Benefits of Being a KU Alum

At Sharkeez in Huntington Beach

While living in Lawrence, I always knew I made the right decision to go to KU. Now as an alum, my decision is only further confirmed. Moving to California though I wondered how many alums would actually be in Los Angeles. Would any attend the watch parties? My first taste of how small the world is happened when I found out my fellow intern graduated from KU. We had no idea either of us went to KU, but it was an instant connection. This encouraged me to check out a watch party with my roommate. During football season, we settled on the Hollywood location to watch the KU verse Georgia Tech game. Unfortunately the turn out was merger, but the game was early on a Saturday. Also KU had just lost to North Dakota State, which was embarrassing. I didn’t go to another watch party for the rest of football season because our team just wasn’t very good. Yes this might seem fair weather but watching your team get pounded in public isn’t my type of fun.

I decided to give the KU watch parties a second chance for basketball season. This is one of the best decisions I have made since moving to Los Angeles. Much like basketball brings a different type of excitement in Lawrence, it brings out KU alums in California. A girl from my sorority invited me down to the Orange County alum watch party in Huntington Beach. While this is about an hour from my apartment, I wanted to check it out especially since it was to be followed with a pub crawl. OMG. This is what was missing from the other watch party. At least 60 people were clad in blue and crimson all mingling with each other. I had been transported back to college. Everyone wasn’t simply there to watch the game, but also to meet new friends and hang out with other KU alums. 

Befriending a lone K-State fan

 Since I have been pinging back and forth between the Hollywood and Huntington Beach watch parties. If I want a more laid back environment, I head east to Hollywood. If I’m feeling more in the party mood, I weave south along the 405. The bar, Sharkeez, in Huntington Beach is very welcoming of KU alums. KU’s fight song can be heard over the speakers as the crowd sings along. When we are winning, everyone is high-fiving and cheersing, but it is dead silent if we are behind. I sometimes forget I’m only a block from the beach not on Mass Street in Lawrence.

Kansas is as middle America as it gets, but KU alums scatter across the United States. Even way out in Los Angeles and Orange County, the Rock Chalk Chant resounds from the walls of watch parties celebrating a KU win.