By: Katie Vulich
A free throw is essentially an easy chance for a player to score a point for his or her team. According to Knights Nation, a free throw is an opportunity to keep the opponent from scoring a point.
While yelling is an old-school trick that may work, fat heads have bolstered the student section’s efforts of distraction for about five years. The heads are funded by the Student Government Association and cost around $50.
Visiting teams are welcomed to Knights Hall by multiple floating heads: Pope Francis, Stanley the raccoon, Thomas Merton, crying Michael Jordan, Buddy the elf and BU President Dr. Susan Donovan. The collection is discussed at weekly Knights Nation meetings.
“We usually pick new fatheads when significant events happen like getting a new president, or the Stanley raccoon video going viral,” Knights Nation’s Vice President of Finance Tommy Wegener said. “We also have Twitter polls asking the students for ideas which is how we got Buddy the elf and Michael Jordan.”
Donovan is the newest head in the collection. Donovan saw the fat head for the first time in March 2017.
“I think it’s cute. It’s all in good humor,” Donovan said. “Unfortunately, it was a bad hair day that day.”
Donovan took to Twitter to show her sense of humor about the fat head.
“I like [the fat head]. I think it’s charming,” Dr. Bill Donovan said.
While the Donovans approve of the fat heads, one of their twin daughters said she feels differently.
“I like the fact that one of my daughters was hugely embarrassed by it and in that way, it was very successful,” Dr. Bill Donovan said.
Donovan’s head brought the total to six.
Last year, Knights Nation added a fat head of one their most loyal members, Marco Hawa, a 2017 graduate and current Doctor of Physical Therapy student.
“I was honored,” Hawa said. “They talked about doing it and then it actually happened, but it would’ve been awesome to see it in person.”
Sadly, after its game-day debut, the fat head disappeared.
“Knights Nation took the responsibility to ask around and security got involved and looked at their videos,” Hawa said.
It has been more than a year since the fat head has gone missing.
“We won’t stop the search,” Wegener said.
Knights Nation does not intend to replace Marco’s fat head but is always open to suggestions for new heads.