Blue and White Buddy Day

As part of the "Higher Learning" course here at Williams, all the freshmen are required to participate in an activity called Blue and White Buddy Day.  Blue and white are the school colors.  The "buddy" part comes from the fact that this activity is a time when all the freshmen load up on buses, drive to some nearby elementary schools, and spend about 30 minutes interacting with a kindergarten student.  Each freshman gets a bag with some beads and elastic for making a bracelet with their student, as well as a water tattoo of Egbert (the school mascot, an eagle).

I can't ever remember going to an elementary school before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  I knew that I would have a good time with my "buddy," though.  We were supposed to think of something else to bring to do with our student if the bracelet and tattoo didn't take up all our time.  I took a crochet hook and some yellow yarn (not pink, just in case I was given a boy), as well as a coloring book and my colored pencils.

It turned out that on the bus we got to chose the name of the child we wanted.  Well, those of us in the front of the bus did -- by the time the box got to the back rows there weren't as many options left.  At first I chose a boy named Austin (I was going to tell him I'm from there), but then there was a fellow behind me who had had to pick a girl and would really prefer to have a boy.  So, I got Audrey instead.

I must say that walking down the hallway of that elementary school was quite interesting.  Where we went in, there was just one hallway with doors going off of either side of it.  I'm guessing that there were more hallways in other parts of the building, but since we didn't get to explore I don't know for sure.  :-)

It was odd to watch those little kids file quietly past us in a line on their way to their classroom.  We college students were just in a blob, not organized at all.  :-)  Of course having been home schooled I have no conception of what it is like to march in line, though I could do it if someone asked me to.

After the kiddos got into their room and were seated at their proper spots, we went in and found our respective buddies.  Audrey was very good at making the bracelet -- she even made sequences with the blue and white beads after she finished spelling her name with the letter beads.  She wanted the water tattoo on the back of her left hand.  (That was another new experience for me; somehow I've managed to grow up without applying water tattoos, so I actually had to read the instructions on the back.)

She also really like the crocheting!  I tried to let her hold it at first, but that didn't work too smoothly.  We worked out a good system where I held the piece of work and stuck the hook through the holes, while she wrapped the yarn around.  She was really excited with the end result and said she was going to use it as a bib for her baby doll.

Shortly after we started working in the coloring book, the cheerleaders came in to introduce the class to Egbert.  They "taught" us a cheer (it went so fast that I never quite got where we were supposed to say our part), then whoever wanted to could go up and hug Egbert.  Some went up to him without a problem; others were shy because he's so big.  Audrey did finally go up to hug him.

Interestingly, I got to interact with Austin, the boy I had chosen in the beginning.  He was terrified of Egbert, but seemed to want to go over to him.  The fellow who had been working with him didn't seem to know quite what to do, and since I was standing there I asked Austin, "Do you want me to go with you?"  He attached himself like a piece of tape to my leg, and slowly we got close enough for Austin to give Egbert a high-five.  He went skittering back to his buddy, but he was smiling.

After that I sat with Audrey while she colored, and talked with her about things that she likes to do.  All too soon (for the kindergarteners, anyway) Mrs. Norvell came in to announce that it was time for us to head back to the bus.  I had definitely enjoyed the time!