The first annual Kent State Color War will take place this year during the Black Squirrel Festival on Friday, Sept. 11.

A color war is a friendly competition where teams are divided and are assigned a color. The teams compete against each other with challenges, including competitions of tug-of-war and dodgeball.

Using the shade that represents their team, students will throw and spray a colored powder at each other.

Kent Student Center Programming is sponsoring the event.

Rebecca Kapler, assistant director for the Center of Student Involvement, said that the event will be a good opportunity for students on campus to come together. She said they have ordered about 300 pounds of the color powder for students to use.

 “Our give away for that day is T-Shirts. We have white T-shirts with our blue and gold logo on it for people to use to get dirty,” Kapler said. “We are planning for three to five hundred (people) for the Color War, the Festival usually brings in thousands of people every year.”

Along with the Color War, the festival will have different organizations and vendors for students to engage with.

Kapler said a Flight Simulator from the Marine Corps will also be at the Black Squirrel festival. 

“It’s kind of a follow up to Blastoff so people can check out more students organizations and vendors from downtown Kent,” Kapler said.

The event is open to all and will take place at Manchester Field at 2 p.m.  

That night at 9 p.m., as part of the Real Late Reels series, Cinderella will be played in the Student Green at Risman Plaza. Also, there will be giveaways and a poster sale as part of the Black Squirrel Festival.

Contact Nick Boone at [email protected].