Autumn Activities & Fall Foods

1 October 2022Emma W, Alexandra ‘23; Photo by Abby D, Allard '23

Saturday, September 24th, was the second day of fall. Ocean waves lapped up onshore, sending cool gusts of wind that made the trees outside Alexandra House shiver and caused their leaves to drift down. Students had broken out their sweaters in response to the slight chill in the air. The first real signs of fall were arriving, and Brentwood had finally settled into a busy but steady rhythm.

For new students, the first few weeks at Brentwood feel a bit like summer camp. Every day offers something new and exciting: moving in and making friends, Interhouse events, Sunday Brunch … the list goes on. But now that Orientation is long past, things have started to get real. Teachers have doled out their first assignment or test and sports teams are hitting the road to go to their first game. The new students are probably thinking to themselves, “What have I gotten myself into?” What these new students don’t realize is that while hard work and determination is certainly part of life at Brentwood, this grit goes hand-in-hand with joy, which the Fall Fun Fair demonstrated on Saturday.

The Fall Fun Fair is an annual event hosted by the Student Activities Council where students can get together with their friends and partake in typical fun fair activities. Ms Tammie Ramsay, SAC Sponsor, described the fair as, “An afternoon of getting to know each other and trying new things – new foods, new friends, new games – and winning prizes under the beautiful fall sky”.

The fair was open for business by 4:30 pm, with competitions such as a three-legged race and a watermelon-eating contest (all of which had prizes, of course) set up on Campbell Commons. Badminton rackets and hula hoops lying in the grass gleamed in the sunlight. There was also a tattoo parlour, where students could get temporarily tatted by Mx Pasquale.

At first, it was uncertain if the event would be a success – not many people had arrived and Campbell Commons looked relatively empty – but there was a large crowd gathered by 5 pm. “The afternoon started off slowly as everyone was finishing their sport, but as the evening went on, things started to pick up and there was a great turnout!” said SAC Captain Samantha D, Alexandra ‘23.

Dinner was served by 5:15, and an array of everyone’s favourite fair foods such as sliders, corn dogs, and onion rings were arranged on tables outside. Students and staff piled their plates with a delicious dinner and sat in the grass to watch the setting sun reflected on the ocean.

Brentwood can seem busy and stressful, but there will always be moments like the Fun Fair to pause, appreciate the changing seasons, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Emma W, Alexandra ‘23

Where Students Choose To Be