Pre-game pancake party gets students in Badger spirit

What’s a Hoosier anyway? No one knows for sure – not even Indiana fans – but UW–Madison students will do their best to personify Hoosiers at the Hoosier Mascot Pre-Game Pancake Party before the Wisconsin vs. Indiana game Saturday, Oct. 6.

Hosted by the Wisconsin Alumni Association and UW Housing, this free, non-alcoholic event begins 2 1/2 hours before kickoff at the UW Stock Pavilion.

Students will have a chance to show their Badger pride by competing in a Hoosier Mascot costume contest. The student wearing the best Hoosier costume will win a trip to the 2002 Wisconsin vs. UNLV game in Las Vegas. There will also be plenty of free food, door prizes and entertainment for everyone who attends.

“The Hoosier Mascot Pre-Game Pancake Party will get our community in the spirit for the game in a safe, constructive way,” says Paula Bonner, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Alumni Association. “It will show students that you don’t need to drink to have a great tailgate.”

Last year, the theme of the pregame pancake party was “Paul Bunyan” in honor of the Wisconsin vs. Minnesota game. Eric Sturtz, a junior at UW–Madison, won the Paul Bunyan costume contest by covering himself head to toe in blue paint, imitating Babe the Blue Ox. “You might say I won the contest hands – or should I say hooves? – down,” says Sturtz.

For information about the Hoosier Mascot Pre-Game Pancake Party, call (608) 262-2551.