The Hype Is Real: Ringing In National Marquette Day
National Marquette Day (NMD) is a long-awaited day for anyone who loves Marquette. So, what makes this day, and the weekend around it, so special? If you don’t go to Marquette or have never seen this holiday in action, you may not understand the hype.
The weekend kicks off with a pep-rally on Friday night complete with free food, music, and an amazing fireworks display. People start lining up in advance to get in to this event and the line is never short. On top of getting free food and a show, you can get a lot of free swag. It’s something you do not want to miss during your four years here. After President Lovell riles up the crowd and tons of fireworks explode from the roof of the Wells parking structure, students scatter all the way from campus to the bars on Water Street to celebrate our special weekend. Milwaukee bars love National Marquette weekend, with most bartenders making notably more money than an average weekend.
After this appropriate start to the weekend, students snuggle up and dream of the day ahead of them. Around 9 AM, alarms start going off and your typical breakfast cereal is replaced with a morning beer. The campus is running over with people dressed in navy blue and gold; from tutus to overalls to body paint. Everyone is showing off their most impressive Marquette Pride. Kilbourn Avenue turns in to one giant block party, and students from every year and college come together to celebrate the amazing university we all attend. After hours of celebrating on campus, it’s time for the main event: Marquette basketball.
A sea of people trek downtown to the BMO Harris Bradley center, with the most dedicated fans getting there hours in advance to get a good seat. No matter what team we play, it is almost impossible to spot anything in the crowd besides blue and gold. With such a rowdy student section, it is no surprise we beat our opponent this NMD, Xavier University, by an impressive 22 points.
National Marquette Day is an essential part of the Marquette experience that every student and alumni looks forward to. It is a day full of excitement and school spirit. Even if you are not a student, if you find yourself in Milwaukee on this holiday, you may find yourself joining in and cheering, “Ring out Ahoya,” with an “MU Rah! Rah!”