Strange. Unique. Individual. Fun. All of these words have been used to describe the “Party Chariot,” the chariot-esque implement that has been seen trailing behind a merlot-colored bike around campus.

In essence, the Party Chariot is a set of speakers connected to a car battery and a cord that can attach to an mp3 player or portable CD player.

The Chariot was designed by two students who happened to be rugball players. Thus it turned into a feature at rugball games and gatherings.

This piece of Goshen College student history is handed down through the “generations,” each year getting passed to the next chosen rugball player.

This brilliant feat of engineering was the idea of two Goshen alumni, Matthew Rody and Jonathan Nafziger. Noah Weaverdyck later made significant alterations as well as performing some restoration work. Modifications included rebuilding the structural platform for the speakers to feature a slimmer, lighter frame to be attached to a bike. This was to defer some of the difficultly of making the Chariot mobile.

The current owners of this good-time-on-wheels are Noah Weaverdyck and Roof House resident Sarah Rody, who has found an additional use for it with her housemate, Elspeth Stalter. “Even though it’s definitely intended for rugball events, we use it to take out our recycling,” said Stalter. “It’s really handy when you live 500 miles away from the recycling bins like we do.” On pulling the chariot, Stalter said, “It’s not that heavy, but starting, stopping and turning are all much more interesting things to do on a bicycle when you have gargantuan speakers, a person and a box of cans and empty milk jugs on a piece of plywood behind you.”

The tradition states that the current owner of the Chariot will handpick its new owner. There are few requirements other than a garage or suitable storage place and nerdy dispositions. So far all owners have been rugball players, but ownership is in no way limited only to rugball players.

If interested in rugball, please contact Sarah Rody or Noah Weaverdyck for more information. If you wish to see the chariot in action, just listen for “Hey Ya” and watch closely.