Other Stuff
Ballroom Dancing
On a whim, at the beginning of my second semester at Cornell, I decided to attend a lesson put on by the Cornell Ballroom Club. At the lesson it was announced that the team was looking for a few more gentlemen to join the team. As I had enjoyed the lesson I decided to check it out. At the time I was concerned about the time committment required for the team. By the end of the semester, the time committment was no longer an issue as ballroom practices were the highlight of my day.
Over the semesters since I joined team I have developed a preference for the standard/smooth style of dances (which includes dances like waltz, foxtrot, and tango). As of this update I am dancing at the gold and novice/pre-champ levels in these categories.
See Pictures page for pictures from various competitions.
Swing
I actually started swing dancing before I started ballroom dancing, however at this point the ballroom dancing tends to dominate my dancing life. This being said, I still love to swing dance. Big band, and jazz in general, is some of my favorite music and swing tends to be applicable in a larger number of settings than many ballroom dances. I focus mostly on East Coast and Lindy Hop, although have started to learn a little bit of West Coast and Balboa as of late.
Music
In what little spare time remains to me after research and dancing I play the trumpet and piano. I have been playing both instruments since elementary school. In high school and undergrad I played trumpet in a jazz band. Since starting grad school I only get to play on rare occassions, but it is a nice diversion when I get the opportunity.
Comics
I find that the comics sections is the best part of the paper. Some of my favorites include Zits, Foxtrot, and Calvin & Hobbes. A collection of comics that I find amusing can be found here.