Christmas Break

          I've been home for about two weeks now, I guess. To be honest, I'm kind of ready to go back to school. Don't get me wrong, I've loved seeing all (or some) of my old friends and getting to hang out with my family for a pretty good while, but I just kind of miss college life. I miss living on my own in a different state and seeing my newer friends pretty much every day. Not to mention, I'm starting to get sick of people that haven't seen me in a while commenting about how long my hair is when they see me. Yeah, I know my hair is long. Its on MY head so I don't need you to remind me about it. This is also another reason why I kind of miss college. All my friends up there are used to my long hair so they don't even notice it. But oh .well, I guess that's what I get for not cutting my hair.
         On a lighter note, I finally got a computer! So this is my first official blog post on my own computer. Thank you Chandler (roommate) for letting me do this on your computer this whole first semester. I no longer have to go to the library just to type a paper. I know that doesn't really seem like a big deal, but it is to me.
          In a post I had a couple months ago, I mentioned how much my family plays ping pong. I also mentioned how I considered myself a pretty dang good ping pong player. Well, I'm going to be honest and admit that my oldest brother Evan tore me up over this break. I decided to take the high road and go ahead and admit how badly I got beaten. On the other hand, I beat my other brother Collin pretty badly so that makes me feel pretty good, I guess.
          Over the last couple weeks, I've started listening to a couple of Nashville-based singer/songwriters named Madi Diaz and Katie Herzig. The first, Madi Diaz is a folk singer that kind of borders on country, but definitely more on the folk side. She's got a powerful voice and solid lyrics and she likes to employ a slide guitar along with her acoustic sound, which is always a plus for me. Check her out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpicC7fd8YY
I heard about the second artist, Katie Herzig, through my very talented cousin, Holly Lovell, because she went on tour with Katie. I'm disappointed to say that I'm just now getting into her music, because it is really awesome. She's got a very unique voice and the only person I can think of that she sounds like is Ingrid Michaelson. Their voices are very similar, except Katie's voice is a little bit higher and has a little bit more vibrato. Anyways, here's a video of her: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI2k7R65EZY

So Close...

          Well, this semester has just flown by. It really has. Frankly, I should've seen this coming because everyone I had talked to said that the first semester goes by incredibly quickly. Of course, I didn't believe them but they hit it right on the dot. It seriously feels like yesterday when I moved into my dorm and the only person I knew was Chandler (my roommate). Now, we only have about 2 weeks left in this semester and I've got a solid group of friends that I really feel at home with. Another great thing about college is that, even though I do have these really close friends, I'm still meeting new people almost everyday that are more or less really cool.
          It feels so weird to already be planning for christmas break in these next couple of weeks but, to be honest, I'm pretty excited to see some of my old friends from Providence, with an emphasis on "some". There are definitely a few that I could and probably will go without seeing, and I'm perfectly ok with that. That said, I've missed my closest friends so much and it'll be great to get to hang out with them for a while. I'm a little nervous though because, after making all of these new friends up here at MTSU, I feel like it might be kind of weird to go back home and hang out with my old friends like nothing ever changed. I already know that I'm gonna miss these new friends over the break but hopefully I'll be able to see a couple of them while I'm home, some way or another. I'm also really looking forward to hanging out with my family a ton and the answer is yes, we WILL be playing a ton of ping-pong over the break.
          With there just being two weeks left in this semester, obviously I've been pounded with work this weekend. I have to type a 5 page paper for monday and I've got four tests in the mere three days of classes we have next week. Then finals start. I thought I was going to have to take just 3 finals but I found out yesterday that I am in fact going to have to take a fourth. Needless to say, I wasn't happy at all when I found out. But oh well, that's life I guess.
          I was recently introduced to a band called Seabear by a good friend of mine. Obviously, they're really good, otherwise I wouldn't even bother mentioning them. They are an Icelandic band (yes, there are other bands from Iceland that aren't Sigur Ros) that are the definition of chill and relaxed folk music. The singer's voice is very low key and kind of breathy. The instruments consist of a couple acoustic guitars, pianos, mandolins, and violins and the composition of all the songs sounds fantastic. Definitely check them out. You won't be sorry.

-Colby McHugh

Being An Uncle (Among Other Things)

          First of all, I would like to apologize to everyone for not really keeping up with the blog very well. I knew that when I started this, I would eventually wind up struggling to keep up with it. These last few weeks have been pretty busy, so I haven't really been doing a good job of keeping everyone up to date with what's going on in my life.

          Well, to get started, I'M OFFICIALLY AN UNCLE! If you can't tell, I'm a little excited about this. My brother Evan and his wife Rebecca gave birth to a beautiful baby girl a couple weeks ago. Her name is Adalyn Larue McHugh. I'm not exactly sure how they came up with the name Adalyn, other than the fact that it's just an awesome name. I do know, however, why they had her middle name be Larue. That's the name of my awesome grandma (who we all affectionately refer to as Bunna). Anyways, this is the first time I've ever been an uncle and I'm really looking forward to being around Adalyn as she grows up. I'm also really happy since she's only about thirty minutes from MTSU, so I'm obviously going to be her favorite uncle (sorry Collin...). I'm already looking forward to seeing her all the time and watching Evan and Rebecca as they become the awesome parents that I know they will be.

          The other somewhat important thing that has happened in the last few weeks was that I turned 19. I was thinking about it and I realized that this is one of the most insignificant birthdays ever. I mean think about it; It's right after turning 18, which is obviously a big deal because it feels like you're finally an adult (kind of). Then it's right before turning 20, which is important because getting to your twenties just seems like a big deal to me. 19, on the other hand, is just not important. Nothing big happens when you turn 19 and I don't really feel any different at all. That said, I'm still hoping that this coming year is going to be great and that I'll continue to enjoy college and just life in general.

          During these last couple weeks, I've gone through a couple different phases of music. I've seen some really awesome concerts (Mike Mains and the Branches, Horse Feathers...etc), so be sure to look up those bands because they're really awesome. On the other hand, I've been introduced to Dallas Green, who plays under the name City and Colour. I have my good friend Andrew Travis to thank for showing me his music. He is kind of a folky, singer/songwriter who has a lot of tattoos and wears glasses that I could see an old man wearing. And the answer is yes, he does look awesome in those glasses. He has a very good voice that I can't really compare to anything else just because it doesn't really sound like anything else. His songs truly sound like they were written straight from his heart and the lyrics reflect that perfectly. If you're wondering what songs to check out, look up "Sleeping Sickness" and "Body In A Box". They're definitely solid. As always, check him out and let me know what you think.

-Colby McHugh

Pinpoint Evangelism...

         So last thursday a couple men from a group called Pinpoint Evangelism came to MTSU and tried to spread their own little version of Christianity all over our campus. You're probably wondering what they're all about. Well allow me to fill you in: they come to college campuses and literally stand on a pedestal and preach. Well, preaching is an understatement, its more yelling and screaming at passing students, calling them sinners, whores, and pretty much anything and everything else. Anyways, they came to MTSU and, needless to say, chaos ensued. When I first came outside and saw it, I literally thought there was a riot about to happen. The "preacher" was standing on his little pedestal, surrounded by a barrier and guarded by two cops. There were hundreds of students standing around the barrier, all yelling they're own arguments.
          Then I started to actually listen to what both sides were saying. For the most part, the students were screaming literally pointless things that were doing nothing but taking up space in everybody's ears. Of course, there were a few standout students that had legitimate arguments but, of course, the Pinpoint guys just ignored it. Most of the students were just making jokes and trying to be funny. Then there were the guys that were just yelling because everyone else was. They didn't care about what the preachers were saying, they just wanted to be cool and do whatever everyone else was doing.
           The Pinpoint guy's message was just ridiculous. He was saying that he never sins. Ever. On top of that, he would point out specific students (probably randomly) and yell at them that they were going to go to hell. Obviously, this is what almost started the riot. Apparently people don't like being told they're sinners and that they're going to hell. Who knew?
           There are very few things that make me angry. If you know me, then you know that its really hard to genuinely piss me off. This was one of those times. As soon as I heard what everybody was actually saying, I was just immediately in a bad mood. Of course, I didn't start yelling like everyone else. That would have been stupid. I really hate obnoxious people and trust me, there were plenty to go around that day. Even more than that, I hate ignorant obnoxious people (as in people who argue and have no idea what they are talking about and happen to sound incredibly stupid) The Pinpoint guys infuriated me because they make Christians out to be just like them. I mean seriously, the people that walked by and saw them probably think that all Christians are like that. It gives us a bad name and that genuinely makes me more angry than I've been in a really long time.

Writing 1010

          Well, it's official, my writing class is the most ridiculous class I've ever taken, high school or college. Don't get me wrong, I really like writing and the class isn't all that hard, but my professor is perhaps the strangest teacher I've ever had.
          It all started about a month ago when a couple students started to ask a couple questions about an article that we were reading. The questions they were asking were completely understandable, in my opinion. For some reason, the professor became incredibly defensive, almost like these students were attacking his own beliefs, which I can guarantee they weren't. It was super awkward for everyone that wasn't involved in the debate (more or less an argument).
          The second occasion happened actually during the next class. The professor called on a student that had been involved in the argument the class before to read what he had written down. Before the student had a chance to read, the professor gave the class a "warning"that this kid's paper made a bunch of allegations (which were obviously directed toward the professor). This little "warning" seriously pissed off this student, and he said that he refused to read what he had written down. This, in turn, pissed off the teacher, which made him set off a whole slew of cuss words. This isn't really the big deal, but I just thought it was funny because he really isn't the cussing type. Then he decided to get the rest of the class involved. He asked "the quiet kids" what they thought about this whole situation, and of course they had nothing to say. That's why they're quiet....Idiot. Anyways, some other girl decided to get up and leave. I guess she just didn't want to deal with this kind of drama in college. To be honest, I was pretty tempted to get out of there myself, but I figured I might miss any more interesting things if I left.
          The third and final incident happened today. It started out fairly normal, although nothing is really normal in that class anymore. A student named Devin walked into class about 3 minutes late. Before he had the chance to sit down, the professor asked Devin to come out into the hall for a second and, next thing I know, Devin comes storming back into the class yelling that the professor said that he can't be in here and that he has to leave. We never actually figured out why he wasn't supposed to be there. He wasn't failing and he hadn't missed too many classes, so we were definitely on his side. Eventually, since Devin decided to stay in the classroom, the professor actually called the cops to make him leave. So yeah, policemen came to class today to keep a student from going to class. Literally the dumbest thing I've ever witnessed.
          To top it all off, I really don't think I've even learned anything in that class. Seriously, all the things he "teaches" us are things I already knew.
          Alright well, after that little fiasco, I'm going to do a shameless plug for my brother Evan McHugh's new CD, entitled The World Will Move Along. If you've never listened to Evan before, then you're definitely missing out. He released his first CD about two years ago, and he's worked incredibly hard on this new one that was just released about a week or two ago. Seriously though, his songs are really well written and you'll find yourself singing them over and over again in your head. I guess his genre is kind of a mix of folk, jazz, and a little bit of pop. GO OUT AND GET HIS CD! Trust me on this one, its awesome (and I'm not just saying that because he's my brother, it's really good)



-Colby McHugh

Fall Break Can't Come Soon Enough

           With fall break starting tomorrow, a few of my professors decided that it would be a great idea to schedule not one, but TWO tests the day before we get out. Looks like I'm going to be staying up for quite some time studying for those two tests...To be honest though, I'm really only worried about one of those tests: College Algebra (otherwise known as the bane of my existence). The other one is a test in my Intro to Music class, which is pretty much a joke, considering I got a 108 on my first test, and a 99 on the second. Math is easily the class that I hate the most, so its definitely going to be the hardest class to make myself study for.

          In high school, I can't really say I seriously studied for any test, other than my Systematic Theology tests, where I didn't really have a choice. I also spent most of high school hearing from my parents, teachers, and anyone else who thought they knew anything about college that the tests in college would be SO much harder than any of the tests I ever took in high school. Allow me to give it to you straight: the tests in college are not, I repeat not, all that much harder than in high school. It's just a lot different than high school was and as soon as you start to get the hang of it, you'll realize that it's not a gigantic deal. Don't get me wrong, I'm studying a whole lot more than I ever did, but that's just because I feel more obliged to do so, considering this has quite an impact on what my future holds. But hey, maybe the classes I'm in are easier than others, or maybe MTSU is just not a hard school, but I'm just speaking to my own experience so far. I guess we'll just have to see if that changes in the next couple of years.

          So, to any person in high school that is really worried about how hard college is going to be (trust me, I know you kids are out there), don't worry. Just don't be an idiot in college and don't do stupid things and you'll do fine.

         To be honest, I don't even know if you guys even care about what music I've been listening to this week but, since its my blog and I can talk about whatever I want, I guess I'm going to keep doing it. I just like to help people listen to good music, that's all. I'm just sick of hearing crappy music from other people who think its good music just because its popular. I'm going to stop there because I don't want to start ranting anymore than I already am. Anyways, this week I came across a band that I had never heard of before called Sleeping At Last. One of their songs popped up on my shuffle, and I was blown away by it. As it turns out, I had almost two full cds of theirs on my ipod. There is one word that I would use to describe their music: beautiful. The songs are literally like poems put to music, with the singer having an almost fragile voice that expresses his heart and soul through those lyrics. They are some of the most beautifully written songs I've heard in quite some time, and I really haven't been able to stop listening to them since I heard that song. In terms of their cds, either Storyboards or Keep No Score are definitely their best ones. Pretty much any song on either cd is awesome.

          On a different note, I was hoping you guys could help me out with something. As much as I love doing this blog and just writing in general, I really want to find another outlet for my writing, but I don't really know where to look. So if you guys have any suggestions as to what those outlets might be, I'd be very glad to hear any of them. I'm still going to do my blog, but I just kind of want to see what other stuff is out there. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

-Colby McHugh

The Bitter Taste Of Defeat...

          So I just got back from the championship of our indoor baseball intramural league. Unfortunately, my team, Da Burninators! (in reference to Homestar Runner....p.s. anyone who already knew that gets at least 10 cool points in my book) lost in the final game. What makes it so much worse is that we had already  beaten the team we lost to once. I know that it really doesn't seem like a big deal...I mean it IS just an indoor baseball game at a college that nobody's even heard of, but I'm still super competitive and I hate losing almost more than anything. Don't worry, I'm not one of those guys who throws a temper tantrum anytime I lose. I'm a good loser on the outside, but on the inside, I'm pretty pissed about it. 

         I like to think I got my desire to win from my brothers. I grew up just getting destroyed in pretty much every possible sport/game you could imagine. Seriously, you name it, I got beat in it when I was a kid. I think that it got to the point where I really didn't want to even play anything against them anymore because I knew I was going to lose. But then, as if out of nowhere, I started to actually be pretty good at certain things. Of course, those things happened to be video games when I was a kid. My brother Evan and me used to literally spend hours playing Super Smash Bros, because he was convinced that he was just ONE game away from beating me (in his words). He hardly ever beat me, of course.

          But my shining moment came when I was finally able to beat my brothers in our favorite pastime as a family: PING PONG. I remember it like it was yesterday. We were playing in our basement (which was more or less a dungeon) and I happened to be beating him. I distinctly remember thinking, "hm, this is weird, why aren't I losing?". Then the happiest moment of my life happened: I beat Evan McHugh in a game of ping pong. The world must be ending, I thought. Of course, Evan threw a bit of a hissy fit, slamming his paddle on the table and anything else in his vicinity. I didn't say anything to him for a solid couple of hours, just because I was scared he would punch me, which was a pretty valid fear. Since that moment, the three of us have all been pretty much equal when it comes to ping pong. Obviously, I like to think that I'm better than them, but I'll be honest, they beat me every once in a while...if they're lucky.

           I've been listening to a band called Mike Mains and The Branches pretty much nonstop for the last few weeks. I can't take any of the credit in saying I found this band or anything, because ALL the credit goes to a friend of mine named Michael Dean. He randomly showed us this song by them called "Stereo" and pretty much since then its been stuck in my head. Basically, they're a band that writes catchy pop-rock songs, but still have those songs that are incredibly well written and do an amazing job of tugging at your heart strings. Check them out and let me know if you like them as much as I do!

BURNINATORS ALL THE WAY!!!

          -Colby McHugh