Get out there and play!

By PJ Marcello, Staff Commentary

There I was freshman year, alone, sad, sitting on my ass and gaining weight at a rate that I hadn't known since the great growth spurt of '97. Something was wrong, missing. There was a glaring hole in my life and I didn't feel like myself. I felt lazier than I ever had before (which is really saying something). I didn't have much of a drive for school and homework, even finding friends seemed like a bit of a drag. Every day was slow and evenings were filled with unused time. I would wander the rowdy halls of Villa and, while that was fun, it was no cure to the void left in my soul.

I figured it was just age. Old people always get cranky and senile, and maybe I had finally become the old person I always dreaded at the ripe age of 18.

Then, one day when I was reminiscing with some friends from high school about the good ol' days (like old men do), I discovered what wasn't there.

Sports! There are millions of us out there with my same condition, Not-A-College-Athlete disorder, (better known as NACA).

My first reaction was relief to know that I was not prematurely aging and that I was not alone. Then there was excitement. "Why?" you may ask, because the cure is right here on campus! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: intramurals!

I am sure many of you students have competed in organized sports your entire lives and, like me, need to get your fix. We have just what you need on campus; many of the sports have highly competitive leagues where you can show everyone on campus how dumb all the colleges were not to recruit you in basketball or flag football or whatever the hell you think you should have been recruited for.

Others of you may be saying, "But PJ, I never played sports and too much competitiveness doesn't sound fun. What about me?" Well I am glad you asked youngster, because if you like a more laid back experience and/or are not the athlete you'd like to think you are, (also like myself), there are less competitive leagues and fun leisurely sports such as bocce ball and kick ball.

Intramurals are for everyone who wants to keep playing their sports from high school, try something new and for those who want to be involved in a great social experience on campus.

Is there a cute girl in your engineering class that you want to talk to? Okay, wrong class. I mean is there a cute girl in your philosophy class that you want to get to know? Why not invite her to be on your dodgeball team? There are so many practical and important reasons to join intramurals. Trust me, as a senior, I know what I am talking about. I am wise now. Join a league today so you can have memories for tomorrow.