Midnight Madness Returns Friday Night

KEENE, N.H. 10/19/10 – Keene State will hold its annual Midnight Madness celebration at Spaulding Gym on Friday night. Keene State students are strongly encouraged to arrive early for the event.  Doors open at 10:30 p.m., with festivities getting under way at 11:15. The first 1,500 students that come through the door will receive specially designed Madness T-shirts.

The 14th Madness at Keene State promises to be a fun and enjoyable night. Program highlights include unusual contests, incredible prizes and giveaways, and performances by the KSC cheerleading and dance squad, leading up to the introduction of this year’s men’s and women’s teams at the stroke of midnight.

“We can’t wait to perform on Friday night,” said Katie Henthorne, a senior cheerleader from Patchogue, N.Y. “We’ve been preparing our routines the past few weeks.”

Kaila Schippani, a senior from Oxford, Conn., says the crowd should expect something a little bit different from the KSC dance team.  “We're hoping to get the crowd up out of their seats and dancing along with us by the very end,” she said.

The excitement is filtering through campus, especially when it comes to the prizes, which include a $10,000 shot, an airline voucher, Boston Celtics tickets with a limo ride to the game, and meal plan awards.

Following the games, the Keene State men’s and women’s basketball teams take the floor and entertain the crowd with slam dunk and shooting contests.

Both young teams will have members experiencing Madness for the first time. “I heard good things about it," said Oliver Hunter, a junior transfer from St. Anselm. “A lot of students are coming up to us and asking about it.”

“The returning players have told us to expect a wild and crazy night,” said Emily Winskowicz, a freshman from Topsfield, Mass “It sounds like a lot of fun.”

“This kicks off the athletic year for a lot of students,” said KSC women’s basketball coach Keith Boucher. “I hope they bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the gym and it carries over throughout the season.”

“Every year I realize how much the players look forward to Midnight Madness,” said KSC men’s basketball coach Rob Colbert. “It’s an opportunity for them to participate in one of the biggest student events on campus. It’s nice for the players to know how well they’re supported.”

Midnight Madness is sponsored by KSC Athletics, the Lloyd P. Young Student Center, the Vice-President’s Office for Student Affairs, and Keene State Student Government.