A purple ball flew through the air. Heads jerked to the right and to the left to dodge it, narrowly missing as the ball whistled in the students’ ears. The ball continued to clang against the chain-link fence. It bounced back and fell to the tennis court at Pullen Park.
Friday, people dove left and right at FIJI’s Third Annual Dodgeball Tournament. According to Wran Metzler, a junior in chemical engineering, fraternities or sororities made up the majority of the teams in the event. However, he said all students were welcome to the games and non-Greeks were represented.
“It’s a great way for Greeks and the rest of campus to come together,” Metzler said.
Before the tournament started, people gathered outside of the chain-link fence of the tennis court in a mob where groups of blue, pink and yellow stood out. Metzler said even though there were no rules about color-coded uniforms, many teams chose to do so.
The girls of Alpha Delta Pi came donned in matching pink shirts. Known as the Crouching Lions, the girls said they expected to take the gold.
“We are looking for the big ‘W’,” Allison Metzler, a senior in biological sciences, said. They found it, after beating the other teams and coming in first place.
“We come, we see, we conquer,” Lee Ann Jones, a senior in marine and costal resources, said about the Crouching Lions.
Everyone had their own methods of preparation before the match. The ladies of Delta Zeta stood in a circle jogging in place and passing the ball around to each other. Next, they bent down and touched their toes, stretching to prevent injuries.
“We are just trying to get pumped up and take the tournament by storm,” Mandy McGhee, a senior in communication, said, adding a “Hoorah!” Delta Zeta said their secret weapon was the “duck and throw” strategy which gave the girls the second place trophy.
T.J. Christensen, a junior in professional golf management, had other warm up strategies. Sporting a bright red headband with his team name — Hulkamania — on it, Christensen said trash talk is the way to get in the heads of his opponents.
His team got booed last year after a ball was viciously thrown into the stand, according to Christensen.
“We are the team nobody likes,” he said.
The girls of Pi Beta Phi, team name Ballas, didn’t even bother with warming up.
“We are the Ballas. Ballas don’t practice,” Katie Spillman, a senior in marketing, said.
The tournament was started by T.W. Teague, a senior in French education and international studies, for his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, referred to as FIJI. He said the idea was bringing Greek houses together and helping the community.
According to him, all of the money raised goes to the local chapter of Red Cross, who Teague said “is so much more than blood.”
This year, Teague said the event raised more than $600 after each team’s $45 registration fee and T-shirt sales.
“We are here for a greater purpose and that includes helping others,” Teague said, who wants others to know the fraternity “isn’t Animal House.”
Antonio Moses, a senior in English, said he thinks the event is a great charity idea.
“Basically, it’s something we can do with our chapter,” Moses said.
Sarah Styron, a senior in business management, said her sorority just wanted to do its part.
“We made sure to come out and help FIJI and Red Cross,” she said.
Holly Weyrich, a senior in industrial engineering, said she was happy the event was held on a day with nice weather.
