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"There's nothing quite like the Fourth of July in Boston."

That's what all my friends who have lived in this area for years kept telling me in the lead up to this past weekend's Independence Day celebrations. I was, of course, a little skeptical. I admit, I have fallen head-over-heels in love with Boston since moving here last fall. But while I knew I could expect a great show, somehow I didn't think it could compete with the shows I've seen in Washington DC and Philadelphia in years past.

Our day started at 3 PM when we took the train down to the Esplanade: a thin, long stretch of grassy land right along the Charles River. We picnicked, while admiring the great skylines of Boston and Cambridge, listened to some awesome music, played cards, and enjoyed the gorgeous Massachusetts afternoon. Around 8 PM, the world-famous Boston Pops began their live set of music, including a rendition of the 1812 Overture, set to fireworks. Being the out-of-towner, I thought that was the highlight of the night...little did I know the best was yet to come.

Neil Diamond then took the stage down at the end of the Esplanade, delivering awesome renditions of his two hit songs "Sweet Caroline" and "Coming to America"...where nearly all 200,000 people lining the Charles sung along to (if you don't know the lyrics to "Sweet Caroline", you may want to learn them before going to a Red Sox game, you'll thank me later...).

Finally, at 10:30 PM, the most spectacular fifteen minutes of fireworks I have ever seen commenced, complete with coordinated music, and awestruck crowd members. The night was simply perfect.

For those of you considering a move to Boston, this is a weekend you'll want to stay in town for. I learned firsthand: there is nothing quite like the Fourth in Boston.

At its core, Boston is a runner's town. This is most obvious every April, when tens of thousands of physically fit hopefuls line up to run the Boston Marathon, the oldest race of its kind in America, and arguably the world. But all throughout the year (yes, winter included), Bostonians lace up their jogging shoes and hit the pavement. I moved to Boston last September and have been running through its streets ever since. Last night, in between work and class, I headed over to the Emerson College gym, changed into my running gear, and had my own physically-fit tour of Boston:

• Start at 120 Boylston (Emerson's campus)
• Run through Boston Common up to the Massachusetts State House
• Run down Beacon, past the residence of Sen. John Kerry
• Cut through the Boston Public Garden, being sure not to trip on the "Make Way for Ducklings" statues.
• Run down Commonwealth Ave, passing the residence of New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady and model Giselle Bundchen
• Turn right on Massachusetts Avenue and cut down toward the Charles River
• Run along the Charles River, taking in the view of Cambridge, the Bunker Hill Monument, and the Zakim Bridge
• Cut up past Massachusetts General Hospital, onto Charles Street
• Run down Charles Street, past the former apartment of the Boston Strangler, and DeLuca's Deli (home of my favorite sandwiches in Boston).
• Turn onto Boylston, and run past Emerson's Campus Center ("The Max")
• End at 120 Boylston

All and all it was a good run, but I am glad Emerson's gym has showers, for the sake of my classmates who had to share a computer lab with me for class that night.

Emerson graduate students have fun in addition to working hard! Will Wemer writes: I am a self-proclaimed indie film junkie. Any of my friends will immediately confirm this. So it was not surprising that I spent last night at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts for the Boston Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. A few friends and I decided to see the closing night film "Fruit Fly," written and directed by H.P. Mendoza, who also produced the indie cult classic "Colma: The Musical."

So once we found the entrance, and wove our way through the halls of the MFA to the theatre, we were all surprised and a little star-struck, when H.P. Mendoza himself walked to the front of the theater to introduce his movie. After two hours of literally laughing out loud at such off-color musical numbers such as "Public Transit", "We Have So Much in Common," and "Gay Gay Gay Gay Gay!", we were able to meet and talk with H.P. I'm sure we all sounded like little school girls who just met the Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana. It was amazing to meet such a creative writer in person!

This is just another example of the random, yet culturally enriching experiences Boston has offered me. I can't wait to see who I spot at the next local film fest...

Trying to define "communication management" is about as hard as nailing jelly to a wall. Because it is one of the most diverse programs offered at Emerson College, it's sometimes difficult to convey to prospective students what is in store when they begin classes here at The Campus on the Common. So, in order to better give you an understanding, I've decided to share a few stories of some CM students and what they are doing with their degrees and in their classes.

My Facebook status last week said that I was "sticky and sweet". I got a few concerned messages from my friends, expressing surprise at the inappropriateness of the extent to which I was sharing my personal life. The majority of people did, however, know what I was talking about. That's right--I went to see one of the two Madonna concerts in Boston from her Sticky & Sweet tour. And was it sticky and sweet! Two hours of people dancing, clapping, singing at the top of their lungs (I had the swollen palms and scratchy voice to prove it).

I have never seen so many people of various ages having so much fun together. Music does make the people come together! Watching her on stage was so captivating that a couple of times I had to remind myself that I still needed to breathe. I heard the other day that Madonna is worth about $527 million; the amount amazed me, but after last night I can see why. For a woman at 50, going through a divorce, she was in her element.