As a freshman, I recently lost my Late Night virginity. And it was awesome. It was my first time being in the Allen Fieldhouse as a student. I had seen it an innumerable amount of times on TV and visited it on a few tours, but the energy when there are 16,299 other Jayhawks around you is nearly inexplicable. (But I’ll do my best.)
(Credit: KU Athletics)
One of the best parts of the evening was all the videos. All the lights were out, everyone was on their feet, and the volume vibrated across the stands. The videos captured the history of sports at KU, the dedication of our basketball team and coach, and what it really means to be a KU fan. So, naturally, I started getting chills down my neck and nonchalantly wiping tears of amazement.
(Credit: Entertainment Weekly)
When the basketball players came out…oh my god. You would have thought I was looking at the cast of Magic Mike. It was so surreal to see the members of the 2018-2019 KU basketball team in person, and this time, as my peers. Laughing while watching them complete an amusing obstacle course and singing along when they danced to their favorite songs made the whole fieldhouse feel connected and truly like the greatest fan base in the world, which we are. Duh.
(Credit: KU Athletics)
Lastly, a free 2 Chainz concert. Like, seriously, how much better can this night get? He came out in a classic basketball jersey with “2 CHAINZ” marked proudly across the back and more than two sparkling chains around his neck. He performed all of his most popular songs and everyone (except the poor, old grandparents who were appalled at the frequent use of profanity) was on their feet dancing along to the beat blasting through the speakers.