Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving. I guess that's all I have to say now... Yes I know... I am lame...

Charity Ball!

Pictures from the Charity Ball. These are here for the primary benefit of my mother. But enjoy whoever else happens to be reading this.

Sam and I...

Josiah and Andrew

J-Brew, Betsy, Katie, and I

Andrew and I in deep thought...

... I hate midterms...

The 'Feldt

So this year is definitely different than last college year. My dorm is actually a great place to live. I really enjoy the community in Niedfeldt this year. The fact that there were more girls in my room tonight than there were all of last year. Maybe I'm just nicer. But I think its partly because the 'Feldt is so inviting this year with all the awesome freshman who have moved in and adjusted well. I really don't prefer to leave during the evenings. Maybe this will change. But I kind of hope not. I think I am going to go to bed now...

Hillsdale- 3rd Semester

Here I am again back in Hillsdale and starting to transition into my new schedule. Yet I made such a transition difficult in part because of my involvement with a seminar on Revolutions conducted by a 93 year old don at Oxford University. James, Stephen, and I agreed to work on various revolutions in the Middle Eastern nations of Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. It should definitely be a fascinating experience although it only lasts the first three weeks of the semester. In the meantime, my Mondays and Wednesdays are swamped with classes going from 9am to 9pm.

I am also continuing my career in college debate which is also proving to be a greater obligation with the arrival of a new debate coach. I have a new job this year, in the admissions office giving tours of the campus to prospective students. So with all of this in mind, the new school year is proving to be just as exciting as the first year. But I am oh so glad to not be a freshman anymore...

Classes are really good thus far. I almost feel kind of overwhelmed by taking both an upper level history and english course. I hope to devote enough time to my semester long 15 page research paper on the topic of American non-interventionism in the 1920's.

Since I am in a rambling mood, I must also confess that my stomach continues to hate me for eating the food around this place. Although that might be a slight over exaggeration, I continue to wonder how I made it through an entire year eating around this place...

Niedfeldt continues to be the place I call home this year. I am so glad I came back for another year here. The freshman appear to be really nice and there is so much more involvement and community here than last year. My procrastination from Spanish homework (which is from El Diablo himself) led me to waste a good half hour of my time sitting out in the lobby with 5-10 other freshman and upperclassmen talking about the most random of subjects. My college experience is now complete as I now better understand the idea of true community in a dorm.

Hope anyone who happened to read this managed to stay awake... time to get back to that Spanish homework...

College Football- BCS predictions

Because you all have been so eagerly anticipating... Here are my predictions for the 2007 College Football BCS games. If you wish, go ahead and list yours (Or if you're Garrett, go ahead and write a counter-post). We shall see who's brilliant display of knowledge comes out on top in the world of college football.

Rose Bowl-
Michigan(11-1) versus Texas (11-1)
Big time rematch that the media will absolutely push for. Both teams will drop a game preventing them from playing for the title.
Winner- Michigan (How could I not?)

Sugar Bowl-
West Virginia (10-2) versus Florida (10-2)
There is no reason West Virginia cannot exploit a weak Big East to get themselves into a BCS game. Urban Meyer gets his team back into a BCS game although not for the title this time.
Winner- Florida

Fiesta Bowl-
Oklahoma (11-1) versus Wisconsin (11-1)
Both teams are due for BCS appearances. Despite the fact that both teams have a quarterback issue, defense and intangibles should get them into a January Bowl at the least.
Winner- Oklahoma

Orange Bowl-
Virginia Tech (11-1) versus Tennessee (10-2)
Toughest one to pick for me. I still think Louisville, Georgia, and maybe even a California team all have legitimate shots at sneaking in one of these bowls. Virginia Tech I am more sure about. They are once again loaded defensively and should lose only to LSU this year.
Winner- Virginia Tech

National Championship-
USC (12-0) versus LSU (12-0)
Yeah I know I am being cautious. But one cannot ignore how powerful both teams are going to be... again...
Winner-USC

The End of Summer

At the beginning of summer, I wrote a post titled "The Beginning of Summer." Creative isn't it? I think that is when I came up with the crazy idea to not drink pop for an extended period of time. The ideas I come up sometime..
It does not seem like it should be the end of summer. It has not sunk in yet that this is my LAST week at home, even as other friends are headed back to their schools for RA training.
There is much to think about concerning this summer. It was pretty quiet in many ways as friends from high school continue to go in different directions. Even more of them became engaged, or got married.
California would be the definite highlight of the summer. I am so glad I spent the money and took the time off from work to make so many amazing memories with the Howards.

The news from this past weekend is a sobering way to end the summer. Life can end so fast, even to those one least expects it to end for. My heart aches for all those mourning for their son and daughter, their brother and sister, their grandson and granddaughter. Life can end so fast--- it is almost unfair...

True Baseball Heroes

As of July 30, 2007 Barry Bonds career home run count stands at 754, one away from tying Hank Aaron as the all time home run leader in baseball history...
On a completely unrelated note (perhaps), Major League baseball inducted two of its finest into the Hall of Fame yesterday.

In a day and age where the overwhelming majority of our athletes in every sport disgust the common American with a lifestyle of extravagance and arrogance, the words and actions of Ripken and Gwynn remind Americans why baseball is truly America's great past time- and why they are its perfect representatives.

In the words of Ripken at his induction speech in front of a record crowd of 75,000 in Cooperstown, New York-

"As years passed, it became clear to me that kids see all, not just some of your actions, but all. Whether we like or not, we big leaguers are role models. The only question is, will it be positive or will it be negative? Should we put players up on pedestals and require that they take responsibility? No. But we should encourage them to use their influence positively to help build up and develop the young people who follow the game. Sports can play a big role in teaching values and principles. Just think. Teamwork, leadership, work ethic and trust are all part of the game, and they are also all factors in what we make of our lives."

"As I experience another new beginning with this induction, I can only hope that all of us, whether we have played on the field or been fans in the stands, can reflect on how fortunate we are and can see our lives as new beginnings that allow us to leave this world a bit better than when we came into it."

"Where would any of us in this game be without the people who love the game and their teams and who even make trips to events like this long after we've put down our gloves and bats? I know some fans look at the streak as a special accomplishment, and while I appreciate that, I always looked at it as just showing up for work every day."

"As I look out at this audience I see thousands of people who do the same -- teachers, police officers, mothers, fathers, businesspeople and many others. You all may not receive the accolades I have throughout my career, so I'd like to take the time out to salute all of you for showing up, working hard and making the world a better place. Thank you all."

Gwynn echoed similar sentiments-

"I never really looked at what I did as anything special- I loved the game. I think that's why you guys are here today. You loved the game, you have a passion for it. I had a passion for it; I still have a passion for it."

"My father said, 'If you work hard, good things will happen,' and he was absolutely right. I worked hard in the game, because I had to. I wasn't talented enough to just get by on ability. I had to work at it."

"I think the fans felt comfortable enough in us, they could trust us and how we played the game, especially in this era of negativity. I don't think there's any question about that."

"When you sign your name on the dotted line, it's more than just playing the game of baseball, you've got to be responsible and make decisions and show people how things are supposed to be done"

On contrast--

“I need to win, man. I've had numbers, but I've never won a World Series.”

“It's called talent. I just have it. I can't explain it. You either have it or you don't.”

“Sometimes I surprise my own damn self.”

- Barry Bonds

Make the decision to support real athletes. The only hope for the continuation of real virtue in professional sports is that athletes like Gwynn and Ripken remain alive and action within society.