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Nagano Students to Cheer Olympic Athletes in Human Letters Students attending middle schools in Nagano Prefecture are planning to cheer international athletes during the Winter Olympic Games by forming such words as "Come On" and "Go Go" with their own bodies, in human letters.
Their unique cheering delighted many contenders during the summer ski jumping championship held in Hakuba at the Olympic competition site in September. A total of 150 students spelled "Come On," "Go (the names of athletes)," and "Bravo." They also formed the designs of various national flags for the overseas competitors.
The 150 consisted of students from Hakuba Middle School and over 90 students attending five different middle schools in Nagano Prefecture. The students at the other schools participated at the invitation of the student body at Hakuba Middle School.
The idea of human letters was originated by the eighth graders at the Hakuba school in 1996. First, they sent a letter to PL Gakuen High School, which is well known for its organized cheering using human letters during the national high school baseball championships, and asked for that school's help. After plenty of practice, they demonstrated their achievements during the 1996 summer ski jumping championship, and in December in the same year during a World Cup ice hockey game.
After the first two events, numerous students at Hakuba Middle School volunteered to cheer on Japanese and overseas players during various competitions, including cross-country skiing, ski jumping, women's downhill, and Paralympic skiing, held between January and March of 1997.
Students at Hakuba Middle School are inviting more students attending other schools to join them in spelling human letters during the Winter Olympics in February. A total of eight sets of words in different languages will be spelled during the games, according to the school.
