In writing this column, I’ve had the opportunity to interview many very interesting Whitman students. Alex Lemay, this week’s Whittie of the Week, was the most peculiar interview I’ve ever done.

Lemay is a junior philosophy major from Chimacum, Wash. He was nominated by junior Hilary Davis for being “the most genuinely open-minded person I know.”

Sally*, a first-year, said “I don’t even know him, but every time I see him, he smiles at me and it makes my day.”

Lemay began the interview by asking me to describe myself in three words. Then, he told me to really think about those words.

“Those words limit who you are. If you define yourself as the conservative kid, then you’re going to look at everything through that conservative lens. But if you tear those labels off, you’re left with nothing.” He waved his arms to emphasize his point, causing his golden curls to bob up and down.

“What do you do about that? You really want to recognize that people are dynamic human beings… I’m constantly struggling to recognize that potential in others and in myself. I struggle to be in this society with these predetermined paths and not fall into one of these paths,” said Lemay.

Lemay found himself struggling with societal expectations at an early age. Throughout elementary school he participated in ballet and gymnastics. Then, his classmates found out about his “feminine” hobbies. Amidst constant teasing, he quit ballet and gymnastics and took up Little League Baseball instead.

After high school, Lemay went to Thailand for a year. He taught English but found himself learning even more. He was forced to think critically about American customs he previously take for granted.

“I always had to be conscious of myself. In Thailand, something little like putting your feet up is a sign of disrespect,” noted Lemay.

Lemay likes traveling for the trauma it causes. Although it might seem counter-intuitive, he believes the best way to discover oneself is by going through difficult times.

Lemay is a firm believer in traveling cheaply. He uses hospitalityclub.org to meet people from other countries and then stay at their houses for free. Last summer, he spent a mere 300 dollars for a month in Europe.

For Lent, Lemay decided to put himself through the trauma of giving up the Internet. This forced him to change his lifestyle both academically and socially.

Lemay found himself actually finding books to do research, having to talk to teachers face to face and seeking out friends instead of e-mailing them. He realized that he had actually been wasting more time using the Internet than he had been saving.

Lemay struggles with the idea of college. He wants to move past the clichés of college such as ‘this is your one chance’ and actually use the amazing opportunities college provides to live a meaningful life.

“The clichés are right in front of us, but we don’t know what they actually mean. Like ‘seize the day,’ what does it actually mean to seize the day? I see lots of people who aren’t happy, who don’t know what they’re doing. They seem happy on the outside but when you actually start talking to them you realize they’re depressed. How can you be awake and alive to life?”

*Names have been changed to protect identities of those in the article