Go Kent!

Well, I really shouldn't be posting right now as I have two essays to write and one to finish still, all due tomorrow of course. I have a hope that at least morning classes will be cancelled, but I know I can't bank on that, though we are currently under a winter storm warning as I write this with sleet and freezing rain falling outside. Things actually look pretty cool outside with everything coated in ice...like it's all glass or something.

Anyway, I went to the final home game of the season for the Kent State men's basketball team. This game was against Miami (Ohio) and was broadcast nationally on ESPN2. I got there early to get a decent seat in the student section (end zones), plus I wanted to make sure I got a a decent parking spot. Weekday games are OK, but the problem is that people are still in classes, so parking is hard to come by. I managed OK. Katie and her friend Caitlin (known to all of us as Gizmo) came during the first half. Not only was it a big game, but I also got to sing the national anthem one more time. I have to say this one was one of my better performances and it happened rather unexpectedly. I knew coming in that there was a slight chance I could sing, but I honestly didn't think I would. Chris, the guy in charge of that, told me at the KSU-Ball State women's game back in February that he remembered telling someone they could have the March 4th game against Miami, but he couldn't remember who and wasn't sure. So, I had it as a possibility. Well, about 13 minutes before tipoff they introduced the two seniors for their last home game and right as they were finishing up the second one, Chris walked over to near where I was sitting, pointed me out and motioned for me to come over. So basically, I had about three minutes to get ready. I was slightly warmed up "just in case," but not that much. Honestly, though, I thought it went REALLY well. I was hitting my notes with confidence and had some gusto! I was really happy with the end too. I ended it the same way I ended my performance at the game against Akron (the one I put on Youtube) with a really high last note, and this time people actually heard it. I got lots of compliments when I went back to my seat. It was great.

Oh yeah, the game went pretty well too, at least in terms of the outcome. It was quite the defensive and sloppy game, but Kent State pulled out a 50-39 win over the Redhawks to clinch the MAC East division and also won the MAC overall title and the #1 seed in the tournament after Central Michigan knocked off Western Michigan a little while later in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. The irony was that Bowling Green, which somehow beat Kent State on Saturday, was blasted 96-50 tonight at MAC doormat Buffalo. With the win, Buffalo "improves" to 3-12 in the MAC. Go figure. It is only Kent State's third overall MAC title (2002, 2006, 2008) and their sixth MAC East division title (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008). The MAC has only had divisions since 1998 I believe. Hard to believe Kent State has been in the MAC (Mid-American Conference) since 1951 and only has three overall titles, all in the last decade. This season also saw Kent State achieve their first win over a ranked opponent in the regular season; their first ranking in the regular season (first ever in the AP poll); their 1,000th win in program history; and their tenth-straight 20-win season, not to mention a perfect 16-0 record at home!

I should also point out that YES, I did exercise my patriotic right and duty to vote by voting in Ohio's primary election today on the Republican ticket. Let me just say it was one of the easiest elections I've ever voted on (most weren't even contested) and everything went very smoothly. Can I just say I LOVE voting by touch screen? Not only does it LOOK cool, but it is SO MUCH easier than punch cards or optical scan. I'll be very disappointed if we do away with the touch screen systems like the Ohio Secretary of State wants to. In addition, I saw Liz Bittinger, a friend of mine who I haven't seen in awhile. I went to school with her daughter Jenny and I just have such a high opinion of her and that family in general. Liz's husband Dave is the minister at Kent's Assembly of God. The members of that family, at least in my experience, are some of the most Christ-like people I have ever met. They strive to follow his teachings not only in the choices they make, but also how they treat people. It's nice to see fellow Christians who actually follow the Savior's example. To me, a true Christian is not just someone who believes in Jesus Christ, or wears a golden cross around their neck, or goes to a specific church, but also someone who emulates him and seeks to follow his example. That's why I get so irritated when people try to say that Mormons aren't Christian. We believe in Jesus Christ and we strive to live his teachings in our day to day life. Do we agree with Protestants and Catholics on all the details of the Savior's life? No, but that's not really what's important. It's not so much about which specific denomination you belong to, but more about how you live your life according to your belief.

Notes about the pictures: 1. Katie, her friend Caitlin (aka Gizmo), and me at the KSU-Miami game on March 4th in Kent; 2. The view from our seats. We sat in the fourth row of the south end zone. One of my favorite aspects of the MAC Center at KSU is how close fans are to the game.