Disappointed, confused and ashamed

Thursday, December 4th, 2008 | Sports | No Comments

I, like every other Auburn fan, didn’t believe the rumors. I could only imagine how dumb people who were spreading it would feel after the truth came out. But around 4:35 p.m. Wednesday, as I sat in our increasingly busy office, my comfort level with my disbelief was wavering.

The coach who taught me how to believe in Auburn had “resigned.” For some, this is unreal, for others it’s a cause for anger, but for me it’s the end of something very special.

I’m almost ashamed to admit this, but before I joined the Auburn family I was a fan of the other school. I can only justify this by saying my parents raised me to believe it was the only school to root for and because I never really followed football until the fall of 2006, my freshman year.

Coach has been MY coach, and the only coach I’ve known as a fan. I always looked forward to the smirk he had at every game and the calm way he guided the team through a game. And I, like most fans, waited impatiently for the games where Tubs would uncharacteristically get visibly upset over a bad call. 

I will miss him terribly as our coach and hope the statements about his further involvement in the program are true. However, if he does decide he wants more than a mediocre job in the athletic department and the coaching bug bites him again I as a fan of the Auburn Tigers and of Tommy Tuberville will support him all the way.

Lastly I don’t believe this was Coach’s decision and I’m not the only one with this belief. And to whomever made this decision should know that one day this University and its students will speak lowder than you and your deep pockets.

I hope you can live with yourself.

Anticipation almost too much

Saturday, November 29th, 2008 | Sports | 1 Comment

I’m sitting her on my couch surrounded by the goods needed for an afternoon of football: chips, dip, beverages, shaker and toilet paper. 

The toilet paper is for later, hopefully.

But while I was ready for the game at 2:30 p.m., CBS is making me wait another 0:15 to see my game and it’s already 2:48 p.m. 

I say we propose a law, that states a channel should cut to the MORE IMPORTANT game if the other is blowing. 

And the more important game will always be an Auburn game. 

Just a thought.

Obama and the puppy saga

Thursday, November 13th, 2008 | Politics | 1 Comment

We watched two years of coverage, were on the edge of our seats for all the debates, weighed each candidate on the issues and stood in line to vote. And it’s FINALLY over. 

Yes, we still have to find out who he names for his cabinet and all that applies, but right now we get a break from all the serious stuff. All I really want to know is whether Sasha and Malia will be getting a pound puppy or a top o’ the line, expensive pure breed. I almost feel I’ve been sucked into their desire for a puppy since I first heard about it. And I almost felt sorry for them, what if YOUR dad said, “You can have a puppy when I become president of the United States.” Cruel, huh?

But for these two little girls it came to fruition and I can’t wait for the pictures of the future first daughters with their hypoallergenic puppy. It’s lame and WAY less important than who the President-elect picks as secretary of defense, homeland security or some other equally important position, but my brain can’t handle anymore stress on serious politics. The past two years have been a drain. So, with those things considered, I’m allowing myself to be a lame-o and Wikipedia ‘hypoallergenic dogs’ to narrow down the breeds.

I just hope this puppy doesn’t attack like W.’s Scottish terrier Barney did. 

End of semester drag begins

Thursday, November 6th, 2008 | Campus | No Comments

I have always been the kid who craved the first day of school. I couldn’t get enough of beginning homework on August afternoons and opening that new, fresh pack of Bics.

Yes, I’m aware I’m a dork. After being this way for 21 years, I’ve learned to embrace it.

BUT it is this time of the semester that always makes me feel a little crazy for liking school. For some reason about the first or second week of November I cannot stand school. Maybe it’s the end of semester rush to get everything in and the projects that take way too much time, but I honestly would rather work at Wal-Mart than finish the semester. (Yes, I’m implying working at Wal-Mart is a horrible thing.)

Fall semester almost always feels like it’s in some sort of stand still at the end, which doesn’t help. 

It’s also this time of year that I crave a road trip. I would love to just forget school and drive to the beach or some random town with friend. I guess it’s a way to get out of the scholastically obsessed rut I’m in. 

Oh well, I guess I’ll have to wait for Thanksgiving Break before I get any sort of relief.

Free coffee … for your vote?

Saturday, November 1st, 2008 | Politics | No Comments

Here’s a weekend update: 

I was watching my fave weekend show Saturday Night Live, when I actually paid attention to the commercial break. I know a lot of pro-voting and candidate analysis commercials have been airing lately. Go figure. But I honestly was surprised to see that Starbucks is offering a free tall coffee to customers who come in and say they voted Nov. 4.

OK, this could be one of two things: a great reward or an unnecessary bribe to get lazy caffeine-addicted Americans to vote. 

Of course I’m leaning toward the latter. Apparently people shouldn’t care enough to have their vote/opinion counted/considered in one of the most important elections to date, but they need the promise of a free coffee to get to the polls. 

P.S. The coffee would cost no more than $1.85 regularly.

Way to go Starbucks, you’re putting a price on voting and setting the bar pretty low.

Criticism incites anger from writer

Thursday, October 30th, 2008 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Mistakes happen. It’s one of the universal rules of thumb. 

I even think there’s a rule named after a dude named Murphy. Yep, just checked Wikipedia and there’s definitely a universal law that states: “Anything that can go wrong will.”

That research aside, why do people FREAK out when there are mistakes? Take for example The Auburn Plainsman and its many mistakes. We staffers do try our very best to produce an error-free, professional paper every week, but mistakes happen. It’s not like we don’t have a six-point inspection process. We don’t just slap the stories on the page without once, most times at least twice, checking spelling, grammar and content.

› Continue reading

Wedding bombardment almost too much

Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 | Uncategorized | No Comments

I just want to put this out there: I hate weddings. OK, maybe not the actual ceremonies, at which I cry, or the receptions, at which I eat, but definitely the hype leading up to them.

I’m so over all my friends getting engaged and transforming themselves into the all-too-busy bride to be. It’s cool they’ve found that person they want to spend the rest of their life with, but why does everyone else have to hear about how great wedding planning is?

I guess this all comes down to my vision of my wedding: small, cheap, not a big deal and never going to happen. This is all explained easily: I don’t like hoopla.

Note to my engaged friends: don’t stop telling me every detail, it’s entertaining and fun, but know that I’m really thinking “why spend all that money on one day than preparing for the rest of your life together”.

I was never the girl who sat down and planned out every detail at age 10. And if this independent woman settles down she’ll probably just go up to city hall.

If Big and Carrie can do it, so can I.

Politics pushing passivity

Saturday, October 18th, 2008 | Politics | No Comments

Sometimes I feel like the “great” election I was expecting is only going to let me down. I’m not talking about my candidate not getting elected, I honestly could care less about the two front runners.

No, what I’m talking about is the passion I expected from a generation I’m ashamed to say I’m apart of. We were taught about the riots in the ’60s and ’70s, but apparently one of the most crucial elections to date isn’t worth the effort. Well, maybe I don’t want riots but I expected at least some sort of coast to coast drive to inform people of the issues and the correct platforms. Not parties to give biased speeches about one candidate or another. › Continue reading

Identity theft something to worry about

Thursday, October 9th, 2008 | Uncategorized | 2 Comments

I’ve had the most bizarre things happen to me when dealing with ‘grown-up’ things that sometimes I’m convinced I wasn’t meant to have an easy life.

Student loans have vanished, no literally they have been on my account one day and gone the next; my identity has been stolen (and it was recently attempted again) and I get charged for services after I cancel them.

My favorite was having my identity stolen. It’s not like I have bundles of money just lying around for someone to steal. That issue aside, I was stupid enough to respond to an information verification e-mail from my bank. Well, it wasn’t really from my bank. About 3 months later, after I had called the bank to confirm I was in no danger (they said I wasn’t), I got a phone call from my bank:

Bank: Ms. Wade did you try to purchase $3,000 worth of computers and software from blah blah blah?
Me: $3,000 of WHAT?!?

So, I got to close down my accounts and open new ones, which meant I couldn’t use my debit card until I received the new one. I didn’t get it until at least two weeks later. For a college student, not having a debit card is almost depressing.

It’s been about than eight months now and I have already had one more attempt at my account. But most banks have divisions that detect that sort of activity. Without those lovely people I would be a much poorer college student than I am today.

I think I would rather just return to the days when a Crayola bank, you know the one shaped like a crayon, was all I needed.

Concourse construction becoming irritating

Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 | Campus | 1 Comment

I would like to start out by saying this is my first public blog, so if deemed terrible by readers … oh well. Every now and then, the University finds it necessary to start one construction project or another in an attempt to keep our campus beautiful. They have good hearts for that, but once in a while the project isn’t convenient for students. With those construction projects, if ever I need to walk around/near/on them, I get tense or frustrated.

Take for example our lovely Concourse. This project is somewhat necessary in a we-want-students-to-stop-tripping-on-the-bricks kind of way. But then they close off have the walkway and, here’s where my tension/frustration begins, this also runs into the construction still on-going at the Student Center. In that small area where have the Concourse is closed and the other side is fenced in, 3,463,454 students must walk through between classes. An exaggerated number, yes. But it sure seems like that many are coming through when I’m trying to get to work or class.

I understand the need to finish projects before the cold of winter sets in, but could it be more coordinated? I do have ’snaps’ for the University or whoever designed the Concourse brick area around the Student Center. From what I’ve seen through prison-like gates and fences it’s beautiful. (I heard someone use ’snaps’ the other day and I’m guessing it’s making a return)