My hands are clammy. A drip of sweat pours down my back. A sudden burst of gunfire disrupts the silence and 15 masked soldiers leave their hiding places and start running into the woods with their guns elevated. They are met by another ripple of gunfire and one of us goes down…
And that is how FAECTOR’s first Paintball battle started. This year saw the first paintballing event held by FAECTOR. The event was held just north of Kralingse Bos, which was no coincidence as the Eerstejaars Committee wanted all participants to tackle the treacherous, everlasting darkness to determine who would be deemed worthy to have passed the 'first round' and be allowed to take part in paintballing. Of the 87 people that started the excursion, only 45 students made it through the 'bos' as the rest were swallowed up by the eternal darkness. Dear reader, it is with much anguish that I inform you that I myself nearly suffered a similar fate as Sjoerd, Lars van Kempen and I were attacked by a bald Feyenoord hooligan. Fortunately, I'd just watched the new James Bond movie so was not only able to defeat the foe with my skills but was also welcomed to the paintballing in true Bond style by the women of the EC...
The 45 survivors were to battle it out on the misty wasteland of the paintball field. We were split into teams of three. There was a good, mixed turnout of students from this event from both the Dutch and the international courses. However, naturally when battle commenced, the Dutch and also the French immediately surrendered. After what felt like 100000 shots to areas all over one's body, coupled by 100000 small, round bruises that are still present as I write this article, the battle finally ceased. Born survivors, I am pleased to announce that we are all now ready to face the harsh combat of what a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Econometrics now has to offer.