RM’s SGA released football game themes for the fall season on Sept. 13. Updated on Sept. 29, they are camo, Western, whiteout, USA, pinkout, PJs, Gold Rush and blackout.

During the game on Friday, Sept. 16, the audience donned Western pieces, such as cowboy hats, bandanas and flannel. 

“I do not think that [the Western theme] is something personally that I would go for,” sophomore Aya Moi said before the game. “However, I do enjoy dressing up. So I don’t mind it. I think that it’s a plain kind of simple, practical theme, and I enjoy being able to be around friends. So if I’m allowed to dress up for it, it’s fine.” 

Student opinions can influence theme decisions. “We were also going to do a pirate theme, but PJs replaced pirates because people said that’s stupid, like we’re not dressing up as a pirate,” junior and SGA Co-Spirit Coordinator Udy Mbanaso said.  

Though students may not like some ideas, they look forward to other upcoming themes. “Pinkout for sure,” Moi said. 

All theme ideas must also be approved by administration. “We were about to do country, you know, daddy’s money style for Urbana,” Mbanaso said. “But we did army camo instead because [Principal Alicia Deeny] said it perpetuated stereotypes.” 

For head varsity football coach Randy Thompson, the audience turnout matters more than themes. 

“I don’t even know what the themes are,” Coach Thompson said. “I find out what they are when I get out there. What we’re really looking for is just volume. I don’t care how they dress—I love that they’ve got something to be excited about. We just want you to be there and be loud.” 

Coach Thompson believes that RM has strong school spirit during sports games. “Football is kind of a community thing and it happens every Friday night so we tend to have larger crowds,” he said, “but I see it all over all of the athletics here at RM. The student body really shows up and supports their peers. So, it’s really nice to be a part of that.”

Mbanaso believes school spirit activities promote social wellbeing. “I can’t speak for the entire student body, but I personally think that it might even be beneficial for students mentally to participate in these themes,” Mbanaso said. “I don’t think you can leave a game sad… there were some freshmen disrespecting me on Friday, but at the end of it, I just absolutely thought it was the most fun thing ever.”