O’Brien Stadium will be flooded with lights and Eastern students as they participate in a Marine Corps combat fitness test on Saturday.

The fitness test was prompted by a group of students who started the newly formed EIU Semper Fi Society, a marine-based registered student organization.

James Thompson, a junior communication studies, is the president of the new RSO.

Thompson said he started the Semper Fi Society because he wanted students interested in the Marines to have a group on campus.

The combat test is a fun way to get people interested in the Marines and participating, Thompson said.

“Basically, it’s a physical fitness test that takes about 10 minutes max that incorporates different elements of the Marine Corps fitness test that we actually run as Marines,” he said. “It’s an excerpt of the full combat fitness test.”

The combat test is a collaborative event put on by the RSO as well as the Champaign Officer Selection Office, Thompson said.

Cody Alderman, the officer selection assistant in Champaign, has been involved with the Marines for nine years and said he is focused on exposing Eastern students to the Marine Corps life.

Alderman will also be present for the combat test, which will be taking place at 3 p.m.

“We want to present a challenge to anyone who wants to step up,” Alderman said.

Unlike Eastern’s ROTC, the Semper Fi Society is not through the university, so it does not receive funding like its counterpart.

Alderman said the Marine Officer Program training focuses on their individual growth as opposed to the collective growth in the ROTC.

Thompson said he also wants students to learn about the new group.

“We are pretty new to campus; it’s basically the Marine Corp version of the ROTC but we are not sponsored by the school,” Thompson said.

The group is available to males and females and currently has eight members.

“We actually have a couple members from ROTC that are transferring over to the Semper Fi Society because they are looking for a little bit more of a challenge,” Thompson said. “But we want to stay away from the Army versus Marines thing because we are all working towards the same goal.”

Thompson also said students participating will be able to receive intramural points for their different organizations.

“I know the Greek community is really competitive with intramural points so it’s just one more way to get another leg up,” Thompson said. “Plus it’s going to be fun.”

Nike Ogunbodede can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].