Alex and Whittall: The Artful Dodgers

14 November 2011Taryn O

Can girls play dodgeball? Do they really want to? These words echoed through the walls of Whittall house (or so I’ve been told) before this fateful Tuesday past. As it turns out, they can, and they do. The girls of Alexandra House proved that they could play with the best of them, although they had to make do with the Whittall boys. 😉

Every second Tuesday these respective houses have what they call Big-Little Sisters, or Big Bros, groups. The groups are composed of students of different grades who get together, munch on candy and/or pizza, and talk about life. Younger students are encouraged to form bonds with their older peers, and these groups help to make that happen.

But even the greatest traditions can sometimes be put aside once or twice to try something new, and that is what happened when the boys and girls joined together for dodgeball. Whittall and Alex combine forces during interhouse competitions, so it makes sense that the bond between these two has grown beyond just competition.

A shared game of dodgeball was proposed in lieu of the regular nighttime sessions, and a ferocity bubbled up inside some of the girls, revealing a previously hidden competitive side. The gym was filled with people, yells, and dodgeballs flying in every direction. With rules in place to ensure safety (such as no hitting above the shoulders) the games went smoothly with the minor exception of Hailey T, who managed to get hit while she was already out, but this brave senior pushed through to see the irony of the situation, and all was well.

Afterwards the colossal group headed over to Whittall where the boys served – ladies first of course – sundaes. Seniors and juniors of both genders then began to interact, and new acquaintances were made. The link between the houses was refreshed, and interhouse pride (in the colour red and the bull) was enhanced as a byproduct of this new experiment.

Much thanks to Alia V, Carien S, Ed E, Joel W and Zander W for organizing the event, as well as to Mr. Gage for letting the girls into Whittall and to Mrs. Mais for letting us go. The evening was a great success, and I’m sure it is just the beginning of fun times to come ‘dodging’ the Whittall boys.

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