Hornets' Nest Observation

Hornets’ Nest Observation
Dan Williams
1051 L06

Somebody needs a dictionary.
The Kappa Delta Phi fraternity is conducting a fundraiser. Young men in matching black T-shirts are trying to sell 50-50 raffle tickets for $1 each, or 10 for $6.
Yellow Kappa Delta Phi brochures lie on their table. They carry a headline reading:
BROTHERHOOD
HONOR
TRADISHION
The brochure urges men to join, although it hints that the fraternity is not recognized at LSC “do to new policies enforced by the Vermont State College Board.”
A jar with bills inside sits on the table. A member says the group has raised only $25 so far, but the fundraiser lasts all week.
Not far from the Kappa Delta Phi table, Gunther plops down in a cushioned chair and joins his classmates in front of the TV. He wears jeans, a baseball cap, and a black T-shirt displaying the insignia of the German national soccer team.
Gunther has to leave early to have his ankle X-rayed. He told the class earlier he hurt his ankle trying to ride on the hood of a car as it spun donuts. He was thrown off before he could complete one revolution. His ankle is swollen. Somehow he fit it into a sneaker.
Danielle and Kelsi sit in the row in front of Gunther. Danielle wears a crimson sweatshirt and jeans and sneakers. Kelsi sports a brown shirt and black Lyndon Vikings sweatpants. A guitar lies next to her chair. She has a guitar class next, taught by Jean Charles.
“He’s really nice,” she says.
A young man in a charcoal gray hoodie plays the piano, drowning out SportCenter on the television. Nobody seems to mind. He takes a call on his cell phone and plays one-handed while he talks.
In the Hornets’ Nest, Cassie and Catherine sit across from each other in a booth, taking notes on laptops. They look like they are playing Battleship. Cassie’s laptop is much bigger than Catherine’s.
Brittney is also taking notes on her laptop, but she is having trouble generating ideas. Connor, Jennifer and Lindsey sit at her table. Connor says Brittney really is “upset that she cannot get into Skype.”
Brittney wears a pink knitted cap, a purple jacket, jeans and sandals. She shows her classmates a photo of her when her hair fell almost to her waist. She donated it to a charity that makes wigs for people with cancer.
Connor wears a gray sweatshirt over a green and black plaid shirt. Khaki pants and shoes resembling slippers complete his ensemble. Jennifer wears a yellow top, and jeans stuffed into knee-high boots. Lindsey wears a green LSC sweatshirt, blue jeans and sandals.
“It’s so pretty outside,” Lindsey says.
It is a sunny day with puffy, white clouds. The trees are starting to turn color. A steady wind bends the ornamental grasses outside the snackbar. A raft floats on the pond. It was used for a floating bonfire during Homecoming Weekend.