An Academic Saturday?

          I was up unusually early this Saturday, rising before nine o'clock to meet Professor Attwood. With my professor and two other education students, I braved a light rain to walk over to Simmons College for a seminar on detracking in the classroom -- that is, continuing the fight against racial segregation on all levels of the education system. Much later, I registered for classes (two days late) and scored a fantastic schedule, getting into all the classes I desired. I still have to register for a co-op class, but assuming I can get into one of the two sessions I'd prefer, I will not have to rise earlier than 11:00 a.m. on any weekday. I also cleaned up my room significantly to prepare for my family's visit tomorrow, and we got in some chess in my room, Sean, Heather, and Alaric matching wits on the checkered glass.
          Quote of the day:
"Oh yeah. Move that bishop." - Sean

One Night Band

          In musicals class today, we started to watch a documentary entitled One Night Stand. It's a brilliant movie on the 24 Hour Musicals, which you ought to look up if you enjoy musical theater. In my opinion -- and not Sabrina's -- the practice run of the germ-oriented "Purel Desire" from Multiphobia is a must-see. Later, Alaric, Alanna, Anthony and I attended the NU Bands game night. There, we played several rounds of Twister and some chess, spending time with older members of the band. Afterward, the A-Team was joined by Iris, Heather and Sabrina (temporarily) for a screening of The Good, the Bad, the Weird.
          Quotes of the day:
"Red leg blue." - Natalie
"Okay. Alex is now public enemy number fuck you." - Clay

So Here We Are

          My comparative politics professor set us up for small debates on current divisive issues in world cities. I was assigned to Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and ended up on the Unionist side of the debate. Essentially I ended up with little better of an argument than "we were jerks to you in the past and fear reprisal if we become part of Ireland," but despite one of my two colleagues defecting to the other side mid-debate, I still held my own due to the ineptness of the debaters on the Nationalist side.
          After education class, my day was action-packed. I met Alanna at Symphony Hall at 3 to grab tickets for the night, after which we had a late lunch at Stetson West -- my first time eating there, surprisingly. I then joined Heather and Amy at Heather's weekly 4 p.m. WRBB radio show. I chose a few of the songs that were broadcast, like Bloc Party's "So Here We Are" and Rusted Root's "Send Me On My Way." Afterward, I got a free burrito at the Northeastern Boloco. I ended up going to Symphony late due to taking an overlong nap, though I did meet with Alanna as planned. On our return, we watched Falling Down. Hopefully these last few weeks will hold some more movie nights for me.
          Quote of the day:
"The real case they need to read is Beggar v. Chooser, the Life Court of Social Justice!" - Professor Urman

Emergency Broccoli

          Counting multiple notes in single envelopes, Iris has sent me eight letters in less than eight days. It's impressive.
          Quote of the day:
"If you're in an emergency situation, a restaurant doesn't have to give you broccoli." - Professor Urman
"It's all over the fucking New York Times. You can't avoid it! It should stick to your foot when you step over the Times!" - Professor Urman

The Wiggles

          We had the casting call for our three mini musicals this evening, as well as Feinstein's larger one. The pool of people who auditioned was an impressive array of theater majors and singers; one impressive jazz-trained guy named Ryan rocked "Feed Me" from Little Shop of Horrors, while another named Colton gave the entire opening monologue from Beauty and the Beast. In the end, Katie and I decided that we needed Ryan; the other two roles in our zombie musical are to be filled with either of two guys and one of about six girls, to be decided based on who the other groups choose. The audition process ran a bit long at two hours, but it was fascinating nonetheless.
          Quote of the day:
"Are you wiggling?" - Heather

Suddenly Catholicism is a Little Funnier

          Exciting things are happening in the Supreme Court in the upcoming weeks. Today, they debate whether the Anti-Injunction Act blocks any challenge to the Affordable Care Act until it goes into effect. Tomorrow they will cover whether the bill exceeds congressional authority under the Commerce Clause, and Sunday will feature an argument regarding federalism as it pertains to Medicaid and state powers.
          Quote of the day:
"The masses are asses." - Professor Urman

Sunday Remission

          I took a brief nap around noon, then rose to head over to Curry. I met Justin and Malik of Peace through Play for an interview for the Director of University Partnerships position; if I'm chosen over the other six candidates, I'll be doing 90 hours of work in September and around 50 for the rest. This meeting was held in the catch-all student organizations office, which is the worst mess I have ever seen. It truly is a dump.
          Quote of the day:
Me: "These ones are terrors because they know they can challenge you."
Iris: "Ooh, smart children."
Me: "We should just have dumb children. Dumb kids."
Iris: "They could start off not so bright... nonononono I take it back, I take it back!" *whimpering, devolves into laughing fit*

Third Period Choke

          Taking advantage of the weekend, I slept in until it was time for Relay for Life. Upon arriving in my personalized shirt, I found Matthews packed with students. A DJ was blasting dance music and voices filled the air. I could feel the vibrations in the concrete; even as someone who can handle a lot of noise, it was too much for me. As the night went on, though, people started to trickle out. The DJ was temporarily replaced by a few different groups of performers, including an a cappella group and the cast of Behind the Curtain, a new musical revue. When he returned the music was far more subdued and I was much more at peace. There were various free snacks, including a ton of Chobani and some Panera Bread baked goods; I ate two large loafs of sun dried tomato bread. Jaimie, Ryan, Alaric and some others did some Zumba along with people down on the floor, and I captured some of these moments on camera. The candle ceremony was very moving, and the atmosphere was somber for a time. I walked for about an hour and a half, then settled to read Game of Thrones when an a cappella group took the floor and it was awkward to walk around them. Alaric and I shone as the Tremont Street Raiders superhero team during that themed lap. The strangest thing about the night was the scoreboard, which displayed the time and "score":

HUSKIES  1          CANCER  0
 

What even the Christ. What a bizarre, distasteful way to celebrate the fight against cancer. The night continued until five a.m., when we peaced out to get some sleep. Or not, in my case.

Y U No Post?

          This was a pretty nondescript day. I slept a lot, and missed visits from Heather and Iris before they went to New York and to a Tzu Chi retreat, respectively.
          Quote of the day:
"Y u no give closure?!" - Sean, on Dr. Horrible

Representing the Supreme Court

          Some daily details: I discovered a crack in my iPod today. Luckily, it's through the FaceTime camera at the top rather than through the screen proper. If it doesn't worsen, the crack doesn't affect its performance at all, seeing as I never use FaceTime. Incidentally, my education class was held on the grass outside Hurtig Hall this afternoon, and it simply flew. The weather is great this week. Alaric stayed up late in my room, attaching the iron-ons to our Relay For Life shirts. If I may say so, they look incredible. The Tremont Street Raiders are going to look smashing.
          Peace through Play held a fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen this evening, so Iris and I decided to take advantage of it. Let us not mince words; CPK's pizza is stellar. I had a BLT pizza and Iris chose the Hawaiian. I ended up eating most of both as well as our pita bread & hummus appetizer. What the establishment really needs to work on is its lighting. There are some dim hanging lamps for ambience, but most of the light comes from recessed bulbs on the ceiling. The design of these fixtures causes them to act like spotlights, focusing the beam into a narrow area. I leaned forward and was illuminated, and fell into shadow upon reposing; altogether, the impression I got was of an interrogation chamber.
          Quote of the day:
"Congress was like, 'Who gets to decide what's constitutional?' And the Supreme Court was like, 'We do, motherfuckers! We do!' Yeah, Rehnquist was walking around, slapping members of Congress. He had a big Flava Flav-sized Constitution on a chain." - Professor Urman

Problem Solved

          Did you know that Encyclopedia Britannica, as we know it, is finished? From here on out, it's not being published in print any more. So there goes one more thing our children or grandchildren won't have as part of their lives. What a strange thought. After dropping that piece of information, Professor Urman spread some good vibes with "The Real Mitt Romney," a fantastic mashup video of Romney soundbites set to Eminem's "The Real Slim Shady." I highly recommend giving it a listen. ("Fired! Boom boom boom.") After class I received a letter from Iris and played frisbee with Heather, Kassie and Hannah.
          Sabrina and I set out for 927 Tremont to see Next To Normal. On the way over, my companion was uncomfortably appraised by some gentlemen of questionable repute. The show was very good, though I feel that it was just a tad too long. The walk back was fascinating; I've never had such an engaging conversation with the people in that class.
          Here's a fun fact. According to the New York Times, Gingrich is apparently going down to defeat; he barely has enough money to keep his campaign running. Even better, Santorum has lost ground to Romney. If he fails to win Pennsylvania, we can hammer the last nail into that coffin. Though the trend seems to indicate an Obama victory, a Romney presidency isn't a terrible thought given his weather vane-like tendencies. Here's hoping that Congress is in Democrat hands at the end of the day.
          Quotes of the day:
"It just exploded out of her, like it was building up and she couldn't hold it inside any more." - Sabrina
"Lint...lint...lint...lint...lint...problem solved." - Iris
"This is where it goes, like, Truman Show-level." - Professor Urman
"Would you like me to tweet class today? 'Supreme Court Important.'" - Professor Urman
"Scalia loves this straw man and beats it senselessly in front of people...not like KONY 2012." - Professor Urman

Emergency Backup Zombies

          I woke up feeling better than I have in a long time. The window was open and the soft sounds of distant traffic murmured in my ear, so different from the usual sirens and heavy equipment. The air was a touch cool, just like spring ought to be; Iris sleeping beside me, warmth enveloped me. I don't know why I woke, but clean white light filtered through the blinds, usually completely shut. Quiet music emanated from Lancelot, calming and cheering; in this way, a good day began.
          Just three days after our essay draft was due, Feinstein was asking for a near-complete book for our ten minute musical. Sabrina and I were planning to go in and request an extension, each of us having had a truly packed weekend. Instead, Katie covered our backs by putting in a ton of work on the zombie musical. We watched the opening number from Company, and I found an interesting link to Sweeney Todd. Where the material of Sweeney Todd is disturbing, the music is gorgeous; Company is exactly the opposite, pairing the most mundane subject possible (married couples having dinner company) with off-putting lyrics and chords. The performance we sampled played this to the hilt, the cast clad in formal black and white lilies giving the stage a funereal air. After class, I had lunch at Rebecca's with Sabrina and Jackie. I'm not entirely adjusted to milk on tap, so I've been drinking it much less often since coming to Northeastern. I had a carton of 2% with my turkey/apple/cheese sandwich and all was well. For the first time in a while, Alaric, Heather, Iris and I watched a movie in my room: How To Train Your Dragon. I found it reasonably entertaining but undistinguished.
          Quote of the day:
"I just exhaled into the Froot Loops and a whole bunch of powder came up in my face." - Heather

Red Dawn

          Third all-nighter in six days and still going strong, get on my level. In comparative politics, my rough draft from the first one was returned to me. The results were bueno. We covered Communism, so much of the class was spent scrawling Liberty Prime quotes and snickering every time the professor said "laborers." After programming, I had dinner with Heather, Zoe and Sarah D, my PTP partner. In the evening, I spent some time with Sean and Joseph as they programmed circuit boards; Sabrina even carried home her body weight in Au Bon Pain goodies. Even without much energy, it was a pretty good day.
          Quotes of the day:
"I'm programming a thing to do things." - Sean

7eh 1337 5crubn3rdz

          For Anthony's birthday, a small posse headed out to Cheesecake Factory. Alaric, Alanna, Shannon G, Anne-Marie, Mandy, Emily, Brendan, Anthony and myself nommed well and I spent $7 on a milkshake. Spoiler: it was worth it. Also, Alaric and I raced the length of the Reflecting Pool with full stomachs. This was a poor idea.
          Quotes of the day:
"Yeah, it's impressive that you can grow that, but there is someone who doesn't quite understand social cues." - Heather being a dick
"Get pwned, scrub nerd." - me

          The first introduction in some time:
          Shannon G - Mellophone player from Delaware. Hard-hearted and cold, but has a soft spot for trumpet players due to their suaveness and godly physiques. Next year, next doorsies!!!

GOLD DUST

          Here's a story. One time, it was Saint Patrick's Day and I forgot to wear green. It was bad. The end. That night, though, I threw a party in my room and had a blast. Highlight: watching Thomas and the Magic Railroad (!) Also, playing Amnesia tag-team style with Anthony and Alanna -- Alanna on the keyboard, me on the mouse, and Anthony masterfully directing us. Afterward, I walked Alanna back to Melvin, at which point she tried to steal a traffic cone and told me I was more at risk in the Fens than she. Many good times.

Identity Crisis

          I was playing in a puzzling TF2 server today where people kept changing their Steam names to match other people's. The first time I was killed by myself was a surprising experience. It also made it really confusing trying to voteban people. Later, Iris gave me twelve cans of Vanilla Coke as a bribe for three hours of tickling. They haven't gone into effect yet, but I think I got a good deal. Also, a drunk person in the common room gave me a free egg roll because she felt stuffed.
          Quote of the day:
"The fact that you spell 'suxx' with an x invalidates your argument. Just saying." - Sean

Eeeeeeveryoneeeeee

          I forgot to mention our housing arrangements for next year. I'm staying in a six-man suite on the sixth floor of West Village F with Alaric, Sean, Harrison, Eric and Ryan. I should also mention that everyone (enjoy this appropriate GIF of gary Oldman) is on the sixth floor of West Village F. Shannon G is two rooms down, Brendan and Adam are in another suite, Akash is in a third, Jenny and Maddie are in a duplex, and Sabrina's entire crew of 9th floor residents is just a few rooms away. Party Central, U.S.A.
          I might need to start putting more reaction images in these posts. I derive great entertainment from them.
          Though enthusiasm is often high in my American government class, it's far more unusual to see anyone care much at all in comparative politics. Hence, there was a strange atmosphere today as people engaged in a spirited debate over social activism. One business major in the front row denounced the concept of it, claiming that anyone can be bought for the right price and that we do things in our own interest. It was enjoyable seeing a number of bleeding heart types quail at this declaration, though I saw some merit in what he was saying.
          After class, I grabbed lunch with Alaric, Jayleese (a sophomore from my education class) and her boyfriend, Josh. It was nice finding another cross country/track runner and making friends in class. I've found a good number of friends here, but haven't made many connections to people in my classes, so this was a refreshing change.
          Two examples of amazing technology: the digital art/imaging software with which Alaric created an amazingly realistic copy of a photo of a house -- I peed a little bit at that one -- and GMod. I recently saw two of the best GMod videos I have ever experienced, and here they are for your viewing pleasure.
The Last Bite -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgm7u67z6Bk
Heavy's Revelation -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f60Fhab-pI
          Quotes of the day:
"I work with an international student who doesn't get my sense of humor. Not just because she's international, but also because she's not funny." - Veronica, my A.G. TA
"This course is laugh-out-loud fuckin' funny in '97!" - Professor Urman
"They had Gregory Peck... talk about a trusted voice. Who doesn't trust Atticus Finch?" - Professor Urman

Good_guy_prof.jpeg

          I got my comparative politics draft in on time and arrived in class to find the weekly single-question pop quiz waiting for me. I'd neglected the reading that night, and the question asked for Nigeria's most lucrative resource. I guessed "petroleum," got it right and felt like a boss for the next hour. The trend of coolness continued through my American government class, where Professor Urman promised to put his PowerPoint slides on Blackboard. I used one of my three no-questions-asked skips for education class due to fatigue, and the day went well. At the end of the night, Heather, Alaric and I watched The Notebook, which surprised me with its quality. The story was personal and touching, and the ending was a respectable tearjerker. Entirely by accident, we watched it exactly one month after we had initially planned: Valentine's Day.
          Quote of the day:
"Scalia! Not only known for originalism, also known for being a dick!" - Professor Urman

Instant Waking Skills

          Iris' legendary waking-up skills failed me, and I barely got out of bed in time for musicals at 9:50. The day passed quickly, and after eating some delicious brownies baked by Heather, I found myself struggling through the night to finish the first draft of my comp pols essay. I was forced to pull an all nighter to get it done in time; hopefully the week is merciful to me.
          Quote of the day:
"I spent some time with Chocolate Rain and Bed Intruder. I feel much more... less old now." - Professor Feinstein

Our House

          Today was a bit hectic, but not unpleasant. The temperature was in the high sixties, an unexpected turn of events. Programming at Peace through Play was high-energy, but at least the kids weren't nasty to each other like last time. Alaric, Sean, Harrison, Eric, Ryan and I got our housing assignment today. We scored a six-man suite on the sixth floor of West Village F. I'm pretty stoked about having our own common room and kitchen. Later on, Alaric and I sang some In the Heights and played Vs. Saxton Hale mode on TF2.
          Professor Urman was on fire today. Quotes:
"He threw his deceased boss under the bus! The relatives were like, 'You fuck! Come on, Rehnquist, dance with the one that brung ya!'" (re: former Associate Justice William Rehnquist)
"He was the most badass appellate lawyer in the country." (re: Chief Justice John Roberts)
"He's a famous asshole. Like, legendary." (re: Larry Summers)
"He did the Eminem 8 Mile, like call it out, what you gonna say now." (re: Judge Richard Cebull)
"Let's unpack that joke. 'Being black is terrible, but it's not as bad as being a dog.'"
...
Some girl: "I went to London and Paris."
Prof. Urman: "Those are nice places. Do they like Americans?"
Some girl: "It's interesting that you say that becau-"
Prof. Urman: "I know." [smiles]
...
Iris: "That's a good pen. It writes well."
Me: "Is that a penis joke?"
Iris: [flustered] "I have one! Wait, no!"
There was a guy in the elevator with us and I swear his face was made of brick. Not even a smirk.

Mystery Chocolate

          This final Sunday of spring break, I was woken at 8:30 a.m. by the sound of a jackhammer chewing into the street outside. Waking so early felt pretty liberating, and the day was long. Sabrina, Ryan, Alaric and I went to Boloco in the evening and discussed several matters of importance. These included Asians, fifteen year olds and their grease, and Long Island. Also, Nutella milkshakes all around!
          Quote of the day:
Sabrina: "So that's where all the chocolate's been coming from!"
Me: "Sounds like my first time."

All Cool

          Two days left in the spring break, I've just been maxing and relaxing with Iris. I spent a large portion of the day napping, so once again, there's not much to report.

A Short Post For a Long Ride

          The bus ride back was uneventful. We watched Semi-Pro, a commendable Will Ferrell sports comedy, The Matrix, and A New Hope. All was quiet back in IV, and there is little to say about this evening.

Fun Detected

          We took advantage of the time before the game to visit the Smithsonian's Air & Space museum. We discovered a mission called the Mars Penetrator (no more need be said) and learned that the museum has "fun detectors" which ensure that no one enjoys themself too much. I saw the Capitol from a relatively close distance as well, and the weather was just warm enough to be conducive to walking. Overall our tour was short but enjoyable, and it was exciting to visit Washington for the first time.
          The women's basketball game versus George Mason was horridly disappointing. For the first half we were tied or ahead, and our players were kicking ass. In the second they just fell apart, failing to score more than once in the last eight minutes and losing 60-70. As Anthony is wont to say, there's never not enough time left for Northeastern to choke. With this defeat, our tour in D.C. is ended. Post-game we went over to a pub called the Zone for dinner, where I found myself beginning to feel sick. High point: singing along with "Sexual Healing" and hearing someone turn it up. After the meal I helped Brendan slam out some of his residual pushups and we returned to the hotel.
          After some merriment I found myself feeling far better. Incredibly, there were no noise complaints -- this is apparently a first -- and much silliness ensued. On a "no balls" type of dare from Tori, I skinny dipped in the hot tub and had my clothing temporarily stolen. We'd started early, and everyone was about petered out by two a.m. Sleep came uneasily, but it was a good night's rest.
          Quotes of the day:
"If I was a snake I would've come out of my bowl." - Starkey
"Just because you're a fatass doesn't mean that's legal!" - Alex, telling it like it is
"...Totally Legit Liquours..." - Alex
"So what's the coolest restricted area you guys have accessed?" - Steve, being Steve
"The couch pulls out, but I don't." - Kevin
"Just because I sound amazing doesn't mean you don't have to play." - Alex
"You could drop me into a woman's uterus and I could find my way out without a fucking compass." - Tim

Iron Maiden

          The ride down to Washington was incredibly comfortable in comparison to Richmond. Our party of about sixteen people have an entire coach bus to ourselves, and the group of people is satisfyingly chill. I left my door bolted for Iris, who spent much of the day ironing and rearranging my clothing of her own accord. A strange bird indeed.
          The first movie played was Beerfest, which is one of the most atrocious films ever made. It is one of the many reasons I'm not particularly fond of comedy. Or "comedy," in this case. I slept for some time, then made the call to watch Sweeney Todd. Several on the bus weren't familiar with the story, and Alex and I exchanged many a knowing glance near the end of the film (no spoilers here.) We discussed the possibility of a drinking game wherein a shot is taken every time Sweeney offs someone; that would total eleven shots, five of which occur in a period of roughly two minutes. We also stopped at Arby's, where I had a surprisingly good chicken/bacon/ranch sandwich and vanilla milkshake. Alanna fashioned a paper crane out of a coupon sheet for me, which I intend to bring home intact.
          In D.C., we ate at an establishment called the Thunder Grill in Union Station. The band piled into our hotel, a relatively swanky Marriott, and the good times began to roll. Unfortunately, I couldn't hack the lack of sleep and turned in.
          Quotes of the day:
"This is the first class section of the bus. All the commoners sit back there." - Jake
"Little things. The Japanese are like, 'We got this.'" - Starkey

Night Walk

          I ate at Rebecca's with Iris, Laura, Lauren, Sean, Alaric and Ben this afternoon. I came home to discover that I won a huge drawing on the TF2 item raffle site, scoring 51 items, which was a great surprise. At eight we met at Improv Asylum for House Teams, an $8 show put on by the students and alumni of Improv Asylum's classes. The show was rather funny, if not nearly as sidesplitting as Afternoon Delight; still, I found it a fine value for the price.
          Late at night, Alanna and I arranged to meet in order to play Amnesia, a renowned survival horror game. I walked to Melvin alone, and the walk was a fine way to clear my head; the campus seemed nearly empty of life, and the brisk cold was quite bracing. Due to some error in communication I expected to walk Alanna back to IV, but instead found myself relaxing in Melvin. After looking through a large picture book of beautiful MURICAN countrysides, I fell asleep for a couple of hours. Waking, I was distraught at my poor friend curled up on the floor, so I roused her and took my leave. The walk back was similarly peaceful, and I determined to stay up and nap on the bus to Washington, D.C.

Empty Rooms

          Monday at home passed in a blur of napping and puttering about my room. Iris returned from home in the morning, and there are just a few others in IV -- Sean, Lauren, Laura, Cassandra, Alaric. It's eerily quiet, though it's cool not having to worry about quiet hours and jamming to music late at night. Fun fact: CAA stands for Colonial Athletic Association.

Comin' Home Baby

          I chose not to sleep last night, opting to get some shut-eye on the bus. On the way up Alaric and I were surrounded by the dance team, so this time we snagged a seat in the back with a bunch of band people (Anthony, Peter, Morgan, Rebecca, Ariel) and extra legroom in spades. It was still a painfully long ride -- partly due to the horrid cinnamon air freshener clogging the air in the back -- but I slept a good four to seven hours of the twelve we were on the road. Returning, we discovered that of the three dining halls, Stetson East is the only one that's open over break (Rebecca's is also open during the week.) I ate dinner with Ben, Alaric and Laura; the other ninth floor residents still present are Sean, Cassandra and Lauren. Also, the plan is for Iris to be back tomorrow afternoon. The women's basketball tour leaves on Wednesday, so I plan on making these couple of days sweet.

We Jam, You Jelly

          We were up bright and early for Breakfast With the Bands at the convention center. Dr. Nickens, the unfathomably funky arranger of our collaborative piece, arrived toting a walking stick topped with a fake emerald the size of an egg or larger. Taking turns, each band played three songs from its repertoire. Despite our lack of manpower -- we were about a fifth the size of the other bands -- we held our own with "Holiday" by Green Day, Aerosmith's "Dude Looks Like a Lady" and "Monkey Wrench" by the Foo Fighters. The most obvious area we're lacking is that of choreography; nearly all of the other groups had many cheers, dances and special moves. Hopefully we can work in those elements for later performances. Some of the best pieces were "All of the Lights" as performed by William & Mary, "Party Rock Anthem" by Georgia State, and "Rolling In the Deep" by VCU. Once each group had finished performing, we all scattered and reformed into sections by instrument, mingling with the other schools. The finale: a massive presentation of "One Nation Under a Groove." I invite everyone to give it a watch/listen, especially around the three to six minute marks; the soloists' improvisation was incredible. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXbokulzuZY
          In high spirits, Ariel, Alaric and I went on a mission to find face paint for the evening game against VCU. We were unsuccessful, but someone else had better luck procuring it. Downtown Richmond is interesting to look at. Wide brick sidewalks are lined with trees and the sounds of many birds are in the air. The air is clean smelling and clear. The mixture of shiny new steel/glass structures and vintage architecture is at once refreshing yet comfortable. At the hotel, I entered full lounge mode: open flannel shirt, cargo shorts, cold soda and AC to 64.
          Back to the face paint. VCU is ranked second in the CAA and Northeastern seventh. We knew that the quarterfinal was likely a doomed mission, and we decided to go out in style. Most of the band applied varying amounts of face paint; I chose stripes, Alaric a checkered pattern. Attired in our pep band polos and jackets, draped in beads of red, silver and black, we moved out. The stadium was much nearer to full tonight, and the fans were overwhelmingly VCU supporters; outside of the contingent from the Doghouse, there were maybe twenty Husky fans in attendance. The first half of the game was withering. Through sheer tenacity and smooth execution, Northeastern was never more than three or four points behind, and the first period ended in a tie. Things began to fall apart in the second, and at one point VCU was twenty points ahead. Again our boys rallied and regained some ground, losing with a respectable 65 points to the Rams' 75. We're coming home tomorrow, leaving at seven from the hotel.
          Quote of the day:
"I look like a Sith Lord." - Starkey

Feet Don't Fail Me Now

          This evening we played for the men's basketball game against William & Mary in the Richmond Coliseum, the first of four possible games. The game was nerve-wrackingly close, Northeastern maintaining a small lead all the way through, and we were far outnumbered in terms of the fan base. In the end, the Huskies pulled through 57-49 for the win. Post-game, we were spirited to a rehearsal at Richmond's simply huge convention center. For about two hours we combined with five or six pep bands to play "One Nation Under a Groove." Afterward, we mingled with members of the bands and a strong sense of camaraderie prevailed; no doubt it will be suspended for the duration of each game. By the end of the night we were thoroughly exhausted and not looking forward to getting up at eight for the show.
          Quotes of the day:
"She's just saying that because he's not a soulless coda cop." - Alanna
"Kali Ma... Kali Ma..." - Tim
"A half pound, foot long hot dog? That's a lot of hot dog." - Gordon, the most useful engine
"My freshman roommate captured a squirrel." - Tim
"I'm gonna put shit in the basket you didn't know you had." - Ariel
...
Me: "[redacted] has done me well."
Alaric: "Oh, I know about that."
Me: "You don't know the half of it."
Alaric: "I know my half."

Shocking Revelations

          Rather than sleep, Alaric, Anthony and I relaxed in the fortress in anticipation of the twelve hour bus ride to Richmond. We completed a list of spirit animals for people on the floor as well as a few others; I'm a hyena. For the first time this year I got a chance to wear my London Fog trench coat, and felt dapper indeed as I kept off the rain. Once we reached the bus, a gruesome sight awaited us: we were to pack on to the bus with all of the cheerleaders and dance team. After much grumbling and reorganizing of their luggage to make room for the instruments, we departed.
          Actually, the athletic department seems to like pissing on us every chance they get. "No, you can't play 'Forget You.'" "You can share the bus with 195 other people." "New jackets? Cheerleaders get first pick, enjoy your x-larges." The bus, at least, was a Peter Pan with the normal amenities; the exception was the outlet placement. It wasn't until the second half of the ride that I realized they were even there, and their location forced me to climb under the seat headfirst to hold open the covers and plug in our laptops. Unable to see the prongs, my finger brushed one and I got a jolt; nothing terrifying, but irritating nonetheless.
          Thankfully, I dozed for a few hours here and there, missing the debacle where we visited every Subway in Hartford trying to find our paid lunches. While I was awake, the cheerleaders (I believe) showed impressive taste in movies. Of the four that we watched, three were quality: The Bourne Identity, Zoolander and Sherlock Holmes. The other, which I recommend for masochists, was John Tucker Must Die. Most importantly, I was awake to witness a magnificent sunset as we passed through Maryland. The Sun looked incredibly huge and hovered just above the horizon, filling the sky with a golden tint.
          The Richmond hotel is a Holiday Inn Express, we each get our own bed and the place is spacious and clean. The beds are the most comfortable I've occupied for a while, excluding Shandana's. All in all it's rather pleasing, with the exception of the lack of a pool. For the first night's activities we went out to the Capital Ale House. There, Peaches repeatedly hustled Alaric and I at pool (he plays in tournaments) while the others threw darts and relaxed.
          Quote of the day:
"Flutes? Naaah, it's fine. Clarinets? No big deal. Trumpets? Holy shit, where's Alex?" - Kevin