Students living on campus will have the chance to represent their halls by competing in the Club Sports Hall Cup, a new event designed to bring students together.
Competitions will be held during the intermissions of the Men’s Division I Hockey games throughout the year. The Hall Cup will feature teams representing various dorms around campus.
Teams of four to six students will compete for points across various games. Club Sports Marketing & Promotions Assistant Emma Mattox said that while her team is still working on the final details, they plan to incorporate games such as human bowling, knockerballs and a dress-up relay race.
According to Mattox, the idea grew out of a desire to create more opportunities for students to bond with their residence halls while also encouraging them to come to hockey games.
“Our heart in it is just to create community for the students,” Mattox said.
Mattox, a former Community Group Leader (CGL), recognized the importance of community in the residence halls.
“Since I was a CGL this past year, I just knew how tight halls can be and just how much community can be on the halls, and I thought it would be such a fun idea for halls to be able to compete,” Mattox said.
Mattox said she was excited to see the interest from students after the event was promoted at Block Party and Convocation. By giving students a chance to learn more about the competition, the promotion allowed Mattox and her team to get an idea of how many would be interested in participating.
“It’s been really exciting seeing the full teams that have signed up and seeing how many people want to compete with their hall,” Mattox said.
Mattox said the goal is for the competition to consist of six games throughout the season, including one final game between the top two teams in points.
Even if students are not on a team, they can still represent their halls through crowd participation. Mattox said that extra points can be awarded based on an applause meter and crowd voting. This way, students can come to support their friends and respective dorms, promoting both hall community and attendance at the games.
Senior Autumn Heath said the Hall Cup will help bring students together.
“It for sure can build a community, maybe even some rivals between the halls, but I’m sure it would all be in good nature,” Heath said.
The winning team will receive a prize at the end of the season, adding another incentive for students to compete.
For Mattox, however, the prize is only part of what makes the event meaningful. The larger goal is to create a yearly event that brings the university together.
“I want it to be something that people are excited about every year,” Mattox said.
According to a press release from Men’s Division I Hockey, the Hall Cup will take place during several games from October through February.
Smith is a POV reporter for The Liberty Champion.
Graphic designed by Natalie Stevens.