Thoughts on senior bonfire

Despite all that the seniors have missed over the past three school years, Student Council is still working to give us some of the traditions that almost every other senior class has been given. The Senior Bonfire was held on October 1st on one of the softball fields after the football game. 

The bonfire was announced a little more than a week in advance. Signs and flyers were posted around the school, multiple being in the senior cafeteria. The news played a corny commercial everyday of that week with information and there were countless social media posts to get the word out. 

Overall the advertisement of the bonfire was done well. The location was nothing new, as the softball field is the usual spot . Making the bonfire after the football game promoted attendance because seniors could enjoy the last home football game of their high school experience and then partake in the first of many senior traditions right after. 

To get into the bonfire, students needed to show a current student ID and pay five dollars. Then, just like in football games, attendees were waved down with wands at a security check. This seems very reasonable after recent violence at our school and others in the city. It is also a very quick and noninvasive process so there is not much to complain about.

I arrived at the bonfire relatively late because of a conflicting county soccer game but I still had to pay and go through the same process as every other student. The five dollar entry fee seemed a little much, especially when I realized that I would only be there for less than 40 minutes.Once I entered the softball field I questioned why everyone was charged five dollars.

If 300 students attended, and more than that did, there was little evidence of 1500 dollars of expenses to be seen. The most money they must have spent would be on the Dj, and I sure hope they didn’t give it all to him for 3 hours. There were hay bales which were borrowed, torches which should not even amount to $100, and small used fire pits which I’m assuming the school already owned. The entry fee also may create a barrier for seniors who want to go but don’t have five dollars to spend. A more reasonable and inclusive fee would have been less. But since over $1500 was collected, I do hope that the leftovers will be spent on seniors, for senior events by the student council.

There was little expectation for great food at such an event but when I went to the refreshment table and saw cold bags of breadsticks and little cups of marinara sauce I could only laugh. A more random food  could not be found to be paired with little bags of individual s’more fixings. As I had just played in a game and was very hungry I resorted to warming the breadsticks over the fire on a s’mores stick.

The drinks were as expected with red solo cups of pre-poured water and “cider.” There were games in the grass of the field and a DJ on home plate. The “dance” circle seemed to be pulled straight from the homecoming dance, but this one featured crowd surfing and louder singing. As promised the bonfire ended at 11 and students walked along the torchlit path to their cars. 

I wish I could have made more of the event because it was my one and only chance to go to one. I do thank the student council for kicking off the senior traditions right and I hope to see similar efforts in the future.