Warner Huntington III: You got into Harvard Law?
Elle: What? Like, it's hard?

although i have no doubt that many, many students turn down harvard each year to attend other equally -- in not more -- wonderful (mental)institutions, i have not been strong enough in my resistance. in fact, my attempt to reject harvard was as futile as keeping quiet a group of school girls waiting for a backstreetboys concert to begin.

sans the shrieking. although when the law school mistakenly sent me a letter of acceptance, i may have squealed. but only once.

when harvard did me a favor by offering me an interview invitation last fall on a specific day at a specific time in a city i don't live, i was flat out insulted: i, for one, am a full time professional running my own department at an organization in which everyday counts. what the hell made them think i'd just hop on a plane -- on my own dime nonetheless -- feign sickness at work, and cancel all the previous engagements i had already confirmed because they wanted to see my face for thirty friggen minutes?

("i feel comfortable using legal jargon in everyday life..." i object!)

at least i slept on the plane ride up and did work on the the plane ride back.

i'm a fucking sell-out.

and that really -- really -- pisses me off.

i hate giving in to assuming authority: despite my declaration that i would write, "i rejected harvard" on my resume, instead, i'm going to be forced to settle for writing that i attended. besides, they were stupid enough to accept me. suckers.

"law school is for people who are boring and ugly and serious." maybe elle's best friend will let me borrow her lucky scrunchie too.

since i'll probably have nothing worthwhile to add academically or intellectually, i have decided that my mission for the next few years is quite simple: to be the voice of reason to the administration, stupidity in the classroom, and humbleness within the student body. civil disobedience is a tough job, but someone's got to do it.

unfortunately for them -- like aephi -- they got me.

just as i shoved jewishness at the jewish-resistant sisters of my sorority, i shall bring stupidity and talentlessness to the stupidity-and-talentlessness-resistant nerds at harvard.

and the only viable explanation i can deduce is that harvard took a chance on me: if you've ever seen legally blonde, you might recall the scene in which the members of the ivy league admissions team look at each other and excuse her sorority's faux fur panties for being an indicator that elle is a "friend of the animals."

i bet aephi wished i had designed faux fur panties for our charity project instead of being jewish.

as for me, harvard probably sat there and thought: "well, she didn't write a book (it's coming dammit), discover a cure for cancer, or spend six years in the peace corps feeding malnourished children in africa. but when her thong hung out of her black pants during her interview, it looked like she, too, was a friend of the animals."

and i also scented my resume.

but perhaps one of the biggest dilemmas of this decision has nothing to do with finding housing, making friends, or building my resume over the next years of my life; rather, what makes me sick to my stomach everytime i have to face it is how to craft a tactful, humble answer to the question: where do you go to school?

if you've ever met a harvard graduate, you can pick 'em out immediately from their answer to this question -- the answer is: "in boston."

seriously, it's a loaded question. kind of like, "are you pregnant?"

yet as a civil disobedience-r, while i am profoundly disturbed by my inability to be strong enough to turn down the self-important institution, i am mildly comforted by the notion that i am still the in the minority as perhaps the twelfth person in history to go to harvard because i didn't get into my first choice.

in the meantime, i guess be garnering good material for this blog and my book ... at harvard in boston.