F O O S

Foosball at Uni is one of more underrated athletic options available to us students. Being very exclusive (with only juniors and seniors able to access it), most players don't realize how much time they actually spend on the game. While most people study/do homework, attend clubs, go out to eat, or socialize, these players are unmatched when it comes to exhausting whole Uni Periods. This group, found in a distinct corner of the student lounge, is home to one of the most intense and competitive environments to exist on the planet: the Foosball table.

From an outsider's perspective, the table looks like it came out of a dumpster. The immense amount children's stickers can testify to that; blanketing the whole table in a plethora of rainbows, you'll be amazed by where you can find them. As for the table itself, the players are in disrepair. Most, if not all, are covered in tape making you question whether they're the actual Foosball players that came with the table. One player is even missing, being replaced by a stack of playing cards folded in on itself as a substitute. All of this has been the result of years of never-ending use. Whether it be in the early mornings before school or late after school to the point Dr. Radnitzer kicks us out, the table is rarely ever seen unoccupied. It has been disassembled and reassembled back twice now, been the subject to multiple layout changes, and even had its legs stolen at one point, yet it never ceases to bring together students with its competitive spirit.

As much of a story the table itself has to tell (I could go on and on), the politics of the game are just as interesting. One of the more prevalent patterns mimics the early dynasties of ancient China. This scenario is set into motion when two players team up and begin to dominate the table. As time passes, other teams form in an attempt to dethrone the original team, challenging them for their spot on the table. As the original team is beat, the successors take over and the cycle repeats until the period ends or a general consensus is reached to disband the dynasty (although this rarely happens). However, this pattern has been shifting towards a more disorganized state, with individual games taking precedence over team-based ones. Just like the Warring States period, this shift can be accredited to a rearrangement of the power rankings, with the once unbeatable falling to rising players. In this state of disarray, everyone vies for position on the skill ladder, trying to assert their dominance and claim superiority. I suspect once this ladder is officially determined, the meta will shift back towards an era of team-play.

When it comes to the game itself, you would think players just smack their pieces back and forth on the table. While this may be true (I can hear a match being played all the way from room 109 while writing this...), but there is a delicate strategy involved in these loud and perceptively reckless movements. Foosball is a game of positioning, reaction, and power; each of which are instrumentally important to succeeding in the game. While "one-tricking"/perfecting one of these aspects is possible and consists of a majority of the player-base, each one can be countered by the other (positioning > power > reaction > positioning...). Those who wish to truly separate themselves from the rest and be crowned king of Foos must master all three of these aspects. Only one person at Uni has been close to achieving that feat, but sadly lost all their ability over the summer leaving the Foosballers in the state of disarray they are now. 

C h a o s

What is something you disliked in the past, but now like?

As a child, I was a bonafide neat freak. I had a designated place for everything, from food on my plate to my matchbox cars. I couldn't fathom the idea of leaving belongings where they stood; if it was out of place, I went out of my way to ensure it eventually did. My perfectionism was so apparent that it became a meme in my family to mess with me by reorganizing the layout of room. Some days a painting on the wall had been replaced, other days the clock had been rotated a few degrees. I often came back from school not noticing the subtle change, but after a few minutes realized something was off and frantically searched for the misplaced item, hoping to attain relief from the horror of existing in an unorganized room. It got so bad that once I came home to a room in which nothing had changed, but still felt paranoid and wasted the whole afternoon looking for a fault that didn't exist . Looking back, I realize my attempts to achieve perfection were futile.

If you could describe one point in my life where I u-turned, I would definitely point you towards my 8th grade year. Between cross country practices and my responsibilities as a tutor, for the first time I would arrive home well past 7 on the daily. My typical weekday revolved around school, running, tutoring, dinner, homework, and sleep. I didn't have the time or energy to be nitpicky and try to uphold my sense of perfectionism. Although minuscule at first, chaos laid siege to the foundations of my flawless castle.

I eventually succumbed to chaos, letting myself be messy and lose track of anything and everything. Now in high school, my schedule didn't get any less busier; in fact, it became more rigorous. My classes only became harder and homework heavy, requiring me to devote even more time to keep up with the material. Between my academic and social life, it was impossible to keep my things in order, let alone those around the house that I so diligently sought to keep pristine in my childhood. Papers littered my desk, clothes sprawled on the floor, my belongings strewn across the house in unimaginable places - this was my life now. 

In the end, I got used to my new friend chaos, but now it's gotten to the point I can't do without it. In someway it actually gives me a sense of organization. From your perspective, my desk may look like a jumble of papers, but to me, every paper exists in the perfect, yet delicate balance. My room: a maze, but to me, every object is in its rightful place. Instead of experiencing paranoia from my parents disorganizing the organized, now I fear the day my parents organize the disorganized.