By The Spear
The old regime versus the new. Staff writers versus staff writers. Editors versus editors. The Convergence Cup to end all cups.
Today at 4 p.m. on Tower Lawn, the members of the highly decorated newspaper, The Spartan Daily, will no longer put their pens where their mouths are.
They will pick up a dodgeball and flee for their lives as The Spear, more than just the new kids on the block, rain bullets of dodgeballs down their throats.
Ask anybody on the Spear staff and their responses are the same. It is very clear to them that this is not just a game.
For almost 90 years, The Spartan Daily has ruled the Mack Lundstrom Newsroom in Dwight Bentel Hall. But in November of 2016, a revolution was born.
Founding Fathers Kavin Mistry and Daniel Reedy created an all-sports website, magazine and TV show. The two have converged and shared stories in recent semesters.
However, just like the War of 1812, the old regime has challenged the new to a war. A dodgeball war. Best 2 out of 3.
The Spear team Captain Ernie Gonzalez doesn’t even want to waste his time thinking about the final score, saying he has other priorities on his mind than a dodgeball match with The Spartan Daily.
“No doubt in my mind we are going to take the dub,” Gonzalez said. “It can be Tower Lawn. It can be in the newsroom. It can be across the country. We’ll be prepared.”
The Spartan Daily sees things differently, or at least that was the assumption.
Spring 2018’s top editor Sara Klieves says she’s happily looking forward to a “good game”.
Klieves showed barely any confidence in her team last week and said that she feels like she needs to say her team to the [who will win] question, but went with “you are the sports publication, so … ” sarcastically.
Spartan Daily staff writer Ben Stein did try to get under The Spear’s skin, however. Keyword: Try
“I am very confident your staff writers will lose their dodgeball game,” he said.
Stein feels his fellow staff writers are athletic enough to beat The Spear and he predicts it will be a 2-0 sweep.
“I feel they are very prepared and they’re aggressive and are going to be very hungry … no weaknesses.”
Spartan Daily opinion editor Jonas Elam predicts a 2-1 win by The Spear. He predicts the Daily staff will win once, but The Spear editors will take the whole shabang.
“I think in general [The Spear] is in better shape,” Elam said. “Sports people tend to be more sporty.”
Elam also divulged that not enough staff writers for The Daily are showing enough interest to make a full team.
The Spear looks to take advantage of this weakness and is prepared to send a full staff of six onto the field.
The staff includes San Jose State sophomore cheerleader Madyson Montoya, softball junior Sara Biela, Swedish soccer player Felix Petersson, baseball-lover Marissa Scott, Sharks Ice worker Allison Covey and baseball player Chris Estrada. Five-time All Star basketball and volleyball player Lindsey Boyd also looks to remain undefeated.
The squads line up at 4:00 p.m. at Tower Lawn. Be there.