I am UIC: Spark of a tradition

Cheering in the air, a sea of happy people and the smell of roasting marshmallows. I remember my first UIC Tailgate like it was yesterday.

My roommates and I adorned UIC gear and bolted out the door toward the Pavilion. We could hear cheering coming from three blocks away! We heard music playing and skipped down Harrison toward the parking lot. When we arrived, we saw food, friends and then we saw the s’mores station. It was a momentous day in our otherwise incredibly busy fall semester, and I still have pictures from that night stuck on my fridge door. And this year, we’re continuing that tradition we started.

It’s that time again to get fired up, UIC! The Flames Friday Tailgate is our home opener for the women’s and men’s basketball teams. As tradition goes, we’ll be meeting at the Pavilion parking lot Friday, where we’ll be greeted with free food to kick us off into the festivities,  I heard Connie’s Pizza and Vienna Beef are making an appearance.

If it wasn’t already obvious, one of my all-time favorite sections of the Flames Friday Tailgate has to be the s’mores station. Nothing gets me more excited than the sight of the s’mores tent and roasting my gooey marshmallows over the fire pit. Pure bliss.

There’ll be performances, tailgate games and face painting throughout the evening, and then it’s game time! This year, the UIC Basketball will go head-to-head with North Carolina Central at 7 p.m.

The tailgate begins at 4.30PM this Fridayand I recommend that everyone goes! Go for the food, go for your friends and go for the photos to keep on your fridge.

Both games are free for students and the tailgate is free for all.

To purchase additional tickets, go to http://www.ticketmaster.com/

Offer Codes: UIC Faculty & Staff : Staff10 | UIC Alumni: Alumni10

Trixha Wu is a full-time business marketing student and part-time fun-fact buff. Her interests vary from traveling, to puns, to the history of Vikings. When she’s not busy reading fan theories about White Walkers, she’s listening to the smooth sounds of Death Cab for Cuties. French fries are her ultimate weakness, and she spends too much time on Instagram @trixhawu