By Anneliese Heyder, Stentorian Editor-in-Chief
The most anticipated sport at NCSSM has arrived: Textbook Pickup.
For most, this is the closest they’ll get to competing in the real Olympics. Students can be seen donning their uniforms ⎯ complete with laundry baskets, plastic tote bags, and suitcases, or coming with only a pair of hands. To many, this event is considered quite a feat and is seen as an Olympic sport. Students spend much time preparing for the challenge: sprints up and down the stairs, bicep exercises in the PEC weight room, and yoga to not tear any muscles.
Students arrive at the event with no warning of how many books they will be carrying back; numbers can range from 4-20 and vary in size. Got multiple science books? Dr. Martha Regalis’ class? Good luck with that. Humanities are normally smaller and more lightweight than the thick STEM textbooks (they can literally be used as weapons).
A Few Tips For Those New to the Event
First, eat a big breakfast. You are going to want to be fueled for the journey. The last thing you want to do is run out of energy halfway back to your dorm, for once you stop it’s hard to start again.
Second, get there early or find a time when it won’t be crowded. This will help you not become overwhelmed, or frustrated and you can finish the event without bumping into other students.
Third, don’t dilly-dally. You’ll forget a book you need or end up with one that has pages falling out. Get your stuff and get out.
Now, there are obstacles you will need to overcome during this event. Don’t trip on the sidewalk on Hill Street or slip on the stairs. Keep your fob on hand so you don’t have to fumble with finding it for 10 minutes. Choose the right uniform: you don’t want to not have enough room to carry all your books (I recommend a laundry basket or tote bag).
How To Win
Now, you may be wondering how this Olympic event is won. Some students have 4 books, others have 16. Some live on 1st Beall – a few steps from pickup – whereas others live on 4th West. How in the world is that fair? Well, this sport isn’t judged by how fast you grab your books or the amount you carry. It isn’t about if you got the first pick of the books or took the stairs instead of the elevator. It’s about community.
Community is essential to living here at NCSSM as good sportsmanship is to any sport; it revolves around lending a hand, offering support, and assisting one another. Do you see a student struggling to get textbooks up the stairs? Offer to take half. Did someone drop all their books on Hill Street? Help them pick up. Hold the elevator for others or plan with your roommate/hallmates for what works best for everyone. Does someone need an extra bag? Lend them one.
This sport has become a popular and competitive event here at NCSSM, and I am sure it will evolve in the next few years. Keep an eye out for more tips on how to best prepare for this challenge, as well as information on the other event in the NCSSM student Olympics: “Textbook Dropoff.”
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