Despite spending the majority of weekdays in class, cherubs find free time to have more traditional summer fun such as lounging on the beach or playing in sporting events.
The beaches on campus were popular spots for 2011 cherubs to hang out on weekends or even at night before check-in.
“One of the first nights I went to the beach was one of my favorite nights here,” said Alyssa Fisher, of Florida. “Some of the girls and I took a Frisbee, and we were acting like children throwing it around and trying to catch it unsuccessfully. If anyone had seen us, they would’ve thought we were insane, but it was just so fun and freeing.”
Trips to the beach were a way for students to relax when they had an extra hour or two before checking in at the dorm after a night of lecture. For Fisher, the beach was a way to escape homesickness.
“I really see that Northwestern has everything there is to offer,” she said. “I still have the beach here, so it’s a piece of home for me.”
In addition to the beach, cherubs enjoyed pick-up soccer games on the Northwestern lacrosse field.
“You don’t have to be a soccer player to play a soccer game and that’s why I think it’s fun for everyone,” said Jacob Frazer, of Wisconsin. “Playing soccer together helps make us closer, and any time guys play sports together it’s like an extra step of bonding.”
Depending on the number of boys, they either spontaneously form teams and play a game or shoot at the goal for a workout.
“It gets a little competitive sometimes but in a fun way,” Frazer said. “We all want to win but we never get mad at each other or anything. It’s just really cool to hang out with guys and just play sports.”
The friendly rivalry led the boys to form a Jews vs. Gentiles basketball game, which community associate Kit Fox suggested.
“I thought Kit was kidding until we started forming teams and at that point I realized there were a lot more Jews than gentiles,” said Alex Burnham, of Missouri. “I’ve never been in a situation like that.”
The boys and one girl planned the event for the night when cherubs had free use of the Sports Pavilion and Norris Aquatic Center. Both players and spectators could enjoy the friendly competition.
“Jews vs. Christians is like the oldest rivalry ever, but it brought us all together,” said Boomer Dangel, of Tennessee. “All the sporting events bring out the best in us because we’re competing against each other, but at the same time we’re still going to be best friends after the game.”
Putting up flyers was instrumental in promoting the showdown.
“We made it seem like it would be an NBA type game when none of us are really that good,” said Dangel, who played for the Gentiles. “It’s easy for a basketball game like that to be focused on the players, and we figured if we made the flyers it would make everybody want to watch and be invested in the game.”
Even after the Gentiles lost to the Jews, the cherub relationships were not negatively affected.
“It was just a lot of fun with no hard feelings, though we do still owe the Jews pizza,” Dangel said. “Everybody watched, and it brought us all together.”
