Snow on March 31, Wichita State in the Final Four and Kevin Ware breaking his leg; who could have predicted the “madness” of March 2013? The ups and downs of Iowa weather and the potential for any upset in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament have made for a memorable March Madness. Just how “mad” is March on the Northwestern College campus though?
Many students across campus have filled out brackets for years as a part of competitions. Some started filling out brackets as kids with their families as a way to bond and have participated in March Madness ever since.
“My family and I always fill out brackets, and the winner earns $25,” said freshman Lucas Jacob. “I pick the teams based on how good they are, which teams I like or dislike, and a couple upsets to make it fun.”
Others started this year as a part of the campus-wide competition or as a way to have fun with friends. Freshman Sarah Tegtmeier filled a bracket out with friends and used unusual techniques to pick the teams.
“We picked some of our teams based on stats and then picked the other teams by flipping a coin or picking the team with the coolest mascot,” Tegtmeier said.
Filling out brackets and competing with friends is only part of the “madness” of March. The experience of watching the games with friends and cheering on your teams can get crazy, especially when classes are going on at the same time. Across campus, avid fans of March Madness were glued to the games whether they were watching on TV, online or on their phones.
The men of North Suites hooked up four TVs in their lobby in order to simultaneously watch all four channels with games playing.Junior Jason Katsma described the lobby as crazy with so many TVs and people around.
“I felt like I was at a sports bar because of all the TVs surrounding me,” Katsma said.
Senior Davis Bloemendaal watched the games in a similar fashion.
“My roommates and I moved both TVs into our living room to watch the games,” Bloemendaal said. “There is a lot of yelling that goes on, especially for our favorite teams, and we basically eat food and cheer for the underdog.”
The Final Four of the NCAA tournament is decided, the weather is finally becoming warmer, and Kevin Ware’s injury is beginning to heal. After the unpredictability of March, students are hoping for a calm April.But in Iowa, anything can happen.
