Alex Legeros is one of Gustavus’s shining seniors. As an honors philosophy major, he pursues his study while acting as one of the department assistants and tutors. “Studying philosophy doesn’t mean reading books by dead old white men. I love philosophy because it is an examination of the self. It is the way humanity attempts to understand what it is while also discovering the amazing extent to which we don’t know just about anything. It’s an enlightening—and humbling—experience,” Alex said.
Not to be swamped by his studies, he occupies himself as the principal bassoonist of the Gustavus Wind Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra, and he has been the bassoonist of Gustavus’s Kalmar Woodwind Quintet since its inception in 2009.
Alex thinks being involved in music at Gustavus is the best choice he has made for his mental health: “I’m not a music major, nor have I ever thought of being one, but what I love about Gustavus is that I can still participate in quality musical ensembles. It’s incredible to see the kind of music that can be made because of the perspectives of those who focus on music, but it is also great to create music with people who just got out of labs or came from tennis practice.” He assures that “it’s even good music.”
Not to be seen too far from the Fine Arts Center on campus, he is a house manager of Bjorling Recital Hall, as well as Anderson Theatre and Christ Chapel. Occasionally he can be seen on stage as part of the I Am We Are docisl justice theatre troupe on campus and has been part of the E Pluribus Gustavus show three time for the first-years.
Dan Burnett, a sophomore and member of I Am We Are, said, “Alex’s senior leadership was really helpful making the show this year.”
Some of you may recognize Alex’s name from other issues of the weekly because he has been a staff columnist for the last two years. “My mom reads the weekly solely because of his article every week,” Senior Honors History and Scandinavian Studies Major Val McCluskey said. “Sometimes I think he’s worth listening to, when he’s not running his mouth off about Star Wars or feminist epistemology, that is.”
This year, he is proud to be a co-president of the Viking Society. “I think he does a good leadership job,” Junior History Major Steven Olson said.
Alex’s bread baking and culinary know-how won over many people who live in the Swedish House. “Even though he doesn’t always clean up after himself, I don’t mind the mess as long as I get a piece of whatever he’s cooking,” McCluskey said.
Easily his best experiences as a Gustavus student have been during his time studying abroad. “I have had the luxury of travelling abroad not once, but twice as a Gustavus student. In spring of 2009, I went with the Gustavus group to Sweden, and then in January of 2010, I toured through Central Europe with the Gustavus Wind Orchestra.”
He credits Professor Emeritus Roland Thorstensson and the unique group Gusties for making the months in Scandinavia so special. “The chance to explore Sweden with other Gustavus students wasn’t something I had planned on when I started my matriculation, but the opportunity changed my life. That I could do it with one of my best friends and one amazing professor made the experience incredible,” Gustavus Alumnus Bryan Pelach (’10) said.
The Wind Orchestra’s tour to Eastern Europe had a different kind of flavor.
“The whole thing just blew by,” Senior Music Major Logan Arndt said. “I really loved seeing everything. I would go back and do it in a heartbeat.” He remembers his time with Alex: “I remember getting to know Alex very well on this trip. When he wasn’t in a self-induced Tylenol PM haze on the bus, we’d sneak away from the group to go get lunch and talk about our weird families and relax a little.”
Alex has big plans for life after Gustavus. “I would really like to get my PhD in philosophy, studying American philosophy, consciousness, neuroscience and contemporary social philosophy.” Grimacing, he then included: “But I’m really going to miss Gustavus. Life in the future will have to be narrowly focused on strict academics. Gustavus has let me do what I like and find out who I am. I will miss taking classes just to learn something totally new and being able to interact with people from all walks of life. For all of you still finding your way around campus: try new things, be who you are, but above all else, never stop pushing yourself. We don’t know what we can’t do—or what we can—until we stop gliding through life as we know it.”