On Monday, September 19, the halls of Mesa Court went head to head in the most intense match of the century. Resident Advisors and freshmen alike went to the Lower Mesa Lawn to prove athletic ability and cheering skills. Besides being an extreme competition, the Mesa Court Olympics were also an opportunity to bond with your hall and fellow classmates. Although I definitely had a winner in mind (I’m a proud member of Brisa), I think everyone there could agree the event was a great way to finally get to know each other.
The day began with our halls marching toward the field, faces painted and cheers prepared. Brisa, donning our nickname of Febrisa on our poster, proudly faced our opponents while holding a can of airspray. The Hula Hoop relay came first. Brisa worked hard and finished in the least amount of time, but, due to a technicality, the victory went to a different hall. The potato sack race was next. Everyone loved it despite the tangible risk of falling flat on your face. Tug of War was last. Brisa won the first round in 15 seconds, but met its demise in the finals round. Fortunately, the defeat came with a valuable lesson. The Olympics forced people out of their comfort zones. We learned how to coordinate strategies on a team and gained the chance to socialize with our hallmates. Friendly competition truly defined the day.
I did not join in on the athletic activities during the Olympics (there’s a reason I write for the newspaper), but I was able to ask a few of my fellow Brisans about their experience during the various competitions. Audrey Tate, a first year Biology major, played in the hula hoop race and tug of war match. She said, overall, the day was fun, but felt a little unorganized. Her favorite event was the tug of war as it allowed her to strategize with her teammates and make a lot of new friends. Josh Rutledge, a first year Computer Science major, joined in on the potato sack race. He described it as both fun and a little terrifying. However, he also noted that his favorite part of the Olympics had to be the time between the events. While waiting for the next competition to begin, Brisa Hall played “get to know you” games. Tate stated that it was the first time she truly interacted with her hall mates. I have to agree. Before the Olympics, I barely knew or spoke to anyone, but afterwords, I finally felt like I had a family and a place in college.