The Boston College Athletics Department hosted the annual Boston College-Notre Dame pep rally this past Tuesday, October 20th in O’Neil Plaza to boost morale for the football game this Saturday against the Fighting Irish.

The Screaming Eagles Marching Band and Irish Dancers kicked off the night with some dance and music to the rhythms of the Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.” This entertained the students for the time but was just the appetizer. From the getgo, the host set the tone for the night as he said, “Now let’s get pumped for the pigskin battle this Saturday…which we have won six straight years, I might add.” At that mocking gesture, the students went wild with BC pride.

Soon thereafter, the host introduced our 2009-2010 Boston College hockey team. Head Coach Jerry York was the first to step up to the podium, and, in a show of great confidence, he said, “We are looking for a double- header sweep here…we are going to knock off the Irish on Friday and give our football team a chance to complete a sweep on Saturday.”

Senior Captain Matt Lombardi mirrored his coach’s enthusiasm as he stepped up to the microphone and said, “We are going to start off the weekend with a win because we are one school united in the purpose of beating Notre Dame.”

The festivities continued with trivia questions aimed to test the hockey players on their knowledge of Boston College football history. The host asked for four volunteers from the team to come forward, one person from each respective class. Freshman Parker Milner, Sophomore Tommy Cross, Junior Joe Whitney, and Senior Ben Smith all stepped up to the plate.

The questions dealt with Doug Flutie and his Hail Mary pass, all-time BC Bowl wins, and the NFL superstars the school has produced. The hockey players knew their stuff , but the best question was saved for last.

The host asked, “In what year did Boston College last lose a game to the Irish?” The first three answers to choose from were tempting, but the players answered with a resounding “D. Never.” Laughter filled the plaza.

Once again, the Screaming Eagles Marching Band came out onto the plaza and played a tune for the students whose strained vocal cords could use the break.

Then, the members of the Boston College cheerleading squad joined in with some dancing and, soon enough, threw free t-shirts that read “Bleed Maroon and Gold” to the crowd.

Afterwards, it was time for the main course. Boston College Head Football Coach Frank Spaziani led the team onto the stage and took the podium. As the throng of students cheered and applauded, Coach Spaziani thanked everyone in attendance for coming out that night as well as for supporting the team so far this year. Spaziani continued, “You guys come early, you stay late, and you stay loud and enthusiastic and these guys and myself – well, we appreciate it. It helps us play.”

Coach Spaziani handed the microphone to Senior Captain Mike McLaughlin. Although Spaziani did not guarantee victory in the “Holy War,” McLaughlin was not quite as generous towards the Fighting Irish. The senior captain said, “I guarantee you we are going to go do our thing at 3:30 out in South Bend on Saturday…I guarantee you that. You know these guys… these guys, we’ve beaten them in the past for a long time and it’s not by mistake. We are preparing this week as hard as we can and we are going to bring home a “W” for you guys on Saturday.”

Sophomore Will Thompson spoke next and, just as the others had done, stressed the importance of the fans thus far into the season as well as the impact their support would provide on game day in South Bend. Thompson said, “Whether you are RVing or flying to South Bend, or just staying back in the dorms, give your support.”

The trivia questions picked up once more, this time to test the football players on their acumen of Boston College hockey. The host asked for four volunteers; freshman Dave Shinskie, sophomore Montel Harris, and seniors Jim Ramella and Nick Rossi came forward.

The last question posed was the most memorable: “Who did Boston College beat in the 2008 NCAA Championship game?” The possible answers: A. Notre Dame, B. Notre Dame, or C. Notre Dame. With that question, the pep rally had achieved its purpose: school pride ran rampant and the students were united in their competitiveness for the Fighting Irish.

The night ended with Dave Shinskie and Codi Boek throwing footballs out to the student crowd. At this time, it was pitch black outside. On any other night, such disregard of the darkness would have been considered a safety hazard, but tonight was different.

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