Campaign Post!

For those just tuning in now, I'm Keigo Atobe, Master of the Blog. For those unfamiliar with The Prince of Tennis, the anime I made famous, you may read about me in my profile to the left. To learn about my conversion to Catholicism, and how I came to acquire this blog, read my introductory post.

At the present moment, however, I, Atobe, am not here to extoll my own achievements, but those of a good, good friend who's running for SGA President (I wanted to run for senate too, but foolish me, I forgot the deadline). Leslie Higgins, though he has surrendered the stewardship of this blogspot to me, continues to type up new posts fairly often. But given the present circumstance, he felt it best to leave the electioneering to me, so to avoid the tenor of self-praise.

Whether, dear reader, you are a long time fan of A Blog from Atobe, or you just popped in when you heard Leslie Higgins had a blog, you have come to the right place for information about this fine candidate. No catchy slogans, no pricey pinbacks. He doesn't even have Facebook ads--since he prides himself on being the one student not to waste time with social networking, that would be hypocritical. But as an avid blogger, he saw fit for me to write this little ditty for him. Before I commence my own accolades, I'll allow the chap to speak for himself. In the words of his forthcoming poster:

"Leslie Higgins is a man of many talents and passions. Chief among these is his activism in and love of Student Government.

"In his 3rd year as a senator, Leslie has been the driving force behind drives to acquire more lounge furniture in the dorms, and was an early supporter of blocking access to malevolent sites like Juicy Campus and Collegeacb. Known for being outspoken and hard-charging, Leslie was a vocal opponent of placing cameras in dorm lobbies, has always opposed wasteful spending, and is always putting in his two cents about the menu, music, and foolish removal of trays in Taylor Dining Hall. Lately he has been working hard to get a Student Bill of Right in the SGA Constitution.

"A triple major in Political Science, Philosophy, and Theology, Leslie knows well the importance of the liberal education offered by Assumption College, and as SGA President will continue to work for its enrichment and oppose any attempts at its dilution."

Indeed, there shall be no dilution of any sort with Leslie's campaign. Whatever the issues are that he'll try to stress in the next two weeks, he just can't hide his proud affection for the Catholic intellectual tradition. During the time I've known Leslie, he's only become prouder of this college as it has flourished under the guidance of its President, Dr. Cesareo. If elected, he looks forward to an even closer and friendlier relationship with the administration, offering careful input for its plans for the college when appropriate, and giving an impassioned and heartfelt voice to concerns and apprehensions of the student body when they arise (and yes, he's serious--he's not backing down on trays and lobby cameras).

Recall that above, I said forthcoming~ as it is, the campaign finances are a bit tight. In a normal senate re-election campaign, even a fellow like him, whose wallet starts to feel thinner soon as the local manga (Japanese comics) retailer comes into view, could afford the whole shebang no problem. But in the race for the highest office in the Student Government, the tradition is to pull out all the stops. The biggest poster size, for use in the campus center, is $3.50 a copy--that'll come out of next month's manga allowance! One of his opponents has already spent over $80, just on mailbox stuffers! When I learned of Leslie's economic disadvantage I, Atobe, a scion of Japan's old rich, offered to pay his way dollar-for-dollar with the Keigo Atobe Slush Fund, but alas, the honest man turned the soft money down. Rugged individualism. Ain't that the American way...

Back to topic. Despite stiff competition from worthy rivals, Leslie has vowed to win this one for Assumption, and on a budget. To that end, he's already released a simple poster ad on ACTV, so fellow Assumption greyhounds should watch that. Posters will be up after break, he's got a phenomenal speech (and perhaps a song?) planned for April 7, and he'll hand out fliers a little later. Freshman, sophomores, and juniors, he'd appreciate you vote on Tuesday, April 13. Seniors, leave your alma mater the gift that keeps on giving, and tell your freshmen kōhais to vote, once again, Leslie Higgins for SGA President!

Even my cultured eloquence has certainly failed to extol the man, the legend, Leslie Higgins, as it is right to, so I may as well answer a few Infrequently Asked Questions (IAQ) while I'm here.

Q. Is it true that Leslie is a traditional Catholic, and what does that mean for me?

A. The rumors are true. Leslie, like I myself, was attracted to traditional Catholicism during his conversion process. He's running for SGA, not Campus Min, so this hardly affects the office he's running for (minus that he would like to substitute an actual prayer for the "moment of silence" we have before Sunday meetings when no campus minister is present). If you're not Catholic, he won't force you to go to Mass; he himself can hardly stand praying in our excuse for a tool shed. If you are, Leslie would prefer a chapel with pointed arches, a priest that faces away from him, and a liturgy in a language he doesn't understand.

Q. Why didn't Leslie write anything in the Provoc this year? I miss/still revile his older works.

A. As he told it to me, the staff and writers of Le Provocateur did an excellent job this year. There were things he disagreed with, but nothing was so bad that it cried out to Heaven for vengeance correction. He's a fan of the SGA and "As Simple As That" columns, and believes student journalism has reached a peak just as all the newspapers which could've employed them are failing. As SGA President, expect Leslie to make full use of the SGA column, perhaps with advice or even an exec guest column or two if he's come down with writer's block. So give him your vote, and prepare yourself for a neverending logos of wisdom/drivel appropriately tempered to the new column.

Q. Why manga and anime?

A. Where but manga and anime do you find such sweet living dolls (Rozen Maiden)

For all you wondering how manga can tie into sound politics, here's a pic of Taro Aso, Japan's former Prime Minister, engrossed in the very same Rozen Maiden. As SGA President, Leslie intends to put at least one colorful, cheerful anime poster on the wall by his cubicle in the SGA office.



such FINE Catholic gunslingers (Black Lagoon-note Roberta's crucifix)


a tranquil and virtuous Catholic school for girls (Maria-sama ga Miteru)

and, for the ladies, a sportsman of my build and caliber, with such a worthy rival as Seigaku's Kunimitsu Tezuka (The Prince of Tennis)

Need I say more?

Q. When did he get into anime?

A. Leslie had his first toke in the fall of 2008, when he was looking at music videos of Smile.dk's "Butterfly", the anime theme song.

Q. How will he be able to handle the awesome responsibilities of the SGA Presidency with a triple major?

A. If he can handle the awesome responsibilities of manga and anime, a little thing like student government shouldn't be a problem.

Q. Does he ever wear anything besides that tie and vest?

A. On occasion he's been spotted running around in a dog costume during traditional Assumption events and sports games.

Q. Does he have an official theme song?

A. The Verve's "Bittersweet Symphony".

Q. Does he expect that anyone will read all of this?

A. Of course not.

Be awed at the sight of my prowess!

Sigh. Went into mourning when I heard the news, and only now do I raise my eyes from my folded, tear-soaked sleeves, so that I may lecture you Americans on what you have done.

*************

First, however, a musical dedication is due. This is my tribute to Ben Nelson, Bart Stupak, and all the formerly pro-life sell out Democrats whose made this abomination possible.

*************

As loyal readers may remember from a post I, Atobe, wrote in the heady, hopeful days of the Scott Brown campaign--alas, we dared to dream that a once-in-a-lifetime upset might slow the universal health care juggernaut!--despite the peculiar ways of we Japanese, I have long admired America as the last holdout against European- (and Japanese-) style socialism. But when Obamacare takes effect, Americans will, for the first time if I've not forgotten anything, be forced to buy something by their government. Though I am no libertarian, the government has no business interfering with health care, and is not justified in taxing some citizens to subsidize the care of others. The woes to come from the centralized planning and regulation of such an immense industry will surely be sad and staggering, but even they are not my main concern. By the very nature of its mission, the political order should not see health care as a good it is entitled or due to provide.

As Aristotle saw it, the end of government is to pursue the highest human good, happiness, as only it can. By defining virtue as a way of life in accordance with the demands of virtue and reason, he made this vague end a little more concrete by tying the human good to natural excellence. Governments should, according to Aristotle, promote a way of life which encourages moderation, justice, and the appreciation of the goods of the soul. Again, for you Americans, this may seem rather high-minded and vague, 1. Aristotle knew the life of the mind was not for everyone, but certainly thought more would take it up in a well-ordered society than one overcome by a materialistic mania. And 2. As Christians, we attempt to live according to a piety which allows us to worship and contemplate a First Cause of the Universe (akin to Aristotle's Unmoved Mover in more ways than one) in a manner accessible to men and women in every walk of life and philosophical ability (Nietzsche called Christianity "platonism for the masses"). We know that we live against the ways of the world, but its nice to not have the government against us as well.

Even setting aside the incalculable harm done by the doctrine of the Separation of Church and State, the American government becomes more hostile to would-be livers of the good life every day. What kind of example does our regime set--and I am still not to Obamacare-as-Obamacare yet--when, under an unimaginably huge national debt, it continues to enact and accrue entitlements under every new Congress? Americans have a knack for getting into credit card debt and investing in houses they can never pay for, and their government is not setting any better example (given its support of the Federal Reserve, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac, Uncle Sam has long encouraged this vicious behavior). Is there not something disgusting in a Nation whose own regime leads the way in such shameful immoderation? Even if there were never any consequences from such behavior (I'm not an alarmist, but there will be some sooner or later), a Nation with such spending habits is sick in its very soul. Even as parents, I should hope, teach their children the value of a yen dollar and the value of an honest day's work, your regime acts as if it deserves what it cannot afford. Though the CBO claims Obamacare will save the government money, I will not fall for it for a second. [Bay Staters will recall the comically under-budgeted Big Dig, which was still poorly done. Just recently I was in my car driving through Boston, and a piece of concrete from the tunnel's ceiling nearly landed on the roof. Were it not for my dexterous chauffeur, I, Atobe, might have been done by a government boondoggle!] This massive, unaffordable entitlement, intended to provide for the health of the body, eats away at the strength of the Nation's soul.

Socialists will object that health care is a basic "right", a prerequisite for happiness which the government is uniquely able to provide. I don't deny that health care in itself is a good, but it is not necessary for human happiness. In Plato's Republic, Socrates praises the medicine taught by the followers of Asclepius, which was simple and intended for those with essentially good health. I left my Republic back in Tokyo, but I re-found this quote here:

Asclepius...taught medicine for those who were healthy in their nature...but were suffering from a specific disease; he rid them of it...then ordered them to live as usual....For those, however, whose bodies were always in a state of inner sickness he did not attempt to prescribe a regimen, or...to make their life a prolonged misery...Medicine was not intended for them and they should not be treated, even if they were richer than Midas.

Harsh, but Socrates makes, or implies, a point we moderns have wholly forgotten. Descartes notwithstanding, we are never going to conquer death. We can prolong our lives, even double their lengths, but the danger is that mere life might become the end in itself. Contrary to the common wisdom, I argue that not only health care, but education, the building of roads, and the maintenance of order and the apprehending of criminals only serve a secondary good: they allow us to live normal lives without undue fear or worry. This secondary good is not worthwhile because it allows us to accumulate wealth, live cozy lives, and watch The Prince of Tennis, no. These measures are only justified insofar as they create the conditions in which we can attain virtue, and attain the highest and the best good, intimacy with God. Anything which distracts from the realization of these goods has to go. Concerning you Americans and your brand-new, swanky government medicine, does anyone dream that the government undertaking such herculean efforts so that a few citizens may live a few years longer does not send the message that the chief, if not the only goods, are bodily? I, Atobe, need not elaborate on the evils which will come from creating an entire bureaucratic caste commissioned with regulating health care; they will speak for themselves in but a few years.

My, that was quite a rant! I dredged up all that stuff without even raising the old conservative worries about government's (in)ability to manage the health care industry, the inevitability of rationing, the utter phoniness of the executive order stopping the bill from funding abortions, and the burden on taxpayers. Others, your Atobe is aware, have already made them. But someone needed to remind his dear readers that this is merely the latest leg in their national rat race after comfort and ease. Chase after the ephemeral for a good 80 or 90 years, and then die after a life devoid of worth and virtue. That is the American Way.

Given the advances in the technology of health care, it was probably inevitable that such an industry of scale would eventually come under the control of government. Republicans are already campaigning for a repeal, but while I trust their sincerity, liberal politics doesn't allow second guesses. By the time the G.O.P. controls Congress, court historians will have already written Obamacare into the ladder of American progress, and the mere suggestion that it was a mistake will produce no more than an incredulous gape (though I do hold some hope that the Supreme Court could strike it down; we can only pray and hope). But today's loss of freedom shall remain an evil to recall painfully for generations into the future. Much can be said of the wonders of modern medicine, but ultimately, it is a luxury, and a luxury with the worst side effects. Decreased dependence on the family, the straining of social security systems, I could go on and on. Perhaps I am a hypocrite; the Atobes probably receive better medical care than President Obama himself, but a truth is a truth. We have compromised our souls for our bodies, and we will reap the consequences. Sob... Atobe shall now be crying off. But even in the moment of defeat,

Be awed at the sight of my prowess!

This evening, I attended the finest Mass of my entire life. Just days before, a friend gave me the word that there would be a Latin Mass at the College of the Holy Cross, the Catholic Ivy across town. When he asked if I'd like to go with him, I immediately replied "Of course! Absolutely!", as I had been deprived of the true Mass for months on end (no, hecklers; I only say "true" because the best New Mass is not even a shadow of an average Mass of the Ages). Though Tradition is very dear in his heart, he and another pal he was kind enough to drive had never been before, so I was as glad for them as for me.

As my friend told me, their St. Joseph Memorial Chapel more than puts Assumption's Chapel of the Holy Spirit to shame, as you can see here.

Click on the first image above to enlarge it. As I noticed before Mass, and the priest noted in the homily, the inscription on the entablature is the beginning of the Traditional Mass:

INTROIBO AD ALTARE DEI AD DEVM QVI LAETIFICAT JVVENTVTEM MEAM

meaning,

I will go in unto the altar of God. To God who giveth joy to my youth.

I don't want to uglify my post, but if the reader wishes to burn their eyes looking at Assumption's cherished toolshed, they may see it here and here.

Quite logically, Father spoke especially of the second line. At times his homily rang with the language of a pre-reform missal, and he must have mentioned at least two dozen saints, but his words instilled in me--as I imagine it must have for the Holy Crossers--the fear of the Lord. Because of the neglect of the devotion of wearing the Brown Scapular, he preached it after speaking about St. Joseph as remembered by the Doctors of the Church. I am probably well off to be enrolled in the Brown Scapular (the few times it's come up in conversation with my peers, they usually don't know about it; I blame bad CCD), but boy, did I gulp when Father said a person usually spends seven years in Purgatory for every confessed mortal sin, and that Catholics are only promised the Sabbatine Privilege if they pray five decades of the Rosary daily! Since I've managed to neglect it lately, I did one when I returned. What can I say? Authentic Catholic preaching gets immediate results. The High Mass, fittingly on the Feast of St. Joseph, went on for over two hours; by the end we were still mesmerized by the sacred hymns and ritual, though we had to leave during the Last Gospel because my friend had work. For once, I thought, the splendor of the Mass reflected its effect. As I told my confreres in Catholicism, "That Mass was fitting reparation for all the guitar masses which have ever been said!"

My expectations were nowhere near as high. In spite of the gorgeous grounds--such a gorgeous setting, I remarked, looks like something that would have to be created with CGI--studded with romanesque architecture and statues of saints (even the modern art looked half-classical), it was after all Holy Cross; the local bishop has at times threatened to revoke the Jesuit school's Catholic status (while across Worcester Assumption College displays its loyalty to the Church with greater pride every year). Who, then, invited the visiting priest and brought the Mass of 1962 to Holy Cross? The Fenwick Review, the college's conservative newspaper, named for Benedict Joseph Fenwick, S.J., the founder of Holy Cross (and Boston College). The newspaper has been quite controversial from what I gather; though they don't have a website, read this aged rebuttal to criticism, which appeared in The Crusader, the college's chief newspaper, in 2003. Also see this 2006 NRO article by a friendly Holy Cross professor of political science. College Republicans are known for mocking liberals with juvenile brilliance, and the Fenwick Reviewers are no exception:

...one item undoubtedly stood out as the most “hateful” thing the Fenwick Review had done. During the 2004-05 academic year, Holy Cross’s gay-activist organization was selling T-shirts featuring stick-figure drawings of three couples: a man and a woman, a man and a man, and two women — supplemented by the motto “fine by me.” In other words: I’m a tolerant person who agrees that “gay marriage” is just as “fine” as “traditional” marriage. In response, the Review’s editorial page reprinted the three stick-figure couples and the caption but added one more pair: a man with his pet sheep.

That's the way to do it, kids! Sometimes, though, college conservatives come across as shallow neoconservative, David Horowitz types (a type hardly absent from my present place of study), but evidently the Catholic conservatives at Holy Cross are something more. The best way to foster a conservative mind, they know well, is to advance and make flourish the Mass of All Times.

This is Barbara Rosenkranz, the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) candidate for President of Austria. The incumbent president, socialist Heinz Fischer, is so popular that the mainstream Austrian People's Party isn't running an opposition candidate, leaving the field open for a thrilling contest in the mold of the French presidential election of 2002. The Far Right's Jean-Marie Le Pen beat out the socialist to the second round, and scored 17.8% versus Jacques Chirac. Though a Rosenkranz victory is hard to fathom--though not much harder than a Scott Brown win--I expect she'll fare much better.

The scoop on this most remarkable lady. As I was scrolling the stories on the ever-juicy Council of Conservative Citizens, I came across a headline reading, "Conservative mother of ten running for president of Austria. Media hate campaign begins." Can't have one without the other. When I heard she's running for the FPÖ, the insurgent party known for such Catholic stalwarts as Heinz-Christian Strache and Jörg Haider (at right, though he departed to form another fine party a few years before his untimely passing in 2008+), I knew she was a quality candidate. My immediate thought was, "Is this mom of ten Catholic?" Sadly no. Per this heavily unfavorable Telegraph article:

Strongly anti-EU and anti-immigrant, Rosenkranz also advocates strict family values and traditional gender roles [should say sex, hate that term].

This image took a beating when her local priest revealed that she had left the Church years ago and that none of her 10 children - who carry old German names like Mechthild, Hildrun, Arne or Sonnhild - had been baptised.

Wonderful names though. Usually I would count that against a politician, but Fischer is also a nonbeliever, so she definitely gets the Catholic points for her platform. But it remains a sad sad for the former dominion of the Habsburgs when neither person vying for president has the Faith. The time is not yet come for a true worthy to again hold the highest office in Catholic Austria. At left is an Austrian 5 schilling piece from 1935, depicting the Madonna of Mariazell. I have always quite adored it.

The hate part? As you can read in the vitriolic article linked above, she's called for repealing the law against Nazi sympathizing and Holocaust denial. This is always made to sound horrifying, but lest the Europeans forget, we Americans have done remarkably well without laws against revisionism. Here in the US of A (man do I feel proud of my country to say this!), even the Left, which would love nothing more than to shut down conservative talk radio with the Fairness Doctrine, hasn't made laws against Nazi sympathy/Holocaust denial part of their agenda. As it usually happens in European politics, Rosenkranz clarified her rejection of National Socialist ideology when requested, and again as usual, that still isn't enough for the Leftist mongrels. Does anyone still believe this media mockery serves any purpose but to tarnish the promising stars of the Right? Does the media tribunal ever present Rosenkranz, or any other pro-family patriot, with a way to confirm their innocence once accused? Our President, Barack Obama, has often been accused of being a closet Marxist, and on better grounds. Why don't we expect a stream of endless denunciations and pandering from him? Predictably, Cardinal Schönborn has declared Rosenkranz "not eligible for election", which is probably the strongest indication available that pulling the lever for the dame is the Roman Catholic thing to do.

Salutations, from Okinawa. Though it's a little brisk for this time of year I, Atobe, am not disappointed. I'm just glad to be away from still chilly New England, and to finally spend some more time with my family. The only disappointment is the timing; I missed the Traditional Latin Mass by the SSPX Asia, which operates on a tight schedule, by a month. Mustn't complain; my chauffeur drives me to the Mass of the Ages every Lord's Day (if you were wondering why you never spy me, the ever-pious Atobe, in Assumption's own discount ski lodge chapel). Leslie is not quite so lucky, but he called me up a few evenings ago, quite happy to report that he'll get to attend the Saturday afternoon Mass in Holy Innocents again soon; his class sometimes plans trips to New York City for those who lack the means to get there themselves--oh, how does the other half live!

Hope you're enjoying your vacation as much as I am mine. I know, I know, you probably miss me. Fortunate as you are to read my thoughts as I bask in an island paradise, you are deprived of my voice. I, Atobe, understand, so I invite you to listen to my engaging "Cross With You" (click, you know you just want to) from my Hametsu e no Rondo album, one of the most rockish singles I've done. When some class waves were coming in, the lyrics, "I'll climb over the peak of the coming wave", "I've reached the summit of the wave", popped into my head.

Be awed at the sight of my prowess!

This--is going to be a tough sell. But sheer excellence demands an advocate.

As readers of this weblog know well, the Japanese have an interest in Christianity which stems from their love of the West generally. Animes are often cluttered with crosses, Catholic churches, and so on. Yet, it seems that the more an anime glows with a Catholic patina, the more questionable are its virtues for the believer. The classic example is Neon Genesis Evangelion, which heads off the "Do Not Discuss" Titles at the Christian Anime Alliance. Now, the series I'm about to recommend has as many, or maybe even more, pious do-dads as Evangelion, and they're even more overt. In fact, the devotions to the Virgin Mary, the hymns, the Catholic-based rituals, the nuns, and the frequent prayers are not just anomalously thrown in to spice up an otherwise irreligious plot line, nor are they tied to un-Christian occultism: many of the characters are believing Catholics. What is this wondrous series?

Maria-sama ga Miteru, or The Virgin Mary is Watching, shortened to Marimite. Now, the first thing I've gotta say is, this show has class. As I was searching for nice images for this post, I found these. I suspected something was afoot, and I was right: they're based on Botticelli's Primavera! See:


















A chibi-sized variation with a line from the intro's purity guarantee:

















Here's the original Primavera for comparison:



















Set in Lillian Girl's Academy, a fictional Catholic school in Tokyo, Marimite is a romantic drama of the finest excellence. The protagonist is Yuki, a first year, who becomes petite sœur to a second year named Sachiko, herself below bouton to the Rosa Chinensis. The titles I just used are from the sœur system used to foster proper manners in students. The three roses, from left to right Rosa Foetida, Rosa Chinensis, and Rosa Gigantea, are titles given to the three heads of the Yamayurikai, their unique and intriguing student government. Beautiful settings, graceful movements, placid classical and a cappella music, this show has it all. The above-mentioned piety is overt; even when they're late for a meeting, the girls stop to pray in front of the Virgin Mary statue. There are also several Marian hymns, including a fine rendition of Ave Maria. Though this article claims that "most students are not Christian, and they pray to the statue as they would pray to any other icon or statue at a Japanese shrine," I have seen little evidence of this as of the 1st season (of 4). (In episodes 10 and 11, the out-loud thoughts of a secretly irreligious girl give the impression that she doesn't fit in.) And even if it were true, my favorite character, second year Shimako Todo, is definitely a believer. In episode 7, when Yuki mistakenly thinks Shimako doesn't know what Valentine's Day is about, she responds, "Of course I know something about Valentine's Day. February 14th, Valentine's. It's a holiday for an Italian saint who was a martyr." I doubt most Western Catholics could pull that one off! Oh, isn't she cute! Such attractive curls, and sparkly eyes. This Magic: The Gathering spoof captures her essence perfectly:



And as I mentioned earlier, each episode reiterates this purity claim: The maidens who assemble in the Virgin Mary's garden today, too, pass through the tall gate with angelic smiles on their faces. Their pure bodies and minds are wrapped in dark-colored school uniforms. The pleats on their skirts and their white sailor collars should always be tidy. Walking slowly is preferred here. The Lillian Girl's School is a garden for maidens. Well-mannered young ladies in decent attire: what more could the papist desire?

The anime is an adaptation of a light novel series, so I take issue with Atobe's comments about light novels two posts ago. The franchise was popular enough in Japan to merit a Pizza Hut tie-in campaign--yummy!--but the books aren't even published in the US. Pity thing, but I'll cut to the dilemma I alluded to earlier. Well, it may be tainted for importation because... I'll admit to a few qualms for Christians due to... however much I admire Bishop Richard Williamson I disagree with him about many things, probably including... if you couldn't guess already...

Now you get the idea, though not actually involving these two. But even if Marimite counts as yuri, none of the girls ever have more than romantic friendships of the sort that were common and completely acceptable in the 19th Century (the exception being a flashback in episodes 10 and 11, which actually omit the purity guarantee at the beginning!) What can I say? The show is still charming, and has too much good to pass up for a few quibbles. Marimite poses no challenge to the believing Catholic, and there are certainly more questionable passtimes lesbians could be engaged in than watching this series. It is my belief that, had there never been a Fall, women so disposed would act just like Lillian students. And as the Renaissance popes could tell us, add a few prayers and holy images, and anything becomes holy. Only half kidding. Of course, the problem won't be serious unless/until the Catholic aesthetic draws our Crusader into other pernicious shojo-ai timely masterpieces such as Strawberry Panic! and Tetragrammaton Labyrinth.



But no seriously (I exaggerated on purpose--I've always felt a nostalgia for the sacred bawdiness of Renaissance Catholicism), Maria-sama ga Miteru is a great anime, which I recommend to viewers of discretion. It literally took me days of scoring the 'Net to find the first season's episodes in an easily viewable format, but I'll save you the time; they're all available here.

Miss me? This fine photograph was taken by a Campus Ministry acquaintance, because I need one for use on campaign posters in the upcoming Student Government elections. Fittingly, the background, which is real, has a holy card glow to it, don't you think? I may not be the handsomest Pundit to ever live, but she certainly captured me in my best light.

Grateful as I am for Atobe's recent assistance, it is nice to check in again. The spring break approaches, but there hasn't been much to write about. No traveling for Crusader88. Frail thing that I am, I prefer to stay home and read. As against the rabble, whose highest aspirations are Mexico and Florida, I would easily prefer frigid Hudson Bay had I a choice. After break, there will at least be another New York bus trip (prompted by my persistently nagging the class president, believe it or not), so I look forward to that--I haven't been to a traditional Mass in eons, so maybe a free afternoon in Manhattan will be just the opportunity to reconnect with the Traditionalist character of my Faith. The only academic note I will add is that I am apparently being inducted into Phi Sigma Tau, the collegiate philosophy honors society. Woo-hoo, I thought, as I noticed the $25 fee. Since eight or nine other students from the same small major are getting in this year, it's really more of the negative honor of not being rejected. And then, one has to consider all the honors they did not get. For that matter, the eligibility qualifications don't impress me much either. Now, I probably shouldn't be poking fun at Phi Sigma Tau before the initiatory ceremony, but hey, I already handed in the check. There is a plus, though: the emblem. As a Catholic, I can't join the Freemasons and get all the insignia that comes with a rank in the craft, so their emblem, which in "Each of the angles contains a word representing one of the five streams of world thought: Chinese, Indian, Islamic, Hebrew, and Greek," is probably the best syncretic consolation prize available (the Muslims get a stream, but not the Christians? What gives? This makes little sense, especially since Phi Sigma Tau began at Muhlenberg College, a Lutheran school).

We'll talk anime next time. Preview: it's a devout Catholic anime! Sort of...