2008 Woodie Awards
Paintball proves to be fun event in the nice weather
Timothy Spath
Issue date: 5/1/08 Section: A & E
The weather outside beckons flowers from their winter sleep, brightens up curmudgeon professors, and provokes long walks in the woods and nearby parks.
Wooded paths take you deeper into the peace and serenity of the forest and further away from Park Ave, which never offers a lull in the noisy traffic even on nice, spring days. As you venture deeper, orange markers on the trees and tiny round splashes of fresh, washable paint in two different colors make up a battlefield which you have ventured onto. Leaves rustle, sticks break, and the sound of the air breaking with quick, wispy popping sounds send you to take cover as a familiar voice says, "Sorry, I thought you were on the other team."
Paintball has been around since the first gun of its kind was created in the early 1970s. However it has exploded in recent years and reached a professional, competitive level of play no longer committed to solely recreational, backyard teams. In many states, it is illegal to play in non-designated areas, hence: woods behind Roncalli Hall. But just how far do students have to drive to take advantage of this sport and beautiful weather?
Oxford is home to rural farmland, scenic roads, and since February of last year, Yankee Paintball. Located on the grounds of Schreiber's Farm in Oxford, the establishment offers natural, wooded surroundings to host matches between different groups.
Yankee Paintball is known as a "Woodsball Field," in which different rules apply in comparison to those of man-made boundaries and barricades. It also offers rental gear for those without their own.
For many, paintball has become a therapeutic way of letting off steam and having an adventurous, friendly match of "the most dangerous game."
"It is relaxing and heart-wrenching at the same time. One second you are stalking the other team, the next you are diving behind a tree with tiny balls flying at you at a hundred miles-per-hour" said junior Daniel O'Connor.
This year, Yankee Paintball is commemorating mothers and fathers (as well as giving them a way to get back at their kids for skipping out on chores) with free admission and half-price rental on both Mother's Day and Father's Day.
But with 100-mile-an-hour gelatin balls of paint flying at your face, isn't it a dangerous sport?
"Of course it hurts when you get shot, but when you are running around with all that adrenaline, you can barely feel it" said O'Connor.
As spring comes into full bloom, the euphoria of running around and being a little kid again playing cops and robbers can now be fulfilled.
"I just played this past weekend and felt like it was a kid's dream come true, besides the welts and getting hit in the facemask" said junior Patrick Bonner.
Wooded paths take you deeper into the peace and serenity of the forest and further away from Park Ave, which never offers a lull in the noisy traffic even on nice, spring days. As you venture deeper, orange markers on the trees and tiny round splashes of fresh, washable paint in two different colors make up a battlefield which you have ventured onto. Leaves rustle, sticks break, and the sound of the air breaking with quick, wispy popping sounds send you to take cover as a familiar voice says, "Sorry, I thought you were on the other team."
Paintball has been around since the first gun of its kind was created in the early 1970s. However it has exploded in recent years and reached a professional, competitive level of play no longer committed to solely recreational, backyard teams. In many states, it is illegal to play in non-designated areas, hence: woods behind Roncalli Hall. But just how far do students have to drive to take advantage of this sport and beautiful weather?
Oxford is home to rural farmland, scenic roads, and since February of last year, Yankee Paintball. Located on the grounds of Schreiber's Farm in Oxford, the establishment offers natural, wooded surroundings to host matches between different groups.
Yankee Paintball is known as a "Woodsball Field," in which different rules apply in comparison to those of man-made boundaries and barricades. It also offers rental gear for those without their own.
For many, paintball has become a therapeutic way of letting off steam and having an adventurous, friendly match of "the most dangerous game."
"It is relaxing and heart-wrenching at the same time. One second you are stalking the other team, the next you are diving behind a tree with tiny balls flying at you at a hundred miles-per-hour" said junior Daniel O'Connor.
This year, Yankee Paintball is commemorating mothers and fathers (as well as giving them a way to get back at their kids for skipping out on chores) with free admission and half-price rental on both Mother's Day and Father's Day.
But with 100-mile-an-hour gelatin balls of paint flying at your face, isn't it a dangerous sport?
"Of course it hurts when you get shot, but when you are running around with all that adrenaline, you can barely feel it" said O'Connor.
As spring comes into full bloom, the euphoria of running around and being a little kid again playing cops and robbers can now be fulfilled.
"I just played this past weekend and felt like it was a kid's dream come true, besides the welts and getting hit in the facemask" said junior Patrick Bonner.
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