Winn FUTBOL!

A well exam are done, for a week at least and sadly so is the midterm break. It was a mini holiday which was just what many of us needed to recharge the proverbial batteries. A time to reflect on the first half of the fall semester and perhaps neglect your studies for a bit, knowing that the inevitable “all nighter ” you will have to pull on Sunday night seems further away then on regular weekends.
Surprisingly Winn hall was not as empty as I thought it would be. I had expected more students to take advantage of the weekend to visit their families and I was selfishly pleased that they did not go, because nothing beats their company. Company which made watching Trinity Women’s’ soccer on Saturday night a fantastic spectacle to be a part of.
The first moment we took our places in the soccer pitch stands was literally the last time we sat for more than ten seconds. The game was full of emotion because of the intensity in which Trinity and Centre’s soccer teams competed which was accentuated by the passion of the whole crowd, especially members of Winn hall. They never missed a beat in keeping with the pulse of the game. Their emotions shifted from real despair when Trinity conceded the first goal to a sense of revitalization when they equalized and eventually we erupted in elation when Trinity scored the winning goal with ten minutes left in the game.
Even though this is a brief summary of my first Trinity soccer game which neglects to mention the nitty gritty comments and exclamations strewn with witty vulgarity which provided endless comedic pleasure for not just me, but the whole crowd, I am confident that it gives you a glimpse into what Trinity soccer is all about- unity in enduring a rollercoaster ride of emotions which ironically parallels what we have experienced in the past couple of months and will undoubtedly do so over the next four years.

The Rudder of Winn...

Previously, I briefly alluded to the fantastical nature of my hall mates, and now I think it is only fitting that I widen your view into the whimsical wonderful world of Winn’s second floor, if only by a degree. There are so many of us in this family that an innumerable amount of blog posts dedicated to each one will never do justice to who they are, and for that reason I will not attempt to callously summarize their characteristics in one blog. That would just soil just how much they mean to me. Rather I will reveal insights into them in the midst of each story revealed. However, I have to make an exception to perhaps the most important person in this hall, the glue that holds us together, our mom.

To Trinity she is a Room Mentor on Winn’s 2^nd floor, but we affectionately refer to her as ‘Queen Mother.’ Her maternal links with us are strong and evident, whether it’s shown through her random enquires into our well being, advising us, or even the atmosphere of genuine compassion which permeates in the hall when she is there. This may seem nauseating to some readers but I think this genuine love factor has made life at Trinity that much pleasant. This is especially felt when she goes out of her way to make all ‘official’ meetings enjoyable, like the study workshop we had a couple nights ago. Even though our initial food order ‘disappeared’ under mysterious circumstances, as usual she adjusted and still managed to organize treats and group work, in the midst of lively banter.

However that is not to say that it is all fun and games with her. She is still a strict disciplinarian who does not demand, but instead commands our respect. She does not tolerate any indiscipline amongst her 19 adopted kids, and we dearly love her for that. This appreciation for discipline or what some may call, ‘being told what to do’ is something that is sometimes necessary to running a cohesive society or in this case the added lubricant for the Winn 2^nd floor machine.

Whether it is her disciplinarian nature or her fun side, mom knows exactly what is required for any particular situation and this intuitive characteristic is the rudder of our ship, without which, we would undoubtedly be lost at sea. That is why this blog entry was so necessary, not to soil her role in Winn second floor by attempting to summarize her character, but rather to enlighten you, the reader to the force that guides our family.