This cold Evanston winter, Anoop Jain will be homeless.

“I plan on sleeping outside when the weather is not too miserable and crashing at people’s apartments so that I can put whatever I am saving on rent straight in to the donation fund,” Jain says.

“Donation fund” is what Jain, who graduated from McCormick in June, is tending to alongside his engineering career. Since graduation the 22-year-old has been heading a $25,000 fundraiser through GiveForward.org, a local Chicago organization, to build a community kitchen for Tibetan refugees who have escaped to India. So far he has raised nearly $3,000.

“The community kitchen would basically be a place for the Tibetan refugees to come get really cheap healthy food, and then also they could work in the kitchen,” Jain says, “the idea being that if you work in the kitchen or clean dishes, then your food could be even cheaper. It would also serve as a community center for women and children.”

“One of the big ideas for this organization is Tibetan cultural preservation, so it would really encourage people to cook traditional Tibet food which I think is really important because there’s less and less people cooking that food,” Jain says. “It would be a great place for them to practice it or even give foreigners cooking lessons.”

Jain’s fundraising path to helping others, though, first began with destruction in his own hometown.

“I’m from New Orleans and so after Katrina, I felt the refugee experience first-hand and I was really lucky,” Jain says.

Jain was fortunate enough to have family in Houston, Texas to provide him shelter, but despite his protection, Jain could not stop thinking about those who were not as lucky.

Soon after Katrina, Jain spent the first two months of the summer helping gut houses in New Orleans. There he found a volunteer organization based out of Tulane University that would allow him to teach English to Tibetan refugees in India.

“It was sort of an accident that it happened to be Tibetan refugees,” Jain says. “It didn’t matter to me who the people were.”

Jain spent the summer of 2006 in a town located in the Himalayas named McLeod Ganj, a spot for refugees to escape to during this period of Tibetan and Chinese struggle. He came back to Northwestern with a passion for their cause, which he carried with him through graduation.

Jain works an engineering day job in Northbrook, but has found the balance between work and this fundraising project easier than expected.

“I have always had multiple things going on in life. While I was in school, I was very involved with ASB and WNUR and on top of that I was in McCormick,” Jain says.

“I see working on this project as a break from my day job. I think that working in the corporate world gets very monotonous and so at the end of the day, or even during the day, if I have some time, I always am working on ways to collect more money or spread the word.”

“Originally, I wanted to help them build a radio station,” Jain says. “But my contact there, Ngawang, the program director in India, said, “look, right now what we really need is a kitchen.’”

Because the town is the official home of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile, it’s a very popular tourist site — which drives up the price of food, Jain says. Refugees can’t pay tourist prices, and the high altitude makes transporting food difficult.

That’s where Jain comes in. Essentially a one-man fundraiser, Jain has tried to find ways to contact others to spread the word about his cause, but it has been his former and current Northwestern peers whom he has looked to for the most support.

“I just started emailing 90 of my closest friends,” he says. “I just said, ‘look, put this on your Facebook or whatever social network.’ Any working media outlets you use, please use [them]. I just started about a month ago, so it’s in its very early stages.”

Even with this support from friends and a large NU network, though, Jain still faces monetary challenges and realizes that students can only provide to a certain extent.

“I think right now my biggest obstacle is getting people involved. A lot of my good friends are abroad, and while they want to help, there is not much they can do sitting so far away,” Jain says. “Also, since most of the people I have reached out to are either recent graduates or still in school, money is not something they have a lot of.”

While the project is still in the early stages, donations can be made on the its Web site, http://www.giveforward.org/kitchenproject.

If and when the fundraising goal is reached, Jain will be leaving the Midwest altogether.

“I told my friends in India,” Jain says, “‘Look, once I raise the money, I’m not just sending you the check, I will come with the money and I’m going to stay there until this thing is finished.’”

No dream team is complete without King James. Photo by abardwell on flickr.com. Licensed under the Creative Commons.

The weirdest thing about this NBA season is not the surprisingly poor play of teams like the Wizards, Jazz or Sixers, but rather that talking heads seem more interested in analyzing the general managers than the game’s stars. A constant theme of ESPN and NBA TV is how almost every team’s GM is trying to clear cap space for the 2010 free agent class, which includes stars such as LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Yao Ming, Dwyane Wade, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

With all this talk about general managers, I decided it would be fun to put on a general manager hat for a little while. Only I didn’t feel like limiting myself to the 2010 free agent class and certainly didn’t see the need to adhere to a salary cap. Instead, I imagined myself as an NBA GM with the chance to pick the ultimate “dream team” from the stockpile of today’s stars. Who would I pick? Maybe a VIP like Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, or perhaps a flashy veteran like Jason Kidd?

In the end, I decided that my starting five would consist of:

1. LeBron James (SF) Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Kobe Bryant (SG) Los Angeles Lakers
3. Chris Paul (PG) New Orleans Hornets
4. Chris Bosh (PF) Toronto Raptors
5. Dwight Howard (C) Orlando Magic
Sixth man: Joe Johnson (SG) Atlanta Hawks

Yes, these players are some of the most talented in the league, but what differentiates them for me is that all six have yet to reach their peak.

Dwight Howard would be the golden center of my team. Why Howard and not Yao Ming? The decision was tough, but when it comes down to it, Howard is the more physical player in the post. Howard is also the more athletic player. Anyone questioning that assumption should just flashback to the 2008 All-Star dunk contest and Howard’s superman-esque performance. He doubles the fun by averaging around 20 points and nearly 14 rebounds a game…14 rebounds! True to his baby Shaq comparisons, his free throw shooting isn’t necessarily a bright spot, but what Howard lacks at the line, he makes up with his exciting play.

My team is heavy with super star shooters like Kobe and LeBron because this line-up would create a smorgasbord of assists for CP3. Imagine how stuffed his stats would be if he had this duo of shooting studs to pass too. CP3 alone is pretty amazing. He is like an architect on the floor—he creates this blue print on the court for his teammates, sees the openings, executes the pick and roll like a master, and delivers insane passes that leave you TiVoing every Hornets game. Jason Kidd has essentially passed the point guard torch onto Chris Paul. At 35, Kidd still dazzles, but CP3 is the point guard of the future. And just think of how Chris Paul and Dwight Howard could execute the pick and roll if they played together.

The LeBron and Kobe picks are just simple and obvious. These two are the faces of the league. Kobe would bring championship experience to this team. The majority of NBA players are out there to win conference titles and championships. Sure, the money, the fame, and the “love of the game” drive them, but true competitors have that nagging streak inside of them to win. Kobe and LeBron epitomize this belief—their desire to win is evident and seems stronger than all of the other NBA players combined. Kobe has sipped the champagne of winning a NBA championship; his hunger to win, acrobatic and amazing abilities, and natural leadership would provide the perfect captain qualities for this squad of competitors. You may hate Kobe, but you have to respect his game. He goes hard and is never satisfied with anything less than the best.

LeBron, a.k.a. King James, shares the NBA royalty with Kobe. He without a doubt is one of the best players to ever grace the hardwood. Put him with a bunch of top players instead of just his supporting cast of role players known as the Cleveland Cavaliers and he would shine even more (as evident with his participation on the USA basketball team). A Kobe-LeBron duo would be the ultimate fantasy of any NBA fan.

The power forward position for my team would be filled by none other than the Toronto Raptor’s Chris Bosh. Bosh has had a great season, averaging nearly 24 points and 10 rebounds. Like Howard, the term “double-double” is pretty much a permanent fixture when describing Bosh’s stats for a game.

And my final pick, the sixth man (aka the Ben Gordon award) spot would go to Joe Johnson. For fans of franchises that are used to being in the dumpster of the NBA (This means you Wizards and Bobcats fans), Johnson could be your hero. He plays for a franchise that has just recently seemed to escape its dark cloud of idiocy (aka Billy Knight), and now the Atlanta Hawks are no longer the butt of Eastern conference jokes (that title belongs to the Knicks, whose team roster looks more like a Upward sign-up sheet than an NBA squad; Marbury has proved to be the diva of NYC). Johnson is a shooter, and he plays with ease. He dominates the game while managing to keep the same composed swagger after every play. Seriously, it seems like he only makes three different facial expressions. His strictly business attitude would be perfect for a no frills basketball style that would get my dream team the W.

The NBA is full of five star players, young and old, it just depends on what kind of essence you would want your team to have. Any seven footer can seem to be the missing piece of the puzzle, but what they have on paper doesn’t always translate to the court (ahem, Kwame Brown). Playing GM and creating your perfect dream team is a risky business, and there will always be people commenting on a franchise’s mistake (cue banter and commentary by Stephen A. Smith and Charles Barkley). When the combination of players lucks out though, the results can create a dream team with Michael Jordan-like potential.

Photo by shioshvili on flickr, licensed under the Creative Commons.

There’s no better cure for a lazy summer day in Macon, Georgia, than sitting on the back porch while the blinds shield the scorching, thick heat, enjoying some delicious peach ice cream from Dickey Farms.

Made and produced just outside the heart of Georgia, Dickey Farms peaches seem to hold a special spot in Macon’s culture. Many Maconites’ summer days have been spent driving forty minutes to the farm just to satisfy their peach craving. At Dickey Farms, you’ll find the very popular peach ice cream, peach fritters, delicious peach lollipops, peach salsa, peach hot sauce, peach syrup and peach jelly, to name a few. Nothing signifies true Southern friendliness more than the gift of a crate of peaches.

With a “hey y’all” waiting around every corner, it’s hard not to get caught up in the friendliness of the area. There’s an unspoken “Southern hospitality” inherent in Macon residents. The sense of community arises because, in one way or another, the residents are all connected. While Macon is not the small “rural town” that people may imagine when they think of any place outside of Atlanta, you still feel like you know almost everyone. Your friend’s crazy uncle Bubba or Grandma Mimi becomes a part of your family, too, and you find yourself strawberry-picking at Elliott Farms with Miss Julie or Papa Bert.

Teenagers become acquainted while “cruising the Zeb,” the street with the movie theater and fast food restaurants. Spend your Friday and Saturday nights on Zebulon Road and you’re bound to make at least a handful of new friends. You can sit outside the theater waiting to walk over to Wal-Mart or get food, or you can chat it up with the Blockbuster employees. The ‘Z-strip’ is the essence of Macon’s teenage nightlife, and I’m proud to say that my friends and I even spent part of prom night making a pit stop to roam the aisles of Wal-Mart.

The nightlife of those twenty-one and over consists of watching local bands at The Rookery or $3 movies at the Capitol Theatre, popular for serving IVP pizza to complete your cinematic experience. IVP, short for Ingleside Village Pizza, is the best pizza in town by far. It’s the perfect spot to kick back with the gang or the family after watching the Dawgs of the University of Georgia dominate SEC football. Another popular eatery is the Grey Goose Players Club, located two minutes down the street from Idle Hour, the town country club where it’s common courtesy (and pretty much law) for drivers to stop for golfers. After playing eighteen holes at Idle Hour, the Grey Goose Burger is enough to reward you for shooting under par.

But Macon is more than just peaches and Zeb cruisin’. It is also the home of a rich Southern history. Every Sunday morning on your ride down the bumpy cobblestone street from church to biscuits and brunch, you’ll likely pass by historic sites such as the Hay House, Cannonball House, or the cottage of the great Southern poet Sidney Lanier, who was born in Macon. Zipping through the small one-way streets that seem like child’s play compared to Atlanta’s street system, you’ll pass the Douglass Theatre, which hosted jazz and blues greats such as Otis Redding, Bessie Smith, James Brown, Ma Rainey and Little Richard.

You can get to pretty much any point in Macon from the three main streets by knowing the shortcuts. If you drive down the hill near Mercer University in downtown, in minutes flat you’re on the north side on Riverside, the alternative “Zebulon Road.” To get to Riverside from downtown, you can also cruise by the beautiful Rose Hill Cemetery, the site of a picnic on an easy-going October afternoon. If you’re like any other old Southern soul, you know the importance of this cemetery. Southern rock seems to replace lullabies; this appreciation starts early, and any Maconite can tell you that Rose Hill was an inspiration for great Southern rock legends the Allman Brothers Band. The brothers used to hang out in the cemetery, and several of their songs, including “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” were inspired by those buried there. Band members Duane Allman and Berry Oakley are buried in this cemetery, side by side.

The “Cherry Blossom Capital of the World,” Macon hosts the Cherry Blossom Festival annually. The 300,000 Yoshino trees begin to blossom during March and truly transform the city. Driving down the north side of town with the beautiful, varied shades of pink lining the roads and creating a canopy of majestic petals is enough to signal the arrival of spring. The festival, rated one of the top events in the United States, attracts tourists from all over the world and was started by William A. Fickling, Sr. To most Macon residents, though, the Cherry Blosson Festival means one other very important thing: Pink ice cream at Chik-Fil-A. It’s a once-a-year event, but it’s worth it. Venture to Chik-Fil-A around noon on any day (except Sunday, since it’s closed) and you’ll be stuck in a drive-thru line that’ll keep you waiting for fifteen minutes. The wait isn’t unbearable, though; you often have conversations with friends or parents walking in for their daily chicken nugget fix.

The most exciting thing to recently take place in Macon was a visit from Chicago’s famous Oprah Winfrey in November of 2007. On a weekday at 4 p.m., more than 50 percent of Macon’s televisions are tuned into the Oprah show; therefore, Ms. Winfrey chose Macon as the site for her famous “My Favorite Things” episode. Oprah visited the famous H & H diner, one of the best soul food restaurants in Georgia and a must-visit for any tourist. She also visited Nu-Way, a hot dog joint that first opened in 1916 on Cotton Avenue in Macon. The city was in a true state of excitement; people drove downtown just to try to catch a glimpse of the famous talk show host.

Oprah’s car drove through my school — she didn’t even leave her car — and students were running through the high school halls yelling in excitement. High school girls’ phones were blowing up with text messages from their moms, who skipped work that day to stake out spots downtown near the places that they heard, through the popular and very effective “mommy hotline,” that Oprah might visit. Once 3:20 rolled around, I was the first one out of the high school parking lot, cutting down Vineville Road, making shortcuts behind Freedom Park (your home during spring baseball and softball season), just praying to catch a glimpse of Ms. Winfrey. My best friend took a half-day of school for this event. It was definitely one of the biggest things to happen to Macon in the past few years and is revered now almost like a holiday.

While Macon may offer a slower-paced lifestyle than many Northern cities, its style and Southern hospitality make it a memorable place worth visiting. After a visit to town, you’re guaranteed to leave with a bit of a Georgia twang, a new appreciation for Southerners’ friendliness and the perfect crate of peaches.