Robin Glynn – Staff Writer –
It has been said that what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, but what happens at Southern may not stay at Southern.
Students came to the Vegas-themed pep rally in Moore Fieldhouse on Thursday night to support Southern’s athletic teams, including the basketball, baseball, softball and football teams during homecoming. As students filed into the bleachers, music filled the gym with students’ favorite artists.
The SCSU dance team performed at the Homecoming pep rally.
“This is my first pep rally because I am a transfer student,” said Lauren Botsford, an education major. “It is more than I thought it would be.”
The bleacher area was decorated with giant playing cards and gold coins, and walking down the dark hallway students were welcomed with inflatable slot machines decorated with flashing lights. Students were able to fill up a loot bag with candy and received casino chip key chains and necklaces, as well as t-shirts with the famous “Welcome to the Fabulous Las Vegas” sign. The shirts read “Welcome to Fabulous Southern Connecticut State University, Very Vegas Homecoming.”
Students were able to enter a raffle to win prizes, such as gift certificates, a camera and a television. Homecoming banners, which were hanging in the Student Center, were created by clubs, organizations and residence halls to try to win prizes.
The SCSU football screaming and cheering to hype up the crowd at the Homecoming pep rally.
The evening included entertainment from students, including dancing from the SCSU Dance Team (dancing to Christina Aguilera’s “Show Me How You Burlesque” from the movie Burlesque) and Steppin’ Up Drill Team. Members of the teams tried to get the crowd going.
“I like the dancing the best,” said Bria Rodriguez, an elementary education major. “It was very exciting and very entertaining.”
Botsford said she also enjoyed the dancing.
“From what I have seen, the Step Team,” said Botsford about her favorite, “because they had the energy going on and the music that was current so everyone was able to connect with them.”
As teams were being introduced, members of teams were dancing in the middle of the gym to get the crowd going, but when the women’s volleyball team was introduced, they hyped up the crowded by throwing balls into the crowd.
Botsford said she likes how she was introduced to the athletic teams.
Players from the football team cheered and clapped after they won a dance contest.
“Introducing all the teams I think was cool because you don’t ever see people who are on a team unless you actually go to the games,” said Botsford. “It is a way to get everyone together and its a way to meet the teams indirectly.”
Chevell Burrell, secretary for the Residence Hall Association and pep rally coordinator, said that the Vegas-themed pep rally is something that has not been done before.
“It is something we haven’t done. Why not go for a Vegas homecoming,” said Burrell.
While students enjoyed the theme, some were not expecting it but they enjoyed it.
“It wasn’t a theme I expected for a pep rally but it works,“ said Botsford. “It is not a repeated theme; it is a new one.”
Many people said that the pep rally is important to the teams and to Southern students.
Burrell said that the pep rally is for the teams to show what they can do and a way for the Southern community to support them.
“It is really important to show school spirit,” said Lena Rodriguez, a communications major.
Burrell, Lena and Bria Rodriguez said that the pep rally is an important way to show school spirit.
“It gets them hyped to win,” said Lena Rodriguez.
