Go Ephs!

I don't know if i have much to say, but if orientation is any indication, i'm gonna have a LOT of fun this year. One problem (and it's only a problem for me) is that everyone seems dependent on alcohol. I've been to several 'parties' which really means a group of frosh packed in a common room with beer. The one party which made me happy was... you guessed it, a dance party. No alcohol, no lights, just a floor a dj, and people willing to ignore acquaintance for simply having fun! It was beautiful, and i'm still sore to prove it. I also went to a reggae dance party last nite by the guy who did the "cops" theme. Again, fun tho it was public.
I really think the people here can be intellectual, many of them are really smart, BUT they don't make it the only subject of discussion. Since we're all still getting to know each other (classes don't start till thursday) we're currently more interested in where everyone went to school. I hope i'm right.
I miss you guys, and Alex is right. Especially now that the international Taspers are in the country as well, we should try to organize something. I'll also be honest enough to say that i can't even imagine how organizing it would work, but i'd be happy to try and help!

PS

PS

whatever happened to a reunion? that idea kind of died. maybe we can coordinate vacation times...i know harvard's vacation time is all weird cuz of your stupid reading week. or maybe when one college has vacation and another doesn't, all the taspers from that college can make a mass pilgrimage to other colleges. fun, huh?

anywho, reunion! when, how??? or sadly, if? and ashley, where are you? weren't you going to do reuion stuff?

by the way, i have some great pictures of tasp with me, my personal favorite of which is either david reading doctor seuss in drag, david and jordan as christian and dara, or ashley in a wonderful hat, looking all cool.

much love (again) --

-- alex

cool cool college kids

i titled my post the way i did because i know that's what we all are right now. but just because we are cool (and, at least speaking for myself, busy) college kids doesn't mean that we have to completely forget about the tasp blog! no one's posted! POST!! tell us about your friends, your enimies, your wild parties, and your intellectual extravaganzas! college is great and wonderful, and meeting new people is, too, but i find that i am constantly thinking back to tasp and how much it did for me and my ability to meet and get to know new people, and i keep thinking how much i'd like to hear how you are all doing.

as for me, i'm taking good classes. intro to sociology, a course on urban studies called "the american city," (which i'm taking with keegan, and which i like a lot), a french through film course, and music theory. it's a lot of work, a hell of a lot of reading, but somehow less stressful than high school. i'm having a great time, meeting great people, and hanging out with taspers (linda, keegan, brendan, sid, rafie, rima, and i are all here).

i also have a short comment/question. i was discussing gay marriage with a conservative acquaintance on mine today, and he said that he didn't discuss it much because he didn't give it much thought because it didn't really concern him. that kind of made me mad. i'm a little biased because it does directly concern me, as my girlfriend has two mommies and as i am bisexual myself, but i feel like it's an issue that should concern everyone. is there any reason that it's any less of a civil rights issue than any other issue this country has faced, issues with which everyone "should" (not to make a normative statement) have been concerned, like segregation or slavery or police brutality?

or on a broader level, is personal non-interest a legimiate reason to not follow an issue of such over-arching importance to the soul of this nation, or even to the soul of mankind, if i may be so bold? is it not our duty as humans to think about and know our opinions on issues that go to the heart of who we are as individuals, as a society, and as the human race, whatever those opinions may be? if my acquaintance had been against gay marriage, i don't think that i would have had such a strong reaction (although, of course, i would have argued with him). it was that non-chalance, or morever, that self-interest, and thus, as i interpreted it, that lack of interest in the good of others, that got to me.

but then again, maybe that's what makes me a tasper and not just a smart, interesting, good student and person. maybe because i have the interest and the desire not only to know everything about the world, but to make it just that much better...maybe that's why i'm a tasper.

anyway, i hope everything is going well with all of you, and i hope you respond to this (!!!) and post yourselves. i want to know everything about you and your lives at college, or i might have to start spying on you with hidden cameras. they can do that now, you know...a landlord did it to girls living off campus in collegetown. freaky.

much love --

-- Alex