Imagine yourself in the sports fields of Doherty High School. No no, not just in the sports fields. The winds of September are a gentle reminder of the upcoming season of fall, but as this breeze chills you physically, you’re filled with the warmth of the community and friends around you. Classmates are playing cornhole, Couples are cuddling, and the school band is ecstatic to play their newest learnt songs.
Oh, and there’s a giant bonfire.
Congratulations, you’ve made it to Homecoming week, and on Wednesday the 24th at 6:30PM, Doherty is hosting a giant bonfire on the old football field!
“It was really fun! Like, seeing everybody come together and like- getting everybody excited for homecoming and the homecoming game, it was fun!” Says student council member Justice Holshue, who went to the bonfire last year. Justice Holshue is currently in his last year of high school. We gave him a scenario in which a student may be contemplating going to the bonfire. His message? “I think they should go at least once. I would suggest going every year you can just cause’ it’s a fun experience you only have four times at most. I would just go if I was you!”
Alec Halford, a member of the Doherty marching band says “I actually thought that was really cool. We got to play our music with the Pep Band and I remember the year before that It was also really cool. That was like my first introduction to the band and I was like ‘Wow, they seem like such a really tight knit community.’” Halford shared that the band got to play some of their show music last year, and that overall, the best way he can describe it is, “Community WOW!”
And, this year, Doherty has a few tricks up their sleeve. When asked about how big the bonfire was last year, Sam Courtright, a senior also a part of the student council responded, “Not as big as it’s gonna be this year! We’re going really big this year.” Courtright also explained that this year, he and the student council are trying to get a giant pinata of the Eagle Academy logo (the school we are going against for the Homecoming game.) At the bonfire, the plan is to burn the logo in the fire pit!
“I would recommend going because it’s not like every school has a bonfire. And then on top of that like- it’s not every year that you do get that chance. Some years we have to skip it because there’s a fire warning” Says Alejandro Garcia Ruiz, a senior here at Doherty. He adds that at the bonfire, you can leave at any point. So, say a student were to get overwhelmed at some point, they’re not stuck there.
The bonfire, in short, is a wonderful way to gain a sense of community here at Doherty. Such a big school can feel isolating and overwhelming at some points, though here at Doherty, there will always be something for everyone, and plenty of chances to find new friends. So, will you be at the bonfire?