Nailed It

Happy Spring to one and all! I just finished my first week back from a sensational spring break. Things appear to be just as busy as before the break, but without swimming, balancing my classes with only Hamlet is easier. And by "only Hamlet" I mean deadlines for abroad programs, grant applications, meetings with teachers, and of course four hours of rehearsal every day. Hamlet is only two weeks away!

As for my Junior Year Abroad situation, I'm going to be studying in London next fall with Skidmore and the British American Drama Academy. "The Shakespeare Programme" is geared towards English majors who want to study dramatic criticism, acting Shakespeare, and 19th century British literature. It's WONDERFUL and I just got the letter today confirming my acceptance to the program!

But now, States. I don't think I've ever had a more fun or exciting weekend. Our team set 9 new school records, 3 per day. I finished in the top 8 for all three of my individual events - 5th in the 200 IM, 4th in the 400 IM, and 2ND PLACE in the 200 breaststroke, when I swam a 2:07.61, an NCAA B-cut time. In fact, I'm proud to say I became the first person in the history of Vassar men's swimming to qualify for Nationals! But it was a good thing I wasn't invited to go to the National tournament because it would have interfered with my amazing spring break plans....

My first week of spring break was spent with Jewish Funds for Justice in and around New Orleans, Louisiana. We did a variety of service learning projects which really opened my eyes to the post-Katrina situation in the South and the systematic problems our country is facing. I loved the culture shock in seeing Boothville and New Orleans, and got one night of experiencing the jazzy French quarter near Bourbon Street. I also made lots of Jewish friends from North Carolina and Vassar. It was a really fulfilling and educational experience and I hope to return to New Orleans in the future.

During my second week I saw another part of the country I've never been to. Some of my friends in the Vassar Drama department and I went to Ashland, Oregon to see the incredible Oregon Shakespeare Festival. It was a week of quality theater by day and meeting with professional actors and directors by night. We saw an amaaazing production of Hamlet that prompted those of us in Vassar's production to think about our roles and the endless possibilities afforded us. I had so much fun in Ashland and maybe one day I will live there as a professional actor!


For every event during the finals, the top 8 swimmers get to walk out to music. This is me walking a mile ahead of the other qualifiers because I was SO PUMPED UP by "What is Love?" I ended up doing the 200 IM in 1:56.70, as seen below...




The VCSD men! We had some unbelievable times and scores - everyone dropped time and improved that weekend. It helped that none of us had hair...


I had been staring at that 2:13 all school year - I beat it by 6 seconds!


This is what our record board now looks like. Look how many 10s there are (for 2010)!


Vassar in the winter time.


Spring Break 2010: My first time seeing the Mississippi River!


This is Denida, the woman whose house we gutted and helped rebuild. She and her family were very grateful for our efforts, though many of us felt frustrated by how little difference it made. Honestly, Boothville looked like it had been weeks, not years, since Hurricane Katrina, so there is a lot to be done. But like Pastor Turner, our host in Boothville, said, just coming there and showing that we care is half the battle.


This is our group, after completing the reconstruction of the trailer house.


This was one of the nice new houses in the lower ninth ward, where Brad Pitt's "Make It Right" foundation builds eco-friendly houses for property owners who would otherwise be displaced by the government. This area where the levees broke is fascinating because these fancy houses are right next to the toxic, water-damaged houses that have had X's on them for the past 4 and 1/2 years.


This picture was taken at a public garden after I moved a giant pile of compost. We gardened a lot in New Orleans with the Food and Farm Network, which provides local and organic food accessibility to struggling families.


This is Kathy, who taught us about the French-Indian slave trade in Algiers, near New Orleans. We worked on her project, the African Village, an outdoor exhibit that needed new gardens and paint work. Kathy and the other community organizers we worked with were absolute role models to me.


Downtown New Orleans!


Celebrating our week of hard work.


We got beignets at the famous Cafe du Monde! And hats!!


Jack and Leoni enjoying the wonderful weather in Ashland, Oregon.


Ashland is a cute little town set in the scenic southern Oregon hills. Everyone knows everyone and everything is walking distance.


My friends and I took lots of random photos.


My head's cut off, but it's still a good picture.


These are the four shows we saw at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Hamlet and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof were my favorites.

I'll be sure to take my camera into the Martel Theater at some point to capture some of the moments in Hamlet. It's going to be such a huge, fun show and I'm really excited. Until then I'm just trying to get as much sleep as possible while keeping up with classes and deadlines. I know that the rest of the school year is going to zip by, but there are so many good things ahead. :)