Baker students beat world record for longest Four-Square marathon

HUNTINGTON, Ind. Seven members of Baker Hall beat the Guinness World Record for consecutive games of Four Square by playing the game for 31 consecutive hours. The old record was 29 hours straight, set by Argentinian college students in 2009.

Senior Brooks Hooley, senior Matt Whitney, sophomore Derek Zurcher, freshman Brett Smith, junior Paul Monroe, junior Stephen Crane and sophomore Austin Flores, began play at 10 a.m. Jan. 24 in Baker/Roush lounge and concluded their game at 7:10 p.m. Jan. 25.

The players played close to 10,000 rounds of Four Square.

"It's worth it," Monroe said during their 28th hour of play. "We get to know staff who decided to come and hang out at 2 a.m. with us. But it is the worst all-nighter ever."

They filmed all 31 hours and had two witnesses in four hour shifts observe every minute of playtime. They were allowed ten minute breaks periodically. Freshman Mason Bowen and sophomore Nathaniel Cave were the official time keepers and had to stay awake with the seven participants to keep time.

"I'm satisfied with it," Bowen said. "It was a rough going staying up, but overall I'm pretty happy with how it ended up. We all stayed awake, and we all got through it."

They will put all the footage on a disc along with several witness statements and send it all to Guinness World Records. The company will have to verify the legality of their efforts.

Baker 2nd residents played for 31 hours in 2009, but they did not have the correct court measurements and were denied the official record.

"I feel exhausted but hopefully in the long run, it will be worth it," Zurcher said before they tied the record at 5:10 p.m. Jan. 25.

Witnesses included student leaders and President Sherilyn Emberton, Ed.D.; Jesse Brown, vice president for student development; and Julie Hendryx, interim vice president of business and finance. They had to fill out three-page packets confirming what they observed.

Hendryx had the 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. shift Jan. 25. After she was done, she wrote on Facebook, "OK guys…had a blast from 2-6 this a.m. with you…then spent 2 hrs stuck in a snow drift and haven't slept for 28 hrs…so….break that record because you and your Christ-like example are worth it all and more!"

Sophomore Rachel Datta and sophomore Heather Barnum, members of Baker 1st, watched them play for "close to 15 hours."

"I'm really proud of them as my brother floor," Datta said. "It's really cool to be a part of it, to witness it."

Four Square has been an integral part of Baker 2nd for years. Members of the floor try and play every night before dinner.

"Last night, Julie Hendryx said replacing the carpet in Baker 2nd because of the duct tape court is now a viable option," Monroe said.

So when will the Baker residents play Four Square again?

"Maybe Monday, maybe end of January of next year," Flores said. "Whenever it feels right again. And it does not feel right at all right now."

Story and photo used with permission from the Huntingtonian, Huntington University's student newspaper