(photo taken from: http://rfc.wayne.edu/Warrior-Games.php; see link for schedule of events)
by Derrick Bean It’s the return of the 4th Annual Warrior Games, which can only mean one thing: the revenge of the engiNERDS. The team of self-proclaimed engineering nerds will compete April 12 through 16 at the Mort Harris Recreational and Fitness Center among other sites on campus. There are many events planned for this year’s Warrior Games including Frisbee, volleyball, dodge ball, table tennis, 3-on-3 basketball, a scavenger hunt, video game events and more. In their third year of competition, the engiNERDS 3.0 will challenge fraternities, sororities, various WSU colleges and student groups. The engiNERDS, representing the College of Engineering, has been the No. 1 college represented at Warrior Games over the past couple of years. The engiNERDS finished ninth in 2008, with only 10 students; and seventh in 2009, with about 20 students, edging out the College of Nursing as the top college. Gabriela “Gabby” Diaz, team manager and mechanical engineering senior, says she organized the team of engineering students to help improve the college climate in 2008. She knocked on every engineering student organization’s door trying to get students involved, but only a few organizations signed up. Diaz, who is also the president of the Society of Hispanic and Professional Engineers (SHPE), noticed a change of heart in 2009. “I think they may have been apprehensive (last year) because they were worried about how engineers would do against these big fraternities and sororities,” she says. Diaz encouraged people to look at Warrior Games for what they are –fun and games. “We don’t want people to be like, ‘Aw, I suck at sports,’ because that’s not what it’s about,” she says. The engiNERDS team knows there is strength in numbers, stretching far beyond the 30 or so students signed up this year. “We want cheerleaders, soccer moms and soccer dads,” says Diaz. “We need all the support we can get. These fraternities and sororities have 30 or 40 people that will come watch them.” Diaz says non-engineers and people who just want to help out are welcome to join the team. “Some people don’t play but they volunteer or ‘spectate,’ and those people count too,” says Diaz. “Every event has different people participating, which is kind of our goal because we wanted everyone to get involved. It helps mesh different organizations better.” By the way, the name engiNERDS is a mix of two suggested names, “The Engineers” and “The Nerds.” |