Igor Stepczynski | Broadcast Reporter
ESPN’s College GameDay came to Waco on Saturday for the Baylor men’s basketball game against Kansas. Although this may have been the second time in 6 months that ESPN came to Baylor, our students still acted as excited as elementary children on Christmas morning.
Student’s had a lock-in at the Ferrell Center through the night starting Friday to make sure they get the best seat in the house and a ticket for the biggest basketball game this season. When it comes to waiting hours for a sports game, Baylor students get really creative in thinking of ways to pass the time.
Some students came very prepared. Because this camp-like event was indoors, many decided to bring a flat screen television with their favorite gaming consoles. “We got the full set up”, one student said while playing Wii bowling with his friends, “We came prepared, we knew we’d be here for 8 hours.” Some even brought a foldable table and poker chips for a good old fashioned game of Texas hold ‘em.
One male student strutted around the Ferrell Center while sporting thick and white platform shoes. Other than the obvious purpose of being fashionable, they also served him some utility.
“It’s a white out game”, he said. “but it’ll also help me to see better over the crowd.”
The remainder of the students there were left to their own devices and improvisation skills. One student poked fun at his friend for renting an $8 sleeping bag from the SLC, while she mocked his use of a yoga mat as a mattress. A group of ladies decided to pass time by separating the green and yellow M&M’s from a gallon sized candy bag so that they can “enjoy the green and gold M&M’s” when Baylor wins.
Yet, no matter how a student prepared or passed the time, everybody was present. Everybody was socializing with each other. In a sport’s arena packed with hundreds of college students, almost none were seen with a cell phone in their hand. For once, they weren’t too concerned with social media. Their minds were too preoccupied in deafening thee arena with laughter and communal Baylor pride through the late night.
