Posts Tagged With 'saints'

JUICED!

Posted by Mannimal in Issue 2 - Full Text, Sports January 12, 2012  |  No Comments

Halftime Habits

By: Jack Cashin

Just as you are about to take possession of the ball, a sharp and shrill sound pierces your ears – the sound of the referee’s whistle blowing. What is it this time? Did he see another phantom handling of the ball? Did Fabio Ponti do his impression of the Italian national team by falling to the ground (some call it diving, some call it embellishing, Fabio calls it instinct) and flailing his limbs about as if he was concurrently suffering a Taser shock and a femur fracture of his femur?

As you turn to complain to the ref, regardless of the call, you realize he is merely indicating that the first half is over – it’s halftime. There are only a few minutes before play will resume. How are you going to prepare to tackle the crucial second half? With your mind racing, you can’t help but remember the words of famed NCAA coach Bob Knight: “Everyone wants to win, but not everyone is willing to prepare to win.”

There appear to be two main schools on how to best exploit the precious pause that is halftime: physical versus mental preparation. The first – physical preparation – covers a range of possibilities. It involves everything from attending to the injuries taken during the first half (always got to have the Flintstones band-aids for Dave Scholl or that kid will freak out), to running for a quick bathroom break (a favourite of the notoriously small-bladdered James Park), to snacking on Power bars (or, if you’re like me, fruits smuggled from Strachan). One of the most important ways to prep physically between halves, though, is through hydration. The last thing you want during the second half is to suffer a heat stroke because you forgot to drink water AND missed out on Mrs. Shackleford’s orange slices.

Now, while you could take this advice, run out to Metro and buy the full Gatorade G Series Prime (read: rip-off), you may also say to yourself, “Hey, I go to Trinity! I only drink water when I’m out of vodka – and I never run out of vodka.” In this case, you should look to NBA Champion Ron Artest, or as he is legally known nowadays, Metta World Peace (no joke, that’s actually his name – his daughter’s name is Diamond World Peace…but it’s weird to associate “diamond” with “world peace” to me…and Mr. DiCaprio…but whatever). While the name may be a little ironic given the fact that he once jumped into a crowd to beat up an opposing fan, it may come as a comfort to know that he is also famous for having drank Hennessy cognac at halftime in the early days of his career.

When mentally preparing for the second half, some people like to stay quiet, keep their thoughts to themselves and focus. Others prefer to talk with their teammates, discussing attack plans and highlighting what went well (or not so well) in the first half. When taking a psychological approach, it is important to avoid distractions. Keep focused on your goals for the second half and ignore everything else. If that one heckler on the sideline has been chirping you all game, just block him out (and get him after the game in the parking lot). If Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake are performing, it’s probably best to ask for a recap later.

When it boils down to it, though, the moral of the story, regardless of the approach you take, is to drown out anything that is going to stop you from achieving your goals. Hear that sound? It’s that damned referee blowing his whistle again. Now put down this article and get your head in the game – we’re counting on you to get that W.

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The Wright Way

Posted by Mannimal in Issue 2 - Full Text, Society January 12, 2012  |  No Comments

Sprints, Smooches, and Superheroes: A Saint’s Rush Review

By: Natalie Wright

For about a month before the actual rush, I could not keep track of the number of times I overheard ‘Sooo, should I run for a guy I actually like?’, as upper years laughed and responded ‘Oh, @$%&*, of course you should rush the guy you like!’. Wrong. But, in any case, it was great to see so much anticipation for the kick-start of our first formal, the Saints Charity Ball!

I am one to get ridiculously excited about our formals; specifically for the glamour they bring to our regular sweat-pant-ridden student lives. I was a little skeptical about whether or not this year’s Comic Book theme would be as glamorous as past years have been, with themes like Motown and the Deep South. However, a couple of things ousted my apprehensions about this year’s Saints Ball.

Firstly, whoever’s idea it was to have our resident college hunks make videos to show why we should duke it out for their hands is absolutely effing brilliant. Fabio’s astonishing mastery of the creepy smile wowed all and Michael Humeniuk’s ability to GTL all at the same time was particularly impressive. But none was so beautiful, so simple, so utterly breathtaking, as Ben Crase’s naked leg maneuver. Girls wanted him. Guys wanted him. This was the beginning of a beautiful rush.

Apart from the odd Archie Comic and a brief Moontang education about World of Warcraft Edition 13 (and you thought it wasn’t a comic book, let alone one with a thirteenth 13!), I’ve never had any particular affinity with graphic novels. However, I was recently re-introduced to Emma Peele from ‘Avengers.’ Emma Peele’s embodiment of power and sexuality, and her status as a style icon, totally changed my perspective on the comic book theme. Such a theme provides a perfect dichotomy between serious and silly, along with freedom of interpretation of the term ‘Superhero’ – which always allows for great costumes. And great costumes there were! Notable outfits included the Powerpuff Girls, the Catwoman ladies, and first year Arun as Steve Jobs (too soon? iApprove).

The set-up in the Buttery was the best I have ever seen. An elevated catwalk, a DJ booth in the middle of the room and a flashy BANG sign made in traditional comic book font (‘not Comic Sans, thank God!’ exclaimed Alessia Belissario) made for an extraordinarily simple, but effective, party venue. Everyone was dressed up, and with the lighting and smoke machine accentuating the catwalk and DJ booth, the space was entirely transformed. Creative and simple solutions always prevail. Well done, Saints Crew!

The catwalk was used and abused with a perfectly executed Zoolander-esque walk-off right before midnight. Adding to the air of competition for the night, all kinds of characters strutted their stuff, culminating in a bloody fantastic choreographed routine by Daniel Bennett and his crew of Powerpuff Girls. We expected nothing less, but still jumped up and down with glee.

After a thorough panel discussion and crowd consultation, Daniel Bennett and Victoria Hoffman deservedly took home the prizes for best costumes. Our resident Trinity DJ Geoff Harricks provided the beats to strut to, spinning all night long. As soon as I heard a mix between Classixx’s Cold Act III and Thriller, I knew we would be in for yet another night of great music. Damn, we’re lucky!Finally, at twelve o’clock, men and women of college lined up on either side of the Quidditch Pitch, inebriated enough for the sprint to look less daunting than perhaps it should have. The Fresh Prince of Trinity College counted down, and rushers bolted, collided, elbowed, kicked, scratched and thrashed their way across the pitch to get to their partners. Happy couples laughed and hugged and everyone began planning their future dates, outfits and gifts immediately. Men, you’re in for a wild ride.

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