"I'm
      in
      hell,"
      were
      my
      first
     
     
      thoughts
      of
      NSO
      2004
      as
      I
     
     
      ambled
      down
      the
      walk
      to
      the
     
     
      Wanda
      Wyatt.
      Dining
      Hall
      for
     
     
      registration.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "There's
      still
      time
      to
      turn
     
     
      back,”
      I
      told
      myself
      after
      view-
     
     
      ing
      the
      Shiny
      Happy
      shep-
     
     
      herds
      dressed
      in
      bright
      orange,
     
     
      leading
      rhythmic
      chants
      to
     
     
      their
      equally
      spirited
      sheep.
      I
     
     
      could
      do
      a
      lot
      with
      that
      50
     
     
      bucks.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "We've
      got
      spirit,
      yes
      we
      do.
     
     
      We've
      got
      spirit,
      how
      ‘bout
     
     
      you?"
      A
      group
      of
      people
      sport-
     
     
      ing
      banana-yellow
      handker-
     
     
      chiefs
      asked
      in
      an
      accusatory
     
     
      manner
      to
      their
      cohorts
      in
      sea-
     
     
      blue.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      And
      it
      would
      continue...
      the
     
     
      rhythmic
      chants
      almost
      danc-
     
     
      ing
      with
      the
      pounding
      in
      my
     
     
      head
      as
      a
      result
      of
      my
      activi-
     
     
      ties
      the
      night
      before.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "This
      may
      be
      what
      you
      need
     
     
      Kim,"
      I
      told
      myself,
      taking
      a
     
     
      swig
      of
      Aqua
      Fina,
      making
      my
     
     
      way
      to
      the
      registration
      line.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "How
      are
      you
      today?"
      asked
     
     
      another
      elated
      volunteer.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I'm
      hung-over,
      I
      said
      with
      an
     
     
      apologetic
      smile,
      wishing
      I
     
     
      could
      match
      her
      level
      of
     
     
      enthusiasm;
      as
      is
      usually
      my
     
     
      custom.
      Instead
      an
      uncomfort-
     
     
      able
      silence
      ensued
      as
      she
     
     
      directed
      me
      to
      where
      I
      could
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      get
      a
      bag
      of
      free
      stuff
      and
      a
     
     
      free
      hanky.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So
      I
      picked
      up
      my
      bag,
      my
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bandanna
      and
      joined
      my
     
     
      group,
      where
      I
      met
      people
      I
     
     
      am
      really
      happy
      to
      have
      met
     
     
      including
      my
      blue
      team
      lead-
     
     
      ers,
      Amalia,
      Shaun,
      John,
     
     
      Aimee
      and
      Rachel.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Our
      first
      stop
      of
      the
      day
      was
      at
     
     
      the
      Duffy
      Centre
      for
      the
     
     
      Opening
      Ceremonies
      of
      NSO
     
     
      2K4,
      where,
      to
      the
      dismay
      of
     
     
      my
      extra-sensitive
      ears
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘pounding
      head,
      really
      loud
     
    
   
   
    
     
      obnoxious
      music
      was
      playing.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      knew
      that
      had
      I
      not
      been
      feel-
     
     
      ing
      like
      something
      the
      dog
     
     
      threw
      up,
      I
      would
      really
      be
     
     
      enjoying
      myself.
      I
      longed
      to
      be
     
    
   
   
    
     
      one
      of
      the
      masses
      whose
      stom-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ach
      did
      not
      feel
      like
      it
      would
     
     
      digest
      itself.
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
      And
      the
      day
      continued
      on
     
     
      Brackley
      Beach,
      a
      lunch
      of
     
     
      Subway
      which
      cured
      my
      the
     
     
      flip-flop
      of
      my
      stomach.
      I
      also
     
     
      felt
      better
      to
      know
      there
      were
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _people
      like
      myself
      who
      did
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      have
      to
      go
      bouncing
      up
      and
     
     
      down
      to
      prove
      they
      were
      excit-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ed
      about
      something.
      I
      enjoyed
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      myself
      at
      Brackley
      Beach
      with
     
     
      these
      people.
      After
      a
      sand-
     
     
      sculpturing
      contest,
      we
      layed
     
     
      on
      the
      sand
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      listened
      to
      the
      sound
      of
      the
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Atlantic.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      returned
      to
      NSO
      the’
      next
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NSO
      2K4-
      First
      Day
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      morning,
      where
      I
      again
      tried
      to
     
     
      play
      the
      role
      of
      barking
      seal,
     
     
      but
      my
      enthusiasm
      could
      not
     
     
      be
      charged
      despite
      the
      best
     
     
      efforts
      of
      the
      awesome
      team
     
     
      leaders.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Unfortunately
      due
      to
      work
     
     
      restraints,
      I
      couldn't
      participate
     
     
      in
      any
      other
      activities,
      accept
     
     
      for
      Sue
      Johansen
      and
      the
     
     
      Trews,
      but
      I'm
      sure
      all
      of
      us
     
     
      first-time
      UPEI-
      ers
      were
     
     
      inspired
      by
      the
      obvious
     
    

    
     
      enthusiasm
      of
      Ryan
     
     
      McDermott,
      NSO
     
     
      Coordinator,
      and
      his
      team
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Cadre
      September
      14,
      2004
      page
      9
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      noisy
      recruits.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So,
      on
      behalf
      of
      all
      NSO-
      ers
     
     
      thank
      you
      to
      all
      the
      volunteers
     
     
      who
      made
      NSO
      possible.
      Even
     
     
      though
      I
      wasn't
      the
      Energizer
     
     
      Bunny,
      I
      deeply
      appreciate
     
     
      your
      efforts.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      So
      once
      more-
      from
      the
      bot-
     
     
      tom
      of
      my
      heart....
      U-P...
      E-I!
     
     
      Thanks,
      guys!
      Rock
      on!