By Martin Murray ‘20

The noises get rowdier by the second.

The stomping of the feet gets more insistent, the thunderous applause turns into one resounding clamor, and the chants grow louder and longer.

No, I’m not describing a day at the Colosseum; I’m describing the Brother Rice South Gym on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the House System rollout assembly.

The gym was a sea of maroon as everyone wore their new house shirts, marked with their house name and crest on the back.

The newest system at Brother Rice comes from the hard work and dedication of countless teachers, students, and staff; however, the whole movement was set off by three seniors: Ken Foyle, Owen Greybill, and Joe Sullivan.

Foyle said,“ Owen, Joe, and I came up with the idea after we went to the ACTION Leadership Workshop and saw other Edmund Rice Christian Brother schools using the House System, and we really liked it.”

From there, the plan set into motion. The group came back from ACTION and constructed what the system would consist of, how it would function, and how it could leave a lasting impact at Brother Rice.

“The goal of the House System is to give students a family within the school. Guys thrive in a competitive atmosphere, so the House System turns school into a healthy competition,” said Greybill. “Points can be given to each house for good grades, joining new sports and activities, earning service hours, and through victory in intramural competitions; however, points can be deducted for detentions and other violations of school code.”

After outlining the basics of the system, some of the final steps were to determine the names of each of the four houses and leadership positions available in each house.

Sullivan reported,” House names were picked based on the places where Edmund Rice first founded his schools in Ireland. They include Cork, Dublin, Limerick, and Waterford. Some positions included in each house are House chieftains, chaplains, and historians.”

Finally, following countless hours of work, the reveal day came; the system received favorable reviews.

Senior Ben Blahusiak thinks the system is a great opportunity for students of different grades to meet. “The houses allow students of different grades to make friendships with each other which would probably not happen. I’m very excited for the House System.”

Additionally, Foyle, Greybill, and Sullivan all agreed that the system will distinguish Brother Rice from other schools in the area.

“The houses will act as a unique factor to set Brother Rice apart from the other private schools on the South Side,” said Foyle.

The system is off to a strong start, and everyone at Brother Rice is eager to see how it will help the school grow spiritually, academically, athletically, and socially.