For almost two years, students at Newton South have been missing out on some of the most enjoyable experiences of their high school years. While COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on everyone’s lives, we believe that allowing student fans at ice hockey games provides a minimal-risk opportunity for everyone to enjoy high school sports; both freshmen and sophomore players who have never been in or played in front of a high school crowd as well as juniors and seniors who are looking to cheer on and play in front of their peers in their final months of high school. We understand that there are concerns regarding the capacity and safety of these events, however, we believe that it should be emphasized that both playing in and attending sporting events is a personal choice that is made after all risks are considered. After almost two full seasons of high school hockey during the pandemic, both the varsity and JV teams have followed all COVID protocols and have not produced a single positive case. As a senior, I am very disappointed to see that every team we have played so far has had a loud and energetic student section while we were only allowed to have two family members attending the game. We understand that the protocols are made by the administration of each town and are specific to those towns, but we are very frustrated with the way that responsible, vaccinated, and masked student fans are not allowed to support their peers at home games. With that said, we would like to recognize and thank the athletic department and faculty of Newton South High School for their continued effort in allowing athletics to take place, but we will be even more grateful if we were able to compete with the support of a responsible and energetic student body. The team has only a few more home games ahead of the DCL cup and state tournament, including their senior night. We ask you to sign and share this petition so that we can lift these restrictions and allow a more enjoyable high school experience for players and fans.