Category: College

Graduation Day

On By Chris ElliottIn College, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

Twice today I got caught in the rain. Happens once, you assume it is just bad luck. Twice and you have to think maybe I should start checking the weather. Three years later, an MBA completed, and the question of if I am any smarter still hangs in the balance.

Today, was supposed to be my graduation day. Yes, technically it was graduation day, virtual ceremony and all. It just doesn’t feel like it though and I’ll be honest I didn’t watch the ceremony. Just not quite the same. Now, my opinions on the lock down and the government response to Covid-19 is a diatribe I will spare you from reading. I mean I should thank you for getting this far. Instead, I’ll let you peak into another part of my brain.

I was brought back to today to the first class as part of my MBA program at the Weatherhead School of Management. The class entitled L.E.A.D. A clever acronym for a class based on the soft stuff. Not necessarily my skill set. Yet, that class was in itself worth the price of tuition.

There were a lot of useful lessons, intriguing insights and spinets of information in that class, but one that I always think back on is creating our vision for ourselves. Where did we want to go, who did we want to be and what did we want to do. Endless possibilities and the freedom to answer anyway you wanted. How can someone choose? How do you know what you want to do, who you want to be or where you want to go? I couldn’t pick. How does one settle on one thing like that?

I have been told I have too many hobbies. Personally, I think softball, baseball, basketball, making candles, reading, cooking, weight lifting, hiking, kayaking, concerts, collecting baseball cards and writing this jumbled mess of stories and thoughts is really not enough. I recently made my own live edge wood table and I have plans for a bar cart coming soon. I like to travel and visit new restaurants. I am an avid craft beer fan. I tried my hand at coaching youth football and basketball for a few years, briefly tried Gaelic football and even once was days away from quitting my job, moving to London and playing American Football abroad at a London University. I was really close, but the 50K price tag just in the end kept me away.

And I have a list of other things I want to do. I can’t imagine limiting myself. That is where we get back to L.E.A.D. and that assignment. I don’t remember exactly what I wrote in that paper, it was a collection of things as I am a collection of interests. The renaissance man is a lost art. We live in a world of experts with few jack of all trades. I am not sure I am the best at any one thing but I am good at a lot of them and I want to taste more of them. That class showed me that insight into myself and it is something I have tried to carry forward. Do not limit myself. As I sit here today on graduation day, I am thankful for the opportunity I had to say yes to going to Case. A lot has changed in the last three years and while the ending isn’t exactly the day anyone wanted, it still a monumental day in many of our lives. So I will end with this. Why say no, when you can say yes and see how it goes. You can also try something else.

Ann Arbor

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, College, Restaurants, TripsLeave a comment

This one pains me to write. I hate the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor to me is representative of that. Ann Arbor is the city of Arrogant Assholes. Their Walmart Wolverine fan base is insufferable. I have a strong rule when rooting for college sports teams at a school you didn’t attend, if you ACT score was not within 2 points of the school average you can’t cheer for them. It’s my rule and you must obey. Yet, spending all day Saturday in Ann Arbor was a good time. There, I said it. I had a good time in that city. Like a drug addict admitting their short comings, that was good to get off my chest.

During our day visit to Ann Arbor, we tried three different breweries, Arbor Brewing, Jolly Pumpkin and Grizzly Peak. Each had some good beers and good food. We went heavy on the carbs going with soft pretzels, truffle fries and mac & cheese at each respectively. I like to justify this as carb loading. Regardless, the food was good. Arbor Brewing was probably my favorite of the three with the large selection of beer variety. The Pollination Sensation Honey Lavender Ale was the best one of the day. Top notch beer. Though, if sours are your thing then head to the Jolly Pumpkin. They specialize in sours and have quite a large number of them. The state of Michigan continues to be near the top in beer quality and Ann Arbor did not disappoint despite their reputation as Arrogant Assholes. I may even go back.

First Four, Dayton, and a Gas Leak

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Basketball, Brewery, College, Restaurants, TripsLeave a comment

There are certain sporting events that every guy should go to. Things that don’t require being a fan of either team to enjoy. The NCAA First Four in Dayton is one.

My buddy and I drove down for Day two of the First Four and took in the city of Dayton. We managed to stuff our faces in food ranging from poutine to pizza. We visited five breweries. Lock 27, Dayton Beer Company, Warped Wing, Carillon and Toxic City are all doing really good things with beer. Dayton Beer Company had a great stout. I really enjoyed Lock 27 as the best of the bunch though. Really nice location next to the Dayton minor league baseball team. I imagine that makes for a great summer night.

Then, there is the First Four. We saw two games with the second one being a great one. Syracuse vs Arizona State came down to the end. The crowd was dyed orange as this was clearly a Cuse home game. Really not a bad seat in that arena. I can see why they play those games there in this small midwestern city. Just pure hoops fans in Dayton as we saw people wearing shirts ranging from Ohio State to South Dakota State. First Four does not disappoint.

Now, I have to say I’ve never had and issue with AirBnB and credit to the company and our hosts for refunding our money. See we couldn’t stay in the house because not only was the furnace broken, which they told us as we arrived but we walked into the place and it clearly smelled of a gas leak. If you lit up a cig, I’d imagine that placing blowing up like a fireworks display. So after a day of drinking and right as the hangover hit due to no alcohol in the First Four, we drove home at midnight. Three hours back to Cleveland made for a late night but it was a hell of a day. Dayton didn’t disappoint.

I’m a Stoolie and the Sun is Cold

On By Chris ElliottIn baseball, Basketball, College, Football, Random ThoughtsLeave a comment

Have to say, I’m fairly late to the game at becoming a self proclaimed “Stoolie”. I️ probably first learned about Barstool back in 2010 as a college freshman and over the next 5 years dabbled in their content. I️ experienced serious FOMO over never going to a Barstool Blackout Party, perused the Smokeshow pages back as 20 year old college guy in the dorms and laughed at all the absurd videos. Sometime in late 2015 or 2016 I️ became a full fledged Stoolie. Yes, the sun is cold.

Barstool has been all over the news circuit since the cancellation of their show on ESPN after one episode and then the New York Times wrote this piece here https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/magazine/spurned-by-espn-barstool-sports-is-staying-on-offense.html. Like many of my friends, Barstool appeals because it is not PC. We are not racists or homophobes. Many of us have libertarian type leanings. Fiscally conservative, socially liberal. We really don’t give a fuck what you do. Just don’t tell us what to do either. And that’s where barstool appeals. It doesn’t try to be a moral compass, it doesn’t shove its views down my throat and it never takes itself too seriously. We don’t think any joke is off limits because in comedy it shouldn’t be. Barstool offends people and make them uncomfortable because it isn’t afraid to. I️ can’t watch ESPN talk shows anymore. I️ use to love Around the Horn but wouldn’t waste five minutes on it anymore. Instead, I️ look forward to Michael Rapaport calling people out for being sick fucks and want to know who Pardon My Take will name Football Guy of the week. I️ enjoy drinking and sports and comedy. I’m your average 25 year old male. Barstool gets me. Do I️ always agree with everything they say or post? Hell no, but I️ don’t get caught up in it. I️ laugh and move on like countless other Stoolies.

The PC world wonders how this media outlet rose to prominence and can’t believe people enjoy it. But I️ ask how can you not enjoy it? I️ know someone will think I’m a prick or misogynistic asshole for calling myself a Stoolie. Yet, there in lies the beauty of Barstool and its followers. We really don’t give a fuck what you think.

Beer and Academics

On By Chris ElliottIn Alcohol, Brewery, College, RestaurantsLeave a comment

Beer and college go hand in hand. Usually it’s cheap beer and large quantities. I have to admit I didn’t have much of a care for anything that wasn’t sold in a 30 pack in college.

At Case Western Reserve University, there is actually a brewery on campus. While I didn’t know this when I was picking grad schools, I’m glad the one I decided on is Case Western. The Jolly Scholar has been a campus bar there for awhile but they added brewing to their arsenal and sell craft drafts for 3.99. An unbelievable price point and I tried multiple there and was not disappointed, especially considering that price.

This little pub is literally smack in the middle of the campus inside one of the buildings. I know I’ll be making plenty of stops here over the next three years. Definitely a place worth stopping at in University Circle for a good beer no matter if you’re a student or just hoping being amongst a bunch of college kids will make you feel 21 again. Three years of grad school should give me plenty of time to work through their beer list.