Spartacus: Snow and Wind
Last Friday, the first snow of the year arrived in Gambier. I awoke to a white landscape outside my apartment and heroically braved the tundra to the library to finish my final paper before leaving on my last winter break for ever…for eeevvveerr…foooor eeevvveerrrrr!
Racing over a snow covered Ransom Lawn and skipping out on breakfast yet again (I think I made it to six breakfasts all semester…rather, woke up for six all semester) I was reminded of my first really awesome snow storm at Kenyon back in February of 2010.
It was Friday, February 5th and the Greater Columbus Track Meet at Capital University was scheduled for the next day. It was to be my fourth collegiate track meet and I was excited. When I awoke that morning, however, a gentle snow was falling outside my big Lewis window and by the time I’d left my room twenty minutes later and walked to Peirce for breakfast (which I ate every day that year) it was still snowing.
It was still snowing after Spanish.
And after Odyssey of the West.
And after Quest for Justice.
By four in the afternoon there was a distinct possibility that we wouldn’t make it to the meet and the idea of having a free Saturday invaded my weary mind.
Still, I wasn’t sure and so I went about my pre-meet day routine as usual. I went to the Village Inn with Jackson and Andrew (my freshman year roommate also known as Mr. Culinary Leisure) for pasta and then we played Mario Kart in the Lewis Lounge.
And it just kept snowing. By midnight a foot of snow inundated Kenyon and we hedged our bets that we wouldn’t be driving to Columbus to compete the following morning.
So we did what all kids do when a snow day is announced.
We went to bed right away…
Wait, who do you think I am?
We ventured into the cold night air of the Freshman Quad ready for battle…
That, of course, meant we armed ourselves for a genuine snow ball fight. For an hour, nine of us ran around the quad sending small orbs of snow sailing across the cold night air. By the end, my hands were frozen, my jacket soaked with sweat, and my face stained with the blood and tears of the vanquished…no, no, no Jake, that would only happen if you were a gladiator in Spartacus: Blood and Sand and managed to survive, which you clearly know would be a doubtful outcome.
The next morning dawned and I thankfully found an email from Coach Gomez confirming our non-participation in the meet. We had a free Saturday! So we did what all good students do…
We got snacks at the Village Market, proceeded to watch movies all day long, and that night trekked across the snow covered Ohio ground to recently returned junior Christine’s apartment for a night of…well, there was a party.
February 5th and 6th were awesome.
Adios,
Jake