On a Thursday night at 10 p.m., a swarm of nearly 40 figures wearing black descended the steps of Frost Library. Across the Freshman Quad came their opponents: a mass of huddled white shirts. This year's first game of Capture the Flag was almost under way.

"Listen up guys, this is important," bellowed Amos Irwin '07, one of the co-founders and chief coordinators of the weekly Capture the Flag games. "The Safe Zone-you cannot go in it if you're defending. It is safe." Within minutes the students were transformed into battle-ready teams. With a cry from Irwin they were off.

Irwin's friend and group co-founder Alex Tew '07 recounted how all the craziness began: "Last year, one night, Amos and I were throwing the frisbee around. Someone snatched the frisbee and ran away." After chasing the thief around the dorms across the campus, the two were exhausted. "We sat down on a bench to catch our breaths. Amos mentioned that Capture the Flag would be fun at night on this campus because of the buildings, trees and hills, and the idea was born."

Along the way, the Capture the Flag games have gathered a devoted following. John Timothy '07, one of the regular participants, vouched for the vitality of the game at Amherst College: "This is the most intense Capture the Flag in the five-college area. This is legit."

Back on the field, the game became a more strategic contest. Teammates debated theories of unified charge versus a three-pronged attack. David Wong '08, the black team's de facto captain, tried to orchestrate a plan: "Guys, make wave one, then nine seconds later, make another."

The careful plans were shattered, though, when a single runner in black broke suddenly for the white flag. The white shirts on defense scrambled after him but were overwhelmed by the charging black shirts that followed in his wake.

Steve Shashy '08, the runner, later confessed that he hadn't much of a plan: "I definitely just ran and I guess they all followed me." Shashy had come to the game out of curiosity and to get a break from his usual Thursday routine. "I saw the posters and I've got practice tomorrow, and to tell you the truth I really just didn't want to drink tonight."

Meanwhile his teammates found themselves in a stalemate. The cautious silence was broken by a white shirt who came sprinting back from the other side, black flag in hand.