Throughout the past few weeks, the kick off to the school year at Randolph High School has been unforgettably exciting for a majority of the student body. The reason for the sudden eagerness to be back in school again after a short lived summer vacation is due to the student section that holds a mass amount of bodies, filling up every seat. Not only are the bleachers jam packed with students, but they are occupied by loud, spirited individuals who are more than willing to show up to support almost every sport. However, with games infused with a multitude of students, comprising one body, one is most notable, often referred to as Plank.

For those who are not educated upon 90’s cartoon culture, Plank is a character that originates from the show "Ed, Edd n Eddy." Essentially, Plank is a piece of wood with a painted on face that consists of a pair of uneven eyeballs and a smile. Although Plank is an inanimate object, he provides happiness to those he surrounds, which is exactly the purpose of Plank who floats around the crowd at Randolph High School’s sporting events.

Out of all the games Plank has been in attendance, it is most definite that the climax of all the games in the past month is the home football game that took place on the 16th of September against one of Randolph’s biggest rivals: Morristown. With a losing streak to put the nail in the coffin for Randolph’s football season last year, many were unsure of what to expect, but it is certain that no matter the rumors or false notations, the student section will be there to cheer on their peers. The theme of the game, tight and bright, only further accentuated bold and wild personality of the student section. Plank had the opportunity to crowd surf, stand the front row, and (in spirit) scream the chants that pushed the team to victory. With an unforgettable night added to the collection of memories the students have to take from their experience at Randolph High School, many mishaps occurred over the course of the night, which caused a major problem.

Administration was not treated with the respect they deserve as glow sticks were thrown at them and many students were upset with the fact they were holding their ground, observing the student section. Although the spirit of the students is undeniable, the behavior as a whole over some aspects was not tolerable. For instance, there was an outstanding performance from the band, but their peers did not pay attention to their hard work as they were riled up in the bleachers. Also, it was brought to the attention of administration that some students felt uncomfortable to come to the game due to the aggressiveness of their peers’ eagerness to implore people to be rowdy and in attendance. Due to all the disorderly conduct of the student section, it only sparked the biggest upset of the night, the suspension of Plank from making any further appearances at school events.

Many students understand the wishes made by administration for future events as they hold every right to deem the actions of the student body as impolite and rambunctious, but some are not satisfied with the restriction placed upon Plank, the second mascot of Randolph High School. As noted by Emilio Inchiappa, a senior at Randolph High School, “Roscoe (the Ram) represents the players. Plank represents the student body.” With restless attempts to resuscitate the debut of Plank, including a petition that holds almost 300 signatures at the moment, the words of administration are firm as they refuse to allow Plank to be accepted once again. Although the regulation has been enforced, many are hopeful that Plank will be back in short time as Plank has only caused students to light up when they spot him in the crowd. Everyone loved the energy Plank brought to the games as he has caused the students to become closer as a whole to unify under his love. In the meantime, Plank remains in the hearts of the students as they attend the upcoming games to further display their support for the Randolph Rams...go Rams!