St. Joseph High School has taken a page out of "Harry Potter" with our new house system. Unlike Hogwarts our houses aren’t Gryfiindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin and we won’t be battling with magic. Instead we have the houses of Brentwood, LePuy, Lyon, and Carondelet and we will be battling with school spirit.

The house system was introduced to SJHS students this past January by the senior members of Leadership Council. Class of 2012 leadership members helped to finalize and notify students about the house system. This introduction took place in an assembly which gave house members a chance to know each other.

The SJHS students’ reactions to the house system have been mixed. Not all students gave a warm reception to the new house system and had many reservations about it. But the idea has grown on students and responses have been more positive. "I didn’t know what to think of it at first, but I love the house system now," said junior Tamara Joseph.

While others were hesitated to embrace this system many "Harry Potter" fans were immediately excited about it. "As a ‘Harry Potter’ fan, I was really excited for the house system" said freshman Nia Shields. The house system is a chance for ‘Harry Potter’ fans to get a glimpse of what school was like in Hogwarts.

The Leadership Council has played a big part in the finalizing the house system and carrying out the different components of it. Activities and events carried out by the council have furthered the house system. The houses of Brentwood, Lepuy, Lyon, and Carondelet made their official debut during Spirit Week.

During Spirit Week house members got a chance to meet and unite. All of the houses came together dressed in their colors on sports day. Sports Day was filled with adrenaline, high spirits, and competitiveness as everyone cheered on their houses and worked as team. "Best sports day. We were all one sacred community of four houses" said sophomore Nkenge Parris.

Many SJHS students have been wondering what the future of the house system will be. Like Hogwarts, Brentwood, LePuy, Lyon, and Carondelet will need to finalize the developing slogans, colors, and symbols to represent their house.

The hope of Leadership in the future is for each individual house to have events among its homerooms. If these four houses become as unified as the establishments they are named after, there is no telling the bright future for the house system and St. Joseph.