The little dorm that could: Blackstone wins Nationball 2018

The newest dorm on campus came out on top for the first time as they beat Horton in the championship round.

Isabelle Thompson and Macie Cummings • September 28, 2018

Photo by Michael Nerud / THE CHIMES

Amid deafening noise inside Chase Gymnasium, Blackstone Hall won the Nationball championship for the first time. Horton Hall faced Blackstone in an intense 10-minute final round of dodgeball before the referees declared the northernmost dorm on campus the 2018 winners. As the white-clad Blackstone residents shouted their victory throughout the gym, students both supported and envied the campus underdogs.

Students from Blackstone expressed their pride as well as some shock at their win.

“I cannot actually believe it. We were all commenting how we weren’t sure how we were gonna do, since we were so small, but I don’t know, I think Blackstone really represented tonight,” said senior theater major Reagan Smalley.

She added, “I’m gonna have to do something, ‘cause I can’t believe it—Blackstone has now won! The entire time I’ve been at Biola and yet my senior year we take the championship.”

Junior business major Jasper Jiang has long awaited this victory.

“I’ve waited for three years. Three freaking years,” he said.

Despite their small numbers, Blackstone brought plenty of passion to the game.

“I just feel so blessed to be a part of this dorm. You know, small rooms, big hearts, Blackstone,” said junior communication sciences and disorders major Gabrielle Edwards.

Although Horton came close, victory slipped through their fingers in the final round.

“We did great. Just-luck of the draw,” said freshman communication science major and Horton resident Kate Faulkner.

Round by round recap

The event kicked off with a bang as the brackets were chosen with a new twist. Emcees popped black balloons filled with colored powder to determine that the Off Campus Community team would get a bye in the first round. The combined team of Stewart and Hart—StewHart—battled Sigma Hall and came out with the first win.

“I’m feelin like a million bucks, baby,” said senior cinema and media arts major Mark Wilder. “Go Hart!”

Round two pitted Blackstone against Hope Hall and Blackstone came out on top with the upset over the two-time defending champions.

“It was good,” said junior business administration major and Hope resident Lukas Klause. “It was hard. I feel for [Student Programming and Activities] because they do a hard job in terms of counting everyone out but it was a fun game.”

Alpha and Horton battled it out in round three, with Horton coming out on top.

“I’m a little disappointed because I’m a really competitive person,” said freshman biblical and theological studies major Emma Rooker, who lives in Alpha. “But you know, I’m going to cheer everyone else on.”

A new addition to the festivities this year was a push up competition. Junior biblical and theological studies major Josh Swigart gave OCC the win by doing 70 push ups.

In the first round of semifinals, OCC battled Horton but fell short of a victory.

StewHart and Blackstone fought hard but Blackstone advanced onto the finals.

A dance competition allowed for a break before the final round as each dorm sent their best dancer to the center of the gym. Senior elementary education Savannah Ozier walked away with the win for Alpha.

“It’s amazing,” Ozier said. “I’ve done this like all five years and I’ve never won, so it’s pretty cool. It’s pretty dope.”

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About the Contributors

Isabelle Thompson, Business Manager

Isabelle Thompson is a senior business marketing major who enjoys gloomy weather, reading and national parks. She is also an advocate for adventure and trying new things. Good literature has always been a source of inspiration for me. Through the years I have become influenced by authors ranging from Jane Austin, Mark Twain and Scott Fitzgerald to more modern writers including Andy Weir and Stephen Chobsky. Each story I have come across has had a role in shaping the way I see the world and who I am today. It was my love of writing and storytelling which drew me to the position of News Editor at The Chimes my sophomore year. Through that experience I learned the skills necessary to produce consistent, factual and engaging stories that informed and documented events that impacted my immediate community. It was a new kind of storytelling for me which came with the responsibility of doing justice to the very real themes and lives portrayed. Coming back to The Chimes as a senior business marketing major, I feel lucky to have the position of business manager. While I will be taking a step back from writing, I am excited to be surrounded by excellent storytellers and support the publication in a way that aligns with my goals for a career in business.

Macie Cummings, News Editor (Fall 2018)

Macie Cummings is a senior journalism major on a mission to find the best iced vanilla latte. She is passionate about all things Disney, the Dodgers, and the Office. [email protected] Four years ago, I never would have thought my Biola experience would turn out the way that it did. I am from the small town of Visalia, California, and if you don’t know where that is, just picture cows in the middle of the Central Valley and you’re there. I am the oldest of three girls, and we are incredibly close. However, I was ecstatic about the opportunity to move down to Southern California. The fact that I would only be living nine miles away from Disneyland may have been a key factor when choosing a school. While wrapping up my senior year of high school, I was confident in my decision to become an elementary school teacher. At some point that summer, I had an epiphany: I did not want to be in school for the rest of my life. I decided to take a huge risk and apply for Biola’s film program. After a year of only taking general education courses, I found out I had been accepted, only to go and switch my major yet again. The journalism program sparked my interest, when I realized that film was not for me. I have a passion for creating videos, so I chose an emphasis in broadcast journalism. After a semester of broadcast classes, and a lot of prayer, I decided to switch my emphasis to visual media, which is where I’ve planted myself. I have learned that I thoroughly enjoy many different aspects of the journalism and content creation industry, so this seemed like the best fit. I am looking forward to my year as a news editor for the Chimes, and the opportunity to grow in my writing and storytelling abilities. I know this year will be a year of learning and growth, and I cannot think of a better way to spend my last year at Biola.