The Seahawk

Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Jamie Moncrief/UNCW

The pictures are priceless. Two girls hugging covered from head to toe in dark, caked mud. Students diving for a volleyball but face planting into puddles. These are the elements for one of the University of North Carolina Wilmington's most anticipated events of the spring: Oozeball. Every April, Wilmington fire officials set the scene by spraying a dirt field with water to create the playing ground for students to compete, but this year, it looks like there will be a little less ooze for the competition.

The annual Oozeball tournament held by the UNCW ambassadors will be eco-friendly this year. Despite the recent rains, North Carolina's drought conditions over the last year have prompted a change in a university tradition.

"If the drought does worsen, we as an organization will come up with more creative ideas to ensure the event happens," said UNCW Ambassador Amelia Sullivan.

"This event will be 'green,' because a fire truck will not be spraying down the fields as is traditionally done," said David Morgan, Oozeball committee chair.

According to Wilmington Fire Captain Ken Creech, Wilmington fire trucks normally carry 500 gallons of water. However, he was unsure about the amount used annually for the event.

To replace the fire truck, the ambassadors are asking each team bring five gallons of purchased water as a part of the participation fee. Last year, the event saw 50 teams of six to eight players. If the turnout mirrors that of last year's, this will bring 250 gallons of water to the field.

A new element of the game will also be implemented involving baby pools lining the field.

"Each team will have a signal word or phrase that they will make known at the start of the game. When this is yelled out by one team, both teams must run to the edge of the field and each player in play must roll over in the pools. This can only be done when the ball is not in play or out of bounds," said Morgan.

"The event won't be as muddy of course, but we are going to make it just as fun," said Sullivan.

When asked if the organization took the amount of water used after the event by people taking showers into consideration, Morgan said, "We are proud that our goal of using a much smaller net amount of county water throughout the day."

Registrations tables will be set up on campus between April 16 and 23 and Eco-Oozeball 2008 is at 9 a.m. on April 26.

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