Jazmine Porras
The Paw Print
Students gathered around the softball field last Thursday night to watch the local firefighters conduct their business. However, the students were not standing around in the cold night air hoping to see some excitement or danger while the firefighters put out a fire. This time, students watched as these men, who risk their lives to put out fires, started one on the softball field.
The bonfire was complete with live music and drinks. GAB members put together this homecoming event, providing hot chocolate to combat the cold. Even while standing relatively close to the fire, the warmed up beverage was helpful in maintaining the feeling in student’s limbs.
“When you watch movies that deal with school, there’s almost always a bonfire and a romantic scene, and for a moment there I was in a romantic scene at a bonfire,” says freshman Sara Olan.
The band was from California and played on a stage at the opposite end of the softball field. Some of their music was surprisingly good, as they did several covers of famous music from the past and present. However, some of the more modern music was a letdown, but the band redeemed themselves by the last song they played. It was a cover of the Doobie Brothers’ song from the 70’s “Listen to the Music” which ended the night perfectly.
The size of the fire was not disappointing because it was not the size of small campfire like many students expected but was rather a full-on bonfire, providing warmth to all who attended. The attendees were not only faculty, staff, and students but also locals from the surrounding neighborhoods who came together to bask in the homecoming mood
While the band was performing and the fire blazing, the cheerleaders, dressed in all black, performed some cheers in the glow of the fire. Every now and then, a cheerleader would be seen thrown up in the air and, at the last moment, caught and set back on their feet. In some cases, there were as many as three people doing flips and balancing in the arms of their fellow cheerleaders, providing another show for the public to watch.
“Love that amazing fire, it felt so good,” says freshman cheerleader LeNiece Sinclair about the feel of the fire while performing some of their routines.
There were also cannon shots that went off during the bonfire that scared many unsuspecting people. One shot was heard at the beginning of the bonfire and one toward the end when the fire was dying down.
The main complaint was not the cold, nor the music, but the sogginess of the grass that people were forced to stand on during the night. The collateral for walking around in muddy, soggy grass was a night spent with friends or sharing a romantic moment that will last much longer than the mud on everyone’s shoes.
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