Erie, Pa, February 21, 2023—It was a cold morning in Phoenix Arizona on February 12^th, 2023. We woke up at 5:30 AM and prepared ourselves for the long day ahead of us.

Each group ordered an Uber to take to us to our first spot of the day, to pick up our credentials. Compared to last year in Los Angeles, this year’s process was a breeze. Thankfully we were one of the first groups to arrive on the scene.

After we received our credentials, we were shuttled over to State Farm Stadium and proceeded to our meeting place within the stadium. After checking in for our shift at 7:30 AM we had time to sit and eat food that was provided for us.

At around 9:30 AM, our team manager Josh guided us over to the pre-game party we would be working — called Touchdown. For access to all  the different parties, fans who purchased Super Bowl tickets do pay extra

Touchdown was the lowest tier and therefore we had the most people averaging around 5,500 people in attendance. After everyone was given their duty for our shift, we sat around and enjoyed each other’s company. Some stayed at the front and were greeters, others worked photo-ops, yard games, and would shuffle around to where they were needed.

Our shift started at 11-11:30 AM and went to 3:30 PM. While it was near 40-degrees when we woke up, around 12:00-1:00 PM, it heated up and was around 74 degrees. Making it a hot shift, thankfully, there were people who periodically came around with water to encourage us to stay hydrated.

I worked a photo-op with another Gannon student, and it was a great opportunity to network with those who were waiting in line. Throughout the shift, there were Eagles fans who would start shouting their chant and it was interesting to see everyone in different parts of the party join in for the chant.

While there were Eagles and Chiefs fans, mostly everyone got along and showed good sportsmanship. It was a time for those who supported different teams to put aside their differences and enjoy the party together. After our shift ended and everyone in the party was ushered into the stadium at 3:30 PM, we headed back to our check-in spot in the stadium and checked-out and enjoyed lunch together.

We were able to go into the stadium and enjoy the game. Spreading out throughout the stadium, we all had different angles and made for good conversation later in the evening.

When Rihanna came on for her halftime performance, the stadium roared. The stage looked to be a neon orange in person and Rihanna blended in with the stage yet stood out from her backup dancers.

After the halftime show, the closeness of the game had everyone on the edge of their seats. Th excitement and anticipation of the next play either had the crowd cheering or disappointed. The final play took the crowd by storm and left everyone in awe. For those who were Chief fans were in awe and the Eagles fans were in dismay.

After the game it took us hours to get back to the hotel because of all the traffic of more than 67,000 people. Once we were able to get back to the hotel, the party didn’t stop. Those who were in the hotel lobby were enjoying each other’s company and sharing about the events that happened that night.