Ohio State University: Students gear up for Michigan game with a pep rally like no other
Students at The Ohio State University are getting ready for the showdown against the University of Michigan with the Rivalry Rally at the Ohio Union.
The Student-Alumni Council revived the traditional prep rally last year, attracting more than 900 students to Browning Amphitheater to jump-start rivalry week. Working with fellow student organizations Ohio Staters, Inc. and Block O, they hope to grow the Rivalry Rally into a bigger event this year. The Rivalry Rally takes place at 7 p.m. Nov. 21 in the Archie Griffin Ballroom.
Student-Alumni Council program coordinators Anna Bokovoy, a third-year human development and family science major, and Sophia Lorenzetti, a fourth-year health sciences major, organized the rally this year.
“As a kid, we would get together with other alumni for the [Michigan] game, and I thought about how cool it would be to bring that spirit to the students,” Lorenzetti said.
Bokovoy, on the other hand, was raised in a Michigan household and has experienced what the rivalry means from the other side of the border.
“It’s been fun to pave my own path at Ohio State, and learn about all the traditions from both sides of the rivalry,” she said.
Both Lorenzetti and Bokovoy love the rich traditions of Ohio State and wanted to create an event to connect more students to what it means to be a Buckeye.
“After COVID, and losing last year, it’s important to bring back the excitement surrounding THE game,” Bokovoy said.
The Rivalry Rally will feature a visit from members of the football team. There will be performances from the university club dance team, the marching band, the varsity cheer team, Brutus and some special guests who have personal experience with That Team Up North.
The first 500 students to arrive at the event will receive a free Ohio State beanie, along with other giveaways and raffle items from different student organizations.
The event is a chance for students to “get together and get hype,” Lorenzetti said. Beyond that, the rally is an opportunity to celebrate being a Buckeye and count down the days until the biggest game of the season.