Ephs weather travel woes on the road to Venice

Venice, August 19, 2008

The Williams College men’s basketball team’s trip to Italy hit its first roadblock today. After 7:30 AM with the team packed and ready to head to Venice, the team bus refused to start. A three hour departure delay ensued, but the team refused to let this adversity ruin their fun. The team's playmaking abilities on the court easily transferred to their play making abilities off the court as team members gathered to play cards, tell stories and generally enjoy each other’s company.

At 10:30, a new bus arrived to drive the Eph coalition to Venice. Upon arrival in Venice four hours later, the group took a boat ride through Venice’s Grand Canal to St. Mark's Square, where they then were greeted by a spirited Venetian tour guide. He introduced the team to the features of the world renowned square including St. Mark's Basilica, a 900 year old cathedral, the Venetian Palace,
the clock tower and the Prison, which housed the famous Casanova. Following the tour, the team members were given a couple hours of free time to explore Venice on their own. Many chose to investigate the city on foot, and get lost inVenice’s charm. However, a few members of the team decided to take the more romantic route, a gondola ride through the twists and turns of Venice’s canal system.

After a nice day in Venice the team arrived at their second hotel, ate dinner, and set out to explore Italian night life, an opportunity for further team bonding.

Tomorrow, the Ephs say goodbye to one of their own, Ethan Timmins-Schiffman, who must return to Williams to begin his duties as a Junior Advisor, an extremely prestigious honor for any Williams student. “This is a once in a lifetime  experience for which I am extremely grateful to have been a part of,” said Timmins-Schiffman. “I wish I could stay for the entirety of the trip and continue to spend time with my teammates, their families and the coaches, but my duty as a responsible and die-hard JA calls. I wish my teammates luck in their last two games, not that they need it – our squad is strong.”

The Ephs will miss Timmins-Schiffman’s presence tomorrow as they take on an Italian professional A-League team that will certainly be a challenge.