The sun is reaching its horizon. The sky is a yolk of pink, yellow, and orange. The mood is set on this Wednesday evening for an epic game of Capture the Flag.
A crowd of 22 campers is evenly split between the girls and boys, and all are full of energy. My co-counselor, John-Kyle, and I start our trek up the hill to the battlefield. Nothing distracts us, other than one of WKU’s famous white squirrels, because the campers are ready for the game.
The two sides of the field are separated by a small ravine with a single bridge to connect the two. One side is rocky with crevices perfect to hide the flag in. The other is flat, with bushes to conceal the flag. After a quick rundown of the rules, boundaries, and teams, we start the game. Right off the bat a group of kids shoots off recklessly into enemy territory. Others sneak into the neutral ravine, while still others play defense. The first game is a frenzy of saving fallen comrades from jail, sneaking to the other side by climbing the ravine walls, and a lot of dashing around looking for the flag. The first game is over in only 10 minutes. The green team takes it, but the next game will not go so smoothly.
The teams switch sides, but now both teams know what it takes to properly hide their flags. The game starts much like the other. It’s a big frenzy, but after 10 minutes neither team has located the other’s flag. The game drags on, and multiple jail breaks are called to keep the game interesting. Soon jail time is a relief from the constant running. Campers can be seen walking into enemy territory fearlessly because of the lack of energy in the defenders. Some team members meet on the bridge to negotiate the location of the flags from each other, but there is treachery afoot. The green team reveals its flag’s location, but the yellow team gives only a vague hint and runs off. There are only 5 minutes left to finish the game, so the green team goes on a strong defensive, keeping all yellows from the flag. All the players uses their last spurts of energy, and the green team prevails with a 1-0 victory.
After the game all the players, thoroughly worn out, head back to Schneider Hall to enjoy the rest of the evening with their friends in community time throughout the building. It is a SCATS evening to be treasured.