When deciding what university to attend, one Cyclone took a somewhat unusual factor into consideration — paintball.

“I played paintball a little bit before I came to college, and that was part of the reason I came to Iowa State; because I knew they had a competitive team,” said Aaron Hebeisen, senior in animal ecology and member of the ISU Paintball Club.

Founded in 2000, the club competes in the Midwest North Division of the National Collegiate Paintball Association. According to the club’s official Facebook page, “Iowa State Cyclones Paintball” the team finished 18th out of 91 teams in the 2011-2012 season.

While shows such as “The Big Bang Theory” and “Community” paint TV viewers a dramatized picture of the sport, Daniel Christensen, senior in mechanical engineering and club president, said media descriptions are not always accurate.

“[Paintball] is more of a spectator sport than in the woods,” Christensen said. “There are people shouting from the sidelines.”

Evan McCann, senior in finance and club secretary, explained a paintball competition — “The game is played on a turfed field about the size of a hockey rink. Each team is represented by five members and a team flag in the middle of the field.

“The objective is to get the flag and hang it on the other team’s starting gate, which normally happens when you shoot everybody out on the other team,” McCann said.

McCann said an average game sees a team of five going through about 2,000 paintballs.

The club usually attends five events during the school year, with two regional tournaments in the fall and spring followed by a national competition. In one of the more memorable national tournaments, the club traveled to Galvenston, Texas, and found themselves playing in some uncommon conditions. After a rainstorm poured at four of the eight fields, the teams were playing until one in the morning.

“We were playing in 6 inches of water with the Storm Chasers van there,” Christensen said. “It was a good time.”

The tournament side is just one aspect of the club. The Paintball Club rents out their field and equipment for social events, such as offering staff and referee games. Prices can be found on the group’s official Facebook page.

“We are definitely one of the cheapest fields to rent,” Christensen said.

The club is able to keep costs down due to its sponsors. Guerrilla Air and RAZA, sponsored the club’s air tanks and jerseys. Iowa State and the Government of the Student Body also help to support the club financially.

“The school supports us in doing all of the things we love to do,” McCann said.

The club is student-run, which sometimes leads to problems.

“Tempers get hot just like on any competitive team,” Hebeisen said. “Everyone’s out trying to prove themselves.”

With all the time members spend driving to competitions and practicing together, it’s no wonder a member referred to the club as a brotherhood.

“I’m closer to the guys in the Paintball Club than I am with anyone else at this school by far,” Hebeisen said. “You go out to the field, and you don’t have to worry about anything else. You’re out there to play paintball and that’s all that’s on anyone’s mind for a few hours that day.”