Ships sank and crowds cheered all night for their friends and peers at the Homecoming Battleship event. Four teams competed against different groups in several rounds of “battleship.” 

This event allowed students to showcase their Rowan pride by competing for first place in the battleship game. On Oct. 28, Rowan initiated their Homecoming week, including luncheons, competitions, games, kickoffs, and the football game against Montclair State University. 

On Wednesday at 8:30 p.m., doors opened for Rowan students to sit in the bleachers of the pool located at the Rec Center. From 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. teams of students and some faculty competed in a highly competitive tournament. 

There were around 10 teams that registered for the tournament, which required a $10 fee. All attendants however were free to speculate each match. Each round of the tournament included five teams of four, each equipped with a canoe, a bucket, a shield, and a paddle. 

The canoe was the most important part of their equipment, as the competitor’s main goal was to be the last of two boats standing in the beginning rounds. Towards the end, only one boat would stand and be crowned winner of the competition. 

For the teams to win, team members used the bucket to splash their opponent’s boats with water. This helps each team use defensive and offensive skills. They could splash other teams so they could not see, allowing the boat to hit another boat, eventually sinking. They could also use the bucket to fill other team’s boats with water, and the more water in the boat, the heavier it gets allowing it to sink. 

The teams used the shields which were large plastic lid containers to defend themselves, allowing less water to be poured onto their boats. They also had a paddle, which was used to escape other boats. Each team member was assigned a role and held a piece of equipment. 

Every group had their strategies to advance to the next round. For the Rowan Fencing Club, they made sure to work together. 

One of their members, Connor Hannon, a senior at Rowan, was excited to be a part of the competition and have fun with friends. 

“I first transferred here a year ago, when I was a junior and I found out through the club that there’s all these fun, silly homecoming events to participate in,” said Hannon. “I thought it was more fun than stuffing four people in a canoe and just dumping buckets of water into each other’s boats.” 

Hannon and his friends also participated in the Banner Painting competition held on Oct. 26, and he’s been able to enjoy a well-deserved break from midterms. 

The bleachers of the pool were packed with Rowan students and faculty, cheering for their favorite teams to win each round. After each round was over, workers from the Rec Center set up the next teams, and an announcer played music and held small games to engage the audience. 

Games included a spelling bee people from the audience could participate in and a free t-shirt throw, so attendees had opportunities for entertainment and prizes. 

The Graduate Coordinator of Intramural Sports & Special Events, Phoebe Kurniawan, is a graduate student who worked during the Battleship Competition, to make sure teams were being safe and set up for the next round. 

“This is my second year returning to Battleship Homecoming, and it’s just really exciting to see a lot of teams come out and have Prof pride,” said Kurniawan. “I know last year we had 16 teams and this year we had 24 so we fully capped out, which was super exciting.” 

Some safety measures were consistent throughout the matches. A lifeguard was on duty during the whole competition, as well as lifeguards in the pool to help teams that sunk make it safely back to the surface. 

The final competition round started closer to 11:00 p.m. and in the last minute of the battle, two teams remained in one of the longest matches of the night. Eventually, the team The Chaos Squad won the Battleship Competition. 

Cory Lillis, a senior at Rowan and a member of The Chaos Squad, was excited to receive this victory with his friends. 

“I’ve been here all four years, and this year we finally won,” said Lillis. “The first year, first round we were out. In the second year, we lost the first round. Third year we won the first round, but lost the second.” 

The winners were interviewed by the Rec Center as well, where they shared their thoughts on winning the competition. After the last round, attendees could also compete in a small bellyflop tournament for fun. 

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