Rusea’s Graduation Class of 1981: Golden Initiatives

Today my heart and my spirit are in Lucea, Hanover where my schoolmates from Rusea’s High School are gathering for the second annual fundraising barbecue. The event was planned and is being executed by the graduation class of 1981 (GCO81), a group that was conceptualized and initiated by Garth Grant who also serves as the chairman. I’m thinking about how the Rusea’s campus is now buzzing with activity as my old friends gather from all over Jamaica and the world to set up the stalls and tents with food and drinks. As I picture the scenery in my mind, I can also start to feel reggae music filling the air over the school and into the seaside community. My thoughts are with my fellow alumni who planned this fundraiser and decided to host it despite the ongoing state of emergency in five parishes across Jamaica, including Hanover.

As I reflect on the last two years that I have been a part of the newly formed GCO81, I must say that I admire the efforts and contributions of the members, especially those who give their time, talents, and treasures to our good old Rusea’s High School. I take the time to say this because over the course of my life I have known of many organizations that would be constantly fundraising for specific causes but the benefactors would never receive anything tangible. This is probably because fundraising projects often are not able to make any substantial profits after their investments. It is refreshing to see that GCO81 is different from the other community and alumni organizations I have come across, given that in 2022 they donated the fundraising proceeds of $400,000.00 (Jamaican Dollars) directly to the school. This year the group plans to use the money raised to purchase a bus for the school; a gift that will have an immediate impact on the students. The success of the GCO81 fundraising efforts in Jamaica is commendable, especially in a time when many economies are struggling. Fundraising is an extremely difficult endeavor but somehow GCO81 was able to do it successfully in 2022 despite a short planning timeframe. I pray that they will exceed their target for this year.

I am confident that the group’s leadership and its members will execute another successful fundraiser this year because they are now more committed than ever and are determined to achieve their goals. Although I am at a far distance away and I was not involved in the planning because of poor health, I could feel the energy from my peers as they mobilized resources. It is even noteworthy that the security forces granted permission for the event to continue amidst the state of emergency; this I believe is a reflection of the group’s credibility and reputation as an organization that truly gives back to Rusea’s and to the wider society.

Last year I thanked Garth and the rest of the team for making the donation to Rusea’s on behalf of the entire class of 1981. I remember telling them via our WhatsApp group that their action was selfless because they could have made the contribution as individuals but instead they did so for all of us. Again this year I am thanking the GCO81 for all that they are doing to help sustain Rusea’s. Because I am not able to give financial resources, I somehow feel compelled to give my heart and a few kind words of recognition.

I also hope that the group will accept this little picture frame that I painted a few weeks ago with the colors blue, green and gold as a tribute to those of us who walked through the doors of our very old alma mater over forty years ago. The truth is that though I recall being taught about the meaning of the school’s colors, I do not remember what they represent and now I find myself somewhat curious about the significance. I suspect the gold color is associated with wealth and abundance but I am not certain. Hopefully, some of my fellow alumni can educate me about the colors’ meaning even as they are busy at the barbecue.

 

“Gone with the Wind:” A Special Teacher from Rusea’s.

As resilient as a Jamaican girl.

We arrived on time for the show and walked towards the main entrance of the library but soon noticed that the double-glass doors were closed. A young man waved his hand to get our attention and walked briskly over to us almost apologizing for the inconvenience. He pointed to another door on the right of the main entrance that I was noticing for the first time.

“You can use this door.”

I thought I heard him explaining that the side door led to the stage and would save some time instead of walking out onto the temporary entrance facing Tom Redcam Drive. We entered the reading room and found the waiting audience ready for another night of good theatre. 

The good seats were all taken so we moved towards the rear of the room with me ahead of my husband hoping to find two vacant and adjoining chairs. The room was quieter tonight with fewer pre-teens and while the scent of popcorn filled the air, I did not notice the usual line of excited children waiting for their treats. I removed a chair from its original space in the rear and placed it in our favourite spot just about six rows from the screen and away from the lights. 

As we settled into our seats, I was drawn to a group of teenage girls dressed in blue skirts, white blouses and blue neck ties. The uniform was familiar but I was not sure of the school. Then I saw a slim girl (maybe a 4th former) wearing the school crest on her left bust. I could not mistake that crest, not even in my sleep. They were from my high school! Rusea’s! All the way from Hanover! I turned to my husband and asked.

“Can you imagine they came all the way from Hanover to watch this movie?” I was elated. Just two days ago I thought about the need for these movies to be shown across Jamaica and actually posted a comment on the United States Embassy’s (Jamaica) Facebook page in reaction to last week’s American Movie Classic, “The Wizard of Oz.”

Please do not stop now. Every library in Jamaica should have access to these and other classic films…How many of these children know that movies were only available in black and white? As a child, I remember placing colored plastic over our TV in Cascade, Hanover. That was about 1974 when my sister migrated to the United States and left the TV with us.”

As soon as I was sure that the students were from my alma mater, I drew my chair closer to the group and to a young woman whom I suspected was their literature teacher. 

“Are you from Rusea’s?” I asked knowingly.

She replied, “Yes, we are.”

“And you came all the way to Kingston to watch this movie tonight?”

“Oh, yes! When I heard that the movie would be showing in town, I said I had to take my students to see it. I watched it when I was ten years old and I have never forgotten it.”

It is a long way back to Hanover.

My heart started to melt as my mind went back to the early 1980s when I was a 5th form student at Rusea’s. I was preparing for my Caribbean Examinations Certificate (CXCs) amidst all the confusion in the school and in my personal life. Sixth form was already defunct, a major indicator of the school’s general poor performance (in my view) at the time. Literature was one of the nine subjects I took that year, a decision made primarily by me. I do not recall getting any useful guidance in selecting my CXC subjects that year. 

I decided then and there that I was going to connect with the teacher sitting next to me in the Tom Redcam Reading Room. I wanted to let her know that she was special. After all, I did not notice any other “country” school represented in the audience.

“That is just so good that you took these students all the way from Hanover to see this movie!”

“Really? You think so?”

“Yes, of course. That is a long journey for you to take.”

“Well I am so glad to hear you say that. You are the only one who thinks that this is good.”

I leaned my head over to the teacher and whispered. “I need to get your contact information…you are special.”

“So, did the school sponsor the trip?” I asked, being fully aware of the high cost of transportation and the meager budgets of high schools in Jamaica.

“No, the students had to pay out of their pockets.”  

We exchanged telephone numbers and e-mail addresses while we waited for the second part of the movie to start. 

Oh, how I wished there were more teachers like this one!  Her students will never forget this movie because she placed such a high value on it. They had to drive over one hundred miles over a typical four-hour trip to see “Gone with the Wind.”

As I drove home, I thought about the discussions they must have had in their mini-bus on their way back to Hanover. I am sure they talked about Scarlett because I heard how they reacted in the “theatre” whenever she cried for what she wanted. I hope they talked about Scarlett’s resilience too, and “her choice of power over sex and romantic love.”  I pray that they had the chance to review every violent scene and make the connections between the old Atlanta and the new; the old Scarlett and the new. But most of all, I ask God to help those girls to love their fathers in spite of all their shortcomings.  

You are indeed special Miss Dawn Dawes. We are now connected! My husband says you are a blessed woman.