Tradition, celebration and remembrance were felt yesterday on Buskirk Field during the 9th annual President’s Invitational Quoits tournament.

The invitational tournament hosted members of Marshall University staff and media as well as officials and media groups from the Huntington community.

The event celebrated Constitution Week and the birthday of former Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Marshall, with an 8×5 sheet cake, kettle corn and punch.

Interim President, Gary White, said that celebrating the constitution is important to the university.

“It is part of our heritage and something that we should all not only recognize on an annual basis,” White said. “We should be very proud as we go forward.”

The event kicked off with a 9-song performance by the John Marshall Fife and Drum Corps. The band played traditional instruments and wore costumes to fit the era when the game of quoits was commonly played.

Quoits is a precedent to horseshoes and shares similar rules. Director of the John Deaver Drinko Academy, Alan Gould, said that quoits was Marshall’s favorite game as a socialite.

This year specifically rendered memories of the late President Steven Kopp, who always loved the game.

“He helped us really establish this, he loved the game. He was a fierce competitor and he was a gracious host,” Gould said.

Huntington Mayor, Steve Williams said that this event is forever tied to Kopp, and that many reminisced about him throughout the tournament.

“Steve Kopp will live on here,” said Williams. “But this is a way to assure it.”

The event hosted teams with two members each. Teams included Marshall administration, like White and Associate Vice President for Intercultural Affairs, Dr. Maurice Cooley.

Williams and his partner, West Virginia Delegate, Sean Hornbuckle, were also among some of the Huntington invitees.

Each team played single elimination games in a bracketed tournament. The final match hailed saw Marshall’s IT team win over Marshall Student Government Association’s President and Vice President.

The quoits tournament and Constitution Week have going on since 2006. Williams said is important to the Marshall campus and Huntington community to continue this event.

“It’s tradition,” said Williams. “Tradition, that’s something we can’t have enough of.”

The tournament and celebration were open to all students. Gould said he hoped that the event could serve as an educational experience.

“Hopefully they’ll learn a little bit of the human side of John Marshall,” Gould said.

Ashley Sodosky can be contacted at [email protected].