A tribute.

Religion is a subject that many people don’t talk about for various reasons. For some people, religion and their beliefs are something that they consider sacred. For others, religion represents hurt because of bad past experiences. For me, I don’t believe in religion. I am a follower of the Lord and Son of GOD, Jesus Christ. I have seen many things that people do not believe in, and a few things that have expanded my mind. I have dealt with demon possessed people, I have seen and experienced miracles, I have been in “haunted” houses, heard growling in empty rooms, and have seen a demon. I don’t say these things to brag. I say them only to preface my blog. For the next few weeks, I promise to bring you things that you don’t believe in a way that is non-threatening and non-eccentric. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to “The Other Side.”

This week’s issue is not an issue at all! It is a tribute and a testimony. I will be graduating in nine days, and I feel the need to tell you all exactly how I’ve gotten to this point. It has not been an easy road, but it has been a blessed road. Believe me, GOD has been involved

Coming out of high school, I had a 3.3 GPA; a 1330 SAT, 4 years of track and football under my belt, and had served in numerous organizations and on panels. I thought I was going to someone’s college for free. Much to my displeasure, I ended up getting turned down for over 20 colleges. I got accepted to one, but I didn’t feel right about it. I had decided in my mind that I wasn’t college material…

Let me back up a few months. In October of my senior year (2007), my mother lost her battle with the many diseases that plagued her body throughout my childhood years. I grew up taking care of my mother and learning as much as I could from her (she was a K-6 teacher). We often spoke about a wide variety of topics. She was my best friend. When she died, I was torn to pieces. Without my mother, I felt like nothing in life mattered. This was all during my senior year of high school.

Back to the story. My mother died at a time when I was supposed to be focusing on making my run for a football scholarship and boosting my GPA.  By the time I struggled through graduation and getting turned down for 20 schools, I didn’t have any intention of doing anything good with my life. I considered joining a gang, selling drugs, and/or murder for a while. I was not in a good place mentally at all!

Not to make light of this very real situation, I want to get to the real reason I am telling you all this story. Broken and with no intentions of good, I decided to talk to this GOD thing I had heard my mother talk about. I grew up in church, but all I ever saw was people yell, holler, and dance! I thought GOD was real, but only for my mother. I thought she just believed in something to keep her sane. In the middle of the night, in the house I grew up in, on the floor of my bedroom with the door locked, knelt, a boy with nowhere else to turn. I remember it like it was yesterday. I started talking to what seemed like myself. I was desperate. I challenged this GOD thing. I cried to HIM! “If you are real, I want to try you out”, I yelled. I told HIM that “my mother had always put trust in you” I told HIM that “If HE was good enough for my mother, I would at least give HIM a shot.” My life would never be the same. I cried myself to sleep that night, thinking to myself that HE wasn’t real and he didn’t hear me. I remember waking up that next morning feeling a little better. This was impossible to me. After months of feeling horrible, I felt better!?  I asked HIM if HE had done that. In HIS own way, I got a yes. Over those next couple of months, I started to build a personal relationship with my LORD and Savior Jesus Christ and his father, GOD. With all of the fake I had seen in church, I told HIM that I didn’t want to be churchy, I didn’t want the titles or the offices, I didn’t want the phony church mannerisms or voice, all I wanted was a real relationship. I got more than I asked for!

GOD truly blesses HIS children. Let’s say this, when I prayed to ask GOD to put me in school, I not only got accepted into Frostburg, a check came in the mail to pay for my education, and that’s telling the watered down version of this story. I will be graduating on DEC 19, and I can truly say that GOD has more than taken care of my every want and need whilst I've been here.

Anyone who reads this: I stress to you: TALK TO GOD FOR YOURSELF! I didn’t need any fancy robe, water, or privilege to call out to HIM! He really does exist, and he really can help! HE WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU.

If you would like someone to pray for you or talk to you about anything, find me on FaceBook (Vince Morton Jr). I will.  

It has truly been a pleasure providing you all with engaging articles every week. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

In the Immortal words of Bob Barker...

By Racheal Myers

It is the end of the semester, and I wanted to finish off my class blog the same way Bob Barker and Drew Carey finish off an episode of The Price is Right…HELP CONTROL THE PET POPULATION. HAVE YOUR PETS SPAYED AND NEUTERED!

Spaying (female) and neutering (male) your animals is an easy thing to do. Most veterinarians recommend getting the surgery performed when the animal is around 6 months of age. The surgery can take up to 45 minutes to do, depending on the size of the animal, and the species. A cat neuter takes about 5 minutes, while a large dog can take longer.  A neuter of any species can go home the same day, while a spay generally stays overnight, just so the doctors can monitor their behavior in the morning.

The cost of the surgery can vary, depending on several different factors. Anesthesia, which is the gas they use to keep the animals under while the surgery is being done, is the most expensive factor in any surgery. The more an animal weighs, the more anesthesia will be used. The price of a spay can be affected if a female is in heat, the animal version of a period. The blood vessels to the uterus are enlarged during this time, which makes tying them off more time consuming. The best time to get a female spayed is when they are not showing signs of being in heat.

Spaying and neutering your animals is a great way to ensure their quality of life down the road. A female that has not been spayed is in jeopardy of developing cancers, deadly uterine infections, and adding to the population of unwanted animals. Unneutered male dogs also have the risk of developing cancers and may become aggressive the longer his testosterone is affecting him. Unneutered animals also have a tendency to run way to find a mate (the scent of a female in heat travels up to 7 miles) which increases their chances of being lost, or hit by a car.

Many clinics and shelters offer low cost programs and clinics to help owners with spays and neuters. Call your local shelter for more information on such programs.

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer...

The holiday season is upon us! With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror, Christmas is the holiday of anticipation for many! From TV specials to grand attractions, there is so much to do in light of the most wonderful time of the year.

Jingle, Jangle, and poor little Vixen, The Year Without A Santa Claus

Coming to the big screen on December 21st is Cirque du Soleil's World's Away. This epic adventure is theater (astounding vocalists, acrobatics, intense musical compositions) and a heaping helping of movie magic, sending audience members on a fantastical journey. The heads behind this project are Academy Award-nominated director Andrew Adamson, and none other than James Cameron (writer and director of 2009's Avatar). As if this movie wasn't a must-see already, the creators added 3D effects to enhance the experience. This film (if it can be called that) should be on everyone's holiday to-do list! More information? Here you go.

Every year, families can always count on ABC Family (the television network) to spread the holiday spirit with its 25 Days of Christmas TV special. This Christmas special always begins December 1st and crests on Christmas day, December 25th. This tradition started in 1996, originally hosted by Fox's television network (ABC Family adopted the tradition in 2003). The network showcases a combination of original Christmas specials and Christmas classics for families to enjoy. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, Home Alone, and Elf, are just a few movies that make this Christmas special memorable. For a full list of movies and showtimes, go here.

This year the National Harbor brings back its popular ICE! attraction. This attraction recreates popular movies (such as Madagascar or The Grinch Who Stole Christmas) through crafted ice sculptures. The entire attraction is made of ice; Winter gear is a must for the igloo-like environment. The attraction also has cool features like an ice slide for the younger adventure seekers. The theme for the 2012-2013 holiday season is none other than the big, green ogre himself, Shrek. For more information, click here.

If all of this is too much excitement for you, simply lay back, enjoy the inviting spirit of Christmas, grab a cup of hot cocoa, and read a novel for entertainment.

All the best to you and yours during this wondrous holiday season.
Merry Christmas and have a happy and prosperous New Year!

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Off Campus Amenities

When looking for an off campus living space, you should have an idea of what you want in the apartment.  I talked to a few students and came up with a list of amenities that are desired when looking for off campus housing in Frostburg.

1. Furniture- A lot of students do not want to buy furniture because it could get expensive and it has to be hauled off eventually.  Finding a fully furnished apartment isn't hard, but the furniture could be a little suspect, so it has to be cleaned before it's used.

2. Washer/Dryer- When living in the dorms students have the luxury of walking down the hall to do their laundry.  Some off campus spaces do not have a washer and dryer in the unit, but there is probably a shared one in the basement that costs to use.  Students desire an apartment that has a washer and dryer in the unit to avoid a hassle.

3. Storage Space- Nice sized closets are always good to have for those students who have a ton of clothes and shoes.  Also, since students travel here from home, they have totes and suitcases that need to be put somewhere during there stay here.  If the closets are small, it's likely that the students space will be cluttered because there would be nowhere to put anything.

These amenities are the ones that are valued the most.  They aren't in any order because they are all equally desired.  Having these items included in the rental save a lot of time, money, and space.  Now that you have an idea of what to look for, good luck!

Sexuality and Fashion: What I'll be Teaching My Children

I'm not sure if you have heard, but there are no straight men in fashion. The homosexuals flock to the runways and the dressing rooms, while the heterosexuals are content to buy their t-shirts out of a plastic-wrapped multipack. Only the most flamboyant among men can dare to be seen in bold colors and crazy prints. If you're a straight American male? Don't even think about it.

This discriminatory box has long been the accepted convention in American society. Straight men who take interest in their clothing must browse the shopping racks and fashion magazines very carefully lest rumors appear that they are someone that they are not. Further, I have gay friends with no interest at all in cardigans or bow-ties that lament having to live with the constant question: "If your gay, how come you don't dress nice?"

Despite the fact that this theory on sexuality and fashion still reigns, it does not seem to actually fit the true nature of men. Oscar de la Renta and Tommy Hilfiger are both straight male fashion designers. Lady-loving actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt rocks the fitted vest better than anybody. Straight male actor Ed Westwick, who plays straight male playboy Chuck Bass on The CW's Gossip Girl, has embraced virtually every color and pattern imaginable.   Are we finally understanding that sexuality and fashion are not congruent and consistant concepts? Are we finally accepting that, hey, maybe we can't fit entire groups of people into teeny tiny molds and conventions?

Pictured: (left) Gordon-Levitt (right) Westwick

It's hard to tell, because for every fierce fashion photo of a straight man, there are equally as many internet rebuttles and questions. For example, within ten seconds of searching for Ed Westwick on Google I was able to find link after link of people questioning his sexuality or links to him having to address gay rumors by reporters and interviewers. All because he knows how to properly fit a blazer!

So, returning to the question posed earlier in regards to the changes we can expect to see in our society, the answer (from me, at least) is that it is just to early to tell. But, certainly, I think we are beginning to shift in the right direction. I for one, will be teaching my children that men can be as fashionable, or as unfashionable, as they choose to be- regardless of their sexual orientation. Will you do the same? Maybe they can be friends with this forward-thinking little girl:

Frostburg Freshmen Feature of the Week: 12/3/12-12/7/12

A Final Farewell in Five Words or Less

By Scott McDonough, ENGL 490

This is the final freshman feature of the week, and a final farewell to all of you freshmen faithful for checking back week after week for all of your first-year needs. For this week, your fellow freshmen sound off in five words or less on Frostburg’s worst, Frostburg’s finest, and everything in between to highlight their first semester experience(s). Class of 2016, my final thanks and congratulations go to you for all of your support, and for making it through your first semester at FSU.  Anything you want to say in five words or less, Frostburg Freshmen,  the feature floor is all yours:

Kristina Elizabeth, Elementary Education: “Great friends and faculty.”

Joshua Dennard, Information Technology: “I learned so much.”

Enerel Orgil, Business Administration: “Chesapeake Hall food sucks.”

Amanda Scott, Undeclared: “Countless nights in the library.”

Matthew Lucido,  Fine Arts: “The day after the drink.”

Rather Not Be Named, Undeclared: “STD’s.”

Rachel Sherman, Geography: “I’m excited for next semester.”

Timothy Han, Music: “There is nothing to do here.”

Andrew Lupee, Recreation and Parks Management: “Great Rec and Parks Program.”

Amber Sampson, Fine Arts: “I Love FSU!”

Eric Klien, Sociology: “Go Bobcats!”

Reggie Miller, Accounting: “I’m transferring to UMD.”

Katherine Dudley, Undeclared: “Freshman Fifteen!”

Natalia Mellilo, Foreign Lanuages & Literature: “FSU Class of 2016 rocks!”

Nicholas Branic, English: “See you all next semester.”

Want more information on Frostburg State University's Class of 2016?
Visit my Twitter and Facebook for regular updates on all things concerning Frostburg's freshmen.



The Mad Hatter Quits, Stoners Break the Law, and Family Values Dissolve and Yet the World Continues to Spin

This week in politics: Republican Senator Jim DeMint announces his resignation, about a hundred people congregate outside of Seattle’s Space needle to break the law, and same-sex marriage licenses begin to be passed out.

Senator Jim DeMint, Republican Senator for South Carolina, announced yesterday that he would be stepping down as Senator to head the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. DeMint said of his resignation, “I honestly believe that I can do a lot more on the outside than I can on the inside.” Although DeMint had always said that he would leave after two terms in the senate, this move comes especially as a surprise since his second term wasn’t up for another two years. Even stranger, for a TEA Party supporter, this move comes after the crushing loss the Republicans experienced on election night and the discussion of changing the GOP’s image began.

In Seattle, close to a hundred people came out to celebrate the passing of a law that allowed recreational marijuana use. Of course this law only makes it legal to possess an ounce of the drug and its use is only legal in the privacy of your own home. So, that means when the demonstrators started sparking up pipes and joints, they were in fact breaking the law. No one was arrested as police looked the other way, but it’s still funny in a sad way.

Finally, yesterday was the first day for same sex marriage licenses to be obtained in Maryland, who recently passed the law after much controversy and debate.  The law passed by a narrow margin in November, and hopefully the trend will continue through more states throughout the years.

This is our last beat assignment for the semester and I just want to thank you all for listening to my liberal leaning lectures, have a great winter break and I’ll see some of you back in the spring.