(October 27, 2003) — Spend any length of time at Clark and you most likely will observe, probably with a bit of disbelief, a circle of students playing hackey sack. You may even derive a good deal of pleasure from disrupting the game by pausing for a time in the middle of the circle. The fact is, though, that hackey sack is a time-honored tradition at Clark. It is a treasured and entertaining lunchtime activity that eases the monotony of dreary meals. Only recently has this peaceful game of keeping a bag in the air with one’s feet become violent. At present, a group varying from three to eight students plays extreme hackey at lunch in front of the locker rooms. The regular version is typically played at snack, as it, in the words of sophomore Andreas Astrinakis, is “way too early in the morning to get hit in the face.” From a distance, extreme hackey is easily mistakable for the regular, more docile game. The basic mechanics of play are similar for both varieties. Each person in the circle tries to keep the hackey sack in the air using only his feet. In one way, though, the extreme form of hackey sack is fundamentally different. When players drop the sack, meaning that they either don’t make contact with it or send it off course with a wild kick, the person who passed it to them is allowed to throw the hackey sack at them as hard as they can. The player who dropped the sack is only allowed to recoil once it has made bodily contact. If they cover themselves or move, the other player repeats the throw until the hit is taken in the proper manner. The game also poses a slight hazard to a passerby, as it is quite easy for a misaimed throw to strike an innocent onlooker. If someone does succumb to his natural survival instincts and moves out of the way, the sack will often soar past them and cause another person who was formerly eating lunch to be quite surprised as the hackey sack suddenly appears in their lap.