Bringing back Panther Mayhem to UNI Athletics
Bringing back Panther Mayhem to UNI Athletics
Jingling keys, purple and gold striped overalls, chants, “The Interlude” dance and students standing shoulder to shoulder… When it all comes together, it can only be described one way: mayhem.
Panther Mayhem, that is — the official student section at UNI Athletics events.
“Student involvement at the games brings a louder, more excited, more consistent group of people,” said Lydia Kernen, a senior majoring in public relations: special events with a minor in entrepreneurship, who happens to also be a marketing assistant for UNI Athletics. Kernen, along with Dani Duffey, Sophia Jungling and Savannah Soltero who all work in the Athletics department, are co-presidents of the revived student organization under the same Panther Mayhem name.
Students can already attend all home UNI athletic events for free. Panther Mayhem is about organizing the student presence at games and ensuring that student-athletes have an engaged audience. Panther Mayhem is hoping to organize groups who can attend sporting events together, making the experience of UNI Athletics more enjoyable both at home and away.
“If you're going to go anyway, you might as well be in the front row with people that you know, creating a fun atmosphere for everyone,” said Kernen.
Panther Mayhem, originally called Panther Pep Crew, first received recognition as a student organization in 2009. The group officially became known as Panther Mayhem in 2017. But like many things across campus, COVID-19 took its toll - causing a dwindling student presence at Panther athletics events that, according to Kernen, has not rebounded since. Now, as the Northern Iowa Panthers kick off the fall 2023 season, the mission is clear: Bring back Panther Mayhem.
Panther Mayhem has gotten the word out with incoming freshmen and returning students through a presence at the student organization fair and Maucker Union. The group is also using a Google form on their Instagram page (@unipanthermayhem) to gauge interest in each sport - not just ticketed events like volleyball, football, wrestling and basketball – but all sports including soccer, swimming & diving, track & field, softball and tennis. The hope is to identify interested groups of students for every sport with the exception of golf.
Outside of the athletic competitions, Kernen hopes for Panther Mayhem to meet as a group once per athletics season to set expectations for each sporting event.
What all is in store for Panther Mayhem? Kernen said it’s too early to say what traditions the group might create or revive, but she has already spent time looking into old chants the student section used to perform at athletics events. She hopes that after a few semesters, Panther Mayhem is deeply embedded in the campus culture and everyone at UNI knows what it is.
While creating fun is a big goal for Panther Mayhem, Kernen wants it to be more than that. She hopes to see Panther Mayhem solidify the community that exists at UNI. A vibrant student section also brings energy to others who attend, including returning alumni, members of the community, visitors and future Panthers. She also hopes to see the increased excitement at sporting events motivate UNI’s student-athletes.
“I think it just creates a sense of community of knowing these are my people, this is my team,” she said. “It's more than school. I want people to be proud to be here and want the university to succeed. I want them to want to support their classmates and our student-athletes. I think this is a good way for people to put into the school rather than just taking out.”
