Yeehaw!

  Written by: Rachel Lamb 

A few weeks ago, the OKWU students saddled up for the bi–anual Barn Bash. Normally held in much more frigid weather, Barn Bash this year was held from 9 to 11 pm on August 23 at the local favorite, Yocham’s Barn. The students gathered up their best western gear to go all out for this exciting hoedown. Walking up to the barn, the sight of the s’mores station, as well as the sound of the country music playing over the speakers, greeted students.When they stepped into the barn, the smell of manure and animals hit their noses instantly, but the sight of some small calves and a couple of horses that one could look at and even pet made the smells fade into a distant memory. With everyone in their country best, the night began with some dancing, competitions, and lots of prizes handed out to eager faces. With it only being the first week of school, students had not been overwhelmed with homework yet, and their energy was exuberant. 

There were a few competitions throughout the night, including the egg toss, horse race, the two step, and musical chairs. The winners of the egg toss were Waltis Harry Jr. and Halle Frazier. Watching people toss eggs back and forth made spectators stand on edge. Only a few students were devilled, but all of them were scrambling to catch the projectiles. The winners of the horse race were sophomores Kazden Ammons and Anna Hutchinson. After their race, Kaz said the key to their win was, “When you get knocked off your horse, you gotta get back on.” The winners of the two–step competition were sophomore Skyler Modisette and junior Andrew Bevis. They were certainly having fun out there on the dance floor trying to avoid all the eggs people dropped. The winner of musical chairs was Daniella Ortiz, proving herself to be the fastest and most aggressive chair-grabber.   

To end the night, there were some couples dancing to slow, twangy country songs. It was a sweet sight. The DJs then announced the best dressed country folk and the best dancers of the night. The best dressed were Taylor Hannabit and Caleb Knierim. Their outfits rocked, and they definitely represented the Wild West well. The best dancers of the night were sophomore Jessica Bradford and senior Briant Bowerman. Here is what Briant had to say after his win, “To start off with yee yee, it’s been a great night for a country showdown. Getting in the Barn, you gotta let your boots loose and cut a rug. Winning just comes naturally to me.” Clearly, all of Briant’s practice in Doc’s late at night has paid off. If you missed out on the Barn Bash this semester, you still can attend the throwdown next semester! See if you can beat Taylor and Caleb for the best outfit next time, and be sure to keep your eyes on the horizon for the next Barn Bash.