tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473 2009-11-08T09:51:19Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.11296 2009-11-08T09:19:59Z 2009-11-08T09:51:19Z

Hey there readers! Wow, it's been awhile since my last update... Anyway, Rome has been treating me pretty well. I've gotten a lot better with my Italian and can communicate somewhat with the locals at stores and restaurants. Also, been...

Martin Lenon targetx Hey there readers! Wow, it's been awhile since my last update... Anyway, Rome has been treating me pretty well. I've gotten a lot better with my Italian and can communicate somewhat with the locals at stores and restaurants. Also, been living more Italian these days, chatting with a couple of friends over a cappuccino just yesterday. Haha! October really flew by. We had midterms two weeks ago and then had a week off for our fall break. Me and another NU study abroad student decided to hit up Barcelona, Paris, and Amsterdam during our break. All three cities were wonderful. I had a great time in each place and they're all very unique cities. A few days in each really wasn't enough. I hope to one day return to experience it all more. I do have to say, however, that Barcelona was my favorite. I could really see myself living there. The city just had such a good vibe. Being so close to the beach also helped. Although, I'd have to learn more Spanish. I can't believe it's already November! That leaves me in Rome for another 6 weeks, and that's bound to fly by even faster. It really will be a bittersweet ending to the semester since I'll be so excited to get back to Boston, but sad to be leaving Rome. Being abroad has, so far, been such a good experience. It's exhilarating to just see something new everyday. There's still so much I haven't seen in Rome, so more exploring is necessary. I've been keeping in touch with my friends in Boston, and last night was Kamayan! Barkada's annual cultural show with the other Filipino student organizations around Boston. I'm sure it was a great event at Blackman, and I wish I could have been there to support. Shout out to them and congrats! More updates to come! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.10871 2009-09-24T21:52:51Z 2009-09-26T17:00:18Z

It's almost been a month since I landed in Rome. The experience so far has been unbelievable. I honestly learn/see something new everyday. While I do miss some of the conveniences we have in the US, and the school services...

Martin Lenon targetx ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.10758 2009-09-09T22:15:06Z 2009-09-09T23:05:14Z

Hi guys! Buongiorno from Roma. The past couple of months have been hectic. My summer was packed with NYC life. The Museums, the great food, the subway, the fast pace, the people! It was a great time and I now...

Martin Lenon targetx Hi guys! Buongiorno from Roma. The past couple of months have been hectic. My summer was packed with NYC life. The Museums, the great food, the subway, the fast pace, the people! It was a great time and I now consider it as a place for me after graduation. Then, I spent some time with my family in Ohio, then back to Boston to finish packing/cleaning/getting ready for my study abroad. So I'm finally here! I arrived last Wednesday and it's been a blast so far. It's a pretty laid back lifestyle in Rome. They have their "siestas" where businesses close mid-afternoon and the city practically shuts off. The people have been friendly and the food has been delicious. Classes started this past Monday, so I'm finally learning more Italian, which is very helpful because I can begin to communicate properly. Our host school, American University of Rome (AUR), has done a terrific job so far with setting up mini excursions for us to the beach, a local lounge, and a walking tour to the Colosseum. I'll post pictures up once I upload them from my camera. A little bit about the process of studying abroad: My program was done through the College of Business Administration (CBA) at Northeastern. CBA's study abroad program was set up only recently and my group is one of the first to go to AUR. It's a terrific program because it allows students to take business courses while abroad. It's also convenient because, as a CBA student, I dealt directly with the coordinator who was very helpful and knowledgeable on my degree requirements and which courses were transferrable back to NU. If you're a business student, I highly suggest going through the CBA's program if you want to study abroad. It's very convenient knowing you don't have to use all your open electives in order to study abroad. They also have pre-approved courses, so you don't have to keep going back and forth with your advisor. The other alternative is to go through the traditional study abroad process, but the deadline is much earlier in the year and not every school allows you to take business courses. If you have any questions about study abroad, I can definitely try to answer some questions, or send you the right way. More updates from Rome soon! Ciao! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.10468 2009-06-24T00:22:42Z 2009-06-24T01:01:45Z

It is the last full week of June, which means it is my last week at Kensington Investment Company! I am very excited to be done with my third and last co-op. It's been one crazy ride at KIC these...

Martin Lenon targetx It is the last full week of June, which means it is my last week at Kensington Investment Company! I am very excited to be done with my third and last co-op. It's been one crazy ride at KIC these past two years with the company feeling the effects of the recession. It has been a great experience furthering my knowledge of the real estate industry and also of the strategic decisions a company has to make to adapt to different economic climates. I've been involved in a few different aspects of the company and I definitely will be taking with me a lot of new/improved skills. I'll miss the people at the office. It's been really fun working with all of them and I'll definitely keep in touch. They're throwing me a going away lunch on Thursday too! Woot! Anyway, will I be working at KIC in the future? We'll see. If a position is available, then they'd be pretty high up on the list, but you never know these days. I do want to keep my options, though, and look around to see where else my experiences will lead me to. If you have any questions about the co-op program, definitely feel free to ask. I'll try to answer them with the best of my knowledge. After this week, it'll be my summer off! It'll be my first since my freshman year! So, what's next for me? I have a few things planned ahead. In July, I will be spending about a month in New York City to experience life in the Big Apple. I am very excited. It'll be a good change of pace from my life here in Boston. August, I will probably be going to see my family in Cincinnati since it's been awhile since I've been home for more than a week. After that, I will be back in Boston to get stuff together for my semester abroad! I don't think I've mentioned this, but I was accepted to the Rome study abroad program through the College of Business. CBA recently started their study abroad program and as soon as a city in Italy was available, I hopped on it. Anyway, so after this co-op I'll be somewhat of a jet-setter. I'll try to keep all of you updated on my travels. tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.10400 2009-06-03T01:04:24Z 2009-06-16T19:12:20Z

This past weekend, I volunteered at City Year's Serve-a-thon with a group sponsored by the Asian American Center. The AAC sponsors a group of students every year to do the Serve-a-thon and I've volunteered every year since my freshman year....

Martin Lenon targetx ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.10393 2009-06-02T04:51:03Z 2009-06-03T01:02:46Z

Summer is really kicking into gear. It's definitely a bit quieter around here, but still a ton of fun. Two weeks ago, some friends and I went to a Red Sox game against Toronto. It ended up being an amazing...

Martin Lenon targetx ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.10308 2009-05-13T02:47:59Z 2009-05-13T02:53:05Z

Summer session is really kicking in. Most people have gone home and campus is definitely a bit quieter these days. But, all is well. I actually really like summers in Boston. Most of my friends are still here, either on...

Martin Lenon targetx Summer session is really kicking in. Most people have gone home and campus is definitely a bit quieter these days. But, all is well. I actually really like summers in Boston. Most of my friends are still here, either on coop or in class. We get real chill time because we don't have Barkada events to plan, and we get to know each other more. The university does a good job accommodating students who stay for the summer too. They have this "Summester" program where the school provides special programs and discounts to events around Boston. There are some real good deals to take yoga classes, see the Blue Man Group, go on a Duck Tour, see musicals, visit Martha's Vineyard, etc... The gym at Marino Center is not as packed too, so that's another plus. Another good thing about summer session is that it's a sign that I have only a month and a half left in my coop! Even though I love being on coop and getting that hands on experience, it'll be very nice to be done and be able to get out during the day to enjoy the sun. My coop experience has been amazing these past few months. I think I made the right decision to come back to KIC to learn more about the real estate industry. I've learned a lot, not only about property accounting and real estate, but also about management and business strategies. Being in the same work place during good and bad economic times has really opened my eyes to how a particular business works, and how fast things can change. By observing different management decisions, I feel that I'm better prepared for the future and running a team of my own. I'll see what events I can go to that's part of this Summester deal. I'll update you on what happens! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.10067 2009-04-21T05:14:38Z 2009-04-21T05:48:12Z

The academic year is coming to a close. People are busy studying for finals, and I have 2 months left at Kensington Investment Company. However, before '08-'09 officially ends, the Student Activities and Leadership Office took some time last week...

Martin Lenon targetx In other news, my coop is two thirds of the way done. I've been getting involved with some of the operations side of the company, such as reconciling our receivables and charging our tenants, and forecasting. It's a nice change from all the accounting work. They all tie together, so I'm really gaining a good understanding of managing and accounting for real estate properties. I'm hoping the last two months of my coop that I am able to continue to learn about the real estate industry and property management. If you have any questions about coop, don't hesitate to leave me a comment and I'll get back at you. ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.9857 2009-04-06T04:00:53Z 2009-04-10T22:01:21Z

It's been a fun couple of days at NU. The Council for University Programming (CUP), has been putting on events for NU's annual Springfest. The two events that I went to were the dance show and the Springfest Concert. Both...

Martin Lenon targetx Next up: Springfest Concert. First, I'd like to say that it was good to have another genre of music come to NU to headline the concert. The past couple of years it's been a lot of hip-hop acts, Lupe Fiasco and Nas in '07 and Ludacris in '08, so this year's change up is refreshing. The show featured DJ Diplo, Guster, and Jimmy Eat World. Diplo started things off right and played some pretty good beats to get everyone pumped up. Guster was good, except I didn't know all their songs, so it was harder to appreciate. Jimmy Eat World was more awesome just because I'm more familiar with their music. Thanks again to CUP for continually putting on great events for this year's Springfest. Already looking forward to next year's! ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.9637 2009-03-24T00:36:29Z 2009-03-24T01:02:24Z

View image View image This past weekend was "Bahay Kubo," Barkada's first culture show since 2004. It was a huge success and all of Barkada's hard work definitely showed through our performances. It really made me proud of the executive...

Martin Lenon targetx View image View image This past weekend was "Bahay Kubo," Barkada's first culture show since 2004. It was a huge success and all of Barkada's hard work definitely showed through our performances. It really made me proud of the executive board that I work with and the general members that stuck with us, performed, and helped put the show together. I'd also like to thank our advisor, Scott Quint, LASO, NU Bangra, and KASA for performing, and everyone who came and showed support! Thank you to all. Seeing all our friends, family, and advisors enjoying the show made all the work we put in worth while. Thanks again! With that said, this culture show really helped me realize how getting involved on campus really enhances your college experience. I have definitely increased my leadership skills as a part of Barkada's executive board. To go along with that, you just get to meet so many people and also impact so many other students in a great way. If you have any questions about student organizations, leadership opportunities, or other ways to get involved here at NU, just leave a comment and I'll respond back. ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.9522 2009-03-13T05:48:30Z 2009-03-13T06:03:42Z

So last week was NU's Spring Break. Lucky for me, I'm on co-op and didn't get to bask under the sun on a nice beach for a week. Sad. Anyway, so what do co-op's do when everyone else is away...

Martin Lenon targetx So last week was NU's Spring Break. Lucky for me, I'm on co-op and didn't get to bask under the sun on a nice beach for a week. Sad. Anyway, so what do co-op's do when everyone else is away you might ask. Well, it's really not that bad of a deal. The school sets up a number of activities for students on co-op. They buy group tickets to Celtics/Bruins games, have yoga classes, host dinners and a whole list of other things that students can sign up to attend. They try to help you relax and get your own mini break, even though you're working during the day. As for me, last week was actually pretty decent. Since people were away, I was partially relieved from any eboard duties for Barkada. There were no meetings to go to, or any events to plan for. It really was somewhat relaxing since I got to go home from work and just hang out with my roommates. On Saturday, I went to a MAE concert in Cambridge at a place called Middle East with some of my friends. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures since I was worried that my camera would get stomped on. That's it for now. I'll try to update you on how my co-op is going on my next post. I'll try to put more pictures up too. As always, if you have any questions about NU, Boston, campus life, housing, etc... just let me know. Leave a comment and I'll definitely get back at you. Thanks loyal readers. Peace. tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.9325 2009-02-28T22:59:20Z 2009-02-28T23:38:41Z

Last week, as part of the Asian American Heritage Week, Barkada hosted an event at afterHours called "Hoy! History. HERstory. OURstory." featuring Emily Lawsin. As a professor, lecturer, activist, and spoken word artist, Lawsin has used her poetry to...

Martin Lenon targetx Last week, as part of the Asian American Heritage Week, Barkada hosted an event at afterHours called "Hoy! History. HERstory. OURstory." featuring Emily Lawsin. As a professor, lecturer, activist, and spoken word artist, Lawsin has used her poetry to spread awareness of her Filipino American background and other causes she believes in. Her performance was great and I'm sure many students who came to the event could relate to her poems about growing up as a minority. Besides Lawsin, it was also great to see students who came up to the mic before her and performed their own poetry/songs. Barkada has also been participating in the ISSI's Carnavale events. A couple of weeks ago, we taught students how to dance the national dance of the Philippines, called tinikling, at the ISSI's Dance Around the World event at the Fenway Center. That was a lot of fun and I got to meet a few of the international students. In other news, we're supposed to get another snow storm lasting for a couple days. Great. For most students, though, they'll miss it, since they're away for Spring Break. More updates soon!]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.9035 2009-02-10T04:44:40Z 2009-02-10T05:33:43Z

Since my last post, there have been another couple of snow storms. Nothing too extreme, but the weather has slowed many people down, myself included. I haven't been able to roam around Boston as much. I've always enjoyed going around...

Martin Lenon targetx Since my last post, there have been another couple of snow storms. Nothing too extreme, but the weather has slowed many people down, myself included. I haven't been able to roam around Boston as much. I've always enjoyed going around the city discovering new places to go eat and hang out at. Once spring rolls around in a couple of months, I'll definitely be going around more often. Work has been going pretty well at my co-op. There's plenty of work to go around and I'm getting involved in a number of different projects. I've recently been assigned two more properties, so I've been staying busy. That's one of the best parts of the co-op program. NU organizes many co-ops with companies that get students involved in the work group. Obviously, some administrative work comes around every now and then, but for the most part, I feel connected and a part of the team. However, not all can be gravy. Our offices used to be located in the Back Bay area of Boston. This meant a 15-20 minute walk from campus, and a variety of lunch spots. Now, we're on the outskirts of downtown by the Children's Museum, so I have a 30 minute commute and there's basically only one place to get lunch at. Tough times. Well that's it for now. More updates later on! tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.9034 2009-02-10T04:34:06Z 2009-02-10T04:43:52Z

Here are just a couple of pictures from the Dance-a-thon that was hosted by Barkada and Sigma Beta Rho a couple of weeks ago... View image View image...

Martin Lenon targetx View image View image ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2009:/neu/MartinLenon//473.8828 2009-01-28T13:04:38Z 2009-01-28T13:11:17Z

This winter has been pretty intense. We’ve had around four or five snow storms so far, which is definitely more than any winter I’ve experienced here in Boston. Luckily, I don’t drive, so I really don’t hate the snow all...

Northeastern University This winter has been pretty intense. We’ve had around four or five snow storms so far, which is definitely more than any winter I’ve experienced here in Boston. Luckily, I don’t drive, so I really don’t hate the snow all that much. The campus and the city do a pretty decent job shoveling and plowing the snow out of my path, so that keeps me happy. I am on co-op this semester and am back at Kensington Investment Company as a Junior Property Accountant. Even though accounting isn’t my major, I enjoy working there because of the exposure I get in the real estate industry, which I have grown very interested in. I have definitely been given more responsibilities since it’s my second term with the company. I’m also supposed to be getting additional projects that involve more finance-related material, so I’m looking forward to that. I’ll keep you all posted on how the co-op is going throughout the semester. This past weekend, Barkada hosted a dance marathon in the Curry Student Center Ballroom to raise funds for Gawad Kalinga (GK), a charity that builds homes in the Philippines and other countries in an attempt to eradicate poverty. It turned out to be a pretty good event as Barkada, with the help of the Northeastern community, raised a little over $2,000, which is very close to the amount needed to build one home. We’re hoping to continue to raise money and awareness for GK’s cause and build an entire village in the Philippines. Pictures from this event will be posted next time! We’re also in the planning process for Barkada’s very own culture show this spring, so I’ll be staying fairly connected to campus life and the NU community while I’m on coop.