Midnight Madness, a popular event across Stonehill's campus, was held in the Merkert Gym last Thursday night. The event marked the kick-off of the NCAA Basketball season, and students of all class years came out to support our men and women’s teams. Featured at the event are obstacle courses or fun games for students to get involved in. Some of the highlights of the night for many are the performances by Stonehill Cheerleaders, the Dance Team, contestants for this year’s Mr. Stonehill competition, and Ruckus. This year’s performances were applauded by students as some of the best in the last few years! There is also a layup portion of the basketball showcase, a game of knockout for the more athletically-inclined spectators, or “super fan” contests for the brave souls who want to get up in front of the school and show off their moves. The entire atmosphere is infectious and it truly is one of the best events we have on campus. There is a lot of school spirit involved in Midnight Madness, from the foam fingers that were handed out to the lucky audience members who caught limited edition t-shirts thrown by Spirit Committee.
Why is Midnight Madness so well attended? Part of it has to do with the hype beforehand, and the other part is the sense of community at Stonehill. It’s fun to be in the Merkert Gym with a good portion of the school’s population laughing and having a great time while cheering on athletes and friends alike. It’s one of the first events people hear about when they tour Stonehill, go through orientation, or within the first few weeks on campus. It brings the community together right after the midterm exam period and people can finally relax, and this year led up to the weekend of Halloween and the Halloween Mixer in the Sports Complex. What a great way to start the weekend!
This event is a ton of fun and really great for the school’s camaraderie, but it isn’t a task completed overnight. I had the opportunity to speak with Adrianna Rosadio '16, the SGA Executive Board Programming Chair at Stonehill, to talk about what sort of planning goes into this event.
M: How long have you been preparing for Midnight Madness?
A: We have been preparing for a while now. There have been meetings held to go over logistics of the night, the performers have been in contact with us to make sure they are doing what needs to be done, and we have been communicating with athletics to make sure everything goes smoothly. This has been happening since the beginning of the semester.
M: Besides the meetings within the Student Government Association and more specifically the Programming Committee, I’m sure there has to be some collaboration between departments. What sort of back-work goes into Midnight Madness across campus?
A: There are meetings held between Student Activities and the Athletic department. We have to communicate guidelines and directions to performers and make sure their music is all set. The free swag needs to be decided on and then ordered. Spirit Committee has to plan what they are doing at the event and they help set up the gym ahead of time. The Spirit Committee puts a lot of effort into the event before it even happens.
M: What is your favorite part of the event?
A: My favorite part is just seeing all of the students get pumped up for the unveiling of the Women's Basketball team and the Men's Basketball team. The students show so much school spirit at this event; you can just feel the energy throughout the whole room. I also enjoy watching the performance from the Mr. Stonehill contestants and finally seeing all the contestants together for the first time.
M: Any piece of advice for someone looking to help plan the event next year?
A: Make sure to stay on top of everything ahead of time so that you are not doing a million things at once. Also, make sure to spread the word to everyone you know. Tell everyone how awesome this event is and convince them to attend. The event is only as successful as the number of students that are there, so make sure the gym is packed with super fans!
The work put in by SGA, Spirit Committee, and many students or staff involved with Athletics at Stonehill should not go unnoticed, so a huge thank you for the dedication to putting on this great event!
