BY MATT SIMPSON

One person was momentarily missing at the start of the welcome-back-to-school pep rally Aug. 12.

First-year principal Bradley Roberson couldn’t be spotted right away in the Oxford High gymnasium.  Was he not informed of the pep rally?

No, he was most certainly aware.

Out of thin air, a man-shaped horse figure sprinted onto the court and unleashed a bone-crushing belly slide across the gym floor. It was he. It was Charlie the Charger.

And then the unexpected happened. The mascot removed his headgear, in a way that could only be compared to the unmasking of Darth Vader. It was Roberson.

This moment, however, did not symbolize death as it did for the infamous Star Wars villain. It symbolized the birth of the new principal’s tenure at OHS. Every face in the stands was stricken with awe.

“Being dressed as Charlie the Charger was an awesome experience,” Roberson said of the mascot escapade. “I also enjoyed standing in front of Charger Nation.”

Roberson wanted to show the entire school that he was not afraid to step outside of his comfort zone.

“As a school leader, a lot of times it’s very important to model what to expect,” Roberson said. “I wanted people to understand and know that I’m not asking them to do anything that I’m not willing to do myself.”

As was evident at the pep rally on the first day of school, Roberson wishes to boost Charger pride this year and in the years to come.

“It is my ultimate goal to increase school spirit,” Roberson said.

In order to accomplish this goal, Roberson has implemented the LYP and INAM initiatives, the former standing for Love Your People and the latter standing for It’s Not About Me.

LYP is based around a series of eight words and phrases: contribute, be kind, be patient, be honest, encourage, apologize, forgive, and thank people. This list, “could change the climate of our school,” he added.

“The whole philosophy behind INAM is give more than you take,” Roberson said about the second initiative. “If we as individuals can help each other, not only are those around us going to be successful, but it also gives us a sense of meaning and value.”

Upperclassmen are fired up this year about Roberson’s arrival.

“I’m really excited that he is our new principal because I feel like the year is going to be so much easier and more fun,” senior Abbie Vaughn said.

Roberson has created a happy atmosphere already after only being in charge for a week.

“You’re walking down the hall and people are laughing and smiling with each other,” Vaughn added.

Underclassmen this year are also positive that they will have a swell time in high school with Roberson at the helm.

“He is cool, I had him before in [elementary school],” freshman Matthew Solomon said.

“I want Oxford High School to be a place you guys want to come, and be a part of, and receive a quality education,” Roberson said.

Bradley Roberson’s credo this year bears resemblance to the wise words of Jackie Moon from the movie Semi-Pro: “ELE. Everybody Love Everybody.”