Everyone likes to get something for free. Most folks also appreciate friendship and fellowship.
If you’re looking for the chief reason dozens and dozens of McCallie faculty and staff poured into Spare Time Bowling on Brainerd Road a little before noon on December 18 for the annual Bill Eiselstein Faculty/Staff Christmas Bowling Tournament at the start of holiday break, those three “F” words–free, friendship, and fellowship–would be a great place to start.
And big props to school chaplain and bowling coach Josh Deitrick for understanding that. In a campus email the morning of the event, Deitrick wrote: “The festivities will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a FREE taco bar and FREE drinks. The bowling is also FREE.”
And so they came, in all manners of Christmas garb, both subtle and outlandish, and with wide smiles on their faces, whatever their aptitude, or lack thereof, on the lanes.
“First time I’ve bowled in 10 years,” said new full-time staff member David Dalton of the IT department. “I’ve had a great time. So nice to hang out with faculty members.”
Said Craig Ingvalson ‘77 of the Development staff, when asked how his day was going, “I’m always a winner. It’s a mindset.”
Then there was Ryan Sullivan, Senior Director of Advancement Services, and a longtime member of the Development staff. Referring to Development head Drew Read, Sullivan broke into a wide grin and said of his afternoon, “I beat Drew by one pin. I’m the best in Development. That’s all that matters.”
There were plenty of winners that had nothing to do with mindset. Dean of Student Academics Chris Carpenter won Best Male Bowler with a 171. Chief Financial Officer Liz Wilson, who’s beginning to earn a reputation as the Big Liz-owski, won for the second time in three years while bowling a 148.
“When I won it the first time, I kept the trophy on my desk the whole next year,” said Wilson. “Now I’m going to have to get recommendations on where to get a trophy case.”
Her secret? The Five-Step Method she learned as a student at Tennessee when she took a bowling class. What are the steps? “Five,” she said. “It’s how you walk into the shot.”
Of course, if there’s a best bowler award there’s also a worst bowler award, which went to Senior Director of Development and Community Engagement Bess Steverson, who bowled a 43 to win the Gutter Ball Award, then was asked by Patch Lawson, “Did you bowl all 10 frames?”
Ouch.
Will Givens won the “At Least You Are Here” award.
Associate Dean of Students Bart Wallin was singled out for “buying the most food outside the free food we provided.”
And then there was Senior Director of Culture and Engagement T. W. Francescon, who won “Best Dressed” for sporting a pair of glitter-covered eyeglasses straight out of a 1970s Elton John concert and a pair of slacks made of fabric featuring strings of colored Christmas lights.
“I actually wore these on a plane from Dallas one time,” said the usually conservatively dressed Francescon.
Several years in, the tournament’s namesake isn’t sure what he did to earn the recognition.
“I don’t know why it’s named for me,” said Eiselstein, the longtime math teacher and baseball coach, now retired. “I don’t think I was ever better than the fifth or sixth best bowler on the faculty. Gordon Connell was always the best. But since they just named the wrestling tournament for him, I’ll gladly take it. I don’t think I’ve ever had anything named for me before.”
As the participants headed back into the rainy afternoon to begin their Christmas breaks, Ricky Thomas, a former University of Alabama football player, was asked to compare playing for the Crimson Tide against archrival Auburn or attempting to win the Eiselstein tournament.
“Oh, that’s easy,” said Thomas. “This is WAY more fun.”
- faculty & staff