WINTER BREAK...AND I MEAN IT
Ohio University is a great school. I say that a lot in this blog, on the phone, on Facebook and in person. It's a great school for many reasons ranging from its atmosphere, its opportunities and yes, it's long 6-week break between Thanksgiving and New Year's.
Now, there are a lot of critics of our long 6-week break. Some of them are OU students. But if you take a closer look at the break, it's hard for me to find a problem with it.
First of all, it's 6 weeks! And this year, it happens to be 7. That's a long time to get a job, make some much-needed money and eat some (free) home-cooked food from Mom and Pops. Second, while all your friends are thinking about papers and exams they have after a long thanksgiving weekend, all OU students worry about is how much turkey, mashed potatoes and sweet potato pie they can stuff down (and there are always leftovers). And then there's the argument of "Well, we get out in May and you all are out in June". My response: Thank God we get out in June and not May...because what that means is less time in Athens during the always-exciting Spring Quarter. I mean, let's be honest, would you rather be at OU now or in June? Come on, it doesn't get much better than this break. Good time to clear the minds, replenish the wallets and get ready for what will be, for me, the final two quarters of my college career.
So what does one do during this break? Well, some people get jobs. Some go on vacations. Some take on an internship or co-op. Me? I do nothing. And by nothing, I seriously mean nothing. My routine is rather simple. I wake up around noon. Some days are earlier than others. Sometimes, I get up in time to watch Price Is Right at 11am. Other days, I'm in the bed until 2pm. It just depends. During the day, I watch a hodgepodge of TV ranging from dumb MTV shows to the CNN Newsroom. Hey, a boy has gotta know what's goin on in the world. Anyways, at 3pm, I make the most crucial decision of the day: Go to wrestling practice at my former HS or sit at home for 3 more hours. If I go, I get a slight workout, help out my coaches and generally have a good time. If I don't, I do more watching TV, surfing the net and even play some Guitar Hero if I feel daring enough that day.
6pm means parents are rollin home and dinner time. 7-8pm is reserved for Jeopardy and Wheel Of Fortune, unless the Blue Jackets have a game. Then, I begin watching them at 7pm. At 8pm, I begin looking on the TV for somethin good to watch or call some friends on campus and see if anything's up at THE OSU. No matter if I am there or at home, bedtime ranges from 2am-4am and then the cycle restarts.
So why not get a job? Why not intern? Why not take a small vacation somewhere? Well, it isn't called Winter Break for nothing. I work 4 jobs on campus and at all times, am stressed out. So when I come to CBus, the LAST thing I wanna do is work. Yes, the money would be nice but so is watching Plinko and Youtube videos. It may sound lazy but this is now my 4th year doing it. I've got a system and it keeps me busy. I'm never bored. I've always got something to do. It may be as small as beat a high score in text twist or watch a movie such as The Departed at 2am (great movie by the way) but it is a goal for the day.
Now, I will be traveling over the break. I've already gone to Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Next up will be back down to the ATH. Then a trip to Milwaukee to bring the sis back home and then after Christmas, it's down to the Big Easy and Big D for some flag football officiating. But these aren't vacations...they're actually more like work so it almost trumps my point of Winter Break = Break. But hey, can't win 'em all. I mean, heck, my kitchen is being remodeled right now and so far, most days, I awaken to a hammer or drill that sounds as if its right next to my head at 9am. Now that stinks.
So before you go complaining about your Winter Break job/internship/co-op/vacation, just think about me. I'm doin nothin and lovin it. I still have a good time, hang out with friends and eat well. But in general, I do nothing. I am taking a break from school. The books, professors, the JOBS and the stress tht comes with all those. I mean, I do miss Athens and the people but honestly, I love this break because well, it's exactly that. A BREAK!
Friday, December 07, 2007
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
O-H....N-O
The Ohio State Buckeyes are in the National Championship...again. How? Well, I'm not really sure ANYONE understands. Just three weeks ago, the team lost at home on senior day to Illinois, ending all hopes of playing in the big game. Or so we thought. What followed in the next three weeks included EVERY team ahead of the Bucks losing. And now, the team is playing for the title once again. But let's be honest...do OSU fans really want this?
Let me take you back to the year that has been 2007 in terms of Ohio sports. Needless to say, it's been rough. It all began on January 8th. The undefeated, top-ranked and favored Ohio State Buckeye football team taking on the Florida Gators. I'm pretty sure most people were expecting the Buckeyes to win. Even Buckeye haters were resigned to the fact that obnoxious OSU fans would be gloating for the coming months about the victory. Well, that didn't happen. Instead, there was a humbling of OSU fans everywhere as Florida thumped the Buckeyes. I mean, it wasn't even close.
But that's not the only thumping Florida put on Ohio State. Oh no, we can't forget about basketball can we? The Thad five came in with huge expectations and by george, they not only met them but exceeded them. Thanks to Greg Oden's intentional unintentional foul and Ron Lewis' amazing shot (cue Gus Johnson please), the Buckeyes marched all the way to the championship game to meet, you know who, the Gators. Again, the Gators chomped the Nuts and again, Buckeye Nation was left humbled.
So with two losses already for the Buckeye State, it couldn't get worse right? Oh but it could. As amazing as it was to see Lebron James propel the Cavs to the Eastern Conference crown, it was just as disheartning to see them get swept in the NBA Finals by the Spurs. This loss was slightly different though. No one was giving the Cavs a chance (and deservedly so) against San Antonio but I mean, the team barely put up a fight in four games. So for fans in the state, the hearbreak continued as yet another team could smell the championship pie but not even get a slice.
Then, just about a month later came this little ray of sunshine from Columbus. It wasn't from OSU this time but from a pro sports team (Yes, we have those in Columbus). The team was the Columbus Destroyers. The sport was Arena Football. The league is under the radar and in CBus, the team is too but this year, they worked hard to at least make themselves a blip. They did a damn good job of that. Entering the playoffs with a 7-9 record, the team was left for dead by the AFL pundits. The Destroyers didn't listen though, winning three games in a row to get to ArenaBowl XXI. The run was impressive but it wouldn't mean anything if they didn't win it all. Well, they lost. Badly. 55-33 to be exact. Just making Ohio teams 0-4 in national championship games.
After fans were licking their wounds over another loss, then came the hunt for October in MLB. And right in the thick of the playoff race were, you guessed it, an Ohio team. Since the Reds are still a dump, it had to be the Indians and man, what a run they made. The team clinched the division at home and nearly won home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Instead, they tied for the best record and oh, that would be critical. The Tribe first took down the Evil Empire, known as the Yankees. Then, grabbed a 3-1 lead over the Red Sox. With Game 5 at home and 3 games to just win ONE, this series looked in the bag like the OSU-Florida football game. Instead, the Tribe lost the last three games, including a Game 7 thriller that was not for the faint of heart.
Oh, and since I do go to school in Athens, let's not forget how the Ohio Bobcats went from 9-5 to a dismal 6-6, despite the fact they were picked to win the MAC East. They did beat their rival Miami (OH) though...who then went on to lose to Central Michigan in the MAC championship, go 6-7 and lose their shot at a bowl game. Yep, the curse even hit the mid-majors.
And that now brings us to today. The Ohio State Buckeyes going to the National Championship. Can they win it? Of course. Will they win it? That's the question. The best part about the game is that the game is in 2008, meaning the curse of the Ohio teams need not apply. Heck, maybe all of this suffering in 2007 just means 2008 will be that much better. OSU beats LSU for the title. The Browns make the playoffs (equal to a national title in my mind), the Blue Jackets make the playoffs (see Browns comment), the Cavs upset the Celtics for the East crown and go on to win the Finals, the Destroyers take home the AFL title, and of course, the Tribe make up for last year's collapse and win the Fall Classic.
That's a year that I would like to see...and that's coming from a guy who doesn't even like the Browns or Cavs. But after all the heartbreak Ohio fans have felt this year, it just seems like we deserve to have some good things happen. So let's hope for the sake of all Ohio sports fans that the Buckeyes take advantage of the collapse of every college football team in America and reverse the curse that was 2007.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are in the National Championship...again. How? Well, I'm not really sure ANYONE understands. Just three weeks ago, the team lost at home on senior day to Illinois, ending all hopes of playing in the big game. Or so we thought. What followed in the next three weeks included EVERY team ahead of the Bucks losing. And now, the team is playing for the title once again. But let's be honest...do OSU fans really want this?
Let me take you back to the year that has been 2007 in terms of Ohio sports. Needless to say, it's been rough. It all began on January 8th. The undefeated, top-ranked and favored Ohio State Buckeye football team taking on the Florida Gators. I'm pretty sure most people were expecting the Buckeyes to win. Even Buckeye haters were resigned to the fact that obnoxious OSU fans would be gloating for the coming months about the victory. Well, that didn't happen. Instead, there was a humbling of OSU fans everywhere as Florida thumped the Buckeyes. I mean, it wasn't even close.
But that's not the only thumping Florida put on Ohio State. Oh no, we can't forget about basketball can we? The Thad five came in with huge expectations and by george, they not only met them but exceeded them. Thanks to Greg Oden's intentional unintentional foul and Ron Lewis' amazing shot (cue Gus Johnson please), the Buckeyes marched all the way to the championship game to meet, you know who, the Gators. Again, the Gators chomped the Nuts and again, Buckeye Nation was left humbled.
So with two losses already for the Buckeye State, it couldn't get worse right? Oh but it could. As amazing as it was to see Lebron James propel the Cavs to the Eastern Conference crown, it was just as disheartning to see them get swept in the NBA Finals by the Spurs. This loss was slightly different though. No one was giving the Cavs a chance (and deservedly so) against San Antonio but I mean, the team barely put up a fight in four games. So for fans in the state, the hearbreak continued as yet another team could smell the championship pie but not even get a slice.
Then, just about a month later came this little ray of sunshine from Columbus. It wasn't from OSU this time but from a pro sports team (Yes, we have those in Columbus). The team was the Columbus Destroyers. The sport was Arena Football. The league is under the radar and in CBus, the team is too but this year, they worked hard to at least make themselves a blip. They did a damn good job of that. Entering the playoffs with a 7-9 record, the team was left for dead by the AFL pundits. The Destroyers didn't listen though, winning three games in a row to get to ArenaBowl XXI. The run was impressive but it wouldn't mean anything if they didn't win it all. Well, they lost. Badly. 55-33 to be exact. Just making Ohio teams 0-4 in national championship games.
After fans were licking their wounds over another loss, then came the hunt for October in MLB. And right in the thick of the playoff race were, you guessed it, an Ohio team. Since the Reds are still a dump, it had to be the Indians and man, what a run they made. The team clinched the division at home and nearly won home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Instead, they tied for the best record and oh, that would be critical. The Tribe first took down the Evil Empire, known as the Yankees. Then, grabbed a 3-1 lead over the Red Sox. With Game 5 at home and 3 games to just win ONE, this series looked in the bag like the OSU-Florida football game. Instead, the Tribe lost the last three games, including a Game 7 thriller that was not for the faint of heart.
Oh, and since I do go to school in Athens, let's not forget how the Ohio Bobcats went from 9-5 to a dismal 6-6, despite the fact they were picked to win the MAC East. They did beat their rival Miami (OH) though...who then went on to lose to Central Michigan in the MAC championship, go 6-7 and lose their shot at a bowl game. Yep, the curse even hit the mid-majors.
And that now brings us to today. The Ohio State Buckeyes going to the National Championship. Can they win it? Of course. Will they win it? That's the question. The best part about the game is that the game is in 2008, meaning the curse of the Ohio teams need not apply. Heck, maybe all of this suffering in 2007 just means 2008 will be that much better. OSU beats LSU for the title. The Browns make the playoffs (equal to a national title in my mind), the Blue Jackets make the playoffs (see Browns comment), the Cavs upset the Celtics for the East crown and go on to win the Finals, the Destroyers take home the AFL title, and of course, the Tribe make up for last year's collapse and win the Fall Classic.
That's a year that I would like to see...and that's coming from a guy who doesn't even like the Browns or Cavs. But after all the heartbreak Ohio fans have felt this year, it just seems like we deserve to have some good things happen. So let's hope for the sake of all Ohio sports fans that the Buckeyes take advantage of the collapse of every college football team in America and reverse the curse that was 2007.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
NOTHING BETTER THAN FRIDAY NIGHTS AND GRIDIRON GLORY
4 years, 60 episodes, hundreds of hours. That's how much time I put into it. Late nights and early morning. Cold Opens and Week Previews. Intros and Tags. Man, hard to believe that's it's all over.
This was a post that I had planned to write prior to the season finale of GG but I could never get myself to sit down and write it. The main reason was because I never had time since I was working on the finale every night. The other reason was that I didn't wanna leave the final part of the script unwritten. But now, I have come to the end, had time to reflect and man, what a ride it has been.
I mean, seriously, I came into freshman year really having no clue what the show was even about. I was pretty much talked into it by a couple friends who had heard about it. Since I was willing to try anything that did not involve me being a loner in my dorm room on my first Friday night, I followed them to the meeting, and well, the rest is history.
I had zero aspirations and hopes of becoming host. It was Luke, my "tell-it-like-it-is" roomie who kept telling me I'd get the host gig. I was dead sure they would choose anyone but me, including Luke himself. But after he didn't make the first cut and I did, I was thinking more and more about the idea. Still not sure, the producer and director of the show told me to take it seriously...and I did to the best of my ability. After an interview and some days and nights, the call came. I would be the next host. Yikes.
Junior Year flew by. Mistakes began the year and at that time, I immediately felt like I had made a mistake. I felt like I (and others) was in way over my head. I wasn't ready for this spotlight. I needed another year of seasoning. But as the year went on, things got better. And when I mean better, I mean better. From a week 2 meltdown to a Week 10 Emmy-Award winning show.
And then, the final year. I told myself from the start that on each show, I had to bring my best because well, there's no lookin back now. There was no more buffer zone of "next year". The year began good, got rocky at times, but like the year before, rebounded nicely and ended the way I wanted it too...with the credits and everyone who helped make the show a success around me celebrating what a great year it was.
For those of you reading this who have never been around our TV program, I can't even begin to tell you how much this show meant to me. It's not just a show we do for fun. It's a show that gets us ready for the real world. It's a show that lets us be creative. It's a show that requires a lot of work, day and night. It's a show that you put your whole heart into. It's a show that takes cooperation from 20-30 people. It's a show that pushes the limits of student productions. And above all, it's a show that gives this area coverage they would never get without us.
I have made great friends through this show. I have made great strides in my young broadcasting career because of this show. But if there's one thing I will miss about being a part of GG, it will be this community. The people that turned us on every Friday night at 11:30 and put their faith in us to show them highlights and scores from the area. The people that watched to see themselves on TV. Heck, even the people that tuned in just tee their sons, grandsons and nephews, even for just one play. It is those people and their commitment to our show that I will miss the most. I always said every time we put on a bad show, not only did we disappoint ourselves, but we disappointed an entire region. That's a lot of pressure, but each week, we took that pressure head on and worked hard to make the best show possible. That's why this show is so special.
So now, it's over. 4 years of giving up my Friday nights for SE Ohio football. Sounds funny (and even pathetic) to the casual OU student but trust me, it's so much more. I have met some great people through this show. Some are gone (Terrence, Evan, Killer, etc...), some are saying goodbye with me (Tom, Andy, Suz, etc...) and others have just begun (GDizzle, JFlan, Jake, etc...). Everyone of them have made some sort of impact on my life because of their work on the show and for that, I am forever grateful. It's funny cuz last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I went to a movie starting at 9:50pm. I remember turning to my dad and saying "Man, I feel like I have a show to do". Unfortunately though, the show is no more. But no matter where I go from here in my career, I will always remember one thing: There's nothing better than Friday Nights and Gridiron Glory.
4 years, 60 episodes, hundreds of hours. That's how much time I put into it. Late nights and early morning. Cold Opens and Week Previews. Intros and Tags. Man, hard to believe that's it's all over.
This was a post that I had planned to write prior to the season finale of GG but I could never get myself to sit down and write it. The main reason was because I never had time since I was working on the finale every night. The other reason was that I didn't wanna leave the final part of the script unwritten. But now, I have come to the end, had time to reflect and man, what a ride it has been.
I mean, seriously, I came into freshman year really having no clue what the show was even about. I was pretty much talked into it by a couple friends who had heard about it. Since I was willing to try anything that did not involve me being a loner in my dorm room on my first Friday night, I followed them to the meeting, and well, the rest is history.
I had zero aspirations and hopes of becoming host. It was Luke, my "tell-it-like-it-is" roomie who kept telling me I'd get the host gig. I was dead sure they would choose anyone but me, including Luke himself. But after he didn't make the first cut and I did, I was thinking more and more about the idea. Still not sure, the producer and director of the show told me to take it seriously...and I did to the best of my ability. After an interview and some days and nights, the call came. I would be the next host. Yikes.
Junior Year flew by. Mistakes began the year and at that time, I immediately felt like I had made a mistake. I felt like I (and others) was in way over my head. I wasn't ready for this spotlight. I needed another year of seasoning. But as the year went on, things got better. And when I mean better, I mean better. From a week 2 meltdown to a Week 10 Emmy-Award winning show.
And then, the final year. I told myself from the start that on each show, I had to bring my best because well, there's no lookin back now. There was no more buffer zone of "next year". The year began good, got rocky at times, but like the year before, rebounded nicely and ended the way I wanted it too...with the credits and everyone who helped make the show a success around me celebrating what a great year it was.
For those of you reading this who have never been around our TV program, I can't even begin to tell you how much this show meant to me. It's not just a show we do for fun. It's a show that gets us ready for the real world. It's a show that lets us be creative. It's a show that requires a lot of work, day and night. It's a show that you put your whole heart into. It's a show that takes cooperation from 20-30 people. It's a show that pushes the limits of student productions. And above all, it's a show that gives this area coverage they would never get without us.
I have made great friends through this show. I have made great strides in my young broadcasting career because of this show. But if there's one thing I will miss about being a part of GG, it will be this community. The people that turned us on every Friday night at 11:30 and put their faith in us to show them highlights and scores from the area. The people that watched to see themselves on TV. Heck, even the people that tuned in just tee their sons, grandsons and nephews, even for just one play. It is those people and their commitment to our show that I will miss the most. I always said every time we put on a bad show, not only did we disappoint ourselves, but we disappointed an entire region. That's a lot of pressure, but each week, we took that pressure head on and worked hard to make the best show possible. That's why this show is so special.
So now, it's over. 4 years of giving up my Friday nights for SE Ohio football. Sounds funny (and even pathetic) to the casual OU student but trust me, it's so much more. I have met some great people through this show. Some are gone (Terrence, Evan, Killer, etc...), some are saying goodbye with me (Tom, Andy, Suz, etc...) and others have just begun (GDizzle, JFlan, Jake, etc...). Everyone of them have made some sort of impact on my life because of their work on the show and for that, I am forever grateful. It's funny cuz last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, I went to a movie starting at 9:50pm. I remember turning to my dad and saying "Man, I feel like I have a show to do". Unfortunately though, the show is no more. But no matter where I go from here in my career, I will always remember one thing: There's nothing better than Friday Nights and Gridiron Glory.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
I AM THE PROMISE
Yes, those are the famous words I have become famous for. Hell, it's even become my nickname. The Promise....who knew. Quick background to this whole situation. I got a call before school started from the PR department of OU. They said I was suggested as one of 12 students to be involved in a commercial campaign for the university. As usual, I didn't say no (I say yes to everything pretty much) and passed it off as just something small. Next thing I know, I'm all over TV, billboards, newspaper ads and yes, even the OU webpage.
So what's it like being "The Promise" of OU? In simple terms, how bout annoying. When the campaign first began, it was pretty cool. My parents flipped out when they first saw it. They called me instantly and the surprise and pride in their voice was great. It made me so happy to see that I had (and continue to) make them proud. Not only that, but be able to show them how the little boy they've worked so hard to be successful in life is on his way, slowly but surely. My friends enjoyed it too, giving them something else to make fun of me for. You know, something different than my TV theme song obsession or lack of basketball skills for a black guy. And for our show, it was cool to see that the university found OUR achievement special enough to showcase it in a promotional campaign. There are a lot of great things going on at OU but for them to choose OUR show meant a lot to me (and hopefully others).
As the days and weeks went on though, being "The Promise" simply lost its luster. Now, I have friends from all the way back in middle school coming outta nowhere just to say they saw me. Is that cool? Absolutely, especially since it's prolly my fault I lost touch with them. But when it comes to the point of 2-3 people a day, it can be a bit much. Then, the billboards popped up and yikes, talk about really hearing it then. The first three sightings were funny. The next 3 were okay. Then there were 20+ more sightings and feelings of people just HAVING to tell me and well, let's just say that at some point, I hope people understand that yes, I know I am on a billboard.
And then the website....yikes. It's bad enough people make fun of me for knowing a lot of people here at this university already. But that's because of things such as PreCollege, OUIM, Tour Guiding, etc..., not because of the OU homepage. So when I am sitting in class and hear people behind me whispering "that's the guy from the website", trust me, I'm not flattered. I'm actually kind of annoyed. My professors point it out (again, I already know...kinda hard to miss) and today, when I went to my high school, I had former teachers, guidance counselors and future Bobcats all saying they saw my mug on the homepage. And now that my family knows, my ENTIRE family and church family knows. Let's just say Thanksgiving and church were a little different this year than any other.
At some point, my fake smile and responses are gonna wear out...and what sucks is that it's not the people I'm mad at. They don't know that I'm tired of hearing about the commercial, billboard or webpage. They geniunely just want to show how proud, excited or surprised they are to see me doing well and the face of the university. I however, just want this campaign to disappear into oblivion and move on with my college career.
There are two things about this campaign that bug me the most. First of all, it's all this attention that I am getting. I try to be a humble person and I honestly mean that. I hate people who talk themselves up or just constantly feel the need to one-up others. It bugs the hell outta me. So when people tell me about the billboards and website, I try to just shrug it off. But when you hear it over and over and over again, shurgging gets harder and harder. I actually had one person tell me "I have a feeling that deep down you are a really humble person but it's hard when people keep telling you how great you are. If I were you, I'd be like 'yea, that's me. I'm that good' and eat up the attention". See, I can't do that. Whenever I do, I am strictly joking just to make fun of those who do. So yea, this attention is a bit much, which leads me into my next point...
The second reason why I despise this campaign is that is glorifying ME and not the show. The Emmy that was won was not MY Emmy. No, it was an Emmy won due to the hard work of over 30 students who put in countless hours all week and gave up their Friday nights to put on a kick-ass television program for a under-appreciated region. It was an Emmy well-deserved too for a student production that kicks the ass of any other production put on here at OU. It was an Emmy that proved that the show has been the best production ever put on air by WOUB. I mean, 3 Emmys in 8 years in no fluke. So when the words next to my face say "This Ohio student has already won an Emmy", it makes me cringe bceause I know how inaccurate the statement is. It should read "This Ohio student hosted a show that won an Emmy". Just a few extra words make the statement ring more true than ever. It doesn't make me look like a hero I am not.
So in the end, I am tired of this whole "Promise" thing. Will I use it on my resume? Absolutely. It'd be foolish not to. But will I forever announce to the heavens that I am the promise? Absolutely not. What started as cool has turned into an annoyance. So what is it like to be the promise? You probably already know since everyone has achieved some sort of their promise either in high school or college. You just might not be on a billboard or website...and trust me, that's for the better.
Yes, those are the famous words I have become famous for. Hell, it's even become my nickname. The Promise....who knew. Quick background to this whole situation. I got a call before school started from the PR department of OU. They said I was suggested as one of 12 students to be involved in a commercial campaign for the university. As usual, I didn't say no (I say yes to everything pretty much) and passed it off as just something small. Next thing I know, I'm all over TV, billboards, newspaper ads and yes, even the OU webpage.
So what's it like being "The Promise" of OU? In simple terms, how bout annoying. When the campaign first began, it was pretty cool. My parents flipped out when they first saw it. They called me instantly and the surprise and pride in their voice was great. It made me so happy to see that I had (and continue to) make them proud. Not only that, but be able to show them how the little boy they've worked so hard to be successful in life is on his way, slowly but surely. My friends enjoyed it too, giving them something else to make fun of me for. You know, something different than my TV theme song obsession or lack of basketball skills for a black guy. And for our show, it was cool to see that the university found OUR achievement special enough to showcase it in a promotional campaign. There are a lot of great things going on at OU but for them to choose OUR show meant a lot to me (and hopefully others).
As the days and weeks went on though, being "The Promise" simply lost its luster. Now, I have friends from all the way back in middle school coming outta nowhere just to say they saw me. Is that cool? Absolutely, especially since it's prolly my fault I lost touch with them. But when it comes to the point of 2-3 people a day, it can be a bit much. Then, the billboards popped up and yikes, talk about really hearing it then. The first three sightings were funny. The next 3 were okay. Then there were 20+ more sightings and feelings of people just HAVING to tell me and well, let's just say that at some point, I hope people understand that yes, I know I am on a billboard.
And then the website....yikes. It's bad enough people make fun of me for knowing a lot of people here at this university already. But that's because of things such as PreCollege, OUIM, Tour Guiding, etc..., not because of the OU homepage. So when I am sitting in class and hear people behind me whispering "that's the guy from the website", trust me, I'm not flattered. I'm actually kind of annoyed. My professors point it out (again, I already know...kinda hard to miss) and today, when I went to my high school, I had former teachers, guidance counselors and future Bobcats all saying they saw my mug on the homepage. And now that my family knows, my ENTIRE family and church family knows. Let's just say Thanksgiving and church were a little different this year than any other.
At some point, my fake smile and responses are gonna wear out...and what sucks is that it's not the people I'm mad at. They don't know that I'm tired of hearing about the commercial, billboard or webpage. They geniunely just want to show how proud, excited or surprised they are to see me doing well and the face of the university. I however, just want this campaign to disappear into oblivion and move on with my college career.
There are two things about this campaign that bug me the most. First of all, it's all this attention that I am getting. I try to be a humble person and I honestly mean that. I hate people who talk themselves up or just constantly feel the need to one-up others. It bugs the hell outta me. So when people tell me about the billboards and website, I try to just shrug it off. But when you hear it over and over and over again, shurgging gets harder and harder. I actually had one person tell me "I have a feeling that deep down you are a really humble person but it's hard when people keep telling you how great you are. If I were you, I'd be like 'yea, that's me. I'm that good' and eat up the attention". See, I can't do that. Whenever I do, I am strictly joking just to make fun of those who do. So yea, this attention is a bit much, which leads me into my next point...
The second reason why I despise this campaign is that is glorifying ME and not the show. The Emmy that was won was not MY Emmy. No, it was an Emmy won due to the hard work of over 30 students who put in countless hours all week and gave up their Friday nights to put on a kick-ass television program for a under-appreciated region. It was an Emmy well-deserved too for a student production that kicks the ass of any other production put on here at OU. It was an Emmy that proved that the show has been the best production ever put on air by WOUB. I mean, 3 Emmys in 8 years in no fluke. So when the words next to my face say "This Ohio student has already won an Emmy", it makes me cringe bceause I know how inaccurate the statement is. It should read "This Ohio student hosted a show that won an Emmy". Just a few extra words make the statement ring more true than ever. It doesn't make me look like a hero I am not.
So in the end, I am tired of this whole "Promise" thing. Will I use it on my resume? Absolutely. It'd be foolish not to. But will I forever announce to the heavens that I am the promise? Absolutely not. What started as cool has turned into an annoyance. So what is it like to be the promise? You probably already know since everyone has achieved some sort of their promise either in high school or college. You just might not be on a billboard or website...and trust me, that's for the better.
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
FRIENDS...CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THEM
First off, lemme start this blog with an apology for the more than 4 month layoff. I've been busy or just lazy and have failed to put a post up but right now, I have time so I shall proceed.
So this past weekend, I went home. I've been reluctant to go home this entire quarter because every weekend away from OU is truly one to be missed. Whether it be the parties, events or random interactions, there's always smething I'm missing out on when I leave for the capital city. But the one thing that I get when I go home is my friends....the ones that have been with me since I was a 119lb. freshman who only knew three people on his first day of high school.
Going home to them was great...a welcome break from the drunken debauchery at the bars in Athens. Oh, there was still drinking involved but it was a more relaxed atmosphere because there was no pressure to leave for someplace else or do anything...because we all knew just being together is what mattered. I especially felt this way after not seeing all of them at one time in over 2 months. I was able to catch up on the latest news and gossip of the crew back home and we talked like idiots as usual about stuff that doesn't even matter. But that's the joy of it...having a good time and you don't really know why.
Now don't get me wrong, I have close friends at OU as well. Friends that I can turn to whenever I need to talk, argue or rant. I've noticed that in this senior year, it is those friends that I call every weekend to hang out with because I know deep down, those are the ones I am going to miss when I depart this heaven known as the college years in Athens. They are the ones I really plan on staying in contact with and visiting whenever possible. Every time we hang out, it's a blast and even when it isn't that much fun, there at least seems to be a good story about why it wasn't.
So yea, I think, I'm a lucky guy. I've got friends in all places (I'm no Garth Brooks....sorry) and lemme tell ya, it's a great feeling to have. Whether it's my TNC Mafia boys in CBUS, my IM Buddies in Athens, my WOUBers in RTV or the Browns Backer at the 'Berg, I know they have my back. Now I just can't wait for my bachelor party when we all get together and well...lemme stop dreaming about that cuz I need a girl first but you know what I mean. It'll be fun...a lot of fun indeed.
HAKUNA MATATA
First off, lemme start this blog with an apology for the more than 4 month layoff. I've been busy or just lazy and have failed to put a post up but right now, I have time so I shall proceed.
So this past weekend, I went home. I've been reluctant to go home this entire quarter because every weekend away from OU is truly one to be missed. Whether it be the parties, events or random interactions, there's always smething I'm missing out on when I leave for the capital city. But the one thing that I get when I go home is my friends....the ones that have been with me since I was a 119lb. freshman who only knew three people on his first day of high school.
Going home to them was great...a welcome break from the drunken debauchery at the bars in Athens. Oh, there was still drinking involved but it was a more relaxed atmosphere because there was no pressure to leave for someplace else or do anything...because we all knew just being together is what mattered. I especially felt this way after not seeing all of them at one time in over 2 months. I was able to catch up on the latest news and gossip of the crew back home and we talked like idiots as usual about stuff that doesn't even matter. But that's the joy of it...having a good time and you don't really know why.
Now don't get me wrong, I have close friends at OU as well. Friends that I can turn to whenever I need to talk, argue or rant. I've noticed that in this senior year, it is those friends that I call every weekend to hang out with because I know deep down, those are the ones I am going to miss when I depart this heaven known as the college years in Athens. They are the ones I really plan on staying in contact with and visiting whenever possible. Every time we hang out, it's a blast and even when it isn't that much fun, there at least seems to be a good story about why it wasn't.
So yea, I think, I'm a lucky guy. I've got friends in all places (I'm no Garth Brooks....sorry) and lemme tell ya, it's a great feeling to have. Whether it's my TNC Mafia boys in CBUS, my IM Buddies in Athens, my WOUBers in RTV or the Browns Backer at the 'Berg, I know they have my back. Now I just can't wait for my bachelor party when we all get together and well...lemme stop dreaming about that cuz I need a girl first but you know what I mean. It'll be fun...a lot of fun indeed.
HAKUNA MATATA
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