Photo by Bryce Owen ’17 – Maanik Chotalla ’16 introduces the guest speaker before her keynote address.

By Juan Carlos Ramirez ’18
THE ROUNDUP

If you do not know Maanik Chotalla ’16, the roundup’s Man of the Year runner-up, he points out he is that one guy walking around campus with the beard.

Chotalla said that attending Brophy wasn’t in his plans.

“Admittedly I was very hesitant to come here to Brophy,” said.

Chotalla said that he wanted to stay at his previous school because it included a high school where most of his previous friends were going.

When he thought of Brophy, Chotalla said that he expected a rich, white school, but his stereotypical view was greatly changed when he actually came.

“Brophy has showed me so much love,” Chotalla said. “Almost every single student here has showed me the respect. It’s like no one is going against me by the way I look.”

Chotalla said he’s always trying to help other people.

“My mom says likes it’s like a problem sometimes because I’m going to hurt myself one day doing it,” Chotalla said. “Honestly, it’s giving 100 percent of yourself to the community because Brophy has shown so much love.”

Chotalla is involved in the Speech and Debate team where Ms. Beth Clarke is the head coach.

Mrs. Clarke said that something unique about Chotalla is that he actually uniquely cares about you.

“I think this is a place where people really care about each other a lot,” Mrs. Clarke said. “I think Maanik really embodies that aspect of Brophy so deeply, and how much he genuinely cares.”

Mrs. Clarke said that Chotalla has always been so hard on himself that she had to tell him to take it easy.

“I think almost not to be so hard on himself,” Mrs. Clarke said. “How upset sometimes he would be when he did well at tournament, but his teammates wouldn’t … Your teammates care about you to, and they want you to do well. They don’t want you to be upset that they didn’t do well.”

Chotalla said that he always tried the most he could but really just suffocated himself in activities that might have been excessive.

Chotalla said his time here at Brophy has been an experience to learn how to love more profoundly.