School spirit back at Champs
Published:Saturday | April 9, 2022 | 12:09 AM
Horns blaring again, jokes among friends and students cheering vibrantly for their schools once more.
For students, their return to the 2022 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) has been more than just about getting back to normal after a two-year hiatus. It is the rebirth of displaying their school spirit which the COVID-19 pandemic took away from them.
The fervent atmosphere created by students in the National Stadium was music to the ears of Jamaica College sixth form student Raheem Hall, who did not underestimate what the return means to the youth of Jamaica.
“We as Jamaicans are known for our excitement and our energy. For us to be on lockdown for two years, we certainly missed this type of setting. It is very important to us as students, as individuals,” Hall told The Gleaner.
Last year’s Champs was held with strict health restrictions and without fans forcing students to cheer their teams from their homes. Immaculate Conception High’s Le Anne Wilson, who is in her final year, said that the news of the relaxed protocols was a relief after more than a year of online classes.
SEMBLANCE OF NORMALCY
“When all of us had to stay home and watch it on TV, it was never the same. So now we are here and we are supporting our girls,” Wilson said. “We are going towards some semblance of normalcy and I am very happy to see the direction that we are going.”
For St Catherine High’s Jesaunné Smith, being back represented a positive release from the demands of examination preparation and also getting back the fun and joy of being teenagers that they were denied for two years.
“It is a release for me because of the pressures of exams coming up and you have to prepare yourself. Now we are here expressing ourselves in the best possible way,” Smith said. “You can feel the atmosphere, very vibrant and so our athletes can perform as best as possible. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”