Nerf Raid Sparks Rivalry Between Pennington and Newlin Halls

Reported by Jayden Forsyth

Illustrated by Mia Baukol

At approximately 10:15 p.m. on Sept. 1, George Fox University (GFU) residents from Pennington Hall were seen rushing across campus, some carrying gel guns, with one goal: to raid Newlin Hall.

The group, led by Resident Advisor Michael Mather, recently acquired Nerf and X-Shot gel blasters, which shoot tiny water orbs designed to burst on impact. Mather’s motivation? “I have a friend in Newlin,” he said.

Upon their arrival at Newlin Hall, a skirmish ensued. Josiah Vincent, an uninvolved Newlin resident, described the scene as a bystander.

“Out of nowhere, I heard screaming, war cries, and trampling coming from outside my window,” Vincent said. “I saw people armed with gel guns, so I decided to keep low and hope the raid would pass my room.”

The Pennington crew stormed the main lobby, facing little resistance. Oakley Nakamura, one of the few Newlin defenders, recounted the events.

“We had moments to prepare. We brought our most advanced equipment: Nerf guns,” Nakamura said. “We underestimated the Penningtons. They arrived; we fired some initial shots but were quickly overwhelmed.”

The Pennington forces swept through the lobbies of four Newlin floors before leaving, shouting victoriously.

The plan for the raid began during a mandatory dorm meeting on Aug. 26, shortly after the 2024 fall semester started. During the meeting, Mather casually mentioned wanting his floor to stockpile gel blasters and start “raids” this year. His comment was taken to heart by the residents of Pennington’s second floor, and within days, 12 students had purchased gel blasters from local stores or online.

After the hall armed themselves, Mather set a date for the raid. What began with a small group of armed students soon grew to include nearly all of Pennington Hall, as many residents recorded and watched the group march across campus.

Dorm rivalries have since intensified. Newlin Hall has vowed revenge, and a declaration of war from Edwards Hall appeared in Pennington’s second-floor male hallway. Area Coordinators Connor Knapp and Michael Mather, along with Resident Advisors from various dorms, are collaborating to continue building community through activities like the gel gun raid.