2B - Monday, April 14, 2008 DAISEPLAN DAILY SPORTS BREAKS DOWN THE WEEKEND THAT WAS The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com s SAID AND HEARD "I just told him he should shave, so he did that and he looked pretty good." - Michigan senior Chad Kolarik on how he prepped his best friend, senior captain Kevin Porter, for his Hobey Baker award ceremony. ATHLETE OF THE WEEK ADAM HARRIS At the Sea Ray Relays in Knox- ville, Tenn., the junior set two personal records as well as two NCAA Mideast Regional qualifying times in the 100- and 200-meter dash. I EverythingI need to know, I learned at the Daily I oday is my last day of class at the University of Michigan. Forever. I've tried bracing myself for it, but it's one of those situations where no matter how prepared you think you are, you're going to end up completely unpre- pared. The ongoing battle between excite- ment and sheer terror has pretty much been declared a draw. Judging by this long column, which I expect about three people to make it all the way through, it looks like nostalgia is the emotion of choice today. - My one-time Michi- ganState-lovingparents .1 tell stories about my family convening in our little living room back in Fremont to watch the big Michigan State- SCOTT Michigan game way BELL back when. My parents and sister were cheer- ing for their beloved Spartans, but for some reason, little five- year-old me was already rooting for Michi- gan. They don't know why. I don't know why. It kind of defies logic. Needless to say, it was just the beginning of what eventu- ally turned into a near-obsession. Soon, my passion for Michigan extended beyond what likely began as a mere spite cheer. I loved everything the block 'M' stood for. I loved Ann Arbor. And I loved the prospect of getting a degree from one of the nation's top universities. It has been Michigan or bust ever since that day 17 years ago. I can still remember coming to Ann Arbor on Campus Day a few months after getting accepted into Michigan - still one of the proudest days of my life. There I stood on State Street, facing Angell Hall and being excited about how much I'd learn inside the massive, storied building in front of me. I had broken out of Hick- ville, USA and was finally going to make something of myself. I was going to learn alongside intellectual giants and become one myself. About six months later when classes finally began, I stumbled upon the Daily table at Festifall, decided to check out a mass meeting and, well, everything changed. Four years later, Ican count on one hand the number of classes I've thoroughly enjoyed at Michigan. Then I can take a knife, cut off a couple of those remaining fingers and count on my newly disfigured hand how many of those classes taught me information I'll ever consistently use in my future endeavors. Needless to say, I can describe the in- class experience at Michigan with the same word I'd use to describe Duke bas- ketball, public displays of affection and waking up before noon: overrated. Oddly enough, all I would have had to do that March afternoon was turn around and face the other way on State Street. Nestled behind one of those all-girl dorms I always confuse with Betsy Barbour and See BELL, Page 8B a I covering the Michigan football team can mean more than just a game story. 4 POCKsETE loDIPL N E IT FEELS GOO TO SELRL YOUR B01 E UP TO 50% CASH BACK SELL YOUR BOOKS, WIN ,I BOO KSTO RE 549 E. UNIVERSITY AVE 734-662-3201 ULRICHS.COM 317 SOUTH STATE STREET 734-665-4990 MICHBOOK.COM a BOOK & SUPPLY SEE STORES FOR EXTENDED HOURS FREE PIZZA WHEN YOU SELL BACK YOUR BOOKS! *SEE STORE FOR DETAILS. *PLAY THE IN-STORE MONEY TREE GAME FOR A CHANCE AT DOUBLE CASH BACK WHEN YOU SELL YOUR BOOKS. I