Medlin!

For a very long time I have heard tell of the virtues of team sports. I have heard how they instill comraderie, selflessness, loyalty, courage, and a variety of other virtues. And I have never argued with that. It is something I always knew and agreed with. But I have never experienced it.

Until I came to Lee.

Out of the many dorms at Lee I was slid into the last minute, last choice, infamously ramshackle Medlin Hall. I had no complaints. It is pretty clean and comfortable. But it is, come to find out, a lot more than that. On the Leevitical island across the street from the rest of landlocked Leeland there exists a bond and a brotherhood not yet experienced by me.

The Hall is not a sports team, but sports play a huge role in the social lives of we Leevites. I, for one, have never been good at athletic activity. I have always loved it. Truly. But we just aren't all born with the required machinery. I don't know what it is in some guys that make them so sharp at everything.

My short time in Medlin has seen an immediate pride. The hall is divided into four floors which each have a west and an east side. I am on (and proudly so) 1st floor East. But we all are chanters of Medlin. Whenever it is mentioned hands go up with thumbs touching and upside down making and M and a manly "Medlin!" is let out. Everybody knows Medlin when they see them.

Last night. That is, the 24th of August, the Medlinites all marched to the arena for a dodgeball tournament amongst themselves. Each floor had it's own wardrobe. I was elated to find that ours was a black out. We walked across the campus to the arena, leading us was a caped lodger. There was all sorts of oddities in the uniform department. Facepaint notwithstanding.

We got there and my team caught those 3 zillion m.p.h. balls like they were butterflies and all I could do was dodge like the unathlete I am. I finally said to God that I needed to be brave and jumped up to the front lines and caught one and there is no way I can dictate the exhileration that accompanied that. Even though the catches were practically worthless to the victory it was like being part of a team, an army. And when 1st floor East won (which of course we did) that rally in the middle was something you have to experience.

I have always known that team sports were something great, but I had never realized it. That makes all the difference.

Medlin!