The Weekender: February 4 to 7

Photo courtesy of iStock/rudisill

Eat, shop, go

The weekend that football fans have long been awaiting has finally arrived. Even though it will look different this year, all across Boston University students with strong opinions about Tom Brady (positive or negative) will be tuning in to the Big Game. But the Super Bowl doesn’t have to be a super-spreader event. Keep reading for our list of safe, cheap things to do virtually and around campus, with some tips on how to stay safe and have fun this Sunday, courtesy of the team behind F*ck It Won’t Cut It and Oliver Pour (CGS’20, COM’22), Student Union president.

Super Bowl LV Dinner

BU’s Dining Halls are bringing Tampa Bay and Kansas City right into your dorm room Sunday night with a special Super Bowl comfort foods dinner. Representing Kansas City are smoky barbecue ribs and baked beans, although Buccaneers fans might opt for the Florida blackened fish sandwich or Tampa-style Cuban sandwich. If all else fails, grab some crispy buffalo wings, waffle fries, and a football sugar cookie and log on to a virtual watch party with your friends. Read more about how to do so safely below.

Snack Run

Online ordering to grab some Super Bowl watching essentials will also be available at the Warren Towers City Convenience. Order here to limit the amount of time you’re in the store—and still enjoy some chips and dip.

195Essential

Celebrate and recognize Black History Month by supporting a Boston Black-owned business. 195Essential was founded by a father-daughter duo to support essential workers and those impacted by the pandemic. Buy a shirt advocating for voters’ rights or one that displays the famous John Lewis quote: “Make some noise.” Best of all, 50 percent of the proceeds will go to a cause of your choosing.

Celebrate Black History Month with Boston Parks

Did you know several parks around the city have been dedicated to remarkable Black Bostonians? Boston’s Parks and Recreation is highlighting the stories behind these treasured green spaces on its website. With the more frigid weather behind us, visit Roxbury’s Jeep Jones Park (named for civil rights activist Clarence “Jeep” Jones) or the South End’s Harriet Tubman Square this weekend.

First Friday: Jackbox Game Night

The BU Arts Initiative and the Student Advisory Council are hosting their monthly First Friday for a night of themed games and fun. Just hop on Zoom at 4 pm and pick from either Drawful, which challenges players to draw ridiculous prompts, or Bidiots, where players create a “masterpiece” on their mobile device and then the bidding begins. You might even win a prize. RSVP through Eventbrite to sign up.

Watch the Super Bowl in Your Bubble or over Zoom

On Sunday night, plan to watch the game with your roommates in your bubble or have a virtual watch party. F*ck It Won’t Cut It (@fckitwontcutit) recommends setting up the game on one device and connecting a second screen with a Zoom call to watch with your friends (CNET has good instructions on how to set this up). Share your thoughts on commercials and the halftime show on social media and follow F*ck It Won’t Cut It’s social pages for recipes and swag giveaways.

If you choose to see friends outside your bubble, F*ck It Won’t Cut It cofounder Hannah Schweitzer (COM’21) urges everyone to wear a mask, and says that staying outside is safer and off-campus isn’t off limits for the virus. What’s more, the Super Bowl comes at the beginning of the semester, when we all have to be extra careful. “We don’t want to make the Super Bowl a super-spreader event,” Schweitzer says.

Pour recommends that students stay within their small, preestablished groups (and that they root for Tom Brady). “Watching the Super Bowl with your roommate might not be as fun as a 30-person gathering in a typical year,” he adds. “But you’re saving a collective community and that’s the collective effort we need here.”