🎓🤯 Lizzie McGuire gave us life advice?!

📚 On your mark … get set … READ! The BPL’s adult summer reading series is officially underway! Head to your local branch to pick up your bingo card (and a summer reading tote bag!), and you’re off! 

😋 One more addition to your June calendar … Our partners at Cambridge Taste are returning to University Park on June 17, and it's exactly as enticing as it sounds: 30+ of the best restaurants and bars, all in one place. Grab your tickets before they're gone!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

Boston’s universities celeb-maxxed this year. Several Hollywood stars and household names took the stage at local college commencements last month, sharing everything from their pits and peaks to their thoughts on AI ...

Here’s some of the best life advice we heard:

🙅🏼‍♀️ “Saying no wasn't rejection. It was redirection,” said former Disney star Hilary Duff at Northeastern University. The “Lizzie McGuire” actress shared her journey of finding herself again after saying yes to everything and realizing that it didn’t always match what she really wanted. “I realized just because something is a good opportunity or a good paycheck, it doesn't mean it's right. By simply accepting what the world was offering to me, I was losing my own voice.” 

🎓 Let Harvard become “the least important thing people know about you,” Conan O’Brien said at his alma mater. In typical Conan fashion, he burst out the gate with jokes, even poking at the university’s new cap on A’s. But the meat of his speech was about three virtues that have been instrumental in his career and life: “community, spontaneity, and a real commitment to humility.” While he’s grateful for Harvard, these qualities helped him “build a rich life that means much more to [him] than any diploma.”

🫶 “I live by two words: tenacity and gratitude,” said “Happy Days” actor Henry Winkler at Emerson College (his alma mater!). “Tenacity will get you where you want to go, and gratitude will make you enjoy the journey, no matter how bumpy.” After stumbling his way through school, he eventually made it to Paramount Studios, where he tapped into his talent and imagination. “Your job is to figure out what your gift is because this world needs every single one of you. And your job is to find that gift and give it to the world.” Thanks, Fonzie.

💗 “We have to lead with love, not lead with greed,” will.i.am said to WPI’s graduating class. The rapper and tech investor emphasized the importance of humanity, especially now in a world where AI and technology are rapidly changing industries. “One thing that AI and agents are not going to do is have that lived human love, empathetic passion, community experience — it doesn't have lived experience. … It's not just about money, it's about purpose, it's about intentions.” Real.

👇 “Be here,” said “Wicked” author Gregory Maguire to Simmons University (also an alum!). The self-proclaimed “Boston schlub” urged students to celebrate the present, cherish people openly, and be brave. Staying in the moment, he said, is what has allowed his life to be so full of opportunity. “Not to be able to anticipate the good as well as the fatal is what gives life savor and the thrill of possibility. Without that latter possibility, it is very hard to take a single step,” he said.

You’ve probably seen her byline … so we thought it was time to welcome to B-Side’s brand new newsletter writer, Kelly Chan! Everyone say, “Hi, Kelly!” Kelly’s an award-winning journalist, a Northeastern grad (go Huskies!), an absolutely killer photographer, and a soon-to-be dragon boater (more on that later). We’re so happy to have her aboard! Got questions? Story pitches? Just want to say hey? Shoot her an email at [email protected].

💅 CharlieCards got a MAJOR glow up. Translation: The MBTA rolled out three new card designs! Aren’t they cute? With MA250, SailBoston, and the World Cup this summer, these special cards are meant to be a fun way for visitors to explore the city and remember their travels, according to Train Daddy Eng. The designs give a nod to the T lines and a Boston landmark. The BPL one is our fave. Want one ASAP? Go to Park Street, Downtown Crossing, or Forest Hills. But don’t worry, they’ll be added to over a dozen stations this week. We’ve already been collecting these like Pokémon.  

💩 Will this summer’s event-a-palooza pass the poop test? The state public health department has been testing ~everything~ we flush down the toilet for COVID-19 for years now. But they’re now adding more tests to the list: the flu, RSV, measles, norovirus, mpox, and hepatitis A. Why? To prevent future viral outbreaks. And given the recent rise of mpox cases in Boston, this is definitely a good precaution. Wanna see some virus levels in wastewater near you? Here’s the city’s handy dandy dashboard. 

🚶This MASSIVE new walking trail is coming soon. Remember that guy who walked all 90 miles of Boston’s border? That’s Miles Howard — a fitting name — and he’s got an even bigger challenge coming June 6, a.k.a. National Trails Day. He’s launching a trail on the Boston Trails site that goes through *every* city and town that borders Boston (our knees hurt just writing this …). The trail is 80 to 100 miles (they’ll finalize the official length soon) and will feature green spaces like Blue Hills Reservation and local wonders like this potato sack sculpture.

🎻 (Free) Summer concerts are BACK. The BPL has resumed its Friday lunchtime concert series in their gorgina Copley courtyard — the *perfect* excuse to play hooky after lunch on Fridays. You can check out the musician lineup here. Then later this month, the Boston Harbor Hotel will host its annual waterfront concerts on Tuesdays through Fridays, so you can jam out to live jazz, soul, and blues almost every night this summer.

🍦 Scream for UNLIMITED ice cream. The Scooper Bowl (a.k.a. OUR Super Bowl) is back from June 2-4. Your ticket gets you all-you-can-eat scoops from Ben & Jerry's, Salt & Straw, and more!

🌴 Pull your bestie for a chat … and take them to this “Love Island USA” watch party at Central Wharf Co. tonight. 

🎨 Get crafty on the cheap. The Local Hand’s cozy crafting club is tonight’s perfect post-work unwind. Bring your own project or play around with their supplies.

🍝 Holla for $10 pasta. Friendly reminder that it’s $10 pasta Tuesday at Pazza on Porter. From cacio e pepe to fusilli alfredo, you can try their menu of six classic pastas, just $10 each. 

📚 Get swept up in a summer romance. Ice cold beer + steamy reads = Trident Booksellers’ beach reads book fair in Sam Adams Downtown Taproom on June 3. 

✨ Give your stacks some sparkle. DIY Kindle and bookmark charms are on the agenda at Well Read Lit Club’s summer charm bar event on June 4. 

🥂 Build your network (and your drink order). WXYZ Bar in Boston is hosting a Women's Networking Night at 6 p.m. on June 10. It’s the perfect excuse to meet new people, swap business cards, and maybe leave with a new pal.

Back Door Donuts is in the running AGAIN for USA TODAY’s Best Donut Shop! Last year they landed at No. 5 in the top 10, and this year, they’re going for gold. From legendary apple fritters to maple bacon and Boston cream doughnuts to cinnamon rolls, their just-baked pastries deserve the crown. Cast your vote now!

“Ain't about how fast I get there …” Well this Massachusetts man clearly ignored Miley Cyrus’ message …

Concord native Tyler Andrews didn’t just climb Mount Everest last week, but he did it in a record time … by over an HOUR. Let’s look at the numbers. 

This legend hiked the 29,032-foot peak in only nine hours and 55 minutes — less than the amount of time it takes to fly from Boston to Hawaii. The previous record was set in 2003 by Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, who summited in 10 hours and 56 minutes. This was Tyler’s seventh attempt at trying to crack that time. 

To top it off, this is just one of 100 world records that Tyler has set, including ones at Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Fuji.

Sorry, Miley. Maybe it’s about more than just the climb.

— Written by Emily Schario and Kelly Chan

😮‍💨 Thanks for reading! And here we are huffing and puffing up Beacon Hill … 

💥 The results are in: Wow, almost half of you have FOMO and missed the meteor boom! But a bunch of readers thought it was just another typical Boston sound. One said, “Living on the harbor means all loud noises are probably just the USS Constitution cannon.” Time to check your hearing, y’all!

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] and [email protected].