Brentwood Regatta Jobs

26 April 2014Joanna L, Alex '14, Photos by Joe K, Whittall '16 & Sarah H, Alex, 14

Like choosing which multi-colored spandex to don for a day of intense racing on the water, when it comes to regatta jobs there are, as with all things, the good, the bad, and the ugly. For the four hundred and sixty Brentwood students and more than one hundred staff, regatta weekend is not merely a casual weekend of relaxation and recreation. For the last few weeks, Mr Garvey and the regatta staff have worked tirelessly to issue every able-bodied member (and some non-able bodied!) of the school with a job, be it boat holding, clean up, recycling, info booth, announcing, or otherwise. Pulled together in one collective workforce, the regatta truly is a community event, with teachers, staff, students, parents and alumni all pulling together to make sure everything goes smoothly. The Good I think it’s pretty safe to say that announcing is one of the best jobs on campus. You’re warm, dry, get to fiddle with the music, and there is a certain wicked satisfaction to being the person who gets to evilly rouse the campus from its bed with the standard 6am call of “Good morning, Brentwood!” The Bad For the Grade 9s, sitting lowest on the school hierarchy of responsibility, and more importantly size, it is the often wet, most likely windy, and almost certainly cold allure of boat holding that beckons boat load after boat load of poor, unfortunate start-dock minions to the water far from the vibrancy of the plaza or the finish line. Often stranded for more than two hours out on the start dock, the Grade 9s dutifully hold in their hands the balance of power… or… direction, as they send boats off from the tumultuous start. Accompanied by the umpires, boat drivers, and their ever dutiful “start-dock whips” the Grade 9s complete what is known as a right of passage – because nothing teaches your more about grit … and well, grit, than lying on your stomach for two hours while the windswept waves of Mill Bay tickle your face. The Ugly After the completion of the regatta on Sunday, the job is really only half done. Think that all the work is done in the 72 crazy hours of the main event? Think again – long after all the visiting crews are done, one of the most massive clean up events since Mr Collis’ English 12 Lit classes round of “Extreme Dickens” will take place. The clean up crew is responsible for clearing out the gymnasium, old cafeteria, old academic building and every square inch of space that once held any of the 800 visiting athletes staying on campus. Needless to say, it’s a monumental task, but they handle it with the hint of a disbelieving smile and their usual, number-one inspection trained poise. For a video of various regatta jobs please see http://youtu.be/MztZw7yqA3c Joanna L, Alex ’14

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