I'd much rather write about something complicated like the relationship between internet media and postmodernity, or something depressing like the war in Iraq, or something funny like my friend Ben. I'd much rather just write about Oberlin, which is neither complicated, nor depressing, nor especially funny. I find it much harder--and less interesting--to write about myself. But I will because it would be good to have an idea of what I'm all about.
I've been at Oberlin for three years. I lived in a quad in North, then Tank Coop (which I still believe is probably the nicest place I'll live for a long time), and now in J House. Next year I'm living in a big house off campus with six friends. I'm really, really looking forward to it.
My major is History. I like history because, as Carl Zimring once told me, it covers everything that has ever happened and involves people. I really enjoy looking at states and governments and nationalist movements. My idea of a good class is one that requires me to sit down with a big book of foreign policy documents. (Luckily, there are a few really great classes like that at Oberlin.)
I like to say that I'm kind of into the Middle East. I studied in Jordan last semester and this summer I'm going to Jerusalem. Most of my academic pursuits involve the Middle East, as do my non-academic interests (like blogging and journalism). If there is a lecture about anything involving the Middle East--and there are a lot of them--I'll probably be there. Please do not assume that everyone at Oberlin is like this. I swear they're not.
I'm not especially artistic, but I am constantly surrounded by the arts here. My girlfriend and a disproportionate number of my friends are art majors. I have somehow become very familiar with the art department. And some of my friends are involved in developing an art movement in Oberlin that is not connected to the school. (This is something that I intend to blog about later.) I love going to see art shows and I'm constantly impressed by my peers' work.
There are a lot of things that I want to blog about in the future: the 2008 elections at Oberlin, Jewish life at Oberlin, OSCA, Tank, art openings in Fisher, silk-screened posters, awesome lectures, Israel-Palestine on campus, Professor Beers, and WOBC. I'm sure there's a lot more. If there is anything that anyone out there expresses a particular interest in, I'll be happy to talk about it.
I look forward to writing for this blog. I am a huge fan of Web 2.0. I love YouTube and Wikipedia and social networking and the blogosphere. I believe in the power of the Internet. I don't want to write viewbook ad copy and I won't.
