So here comes the summer and soon we shall all escape the Binghamton University bubble, regain exposure to the real world, discover what movies are playing, catch up with worldly events and get a good feel for team chemistry this year on the Yankees — things that we think we know now, but will soon realize we don’t know nearly well enough.

Do not be surprised this summer, in between belligerent nights back home with the pals and posturing as a fine young employee at work, if the world has passed you by during these last few months at BU.

For starters, the horn of Africa isn’t nearly the safe vacation spot we once thought it was. Apparently Blackbeard and Co. have been running amok catching and looting anything that floats long enough for them to pirate, leaving many families to wonder if the torturous lines at amusement parks might be a serious alternative. Come June 12, however, you may be able to reschedule that big trip to Iran; presidential elections are to be held in the Persian Gulf state and things are not looking very bright for conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is up against reformist candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi. After winning the endorsement of the major Iranian political force, “The Association of Combatant Clerics,” Mousavi looks poised to defeat the incumbent, Ahmadinejad, and turn Iran into the hot place for Americans to spend their summer.

Of course, if you are not looking to travel over break you can always stay home and enjoy the world from your television screen! Many in our media have begun to forgo the once-common sugarcoating of atrocities committed by the Israeli government, so story lines are bound to pick up as recently-elected hawks such as Avigdor Lieberman and Benjamin Netanyahu fill the positions of foreign minister and prime minister, respectively. Nothing short of chaos should be expected this summer, as the wacky and crazy combo cruises toward winning nightly spots on Keith Olbermann’s “Worst Person in the World” segment.

On the subject of television, however, all television broadcasts will be digital by June 12. I do not know exactly what sort of science this entails, but I do know that people have to make sure their televisions are compatible with the new broadcasts (particularly older models). Basically, if you expect to watch the tube at some point between mid May and late August, you may want to look into this. Otherwise, perhaps the silver screen would be a more attractive option for some: summer series flicks like “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” and Sacha Baron Cohen’s much anticipated “Bruno” will all be out, and you no longer have to feel left out when conversations about the doings of pop culture arise.

It’ll be interesting to see how this summer plays out, the good and the bad, but with all this in mind, let our long-awaited break promptly begin!

— Ali Rasoulinejad is a freshman English rhetoric major.