brandon, the best way to get to the west coast is to make the 2 hr drive from greenville to atlanta (i've done that several times when playing wade hampton in cashiers, nc)

airfare from atlanta to spokane is around $500 per person with at least 1 stop & around 8-10 hrs...then you gotta rent a car for the couple of hrs drive to pullman

airfare from atlanta to san francisco is around $300 per person with non stop flights taking around 5 hrs...then you can rent a car or take bart to berkeley

how much $ & time do you want your mom, dad, sisters, gf & relatives/friends to expend when they visit you in college?

if you got classes/practices, will they have more fun in pullman or san francisco that day?

logistics matter#

Shocky1;842318384 said:

---

brandon, the best way to get to the west coast is to make the 2 hr drive from greenville to atlanta (i've done that several times when playing wade hampton in cashiers, nc)

airfare from atlanta to spokane is around $500 per person with at least 1 stop & around 8-10 hrs...then you gotta rent a car for the couple of hrs drive to pullman

airfare from atlanta to san francisco is around $300 per person with non stop flights taking around 5 hrs...then you can rent a car or take bart to berkeley

how much $ & time do you want your mom, dad, sisters, gf & relatives/friends to expend when they visit you in college?

if you got classes/practices, will they have more fun in pullman or san francisco that day?

logistics matter#

---

I think Chauca is from Alexandria, VA, which is in what people from those parts call the "DMV", which is "DC-Maryland-Virginia".

tsubamoto2001;842318388 said:

---

I think Chauca is from Alexandria, VA, which is in what people from those parts call the "DMV", which is "DC-Maryland-Virginia".

---

I lived there permanently for 5 years and have been going to and from for 30 years and I have never heard of this DMV. It's either "Metro-DC" (or perhaps the "DC Metro area"), or more specifically "DC", "Suburban Maryland", or "Northern Virginia". That said, I won't dispute your point, as there are so many colloquialisms I have never heard of. I still laugh at the guy who told me he was from "R.B.". Huh? -Rancho Bernardo.

I have lived in all 3 states, including Alexandria VA.

concordtom;842318412 said:

---

I lived there permanently for 5 years and have been going to and from for 30 years and I have never heard of this DMV. It's either "Metro-DC" (or perhaps the "DC Metro area"), or more specifically "DC", "Suburban Maryland", or "Northern Virginia". That said, I won't dispute your point, as there are so many colloquialisms I have never heard of. I still laugh at the guy who told me he was from "R.B.". Huh? -Rancho Bernardo.

I have lived in all 3 states, including Alexandria VA.

---

It's a relatively new thing and more popular with the under-40 demographic.

concordtom;842318412 said:

---

I lived there permanently for 5 years and have been going to and from for 30 years and I have never heard of this DMV. It's either "Metro-DC" (or perhaps the "DC Metro area"), or more specifically "DC", "Suburban Maryland", or "Northern Virginia". That said, I won't dispute your point, as there are so many colloquialisms I have never heard of. I still laugh at the guy who told me he was from "R.B.". Huh? -Rancho Bernardo.

I have lived in all 3 states, including Alexandria VA.

---

Then he was actually from RB In SD, calling it RB is pretty much the only way someone would say they are from Rancho Bernardo. RB is ubiquitous in that community because I swear, it always seemed to me like each sub-division has a cement crest moniker out front of the entrance with the RB prominently displayed.



Fun fact that pretty much no one knows, but according to San Diego lore (more appropriately, 90's san diego punk scene lore) the initials "RB" is the origin of the 182 in Blink-182. They went by some rando names and then settled on just "Blink." But another band in scotland had claimed it first and they were subsequently threatened with a lawsuit so they changed it. Now, wikipedia will tell you that it was just a random number that they picked, but notice that R is the 18th letter and B is the 2nd letter in the alphabet.

tsubamoto2001;842318415 said:

---

It's a relatively new thing and more popular with the under-40 demographic.

---

I think, but am not sure, you just called me old.

tsubamoto2001;842318388 said:

---

I think Chauca is from Alexandria, VA, which is in what people from those parts call the "DMV", which is "DC-Maryland-Virginia".

---

JetBlue, Dulles to Oakland, $199.

Vandalus;842318427 said:

---

Then he was actually from RB In SD, calling it RB is pretty much the only way someone would say they are from Rancho Bernardo. RB is ubiquitous in that community because I swear, it always seemed to me like each sub-division has a cement crest moniker out front of the entrance with the RB prominently displayed.



Fun fact that pretty much no one knows, but according to San Diego lore (more appropriately, 90's san diego punk scene lore) the initials "RB" is the origin of the 182 in Blink-182. They went by some rando names and then settled on just "Blink." But another band in scotland had claimed it first and they were subsequently threatened with a lawsuit so they changed it. Now, wikipedia will tell you that it was just a random number that they picked, but notice that R is the 18th letter and B is the 2nd letter in the alphabet.

---

Fun fact, but come talk to me when you have a population exceeding 1M. We have had this topic on discussion here at BI before - the penchant for SoCal'ers to abbreviate everything possible, so as to sound like a cool insider. I laugh. The purpose of speech is to communicate. I prefer facts over airs.
Quiz: When did Orange County become OC?

tsubamoto2001;842318388 said:

---

I think Chauca is from Alexandria, VA, which is in what people from those parts call the "DMV", which is "DC-Maryland-Virginia".

---

you are correct, chauca is from virginia & boards at the shannon forest christian school in greenville, south carolina...it is approximatley a 6-7 hr drive from his home to school

the 22 feet academy is the elite basketball team at the shannon forest christian school which develops the bb talents of college prospects...sfcs also has a regular bb team for its students

brandon is described by staff at sfcs as "a wonderful young man, a joy to be around and definitely a good student"

Shocky1;842318467 said:

---

you are correct, chauca is from virginia & boards at the shannon forest christian school in greenville, south carolina...it is approximatley a 6-7 hr drive from his home to school

the 22 feet academy is the elite basketball team at the shannon forest christian school which develops the bb talents of college prospects...sfcs also has a regular bb team for its students

brandon is described by staff at sfcs as "a wonderful young man, a joy to be around and definitely a good student"

---

FWIW, some unverified info on Chauca's background from a Virginia Tech board: http://chat.virginiatech.sportswar.com/message_board/vtbasketball/2014/May/3/5120688.php

Wonder if Mr. Frumble has any thoughts on Chauca playing for the Grassroots Canada AAU team.

concordtom;842318449 said:

---

I prefer facts over airs.

---

So all your bizarre (and other) speculation is fact?

Sorry, CT. I could not resist.

Go Bears!

south bender;842318549 said:

---

So all your bizarre (and other) speculation is fact?

Sorry, CT. I could not resist.

Go Bears!

---

Touche, SB!
Somehow I knew someone would blow a horn of some sort on that one. I guess it was too obvious. By the way, my speculation is not bizarre, just fact. lol.

concordtom;842318449 said:

---

Fun fact, but come talk to me when you have a population exceeding 1M. We have had this topic on discussion here at BI before - the penchant for SoCal'ers to abbreviate everything possible, so as to sound like a cool insider. I laugh. The purpose of speech is to communicate. I prefer facts over airs.
Quiz: When did Orange County become OC?

---

I laugh when NoCal'ers get pissy about people from SoCal for that reason alone. And I've lived in the bay area for going on 15 years now (including a solid 6 in Concord).

concordtom;842318449 said:

---

Fun fact, but come talk to me when you have a population exceeding 1M. We have had this topic on discussion here at BI before - the penchant for SoCal'ers to abbreviate everything possible, so as to sound like a cool insider. I laugh. The purpose of speech is to communicate. I prefer facts over airs.
Quiz: When did Orange County become OC?

---

My favorite is how we thought the Spanish name, "El Pueblo de Nuestro Senora Reina de Los Angeles," was too long so we call it "L.A."

Can't wait till we come up with something even shorter.

brandon chauca will likely announce his college destination tomorrow & also if his mom & sisters own more jimmy choo shoes than imelda marcos


ahmaad rorie will unveil his college decision tomorrow morning at a 10:00 am assembly at lincoln hs


jorge gutierrez will proclaim at a dinnertime press conference at peter luger's steakhouse that "cal es el numero uno escuela en todo del mundo"


jason kidd is gonna confirm that for this season he's all out of time outs

"man, that shocky is one messed up in the head dude...i'm gonna ignore him from afar"

the dallas a listers showed up tonite including former potus george w. bush & first lady laura (smu grad), tony romo & cowboys hc jason garrett among the sold out 7,000 frenzied fans including the student section which was passing around pitchers of beer (the texas legal drinking age is apparently 12)

sat with jay john (a bush lookalike) & watched an undersized california golden bears team relentlessly compete (unlike the earlier road games at usc & santa barbara this season) vs a very good smu team

smu's campus in affluent highland park is only a few minutes north of the the dallas skyline so i drove downtown after the game for a late nite drive with the windows down along jfk's route in 1963...i found a r&b oldies station on my rental & listened to marvin gaye's "what's going on" with images of the zapruder film in my head

we can't change history but we can learn from our life experiences & boldly move forward with nothing to fear

cal family#



one of the most rewarding opportunities with world travel is to follow in the footsteps of history to gain a better appreciation

we should all make an effort to know what's going on




*********************************************************

"when everything was over (the smu nit game in dallas), everyone's emotions just started to come out...during the season this team really came together and i will always cherish the friendships and coaches"

-justin "ice in his veins" cobbs

Shocky1;842318745 said:

---

"when everything was over (the smu nit game in dallas), everyone's emotions just started to come out...during the season this team really came together and i will always cherish the friendships and coaches"

-justin "ice in his veins" cobbs

---

Justin at the point, had some of the most clutch shots in Cal history...

check out the seriously unhappy dude with his hands on his head in the ugly yellow shirt in the upper left center of the photo

fun times for mr black jacket in the center of the photo who's about to hurl into his right hand

also gotta love the cute brunette duck cheerleader pumping her pom poms in support of justin cobb's ice in his veins buzzer beating game winner...i dunno maybe she's just smiling cuz she's checking out david kravish's package (real talk, that's how the real world works, hot girls from dumb azz schools try to date & marry cal guys when they leave school, cal grads hold all the cards)


view to a kill#
this is cal basketball#

justin cobbs=ice in his veins

Shocky1;842318769 said:

---

checking out photog's lens package

---

:beer::Lindsay

brandon chauca will likely announce his college destination tomorrow & also if his mom & sister own more jimmy choo shoes than imelda marcos


ahmaad rorie will unveil his college decision tomorrow morning at a 10:00 am assembly at lincoln hs


jorge gutierrez will proclaim at a dinnertime press conference at peter luger's steakhouse that "cal es el numero uno escuela en todo del mundo"


jason kidd is gonna confirm that for this season he's all out of time outs


********************************************************

ryan schmidt, the bb hc at the 22 feet academy, told me that brandon has returned from his wsu & cal official visits and will be attending tonite's school graduation activities before heading home with his family to virginia

brandon apparently enjoyed visiting both schools & will make a final decision within the next week

no other colleges are under consideration at this time

Dear Shockey,

How are you?

I am fine.

See, I told you that this misunderstanding would be forgotten in a couple of weeks. At the end of the day all our fans really care about is winning basketball games. How that happens doesn't really mean **** to them.

But this John Canzano is a real pain in the butt. All he talks about is the 41 guys who left the program without a degree, does he ever point out that NONE of my players have ever killed anyone? Of course not.

This Ahmud Rory recruitment has been a real pain in the butt. He's really, really smart and keeps asking these endless questions about majors, academic resources and garbage like that.

Sure, I keep smiling at him the whole time but I'm thinking, "Dude, do I look like a school counselor to you? I'm a freakin' basketball coach." Sure is less complicated recruiting our usual stoopid 2.5 hs gpa ballers who just want to see the tricked out lockers and uniforms.

More importantly, can you get here for the ECC Member/Guest Tournament? I dunno, we could test drive some Porsches at the dealership and maybe burn rubber down to the Medferd truck stop you like to joke about.

See, Shock, I gotta sense of humor too.

-Dana

cuanzo martin & staff have extended an actionable offer to brandon chauca, a 5'9" 150 lbs pg


please note that this foto does not depict brandon's actual size

brandon's family lives in virginia & he boarded this yr at the shannon forest christian school in greenville, sc & played for the school's 22 feet prep team which played a 40+ game schedule vs elite east coast teams

chauca missed half of this season with mono & is only now getting his health back together after blowing up at the pittsburgh jam fest april 25-27 with several electrifying 3 pt shooting performances

dude is a lefty & has former pac 12 mvp jerome "rome around the world" nba range along with an effective floater he developed this season

brandon is visiting ernie kent & washington state this weekend with virginia tech (visited unofficially last weekend but did not meet hc buzz williams) & missouri also in the running





cal monsters come in all sizes

23.1 ppg, 7.4 apg, 3.1 rpg, 3.7 spg, 90% fts, 64% fgs& 49% 3 pters

wow, even snoop dogg is impressed
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=californai+girls+katie+perry&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=9DD8B81467FCB5EF40F09DD8B81467FCB5EF40F0

ernie kent did not close the deal sun/mon at washington state

brandon along with his mom & dad are now on an official visit to cal

**********************************************************

brandon chauca is an outstanding student athlete with a cumulative (attended multiple high schools) gpa of 3.75

50 yr decision#


the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including virginia, peru & the philippines)

nobody likes a dumb azz#



http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=calvin+harris+summer+video&FORM=VIRE2#view=detail&mid=147B680894D80E7836BC147B680894D80E7836BC

Pac 12 All-Star Team - China Tour

nobody likes a dumb azz#



http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=calvin+harris+summer+video&FORM=VIRE2#view=detail&mid=147B680894D80E7836BC147B680894D80E7836BC

as i fly back to the desert after a long weekend in the hamptons, it never ceases to amaze me the high number of affluent & well educated people that approach me (i also smile a lot) & comment when they see my cal golf cap...cal is recognized & respected on a worldwide basis

brandon, with that in mind, let's take a look at the best case/worst case scenarios for your 2 collegiate finalists, ok?

*****washington state best case scenario: you earn the starting pg position as a freshman...ernie kent turns around the program & the cougars win 15+ games your last 2 seasons with a nit selection your sr season...upon graduation a loyal wsu fan hires you as a parks & rec sports coordinator for jr sports at the city of spokane with an annual salary of $23,500+ health benefits & a citywide free parking pass

*****washington state worst case scenario: you split pg time your 1st two seasons until you break your leg halfway thru your soph season which ends your bb career...you really hate the freezing azz winters in the palouse & you are constantly sick with the flu...your family & friends can't afford to visit you very often in pullman...ernie kent is caught again banging the wife of an important donor (that's why he was terminated at oregon, do your homework re: mr smooth) & he's forced to resign...the new wsu coach implements the princeton weave offense...upon graduation you find out that a wsu degree on the east coast is considered comparable to a ged certificate & you end up working as a busboy at chadwicks for 8 bucks an hour & you live with your parents until you're 30 yrs old

*****california worst case scenario: you split time with your buddy sam singer during your career & the bears make the ncca tnt 2 of the 4 yrs...with all the tasty restaurants in the bay area you develop a weight/belly problem & your nickname becomes "truck"...you graduate with a cal degree & are a jr executive with a washington d.c. lobbying firm earning $100,000+ a significant expense account at age 27

*****california best case scenario: you earn significant pt throughout your cal career at pg with your best friend sam singer...you both are key contributors to the bears final four teams in 2015 & 2016 with both you & sammy feeding sweet dimes to ivan rabb & jabari bird...you are a media sensation/crowd favorite with your filipino heritage & you are often asked to speak at local schools re: the importance of education & working hard regardless of your height...after a pro career overseas in barcelona, your cal degree opens doors to become a biz executive for a venture capital firm with offices in san francisco/new york city/london minting $250,000+ bonuses at age 28

50 yr decision#
don't be a dumb azz#

"never trust a big butt & a smileee"

-brandon chauca@splashteamm

******************************************************

"never trust a coach who tells you that jacking the ball up during the 1st 8-10 seconds of the shot clock won't result in 20+ losses a year or that a ged level collegiate experience will open doors in life"

-anonymous stoopid dumb azz cal fan



http://bendoregonnews.blogspot.com/2010/03/so-long-ernie-kent.html

do your homework#

the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world

cuanzo martin & staff have extended an actionable offer to brandon chauca, a 5'9" 150 lbs pg


please note that this foto does not depict brandon's actual size

brandon's family lives in virginia & he boarded this yr at the shannon forest christian school in greenville, sc & played for the school's 22 feet prep team which played a 40+ game schedule vs elite east coast teams

chauca missed half of this season with mono & is only now getting his health back together after blowing up at the pittsburgh jam fest april 25-27 with several electrifying 3 pt shooting performances

dude is a lefty & has former pac 12 mvp jerome "rome around the world" nba range along with an effective floater he developed this season

brandon is visiting ernie kent & washington state this weekend with virginia tech (visited unofficially last weekend but did not meet hc buzz williams) & missouri also in the running



cal monsters come in all sizes

23.1 ppg, 7.4 apg, 3.1 rpg, 3.7 spg, 90% fts, 64% fgs& 49% 3 pters

wow, even snoop dogg is impressed
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=californai+girls+katie+perry&FORM=VIRE1#view=detail&mid=9DD8B81467FCB5EF40F09DD8B81467FCB5EF40F0

ernie kent did not close the deal sun/mon at washington state

brandon along with his mom & dad are now on an official visit to cal

**********************************************************

brandon chauca is an outstanding student athlete with a cumulative (attended multiple high schools) gpa of 3.75

50 yr decision#


the university of california, berkeley=#1 ranked public university in the world (including virginia, peru & the philippines)

**********************************************************

brandon chacua will announce his college destination via the hat game this friday at 7:00 pm east coast time at his former virginia hs with his family & former teammates

looks like oski is goofing off again this summer



look, i don't wanna be overly critical of oski's teaching techniques (what kind of legit pro smiles like they've just been invited to an after hours party at lure nigthclub during a lesson?) but she is standing too far from the ball, she's set up for a weak azz cut or slice, she's made more of a sway move than a solid shoulder rotation & her wrists aren't fully cocked

the bear would not quit (trying to hook up), the bear would not die#
the grind#

i dunno, maybe if oski spent a little less time playing golf, going to concerts & focusing on his yoga practice, maybe he could actually graduate from cal someday

why is oski such a dumb azz?

academic hall of shame#

HoopDreams;842318763 said:

---

Justin at the point, had some of the most clutch shots in Cal history...

---

Just in general, and not to take anything away from Justin Cobbs (one of my favorite Bears); but I think it's worth noting the huge difference between taking the last shot of the game when the score is tied, as opposed to taking it when the shooter's team is behind, and needs the shot to win or avoid losing; and I don't remember any of Justin's last-minute game winners in the latter category.

mikecohen;842320168 said:

---

Just in general, and not to take anything away from Justin Cobbs (one of my favorite Bears); but I think it's worth noting the huge difference between taking the last shot of the game when the score is tied, as opposed to taking it when the shooter's team is behind, last-minute game winners in the latter category.

---

with the mustangs ahead 64-62 at an insanely loud sold out smu arena with george & laura bush (and their security detail) sitting courtside along with tony romo in dallas, i had a 1st hand view sitting in the row behind the cal bench of justin cobbs' contested 3 pter that put the bears up 65-64 with 15 seconds to play...when jc released that shot it represented cal's last chance to prolong the season, a miss & the game is over

dude has ice in his veins

will be interesting to see which bear(s) want those game on the line shots next season

next year's cal team needs to not only be significantly louder (no more chess match silence from the bench) but also mentally tougher & much more resilient to adversity

cal family#

Cal, home of Champions....another example....

Natalie Coughlin (women's swimming & diving) three-time NCAA Swimmer of the Year and 11-time NCAA champion has won 12 Olympic medals

Shocky1;842320122 said:

---

looks like oski is goofing off again this summer



why is oski such a dumb azz?

---

Because he's got a hole in his eye, carries a plastic tube in his sweater pocket, and is often found surrounded by many admirers at parties.

more proof that dana altman is a criminal


the shockster's 2nd favorite team



i dunno, maybe oski can clean his act up at rehab in palm spring this summer & roam the sidelines again this fall as a purposeful bear with goals in life & **** like that instead of acting out like a dumb azz

so i fly in this morning from scottsdale with my daughter shay & her friend katie, drop them off at fisherman's wharf for the afternoon & arrive late in berkeley close to game time vs furman...don't even look at my will call tix (in my world, a tix to any event has no correlation to where i usually sit, to me it's all open seating) and just sit down in the 1st row behind jay john, a couple feet away from montgomery & the bears brain trust

right before the opening tip, monty attempts to pull his chair away from td's chair but they are stuck together...in like a dumb & dumber movie scene, they spend 30 seconds examining and pulling on the chairs before they figured it out...these guys ain't that smart

so early in the game montgomery summons an eager night club hero jeff powers to go to the scorer's table...as he walks by, i'm telling powers to "let it fly, baby, no hesitation"...perhaps it's my imagination but i think powers gives me an imperceptible nod, yeah, let's do this

jp's 1st shot is an ugly azz brick thrown from the hip at the end of the 35 second clock...i'm clapping for our night club hero & tell him "no worries, keep shooting, baby"

minutes later powers squares up his shoulders & drains a 3 pter...polite applause from the crowd & loud props from the shockster

powers squares up his shoulders & shoots another 3 pter...kaboom...more polite applause from the crowd except me who's yelling, "let it fly, powers, no hesitation"

powers squares up his shoulders & shoots another 3 pter...kaboom...big crowd response & now i'm standing & screaming, "let it fly, baby, let's do this, let's do this"...a couple of the guys on the bench look over to see what the fired up dumb azz in the blue golf shirt & cal cap is going ape **** about

by now the crowd is getting into it...powers works his way into position, squares up & shoots it...kaboom, 4 in a row...i'm standing & screaming "yeah, let it fly, baby, let if fy" & waving my arms to get other people on their feet...there is a collective recognition that maybe something special is going on

haas is starting to get a serious buzz...there is an undeniable undercurrent of anticipation in the crowd & cal bench...powers releases another 3 pter & everybody who's not in a wheelchair is on their feet...bottom of the net, kaboom, 5 in a row...mike, td, gregg, johnny & theo are all looking at each other & grinning...monty by now is shaking his head & smiling...and i'm full throttle screaming by now yelling, "let it fly" which some of the other fans are also starting to repeat

furman's coach is yelling insructions at his players re: "the shooter"

this **** is getting live

by now most of the crowd is on their feet & yelling...the cal bench is going wild...powers catches the ball, squares up his shoulders & releases another 3 pter...the ball floats in slow motion thru the haas airspace with perfect roation...half of the crowd is screaming & the other half is holding their breath...kaboom, 6 3 pters in a row!...the entire cal coaching staff & players are on the floor (ref does not call a technical, he's smiling too as he runs back to the other end of the court)...i'm losing my voice screaming, "let it fly, baby, let it fly" & high fiving everyone around me

the cal universe is in a galaxy of absolute perfection, all the planets are perfectly aligned....jeff powers is 100% del fuego & he finally shows some emotion (dude is usually pretty stoic) with a world class fist pump for the electrified crowd & a smile forever etched in time

jeff powers told me at the santa barbara airport the morning after that game that he mentally prepares himself the same for every game, he's ready to roll...he told me that when he started against washington state, he was told of his starting role at the last minute...the guy never complains or throws a pity party for his broken down sorry azz, he just gets ready for the next game, the next moment of potential opportunity in his life

jeff powers is an unathletic dan majerle, he's a long range pure shooter who understands spacing that plays hard & doesn't commit turnovers...his lack of lateral defensive mobility can be masked for 5-6 minutes spurts by the bears playing zone d

cal family#
let it fly#



------

"i can't put into words how it felt but that was pretty special...just to play, i mean i really wasn't coming into tonight's game saying i want to to have 18 points and shoot 6 for 7...the shots fell, nothing really else i can say...when i put the amount of hours that i have over the years, i expect them to go in...i just think my teammates did a really good job of finding me when i did start hitting a couple...i owe more to my teammates than to myself tonight"

-jeff powers

fireworks#
let if fly#





for me cal basketball is a metaphor for life, if you only focus on the destination (winning championships) you will miss much of life's amazing journey

appreciate the small things, a holed 4 ft slippery downhill putt, the smile of your beautiful yoga teacher, little kids playing basketball at the park, watching jeff powers let it fly

***********************************************************

is it just a trick of the lights of my imagination (again) or does the furman tv game announcer with bill walton really say "let it fly, big fellow"
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/k3GroF7z98EWPG6R0gM

r u serious?

this **** is getting live

************************************************************

jeff powers graduated last week from the #1 public university in the world