This was a PM from me to Praise, and we agreed to post it for everyone to read.

"Oh, it was definately a memory I'll treasure forever. Last night was karoake night and the Newman Center, and we had some fun singing...I did "Only Lonely On The Inside" by Hootie & The Blowfish. Our fun was cut short because Father Tom was doing his scripture series next door in the chapel, so some of us went and listened. Father Tom was being his usual Father Tom-ness! He's so awesome! We also are trying to lend support to one of our friends, Nick, who was on the beach trip with us this weekend. Nick is a freshman, and one of his best friends from back home, who was a high-school senior, killed himself over the weekend. Hung himself...for no apparent reason. He was perfectly fine...the last person you would think that would commit suicide. And he didn't leave a note or anything, so no one can understand why he did this. So we're all trying to get together to give him the support he needs in these times. He's an amazing guy...one second he's making jokes...the next minute he's sobbing uncontrollably. But we (especially Stacey) talked to him last night, and let him know that he's not alone. A half hour later he was still red-eyed but making jokes again. I think he's gonna pull through, but its still going very hard on him.

Tonight I got Mass, and me and Paul are going to be doing the Newman Center art & design meeting. Father Tom invented it, and has some ideas for cool things we might do, so I'm looking forward to that. Funny, the girls at the Newman Center have an girls-only book club called "Lady in Waiting" for Catholic female ECU student who are putting prospect of relationships, love, etc. on hold--"in waiting". Nick says in front of everyone "Matt's a lady in waiting!" And I say "No, I'm a GUY in waiting!".

I got to play selections from my new tape to Steve, who was interested in my the 2 instrumentals on it. I was explaining to him how I multitracked myself & the instruments, and he's going to email me with some good computer programs for multitracking. Since Radiohead's new album came out last Tuesday and I bought it and took it with me on the weekend, we listening to selected tracks...now they all went out and bought a copy for themselves. Spreading the word...love it! Forgot to relate, another awesome experience of the weekend was when I played guitar while all of us guys sang "Unchained Melody". It was the kind of thing that just give you goosebumps all over. "I need your love...I need your love...God speed your love to me..." Sigh...

Life seems to be getting better, for some reason. I find being on the computer now a bit boring, and can't wait for the next time I can go over to the Newman Center. Yesterday was just gorgeous, windy, 65 degrees...and there was just this feeling of complete peace and contentment on me...ever though I got a "D" on my clock project, which I will have to redo...even though I had to spend 4 hours in the darkroom which was as cold as a meat locker, with my hands in cold photographic chemicals all the while...even though I wound my film wrong when developing and a lot of it stuck together...even though someone stole my box of $50 photographic paper and had to bum off a classmate (Shane, who refused to let me go buy some lesser quality paper and insisted I use some of his. He said "There were times when I almost got screwed on a project, and another student helped me out. I'm just returning the favor.") See, there are still good people in the world.

BTW Father Tom revealed to us that in a past life he was a dog, a cat, a bird, a potato chip, and a Dunkin' Donut (several times). We was SO wacky over the weekend...if you were there, you would have died laughing all weekend! His two catchlines were "I want crackers!" "Let's form small groups now" and "I want to watch the green slime hit Nebraska!" He was also impersonating the weather lady on the Weather Channel, and kept saying things like "I'm going back to Greenville now, I forgot my favorite pencil." Ah...I just can't stop talking! I could write a book about this weekend. Can't wait till the pics come back! Man, I must have talked yer ear off! Hope this didn't take TOO long to download!

--Matt "