I'm sure that we're all aware of the conflict in Gaza right now, and the polar views that have developed around it. I was at a local protest recently on this very subject. It was actually quite surprising: for a town with rare protests and political activism visible to the public, there were a great many protesters. People all across the world feel very strongly about this issue.
This guy is Andrew Dowd. He's a Junior at Washington University (in St. Louis). He's an english major, converted over from a previous life as a design student. He doesn't miss it that much. He likes coffee, bikes, the band Pavement, urban decay, photosnappin, and when people read what he writes. He's a pretty good guy, I think you two would like each other.