As it nears the middle of winter, Purdue University Northwest (PNW) has been anticipating one of its biggest campus traditions for several weeks. On Thursday, January 30, students and alumni came to John Friend Court in the Fitness and Recreation Center to support the university’s basketball teams with the Mane Event festivities.
Katie Holderby, PNW director of Alumni Engagement, considers the Mane Event to be the ultimate collaboration on campus.
“The Mane Event is the one night where we bring students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, community partners, and business leaders all into one space for the men's and women's basketball games,” Holderby said. “It’s always a fun night to cheer on the Pride and spend time with our peers. This is also a great opportunity for us to engage with alumni, donors, and friends of the university.”
Both the women’s and the men’s basketball teams took on the Wayne State University Warriors. The student section was pumped throughout both contests. There was an Alumni VIP Area which consisted of food, drinks and special seating for the games.
“It’s become a great tradition for this community,” Holderby said. “We’re always looking for something to do in the wintertime and this is the perfect opportunity to make the most of it. We have great partners such as Purdue Federal Credit Union, Byway Brewing Company, and our Institutional Advancement team that work hard to bring the campus community together.”
Purdue Federal Credit Union unveiled its PNW branded debit and credit cards in between the basketball action. Results of the annual Chancellor’s Cup Challenge were also announced. The challenge is a fun competition in which the PNW campus community rallies to support the PNW Food Pantry by collecting various goods.
Philip Taillon, president and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority, is no stranger to this special night at PNW. While the event stays fresh each year, he loves to see how the alumni can come back to their roots and relive what made their days as a PNW student so memorable.
“There’s always a bit of nostalgia when you come back to your alma mater,” Taillon said. “You get to reminisce on some of the good old days of college. I love coming back here and feeling the energy of this college campus. It’s always an exciting time that I want to take advantage of when the opportunity presents itself.”
Taillon, a member of the PNW alumni community, truly admires how the Mane Event walks the extra mile in creating an annual celebration that future generations will be able to look back on as well.
“It makes people feel special to know they can be a part of the school’s history and what these current students are accomplishing,” Taillon said. “Some of these students might be looking back on these days with a smile just like all the alumni here today.”
Kale Wilk, PNW communications specialist, is always thrilled to have events on campus that allow the alumni community to connect with PNW students, faculty and staff.
“The PNW alumni community is more than 70,000 people strong,” Wilk said. “Whenever we have opportunities like the Mane Event to bring our folks together, it’s exemplary of the spirit we have for Purdue Northwest and supporting our students.”
While both teams came up short on this day, the ultimate victory was bringing the PNW family into one space to celebrate the past, present, and future of this community.
For more information on Purdue University Northwest, visit pnw.edu.
