Fraternity bands with basketball team for after-game party
Hours after the Villanova game ends on Saturday, the Orange will still have some unfinished business to attend to on Westscott Street.
Syracuse University social fraternity Phi Kappa Psi and the SU men’s basketball team will host an event following the Villanova game on Saturday night called ‘Orange out — Shut it down!’ at Westcott Theater from 7:30 p.m.to 11 p.m.
‘We think this party will be a great way to follow the biggest game of the season,’said Richie Calabro, a sophomore broadcast journalism major and Phi Psi’s social chair.
The event features a performance by Phi Psi brother Jake Ober and former SU center Arinze Onuaku, the artists of ‘Unfinished Business.’ The song has been a popular anthem for this year’s basketball season, much like last year’s ‘Shut it down,’ and has been promoted all year.
Along with Onuaku, many current basketball players will attend the after party to hang out and meet students. It’s a rare opportunity for both the players and students alike, and these interactions will help create a more unified student body, said Ober, a sophomore television, radio and film major.
‘This merge with greek life, the dance team and athletics is brand new and very important. It gives more incentive for greek life to come out and get involved in other events in the future who are a big part of the SU campus,’ he said.
Two other musical acts, Marcus Canty and World Be Free, will also play Saturday night. Additionally, the SU Dance Team will perform alongside Ober and Onuaku.
Tickets are $5 and can be purchased from any Phi Psi brother, from the Schine Box Office or at the door. All revenue earned on Saturday will be donated to the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation, which supports cancer research.
The party, open to all SU and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students, was first suggested to the fraternity by SU Athletics, Calabro said. The event will be the first of its kind to merge such influential groups on campus, he said.
‘A lot of activities in greek life are exclusive, but we wanted this to be open to all of campus,’ Calabro said.
Hosting the event at Westcott Theater, which has a capacity of 700, will allow for a large number of attendees and give students a chance to get off campus for a Syracuse event.
‘We’re all ready to go (for Saturday). Hopefully we win the game, and everyone has a great time,’ said Dan Mastronardi, a Westcott Theater representative and event booker.
If the event is successful, Phi Psi would love to host more events that would incorporate the basketball team and greek life, such as pep rallies at Goldstein Auditorium, Calabro said.
The Phi Psi brothers are selling an unlimited number of tickets to students who are interested. Their goal is to get as many people there to enjoy a night of food, drinks and a celebration of Syracuse basketball.
‘Saturday will definitely be fun,’ Ober said. ‘It’s about celebrating the future win over Villanova with the team, all of SU and everyone in the Syracuse community.’
Published on January 19, 2011 at 12:00 pm
