Gay Guy in Seminary: Day 16 (Harry Potter is My Life)

I can't believe it's only Tuesday; this orientation thing keeps you busy! Filled out a bunch of forms and had my picture taken for the second time, not counting all the shots they got of me talking to our new Roman Catholic dean at the get-together earlier tonight where I was sweating like a pig. I really need to see a doctor about this blood pressure medication because this sweating side affect is really starting to get on my nerves. I can't get over how cool it is that we have a Roman Catholic sister as the dean for our Presbyterian Seminary!

Anyway, I'm starting to get to know my classmates and I'm starting to realize just how liberal this school really is. I don't think I necessarily have a problem with it, I mean hey, they accepted me right?, but they seem to be awfully fond of pushing the envelope. I might even come across as looking pretty conservative once all is said and done. Everyone keeps telling me that seminary will radically alter my views, and maybe it will, but I come from a pretty solid and apparently conservative Presbyterian background, so who knows?

After the get together, five of us threw together an impromptu dinner of onions, olives, zucchini and anchovies with some fettucini. It turned out really good. I even tossed in a 99 cent jar of mixed wild mushrooms and it worked out great. I was a little scared of the mushrooms because I had never tried them before, but I figured if I was ever going to use them, now was my chance. It was so great cooking in a normal sized kitchen again instead of my tiny Oxtaby one.

Our class consists of, but is not limited to, a pastry chef, a math teacher, a business major, a med student and 2 marines from California, Alaska, Montana, Colorado, North Carolina and Korea. I've already registered for 17 units. Every day has been more strange and exciting and wonderful than the last. And, magical. Here is some evidence that I might have accidentally enrolled at Hogwarts:

1. The administrative building and one of the classroom wings are actual castles.

2. Depending on how long you've been going to school, you are either called a first-year, second-year, third-year or fourth-year.

3. One of the ancient language teachers looks like Professor McGonagall and the teacher that has us growing things in the dirt looks like Professor Sprout.

4. The names of the courses sound like the courses at Hogwarts: Hermenutics, Homiletics, Exegesis, Pentateuch, etc.

5. We have to learn dead arcane languages.

6. I brought some of my things with me in a big green trunk with brass fittings.

7. Each student is allowed to bring one cat.

8. Our house names are Oxtoby, Landon, Trinity and Dobbins.

9. We learn our craft from ancient texts written by guys that have been dead for thousands of years.

10. There is a better than average chance I will be joining the Quidditch team before the end of the year.

Don't be jealous.