But Witt didn't seem to mind. Indeed, he says his bouts with anality are only sporadic, and very productive.

"Every once in a while I have anal days. I make 'to do' lists. I can only be around chaos for so long," says Witt. "On that day I'll accomplish 10 times more [than usual]. Ninety percent of the time, I'm a slob."

For Quincy House sophomore and self-admitted Anal Retentive Person (ARP) Manuel S. Varela '94, neatness and order manifest themselves in laying out the next day's clothes the night before, in order of what goes on first--shoes and socks last, of course.

"I've been doing it since I was six. I'm so dazed in the morning, I don't think I could pick out clothes," says Varela.

Even this habit, as unusual as it sounds, may just be another typical anal phenomenon. "I thought everybody did it," was Maggs' commentary on Varela's routine.

Varela says he hasn't always been so neatness-conscious. "When I first got here I was messy, but then it got on my nerves," he explains. "But it's gotten worse. I worry about creases in pants."

Varela also confesses to such typical analities as alphabetizing his CDs and files and highlighting textbooks with a ruler.

"I'm just neat. I vacuum often. I'm very compulsive about the floor," says Varela. "Right now, I don't think this room is neat," he says, gesturing to the one or two UC campaign fliers littering his common room coffee table.

And what does Varela think about people who don't mind a few stray fliers on a table?

"I don't think it's a big deal. To each his own. I do what works for me. Other people do what they want."

Is Varela proud to be anal? "I wouldn't say I'm proud, but I do like neatness and order," he says, adding, "By no means do I think it's a guiding force in my life."

Anal and Proud: The Planner

Unlike Varela, Amy N. Finkelstein '95 basks in her anality.

"Analness is a good thing. It prepares you well for the future," says Finkelstein. "I enjoy my anal retentiveness because I enjoy planning ahead."

For Finkelstein, thinking things through to the minutest detail is a way of life.