To get you better acquainted with our section you should know some basics. Two-thirds are men. Less than one third of the woman are single. Less than one-third of the men are married. There is only one known incident of intra-section romance. One in 12 students is from South America, and an undisclosed amount believe Chile?s flag is suspiciously similar to the Texas flag. One-hundred percent of students elected Raul to be our tech rep. He?and his team?are doing miracles with our website.
T
he section does have established norms. For instance, we do not have a written policy about when you can or cannot speak, we have curbed discussion on voting rules and have banned voting on which arm you are allowed to raise in class. We have not voted to eliminate mid-class bathroom breaks, however have only endorsed such absences in the case of imminent incontinence. While the section does not yet have a name or mascot, we are voting on this soon. One interesting development, Shoney Katz has successfully petitioned to be included on the ballot. If he wins, this could be the first ever student-mascot. Finally, Tom Field?s invention, The Technical Question, has been successfully transplanted into all classes.
So what are the people like in Section C? Class cards can be informative appetizers. For instance we learned that Nick Nagrant knows Pennsylvania railroad history, and that Phillip Borden enjoys “long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, puppies, and stargazing.” We also learned that Irene Chang was once a pop singer in Taiwan under a Warner label.
Of course, it is the experience within the classroom that provides greater insight into Section C. Early on in the semester we learned we like to debate. Indeed, Leslie Perlow, our LEAD professor, reinforced this point when she revealed debating was the most common objective among students in a recent poll of the class. This passion for vigorous discussion has lead to many discerning comments. For example, during the BioPure case, Fritz Burkart made the strong point that indeed dogs cannot speak English. He said, “It?s not like with humans who can actually tell the doctor how they feel.” In another medical case, Faheen Allibhoy discussed how Medi-Cult?s In-Vitro Maturation (IVM) was difficult to take: “It?s not like eating an orange.” To follow-up this point, Chris Payton deduced that IVM should then not necessarily be considered as a gift or Christmas present.
In the after hours, Section C adds new dimension. Early in the semester, on a Pravda Wednesday, Isabel Hollunder-Reese and Daniel Arippol established themselves as seasoned salsa dancers. Fortunately, they were generous to teach others in the class. These efforts were continued at Do Re Mi, a popular Karaoke bar in Allston. Here, Chinwe Ajene, Timor Kuru, and Mike Kayamori proved they too could dance, but also sing a wide variety of boy band and popular Top 40 hits. While many songs were sampled, the most popular was Britney Spear?s, “Oops, I Did It Again.” After several renditions, the Karaoke machine issued the coveted 99% rating?meaning if they can?t find internships this summer, there are alternatives. In the spirit of full disclosure, yours truly sang Tina Turner?s epic, “What?s Love Got to Do with It.” Unfortunately, I was reminded this won?t be opening any new career options for me.
At the Priscilla Ball we learned Section C has substantial chest hair and probably limited opportunities in male modeling. And at the Harvard Ball we learned that Jonathan Waggoner and his band Corporate Whore really can sing well. Incidentally, Jonathan is considering joining the professional circuit at Do Re Mi.
Lest you develop a skewed impression of our section, you should know there have been contributions made outside of the classroom. Lauren Reiss ran all 26.2 miles of the New York City marathon, raising over $11,000 with a friend for a World Trade Center relief fund. She even had the trophy limp the next week to prove her success. And immediately after the September 11 attack, Niall O?Kelly orchestrated a trip to the blood drive. Lisa Thomas, our Community Service Representative, rallied our class to contribute several hundred dollars in non-perishable goods and has been recruiting us to join her on Saturday mornings with the Taft program. Finally, contributing to our success on the soccer field, Erin Russell supported our sectionmates with freshly sliced oranges.
