There I was--hiding behind a tree with paintballs flying by on either side of me, and trying to shrink my large frame as small as possible, only to end up getting shot all over my body.
The date was March 8. I was sitting on my couch looking at my phone when my roommate, Alex Stayte ’21, asked me if I wanted to play paintball. Trying to be a good roommate, but also barely having any money in my bank account, I tried to respectfully decline. Then he told me that it was not only free, but was also being held at Covenant. The Outdoors Club, as it turns out, has set up a full-on paintball course and is offering games for free every other weekend. After hearing this news I couldn’t wait to try my luck and skill on the paintball field.
A couple of days later on March 12, my comrades, my enemies, and I all lined up to embark on an impact battle. Remembering some brief psychology I took in high school, I remembered that the color red shows power and rage, two emotions necessary for war. So I decided to join the red team. The task for victory was simple--all we had to do was recover our hostage teammate before the other team rescued their teammate. All that stood between us and our goal were eight men and women with paintball guns. Seeing that my team needed a little pick-me-up, I decided to recite an inspiring Lance Armstrong quote saying “Pain is temporary, but victory is forever.”
The match started, and with a sudden rush of adrenaline, we darted to our nearest cover, hiding behind every tree and board around us. We slowly inched our way down the hill fighting for every inch. When I made it to the halfway point, my teammates were no longer able to give me cover, and my position was bombarded by a volley of paintballs. Desperate to save my friend and hostage, Alex Stayte, I got up and ran as fast as I could, jumping behind the cover of a nearby tree. Focused on the battle, I completely forgot that while this tree might provide some cover it wasn’t nearly big enough for me. I suddenly got hit multiple times by the opposing team and was forced to make my way up the hill, leaving my comrades alone and under fire.
This sudden shame and guilt inspired me to gain back my respect by winning the game for the red team. With newfound confidence and pain tolerance, I decided to run towards the enemy line. With some of our enemies out and others with broken guns, I knew this was our opportunity. I ran towards my teammate Nate Collins ’22, hoping that with our combined efforts we could overwhelm our opponents and win the game. I ran as fast as I could but misjudged not only my speed but my size and ran straight into the barrier, causing it to tip over, exposing me and Nate to enemy gunfire.
The enemy used this mistake to win the game, capturing their hostage Nathan Stern ’21 and returning him to safety. While we lost the game because of my mistake, I couldn’t help but feel happy to play paintball with my friends on Covenant’s campus.
It is really amazing to think that we have clubs like the Outdoors Club that make events like this possible. It truly is one of the coolest and most unique aspects of Covenant College, that I can’t help to be grateful for. To all of you who haven’t been paintballing yet or those who want to return to the battlefield fighting for the glory of victory, make sure to reach out to the Outdoor’s Club Leaders, Stern and Mallory Harmon ’21. Also, make sure to thank them for putting on such an epic event.