By Ian Edwards
Just under 3,000 UCI students attempted to break the Guinness world record for the largest 4 quadrant dodgeball game last Tuesday during Welcome Week at the ARC Fields. The event fell just short of breaking the world record, however, the lower-than-expected turnout did not lessen participating students’ excitement over the event.
According to Vice President of ASUCI’s Office of Student Services, Jackson Chirigotis, “This event, all the 
Welcome Week events… all of what ASUCI does is really important to make sure we still have a very vibrant student life.”
The opening ceremony showcased several of UC Irvine’s performance arts groups including Uniting Voices, INSA, Na ’Opio O Ka ’Aina, Kaba Modern, The Double Takes, the Modern Completely Insane Anteaters and the Chinese Association Dance Crew, all of whom kept the UCI spirit alive as the dodgeball game itself seemed to be threatened by 
weather. Despite the rainy forecast, the game went on as scheduled.
The dodgeball participants were divided into four teams. Each team was represented by different colored shirts given to participants upon entry; either white, grey, blue or gold. The game was officiated by referees who ensured that the rules were being enforced and periodically narrowed the playing field.
The final round 
of the game came down to 16 participants on each team. Of these teams, the grey proved victorious.
“Although it was really chaotic,” said Kevin Pham, a participant on the blue team, “I think [the world record attempt] is a very fun and interesting thing and it always gives me a sense of pride to accomplish something with my fellow Anteaters.”
The event also featured many on-campus and off-campus organizations boothing in a 
side fair for attendees not participating in the game. Among other booths, ASUCI’s voting registration commission, 60 by 16, alongside their partners from The Korean Resource Center of Southern California, registered UC Irvine students to vote.
Other organizations included University Town Center Apartments, Sprinkles Cupcakes, and New Egg, an Irvine gaming company giving out free samples and accessories to students.
Photos by Shan Jiang
The event was organized by the Office of Student Events and Services under ASUCI’s Welcome Week commission. The commission started with a list of forty potential Welcome Week World Record events which they gradually narrowed to a final ten. They then selected four quadrant dodgeball to keep with UCI’s tradition.
Two-quadrant, two-team dodgeball was UCI’s first world record event in 2010 according to ASUCI’s Office of Student Services. The University of Alberta later broke this record. This began a rivalry which ended in UCI finally beating the Canadian school with over 6000 participants in 2012. UC Irvine holds the record to this day along with 6 total Guinness World Records.
