Tossed into a lake of self-reflection

I was walking home today from gaelic when this guy stopped me in the street and asked if he could ask me a question for his radio show on Scottish Radio. I was aprehensive, but he just wanted me to discribe micheal moore and richard nixon. He had both their pictures on a piece of paper. So i described them, and realized, halfway through, i was describing them without saying "democrat" or "republican." I am getting exceedingly tired of those labels. In fact, I am getting exceedingly tired of a lot of labels. "gay," "straight," "left-wing," "right-wing," "goth," "preppy," "jock," artsy," etc.

I am tired of labels because of some people's reluctance or inability to look past them. I know, I suffer from the same thing. I hate it in others because I hate it in myself. Rush just ended at Dartmouth, and to my dismay, I found that my house yet again, does not have as many pledges as any of the other houses. This can be excused with many reasons, but as D and I were talking, those reasons are BS. A lot of people don't want to join our house because it is not national, with national ties. We try and downplay that by saying that we have a huge alumni network and that we still have ties to our national. Obviously we are trying to define ourselves within those labels of "national and local." The benefits of a local house can be listed with ease, as they are different from the nationals.. we are allowed to have alcohol, boys and parties in our house. I think in order to attract more members we need to define ourselves outside of national and local, but that is difficult. It is the same with fraternities. They all have their labels. I was talking to my friend about his fraternity, and he's one of the members that doesn't "fit within the label." And I think that is a problem. I know that people gravitate towards people like them, and want to be in a house where they are comfortable and have things in common with other other members, but to the extent where it stays the same for several years and doesn't change bothers me.

Maybe it's not the idea of labels that bother me, as much as the inflexibility that they bring with them. I guess several apply to me "New Yorker, Liberal, ivy-leaguer, liberal arts major," and I feel pigeonholed by them. Like if i want to be a liberal i have to be specific type, or to be a new yorker i have to be able to complain about the traffic, declare that our city is the best (which it is) and walk fast. Or fill other such ridiculous criteria. Ok, enough reflection on labels for me.

There is a cute boy in my Gaelic Class who smiles at me. It kind of freaks me out.

Tomorrow I am going shopping and then out to the Student Union. It should be fun.