With students consumed on campus with court activities and alumni pouring into the cities just in time for kickoff, homecoming eve becomes the time to take in a big breath and relax for just a moment before the final festivities begin. Pep rallies are the time to regroup and prepare for all the hype required for the football game.
Oklahoma State hosts “Orange Peel”; Texas A&M entertains fans with Midnight Yell Practice; meanwhile, many other college and high school yards bustle with hundreds and the enthusiasm they bring.
This Thursday, Oct. 23, RBHS will attempt to return to this tradition, trying once again to host a pep rally in form of the Bonfire. Taking place in the south lot, on the grassy area running along Southampton Rd., Student Council plans once again to host, weather permitting, the pep rally which has eluded the RBHS campus for a couple of consecutive years now.
“It depends on the weather the night of, kind of a game time decision,” RBHS Student Activities director David Bones said. “It also depends on if it’s too dry. The fire department will give us a burn permit the day of. The past couple of years it has been dry, which is why we haven’t been able to have it. But so far it has been fairly wet lately so I’d say right now we’re pretty safe.”
The National Weather Service forecasts low-40’s and zero percent chance of precipitation, which should push the Columbia Fire Department to grant the burn permit. If this is the case, the RBHS student body is in for an exciting evening. With activities not only revolving around the football game but the school in general, Student Council is primed for an eventful pep rally.
“Bonfire’s going to consist of two or three different aspects,” Student Body President Jack Schimpf said. “ Number one, introducing the queen candidates. All of the queen candidates will kind of be off-the-top questioned, questions that are kind of random, kind of funny but still give you some insight in their personality. Secondly,we’ll talk a lot about fall sports. Rock Bridge fall sports teams have had a lot of success this year. Finally, the fall sports competition will be going on as well.”
For a student population that has never experienced the bonfire, it should prove to continue on the festivity of homecoming week. The following day is packed with numerous other activities, including the homecoming assembly, the football game against Mid-Missouri rival Jefferson City, and the night is capped off with the traditional homecoming dance. With a moment to enjoy the spirit of the entire week, current students are excited for the opportunity.
While not as popularized as the bigger pep rallies that are taking place across the nation this weekend, the organizers of the RBHS Bonfire are optimistic that the occasion will still garner support and create energy to carry the school through the end of this week. They hope it will help students celebrate RBHS past and present. Likewise, they are excited for all classes to experience the event for the first time together.
“It’s something new, people like new things. The chance to start a new tradition is one you can’t pass up on and something we definitely need to make sure we take advantage of,” Schimpf said. “It’s going to be a huge school-bonding, community-building type thing. The more people who come out the better it’ll feel, the better the atmosphere. Freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, they all need to be there.”
By Brayden Parker
