team members competing in the traditional shopping cart race in Dorm Wars 2015
Atkins-Ellis team member completing the rope swing of the obstacle course
Two competitors of New Hughes are pictured here in the three-legged race during Dorm Wars 2015
Lee University students will come together at Monday at 8 p.m. in Paul Dana Walker Arena to compete in the 24th annual Dorm Wars.
Dorm Wars is a Lee University tradition in which students living on campus engage in friendly competition to benefit charitable organizations. Residential Life and Housing designs the event to push students to their physical limits to determine who is the best of the dorms, all while raising money for worthy organizations.
“Some have served and competed on behalf of the same organization for the past 2-3 years, so there’s really an increased sense of intensity and motivation to win first place and subsequently be able to donate to their organizations,” said Kelsey Baker, area coordinator for Residential Life.
This year’s teams will compete to raise money for The ANDOR Program, Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland, The Caring Place, Cleveland Emergency Shelter, Habitat for Humanity, The H.O.P.E. Center, Inc., New Hope Pregnancy Care Center, Project: Free2Fly, The Salvation Army, Second Life and The Zion Project.
Students from each residence hall, along with a designated faculty sponsor, will volunteer to compete for their cause. Other Lee staff members will be involved as officials and scorekeepers.
“You will see some new teams competing this year, including Carroll Court, our non-traditional and married housing community,” said Ms. Baker.
Dorm Wars typically hosts crowds of 1,500 students, making it one of the most anticipated events on campus.
“Our residence halls are filled to the brim this year, and students are excited to show their dorm pride!” said Ms. Baker. “We’re expecting the Walker Arena to be louder and more energetic than ever, but we will still have a couple of sections reserved for campus guests.”
The students will participate in the traditional Shopping Cart Race, the Relay, and the Obstacle Course. At the end of Dorm Wars, one male and one female dorm will walk away with the coveted title of “Dorm Wars Champion.”
“The best part of it all is the thrill of watching the teams go all out for their dorms, regardless of whether they win or lose,” said John Manning, a sophomore discipleship ministries major from Vernon Hill, Illinois, and a member of the Carroll Court Dorm Wars team.
Admission is free and open to the public. The event will also be available for live stream viewing at http://livestream.com/leeu.
According to Ms. Baker, there will be some surprises for those live streaming the event this year, so families and friends should plan to tune in.
For more information, contact Ben Jones at bjones@leeuniversity.edu.