Clash of the Clans: Clan Warfare Reviewed

Clan Warfare: an event primarily populated by freshers or hall committee members, and an event that many would say a random third year has no place being at. Yet, there I found myself amidst the thrumming crowd and raucous chants of “Sallies till we die!” and “Go Macintosh!” At first I was trapped in a moment of brief nostalgia, but once I became situated and gained my bearings I found I was able to evaluate the event and experience it objectively.

I must compliment Director of Events and Services Taryn O’Connor for her unfailing enthusiasm and enduring patience when it came to controlling the crowd. She kept the games running fairly smoothly which was quite a feat. Working against her were the low sound levels of the microphone compared to the music – unfortunately there were a number of times that some of my friends and I couldn’t hear the full explanation of the new game and its rules, which left us a bit confused and irritated. 

The games themselves featured each contestant from the various halls performing tasks such as collecting as many phone numbers as possible, lip syncing, catching flying foam balls in a wind machine, a scavenger hunt, and finding someone their exact height. All the challenges had time limits, which I felt was a smart decision in terms of flow for the event. It prevented any awkward moments from drawing on too long, fostered the competitive spirt of the contestants, and maintained the high energy of the crowd. Many of the games also depended on audience interaction, keeping everyone engaged in the event. 

I was rather pleased with the efforts from both the contests and the rowdy-yet-attentive crowd. I found that most people seemed to stay till the end of the night, a real sign of the event’s quality and of the audience’s increasing levels of investment.

The one element that I took issue with was the implementation of the “wild card rule.” This segment of the competition allowed any of the halls that had previously been eliminated to re-enter the battleground. The rule served as a way to keep the eliminated hall members engaged. However, the wild card section revived so many halls that I found it frustrating and felt it diminished the accomplishments of the contestants that had remained alive through the entire ordeal.

In the end Agnes Blackadder was victorious, but the disappointment experienced by the other halls was surface level at most and quite brief. The true spirt of Clan Warfare is best seen in the crazy shared costumes and wild hall battle cries. When done right, the night creates a new bond between fellow hall members and is a fantastic event to help kick off Freshers Week. It’s a great choice of an evening for wide eyed first years and cynical third years alike.

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