Sometimes you have to create fun... at USAFA, one way of making the experience fun is to plan and execute a Spirit Mission. This is an opportunity for a group of classmates [people in the same grade], or even the class [year group] plan a surprise that shows class spirit. Some are small, and others are huge. Some of the less than brilliant ones I saw in my day involved paint. Some classmates who were not savvy about porous stones opted to use oil based paint to cover the marble terrazzo strips in our class color gold... The class after us chose to paint the static F-16 on the terrazzo red. The entire class banded together to help clean those up --- but here I am talking about it 20 years later... I gotta say - it was memorable!
My favorite was one that I participated in. The scenario involved what is referred to as a triple threat or triple whammy - wing wide Saturday morning inspection (SAMI) + parade + mandatory football game. It was cold and would likely freeze. At USAFA, there is 1 path for the cadet wing to get the parade field. The current science building was under construction and that meant there were wheel barrels and hoses laying about.... If we freeze the ramp, they have to cancel the parade... Once the plan was hatched, six of us departed the squadron, and the remaining 19 4th class cadets in our squadron prepped our spaces for the SAMI. We stayed out all night soaking the ramp. Taking trash cans full of water to the top and pouring it down. Wheel barrels to the top -- whatever we could find. Slowly (but surely) we created quite the ice layer that literally spanned the length of the ramp which is almost like a 100 yard stretch that is roughly twice as wide as your driveway. As the sun rose, we could slide from top to bottom.
We trudged back down the Ho Chi Min Trail back to Sijan Hall and when we entered the squadron - everyone was already buzzing around in full service dress and the inspection was about to begin. Upperclassmen swarmed us - wanting to know why we were not in the correct uniform... where had we come from... and so forth.
With heads down we kept on moving - trying to quickly get to our room to change in time for the inspection.
And then...... the most glorious announcement ever to grace the loudspeaker from command post - "Attention in the area, attention in the area. The parade for this morning has been canceled due to ice on the ramp. I say again, the parade for this morning has been cancelled."
Joyous cheer from throughout the entire wing erupted and could be heard coming from each and every cadet room....
It was then that our cadre connected the dots. The yelling stopped, and we were told to get some sleep (and skip the inspection...).
Good times! The short is it is that you can make your own fun. It's stressful and you have to find ways to let off steam that work for you.