At 6 a.m. sharp on a Sunday, Maia Weissman of Glenview, Illinois, joined a group of Cherubs in the lobby of Jones Hall. Although it was sunny out, she carried an umbrella — as her community and academic associates instructed — and prepared for the unknown activity awaiting her.
Weissman was one of 20 cherubs on the Spit List that week for infractions such as losing a key card, being late to class and jaywalking. She wound up on the list after locking her key card in her room.
“I was very upset, because I am not a very organized person. I knew this was going to happen to me, and I tried to do everything I could to always keep it on me,” Weissman said.
Satvika Ramanathan of Ann Arbor, Michigan, was also spitlisted after misplacing her key card. That Sunday at 6 a.m., she and the other cherubs on the Spit List walked to a local playground, holding hands and umbrellas.
“(The CAAs) were like, ‘go play in silence on the playground for the rest of the hour,’” Ramanathan said. “Then suddenly, ‘Karma’ by JoJo Siwa starts blasting. We listened to that more times than I’ve ever listened to that song in my life.”
After getting locked out of her room, Shiori Chen of San Carlos, California, found herself on the Spit List. She encourages future Cherubs to stay organized to avoid seeing their name on the list.
“Go in with an open mind,” Chen said. “But be sure to be prepared for whatever absurd activity they have you do.”
