THE SECOND YEAR IN REVIEW (PART 1 OF 4)

Memorial Day weekend 2006. It’s here already. I mean, didn’t I just graduate from high school months ago? Well, as quick as you can Tim Biakabutuka, the first two years of college are almost done. I know everyone kept telling me that the four years of college would go quickly, but who listens to other people? I know I don’t. But those people were right. These weeks just fly by now. Granted, some days seem longer than others but overall, the weeks are short now. And now after 9 weeks of what has been a great spring quarter, I’m less than two weeks away from two full years in the bag. So, as a service to you, my faithful readers, and myself, I plan to recap my feelings, thoughts, events, etc… of the first two years of my college experience.

Before I really get going though, I said I would do a Reality recap and I am a man of my word so without further adieu, enjoy my recap of the best genre in television: Reality TV.
SURVIVOR: Exile Island: If you watched this past Survivor, you were in for a true treat. It’s been a long while since they’ve had a Survivor this good. First of all, it had a great cast. Hands down, one of the best. The start was choppy but as the season went, so did the action, drama, suspense and comedy. In a previous post, I picked Cirie to win it all. Well, she got fourth place but she did win a car during the finale, so I’m happy for her. In the end, a good guy won. Aras, a yoga instructor who fought every challenge but seemed to always come up a little short, won the million bucks and deserved it. He poured his heart and soul into the game and yet, did not really screw anyone (big time) over in the process. I hope all of you will catch onto the next Survivor because in this world we live in today, it is sometimes nice to just laugh at others and this show is the perfect venue for that.
AMAZING RACE 9: Yes, nine. And there better be more. This show is still my favorite on all of television. Just like Survivor, this show had a great cast. Ranging from lazy best friends to old, bickering sisters, the cast was well picked. The nerds were funny, the hippies were wacky, and every couple fought at least 5 times each episode. In the end, the hippies (BJ and Tyler) won it all but not before an excruciating final Road Block that had me on the edge of my seat, pretty much screaming. My pick of Ray and Yolanda got third so again, not too bad on my part. The great thing about this show is the editing. You can’t script this stuff, but you can edit it so good that it makes it look like you did. The tenth race is being taped right now and I cannot wait. If you get bored on Sundays at 8pm next fall, check this show out. I think I have almost converted my roommate to it but even if I haven’t, you should.
AMERICAN IDOL: Uh, I didn’t watch this but why the hell did a guy who looks 40 years old win? And secondly, none of these idols are ever gonna be good. Kelly Clarkson is only good cause she broke away from Idol’s label. That’s all I have to say about that because this show stinks now.

All other reality shows are not worth mentioning right now because of time considerations but just know this, reality shows are the way to go for good TV. If you don’t believe me, it’s your loss. Case closed.

So now to my recap of the year. Well, I came into this year with high hopes of having a great time socially, doing well in my first full year as an Intramural PA, and also doing well in my first reporting gig on Gridiron. Let’s just say I definitely exceeded my expectations. First off was Gridiron. Getting here two weeks before school even started, I was living with Braves and well, that was an adventure. Let me share some advice with you. When living with others (and they are doing you the favor), don’t buy food from the grocery store. Just eat out every night. Why? Ask me personally. I have a great story about that.

Anyways, the first few weeks of Gridiron went fine thankfully and the IM staff training was a blast. Before school even started, I was already having a great time. And then Fall quarter came. The classes got goin, the students came to campus, and OU was given the #2 party school ranking, which of course, was an insult. How dare the Princeton Review question our abilities! The classes in the fall were just terrible. Yes, I got a great GPA but the classes were so damn boring. It was like watching a Kansas City Royals baseball game or a non-US World Cup match. But I survived by doodling an awful lot and in some cases, just falling asleep. This strategy has moved on to this quarter in some of my classes because teachers do not understand the concept of shut up and let the students talk. The quarter ended on a good note though as I went to Arizona to ref flag football. It was a great trip too. The weather was nice and the ladies in Phoenix were lookin really really good. I almost transferred there on the spot. I was (and still am) very jealous.

There were many highlights to the Fall Quarter. From announcing the IM flag football championships with Alex to Luke’s 3-girl winning streak, fall quarter was going down as the best quarter ever, a title it wouldn’t hold long. But it had great moments. Of course, being the short-term memory guy I am, I forget most of them but I know they were there. I remember the nights screaming at the Indians as they choked down the stretch. I remember the OSU-Texas debacle of a game and then promptly drinking the loss away. I remember the many late night meals at Union Street Diner with the Gridiron gang. All of these made for a memorable quarter.

But enough with fall, the Winter and Spring were also great times. So I shall move on. The next post will highlight the next two quarters and more. For now, I leave without a closing quote because just like any good TV movie, I am leaving you in suspense. I want you to come back and read about my ever-changing life. So I guess this is goodbye then. I will post tomorrow so until that times comes, go Tribe, eat Cheez-Its, and Hakuna Matata!