Hussman students organize Dook It Out rock-paper-scissors tournament

Besides entering the lottery and hoping for the best, there's typically not much UNC students can do if they want free tickets to the men's basketball home game against Duke.

Well, until this year.

On Friday evening, hundreds of students participated in the Dook It Out rock-paper-scissors tournament at the Bill Koman Practice Complex, located next to Hooker Fields. Organized by Hussman School of Journalism and Media juniors Juliette Dias and Josh Tu, the tournament's grand prize was a pair of tickets to the rivalry game on Feb. 3. The project was a product of Media and Journalism 477: New Media Technologies, taught by Gary Kayye, a teaching assistant professor at the Hussman School in fall 2023.

The class settled on the timeless game of rock-paper-scissors from a pool of ambitious ideas spanning from a "Squid Game" themed activity to a Mr. Beast appearance.

"We wanted to make it something fun for everybody else, too,” Dias said. “So, when we were looking at the drawing board for what to make as far as an event, we wanted to make something that we would do ourselves.”

Media and Journalism 477, which has been offered every fall since 2010, is dedicated to fostering students' practical marketing and branding skills. Kayye provided the foundational knowledge of branding and technology for the students to innovate and create. However, he ensured that the ownership of the project laid in the hands of the students, allowing them to make critical decisions, strategize and execute their plans independently.

Through social media marketing and partnerships with notable former UNC athletes like Erin Matson and Drake Maye, almost 300 students caught wind of the tournament.

“I’m duly impressed," Kayye said. "There’s great support on campus. And I think our campus needed an event like this. We’ve had a tough seven months.”

UNC senior advertising and public relations major Kyle Beaman, a part of the strategy team, was responsible for brainstorming the winning prizes.

“It’s a very, very coveted thing here," Beaman said of the tickets. "So I figured it’s sort of an obvious, great prize.”

Beaman and the strategy team established the tournament rules, taking proactive steps to make the game straightforward — they even required each participant to demonstrate their gestures for rock, paper and scissors to avoid any confusion. They also instituted a standardized process for counting off, ensuring that all players revealed their symbols simultaneously.

The tournament bracket was modeled after March Madness, starting with nine groups of 32 participants and dwindling its way to the Elite Eight, Final Four and, finally, a national championship.

Senior economics major Ryan Burns entered the competition with high hopes but low expectations after she was encouraged to join "Dook It Out" by her friends. Burns said her last memory playing rock-paper-scissors was when she was young in summer camp, but Burns ascended through the ranks and eventually became the first Dook It Out champion.

“A lot of my friends were here, so they were cheering me on," Burns said. "That was fun. They all got out right away, so they were counting on me.”

In addition to the tournament, the event offered food trucks, raffles and giveaways funded by local Chapel Hill businesses. Senior media and journalism majors Landon Elliott and Riley Kennedy used their experience as broadcasters from Media and Journalism 129: Sports Xtra to provide commentary and humor throughout the evening.

The pair took their role as Dook It Out broadcasters seriously, dressing sharply in full suits and jackets.

“We love to have fun and we love to make a good environment for everyone else around us,” Elliott said. 

Burns ultimately took home the grand prize, but reflecting on the event, Tu viewed the project as a success for everyone involved.

“Everyone was smiling, having a good time," Tu said. "And that’s really all. That was our main focus, honestly, just to have people on campus having a good time and coming together."

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