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| Sunday, 19 February 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Big match entries into female citadels : If it happens, why be on denial? Exploded: The psychology behind the often wished-away tradition of jumping into girls' schools. by Rikaza Hassan
They find it very interesting and there are some girls who actually give us directions to come to their classrooms." Royalist Danith * (19) agrees with Kris. "This is the largest event in school, second in Sri Lanka only to the Kandy Perahera." He also believes that getting into girls' schools is "a harmless tradition, as long as you don't harass the girls. We basically jump into Ladies, Bishops and Bridgets. Some freak out, but others find it amusing. We simply cheer for Royal, go to a class and try to teach something before we are kicked out by the teachers or the police."
Speaking to the girls we found that the boys' disruption was a welcome break from the tedium of school hours. 18-year-old Bishopian Radika * is of the opinion that "there is nothing wrong with them jumping into the school as long as they don't get too naughty like kissing the teachers or cutting off their ties. Of course we wait till it happens, it's really cool. I do not give directions and draw maps and stuff for the guys, though there are others who do that." Another Bishopian Erandi * (19) wishes that the girls had something like the big matches. "They have so much fun, while we are not allowed to have fun like the guys do." "Imagine a bunch of girls jumping into a guys' school and screaming their heads off, running around the place, painting the walls. The people in this country would probably die of massive coronaries," said Menalka * a student of the same school. Bridgeteen Sonali * (18) found all the uproar "just another excuse to miss work. It's something out of the ordinary, and the stupid principals always call the police. They should just let them come and go." Added Shalini * also a student of St. Bridget's College, "I actually enjoy it when they bug the teachers. They get so embarrassed and pissed off, and we miss even more work." The ladies of the other leading school in Colombo 7 were of strong opinions but reluctant to have the name of their schools published. Said Rozanne * "I love it when the guys jump into school and create havoc. It's such a lovely sight to see the teachers running all over the place in a frenzy." Michelle * agreed, "I think it's lots of fun, especially when they manage to get into your class." Familian Hiranthi * was one of those waiting in anticipation for the arrival of the "boys. "We even spend more time on dressing-up when we know that a gang of boys from a particular school is to arrive." Visakhian Uditha * (17) said that being one of those not allowed to go to watch the matches, she was always glad to have the guys turn up in their school premises. Lavanya (17), a student of Musaeus College was of quite a different opinion. "I think guys jumping into the school is silly. What's the point of it? And I would not go to watch the matches." She however added that she was different from most others. "There are others who wait for the guys to come, and those who go to watch the matches as well. They go there just to flirt with the boys and I think it's sickening." Such traditions may certainly hold in Colombo, yet in the hills of Kandy, they do not take place. Trinitian Nalaka * said he wished they could jump into schools as easily as the guys in Colombo. "It's so much more strict here. The culture is very different from Colombo." The Kandy girls were equally wishful. "I wish it would happen here as well. It must be fun. Colombo is so much more happening," said Thanuja *. "The only time I know of when guys jumped into our school was when the Royalists here for the Bradby did so," added a wistful Nalini *. The girls are students of the two leading schools of Kandy. After the jumping, chasing, and the money collecting is over, comes the matches. It is a well-known fact that the booze flows freely at such events among the spectators, as the few guys play cricket in the grounds. And with the loss of senses in the company of the fairer sex comes physical harassment. "Harassment always does occur. Everyone's drunk, people are not in their senses, and there is no way of controlling it. I guess it's a risk going to a big match," said Erandi *. "The guys drink and ruin our fun as well. They touch and squeeze our butts." We have to ignore them and move away," added Radika *. Said Sonali, "Guys consider it (the matches) the time to go wild, and it's only slightly worse than what they usually try. I don't think it's alright for them to do it, but then you can't really blame them since it's only once a year." The guys completely denied harassing the female spectators. "We drink and dance to stupid music but we do not harass the girls," said Joseph *. Royalist Danith* accepted that they drink, but denied harassing the girls. "Sure we take a good look at the women there, but we don't trouble them. It's the old boys and other people who come there who are responsible. As school boys we can't do anything about it." "The match is a social event where we turn into alcoholics for three days," said Kris. "We however do not harass the girls, and they should know to stay in their own tents without creeping into others'. There are a lot of drunk people out there, and they got to be smart about it." The heads of schools told of strict rules and discipline, when asked about the matches. Dr. David Ponniah, warden of St. Thomas College, Mt. Lavinia told us, that while the boys can practise old traditions as long as they do not inconvenience the public, the school does not condone what happens when things get out of hand. "There is a new phenomenon of boys, not Royalists or Thomians, creating havoc while pretending to be students of the school. We advise the police to take the strongest action against anyone who is caught." He also added that "school boys are not allowed to drink or smoke during the matches." Principal of Royal College, Mr. Upali Gunasekera agreed with his Thomian counterpart. He also added that strict measures have been taken this year, and all students must attend school in the days preceding the matches. While some school heads of girls' schools we contacted were too busy or unavailable to answer our questions, the vice principal of a leading girls school in Colombo 7, said that a few boys coming in and leaving without disrupting school activities was fine, while a crowd of boys coming into classes and painting their walls was not to be tolerated. She believed that the principals of the schools should advise their students to behave decently. She also added that the school had no problem with their students going to watch the matches, as long as it was not a school day, and that they should know to dress decently. In a strange twist, it seems that a country that deems the upholding of traditions important, the traditions of the 'big matches' are being coveted by the young and dismissed by the usual traditionalists. * Name have been changed. |
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According to 19-year-old Thomian Kris, "the traditions of the big matches
are a must. It is a heritage that comes with being a Thomian, or a
Royalist." He also adds that, while he is "not into hat collections much, I
definitely believe in the risk of having cops chasing you around, or beating
you up when you manage to get into a girls' school. The girls love it. 
Joseph * an 18-year-old Commerce student of St. Peter's College says he
"never found jumping into girls' schools fun, though I plan to do it this
year, to try it out when I can." He believes that this tradition is
"probably a protest against why we never get to be with the opposite sex."
