THE MEADOWS MINUTE

If you are anything like me, you have never listened to classical music in your life. “Classical music is for retired people!” or “It has no words, so it can’t be entertaining?” has come out of my mouth and probably the mouths of countless youth. Why listen to some violins, a piano, and a cello when I can listen to Drake or Kanye? Well, as someone whose heart and mind have just been opened to the world of classical music, let me give you the how-to and who-to start with Luke Meadows’ very own Classical Music for Dummies. 

Step One: Discover the Story of Ilmar and Aldo Lopez-Gavilan. 

In your first step toward this style of music, you might find it difficult to forge an immediate connection with an artist. This is understandable. Your current connections have more than likely been built over the years with an artist that has a loyal fanbase. Not to worry-I’ve created an easy way for you to attach yourselves to your next favorite musical artists. Ilmar and Aldo Lopez-Gavilan, a pair of Cuban-born brothers, are some of the biggest names in classical music. It’s in their blood—their father, Guido Lopez-Gavilan, is a musical conductor and composer, and their mother, Teresita Junco, was a talented pianist. They collectively passed down their musical gifts to their children. The prodigious nature of the brothers’ talent revealed itself at an early age. At 14, Ilmar, the older of the two brothers, was sent to the former Soviet Union to continue his violin studies and has not lived in Cuba since that time. From the former Soviet Union, Ilmar moved to the United States. Aldo remained in Cuba and returned home after studying in London. The geographical divide between the brothers was only one aspect of the circumstances that kept them apart; the larger, more imposing issue was decades of geopolitical turmoil between Cuba and the United States. Despite this, Aldo and Ilmar worked hard to find ways to connect while they were apart, and after years of working towards that goal, were finally able to collaborate on an album and tour together. The more you learn about these brothers and their stories, the more you will fall in love with them. They give classical music newcomers a firm foundation as they navigate this new world.

Step Two: View the Award-Winning Documentary, “Los Hermanos”

Now you may be asking yourself, “Luke, why would I watch a documentary to get into music?” I understand this may seem counterproductive, but trust me. Mr. Ken Schneider and Ms. Marcia Jarmel, the geniuses behind “Los Hermanos” and several other Cuban stories at Patchwork Films, documented Ilmar and Aldo’s story. Schneider and Jarmel felt strongly that the world needed to meet these talented brothers. After viewing the film, I didn’t just feel like I had met Ilmar and Aldo, though; I felt like I had known them for years. Watching the documentary, which highlights the brothers’ Cuban upbringing; their physical separation at a young age; their career achievements; their struggles, and ultimately their triumphs, provides the newcomer with an even deeper level of appreciation and respect for their art when they listen for the first time. From their impromptu jingles  around the family dinner table to the grand concerts with fellow legends at the Lincoln Center, their love of music is palpable. The joy they feel when they play and share their music literally leaps off the screen.

Step Three: Listen to Them, Preferably in Person. 

Now that you have successfully attached yourselves to the artists, discovered their amazing stories and viewed the beautiful documentary depicting their journey, you are ready to fully experience the brothers’ musical talents. If you can only listen to them online or through a CD, that is perfectly fine. I would recommend their joint album Brothers and, specifically, listen to Epilogue – a song that pierced my heart and took a stranglehold on my soul when I heard it. From there, you can listen to their solo work, Ilmar’s Take The A Train, performed by him and his group The Harlem Quartet, and Aldo’s piano solo work, headlined by his album Playgrounds .

Through the CDs, you can hear the brothers’ passion and attention as they do things musically that very few others in the world can do.

If you have the opportunity though, you must, and I repeat, must see the brothers in person. Only then can you fully appreciate their physical mannerisms; the intricate way they so gracefully play the violin and piano; and most especially their bright smiles that light the room up with a sparkle no stage light could ever reproduce. Their music touched my soul in a way other music does not. It will touch yours, too. And if you were not already a fan of this style of music, you will become one quickly. 

If you follow the above steps, you will move from “dummy” to full-fledged classical musicophile with a deep appreciation for a new art form. You’ll also have a broadened worldview through the lens of the uniquely human story of Ilmar and Aldo Gavilan, two brothers who persevered through intense political, geographical, and cultural divides.

Theirs is a beautiful story of music as the universal language which transcended all, ultimately bringing the brothers together—and us in the process.

Morals. What are they? Some title morals as a person’s standard, or the code that he lives by. Whether instilled through a religious institution, a third party, or a custom selection of ideals we have thoughtfully crafted to fit us specifically, morals guide every choice we make. Morals are meant to be our rock, our constant, the lone survivor in a world that can crumble in an instant. But what if they aren’t? 

In the critically acclaimed film, “The Dark Knight,” the question of morality is thoroughly and constantly challenged. There are complete opposites in Christian Bale’s Batman and Heath Ledger’s Joker. Batman’s moral code guides him through life in a world that is full of darkness; The Joker, however, is a self-described man who “…just wants to watch the world burn.” 

Batman and The Joker clash on the fundamental aspect of their own mortality. The one I find most glaring is the eerie similarity to the Locke vs Hobbes feud regarding the inherent nature of man. Is man good, or is man evil? What even counts as good and evil, anyway? And finally, are morals somewhat of a strawman, or are they a serious guide to one’s soul? 

This brings us to a quote from The Joker that has stayed in my head ever since I saw the movie.“See their morals, their code, it’s a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They’re only good as long as the world allows them to be. I’ll show you, when the chips are down, these “civilized” people, they’ll eat each other. See I’m not a monster, I’m just ahead of the curve.” There is genuine shock value in such a bombastic quote. However, a closer look at our world and how this quote applies reveals a scary truth: for the vast majority of people, morals are a figment of the imagination, meant to make us feel good, but ultimately dropped at the first sign of trouble. 

The Joker says we are only good as long as the world allows us to be. And he has a point..it is fairly easy to live within your moral code during a normal day. You go about your life, you don’t get in anybody else’s way, and you fully play into the status quo. But it has been programmed in humans to survive. The simple philosophy of Darwin’s “ survival of the fittest” is embedded in our DNA. So although we have proven that as a society we can build a hierarchical system and fall somewhat in line amidst the chaos, how long can that last? What happens when a situation arises which forces us to question what we are willing to do to survive? It’s easy to think we would always take the moral high ground, but would we really?

The Joker’s basic premise shares themes of the teachings of Thomas Hobbes. Hobbes believed humans were inherently selfish and evil, and as such that their “state of nature” would’ve been a grim and horrible place since humans had nothing to check their inherent selfishness. The premise relies on the notion that if the structure and the natural known order falls, so do we as humans.

This idea has never been more relevant to me than it has amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic. COVID-19, or the more commonly used name, the coronavirus, has reduced many humans to their primitive state. Hoarding materials and fighting in grocery stores for items such as toilet paper, water, and basic medical supplies are just a few disastrous examples that truly shake the social order and reduce us to our “natural instincts.”

Acting as though we have no inherent concern to make sure other families get the supplies they need while having every instinct to provide for ourselves and our family is precisely the Joker’s point. Helping others is ok when the social order is undisturbed. But when there’s a shaking up of normal everyday life, we want to be the “fittest” who survives.

So this brings us back to morals. We hear the phrase, “Every man must have a code.” But must we really? If we drop morals at the first sign of trouble, then our morality is less of code and more of a strawman, a mechanism used to convince ourselves we are virtuous, decent people. Whereas the reality may be that we as “civilized” people drop our morals as fast as those we look down on when we are pushed even slightly. 
Fortunately, my family and I are not at the point of having to re-examine our moral code to survive. We have a bit of savings and both of my parents are still being paid. I feel for those, however, who were living paycheck to paycheck before this and now have nothing because their jobs were not deemed “essential.” But paying bills is still essential. So they wait on a government check that will undoubtedly underwhelm them, as a check from the government can’t satisfy every need and doesn’t give the security of a job. I ache for those in that very situation who might ultimately be forced to re-examine their morals just to survive. It takes a man of great integrity to stay loyal to his morals during times like these. But integrity, much like morals, only lasts as long as society lasts; and when society breaks down, no man is moral. And that’s no joke.

As I was sitting wondering what to write about this, there were so many directions I could have taken it. I could have talked about how the film helped widen my world views, as I had never imagined someone with Nazi flags as their curtains as he told me about. I also could’ve talked about, which would seem like the more obvious choice, his good deeds, and being a man compelled by tragedy to do something filled with love. But I decided to look at something else-how this man was the epitome of not judging a book by its cover. 

Everyone knows the negative stigma with tattoos, it is just a known fact of life. People assume that the class-act man can’t have tattoos, and if women have them they can be perceived as trashy. But Billy is different, when you talk to him you look right past the tattoos. Now I do truly believe that everyone is someone underneath their tattoos, and once you get the chance to sit down and speak to them you realize the kind of people they are. 

It’s sad because it showed me my own bias. If I saw Billy just out in the street, my mind would have automatically jumped to conclusions. After seeing his film though, I didn’t do that. I saw him for who he was. I saw him for Billy. 

What he is doing is great, covering up hate tattoos is incredibly important and an act of good. However, I believe what Billy stands for is far more powerful than anything he could do.

Billy stands for looking past the cover. Billy stands for judging someone on their character, not their appearance. He shows that in himself and in the work he does. Billy not only forces you to look past his appearance to see the truly remarkable man he is, but he looks past the ink of others, not judging those who have hate group signs on their bodies, but embracing them and helping to create change. While others (myself included) would look down upon these people with the logic of, “They hate others so I am going to hate them for hating others,” Billy does not. Billy digs deeper for the story and the reason for these tattoos, and in most cases, erases the last thing holding them back from their new life. 
Billy stands for everything that we should stand for as a nation and as people. To look beyond others’ covers and have depth ourselves. Do good unto others, but also be ourselves. Billy is truly a hero, but to know any of that you need to look Beneath The Ink.

Bill Watterson once said, “Happiness isn’t good enough for me, I demand euphoria!” Now it wasn’t too long ago that we as a society were content with happiness; most of us strived to be happy, actually. But now, the stakes have risen. Mere happiness is not good enough. No, we must have euphoria. We long for it now, doing anything just for a little taste of what it’s like to be on “Cloud 9.” Is this reasonable though? Is demanding euphoria a realistic way to live life? Is it unfair to demand so much from life, which can often be so bleak? The Cambridge dictionary describes euphoria as “extreme happiness, sometimes more than is reasonable in a particular situation.” 

So is the pursuit of euphoria unreasonable?

In the new HBO hit Euphoria, we follow a group of teenagers in their quest for euphoria. Rue is a 17 year old drug addict who is fresh out of rehab. Jules is a transgender girl who craves the affection of men. Kat is a slightly overweight girl who is as insecure as they come. Maddy is a girl with an unhealthy love for her abusive boyfriend. And Nate is Maddy’s boyfriend who deals with anger issues and questions about his sexuality. These main characters are all chasing after their own specific “euphoria”, but not from within. These characters focus on external things to fill their needs, ranging from drugs, sex, or the need for love; our characters chase the elusive “euphoric state” relentlessly, trying any and everything to get even just a little taste.

“I was repeatedly crushed by the cervix of my mother Leslie. I put up a good fight, but I lost.” These are some of the first words spoken by Rue, the lead character and narrator. This immediately let us know she doesn’t want to be in this world. Indeed, she never wanted to be exposed to the world. But it also lets us know that intrinsically Rue is a fighter and that perhaps her greatest struggle takes place internally. Rue chasing euphoria seems empty from the start; even when she wants to be happy, she’d rather be dead. She doesn’t care if she dies in her quest for euphoria because she didn’t want to live in the first place. This is apparent in the opening scene, where we see her coming home from rehab and going straight to her drug dealer. Her quest for euphoria initially took her down the path of drug use, but it’s never enough, the craving for just one more second in a euphoric state drove her to drug abuse. Even when she allegedly stops doing drugs, she is not healthy.  She replaces her external drug addiction with a singular addiction for another person. Jules becomes her “drug,” which is, in many ways, equally unhealthy. For a fleeting moment, Rue feels like she has found euphoria. But Jules doesn’t love Rue the same way that Rue loves her, and eventually, euphoria turns to heartbreak. And when that happens, Rue is miserable.

One of our first moments with the character Jules was her strange sexual encounter with Nate’s father, Cal. She lies about both her age and where she lives in order to have sex with a man she doesn’t even know. When he uncovers the truth, Cal tells her, “There are 2 versions of you. You can either go someplace where you’re wanted for who you are, or you can stay in a town like this. End up like me, living your life out in motel rooms.” The overlying problem is that Jules doesn’t know who she is. She can’t fathom a life where she would be accepted for who she really is, once she figures it out herself. Her trust issues run so deep that she puts on disguises and can’t even trust herself. This lack of trust stems from her mother taking her to a mental institution, unbeknownst to her, to address Jules’ gender dysphoria. Jules doesn’t even trust herself because she feels like she was born into the wrong body. So her quest for euphoria consists of hooking up with random guys she talks to online to feel good about herself. This comes into full effect when the guy she has been texting non-stop (secretly Nate Jacobs) doesn’t even show her what he looks like. And despite that, she is “in love” with this imaginary person anyway. She doesn’t care what he looks like, because he helps her with her insecurities. That’s why when Nate texts her, telling her to meet him by a lake, she blindly does it, despite Rue’s warning that this person could try to kidnap her or kill her. Blinded by her trust issues and insecurities, Jules’ quest for euphoria is to cover those any way possible; ultimately, though, this quest leaves her less trusting than ever.

“There is nothing sexier than a fat chick who doesn’t care at all.” When Kat uttered these words, I realized she wasn’t just insecure, she was a liar as well. Being overweight and having hot friends led to the insecurities that plague Kat. Her quest for euphoria is one of self confidence6, and being comfortable with herself. Kat does her best to try and convince herself that she is beautiful and she doesn’t need others to feel confident about herself. The thing is, her way of feeling self confident is through wearing slutty clothes for shock value, become a cam girl so others can call her sexy, becoming a dominatrix so she can have others do what she says, and having sex with random guys so she can feel accomplished. This is on full display when she goes on a date with the kind, lovable Ethan. She is having a great time with her new friend/potential boyfriend until she finds him talking to a beautiful, tall blonde girl. Instead of wondering what they are talking about or brushing it off and realizing she’s on a date him with and this is probably just a friend, she rushes to the worst conclusion possible. As Kat storms off in rage the camera pans to Ethan and this girl…talking about harmless things like the girl’s sister. To cope with this feeling of insecurity, Kat finds a guy who used to be a legend at her school and then proceeds to have sex with him. Kat’s insecurities lead to her ditching one of the only good guys on the show and having sex with random guys. She measures her worth with how others, especially men, view her. She puts on a facade, a literal mask to try and prove to people she doesn’t care what they think and loves herself, yet this shows the exact opposite. In her quest for euphoria, Kat chases self security, yet she becomes more insecure than ever. 

Imagine what the queen of your highschool looks like. Probably a cheerleader, beautiful, has every guy and their brother chasing after her. Now multiply that by 100 and you get Maddy. Maddy has one of the most “baddest b*tch” personas on television. From the outside looking in, her life couldn’t get any better. Cheerleader, beautiful, good looking boyfriend, she has it all, doesn’t she? Well, there is one thing. One thing that completely takes over her persona, her unhealthy, undying love for her abusive boyfriend, Nate Jacobs. The boy who has literally killed for her could very well end up being the death of her. Her relationship is summed up pretty well in a scene after he chokes her out, leaving bruises all along with her, the narrator says, “She wasn’t crying because of what he did, she was crying because no matter what he did, she knew she’d still love him.” Maddy loves Nate, and even though he had abused her and has unhealthy anger issues, she continues to love him because he gives her a sense of security. She doesn’t have a healthy example of a relationship, her mom is married to a drunk who does nothing but sit and watch TV all day, and her mom doesn’t care to say anything. Her mom’s complacency has led Maddy to deal with whatever Nate does because “he loves her.” She needs him, she thinks her only way to experience euphoria is to have a boy who clearly is unhealthy for her. She doesn’t care though, she will do anything to protect him. Her quest for euphoria revolves around an abusive boyfriend, she would like nothing more than to be on an object that Nate owns, and she will try and tell herself that she is happy, but she lies to herself every time. 

As we were introduced to Nate, we quickly realized he was going to be a douchebag, what we didn’t realize was that he was going to be a sociopath who is angry at the world and everyone in it. Nate is somehow the most hateable and the most complex characters on the show. At points he comes across as a modern day Ramsay Bolton, being the textbook definition of pure evil. Other times, you sympathize with him and hope he can figure himself out. One of the defining traits of Nate is his attempt to be so overly masculine it’s annoying, but why does he do this? Insecurities about his sexuality lead him to try and compensate to be the man that his dad bred him to be. He shares insecurities about his sexuality with his father and will go above and beyond to keep it a secret. These deep seeded issues cause this anger, this lashing out at the world to accept who he truly is. Since he can’t come to terms with his own self, he must destroy others so they can share in his misery. We see this on full display during his interactions with Jules over the phone. Texting for days on end, she makes him feel good, he truly cares about her, but he can’t show feelings or emotions, only rage. His conflictions make him angry, and when he wants to ruin Jules life, she saved the nudes she sent him. It’s a cruel thing to do to someone he cares about, but that’s the thing, Nate can’t show love or affection in a positive way. The same way as he tries to prove to Maddy that he loves her by killing. His quest for euphoria is filled with him trying to fill the void he has with others, yet when he can’t show his love or feelings for others, he shows anger. 

In a way, this show is darkly ironic. A show with the title Euphoria, yet each character is miserable and empty on the inside. As each character tries to reach euphoria they try and fill their lives with outside things in an attempt to produce something they could only dream of, happiness. This goal of reaching some sort of unworldly level of happiness fills the lives of each character. None of these characters truly feel that they can experience this level of happiness on their own terms. It has to be on the terms on outside objects, their lives depend on these things, they revolve around them. Unhealthy or not, this goal of euphoria is ultimately unreachable in the path that each character is taking. The fact of the matter is, euphoria isn’t achievable unless you are truly, 100 percent content with who you are. The show Euphoria is a take on society, a world of fakers trying to fill their lives with something, anything to make them experience euphoria, but they are grasping at air. An unreachable goal that everyone believes they can aquire is a dangerous thing.  

People will go to any length to reach this goal, and it doesn’t matter who they hurt or how bad something is, if they can get just a taste of this heavenous experience, they will, and even though it may feel good in the moment, it ends up being an Empty Euphoria. 

It seems almost ages ago when Tom Herman was asked,” How many elite players do you have on your team?” Where he infamously replied,” Some?” Many took issue with these comments from Coach Herman, but at the time of these comments, Texas was at a point where we genuinely didn’t know who was elite and who wasn’t.

It’s safe to say that the program is in a much different place now than it was back then, so with that being said, and Big12 Media day coming up on us, let’s look and see who are the elite players for Texas this upcoming season? 

Sam Ehlinger

Was there ever any question on this one? This list wouldn’t be a list of elite players if the best QB in the Big12 wasn’t on it. The heart and soul of this Texas team, Ehlinger threw for nearly 3300 yards and ran for another 500, to go along with 41 total touchdowns and only 5 interceptions. Ehlinger is the epitome of what it is to be the starting QB at The University of Texas, and if he makes another leap like he did this past year, college football better watch out. 

Collin Johnson 

Who is Collin Johnson? Collin Johnson is just your average 6’6 wideout who can jump out of the gym and turns 50/50 balls into more 80/20. Johnson had a major impact on the Horns offense this past year, racking up 68 catches for 985 yards and 7 touchdowns on a hurt knee in the latter part of the season. With the Departure of Lil’ Jordan Humphrey, Johnson should be the main target for QB Sam Ehlinger and will look to have an All Big12 type season. 

Zack Shakelford

One of the more under the radar players to the average football fan, any Texas fan knows this name. The starting center has been one of the solids on the offensive line, and the difference is noticeable when he is not there. He made USA Today’s Top 10 Lineman for the 2019 Season and has shot up most draft boards. If the Texas offense will look to have success this upcoming season, he will be a catalyst.

Samuel Cosmi 

Samuel Cosmi was a player that honestly surprised most Texas fans this past season. One of the players in Tom Hermans first class at Texas, Cosmi was a name known around the Big12 by the end of the season. Gaining national media attention as well, Cosmi earned a place on the Freshman All American list. Cosmi will transition to left tackle this upcoming season, Cosmi also has pro scouts raving about him. If Cosmi continues to improve, he could be a national name and a first round pick. 

Caden Sterns 

The other Freshman All American on Texas’ roster, Sterns earned high praise from everyone around college. The Young Wolf had four interceptions this past season and has begun to develop a ball hawking reputation. In a league where teams like to air it out, look for Sterns to keep growing as a ball hawking presence in the defensive backfield, and have another All Big12 type season. 

Brandon Jones

People tend to forget that before his injury, Brandon Jones was looking like a man amongst boys on the defense. Jones flirted with the possibility of declaring for the NFL Draft but decided to come back for his senior year. Jones will look to be a leader on Todd Orlando’s defense this year, and if he can recover from his ankle injury, he will be a player to watch in the Big12.

With Big12 Media day looming upon us as well as the season, the question has to be asked, who else will stand out? Is there anyone else who will become elite? Only time will tell. 

A wise man once said, “Greatness never came from a comfort zone.” People will never do and accomplish great things in life by staying comfortable, in your own little bubble or safety. Real change happens when you put yourself in an uncomfortable situation, and adapt and grow from these hardships.

It’s mid August, a young, naive kid with devilishly good looks and amazing hair walks into class, but not just any class,World Geography. This kid has heard horror stories from the grade above him about this class, how the teacher is the harshest teacher and the harshest grader in the school. How there is no way to study for his tests. How you have no curriculum and you aren’t taught anything. 

This kid, being the naive kid that he was dreading this class, preparing for the worst, preparing to struggle to pass. The child was terrified, even telling his mom that he hopes he gets the other teacher(who he had never known before).  This kid was about ready to just drop out of school. 

Then something happened though, this teacher who all had spoken such negativity about was not anything like the child had heard. He was a forward thinking, progressive, kind teacher who just wanted to better the children of the future.

This was a brand new idea and a new concept to this child. This child had only ever experienced “traditional” learning. The kind that gets repetitive, and lulls you into comfort. A class that was self paced seemed like an insane idea to the child. The child was very skeptical at first, but as the year went along he realized that not being confined to a box of what the teacher wants you to learn, and learning what you want to learn is a beautiful thing. For the child, choosing his own topics helped him discover new passions such as Social Justice, and pursue passions already there, such as Basketball in Europe. The child thrived in an environment where he could learn what he was passionate about. It made learning exciting for the child, looking forward to finally having a class where he created his curriculum. 

If you are a little late to the party and haven’t noticed, the child is me, the teacher is my 8th grade World Geo teacher, Mr. Engstrom. Now you may ask yourself, why did the class before me hate it so much? Were they lying or what? Well, the truth is that the class above were not necessarily the hardest of workers. Some could even call them….slackers. A new approach to learning made them so confused that they couldn’t follow what was happening. But what was this knew and “terrible” approach? 

Personalized learning. Now you may ask yourself, what is personalized learning? There isn’t one set definition, but my definition would be, “taking ownership of what/how you

learn.” Learning what you want and choosing the learning style that fits best for you is pivotal in furthering a new generation of learners. This “one size fits all” learning approach many teachers use has proved time and time again to ultimately fail the student and does not prepare them for their future.

Taking ownership of your learning leads to taking ownership of your life. Preparing yourself for YOUR future and not having someone hold your hand along the way is of the utmost importance in better preparing yourself for the future. Being responsible for what you do is what life is like, and the ones who struggled in this class often didn’t take ownership of their life. 

Imagine a world where we could transform school into a place that actually prepares students for college and beyond. Schooling where you could identify what you want to go in to and what you want to do with your life. A school system that homes in on the skills that you want to use to make a living and cut things you don’t need. 75 percent of college students either go into college undecided on a major, or switch their major during college. Imagine a world where students knew what they wanted to do in life, and didn’t need to experiment with different majors because they school system didn’t fail them. 

Personalized learning isn’t just something that is cool every now and then, personalized learning is a must for schools if they want to transform the school system into a system that does not fail the students that will make up 100 percent of our future. 

So while my example is very small scale, and some teachers and students may be “uncomfortable” with this change, just remember, greatness never came from a comfort zone. 

Winter Is Here. In honor of “Game Of Thrones” final season I think it is fitting to compare the “Game Of Thrones” houses and college football teams.

HOUSE STARK

House Stark hangs its hat on being loyal and honest. Their clean image is well known throughout the 7 kingdoms. People far and wide will come to the aid of the Starks due to the loyalty they inspire and most Northern families are ready to lay down their lives for them. The house, though, has seen happier days, and the Lord of the House was unfortunately slaughtered by someone from down south. The University of Notre Dame is House Stark.

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House Lannister

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Rich with every resource at their disposal…this house is the definition of power and influence within the realm. The University of Alabama is House Lannister. Hmm…I wonder if the university always pays its debts?

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House Targaryen

House Targaryen was previously one of the most dominant in the land. It fell to bad rulers, but is making a comeback to its former glories. The University of Texas is House Targaryen

House Tyrell

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They’re wealthy and good with words, but they’re bad fighters who get pushed around by the big boys. Vanderbilt  University is House Tyrell.

House Baratheon

Their quest for power was ruthless and left quite a body count, but once they got on top they were not fit to rule. They fell apart when the realm needed them most. The University of Michigan is House Baratheon.

House Mormont

Despite being currently ruled by a young, energetic leader, the reputation of this house is marred by some disgraced family members. They are a second tier house in the North. Penn State University is House Mormont.

House Frey

House Frey overestimates its value and importance within the 7 Kingdoms, thinking they are much more than they really are. They claim to be a significant house but are actually a crude, uncultured house with little ettiquette or manners. Texas A&M University is House Frey.

Dothraki

The Dothraki are loud, they like to drink, and they scream and chant random things that almost no one understands. Although feared by many, they can be overconfident in their abilities at times. Louisiana State University is the Dothraki.

House Martell

They live in the desert. They’re skilled fighters and killers with different weapons, and they love the color yellow. They hang in there with the big boys but ultimately seem to lose.  Arizona State Universityis House Martell.

The Brotherhood Without Banners

The Brotherhood is suspiciously cult like. They are always talking about about their Lord of Light, and they go from town-to-town trying to convert others along the way. Brigham Young University is The Brotherhood Without Banners.

House Greyjoy

This house sits on a secluded island in the middle of the ocean, albeit with much better surroundings than the Iron Islands! The University of Hawaii is House Greyjoy.

House Arryn

House Arryn was once a proud, respected house bound by allegiances. But then they let a conniving man who has backstabbed everyone, putting his own desires above all else, rule the Vale. The University of Louisville is House Arryn.

House Bolton

House Bolton became a power in the north due to shady allegiances and cover ups. Roose Bolton would do “whatever it takes” to make House Bolton a prominent figure in the North, no matter what morals were set aside for it. Baylor University is House Bolton.

*This was written prior to the start of Season 8 of “Game of Thrones.” Let’s hope some of these teams fare better than some of our favorite Houses seem to be. One thing is true…Winter Is Here. And it’s damn cold.

Look for another Raven from me soon.