The Iron Cage - ISKL 2016

Emmett Balzer

            The sun just peeked out between the twin pillars of the Cove, illuminating and warming the mass of bodies collected upon Upper Field. Two great shadows rolled across the crowd as buses grinded their way up the hill, filling our lungs with thick exhaust. The crowds filed neatly into the two iron cages like ants in an anthill, more than eighty people would have to share forty square meters for six drooling hours; nobody was excited to spend their Friday on a bus.

            Upon reaching the door, I saw the driver fiddling with some switches on his control panel. Sure enough the hot, damp air followed us all the way into the very back of the bus. We could not find the faintest whisper in the vents above; the air-conditioner must have broken. Keito Watanabe (12) described the feeling as follows: "We were stuck with the worst bus out of the two. The bus did not have air-con for at least ten minutes, and, even after it did turn on, we were sweating like crazy. It was like we were in a sauna."

            Sleeping was out of the question as beads of sweat trickled down our necks. Josiah Brake (12) said, “All of the guys wanted to take their shirts off; if only our bus didn’t have any girls on it…”  The chairs beneath us quickly became our personal towels, dampening with every touch and turn. When the vents finally sputtered to life, they didn’t blow the torrent we had hoped for; instead they wafted gently like someone who wants to cool the soup on their spoon while not spilling it. Gasping at the vents like a fish out of water was not uncommon for the remainder of our soaked ride.

           These horrible conditions, however, could hardly derail the spirit of the weekend. Trying not to focus on the heat, groups gathered together around decks of cards and iPad games; laughter erupted constantly from different circles throughout the bus. Despite the distinct groups of friends, many unique students were brought together for six hours of unity during the bus trip and the event to come— facing off against ISKL in soccer and volleyball. Even the worst bus experience could not crush the anticipation and allegiance of eighty loyal Eagles.