Wolves, Bison and Beer: What to Watch for in the 2013 Montana Legislature
By Brent Zundel
For the MSU Exponent
January 24, 2013
Beneath the specter of a sluggish economy, the Republican-controlled 63rd Montana Legislature convened Monday, Jan. 7, under the watchful eye of newly elected Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock.
The Exponent is covering many important issues in this week’s edition, but I’d like to highlight some issues that, though they may fly under the radar of the university’s steady “fund us!” drumbeat, will also impact students.
Public lands and wildlife policy
The 2011 session considered a record 110 bills related to fish, wildlife and land issues. At best, most of these were simply misguided, but some would have devastated central aspects of what it means to be a Montanan. Read More…
Bozone Buzz Kill Java Stout
Author Brent Zundel
By Brent Zundel and Matt Kennedy
For the MSU Exponent
January 24, 2013
When Brewponent writers Brent and Matt arrived unannounced at the Bozeman Brewing Company at the crack of noon one day over Christmas break, we found the building, as near as we could tell, completely deserted, even after dutifully pounding on the front and back doors.
Business Manager Tucker Kalberg had previously invited us to stop by sometime after 9 a.m. — there should be someone there to show us around, he said.
When we showed up at 2, their official opening time, the tap room was occupied by just a few early-birds, a bartender, the owner Todd Scott, and Kalberg, walking around with a smile and still-damp ski gear draped over his frame. “We enjoy working as much as we enjoy playing,” he explained.
The reason for the Brewponent’s visit to the Bozone this break was one of their most popular seasonal beers: the Buzz Kill Java Stout. Coffee beer with a dash of local flare is a serendipitous combination of the alternating bartender and barista content of this column. Read More…
‘Engineering Plastics’ Social Group Overthrown
By Brent Zundel
For the MSU Exponent
January 24, 2013
Note: This column originally appeared as part of the Exponent’s Sugarbeet page, a satirical biweekly feature that attempts to stimulate discussion of critical community issues.
The Engineering Plastics plot their next lunch room brawl at the Union Market. From left to right, Drs. Otto Stein, Joel Cahoon, Dan VanLuchene, and Dan Miller. Illustration by Pat Hessman, MSU Exponent
In a shot heard ‘round Cobleigh Hall, a mostly peaceful coup d’état has toppled a tight-knit social group of three civil engineering professors known colloquially as the “Engineering Plastics.”
Dr. Dan VanLuchene, a structures professor, orchestrated the apparently successful coup, according to sources within the College of Engineering Dean’s Office.
The three toppled professors were Drs. Joel Cahoon, Otto Stein and Dan Miller. According to sources, the three professors had overseen a reign of terror since Miller was hired in fall 2008 and regularly ate lunch together in the Union Market. Read More…
What It’s like to Date a Rhodes Scholar
Rhodes Scholar Amanda Frickle now wears the pants in the relationship; doting boyfriend Brent Zundel wears the aprons. Photo by Brent Zundel.
By Brent Zundel and Bizz Browning
For the MSU Exponent
December 6, 2012
Note: This column originally appeared as part of the Exponent’s Sugarbeet page, a satirical biweekly feature that attempts to stimulate discussion of critical community issues.
Last month, MSU student Joe Thiel, a senior in chemical engineering and liberal studies, and Billings native Amanda Frickle, a College of Idaho graduate and current MSU ResLife employee, were named Rhodes Scholars. One of the most prestigious scholarships awarded, the Rhodes offers both of them the chance to study at the University of Oxford next year.
The Exponent caught up with Bizz Browning, Joe’s wife, and Brent Zundel, Amanda’s boyfriend, to see how they were dealing with their newfound fame. Read More…
MSU Grad Student Dives into Video Game Economics
By Brent Zundel
For the MSU Exponent
November 29, 2012
Kristian Miller, a master’s student at MSU, has what many young men might consider their dream job.
He does not technically have a boss. He has flexible hours at an office that offers bike parking, a fully stocked fridge and a weekly company lunch. And he and his colleagues work in small groups called “cabals,” surrounded by other employees who are paid to play video games.
Kristian Miller, a 2011 graduate of MSU and current master’s student, stands next to the eponymous valve in the main lobby of Valve Software. Photo By Brent Zundel
Miller works as an economist for Valve Corporation, a video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Wash., just across Lake Washington from Seattle. Read More…
Montucky Cold Snacks: Drinking with a Cause
Author Brent Zundel
By Brent Zundel
For the MSU Exponent
November 29, 2012
Do you enjoy the low malt profile and slight hop bitterness of cheap, corporate brews like PBR, Rainier, Coors or Bud, but still care about giving back to your community? Do you enjoy drinking light beer, going to rodeos and howling at the moon, but want your choice of beer to reflect your undying love for Montana? Read More…
Student Fee Increase to Fund Football Team Massages
By Brent Zundel
For the MSU Exponent
November 15, 2013
Note: This column originally appeared as part of the Exponent’s Sugarbeet page, a satirical biweekly feature that attempts to stimulate discussion of critical community issues.
Last month, MSU’s student senate approved a new activity fee that will fund massages for the entire football team — even the kicker. The Board of Regents approved the increase last week, and the football team made a hiring decision early this week. The fee goes into effect next semester, adding an additional $18.60 each year for every student. Read More…
Ale to the Chief
Author Brent Zundel
By Brent Zundel
For the MSU Exponent
November 8, 2012
This past Tuesday, we re-elected Barack Obama president of the United States. As the Exponent’s designated beer drinker, I credit Obama’s crushing Electoral College victory to his well-documented love of beer. Read More…
A Toast to the Harvest
Author Brent Zundel
By Brent Zundel
For the MSU Exponent
October 25, 2012
As the year’s first snows blanket Bozeman, it’s time to pause for a minute and toast a special time of year: the harvest. While the end of the summer growing season has historically been important in brewing various beverages, today the dropping temperatures signal a new round of seasonal beers and a shift in many people’s drinking preferences.
Crisp, lighter beers cool us off during the hot summer months, but many folks want a different kind of drink to warm their bellies and ward off the nip of cool fall nights. Here are a few options to consider. Read More…
The Last Best Hunting Grounds
A bow hunter gazes out across a ridge. Photo by Samantha Katz, MSU Exponent
By Brent Zundel
For the MSU Exponent
October 18, 2012
The most important season of the year
When cool winds turn Montana’s leaves shades of gold and red and the year’s first snows dust our mountain peaks, a special time of year has arrived in Big Sky Country: hunting season. For many Montanans, this is the most important season of the year. It is deeply embedded in our state’s culture and identity, even though it can seem bizarre and, perhaps, barbaric for the uninitiated. Read More…
Author
Mountain Solitaire Author Brent Zundel
MOUNTAIN SOLITAIRE 