A butterfly, an angel, and the contestants from “Squid Game” walk into the Mashouf Wellness Center volleyball court. They’re all here for the eleventh annual costume dodgeball tournament.
After a year of hiatus, the Halloween tradition returned to SF State. Karina Zamora works as a brand ambassador at the wellness center and manned the front desk, stopping people and encouraging them to join the tournament.
“The goal is to have people as involved as much as they can, especially now that we’re coming back from a pandemic,” Zamora said.
Zamora played for the MWC (Mashouf Wellness Center) Team. As of Thursday afternoon, two teams had signed up but only one arrived. While the staff organized an impromptu team, the other team assembled outside the Mashouf around 6:55 p.m. in replicas of costumes from the popular television “Squid Game” which is now Netflix’s most watched show.
The South Korean show revolves around playground games turned deadly and stars an ensemble cast. According to Brandy Garibay, a member of the team dubbed “Squid Pals,” they created matching costumes driven by the idea that each player could sport matching costumes from the show.
The second team comprised of employees from the wellness center with the exception of two members: last minute addition Paulo Richards who had mistaken the event for next week and President of Associated Students Joshua Ochoa. Player John Takumura dressed as a soldier, Zamora as a butterfly, and Ochoa as an angel.
Ochoa acknowledged how busy one can get during midterm season and how students are concerned about getting sick.
“It’s about the quality, not the quantity. It’s about having fun and making sure everyone is having a good time, even if it’s only 20 or so people.” Ochoa said.
The “Squid Pals” members were: Sam Sanchez, Brandy Garibay, Alexander Orellano, Sophia Wong, Matt Sinthai, and Emillio Gonzalez.
The MWC members were: Paulo Richards, Xavier Chavez, Karina Zamora, John Takamura, Joshua Ochoa, and Aiden Morrison.
The referee declared “Squid Pals” as the winner. The winners were awarded goody bags filled with treats and campus rec merchandise.
Team MWC gets ready for the final round of dodgeball on Oct. 21, 2021. Team MWC won the first round of dodgeball and looks to seal the deal in the final round. (Paris Galarza / Golden Gate Xpress)
