Shining under Friday Night Lights

By Shanna O’Mara

Friday Night Lights returned to campus for the third consecutive year, bringing football and entertainment to Rider students.

On Sept. 25, three flag football games were played at Ben Cohen Field, featuring showdowns between fraternities Tau Kappa Epsilon and Sigma Phi Epsilon, a game between members of the sororities, as well as All-Stars from the intramural flag football league.

“I loved that the coaches, [senior business administration] Bre’Quan Simon and [junior accounting] Cory Fowler, decided to mix up the players on the team by putting members from every sorority on a team together,” said sophomore  business administration major Demiera Lockhart. “It allowed all of us to come out of our comfort zones and get to trust and know each other as we learned plays and practiced. Being on the field with my sisters as well as the lovely ladies of the other sororities was so much fun. The friendly competition among the teams made for a great game.”

The teams battled it out in volunteer-based games which also featured a performance by The Rider Dance Team and entertainment provided by 107.7 The Bronc. 

“I volunteered to participate because I have experience from playing on a flag football team in elementary and high school,” Lockhart said. “I felt it would only be right if I stepped up and represented my organization.”

The crowd featured an array of students and staff who came to support the players and enjoy a night of sports, music and free food from Chickie’s & Pete’s.

“The atmosphere was great. A lot of people went to the games and cheered everyone on,” said sophomore player Cole Nelson, global supply chain management major. “People from all Greek organizations were there.”

Lockhart explained what it meant to have her friends cheering in the stands.

“It was an amazing game even though my team was losing at first,” she said, “but we came back, and it was a back-and-forth battle until the end. I loved how everyone’s athletic capabilities were on different levels, but once we got on the field, it all somehow came together. In the end, everyone made a few new friends. It was great to see Greeks as well as [other] Rider students support each other from the sidelines.”