By Wren Haynes | Echo
There's nothing quiet about the impression Silent Night makes on prospective students. Picture this: Two thousand screaming college kids in footie pajamas and superhero costumes. And you don't know a single one of them.
Senior Hannah Guske arrived just in time to witness the game every Trojan will attend. As a junior in high school, she had no idea what to expect and arrived decked out in fleece.
"No one told me it was going to be a thousand degrees in there," she said, laughing. "I'm 16, and I'm looking out at all these college students running around in onesies, and I'm just sitting there and taking it all in. I'm very extroverted, but it just made me speechless."
Tara Monfredi would agree. Currently a junior at Taylor, Monfredi was a senior in high school when she visited for Silent Night. The enthusiasm made her more interested in the school.
Her host during 24 at Taylor made sure Monfredi was prepared by letting her borrow Christmas clothes. She felt immediately included by the girls she was staying with in English.
"I loved how basically the whole campus participated . . . I felt very included," she said. "I guess the moments that stood out to me the most were when I walked in and saw how ridiculous everyone was dressed and how seriously everyone took the silence before the first 10 points."
Freshman Micah Bragg experienced Silent Night on his second visit to Taylor.
"I was stunned by the loudness and extravagance of the whole thing," Bragg said. "I definitely saw that this is a place where exciting people do exciting things. It just seemed like a community that could get together for fun and crazy activities."
The event was as fun for him as for his father, who attended Taylor before the tradition started. According to Bragg, his dad recorded the whole thing and sent it out to as many people as possible afterwards.
But some parents had a slightly different impression. While Guske's mom and dad enjoyed the game as much as she did, they were also surprised at how much trash-talk took place at a Christian college's athletic event. Though that aspect was a bit of a turn-off, it reminded Guske that Taylor's community wouldn't be perfect. But the overall experience was a positive one.
"I remember the exact moment when we all sang Silent Night at the end," said Guske. "I kid you not, it was during (the song) it clicked that this was where I should go."
Sophomore Alyssa Bluhm visited Taylor during her senior year of high school. For her, Silent Night wasn't just an item on her bucket list. The event accurately displayed the character of Taylor.
"When I attended, a kid with a sensory disorder danced in the middle of the court," she said. "It showed that Silent Night-a big, obnoxious event-is a safe place. A place where a kid who has a lot of trouble with noise and crowds can lead a massive group of college students in 'Gangnam Style' and feel like a superstar."
So as you're cheering the team tonight, take a look around and notice those not-yet-college-students cheering alongside us. Because even as Silent Night brings us together as a school, the game might be welcoming them into our community.
