If you asked anyone who met Alex to describe him in one word, they would probably say “intelligent” or “kind” or “genuine”. However, I think if you asked his closest friends, they would say something more like “unique” or “quirky”. Alex was truly one of a kind, and there are so many little things that made Alex who he was that I think only his good friends would know about. There are places and things we will see for the rest of our lives that will always make us think of Alex. Whenever I see someone with a small blue pocket folder, I will think of Alex. While everyone in high school was carrying around huge backpacks full of books, Alex carried only a small blue sack, and eventually even condensed that down to a single blue folder. We always wondered how he managed to fit everything in this folder, but we always wrote it off to Alex’s resourcefulness; if there was anyone who could do it, it was him. As an upstate native, Alex was remarkably familiar with and comfortable in Manhattan. He navigated the streets like a New York City cabbie, and always knew where to park and just what to do. One of my favorite memories was sitting around a table at the diner featured in Alex’s favorite TV show, Seinfeld. Again, every re-run of that show I see will remind me of him. Alex’s interest in history also drew him to the famous landmark, the Brooklyn Bridge. On another occasion, Alex expertly transported us to an out of the way and economical parking spot, and then guided us on a walk across the famous bridge. Some of the most fun times I remember having with Alex were when we just hung out in his basement relaxing and playing video games. Alex loved his Sega Dreamcast, and he would always jokingly say that 9/9/99, the day that the system was released, was a huge turning point in his life. From the teleportation booth in San Francisco Rush 2049 to the “gay-lob” in Virtua Tennis, we always had a good time. Alex was also an amateur barber. He’d been cutting his own hair for several years, and recently had convinced some of his friends to let him cut theirs too. I personally never had him cut my hair, but everyone I saw who had gotten a haircut from him looked great, even if they had a little more hair taken off than they wanted. Like in hair cutting, Alex was very dedicated to perfection in everything he did. In everything from school to work, he always tried his hardest and did his best. And who else but Alex would think of getting up before the sun rose on the longest day of the year, going to Henry Hudson park with charcoal, eggs, bacon, and sausage, and having an early morning cookout on the summer solstice. And who else but Alex could have convinced his friends to wake up before 5AM and follow him on this adventure. He was always thinking of fun things to do, and I think that’s why he enjoyed life so much; he always tried to be doing something he would enjoy and always sought to share the enjoyment with friends and family. If there was one thing Alex enjoyed more than anything, it was as he called it, “A nice ice cold Coca-Cola Classic”. If he ordered a Coke at a restaurant, and they gave him Pepsi or some other Cola, he would always send it back. Although this is an example of brand loyalty, Alex had this same loyalty in all his relationships. We’ll all have special memories of Alex that we will carry with us. We’ll see a blue folder or a glass of coke, and think fondly of him, and once again be reminded to try to live our lives the way Alex did.