On the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, people around the world are encouraged to come together and give to the causes they care most about. Since BU’s first Giving Tuesday in 2014, we’ve been fortunate to raise donations from Terriers all over the world. Alumni participation in Giving Tuesday supports a variety of on-campus initiatives—from state-of-the-art renovations that help students hone in on their craft to important causes that prepare students to serve their communities. We’ve heard students say their academic experience wouldn’t have been as meaningful without these initiatives and alumni contributions.

Here are some of those stories:

BU Kendo Association

Founded in 2005, the BU Kendo Association has about 50 members, and is coached by Alex Eitoku (CAS’12) and Reina Iwase (CAS’17, GRS’18). Group members’ experience ranges from none to nine years. While many members join the club for the fighting aspect, the veterans say the spiritual side of it keeps them around. Read more.

Light and sounds lab at the Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre

Most people know BU’s Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre, the 75,000-square-foot state-of-the-art theater complex on Comm Ave that opened two years ago, for its soaring lobby and 250-seat theater, home to College of Fine Arts School of Theatre productions.

But the building also houses costume shops, faculty offices, classrooms, and on the third floor, a sprawling Light and Sound lab. Spread over two levels, with catwalks on the upper floor, the lab is in near-constant use. More than two dozen classes, including ones in lighting design, sound design, and media design, use the space throughout the year. The lab also functions as a test facility for lighting design students working on productions to experiment with color and special effects. Designers can see how paint samples for a show’s sets will react to light before a production is loaded into the theater. Read more.

Behind the scenes at Warren Towers Rooftop Garden

The project is the brainchild of Sidney Hare (CAS’22). “I knew that when I went to college I wanted to establish a garden on campus,” Hare says. “ I think that urban gardening is an essential step forward in helping to reduce food deserts, helping mitigate urban heat island effects, and working to greenify cities in a productive manner. Gardening is my passion and I did not want to let living in a city impede me from doing that.” Read more.

Future food reporter Kaya Williams (COM’20)

Kaya is studying journalism at the College of Communication but has made sure to fill her schedule with interesting internships, rock-climbing classes, and mentorship opportunities. Kaya also hopes to dig more into her fascination with food history through BU’s Gastronomy Program. Her obsession with 1950s cookbooks is evident as she talks about the quirky recipe handouts developed by life insurance companies. She also speaks passionately about the Daily Free Press, BU’s independent student newspaper. It was through FreeP (as folks call it) that she developed the editorial, production, and reporting skills she’ll need for her career. Read more.

Meet first-gen student Richard Boylan (COM’22)

Richard Boylan (COM’22) is a first-generation student from Westerly, Rhode Island. As with many first-gen students, attending college was a big event for him and his family. But Richard’s achievements extend far beyond his acceptance to Boston University. He has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of comic books, is a huge fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, has played basketball at TD Garden, and once took a road trip to Philadelphia just to see the famous “Rocky” statue in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Read more.