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Monday, November 24, 2014

Cardboard Boat Regatta Captures Comet Spirit

By Hope Steffensen

The atmosphere was electric. The music was blasting. The bass was bumping. People were cheering their hearts out. No, this was not the homecoming basketball game, although the event was in the Activity Center on campus. This crazy event, filled with technique and perseverance, was the annual Homecoming Cardboard Boat Regatta.

For this event, various student organizations build boats out of nothing but cardboard and duct tape, and then race them across the Activity Center Pool. Some designs are elaborate, obviously contending for creativity and spirit awards, complete with colored duct tape hulls and paddles. Others were obviously built for speed—minimalist in nature, resembling a raft more than a boat.

The warmth of the pool deck, along with the excitement of the student organizations, really contributed to the heat of the moment at the Regatta. Shouts and cheers echoed across the water. Finally the winners emerged from the pool, drenched, but with huge smiles of victory decorating their faces. However, the epic moment of the night was not necessarily the winning boat; it was a team who made the crowd laugh.

The CV Honors Program decided to create a twist to the race—while paddling their boat across the pool, the team paused, and made a small hole in the bottom of their boat halfway across the pool. The two competitors then stood at salute in their cardboard boat and went “down with the ship” as a friend in the audience whipped out a trumpet and played Taps. The CV Team may not have won the race, but they won the favor of the crowd.


All in all, the spirit of the Cardboard Boat Regatta was a great representation of what it means to be a Comet. Comets are smart, technical and determined. However, we still find ways to enjoy ourselves in the midst of studying and pursuing success at this fantastic university. It’s great to be a Comet! Whoosh!