Columbia's Brittney Carfora discusses the joy of loud bus rides..

This season began as a “season of lasts” for my fellow seniors, Michele Gage and Cate Taylor and me, since it is our last season playing competitive basketball. Although this is how it began, it has quickly turned into a season of firsts not only for us, but for the Columbia women’s basketball program in general. To be able to say that we are part of a “history-making team” is an honor.

Making history. What an amazing concept and a great feeling it is to say that my team has made history. Our road sweep last weekend has gotten us in the record books as the first Columbia women’s basketball team to ever complete a road sweep. Not only that, but our men’s team also swept, making it the first time that both Columbia basketball teams have completed a sweep simultaneously. What an incredible feat. We also became 4-2 in Ivy League play which marked the best-ever league record at that point in the season for our program.

Now there are many advantages to winning on the road but the one that I think my teammates and I can say that we appreciate the most is the honor of being able to speak, sing, dance—basically do whatever we please while on the bus. Unfortunately, a road loss earlier this season enlightened us to the nightmare of a silent bus ride. Let me tell you, one never wants to speak, sing, watch a movie, use their cell phone, or do anything that involves making noise more than when the freedom to do any of that has been taken away. Since we won both games on the road last weekend, this was not enforced and what fun it was.

After the game last Saturday, I remember turning to Cate and Jackie Klatsky and saying, “no silent bus ride!” This was followed by an eruption of laughter from the three of us because it is quite a torturous thing, especially when we have some talented singers on this team. I use the word talented loosely—it’s more like young women that feel the need to show their vocal range as much as humanly possible. There is nothing like a fun bus ride on the way home from a great victory.

Now that we have made some history already this season, I look forward to working hard to continue to make this one of the most memorable seasons for Columbia women’s basketball and hopefully without anymore silent bus rides!