As my and most of my family member's brackets predicted, Villanova has won the 2018 NCAA Men's College Basketball National Championship! As a Wildcat myself, I could not be any more proud of my school and my team. It truly does feel good to experience such an amazing victory, and even better, to be on campus for such an unforgettable moment. Things got a little crazy for a small, Catholic college outside of Philadelphia that night. As I witnessed this first-hand, I thought it would be best to properly explain what truly went down after the Wildcat's clinched their third National title through the eyes of a nineteen-year-old college freshman.
1. Helicopters. EVERYWHERE.
Right after the whole campus watched the amazing ending to the Championship game, we stormed "The Quad", the center of campus. In our rush of joy, we looked up at the groups of helicopters flying above our campus with lights, reporting our victory live on television.
2. Climbing up traffic poles.
Classic Philly fans, am I right? Days before the National Championship, a picture went around that police were greasing traffic poles so that if there was a victory, no one would injure themselves or attempt to successfully climb one of them. To no avail though, after the first couple of students failed, the grease wiped off, allowing anyone to climb up and make a statement.
3. Fireworks.
Because who else thinks about packing an entire backpack full of fireworks to celebrate with? As I crossed the Lancaster Avenue walkway, I was met with fireworks being shot about 20-30 feet in the air. But then, firecrackers were being lit all over the place, and some were maybe just a little too close to hitting me.
4. Fires.
Cause you know, winning a National Championship is perfect grounds for burning furniture!! Throughout the victory celebration, I witnessed two different fires in two different parts of campus starting. Kids began climbing trees to knock off the branches to supply more firewood, and at one point, there was even a chair and a refrigerator thrown into the mix. This created a black-like, toxic smoke which was enough for me to
5. Police on Horseback
In order to ensure the safety of post-celebrations, the local police department positioned a multitude of police officers. Some were on horseback, which was obviously fun to see. When walking throughout campus, my friend wanted a picture with the police in the background. The men on horseback declined her, but some police officers near Lancaster Avenue were more than glad to take a picture with us. You don't see riot police every day.
Watching Villanova win their 3rd National title as a student is probably one of the most unforgettable moments I'll ever experience in my college career. And despite the hardcore celebration by the student body, I would definitely love to see this all happen again. As always, GO CATS!