Boston and Atlanta natives make plans for Sunday's Super Bowl

As the Super Bowl approaches, Penn students prepare to experience the annual television staple away from their homes and families. 

Although some freshmen may have never watched it without their hometown friends, many have stakes in the game and are still gearing up to watch.

For College freshman and Savannah, Ga. native Rebecca Suh, who usually spends more time following college football than the National Football League, this Super Bowl is special. However, Suh did not follow the Atlanta Falcons’ progress during this NFL season.

“I just didn’t know they were good,” Suh admitted. “I thought they were bad. I swear, they used to be bad.”

The Falcons have never won the Super Bowl and have only participated once.

This year, Suh will fit the game into her busy schedule, as will many of her friends from home. Although she might have to stream the game on her computer as she completes homework, Suh looks forward to cheering for her home team.

“Everyone in Savannah is a Falcons fan," Suh said. “I think that Atlanta as a city is really spread out … there is a lot to do, but it’s not very united. So I think it will help morale. If I were home right now, it would all probably be pretty exciting.”

Although College freshman Kavi Munjal supports neither team competing in the game, he welcomes the opportunity to see the upstart Falcons win at the expense of the dynastic New England Patriots, who have won four Super Bowls in the last 15 years.

Munjal plans to view the game with friends in New College House.

“I’m actually excited, because they’re having it in the media room. Most Sundays during the NFL season, I would reserve the media room and watch the games there with a few people … and it was a great time because everybody was really excited. It’s a college atmosphere.”

Boston native and College freshman Paul Litwin anticipates watching the Patriots compete for the franchise's ninth Super Bowl title at a fraternity house or Smokey Joe’s.

“For me, it would just be about Tom Brady being able to cement his legacy,” Litwin said. “I think most reasonable people agree he’s easily one of the top quarterbacks of all time.”

College senior Sarah Litwin, Paul’s sister and fellow Patriots fanatic, has searched for the perfect Super Bowl viewing setting throughout her college career.

“In the past, I’ve watched it at fraternity houses, sorority houses [and] on my friend’s laptop,” Sarah said.

However, the noisy atmosphere of large fraternity and sorority house Super Bowl parties often precluded Litwin from focusing on the game. This year, she reserved two tables from the owner of Smokes’ dedicated for her friends and friends of friends.

“It’s sort of a unique thing,” Litwin said. "I think the Super Bowl is a time for everyone to be together. Growing up, my family used to have Super Bowl parties almost every year ... it was like a holiday at my house.”

This year, Litwin is “trying to bring that tradition to people at Penn who might not have had that background.”

“I would love to be around other die-hard Pats fans, but I understand that people at Penn come from diverse backgrounds and are not always Patriots fans,” Litwin said. “So I can befriend those people, as long as we both can bite our tongues during the game.”