Editorial: Moeller Brotherhood - Present or Propaganda?
Growing up a lot of kids dream about attending Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. If you’ve ever been to one of Moeller’s sporting events you will always see little kids wearing Moeller gear and supporting the school. A common misconception about the school is that everyone goes there for sports and that’s just not true. In the 2017-2018 school year roughly 72% of Moeller Students played sports, which is a lot but there were 248 students who didn’t play sports and they came here for a reason.
Moeller Class of 2017 visit Greece on their Senior Trip
Photo by: Matthew Jackson
Prospective students who have been to a Moeller open house or talked to any faculty members here will know that the Brotherhood is a very prominent theme. We’re told as we start to grow up that relationships are one of the most important things in life. At Moeller there’s no shortage of strong relationships to build. Moeller is very well known for its brotherhood and relationships and it got that way for a reason.
If you’re an incoming freshman you might be skeptical about the Brotherhood “pitch” given to all students. Is it just propaganda? The answer to that is no, absolutely not. I was once in the incoming freshman’s shoes, I was nervous and a little skeptical even once I had gotten into my freshman year and I still didn’t know what to do. This all changed as soon as I got out of my “shell” and started trying to make friends. I’m not a quiet person but for some reason I was at the beginning of high school because I didn’t really have any friends but as soon as I opened up and started being myself, the Brotherhood started to set in and the relationships started to build themselves naturally. This is when I realized that all of the hype surrounding Moeller High School and its Brotherhood was not just propaganda and it was all true. The solidarity you witness as a student, faculty member, or just as a parent of the Moeller family is so unique compared to any other school.
We interviewed a few people between students and faculty about their opinions on the Moeller Brotherhood, and we found that the opinion on the brotherhood is pretty even.
When asked about the brotherhood that’s unique to Moeller, Mr. Matthew Jackson said, “I think the all-male environment of somewhat like-minded young men, under a Catholic Marianist identity, allows for brotherhood to grow.” Jackson’s perspective of Moeller is bolstered by a short amount of time he spent teaching at Mason a few years ago. “I taught for two trimesters at Mason High School as a long term sub,” Jackson stated about Mason High School, “even though I was only there for about 6 months, Mason is such a big school with so many people that I never really felt any real connection to any students, teachers, other than the ones in my immediate vicinity.”
Moeller Student Section Showing Support for the Football Team
Photo By: Steve Kuhlman
When asked about his thoughts on the Moeller Brotherhood before becoming a student here, School Captain Jacob Carota (’19) said, “Coming in I definitely believed in the Moeller brotherhood because I knew people who were at or went to Moeller who told me what it was all about.” We asked if he thought the brotherhood was a gimmick for propaganda and Carota said, “I don’t think I thought of it as a gimmick, but I’m glad I trusted the process of Moeller!” Carota also had an example he’s witnessed of the brotherhood, “Unfortunately some boys on the hockey team have suffered personal losses,” he said. “The way the team comes together to support them, even former teammates who have graduated, has showed me the true brotherhood of Moeller.”
The Moeller Crusader asked TC Elliot (’19) if he thinks the brotherhood is prominent at Moeller, “You really get whatever you put in,” Elliot said. “If you really give Moeller your all, you will leave having many life-long brothers.” When asked if he’s benefited from the brotherhood at Moeller TC Elliot said, “Yes, there are people that I know have my back and they know I have theirs!”
We’ve concluded from student and teacher accounts that the brotherhood at Archbishop Moeller High School is very prominent and prevalent. The experience of Moeller High School is unique compared to any other high school and it is a great opportunity for prospective students. The common consensus about Moeller is that you get what you put into it, which isn’t hard because it’s very easy to open up and be yourself here at Moeller.