S.J.C. boys explore creative side in open day
Open days are always highlights on school calendars, but every educational institution tries to put its own spin on the event to reel in potential students. And as News Five=s Karla Vernon found out today, there’s no telling how far some students will go.
James Ruiz, Student 1A
?We are acting out stories in the book. In this scene we?re in a wedding scene from the book called, ?Miguel Street?. Now I am playing the part of Razor and he is playing the part of Dolly in which we got married forcefully by our father, George, the short little guy over there.?
Karla Vernon
?How are you feeling dressed as a bride??
Rasheed Gardiner, Student 1A
?Funny … Uncomfortable. I just want to get out of this dress.?
Karla Vernon, Reporting
This year?s S.J.C. open day turned creative when teachers decided to let the students bring one of Caribbean author V.S. Naipaul?s best loved books to life. The students recreated the entire novel, taking on the roles of their favourite characters.
S.J.C. High School Headmaster, Rodden Bodden says the school assisted with materials, but the idea and elbow grease that went into the elaborate sets were all the boys.
Rodden Bodden, Headmaster
?The school came up with a budget. We couldn?t have paid for everything, but much of the plywood the school purchased. We purchased rejected wood, and also we had sponsored who assisted us greatly, because it?s too much to ask for the students. But those who were able to brought in their own materials and yesterday was construction day, so you had them hammering stuff and getting things together. But as you see, the end product that they were able to bring out what ?Miguel Street? from the novel ?Miguel Street? appeared to them.?
And as we found out, the street scene was a hook for other open day activities.
Nigel Encalada, Open Day Representative, S.J.C.
?Students have put together projects in a number of areas. As a matter of fact, in all of the subject areas of our school, everything from Religion, Sports, the Sciences, Business, History, the Social Sciences. So the school is on full display today, in terms of what we want to do.?
Edward Hoy, 2C
?Today we are going to present on the solar cooker. The Solar cooker, we built this thing in such a way that when the sun rays hits it, the white part reflects it down to the bottom part. And we spray painted that black so the black surface is holding in the sun?s heat while we heat up the pizza.?
Jovani Grajalez, 2C
?This might be a new way of cooking for the future.?
Karla Vernon
?So how much did it cost you to make this??
Jovani Grajalez, 2C
?This cost about eighty dollars. The glass itself was about sixty, then we had to buy glue, then find the cardboard box. It only took us about three hours to make.?
One of the exhibitions to attract the most attention was a hydro dam that really generated electricity … well, with a little extra muscle.
Hugh Bodden, IC
?Because this is a very small powered dam, it does not have enough pressure to light, but if you all can see, if you spin it, you will be able to get a light.?
Other open day favourites included solar systems, volcanoes that really erupt, and Maya temples of concrete, cardboard, Popsicle sticks. The day?s hard work is to impress teachers, parents?and most importantly?potential new students.
Renold Bodden, Headmaster
?We?ve invited primarily the standard six students, both boys and girls. The boys of course are the ones we are targeting, however, the girls are still invited because they may have younger brothers coming up and so they?ll pass the word of what they have seen and go back home and say, ?Mom, I think my little brother should go there?. And also too, they get an idea of what a Jesuit education is like, what St. John?s College is all about because right across the street is our sister school, the St. John?s College Junior College which also accepts females.?
Nigel Encalada
?We want young men to think that and to know that with an education here they can become leaders in their community. We want to put our best foot forward so that students have an idea of what excellent projects should look like. And it will later on translate into them in the business world, in the real world when as professionals they will be required to do the same thing.?
Reporting for News Five, I am Karla Vernon.
In related news, the high school’s sixth form counterpart will be holding its annual Mr. and Miss S.J.C. Pageant this weekend. The event takes place on Saturday at the Bliss starting at seven. Tickets are fifteen dollars.
