M&M staffers
Where could you find a game of “rock-tree-bridge”, some enthusiastic teenage mutant ninja turtles, and epic jello snarfling, all in the same place?
At the Duke TIP Brek-Fest, of course!
A TIP-wide tradition, the “fest” consisted of the TIP students, split up into four teams, (blue, red, yellow, and green) competing in several events, trying to win the title of Brek-Fest Champions. BREK stands for "Basically Really Exciting 'K." Brekfest took place on Saturday, July 18th.
The fest began with an introduction from each team. The teams performed a cheer or a song to spread their spirit and were then awarded cheer contest points. We heard first from the energetic Lightning Zebras, a team decked out in multiple shades of yellow. Though it had rhyming lyrics, the cheer lacked the pep or the stamina of a true Brek-Fest champion team. The red team came next, the Infernos, singing a Brek-Fest themed version of the classic Chicago song, “He Had It Coming.” Third was the blue team, basically yelling, “We’re going to do the wave,” over and over again. Although they lacked originality, the Bluceraptors made up for it in spirit.
Finally, the green team, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, assumed their positions, and the real cheering was on. After closing their introduction with rousing flips, cartwheels, and a great display of choreography, the green team received first place for the cheer contest. Energized and full of pep, the TIPsters were ready to begin the competition! First up, was a camp-wide event, Rock-Tree-Bridge.
A classic fest event, Rock-Tree-Bridge consists of teams racing to create an assembly line of body positions, trying to cross the finish line. After a few scrapes, bruises, and the knowledge that you were going to be sore in the morning, the Lightning Zebras crossed the finish line first.
The next events took place at some of the same times, with routine water breaks throughout, keeping the TIPsters healthily hydrated. Jello snarfling, a TIP favorite, went to the Lightning Zebras as did the sponge pass.
The yellow team also won cheesy poof face, a timed event in which one player’s face is covered in shaving cream and cheesy poofs are thrown at their face in hopes of sticking. The team with the most stuck to their faces wins.
The water balloon toss was a triumph for the green team. Yellow and blue were out quickly, with remnants of water balloons littering the grass. Down to red and green, one short toss by a member of the red team took down their chance of victory. The green team cheered!
Yellow’s top competitor, the Bluceraptors, won first place in basketball and the mystery water relay, a path walked by blindfolded TIPsters, while the staff threw water balloons at them.
Trivia was a close call. Originally in the lead was the green team, but then the yellow and blue teams came out of nowhere, challenging the green team for first. It all came down to the final trivia question, on which teams could wager their points.
Residential counselor, Carrie, read the question slowly, watching each team’s reaction, “Besides James and John, what is the next most popular president’s name?” The room grew quiet and tense, each team thinking through all the options. The yellow team, in the lead, seemed troubled, having to choose between two names. Finally, after the answers were turned in, it became clear that there was an obvious winner. Carrie read through each team’s answers, and then announced proudly, “The correct answer is William!”
The blue team erupted in screams and cheering, having won another event. After the final events, TIPsters gathered on the steps of Rutherford Hall, eagerly awaiting the results of the fest.
Residential counselor Geoff stepped forward, holding an important looking piece of paper in his hands. TIPsters could feel the air get tense as he began to read the results. Fourth place went to the Infernos and third went to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It all came down to this.
With a deep breath he announced that first place went to the Bluceraptors, with the Lightning Zebras receiving second place. The blue team cheered, the yellow team congratulated them, and the TIPsters rose from the steps, eager for a long, cool shower.
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