Event planners raced past Chuck Goolley as he stood at the base of a 30-foot wood tower, patiently waiting for them to set the wood palettes ablaze.
Goolley, a 1966 alumnus, stared in familiar anticipation for the start of the Beat ’SC bonfire and rally, a tradition he has attended since its inception in 1995.
The Beat ’SC bonfire, hosted by the Student Alumni Association, is an annual, student-run tradition that gathers celebrities, students, performers and alumni to rally against USC before the rivalry football game Saturday, said Brianna Kaplan, an SAA staff member and fourth-year psychology student.
Dance team NSU Modern kicked off the rally with a high-energy hip-hop performance, followed by a UCLA-centric parody of Nick Jonas’ “Levels” from Signature A Cappella, an all-female campus a cappella group.
India Carney, a UCLA alumna and finalist on the show “The Voice,” hosted the rally and led the crowd in a sing-along of her original single “More,” which she performed for the first time at the rally Tuesday night.
The UCLA Bruin Marching Band played the UCLA fight song on the steps of Kaufman Hall as the football team stormed the stage. Two Yell Crew members led the team across the stage with UCLA flags, as blue and gold confetti showered the crowd.
Before organizers lit the tower, coach Jim Mora and several football players took the stage to rally the crowd for this Saturday’s game. Redshirt junior Jerry Neuheisel, the Bruin backup quarterback, vowed the Bruins would make the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum feel like the Rose Bowl, and thanked fans for making trips all the way to Pasadena for each game.
The crowd cheered when football players broke into an impromptu dance performance.
Sean Kingston’s “Fire Burning” blared in the background as organizers ignited the bonfire, eliciting cheers from students in the crowd.
Carlos Maralit, a third-year psychology student who performed in the event with the dance team Samahang Modern, said the Beat ‘SC bonfire is his favorite UCLA tradition. Maralit added the rally is Samahang Modern’s biggest performance for the UCLA community.
Lauren Caravaggio, a third-year psychology and dance student on the UCLA Spirit Squad, who performed last year, said a UCLA win this weekend would be both a school and familial victory.
“I have two brothers that go to USC, and they wear red all the time around me,” Caravaggio said. “It’s important for me that UCLA wins.”
Jonadab Silva, a Brazilian exchange medical student, said he thinks he is excited to take part in the event because it’s a big part of the UCLA culture.
“This feeling right now – even if I’m not from here, I feel at home,” Silva said. “It’s important to not only be involved with the academics and the science, but also the culture.”
The rally also featured former Saturday Night Live star and UCLA alumnus Will Forte, who led the crowd in an eight-clap cheer. Sam D’Souza, a member of SAA and a second-year psychology student, said SAA secured Forte after continuously contacting him on Twitter.
“There’s a lot of pressure to make sure it goes well and the bonfire is lit,” D’Souza said.
Last year, the Beat ‘SC rally was interrupted when students protesting tuition hikes surrounded the bonfire site to draw attention to their cause. Many students were disappointed the event organizers were not able to light the bonfire.
Eric Asadoriam, a 1994 alumnus who attended the past two rallies, said school spirit still pervaded last year’s event, despite the lack of an actual fire.
Britta Henry, a fourth-year communications studies student, said she was disappointed last year’s bonfire was unsuccessful but hoped this year’s event would make up for it.
“It’s my last year so I’m hoping for an epic game,” Henry said. “I’ve been talking a lot of trash this week so I’d like a win.”
Despite having accumulated three regular season losses, likely putting the Bruins out of contention for the College Football Playoffs, Saturday’s game against the Trojans gives the Bruins a chance win the Pac-12 South.
Jayon Brown, a junior linebacker and third-year political science student, said he is confident about the rivalry game.
“We want to beat (USC) as badly as possible,” Brown said. “If it’s a close game, it’s a close game, but we will come out victorious.”