How Do I Have Senioritis Already

Star Exponent Article from Sunday...

I miss the days when I came home from school and was able to tell my parents that I learned to multiply or color inside the lines; you know things of significance.

With my senior year underway, I no longer get the “What did you learn today?” question from my parents, but I do get, “How was your first day of the end of the best part of your life?” question from my roommates.

With the first week wrapping up, the only material of significance worth sharing to the roommates was a compelling conversation regarding commonsense and ignorance. I know it must seem surprising, but ignorance flourishes the adult world and well commonsense is commonly uncommon … Or maybe that’s just my ignorance speaking.

Let’s take the first day of class for instance. I throw off my down comforter, convince myself that the world needs my presence and roll out of bed. A cup of coffee and a shower wakes me up and just like that, I’m ready for the day.

Unfortunately, my first classes only made me want to punch the day in the face.

I am a college student- very capable of reading and comprehending basic instructions. With that being said, why must professors hand us a syllabus only to spend the next hour reading it over with us; I did not sign up for story time 101.

The only thing worse than story time is when the professor feels it’s necessary to explain that American History from the 1600’s to present will be a class that discusses American History from the 1600’s to present… commonsense, where are you?

How about that epic earthquake?

Sure it’s the first time a disaster of this sort has occurred on the east coast in about 100 years, but let me remind you that you weren’t the only one that felt it… crazy, I know.

Two points here, one- Twitter and Facebook don’t need to hear that you felt an earthquake. Those reading from the east coast felt it too, duh. Those reading from the west coast have been there, done that.

Two- I heard a member of the DC police department speaking on Fox News about 45 minutes after the initial shock. He stated to please not call 911 explaining an earthquake hit.

Now, first of all, if your still calling 911 40 minutes after the shock than I’m just wondering, out of curiosity, what exactly you were you doing during that little 40 minute break. Were you still trembling? Or did you just get hungry?

It just seems that if you were concerned enough to call the police reporting an earthquake than you must have considered that people may have been injured in this event and could use your phone line… ignorant.

So College Advice: I’m actually not going to give advice this week, but rather ask if it’s normal to have senioritis after week one.

Truth

PE Teacher’s sarcastic relationship with her mom....

Mom- How did you break your windshield?

PE- Oh Mom, I was just dancing on the car and then…

Mom- Funny… now really how did you break it?

Mom- What you guys do last night?

PE- got crazy, stole and fucked shit up…

Mom- Funny… Now really what did you do?

FYI

You know what they do to liars?

They frown upon them...

Back Again

The blog is back bros

Unfortunately that means so is school. Although I’d rather not attend the little classes they offer us, my college career is quickly diminishing and well, I need a few more grades in the book before I call it quits.

Here lies the problem…

Do not bring me to these “little classes” if it is not one- hundred percent necessary… trust me, I’d much rather be watching Regis and Kelley.

The first day is incredibly pointless. I crawl out of bed to put on something that looks half decent only to sit in a class and read over the syllabus -the same syllabus that was handed to each student as they walked in the door.  

It may seem surprising that students attending a West Virginia university can read, but we do have a few years experience under our belts. Don’t get me wrong words with more than 7 letters start throwing me off, but don’t read off your email and phone number if I can read it off the syllabus.

Last but not least, the infamous, “Do you have any questions regarding the syllabus?”

Nope, but thanks for the story time asshole.

The Essentials

Star Exponent Article...

My mom insists that the three essentials to running a smooth household are: enough coffee to make a strong pot, toilet paper and laundry detergent.

I agree with her … kind of.

The difference in living under my mom’s roof and living with roommates is that a house filled with five 21-year-old student-athletes needs far more than those three essentials to run smoothly.

The art of pleasing roommates, avoiding conflict and making it through each day with minimal complaining, is more of a survival instinct than a learned habit. I’ve offered five of about 155 rules necessary for a college-like living situation.

Rule One — First person awake brews the coffee — make it strong. Haven’t you heard the jingle? “The best part about waking up is Folgers in your cup!” The sound of an early morning alarm-clock can immediately take a peaceful dreamer in to a state of annoyance. A hot cup of caffeine has the ability to change a mood. Trust me, try it.

Rule Two — Do not park behind someone in the driveway. Two things will happen. Either the roommate will move your car and therefore waste five minutes at your inconvenience, or no coffee was made, so she will annoyingly awake you and ask you to move your car — it won’t be nice. There are few things worse than facing the day when you’re not ready for it — park on the curb.

Rule Three — If you eat another person’s food, replace it immediately. We are all broke college kids, so an occasional missing egg isn’t the most awful surprise, but if your last two slices of bread are gone, expect a fight. FYI — shop in bulk and buy a paper on Sunday, the coupons will save you a couple beer dollars.

Rule Four — Smile. If you’re in a bad mood go to your room. Your mood affects everyone. This especially applies for the athletes out there. In my case, the five of us are seniors and experience has shown that there is nothing worse than going through a practice when the upperclassmen aren’t happy. It typically leads to sprints and curse words. I assure you it’s just easier to smile.

Rule Five — You eat, you clean. Put your dishes in the dishwasher and offer to clean the dishrags every once and a while with your next load of laundry.

So College Advice: There’s no avoiding bickering, it happens. Respect and common sense is the best advice I can offer. Don’t let your laundry sit in the dryer for days, no stomping on the kitchen floor before 10 on the weekend, turn the TV off at night, no 3 a.m. dance parties during finals and you’re better off not talking if it even sounds like you’re about to complain. Peaceful roommates make for a peaceful home.

Indeed Time Does Fly

Star Exponent Article from Sunday...

A week from now I’ll be shuffling through old binders and filling the reusable ones with enough notebook paper to get me through the first semester.

An old familiar normalcy will quickly replace my lazy summer vibe as I head to that first Monday class.

At the start of week two, I’ll wake before the sun and lace my shoes for the start of preseason basketball practice.

Over the next six weeks I’ll run, jump and shoot until exhaustion at the command of a whistle. I’ll meet new teammates, rekindle connections and together we will grow until we believe that losing is not an option.

Sometime in November I’ll skim through my first couple tests and wonder why on earth I thought I could handle 22 credits … but then I’ll handle it.

The semester will end in what I hope to be satisfying and in the midst of two-a-day practices and winter tournaments, I will forget to acknowledge that I am about to start my very last college semester.

The wins and (very few) losses will come and go and it won’t be until early March that I take a second to recognize time. While the announcer acknowledges my average accomplishments in honor of senior night, the crowd will silence and I’ll remember.

I’ll remember the first time I stepped on that gym floor. I’ll remember how my fellow senior teammate/ roommate complained about Tuesday night TV. I’ll remember dancing on the kitchen floor to relieve stress after class and the way my parents smiled as I walked on to the court for the first game of my very last basketball season.

And then the buzzer will sound. The season will end. I’ll hug my teammates in sweaty jerseys and cry not because it’s over, but because it happened so fast.

I’ll spend April turning in average papers and wondering why teachers don’t understand the definition of “Senioritis.”

Days will dwindle and I’ll grab my cap and gown from some underclassmen working at the bookstore. I’ll want so badly to say, “It goes so fast, enjoy it,” but I won’t.

I’ll find myself walking across a stage where everyone is dressed identical, but I will know I am unique.

And then it will click — probably in late May as I’m moving out my clothing and clutter from the townhouse I had called home for three years. It will click that I had just experienced the most eye-opening, wonderful four years.

I will smile and I will drive away from Shepherd University and into whatever life throws at me. I will be ready.

So College Advice: I’ve always wondered if it was life or time that changes people. I suppose the two together would be the simplest answer, but who really knows. What I do know is that time isn’t for the wasting and life isn’t for the “remember whens.” Soak in the days, they go fast, but when they’re gone, let them go. Yesterday doesn’t want you, so give today your company.

Star Exponent Article

I still have a flip phone. Yes, I know I’m about five years outdated and unfortunately it’s at the point where people look at me weird when I slyly slam my phone shut. Regardless of my awkward stares, I spend endless hours admiring the world and writing any interesting quotes in to the “notes” section of my faithful flip phone.

I was recently skimming through what I refer to as my “phone quotes” and came across one that read, “I have seen tomorrow.”

I immediately flashed back to my metro ride into DC last October. I remember seeing the quote on a poster and although I don’t recall what it was promoting, I do remember jotting it down for later contemplation.

Here I am today, just shy of a year later, trying to relate the quote to myself.

Approaching my senior year and the ripe age of 22, I am (might I add just recently) embracing who I am, understanding life and attempting to turn those visions of tomorrow in to today’s reality.

The problem with this is that I see things in a way that no one else sees it. In fact, this is the case with every single other person.

Are differences a tragedy? Hardly — unless of course we are speaking of the recent debt ceiling crises, but in general, different views, opinions and understandings are what makes life … life.

My brother, Mo, called the other night. Just a year separates the two of us, so we manage to agree and understand each other on most topics.

We spoke about the typical life issues and he mentioned, “You know, we’re getting to this point in our life when we’re starting to realize that it’s … messed up.” He continued, “Why can’t things just be the way I think is right?”

Sure, he thinking that his way is “right” sounds selfish, but that’s hardly what he meant and I thoroughly understood his statement.

If the world ran in accordance to our personal likes and dislikes it would be easy; so obviously when those trying times and tough days approach us, we can’t help but to wonder why things don’t go our way?

Well, if I’ve learned anything at all, it’s that life is never easy because in the simplest of sayings, “That’s life,” and that’s just what I told my brother.

I pondered the conversation for a bit wondering how simple the idea of “easy” is, but how hard it is to actually accomplish. After giving up on the thought, I concluded that “easy” was for losers.

Perfection is perception. Living is for the excited, the adventurous, the rambling conversations, the unexpected, finding love, finding yourself, embracing passions and most importantly being happy.

So College Advice: Life is for those not afraid to live it. Of course the idea of truly living is different to everyone, but for the sake of sharing, I suggest you find yourself- your happiness. Because being happy makes life worth living and well, life is all right.