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Printer-Friendly ModeStaff top faculty in dodgeball
October 17, 2005 —
In an intense matchup between SVSU's staff and faculty, the staff proved that those working behind the scenes could still sit on top. Friday's dodgeball competition, sponsored by Student Association, was held as a fundraising event for this year's "Battle of the Valleys III."
The match was played using an adapted version of the rules of The National Dodgeball Association (NDA) Official Rule Book. Each round, ten players would stand on opposite ends of the court to begin the six-minute round.
To add a twist to the competition, SA adapted the rules to include a "buy-in" option. Players, for $2, could pay to get back in the game within the first three minutes of each round. As a fundraising tool, the buy-in was a success, bringing in over $120 alone, according to SA representative Justin Findlay.
Coming into the match, "the faculty was definitely the underdogs," said Emily Hammerbacher, SA President.
In a best-of-seven contest, the staff wrapped up the win in just five rounds, allowing the faculty to take only one round.
Once the SA officials blew the whistle, each team raced to the balls placed on the centerline. The staff clearly dominated the first round, finishing off the faculty in less than four minutes. The second round, however, came as an upset.
Crystal Starkey, an English instructor on the faculty team, was widely considered the best individual player between both teams and staged the upset herself. Starkey faced six opponents and single-handedly came back in the last minute of the round to win it for the faculty.
In the following rounds, Starkey was promptly targeted and eliminated. With the help of J.J. Boehm, the SVSU media relations officer, the staff quickly finished off the remaining faculty members to win the last three rounds and secure their victory.
The captain of the faculty team, Melissa Seitz, another English instructor, stated that despite their loss, "it was a valiant effort, and we had a lot of fun."
Boehm was encouraged by the game.
"You want to get the entire campus community fired up about 'Battle of the Valleys,' raising money for charity, building the esprit de corps, and doing everything you can up to Saturday," he said. "And then Saturday you go out and cheer your lungs out for the football team."
SA was pleased with the event and per Boehm's offer for a rematch "anytime, anyplace" with the faculty, SA will contemplate holding another showdown in the winter for Coming Home.