At UCSD, there are only a handful of time-honored events respected and practiced annually. For 23 years, one of the most important of these has undoubtedly been the Unolympics.
Revelle College took home the competition’s coveted Golden Shoe on Sep. 22, earning the most points in five unconventional events, followed (in order of points) by Earl Warren College, Thurgood Marshall College, Eleanor Roosevelt College, Sixth College and John Muir College.
The proud creation of Scott Berndes, director of the Sports and Recreation Club, the Unolympics is held on Rimac Field every Welcome Week by all six colleges. According to Karina Viaud, coordinator of student activities at Muir College, the Unolympics is the first student-run, friendly competition between colleges where students can come together, participate and dredge up some school spirit.
The point system is simple: 60 points for first place in an event, 50 for second, 40 for third, and so on. The events are judged by one individual from each college. A time- and scorekeeper along with three additional judges oversee the competion and resolve scoring disputes. All judges are hand-selected by Viaud.
The first of the five events is the entrance. Each college begins its entrance performance once the students are on the field and the college name is officially announced.
Revelle College was decked out in blue and gold for their “Homecoming” theme. Muir College had a “Jammin’ Jamaican” theme, sporting Rasta caps and inflatable monkeys. Roosevelt College had a “Karate Kid theme,” and Marshall College went “Western” with lassos and country music. Warren College had a “Pirates” theme with swords and eye patches, and Sixth College came out as “Rhythm Nation,” a theme inspired by Janet Jackson’s tour.
Incorporated with each entrance is a cheer, the second event. Colleges are limited to two cheers each and can use dancing and props to make the cheer more versatile and entertaining.
“The purpose of the cheer is to demonstrate the spirit and commitment each college has for both itself and UCSD as a whole,” said Viaud.
After the entrance and cheer are completed, the actual events begin, starting with the “Crazy Bat Spin Relay.” In each event, 10 men and 10 women from each college run to a predetermined location, grab a bat, position their foreheads on the end of it, spin in six full circles until they are good and dizzy, and then try to run back and slap the next person’s hand. The first team to finish wins.
The next event is the “Big Balloon Relay.” In this event each team of 10 men and 10 women is given six large water balloons. The first person up speeds around a cone with water balloon in hand, runs back and then tosses the balloon to the next team member, who stands behind a rope separating them from the team. This rope is gradually moved by the judges as the competition progresses. If the balloon breaks during this exercise, the balloonless team member must start over. The first team to finish and sit down in a line wins the competition.
The final “mystery event” this year was the “Leap Frog Relay.” In this event, teams form a line, and the person at the front of the line leaps over and ducks under every other member of the team with a Frisbee in his or her hand. Once at the end of the line, the “leaper” throws the Frisbee to the team member now at the front of the line and proceeds to perform the obstacle. The team with the best time at the end of the competition wins.
Revelle’s win came the week of the college’s 40th anniversary, making the celebration that much more memorable. A ceremony commemorating the 40th anniversary of the college’s founding took place Sept. 24 on Library Walk with Ellen Revelle, wife of Roger Revelle, serving as honorary chair.
