Friday nights at the Forum at Fishers are reserved for one thing: bonspiels.

Bonspiels are curling tournaments, and though it may come as a surprise, Butler has its own club curling team that competes at the Forum.

Juniors Michael Strauss and Steve Bruno, president and vice president of the team, respectively, revived the club curling team two years ago after it had become inactive due to a lack of interest.

“I had only played, like, once before, but its something I was interested in,” Strauss said. “We started practicing with a bunch of old people at the Circle City Curling Club downtown just to learn how to curl.”

Since then, the team has grown to 15 current members with 10 potential members.

Many of the members are like Strauss, only playing once or maybe never before. Junior club treasurer Kyle Werner got his interest in the sport from watching it during the Winter Olympics. He tried it out and said he now loves it.

“It involves technique and strategy,” Werner said. “And it’s my one chance at going to the Olympics.”

The team recruits at Block Party and then hosts a “learn to curl” event, where they teach a person how to curl. This is how sophomore Alan Butler got involved.

“It was something I would not usually do,” Butler said. “But my first throw at the learn to curl was right on the button in the house.”

The button is similar to the bullseye on a dartboard. The object of curling is to get the stone closer to the button than your opponent.

Butler said his first curl was lucky, but Strauss said that curling takes a certain technique, although everyone can learn it.

“We have had a 260-pound football player at a ‘learn to curl’ and then we have (Werner) at 5’6” and 130 pounds,” Strauss said. “Anyone can be good curler if they try.”

Last year the team competed at the Midland’s bonspiel and is hoping to expand this year.

The team is working to get bonspiels in Tennessee, Columbus and other places around the Midwest.

It will officially start the first weekend in October.

The intramural fields buzzed this weekend as the annual intramural softball tournaments began Sunday.

The men’s and co-recreational tournaments were contested, and participating teams played until a pair of championship matchups were determined.

Eight teams participated in each of two concurrently running tournaments, which have been a staple of Butler’s intramural calendar for the past five years.

Teams were required to have a minimum of six players, and co-recreational teams had to have at least three female and three male players.

Junior intramural supervisor Adam Durm, who is in his second year of supervising softball tournaments, said the softball competitions have proven to be one of the most popular intramural sports each school year.

“I’d definitely say it’s up there because it’s a one-day tournament,” Durm said. “It’s hard to get a team in the tournament. Basketball and football are always going to be popular sports, but softball is definitely up there.”

Many participants cited the relaxed atmosphere of playing in an intramural tournament as the reason they decided to play.

“It’s fun and competitive playing with your friends,” freshman Chris Morano said. “It’s a good time because there’s not so much pressure, but it’s still competitive.”

Taking time away from classwork around the hectic end of the semester was another motive behind playing in Sunday’s tournaments.

“It’s a reason to take a break from homework, blow off some steam and just relax with some of your friends,” sophomore Nick Neulieb said.

Competitors who played softball or baseball in high school said they were also looking to rekindle the feelings of their old playing days.

“I’m probably not good enough to play intercollegiate sports, so it’s a way to go out there and compete,” freshman Alan Butler said. “I’ve played a lot of slow-pitch softball at home in the summer, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Some students said they have participated in other intramural sports both in the spring and fall months.

“I’ve played flag football, Frisbee, basketball, volleyball, and I ran in the 5k,” sophomore Ryne Brothers said.

A pure desire to compete and the chance to get to know your friends are reasons Durm said students enter intramural contests.

“[I think it’s] their love of sports and love of competition,” Durm said. “You get to meet people, and you get to know your opponents and your teammates a little better.”

Another reason for participation could be the thrill of victory. While some teams got to experience this feeling Sunday, neither tournament has an official winner yet.

The co-recreational bracket featured eight teams, and the men’s bracket had six competing teams.

Miracle on 38th Street and 633/Coliseum will face off for the co-recreational title while Angels in the Outfield and Slob will compete for the men’s title.

Both contests will take place tomorrow night.