Since the 1980s, “dorm house wars” was a loud, competitive Morehouse rite of passage. At the start of this school year, the tradition took a new form when B.T. Harvey Stadium hosted a 7-on-7 football tournament.
The tournament was a collaboration between Xposure, Campus Alliance of Student Activities (CASA) and the Mister Morehouse College Court.
Dorm house pride runs deep at Morehouse. Alumni and students carry the names of Graves Hall, Hubert Hall, Perdue Hall and DuBois Hall like badges. Dorm house wars once fueled that pride, but its intensity eventually went too far.
“They was [were] running into different houses and ended up breaking a window,” said Xposure President Marcus Henderson. “Our year we did a lot of splat guns. We was [were] just running in different houses.”
Ultimately, the chaos forced the college to act.
“They were like, yeah, this is getting out of hand,” Henderson said. “Things were getting broken, and it was just really disruptive.”
This year, organizers of dorm house wars aimed to keep the spirit alive in a safer space. Under the stadium lights, house teams squared off as music played over the speakers. The field buzzed with energy, with students moving between sidelines and taking in the action.
“It’s less chaotic, more structured and much easier to manage than traditional House Wars,” said CASA President Jordan Dunson. “Having witnessed what those House Wars could have escalated into, this felt like a safer and more constructive alternative.”
Both Dunson and Henderson said they hope the tournament continues to grow with the next era of Men of Morehouse.
“This event was also a gateway to getting involved with larger campus organizations, helping to build a habit of consistent participation,” Dunson said.
Henderson added the goal moving forward is to keep students “active doing the right type of things.”
For Dunson, the takeaway is simple: “Enjoy the camaraderie.”
Copy edited by Freddrell Green
