Dadding – the art of becoming a dad in all aspects except having children. The North Suites boys are professionals at this ancient art form and last Friday they displayed their great skill to the students at Dordt College. D.A.D, which means “Dine At Dordt,” is the clever acronym used to describe this momentous event.
Dads come in many shapes and sizes, and the North boys made sure all were represented. To demonstrate this variety there were some dads with bellies packed with pillows and some with specific personas. However, there were traits that were kept by all the dads in attendance.
To fully embody the roll of a dad, all who participated had to have a certain lack of fashion sense. To show this, many wore socks hiked up to their knees while wearing their signature sandals or crocs. The dads also had their signature reading material for the long car ride to Dordt. Many brought copies of the Beacon itself or pocket books full of games such as Sudoku.
Another important rule to keep was that no names could be used. Everyone was simply called “Dad.” All the North dads were encouraged to fully embrace all fatherly clichés. Dordt students were called a variety of names such as, “sport,” “champ” or “slugger.”
Many dads had the privilege of participating in this exciting dorm event. One of the dads was very excited to discuss his family vacation to Disney World to anyone who would listen.
He especially enjoyed explaining how efficiently he had packed the family car, the stress of driving the entire way and how his cargo shorts had allowed him to carry everything he would need for any given day.
Upon arriving at Dordt, the dads attempted to find the cafeteria. Now, a key part of being a dad is having a perfect sense of direction and never asking anyone for directions. As luck would have it, the combined navigation skills of the dads brought them to the Dordt cafeteria.
It was foreign ground for many of the dads and complaints flew around the dads as they wandered the cafeteria. The dads were primarily excited for good old-fashioned all-American cheeseburgers, but to their dismay the Dordt cafeteria had no cheeseburgers to feast on that day. All they had for the dads was a salad bar, meatball subs with fries and ice cream. The dads prepared their meals and claimed tables to eat at.
Before starting their meal, all the dads stood up and got into a giant circle and held hands. Some Dordt students joined in and were welcomed by the dads, and together they recited the Lord’s Prayer.
As they began to eat, many hearty laughs erupted from the table as the dads took turns telling their favorite “dad jokes.” After a hearty meal, the dads collected their plates and cups and began to leave the cafeteria. Many filled their mugs with one last beverage for the road. The dads hopped in their cars and opened their papers and books for the long car ride home. The dads hope that they gave the students and staff at Dordt College a dinner they will not soon forget.
It is important to note that this gathering of dads would not have been possible without the help of Dad-in-Chief, Carter Bock. He was responsible for organizing the group of dads and contacting Dordt’s Creative Dining leaders. Without his leadership, it is likely that the dads would have settled for their typical afternoon grillout.
It is possible that the North dads may have inspired Dordt students to try dining at Northwestern. If this happens, host them well and show them what they are missing.
