University of Mississippi - Ole Miss Yearbook (Oxford, MS)

Page 58 text:

ENJOYING A REBEL NIGHT By offering a night of free and fun activities, Rebel Nights is BECOMING a popular EVENT, OPEN TO ALL OlE MiSS STUDENTS written and photographed h JENNY ANDERSON FOR THOSE WHO JUST WANT to laugh, Rebel Nights provides an evening of great comic relief. Comedians Prescott, Damon Williams and Tony Roberts got the crowd of nearly 450 students up and laughing during the January program. nc month, tlie .Student Union houses late- !ght fiBd. fun and entertaintnent for all students to attend. Rebel Nights is a program set up b)- the Department of Campus Programming that gives on-campus students something fun and different to do on a Friday night. With booming tunes and an energetic atmosphere, students are wall u wall - ready to laugh, sing and ma) be e en win some much needed spending money. It is a good way to get on- campus students to get inxoKed. like the international students and those who may ncjt have a car, said Parul Bajaj. the director of campus jirogramming. Duiingthemonth of Januan; Rebel Xights included a li eh ' game of Think Fast. where ]:)op culture butfs test their abilit ' and tr - their chance at winning a couple liundrcd ijucks. The night iilso included soine comic relief from comedians Prescott, Damon Williams and Tony Roljert.s, who were all ery well recei ' ed. The laughs began at 10 p.m. and didn ' t die down until midnight. The Januar)- Rebel Nights was a big hit with ncariy ' MA) to 450 students present. I showed up a little late, so I tlioughl I was going to get cracked on, freshman BJ. W ' hiti ' said. But nothing happened, so 1 sat down close to the front. The comics were really funny. They all ii.id ilicrc own style they represented. In I ' ebmar), Rebel Nights featured HBO Dcf I ' oels, Black Ice and Dana Gilmore, and a poctr) slam, where any sliidcni could ompete to be the next Ole Miss Po ' lr Slam winner. Any student was allowed ttj introduce some of their (mil pieces of poctr in tiic slam by enlcring in the preliminaries on VVednesda - and Thursday nights, and then making it to the big comesl on Friday night. E er - month there is new and interesting talent to be seen and new acti ities to partake in. I think the most important thing is it provides a safer alternati ' e than going out to bars. said Bradlev Baker, assistant director of student programming. With ven- diverse activities such as Ole Miss Idol, where the new Kell)- Clarkson could be waiting to be discovered, to casino night, where one could play a good game of blackjack and walk away from the table with a nice prize, or a poetrv ' slam, where some talented writers could immerge, all students can find something to enjoy at the Ole Miss Rebel Nights. I think when -ou have friends who come, it ' s fun and to do something different not just going out and doing the same thing over and over. student Melissa King said. It ' s a good way to get on-campus students involved, like the international students and those who may not have acar ' Parul Bajaj said. There are also man) ' otlier activities to participate in at Rebel Nights. Some nights may include massage therapy, caricature artists and even live music from local bands and disc jockeys. Ole Miss student programming also gets fraternities and sororities to sponsor some of the Rebel Nights bv ' helping v ith publicit); therefore bringing in even more students. The entertiunment is not only ver) ' well received, but they are thrilled to do the job as well. They alwa)s want to come back because they get such a good turn out from the students, Bajaj said. Starting last spring. Rebel Nights has been an enjoyable experience for students and the Student Programming Board. I enjoy .seeing the students enjoy themselves, I like help contributing to their fun on a Friday night, Bajaj said. : DURING THE THINK FAST tournament, students play a competitive round of pop culture trivia. Winners receive a cash prize. I 54 I Tm; Ole Miss 2005

Page 57 text:

, ;° snag the CoX ' T ' sab e ' tS4wni,«. . placed within a new group of friends. Each team holds its own practices and scrimmages, and then the games begin. It ' s funny coming in each week seeing who we ' re going to play, junior Lauren Vanderpool said. Teams come up u ith pretty interesting names. Vanderpool enjoys the whole experience, but she said the best part of placing intramurals is contributing to the team. It felt great when I did something beneficial for the team, i.e. caught the frisbee! Even when V ' anerpool obtained an injury in flag football, she knew it was worth it. I took one for the team, she said. Vanderpool believes that intramurals are not for everyone. However, those that don ' t, have the best skills are not left out. You are not excluded if you aren ' t the SEC best player, Vanderpool said. Intramur als have an appeal to those simply seeking fun as well as those who have always played sports. I ' ve played sports since I was four, Amy Hardin Murphey said. I didn ' t want to play in college because it was like a job. But, to be able to play and just have fun is great. Amidst all the fun in intramurals, competition is pretty stiff. There is a points system in which many greek organizations and other groups participate. This makes the games worth more than winning or losing. Points are also awarded based on sportsmanship. The point system allows groups to be involved in the activities throughout the year and vie for the title of Overall Intramural Champions. Each year the winner is added to the point system banner in the Turner Center Gymnasium. Although the ultimate goal of competing in intramural activities is to claim the championship, the sideline benefits are excellent. It ' s a good wa - to stay imoKed in the campus, in sports and in games. Through intramural sports, you can even make money as an official, Scrimpshire said. Student Life | 53

Page 59 text:

Student Life | 55