I love my roommate

You never really appreciate someone until you realize they aren’t going to be around you forever.

I know that’s a feeling I certainly am getting in regards to my roommate Puja. We met each other with the online roommate search that many upperclassmen call online dating. Except its like one step beyond that, because you’re asking the other person to live with you. At first, I totally lied on my profile, claiming that I went to bed at 11 and was extremely neat. One of my best friends caught me and made me fix it, and then Puja’s profile was a perfect match to mine. Turns out that we lived in the same city and had mutual friends. It was the beginning of a great friendship!

Now we have an extremely unique relationship. We’re both pre meds and involved in some of the same organizations, so we always have common things to do. There are times when we sit next to each other in chemistry class and make a very long To Do list of things we have to get done . . . . . and then later that day our friends come over to do homework and they get their homework done while we’re too busy entertaining them to do our own!

Last semester, just spending time in the room was entertaining because of the sheer volume of people always in it. I had about 7 roommates at UT, 3 official and 4 regular unofficial ones. I actually worried that this semester would be lonely for us since it was just the two of us.
But all of this just proves two things: that the online roommate search works, and that a lot of times, roommate situations turn into friendships you’ll always cherish. I know I was worried at the start of my freshman year, but now, I can hardly imagine living in a single room again likeduring the pre-college days. Roommates are going to have an impact, and most of the time, its for the better.

The moments when we’re singing loudly to Indian music, the moments when we’re cleaning our room and pretending it’s like that all the time when our parents come, the moments when we’re feeding our friends while not doing our own work . . . these are the moments I’ll miss.

But hey, I’m fortunate in that I got a friend out of it. And if any of you know my roommate Puja, you’d know that I’m pretty lucky.

The Stream

So this whole being involved thing isn’t always exactly what I expect. Though most of the time its great to be busy, to feel needed, and to make a difference, occasionally, the feeling is quite the opposite.

Now I’m not talking about being overwhelmed with responsibility or being too involved. Though people tell me I am, I’m yet to feel this way. The balance has been struck, and the only thing that tampers with it is the unexpected.

And unexpected is what I got.

As the President of Wall Residential College, I was on the selections committee to pick which residents would be returning. It was only logical that I do so, especially since I knew most of them, and interacted with them on a community level. I was excited about this additional responsibility . . . . . . until people got their emails letting them know if they were invited back or not.

Suddenly, it was NOT exciting anymore. People were upset with me, not realizing that I was only part of a selections process much larger than my personal relationship with them. The backlash was extraordinary in the fact that I didn’t anticipate it at ALL. I know how I deal with conflict, and I assumed that everyone would deal the same way. Unfortunately, not everyone is as reserved about their sentiments. People openly called me out on it and even approached me, criticizing my choices.

Woodrow Wilson once said, “The man swimming against the stream knows the strength of it.” I didn’t anticipate ever being in a position where I’d be in that stream. But I guess that’s the definition of leadership . . . .doing what makes everybody happy and doing what makes nobody happy and treating the two sets of actions the same way. Public approval, though very necessary for a leader, sometimes is superseded by a duty and obligation to the larger community. It’s one of those tough choices I never thought I’d have to make, but now that I’m here, I’m a leader. And I have to make those choices.

What I have to remind myself from time to time is that leadership is not supposed to be easy. In the end, its worth it, because I know that the best possible community is going to be returning to Wall next year. Hopefully, you incoming freshman will realize that too when you interact with these kids next fall.

And when you all tell me how much fun you’re having at Wall, I’ll think back on all this for a brief moment, and then smile and move on.

I sure know the strength of this stream.

But regardless of how strong the current, I’m going to keep swimming.

Freshman Representin'

The year is quickly coming to an end, and with much sadness, I realize that I’m not going to be a freshman anymore. High school won’t just be around the corner anymore . . .rather, it will become a more and more distant memory.

But I have had so much fun as a freshman! Though I only spent one semester here at Tulane, it has been enough to mark me as an individual and set me on a path for the next three years. Being involved as a freshman, I learned, is one of the most important ways to start off.

I will admit, however, that most of my friends look at my busy schedule and tell me I’m crazy. But as a freshman, jumping in and trying new things is the only way you’ll find out what you love to do. And as you become an upperclassmen, it is these activities that will distinguish you. I was lucky; I came here to Tulane and made the most of every opportunity I had. There are still so many opportunities I would love to take, but at this point, taking on any more responsibility would really be insanity! For example, several weeks ago I got an email about being a representative on the student health board. I had to physically restrain myself from jumping into that too. Between the presidency of Wall, exec board of the India Association of Tulane University, and pledging for Delta Xi Nu Multicultural Sorority Inc, I’m booked. Occasionally, I try to branch out, but usually this schedule keeps me busy every night of the week minus Fridays and Saturdays.

At University of Texas at Austin last semester, I found myself surrounded by familiar faces, a great environment, and a lot of fun. Having come to school late due to the hurricane, I was perfectly happy making that my excuse for not getting involved. I was fortunate, because I had a chance to start all over at Tulane. But not everybody gets that chance, and too many freshman are happy coasting and partying before they realize that they’re missing out on a lot of amazing adventures with different organizations and groups on campus.

So for all you incoming freshman–the opportunities are definitely there. Just make sure you take them! You don’t have to be super involved . . .all you have to do is dabble in a few things and look for what really interests you. You might even be surprised! College is a whole different venue from high school, and the term “involved” takes on a completely different meaning. It’s not just the stereotypical group of Student Council officers and National Honor Society leaders that gets involved here . . . . its everybody!

The adventures I’ve had this semester with my organizations have been great . . .and they are chances that were solely available to freshman. I’ve got my track for the next three years, and I owe it all to the people who encouraged me and welcomed me . . . . .IATU, the management of Wall Residential College, my sorority sisters . . . .and of course, the Admissions Office at Tulane that invited me to become a blogger!

Thanks guys! I owe you one!

Me, Simran, Karthik, and Rita- all on the IATU Executive Board 2006

The three freshman representatives on the IATU Board- Me, Karthik, and Rita!

Medea

Oscar Wilde once professed that “There are only two tragedies in life: one is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it.” Both are tragedies because sometimes what we want the most is the most detrimental to us. It is a theme forever present in the eternal spirit of Greek tragedies. The suffering and sorrow of the main characters is to prove Wilde’s point–that no matter what the actions along the way, the outcome is the same. The fates of these characters are predetermined, and nothing they do will stop the gods from playing with them as pawns on a chessboard. Such is the case in the Greek tragedy Medea, where a crazed and twisted woman ends up murdering everyone near to her in an effort to find vengeance.

It doesn’t seem like the sort of story that should be a play–everyone dying, the entire moral structure collapsing into a mess of tears and grief at the end. An ancient Greek proverb said that “If it were not for hope, the heart would break.” Medea herself eventually loses all hope that her life can change, and her broken heart leads her to commit unspeakable crimes. Ultimately, Medea is a twisted woman devoid of rational thought, and in Tulane’s own production of Medea, Kathleen Small perfectly lived this role. It’s the actors and actresses that breathed life into the story and made a story seemingly not appropriate for stage into the masterpiece it was.
The other characters were also outstanding. The chorus was well versed and proficient in telling the story in low and forceful tones. Creon (whom we know from both Oedipus and Antigone) is bound by the ethics of his past drama. Jason is fearful and his internal stuggle becomes evident throughout the play. His last monologue was the most appealing—his anger and grief were directly felt. If the sky was raining tears over him, the audience was also drenched. It was consummation in sorrow and in my mind, that’s the point of a Greek tragedy.

My favorite character though, was definitely the nurse. I thought Courtney Pauroso did a superb job playing the role. Perhaps her role inherently preserves the humanity of the play, but in my opinion, it was her portrayal that did so. While Medea was crazed and torn at the same time, the nurse was her foil in that she was concerned and watchful. She was the only character in the play (besides the chorus) that wasn’t bound by deep jealousies, rivalries, and crimes. She was an insider but an outsider to the Greek drama that formed the plot of Medea. Because she wasn’t bound by the moral conflicts that ruled over every other main character, she was the most rational.

The entire play was well coordinated, from the lighting to the music. The beats of the music harmonized with the mood of the play, and there were several moments when the characters were moving in contrasting patterns to the rhythm that spoke more powerfully than moments of monologues. I enjoyed this play more than I thought I would. As I watched the story unfold on the stage, I was more and more impressed with each of the characters and the way they become their characters in truth and perfection. I was thrilled to witness this living art and it become very evident the weeks of work it took the cast and crew to bring it to this standard of flawlessness.

Wilde’s truth was preserved in this play–Medea gets what she wants but doesn’t get what she ultimately wants. She finds her vengeance, but at a cost too high to pay. Tulane’s actors and actresses did a perfect job of investigating the plight of Medea and the other characters. For the audience, it was a lesson in tragedy.

Dat Phan + Karma = FUN

So its like 6 pm, and I’ve only been awake for about . . .2 hours. My parents don’t understand this at all . . . . . . if you’re in college and you have plans for Friday night, chances are slim to none that you’ll wake up on Saturday. Except of course, to get up to get ready to go out again. Cool, right?

Last night I was out and about from 7 pm to about 4 am, because of the Asian American Student Union’s wonderful standup show– DAT PHAN, and then the AASU + Indian Association of Tulane University coprogramming for the afterparty- KARMA! It was sooooooo much fun!

<<(The crowd at Dixon Auditorium watching Dat Phan ) Dat Phan was pretty amazing. He was the winner of Comedy Central’s Last Comic Standing. He was HILARIOUS!!!! His act was based on his ethnicity, but he did well imitating other races and cultures too. His jokes ranged from slightly risque to family humor. My favorite part was when he was explaining how his mother dislikes every girl he brings home, except the Asian ones. There was something in his act for every member of the audience, and it was that bit that did it for me! It was an amazing show that I was lucky enough to see. Afterwards, we all got a picture with him, and I got his autograph. We waited in line for like 20 minutes . . .which meant I had about 20 minutes to get ready for Karma. Oh well. <<(Dat Phan here at Tulane)

I went to Karma, and I did my thing . . . . . dancing and all that. It was huge this time, and the DJs were good. There was a huge variety of people there this time, and that’s the most fun part of it. I ran into several of my executive officers from Wall, as well as the graduate hall director, and then many girls from the sorority I’m pledging as well. It was intense!

But the best part of it is that it is a party. So though I was there on behalf of IATU (since I’m on the board), it was a party after all. Everyone that usually expected something from me during the weekdays (Sorority sisters, exec officers, even IATU board) let it slide and I got to have a good time, regardless of the responsibilites floating in the air with the people at that party. Everyone sort of understood that it was just a night to chill.

Which is what I did . . . . .and therefore why I woke up 2.5 hours ago.

Welcome to college, y’all!

Go Study!

Man, the things I wish someone had told me while I was in high school:
1. Studying- its pretty essential in college
2. Trying to cut back on sleep is not the best strategy for getting more done in a day
3. It is possible to get food poisoning if you eat something sketchy looking, and especially if its at a time when you cannot afford to be sick
4. When professors say you should study an hour a week outside class for every hour you spend in class, they aren’t just exaggerating, hoping you’ll spend a fourth of that time studying
5. Two words that will make you or break you: MID TERMS
6. Exams are a REALLY big deal here . . . homework really isn’t important
7. Sometimes, after you’ve skipped class a lot of times, your professor will say that if you’ve missed more than 3 times you’re being docked letter grades
8. 90-100 is NOT an A
9. 89.6 does NOT round up to an A unless specifically mentioned by the professor
10. It’s very difficult to study in your room, on your bed, when your roommate is taking a nap
11. Library–people do go there to study
12. Highlighters and post-its should be your best friends, especially at a university where “all text sales are final”
13. Tulane is HARD, don’t let its big easy atmosphere fool you
14. If you party hard, you better be working equally hard
15. There are no excuses for missing a lab . . .unless you’re dead, GO TO LAB
16. Don’t wait until the last second to write a lab report, because chances are, its the one that takes the longest to do

Clearly, its a Week of Study for me!

Holi

So today was Holi.

Holi is an Indian festival where people run around and throw colored powder at each other. Sometimes, they use paint, water balloons, and water guns as well. It’s a holiday they celebrate with great pomp and circumstance in India, but here, no one can imagine a holiday dedicated to behaving as though one is three years old.

Except here at Tulane, with the Indian Association of Tulane University. Today we had Holi, and it was the most fun I’ve had in awhile. We went to the park, found a spot right by St. Charles, and then proceeded to pelt each other with colors and paint. Hopefully, the paint was non toxic, because we ended up getting it in our hair, faces, mouths, and contacts. And then we did the most Indian thing we could do– we washed up in the fountain! I’m sure the water was water we wouldnt normally want anywhere near us, let alone on our limbs and faces, but then again, if you’re Indian, you’re also resourceful. So we pretty much bathed in our own river Ganges . . . the probably still Katrina-contaminated water in the Audobon fountain!

And of course, people stared. They just thought we were a bunch of teenage idiots, though we were celebrating an ancient cultural tradition. Holi celebrates the new spring season with bright colors and fun in the sun. It is a national holiday in India, and because it falls in March, I’ve never been to a Holi celebration (that I remember). It’s an impractical holiday, which is why as an American raised kid, I’ve never celebrated it before.

So here at Tulane University, I got to know a little more about my heritage, and therefore a little more about me.

Oh the things you will find in New Orleans!!!