U of M Recreation Services hosted a dodgeball tournament at the Gold Gym in the Frank Kennedy Centre on Nov. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It was open to all U of M students and staff. Over 100 competitors were registered, forming 19 teams of six, all competing for prizes reserved for the top three teams.

Tanya Angus, director of Recreation Services on the Fort Garry campus, explained the purpose of the event. “We wanted to bring forward an event where students across campus could come together and have fun right before reading week.” She added that the goal was to “take away the stress and have some fun before exams start.”

Angus said the tournament was “purely about engagement and increasing participation in physical activity,” emphasizing “there’s no end goal other than just bringing people together across campus.”

“Every picture […] or person that I see out there, they’re dancing on the sidelines, they’re high-fiving, and they’re meeting people they haven’t met before,” Angus remarked. “So I would definitely say they’re having a good time.”

Yousef Mahmoud, a master’s student at the U of M was one of the attendees of the event. “All of my friends were going and it seemed like a very fun experience,” he said. He added this was his second time playing and that “the vibes were great.” To him, “everyone was amazing, happy, friendly, competitive,” Mahmoud said.

U of M Rec Clubs are student-led and student-focused. They are made up of students, staff and alumni. U of M Recreation Services offers intramural clubs for sports such as badminton, climbing, soccer, ultimate frisbee, wrestling and many more.