Kyle’s Blog

It’s embarrassing how long it’s been since I last posted on this.  Three weeks, but I’ll let you know they were some of the busiest three weeks I’ve ever had.  Ill update you on the past three weeks starting with the epic camp-out before senior day for UConn basketball, up until now with senior year winding down in subsequent posts over the next week.

I’m stealing this format from Bill Simmons, my favorite writer, although I’m sure he’s not the only one who does it:

Running Diary:

Friday 2/27

6:00 AM: Wake up to a little UCONN WHUS radio.  I’ve never been more excited to have puffy eyes, bad breath, and zero responsibilities for the day.

6:01 AM: Quickly realized I had a whole lot of responsibilities for the day, including getting to Gampel, a haircut I had dumbly decided to get at home, a dinner with friends from Florence, then back to Gampel for the campout.

6:40 AM: Met with Karissa and Lydia outside Hilltop Apartments for the walk over.  We find out part of our crew got there at 5:30 this morning, we feel lame, but also embarassed that we have friends who are up that early with nowhere to go except roam the streets of UConn until they’re allowed to line up.  Think about it.

6:50 AM: Arrive at Gampel.  Five of our friends are already setting up shop under the passway and we go to help.  We rented our tents from the UConn Adventure Center conveniently located in the Student Union.  You can rent canoes, kayaks, tents, anything you can think of to go out in the wilderness and have a good time.  They say they fit six people, I’m skeptical.

8:00 AM: I’ve been pumped up for over an hour, it’s decently cold out but not that bad.  We’ve all been talking about the team, the game, setting up a schedule for the rest of the day who would hold our spots and such.

8:30 AM: First people leave for classes or to nap or to study.  Cold starts to sit in.  I eat my Nutri-Grain bar and first Gatorade of the day.  I take a Daily Campus and sit on it on the stairs because as a natural rookie I didn’t bring a lawn chair to chill in.

9:30 AM: Just Lydia, Rish, and I now.  Lydia leaves for class, Rish and I have muddled conversation that focuses on how cold we are, how much we wish there was sunshine on our faces, and why it has to be so freaking windy.

11:00 AM:  Not sure what just happened, but the wind tried to rip our tents from the steps and bring them across the road.  Tents are flying everywhere since there’s no stakes in the ground.  Cement prevents that.

11:05 AM:  Sachie arrives, we get to recap the day for her.  I feel like that most of the conversation that will go on with new people who showup is exactly what you’ve done so far that day and what everyone else has told you they did.  Im jealous of the stories later in the day.  Four hours in and I’ve told them about getting up early and reading one sports article.  Exhilirating

12:00 PM: 5 hours in, my butt is either frozen or completely asleep.  Either way I can’t feel it anymore and it’s strangely liberating.  John shows up, and the urge to pee for me has passed the point where you feel like a seatbelt is constantly pressed against your bladder but you’re contemplating new ways to poke a hole in your body to relieve the tension.  Go ahead and pretend like it’s never happened to you.

12:10 PM Leave the Student Union after a bathroom, hot chocolate, and cookie break.  More friends show up, Karissa makes her 13th appearance of the day.

1:15 PM Cori calls me, is ready to go home for the afternoon.  I was just starting to get the hang of this, but my shift is up.  I’m dissapointed I won’t be sitting outside in the wind with two pairs of pants, four shirts and a sweatshirt on, but I’m also happy I’ll be enjoying warmth in a car… where I will now sleep, forever.

8:30 PM I arrive back at the campout.  Everyone that is going to be at the game in the first two rows is there now.  I forgot to mention we were the very first people in line, so we should be able to sit wherever we want.  Most of us will stay the night, some will be going back to sleep and picking up all of our materials in the early morning.

Here’s my disclaimer.  I’m not proud I wasn’t there all day and all night, but apparently no one does that.  That’s why you camp out in groups.  I had illusions of grandeur pre-college years of a campout that you never left, but it’s a little less extreme than that.  Most everyone was there from 6 - 1 the next morning, but before that people did shifts.  It pretty much turns into a party at 6, so if you weren’t there you were missing out anyway.  I spent the afternoon getting yelled at by my hairdresser, getting stuck in traffic, eating cold pizza, getting locked out of my house, being late to a dinner that I planned, leaving that dinner early that I planned, and forgetting my water bottle and food at the apartment on the way back to the campout.  So I got mine, don’t you worry.

10:30 PM Beverages flowing, conversation being had, people sneaking away to use the bathroom or get a burrito.  Good times to be had.

11:00 PM Girls leave to go to the Student Union for “nachos”.  Apparently along the way, they get distracted by a Karaoke machine.  Hilarity ensues.  I need you now tonight, I need you more than ever, and if you love me hold me tight.  Turn around, they knocked it out of the park.  Or so I saw on the video Amanda took of them.  Clutch.

Karissa, Sachie, Jen, and Allison singing their hearts out

Saturday 2/28

1:00 AM Party starts to wane.  Full day of sitting in the cold is catching up with us.  Some decide to leave, some keep the tunes going and a full on rendition of NSYNC’s Tearing Up My Heart happens.  Are delirious, or just making fantastic decisions.

The coolest girl I know Sachikooooo and Jen

2:00 AM People start trying to sleep in their tents.  Some people still are yelling and talking loudly.  Also a sleeping bag on concrete is way colder than I’d ever expect, so I don’t see much sleep happening.  Butt slowly freezing again, don’t want to turn over for obvious reasons.

3:00 AM (or so I think) Inebriated individuals walking back from parties find it funny to yell at “Tent City” and try to either wake people up or just be complete &(*&)(#@!.  They start the UConn chant, which even though I hate the guys I have to appreciate for a short while.  I appreciate more the next time somebody tries to start the chant two girls yell after UConn, in the same voice pattern, !*#@ YOU!.

4:00 AM (really no idea) I think I just fell asleep, but I’m not really sure.  Either way it felt awesome.

7:00 AM After being woken up multiple times, and falling asleep very litte, I decide to stop the charade and hang out outside the tent.  It’s at least 20 degrees outside now and way colder than it was yesterday.  I walk back with all my disposable gear with John to our room, get some more food, and walk back before anyone even notices we were gone.

10:00 AM Start to pack up all the tents, bags, and clean up our general area right by the door.

10:30 AM Gampel official says he wants an orderly line and everything spotless, so we finish picking up and explain everything to the rest of the campers.

11:00 AM Line begins to form, our group of 25 has the first two rows all sewn up.  We’re jacked up and really excited, with only an hour and a fifteen minutes to go.

11:30 AM In line Jen gets a big hug from one of her friends from home.  Sounds fine.  Except the guy is dressed in all Notre Dame gear, and we were all chanting a mean word at him.  We then chant a mean word at her to prove our fanhood, and then when thats done hug her to prove friendship.  Don’t judge us for the order of the actions.

12:15 PM The mad rush begins, doors open, we get checked in by threes.  Sprint to the first two rows, get our seats, and we’re ready to begin the real cheering, our work is not done at all.

Final Score UConn 72 Notre Dame 65

We hope Notre Dame enjoys the NIT as much as I’m going to enjoy my 15 hour sleep that night.