Game On

When you think of great rivalries throughout time (you know, the ones that make grown men cry and their jerseys go unwashed for weeks at a time) some famous examples come to mind, most notably Yankees vs. Red Sox, Celtics vs. Lakers, Packers vs. Bears and of course UVA vs. William and Mary. But this Wednesday an even more epic rivalry will be played out on the Sunken Gardens. Since the birth of the W&M admission office’s summer internship, it has been tradition that once a year the interns and the deans gather at the epicenter of campus to duke out who will be named the Kick Ball champions and more importantly claim College bragging rights. The interns vs. the dean staff annual kickball game isn’t a picnic in the park; blood, sweat and tears will litter the field as only one team can emerge as champions. As to be expected, in the days leading up to this heated battle, substantial amounts of tumultuous trash talking and heartless intimidation tactics will become ubiquitous, as reminders of the rapidly approaching competition shade the day’s activities. Just today a formal challenge was issued. A sign was hung in the common kitchen area: “Prepare to be thrown to the wolves…Consider yourself challenged (signed) The Interns”.

While many in the college community speculate on the outcome, it’s all but impossible to predict the winner. Though the interns’ youth gives us an obvious leg up, the deans have been playing together for years. The intern team changes yearly, making it more difficult to solidify a team strategy. But this year I have no doubt based on our capabilities, made up of steely competitors and unsuspecting secret weapons, the interns will vanquish their elders. Our strategy this year can be summarized in four words “victory at any cost.” The energy in the admission office is feeding the growing tension, as passionately written inspirational emails circulate internally within the teams. When I asked fellow intern Kylee Ponder what she is doing to prepare she responded “I’m just doing what I have to do to be in the mental and physical state to wipe the floor with the deans.”

So if any of the dean’s staff is reading this blog– be scared, because interns are coming for you.

And to everyone else, stay tuned; the game takes places this Wednesday immediately following work at 5.