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The Notre Dame football game is upon us, and it is our civic duty as SuperFans to be adequately prepared for a night that comes but one every two years. If you think Saturday, Nov. 10 will be like any other game day with more time to sleep in, consider this your warning: you can sleep when you are dead. Our football team has been practicing for this very night since before football season began, and it is your job to keep the student section as lively as the field itself.
In case this is your first time experiencing the glory of a Notre Dame game, here are the top 10 ways to prepare for this Saturday night.
10. Cut off all ties with your Notre Dame friends.
Photo courtesy of djclear904 / Flickr
This isn’t a Holy Friendly Competition. This isn’t a Holy 3rd Grade Soccer Game Where Everyone Gets A Trophy. This is a Holy War. I don’t care if your high school sweetheart goes to Notre Dame; for one night every other year, he or she is dead to you, no questions asked.
9. Print your ticket ahead of time.
Photo courtesy of Gillian Freedman
Unless you’re one of the five people at BC who owns a functioning printer, don’t come home from classes on Friday afternoon without your ticket in hand. The game starts at 8:00 p.m. on a Saturday, and none of your friends are nice enough to stop in O’Neill on the way over.
8. Untrained SuperFans not welcome.
Photo courtesy of CollegeDegrees360 / Flickr
If you are bringing a sibling or a friend who does not go to BC, this SuperFan guide must be their bible from now until the moment you enter the student section. If you are planning to bring a friend who goes to Notre Dame, refer to #10 and find them a hotel to stay at, preferably somewhere in Canada.
7. Make a playlist.
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Listening to “Gangam Style” on repeat may get you hyped up, but no Notre Dame pregame is complete without some Dropkick Murphys.
6. Stock up on face paint and temporary tattoos.
Photo courtesy of Gillian Freedman
BC temporary tattoos will leave burn marks on your skin 70% of the time. Worth it.
5. Whip out the Superfan sweatshirt.
Photo courtesy of Jenna LaConte / Gavel Media
According to the multitude of snowy Gasson muploads that have been inundating every form of social media, it snowed this week. Your short-sleeved SuperFan tee shirt clearly isn’t going to do the job, but do not make the mistake of throwing a long sleeved shirt on underneath it and hoping for the best. You will need layers on layers on layers. On layers. Just make sure that the outermost article of clothing has a BC logo on it!
4. Determine your tailgate(s) of choice.
Photo courtesy of Gillian Freedman
Tailgate food for night games is top-notch, as tailgaters make the transition from finger sandwiches to grilled deliciousness. If none of your friends have tailgates, it is time to make some better friends.
3. Implement a buddy system.
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Note: if that YouTube clip means nothing to you, we probably couldn’t be friends.
There is no cell phone signal in Conte Forum. Due to this whole daylight savings sham, it will be dark before the game even starts. If you lose track of your friends, it is likely that you will be spending your evening wandering aimlessly, hoping that no strangers try to pick you up and throw you in the air after a touchdown.
2. Prepare to say “cheese!”
Photo courtesy of BC Student
There will be FanFoto cameramen all over the place trying to catch you at your very ugliest. Don’t let the FanFoto man win!
1. Regardless of the score, cheer BC on until the game ends or your lungs explode. Whichever comes first.
Screenshot by Gillian Freedman
There is no excuse for leaving early. You’ll be energized by your pump-up playlist, warmed by your layers of clothing, full from your delicious tailgating experience, and surrounded by friends. Just remember: football fans throughout the country will be tuning into the game on ESPN, and the last thing you want them to see is you sneaking out early – or worse, a half-empty Alumni Stadium.
School, major and year: A&S, English and communication, 2014
Hometown: Acton, MA, but my parents recently moved to Beacon Hill, which is way cooler.
What makes the Gavel so BANGin’? Everyone is just the perfect amount of weird. It is one of very few environments in which I don't feel like the weirdest person in the room.
If you could go back in time and give yourself a pep talk the night before you moved into BC as a freshman, what is the most important piece of advice that you would give to your former self? I would offer myself a friendly reminder that everyone comes to college friend-less, and therefore looking for friends. Before coming to BC, I pictured myself eating every meal in solitude because I forgot that I wasn't the only person who would be entering day one without really knowing anybody. That was silly of me.
What is your favorite study spot on campus? Stuart law classrooms.
What is your go-to meal at Late Night? Mozzarella sticks.
What is the #1 most played song on your iTunes? "Gong Li" -- Red Hot Chili Peppers.
What is the best Halloween costume that you have ever worn? I was a Hershey's kiss as a toddler. Aaaaaand I rocked it.
If you could befriend the main characters from any TV show or movie, who would you choose and why? "The Office," because I have always thought that Jim and Pam would appreciate my sense of humor.
