Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Madnezz shines through the night

By Sarah Malczynski, student writer

OU dance team Intrigue is number one at Midnite Madnezz.

Students, faculty, staff and alumni gathered Friday, Oct. 12 to celebrate the official start of the NCAA basketball season at Oakland University’s annual Midnite Madnezz events.

Cider and donuts flowed abundantly at the block party held in the P-16 parking lot to kick off the evening. Complimentary grilled hot dogs, chips, ice cream, and beverages were served beginning at 8:30 p.m. A DJ played show tunes from "Grease" while the new OU Grizz distributed thunder-stick noisemakers, OU fight song flyers and future game schedules for fall sports.

The doors of the O’rena opened at 9:45 p.m. and members of the OU community streamed in, anticipating the introduction of the sports teams at the pep rally, which started shortly after 10:00 p.m. The first 1,500 fans through the door received a free OU drawstring backpack bag.

Announcer Mario Impemba from the FSN-Fox network served as the pep rally’s master of ceremonies. His voice resonated through the chattering crowd as he announced men’s and women’s sports teams, exciting students for the upcoming season of college athleticism.

The OU dance teams and cheer squads performed captivating routines as they led the crowd in the OU fight song. The pep band’s music rang through the air as the Grizz mascot ran through a tunnel of dancers and cheerleaders, distributing OU t-shirts to the cheering students.

The pinnacle of the pep rally was the introduction of the men and women’s basketball teams. Team members ran out into the crowd, practicing lay-ups and shooting hoops.

Elissa Tamm, a member of the OU pep band, said, “Midnite Madnezz is a lot of fun. It's a great way to start off the basketball season and get everyone excited for the games. It really helps to boost school spirit. Go Grizzlies!”

Various prizes were awarded during the pep rally, including tickets to Detroit Pistons basketball games and the upcoming Fall Out Boy concert, $300 gift certificates for books and a television.

After the pep rally, an afterglow event was held in the P-16 lot to continue the celebration of Midnite Madnezz.

Midnite Madnezz was sponsored by OU Athletics, the Office of the President, the Oakland University Alumni Association, University Relations, Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Division of Student Affairs, Finance and Administration, School of Nursing, School of Health Sciences, School of Education and Human Services, Kresge Library, Student Program Board and the Center for Student Activities.