University of St. Thomas Poem

Posted on July 21, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

*St. Thomas*

UST is the heart of Trust,
In St. Thomas, our light thrusts—
Illuminating the world is better than to shine,
The divine credit is neither yours nor mine.
The charity of God began in the earth’s crust,
With St. Thomas’ foundation—This is our shrine,
Devoted to serve by pushing ourselves,
Toiling with study and working our shelves,
For living well is tantamount to working well,
Restless activity for every man to dwell—
Together through work where every man delves
In a harbor of healing—where the grief fell.
A world reunited with the harmony of stars,
Sharing possessions—healing the scars
Of wounded extremities where anguish lives,
Love is the charity that counts not what it gives.
The measure of a man is the injustice he bars
By changing our world with the faith that he lives.

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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University of Minnesota Poem

Posted on July 20, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

*University of Minnesota*

Minnesota is blessed with water in acres,
Our many lakes and skyscrapers make us great,
We run through our mills and life’s purity distilled:

This is the Gopher State.

Over 10,000 lakes form the Land of Sky-Blue Waters,
Between the Mississippi are campuses on either bank,
The U of M is the Gateway to guarded history,
A better school, to be sure—to be frank.
With America’s mall and state fair at our shoulders,
We shrug off the boasts of all the other burgs,
The school of Twin Cities is the wedge of opportunity,
Taking full swing like our own Patty Berg.

An F5 of pride rolls across the Wash’ Ave’ Bridge,
Onto the East Bank of TCF and Will’ Arena,
Among the affected is the stock in the Barnyard,
Rabid Gophers with the fervor of hyenas.
Craving Big Ten Basketball and Big Ten Football,
We outwrestle competition in the name of tradition;
We defend our border from Badgers at all costs,
To this conviction we will wage our tuition.

When the Maroon and Gold is in the fold,
Take it all in, have a seat, and snag a scene,
Then read on the changes of student expression
In the latest issue of The Wake Magazine.
They may catch up on our news but not our chemistry,
Our chem-engineering turns molecules to modules
That fuels new concepts that react to overdue process
Converting life science into modern rules.

We’re pioneers, frontiers, and centennial men,
Global women of the Superblock and this community,
Who lend a hand to hear talented local bands,
Service provided for betterment,
Not self-impunity.
Time at the U illuminates many local paths,
Shedding light to guide youths through all the fray,
We guide our own and build tunnels for the next passage,
And say:

That is the Gopher Way.

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

Michigan State University Poem

Posted on July 19, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

*Michigan State*

MSU entrants travel cross-country across the Red Cedar River of East Lansing to reach the epitome of the college experience.
They are greeted by abundant trees, winding roads, and gothic architecture beyond the forested corridors. At the intersection of Chestnut and Kalamazoo, south of the Cedar River, they meet
The Spartan.
It is at this junction when entrants, guests, and intruders alike realize that
This is the Spartan State—Not Wolverine Country.
Prowlers will not prance. Only
Real Spartans Advance.
Transforming Lives by Advancing Knowledge.
We preserve energy for essential encounters and destroy the hazardous pollution of reservation to defend this land.
Proceed, New Entrants! Maintain this Environment!
Go Green.

Spartans, Stand Strong
on this land your ancestors built.
This pioneer land grants students with the exploration of nuclear physics, osteopathic medicine, industrial and organizational psychology, and we continue forward in our advancement of knowledge by placing only the nation’s best new teachers in the elementary and secondary classrooms. We rehabilitate distressed minds that have lost their ways so that they, too, can advance to their goals. Say it Loud:

We Are Spartans!

Led by Sparty we fill the Spartan Stadium with Spartan Pride—

You are now surrounded by the Spartan Army.

In Breslin, where the winner is determined by determination,
You will know
the
Spartan Will.

There is magic in this storied center. With a rich basketball tradition, we have hoisted 13 Big Ten championships and two national championships.
We tried to send out a raven to tell the world of our conquers,
but
Our Magic killed The Bird.

Fear the Spartans.

Take heed of the army going down the downtown strip.
This is a Greek community of over 50 organizations.
We started as the 300,
now over
3,000 in this Greek Nation…

And that still leaves over 40,000 thirsty Spartans ready to fill their cups.

Our Spartans spread out across the globe in their pursuits of educational dominance more than any institution in this nation. We also fight from home to keep the peace abroad. We fight against South African apartheid and for worldwide freedom
While defending the political advancement of this great country.

We believe change starts here in this miraculous institution.

And we vow not to stop at the pages of the Red Cedar Log. No, our journey is just beginning.
Young warriors, when you surmount your beloved institution, and graduate to the vast, intimidating world at your feet. Do not let these tears slow you down…

Spartans,

Go Forth

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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Eastern Michigan University Poem

Posted on July 19, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

*Eastern Michigan University*

SWOOP DOWN!
(clap-clap)
SWOOP DOWN!
(clap-clap)
SWOOP DOWN!
(clap-clap)
SWOOP DOWN!
(clap-clap)
SWOOP DOWN!
And LAND! In the land of Green and White!
SWOOP DOWN!
You Eagles and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!!
SWOOP DOWN!
But don’t ever let your feet touch the ground!
SWOOP DOWN!
You’re flying with the Eastern Eagles Now!

Hear that call? That’s the Eastern Echo:
Here we go—
Here we go again.
Do you hear that call? That’s the Eagle Echo:
I said
Here we go—
Here we go again.

Eastern Eagles grew again,
New Eagles—
Movin’ in,
Move-in Magic—
Make a friend,
Share Fajitas and blend on in.
Make a splash like our swimming team—
In Olds-Robb in a
Stream of Green.
Stay on the green like cash machines,
We stay high on green—
Green Fiends.
Green & White is our way of life
And this Green & White
Is our way to life,
If we told you once, we told you twice:
An Eagle echoes:
His whole life.
Swoop Down, Eastern, and
Shake the Ground;
We kept the Huron strength—
Now let it sound.
If we told you once, we told you twice,
An Eagle’s Echo lasts
Their whole 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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Western Michigan University Poem

Posted on July 18, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

*Western Michigan University*

🎵 Kalamazoo is the only place Broncos
Fly with the best,
Galloping Pride,
when we die—we can rest.
Until we reach the sky,
We’ll keep on Galloping High—
with
Brown and Gold
Bronco Pride.

It’s fall. Time for the Bronco Bash:
Here comes the Stampede—
Ready to Crash
The dorms on Main Campus and also the Valleys,
Then to brown-eyed Susans at Stewart Tower we rally.
New Broncos are set to mark their hash
On WMU Fields with a zeal no census can tally.
Soon these new legs will be the head honchos
And keep galloping in the name of Western Michigan.
Alas, now wrapped around Grand Rapids and all Michigan—
Are the runs of these
Epic Broncos.

🎵 Kalamazoo is the only place Broncos
Fly with the best,
Galloping Pride,
when we die—we can rest.
Until we reach the sky,
We’ll keep on Galloping High—
with
Brown and Gold
Bronco Pride.

🎵 WMU is the only place Broncos
Fly with the best,
Galloping Pride,
when we die—we can rest.
Until we reach the sky,
We’ll keep Galloping High—
with
Brown and Gold
Bronco Pride.

It’s Saturday. Time to fill up these bars:
Here comes the Stampede.
Kalamazoo nightlife is something special,
Every establishment seems to have a special.
We exchange beers at the KBE,
Waldo’s, Wild Bull, Grotto, The Roadhouse,
On to Y-Bar then off to Stadium Drive,
Then to the Village to pillage a Frat House.
We don’t waste our minds; we also go to Shakespeare’s Pub,
Wasted out of our minds like a 4th string sub.
To be or not to be….
Wait,
What was the question?
All I know is to be anywhere other than Western—
Is way
Out of the question.

🎵 Kalamazoo is the only place Broncos
Fly with the best,
Galloping Pride,
when we die—we can rest.
Until we reach the sky,
We’ll keep on Galloping High—
with
Brown and Gold
Bronco Pride.

🎵 WMU is the only place Broncos
Fly with the best,
Galloping Pride,
when we die—we can rest.
Until we reach the sky,
We’ll keep on
Galloping High—
with
Brown and Gold
Bronco Pride.

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

Northern Michigan University Poem

Posted on July 18, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

*NMU*

At the heart of Northern Michigan is
A mound of flowers and shrubs laid in the colors found inside all of us—
&
Radiating in our great outdoors.
We are the North Wind of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,
Wildcats who have followed White Rocks to stand inspired by our mountain trails and scenic coastline. The warm sand and crystal blue water are accompanied by the knowing breeze where at the summit of nature’s bask—
We Crash.
Jet skiing in the wind in a confrontation with what we know is Superior—
In a submission that is rendered in a thrill.
Marquette is a place for nature lovers
&
Northern Michigan is the site for nature’s lovers;
In this getaway of beaches, parkways, and meditation:
This is a lover’s
four-year vacation.
In these hearts are the sediments
found in our mound & renewed in this refreshing town;
These pulse-bracing heights leap from within & without….
It is
Northern.
Naturally.

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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Wayne State University Poem

Posted on July 18, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

*Wayne State University*

There’s a new line coming in this fall,
Let’s see how fast this thing goes.
In these four years it’s pedal to the metal,
Our speed doesn’t tire through the reels of the roads.
30,000 Warriors collide,
Burning
Green and Gold—
Until Wayne State rolls through Detroit Rock City,
Then together
We’ll arrive at our goals.

Before long,
We’ll look back at all these fast times
bent to old times,
And know that in Wayne State—
We made the right decision…
We drove ourselves to a critical impact,
Without a memory lost
To the collision.

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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Michigan Tech Poem

Posted on July 17, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

My, what lakes the mind can surf
With all the discoveries
We find;
At Michigan Tech, we inspect global turf,
The Land of Opportunity:
We mine.
We build ice sculptures from creative fires—
Husky Fires
Glow in the snow,
The Houghton icescape is
The Great Escape,
A Winter Carnival
The Huskies know.
This is a safe haven for a Parade of Nations
Waving their heritage with gold salutations;
K-Day, Hockey, Skating, and Love, are some of
Houghton’s oldest celebrations.
Celebrate your curiosity,
Celebrate yourself,
Celebrate the purity of Michigan
Itself,
Drink another beer, then down another seven,
Drink while you can,
There’s no Beers in Heaven.
Here’s to Engineers
Who will lead the recovery
of
The Land of Opportunity
for
Generations of Discovery.

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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University of Michigan Poem

Posted on July 16, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

This is Michigan.

In this harbor of Maize & Blue—Together—We Take Pride.
In athletics as well as academics—As a Body—We Take Stride.
Wolverines travel from miles and states away and adapt to the harsh terrain and competitive climate to become the Masters of the icy West.
Champions of the class. Champions of the grass.
The Rulers of the Field.
Like a freshman on foot at the Diag,
You don’t want to step on the M,
And those who try to best the Mighty Wolverines?
May the Lord have mercy on them.

This is Michigan.

With glory in Football, Basketball, Swimming, Softball, and Ice Hockey,
We are the home of the Fab Five.
Those Who Stay Will Be Champions,
With the Michigan banner flying high.

Go Blue.

Sing their praises,
From the Sportsmen to the Sages:
We Are the Victors!
More than any team in D1 Football,
Hail! We are the Victors!
We don’t squawk our glory at our bitter rivals,
They already know they’re barking up the wrong tree,
and

Wolverines don’t bark at trees.

Yes, We are the Victors!
To the Big Ten Champions who carry our fame!
Hurrah! We are the Victors!
In Arts and Study for the candid chase of knowledge—
Hail Michigan! We are the Victors!

And when all the families in The Big House watch their loved ones walk across the stage, they proudly
Hurrah for the Victors.

Hurrah for the Maize and Blue!
Lights of War & Peace, and the billows of youth.

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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University of Kansas Poem

Posted on July 16, 2024 by clydeaidoo — Leave a comment

*KU*

Rock…
Chalk…
Jay…
Hawk…
K…
U.

Welcome to the Allen Fieldhouse.

Pay Heed All Who Enter.

***

Roooooock
Chaaaaaalllk
Jayyyyyy
Hawwwwk
Kayyyyyyy
Youuuuuu.

Welcome to Kansas:
Pay Heed All Who Enter.

Recognize the marvelous architecture designed to give thought along the milkweeds and natural scenery that is the beautiful Kansas prairie. The city of Lawrence is managed by one of the nation’s best programs—running the urban outline together with our 1,000 acres and wooded hills. Understand that we prize Special Education and give the disadvantaged unbounded freedom. Know that we fight for freedom;
Have Fought for Freedom—as abolitionists determined to be a Free State and win the war against slavery.
Know that we won.
And please believe
Kansas Wins.
And in the Allen Fieldhouse there is no debating that.

Roooooock
Chaaaaaalllk
Jayyyyyy
Hawwwwk
Kayyyyyyy
Youuuuuu.

Welcome to the Allen Fieldhouse.
Pay Heed All Who Enter: Beware of the Phog.

All the fans in this building and even the Jayhawks who are studying abroad can
Feel the quake and Hear our noise.
Here in Lawrence, Kansas, the Jayhawks make a lot of noise:

Five National Championships.
The Most Conference Championships in NCAA History.
Longest Current Streak of NCAA Tournament Appearances.
Longest Current Streak of Winning Seasons.

We have a lot to cheer for. And since 1955, this has been the home of
The Nation’s Biggest Home-Court Advantage:
Fact.
In the Loudest Arena in College Basketball:
Fact.
We have the decibels to prove it.
After we give our chant and blow the roof off of the Fieldhouse,
The reason we throw Kansas Confetti is because by the
Look of dread that has befallen you as we pronounce the final “U…”
You know that you’re screwed,
And we know we’ve already won.

♫From now on, just expect that you’ll lose,
From now on,
Call us Royal Blue♫

This is more than a basketball arena, it’s a raucous party.
Like a flock of Jayhawks lining up Mass. Street,
It’s time for a ‘Hawk of a party.
There is a crimson inferno that crams this arena,
When foes and fans enter, neither are the same.

I shall see this great sight, why this fire does not wane.

First sparked by our very own James Naismith: Who handed America the Rock.
Chalk it up to another Kansas miracle.
After delivering the wonder of basketball, miracles have remained in our tradition.
They have been pushed up the court by Danny and the Miracles in 1988; and twenty years later,
Mario gave us another miracle with an astounding shot sending us to an overtime victory over Memphis for the 2008 National Championship. It is here in Kansas where we gave this sport the miracle of Wilt Chamberlain and scads of basketball heroes. We gave you this game and the honor that comes with it. So when you enter the realm of the Basketball Kings,
We will mercilessly take it from you.

Royal Blue.

While enemies like the Tigers only muster Cold Wars, we’re dropping bombs from long distance. With shooters like Heinrich, White, and Pierce—
We can’t miss.
Which is why the so-called Border War was a territorial slaughter.
And in 2007, our Football Team joined the Task Force—
Winning us the claim to the most combined wins in Division I history in a single year.
We have won the glory to hold up Kansas and say this is our state.
In the Allen Fieldhouse there are no peace treaties,
Sorry, Tigers, You didn’t have enough Wheaties.
Instead, they chose to eat Frosted Flakes,
Errr, that’s why they’re not so great.

You couldn’t cut the muster so we Waved the Wheat,
Your parting treat is the Crown of Defeat.

It ain’t over until the Jayhawks sing,
And our chant was sung before the first whistle,
After the call of the crowd for Crimson,
We take foes to school then blow the Steam Whistle:

Class Over.

Roooooock
Chaaaaaalllk
Jayyyyyy
Hawwwwk
Kayyyyyyy
Youuuuuu.

Come spring, this call can be heard from atop the hill as the Jayhawks celebrate another victory. As is the norm for Jayhawks on the basketball court, these thousands of Jayhawks have made it to the top of the hill. After climbing this hill for four years, it is now time to walk down.
The process begins on Memorial Drive as the flock moves through the Memorial Campanile down the hill to Memorial Stadium. They “ride on a Kansas gale” in a glorious view of the golden valley, and proclaim,

“I am a Jayhawk…and I always will be.”

These are the Jayhawks who like Andrew Reeder, James Naismith, and Phog Allen, paved the way for the incoming class.

To all the freshmen who embark on following these lasting claws,
Here are the directions:

Pay Heed as You Enter.

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