Students dressed in various costumes perform at the Hill Student Center for Blaze the Night. Photo by Giani MartinTessa Case - News Editornews@insideuab.com
The threat of rain loomed over downtown Birmingham, the bonfire had been cancelled and the event had been moved indoors. Blaze the Night, now an unfit title for the fight song competition without a bonfire, seemed to go up in smoke on Thursday, Oct. 20.
“I’m very irritated by this [change],” said T.J. Mayberry, a junior health care management student who was there to support a competing friend. “I was really looking forward to the event being outdoors.”
However, in a natural show of endurance, the student body seemed unfazed by this setback. The Hill Student Center Ballrooms C and D were packed from the front to back and conversation, chanting and singing resonated off the walls. The ballroom was dimmed and multi colored strobe lights illuminated smiling faces.
Caleb Rotton, the coordinator of student activities with the office of Student Involvement and Leadership, was thrilled by the final estimated number of attendees: 800 students.
The fight song competition featured several teams that came up with their own, original twist on the Blazer Fight Song and/or the alma mater. They were judged on originality, energy, showmanship, crowd responsiveness and entertainment, according to the Blaze the Night’s webpage.
The teams competing were made up of students either in a fraternity or a sorority, although participation in the competition was open to all students, according to Carmen Morris, a senior marketing student and the co-director of Blazer Events. Some teams were easy to spot: each sorority coordinated their outfits for their upcoming performance.
“I think an event like this is kind of intimidating to just do on your own,” said sophomore nursing student Taylor Sullivan. Sullivan was part of Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority’s competing team, of which all of the participants were dressed in white t-shirts, black leggings and a flannel top.
“Our group and our support system make it easier, and we all have the expectation of representing Alpha Gam in all of the homecoming events and around the campus,” said Sullivan.
As students came through the doors, Rotton encouraged the already seated students to be “friendly blazers” and scoot over to open up that one extra seat so that everyone could have somewhere to watch. The turnout had clearly exceeded his expectations, and any frustration with the location change seemed to be forgotten.
“The Hill Student Center is awesome,” said Valerie Accetta, the head of musical theater at UAB and a judge for the competition, said. “And as nice as [the mini park] is and how nice the weather is, this feels more formal. It ups the stakes a little.”
The event was planned to start at 9 p.m. on Thursday evening; however, the two hosts didn’t take control of the stage until around 9:40 p.m. Mikaela Bridges, a junior psychology major and director of spirit and traditions on the University Programs Board, was joined by Eli Ussery, a junior industrial distribution major who had been crowned Mr. UAB just a few hours before. The hosts opened up with typical quips and jokes, briefly being interrupted by another student in the infamous Kanye West at the VMAs style, before introducing the first group, Alpha Gamma Delta, to perform.
Alpha Gamma Delta opened up with a recount of the history of UAB, decade by decade, with a period correct song to match, all the way up to present time where they celebrated “The Return” of UAB football on a small stage at the front. The songs and chants bounced off the wall, rising above the wild cheering of the audience as students celebrated and cheered on their friends and fellow Blazers.
Sigma Kappa, Theta Chi, Alpha Xi Delta, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Omicron Pi, Alpha Tau Omega and Pi Kappa Phi also performed at the event, featuring popular songs throughout the decades or recent top-of-the-charts hits. The night ended with a performance by Phi Gamma Delta, popularly known as FIJI, who bragged about their original lyrics and original beat they were about to perform. Naturally, the crowd went wild and the night ended with more enthusiasm than it began.
The crowd was encouraged by Ussery and Bridges to take a moment off to dance and enjoy each other’s company as the judges deliberated, and all students seemed eager to accept that suggestion. Conversation and cheers resonated throughout the room as each student and team celebrated their performances. After several moments, all the cheer and enthusiasm settled down into a nervous tension as the hosts prepared to announce the winners.
Phi Gamma Delta and Alpha Gamma Delta won in the fraternity and sorority categories, respectively.
Cheers erupted and good humor amongst all the teams and attendees manifested itself briefly with further loud cheers and pictures. However, it was after 11 p.m. and students quickly vacated the ballroom to return home.
“Everyone did really well, I loved the energy out there,” said Chris Brown, a sophomore information systems major and a competitor for Phi Gamma Delta. Brown rapped the original lyrics for his team and took a little creative license during his performance.
“I made up one sorority, but that’s okay,” he said with a laugh. “It’s a lot of people and they all heard the fake sorority.”
With good spirits and a strong sense of Blazer pride, students left the event to find yet another sense of validation for the event’s change: it had, in fact, rained.
