Winter intramurals: Indoor volleyball

There is undeniable excitement among students when a new intramural sports season is about to begin.

This proved true yet again as a new semester produced enthusiasm for the Co-Ed Volleyball season, which commenced last week. While each individual has his or her reasons for playing, there seems to be one recurring theme: fun!

"I play for fun," states junior Joilyn Zimmerly. "It's not too competitive, and it gives me something to do with friends, while also getting to meet new people." Senior Matt Ruth added, "It's a lot of fun, and I can get some competitive energy out of my system. I play because of the atmosphere that rec sports provides at EMU. And I guess that I should say that winning free t-shirts is a huge plus!" "I play because it's fun. I get to play with all my buddies. I get to play with Ben Stutzman. How many people get to say they play with Ben Stutzman?" commented senior Nate Artz.

Participants feel that coming up with a team name is fun, as the creative names illustrate. From movies, TV shows, video games, to nicknames, made-up words and the combination of several names into one name, the possibilities are endless. When asked about the origination of their team names, unique answers were provided.

" 'Boomshakalaka' derives from the old Sega Genesis game 'NBA Jam.' When a thunderous dunk is thrown down, the announcers would say it," said Ruth, a member of the B-League team. A member of A-League, Artz said, "I was filling out the form while I was tutoring for Lit. Block. I looked down and saw a story called 'Booglies.' "

While most teams form sporadically at the beginning of the season, like the Booglies and the Roarin' Sprawlers, some teams remain quite familiar in appearance throughout the years. When asked about the benefits of this, Ruth claims, "It could be because of defending a championship (from last year) with the same team. Or since we all live together, it's a way for us to bond together...we learn each others' tendencies."

No matter what league they are in, the common bond between all students is their willingness to participate in the spirit of fun!

Also, do not forget to come out and support your fellow students as they tip off in the 3-on-3 Midnight Basketball tournament being held Friday night through Saturday morning. Don't miss out on the upcoming Table Tennis tournament to be held on Wednesday, February 15. Sign-ups open February 1.