By Ravyn Chatmon |Online editorAugusta University faculty, staff, students and parents packed into Christenberry Fieldhouse on Friday, Aug. 16 to kick off the new year with the second annual Jaguar Madness.The emcee of the evening was DJ Knightmare, well known in the Augusta community. The pep rally opened with some encouraging words filled with Jaguar spirit from AU Executive Vice President Russell Keen, a special assistant to President Brooks Keel. That led into a dance class from AU men's basketball coach Dip Metress, who had everyone on their feet clapping and swaying.The crowd was then introduced to the 13 Jaguar athletics teams. As the teams ran to the floor, the crowd was quick to cheer them on and continue to boost up the school spirt. The featured games of the night were a skilled one-on-one basketball game, a layup competition, a dance competition and an eventful game of musical chairs, with each one being more high-energy than the last. Towards the end of the evening, we were introduced to the Greek organizations present at AU through their iconic chants and roll calls.The rally closed with a silent headphones party. Students grabbed their friends and a pair of bluetooth headphones and ran to the dance floor. They were able to groove to the music, but could hang out and talk with each other since the music could only be heard if they chose to put on the headphones. It was a hit and a creative way to blend a loud dance party with a relaxed get-together.Jaguar Madness, for a second year, featured food, music, games and giveaways. It's an opportunity to get the year started with style and excitement.
Contact Ravyn Chatmon at rchatmon@augusta.edu.