On Friday, March 20, Wright State University (WSU) held a watch party in the Student Union Atrium for students, staff and faculty to support the WSU men's basketball team as they competed in their first March Madness game since 2022.
The watch party was held for students, staff, alumni, faculty and families. Student Involvement and Leadership (SIL), the organization that hosted this event, filled the Atrium with various activities and raffles, in addition to catering food for all the guests.
The raffle prizes were offered to students, and showing up and registering their attendance entered them in the drawing. All kinds of prizes were handed out, giving many students a chance to win. The game began with a tip-off at 1:50 p.m.
After the first half concluded with the Raiders in the lead, many of the guests had high energy and shared their thoughts on attending the watch party, including the President of the Student Government Association, Shloka Ravinuthala.
“I think it’s exciting to see these players who have dedicated their lives to basketball," Ravinuthala said.
Many of the watch party attendees saw this day as a great way to come together as a university and showcase their school spirit. President of Amigas Latinos, Jesus Jacobo, shared how this event further emphasized his appreciation for WSU and his peers.
“It's beautiful to see all these [WSU] students united for something, it shows the unity, the pride, the love that we have for this school,” Jacobo said.
The watch party created a sense of community, not only with WSU students and staff, but also for alumni and families.
One high schooler attended the watch party with his older sister, a WSU student, and revealed that he skipped school to attend the event, with parental permission. He shared his desire to apply to WSU in the future.
“Yeah, I'm skipping class right now,” the student said. "We're playing great, I really do want to see them go on. I [also] want Miami to win, and then us play Miami in Ohio. I’d love to see us in the Sweet 16."
It was also evident that during the break between halves, many of the watch party guests believed the Raiders would bring home a win based on the game's score and March Madness rank position predictions.
“I’m going to say, 76-63, with [WSU] winning, of course, but I think it’s going to be a close game," Jacobo said.
Despite the positive outlook for the Raiders at the end of the first half, the watch party ended with the opponent taking the lead, ending the game with a score of 82-73. Even though the outcome was not what guests predicted, many students and other attendees had a positive experience and enjoyed showcasing support for the university.
