Back when I was in college, I had a friend that attended another school, namely Michigan State University up in Lansing. Over the years the State of Michigan has witnessed plenty of school rivalries both within the state and beyond. The rivalries had no bearing on me, as my school was out of that realm. Any ways, my friend was enrolled in Hotel Management and he invited up for a conference that was being arranged by the students and that it would be catered and have drinks flowing. Not a bad invitation.

Michigan State University began as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan in 1855 and became the first Land-Grant Institution under the Morrill Act of 1862. The school slowly but surely grew in dominance, and one of the applied studies was Hospitality Services. Actually they were one of the pioneers in the study of Hospitality Business. One of the dormitories was actually converted into a hotel with a conference center and the students learned how to manage the different aspects of that industry. The Kellogg Center became a laboratory in Hotel Management under the blessings of the Michigan Hotel Association. The hotel is now a Four-Star Hotel in most listings and I believe still benefits the students as well as being an entity to itself.

I can’t remember what exactly the conference was for, since I entered it from the back door and met some of the students and enjoyed the benefits of their labors. I know that I was not the only person there that came in through the back door. There was plenty of food, as it was showcasing what the hotel, and of course the students could offer. I remember enjoying one bottle of wine very much, and somehow, I ended up acquiring one of the bottles to go; it was simpler times back then and so much fun. The bottle was Chateau Lafitte Gaujac 1971 and it carried the basic Appellation Bordeaux Controlee. I am sure that it was just the classic Medoc blend that is still in vogue to this day, and one has to realize that during that time, any French wine was considered the proper wine to serve. It was still prior to 1976 and California was known about, just like they knew that there were wineries in Michigan, but for most people they were not what wine was all about. I have to say that I never had an invite or an experience like that when visiting friends at that other school in Ann Arbor.