Students and community members can pack into Lantz Arena for the “Pack the House” pep rally Thursday.

The Eastern Athletic Department is having a pep rally to get everyone excited about the upcoming basketball season, as well as introduce people to the athletic department. “Pack the House” is a free event at 7 p.m. Thursday in Lantz Arena.

Anthony Orlando, director of athletic marketing, said he wants to open Lantz to everyone, not just those who are interested in sports.

“It’s not just about basketball,” Orlando said. “It’s a community show.”

Orlando said he hopes to fill all the seats in Lantz and have a lot of people at the event.

“You walk in there and there will be a lot of noise and a lot of cheering, the fight song will be playing, so it creates that good atmosphere in Lantz Arena,” Orlando said.

“Pack the House” is two events packed in one. There will be a pep rally followed by the performance of hypnotist Tom DeLuca.

DeLuca started out as a therapist before becoming a comedian. He has been named College Entertainer of the Year four times.

Orlando said he has seen DeLuca before and he usually performs at major universities and is happy to have him perform for Eastern.

“I never believed in hypnotism and I watched his show and I believed it when I was done, which is hard for me to do because I’m a skeptical person,” Orlando said.

Orlando said he thinks DeLuca will attract people who do not usually attend Lantz events.

Orlando said his goal is to introduce people who are not interested in basketball to the atmosphere in Lantz. He said people will come for the hypnotist and will see the pep rally and they will possibly walk away with a different view on basketball.

The pep rally “Midnight Madness” will present the 2011- 2012 men and women’s basketball team.

The teams will be entertaining the audience members with contests that show off some of what Eastern can expect from the teams this season.

Six members from the men’s team will participate in a three-round dunk contest and the women will be having four people participating in a three-point shootout. The shootout will be a two-round competition.

There will also be performances by the Eastern Dance Team, the Pink Panthers, the cheer team and the pep band.

The athletic department will also be celebrating Halloween by having a costume contest.

Orlando said marketing interns will walk around the audience and pick the top five costumes that will be rated by audience applause. The winner of this competition will receive a $300 Wal-Mart gift card.

Orlando said he hopes everyone comes.

“I want to pack the house because we want Lantz filled to capacity because I want students to know when they come to Lantz and it’s filled and there are no seats left, that is the best atmosphere in college basketball and they will have a good time,” Orlando said.

Samantha McDaniel can

be reached at 581-2812

or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.