Student section moves South

For years, Gibson Southern students could be found cheering at home football games on the far right bleachers, near the touchdown zone.However, this year has proved to be very different.. At the home game against Princeton High School on October 9, many students watched the game from a different perspective than usual- the south end zone. This change has made it easier to social distance and help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

With the crowded student section at the first two games, social distancing was nearly impossible. Vice Principal Jon Adams reports that moving the student section to the south end zone has made more space for spirited students. It also leaves more room for prideful parents who wish to watch the game. 

“Many schools around us are not allowing student sections at games, so we wanted to be proactive to show that we are doing what we can to be safe, while still allowing our students to attend events,” Adams said.

Since many other schools are not allowing students to gather together in large groups at sporting events, GIbson Southern students took on the responsibility of maintaining social distancing in order to make the tradition possible. Brittany Norman, a senior that attended the home game, confirms that social distancing protocols were carried out.

“Everyone was able to spread out more since there was more space in the south end zone,” Norman said. 

Although students had more room to spread out, there were some downsides to the change. Being farther away from the crowd made it difficult to show the team spirit that Gibson Southern loves to display. Another problem arose with watching the game itself.

“When it came to doing cheers or chants, it was difficult to get the people’s attention,” senior Sofey Baldwin said. “It was also harder to see the actual game.”