BJU students will participate in the biennial weeklong competition called Bruin Daze from March 4-9.

Tori Conover, women’s student body president, said Bruin Daze was created to unify the student body through a week of fun activities, special events and service opportunities.

“We had our first Bruin Daze two years ago, but it mimics the tradition of Gold Rush Daze that has been a part of Bob Jones [University] for many years,” she said.

The student body will be divided into three teams by society. Each event and competition will be an opportunity for students to gain points for their team. Whichever team has the most points by the end of the week wins.

Katie Albert, a member of the Student Leadership Council, described Bruin Daze as an event that gives the students something fun and free to do with their friends. “The competition gives the campus an incredibly energized atmosphere,” she said.

Natalie Larsen, a member of the SLC, gave a rundown of the week’s events. On Monday, a week-long, campus-wide game of tag will start. Each member of the three teams will be competing to tag members of the other two teams.

Every building is a safe zone where no one can be tagged. Everyone on campus including students, faculty, staff, graduate students and graduate assistants can participate.

Monday evening, students can head to the Davis Field House from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. to play Battleship in the Pool. The water game is a competition between different teams in canoes to see who the champion of the pool will be.

Tuesday will feature the movie showing of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at 7:30 p.m. in Stratton Hall.

On Wednesday morning, students will be served Breakfast for Daze. Students in the residence halls will get breakfast in their dorms, and town students will be served breakfast in the parking garage. Wednesday evening will feature a Praise and Worship Service in the Activity Center at 9:30 p.m.

On Thursday, students will be encouraged to attend the two Bruins basketball games that day. There will be competitions, raffles and an Instagram challenge going on throughout the day. Students and faculty can also wear Bruins’ gear with jeans to classes.

Friday will feature each of the three teams meeting for society led by their team leaders. Campus Tag will end at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Saturday is by Bruins, for Bruins, for the community day. The day’s events will include three service opportunities, two off campus and one on.

Students can sign up for one of the opportunities and indicate what teams they are on so they can earn points for their team.

Larsen said the community day is a way for students to reach out to the Greenville community with love.

Saturday evening will be the Greek Games at Alumni Stadium. This will be the last opportunity for the three teams to compete for points. There will be smaller games and bigger games throughout the evening.

The winner of Bruin Daze will be announced, and fireworks will be set off at the Stadium at 9:30 p.m. At 10 p.m. there will be a celebration for the winning team.

Albert said that although every society will be placed on a team, participation in these events is up to the individual. “I don’t think [students] will want to miss these events,’’ Albert said.

Larsen encouraged her fellow students to get involved in at least one event during the week. “You only have this opportunity every two years, so take advantage of it!” she said. “Your team wants you to join in! Have fun and go crazy!”

Larsen said she is excited to see students get involved with their teams, take pride in being a Bruin and have a way to do something that is out of the ordinary and fun.

Conover encouraged her fellow students to work ahead in their class work the weekend before the Daze so they can spend the week with their friends making memories.

Albert said she is most excited about Campus Tag and then the fireworks on Saturday night. “I remember the constant feeling of paranoia during Tag two years ago,” she said. “You just never know when you will have to drop everything and run for the nearest building to avoid being tagged out!”

Albert gave some tips on how to survive Campus Tag. “Stick close to buildings [which are out of bounds for tagging] and stay away from big, open spaces,” she said. “And don’t trust anyone!” 

Larsen also she also loved the huge game of tag and enjoyed watching random people running across campus trying to avoid being tagged.

Conover said things will a little different this time because it is a different SLC and a different student body, but she hopes that this year’s Bruins Daze will be just as good as the last one in 2017. “It was so hype!” she said. “I’m psyched that I get to be a part of it again before I graduate.”

Larsen summed up the spirit and purpose of Bruin Daze and said that the week-long competition is a preview of what BJU is all about. “We have a lot of fun, we are competitive, we love Jesus, we want to reach our community, we work hard and ultimately we are Bruins,” she said. “Bruins Daze shows us what it means to be a Bruin.”

For more information on the Bruin Daze activities, check your inbox for an email from the SLC from yesterday.