Interview with Myself-Saturday, January 30th, 2005
I have completely run out of ideas for this website. I don't know what to write about in a column, except the Bulls, my current state in video games, our upcoming intramural games or how today's world is spiraling towards complete destruction of humankind and all other organisms involved in the life of humans. I have nothing inspirational to say because my attempts at inspiration obviously haven't worked. People I pump to write me columns never fulfill their promises. My last interview with Erica Johnson was a hit, so I'll try another interview. Since nobody wants to do an interview, I'll just ask myself questions. Rue the rest of you bums! I have to carry this thing by myself! We're supposed to be a team! A team! I might as well switch to the girls' team. They give me more cooperation, anyways.
So, Dan, how's the winter going?
Pretty good. I take more joy in winters than most people. The majority of the people in the world do not get to enjoy snow, so I relish the oppurtunity. Sledding, building snowmen, and pelting people with snowballs are things a lot of people never get the chance to do. They also don't get the chance to spin their car out of control, run in a foot of snow and be really cold, but you take the good with the bad.
Great. Grand. Wonderful. So what have you been doing in the winter offseason?
First of all, I spell offseason without the "off", buddy. Right now it has been track season for about three months, the day after cross country ended. Second of all, I've been doing a lot. As soon as cross country ended, I heard calls to revive the 50 Pound Bench Club. I originally didn't want to play intramural basketball, so I could concentrate on my track training, but I promptly scrapped that idea after I realized the greatness of intramurals. Pure, fun basketball with no rules. Sometimes I take it too seriously, so I gotta take a step back. Right now we are one of the top teams in the league, but took a huge blow with a loss to the reigning league championship. Besides intramurals, I've been sharping up my video games. I assembled an All-Star team known as the Chicago Bears in ESPN Football 2005. I made some great trades and draft picks to lead Da Bears to two Super Bowl victories and one runner-up finish. And this is on hard difficulty, kids. I also bought GTA Vice City (finally) and I am working on that. On February 18th, I plan to purchase NBA Street 3. Speaking of the NBA, how bout those Bulls? I knew they would have a resurgance when they erased a 30-point deficit in the season opener against the Nets to force double overtime. They lost, but it was a great game. I've been saying playoffs since that game, but nobody believed me. Look at them now! Ha!
Anybody seen the Pacers record lately? Worse than the Bulls! I've also been trying to enjoy the last few months of high school in whatever way possible. I might bust out Mr. Potato man at lunch, dance around like King Lear, have an intelligent conversation about the greatness of Seinfeld, or sit back in awe at the glorious ending to "Napoleon Dynamite". Whatever man. That is it.
Thanks for writing a book dipwad. The question I meant was what are doing in terms of running this winter?
Oh, sorry, Mr. Smartypants. Well I took three days after the State Meet, and have been taking a day off per week since. I've a run a few races to keep that racing feeling. Won a Thanksgiving 10k in Valpo and won a bunch of Turkey Pot Pies. Then won the Sleighbell 5k in Chesterton two weeks later, and you get a bunch of fun bells to put on your shoes. Then got sixth at the Indianarunner.com Indoor Mile. My next race was the Pancake 5k in Park Forest, Illinois, where you get free pancakes and a free hat/visor. Some dude crushed me by a minute. That hurt. My next race is the Valentine's 5k in Valpo on February 13th. I've increased from about 30 miles per week to my current 45-50. I've done some pretty memorable runs this winter. I did a Christmas day run in PA that took to the top of a hill and a great view. Then there is the random long run I did in the middle of Washington Township when Chad Hutchison made his first start for the Bears against the Vikings. Today, I did a loop of Chesterton. I love going to other towns and just running around. I haven't hit up the legendary Trail 8 yet, but I got that in the plan. Then there was the 90 laps around the indoor track with Don Johnson. Nobody still believes we did that, but we did. One of the greatest achievements of my life. Overall, this has been my best winter of training.
Ok. I wish I could do that. Wait, I am doing that since I'm interview myself. Anyways, next question. How's the girlfriend?
Oh she's great. Just got a new haircut, but can't say I like it. Don't tell her that. Wait, I don't have a girlfriend.
Greatest single moment of this winter.
Ack, now that's a tough one. I would say it had to be my trip to DC's Country Line Dance place. Pure white trash, pure fun. They had to break up a fight or two while we were there. Somebody proposed and she said yes. I love dancing and it just completely opens me up and gets me crazy for like a week afterwards. And now I like country music and dance all the time.
Word association time\
YES!
Ok, here we go. Underwear
Uncomfortable
Curious
George.
Track
Black thing with white lines that I will run around
College
The next stage in the my life
War
Pointless
Love
Something we need more of
Pink
Best color ever and color of the 50 Pound
Indiana
Basketball and farms and snow and home
Valentine's Day
My Quest birthday
Smiggly-smoggle-hoggly-foo
What are you talking about?
Sorry
Lo siento
What?
Yourface
Ok, lets get back to word association. Running
Girls in sportsbras and boys with no shirts.
Music
Best thing ever
Ok last one. Fun.
Lunchroom antics
We
Imagine all the people
Are
Who really knows what the truth is?
Done
Finished. Terminated. The lap after the bell lap. The end. Graduated. Completed. Dead.
Favorite OC moment this season.
When everybody finds out that Caleb had an affair with Renee Wheeler and Lindsey was their daughter. So much tension. So much drama. One of the greatest moments ever in OC history.
Anything you want to do before you get out of high school?
Figure out what college to go to. Why can't I just pick one out of a hat?
Any predictions your last few months of high school?
That I finally will NOT get rejected when I ask a girl to a dance. Hear that girls?
Well, this is the last question. Why are humans given the ability to talk and reason?
My opinion is that humans where given greater intelligence capabilities to better the Earth and all organisms of the Earth, including other humans. So far, most of civilization has not achieved that goal. Will we ever reach this equilibrium? Yes, if enough people share the same dream. But its a longshot, a huge longshot. Like the Cubs winning the World Series.
Thanks a lot. Why did you do this?
Because I didn't have any homework this weekend. Plus, I decided to talk about the things that nobody will ever listen to me talk about.
Interview with Fan, Erica Johnson-Wednesday, December 29th, 2004
Valparaiso Boys Cross Country is a fan-friendly program. We have a fan page on our website and shirts for our fans. That's is about it, but its more than most fans can say. So I decided to pleasure our fans some more by giving a lucky random fan the chance for an interview. I wanted to get a teenage fan so they could relate most of the people who visit this website. Low and behold, the first person worth interviewing today who was availiable on my AOL buddy list was Erica Johnson. She is a top runner for the girls' team, placed 42th overall in the state meet, and ran in the Mideast Meet of Champions somewhere in Ohio. She enjoys hosting the OC Party every Thursday at her house, short walks on the beach, large triangles, cheese and crackers, and, most importantly, is a fan of the boys' team. My questions and comments appear in blue. Her responses appear in red. Some of her answers are true. Some of it she completely made up. Some of it I answered for her. Some parts have been deleted because they don't matter or the content really isn't appropiate. Anyways here is the interview. Thank you Lisa Floran for the picture.
Erica is on the right. Lisa is in the middle. Don't worry about the guy on the left.
Dan Watts: How would you like to do an interview for the Valpo Cross Country site
Erica Johnson: The boys site?
DW: Yep. I need a person to interview
EJ: Hmm.....what kind of questions are you going to be asking
DW: Ok, lets pretend you are a fan of the boys’ team and you will answer questions related to being a fan
EJ: Haha ok. Why don't you ask me a sample question right now to help me decide.
DW: How and when did you become interested in the boys team?
EJ: hmm, I'd say...ever since I joined the girls team and saw them run, run with those sexy buff bodies of theirs...
DW: That was question one. Give me a full answer
EJ: A full answer?
DW: Well was that your whole answer?
EJ: Yeah I really don't know what else to say.
DW: Ok. Great. Next question. Who is your favorite runner?
EJ: If you want you could interview someone else...
DW: Thanks a lot. Really I've been wanting to do this for weeks. I finally get somebody and you back out
EJ: Well you're not very welcoming and appreciative
DW: Your not cooperating
EJ: Actually I was
DW: Ok sorry
DW: I am begging you to answer some questions
EJ: Ok, fine. Its ok
DW: Good. Favorite runner please?
EJ: Ok, any runner?
DW: Yes. On our team
EJ: Ohhh. That’s too hard to answer
DW: Ok, I'll pick it for you. Dan Watts
EJ: Haha ok
DW: What is your favorite meet to watch?
DW: Just make something up and make it funny.
Your a fan remember
EJ: Yes, these things take time. I need to think
EJ: Ok, my favorite meet to watch was Culver. Not only did the Valpo Boys look amazing while they ran, but there was also barbecue and a rabid squirrel that was running around and letting people pet it. That moment stood out in my memory. I think one of the Valpo Boys team member even had a moment with it, letting it nestle up to his spikes. I saw a dead one by a tree later in the run, I think it was also diseased.
DW: Good
EJ: Next question
DW: Which team do you love to see us beat?
EJ: Well all teams, obviously...but I especially love to see you beat.....Kouts. They have it coming with their cocky attitudes. The Valpo invitational is always an exciting one.
DW: Ok. Who looks best in short shorts and no shirt?
EJ: can you make this a multiple choice
DW: lets see john farrell? ian golando? nazur ahmed? mike lippelt? lets pick an unassuming freshman.
EJ: Yes. Jack Ryan
DW: Perfect answer.
DW: Favorite place to watch a race?
EJ: Hmm, confusing question. Explain better please
DW: Its self explanatory. What place is the best, most fun, enjoyable, exciting to watch a race? City? Course?
EJ: ohh You had to clarify if it was a different city or place on the course, etc. But anyways. New Prairie, on top of agony hill. I love watching the grimacing, distorting faces full of pain...muscles twitching, sweat rolling profusely off runners bodies, as they approach the top, and then, almost, but no! There is another slight hill, and some give up and die and others just suffer on as they stride through that victory bridge...because then, in that moment, I am proud to be a runner
DW: Do you have any mementos from a runner, for example a used jock strap or pair of socks?
EJ: Jock strap...no
DW: pair of socks, yes?
EJ: well, I did wear the same sportsbra and underwear that I wore for every race. I like to call them "my lucky sportsbra and underwear"
DW: We're talking gifts from a runner on our team. Your a groupie, remember?
EJ: Oh. Haha. Well scratch that. Memento...I do have a small picture of the boys team that they gave me one year. I hung it up on my wall. It holds a very special place in my heart
DW: Perfect, but I don’t think we ever gave you a picture.
If you could make a sign for the team, what would it say? (Long pause)
DW: I gotta go for five minutes. Answer this while I am gone. Which runner do you hate the most and why?
EJ: No I can't answer that, I am sorry
DW: Well, answer the sign question while I am away.
EJ: alright...If I could make a sign, it would say “Valpo Boys CC is good, except you have not won 5 of the last 6 state meets and finished runner-up the time you lost”
DW: thanks a lot.
EJ: Oh, I figured out who I hate the most. Steve Schmidt because everytime I see him I want to punch his face in. I don’t know why. I just want to.
DW: I think we all feel that way. Sorry Steve. Erica said it. Talk to her. Now last question. As a fan from the outside who shouldn’t be making comments like this, what are some changes needed for Valpo Boys CC?
EJ: I don’t know if I should answer this, either.
DW: Too bad.
EJ: Ok, first of all, you guys need to get some girlfriends. If I wasn’t an adoring fan, I would think you all are a bunch of losers. And Dan needs to do a better job with the website.
DW: Well, that was interesting. Got any final comments or OC predictions?
EJ: Yea, viva la republica and I think DJ needs to get off the show. At this point, he is just aloof. Oh and I can’t wait until Ryan meets Teresa with the baby in the supermarket while making out with Lindsay. It will happen.
DW: Thanks for your time. This stuff is golden.
After A Long Absence, I Write Again-Thursday, November 24th, 2004
By: Dan Watts
Its has been a long time since I wrote anything for this website. A long time. Why not? I have not been inspired to write much. I have become quite lazy. A tough course load has been weighing me down. College Apps suck up my weekend time like a really big sponge. I really have not had much free time since school began this year and I started running seriously again. This break will be a wonderful break, the best in a long while. I know I have my own column, but that column what sort of a symbol of last year and the many things the team and I encountered. I want to start a new section for this year. Plus, I wanted to add a few mores columns to the guest column section, more than two at least.
The topic I want to address is this website. I accidently ryhmed again. I do that all the time when I write and talk. Anyways, why has the website attendence been steadily decreasing since I took over the last year? I add a bunch of pictures, I write columns, I do everything I can when I have the time. I can't update this thing everyday. What am I going to talk about, the quality of my winter run? There is not enough info to update constantly. I remember in my virgin days of webmaster, the website was terrible. I think the big getter was the message board. I mean it was a place of conflict, profanity, violence, hatred, rivalry, brave men, cowards, girls, boys, adults, kids, everybody and everything. Then I had to censor it because of various complaints and my belief that we needed to take steps to improve our reputation, starting with this website. I believe I have done a good job of not making us seem cocky, obscene, cheaters, showboaters, all that stuff. At least I hope I have. Also, Indianarunner instituted their message board and I noticed a big dropoff after that point in time. I tried to compensate for the dropoff with new features, like more pictures, some columns, and anything I could do in my power. Well, it does not seem to have worked. But I figured the biggest reason for the decreased interest in our website is the team's decline over the last couple years. I mean not qualifying for state and 19th place? Just terrible, if I take a view from the outside. I really cannot go into the reasons for that. Anybody got any ideas? I mean, if somebody would lend me 30 bucks so I can get a domain name and then another hundred to pay for extra costs, that would great. I could do a lot more with the site.
Another issue I would like to discuss is the changes that I have seen during my time as a member of Valpo Cross Country. The opinion of our team is different within the school. In the beginning, God created heavan and earth. But in this beginning of my high school career, most students in the school really did not like us. The consensus thought we were gay, but I think most people think guys that wear really short shorts are gay. But as the years wore on, some students actually came to our cross country meets. People understand the difficulty of cross country and admired us, rather than calling us girly men. A lot of people congratulated us when we were in the paper. People actually cared! Before we were ghosts walking through the halls between the big scary men in football uniforms and pretty cheerleaders. People don't think we are as fruity and respect us more than three years ago. Or at least I think they do. Also, our relationship with the girls' team has changed greatly. Three years, we had little contact. We didn't say much to each other or socialize much. The girls and boys seperated as two different running machines. Aren't cross country teams supposed to band together because they understand the pain and committment of successful running? Presently, we still function as two seperated running machines, but the social aspect has improved. We hang out on weekends and many of us are friends. A few girls and guys have dated or currently are dating. These are big steps from the way it used to be. I also have seen our relationships with our opponents improve. I tried to respect my opponents as much as possible and encouraged my teammates to do so also. They are the same as we, but just on the other side. They look at us the way we look at them. Over the last threes years I feel like we receive more respect from our opponents than before, and we have tried to give more respect. Unless everybody out there is trying to deceive us.
But not all the changes have been good. I am sad to say that I have been part of Coach Prow's three worst teams, if you determine success by satistics. 13th at state in 2001, did not qualify in 2003, and 19th at state in 2004. What can be done to reverse this trend? I cannot say all I wish to say in a public forum. The only I will say is our runners have to find it within themselves. The only person responsible for your success or failure is yourself. Two years ago during my sophomore in the winter, I found something inside of me that I did not know was there. I can't really explain it. I got out there and ran everyday during the winter, and it just clicked inside of me. What happened? I don't know. I just ran everyday in the offseason and things just came to me.
The past three years of my life as a cross country runner are history, but today is not yet history. And today something very tragic happened in the lives of all students at Valpo High School. Some freshman boy took out a couple of knives and slashed seven kids in his classroom. I was in the classroom down the hall. I am sure most of you all have heard about this because it made national headlines. If you have not, don't look here for the details. Check nwitimes.com or Thursday's newspaper or watch the nine o' clock news. I do not have many comments. I do not think it would be right for me to twist this story the way the mass media does. All I can say is I am happy nobody got hurt. Changes will come to our school and opinions about our town might be swayed. But as a town, a community, a student body, it should not take terrible tradegies for people to change. I know the way people treat others will certainly change in our school after this incident. But why does that have to happen? Why must people get hurt? I do not believe bad things have to happen for things to change. We need to love and help all the time to prevent incidents in the future. I better step down off my soap box. I hope I didn't offend anybody. Until next time.
Top Tens Reasons Why I Run-Saturday, September 4th, 2004
By: Quincy Blote
Webmaster's Note: The writer of this column did not want their name revealed, so I made up a pen-name for them.
Nobody has written anything for this website in awhile, so being the loyal Valpo cross country runner I am, I decided to stop this bad streak. One day I was sitting around after a hard workout, and wondering why I put myself through this punishing sport. At times, we all wonder why we does this. Where does it get us? Is this pain all worth it. Well I have come up with my ten best reasons why I run. Keep in mind this list is in the eyes of a teenage boy.
10. Just to run for fun. Whatever. I needed a tenth reason. Running is fun when you pool hop, have poker runs, run in the middle of the road in the middle of the night, talk to yourself, talk to your friends, play the noun-adjective game, trail blaze, wakeup people when they are sleeping runs, think of nicknames for Donny runs, and run for no reason just to run and do stuff. Bam. I thought this was a deadend reason, but I got somewhere with it. This should be higher up. Lets pretend this is a top five reason.
9. Great shirts. At every race, fundraiser, invitational, somebody is selling shirts. Buy one to commemorate the race. I could start a whole clothing line with all my shirts.
8. You tell people you run a lot of miles and they say "Whoa!" and you just laugh at how big a wuss this kid is. Man, kids are so lazy these days. They can't even run one mile without dying. That is what America needs, a mandatory running class in school to toughen up kids.
7. You don't wear a shirt and get a tan. Personally, I hate shirts, they're big, small, loose, tight, hot, and generally in the way, so I don't wear one as much as possible. When running you don't need shirts. This fits my needs like a glove. Plus, you get a great tan by wearing no shirt everyday. Everybody loves a nice golden tan.
6. You get to eat a lot of food. Running takes a lot of you everyday, so you gotta find some way to put it all back in. Eating is great, food is great, everything is great.Hey, if the fire is hot enough anything burns.
5. Stay in shape. Uh, you have great lungs, your slim, not much to say. You can figure out what great shape feels like.
4. Scenary. Running takes you all over the place, from the Gulf Stream Waters to the Redwood Forest. Some of the best parts of vacations are the scenary you encounter while running, and some of my most memorable runs involving insanely awesome scenary. Running takes you anywhere you want to go, and sometimes I just run to explore a part of town or some part of the Dunes. The nature I find is the one the greatest things about running.
3. You get an escape from everyday life. You get a chance to think about things. You are alone for an hour out of the day with nobody else. Running provides you with a little world nobody can penetrate for that little time each day.
2. Makes you tougher physically and mentally. Fighting through all that pain gets you somewhere, and that is a higher pain tolerance. Once you believe you can do greater things in running, you start doing greater things in life.
1. Maybe one day some hot girl sees you running down the street half-naked and doesn't blow you off like most teenage girls do to skinny, little, crappy, unattractive runners. Her jaw drops, then She says, "That is the sexist man I have ever seen," and stops you dead in your tracks. You get yourself a new girlfriend. Just because you are a hot, sexy runner. Don't we all want that kind of admiration?
Monday, June 7th, 2004
By: Steve Schmidt
The smell of freedom, how sweet it is. I’ll be the first to say that June didn’t come soon enough, ending what was a stressful junior year for me especially. For the average Joe Smith teenager, that means beach trips and a summer job to keep a steady cash flow going. As for me and some of the other guys on the team, we do the exact same thing with our summer running program included. My second thought, all that minus the frequent beach trips……and that summer job, well that takes a back seat once you start doing two-a-days. Yea, that’s part of being a runner.
Anyways, I’m Steve Schmidt, and this is my first article for this fine established website. Dan invited me to write for the site to add some flavor to the site, a different point of view so to speak. So here I am, now entering my final season of Cross Country. Before we get to that, lets back it up to this past weekend.
Dan and I made the 3+ hour drive down to IU to see the state track meet and man, was it worth all seven bucks and Watts’s singing on the drive down. First off, hats off to that Carmel 4x8, they silenced all that favored Center Grove so early in the winter. You guys rule. Second, John Hiestand’s open 800 was remarkable. After coming up short the past 2 years, he ran a hell of a race to blow away the field. Even though I was disappointed that I wasn’t running out there, I was happy to watch my old friend Clifford Cook run in the open 800 and finish 12th overall. It’s a little known fact that I once lived in Merrillville, where I played baseball and basketball with and against Cliff. As long as I’ve known him, he’s always been a class act and a great athlete, and I know of no one person who deserved it more on that track. Good luck bud in college, and drop me a line sometime. Overall, I hated the I.U. track, bought too much over priced food, and had a lot of fun recording commentary as the meet went on with Dan. For those interested, Dan’s got those tapes, so beg him to let you listen to them.
With track over, it’s time to focus on the upcoming cross season already. I’ve never been this excited for a season ever for 2 main reasons. One, we have a ton of talent back, and all the negative “vibes” are gone for this season. But also, this is my last dance so to speak for Valpo CC, so I have to make it my best somehow.
Someone asked me the other day from another team why I wanted to come back and run for this program after missing state for the first time since 1989, and being "marked" as a law-breaking group of guys. I told him simply not to judge us by the actions of our fellow classmates and not to pass judgment on us cause were "valpo." To me, all true great programs need a wake up call like last year’s semi-state. It motivates you to want it more, and to remind you what you’re shooting for. I also see this as an opportunity along with Dan Watts and Andy Barton to rebuild one of the BEST programs all-time in state of Indiana. I mean come on, us 3 get the chance to lead a team once led by the likes of Brett Polizotto, Don and Stan Vandrey, Jeff Kent, Aaron Pearson, Eric Fleming, Jim Arnold and so on. Were starting a new streak that I hope will last for years to come.
Well there it is, my first column. Don’t knock it too much. Anyways, I hope to see all of my teammates out running soon, and I hope you’re all pumped as much as I am. Take it easy.