This Saturday marks the 24th anniversary of perhaps the biggest student event to happen on campus every year. Around 6,200 people will come together to dress in red and white, scream obscenities at people wearing other colors, and prepare to go to blows for their cause. They gather in a freezing cold place to sit in hard uncomfortable chairs, and they love it. What am I talking about? The Big Red Freakout!
For those of you who don’t know what I am talking about, the Freakout is the closest thing we at RPI have that resembles a homecoming. It is the game of games for our only Division One sport, ice hockey. The idea is to come support the hockey team on the ice while at the same time showing the school spirit that most people hide for the other 364 days of the year. It is an excuse to paint your body, act rowdy in public, and beat the fans from the other team with foam objects. (Remember the Union fan from two years ago?)
This year the athletic department has a few tricks hidden up their sleeve. Of course, there will be the expected souvenir to commemorate the night in history, but this year there is more in store. Some people you may recognize (the Grand Marshal and me) will become part of the intermission shows. We’re not talking tricycles and puck shooting here, we are talking high-powered fun. Unfortunately, I am sworn to secrecy about the details of the event, but I guarantee it will be fun for at least Joe and me. So if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, you may be in trouble, but try to find some because it will be worth your time.
This brings up a bigger picture ... attendance at games. Why don’t more people go to the hockey games? It is the biggest sport we have on campus both financially and division-wise. This question is the one the members of the athletic department and I have been asking ourselves all year. Ever since my trip to Penn State for their homecoming game, I have been determined to increase the social atmosphere here at RPI through sports. The first step is getting people to come to the games. This past week an idea surfaced to help increase student attendance. Our own section in the Field House.
Wouldn’t you be more inclined to come to a game knowing that it doesn’t matter how loud you yell or how many drinks you have had? You won’t have to worry about sitting next to the 10-year-old sister of the player you just cursed out. We could all come together and support our team without reservation.
If you like this idea and would like to see it happen, drop me an e-mail. Better yet, if you have ideas of your own to make the hockey games more inviting, send an e-mail to pu@rpi.edu. I will see you all Saturday night.
