The Week in Review

The bells in Harkness Tower, the looming belltower adjacent to Old Campus, where all the Freshmen live, tolled out a Britney Spears tune this evening (at once impressive and appalling). Yesterday at noon they played the Moonlight Sonata and Fur Elise. They've also done "Beauty and the Beast." You've got to hand it to them, really--I know a few people who actually ring the bells. The selection and variation certainly keeps things interesting.

On Sunday I arose before 7 to catch one of two buses full of Yale students headed down to NYC to attend a rally for Darfur. The buses didn't leave until 8:45, which meant I had gotten up at least 45 minutes too early, but it was nice to be up early. It was a cool day in the city--I didn't shed my sweatshirt once. The rally was not as large as I had expected it to be--perhaps a few hundred people. Apparently several thousand had showed up last year. I suppose the general public has grown tired of this particular bit of ongoing human strife. Regardless, I was glad I went--there were some very interesting people speaking: refugees, people from Amnesty International, video clips of various activists.


My week otherwise has been relatively uneventful but good. My suitemate Molly and I got in to a pilates class at the gym, which will be fun--it's good to actually be doing something physical, considering the amount of time I spend at my computer (although I think the five flights of stairs definitely count for something). I also got to see the author Anne Fadiman read last night, which was wonderful. I was originally introduced to her work my Rob Wilder, I believe, and was extremely pleased to find that she teaches a class at Yale--I intend to take it as soon as I can. The room where she was reading was packed, so we lurked inthe doorway, along with several other people. The reading was wonderful.

Today was the day for Sustainable lunch and dinner in the dining halls. Lunch was: a corn & zucchini omelet and roasted potatoes. Dinner was grass-fed burgers, roasted potatoes, peas, and gorgeous sliced heirloom tomatoes. It was lovely (although I am absolutely aching to bake [ha ha] or cook something--I'll have to look into using the Morse kitchen soon).

I'm going on a Slavs retreat this weekend to Maine, which will be fun--I think there will be lobster.