A Tribute to the Fortress

It's hard to put into words what the "Fortress" entails, but I am here to offer the rest of the world a glimpse of the glory and prestige of the four ladies who lived in this residence and ruled College Station for a year. Many longed to be one of us, few made the cut. It all started with the genius herself: Nicki Mechem. As she was preparing for her 5th year of college, her last chance to create a perfect household was looming over her head. Nicki is not the type to do anything half-heartedly. She wanted to leave her time in Aggieland on top. So naturally, she needed to surround herself with people who would bring her visions and goals to fruition. Hand picking the chosen ones, the Fortress became a reality: Sarah Foster, Nancy Davis, Elisabeth Jones, and Nicolette Mechem.

We quickly realized our position of superiority in the surrounding community. We tagged ourselves the "Home of the State Champions". Sarah won state in Kentucky 3 years for tennis. Diana won the state championship with the Bryan High Vikings Softball team. I won state in both track (300m hurdles and long jump) and also club soccer (5x). Nicki won the Texas High School Tennis state championship. Once this connection was made, the Fortress was off and running, daring anyone to challenge our authority.

Perhaps the biggest event of the year was the Soccer/Tennis Ping Pong Challenge, hosted by the one and only Fortress. What proved to be a battle to the very end, the Tennis team pulled out a nail-biter. I coached my soccer team fearlessly, but was unable to lead us to victory. Fortunately, my two roomates, Sarah and Nicki, both lost their individual matches to Table Tennis World Champion, Philip Stephenson, and one of the greatest competitors in Texas A&M athletics history, Kati Jo Spisak. Nicki is still suffering from the sting of that defeat.

Many tried to become one of the select. We did accept a couple lucky winners as two of our own. Jason Meyer and Alissa Kruse, although both deny wanting to be part of the Fortress, secretly adored their newfound circle of trust. Still, others challenged us to competitions, but never followed through. We still lead the Park Place girls 1-0 in our cooking competition (thanks to the incredible pasta creation of Chef Mechem). Alissa Kruse, Amy Boone, Katie Bentel, and Emily Hoffman talked the talk, promising they could outcook, outdance, and outmaneuver us, but we are still waiting for anything to come from such outlandish remarks.

We all learned from eachother, each bringing something different to the table. There was never a dull moment when Nicki was involved. She could always make me laugh. She pushed me to my limit competitively. She was the queen of my social life, introducing me to so many people I would never have met otherwise. Sarah tought us what caring is all about - always cooking for others, continually encouraging, and loving unconditionally. She and Kent showed all of us what a Christian relationship should look like. Diana opened my eyes to the liberal viewpoint on life. I learned to not have a close-minded, strongly Conservative leaning on stances just because that is what my family says, but to think for myself. Although we did not agree on much politically, I love how she challenged me and made me back up what I had always professed. We also had killer dance parties and incredibly deep conversations almost nightly. We have video evidence of the Little Mermaid solo by Nancy if anyone wants to see it.

We all laughed together, cried together, and learned to love eachother. We came into the household as strangers, and left as best friends. From the late night study sessions - drinking Coconut Glunk and jamming to Enya, to the weekends out a Northgate, Wine League, or the ping pong games that lasted late into the evenings, we were a force to be reckoned with. Although we are all spread across the country right now, our bond lives on. The Fortress inhabitants all migrated to Aggieland for a special reunion weekend this fall. As I was running through the bootleg line during halftime of my game against UW-Milwaukee, I saw my biggest fans screaming their lungs out for me. I ended up scoring a hat-trick during the second half, the highlight of my soccer career, and I can honestly say it was all because of the FORTRESS POWER!!!

It may be the ending of an era, but we definitely went out with a bang! And now, as we have all gone our separate ways, we still find a way to individually bring honor and prestige to the Fortress. Diana is in Austin, going into Law (at a school I will not name). Sarah is in Florida, playing professional tennis, about to embark on a European tennis tour. Nicki is in California, dominating the business world of Stryker, bringing sexual tension to the workplace. And I will be entering medical school shortly. We may not live under the same roof anymore, but our hearts remain as one. Long live the Fortress...