Brophy College Preparatory

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Brophy College Preparatory
Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Information
Affiliation(s) Jesuit (Roman Catholic)
President Rev. Edward A. Reese, S.J.
Principal Mr. Robert E. Ryan III
Enrollment

1272[1]
Faculty 124
School type Private, all-male
Campus Urban
Mascot Broncos
Established 1928
Homepage www.brophyprep.org

Brophy College Preparatory is a Jesuit high school located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school is currently limited to all-male enrollment of approximately 1,200 students. It is operated independent of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. The school's web site states that Brophy historically has produced more National Merit finalists and semifinalists than any other school in Arizona and the United States, and reports that 97 percent of Brophy's graduates attend four-year institutions. [2]

The school has three campuses: the main academic campus in north-central Phoenix, a retreat campus called Manresa near Sedona, and a sports campus in east Phoenix. Brophy is entirely self-sufficient, with no diocesan or government financial assistance.

Contents

[edit] History

The school was founded in 1928 by Mrs. Henry Brophy in memory of her late husband as a Jesuit high school with first year college courses. The Regis Hall building (re-named Frank C. Brophy Jr. Hall in 2006), the Jesuit Residence and the Chapel were completed in 1928, and the school began operating that same year as a college and high school. The school operated successfully for a year but the subsequent Great Depression put a major financial strain on the institution, forcing it to close in 1935. Most of the male students who previously attended Brophy transferred to another local Catholic high school, St. Mary's, which had become an all-girls school once Brophy opened. The boys brought their athletic gear from Brophy with them to St. Mary's, causing St. Mary's to change its colors from red and white to green and white, the previous Brophy colors. In 1952, 17 years after its closing, Brophy College Preparatory reopened exclusively as a high school. They purchased used athletic equipment from Santa Clara University, whose colors happened to be red and white, the old St. Mary's colors. This is also how they became the Brophy Broncos, using the Santa Clara Mascot. Brophy expanded its downtown Phoenix campus by adding Loyola Hall (1959), Robson Gymnasium (1967), Charles Keating Hall and the Steele Library (1986). In recent years Brophy's president has been able to raise a lot of capital through the major gifts campaign which has allowed for the construction of the Information Commons (2001), the Eller Fine Arts Center (2003), the McCain Colonnade (2003), the Piper Center for Math and Science (2005), and the Harper Great Hall (2006). The Ethel and Kemper Marley Information Commons replaced the Steele Library as the information source on campus.

In November of 2002, Brophy acquired the former Phoenix Swim Club for use as a sports campus. It is now called The Dottie Boreyko/Brophy Sports Campus. The facilities of this 10-acre campus include two outdoor swimming pools (one of them Olympic and equipped with two underwater viewing rooms), a 400-meter training track, a soccer field, a running track and locker rooms. The school now leads the state in baseball, football, lacrosse, and swimming. Recently, Brophy acquired land to the East of its campus that will soon become the future location for the sports campus at Brophy. The land, formerly apartment buildings, will be knocked down and the new sports campus will be built in its place.[3] Plans are currently under way to renovate the campus to conform to the architectural style that may be found on their main academic campus.[4]

[edit] Academics

Brophy Prep's courses rely on a combination of liberal arts principles and Roman Catholic theology. Honors and Advanced Placement sections exist in each of the curricular disciplines. Brophy offers 22 Advanced Placement subjects. Brophy's average SAT is a 1209 (new SAT approximation: 1813.5). Admissions are selective and are based on grades, an entrance exam, essays, and a required interview. Students may also take classes at Xavier College Preparatory, a Catholic girls' college preparatory that is adjacent to Brophy.

[edit] Tablet Program

In the 2006-07 academic year, Brophy rolled out the Tablet PC program for all incoming Freshman. Under the mandatory program, all incoming Freshman must buy a Toshiba Tablet PC, which is a laptop on which the user can both type and write. The tablet allows students to keep their books in one place and, therefore, has resolved previous complaints about having to carry books around. To support the PCs, the entire campus has been retro-fitted, with Wi-fi access points in most classrooms and in all buildings. At first there were many bugs to iron out, but now only occasional problems arise, and for the most part are quickly remedied. Student response to the program has generally been positive. The school administration plans to continue the program which supports its goal of a paper-free campus. Additionally, since the 2007-08 school year, the school has become completely Wi-fi accessible and available for all students to use.

[edit] Athletics

Brophy has 26 teams in 11 sports competing in Arizona's Class 5A Division I. The swim team is considered one of the best in the nation and has won 26 out of the past 27 state titles in addition to producing several Olympic medalists.[5] The 2004-05 Brophy swim team won the National High School Championship.[6] Brophy also has highly regarded tennis, golf, soccer, baseball, basketball, and football programs, with the latter winning the state championship in 2005[7] and 2007[8]. The 2005 football team finished ranked 3rd in the west and 21st in the nation by USA Today and ranked 23rd in the country by Sports Illustrated. The baseball and volleyball programs also took their state championships respectively in 2006.[9] Brophy Football despite a disappointing loss in the Quarter-Finals to Chandler High School in the 2006 5A-1 State Playoffs returned to championship form in 2007 by taking the 5A-1 Football State Championship, defeating Desert Vista High School 34-21 at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 8, 2007. The basketball program produced among the most Division 1 signees in the state during the tenure of Mark Granger, who has since left to start a new Jesuit school in California. [10][11] In the 2007-2008 season, the Brophy Bronco Soccer Team won the 5A-1 State Championship.

[edit] Lightsaber Fight

Brophy students display a sign of unity at the end of the lightsaber fight.
Brophy students display a sign of unity at the end of the lightsaber fight.

On May 7th, 2008, the students of Brophy held an epic lightsaber battle in the mall, a central area of the school's campus. The event was pre-planned using Facebook[12] as part of the senior class of 2008's senior prank shenanigans. At the beginning of lunch, hundreds of lightsaber-wielding students gathered to await the release of the seniors from a meeting with the school administration.Upon the seniors' exit from the school's chapel, intense lightsaber warfare ensued while unarmed students as well as faculty members and administrators watched. After approximately five minutes of profuse fighting, Brophy's principal declared 'game over' in response to an injury and random students throwing open water bottles into the fight. The students then proceeded to form a huddle and brandish their lightsabers skyward in a final show of unity before dispersing. Smaller-sized lightsaber duels were a common occurrence throughout the remainder of the day. The incident quickly became a hit on YouTube.[13]

See also: Flash mob

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] Mission Statement

From the Brophy College Preparatory website:

“Brophy is a private, Jesuit, Catholic, college preparatory that is committed to the belief that all creation is a reflection of God's love and presence which demands a passionate and generous response from the entire community. We are dedicated to students of all socio-economic backgrounds who have the potential and desire to maximize their God-given gifts. By creating an atmosphere for academic, emotional and spiritual growth, Brophy College Preparatory develops critically thinking, articulate, sensitive and aware students with a strong sense of self-worth. Through the process of nurturing the soul, Brophy offers these students an intimate relationship with God and inspires leaders who are devoted to the service of others in a global community.”

[edit] School Philosophy

From the Brophy College Preparatory website:

"Founded in 1928, Brophy College Preparatory is a Catholic, Jesuit, four-year private secondary school.

As a Catholic institution, Brophy is rooted in the teachings and person of Jesus Christ. The school affirms its commitment to the educational mission of the Roman Catholic Church. This mission is to lead women and men to a deeper appreciation of the presence of God in the world and the social responsibility which this awareness engenders. Brophy encourages dialogue between Christian faith and contemporary thought. It welcomes and respects people of all faiths as full partners who contribute their own values and beliefs to enrich the Brophy community.

As a Jesuit school, Brophy inherits the 450 year-old vision of St. Ignatius of Loyola, whose Spiritual Exercises affirm the ultimate goodness of the world as created, loved and redeemed by God. From the foundation of the first Jesuit school at Messina, Italy, the Society of Jesus has focused the goal of education on developing the whole person, traditionally known as educating "the Renaissance man." The purpose of a Jesuit education, in contemporary language, is to develop leaders who are intellectually competent, open to growth, religious, loving and committed to doing justice. Religious is understood to mean that the student has a basic knowledge of the major doctrines and practices of the Catholic Church and has also systematically examined his or her own religious feelings and beliefs. The commitment to justice recognizes that we belong to a global community and bear personal responsibility in creating a world more peaceful and more merciful.

As a private school, all decisions are made in consultation with the various segments of the Brophy community. The Board of Trustees has ultimate responsibility for major policy decisions. The Board of Regents is a consultative body for the President of the school. As a member of the California Province, Brophy belongs to a network of five secondary schools which is part of a larger system of 48 institutions. There is a solid relationship with the Phoenix community and a desire to serve the many diverse constituencies which the Valley includes.

As a college preparatory institution, Brophy goes beyond academic excellence to form well-rounded young adults who see themselves as agents of positive change. Relying on the liberal arts, with religious studies given a special place, the faculty teaches analysis, active listening and critical thinking both inside and outside the classroom. The goal of the school is to transform its community into "persons for and with others." This hallmark of Jesuit schools, which was first articulated by Father Pedro Arrupe, S.J., the former Jesuit Superior General, in a speech in 1974, has become the living motto of Brophy students and alumni."


[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.brophyprep.org/aca/profile/2007-08Profile.pdf
  2. ^ http://www.brophyprep.org/aca/profile/2005-06Profile.pdf
  3. ^ Brophy Sports Campus
  4. ^ Brophy Sports Campus
  5. ^ http://www.aiaonline.org/story/uploads/Swim_Dive___Boys_Championship_Teams_1163523391.pdf
  6. ^ Brophy College Preparatory - Swimming
  7. ^ Brophy shocks two-time champion Hamilton | 5A Schools | eastvalleytribune.com
  8. ^ Brophy captures 5A-I title
  9. ^ Aiaonline.Org :: Home
  10. ^ Berens, Lieb connect to lead Brophy to crown | VarsityXtra - Arizona High School Sports
  11. ^ 5 complete HS careers in big way
  12. ^ http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=13051189914
  13. ^ YouTube - Broadcast Yourself
  14. ^ Keith Blanchard (II)
  15. ^ Senator Cummiskey
  16. ^ Bob Kohrs Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com
  17. ^ Our Campaigns - Candidate - Dick Mahoney
  18. ^ ConAgra Foods, Inc. : Investors : ConAgra Foods News Release