Case Western University Poem

*Case Western*

Case Western is a progressive reserve,
Ah,
Bright Young Minds.
A creative place of active collaboration
with
Ripe new finds.
A place where what you never knew to think of blossoms
&
The Joys of thinking, “You never know”
Rolls a world many never dreamt of.
With black lights that turn marbles into marvels;
And sculpts become National Monuments.
Medicine that helps fend plagues like leukemia and pulmonary infections.
Where dark energy can be turned to shed light on the gray matters of the universe.
Where keyhole surgery can be instrumental to valve replacement,
and lead the way to more medical developments.
Where people can meet and find livelihood from all over the country—from Potomac Yard
To our own backyard…
Right here in Cleveland, Ohio.

A world where I think becomes we think. And then we think becomes
We Made.
And We Made
becomes
the
USA.

This is a world where the students of Cleveland, Ohio
who’ve made a habit of testing new ground
have been trained to

Think Beyond the Possible

From Alma Mater Vol. 1: The Midwest
You can read the full four-volume Alma Mater collection here.
Copyright © 2014 Clyde Aidoo

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Posted in Poetry

Ohio State University Poem

*The Ohio State University*

It is a scarlet and gray autumn day in the brave of late November.
The sky is open, the grass is brazened,
And it is a damn good day to be a Buckeye.

***

Out from the tunnel of pride are seniors down to freshmen who are citizens united through education. This Ohio Union is the oldest and very first union,
Which is why we have the strongest foundation.

But for Ohio State, many a heart would rest unchanged,
Many joyous seasons would sing unclaimed,
These lives have strived through groundbreaking roots,
Now they stand tall and sturdy as Buckeyes.

With over 1,000 student organizations, a widespread reach of diversity, endless community service opportunities, world-famous athletics, and the nation’s most awesome, rockstastic band,
We proclaim this
The Best Damn School in the Land.

And on this day we aim to prove it.

After diving into Mirror Lake, our student body is refreshed and amped and ready for the band to march the ramp. From the Wexner Center to the other end of the Oval, all throughout our campus—there is a thrill that rolls through our spirits,
and it carries
Across the Field.
Rapid & Electric like a Buckeye Bullet,
Our trigger’s gaze is aimed at maize,
and at last, today
We pull it.

Block O is raucous—ready to go, cheering,
O-H-I-O
As Sons of
O-H-I-O
After the band closes
Script Ohio, we sing our
Buckeye Battle Cry for
OH
HI
OH!

After halftime, we will crack some heads and
Teach our rivals a hard lesson—
Call it a Skull Session.

Their fight will split upon our back-bending hits, and we will Smash through to Victory.
The victory bell will chime and we will drink until our dinner is discarded to fish guts, and when we meet next year, we will
Muck Fish Again.
And even when we don’t win,
We Fight till the very End
for
OH!
HI!
OH!

From Alma Mater Vol. 1: The Midwest
You can read the full four-volume Alma Mater collection here.
Copyright © 2014 Clyde Aidoo

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Posted in Alma Mater, Poetry

University of North Dakota Poem

*University of North Dakota Poem*

With the Eternal Flame of the Memorial Sphere,
Let it be known that UND
Started here.
Then took off to soar on land, air, and ice,
Hence becoming Masters of Mother Earth thrice.
Although the Sioux name may be erased,
Our proud heritage cannot be replaced.
Training world-class aviators with aerospace science,
To state-of-the-art fleets we submit our compliance.
Instructing pilots throughout air traffic’s torques,
Now prepared to depart from the port of Grand Forks.
When we touch down on banks of Red River Valley,
We admire the beauty of English Coulee.
Views of Adelphi Fountain and silent solitude,
We are Wild Prairie Roses that Gertrude includes.
Growing with the sun we meet Mother Sky,
And hug Mother Nature—when she passes by.
We then seek life at The Memorial Union,
The heart of our campus is our remarkable union.
We are tested and worn like a moccasin,
Still we rise and withstand each occasion.
Woven in each heart are the wings of the air,
The only fire higher is the ice that we flare.
Seven national championships won on the rink,
Sometimes we ran with ease;
Other times we walked the brink.
Through it all—Into hockey’s lore
We sink.
It was North Dakota’s Christian who helped the Miracle on Ice,
Much thanks to Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews, Phil Sykes,
As well as every player who together helped build
This program of success and splendor we wield.
Halting rivals’ offense with managed backchecking,
Claims of better hockey need better fact-checking.
Phil Jackson said that team strength needs each team member,
With both sides Full Strength, their team’s strength we’ll dismember;
Each individual face of our strength
They’ll remember.
When they enter Ralph and push for a home takeaway,
We’ll defend our territory—and this tribe will breakaway.

Goal!

North Dakota Hockey wins again—

Skoal!

Thoughts of contesting UND get a Check to the Head,
Their team gets
No Money or Fame—
Financial Aid Checks instead.
We tell legends of our stories
Of the legends who paved ways,
Guiding us all through the light
That proves that hard work pays.
On the Ice of North Dakota—Light and Law is our ramp,
&
With Eternal Flame,
North Dakota
Lights the Lamp.

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Nebraska Cornhuskers Poem

*Nebraska Cornhuskers*

There is no place like Dear Old Nebraska U.
Earning awards in research and humanities,
We carry
Big Ideas
Big Potential
Big Impact…
And with 26 national championships from five different sports…
Yeah,
We’re kind of a big deal.

Go Big Red.

***

There is no place like Dear Old Nebraska U,
Where hours before kickoff, we greet the team at the bus;
To rally for our players and part the Sea is a must—
The Huskers are coming through.
This pep is to prep the Huskers for battle,
Every Game Day we meet our team at the ‘shoe;
Cheerleaders, The Band, and all Supporters:
Clap!
The Huskers are coming through.
All the way from Vine Street to the Memorial Tunnel,
Where there are visions of our illustrious tracts,
In track, bowling, and gymnastics—our many championships are tacked;
And in women’s volleyball—where after scores,
We Huddle.
There are visions of greatness in the Cornhusker chambers,
Bolted in the annuls of the Nebraska Coliseum,
Forever the Mecca of the Volleyball Mausoleum,
In our sold-out crowds we were a family of strangers.
Though we moved—we still stand as the best fans in women’s sports
With support these Lady Huskers richly deserve,
They fight to the last point with every dive and serve,
An example for competitors in all other sports.
Nebraska is the best example of dedicated fanhood,
In Volleyball and right here in Memorial Stadium,
Selling out every game—we are the Medium
Between this tunnel and mystic glory understood.

“Through these gates pass the greatest fans in college football.”

The electric static is felt on the Big Red Carpet,
The anticipation in the atmosphere is wild and reaching,
Players reach and tap the horseshoe beneath the screeching—
In a tangible energy only Nebraskans can transmit.
The team takes the field with the Pride of All Nebraska,
And march to the tune of these deafening screams,
Hail Varsity! The theme everyone sings,
When the end zone rings, “Touchdown Nebraska!”
Red Balloons fill the sky as the fans celebrate
Another score along with Herbie and Lil’ Red,
Any constituent can see from this faithful Sea of Red:

That this is a Red State.

We are the Only & Original Sea of Red,
Before monochromatic audiences became a trend,
Like the Blackshirts we record-break, but don’t bend,
Behold and Revere the Power of Red.
The Huskers aren’t just football; it’s a Family Tradition:
The Pelinis, The Steinkuhlers, The Ruuds—to name a few,
We don’t tip hats to legends—we all raise a shoe,
And when a Nebraskan clan welcomes a new addition…

His or Her first words will be,
“Go Red!”

“He’s alllll the way home! Holy Moly!!! Man, woman and child—did that put them in the aisles! Johnny ‘the Jet’ Rodgers just tore ’em loose from their shoes!”

“Holy Cow! Touchdown Tommie Frazier!!!”

Tradition and honor is in our bloodline beside our lineage,
Five national titles and the best team in college history:
The Huskers of ’95—the juggernaut that made history,
Opposing teams were history before they took the line of scrimmage.
We went to war like the troops of Vietnam,
The Devaney Defense and the Osborne Army,
The Blackshirt Attack that was vicious and swarming,
For the teams of the ’90s, and the memories:
Thanks, Tom.

“Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice.”

Wearing red in Nebraska is not a choice,
It’s Our Voice.
Day by day, like the Huskers,
We Get Better.
And our unparalleled support:

Is Our Thank-You Letter.

For inspiring us to excel in the classroom,
And in the grazing fields of beyond,
You helped instill an ethic of integrity…
And hard work that helps us abscond.
Tom taught us that
“Increases over time, outpace reductions”
So we’ll double-time to keep ahead of this junction.

And when 7-year-old Jack Hoffman ran 69 yards to touchdown fame,
Making a spring contest the most meaningful seconds of the year,
The proof of our creed could be found in his parents’ tears:

Nebraska Football is More Than a Game.

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Creighton University Poem

*Creighton University*

Stand beside the Bluejays in the beeches from Heaven,
&
Do not be too eager to flee into the forest—
Not until you are prepared to lead.
Creighton University is a dwelling for leaders like Alpha Sigma Nu who through service are committed to expanding a habitat for humanity.
It is in this youth that Jays are most apt to migrate in their hours of strength from the waters that feed wisdom of headship to baby blues who through passage can see to the helm of a leader’s ship.
It takes a strong will to live to lead; and a Creighton spirit to be willing to lead.
When in the oaks & beeches with a Creighton Bluejay,
And he takes through the pine woods and plants an extraordinary seed…
We do not want you to follow behind him,
We want you to
Follow his lead.

From Alma Mater Vol. 1: The Midwest
You can read the full four-volume Alma Mater collection here.
Copyright © 2014 Clyde Aidoo

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Mizzou Poem

*Mizzou*

In 1911, the Mizzou family came home
&
Gave the United States Homecoming.
The rallies of school spirit that have sprinted through
America’s high schools and universities are tracked
to the same footprints:
A Streak of Tigers.
Tigers that have fought Jayhawks since the mid-19th century
in an ongoing Border War that spanned over 100 years on battlefields and football fields…
Until in 2011, 100 years after the Tigers came home,
We won the Border Showdown once and for all.
Final Score: 57-54-9.
Our victory laps can be witnessed among the M of Faurot Field and the gym of Mizzou Arena. Our earned stripes
are defended in all arenas of contest, and worn
warmly in a Homecoming that
Shames the rest.

Our Mizzou,
How We Miss You.

The Tigers who have prowled out of Columbia have
Left the undying marks of their hearts.
But they still miss their home—
and our Homecoming.
They miss giving their blood—following the steps of their hearts,
Granting endangered lives with a new start.
They miss the talent show before the big game,
And the Day of Service where we gave in our name.
Dear and lasting are the decorations of laughter
That adorned the spirit rally, and the parade—the night after.
Missouri Gold and Black is packed in a timeless two-week ball,
And after tailgating,
It is time for football.

We could prowl through another hundred years
Just for the chance to relive this field.

Mizzou,
Oh
How We Miss You.

Feels like just yesterday when we walked through the iconic Ionic columns of Columbia.
The columns that fire could not destroy,
instead they remain standing tall like the dome of Jesse Hall.
We leaped to uncover the patchwork that is the deep beauty of this campus landscape:
A botanic garden with deep burgundy hawthorn fruit and us—the blooming youth.
Free to tell of the beauty of Virginia bluebells and the sweet shrubs nature gave near Thomas Jefferson’s grave.
We were the butterflies that sighed love’s velocity into Peace Park,
and lifted our varsity
Way Beyond the Arc:

M-I-Z!!!

It’s good.

Z-O-U!!!

The Fighting Tigers of Columbia have been tapped into secret societies of influence as a conduit to a better Missouri—A richer story. Seeping into what is already a community of tradition, energy innovation, and firsts.

The first university to introduce journalism into the curriculum and continue to make media-journalism advancements—including advancements to the only university-owned TV network affiliate, KOMU.

The first to use a tomato to fight prostate cancer.

The first to bring our alumni back home….

And we’re all tied for first in the race to return.

Our Mizzou,
Oh
How We Miss You.

Come Homecoming,
We are coming back home…

We are the archers of the spring & the fall; the marchers through the gardens en route to the halls.
Walmart developed in Cornell Hall, and in all, hundreds of thousands
Helped to knit
The fabric of the Mizzou Culture
With a cameo from Brad Pitt.
In Lafferre, Engineers have the luck of the Irish
and are destined to marry when the shamrock is crossed,
Then walk the aisle over to the MURR center,
Where with the nation’s best reactor:
No power is lost.
We charge the Quad with Midwestern pleasantry,
The niceness and smiles only found in Missouri,
Because there is but only
One Mizzou—
Where fond hearts and beauty
Will forever roam;
Like Sheryl Crow and the Tigers who left to mark the globe,

We are on the Long Road Home.

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University of Missouri – Kansas City Poem

*UMKC*

Roo-Root for the Roos,
Raise the Gold,
Surf the Blue,
In hostile terrain—
Move past the Boos,
They couldn’t walk a mile
In the Roo Crew’s Shoes.

Son,
When you get to Kansas City,
Make your own way as you follow my footsteps.
I want you to call me any time,
At a moment’s notice I’ll be at your doorstep.
Go and make the most of that beautiful city—
Enjoy the barbecue, the culture, the art,
Be mindful that like you’ll be for me:
You will be in America’s Heart.
Son, you don’t have to go Greek,
Remember, you can always carve your own letters,
Keep fostering that unlimited talent you have,
And in no time, your words will be in New Letters.
Hop at the chance to go see the many fountains,
Then at the Crossroads you’ll be joined by another,
When back on campus go to the Pierson Auditorium,
That’s where I met your mother.
Son, these will be your most cherished years,
And I’ll be here at home—rooting for you,
And one more thing, Son, before you go:
Be sure to
Root for the Roos.

Roo-Root for the Roos,
Raise the Gold,
Surf the Blue,
In hostile terrain—
Move past the Boos,
They couldn’t walk a mile
In the Roo Crew’s Shoes.

Roo-Root for the Roos,
Raise the Gold,
Surf the Blue,
In hostile terrain—
Move past the Boos,
They couldn’t walk a mile
In the Roo Crew’s Shoes.

From Alma Mater Vol. 1: The Midwest
You can read the full four-volume Alma Mater collection here.
Copyright © 2014 Clyde Aidoo

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Washington University in St. Louis Poem

*Wash. U.*

We Believe
“Happiness and Moral Duty are inseparably connected.”
Fair Washington, Our Home—
For the virtuous & eclectic.
Sweet are these halls of blended lights endowed in truth,
Blessed Hearts
keep these days—
Days of yore & days of youth.
Eternity is the straw for which we draw the times of awe;
In Honor,
We hold thy august name
firmly taut in the Bear Claw.
Through honest minds and wary tongues
We rest sound with what we achieve,
Strength is solely gathered through truth;
Our Fair Washington,
We Believe.

From Alma Mater Vol. 1: The Midwest
You can read the full four-volume Alma Mater collection here.
Copyright © 2014 Clyde Aidoo

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St. Cloud State University Poem

*St. Cloud State University*

It is a Husky Day in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Neighboring the Beaver Islands, our school spirit is supported by a
Blizzard
of red and black
that twists with our Huskies in a Minnesota snowstorm…
The origins of which can be traced back to
Mainstreet—
Where the Huskies
First meet;
Now the force has progressed in a
St. Cloud City Parade and in a
Lemonade Concert with crafts made of our wild spirits
and then our wild spirits makes its craft out of hockey
in the National Hockey Center.

Then the craft goes wild.

Cheering on Olympians like Bret Hedican and WCHA Player of the Year, Drew LeBlanc, our Hockey represents the Husky tradition:
We are up for any challenge.
Engage the world by challenging yourself….
Just because life is bigger than you,
Doesn’t mean you can’t take it on.

At St. Cloud, you are given real-world education so that you are equipped for this ongoing fight…

Education for Life.

From Alma Mater Vol. 1: The Midwest
You can read the full four-volume Alma Mater collection here.
Copyright © 2014 Clyde Aidoo

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Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Poem

*Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota*

What kind of student will you be?
What kind of leader will you be?
God gave your being the capacity to become—
Not to merely be.
Through His charism we are adorned with virtue,
And serene with the spread of true men,
Beneath the knowledge and rock of great family men
Lies the granite devotion of a woman…
That shouldn’t be taken for granted,
but rather
Due Granted.
St. Mary’s University endows this virtue
Into the Lasallian service
&
Our Cardinals lead as Christian Brothers
To strengthen society with the powers
of Mothers.

From Alma Mater Vol. 1: The Midwest
You can read the full four-volume Alma Mater collection here.
Copyright © 2014 Clyde Aidoo

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Posted in Alma Mater, Poetry