By Hannah Schultz & Aaron Evans, Features Editors
Figures dashing across open spaces in battle-ready crouches, huddles of students moving from building to building with their Nerf guns at the ready, yellow headbands becoming the must-have fashion accessory—it’s Last Man Standing season here at Asbury University. Only, you may have heard it called by another name this year: Taggers vs. Survivors. Along with the name change, this familiar game will have a few more adjustments and additions as it enters its first year as an Asbury-sponsored club; however, it remains, first and foremost, an avenue to foster community.
[pullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]In addition to the name change, its newfound status as a club was also carried out with the enjoyment of the current student body and future students in mind. [/pullquote]
The Taggers vs. Survivors club hosts the event formerly known as Last Man Standing, which is a week long tag game on campus where students choose to be either a survivor and defend their team with Nerf blasters and socks, or taggers and band together in order to tag survivors, which converts the survivors to the tagger team.
Though it might take students a little while to get used to, the name change was done with good intentions. “This change in name is to promote and endorse what is already the focus of the event and club, which is to bring students together with faculty, staff, local community and other students in a teamwork building game,” said senior Ashley Clark, the president of Taggers vs. Survivors and the top administrative moderator for the game this year.
In addition to the name change, its newfound status as a club was also carried out with the enjoyment of the current student body and future students in mind.
“Taggers vs. Survivors will increase the functionality and the clarity between the Student Activities Board and Taggers vs. Survivors,” Clark said. “Also, it will make it easier for the consortium of students who put the game together to have a clear establishment of continuation for years to come.”
As the main event for Taggers vs. Survivors draws to a close, students can look forward to more from this new club than ever seen from LMS before. Clark hints at the possibility of a two-week long tag game once a semester, as well as various mini-games scattered throughout the year.
And even if you don’t want to participate directly, there are new avenues for sharing in the experience via Instagram and Twitter. “It’s all about the shared experience—for some people, it’s more fun to watch than it is to play,” said senior Benjamin Calicott, one of the three administrative moderators for Taggers vs. Survivors this year and the club’s ASC respresentative.
“But technology aside, fun person-to-person interaction, team building and storytelling is the most important function of the game,” said Calicott of what he wants students to know about Taggers vs. Survivors.
“I am most excited about meeting new people and the community building the game provides,” said senior Andrew Higginson, another one of the top administrative moderators. “Many of our moderators love that this game helps to build new friendships and strengthen old ones, and that is exactly why we hold the game every year.”