Christina, Ryan, Patrick, and I arrive. We wait for the rest of the posse to leave Columbia. Some brief dialogue ensues as we sit in Room 392 of the Downtown Ithaca Holiday Inn, sick after three hours of Spongebob Squarepants:

Me: What should I say about our first day of ECAASU?
Patrick: (miscellaneous mumbling)
Me: What?
Patrick: It was fucking ra.
Patrick: Except we haven't gone to Cornell yet.
Me: Um.

Me (to Ryan): What do you want me to say about ECAASU?
Patrick: It's the fucking shit!
Me: NOT YOU.
Patrick: It's absolutely ridiculous! It's off the hook! Fucking wasted!

Ryan: Say that my stomach hurts.

Patrick: Ugh, I really need to study.

This weekend the Blaaagers are going to be at Cornell, hopefully not freezing off our asses but weather forecasts indicate differently.

The ECAASU (East Coast Asian American Student Union) conference is a yearly ritual for AAA and affiliates, where we consistently go to attend workshops, be ridiculous, and learn more about how to host our own conference in April. This year's conference will feature the likes of Yul Kwon and Becky Lee, Survivor stars-turned-Asian American activists, as well as Blue Scholars, etc. Fun fun.

Registration is closed (and has been for a while), but if you tune in to The Blaaag, you'll probably see a three-day live blog of sorts, detailing our every intoxicated movement in Ithaca. And if you're up there, come find us and say hi to us! (Yes, actually. If you're creepy about it, we'll give you the benefit of the doubt.) See you around.

Now I just need to figure out how to watch Lost before leaving.

An email to The Blaaag went like this... fill it out!

Dear friends:

As part of my doctoral research in clinical psychology, I am currently soliciting participants for a study about acculturation and substance use among Asian Indians living in the United States. The study asks for demographic information, experiences as an Asian Indian person living in the United States, and past or present drug and/or alcohol use. Your participation in this survey is requested and appreciated. After completing the survey, you can enter a drawing to win a $75 gift certificate from Amazon.com.

Participation is completely voluntary and confidential. You will not be asked to provide your name or any other identifying information. No one will be able to link your answers to you personally. This study has been approved by the Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (CPHS # 11-20-07-01) and follows CPHS ethical standards and guidelines.

The survey takes minimal time to complete (about 15-25 minutes) and will provide much needed psychological research about Asian Indians. If you are 1) of Asian Indian descent, 2) living in the United States, and 3) 18 years or older, please take a few minutes to fill out the survey.

Please click here:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2bXWBhmVDH72jmTSp_2fbvs_2fQ_3d_3d

Please pass along to friends and family members, who qualify for this survey. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 415.235.2439 or at skaipa@wrightinst.edu.

I thank you in advance for your help.
Sincerely,

Summi Kaipa, M.A.
Psy.D. Candidate (Clinical Psychology)
The Wright Institute

skaipa[at]wrightinst.edu

The National Asian American Student Conference (NAASCon) is eager to present their campaign, Hey Asian America, What’s Goin’ On?, in hopes of gaining more insight to Asian Americans’ experiences across the nation. Through your stories, we want to connect students throughout various regions and discover the state of Asian America today.

NAASCon's campaigns such as boycotting Abercrombie & Fitch for their racist apparel to protesting Details Magazine for their stereotypical portrayal of Asian men are some of many that NAASCon has coordinated in the past.

As a national organization, we want to effectively distribute resources and information that would allow us to better recognize movements occurring outside of our respective campuses and communities. Reaching out beyond one’s own bubble can be a fairly difficult task if you are not connected to certain groups, organizations, etc. and it can become quite easy to stay isolated within one’s own campus, community, region, etc.

We realize the power in learning about each others’ stories and how much we have to offer each other through these experiences. This is where you, the students, come in.

DEADLINE: March 1st

LENGTH: 500 – 700 words

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS to naascon.news at gmail.com

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NAASCon is an organization created by and for students of Asian American descent. NAASCon aims to serve as a forum for AA student activists from across the country to compile resources, coordinate campaigns, and build community around shared values of social and economic justice, human rights, and collective decision-making. For more information: http://www.naascon.org