Sea'lympics

Yesterday was the glorious epic of victory and defeat that is the Sea'lympics. Ten seas locked in struggle for paper crowns, disembarkation privileges, and honor.

I was on the Pacific Ocean team which was comprised of faculty, staff, spouses, dependents and senior adult passengers. The students, I believe lovingly, referred to the Pacific Ocean as "the old people and the kids." Old people and kids maybe, but we showed them who was boss in ping pong and limbo with first place in each. A second place victory in synchronized swimming, and third place in freestyle and talent show.

I was the captain of the spaghetti and marshmallow team. We really thought we had a lock on it, as we worked on the schematics of our structure for hours the previous day. Our downfall was the the substance that was being used instead of marshmallows (they couldn't find marshmallows) was a lightweight flimsy material that wouldn't take the tension our structure required. The captain of the first place team is a senior at Colorado School of Mines, and the second place captain already has a job waiting for her at NASA in Houston when she graduates.

Some of the other events were volleyball, egg toss, obstacle course, relay swimming, tug o war, dodgeball, flip cup and hot dog eating.

I was dreading the Sea'lympics a bit, I thought it'd be too much chaos, too much anxiety. It was chaos, but it was also very fun. I was exhausted at the end of the day, but had to admit that it was enjoyable. I don't know if everyone felt that way though. At the talent show several of the acts spoofed the person who makes the announcements and the global studies professor. Just one spoof would have be one thing, but it was act after act. I think the GS professor was pretty impervious to it, but I think the announcements person might have got her feelings hurt. I probably would have. The announcement she made this morning was pretty terse.