Students enjoy watch party for first football game
The Missouri Western football team held their season opener in Arkansas this weekend against Central Arkansas. Since the Griffons had a late start to the season due to decisions surrounding COVID-19 , different organizations held a watch party to showcase their school spirit in Spratt Stadium. Dr. Hannah Piechowski is the dean of students here at Missouri Western and put everything together. She received help from the Student Government Association (SGA), Center for Student Involvement and Western Activity Council (WAC).
“We had to think through a lot. As soon as we heard there was a football schedule released, we said, ‘Dibs on a watch party,’” Piechowski said.
The watch party brought out several fans in the community to show their support for the Griffons on Saturday. There were different activities such as pumpkin carving, painting, giveaways, food, a costume contest and performances from MWSU Drumline, Missouri Western Dance Company and Elite Cheer Team.
There was seating available in the bleachers as well as optional seating on the field with blankets and lawn chairs making sure physical distance was being practiced.
Senior Nah’Ryan Reed Crawford played a big part in the event. Crawford is president of WAC and also a part of the Elite Cheer Team.
“The event that I was sponsoring was the costume contest for Missouri Western,” Crawford said. “My favorite part of today was presenting the trophies to the littles ones that came out in their costumes and performing with the Elite Cheer Team.”
This is Crawford’s last year at Missouri Western and she was still glad to enjoy and participate in somewhat of a normal season this has been despite the unusual year COVID-19 provided.
“The event I would rate a seven only because our team is, right now, losing, but besides that I had fun hanging with my friends and having personal contact despite COVID-19,’ Crawford said.
Senior Ariana Reed assisted with the event by helping make sure social distancing was happening and assisted with giving out food.
“Today I helped monitor distancing and masks with SGA,and I also helped at the food station making sure everyone had hotdogs and caramel apples, and then the Missouri Western Dance Company performed at halftime,” Reed said.
Reed is Vice President of SGA and co-coach of the Missouri Western Dance Company.
“It was very exciting .When the idea of a watch party came about, I got excited and immediately felt like this is exactly what we needed for the semester before finals, and we finally got to hit the field again and dance, so I’m ecstatic and happy,” Reed said.
The watch party was a good time for students and fans to get that game day experience for the start of the season and sit back, relax and have fun.
Though it turned out to be a great event, lots of planning went into the idea.
“The biggest hurdle was COVID policies, Piechowski said “We met weekly and went through a very detailed list of things like how we are going to achieve that.”
They had to make sure guidelines such as social distancing and face masks were being enforced and followed.
The watch party planning wasn’t as hard or expensive as Piechowski expected.
“It wasn’t super hard once we got all of the members together, expensive wise. If we would have been charged for the rights that would have been the most expensive thing,” Piechowski said.
“The biggest hurdle was getting the rights from ESPN3 to watch the game. Our IT office was amazing; they were the heroes of the whole thing, they were able to get us granted the rights for free,” Piechowski said.
Since the event was hosted at Spratt Stadium they didn’t have to spend any funds for the location, either.
“Talk about easy. We don’t have to pay for the stadium, it’s easy to get everybody in here,” Piechowski said.
“SGA really showed out the most with rally towels, hand sanitizer and hoodies,” Piechowski said.
