College Night signs revealed amid cheers

By Rose Davis

Purple Side and Gold Side unveiled their College Night signs on Jan. 26 in front of Farmer Hall. After the unveiling, both sides converged for a pep rally, also in front of Farmer, to commemorate another year of College Night and announce cabinets and casts.

Unlike last year, which saw College Night become a collaborative effort in the midst of COVID-19, both sides remain independent this year. With both sides separated once more, some students feel the competition will be more intense than in previous years, with Alex Wilson, a Gold Side senior, saying, “Oh yes, most definitely, I definitely feel the competition is going to be fiercer.”

“Each side is worth their own and they represent what they want. This year I think it’s going to bring a lot of intensity, a lot of fierceness, a lot of competitiveness, but all in all it’s going to be worth the wait,” said Wilson.

Before the event started, a group of students dressed in cow print and cow ears appeared shouting “PV” with peace signs raised. Gold Side followed closely behind, chanting “Be quiet, the Golds are coming.” Both sides were high in spirits.

“I know technically Ribbon Hanging is the beginning of College Night Season but to me, the Sign Raising is the official beginning of the season,” said Haley Johnson, a senior on Purple Side wearing a cow-print bucket hat. “Like, oh yeah, they’re about ready to reveal it. It makes me very excited.”

Purple Side and Gold Side cheerleaders faced off against one another before either sign was revealed. Gold Side’s cheers of “Let’s go, Gold Side, let’s beat them purples out” were countered promptly by Purple Side, “How does it feel to be a purple, a purple? How does it feel to be way up high?”

The cheers were followed by a short introduction by Annakate Andrasko, the SGA president. “I know everyone’s excited. I know each side has worked really hard on both of these signs,” Andrasko said.

Purple Side revealed their sign first, a superhero-themed display of two cows with “Purple Victory” prominently displayed. Gold Side followed, revealing a tree with movable axe and hammer activated by pulling an apple.

Joy Hill, one of the Gold Side leaders, commented on the creativity College Night allows both sides. “Going to school, going to college and getting a degree is all fun and all that, but having a creative outlet outside of that and getting to work with your peers and being able to create projects, or to be able to coach a team, or lead a cheer squad. Those are the things that are special about College Night to me.”

Both signs are a hint at what each play is about. College Night performances are happening from Feb. 16 to Feb. 19 in Palmer Auditorium. Tickets are on sale until the day of each performance, unless they sell out beforehand.