JBU students gathered at the cafeteria to play toilet paper games at the SEA’S “Spirit Day” event on Oct. 28 in anticipation of the traditional toilet paper season opener. The celebration included stickers, t-shirts, games, music, and good food.
Students and staff enjoyed competing against one another in a toilet paper toss game for prizes. Sophomore Family and Human Services major, Lucy Jones, feels that Spirit Day is a great time that makes her “feel connected to the school, and it is entertaining that everyone is involved!” Jones also said that her expectations were high for the Toilet Paper Game because “last year was very energetic, and everyone was standing the whole game, which doesn’t happen every year.”
JBU Athletics Program works to make everyone on campus feel excited for the Toilet Paper Game. President Chip Pollard shared that this is his nineteenth year participating in Spirit Day and the Toilet Paper Game. He has “been to half of the games since it existed.” Pollard finds particular joy in the community aspect of Spirit Day, saying, “I love that [Spirit Day] generates excitement for the whole campus. I believe our athletic program does a fantastic job. Still, it’s even better when the students participate and cheer them up.” Pollard added that he hopefully does not get hit by rolls of toilet paper and that the basketball team takes the win.
Spirit Day also pulled students out of their everyday routines. For sophomore Integrated Marketing Communication major, Gustavo Maida, this event is “something different, and it makes you feel excited about the TP game and have fun with your friends.” Maida said he had fun playing games and throwing a roll to get a t-shirt. This is Maida’s second Toiler Paper Game in which he volunteered. He shared how Student Government Association is involved in the TP Game “I have been part of SGA since last year, and it’s wonderful to see how SGA is involved in preparing the rolls of toilet paper and giving it to the students and community.”
SGA partners with the JBU athletics program to coordinate the collection of cans and toilet paper distribution. All cans are donated to the Manna House in Siloam Springs. Along with JBU staff, they assist in cleaning the toilet paper from the floor after the celebration so the game can be resumed.
“It’s something unique to JBU that you can’t experience anywhere else,” Maida added. Freshman Michelle Larin majoring in Economics, said, “for me, it was a lot of fun, I liked that there were prizes, good food in the cafeteria, and the atmosphere was super cool! ” Larin continued, “What I like the most is that you get very excited, and you see that we are all in the same feeling that we are going to win.”