Standing on the field in the end zone during Quarry Bowl is a moment that adds excitement to the night. This is the moment that fans are merely yards away from the team. This is the moment the fans can truly feel the tension between Rocklin and Whitney. This moment is taken away due to the coaching staff deciding it is too much of a cost and too big of a safety issue to continue. Students should be able to stand by the field during the Quarry Bowl, as per tradition, because it provides an unforgettable experience and an up close and personal perspective on the game.

The Pride being able to support their team from the end zone is being taken away, eliminating one unforgettable moments incoming students have yet to experience. With athletic director Mr. Jason Feuerbach, and the coaching staff,the cost of the bleachers outweighs the profit those seats bring.

With the last ‘hurrah’ for the Class of 2018 yearns for the heat of the turf, the vibration the ground makes once kickoff starts and the trash talking that happens on field. Now, being only in the stands feel more of a punishment than a cost-efficient decision.

Buying these bleachers costs around $8,000; this in turn allows the athletic department to sell an additional 500 seats. With those extra seats, the faculty will still be left with around $5,500 loss of profit . The athletic department has no problem selling tickets every year for the Quarry Bowl, so statistically if they increased the ticket prices to compensate the cost of the bleachers, students would still be able to experience being on the end zone.

Apart from the loss of profit, there are occasions that fans overly excite themselves causing the wood on the bleachers to break. Avoiding the risk of a student injury, the athletic department decides that safety is another key reason that there are to be no students down at the field.

One of the main reasons Quarry Bowl is so exciting is because students interact with both teams a lot closer than they would if it were any other game. The fact that students are able to celebrate a touchdown so close to their team or mourn after the opposing team makes one is a feeling that can’t be shared if they are all sitting on the bleachers. High school is supposed to be filled with fun and excitement; how can you have as much fun and excitement when you are yards away as supposed to inches from the action? Often televised, seniors get the right to be in the front as the face of the pride and display their spirit.

The Quarry Bowl is a unifying event for both parents and students, having two schools class on the field is just a bonus . The tradition that both schools get to be down on the field to encourage, and sometimes taunt, each other is finished.

by MAXIMO ESGUERRA, ANJANI KEDIA AND MARLEY SKY