Introduction

“Fight, fight, fight for Washington State! Win the victory!

Win the day for Crimson and Gray! Best in the West, we know you'll all do your best, so
On, on, on, on! Fight on to the end! Honor and Glory you must win! So
Fight, fight, fight for Washington State and victory!

W-A-S-H-I-N-G-T-O-N-S-T-A-T-E-C-O-U-G-S! GO COUGS!!”*

CLICK BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE WSU FIGHT SONG

For years these lyrics have echoed through out the streets of the small town of Pullman, WA. Whether it be roaring from a crowded stadium or slurred through murmurings of a group of “brahs” walking up and down B Street (in which the words are so elegantly changed to: “Fight, fiiiiIIiight, fight foooorrr Waash-iiiing-ton STATE! la la la…  *face to pavement*) this song is the heart song of this small lentil community.

From a very young age I could ramble off the fight song as easily as I could the ABC’s. This is because I have called Pullman home since 1991. That was a time when Honor’s Hall was called White Hall, and “Munchyz” was just something you had after waking up from afternoon nap.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Pullman and it was a wonderful place to grow up, but the WSU Fight Song was never truly the song that radiated within my heart. A much different tune resided there, one that started as a hushed lullaby, and as I grew in age, it did in dynamic.

“Start spreadin' the news, I'm leaving today
I want to be a part of it: New York, New York…

…If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere,
Come on come through, NEW YORK, NEW YORK!”**

For full lyrics for "New York, New York," CLICK HERE
CLICK VIDEO BELOW FOR VERSION PERFORMED BY FRANK SINATRA

And so become “apart of it” is what I chose to do, and I set off for the “city that never sleeps” on June 4^th 2010, taking the red eye from Spokane, WA to Portland, OR, and finally arriving in the Big Apple June 5^th 2010. Ol’ Blue Eyes himself once belted “I’m gonna make a brand new start of it” and that’s what I intend to do with my time here this summer, “make a brand new start of it in old New York…”

This blog is intended to document my experiences in New York City, as well as provide my insights and perspectives on the things that I learn while I am here.

Enjoy!

*Words for the WSU Fight Song were written by Zella Melcher and music was composed by Phyllis Sayles in 1919.

** Lyrics are from the song "New York, New York" which was the theme song for the movie by the same name directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro. Words were written by Fred Ebb and music was composed by John Kander. The song was originally performed for the movie by Liza Minnelli, who also starred in the film, and was later covered by Frank Sinatra.

 CLICK VIDEO BELOW FOR VERSION PERFORMED BY LIZA MINNELLI