New Paraphernalia Policies

EDIT: This is not a real policy. I was told about it by a friend who heard it directly from one of Res-Life's trained RAs. I apologize for the confusion, but apparently some of our RAs don't even know what they can and can't do.

Ah, it's only the second day of classes and blogging is already taking priority over classwork. Yesterday I found out about some new paraphernalia policies that UNH has put in place for student housing. One of my friends informed me that shot glasses and ping-pong balls are now considered enough evidence for an RA or CA to enter one's room and do a visible to the eye search. These items are NOT illegal to have in your room but can lead to a search. What this means is that if you are a ping-pong enthusiast keep your heroin out of sight. In all seriousness, I am not a fan of this policy at all. Simply having a shot glass as a decoration on your windowsill or some pong balls on the floor should not allow an RA to enter your room without permission. A few years ago empty beer cans (like stacked in a pyramid for "decorations") were put into that same category and the student senate got that revoked. So I am hoping they will do the same with these ridiculous rules.

Sure, students with shot glasses probably don't have them for just decoration and students with ping-pong balls aren't playing ping-pong, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Think about it. What are we talking about here? Not bongs, bowls or pipes or empty handles of liqueur. A ping-pong ball. And a tiny 1.5 oz glass. I have a feeling that not all RAs will use those items as grounds for a search, just the bloodsucking ones who I have offended before with my "immaturity." Those with souls will probably ignore these sanctions. I know that for a fact because in the past I have drank with RAs and in reality some don't give a shit what you do. Some do have souls. Some.

Remember, we are in college and we are adults. (Except for the few freshman not yet 18) but still, how are shot glasses and ping-pong balls considered grounds for a room search? Until this policy is changed (if it is for that matter - come on student senate!) be sure to keep all your naughty things out of sight. Big brother is watching.

What are your feelings towards this new policy? Has UNH gone too far with these sanctions or not?

Stay classy, not UMassy.

SCOPE Scores Big with Lewis Black

To be honest, I never really cared much for SCOPE. I’ve only gone to maybe two of their events since freshman year, and I’m a senior now. But to be fair, it’s not really SCOPE’s fault. My favorite style of music is heavy metal, and I’m well aware that metal isn’t very popular to say the least. They’re not going to bring Opeth, Tool or Between the Buried and Me. If you’re scratching your head at those names, then I’ve proved my point.

Comedians are a whole different thing though. You don’t necessarily have to have a preference to go to a show and laugh at a person telling jokes, but I’m a jerk so I do. I don’t care for Jimmy Fallon, and I find Bo Burnham obnoxious. So I didn’t go to see either of them. However, I did go to Demetri Martin for Homecoming 2007 and loved it.

Needless to say when SCOPE wrote on their Facebook that they were going to be making an announcement last night, I took it with a grain of salt. But then, the New Hampshirite tweeted that they secured Lewis Black for this year’s Homecoming, and I couldn’t have been happier.

Lewis Black has been one of my favorite comedians for a long time now. He is probably most well-known for his unique style of angry rants that are nothing short of hilarious. Black is somewhat like George Carlin (another one of my favorites) in that respect because he usually discusses topics that piss him off and nothing is off-limits. He tackles politics, popular culture, religion, social trends, history, etc.

Black has his own segment, Back in Black, on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He hosted a television show called The Root of All Evil on Comedy Central. He has released eight albums and seven DVDs, the latest being Stark Raving Black, which was released a few months ago. And at 62, his anger hasn’t dissipated.

I started listening to Lewis Black when I was probably too young to have doing so, which is most likely the reason why I like to rant about stupid things. I mean, I wrote a paper for a class sophomore year about how much I hate Green Day, and surprisingly my professor loved it. I credit Lewis for inspiration on that rant.

Anyway, I highly suggest you all spend October 10 in the Fieldhouse watching the one-of-a-kind Lewis Black. In case you need a little shove to go to the MUB ticket office next Tuesday, here’s some inspiration for you:

-Geoff

Homecoming Comedian: Lewis Black

Via Scope's website:

Not a bad pick by Scope. 

And we're off!

Words can't describe how good it feels to be back on campus. The freedom of a college campus really can't be beat. Except of course if you're dealing with the campus police. It is probably just because it was move in weekend but I don't think I've gone three minutes without seeing a cop on this campus. As soon as one is out of sight, there is another around the corner. I don't remember it being that bad before. Hopefully their presence will die down as the year progresses. (I guess it is terrible that I refer to the amount of campus security as a bad thing. Hmm.)

Last night a few of my roommates and I kicked off the year with a good old game of the Big Lebowski man/dude drinking game. Fun idea: Drinking the night before the first day of classes. Bad idea: Drinking the night before the first day of classes. When I woke up this morning I was feeling pretty hungover so it helped that my professor didn't show up to my first class of the year. Although it would have been nice if we were notified ahead of time. Apparently she was on her way here so I'm guessing it was car trouble or something of that matter. It will be interesting to she what her attendance policy is and how lenient she is to students.

Anyways, I just got back from my first two classes and it looks like I'll be doing a lot of reading and writing, but not too many exams. Should be interesting and I expect to be able to continue blogging on a regular basis.

On another note, it looks as though there is some good news for the underaged drinkers on campus. The Medical Amnesty policy that our student senate worked on last year is coming closer to being put into action. This policy would help prevent students from receiving UNH penalties for underaged drinking if medical help is needed. The policy only works if the student in need of help or a friend contacts the medical care, not if they are caught or found. It does not save a student from legal problems, but it can save one from being evicted. This policy is being pursued so students will be more likely to call for help if a student has drank too much.

If you are new to the blog, thanks for reading and tell your friends. Be sure to make yourself comfortable:

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Like a Pro: For the Freshman

University of New Hampshire class of 2014, welcome to Durham.  (If you are knew to the blog and UNH be sure to check out Surviving UNH, our page on surviving college life in Durham.) You are now apart of the Wildcat family and if I may give you one major piece of advice: have as much fun here as you possibly can. Before you know it the next four years will be over and you are going to be stuck in the real world taking orders from eight different bosses, if you’re lucky enough that is to land a job right out of college. Hey don’t worry, that “fantasy” is at least four years away so we can ignore that until the second semester of senior year.

People often say that college is the best four years of your life and judging from my own personal experiences over the last few years those people are probably right. I could list off all crazy nights I have encountered, but we can save that for another place and time. Instead I would like to share a little advice for the freshman and new students.

Do not be afraid to try new things, both socially and educationally. College is a fresh start from high school, most people here don’t know you, and quite honestly don’t care who you were in high school. Nobody cares that your football team won the state championship and nobody knows if your only friends were mom, dad and your Xbox. I am not telling you to change who you are entirely, because being yourself may be the most important thing in the world, but don’t think that you can’t make a few changes. When I entered UNH I was a history major and had never written for any type of publication. Then I created a blog just for the heck of it and landed a column here in TNH. Things don’t always go according to the plan and you have to be able to accept that fact.

Freshman, you are about to have more free time than you know what to do with. There are those students who can manage their time properly and those who will be on academic probation faster than you can recite your SAT score. Procrastination will be your worst enemy, especially since your parents aren’t around to hassle you to do homework. Also, professors really don’t care whether or not you do your work, or even go to class for that matter. Motivation will be your best friend. If you can be self-motivated enough to do your work ahead of time, than there is no excuse not to get passing grades. When all is said and done college is actually pretty easy if you can limit procrastination and stay motivated.

Now that you know how to pass any class you take here we can discuss the other part of college, the social aspect. One of my professors once said that he believed social skills one learns in college far outweigh anything you will learn in the classroom and I couldn’t agree more.

Take advantage of your surroundings, go out and have fun. A night out around campus truly can ease the stress that college courses may bring. Sometimes taking a break from schoolwork is what you really need for success in the classroom. For some people taking a break might be hiking through College Woods and for others taking a break includes a bottle of cheap vodka, loud music and a dirty basement. In college those are both viable and respectable options. When else in your life will you be able to say that?

The “real world” is coming faster than you think so get all that recklessness out while you can. Just be careful how far you push it, there is a fine line between cutting loose and being that roommate who needs a babysitter every Friday and Saturday night. Don’t be that guy everyone watches being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon on Main Street. Be rowdy, have fun, but also know your limits.

I guess what I am trying to say is this, when you look back on your college career do you want to remember being social or sitting alone in your dorm room playing videogames all day? There are so many opportunities here at UNH to take advantage of, from the different student organizations to simply going outside and joining in a game of ultimate Frisbee on Thompson Hall Lawn. Join a student group, if there isn’t a group for you create one, attend the MUB movies, go to the sporting events, and take advantage of what UNH has to offer because this is the one time in your life you will truly be able to do what you want.
Enjoy your time here at UNH, have fun and most of all:

Stay classy, not Umassy,
The New Hampshirite

Fantasy Football

Okay, I am a huge fan of football and my brother gave me the idea to start a fantasy league for the blog. This is your "lucky" chance to play in the same fantasy league as me (and hopefully a few of the other bloggers - back me up guys) and I really hope people join or I will feel like a huge loser. You will get to see how intense and unfunny I am in a world outside the blogosphere.  Just be warned, in the league with my old high school friends I've made it to the championship three years running including an undefeated season. Join now because there is a 20 team maximum and there are only 19 spots left! Let's do this!

It is a yahoo league and the league ID# is 547925. 
The password is "wildcats."

You are all welcome to join, even if you are not a current student. I think this could be a lot of fun.

Stay classy, not Umassy.

EDIT: A few people have already joined so it might fill up faster than you expect. (Probably not).
UPDATE- Monday 12:40PM: The league is half-full, only 10 spots left. Join now or forever miss out on your chance for glory.

Almost there... and a few announcements

We're so close to the start of school I can already taste DHop. In one week students will once again flood the streets of Dirty Durham and the 2010-11 school year will be under way and I can't wait. Over the past few days the blog hits have began to climb, which is a great sign, and I have even started my first TNH column of the year. It is for the freshman issue and obviously directed towards the incoming class. The column is basically a few tips about college life, kind of a super flash glimpse of all the tips I have provided here and there. So hopefully that will help out a few freshman at least, especially those nervous about starting their college career.

I have a few plans for the blog this year, new reoccurring posts and themes, more "hands on" writing and hopefully a few "behind the scenes" type pieces, but I can't say too much until I know I can go through with them. We are going to continue to try and expand the blog and our impact and voice on campus. That being said:

 ATTENTION UNH student orgs: If you have any events that you would like me to preview or help promote, (or live blog? hmm?) please email me at unhblog@yahoo.com. One of the things I hope to improve upon is reflecting the student voice and student unity. (Don't worry, there will still be plenty of alcohol and drug induced stories and posts throughout the year... maybe even more.)

If you haven't noticed, another blogger joined on: "UNH-Hi-Lites," who used to run the blog of the same name for a few months a while back. He is a student known for having great stories and a strong opinion on campus happenings, so we are very glad to have him aboard.

Finally, a textbook plug, just because I would like to clarify how that all works for those who haven't kept up over the summer. The blog now has a partnership with campusbooks, which is basically a search for finding the cheapest textbooks possible online. Via the blog "bookstore" tab or the side bar simply enter the book's info right here on the blog (ISBN code being the most direct) and it will present you with a list of options including amazon, half.com and dozens of others. Select the book you want and purchase. You will save money and we will make a few cents off it. (Seriously, we only get a few cents per order.)  I have decided to use any money off that to either make t-shirts or throw a blog party at the end of the year. (Readers would be invited via facebook to keep it on the down low). It is really easy, you save money and help us. For example I ordered my books and spent $140 (including shipping!) I would have spent around $300-350 at the UNH stores. LadyMeow spent around $300 instead of $600 and a reader tweeted me saying she spent $190 instead of $746! As you can see you really will save money.

Enjoy your final week off and good luck this year.

Stay classy, not UMassy.