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!
