12th Annual Sports and Cultural Festival a Great Success
Raw determination lights in the eyes of players, tension radiates as the penalty shot just misses and the crowds roar with untamed excitement as the final basket secures the win. Emotion stings the air and everyone is simply alive with spirit. A hearty, warm welcome to the heart of our St Peter’s College Sports and Cultural Festival!
This is an event that has a proudly reserved spot in the diary every year and with absolute reason! It is the College’s biggest festival, bringing 45 schools together to celebrate the colour and competition on both the sports grounds and in the MADD Centre ...and even beyond – into intense chess matches, beautifully written speeches and vibrant music! 2015 has proven to be no exception...
On Friday, we were all freed from the academic side of things (enough to put a smug grin on the faces of most!) in order to support, participate and just get involved in the festivities. The Grade 9s, however, had their Entrepreneurship Day, and were given the opportunity to show off their goodies and attempt to lure our visitors. Well, they certainly pulled out all the stops... from a gleaming silver McLaren, to homemade funky tie-died shirts and then a limited edition of striped Eos ( the latest and greatest teenager craze: imported lipbalm!) Success was simply inevitable and the promise of profit became more of a glorious reality with each new customer!
The basketball courts saw many incredible lay-ups and some pretty impressive skill. There also proved to be truckloads of raw talent and lots of serious eye-candy for the ladies both there, and on the soccer fields! Netball, which only started on Saturday, was just as fantastic. All in all, the spectators were treated to countless, truly memorable games and the participants had the divine privilege of challenging renowned rivals and playing against some of South Africa’s top high schools.
Moving into the cultural sphere of things, one can simply say it was rather awesome! The street art took the cake though as it really held its own! Students came up with the most creative and inspiring chalk masterpieces. ‘The Power of Education’ was the prescribed theme and was uniquely woven into each extraordinary design. However, if art wasn’t quite your cup of tea, the Music tent was just around the corner. Throughout the weekend it pulsed with electrifying rock, silky jazz blues, the sweetest of melodies and again, lots of raw talent! A number of ensembles and individual musicians did St Peter’s proud and provided the perfect background beat for those on the Luthuli fields.
This weekend, St Peter’s College was also the host of the annual Inter-high Dance Competition. It is an extremely prestigious event and after watching just a few routines, it can be said that the dancers were indeed of the finest quality! Each school can be exceptionally proud of their innovative and just exquisite performances!
And then to the perhaps unsung heroes of the tournament: our devoted chess team and our brilliant orators. You guys were marvelous!! Many public speakers raised some thought-provoking points as to the trials and tribulations of our modern existence while others spoke about whatever they felt passionately. Chess made a profound debut, as 2015 was indeed the first time the game had been incorporated into the Festival.
This year’s Sports and Cultural Festival gave new meaning to the word ‘Brilliance’. Each performer and player shone with brilliance and with the honour of wearing their school badge; providing the perfect entertainment for a brilliant weekend! Cheers to the brilliance of many more such occasions!