Although online registration has ended for most of the events, you can purchase tickets by calling Events & Conferences at 617-353-3520.

Before the weekend kicks off, students should pick up their caps and gowns at Barnes & Noble at BU. Bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates must purchase their academic garb, but doctoral candidates have the option of renting. Keep in mind that all rented items must be returned by Thursday, May 23, to avoid late charges. The University will withhold transcripts for any graduate who fails to return rented garb.

Most parking facilities will be open throughout the weekend, but visitors are urged to use the free shuttle bus service running between Kenmore Square and the Track & Tennis Center at 100 Ashford St. to avoid traffic congestion. Visitors can also use the MBTA’s Green Line B trolley to get to the Charles River Campus.

Parking for the disabled will be available throughout the weekend for students and guests attending individual school convocations or other Commencement-related events—no special pass or reservation is required. For Sunday’s All-University Commencement, Lot F at 808 Commonwealth Ave. will be available only to those who have a special Lot F Commencement Day Parking Pass. General Commencement parking will not be allowed in this lot on Sunday. Because of construction, general parking on Babcock Street and adjacent streets will not be permitted throughout the weekend.

In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, security will be tightened at all Commencement venues throughout the weekend. BU Police have issued stringent guidelines. Find more information here.

Ready to celebrate? Check out our list of Commencement events and activities below.

Friday, May 17

Individual School and College Convocations

Schools and colleges will hold individual convocations at various times and locations throughout the weekend, beginning Friday, May 17.

Senior Champagne Reception

Family, friends, deans, and administrators are invited to toast the Class of 2013 at this champagne and hors d’oeuvres reception, hosted by President Robert A. Brown, Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore (SED’87), and the 2013 Senior Week Committee. The celebration is from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Track & Tennis Center, 100 Ashford St. Tickets are $12 per person and can be purchased here or via the Senior Week website. There is no limit to the number of tickets students can buy.

21st Annual Comedy Night

Enjoy a night of laughs during this 90-minute show featuring some of Boston’s funniest comics. The headliner is Greg Fitzimmons (CGS’87, CAS’89), whose routines have been featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with Dave Letterman, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. The show begins at 8 p.m. in the CGS Auditorium, 871 Commonwealth Ave. Admission is $20.

Photos by Melody Komyerov

Saturday, May 18

Individual School and College Convocations

Schools and colleges will hold individual convocations at various times and locations throughout the weekend, beginning Friday, May 17.

Riverboat Cruises on the Charles

Enjoy picturesque views of Boston and Cambridge on a 30-minute cruise along the Charles River. Boats will depart from the BU Sailing Pavilion, rain or shine, between 9:30 a.m. and 2:50 p.m. To get to the pavilion, take the Marsh Chapel Footbridge, near the BU Beach, to the Esplanade, turn left and walk toward the BU Bridge. This event is not accessible to the disabled. Admission is $5.

BU Beach Bash

Come by the BU Beach, behind Marsh Chapel, 735 Commonwealth Ave., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for live music, face-painting, giveaways, and concession stand snacks. Admission is free.

Celebration 2013 Dinner

Keep the celebration going with classmates and families at this buffet, featuring a selection of salads, entrées, and deserts. Beer, wine, and soft drinks are included, and premium beverages can be purchased from the cash bar. There will be two seatings: 5 p.m. (ideal for those planning to attend the Boston Pops performance) and 8 p.m. The dinner is at the Fuller Building, 808 Commonwealth Ave. Admission is free for children under 3, $15 for children 3 to 12, and $30 for adults.

99th Annual BU Night at the Pops

Take part in one of Commencement’s most venerated traditions, BU Night at the Pops, featuring the world-famous Boston Pops orchestra. Saturday’s concert includes a tribute to film and Broadway composer Marvin Hamlisch. A limited number of tickets are still available at the Events & Conferences desk in the fourth floor lobby of Warren Towers, 700 Commonwealth Ave. Tickets range from $24 to $92 and can be purchased via cash or credit card. The concert begins at 8 p.m. at Symphony Hall, 301 Massachusetts Ave. Free round-trip transportation between Warren Towers and Symphony Hall will be provided, starting at 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 19

Individual School and College Convocations

Schools and colleges will hold individual convocations at various times and locations throughout the weekend, beginning Friday, May 17.

Baccalaureate Service

Bishop Peter Weaver (STH’75), retired resident bishop for the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church and a former University trustee, will deliver this year’s Baccalaureate address. The interdenominational service, which is open to all graduates and their families, will be led by the Reverend Dr. Robert Allan Hill, dean of Marsh Chapel. President Robert A. Brown and Jean Morrison, University provost and chief academic officer, will also participate. The service begins at 11 a.m. at Marsh Chapel, 735 Commonwealth Ave. Information about other worship services on campus is available here.

All-University Commencement

The 140th All-University Commencement will begin at 1 p.m. at Nickerson Field. There are no tickets required and no reserved seating, except for disabled guests. Seats are first-come, first-served, and the Nickerson stands fill quickly, so it’s best to arrive no later than noon. All guests and bags will be screened. The ceremony will run approximately two hours and take place rain or shine.

Commencement Webcast

Those unable to attend the All-University Commencement at Nickerson Field can watch the entire ceremony live via webcast beginning at 1 pm. You can also listen to the ceremony live on BU’s National Public Radio station, WBUR 90.9FM.

Speakers

Wendy Kopp, founder and current board chair of Teach for America, will deliver the University’s 140th Commencement Address.

Bishop Peter Weaver (STH’75), retired resident bishop for the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church and a former Boston University trustee, will deliver the Baccalaureate address.

Honorary degrees will be presented at the all-University Commencement ceremony to Kopp and Weaver, as well as to Robert Langer, an engineer and inventor and the David H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT, and to the Academy Award–winning actor Morgan Freeman, who has appeared in more than 70 films. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino (Hon.’01) will also be honored during the Commencement exercises.

Erin Thibeau can be reached at ethibeau@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter at @erinthibeau.

More information about Commencement can be found on the Commencement website.

We stopped by on a recent weekday afternoon to find a number of BU students enjoying a leisurely meal. The café has a casual, cozy décor with exposed brick walls and an eclectic mix of ethnic artwork. The large windows give patrons a perfect perch for people-watching. In keeping with the casual vibe, customers order at the counter, and the food is delivered by the café’s friendly staff.

Seating is plentiful, and because of its proximity to the University, BU Wi-Fi is available, making it especially popular for students looking to check email or study while eating. There is a television in the back for watching soccer and other sports.

But enough about the setting. Let’s talk about the real draw here—the crepes. They are organized on the menu into several categories—savory (six cheeses to choose from), sweet (dessert crepes), vegetarian, super, and signature. The latter offers contemporary takes on classic French fare. The Manhattan crepe ($7.95) has smoked salmon, diced tomato, onion, chopped egg, and cream cheese. Another, billed as the sizzling Saigon, has shrimp, chicken, mushrooms, and scallions in a Vietnamese sauce.

Crispy Crepes Café isn’t just about crepes. Pictured here is a falafel wrap filled with ground chickpeas, garlic, lettuce, tomato, onion, and tahini sauce.

We ordered two savory crepes, a roll-up, and a dessert crepe to finish off the meal. One of the two lunch crepes was a mix of Roma tomatoes, basil, and spinach with Brie ($5.25), the other a roasted pepper, onion, and mushroom crepe with cheddar cheese ($5.75). Both were soft, but crispy on the outside, with melted cheese blended with vegetables inside. The savory gourmet crepes range from $3.95 to $5.75.

Some of the café’s other popular crepe offerings are a California crepe ($6.50): turkey, tomato, cucumber, avocado, spinach, and jack cheese. Another favorite is the Tuscany crepe ($6.70), filled with pesto-scented chicken, Roma tomatoes, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and buffalo mozzarella.

While crepes are the main draw here, the café also serves a wide range of vegetarian and meat roll-ups, salads, grilled paninis, pasta entrees, breakfast foods (omelets, pancakes, French toast, and more), and dinner plates (kabobs, shawarma, and more, which come with generous sides). We ordered the falafel roll-up ($5.50), filled with ground chickpeas, garlic, lettuce, tomato, onion, and tahini sauce, which had just the right amount of tangy bite.

Crispy Crepes Café has a sweet crepe menu that offers decadent snack and dessert options: strawberry and Nutella crepe sprinkled with powdered sugar.

If you want to end your meal with something sweet, you’ve come to the right place. Crispy Crepes offers several dessert crepes. We had a delicious strawberry and Nutella crepe ($6.25), sprinkled with powdered sugar. Nutella is a popular ingredient in the café’s sweet crepes, but they can also be ordered with shaved coconut, banana, and chocolate ($5.95), ricotta cheese and choice of jam ($4.95), and apple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and caramel ($6.25).

Satisfying food at satisfying prices can be hard to come by near campus, but Crispy Crepes Café hits the spot on both counts. It’s the place for either a quick stop between classes or a more leisurely meal with friends.

Crispy Crepes is at 512-A Park Drive, Boston. To get there from Commonwealth Avenue, cross the St. Mary’s Street Bridge (directly across from Marsh Plaza), turn left onto Mountfort Street and then right onto Park Drive. Crispy Crepes is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and accepts cash and major credit cards.

This is part of a weekly series featuring Boston lunch spots of interest to the BU community. If you have any suggestions for places we should feature, leave them in the comments section below. Check out our list of lunchtime tips on Foursquare.

Andreia DeVries can be reached at adevries@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter at @andreia_dev.

There are numerous options for unloading no longer needed books for cash. Some yield higher return rates, while others boast a convenience factor. Unsure of where to go to sell your books? We’ve put together some helpful information to make it easier to decide what option works best for you.

Barnes & Noble at BU

Barnes & Noble at BU is one of the most popular options for students looking to sell back their used textbooks. Store manager Steve Turco says that the store will even buy back books bought elsewhere. But the store won’t take everything.

Turco says that whether a book is registered to be used in the coming semester is the most important factor the store considers when determining which books to buy back, and the price. “If it’s a book that’s going to be used in the upcoming semester and the professor has notified us, in most cases we will buy it at 50 percent of the selling price of the book,” he says. The store considers several other factors in deciding how much it will pay for a used book: the number of copies in print, the edition year, and of course, its condition.

The main advantage of selling to Barnes & Noble, says Turco, is that the store already knows what books will be needed next semester, information that online sites and mobile book trucks don’t have. “We have a larger percentage of titles that have a higher dollar return than any of the buyback trucks that you see on campus,” Turco notes. “If you bring 10 books to us, chances are you’ll get more money from us than if you brought those same 10 books to one of the trucks.”

There’s another bonus to selling your books at Barnes & Noble: if you’ve forgotten that you actually rented the book from B&N that you’re trying to sell back, the bookstore will flag it for you. However, if you accidentally sell a book you’ve rented from the store to another outfit, you’ll have to pay the used price of the book (75 percent of the purchase price) plus a 7.5 percent processing fee. Find out whether Barnes & Noble at BU will buy back your books here.

Barnes & Noble at BU buys back books during regular store hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. The store does not have a cutoff date for buying back books, but the rental return deadline is May 13.

A stack of used books on a Barnes & Noble at BU shelf will be resold to students. Photo by Cydney Scott

Book trucks

For sheer convenience, you can’t beat the local book trucks that dot campus at the end of each semester. There’s no standing in line, no trips to the post office to mail your books to a website. And many of them will buy back marked up workbooks and study guides as well as old editions—which the campus bookstore will not. But seller beware: chances are you won’t get as much money here as you would elsewhere.

“I sold my books back to the trucks because they are close and convenient,” says Jen Casali (COM’13). “However, they usually only give me $5 or so for a book that cost me over $100. They also don’t accept a lot of my books. That’s why I did it differently this year and rented my books from Barnes & Noble.”

The personnel at the trucks we spoke to said a book’s condition and its popularity at schools across the country determine whether they’ll take the book and how much they’ll pay.

The book trucks most frequently park in the East Campus area on Granby Street and Silber Way, and on West Campus on Commonwealth Avenue near Agganis Arena. Days and times vary by truck, but they’re typically there from 9 a.m. until early evening on weekdays and in some instances on Saturdays as well.

Online sites

If you don’t need the money immediately, you may want to consider selling your textbooks through one of the more reputable commercial websites, such as Amazon, half.com, or Chegg.com.

“I sell my books on Amazon.com,” says Alexander Gazman (ENG’13). “I get more money doing that than by selling them on the street or at Barnes & Noble.”

At Amazon and half.com, you can choose the price you want for a book: you then wait for a buyer. The money goes directly to you, but you must ship the book yourself. Another site, Chegg.com, will buy your books directly and give you a price quote so you know in advance how much you’ll get. But read the small print. You don’t get cash back. Instead, you get either what’s called Chegg Credit, which you can use in the future to rent or buy books or services on the website, or a prepaid Serve Card from American Express that is accepted wherever American Express cards can be used. Chegg will send you a prepaid shipping label, but you need to drop your books off at a United Parcel Service store, not a post office.

And it’s important to note that Chegg accepts only books that are in very good condition. That means no broken spines, torn or missing pages, or excessive marking up. Find more details here. On Amazon and half.com, you can sell books in any condition, but you must accurately describe their condition to potential buyers.

Social media

Some students report that the best way to get a good return on your books is using social media to find buyers in the BU community.

“It’s the easiest way to find people who are taking the same classes. It is also easy to meet up and exchange, and you make more money than if you sell back at Barnes & Noble or the trucks,” says Sarah Fleet Coleman (SAR’14, CAS’14). “For classes where I barely used the book, I’ll sell it for about a third less, and if it is pretty used, then I’ll do half off. I’m always flexible with prices because I’d rather sell it for less than not at all. Usually people will just ask if I can go down on the price over a Facebook message.”

There is also a public Facebook group called BU Students Selling BU Books for BU Courses, which has almost 3,000 members.

Selling back your books on social media lets you target your audience to the BU community and avoid shipping. It also allows for the greatest amount of negotiation.

How do you sell your unwanted textbooks? Tell us in the comments section below.

Andreia DeVries can be reached at adevries@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter at @andreia_dev.

The Knight’s Quest, a BU tradition since 1988, has been conquered by more than 1,800 students, faculty, staff, and alumni, all of whom have devoted serious time, energy, and money to educate themselves on the different types of beer.

“It’s one of those things that everyone talks about, but few people actually accomplish,” says Emily Paccione (COM’13), who began the quest in January 2012, when she turned 21, and finished it eight months later. “The quest was on my BU bucket list.”

BU Pub manager Josh Brochu estimates that 200 people start the quest every semester, but only half manage to finish the requisite 50 beers, sometimes because they decide to drink only the beers they like and sometimes because of the steep monetary commitment (most beers range from $5 to $12). Another deterrent for some is the quest’s written-in-stone rules: imbibers must be over 21, they are limited to two beers per day and no more than two drinks per hour, and the quest cannot be completed in fewer than 12 weeks.

Domenic Dion (CAS'13) tries a bartender's choice drink.

For those who accept the challenge, the Knight’s Quest is just another way to join the BU Pub’s community, says Brochu, who may have the most coveted job on campus: choosing the beers carried by the pub.

“I like the quest because the bartenders get to know you,” Brochu says, “and they love explaining the beers and educating people about beer and the different types to try.” Besides the quest, the pub has karaoke, trivia, and game nights.

To begin, hopeful knights sign up for the quest at the bar and put their John Hancock on the rules sheet. A Rolodex card keeps track of the beers they drink, and the list of available beers changes about twice a semester, with new seasonal brews added.

The quest is not just about quaffing quality beers. It’s intended to educate people about beer and expose them to new beers from all over the world. They range from simplistic—Sam Adams Seasonal and Coors Light—to the more adventurous, with names like Sixpoint Bengali Tiger, Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale, and the Harpoon Leviathan series.

Dan Plucinsky (CAS’13), who was knighted last semester, says education was a big reason he started the quest. “You try beers that you probably wouldn’t try if they weren’t on the list,” Plucinsky says. “There are lots of local beers and beers from around the world. It’s an achievement to be able to say that you’ve tried so many different types of beer and know what’s out there.”

In addition to getting to know various types of beers, Domenic Dion (CAS’13) is glad to be a knight because it gives him a reason to spend time at the Pub. “A lot of people come here between classes,” Dion says, “or come here to do work. It’s a good place to study. It has a chill atmosphere.”

The Knight’s Quest has been a BU tradition since 1988.

Knighting ceremonies are held on Thursday and Friday nights, starting at 7 p.m. with knights-to-be drinking two bartender’s choice drinks. Each knight-to-be is encouraged to invite friends, and free appetizers like buffalo wings make the rounds.

The hopeful knight’s friends also have work to do. It’s their job to come up with potential names for the would-be knight, who kneels before the bartender as he reads the list of names the friends have suggested. The one with the most applause—and often the most embarrassing—is the one that sticks. Dante Smith (ENG’12, MED’18), a knight since spring 2011, earned the name Sir Magic the Gathering, Girls the Leaving, but many names are not suitable for publishing.

At this point the new knight is given a personalized glass and may drink out of a pewter tankard during any future visit to the pub.

Stella Shalita (COM’14) started the quest in October 2012 and was knighted last Thursday, wearing a fur coat her friends brought and using a personalized sword. “It was a big deal for us,” she says with a laugh. “The pub is one of my favorite parts of BU, because on any different day you’ll see your friends, Dean Elmore, maybe a professor. The Knight’s Quest just furthers the sense of community here.”

Over 21 and interested in starting the Knight’s Quest? See BU Pub manager Josh Brochu for information.

The BU Pub is in the basement of the Castle, 225 Bay State Road; phone: 617-353-7782. The pub accepts MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and dining and convenience points and is open to faculty, staff, and students who are 21 +.

“I immediately knew something was wrong,” says Flynn (CAS’14), who is among 16 BU students in the Padua Language & Liberal Arts Program. She learned the dreadful details of the blasts by streaming Boston news, and later watched President Barack Obama’s press conference, translated into Italian. The next day, she says, she went to class at the University of Padua, and no one was talking about Monday’s tragedy.

“That was very surreal, because it was all I had been thinking about for the past 12 hours,” Flynn says. “I felt like I was living in two worlds—one in Boston, the other here.”

But in fact, many in Padua were paying attention. Mayor Flavio Zanonato had just returned from a trip to Boston, a sister city since 1982, and was deeply distressed by the news. Lu Lingzi (GRS’14) was one of three people killed in the blasts; another BU graduate student was among the more than 170 injured. The mayor organized a vigil for Tuesday night that was attended by more than 200 people, including city dignitaries, BU staff and students, and local residents.

Elisabetta Convento, director of BU’s Padua and Venice programs, says students felt disoriented, helpless, and speechless following Monday’s attack. They repeatedly checked the news, Twitter, and Facebook for updates. Some texted family and friends when their calls failed to get through to Boston.

“Dealing with the news is extremely hard because of the distance,” says Ashley Chia (CAS’14). “Being far away doesn’t mean my heart is not always in Boston. It’s frustrating to not be able to comfort your friends, except with text messages. But I’d have to say, the study abroad students are just as hurt from this. Boston’s our home.”

Elisabetta Convento, director of the BU Padua and Venice programs, spoke at the vigil for Boston. Photo by Amanda Wolkin

Most BU Padua students attended the Tuesday vigil. Flynn, who was among them, says she appreciated the mayor’s effort. “When we hear about things like this happening in other countries,” she says, “we don’t realize how big a deal it is because it’s so far away. But then something like this happens, and you realize how much it matters when it affects you personally.”

“My Boston pride ran deep that night hearing how much of a strong city it is and the impact it’s made on people halfway across the world,” says Chia, who also attended the vigil. “It made me realize that although we’re in a foreign country, we’re not alone in mourning.”

Bonnie Ponthier, a student affairs coordinator for the BU Padua program, was also at the vigil, although she’d never been to Boston. “I was there for the people of Boston,” she says. “I was there to grieve their losses of life as well as their sense of security. I was there for myself as a fellow American.”

Coincidentally, Padua’s annual marathon is slated for Sunday, April 21. Zanonato decided to dedicate the race to Boston, and says he and other public officials will run at least part of the route to demonstrate their support. Several BU students, including Chia, will also lace up in solidarity with their adopted hometown.

“It may be a small gesture,” Chia says, “but we’re limited by being abroad.”

Not much of a runner, Flynn says she plans to document the event with photographs.

Now in its 25th year, the BU Padua program is a traditional language and cultural immersion experience that runs throughout the year and attracts anywhere from 10 to 25 students each semester, says Willis Wang, a University vice president and associate provost for global programs.

“This world is quite small and closely connected,” Wang says. “We’re all touched by many different events that are profoundly life-changing. Many are wonderful and positive, and some are very tragic.”

A small group of us found the place crowded when we stopped by for lunch recently. With its reasonable prices and fairly generous servings, it was easy to see why. Despite the crowd, the service was fast and friendly.

The restaurant prides itself on offering authentic Thai cuisine. The appetizer list immediately attracted our attention, and we ordered several, beginning with the fried butterflies ($5.25)—wonton skins filled with ground chicken, sautéed with herbs, ground roasted peanuts, and turnips, and served with sweet and sour or soy sauce. The skins are shaped in the form of butterflies and were crispy on the outside and crunchy on the inside, thanks to the roasted peanuts. The golden triangles ($4.95), deep-fried and stuffed with potatoes, onions, and light curry powder, came next and were equally good. We rounded out our appetizers with one of the Thai Dish soups—the Tom Kha Kai ($3.50)—slices of chicken breast and mushrooms in a light coconut milk, flavored with galangal, chilies, and lime. The creamy and salty soup hit the spot—the lime gave it just the right tanginess.

Among the many appetizers are fried butterflies (top), wonton skins filled with ground chicken, sautéed with herbs, ground roasted peanuts, and turnips, served with sweet and sour or soy sauce, and golden triangles (bottom), stuffed with potatoes, onions, and light curry powder.

We employed the same strategy ordering entrées, selecting several to sample as many tastes as possible. Our favorite was the pineapple fried rice with chicken ($7.75). In addition to pineapple and chicken, the rice was loaded with eggs, cashews, scallions, and raisins. It wasn’t just the taste that impressed us, but the presentation: it filled a hollowed-out pineapple. Although usually served this way only during dinner, the day we stopped by it came that way at lunch too.

For our other entrées we chose the mango curry with chicken ($7.75), flavored with red chili paste and yellow curry powder, tossed with mango and onion slices, and the drunken chicken ($8.75), stir-fried ground chicken breasts, green beans, and basil leaves in a spicy sauce. We especially enjoyed the mango curry in the first dish. Unlike many Thai restaurants, where the curry is overwhelmed with other flavors, here the mango remained the main focus. The drunken chicken was also tasty, offering a unique blend of classic flavors. Both dishes were pretty spicy, but the restaurant is happy to prepare most entrées specifically to order, so it’s possible to get milder versions of both.

Thai Dish’s appealing array of salads include duck salad ($11.95), dressed in a spicy lime sauce, and papaya salad ($6.50), featuring shredded green papaya, green beans, crushed peanuts, and tomatoes with a fresh lime dressing, as well as numerous noodle dishes and curries served with a choice of chicken, pork, tofu, duck, seafood, or vegetables.

If you are looking for a tasty lunch at a decent price close to campus, Thai Dish is definitely worth the trip.

Mango curry with chicken (front), flavored with red chili paste and additional yellow curry powder, tossed with mango and onion slices; and drunken chicken (back), stir-fried ground chicken tender, green beans and basil leaves in spicy sauce.

Thai Dish, 636 Beacon St, Kenmore Square, is open Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. The restaurant accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover; the credit card minimum is $10.

This is part of a weekly series featuring Boston lunch spots of interest to the BU community. If you have any suggestions for places we should feature, leave them in the comments section below. Check out our list of lunchtime tips on Foursquare.

Andreia DeVries can be reached at adevries@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter at @andreia_dev.

In 2010, the average opening day ticket went for nearly $450. Fans attending today’s home opener are paying about half that. This spring’s average preseason price for a Sox ticket was $118.72, down from $151.10 a year ago. The Red Sox have sold out an astonishing 793 straight games at Fenway Park, but team executives expect that streak to be broken this season.

Despite the drop in sales, a ticket to a Red Sox game is still a hot commodity. The team is off to a strong start, and if the Sox continue to play well in the coming weeks, fans may once again have to pay top dollar. With that in mind, BU Today offers personality profiles of six buyers, each with a unique strategy. One of these strategies just may get you inside Fenway Park.

Photo by flickr contributor misconmike

The Opportunist

Boston University is offering a “Fenway Takeover” to its 2013 graduates on Tuesday, May 14, as a part of Senior Week. Tickets are $20 for the Class of 2013, and seniors will have a chance to walk on the field, take a picture in front of the Green Monster, and have exclusive access to the concourse.

You can also enter the Red Sox online waiting room for tickets as soon as they go on sale.

The Philanthropist

If you’ve never thought of a night out at Fenway as a charitable way to spend your time and money, it’s time you discovered the Red Sox Foundation. What better way to get your hands on tickets than through the team’s official charity? The foundation auctions off tickets for some of Fenway’s most in-demand games on its website. You can also experience the game by volunteering with the BU Red Sox Green Team. This group of 30 to 50 volunteers gathers beer cups, water bottles, and other recyclables from fans during the first seven innings—all the while keeping an eye on the game, of course. The Green Team volunteers at two games a month. Find out how to sign up here.

“It was really cool to get to walk all the way down to the field to pick up the recycling for those seats,” says Jessica Beavis (COM’12). “I got to get a lot closer to the field than I probably ever would have if I had just purchased tickets. We also got to help the environment. So it was totally worth it.”

The Waiting Gamer

Two hours before each game, a limited number of tickets go on sale at Fenway’s Gate E, on Lansdowne Street. Unfortunately, fans often start lining up for them four or five hours before game time, so there is no guarantee any will be left by the time you make it to the front of the line. Also, these tickets are typically for single and obstructed-view seats or for standing room. That said, they go for face value, and if you’re lucky, you can get into a game that has been sold out for months.

Photo by flickr contributor misconmike

The Headhunter

Buying Red Sox tickets from a scalper typically means paying more than face value—often much more. And although scalping tickets is illegal in Massachusetts, the biggest problem for buyers is not getting busted, but rather winding up with fake tickets. “Ask to look at the ticket,” advises one experienced alum. “Make sure the date, time, and opponent are correct. Check whether or not that section and seat exist.” To get the best bargain, he suggests buying right before a game begins, right after it has started, or if the forecast calls for rain.

The Gambler

Buying tickets online at craigslist or eBay is another option. Transactions can be faster and easier on craigslist because you are dealing person-to-person. Tickets can usually be purchased at face value on Craigslist, but are often much higher on eBay.

The Doughboy

StubHub is an open marketplace where any person can sell any ticket. Many fans swear by it, but the Doughboy must be prepared to fork over the extra dough. The site charges a 10 percent commission, plus shipping fees or pickup fees. Ace Ticket is another option.

More information about buying tickets to Red Sox games can be found here.

Paul Ryan can be reached at pryan41@gmail.com.

Yes, you’ll find stalwarts like Pabst Blue Ribbon and Harpoon on draft. But there are harder-to-find selections, like BBC Coffeehouse Porter and Jack’s Abby Jabby Brau. The Lower Depth’s bottle list is almost encyclopedic: lagers, pilsners, bocks, porters, stouts, wheats, lambics, ciders, fruit beers, and enough ales (brown, strong, scotch, amber, and pale) to please any palette. Find a complete list of beers available by the bottle here.

The bar also offers a small but adequate wine list. But for other alcoholic beverages, it’s the wrong place. The Lower Depths serves no hard liquor.

The menu features classic bar fare: chicken tenders ($10), grilled chicken quesadilla ($10), and nachos ($11). We ordered the nachos—good, but nothing extraordinary. But there are more unusual specialty items available too: beer cheese dip ($8), a combination of gooey American cheese, tomatoes, onions, green chilies, and beer, served warm with tortilla chips; arancini ($6), panko-crusted deep-fried risotto balls with different fillings and sauces; and entrées like the car-beer-nara pasta ($12), spaghetti tossed with bacon and peas in a garlic wheat beer butter sauce. But the best deal on the menu is the Fenway Frank. A grilled all-beef hot dog or veggie dog is just $1 ($2 for a foot-long) and arrives in a toasted, buttered New England–style bun that makes a standard hot dog roll pale in comparison. A selection of “pimp toppings,” like sauerkraut, are available for an additional dollar each, but all of the standard toppings (mustard, ketchup, relish) are free.

The Kenmore Tater Tot Platter: a plate of tater tots covered in melted cheese, applewood smoked bacon, chipotle aioli, and scallions.

Lower Depths’ interior is inviting and cozy. The one room features a bar, some stools along the wall, and just over a dozen small tables. A few TVs above the bar offer a mix of sports, news, and entertainment. The room is anchored by a huge mural, inspired by Maxim Gorky’s dark play The Lower Depths, of real-life Americans the bar’s owners say could have been characters in the play: among them rockers Sid Vicious and Patti Smith, daredevil Evel Knievel, and, of course, Gorky himself.

During warm weather, patrons can enjoy the small outdoor patio, but only if they’re ordering food as well as drinks. For drinks only, you have to sit inside.

Favored guests are invited to join the Mug Club. The club’s membership card is given out selectively to patrons well-liked by the staff. A card holder has six months to attempt to drink all 150 of the bottled beers on tap (so you’d better plan on being a regular if you’re asked to join). Anyone completing the challenge is given a 26-ounce mug to be stored at the bar. Members name their mug after well known lowlifes, and the name is then engraved on the mug. Best of all, members get a discount on the draft beer of the night.

The outdoor patio is open when the weather is warm enough.

The Lower Depths is a popular destination for tourists and sports enthusiasts when the Red Sox play at home: it can be almost impossible to get a table on game days. But the rest of the time, the tap room attracts an interesting group of friendly regulars—people like local sculptor and painter David Bowen, whose ceramic masks decorate two of the bar’s walls.

Given its convenient location, reasonable prices, and ample beer selection, the Lower Depths is a good place to enjoy a quick drink at the bar or a longer meal with friends. If you’re going, stop at a bank machine first, as the place proudly insists on cash only. There is an ATM next to the front door.

The Lower Depths Tap Room, 476 Commonwealth Ave., Kenmore Square, phone: 617-266-6662, is open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. You must be 21+ to enter after 10 p.m. and before and after Red Sox games. At other times, those under 21 are welcome to order food and nonalcoholic beverages.

Andreia DeVries can be reached at adevries@bu.edu; follow her on Twitter at @andreia_dev.

Since 2007, Lockhart has been artistic advisor and principal conductor of the Brevard Music Center and Festival in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, one of the country’s leading institutions for gifted young musicians. He’s also principal conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra, based in London, and he can be heard each weekday on WGBH 99.5 FM, where he shares stories about composers and performers in the series Keith’s Classical Corner.

As head of the Pops, Lockhart (Hon.’04) has shown a talent for performing both classical and popular repertoire. He’s as much at ease leading the orchestra in Broadway show tunes and popular standards as he is in performing Beethoven, Ravel, and Mozart.

He’s become one of the nation’s leading ambassadors of music, as well as one of the most recognizable, thanks largely to his annual televised Fourth of July concerts on the Boston Esplanade and at such popular venues as the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the Super Bowl in New Orleans in 2002, and last year’s Diamond Jubilee concert in London for Queen Elizabeth.

The still boyish-looking Lockhart has also gained plaudits for championing the music of young composers and performers. Ben Folds, My Morning Jacket, Aimee Mann, and Amanda Palmer have all appeared with the Pops under his baton.

Lockhart recently donated his papers to the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center (HGARC) at Boston University, which houses more than 2,000 historical, literary, and contemporary collections, among them the papers of legendary Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler (Hon.’51), who helmed the orchestra for 50 years. As part of HGARC’s Friends Speakers Series, Lockhart will be on campus tonight to talk about his career. The event, free to BU students with a valid ID ($25 for the general public) will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the George Sherman Union Metcalf Ballroom.

“I pursued Keith Lockhart for his archive because he is an internationally renowned maestro,” says HGARC director Vita Paladino (MET’79, SSW’93). “Keith’s contribution to the Boston Pops has been very important to its evolution, and his work with the BBC orchestra and his other conducting duties make him an international figure in contemporary orchestral music.”

Among the 29 cartons of memorabilia Lockhart has donated so far (some of which will be on display at tonight’s event) are an undated letter from New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady thanking Lockhart for a gift of Pops Christmas CDs, a note from actor and banjo player Steve Martin following Martin’s appearance with the orchestra last spring, and a photo of the conductor throwing out the first pitch at a 2009 Red Sox game.

Keith Lockhart (from left) is welcomed to Symphony Hall by fellow conductors John Williams and Seiji Ozawa after being appointed conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1995. Photo by Miro Vintoniv. From the HGARC Keith Lockhart Collection

Lockhart, who is about to launch his 19th season with the Pops (Megan Hilty of NBC’s Smash and Matthew Morrison, the star of Glee, are among the guests who will be performing with the orchestra), spoke with BU Today about his career, the challenges of getting young audiences to listen to symphony orchestras, and his advice for aspiring musicians.

BU Today: You took up piano at age seven. At what point did you know you wanted to be a conductor?

Lockhart: I conducted various things while still in high school, but it wasn’t until late in my undergraduate time, finishing degrees in piano performance and German at Furman University, that, responding to a teacher’s challenge, I began to consider conducting as a possible career.

How would you describe the mission of the Boston Pops, and what do you envision for the orchestra?

We are the orchestra for people who don’t know they like orchestras. Our mission is to perform the widest possible repertoire for the widest possible audience. We think of ourselves as the ultimate outreach tool of the orchestral music industry. My illustrious predecessor Arthur Fiedler once said, “We only play one kind of music at the Boston Pops…the interesting kind.” We like to think that’s still true.

When I first came to Boston as a relatively young 35-year-old conductor, I met people my age who said, ‘We’re so glad you’re here; my parents love the Pops!’ It struck me that we needed to continue to address new audiences, and that simple reverence for a now 128-year-old institution wasn’t enough. The Pops have the power to be a potent force in connecting millions of people with the glories of great music, one of the greatest treasures our culture has produced.

Speaking of Fiedler, how have musical tastes changed from the era when he conducted the Pops to today?

The “popular music” performed by Arthur Fiedler in the ’40s and ’50s consisted mostly of lushly orchestrated Broadway musicals and Nelson Riddle arrangements for Frank Sinatra tunes. With the advent of electronica—from Chuck Berry and the Beatles to the present day—the job of translation to our sound world has become much harder. Our response has been to focus on music that we can wear easily and well—world music, for instance—and the music of acoustically oriented indie-rock bands and singer-songwriters.

As Pops conductor, you have to straddle the worlds of classical music and popular music. How do you do that?

Two things come to mind: one, that we always try to ensure that the Boston Pops is the star of its own show, no matter how big a star we’re appearing with. Second, I try to think about the type of audience who will be attending and make sure that everyone in the room leaves thinking that there’s at least one piece on the program that we put there just for them.

“Attracting younger audiences is about planting a seed that will develop later, maybe much later, down the line," Lockhart says. Photo by Michael J. Lutch

Much has been made of the shrinking audience for live classical music—how much does that concern you and how are you addressing it?

In 1911, I believe, the music critic Philip Hale wrote an article in a Boston newspaper where he decried the graying of the classical audience and said that if the trend wasn’t reversed, there would be no audience by 1925. The rumors of our death have always been overexaggerated. That having been said, we live in an age of previously unparalleled change in the way we interact with each other and our culture. The internet age has created a “separate pod” mentality that is antithetical to what we try to create as artists. We have to sell the value of joining your fellow humans in the process of art being made. If we can’t sell that, and lose out to virtual reality, then we and our world stand to suffer greatly.

Attracting younger audiences is about planting a seed that will develop later, maybe much later, down the line. People who come to hear us with Amanda Palmer are not likely to show up the next week for a Leroy Anderson tribute, but it’s about making the point that the orchestra exists for people across all age brackets and musical tastes.

Besides the Pops, you conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra and are Brevard Music Center artistic advisor and principal conductor. How do you manage all that?

Those aren’t the tough parts. You should have asked me how I balance all that with having nine-year-old, three-year-old, and one-year-old sons. My life is very full, but very satisfying. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

You attended Furman and Carnegie Mellon Universities. Why did you decide to give your collection to the Gotlieb Center?

BU has such a fantastic archival collection, really unrivaled. Besides, although I have a great deal of affection for my alma mater, my life and career will always be viewed as Boston-centric, so it makes sense that the reference materials are here. I’m honored to share the same space with Arthur Fiedler, who really made this all possible. Talk about standing on the shoulders of giants.

What advice do you give to young people aspiring to a conducting career?

My first advice would be, don’t. After that, I would tell them what one of my teachers told me at Aspen in the summer of 1980, when I was just making the decision to go forward with this crazy idea that I could conduct for a living. He said, “This is a really difficult and unforgiving profession, but I can guarantee you that every one in this room [there were probably 15 of us] will have one, and probably only one, moment of opportunity. Be absolutely sure that you are prepared for that one moment. Chances are you won’t get a second one.” Still true.

Keith Lockhart speaks tonight, Wednesday, April 3, at 6 p.m. in the Metcalf Ballroom, George Sherman Union, 775 Commonwealth Ave., as part of the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center’s Friends Speaker Series. A cocktail reception precedes the event at 5:30 p.m. and follows the talk. Tickets are free for BU students and Friends of the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center (membership card required for admittance) and $25 for the general public. RSVP by calling 617-353-3697.

“The BU Class of 2017 is truly extraordinary and among the most accomplished in the University’s history,” says Kelly Walter, an associate vice president and executive director of admissions. Collectively, the students offered acceptance come from the top 9 percent of their high school class, have an A- average, and scored an average 2016 on their SATs. But they aren’t just a bunch of brainiacs: some speak six languages, others have earned a black belt in tae kwon do, marched in Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee parade, and conducted research on the neurosystems of zebra fish.

“What I really have come to appreciate over the years is that our students are multifaceted,” Walter says. “Academics has been a priority, without a doubt, but these students are not one-dimensional. They do have talents, skills, and high aspirations, and they want to bring them to BU.”

Admissions received a record-breaking 52,693 applicants to fill 3,800 seats in the Class of 2017. That’s a 20 percent increase over last year’s record of 44,006 applicants for a class of 3,900. Walter says the jump in applications came as a surprise, but proves the University’s strengthening position in the marketplace. Students have until May 1 to accept their offers.

While BU’s overall admissions rate was just over one-third of students, it was much tighter in certain schools and colleges. The School of Management had 42 percent more applicants and admitted just 22 percent.

Sargent College reported a whopping 67 percent increase in applications and an admission rate of 22 percent. “The quality of the admitted students is much higher, given that we were able to be so selective,” says Gloria Waters, dean of SAR. “SAT scores of admitted students are 42 points higher than last year. In addition, students accepted to Sargent had the highest GPA and high school rank of any college in the university.”

The professions are gaining in popularity, Walter notes, as jobs are becoming more plentiful in industries like health care and business. “There are always trends and patterns in enrollment based on what is happening in society,” she says. During the height of the financial crisis five years ago, fewer students were interested in SMG. “People were skittish about studying business.”

Boston University’s admission rates are now on a par with peer institutions like New York University and Boston College, Walter says, and the University is even more selective than institutions like George Washington University and American University.

“We’re very proud of where we are today and what we’ve accomplished,” Walter says.