Don’t Sweat It

So this week we’re chatting about a piece of literature that inspires us. For me that’s a book titled:
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” by Kristine & Richard Carlson

The book is pretty simple and down to earth:
“There are two rules: 1.) Don’t sweat the small stuff and 2.) It’s all small stuff.”

My mom gave me this book in high school and I loved it so much that I read it three times during my senior year. If I ever need a pick me up I turn to a chapter and try to remember to enjoy all of the little moments. If you need a pick me up, or just a little motivation, check out “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff.”

Amelia Bedelia & Me

Amelia Bedelia…what a lady. She taught me so much. Amelia Bedelia is a piece of inspiration for me. While it may not be up there with Harry Potter, that woman has a sweet place in my heart. Her clumsiness and lack of common sense give me hope, as I can occasionally (of course very rarely) exhibit those qualities. The one I read in particular many, many times as a child is Good Work, Amelia Bedelia, in which she is given a list of chores to do around the house, and ends up doing each one very wrong. However, it was not her fault; she was just not given proper directions. Amelia Bedelia is a sweetheart and always has good intentions, even if things don’t turn out as expected. And regardless, people still love her. Just goes to show there’s a place for everyone in this world!

FYCO LOVE,

Katie

Sing-A-Long

If You’re Out There by John Legend is a song that totally represents how I feel about community service and FYSOP.
I find this song really motivating and I think FYSOP is doing what John Legend is asking for. We are standing up, joining hands, being leaders and changing the world.
We’re being the change we want to see.

The Rhythm’s gonna getcha!

The song I choose is “Somewhere only we know” by Keane.  While being pretty catchy and soothing, it also helps explain how I feel about FYSOP.  While it’s not exactly “the end of everything,” it does symbolize the end of high school and the beginning of four great years at college.  FYSOP is “somewhere to begin” as the song says.  The fun and entire experience of FYSOP is so hard to explain and ends up being “somewhere only we know” and love. (Ray)

As the guitar strums the opening bars of “Bailamos,” my mind can only conjure one thought: HOMELESSNESS&HOUSING.  The Spanish-pop star sensation Enrique Iglesias couldn’t have phrased it better when he whispers “te quiero, no lo niego.”  This lyrical masterpiece got it right in English and in Spanish: I love H&H and I can’t deny it! Heck, Enrique I won’t even whisper it!  I’ll say it loudly and proudly, though maybe not as seductively.  We shall dance-or as the Latin crooner would say bailamos- to the rhythm of service. We CAN make anything happen, Enrique.  ¡Bailamos! (Coral)

Smile!

As the children coordinators, we love to see children smiling, having fun, and enjoying life. All children have the right to live a full and happy childhood, which is why we chose our theme song to be Smile by Vitamin C. A smile can fill everyone with happiness, especially coming from a child’s face. With the help we’re doing in FYSOP, so many children are being touched and helped and can smile. Sometimes children are dealing with issues that we don’t even know of and struggle to live a happy life. It is our job as FYSOP volunteers to play give children that strong support system and smile. If people spread their smiles to children, then the world can become a happier place.
Children deal with so many issues in their life and this song explains that even when life gets tough, smiling can pick you up, especially coming from a child!

Jammin’ out to a little MJ

So while on my itunes last night an old school little Michael Jackson song came on: “In Our Small Way.”  Check out the song.  It reminds me most of FYSOP because of the following lines: “We may not change the world in one day, but we still can change some things today, in our small way… just a little time is all it takes, what a difference just a smile can make.”  Every year with FYSOP we make a difference in the city of Boston.  It may not be a change that we can see the affects of globally, but it’s still something that we’re doing for our community.

Much FYSOP Love,

Steph

3 WORDS. WORD.

So we’ve been searching deep down in our souls to pick the perfect words to describe our favorite thing in the world. And Shannon and I have really big vocabularies, so I mean it’s been a real struggle. But somehow we managed to do it, somehow we pulled through, and here’s what we came up with:

LIVE IT UP.
FYSOP is the perfect time to Live It Up. Live It Up by being yourself while you make friends and being accepted. Live It Up by giving back to your community to your full potential. Live It Up by just enjoying yourself during every fantastic aspect of the fantastic FYSOP experience!!!
-Shannon

EPICALLY MIND BLOWING.

FYSOP really is all of these things. As often as the word ‘epic’ gets abused these days, I know it can sometimes lose its meaning. But I am here to tell you that FYSOP brings more meaning to the word epic. More than could ever be imagined.

FYSOP is equally as mind blowing as it is epic. In fact, I can confidently say “ Never have I ever: Been so mind blown in my LIFE as I am during FYSOP season. “ This project is a massive wake up call. It plants the seeds for a social conscience. It infuses you with a genuine feeling of social responsibility. It makes you feel at home in Boston. And it gives you friends that will blow your mind for the rest of your life. Done and done.

- Sarah

3 words (or 6) from Disabilities…

From Kimberly:

To me Fysop is….
Alive (adjective): 1. marked by alertness, energy, or briskness 2. marked by much life, animation, or activity

Fysop is one of the most exciting experiences I have ever experienced.

Illuminating (verb): 1. to enlighten spiritually or intellectually 2. to make clear : elucidate

Fysop is an amazing eye-opening week. It truly is an educational experience.

Revolutionary (adjective): 1 constituting or bringing about a major or fundamental change 2. of, relating to, or constituting a revolution 3. tending to or promoting revolution

Fysop really does make a huge difference in such a short amount of time. The work we do is truly revolutionary.

From Keith:

 Stupendous: Like Stupendous Man from Calvin and Hobbes. FYSOP just makes you wanna run around in a red cape.

 Repeat: You want to redo everything, from sites, to cheers, to games, to the whole program. 

 Hippie: See picture at left. But seriously, during FYSOP people are just nice to each other, drive around in vans, help make the world a better place…peace and love.

34 Letters=6 Words About FYSOP, Hunger Style

Euphoria- different atmosphere, your in a new time, place, setting, meeting people who are looking to have a great time/ bond with you

Woot- every once and a while, you just wanna say WOOT WOOT!!!!! (Celebratory sound of expression )

Spontaneity- sparks of ideas, never knowing what can happen, different interactions every second of the day, experiencing feelings that you may have never felt before

I personally choose these three words cause they were the first three words that came into my head. I am all about being spontaneous and then along with that came WOOT! FYSOP is all about celebration and cheers. FYSOP is a setting that is like a utopia which brings euphoria
-Danny

So instead of picking three individual words I went with a three word phrase: ROCK THIS CITY
I picked this phrase for a couple reasons but mostly because FYSOP really does ROCK the city of Boston. The past two years I’ve done FYSOP have been the most exciting and thrilling ways to kick off the year at BU and I’m even more pumped to start off this year.
- Steph

Your Food Lovers 4ever
Danny & Steph

How do Katie and Eddie feel about FYSOP?

Eddie:
My three words that describe how I feel about FYSOP: Giddy, Overwrought, and Fervent.
I chose giddy because I’ve definitely been really giddy about FYSOP 20 and am SO pumped! In conjunction with that, I feel overwrought-meaning extremely excited-about working with our staff. I look forward to staff training. And finally, fervent is pretty self-explanatory…I’m just really excited!!!! YEAH CHILDREN (btdubs, best issue area ever!)

Katie:
So far, the past 2 FYSOPS and now my THIRD make me feel…MOTIVATED, INFLUENTIAL, & HAPPY! FYSOP gets me super motivated for the year to come, and I could not imagine starting a school year without it. FYSOP also give me the feeling that I am influential: as a volunteer in the sense that I am able to give something back to the city I spend so much time in; as a staff member because I got to really interact with first-year students and be with them their first week ever of college; now as a FYCO I get to help shape FYSOP 20 into what hopefully will be the best yet! And finally, HAPPY! FYSOP is full of so much love, compassion, caring, friendship, laughter, ect…essentially all the things I look for everyday, but is almost a guarantee for the week of FYSOP! Many of my happiest moments at BU have been during FYSOP and I know it will continue to bring others that same happiness and I cannot wait!