So although suppressing my base cultural instincts has previously been an emotional burden, I'm happily on the way to recovery now.

For the first time since prep school I can admit I like, no love, McDonald's food.

The White House has five full time florists.

In some circles, puffy red hair is considered attractive.

Not all sorority women are flaky.

My seminar roommate turned out to be president of a sorority and the front-runner for student body president at U. Michigan.

Though she was a green-eyed size six with shiny hair, I respected her intelligence and leadership skills.

Apparently, so did some high ranking administration officials, one of whom invited her to go to the White House and "meet the big guy," whatever that means.

Hum...I wonder if Theta would let me rush now?

Fax machines were the key to the democratization of Eastern Europe.

Mississipi State men are more fun than Harvard men.

At other college, professors don't lecture; they teach.

There are computer gnomes living underground in Harvard Square who retrieve our papers when they get lost in the Harvard University Arts and Sciences Computer Services system, according to Former Counsel to the President of the United States C. Boyden Gray '64.

Gray commended Harvard's efforts to speed along the information super highway.

The White House, on the other hand, learned from the Iran-Contra affair never to use a system which makes backup files, Gray said.

Although a 3-day conference on "Issues--'94" may not be your typical rite-of-passage, it nonetheless reminded me I have indeed grown older since high school. I wasn't afraid to sleep through a lecture and I didn't come back with any souvenirs this time.

While I may not have learned anything about public policy, I did have a good time--and that's more than I can say for most Harvard weekends.