Alex Likes to Dance

By Evan Yu

Alex Perliter along with Greg Shin ran for USG under the slogan “FUNdamental change”, with the intention of creating an era of fun. The pair also co-created DANCEiSM, a bi-annual dance party.

The Seventy Faces got a quick conversation to find out more about our fellow Trojan.

Tell us about your band Michael:

We called our Band Michael, after all the great Michaels in the world! There are two of us in it. We play electronic house music and minimal music. We do mostly DJ sets nowadays, throw a bunch of parties, do DANCEiSM.

I heard that you’re a third generation Trojan; how did that affect you when deciding which college to apply to?

Well I first had absolutely no desire to go to USC. I’m from LA so I wanted to go to another city.

Then I visited and totally loved it! Took the tour, saw all these hot girls and figured this is a place for me.

So if you could go to any school in the world would this still be your first choice?

Oh yeah it’s my no1. I’m baffled that kids have fun at other schools, I think it’s so much fun, I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

The USC scene is really big on the Greek system, are you in a frat?

Absolutely not. [laughs] That was one of my first issues with this school.

I feel like that’s something we really contributed to USC. The band really transformed the scene here, and I think we can really say that we made it better.

Is your whole family Jewish, how traditional are you?

We’re definitely preety reform. I went to a Jewish day school. I used to go to temple for all the major holidays.

The biggest aspect of our Jewish family is that during every major holiday our whole family comes together and we all get to see each other and that's my favorite part by far, that’s what I really appreciate about the whole thing.

If you could choose your religion, your race and country of birth, what would they be?

I’d be black, from the Congo. And I’d be one of those African religions.

You said you had strong feelings about the student government election we just had at USC, what did you think about the whole thing?

It was ridiculous. During the actual election period I had a lot of fun, and we were doing a lot. Then I realized just how much dirt was in this election.
Towards the end of it I realized that we really should have won the election if they followed the rules and all, but they decided they absolutely did not want us to win. They made sure to do everything in their power from keeping that from ever happening.

Can you give an example?

Well I don't really want to attack anyone, but I guess Holden, the guy that won, shouldn't have been able to run in the first place. He was a part time student and according to the constitution at the time, that should have been means not to allow for him to run, and yet they still allowed it.

So it's a bit annoying but I’m not going to hold a grudge about it.

If you had been elected, how much difference would you have made?

I think we would have made a preety big difference in spirit at this school. By the sheer interest of us governing, people would have been more involved.

We could have really done a lot of stuff, but I feel like our talents are really better used outside of USG. We just keep doing what we’ve been doing, and really helping kids that way instead.

You said on your website that there has been a yawning gap between students and elected officials, what did you mean by that?

Well when I was running for president, I asked students who is the president now and not one person could tell me who it was. No one knows who’s representing us and what they’re doing.

It's wrong. They’re supposed to be letting us know how they’re fighting for us. That's one thing that will continue in the future unfortunately

Tell me one thing you’d want to do had you been elected?

I would definitely have got that online community made, like I said to bridge the gap. Let students know exactly what I’m doing everyday, and let them put their input so they can really have a voice in this school.

Because a lot of students really feel like we have no voice at this school. USC just tramples all over us, takes our money and then spits us out with a degree.

Would you ever consider running for President of the U.S?

Um when I was little I wanted to. That would be preety awesome, most ultimate move I could make. But it's a lot of work, a lot of stress. I’m not sure if I’m made out to be a politician, I don't think I’ve got the dirt within me.

Last question, if one day you had to commit suicide, how would you want to die?

Oh ok I’ve thought about this. It would be after I got a Rube Goldberg award for making crazy things. Then I would be in a guillotine and the last thing I’d do is chop my head off, but you know your head stays alive for at least 8 seconds after. So I’d have like 8 seconds to celebrate about the Rube Goldberg award.