Taking home the brand new trophy, OCC came out on top of this year's Nationball. | Olivia Blinn/THE CHIMES
Off Campus Community clenched the victory at this year’s game of Nationball, snatching the title from last year’s winner, Hope Hall.
Although the final match between OCC and Horton Hall in Chase Gymnasium was tight, OCC pulled ahead during the last few moments. Cheers erupted from the gym floor as the winners jumped up and down, screaming in triumph.
Despite the new wristbands and waiver rules, Nationball was still packed — and even when the games had commenced, there were wristbands left over.
OCC won 1,000 dorm points and bragging rights for the next year. For the first time, the winner of Nationball received a trophy, and OCC raised it high for the camera after their victory.
Drama-filled qualifying rounds
In order to choose two teams to play each other, the Biola Eagle spun the wheel of a bicycle that had different colors in the front tire and pointed to a color. For the first round, the eagle chose the color yellow to kick off the first round of Nationball. Thus Sigma Hall played Hope Hall – the reigning champions. Hope battled to victory.
Second, OCC played Stewart Hall. In spite of Hart Hall allying itself with Stewart against OCC, the off-campus students still won.
Third, Stewart returned the favor and took the floor with Hart. Stewart was asked to leave so Hart could play alone. Both Stewart and Hart sat down on the court in protest. Then both teams exited the floor united. As a result, Hart’s participation was postponed.
“We’re the Stew-Hart family – we stay together and we don’t separate,” said junior communications major Meilani Kieu, a Hart resident adviser. “We respect Stewart’s decision [to stay] no matter what.”
Fourth, Emerson played against Horton. At first, Emerson residents, impersonating British men, walked around the court aimlessly as if they had never seen a game of dodgeball before. Horton pummeled them mercilessly. Spontaneously, Emerson broke into a dance to “Bye, Bye, Bye” by ‘N Sync. Suddenly, zombies emerged onto the court and left the Brits in a heap. Then, all of Emerson rose together and danced to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
As Stewart stood in the bleachers, word was passed down that when Hart took the floor to play Alpha Hall, Stewart would stand in the bleachers silently and hold up three fingers – a reference to the Hunger Games.
Hart took the court quietly to play Alpha, while Stewart stood in respect. Emerson blocked the Alpha girls from Hart’s dodgeballs, but was moved off the court by the referees soon after. Stewart and Hart stampeded the floor in celebration after Hart’s victory.
Semifinals commence
The purple-clad team played Hope in the first round of the semifinals. OCC won.
The second round of semifinals was Hart against Horton. Senior communications major Kyle Spence, one of the emcees for the evening, approached Stewart and told them that if any of them had orange shirts, they could wear them and play with Hart against Horton. Despite Stewart’s help, Hart was soundly defeated by Horton.
Horton and off-campus community faced off for the finals, and after a six-minute battle, OCC emerged victorious.
Other Nationball-related contests
Nationball, though the main event, was not the only event. There was also a costume contest, cheering contest, and a game that involved men running around with tennis balls in nylons on their heads.
Emerson’s man in a tuxedo with a saxaphone beat the OCC grape, Stewart’s fuzzy red monster, Sigma’s Tinkerbell, Hart’s Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, Alpha’s Supergirl, and Horton’s krumping soldier for best costume. Hope won the cheering contest. Sophomore cinema and media arts major JJ Carroll of Stewart won the nylon-on-the-head game.
Waivers deter some
Some students, however, did not go to Nationball and escaped the ringing ears and hoarse voices most had after exiting the gym.
Freshman marketing major Kelsey Jones chose to opt out of Nationball partially because of the required parent signature for those under age 18.
“I’m 17, so I would have had to get my parent’s signature … so that’s why I didn’t go,” Jones said. “I talked to a lot of people and they said [the waiver requirement] was a hassle.”
