The Year of The Lion: Zaragoza's First Marianist Cup Win!
Zaragoza House during the Crusader Games. Photo by Clayton Graham.
Twenty plus years into the house system at Moeller, Zaragoza has made history by capturing its first Marianist Cup win!
The Marianist Cup is a year-long competition that Moeller has between six houses. Over the course of the year, there are a variety of events in which houses compete to win the Marianist Cup: house soccer, house basketball, quarter to quarter academics, and service, among many other measures.
The race was tight from August through April. Trinity led much of the way; however, Zaragoza pulled out the win with a strong showing at the volleyball spirit event and placing second in the Crusader Games.
The Crusader sat down with Zaragoza Dean Boggess to reflect on this year, Zaragoza’s first Marianist Cup win, and her vision for the future of Zaragoza House.
Crusader: What does winning Zaragoza House’s first Marianist Cup mean to you?
Boggess: Winning the Marianist Cup for the first time in school history with this class of seniors is really special. It was my goal, coming in as a dean, to work with my first incoming class of freshmen to really build our house up. I wanted to create a culture for our house that really emphasized the idea of family. When you work for the greater good of not just yourself but your family, you tend to see an overall improvement in character, behavior, academics, and participation.
Crusader: What do you think the house will miss most about the seniors who are graduating?
Seniors (Left to Right): Preston Smith, Nick Leonard, Chris Joncas, and Spencer Williams holding the Marianist Cup moment after winning. Photo by Jen Boggess.
Boggess: Our seniors this year have really set the bar high for leadership and participation. When we needed them, they always stepped up. Our house captains and chaplain were amazing at organizing, communicating, and working with the other seniors in our house to set the example of what it means to be a member of Zaragoza House. They wanted to win the Marianist Cup even more than I did!
Crusader: What are your final thoughts on this school year for Zaragoza House?
Boggess: I am so proud of our house. We were the top house in almost every spirit event. We were at the top of almost every house competition. (Minus putt–putt. We need to work on putt-putt!) We worked hard academically and just came together as a house who had one common goal. The foundation has been set for the underclassmen. The expectations are there. I love my house, and I know we will continue to strive for greatness and strengthen the idea of family in the years to come.
Crusader: What do you think was the biggest thing you learned from this year in route to winning the Marianist Cup?
Boggess: Personally, I have learned that I have to let the students “drive” the house. If they don’t want it, it doesn’t matter how much I do. To overcome this, I have spent this year focusing on trying to really emphasize the family aspect. In doing so, I saw our guys show up for each other, support each other, and really just be great people.
Crusader: What do you look forward to next year and for years to come with Zaragoza House with yourself as the dean?
Boggess: I hope that the underclassmen have seen how much work it really takes to win the cup. It requires consistency. It requires each individual’s participation. It means that they have to always be thinking about the impact their actions can have on each other. I look forward to carrying on this momentum in the years to come. I am so proud to be the dean of this house, and I really enjoy learning and growing along with my guys.
Thanks to Dean Boggess for taking the time to talk with The Crusader. Congratulations to her, the Zaragoza House leadership, and all Zaragoza House members on winning the cup!!