Hillsdale responds to Madness
Faculty, students and staff seek the glory of March Madness' ultimate winner
Andy Buss
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: Sports
Hillsdale College students and staff find themselves in the final stage of unpredictable glory. With the conclusion of March Madness next week, all they have left is to cluth their printed and filled-out brackets in hope for Final Four success.
Six rounds of single-elimination play welcome the top 65 NCAA Division I men's basketball teams into March Madness each year. Competition among seeded teams delivers nail-biters, upsets and, ultimately, a champion. For basketball fans, March brings excitement in filling out brackets, pride when picking winners, and glory of choosing the team who wins it all.
"Some people put March Madness up there on the same level as the Super Bowl," said Rich Moeggenberg, head of financial aid at Hillsdale, who participates in a pool with several other Hillsdale staff members and friends outside of the college. "It's kind of a tradition - many people who don't even watch college basketball do it."
This phenomenon abounds among those most passionate about college sports: college students.
"I follow basketball pretty closely," junior Tom Thistleton said. "This year might be one of my best years - I had seven out of the elite eight."
Thistleton, who has done a bracket for the last 13 or 14 years, is involved with both family and friend pools.
With the upsets and unpredictability in the 65-team tournament, picking teams is far from a science.
"It's probably 60-40," sophomore Kevin Boyle said. "Knowledge is 60 percent, and luck is 40 percent."
Due to Georgetown University being upset by Davidson College, Boyle won't be winning back the five dollars he put in a pot with friends.
"Not a very good year this year," he said. "I had Georgetown winning it all."
Others, such as Financial Aid Staff Assistant Angie Paulsen, go by conference loyalties. She isn't fairing too well either with the recent upset of her pick to win it all, Wisconsin University.
"I'm out already," Paulsen said. "It was between Wisconsin and Michigan State who I would pick. I was thinking Big Ten."
Six rounds of single-elimination play welcome the top 65 NCAA Division I men's basketball teams into March Madness each year. Competition among seeded teams delivers nail-biters, upsets and, ultimately, a champion. For basketball fans, March brings excitement in filling out brackets, pride when picking winners, and glory of choosing the team who wins it all.
"Some people put March Madness up there on the same level as the Super Bowl," said Rich Moeggenberg, head of financial aid at Hillsdale, who participates in a pool with several other Hillsdale staff members and friends outside of the college. "It's kind of a tradition - many people who don't even watch college basketball do it."
This phenomenon abounds among those most passionate about college sports: college students.
"I follow basketball pretty closely," junior Tom Thistleton said. "This year might be one of my best years - I had seven out of the elite eight."
Thistleton, who has done a bracket for the last 13 or 14 years, is involved with both family and friend pools.
With the upsets and unpredictability in the 65-team tournament, picking teams is far from a science.
"It's probably 60-40," sophomore Kevin Boyle said. "Knowledge is 60 percent, and luck is 40 percent."
Due to Georgetown University being upset by Davidson College, Boyle won't be winning back the five dollars he put in a pot with friends.
"Not a very good year this year," he said. "I had Georgetown winning it all."
Others, such as Financial Aid Staff Assistant Angie Paulsen, go by conference loyalties. She isn't fairing too well either with the recent upset of her pick to win it all, Wisconsin University.
"I'm out already," Paulsen said. "It was between Wisconsin and Michigan State who I would pick. I was thinking Big Ten."
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