Amanda Blank
Staff Writer
alblank@valdosta.edu

A small gelatin capsule emerges from the barrel of a gun with full force. It strikes the first thing it contacts and explodes into a splatter of color denoting a “kill.” More shots are fired and shouts are heard, both of victory and defeat. What is going on?

Pierce Chaney hides behind cover as he searches for targets in a paintball game, August 19, 2007, in Mariposa, California.Paintball is becoming a more popular past time. Photo by Eric Paul Zimora/ Fresno Bee/ MCT

It is paintball, a very serious game to some Valdosta State University students. The Valdosta State University Paint Ball Team, also known nationwide as VICSEC, is beginning its third year as an “official” club on campus.
Before VICSEC, an abbreviation for Victorious Secrets, other attempts at creating “official” on-campus paintball clubs proved unsuccessful. Because paintball is considered an aggressive liability sport, the board threw out all previous proposals. Chris Meadows, a senior general studies major and one of the co-founders of VICSEC, with the help of Jordan Hedges and Yoric Erb-Summers, created a PowerPoint presentation introducing the idea of a paintball club in a detailed and organized way.
“We wanted to show [the board] that we were a serious organization worth having,” Meadows said. “We conducted ourselves in a very professional manner.”
The students gave a presentation outlining their plans for finances, training, and the organizational outline for the team. Meadows said they spent a lot of time on detail and answering questions in order to show it was a professional student organized club. After confirming the club was able to be co-ed, permission was granted, making VICSEC the first “official” paintball club at VSU.
Although the club is open to anyone, the traveling team sets certain standards for its members. For this reason, VICSEC holds a boot camp at the beginning of every semester. Chuck Kluball, a senior political science major and captain of VICSEC, said anyone can be taught to play as long as they have the mental ability, motivation, and desire to be on the team.
“[Boot camp is] very intense because we want to make sure people have what it physically and mentally takes to play paintball,” Kluball said. “Sometimes people’s tempers run high and unlike other sports where you have a referee right there, a lot of times in paintball we don’t have that. The closest referee could be 300 yards away.”
Kluball also adds that VICSEC’s boot camp will help members get in shape. Those who are not physically qualified at the beginning of camp will get the help needed to pass the physical fitness exam. The camp mostly involves physical training, but it also includes the initial member training. Students who join the team after boot camp will have to attend the next semester’s boot camp.
Since there are few college paintball teams, VICSEC normally plays at large national events. Their opponents vary from high school teams to professional. According to John Dunn, faculty adviser for VICSEC, the team often pays $60-$70 per player registration fee and must also purchase their paintballs from the organizers at $45-$60 per case. The team holds fundraisers such as carwashes to raise money for these events. They also get offers from sponsors, but according to Kluball, they are students first and are only doing it for fun. Some sponsors in the past wanted them to drop college and become professional players.
The team has however had many accomplishments, winning six out of seven Most Valuable Team awards. Kluball said they would have won seven out of seven, but they were in charge of giving out the seventh award and could not present it to themselves. They also won at Oklahoma D-Day, one of the largest paintball events in the world.
Dunn describes the team as highly motivated, aggressive, and a dominate force.
“In one game they were so good, the other side complained they were ‘ruining our fun,’” Dunn said, “and VICSEC was asked to sit out for half an hour!”
VICSEC also conducts themselves in a professional manner everywhere they go. According to Meadows, they all dress in the same uniform and never slouch, even if they are tired. The basis of the team is having fun, but they still work hard at maintaining a professional demeanor. The team prides themselves on taking care of one another and takes teamwork very seriously.
“Once someone joins the paintball team, with a little time, they become like your brother or best friend,” said Ryan Griffin, a junior general studies major and member of the club. “It really is like a fraternal organization in that sense.”
Students interested in the paintball clubs can check out the VICSEC Facebook page and contact any of the club officers.