No Shave November

Over the past few days, our campus has transformed. I'm not referring to the snow that has fallen, or the large amount of tourists that seemingly flew into Steamboat overnight. Instead, I’m referring to what used to be a campus filled with rugged looking mountain men that had overgrown facial hair. Slowly, CMC has turned into a well-groomed campus with freshly shaved faces. Today is December third and we are a few days past the completion of what is formally known as “No Shave November”. Although I can’t trace its origins, it’s becoming more and more popular every year. In recent years organizations have used this event as a fundraiser, but here at CMC it’s simply tradition. As a girl, I will never fully understand the point behind it, so I decided to get a man’s perspective by interviewing my friend Mike.

Blogger Bobbie: First, can you briefly describe the purpose of “No Shave November”
Mike: Well, it's a voyage into manhood, and its fun to see what happens when you don't shave for a whole month. There is also a little bit of competition involved
BB: Is this your first year participating in the event?
Mike: Yes, I've had a beard before but I’ve never just set it loose like that.
BB: Did you find it difficult to last the entire 30 days?
Mike: At times yes because it got itchy when I would sleep, but it helps when you’re not the only one doing it. It’s kind of a bonding experience.
BB: Did any of your friends cave in mid way?
Mike: Yes, one but I’ll leave him unnamed... he knows who he is.
BB: What was the best part about participating?
Mike: Having a sweet stash at the end. I went with handle bars (he laughs). Also it's fun to see what your friends look like at the end.
BB: Nice. Would you do it again?
Mike: Yep, next November

Here are some pictures of Mike throughout the process.

Just before shaving, December 1st

During the process

The Handlebars

Mike as we know him today

So there you have it; a tradition that allows guys to show off their manliness, while bonding for an entire month. It’s a competition to see who can last, all in the name of good fun. Although it was interesting to see what the guys looked like at the end, I must admit I'm happy that I can recognize my friends again.

(Note: I'd like to thank my friend Mike for supplying me with pictures and allowing me to interview him)

Short on money, but long on time

I don't think anyone could describe my current living situation better than Paolo Nutini in his song New Shoes. As a college kid, I now understand what it means to be broke. After paying off reservations for a condo in Winter Park I looked at my bank account and realized I had $25 to my name. Eventhough I have two part time jobs, I also have a terrible habbit of swiping the little plastic Capital One card in my wallet. So, I've decided to try and cut back on spending, which is suprisingly easy here at CMC.

Broomball
So what happens when you give a bunch of college kids helmets, knee pads, sticks with plastic attached at the end and some ice time? They call it broom ball, but I'd say it's more like comedy hour. The sport started in Canada in the early 1900s and was brought to the US somewhere in the 60s. The rules to the game are pretty simple, no fighting, the goalie is the only one who can pick a ball up and he can't throw it past half ice. But other then the stacked team of hockey players, most of us have no idea how to handel the ball. We spend most of our time falling, even when we are trying to stand still. Our team currently holds a 0-2 record, although I think we are improving alot. It's a fun time nonetheless, a good way to relieve stress on Tuesday nights.

The Library

I love reading in my free time, but books can be pretty costly. I don't know why I've been so hell-bent on buying them my whole life. Other then the choose your own ending series, I don't think I've ever read a book twice. It's only lead to a collection of books that I'll never read again. From now on I'm going to check the library before I rush off to the bookstore. I'm currently working on Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult and would reccomend it to anyone looking for a good read.

Bowling
Did I mention there's a bowling league here at CMC? Every Thursday at 9pm students head to Snow Bowl to show off their skills. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the sport but I've been roped into subbing for friends several times now. It's fun to hang out for a couple hours and its completely paid for by the school.

Those are just a few of the many things do to at CMC that are both affordable and fun. I'm sure I'll be coming up with many more in the next few days as it is now Thanksgiving break and the campus is barren.

Changeling

Tonight for some cheap entertainment a few of my friends and I decided to take advantage of the $2 movie tickets offered to Colorado Mountain College students every other Friday night. We decided to go see Clint Eastwood's Changeling, and all I can say is Wow. Walking into the theater I had no idea what the movie was about, just that it was starring Angelina Jolie. I expected another film where she plays a sexed up woman who knows how to handle guns and fight better than her co-starring men. Considering it took me a half hour to figure out that the pale, innocent looking woman with bright red lipstick was Jolie, I was in for quite a surprise.

The movie starts out in the 1920s with a loving mother, Christine, who returns home from work one night to find her son missing. Months later the LAPD claims to have found her son, but when she arrives at the train station, to her dismay it's not him. I don’t want to give away the entire thing, but due to her publicly embarrassing the police department, they throw her into an insane asylum to shut her up. She is brutally abused by a system in which she has no control. Soon, thanks to a Reverend who devotes his life to fighting against corrupt cops, more evidence is found proving her case and they are forced to release her. The rest of the movie follows the corrupt moves of the police department and Christine’s brave battle against them.

It was one of those movies where you ended up thinking. You weren’t happy or sad at the ending, just wowed at the history of our country. I immediately started thinking about the case this woman had. It was very serious, yet tried in front of a city council, not the State or the Supreme Court. It set precedents for generations to come and helped fix a failed system. Yet here we are in today's society where a woman can sue McDonald's because she spilled coffee on her lap and it burned her. A man can sue a beer company because he didn't have as much fun as the people in the commercials did. Why do people do this? It makes a mockery of our system, which as presented in this movie already has enough struggles going on. Do we sue people for dumb reasons because we can't find anything better to do? Has our idea of a serious situation become so dumbed down and diluted that we need to run to the court house every time we slip on a patch of ice? Or maybe these people are greedy and want money, so they find ways to use the system to their advantage, just like the dirty cops in the film.

That last paragraph is by no means what the movie is about, but in one way or another, that’s where my thoughts ended up. Overall I’d recommend this movie as one of my top picks if you’re in the mood for something thought provoking. It’s right up there with Gone Baby Gone. I promise I didn’t give away too much, there are a lot of twists that I left out and my synopsis didn’t come close to giving it justice.

Top Ten Things You'll Need in College

At this point in the game I feel it's fair to say that most students are pretty well adjusted to the dorm life. It's like that in-between step from living with your parents to living on your own. You learn what the real necessities are pretty fast, but for those of you who are preparing to live in the dorms next semester or next year, I've come up with a list of the ten most important things to bring:

10. Pictures & Posters- Our walls are white and completely boring, the best was to make them more exciting is to personalize them with photos from home and a few posters. It'll give your room personality and make it feel more like your own space, not just a place where you are living.

9. Hot Chocolate- Remember when you were little and had a blast playing in the snow, but after a while you heard your mom calling and you didn't hesitate to run home; partly because your hands were numb and partly because you knew there'd be a nice warm cup of hot chocolate waiting for you? Well I hate to break it to you, it won't be prepared when you get back, but it's always nice to make some after a snowball fight or a day on the mountain.

8. Quarters- I know it’s college and clean clothes are not our number one priority, but when you finally run out of clean socks or underwear you'll realize quarters are your best friend. They are rare to find here in the dorms since the change machine is always broken and people tend to hoard them for their own use. I'd recommend always keeping a back up stash hidden somewhere.

7. Stamps- One of the most exciting things that can happen here at college is to receive a post card or package in the mail. It's always good to know that someone is thinking about you, and I think snail mail is more exciting than e-mail becuase you know some time and effort went into it. You'll need the stamps to reply with a thank you note.

6. Alarm Clock- For those of you who like to stay out late I'd definitely recommend getting one of these. Although the earliest a class starts here at CMC is 9am, it can be very difficult getting up after a late night of cramming or GTA with some friends. I'd highly recommend getting one with a snooze button; it seems to come in handy.

5. Water Purifier- Because of the high altitude it's incredibly easy to become dehydrated out here. You definitely need to drink a lot of water. You could keep buying bottled water, but for those of you who like to help the environment and save money in the long run, a water purifier is the way to go.

4. Vitamin C Drops- The Dorms are breeding grounds for illness. In the winter you basically have two choices: freeze to death from opening your window to circulate air or get used to being sick. Since I don't like the thought of either I've opted to take a daily dose of vitamin C.

3. A George Foreman Grill- As a going away gift my Grandma gave me a George Foreman Grill. I'll admit it was thoughtful, but I didn't think I'd be putting it too much use. Oh how wrong I was. It comes in handy on those nights you miss dinner or simply can't stand to eat cafeteria food anymore. Plus grilled cheese parties with your neighbors are always a fun way to brighten up a boring day. I've found George Foreman has become one of my best friends. (Thanks Grandma!)

2. Downy Wrinkle Releaser- Okay, other than for waxing your ski/board, who has used an iron recently? I know I definitely haven't. But I like my clothes to look clean even if they aren’t, that's why I think Downy Wrinkle Releaser is the best thing since sliced bread. Just a few sprays, a couple tugs and my clothes are wrinkle free.

1. Snowboard- I can't even tell you how many of my friends don't have their gear our here yet. In their defense Steamboat won't open until November 26th, but if you have the college ultimate pass you can go to Copper (which opened yesterday) and Winter Park all you want. Not to mention Buff Pass and the CMC Rail Yard, which have rails and jumps set up for some pre season fun.

Things I thought I would need but really didn't:

TV- There's free cable in all of the lounges that are rarely used, so there's no need to pay for it.

A Car- I'll admit I miss jumping into my car and cruising to wherever my heart desired, but I don't miss paying for gas. Steamboat is a small town so if you like to bike or jog you can pretty much go anywhere. Plus there's a free bus system that takes you all over town, and most of the kids here are friendly, so if they see you walking up the treacherous Bob Adam's Drive they'll give you a lift to the top.

CDs/ DVDs- All of my music is on my Lap Top, I've found that CDs just take up space. And living here is like having a personal Blockbuster because some kids decided to have their entire DVD collection shipped out. There are enough movies around to keep anyone occupied for days.

So there you have it, my list of necessities and a few things that aren't so important. Hope this helps any students coming out here! And feel free to add ideas if you think I left something out =)

Enchanted Castle

I'm sure you've all been wondering where I've been this past week, maybe even a little worried. Fear not, I didn't get lost in the woods or eaten by a bear-- I can't even claim that I was trapped in a car due to an overwhelming snowfall. In fact, we don't have any snow in the valley at the moment, although I've heard rumors of it coming this week.

Third Floor Lounge

So where have I been? Midterms aside, I've been busy preparing for Halloween! As you may or may not know, Steamboat is a resort town and many of the houses around here are winter houses/condos that people don't live in year round. How sad would it be if as a child you went trick-or-treating and most of the doors you knocked on were vacant? Steamboat's solution: The Enchanted Castle. Each year CMC students and faculty decorate the dorms, put on a mini carnival with games and prizes, and open up rooms up for trick-or-treating. I was part of the carnival committee. Our day started with decorating at 10am, and ended around 9 o'clock at night with clean up and free wings. Overall I think it was a complete success. For the sake of privacy I'm not going to post any pictures of the little kids on here but they were incredibly adorable!

Contest Entrants

Friday, which was Halloween day, the school hosted a costume contest. There were some really creative ideas, like Where Is Waldo and a CMC Cheerleader. Not surprisingly, Jack Sparrow took it home as he did an excellent job of both dressing and acting the part.

Tamara and I

I spent the rest of Friday in Breckenridge for a friend's birthday. A group of us decided we were going to get a hotel down there for a mini vacation. Let me just say, Breckenridge does nothing but first class. The cheapest place we could find was $100/night and it was very fancy. There were no chain hotels in sight so we ended up paying a little more than planned, but we definitely enjoyed our stay there. As we walked to dinner we realized that it's a very spirited town, everyone on the street was dressed in costume. Sunday I got a ride down to A-Basin and went snowboarding, the perfect way to end a week. Overall it was a hectic week, but completely worth it in the end.

Gapers

Due to having so many midterms and planning for the Enchanted Castle, this week has flown by. We had our first snowfall in the valley on Monday and the campus was filled with excitement. Since the season is getting closer and closer, I'd like to talk about my opinion of gapers. I'll admit I had never heard the term before I came out here, but I quickly learned what they were because people of all ages make fun of them on a daily basis.

As defined by urbandictionary.com, a gaper is "A beginner skier or snowboarder who has no clue as to what they're doing on the mountain. They crash all over the place and get in your way. Referred to as a gaper because of the gap between their hat and goggles, also known as a gaper-gap."
Ex: I couldn't ski fast because I was too busy dodging all the gapers.

It seems to me like a lot of these kids have forgotten all about that day. That day they first strapped a board or pair of skis to their feet, struggled to get on a lift and had anxiety the entire way up, not knowing what to expect when they got to the top. They've forgotten how excited they were when they first figured out how to carve, and that feeling of accomplishment they had after they made it down a run without falling once. We were all there once; yes at one time or another, we were all gapers. Some of us loved the sport so much we chose to move to towns where we had easy access to a mountain and could meet people who shared our passion. However, just because some people choose to remain in a city where they have to drive an hour or more to the mountain, allowing them to go only a few times per season, doesn’t mean we need to put ourselves above them. Most of us take up leisure activities to fill our time in the off season, like running or fishing for example. That doesn't mean we are olympic quality runners or that we catch large enough fish to feed a family for a week. Yet just because we don't particularly excel at it doesn’t mean we should be made fun of for going out there and trying. The way I see it, as long as you're having fun, who cares? I mean that is what snowsports are supposed to be about- isn’t it?

If people decide to dress in neon one piece outfits rather than ridiculously long tall tees, let them. And if you see that they are catching an edge why don't you help them out instead of spraying them? Or simply just let them be. I find it funny that a town that survives on tourism takes such joy in making fun of gapers. In reality, we should be thanking them for supporting our industry and keeping this sport alive.

'Tis the Season

I'm currently sitting at my desk with sore thighs, an aching back and a few bruises, regardless of the nice relaxing shower I just took. It's only October 17th and I just got back from a two day snowboarding adventure. After a week filled with classes, studying for midterms, RHA meetings, Presidential Debates, and bowling, distressing on the slopes was the best thing imaginable. Okay, so I really enjoy the clubs I'm in, and bowling is a leisure activity- I'm not exactly living the hard life here, but after attending a conference all last weekend I feel like hitting up A-Basin was much deserved.


The sun rising as we drove

Day One

I woke up at 6am on Friday morning, grabbed my backpack, boots, and freshly tuned board,then met up with my friends Heather and Mariah. By 6:45 we were on the road. Its funny how waking up for a 9 o’clock class can be so difficult, but getting up before sunrise to go snowboarding is a piece of cake. We arrived at A-Basin around 8:30, geared up, bought overpriced passes and got on the lift. My first run was amazing and I owe it partly to my friend Jake who took Board Tuning I as an elective this year. He actually took my board to class, tuned the edges and waxed it up for me. I'm excited about taking it next semester because as he said,

"It's great when the classes you are taking actually apply to your life."

Mariah and I, our first ride up

Throughout the day I met up with quite a few kids from CMC. That's one thing I love about this school, everyone gets along so well. Even though there was only one run open, we were all having a great time. My friend Tyler even taught me front side 180s! I'm so excited because that was one of my goals for the season and I got it down pretty consistently. Learning that trick on day one was a reminder as to why I came out here, to progress. Riding with kids who are better than me will constantly push me to try more things.

They had a rail and a box set up and kids were showing off their park abilities. Here is a picture I composed of Alex hitting the flat down.

By the time two thirty rolled around we were pretty whipped. We were definitely not in shape, and given that it was our first time out this season we called it quits because fatigue leads to injuries. So we headed to Silverthorne and decided to hit up Target. To most people that doesn't sound like a big deal, but for those of us who live in Steamboat it's very exciting. Steamboat is an incredibly small resort town without much variety for shopping. The Target we were at was actually the closest one we have, two hours away. Needless to say the ability to shop online is not something we take for granted here.

After that we ate some dinner and relaxed. A friend I used to work with back in Buffalo, who now lives in Summit County, came over to hang out. It was very refreshing to spend time with someone who knows exactly what I'm talking about when I refer to Mighty Taco, and who understands that Buffalo Wings are not the same anywhere else in the country.

Standing in the lift line

Day Two

Knowing that A-Basin would be packed for opening weekend, we decided to sleep in and go to the mountain around noon. Most of the kids we knew from Steamboat had gone back to school, but we saw a few that stuck around. The lines were ridiculously long and the conditions were progressively getting worse. We still managed to have a fun day, just messing around on the mountain. Mariah and Heather both hit the flat down a couple times I attempted a few backside 180s off of little kickers.

Before we knew it, the lifts were closing and we had to head back. All in all it was a great trip. The fact that we got to go snowboarding as early as October 17th is amazing in itself. Leaving was pretty sad, especially because we didn't see any snow on the way home. When we got back to campus people were so excited to see us in all our gear. I think we were sort of a reassurance that winter really is coming, and soon we will all get to see snow in more than just films and magazines.

Where to begin?

I can't believe we're already half way through the semester. It seems like just yesterday I packed my bags and headed to the airport, sadly hugging my friends and family goodbye. I remember boarding the plane with both hesitation and excitement. I was sad about leaving everyone behind, I knew I'd miss them, but at the same time I was thrilled about the new life I'd be starting here at CMC. After a day filled with layovers, waiting in airports, overpriced fast food and a four hour bus ride from Denver International Airport to Steamboat Springs, I was ready to start a new phase of my life. These past few months have been filled with so much fun! Here’s what I’ve been up to...

The Yampa River

Hiking: What started out as an innocent trip into town turned into an epic adventure. I had every intention of picking up job applications when I ran into some kids that I recognized from campus at the bus stop. They had no real purpose, just checking out the town, and figuring the application process could wait a few hours, I joined them. Soon I found myself gasping for a breath of air as we hiked up Howelson Hill. My body had not yet adjusted to the altitude, and my eyes couldn't believe the incredible views. Everything seemed to be out of a post card or magazine. You know those shows you watch on Travel Channel about the world’s most beautiful destinations? I was there. I stood back, took in the view and smiled; for the next two years, this was my home.

CMC, Alpine Campus

Camping: It was a typical night on campus; I had gotten out of class and headed up to the dorms for an RHA meeting. On the way up I ran into a couple of my friends and they invited me to go camping. Since I had backed out a couple times in the past I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to show them that I could rough it for a night. After I got out of the meeting we loaded up Kyle's SUV and headed for the mountains. It took us about a half an hour to reach a dirt road that eventually lead to some pretty secluded camping spots. Growing up my family went "camping" quite often. We usually rented a placed that had sites staked out, premade fire pits and neighbors only ten feet away. Oh, and did I mention we had a camper? Needless to say this spur of a moment decision turned out to be quite an experience for this rural suburban girl. We got a fire going, set up our tents and broke out the guitar. I think the thing I was most afraid of was wild animals. After all, we were out in the middle of nowhere, who knows what could have happened? Although I was woken up at one point by an animal scratching at the tent, we made it through the night safe and sound.

Paddling: After doing a river clean up for a few hours on a Friday afternoon, my friend Jake and I met up with other members of paddling club and decided to plan a trip. We chose to raft the Shoshone Rapids in the Colorado River the following day. It was my first time white water rafting and I was beyond stoked. Like a child too excited to fall asleep knowing that Christmas is just around the corner, I got very little rest that night. We left around 7am the next morning. After a three hour drive to Glenwood, we blew up the raft, geared up, and took our first run. It was so exhilarating we decided to take four more after that. We were tossed around the river with water splashing in our faces, and smiles from ear to ear. It turned out to be everything I expected, and I made some new friends along the way. Best of all, it was sponsored by the school so it was completely free.