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The Clemson Chipotle: IT’S FINALLY HERE

Published on by Paige DoltonLeave a comment

Since my blog seems to be a highly trafficked source of information regarding the Clemson Chipotle [according to my blog stats, 20+ people have visited this blog post as a result from searching “Clemson Chipotle opening”], I figured I would shed some light on the pressing question: WHEN IS THE CLEMSON CHIPOTLE OPENING?!

Here’s my evidence stating that the Chipotle Mexican Grill in Clemson, SC has officially opened TODAY, JUNE 19TH, 2012.

Unfortunately, I cannot be there to be the first in line to order my mouth-watering burrito bowl and patron margarita. But for everyone who does have the honor of being in Clemson for the grand opening, think of me as you inhale your burrito.

You’re welcome.

Interning for the Memorial Tournament: Things I Learned

Published on by Paige Dolton34 Comments

A little under a month ago, I was given the incredible opportunity to intern for the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. Not only was this my first internship, but this was my first immersion into the wide world of sports that I had previously known close to nothing about. Sure, I enjoyed watching ESPN’s Not-Top-10, and, yeah, I have never missed a Clemson football game, but other than that, I was pretty clueless. While I didn’t mention it in the breakdown of my adventures in sports, I did, in fact, play a little bit of golf when I was younger. However, when I say “a little bit,” I actually mean that I almost made it around all 9 holes that one time I played when I was 10 years old. And my only other endeavors into the prestigious world of golf consisted of playing putt-putt with the boys I nannied for last summer and watching ‘Happy Gilmore.’ So, needless to say, I was in a whole new world when I stepped onto the Muirfield Village Golf Course for the first day of my internship.

For those of you confused as to what I actually did as an intern, and for those of you who are simply intrigued at the thought of interning for a PGA tournament, here is a comprehensive list of just a few of the many things I learned during my two-week stay in Dublin, OH:

1. How to watch golf.

Note how I did not say “how to play golf.” No, I have no idea the proper way to swing a golf club to ensure that the ball will go just the proper distance to land on the green. I have absolutely no idea how golfers manage that. However, I can now say that I actually understand the game of golf and that I truly enjoy watching it. During the tournament itself, all of the hospitality interns were scattered at the various hospitality venues throughout the course. For those of you that watched the tournament, the interns were either positioned along the 16th hole, in between the 10th hole and 11th tee, or on the 14th hole. I will admit that being right in the middle of the tournament was incredibly helpful in terms of learning how the game of golf was played. So, thanks to the Memorial, I now have a new-found obsession appreciation for the game. So much so that I can’t stop watching the Golf Channel…no, really. Anyone see Tiger’s awful round yesterday?

2. Putting on a golf tournament is A LOT of work.

Yes, being able to watch parts of the actual tournament was very exciting and rewarding, but it was a very small part of what I did as an intern. The 12 of us (hospitality interns) knew what we were signing up for, but that didn’t make it any easier. I’m going to be pretty upfront about this and say that there was a lot of physical labor on our end. And when you are working up to 16 hour days, 7 days a week, sleep is a precious commodity [see picture on the right]. Whether it was distributing 50 lb. boxes of magazines to hotels, airports, and various patrons, putting together 100+ flat screen TVs, or setting up an entire hospitality tent essentially from the ground up (not the actual tent, but everything else), we were responsible for making sure every venue was overly prepared for whatever the guests might need. And to think: we were just the interns.

3. Jack Nicklaus is a cutie….and owns everything.

So the Muirfield Village Golf Course was designed and is owned by Jack Nicklaus. Thus, the Memorial Tournament is practically THE Jack Nicklaus tournament. His face was everywhere: on the lamp posts, on the patron passes, in the Champions Pavilion Concession stands, on the Arizona lemonade (which he also owns); hell, the highway we drove to get to Muirfield everyday was even named after the guy. Not that any of this is a bad thing. If I was that successful of a man, I would probably start owning random stuff, too. And thanks to the intern raffle at the end of the internship, I am now the proud owner of a bottle of Jack Nicklaus wine (yes, it exists).

And to answer your question, yes, we did see The Golden Bear himself (Jack) as he was cruising by the driving range as we were leaving for the day. I swear to you, it was the absolute cutest thing a famous golfer could have done: he just looked at all of us and waved and said “Hello everybody! Hello! Hello!” and carried on his merry way. Oh, and if you were curious, Jack Nicklaus III is stunning.

4. Golfers really hate cell phones.

If you don’t follow golf or didn’t happen to catch the news stories the next day, never fear: there was quite the hullabaloo at the Memorial due to patrons using their cell phones to take pictures. Now, I’ve grown to really like these golfers, but I personally just think this is plain ridiculous. You’re getting paid how much? And you’re going to complain that people holding up an iPhone to take a picture of you is infringing on how well you play? I just don’t see it. I was yelled at only once for taking a picture with my phone. And, no, it was not for taking that fabulous picture of Rickie Fowler above. It was quite embarrassing, actually: I was trying to get a picture of Tiger as he was walking up the green on the 16th hole when a man leading a pack of upwards of 200+ people yelled up to where I was standing on the balcony of the hospitality venue. Needless to say, my phone went away for the day.

5. Interns do what they are told. 

I really do mean this in the most genuine way: interns are at the bottom of  the totem-pole and will do what they are told, no questions asked. It’s kinda fun that way, though, right? Less thinking on your part, less opportunity for you to get blamed if something goes wrong? I can dig it. For example, we had to work the junior clinic one afternoon and I, along with a couple of other interns, was put in charge of placing some poster-boards on easels. Well, it just so happened to be the most blustery day in June and the poster-boards would not stand on their easels. Thus, it was my duty as an intern to serve as a human easel for the finicky poster-boards that would not stand up. But in all seriousness, if we were not there, some serious mishaps would have occurred. Therefore, I am proud to have been a beneficial contribution to the overall production of the Memorial.

Overall, my experience at the Memorial is one I will cherish and remember for my entire life. For it was at the Memorial Tournament that I learned who Rickie Fowler was, I learned to enjoy the taste of coffee (with A LOT of chocolate, I might add), and I truly learned the value of hard work and how much it really pays off.

So that last line was really cheesy, but you catch my drift, right?

Also, if you want to see any more of my pictures, head over to my Instagrid to see my Instagram pictures from the tournament (or from anytime, really).

Things I’m Currently Flustered With

Published on by Paige Dolton2 Comments

Seeing as it’s been exactly an entire semester since I’ve last blogged (literally, my previous post was about surviving Finals in December), I figure Finals Week is the perfect time to jump back into the blogosphere. For those of my honorary readers (I know there are soooo many of you) who have been worried sick about me because I have not taken the time to update on here, never fear, I have not died. Just in case I don’t promote Her Campus Clemson enough on my Facebook and Twitter, this is the part of my blog where I inform you all that I do, in fact, have a life. I don’t have much of a life, but I do have one, I promise.

Nevertheless, today’s blog post was inspired by my immense confusion and frustration with mundane things that have distracted me from studying for my one final exam. Well, that, and my dear friend Hayley‘s uncanny ability to maintain her blogging even though she’s graduating, have inspired me to step back up to the plate of expressing my thoughts and hoping someone, somewhere, finds me even remotely interesting. Enjoy.

Things I am Currently Flustered With:

Jessica Simpson & Her Child
Before I say anything, let me clarify that I am actually a huge fan of Jessica Simpson if not only because of her spectacular shoe line. However, there are so many questions swirling my brain pertaining to this topic. The poor woman looked like she weighed as much as

I just don't understand how these two people are the same person.

a small baby elephant. How did she carry on a normal life, let alone walk at all? There are even pictures of her walking in her 3rd trimester in heels. Yes, heels. WHY?! HOW?! It just doesn’t seem plausible. So, yes, naturally, upon hearing news of J.Simp’s birth, I was expecting to hear the announcement of not one, but two children. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if  a small African village was burn unto Jessica. In addition to being flustered as to Jessica Simpson’s size, I was completely blindsided by the announcement of the child’s name: Maxwell Drew Johnson. Don’t get me wrong, it’s actually a perfectly normal baby name, especially coming from Hollywood. The only problem is, the child is a girl. I just can’t quite wrap my head around this one. I guess celebrity baby names were just becoming so ridiculous that Jessica didn’t think she could think of something crazy enough, so she just did a complete 180° and identified her child with the opposite sex. Totally normal. Jessica, I was really holding out for you. Now, I’m just incredibly confused.

The Clemson Chipotle & Its Lack of Being Open
If you know me at all, you know that I will do anything and everything for Chipotle. Some say that my obsession is something I should be embarrassed about, some say that I don’t know what I’m talking about and Moe’s is better (joke of the day), and some are intimidated by such strong feelings for a burrito. Upon hearing news that Clemson was given the honor to receive a Chipotle Mexican Grill, it’s safe to say that I was on another planet. No longer would I have to endure the lackluster burritos from Moe’s; no longer would I have to drive 45 minutes to Greenville to satisfy my craving; no longer would I be without my sacred Chipotle. Month after month, I waited patiently for the construction to come to an end, for there to be a grand opening, of which I would be the first in line, and nothing happened. Unsatisfied with the results, I took to Twitter and communicated with Chipotle HQ only to found out that the Clemson, SC location would be opening right around the first week of May. Huzzah! My calendars were marked, and my countdown began. It was only until recently that I decided to correspond with Chipotle HQ, again via Twitter, to inquire about the status of the glorious food chain. To my dismay and utter distraught, I was informed that the Clemson Chipotle was not expected to open its doors until late May, early June. I was filled with immense sadness and confusion, both of which could only be satisfied by a burrito bowl, and have since attempted to carry on my day-to-day activities without being overcome with too much a melancholy feeling.

The Activities of Library Dwellers During Finals Week
Seeing as I am writing this blog post instead of creating a study guide for my final exam on Friday, yes, I am currently located in Cooper Library. A frequent dweller of this six-story study nook, I believe myself to be an expert on the appropriate behavior and etiquette of those that choose to come to Cooper to get their work done. However, apparently, some people believe that  the proper library etiquette and behavior are thrown out the window during Finals Week, and that they are free to behave like savages. This, my friends, is false. The following is a list of things that are, in fact, still unacceptable during Finals Week:

  1. Discussing mundane details of your life at an octave higher than the respectable ‘library voice’. No, young freshman, I do not care to hear about your all-nighter and how you managed to accomplish nothing but Facebook stalk (amateur), and I especially don’t want to hear you discuss this event so loudly that I cannot hear myself think.
  2. Listening to your music so loudly that I can sing along with you. I beg your pardon, but that’s what my own headphones are for. It might be hard for you to believe, but listening to Nicki Minaj via your headphones turned all the way up is actually intrusive to my learning, and most likely intrusive to your learning, as well.
  3. Sitting in a spot with immediate access to a plug and not using your computer. Have you no manners? Or are you just an idiot? Most likely, you are both, and it is quite possible that I will stare at you until you feel uncomfortable (as you should) and remove yourself from the premises.
  4. Blatantly Facebooking for over half an hour whilst other people need the computer/plug. I can see you. No, really, I am watching you Facebook stalk. And doing this before it’s even dark outside? Give me a break. Everyone knows the only acceptable time to Facebook stalk in the library is once the sun has gone down, thus allowing your lack of focus to be somewhat excusable.
  5. Even existing in the library if you are not a Clemson student. I’m sorry, but the creepy locals that meander in Cooper and are, more often than not, seated at the library computers have got to go. Not only are you not conducive to my learning environment, you’re just flat out annoying. Leave your marital problems, inexcusable loudness,  and tending to your Farmville crops outside of my university library.

I’ve become too bothered with the nearby library-dweller who just needs to listen to his music at full capacity (on his airplane headphones, I might add) that I need to bring my flustered thoughts to an end. Enjoy, and if you have any spare time in your life this week, why, yes, I would love a Chipotle burrito bowl! Thanks for asking!