Two quick things

[raven]

I am well. A little frazzled, a little lonely, but generally doing okay. In a minute I need to go and do some actual work for a class, omg, etc. I have lots of thoughts about how weird the US legal system is from my perspective, but they can wait, possibly forever.

Two things, quickly. Firstly, a rec:

Five Things Rosie Weasley Misses During Her First Year At Hogwarts, by deathbyshinies.
A Melbourne girl goes to Hogwarts. This is so, so, so lovely. It's a nuanced, thoughtful rendering of one particular postcolonial experience, and it's done with such a light, clever touch. I love the splashes of colour in it - snowball fights, international Floo - and I love its warmth. Everyone needs to read it, like, now; it's something we need more of in fandom.

(Also, it was a going-away present for me. <3, honey.)

Secondly, I need some advice, or some help, or something. I have met quite a few people on my course now, and they seem nice. They are nice: nice, staid, copyright-law-abiding types. Which is so far so hoopy and I'm sure I will make friends, yes, etc.

But, well, I have made some preliminary enquiries, and it seems Cornell doesn't have the tradition Oxford does of societies for, well, everything. I was variously a member of Docsoc, Taruithorn and the late great ou3fs, and in the end I made very few friends who weren't in some way peripherally connected to them. Societies here are Serious - you know, the Cornell Student Lawyers and Cornell Democrats and the Indian Students' Association, that sort of thing, and not what I'm after. There must be geeks and fannish people at Cornell - but how do I find them?

(Before anyone mentions it: yes, there is an LGBT society here, and I may check out their events, I may not. I'm just kind of reluctant about that, seeing as I am the stereotype of the queer-woman-in-relationship-with-man, and you don't know in advance how welcoming people are going to be to that.)

Any advice much appreciated, yes.

Comments

[rosariotijeras.livejournal.com]

This is probably a stupid question, but does Cornell have any sort of "Student Organizations" page on their website? Surely at a big uni like Cornell there's SOME kind of nerdy organization - but it may be geared towards undergrads.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

It does have one, but it seems to be a work in progress this early in the semester. I think I shall have to keep an eye on it. (Part of my impatience is to do with my only being here ten months, so making friends is pretty vital for me - and I appreciate I'm preaching to the choir there. :))

[rosariotijeras.livejournal.com]

Wait, they update it between semesters? How utterly bizarre and efficient!

Again, possibly a pointless suggestion because you've already thought of it, but simply wearing nerdy things to class (surely you've got a DW t-shirt or 5) or other events with a casual dress code can make you a lot of friends.

And yes, I totally understand and I 100% trust that you'll get there. :D

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*smiles* Thanks, honey. When the weather cools down enough for sleeves, I shall wear my xkcd t-shirt to classes. (The book is in the campus bookstore! Somebody's out there!)