15 Nov 2004. "The Dub" lies on a flat, sandy, pine-stippled expanse on the east side of the port town of Wilmington. Their seahawk logo needs work, they need cash, and they belong to an indifferent athletic conference (the CAA's feeling may be fueled by Dub lacking that big money sport, American football). But a school cannot buy the priceless beach location - and the beach bodies - that make up the campus here. I chose my first rocks glass of the CCP, which later broke in transit. It was replaced on a subsequent trip back to North Carolina with the first coffee mug. Good thing though, that rocks glass was seriously unattractive. The moulding was fine but on it was etched an outline of 'UNCW' in fugly block letters that did not resemble any typeface the school has ever used. No photo survives to this day.
6 Nov 2004. Hempstead, Long Island, New York. In between Kennedy Airport and Theodore Roosevelt's Sagamore Hill lies Hofstra, home of the...Pride. Hey, let's upgrade the sweetness of the Flying Dutchmen moniker for an improvement I hope?! No, just some big hairy cohabitating cats. But back in 2004 the nickname was still in limbo and there was not much of a logo to speak of. This nondescript tumbler is one of the worst on the list. The campus, a collection of brilliantly gray skydorms, is redeemed by a funky pedestrian tunnel bridge and the Islanders' arena next door. Hey, Hofstra's in the news for hosting the final 2008 presidential debate so this is a nice coincidence.
On this same day 400 miles south in Harrisonburg, a full and excited stadium witnessed this.
12 Oct 2004. Rae Ri! Ol' VPI! Hokie Hokie Hokie Hi! The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is located in Blacksburg in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, whose autumn vistas will long remain in your memory. Cassell Colisum, home to their basketball and volleyball teams, has steep concrete arches that would provide a good venue for Spider-Men- and traceurs-in-training. If my shoes only had a little more traction...! The classic VT logo that appears on many licensed products due to its simplicity in design and color graces this pint glass, with 'Tech Triumph' (school song? fight song?) on the reverse. My favorite pint in terms of layout.
1 Oct 2004. I only had a half-hour to find TU's bookstore, race in, quickly peruse the selection and make a purchase, and race back to the Towson Center before we faced off against the Tigers! I made it there just as they were closing. The staff allowed me in and I found a hardy little cup, the bubble-filled plastic giving your flat Fresca an appearance of new life. Thankfully, Towson had recently upgraded their logo from the old one that frightened little children with its gargoyle-like sneer, pictured below. A simple bold logo on a simple bold cup makes the Towson Tumbler one of my favorites.
Later on at William & Mary I saw the same bubbly style (but with green plastic) yet I could not allow myself to dilute the awesomeness that I found in suburban Maryland.
