Cornell and Beyond

i’ll bet we’re going all the way…to the NCAA

Tonight I ventured out of my hockey comfort zone and went to see men’s basketball play Brown.  I admit it, I jumped on up onto the basketball bandwagon.

First of all, I have never been to a basketball game of any sort, so my friend had to explain to me what was going on pretty much every time the whistle blew.  But it quickly became apparent what was going on, and from that point on I enjoyed a great game.  We came back from what I believe was at one point a 10+ deficit to cinch the win in the last couple minutes of the game, 74-65.

I even got to witness not one, but TWO, count ‘em TWO, slam dunks.  They make it look so easy! Right now Cornell remains undefeated in the Ivy League, and is very close to securing a spot in March Madness…You know what’s madness? The last time we’ve been 10-0 in the Ivy it was 1964-65.

Well, I’ll be rooting for our Big Red big players in the coming days…and if you want the real inside scoop on the basketball team, check out the article the NY Times did last week…that’s a lot of chicken parmesan!

warning: shameless plug below

Hi Tradition Fellows! ( and non-Tradition Fellows)

Come enjoy the sweet rewards of being a Tradition Fellow…because it’s never too cold for ice cream!

Simply wear your red Tradition t-shirt on Monday, February 25th and then stop by Trillium (and Trillium only-NOT WSH) to pick up your free *GOURMET* ice cream float from 11AM-1PM. (Please feel free to layer your t-shirt, because although it’s never too cold for ice cream, we understand sometimes it is too cold for t-shirts!) Never picked up your FREE Tradition t-shirt? Simply stop by 103 Day Hall anytime this week to pick up your FREE (& AWESOME) t-shirt. By wearing your shirt on Monday you will not only help spread the word about Tradition and get a free float, but you will also be able to spot all those friends you never even realized were Tradition fellows!

Not a Tradition fellow? Not a problem! Stop by anyway, as floats will be available for a $2 suggested donation for non-fellows w/o a shirt. All proceeds will go to charity! Information on applying to be a fellow and Tradition resources and benefits will be available!

Are you a prospective Cornellian wondering what in the world Tradition is? Send me an e-mail and I wold be happy to share with you all of the great benefits to joining the tradition…the Cornell Tradition, that is! (Get it?! Ending on another pun, thank you very much.)

a late night entry about Insomnia…

Cookies, that is.

A new store opening in Collegetown is big news on campus, and I will say that Insomnia Cookies is an interesting cookie- I mean concept.

Freshly baked, still gooey sweet treats, available mainly at night…what a thought! I wonder which demographic they target? I got a hint when visiting their web site and I found a search function by campus. Where else could a business idea like this work?

After trying (more than one) of their free samples, I have to admit, the cookies (and brownies) are pretty scrumptious.  Warm and reminiscent of the Robert Purcell cookies that almost caused riots, I definitely enjoyed them, and I don’t even have a sweet tooth.  While they may not be the healthiest option, I have a feeling these treats will satiate a good number of late night revelers, studiers, and of course, insomniacs.

Me? I’m off to get my glass of milk.  To everyone out there, have a very sweet Valentine’s Day. (PUN INTENDED!)

A lot or little, it’s a little too late (for me)

For all you prospective Cornellians out there who are thinking about applying for financial aid, this news item is probably of high interest to you.

Is this really sweeping? Should they have gone farther? A step in the right direction? The best thing that ever happened to financial aid at Cornell? Decide for yourself:

Cornell Chronicle Article on Financial Aid Changes

Cornell Daily Sun Article on Financial Aid Changes

One thing for sure, it’s too late for me!

The Super Bowl….in Ithaca

I had to work Super Bowl Sunday, and on my walk up to campus that evening I heard happy whooping come from random house and apartment windows.

When I got to work, we opened up NFL online to keep us posted.  And, rather than watching the game live, we got to watch animated lines zip across a little green field in real time.  (Or almost real time.)  It got really exciting when a team kicked, because than an actual football icon appeared.  Or if a team got close to scoring territory, the red zone actually started flashing red in excitement, accompanied, no less, than by the words, “RED ZONE”.  Ghostwriter style notations on the plays accompanied the animations.

I left work with one second left in the game.  (I was going to wait for it, but how long does one second take anyway? I found out later what happened and was very glad I decided to just leave.)

On my way home from work, I was greeted by group after group of fans walking home after the game.  Usually it was just undeterminable yelling, but there was also a smattering of “YEAHHHH” or “WHOOOOO,” and even sometimes “YAHOOOOO.”  And when one group of Giants fans saw another group of Giants fans, they would start screaming at each other in happiness until they reached a crescendo of high pitched squeals.  Random mumbling from any given group sounded about the same:

“Tom Brady…mumble mumble… Manning…. mumble mumble…PATRIOTS STINK…mumble mumble…”

I’m not even into football and I know that the last quarter of this Super Bowl would have been the one to watch.  I guess I’ll have to live with the fact that at least I got home in time for some leftover dip.