Recently transferring to Acadia from Western, I was clueless about the tradition of Cheaton Cup. I had never heard of it, but all my friends swore it would be the best time of my undergrad. Hesitant, and to be honest a little intimidated, I decided to join the crowd and see what all the fuss is about.
Step One: make a shirt. This was a stressful process since, being from a different University, I had no allegiance to either Chipman or Eaton. I did, however, have friends in both houses. After hearing why each person thought their house was the best, I decided to make two shirts and hit up both parties. That was mistake number one. I was criticized for this and was even called a traitor (even though that was impossible because I never supported either house before). Even though I was playfully harassed for this, I still went ahead with my plan.
Step Two: party time. Every student who participates in Cheaton Cup swears that one party is better than the other, depending on which house they are faithful to. Sorry Acadia, but both parties were pretty much the same sans a few minor details. Without going into too many details about the two separate parties (because honestly, I won’t hear the end of it), let me just say that I did enjoy both. At first. But then people started getting sloppy. I have never seen so many inebriated people in one place before, and I fail to see the appeal in it. You couldn’t hear yourself think, couldn’t hear your friends talking to you, people bumping into you, drinks spilling all over you, and I swear every 30 seconds I heard people asking others for a “dart”. The basics of the house parties are as follows: drink as much as you can in a short amount of time and stand around in a barely audible space full of vomit and smoke. I suppose some may find this fun, but I really couldn’t understand it. Perhaps it’s that famous Atlantic drinking culture I’ve been hearing so much about? Or maybe that scene just isn’t my cup of tea. Either way, my Cheaton experience wasn’t impressive.
Step Three: the game. Okay, I must admit; the game was ridiculously fun. I was surprised to see that not as many people showed up to the game compared to the number of people I saw in the morning, but I assume the majority were just too drunk to either care or get to the arena. That aside, the game was full of energy and it got me amped. The players were determined, the crowd was enthusiastic, and emotions were running high. At the end of the game, I was a little surprised to see how many emotions there were. I saw tears of joy, tears of sadness, expressions of anger, giant smiles, and heard cussing out of rage, but also cussing out of excitement. I know school spirit is infectious, and rivalries bring these emotions out in people, but I couldn’t help but think: “this is just an intermural game. It isn’t that big of a deal”. I was wrong, friends. I apologize. Cheaton Cup is the Stanley Cup of Acadia. Remember when I said that I didn’t see the appeal? Well, I do now. Cheaton Cup is a day where students can come together and celebrate their pride, teams, and Acadia family. I just didn’t get it because I haven’t been here long enough to establish any of these things.
I want to take this opportunity to apologize to anyone who was at the other end of one of my snarky comments about Cheaton Cup being a waste of time, energy, and money. Just because it wasn’t necessarily my idea of a good time, does not mean I can come to Acadia and shit all over it. Tradition is important, bonding is important, and celebrating is important no matter what it is that we are celebrating. Oh and for those who are wondering: yes, I made my decision by the end of the day, and that was Chipman.