Finals! We don't need no stinkin' finals!

Blazing Saddles allusions aside, it is finals week this week, and yes, I do need some stinkin' finals. Three to be precise...well, two now. May I recommend to all of you readers buy stock in whatever brand of coffee you can find, because consumption of the stuff will be off the charts on university campuses across the country for the next two or three weeks.

My first finals week is most certainly an interesting beast. Better than I expected in some ways, worse in others, I'm not entirely sure what to make of it yet. In honor of my confused, bewildered feelings (do I have any other kind?) I have prepared for you not one, but TWO, count 'em, TWO lists on finals week.

Now, a housekeeping note. The first time I did a list (11 reasons Marquette is not Alaska) you all loved it; I think I set a new comment record. I love comments, so I made another one (a You Said What!?! list). That one got exactly...wait for it...ZERO comments. Ouch! That's like the anti-validation. The lesson here? If you like something - or even if you don't - a comment is greatly appreciated. I guarantee that that time you take writing it and the happiness it brings me are TOTALLY disproportionate. Okay...that was sort of pathetic...but I really need these comments, they get me through the week.

So, without further ado, your first list. In honor of having only four days until I go back to Alaska I give you:
Four Reasons I LOVE finals week

1. Its a harbinger of things ending: I have few complaints about my classes this semester. Most of them were pretty good. But honestly, EVERY SINGLE PERSON at Marquette is pretty ready to get a new batch of professors, a new work load, a new schedule, and just a change of pace. Coming back and having new classes will make the return to campus in January much more exciting.
2. Free Time: Finals week means no classes, which means more free time. Rather than having two or three hour-plus chunks of my day cut out for class, I only have one or two, two-hour (if that) blocks to attend. I've only got three finals...that translates to a whole lot of not being in class. Yes, there is study time and all that jazz, but the workload isn't really that bad.
3. Schadenfreude: No matter how bad I have it, I can always find someone who has it worse. The nice thing about finals week is, anytime it seems like your life REALLY sucks all you have to do is look at the person at the next library table/desk/room to realize that they have it as bad, if not worse, than you.
   
4. The "One and Done" mentality: Every time you finish a final, you know you NEVER have to deal with that class again. The idea that getting through one test will lead to a reprieve from that work forever is very liberating. This morning was vastly improved when I found realized that I never have to go to German 82 again.

With the good comes the bad. That's a proverb...or saying...or something. In order to give some yang to the last list's ying, here is:
Four Reasons I HATE finals week

1. Free Time: Does this item look familiar? That's because it makes both lists. While I love having time to watch a movie ("Fight Club" last night) or just hang out, the specter of finals looms over all and somehow manages to destroy much of the joy of doing nothing. Rather than thinking: "Gee, isn't this relaxing," you can't help but think, "Gee, am I screwed tomorrow." Perhaps Laura Nelson put it best when she described finals as the elephant in everyone's room. I would add to this description: Finals is the elephant that knows the things you love most, then tramples them with his trunky elephant feet every time you start to enjoy them.
2. Grades: So far, my biggest transition to college has been having finals that matter. In high school, if you worked hard all semester, the final didn't really matter; you could do poorly and still get a good final grade. I'm discovering that no matter how much you busted your butt in a college course, you still need to bust it a bit more for the final. This means more studying, which means more stress, which means more coffee, which means less sleep, which means more stress. Yeah, you get the idea.
3. Studying: I never really studied per say in high school. Between material that wasn't usually that tough and not needing great finals grades, there was never a need to. Not so at Marquette. Studying doesn't sound too bad, but it is so much more exhausting then other forms of work. I spent four hours at the library yesterday reviewing my history notes and was EXHAUSTED afterwards. Ugh...
4. The semester is over: This one is two fold. First, I love college and Marquette. I can't imagine going anywhere else. It is sort of depressing to think that I'm already 1/8th of the way done with my undergrad work. So many people point to college as one of the greatest periods of their life, and frankly, I can't imagine handling the real world yet. Secondly, there are so many things I wish I could have done this semester that will have to wait until January. I never went to the Art museum, Renaissance Book Store, sledding; never made a snowman, had a snowball fight, or went for a winter run. It's a bummer to think I will have to wait a whole month to tackle these goals.
   

So as I sit here with my coffee and avoid tackling that last History 1 study session you all get to enjoy the fruits of my procrastination. Only a little over 3 days until I go back to Alaska and I can't wait!

OneLost out...to go finish just TWO more finals.

Ring Out Ahoya: Marquette Basketball Update v. University of Wisconsin

Yesterday was THE big day...Wisconsin-Madison, #22 in the polls, in Milwaukee, at OUR Bradley Center, playing THE Marquette Golden Eagles. Shall it suffice to say that mind mind was blown and will be for weeks to come after last night...let me begin the tale.

A prelude to this matchup. Wisconsin and Marquette are obviously rivals, being the only two BCS conference basketball schools (Big 10 and Big East respectively) in the state. The rivalry is historically rather nasty, with no love lost amongst neither fans nor players/coaches/ball boys/random people associated with the either programs. A popular cry during game day that I will paraphrase to keep this blog family rated is "Buck the Fadgers"...yeah...figure that one out all you savvy adult readers. To compound the drama, last year Marquette strolled into the Kohl Center in Madison and oh so causally ended UW's 28-game home win streak and recent dominance in the MU-UW game. This year we got them on our court: the task? Show that we are STILL the best basketball school in the state.

Now that you know the run-up, let me tell you my part of the story. My basketball odyssey began yesterday at 1:30 when I took my place in the back of the line that had already formed outside the Bradley Center. Some guys from my floor had been there since 12:30...am...as in...the night before. It was a warm and snuggley 10 degrees outside and underneath my undershirt, long sleeve shirt, short sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, and winter coat I was already getting excited.

Anticipation only built at around 2:30 when Head Coach Buzz Williams (who we all love) came out and shook everyone in line's hand, thanking us for our support. After he went back inside and we all calmed down he sent the ENTIRE team out to high five us and joke around. Highlight of this was when someone laid out a UM Badgers T-Shirt for all the players to wipe their feet on. Wes Matthews got us all riled up by throwing it up in the air and proclaiming that he was about to show his hometown why MU was the greatest (Matthews grew up in Madison and was Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball his senior year, beating out UW forward Marcus Landry...this still rubs UW people the wrong way).

Joe Fulce and Chris Otule greet the crowd

The line waiting game meets with Buzz

With all this excitement it felt like the wait until the 7:00 pm door opening would be quick, but alas, it was not to be. For the next five hours we basically just stood there, finding ways to pass the time (riddles, ordering Subway, a dramatic retelling of the Christmas story while huddled together for warmth). Finally, at around 6:30 they let us in, MU fans sprinting and slipping all over the floors to claim their lower bowl seats and free T-Shirts.

The almost two hour wait inside was a GODSEND. It felt so good to take off all the warm clothes and just sit, especially knowing that I had three hours of standing and jumping ahead of me. Introductions were highlighted by streams of blue and gold smoke and the loudest cheers the student section has produced this year. EVERY seat was full, all the way up to the top of the upper deck. Attendance count showed that there were, in all, over 18,00 people at last night's game, the vast majority of them in blue and gold.

The first half was...disappointing. After scoring the game's fist points, Marquette fell serious victim to an inability to shoot and UW's three point prowess. Only our ability to get to the foul line kept us in the game, MU 27, UW 33 at half.

In the second half we looked like a new team. Defensively the guess hustled their butts off and on offense we scrapped for every point we could get. The point margin stayed within one or two scores for most of the half (which meant the students were jumping, screaming, cheering, or dancing the entire half) until Jerel McNeal hit a 3 pointer at the 5:26 mark to give us the lead. The Eagles held that lead for the rest of the game until the final whistle blew and the whole state knew by a 61-58 margin that the best team in Wisconsin sits between 9th and 22nd streets in Milwaukee.

Not many photos from inside the BC (terrible lighting conditions for my poor camera), but here are two videos to give you a glimpse of the atmosphere.





Finals week starts now...which means One Lost will be hitting the books. That also means I might post more as a way to blow off finals stress.

OneLost out...to the library to hit the books one last time in 2008

A Holiday Miracle - With Basketball!

Wow, a whole lot of blogable material today! After morning class and such Joe and I decided to go the "Miracle on the Mall"- a holiday tree lighting and charity benefit for a shelter for women suffering from alcoholism. My friend, Leah Todd was singing with the Gold 'n Blues a capella group, so going over to the mall in support seemed worth it.

Boy was it COLD. I would estimate, unscientifically, that the wind chill was probably between 5 and 10 degrees. I'm certainly not looking forward to standing in that for 6 hours tomorrow...more on that later. Anyhow, speakers from the school and the shelter both gave short speechs in front of Joan of Arc Chapel before they blessed the tree (perk of being a Jesuit school) and flipped the switch. The choir sang some more songs before we all headed into Cudahy Hall for cider, hot chocolate, and holiday cookies. I think that I heard someone say the Residents Hall Assc. made a $278 donation to the shelter from its fundraiser...not bad for college students, but not great either.

The slideshow below is a product of my new fascination with multimedia(again, spurred by Laura Nelson) and fancy little viewers (with sound now!) Press play for a slideshow effect or push your mouse toward the left and right sides of the box to scroll through. If you hit play, you will be serenaded by the sweet sounds of the Gold 'n Blues sing a mash-up of 12 Days of Christmas and Toto's "Africa."



Immeaditly following gorging our selfs with cookies, Joe, Matt, Joe ("Bruno"), and I went over to the AMU to hit up the Spirit Shop for a holiday sale and meet and greet with the basketball team. I was able to pick up some x-mas gifts on sale and also get photos with almost
the entire team. Another slideshow viewer, same rules apply, but this time the song is the fight song: "Ring Out A'Hoya" by the Marquette Pep Band (thanks to the Marquette Sports Wiki).



As for the aforementioned standing in the cold. I will be heading over to the Bradley Center at 1 pm tomorrow to line up to get into the Wisconsin-Marquette game. Tip-off: 8:30 pm. Yes folks, that's over 6 hours of waiting outside in line for a 2 hour basketball game. It's also the biggest one of young season. Not only are we instate rivals, we are basically ranked the same. In the AP Poll, Marquette is #25 and Wisconsin in unranked. In the USA Today poll, Marquette is unranked and Wisconsin is #22 (tied with Miami, FL). This one is going to be nuts. Did I mention I get a free T-Shirt...yeah, it's that good.

I will be vigorously twittering from line tomorrow, some of which have the potential to be funny (college kids + boredom + booze). Keep checking back at OneLost or have my twitters sent to your phone (follow the link the twitter bar). If you don't know what twitter is, here is my earlier post.

More pics from late November to come...also, I will make a post after the UM-MU game with photos and other such multimedia.

One Lost out...to go stand in the cold for basketball

New Feature on One Lost

Notice the new bar to the right of this post? Do ya? Wonder what it is?

I am not using Twitter, a micro-blogging service, to add content to "One Lost Grizzly Bear." You can still expect all the normal posts you have come to know and love, but that twitter tool will allow you to read short updates on what is going on with the Grizzly. I can post those via my mobile phone, so even when I am on the run and something cool happens a blog post can happen.

If you are really interested, join Twitter and start your own so that I can keep up with you!

One Lost out (but less out because you can still find out what I'm out to do!)

You Said What?!? Alaska Questions Edition

Only eight more days until I am tucked safely back in the Chugach Mountains, the sound of frolicking moose and polar bears lulling me to sweet sleep within my igloo. No more "big" city traffic, no more being accosted by drunk people, no more 2 am library trips, and no more answering questions about Alaska.

Being from Alaska is a great conversation starter. I've become almost smugly expectant when I tell people where I'm from and if I don't get the requisite "YOUR FROM WHERE!?!" I am almost disappointed. As Joe from Toledo put it one night: "Gee, I wish I could score points with girls just by being from somewhere."

They say that every coin has two sides, and I suppose mine does too. The one thing I CANNOT avoid is the "Alaska Questions" that anyone from my fair state is all too familiar with. For those of you who don't hail from the land of ice and unlimited oil (here is my sole political pitch: opening ANWR = good thing), here is a compendium of the FAQs about the state.

1. "Is it always cold there?"

• No, it's not. In the summer the temp. skyrockets to a comfortable mid-60s, sometimes even high 70s. The coldest it ever really gets in Anchorage is about -5, and that certainly doesn't happen often.

2. "Is it always dark?"

• No, in fact, half of the year its "always" light. Winter solstice is Dec. 21 and yes, that day sucks and has only a couple of hours of sunlight. Summer solstice is June 21 and yes, that day rocks and has tons of sunshine.
  

3. "What do you do for fun?"

• I'm always tempted to say: "Well, I don't really have much time for fun, what with hunting, gathering, shelter building, and learning to speak Russian to trade furs with Victor." I live in a city of 300,000...I do pretty much the same stuff everyone my age does. The only real uniqueness might be that I ski, bike, hike, and camp a bit more than some other people.

4. "Have seen a polar bear/grizzly bear/moose/caribou/insert other Alaskan mammal here?"

• Yes to all of them. Except polar bear (in the wild...I saw Aupon at the zoo). I've seen moose and black bear a bit closer than I would care to as well...

5. "Can you see Russia from your house?"

• Thank you Tina Fey...this one NEVER gets old...

6. "Have you met/do you like Sarah Palin?"

• Yes, I've met Sarah...twice. Once at school, once at a breakfast I attended. I actually saw her ultrasound when she was pregnant with Trig...how is that for weird? As for liking her...eh...I could take her or leave her.

7. "Don't you get paid to live there?"

• That'd be a yes...thank god for the Permanent Fund Dividend.
  

8. "Do you celebrate Thanksgiving?"

• To be clear, I only got this one once but it is by far the best question I've ever gotten. Yes, we do.

8 Questions for 8 days left! One Lost out...

11 Reasons Marquette is not Alaska

To mark 11 day mark of my return to the Last Frontier, I thought I would provide a summery in 11 point, numbered form of the ways in which Marquette/Milwaukee/Wisconsin/the Midwest is not Alaska. Not trying to pass judgment on either, although my bias my become apparent as you read.

Also, apologies on the lack of Thanksgiving correspondence from Toledo. Perhaps I will lay down some prose (wouldn't poetry be exciting!?! There's an idea...) if any hilarious/insightful ideas crop up.

Without further ado, Why Marquette is not Alaska...

1. Trees. Where are the freaking trees!?! This city suffers from a severe lack of them, and now the ones that do crop up here and there are leafless. I miss pines and spruces, especially when their boughs are weighted down with snow.
2. Traffic. After driving back from Ohio on the Interstate, I've come to appreciate that we only have 3 major highways...the biggest of which only has 3 lanes.
3. Distance. Its weird to think that the nearest town to Anchorage is Eagle River, and that's 35 minutes away. I would consider Palmer/Wasilla fairly nearby, and yet they are 2 hour drives...
4. The Snow Reaction. We had our first "big" snow today (enough to muck up the streets) and no one seems happy about it. Snow is a good thing in Alaska...especially lots of fluffy snow (like Anchorage got over the weekend...much to my jealous consternation)
5. Chicago. Sigh. I am still a sucker for Chicago. It is perhaps the most beautiful sky line on earth. When you are driving along the lake and all the buildings are lit up, there is something truly special there
6. Chicago. So...I like Alaskan food. A lot. But food in Chicago is unreal. Italian Beef. Deep Dish Pizza. Hot Dogs. Perfect.
7. Nothingness. More and more, living in the city is making me appreciate the parts of Anchorage that have nothing in them. Places like Kincaid and Hilltop, where you can go in the woods and not see another person for hours are truly therapeutic for the mind and soul.
8. Local Coffee. Coffee shops just don't seem to have the social importance here that they do back home. Kaladi Brothers on Huffman seems almost like a second home to me but I just haven't been able to find a shop with the same local charm here.
9. Taco King. The restaurant that gave me food poisoning and continues to make me doubt Anchorage's public health inspector is irreplaceable in my mind.
   
10. Walking. In Anchorage, you can't walk anywhere. It's too spread out. In Milwaukee, I walk or bike everywhere. Not only is it healthy and free, it's sort of liberating to not need a car to get around.
11. Family/Friends. I have plenty of friends at Marquette that I will miss over break, but right now, I want to go to Brian's house and watch movies in the basement with everyone again. Number 11 should give you the idea that I am pretty ready to come home for a bit.

Bonus for Marquette: Basketball v. Wisconsin on Saturday. I plan to line up at 2 pm for a 7 pm game time and wait for 4+ hours in the cold to get a good seat. Not sure whether this is a plus or a minus?

One Lost out...

A Fine and Dandy Dusting of the White Stuff

I rolled out of bed this morning to my 5:20 am "Crew Alarm," and in my usual quasi-comatose state pulled on my spandex rowing shorts (oh so sexy) and a ratty old T-Shirt. As I was about to bundle up for the bike ride over to the Rowing Room, I looked out my 17th floor window, and what did I see? A whole mess of beautiful, white, perfect, swirling SNOW!

Man, this morning totally made me realize the one thing I was missing in Milwaukee. I really forgot how much I love snow. First of all, there are all the snow related activities: skiing, snowball fighting, sledding, frolicking, eating, etc. I love just walking around in the stuff and hearing it crunch under my feet. Secondly, snow makes everything look so beautiful. My poetic waxing (something rather unusual for me) about this subject should probably be hint enough to just how much I love snow. I figure that if it's going to be cold (which it has been), there might as well be a nice blanket of white covering the otherwise gray city. My only complaint is that there are no Chugach Mountains to stare at, capped with white. I guess the US Bank building will just have to do.

The view of the Milwaukee Club from Floor 17

As if this morning couldn't get any better, I am also now D-O-N-E: DONE with crew until I get back from Christmas Break. Wow...that one is still sinking in. Out with the 6-day-a-week workout schedule. Out with the 5:30 wakeups. Out with the going to bed early on Friday night for Saturday practice.

To top it all off, I left the dorm early today because I couldn't fall back asleep after practice (no class until 10!). While I was sleeping, someone had put pine garland all over the streetlamps on campus and hung wreaths everywhere. It looked so perfect in the snow. I commented to my roommate:
"How could you not like this snow! It's like going to school at Hogwarts! Hogwarts!"

Only 4 more classes until I head to Toledo. Look forward to lots of updates on Midwestern Thanksgiving.

One Lost out to go play in the snow!

Reform is at Hand! Later.

Just through I'd take the time to share a quote thrown out by my HIST 1 professor Dr. Tim McMahon. He is one of my favorite profs, what with the outdoor lectures, Halloween costumes, and blatant, in class support of the Brewers. Basically, just a real helpful and likable guy. We were talking about Martin Luther and the Protest Reformation and Dr. McMahon was trying to explain how Luther's reform message was perverted into violence by some part of society

"When I say the word over here: 'Protestant reformation,' it comes out on the other end as 'bowling on tuesday'"

Now I know why reform was so slow to spread...those Catholics used 9-pin to distract the heretics from acting!

Feedback/Check This Out!

As you may have notices...new color scheme for the blog. I wanted to try something a bit lighter than before and this is what I settled on. Leave feedback in the comment section and feel free to tell me what a moron I am for changing it...

Also, thanks to a lot of hard work from Free Spirits not named "me," the Free Spirit Blog network was an AMAZING new website. It's almost enough to make me feel like a real blogger! Anyhow, the Free Spirit Network will link the published and online work of the 2008 Free Spirits together. I highly encourage all to check the site out, it has tons of blogs that are way better than this one linked through it. You can also see many of them in the "Grizzly Bear Food" Link box on the right-hand sidebar. I personally draw a ton of inspiration from USC Transcribed and CSU Fort Report, so be sure to give Laura and Kelley a read.

Here is the link for the Free Spirit Network (which is still undergoing even MORE improvements!)

Here is the link for USC Transcribed

Here is the link for CSU Fort Report

And remember, if it's in the sidebar, I read it and it's good. Make sure to keep up to date on all the blogs over there!

Oh, and if you want to know more about the 2008 Al Neuharth Free Spirit Conference and it's members, click on the "2008 Free Spirit" ribbon in the upper right hand corner.

One Lost Out

Ring Out Ahoya: Marquette Basketball Update v. HBU and CSU

Here to provide you with brief game summery and lots of great photos for the Marquette Basketball Games you might have missed this weekend.

Friday was the home opener against Houston Baptist University, a former D-II team that is making the jump up to D-I this year. The game was never really close, with Marquette coasting to an easy 95-64 victory over the Huskies (a nickname that led to some Alaska jokes within the student section). The most noteworthy aspect of the blowout was that it marks the first regular season win for Buzz Williams, our new head coach. Buzz was an assistant last year under Tom Crean until Crean -"Judas"- jumped ship for Indiana this summer. I'm sure he's having fun with an unranked team while the Golden Eagles are a comfortable #16 or #17. Here is the game recap story from Marquette's Athletic Department website.

The view from the student section


Even Alaskan Bears like MU basketball!


Jon Plaza: pumped as usual


Nick and Liz: "It's game time!"


Timeout Festivities


Monday's game against Chicago State was much more close, but much less fun to watch. First of all, the student section, and for that matter, the rest of the Bradley center, was much more empty. The Monday evening tip-off and recent snowfall really killed attendance. Chicago State is much more highly touted than HBU and it showed. For the first half they were able to hang with Marquette, to a point. The second half of the game was PAINFULLY slow. The referees decided that any contact on either side of the ball warranted a whistle, leading to a mind-bending 68 free throws being hoisted on 56 fouls. CSU was able to pull within 9 pts. late in the second half, but a run from Marquette locked things up and all they had to do was wait out the myriad whistles. Final result, Marquette = 2-0 in 2008 after a 106-87 victory.


Lazar (32), Wes (23), and Dwight (12) set up some D


Dominic James hoists up a FT

Saturday's game is a big one against cross town rival University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Rumor has it that the Bradley Center is sold out and should be pretty packed. The matchup hasn't been particularly competitive in recent years, but there is some history to the two teams meeting (and a rumor of free T-Shirts for students that show up early!)

One Lost Out

A Small Reminder of Home

I was awoken this morning by the harsh sounds of my cell alarm jolting me out of not just sleep but out of a weekend haze that had been utterly therapeutic. It was two days of utter unproductively and lack of commitment, which, as it turns out, was just what I needed to reenergize me for the final push until Thanksgiving Break. A brief breakdown of how "stressful" my Saturday and Sunday were.

Friday Night: Basketball game vs. Houston Baptist at 7:30 (our regular season home opener). I screamed and jumped until my legs and voice were soar and went back to Straz around 10:00, singing bad love songs at the top of my lungs the whole way home (with other people...not by myself...)

Saturday: Woke up at 8:00 for an 8:30 crew workout. Was utterly SLAUGHTERED by said workout (no comment as to whether Friday night had anything to do with this). We rowed two 30 minute pieces, which other than just destroying my legs, also gave me quite the butt soreness from sitting on that tiny, hard seat. Got back to my room at 11, went to bed for an hour nap....that lasted until 3. Called Dad (like a good little bear cub), went to Cobeen for pizza to celebrate a friend's birthday (official birthday wishes to Dani), then went and saw Dark Knight for $2 at Varsity Theater.

Sunday: Wake up bright and early at 11, go to the Annex to watch the Broncos (another WIN, the week can't be so bad now), cloister myself in the library to spend the rest of the night writing an English paper. Much to my surprise, the paper sort of pops itself out in just over an hour and a half. Go back to Straz, spend the rest of the night doing other work or lounging to celebrate my success.

Basically, the last few days have been perfect, until that damn alarm rung this morning. I know I'm feeling better, both in terms of sleep and this pesky 3 week cold breaking, because I can actually conceive of myself being able to get through the week, which is a marked improvement over last week.

This morning also brought a stunning realization that I made mental note to write of. Back in Alaska, I could wake up every morning, look outside, and no matter what I saw in the sky, I knew it would be cold. Up until now, the opposite was true in Milwaukee. If it was sunny when I woke up that meant sweatshirt and a nice day. If it was cloudy, jacket because it was going to be chilly and windy. Today was the first day that it has been sunny and also brutally cold and windy. From the cozy confines of the Raynor Bridge (where I am currently plopped) the day looks no different from all those perfect summer ones I got to experience in August, but my computer tells me its 32 degrees out.

It's good to be back home...at least in weather.

We have another basketball game tonight against Chicago State, a fact that is doing much to brighten my day. I will be sure to post recap and pictures of both that game and the Houston Baptist one in the next day or so.

One Lost out

It's a Good Thing This Candle has Two Ends

In a movement of solidarity with my good friend and fellow blogger Laura Nelson this post will be on what is becoming an o'so familiar aspect of college life: The Long Night.

My friend Tom and I have come to this theory that college is, quite possibly, the worst place on earth to learn. We are given heaps of outside the classroom work and then thrown into a building with 150 other students our same age, and somehow this is supposed to be a productive work environment. It is basically impossible to do homework in the dorm, especially living in a quad. With people constantly popping in to say hi, talk, play video games, etc distraction becomes the rule rather than the exception.

Luckily there is the library, that last bastion of peace, quiet, and focus that I have come to rely so heavily on. Unfortunately, I have some chemical imbalance (which must come from dorm food, because it seems all of us have it) that prevents me from doing any serious work before 9:30 pm. That is why I am posting this. I am currently plopped in the library surrounded by "Der treffende Ausdruck" (my German book), Sophocles "The Three Theban Plays," Machiavelli's "The Prince," Soren Keirkagaard's "Either/Or," Albert Camus' "The Plague," my glasses, and one very large mug of mocha. I somehow need to read or work with all these book in the next three hours and I'm not sure how that is going to happen.

To complement my late nights, I now have two early mornings a week -- 6 am crew practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I am no longer burning a candle, but a blow torch. The highlight of my day may very well have been my two hour nap (the first one of the week) this afternoon. I've found a lot of college stereotypes to be blown out of proportion, but the late night idea is defiantly fully true.

And now, a brief list of things I've learned during late night study sessions:

• The girls at "The Brew" are basically goddesses. They are probably more important to running this school than the president. After all, even Father Wild needs coffee.
• Facebook is the anti-matter of work. It is literally impossible to do any substantive work with facebook running in the background
• Falling asleep in the big library chairs is simultaneously the worst and best feeling in the world
• Did I mention how much I love coffee?

A caffeinated and tired One Lost will now tackle The Prince...and out

In Fact You're Fanatical

That title is an excerpt from the song "Free Radicals," by one of my favorite bands, The Flaming Lips. This has no real bearing on this post, other than the fact that it is a moderately clever way to introduce a post about the first Marquette Basketball game of the season (the student section is called the Fanatics (get it fanatics...we are so clever here).

So Marquette is a really cool place. Lots of cool people, fun activities, good teachers; an all around great place to be. Basketball games, however, take this school to a whole new level. Maybe its our lack of a football team, maybe its the cold weather, but we all go CRAZY for Dominic James and Co. This season is especially exciting, what with the Golden Eagles being ranked #16 by the AP Poll, the return of what could possibly be the best starting backcourt in the nations, and the debut of our new coach, Buzz Williams. Predictions have us going to the Sweet 16, maybe even the Elite 8; but of course we all know that Marquette is National Championship caliber.

Saturday was just an exhibition, the team's only one of the season, and as you may have read before, we were playing a terribly intimidating and fearsome opponent: Colorado State...Pueblo. Yes, the Thunderwolves are a D-II team, and yes they aren't even that great of a D-II team, but it is a game nonetheless and after three months of not having a football team to cheer for the student body was ready to get behind the Eagles. I got to the Bradley Center around 12:30 for a 1:00 game. This was MUCH later than I would have liked to arrive, but thanks to a late crew practice and the Straz printer's inability to print my ticket I was running a little behind. Luckily, my roommates showed up at 10:15 and stood in line for two hours to save me a front row seat...thanks guys.

Being an exhibition, the game wasn't very well attended by non-students. Marquette games are usually fairly sold out, especially once Big East Conference play starts. They played a really cool video showing Marquette highlights throughout the ages (hearty cheers for Doc Rivers and Dwayne Wade...chorus of boos for Tom Crean). Father Wild, the University President, came by our section and said hi to my row, shaking some hands. I also got to be on the jumbo-tron before the game when the asked us to cheer really wildly for the camera. Forced enthusiasm? Yes. Very cool? Also yes.

The game was a blowout (94-73), through CSU-P was a really good 3 point shooting team, which made them look mildly more respectable. Some excitement at the end when it looked like we might break 100 points, but Buzz did the classy thing and reigned in the offense in the last few minutes rather than adding to the blowout. The team looked great for the most part, minus some spotty defensive play and the occasional rushed attempt on the offensive end. I'm sure its tough to play your game when you are more talented and athletic than your opponent, so I'm banking that when the competition is more even, the team will focus more and play up to their opponent.

The photos should give you an idea of what being a fanatic is like. Toward middle of the game I found a way to change my camera settings and make the photos lighter (thanks Justin).

A lot of standing, jumping, chanting, cheering, and "Ringing out Ahoya" for 2+ hours makes a fanatic tired, so we enjoyed a post-game victory sub at Potbelly's.

Next game is Friday. Its a regular season, non-conference game against Houston Baptist; another cupcake matchup. Nevertheless, you can guess who will be there.

One Lost Rings Out Ahoya with an MU RA-RA...and out.

Halloween, Hip Hop, and History

Drummed up a nice alliterative title to compensate for the lack of posts this weekend on Monday. Hopefully that makes up for all the abandonment issues all my readers have.

Halloween was GOOD. As previously stated, I planned to go as a unicorn, but when the all white long johns fell through and all that was available was red (for free...thanks to Katie from crew) I had to adapt. Solution: Thing One and Thing Two costumes with the Joe Marinelli. I was helped by the fact that the spirit shop sells perfect wigs for the costumes that will also be worn during basketball season (first game is Friday!). I was going to bring my camera but as you will see I didn't exactly have pockets to carry it in. Other costume highlights included: another set of Thing One and Thing Twos, Rod from Hot Rod, The Pope (fitting at a Catholic school), a whole rookery of penguins, and (the best part) NOT ONE SARAH PALIN!

Halloween was followed by an 8 am wake up to be at the boathouse by 9 to take the dock out of the water for the winter and clean of all the boats. Months of sitting in the Milwaukee River had made our launches (the motor boat the coach uses) DISGUSTING and it took several hours with high powered chemicals to scrub the grime off. That fun was followed by a good natured game of two-hand touch/"aggressive" two-hand touch football on the Quad with the 17th floor guys (plus a few others). Which brings me to Saturday night and ATMOSPHERE.

I went with Katie, Maggie, and Elise to see the man from Minnesota that makes all the people go crazy. For those of you not in the know, Atmosphere is a hip-hop group from Minneapolis that I like...a lot. He played a great show (4.5 hours with two opening acts!) and the energy in the theater was amazing. The only downside was the gigantic, thoroughly drunk man that kept shoving everyone and making an ass of himself (sorry for the language) until we got security to kick him out of the stage area. I returned to the room, legs and back completely dead to watch an episode or two of Battlestar Galactica (let the nerd jokes begin) on my computer.

To complete the trifecta promised in the title I now come to History. Dr. McMahon is officially the coolest professor ever. Monday and today have been B-E-A-UTIFUL; temps in the 60s and 70s without a cloud in the sky. McMahon according moved our history lecture outside to the garden-plaza-fountain area in front of St. Joan of Arc Chapel. There is something really cool about learning about the Hundred Years' War and Joan of Arc while sitting in the sun in front of a church she actually prayed at during that time. Probably one of the most surreal "Marquette Experiences" I've had to far."

But before I get too excited about my history class, another Marquette Experience starts on Saturday. BASKETBALL SEASON! I will be at the Bradley Center, ticket in hand, at one o'clock to watch the 16th ranked Marquette Golden Eagles take on...(drum roll)...the Colorado State-Peublo...um....whatever they are. We have a cupcake out of conference schedule, but it will still be fun to put on my wig and indulge in some good old fashioned school spirit (after all, no football here to care about).

More posts to follow. Time to go take a nap (6 am crew practice today = yuck)



One Lost out.

Change of Plans

Unicorn is out for Halloween. A new, and arguably better plan, has been instituted. Plus, it's a partner costume. Speculate on the comments area if you are so inclined.

You Said What?!?

Another new section I would like to introduce on "One Lost" is "You Said What!?!"

This segment will examine the vernacular, pronunciation, and idiom that are particular and often peculiar to the Midwest, and especially Wisconsin. It brings the other Golden Eagles of my dorm an endless source of delight hearing me pronounce words with the "Sarah Palin accent," as it has now been dubbed. Long time residents of the area will assert that they have no accent and speak the English language the way it is meant to be spoken. It is my humble and scientific opinion that clouds of beer froth, bratwurst grease, and cow stench have somehow interacted with their brain enzymes to adversely affect the speech centers of every person in Wisconsin. I maintain that by virtue of our isolation, Alaska's language has remained untainted by regional accent, except for Sarah Palin, who I think is secretly Canadian (or maybe just from Wasilla...).

And so, without further ado, your first few samples of "You Said What!?!"

About
Midwest: "A-bout"
Me: "A-boUt"
Analysis: Okay, I admit, I say about like a Canadian/Minnesotan. Its my flaw. Chris 0 Wisconsin 1

Roof
Midwest: "Ruf"
Chris: "Roof" (with long ooooooo sound)
Analysis: First of all, I know realize that I will never have a career as a dictionary phonetic speller...there is one less thing I can use that philosophy major for. Secondly, "roof" has two "o's," meaning they make an ooooo sound. No room for debate here. Chris 1 Milwaukee 1.

and your last one for now...
Oregon
Midwest: "Or-e-gone"
Chris: "Or-e(this e is almost not pronounced)-gun"
Analysis: This one is up for debate. My defense is that I say it the same way all the people on the west coast, AND OREGON say it. No one tells other states how to say their name, so by siding with the residents of the state, I feel that I am in the right. And the judges say...Chris 2, Midwest 1

Well, this week's winner is...me! (Pause for confetti, bells, and cheering) It's a good thing our judges or so impartial. Keep checking for the next "You Said What!?!"

(PS: I will be adding audio links to these of pronunciation once I figure out how.)

One Lost out.

The Obligatory Poltical Diatribe and more Fun!

Phew...Wednesday has come as a major relief. Spent the whole day yesterday either in class or cloistered in the library working on my sizable stack of reading and work to do. I never though I'd be so excited to go to crew today- it will be nice just to get outside and be active for a bit.

As a former Senator Stevens supporter, I feel the need to offer my two cents on the verdict in a forum that isn't moderated by facebook status comments. As many of you know, I interned with the Senator this summer, which only added to my tremendous respect for the man. He told me to my face that he was innocent; and I fully believed him. I had no reason not to and 50 years of public service that told me he was telling the truth. Unfortunately, sometimes people disappoint. I stood by him all through his trial, but told myself that if he was found guilty, I would not continue to support him. Well, that has happened now, and thus, I took my name off his campaign list.

Yes, I know. He is maintaining his innocence and appealing the verdict all while running for another Senate term. Perhaps he is right; perhaps the prosecution really did unfairly throw the trial (they certainly did a terrible job, regardless of the verdict) and maybe he was wrongly convicted. At this point however, the rational side of me says that he just got too powerful and thought he could get away with this. He was wrong. I am upset about this case, not only because he has disappointed me, but also because I think there were elements of a witch hunt going on. Plenty of politicians have inappropriate relationships with special interest (cough, Obama and McCain, cough) and yet, for some reason, they chose to go after one of the Senate's most controversial, but also respected, figures. I will continue to feel that he was unfairly, not unjustly, targeted until I see the Justice Department seriously investigate other high ranking members of Congress. Ted Stevens is not the only one DOJ...Alaska does not have a monopoly on corrupt politics.

In other news, Sarah Palin continues to be utterly embarrassing to the state. I honestly don't think McCain will be elected at this point and when Sarah comes back to Alaska, I think she will find that her approval ratings are down. She may not even be reelected as Governor, let alone to a higher political office. Long story short, Alaska politics are somewhat disappointing right now...at least Ethan Burkowitz is there to keep me excited.

Tonight I get a break from politics when I go to the History Honor Society's screening and discussion of the historical classic Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Should be a really fun event. I will bring the camera just in case, but expect at least a text recap tomorrow.

To all you Free Spirits: COMMENT MORE! Read Kelley's blog and all the other ones linked into the little network and provide feedback. It makes our day to know that someone is reading all this.

Battles of Middle America: Bags v. Cornhole

I got the idea for a new section on "One Lost" the other day that I think all of you will enjoy. Every few days (or how ever often I am inspired) I will post a summery of the greatest issues and controversies of the Midwest. Now, these are issues that can't even be resolved within the peace-loving, friendly confines of America's Breadbaskets, and thus, I will make no attempt to judge or endorse one side or the other. These are just the facts, plain and simple.

Your first Battle is the controversy surrounding that ubiquitous tailgating game of bags/cornhole. For those of you unfamiliar with this...er...highly exciting game, it essentially involves throwing beanbags at a board with a hole in it. Points are scored by landing and sticking a beanbag on the board (1 point) or putting it through the hole (3 points). Teams of two compete in a game that runs to 21 or 25 points. The winner presumably gets to choose the first bratwurst off the grill or some other obscure Midwest honor.

Now, the issue, other than why this game is so popular (and admittedly, fun), is what to call it. Those from the Chicagoland (another silly Midwest idiom) insist that the game is "Bags," named for the beanbags being thrown. Another school of thought proports that the activity is called "Cornhole," named for the act of throwing the bag through the hole.

Early research suggest that the cornhole school exists primarily within Ohio and Wisconsin. I have it on good authority that "Cornhole" is the common term in Toledo, OH as well as parts of N. Wisconsin.

So long as Midwesterners are grilling sausages and going to sporting events, the "Bags v. Cornhole" issue will rage. Perhaps some sort of coalition could be formed to bring this issue to a resolution. Unfortunately, the result of such a meeting would most likely degrade into a Bags...er...Cornhole...er...whatever shouting match.

So West Coasts, just be glad that you have Montana and the Dakotas to seperate you from the issue

Banner in Upper-Right

Credit to Kelley Robinson for creating the HTML code for the "2008 Free Spirit Banner" on this page. What a great way to identify our blogs as part of a larger community. If all you people want to read some even more quality posting than mine, check out the CSU Fort Report and USC Transcribed on the right hand bar.

Wasting Away in Marquetteville

After such a productive Saturday (including a 2 pm wake up), I decided to take today easy and get NOTHING done. 12 pm wakeup, followed by volleyball, followed by a nap, dinner, and a TINY bit of homework that I am still trying to get through.

Now that the Basketball-induced haze has blown over, I remembered the brief anecdote I was hoping to share on Saturday. At Friday's crew practice we somehow managed to take out the boat that was rigged for a crew composed primarily of midgets. As Coach Mr. Jim Peters so articulately put it, "This Boat was made for a WAY smaller crew." After getting over the obvious knock on our weight, we tried to practice but it just wasn't happening. After deciding to come into the dock, we took a page out of Top Gun and tried to make a flyby at about 45 mph. The result was a near crash into the dock at hull-shattering speeds that was narrowly avoided with some quick thinking from crew and coxswain alike. Just a perfect way to cap off the world's worst week of practice (though at least this one was bad in a way we could laugh at).

Things happening this week that I am looking forward to:
1) Atmosphere concert on Saturday at the Pabst Riverside Theater
2) Halloween and the debut of my unicorn costume
3) Finding out what Dr. McMahon will dress as in History on Friday
4) The result of the Ted Stevens trial
5) Finding out the new levels of pettiness that both McCain and Obama will sink to in the days before the election.

That's two posts in two days...progress is being made on bringing this blog back up to speed.

Madness hits Marquette

Camera has arrived, pictures are now being displayed in full and amazing cyber-color for your enjoyment

Tonight was Marquette Madness--translation: high school basketball pep rally on crack.

Doors opened at 6- meaning we had to line up outside the Al McGuire Center at around 5:15 just to get a decent spot in line. After snagging a free poster (or two...or three) we got our T-Shirts (yep, another free T-Shirt) and then waited for 45 minutes and the wind and (semi)cold weather. The guys from my floor managed to grab seats in the bottom-middle of the upper deck, so we waited there for another 30 minutes before the actual festivities started.

In a somewhat surreal moment, all the lights dimmed and people in Halloween masks and zombie costumes came down from the stands and did a perfect rendition of the "Thriller" dance. Then, they all took off their masks and who was it? None other than the Marquette Lady Golden Eagles Basketball Team! Very creative and fun entrance. Formal introductions to the players and a 10 minute scrimmage followed.

After learning about the Men's team staff, we were introduced to the players one by one, complete with pillers that shot fire into the air and sm, smoke machine. The school debuted the new video that will play before games, viewable here, along with other info. The team then had a "Dunk Fest," highlighted by a Wes Matthews between-the-legs slam. I stayed for the first half of the scrimmage but bailed at halftime.

All in all, a great event, high production value, and plenty of free stuff. Enjoy the photos.

Another Week, Another Post

Yet another daily post delayed 6 days. This weekend was filled by crew obligations and in the bustle of midterm week, I guess I've just forgotten to archive my life and thoughts in digital form.

The Team competed at the Head of the Rock Regatta in Rockford, IL this weekend and the novice 8 took 5th out of 20 boats. No hardware to come home with, but considering how little time on the water we've all had, rowers and coaches alike were pleased with the results. For your pleasure, I've linked the results for the whole regatta here.

This race was really a big one and we left Saturday afternoon and spent the night in Illinois. After a delicious dinner at one Marquette alum's house, coach Jim drove us to another to spend the night (and also get breakfast the next morning!). It really made me realize how tied people stay to Marquette, since these people weren't even former rowers. Both families came to the race the next day to cheer and brought food. I couldn't even believe how nice and generous they were.

Monday was marked by yet another crushing defeat of the Strabbotsford Pro-Hoes and Joes (pause of anguished sighs). Luckily we secured our playoff birth 4 weeks ago when we registered so all thoughts (all 2 minutes worth of them) are turned toward next week's tournament. We will persevere.

I had my first and only midterm of the semester today in English class: 8 short essays worth of fun that went better than I expected them to. That means that I basically just have to coast for the next day and a half until I hit FALL BREAK!

On Thursday I am taking the train into Chicago with rower Tom and getting hauled around the city to all the best sites (and food stands). I will spend the night in the suburbs at his house, return to the big city on Friday, visit with a friend at U Chicago and then head over to Evanston for the rest of the weekend. Northwestern will be the site of my second 3-way Free Spirit Reunion of the year, during homecoming no less. I am, in a word, excited beyond all belief.

The rest of the night will be filled by Comm Studies (vomit) and a Battlestar Galatica viewing party sponsored by Dr. P for my Honor's Seminar. Not only do we get to watch the miniseries for class, he's buying pizza for the 12 of us!

A package from home came today that may have the cord I need for my camera, and if so, expect lots of pictures of Chicago in the coming days.

Qualified Success and New Seasonal Experiences

A brief update on the success of everyone's favorite collegiate crew team (that'd be Marquette).

This weekend we competed at the "Tail of the Fox" regatta in Depere, WI, which is just west of Green Bay, about 2 and a half hours from campus. The novice men's 8 (a boat with 8 rowers, all of whom are in their first year) took second in a 4 K race with a time of roughly 4:10. I rowed in the 5th seat of the boat (number one is in the bow...now visualize) which is two seats further up the boat than I usually sit. We beat a team called Qrew Chicago, which is a novice team of older people...we think. No one could quite figure out just what their deal was (college, professionals, community team, random collection of people found on a street corner?). Michigan Tech beat us, which engendered some good natured competitive anger. We'll see how that carries over to this week's race in Rockford, which will be a lot bigger (12 boats in our race...gasp).

In other sporting news, the Strabbotsford Pro-Hoes and Average Joes lost their second game of the Intramural Coed-C League soccer season by a crushing score of 3-1. We were worried about our playoff potential, but then we remembered that all the teams make the postseason tournament, so we just got ice cream instead of fretting.

(Note: the name of the team is derivative of the names of the two dorms represented- Straz Tower and Abbottsford Hall. "Pro-Hoes and Average Joes" comes from "Honors Program - Pro Hoes- and the rest of the team who are Average Joes).

Quote of the Day: "Mother-Son is not a good thing" -- Dr. Spargo's commentary on sexual pairings and their acceptability in society during our study of Oedipus Rex.

My digital camera now officially has a charger, but still no USB connection cable. That means that I could be taking pictures of Marquette, but you wouldn't be able to view them without coming down here. If you came down, you could just look at Marquette...in real life, making the camera still pretty useless.

To those of you in Alaska: Its still in the 40s and 50s down here...I've been watching the weather in Anchorage and the Schadenfreude is almost unbearable.

Lastly, they have fall here? Who knew? Apparently its a time when the leaves turn colors in between summer and winter. More updates on this "new" season to come.

Blog CPR

SHOCK PADDLES....and...CLEAR!


That was my not so terrific attempt at both humor and the revitalization of this blog.

So daily posts turned into bidaily posts, turned into weekly posts, turned into biweekly posts, turned into no posts and now I am in the awkward situation of realizing that it's been more than 20 days since I've done anything on "One Lost." But no more! Like Madonna, I will continue to reinvent the blog, coming back in new and exciting ways when you least expect it.

Basketball fever is starting to catch hold on campus; season tickets went on sale on Wednesday and seemed to jolt everyone out of their summertime stupor. "A big deal" would be a severe understatement on our feelings on basketball around these parts, more along the lines of "No I won't go to the hospital after my car wreck, Marquette is playing."

Just imagine my smugness when I found out that my friend and University of Pittsburgh has to not only pay more than me for his season tickets, but also isn't even guaranteed a ticket. $85 scored me admission to all men's homegames, and also a snazzy free T-Shirt (I'm just assuming it will be snazzy...I haven't actually seen it yet).

The weather is getting cold, down below 50 as I am writing this, even though the sun is shining and it is almost noon. Of course, at 55 everyone in Wisconsin starts breaking out the scarves, boots, gloves, and hats; but thusfar I have stuck to shorts and T-Shirt, using my thick coat of Alaskan fur to brave the "cold."

A note of Midwest idiosyncrasy yesterday. I was watching the VP debates in my room (shout out to Sarah (V)P...I know you read this) and my roommates would not get off her for her "accent." Now, I know she does sound a little funny ("There you go again Joe") but certainly she doesn't butcher the English language more than anyone here does. In fact, I think that the Wasilla accent sounds suspiciously like the northern Wisconsin one. It's not even as bad as the Chicago (pardon me, "Chicaaaaaaago") accent.

First crew regatta is on Sunday, so I get to leave campus at 4:45 am to go to Depere, WI. If you happen to be in the area come to St. Norbert's College and watch. I'm still not entirely sure the boat won't flip at some point, so if anything, it might be good for a laugh.

Out of hibernation, the grizzly bear is on the prowl, bringing you the best of Wisconsin from now on. Don't give up on him...he's trying.

(Homework takes a lot longer when you are constantly eating your roommates and trying to work with claws and no opposable thumbs)

The Most Evil Person on Earth

Sorry for the hiatus, but the two days following the STAR Retreat were spent catching up on things like school work and Broncos football, meaning that this is really the first time I've been able to get on to post. The whole STAR thing was really a lot better than I thought it would be...I ended up having a really good time despite some good natured griping about missing a Friday night to be out there. I have my first workshop session in the AMU on Thursday, but the people in my group seemed really cool, so it should be a relatively fun time.

Which brings me to the title of the post. I have seen evil, and its name is McCormick Hall mashed potato lady/man/demon. I had crew practice yesterday and, as usual, we got out VERY late...like, 7:45 instead of 7. Which wouldn't be so bad until you add on the 2 mile run back to campus, so that I didn't get to McCormick for dinner until 8:15. So now not only do I have to GO to McCormick (the worst dining hall on campus) I also have to stay up late to get work done (er...try to get work done...mostly watch football). Anyway. I walk into the dining hall still sweaty from the run and start surveying the food stations: chili cheese dogs (not happening), pizza (empty), deli sandwich (boring), or salad (I am actually hungry at this point in the day...salad's not going to do). I finally settle for the lesser of the evils, the "almost meatloaf food cube with potatoes and corn." In my estimation, it was just groundbeef that had glomed together and was smothered in gravy. The guy at the station gives me one little chunk of meat (which is all I would have asked for of that stuff), a big spoonful of corn (which was no good...HOW DO YOU MESS UP CORN!?!), and then some mashed potatoes. Now, I don't even like mashed potatoes that much, but at this point, I just wanted a ton of carbs to fill up and go back to Straz without being hungry. So what does he give me? This tiny little blob of them that is almost two bites. I ask for more. He says,

"Can't dude, we are low. Got to save them."

He literally has a WHOLE DAMN TRY full of potatoes in front of him. It's 8:20 by now. Who is coming in to get potatoes this late at night? Is there some sort of late night tuber craving that everyone in McCormick gets? Is he saving them for himself?

Begrudgingly I take my plate and eat it with the rest of the team. Now Tom, my teammate, is in the same boat here. He goes back to get more potatoes after he is done. There is a different server now, but even she won't give him another scoop! It's 8:45 now! Who are these potatoes for? We are pissed off enough that we just leave. As much as I love Marquette, dining services is starting to grate on me. The food is good enough, but they have the most rediculous policies. I paid for the meal plan, they just need to give me the food I want.

A Brief Farewell

Just thought I'd let all of you know that there will be absolutely zero chance of a post going up tomorrow. I know how often all of you check and I wouldn't want to burden your time. I leave tonight at 5:30 for the "STAR Retreat," a leadership program through the Office of Student Development. The plan is to spend the next 24 hours at a camp just outside the city learning about what it takes to be a leader at Marquette. The retreat is the kickoff to a semester long program where I attend bi-weekly workshops to hone and perfect my ability to guide the Class of 2012 to greater heights. As an aside, STAR stands for "Students Taking Active Roles," not "Standing Together Against Rape."
I'm not fully sure how excited I am about the program, since it is another burden on my schedule, which is now being engulfed by the Club Crew Monster. More to come (and hopefully pictures...still no cord but I will steal them from someone else).

Um...WOW

Just discovered the coolest thing.

At the Memorial Library (Raynor Memorial Library for those of you keeping score) I can text message or IM the library and they will answer questions or look things up for me. I am literally sitting on the Memorial Bridge (the sky bridge/lounge that connects the old and new libraries...also my favorite study spot) and talking with the circulation desk on my computer. They are checking on book availability while I sit on my butt and post this.

Marquette continues to surprise.

Trying to Right Certain Wrongs

I know that all of you appreciate the frequent updates on this blog. I also know that all of you are busy people. That's why I haven't typed anything in a week. It was all for you. I know how you all obsessively read my musings and with classes starting at several universities I didn't want to burden you. But I am back and you will now have to endure (gasp) DAILY POSTS!

I had the distinct opportunity of communing with a fellow grizzly bear on Saturday when I met my Alaskan counterpart at the club crew dinner. There are only two of us in the Marquette class of 2012 and by some twist of luck, or fate, we both ended up deciding to row on the greatest club team in the nation. We actually had a lot of fun comparing the questions all these midwesterners ask us ("Is it always dark?" "How cold does it get?" "Do you know Sarah Palin?"). Practice starts today on the Milwaukee river and I am very exciting to get out on the water, even though it is pouring rain right now.

I also need to apologize about the lack of blog sexyifaction (there it is again for those of you who make fun of my word creation habit), it fell victim to the 150 pages I read in my seminar book on Sunday. Actually, almost everything fell victim to "The Sparrow," possibly the worst novel ever penned. Nothing like a a bunch of Jesuit priests (one of them gay!) who take a mission to a new planet to meet the local aliens. Compliment that with a heavy dose of obvious religious commentary and a whole chapter on masturbation and you have the recipe for one...interesting novel?

More to come tomorrow...I promise. Pictures also also coming soon, just waiting on the cord. If I don't find it tonight I'm going to buy a new one so the problem should be solved by week's end regardless.

On the Frustrations of Labor Day

So...all those promises I made to myself and all of you about daily posts. Yeah, those went well. I apologize for missing both Friday and Saturday. I have chalked it up to a combination of being very busy and using my inability to find my camera cord as a reason to justify not putting anything new up here.

Now had you asked me yesterday how excited I was to have a three day weekend after the first week of class I would have responded in a series of ecstatic chirps and quasi-linguistic jolts of happiness. Today, as you may have ascertained, not so much. I had a wonderful master plan today to go the girls soccer game at 12:30 then study until dinner in the library, but, as luck would have it, the library is closed today and tomorrow. So I am sitting outside the Alumni Memorial Union (which is also closed) typing on the blog and watching people try to open the locked doors and walk away frustrated. It's almost tempting to let them know that things are closed, but allowing them to feel the same frustration I am is somewhat comforting. Chalk it up to Schadenfreude I guess.

In other news, I did go to that soccer game today. Marquette beat Samford 2-0 to go to three wins, no losses on the season. The student section, called the "Birdcage," is truly frightening on Sunday afternoons. I can't imagine anything more intimidating to opposing teams than a handful of hungover college students who have come out to tan and caught a soccer game on accident. I didn't do much cheering as my voice is still feeling the effects of 5 sporting events in 3 days. Yesterday I could barely talk, then went to the evening volleyball game and lost whatever sound I had managed to muster earlier that day.

So there is your quick recap of this weekend up to this point. Hopefully I can get some pictures up on this bad boy soon...just need to search the room a little harder for that cord. Also, during the course of this week look for a significant sexyifaction of the blog, including some graphics and new sections. I'm hoping to find the time some evening to really juice it up. Until next time...

A Little Bit of Homecooking

Today I had the distinct pleasure of an 8 a.m. Philosophy class that takes place all the way across campus in the most drab and depressing room imaginable. I'm not sure what the "higher ups" at Marquette were thinking when they decided that a class on logic and argument should take place at such an ungodly hour, but thanks to some "fortuitous" schedule conflicts, I get to enjoy the wonderful consequences of their decision making.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, onto the title of this post. The "Homecooking" refers to both today's weather and the new love of my life. The big news flash of the day is IT'S FINALLY CLOUDY IN MILWAUKEE!. I never though I would enjoy walking outside into 55 degree heat with utterly overcast skies above so much. The truth is, I had almost been getting sick of the perfect blue skies, scorching heat and near-aquatic humidity. Imagine my delight when I woke up to find not just clouds in the sky, but actual raindrops on my bike seat. It almost felt like I was back in Anchorage again...but flatter....and more concrete....and less moose.

As for my new passion, she can only be described as a goddess. This woman, who I only met a few days ago, has changed my life in unimaginable ways. She is, of course, the wonderful breakfast chef in the Straz cafeteria. After I roll in from my aforementioned 8 a.m. class; tired, hungry, and broken, who should be there? It's her, waiting to serve me up my very own, custom made omelet. I honestly can't imagine living without her at this point. This lady deserves a pay raise or a statue or something. No camera this morning, but pictures will be coming soon so that all of you can appreciate how wonderful this food really is...

The Beginning of a Wonderful Voyage Together

Well the day has finally come. All those musings about making a blog, starting a blog, blogging a blog, or just getting something up on the Internet have finally come true. Welcome to "One Lost Grizzly Bear," the official blog of one of Marquette's most northern residents. The title stems from my realization that Alaska (Grizzly Bear...get it...they live in Alaska) is WAY more unique than I ever could have imagined. From shopping to talking, it seems that everyday I make some mistake that labels me as Alaskan.

Now I'm sure some of you are saying: "But Chris...I have SOOOO much to do with my life. Why should I read your stupid blog?" I guess I don't really have an answer for you, other than that Marquette is an awesome place that I think you all will love hearing about. On this site you will definitely get a taste of what I do here on a day to day basis, the people I meet, and the potentially hilarious situations I encounter. So check on the blog, and check on it often. Believe me, you won't offend me by visiting too much.

Remember to comment on posts as well. Even though I'm a big hotshot blogger/college student/journalist now, I will still find time in my demanding, tiring, and utterly important schedule to answer your musings and questions.