By: Taylor Wall

     This past Saturday September 27^th, 2014 was the Hope Gardens and CEF potluck held at HOPE Gardens. There were great people, great stories, great games, and of course great people. I must say that if you were not able to make it to this one, you really missed a treat. But don’t worry, I’ll give you a play-by-play.

It all started out in the very tranquil picnic area set in the back of HOPE Gardens that is reached by traversing through the bountiful display that is the garden itself. Those that were carrying food laid their precious cargo on the table and began preparing it for the rest of the people that would be arriving soon. It wasn’t long before more people showed up for the fun.

The fun really started when one of the attendees pulled out a toy football and began passing it around. Soon another ball was thrown into the mix and even….a frog? Yes, and he was almost unanimously dubbed “Kermit” or “Freddy” depending on who you asked. As the passing and throwing continued, everybody joined in, including hapless “victims” that walked up after the game’s initiation. The game continued for quite some time despite some minor mishaps of spilled lemonade, the sudden secession into teams, and finally those that drew the white flag to indulge in some refreshing beverages.

At this point the real hunger games commenced as the line for the food table formed and everyone took their fill of the various assortment of dishes such as the mac n cheese, tossed salad, chili, and the chocolate covered brownies. Once everybody had their plates piled with all they wanted, the dinner conversations began. I don’t know about the rest of you guys that went but our table had some pretty interesting things to talk about.

Our conversation started out with learning about someone’s trip to Ecuador to do research, a Chick-fil-A commercial and the contradictory message they are presenting (very philosophically I might add J), the goals and ambitions of the college students (and the realization that we all are just as scared and unsure about the future), the difference in reactions to snow in the North versus the South, and the UNC football team (need I say more). It was so cool to get to know people on a different level and just hang out with them outside of a structured setting. Everybody had their stories and their own input on the different topics. I can honestly say I never looked into a Chick-fil-A ad and the contradictions that they present until our mini philosophy time.

Following the very filling dinner was the essential potluck games. The options included Frisbee, soccer, hacky sack, and…kanjam? Yes kanjam. It’s the newest game that is sure to sweep the nation since it apparently and tragically has not. I had certainly never heard of it. As it was explained to me it is a lot like corn hole but with a Frisbee. So you have two plastic cans with slits about a quarter from the tope and two Frisbees. You then have two teams of two that try to score up to 21 points. If you would like to learn more about this fascinating game I would suggest researching more into it or perhaps going to the next potluck where you might can try your hand at it. It was definitely the game of choice for the day aside from playing regular Frisbee.

In the end I’m very happy that I was able to attend the first HOPE Gardens and CEF potluck of the year and had a memorable time. I would highly recommend it to anyone that is new to HOPE Gardens or CEF or just want to hang out because it is a great way to get to know people while having fun. I most definitely plan to go to the very next one and hope to see more people, more new faces, and more great food!