Illinois State University 2011 Homecoming

The 2011 homecoming was well anticipated for Illinois State University students, especially for freshmen. Saturday October 15th ISU’s Redbirds defeated South Dakota 28-3. The game was a big surprise and made the weekend even better.
After the football game some got dressed and prepared for the step show at the Student Bone Center. The step show consists of fraternities and sororities that stepped to claim their spot as the prize winners. The Deltas claimed their big win and walked away with a title that would be hard to take away from them.
Immediately after the step show there was a big event, the biggest even. The homecoming party was at the Castle Theatre where ISU’s own Diggs was the DJ. The music and dancing was amazing, new faces were shown and people put on their best outfits. Overall it was a good homecoming week and students can’t wait until next year.

Get your Laundry Wright !

"Or should I say get your laundry WRONG!" I live in one of the Tri-towers on west campus. Specifically wright hall if it wasn't noticeable by the title. The food here is great, the rooms, and even the excersize room in the basement. But what went wrong with the laundry room is far from my knowledge. There are about eight washing machines and ten dryers in the laundry room. I washed three times since I first moved in two months ago. Each time brung a different problem. The first time I washed the washing machines were ok and I thought the dryers would be too ;but I thought wrong. My clothes were in the dryer for nearly two hours, but they still weren't dry. So I had to hang dem on my window so they could dry. I know what your thinking "bummer " right. The second time I washed the washing machines didn't wash all my clothes. They came out half wet and half dry. What type of washing machine doesn't wash clothes? I guess the answer to that would be wright. The third time I washed my clothes I decided to use the washers and dryers on the other side of the laundry room. Well what do you know, suprisingly they worked. No one bothered to tell me to wash on the other side. The problem I had this time was that I paid twice as much to wash. It cost me eight dollars to wash two loads of clothing. So word of advice if you come to wright hall to wash your clothes; use the washers and dryers on the left side facing the elevators. That way you will get your laundry wright.

A Perfect Timing

I awoke to cold feet and goose bumps covering my arms. It was easily the coldest morning thus far at college. With both of my blankets wrapping me up like a burrito I still felt the cold air stinging my skin. I went to take a hot shower before class but that just didn’t cut it I was still cold as soon as I stopped the water. I quickly got dressed in fear of being late for class and put on not nearly enough clothes. I walked downstairs and out the door to have my breath taken by the cold breeze that slapped me in the face. I knew there was no way I was walking all the way to and from my classes. Ironically the bus pulled up right in front of me. I hadn’t taken the bus yet this year but figured if ever there was a time to now was it. So I stepped on a little nervous and hoping it would take me to the right place. I sat in silence watching the cars go by and quickly realized this warm bus was going to save my winter. The bus dropped me off right in front of my building, and I haven’t walked to a class since.

Get your Laundry Wright!

"Or should I say get your laundry WRONG!" I live in one of the Tri-towers on west campus. Specifically Wright hall if it wasn't noticeable by the title. The food here is great, the rooms, and even the exercise room in the basement. But what went wrong with the laundry room is far from my knowledge. There are about eight washing machines and ten dryers in the laundry room. I washed three times since I first moved in two months ago. Each time brung a different problem. The first time I washed the washing machines were ok and I thought the dryers would be too, but I thought wrong. My clothes were in the dryer for nearly two hours, but they still were not dry. So I hung them on my window so they could dry. I know what your thinking "bummer " right. The second time I washed, the washing machines didn't wash all my clothes. They came out half wet and half dry. What type of washing machine doesn't wash clothes? I guess the answer to that would be Wright. The third time I washed my clothes I decided to use the washers and dryers on the other side of the laundry room. Well what do you know, surprisingly they worked. No one bothered to tell me to wash on the other side. The problem I had this time was that I paid twice as much to wash. It cost me eight dollars to wash two loads of clothing. So word of advice if you come to Wright hall to wash your clothes; use the washers and dryers on the left side facing the elevators. That way you will get your laundry wright.

THE COLD WEATHER

The past week has been in the 30’s and 40’s which is a very cold temperature yet people are still walking outside without a coat I don’t get why. Most people on campus are getting sick and I think it is because of the weather and people not dressing for the weather. On when it rains some people don’t even wear a rain coat they just walk through the rain with a short sleeve shirt and shorts on its crazy. Although people may not think it is “cool” to dress for the weather it is an important part of staying healthy people need to learn this. I’ve walked back from a Monday night class in the pouring rain when its only 40 degrees out and all people are wearing is shorts and a tee shirt. People on campus need to learn how to stay healthy!

Celebrities Are Just Like Us!

At Illinois State University we had a great privilege to have America Ferrera come and do a speech on diversity. I was so excited to see her and hear what she had to say on her life, how she ended up to where she is now, and how diversity plays an important role in her life. America began to discuss her dreams as a child to become an actress and how she would do whatever it took. She attended school like any other teenager and at the age of 18 was when she began to go to auditions. Acting was her passion but she also wanted to attend college to learn about fixing our environment which was her other passion in life. She began to explain how ignorant she felt not knowing all the issues going on in the world. She told us how one day she went to her professor’s office crying and told her professor that she feels she should give up her passion, which was acting, to become more involved in fixing the issues in our world. What her professor told her the characters she portrays in movies inspires people all over to make a difference in their own lives. Here at Illinois State I believe everyone has their own calling to make a difference in the world. By being apart of something can inspire others to want to make a difference in their own lives. America’s story inspires me to make a difference in my community.

Illinois State University Homecoming 2k11

As a freshman in college homecoming was one
thing that I was definitely looking forward to, therefore I made sure that I
attended all the events they had to offer.
Starting my homecoming off right I went to the Homecoming Parade . There
I saw the Big Red Marching Band, many fraternities, sororities, and many of
dance troupes around campus. Even though this parade was early in the morning
it was worth watching. It was filled with fun, entertainment and the experience
to support many of the student organizations and many of my friends involved in
these organizations. This was only the start to my weekend. Later on that I
went tailgating with a few of my friends. Tailgating with ISU parents, alumni ,
fraternities and sororities was a great experience. The Big Red Marching Band
performed, giving us a sneak preview of the game performance. There was food,
drinks, music, and games. This was a great way to get me hyped and excited to
support my Redbirds in their defeat against South Dakota. The game was just as
exciting as previous events. With the Redbirds scoring in the first quarter and
playing with confidence to send us to a undeniable victory of 28-3, this year's
homecoming was starting off good and was sure to end great. After all that excitement
I needed a break but I wasn't done celebrating.

Around 7 pm fraternities andsororities held a step show in Braden Auditorium. There I watched sororitiesand fraternities compete for the title of being the best on campus. Dance
troupes on campus performed and we enjoyed music and entertainment from the
host and DJ. My day ended with a party at the Castle Theatre in downtown
Bloomington(see picture above). I enjoyed it with many of my friends on campus
and few of my friends from out of town. It was filled with music, dancing and a
good time. I could say that homecoming my freshman year was great and I look forward
to many more like this!

Parking

All I can say is parking should be free. First you can never find a good parking spot, second if they charge you to park they need to setup if you park there for over 30 minutes they you should have to pay for the hour. When i park there is times that I park 15 minutes before class and leave a few minutes after class and i have to pay $1.50. They charge way to much to park. I think since we go to school here that we should get free parking. We pay a lot of money for tuition, so should be free parking.

The Orgin of Fall

In case if one has not noticed it has been cold outside.
Recently I broke out my winter coat and while heading to class I wondered what
my blog entry would be about. So I figured how about I do mine about the season
of fall or autumn which we are currently in at the moment. There are many explanations
of how fall came to be. My favorite one is probably the most known ones. It all
begins when Zeus and his sister Demeter, goddess of the crops and harvest had a
daughter Persephone. One day Persephone was kidnapped by Hecate, goddess of
witchcraft, who then told her to see the sun, Helios, if he had seen what
happened. Helios told her what happened, so then she went to Zeus for help on
the issue and he refused to help and since he refused Demeter refused her role
as goddess. Since crops wouldn’t grow
and the human race was threatened with extinction by famine because of this
Zeus told Hades that he would have to release Persephone go sometime. When
mother and daughter reunited Demeter asked if Persephone ate anything while in
the underworld. She did and all she ate was a pomegranate seed and because she
ate this she spends winter with Hades. Persephone spends the other seasons with
Demeter. This explains all four off the seasons: the spring is when Persephone arrives
back home, the summer is when Persephone is wit she spends winter with Hades.
Persephone spends the other seasons with Demeter. This explains all four off
the seasons: the spring is when Persephone arrives back home, the summer is
when Persephone is wit she spends winter with Hades. Persephone spends the
other seasons with Demeter. This explains all four off the seasons: the spring is
when Persephone arrives back home, the summer is when Persephone is wit she
spends winter with Hades. Persephone spends the other seasons with Demeter.
This explains all four off the seasons: the spring is when Persephone arrives
back home, the summer is when Persephone is with Demeter, the fall is when it
is nearing the time she has to go back to Hades, and the winter is when Demeter
mourns at the fact that Persephone is with Hades in the underworld.

Freshman 15: Fact or Fiction

I have struggled with my weight my entire life, so when people told me about the freshman 15 I was nervous. I did not want to gain another 15 pounds throughout my freshman year. When I came to ISU and first went to the Watterson dining center I was a little apprehensive about what to get. I was really determined to lose weight and get healthy. Kind of a retry at being healthy. I saw the salad bar, and how there were so many fresh veggies there constantly. There were also different hot soups every day. This kept my interest, and my taste buds guessing what was going to come. Watterson dining center has a large variety of healthy foods, you just have to know what to look for. Another thing I do, to not be a stereotype and get concurred by the freshmen 15, is workout. I work out six times a week and it feels great. I recommend everyone do this. It has worked for me. Since I have come to school I have lost, not gained, lost 20 pounds and that number will continue to grow. I could not have done it without all the great facilities at ISU. The dining center’s delicious, healthy food kept me on track, and the huge fitness center is a great place to work out.

Laundry? A Hassle No More.

The dreaded task of doing laundry maybe is what haunts us all this halloween season. The sorting, washing, waiting, folding- a hassle? Most would say yes. But here in the Hewett and Manchester residence halls, we are lucky enough to have our own website which lets us know when our clothes will be done; whether it's in the washer or dryer. Therefore, if you're in the middle of finishing a rough draft of a paper or your favorite episode of How I Met Your Mother, there's no need to go all the way downstairs to check your laundry. You simply go to www.laundryview.com and click on which building you reside in and it will show all washers and dryers and the times left in the cycle. Pretty convenient, right? Another great feature to the washers here in Hewett and Manchester is that they lock when you start a load of laundry. So no need to worry about sticky fingers stealing all of your clothes away! I wish I could say the same about the dryers, however they are great for drying your clothes in an orderly fashion; having them come out warm and smelling like home.

Wheres the Snack?

When you are hungry at Illinois State university you go to one place to eat delicious food, that place is the dining center. When you first walk into market place at Linkins Center, you are over whelmed with all of the food that is there. The first thing you see when you walk in is a pizza and pasta station. Every day, they have different verity of pizza there for you to eat such as pepperoni, sausage, cheese, and different types of specials. Next to the pizza is pasta with bread sticks. They give you different types of pasta each day to pick from. When you give a glance to the other side of the pizza, there is a sandwich bar where you can make your own sandwich. This sandwich bar gives you a lot of options to that you are able to put on your sandwich, such as different meats, cheeses, toppings, and spices. Next you can move to the grill where you have a lot of options to pick from. They are able to grill things such as hamburgers, cheese burgers, tacos, chicken, and french fries. These are all options that you are able to ask for and the grill it up right in front of you, so it is fresh. If you do not like any of them, then you are able to go to the well-known Mongolian grill you are able to get some Mongolian prepared food. You have a lot of options to pick from before they start grilling them. You can pick from noodles to rice to vegetables. As you can see, there are a lot of options that you are able to pick from. From hot food to cold food, there is always an option for you to have.

The Hookah Lounge

The Smokers Den is located in downtown Bloomington on Main Street is a very cool place and I would recommend everybody check it out at least once. Now the Smokers Den is a hookah lounge and when I went with buddies to this place I had a lot of preconceived notions about a place like this I felt like a hookah lounge was a place for hipsters and other random people but when I went inside the place was pretty cool it had a movie playing for their customers the movie Gladiator. Smoking hookah was one flat rate of only $5 regardless of how many people you are with so it is very cheap. The place was also packed we had to wait to be seated the only had seating in the lounge was in the front of the building. The owner told us that the basement was under construction and soon the whole top floor would be where the hookahs and different shisha (tobacco) will be on display while down stairs will become the lounge where you and your friends can enjoy the hookah. When we finally were seated we started striking up conversations with people all around us everybody there was really friendly and some people were pretty interesting. One person had been hitch hiking across the USA. Now the way a hookah works is on top is a bowl and that is where the shisha is placed under that is a wind guard and inside the wind guard is hot coals. Under the hot coals is a tube that runs down till it hits a plate which the tube goes through and only allows the tobacco smoke through the tube continues to go down father till it hits the end at the water jar where the smoke is released into the chamber to smooth out the smoke then finally the smoke travels out another tube and then finally to your mouth.

Laundry at Watterson

One experience that most of us have to deal with is doing laundry. For some of us it’s a first and others its second nature. Personally I have been doing my own laundry for at least 6 years now and I have done it at home and at multiple laundry mats before but I must say that laundry at the schools laundry mat is the worst. The school tries to sell their laundry machines off as “state of the art” but I think they are anything but that. For example last time I did my laundry I had to put my cloths through 2 drying cycles for a total of 2 hours and my clothes were still damp. This is ridiculous considering the fact that we are paying top dollar for a service that is sub-par. One thing that I will take from the college laundry experience is a new reflex to cringe at just the thought of laundry. One of the things that I will enjoy the most about moving out of the dorms in the future is that I won’t have to deal with the dreadfully long laundry process.

Homecoming Tailgate 2011

When I think of the word homecoming High School dances, getting dressed up in fancy
clothing and after parties come to mind. As a student at Illinois State
University the word homecoming is now something different to me. I think of
homecoming as a gathering ceremony where all ages of alumni come back to their
former school- Illinois State University and celebrate their college career.
This must bring back youthful, life changing and crazy memories from the past
for plenty of Illinois State alumni. It is a time to kick back, grill a
hamburger and reminisce. I didn’t however actually attend the football game but
being a part of the tailgate was quite an experience. I don’t think I have seen
so many people wearing red in my life. There were so many people playing bags,
laughing and just having a good ol’ time. I can say I defiantly learned a
lesson from my experience at the tailgate… remember to bring your phone. There
are some similarities from college homecoming and high school homecoming.
People do go all out and wear anything crazy they can find that is red; the
fans sure do show their support for football teams. Being lost in a crowd where
everyone is wearing red makes it extremely difficult to find whoever you are
looking for. I am looking forward to next year hopefully it is just as fun and
maybe this time I will actually go into the game.

My first concert ever!

On October 4, 2011 my friend, his girlfriend, my girlfriend, and I went to the Castle theatre in downtown Bloomington. We went to the Anberlin concert. This was an amazing night. We took a cab to get there, and when we did we had to wait outside in line for about 15 minutes. When we got inside we didn’t get tickets. We just signed in. It was weird. People who were under 21 had to pay a one dollar fee and had to sit up in the balcony. That was stupid to me, but I didn’t care. Before we went upstairs, I bought an Anberlin t-shirt to remember the concert by. The concert started with two opening bands. The first was a band named Ferreday, they were a local band. The second was a band named Atomic Tom. Both of these bands were great, but definitely not as amazing as Anberlin. After the openings Anberlin came on stage. I was so excited. They played either 9 or 10 songs and they ended a half hour early. I knew most of the songs they played except for 2 or 3. They opened up with their song Reclusion. They finished with The Feel Good Drag. Our group took a lot of pictures, recorded videos, and sang our hearts out. It was amazing. After they got off, while we waited for the cab back home, we went and waited in the lobby. The other two bands; Ferreday and Atomic Tom were down there selling merchandise. I got free stickers from each band. Before we left I got a picture with the singer from Ferreday and a picture with the singer from Atomic Tom. After this we took the cab back to campus and went back to my dorm for bed.

Homecoming Isn't Just For Football

With the weather starting to cool down and the leaves falling off the trees that only means one thing, winter is right around the corner. Most people have no enjoyment with this season but when winter comes that means basketball season is here. On Friday October 14^th ISU held Hoopfest for the 2011 homecoming. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go watch a scrimmage with the guys team and the girls team, but boy was I glad that I went. They started off the night with introducing the whole girls and guys basketball team. The girls coach gave a nice typical preseason speech while the men’s coach put together a very corny but entertaining speech stating the goals for the upcoming season.

The First event of the night was the three point shootout. For this event it was teams of two, one girl one guy. Katie Broadway and Trey Blue led off the night with 16 three balls in the first round. Broadway/Blue advanced to the champion ship along with Katie Winge and John Wilkins advanced to the championship round. In the finals Broadway and Blue combined for 15 shots, but Winge and Wilkins just barely beat them with a last second shot by Wilkins to make their total 16 and the champions of the three point shootout.

The second event of the night was the dunk contest, this was the definitely the best part of the night. The junior Tyler Brown was stealing the show; from 360 dunks to between the legs he was doing it all. Brown and Jackie Carmichael were the two that advanced to the finals. Through the first round of the championship they both had a perfect score of 40, but it was Carmichael’s second dunk of Reggie the Redbird that created the separation. Carmichael beat out Brown by one point for the dunk contest champion.

After the dunk contest they held the women’s scrimmage. The red team defeated the black team 25-21. Alexis Jenkins was the leading scorer with 8 points followed by Jamie Russell who had seven points. The last event was the men’s scrimmage. The White team outscored the Red by two points with a final score 36-34. Carmichael led all the scorers with 11 points. Anthony Cousin scored the second most with 9 points.

So walking out of Hoopfest I was certainly glad that I went, and now I’m even more excited for basketball season to start.