Fat bat, croquet, touch football and ultimate frisbee were the names of the games on the Lawn Friday afternoon. The Jefferson Literary and Debating Society and the University Guide Service squared off and went all out for the First Annual Charity Field Day, a fundraising event sponsored by the two organizations on behalf of Habitat for Humanity and On Our Own Shelter, respectively.
To start off, each team brought $100 to the table in early March, and raised another $100 through -shirt sales, for a grand total of $300 to be donated to charity.
Third-year College student Jodie Slater, elected yesterday as University Guides Chair, organized the event for the Guides.
"The way it was supposed to work is that the winner donates $200 to their charity in the name of the loser, as a sign of goodwill. The other $100 goes to the loser's charity in the winner's name," Slater said.
The outcome, though, was that each team won two events. As a provision in the case of a tied score, the Jefferson Society was given the responsibility of bringing a rope for a tug-of-war tie-breaker match-up.
The Jefferson Society, however, forgot the rope, meaning neither side was able to claim victory over the other, and the money will be divided equally between the two charities.
Jefferson Society President Jonathan Carr said charges that the Society 'forgot' the rope are false and are "typical of a tour guide mentality."
"If there is any group who wanted a tug-of-war match, it was us. I mean, they won at croquet and fat bat, for God's sake - the wussy sports. How is that gonna help them in tug of war? The real powerhouses were on our side," he said.
UGS member and Class of 2001 President Drew Davis responded to Carr's claims and defended the Guides.
"Jonathan Carr is full of more hot air than all of the UTS buses combined," Davis said, adding that the Jefferson Society should be more organized instead of "endlessly pontificating their time away on Friday nights."
Cristina Della Colletta, Professor of Italian in the Department of Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, lives with her family in Pavilion VIII, which is also headquarters for the UGS. As a unique addition to the fun and games, the Della Colletta family made a cake for their son Alex's fifth birthday, and shared it with their fellow Pavilion inhabitants. Alex threw the opening pitch for the fat bat game - a derivative of baseball - for the Guides.
"The Jefferson Society was offered none of the cake while we stood in the hot sun," Carr complained, and cited the extra energy obtained from the sugar in the cake as a possible explanation for the Guides' fat bat victory.
The beautiful afternoon and the picturesque locale lent itself well to the event, which ran from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday. It was no coincidence that the Restoration Ball was scheduled for the following night - an event also jointly sponsored by the UGS and Jefferson Society.
"The idea was that we'd work hard Friday, then play hard at the Restoration Ball," said third-year College student Ade Patton, Field Day organizer for the Jefferson Society.
Complete with an Air Force ROTC Color Guard squad which presented the flags, and the national anthem sung by University Guide Joelle Heise, the Field Day could not have had a better kickoff for its first year.
"Everything went well and it was a lot of fun," said Jonathan Bertsch, a member of both the Jefferson Society and UGS. "There has always been a healthy rivalry between the groups."
Read More
Cooking, my mother’s love language
By Emilie Kim | 10 hours agoDespite our different temperaments, my mother and I understand each other perfectly through the language of food.
A bite of home at Barbie’s Burrito Barn
By Sophie Guettel | YesterdayBarbie’s Burrito Barn is more than just a restaurant — it is a testament to the dreams and hard work of its owner.
The fluffiest Swedish coffee bread
By Finn Trainer | 2 days agoWith its semi-sweet flavor and cloud-like texture, this Swedish coffee bread is a calming, delicious treat to enjoy this finals season.
