Table of Contents

I. Introduction to Hillel at Brandeis University

Meet the Staff
Engagement and Empowerment
Responsibilites
Supervision
Resources and Partners
Suggestions for the Next Fellow

II. Getting to Know the Campus

Getting Around Campus
Important Contact Informations
Helpful Hints
Campus Organizations and Leadership

III. Target Groups

(Did someone say Target? Are we going on a field trip?)
Summaries of Target Groups
Leadership/Key Leaders
Tracking
Program Summaries
The Role of the "Jewish Encounter"
Strategies for Success
Goals for the Future

IV. Holidays and National Initiatives

Holiday Programming
National Initiatives

V. Jewish Learning

How Does it Work for the Fellow?
Suggestions for Next Year

VI. Other

How to Get Started on Campus
Getting a Life Beyond the Fellowship


I. Introduction to Hillel at Brandeis University

Meet the Staff
2001/2002

Rabbi Allen Lehmann, Executive Director

Rabbi Lehmann has just completed his second year here at Brandeis and has been receiving high marks through and through. Don't be surprised if you're walking into Usdan and you see him on a rowing machine with the crew team or climbing a wall with the birthright promoters. He has a mean palm pilot that has been known to beep during staff meetings, and have I mentioned his habit of Google-ing people?

Ora Gladstone, Associate Director

A Hillel Exemplar of Excellence, Ora is a pillar of not only the Jewish community, but also the greater Brandeis campus as she has been here for almost 25 years! More importantly, she keeps a microwave and a fridge in her office (well-stocked with drinks and program leftovers), giving me ample reasons to visit her despite her incessant commentary on my infinite appetite! And only Ora could be so patient to keep teaching me how to use the fax machine!

Cindy Spungin, Director of Student Activities

Who could ask for a more passionate and dedicated Director of Student Activities? (She had the title first, by the way!) Cindy is everyone's favorite gal, always with her door open and big blue chair available (but not always clutter-free) and plenty of goofy carnival-type toys including a cool fist gun.I wish I had a visual aid. She would most accurately describe this past year in one squawk-UNBELIEVABLE! She's crossing her fingers for an office with a window next year, or maybe even a Jacuzzi!

Rabbi Todd and Naomi Berman, Orthodox Advisors and Jewish Learning Initiative

We don't see much of them because we keep them in the basement.but that's only because that's where the Beit Midrash is housed! When not keeping the Orthodox students happy and teaching text, they're most often chasing after their adorable brood, Yael, Ayelet, Ma'ayan, and Talia (all under the age of six, mind you), during Shabbat dinner.

Deb Wachenheim, Jewish Community Relations Council

Deb is our answer to major Tzedek programming on campus. This past spring break she organized a group of students to go to El Salvador through American Jewish World Service. We have to share with Tufts Hillel, so she isn't around as much as we'd like. When she is here, she usually dueling with David over the middle office (see below).

David Schwartz, Hornstein Intern

Affectionately known as "David Hornstein," this grad student is a firecracker! He does great work with KLAL and Hillel-athon. Don't be alarmed if you walk by the middle office he shares with Deb and think Billy Joel or the Counting Crows has possessed him! Luckily, David puts up with us when we give him a hard time.he's fun to have around! (Whose door sign is bigger now?)

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Engagement and Empowerment

What is the balance?

"Engagement" really takes on a whole new meaning here at Brandeis where the Jewish population sits somewhere around 60%. A student can be very connected to Judaism without setting foot in Hillel-their roommate is probably Jewish, their classes are filled with Jews, there is a Kosher dining hall and Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department, etc. That being said, many of our engagement students are not necessarily lacking the opportunities to "do Jewish with other Jews." Moreover, many feel that because there are so many Jews here, they don't need Hillel they way they would at a different university where they would be in the minority. This is a sentiment that echoes loud and clear across campus and through the Jewish community.

The empowered students at Brandeis Hillel are fantastic as a whole-they are very proactive and self-sufficient. There are about thirty Hillel member groups and they pretty much run the gamut. This makes my job easy because I don't have the responsibilities of coordinating Shabbat dinner or planning the Purim party, for example, and I can focus my time and efforts on pure engagement. Being the first Fellow at Brandeis, they are still learning what engagement actually is and I think with every passing year they will understand more the work of the JCSC. Fortunately, they have been very supportive of my work and are always eager to help in any way they can. In addition, because I don't work with them, I have gotten to know many of them well on a personal level. It's fun to hang out in the lounge with the board members and catch up on the latest gossip, which at Brandeis is usually who just became shomer negiah and dumped his girlfriend because of it, and which couple just got engaged!

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Responsibilities

As a staff member and a Fellow

Being a Fellow for me has been getting to experience the best of both worlds-the awesome JCSC network and being part of an amazing Hillel staff here at Brandeis. The best thing about my responsibilities is that I get to focus purely on engagement. This is because there are so many student member groups and they pretty much cover all ends of the programming spectrum, and then some! I work with two main target groups-freshmen and Greeks-and several other smaller engagement populations. I try to table at least twice a month and I am always setting up coffee and lunch meetings. I plan programs for my target groups, about one per month. I also have national JCSC responsibilities, like monthly team conference calls and written reports, and attendance at Leaders Assembly and Professional Staff conference is mandatory.

As a staff member, I put in about 10% of my time to general Hillel work. This includes supporting student programs when I deem it appropriate, helping a little with office duties, and staying for Shabbat dinner twice a month. I usually stay every week, unless I am out of town, because it's great experience here and it doesn't feel like work. I enjoy celebrating Shabbat and I know if I didn't stay, I would probably not celebrate at home. Besides, dinner and the oneg usually end early enough that I can still go out and have my personal life. Besides it's a free meal.I didn't say a good meal, but it's free! (Free food is a staple when living on a JCSC salary.)

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Supervision

What is it? How to make it work for you!

Supervision is crucial part of the JCSC Fellowship. The supervisor is more than just a superior to whom you report or ask questions. The relationship should be strong and the supervisor should be a mentor and role model. I probably have the best supervisor of any JCSC in the country! Cindy and I get along great, both professionally and personally. She really made an effort to look out for me when I first moved to Boston, giving me advice on places to go and how to get there. In fact, during my first month when there were no students around, we started a tradition of taking "field trips" to orient to me to area.namely to show me where the malls were! This was great because it was nice bonding time for us outside of the office and it helped introduce me to some of the resources I might need during the job.

Cindy and I had a regular weekly meeting time, something required for all JCSC Fellows and their supervisors. Funny thing is we talk all the time, and I can ALWAYS go to her with questions; I don't have to wait until Monday at noon. Anyway, we used to meet in our "satellite office" (one of the lounges in the student center that overlooked where all the students come from classes) until we got kicked out due to massive shuffling of offices in our building (LONG story-just ask Bert and Ernie). We would discuss both past and up-coming projects and students with whom I am working during this time. This time was nice because it was usually very focused (unless there was good people-watching) and productive.

One of the greatest things about the Hillel staff at Brandeis is how well we all get along and work together. I know that I can go to anyone on the staff for advice or help, and I go to different people for different things. So in a way I consider Ora and Allen my supervisors as well. I make sure that I keep them up-to-date with my projects and they often will have great insight and ways to help me improve or enhance a program.

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Resources and Partners

Campus
· Student Life (Residence Life, Student Activities, etc)
· Office of the Chaplaincy (Jewish, Christian, and Catholic)
· ICC (Inter-Cultural Center)

Local
· Hillel Council of New England

National
· JCSC network (the best resource there is!)
· Hillel International Center

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Suggestions for the Next Fellow

· Structure your day based on what works best for you while still meeting the students' needs. You know best what you have to get done and how long it will take you to do it. For example, if you know you have a program that will go until 9:00PM, come in at noon. Sometimes I would go crazy being here so many hours and not always having something to fill the down time. On the same note, don't feel pressured to overwork yourself. Sadly, many Hillel professionals believe the work culture is long hours and little personal life. IT IS POSSIBLE TO OVERCOME THAT! Yes, you should be dedicated to your job, but not to the point where it becomes your entire life. Fortunately, Cindy won't let you get too bogged down!

· Participate in Diversity Discussions, held about once every two months. It's a great way to learn about the culture of the campus from students, staff, and faculty. It's important to be informed about campus issues to better interact with the students.

· Even though you won't really be working with them, get to know some of the empowered students, especially the Executive Board. They can often provide insight into engagement from a different angle and it helps to know to whom you can refer your students. I have introduced several students to board members and/or member group leaders because of specific interests they have expressed.

· ENJOY every day! Okay, you probably won't love every day, but try not to let the tough times get you down. Three people coming to an event is not a failure. Keep everything in perspective and remember that you are always touching lives, even if the numbers don't seem to say so. Just ALWAYS do your best!

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II. Getting to Know the Campus

Getting Around Campus

Eleven months later and I still don't know where Sachar is!

During my first week on campus, I took a campus tour through admissions. It was kinda funny having to explain that I wasn't a pre-frosh! It was a great way to begin to get to know the campus and learn about the University. Below I've listed the key places that pertain to being a JCSC Fellow. If you would like to see a map, there's one on the Brandeis webpage (the link is on the front page).

· Usdan (if you don't know this from hour one of the job, you do not pass Go and do not collect $200)-EVERYTHING happens here! The Hillel lounge and the Chaplaincy are both housed here, as well as food, coffee, and tabling space. Some days I don't even have to leave the building!

· Massel Quad-home to half the freshmen (and a great lounge for programming), the Beit Midrash (location of staff learning and meetings), and the kosher dining hall (it's "Sherm-alicious!"-Rachel Nobel).

· North Quad-home to the other half of the freshmen.

· Feldberg-they have a computer cluster with scanners and other fancy stuff (helpful if you have to make a webpage!).

· Berlin Chapel-the "Jewish" one; services happen here.

· Cabots-the best ice cream place EVER...wait, sorry, it's not on campus!

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Helpful Hints


Tabling pretty much only happens in upper lobby Usdan and downstairs next to the Boulevard-both usually have equal traffic, but if you were doing something with food, I'd recommend downstairs. People are down there eating anyway so they're not as freaked out by someone offering them free food! Upper lobby has the advantage of being next to the coffee stand so people tend to check out tables while they're in line for their caffeine. Also, a lot of other groups table there, not so much downstairs.

Programming can really happen anywhere-there is lots of space in Usdan and you can use any lounge or common area in all of the residence halls. Shapiro and AB Lounges are great for freshmen programming, Ziv Commons works well for upper-classmen as does Castle Commons.

Publicity also takes on many forms. Email, of course, is the best way to get word out to the most people, but people are also lazy and they don't always respond. Phone calls are GREAT for students you know, but a pain if you keep getting voicemail. Fliers in campus mailboxes work well for those living on campus (not so well for Greeks, many of whom live off campus), but there is the chance that they just throw away anything that isn't personal. Fliers can be hanged in Usdan-limit of twelve small or three large-and on any kiosk on campus. Don't forget to put them in RA mailboxes for them to post on their halls!

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Campus Organizations and Leadership


· Waltham Group-the umbrella organization for community service at Brandeis. Corey Kritzman is a very strong leader, and a great engagement student.

· Student Senate-essentially the student government with representation from all campus clubs and organizatiosn. Ben Brendzel and Adam Herman would be people to talk to for more information.

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III. Target Groups

(Did someone say Target? Are we going on a field trip?)

Summary of Target Groups


Freshmen ("I want to take you to Cabots...but I don't have a car!")

 I started working with this group first, since it was easy to meet them during the orientation week and the beginning of school. The freshmen were fantastic first semester because everything was new to them and they were willing to try anything. I got to know a lot of great students and stay close with them throughout the year. However, I noticed second semester that it was more difficult to engage them because they had already made friends and begun to get involved with other organizations of campus. The novelty definitely seemed to be wearing off.

During orientation, students could fill out an interest sheet that would automatically put them on the Hillel list serve. I then took all 200+ freshmen names and made my own FYSH (First Year Students at Hillel) list. Every week I send out an email to the FYSH with trivia questions and plugs for Hillel events that might interest them or freshmen programs that I had planned. This was a great way to get to know students because the winner of the trivia would win ice cream sundaes delivered by me to their room. I had so much fun hanging out in the dorms, going to them, and eating ice cream. I met their friends and roommates, which was also great.

Greeks ("I thought Brandeis doesn't have a Greek system...")

 The existence of Greeks at Brandeis is probably one of the campus's most hotly contested political issues. That's because according to Brandeis, there are no fraternities and sororities. The administrators know they exist but choose not to recognize them because they don't feel that they promote equal opportunity for participation and that they are exclusive. However, all of the houses are nationally Jewish chapters, meaning there are a couple hundred Jews on campus that we have no contact with whatsoever. It was somewhat of a daring move on my part to even suggest that I work with this stigmatized group, considering the long-standing controversy. I had to make sure that I had discussions with not only the Hillel staff, but also members of the university staff in order to not overstep any boundaries and cause any uproar. Luckily, it was easy to gain support since I would be targeting them as Jewish students...who happened to be part of the same social network.

My only regret is that I did not start working with these students sooner than second semester because they are a fantastic engagement group. I only did a couple programs but they were all extremely successful and I met some great people. Once I had established my initial contacts in a couple different houses, they passed my ideas along to their members and were met with overwhelming excitement and enthusiasm. The cool thing about working with Greeks is that they always come in packs, so you're sure to have at least eight people at any one program! My work with this group was a learning experience more than anything else because I had to figure out how they work. Next year and in years to come I think Greek programming will be the most successful component of the JCSC Fellow's work.

birthright israel ("It's this winter break?!")

 I love the birthright kids! Fifteen students participated in Brandeis Hillel's winter trip, and the greatest thing about them is that they were all the right kinds of students to be on the trip. I don't think we knew a single one before last fall, at least not through Hillel stuff, and they were all at a great stage to be exploring their Jewish journeys in Israel. The group was so diverse and each person added so much to the overall dynamic of the trip.

I better stop before you think I actually went on the trip! I stayed behind because of the low numbers and Cindy got to go. However, I was part of the pre- and post-trip process, helping with all the interviews, orientations, and reunions, so I got to know everyone really well. I invited them to come have coffee with me before the trip so I could get to know them better, and I made travel care packages that they took with them on the plane. They loved them! I also made address labels with my name and address on it and when the group arrived in Israel, there were pre-stamped postcards waiting for them and all they had to do was slap my sticker on it! It was so exciting to get them in the mail...even though they came long after the students returned!

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Leadership/Key Leaders

How to follow up


It was clear from my first interactions with these target groups who was going to emerge as leaders. I worked with their enthusiasm to develop these leadership roles, and this served as an excellent means of follow-up. I made sure to stay in touch on a regular basis, and it was great to have people to count on for participation and leadership. I am also making sure that next year’s fellow is in touch with these students, especially because I think for many of them, the have yet to scratch the surface of their leadership potential.

· Sam Pohl, Julia Barnathan, Katie Hulbert, Rachel Nobel—all freshmen, some with more up-front leadership than others, but ALL are potentials.

· Tatum Zuckerman, Michal Ilani, Rachel Nazarian, Brian Waldman—Greeks, the key people with whom I was in contact this year and will be here next year.

· Hilary Barshay, Marissa Smilowitz, Igor Korolev—birthright, non-seniors that I think could really be great leaders next year.



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Tracking

Successful methods to follow up from year to year


Being the first JCSC, there really are no existing methods for follow-up. What I did all year was keep a list of every student I met either at a program or at a one-on-one meeting, how I met them, and a little bit about them (where they are from, their interests, etc). I plan to give this list to the next JCSC Fellow here so she can follow up with these people. It will be interesting to see how many she will be able to connect with next year!

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Program Summaries

(Click here to see fliers!)


From my FYSH list, I identified students that I thought might be engagement students based on their affiliation and how often they attend Shabbat dinner (both indicated on the interest sheets), and I made yet another list. I used this smaller list to invite students to my first program-a progressive Shabbat dinner in the residence halls. This was a very successful program because it was held the second Shabbat of the year, typically when we see the greatest drop-off in numbers at the community Shabbat dinner. I wanted to give those students who may have been overwhelmed and therefore turned off by the first Shabbat a chance to have a dinner in a different kind of setting that was more personal and intimate. I had a great time with about 13 students and many of the faces I continued to see throughout the year, either as "happy participants" at Hillel events or just out on campus. I have kept in touch with a few and have been working with them all year.

Operation: Procrastination was my big Hanukkah program, mostly aimed at freshmen. First, I organized a trip to a local mall (since freshmen don't have cars) to go holiday shopping. I tabled every day of Hanukkah before break, the biggest hit being latke-making! I invited some of the freshmen that I had gotten to know to help me and we made latkes during lunch, unfortunately not as quickly as they were being demanded! I also had a day of Hanukkah crafts, like dreidel making. I held two late-night study breaks in the freshmen quad lounges with sufganiot. The first night, all 50 were gone in under five minutes!

Other events I sponsored during the year were mid-semester Shabbat Shalom packages (candy, basically) to let students know that I am thinking about them, a Survivor: Africa season premier party, and a Rosh Chodesh Ladies Night where we made cups for Miriam (for the Passover seder).

For the end of the year, I had two goodbye parties for the freshmen. One was small and I only invited a few people that I got to know the best. We had a BBQ in the backyard of my supervisor's apartment and several students came. Then I had an "open house" in Hillel where students could come by for ice cream, say goodbye to me, and pick up a finals care package.

This first event I planned for the Greeks was a Shabbat dinner in the SAM off-campus house. I worked with two of the brothers on coordinating the details, which were relatively simple. We had them RSVP with a side dish they would bring and I would supply the chicken, challah, and wine. Not only did almost 25 people show up, but also they all brought something-rice, salad, pasta, soda, cookies, etc. It was so amazing to see so many people together, and they said they hadn't had an event that brought so many of the guys together at once and with such great food! The night was an overwhelming success, as I met tons of new students and made some great connections. I think a Shabbat dinner should be held in each house once a year.

I also held a program before Passover called "Matzah Madness-Passover Fondue!" Since Brandeis is closed during the holiday, I held it the night before and figured I'd get a small turnout since a lot of people go home early. Nevertheless, I got about 15 people and they had a great time. It was also my first interaction with one of the sororities so not only did I meet a lot of new people but also I started to identify people who might want to help me with programming in the future.

Upon the birthright students' return, I sponsored an Israel photo contest, targeted mainly to them but open to all students. Several submitted photos and two of the winners were from the trip! It was a great follow-up activity because we had just had a photo-swapping party so I plugged it then. In addition, at the event, I served Israeli food and they had the chance to relive memories by looking at all of the photos. It was exciting to see them staying connected to their experience.

For the end of the year for both birthright alum and Greeks I held a Finals Bagel Nosh in the commons of an upper-classmen quad. I served bagels and cream cheese and coffee as a study break on the first day of finals.

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The Role of the "Jewish Encounter"


The “Jewish Encounter” in many of my programs was focused on holidays. I did significant programming during Hanukkah and Passover, as well as Shabbat and Rosh Chodesh. I also used Israel as Jewish content, connecting it to the students’ Jewish identity. I made sure that no matter what the program, I had an informational and education piece for the students, such as explanations of holiday customs and prayers. For example, during “Matzah Madness” I had a sheet that discussed the significance of dipping at the Passover seder. For both Shabbat dinners, I put together simple prayer sheets with readings and poems and a short discussion of the week’s Torah portion.

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Strategies for Success


· Freshmen—the best chance for success is first semester when they are still exploring and getting to know people and the campus life. Definitely make a strong presence at the beginning of the year, and use second semester for more follow-up and getting to know better those you met first semester. As for programming, free food is a big draw especially when you bring to them. I had sufganiot for Hanukkah in one of the freshmen lounges and they were gone in under five minutes!

· Greeks—they travel in large groups so you can expect attendance to usually be great. Plus, make sure to have the president put the word out at their chapter meetings so they also see it as a house activity. Anything social works great, as does community service, especially if you can do something to raise money for their philanthropies.

· birthright—they loved random get-togethers during the semester, like meeting up for lunch as group (or as many people who can be there as possible). Also, one-on-one contact is very successful.

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Goals for the Future


· Freshmen —Do MORE programming first semester, stuff that will really grab their attention. Spend LOTS of time in the residence halls, maybe even on a regular basis.

· Greeks —Since I only barely made a dent in this area, there are so many things for the future! Some goals should be events like an all-Greek Shabbat and lots of community service projects.

· birthright —Definitely more than one post-trip program, and begin as soon as possible upon return while they are still excited.

· ATHLETES (A NEW TARGET GROUP) —There was a lot of talk this year about making the athletes a separate target group. One idea that came up often was having a casual Shabbat dinner (Sneaker Shabbat!) in the gym so students could come right after practice and not worry about having to go home and change.

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IV. Holidays and National Initiatives

Holidays

Holiday programming is great because there are so many ideas already out there and plenty of room to come up with more. I always made sure to table for holidays, especially if I wasn't doing a bigger program. Anything involving arts and crafts and free food was usually a hit. Here is a look at what I did for the holidays this year:

· Rosh Hashana-I tabled a few days before (Brandeis is closed during all fall holidays) with apples and honey, Honey Nut and Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, and Bit-o-Honey.

· Halloween-I gave out mini challahs and called it Challah-ween!

· Thanksgiving-I tabled with an art project, making hand turkeys and chamsas. I had an explanation of the significance of the chamsa.

· Hannukah-Operation: Procrastination, five days of fun ways to put off studying! I organized a holiday shopping trip to the mall, a latke table, dreidel-making, and two sufganiot study breaks.

· Tu B'Shevat-I tabled with lots of dried fruits and nuts and passed out information on the holiday and the meanings of different trees in relation to one's birthday. Students could also decorate flower pots and plant seeds.

· Purim-I tabled with a mask-making project and gave out hamentashen.

· Passover-I had a matzah-sampling table with different spreads to put on the matzah. I passed out information sheets about what is and isnt' kosher for Passover.

· Yom Ha'atzmaut-I did a hummus-tasting table with five kinds of hummus and pita and carrots. I also had information on how to support Israel.

National Initiatives

The biggest national initiative on which I worked was birthright israel. I was a key player in the pre- and post-trip processes even though I did not staff the trip. I did a lot of the administrative work as well as develop relationships with the students going on the trip. I held an Israel photo contest upon their return to campus to keep the excitement alive and promote the trip to other interested students. I also helped plan and attended the birthright follow-up session at Professional Staff Conference.

I did some work with Tzedek Hillel, even though it wasn't really part of my portfolio this year (we have a part-time Tzedek person). I helped Hillel's Mitzvah Corps member group table for their upcoming Mitzvah Day. We had sign up sheets and tzedakah arts and crafts projects like making tzedakah boxes and Passover cards to send to a hospital.

I tried to plan a project in conjunction with Hillel's Yom Yeladim with the Greeks, but due to timing conflicts it didn't pan out.

When I tabled for Yom Ha-atzmaut, I put out information from National Hillel about Israel support, including the fundraiser for Mogen David Adom and the Green Balloon Campaign.

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V. Jewish Learning

How Does it Work for the Fellow?

Jewish Learning is a requirement for all Fellows as an integral part of both personal and professional growth. It is up to the Fellow to come up with their learning. I did two very different learning activities this year, on top of the learning piece that occurs before our weekly staff meetings. First semester, I audited a class in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies department-Women in Jewish Literature. It was great opportunity to read some well-known Jewish fiction novels, as well as learn from the other students and the professor through discussions. Second semester, I, along with three other Fellows, participated in learning conference calls every other week. We each took turns picking topics, ones that we can relate to our everyday lives, both personally and professionally. The topics usually included a little bit of text, but the purpose wasn't to analyze it, rather discuss it in a larger context. Some topics included observing Shabbat, kashrut, lashon hara, and Judaism and homosexuality.

Suggestions for Next Year

Pick a topic, and level of learning, with which you feel comfortable. I felt very intimidated because I had never really done text study. At first I thought that was only way to learn, but as I mentioned above, it is possible to be creative and find others at your level. I would suggest learning with other Fellows, since it's a great way to get to know each other better, or even with students in an effort to get to know them.

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IV. Other

How to Get Started on Campus

First and foremost, get comfortable on campus and with the staff! Wander around on campus with Cindy and just start talking…brainstorm, ask questions, clear up any concerns, etc. Then, sit down and make a list of ideas—be as creative and out-there as you want. Go through the work of the previous JCSC Fellow (that would be me, since I am the only previous JCSC Fellow!) and see what spawns from there. It’s also important to begin contacting the people I listed in Section II, Getting to Know the Campus. Call them and ask to meet for lunch or coffee (good practice for when students get here!) and get to know what they do. Also pitch to them some ideas and ask how they might be able to work with you and if they have any ideas. Keep good notes, and be sure to stay in touch. Another idea is to start contacting by email students from last year to introduce yourself and get them excited for the year.

Getting a Life Beyond the Fellowship

Get a life...seriously!

I wish all Fellows were as fortunate as I have been this year; I’ve heard too many stories of people who did not have a personal life. I wonder how they kept their sanity…maybe they didn’t but were good at hiding it! I shouldn’t be so quick to judge however. I do have friends and family here and I live in a huge city where there is tons to do; many Fellows do not have that luxury. However, no matter where you live, creating a life for yourself will keep you from burning out at work.

There is so much to do in Boston and the surrounding areas, and everything is so easily accessible with the T and having a car. I have listed some of my favorite places below:

Cool Places in Boston—Bars, Restaurants, and Culture

· Jake Ivory’s —a deuling piano bar on Landsdowne St. (where lots of big clubs are located), really fun to go to with a lot of people.

· Wonder Bar —a really cool bar in Allston on Harvard St. and Comm Ave.

· The Good Life—located in Central Square, right off the T. It’s a fun place to hear live music.

· Border Café—a fun Mexican restaurant in Harvard Square with great margaritas!

· Temple Bar—go here if you like fondue, or want to try it!

· Sunset Grill—great food, HUGE variety, and tons of house beers.

· Museum of Fine Art—use your Brandeis ID card (they won’t notice it says staff) to get the student rate. They usually have cool special exhibits, as well as the ongoing ones.

· De Cordova Museum—an awesome place in Waltham. The museum itself is small, but quaint, and if you go when the weather is nice you can enjoy the amazing sculpture garden (we brought a picnic lunch!).

· Science Museum—fun for kids and adults of all ages, especially the IMAX theater!

· Freedom Trail—a historic walk that winds through Boston. You don’t even have to pay attention to the historical stuff if you just want a good walking route of the downtown area. You hit Haymarket, the North End, and Boston Common, among other places.

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