From frustrating academic courses to a haunted house with the entire Wabash College football team, my first couple months as a Little Giant have been exciting none the less. I am Carl Rivera and currently a freshman safety on the football team. When I first arrived on campus I really wasn’t sure what to expect. All of my friends were going to big state schools and were trying to convince me to follow their paths. Since the day the veterans of the football team welcomed us to our new family, I haven’t looked back with regret once. Transition from high school to college is a lot more difficult than people think, especially coming to an elite school like Wabash. What people don’t understand is that at Wabash, the amount of support and help that is supplied is endless and it starts with the football team. Every Tuesday evening senior WR Jake Grow (biology major) voluntarily helps me with my biology whenever I seem to be struggling. If there is ever a problem, personal or not, I know one of my brothers from the football team will always be there for help.

Last Wednesday, one of our coaches set up a “spooky” journey down to a haunted house in Indy. The trip turned out to be very successful, ending in laughs from everyone. The chainsaws, bloody knifes, and painful whips put more fear in some of the seniors’ eyes than I thought was possible. As everyone was boarding the bus the stories started to flow. Every group had different stories of their own experiences in the terrifying halls of the haunted house and everyone could laugh at themselves.

RED SWARM! Our Red Squad team this year was awesome. We went 5-0 and had a great time dominating our opponents.  We had a lot of talent and these games helped us realize how much of an opportunity and potential we have for the next three years. More importantly, we had a lot of fun. Our coaches are all about winning and dominating the game, but won’t hesitate to laugh on the sidelines. They always put us in situations to win the game and have fun at the same time. Now that our games are over, it’s time to take it to the next level as we make our varsity team better. It is part our job to get this team ready for the final stretch of the season and leading into the playoffs. At the same time we’ll be preparing ourselves for the offseason and next season.

WAF!

Carl Rivera ‘13