#west virginia is winning so it's fine

[1doesnotsimplyhavejust1fandam]

Toby and Josh have once again made me INCREDIBLY emotional, so remember when Josh is shot and Toby is the one to find him? I don’t think there is enough emphasis on the fact that Toby gets the news that his brother is safely landed from the Columbia space shuttle mere MINUTES before Josh is shot. Toby has a few minutes to feel complete and utter relief that he didn’t lose his brother and joke with the President about it before he’s hit with the terror that is finding his other brother, not blood, but no less his family, bleeding on the ground, dying. Toby gets one brother back, and it’s framed as being at the expense of his other brother.

[russsiangirl]

a cowboy's sweetheart. ( dodge mason x you! )

North Carolina, 2016. 

You had never understood the hype behind rodeos, a bunch of guys practically begging to get injured in some way just for riding a bull? Well, that was bullshit if you had ever seen it. And you were about to. 

Your friend Lauren had practically begged for you to come, she had even bought you a pair of cowboy boots for the occasion! Lauren had a weird obsession with cowboys since this one boy in 8th grade, the year when the two of you got really close. Ever since then, you two had been glued at the hip, a thorn in each other’s sides as well. But here you two were, in college, together! Practically living the dream. “Please come, just this once!” Lauren pleaded, standing at the door of your shared dorm. You look at her with a sigh falling from your lips. She was persistent, but you just wished she would be persistent with other things. She looked at you with puppy dog eyes and repeated your name. “Fine,” You said with a huff, shaking your head. You couldn’t believe this. “I’ll go to your cowboy thing.” Lauren practically leaped with excitement as you agreed to this thing. You smiled back, watching as she dropped the cowboy boots at the door. Yeah, you were not wearing those. Over your dead body. 

at the rodeo… So you ended up wearing the cowboy boots. As you and your friends made your way to the stadium, you couldn’t help but take in your surroundings. “The toughest sport on dirt, huh? My ass.” You scoffed as your friend nudged your shoulder with a giggle. You didn’t really understand why she liked cowboys this much. It honestly astonished you. Cowboys were never really your type. But maybe, just maybe would this change your mind. You weren’t against liking cowboys, it just never really stuck with you. “Noo, you just need to see it to understand it.” Lauren clung onto your arm as she looked around like a kid in a candy store. You were glad she was excited. You wanted Lauren to be happy. You looked around at your other friends, Aubrey, Stella, Brianna. They weren’t huge cowboy fans, yet they went along. You had heard all about their nights with the different cowboys. As y’all found your seats in the bleachers your attention was drawn to the current cowboy in the chute. He donned a cream-colored cowboy hat and you could hear your friends giggling next to you. The announcer’s voice went off with a rumble, you listened closely trying to find out who this mysterious cowboy was. 

“Let’s go guys as we now have Dodge Mason from Martinsburg, West Virginia!” You raised a suspecting eyebrow, Dodge Mason was certainly a cowboy name, no doubt about it. The stadium immediately erupted with cheers as the announcer continued, naming the bull that Dodge was going to be riding. You and your friends made your way down closer to the fence, trying to get a better view. Your friend Brianna seemed like she knew this cowboy. He had probably been here before, you thought. You watched intently as he gave the nod to be released and watched as the bull tried to buck him off. The roll of his hips to stay balanced was hypnotizing, you watched as his face contorted with concentration. There was a cloud of dust that followed as the bulls hooves’ scuffed the dirt. You never had thought that bull-riding, for fucks sake, could be so.. entrancing? Your gaze didn’t leave him, the way he looked so stable on the bull that was so desperately trying to buck him off. It looked like second-nature for him, probably was too. He was, what, 52nd in the world? That must’ve been pretty high up there. You were sadly taken out of your trance as the bell went off, signaling that the 8 seconds were over, that the cowboy had made it.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have a champion!” The entire stadium broke out in cheers and yells and whistles. You and your friends immediately hopped up and cheered as well. Why wouldn’t you? He had just won! It was astonishing! Anybody who could win at one of these things deserved some fucking applause. You beamed as you continued to applaud, though the cowboy didn’t have much reaction. Like he was used to this? 

Your gaze tracked him as he hopped off the bull. The helpers came over to reign the bull back over, except they couldn’t.  The bull rushed at the cowboy and you examined how his eyes widened in fear before he bolted over practically to where you were, his cowboy hat falling over the fence. Your heart pounding in your ears as you reached down to pick it up, offering it back to him.

“Oh no, you keep it.” He nods at you with a small smirk and you find yourself smiling back. His voice was nice, it was the kind of voice that could calm you down when you couldn’t sleep at night. A voice that was just naturally comforting.. Now that you could see him up close you started to see things about him. LIke how he had a small splattering of freckles on his face or how part of his left eye was brown. You looked down at your feet before setting the hat on your head. Dodge gave you a small nod before hopping off of the fence and making his way back to the exit. Maybe cowboys weren’t so bad after all..

Your friends immediately giggle and swoon behind you as you smile and you couldn’t help but find yourself smiling as well. Who knows, maybe you’d go looking for Dodge Mason later. There was just something about him that was so captivating. Something that made you need more, like a drug. You wanted to see what was up with this mysterious cowboy. You needed to see him again.

uhhhh yeah there's chapter one for you guys!! sorry that its so short this is my first time posting anything like this enjoy :3

[ivyinne]

tsc also says that neil was violently dissociating the entire time so maybe he doesn't remember it? or maybe it's a retcon kind of thing :/

Yeah I remember that detail, but I don't think "violently dissociating" equates to not remembering it in the same sense as repressing it. Neil doesn't remember Evermore in the trilogy largely because he chooses not to, but when he truly tries to remember the memories do come back to him. He remembers that he didn't sign the contract that was given to him, he remembers breaking a mirror the first time he saw his reflection with his natural looks returned to him. But these memories aren't there unless he goes looking for them, which he actively chooses not to do several times. He talks about Evermore in broad strokes and smudges the fine details but it's deliberate on his part. If it was repression, he wouldn't be able to access those memories at all.

The fact that Neil's memories of Evermore are fogged by dissociation is his trauma response. Which is why I said that he probably does have some trauma from everything that happened at Evermore, including the waterboarding, but the way he responds to it vis-a-vis Jean is very different. It's also a much subtler trauma response compared to so many of his other triggers, which he has very overt and stronger reactions to; several characters comment on him looking on the verge of a panic attack or actually having one. Quite simply put, water-based trauma or a trauma response to water is something that Neil simply does not have in canon.

In fact, the only times Neil has a physically noticeable trauma response to Evermore is twice: the first time at Wymack's apartment, which in my opinion, was more about Neil's past catching up to him and ruining the sense of safety he had built with the foxes, than anything Riko specifically did to hurt him. The second time was in response to Riko, when he showed up at their game against the Longhorns and Neil has a very visible reaction to his presence. But Neil rallied from that fairly quickly, too, and all it did was spur him on to win and then roast the Ravens in post-game interviews as is his MO.

So to sum up, the Evermore trauma is there — it's just not as debilitating as Neil's other (and to him, more pressing) traumas, nor as debilitating as Jean's.

I don't think the violent dissociation is a ret-con either; Neil returns to South Carolina with no awareness that he ever took the flight out of West Virginia, which fits with what Jean says: that Neil was dissociating when he was taken back to the airport. So no contradictory information there. Same with the waterboarding: the fact that Jean was waterboarded was revealed in the extra content a long time back, as was the detail that Riko thought it a particularly effective method of torture. It's no surprise that he tried it with Neil when all other methods had failed to break him.

[sfarticles]

On the trail for the perfect burger

Wine, beer, cheese, chocolate, bourbon, pizza, dessert, ice cream, BBQ and hamburgers. What do they all have in common?

Foodies enjoy culinary exploration, and these category trails provide unique experiences, enabling us to adventure out, sampling and tasting the best of the best of their favorite food and drink.

While the above trails are more common and available in more places, here are some specific trails to check out:

• West Virginia’s pepperoni roll (It’s the official state food) https://bit.ly/4d92mp6

• Pennsylvania’s Fermented Food (It’s called “pickled”) https://bit.ly/3zRCyzv

• South Carolina’s Pimento Cheese (download the “passport”) https://bit.ly/3LAYscZ

•  Northern California Taco (40+ stops!) https://bit.ly/3YcpkaV

•  North Carolina Surry Sonker …(so what’s a surry sonker? A cross between a cobbler and a deep dish pie) https://bit.ly/3WAZHPU. And, the state also has an oyster trail https://bit.ly/3LCR4xS

• Ohio Donut Trail (visit all the shops on the trail and win a prize) https://bit.ly/4bVECE0

• Buffalo, NY Buffalo Wing (Of course, The Anchor Bar, birthplace of the Buffalo chicken wing is one of the stops) https://bit.ly/3Wht4VR

I’d be remiss to not include a couple of hamburger trails.

• Mystic (CT) Burger Trail https://bit.ly/4fdrDR5

• Lawrence County (PA) Burger Trail https://bit.ly/46gLzyi

Hamburgers, aka burgers, are so popular this time of the year. Many consider it the quintessential American food, along with its “cousin,” the hot dog. Yes, there is also a trail for the latter as well, including Connecticut, where I live. In Mark Kotlinski’a film, “A Connecticut Hot Dog Tour,” he takes you on a road trip to the Nutmeg State’s best hot dog stands.

But for now, let’s get back to burgers. FYI, New Haven Connecticut’s Louis’ Lunch puts claim to the origin of the hamburger.

The Lassen family has operated the eatery since 1895. People visiting Connecticut put this burger joint on their “must eat at” list. But remember at Louis’ Lunch, “No ketchup allowed!”

Now, talking about lists or should I say book, burger connoisseurs will enjoy “Hamburger America: A State-By-State Guide to 200 Great Burger Joints,” by George Motz” (2018, Running Press, $20.00) The cover of the 400-plus page book quotes the late Anthony Bourdain, “A fine overview of the best practitioners of the burger sciences.”

The book spotlights America’s best roadside drive-ups, stands, diners and college-town favorites. Whether you are an armchair traveler or going out on a burger adventure, Motz’s photos, and in-depth information about the mom-and-pop establishments, take readers to some new places from east to west and north to south to find the perfect burger.

He writes, “as you enjoy your heavenly handful of greasy goodness, take a moment to ponder the history of the place you are eating in. It’s the reason that burger tastes so damn good.”

Recipes aren’t the focus of the book, though there are a few peppered throughout the title. Two are shared below from the book, with commentary from the author.

Did you know:

• There is a Hamburger Hall of Fame located in Seymour, Wisconsin.

• White Castle is the oldest burger chain in America, founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas.

• The Big Mac was introduced in 1958 and sold for 49 cents.

• A “Luther Burger” is a burger where the bun is a glazed donut.

•  At Burger & Lobster, they serve the “Beast Burger,” a beef patty topped with lobster meat, Swiss cheese, lettuce, truffle tarragon mayo. Another take on surf & turf. It is quite good.

• Check this out, the world’s most expensive burger….$6,000! https://bit.ly/3SkRMU3.

BOBCAT BITE COLESLAW

(Served at Santa Fe Bite, previously called Bobcat Bite, Santa Fe, New Mexico)

Bobcat Bite Coleslaw is served at Santa Fe Bite in Santa Fe, New Mexico. (Photo: courtesy of George Motz)

Makes a lot of coleslaw (this is a day’s worth for the Bobcat)

1 head cabbage, shredded

1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup distilled white vinegar

¼ cup canola oil

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon celery seed

1 tablespoon ground mustard

Place the shredded cabbage and chopped pepper in a large bowl. Pour the sugar over the cabbage and pepper. In a small saucepan bring the vinegar, oil, salt, black pepper, celery seed, and mustard to a boil.

According to Bonnie, the smell of the boiling vinegar concoction will drive you out of the kitchen. Boil for 5 minutes and then pour the hot brew over the cabbage and peppers. Don’t stir it yet! Allow it to cool before stirring. It will appear as if there isn’t enough liquid to transform all that cabbage into the saucy coleslaw of your dreams, but trust me, it’ll work.

When the bowl of slaw and dressing has cooled, mix the contents, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Bonnie suggests allowing the slaw to marinate overnight for optimum flavor.

GOOP SAUCE

(Served at Eastside Big Tom, Olympia, Washington)

Chuck Fritch of Eastside Big Tom in Olympia, Washington, trademarked the name “Goop” sauce. It has been a Pacific Northwest mainstay for burgers.(Photo: courtesy of Kristoffer Brearton)

The headnote says, “Goop is a sauce that has made its way onto many burgers in the Pacific Northwest, especially the older-style classic burgers. All the Goop I’ve had tastes pretty much the same, and all are protected by their respective burger institutions, and contain highly secret ingredients.

But to legitimately call your sauce Goop, you need to be Chuck Fritsch at Eastside Big Tom in Olympia, Washington. That’s because Chuck has trademarked the name and arguably makes some of the best Goop in the area. I can see why he keeps his recipe underwraps — Goop is addictive. It adorns not only the burgers at Big Tom, but the fries and tater tots as well (tots ’n’ Goop = heaven). I once asked Chuck for the recipe, and he said, “What’s the saying? If I told you I’d have to kill you?” So, he didn’t give me the recipe. But I’ve done some testing and I think I’ve come pretty close. When I wrote this up years ago, I read it back to myself and imagined Chuck laughing.”

Makes enough for 12 quarter-pound burgers

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup Miracle Whip

2 tablespoons sweet relish

3 tablespoons yellow mustard

Whisk mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, relish, and mustard in a bowl and serve on your favorite burgers. The color should resemble a 1971 Curious Yellow Plymouth Barracuda. Tell your friends it’s not the real thing but pretty damn close.

Recipes courtesy of:

Stephen Fries, is Professor Emeritus and former coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, in New Haven, CT. He has been a food and culinary travel columnist for the past 17 years and is co-founder of and host of “Worth Tasting,” a culinary walking tour of downtown New Haven, CT, and three-day culinary adventures around the U.S. He is a board member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Email him at Stephen@stephenfries.com. For more, go to stephenfries.com

[corduroyinn]

Opulent Oases: Exploring the Finest Luxury Resorts in West Virginia

Nestled within the serene landscapes of the Appalachian Mountains, West Virginia offers a haven for travelers seeking luxurious accommodations and unparalleled relaxation. From elegant mountain retreats to lavish spa resorts, the Mountain State boasts a selection of luxury resorts that promise to pamper guests with world-class amenities and breathtaking surroundings. Let's embark on a journey to explore the finest luxury resorts in West Virginia, where opulent oases await those in search of indulgence and rejuvenation.

Mountain Majesty: Luxury Resorts with Scenic Views

Perched atop rolling hills and nestled within lush forests, luxury resorts in West Virginia offer guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty of nature while enjoying the height of comfort and sophistication. Imagine waking up to panoramic views of the surrounding mountains from your private balcony or unwinding in a luxurious suite appointed with plush furnishings and modern amenities. With their serene ambiance and breathtaking surroundings, these resorts provide the perfect backdrop for a relaxing retreat and an unforgettable escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Tranquil Retreats: Spa Resorts for Relaxation and Rejuvenation

For travelers seeking ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation, West Virginia's spa resorts offer a sanctuary of tranquility and wellness. From invigorating massages to rejuvenating facials, these resorts provide a range of spa treatments designed to soothe the mind, body, and soul. Imagine indulging in a hot stone massage in a peaceful spa sanctuary or unwinding in a luxurious soaking tub overlooking a scenic vista. With their serene ambiance and attentive service, spa resorts in West Virginia offer guests the opportunity to unwind, recharge, and emerge feeling refreshed and revitalized.

Gourmet Getaways: Luxury Resorts with Fine Dining

For food enthusiasts and culinary connoisseurs, West Virginia's luxury resorts offer an array of dining options that promise to tantalize the taste buds and satisfy the most discerning palates. From elegant fine dining restaurants to casual bistros showcasing regional flavors, these resorts provide a culinary experience that is as exquisite as it is memorable. Imagine savoring locally sourced ingredients prepared by award-winning chefs or enjoying a leisurely meal paired with fine wines from around the world. With their commitment to culinary excellence and impeccable service, luxury resorts in West Virginia offer guests an unforgettable gastronomic journey that celebrates the rich flavors and traditions of the region.

Outdoor Adventures: Luxury Resorts with Recreational Activities

For adventure seekers and outdoor enthusiasts, West Virginia's luxury resorts offer a plethora of recreational activities that allow guests to explore the natural beauty of the Appalachian Mountains while enjoying the height of comfort and luxury. From hiking and biking trails to guided nature walks and wildlife viewing, these resorts provide endless opportunities for outdoor adventure and exploration. Imagine embarking on a thrilling whitewater rafting excursion or enjoying a scenic horseback ride through rolling meadows and wooded glens. With their convenient access to outdoor recreational amenities and expertly curated experiences, luxury resorts in West Virginia offer guests the opportunity to connect with nature and create unforgettable memories.

Conclusion: A Haven of Luxury and Tranquility

In West Virginia, luxury resorts offer guests a haven of opulence and tranquility amidst the breathtaking beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. Whether you're seeking panoramic views, indulgent spa treatments, exquisite dining experiences, or outdoor adventures, the finest luxury resorts in West Virginia promise to exceed your expectations and provide an unforgettable escape from the ordinary. So why wait? Embark on a journey to discover the opulent oases of the Mountain State and indulge in a world of luxury and relaxation today.

[bridgeseduscholarships]

How to Win Scholarships and Grants – State of West Virginia

The State of West Virginia offers many college scholarships and grants for its residents. State financial aid programs are administered by College for WV, which is an online hub created by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the West Virginia Community and Technical College System. Below, we include a list of available grant and scholarship opportunities with relevant links. 

Before proceeding, it’s important to know one specific thing about most state scholarship and grant programs. Typically, these awards will require the completion of a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for federal financial aid. However, it’s also used by states to determine your eligibility for prizes based on financial need. It’s good practice to get an early start on this process. 

Additionally, every scholarship award or grant has its own eligibility requirements. Before applying, always read them carefully because the fine print matters. Your level of study, major, GPA, or level of financial need can either qualify or disqualify you for various programs. So, whether you’re a West Virginia high school senior or a current undergraduate student, there are likely opportunities to help you pay for your post-secondary education. 

With that said, let’s get to some scholarships for residents of West Virginia. 

West Virginia Scholarship Programs

Promise Scholarship

The West Virginia Promise Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship. It is given to high school graduates who plan to attend a West Virginia public or private college or university (two- and four-year institutions). To be eligible, students must graduate high school with a minimum 3.0 GPA. 

This award is valued at $5,000, which covers tuition and fees. 

WV STEM Scholarship

The West Virginia Engineering, Science, & Technology Scholarship offers financial aid to encourage students to pursue careers in STEM fields. Students must have a 3.0 GPA upon graduating from high school or a cumulative 3.0 GPA after completing two semesters at an accredited post-secondary institution. There is also a work component to this award. Applicants must agree to work in a STEM position for one year in West Virginia for each year the scholarship was received. 

The scholarship is valued at $3,000 annually and is renewable for up to four years. 

WV Nursing Scholarship Program

The West Virginia Nursing Scholarship Program offers financial aid for nursing education including LPN, RN, master’s, and doctoral programs. In exchange for the scholarship, recipients must agree to a work service obligation in West Virginia. There are other eligibility requirements depending on the specific nursing program of enrollment. 

Award amounts vary each year based on the availability of funds. 

West Virginia Grant Programs

WV Higher Education Grant

The West Virginia Higher Education Grant is a need-based financial aid program the help students with post-secondary ambitions. Awards are based on demonstrated financial need and generally may be used in conjunction with other forms of state, federal and institutional financial aid. The grant may be renewed until the student’s course of study is completed, but may not exceed an additional three academic years beyond the initial award. 

Exact award amount is dependent on available funds and level of demonstrated financial need. 

West Virginia Invests Grant

The West Virginia Invests Grant is a last-dollar financial aid program. It helps cover tuition costs and mandatory fees for certificate or associate degree programs in high-demand fields. 

The grant’s maximum award amount is limited to the total cost of basic tuition and mandatory fees minus other grant or scholarship aid. 

Underwood Smith Teaching Scholars

The Underwood-Smith Teaching Scholars Program helps recent high school graduates pursue careers as teachers in math, science, elementary education, or special education.

This is a competitive scholarship for recent high school graduates with a passion for teaching and a history of high academic achievement, community service, and active involvement in extracurricular activities while in high school.

Recipients must agree to teach in a West Virginia public school in an area of critical need for five years following graduation from college.

The scholarship may be used at any eligible West Virginia public or private, non-profit college or university offering West Virginia Board of Education-approved teacher preparation programs in math, science, elementary education, or special education. 

The award amount is $10,000 per year, renewable for four years. Award money can be used for the cost of tuition, fees, room and board, and other approved educational expenses. 

HEAPS Grant

The Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student Grant Program helps students with financial need attend higher education on a part-time basis. 

Award amounts vary based on institution and program costs. This award can be renewed. 

HEAPS Workforce

The Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student Workforce Development Grant helps students with financial need enroll in a post-secondary certificate, industry recognized credential, or other skill development program in West Virginia. 

Eligible students may receive awards of up to $2000 toward tuition, required testing and required supplies not covered by other scholarships and/or grants.

Choose West Virginia Practice Program

The Choose West Virginia Practice Program is a tuition waiver program that incentivizes nonresident West Virginia medical students to remain in West Virginia to practice. Two out of state medical students from each West Virginia medical school are eligible to be awarded each academic year. Students who are awarded will receive a tuition waiver for the differential between in-state and out of state tuition (approximately $30,000). In exchange for the award, students agree to practice at an eligible service site one year for every year they receive the award.

Participants may complete residency and/or fellowship training in West Virginia or in other states. The service obligation begins within six months after the participant completes training. It requires that participants practice at an eligible site one year for each year they receive the award (a maximum of 4 years).

To be eligible for the award, students must:

Be accepted or enrolled at Marshall University, West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, or

West Virginia University in a program leading to a degree of Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy.

Meet institutional requirements for being classified as an out of state student.

Not be in default of any previous student loan

Although students from any current medical school class year are eligible to apply, medical students who meet the eligibility criteria listed above and who are in their first year of medical school will receive preference.

Health Sciences Services Program

The Health Sciences Service Program is a loan repayment program (not a financial aid scholarship) for health professions students interested in practicing in under-served communities in West Virginia. The program makes approximately 15 awards each academic year to students enrolled in West Virginia healthcare education degree programs.

$30,000 for medical and dental students.

$15,000 for students training to become nurse educators, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, physician assistants, clinical psychologists, public health practitioners, and clinical social workers.

Awards are made based on a competitive application process and the recommendations of an advisory committee. Funds are provided to participants once they begin practicing and provide documentation regarding their educational loan balances.

Find More Grants and Scholarships for West Virginia College Students

The financial aid programs above offer support for West Virginia students to pay for college. However, there are more options that you should consider. In particular, there are many private scholarships and grants that may be a good match for your profile.

For West Virginia residents, the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation (GKVF) offers scholarships that are available at the following institutions of higher learning: West Virginia Wesleyan, WVU Institute of Technology, Washington & Lee University, University of Charleston, Roanoke College, Salem International University, and West Virginia State University. Many available scholarships on the GKVF platform are designed to ensure West Virginia students with financial need have the opportunity to pursue post-secondary education. 

Furthermore, your school’s guidance counselor, financial aid office, or local library likely have relevant information for various local scholarship funds that may suit your profile. The great thing about these resources is that they offer school-specific or regionally-based prizes that may have less competition. It’s worth a conversation to see if there’s a fit for you. 

You can also use our free scholarship finder to help you find scholarship opportunities. 

Without question, scholarships and grants provide countless benefits. In addition to helping you take fewer student loans or pay less for university or college, winning money can help open doors for your future. A track record of scholarship awards communicates excellence. So, whether you’re entering the workforce or looking for post-graduate education opportunities, scholarship wins can help you get there. For this reason, it’s good practice to apply, apply, apply!

The post How to Win Scholarships and Grants – State of West Virginia first appeared on BridgesEDU Scholarships. Originally published here: https://bridgeseduscholarships.com/how-to-win-scholarships-and-grants-state-of-west-virginia/

[coderfortourette]

Frick you and your Kentucky and California stuff. You made me cry at 3 am

Ah, this was the wrong thing to tell me because I've created more.

Sure, I’ve talked about PenPals, and that’s all fine and dandy. But consider: outcasts finding each other.

California it's kinda obvious. But does Kentucky count as an outcast? I would argue yes, technically he does.

In general, he’s more accepted than Cali, but he’s still kinda got a division with the rest of the South. Not a major one, but you can see that it's there.

Source 1: The entire South (sans West Virginia) showing up to insult Kentucky because Florida claimed he wanted it. Kentucky did not want it, and we can see that he is hurt by what they said, he's just 'strong' about it. (Also, I've counted up the insults/what types they were. I might make that another post)

Source 2. During the first Southern Meeting Sketch, we see Kentucky attempt to make a joke. It immediately backfires, with most of the states giving him disapproving looks. (All the states that give him disapproving looks were Confederate States. Kentucky was a Border state during that war. (Along with West Virginia, but they formed near the end, and the only other non-Confederate Southern state is Oklahoma, who didn't exist until the 1900s))

Anywho, Kentucky struggles to fit in with the South. So, y’know, sometimes he’s gotta just, step to the side and take a breather. Not let himself get angry and all that.

Which is when he gets talking with Cali:

Cali, as we all know, doesn’t get along well with other states. He’s either arguing with them, or they’re picking on him. This happens one day and California storms off all huffy and annoyed. Let's say he goes to the kitchen.

Kentucky was making diner in the kitchen when California storms in. He’s making this whole meal with fried chicken, green beans, corn, a nice big Southern meal. (The states take turns cooking, because that sounds cool).

Cali comes in. He’s in a mood cause he was getting picked on again. He’s annoyed to the point where every little thing that goes wrong makes him mad. A cabinet door could not shut fully on the first try and that would piss him off, that type of bad mood.

He’s absolutely expecting Kentucky to get pissed at him too, especially since Cali's invading the space while he works and he’s on his vegan trend again and he just made a face and a noise at Kentucky’s chicken. One of those 'Seriously?? you're going to make/eat that?' noises.

But Kentucky doesn’t call him out like the others would. Instead he remains calm. And he steps to the side to show the vegan options he was making. He asks if there’s anything he should add or subtract before he continues. He wants it to be good when dinner rolls around.

And Cali actually calms down a bit at that, because he’s not getting yelled at for not liking meat. Kentucky was actually wanting his input on something without joking or making him feel bad about it.

So Cali gives his inputs and Kentucky listens. He’s calm the entire time, which helps calm down California. And they keep talking afterwards. It slowly turns into Cali taking over the conversation to just share what he wants. And Kentucky doesn’t yell at him to stop or shut up. He encourages Cali to keep going.

And that’s a time when Kentucky helped Cali. Then there’s when Cali helps Kentucky. Like when another Southern meeting ends with him being “shunned” for a bad joke. (He’s just trying to copy them? How does it keep going wrong!?)

So Kentucky is off trying to make himself not overreact. And Cali finds him. It takes a bit, but he’s able to convince Kentucky to get in the car with him, and they go to a nearby park to play some basketball. Because he knows from previous discussions that Kentucky likes basketball. They play a few games. A few one-on-one. Some horse. Kentucky wins most of the time.

It’s a lot of this back and forth of them. And honestly, the other states don't actually notice this. None of them really think about Kentucky or California too much unless they're needed for something.

If you want to move it from platonic to romantic: California ends up making the first move. He plans a horse-back riding trip and confesses there. Kentucky confesses back.

And again, people don't actually notice they are dating until like months later. And only because Kentucky called Cali a pet name and gave him a kiss as he passed through the living room when he was doing something.

[simonsrosebud]

the one where someone doesn’t know who kevin day is, pt. 2

part one three four five

dalton’s apartment becomes a common occurrence over the next month.  kevin kisses dalton into the couch cushions, and then the bed.  and this one time it’s almost the same, except dalton interrupts.  “oh, hey, i’ll be at your game tomorrow- ah,” he breathes as kevin kisses down his neck.

kevin doesn’t like that.  no- he likes that, that dalton is willing to see him  do what he loves and all, but not that he told him right now.  because now he has to stop what he’s doing and explain.  explain that he’s pretty fucking famous in the exy world, that his mother is the creator of the sport, that he’s kevin day- what that entails.

but dalton takes it surprisingly easily.  he thinks it’s because he’s not invested in the sport in the way almost everyone else kevin knows is and just doesn’t get it, or maybe because he actually likes kevin for kevin and just doesn’t care about his past and the weight of his name.

because after kevin’s done dalton kisses away his frown and climbs onto his lap.  “don’t worry, hot shot, you’re still just a history nerd to me.”

kevin upgrades dalton and his friend to his family seats.  his friend seems to know exactly who he is when he goes up to them before warm ups, and by the guys face kevin realizes that dalton definitely didn’t tell his friend who they’d come for.

kevin hugs dalton.  “i’m not out yet,” he whispers.  “otherwise i’d kiss you.”

dalton grins like a child.  “later.”  he shrugs.

andrew mocks him in the car to fox tower after their win.  “invite your boyfriend?”  and he freezes.  “fuck you for thinking i’m an idiot.”

kevin thanks god that nicky rode with matt.  aaron and neil both look at him, though.  “you’re dating someone?”  neil will never not be oblivious.  aaron just sneers.

kevin stays quiet.  he should’ve known better from andrew, after all.  but he pulls out his phone.  come pick me up?

be there in 30, we're walking home from the stadium LOL

it's enough time to go hang out with the rest of the team and the vixens in the lounge, dan would kill him if he didn't show at all.  but he must lose track of time because eventually the door opens and instead of another fox it's dalton.  it's not enough to pause conversations, even though kevin is sure they all at least notice.

when kevin follows him out dalton knocks shoulders with his and smiles.  “are you drunk?  i noticed they were drinking.”

“no.  i’m um, i’m-i’m four months... sober.”

dalton is a pure angel because he smiles at kevin as he drives.  “that’s good, kev, i’m proud of you for that.”  and he doesn’t make him explain, or ask questions.  he takes it at face and lets it go, and it makes kevin want to bask in the feeling he gets from it.  it’s a different kind of trust than he’s used to.

he texts andrew that he’s not coming home for the night.  as soon as they get inside dalton’s place he has his lips on kevin’s.  “looked really hot tonight,” he mumbles and lets kevin walk him backwards towards his room.  “wish you still had your uniform on.  so strong,” and squeals when kevin picks him up.

“stop talking, d”

the next morning dalton drops him off at the stadium for training.  he doesn’t see anyone else there, so he lets dalton grab his face and kiss him before climbing out with a smile.

it fades when he sees nicky and allison staring at him as they exit the stadium.  he forgot it was therapy week for the team.

kevin freezes up.  nicky’s grinning, and allison continues walking to her car.  “wait!”  nicky wiggles his eyebrows when kevin grabs his arm.  “for once in your life, nicky, please don’t tell anyone.”

and it’s weird, because nicky kind of loses his smile.  “are you gay?  or bisexual?”

shrug.  “second.”

“are you serious about not telling people?  you’re obviously not out yet.”  kevin nods, and nicky smiles.  “i won’t tell.  i can keep secrets, you know, when they matter.”

kevin looks to allison, who looks to nicky.  “we’ve all noticed you hanging out with that guy lately.  if a bet about you two boning comes up we’re splitting the pot.”  nicky nods.  “secrets safe with me, then.”

kevin doesn’t tell them that andrew and neil know.  allison’s stubborn and he’s lucky he got her to keep her mouth shut on the first try.

he’s still moody during practice, though.  on their way back, andrew drives right past fox tower and to dalton’s apartment.  kevin doesn’t even realize until the car stops.  “what are-“

“get out.  you’re not allowed back until your mood is gone.”  and kevin could just walk back.  it’s only a fifteen minute walk, honestly, but he doesn’t really want to.  he wants dalton to wrap his body around him so he can take a nap and he wants to just hug him.  he’s realized over time that he’s been incredibly touch starved, and he’s become a fan of bear hugs.

he could feel himself distracted during practice, worrying himself over if he should tell the public that he’s bi to get ahead of it and worrying over what he and dalton are.  if it’s going in a direction that would even give him reason to come out.

so when dalton lets him in with a smile at the unexpected visit, kevin kind of falls into his arms and hugs him.  “can you hold me.”  it’s a different type of vulnerability, but dalton takes it with grace.

and eventually, when dalton’s lying on him with a hand in his hair, he asks, “do you wanna be my boyfriend?”

kevin snaps his head to look at him.  he runs his hand up dalton’s bare back.  “i’ve never been in a real relationship before.  my last one... she was toxic for me.”  triggering would be more accurate.

“that’s okay,” he whispers, his hand slides down to kevin’s face and he drags his thumb down his lip.  “just want you, kev.”

it’s the first time he thinks he’s ever heard something along those lines, and it hits so deep.  he rolls over dalton and kisses him into the mattress.

the foxes have a field day with it.

kevin doesn’t tell them, but he realizes two weeks later that allison was right when she guessed about them starting bets, and it doesn’t help when kevin brings dalton back to the suite only to find the upperclassmen and cousins all spread out on the couches and floor- minus renee and aaron.  he freezes and starts to walk backwards but andrew steps in front of him.  “stay.”

“why.”  but andrew doesn’t answer because he’s already said his piece, and kevin almost ignores him until neil pulls the vice captain card and forces him to stay.

kevin wants to hit him.

“it’s fine, kev,” dalton practically pulls him to the group.  dan greets him first and introduces herself.  “we’re playing never have i ever, drinking edition, if you wanna play, but you’ve got to drink for kevin, too”

and dalton’s wanted kevin’s friends to like him ever since he first saw them, so he doesn’t really want to say no.

“this is a bad idea.  they don’t play nice,” kevin says to dalton.  and he’s right.  the foxes don’t really play the game right, and all they do is go for each other.

kevin starts.

never have i ever payed a guy to knock me out:  neil takes a drink with murder in his eyes.  andrew’s behind him and flicks the back of his head.  he isn’t playing, but he’s not letting neil get wasted without being close by.  and also, he kind of lives there.

never have i ever gone to a peaceful exy banquet:  no one drinks, and for some reason it makes them all burst into laughter.

never have i ever done cracker dust:  dan says that one with a drunk pointed look.  the cousins, neil, and dalton for kevin all drink.

never have i ever had a panic attack over getting a phone:  neil

never have i ever kissed the same gender:  neil, nicky, allison, dalton takes two swigs.

never have i ever dated someone outside of exy:  nicky and dalton for kevin.

never have i ever broken a bone:  kevin, matt, aaron

broken a hand:  kevin

witnessed kevin having a meltdown:  everyone

lived with my dad for two years without telling him he was my dad:  kevin shoots daggers at allison.  dalton drinks for him.

had to get shitfaced to get a tattoo:  kevin

sent neil to west virginia:  kevin

seen kevin’s real smile:  dalton, neil

dated kevin:  dalton.  it settles a few bets all at once.

given kevin a blowjob:  dalton laughs before taking a drink, but that’s the last straw for kevin.  he’s sober as all hell and not letting them take the piss out of him and dalton like this.  “we’re leaving.”  he pulls dalton up.

dalton has an arm around his shoulders and his head ducked by kevin’s.  “s’fun, hm?”

kevin’s not having it.  it was not fun and he had reasons he didn’t want dalton meeting the foxes yet and the whole thing was fucked over because neil pulled the VC card and dalton was too nice to decline it.

neil says, in french.  “you knew he’d find out at some point”

kevin is furious.  “none of you had the right pulling the shit you did tonight.  i’ll fucking kill you.”  and he grabs dalton by the waist to escort him out.

all posts/updates relating to this au can be found in the “OC: dalton miller” tag!

[dhaaruni]

Re: your Joe Manchin/Matt Y post, it's just hard to emotionally square the idea that every single big piece of legislation is being held hostage by one man and Biden is just... fine with it. He might be furious in private but it doesn't matter what the squad says because JM and Sinema will never budge when they're getting everything they want while simultaneously poisoning the well for the Democratic party as a whole.

It's also that Biden literally can't do anything to Manchin and Sinema because he needs them to vote for Dem judges NOW, and they don't need him at all. Manchin reps West Virginia, which is a deep red state, and Biden's hugely unpopular there, and even in Arizona, which Biden barely won, his approval rating is in the 30s so Mark Kelly is going to be distancing himself from Biden and Dems anyways so Kelly can win re-election this November. That's also why Kelly and Sinema both signed onto that letter asking Biden to keep Title 42 in place and not repeal it like he's planning on doing since Arizona is a border state.

And, antagonizing both of them off will just make them disinclined to support Dems at all like Manchin and Sinema are voting for Ketanji Brown Jackson, and without them, I doubt Mitch McConnell would have even let Biden NOMINATE a justice and hold hearings like he did to Obama in 2016 with Merrick Garland, let alone confirm one.

So yeah, the way around Manchin and Sinema is to elect more Democrats, and that's the mundane answer but it's also the only one.

[jerrydevine]

LAST SECTION HOLY SHIT WHY ARE THERE 51 PLATES HERE o_0

kentucky vs arizona vs illinois vs vermont

vermont wins because its the only one without a BLUE GRADIENT BACKGROUND -_- arizona is cute from afar on the road though

mississippi vs florida vs maine vs washington

tough competition here except for mississippi.. really thing its maine vs florida bc washington has such a common color scheme. i LOVE oranges i love the florida plate and the maine plate....... ok im gonna go with florida bc the oranges are in the center so theyre less likely to get covered up by license plate boarders .. but know this was hard as fuck.

nebraska vs new hampshire vs new york vs virginia

hate almost all these plates. if new hampshire wasnt libertarian bullshit it would be ok. i hate the new york plates so much bc from afar the yellow excelsior blends into the white and the bottom gets covered by license plate frames. nebraska looks like west virginia and the center design is too faint to see far away. but virginia is the only girl BRAVE enough to put a seriously beautiful serif font on a license plate. and say virginia is for lovers. she wins. also for beth

tennessee vs texas vs oklahoma vs pennsylvania

this is so depressing. i cant even start with the tennessee plate i genuinely bring it up to every person i meet irl. she used to be so beautiful...... :( um oklahoma is fine its just busy as fuckkk and pennsylvania has the same color palette as like 14 other states. and texas wins because shes clean and simple and easy to spot from far away and went all black and white which makes her unique

okay so im going to follow that bracket's seeding system because it seems fine. the decision to choose the most recent license plate is not super helpful if the change has been less than a year old (because drivers change their plates over when their old plates expire it takes a year for everyone in the state to get the new plate. this means a lot of people will have not seen the new plate which means its not judged on how it looks on a car/real-world viewing of the plate). i will choose the most common license plate from each state instead, which is the same for many states. this becomes a problem with places like alabama or michigan (go bucks) that have color variants for license plates without having to pay an extra fee (i think) and places like indiana and ohio which still count a handful of old plates as valid regardless of it is the most recent design. for those i will use both/all 3 possible plates and judge based off that.

^ see the bracket didnt address ANY of that shit. fucking fake license plate fan. also im judging based on how good it looks from afar (if you were about a car-length away on the road), how good it looks close up, and its uniqueness. wow this post will be 4000000 pages long. hold please while i get images.....

[ledenews]

African Nun in Moundsville Strives to Help Needy in Appalachia

Sr. Agatha Munyanyi, 69, has spent her life helping others. That’s how she ended up in, of all places, Moundsville, West Virginia, a town of 8,000 on the Ohio River that is the subject of our PBS documentary Moundsville, but before telling that story, let’s go backward. Sr. Agatha was born in Zimbabwe (current pop. 15.1 million) in southern African in the middle of the 20th century at a time when it was called Rhodesia, part of the mighty British Empire. She felt a calling to Catholic religious life. That’s why she entered the novitiate of her order, the Sisters of the Child Jesus, at age 18. “And when you enter religious life, you must be prepared to be posted anywhere in the world where you are needed,” she said. In 2007, Sr. Agatha moved to the U.S. to pursue a PhD in biochemistry at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. She then got a private sector job at an environmental consultancy. That was a private sector job, and her salary went to her order. Nun takes vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. But in 2021, during Covid-19, like many people, Sr. Agatha was laid off. Because her order has a presence in West Virginia, it made her available there, and St. Francis Xavier, Moundsville’s only Catholic church, saw a need. In the summer of 2021, Sr. Agatha moved to Moundsville. She spends her time making home visits to ailing and aging parishioners, and to prisoners, among others. In short, she’s in Moundsville to love and serve people. I met Sr. Agatha in the basement of St. Francis Xavier, Moundsville’s only Catholic church. She was busy doing laundry. It was election day, Nov. 8, and I was walking around Moundsville taking the pulse. “I like the hills,” she said of West Virginia. “It’s like the Switzerland of the U.S.” American Realities The poverty and inequality in America, especially in Appalachia, are shocking to her. “I can’t believe there are people who can’t pay their energy bills,” she said. “When I tell that to people back home, they say, ‘no, that can’t be happening in a country as rich as America.’” She noted a difference in how poverty plays out in Zimbabwe and West Virginia. “A poor person in Africa can survive all seasons of the year,” she said. “But in America, you have to have shelter.” In Africa, she added, “a poor person worries more about food, whereas in America, food is more plentiful but housing is harder to find”, especially because of the price of energy in winter. In addition, she said, “in Africa, you are never homeless because you’re always part of a larger, extended family.” But at the end of the day, West Virginia is Sr. Agatha’s home for now, and she loves America. “America has always been the best country,” she said. “And there is hope for Christianity here, unlike in Europe. In Europe, Christianity is finished.” What did she make of U.S. politics? “Well, it’s very divided,” she said. As somebody who admires American democracy, she finds that heartbreaking. “I cried the night” of Jan. 6, 2021, when insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol building, she said. “I could not believe this was happening in America.” On a recent visit to an old woman’s home in Moundsville, the woman, aged around 90, asked her to pray for her favorite political party to win the election. Sr. Agatha said she replied: “How about instead we pray for wise leaders who respect the office and the power they’ve been given, and who want to be servants with the right heart?” The woman said that was fine and so that’s what they prayed for. Read the full article

[silhouetteofacedar]

When We Drive, Ch. 5: Motel Wine, Bushwhacking, and Body Tetris

Previous Chapter - AO3 - Rated T (sort of)

State Highway 375, Leon County, Florida

November 1997

At this point maybe she and Mulder should just avoid the woods permanently.

They’re a little beat up this time around; Mulder’s ankle is sprained, and they both are littered with scratches and bug bites. She’s driving them to Tallahassee to catch a flight home, and all Scully wants in the whole world is a bath, an aspirin, and her vibrator.

“I’d say this trip was a success, more than it would have been if everything went according to plan,” Mulder declares, unfolding the map Scully had bought at the rental car agency.

“Mulder, we could have died,” Scully counters uselessly. Deep down, she agrees with him, and that fact should scare her more than it does.

“Well, we got rid of Kinsley and Stonecypher and avoided death by boredom. Sounds like a win.”

Not quite a win, Scully thinks. Coming to his room with a plate of cheese and bottles of liquid courage has been a bold move for her. She wasn’t expecting much; best case scenario, they fuck. Hell, she would have settled for lounging companionably on the bed, watching crappy television; maybe fool around a little bit as the night wore on. She’s in complete remission, after all, and in possession of a healthy and warm-blooded body that’s good for more than just tromping through brush and stacking corpses.

Ugh. Is this her life? No wonder she hasn’t been laid in a while.

Mulder is happy as a clam in the passenger seat, seemingly unaware that his partner wants to haul him into the backseat and take his clothes off. He’s squinting down at the map, working his way through a fistful of sunflower seeds, chattering on about cryptids.

“We could quite possibly see creatures like this again, Scully; further north, closer to home. The Mothman is most prevalent in West Virginia, and the impact of urban sprawl on the forests-“

Scully’s headache intensifies. “Can I be frank with you, Mulder?” she interrupts.

She can see him looking her up and down in her periphery. “I’d prefer it if you were Scully,” he replies. There’s something faintly lewd in his tone that tightens the knot of sexual frustration forming in her pelvis.

She hides behind a roll of her eyes and he chuckles to himself. “Sure, what’s up?” he asks.

“I just want to make it clear that although I cannot say exactly what creature was hunting us out in those woods, I find your explanation to be completely ridiculous.”

He nods. “Thank you, Agent Scully; I’ll make note of that.”

“I mean, Ponce De Leon? The fountain of youth? That’s absurd, even for you. And as for the Mothman element, the only similarity these creatures had with those in reported sightings was glowing red eyes. There’s hardly enough evidence for any satisfactory conclusion.” She glances at him and is surprised to see a grin on his face.

“Am I amusing you, Mulder?” Scully asks.

“Sorry, I hear you,” he says, voice suddenly tender. “I’m- I’m just happy you’re back.”

“Oh.”

Oh.

A memory flits through her mind’s eye; lying in her hospital bed, hand clasped in his, feeling his warm breath on her face as he kissed her cheek. A faint recollection, shrouded in sleep, of hot tears running between her fingers. The cold emptiness in her stomach when she realized that time was almost up.

“I never really left,” she says softly. “Even at what looked like the end, you were bringing me news and plans and theories.” And hope, she thinks. She takes a steadying breath. “You kept me going. I was still your partner.”

It hangs in the atmosphere between them, warm and heavy like the humid forest air. There’s something solemn and sacred about the declaration; it feels like a vow. ’Til death us do part. Scully has a sudden, heady feeling that death is no match for them; a wall made of tissue paper. It feels like a premonition, and she is simultaneously chilled and ignited in the depths of her chest.

She glances at Mulder, who’s quietly cracking seeds between his teeth, seemingly unshaken by the epiphany occurring in the seat next to him. She wonders if he can feel it, sense the electric charge vibrating under her skin.

Scully repositions her hands on the steering wheel, breathing deeply to steady herself.

“You okay?” Mulder asks. He’s still careful with her sometimes; she thinks her cancer probably scared him even more than he lets on.

“I’m fine,” she replies. “Just a little worn out.” She immediately regrets her choice of words, feels a flair of anxiety coming from him. “From the case,” she explains quickly. “I didn’t sleep at all last night.”

This seems to calm him. “I, uh, actually slept pretty well, all things considered. So thank you… for that.” He clears his throat. “I can drive for a while if you need. My ankle’s feeling okay.”

Scully shakes her head. “It’s not much further, I might as well stay put. Rest your leg,” she orders.

“Sing if you get drowsy,” he quips. He holds out his dwindling handful of sunflower seeds.

Scully hesitates before taking one, popping it into her mouth.

It’s good to be back.

[sirsamurai]

Day 2: Man, what an amazing three days today was. It is 3 am and I have a race in a few hours but I’ll try to get everything in…

Bobby and I drove to Greensboro, North Carolina to visit the site of a revolutionary war battle and that was pretty amazing. We then hit a comic store (acme) and a toy store (nerd bombers). Both were small but fine. Employees at both were nice.

We then hit winston-Salem and two more stores. The first one was called re something or another (I’m so tired) and had a lot of wrestling figures but the prices were out of my range. Then we hit Chester’s collectibles (I think). This place was amazing, stuff stacked floor to ceiling but the prices were a bit high. They had a Jedi cruiser that I wanted, but it was fifty as well as a bunch of over priced figures. I left empty handed. Q

We got back to the Mt Airy house around 3:30, and the valentines got home a few minutes later (they were exploring Tennessee). By four we were on the way to West Virginia (again, we had to ride with them because my rental car was forbidden from going to Virginia).

In Princeton, West Virginia we hit 80’s Toys one of the show sponsors. While looking around the owner asked if we were in town for the show. We told him we had come in from California for it. He was impressed. Oh and the Jedi star fighter? Only twenty bucks so I bought it. Score.

The show was in a skating rink and the skating was supposed to end at 9 and the wrestling start immediately after. The wrestling didn’t start until 9:45 and there 10 matches. I was match 9, which became a street fight. I had a blast though I didn’t win. Bobby was in the main event and really connected with the crowd. I was so proud.

On the way back to mt airy we hit a Waffle House and got to watch all the employees almost fight each other. My meal was 11.50. Awesome

Good night.

[thecollegefootballguy]

2021 Top Games of the Week: Week 1

Football is back! Week 0 was incredibly boring but Week 1 should more than make up for that. We’ve got a load of interesting games this week that should kick off the season in style. Let’s have a look!

The Top Ten Games of the Week

10. West Virginia at Maryland (Saturday 9/4)

The 10 spot goes to one of the fun rivalry games once again kicking off. West Virginia and Maryland have kept their non-conference rivalry going even as both schools changed conferences in the past 10 years. I hope they keep playing it moving forward. Neither team is expected to contend for their conference, or division in the Terrapins’ case, so winning the rivalry games is #1 on the list for many fans on both sides.

9. Michigan State at Northwestern (Friday 9/3)

The Big Ten is trotting out several conference games to open the season. Michigan State at Northwestern is perhaps the least interesting, but it does feature the defending champions of the West Division. In 2020, the Wildcats came out of nowhere last year to claim their second division title in three years. Meanwhile, the Spartans gutted their way through a season that would have been incredibly disappointing if not for their win over Michigan. Both squads have question marks but with this early conference game we’ll get a better idea where each team stands.

8. #4 Ohio State at Minnesota (Thursday 9/2)

Ohio State is ready to kick off another season with a national championship in their sights. The Buckeyes are quite clearly one of the best teams in the country and expect to go 12-0 or 11-1 at the very worst. Minnesota hasn’t had an opportunity like this is a while. The Gophers are expected to be loaded for bear as they prepare to take the next step forward under P.J. Fleck. Back in 2019, Minnesota defeated #4 Penn State to catapult themselves into a tie with Wisconsin for the West title. I’m sure they have a similar outcome on their minds here for OSU.

7. #16 LSU at UCLA 1-0 (0-0) (Saturday 9/4)

This one is going to hold my attention this weekend. LSU has had a strange two years, going from national champions with potentially the best football team of all time to 5-5 also rans nearly overnight. Sure, they have had time to reload now and the Tigers should be fine, but more than a few eyebrows have been raised already. Meanwhile, UCLA’s long rebuild under Chip Kelly has finally started to bear fruit. The Bruins mauled an overmatched Hawaii squad in week 0. Big deal, the Rainbow Warriors aren’t on the same level as Louisiana State, who will give UCLA a real litmus test to see how far they’ve come. Also it’s cool to see a PAC-SEC matchup, I feel like those conferences have the most infrequent combinations of matchups among the P5 leagues.

6. #10 North Carolina at Virginia Tech (Friday 9/3)

The ACC isn’t quite matching the Big Ten for Week 1 intrigue, but this early bout may have big ramifications on the Coastal race. North Carolina is favored in a race with Miami according to the experts, but things rarely ever go right in this strange division. Virginia Tech are in an awkward position. Things haven’t been going well in Blacksburg lately and fans wanted Justin Fuente fired years ago at this point. It would be a huge opportunity for the Hokies to turn their fortunes around if they can jump on the Tar Heels at home.

5. #23 Louisiana at #21 Texas (Saturday 9/4)

This is a trap game for sure. Steve Sarkisian’s first game as Texas head coach and it’s against a team that made their name last year upsetting regular season Big 12 Champions Iowa State. Louisiana will absolutely give the Longhorns a tougher test than they would normally expect from a G5 program and if they’re not careful UT could faceplant.

4. #17 Indiana at #18 Iowa (Saturday 9/4)

It’s not a sexy matchup in the conventional sense, but you have to give credit where it’s due. Indiana were one of the darlings of the 2020 season. The Hoosiers shocked the world last season with a breakout 6-2 record. With a full season’s worth of games to play now, IU is gunning for double digit wins. Iowa is their usual selves. The Hawkeyes were once again a strong team last year and that should be the case in 2021 as well. Iowa expects to contend for the West Division this year and have to win their cross-division games to give them their best chance at getting to Indianapolis.

3. #19 Penn State at #13 Wisconsin (Saturday 9/4)

The biggest of the Big Ten’s Week 1 matchups sees two of the best programs in the conference square off. Penn State had a bad year in 2020, no other way around saying it. The Nittany Lions need to rebound in 2021 or there will be a lot of question marks surrounding the direction of the program under James Franklin. Wisconsin is their usual selves, meaning the Badgers should once again be one of the top teams in the league but still a step (or two) behind Ohio State. Both Wisconsin and Penn State want to win their respective divisions, a loss in Week 1 would be a crucial setback for either side.

2. #1 Alabama vs #14 Miami FL (Atlanta, GA) (Saturday 9/4)

The defending champions start off the year in a high profile matchup with another high profile team. Miami isn’t quite playing up to their potential just yet, but the Hurricanes are on more solid footing than we’ve seen in a while. Many are expecting another breakthrough season similar to what we saw in 2017. It might not matter either way if the Canes get back to that level. It will be incredibly hard to unseat Alabama. The Crimson Tide are losing a lot of guys from their championship squad, but new faces with similar levels of talent are coming in to replace those who’ve left for the NFL. It feels foolish betting against Bama but a Week 1 loss would be one of the more likely scenarios for a regular season loss at all for the Tide.

1. #5 Georgia at #3 Clemson (Saturday 9/4)

This one is a no-brainer. Georgia and Clemson’s on again-off again rivalry is once again heating back up. The stakes haven’t been this high since the early 80′s, with both the Tigers and Bulldogs attempting to claim national championships this year. UGA is hoping to rebound and reclaim the SEC East after giving it away to Florida last season. The Dawgs are on the short list of 6 or so teams that are aiming to make the Playoff every year. Clemson is one of the other squads on that special list. The Tigers are hosting and may be favored, but we need to be wary of their lack of depth at the QB position. A loss here might not end a Playoff campaign, but it would be a bad start to one as well as a black eye against a regional recruiting rival. 

-

5 G5 Games of the Week

5. Syracuse at Ohio (Saturday 9/4)

Frank Solich unfortunately won’t be the head coach in Athens, but I think his old team is in great position to claim a P5 scalp as hapless Syracuse makes the trek for a rare MAC road date.

4. Marshall at Navy (Saturday 9/4)

Two of the G5′s more consistent brands face off. Marshall is trotting out their first new coach in 15 years while Navy is attempting to spit out the bad taste in their mouths after a disappointing 2020 season.

3. Miami OH at #8 Cincinnati (Saturday 9/4)

The Battle of the Bell is one of FBS football’s oldest rivalries and I love giving it the spotlight. I don’t expect Miami to win of course, while they have been a solid MAC program in the last couple years, the RedHawks aren’t up to the same level as Cincinnati. The Bearcats are favored to repeat as the #1 G5 program in the nation. Cincinnati haven’t lost to their in-state rivals since 2005, giving Miami plenty of reason to try and solve the Cincy defense that gave teams such fits last season.

2. Texas Tech vs Houston (Houston, TX) (Saturday 9/4)

That’s right, Houston was able to call on to upgrade this game to NRG Stadium. The Cougars and Red Raiders are throwing a Southwest Conference reunion party and everybody’s invited. Both Texas Tech and Houston have been struggling lately and this game definitely has high stakes for both programs.

1. Boise State at UCF (Saturday 9/4)

Two of the G5′s biggest brands face off as Boise State travels to the Bounce House to take on UCF. The stakes are obvious: the winner here will be the G5′s #2 option after Cincinnati moving forward through the season.

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FCS Games of the Week

5. #14 Central Arkansas at Arkansas State (Saturday 9/4)

More likely to happen than you might imagine. Arkansas State moved on from coach Blake Anderson at the end of 2020 and Butch Jones (yeah) needs time to get things set. Central Arkansas has an opportunity to knock off their big brother in Jonesboro.

4. #9 Montana at #20 Washington (Saturday 9/4)

It’s the revival of an ancient PCC series dating back to the 1950′s. Montana will certainly be an underdog against a Washington squad that technically did win the PAC-12 North last year.

3. #21 Northern Iowa at #7 Iowa State (Saturday 9/4)

Iowa State has moved mountains to become this good, but the Cyclones aren’t impervious to upsets as last year showed us. Northern Iowa has their own chance to knock off big brother.

2. #6 Weber State at #24 Utah (Thursday 9/2)

This one should be tough no matter how good Weber State is. The Utes’ physical game will be tough for the Wildcats to overcome, but they’ll take their shot at glory no matter what.

1. #10 Jacksonville State vs UAB (Montgomery, AL) (Wednesday 9/1)

Now this is cool, an FBS-FCS game played at a neutral site. I love to see matchups like this. UAB is one of the best G5 programs of the last 5 years while Jacksonville State is one of the most consistent FCS squads in the deep South.

[antoine-roquentin]

One reason people don’t vote is because it is unnecessarily hard to do, and that should be changed. But it is far more than that. For many Americans, as they see it, not voting is the right choice, and they still wouldn’t vote if it was easier to do.

The attitude is best summed up by T, a forty-year old black man in Lumberton, North Carolina who explained why he didn’t vote in 2016,

“I am just so upset with the whole thing. Fed up. I voted for Obama. Seems like when he left office nothing changed for me. Nothing changed for this neighborhood. So I say, ‘We had a black president and I still working for eight dollars per hour and nothing has changed. Nothing. Ain’t nothing changed. Every single president. Obama. Bush. Clinton. Same thing.”

Or J, 62, in Battle Creek, Michigan,

“Most of the men I know didn’t vote. Nobody had the spirit this time. Trump or Hillary? Doesn’t make much difference. Things out here gonna stay the same. We had high hopes for Obama. But nothing changed. Blacks here didn’t end up being helped by him. I mean, he might have tried, but his hands were tied by both parties. Lots of us are just so frustrated. Nobody had the spirit.”

T and J at least took the time to respond. Most others, when asked about politics, simply roll their eyes, or laugh, or shake their head, or spit out something like, ‘Fuck them crooks.’

This isn’t a left or right thing, or a black or white thing, or an urban versus rural thing. It isn’t just an Obama thing, like in the two examples. I heard the same frustration and same disappointment directed at Bush and Romney from deep red regions, like trailer parks in West Virginia and truck stops in Kansas, just like I heard it directed at Obama and Clinton in deep blue regions like a housing project in downtown Cleveland and the wards of El Paso.

Not voting is about a justified cynicism forged from a lifetime of being screwed over by the status quo, and little is more status quo than sporting a “I voted” sticker. In their minds, and from their experiences, voting has no clear upside. Nothing is going to change.

And it comes with downside, both explicit and implicit.

Voting means entering institutions that have given them problems. From schools, where they were tested, measured, and prodded endlessly, only to be then ignored, scolded, or demeaned. To municipal buildings where they were taxed, fined, or charged.

Voting means interacting with a class of people who filled and embodied those institutions. Who either ignored or scolded them in school, or taxed and fined them in the court house. It is rejoining a part of America that doesn’t value them, from the way they dress to the way they think.

Voting means getting further entangled with a bureaucracy that has done nothing but tangled them up. Hell, it might even come with jury duty. They can’t do that because they are working two jobs and got kids to care for.

All to pull a lever, to be one single vote out of 122 million? Hell. ‘No way my vote is going make one bit of difference with that many people voting. So you want me to have to drive into town when I got only enough gas to get to work and don’t want to have to fill up tomorrow because I am on a tight schedule and need to switch to my back up card because I misplaced the first charge card. All for a vote that won’t change a thing. Even if, miracle of miracles, my vote swung the election. Now what? I got the president I wanted, and nothing has changed. My street still has potholes and my job still sucks.’

That isn’t to say non-voters don’t have views about politics, or don’t have a side they root for, or won’t trash talk the president or a candidate. They have strong views, and they might get emotionally involved for a bit, but they know their place is to watch. They are spectators of a sport that doesn’t involve them, or care about them. The outcome won’t change their life because it never has.

They are the fans with no money on the line, only in it for possible bragging rights. That is different from the wealthy, successful, and highly educated. We all have money on the line, whether we acknowledge it or not. From the business community, lobbyists, non-profits, and think tanks, who explicitly have cash on the line, to the verified accounts fighting on Twitter whose job and status is tethered to the winner.

While we may not be players on the field, we are part of the team. Our life and careers will change, sometimes hugely, depending on who wins. Politics is our sport, our game. It is built by and for us.