Damn right it’s football time, baby. And what better way to ring in a new season of America’s favorite sport than a good ole fashioned Ole Miss pep rally?
Katy Perry knows how to pep rally! Photo by Cady Herring
Today at 6 p.m., the entire student body is invited to the new and improved Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field for some good ole fashioned spirit-lifting, featuring our very own Coach Hugh Freeze. Other special guests include Ross Bjork, the volleyball team and ASB members. This will also be the first opportunity for students to get an inside look at the new stadium before the Rebels’ first home game against Wofford next Friday.
Maybe it’s your first year as a Rebel, or maybe you were a fan in utero, but it’s everyone’s first assembly in the new Vaught. So here are a few things you can do to get ready for tonight’s big pep rally:
- Bring a date or a friend.
- The best part of being a Rebel is being a Rebel with someone else, so pluck up the courage to ask someone special. Or, if you’re not quite ready to take a date into the Vaught, ask a friend or two. Heck, ask 10! Just spread that Rebel love and get everyone you know rallied and pepped.
- Paint your face or your body.
- Now is the time to cover your cheeks in those cute, little red and blue Ole Miss logo temporary tattoos. Or just go for the gold and paint one whole side of your face. Get creative and paint your face to look like a shark. It’s not a competition, and there is no prize, but I will personally applaud the man or woman with the best face paint. So step up your game, Rebel fans.
- Learn the Hotty Toddy chant.
- You don’t to show up to an Ole Miss pep rally and not know the words to the Hotty Toddy chant! If you don’t know it, a quick web search should help. Or, just stand literally anywhere on campus and yell, “Are you ready?” then listen.
- Put your fins up.
- It’s one of the newer traditions here at Ole Miss, and certainly one of the best. There are also a few new traditions we can look forward to this coming season, but I’m not giving away everything.
Fins Up!
- It’s one of the newer traditions here at Ole Miss, and certainly one of the best. There are also a few new traditions we can look forward to this coming season, but I’m not giving away everything.
- Gloss up for the kiss cam.
- I’m not even totally sure if it will be a thing this pep rally, but you should always be prepared. If anything, the pep rally is a great photo-op, so you should try and look as spirited as possible.
- Wear red and navy blue.
- Actually, wear every single Ole Miss article of clothing that you have at the same time. If you really care about school spirit, you will do this. Dress is casual. Just remember to be respectful of other students in the way you dress and act.
- Wear closed-toe shoes.
- HEED MY WARNING. Your feet will get dirty, the pavement is hot and you might get your feet stepped on, so wrap those pups up in some closed-toe shoes. Not to mention, the stadium has only gotten bigger, so you’re bound to be doing a lot of walking as you explore all the new odds and ends at the Vaught.
- Learn the stadium rules BEFORE you go in.
- You don’t want to have to surrender anything at security when your walk through the front door. I recommend bringing only your essentials (keys, chapstick and phone, even though Wi-Fi in the Vaught notoriously shoddy.) If you’re unsure about anything, a list of the current stadium policies is available on the Ole Miss Sports website.
- Come hydrated.
- Always remember to stay hydrated. Just because the air in Mississippi is so humid doesn’t mean you still don’t need to drink up that H2O. Don’t be the kid who passes out from dehydration. Also, wear sunscreen – no one wants to start off football season with a sunburn.
- Hype Up.
- Last season, the Rebels DOMINATED. Our next home game isn’t until the 10th, but we’ve still got some good football to play this Labor Day weekend. So, take a second to forget your troubles a little, and let your school spirit out. Be proud to be a Rebel. Be proud of your university and of yourself. Football season is finally here, folks. So I gotta ask … Are You Ready?
