A bright flash of flame and the sounds of fire crackling and sizzling slowly appears over the cheering of athletic supporters. The annual bonfire, which the Booster Club hosts, allows the community to support athletics and other activities for their seasons.
“It’s good to see all of the sports being supported there,” senior Bronalea Thies said. “It also encourages students to go out to games and support them there.”
Some people have noticed an increase in attendance at the bonfire.
“The bonfire has grown a lot more, and each coach is starting to talk a lot more,” Booster Club president Amber Blackwell said. “I have also noticed that more and more middle schoolers and high schoolers have been showing up.”
History teacher Rick Hess has also noticed an increase in the number of students attending the bonfire.
“The attendance has been getting better because more and more people get involved somewhere,” Hess said. “It wasn’t always like that, there were a lot of people that weren’t involved in anything.”
Cheer coach Becky Timberlake on the other hand, says that most people only show up because they have to.
”There’s definitely some kids that really look forward to the bonfire, the atmosphere and the excitement, but there are other kids who don’t really care, and they just go because they have to,” Timberlake said.
The bonfire has traditionally been held on a Wednesday night, but science teacher Nathan Stevens had a suggestion for moving the bonfire to another night.
”I have always thought it would be cool to do it the weekend before sports start on a Saturday,” Stevens said. “That way no one is rushed, and people could actually hang out and not leave right away, since people could be busy with church on Wednesdays.”
