Residence hall teams gathered in the North Quad for Capture the Powerup, a friendly competition that is part of Residents on Campus Fest.

Mary Fleming, Lawson Hall Council president, said people in the ROC Fest competition are all trying, and the event will go well.

“The competitions are fun and taken seriously at the same time,” Fleming said.

Capture the Powerup, is a classic game of Capture the Flag. The teams have to capture their enemy’s flag, but if a person is tagged by an opponent in the process of doing this the person is sent to jail until a team member tags them back in.

As the teams gathered near the Physical Sciences Building, each team waved their subtheme flag they needed in order to participate in Capture the Powerup competition.

Each team had to have at least five to eight people in their team in order to participate, which resulted in some resident halls teaming up.

Christopher Dixon, a freshman in finance major, said the activity would be very interesting because Douglas and Lincoln Hall, which are normally enemies, united together to have sufficient team members to participate.

“I believe (working with Lincoln Hall) will help bring new creative ideas and help move up (in the rank) because we have different mindsets,” Dixon said.

Abbi Chaeon, a junior history major, said since she lives in Pemberton Hall, she knows the North Quad more so she had a better hiding spot plan than other teams that live in the South Quad. She said although the competition is fun, the most important thing is about making the hall better solidify as a family.

“We’re very vocal and like to communicate, so (we) have to have everyone’s input,” Chaeon said.

As the competition went on shoes were lost, people threw Frisbees as a distraction and teams worked to run across the opponent’s territory for the hidden flag of the opponent.

Camryn Krebs, a freshman in special education major, said her Ford Hall team helped advertise the ROC Fest competitions to unite people in the experiences each activity provides.

“It will be a blast, and if we do not win, we will take it as an experience to learn for next year,” Krebs said.

Krebs’ team is currently in first place for the ROC Fest.

“We are giving it our all and leave everything on the quad,” Kerbs said.

Natalie Santillan, a sophomore early childhood education major, said whether it is a loss or a win for her hall, the competitions bring people together.

“It brings the hall together and (we) get to meet people from different floors and build a community. We meet new faces on different days,” Santillan said. “(Also, it is) an opportunity to unite and participate in the campus (activities).”

Dixon said the ROC Fest has also been a very fun experience for him.

“I have gotten to know more people and build unity in our whole RHA,” Dixon said.

Valentina Vargas can be reached at 581-2812 or vvargas@eiu.edu.