BU Students In LA Also Feeling 'Chill'

LOS ANGELES—As Boston undergoes its first major snowstorm of the year, students studying “abroad” in Los Angeles are reporting life in Southern California as “chill”.“It’s like, warm but breezy, you know?“ said Derek Benson (COM ‘15). "I could go for a swim at Santa Monica and not feel chilly. But I’m also not going to get too hot after a couple rounds of beach volleyball.”Benson – a formerly pale film student from Illinois – says he decided to study in LA partially due to last winter’s heavy snowfalls, and now works as an intern at RadRepublic, a post-production house that the COM senior reports as “sweet”. ““It’s not too bad, I mainly just mess around on Facebook and get people coffee,” he added.Between his beach trips and acoustic guitar lessons, Benson makes sure to always leave time to “hang out and vibe” with the other students. “It’s what the experience is really all about–making connections and networking.”Other students within the program describe Los Angeles as “way different”, “doper” and “super more chill” than Boston.“I don’t know if I have any complains” Benson ruminated to himself. “There’s a lot of Trader Joe’s, but not a lot of parking in their lots. That can be a hassle, sometimes.”“I’m living the good life, honestly,” explained Casey Johnson (CFA ‘15). “If I’m bored of the ocean or pool, I’ll go on a hike at Runyon Canyon or the Griffith Observatory. If I’m sick of being outside, I’ll go to the dispensary down the street and buy legal weed.”Johnson. an acting student from Michigan, then opened her purse and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “They’re only like $5 here. Like, I didn’t smoke in Boston, but now that I’m in Cali, why not?”“Woah!” Johnson exclaimed as she found a loose $10 bill in her pocket. “I can get 5 tacos from Guisados in East LA,” explained Johnson. “Parking’s probably like $10 unless I park on the street, but I have no clue how to parallel park, so I’ll spend the money”Other students seem more skeptical of the California lifestyle than their program’s counterparts.“I feel fat. All the time. I’m not fat. But I feel it,” explained James Ivory (COM ‘16) whose diet has consisted solely of kale, quinoa and Ralph’s brand seltzer water since moving to Los Angeles.“No other seltzer water compares,” Ivory continued as he took a swig from his gallon bottle, “I guess I can’t find that on the east coast.”At press time, the program’s super-dope RA was hosting an outdoor BBQ that he doesn’t really care if you drink at.