Being a Rowdies President, my job is to get people to come out to sporting events for the school. We bring school spirit, pride and noise to every event, an while heckling the opposing team to throw them off of their game.   

“Being a Rowdy is coming to games and being loud no matter what is happening, winning or losing, showing school spirit,” Rowdies President Andrew Petersen said.

There are four rowdies presidents every year and my three compadres were Andrew Petersen, Anson Walldorf and Charlie Mensh. At the end of every year the presidents pick four new presidents to take the reigns of next years rowdies.

I have felt like this year has been the best rowdies in a long time. From designing and selling the annual rowdies shirts to selling out Bryson Gymnasium in the Elite 8 against Myers Park, it’s been a great year. Usually the rowdies have a lower turn out to sporting events like soccer, field hockey and basketball, but this year we filled the stands game in and game out with rowdy students to cheer on our Demons.

“Never have I ever had so many people at my soccer games,” Petersen said. “I thought we did a great job at getting students out to sports that do not get as much attention.”

This past year we also struggled with getting a more diverse student section and consistently getting students out to the games. A goal I am setting for the next years presidents is to reach out to everyone and to get a motive for all students.

 “I hope to see a larger and more diverse student section at all games next year,” Petersen said. “That was something we strived for but I think we could have done better.”

One student that is going to be a rowdies president next year is junior Hugh Bray. Bray shows out to all the games and brings the noise. He is a prime example of true rowdy.

“I want the student section to be the strongest student section by encouraging everyone to one out to the games,” Bray said. “We are going to fund tailgates so people will come out to games and have special themes and give out limited edition shirts.”

We strive for all Rowdies events to look like the Elite 8 Myers Park game at Bryson Gym this past basketball season. That game was sold out an hour before tip off and was the loudest game in reynolds history. If the rowdies next year can get to that point for every game then they will easily be the best student section around.

“I hope the rowdies next year are as good as this year,” freshman Zach Dunn said. “I love the atmosphere of the games and I feel involved in all RJR sports. I cannot wait for next year.”

This year was something special. I can not wait to see what the four presidents will do next year.

Photo courtesy of Robert Hill Photography