In the 'Zone' of an OU legacy
A tribute to Dan Lowe, a true fan
By Lauren Sorrows
He stands 6 feet 9 inches, his head covered with green-and-white plastic pompom strands held far above the mass of people that surround him. His hands are thrown gloriously in the air, and his eyes -- almost hidden by green-and-white paint -- gaze not at the field below, but at the sky up high.
This photo of Dan Lowe, taken just a few years before his death last summer at the age of 24, epitomizes this spirited alumnus' two greatest passions: God and Ohio Athletics. Better known as "D-Lo" to his friends at Ohio, Lowe was perhaps even better known by the rest of campus as "OU's No. 1 Fan." His intense Bobcat pride combined with his uninhibited love of life shaped a selfless and high-spirited persona that few could resist.
"He touched more lives in 24 years, especially in his last six at OU, than some people will in a full lifetime," says senior Joe Wilson.
For pure numbers' sake, one could say that Lowe, BSJ '03, had 319 friends at Ohio, at least according to Facebook's records. But senior and close friend Kenny Miles guesses that number would easily have exceeded 900 if the college-based, online network had peaked during Lowe's time as an undergraduate.
Lowe came to the university in 1999 and after failing to make the school’s basketball team, he opted to devote himself to the next best thing. During his freshman year, he started a fan base that he termed "Convocation Nation," and when the athletic department introduced the O-Zone student cheering section in 2002, Lowe and his friends were determined to be the first ones with tickets. They spent the night in tents outside the Convo for the 1 p.m. sale.
And so began Lowe's unofficial two-year term as the leader of the O-Zone. His "uniform" was striking and his spirit contagious. He knew every player, rivals included, and was known for his playful antics that distracted and teased the opposing team. The infamous "winning team, losing team" cheer, although shouted for the first time by his sole voice, quickly spread to the lips of everyone in the cheering section. Even his face-painting tradition converted indifferent students, including his friend Miles, into equal extremists.
"After he graduated and moved on, the O-Zone spawned off new leaders, but I don't think anyone will ever have the same spirit and energy that he had," says Jason Durham, a senior and devoted "O-Zoner" since his freshman year. "D-Lo had a way of keeping the cheers in unison, even with the freshmen who were new to the section and didn’t know the routine."
Although his parents, Margaret and Burgess Lowe, attribute this love of sports to an upbringing surrounded by sports fans, they also credit his pure interest in the players themselves. "He simply relished in their successes," says Margaret, recalling the frequent phone calls in which her son would give them the play-by-play after each game. "He truly just enjoyed seeing the team win."
And just as he never questioned his faith in the Bobcats, he never questioned his faith in God. His closest friends affirm that everything he did at OU, from his heavy involvement in Campus Crusade for Christ to his formation of a religious rap group, was rooted in his faith. Even his obsession with sports did not overshadow his religious ideals. He was always the first to gather his intramural flag football team for a pre-game prayer, and when the crowd charged the basketball court after OU won the MAC tournament last winter, Lowe stayed behind to help a student who had been trampled in the chaos. He may have stood as tall as the center on the basketball court, but perhaps his actions better explain why friends describe him as "truly larger than life."
Unlike many graduates, Lowe was lucky enough to overlap one of his primary passions with his profession and even luckier to go to work without having to leave his beloved college town. Shortly after graduating, he accepted a job in Ohio Athletics as promotions coordinator. After all, who could be better at running halftime events and exciting the crowd than "OU's No. 1 Fan"?
Ironically, Lowe died June 24, 2005, after he collapsed from heart failure in the Convo while playing basketball on the part of the court reserved during games for the O-Zone. Still, his loyal fan base, evident by the growing number of shout-outs on his Facebook message board, is hesitant to label his death as unfortunate.
"He was doing the thing he loved in the place he loved," says Wilson, who was given the unofficial title of O-Zone leader by Lowe himself. "I honestly don't think there could have been a more fitting way for him to die."
Seat 1, Row A, Section 7 is forever saved for "Daniel A. Lowe, Ohio's #1 Fan." May his voice and spirit long echo through the O-Zone.
Lauren Sorrows, BSJ '07 and BA '07, is currently a student in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism.
Posted 5-23-06
