Bowles Hall takes Game Day very seriously, and November 23, 2019 was no exception. Cal’s age-old rivalry against Stanford came to a head this year on enemy turf, so we traveled in style with three party buses and more school spirit than the entire Stanford student section. The morning bus ride set the tone for the rest of the day, and by the time we arrived we were already hoarse from singing. Several hot dogs and a Bowles alumni tailgate later, we had reclaimed our voices, ready to cheer on our team to victory.
As per Bowles tradition, we staked out a spot at the front of the student section. We waved to our Bowles friends in Rally Committee, the organization responsible for maintaining Berkeley’s school spirit. If Cal won, not only would Stanford lose its nine-year streak, but Rally Committee would bring home the highly coveted Stanford Axe. As if victory depended on it, we cheered until we lost our voices all over again.
And just like that, Cal scored its winning touchdown. Without a moment’s hesitation, we all leapt up and made a beeline for the field, uninhibited by the time still on the clock or the stadium guards desperately trying to contain the rush. A mass of blue and gold flooded the field, and in all the chaos and confetti, I’d say every one of us fell in love with UC Berkeley all over again.
Despite the long day we had just spent under the beating sun, we danced and hoarsely sang our way through two hours of traffic on the bus ride back to Berkeley. As all three buses slowly rolled in, the Bowles dining hall filled with exhausted smiles and happy conversations about the day. Cal had won Big Game, and I couldn’t help but think the Bowles student section had something to do with it.
- Abi L.
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