Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2006, Page 11

Description:	AH Bay*Every DayBy Kyrie ShepleyAs football players walked onto their home turf, hand in hand,they were surrounded by the sound and rhythm of bee-bee pelletsbouncing on the insides of what seemed like a thousand empty milk jugsFamilies and students gathered around the sound of the jug-line andhit the players shoulder pads to help their adrenaline, as if the beats ofthe milk jugs werent enough. This jug-line has been a part of everyhome football game at South for at least a decade. Traditions likethese bind the student body together and create a feeling of unitywith alumni.South Alumna Julia Smith (1995-1999) said, I remember goingto the RCA dome when we went to State. We face painted and parentsbrought milk jugs and that is how we knew we were on the right side ofthe stadium.A new tradition sprang up in the classroom of the Optimistnewspaper. A game called Bailey; One Step Too Far was created topass some extra time in the newspaper room. This game included twotrash cans, a few old books, a couple of Optimist members, and somehardcore book throwing skills. We play every once in a while and havetournaments, said junior Maneli Rehani. Bailey; One Step Too Far hadrules and regulations that were taken pretty seriously. For example,an RJ is when the book hits the rim of the trash can, explained juniorXavier Sotomayor.Many sports teams had fun traditions. The girls cross countryteam, along with the girls gymnastics team had acronyms whichcorrespond with something that had to do with their season or team.The girls cross country team claimed their acronym, LM.C.C. The girlsgymnastics team had S.W.E.A.T. as their acronym. These jumbles ofletters hold a secret that is known only between the girls on the teams.When asked to share what this secret symbolized, junior cross countrymember Ellen Philhower stated, Nope, I wont tell you. Traditions likethese make teams stronger as a whole. The boys tennis team also had atradition of a pre-game speech given by one of the seniors. It pumped upthe rest of the team and brought a chuckle of laughter at the end of theboys huddle.A tradition that had not been discovered until recently, refers tothe name Clayton Bigsby. For the past three years, a senior boy hasposed as Clayton Bigsby in the album section of the yearbook. ClaytonBigsby was a made-up name that happened to slip the eye of albumeditors in years past. This year, the imposter was noticed. Senior MichaelRatliff tried to keep the tradition alive. I just decided to do it. I knewabout it through previous years. Though Ratliff was not completelycrushed by finding out he was caught, it did mean Clayton Bigsby wasdead.Traditions among teams and students are what make a schoolunique. These traditions will be a part of South High School for manyyears to come, and new ones will develop just like Bailey; One Step TooFar.(Above) Seniors Angie Malone,Lindsey Rupp, Jenny Blackwell,Amanda Dubinski, and MarliHadden dress up for theNorth and South game.Traditionally at North andSouth games, students dressout of the ordinary to showtheir spirit.South sports all have their own traditions. Here are just a few:Wrestlers recite, Its All a State of Mind,a poem that is posted on the wall of theirpractice room.Girls Golf always warms up by listeningand singing along to country songs.Panther Poms have a scavenger hunt every Halloween, complete with costumesand a bonfire afterwards.South swimmers hit two signs beforethey walk out to swim. One reads, Jo-day, swim like champions and the otherreads Believe.Girls basketball sings the Bloomington South fight song beforeevery game, home or away.Traditions e
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/7784
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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