Opening Ceremony - Beginning of the End

Short but sweet, or bitter sweet I say. To kick-start the last ISSL in history, schools pulled into the NR driveway like any ordinary day then gathered at 8:15 p.m. in the auditorium for the opening ceremony. The opening remarks were done by Mr. Jaison Norris, the advisor for this season’s host school– the one and only EABH. “Make lasting memories,” he said in regards to this, concluding a chapter for all ISSL attendees. During the pep rally, EABH students were already preparing their goodbyes and bracing themselves for the crucial balance that is expected of all ISSL attendees: work hard, play hard. 

One by one, Mr.Jaison began calling the names of each school’s athletic directors and advisors to be given a round of applause for their background efforts leading up to the tournament and to encourage them for their future efforts to come. The schools in attendance are Escola Americana de Recife (Pernambuco), School of Nations (Brasilia), The Pan American School of Bahia (Bahia), The British School of Rio de Janeiro (Urca and Barra, Rio de Janeiro), The Pan American School of Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul), Our Lady of Mercy (Rio de Janeiro), and Escola Americana de Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais). This season of volleyball is expected to be a little different considering the absence of St.Paul’s School of São Paulo. In past volleyball-futsal seasons, the height and strength of their players were considered a great advantage that certain schools didn’t possess. But this time, all the schools in attendance are just as prepared as they would be on any ordinary day at ISSL. 

Following the acknowledgements of all the advisors, the ceremony transitioned into a moment of excitement and exhilaration. The entire room stood to sing and honor the Brazilian, American, and English anthems. With the singing of anthems straight to cheering at last season’s highlight videos which featured goals, spikes, and match points. But to get to serious business, Edmar, the NR supervisor gave a run down on the rules of use of plastic cups, food service hours, curfew, and further information that was needed for all attendees of the tournament. The EABH Hawks applauded and cheered for the beginning of the end–a bittersweet moment of excitement and craving for maximization.

Link to the drive with all the media that will be captured by The Daily Hawk’s team during this tournament.