Sweet victory at Candyland dodgeball tournament

Published: Sunday, September 4, 2011

Dodgeballs and a fictional candy-filled land may not appear to complement each other, but to Adam Niehl, the two created a sweet match at the Candy Land Dodgeball Tournament held Wednesday night in the Student and Convocation Center.

Kelly Cline

Students await the start of a game at the Candy Land

Dodgeball Tournament held Wednesday, August 31 a

 the Student Convocation Center.

"It was good to get freshman out of their rooms and get them playing around with upperclassmen," Niehl said. "This was a great way to get people involved."

Niehl, a sophomore cinema major, competed on the team "This one's for Wade," paying tribute to the late Nashville Predators hockey player Wade Belak. Playing alongside five other teammates, the group went up against nine other teams that showed up to play.

The tournament was part of Point Park University's Welcome Week, aimed at providing freshman and older students with opportunities to interact with each other and to get involved on campus.

The dodgeball games included a twist, incorporating the Candy Land board game , which is the Welcome Week's theme, into the mix. Every win enabled that team to draw a card and move their game piece to the appropriate spot on the board. The team that ended closest to the finish would be declared the winners and receive a free bag of Point Park goodies including sweatpants and key chains.

Kelly Cline

Trevor Hallinan, freshman cinema major, attempts to
dodge numerous dodgeballs at the Candy Land
Dodgeball Tournament.

Although the competition was stiff, "This one's for Wade" managed to take the win in the three hour tournament over teams such as "Average Joes" and "Grape Slushies." Evan Schall, a sophomore Sport, Arts and Entertainment Management and Business Management major, participated on the winning team. He believed his friends and teammates helped to make this outcome possible.

"We felt pretty good about our team," Schall said. "We acquired one, Ben Rodriguez, and he was really the anchor of our team. Topped off with the five of us, we were a pretty solid group of kids."

Winning was not everything, however, as proved by the laughter and jokes heard throughout the gymnasium despite wins and losses. Even those students who did not come out on top managed to have fun participating and felt that the event left a positive impact.

Brenda McGrath, freshman psychology major, found herself as the only remaining player on her team during one of the matches. Despite being the underdog, she managed to skillfully dodge a number of balls before finally being hit. She explained the chain of events and her feelings on the tournament.

"We got killed and then I got hit in the face and then I was out," McGrath said. "Regardless, this was a good way to get people together. A lot of people like dodgeball so a lot of people are going to come."

While the teams competed with hopes of winning, the tournament served as a positive opportunity for socializing. Students of all different ages and majors came out to play and participate in friendly competition.

The event was deemed successful according to Ryan Deasy, current Interdisciplinary Studies student and Intramural Coordinator for Point Park, who helped to run the tournament.

"This incoming freshman class has been very active and I was hoping for a good turnout," Deasy said. "We had a great turnout. Dodgeball has always been a fan favorite and I thought it would hit a lot of different interests."

Other events in Point Park's Welcome Week included a Candy Land themed dance on Thursday and a Monte Carlo night on Friday, both held in the Lawrence Hall Ballroom. All students were invited to take part in the events and get to know the campus as well as other students.

Thinking back to his early days at Point Park, Deasy recalls the importance of participating in events and taking advantage of opportunities when they were presented. He maintains the belief that being a part of on-campus and off-campus activities is ultimately a key to success, and he hoped to emphasize this through the Candy Land DodgeballTournament.

"If I could do it all over again, the one piece of advice I would keep in mind is just to get involved," said Deasy. "Whether it's intramurals, a club or internships, just get involved."