Spectrum will fear no beard
Due to the on-court activities of junior guard Preston Medlin of the men’s basketball team – the latest being the game-tying 3-pointer to force overtime against Idaho – “Medlinsanity” is in full force among the USU student section.
In honor of Medlin and his facial hair, a “beard-out” will take center stage when Medlin and the Aggies face San Jose State on Friday at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Students are encouraged to fill the Spectrum and come clad with a real or make-shift beard.
“The idea sprouted because every student section in the country tries to do a white-out or a black-out or a red-out,” said Karson Kalian, ASUSU athletics vice president. “Well, what student section in the country has done a beard out? We’ve always been proud of the fact that we are different than everybody else, that we try and be original, and the beard-out was original.”
The beard-out is a product of the HURD’s support of Aggie athletics.
“It serves two purposes in my opinion,” said Charley Riddle, a HURD committee member and regular front-row spectator. “One is to pay tribute to Preston and the team, but also to bring the fun and the enjoyment back into the Spectrum. So when you’re there for the game it’s not just to support the team but to have a freaking blast. It’s like a party every time.”
Riddle said the HURD is committed to finding new ways to increase student involvement. He said attendance has been hurting.
“The student section has been a little down from what it has been in the past, and so now we are trying to build up a lot more hype,” he said. “We really want the student section back to what it was two years ago. It’s way different.”
Riddle said last year’s basketball season didn’t reach “Aggie standards” and could be a reason for the supportive slump for basketball.
“I have to look at it this way,” Riddle said. “There are some fans that are super die-hards and they are going to be there no matter what. I know there are some other students that want to go to games because it’s fun, but college basketball isn’t just about the game on the court.”
Riddle said the HURD takes upon itself the duty to make the games as appealing as possible.
“We go through this trouble because if we are having a great time in the student section and going nuts for the team, the players have a better time,” Riddle said. “They play better and the other team plays worse, which is what we want.”
The students are responding.
“With the whole ‘stand strong, stand together,’ that’s what I was thinking,” said Jeffrey Hofheins, a senior majoring in exercise science. “Preston did great by shooting that three and that’s why we are doing this beard thing. It’s so unique and so creative. I just like that we are all unified in doing this.”
Hofheins said he plans on creating the famed beard of Seneca Crane, the Gamemaker from the film “The Hunger Games.”
“I’m going to draw on his beard, maybe with mascara,” he said.
Marcus Lemmon, a junior majoring in communication disorders, said he is embracing the beard to salute Medlin for his stellar game last Saturday.
“I’ve already got a beard going, so I’ll just amp it up with makeup or whatever,” he said.
Girls are also finding ways to get involved.
“Maybe I’ll get a stick-on mustache and goatee,” said Caitlin Willie, a senior majoring in art education.
“We are going to go get some fabric, cut it out in the shape of beards and we are going to hand them out to the first 300-500 people there,” said Kalian. “We are going to take our cardboard cutouts. They’re going to be bearded. We’ll have blue, white and gray for Aggie colors. We’ll do the classic brown. Real, fake, whatever beard you want, bring it.”
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