I’m in a mood.
The last two weeks have been drafted by demons from hell. They had to have been.
I have been seething and extremely overwhelmed, and it is because of gruesome and crabby UI educators. So my question to you, dear reader, is why do teachers think it is a good idea to give tests/papers/projects during the same two weeks as everyone else on campus? Is this really that good of an idea? Don’t they want us to succeed in our lives here? Don’t they want students to get in and get out (on second thought, at $27,000 a year, probably not)? Or am I just being a giant, six foot tall, 200-plus sized baby?
The world may never know.
But anyways I feel like it has been a little too long since I wrote for my blog (much apologies to those people who follow me). As I said the last two weeks have literally had me running around like a mad man.
It’s no secret, and I think I have mentioned it on here before, but I’m way over my head with things I’m doing here at the “U”. I’m playing in a flag football co-rec league, I have Hawks Nest meetings every week (along with Hawks Nest functions, events, planning and idea-making), I am a grey squad player for the Women’s Basketball team (more on this later), I’m taking 18 semester hours (DON’T DO THIS! EVER), blogging for admissions, working, and trying to have a social life all at once.
As you can imagine, I’m drowning. Treading ended weeks ago, now it just feels like there are 80-pound weights attached to each of my two ankles dragging me throw the dark and cold depths. It’s a lovely site to imagine isn’t it? Tell me, all of you teachers out there, do you like knowing this is how I, along with probably 20,000 other students feel?
DO YOU?
HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT?
But I suppose it’s my senior year and I’ve just got to keep on, keepin’ on.
Anyways let me tell you about this little endeavor I just started recently as a member of the Women’s Basketball team’s Grey Squad. What happens is 5-6 guys show up to every practice and help play against the girls in drills, play offense and defense in different look schemes, and play as “mock-ups” of players from different teams that the Hawkeyes will play throughout the year.
As a giant basketball fan and someone who was going to walk on to St. Ambrose my freshman year of college, I love this. It gives me the opportunity not only to play the type of basketball I’ve missed the last couple of years (you know, actual organized hoops, not that crap you see in the Field houses around the U.S.). It also has given me a great chance to get to know the players and coaches that put so much effort into what they do on the court. As the PR Director for Hawks Nest (the official student fan section on campus, a group that I co-created) my partaking in the grey squad and learning about our lady Hawkeyes is and will continue to be huge. In return I am hoping to devise ways to interest our fans on campus to show and support this team as well as set up a few “Away Game Bus Trips” to support a Hawkeye team that went to the Women’s NCAA Tourney last year.
Early on I have learned that Coach Lisa Bluder is easily one of the best coaches I have ever seen work. She gets so much out of her girls day in and day out, it’s no wonder she is 545-265 (.673) lifetime as a coach. Bluder has 189-wins at Iowa in her ten years at the helm, which is good for second-most of any Hawkeye women’s basketball coach, behind Hall of Famer C. Vivian Stringer (269 wins). She is tactically brilliant. She is intense and caring. She is a beast. I suppose that’s why she is, “One of the most respected and admired coaches in collegiate basketball”.
If her winning record isn’t good enough, then take a quick look at her players. Senior guard Kachine Alexander is up for two of the most prestigious awards in NCAA women’s basketball, the State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year award and the John R. Wooden Award. She is returning four Academic All Big Ten players, a second team All-Big Ten shooting guard who was also the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award winner last year, a 3rd team All Big Ten point guard, an All-Big Ten Defensive Team player (“Kash”), and two Big Ten Tournament All Tournament Players.
Oh, and don’t forget about big bad Morgan Johnson, who is also looking primed to break her own record for blocks in a season (79), as she has blocked at least five of my shots in just the first week of practice.
Needless to say I’m pretty excited to see what this team can do, and I will be taking a crap load of pride in watching them this winter.
But enough with my rambling, because well, I should be working. It’s been a hectic two weeks filled with ups and down, but hey, I suppose it keeps me out of trouble.
As always On Iowa, and Go Hawks!
-Jer