by Daniel Manou
Oswego, NY- Today Show TV personality and Oswego State alum Al Roker returned the college on Mar. 31 as part of Rokerthon Three. Oswego State was the last stop on Rokerthon Three, which sent Roker to four other colleges during the week to break a Guinness World Record.
Oswego State’s world record was to have the world’s longest conga line on ice. The original record was held by the Ice Rink Canary Wharf in the United Kingdom with 353 people. Oswego State broke the record with 593 people.
Having Roker’s final stop be Oswego State, the visit had a little more meaning than the rest.
“It’s very exciting to end up having a week in Oswego. It’s very exciting and the school came through” he said.
In order to officially break the record students had to follow strict rules. The students must step in unison while holding the hips of the person in front of them for five minutes. If at any point the line broke, someone fell or messed up the moves, the attempt would be disqualified.
Organizing such an event took more effort than meets the eye, which Del Sarte President Allison Anthony learned when tasked with choreographing.
“It’s important that we all came together and found one pace and one way to communicate that works for everyone” she said. “Doing that with 500 plus people was challenging but we got it done”.
Before the conga line could even happen, Anthony and the school advertised the recruitment of skaters and held practices to teach them the moves. Making the decision to participate in the record breaking attempt was easy for most people but were based on several different motives.
For students like Ethan Magram, the thrill of being having a world record in his back pocket was enough.
“I can’t wait to look back and say I broke a world record with some of my best friends, met one of the most favorite news personalities, and I’m going to remember this forever” he said.
Others such as freshman Hannah Enigh, had a strong admiration for Roker. She saw him as a role model in her pursuit to become a broadcast meteorologist.
“I was very excited to want to be a part of something Al Roker was a part of because that was one of the main reasons I came to Oswego, to be a meteorologist and broadcasting major” Enigh said.