CRACK! “And the Red Sox win again!” Cheers from the faithful Fenway crowd erupt in the crisp Boston night air. The glow from the stadium lights reflect off the brownstone walls found in Boston University’s expansive campus.

I am a huge Red Sox fan, so this is a major selling point for me. However, there is more to the town of Boston than the Red Sox.

Boston is one of the country’s oldest cities, but that does not mean it is behind in the times. The city is alive with entertainment of all kinds, from visiting musical artists, such as the Jonas Brothers, to professional sports teams, like the Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox, to museums, like the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (http://www.cityofboston.gov/visitors).

“It was great to live in the middle of Boston,” said current AHS history teacher and BU alum Brain Hodges. “It’s such a young city, and there was always lots to do beyond the traditional college stuff.”

32,000 students, 16,000 of which are undergraduate, are currently studying at BU. Students are spread among the 17 colleges and are offered over 250 graduate, undergraduate, doctoral and special degree programs to choose from.

As I walked around the campus, I noticed students of multiple cultures and origins. There were some with Asian, African and European roots. One of the students I talked to said she was originally from Texas, while another was from California. Despite these differences, I could tell they all had one thing in common: a passion for BU.

The cost of this private institution is roughly $36,000 per year, plus about $11,000 per year for room and board. This may seem expensive, but the school also offers $350,100,000 in awards and need-based financial aid.

BU alum Colleen Nestlen, who is a history teacher at Attleboro High School, admitted that attending the school was expensive, but the experiences she had there were “totally worth it.”

Despite its large population, BU offers a 15:1 student to faculty ratio and boasts some of the best professors in the country, such as Rhodes Scholar recipients Jim Collins and Michael Hasselmo, who currently teach biomedical engineering and psychology at the school. Sheldon Lee Glascow, who won a Nobel Prize in 1979, and Elie Wiesel, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986, join Martin Luther King, Jr., among the list of BU Nobel Prize recipients (<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Boston_University_people#Notable_faculty_members>).

The campus is multidimensional, providing students with two different atmospheres. One side of the school offers an urban setting that overlooks Commonwealth Avenue, while the other provides more of a campus feel and features a picturesque view of the Charles River. A popular study spot for many students is the BU Beach, named for the seaside mood created by the wavelike sounds the cars make as they speed by on Storrow Drive.

It was easy for me to imagine beautiful spring days in which this spot is full of students trying to catch some rays while studying for finals. It would be difficult to find a more appropriate studying location.

The 500 student athletes who participate in Division I varsity sports proudly represent their school in 23 different teams. The men’s ice hockey team won a fifth national championship last year, while the women’s basketball team went undefeated in regular season play.

BU’s fan base, known as The Dog Pound, receives benefits for participating in the Terrier Rewards incentive program. Created in 2008, it is free program for all current graduate and undergraduate students that allows them to swipe their school I.D. cards at specific varsity sporting events. Each time they do this, they earn more points toward prizes donated by BU’s sponsors, such as Angora Cafe and the BU Barnes and Noble.

Speaking of that, the BU Bookstore is where I would spend all my money if I were a current student there. It has everything, from BU gear, like sweatshirts and water bottles, to movies and CDs, and of course, books. Students can buy required books for their courses there as well.

For the students who don’t want to participate in varsity athletics, such as myself, but still want a way to have fun and stay in shape, there are multiple co-ed club sports and intramurals available. Synchronized swimming and table tennis are two I would love to try, among many others.

The immense Fitness and Recreation Center is open to all students and features a newly installed rock climbing wall and lazy river. The gym also provides credit and noncredit classes in areas such as yoga, kickboxing and pilates. With all of these activities, there is no danger of gaining the “Freshman 15” here.

Studying abroad is one of the many opportunities available while in college and BU provides many opportunities to do just that with their program of over 4,000 internships and 84 programs worldwide. Certain undergraduate majors have corresponding internship programs established around the globe. The London Graduate Journalism Program offers students a chance to complete their third semester in London and transfer the 16 credits they earn back to BU. There’s nothing like learning how to write from European journalists.

In 1953, Howard Thurman became the Dean of Marsh Chapel, simultaneously becoming the first African-American dean at a predominantly white university. This historic event displays the diversity and opportunity Boston University provides for its students.

“I loved the diversity there. It was nice to get out of my suburban childhood into a place with a great mix of people,” said Hodges.

Any one looking for a place that offers care and support for its students, along with the excitement of a thriving city, look no further. At BU, you can have it all.