By Lynnette Cagle, Staff Writer
A lone black pole rises over Reasoner Green. Four flags hang from the pole, each proudly displaying its crest – a crown of thorns, an anchor, an orange sun and a gold cross. The echo of marching feet fills the air as freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors emerge from their classrooms and dorms to battle it out in epic fashion.
On April 11, the annual class-wide competition known as the Legacy Games began once again, and there was a lot to look forward to. “We’re switching it up a little bit,” said Special Events Committee Chairperson, junior Lizzie Sherwood. “We’re trying to cut down on the number [of games] but really increase the quality.” Some of the changes hopefully made the games run smoother than in past years – the rules of Capture The Flag, for instance, were revamped.
Along with the new rules came new games as well. Human Foosball, Gaga Ball, Ultimate Frisbee and live-action Hungry, Hungry Hippos were among the new introductions to the Legacy Games. A change was made to the traditional spray-painting of the t-shirts – the Committee asked everyone to bring black shirts instead of white shirts this time, and the shirts were painted on Wednesday instead of during the Legacy Dance. Throw in a scavenger hunt and a laser maze, design everything to suit the new “Spy” theme and this year’s Legacy Games is complete.
The committee has been planning for the Legacy Games since before the beginning of the semester, and its members are excited to see how things will go this year. “It’s really neat to see it all come together and see the amount of participation and how much fun people are having,” said Sherwood. The committee hopes to reach out to more students this year. “[The Games] offer something for everyone,” said junior Ashley Eastwood, who is in charge of the Movie Day. “Then at the end of the week we can all get together for the dance.”
The Games are an exciting, competitive time, but they’re about more than winning. “It is really good at building class unity,” said Sherwood. “A lot of people get to know each other and are able to meet for the first time, even within their class, through the events.”
Lael Shields, a junior and co-chair with Sherwood, agreed. “I think I met about 20 new friends freshman year when I did [the Legacy Games], no joke.” Shields said with a laugh.
Not only do the Games promote community within the classes, they bring community between Asbury and the rest of Wilmore. “I feel like the Legacy Games reaches into the community this year more than ever,” said Eastwood. “This year we are incorporating the community of Wilmore into the scavenger hunt, with some of the clues leading to places around town.”
The Games may bring unity, but, as with any highly competitive event, it may bring dissention as well. “Sometimes you have those people that just get really into it and forget oneness,” said Shields. “We don’t need to tear each other down. Keep in mind that it’s really just a game.”
“Seeing the winners singing their class hymn together and celebrating, and [seeing] the happiness and pride on their faces is always really fun,” said Shields. “Even if it’s not my class, I still think it’s cool and I can appreciate that they worked really hard to win.”
Hard work, celebration, appreciation for others, and community – that is the legacy that Asbury students leave, and competing in the Legacy Games is an opportunity to do just that.