when it’s time for nominations to be made.

This year, there several HUGE titles hitting theaters over winter break.

From sci-fi and fantasy to action, adventure, and musical theater…it’s all a little overwhelming. Between the movies being released in the next few weeks and the blockbusters that have come out recently, how can a nerd possibly decide what to see once finals are done and the halls are decked?

For this reason, I have compiled a list of my personal Top 5 picks for movies to see this winter. Enjoy!

5.) Lincoln
Released: November 16, 2012

This biopic on the nation’s 13th president might not seem like the most exciting way to spend nearly three hours of your time, but it’s more than worth the effort! They cover an impressive amount of time (from the beginning of his second term to his assassination) thoroughly while still retaining a sense of humor. Daniel Day Lewis’s performance as the the President himself is so Oscar-worthy, they might as well hand him the nomination at the end of the film! With appearances from Tommy Lee Jones and Joseph Gordon Levitt, an astounding score, and writing that actually has you on the edge of your seat about things that happened over a century ago, Lincoln is worth all the praise it’s getting!

4.) The Life of Pi
Released: November 21, 2012

Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, this fantastical adventure flick tells the story of a young Indian boy who is stranded at sea when the ship he and his family are traveling on sinks. He must then survive on a raft with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Racking up the rave reviews since it’s release, this story of survival and human nature is sure to be a Best Picture candidate and is definitely on my to-watch list!

3.) Skyfall
Released: November 9,2012

An action-packed James Bond story might not seem like the nerdiest film out there, but Skyfall, the 23rd installment in Eon Productions’s Bond franchise, has enough gadgets and computer-geekery to satisfy the pickiest of nerds and enough homages to the good old days to satisfy long-time 007 fans. The cast is superb, Daniel Craig is making his mark as one of the best Bonds ever, Javier Bardem makes a truly terrifying villain, and Ben Whishaw is an adorable and ingenious new Q. I can’t wait to see it a second time!

2.) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Will be released: December 14, 2012

The Lord of the Rings trilogy were some of the highest grossing films of all time, winners of dozens of awards, and beloved by fantasy fans the world over. Director Peter Jackson’s newest foray into Middle Earth seems set to make just as big an impression on the holiday box offices. A prequel to the story of Frodo and the rest of the Fellowship of the Ring, An Unexpected Journey will be the first in a trilogy of its own based on J. R. R. Tolkein’s novel The Hobbit and utilizing information from his other works, such as The Silmarilion. Staring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins (best known for playing John Watson on the BBC’s Sherlock), this one’s sure to be a hit!

1.) Les Misérables

Based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the story is a classic and incredibly emotional one. Set in France in the 1800s, the musical tells the story of Jean Valjean, a convict imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread who goes on a journey of redemption, encountering many colorful and heart-wrenching characters along the way. Directed by Tom Hooper (Oscar winner for The King’s Speech) and with an all-star cast including Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter  this film definitely looks like it will do the stage show justice. I’m already stocking up on tissues. Get ready to cry your eyes out!

What movies are you most excited to see this holiday season? Are you planning on seeing any of the films on this list?

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BSU Fall 2012: How’d It Go?

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by johncondry on December 4, 2012

BSU has been going through some big changes in the last few years as it makes the transition from college to university status, especially during this past fall semester. So how did it go? What’s the good, the bad, and the ugly of the new campus layout? What is still left to be done? Lets take a look.

Conant Science Building

After a whole semester with the completed new science building, it finally feels like it has been broken in. So, how it working out? Well, the finished classrooms look great, it’s got some nice lounges, and a crazy awesome observatory. Check out my review of the building in its first few weeks here. I only have one complaint- what is up with the doors, right?

Green Space and Parking Space

Starting last week, the new walkways through what will be called “University Park” (formerly the Lower Great Hill lot) are open. They’re calling it “green space,” but there is currently more brown space than green thanks to the lack of landscaping. According to plan, the grass should be down soon so that we can continue to not park on it (…kidding.). If you haven’t noticed, I’m not a fan of the redesigned parking areas on campus. At least you can walk through it now and you don’t have to worry about taking the long way to class everyday.

This was also the first semester that students really took advantage of the new parking garage. Although it is pretty far away, you can always get a spot there, even if it is on the fourth or fifth floor, so that’s good. …But is it crazy that I want to see just one commuter lot that’s not on the outer-rim of campus?

In the Future

As far as what changes I’d like to see next semester (unrelated to parking), I think we could use a new game room. RCC used to have a room stocked with pool tables, ping-pong tables, and dartboards. With the RCC looking to improve itself as a place for students, I think this would really help.

So BSU might be winding down on it’s major projects for now (besides the new dorm), but I bet it won’t be long before they start up the next round of construction and campus-shifting activities. Ultimately, BSU is a great school and it’s only getting better. In a few years when we are all gone, I have a feeling that a BSU diploma will mean a lot more in ten years then it does now.

So what how do you think BSU is dealing with the evolving campus? Digging the improvements or has it just been a hassle? Any suggestions for future BSU improvements?

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