Annapolis Legislative Reception

Wow the Annapolis Legislative Reception! One of the BEST Alumni Events (other than Alumni Weekend, Hawktoberfest, Orioles game). I am a big fan of this event. Last year I met some cool 'senators,' a real life Leslie Knope, and even saw a Mom get her daughter a job. I'm pretty sure that is networking???

First there was Senator Roy Dyson. I was getting a Heineken (s/o to beer my dad likes) when he came in, and immediately came over to join me. We shook hands and I told him a pretty dumb joke and long story short I don't see myself as very good at networking. Later on he gave a speech (pictured below~)

Wow look @ that great posture

So then James P Muldoon (dude who built the River Center with his bare hands and owns the boat DONNYBROOK came over to drink wine with us. He seemed very interested in us but we were pretty focused on getting more free crabcakes.

Man look at that sweet red tie and suit that probably exceeds my paycheck. Yo let us take a closer look at that watch~

WOW EXCLUSIVE LOOK AT A SMALL SECTION OF JAMES P MULDOON'S WATCH huh not really sure what kind of a watch it is but I'm assuming it is one of those Burger King Jurassic Park watches circa 1994

Also he is SO FANCY that he has his initials stitched onto his shirt. Not really sure what the purpose behind this is. Maybe rich dudes have sweet Roman-style orgies and afterwards they want to make sure they put the correct clothes back on ???

Sorry for the blurry image but it says "JPM" which could also stand for JURASSIC PARK MOVIE. It all makes sense now...

And lastly we have a beautiful image of tru love

Larry MacCurtain proposing to someone!!! Wish u the best bb!!!

JUST KIDDING ONE EXTRA PHOTO a great shot of Michelle DiMenna strugglin'

u go girl~!!!

SGA 4/8

8:19 -- Longtime friend of the blog Chip Jackson is here.

8:20 --  Chip Jackson is talking about the tuition decrease. “Bad news” hahahahaa JK.

8:21 -- Out of state tuition will be flat.

8:23 -- New admissions guy Gary Sherman is talking now.

8:24 -- Financial aid will not be decreased as a result of the tuition decrease. All fianancial aid will remain the same.

8:25 -- Tuition decrease was sponsored by Del John Bohanan and Senator Richard Madeleno. Bohanan is the best looking member of the Maryland General Assembly imo and his campaigns generally involve some sort of Natty Boh reference.

8:26 -- There’s no truth that the budget has taken money from the arts and given it to the sciences (via these signs… I saw a comment on Facebook that was an art project and not intentioned to be a factual statement???)

(taken from Elmo Garcia's Facebook)

8:30 -- There are 200 deposited students for the class of 2018 (feel old?? of course you do). This is 59% more than at this time last year.

8:32 -- Joanne Bongwater is here. Talking about renovations.

8:34 -- JAG needs help choosing the colors of the dorms.

8:34 -- They’re expanding the lobbies to make them more inviting.

8:35 -- QA and Dorch are getting air conditioning and all the dorms are getting wifi. “yay”

8:41 -- the dorm bathrooms are getting cubbies. I always thought it was nice and cute when I visited colleges and the bathrooms had these.

8:44 -- Evan forgot the list of the candidates for “Faculty Student Life Award”.

8:45 -- Andrew Wilhelm is working on getting the list.

8:46 -- We tabled a bill to move SGA elections to January or February.. idk why.

8:50  -- Anuli is talking about a bill to change the Programs Board positions, getting rid of the lectures chair, adding a social media chair etc.

8:51 -- Anuli: “as much as it looks like we flawless but”

8:52 -- By-laws amendment passes.

8:53 -- Clay Daneker is getting people to sign his SGA candidate thing in SGA. I feel like there’s something wrong with this but I signed it anyways.

8:53 -- Mary Claire is talking about the budget.

8:59 -- Is this even real money

9:01 -- Budget passed.

9:04 -- Now we’re voting on the faculty-student life award.

9:10 -- Everyone’s just talking about what they know about these professors. Prof Bryd makes his own yogurt and sauerkraut.

9:16 -- We’re struggling with counting.

9:19 -- Anuli is giving the “Shelby Perkins Award” to someone other than Shelby Perkins.

9:20 -- Fashion Report -- “life because I’m still alive (via senior assassins)” and also overalls

9:22 -- Anuli tried to start a clap.

9:26 -- They are no contested elections. Kate Brennan is running for re-election with Jake Wohl. Yi: “Sorry, it’s… not competitive”. Remember democracy???

9:28 -- Andrew Wilhelm has nothing to report.

9:30 -- Luke Land is converting the soft serve resolution into a bill.

9:31 -- Burrito mile is this weekend. Evan will be participating.

Tuition to be Reduced by 8.6%

Wait, seriously? Tuition is going down? By 8.6%?

This is crazy awesome news. The rate reduction only affects in-state students, which I guess sucks for out of state students but it makes sense considering the money is coming from the MD General Assembly.

All of this is due to Chip Jackson, I'm pretty sure. Also Senator Roy Dyson. Roy Dyson is a pretty good senator because he immediately made a beeline towards the bar when he came to the legislative reception. Longtime readers will know of my undying love for Chip Jackson, even though sometimes he thinks my name is Ben.

Look at that handsome devil w/interim prezzy Newbould (also Chip Jackson is there).

Hopefully this signals increased support from the state government. One reason that tuition has gone up at many colleges is because the state support has not increased as quickly as inflation (or at least I am pretty sure this is true ???)

Wow it's been a month!!!

phew, really needed that 1 month break to recuperate after all those changes to the school

wow so looks like there have been lots of new changes??? guess everybody already knows that we got a new president...

CHIP JACKSON

yes granted he only gets 2 be president for a 'month' but man I am so proud of him. look at u chip, guess ur just a 'chip off the old block' hahaha

wow but let us all remember that July 2013 will forever be the month of the Jackson presidency. wonder if he is related to Andrew Jackson and will attempt to kill many American Indians and destroy the central bank of the United States [lol can u guess my major???]?

wonder if he will get his portrait in the library
wonder if urgo will
wonder if chip will somehow fuck this up (he won't, don't u worry)

wow on the real tho, seems like the next interim prez will be a cute old white dude for the next year, idk you have probably all seen the email (especially since they actually send them to alumnis 2 now) so im not really gonna waste time talking about him, gotta move on, gotta go fast, via sonic the hedgehog

did you know hedgehogs are mad slow ??? kinda makes u think...

but hey yah we r 'back'

guess whos back
back again
guess whos back
guess whos back
guess whos back

(it's Britney bitch)

Maryland Legislative Reception

St. Mary's hosted a 'legislative reception' on Tuesday ft. free booze and 'appetizers' and invited alumni, so obviously I went. 

Apparently it was also a "networking" event. Apparently people wear 'suits' to "networking" events and not white oxford shirts (w/rolled up sleeves) from TJ Maxx w/a Guinness tie?

But being "gainfully" employed I was more interested in the booze and food and stories about St. Mary's from the 90s 80s etc. 

RATINGS:

Booze: 8/10. Hosts brought wine (red and white) to me and made sure my glass was never empty. The wine reminded me of Franzia, which is a 10/10 in my book. Beer was limited to Heineken and Amstel. IDK why those are considered "fancy event beers" but w/e, they are pretty okay. Kristina nda disappointed in the lack of Natty Boh, via that is what a lot of 'old' (read: older than 25) people complained about.

Food: 5/10. There was some fancy "medium rare steak on a piece of bread" stuff which was rad, and a lot of cheese, but idk I was hoping for mini sandwiches or something that would become my dinner. 

People: 9/10 I met famous sailor Gary Jobson and then bragged to my parents about it. Talked to Urgo, he is still an expert on Faulkner and I still don't know what a Faulkner is. Talked to Chip Jackson, still a great dude. Talked to Tom Botzman about his new job. Apparently they asked him about a blog post I made years ago calling him "cute" (I stand by that remark) during the vetting process (I learned that word on House of Cards). Since he got hired I'm assuming that it was my blog that really tipped the odds in his favor. "The SMCMLOLBLOG Bump." So, you're welcome Tom! He has high hopes for the college getting money from the state this year, I hope he is right. There were also legislators I guess? 

Highlight of the night was meeting IRL Leslie Knope (via Parks and Recreation). She works for the Parks Department (specifically the bay), has blonde hair, is in her 30s, and is very happy/chipper. We got her contact info because we wanted to hang out/drink with her but then we lost it so IF YOU KNOW HER PLEASE GIVE US HER CONTACT INFO via needing to hang out with the real Leslie Knope.

Anyway, hopefully I will drunkenly run into some of those alumni at alumni weekend!

Anyway it was a great event and I got some business cards (via networking)! And gave some out to people who usually just handed them back to me.