Mepham High School - Treasure Chest Yearbook (Bellmore, NY)

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INEXTINGUISHABLE FERVOR Our bonfire was cancelled but not our spirit An evening pep rally with a bonfire. We have always had an 8th period pep rally the day before the Homecoming football game It consisted ol only the announcing of teams and their members and a routine or two from the cheerleaders and kickline. Now it would last for two hours. 7 to 9 P.M., and would have, perhaps, an added act by students, the band performing, the burning of a small pirate ship and the traditional roster of events, all on a floodlight il- luminated football field. An eighth period pep rally hasn't been effective enough. By reviving an old tradi- tion like a bonfire, we hoped to get more students interested. In addition, students would be coming on their own freewill, making the enthusiasm more genuine. said Andy Ratner. Student Government President. Unlike other Student Government proj- ects, such as the Christmas toy drive for or- phans or the Valentine Day carnation sale, a bonfire pep rally had never been held before. Without plans from previous years, club members had to organize this event to in- clude as much cooperation from faculty and students and as much action to raise a unified, spirited raucous in the stands. Teachers were persuaded to chaperone the event. To prevent disturbances from people outside of Mepham, tickets given in homeroom would allow admittance only to students. Posters hanging in the halls started talk about our first annual pep rally. Students who before were apathetic were asking how they could help in preparation. To provide humor with frank ad-libbing, Joe Masucci, Ed Lee, and John Frisolone agreed to emcee the rally. A new event, 50’s day — reminiscent of bobby socks and saddle shoes — was added to Spirit Week to help boost participation before Friday’s infernal ceremony. All seemed to be running smoothly and the only thing left to be done was the building of the ship that would be burned. But on Friday, October 5, a week before the pep rally, the Bellmore fire department's fire marshal, who had agreed to oversee the Fire, said an accident with a bonfire had oc- curred the previous week in Bethpage and he preferred that his unit not take the risk of any further injuries. When Mr. Cuchel told this to Studen Government, the room fell quiet. No bonfire. No floodlight lit football field. And. perhaps, no fervor, no zeal would be aroused. It was on such short notice. People were excited. They wanted to help. There was such a good feeling around the school and now it seems that it's going to die. It’s not fair. It's like they the fire department put out two fires — the one in the sand pit and the one in the bleachers, said Randi Barouch, Student Government Treasurer. After accepting the disappointing news, members of Student Government quickly scheduled an 8th period pep rally. Spirit Week, it was hoped, would compensate for the enthusiasm lost with the bonfire. Tues- day, October 9. started the week with Fiftie s Day. Students wore their parents’ college let- ter sweaters and poodle skirts, slicked back their hair and sported Raybans. From the auditorium, there could be heard such classics as Johnny B. Goode, Midnight Special. and Fish Net Stockings” per- formed live by the Prowlers, a 50's style band. Members of the band included Dan Langdon, Greg Johanson, Tim Langdon, Rickey Kampt. George Wilkinson, and Joe Halamia. On Wednesday, a purple and green striped shirt with red pants and yellow socks (continued on page 12) Theme 10 Treasure Chest