It's really not as bad as one might imagine. I have the chance to see him on a limited basis and still get all the benefits of having parents in town, like dinner in town. I can certainly say that having my dad here for a semester is better than being at the same high school with my mom for four years.
What's the best party you've ever been to at Amherst?
A bunch of my friends who were abroad last year had a Eurotrash party this semester. It was a great dance party with plenty of people that I don't see on a regular basis.
Now that you've been through almost 3.5 years here, what would you change about Amherst if you could?
I get dismayed by the party culture here. TAP was something people looked forward to when I was a freshman, and now it's not really around. I miss those chances to dance to music with my friends.
What do you want to make sure to do or experience before senior year is up?
I'm waiting for a great Homecoming. One of my favorite memories is from two years ago and I'm hoping that this year is no exception.
Any advice to first-years?
Take advantage of the other four schools. I had such a great time taking a course at Smith. It's not that often that you get the chance to leave Amherst, but when I did, I had so much fun.
What's the worst thing about being an RC in a first-year dorm?
There are many things I could say, but the worst part is not being able to live with my friends and randomly hanging out with them on a given night.
Have your residents taught you anything?
One thing is to go with the flow and the other is to not judge them when they have sex in the bathroom, next to your room.
Are you looking forward to the snow?
Not really. Don't get me wrong, I like snow, but it just reminds me that the gross soy sauce de-icing crap will be out. I'm also looking forward to watching my dad deal with snow again.
What's the best class you've taken?
U.S. Urban History from 1945 to the Present with Five College Minority Fellow [Eduardo] Contreras last spring was just a great class with great people. I hadn't had that much fun in a history class in a long while.
Any plans for next year or is that a sensitive subject?
It's a relatively sensitive topic, but I'll talk anyway. I'm looking into a couple of jobs here (being an AC or working as a Green Dean), but I'm also looking at Residential Life jobs at other schools.
This is the first post-election issue of the newspaper ... how do you feel about the outcome of the presidential elections?
Do you really want to know? I'm not thrilled with the outcome, but I'm getting over that. I've been thinking and talking about the election since last week, so it's still fresh in my mind. Taking a course on the American presidency doesn't help either. I've been thinking that The Rolling Stones had it right when they titled a song "You Can't Always Get What you Want."
If you could choose anyone in the world, who would be the presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the Democrats in the 2008 elections?
Lord, I'm not ready to think about that. Here's a random guess: Tom Daschle and John Edwards.