My freshman year of college was without a doubt the most socially difficult years of my life. I had a new girlfriend at a different school, I didn't have a car, I missed my family, and I wasn't overly interested in getting into any of the mischievous that newly liberated freshmen are inclined to do. I ate many meals alone, spent a lot of time in the library and immersed myself into my school work.
Kind of like Steven Glandsberg
The only thing that I looked forward to during the week was when I would be able to leave campus and go home or head to Bates to see Amy. The only other place where I felt comfortable at all, was in the classroom, where I was recognized by my teachers and classmates for my academic achievements (but unfortunately, that does not earn you cool points in college). I definitely looked a little bit into transferring, and if second semester had gone like the first, there is a good chance that I would have left St. Joe's. Fortunately, however, things did not and I ended up making friendships that last to this day.
The Boys: Suite K
During the course of my sophomore and junior year I became was able to become significantly more social and really enjoy the excellent people at St. Joe's. When I first started this blog, I was going to type an individual blurb about each of my roommates senior year, but I realized that not only would it take forever because I have so many good things to say but it was really the group as a whole that made senior year so special. Eccluding myself, our suite consisted of (in alphabetical order): Ben, Ebb, Josh, Kevin, Kyle, Nick, and Rob (I will probably refer to him mostly as Taco). Six out of the eight in our suite had lived together the year prior and the other two (Nick and Kevin) were most welcome additions. Semester One:
First semester began early for me because I was starting my student teaching internship at Windham High School. Since St. Joe's didn't start until after Labor Day, I had to come about a week early to make sure that my schedule aligned with the high school's. Fortunately, fall sports were also starting that week, so I was not the only one on campus. In fact, a number of my suite mates played on the golf or soccer team, so they also had to arrive on campus early. As a true testament to the excitement levels for the upcoming school year, a couple of the guys ended their summer jobs a week early, just so that they could come and hang out with us at school. In their defense, there are few places more beautiful than St. Joe's in late August! One of the first things to get set up was our brand new flat screen tv. Now normally, this wouldn't have a whole lot of significance, but this particular TV was going to be the grand prize for the winner of our newly formed fantasy football league!
The League: Suite K
Between the new tv, an awesome surround sound system (provided by Josh), and premium cable (paid for by bottle return money), we had a pretty phenomenal set-up. Unfortunately, I did not win the TV (that honor went to Kyle), but we definitely made sure to get our money's worth while we all had access.
Student teaching was an amazing experience, but also required some self-sacrifice during the course of the school week. The school started at 7:25, so I woke up at 6 every morning to make sure that I was dressed professionally and at least semi-nourished before getting to school. This meant that I had to go to bed between 9:30 and 10 almost every night, to make sure that I wasn't useless as a teacher. With seven other roommates, this is not the easiest thing to do. There were many nights where I would wake up to go to the bathroom around 2:30 am and 2-3 of my other roommates (usually Kyle, Ben, or Taco) would be up in the common room playing video games or arguing about something trivial. Ben and Taco were also really into wrestling, and would faithfully watch Monday Night Raw. I am not against watching wrestling and in fact find it quite entertaining, but it was the things that went along with it that would rile me up. I would try to go to sleep around 10 and as soon as I was nodding off, I would all of the sudden hear a loud clatter outside my bed room. The guys would start laughing loudly and commotion ensued. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I got out of bed to figure out what was going on outside of my bedroom. As I opened the door, I saw Ben holding a metal sign, moving it in slow motion towards Taco's head. As it gently hit Taco, he reared back slowly as though he were in a movie being punched. I quickly realized that they were "slow motion wrestling." This was the first time it happened, but it was certainly not the last. Their slow motion wrestling became a common occurance and even evolved to the point that they challenged each other for a championship belt! Most nights, however, they kept the noise level at bay and were respectful of my need to sleep. Another extremely underrated thing that I love about the guys of Suite K, is their selflessness. For example, during my internship, I did not have a car, and worked about 10 minutes away from school. The guys (Taco and Josh in particular) would wake up early or take time in the middle of their busy days to come to school to pick me up. It was a little thing, but it made my life so much easier and I truly appreciated it.
In the fall of 2011, three things happened that improved Suite K's life (particularly mine) significantly: 1. The release of Fifa '12, 2. Jay-Z and Kanye's release of Watch the Throne, and 3. Coldplay's release of Xylo Myloto. The first thing on this list was the most significant in terms of group entertainment, but the second two provided fantastic soundtracks for us to get our gaming on. The guys spent countless hours playing FIFA in the common room and was often how we kicked off our weekends. It was not rare for us to play tournaments to crown the king of the moment. It also spurred the birth of "Ye Olde Rivalry," AKA the rivalry between Josh and Ebb (four year roommates and lifetime best friends). Up until this point, Ebb had little interest in watching, talking about, or playing video games related to soccer, but thanks to this wonderful game, his eyes were awaken! There was rarely an evening when you couldn't walk into Josh and Ebb's room to find them deeply immersed in their fourth game of the night (there was also a fair amount of yelling).
The fall of 2011 also saw the St. Joseph's mens soccer team win their second GNAC championship in four years. This one was particularly exciting for us, because Nick, one of our roommates was on the team. I remember watching the game with Amy and Isaiah and being so excited for Nick when they won! Needless to say, he was stoked too. It was awesome to go to a small DIII school that was really competitive in most of their sports. It really built a strong camaraderie among the student body.
Halloween 2011
I would be remiss if I didn't say a few words about Josh's girlfriend (now wife) Kim and her off-campus housemates Danielle and Casey. They were definitely most definitely our most common visitors and welcomed guests. On weekends at the beginning of the year, they hosted "family dinners," where they would invite the guys from Suite K over for a nice dinner prepared by them. Even though it was not a super common occurance, it was always a treat. It was at these family dinners that I showed my love for rice pilaf by eating a really absurd quantity of it. These three had been around for the past few years (especially Kim), so during senior year they fit in really well with the guys of Suite K. On one occasion, we watched Pearl Jam 20 (an amazing documentary about Pearl Jam) and then Danielle convinced us to watch Never Say Never (Justin Bieber's documentary). Although we were skeptical, we definitely were not entirely unimpressed.
Sundays during the fall semester were dedicated to football. We often had multiple TVs on at the same time, televising the different games or streaming NFL Sunday Ticket. Streaming in the Suites was difficult though, because St. Joe's had pretty terrible wi-fi. Watching football meant that we were eating one of two things: Dominoes or China Taste. Dominoes was always a popular choice for their cheap pizza, but when we really wanted greasy and filling, we went with China Taste. China Taste was a local Chinese restaurant known for their unreasonably large quantities and deep fried Chinese food. Needless to say, it was delicious. The most popular orders from Suite K were their General Tsao's or Orange chicken combos. A single order from China Taste could fill me up for at least three separate sittings (great for a poor college kid).
I realize that there are so many things that I am missing about the first semester, but that is because I was living with such a great group of guys. Eventually, I will get into the second semester and graduation, but will stop here for now.
For much of my youth, the van above was how we rolled. It was always very clear when the Spofford's were rolling up to an event. Not only did we have this monster, it was carrying around four boys. When I texted my Dad to find out what the name of this van was, he responded "chevy astro, remember the movie lights in the van? That's what sold me on the van... plus the VCR for you guys." THE VAN HAD A VCR!! (for all you youngsters, VCR's played movies). I feel like my words don't do it justice, but it looked a little like this:
Pretty legit, right!?
The Spoffords and this van traveled around much of the United States; stretching as far west as Wyoming, as far south as Florida, and as far north as Maine. It was a real part of our family and saw the good, the bad, and the silly from us. We rarely flew as a family, due the the astronomical costs of flying six people, so if we were getting somewhere, chances were, we were traveling in the Big Red.
The Routine:
For a very long time, our road trips had a very similar feel. We would pack the car the night before our trips, because we typically left very early in the morning, so we would travel through big cities with limited traffic. So in the mornings, my parents would wake us up at the expected time. We were usually awaken much earlier than we normally woke up, so typically the four of us boys would zombie around the house, getting showered up and a little food in our stomach, before we piled in the vehicle. Once we were in the van (or car), it was immediately time to go back to sleep. We made sure to carry our pillows on so that we could sleep comfortably. When we travelled in the van, we had plenty of room and usually the sleeping arrangements were quite comfortable. Later on, as we grew larger and our mode of transport got smaller, this was not the case. Depending on when we departed the house, our nap time usually lasted between 1-2 hours, at which point the discomfort of sleeping in a vehicle caught up to us and we began to stir. Once we were awake, we would typically listen to the radio and sing along and chat as a family, until someone had to go to the bathroom. The bathroom pit stops were few and far between in the Spofford family, so we had to become quite adept at holding it. After the pit stop, I would usually start to grow restless and start to poke and prod Isaiah, hoping to get a rise out of him. Of course, being his brother, I knew exactly the things he didn't like and it was only a matter of time before he lashed out at me. Within minutes, the brothers would be annoyed with each other and began to cause a ruckus. My parents would let it go on for a couple of minutes to see if it would fizzle out, but it typically began to escalate. At this point my Mom would say "Boys, that enough!" When Mom got after us, we knew we better behave, so we all got quiet again. Then, satisfied with the silence, Mom (and this never failed to happen) would reach towards her bag and pull out a book on tape. There was literally nothing that unified us more than resisting Mom's attempt to put on a book on tape. She would put the first tape in and the four of us in the back would immediately let out a collective groan. "MOMMMM, WHAT THE HECK!?" "Can we pleasseeee not listen to this!?" "This is SOOOOOO boring!!!" Eventually we would get her to cave in and take the tape out. When we had a TV in our car, as soon as Mom took the book on tape out of the player, it was time to watch a movie. The favorites in the Spofford household included: Remember the Titans, Sister Act, The Mask of Zorro, Aladdin, Lion King, Rudy, and Wild America. Usually, that would take us to lunch time. Despite protests from my mom, we typically stopped at fast food restaurants for lunch (usually McDonald's). As we pulled into the parking lot, Dad would make it very clear that we all had a two dollar limit. That was not unreasonable at the time, because we could choose between chicken nuggets and a cheeseburger and also get a small fry. We had other snacks in the car to supplement our lunches. We would all place our strict 2 dollar orders, except for Josh. Josh, who has always had expensive taste, would insist on principle that he go over the two dollar limit. Whether it was swinging for the fences with a big mac meal or getting a burger, fry, and a soda, he always exceeded it. "Dad, I'll give you the extra dollar if it means that much!" he would always argue. Looking back, we have had a lot of good laughs over Josh's limit breaking. Once we ordered, we would get in the car, and that cycle usually repeated until we arrived at our destination.
The Soccer Tournaments:
Many of our travels when we lived down south (we lived in Mississippi for 5 years) revolved around soccer tournaments for Joe and Josh. These took us all over the South, namely: Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and all throughout Mississippi.Joe and Josh always got to sit in the big captain seats, which put Isaiah and I in the back seat, usually separated by mountains of luggage or snacks. With a family of six active children, my parents could never pack enough. Our traveling staples were cheddar goldfish and Nestea Lemon Iced tea (few things are better than sweet tea.)Our "highest profile" soccer trip happened one evening when my Dad got pulled over for his first and only time ever. We were traveling back from southern Mississippiafter a long day of soccer, and Dad was just trying to get home and maybe going just slightly (yes, slightly) over the speed limit. As Dad started pulling the van over, we got confused, because we were so enraptured in our viewing of Aladdin (a Disney classic.) He came to a stop and we finally understood what was going on. He told us just to stay quiet and respectful and everything went as it usually does when someone gets pulled over for speeding. This story wouldn't be particularly notable because for the most part it was pretty mundane, until I mention the part that STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI WAS ALSO IN THE CAR!
Yes, this Stephen Gostkowski!
At the time, he and my brother Joe were on the same soccer team, and we happened to be giving him a ride to and from the tournament (something that happened on a fairly regular basis). Unfortunately, after we left Mississippi, we lost touch with him and his family, so I cannot make requests for sideline game tickets.
On a separate occasion, we traveled to Memphis for another of Joe's tournaments. Josh was particularly excited, because Graceland (Elvis' home) is also in Memphis and my parents said that we would have the opportunity to go! We arrived at the ticket vendor and were greeted with a really long line. My Dad skipped ahead to check out how much it would be for us to take a tour. Upon seeing the length of line and the prices, he decided that it would probably be better if we didn't actually pay for a tour of Graceland. Josh was pretty angry. We went into the gift shop to have a look around at the different fan memorabilia, and in place of taking a tour, we crowded around (as a family) one copy of a picture book of Graceland to see what we missed (yes, all six of us around one book). Instead, we went to a Mud Island to see Mississippi River Park. That was actually pretty cool! We took a monorail across the Mississippi River, and once we were on Mud Island, there was a scale model of the Mississippi River that we go to check out. At the ticket kiosk for that, they charged us for 4 kids and 2 adults. However, because Joe was a little bit older, we should have been charged for 3 kids and 3 adults. While we were over on the island, Joe guilted Dad so bad that he returned to the kiosk afterward to fix this mistake.
Mississippi to Wyoming:
This trip was definitely our longest road trip that didn't involve us moving somewhere. In one of the summers of the late 90's we embarked on a trip from Mississippi to Wyoming to visit family and some close friends. Earlier, I mentioned that we rarely took pit stops (usually for Mom), so sometimes when we had to go number 1, it was easier and provided faster relief to go in an empty bottle or a cup. This was not weird and made possible by living in a family of mostly boys. Anyways, one of us really had to go and there were no good stopping spots in the middle of Texas, so they went in a left over empty McDonald's cup. Typically we went in bottles that had caps that we screwed back on and threw them out when we stopped. McDonald's cups, however cannot be screwed back on, so someone had to either hold it, or we had to put it in the cup holder. At this point, Mom was driving, and refused to allow the cup to be in the cup holder, because if it spilled or she grabbed the wrong cup, it would really spell disaster and be totally disgusting. Luckily for us, Dad took one for the team and held it between his legs. This was all fine and dandy for a while. As we know, Texas is a very warm state, and driving through it can make someone uncomfortably warm. As Dad sat with the paper cup between his legs, the warm pee mixed with the warmth that Dad's legs were putting off and the cup began to melt. All of the sudden, he felt an umcomfortable trickling down his pants and looked down to see that the cup was leaking! He acted immediately and threw the cup out the window and get it as far away from himself as possible. Not only was his window down, but because it was so hot, the windows in the back were opened as well. As Dad threw the cup out the window, the lid came off and all of the boys in the back were hit with a sudden spray of pee. Needless to say, it was really gross. Obviously, we were not soaked, just sprayed, and got a real kick out of seeing Dad with a big pee spot on his pants. At the next pit stop it was quite comical to watch Dad trying to dry his pants off with a hand dryer.
We continued on through Texas, when suddenly we came to a stop. We were in the middle of a movie, but we looked up and a car in front of us was engulfed in flames! We were in the middle of nowhere and we were not trying to get caught up in this fire. Dad peered out back and said "hold on kids!" As he said it, he sped up and zoomed by the burning car, bringing us to safety.
Maine to North Carolina to Maine:
When I was in middle school, my family took a trip down to North Carolina to look at schools for Joe and Josh. We went to Wake Forest, UNC Chapel Hill, and University of Virginia. We also used the trip as a good opportunity to see family that lived in the Mid-Atlantic states. We were in the tobacco belt of North Carolina when our van's air conditioner died. What a miserable time and place for an air conditioner to stop working, it was so hot! We rolled the windows down and tried to stay as cool as possible, but it was not easy. The first major story on this trip happened at the University of Virginia and involves my Dad. Now, for those of you that know my Dad, also know that he can be a jokester and is very outgoing. His fashion sense for work is outstanding. When he goes to work or church, he is always well dressed and looks very professional. His casual outfits, however, leave something to be desired. He is often spotted wearing a long track shorts and a cut-off work out top to show off the guns. On this particular day, he was wearing just that! As we walked on campus, Joe and Josh stayed ahead of the rest of the family to make sure that no one on campus knew that they were on campus with us. As they walked, they passed through a really beautiful stone archway, when they realized that the UVA girls cross-country team was practicing. They decided that they had better stop to let them pass (and also get a chance to check them out). The girls ran by, and as they did, Joe and Josh noticed that the cross country team added one more member. As they passed us, Dad joined behind them, running with them as they went. When Joe and Josh saw Dad running behind them, they nearly died. Dad, Isaiah, and I thought it was hilarious.
On the way back home, we intended to check out Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania, but once we got to Gettysburg, Joe and Josh were collegedout. Instead, we did the historical sightseeing of Gettysburg. My parents have always been all about the free attractions, most of which are historical sites, so we have been exposed to a lot of history in our lives! Anyways, while we were walking through the Gettysburg cemetery, we were fooling around as usual. It is hard to take four adolescent children anywhere and expect them to be little angels. Josh, Isaiah, and I edged away from Joe and my parents in the middle of the cemetery and found a large tree. Isaiah had the camera and Josh and I pretended that we were peeing on the tree in the middle of the cemetery! Looking back, that was very disrespectful and I regret my actions, but at the time it was all about the potty humor. Needless to say, my parents were pretty furious, and they gave us a nice talking to about how we need to be respectful, particularly in National landmarks.
This is just a brief snapshot into the animated Spofford road trips, with many more stories to come.
Growing up, music was (and still is) always a major part of my life. I remember being in the first grade doing work by myself humming the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song. Although I was in the zone, my teacher was apparently unimpressed, bringing me into the hall and reminding me (not so gently) that school is not the place for that kind of noise. I was also part of the children's choir at our church. While some of the kids in the group were shy and hesitant about their singing, I always posted up right in front of the microphone belting out the church hymns. There weren't many moments in my youth that I wasn't singing, humming, or making some sort of noise (hence my father calling me "Noisy Noah"). I have always been fond of singing, loudly and freely in the presence of my close friends and family and on occasion around others. As much as I enjoy singing and playing, just listening to music, so I am going to take you on a brief journey through middle school of my (sometimes embarrassing) musical tastes.
The Early Years (Pre-school):
When I was very young (like most youngsters) I had very little control over what I listened to on the radio. Due to this fact, my Mom and Dad dictated what we would be listening to on car rides or around the house. When I was a little kid, we didn't have mp3's yet for immediate listening (or even CD's for that matter), so we were stuck with whatever cassette tapes that were kicking around the house. The two tapes that I remember being played most often around the house were Raffi and The Lion King Soundtrack, and we played those tapes all the way down to the bone. Car rides were reserved for much more refined tastes. Most often during short car rides, my mom would listen to NPR, rather than music, (probably because radio has too many commercials and juggling cassette tapes and four boys is difficult). We would sit in the back seat complaining until our faces turned blue, but there was no getting around All Things Considered, Prairie Home Companion, or Car Talk while we drove around town. However, on the occasions when music was playing in the car, more often then not, we were bumping the Phantom of The Opera soundtrack. I'm not sure what drew my family to soundtracks, but we loved them. Obviously, the music is amazing, and I would try so hard to emulate the voices coming through the radio. At that age, I was much closer to Christine Daaé (to this day, still my favorite song from Phantom). Clearly, based on what I was listening to, I was a very sophisticated young child, then I began listening to popular radio.
Grades K-3: The Mississippi Years
Look at these studs (Hanson)
This era (in my opinion) was a particularly golden age for music.I really enjoyed many of the songs that were popular then and still find myself listening to many of the same tunes today. Down in Mississippi, the radio station that played the most up to date popular music was Y 101 Jackson. I will always remember running errands with my dad on Saturday mornings listening to Casey Kasem's Top 40 countdown. The following five songs stick out for various reasons:
1. My Heart Will Go On- Celine Dion
This song is absolutely incredible. It was the biggest hit, written for the highest grossing film in history (at that point). I was in second grade when this song became a smash hit, and EVERYONE needed the soundtrack. I mean, just look at the video (the link above)! Not only does it have clips from a fantastic movie, but also a dramatic close-up of beautiful Celine Dion.
2. I Don't Want to Miss A Thing- Aerosmith
I will continue on the soundtrack vain with this gem. This song is a perfect love ballad, written by an excellent New England rock band. Armageddon was definitely a blockbuster hit, but this song completed star-studded puzzle. I can remember very clearly this song being played at a party down the street for some friends that were moving out of state. This is also the only song that I have ever sang for karaoke (not an easy task).
3. Lovefool- The Cardigans
There were most definitely more popular songs at this time, but the bros and I were oddly obsessed with this one. I can distinctly remember calling in to the radio station regularly requesting this song. At that time, I thought the song's name was "Love pool," so the radio dj's probably thought I was crazy. I love how listening to this song can bring me back to an exact moment in my childhood.
4. Tubthumping- Chumbawamba
I realize that this song has also probably made a few top five most inappropriate lists, but what was more fun than dancing along to the chorus and falling down around the house? I still cannot believe that this song was played on the radio as much as it was, but it was very easy to be "kissing the night night away" instead.
5. What If God Was One of Us- Joan Osborne
This was my favorite song from a very good 38th Grammys CD (Gangsta's Paradise, Let Her Cry, One Sweet Day, Waterfalls, Kiss From A Rose, and I Can Love You Like That, just to name a few) that my family played very frequently. The song was very family friendly, and for a church boy like me it was the perfect song to belt out around the house!
Honorable Mentions: mmmBop!- Hanson, Wannabe- Spice Girls, Truly Madly Deeply- Savage Garden, Semi-Charmed Life- Third Eye Blind, Barbie Girl- Aqua, I Believe I Can Fly- R. Kelly (Thanks Space Jam), Breakfast At Tiffany's- Deep Blue Something, One Headlight- Wallflowers
Grades 4-6: Boy Bands and Brotherly Influence
This was definitely hanging up in my room
When I moved back to Maine, the world was being introduced to: Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, The Backstreet Boys, and N'Sync. My biggest influences in my musical preferences at this time were my older brothers and my classmates. With Joe being a freshman in high school (when I was in fourth grade) and Josh being in eighth grade, some of my tastes may have been a little bit more mature than my peers. I am going to do some songs in this section, but I will also be mixing bands and solo artists in as well.
1. I Want It That Way- Backstreet Boys
Question: Whats cooler than five guys singing in harmony? Answer: Five guys singing in harmony in an airport hanger! I was definitely a Backstreet Boys kind of kid. For whatever reason, I was all in on their wagon, and the first person in line in the N'Sync haters club. It wasn't until college that I was finally convinced that Justin Timberlake is a stellar artist (I have come around on N'Sync as well).
2. Creed
I have to give full credit to my oldest brother Joe for my Creed fandom. For a while in the Spofford household, whether we liked it or not, Creed was going to be played loudly. Although they have since fallen out of popular opinion due to some questionable actions by Scott Stapp, their lead singer, they definitely wrote some catchy tunes.
3. Meet Virginia- Train (and subsequently many more of their songs)
I will admit it, I am a big fan of Train. Isaiah and I joke that I hear a Train song one time, and I am able to remember the words immediately. This was the first of their hit singles, and it does not disappoint. In the interest of not putting Train in this blog, I will list their other songs that I really enjoy: Hey, Soul Sister, Drive By, Drops of Jupiter, Calling All Angels, and Marry Me. Their staying power in the music industry has been a little bit surprising, but not disappointing.
4. Perfect Gentleman- Wyclef Jean
This era also corresponded with the advent of mix cd's, and when I got a hold of my older brother's cds, I was exposed to a whole world of music. I had no idea what Wyclef was singing about, but I loved the beat and the enthusiasm with which my brothers (particularly Josh) had about this song.
5. Avril Lavigne
Ugh, I can't believe that this is true, but this was the first CD that I ever purchased with my own money. I had just gotten a CD walkman from my parents for my birthday and needed to get some music to fill it up, so this is what I bought. I will say that she had some super catchy song, and I love that she spelled skater boy "sk8er boi," that is super early-2000's. There were few things cooler than punk rocker chicks at this time, so I guess my purchase is semi-defensible, but just barely.
Honorable Mention: Say My Name- Destiny's Child, Summer Girls- LFO (Please watch this link and listen to their rhymes), Shania Twain, The Way- Fastball, Because I Got High- Afroman
Grades 7-8: Musical Explosion
Seventh and Eighth grade were massive for the maturation of my musical tastes. It was at this time, that I started to develop my own opinion on music and what I wanted to listen to. I was obviously still influenced by the radio and what people around me were listening to, but my independence was developing. There were so many artists and songs during these two years that I could probably write an entire blog solely dedicated to it, but I will try to filter it out to the best of the best.
1. Outkast
I believe that I was in 8th grade when Outkast released Speakerboxx/The Love Below, and my mind was blown. Rap music was obviously very popular at this time with the rise of Eminem and the comeback of Dr. Dre, but Outkast had the knack of creating super catchy beats with amazing lyrics. They definitely opened the door for rap singers and groups from Atlanta to make it big, and this double release was (at the time) the final chapter in their amazing rap career. My two favorite songs were Roses and the best music video of all time, Hey Ya:
ANDRE 3000 PLAYS HIMSELF AS THE ENTIRE BAND!!! Although, going back and watches the Roses video, it is clear, this was a golden age for music videos.
2. Hero- Enrique Iglesias
Enrique was always making hot and heavy music videos, but I loved this song because it was the best slow dance song in all of junior high. If this song came on and you didn't have a dance partner, you better have been hightailing it over to the crying/drama section, because this was the jr high relationship sealer. Thank you Enrique for all you did for us!
3. Sum 41
In the age of young skater punks, Sum 41 were the heroes of the day. Their bad behavior and crazy punk rock music, got even the best behaved kids to take some chances. I listened to their cds so much that eventually they wouldn't work for me. Their biggest hit was Fat Lip and it was a real doozy. I also truly enjoyed Blink-182, but they were a little bit early for my rebellious streak, so Sum 41 fell in at the perfect time.
4. Gorillaz
I mean, what was cooler than a band that was represented by cartoons? Their biggest song was definitely Clint Eastwood, but my favorite song was 19-2000, because it was much more upbeat and on the intro video to FIFA 2002. I always wanted to experience a Gorillaz concert, but never had the opportunity to do so.
5. Pearl Jam
Any musical list that I make would be incomplete without the mention of Pearl Jam. Our family became Pearl Jam fans much later than many PJ fans, as Joe discovered them in high school. We thought that Creed was played a lot, but Pearl Jam was non-stop. Joe would wake up and immediately begin blasting Elderly Woman. It is difficult to find any Pearl Jam songs that I don't like, with Eddie Vedder's signature brooding voice driving the music. Pearl Jam has since become a band that can be heard on rock stations at nearly every time of the day, and I don't hate it. My favorite song is Betterman, as it has amazing lyrics and also spurred the chill inducing live performance, where the crowd sings the whole song (see link).
Honorable Mention: Mambo No. 5- Lou Bega, Who Let The Dogs Out- Baha Men, Simple Plan, Jasmin- Youth Asylum (that's for you Isaiah), She Will Be Loved- Maroon 5, Eminem, Nelly, Shake Ya Tailfeather- Nelly ft. P. Diddy and Murphy Lee, and many more.
I know that I missed some throughout, but these were clearly the songs and artists who stuck out most clearly. This undertaking really stretched my memory and brought back some really beautiful memories. It is truly amazing what music does for the mind! Hope you enjoy.
The picture above, is a long-haired, younger version of me. I was 18, just graduated from high school, and in the middle of my first summer at Camp Bishopswood. Many people who know me are also aware of the fact that for the last several years, I have worked at summer camp. When people ask, I often say something like "I work at a really great camp called Camp Bishopswood, it's right outside of Camden, Maine." When I give this answer, I always feel as though I am doing the greatest injustice to an incredible camp.
As a young kid, the only camps that I ever attended were soccer camps. I was in love with the sport and wanted nothing more than to become a professional when I got older. I was also the kid who would go to a sleep over and when bedtime came closer, I needed to get out of there and back home. It took a long time for me to become comfortable with sleepovers (unless I was with cousins, those usually ended up going pretty well). Due to these factors, I never pushed my parents to let me go to a traditional summer camp. I was very content spending my summers with my brothers and friends.
It was not until the winter of 2008 (my senior year) that I really became interested in working at camp. At the time, I worked at a seafood restaurant as a waiter. The job was definitely rewarding financially, but there was just something missing. One night, some of my friends (one of whom played a big role in getting me to camp, I'll get to that later) who had worked at Camp Bishopswood were going back and forth with stories from the previous summer. As I listened, I wanted more and more to be a part of this. When I got home, I just wanted to learn more about camp.
I cut my hair mid-summer
This is the part of the story that where I should probably say something about Amy*. In the paragraph above, I mentioned that there was one friend that played a big role in getting me to camp, she was that person. I didn't really get to know her until the end of my senior year, (which happened to correspond with my desire to work at a summer camp) but once we began to become familiar with each other, I was head over heels. I don't want to get mushy here, so I'll skip most of details and tell you that she convinced me to go to camp. We spoke a lot during the spring of senior year and a lot of the conversations came back to camp. She had attended camp for most of her life, so it was clearly very valuable to her. One day, she mentioned that there might be a need for male counselors, so I jumped at the opportunity. Although it took a little bit of time to convince my parents that this was a great chance for me, they finally caved, and I was off to summer camp for the first time!
My first summer was an absolute whirlwind. I knew a couple people on staff the first summer, but for the most part I was pretty disconnected as far as camp was concerned. As I arrived, I was greeted warmly and introduced to people. As a shy person by nature, I do not think that I would be characterized as a typical "camp person." The first day was not an easy one for me. I went to bed thinking "did I make the right choice coming here?" and "I hope that they like me!" As staff training progressed, clear effort was made to incorporate the new staff members, so I progressively felt a greater sense of belonging. As I was going to bed on the second night, a guy named Cullen came in the cabin and told me that a bunch of people were gathered up the hill and that I should come along. I was so happy to be included! Cullen and I became fast friends and from that point on any thoughts of doubt that I had were swept away!
B-Wood Staff 2008
If I went day to day, this blog may end up being a book. I know that I will write more about Bishopswood in the future, so these are the five things that I learned my first summer working at camp (in no particular order).
1. Slackers will be exposed
At camp, unlike some jobs, you can't have a bad day. When I was in high school, if I woke up feeling under the weather or lazy (which happened a lot as a senior), I could mail that day in and coast through with minimal effort. Being a naturally intelligent student, I didn't always have to try super hard in order to get reasonably good grades in school, so unless I was challenged by a teacher, my efforts were often sub-standard. Once I got to camp, this changed dramatically. I wanted to be the best counselor I could be, so I pushed myself to create fun, engaging activities for the kids. If I had offered an activity without any prior planning, the campers would have known. I finally had a place where I was held accountable for my efforts and because of that, I was able to thrive in that atmosphere. This preparation and dedication to my work, carried over to college, where I was able to apply myself and have great success in the classroom.
2. Camp is a place for my best self
In a place where I felt so much safety from my peers, I was able to loosen up and take chances that helped me learn about my best self. At camp, I was able to learn to become more outgoing, responsible, and respectful of my co-workers and the campers. As an athlete in high school, I felt that there were expectations of my actions, and lived my life very much according to those imaginary guidelines. While I was at camp, I was able to reflect on some of those behaviors and change myself for the better. I was able to use camp to solidify my goals as a person and make safe decisions in the future. I give camp a lot of credit in helping make me the person that I am today.
3. It's a place for everyone
This is one thing that I loved (and still love) about camp. Our new camp director often says "there are two types of people, one person is great for camp and for the other, camp is great for them." In either part of that scenario, as long as someone is at camp, they are bettering themselves. At our camp, we stress the fact that all kids (and counselors) are able to succeed. We have had campers from all types of religions and backgrounds, and for the most part, they leave camp with an amazing experience. I really love that we strive to achieve high levels of inclusion whether it is playing sports or having a conversation at the dinner table. I have gotten to meet kids who don't have the best school experience (which is really sad) and arrive at camp each summer and because there are people making an effort to get to know who's inside, they reach rock star status. Watching timid campers grow in confidence throughout the summer is one of my favorite things to witness.
4. Friendships last forever
Bishopswood people are an amazing breed. My first summer on staff, I made friends with several people who had a long history at camp (making the progression from counselor to camper). The values that camp instilled within them, makes them such great friends. I still maintain contact with many of the people that I worked with seven years ago and in fact, spend a lot of time with a few of them a lot outside of camp. In September, I was at a birthday party for one of my close camp friends, Ben, with a number of old and current staff members. I never had the chance to work with some of the people there, but having camp as a common ground was a great ice breaker. Whether we know it or not, the things that we have learned from camp have translated through generations of counselors.
Generations of Camp Staff!
5. There's no better place to spend a summer!
When I first got to camp, I was concerned that I would miss the things at home too much. I thought about my friends and family, and all the things that they would be doing over the summer that I wouldn't get to be a part of. At first, this was difficult, but as I got more comfortable with camp, those thoughts were pushed further and further into the back of my mind. At camp, I got to play sports every day, eat amazing meals, live on a beautiful lake, and make sensational new friendships. Once I leave camp, I get to hear the stories of the summer from my friends, and I am sad that I missed out, but I also know that I love what I do at camp. There are few things more rewarding than being able to lift a camper's spirits or teaching them new skills. Campers need great counselors, and there is not a place (in my own humble opinion that has better ones than Bishopswood). I relish my minimal amounts of time off during the summer, but I love what I do in the summers and am so grateful to have such a wonderful second home.
Pretty gorgeous, huh?
For those of you that are younger and looking for summer employment, camp is an excellent place to spend your summers and it truly will help you in your future!
Until next time!
*For those of you who are wondering, Amy and I made it through that first summer and are currently happily dating. There are so many great things to say about her, that she will have her own blog soon!
I don't think the NCAA could have written a better story lines for this years Final Four. The schools represented are four of the most storied franchises in college basketball history. Not only that, but one doesn't have to look far to find links that are sure to be brought up during the pregame broadcasts as well as during the games. Izzo vs. Coach K, a final four rematch, a potentially undefeated team, three of five Wooden finalists represented, a "Cinderella" story, it is truly the best case scenario for CBS and college basketball. In a tournament that already has so many viewers, these match-ups are sure to attract even the most fair-weather fans. The following are my thoughts and predictions of the upcoming matchups.
Game One: #7 Michigan State vs. #1 Duke
It seems like these two teams play against each other every year. They have already played once this season, with Duke coming out on top. As far as coaching goes, this game could not get any better. I firmly believe that Coach K and Tom Izzo are the best coaches in college basketball and I only need to look at March to understand why. Duke is a perennial contender for the national title, earning top three seeds nearly every single year. Coach K (not going to try to spell out his actual last name) has been at the helm for over 1,000 wins and knows what it takes to win a championship (he has won four of them). Michigan State (for as long as I have been watching) always seems to come into the tournament as an underrated team with something to prove. Within Izzo's system, the Michigan St players often reach their peak playing performance once the tournament rolls around. They also have a proven track record of playing deep into the tournament with Izzo leading the way (seven final fours and one national championship). This year, he has been able to take an average regular season team all the way back to the final four.
Michigan State Spartans:
Travis Trice
Out of all the final four teams, I have watched MSU the most in the tournament. I have been really impressed with the way that they have won their games. Due to their seeding, their road up to this point has been a difficult one. They are probably the final four team with the least depth which could come back to bite them in the backside (especially if foul trouble becomes an issue). When they played Louisville their half court offense was often stifled by the Cardinal's tough defense. If Michigan State is able to force some Duke turnovers (Duke only had two the entire game against Gonzaga) they may be able to keep the game close. Their size (or lack thereof) dictates their speedy style of play. They look to push the pace as often as possible to create easy scores. Michigan State is led by their standout guards Travis Trice (senior) and Denzel Valentine (junior). I really like the tempo and decision making of Trice. It is clear that he has played in big moments before, and that he will play a very important role in this game. Michigan State is also a very strong three-point shooting team. They have four guys (Forbes, Trice, Valentine, and Clark) who are very consistent from beyond the arc. Valentine and Clark are both difficult matchups because they are able to spread the floor and hit shots from deep, or post up their defenders. Michigan States big men are slightly undersized for their positions, but are very good at running the floor. There were times against Louisville when their lack of size hurt negatively effected their rebounding numbers. Senior Branden Dawson is a phenomenal athlete who is very effective on the fast break. If MSU is able to get Dawson going early, their chances will improve dramatically. On the flip side, if their bigs get into foul trouble, they may be in over their heads. Finally, Michigan State has been a very poor free throw shooting team, with three high volume shooters averaging right around 50 percent (not good). Although they have a couple of shooters who should be able to ice the games at the end, they will need to shoot better than average to keep the game close. Duke Blue Devils:
Duke is really good. They have arguably the best player in college (Jahlil Okafor) and potentially the best player in the tournament (Justise Winslow). They are also in stiff competition with Wisconsin for the best hair-dos. Unlike Michigan State, Duke comes in with a much younger roster. Their two
L-R: Matt Jones, Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, Justise Winslow
stars (Okafor and Winslow) are freshmen, and the majority of minutes are played by underclassmen (Greyson Allen, Tyus Jones and Matt Jones). However, this lack of age does not translate into a shortage of skill. Similar to many of Coach K's teams, they are a very good outside shooting team. Led by senior Quinn Cook, they have several players who are high percentage shooters from the outside. The inside game is anchored by Okafor who has a vast wealth of post moves for a youngster. They have been able to lean on several different players to make big plays throughout the tournament, but Justise Winslow has played a massive role in getting them to this point. In the last couple of games, Okafor has not been able to be the dominant presence down low due to very focused defensive schemes, so Winslow has been the feature guy. If I was an NBA general manager, I would seriously think about picking Winslow first in the draft (if he enters the draft). He is a lock down defender, knock down shooter and great finisher around the rim. If any of the primary post players get into foul trouble, Duke will be reliant on Marshall Plumlee (the last in a seemingly never ending line of Plumlees).
Prediction: I have tried to make myself dislike Duke during this tournament, but every time I watch them I am so impressed. They have great hair, great shooters and star talent. Although the coaching will be extremely strong on both sides, I think that Duke just has too much talent to lose this game. Their depth, post-play and defensive ability will be too much for Michigan State. My score predictions never come close, so I will skip that and leave you with this:
Quinn Cook cross-over
Game Two: #1 Kentucky vs. #1 Wisconsin I am so excited for this game. Last year, Kentucky broke Wisconsin's heart with this gut-wrenching ending. The two teams couldn't have a starker contrast. Kentucky plays airtight defense (53.9 opponents ppg), while Wisconsin seemingly scores at will (72.8 ppg). Wisconsin relies on an efficient system with an abundance of experience, while Kentucky relies on talented recruiting classes and relative inexperience. Kentucky grinds teams on the post, while Wisconsin shoots (at least during the tournament) a very high percentage of threes.
Kentucky Wildcats:
First of all, Kentucky is currently undefeated (so they are obviously very good). I have had a chance to watch a fair amount of Kentucky both before and during the tournament and one thing has been crystal clear: this team can defend.Their defense is led by sophomore twins, Aaron and Andrew Harrison, and junior center Willie Cauley-Stein. The Harrisons get into the face of opponents quickly and are able to stay on them like glue. After watching them for a little while I came out thinking, there is no way that they can keep up this pace and aggression, but they never seemed to tire out. Cauley-Stein is one of three seven-footers (yeah, three) on Kentucky's roster and is an elite rim defender in college basketball. Their length (again, three seven footers) poses a distinct challenge to any team they play. Their offense, however, has been a point of scrutiny. With so much height, the floor spacing can become difficult for them and can lead to congestion inside.
L-R: Harrison, Towns, Cauley-Stein
Their outside shooting, which should be used to unclog the low post, has been below average at times this season. Their best offensive threat is the seven-foot freshman Karl Anthony Towns, who asserted his will against Notre Dame in the elite eight. He is tall and strong, making him an extremely difficult match-up. The Harrison twins have shown the ability to hit three point shots in big moments, but Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker are their most reliable shooters, hitting over 40 percent of their deep shots. I assumed they were a poor free throw shooting team (something common for a Calipari coached team) but after looking at their numbers, they are very strong from the charity stripe. The majority of their players shoot better than 70 percent. This team can go ten players deep and played most of their games this season in five man shifts, therefore foul trouble should not be a major concern for them.
Wisconsin Badgers:
Wisconsin is both a super skilled team and an extremely likeable team. From an outsider's point of view, they have had the most fun of any team in the tournament. They also have a strong balance of youth and experience (particularly players from last year's Final Four run). Their best player is Frank Kaminsky, who has been nominated as one of the five best players in the country (not for his dancing alone). He can play inside and outside, shooting 55-42-78% (FG-3p-FT), staggeringly refined numbers for a college player. His second fiddle this year is forward Sam Dekker. Dekker is easily recognizable with his old school flat top. He sealed the game against Arizona with an in your face three point shot (one of five in that game). He also has a history of making such audacious shots. Wisconsin, contrary to their farm boy stereotype has one of the more prolific offenses in the country. Although it's a very different and less intricate offense, their ball movement and desire to get high quality shots remind me of the San Antonio Spurs. During the tournament, the Badgers have averaged over 80 points a game. If they get into foul trouble, their lack of depth could become an issue, especially against a deep Kentucky side. Their foul shooting is really good, with only one player who averages over 15 minutes a game averaging under 70 percent (and he's at 68%).
Prediction: Full disclosure, I do not like Kentucky. I do not deny their talent, but I just have a lot of trouble getting behind the one-and-done factory of Coach Cal (I would prefer the NBA either takes away the rule or implements a longer college career with some sort of compensation plan from the NCAA). I also picked Wisconsin to win it all (in at least one of my brackets). In match-ups where it is a defensive juggernaut vs offensive juggernaut, history has told us that defense usually wins (except the Patriots this year, that was awesome). My head tells me that Kentucky will win this game, but I am often one to follow my heart. With all of that said, I believe that Wisconsin will win in a close one. Kentucky has been in a lot of close calls this year and have dug themselves out every time. Wisconsin is too experienced and hungry to let that happen to them.
