Brophy Roundup

Letter to the Editor

Roundup • December 3, 2009

The unexpected happened Friday, Oct. 9, 2009 to 1984 Brophy graduate Thomas L. Vajda. He met with democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi in Yangon, Myanmar. Suu Kyi, the opposition National League for Democracy leader who has been detained for 14 of the last 20 years, was allowed to meet with U.S., British and Australian diplomats by Myanmar’s military junta to discuss the lifting of sanctions on Myanmar. The diplomats who met with her at her request were U.S. Embassy’s Acting Charge d’Affaires Tom Vajda, British Ambassador Andrew Heyn and Australia’s Deputy Head of Mission Simon Star.

The Roundup covers school news, sports with status updates and tweets

Roundup • December 3, 2009

With most newspapers now online and even more newspapers closing their doors, it is a time of change within the journalism community. In light of these changes, here at The Roundup we have made some changes of our own. This year we have put a greater focus on technology and have made several significant advancements in our online distribution.

Group projects are useless, foster wrong message

Blair Cook • December 3, 2009

After 12 years of formal education, I have come to dread the moment a teacher utters the phrase “group project.” Group work is not effective for multiple reasons.

Big box retailers market ‘Christmas Spirit’ two months too soon

Roundup • December 3, 2009

Shopping for Christmas is fun and picking out new decorations can be an adventure, but holiday shopping before Halloween seems to be a little too early. In almost every single major business such as Target, Wal-Mart and even Home Depot, Christmas items can be found, and not in small displays here and there, but whole aisles. It seems as though Halloween and Thanksgiving are becoming less and less important in the eyes of big businesses and, it looks as if it’s getting worse.

X-mas spirit, message should be ‘eXchange-mas’

Roundup • December 3, 2009

The Christmas season brings with it many things: lights, trees, food, smells, traditions, highly decorated malls and stores with Christmas sales. It also brings controversy about many of these things. The commercialization of Christmas has become rampant, and it is a good thing. The hullabaloo that emerges is rather absurd. People begin asking us to remember “the reason for the season,” as there are others who wish for it to be referred to as “X-mas” when not in reference to Christ’s birth. However, the most important effect that commercialization has is it takes the focus off of Christianity, and places it elsewhere.

E-mail announcements spark debate

Roundup • November 2, 2009

This year Brophy introduced a new form of campus-wide daily announcements via student e-mail that has been met with some skepticism and questions. This new form replaces the previous announcements, which were broadcast every day over the intercom during the period right before lunch. The old system may not have been perfect, but the new method of delivery is a step in the wrong direction and needs to be changed.

Obamaphobia epidemic sweeps the nation

Roundup • November 2, 2009

A new disease is threatening the nation along with the dreaded swine flu: Obamaphobia, the irrational and intense fear or frantic aversion of President Barack Obama. Sure, a “phobia” is a psychological condition, but Obamaphobia appears to be spreading like a virus since the president’s inauguration in late January. First, a disclaimer: This is not an approval or disapproval of the president’s policies. Sufferers of Obamaphobia should check their prescriptions and their judgment before they continue reading.

Students rely on search engines for knowledge

Roundup • November 2, 2009

Usually, when a Brophy student has a question, they don’t go to the class encyclopedia, nor do they ask a teacher who works in that field. Instead, they simply type their question into the computer in front of them and instantly get the answer. Are we becoming too dependent, though, on search engines?

Facebook captivates the world−in a storm drain

Roundup • November 2, 2009

According to a recent story in The Week, there were two girls in South Australia that found themselves stuck in a storm drain. However, realizing they had their cell phones, the girls used their quick thinking and good judgment and decided on the best course of action: updating their Facebook statuses.

Students, faculty need to stay sustainable

Roundup • November 2, 2009

Last year’s Summit on Human Dignity, Renewing our Commitment to Sustainability and Stewardship, was supposed to engage Brophy students in dialogue, possibly encouraging us to adopt new, “green” ways of living. Many teachers incorporated the ideas presented in the Summit into their classes, offering extra credit if students participated in after school events and made “environmentally friendly” changes in their daily routines. Eight months have passed since February and for many students the ideas of the last Summit on Human Dignity are now but a faint memory of Eustace Conway, the man who lived out in the forest by himself, and Sustainable Dave, the California man who saved all of his trash in his basement for a whole year.

Obama’s first year filled with plenty of show, little substance

Roundup • November 2, 2009

President Barack Obama has faced many problems in his fledgling administration: the economy, two wars and potential nuclear development in North Korea and Iran. One has to ask what the president is doing running around collecting Nobel Prizes and trying to secure an Olympic bid for Chicago? It should be apparent that in these troubled times we have bigger problems than tourism and public image.

Student participation skyrockets

mmulloy and Roundup • October 30, 2009

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.