Magic reindeer-riding spikes in popularity among students for both transport and recreation

The end of the Mount Carmel football season marks the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year: offseason. 

Snowfall is a joyous sign for many, but for the Caravan it means two things. The first is absolute boredom from being forced to stay inside. The second, more horrifying thing, is absolute terror from being forced to trudge through the trenches of Stony Island Avenue traffic in tandem with the slick conditions. Moans and groans comes with the prospect of the cold, but a true Christmas miracle came straight from the depths of the MC basement with magical creatures that made students shout out with unimaginable glee.

Reindeer-riding has been all the craze since their mysterious emergence on campus, helping students solve their two main gripes with the holiday season. For one, the introduction of on-campus reindeer racing competitions among students quelled their need for something exciting to do in the winter, for water polo isn’t that interesting to many. Reindeer riders can be found running gassers up and down the football field in the morning, after school, and even late at night, though racing after dark is not as popular because of the fact that one kid’s reindeer came with a red light on its nose, which many deem as unfair.

“You tell me what sounds cooler: trying not to drown wearing nothing but a thong or drag racing with magic reindeer.” senior Anthony Aguilar says, “Personally, Speedos just aren’t my style. But, whatever floats your boat, man.”

The daily commute for students has also improved drastically due to the presence of these special animals. Instead of being stuck in traffic for hours because another oh-so-common unintelligent driver decided to get into a car crash in the middle of an intersection on Stony, MC students now get to fly right over all of the chaos. However, the amount of car accidents have increased slightly because of the fact that drivers are too distracted by the dozens of reindeer they see flying overhead in tandem with the glitter that seems to come off of the reindeer.

Students are not the only ones benefitting from this. Faculty have enjoyed several of the benefits themselves, with all enjoying the ability to skip traffic. Furthermore, it has been rumored that everyone’s favorite calculus teacher, Mr. Murphy, has been sneakily practicing sharp turns on his reindeer after hours.

There have been unforeseen consequences that came with the presence of the caribou, unfortunately. The parking lot has become a glorified petting zoo and has a stench fitting such a title, but it is incomparable to that of the average freshman classroom. Also, within the parking lot there have been conflicts between the observed “cliques” that have formed, with some reindeer refusing to allow others to participate in any games with them.

Despite the list of negatives and obstacles caused by the presence of reindeer, Mount Carmel at large is optimistic regarding its future with them. The benefits they provide both in recreation and in practical situations is too invaluable, leading many to hope this becomes more than just a fad and become a year-round aspect of the school.

“Sure, some of the kids drive their reindeer like they’ve had a little too much eggnog,” said Mr. Scott Tabernacki, school principal, “but I really like the positive impacts the reindeer have on the community. Maybe we should see if we can teach the reindeer how to play football next. They’d probably put up more of a fight than East St. Louis.”