Loved this one - it’s your cleanest one yet IMO… liked very much the fresh term RANDO and appreciated the different cluing angle for ACTUP (had to look it up after solving but enjoy learning new things)
Nice one! I'd argue that you don't need the "fondly" in 9A as both FROSH and SOPHS are well-known shorthand. You'd probably want to use "fondly" (or better "familiarly," imo) if it was clued as "Former freshmen, fondly."
Thank you! Those were the "seed" (I had tried to wedge in some more FRUIT but restrained myself… I think wisely given the somewhat forced fill that I've had before).