Hey yall, sorry about the long break between posts. It seems like the end of term brought so many tests, projects, and papers, that my head was going to go all Exorcist with a 360 degree-headspin and explode. I'm really glad it all happened before the break, though. I can't imagine coming home and having to worry about having finals afterwards.

So my first term is over. Reflections (I like to pretend I'm an important wise person, like Yoda):

Wal-Mart may be a soulless, evil corporation, but I'll be darned if they don't save me some money on food and supplies.

Taco Bell is always better at 1AM.

Professors are extremely helpful, but don't be afraid to email them. If you talk to them, they will like you. It's that simple. Of course, it helps to, you know, be prepared for class and contribute, but honestly, just be real with them.

Once somebody in your hall gets sick, just be aware, you're in trouble and you should quarantine them right away.

Get as many Terrier Bucks as you can. Those things vanish quicker than Houdini.

I'll post more of these as I think of them.

Anyways, so I'm gearing up for my Interim in January on how to regard American cinema, or something to that effect. I would like to be the next Scorsese, so why not? So once that ends, I've got actual Spring Term classes to enjoy! Woohoo! No joke though, I am pretty excited for them, I have heard great things about all my new professors.

Anyways, so I've been building up quite an extensive amount of pictures, so here we go.

Sorry about how blurry this is, I really couldn't get a decent picture from how far away I was. This is the Mr. Wofford competition, basically Miss USA only with more testosterone and rad dance moves. It was done before Homecoming, and basically voting determined who would be the contestants in it, and there were costumes, dancing, pick-up lines...everything a Wofford man should be, right? Well, it was hilarious. Also, that's Brendan there in the bee suit (Bee-rendan? No? Puns are awful).

There was way too much time spent doing this. Mack and Hunter playing Mortal Kombat. Video games are everpresent and it's hard to get time spent studying (or writing blogs, heh...please don't fire me) when you can watch Superman totally beat the crap out of Sub-Zero by tossing him off the side of a building.

Yes, girls have actually dated me. I know. This is the face of a sleep-deprived college student as he goes off to his 8:30. Yeesh.

Finally, a little intro to these next pictures. FYI class is something that was just started, and it takes up one of your gym classes per week. You learn about diversity, living on campus, drinking, etc. All the general "you're a freshman, learn these things." It is run by a person from Residence Life and your RPMs, which is...resident peer mentors? It's something like that. You get the gist of it. They're the people that introduce you to Wofford and show you right from wrong. Big ups to my RPMs, Mike and Sarah! You rule! Well, for one of our final classes, we got made cupcakes:

Then, we got in a circle, and if somebody said something that you were or ever had done (failed a test, went to private school, etc.) then you got to chuck a marshmellow at them. Ever wonder what it's like to have somebody fastball a 'mellow at you? It can actually hurt, especially if your neck seemed to be a magnet for them.

Matt and Brodie line up their shots while Connor on the left there seems to be disapproving of the carnage.

Oh, the humanity.

On a final note:

To everybody who rules (you know who you are), thank you for making this first semester an amazing one. I love you all.

'09's gonna be just fine playlist: "Benny and the Jets" by Elton John, "Life is Looking Up" by Forgive Durden (buy Razia's Shadow, that is an amazing album), "Like This" by Tech N9ne, and "Viva la White Girl" by Gym Class Heroes. Good luck in 2009, kids.

Hey everybody. I am writing in the middle of my craziest week. I am currently trying this new thing of taking in my papers to teachers before they are due (I know! I must be insane to do that!), but hopefully that will allow me some gracious level of success. This blog is actually a warm-up for doing the real work. Hopefully they read this blog and I know how HARD I am WORKING on their PAPER. Hm looks like my caps lock key went on and off there. Whoops!

But really, I kid. These papers are intellectually challenging (comparing Plato and Kant's outlook on knowledge and ethics or something to that effect, I haven't fully fleshed it out yet + commenting on a state of paranoia in America...I just blew my own mind), and way tougher than anything I've had to do. However, it is like a workout. The mental strain is the good type of burn, like after doing 1,000 curls. I don't know if you heard, but I did 1,000.

Winter finally has arrived, and strangely, so has intramural soccer. Outdoor soccer. Let that sink in. Yeah? I know, it should be basketball during this time! Great conversation. But yeah, I got some goalie time in, always a good decision.

Edit: Stop with the car alarms! If you cannot find your car in five minutes with that thing blaring, you don't deserve to find it. This is your friendly neighborhood Alex Keen saying if you leave your car alarm on for five minutes, I will find you.

And talk to you about it, duh :)

But hey, here are some pictures.

There's the rain jackets I was talking about for bid day. I am not tan or ripped at all so as you can see I was not confident about going shirtless (see Mack's blog for the alternative, the boy is rail thin).

So apparently, taking pictures in class really freaks people out, so I stopped doing it (I don't like weird looks). All I got for now is:
This is what I see every morning walking to French. More to come, including a marshmellow fight in my FYI class. Why? What is FYI class? And is that person on the right happy about being on my blog? (Probably not!) Find out next time, same blog channel, same etc. Have a great week.

Hot traxxxxx: "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea," by Elvis Costello, "Ruff Ryders Anthem" by DMX, and The Maine cover of "I Wanna Love You" by Akon.

Hello true believers, I'm back. I have been promising and promising to take my camera to take pictures of my classes, but alack alack, I have not. However, I am going to set my camera right next to my alarm clock so that you will be able to picture-lly stalk me on my Tuesdays and Thursdays. In fairness, I don't have my 9:30 Psychology 104B class, so you (and I) get a reprieve. I'm looking at an 11:00AM wake up time, alright.

We (freshman) register for classes beginning Thursday, and I'm stoked to hopefully get some classes I like but not excited at the prospect of waking up at 7:20 AM and clicking refresh on the scheduler website (Bannerweb...you've got so much to look forward to, prospective students) and the mad rush to register. If you've ever had a ton of browser pop-ups open and have to click through all of them to get anywhere...it's kinda like that. Woohoo.

Awesome videos picked up by Hunter and I within the past day: 28 Days Later, Equilibrium (see this movie, it rules), Donnie Darko, that new Futurama movie, and Planet of Terror (1/2 of the Grindhouse movies). We rule.

Pledging a fraternity is sort of like a high school relationship. They'll let you know every little thing you do wrong, but it's the rights that really matter.

Buy MGMT's Oracular Spectacular. It's basically the new psychadelia. I know I'm late on the MGMT bandwagon, but they rule.

Finally, I'd like to point out how my professors are amazing. This isn't brown-nosing. But seriously, I am lucky enough that each one really cares about their students, their classroom enviroment, the well-being of the student body, etc. It's helpful to know that your professors want you to succeed, even if you feel at some points you're not going to.

If you have more than one hour of free time at college...please let me know your secret. I guess I could quit my jobs or not do homework or something. Haha.

And, finally, if you add me on facebook, can you just put a little message that you're adding me from the blog so I know? I denied a few people lately who I had no idea who they were, and I def don't want to not add you. Thanks in advance.

The Off Season, I miss you boys:

and my personal fav:

In case you wonder what I used to do in my spare time (or what my lyrics sound like), here you go!

http://www.myspace.com/toswillbreakyou

I'll probably be finishing my electronic stuff soon, and it'll be totally Saturday morning cartoons in your face. Metro Station ain't got jack on me.

hot jamzzz of the week: "Hey Brittany" by Forever the Sickest Kids, "Heartless" by Kanye West, and "Slam Crunk" by Holiday Parade. Speaking of which, google that Holiday Parade song. It's amazing.

Gobama. Last night we had a dance party to celebrate Obamarama '08, but the only pictures of it are from Mack and I imagine he'll want them for his first post. But yes, good job America. I can haz hope?!

Hot traxxxx: "Hot in Herre" by Nelly, "Beverly Hills" by Weezer, and "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt" by We Are Scientists.

If you're 18, make sure you vote! I'm pretty sure we're sitting on the most important election for at least a decade, and possibly ever. So Democrat, Republican, Green, Socialist (yes, I said that), and Libertarian...it doesn't matter. Just exercise your civic duty. It's time to define what America will be for the next four years.

(But honestly, if Obama doesn't win, I will be useless for the rest of the month. Just saying.)

So I may not have updated my blog for the past two weeks...my bad. Life gets crazy! But hey, on the bright side, I was Waldo for Halloween. Join me, won't you?

Awesome.

Ms. Cam Rhyne rocking that mask.

Katie rocks, too.

My two favorite peeps in the whole world. Mack had a stellar mime costume (and what moves! I've seen perfection, and it is his mime wall). And Caitlyn of course, with the french maid outfit. I think we can all agree she works it.

But of course, as Waldo, we gotta play! Where's Waldo?
Trey was Alex Trebek, for the record. Superb job.

Did you find me? Okay, now find my dog, a cane, my scrolls...

But honestly, this was an improvement from my attempts at a Spiderman costume earlier:

Kids, don't follow my example. Spiderman is make-believe for a reason.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT:

It looks like Mack is going to be the new blogger, which I am super stoked about. Good job, buddy! Here's looking at you!

Also, since I'm gonna make a thank you, I should probably change the font size. Ok, that's better. Caitlyn Gilliland has taken about 95% of the photos on this blog, and I am mostly stealing them off of facebook. Thank you, Caitlyn, you're the best.

You may be asking "but Alex, why are you too lazy to take your own pictures?" Well firstly, I don't like your tone young man. Secondly, due to a freak chair-wheely accident the USB adapter for my camera is currently busted. But I'm gonna fix it somehow, some way.

I am planning on taking my camera to all my classes Wednesday and Thursday though, folks, so be ready. Look your best. I'm going to do a serious, deep update so that people know what's going on.

Finally, I am going to be on the Student Life panel session for Fall Hospitality this weekend, so if any prospective students are going, please don't be afraid to ask questions! that's why I'm there.

Okay, y'all be safe. Have a great week!

Hot traxxx of the week: "She's a Lady" by Forever the Sickest Kids, "Live Your Life" by Rihanna ft. T.I. (best song ever according to my lovely girlfriend hi Lisa!), "Charlene (I'm Right Behind You)" by Stephen and the Colbears.

Best Halloween costume ever? Answer: yes
Nice work, Julia.