Lumberjacks take over mall; trees remain

by Joseph Ginley ’12

“Who knew that Lumberjack Day would be a success, eh?”  This was a question asked by numerous Canadian-Ignatians after the successful Lumberjack Day put on by Student Senate on Friday December 11th. The event was a rousing success, despite the predictions of pessimistic Tree Huggers.   Senior Brian Chambers was an inadvertent participant: the West Park native wears flannel shirts and boots every day.   Plus, he really likes pancakes.

No one could fathom that hundreds of Ignatians would embrace their inner Lumberjack and wear the apparel of a true Canadian. Countless students hunted through closets to find their father’s old flannel shirt collection that was hidden away from the embarrassed eyes of the woman of the household. Upon arriving at school, many were stunned to find that Lumberjack Day was a widespread phenomenon. During lunch periods, Chris Razek and Co. ran competitions, including log sawing, flap jack eating, and log running. The cafeteria even sold flapjacks at $0.75 a piece- a true bargain for any Canadian-Ignatian.

Lumberjack Day is a tradition that dates back at least as far as the 1970s.   Whether it returns next year remains up the air.  According to one participant, “Well, I guess we’ll know aboot it next year. Pass me my knapsack and a cold one, will ya? The ‘Leafs are on the telly, eh?”