By LeighAnn Wolle | Echo
If you walk into a Taylor dorm this week, you'll probably find dozens of empty Starbucks cups, open textbooks and assortments of strange clothing. From buying footie pajamas to putting together the parts of Santa suits, students are busy preparing their costumes for Silent Night.
Second Center Wengatz has been thinking about their costumes since the start of this semester. "We started seriously planning a couple of weeks before Silent Night," senior PA Davis Weerheim said. "We had to have an informal wing meeting to consolidate our ideas and eventually pick one to go for that everyone was on board with."
In years past, Second Center's costumes have allowed them to be more involved than they expected. In 2013, their costumes allowed them to play in a pre-game scrimmage. That year, most of the wing wore old Eastbrook basketball jerseys. Those jerseys came in handy when the other team was delayed by a snowstorm. "As we waited for the other team to show up, our guys were allowed to play a pickup game in Odle with another group of guys who were in jerseys," Weerheim said. "Our wing was so excited to be playing in front of the whole student body on Silent Night that we did not even score once in the few minutes that we played. It was memorable nonetheless."
The process is more informal for Third Center Olson.They didn't start planning until a few weeks ago. "The way that 3CO comes up with ideas is generally that we have an informal meeting and just throw ideas out, and there's usually a lot of yelling," junior Katherine Fritzeen said. The idea they have decided on was not proposed until a couple days ago. This year's costume is a surprise, but Fritzeen still loves her costume from last year. Her wing went as dalmatians and one woman went as Cruella de Vil, inspired by the movie "101 Dalmatians."
Many people are excited to see what Third Center Wengatz will come up with. The last two years they have taken their inspiration from Disney and Pixar movies. Two years ago, they were a moving sea anemone, much like Nemo's home from "Finding Nemo." Last year, each man on the wing dressed up as a toy alien from "Toy Story." The cameo was complete with "The Claw"-a cardboard contraption dangling from a broom handle.
While not many Lincoln Christian University students will be able to make the trip from Lincoln, Illinois, to Taylor, their basketball team is doing more than watching film and going over plays. They have been busy thinking of all the craziness that could occur. The team is excited to see what will happen. "This game is just a really awesome experience," Lincoln Christian freshman basketball player Kaleb Wolters said. "I am personally hoping to see Buddy the Elf there, but overall the team is just curious about what the atmosphere will be like."
