Grace Turner | Special to The Michigan Catholic

DETROIT — A Catholic high school tucked away in a quiet corner of Detroit uses a competitive system that allows boys to help each other step into manhood.

Loyola High School, an all-boys school, groups students into one of five “houses.” The houses — named after distinguished former leaders — compete for points, and the students in the winning house earn prizes. Students are randomly assigned to houses their freshman year and stay in the same house for their entire high school careers.

If that sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone.

Michael Black, dean of students and a 2001 Loyola alumnus, helped dream up the house system in 2012 after watching the popular “Harry Potter” movies and observing a similar system in place at Bloomfield Hills’ Brother Rice High School.

The idea was to use the “spirit of competition that young men have for the greater good,” Black said.

The system helps students to get to know each other, and offers a multi-grade-level support system as students adjust to high school.

“It was a way to do teambuilding and get the upperclassmen to know the lowerclassmen,” said Rhonda Morris, student services program coordinator at the school.



With just 146 students, this is essential.

“[Loyola is] already a small school, and as seniors, we eat lunch with the freshmen,” said Kailen Abrams, a senior and member of the House of Carron, which, along with the houses of Styles, Evans, O’Reilly and Mastrangelo are named after former principals and school presidents.

Morris manages the point system, which rewards students for attendance, academics, house activities, community service, positive behavior, being “men for others,” or being positive and helpful, as well as extracurricular activities. With points available through so many avenues, every student has a chance to shine and contribute.

Houses also earn points for having the most students wear their house ties on Wednesdays, being on time on Tuesdays, and having the lowest number of detentions by the time Friday rolls around.

The system is most obvious during spirit week, when houses have the chance to compete in games such as tug of war. With each house comprised of equal numbers of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors, competition is fair across the board.

Abrams likes the friendly competition and comradery.

“You’re forming a bond without even knowing it,” he said.

Abrams and Chris Turner, a senior and member of House of Mastrangelo, are also house leaders. They set examples for the younger students.

“It’s my job to lead them, show them the right thing to do,” Turner said.

Abrams said student leaders help out on the last day of freshman orientation, introducing new students to the school and showcasing the qualities of a Loyola man through games and a scavenger hunt. The bonding begins before classes.

Each house represents a different positive quality, complete with a motto, Turner added. During spirit week, a “house cup” is awarded, along with prizes such as free-dress days, pizza parties, cookouts and water fights.

But even with all of the tangible awards, “with boys, bragging rights is the biggest thing,” Black said.

Black said the system helps with retention rates by helping students quickly adjust to high school. With older students acting as peer mentors, bullying has decreased and students have more access to academic support, Black added.

Last year, the positive energy was manifested through Loyola’s “Respect Week,” which included service projects, rallies and a neighborhood march to speak out against bullying. The school also hosted an anti-bullying fair with carnival games, with Loyola students guiding guest students with special needs through the fair.

“I was really pleased at their willingness to do that,” Black said, adding another “Respect Week” is in the works this year.

The students are always excited to help, Black said. It’s important to feel useful.

“If we did community service every day, I think we’d have no problems,” he said.

Principal Wyatt Jones III is a staff member for the House of Mastrangelo, helping oversee and encourage the students, which Morris said really gets the competition going. Three of the five houses have alumni staff members.

Jones said the competition fosters a sense of pride, and would like to continue to improve the system.

So would Black.

“Every year it’s become bigger and better,” he said. “It’s fully engrained in our culture now.”