When I first moved to Boston three years ago, I was overwhelmed by how many fascinating attractions the city had to offer. But after hitting up all of the most famous sights, I soon became curious about what other eclectic spots I might be missing. Here are some of my favorite unique spots! Bodega 6 Clearway St., Boston Don’t be fooled by this [...]
Summer is my favorite time of the year. Not just because of warm weather and beach days, but because of a celebration in my hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts. St. Peter’s Fiesta is an annual celebration of St. Peter—the patron saint of fishermen. Gloucester is known for its large Italian American fishing community, so it’s no surprise that St. Peter is so heavily celebrated. [...]
At the start of this summer, my first time alone in Boston, I felt some mild trepidation about having to ride the subway system fondly known as “the T.” Coming from rural Vermont, it was a completely foreign concept to me. But now Boston offers an even more eye-opening way of getting around. “The Z,” a newly opened zip line in the heart [...]
Once, in grade school, I was given a blank map of the world and asked to label every country (in pen—yikes). I may have gotten a lot wrong on that test, but it turns out the map I was working with may not have been accurate to begin with! I was probably being tested on the Mercator projection, one of today’s most common [...]
The USS Constitution color guard team presents colors as the Navy Northeast Marching Band joins the world-renowned Boston Pops Orchestra for the grand finale of "America!" Thousands were on hand at the annual performance at Symphony Hall for an evening of patriotic songs. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Dave Kaylor) As a kid, one of my family’s traditions [...]
Recently, a friend and I traveled to the Maybarton Community Garden in Clinton, Massachusetts, for community service. Growing Places, a nonprofit community garden organization based in my hometown of Leominster, Massachusetts, helped assist the Maybarton staff with building 15 raised beds. Local farmers plant various fruits and vegetables for low-income individuals, families and communities in North Central Massachusetts. Not only does Growing Places help [...]
Much of the rhetoric concerning the present state of America’s education system revolves around the need to create new assessments, new standards and new methodologies. But what if progress lies somewhere in our past? An interesting model of personalized learning—reminiscent of the old-time one-room schoolhouses—is just now emerging and beginning to gain some traction. Dubbed the “micro-school,” this divergent educational format breaks with [...]
Although I’ve technically aged out of the young adult (YA) demographic—which, according to the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), is ages 12–18—I am still an avid consumer of the genre and admire the zeal of younger readers. To see that excitement firsthand, last month I attended the third annual Boston Teen Author Festival (BTAF), a recent addition to the Boston literary landscape. The BTAF [...]
Whenever I make a pilgrimage to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), I don’t necessarily expect to be entertained. Enlightened on art and history? Sure. But I don’t plan on having a laugh over a brushstroke in a Renoir. When I recently stepped into the Edward H. Linde Gallery, however, I was met by colors and sounds that could only come from [...]
I didn't grow up in Massachusetts, so when I began tutoring elementary and high school students after I moved here three years ago, I didn't understand why the number one thing on their mind was the MCAS test. The MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) tests are so important to these students because not only do they take these tests every year from third [...]