Exonians Hold Superbowl LIX Viewing Parties
By ANGELA HE, AARYAN PATEL and ISHAAN SINGH
For one night every year, Exonians set aside homework, gather in dorm common rooms, and turn their attention to the biggest sporting event in America: the Super Bowl. While some are invested in the game itself, others show up simply for the food, commercials, and, of course, the halftime show.
Sunday, Feb. 10, marked the highly-anticipated 59th Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, held in Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The game resulted in a blowout win for the Eagles, the final score reading 40-22. The Super Bowl this year, consistently the most-watched sporting event in the US each year, brought in a record-breaking 127 million viewers worldwide. Likewise, numerous student organizations and dorms held watch parties on campus for the big game.
Students were split on who they wanted to see win. “I am rooting for the Eagles,” said lower Oscar Zhu of Wentworth Hall. “I don’t want to see Patrick Mahomes with another ring.”
Many dorms took the opportunity to turn the night into a social event. “Our dorm had a watch party in the basement and we ordered food, but I watched it at my friend’s house,” Zhu shared.
Lower Artur Novaes Ferreira of Cilley Hall explained, “Our dorm fac ordered pizza, wings, and a bunch of snacks and drinks for us to have while we watched.”
Prep Tiago Bilyk of Soule Hall, who was supporting the Eagles, shared what his dorm did, “We had a really big party. We had food like wings, chips, etcetera. We watched it mostly with people from the dorm.”
Beyond the game itself, Super Bowl Sunday was a campus-wide experience. “I think it is a pretty big thing because different people are rooting for many different teams playing in the game, so there will always be conflicts between friends,” Zhu added.
“Even though everyone watching was split on who they wanted to win, everybody was still having a good time,” lower Crane Lee added.
And, of course, there’s the halftime show — arguably just as important as the game for some. “I really enjoyed Kendrick’s stage setup and his transition between songs,” Zhu said. “SZA was FIRE. Some of Kendrick’s songs are a little bit too plain though, I feel like I would like more songs that would immediately get everyone excited.”
Lee continued, “At halftime, the game was kind of a blowout so the halftime show was a great way to re-energize fans.”
“I do love Kendrick, I love his music, so I do think this whole thing was a good addition to the Super Bowl experience,” Bilyk added.
“When the last quarter started, it was pretty clear the Eagles were going to win so some people just left and went back to their rooms,” Ferreira concluded. “It was still a great time to socialize with friends and just have a good time in the dorm.”
From fierce team rivalries to halftime show critiques, the Super Bowl remains one of the few events that can bring Exonians together no matter which part of the broadcast they watch.
