by Stephen Elliott
Staff Writer
After fierce competition to secure one of the spots on two Bacchus vans, 25 Sewanee students headed to Banner Elk, NC and Sugar Mountain for the annual SOP Ski Trip on Friday, January 31.
Upon arriving at their dodecagonal home for the weekend with their newly rented equipment, the students, led by Will Watson and four student leaders, could hardly sleep due to excitement for the fun the next day would bring. The next morning the comic disparity of winter sport ability among the group was immediately apparent. Some were absolute beginners, and others left them in the dust. Will Copeland and Pierce Myers, for example, are expert skiers who have even lived in Wyoming. Wyoming. The snow conditions were nearly ideal for a southern ski resort. The bitter cold and snowstorms earlier in the week had deposited substantial snow on the slopes. By the weekend, temperatures had warmed up but the snow remained, allowing some to ski at times in short sleeves.
After a long day of skiing, the students returned to the house to fix dinner and enjoy each other’s company. Dinner was tacos. During the course of the weekend, the group consumed 10 pounds of beef, 8-dozen eggs, and 12 pounds of bacon. Karen Dawson, one of the leaders of the trip, said her favorite experience from the weekend was, “tasting bacon tacos for the first time.”
After trip leader Elizabeth Sega did the dishes, some worked on a puzzle of the Biltmore Estate. Others played that game where you put a name on your forehead and must ask questions in order to guess who you are. Is Voldemort human? Was King Tut black or white? These questions remain unanswered.
On Sunday the group woke early to get in a half day of skiing before returning to Sewanee. The plan was to return in time to watch the Super Bowl, but the game didn’t end up being any good anyway.