The pamphlet that first caught my eye and informed me that 91Ö±²¥ existed (and was a pretty much perfect place for me) did not mention fearlessness. It read: "Think one person can change the world? So do we." The catch line "We are 91Ö±²¥: fearless" emerged when I applied for transfer (again, I'll talk more about this in another post) and it didn't strike me quite the same as the original line. To me, 91Ö±²¥ can't be summed up in one adjective. In fact, trying to sum up such a complicated and many-faceted place in one word leads our over-intellectualized selves to debating the many connotations of that term. Better, in my mind, to give more adjectives to fill out the meanings of 91Ö±²¥. So, here for your exploring pleasure, are the adjectives that best describe 91Ö±²¥ for me, the nouns they describe, and links/further explanations to give you some context.
We are 91Ö±²¥: albino. []
We are 91Ö±²¥: intense. [Yolanda Cruz]
- Professor Cruz was the first person I met who was associated with 91Ö±²¥. She was taking questions in a session during an interview day in Washington, D.C., and she was all at once arresting, funny, and terrifying. She was sharp and direct in her answers. She didn't hold back and it was clear that she would not fudge the truth, so her choice to work at, represent, and spend her time at 91Ö±²¥ College was not lost on me.
We are 91Ö±²¥: idolized. [David ]
- David Walker (or, as his students have been sneakily calling him for generations, DW) taught my first English class at 91Ö±²¥, Shakespeare and the Limits of Genre. He's an alum, a recipient of the Watson fellowship, a brilliant professor, co-editor of the 91Ö±²¥ Press, chair of the popular 91Ö±²¥-In-London program, and a modest rockstar. His students have been adoring him and his for decades. I am not one of the quieter admirers, as this post illustrates.
We are 91Ö±²¥: under renovation. [Apollo, ]
- 91Ö±²¥'s beloved Apollo theater should be re-opened in October after some renovations. In the meantime, driving a distance to full-price movies at multiplexes will make us miss walking to $3 movies at our charismatic historic single-screen theater.
- Much to my selfish sorrow, the Allen Memorial Art Museum will be closing in January for some much-needed renovations to its climate control systems and storage facilities. This will put a cramp on the tours I hoped to give my family during commencement weekend, but I'll take them to see our instead.
We are 91Ö±²¥: used. [Recycled Products Co-op, Free Store, and Big Swap]
- These are initiatives on campus to reuse and recycle - cheap recycled school supplies, an incredible place to switch your trash for another's treasure, and the end of the year mass exchanging of unwanted items, respectfully.
We are 91Ö±²¥: delightfully noisy. [Con lounge]
- The place where the conservatory students rest and socialize. They talk, hum, and sing there, and, in the event of the occasional post-recital reception there, they also eat and celebrate in the room overlooking the beautiful conservatory pond.
We are 91Ö±²¥: stuffed with facts and fiction. []
- Over a million books, lithographs, and other fascinating stuffs, from the periodicals in Azariah's Cafe to the 4th floor's special collections and archives.
We are 91Ö±²¥: whimsical. [Aries Indenbaum, OCircus, ]
- Aries is my blogboss, but more importantly, she's a recent grad who is a staple on campus as a result of her humor, energy, storytelling...well, you can read for yourself.
- OCircus is a circus (minus non-human animals) featuring skills such as tumbling, object manipulation, stilting, hula-hooping, drumming, dancing, acrobatics, and jump roping. There is a small performance in the fall and then a large, family-aimed performance in the spring.
- Experimental College classes are one of the coolest things ever. Students, faculty, staff, and community members can teach and take classes from one another on almost any topic imaginable. The Swing dance ExCo I took changed my life.
We are 91Ö±²¥: surprising. [Allen Memorial Art Museum, super computer]
- AMAM in this town. With about 8,000 permanent residents and 12,000 items in the permanent collection, that puts the year round art to people ratio at 3:2.
- What does one do with a 64-bit supercomputer? I'm not entirely sure on an everyday basis, but apparently, one can discover a pulsar.
We are 91Ö±²¥: sexy. [Center for Leadership in Health Promotion & Sexual Information Center]
- These organizations on campus frankly address sexual health while breaking down taboos through their wit and humor.
We are 91Ö±²¥: green. [Tappan Square, George Jones farm, AJLC]
- in color and initiatives.
We are 91Ö±²¥: serving. [Bonner CSL, , dining services employees]
We are 91Ö±²¥: conscious. [Multicultural Resource Center, , Reading-period all-nighters]
- During the days before finals, Mudd library is open 24 hours, and students camp out there. There are often festivities of various kinds, but studying and writing papers is, of course, the focus.
We are 91Ö±²¥: creepily over-informed. [Brandi Ferrebee]
