Tony Jarboe is a talented journalism student at Northwestern University. Tony will cover the Big 10 for The Turf and will share his thoughts and opinions on this page as well as remind us of what college life is all about. He'll also contribute as a pollster for the Turf Top 17 College Football poll. Hopefully he won't flunk out after one semester. (Be sure to visit "Jarboe's Jabs 2"). Contact Tony at jarboes_jabs@yahoo.com.
REFLECTIONS OF MY FIRST QUARTER (12-17-06)
Ten days ago I put down my pencil for the final time this year and handed in my calculus exam. I headed out the door, both physically and mentally exhausted, but also relieved, having just completed my third exam in a little over 24 hours. My Christmas Break could now officially begin.
Looking back on my first quarter I really learned a lot about myself, both in and out of the classroom. From my Pre-Columbian Art class I learned that you cannot learn anything useful in a Pre-Columbian Art class. My Russian Lit class taught me that Russian authors have impeccable command of language and yet can not define “concise” with a dictionary. In calculus I found that it does not matter how many formulas you memorize, because the only one that will show up on the test is the one you forget.
< Pre-Columbian Art...apparently a waste of Tony's time.
In college I experienced Starbucks for the first time. Three people literally dropped their jaws and stared at me with a “you-have-to-be-kidding-me” expression when I told them I had never had Starbucks. I had a Peppermint Mocha frappuccino, which tasted pretty good until I realized that I was paying close to $40 a gallon for the stuff. Never again will I complain about paying $3 for a gallon of gasoline. While on the subject of culinary firsts, I also had sushi for the first (and last) time in my life.
I had many other firsts in college. Some you already know about, such as the first time that I did a report on the radio, my first time videotaping a soccer game, and my first time living in a dorm. I also anchored a 25-minute news program on the radio and was a field reporter for NNN, our campus TV station.
The first quarter was basically a time for me to experiment and try new things. I took my share of lumps in the learning process, but gained many new skills, learned what I like and do not like, as well as many valuable life lessons that I can take with me.
I learned to prioritize during October. On one hand, I had several hours of homework that needed to be done. On the other hand, the Cardinals were in the playoffs. Initially I tried to do homework while watching the games, but that did not work. So I had to choose between baseball and homework. Let’s just say my productivity dropped significantly in October.
< These guy's hurt Jarboe's October "productivity."
That is why I envy Cub fans. The Cubs are finished by the end of September every year, allowing their fans to focus on other activities. Cardinal fans have it tough because the Redbirds are always playing until mid or late October, distracting us from other social engagements and being productive human beings in general.
The most important lesson I learned, however, was that one should never, under any circumstances, utter the words “Wouldn’t it be funny if…” That is not inviting trouble; that is sending trouble an engraved invitation.
My first quarter was kind of crazy. I tried a few new things, learned many valuable lessons, and had a little of fun while doing it. And I did it all without flunking out!
<The plot thickens next semester when Miss USA party girl Tara Conner enters Tony's life!
Final-ly Done….(12-11-06)
I have never been one to believe in omens. If I had, on Friday I would have been rubbing my rabbit’s foot non stop. (How did a rabbit’s foot ever come to be considered lucky? It obviously did not work too well for the rabbit. But I digress.) Friday kicked off the start of my finals, so when I awoke to a bunch of screaming sorority girls in the courtyard, I was rather annoyed. As I learned later, that sorority always runs around screaming at 7:30 the morning following the first substantial snow of the year. Anyway, they were very loud and I was very, very annoyed. Wondering what time it was, I looked at my clock. It was blank. Next I check my power strip. It was not working either. I prayed that the power was not out. I jumped out of bed and tried turning on the lights. Nothing. “Oh (poop)!” I go out into the hallway to confirm that power was out everywhere. I went back into my room and realized it was freezing. And windy. The first I could attribute to the fact that there was no electricity, and therefore no heat. But the wind… I checked the window, and realized I had forgotten to lock it. Now the blustery wind outside kept opening the window, and the lock was frozen, preventing me from locking it. And I had a final exam in 6 hours that I needed to finish studying for. I was displeased to say the least.
< Tony's dorm room.
My neighbor, James, on the other hand, was psyched. He is from California, and thus is unfamiliar with things like snow and cold. He ran out in the snow, barefoot, went outside my window and said “Look Tony! I’m barefoot in the snow!” I suggested he seek professional help. He came back in “Wow, that was cold!”
After the rather inauspicious start on Friday, however, things settled down a little and I was able to prepare for my finals without further hindrance, even getting a few snow ball fights in along the way.
Although the toughest part is over, the next couple of weeks will be extremely tense as I wait to get my final grades for the quarter. Hopefully I did not fail them too miserably.
Black Friday Indeed (11-26-06)
I had always wondered why the day following Thanksgiving is known as “Black Friday.” Seems like kind of a bleak name for the day following Thanksgiving. Besides, it’s Friday! What could possibly be black about any Friday?
Sure, I knew about all of the shopping and like any sane person I had always avoided shopping on Black Friday. In fact, prior to today, I avoided leaving my house on Black Friday whenever possible. Today, for whatever reason, my parents decided to drag everyone out to the mall at 6 am. Let’s just say it did not take me long to discover that “Black Friday” is a very appropriate name for today. Whether describing the color of the sky when arriving at the mall, the mood everybody is in, or the only color of wallpaper left five minutes after the store opens, black seems to be just about everywhere.
For obvious reasons, stores crank up security on Black Friday. One measure they take is to increase the sensitivity of the metal detectors at the exits. They are normally set so as to allow things such as keys to pass through without setting them off. Today, however, the metal detectors were set on a sensitivity high enough to be activated by someone with too much iron in their blood. I think these alarms were designed by the same person who designed the fire alarm in my dorm. Everyone who walked through the metal detectors got beeped. This slowed the exit process considerably as the security person standing at the exit had to check everyone’s purchases to ensure that they had not stolen anything. Plus, it is just annoying to hear a BEEP BEEP BEEP every five seconds.
< "Beep, beep"
If nothing else, my Black Friday experience is one that I shall never forget. There is no experience like it, with the early morning, massive crowds, snaking lines, and hyper-sensitive alarms. Next year, I am definitely not going shopping on Black Friday. In fact, just to be safe, I probably won’t even leave my bed.
Finals week…
I have final exams in two weeks, so in preparation I will be hitting the books hard next week. Everything else, including Jarboe’s Jabs, has to be put on hold temporarily, so I will not have a new column next weekend. I will return in two weeks with my finals report, vacation stories, and much more. Stay tuned.
(Editors Note: Jarboe, where are your priorities?)
GOOD SEATS STILL AVAILABLE (11-19-06)
Northwestern is renowned for many things, but sports is not one of them. Our non-revenue sports are flourishing, but our two revenue sports, football and basketball, are awful. As a result attendance at these games is usually very low. So low, in fact, that there is a good chance that the opposing team will have more fans than we do at our home games.
I was not surprised, then, when in Northwestern’s first basketball game of the year against Cornell, I walked into Welsh-Ryan Arena to a crowd of roughly 2,000 people. About half of the attendees were decked out in red, which is just sad because Cornell’s campus is 700 miles away from the arena while ours is one and a half.
The meager turnout did not dampen the spirits of the student section, which was filled to capacity. The Northwestern student section was absolutely electric, standing and cheering throughout the entire game. Chants of “De-fense!” and “Let’s go ‘Cats” were heard throughout the night, along with the occasional “Bulls---“. Northwestern students are usually more vicious, taunting opponents with chants of “That’s alright, that’s OK, you’ll all work for us some day!” and “State school!” Since we were playing Cornell, however, those jeers just did not seem appropriate.
< Few saw Tim Doyle's performance vs. Cornell.
On offense the ‘Cats were able to feed off of that energy and enthusiasm en route to putting up 61 points. For Northwestern, that is about all we can expect.
Defensively, however, the Wildcats seemed to feed off of the rest of the crowd, which is to say they showed about as much life as the local morgue. Some teams employ a zone defense, others man-to-man. Apparently, Northwestern utilizes the little-known “Swiss-cheese” defense. Cornell managed to score 64 points on us. I don’t think most of these guys could score on their own cheerleaders.
To put it kindly, the basketball team has room for improvement. Every prediction I have seen has Northwestern finishing dead last in the Big Ten. This includes our own school newspaper, The Daily Northwestern. When your own school newspaper picks you to finish last, you know you are in trouble. It could be a long year.
< For Wildcat tickets, go here!
NEXT TIME I'LL WALK (11-0-06)
Living on the outskirts of Chicago, I will occasionally visit the city and see what is going on. Unfortunately, since I am without a car, going into the city means taking public transportation. The main form of mass transit in Chicago is the L (elevated train), which transports about 650,000 people per day, so of course there are going to be some loud, annoying, and just plain strange people that use it. Unfortunately, they always seem to be in the seat right next to me. Whenever I use the L, I can bank on one or more of the following people being in my immediate vicinity whenever I get on:
- Annoying Cell Phone Guy: He is everywhere I am. No matter where I go, I cannot hide from the guy who TALKS LIKE THIS into his cell phone so everyone can hear his vital conversation with his friend as he describes the contents of his handkerchief after a massive blow. Unfortunately, Mr. Annoying Cell Phone Guy is too engrossed in his conversation to worry about minor things such as common courtesy.
- Moaning Women: I seem to attract compulsive complainers whenever I ride the L. There is always some woman who sits there the entire time saying UHHHHHHHH for the entire ride. Considering I am usually on the L for close to an hour, this gets rather annoying after a while. Usually about 40 seconds.
- Clumsy Guy: While I am not exactly graceful, at least I can usually hang on to my things, unlike Clumsy Guy, who boards the L with a full cup of coffee and right as he passes you, looses control dumping the steaming beverage all over your lap. You are now soaked to the bone with hot coffee, and still half an hour from home. Or even better, this happens on the way to work.
- Fat Guy: I have nothing against obese people. Sometimes they have a serious disorder and cannot help being large. But why do they always have to sit next to me? This guy takes up his entire seat and half of mine.
- Smelly Guy: Pretty self-explanatory.
- Compulsive Seat Changer: What would any L ride be without the guy who got up every two seconds and moves to a different seat? Certainly he is not as annoying as any of the others listed, but after a while you want to duct tape him to a seat so he will stop moving.
I think Budweiser could use this list do a variation of their “Real Men of Genius” campaign: Real Men of Mass Transit. This Bud’s for you, Mr. Compulsive Seat Changer Guy… It could work.
Public transportation is similar to living in a dorm. Just as a dorm is the cheapest, most efficient form of living in college, mass transit is the most efficient way to travel. In both cases, you are surrounded by way too many people. Lastly, while at the time mass transit and dorm life do not seem so bad, looking back, you realize you never want to go through that again.
IDLE HANDS ARE THE DEVIL’S PLAYTHINGS (10-5-06)
I have found that since beginning college, the most common question I ask myself is “What was I thinking?” Whether it is volunteering to videotape a men’s soccer game, walking two miles with a load of groceries, or staying up all night before a test, nary a day goes by without me reflecting on that question.
Tuesday night provided yet another opportunity for me to doubt my sanity. I was extremely bored, and had nothing to do except read a 923-page novel. I needed a night out. Tuesday just happened to be Halloween, so I said, “Hey, I could go trick or treating!” Why not? Aside from the fact that I was too old, I had homework, I had no costume, I had dignity (please note: HAD dignity), and trick or treating is illegal (yes, trick or treating is illegal in Evanston, but it is not enforced), I could not think of one good reason that I should not go trick or treating.
Outweighing all of those factors, however, is the fact that free candy was at stake. As a college student, you learn that free things are always good, and free food is even better. One of my friends loaned me his cowboy hat and boots. Another friend, also desperate for free food, dawned a sombrero and went as a Mexican. For an hour we went from house to house in search of handouts.
< Tony supplements his diet.
As soon as we were out the door doubts began to flicker in my mind, whether we really should be doing this. My friend had a different kind of flicker, the kind that comes from a lighter as she lights her cigarette. This seemed to take Evanston residents aback. Apparently they were not used to trick or treaters lighting cigarettes. Probably because most of the other trick or treaters were about half our size and half our age.
< "Why are those college punks taking our candy?"
My friend defied logic that night by living. She got scared half to death twice, and yet still lives on. The first time came as we ascended the steps of yet another dark and spooky-looking porch. This porch, however, came equipped with a motion-activated sound system. As she hit the top step she set off a montage of spooky sounds at which point she jumped about four feet. Another time we climbed the step with two people sitting there dressed as jokers. My friend thought they were fake and walked towards the door. When the two figures stood to offer us candy she let out a scream scarier than anything I had heard that night. She is a little high-strung.
After about an hour of collecting candy we headed back to the dorm. It was an enjoyable evening when all was said and done. The residents of Evanston were very cordial to us and it was fun to hearken back to the days of yore, when I was young enough to fit into an actual costume. Therein lies the problem, however. Halloween is a night for young children, not desperate college students. Like Brett Favre or Dale Murphy, I hung on too long, and ended up looking like a fool. The next time I go trick or treating it will be as a parent. Now THERE is a scary thought!
THE COLLAPSE (10-27-06)
I have always wanted to experience history. My dream has always been to witness first-hand a game that I will never forget. Twenty years from now, when people are still talking about that game, I can smile and say “I was there.”
Thanks to the Northwestern football team, I can now cross that off of my to-do list. I went to our Homecoming game against Michigan State expecting to get blown out by three touchdowns, as we have in each in our first three Big Ten games. Our average margin of defeat in our three Big Ten games is 26 point. Ouch. I assumed our offense would mix a lot of two-yard runs with incomplete passes, score maybe twice all game, and then sit back and let Michigan State carve up our defense like a Christmas ham. Instead, Northwestern tried a novel offensive approach. They passed for some big gains, mixed in some nice running plays, and put 38 points on the board in 37 minutes. Northwestern fans were ecstatic. We were winning! Michigan State fans began heading for the exits, as did many of the Northwestern faithful. A quick score by Michigan State did not dampen Wildcat spirits. A series of three and outs by the suddenly-stagnant Northwestern offense, however, got the students talking. “It’s not over yet.” When Michigan State tied the score at 38 I held my head in disbelief, along with 20,000 other members of the Purple Mafia. How could this happen? The Michigan State side of the field was in absolute pandemonium. With time winding down, they had all the momentum in the world, but we had the ball. Not for long. An interception set up the game winning field goal with 18 seconds left. Everyone filed out of Ryan Field, stunned by what they had just witnessed. As James and I walked back to the dorm, I said “I have never seen anything like that.” It was not until I got back to my room that I found out that I was not the only one that had never seen anything like it: no one had. A thirty-five point lead evaporated in 23 minutes. Sadly, this game simply added to Northwestern’s sorrowful history, one that includes most points allowed all-time, worst point differential all-time, most losses all-time, and longest losing streak of all-time. So maybe we are not a football school.
If this had been just about any other team blowing a 35-point lead, heads would roll. You think I speak metaphorically. Literally, mass death would result from a collapse of historic proportions anywhere else. Instead, Northwestern fans were much more civil. After the initial shock wore off, students just laughed and shook their heads. Good ole’ Northwestern.
THE JOYS OF DORM LIFE (10-22-06)
Of all the adjustments I had to make when I came to Northwestern, one of the biggest changes was getting used to feeling cramped. I grew up on a farm where we had nine people living in a square mile. Now I live in a building with over 600 people and on a campus with more than 7800 students.
< From this....to this> 
Of course this means people walking through the hallway of my dorm at all hours of the night, usually in groups, and usually talking at levels normally reserved for, say, a rock concert. When you have just gone to bed after studying for five straight hours, that is just about the last thing you want to hear. To make matters even better, between 10 PM and 7 AM, whenever someone comes in or out of the dorm, an alarm goes off, which is not very conducive for those of us trying to do useless activities such as sleep.
My favorite dorm experience is the fire alarm. Every now and then someone will walk by the fire alarm at 1 AM with a high fever, causing the ear-piercing siren to go off. Everyone must then file outside, half awake, in the freezing cold wearing nothing but their pajamas and wait for the fire department to arrive and turn off the alarm. On the bright side, no one with more brains than a cantaloupe will ever die of a fire in our dorm. I think the alarm is sensitive enough to go off five minutes before the fire even starts.
Of course when you live in a dorm and share a bathroom with multiple people there is always the obligatory guy who leaves his stuff in there as though he owns the place. The counter is crowded with his soap, toothbrush, razor, clothes, and other personal items. You try to leave subtle hints that you would like for him to keep his possessions in his room by doing things such as asking him to remove them, putting them in his room, throwing them in the shower and soaking them, etc. For future reference, that last one does not work very well. It just makes the other person angry.
< Is dorm life better than this?
My dorm was designed by a guy who built prisons for a living. Apparently he built prisons for anorexics, because you pretty much have to walk down the hall sideways. The rooms are not much better. There is enough space for a bed and a desk and not much else. I have a pipe going across the ceiling of my room, which, as my uncle pointed out, is the perfect place to hang the rope. There’s a cheery thought!
Needless to say, dorm life is not all it is cracked up to be. There are some good things though, such as…well, there’s…hmm. I’ll think of something.
FAMILY WEEKEND AT NU (10-13-06)
Friday the 13th is a day that is said to mark bad luck, death, and destruction. Here at Northwestern, Friday the 13th marks the beginning of Family Weekend (insert joke here). Parents are flying in from around the country and around the globe to see their children and get a little taste of what life is like at NU. As parents trickle in, faces light up and warm embraces are shared as students and parents see each other for the first time in nearly a month.
The university has a variety of activities planned to entertain students and parents including tours, sporting events, and information sessions. Parents even have the option of attending class with their student, assuming that their student actually goes to class. One of the activities is Lunch With Your Student. Not to be cynical, but if my parents came 1000 miles to see me, I would be a little disappointed if we ate in the dining hall instead of going into downtown Chicago. Sure, the food is pretty good here, but I have been eating this stuff three times a day for a month. Enough is enough.
< Fine dining for NU students!
Unfortunately, things get hairier than Cousin It once our parents leave on Sunday. Next week students have Midterm Exams. Now students must sacrifice their weekend study time in order to be with their families (yes, some students here actually study on the weekends). Students will now be scrambling to squeeze in a few extra minutes of study time early next week, likely losing sleep in the process.
Family Weekend is a chance for students and parents to catch up after a month apart. It is a nice break for students, a chance to get away from their studies for a day or two. Unfortunately, it comes at a time where students probably should not be getting away from their studies. Midterms take on another degree of difficulty when students are performing on short rest. Hopefully next year Family Weekend will fall after the midterms.
THRILLS AND SPILLS IN RADIO (10-13-06)
Last week I did my first report on the campus radio station, WNUR. I felt I did a decent job for my first time, although my voice was a little mechanical. Apparently somebody liked the job I did though, as I won the “Outstanding Report” award for the week. For my prize, I got a Hershey’s Cookies and Crème bar. That is the best-tasting prize I have ever received.
<Tony would have preferred this!
This week I went to do my radio report and was looking to improve off of last week’s performance. I sounded better and this time I was able to get a sound byte for my report. The interview went well and I was preparing to put the sound into my report. Somehow I managed to delete the interview, so once again I had to do a “reader”, which is just a report with no sound byte. On the bright side, I have left plenty of room for improvement for next week.
TONY GOES TO CLASS! (10-6-06)
After wrapping up my third week of classes here at Northwestern things are beginning to fall into place. The first two weeks were a little hectic, as I had trouble remembering when and where all of my classes were. Now things are coming a little more easily and I have begun to develop a routine.
My weeks are heavily front-loaded. Coming right out of the weekend I have a Calculus class at 8 AM on Monday morning. That was probably a mistake. Later on in the day I have a Pre-Columbian Art class and Russian Literature. Tuesday is my worst day, as I have an Intro to 21st Century Media class to in addition to math, art, and literature. From there my week eases up considerably. I have only one class on Wednesday and two each on Thursday and Friday. Overall, I have a good schedule, ending by 2 o’clock on most days. My classes are not overly difficult, although I am swamped with homework. Welcome to college!
< Russian Lit. Yeah, that's the ticket to a career in sports.
I came into college dreading the huge lecture classes, but I did find one big advantage: it is easy to hide. During my Russian Lit class I was able to tune into the baseball playoffs while taking notes. I had four other guys around me watching the game on my computer as well. Every time a team would score there would be a quiet “Yes!”
Homework aside, I have also joined the Northwestern News Network (NNN) and WNUR, our campus radio station. Most of my work for NNN has been running cameras. I have found that locating an anchor behind a desk with a camera is much easier than locating a soccer ball on the field. The camera work has been fun, although on Wednesday things were crazy. There are three cameras but only two cameramen, so I had to work two cameras simultaneously. Even so, the camera work has definitely been a good experience.
< Note: This is not Tony.
Wednesday I also did my first report for WNUR. For my first time, things went OK. I was only able to get one source and that was after about 47 other phone calls. I would call one place and they would say “Oh, no, you have to talk to this department.” So I would call this department and they would say “No, you have to talk to that department.” I hate bureaucracy. I finally got a hold of one guy, but he was, to put it kindly, less than knowledgeable about the subject. I was able to gather enough info to put together a fifty second recording, which is about right. I sounded a little mechanical in my delivery, but for a first attempt I do not think it was too bad. Things should get better as I gain experience.
For now it seems like I am drowning in homework, but that should improve with time. Several of my classes are front-loaded with work, so I will not have as much homework to do later on. Between NNN and WNUR I have meetings or shows four days a week, which is enough to keep me busy, but also not overwhelming. It will also help when the baseball playoffs end, as my homework output has decreased since they began, although I cannot imagine why. Right now it seems as though there are not enough hours in the day for me to do everything I would like, but as I continue to develop my time management, everything should work out fine.
< Time for Tony to goof off!
SCOPIN' THE LADIES (VOLLEYBALL TEAM, THAT IS) …(10-1-06)
I had some free time Wednesday night, so I made the short trek to Welsh-Ryan Arena to watch the Wildcats play in-state rival Illinois in a women’s volleyball match. Illinois was ranked number eighteen, so I figured the Lady ‘Cats would have their hands full. I did not know much about our volleyball team, or volleyball in general for that matter. I knew you wanted to hit the ball over the net. That was about it.
Despite getting swept in three straight by the Illini, the Lady ‘Cats gave a good effort. They played hard, diving for balls and giving it everything they had. They just were not able to finish plays off.
The action was great and my seat was perfect: front row at center court. If the crowd had had a pulse, the night would have been just about perfect. The crowd was sparse, only a few hundred fans, many of them wearing orange and blue. The Northwestern fans were pretty quiet the entire time, with only scattered applause whenever the ‘Cats scored. The noisiest anyone got was during the pizza giveaway, where Willie the Wildcat gave away a pizza to the loudest fan.
The environment was depressing, making it difficult for me to get into the game. While I enjoyed many aspects of the experience, the overall experience was disappointing because of the lack of electricity. If the Lady ‘Cats can turn things around, perhaps they can draw enough fans to drown out the opponents. Until then, the only reason I am going to a volleyball game is if I need a quiet place to study.
WHY MEN DON’T SHOP (10-1-06)
“Hey, I’m going shopping. Do you want to come along?” My friend James needed to pick up a few groceries on Sunday afternoon. I had nothing better to do, so I agreed to go along for the ride. On Sundays we have what is called a “Shop-N-Ride” shuttle, which is a bus that goes back and forth between the campus and Wilmette. Wilmette is a suburb west of Evanston that has stores such as Jewel, Dominicks, Best Buy, and Target, giving students access to any supplies they might need during the year. After a ten minute ride we arrived at the grocery store. Once inside, James inexplicably transformed into Takeru Kobayashi. He started grabbing everything off the shelves. He said “Oh, I need that!” for nearly every item we passed, including a 6’ tall Grim Reaper decoration (we finally passed on Mr. Reaper). We just started checking out when our shuttle pulled up. Perfect timing! Unfortunately, when the shuttle pulled away a minute later we were still in line completing James’s purchases. $150 later we were finally checked out and wheeling the cart out of the store. It was about here that I asked “So, how are we going to get all of this home?” We had about ten bags of stuff, too much for us to carry by ourselves. We considered swiping the cart and returning it later, but that would take too much time. James grabbed some paper bags and we were able to consolidate everything to about five. I looked at my watch and saw the next shuttle was not due for another fifty minutes.
“Hey, how far could that bus have taken us? I bet we could walk back.” This statement definitely belongs in the book 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said. For whatever reason, I thought it would be a good idea to trek an unknown distance hauling roughly two tons of groceries. James, suffering from lack of sleep, agreed. We start walking and James says “Wouldn’t it be funny if all our bags broke?” You can see where this is going.
We get about three blocks away and RIP! We had brought a couple extra bags, so we simply rearranged everything and continued on our way. RIP! We had gone about five blocks and already had lost two bags. We continued on, this time making it four blocks: RIP! We were down to our last spare bag and we were still a long way from campus. We arranged everything again, trying to distribute the weight equally among the bags. Two blocks later: RIP! Most of the other bags just lost one or both handles, but this bag completely shredded.
< This is just a re-enactment.
We had to use one of the already-broken bags and hope we could make it home. The plastic bag I used to carry the milk and orange juice shredded, completely ripping out the bottom seam. This is where things started going down hill. Every block another one of our bags broke, so we were carrying bags by the bottoms. We had to pile them one on top of the other just to carry them all. About five blocks from home the bags started giving out again. Now it was the bottoms that were breaking, rendering the bags completely useless. We literally could not go on; we did not have enough bags to carry everything.
I called in some reinforcements, my friend Paola. We waited for Paola. After about two minutes a generous gentleman named Michael walked by and offered his help. With Michael’s help we were able to continue for a couple of blocks when we ran into Paola. We now had four people and were able to carry everything pretty easily. Once back at the dorm, we took inventory. We had everything, although nearly every box had been misshapen, distorted, or destroyed. The bread was completely squished. Overall, however, everything was in decent shape. In the end, it took an hour and a half for us to travel seventeen blocks. Needless to say, next time we will wait for the shuttle. For the record James, no, it would not be funny if all of our bags broke.
< "I'm not sure if these boys are ready for quantum physics."
CAMERAMAN FOR A DAY….. (9-24-06)
In college, most of us do some pretty dumb things. Some people drink so much that they pass out at 2 AM and miss their final exams the following day. Others drink shots and make out on the couch all night, only to find the following morning the object of their affection was a lamp (yes, most good college stories involve alcohol, and usually a lot of it). Me? I make that look like kid’s stuff. I volunteered to videotape a game for the Northwestern Wildcats’ men’s soccer team.
It started innocently enough. I was at a Sport’s Night meeting for the Northwestern News Network (NNN) when they asked for a volunteer. They needed someone to tape the soccer game against DePaul. Wanting to do whatever I could, I volunteered. What could it hurt? I should be able to handle it and it would be an easy $40.
On game day I met Coach Lenahan to get the video equipment and loaded it onto the bus. On the way there I visited with a few team members and the athletic trainer, Kristen. As we approached DePaul’s Wish Field the already quiet bus became almost silent as the players began to focus on the task at hand. We filed off the bus and into the locker room. Coach Lenahan gave a brief pre-game speech on their strategies for the game. The ‘Cats were ready to take the field!
< "Jarboe better not miss any action."
The players warmed up as I set up my video equipment with the help of assistant coach Brad Napper. At twenty minutes until game time I turned on the camera and…nothing! That was a problem. After a few minutes Brad realized there was no electricity in the outlet. He reset the outlet and everything worked fine. I focused the camera at midfield for the initial kickoff. The whistle blew and we were under way! Where’s the ball? Over there! Now over here! There it is! The first thirty seconds of the tape looks as though I was filming while being attacked by a pack of hyenas. I had been using the telephoto lens to get a closer picture, but the only pictures I was getting is where the ball had been two seconds ago. I took a wider angle and things got considerably easier. I was able to follow the ball for the most part.
The worst thing about soccer is that it never really stops except for halftime. I never got a break of more than a few seconds during a corner kick or a throw in. The aforementioned halftime was a much-needed break for me. I sat down and wondered why on earth I volunteered for this job. Halftime ended soon thereafter and we were underway again. Northwestern scored the game’s only goal in the 73rd minute, Geoff Fallon’s first in his career (congrats Geoff!).
< Geoff Fallon's goal prevented OT!
After the game I tore down the equipment and met with the team on the field. They mingled with the few fans that had shown up, mostly friends and family. The parents had set up a post-game spread for the players consisting of pizza, salad, barbeque chicken wings, and cookies. After the all the players had gone everyone else was allowed to dive in. You didn’t have to ask me twice!
Not surprisingly, the bus ride home was more upbeat than the one to the game. The players celebrated the win and were discussing their plans for that evening. I reflected on the experience and realized many things. On the post-game show, a 1-0 game looks like a snooze-fest. However, it is completely different when watching the game. The game was intense throughout and any mistake could mean the game. I also gained a much greater appreciation for professional cameramen. I might even become a soccer fan. Even with the lack of scoring, it is very fast-paced, and the clock rarely stops. That said, the next time the NNN is looking for a volunteer cameraman, I will just keep my hands down.
OH, WHAT A DAY! (9-21-06)
“Welcome to Ryan Field.” It was Saturday morning and I was preparing to watch the Northwestern Wildcats for the first time in my collegiate career. That sign greeted me as I crossed into the parking lot almos
