Ochem

Organic chemistry.

When I first heard of this class I had to take for premed, I was intrigued. I hoped it would be something close to biochemistry, and I’d get to learn about all kinds of reactions that happen in the human body. Turns out it has deal with mostly stuff you put INTO the human body, drugs and stuff . . . . and it would be interesting if I didn’t have to memorize all those reactions.

So earlier this week I was freaking out about it because I thought the final would just be horrible. I expected it to take the full time, and I expected to be sweating bullets through it. But after having taken it, I can say it wasn’t so bad after all. If I had studied more regularly, I probably would have had no problems with it, or the class.

I remember taking a similar course- Chemistry, at the University of Texas. While I email my professor almost weekly, my friends and I hit up office hours, and talk to our professor after class, I remember the line of 30 students that would try to talk to our professor after class at UT. I think we’re pretty lucky at Tulane that we get all the help we need in such a difficult subject. The last thing that I’m grateful for in terms of organic chemistry is the tutors available at the ERC. Normally, we would think oh, tutoring, I don’ t need that. But everyone I know gets help on one thing or another. The tutors are available almost every day in almost every subject, and they are more than competent.

So this blog really isn’t about ochem . . . . this one goes out to the ERC. Here at Tulane I discovered that when you’re struggling in something, help is always available. All you have to know is where to look.

And so after all that . . . organic chemistry is really not so bad after all. =)

Zen Party

Last night was the Asian American Student Union’s Zen Party- a night with sushi and karaoke at a great Japanese place called Mikimoto’s. I was unsure as to how many people I would know at this party, as I don’t know all the Asian students on campus as well as I know the Indians. But after I got there, I saw a diversity that I honestly did not expect. I saw some of my sorority sisters, I saw some of my friends in classes, and I saw many of my Indian friends. The room was very small, but we had a good time singing the night away.

And boy, some of these singers were VERY overzealous. The best job was done by my sorority sister Nikki. She did an awesome job because she knew all the words to the song and has a wonderful deep voice. Props go to her!

Most of the other singers picked their songs before realizing they had to know all the words, and ended up pulling other people “on stage” to help them out. My favorite was when my somewhat clueless friend Prashant was pulled onstage to sing a song by N’Sync - Tearin Up My Heart. He knew every single word, and though on any other night, this might have been an embarrassment to a 20 year old boy, he was pretty excited to sing for the crowd.

I guess that’s what I like the most about parties like this at Tulane. It’s good humored fun, no one gets in any trouble, and you mix with a diverse group of people. And in that small room, eventually, you get to know them all well enough to stand up in front of them and make an idiot out of yourself with some karaoke.

Only at Tulane . . .

Dead Week

Finally, we get a dead week. Except its really only a day- Monday there are no classes and Tuesday exams begin. My first exam is on Wednesday . . . . .

I’d have to say, the scheduling here is a little strange. Despite the fact that we have no dead week, I still don’t get done with exams until December 19, which is very late compared to most other schools. Though it gives me more time to study for the later exams, it does not help me on my most important exam- Organic Chemistry. Additionally, I have final portfolios and papers due in my English classes . . . a little extra time would have been nice for that too.

But every cloud does have its silver linings. As I was whining to myself about how I have to study in an erratic way because of the time constraints, I looked ahead to next semester. Not only do we get a spring break, but we ALSO get two days off for Mardi Gras. This is especially important because this year, Mardi Gras will fall on my 20th birthday. And boy, what a way to celebrate.

SO the moral of the story: It’s a give and take. I give up a couple of days of studying for partying . . . .just kidding, y’all. We work hard AND play hard here.

Welcome to Tulane . . . . where we have round-the-clock entertainment, whether it be from a parade, campus activities, or . . sadly . . a physics textbook on December 18 when all your friends are already getting their entertainment elsewhere!

Shaolin Show

Last Saturday, I went to see the Shaolin Warriors perform. I’ve been a martial arts student for a significant portion of my life, and I was very interested to see their technique. In their program, they had not only students from the school in New Orleans, but experts from the Shaolin Temple itself.

The sound was basically a dialogue from a young man who is lost in the ghetto of New Orleans but finds his way to enlightenment by learned the ways of the Shaolin Warriors. The story takes him and his friends to China, where they learn impressive tricks from students there.

The actual performances were very impressive, and it was obvious that these young people had immense skill. The New Orleans group of students particularly impressed me, as did the youngest group, which was between about 6 and 8 years old. These children knew the meaning of discipline at such a young age. They also showed extensive command over their movements, which is very difficult at an age where motor development is still occuring. The older students were in their teens. They were of multiple racial backgrounds, and they showed all kinds of different unique skills. No two fighters fought the same way, each had molded his technique to fit his particular style. Amongst the Chinese warriors, we saw men of all ages performing with all kinds of weapons- Psis, Nunchucks with an extra bar in between, swords, bos, and even brooms at times.

The show was certainly worth seeing- y’all check them out sometime!

AKPsi Semiformal

So last weekend, we had the AKPsi semiformal. At first, I grumbled and mumbled about going. A friend of mine needed a date, and asked me, since I already knew some of the people that would be there. Rather grudgingly, I said yes. This same friend tends to do my physics homework every week, and its not like I ever offer to compensate him for his services. Rather, about a fifth of my class now depends on him . . . So I had myself yet another semiformal to attend.

And I figured it being a DIFFERENT semiformal, I could wear the SAME dress I wore to all of them last year. Probably not my smartest idea as people recognized it when I got there, but I figured I was being resourceful. The less work I had to do, the better. I had sorority interviews that night as well, and it was also VERY frigid outside. I ended up walking back to my place barely forty minutes before I had to go, peeling off layers of formal wear, and then disapprovingly staring at my dress knowing how cold it was outside. If I had been a little smarter, I would realized this before I chose to wear the one nice dress I have and found some other mode of dressing nicely without dying of hypothermia. But I wore the dress, and my friend’s sweater-coat thing on top. And froze anyways. My friend and I were late getting dressed because warmth was our utmost concern, and hence, we made our dates miss the bus. We ended up taking a cab to the Republic, the club at which our semiformal was held.

(Me still freezing in my friend’s lovely white coat)>>

The Republic, surprisingly, did have a place to check coats. I’m used to Russia, where they check them everywhere and its highly unfashionable to tote them around. In New Orleans, you either freeze for the few minutes you are out in the cold, or deal with the reality of carrying your coat ALL night long. Most of the time we choose to freeze . . unless its in the forties, which it was that night. Once we got inside, it was very warm. The music was good, and the regular Republic crowd started showing up as well. Soon the dance floor was packed, and they played lots of classics, like Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. I ended up having a great time though I dreaded it at first.






My suitemate and I at the semiformal














My friends Yusuke, Annabelle, and Ricardo- the two AKPsi men and their dates after we finally got to the club!

In New Orleans, I’ve gone to three different dances in the last year, and all out of obligation. Here at Tulane we like to dress up and have a posh night every once in awhile. I don’t think many other schools can say that. I have friends at LSU who are actually jealous of all the dances I must attend–for my sorority as well as different organizations such as IATU.

After this dance, and the third use of my green dress, I guess I can say they’re not so bad after all.