Eagle pride alive and well at BCHS

As some of you may know, I grew up in Boulder City. So, I’m an Eagle at heart with blue and gold pumping through my veins. I know. That combination would make some kind of green color but you get where I’m going.

While I had visited many, many times since graduating in 1987, only one of those visits included attending a BCHS sporting event, and that was a football game nine or 10 years ago. That will all change tonight in Boulder City’s opening football game of the season, which I’m sure will draw a packed house.

I got an early glimpse of that ongoing Eagle pride last Friday when I went to cover a welcome back assembly at the high school, of which the photos can be seen in today’s edition.

When the new high school was being proposed, I had heard and read comments on social media from those who were upset that the old school was being torn down. To some extent I understood but as I said to some, “That school was old when we were there and it’s now 30 years older.”

And, while the structure may no longer be there, the memories can never be taken away.

I have so many fond memories of high school, especially my senior year. Back then, there were senior benches and each year, just before school began, the seniors were allowed to paint the area, which was about 20 feet by 20 feet. It was sacred ground…. only seniors allowed. Around that same time, for a minimal fee, seniors had their own parking area. Each student was allowed to paint their parking stall. I am far from being Ronnie Rembrandt and stick figures is about it, and that’s on a good day. Luckily, someone had painted a parrot in a hammock from the year before that I kept.

I do recall our ill-fated attempt to rebel against the dress code. At that time, shorts were not allowed but as we mentioned to the administration, skirts worn by many girls were shorter than, well, shorts. We gathered near the then-auditorium, shorts in tow.

Well, we didn’t get far before the dean of the school met us and informed us that if we went any further, we’d be suspended. Needless to say, coup de shorts lasted about 10 minutes.

Another tradition was senior ditch day. It was all planned. Where: the lake. When: a couple of days before graduation. How: by any means necessary. Word spread quickly of the plan and this was long before social media. The thing we forgot is that teachers have ears. They knew of the plan probably sooner than we did.

One of the school’s long-time government teachers, Lynn Stewart, was known for giving his minus-5 points for getting to class late, talking and just goofing off. The day before the ditch day he said that he understood that many of us were not going to be in class that next day. To which, a classmate asked what happens if we’re not there. His response, “Minus 5.” That was quickly followed up with a second question of what happens if we show up for class. With a slight grin, Mr. Stewart said, “Minus 10.” Gotta love tradition.

That gets me back to the assembly I went to. While the school is different, that pride is still there. I got goose bumps as the entire school sang the BCHS fight song, And yes, I did as well.

And speaking of tradition, one that I was so pleased to see continuing was the toilet seat cheer. I recall as a freshman back in 1983, John Budd running between each class in the gym raising the lid and everyone yelling “RAH” at the top of their lungs. My classmate and friend David Shay continued that my senior year.

The cheer is slightly different these days with four students each holding a toilet seat and on the lid the letters B..C..H..S. Each class tried to outdo the other, showing off that class and school pride, proving again, once an Eagle, always an Eagle.