Category Archives: The Triangle

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Get Connected with Student Activities

by Trinity Littleton

Attending college will eventually lead to a job that will enable you to succeed, but college can be so much more than sitting and listening to lectures! Joining a campus social or academic organization is one of the best ways to make the most of your experience. Getting involved eases the transition from high school to college. Here are a few reasons why you should consider being engaged on campus.

Making Connections. A degree will qualify you for a job, but the connections you have are just as important. Judson College provides you with the perfect opportunity to build relationships with other women who could potentially help you land a job you may not have been able to reach as easily without their positive feedback.

Jr-Soph class president Anna Johnson stated that her RA (Resident Assistant) was like a mentor to her, and the relationship they formed and leadership qualities Anna developed inspired her to become one herself. Anna began building connections with the girls on Kirtley’s second floor during the summer. She went the extra mile to reach out to them individually and help make their transition into dorm life a little bit easier. “It takes intentional effort and a willingness to get to know people and meet them where they are. It’s easier to maintain relationships when you try to build them before everyone arrives,” Anna said.

Community. At some point you will begin to refer to your college campus as your home. But making campus home doesn’t happen overnight! You must put effort into creating a community for yourself. Judson provides ways to get involved in clubs and meet people you may not have met when sticking to your everyday schedule.

Morgan Rittenhouse, president of the Athletic Board, encourages athletes and non-athletes to consider joining A-Board if they are looking to serve others in very small ways. The main purpose of A-Board is working together to create an environment for athletes to receive support and help games run as smoothly as possible. Whether it’s keeping score, chasing soccer balls, creating signs or cleaning up after games, there are many options for you to choose from to serve our athletic program. “We’re all just students who care about our athletes and want to help. Everyone holds the ability to do it, we just want/need to find the ones who are committed enough to follow through,” Morgan says when describing A-Board from her perspective.

Discovering New Interest. Taking a risk and joining a club can oftentimes result in reward. Finding new passions, strengths and talents can only happen if you choose to step out of your comfort zone. If you are undecided, this is one way to potentially find your career path and the experience you gain could be enough to lead you in unexpected directions.

Jordan Hooks, president of the Spanish Club, gives an interesting statement that sums up this reason to get involved almost perfectly. “The purpose in Spanish Club is to give students more opportunities to learn about culture and language outside of the classroom. There have been events such as movie nights, celebrating Día de los Muertos, and making piñatas for Treats on Bibb Street, just to name a few. This semester we are also participating in Hispanic Heritage month. Anyone is welcome to join even if they aren’t a Spanish major/minor; we don’t speak Spanish at meetings so don’t feel pressured there,” Jordan states. She would like to encourage anyone with the slightest interest in the Spanish department to consider listening to her story on why she chooses to be more involved in her major this way and what she loves about it.

Below is a list of all the clubs and organizations on campus for you to get involved in! Attending one or two meetings doesn’t automatically force you to become a member, so don’t hesitate to stop by, sit in on a meeting, and ask questions. Make sure to get detailed information on how flexible their schedule is, and what each specific club is participating in before you make any commitments.

Academic Department Organizations

Art Club / Business Club / History Club / Psychology Club / Science Club / Social Work Club / Spanish Club / Nursing Club / Equine Club / Scrimshaw

Academic Honor Societies

Alpha Phi Sigma / Beta Beta Beta / Delta Omicron / Kappa Delta Epsilon / Phi Alpha Theta / Sigma Beta Delta / Sigma Tau Delta

Service Organizations

Faith-Based Service Learning / SGA / Campus Ministries / LAMP / Ambassador / Social Committee / Honor Council / A-Board

Miscellaneous

Triangle / Conversationalist / Freshman Class / Junior-Soph Class / Senior Class / Resident Assistants

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Student Life•The Triangle

Campus Tree Falls Unexpectedly

by Trinity Littleton

Tuesday, October 1, 2019, the quiet campus of Judson College was quickly disrupted. At approximately 3 p.m., right before the first volleyball match against Mississippi University for Women, one of the trees in front of the library fell. AJ McKay happened to be around when the fall occurred.

“I predicted it was going to fall earlier that day, so I wasn’t totally surprised when it did! A few hours later, I was walking over to Tucker and heard an alarmingly loud noise. I looked back in time to see half of the tree crash into the ground right in front of the library. I just kind of stared, shocked. Luckily no one was under it!” she said.

AJ revisited the site with some friends and snapped a few pictures. Kate Wright, editor of “The Triangle,” stood next to the tree for reference of size. Asking around, I received responses from many who believed that the tree may have been a live oak. Whatever type of tree it was, it was beautiful and the change of it being gone was much more drastic than what I imagined. Pictured below are just a couple of pictures taken by students as the tree was in the process of being cleaned up.

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Opinions•The Triangle

The One Who Runs the College

The Judson community might already be familiar with the words “she is the one who runs the college,” often said by Judson’s late president Dr. David Potts. That “she” is Mrs. Mary Ellen Clements, Potts’ longtime secretary.

Born and raised here in Marion, Ala., Clements has lived here her whole life. She is a mother of three daughters, and now she is a grandma of four girls and two boys.

Previously, Clements held a few part-time jobs at Marion Military Institute and a clothing department store in downtown Marion. Her first full-time job was in the library of Judson. In the summertime during her stint at the library, she worked in the development office because the library was closed during this time. After that, she served as a switchboard operator when Judson acquired a telephone system.

When she left this job, she worked outside of Judson for few years. However, in 1993 she came back to Judson as a secretary to the president. This is a position that she still holds today. She has been in the office for 25 years. If we also count the years when she was in library, she has served Judson for thirty years.

Throughout the years her favorite thing about Judson has been attending chapel. She explains, “Chapel service is very meaningful to me because I am able to stop to go and worship together with the community. It just helps me to get through the rest of the week.”

Her favorite memory of Judson, when Potts was still in the office, also includes the meaningful time when faculty and staff members have meetings in the president’s office. They always have an opportunity to share prayer requests, and they pray for each other before the meeting starts.

As a secretary to Potts, she scheduled his appointments and all the meetings that he had to attend. She was responsible for any of his correspondence, typing all of his letters to be mailed out to alumnae and other friends of the college. Her main responsibility was the communication between the college and the three boards of the college. The three boards include the Board of Trustees, the Board of Advisors, and the Board of Governors that meet several times in a year.

She was responsible for sending out letters to them about meeting and preparing materials for them prior to that meeting day. When they actually come to campus, she sits in the meetings and takes notes. After each meeting, she types up her notes and mails them out to the board members.

In the past, she would also compile reports from each department into one big report and prepare it to mail out to the board members before they attended the meeting, so they had the report of activities at the college. When asked, her most trying time is when she prepares for their report to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) which accredits Judson. Since it is very important for the college to remain accredited, they have to be sure the report is perfect. They spend many hours compiling those reports, so this is the most stressful part of her job at Judson.

Clements’ responsibilities have changed since Potts’ absence in the office. For her, it’s been a totally different routine since she no longer has to complete these correspondences; other offices are handling these tasks now. However, she is still involved with board meetings.h

When Potts was here, she was much busier. She recalls about Potts that “He was a very good boss, very kind and considerate and very family oriented. I never had a problem if I had a sick family member and needed to be away from the office.”

She expounds on her favorite memory as a secretary to Potts for decades by saying, “My favorite memories are the times we were able to share our faith and personal stories together, God moments that we had each had, things that had happened to us when God answered our prayers. It is the time we shared our hearts together. I love when his grandchildren came in, and he was just all smiles, and when my grandchildren came in, he always smiled and just stopped to give time [for them].” Clements “wants Judson like, Dr. Potts always said, to be a place of Christ, that we would never veer from that mission and that we will be the place that our founders intended it to be.”

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Community•Student Life•The Triangle

Christian Emphasis Week

by Aqui Lacy, Staffwriter

Judson has been doing Christian Emphasis Week for over 60 years! This tradition started in the 1940s when one Judson student suggested to the then president of the school, John Riddle, that there should be more encouragement of the students’ spiritual lives with different special guest speakers. President Riddle took that suggestion and thought well along with the idea. With the rest of the Judson staff and faculty in agreement as well, Judson College had their first Religious Emphasis week. The student that suggested this idea later became a part of the WMU (Woman’s Missionary Union).

Since then Judson has valued this tradition very well. Judson has now changed the name from Religious Emphasis Week to the more specific Christian Emphasis Week. Each year Christian Emphasis Week gets a new speaker for three days consecutively. Christian Emphasis Week is always held in Judson’s Ramsay-McCrummen Chapel. All three of these services are open to the public for everyone in the community to hear the speakers that travel in to speak.

Very often some speakers bring another guest with them to accompany them such as with things they do to cover the music portion of worship. Other times Judson will provide for them by letting the staff or students lead the worship portion. This year Judson had their own very special guest for both the speaker and worship leader for Christian Emphasis Week.

This year our speaker was Terrence Jones and our worship leader was Rayellen English. English is the worship leader at her church in Texas.

Jones is originally from Norman Park, Georgia. As a young boy Jones attended church regularly. At a young age Jones made a declaration of his faith. As Jones grew older he received a football scholarship to attend Tuskegee University.

While attending Tuskegee, he was in campus ministry outreach and became overwhelmed with how he was then living. Jones’ lifestyle and Christian profession did not match up. During this time was when Jones came to the realization that what he needed was his Savior. Terrence describes this moment as very eye opening. By the age of nineteen Jones truly gave and trusted his life with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ again. After graduation from Tuskegee University, Jones later went on to get his Masters of Divinity degree in California.

Jones opened up to the school and community with his personal testimony by sharing how he and his wife lost their first child. As student Jordan Hooks said, “I really liked the speaker because it was very thought provoking, and I really enjoyed how he shared his testimony.”

Jones spoke of his struggles through his life to show us that we all can overcome our struggles. Student Katelyn Lawrence said, “I enjoyed Christian Emphasis Week because it allowed me to take a break from the rush of school. I was able to slow down and actually focus on my relationship with God. It was a way for me to get back on track with my quiet time and devotions. He really encouraged us as a student body and as individuals to live out our lives honestly and purposefully for Christ.”

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Faith•The Triangle

New Maestro in Music Department

Passion. Escape. Happiness. Those are words Judson College’s new maestro Mr. Garret E. Torbert uses to express his love for music. Torbert joined the Judson Music Department for the spring semester 2019. He is currently teaching music theory and an ear training course, as well as serving as the choir instructor.

Torbert was born and raised in Mobile, Ala. Though he inherited his musical voice from his paternal grandfather, Torbert is the only one in his immediate family who is gifted with musical talent. He started taking piano classes at the age of six; since then music has become part of Torbert’s everyday life.

His Life Decision

Torbert made the decision to pursue music as his career in high school during a major vocal performance. He attended the University of South Alabama for his undergraduate degree and he went to the University of Missouri-Kansas Conservatory (UMKC) for his master’s degree. Currently, he is pursuing his doctorate degree at the University of Alabama (UA). At UA, he not only does piano accompaniments but also teaches voice lessons to undergraduate music education major students and music therapy major students. He has spent most of his time on solo performances until he extended his passion to teaching music as he continues to pursue higher degrees. Aside from playing piano and performing vocally, Torbert is also blessed with his talent for playing trumpet in a band. Whether it is teaching or performing, Torbert declares that music gives the same amount of excitement for him. When asked about his interests other than music, Torbert shared that traveling is another passion in his life.

Get Connected

Torbert learned of Judson from a good friend—a previous instructor here at Judson—who recommended him for the position. Torbert then got connected with Dr. Cindy St. Clair, the head of the Music Department. With such musical talents, Torbert is a joy to the Judson community. He shares his positive impression of the school that “There is a lot of potential here at Judson. I think the amazing thing about Judson is that it’s an all women’s college, and we are living now in an age where women should feel in power. Through not only the empowerment of women, but through their faith with God, and the combination of those two, I think Judson could really put itself back on the map.”

As a vocal performance instructor here at Judson, Torbert also explains how he is working to eliminate the misconception that solo classical singing and choral singing cannot meet. He explains that even though his major focus is on solo performances, the two methods of singing are not that different from each other. He is able to apply the aspects of his voice instruction to the choral experience.

‘Music is my passion’

The result of this practice has been a great benefit to each member of Judson choir. Torbert shared that the upcoming activities of the Judson choir group included singing on the Preview/Scholarship day on February 16, participating in the African-American Read-in on February 21, and performing in the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame on March 7. The group will also have a choir tour and recruiting day to invite students for the 2019 fall semester.

Torbert concludes the interview with what music means to him, saying, “As cliché as it sounds, music is my passion. It is my life. It is a means of escape from everyday life even though it is my everyday life. It is an emotional experience for me. When I am playing or singing, it is a way for me to immerse myself into a state of complete happiness and freedom.” He is truly excited about this semester and the potential of Judson College musicians.

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Student Life•The Triangle

“What a Fine Time to Major in Equine”

by Camry Sturdivant, Sports Editor

The Judson girls here aren’t just sugar, spice, and everything nice because this team of girls does not mind getting down and dirty and riding off in the wind. This particular group of girls is the Equestrian team at Judson College. Judson College Equestrians compete in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone 5, Region 2 at various levels, including Beginner Walk/Trot and open divisions in both Hunt Seat and Western styles of riding. Judson’s on-campus equine center is located within easy walking distance of residence halls, administrative offices, and academic buildings. The newly constructed facilities include great riding space under a covered arena, a jumping field and riding trails, and a 30-stall barn with tack rooms, a feed room, and a wash rack. If you pay and wish to have your childhood horse on campus, Judson even lets you bring your own horse. Your horse will stay in the facility, and you can care for it without even being apart of the equestrian team.

Equine Science can also be your major here at Judson College, which is a southern girl’s dream. At Judson College, they have developed the Equine Science program with that interest in mind. The program is designed to both challenge a student academically and to provide her with the practical experience to achieve her goals, whatever they may be. The Equine program here at Judson was Alabama’s first college to offer a Bachelor’s degree in Equine Science. Judson has a strong record of excellence in academic training for careers in the equine field. We have also won a couple of awards at shows. For example, Nicole Smith won a major equestrian award last year. I talked with her on February 24 after WMU Bible study, and she said, “Our show this weekend at Auburn was fun. Getting to spend time with God’s creatures (horses) is amazing.”

In Judson’s Equine program, just like every other department here, they give us the best of the best to prepare you for the next step in your life. You get to meet and work with professionals in the equine industry with shadowing experiences and directed internships. The coaches are the first professionals you meet; for instance, Jennifer Hoggle. She coaches the IHSA Western team here at Judson College. In addition to her significant experience judging, organizing, and competing in horse shows, clinics, and rodeo competitions, Hoggle is a 1994 Judson graduate, and she was named Miss Rodeo Alabama in 1995. She also served as the IHSA Region President from 2008 to 2010. Next is coach Janice Palmer Williams, ‘83. She teaches riding courses and serves as the coach of Judson’s IHSA Hunt Seat team. Janice has competed in numerous combined training events, and her horse Rowdy Games was named Quarter Horse of the Year by the American Quarter Horse Association in 1996.

Majoring in Equine Science here at Judson will give you the necessary training in career areas as diverse as barn management, professional riding, equine journalism, and therapeutic riding instruction and training.

Finally, Judson can also help Equine Science students join the Pre-Veterinary program, which offers all prerequisite courses for admission to veterinary school and gives you hands-on experience with horses. The girls can combine an Equine Science major with a strong background in traditional science courses. This puts them at the top of the list for admission into vet school.

The roster is divided into two teams. Coach Hoggle’s Western team roster includes Kirsten Britnell, Hope Langkow, Samantha Pearce, Joy Thompson, Tessa Thompson, Lorna Wikle, and Baylee Woods. Coach Williams’ Hunt Seat roster includes Kris Bradley, Marshá Hinkle, Kailee Ramsey, Lexy Small, Nicole Smith, and Anna Mag Reynolds. On June 5, 2018, Nicole Smith of Lowndesboro, Ala., was named the American Collegiate Horsemen’s Association (ACHA) Horseman of the Month for June. This proves that Judson College has a great Equine program and has many other accolades to prove it.

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Equestrian•Sports•The Triangle

Dream BIG, Little Ones!

After more than a semester of waiting, the Jr-Sophs’ search to find the perfect little to join their family has finally ended. Freshwomen, Jr-Sophs, and seniors alike congregated excitedly in Ramsey-McCrummen Chapel on the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 8, to witness the growth of their beloved families. All new members of each family were greeted with loud applause and excited whoops as they signed their names next to their new big sisters. Following the signing ceremony, families were treated to a banquet in the dining hall, where each table was decorated with a plethora of balloons, candles, glitter, and family animals.

For some Jr-Sophs, this day had been greatly anticipated since they first signed their names with their big sisters in their freshman year. For others, the joy of finding a little was doubled by the excitement of finding a big sister of their very own!

Traditions can be truly confusing for transfer students at first. Kaley Patteson, who transferred to Judson College last semester, gives her own personal experience with this.

“At first when I came to Judson, I was so nervous about Big/Little traditions,” Kaley explained. “It was a little confusing. As I’ve been here and gone through traditions, I’ve started getting close to people. Their names are Chasely Matmanivong, Abbie Livingston, and Charlie Sturdivant. Chasely was my LAMP when I transferred in. Hanging out with her during my first week, I grew close to her and this past weekend she adopted me into the Turtle family. As kind as Chasely has been to me, I am hoping that I can give Charlie and Abbie the same great start to Big/Little traditions like she has done for me.”

Gracie Hutto and Molly Grace Register, members of the Parrot and Elephant families respectively, both expressed the initial concern that they would have trouble with finding a little. However, that thought seemed to be little more than worry—both Gracie and Molly welcomed new members to their family, also!

“The first time I met [Tammie Hanlon], I knew that she was going to be my little,” said Molly. “When I saw her, my brain was instantly like, ‘that’s the one.’ Even though she didn’t sit with me at every single serenade, I knew that she would find her way back to the herd. And Baloo loves Tammie too, so that’s a bonus!”

Baloo, Molly’s service dog (and an honorary elephant!), affirmed this comment by wagging his tail enthusiastically.

Gracie became the big sister of two new little Parrots—Jaylyn Martin and Ryann Troxell. “I’m kind of an introvert, so I was afraid to find anyone until I found Jaylyn. I first picked up Ryann because her potential big sister left, and we really hit it off since then!” she bubbled excitedly. “Jaylyn and Ryann both have different characteristics that link up with my own. It’s so great that I found little sisters just like me!!”

Big/Little is about more than just simply finding a big or little sister; it’s about finding where you belong. It’s about finding the perfect piece to fit in the puzzle of your family’s legacy. The Big/Little Ceremony was a total blast, but that Friday evening is just the beginning of the many wonderful memories that each big and little will share together in the times to come.

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Opinions•Student Life•The Triangle

Karaoke Night

by Aqui Lacy, Staffwriter

Judson and Marion Military Institute joined together to hold a karaoke night at Judson’s’ student center “The J” on January 24. Groups of students from MMI and Judson all joined in The J with their friends and their favorite songs in their heads.

“My favorite part was Hannah Woods opening up the night by singing ‘Irreplaceable’ by Beyonce then being an MC the whole night. I also really enjoyed listening to one of the cadets at MMI sing ‘Chicken Fried.’ Overall it was a fun break from school and all the work. It was nice to have other people around laughing and singing along to songs we all pretty much knew. I think everyone had a great time. We also got to sell snacks for spring break missions, too!” says Cassidy Padgett, a junior at Judson.

During the hour-and-a-half or so of karaoke, there were duets, solos and even some trios. Even a portion of the softball team decided to sing a song together and a portion of third floor Kirtley sang “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus together.

While some students saw the event as a break from homework and their way to de-stress themselves, others say it was a way to support their friends who were there to sing and to sing themselves. Judson student Jordan Hooks said, “My favorite part was when Kelsey got up to sing ‘Take a Bow’ by Rihanna—I loved that song! I also thought it was cool hearing one of the cadets rap ‘Ice Ice Baby.’ It was really fun altogether.”

Students that performed a song at karaoke night had until the day before the event to choose a song so all their songs would be on the playlist and prepared. When people got up to sing, it did not seem as if the singers were nervous. However, the crowd knew all the songs, so when the person missed a spot in the song, the crowd responded with the right lyrics and the song continued.

While the singing was happening there was also food available. After all, what’s a college hangout with no food? There were cookies, brownies, and hot dogs all for sale at karaoke to raise money for spring break missions—with all the soda for free.

There was not only singing at karaoke night. There was also dancing. Between songs and intermissions, both schools’ students danced together with line dances. These line dances included the “Cha Cha Slide” and “Cupid Shuffle.” There was also a line dance that many Judson students love called the “Church Clap.” While the MMI students did not really know this dance, it was not going to stop them from going out and dancing to it.

One of my personal favorite parts was watching the Judson students teach a few of the MMI students to do the “Church Clap.” Watching it was like watching the two schools come together to have fun — that was the best part.

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Community•Opinions•Student Life•The Triangle

Look How Far We’ve Come

When we last left off, the different clubs around campus were just getting started with getting new members to join and reconnecting with old members to grow from previous semesters, but look where they are now. As the new semester begins, we see the clubs coming together and planning big things for the future. So now let’s get connected once more shall we.

The Psychology club has been newly energized and has been improving from last semester. According to Kris Bradley, the Psychology club president, “The club is planning on taking a couple of fun trips, including a trip to Old Bryce Hospital museum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and is wanting to get permission to go see a movie in theaters that will be coming out soon, that will please the mind of anyone, psychology major or not.” In addition to the trips, the Psychology club also got a new sponsor—Evan Kennedy.

It’s a fun time to be a part of the English club, because according to the president Arienne Borowski, the English club has been doing a lot of exciting, new things since starting the New Year and will continue to improve. The club got some new officers, Kate Wright is the vice president, Marissa McNamara is in charge of the marketing aspect of the club, freshman Kaitlyn Smith is the new treasurer, and Kris Bradley is the secretary and is also planning on taking over the president position after Borowski graduates. “We are taking trips to the book store As Time Goes By, writing letters of encouragement to anyone who needs them, and as a way to help Bradley get more involved and comfortable with the President position, she is working on a project where we will host a Regency Ball here at Judson in the parlors.”

Some other activities that the English club has been working on include partnering with the History club and Business club, as well as other student who tagged along when they traveled to the Renaissance Faire in Florence, Alabama. They had a booth set up at Treats on Bibb. They also had a marble mug fundraiser. The club is also sponsoring updates to the Writing Center, “As a tutor in the writing center, I would like to paint the walls to make them look more upbeat and more exciting and appealing to look at. I sit in there for a couple of hours and it can get a little boring, so I believe that these new updates will not only have an effect on the other tutors, but also as well as the other people who come in.”

The Drama club is taking a small break this year with their activities for this semester. “Since I am getting more involved with traditions and more with school things, I really do not have a lot of time to plan new things, but once I get more settled with my school work, we will have more meetings and discuss what we are planning to do,” President Kassidy Giles told me. The club also has some new officers this year. Lela Ball has taken over the role as treasurer, Sarah Combs is the new secretary, and the new position of Chaplain is held by Anna Mag Reynolds.

The History club is also on a small break as they are trying to regroup and figure out what they are going to do. According to Sierra Driver, the secretary of the club, “We were planning on holding a conference here at Judson for our Phi Alpha Theta, but since Dr. Frazer is not doing well, we decided as a group that it would be better if we did not have it.” Maybe once everything gets situated, the History club will be back up and running, so fingers crossed.

It is nice to see how much Judson’s clubs have improved and are building on what they have done over the years. These clubs cannot wait to see their plans in the future, and maybe more clubs will form and become as successful as these have been.

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Student Life•The Triangle

Welcome to the Family: The Pink and Purple Penguicorns

by Bama Porter, Opinion Editor

When Camry Sturdivant told me that Big/Little was her favorite tradition and that I should be more excited, I took her advice with a grain of salt. So far, most of the traditions have been mildly interesting at best. Most of the traditions thus far have been meet and greets, chances for the freshmen to get to know the upperclassmen and the faculty. However, Camry was right—Big/Little is now my favorite tradition. Instead of awkwardly standing around, I got a chance to engage with those who are now my new family.

Although many people do not put much effort into business casual days, this was different. We cared for our appearances almost as much as we did for President’s Reception. Our Big Sisters told us the family colors so we could look like our new family.

Although most of us already knew whom we were signing with, it was still exciting. We each waited patiently for our Big Sister’s name to be called so that we could be presented with our paintings and sign with her in the book. We were then escorted by her around the chapel to sit next to her.

After the signing ceremony, we went to dinner where each family had decorated a table for their family. My family’s table was covered in a black tablecloth, glitter, candy, toys, and lights. The food line was too long, so my family and I sat down at our table to wait.

As we waited, I played with the toys on the table. Rebecca revealed that there were more that her mother told her not to put on the table. Being the independent woman that Rebecca is, she did not listen. The toys that she brought out were noise makers

(the kind that look like a pair of lips) and toys that are slightly similar to sling shots. Rebecca soon learned why her mother warned her not to put these toys on the table. Her mother, Mrs. Karen, was my teacher in the second grade, so she knew how childish I could be. Although this may not have been the exact reason her mother warned her not to put the toys on the table, I am sure that it was a factor that she considered. I played with these toys more than anything because I am childish. I shot Shun, my Big, at least three times. I made the most annoying sounds with the noisemakers until I was lightheaded and needed to breathe.

Rebecca, my Grandbig, told me there was pie. I jumped up faster than Dean Winchester (a main character on the television show “Supernatural”) to get that pie because I love sweets. It was French silk pie, one of my top favorites. I did eat real food, macaroni and cheese and rolls, once the line got shorter.

When we were finished, we cleaned the tables and put them back in their original positions.

We went our separate ways to get into more comfortable clothes, and so I could put down my painting and my new craft box, courtesy of my Big. We met back up at Rebecca’s house to watch a movie. Although our family movie is “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” we ended up watching “Surf’s Up.” I finally made it back to my room at about eleven that night.

Overall, this was a great tradition. I had fun getting to know my new family. At the end of the night, I was beat. I had work the next morning, and I knew that I was going to regret being up that late, but it was worth it. My new family and I hit it off, which is great because next year it will be up to me to make sure our family does not go extinct.

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Student Life•The Triangle