On April 12, members of Northern Kentucky University Campus Housing and other NKU students gathered on the intramural fields behind University Suites to take part in the first-ever Paint Wars.

The event, organized by junior special education major Sarah Daugherty, was meant as an activity to both bring together students, and heighten awareness about topics like fire safety. Daugherty mentioned that the event took about a month to organize.

The Campbell County Fire Department was in attendance, speaking to the students, and hosing them off after the messy event. Daugherty mentioned that the students had to agree to be washed off before re-entering their dorms.

The teams were broken up by housing unit, each receiving its own color during the battle. Any students who lived off-campus were randomly assigned to a team.

Daugherty was excited about the outcome of the event, with an attendance of around 135. Food was donated by Toppers and Snappy Tomato Pizza. The paint, 15 gallons of it, was donated by Walmart.

The Association of Campus Residents gave Daugherty a 100 dollar grant to hold the event, which she hopes to expand next year.

She plans on trying to get more campus organizations and local businesses involved, and make it an annual event at NKU.

Daugherty said that there were around three people from each housing unit staff helping during the event, and that it was a “combined effort.”

Erin McCarty, a sophomore organizational leadership major and resident assistant said, “It was great to see my friends who live off-campus at a social event, and to see the RA’s unite.”

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