Firefest declared success in 2012

The results are in; students have declared this year’s Firefest an enormous success.

“I absolutely loved it,” said Shatika Clark, junior mass communication major, said. “The weather was perfect, the fireworks were beautiful, and the fire was hot.  The spirit part of the rally was definitely a boosting experience for students who wanted to get pumped up for Saturday’s game. This was a much better experience than last year and I will definitely be attending again.”

This year’s annual pep rally saw the return of the traditional bonfire and fireworks display after last year’s burn ban restrictions. Students filled Intramural Field 3 on Thursday socializing, playing games and rocking out to music to gear up for SHSU’s rival football game.

For those who attended Firefest for the first time, the event left a lasting impression. Risible Merino, a senior Criminal Justice and Spanish dual major, attended for only the first time this year after hearing bad reports of past events. Merino was impressed with the quality and felt that the overall program was much better than she expected. Despite her initial skeptical expectations, Merino was glad she took a chance on Firefest.

Brandon Cooper, the Associate Director of Student Activities, said the response from students was very positive. He said that the number one difference between the success of this year and the reactions to last year’s rally was the return of the bonfire. Cooper added that there were more people in attendance this year than ever before, which added to the spirit of the event.

“Students were overall enthused and motivated for Saturday’s game,” Cooper said. “Of course, the whole point of the event is to get the student body geared up for the game and I think this year’s Firefest really accomplished that goal.”

Other students got a boost in school spirit from the cheerleaders, Orange Pride dance team, and the Bearkat Marching Band for doing a great job “pumping students up”.

Despite the overwhelming acclaim for the event, some students were still disappointed with what they said was a shortage of the free corndogs and shirts being handed out.

Jonathan Aguirre, a junior Psychology major, went for the first time this year and enjoyed his experience, not for all the activities, but for the sense of community surrounding the event.

“I would love to attend next year,” Aguirre said. “Firefest brought a lot of people together and made us feel connected as a student body. That alone made going worth it.”