Inauguration post

DUG HALE / THE EAGLE

So as the token grad student among The Eagle’s new online correspondents, I’ve been granted the gift of my own blog in which I can write about pretty much anything decent.  The only drawbacks are word minimums, deadlines and a column title that’s only one letter away from being a Disney movie about insects.  I can work with this.

While this inaugural post won’t be typical of my style here, let me tell you a little about myself.  I live in the great state of Virginia, former home of T.J. —best friend of John Adams, the great second president and influential member of the US’s 2^nd Continental Congress as immortalized in 1776.  I used to work in D.C. at a nonprofit and was a yuppie myself, after undergrad in Vermont, and have again found myself back in the District.  I’m 25, a current grad student at AU and I love life.

In accordance with the claim I’ve made of loving life, I’m going to throw myself out there.  I’ve been toying around the idea of a “human guinea pig” approach as a running segment of this blog.  If anyone wants me to try something they’re too embarrassed or too uncomfortable doing, particularly involving breaking or toying with social norms, send a suggestion my way at dh1245a@student.american.edu and I’ll make my best effort at doing it, blogging about my success or failure along the way.  Whether it’s performing things of which I have no mastery in front of crowds, going on a blind date, performing in some bizarre contest or anything else you can throw at me, I’ll give it a shot if I can scrounge up the time and money.

So what to expect from this blog, otherwise?  I won’t pull any punches now; it’s going to be a conglomeration of me A) analyzing social, political and cultural issues; B) waxing poetic on everything from art to music to pop culture; C) commentating on everyday (and the unusual) absurdities in life and D) writing about whatever else I want or am requested to write.

Thus, keep reading, shoot me a comment or email if you like and catch y’all later!