The Bucs kicked off the basketball season with Midnight Madness on Nov. 13.

Students were invited to meet both the men’s and women’s teams as well as participate in activities like a three-point contest and scavenger hunt. Prizes included cash and pizzas. Students also got the opportunity to learn Whitworth’s famous interlude dance.

“There was a lot of energy; I thought it was a great way to kick off the basketball season,” freshman Bailey Stevens said. “It was cool to introduce the teams and see what they’re all about.”

Both the men’s and women’s teams were introduced to the Whitworth community.

“My favorite part was probably running out in front of everyone, it was cool because everyone was cheering and was excited,” freshman power forward Briann Maley said.

Maley said that the turn out to midnight madness shows that the campus is behind the team as they start the season.

Both teams get pumped up thanks to midnight madness.

“Our players really feed off of our fans at home games and midnight madness is one of the biggest crowds that we get and I think that just excites our players to know that the student body supports them so well and is looking forward to the season as well,”men’s basketball head coach Matt Logie said.

The big event of the night was the premier of the “We are Pirates” music video created by Whitworth students junior Cody DeJardin, junior Peter Delap, senior Shannon Winant, junior Jesse Salzwedel and senior Drew Goranson. The viral hit featured all of Whitworth’s sports and almost all of the teams actually participated in the video.

“They wanted to contribute, but they also wanted to see themselves in the video so it was cool that they wanted to participate and were participating willingly,” Salzwedel said.

The video has over 10,000 hits on YouTube and was also featured on a local news station.

The guys said that the goal was to unite the Whitworth community behind its athletics as well as increasing fan identity so people would be more supportive towards all of the sports teams, not just basketball.

“The goal was to unite all of Whitworth, all of students, faculty, staff, alumni, the greater community. Unite them towards the athletic program like letting them know that athletes are real people too they’re not separate,” Winant said. “Midnight Madness kicks off the season for the basketball teams at Whitworth and the video has created a fan identity that has the campus excited to be Pirates.

“I feel like it’s been a blessing just to be a part of it,” Delap said. “Obviously we have the best school in the nation as far as fan support.”

Contact Whitney Carter at [email protected].