The University of Rhode Island Police Department hosted their second annual dodgeball tournament last Sunday in the Keaney Gym, inviting both students and on-campus organizations to compete against the officers.
“It’s a way of interacting with the students, and we enjoy doing it,” Paul Hanrahan, a university police officer and organizer of the event, said.
Hanrahan and other members of the campus police have been using events like this, as well as the occasional food trucks parked in Barlow Circle, as a means of connecting with students and creating a better sense of community between the force and the student body.
“We got the truck last year, and we had to have a lot of work done to it,” Hanrahan said. “So I got a food warmer and handed out hot dogs from the cruiser for the time being. Once the truck got up and running, we started using that.”
This year’s dodgeball tournament consisted of nine teams of six people, with URI officers making up two teams. Other teams included members of the Kingston Fire Department, the Army ROTC, the Interfraternity Council (IFC), two teams from the FIJI fraternity and two other student-created teams.
The gym floor was divided across the middle by a large net strung up in the bleachers, allowing two games to be played at once. On the announcer’s count, teams on both sides of the net raced toward their respective center lines, grabbing dodgeballs and unleashing madness upon their opponents.
The teams dwindled down until just the IFC and the Kingston Fire Department were left as the final two. After an intense match of dives, dodges, rolls and catches, the IFC team came out victorious. They were given first choice of various URI jerseys and sports apparel as the prize for the tournament.
On Friday, Sep 23, the URI Police will be involved in the “Friday Night Lights” event hosted by The Department of Campus Recreation. The event will be held on Tibbit Field as a celebration of the field’s new lights and will feature “Rhode Warrior,” an adventure course designed to test the strength and agility of competitors. “Rhode Warrior” will be taking place during two different time slots; 5 to 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
“The course is modeled after ‘American Ninja Warrior,’ but we have it tuned down and lower to the ground so people don’t get hurt,” Hanrahan said. “The first 100 people will be getting free shirts as well.”
For more information on this event, visit http://events.uri.edu/event/friday_night_lights_8563.