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April 2008
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ALUMNI NEWS |
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What a Season! Basketball Brings Alumni Together, Renews AU Pride
For two Fridays in a row last month, AU faithful gathered across 3,000 miles and several time zones to cheer on their beloved Men’s Basketball team. All alumni and fans were treated to a thrilling win and a hard-fought loss, dually comforted and spurred on by good food, lots of company, and the opportunity to live in a thrilling moment some have waited 30 years to enjoy. On March 14, minutes before tip-off, alumni in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington, D.C. gathered to cheer the Eagles in what would prove to be the school’s first ever NCAA Tournament bid. Numbers ranged from a lunch-time crowd of 10 in L.A. to a rowdy 120 plus at Turtle Bay Grill and Lounge in New York, complete with AU red and blue pom-poms and more than enough foam fingers to go around. “I’ve never seen the top of that bar so crowded,” said EJ Stern, SOC/BA ’04, who helped organize the gathering at Turtle Bay for New York City alumni. “It was reminiscent of senior week.” But that wasn’t the most important point to Stern. “This event, more than any other, really crossed so many different demographics,” she noted. “Never discount free food,” said L.A. organizer Gary Gurner, SOC/BA ’73, noting that chicken wings dominated the plates of attendees. Fueled by the plentiful fare at all gatherings, attendees held their breath until Derrick Mercer nailed two free throws to give AU a 5-point advantage with 20 seconds left. Chef Geoff’s on New Mexico Avenue hosted the D.C. party, which swelled to 50 people at times, welcoming stragglers from work, those unable to get tickets, and even some post-gamers. “Since I couldn’t get into the game, it was kind of a no-brainer to go there,” said Christian Curran, SPA/BA ’05 of the popular AU hangout. “I thought I may as well go while I still can.” A week later, on March 21, AU alumni gathered again for the university’s first-ever NCAA Tournament bid. This time, seven parties were planned by Alumni Programs staff, adding Baltimore and a pre-game breakfast in Birmingham, Ala., for alumni lucky enough to attend the NCAA Tournament. The brave travelers to Birmingham were treated to a full breakfast buffet in the hours leading up to tip off at a hotel near the arena. “It was great to see so many alums from as far away as Las Vegas and Phoenix to be brought together through the success of the basketball team, said David Bierwirth, associate director of athletics development and special events. “The pride and excitement from all involved was tremendous.” D.C. area AU fans who couldn’t get tickets or make the trip south gathered downtown at Clyde’s of Gallery Place, where a mid-week estimate of 50 expected attendees became a boisterous 250 by halftime. With seven different appetizers and plenty of cheese (as noted by blogger Dan Steinberg http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2008/03/au_watch_party.html), alumni had plenty of energy to will their team past Tennessee. Even though they came up just short, the renewed infusion of AU pride and cameraderie will be remembered for many years to come. “It was the biggest event I’ve been to since graduation,” said Ryan Hayes, SOC/BA ’03. “People were living and dying on every rebound and blocked shot.” - Dan Beardslee, SOC/BA ‘07
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