The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Mendel Doug

When my alarm went off at 7 this morning, I groaned and pressed the sleep button as I usually do. Getting up for 8:30 New Testament Survey never makes me especially happy, but with a quiz scheduled for class today, that lessened my motivation even more. After I pressed my sleep button, I fell into a convincing dream where I actually got up and readied myself for class. Professor Danove had a trick up his sleeve, it seems: the quiz turned out not to be questions from the reading, but rather, a selection of first-century foods that we had to eat in order to pass. The memory of this dream is sketchy, but they included bugs and strange amphibious creatures. Yuck.

When I again woke up and realized that I was still in bed, that made me even more upset. The quiz was just a regular old quiz. Class was regular old class. Then History was regular old history.
Upon returning to my dorm, I felt the urge to watch a little Lost online before Calculus. I had just the episode in mind: "Flashes Before Your Eyes," from Season 3. This episode really stands out, in my opinion, because it's the first indication of Time Travel in the series. Plus, Desmond is a badass character with a sad story.

After Calculus, 3FD, Jakob, Jeremy, and I headed on our way to lunch at the Pit. The sad part is that every alternative to the Pit is extremely lacking in variety. You can only eat a mediocre grilled cheese from Connelly, or a tough chicken parm from the IK, so many times before it becomes tiresome. The Pit it is...

So while on our way, we see crowds convening around the lawn in front of the Pit building. What's going on? Is that a guy in a gorilla suit... fighting a thick, bearded man in a T-shirt...?

Mendel Doug. For nearly a decade, Doug attended Villanova as an undergraduate. He was a genius in the mathematics and sciences. And he was insane. Legend has it that he took every single math and science course Villanova had to offer. And because most sciences are in the Mendel building, he acquired the name, "Mendel Doug." He put off taking his required freshmen courses for years until administration practically forced him to graduate two years ago.

But that's not even close to explaining why Mendel Doug is crazy. He carries with him at all times a plastic lightsaber, similar to those we used in the hit movie Assenchip Volume 2. One of the first stories I ever heard of Doug was from my cousin, who played with him on the Water Polo team. One day, when my cousin was in class, Doug walked by the room, saw my relative, ran into the room and proceeded to beat him incessently with his lightsaber. Then he walked away.

Doug is also very well known for his battles in the various fields across campus, against anyone foolish enough to challenge him. He kicks the shit out of people.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKzWWo80h1g

I mean, this is legit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFLXgi6cMl8&feature=related

And he does whatever the hell he wants.

So back to my day, while on the way to the Pit, I had my first personal experience with Mendel Doug. Keep in mind that even though he graduated two years ago, he still spends much of his time around Villanova. As he was fighting the character in the gorilla outfit (and kicking his ass, mind you), Father Peter, the president of the university, sifts his way to the front of the crowds, saying, almost sarcastically, "Doug! If you keep doing this, you're going to hurt someone!" Doug rose from the ground and sprinted off and out of view, while Father Peter casually walked away with his colleagues. It was as if an unassuming parent told his playful child to stop being so rowdy.

Lunch:
After all the excitement, I had a turkey sandwhich and sausage pasta down in the Pit. Not half bad.

And since nothing worth mentioning happened between one meal and the next...

Dinner:
At the IK, I had one of those tiresome chicken parms.