University of Nonsensical Happenings

Like a Pro: A UNH Valentine

2012-02-14T13:58:00.002-05:00

In honor of today being Valentine’s Day, which many students claim to hate while others obsess over it, I have decided to dedicate today’s column to creating the worst date scenarios possible here at UNH. I just want to clarify that I have never done any of these and they are simply for enjoyment and maybe even a few of you will be warned to avoid these situations. Also, I think it is only fair to let you all know I am awkward. Extremely awkward. I am not a dating expert, but I also like to think that I am not a complete idiot. So UNH, on this Valentine’s Day, whether you are celebrating or not, here is what you should not do.

For the single guys out there, you may be looking for a ~~nice young lady~~, an orange, ugged out North Faced girl, to sweep off her feet this evening. Sorry, if that was too harsh, I’m sure Oompa Loompa’s have feelings too. (Although I highly doubt they can read and figure out that I'm talking about them right now.) YOU'RE ORANGE TAN LOOKS SO NATURAL DURING A NEW ENGLAND WINTER.

First, there is the ever-important pickup line. You want to be funny, but not awkward. Confident, but not overkill. This means you should avoid saying things like “Hey baby, would you like to be the tap to my keg?” However, this may actually work in the basement of Scorpions. Why? Because location matters. Always remember: location, location, location.

Other pickup lines to avoid include, “Aren’t you in my Making Babies class? We should study together.” Also, “Hey, didn’t we make out on Libby’s dance floor that one time? No? Well she looked just like you. I mean she was almost as cute as you… sooo do you want to?” And lastly, “Yeah, I’m on the hockey team. Well, I’m not on the team exactly, but I do sit next to Stevie Moses in class and we’re friends on Facebook. So, like I go to all their parties.”

Congratulations, you’ve made it past the pickup line. Now you need a little conversation starter to keep things going. Every college student says the same things. They ask where your from, what’s your major and where do you live on campus. Side note: Any guy just trying to get lucky says that he is in WSBE, because for some reason he probably won’t have to defend himself or his future. You know, because all WSBE majors are going to be Fortune 500 CEOs. Don’t worry, they won’t read this. Am I right Ham-Smithers? Also, some of my best friends are business majors... Never say that you’re a history major. Trust me.

If you have made it this far you have pretty much secured a date. Well done. Now if you think I’m going to share my ultimate date ideas you must be crazy, because I don’t have any so you are shit out of luck. However, I do know what not to do. These things will not impress the ladies.

Do not make a lunch date at a dining hall you silly, silly freshman. If you must because you are extremely poor, at least avoid HoCo and take her somewhere exotic like Stillings. It has weird hours and only the locals know where it is. Also, Wagon Hill might sound nice and romantic, especially under the stars, but not in February. Save that one for warmer weather. Do not invite a date to go to Libby’s on a Thursday or Saturday night, although if you both like dancing it could be a way to end a night out. Do not start off there and definitely do not hit on or dance with other people if you do.

Lastly, and I cannot stress this one enough: never, ever, under any circumstances offer to buy her some 40s to drink in the back ally next to DHop under the stars. Trust me, it won’t work. Not that I know from experience or anything. A date night should never involve 40s, Keystone Light or Zhenka. Keep it classy. You can never go wrong with a bottle of wine, (keyword: “bottle” notice how I didn’t say “cardboard box”), a blanket and a movie.

Or, worst comes to worst, wait for your roommate to fall asleep and skim through the HBO channels after midnight.

Stay classy, not UMassy

96 bottles of beer on the wall...

2012-02-13T14:07:00.000-05:00

Fellow UNH 2012ers, we are 96 days away from graduating. Chew on that for a second. It is time to step our game up. Remember this is UNH's Greatest Semester Ever.

If you haven't seen it yet, there is a new UNH Meme Facebook page that has been blowing up. I got a tweet last week about starting one, but my lazy senioritus diseased self dropped the ball so all I can do is help promote it. I will however be selecting one a week as my favorite pick and post it on the blog. Here's my first pick:

There were a lot of good ones, but I hate the UNH bookstore and refuse to go there anymore so this one definitely caught my attention.

In other news, I started working on a new blog project. All I can say is that it will be a way to wrap up this whole thing before graduation and a trivia/scavenger hunt game with prizes will be involved. Stay tuned for updates and rules on how to play and win.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Letter Regarding David Guetta Concert

2012-02-08T11:38:00.001-05:00

Dear Students of UNH,

I hope your semester is going well. With David Guetta performing a concert at the Whittemore Center tonight, Wednesday, February 8, I have been asked to get some information out to the students.

I am asking for your cooperation to make sure that no “after concert” problems may arise on campus. UNH has had a few times in our history where major student misbehavior followed concerts such as the Wiz Khalifa and Avicii "ragers." Leading up to and following these concerts significant damage has occurred to student's brain cells and livers.

I am requesting that students stay away from the Main Street area. Students will not be permitted to gather downtown. There is going to be increased police presence at the Whittemore Center and in town. By going downtown you face a serious risk of arrest, suspension from school or face a possible death squad.

Also, to prevent any "during concert" problems, students are being asked to stand still throughout the concert. No singing, no dancing, and absolutely no "going HAM" will be allowed. If you must use the facilities please raise your hand and a trained usher will walk with you. To avoid confusing the ushers, we respectfully ask that you refrain from "fist pumping."

Lastly, to prevent any "pre concert" problems, students are being asked to bring a book to read quietly while waiting in line for the doors to open. Any student found not studying will face possible suspension or arrest.

Enjoy yourselves and thank you for your cooperation. And remember stay classy, not UMassy.

The New Hampshirite
Student Blogger: Certified Bad Ass
unhblog@yahoo.com

The UNH Student Bill of Rights

2012-02-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

Here at UNH, we have the infamous student rulebook known as the "Student Rights, Rules and Responsibilities" handbook.

Other than the "Academic Honesty" portion of every professor's syllabus, which usually quotes or references the portion on plagiarism (section 09, pages 22 and 23), you have probably never actually read the handbook. It discusses all the rules governing UNH students – what we can and cannot do, including rules on alcohol, dorms, academic policies and other subjects.

I've skimmed through the handbook a few times to brush up on various rules to keep my columns accurate, and one thing bothered me. Probably because I am an American history nerd, I was depressed to see that there wasn't a section labeled the "UNH Student Bill of Rights" that took the original Bill of Rights and adjusted it to life at UNH. So, because I have nothing better to do, I did that on my own.

The First Amendment protects the student's right to drink any beer or alcohol you please without persecution, even Keystone Light. This also provides us with the right to make drunken statements without consequences, including but not limited to drunken texts, Facebook messages and tweets. This amendment also prohibits UNH from establishing any law prohibiting students of age not to drink as they please.

Finally, the First Amendment allows for students to assemble a party as they please or to congregate in the downtown area provided that the students remain peaceful.

The Second Amendment provides students with the right to always have a room full of alcohol, and states that the right to bear a flask at all times shall not be infringed. This amendment also allows students to have a separate fridge for bearing excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages.

The Third Amendment gives students the protection of quartering a roommate's girlfriend or boyfriend for an extended period of time. No girlfriend or boyfriend may stay over without consent of one's roommate(s).

The Fourth Amendment provides students with the right to say "no" and deny any police's request to look into one's backpack. Police must have permission, and many students do not realize that "no" is an option.

The Fifth Amendment is famous for the double jeopardy clause. Here at UNH it is simple, and more of a rule than a right – don't go home with the same girl you meet on Libby's dance floor twice. It also gives students the right to not give details of the previous night's activities, especially if beer goggles were involved.

The Sixth Amendment provides students with the right to take a class that will result in a speedy or easy "A." Making Babies and Germs are perfectly acceptable classes for filling out one's schedule.

The Seventh Amendment provides students with the right to intervene with another friend's beer goggles experience. It also provides students with the right to intervene with a drunken roommate in general, for his or her own protection or the protection of someone else.

The Eighth Amendment rules that if a class is 120 minutes or longer and the professor does not allow for a minimum of a five minute break, it shall be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

Purposely making loud noises to annoy a hung over roommate shall also be considered cruel and unusual, but still humorous nonetheless.

The Ninth Amendment provides students with the right to not be fined, suspended, arrested or expelled for something not in the "Student Rights, Rules and Responsibilities" handbook. This amendment also prohibits certain employees from making rules outside of their jurisdiction. For example, let's say a Housing employee cannot threaten students with an arrest or suspension for going downtown.

The Tenth Amendment states that all powers not delegated by the "Student Rights, Rules and Responsibilities" handbook, nor prohibited by the university or the Town of Durham, are reserved to the students.

There you have it, UNH's first (not really) official Student Bill of Rights. Feel free to cut or print this out and keep it on you at all times. It won't actually protect you from anything, but at the very least it could be used to start a fire if you think any of your rights are infringed upon. Am I right, UMass?

Stay classy, not UMassy

Zoomass Slamherst: straight class

2012-02-06T10:34:00.000-05:00

Another day of UMass embarrassing themselves and all was right in the world again...

You can't spell "Patriots" without "Riots"

2012-02-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

UNHers, if you see or hear of anything happening on campus tonight related to excessive police force, dumb students or just cops and students mixing in general please let me know. Leave a comment on this post, send me a tweet, facebook the New Hampshirite or email me. Pictures would be wonderful. I hope nothing happens, but I would like to stay on top of anything.

Seriously people, be smart tonight. We all may be drunk and angry (or happy if you're from NY/NJ) but don't do anything stupid. Remember: Classy, not UMassy.

As a Boston fan I've seen 3 Super Bowls, 2 World Series,1 NHL and 1 NBA Championship. I've been spoiled and really can't complain. Be safe and be smart if your venture onto campus tonight.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Alcohol is bad mmmkay

2012-02-05T16:12:00.000-05:00

UNH Health Services released a few alcohol awareness videos and they practically don't have any views so I felt it was my responsibility to share them with you all:

Best part: "Now I have alcohol poisoning."

Best part: 3,000 students won't drink this weekend... (but the other 10,000 or so will.)

Best part: "Avoid pre-gaming and drinking games." Umm, that's the point!

This one uses most of the first three videos and has some more commentary between them:

So, apparently pre-gaming and 5 or more drinks is high-risk drinking. Whoops, five drinks is usually about my average pre-game. I have much to learn.

To make this better, this video was in the related videos tab on YouTube. Good ole' UNH:

Go PatRiots!

2012-02-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

I am so getting arrested tonight...

Who is ready for Super Bowl Sunday?

2012-02-04T17:24:00.001-05:00

I think the UNH administration is. Credit goes to @PrezHuddleston for this one:

Don't worry UNH, I explained about the riots so all the current students know about them. I just hope the riot gear isn't necessary this year... oh wait, it never was. I forgot.

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That song has nothing to do with anything. I just wanted to share it.

Be safe, be smart and most importantly stay classy, not UMassy.

UNH Students told to Avoid Downtown Following the Super Bowl

2012-02-02T18:34:00.005-05:00

UNH Police: Riot Gear and Stealing your Beer.

Dear Resident of Gables Apartments,

I hope your semester is going well. With the New England Patriots competing in this year’s Superbowl on Sunday, February 5th, I have been asked to get some information out to all of students.

I am asking your cooperation to make sure that no “after game” problems may arise in our housing residences. UNH has had a few times in our history where major student misbehavior followed sporting events such as the Super bowl and World Series. During these celebrations significant damage has occurred in and around the residence halls and the town.

UNH has since worked with the town to make it clear to students that such misbehavior will not be tolerated and anyone creating a disturbance will be arrested and/or suspended from UNH.

Staff will be working on Sunday night walking around the complexes and residences. We will wait until after the game ends to do rounds and ensure that things are under control.

I am requesting that students at the Gables, Woodside and Adams Tower stay at their respective residences and away from the Main Street area. Students will not be permitted to gather downtown. There is going to be increased police presence at the complex and in town. By going downtown you face a serious risk of arrest and suspension from school.

I hope that you will choose to celebrate within your residence hall or apartment in a respectful and responsible way.

Enjoy yourselves, but not at the expense of your neighbors.
Thank you for your cooperation this weekend.
Michael Saputo

This email has been sent out to UNH students at various resident halls basically warning us to not go downtown after the Super Bowl or we are at risk of arrest and/or suspension from school. This is due to past incidences when the police unnecessarily showed up in riot gear, used excessive force (included bean bag guns) and caused mass chaos. Between 2002 and 2007 there were several incidences downtown following the hockey teams loss in the 2002 National Championship and the results of Red Sox and Patriots play-off games. The worst incidences occurred when the police were in riot gear and threatened students. When they showed up in their regular uniforms there were no problems. I had a very well respected professor who blamed the police for the incidences, citing that the riot gear causes fear among the crowd. Look at the Occupy protests if you don't believe me. All of the worst occurances happened when the police were in riot gear.

I'm wondering and am very curious to see what will happen. You have to expect that many people will be watching the games at the bars and other downtown establishments. You can't get arrested or suspended without breaking a law or UNH ordinance.

Stay classy, not UMassy (and go Patriots!)

Updates: 2003 Red Sox riot with cops in riot gear. Notice the tear gas and the girl towards the end with the busted face from a tear gas pellet. Things obviously escalated AFTER the cops in riot gear showed up and possibly overreacted. Obviously the fireworks and the dumpster burning was to far, but was the police force necessary and did it provoke the students to take things further?

Q&A with UNH Freshman Casey Thrush

2012-02-02T13:23:00.001-05:00

Casey Thrush is a freshmen forward on the UNH men's hockey team. Thrush, a native of Maryland, previously played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks (Michigan) of the USHL. Through 22 games this season Thrush has registered 9 points (2g, 7a), which is third on the team for freshmen. Thrush is also tied for the team high with a +/- rating of +7. Thrush was named Hockey East Rookie of the Week on November 21st after registering a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win over the UMass-Lowell River Hawks on November 18th. That was also his first goal of his collegiate career.

1) Why did you choose to play at UNH?
I come from an area that is not big into hockey so I wanted to come to a place that had a big fan base and passion for the game.

2) Throughout your career, what has been your most memorable hockey experience?
The most memorable would have to be the entire Frozen Fenway weekend. From the practice to the game it was all pretty unreal and it was my first time at Fenway Park.

3) Do you have any pre-game rituals?
Hockey players all have rituals. I pretty much follow the same schedule every game with warm ups, taping sticks and getting dressed at the same times and of course lining up the same way and a few handshakes.

4) Non-hockey related, what have you enjoyed the most about UNH?
I like the size [of the campus] big enough to meet a lot of new people, but also has a small feel.

5) I know you guys are focused on the game, but is there a chant you like the most?
I like when the crowd gets the wave going kinda old school its only happened twice this year so I would like to see more of that.

6) What are your goals heading into the end of the season?
Getting the highest seed in the Hockey East playoffs that we can get and give us best chance to advance to the semifinals.

7) Growing up what NHL player(s) did you admire? Who is your favorite team?
I'm a big Caps fan so I am big OV guy, but growing up I liked Markus Naslund of Vancouver he was my favorite player.

8) Zombie apocalypse. Which teammate survives the longest?
Good question, that's a tough one I like my chances if I can meet up with my brother he is a mountain man and a engineer but if it's individual thing I'd go Damon Kipp.

Like a Pro: Applying my Knowledge

2012-01-31T08:46:00.000-05:00

One thing I've learned to do really well as a liberal arts student at UNH is analyze pieces of literature or history and draw connections between them. Seeing that I am graduating in just a few short months, let's see if I can apply this extremely useful skill. To make it easily relatable, I have decided to take major pieces of literature and pop culture, such as popular books, movies and TV shows, and draw connections to my time spent here at UNH.

Let's start off with one of the most important books in the history of American literature, F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." This relates to hosting a huge party and ignoring everything around you. The book takes place in the "roaring 20s" which were quickly ended by the Great Depression. In college we party to ignore stuff like exams, essays and presentations. Also, "Gatsby" takes place during prohibition, so one could argue this is similar to hosting a party of underage students.

Next up we have Hunter S. Thompson's "The Rum Diary," and I mean the awesome book and not the crappy movie. I guess the title really says it all: let's get really cheap drinks at the bar and see what happens. Sounds like a solid Tuesday to me.

I can't go any further without mentioning the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, whether it is the books or the movies. This epic adventure is representative of the walk of shame. Just trying to make it across campus without being spotted by the last person you would want to see you. Sometimes the invisibility ring would be very useful.

Next, there is the TV show "Lost," which may relate to your thought process during the Lord of the Rings following a night of "The Rum Diary." "Lost" is simply trying to figure out what happened the previous night. What are these numbers on my hand? Is it just her phone number or something bigger?

Dante's Inferno – OK, I haven't actually read this. I just wanted to sound smart.

Many college students go through some sort of environmental phase and this is when "The Lorax" comes into play. Also, if you have never taken NR 435 with Professor Bill Mautz than you are missing out on a great reading of this Dr. Seuss classic. That was one of the most memorable individual classes in my UNH career.

The day for your big presentation has finally come, but you can't say your name without stuttering or breaking into a cold sweat, much like King George in "The King's Speech." Although, in this case the cold sweat may be brought on by a massive hangover.

"The King's Speech" actually correlates with "The Simpsons." If I may quote Homer J. Simpson from episode number 171 ("Homer vs. the 18th Amendment"): "To alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems." Would you have stuttered and sweated if you weren't hung over? Probably not, but hey, there is a bottle of cheap vodka in your room to help you forget about messing up so badly.

Of course, not all of these have to relate to alcohol, so how about the TV show "Arrested Development" and that 35-year-old career graduate student in your Intro to Geography class? Sometimes I have to bite my lip to not call him Buster even though it's not his real name. Or you can be an extreme alcoholic like Lucille. So yes, pretty much all of these relate to alcohol.

The Catcher In The Rye – You're all a bunch of phonies!

It's time for a childhood throwback with the cartoon movie "The Brave Little Toaster." If you have ever seen this movie you will recall the terrifying junkyard scene. This represents my apartment. We almost got a health code violation and we did not even know that was possible. It's not our fault we recycle a ton, but don't take it out enough … OK, yes, that is completely our fault.

And finally, the ultimate show for drawing out connections to real life, "Seinfeld." The connections really are endless with this show, so let's just call that one evil professor who was way too strict and unforgiving "The Soup Nazi." You were in the hospital with your sick grandmother? No extension for you!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Anyone recognize these fools?

2012-01-30T18:40:00.000-05:00

This is a sketch of the two suspects in the stabbing incident that took place near Adams Tower this past weekend. Usually when stuff like this happens it turns out that the suspects are not UNH students, but you never know. Hopefully something turns up because violent students are the last thing we need on campus. You can say what you want about past assaults and whether or not the victims started it, any violence is too much.

I think it is safe to say that the victims in this case are not enjoying "UNH's Greatest Semester Ever" so if you know anything or think you recognize these fools please contact the UNH police.

"He's no Tom Brady" said the Fireman

2012-01-27T15:30:00.000-05:00

Last night my roommates and I were out at the bars and around 10:30 or so we start getting texts from friends asking us what is going on and if we are okay. Sprinklers were going off in Gables North Tower and people thought it might have been our room. It was actually two floors directly above our room. Inside a fifth floor apartment a kid hit the sprinkler with a football and water flooded their room.

As we got back to our room a fireman was outside our door with a wet-vac and asked if we had any damage. There was none that we could tell of immediately.

Just a few minutes ago housing came to our room to check for water damage and it turns out a few of our walls need to be torn down and rebuilt to avoid future mold problems and that such. Apparently the room above us was so bad that those students had to move into the regular dorms, so we actually lucked out a little. But seriously, what is up with Gables North this year? First a fire and now this.

In other news, you all probably know by now that SCOPE got J Cole, but soon to be announced the Whittemore Center has also booked the indie folk rock group The Avett Brothers, which I am very excited for. The show is April 17th.

UNH's Greatest Semester Ever

2012-01-25T17:04:00.000-05:00

Things like Tuesday Boozeday are what make college great. People like @PrezHuddleston and myself are also great (I'm not being conceited because it's a fact.) When great people are about to leave great places we have to go out with a bang. That is why this is going to be UNH's Greatest Semester Ever. @PrezHuddleston tweeted it first, but I couldn't agree more:

In short, we are both graduating in May and unlike Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart, PHudd and I are coordinating. I can't say too much about it now (partly because we are still figuring out what exactly we are doing), but it will only help make UNH's Greatest Semester Ever even better.

So how do we go about making it UNH's Greatest Semester Ever? We have as much fun as possible, take chances, toss up a Hail Mary and if we're lucky, I'll get to scream, and I'm quoting the late great Warren Zevon, "Send lawyers, guns and money! The shit has hit the fan!" and actually mean it.

To put it simply, I'm going with the Brain Scalabrine ideology. Scal always makes the most of his minutes when he finally gets on the court. He jacks up deep threes, dives for loose balls and runs his ass off. All hustle, grit and determination. It may not be pretty, but his effort is his best attribute.

Together, we can make this UNH's Great Semester Ever. (On twitter I will be using the hashtag #UNHsGreatestSemesterEver frequently to update on my greatness.)

One last thing, you know what is not great? Libby's advertising $2 pitchers from 8-10, but then not starting the deal until 9. Not cool Libby's. Knot cool. (See what I did there? I went to the Knot instead).

UNH's Greatest Semester Ever posts and updates also have a different sign-off. Because I don't plan on being exactly "classy" with all of my actions relating to this goal. So I leave you with my slogan for the semester:

Scalabrine for Three!

PS: The project between @PrezHuddleston and I has nothing to do with me being a drunken asshole. That is all my own doing.
PPS: Go to the basketball game tonight at 7!

White Out Lundy

2012-01-24T15:21:00.001-05:00

Wednesday night is the annual "White Out Lundy" Men's Basketball game verse Maine. UNH basketball doesn't get much attention, but this is always a nice way to show support for the team and school. As you can see above 700 t-shirts will be given away to students and if you even think about taking one and leaving before the game then you are a selfish asshole and Gnarlz will eat you. Alive.

Please try to make it out because Lundholm is not a big gym so having a large student crowd really can make a huge home court advantage. The team has had an up and down season, but by beating Vermont and losing by only two against Boston University, UNH has shown they can compete with anyone in America East. Hopefully I'll see many of you there. Wear white, be loud and show Maine that we can kick their ass in any sport.

I also wanted to take a moment to recap some stuff from over winter break. I know many people don't check the blog while we're away from school and I don't post much, so I thought I'd link up and summarize a few of the posts.

First, I wrote up a Christmas UNH wishlist to fix all of our problems. No one was safe from a bad joke or two.

We also had a freshmen show some interest in writing for the blog. I'm still working out some details with him. In short, I offered him a chance to post once a week or every couple, but he is still figuring out what exactly he is willing to do and all that.

For all you alcoholics out there, I made my own personal power hour mix because I had nothing better to do. Check it out if your interested in a fun pregame and an interesting mix of tunes and genres.

I helped the Meathouse and Redhook Brewery promote their Polar Grill Fest, but I have already ended my ticket giveaway contest. (I needed enough time to contact the winners and mail the tickets if necessary.) However, it is this Saturday and tickets are still available. It's for a great cause so check it out!

And finally, I wrote a preview of the final stretch of games for the men's hockey team. This was written before the Merrimack series so it is not completely up to date.

Regular blogging will resume tomorrow so check back and have a great semester!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

A toast to my final semester

2012-01-23T16:27:00.000-05:00

UNH Class of 2012, we've been through quite a lot together and as I sit here the day before my last semester of college starts I can't help but be a little retrospective and even a little sentimental. With three and a half years down and one semester left, let's make this one last and make it the best one yet. So let us raise our glasses in the air and in the immortal words of Katy Perry let us "own the night like the 4th of July."

It's been three and a half years of late nights in the library, cram sessions, the worst best ideas ever (and the best worst ideas ever). It's been three and a half years of drunken adventures, awkward moments and hilarious stories. It's been three and a half years of hungover Friday morning classes, bad decisions and dreading 8 a.m. classes. It's been three and a half years of "that was the best night ever!", insane parties and having to read your texts to figure out what actually happened the night before.

To put it simply, it's been three and a half years that I will never forget, even if there are a few nights I can't remember. And I wouldn't want to change a thing. These three and a half years have been amazing, but let us turn it up to 11 for this final semester. In case you're wondering, 11 is one louder.

I intend to make this the best four months of the best four years of my life (so far). In his philosophical song "Beer Run" Todd Snider proclaims that the "road goes on forever and the party never ends." (Side note: Snider actually borrows this line from and references Robert Earle Keen.) Well, college does eventually end and if college is one big party, then the party must come to end. But I am not going to dwell on the past or fear the future. The moment is now. Have fun, because in a few months the "real world" is going to hit us harder than Vince Wilfork and it is going to suck worse than Billy Cundiff. (Relevant!)

So UNH, and especially my fellow 2012ers, let us go out in a bang. And if you're worried about your grades slipping, the world is going to end in December anyways so who cares. Don't let the party suck, and let yourself live!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Tell Congress that you oppose SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-18T01:00:00.002-05:00

Censoring the Internet prevents knowledge from spreading and it prevents free knowledge in general, something that many people take for granted. You can make a difference by signing Google's "End Piracy, not Liberty" petition. Do yourself, and the country a favor, by taking 30 seconds to sign the petition. Censorship is wrong and it hurts business, industry and education.

Although, do people really think that they would censor the internet in America? I mean how dumb would Congress be to ██ █████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██████ ██ ███████████ ██ and ██████ ██ ████ ██. Also, did it ever occur to you that ███████ ██ ████ ███ ████ ██? It's just ridiculous to think that could happen. You know what I mean?

I (still) Believe

2012-01-16T16:27:00.003-05:00

Move over "Tebowing" because "Mosesing" has arrived.

Where UNH Stands:

The UNH men's hockey has found itself in unfamiliar territory. Towards the bottom of Hockey East looking up. At the moment the team sits at 8-11-2, which puts them at eighth in Hockey East, with just 13 games remaining to be played. Eight teams qualify for the Hockey East playoffs and the winner of that tournament receives an automatic bid to the national tournament. UNH has the second longest streak in the country for consecutive national tournament appearances and that streak will most likely end unless they win the Hockey East tournament. The national tournament has 16 teams qualify and the last teams in are usually a few games over the .500 mark depending on the automatic bids.

Out of UNH's final 13 games, the next four will see their toughest competition. This weekend UNH plays a home and home series (meaning one game at both schools) with Merrimack, who sits in 3rd in Hockey East and 7th nationally. Next weekend UNH plays another home and home, this time against Boston College who is in 2nd in Hockey East (technically tied with BU for 1st , but with one more game played) and is 4th in the national rankings. While those games will be a huge four game stretch to determine UNH's talent and mental toughness, the remaining nine games will be even more important when it comes to the seeding for the Hockey East tournament.

Of those nine games, UNH plays Providence twice (a home and home series), Vermont twice (both home) and UMass twice (both away) with single games against Northeastern (home), a third game with Merrimack (away) and finally Maine (away). Northeastern and Vermont are currently the only two teams behind UNH in Hockey East. In their previous meetings UNH has split with Northeasten (a 4-0 loss and a 5-2 win) and tied Vermont 4-4 in Burlington. Those will be three very important games that UNH desperately needs to win as the favorite, especially with all three being played at the Whit, where UNH has played better than on the road. The series with Providence will also be huge. UNH won in Providence last week 1-0, ending a 5 game losing streak (the longest in Coach Umile's tenure). Providence is a surprising 5th in Hockey East, but they could very well drop as the season comes to a close.

The UMass series could have the single biggest impact for UNH heading into post season play. UMass sits directly above UNH in Hockey East, but the Minutemen are only ahead of UNH by a single point. In their only meeting this year UNH beat UMass 7-3 at the Whit, which was followed by a win over Maine and marked the last time UNH won consecutive games until their wins over Providence and Dartmouth these last few days.

What Needs to Happen?

For UNH to make a strong push heading into the Hockey East playoffs, a few things need to happen.

First of all, they are not in a spot to lose games they are supposed to win. They currently sit in the final playoff spot with only a point on Northeastern (with a game in hand), but are six points up on Vermont (also with a game in hand). Vermont is all but done, which makes those four points very valuable to UNH when UVM comes to Durham in February. That being said, UNH needs to play tough over the next four games, to keep their confidence up and not play down to the level of their opponents in the games that follow.
Secondly, Stevie Moses has to stay hot. Red Hot. Parting the Red Sea Red Hot. The alternate captain has five goals in their last two games (both wins) and he needs to have the hot hand for UNH to make things interesting. Everyone knows Moses is fast, but he has developed a great shot and can beat defenders in many ways.
However, Moses can't do it all. Players like John Henrion, Kevin Goumas and Nick Sorkin need to keep scoring as well to keep some of the attention off Moses. Those four have been solid of late, but someone else will need to step up. Freshman Grayson Downing has shown signs of his scoring touch, but upperclassmen like Greg Burke or Austin Block need to produce more consistently. Burke had a bit of a hot streak going, but has been held pointless for a few games now.
Casey DeSmith needs to play like a veteran. DeSmith, a true freshman, has replaced struggling senior Matt Digirolamo in net and has exceeded expectations. DeSmith needs to have ice in his veins down the stretch because with high powered teams like Merrimack and BC coming to town he can't let his confidence be hurt when UNH plays lesser opponents.
Defense, defense, defense. It's been the ugly of the ugly for UNH all year and it is the team's number one aspect that has to improve. Junior Brett Kostolansky, who started as a freshman, is currently skating at -10. Someone with his experience needs to be more effective.
Will another freshman please stand up? Aforementioned DeSmith and Downing have been excellent at times this year, but another freshman (or more) may need to take on a bigger role down the stretch. TvR has been very solid from the blueline (also chipping in 12 points) and is second on the team with a +7. I'm looking for players like Casey Thrush (9 points and a team high +8) or Jay Camper to have a bigger impact down the stretch.

The season ain't over 'till the fat lady sings and with 13 conference games remaining anything can happen. I believe in UNH. And anything really can happen:

Stay classy not UMassy... and keep believing in UNH.

Win Tickets to Polar Grill Fest: Food, Beer and Live Music!

2012-01-09T12:43:00.001-05:00

(click image to enlarge)

On Saturday January 28th, The Meat House is teaming up with the Redhook Brewery and other local companies to host Polar Grill Fest, an outdoor winter-themed party. The event is to help raise money for Share Our Strength® through its No Kid Hungry® Campaign, which is seeking to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. All proceeds from the event will benefit this campaign.

The Polar Grill Fest is a 21+ party featuring Meat House Steak tips and Redhook Beer and tickets are only $5! Even better, the Meat House is sending me four tickets to giveaway to UNH students! The tickets only cover the entrance fee. Food plates and beer are an additional $5 each (but remember, all of the proceeds go to charity and there is a lot of food per plate!) All you have to do is message/@reply me on twitter (@UNHblog) or email me (unhblog@yahoo.com) and tell me what your favorite part of winter at UNH is and I will select winners from my favorite responses and send the tickets your way. If you choose email, please use your UNH account so I can verify that you are a student.

Live music will be provided by local bands including the Pete Kilpatrick Band and Larry and The Birds. The event lasts from 1PM to 5PM so show up hungry, thirsty and ready to have a great time. It should be a great party to kick off the new semester and it is for a good cause. I look forward to hearing your responses!

Should I let this freshmen write for the blog?

2012-01-05T18:22:00.000-05:00

The following is an email I got from a UNH freshmen. My question to you is, should I let him to write for the blog next semester? My gut says yes.

Dear New Hampshirite,
I have been reading your blog since the end of the summer. I came across it while trying to prepare myself for life at UNH. You see, in high school I was a bit of a one man wolf pack... scratch that, I was a one man wolf pack. My three best friends were:

my parent's netflix account
my xbox 360
and good ole' lefty

When I got accepted to UNH, I wanted to change that. I never had a girl friend. I never tasted alcohol and I always made lame excuses as to why I missed parties. Basically, if my high school life was a box a chocolates, that box would be filled with all the shitty flavors everyone spits out. After one semester of college, not much has changed. Sure I've gotten drunk a few times (exactly 3) with kids on my floor, but that's about it. I want to change all that and start fresh next semester and I would like to chronicle my attempts anonymously here on this blog. It should be awkward and hopefully fun. So what do you say? I feel like if you would let me do this, I would feel 100% obligated to leave my room on Friday and Saturday nights and see what UNH really has to offer outside the classroom. A few kids on my floor have offered to take me out at before, but I always declined. I don't want to decline anymore. I wouldn't write more than once a week - if that, just recaps of different experiences and stuff like that. What do you think?

When I first read this email, I immediately thought of this Seinfeld clip. (Embedding is disabled for it.) Basically what it says is this isn't the prototypical person I would have write on the blog, but he has the ambition to become one. We can see this young man develop into a true Wildcat, or at least awkwardly try. What do you say Nonsensical Nation, should we give him a chance? (Just so you know, this is not a fake. He used his UNH email and I found him on facebook to check that he is a freshman. Yes, even I do background checks when receiving applications.)

Stay classy, not UMassy.

The New Hampshirite's Official Power Hour

2012-01-01T14:23:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon I had some time to kill so I decided to throw together a power hour mix, combining some of my favorite songs with more popular stuff. I covered a bunch of genres from hip-hop to dance to country and rock. I really made it for my roommates and close friends so many of the songs are stuff we have jokes or memories about, but I figured I throw it up on the blog.

Power hours are simple. Every minute the song changes and when it does you drink. (Usually a shot of beer. It may start slow, but by the end you'll b pretty buzzed and singing along.) Not every cut is exactly a minute, but they are within a few seconds so it balances out. I let the last song play through because it is our apartment's tradition to play it at midnight at every party we host. Let me know what you think and maybe I'll do more. Most people won't like every song, but there should be something for everyone. Plus, even the worse songs only play for a minute. Enjoy.

Santa Gnarlz, please come to Durham!

2011-12-25T11:34:00.003-05:00

If only UNH's problems could be solved with an extra big Santa bag...

For President Huddleston:

A couple money trees to plant around campus. As a bonus, they produce more money when drunk students pee on them! Take that Concord, you're budget cuts mean nothing now!

For Hockey coach Dick Umile:

Team defense: A team that plays both ways for three full periods! I'm sorry, but they have let up way too many easy goals and it's not all on the goalies. I love the team, but they need something to change going into the second half of the season.

For football coach Sean McDonnell:

Wider field goal posts! (Too soon/harsh?) Okay, okay, how about that new stadium they drew plans for years ago?

For the Whittemore Center:

Enough said.

For SCOPE:

Earmuffs! What you don't hear, won't hurt you.

For Dean of the Business School Dan Innis:

Acela Train tickets! No more slumming it like the rest of us! (Probably one person gets this...)

For the new business school:

The indoor waterfall from Trump Plaza. You only deserve the best!

For Hamilton-Smith and Nesmith Hall:

Even Santa doesn't care about you.

Basketball coach Bill Herrion:

Okay, maybe not the Ray Allen, but someone who can hit a free throw now and again would be nice.

For the dining halls:

Salt shakers on every table! Imagine the possibilities!

For ATO brothers:

Also a hammer and nails. Maybe they can borrow some duct tape from Ham-Smith too...

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and have a great New Years,

from The New Hampshirite. Stay classy, not UMassy.

Foster's: Does UNH Have a Drinking Problem? Me: No

2011-12-21T11:57:00.002-05:00

DURHAM — Beat the clock, kick the keg, knotty trivia, wheel o'deals. If you're a UNH student over 21, your Facebook inbox has probably seen these messages from the four bars on Main Street, advertising daily drinking specials that sound more like games. While the catchy titles and low drink prices do their job in attracting customers, some, such as Durham Police Chief Dave Kurz, are concerned that students are drinking more than ever. "Three years ago, the drink special at every bar was three dollars, for a beer or a well drink," said Ryan Wambolt, owner of The Knot Irish Pub... Wambolt has owned The Knot for the last six years and said that the daily drink specials are a recent trend... Joanne Stella, Legal Services Attorney at UNH, acknowledged a recent trend of hard alcohol consumption, calling it dangerous. In the past, she said the university has seen similar cycles with other risky "fads" such as students at fraternities purposely drinking to the point of throwing up... Kurz has a sense that students' interest in getting "hammered" is becoming the norm over more casual drinking, and the students he speaks with seem to share his opinion. "When I say this to students, I can see nods in agreement as if they have the same understanding," Kurz said in an email. "Routinely we encounter highly intoxicated folks, but the incidents seem higher than past years. More calls for ambulances for 'ETOH,' the code for alcohol poisoning, only serve to affirm my hunch." "I agree," said UNH Police Chief Paul Dean. "We are seeing more intoxicated people and more use of prescription drug abuse with alcohol. They are all good people who are making poor choices." "The difference now is that everyone is getting drunk earlier," Wambolt said. "All the bar specials pretty much end at 11 [p.m.], so people are milling around Main Street because it's too early to go home."

A few days ago, Fosters ran this article (click the link for the entire, uncut piece) and I just wanted to post some of my reactions to it. First of all, no, UNH does not have a drinking problem, it's just a college town in New Hampshire. I don't have any hard facts in front of me, but I would like to offer a few opinions to this piece. First of all, this article only speaks of the bar scene in Durham. Not too long ago, but before our seniors were enrolled, UNH was considered one of the top party schools in the country. Then, with a combined effort of the UNH administration, housing, residential life, and the UNH and Durham PD, UNH parties became less and less of a problem for the authorities. Now, there are still awesome parties any given Thursday through Saturday night at UNH, but it is not what it used to be. Around the same time UNH began cracking down on parties (about 6 years ago) the bar scene started offering more specials and the 21+ crowds began flocking downtown on party nights. The bars are open until 1AM and it's completely legal partying. Scorps and Libby's have dance floors and you don't have to worry about "accidentally" hooking up with a freshman. Sure, the bar crowds are on the rise, but the party scene is on the decline.

Secondly, this is not a problem limited to UNH. I read my dad part of the article and he cut me off saying, "UNH doesn't have a drinking problem. College has a drinking problem." He's right. I may not call it a problem, but this isn't some significant event only occurring at UNH, but at universities across the country. Heck, I believe the University of Wisconsin has something like two bars in it's student center. What do you think kids do at colleges in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest? At least we have the beaches, mountains and lakes nearby and some decent off campus places like downtown Portsmouth and even Boston isn't too far away.

Also, I wouldn't call "hard alcohol" a fad. Personally, I buy hard alcohol because $20 of it lasts much longer than $20 worth of beer. And I like whiskey. On that topic, if fraternities were "purposely drinking until the point of throwing up," I believe that is called hazing because no one in their right mind would actually want to do that. That is not a cool, hip "fad" that is the upperclassmen being pricks to the pledges.

Another thing that strikes me as odd is that the bar owners and police admit to having to call more ambulances for alcohol poisoning than in years past. But with an increased bar population, wouldn't that be expected? The more people you have drinking, the greater chance that someone will need help. I have no idea if these two numbers are proportional or not, but it does at least raise the question. Also, I think people have become more aware of the dangers of alcohol as of late and are more likely to call for help, especially in a public area, as opposed to the privacy of your dorm, house or apartment. Calling an ambulance isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if it really is needed. Many people get away with puking all night and passing out in the bathroom, but many of those occasions would also be suitable for an ambulance ride.

In short, I don't think that UNH has a new drinking problem. For decades binge drinking has been commonplace at colleges, but it is just becoming more visible. Honestly, things have probably settled down in recent years, but the crowds are moving from apartments to the bars downtown where there is more supervision (in the form of police, bouncers and bartenders) to crack down.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

The Finals Countdown

2011-12-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

Well UNH, we have made it to yet another finals week. This is my second to last time I'll be taking finals as an undergrad and from what I can remember it might be the only time I've had a final in all of my classes. Although, two those are papers so I only have two exams.

It has been one hell of a semester. Late night drinks and late night research sessions is probably the best way to describe it for me. Stumbling home from the bars and stumbling home from Dimond Library... although I did most of my research in the comfort of my room. Got to love the online data bases. EBSCO and JStor (among dozens of others): the ultimate tools for lazy students.

I can honestly say this has probably been the fastest semester of my UNH career and I'll admit the blog was lacking at times. I had a hard time staying on top of all things UNH and for once it took a back seat to my work load. That being said, I think it was a decent semester of blog posts and columns and I look forward to rejuvenating the blog after break. I have a few surprises in store and others in the works, one of which is sure to shock campus. Muhahaha.

But for now, good luck on your finals, study hard and have a great break. I'll see you in January. As usual I will try to post at least once a week during break, so don't be a stranger.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Shamless Plug: Project UNH Hoops takes a step forward

2011-12-08T12:18:00.000-05:00

Remember the other day how I pleaded for more students to support the basketball team? Yeah, I wasn't kidding. I actually ended up being interviewed by "Unranked America East" the best (and only?) fan blog dedicated to America East Basketball. I've been following their blog for a few weeks now and they do a great job. Check out my interview and their site regularly for all the America East Basketball info you need.

And yes, that video has nothing to do with UNH or America East and I absolutely hate Ohio State, but I was a big fan of the "Club Trillion" blog when Titus was still in college. Basically he was a walk on who never played and he wrote a hilarious blog.

BU's New Theme Song

2011-12-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

So if you haven't heard by now, a few days ago a BU professor was busted for running a meth lab. Real life Breaking Bad shit right here. UNH hockey takes on BU in this year's Blue Out game at the Whit tonight, so I'm expected a few one liners and signs about meth. You know, because we're classy like that.

UNH is desperate for a win right now. The team has obviously struggled this year and they really need some momentum to build off heading into winter break. BU has had our number this year so a win would be huge. It's a Thursday so start you're thirstiness early and I'll see you at the bars after the game. Hopefully drinking in celebration and not in misery.

Reflecting on my column

2011-12-07T13:09:00.000-05:00

So my column yesterday seemed to have stirred up some mixed reactions among readers. I was expecting that and I do enjoy when people critique my stuff because that makes me a better writer and thinker than a simple "I agree" or "you're stupid." That being said, I am not happy with how the piece turned out. I'm not one to make excuses, but I had written an entirely different piece and scrapped it about an hour before my deadline and wrote a new one. I meant what I said, but I don't think I said it in the right way. Honestly, it was probably irresponsible of me to rush a column like that, but what's done is done.

Looking back I should have saved it for another time so I could have spent more time working with the idea and specific wordings. When I first wrote it I really liked it, but after submitting it I began having some regrets because I knew what type of criticism was going to come and it wasn't the point I wanted to make.

I want to be clear: I do not hate college. I love my education, I love the education that UNH has provided me with and I am forever thankful for the things I have learned here. I am not taking this experience for granted. For example, next semester is my final one and I could take any four classes I want to graduate, I just need the credit. I'm not doing that though, I'm taking two high level courses within my major and only one other that is considered an easy A. I'm doing that because I am truly interested in my major and I want to learn as much as I can while I'm here. I'll be looking at my grad school options over winter break because I want to learn more.

The idea I had about much of college being "bullshit" was more about the way people, including myself at times, treat it. I was using my past choices as an example. I've made some poor choices, but I've also maintained a 3.4 GPA. Nothing really to brag about, but it could be a lot worse. One commenter said it right: "you get out what you put in." At times I've done that, I pushed myself really hard and I know I've written great papers. One of the proudest moments was my sophomore year when a professor approached me outside of class to tell me how much she enjoyed my paper. I am very proud of my colloquium I am currently writing. But at other times, I've done the minimum to get by, BS my way through low level courses to get the A- or B+. I'm sure most of you have done the same. Not all, but most.

The main point I wanted to make was that college is more than just the facts. It's learning how to apply them, learning how to think. I ended the column with "Use your mind – it can be a beautiful thing if you know how." That was my way of saying "you get out what you put it." Use your mind to go beyond the facts, see the bigger picture, analyze the situation and make connections. To me, that is the most important thing I've learned at UNH. It probably is major specific, but I think most people can say college has taught them to think differently. I'm sorry for the confusion and I hope this made things more clear.

As always, thanks for your comments, I get something out of all of them.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

What's my degree for again?

2011-12-06T10:53:00.000-05:00

In a couple of months, I'll be sitting at my college graduation commencement with my graduating class.

We'll be sitting out on Memorial Field listening to someone talk about how it is our turn to make a difference in this world. They'll say something like "sure the economy isn't great right now, but you can still be successful. Be the change that you want. Make the world a better place."

A few months after that, I'll receive my degree in the mail and it will say "History." But what it should say is "bullsh*t."

One of my favorite musicians is the witty singer-songwriter Todd Snider. In his song "Statistician's Blues" he sings, "Seventy-four percent of what you learn in college is a bunch of bullsh*t you'll never need." I used to think that was the case more about high school, but sitting where I am today, I'd say Mr. Snider hit the nail on the head. And he didn't even have to go to college to know that.

I'll admit I've spent some nights at the bar when I should have been in Dimond Library doing work, but I also know I've spent many nights in the library when I should have just gone to the bar. Is it a lack of motivation? Probably. But at the same time I can get away with it, and it's not because I am particularly smart either.

A few weeks ago one of my professors went on a brief rant about the education system today. He's been around for a while and has experienced it from many different sides.

He quipped that the content of courses and the expectations and quality of work done by students and even professors has worsened over the years. A couple classes later, I handed in a 10-page rough draft of a research paper to him. When we sat down to discuss it, he said that I'm doing really well with it and he could tell I put a lot of time into the research and writing process. He even used my draft as an example to the class. I wrote the entire thing and did most of the research the day before I turned it in. Pot, kettle, black.

If the education system really isn't what it used to be, who is to blame and how can it be improved? I don't really know, but I do know this: here at UNH (and probably at the majority of public schools in the country) it definitely relates with the school's budget. When schools are short on money, big, broad lectures become more common because those classes are cheaper and easier to run. This is exactly what President Huddleston complained about to Concord when the budget cuts were being discussed last year. Experienced professors are pressured into early retirement and lecturers who haven't become professors yet and who are much cheaper replace them. President Huddleston makes about 10 times more a year than the lowest salaried lecturers at UNH.

In May of 1970, three well-known protestors from Chicago appeared at UNH. The most famous among them was Abbie Hoffman.

It was the day after the Kent State shootings, and the three men were originally scheduled to speak on the Vietnam War, but when the school's board of trustees tried to shut it down in fear of possible riots, their speeches became more focused on the freedom of speech and the university system.

One of Hoffman's partners, Jerry Rubin, stole the show.

He shouts "school is just an advanced form of toilet training! That's what school is! And taking an examination is just like taking a shit! That's what it's like! You know you gather it all in and gather it all in and you wait for the right moment when your fucking professor tells ya 'this is the moment' and then the moment comes along, you been conditioned and then you let it pour out, you just flush the toilet. All the shit comes out and boom it's over and you feel so good afterwards! It's got nothing to do with education."

I think he had a pretty valid point.

After the rally, UNH went on strike, the last two weeks of classes became voluntary workshops and finals were cancelled. UNH denies the strike ever happened.

I think it is important to really examine everything you have learned in college and think about what is really important. You can know all the names and dates and formulas you want, but if you can't actually learn from them and apply them to life and critical thinking, then it doesn't matter at all.

The most important thing I've learned at UNH is how to think. I've learned to pay attention to the things around me – the news, politics and life in general. Names, dates and formulas are for the ~~textbooks~~ Google. Use your mind – it can be a beautiful thing if you know how.

Stay classy, not UMassy

NEWD Films "BIRDIES" Premeir

2011-12-05T15:32:00.001-05:00

The NEWD Films crew (White & Ghetto, V-Card) have a new 30 minute short that will be showing in the MUB Theater II tomorrow (Tuesday the 6th) night at 8PM. Their clips are always good for a few laughs and this one shouldn't disappoint. I'm expecting it to be entertaining like all their stuff and it's good to support some local and UNH alums. Many scenes take place right here on campus. Who knows, maybe you'll get some BGP (back ground props. Oh high school skateboard lingo...)

Anyway, here is the trailer and check it out if you think you might be interested. They describe the film as a slacker comedy that follows three groups of friends on their quest for love on the final Saturday of spring semester.

Project Basketball: UNH Hoops

2011-11-30T17:32:00.001-05:00

Alright I'm gonna be quick here. UNH basketball is nearly nonexistent and our fan base is even scarcer. But Wildcat Army is looking to change all of that. The team has made some major improvements over the last few seasons and is a dark horse in America East this year. All it takes is getting hot late in the season, winning the American East tournament and our Wildcats could be facing Ohio State or UConn on CBS come March. This year's team is as talented as a team as Durham (New Hampshire that is) has seen in some time, if not ever. Ferg Myrick and Alvin Abreu are both coming off injury shortened seasons and they are trying to prove that they are back and healthy. Chandler Rhoads has greatly improved during his career and Brian Benson is a rebounding machine. "Springy" is an understatement. The kid has ups. Period. Transfer Patrick Konan can bang the boards and shoot the long ball and Jordan Bronner has great ball skills. If America East isn't ready, this team could really surprise some people.

Because of that Wildcat Army is preparing to attend as many home game as possible to ignite a new fan base for the team. Lundholm is tiny, as a New Hampshire native I've seen high school crowds make the place rock, so we should be able too. What do you say?

Be there tonight at 7 to see the team take on instate rival Dartmouth. I know it's last minute, but what else are you gonna do? It's a Wednesday for crying out loud. Hopefully we'll see you there.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Senior Gift Ideas

2011-11-29T11:29:00.000-05:00

Monday morning the new UNH Twitter account, @UofNH, submitted the following tweet: "Attn #UNH Seniors! What would you like to leave as your Senior Gift? Let us know your ideas! Please use hashtag #UNHSeniorGift." UNH Class of 2012, this is our chance to leave our mark on this fine institution.

For the past four years, or more for the super and super, super seniors, UNH has provided us with an education to be successful in this devastating and depressing economy. Or at least they have convinced us that we can find jobs out there.

Personally, I'm not so sure. But hey, that's what graduate school is for, right? Delaying the inevitable for another couple years – or however long it takes. There's always mom and dad's basement and managerial positions at McDonalds. How do you say "would you like fries with that" in Spanish?

Anyway, back on topic: The 2012 UNH senior gift. Personally, I don't want to be remembered for a little granite bench or simply contributing to the new Peter T. Paul business school.

I'm a dreamer and I want our gift to be something that we can be proud of, that our state can be proud of and that the university can be proud of. Of course, that might be tough. The state obviously isn't very proud of us at all – I mean, they already cut our funding in half, and I'm willing to bet that the largest newspaper in the state has never written a positive article on UNH.

So what are the major things that UNH is known for? Well, if you read the papers we're known for being a party school, buying lots of beer, having high arrest numbers, disruptive concert crowds, not getting along well with the town of Durham, having poor diversity and race relations, a Greek system that loses a charter seemingly every week, and we have a pretty decent hockey team.

Out of all of those things that UNH is known for, our hockey team and particularly the state-of-the-art Whittemore Center, which is one of the very few Olympic sized rinks in the country, is something to truly be proud of. However, for the Whitt to be truly labeled "state-of-the-art" I believe that it is missing one key feature: a video replay scoreboard. I mean even the decrepit old Alfond Arena up in Orono, Maine, has a video board. Think of how much easier it will be to harass our favorite referees like the Hanson brothers when we have video evidence on our side.
Listen, the orange light bright scoreboard is unique to the Whitt, but it just doesn't do a good enough job. Sure the stick figures are entertaining, but player pictures are basically undecipherable and its technology sophistication is that of a 5-year-old's play toy.

You're probably thinking to yourself, how would this benefit the university as a whole? Well, let me put it this way: what other aspect of UNH draws more attention? The hockey program is nationally known, regularly sells out home games, makes TV appearances, and draws students from across the country as well as internationally. And while a video board may be expensive, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a new football stadium. A replay board could also serve as a visual component to concerts, trade shows and other events held at the Whittemore Center.

If you're not yet sold on the idea of a video replay board there are many other options for the class of 2012's senior gift. This is our chance to come together and give something back to the community for a change. Another common idea could be setting up a scholarship fund for future students from tough economic backgrounds – in this economy and with rising tuition costs, cases like that will only become more likely. Other ideas could be murals, memorials, database subscriptions, specific renovations, and sustainability upgrades such as solar panels.

Bike racks and benches have been done numerous times – lets leave a gift unique to UNH and unique to the class of 2012.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Boarding for Boobies!

2011-11-28T16:02:00.000-05:00

On Saturday December 3rd there will be a Boarding for Breast Cancer snowboard and ski rail jam on Boulder Field from 4 to 8pm. There will be artificial snow and a handful of different rails and boxes set up and prizes for the winners. It is sponsered by several different board shops and dozens of students have already registered to compete. It is $5 for students and $10 for non-students to compete. Check out their Facebook Event page for all the details.

It is open to all levels of ability, but you should probably be better than my friend:

See you there and I hope to see some people throwing down. I don't think I'll be competing, but I'll definitely stop by to watch and maybe snag a few pictures or videos to throw up on the blog.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Behavior not Unique to UNH

2011-11-22T11:06:00.001-05:00

For the past several weeks, the UNH campus had been buzzing with anticipation for the Avicii concert, which finally took place this past Saturday. As expected, many UNH students and other concert attendees were "hydrated" as Tom Brady might put it, but it is important to note that behavior like this is not unique to the UNH campus.

UNH police announced that 34 arrests were made at the concert. Many of the arrests were related to drugs and alcohol, which should be expected not because this is UNH, but because it was A) a concert and B) it was located at a college campus. It is also important to note that due to New Hampshire's internal possession law, arrest numbers are often higher than at schools located in other states. For example, when SCOPE brought rapper Wiz Khalifa to UNH last year, there were 48 arrests made on campus that night, as opposed to only two at the same show the night before at the University of Rhode Island.

These statistics are misleading. While one may argue that they show UNH has more disruptive and out of control students, the statistics actually reflect more on New Hampshire's strict alcohol consumption laws. An internal possession violation in New Hampshire will result in an arrest, while it would only result in a citation in other states.

This misleading stat is similar to the "study" done by The Daily Beast last year that ranked UNH as the "Druggiest School in the Country." The Daily Beast used the number of arrests related to drugs as their major statistic. High arrest numbers can also be attributed to UNH's zero tolerance policy and New Hampshire's drug laws. For example, possession of certain amounts of marijuana in Massachusetts or Vermont will only result in a citation, while any amount results in an arrest in New Hampshire.

While that means UNH has more arrests for marijuana than other schools, it does not mean that UNH students are using drugs more than others. UNH students simply get in more trouble for it.

If that study were to be done accurately, it would need to include citations issued for drug use along with the arrest numbers. In a way, it is kind of amusing because UNH is only being labeled as a top drug school because our policy is so strict. It is also important to note that the arrest numbers do not separate UNH students from non-students. Many of the biggest party weekends at UNH, including Homecoming, Halloween and Spring Climax, are also the biggest weekends for non-UNH students to come to our campus.

In fact, if you compare the statistics provided by The Daily Beast with statistics from UNH Health Services, UNH students actually use marijuana at a lower rate than the statewide average for 18-25 year olds. The Daily Beast listed New Hampshire's statewide average as 29.21 percent for the month prior to the survey and 41.54 percent for the year prior. Last year, UNH Health Services said that only 27 percent of UNH students admitted to using marijuana on the Housing surveys.

You are probably wondering by now why I am bringing all of this up. I feel that whenever stories break about UNH and illegal activities, it only dampens our school's reputation.

Following the announcement that 34 people were arrested (Update: of which only 14 were UNH students) at the Avicii concert, many local papers, including Foster's Daily Democrat, the New Hampshire Union Leader, the Nashua Telegraph, and even Boston.com ran brief stories. (Then again, has the Union Leader ever written anything positive about UNH?) Many of these write-ups also mentioned the fire at the salt shed as if there is evidence that the two were connected. While this is possible, it seems highly unlikely because the fire was called in at 7:30 p.m., when the concert was already underway.

When large concerts and events come to college campuses you should expect students and non-students to be arrested for drugs and alcohol – those come with the territory. However, we should not allow the few people who went too far, who may or may not even be UNH students, to hurt the reputation of this campus. UNH is already known as a party school, but once you attend it, you realize that it really isn't any different than most schools, especially public state schools for that matter.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Fire on Campus

2011-11-20T11:22:00.000-05:00

Yikes, I have been really crapping out on the blog lately. I just had a super busy couple of weeks so I haven't had time to pay attention to all things UNH. I have a few posts lined up, but will return to regular blogging after Thanksgiving break.

A few notes: Last night as I was on the way back from the bars I was walking through A-lot. I passed by some kid passing out on top of his (or someone's) car. I tried helping him out and told him to at least crash in the back seat, but he wouldn't listen and reassured me he was okay. A few minutes later I turned around and am about 95% sure there was a cop there, most likely arresting him. Oh well, I tried.

As you may have heard by now, there was a fire last night at the salt shed behind the SERCs. It is actually being investigated as a possible arson. Here is a picture someone sent me taken from one of the SERC buildings:

Looks like it was actually pretty big, but it was contained and under control pretty quickly.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Is this real life?

2011-11-15T14:01:00.002-05:00

Seriously? What happened to the water bottles in the back of the school bus? Things were so much simpler in my days...
(In reference to the bit starting just after 1 minute)

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Battling Senioritis

2011-11-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

As finals week rapidly approaches here at UNH, seniors are facing one of the greatest challenges of our college careers: the dreaded senioritis. It is an infectious disease that spreads rapidly among roommates, friends, neighbors, and classmates, debilitating one's academic motivation and promoting one's ability to procrastinate or ultimately skip assignments. Bar hopping replaces studying as legitimate weeknight activities and our beds become more comfortable every morning.

I had a brief scare last week as some symptoms began to emerge. Luckily I was able to identify them and have made a quick recovery. I realized that skipping class to get caught up on Dexter and putting papers off until hours before their deadline is not sustainable or healthy.

I feel that senioritis hit me harder and much earlier than four years ago when I was finishing up high school. I began to wonder why, and soon the answer became very clear.

Four years ago the high school senioritis bug did not infect me at all, but here I am in November and it is already showing signs. When I was preparing to graduate high school things were looking up. There was a strong feeling that Obama would take the presidency later that year and it seemed to invigorate the young people of America.

Playing baseball in the spring forced me to keep my grades up, not that it was ever a concern of mine in high school, and I was also looking forward to the new personal freedoms of college. But here we are four years later and for the first time in my life I'm not exactly the happy-go-lucky optimistic character my peers know me to be.

Obama has not quite lived up to the expectations of my generation. At the same time the Republican candidates scare me more than when I stayed up to watch Stephen King's "IT" in elementary school. I couldn't sleep for a week. Let's face it whether you are a liberal or a conservative, the man who many consider the top GOP candidate, Mitt Romney, hasn't even been the true "favorite" yet, and one of his main competitors, Herman Cain, was the CEO a pizza company and has absolutely no idea how to handle foreign policy. Then there's Rick Perry. He is incompetent, can't finish a thought (let alone a sentence) and, well uh something else I can't think of right now. Oops.

The economy is not doing well, the biggest movement in years is taking place on Wall Street and across the country in response to economic inequality and here I am months away from entering the work force. Why would anyone want to graduate right now? It is like an unconscious subliminal message telling us to stay here as long as we can. This year's senioritis is not caused by carefree attitudes, but because there may very well be nothing out there for us once we receive our diplomas.

But attitudes like that are not healthy. The generation I grew up with has been through some good and hard times like any other American generation. We grew up with constant wars in the Middle East, the biggest attack on American soil in history and now the crisis in the jobs market. But we have also been privileged to live in a time and place where we have the ability to make things better. It can be hard and a long process, but it can be done. The future of our country relies on the new generations entering the work force. We are now about to become responsible for things like improving the American economy and promoting human rights around the world. Will it be easy? Not at all. Can it be done? Definitely yes.

Ask anyone from the generations before us if 50 years ago they thought there would be an African-American President. Do not forget that the Civil Rights movement was only 40 to 50 years ago, which is not a very long time. The people of that generation made sacrifices for our generation. Now it is up to us to do the same thing.

Let the prospect of creating a better country, a better world for that matter, be your motivation to finish out the year strong. But remember, we are still in college. We can't do or fix everything already. Our time will come and when we receive our diplomas we have a chance to do great things. Oh, wait, my diploma is going to say "History." Oh crap.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

My Welcome to College Moment

2011-11-08T11:45:00.002-05:00

It was mid-October of my freshmen year and my college career wasn't even two months old, but I thought I had a pretty good idea of how things worked on campus.

The Red Sox were in the middle of a playoff series with Tampa Bay (remember those days, Red Sox making the playoffs?) and it was a Thursday night at UNH. It may have been over three years ago, but I remember all the details so well. The Red Sox, trailing 7-0 in the eighth inning, would come back to win 8-7.

This turn of events called for celebration shots of cheap vodka chased by Diet Coke. I still cringe at the thought of the taste.

I was with my roommate and another friend from high school. "Let's go for a walk," one of us suggested. "Find a party or at least hit up DHOP." Ah, those were the days, thinking that we could just show up at a party or rely on entertainment by drunker kids downtown.

We threw the half-empty handle of vodka into my roommate's backpack and took off to see what we could find. I want to note, most of the vodka had been consumed on previous occasions; we had barely had a drink each before we left. But the smell of vodka lingered on our breath.

After a loop around campus we began to head back for Williamson. We had given up on finding a place to party, but we didn't really care. We took a shortcut, walking down a path near Stillings Dining Hall, one of the paved trails through the woods. We didn't even notice the cop approaching until he was right in front of us.

"You boys mind if I talk to you for a minute?" My heart sank, paranoia struck in. "Does he know I drank tonight? Can he smell my breath? I am going to end up on that busted at UNH SCAN-TV show?"
His flashlight shined brightly into our eyes and then the questioning set in. "Students like to drink beer in the woods here, is that what you're up to?" For what seemed like an eternity, but was probably more like 10 minutes he grilled us. He wanted to look in my friend's bag where the half-empty handle of vodka was hidden.

He accused my other friend's keychain of being a bowl and wanted to know if we had "dope" on us. The questions seemed never-ending, he said our eyes looked glossy and could smell beer on us. Clearly it became apparent that he was grasping for anything to nail us on. I could taste blood from biting the inside of my lip. I wondered if the cop noticed that.

He then said, "Just tell me what you were doing and I'll let you go. I just want to know." This was clearly a trick, but we held our ground. Eventually, he let us go, but warned that he "wouldn't be so easy on us next time."

Luckily for me there never has been a "next time," but I know for a fact dozens of other students may not have walked away from that incident.

The cop relentlessly tried to trick us into admitting things we did and did not do. He said he "knew what we did and lying would only make it worse," even going so far as to say that we wouldn't get in trouble if we came clean. That was his way of saying, "I have no proof of any wrong doings, let's see if I can trick these freshmen into a possibly false admission."

This makes me wonder, what are the cop's true priorities on campus and how many arrests are made with illegal tactics because students don't know their rights? It is not so much as getting away with a crime as knowing your rights defined by the Constitution. He tried to illegally search a bag, trick us into admitting things we didn't do and confuse us with the way he worded his questions.

The last thing you want is your name showing up in a police log when it could have been prevented. Obviously, the easiest way to prevent that is to not drink. But in reality, college students are going to drink, there is no denying that. It is a part of the college culture. If you do frequent parties or drink underage, be safe and smart about it, but most importantly learn your rights.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

ATO Busted... again...

2011-11-07T16:09:00.000-05:00

For the second time in a couple months the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity at UNH has been busted. Shortly after receiving a 5 year ban they are in hot water again after 11 members were arrested for drug related charges that came from a search following an alleged sexual assault case. The house has also been ruled to unsafe to live in after fire violations, health code violations and life safety violations were found. Talk about a rough stretch for UNH fraternities, huh? This is way beyond double secret probation.

When I first came to UNH I heard about all the Greek life stereotypes, sayings or one liners. These aren't mine and I'm not saying they are true, but I learned them early and I'm sure most of you have heard them too. There was "A-Chi-Hoe," "Kattle Delta", "It always snows at ATO" and of course how Zeta was known for roofies. The articles I read only mentioned marijuana and prescription drugs (and others sent to labs to be tested) being found at ATO, so no word yet if "snow" was found.

I can't say this comes as a surprise at all, but hopefully this is the end of major busts at UNH. We don't exactly have the best reputation when it comes to this sort of stuff and our Greek life system doesn't look to good right now. Believe it or not, but having a strong Greek life is important to big universities. For a lot of the crap we hear about, they do get a lot of fundraising and volunteer work done (not to undermine other student orgs that do those things without all the "extracurricular" activities.)

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Videos For the Weekend

2011-11-04T15:45:00.000-04:00

One a.m. quiet hours in the Gables and Woodsides again? Check.

Secured hockey tickets from a secret source (cough UNH player cough)? Check.

Lastly, in the latest Main Street Magazine @PrezHuddleston claimed he has as much influence as me without ever having to write more than two sentences. I like @PrezHuddleston, I like his style and I like his messages. But let's be serious for a second: Coming up with the term "Hallowcoming" or being responsible for restoring apartment quiet hours? I'm not trying to start anything, just stating facts.

I plan on beating the quiet hours thing to death. It is my greatest accomplishment since I've been at UNH. National History Honors Society? Pah, that's nothing compared to this.

Have a great weekend. It's homecoming part II. See you at the hockey games, bars, tailgate, football game and parties. And if you find yourself at the Gables or Woodsides raging past midnight, you're welcome. I did it all for you.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Well that was actually pretty easy

2011-11-03T19:29:00.003-04:00

I didn't even need to make a petition! Effective tonight the Gables and Woodsides quiet hours will be restored to 11PM Sunday-Thursday and 1AM Friday and Saturday. You're welcome UNH. You see what just a little effort can accomplish? Words can't describe how happy am about this. By far the most satisfying thing this blog has ever done. Who's ready to party like it's 2010? I'll gladly except all thank you gifts in alcohol form. Just taking over UNH one step at a time.

Music Options Aren't Limited to UNH Orgs

2011-11-02T19:07:00.001-04:00

Do you go to UNH? Do you like music? Do you not like Two Door Cinema Club or don't want to pay $45 for Avicii tickets? Well I have a few ideas for you to help with your music monkey.

There is one option that I really don't care about, but have been contacted by many people involved, including one of my syndicates so I'll give it quick shout out. On November 11th Scorps is hosting a few rappers including Timeflies whose album reached #11 on iTunes. Tickets are $20 and available here, but if you register with SumoSkinny and enter the campus code: gp_unh you are entered to win two free tickets. Since it is at Scorp's it is 21+, but they will have $2 drinks all night. To be clear, I'm not endorsing the show (it's called "Swagfest", I'm sorry but that's not my style...) but seeing as it is a UNH music event and I know a lot of student are into this stuff I feel obligated to at least mention it.

However, there is something I will definitely endorse. Last night I went to Bluegrass Tuesday at the Stone Church in Newmarket and I had a blast. No cover charge, $2 PBR's all night an some good old bluegrass music. Or as we call it, "white people dancing music." That's right. I love bluegrass and I am proud of it. The Stone Church is a gem, they frequently have great acts and nightly themes (including electronic nights). Of course, almost all their stuff is 21+, but it's nice because once you're in you don't have to keep getting carded, which makes for shorter non-drinking periods. My roommates, friends and I will definitely be making to more bluegrass Tuesdays throughout the year so hopefully I'll see some of you there. Nothing beats good, fun music (by very talented musicians) and cheap beer. They play all types of traditional bluegrass music so you're bound to hear a few songs you know if you grew up with it like I did.

No, I won't be at Two Door Cinema Club, I won't be at Avicii, I won't be at Swagfest, but I'll be at the Stone Church for bluegrass Tuesday from 9 to midnight. I may be in the minority here, but I don't care. I know what I like and I'll never get sick of stuff like this:

Students should pay more attention UNH's fiscal problems

2011-11-01T13:10:00.001-04:00

Over the summer I wrote down a short list of generalizations I had about the UNH student body, including myself. I did this because going into my senior year I wanted to pay more attention to the news and the happenings of the university system, especially due to the budget crisis. I wanted to look at what types of things the student body, including myself were passionate about and what things we shrugged off. We are now about a quarter of the way through the year and I thought it might be appropriate to revisit a few items on that list I wrote down.

I went on record last year saying many times that I believe our student body is far too inactive and passive. The evidence I used for those claims were the lack of votes cast in the Student Body Elections and the fact that students rarely truly stand up for what they believe in here. UNH is one the most expensive publics schools for instate tuition in the country. To be exact, we were number ranked fourth before the most recent tuition hike. But never once has there ever been any type of organized student attempt to challenge the hikes.

When state officials in Concord cut the budget by 45 to 50% we sat back and said “that sucks… where’s the party tonight?” I never did anything about it either, but I wish I did. That is why I met with housing over the apartment quiet hours issue. Sure, it is nowhere near the importance level of tuition or state funding, but at least it is a start and it is something that many students did actually care about.

So, to speak in extreme generalizations, if we don’t care about funding or tuition apart from a short conversation or editorial from time to time, what do the students care about? Well, this past few days provides some perfect examples. We care about SCOPE and their choice of concerts and hockey. Which to me is perfectly fine. We’re in college and want to see our favorite forms of entertainment, especially when other schools are getting famous artists and we want our teams to do well. I’m as big of a UNH hockey fan as there is. Check out SCOPE’s facebook wall after their shows were announced. An outpouring of truly hateful and disrespectful comments for one show and then mass approval for the next, with a few comments in the reverse direction as well.

The line for tickets to the UNH-Maine hockey team was over 200 students at 4:30 am Monday morning and all the student tickets were gone around 7:30, just a half-hour after the box office opened. I think that is fantastic and I would have been there with them if I weren’t battling off a cold. But it drives me to ask is: where is that kind of support or passion for the actual school that is being torn apart by our state representatives in Concord?

UNH is in panic mode right now. The state slashed our budget, meanwhile we’re trying to build a $50 million business school and our professors want higher salaries. Usually, I would side with the professors but at this time they are demanding a 16% salary increase over the next four years and have only agreed to a fraction of the benefit changes offered by the administration. President Huddleston sent out a statement saying that the AAUP and UNH are at in impasse and a mediator will have to be brought in to finish the process. At this time is it really sustainable for the faculty to have such strong demands when the university has faced such huge budget cuts?

Personally, I blame Concord for the whole situation. UNH has a great faculty and they produce some fantastic and groundbreaking research, but due to the budget cuts there is no money available to give. Annual salaries increases are very common, this isn’t a situation unique to UNH, but due to the decisions made in Concord it has become a much more drastic situation.

This is an issue that students should care about because it could cause some major changes with how this school and the entire University System of New Hampshire is operated. The privatization of UNH could very well happen in the near future. While that has pros and cons in both directions, it could drastically influence the curriculum, hiring and application processes.

Stay classy, not UMassy

Hallowcoming: In Review

2011-10-31T20:57:00.001-04:00

Well that was one quite interesting weekend to say the least. Two awesome hockey games, one great football (although I never did leave the tailgate area... whoops) reuniting with old friends, awesome costumes and parties and helluva lot of alcohol. (Helluva. See what I did there?)

In preparation for the weekend I purchased some moonshine. I really don't feel I need to elaborate on that statement. Moonshine. Use your imagination.

Anyways, it was awesome to see the hockey team rebound with two awesome wins. I tweeted this the other night, but, I have been going to UNH games since 1999 (all hail Jason Krog, Ty Conklin and Darren Haydar) and the Northeastern game will go down as one of the most memorable games I've ever attended. It will be up there with the first game I attended, a 9-4 trouncing of Providence featuring a multi-goal game from Hobey Baker winner Jason Krog, the 5-5 tie against Miami a few years ago that featured a 9 goal second period and last year's Maine game where Paul Thompson netted the winner with 17 seconds left after Maine's Gustav Nyquist dodged a diving DiGi and missed an empty net.

The other night wasn't a super close game, a big upset or a last second thriller, but everything that happened made it one to remember. UNH jumps out, the crowd - although it was smaller than usual- was loud and then Northeastern made it interesting. It was 3-2 with about 18 minutes left when the lights went out in the Whit for a third time. Most of the crowd left, but the majority of the student section remained. After 47 minutes of delays (which was 15 minutes longer than how fast the Maine tickets sold out today) the game resumed. The only thing was Northeastern never showed up after the power resumed and UNH netted three more goals to finish the game off with a 5-2 win. Being in the student section for that game was a great experience and it was nice to see so many students stay. I know (via twitter) the players really appreciate it and they were also excited to see how fast tickets went for next weekend. Hopefully next weekend will feature some great games too... oh yeah, I almost forgot to mention the huge 2-1 upset of Union the night before for the first win of the year.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

MTV True Life contacted me... wait, what?

2011-10-27T17:34:00.000-04:00

I got out of class today, hit up the dining hall and then Store 24 for some weekend provisions. I got back to my apartment to see this email in my blog's inbox:

Dear University of Nonsensical Happenings,

My name is Laura Desmond and I'm helping to produce an episode of MTV's Emmy award-winning documentary series, "True Life." We are currently making an episode about young people who are addicted to marijuana. I am reaching out to you to see if your blog can help us spread the word about this episode and connect with young people interested in sharing their stories.

"True Life" has been on MTV for over ten years, and it covers important social and personal issues for young people in a straightforward, empathic style that respects its participants and its impressionable viewers. Our style allows the young people to tell their own stories, in their own voices, without a reporter or narrator. We simply follow them through their lives, without affecting their choices in any way, and we capture real life as it happens.

Our goal, as with all episodes of True Life, is to put young people across the country in our subjects’ shoes. We hope that, by portraying the most intimate moments of our subjects’ lives, we will help young people understand complex personal and social issues. We have no moral, religious, or political agendas, and aim only to objectively tell the story from our subject’s perspective.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions! Thank you for your time and consideration.

So that is a real email I received today from a production assistant from Punched in the Head Productions, the company that runs MTV True Life. She left her name, company position and phone number and it all checks out with their website, so as far as I know this is actually real and not spam. I mean they had to of searched for college blogs, found this and my email under the contact tab so it's not like a generated bot. I guess if you're interested, email me and I can send you their contact info. I don't really expect any of you to reply, but I had to post this because I think this is actually pretty hilarious and kind of cool... Although I'm not sure whether I should be excited or depressed. Maybe I'd be more supportive if MTV (Music Television) actually played music. Zing!

Have a nice Hallowcoming weekend.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Registering my final time...

2011-10-26T21:48:00.000-04:00

As a senior I am about to register for classes one final time. Unless I go to grad school, but this is my last time registering as an undergrad. After this semester I will have completed my major and I already have all my gen ed requirements, which means I only have to get the credits I need to graduate. Needless to say, I'm planning on making the best possible schedule. I was going to take all 400's but then I stumbled across this class:

HMGT 771 - Beverage Management/International Wines Credits: 4.00
Class description: Examination of purchasing, evaluation, storage, service, and control of alcoholic beverages. Emphasizes wines, although beer, ale, distilled spirits, liqueurs, and mixed drinks are examined. Enrolled students must be at least 21 years old. Prereq: permission.

Well, I guess I can take three 400 levels. I don't care how challenging this course is, I am going to take it and I already can't wait. Hospitality Management sounds quite interesting and I think it could complement my history degree quite well. I feel that I could be very hospitable and I really like alcohol. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Are You Ready?

2011-10-25T11:19:00.003-04:00

Shh, can you hear it? That eerie silence? The calm before the storm? The anticipation for possibly the greatest weekend in UNH history is growing and Friday is just a few days away.

Since the administration announced the move of Homecoming weekend to the same weekend of Halloween, the UNH campus and community has been buzzing with excitement. It's been dubbed "Hallowcoming" and it is going to be one heck of a weekend: two hockey games, tailgating, homecoming football, parade, fireworks, Halloween costume parties, volleyball senior day and potentially great memories. I say potentially, because quite honestly, we might not actually remember all of it.

The stars have aligned and two of the best, craziest and outrageous college weekends have been combined into one. However, this also means that the two weekends that usually average the most arrests, apart from maybe Spring Climax, are also combined. Arrest numbers will most likely exceed the 48 we saw last year leading up to and following the Wiz Khalifa concert.

This weekend poses two huge questions: what do I wear for Halloween? And how do I not get arrested? Have no fear, for I am going to share some of my senior wisdom that will hopefully help provide answers to both.

First on the table is the question of what to wear for your ever-important Halloween costume. The first tip I have is to wear something that can be comfortable in a variety of temperatures, or at least wear layers so you can adjust appropriately. Sure it may be 80 degrees in that dirty basement, but when the cops break up that party a mile off campus and you have to walk back, that "cat" costume may be a bit light for a New Hampshire fall night. This happened to me sophomore year, but luckily my full Celtics warm-up jumpsuit was suitable for the warm and cold. Also, you want it to be comfortable – you're going to be wearing all night, or all weekend if you're dedicated, so be sure to take that into account.

The second tip I have for a costume is to be original, but not too obscure that you will have to be explaining yourself all night. I have a feeling we'll see about 25 Lady Gagas and even more Nicki Minajs this weekend.

Personally, I would love to be Chuck Testa, but only three people would probably get it. Last year my Jagerbomb costume was borderline too obscure. It was definitely creative, but only about a third to half the people who saw me got it. Those who got it loved it, but those who didn't thought I was just some weirdo with deer antlers and a fake bomb taped to my stomach.

As for the arrest problem, there are a few things to take into consideration. The most common arrest at UNH is underage intoxication. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times and it is no secret that underage college students drink.

I did it, you probably did it and thousands of you will do it this weekend. For those of us who are 21, we only have to worry about public intoxication, but the tips for both situations are similar. Don't attract attention to yourself and don't cause a scene and you will probably be fine.

One of the problems about drinking is that it usually throws common sense out the window and the only thing it really takes to avoid an arrest is common sense. Be respectful to the police, be smart about your decisions and chances are, they won't bother you.

On big party weekends like this one, the police are looking to control the crowds and keep people safe. They will not single out random students from a crowd and ask for their ID, but if you're calling attention to yourself, they probably will. Stay together in groups, watch out for hotdog costumes and mind your own business. There is no reason you can't have fun and partake in various college nightlife activities and still stay out of trouble or harm's way.

The biggest tip I have for you this weekend is to be safe, but still have as much fun as humanly possible. You are only in college once, and believe me, it goes by way too fast. So enjoy yourself and your time here, but be smart, stay safe and most of all:

Stay classy, not UMassy.

SCOPE's Fall Show is...

2011-10-24T21:40:00.001-04:00

Two Door Cinema. Can't say I've heard of them, but apparently they were highly requested. Student tickets are just $10 and go on sale at the Whit Box office November 7th.

Not really impressed and I sense an unhappy student body. I'll give them a few listens, but I don't think I'll be going.

A PSA from President Huddleston

2011-10-24T09:02:00.000-04:00

video platform video management video solutions video player

Is it Friday yet?

Stay classy, not UMassy.

The Colonial Clash Part II

2011-10-21T11:29:00.000-04:00

This weekend I'll be heading down to Gillette for the UNH-UMass game with my family for my dad's birthday. He is a UMass alum, but he cheers for UNH because between my two older brothers and I, he's paid a hell of a lot more money to UNH than UMass. I can't really blame him there. Plus, he gets to root for the better team.

I've haven't seen any of them for more than a few minutes since school began so I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone. But I realized something today. I can't wait to tailgate with them all, last year I wasn't 21 yet so I didn't want to risk anything. Last year was a blast while sober, so this year should be even better. Last year's Colonial Clash was one of the best afternoons of the school year and it's nice to see people get excited for UNH football. UNH is playing well this year and UMass is preparing to move up a level so it should be a good game. UNH has already sold out their student tickets, twice, so hopefully we have the bigger crowd again this year.

Hopefully this will get more people excited for the remaining home games UNH has, especially homecoming. Or should I say Hallowcoming, as it is being called around campus. The anticipation is killing me!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

When skipping classes is okay...

2011-10-19T23:49:00.000-04:00

So today I thought of how whenever I have one class canceled it instantly makes me about 90 times more likely to skip my other classes that day. I then began thinking of a post, "when it's okay to skip"and began making a list thinking of it as a meme. I didn't feel like making a bunch of memes, so I just made the first one. I also didn't feel like finding the perfect picture for it so I just used the classic John Belushi image. In short, I am very lazy.

Anyways, here is my remaining list of when it is okay to skip classes. Feel free to comment all the ones I forgot...

Have an exam in afternoon, skip morning class to ~~study~~ sleep in.
Have an exam in the morning. Skip afternoon class to ~~reward yourself for doing well~~ drink sorrows away.
Raining.
Snowing.
Too cold.
Too hot.
Too humid.
Professor doesn't take attendence.
"He'll never give us a pop quiz two classes in a row..."
Too hungover.
Still drunk.
Bed is too comfortable.
"It's only a level 400"
It is a Friday...
According to the syllabus, we're watching a documentary.
Only two levels left...
History class? That's why we have the History Channel. Ancient Aliens marathon. Sweet.
Environmental Conservation? Gets high and watches Planet Earth.
Poly Sci? I watch the Daily Show every night!
Intro to Music? I love music. (Turns up Ke$ha).

Stay classy, not UMassy

Quiet Hours Survey

2011-10-18T12:03:00.000-04:00

Attention residents of the Gables and Woodsides, please be aware that an email has been sent out with a brief (3-4 question) survey regarding quiet hours. In the email housing says that the change was in hope of reducing the cost of damages. However, they fail to mention that they have seen no change in damage bills so far this semester. (Their direct quote to me was "very little difference" but didn't say in which direction). Please take this survey to show them that they were out of line by changing the quiet hours without any student feedback. They used the fact that 22% of students polled said it wasn't always quiet enough when they wanted to study or sleep, which is nowhere near the majority of apartment residents. My roommates and I all selected the "10pm weekday and 1am weekend" option, I hope you do the same.

In other news, I just received a tweet saying that ATO has now lost recognition. Anyone have any details on this? UNH fraternities are dropping like flies.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

A Message to UNH Hockey Fans

2011-10-18T12:02:00.000-04:00

This is my TNH column for the week. It basically expands on what I said last week, but I wanted it to get a bigger audience.

Despite what you may think, I do not always write about partying, barhopping, and being generally awkward. This is college and college life is so much more than those things, especially here at UNH.

For example, there is also hockey. If you are an ill-advised freshman or an upperclassmen who has been living in a box during your time in Durham, hockey is a major part of UNH culture. Our fans live, breathe and die Wildcat hockey.

Friday and Saturday afternoon activities in the fall and winter consist of body painting and sign making. I grew up about a half hour drive from campus, and ever since I attended my first game as a 9-year-old, I looked forward to the day I could stand in the student section.

For the past three seasons, I have only missed a handful of home games and some of my favorite memories of my time at UNH relate to hockey games. If you do not get that excited feeling in your stomach this time of year or irresistibly smile every Monday morning when you pick up your student ticket, you are not a true UNH hockey fan.

UNH hockey fans are our own breed. We are proud of our school, our team and our classmates who make up the team. We may not know the players on a personal level, but you would never know that by the way we support them through good times and bad.

While every student has the right to get tickets and stand in the student section, UNH games are for the most dedicated students. There is a reason why the student section sells out, usually as well as the rest of the arena, for every game. UNH hockey games are for those true UNH hockey fans, not just the students who show up to games just because it is the thing to do.

The season is underway and so far things have been shaky for the team on the ice. They lost a lot last year, but they also return many key players and will be looking for younger players to step up. For the dedicated fans, the slow start has not been too much of a surprise, but we fully expect the team to improve throughout the season and transform into a true contender.

Have faith, because we have Wildcat blood running through out veins and the season is still very young.

Those of you who attended Saturday night's game against Boston College probably noticed a few changes among the crowd.

Namely, the super-fans who have led the student section for years have moved on and passed the cowbell down to current students. This has given us a great opportunity to create new traditions as well as carrying on the old classic ones that make the Whittemore Center one of the best college hockey arenas in the country.

The Wildcat Army, the name the new student leaders have taken up, has brainstormed new cheers, chants and songs. They can be found on Facebook and Twitter by searching their name if you want to learn more. Flyers and cheer sheets are in the process of being made.

Nothing annoys me more, apart from terrible refereeing (cough Hanson brothers), than students who show up to games and don't participate in the cheers. Or even worse, they mock their fellow students who work hard to make the Whitt the intimidating arena that it is. The irony of a kid wearing a "we are the 6th man" t-shirt leaving the game halfway through the third period kills me.

It may take a few more home games for the crowd to return to its normal rowdiness because of the transition, but we believe that this is for the better and will help current students create a better bond with the team. While hockey is, always has been and probably always will be UNH's top sport, we shouldn't forget about our other student athletes who wear Wildcat colors.

While schoolwork may take priority over some games, it is important to try and show your Wildcat pride for all the different sports. Football, both soccer teams, volleyball and field hockey all have a handful of home games left and the basketball and winter sports season is just around the corner. Try to make it to a few of those games to show your Wildcat pride, because college is the last chance you have to really have a connection with the athletes you cheer for.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Hungover Hockey Thoughts: A PSA to the fans

2011-10-15T09:14:00.002-04:00

I haven't got out of bed yet, but here are some very quick thoughts on the hockey team so far. They are obviously off to a slow start, but I have no fear. We have a very young team and it is going to take some time for them to all get on the same page. That being said, I expect nothing to change for the home opener. In fact, I think we need to be louder and rowdier. Top ranked BC is coming off a 4-2 loss to number 3 Denver and UNH is in dire need of a win; or a goal for that matter. We need to get the Whitt rocking tonight and show the team that we still fully support them. We have the best home crowd in the country and let us prove that again tonight.

The superfans of old have moved on and it is now time for the students, and The Wildcat Army to take over. We have a few new cheers ready to unleash. One of the biggest things is that we are looking to keep the student section noisy without too many silent pauses. Hockey games are for the hockey fans, not students who just show up because it is the thing to do. Participate in all the chants and wear white.

Here is an Adobe link for some of the new cheers and for the old one's check out my Hockey Chant tab at the top of the blog.

Gorgeous.

Oh yeah, The Dude hates the Eagles too. Fuck 'em up, fuck 'em up, BC sucks!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Hey SCOPE, we're waiting...

2011-10-13T13:05:00.000-04:00

Nonsensical Nation, it has been a while. How are you? I have been beyond busy lately, I seriously read an entire book yesterday. Like 272 pages in one sitting. I'm not complaining though, this is college and there are some weeks that kick your ass and others that you can go out every night without worrying. That being said, I have will not have time to start gathering signatures until maybe tomorrow morning, but the weekend seems more likely. Sorry, but for now my colloquium and other work comes first. Usually I'm not that way when it comes to blog stuff, but I know nothing will be done until housing releases their new survey and all the data is collected. Like they said, it won't be an overnight knee-jerk reaction.

Now, I do have a bone to pick with another group on campus. I hate to say this, but SCOPE, you are officially on the New Hampshirite's hot seat. Something I just made up while halfway through typing that sentence.

A few days ago SCOPE began inviting people to their annual Homecoming fireworks they put on with CAB. However, the invitation lacked one key feature. The Homecoming comedian. Umm, what's up with that? The Homecoming comedian is a big tradition at UNH and we haven't heard a peep from SCOPE. They haven't even announced the date for the day they release their first show announcement. Homecoming is even later than usual this year and they still couldn't get anything done.

Listen, SCOPE takes a lot of heat from the student body, but for the last two years I have stood by their side, even when I don't like a particular artist. I understand that they are trying to please all types of music fans and that they are also students. They are not professional show hosts or promoters. They are students just like you and me. That being said, there really shouldn't be any excuse for them not having a Homecoming comedian or even a single peep of a show announcement.

So SCOPE, before I take this too far, what's going on? I've heard rumors that you are unorganized and unprepared. I hope those aren't true because this is my senior year and I am hoping for some awesome concerts on campus. Who knows, maybe they're purposely doing things differently this year. Saving up for fewer and bigger shows instead of 3 or 4 average level concerts. Until they make a move, we're just going to have to play the waiting game.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Notes on my meeting with Housing

2011-10-10T15:57:00.000-04:00

So I just got out of an hour long meeting with UNH Housing Director Kathy Irla-Chesney and Director of UNH apartments Michael Saputo to discuss quiet hours at the Gables. It went pretty well and I think that there is some room for progress.

Right off the bat they said the quiet hours are NOT set in stone, however they do not want to have a knee-jerk reaction. They want more student feedback just to be sure that this is something that the majority of Gables residents actually want. I obviously can't prove that without a petition or a survey, but I will be knocking on doors this week looking for signatures and asking for any additional feedback.

As for their reasoning, this is where things get really interesting. The first thing I asked was what exactly the survey asked and what the responses were. Michael had the numbers on him and showed me. The first few questions were like "do you like living in the Gables?" and "would you recommend them to a friend?" and those had positive responses in the 93-95% range. The three questions he had highlighted included "are you able to sleep and study with the noise levels" and "do you feel respect from those in your building/community?" Those had positive results at 78% and 72%. Still strongly positive, but not necessarily a call for alarm. Michael said about 50% of Gables students filled out the survey, which is enough to get a good idea of how students feel. However, this is not directly related to quiet hours. Obviously no one is doing homework from 12-1 on Friday and Saturdays.

They will be issuing a new survey sometime in October that addresses quiet hours more directly. This will be very important for determining what course of action they are going to take.

However, this survey was not the only reasons they provided. Over the summer they met and discussed how the Gables buildings had accumulated more than twice the amount in damages then any other dorm. Both parties agreed that while the damages are usually done by non-residents or those who live in other dorms. No one is going to trash their own building when they have to pay for it. However, I made the point that while Gables residents are responsible for their guests, students travel from the other dorms on their own and it is usually out of control for the host and it kind of seems like the Gables residents are being punished for actions done by students from the dorms. They both admitted to not thinking of that and made notes of it. They believed that over the last few years many students had been traveling to the Gables because of the extra hour around 11:30 and they thought moving up the quiet hours would cut down on the student traffic to the Gables and prevent damages. However, this is just an observation and not a fact.

When I asked if they could tell a difference in the damages so far this year compared to last year, they admitted there wasn't much of a difference at all. I think that is important to note.

They admitted looking back on the decision that they wish they got feedback from the students first and this is something they want to improve.

Moving forward they are hoping to hear more from students on this and other issues. There are currently no Gables residents on the student council so that can make it more difficult to communicate with the residents. The most important thing moving on is to take the upcoming survey and let your opinion be known. They really are taking this seriously and are willing to work with the students.

One other possible option they brought up is about registering events. Gables residents have the option to register an "event" (party), which allows 22-24 people to be in an apartment as opposed to 13. So far this year not one Gables event has been registered and they said one option would be allowing registered events to remain until 1 a.m. while unregistered events would end at midnight. This is a possible solution and will be mentioned on the survey. Registering an event does not attract more attention, let's face it, if you're having a party, they will hear it anyways. It does ask that you inform your neighbors and have them sign off that you told them about it.

That pretty much hits on everything we discussed. So for now wait for me to come around with a petition and be ready to take their survey. If I can get around half of the Gables to sign off there is a very good chance we can make this happen.

Fire at North Tower

2011-10-07T13:27:00.001-04:00

Earlier today a fire was started in the Gables North Tower, where I happen to live. From what I was able to observe and gather, in a sixth floor apartment a girl had incense burning. Apparently she thought it was out and threw it in her desk where it caught papers on fire. It must have spread pretty quickly because a ladder truck was used to access the room and possibly to get the residents out of the building.

Oh yeah, the girl with the incense had already been written up by fire safety a few days ago.

Only that one apartment had fire damage, but the room below it had water damage. Five towns responded with fire trucks including Durham, Lee, Dover, Newmarket and Exeter.

No one was injured, although there were paramedics on scene. Residents were kept out of the building for at least an hour before being allowed to return to their rooms.

There is a reason why we're not supposed to have incense and luckily no one was injured because of that apartment's ignorance and carelessness.

That is all I know for now, here are a few pictures I snagged with my really crappy camera phone:

Quiet Hours Update

2011-10-06T19:06:00.001-04:00

I received a second email from David May today. It read: I copied Kathy Irla-chesney, Director of Housing on the email. She is very interested in working with you to make the right decision for all the residents at the Gables. Kathy said-“Her goal is to provide a living community that allows students to socialize while maintaining an atmosphere where those who want to sleep or study at night can do so. There are many ways we can gather feedback and ideas and move this in a positive direction. In fact it might strengthen the community.” This beings said, she would very much like to work with you to make the right decision for the Gables Community. I am hoping you could find time to meet and help us.

That sounds pretty good to me... for now. I am extremely busy right now, but I am hoping to squeeze in a meeting with them sometime next week. Please let me know what you think, especially if you are Gables or Woodsides resident. I want to present something respectable and reasonable. I am taking my time out of my schedule because I believe that 1 a.m. quiet hours on Friday and Saturday nights at the campus apartments are what most students want. I'll keep you posted as I learn and go through more.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Update: I will be meeting with the director of housing and the director of UNH apartments next week to discuss the new quiet hours. Please let me know what you think of the situation. I am your representative on this situation, not the student senate. I will be asking for 1 a.m. weekend quiet hours to be reestablished.

So Walking is Hard...

2011-10-05T20:07:00.001-04:00

Earlier today I was sitting in the library reading for about three hours. It was a book I need to read for my colloquium and I can always focus better at the library than at my apartment. After about an hour I had to go to the bathroom. I was in the big reading room on the fifth floor and sitting on the couch in the corner. I stood up and shuffled between the couch and then I took my first step only to realize that my entire right leg was asleep. My knee buckled and I almost fell. Almost. I regained my balance and did that foot stomp move. I continued toward the door, but did that weird limping thing the whole way there. The entire time I could hear people trying not to laugh. So if you were there, yeah, that was me. So smooth...

In other news, if you didn't see below, the Mast Road cat was found and returned. Well done people.

Also, I just got back to my room for the first time since this morning and I had a message from Chad, the editor at TNH. Apparently David May (Vice President of Business Affairs I believe) wants to talk with me about my last column. I know he was involved with the energy drink situation, but my last column mostly focused on the new quiet hours at the Gables and Woodsides. I'm emailed him and will run updates about the situation. I'm very interested in hearing what he has to say, but the last time something like this happened it began the on-going two year war with Dining.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Update: Already heard back from David May. He said "I just wanted to get a better understanding of the issues at the Gables." I replied: "The only issue is that many students are upset by the earlier quiet hours at the Gables and Woodsides (especially on the weekends) that were put into effect this semester. I believe that the majority of students would prefer the one a.m. quiet hour as opposed to midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. I am hoping to write a respectful petition for the former quiet hours to be restored in a timely manner and will circulate it to gather signatures and show that I have support. Thank you and let me know if you have any further questions."

Infamous Mast Road Cat Stolen

2011-10-04T12:07:00.004-04:00

If you or one of your friends parks a car in Mast Lot then you have probably met the Mast Road cat. It is probably one of the friendliest cats in the world and follows students up and down Mast Road by the UNH Equine center. According the the message I got on facebook he was last seen crossing the Dairy Bar bridge headed into campus, in the arms of two girls. He is wearing a blue collar with a bell on it. The UNH Equine Facility and his owners greatly miss him. So two girls apparently stole one of the few cats I actually like. I'm a dog person, I love dogs. Cats are creepy, but not this one. So if you know anything please call one of the numbers above. And if you're one of the thieves then you should be a ashamed. Seriously, who steals a cat?

Update: He was reportedly seen in the SERC area over the weekend.
Update 2 (Wednesday morning) The cat has been found and returned. Nice job people.

Like a Pro: Doing Nothing Accomplishes Nothing

2011-10-04T00:23:00.000-04:00

Maybe it is my obsession with the American Revolution, the counterculture or that fact that I read the Declaration of Independence and the Port Huron Statement for fun or frequently listen to Bob Dylan, but I love when the people fight for what they believe in.

This is why last week when UNH Dining declared that it would be halting the sale of energy drinks on campus, I was so furious, and when President Huddleston denied the ban, I rejoiced. Listen, I understand that getting worked up over energy drinks is silly, especially when they are much cheaper downtown, but it was the principle of the situation that bothered me the most.

Where do you draw the line? What is the next thing that they will take from us?

President Huddleston reversing dining's decision was a minor victory for the student body over the administration, which is something that really doesn't happen at UNH too often — especially with our mostly passive student body. Many people told me I was overreacting through comments and tweets, but it was clear that they did not see the bigger picture.

It wasn't about the energy drinks to me; it was about responsibility and the freedom of choice.

On Twitter, I half-jokingly tweeted "no taxation without representation" because of how dining made the decision without discussing options with its meal plan-paying customers. People said I took my comments too far and blew the situation out of proportion. But the majority of the students who still wanted to pay for overpriced Red Bulls at the library got their way. If people didn't complain, then come January, UNH Dining services would have been energy drink free.

Doing or saying nothing accomplishes nothing.

It was a small victory for the students. We didn't lower tuition or convince UNH to renovate Hamilton-Smith, but like President Huddleston said, the administration listened to the students. They may have all the power, but we have the vast majority. Students can make a difference on this campus if we care enough to try. We won't always succeed, but we definitely won't if we don't try.

That is why I have decided to do something about another UNH decision that has bothered me this year.

I mentioned it briefly last week, and after discussing it with many students, I have decided it is worth a shot. I will personally be writing a respectful petition and circulating it around the Gables asking that Friday and Saturday night quiet hours be restored to 1 a.m. Like President Huddleston said about the energy drink situation, the administration wants us students to make our own decisions. If we fail miserably, so what? At least we tried. If we don't try we have already failed.

If the majority of Gables residents are willing to sign the petition, they have to at least listen to us. UNH might not be a democracy, but America is, and the majority usually wins. I say usually because we all remember the 2000 presidential election.

Is this a major problem on this campus? No, it isn't. But it is a start and something that many students care about, and you need to start somewhere. The one-hour makes a huge difference. The bonus features such as more freedom, responsibility and independence of the Gables and Woodsides are what make them special to the students and worth the extra money. The reason for the change in quiet hours was that housing cited a survey where students complained about noise levels, but I believe the majority of students would prefer the 1 a.m. quiet hours.

During the week, 10 p.m. is understandable, but on the weekends very few students are ready to go to bed or quiet down at midnight. This is not even an issue of being able to party later, but much like the energy drink situation, what comes next? Will there be CAs on every floor like the RAs in the dorms? You may think that will never happen, but did you expect the quiet hours to change without warning?

Many students, such as myself, were annoyed that the change was not announced until after the room selection process was completed and we would have lost our deposit if we sought to live elsewhere. The new quiet hours are not the end of the world, but it is a matter of responsibility.

Obviously, students will not get everything we ask for all the time, but I believe it is worth a shot.

Stay classy, not UMassy

Beer Olympics Recap

2011-10-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

Well I'm just wrapping up a pretty awesome weekend and I have been trying to stay away from so many drinking and party posts and get a little serious, but I still got to stick to my roots. The other night was possibly one of the best I've had during my time at UNH. Our youngest roommate turned 21 on Friday and to celebrate we hosted a Beer Olympics. It's something we've all wanted to do for a while, but we never did. We planned it all out for a while, sent out facebook invites and made the brackets. We planned on having three games with 16 teams, each consisting of a guy and a girl who pick a country to represent and dress up as. We ended up with 17 teams, but we solved the matchup problem by randomly making two play a "play-in" game before starting the tournaments. We settled on Beirut, Beer Dodge and survival flip cup as the three games. However, we never got to flip cup and the Beirut tournament ended in the final four, but that didn't matter because everyone had a great time. We had around 35 people in our Gables apartment and never even had a courtesy knock. It was pretty amazing. Everyone had unbelievable costumes, but the best was the birthday boy who represented Vatican City with a pope costume topped off with a pope hat made out of a PBR 30 box.

My partner and I represented Team Romania (so we could dress up as Gypsies.) We have been friends for a while and entered the night expecting to make some noise in the Beirut tournament, but had zero expectations for the other games. We both are pretty good at beirut and can handle our beer quite well. However, it wasn't our night on the ruit table. We lost in the first round to one of my roommates whose partner started off hitting her first 6 cups. That didn't matter to us though because we would go on to win the gold medal in Beer Dodge, the one tournament that we actually completed. On our path to glory we took out Burkina Faso, Scotland (a huge upset over my roommate who is the Randy Johnson of Beer Dodge) and Kenya. In the finals we were matched up against Cuba, who stormed through their side of the bracket. But those commies couldn't handle the power of the gypsies. It was a back and forth game and both teams only had one can left. The next hit for either team would have ended the game if the ball wasn't immediately retrieved and it was my turn to throw. My partner was ready to drink and I nailed the top of the can, the ball took off straight up in the air with an amazing airtime. They caught it and slammed it down, but it was too late, my partner had finished her beer and the Gypsies were Olympic Beer dodge champions. I spent the rest of the night wearing my Gogol Bordello Gypsy flag around my back and I am considering making myself a gold medal.

If you have never done a Beer Olympics you have to add it to your UNH graduation bucket list. It was easily the best party we've ever hosted and I can honestly say that everyone there had a blast.

Lastly, I am asking for readers to submit their best planking pictures around the UNH campus. I already had another one sent in and if I get some more I'll start posting a few at a time. You can email them to me (unhblog@yahoo.com) or send them via twitter or facebook. If you want I can blur out faces if that's something you care about. Yesterday's will be hard to beat, so be creative. I'll try to post some of my or my roommates too.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

The Wildcat Plank

2011-10-01T19:44:00.000-04:00

Have fun out there kids.

Rumor Mill: TKE loses Recognition (confirmed)

2011-09-28T20:54:00.002-04:00

(See updates at the bottom of this post.)

The other day one of my roommate's texted me "TKE lost recognition, you know anything?" At the time I didn't and I was busy and completely forgot about it. This evening I got another comment on a post again inquiring about TKE. So I went over to Twitter and posted a question asking if anyone had heard anything about this. Within a few minutes someone responded: "They did, someone stole a gun from their house and they had to report it. But then UNH found out they had weapons."

That is the only explanation I have heard so far; and in the mean time another friend texted me saying he heard the same thing. I guess that will do it, weapons on a college campus are always a scary thing especially in the post-Columbine and Virginia Tech era. I must admit, although they had a gun (and honestly it could have been a hunting rifle or shotgun, those seasons are just beginning) they did the right thing by reporting it to the police.

If you know anymore details, or if I'm completely wrong, please post your comments below.

Now I need to get back to ~~studying~~ watching the Red Sox.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

UPDATES:
I have heard from a few sources that 1 or 2 pounds of marijuana were found, as well as $2000 cash and the gun was also loaded. Read the comment section to see an explanation of their penalty from a current brother.

Like a Pro: Priorities and Contradictions at UNH

2011-09-27T01:06:00.001-04:00

Note: This was written Sunday, before more information had been released on the Dining/Energy drink fiasco. At last word, President Huddleston has delayed the ban over the outcry of the student body. At least one administrator has common sense because either way we can get our drinks cheaper (although less convenient) downtown at the DUMP or Store 24 (even though it's not Store 24 anymore, that's all I'll ever call it.)

During my four years at UNH, I have noticed that many people on this campus, including faculty, the administration and the general employees do not always have their priorities quite right and they often contradict themselves and one another. I believe that it has become apparent that there is not enough communication between the different levels of school employees. Often times decisions are made without asking the students opinion, or more problematic, too small of a survey sample.

The priorities and contradictions that surround people at this school are often quite mind-boggling. We have a few current examples that prove my very point. Take UNH Dining for example. I know I pick on them a lot, but some of it is deserved. Ever since I've been here they have tried to promote healthy eating. They even went so far as to remove all the salt shakers from the tables at the dining halls and replacing them with expensive salt and pepper mills. Yet, this semester we returned to campus only to see that possibly the healthiest food source on campus, Panache, had been replaced with a Dunkin' Donuts. Personally, I don't mind this, I love their iced coffee, but it seems like a bit of a contradiction. No salt for you! But have all the Boston Creams you want. Then more news came out that effective in January all UNH Dining services will no longer serve energy drinks. Thankfully, President Mark Huddleston intervened and put the rule on hold.

I have two predictions if the rule is put into effect: It will cause the entire university's GPA to drop a full point and the number of students falling asleep in class will skyrocket. Dining, let me get this straight, salt and energy drinks are bad for us, but it is okay to put a Dunkin' Donuts in the middle of our student center located in the heart of campus? Stick to your guns about healthy eating, sustainability and local support or don't bother. Seriously, UNH dining flip-flops more than Mitt Romney.

Here is another example that deals with the faculty and administration. By now we all know about the Professor Larkin situation. He exposed himself to a teenage girl and her mother in a Market Basket parking lot and was given a three year probationary period where he won't be able to teach and only do research. I wonder if a male student were to be caught doing the same thing what the outcome would be? Probation? Expulsion? Would faculty members support a male student who pulled something like this, or would it be different? We have many student organizations and student support groups on this campus that completely focus on eliminating problems like this, but many of our professors portray Larkin as the victim.

UNH Housing doesn't stray from the pack either. For the first two years of my college career I lived in the regular dorms. I was a proud resident of Williamson Hall as a freshman and as a sophomore I was in Devine Hall. Last year and this year I have been lucky to live in the Gables. When I made the transition housing said that living in the Gables you have more freedom, more privacy and personal responsibility. Then what do they do? Move quiet hours up to be the same as the dorms. This does a few things. Here is my hypothetical prediction. This will drive more of the "party" students off campus.

Personally, if I knew about the change ahead of time, I would have avoided Gables and got an apartment this year. That extra hour makes a huge difference on the weekends. I also believe more students could potentially lose housing do to quiet hour violations that lead to alcohol and other more serious violations. It's the student's own fault, but midnight comes fast on a Friday night. Again this could lead to more students moving off campus and into Durham and the surrounding towns who already despise students living in residential neighborhoods. Durham and UNH relations are already tense and they have been for years and this could potentially add fuel to the fire.

UNH has so many different departments and levels of authority that it would be nearly impossible for them to not contradict themselves or one another. I believe there is going to be a greater need of cooperation and communication especially when the budget cuts begin having an even greater impact.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Energy Drink Gate

2011-09-26T15:55:00.000-04:00

So I just read an article from WMUR that stated the one of the reasons behind the energy drink ban is that it is a common mixer with alcohol and that it makes students not realize how drunk they are. The old Four Loko problem. Personally, this makes me even more angry. It is ridiculous, what's next? Making UNH a dry campus? Students are still going to drink a lot and make stupid decisions no matter what the campus stores sell. I guess we'll just have to go down to Market Basket and buy bulk cases of Red Bull. It's a helluva lot cheaper there anyway. The UNH convenient stores have the most marked up prices I've ever seen. It's almost like they're trying to end the budget crisis on their own.

In the article UNH assistent vice president for business affairs David May was quoted as saying "Just recently, there was an incident on campus involving energy drinks that helped send a student to the hospital." Listen David, it wasn't the energy drink and it wasn't even the alcohol that sent a student to the hospital. It was the student who didn't know how to handle his or her own drinking. Every weekend hundreds of UNH students use energy drinks with alcohol and one person has a few too many and now we're all punished? This is group punishment because of one person's mistake.

So go ahead and take away all the Red Bulls from the UNH dining stores, but students are not going to stop drinking. And there will still be cases of students having to go to the hospital. It happens. This is college and you're only hurting students in the long run. You are taking away our ability to make our own decisions and sometimes people need to learn from their mistakes. Stupid kids aren't going to learn if you never give them the chance. Isn't college supposed to prepare us for the real world? Or are people going to be making decisions for me the rest of my life?

The article continued:

UNH said its plan to remove energy drinks is part of its mission to be the healthiest campus community in the country by 2020. Dining halls have eliminated trans fats from food, removed salt shakers from tables and reduced sodium in many recipes. Officials are also studying how to reduce the amount of high fructose corn syrup that’s served.

So they are giving two reasons for this. Healthy eating and alcohol mixing... oh, by the way, I'm so happy I won't be having to eat here in 2020. Sounds like the dining halls are gonna be gross.

The Health Nazi

2011-09-26T13:06:00.003-04:00

Today I give you another head scratcher courtesy of UNH Dining. I hate to always pick on them (okay, maybe I don't) but they seriously make it too easy. I love most of what they do, our dining halls are very good compared to other schools, but I feel it is my duty to speak my mind freely and truthfully. UNH dining recently announced that effective January 2012, UNH will no longer serve energy drinks. This includes the dining halls and dining stores such as Zeke's, Wildcatessen and Gables Convenience. I will discuss this a bit in my TNH column tomorrow, but I wanted to say a few things I couldn't fit in. This reminds me of the Seinfeld Soup Nazi clip (and again shows that old saying that everything can be connected to a Seinfeld episode - seriously if there are college classes on the Simpsons and the Red Sox and stuff, there should be one that studies current events through the window of Seinfeld episodes).

Those of you who don't know the episode (shame on you), here is the best clip I could find to embed:

In dining's case, it's more like: No salt for you! No energy drinks for you! But hey, have as many Boston Cremes and double glazed chocolate donuts that you want.

The elimination of Red Bulls will lead to more students falling asleep in class and more students not being able to pull all nighters successfully. And this is college, so we're going try them anyways. But it has become quit obvious that dining has a hidden agenda to lower the entire school's GPA. Here's my conspiracy theory, UNH's GPA drops and it will be easier to get into. More students = more meal plans = more money for dining. It's quite obvious and evil genius if I dare say. Bravo dining, you may have won this round and fooled the school, but you can't fool me. For our health? Pah, yea right. Keep telling yourself that. Now when is that Dunkin' Donuts going to open in the middle of our student center again?

You may take our salt and our energy drinks. But you will never take our freedom!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

(PS: I'm just waiting for the day when I show up to HoCo and my card no longer has a meal plan)

Sunday Shout-Outs

2011-09-25T18:03:00.001-04:00

Okay so I've been away from the blog longer than usual, but I've had a couple of crazy days. My colloquium class is keeping me super busy and weekend nights... well, you can probably guess. I've been meaning to do a couple hat tips or shout outs for a while now, so I figured I'd get them all done at once. I usually don't do posts like this, but these are a few things worth mentioning, plus I know the people involved read this blog and I like to show appreciation to all the readers out there.

First and foremost, Vahalla (the "Party at UNH" kid) recently released his newest mixtape "There is no Mixtape" after there almost wasn't a mixtape. Days before it's original release date over the summer his car was broken into and his laptop was stolen. He was able to recover a few files from emails and his friend's computers, but seven tracks are still missing, three will never be the same. You can download it for free here and I think although it is shorter it shows more variety then his last mixtapes. It ranges from pop to hip-hop and even a little dubstep. Several other UNH and former UNH students are featured on different songs.

Secondly, the boys from NEWD films have released a new short. Personally, it doesn't measure up to the satire of "white and ghetto" (my favorite of all their shorts) but it is still good for some hard laughs. They look into the dangers and life troubles of planking:

Third, I got to give some credit to the ladies over at "Her Campus UNH." Her Campus is a national blog with different chapters for dozens of colleges written by college girls. It is obviously tailed to girls, but I know I have many female readers. They specialize in lists and tips type posts and also feature a weekly campus celebrity and cutie. Might want to keep you eye on that one... the celebrity one that is...

I can't go another post without giving a shout out to Clementos Pizza and Brew. They have good food and while it might be a tad more expensive then the other bars, it is rapidly becoming my favorite spot on campus. Every time I've been it has started out slow, but it does get pretty busy. They have daily specials like the other bars, but friend them on facebook to hear about all of them ahead of time. The other night I was there for about an hour and I played three songs on the jukebox. Absolutely took the place over, or at least I thought I did. Let's just say all three songs turned the bar into a drunk sing-along of epic proportions. I don't think there was a soul in there who didn't belt it out to "Wagon Wheel," "Build Me up Buttercup" (Yeah, I went there) and "Fuck You."

And a final shout out to the kid I over heard in D-Hop the other night, just laying it all on the line trying to hit on this girl:

Girl: Are you a freshmen?
Guy: Nah, I'm a sophomore.
Girl: Oh, where do you live?
Guy: Williamson.

Buddy, you're doing it wrong. You may give him the benefit of the doubt that he was an RA, but let's say he didn't seem to give off that impression.

Stay classy, not UMassy

My Proposal For UNH's Budget Woes

2011-09-21T17:14:00.001-04:00

If you have ever lived in the Gables, especially you are 21 you have probably thought or said this before, "How sweet would it be if Gables Convenience sold beer?" I know it will never happen, especially at UNH since they think alcohol is the devil, but hey, we can dream can't we.

If you think it can't be done because it would look like UNH is encouraging drinking, this is my rebuttal. North Tower also sells condoms. UNH is not encouraging sex, but safe sex. If they were to sell beer they wouldn't be encouraging drinking, but safe drinking. No more drunk beer runs right before beer-O'clock hits! That seems pretty logical to me. Yup, not a single logical fallacy in that argument. (If you point one out you're an asshole).

Okay okay. That whole beer sale thing was a joke, we all know that will never happen. That is why I devised an even more genius idea to help UNH fix its financial problem.

It's simple.

We all have to pay tuition right? Wrong! Many students have "earned" scholarships (athletically and academically) while thousands of others have loans so they pay a lot less right now. UNH simply has to tax those students based on how much their scholarships and loans are worth. Students with full-boat scholarships including housing, meals and books pay the biggest tax while students with just small loans pay a lesser amount. It's only fair. These kids are getting a free ride and taking the easy way out and I'm sick of it.

Ah, I have an even better idea.

Tax students who do pay their tuition, but based on their major. WSBE students don't have to pay any tuition tax because they're all going to run corporations one day so why should they start paying taxes now? Liberal arts students have to pay the highest tax rates because they're going to be middle class and the middle class is everything that is wrong with America. Music and theater majors don't have to pay any tax because their going to be on welfare in a few years anyways. Those freeloading hippies.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Like a Pro: That Guy

2011-09-20T08:41:00.000-04:00

One of the most common phrases to hear around a college campus is "that guy." Or more specifically "don't be that guy."

We have all said it, and most likely whether you want to admit it or not, we have all been "that guy" at least once before. I know I have, but we'll get to that later. There are many situations when "that guy" is muttered, or shouted, and in order to try and make UNH a friendlier place, I have devised a list of suggestions to help prevent you from ever being "that guy" and, yes ladies, "that guy" is not gender bias. No double standards here.

Whether it is in the classroom, at a party or the bar "that guy" is always present. He may not be noticeable at first, but have patience, he's there waiting for the right moment to strike mixed emotions from those around him.

The first one on my list is the guy who always asks a question at the end of class, especially when the professor says, "if you don't have any questions I guess we're done a little early." You think to yourself that you're done for the day and you already have thrown your notebook in the bag, but no. "That guy" raises his hand and, as the rest of the class let's out an annoyed sigh, he asks a question that was already covered during the lecture and it spurs the professor to repeat everything he/she already said for 10 minutes because "that guy" was either A) sleeping; B) too hungover to pay attention; or C) texting a girl who has no interest in him.

Another "that guy" in the classroom is the student who raises his hand to answer every question in class and is usually wrong. Even the professor has that upset look when he's the only kid raising his hand.
He then gives a five minute, long-winded and highly verbose, yet inaccurate response that prompts someone in the back of the room to make a Billy Madison reference. Although, on second thought, I think I get more annoyed at "that guy" who is always right and gives the answer in the smuggest way possible. The rest of the class probably knew the answer too, but we were lazy and raising our hand takes effort.

The last "that guy" from class is the kid who shows up every Monday and Friday morning bragging about how much he drank or the girls he hooked up with over the weekend or Thursday night. Shut up dude, we all know you got drunk off four Keystone Lights and played Call of Duty by yourself all night. Either that or you actually did go to a party, but you spent the night puking your brains out and angering all your friends.

Now that we've covered the "that guys" of the classroom, we can move on to the other part of college – the partying. Okay, so this one probably doesn't qualify as one, but do you ever feel like no matter where you go out to party, whether it's at a friend's, a frat or the bars you always see the same kid? You probably don't even know his name, but he always seems to be the guy to do something dumb or piss off a bunch of people. So maybe this one should be on it's own, but don't be "that guy" who invites "that guy" to your party. Follow?

For all of you 21-year-olds out there, don't be "that guy" who yells at the bartender when service is taking too long. A) The bar is packed and he's swamped and is working non-stop. B) If he actually hears you he won't serve you at all and C) If you where him you'd serve all the pretty girls first too.

I'm running out of space, so lightning round time. Don't be "that guy" with the annoying girlfriend who sleeps over every single night. Don't be "that girl" who drinks too much, cries and then pukes. Don't be "that guy" who is 10 minutes late to every class. Don't be "that guy" who literally gets piss drunk – you're a big boy now; you can use the potty like the rest of us. Don't be "that guy" who gets mad at the party host when it's time to leave. It's called respect, have it.

The list can go on forever so I guess what I should say is to really think before you do something because nobody wants to be that guy.

Stay classy, not UMassy

UNH Cops: It's on like Donkey Kong

2011-09-19T17:42:00.006-04:00

So I'm sitting in my room doing some work and one of my roommates walk by. He says that on his way to class he saw a cop J-walk across Main Street and begin to give out parking tickets. As my roommate passes he notices a meter that has run out and he slips a quarter in the slot before the cop was able to see that the meter had hit zero. Cabinet Kid 1 Cop 0. After he finishes telling me this story I check my emails to see that a new comment was left on my post about the Stoke RA. It was left by that very RA. After an email exchange, he sent me this statement:

Hi all, I just so happen to be the RA that was indeed arrested for J-Walking. Here’s the Scoop.

I did in fact cross the road using a sidewalk however I did not see any officer attempting to direct traffic. I was walking back from class and came up to the sidewalk that heads over to Garrison Avenue (the one closest to Hoco). A car came to a stop and waved me out so I crossed the road.

When I got to the near end of the crosswalk and officer yelled at me to stop. I took two steps to the other side and stopped. Officer Deschenes ran over and scolded me, and then continued to write me a ticket. I objected the ticket stating I would see it through in court; this in turn put us on a bad course. I continued to question the officer about the situation and the resulting ticket. It began to frustrate me that the officer was not answering the questions and in fact seemed to be stating a false situation. The argument or discussion, depending on how you deem it, came to abrupt end when the officer yelled in my face to “Stop running my mouth!” I became overly aggravated with that attitude and I myself developed a similar attitude and a similar response. This in turn got me arrested. What I did may or may not be right or lawful, you be the judge.

Well, there you have it, it wasn't exactly J-walking like I had heard, but it definitely seems like a verbal warning would have been more appropriate for the situation had it not escalated. Hopefully I'll have more on this situation as it unfolds.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

UNH's New Theme Song

2011-09-17T16:56:00.000-04:00

Today the Huffington Post ran a slideshow of the richest state's in America. New Hampshire actually topped the list with a median income of $66,303 and a 7.1% poverty rate, which is the lowest in the country. New Hampshire also has the fourth lowest unemployment rate in the country, checking in at 5.2%. New Hampshire has money, but very little of it is paid to the state universities. You know, the places where our students go to be educated before working, many of whom will get jobs right here. UNH isn't getting any money because, to put it quite simply, the state's republicans don't want to and anyone who has ever picked up a copy of the Union Leader with a front page editorial blasting UNH (which seems to happen about once a week) knows that the people at the UL will do anything to make UNH look bad. It's the "number one" paper in the state and as one of my literary heros Hunter S Thompson once put it, it's the "worst paper in America."

New Hampshire residents have money, the governor wants to give it to us, but the state senate won't let that happen. Because of all this, I think President Huddleston needs to adopt a new theme song for UNH. I think this would be appropriate:

I Got the Hockey Bug

2011-09-16T13:34:00.000-04:00

Over the last few days I have gotten the hockey bug. I cannot wait for the season to begin. I have been in close contact with the students who are forming "The Wildcat Army" and will be replacing the superfans this year. Let me just say that we have some awesome things in store and as the season approaches I'll have many more details, including new chants and traditions. It's going to be an awesome season and our main goal is to get the Whit louder than ever and make opponents tremble. Take a look at this gem from the old Snivley Area (what is now the rec center):

If that doesn't get you pumped then I don't know what will.

The Straw Factor

2011-09-14T13:33:00.000-04:00

I know people have complained that sometimes I write too much about drinking and alcohol and all that, but what can I say. I like to drink. But this is a serious question. Is it always girly to drink out of a straw? Like I get that if it was a more feminine drink, or even a "neutral" drink, or definitely something straight up, but say I am drinking a whiskey and coke out of a mason jar and the ice is blocking easy access for the drink to enter my mouth, a straw would negate that problem. It creates an easier flow so more alcohol can be consumed in less time. It's like the Miller Lite vortex bottle. Also if you have facial hair like me one of the last things you want is cheap smelling and tasting alcohol on your mustache. A straw prevents this. When you go to the bars on campus they almost always give you a straw, especially during well drink specials or beat the clock hours. This is an honest question: is it okay for me to drink using a straw, keeping in mind that it is a cheap whiskey and coke out of a mason jar? Usually I wouldn't even have thought about it, but the other night a female friend of mine said it would be girly when I mentioned getting straws at the store. I mean, if I have a nice drink, like a straight whiskey sour, definitely no straw. But cheap whiskey in a mason jar is another story. And don't think that I'm self-conscious or something, I Steven Glansberg it almost everyday at HoCo.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Talkin' Business

2011-09-13T15:36:00.002-04:00

So two years ago I got a bunch of business cards and pocket calenders to help promote the blog. I think like 500 of each or something like that. I just came across them and I still have about 200 business cards and I threw the calenders away because they were for 2010. Anyways, I''m trying to figure out what to do with the rest of the business cards. In the past I left them around my dorm and the MUB and stuff.

My question to you is what should I do with the remaining 200 cards? Help me come up with an idea for some sort of scavenger hunt or something. I'm a liberal arts student, WSBE kids help me out! What do I do with business cards?

Like a Pro: Ten Years

2011-09-13T08:57:00.000-04:00

This is my first TNH column of the year. When I woke up last Sunday, I just started writing it without even knowing what I was going to say. It just spilled out. I already wrote the posted the main idea of it Sunday morning, but this is the full version. I hope you take something from it, because I know I got a lot from writing it.

There are a handful of days, moments really, that I will never forget.
I will never forget when my friends and I got sent to the principal's office in first grade for being too rough at recess. I will never forget certain sporting events I've watched or attended. I'll never forget special moments with my parents and grandparents, my brother's wedding, or the first time I held my niece. But there are three moments in my life that have forever changed me and everyone I know – both in the way we think and the way we live.

The first of those moments was September 11, 2001. Ten years ago.

It was fourth period – social studies – and I was in the sixth grade. The teachers decided to tell us about the attacks on the World Trade Center about an hour after it happened. I had never had to think about things outside my own bubble before, but that changed when I saw my teacher frantically making phone calls as we entered the room. Her sister was a flight attendant who was safely grounded in Texas.
My teacher brought up CNN.com and showed us pictures of what had happened. We couldn't even begin to comprehend the situation, why would someone crash a plane into a building? There is one thing that is clear about that day. Whether you are a conservative or liberal, a gun-slinger or a peace-loving hippie, a Christian, a Muslim or an atheist, your life dramatically changed that day.

In ways we don't even realize, or want to realize, our lives have changed. Whether you knew someone involved or not your world had shifted. That day impacted me in more ways than I imagined it could have when I first heard the news and in ways I am still discovering 10 years later.

The second moment that I will never forget was the morning of my 13th birthday in 2003. I came downstairs and my parents were watching the news and drinking their morning coffee. It was nothing out of the usual, but something felt different.

I looked at the TV and saw that the United States had begun bombing Iraq and "Operation Iraqi Freedom," which was the "liberty cabbage" way of saying that we were at war. It was the first time in my life where I was old enough to remember or reflect on, my country was at war. As the days passed, the war progressed. Months and years went by and the war had spread. As Hunter S. Thompson so accurately put it on September 12th, 2001, “We are At War now -- with somebody -- and we will stay at War with that mysterious Enemy for the rest of our lives… We are going to punish somebody for this attack, but just who or what will be blown to smithereens for it is hard to say. Maybe Afghanistan, maybe Pakistan or Iraq, or possibly all three at once.” Ten years later and he could not have been more correct.

The third moment that I'll never forget came on an August afternoon in 2010. I had been working that morning and when I got home I opened up my Twitter feed. There was a tweet from WMUR that said a Kensington, New Hampshire Army Ranger was killed in Afghanistan. I had grown up in Kensington; it is a stereotypical small New Hampshire town growing from farms to big developments where everyone knew everyone, especially when I was younger.

I feared the worst and when I clicked the link I saw a familiar face. He had been on my brother's little league team years before and our moms knew each other quite well. It was the first time, and hopefully the only time, that someone I knew died in war. I had friends who knew him much better than I did, but it still hit me hard. It changed my views and made me question certain things.

But one thing is for certain, for as long as America is at war I will always support the troops, no matter what reasons for war our government gives us.

I know this is being distributed a few days later, but when I woke up Sunday morning and began writing this, not even with the initial intention of it being a column, I couldn't get a quote out of my head. It actually comes from rapper Talib Kweli: "Stand tall or don't stand at all."

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Did a Stoke RA get arrested... for J-Walking?

2011-09-12T16:42:00.001-04:00

So over the past few days the rumor mill has been swarming about an apparent arrest of a Stoke RA. According to two sources on Twitter a Stoke RA was given a citation for J-walking across Main Street by Thompson Hall. From what I was told when the RA questioned the reason for the citation the cop placed him under arrest. Now, I do not know what was said between the officer and the student or any other details, but I trust that this story is true because the tipsters have both been helpful to me in the past. I have heard other stories of citations being given recently for J-walking, but this is definitely the most alarming one.

Is J-walking technically illegal? Yes. But this is a college campus. I probably J-walk five times a day without even thinking about it. Personally, I think it's more efficient and dare I say friendlier and even at times safer, to cross a street when the coast is clear then waiting at a cross walk and causing cars to slow or stop. Just the other day I saw a car slam on its brakes at the crosswalk at the top of the A-Lot stairs because a pedestrian was crossing. I find it quite ridiculous that an actual ticket and fine would be given for this "crime." Obviously if this student really was arrested he probably said or did something wrong, but for the life of me I can't think of what he could have SAID. I mean, I almost want to start J-walking more just so I can see what the course of action a cop would take in the situation. While there are a few decent and sane UNH cops, many of them have the Rod Farva syndrome because they were probably picked on in high school.

Now gimme a goddamn liter-a-cola!

10 Years.

2011-09-11T10:17:00.001-04:00

There are a handful of days, moments even, that I will never forget. I'll never forget sixth grade social studies, on that sunny Tuesday in September 2001. I'll never forget the morning of my 13th birthday in 2003 when we first started bombing Iraq, I'll never forget the day in August 2010 when I first lost someone I knew in Afghanistan. There are other days I'll never forget, but there will never be another day in my life that won't be impacted by those three and I know that is a fact. We will never be the same again, but we need to continue moving on. To quote Talib Kweli, "stand tall or don't stand at all."

Whiskey Time!

2011-09-10T17:54:00.001-04:00

The Maine Guy is coming to Durham and I got my first handle of whiskey of the year. I had been on a gin kick, but it's whiskey time, which means that I'm ready to turn up to 11. Party!

This is my whiskey trifecta of songs. My playlist has plenty of hip-hop and popular college party music, but it's good to have a little variety as well.

Whiskey pre-game pump up:

And when the clock strikes midnight and you're feeling pretty good, belt this one out with your friends:

And this one is after you can rage no more and are ready to wind down. Learn the lyrics and sing along because when the time is right, this song cannot be beat:

My Freshmen Moment (well... one of them)

2011-09-09T12:26:00.001-04:00

Every Friday morning I wake up to my apartment being pretty trashed and it makes me think, man, I'm gonna miss this. Now is not the time to get sentimental though, we have a whole year together and I'm determined to make it the best year ever. The last three years have been epic and I feel like this one is just taking off. Study hard, party harder. That's my motto right now. Even though I have a Friday class at 2 PM, Thursdays at 4 PM is my favorite time of the week. I get out of class and I'm like a kid in a candy store... who ate an entire shelf and has a sugar high, but well before the crash. I'll always go to my Friday class, I have to, but my weekends begin Thursday at 4.

So far this year the blogging hasn't really taken off, but it usually takes a few weeks for it to get going after breaks. I still feel like I'm settling in, so tell your friends about this blog because shit is about to get real. I'm talking the best pass out pictures (with blurred faces of course), critiques, opinions, rants and ramblings, which are usually alcohol induced.

For the first time in a long time I am taking two 400 level classes (to counter balance writing my colloquium and another high level class in my major). I must say between those two 400s there are probably a handful of seniors combined, and they're mostly people I know or have had class with before. The rest of those 400s are full of freshmen. And it makes me feel old. I know I'm only three years older than them, and I used to be in their very position, but I never realized how easy it is to pick out freshmen. There is nothing wrong with it, we were all there, in fact I still remember the first weekend my freshmen year. My roommate and I had our backpacks of Keystone Light (that right there should be enough to classify as a freshman moment) and we took off from Williamson thinking we were about to party hop and rage all night. It was raining lightly as we left. We got to Main Street and it was absolutely pouring and a car drove by, out the window one of the passengers screams "FRESHMAN!" And my roommate looked at me and said "what the fuck does that mean?" We ended up taking cover under the T-Hall entrance before realizing we were way to wet to continue and we returned to Williamson and drank in our room with some other friends. Party fail. Freshmen, you're going to do stupid things. We've all been there and it's gonna be awesome. That's the great thing about college, every night you have another chance to do something completely different. You should never be bored here because the opportunities are endless... that being said, can it just be 3 because my hangover is over and I'm ready for round 2 tonight... who am I kidding I drank Wednesday too. Round 3!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

New Career Goal

2011-09-07T15:39:00.000-04:00

I'm a senior history major at UNH who decided that I didn't want to teach as a sophomore (although now I could get back on that wagon) and I aspire to land a writing job after college. If that means a move to New York City or out to California and live in the cheapest apartment I can find and work a shitty job to pay rent, then so be it. I'll do it. With today's economy it is getting harder for students to get jobs out of college, but I could never look myself in the mirror if I didn't give it a shot. Worst case scenario is that it delays my eventual career for a few years and I don't make any money. That may sound terrible to some of you, but personally that would be fine for me. I'm not much of a worrier.

However, today I think I found my new career path thanks to an email from my brother. It simple said "saw this on the freeway (in California) and immediately thought of you. Attached was this picture:

Why not me?!

I think I have watched every alien and UFO special the History Channel and National Geographic, or any channel for that matter, has too offer. I'm already an American History major so I understand good research and one of my life goals has always been to gain access to Area 51. I can put all my tools together and become the best alien/UFO researcher/writer/conspiracy blogger/lunatic/crazy person ever. I can see it now...

Stay classy, not UMassy.

I Call Shenanigans!

2011-09-06T14:25:00.002-04:00

So over the summer UNH released a new format for student email via Windows Live. It was an idea passed unanimously by the student senate and has received mixed reactions; mostly negative though. Anyways, from the first time I logged on I knew something about it was funny. I just couldn't put my finger on it though. After a few times of logging in I realized that it was the new logo for the email, the UNH Wildcat with a letter in it's mouth.

I knew I had seen something like it before, but where?

After a while I had finally figured it out. When I first started this blog at the end of March 2009 I was scouring over every UNH blog I could find to figure out where I would fit in and what new things I could bring. One of the blogs was TNH's Newsroom Blog "MUB 156." It was there where I had seen a very similar image.

Then TNH Editor Cam (the editor who convinced me to write for them) had a post about creating a possible logo for the new business section. Here's what Cam came up with:

Identical? Not at all. Eerily similar? Slightly. One big damn conspiracy? Most definitely.

This isn't the first time a UNH department has "copied" a student blogger (cough my Paul Thompson for Hobey video), so it shouldn't come as a surprise. Is there like an intellectual property claim we can put in? Then again, this school has enough budget problems, so I'll just let it slide.

Stay classy, Not UMassy.

PS: I'm probably gonna steal Cam's design whenever I post about UNH wasting money or something. It seems to fit that well. Just gobbling it all up. Om nom nom.

The Ballard's Patio Drinking Game

2011-09-04T10:55:00.003-04:00

Last night my roommates and I invented the Ballard's Patio drinking game. Every time a regular UNH or Durham cop drives by, it's one sip (or gulp, go big or go home!). A segway, motorcycle or bicycle is two sips (think 2 wheels = 2 drinks) and a statie, sheriff or undercover cop is three sips. If you see someone get pulled over or an accident you have to finish your drink. You can also purchase the expansion pack which is a sip when you suspect a pedestrian is a freshmen or a group of freshmen walk by. Every Domino's Delivery is also one sip.

So we were at Ballard's a while and shared the game idea with other people and they seemed to like it. It's nice because it is not actually that intense and can be done on the side because it doesn't really take full attention.

This is what happened after Ballard's:

Me:

Roommate, aka the Cabinet Kid from last year.

And yes. That really is our recycling bin...

Good to be back...

2011-09-02T10:27:00.000-04:00

Being 21 at UNH is probably the greatest thing ever because every night of the week at least one bar has awesome drink specials. Since we've been back I've been down to the bars three times and twice I've run into my roommates from freshmen and sophomore year. It's good to see that we haven't changed. At the end of last semester, when my roommates and a few friends and I had finally turned 21, we began a little tradition of going to Beat the Clock at Ballard's every Thursday. We would try to get there right at 7 and if the weather was decent, grab a table outside. It was the perfect way to kickoff the weekend, even if a few of us still had classes on Friday. We wouldn't go in a huge group, usually it was just 4 or 5 of us (not everyone would always go) but it was our time. Some of us go way back to elementary school and others became great friends back on the fourth floor of Williamson freshmen year. It was kind of like our "guy" time before the weekend started. We could say things that wouldn't leave the table, just shoot the shit or tell funny stories the others missed out on or were too drunk to remember. It was always a blast and we looked forward to continuing that tradition this year. But last night Ballard's took that awesome hour or two away from us. Beat the Clock didn't start until 9 and we ended up at The Knot for wing's and then Libby's when their dollar drinks started around 8. I must say that Ballard's still advertises Beat the Clock at 7 on their facebook page, so we were all disappointed. While we were at Libby's we saw something that wasn't quite right. In between all the drunk students was a table of two parents and their two young children. Like these kids were probably 8 and 10 years old. Maybe. I mean there was a crowd three rows deep around the bar trying to get drinks and every other table was taken by UNH students and here's these people trying to have a family dinner. Who does that on a Thursday night at a college bar? I get that Libby's is actually a pretty decent restaurant during the day, but it was like 8:30 PM at this point. Students are pounding their well drinks and cheap beer and being loud and obnoxious and they're just eating away. Seemed weird to me. It was still a fun time and I'm so happy to be back at school again, where it's acceptable to drink every night...

This also seems weird to me, a PBR commercial from the 60s:

I think they should run this as a commercial now:

That just seems more like the average PBR drinker to me...

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Dining Breaks UNH Social Media Guide (because of me!)

2011-08-31T16:06:00.003-04:00

So some of you may remember that last year UNH Dining viciously attacked me via Twitter last April after I complemented them on their fantastic Italian night. Here's a quick reminder:

Dining hasn't liked me since I wrote a column two years ago that pointed out how much money they wasted, how easy it is to steal and other poor choices they make. I was reported to the office of conduct, who never did anything because they knew I did nothing wrong. And of course my supporters voiced their opinion took my side.

So anyways, I had moved on, but this summer a reader sent me an email with a link to UNH's social media guidelines. Here are a few that I think apply to this situation:

These guidelines are designed to help UNH employees who create or contribute to University-related electronic social media to do so in a respectful, professional, relevant way to protect the University’s reputation and mission. We recognize the value in this new medium and encourage participation by UNH units as long as it falls within their communication needs and goals.

The same professional standards expected of you on the job should be applied to your conduct in UNH-related social media matters.
Post meaningful, respectful comments that are relevant to your position at UNH. So, please—no spam, or remarks that are off-topic or offensive.
Use commonsense and courtesy in creating University-related social media content. If you have even the slightest doubt, ask your supervisor if the content you want to post is appropriate—BEFORE you post it!
Stick to your area of expertise when posting.
If the public shares an opinion that you disagree with on a UNH-related social media site or issue, keep your response appropriate, professional, and polite. Sometimes, it is best to not respond at all.

Once again, dining just breaking all the rules and making dumb decisions. How'd those $32 salt and pepper mills work out anyways?

Stay classy, not UMassy.

10 Questions with UNH hockey player Justin Agosta

2011-08-30T13:36:00.000-04:00

Why did you choose UNH? Since I was young I knew I always wanted to play in Hockey East and with how reputable UNH is as a hockey program it felt like a perfect fit... When I came on my visit it was white out the whit and that made it a very easy decision as well.. I committed the next morning.
Do you have any pre-game rituals or any teammates that have strange rituals? I am very superstitious so at the start of every season I'll do some random things and then when I have a good game I'll continue to do it.
What’s been your best hockey moment throughout your career? Even though it didn't happen yet, Fenway vs Maine will probably be the best moment of my career.
Who do you see as having a breakout year at UNH? Any freshmen you think could step in and make an impact this year? I think any of our forwards can have a break out year.. I think Burke will have the best chance at having a breakout year.. he was pretty unlucky last year with getting mono and then having some shoulder problems. I also think Nick Sorkin will have a big year.
What’s the best part about being a hockey player at UNH? The best part is with no question our fans. Everyone knows UNH is one of the most exciting places to play and thats because of the fans.
What’s your favorite non-hockey aspect at UNH? Spring time is awesome here.
If the student section were to hold up an “Easy button” after goals, do you think players would hit it? Hahah.. I'm sure someone would do it. I would like to see that.
What music is playing in the locker room before a game? Is there a team DJ? All types of music is playing... I'll have my headphones in most likely.
This came from another fan, describe one teammate as a fruit or vegetable. Who, what and why? Hah, this is probably the hardest one on here.. have to compare Knodel to cauliflower.. kids whiter then casper.. can't come up with anything else.
Over the summer UNH strength and conditioning director Paul Chapman did the “Slapshot Challenge” at JP’s. What teammate do you think would have the best shot at beating the challenge? If Blake Kessel was still here he would probably beat Chappy.

It begins...

2011-08-29T09:43:00.002-04:00

We have only been back for a few days and it has already begun. Please excuse my grammar for this post, I'm still feeling the effects of last night pretty good. I have been getting material left and right because things always seem to happen while I'm in the right place at the right time. For example, the other night I was leaving the Gables with a friend and we were approached by some kid. He seemed bit lost, probably drunk, and his friends were looking at the Gables map between South and A tower. "Excuse me," he said, "Can you tell me how to get to 32 Young Drive... are we close by?" The first thought that entered my mind was, is there another Young Drive that I don't know about? We then explained that they were at the opposite end of campus and gave the directions. Ahh, freshmen.

And in other news, last night, or today actually, was my one of my friend's 21st birthdays. This is a kid who lived next door to me freshmen year and we have had a lot of great nights together. To put it simply, I have never seen anyone so drunk in public before. We got to Scorps at about 11:50 and he was let in early. 30 minutes and something many shots later (including one tsunami - which was appropriate due to the weather) he was asked to leave... by Radar. Yes, that Radar. It was the first time I've ever been with someone who got 86ed and it was hilarious. We left just in time too because it was an adventure getting him back to our DD's car. I mean two of us had to basically carry the kid. During that time, I was recognized as the New Hampshirite by someone who checked out the summer project. I wasn't sure how many people saw that yet, but it was really funny. I think I thanked her many times for reading and I hope I didn't come off as an asshole because of the situation. You know, being that guy who has to drag his friend out of Scorps. In short if was one of those nights that can been filed under the "hilarious college adventure" tab.

Stay classy not UMassy.
(PS: hey UNH, thanks for the beach day on the first day of classes.)

10 Questions with UNH Goalie Tyler Scott

2011-08-26T15:55:00.000-04:00

So the other night on a whim I go the idea to try and do some 10 questions with UNH athletes. So I tweeted hockey player Justin Agosta since he was the only hockey player to follow me back on twitter. I figured that meant he was familiar with the blog and he'd be a good person to start with. So he tweeted me back and said goalie Tyler Scott was also interested. So I emailed them each some questions and Scott was the first to reply back. Here's the 10 question interview. I really enjoyed doing this so if you're an athlete or you know some who are familiar with the blog, I'd love to do more of these. They don't take long and are done completely through email.

1. Why did you choose UNH?

The decision to come to UNH, for me, came down to three things:
competitive division 1 ice hockey, the coaching staff, and the campus.
I think it was the campus that really sealed the deal for me.

2. Do you have any pre-game rituals? Any teammates have any weird rituals?

For me, I like to re-tape both of my sticks and check my gear for
anything that I think needs adjustment. After I’ll warm-up with the
soccer ball and sit in the bleachers for a little before I get
dressed. For home games, I like to sit just before all of our student
fans come roaring down the bleachers to get the best seats. Besides
that, I have ritual handshakes with a few guys on the team as we line
up to go on the ice. As for some of the other guys, I know Damon Kipp
has to sit in the number four seat in the top row of whatever stadium
we are playing in after he warms up. It will be interesting to see if
he does it when we go to Fenway.

3. What’s been your best hockey moment throughout your career?

My favorite moment has to be my freshman year when we beat North
Dakota in the first game of Regionals. Thomas Fortney tied the game
with 0.1 seconds left followed by Peter Leblanc’s OT winner and his
pistol celebration. That’s a moment I’ll never forget.

4. Who do you see as having a breakout year at UNH? Any freshmen you
think could step in and make an impact this year?

Hard to say at this point. A lot of different guys, especially the
forwards, are capable of stepping up this season. The freshman will
definitely be an important factor to our team’s success.

5. What’s the best part about being a hockey player at UNH?

The best part by far is our fans and supporters. The fans we have
here at the university and in the area make playing hockey at UNH one
of the most exciting places to play in the country.

6. What’s your favorite non-hockey aspect at UNH?

Besides the campus and school environment, I would have to say the
location of our school. For hockey its great because we are pretty
much located in the middle of our conference traveling wise. As for
the non-hockey aspect of our school’s location, you have entertainment
in Portsmouth, Newmarket, and Dover, great local golfing, the beach,
and a train that takes you straight into Boston. In essence, there is
always something to do at UNH.

7. If you guys really are listening, what is your favorite or the
team’s favorite chant done by the student section?

Personally, I’ve always loved the sieve chants. There’s nothing
better than watching a rival goaltender get flustered after letting in
a goal and being called a sieve right after.

8. Tell us something about Coach Umile that a fan wouldn’t know.

He shows a lot of emotion and compassion in the locker room. You can
tell that our team means the world to him by either hearing one of his
pre-game speeches or watching him celebrate with the team after a big
win. It’s one of the reasons why we compete nationally every year.

9. This came from another fan, describe one teammate as a fruit or
vegetable. Who, what and why?

I guess I would describe Sorkin as celery; tall, skinny, and always
in some sort of vegetative state.

10. What other Hockey East schools have the most hostile student sections?

The Maine student section has always been a hostile environment when
we go up there. On that note, it makes the games that more
competitive. Nothing beats silencing a hostile student section after
we score in their arena.

I'm back!

2011-08-26T11:15:00.000-04:00

Nonsensical Nation, another year is upon us! Who else is ready to party? And maybe study a little bit too... maybe. My apartment and room are coming together nicely, but it's fucking hot in here. One quick note, if you're around be sure to check out the Trash to Treasure yard sale over at the fish bowl next to Congreve. They did a great job putting it all together, but all the good stuff is going fast so get to it, especially before Irene comes!

Alright, the main point of this post is to announce that I'll be releasing the summer project today. Like very soon. So be sure to check out the blog's fan page on Facebook or my Twitter page for the links.

It's good to be back! Party! It's not a crime!

Also, the UNH-Maine game at Fenway will be "officially" announced today at a press conference... but we all know who broke that news two weeks ago. So all of you who doubted my sources and credibility...SUCK IT!

Final Summer Project Leak

2011-08-22T15:52:00.000-04:00

Classes start in one week. I move in on Thursday. On Friday history will be made. Getchya popcorn ready and follow me on Twitter or "like" the blog on Facebook to see what has never been seen. It won't be on this blog, or linked from this website for a while longer so use social media to put all the clues together.

Oh shit is right. T-Minus four days Nonsensical Nation.

Quiet Hours Changed in Campus Apartments

2011-08-13T10:18:00.002-04:00

So over the next two weeks I have a few posts in store so I can pick up my blogging frequency as move-in weekend approaches. Speaking of which, I'm on the Gables move-in crew, so if you're lucky I'll drop all your favorite possessions. Anyways, I opened up my internet this morning planning to post something I have saved in my drafts. But first I checked all my emails and saw something that has completely rubbed me the wrong way. And surprise, surprise it is from none other than UNH Housing.

The email consisted of move-in weekend information, it spoke of renovations to the Woodsides and Gables apartment and all that stuff. But this is what hit me the wrong way:

We’ve made a few changes in policies. The one that might be the biggest is that we moved quiet hours back one hour so that the UNH Residence Halls and the UNH On-Campus Apartments have the same standards. Quiet hours will begin at 10pm on Sunday through Thursday and at 12:00 am on Friday and Saturday evenings. This may be tough for some to have to quiet down an hour earlier, but overall, we believe that this is best for the communities and best for consistency.

This is a bigger outrage than UNH Dining replacing Panache with a Dunkin' Donuts. (Which is was I was going to write about, but honestly it doesn't bother me as much as other people have complained.) This is a bigger outrage than when Dining replaced all the salt shakers with a few of those big salt and pepper mills. This is a bigger outrage than the spy camera. This is borderline state funding cut outrage.

The best part about living in the Woodsides and Gables are those added perks that you don't get in the regular residence halls. You know, the added personal freedoms that comes with experience on a college campus. Things like not having an RA on every floor and having that extra hour are huge bonuses for the students that live in the campus apartments. In fact, many of us pay higher housing rates just for that reason. I might as well move back into Williamson if we're gonna be babied like this.

This is clearly a power move by UNH and Housing to try and curb the party atmosphere of the Woodsides and Gables. Listen, the 10PM weekday move doesn't even bother me. But if you've ever lived in the Woodsides or Gables, you know how nice that extra hour is on Friday and Saturday nights. If I knew about this move ahead of time there is noway I would be spending my senior year in the Gables. It really is that much of a difference. I am planning on letting housing and the apartment staff know how bad of a decision this is and I hope you do too. (Feel to email apartment director Michael Saputo at michael.saputo@unh.edu).

Stay classy, not UMassy.

PS: Is housing going to read me a story and tuck me in at night too? See you in two weeks. I hope my stereo is loud enough for you all to hear what I really think about this.

PPS: Can I at least have my dessert or do I have to go straight to bed?

Frozen Fenway: aka Lake Whittemore South

2011-08-09T17:05:00.001-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen of Nonsensical Nation, mark your calenders because on January 7th, 2012 the University of New Hampshire men's hockey team will take on their arch-rival, the Black Bears of UMaine-Orono at the historical Fenway Park in Boston. It will be apart of a double header that also features Vermont and UMass, but every knows UNH-Maine is the main event. Last year UNH took the season series in a 3-0 sweep and with Maine losing Wildcat killer (I'll admit it) Gustav Nyquist to the pros, there's no reason to think UNH can't sweep again. On top of that, last I checked Maine still doesn't have a goalie. Maine might be the home team, but Fenway is about to become Lake Whittemore South. It may be during winter break, but I'm calling for a pre-game party train ride down from Durham. Who knows, I may even make my apartment available for pre-pre-game pre-train ride festivities. It may be cold so be sure to dress appropriate (painted up) to keep that Wildcat Blood warm (enough).

... and just incase The Maine Guy tries to post some trash talk...

I've single handedly conquered Maine before. Warm Ice Cubes, bitches. No hard feelings, buddy.

PS:

Game 1: UNH Win.

Game 2: UNH Win.

Game 3: UNH Win...

PPS/Update: Last year for men's hockey BC and BU played, so Northeastern really got shafted, huh? I kinda feel bad for the doghouse... I must admit, I love Matthew's Arena. The atmosphere, history and architecture is one of a kind. My favorite Hockey East venue I've visited, by far.

The Little League World Series Drinking Game

2011-08-06T11:55:00.001-04:00

While I was working the other day, I thought of a new drinking game for the end of summer. If you have read the title of this post, you will have seen that I have found a way to get hammered while watching 12-year-olds live out their glory days on ESPN. This is the best I can do because one of my life-long goals was to play in the LLWS and I think I have finally hit the Danny Almonte stage of getting caught. I give you The Little League World Series Drinking Game:

One Sip:

Anytime the following are named "favorite MLB Player" - Any Yankee or Red Sox player, Albert Puljos, Ryan Howard, Ichiro Suzuki, Tim Lincecum
Favorite MLB player is retired or linked to steroids
A homerun is hit
Plus fastball: A pitch is adjusted to 95+ mph
Whenever the "special pinch runner" rule is used
A player names "Shaun White" as his favorite XGame Althete
A player names "recess" or "lunch" as his favorite subject

Two Sips:

Two or more errors committed on same play
Favorite MLB player is dead
Player cries after being hit by pitch
Outfielder makes routine catch that announcers call a web gem
A pitch is adjusted to 100+ MPH
A batter is over 6 feet tall
ESPN shows the tallest player in the tournament standing next to or back-to-back with the shortest
Orel Hershiser (or any announcer) compares a kid to a major league player

Three Sips:

Coach's son pitches/plays shortstop and hits 3rd or 4th
An over coaching situation, coach grabs player by shoulders/ cheeks for face-to-face "focus" time
A pitcher shakes the hand of a batter he hit
No hitter is thrown or 12+ strikeouts
Outfielder makes a diving catch where he didn't need to dive or slowed his run so he could dive
A batter is over 6'3''
Mercy rule is put into effect

Finish Drink:

When there is a closeup of a player crying after losing
A batter is over 175 pounds
A player throws a no-hitter (or 12+ Ks) and hits a homerun in the same game
Little League player has a "Brain Wilson Beard" (or any facial hair)
Game is ended with a walk-off error or bases loaded walk

Cheers!

Stay classy, not UMassy

2011 Princeton Review Rankings

2011-08-01T18:41:00.000-04:00

Once again the Princeton Review has blessed us with meaningless rankings that will cause UNH students to both brag and bicker about (and provide the Union Leader with even more pointless bullshit to try and make us look bad). So, without any further ado, here are the lists that UNH found itself on:

Best Campus Food: #17
Little Race/Class Interaction: #2
Lots of Beer: #2
Town Relations are Strained: #15
Listed on "Best Northeast Colleges"

These are the lists UNH has been off and on again for years. I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of our #2 ranking for lots of beer. My roommates and I feel that we have contributed significantly to that one. Durham residents hate us, even though they wouldn't have a town without us. Lets face it, apart from our athletic teams, UNH is practically 98% white and middle class. Even our dining halls do have their moments. Although they are jerks our food really isn't too bad, especially with their themed dinners such as the local harvest and seafood nights. Just invite a friend from another school up for a weekend and let them use a guest pass and they'll tell you that we have it made. I really don't have too much to say on these rankings, they pretty much speak for themselves and they have no real meaning... for example, remember that whole "UNH name Druggiest College" by The Daily Beast? We didn't even crack the Princeton's Review's lists for "Reefer Madness" or "Party Schools."

Please note that UMaine was ranked 17th for least happy students. I guess that should be a no brainer because there is no way to be happy in that frozen tundra. Bunch of sourpusses up in Orono (cue Maine Guy comment in 3,2,1...)

In other news, don't forget you can buy books really cheap through the blog. You can help me maintain my unhealthy drinking habits while simaltaneously saving hundreds of dollars. I honestly saved close to $200 last year. Simply click the "Bookstore" tab above or see the side bar. Filling out the ISBN number will result in the best searches. (Tip: go the the MUB bookstores website and do a book search by your classes section to get all the ISBN number for all the books you need.) And if you think I'm selling out, I only get a fraction of the money. Last year readers spent hundreds of dollars on books through the blog and I only made about $40, so I'm doing this more for you not me. But still, buy books here. I can never have enough beer money, UNH has to keep that number 2 ranking and my liver and I are willing to make the sacrifice.

Stay tuned for more posts over the next few weeks, including the unleashing of my summer project. Until then,

Stay classy, not UMassy.

A Summer Challenge

2011-07-27T14:24:00.002-04:00

Nonsensical Nation. I have a summer challenge for you. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to name this student. This new "Best of College Freshman Meme" is making its way around the internets and it is quite apparent that it is a UNH student. It is true that he could have graduated, but either way, I feel it is my duty to find out who this is. See the link above for all of the different memes, but here are a few:

I have a few posts in store for these last few weeks of summer, including one on my travels to San Francisco and of course, the secret project is soon to be released. Follow me on twitter and "like" the blog on facebook for an up-and-coming sneak peak.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Update: Fake Huddleston Twitter "@PrezHuddleston" does work and finds him on Twitter 20 minutes later:

Huddleston Speaks on USNH State Funding Cuts

2011-07-13T19:20:00.001-04:00

"We now have in New Hampshire the dubious distinction of having experienced the largest single cut to a public higher education system in the history of America, period. And there's not even anybody close to what we absorbed this year," said UNH President Huddleston in his recent interview with the Portsmouth Herald.

I am a US History major and I can tell you that this is not a historical achievement we should be proud of. In the interview, which was on the state budget cuts for USNH, President Huddleston provided startling facts and he let his emotions show.

The article continued by saying how the Senate "got lobbied really hard by private sector institutions and was persuaded to give funds Lynch intended for the USNH to private schools like Dartmouth College, Colby-Sawyer College and Southern New Hampshire University."

Really?! Really?!?!

So, if I'm reading that right (and since I go to a public state school I may not be edumaketed enough to interpret that quote) the New Hampshire Legislature cut funding to the PUBLIC schools and gave those funds to the PRIVATE schools. Oh yeah, because that makes sense. Does the New Hampshire state government understand what the difference is between "public" and "private"? This is a great, and local, example of how the government is being influenced by the private business sector all while hurting the general public. I don't mean to get so political, but this actually happened. Let me repeat that and really think about it for a moment: Private schools received state funding do to "pressure" from the private sector, while the public state schools received the largest cut to public education in the history of the country. If this doesn't prove how influential lobbyists can be towards legislators, I don't know what can.

If this interests you at all, especially if you are a UNH student or New Hampshire resident you should read the entire article I linked to above. UNH really had no choice but to raise tuition this year. When you lose that much funding there isn't a choice. UNH froze salaries (when professors want more money), they had layoffs (Dear Senate, you cost more NH residents their jobs by cutting UNH funding, how'd you not see that coming?) and cut other expenses. The next few years or more could be very tough financially for UNH and our state is only making things worse.

This picture I took back in January says it all. First with a cheap goal in the Riverstone Cup and now with state funding, Huddleston and UNH get screwed by officials while Dartmouth benefits.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

What's German for Pervert?

2011-07-04T17:42:00.001-04:00

So we have all heard the story by now of Edward Larkin, a UNH German Professor, who was able to keep his job after a two year suspension for exposing his genitals to a 17 year old girl and her mother in a Market Basket parking lot off campus. I've been meaning to write on this since it first happened, but I didn't have a chance. The whole reason he can keep his job is because the teacher's union argued that he didn't do enough to break his contract and be fired. Personally, I think whipping your junk out in public (to a 17 year old or anyone) is a perfectly sound reason to be fired from any job. Especially when you're around 18-22 year olds all day. What girl (or anyone for that matter) would want to take a class with this guy? UNH acknowledged that issue and it seems as though he won't be teaching in classrooms, but what type of research do language professors do anyways?

It's not like he got caught taking a leak in the woods behind the MUB or something, he thought to himself "I have a good idea, I'm gonna whip my genitals out. This definitely won't backfire."And the sad thing is, is that it didn't backfire. The guy got a ~~vacation~~ suspension, during which he was paid his full salary of $88,000 and now he's returning to campus. I'm not going to make this a political issue over unions like commenters on the Union Leader because A) Unions have done great things for this country (you know like better working conditions, 8 hour work day, child labor laws, racial and gender issues) and B) because arguing about unions and liberals verses conservatives takes away from the what this guy actually did. Sure, if there wasn't a strong union he would be fired, but that's the way things work sometimes. Nothing is ever perfect.

UNH tried to fire him, but they couldn't so I think it's safe to say that they won't give him a new contract when his current one expires. Also, it might be a good idea to insert clauses into the new contracts that allow them to be broken over issues such as these. One of the main points of a union is protecting its members from unjust firings and technically Larkin didn't break his contract. Technicalities can be a real bitch and that's why contracts need to be very specific. The union was simply doing its job and on paper they did, but it's too bad it turned out this way. Personally, I think the arbitrator, not the union is the one to blame. The arbitrator is the one who made the decision that Larkin's crime was not “moral delinquency of a grave order." In court cases everyone has the right to an attorney, even when criminals commit crimes they get representation. The lawyer doesn't get blamed when a bad guy gets away with a crime, the jury does. The lawyer, while probably is a scumbag, was just doing his job. That is similar to this situation, the union had to fight for it's member. The arbitrator is the one who made the decision.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Update, July 6th:

The following passage is from the Union Leader:

Last week, numerous politicians, including Gov. John Lynch, blasted the arbitrator who ruled that Larkin should be suspended without pay for a semester, then allowed to return to campus.

“The governor believes the arbitrator's decision was wrong and that this professor does not belong in a classroom,” said Pamela Walsh, the governor's deputy chief of staff.

House Speaker William O'Brien said he was “profoundly disappointed with the result of this case.”

“How contemptuous of the students that an arbitrator would ever consider putting this man in front of them as a teacher and, therefore, a role model,” he said.

Larkin did not return calls for comment and it's unclear whether he will pursue a buyout.

The article says that Larkin is eligible for a $75,000 contract buyout since he is over 59 1/2 and has been at UNH for over 10 years, but it's not known if he'll pursue it or if UNH could accept it since they can only accept so many per term and they must take the most eligible who apply (the oldest and longest tenured).

Hazing at UNH

2011-06-27T16:58:00.002-04:00

Pop quiz. A UNH organization was just suspended for hazing that involved underage drinking, saran wrap, blindfolds, and telling their subjects they weren't allowed to talk. Was this organization:

A) A fraternity
B) A sorority
C) Actually just members of my apartment
D) CommUNHiversity, the student organization dedicated to bettering the UNH community.

Ding! Ding! Ding! If you guessed (D), CommUNHiversity, you are right! You're either really good at picking out obvious irony or you remember the fact that they were under review and had to cancel their "UNH Best Dance Crew" event.

Thanks to an anonymous tipster, I was able to get the full PDF on the organization's disciplinary hearing. Although, it doesn't not say what exactly was done, the explanations to the charges and the board's rulings sheds some light onto the situation.

Since I can't upload the entire PDF to Blogger, below are the screen grabs of the entire document that I was sent. (Click to enlarge).

If you don't feel like reading through all of it, here are a few of the basics:

Found responsible of hazing, coercion, intimidation, providing and use of alcohol for those underage and hosting a gathering where illegal drinking occured
Younger members where blindfolded and saran wrapped by seniors and apparently put into cars that were said to be "speeding and swerving"
Members could opt out, but they felt peer pressure not too
They are on organizational suspension through May of 2012
They are on probation through May of 2014
They did not receive further penalties in fear that the organization would completely dissolve

So there you have it. Ask and you shall receive. It took a while for this report to come out and for me to get a hold of it, but thanks to a great source the entire UNH community can now see where CommUNHiversity went wrong. Honestly, I think that it is too bad that an organization like this, one dedicated to bettering the UNH community, improving school spirit and basically being all about UNH would pull off these events. CommUNHiversity has really grown since they started just a few years ago, I remember when it was just a Facebook group trying to get more students to attend basketball games and things like that. They put on UNH's Best Dance crew two years ago and it was great. Hopefully this won't be the demise of the organization, because it has potential to do great things on campus. Also, hopefully this will be a lesson to other organizations, if you haze and intimidate kids there is a decent chance that someone might turn you in. I'm sure stuff like this happens often (and I've heard of other things like this involving rush events), but it's almost too bad that this type of organization is the one that gets caught.

I'm sure some people will point a finger at whoever turned them in, but say what you want, hazing is a serious offense. And I don't buy it for a second that the leaders "didn't think it would be hazing." This has hazing written all over it, it is blatantly obvious.

According to the UNH Greek and MUB Hazing Prevention Agreement, which applies to all UNH organizations and teams: “Student hazing” is defined as “any act directed toward a student, or any coercion or intimidation of a student to act or to participate in an act, when (1) such act is likely or would be perceived by a reasonable person as likely to cause physical or psychological injury to any person; and (2) such act is a condition of initiation into, admission into, continued membership in or association with any organization.” The implied or expressed consent of any person toward whom an act of hazing is directed is not a defense to a charge under this anti-hazing statute.

Members weren't forced to do these things, but it is obvious there was at least some degree of intimidation and pressure involved. So other UNH organizations, think before you do things like this. Sure it may be all fun and games, but in the end, is it really worth it? Have fun and party, but leave it at that.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

SCOPE releases survey and WeekieLeak Part III

2011-06-23T13:02:00.000-04:00

SCOPE has released their summer survey and they want to hear who UNH students want for their fall shows when the semester starts up. They haven't had as much feedback, probably due to the fact that we're away from school, but they take these surveys seriously and this is your chance to tell them who you want to perform at UNH. Last semester the number one vote getter was Kid Cudi who SCOPE couldn't afford, but they did get Wiz Khalifa, who was the second vote getter... (then again, maybe I don't want you to vote. Never mind there is no survey, don't click on that link!) Whenever people complain about the president or any elected official I ask if they voted, and if they didn't I tell them they have no right to complain. So if you're planning on complaining about SCOPE's next show make sure you do your duty and fill out the survey. I know many of you will probably claim that SCOPE ruined your senior year because they didn't get your favorite artist who: A) either costs more then all of SACF could afford or B) No one else has heard of - but at least if you fill out the survey you can say that you tried to make a difference. In all fairness SCOPE has done pretty well covering different genres over the past few years. If I may make a prediction, I wouldn't be surprised if they went in a dubstep/dance/trance direction for one show and then some sort of rock show, possibly country or folk rock or some sort of alternative rock. To my knowledge they haven't done anything like recently that and those genres have a growing interest among college students. So UNH, it's up to you to tell SCOPE who you want. Please don't disappoint me, I have a tiny bit of faith left.

As for this week's "WeekieLeak" for the summer project, you may be interested to know that it will allow for my for more serious posts, and particularly my TNH columns, to be presented in a more professional manner. I'm probably going to run out of ideas for weekly leaks and hints before summer ends or the new project in launched, but I'll try to keep this going. Until next week,

Stay classy, not UMassy.