On Friday the gentlemen of Emerson Hall gave back to their Biola community with Chivalry is not Dead Day. I will start by saying that some people think this idea silly, and that there should not be an entire day dedicated to chivalry because men should participate in chivalrous activity on a daily basis. I agree. However, the men who participated in this event are already known all around campus as being chivalrous all the time. The difference was that on Friday they dressed up and turned out en masse.

This day served as a great reminder to all men on campus what it means to be chivalrous and why they should do it. I commend the men of Emerson for their gallantry and for giving me another reason to love Biola.

A chivalrous Caf experience

Anyway, on my way into the Caf for lunch, I was generously greeted by two gentlemen holding the door open and looking studly. As I ate lunch with my friend Devon, more gentlemen approached us to take the dishes we were no longer using and to refill our drinks.

I spotted one extra-studly guy taking plates and refilling drinks, and I decided I wanted him to come over and offer to take our cups so I could meet him. If he happened to fall in love with me after we met, well… that was just up to God. Even though Devon is friends with him, she was willing to help me get him to come over to us by the power of his own will rather than by her calling him over.

Strategizing for an introduction

We started trying to perfectly time when we finished our food and drinks to sync up when he walked by us, but because of our limited access table in the corner of the Caf, he didn’t walk over. Yet, somehow, the other gentlemen noticed our empty cups and came by to take them or fill them. After this happened twice, Devon and I started hiding our cups from formally clad passerby until the one we were waiting for would come over. When we saw him approaching, we would whip out our plates and cups and bang them on the table to get his attention. Once, he was walking right toward us and Devon purposely knocked her cup onto the floor, sending the spoon clattering out and milkshake drops splattering. He
still didn’t look.

We even resorted to getting more food to draw attention to our table. We kept everything—every plate and cup and piece of trash. One of my friends came by and grabbed my straw wrapper to throw away and we snatched it back from him.

Anyway, the moral of the story is childish shenanigans won’t help you meet people, but walking up to someone like a human being, introducing yourself, and thanking him for his chivalry is a great way to get his name and a smile.

Biola dorm heats up the night

I experienced another Biola tradition that same day in the form of Heat of the Night! The guys floor in upper Hart, called HEAT transforms their hallway into an array of themed rooms and places to hang out or play games. One room was a pillow fight room, another a music room blasting dubstep and techno, another a photo booth with a pile of props, another an Irish pub serving root beer. All the guys worked so hard to make their rooms great, and the place was packed with visitors from other dorms checking out our end of campus for this once-a-year event. I even saw my former Nature of Math professor, Matt Weathers!

Irish pubs, pillow fights and mermaids

I particularly enjoyed the Irish pub, which served ice cold root beer and sang Irish drinking songs every half hour. The guys in the room created a bar out of desks and lined the walls with empty root beer bottles and Martinelli’s. It was a blast!

Another fun room was the pillow fight room, lined with layers of mattresses and dozens of pillows with which to attack each other. Devon and I eventually threw our pillows aside and started wrestling, which didn’t hurt because it was so bouncy.

The Under the Sea room stood out as well. It featured a mermaid in a kiddie pool lined with sand, bubble machines, and a game involving tossing Goldfish crackers into your partner’s mouth to see who could catch the most. All in all, the whole night was very fun, and I am incredibly proud of my Hart brothers for creating a night that everyone enjoyed.

What did you think?

Tell me your favorite room at Heat of the Night, or what you would have liked to see if you had gone!

And if you enjoyed chivalry day, tell me your favorite part!