4 Student Orgs You Pay For, That Will Let You Down [And Why It's Not [Entirely] Their Faults]

Student Senate: Drawing about 105 thousand dollars from your student activity fee fund, Student Senate is the org you pay for that is MOST likely to let you down. Before you start wondering what the hell Student Senate could possibly blow 105k a year on, I'll break their budget down a little further. The largest portion of Senate's budget, about 72 thousand dollars, goes to paying the Student Legal Services lawyer. If you don't already know what this is, you are probably one of the lucky few that have yet to be arrested by UNH's finest. Student Legal Services is an excellent resource for ALL students on this campus. Services are free and Joanne Stella, the lawyer, is extremely knowledgeable and helpful with all cases involving the trouble one is likely to get into on an average weekend in Durham. This is probably the ONLY reason Senate is worthwhile, and in actuality the two's only tie is that Senate is using your money to pay for her--I can't give them much credit there.

In theory Student Senate is a great idea: give students the power to perform checks and balances over University policies and actions. In practice it's a whole different story. The biggest fundamental problem with Student Senate is that THEY HAVE NO ACTUAL POWER. I've heard the rhetoric, "We have the voice of the student body." Bottom line is, THAT. MEANS. NOTHING! Senate goes about their weekly meetings commending or condemning certain polices or vowing to work with the University to find common ground, but at the end of the day the University can and will do whatever it pleases. Senate can pass bills until its blue in the face and Administration doesn't have to change a thing. IF you don't believe me, look into the housing policies of late that make University housing through the Residential Life Regime just about a step up from living in prison--say so long to personal rights. The reality is that the Administration doesn't have to listen to a single thing senate says or does, that's when Senate's even standing up for us and saying or doing anything.

The second core problem is that in recent years Senate has been composed of "YAY" saying administration supporters--not to mention ex or current residential life members. This is a vital failure in checks and balances! Viewpoints of senators have already been so skewed by member's ties to the Administration it is impossible to expect change or even fair results. When the usual turnout is less than 1000 students for the yearly Student Body President, VP and Trustee elections, I question the legitimacy of Senate at even its very foundation. It seems like the ultimate win for the Administration: Take all the students who are motivated and looking for change, allow them to have something to keep them busy, and continue on doing what it was going to do in the first place.

But hey, just my thoughts.... (I'd love to hear yours!)



Next Time: Find out why CAB is likely to let you down.

*thanks to those who provided the information that made this series of articles possible (you know who you are)

and as always, Live Life Lifted

Thursday Thoughts

A few weeks ago I was planning on watching the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season premier, but FX wasn't coming in. One of my roommates tried explaining that FX is a Fox channel so UNH blocks it because "UNH is a stupid liberal college and Fox is conservative." (Not a direct quote, but something along those lines.) I then told him that we do not live in Nazi Germany or China and reprogrammed the TV. For the last two-plus years he never got about half the channels because he didn't know about reprograming TVs. Sorry buddy, UNH isn't fascist, you're just a moron.

I think that it is awesome that UNH professors did a study to show that marijuana is not really a gateway drug. I could have told you that because I know way more people who have smoked pot and would never even think about doing other shit, than kids who do more "hardcore drugs." If your going to do more hardcore drugs than you probably would have smoked pot first, but pot smoking doesn't mean your going to be a meth head. Basically depends on your upbringing, peers, and wealth.

I think I just lost my train of thought because I had to take a break and teach my roommate how to make a fried egg sandwich. It was 5 minutes of "Cooking with the New Hampshirite." Put butter on frying pan. When butter melts,  crack eggs and put on them on the frying pan. Start the toast. Watch eggs fry. Shorter time will keep the yoke juicy and messy, longer time will harden the yoke for a neater sandwich. Both ways are acceptable and delicious. Flip the eggs if you want them over-easy. When toast is done, butter and add a slice of cheese, if you have some ham through that on there too. When the eggs are done make the sandwich you dummy. The eggs and toast should finish right at the same time if you do it right. Eat. Enjoy. That was "Cooking with the New Hampshirite."

I think that this weekend can't come soon enough! Who else is ready to get sloppy and watch some hockey!?!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

It's that time of year again!

Go Cats! Woooooooooo!

Come on, if you get that GIF it is hilarious. For those of you who don't know what is going on, that is my interpretation of the animation they started showing at hockey games last year. I made that in about 3 minutes (including scanning it) which is probably the same amount of time it took for the real one to be made. I don't know if I have ever seen a worse animation for a sporting event, but I hope the infamous stick figure makes his return this year. I even think it deserves a name for the student section to refer to it.

Anyways, the first home hockey game (it is an exhibition) is Saturday night against St. Francis Xavier who has played here a few times over the past few years. I remember they came two years ago and it was a surprisingly physical game despite UNH blowing them out on the scoreboard. 

UNH enters the season ranked 8th in USA Today's College Hockey poll, behind only Boston College (1) and Maine (7) in Hockey East. This should be a entertaining year for UNH, who returns most of their team. They will be without top scorer Bobby Butler and goalie Brian Foster, but I think this year's team will have more depth and a stronger defense, which is good for first year starting goalie junior Matt DiGirolamo. I am predicting a strong Hockey East finish (definitely top 3) although Hockey East has proven to be the strongest conference in all D1 Hockey. It is true, the last three National Champions have come from Hockey East (BC, BU and BC again). This year Merrimack has a much stronger team, Maine may have the best offense in the country and BC returns several key players from their championship team.

Hockey East Predictions:

1. BC
2. UNH
3. Maine
4. Merrimack 
5. BU
6. Vermont
7. Northeastern
8. UMass 
9. UMass Lowell
10. Providence 

I really think teams 4-7 could find them selves in any position by the end of the year, maybe even crack the top 3. I feel that BC, UNH and Maine are clearly the best three teams this year. Providence/UMass/UMLowell are at the bottom but there is strong parity between 4-7. Merrimack could actually be closer to the top 3 then the 4-7 teams. Merrimack's Stephane Da Costa, a sophomore, may challenge Maine's Gustav Nyquist and BC's Cam Atkinson for the leading point total in the league. Nyquist's line, for the Black Bears along with UNH's top line (guessing it will be Thompson, DeSimone, Sislo) could both be one of the best in the country. Watch for one of UNH's seniors to have a breakout season like Bobby Butler last year. I like Sislo, but I'd put my money on Thompson or DeSimone.

UNH Predictions:

I was going to make predictions for the team awards, but instead I will share a few thoughts and notes:

Blake Kessel is going to be the team's backbone from the blue line. He showed last year that he has a powerful shot, especially on the power play and is the team's best defensive player. Team captain and forward Mike Sislo had 5 less goals last year then the previous year, probably suffering from losing line mate James van Riemsdyk to the NHL, but I see him putting up better numbers this year. Paul Thompson is the team's top returning scorer (19-20-39) and he is great at doing the dirty work in front of the net, he could be this year's breakout senior. I expect a breakout year for speedster Stevie Moses, who was bothered by a hamstring issue last season despite playing in all 39 games. Sophomores Greg Burke and Dalton Speelman, who showed glimpses of their potential last year, could also have breakout years. Burke could be a top playmaker if he continues to develop. Senior Phil DeSimone is a great playmaker and will probably be the team's top line center (possibly with Thompson and Sislo on the wings). UNH returns it's top defensive line with Kessel and sophomore Brett Kostolansky, as well as assistant captain Matt Campanale who is another solid defenseman. Center Mike Borisenok is a solid defensive forward who can play well on both ends of the ice.

It is safe to say this will be a fun season to watch and hopefully the 'Cats can get that playoff monkey off their shoulder! Also, be sure to brush up on all your chants before the season starts!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Party Alternatives

Every week I read and write about UNH students and our excessive drinking and partying: "UNH Health Services says this" and "Durham town council says that." Sometimes I feel as though it can make UNH look bad, even though UNH's situation really is not any different than any other college (just look up Stephen R. Brown and Georgetown University). But you know what? Not every college student parties. While the majority still drinks, many students just plain do not feel comfortable at parties. I know this because the first month or two of my freshman year I was one of them. Luckily, there are great alternatives for those students who like to drink, but would rather avoid large gatherings and keep it small with a few friends. These alternatives also work well for students who may like to party, are prevented from going out by cold weather, rain or potential hurricanes. Personally, I say man up, throw on a jacket and grab a bottle of whiskey, but that is for another time.

One of the best alternatives for non-partying drinkers is finding a solid movie to drink to while watching. The first movie on my list is an absolute must for any college student and can easily be turned into a drinking game for even the heaviest of drinkers. It is "The Big Lebowski," a dark comedy about a kidnapping, bowling and White Russians (the tasty vodka drink mixed with coffee liqueur and milk or cream). According to IMDB the word "dude" is used 160 times, "man" is said 147 times by the main character alone and the f-word is used 292 times. Pick your poison. A popular drinking game with this movie is the "man/dude" game, just be prepared to be hammered after the opening narration. Of course, White Russians should be your drink of choice, but any alcohol is acceptable.

Next on my list of great drinking movies may come as a surprise: Gran Torino, featuring Clint Eastwood as a crusty old Korean War veteran disturbed by the local gang activity. Drink every time he mutters an inappropriate comment or simply grunts and you will make Gary Busey look like a model citizen. Gran Torino has been on HBO non-stop recently so if you live on campus you are in luck. The preferred drink of choice is PBR, since it is what Eastwood's character favors.

Another solid drinking movie is the comedy Beerfest by the same group of writers and actors who made Super Troopers. If I really have to explain why Beerfest is a great drinking movie than try reading the title again. Beerfest. Enough said. Drink of choice: "und Beck's!" Purchasing a beer boot and playing along with the film will put right into the action with the characters.

Other great drinking movies include: "The Hangover," "Sideways," "The Departed," "Grizzly Man," "Animal House," "Dumb and Dumber" and any childhood classic such as "The Sandlot," "Little Giants" and the first two "Mighty Ducks" (despite rumors, Mighty Ducks 3 never happened).

The final drinking game to a form of entertainment is not a movie, but a podcast. "Uhh Yeah Dude," which can be downloaded for free off iTunes, is an hour of hilarious commentary on America. Self described as "America through the eyes of two American Americans," hosts Seth of Haverhill, Mass., and Jonathan of Los Angeles, take you on a weekly journey across the country with outrageous stories, rants and views on politics, pop culture and the general news.

Another alternative is one of my favorite UNH pastimes, even if I have been out. It is "people watching" and can be the best form of entertainment on campus. Simply go downtown on weather-friendly Friday and Saturday nights, grab a bench and watch more intoxicated students make fools of themselves. It's like UNH's version of The Jersey Shore. (Never in my life did I think I would reference that show, I apologize. Side note: I think "Jersey Shore" might replace the analogy "like a bad car accident." It's hard to watch, but you just can't look away).

A final alternative to partying is to take advantage of your surroundings. There is almost always something to attend in the MUB, whether it is a Sketched Out or Improve Anonymous show, a MUSO or CAB concert to a MUB movie or Film Underground series. Just be aware that the MUB has strict alcohol policies so make sure that you are not blatantly –or disruptively- intoxicated before attending. Local towns, such as Portsmouth, Dover or Newmarket also have live music almost every night, and those can be great to attend as long as you have a safe ride home.

Stay classy, not UMassy

Transmissions from the Woods

Some of you may remember our old friend Corey Nachman. I hope you do because he wrote several great pieces for this blog. Anyways, Corey is grown up and in the real world now and he has started a podcast with his friend, upcoming New Hampshire comedian and fellow UNH alum Kevin Froleiks. The podcast is entitled "Transmissions from the Woods" and in all honesty, I have laughed out loud many times during each show. They recently returned to UNH to visit with some old friends and to record a show with two of their old roommates, including our own Geoff Cunningham. I was lucky enough to sit in on their show and take mental notes as they humorously discussed current events for an hour. It was the fourth episode they have recorded over the past four weeks.

Corey (right) and Kevin (center) prepare for episode four "Hey Diddle diddle." Their former roommate John (left) who appears as a guest looks on. Photo by me from over the shoulder of Geoff.

Transmissions FTW can be downloaded for free off itunes and they really deserve a larger audience. Over time I am sure they will gain a solid following. Both Kevin and Corey graduated from UNH last May and they were also the founding members of UNH's only sketch comedy group "Sketched Out." Corey also contributed many hysterical columns to The New Hampshire, including the ever controversial "Bob Marley, eh?" column. Over the last year Kevin has become a rising star in the New Hampshire stand-up comedy scene, winning several open mic nights including a few recent victories at the Shaskeen in Manchester. He even has a facebook fan page and a Youtube account! Show some love for him as a  fellow Wildcat and check out his videos.            
                                                                          

Kevin at the Flying Monkey.

Anyways, I am not asking you to do them a favor, they deserve this post and listeners. They are really good and have great chemistry while behind the mic. Checkout Transmissions from the Woods on itunes, leave them a comment and watch them become famous. Seriously, they are very funny and feel free to make a drinking game out of their show. Every time Corey spills his drink, you have to drink! Also, if you listen to episode four, I am not actually looking for your children. Thanks, Kevin.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

That was a long week...

I think this is a much needed weekend for everybody. This has been quite the stressful week for a lot of students and I am not just talking about academics. You probably know what I'm talking about and I really don't want to get into it.  I thought TNH did the right thing by covering the suicide on campus -and explaining their coverage- especially when the administration didn't send out any type of email to alert students. Something like that shouldn't be swept under the rug on a college campus. It is a tragedy and it deeply impacted many students. UNH is a community and when we lose one of our members it hurts on many different levels.

Yesterday I was told that a student was hit by a bus earlier this week, possibly on Monday. I have yet to here much about it, how severe it was, but I have been told by several people that it did happen. Tack that on to the two Gables buses rear-ending one another and it was not a good week for the transit department.

This is family weekend, so I hope that people will get out and enjoy it. I wrote a quick piece for TNH's Family Weekend Special section on late night food around Durham. I actually wrote a full column on it last year so it basically highlights the main points and without all the alcohol discussions: (Side note, for my next column I emailed the EE about my idea and I asked if it sounded like I would be encouraging drinking and if that would be a problem. He replied by saying something like "don't all your columns encourage drinking?" Touche.

There are several great options to score some late night food around Durham and UNH.

The Durham House of Pizza (D-Hop), which is located right downtown, is famous for their $1.50 slices after 11 p.m. Slices with all difference toppings, which are huge and delicious, are constantly being cranked out, so despite long lines there usually is not a long wait. D-Hop has a great atmosphere and it can be the best place on campus for some food and free entertainment, which is usually a great thing, but if you are with mom and dad you may want to avoid that crowd. Also located downtown is Franz’s Food, which is new to the late night scene. Franz has some of the best food on campus, so late night is sure to be a success for their shop.

Another great place to cure the late-night hunger monkey is Kurt’s Lunchbox. Kurt’s is conveniently located in C-Lot behind The Mills dorm. My Kurt’s recommendation is the classic cheesy fries, or snotty fries, as any true Kurt fan would know. His cheesy fries are famous for a reason and it would be a shame to attend UNH without ever eating some. Kurt also makes delicious grilled cheese, hotdogs and other fried snacks. On a warm night Kurt’s will provide a lot of entertainment and hilarious conversations will be had and overheard.

As tasty as Kurt’s and D-Hop are, plus the hilarious situations that occur there almost any night, they both shut down at 2 a.m. on the weekends. So, if you are out past 2 a.m. and in need of some grub Wildcatessen is the place to go. It is conveniently located under Stillings in Area 1.Wildcatessen is also open until 4 a.m. on weekend mornings and they specialize in subs, salads and burgers. Wildcatessen has some other tasty options including waffle fries, chicken tenders, and mozzarella sticks. 

Have a good weekend.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Thanks For The Head Cold UNH.

By: Lady Meow

It's that time of year again (what a cliche opening sentence, I know) just as we're acquainted with everyone at school, the parties, bars, classes, labs, library, etc we're also getting quite cozy with everyone’s personal microbial pestilence, including myself. Thanks dirty hippie girl on the bus who sneezed on me. Rude. Is it really THAT hard to lift maybe 4 muscles up to your head to cover your mouth? No, no it is not. Last time I checked you can die from the flu asshole. Like what happens if I was to die because that one person didn’t cover their mouth and I was extremely immune deficient or something? That bitch would get away with murder! I wish CSI could trace that person down through DNA and the bacteria or something. Okay, getting ahead of myself and overboard with it. Anyways, I have had a lovely head cold for a couple of days now and have been absolutely miserable. I don’t know how I’ve only skipped one class and I really shouldn’t have gone to others (trust me, I’m not the overachieving type). I also missed work and now next week I won’t get as much money to make my weekly Smiley’s beverage run (The Woodstock Brewery is screaming my name).

Getting sick sucks, you miss out on things that are normally not a bother to you to do like making fun of the girl who tries to hard in life and in class; you know who I’m talking about. Instead, you’re thinking about how you’re going to wipe your nose filled with gallons of backed up mucus and not cause some squalid scene making yourself look a nappyass infestation of life. And of course you don’t want to be the person snuffling all class being super annoying or be the person who blows their nose so loud even the professor stalls for a second because they’re so astounded by the foghorn in the second row. That’s a lot of to think about and you know you’ve done it. Being sick is a cockblock too, you can’t even go out, no one will wanna bang you because you sound as if you talk like Stewie Griffin with a dick down his throat while speaking. Wait, isn’t he gay anyways?

Hmmm, yeah thought so.

Getting sick is completely unavoidable on a college campus and the two certainly don't mix well. Obviously anyone in their right mind would skip class if they were sick, but it results in missing a test/quiz, notes, labs, participation point, etc. I mean it’s understandable to most professors, however what I like to do is shoot them a quick e-mail indicating that you have some sort of contagious illness that health services tested for (upper respiratory infection is always a good one) and won’t be able to make it to class, and I like to do a little kiss-assing as well just to make it more believable. I have a high success rate of professors being perfectly fine with me missing class. I usually get the notes from a friend and do what they need me to do in the meantime until next class pronto.

Getting vaccinated, using hand sanitizer, or any other germaphobe propaganda is a complete waste of money. Vaccine’s rarely work because they inject last year’s inactivated viruses into your body and by this year the virus has already mutated and it’s a new strain; (look Mommy, I know how to use a semi-colon!) therefore, your body will not recognize it and causing you to be sick anyways and probably worse than last year because it has mutated. Again, there’s just no point, don’t fall for the hype. I’ve never been vaccinated and I’ve haven’t had the flu, but also I’m not prone to getting sick too often either because I’m that fucking awesome. If you are exposed to some infirmity you’ll have some sort of immunity so later on when you’re exposed to it again you’re protected. By protecting yourself over and over is only going to lead yourself to more illnesses in the future because you were not exposed to them before and henceforth having your body not create antibodies to protect you in the future. DUH. Some people don't know this though so I feel the need to say it.

I hate Purell/Germ-X; I only use it at work because I have to. But those things are setting us up for a bacterial epidemic, can’t wait. By sanitizing our hands we’re setting bacteria up to mutate and form a resistance to it creating a super bacterium. Once the super bacteria have invaded our world, we cannot protect ourselves from the new ones and then we’re fucked basically. This is elementary shit here, c’mon. But wait, aren’t I contradicting myself from what I just said about getting sick being pretty shitty, yet I don’t get vaccinated and I don’t really protect myself otherwise? Always use a condom though, but that’s a completely different story. Yes of course it blows, but I would rather get some acute pussy illness that affects me for a couple of days rather than rot and be on my deathbed for a month or worse in the hospital. I want to live dammit! So stop coughing on me. Wash your goddamn hands. Stop sneezing into the air then into my food. Where your damn gloves Hoco, Stillings, and Philly workers! And stay home if you’re sick. I’ve tried my best to avoid people all week so far, but I had to go to my exam and lab sorry if I infected you. Sadface.

Feel better UNH. Back to sleep now so I can give myself liver disease this weekend.

Don't worry, tree man isn't contagious.

4 Student Orgs You Pay For, That Will Let You Down [And Why It's Not [Entirely] Their Faults]

For those of you that let Mommy and Daddy pay your UNH tuition you probably have ABSOLUTELY no idea where that money gets specifically allocated. There are certain fees added on top of the basic charge for classes at our fine University. For example, The Health Services fee, Athletics fee (a whole other issue for another day), Technology fee and a lesser known, often overlooked Student Activity Fee, of which I'll talk about today. Every undergraduate student this year paid $96 dollars as their Student Activity Fee, creating a fund of just over a million dollars to be dispersed amongst the 14 prominent student organizations. Of these 14 orgs, it looks like this years top disappointments will come from SCOPE (Student Committee of Popular Entertainment), Student Senate, CAB (Campus Activities Board) and SCAN (Student Cable Access Network). Here's Why:

SCOPE: Drawing a 139k subsidy from the Student Activity Fee fund, SCOPE has the largest budget of any student organization on this campus. With SCOPE already bringing two of my personal favorites this homecoming, Lewis Black and Passion Pit, how could they ever let the campus down? The answer is simple: Outside forces will always prevent SCOPE from pleasing everyone. For starters with only 139K it is unfeasible for the organization to bring the big names that everyone expects them to, instead they must look to book rising or falling stars (big name acts can range from 100k a performance and up, way up). The limited budget also makes it next to impossible to draw acts to UNH without them already being on tour or in the area at the time. This forces SCOPE to find tours that are passing through New England, that not only have open dates available but are also looking to play college shows. Lastly, SCOPE must put up with the UNH Athletics Department in order to book any big shows, as Athletics have priority in both the Field House and the Whittemore Center, SCOPE's largest possible venues. Unfortunately for SCOPE the Athletics Dept. holds a firm belief that Athletes run this campus (if you don't believe me, look into the Athletics Fee you pay, believe me you won't be happy) and fail to realize that STUDENTS in fact run this campus. That being said, the Athletics Dept. gives SCOPE an extremely limited amount of dates for which they are free to use both venues. I hope you are beginning to realize the scope (pun intended) of the problem and the challenge at hand for this organization. The stars literally have to align for them to nail down a huge campus pleasing act like Snoop Dogg--even if you're not a fan of rap music you should have been at that show. SO, despite the fact that SCOPE will most likely let you down this year--by either not representing your favorite genre (sorry country fans) or not bringing any huge names--my hat goes off to the organization and all that they have pulled together so far this school year.


Next Time: Find out why Student Senate will MOST DEFINITELY let you down.

*thanks to those who provided the information that made this series of articles possible (you know who you are)

and as always, Live Life Lifted

Black Joe Lewis

Black Joe Lewis will be opening for Passion Pit. They are touring together on the Campus Consciousness  tour, so they are not Scope's pick. I'm interested to see how they go over with a college crowd. I've been into the blues for a while now and they kind of have that blues/soul rock vibe going so I'm looking forward to seeing their set.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

I'ma let you finish but...

I just gotta say that The University of Nonsensical Happenings has been voted one of the top 50 web resources on the internet... for eCollegeFinder's Top 50 Freshman Advisor Award. An award given out... well not necessarily given out every year. Actually this is the first time they did this. We were also one of only eight to be named in the "personal experiences" category. The description from their website says "eCollegeFinder is education resource that provides students with the information needed to succeed with their academic aspirations. The Freshmen Advisor Award was created to recognize the top online resources that offer additional advice and guidance for freshman as they embark upon their college experience. These websites strive to encourage and educate younger students as they make the transition from high school to college. This award is not only intended to commend the efforts of the Freshmen Advisors, but to provide students with a valuable resource to adjust to a new and unfamiliar collegiate lifestyle. Be sure to read on to see the unique advice each website has to offer. This wonderful collection of tips and insight is sure to put you ahead of the curve in adjusting to your fresh and exciting lifestyle away from home."


Update: They just sent me this official press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

University of Nonsensical Happenings Awarded as a

Top 50 Freshmen Advisor

September 22, 2010 Philadelphia, PA – University of Nonsensical Happenings has recently been honored to receive eCollegeFinder.org’s Freshmen Advisor Award.  The Freshmen Advisor Award recognizes the top 50 Internet-based resources offering young students advice toward advancing their college-life experience.  By introducing students as well as parents to both the exciting and challenging trials and tribulations of beginning college University of Nonsensical Happenings has shown its commitment to college freshmen during their transition into higher education.

The Freshmen Advisor Award commends University of Nonsensical Happenings’ guidance for young students, highlighting the myriad of opportunities often available for students at their individual academic institutions and providing sound advice and suggestions.  To view more about this award, visit the eCollegeFinder Freshmen Advisor Award page.

About eCollegeFinder.org
Getting ahead in today's competitive job market requires you to advance your education and knowledge. eCollegeFinder.org helps students find the right online degrees, offering a wide range of Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD degrees as well as specialized certificates and diplomas from the top accredited online colleges and universities.

I'm pretty excited about this (now I have an excuse to drink again tonight!), I know it isn't a super prestigious award, but it always feels nice to get some recognition. It is just good to know that at least a few people do take some of our advice seriously. I mean,  "have fun, but don't be a dipshit" seems to be my underlying theme to most of my advice posts and columns. So thank you to all the readers and the good people over at eCollegeFinder for making this happen. We'll keep writing as long as you keep reading.

Anyways... on to UNH news. This morning a Gables bus rear-ended another one right at the Gables stop. Not really sure how that happens, how fast was that bus taking that turn without being able to stop? That is just another reason why I usually end up walking... and the fact that I can usually walk and get to my destination faster than the buses.

Someone I know wrote an article (NSFW- not the article, but the graphics around it.) about UNH Medical Amnesty that got published in Hustler. (Yes, that Hustler). The article references the facebook group I started last year. So basically, I was in Hustler. No big deal. Although I can't take any credit for the article or getting that passed, all I did was make the group. Great work to everyone who was involved in getting Medical Amnesty passed! Hopefully it will make a difference.

In other news I got my 300th twitter follower today, but I think about 292 of those 300 accounts are spam bots. Come on people, if I have that many twitnits follow me, we should have more facebook likes!

Until next time.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

There's Nothing I Loathe More...

...than an oxymoronic outfit choice. Are you hot, are you cold? I'm lost. Try again next time maybe with some jeans and with some snow on the ground. Barf. Nice legs though. Since I got so much response from last semester's post on the style here at UNH. I thought I'd only continue it. I'm in the midst of writing a legit post on the new Gen-Eds as well. So look for that soon!

Moving on, if you're in the Dover area on Saturday AND if you're 21. Oktoberfest Pub Crawl! Octoberfest has fourteen Dover restaurants opening their doors for a fun-filled day of German-themed food and entertainment.  Get your tickets now!  For just $10 you will be served a free appetizer at each restaurant, drink specials, and enjoy free entertainment, plus giveaways and prizes. The first 300 tickets sold include a commemorative t-shirt and a 23oz. Sam Adams Beer Stein.  Don't miss out!

My group and myself about 15 of us, are doing a themed crawl. We're all wearing funky wigs. People really get into it. So if you're ready to kick off fall the right way come join! It goes from Noon to five. But don't be surprised to see me passed out in a bush somewhere on Central Ave around 3.

Since this is a pretty male dominated blog I thought I'd put this in only to be fair. You're welcome. (Editor's note: According to our facebook fan page, the majority of readers are female. We do it for the ladies. Writers Edit: New Hampshirite needs to get laid) 

*Picture credit to TitterTatters (I love my friends, they know me all too well.)


xoxo Lady Meow

Like a Pro: Party Etiquette

You may or may not have noticed by now, but college students often like to party. Shocking, I know. According to the Union Leader, I still know how to party, so I would like to share some advice on that very subject. No matter where you go out at night to party, whether it is a fraternity, on campus apartments like the Greens, the Gables or off campus you will run into the same type of characters. There are the heavy drinkers, the ravers, the awkward guy in the corner, but everyone is there for the same reason: to have fun. Parties are a great way to burn off some stress at the end of the week. Or during the week. Or on a Sunday. Why not? This is college. The last thing that a party needs is drama, so relax, be social and have fun.

There will always be students ready to turn it up to eleven and sometimes that is completely necessary if the time, place and situation call for it. Just be aware of your surroundings, if everyone else is sitting around a table playing games and you are dancing on top of furniture by yourself, then you may need to turn it down a few notches. Reversely, if everyone else is dancing and you are alone in the corner you will look more out of your element than Smalls the first day he showed up at the Sandlot.

The most important party rule is to respect the host and his or her rules. There is nothing worse than hosting a party and not being able to enjoy yourself because people are acting too out of control. The host is taking a risk by throwing a party and the last thing you want to do is be the one responsible for getting a party busted or getting the host in trouble. This is most common with parties in the Gables or Woodsides where CAs must monitor noise levels. Remember on the weekends that quiet hours end at 1 a.m. If you are hosting, make sure everyone is cleared out by then or CAs will come-a-knocking.
This can be applied to how you act after leaving a party as well. If you are stumbling down the road and Durham's finest stops you, there is a pretty good chance they will ask you where you came from. Now, I am not telling you to lie to a police officer, but being vague such as saying a street name or just "a friend's apartment" can save that party from being discovered or busted. Saying the exact address is not the best option in that situation.

I was at a party last year that was busted because people who were smoking cigarettes outside had beer in their hands causing neighbors to call the police. Those kids were 21 and on private property, but when the cops arrived they shut it down because of the noise, even though it was not actually too loud. This could become even more of a problem if Durham's new ordinances are put into place. Common sense is usually the first thing to fade away after or during a night of drinking, but usually not everyone is at the same stage of intoxication. If you have the common sense to say something, speak up because getting hurt or arrested is way more of a buzz kill then telling someone to ease up.

I do not want to give off the impression that rowdy parties are bad; in fact they are usually awesome. Simply understanding the difference from a Gables apartment and an off campus apartment is essential in keeping a party at the right level. Be loud and have fun, but you must be aware of the time and your neighbors. This is really up to the host because they are at fault even if it is one of their guests who attracts the unwanted attention. At UNH, parties cannot go all night and people need to be able to realize that fact or they will get in trouble, whether it is with the university or local police. It all comes down to a matter of respect for the host, neighbors and authority. Without that respect things are going to get shut down early. So UNH, go out and have fun at night and party hard, just realize that there is a difference from being "that guy who got the party started" and "that guy who got the party shut down."

Stay classy, not UMassy.

The Art of BS

If there is one thing I have learned about being successful in college it is mastering the art of bullshit. Although, personally, I enjoy horse shit a lot more than bullshit. Just try yelling horse shit. Horse shit! It is really is fun... probably my favorite curse word. Even though it isn't one word, but that's neither here nor there.

Anyways, back on topic. If you know how to handle your bullshit, college is going to be much more simple. For example, bullshitting your way through class discussions or papers for 400 level classes, TA or grad student graded classes is perfectly acceptable. (Side note: I just tried spelling that "exceptable" and couldn't figure out why it wasn't a word. It's only Monday... this is gonna be a long week.) For example, today I had a class discussion on roughly 130 pages of a book. I read about 12 pages right before class. (I almost always do the readings but wasn't able to catch up because I went home this weekend and left the book at school.) I was able to contribute a couple key points during the discussion without being extremely vague or sounding like a douche who thinks a discussion is their turn to lecture the class. Seriously, there may not be anyone I can't stand more than class discussion lecturers. Every class has one and there is nothing better than when a professor calls them out for being wrong. Now, when it comes time to write a paper on that book, I will definitely need to read up and put the proper time and effort into it. I was simply buying myself some time.

Anyways, knowing when to and when not to bullshit is extremely important when it comes to the art of bullshit. Trying to bullshit your way through an in-depth paper, whether it is a research or analytical paper, for an upper-level class usually won't end well. Especially if the professor is the one who grades the paper. I'm sure it can be done, but it probably won't be worth the risk. Professors aren't dumb and most of them can smell bullshit by the end of an intro paragraph. So, if you are thinking of staying out all weekend and BS-ing a paper at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night you may want to reconsider your plans. Unless it is for an intro/survey class, then you can BS your way to at least a B+ without a sweat.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Fact: 27% of UNH students use marijuana

This morning I was sitting in the MUB food court waiting for my next class to start. A specific table tent advertisement caught my eye, and surprise surprise, it was the latest statistic from UNH Health Services. It read: "Do you know that 73% of UNH students DO NOT use marijuana." That is a pretty strong majority of students who don't some pot, but then I thought about that for a second. That means that 27% of UNH students, or more than 1/4, do smoke pot. 27% is roughly 3,000 students, which is enough to fill Williamson, Christensen, and Stoke. TWICE! That is true because that exact phrase was used on their ad that said 27% of students report not drinking. 1 out of 4 is a lot more than you may think. I really think Health Services should just stop it with these facts, because assholes like me will always turn them around. One out of every four students uses drugs and breaks the law and Health Services is proud of that fact! Yay, go Wildcats! In spirit of that fact, here is "Alabama High Test" by Old Crow Medicine Show: (Any yes, he does say "Higher than a Wildcat")

Have a good weekend. 

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Get to it

Hello all. Sorry for not posting yesterday. Wednesday is my busiest day and on top of that I was working on a paper and then I got surprised/distracted by a Wasted Wednesday. Hey why not... I wasn't the one who passed out underneath couch cushions or in a kitchen cabinet so I guess it was worth it. I must say this is probably going to be my busiest semester to date so there will be days where I may not post, but I'll try my best to stay on top of things. For example, I should be writing a paper right now, but I'm not. You're welcome.

I would like to talk a little bit about what being a college student means to me. College is a crazy time of your life. It is a very short time, generally four years, during that awkward transition period between being a teenager and an adult. We're all in this together. It consists of sleep, eating, school work and socializing. That's pretty much it. Sure some people play sports and others have jobs or are in student organizations, but for the most part that is it. That is why the college diet primarily consists of Ramen, Red Bull, Nyquil and alcohol. It is safe to say that 100% of you take part in 3 out of those 4. Okay, maybe like 95% because there are people who don't do their work. But they'll be out of here within a semester.

I am proud to say that I have learned a lot in the majority of my classes. Now, whether or not those random facts, ideas, and philosophies will even come up again in my life, that is up for debate.  I do know however, that the people I have met and the things I have experienced will impact my life down the road. This is why I strongly believe the social aspect a college student gains is infinitely more important than anything a professor will ever say. Sure you can recite fact after fact from textbook X, but do you have the ability to communicate that information to others?

What I am saying is don't stay cooped up in your dorm room all day. Be active, join an organization, attend athletic games or concerts. If you go to a party, even something small, take part in conversations. It can be tough and scary, so take baby steps. Who wants to look back on their college years and only be able to recite facts, dates and equations? There is something for everyone here so take advantage of those options before it is too late.

If you are the opposite of that, use your alcohol and partying as motivation. Think, "if I get this paper done now, I can celebrate and party 10 times harder tonight. Fuck yeah!" Make sure you include the "fuck yeah," yell it if you must. It will really help with the motivation. Fuck yeah!

Stay classy, not UMassy.

PS: Our facebook fan page is currently at 99 people! Let's take it into triple digits people!

Thoughts on Passion Pit

Last week when TNH scooped that Scope's fall show would be Passion Pit I immediately thought of MGMT. Both because they have similar music and because of the reaction from the student body. Passion Pit will sellout, but a large majority of campus will still bitch about it, much like last year's MGMT concert. Passion Pit's catalogue is slightly more poppy than MGMT and although I like MGMT more I still think this will be a very fun show. Honestly, I didn't have one Passion Pit song on my itunes until this morning, but I definitely understand why Scope would go for them. Passion Pit seems like a very energetic band and their songs are very danceable.

Now, I am not in Scope and I have limited knowledge on their policies and rules, but I can share what I have found out about through word of mouth and my experiences at UNH. I haven't talked to any Scope members (the only one I knew graduated last year) but, I would still like to respond to a few of the criticisms I've heard... (Most of which come from underclassman who don't understand the logistics of a concert.)

1) The Whit costs more than the Field House for Scope to use. (Plus lighting/sound/various production fees is more in the Whit). Look at the past years, very rarely is there more than one show at the Whit each school year. (Lupe Fiasco and Guster being the exception.) *Also, the Whit is still under construction. New ice and boards are being installed.*
2) Scope only has limited days the Whit and the Field House are available. Also, since most concerts are on weekends or Thursdays, that limits their possible days even more.
3) Many bigger musicians refuse to play college shows. They would rather play in cities where they know the entire crowd are fans and not just there because it is something to do.
4) Musicians usually plan tours far ahead of time. Scope only has a few months, if that, to book a show.
5) Bands have limited dates available and even those who do play college shows usually set a limit per tour.
6) Getting a cheaper "local" band (Passion Pit is from Cambridge Mass) will help them be able to have better/bigger spring shows. Spring Climax, which is usually in the Whit, and another show in the Field House.
7) In the past Scope has generally had 4 shows each year. A homecoming comedian, a fall/winter concert, Spring Climax and an additional spring concert. If Passion Pit isn't your cup of tea, relax, they aren't done yet.
8) It is impossible to please every student with one show. Look at the variety over the past few years and you can see they have done quite well: Passion Pit, Girl Talk, MGMT, Akon, Guster, Lupe Fiasco, Brand New, G Love & Special Sauce, Ghost Face Killah, Dropkick Murphy's, Snoop Dogg. (Plus the comedians: Demetri Martin, Jimmy Fallon, Bo Burnham and Lewis Black.)
9) Many other school's have arenas that book concerts, not just student organizations. For example, the Mullins Center at UMass books many of their own shows (ex: Jay-z and the Barstool shows). Unfortunately, the Whit doesn't usually get college type shows.

One thing I have come to realize is that college is a great time to see concerts you normally wouldn't see. I wouldn't drive down to Boston to see most of those shows, pay parking, gas etc, but I would pay $12-15 for any of them if they are right here on campus. When my four years are up I'm going to be able to look back and say I saw a lot of different types of shows for a small amount of money, and that makes me happy. So before you start bitching about how Scope didn't get your favorite band or rapper, think about what they have to do and deal with, with limited resources. Apart from maybe MGMT, I wouldn't consider any of those bands close to one of my favorites, but I can honestly say I have enjoyed every Scope show I have ever been to.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Like a Pro: Police Priorities

Okay, I know I wrote about some of this before, but do to the response that my post on the sobriety checkpoint got, I felt it deserved a larger audience. This is my column from today's TNH. I'll also have another post up later this afternoon/evening.

According the latest Health Services table tent advertisement 73 percent of UNH students drink alcohol in a typical week. Okay, they wrote 27 percent report not drinking in a typical week but with a little simple subtraction we can flip that number around. Can we just think about that for a second? 73 percent of students polled admitted to drinking in a typical week. I’m sure that number is not exact, but there is a pretty obvious majority on the drinking side. That being said, this is a college campus, we are adults and I now have the ability to say the majority of our campus drinks. I think it is funny how those statistics are proudly displayed to try and deter students from drinking. Sure, not everybody drinks but basically three out of four do. Not too shabby if you ask me.

In last Friday’s paper the police log took up about half a page. Wait until Homecoming, Halloween weekend and concert nights and the blotter will probably take more than a page. That police log, which is just those arrests reported by the University of New Hampshire Police (not Durham), ranged from Thursday, Sept. 2, through Monday, Sept. 6, and it had 38 entries. Out of those 38 names, 26 were alcohol related. Those offenses included possession, under-aged intoxication, transportation, and having an open container. In all seriousness, who walks down the street with an open beer?

Judging from the amount of police that have been on campus so far this year we could continue to see high amounts of arrests. Sure there are always more arrests early in the year because of back-to-school parties, but something happened last Friday night (Sept. 5) that I have never heard of before. If you read my blog you may already know what I am talking about. There was a sobriety checkpoint on Main Street near the Whittemore Center. That sounds fine to me, but this particular checkpoint, which had about eight officers in that one location, was not for cars, but for pedestrians walking by. Several people informed me that they were asked to either walk a line or touch their nose. These people were not stumbling or being obnoxious, they were simply walking back to their dorm. Now, I am hoping that was a first weekend of the year scare tactic because shouldn’t the police be encouraging students to walk? I mean that is better than drunk driving, right?

Since students who choose to walk home after drinking are making the right choice, it is obvious that this checkpoint was intended for under-age drinkers. I have a major problem with this because if a student is not calling attention to himself why should he be stopped in the first place? Yes, he or she is under age and possibly intoxicated, which would be breaking the law, but is a pedestrian checkpoint really necessary? Remember, according to Health Services 73 percent of students drink alcohol in a typical week, meaning probably even more do drink, just not every week. I am going to take a stab and guess that 73 percent of this campus is not 21 years old. If you figure that the average student turns 21 during his or her junior year the majority of students are actually under 21.

The point I am trying to make is that it sounds as though the police are out to get everyone who is under 21 and has been drinking. Does sipping a beer truly warrant an arrest if you are in control? If you are being a maniac or holding open containers on the side of the road or you can barely walk and calling attention to yourself then, yeah, you kind of deserve being arrested. Or does it not make a difference because breaking the law is breaking the law? Every weekend there will be drunken students who put themselves or others in danger and it seems as though a sobriety checkpoint would be a waste of police resources. If there are eight officers in one area field-testing every single student who walks by, then there is a greater chance the police may miss the opportunity to prevent or respond to a more serious crime somewhere else on campus. I understand that those who break the law should be punished, but the reason this bothers me is because of how it shows the true priorities of police on this campus.

Stay classy, not UMassy

Number 400: What I've Learned

This is the 400th post in the history of this blog. 400 fucking posts. That is about 396 more than I thought this would last. The blog definitely wouldn't have lasted without readers so thank you. You guys are the best. I still remember writing my first post in March of my freshman year in good old Williamson. (I went back and read a few old posts. I can definitely see a lot of "freshman" in them.) Man, have the times, the blog and even I changed. As I write this as a junior living in the Gables I can honestly say this has been a blast and I look forward to these next two years or so. But for this post I would like to share a few of the things I have learned about UNH or college life while writing this blog. Don't worry, the list isn't 400 points long. I would of have to realize that this post was coming 10 days ago and not 10 minutes ago. Some of these are new to the blog and some are things I've written about in the past so older readers might recall a few:

• The bathrooms in Ham-Smith are one level above a frat house. Barely.
• I can't pass out in kitchen cabinet, but only because I don't fit. Not that I haven't tried.
• Chairs are not meant to be used as hurdles. Especially after lots of whiskey.
• Dunking during a game of Beirut will leave you wet. And with a sprained ankle. 
• Calling someone a "scummy-douche" is a hilarious insult. (Especially when it is inspired because he doesn't like that you have to wear a collared shirt while golfing.)
• My biggest roommate fight came when one said he thought that the original Star Wars should be remade. Fuck that shit. 
• Hanging out on the ledges outside Williamson and Christensen windows is a bad idea.
• Prank wars are the best. Especially when you win. When you lose, not so much...
• Avoid hotdogs on Halloween.
• The "Mark Huddleston" facebook account is fake. His twitter is real... and it's great.
• Christwire is satire.
• Avoid the shortcut paths at night. Especially one's where students smoke pot. Cops will accuse you with no evidence.
• Firecrackers are intense... if you make them right.
• Comedian Bob Marley's epicness is debatable. 
• UNH remixes get old. Quick. (Those are just the first 5 I found.)
• Don't mess with dining.
• I know how to party. (Just ask the Union Leader.)
• Burning pornography won't solve anything. Especially women's equity.
• Drugs are bad. (Can't even type that with a straight face...)
• Hangover puking 3 times less than an hour before your first class of the year isn't the best way to start the year off. But it's not as bad when your professor doesn't show because she thought school started the next week. Win.
• COLA can't be beat. Don't believe me? How's that organic chem lab or MIS project going?
• Blogging always takes a priority over school work.

Okay, that's all I could think of in a timely manner. It's been fun and lets keep this going as long as possible. Thanks again.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Post About Nothing

According to rumors - and an article in TNH - it looks as thought SCOPE's fall concert will be the synth-pop band Passion Pit. Apparently the band listed UNH on their tour website, but it was soon taken down. SCOPE will officially announce the show on U-Day next week. I am not a big fan of them, but I don't hate them. I'd say this would be a pretty decent concert, but it will probably get a similar response as MGMT. It will sellout, but a lot of students won't be happy. Just remember SCOPE will have -or at least in the past they have- two more spring concerts. My predictions would be a hip-hop artist in the Whit for Spring Climax and an alternative type show in the Field House. But alas, I am not in SCOPE and am completely pulling those predictions out of my ass. SCOPE, if you're listening, it sounds like a lot of students want Wale, Kid Cudi or J Cole. I actually recently got the Wale mix-tape "More About Nothing" and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I mean he sample Seinfield! As most of you have figured by now, I am more of a rock fan though so I would be a pleasant surprise if SCOPE went in that direction next semester, but I understand they need to appeal to the masses and everyone has different tastes. Not everyone will like every show no matter who they get.

For any sports fans out there you should checkout "Wildchats," the WUNH sports talk show from 6-8 p.m. on Thursdays. I know one of the regulars from last year and another who is joining and it is nice to here them talk about UNH and Boston based sports right here from our campus. I tuned in last night and ended up listening to the whole show while doing some homework.

This weekend UNH football will face-off against Pitt, a FBS team. This will be UNH's biggest regular season game ever and it will be available on ESPN3.com My roommates and I plan on hooking up a lap-top to the TV to watch the game and I recommend you do to. It will be really cool to watch UNH go up against on of the top teams in the country.

My first TNH column for the regular paper (not the freshman issue) will be in Tuesday's paper. I'll be writing it this weekend and it will discuss some late-night tips and stuff for UNH. I think it will be a really good one with things I haven't actually touched on before and other stuff that deserves further examination so I hope you will all check that out and leave feedback.

Okay, I am still re-adjusting to school and blog stuff so I feel like I'm just finally starting to get reacquainted with everything so next week we should be at full blogging force. I have a few interesting pieces and things lined up to discuss so have a good weekend and see you Monday... unless something comes up.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

MMA Comes to UNH

On Friday September 17th the MMA league called Global Fight League (basically the level below UFC) will be hosting a fight night at the Whittemore Center. Personally, I'm not a huge MMA person, I like boxing, but this event looks like it could be pretty entertaining. It will feature both amateur and professional fighters in 15 matches. The main bout is a rematch championship fight and two of the other fights are also for a title. Student tickets are just $10, which is a great deal considering tickets range from $35 to $100. I don't know if it is barbaric for me to say this, but I can't think of a better event to get really drunk and watch. It is being advertised as the biggest MMA fight in New England history so it could definitely be worth it to check it out. There will be a more detailed preview in an upcoming issue of TNH, so check that out because I am scooping this from them.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Mid-Week News and Blog Updates

Starting this post off with a quick reminder: Don't forget to get your ticket to see Lewis Black. Remember the more tickets sold, means the more money that goes back into SAFC, which means that SCOPE could get approved for larger shows in the future. So go buy tickets and enjoy. It is on a Sunday night so what else will you being doing? (The show is on October 10th, some tickets were misprinted but they will still be accepted.)  -You're welcome SCOPE.

Also, you can become a fan or like us or whatever on Facebook. I know we have more than 94 readers so do that and help us get the word out around campus. I have a few flyers and stuff I will be littering campus with, but word of mouth is always the best. Thanks in advance, and no thanks if you don't.

If you are interested in contributing to the blog, don't be shy and shoot me an email (unhblog@yahoo.com) with any ideas you have. Feel free to give it a shot whether you want to be a full-time ID'd writer or just as a one time thing. If you want to join I'll need a few samples and stuff, but that can be discussed via email. I know there were a few who contacted me over the summer so if you're still out there let me hear you. We want to better represent the student voice and the best way to do that is to have a variety of writers. I would like to include more "letters to the editor" type posts, we featured a handful last year and that helps us better connect with our readers. Let us know what you think and what you want to hear. We can always use guest posts and photos from campus too. I have had two people interested in writing sports posts so that is another direction we may be expanding. Even if you don't want to write, let us know what you want.

One big thing we are trying to expand is student discussion, feedback and comments. Let us know what you think, whether you agree or hate us with a passion, the more responses we get the better. I was very happy to see more comments on yesterday's post (and even happier when others shared their stories and a cop didn't reply saying that it never happened and how terrible I am for making stuff up.) So, that being said, leave a comment, drop an email, follow us on twitter (see links on right-hand tool bar) or message us on facebook. We are all over the internets so hit us up.

UNH Orgs: Do you have an event you want us to plug or preview? If we like it we'll plug it, so drop an email (again: unhblog@yahoo.com). Do you want us to write a post about your org? We can go behind the scenes or send us info and I'll see what we can do. Maybe we can start a featured "Org of the Week" post or something, but again we need you to show an interest.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

To Catch a Drunk Kid

Well that was quite the interesting weekend to say the least. Alcohol, football and nice weather, can't ask for much more. Friday night my roommates and I had a few people over. Nothing big, just a few friends to test out the apartment for future parties and stuff.  After people started to leave I get a call. It was from one of my friends who had left and he explained that as he passed by the Whittemore Center there were about 7 or 8 cop cars lined up with a car pulled over and several people standing in line. He didn't want to get in the way of anything going on so he crossed to the other side of Main Street. As he got closer a cop also crossed the street and approached him. The cop stopped him, asked him to touch his nose and after my friend successfully managed to do that he was told to continue on. It appeared that these cops were giving field sobriety tests to students and pedestrians walking by. Now, I'm not an expert, but shouldn't the police be encouraging people to walk when they have been out drinking? Anyways, this whole fiasco ended soon because another friend walked by there about a half-hour later and there was nobody there.

I was just wondering if anyone else encountered this and what people's thoughts are on cops giving sobriety tests to pedestrians? From what I have gathered this "check-point" wasn't around for more than an hour or two so I am guessing it either wasn't working or the cops realized how idiotic it was. Hopefully this was just a first-Friday-of-the-school-year intimidation thing and we won't see anymore of it, because the only way these cops could get anyone in trouble through this would be for underaged drinking. Anyone walking back from the bars or a party who is of age is doing the right thing by walking. It would be another thing if these checkpoints were set up for cars, but not a lot of people drive around on campus at night, since it is so compact.

Having 7 or 8 cops in the same area is also idiotic, they should be spread out all over campus to help prevent crime, assaults or maybe even robberies. What is more important, catching drunk kids walking home or preventing a crime where someone's well-being could be at stake? I understand that the cops can't be everywhere, but it would help be a step in the right direction.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Happy 1st Weekend

Just a friendly reminder -especially to the freshman- that the first weekend (plus a home football game and Labor Day) means a lot of cops on campus. And a lot of cops looking to make examples out of erratic students. Know your rights.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Drinking Time!

Quick and early post today because I have back-to-back classes and then got to clean up the apartment before the night's shenanigans begin. I hope you all enjoyed your first Thirsty Thursday of the year, especially you freshman having your first on of your college career. I know I sure did. My roommates and I were just having a few drinks, watching a few football games, keeping it low key. We all have morning classes and a few have 8 and 9 a.m's so we weren't planning on getting too rowdy. After a while we notice one of the roommates has passed out on the couch. After a few minutes he flops over and now his head and neck are bent over the edge in an awkward and uncomfortable manner. Then he falls. Face-first digger to the floor. He was completely KO'ed, not moving. So, being the kind person I am, I grab his upper body, another roommate grabs his legs and we carry him off too bed. About halfway there he finally wakes up and says (read this in a 4-year-old voice to get the full effect) "Where are we going?" Maybe you had to be there, but it was fucking hilarious and I'm sure most of you can relate to this, and if not, you probably will be able to soon enough.

Anyways, it's the weekend, college football has started, UNH plays their opening game Saturday at noon (you all better be there!) and then we have Labor Day. What I'm saying to you is this, there is no excuse not to drink this weekend. Enjoy, party on, stay safe. I must leave you now to get ready for tonight's humdinger. 

Come on, how can you not like a little folk-rock to kick off you weekend?

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Thursday Thoughts

Well, the first Thirsty Thursday of the year is here and it looks like this heat wave will finally end tomorrow so I am in a pretty good mood. Seriously, walking across campus to classes has been absolutely miserable, almost as bad as sitting in class dripping in sweat. I despise anyone with air conditioning. But I can't complain because we're in college and college is fucking awesome.

I went to the first TNH writers meeting last night (good to see a lot of newcomers) and I spoke with a few editors about the future of my column. I'm going to try and keep it more socially and nightlife focused this year, which I feel I kind of drifted from at times last year.

As is customary with the beginning of a new school year, Durham is preparing more noise and party restrictions towards UNH students. Recently the Durham town council approved a new noise policy, making it easier for police to enforce noise ordinances. This ordinance starts at 10 p.m., and hour earlier than what it was and if a noise violation turns into a court matter a witness (ei the neighbor who called in the complaint) is not necessary in court. Durham is also considering a proposal that any gathering exceeding 25 people will require a permit with the town. Read more about this over at Wire NH. (Hopefully this isn't completely made up like that stuff a real UNH RA told one of my best friends. Damn you RA for lying and making me look bad!)

Lastly, I have two things to plug. The first is that former writer Corey has started a podcast with his friend and fellow UNH grad Kevin. Their first show went up earlier today and it had me laughing, so check that out. Secondly, I got an email this week from a blog reader who started a blog of his own and since I'm a nice guy (and it isn't UNH focused) here's the link to his sports blog.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

A comment from UNH Res Life

This comment was left earlier today in reply to yesterday's post on paraphernalia in dorm rooms:

Normally I would not reply to a blog, but as a public service I will. I am the Director of Residential Life at UNH. Two major falsehoods need to be cleared up from the blog statements:


1. We have no new paraphernalia polices this year. In fact, we have no new behavioral policies of any kind this year in the residence halls or apartments.


2. RAs are NOT permitted to enter a students room without permission to conduct any kind of a search.


Scott Chesney
Director of Residential Life


I was unable to find any copy of these new rules written down, which leads me to believe ping-pong balls and shot glasses in plain sight won't lead to a visible-to-the-eye search. However, this means that somewhere along the line a Hall Director or RA gave out false information, which led my friend to tell me about it. (My friend was told about that policy from one of Res-Life's trained RAs, I was just passing it along). Another comment said those items could be confiscated, which is definitely not true, but that person must have also been given false information. Either way I now look like an asshole. I guess this is good news and I apologize for the false claims, I should have researched them before writing. Thanks.

Stay classy, not UMassy.