After a grueling 16 hours on the road (only two of which were spent sleeping), and an intense storm that rocked the bus and delayed our arrival, we finally made it.
We arrived in Halifax with a renewed sense of excitement. There were so many fans from other schools staying in the same hotel that from the moment we saw their school colours, we felt the need to defend our maroon and gold. With loud chants, and the help of a couple drums, we made sure that our presence was known to every single person within the vicinity: Concordia had arrived!
The game started at 8:15 p.m., but our cheer squad was already gearing up hours before that. With face and body paint covering us — and some parts of the hotel — we were the embodiment of what it meant to be a Stinger (antennae included). We had been given T-shirts, scarves and Bam Bams and instructed to make as much noise as we could. We were the smallest group but by far the loudest. The final score was 98-82 for StFX, but nothing could dampen our spirits and knock our support for our beloved basketball team.
Our next commitment to the team would only be the next day for the game against Ryerson at 2:15 p.m. We may have lost that game as well, but as Philippe Walkden from the men’s rugby team said, “If fandom was a varsity sport, the members of the fan bus would be the CIS champs.”
This trip showed our spirit, faith and undying support for our own school and varsity teams. By the next day, we all managed to roll out of bed, after a night of a lot of team bonding, rallied and did it all over again.
We lost our last game on Saturday by four points against the Ryerson Rams. We knew our team could have taken it to the end, but they had some bad luck and some bad calls.
We didn’t go in with the goal to crush the other teams, but to elevate ours. Win or lose, we were there until the end. I have never been more proud of our display of school pride.
Our last night in Halifax wasn’t just spent celebrating our team, but also celebrating with them. “The Stingers’ atmosphere was awesome,” said Daysuella Gilroy Briand, a fan on the bus. “Even when we were down in the game, our fans made sure to be the loudest in Halifax. I definitely want to be a part of that experience next year when the Stingers make it to nationals again.”
