On Saturday, Oct. 31, Intelligence Studies majors joined the Criminal Justice and National Security Clubs for a few games of paintball before Halloween festivities.

Thirty-five students signed up for the trip to Pentagon Paintball, which included a pizza party and the reservation of the facility’s two biggest fields.

The Criminal Justice Club organized the event with the National Security Club. While this is the clubs’ first paintball event, officers hope to hold future paintball trips as well, possibly as soon as winter term.

“At Pentagon Paintball they have heated fields, so people can play all year round,” said senior Shawn Mattioli, National Security Club Treasurer.

While the trip provided rambunctious students with an opportunity to run off some energy and shoot each other with paint, the game provides benefits that extend beyond these superficial reasons.

“The most exciting part of the trip is getting the club together for the first time,” Mattioli said. “Paintball is a great way to bond members and create team-building skills.”

Mattioli commended Pentagon Paintball for how seriously it takes safety procedures.

“Some may not realize (that) the sport of paintball takes a lot of coordination between teammates, like communication and trust,” Mattioli said. “These skills are important to gain because in the Intelligence Community, people who can be trusted and know how to effectively communicate will go far in their field.”

Mattioli also said he recommends those who have never played before to give it a try but to wear extra clothing because when hit in a soft spot like the side or back, it stings quite a bit.

“Nevertheless, it’s a good time,” he added. Best of all, there are no prerequisites and no required skill levels for playing paintball. Beginners need only some gear and a little money to join the game.

“We left the field with an understanding of the necessity of teamwork and quite a few welts,” participating freshman Timothy Hudak said. “We had a blast.”