Another Union Cup has come and gone, and it was a huge success, according to Cody Curtis, assistant residence director. This was the third year of the Union Cup, a yearlong Residence Life event on campus.
“One of the new challenges this year was adding a new event, the 1/2 K,” Curtis said.
Curtis and the rest of the Residence Life team were worried about the event, trying to overcome the logistical challenge of having the event the first weekend of school. Holding the first Union Cup event so early was purposeful, designed to get everyone interested in the competition early on.
While the Residence Life team was excited after the first event, the true test is how the Union Cup would end with the final event, Field Day.
“Mathematically, there were actually nine possible buildings that could have won the Cup based solely on their performances, so it was a close race,” Curtis said.
Dodd, the winning building, was the third male freshman dorm to win the Cup, but the ladies of Watters 4 and Rogers came in strong, giving students hope that the trend might break in the upcoming years.
Russell Richardson, RA of Dodd, is one of the biggest fans of the Union Cup, and not just because he won it.
“The cup allows community to be fostered through fun and competition and unites the students in the building towards a common goal,” Richardson said.
Tricia Willoughby, RA of Wright, was the only RA to steal points for Dodd, using the new “point-stealing system.”
“A lot of RAs were asking for points,” Willoughby said. “One of the things I always respected about Dodd was the fact that, as much as they wanted to win, they also wanted to encourage other buildings. They don’t just make the UU Cup better by being great sportsmen, but also by being gentlemen.”
Willoughby agreed with Richardson’s reasons for the Union cup but also offered her own.
“It gives my building a way to connect in a really fun and comfortable setting,” she said. “To really be able to share your life with someone, you need to be able to share all aspects of your life with people. Being able to have fun with people is a great way to get to know them.”
All in all, everyone was really content with the Union Cup of the 2015-2016 year. With this year’s event completed, Residence Life is already planning next year.
“We’re not gonna make any major changes,” Curtis said. “There will still be three events in the fall and three events in the spring. We’re most likely going to substitute Deck the Halls with something else. We like that event, so we’ll keep it on the calendar, but we will have something different in the race for the Union Cup.”
