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Syracuse University Swifties, first-time football spectators and a Baltimore Ravens fan mingled at the Schine Student Center for Super Bowl LVIII. The varied crowd gradually filled the seats and couches of the Schine Atrium as the San Francisco 49ers kicked off the game on the big screen.

“(Schine) is a space where we could all meet and it doesn’t matter where we come from, what we are studying — we just came to see the Super Bowl,” said Cristina Vîrlan, a Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow from Moldova, who watched the Super Bowl in America for the first time this year. “What unites us is Syracuse University and the Schine Center.”

As the Kansas City Chiefs faced off against the 49ers in this year’s Super Bowl, students who attended said they appreciated watching the national event with fellow students and community members. Vîrlan sat beside other Humphrey Fellows from countries such as Pakistan, Eritrea and South Korea at the back of the Schine Atrium among the crowd.

“It feels like a little family sitting here. It’s so nice,” said Lily Silver, a freshman in the Newhouse School of Public Communications. “It feels like the Super Bowl parties I went to when I was a little kid with my family.”

Some enjoyed the open viewing environment for other reasons. The ability to see fans of different teams around the room enabled a competitive intensity in some audience members.

“It feels good watching the Chiefs fans cry,” said Middlesex College freshman Caleb Randle.

While San Francisco took an early lead, in the end, the game did not go Randle’s way. The Chiefs defeated the 49ers 25-22 with an overtime touchdown for their second straight Super Bowl.

Throughout the game, students erupted from their seats with hands in the air or on their heads as climactic moments unfolded on the big screen. Behind the screen, Schine staff provided fans with chips, cookies and other game-day snacks.

“(I came to Schine to watch the game) because I came here last year. It’s just a good atmosphere,” said Aryan Daga, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. “There’s usually food (and) a big crowd comes, so it’s an enjoyable place to watch the game.”

Matt Kelly, a senior in the School of Information Studies, said he doesn’t have access to CBS streaming where he lives, so he appreciated Schine offering the big screen.

First-time Super Bowl watchers like Jacques Safari, an SU staff member and university alumnus, said he enjoyed watching the game with high-energy spectators.

The crowd revealed its boisterous personality during the musical performances. At Reba McEntire’s entrance to sing the National Anthem, viewers yelled “Oh my God, is that Reba!” and “Okay, Reba!” from the couches. Hoots and hollers accompanied Usher’s electric performance, with crowd members coming alive with every dance number and costume change on the stage.

Taylor Swift was another musical addition to the game. Swift became a talking point for football fans after she started dating Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Chiefs. Some attendees came just for glimpses of the red-lipped pop star from Kelce’s suite.

“I don’t know anything about football. I don’t know anything about either team. I just know Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce,” Silver said. “That’s all I know.”

Many of the fans at Schine vehemently disagreed with the publicity the pop star received ahead of the game. Some said they even started supporting the 49ers out of spite for Swift’s publicity.

Despite the tension between Chiefs fans and 49ers fans — and Ravens fans like Falk College sophomore Max Theriault — members of the SU community gathered to enjoy football in Schine. Whether they came for a desire for community, Taylor Swift or access to a TV, the entire room cheered or winced at the end of each play.

“I love watching stuff in Schine. I love it,” said Evan Hoover, a junior in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. “(I feel) camaraderie, enjoyment, electricity and joy.”

Published on February 12, 2024 at 12:54 am