Cal Rally Comm Probably Cancelling Big Game Bonfire, Oregon Bonfire On

Your Big Game Bonfire update!

The Cal Rally Comm chairman released a statement today which pretty much puts a Big Game Bonfire in serious doubt. No Greek Theatre available, no alternative sites apparently available. Not good.

Still hard to believe there isn't a suitable bonfire alternative, although I'll have to take Rally Comm's word for it. I'd suggest Edwards or something because I have no investment in the project and can say whatever the hell I want to and Edwards sounds perfect to me. They have seats and stuff. If I wanted to go chaotic neutral on you (neutral because no one would care if it was torched away), I'd suggest Evans, just to see it burn to the ground so I never have to look at that building of eternal scars.

The good news is at the very least there will be one Bonfire -- against Oregon. The bad news is that if we lose Big Game (even if we win Big Game), this bonfire could end up being extremely poorly-attended depending on how well the season's gone.

Help is still needed for the rally though. Contact Kalina Kwong at ucrc.chair at gmail dot com if you know of any way to assist.

Download the full Rally Comm Letter by clicking here. After the jump, you can view a blockquote of the letter. Thanks to Kalina for providing this official statement.

To Whom it May Concern,

My name is Kalina Kwong and I am the Chairman of the University of California Rally
Committee for 2012 through 2013. Many of you have recently heard rumors concerning the
annual Big Game Bonfire. I am writing this letter to shed light on these rumors and explain
the changes that will be occurring temporarily for next year.

With the release of the PAC-12 schedule, we discovered that Big Game would be played a
month earlier than usual. This posed a unique obstacle for all Cal fans to overcome, and for
the Rally Committee and Cal Spirit the new schedule has prompted a change in our events
for next year. Unfortunately, due to the Greek Theatre being unavailable the week of October
20th, bonfire will not be held in the Greek Theatre for Big Game. We have searched high and
low for alternative locations and solutions to preserve this tradition, but none were suitable
or available.

As one of the most unifying traditions this school has known, Big Game Week holds great
importance for all of us in Cal Spirit and all other Cal fans. Due to the impact Big Game Week
has on this school, the Rally Committee has made the decision to plan a rally that seeks to
embody the old traditions while making allowances for temporary changes. It is our hope
that we can create something memorable and glorious, and while little could come close to
our traditional bonfire, we are making the best of the chance we have been given- to explore
new areas and do things never done before.

One of these new and untried things is the scheduling of two huge rallies, in comparison to a
sole bonfire as we’ve had years past. Not only are we attempting to put on an unforgettable
Big Game Rally, but we are also planning for an Oregon bonfire on November 9th. To have this
rally, we are in need of support from the public. The cost to have a bonfire has increased
significantly over the years, and on top of these increases the Committee is attempting to
give the University everything it deserves when it comes to the rallies the Committee plans.

If you are interested in offering your support and help, please feel free to contact me by email
(ucrc.chair@gmail.com). I will be happy to send you additional information and answer any
questions.

Thank you,
Kalina Kwong
Chairman, 2012-2013