By Dallas Ducar ’10
THE ROUNDUP
Lately around campus it seems there has been more and more things to do.
No, I’m not talking about homework or college applications (while those may be piling up as well) but instead actual activities to do.
Pick any school day and usually you will find an e-mail inbox full of announcements, classrooms full with club meetings and the gym packed with students ready to compete.
In the past four years that I have spent at Brophy, I have personally seen student activity skyrocket. During freshman year I could never imagine so many students at a Brophy football game actually cheering on their team.
What makes recent forms of student participation so unique is that they are all not just lead by the Student Council, but clubs as well. It seems that students are not waiting for someone else to actually make a difference but instead jump when given any opportunity.
I’m not promoting the notion that the Brophy Student Council is not doing their job (after all they did turn the Great Hall into a casino, bring a giant waterslide to the front lawn and host numerous dances). Instead, I am noting how students are stepping up in the community.
Whether it is a dancing man in a military uniform or a giant bopping red blood drop, it is evident that students are getting involved and they are not afraid of what others think.
With more than 80 clubs on campus students can easily find their forte or simply create their own club. Whether it is a place to discuss similar political views, work for social justice, follow a life aspiration or just have fun, it seems Brophy clubs have what students want.
“The overall camaraderie that the senior class is trying to establish before we leave is the variable that is really driving the student body this year,” said Michael Weinberger ’10.
With many people to blame for this surge in activism, one in particular that comes to mind is the “Dance Commander,” Bryce Muzzy ’10, along with the organization known as “Cheer Camp.”
While it may have seemed ridiculous years ago when he first sported the military uniform at a Halloween costume contest, now to most Brophy students it seems completely normal. The Dance Commander and his music are responsible for most of the intensity shown in the stands at Brophy football games along with the two-year-old club “Techno Tuesdays.”
However, Muzzy cannot be solely credited for the attitude change in the student cheering section. The student-led Cheer Camp has helped to incorporate several new cheers such as “A-Boom-Chika-Boom” and “Dale Dale Brophy” into the student section.
Nevertheless with Techno Tuesday’s “Quest for More Bass” it was obvious that student participation had reached a new level. Now clubs are venturing into a new domain where they are able to host events such as school dances.
Along with Techno Tuesdays, other forms of participation include Friday Night Lights and Casino Night which were both unheard of four years ago.
Other clubs that can be seen getting involved are the National Honors Society who recently hosted the Blood Drive or even the Non-Gourmet Club who can usually be seen serving food on Thursdays to those who don’t want to buy from Michael’s.
Even the Spooner Club can be found simply sporting Spooner shirts to school every Wednesday.
One thing is for sure, student participation is on a rise at Brophy and it is not hurting the community one bit.
The question is: Will it sustain itself?
