Campus Activities hosted a series of events this past week for “Rivalry Week.” The events were part of an initiative to promote school spirit in the student body, which includes supporting athletics. Rivalry Week led up to the “Battle of Big Bend,” the Webster University men’s and women’s basketball games against Fontbonne University on Feb. 21.
“Fontbonne is kind of Webster’s rival because they’re just right down the street,” said Loren Douglass, Campus Activities program manager and a senior forward on Webster’s women’s basketball team. “It just makes it a more exciting game atmosphere.”
Starting Feb. 17 and continuing Feb. 20 and 21, Campus Activities sponsored trivia questions during lunchtime at Marletto’s Marketplace to promote the big games. Five participants were called to answer a school spirit-related trivia question, and the first person to answer correctly received a free pizza courtesy of Campus Activities.
In addition to trivia, a pep rally was held Feb. 20 during basketball intramurals. Students were offered free hot dogs and popcorn and designed t-shirts. The screen printing company WORK/PLAY, based out of The Grove, assisted students in making shirts that read “Our School. Our Team. Our House.”
“This is the first time that we’ve done something like this,” Douglass said. “I’m very pleased with the outcome.”
Junior guard Airyn Miller said she and her teammates were happy to attend Rivalry Week events to try to get more students to attend the basketball games. Both teams came out on top, the women’s basketball team beating Fontbonne 71-61, and the Webster men beating the Griffins 71-62.
“It’s kind of upsetting it’s taken Rivalry Week and the last game of the season to get it going,” Miller said. “But we’re glad it’s happening because Fontbonne is a big game for us. We’re glad it’s happening so that other people can come out and support us.”
Junior guard Dietrick Sooter said that although student turnout at the games looked about the same, Rivalry Week helped to get the team pumped up to play.
“It was in the locker room that (Rivalry Week) took most effect,” Sooter said. “In games like this where you already clinched, it’s easy to lose focus. It was more of a focus factor.”
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