UREC employees battle in Olympics

Teams climb, race, swim for charity

Amy Paterson / photo editor The climbing wall was part of Saturday's relay to end the UREC Olympics.

More than 150 student employees from the University Recreation Center gathered together on Saturday to close the first annual UREC Olympics.

The games began last Monday with a speech from Eric Nickel, Director of University Recreation. The eight teams of UREC employees then completed kickball, volleyball, family feud and volleyball portions of the games.

A penny war also was held, in which participants were given a week to collect the most pennies from donations accepted around campus. Junior Erin Dolan, UREC graduate assistant for marketing and sponsorships, said over $250 was raised by the penny war and that all proceedes from the collection went to Relay for Life.

Team members wrapped up the games Saturday evening with an obstacle course race that included rock climbing, a balloon race and a swimming relay. Following the obstacle course, an awards ceremony was held to announce the winner of the games.

The Marketing/Operation Supervisors/Computing team won the games with 3,021 points, Dolan said. Placing second were the members of the Equipment Center/Sports Club team. with 2,401 points.

Teams received points for participation as well as for winning competitions, according Helen Schubert, graduate assistant at UREC. Each team consisted of 15 to 20 members who competed under the supervision of UREC officials, Schubert added.

Junior Wendy deGorter, a MOSC team member, said, "We were the dark horse [to win] because we are marketing, computing and operation supervisors and not directly involved with fitness or recreation. I don't think anyone expected us to win."

"Many of our employees made T-shirts for this event, painted their faces and practiced [for events] in order to win," Dolan said. "We hope to make this an annual event for our employees."

Senior Jay Kelske, of the MOSC team, said, "I came out for … volleyball and the obstacle course. In the [course], I did the balloon run in the relay race — [it was] not the manliest of events, but fun to say the least."

On his performance in the balloon run, Kelske said, "Unfortunately, I had no prior balloon-popping experience. My technique was all wrong."

Senior Kevin Murphy of the ECSC team said, "My favorite part was … meeting the different people around UREC."

Dolan said that graduate assistants Mark Salazar and Helen Schubert and Equipment Center employee senior Mark Tunstall organized the games.

"Through months of planning and organizing, the committee has brought together a week full of activities for our 250 plus student and professional employees," Dolan said.

Schubert said that the games were organized "to promote a team environment throughout UREC and within departments.

"Sometimes people work in the same department but don't get to know each other" because job shifts don't overlap, she added.