Look out for Frisbee Friday

By Wesley Myers | October 2, 2019

Charleston Southern University students have formed an unofficial event based around frisbee, friendship and forming bonds with the community around CSU.

Frisbee Friday meets on Friday evening each week for a massive game of ultimate frisbee, where attendance above 80 people is common. This makes Frisbee Friday one of the largest group events on campus, and certainly the largest event that is not officially sponsored by the university.

The event first began in 2017, and since then it has grown exponentially. Part of its appeal is the simple nature of the game and the focus on being with other students. Participant Heath McGill describes it as “a great time on Fridays when you can run around on a field with 90 people, throwing a frisbee.”

However, the event is much more than that, serving as a time for people from all over CSU to come together. There is an air of friendship that surrounds everything around the event. Members of the group who go out to play often can be seen spending time with each other and studying together.

“It builds connections because everybody that’s there I’ve seen studying, and I’ve studied with, almost, so it’s really cool because everyone pushes each other on and off the field,” said McGill.

The event is incredibly inclusive, anyone can come and play as often or as infrequently as they like. Sarah Fleming, one of the core leaders of the event, says that “everything is optional.” The event has served as an opportunity for many students to meet other people at Charleston Southern, and it encourages them to go outside of their typical comfort zone when getting to know people.

“I’ve learned…to be inclusive, and to reach out to people, even if they’re not people you would typically be intentional with, and I’ve found that people who come to frisbee, being friends with them allows me to talk to their friend groups,” Fleming said.

In addition to allowing current students to come together, many of the attendees are local frisbee players, particularly from the Summerville area. Mathew Goforth, one of the founders of Frisbee Friday, said the event has grown into an outreach opportunity and many alumni from the university return to play each week.

The event stands out as something special on campus; it is so much more than just a giant game of Ultimate Frisbee, says McGill.

He said, “Anyone who comes out to Frisbee Friday immediately realizes there’s more to it, because of those connections. They don’t just see a fun game, they see a fun game amongst friends.”

Wesley Myers is a student contributor for Marketing & Communication and is a senior majoring in communication studies.