Issue date: 3/5/09 Section: OVC Tournament Guide

Members of the "Blue Crew" cheer as senior forward Rachel Galligan and head coach Brady Sallee wave to the crowd after Galligan was honored for becoming Eastern's all-time scoring leader before the start of the team's Ohio Valley Conference Tournament game against Tennessee Tech on Tuesday night in Lantz Arena. (Alycia Rockey/The Daily Eastern News)

Following the Eastern women's basketball team to Nashville, Tenn., will also be the Eastern fan bus.

The Student Government, University Board, Apportionment Board, Student Life and the Eastern athletic department put this year's fan bus together. The bus will carry a total of 53 passengers and will cost $1,593.

Ryan Gilmore, director of marketing and promotions for the athletic department, said it was a great deal for Eastern to get this charter bus in comparison to prices for other charter buses.

"You think about a lot of charter buses and a lot of them go way over $1,593," Gilmore said. "I think the last time we got a charter bus to go to Tennessee Martin, the price was (more than) $2,000, so it's nice to have gotten a good price."

Blue Crew member and senior communications major Omar Solomon recalled that the fan bus idea was started when Solomon and a couple friends wanted to get people more involved with the success of the team.

Solomon soon contacted Gilmore and from there, the idea was put together for the fan bus to make its return.

"I really think that this fan bus is for the students and to recognize all our student-athletes," Solomon said.

The process of putting the fan bus together got started rapidly, but ran into a small complication in the form of a miscommunication about the way students would get an opportunity to be on the bus.

Originally, the AB thought students were going to be chosen by lottery, but after a Student Senate hearing on Feb. 26, it was decided that students would be given the opportunity to be on the fan bus by a first-come, first-serve basis.

Otis Seawood Jr., UB special events coordinator, said after speaking with numerous students, it was clear they wanted an opportunity for the first-come, first-serve basis.

"When you look at a lottery, it's all about the luck of the draw," Seawood said. "When you go first-come, first-serve, it shows who really wants to come and wait for tickets to go on-sale, as opposed to those that just want to put their name in and let it get picked."

Solomon said having a first-come, first-serve basis shows the level of dedication that certain students are willing to display to support their team.

"If you truly support Panther athletics, the best way to show it is to have a first-come, first-serve basis." Solomon said. "By doing it this way, it shows who is truly dedicated and wants to be a part of this experience."

Senior forward Rachel Galligan joined other members of the team in attending a Student Senate meeting to lobby for the fan bus. She said she believes the fan bus will help the team out as they have played so well at home during the season and having fans on the road will be great.

"It was great getting the fan bus approved and with 50-something fans and the Blue Crew," she said. "Our fans can get pretty rowdy."


Neil Schneider can be reached at 581-7944 or at jnschneider@eiu.edu.

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