Let's go see Sam in Atlantic City

You already know from other posts that Sam Paolini is tearing up the ECHL as a rookie on the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. I told him tonight at Princeton that I'm hoping to head down there to catch a game sometime this winter, and the more I think about it, the more I think it'd be great if we put together a group of Faithful to go.

So here's my proposal: Let's go see the Bullies as a group on Friday night, Dec. 26, at 7:05pm as they take on the Reading Royals. Cornell doesn't have a game that night, as the Everblades tourney is Saturday-Sunday of that weekend. NYC, NJ, and Phila.-area undergrads should be home for the holidays. And I'll be done with my finals, thank goodness. We can wear Cornell gear, make a nuisance of ourselves, shout "Red!" during the anthem, teach the A.C. crowd some fun cheers, and generally just show Sam as much support as humanly possible while enjoying some quality minor league hockey.

Post a reply (or e-mail me) if you're interested in joining us; if we have enough people, I might be able to get us a group discount on the tickets.

Beeeej

Man, I would love to do that. I'll be there in spirit from Portland, OR....

I am tempted, but the Christmas weekend is an impossible sell for those who visit family Christmas weekend... comment suppressed on Beeeej's faithcentric planning

I will try to catch up with Sammy next year.

Hey, if there were a game on the first night of Hannukah, that'd be a tough sell to me, too - but this is like 36 hours after Christmas morning. How long can you sit around the house eating figgy pudding?

Take the family, and make it part of your holiday celebration. o<|:-{)}

Beeeej

I will be there.

Just a suggestion:

Perhaps it would be an easier sell (and bigger crowd) when the students are in town since many will travel farther from Ithaca (and the Northeast) when they go home for the holidays. I'd be interested in going if it was not Dec 26 (or a few days near there!)

I appreciate the suggestion, but... with all the traveling the Faithful already have to do to catch Cornell away games, I'm assuming most wouldn't then make the ten-hour round-trip to Atlantic City while the semester's still on. The only weekend game on the Bullies' schedule (http://www.boardwalkbullies.com/schedule.htm?PHPSESSID=c6f0c17776cca44126c44e2c152016c4 ) during either semester that doesn't conflict with a Cornell game is on December 12 - during finals (at least for me). And I assume most people aren't about to make the trip on a weekday.

Or we could wait until late March or early April, but the Bullies' regular season is over before the Frozen Four is.

I'm more than willing to be proven wrong, though - anybody who can answer this question "yes" should reply:

Would you definitely go to the game if we arranged this for Friday, Dec. 12, while definitely not being able to go to the game on Dec. 26?

Beeeej



Post Edited (11-09-03 14:38)

And what about those folks who want to catch Cornell in action the next 2 days down in Florida?

Just noticed this article about Sammy.
[www.boardwalkbullies.com]


Now, since I am an alumni living within an hour's drive of AC, I'll do my part

LGR

I assume they'll go to Florida.

Beeeej

I might want to attend this Bullies game. It depends on how quickly after Christmas I'll have to return to Ithaca for work reasons. (I live in North Jersey when not in Ithaca.)

EDIT: Before a potential group discount, how much is it per ticket? I might want to bring one or two non-Cornellian friends to show them a little of what Cornell hockey fandom is about.



Post Edited (11-09-03 16:47)

Maybe. Someone (including me) should remember to bump this thread closer to Christmas. I've been meaning to check out the poker room at the Borgata anyway.

One of the guys who got revenge on Volonnino wrote:
EDIT: Before a potential group discount, how much is it per ticket? I might want to bring one or two non-Cornellian friends to show them a little of what Cornell hockey fandom is about.

Lower bowl (if available) is $15 per ticket, extremely reasonable. Mezzanine is $12 per.

Beeeej

Beeeej:

I'd do the game on the 12th. Like a nice Jewish boy should, I'm spending my Christmas time in warmer climes (Barbados and nearby) so the 26th doesn't work.

JH

I might be up for the game on the 26th, but I don't want to commit just yet. I'll definitely (still) be in California on the 12th though.

What's wrong with the 20th? It's after Cornell finals end (the 19th), and it's a Saturday, which is possibly easier for people. It should be early enough before Christmas to not directly interfere, and there's no Cornell hockey. And if your finals are started by the 12th Beeeej, I hope you're done by the 20th. If not...

There's also Jan 4th, at Sunday... with the game at 2 pm. It's the end of the Christmas/New Year's holiday week, so people should be back from vacation, but well rested (well, depending on your vacation plans ). Also no Cornell hockey conflict.

The 20th is against the Reading Royals, and the 4th is against the Johnstown Chiefs (maybe the Hanson bros'll be there ).

If Sam keeps this up, the date we choose will be moot. He will be in the AHL by December.

I am Jewish and have spent many December 25ths in Atlantic City. A lot of Jewish and Oriental groups go there that day.

No definite answer for me but it does sound interesting. My dad will either be with me at the game or I can leave him at the babysitter's - i.e. casinos.

ursaminor wrote:

I am Jewish and have spent many December 25ths in Atlantic City. A lot of Jewish and Oriental groups go there that day.

You should see the line of buses shipping out of Chinatown in Manhattan on Christmas. It's ridiculous.

By the way, not to be a nitpicky ultra-PC person here or anything, but the more accurate, less offensive term to use is "Asian" or "East Asian".

DeltaOne81 '03 wrote:
What's wrong with the 20th? It's after Cornell finals end (the 19th), and it's a Saturday, which is possibly easier for people. It should be early enough before Christmas to not directly interfere, and there's no Cornell hockey. And if your finals are started by the 12th Beeeej, I hope you're done by the 20th. If not...

There's also Jan 4th, at Sunday... with the game at 2 pm. It's the end of the Christmas/New Year's holiday week, so people should be back from vacation, but well rested (well, depending on your vacation plans ). Also no Cornell hockey conflict.

The 20th is against the Reading Royals, and the 4th is against the Johnstown Chiefs (maybe the Hanson bros'll be there ).

I have nothing against Jan. 4th, though I suspect it might be tougher for people to attend a Sunday game if they're roadtripping from elsewhere and have to be at work on Monday morning.

The 20th, on the other hand, is the day after my last final exam. I expect to be hungover and/or asleep.

So far, I've got a tally of 10 for Dec. 26th, and 3 for Dec. 12th (both including me and my girlfriend). Anybody who prefers Jan. 4th, lemme know. Anybody who prefers the 20th, feel free to organize a separate group.

Beeeej

One of the guys who got revenge on Volonnino wrote:
By the way, not to be a nitpicky ultra-PC person here or anything, but the more accurate, less offensive term to use is "Asian" or "East Asian".

I did consider being PC and was going to write Asian American, but then I decided that because Israel is in Asia (except for in Soccer), Jews also could be called Asian Americans. I hadn't realized that Oriental was considered offensive and I apologize. I guess that in connection with Atlantic City, Oriental Avenue, at least in Monopoly, is a low-rent district and thus may be considered offensive.

ursaminor wrote:

One of the guys who got revenge on Volonnino wrote:
By the way, not to be a nitpicky ultra-PC person here or anything, but the more accurate, less offensive term to use is "Asian" or "East Asian".

I did consider being PC and was going to write Asian American, but then I decided that because Israel is in Asia (except for in Soccer), Jews also could be called Asian Americans. I hadn't realized that Oriental was considered offensive and I apologize. I guess that in connection with Atlantic City, Oriental Avenue, at least in Monopoly, is a low-rent district and thus may be considered offensive.

Eh, whatever. Honestly, I really don't care. My dad still uses the word "Oriental" to describe people of East Asian ancestry, and my mother is Chinese and of course I am half-Chinese. We don't really mind (at least, I don't think my mother does), but others might be offended. "Oriental" is a term better used to describe a certain type of rug and, yes, as you said, a street in Monopoly/Atlantic City.

If anyone can explain to me why "Oriental" is considered offensive I'd be curious to know. Offline if you'd like. Is there a particular connotation or alternate meaning or is this just a case of accepted labels changing over time.

I'll venture with:
a case of accepted labels changing over time.

i'll vote for "asian". "Oriental" seems to bring up the old bad stereotypes of long ago...

Judy's pretty much right on... here's what dictionary.com says, for what that's worth..

[Q]Usage Note: Asian is now strongly preferred in place of Oriental for persons native to Asia or descended from an Asian people. The usual objection to Orientalmeaning “eastern”is that it identifies Asian countries and peoples in terms of their location relative to Europe. However, this objection is not generally made of other Eurocentric terms such as Near and Middle Eastern. The real problem with Oriental is more likely its connotations stemming from an earlier era when Europeans viewed the regions east of the Mediterranean as exotic lands full of romance and intrigue, the home of despotic empires and inscrutable customs. At the least these associations can give Oriental a dated feel, and as a noun in contemporary contexts (as in the first Oriental to be elected from the district) it is now widely taken to be offensive. However, Oriental should not be thought of as an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. As with Asiatic, its use other than as an ethnonym, in phrases such as Oriental cuisine or Oriental medicine, is not usually considered objectionable.[/Q]

Important to note is that it's not a horrible ethnic slur, just kinda has a negative connotation.

Reminds of a friend in high school. She is Korean, and when somebody once referred to her as "Oriental," her response was, "Furniture is Oriental, people are Asian." I will always remember that, and have never called a person Oriental again. Of course, I call people from India, the Middle East, Singapore and Indonesia Asians, too.

Keith K '93 wrote:

If anyone can explain to me why "Oriental" is considered offensive I'd be curious to know. Offline if you'd like. Is there a particular connotation or alternate meaning or is this just a case of accepted labels changing over time.

AFAIK, it isn't so much offensive as incorrect. The orient is Turkey and that neck of the woods, not East Asia. Think Orient Express.... it ran from Paris to Istanbul.

Well thanks. I've just been wondering about that and appreciate the answers, esp. the dictionary.com reference. Makes sense then.

DeltaOne81 '03 wrote:

Judy's pretty much right on... here's what dictionary.com says, for what that's worth..

[Q]Usage Note: Asian is now strongly preferred in place of Oriental for persons native to Asia or descended from an Asian people. The usual objection to Orientalmeaning “eastern”is that it identifies Asian countries and peoples in terms of their location relative to Europe. However, this objection is not generally made of other Eurocentric terms such as Near and Middle Eastern. The real problem with Oriental is more likely its connotations stemming from an earlier era when Europeans viewed the regions east of the Mediterranean as exotic lands full of romance and intrigue, the home of despotic empires and inscrutable customs. At the least these associations can give Oriental a dated feel, and as a noun in contemporary contexts (as in the first Oriental to be elected from the district) it is now widely taken to be offensive. However, Oriental should not be thought of as an ethnic slur to be avoided in all situations. As with Asiatic, its use other than as an ethnonym, in phrases such as Oriental cuisine or Oriental medicine, is not usually considered objectionable.[/Q]

Important to note is that it's not a horrible ethnic slur, just kinda has a negative connotation.

I was surprised to learn recently that "Oriental Music" meant middle-Eastern, not far-Eastern.

In grad school, I had a housemate with a girlfriend of Filipino descent. She objected to "Asian", "exotic" and "chick". So of course, we tried to use all three of them in the same sentence. (Not that I recommend doing this to anyone you're not good friends with.)

>> Of course, I call people from India, the Middle East, Singapore and Indonesia Asians, too.



And they are Asian. It's interesting; I'm Indian (i.e. my parents are from India), and once I said something to the effect of being Asian or something and someone said, with much conviction, "You're not Asian, you're Indian!" I responded with, "No, actually India is part of south Asia," to which the reply was, "Yeah but that's not REALLY Asia." I guess the term "Asian" somehow became a term to use for people of Chinese, Korean, or Japanese descent. Not that I really care anyway; it's just kind of interesting...


(By the way, since this thread was originally about Paolini, I thought I'd mention that I think I'm going to see him play at the Dayton (OH) Bombers over winter break.)



Post Edited (11-13-03 15:04)

As long as we're this far off topic.... I spent this past summer in Scotland, and the BBC was forever mentioning the "Asian community" of the UK, or describing someone in the news as "Asian", etc - it took me a month (of not being very attentive to the TV) to realize they meant "Indian"! As Avash said, India's in Asia and there's no reason not to describe people from there as Asian - but to me the terms have never been interchangeable. I think that's because over here the word Asian has become associated with physical characteristics more than geography.

On a briefer note, LGR!



Post Edited (11-13-03 17:11)

Avash '05 wrote:

It's interesting; I'm Indian (i.e. my parents are from India), and once I said something to the effect of being Asian or something and someone said, with much conviction, "You're not Asian, you're Indian!" I responded with, "No, actually India is part of south Asia," to which the reply was, "Yeah but that's not REALLY Asia." I guess the term "Asian" somehow became a term to use for people of Chinese, Korean, or Japanese descent. Not that I really care anyway; it's just kind of interesting...

(And now, to partially bring us full circle...)

If I had to guess, I would say the major reason in the United States the term "Asian" is associated with people descended from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other people originating from areas of easternmost Asia is basically to countermand the use of the term "Oriental". Those descended from people originating from India probably weren't offended by the use of the term "Indian", so there was no reason to change what to call them. But those formerly referred to as "Oriental" required a new term, or rather, a less offensive term. Thus, "Asian" was born...err, reborn. You know what I mean.

Just a theory.

One of the guys who got revenge on Volonnino wrote:


If I had to guess, I would say the major reason in the United States the term "Asian" is associated with people descended from Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other people originating from areas of easternmost Asia

I think the difference in the typically presumed meaning of "Asian" in the US and the UK comes from the same reason that the bulgogi is better here in NYC, but the vindaloo is better in London.



Post Edited (11-13-03 17:59)

quite so, old chap, quite.

Bump.

The clear preference among those who expressed one, either here or by private e-mail, was for Dec. 26.

So now I'll actually set about planning to buy a block of tickets. Clean slate time; e-mailing me your preference before is not enough to get you a ticket. E-mail me privately at jta1 at cornell.edu and let me know how many you need. Let's make the deadline Dec. 5; if I wait until after my classes end and my finals have begun, I'll never actually buy the tickets.

Beeeej

It's OK, I call white people Occidental.