Courtesy of Kristin Smith

Five students preparing for battle (from left to right) Jackie Jessop, Tootie Smith, Laura Jordan, Emma White, Anna Willis.

Imagine a night of war between yourself and your fellow classmates, with P.H.F.B. (panty-hose flour bombs) and glow sticks in the pitch dark, on top of a mountain.

It is one of the most popular events that the Student Government Association at Faith Christian has every year. It's also one of many events they hold monthly, and the students and staff love it. About 100 students get pumped up and ready for war every year and head to Merian's Property in Fincastle at 1900 hours (7 p.m.) on the night of Nov. 1.

"The school has been around for 10 years," Kristin Smith said. "I think war night has been around for 6 or 7 years. It wasn't always done at night when it's pitch black. This has been something that we've transitioned into and makes it more fun."

Each student arrives and for $5 student are enlisted, provided rations, and dog tags (bottled water, snacks, and glow necklaces).

"The property that we have this event on is separated by a small creek," Smith said. "The parents bring their children and a car shuttles to take them up to the mountain. Once they are up there, it's like their own retreat."

The soldiers and guerilla fighters (a.k.a the students) are divided into two teams, and receive a glow necklace according to their team status. The team leaders organize five minutes of planning, where strategic maneuvers are discussed. Afterwards each team splits up and each team has a top secret, state of the art government device (a.k.a. a flag) that they were be responsible for guarding. Their mission: to exploit the enemy by seizing their secret government technology (i.e., capture their flag).

According to the students' directions prior to the event, the students were equipped with "the latest in military technology", or P.H.F.B. which were used as "highly combustible, state of the art weapons" to "attack and destroy enemy forces."

"The object is to master the art of the P.H.F.B. and utilize your strategy and firepower to defeat the other team and gather the enemy's secrets."

When students were hit with the powerful P.H.F.B.'s, they were taken as prisoners of war and had to report to prison camp. At the conclusion of the battle, a peace horn was sounded and students headed back to the prison camp and headquarters area for peace negotiations between the enemy forces.

"Your kids come home and they are unrecognizable because they are covered in flour," Smith said. "This is one of the highlights of the year. This is one that is really the kids'."