PEP RALLY THIS SUNDAY

It is upon us! The first Pep Rally in 11 years will be hosted in the ICI Center at 5 pm on Sunday. Embry-Riddle's Greek community is going to be going all out with skits, a wing eating contest and we're lowering the hoops down to 8 ft for a dunk contest. We know that we've had a lot going on around campus lately, but this is it. There are only three more guaranteed basketball games left at home this year. We need you to create a great atmosphere for one of Embry-Riddle's best teams of all-time. How can you do it?
Well, for starters, you could take down TASK 45 from the EMBRY-RIDDLE 50 TASKS.

The pep rally is right before the biggest game in regular season history at the ICI Center. Our opponent? The #2 ranked Northwood University, coached by the former Villanova head basketball coach Rollie Massimino. You could do some simple Google searches for Northwood basketball players (we've already done one HERE for you, oh and HERE is their roster). You're already cruising to finish TASK 45. However, when the lights come on on Monday night, it's your show. Use every bit of information you've culled for the internet, and unleash it on our opponent.

We've got some additional insider information, too. Yes, the pep rally is going to be great, but, and let me run with this for a little bit, what if you wanted to do more? What if you wanted to crawl up inside the recesses of the Northwood players' heads? You've already done your research on Northwood players, what else is there for you? Come down this worm hole for a second.

What if there was a group of students that knew about the start time for Northwood's shoot around at the ICI Center on Sunday? What if they were to show up at 11:30, all wearing grim reaper masks or painting their faces like the guys from the film Dead Presidents? What if when the Northwood team strolled off their charter bus at 11:45 for their 12:00 noon shoot around time, those same guys were lined up dressed in all black silently guarding the ICI Center? What if as the Northwood team walked past, all those disguised guys just stared at them in complete silence?

What would happen? Would they freak? Would they laugh? Would they know what they were walking into on Monday night?

Here's what they would know. That they wouldn't just be playing against our basketball team on Monday night. They'd be playing against all of Embry-Riddle. That the ICI Center will be protected by every student on this campus. That no team comes on to our campus and wins.

TASKS 2011 STYLE!

We've officially come to a date for Embry-Riddle Athletic's first Pep Rally in 11 years. Come on, now, that's a pretty big deal. Our hope is to pair it up with Greek Night and have our Greek Life get freaky for about a minute each as the basketball team judges their lip sync-skits. We'll also lower the hoops a few feet and have a 8.5 ft dunk contest between the Greeks before we raise them back up and have the Greeks judge our hoops team on a 10 ft rim dunk contest. Also included in the events will be a Sea Hawk Wing Eating Contest (we'll be playing the Sea Hawks from Northwood University the next day), and a t-shirt giveaway to the first 250 fans to show up to the Pep Rally.

It's gonna be a wild week. The Pep Rally will be on Sunday January 30th. The Northwood game and Greek Night will be on Monday January 31st at 7 pm. You'll get one day to breathe before the ERAU ROTC programs take over for Camo Night (TASK 43) on February 2nd.

Even before all of that begins we'll have a legit Rez Rumble. I know that the first few have been a little lackluster, but this will be the real deal. We've finally got some competitions to throw in the mix so that we can crown the best of the residence halls. On Wednesday January 26th the Rez Rumble kicks off an hour and a half before the basketball game with a disc toss and a wing eating competition. On Thursday January 27th we'll be taking it to the Ocean Deck for an obstacle course and tire flip competition with the Deck providing some food. On Friday January 28th we've got another basketball game and another Rez Rumble game with lawn games and a free BBQ happening at 5:00pm. As always, percentage of attendance will help to determine which residence hall is the champ.

It's a great way to kick off the new semester. Let's get as many of the 50 TASKS done as we can!

ADDITION TO TASK 27

We will soon be adding this to TASK 27:

That's right, a t-shirt slingshot. The video is terrible, but the opportunities will be great. It'll shoot a shirt over 100 yards. Simply put, it's a nice addition to the one t-shirt cannon we already have in the stable (and we'll be getting three slingshots).

Also, we have a student who is working on creating a t-shirt cannon for the Athletic Department's use. Got to love working at a school with incredible engineers! Looking forward to the finished product come the 2nd semester.

TASK 6: THE MUSTACHE

Gentlemen (and there are quite a few of you on this campus),

It's November, or more to the liking of my own ears: Movember. Check out the site to see how you can get involved in supporting men's health - not the magazine, just a better lifestyle. It's an important cause and one worth throwing out your razor's for a month. The song above is quite hilarious give it a listen, and if you are enthralled with the sweet melodies then you can be transported to another dimension by owning the song. It's up on iTunes.

It's also perfect timing. Both our soccer teams are in the midst of their playoffs, as is our women's volleyball team, and our cross country teams will be heading cross county to compete in nationals shortly. Get out there and grow some excess hair!

Enjoy a few short videos while your at it:

ALUM MARK HOGAN ON THE 50 TASKS

Mark Hogan is a smart guy. Graduate of Embry-Riddle. Worked for the school for a few years after graduating. Got a job with a small airplane company known as Boeing. Moved to Seattle. Became the General Supervisor for Boeing's Testing. Let's just say he's done well for himself.

What's great about Mark is that he makes a point to come back every year. A couple of years ago he was in a kilt for Homecoming, this year he decided to take on R. Rodriguez in the Moe's Burrito Eating Contest. He comes back because he ran shop at Embry-Riddle. He was a member of the Lambda Chi fraternity. He began the precursor to the Flock, and injected some energy and excitement around the Athletic Department. He started a whole slew of cheers that still stick around today at Embry-Riddle. The man is legend.

Mark came down to Daytona not knowing anything about the 50 TASKS, but now he wants to own it. We got him to sit in front of a camera and talk about the glory days and about how he's challenged every student on campus that he can do more Tasks from his home in Seattle, Washington, than they can do on campus. I know Mark's got some gusto, but let's go Eagles. Make Mark eat crow.

HOMECOMING + TASKS

It was a busy weekend to say the least. Four home games on Saturday alone, and I'm still trying to recover. The teams got it done, though. All winners; Volleyball (3-0), Men's Soccer (6-0), Basketball (91-67) and Women's Soccer (0-0; 3-1 in penalty shots). We had some people turn in some serious TASK work, too.

Our first TASK 5 is accomplished. Was it ever accomplished. Bobby and Alex didn't just go with the Speedo, they added another dimension by going straight up Sisqo on us with that thong, tha-thong, tha-thong. Kudos, gentlemen (pictured above).

I saw a big head in the crowd (TASK 20), I saw 1,300 people show up for the first basketball game (part of TASK 49) and we had a few participants in all of our different in-game promotions (TASK 41).

Keep knocking them off, people. This weekend basketball is hosting back to back games: Friday (8 pm) and Saturday (either 5 or 7 pm).

TOO LONG!

It's been too long since we've been here, and that's entirely my fault. We were busy getting ready for the start of basketball season and the beginnings of conference tournament time for our soccer and volleyball teams. We're still looking for our first 10 TASK finisher, and I know we've got a few of you out there - we just need to see the photographic evidence posted up on the EMBRY-RIDDLE 50 TASKS wall.

Maybe you don't have a camera. Well, Christmas is coming up and we suggest that you ask Santa for one. Maybe this one (HD video capabilities). Or this one (it also shoots video in HD). Or get a sweet (and cheap) Hero cam for when you jump out of the plane to skydive into the game.

Any way, it's time to get cranked up for some more tasks. You can knock off another piece of TASK 49 this Saturday when basketball holds their home opener & Homecoming game. Check out the video above for all the action this weekend (psst - there's a lot going on. Only on Saturday).