Friday, February 29, 2008
Scattered around the northwest lobby of Allen Fieldhouse, students sit waiting. Some are lying on air mattresses, some are sitting in camping chairs and others are just leaning against the concrete walls of the field house. Laptops, iPods or books keep students occupied in the dimly lit lobby.
Some students have been camping since Feb. 17. All these students who have gathered in the lobby of Allen Fieldhouse have come together with their sights set on one thing: Kansas basketball.
Kansas basketball campers are some of the most die-hard Jayhawk fans you will ever find. When referring to the basketball team, these fans are personally invested in their beloved Jayhawks and refer to them as “we.” Their knowledge of Kansas basketball and its opponents would seem beyond belief for a casual fan.
Students find ways to pass the time while camping out inside Allen Field House yesterday afternoon for seats to this Saturday's basketball game against Kansas State. All camping groups must have at least one camper present at all times while camping or the group loses their spot in line.
Take, for instance, Naomi Wilfred, Boston sophomore. Wilfred, who was camping out Sunday, can tell you just what she thinks about freshman standout Michael Beasley of Kansas State.
“I think it’s ridiculous Michael Beasley can put down 44 points against Baylor and still lose,” Wilfred said. “I think he’s phenomenal, but he’s not as good as Kevin Durant.”
Some students will offer an explanation of Kansas’ performance as of late.
“It doesn’t look like we want to win that bad,” said Chris Miller, Omaha, Neb., freshman. “It just doesn’t look like we’re playing hard enough.”
Others just plain don’t like Kansas State.
“I hate ‘em,” said Don Atkinson, Overland Park sophomore.
One student even chose to become a Kansas fan as part of a sibling rivalry.
“I’ve been a fan since my senior year when I got accepted and my brother decided to go to K-State, I was like, ‘Eww, I will never be a Wildcat,’” Kristin Brokenbough, Olathe sophomore, said.
As of Monday, there were 87 camping groups, which can have a maximum of 30 people. For a full explanation of camping rules, search for “basketball camping” on WiKUpedia. Many of these camping groups had odd names such as “I love lamp,” or “The Sean Hamilton Experience.” Not surprisingly, there were a number of groups with explicit names not fit for print, many of which were directed towards Kansas State.
For anyone who isn’t camping, questions must certainly arise as to what on earth entices these students to wait so long for a game. Some people may question whether these students even go to class, have lives or take care of their studies. But for some students, camping out is a good time to work on their studies.
“It’s like a study hall,” Miller said. “I like coming here because I actually get stuff done.”
Some come with a particular interest in where they sit as well.
“I’m not a fan of the band side because it’s really loud there,” said Wilfred. “I’m going to try and sit by the players’ bench. It’s awesome, you like get to see player’s sweat dripping down.”
Some groups just want to make sure they get a seat in the bleachers.
“We’ve been camping since Wednesday,” Kim Ferguson, Lawrence freshman, said. “I don’t think we’ll be front row, but that’s OK. I think we’ll probably be in the middle section somewhere, hopefully.”
Come Saturday, the students currently waiting inside the walls of the fieldhouse will enter into “the Phog” and fill the bleachers of the student section. They may not have had to pay a hefty fee for tickets, monetarily speaking, but these student campers have paid their dues.
—Edited by Samuel Lamb
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