On Feb. 25 against Kent State, the Bulls threw a party. And everyone came.
At courtside was the white-haired wizard, former President William R. Greiner, chatting with the Bull twins, Victor and Victoria.
A few rows up, amid the brass sea of the band, sat Dennis Black -clad in a blue sweater, clutching a clarinet and playing in time with the Thunder of the East.
Seven students stood in front of the bathroom's seven mirrors and painted their chests in blue with the letters "GO BULLS" in white. With pride and probably more than a little envy, the football team gathered at the edge of the bleachers in full uniform.
In a concrete and cinder block arena that has become his church, celebrity fan Jon Amitrano held court in the front row, leading the student section's packed congregation.
And on Alumni's floor, the Bulls came fast and furious. Turner Battle directed his troops like a five-star general. Mark Bortz and Yassin Idbihi played with grace and abandon in the paint. One-man highlight reel Calvin Cage lit up the floor as if coach Reggie Witherspoon was playing "NBA Street" with a controller on him.
With two minutes to go, the crowd mocked highly ranked Kent State with chants of "Over-rated! Over-rated!" With one to go, it was "Na na na na! Hey hey hey! Goodbye!"
When the final second ticked off the clock and Kent was finished, the fans - packed in for hours like sweaty sardines - rushed onto the court in a jubilant tumble.
Granted, it wasn't the first UB party to end with a ruckus. But it may have been our first collective rejoicing.
If word around campus is any measure, thousands of students are expected at the playoff game against Northern Illinois tonight. If the Bulls win (and they're expected to, by a bucket load of points), it's onto the Mid-American Conference tournament in Cleveland, and just maybe, a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Two years ago, a Bulls trip to the Big Dance was about as unlikely to happen as a relationship between Tim from "Fraternity Life" and Nicole from "Sorority Life 2." This year, it's a real possibility.
But whether the Bulls win or lose, they can look back on this season and say they've done something greater.
They've stood in front of this scattered, fragmented, decentralized university, taken its reins and tried to bring it together.
People who come here often say that despite all that UB has to offer, there's something their friends find at other schools that's missing here.
That's because UB isn't one community. Rather, it's made up of many small ones - academic units, sports, clubs and social groups - that don't add up to a cohesive whole.
It's time we admitted it. As an institution, UB is world-renowned. But as a community, UB is far less than the sum of its parts.
Think about it. How many people do you know who love their friends, enjoy their classes, but feel nothing but apathy or hate for the institution?
Isn't that unique bond - that you've got a special link with someone just because you're both UB students - missing here? Aside from orientation and graduation, what events bring us all together?
Several years ago, President Greiner thought the solution to the community deficit was a world-class athletics program. Unfortunately, UB's marquee teams stumbled their way through losing seasons for years despite a huge level of investment.
Yet tonight, as scores of students line up well before sunset to get tickets, everyone on campus is sensing the power and potential of big-time sports.
The summer sun won't emerge the morning after UB wins tonight. The campus won't disappear and reappear on the waterfront. A parking garage will still be at least 20 years away.
But as thousands in the Sea of Blue raise their arms and twirl their fingers as Turner Battle attempts a foul shot, and shout "whoosh!" when it falls, this flawed but lovable multiversity will finally be on its way to becoming a university.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
