Walking in a Winter Wonderland?

It is almost to the middle of December, and Marshall has yet to have a snowfall this year. Where the heck is all this snow!? I remember this time last year, there was a good two feet of snow on the ground before Thanksgiving. Multiple times last year, I would have to dig my car out of the parking lot because there was snow all the way up to my windows. Although I like the snow, thankfully I have not had to dig my way out of anything so far this year.

I realize that the winter season is still getting underway, but I keep hearing meteorologists on the news saying that the snow is coming. Well, where exactly is this thing called snow, because I have yet to see it in Marshall. I am hoping that when I return home to the cities for the holiday season that there is at least some snow to cover the ugly brown grass outside.

I like the snow. I like going snowmobiling, skiing, and sledding during the winter months. I do not mind when the temperature starts to drop if there is snow on the ground. However, if there is no snow on the ground outside, like right now, then I hate being cold. If it’s going to be cold, then there should be snow! I am hoping that by the time Christmas rolls around, that there is a good few inches of snow on the ground because after all, Christmas is just not the same without the snow!

Go Mustangs!

Tyler Glynn
Sophomore-Jordan, MN

Doughboys

First of all, you are probably wondering...what does doughboy stand for? The doughboys are my intermural basketball team name that I play on. Secondly, you might wonder how we came up with the name. Well that’s easy….we went to WalMart one day before powderpuff football this fall and were looking for a team shirt. What did we find? We found purple doughboy shirts for our team and we decided instead of just wearing them that night we would wear them for basketball too. The intermural basketball season is about 3 weeks in. The doughboys got there first win on Thursday December 2nd and it was an exciting one! The doughboys are a group of all freshman girls: Chelsey, Olivia, Jelly, Annie, Emily, Anna, Cassie, and me. We have a couple on the team that played basketball all through high school, some that only played in middle school, and some that have never played before. We might not be the most talented team on the court, but we sure do have a lot of fun playing together and getting to know each other even better! :)

Shawnalisa Reed
Freshman-Bruce, SD

Finals

Wow! This semester has really gone by fast. It is hard to believe that we only have two weeks of classes and a week of finals before winter break! Thanksgiving break was last week and it could not have come at a better time. The long break was a great opportunity to get away from the stress of final papers, projects, and tests and just focus on catching up with friends and family. Also, for the ambitious few, it was a nice opportunity to get ahead on some homework! Although it’s kind of sad to see certain courses come to a close, the thought of a new schedule is really exciting! Good luck to everyone during finals week!

Go Mustangs!

Kaelyn Turner
Sophomore- Sartell, MN

Deck the Halls!

The garland is strung, stockings are hung, and the Christmas lights are up—it’s finally here! My roommates and I have been decorating our place like crazy, in fact, it kind of looks like Santa threw up all over our living room! Last year we got a real Christmas tree, and even though the scent was absolutely delicious—the needles were an awful pain, and it was so darn thirsty all the time! We decided to go with the artificial route this year, so we bought pine air fresheners to create the allusion that everything was real! This weekend we’re planning on driving around Marshall to look at Christmas lights, while singing carols and drinking hot chocolate—‘tis the season!

It seems absolutely CRAZY that we only have two and a half weeks left in the semester, but this change in season definitely helps with the transition. Looking back on each of my fall semesters, they have just gone by faster and faster each year! Even though I’m starting to feel the pressure of Finals Week and all of the other final projects I have due, I’m still able to work some fun into my schedule in order to stay sane. My friends and I go to open skate nights at the ice rink in town, and a few of our other buddies play pick-up hockey too. As much as I wish I could play hockey, it’s just not working out for me; instead, I go and watch and throw out quotes from The Mighty Ducks series, which makes it completely worth while!

One big event on campus that I’m really looking forward to is the annual Casino Night put on by the Residence Life Association. Casino Night will be held December 8, from 8:00pm to Midnight. Food and drinks are provided, and there are a plethora of different games to play—depending on your gambling preference! I personally enjoy doing the horse races, roulette, and bingo! This year there is a Harry Potter theme to the night, so they will be incorporating a lot of new games into the night! There are a ton of prizes and chances to win things, plus a lot of faculty and staff run the games, so it’s a really neat environment to let loose and have some fun!

I’m excited to finish strong in these next few weeks, and I hope you are too!

Merry Christmas—God bless!

Kelly Fitzgerald
Senior-Marshalltown, IA

SMSU Travels

Although I enjoy going home to see friends and family for Thanksgiving, I am very happy to be at school again. These next three weeks will keep every student on campus busy as the semester comes to a close. For me, I am especially excited to wrap-up the semester for one reason. On the last day of finals, myself and five other students along with some professors are flying to Jamaica. All of us are part of the on-campus organization called S.I.F.E. (Students In Free Enterprise). S.I.F.E. has been working on a project for this project for awhile now and has already sent one group to Jamaica in October. Our project is to help a rest stop holding about thirty cook shops, all serving Jamaican cuisine, become more profitable. We are teaching them basic hospitality management skills, better cooking techniques, and an overall better way to address tourists. With our help we hope that they will have a stronger income in the future and be able to live more comfortably.

For you future Mustangs, if this perks your interest then you should come to SMSU and check it out!

An event happening in the more recent future is our SMSU Men’s Basketball team hitting the road to South Dakota to take on Augustana on December, 2. If you don’t know, Augustana is one of our biggest rivals in basketball and so to give our boys all the support they need, there is a fan bus set up for students. Our mustang fans are always willing to travel to cheer! I will definitely be traveling to this game as well as many others I predict. I am excited to see one of the first games of the year!

Laura Johnson
Junior-Maple Lake, MN

Where Did the Fall Semester Go?!

Wow, college is flying by, it seems like yesterday I was just moving into my dorm and meeting new friends. Before you know it, winter break will be here in two weeks! With being a freshman, I’m not really sure what to expect with finals but I’m sure not excited to take them. I will be very happy when they’re over and I’m able to go home and spend time with my family and friends!

Go Stangs!

Kayla Stenzel
Freshman-Wells, MN

Ugly Sweaters and Holiday Gatherings

Hey Again,

I hope you all had a relaxing Thanksgiving and got some good deals on Black Friday, without any injuries! I can’t believe that Thanksgiving break has already come and gone, but that just means winter break is three weeks closer! This time of year on campus is always really exciting. Many students who have recently graduated come back this way to visit their families and usually stop by campus or spend some time down town meeting up with friends. I have three very close friends all coming back to Marshall soon and I can’t wait to see them! My house will be hosting our annual Christmas Party in a few weeks! All of our guests come dressed to impress, with a dish to share, and a ten dollar gift(usually a funny one). Last year there was a huge snowstorm, so everybody showed up in snow pants, boots, mittens, hats and a dress! It made for great memories! I look forward to seeing what is in for us this year! The SMSU Dance Team is getting ready for their first basketball performance which will take place at the Ugly Sweater game on December 10th. I found the perfect ugly sweater at a garage sale this summer and I can’t wait to bust it out. ! Well I suppose I should start putting together a few of those field experience portfolios on my to-do list! We’ll see if I can actually get anything done with all these holiday movies on TV. That’s all for now!

Bertina Miller
Senior-New London, MN