Welcome to 2015!

Posted January 25, 2015 by Jill Silverberg

Fourth semester at SLIS.

Here we go!

Indeed, it seems that the month of January has just flown on by. But unlike some of you, I have spent about 95% of it here in Boston rather then home with my family. The reason? Well, it’s because the offices at my job, as a student worker at the student services center (haha shameless plug), were open as we prepped for both the New Year and new students. With so much to do, I’ve lost track of the time. Instead of spending the days at home, lounging around, I was on my feet, running around and performing key tasks. Working from the perspective of being behind the scenes, I must vocalize my respect for all of those who are part of SLIS faculty and staff. These men and women are some of the most dedicated individuals I’ve ever seen. In the days leading up to the Spring 2015 Orientation, I watched as everyone in SLIS came together, both student workers and members of the faculty and staff, to ensure that we gave our newest students a warm welcome to both Boston and to SLIS. It is remarkable how many things must be organized and completed for an event that is less then twelve hours. And yet, everyone involved with the event was on campus each day, working as hard as possible to ensure that everything ran smoothly. From my office at the Student Services Center, myself and the other student worker spent the first three weeks of January prepping folders, checking names, organizing the day’s events, and finalizing which snacks would be served. It was quite the effort but I can honestly say that the reward was worth it. Spring 2015 Orientation went off without any problems. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it was fantastic to be here on campus to greet the new students. Oh, and in case you are one of the students who joined me and Lindsey McEwen for our tour of SLIS and the Simmons academic campus, thank you for being a great audience and putting up with us on our first ever Simmons tour. I hope all of the new students, along with everyone else, enjoyed their first week of classes. 

Although I’ve been on Simmons campus since the 6th of January, coming in last Tuesday for my first class of the week (I have another Thursday evening and am also taking an online course), it felt somewhat strange sitting down in a classroom and taking my first batch of notes of the year! Unlike times in the past, I wasn’t hit with a wave of “First Day of School Jitters”. This time around, I was ready and excited to be back in student mode. However, considering the snow storm about to hit us, one that I am affectionately calling “Snow-ocolpyse”, my second week of school is starting to look like it will be a short one. Unlike most sane people, I am actually really excited for the snow; it is why winter is my number one favorite season! While I’m not a big fan of the harsh, bitter cold itself, news of snowfall will always bring a smile to my face. While I selected Simmons College for grad school due to its reputation for the library and information science program, I’ll confess its location might have had something to do with my ultimate decision. But despite my joy about our impending blanket of snow, I will acknowledge that sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. Considering the Weather Channel’s blizzard predictions, I do urge that people stay inside where it is warm for the next few days. While the city of Boston is fairly good about clearing the roads, it is often better to be safe than sorry. I know with certainty that my three roommates and I are preparing for a potential snow day, one filled with movies, video games, and hot chocolate. I’ll probably take a ton of pictures from my apartment to capture the winter magic.

While as of Monday morning, school is still scheduled for tomorrow, I hope that everyone takes the precautions that they need in order to stay safe. Drive carefully and be mindful of black ice. Otherwise, I hope that everyone finds some enjoyment in tonight’s and tomorrow’s snowfall. I know that I will!