There was this thing on campus, two underclassmen vs. two upperclassmen, entrants accepted by essay, and it was two See Saws.

That's right - and not just any See Saws. These were Chelsea and Tiff versus Marc and Tim, in a pure test of endurance and rigor. They showed up on the pedestrian lawn, while i was slaving away at a double shift that night. Expectations, morale, and competitive spirit were high, it was 6 o'clock in the evening, and it was anyone's game.

The contestants mounted their respective See Saws at 6 o'clock sharp. Eighteen hours later, there was planned methodical torture by CEC representatives, endeavoring to weaken their spirits, testing their staying power after a night on a See Saw without sleep.

The game had just been getting on when it became apparant that there were troubles brewing. Tim was five inches taller than his riding partner, and his knees are not what they used to be. Minutes rolled on into hours, with the four of them teetering and tottering up and down, relentlessly; the girls effortlessly, and the guys in pain. Hours stretched on into more hours, and by two o'clock in the morning, Tim's pain had become insurmountable. Wearily and dejectedly, Marc and Tim forfeited their prizes, and hobbled on home.

It thus remained for the two girls to continue on their own toward the 8 o'clock goal that was then set. Eyes drooped, the sway of the See Saw floundered; for hours the loyal spectators tried to pass the time more quickly for them, pushing them onward past sunrise toward victory.

Though unworthy and muffled by haze they considered their prayers to be, they still raised their voices to their Father, called on him for sustenance and praised him for his unrelenting presence. Songs of all sorts were sung that night - campfire style songs, songs that brought back memories, songs of praise.

The morning ages rolled on, and each of us silently started to slip into the night, and eventually even Danelle, the great storyteller, felt the call of the bed. And I reluctantly saw my own need for sleep, having experienced the first vestiges of hallucination :P So at 5 o'clock this morning i slept for 2 1/2 hours in my own bed, leaving the two of them to themselves and the lord.

I woke up at 7:15; Meanwhile the sun rose on that misty morning, bringing vitalization and new hope to the girls who were ready to zonk out. The eight o'clock hour had drawn near and there was a gathering of early morning friends there to support and cheer. Forty minutes... thirty minutes... ten minutes - no, eleven minutes by the official clock... five minutes... one minute... These girls were champions already, having endured the night that threatened rain, the danger of their own tired minds, and the absence of needed human contact. In the beginning they had been committed to whatever number of days they would have needed to endure past the guys.

And at the last moment, following a countdown from 30 seconds to zero, the contestants dismounted, shaken and still unrecovered from 'sea legs.' After a quick bathroom break they hit the sack. Champions.