Freshman Smith Hall 1B competes in “Buck Buck,” a game in which teams attempt to create the largest human dog pile.
Freshmen compete in annual game, build community.
Freshman residents of Smith Hall rallied together Sept. 19 to participate in the 10th annual Smith Olympics.
The event is a combination of challenging and athletic competitions between male freshmen students in each hall of the living area. Students compete to be the “Champion Hall” for the year.
The energy among the male students radiated between hall-mates and united the residents as part of the “brotherhood” of Smith Hall that is passed down from year to year.
Hall 3B took home victory, earning the most points over all. Some of the events for the evening included “Buck Buck,” a game of strength and agility where participants try to create a standing human dog-pile without falling over, and “Kajabi Can Can,” a competition of endurance and determination in which students are connected by holding hands around a trash can while trying to force the opposing team onto the trash can to eliminate them from the game.
The games and competitions are meant to foster unity between residents of Smith Hall and within each hall itself.
Devon Emans, community adviser for Smith Hall, explained that the Residence
Life sta coordinated all the games, assigned hall colors and got the students excited for the evening.
Emans said he was glad to see the students connect with one another and feel at place within the living area dynasty.
“We really want to see our residents develop a sense of individual hall pride early,” Emans explained. “We let them know from the moment they move in, that the men they are living side by side with will become their brothers by the end of the year.”
The best part for the staff , according to Emans, is witnessing how excited the students get for the event and during the competition. Emans said the event created a great opportunity for memories that will last the rest of the year.
Jacob Leahy, freshman business administration major, said the event helped him get to know his hall-mates in a new way and helped de ned his opinion of community.
“It was amazing how no matter who my hall-mates were and what they chose to do in their free time, we could come together as one unified hall.” Leahy said. “I got a new appreciation for my hall-mates and learned that each of these guys are awesome people and I need to appreciate them a lot more this freshman year.”
Smith Olympics continues to draw excitement from all across campus but primarily from Smith Hall residents, past and present. This provides students an opportunity to build relationships and develop a sense of purpose within a personal community of close friends and, for most residents, people who they will stay close to for the rest of their time at CBU.
