Niger is a country in Africa

Lost in translation: An on-campus group had already been advertising themselves under a sign announcing "Starvation in Niger." What they meant to say, I'm sure, is, "this week we're having table-a-thon and for every hour we sit here, we want you to sponsor us with whatever amount of money you would like to give, and all the money collected will go to help end the starvation in Niger." I heard through the grapevine that a couple of mischevious AUC students thought it would be funny if they demanded from the tablers an explanation for their insensitive media. "As Africans," they are reported to have said, "we are deeply offended that you would advertise like this, portraying all Africans as starving and helpless people." (The reader should notice the great irony in Egyptian AUC students being offended on behalf of all of Africa, as Egyptians tend to dissaociate with black Africa, and AUC students are not quite known for their activism). They apparently carried on the charade for a good while in the same concerned tones, and flummoxed and flustered, the tablers did their best to smooth their ruffled feathers and convert some pagans to the cause. Our joculant protagonists, as they later admitted, realized they had taken their joke a bit too far, disengaged, and went off to class.

The next day, another sign, dutifully printed out and stapled under "Starvation in Niger" read: "Niger is a country in Africa."

Hair length: Ashton Kutcher - That 70's Show

Immutable natural law of the week: There is always more room on the metro.