Blogs • The President 2008
The Lighter Side of Life
Posted by Tom Kuperus on Saturday, August 16, 2008
Ever since some of my first days at Selwyn I have been excited by the prospect of pranks, both internally involving other Selwynites, and with our foe at Opoho and our friends in Christchurch at College House. We've heard great stories - the front entranceway being bricked over, horses being lead up to Top Floor Whitehead, Pigs being left on Knox's front lawn, and numerous flag missions, whether they are true or not is for you to verify!
It must be something to do with our age goup, or maybe the living arrangement where we are all in such close proximity. Perhaps it's a desperate attempt to avoid growing up and hanging onto that last peice of irresponsible childhood. Either way it's great fun, and generally speaking very harmless fun at that.
During my time at Selwyn a number of particularly clever pranks have been executed. Last year at College House apon returning home from town a few of the Selwyn boys took it on themselves to decorate a mature tree in the CH quad with rather amusing consequences. As the College woke on the Sunday morning they were in disbelief as to how someone managed to aquire so many items (including a large cage of recycling, a fridge, a bicycle, a garage door, and many others), and place them so delicately in the tree
without anyone hearing. Those responsible were so discrete that even now I am not sure who was involved, or just when they did it, but I have my suspicions.
This year has already had some impressive stunts, in the first term a group of boys went up to Knox and planted a substantial tree on the front lawn leading to the main entrance way. It was executed thoughtfully, with the lawn cut out and place carefully beside the tree so after a couple of days of admiration the Knox ground staff were able to remove the tree and replace the grass. Both the Knox victims and the Selwyn audience recieved it well.
April fools day saw the Warden's van lifted into the quad, cups of water placed on the stairs so nobody could get down from Whitehead, and an impressively large string spiders web made in Cats.
In the College at the moment the Quiz Masters (QMs) are taking flight, and organising a new stunt on almost a nightly basis. They are a secret society, chosen by the QMs of the year group before them, who organise a series of publicity acts leading up to an annual quiz where they are revealed to the College. Having been extremely successful so far throughout their history they look to be a tradition set to stand the test of time at Selwyn. This years group are about to be revealed at the quiz tonight, but they have already executed some fairly amusing manouvres. On Sunday night they brought a significant amount of snow into Selwyn which they used to build a snowman on the front steps. On Monday night they brought
two sheep in and set them up in the quad to be discovered in the morning (the farmer was in on the prank and now has his sheep back). It's fair to say they're making the College a fairly interesting place to live at the moment.
I'm sure pranks are here to stay, particularly with the inception of new award donated by Rob and Anwyn Walker at High Tea last year to acknowledge the most daring and constructive prank. Rob's award is a replica of one of the Selwyn oars which now sits in the Brothers' Hall. I understand was originally competed for between College House and Selwyn, and I believe it symbolises a great mission to retrieve the oar during an exchange while Rob was at Selwyn.
I look foward to hearing of similar pranks and stunts for many years to come!
Tom
It must be something to do with our age goup, or maybe the living arrangement where we are all in such close proximity. Perhaps it's a desperate attempt to avoid growing up and hanging onto that last peice of irresponsible childhood. Either way it's great fun, and generally speaking very harmless fun at that.
During my time at Selwyn a number of particularly clever pranks have been executed. Last year at College House apon returning home from town a few of the Selwyn boys took it on themselves to decorate a mature tree in the CH quad with rather amusing consequences. As the College woke on the Sunday morning they were in disbelief as to how someone managed to aquire so many items (including a large cage of recycling, a fridge, a bicycle, a garage door, and many others), and place them so delicately in the tree
without anyone hearing. Those responsible were so discrete that even now I am not sure who was involved, or just when they did it, but I have my suspicions.This year has already had some impressive stunts, in the first term a group of boys went up to Knox and planted a substantial tree on the front lawn leading to the main entrance way. It was executed thoughtfully, with the lawn cut out and place carefully beside the tree so after a couple of days of admiration the Knox ground staff were able to remove the tree and replace the grass. Both the Knox victims and the Selwyn audience recieved it well.
April fools day saw the Warden's van lifted into the quad, cups of water placed on the stairs so nobody could get down from Whitehead, and an impressively large string spiders web made in Cats.
In the College at the moment the Quiz Masters (QMs) are taking flight, and organising a new stunt on almost a nightly basis. They are a secret society, chosen by the QMs of the year group before them, who organise a series of publicity acts leading up to an annual quiz where they are revealed to the College. Having been extremely successful so far throughout their history they look to be a tradition set to stand the test of time at Selwyn. This years group are about to be revealed at the quiz tonight, but they have already executed some fairly amusing manouvres. On Sunday night they brought a significant amount of snow into Selwyn which they used to build a snowman on the front steps. On Monday night they brought
two sheep in and set them up in the quad to be discovered in the morning (the farmer was in on the prank and now has his sheep back). It's fair to say they're making the College a fairly interesting place to live at the moment. I'm sure pranks are here to stay, particularly with the inception of new award donated by Rob and Anwyn Walker at High Tea last year to acknowledge the most daring and constructive prank. Rob's award is a replica of one of the Selwyn oars which now sits in the Brothers' Hall. I understand was originally competed for between College House and Selwyn, and I believe it symbolises a great mission to retrieve the oar during an exchange while Rob was at Selwyn.
I look foward to hearing of similar pranks and stunts for many years to come!
Tom
Labels: College Life
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