GO WHITE!

            Snowday!!!! Okay, not really considering Michigan State has had two snowdays in fifty years but still we got the first snow of the year and wow! The first snow of the year is a deep 6-10 inches that have covered this campus in a winter wonderland. Every year I’m amazed at the pure beauty of this campus. In fall I think “There is nothing more beautiful than East Lansing’s autumn.” I find it hard to argue with the autumn sky, colorful leaves and fresh air. Fall is an amazing season.

            Which brings me to today as I stare out the window onto campus covered in a thick blanket of snow; East Lansing is as beautiful as ever in winter. Although the weather is not as pleasant as fall there really is nothing like good packing snow to kick off a season. Snow forts, snow men, and yes even a good snowball fights are traditions I’ve held since childhood and a reminder of the Holidays to come. Winter is also in the Hall of Fame for seasons.

            So East Lansing has incredible falls and breathtaking winters. How can this campus be so beautiful in two seasons? I haven’t even mentioned spring which feels like ages ago but of course is really just around the corner. Is it possible that East Lansing is the most beautiful campus in America? Of course my bias thinks so. What do you think? Is East Lansing more beautiful in the fall or winter? What did you do with the first snow of the season? Sound off in the comments!

The B1G Championship

            We are Spartans! We are Legends! Last week our football team clinched the Legends division title as we head to the Big Ten Championship on December 3^rd in Indianapolis. I bought tickets to the championship the night they came out at midnight. It turned out the student tickets sold out less than 12 hours later. While some of my friends were surprised by how quick they sold out I was shocked it wasn’t faster. After all, the Final Four student tickets in Indianapolis two years ago sold out .5 seconds after they went on sale at midnight.

            A week later all that was left to be decided was who we would play, Penn State or Wisconsin, who happened to play each other yesterday. Wisconsin trounced Penn State, and now we know the Championship game will be the fated rematch of Spartans and Badgers.

            As a Spartan fan I’m scared of this Wisconsin team. The Badgers will have all week to watch the highlight of the hail mary play over and over again. This Wisconsin team that their only two losses this season came in hostile environments (similar to MSU) will now meet us at a neutral field. And finally I’m scared because the world seems to have forgotten how good Russell Wilson is. He was a leading Heisman Candidate. Then his team lost two games and he dropped off the face of the earth, however that Heisman level talent didn’t disappear. Wilson is still the best quarterback in the Big Ten and will challenge our stout defense.

            Finally we get to determine the ultimate prize, who is the Big Ten’s best team and who gets to punch their ticket to Pasadena? Both teams will be incredibly focused, and both teams will be playing the best football they’ve played all year. I can’t wait to take my seat in Indianapolis to watch the fireworks unfold. Where will you be for the game? How do you think it will play out? Let’s discuss this exciting time in Spartan history in the comments below.

It's Leftovers Day!

Happy Leftovers Everyone! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I know I did. Three great football games, family football outside, a little fighting between the relatives, and delicious sweet potatoes! All my family’s great Thanksgiving traditions remained in tack. Obviously my favorite food is the sweet potatoes but it is definitely a close finish between that, the turkey, and the mac & cheese. We also had homemade applesauce which I’m not sure counts as a Thanksgiving food but is still delicious.

Another Great Thanksgiving Tradition: Charlie Brown!

Of course on a day like this it's time to recount what I am thankful for which is a pretty long list. At the top of this list I am thankful for my family and my health, as well as the tremendous opportunities I’ve been given in life to attend such a fantastic school as Michigan State, and all the great friends I’ve met there.

So how did your Thanksgiving go? What are your favorite traditions and favorite Thanksgiving foods? And most important of all, what are you thankful for? I’d love to hear your favorite Thanksgiving stories in the comments below!

An Exciting Event at the Best Price, Free

The crowd was electric. The band blasted the Spartan fight song. The cheerleaders led the crowd. Every Spartan score was greeted with thunderous applause. This was an MSU women’s volleyball game versus number 7 inthe nation, Illinois.

After MSU Men’s basketball thorough drubbing of Texas Southern me and some friends decided to head over and check out the marquee volleyball game. Free to MSU students volleyball was something I had yet to experience in my three years here. I learned something; I should’ve come sooner.

The only volleyball I knew was simple beach volleyball on-campus so excuse my lack of knowledge of the sport. I’ve really never watched any high-level volleyball game but I was immediately enthralled with the fast paced game. The intricate strategy of bringing multiple spikers in different weaves, the need for pinpoint accurate sets, and the toughness to go and dig a spike out of the ground all contributed to an entertaining battle between two elite teams. Of course after a hard fought game, the great Spartans emerged victorious.

For a detailed recap I recommend checking out this link. For a free night at an exciting event I recommend checking out MSU vs Northwestern tomorrow night, 7:00 at the Jenison Field House. I know I will be.

Caf Showdown: Brody vs Sny/Phy

One of the most common discussions here on campus is which caf is better, Brody Square? Or the Snyder/Phillips Gallery? I thought it’s about time to settle the great debate with a cafeteria showdown!

Brody

SnyPhy

We’ll do this with a section for section comparison before awarding the overall winner.

Brimstone Grille (Brody and Sny/Phy)

Both cafs can claim they offer the delicious made to order burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and hot dogs. However Brody offers a wider variety with grilled cheese, spicy chicken, and even popcorn chicken from time to time.

Advantage Brody

Ciao!(Brody and Sny/Phy)

Again both cafs offer equally delicious choices of Pizza with rotating toppings. I want to note here that my favorite is the Big Mac Pizza I experienced at Brody. If you haven’t tried it yet, you are missing out. Moreover both sandwich bars have endless combinations of fresh ingredients.

Wash

New Traditions vs Homestyle

Both these sections offer great options for traditional American home style food from rotisserie chicken to mashed potatoes. However, New Traditions gets the slight nod for the rotating menu offering more options.

Advantage Sny/Phy

Bliss vs Dolce

If desserts are more your thing you won’t be lacking in either caf, whether it be cookies, cake, or ice cream. Dolce gets the nod for the irresistible milkshakes.

Advantage Brody

The Berg vs S2 and Veg Out

Both cafs offer fresh salad and soup options. In this case Brody earns the nod with more vegetarian options, sushi, and smoothies.

Advantage Brody

Latitudes vs Pangea, Boiling Point, and Cayenne’s

This category is a runaway train in favor of Brody. Latitudes offers a solid variety of options. However it simply cannot compete with Boiling Point’s make-your own pasta, and Cayenne’s quesadillas, burritos, and nachos. Moreover, my favorite station on all of campus, Pangea, offers fantastic stir-fry with dozens of options.

Advantage Brody

Overall Atmosphere

Both cafs provide very nice settings for a relaxing meal. Unfortunately sometimes Sny/Phy is overcrowded to the point that I have had to wait for a table to open up for a few minutes. Brody on the other hand, somehow always seems to have an open table. Moreover Brody’s different sections allow for a more private dining experience as opposed to the high school open cafeteria feel of Sny/Phy. Finally and perhaps most importantly, Sny/Phy has no TV’s. How am I supposed to watch Sportscenter with my breakfast!

Advantage Brody

The results are in:

Brody: 6

Sny/Phy: 2

Summary

Both cafs offer tremendous dining experiences with loads of delicious options to suit your appetite. However, as we have found, Brody consistently has more and better options across the board, while offering a stronger overall setting for my daily meals.

Winner! Brody Square!!!

Disagree? Sound off in the comments!

Penn State Tragedy: One Spartan's Take

            Normally I like to keep a light hearted feel to this blog. However, the current storm surrounding the scandal at Penn State has engulfed the media, the campus, and as a result, my thoughts. I'll preface my thoughts on the scandal with the context I am coming from. I did not watch college football until three years ago so I never saw Penn State when they were a top tier football program nonetheless in their glory days. I never revered or held any emotional connection with Joe Paterno while I did respect his tremendous accomplishments from afar.

            If you are unaware of the recent developments I recommend a quick read, even as tough as it is to get all the way through it.

            As I said I respected Paterno. This respect was grounded entirely in football, Joe Pa had an ability to lead a group of young men to victory on Saturdays in a sport. Paterno won games. It really is as simple as it sounds, they are just games when you take a step back. And up until this week we all thought he held high moral standards. Now we know that when faced with the greatest test of his morality, Paterno shrank from it, he ignored it, and he will rue it.

             Penn State students need to take this step back. Their reaction to the news that Paterno was fired is simply appalling. Paterno clearly held a deep rooted emotional connection with the campus, so much so that some of the student body deified Paterno. This loss led to violent riots, riots out of anger, anger that their leader was gone. This reaction is disgraceful and draws attention away from the victims of sexual abuse, and the victims that could've been prevented had Joe Paterno made the appropriate response.

            Is Paterno the same as Sandusky? No, but he is a man who deserves to lose his job and maybe more as the details pour out. The reaction by some, and I emphasize some, of the Penn State students is a reaction of blind worship for a man. I find myself thinking about the success Mark D'Antonio and Tom Izzo have achieved here at MSU and I like to think that while we love their accomplishments on the field, and the work they've done to build their respective programs, Spartans would not be so embarrassingly naive. I like to think that my fellow Spartans can distinguish between man and sports icon. I hope that those in power do not put athletics above morality. I hope nothing like this ever happens again. Most of all, I hope everyone's prayers go out to the victims and their families.

Resident Mentor: Join the Team!

            Today I was excited to participate in the Mentor Selection kick-off. Unfortunately the event was cancelled due to inclement weather. So I figured why not share what’s awesome about being a Resident Mentor with this blog?

Our Great Staff!

            I love being a Mentor for many reasons but above all I love the people I’ve met. In the two years I’ve been a Mentor I’ve met over one hundred residents who I enjoyed hanging out with in my time as Mentor and I call my friends today. Then there’s staff. There are so many great people on staff that I never would’ve met any other way than my position as a Mentor.

            Besides the great people I’ve met I now have a shining star on my resume. In all the job interviews I’ve been the experiences I’ve had as a Mentor always come up and most employers I’ve talked to have found the experience very appealing in a candidate. Finally, if all else doesn’t appeal to you there is the crème de la resistance, a single room!

            I first applied to become a Resident Mentor my freshman year. Unfortunately I didn’t get it but I applied the very next year and was hired mid year at Rather hall as a sophomore. The point is if you are interested in becoming a Mentor you should definitely apply. Even if you don’t get it your first try you can always try again and in the meantime you gain valuable interview experience. Being a Mentor is a truly rewarding experience that I recommend anyone remotely interested should apply.

You can apply online now. Applications are due December 1^st at midnight.

If you have any questions place them in the comments below and I'll be sure to answer them.

This Week In Movies

            As I've said before on this blog, I have an undying love for movies. Just to give you an idea of my tastes, my top five movies all time would be:

1) Pulp Fiction

2) Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back

3) Animal House

4) Alien

5) Superbad

            So in another reason why I love Michigan State, the University Activities Board has four free Hollywood movies nearly every week playing on a big screen right on campus (plus free popcorn!). Talking about these movies will probably become a common theme so if you don't like movies bare with me. If you do like movies great! You are in the right place.

This weekend in particular looks like a great weekend for the movies, we have:

1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Rotten Tomatoes: 96%)

The exciting conclusion to the whole series, the final battle between good and evil in the magical world. I have to come clean and admit that I love Harry Potter. I read all the books and so this is a no-brainer for me. I have already seen it but then again, it is amazing.

2) Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Rotten Tomatoes: 82%)

This is the reboot of the series going with an entirely new and separate origin story. I was a big fan of the 2001 Planet of the Apes led by Mark Wahlberg. Admittedly, however, the old timeline was very confusing so a reboot may be just what this series needs. I did not see this movie in theaters because I felt like the trailer showed the whole movie and there was nothing left for me to see, but then the movie got solid reviews and my interest has been renewed.

3)  Friends with Benefits (Rotten Tomatoes: 71%)

This one looks a lot like the Ashton Kutcher vehicle "No Strings Attached" which reviewed horribly. Its as though one writer pitched his script and two producers bought it. Luckily Friends with Benefits has Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis who look like they have a stronger chemistry than Natalie Portman and Kutcher.

4) The Change-Up (Rotten Tomatoes: 24%)

According to the trailer this is the "old formula with a new twist" which is another way of saying it is a formulaic story with an R rating. The reviews on this are not good but a few of my friends told me they found it hilarious so I may have to give it a chance. On top of that I love Jason Bateman, but where is that Arrested Development movie already!!

           

            This week definitely has a lot of awesome choices for really any taste in movies. If you are interested you should check out the showtimes. What are you going to see this weekend? Sound off in the comments!

Raining Threes!

            Its that wonderful time of year again. Basketball is in the air, and it is raining threes! That's right MSU basketball is about to tip off and the energy on campus is electric with anticipation. This past week I had the privilege of sitting in on a basketball practice before I attended our first exhibition game against Ferris State last Sunday. I have to say I can barely contain my own excitement for the season.

            Sitting in on the practice in particular was an amazing experience for me. The practice opened with a private huddle between the team, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Mateen Cleaves. What I would give to be in that huddle! After a few walkthroughs and drills the team ran scrimmages. The coaches mixed up the sides a few times but I did note a clear first team and second team.

 

First Team:

PG - Keith Appling

G - Brandon Wood

G - Brenden Dawson

F - Draymond Green

F - Derrick Nix

Second Team:

PG - Travis Trice

G - Brandan Kearney

G - Austin Thorton

F - Alex Gauna

F - Adreian Payne

            I noted that Russel Byrd didn't actually participate in practice. He did play six minutes against Ferris State. I would consider Byrd my X-factor this season, we are going to need him to make a strong push for the Big Ten Title. His deep range will be very important in covering up one of our biggest weaknesses from last season, outside shooting. This was evident in the exhibition in which we shot 17% from 3. This is a number that will need to improve to have any chance in our brutal opening schedule against North Carolina and Duke.

            Looking at more of the positives, of which there are plenty, none is bigger than the play of Brenden Dawson, McDonald's All-American Freshman. When I say big I mean it. Listed at 6-6 and 220 lbs Dawson is a monster who can do it all. In both practice and the exhibition Dawson was drawn to offensive boards and will likely be one of the strongest forces on the glass in all the Big Ten.

          

           Head Coach Tom Izzo has called this his youngest team ever, and it certainly is a team under the radar after a subpar performance for a top tier program last year. Izzo has also said he doesn't like being an underdog. Despite this, the drop in expectations, new senior leadership, and a touted freshman class could lead this team and program back to prominence.

            As of this writing we are nine days away from 11/11/11 and the Carrier Classic versus the North Carolina Tar Heels (And our jerseys look awesome!) Its been confirmed that President Obama will be there along with actors from popular military movies. I've heard unconfirmed rumors of Tom Cruise for the obvious Top Gun reference. This is shaping up to be an incredible event on the national stage. Until then, GO STATE!