The Brady Bunch Prepared Me For College, Good One Brady Bunch!

We had two fire alarms go off in the dorms Thursday. Not one, but TWO! Now I don't know about you, but that's just a little bit too much excitement for me in one day! Firetrucks came and EVERYTHING! The first alarm happened around 11 am. Those silly college students playing basketball indoors tripping sprinkler systems. I feel bad for them because it's kind of an embarrassing situation they got themselves into, but my inner Bobby Brady can't help but to scold, "Mom always says don't play ball in the house!" The accident had 16 students displaced because the water pressure from the sprinkler system shot a hole in two suites on two separate floors. Not to mention all of the innocent students got their belongings drenched in water. I mean really guys, you should have watched more Brady Bunch before living away from home. It would have totally helped to prevent this whole calamity. 

As fate would have it I was asleep when the alarm went off. Apparently the fire alarm Gods watch me and plan accidents around my building to prevent me from catching up on sleep. Every fire alarm in this dorm that wasn't a preplanned drill has woken me up mid-nap or while I was sleeping in. The first thing I did Thursday was roll out of bed trying to mutter profanity out of my half-asleep face before putting on my house robe. The second thing I did was scream the profanity once I made it out of my room because I was standing right under the screeching fire alarm. Those two extra inches I've grown since high school really made a difference in how close I am to the ceiling. I proceeded to exit the building muttering the same profane word over and over until I stood outside and awaited the news on what the fire alarm Gods concocted for me that day. 

After a decent amount of time passed and the excitement of the firetruck had worn off, new drama began its course. I watched as they called out the suite numbers of the students whose rooms had been destroyed. They all seemed so confused and nervous. I could almost see the thought bubbles above their heads. Did they find my space heater? Did I accidentally set the building aflame? Did my candle set off the alarm? Should I just go to bed before I come up with another clever idea to get myself killed... or worse, KICKED OUT! One of the girls seemed especially upset as she was informed that her suite had a gaping hole in it because some Brady in the dorm decided to play ball in the house and ruin her day. Sorry Brady kids, I know it was an accident but it doesn't make the truth less relevant.

Later that evening we had another fire alarm go off in the building.  I'm not 100% sure why the second alarm happened, but I suspect foul play amongst the elevators in the grand Game of Thrones/House of Cards thing they have going on. Bare with me, I'm going to go a little off topic so you can get some back story. You see, each semester the elevators start sparking and freaking out over a decent period of time. This can't simply be negligent upkeep or shotty workmanship. The ONLY reason for this has to be that either:

A) the elevators are at war amongst each other to win the title of King Elevator. 

B) One of the members of the Elevator Congress wants to be President Elevator, and is using politics and fast moving trains to push it's way to the top (metaphorically and literally the top floor).

Now even though the second fire alarm wasn't quite related to a Brady themed faux pas, it makes me wonder what was going on Thursday. Would the elevators have chosen to start their semesterly struggle Thursday had the Brady kids not set of the alarm first? Was this their first time playing ball in the house or did they have a history? It could have been any of us really. So many times I've watched my room mates throwing around the big bouncy ball they got from the store, and each and every time they get more and more rambunctious with it. Yet they judged and looked down on the Brady Kids in our dorm for being silly enough to set off the sprinklers. 

What's that quote from the bible, "He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone" or something to that effect. I'm not religious, but it seems like a good rule to follow. I mean I wouldn't say playing ball in the house is a sin, but I think the overarching idea of not judging people seems fair. I obviously don't follow it on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't. And before disciplining the poor misguided Brady kids of the dorm did anyone bother to show them that episode to help them understand why we don't play ball in the house? Guys, I just have a lot of questions.

It was a really eventful and exciting Thursday. I did a lot of thinking, drawing, and observing on top of the whole double fire alarm situation. I'm happy the Brady Bunch prepared me for college in that I know not to play ball in the house. 

Hopefully we all learned from it and the construction going on in that wing doesn't create too much of a hassle. But for now, I'll leave you with this drawing.