As Friday's Opening Night doubleheader approaches, the Mason campus continues its preparation for the two jewel events that mark the opening of another hoops season in Fairfax. Mason Student Government is putting the finishing touches on its 9th annual Gold Rush event at the Mason statue; and once again, it'll be followed by the Hoopla Block Party outside the Patriot Center.
Gold Rush, a Mason tradition since 2006 will see thousands of Mason students gather at the George Mason statue on the center of campus at 3 p.m. for a pre-game pep rally to get everyone geared up for the men's and women's basketball openers later that evening in the Patriot Center. The Mason drumline will be performing, and students will hear from leaders from all over campus, including men's basketball head coach Paul Hewitt. Then, as 4 p.m. approaches, students will receive their coveted Gold Rush 2014 t-shirt. The design of the t-shirts is kept secret until they are revealed at the statue, and is chosen each year by a vote of Mason students.
After acquiring, and putting on their new shirts, students march en masse to the Patriot Center for the annual Hoopla Block Party prior to entering the Patriot Center. More than a dozen on-campus groups and organizations have RSVP's to be a part of the block party, including:
-PAC
-Weekends at Mason
-Alumni Relations
-Campus Adjudicatory Board
-University 100 Peer Advisors
-Graduate and Professional Student Association
-WAVES
-Housing & Residence Life
-Mason Recreation
-Off Campus Advisors
-Mason Student Government
Students will have the opportunity to eat, drink and play games in the parking lot outside of the Patriot Center as they get geared up for the openers. As Hoopla winds down, it'll be time to head into the Patriot Center as Mason women's basketball opens up its 2014-15 season with Virginia Tech at 5 p.m., followed by men's basketball against Cornell at 7:30.
