December 4, 2012

Win a Date With the Big Red

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My friends and I have a Study Week tradition — every year we go to the annual “Win a Date with the Big Red” date auction hosted by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. It’s a night of guaranteed comedy, Cornell’s finest athletes strutting their stuff and charity — as all of the proceeds this year went to the Adopt a Family Program.

Last year I went with my friend Rachel and ended up bidding on two men’s lacrosse players. We had a ton of fun and when our friend asked us why we bought two laxers the answer was simple — it’s for the kids. It’s hard to not want to bid on any of the athletes, especially when they are willingly subjecting themselves to taunting from a tough crowd of teammates and friends, when you know that all of the money raised is going to children’s charities. Also, as Sports Editor, having a go-to on the lacrosse team for quotes made writing my stories so much easier. Thanks for the inside scoops, J.J.!

So Tuesday night, with our pockets lined with singles — it was $2 or a canned food item to enter — two of my friends and I entered Level B unsure of what to expect (other than maybe a good drink or two). Junior lightweight rower Charlie Walters and senior baseball player Houston Hawley emceed and offered what can be described as nothing short of a brilliant commentary of the night. They read — and improvised — colorful bios for each athlete up on the auction block.

Level B has never been a more interesting blur of people. If you were looking for a hot date for Friday night, there was someone for everyone. Some girls were twirling in tutus, while the women’s soccer team showed that American flag spandex shorts are coming back into style. A volleyball player even did a modified version of the hula meets twerking — props to her and her confidence. The female athletes at Cornell know how to work the room.

As for the guys, they made a strong showing as well. Leave it to the heavyweight rowers to strip down to just their spandex to show that the extra time spent in the weight room has been put to good use. Runner-up for Alpha Phi’s Ivy Man competition, senior squash player Nick Sachvie made another appearance, engaging the room as he stripped down to the essentials — his personality and that great smile. Although he tried, Sachvie was unable to match last year’s level of nudity. Too bad Beans graduated, a date auction isn’t the same without an unexpected pantsing.

I didn’t go with the intention of bidding on anyone, but after some gentle teasing from my friends I ended up raising my hand and somehow won a date with two men’s hockey players (if you know me, you know how I feel about this). Looks like I started Christmas shopping early, so Merry Christmas, Haley!

Original Author: Lauren Ritter