Another post, another month full of too many events to convey in so few words. (I’ve now experienced my first birthday away from home, which involved a silent foreign film, a root beer float kegger, and a piggy back race across campus.  Especially at times like that, I always expect to feel homesick, but I’m just having too much fun to mind.)

Halloween came and went, along with some ridiculous costumes and some ridiculously fun parties and events.  My friends and I hit up the “sparkly man cave”, a few blocks from campus, to watch some classic horror flicks, and have a pizza/costume party.  Another highlight of the day was when one of my professors lectured in a parrot suit.  The school hosted a few fun events such as a dance, where once again they featured a plethora of awesome prizes for those students that attended.  Additionally, Slate café can always be expected to get festive, and they didn’t disappoint.  The entrance was decked out in cobwebs and spiders, and there was a full size chef skeleton serving up a platter of those old-school pumpkin erasers that always remind me of elementary school.  Slate also hosted a pumpkin carving contest that showcased exactly why geeks do everything best (R2D2 was one of my favorite carvings). 

While I’m on the topic of Slate, I want to clear up any misconceptions there might be about the quality of the food they serve.  Slate is all you can eat, and everything is good.  They always have classics available like pizza, burgers, sandwiches, and salads; they have an international booth; and they usually serve some sort of special seasonal dish.  I know some of the pickiest eaters on campus, and we’re never disappointed. (I’d also like to point out the 3 flavors of scoop ice cream, 3 flavors of soft-serve, and –most importantly- the cappuccino machines that are all self-serve, all the time.)

Not long after Halloween, everyone’s families stopped by for a visit on parent’s weekend.  The main event was the last home football game. We won, naturally.  Regardless of how cold it got towards the end of the third quarter, the die-hard fans from Randall (the best residence hall on campus) kept going strong, shirtless, each with a letter (M-I-N-E-S) painted on their chests; our boys were one letter short, so the chef skeleton made a comeback appearance as the M.    I finally got to see the geology museum for the first time and, even as someone that knows nothing about geology and is not particularly entertained by rocks, I can say with confidence that it is well worth visiting.

Finally, I simply have to talk about Denver.  When choosing a college, location is a huge factor, and Golden is nothing if not conveniently located.  Mines is a fantastic college, and we have more fun things to do than any one person can handle.  Regardless, everyone has to get away from campus every once in a while.  Golden gives us the quaint, small town feel if all we need is a walk to clear our minds after class, but Denver is essentially right next door.  Denver is a magnificent city with plenty of entertaining ways for busy college nerds to spend any day or night of the week.  My friends and I recently capitalized on this on a Tuesday night prior to a Thursday exam.  We visited the Bluebird Theater for a concert that was so amazing we are already planning on tickets for next year.  It was entertainment for all of us that cost less than the price of a movie ticket, and gave us days worth of mental relaxation in a matter of hours.

Many people say that in college you choose between sleep, a social life, and academic success, but at CSM, with the right mindset, it is more than possible to accomplish all three.