This week kicks off the beginning of another Associated Student Body (ASB) event: Carlmont’s annual dodgeball tournament. The tournament, run by ASB’s Spirit commission, is held during lunch on the football field.
The competition lasts from Nov. 4 to Nov. 8 and serves as another way to boost spirit and an opportunity for students to participate in more school activities.
With a plethora of October Homecoming activities behind us, the dodgeball tournament marks the first Carlmont ASB event of November, keeping students spirits up until the long-awaited Thanksgiving break
The tournament first began by Jim Kelly, the ASB adviser, in 2004 after the movie “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story” was released. Ever since then, the tournament has remained popular within the student body.
“I think that it’s great that ASB still does the competition because it’s a good way for students to get involved,” said Ryan Chun, an Algebra I teacher. Chun is a former student of Carlmont who was part of the 2008 graduating class.
While many teams signed up for the tournament, yesterday’s game had a small unforeseen complication. One of the teams didn’t show up, so members of the Spirit commission had to step in to play. The opposing team won by default and will be advancing to the next round.
Even though the competition has high participation, it doesn’t cater to the interests of all students.
“I don’t really want to waste my lunchtime playing a game that I don’t really like,” said Anthony Martin, a junior. “Even if I wanted to play, I wouldn’t have time because I use lunch to catch up on any homework I didn’t do the night before.”
In addition, not all of the students are aware of the competition.
“I wasn’t aware that the dodgeball tournament was an actual activity until I saw a small poster for it,” said Sarah Drayer, a junior. “But, I think it’s a good event that more people should be informed about.”
Chun recalls the competition during his time attending Carlmont and reflects on his decision to not play in it.
“I don’t feel like I missed out on much because I didn’t play in the competition. I participated in a lot of other activities where I could show school spirit,” Chun said.
