After-class routine includes video games, basketball

For 19-year-old Matt Goldberg, his life after classes is what he enjoys most about his college experience. A "undecdied" freshman from New York, he feels this is the time -- while he lives in his on-campus dormitory -- to meet new people and have fun.

Matt Goldberg does homework.

As Matt's final class of the day ends, he admits that his routine stays pretty much the same until he goes to sleep for the night. As we walked together toward his dorm, he explained that many of his buddies already would be waiting for him in his second-floor room in Barlow to partake in their daily dose of video games.

"After our classes, we always get together and play video games," Matt said. "I think it is just our way of winding down for the day."

After about two hours of spirited and very competitive "NBA Live 2005", I accompanied Matt to Mackal Field House to play some basketball. Like so many other students at URI, he still has a hunger for the game he played in high school and plays competitively every day.

"I just figured, why stop now?" Matt said. "I still love to play and it keeps me in shape."

As we finished up playing basketball, we both found ourselves exhausted and hungry, so I accompanied Matt on his daily walk up the hill from Mackal to Butterfield dining hall.

The dining hall was packed. Matt and I sat at a table with strangers. As we ate our pizza, Matt expressed disgust toward the dining hall food, and I agreed.

"At first, the food really isn't that bad," he said. "I just think I'm really sick of it because I have been eating it every night since September."

The time was now 7 p.m. and we both began to feel stress about the next day of classes. We walked the short distance from Butterfield to Barlow and entered Matt's dorm room for the second time. As he sat down and began to do his homework, I decided that it was time for us to part our ways.