Update from GT! Week 2

 Hey everyone! 

I'm now in my second week of classes at Georgia Tech, and I'm loving it! I'm taking 15 hours of classes, which includes a Computer Science class in which Joe and I sit next to each other. I’m also taking Survey of Calculus, English 1101, International Affairs 1200, and GT1000. Classes are tough, but not impossible. I'm managing my time well so far, so I'm excited to see what this semester brings. So far, I've gone running on streets on the other side of 85, fed homeless people on Sunday morning, swam laps at the CRC, had an awesome week of rushing, pledged at the Beta House, de-pledged at the Beta House, swam in the Campanile (a fountain in the center of campus), played with the Club Volleyball Team, gone to the Freshman Convocation, hung out ALOT at the Campus Christian Fellowship, had fun in the water slide and hot tub at the CRC, explored campus with Leah, walked by Irina Falconi (star of GT Women’s Tennis) almost gotten arrested for running across Bobbby Dodd & Grant Field in the rain at midnight, gone to the Campus Christian Fellowship Services, played midnight dodgeball @ the North Ave. Gymnasium with CCF, gone to Grace Midtown Church, almost touched Jonathan Dwyer, walked up and down freshman hill about 100000 times, dodged the Swine Flu (so far), hung out and studied in the MLR (Music Listening Room), and lived for almost two weeks in a dorm room with a roommate. It's crazy how much goes on down here. My guys of Matheson 1 are pretty cool. I frequently hear phrases like, "don't let him get the golden key of Dulon!" or "have you entered the Gorgon Dungeon yet??!' coming from open doors down the hall. Yes, many of them never leave their rooms, they just play video games all day. But I have made great friends on my hall as well as pledge brothers like Lee Washington (Kyle Daniel's cousin). Speaking of pledgeship, RUSH was great. It was really fun trying out all the houses on campus, and I now I am a pledge of Beta Theta Pi, Gamma Eta Chapter. Pledgeship is alot different than I thought it would be. For one, alot of my spare time now goes towards filling out informational sheets on all of the brothers, cleaning the coat of arms or whatever they call it in the doorway, hosing down a brother of the chapter at every meal, memorizing names, home towns, majors, and family information on all the brothers for the test on Sunday night, racing to answer the phone whenever it rings and practically shouting into the phone "Beta Theta Pi this is Elias, how may I help you?" Pledgeship is interesting, to say the least. I'm not sure if I like it all that much, but I'm giving it the old college try. But I've got alot of cool pledge brothers, so that makes it a bit easier I suppose. Leah and I hang out all the time, and I'm going to miss not eating meals in Brittain Dining Hall with her anymore. But I think we're all going bowling in the Student Center tomorrow night! The Swine Flu is getting pretty serious here. They quarantined 5 ZTAs and this girl I had dinner with the other night decided to inform me halfway through the meal that she just got tested for Swine Flu and was waiting on results. Let’s say I left quickly. But we get emails from campus health and safety everyday, telling us the numbers of GT Students confirmed is rising. My roommate, Billy, actually did get sick yesterday, but it was because he gave too much blood and then passed out from lightheadedness or something. I think he saw like 5 needles sticking out of his arm and had fainted. Last night one of my pledge brothers was arrested at an off campus party/concert. And about the “almost gotten arrested for running across Bobbby Dodd & Grant Field in the rain at midnight,” yes it’s true. It was me and my "big brother" from CCF. The cops stopped us, but we got off. I’ve only been here 2 weeks and almost have a criminal record! Wow.

I miss everyone, alot!

elias j crist