2 minute read
World Cup
Soccer Fever Hits AHS
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By Elmer Starkey
Photographer Joseph Kim
Students tune in to watch the World Cup in Spanish Teacher Hilda Gonzalzez’s room on Dec 7, 2022
On Friday Dec. 9 during lunch, Spanish teacher Hilda Gonzalez’s room was packed. Not for frantic students studying for a Spanish test, but for the soccer fans at AHS who, for the past two weeks, had turned room A1 into a local watch party event. Every day before school and lunch, Gonzalez has been putting on the 2022 FIFA World Cup games for any students who want to watch and quickly has developed a crowd that comes to her room every day.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup was held this year in Qatar. Instead of being held in the summer as it traditionally is, this year’s tournament was held from Nov 20 to Dec 18. As a result, games happened during the school day through the past three weeks. Students and teachers found themselves watching the games before school, during lunch, and for some, even during class.
Gonzalez is one of the teachers in this school who gave the opportunity for students to watch the World Cup games during lunch. She said she really enjoyed the mood of the classroom during lunch while they tuned in.
“It is so positive! Everyone cleans up, everyone is just very positive. Even if they don’t know each other, they’re still respective of each other. I’ve had things left behind by certain students and other students that aren’t even my students turn in items found,” Gonzalez said.
To Gonzalez, watching the World Cup is a part of who she is.
“It is a tradition in my culture and some in my family that we all watch and just be attentive to all the games of the World Cup.”, Gonzalez said.
Senior Rogelio Rojas-Madriz, watches the World Cup game in Gonzalez’s classroom during lunch and even outside of school.
“I like the excitement that happens in Ms.Gonzalez’s class because it happens every 4 years and seeing the whole room get along with each other was cool,” Rojas-Madriz said.
Senior Marcus Bautista is one of the students who participated in watching the games of the World Cup. Though he doesn’t know much about soccer, he still sees an interest within the games being shown during lunch.
“It’s pretty cool watching them run around and kick balls. I think it was a good idea to let the students participate in the big social event, especially with the big game,” Bautista said.
To Gonzalez, this event is establising bonds and connections from those who are different from each other.
“A way to build a community to connect with students that have similar interests and to give them an opportunity to celebrate the World Cup,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez’s most memorable moments while watching the game was connecting and talking with family members and relatives.
“Honestly, connecting with my parents, aunts, uncles because this goes cross generations and just talking with them about different teams, strategies, who’s gonna win. It’s just a good conversation starter,” Gonzalez said. “Meeting different students that I don’t have and how they have connected with other students that they wouldn’t normally talk with.”
What Gonzalez enjoyed most about putting up these games for the past 2 weeks was meeting new students and seeing them interact with others.
