Maria Carolina Martins
The long-awaited varsity jackets created by the Student Council are finally here! The idea of creating the new jackets was first introduced back in December 2022, when our current president, Sarah, and previous vice-president, Jun, presented their ideas and objectives for their new term. The long and laborious process took a while to be completed, passing through various stages until we could finally buy the much anticipated new gear. Varsity jackets are often seen as a symbol of pride, offering a means to proudly represent your school. Saint Maur had varsity jackets years ago, but the tradition was discontinued with the passing of time. Now, the jackets are back and this is what students are saying about it.
The Process
Trois, the High School Student Council vice-president, shared the process of creating the jackets: “We had someone design them first, Masanori who graduated [last year]. And we had to look at who would be able to supply and which factory would be willing to support this project for us. Luckily, we had connections to the Kitamura company, so through them, we were able to create the jackets.” When asked about what are her hopes for the future of this project and whether or not she thought it would continue as a tradition for future Saint Maur students, she said: “Honestly, with the amount of work we put in, it better become a tradition. [But] honestly, yeah, I think it will because we used to have it in the first place, and a lot of people feel more cougar pride when they wear it.”
Students’ Opinions
Students’ opinions are very divided when it comes to the idea of the jackets. Some have loved it, some are not very fond of it, and some are indifferent. Ranon, a grade 12 student, feels very passionate about the significance of the jacket: “I would always see other schools wearing it during games and I would always think it would be cool.” She also explained that although it’s expensive, she thinks it’s a good memory and could be passed onto future generations: “When I grow up and I have a kid, I could give it to them so I feel like it has a lot of meaning to it. And I’m going to be thirty five years old and see the jacket and will be able to think about my high school years.”
Rin, the senior class president also shared her opinions: “I think the color is pretty, and it really represents Saint Maur, and I like that. It is something that I will remember and I can keep.”
Hana, another senior, but who didn’t buy the jacket, felt that the product was too expensive for its final design, and that she’s “not a fan of maroon.” She also commented, “they established the price pretty late” and she didn’t buy it in the first place because students weren’t able to “see the actual jacket first-hand in real life, feel the material and see if it’s good quality, and worth the price.” She stated, “Nobody was able to actually see it before they actually bought it. You’d have to pay first, and then it was a surprise when you got it.”
Dress Code Restrictions
One downside of the jackets students have pointed out is that, currently, we are not allowed to wear them in school, as they are not part of our regular school uniform. Students feel like the jacket is a way for them to represent the school and to have cougar pride. However, the senior class representatives are working on negotiating with the administration about permitting seniors to wear the varsity jackets during the regular school hours, but unfortunately this idea would only apply to the class of 2024. After being asked about her standing on the senior privilege request, Rin, the senior class president said “I think it is possible because, last year’s seniors and prior, they asked to wear jackets, and it’s just us asking the varsity jacket to be one of the jackets that we are allowed to wear.” She feels this issue is important because of the price and the fact that it is a way of representing our school. She stated, “There’s no point in being up in the closet unless we wear it.” She also mentioned that a lot of teachers are in favor of the allowance of the jackets and don’t understand why we are not allowed to wear them. She added “I think it’s something that a whole high school should be able to wear. But I think starting with the seniors makes sense. We bought it and we only have one year left at the school to wear it, and I think it’s an opportunity that the admin should be willing to give to us. It’s not something that’s extravagant.[It’s] just something that we wanna wear on top of the uniform, to keep warm.”
What’s Next?
As of now, roughly 30 students have purchased the varsity jacket. They are not available at the moment, but the student council mentioned that if enough people want to order it and are willing to actually pay, then they can go through with the shipping processes and making it again. So if you are interested in purchasing it or knowing more about the price and potential availability, you should definitely talk to one of the STUCO representatives to learn more.
In conclusion, the reintroduction of varsity jackets at Saint Maur by the High School Student Council has caused a wide range of reactions and opinions amongst our student body. The jackets seem to be very important to some students and can help symbolize our pride for being part of this community. They also have the potential to become an important tradition to unite us in representing our school and become a focal point of our school’s tradition. Although relatively new, the jackets already have an important significance to our students, seen by the desire of being able to wear them during school hours. For now, only time can tell how these jackets will continue to leave their mark on the legacy of Saint Maur High School and if they can continue to be enjoyed by the students in future generations.
Maria Carolina Martins