With the teams set and the Super Bowl less than two weeks away, many around the country begin planning their watch parties for the big game. Although the Super Bowl carries the weight of being a pseudo- national holiday in many parts of the country, the event is usually celebrated with less fanfare at Wake Forest. One reason may be that the game is always on a Sunday night, making it di cult for students to watch while catching up on homework for Monday and Tuesday classes. But just think, if your professors were watching the game, how much would they care if you skipped your readings
for one day? I say that we should make Super Bowl watch parties a thing at Wake Forest. To that end, here is
a short guide on where to go, how to watch and what to eat during the Super Bowl.
Where to Watch:
As far as locations for watching the game are concerned, there are three general choices: you can watch it in your dorm, in a common gathering area on campus or at a local bar or restaurant that has televisions. e last option is fun for getting together with a couple friends and also hanging around complete strangers for the game. But it does not make a Super Bowl watch party. Another option is to get together in a common area, such as hall lounge, to put the game on one of the at-screen televisions. I like this option for the abundance of seating around the television and for its communal atmosphere. Some added responsibilities come with this option, however, which include staking out spots on the couches early and protecting your food from uninvited food vultures who stalk hall lounges for boxes of pizza left unattended. For me, I like to watch games in the comfort of my own suite, so I elect this option for your Super Bowl watch party. Some of the bene ts are that you don’t have to leave your own bed and you can keep strangers from eating your food. So, if you don’t mind cleaning up your place a little bit, consider having a Super Bowl watch party in your dorm, and always be mindful of your building’s quiet hours, etc. etc.
How to Watch:
I know that many people have televisions in their dorms and apartments; but if you do not, you can still watch the Super Bowl. is year’s game will air on NBC, a channel which all students have access to stream through the University’s Time Warner Cable Spectrum subscription.
To get streaming access to the NBC Sports website you need login credentials to Time Warner Cable Spectrum, which you can acquire by going to the cable provider’s website (https://myservices.time- warnercable. com/). But rst, you need to make a request with Information Systems for a account number, a phone number and a four-digit customer code needed for setup. You will use this information to make your account with the cable provider. en, just sign in to NBC Sports and you are all set to stream the Super Bowl from your device. If you would like to project the game for a watch party, you can reserve multimedia equipment from the library with one week notice given.
What to Eat:
In my opinion, the best part of gameday is the food. You could certainly elect the typical pizza deliv- ery option and order one of the Super Bowl packages to feed a crowd. Papa John’s and Domino’s both o er delivery deals on game day consisting of specials on pizzas, sides and two-liter bottles of soda.
Check online before the game to see each chain’s special offerings and consider ordering well ahead of time so that your order doesn’t get stuck in the long line of delivery orders that will be placed on gameday. Alternatively, you could make some simple dips for your party with just your microwave or without any cooking at all. By purchasing a few bags of chips and some simple ingredients, going this route is easy. is recipe for bu alo chicken dip is sure to be a crowd favorite, with all of the avor of the sports bar in a shareable bowl:
1 cup chunky blue cheese dressing or ranch dressing 3 tablespoons Frank’sTM RedHotTM Buffalo Wings Sauce
2 cans (10 oz each) chunk chicken, drained, chopped 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
2 medium stalks celery, finely chopped (1 cup)
1 bag of tortilla chips
In large microwavable bowl, mix dressing, sauce, chicken and cream cheese. Cover; microwave on High 2 to 3 minutes or until hot. Stir in celery. Spoon dip into serving dish. Serve with chips. (Courtesy of bettycrocker.com)
One other convenient gameday recipe is this simple setup for taco dip:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container nonfat sour cream
1(1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1/4 head iceberg lettuce – rinsed, dried and shredded 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 chopped tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives, drained
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning. Spread this mixture in a 9-inch (or a little larger) round serving dish. Top the mixture with lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper and black olives.
(Courtesy of allrecipes.com)
Although it may seem daunting to try and celebrate Superbowl Sunday like you would with your family, I hope that you will give entertaining a try. Now that you know what you will serve at your party, you can also use this quick guide to help plan the location and menu that will best suit your party. e only thing left to gure out is who to root for, Patriots or Eagles? is year, I think I will root for the commercials.
