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The shouts of enthusiastic students could be heard from across the Quad. The Shofar Cup was officially in full swing.

The Shofar Cup is a week of friendly competition between residence halls or “Houses,” each named for a Latin virtue with its unique identity, traditions, colors and crest. It’s part of��The��House Collective��that includes year-round social events, service projects, small groups and the House competitions where House members compete to win points to earn the title of House Victors.

The first event was “House Feud,” a parody of the popular TV game show “Family Feud.”

The following night students streamed into The Moore Fitness Center wearing face paint and matching colored clothes. It was time for dodgeball, an event which any Youth Ministry major should have excelled in. The houses of Justitia and Dignitas, otherwise known as Memorial (men) and Founders (women), won the night.

While the other Houses suffered a defeat, they came back the next night for another chance to claim victory.

The third event of the week was a cookoff, in which representatives from each House prepared a four-course meal judged by a panel of faculty and staff. Students filled the dining hall and provided support as they watched their peers cook. Ultimately Fidelitas won the night.

“It was a lot of fun winning the cookoff,” said Caroline McDowell. “I really enjoyed working with an amazing team of chefs and runners and it was super rewarding to see all of our hard work pay off.”

The Shofar Cup ended with an art competition in which students read poetry and displayed their artwork. Fidelitas once again won the night in the poetry competition with a poem titled, “Stained Glass,” submitted by Aynsley Vivian. The poem’s theme was letting the light of Christ shine through the life of a believer.

“One of my favorite things about writing this poem was reflecting on the goodness of Christ and bringing us out of the darkness and into the light,” Vivian said. “It was an honor winning but I am just grateful that I got to perform and do it in a place that was so comfortable and in front of friends who I know have been through a lot …�� I'm glad it could be a blessing.”

Community is at the heart of CIU. With����for five straight years, CIU consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, as well as a Best Value Regional University in the South.����or request information on enrollment by contacting Admissions at (803) 807-5024 or��admissions@ciu.edu.����������������