This past Friday and Saturday, I was back at Princeton for homecoming weekend and it was one of the best Princeton-related experiences I have ever had! Here are some of the highlights:
1. New Ideas for PCW!
On Friday morning, I attended three workshops for Princeton volunteers - one on affiliated groups and the other two on event planning. I came away from both workshops with a lot of new connections and ideas for upcoming PCW programs. For example, wouldn't it be great for Princeton alumni in DC to have the opportunity to have one-off precepts and seminars from Princeton graduate alumni? In order to make this happen, I'll need to step up my efforts and ask for more help, but as Dumbledore says, "help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
2. Saying Hi :)
I am so glad that I had the opportunity to check in with some of the folks who were integral to making my Princeton experience amazing.
It was amazing that I had the chance to spend a little bit of time with the my friends at Quad (including the exceptional Quad Staff: T, R, D, and N). Also on Friday, I got some invaluable life advice from A, P, and of course PFK. Finally on Saturday, before the game, I had a chance to talk briefly to HS '52 - the Founder of Sustained Dialogue.
3. The Haircut.So if you don't know by now, I have a kind of mohawk thing going on with my hair and it kind of surprised some of my old friends. One of the funnier mini-episodes that occurred this weekend happened as I was looking for my seat: someone saw me and shouted "there's Usher" - Lol
4. Princeton Beats Harvard!
If you haven't seen this video by now, just take a look.
I have been associated with Princeton for about five years: yesterday's Princeton vs. Harvard game was one of the greatest football games I have ever seen! Princeton mounted what had to be the greatest comeback in Ivy League history - 29 points in the 4th quarter - purely EPIC.
Furthermore, I went to the game with my Quad folks and had the chance to rush the field with them at the end. And here's another cool thing about this particular game: it was special to see a lot of the senior Princeton players that I knew from my time as a Freshmen Scholars Institute RA earn such a memorable victory.
5. A Special Moment at the Aspire Dinner
There were a lot of special moments from this weekend, but there was one that really stands out from the reception/dinner celebrating the completion of the Aspire campaign on Friday night. During the reception portion of the evening, I had an opportunity to speak with a member of the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church - the church I attended during college. In the company of fellow ABPA members, she told me that a presentation I gave a few years ago convinced her son to attend the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute. The W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute is a summer academic enrichment and leadership program for minority middle and high school students that is held on Princeton's campus; I attended DuBois in 2004 and it was the first time I was really challenged and pushed intellectually. Upon hearing that this lady's son had attended and graduated from DuBois my night was infinitely boosted. It was really humbling and heartwarming to hear that something I considered small might have made a significant difference in another person's life.
