Just when the monotony of Mondays started to wear down on our half-hearted smiles, Waffle Day made its heroic entrance. On October 16th, the houses took turns having short, fun assemblies and munching on warm and soft waffles. My house, Groos, had its assembly first. It involved laughter, a test for the House Captains, and whipped cream. As I walked towards the waffle stations in the Commons, my mouth was already watering. I had eaten a large breakfast at home, but you can never have enough food. The two lines stretched all the way to the University Guidance office and staircase respectively. However, the waiting didn’t stamp out my excitement, especially with the students playing and singing “Riptide” by Vance Joy. When one of the cafeteria ladies put two beautiful waffles on my plate, my eyes, which were previously struggling not to shut, suddenly felt lighter. I added a sea of maple syrup and a handful of strawberries.
The waffles were as delicious as they looked. At first, I thought I wouldn’t be able to finish them, but not twenty minutes later, I glanced down at my plate to see it was empty. Energy trickled back into my unmotivated self and for once, I could see myself surviving the whole school day.
I interviewed Head Boy Michael, the one behind the idea, to gain some more insight into the event. He and his family would eat waffles together, so he wanted to bring this bonding activity to the school. Michael thanks the cafeteria staff for providing enough waffles, the student executive and House Captains team for managing the waffle stations, and the group of students on the staircase for performing music. Personally, he had a fantastic time because everyone was enjoying themselves. He, “[loves] knowing that [he] was able to make others happy because of such a simple idea: eating waffles.” When asked about the execution, he said, “Everything happened exactly as I had envisioned it, and students and staff were very pleased. My goal was to encourage people to bond and to make them happy, and I think I succeeded!” Michael also commented that afterward, he received a plethora of thank-yous from students and teachers alike.
The school definitely did have a ball, for students were seated around tables chatting and laughing, and teachers were standing in groups of two or three, engaged in lighthearted conversation. For a while, math tests, five-page essays, and science lab assignments were all but forgotten. Waffles and happiness replaced grogginess and stress. Waffle Day was a big hit. Maybe it could become a Collingwood tradition.
By: Elisa Sung