*I thought I posted this last Saturday, but apparently my computer died and I never finished the draft. Here's what I had:

Now Playing:
Rob Dougan, Clubbed to Death

Tonight I ended up in Caroline, after walking friends back to Minta where one realized her keys were in someone else's room. Unfortunately, she was a little sick, so due to my tendency toward a sensitive gag reflex, I found myself waiting outside the restrooms while another friend helped on the front lines. It was there that I noticed the fight going on in someone's room. Despite being about halfway down the length of Caroline from me, it was clear that a boyfriend (or at least someone involved) was having issues with one of the residents. There were a number of accusations from the guy, met with tearful defensive retorts from the girl, and then the crash of broken glass. I saw a couple of pieces come out from under the door.

Eventually the girl told the guy to leave. He did, and her quiet sobs chased the echoes of the slammed door down the stairs. The girl who we had been hanging out with got paper towels to help clean up the broken glass. My friends came out of the bathroom and had some water, then we walked downstairs and I said my good nights. I couldn't shake two feelings the entire time, both of which hit me as I stood outside the bathroom, listening to the muffled coughs from one direction and the quiet sobs from the other.

The computer just died (twice!) and I lost two solid paragraphs, because I'm too tired to remember "Save as Draft because computer sucks". Anyway. Back to the story:

So I was standing there and I realized that I don't usually see this side of college life. I've been here for years now and I still feel as if my rather tame and proper life is relatively normal. And yet, I really do know that all this stuff is going on, I just choose not to accept it or think about it. Troubled relationships, drinking to the point of sickness, and even the couple we interrupted drunkenly doing something illicit in the lobby are all a part of college life for so many people, but just because I don't see it, I feel like it doesn't happen. It bothers me somewhat that I am still so closeted (though much more aware than I was in high school, but that doesn't say much) and I hope that I can manage to be less surprised by the antics of more normal college students without becoming cynical about it.

The other thing that I thought about was that men really can be assholes. As I stood outside the bathroom, I couldn't help but hear the louder segments of conversation. From these, I gathered that the guy was drunk, confused about the girl's interest in him, and out to get laid. When it didn't look like the night was going his way, he first got mad, then got violent. Thankfully, she wasn't hurt (physically) and there were people around who were aware of the situation and willing to help. I know some guys feel that violence is the best way to solve any problem, and I know how easy it can be to get frustrated, especially when emotions are already involved. However, as this particular situation demonstrated, violence doesn't really solve anything. I wish it were easier for those in abusive relationships to distance themselves from the situation, but feelings for someone can't simply be turned off. Even if she left him today, the girl in Caroline has already would have already dealt with too much.

*That's about all I had. There will probably be something interesting soon... I keep getting good quotes and forgetting them. Hopefully this week will be a little less hectic.