Ambush!

squirt gun. A toy gun designed to squirt a stream of water. Also called water gun, water pistol. For the average college campus, this seemingly conventional household summer toy holds no significance beyond occasional spritzes at a brother or sister. However, here at Bethel College a squirt gun takes on a different meaning around springtime. It’s more than mere pranking material or light-hearted fun; it is the choice weapon for all contenders in the on-campus war raging among faculty, students and staff. The sixth year of Ambush has begun. “It is a time that the students look forward to all year!” shared Social Life Director Sara Loucy-Swartz. About 200 people usually sign up each year to participate in Ambush. In this year’s super soaker extravaganza, a whopping 260 people signed up. The game usually lasts about two months and cannot continue past the school year. Two prizes are awarded to the “last person standing” and to the person with the most ambushes (or “kills”). In the past, cash rewards have been given to champions such as graduate Gary Ingle and Softball Coach Anna Welsh. “I think it’s funny because everybody is always on their guard and I’ve seen a lot of my friends in disguises,” shared freshman and rookie Karli Fosnot. “If I had time I would play,” stated junior engineering major Matt Wendler. “I don’t want to have the stress while walking from class to class; it gets pretty crazy out there.” Speaking of engineers, it was nuclear engineer Lonnie Johnson who invented the idea for the squirt gun in 1982. One of his hand-build prototypes was made of PVC tubing, Plexiglas and plastic soda bottles. By 1998, the super soaker was the top-selling summer toy in the world. Here at Bethel, the smaller soaker offers not only a diversion from the second-semester strain, but it unleashes widespread water-blasting mania. On the sidewalks, in the parking lots, around the corner: a mini-soaker could be lurking, awaiting its next victim. Welcome to Ambush 2011. http://www.answers.com