ODA students, get fired up! The bonfire is back! After its short break last year, the fire is back and will be ready for you on Thursday, October 18 at 5:00 p.m.

Last year was the first time in ODA history that this yearly tradition was broken. Student Council decided to remove the bonfire from homecoming week due to a busy schedule. It was then moved to January 5 to encourage school spirit before a game against rival, Cardinal Mooney. After a report from the nearby fire marshal expressing his concern of the dry and windy weather conditions, the hope for the 2011-2012 bonfire was put out.

As a result of numerous complaints to Student Council about the need to bring the bonfire back, they agreed to light it up again. You can expect a smaller gathering this year due to it being the same night as the senior volleyball game; Mr. Brewer did not want attention to be drawn away from the volleyball game because of this double event.

But count on a tailgating party with food, face painting, and s’mores, but no mattress race, inflatable jousting, or beanbag toss like in the past. As always, coaches of ODA teams will motivate the crowd before the bonfire is lit on the quad and symbols of the rival team will be ignited along with the wood of the bonfire.

In years past, the bonfire was not always before the ODA Homecoming football game. Before we had a football team, the inferno took place in January before a basketball game.

Nevertheless, the bonfire will always be a reason to create and spread school spirit, and to “satisfy the pyros in our community who like watching things burn,” as Mr. Brewer put it.

Being that this year’s homecoming theme is James Bond, the “Bondfire” will surely be an action packed night to celebrate the hopeful killing of the Southwest Florida Christian Academy the following night.