The annual White Out game–an event when Parker, Latin, and Mather students watch their respective basketball teams give it their all on the court. Last year, our girls and boys teams faced Mather and Latin at DePaul University’s Sullivan Athletic Center, a 15-minute walk from our campus. This year, fans who opt to go will be making a 30 minute automotive commute to the Illinois Institute of Technology Keating Sports Arena.
The White Out game took place at Illinois Institute of Technology’s Keating Sports Center due to renovations taking place at DePaul. Thankfully, Parker has arranged for buses to escort students to and from IIT, to encourage those who find the location a downside to attending show up.
Some Parker students are already familiar with the journey, as IIT has hosted all home games for the boy’s baseball team last year. “IIT’s facilities are really nice, and it was a big upgrade from playing at Lincoln Park, last year. It was a lot of fun,” junior Lincoln Hamid said.
In addition to the excitement of school spirit, the convenience of the game’s location has in the past provided extra reason for some students to attend, and without that ease of attendance, some students are deterred. “I’m not going. It’s way too far and I’ll get back way too late,” freshman Jack Siska said.
The boys and girls basketball teams have been working hard this year in preparation for the White Out game, and according to junior Birdie Goldblatt, “there’s been a lot of late practices. I’ve been doing other stuff on top of basketball, and on Monday we practiced at IIT and didn’t get back until nine-ish. Especially junior year, managing work on top of basketball has been tough, but the team is really supportive. Everyone’s going through it, so it could be worse.”
Junior Bryce Johnson said, “We’re going at it with high expectations, and we’ve got a good game plan going into it. We’re going to trust our practice, our game plans, our plays, and hopefully, that’ll carry us to a win.”
Though the campus is further from Parker than last year, many students still plan to attend. “I’m just going with a lot of my friends. It’s always really fun,” freshman Dev Weiss said.
This year, students and families must RSVP in order to attend the games. This is due to the limited seating at IIT, which is also the reason why only Upper School students and family members may attend the White Out games this year.
Though, White Out’s location this year may be less convenient to Parker, many students planned to attend and support the players who have been training hard all season. “I think it’s lit. It’s gonna be amazing. Parker’s gonna be up. You know, we up. Let’s go Colonels! Woo!” senior Davu Hemphill-Smith said.
