You’re all busted, and BobbyMania is forever disbanded. Kidding, kidding, I am definitely not an undercover cop. I am just a twenty-eight-year-old transfer student who felt like she should introduce herself to everyone she met with Steve Buscemi’s classic “How do you do, fellow kids?”
On Sunday night, a host of new and old students flooded the Nicholson front lawn dressed in their best red, white, and blues to attend RMU’s traditional welcome-back party for new students called BobbyMania.
I actually had to google BobbyMania because I wanted to see when this tradition started, (the answer is 2009, for anyone curious) I learned that it’s a party that is put on by the upperclassmen to welcome the incoming students, which I think is a super cute idea.
The festivities officially started at 7 p.m., but students began lining up earlier to list to the RMU band and grab a free commemorative t-shirt with a new design each year, another cute and fabulous idea. I love it, and I am a sucker for a free limited edition t-shirt. Catch me at every BobbyMania from here on out just for the shirts. I’ll make a quilt out of them.
After snagging themselves a t-shirt, students will then split off to enjoy a range of different activities, including free food, inflatable obstacle courses, and dunk tanks until 8 p.m.A small concert on the lawn then starts. The night wrapped up with an energetic performance of “YMCA” by longtime groundskeeper John Tucci, followed by the president of RMU Dr. Michelle Patrick, coming onto stage to say a few fun words of encouragement and support. She then started a countdown leading to an enjoyable fireworks show. Although I believe the fireworks are meant to signal the end of the night and the beginning of a new year, I have a suspicion many RMU students continue to celebrate well into the morning.
Did I feel out of place? Did I get anxious when I had to stay there past 8:30 pm? Was it fun witnessing a bunch of young adults meet new people, reconnect with old friends, and partake in a lot of questionable activities the night before classes start? Yes, yes, and I plead the fifth on that last one. I am glad that I went and witnessed what the hype for BobbyMania was all about and I will be going to the remainder of BobbyMania celebrations throughout my time here for the t-shirts.
In all honesty, as someone who went to a two-year trade school after high school as opposed to the “normal” college route, it was a tad bittersweet attending this event. Seeing all these young students either getting ready to start fresh, returning for a sophomore/junior year, or heading into a senior year, which, once over, will begin an entirely new era of adulthood. My mind would start to wander about the “What could have been” trail and then I would get a bit sad. However, I got over it because seeing this younger generation of fun, creative, outgoing, and smart people having a hosted night of debauchery was amusing for me and ultimately I just want everyone at RMU to enjoy themselves and have a good, memorable, and always safe college experience. Let’s Go Bobby Mo!
