Weather Postpones Mud Olympics to Fall Semester

Staff Writer

   From making mud pies to competeing in mud competitions, people participating in the Mud Olympics get down and dirty continuing to play in the mud. Unfortunately for this year's Mud Olympics, weather caused cancellation.

   The 22nd Mud Olympics' previous scheduling reserved Spirit Field and the mud pit for April 25 which normally brings numerous people to the mud pit to participate and to observe the spectacle of people competing in mud games. This special event put on by Intramurals and Student Health became a staple event here on UAM's campus.

   Director of Recreation and Intramurals Julie Gentry said, “It is different, fun and competitive,” which helps make it an event that allows everyone to play and win.

   The weather caused the postponing of the event both times. Gentry said they have to considered the saftey of the participants even though some teams still wanted to play. The first cancelling can contribute itself to the pit becoming too muddy and flooded. The second time severe thunderstorms threatened Monticello. Regardless, both times the temperature dropped too low, which causes problems when people come in and out of water.

  Due to the intramural softball and volleyball games scheduled during the end of the semester, there remained no other choice but to postpone the event until the fall semester. The new date for the Mud Olympics stands as Tuesday, Aug. 30 as long as weather and such permit it. Activities planned for this semester's Mud Olympics remain the same including slippy slide, egg-n-spoon relay, crab walk relay, bucket fill relay, piggy back relay, wheelbarrow relay and volleyball. Winners of each event receive T-shirts that the Arkansas Collegiate Drug Education Committee helped pay for via a grant.

   The event's rules and regulations remain the same as this semester's. The teams must consist of at least three men and three women with no more than eight people all together. The teams can include UAM students, faculty and/or staff.

   The move to fall semester shouldn't hurt the attendance. Gentry said, “There has been good participation both semesters” with new and returning students.

   This one-of-a-kind event started over two decades ago when Chancellor Jack Lassiter served as Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. They met with East Central Oklahoma University, who already provide a mud olympic event, basically sharing ideas regarding students and events. UAM began the mud olympics after that and timed so that when UAM and ECOU played each other in football, the champions of each school's mud olympic events would compete for the Mud Olympic Championship.

  Regardless of the move to Fall semester, this co-ed social event will come to fruition. Gentry said, “Last year was wonderful,” and this year's Mud Olympics will happen that way as well. The event's history of more than two decades proves that.

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