Traditionally it’s frosh who cut their hair off dramatically, but I guess I wanted to be nontraditional in my head-shaving activities. I have had long hair for a while and I was just feeling ready for a change. Here’s me before:

photo by my friend Nate LeBaron, who takes amazing pictures

I decided to try an intermediate undercut while I’m still young and wild:

Finally, Hell Week came and I decided that the most fun and festive time to go for the big shave. I missed the green days of rowdy performances freshmawr year, so I decided to make an occasion of it– it went on my grandhellee’s schedule to shave my head and I gathered anyone who wanted to join in the campus center. If nothing else, I hoped the peer pressure of a crowd chanting “shave it off!” would ensure that I would stick to my bald guns.

Here’s my grandhellee, Angela, shaving my head, taken by my wonderful bud Isabel Andrews.

I love the bald life! Showering takes five minutes, I don’t have to do anything with it in the morning, and I love the breeze and sunshine on my scalp. I’m reminded of an occasion a few years ago when I had the opportunity to see Morton Feldman’s amazing String Quartet #2 performed live in Phildadelphia. This piece lasts for six hours and, as per much of Feldman’s music, is very slow and meditative. The FLUX Quartet, who were performing the piece with impressive stamina, were stationed in the middle of the cathedral that served as a performance space and the audience was sitting in chairs arranged in a circle around the performers or milling around the space. I remember looking across the room to see two men standing on the other side of the quartet, one of whom was rapturously rubbing the other man’s buzzed head with both hands for quite a long time.

At the time I was confused and even slightly uncomfortable, but now that I’ve been walking around with a buzzed head for a few days, I understand both of these men absolutely. I love how often other people come up to pet my head and have been very impressed at the positive consent practices I’ve seen from other Mawrtyrs. So far it’s been a really fun change.

(library selfies: a grand tradition)

Y’all, I am in love. I am in love with waffles. This is basically me now:

I’ve been asking my friend’s lately, “How bad will it be for my health if I eat a waffle every day?” but to be honest I don’t want to know the answer.

Waffles are my true love right at this moment, and the Haffner waffle machine is filling my life with romance. In honor of this special day, which is first about celebrating favorite foods and second about Hallmark making money (I think someone mentioned there was a part about love but I really don’t feel like I have authority to confirm or deny that), I’m going to share with you my favorite waffle topping recipes. See the tiny instructional card next to the waffle iron for the base waffle instructions:

Chocolate Caramel Waffle:

Go find:

– chocolate chips

– caramel sauce

– optional: whipped cream

– a tall, cool glass of 2%

As soon as you remove your toasty waffle from the iron, dump a lot of chocolate chips on there. It’s important that you do that very first so that the chocolate has plenty of time to get melty. Swirl on some caramel in an appealingly plated fashion and top it with whipped cream. Take your waffle to a nice sunny table and don’t talk to anyone until you’ve finished it. Important note: check your mouth for chocolate afterwards.

Cinnamon Sugar Waffle: 

Gather:

– butter (usually I get one pat per quadrant plus one more to supplement)

-sugar

– cinnamon

Have a friend babysit the cooking waffle (honestly you might need someone to help you finish it as well so a partner in crime is important) while you scurry around and mix up some cinnamon and sugar, which is approximately equal measures of each ingredient. Butter the waffle the moment it comes out of the iron in order to give adequate melting time. Give it a minute to get melty and sprinkle generous cinnamon sugar on there. Enjoy with your co-waffler.

Waffle Sundae:

You’ll need:

– ice cream

– whichever fruit-based items are out there (I like the blueberry and cherry pie fillings)

This is even more food than the last two so a bud to share with is extra important (plus sharing is great!) Take your waffle, plop some soft serve on there from the machine, then plop a fruit-oriented topping on top of that. Try to get to eating quickly to minimize meltiness/sogginess. Note: you can and should add ice cream to the above recipes as well.

If you’re indecisive like me, you have every right to put different toppings on each quadrant or each half.

Enjoy! Exercise caution, unless you’re me!