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.

UNH Ranks 371 on Forbes top American College list

Forbes Magazine recently released their annual "Best College" list and UNH was ranked number 371. To see Forbes' methodology for their ranking click here. (In brief- it involves student satisfaction, postgrad success, student debt and several other categories.) The entire list of colleges can be found here.

The 371 ranking (out of 610) is an improvement from last year's ranking of 454, which I wrote about here. This year we jumped ahead of UMass (number 402), which seems about right. UNH also ranked ahead of UMaine (467) UMass-Lowell (475) URI (477) and Northeastern (519). Northeastern's low ranking surprised me, I always thought that was supposed to be a really good school. Sounds like some people are over paying for the name on the degree. Boston College ranked #27, three spots ahead of Dartmouth, BU was somewhere in the 200's while UVM was 329.

Williams College in Massachusetts toped the list, followed by Princeton, Amherst College, West Point (last year's #1) and MIT.

ALSO: Don't forget to order your textbooks through the blog. We have already referred a few sales and have received great feedback. I also bought a few books and I really did save a lot of money (At least half of what I would have paid at UNH.)  Plus it is like Christmas everyday when I go to the mailbox and see that another book has arrived. The orders have all shipped on time and it really is a great way to help us and save money. Give it a shot!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

More than just a name

I will never forget the morning of my 13th birthday. I woke up a little bit earlier than a usual school day. I was finally a teenager. I walked downstairs to get ready for school.  When I got to the bottom of the stairs, just like every other morning, my parents were watching the news, but this time it felt different. I sat down on the couch next to my dad and as he sipped on his coffee the news anchor was talking about how the United States had began the invasion of Iraq.

It was the beginning of the Iraq war, or "Operation Iraqi Freedom." The news station proudly aired bombs exploding over Baghdad, flashing like heat lightening on a hot and humid August night in New England.  A few minutes later I opened a gift from my brother, it was a Rage Against the Machine CD. On the CD was a song called "Testify," which had come out and few years earlier and included the lines:

"Mister anchor assure me

That Baghdad is burning

Your voice it is so soothing

That cunning mantra of killing

I need you my witness

To dress this up so bloodless

To numb me and purge me now

Of the thoughts of blaming you"

My life had changed dramatically for the second time in two years and technically I wouldn't be a teenager for another three hours. I immediately remembered and began to rethink the events that occurred a year and a half earlier on September 11th.

Ever since my 13th birthday I feel like every time I have checked CNN or the local news I hear about more soldiers dying overseas. Until now they were just names.

But this time it is more than just a name of a fallen soldier in Afghanistan.

It was a face. A face I knew. A face I remembered - always with a goofy smile - playing little league baseball with my older brother. A face that always kept his teammates laughing with his squirrelly voice, as my brother recalled. A face that was a terrific wrestler in high school. A face that served five tours in less than four years. A face that was awarded a Meddle of Valor for his role in an operation against Al-Qaida in 2008 for capturing their number two man. A face of a 23-year-old sergeant in the Army Rangers that I saw on WMUR. A face that I will never again see in person. A face of a true American hero.

Say what you want about the principals of these wars in which America is involved, whether or not they are truly justified. Put the politicians and your political views aside. Please support our troops. This is America and we are American. They are there for you. They are there for us. Many of them, like the Army Ranger I knew, are just kids. 18-23 years old who finished high school and immediately enlisted. I guess I realized something yesterday, and it pains me to say this, but it never really hits you until it is someone you know.

We are at that age now when shit gets real. I see police logs with names of kids my brothers and I went to elementary school with, being arrested or going to jail, or dying from a drug overdose and now in war. I remember when learning to ride bikes with those kids, now I remember that child for another reason. I think of my high school friends, and even kids I wasn't friends with, who are in the military overseas and it scares me. What if tomorrow it is one of them? Even the kids I wasn't friends with, I graduated with them and they were apart of my life. What if it's one of them? Can I handle that? I think of my friends currently in ROTC at UNH and other schools. Yesterday's news hit me hard. I'm afraid of tomorrow's.

 I love life. I have fun. Is that fair? That I can have fun without instinctively considering others, especially those fighting for us? Does that make me a bad person, or is it just apart of human nature? Is that what we are really fighting for? The freedom to love life, without worrying.

It makes me question things. How many Americans must die in a WAR of FREEDOM? Is that was these WARS are really all about - freedom? What about the regular Iraqi citizens who die and suffer from our imposed sanctions? That's not freedom. How can my friends risk their lives in battle, but not be allowed to drink a beer. Is it fair for me to even think that? Is it wrong for me to not enjoy waking up to go to work or class at 9, when people my age and even younger are hiking across the desert mountains in the Middle East, carrying assault riffles with snipers scopes and missiles aimed at them and with IED's possibly under every footstep? And they're doing that for ME, for YOU, for US. It really puts things into perspective.

I know one thing for sure, when it comes down to it,  I love this country and I will always support our troops. Thank you for reading and a special thank you if you have ever served this country.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Rhode Island’s Annual Middle Finger to the World

Today is the second Monday of August, so you know what that means! No? Anyone? Any Rhode Islanders out there?

Alright, enough fooling around. The second Monday in August is referred to as “Victory Day,” or V-J Day as it is more commonly known. It is meant to commemorate the surrender of Japan, which took place on August 15, 1945 effectively ending World War II. America, fuck yeah! Actually it’s more like, Rhode Island, fuck yeah!

Rhode Island is the only state in the Union that acknowledges this holiday. That means that the Post Offices and banks are closed, and yet Geoff still has to work tonight. But I digress. Now I’m fairly certain I know what you’re thinking. Why does the Ocean State celebrate this holiday? And my answer to that is that I have no idea.

Let’s think about it in logically. Yes, it was a momentous occasion in world history. The most destructive war the world had ever seen was now over. Evil was defeated. Good persevered. All was right with the world.

But not really.

I am in no way trying to disrespect our Armed Forces. I’ve always maintained that I could never endure what the brave men and women of our military go through, and I will always maintain that. They are extraordinary citizens.

On the Pacific front of the war, they were being slaughtered by the Japanese. So President Truman decided the only way to end the war and bring them home was to drop not one, but two atomic bombs on the Japanese, first in Hiroshima and then Nagasaki.

Two atomic bombs. In Hiroshima, approximately 80,000 people were directly killed by the bomb. By the end of the year, casualties from injury and radiation totaled 90,000 to 140,000. In Nagasaki, an estimated 73, 884 people were initially killed, not to mention the thousands that died from disease.
Today is August 9, which is the anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing, and it just so happens that V-J Day falls on the same date this year. So what we’re really celebrating is the use of the most destructive weapon in the history of mankind. Way to go Rhode Island.

There have been numerous attempts to eliminate the holiday, but they all failed. In 1990, the state legislature passed a resolution “stating that Victory Day is not a day to express satisfaction in the destruction and death caused by nuclear bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Do you buy that? I certainly don’t.

I’ve always been a supporter of eradicating all nuclear weapons from the Earth because they are meant for one thing only: absolute destruction. I believe it’s nothing but arrogance to dictate which countries are allowed to have nuclear weapons. No one should have nuclear weapons. End of story.

I feel like it’s appropriate to leave you with A Perfect Circle’s cover of John Lennon’s amazing “Imagine.”
(Editors note: The actual music video cannot be embedded, so check that out for the full imagery.)

Anyone Else Get This Ridiculous E-Mail?

By: Lady Meow

Dear Student,

Welcome back to UNH. UNH is committed to the academic success and overall health and well-being of each student. We are aware that alcohol can have a negative impact on these areas which is why as part of the University’s comprehensive approach to addressing alcohol issues on campus, we are requiring all first-year and transfer students (ages 17- 24 years) to complete an online alcohol education program prior to starting school on August 28.

UNH uses MyStudentBody® by Inflexxion. The program will help you examine your personal beliefs, risk behaviors and consequences about alcohol through engaging interactive tools, peer stories and student-friendly informational pieces. We hope that the program will provide you with information and tools to help you decide what role alcohol will play in your life while at college. Please know that many UNH students choose not to drink alcohol and most of those who do choose to drink do so in a low-risk way.

The program should take about 90-minutes to complete. We will track completion based on your UNH email address and your name. Though you are only required to complete the alcohol freshman course, the MyStudentBody® Web site contains health information on a variety of topics including sexual health, stress management, tobacco and other drugs, Please feel free to review these other areas.

Getting Started…
Please go to the following website:

http://www.unh.edu/health-services/mystudentbody

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments about the program. Don’t forget you have until August 28th to complete this course!

Well it's kinda TFB and a little SOL for them seeings how I am turning 21 next week. I'm sure this public service announcement will be deleted promptly after I post this. First off, I live off-campus. Yes, I do go on campus for um..classes, maybe to get my coffee from Zeke's, oh yes and to do drugs DAH. Forgot. If anything alcohol and or drugs (that includes alcohol, tabacco, and other recreational entities) brings the student body together. I don't see how this applies to me especially when transfers cannot even live on-campus and how it was addressed to the mass e-mail list of "Transfer Students" and I think freshman if I read that correctly.


I took it upon myself, seeings how I'm bored at work to take this little adventure down to stickynotes, USA:


Here what it is exactly. I'm going through this as I write. First page has stickynotes you can click on of 1st Year Students: Required Alcohol Course, Greeks: Required Alcohol Course (hah), Faculty & Staff, and Parents. No where do I see "transfer students" shouldn't I have gotten this last semester? Maybe cause its the fall thing. Fine, I click on 1st year students I suppose...


I get redirected to mystudentbody.com, their webpage looks like Compton graffiti gone uptight-classy trying to draw the likeness of the student in, aw how clever. Just give me arial font and your bulleted answers and I'll be all set there chief. Now I have to give a user name. Fab. So I use my personal name and word of passage. Then it proceeds to ask me other miscellaneous questions as this is if I'm voting or something. Why does race matter? I think we should all fuck until we're the same color quite honestly.


After my login stuff is all set, I get directed to a page where there is another series of stickynotes and they include: Alcohol, Sexual Health (use a condom), Drugs (your choice, your problem?), Tabacco (they have goddamn warning label on each product, read it.), Nutrition (Kurt's Cheesy Fries?), and Stress (Naps are great). I thought I only signed up for alcohol one. So I'm only doing that one in this post. I click and I get this wonderful message: "In the following screens you will be presented with a series of assessment questions." Are you kidding me? What happens if I personally fail? I like to drink casually, I like to drink to get drunk, I like alcohol period. Leave me alone. Moving on...


Alright so the first series of questions has to do with alcohol use in the past, yes of course, and then it asks me in the past 30 days. Like how the fuck am I supposed to remember 'on average' mind you, of how many drinks I've had? I don't take a measuring cup and count. Who does? Maybe bartenders? No. I don't see how many people can answer this question accurately. Lets go with atleast 50? I don't know honestly, its summer, you do the math. Hold up! Actually there is a way! Only works with beer cans as far as I know, so its called creating a wizard staff! You duct tape all the beer cans you had together and create a staff so that way when your bro says, "Hey I've had x-amount of beers already you need to catch up bro!" Well now you can call your buddy out and say, "Oh yeah? Prove it." He can't. You win, he loses and I proceed on.

Okay that was pretty quick, it basically asked how many drinks I had per day (Sun, Mon, Tues, etc). I gave my digits and then it gave me a result. I laughed aloud. PS, it's summer and this is the first summmer I have worked part-time in three years instead of full-time. Give me a break, of course I'm consuming copious amounts of alcohol.


My results:


Drinks Per Week
You perceive that other college students have 7 drinks in a typical week. This is more than college students actually drink. College students consume 6 drinks in a typical week. I was wicked close. Eat me.
Your response indicates that you're drinking 24 drinks in a typical week. You drink more than the typical college student. Let's play a game, get to know me: I drink, I smoke, I have a 3.8 GPA, I'm a science major, I work in a lab, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be TA next semester, and I'm on scholarships. Lick my left lip, whatever.


Greek Participation
You've indicated that you have no involvement with the Greek system. Maybe there are no fraternities or sororities on your campus, or maybe it's just not your thing. If you've chosen to remain outside the Greek system entirely it may be because the activities don't appeal to you, or you don't think that you'd get on well with the people who are members. That may or may not be true, but make sure that you don't stereotype Greeks it's just as unfair to do to them as it is to anyone else. There are good and bad people in any group or subculture. I don't pay for my friends sorry. I like how they do community service though, I think that's really great.

In general, people who aren't involved in Greek activities maintain better study habits, and are more likely to practice safe sex, but just like not every fraternity guy is a clear demonstration of the link between Neanderthals and humans (WTF?), not boozing with the bros (you really just said bro, haha) or the sisters doesn't mean you're in the clear. Greek or not it's important to build friendships and involve yourself in the community in ways that don't involve drinking way too much. So if you're really at school to study you may want to re-think non-stop drinking with the friends and hit the books instead of the bottle. Bitch please.


Athletic Participation
You've indicated that you do not participate in college sports teams. You've probably seen how teams tend to do a lot of stuff together including partying. As a non-athlete you're probably also drinking less than a lot of those team members. If you participate in club sports, casual athletic team games, or have an independent exercise regimen, you should be aware that alcohol negatively impacts your athletic performance by: 
- dehydrating the body

- delaying reaction time

- decreasing endurance

- harming your overall physical health

- impairing the healing process (making injuries last longer)
(Note: I played a varsity sport at my last college and I drank more when the sport was in season versus the off-season. Where are these sources coming from?)
If you think it's ok to get bombed two nights before your club soccer match remember that five or more drinks consumed during one night can stay in the body and affect performance for up to three days! Even though you're not competing for a varsity title you're still going to feel pretty awful going for a run after a night of drinking and you'll have more calories to burn off too. Stick to moderate drinking if you want to feel good and perform well when you exercise. You know how many people are absolutely hungover in the morning at the Hamel center? This is UNH, we can handle it. "UNH: We have lots of beer."


Residence
Living on campus puts you close to class, friends, food, and fun, which are definitely obvious benefits, but there are also some drawbacks.

- The alcohol. Some schools are stricter than others but whether or not you're at a big party school or one of the Ivies (spell check you dumbass, don't be like me.) if you want to cruise the halls for booze, chances are you'll be able to find it. If your residence is like many, drinking opportunities are usually as close as the noisy room down the hall. If you want to pregame before the football game at noon, or just have a beer with friends chances are that at any time of day you'll find someone willing to drink with you. That may seem harmless at the time but beware of how the habits you develop in college can catch up with you later in life. I am N/A. I love my off-campus house and we booze often because of summer and I can only imagine whats gunna happen during the semester. Bring it on.

- The grades. Even though the primary reason you're in college is to study it's easy to let friends distract you, especially when your house is the party house (whoopsies). It's not surprising that you would sometimes rather hang out with friends and grab a few beers than study organic chemistry or read Shakespeare (Where are they getting this info? Why do they know me? That's concerning.) but college is about getting an education rather than convincing yourself that yes, Thursday really is part of the weekend. Um, some people need to learn social skills as well. Please see Parsons Hall.


Not only does drinking make it harder to get motivated when you do have to study but partying also can wear you out and inhibit your ability to concentrate when you need to most. Try sticking to the library to study for the exams if you're easily distracted and don't lose sight of why you're investing so much of yourself in going to school. I completely agree, that's why Sunday Funday is hangover day!


That was the worst response I have ever received on any assessment. That includes my 25% on Gen Chem exams. I think a real student needs to write this questionnaire or atleast be a little more realistic especially towards the schools they are targeting. There are students out there who are either always the DD, don't drink, don't smoke, studious, etc. Good for them, that's awesome more power to them. I really wish they didn't put this so negatively towards student. Okay yes, it's against the law, however if I'm allowed to fight for my country, I should be allowed to have alcohol, but let's not get into a pissing match over political inquiries. And of course Health Services is only doing their part, unfortunately wrong decisions are made and people's lives become at stake or for UNH to avoid some law-suit.
I believe it all comes down to choice. If you're pressured into a making a 'bad choice' well that's your problem for not having cajones to tell them otherwise.

The Union Leader knows what's up

Pop quiz: Who does the Union Leader turn to when looking for quotes for an article about partying at UNH? President Huddleston? Student President Richard Peyser? Top faculty members? Any other UNH representative, spokesman or media relations personnel? Nope. Me. That's right. The New Hampshirite. Bam. (Or at least I'm the only one who returned an email...)

The Union Leader obviously caught wind of my ground breaking journalistic work, probably through the Atlantic Wire, which also quoted me. Okay, seriously on a scale of 1 to 10, how ridiculous is it that a newspaper would quote an anonymous student blog? Like 11? I don't think it looks very good on their part. Whatever, I am pumped about it and it is pretty great publicity for the blog.

Here is the snippet of the front page article that quoted the blog:

Some students are apparently still having plenty of fun.

A blogger at UNH Blog, which is not affiliated with the school, still knows how to party.

"I know that I have fun when I go out at night, and that is all that really matters," a blogger posted. "We don't need outsiders ranking our parties, because we know that they are awesome and plentiful. Plus, we got lots of beer. That should be one of our tag lines."

That is right! According to the Union Leader, I still know how to party! Suck it! I'm not going to lie, the only way this could have been better would have been if the UNH spokesman returned the writer's calls so I could have been quoted in the same piece as them. Kind of lazy, and shoddy, journalism to just rely on an anonymous blogger, but it is awesome for us. But I think it also makes it that much more hilarious. He actually wanted to interview me, but we just exchanged a few emails anyway and he just took what I had wrote on the blog from Monday.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Princeton Review and my $150 Dream

So, I was going to post about the latest Princeton Review rankings, but the TNH blog beat me to it. Here is the quick synopsis:

UNH Ranked:
#3 in "Lots of beer."
#3 in "Little race/class interaction."
#4 in "Town grown relations are strained."
#17 in "Professors get low marks."

Once again UNH was left off the "Top Party School" list, which makes sense. The recent restrictions on fraternities at UNH have eliminated open parties and the frat scene makes up a big portion of the "ideal party school." Many landlords around Durham have tightened up as well in recent years, handing out penalties on party hosts. UNH last appeared on that list as the #11 school in 2008. I know that I have fun when I go out at night, and that is all the really matters. We don't need outsiders ranking our parties, because we know that they are awesome and plentiful. It might not be what it once was, (if it really was that great) but it is still decent for a school our size. Also, UNH only has a handful of bars in walking distance, compared to the dozens at most larger schools. There isn't really anyway to judge how one school has better parties, and honestly I don't think it matters. Plus, we got lots of beer. That should be one of our tag lines.

UNH: We got lots of beer.

Anyways, now addressing the second part of the title of this blog post. Last night/this morning I had a $150 dream. Let me clarify. I had a dream that literally cost me about $150. I dreamed that I was at a Dallas Cowboys football game with one of my older brothers, random I know- don't worry it gets weirder. We were seated about 30 rows up at the 50 yard line. A few rows ahead of us were comedians Jim Gaffigan and Kyle Cease. Kyle Cease had a Cowboys jersey with his name on the back. On the sideline were extremely scantily clad cheerleaders. Like more scantily cladded than usual. I was chewing on some type of hard candy, which is weird because I am not a big candy eater, especially hard candy. I usually keep it simple with a Hershey Bar or M&Ms. Anyways, I'm chewing away and I feel and hear a loud "snap." The next thing I know it that I'm back in my room. Awake. And I am chomping  down on my bottom retainer, and it is in 3 pieces. Completely demolished. A replacement retainer is about $150. Fuck that. This is my conclusion: My orthodontist hired Gaffigan, Cease and the mostly naked cheerleaders Inception style to distract me and influence me in ordering hard candy.

Stay classy, not UMassy.