By: Jacob Brown
Students faced off in the Dugan Library on Wednesday night, reaching, pulling and attempting acrobatic maneuvers to snatch wigs from each others’ heads.
Hair flew across the room as participants tried to claim victory as part of an unusual wig-snatching competition put on by Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Approximately 30 people participated in the event, which offered a change of pace from typical intramural sports.
The event featured one-on-one matchups in which participants attempted to remove their opponents’ wigs while keeping their own in place. Organizers of the event borrowed the wigs, which ranged from long blonde princess hair to curly gray manes, from Newman’s Theatre Department.
Junior Emma Linticum brought the idea for the event to Ian Lecki, adviser for Newman’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Lecki said Linticum said to him, “Hear me out,” then showed him a video clip of wig wrestling.
Lecki said the event got positive feedback from students, who offered ideas about how to expand it in the future.
Suggestions included moving the event to a larger space, providing more wigs and allowing more participants to compete at once.
“I thought it was a fun event,” said graduate student Thomas Munn
Munn also said the event’s lack of a traditional sports focus may have helped make it more accessible to students who might hesitate to participate in athletic competitions.
While intramural sports such as basketball, soccer and volleyball can be appealing to many students, they may discourage participation among those who feel they lack the necessary athletic ability, he said.
“This event was something that could be fun for anyone no matter what,” Munn said.
Munn said he was excited about the possibility of future events that give students new ways to get involved.
Lecki said he encourages students with ideas for campus activities to bring them to the Student Life office.
“If there’s something that they want to do that involves sports, doesn’t involve sports, I tell them to come on,” Lecki said.
Although the first event drew approximately 30 attendees, feedback from students suggested there may be interest in a larger version in the future. Organizers could build on the initial concept by creating a bigger competition with more participants and additional wigs.
Munn said he was interested to see whether the students who suggested improvements would return to participate in a future event.
For now, wig snatching has introduced a new kind of competition to campus, one where athletic experience took a back seat to creativity, humor and a willingness to try something different.
