Max Fajardo
Staff Writer
On a sunny cool day at Broward College’s Central Campus, Junior Alex Munoz hosted a fun event for juniors, seniors, and BC students alike—a soccer tournament.
The event not only gave students an opportunity for comradery but also gave back to the BC community through food donations. The tournament started on March 21, welcoming players to wear their favorite soccer team’s jersey and head out to the field for a friendly game of European fútbol.
While originally requiring a fee of $10 to join, the event now included free admission. The National Honor Society (NHS) and Broward College’s food pantry partnered with Munoz by offering students service hours for non-perishable food items donated during the event.
Located at the field in front of building 5, the tournament invigorated students to get together with friends and play soccer together—a much-needed break from the droll of schoolwork and constant SAT preparations for the school-wide test coming on April 11.
In addition, Dr. Kimberly Barron—who runs College Academy’s National Honor Society branch—got students such as Leyla Cruz to bring face painting supplies, with said students volunteering to help players show pride for their favorite soccer team through small and vibrant designs.
As for the actual event, it was a genuinely wholesome experience: 10 players joined, with College Academy Seniors going up against Juniors in a bizarre 3-7 matchup—despite the odds stacked against them, the seniors won with 15 points. The event’s overall comradery and playful nature helped ease the stress many students felt in the previous weeks and began unlikely friendships within the Academy.
As players ran across the field, practicing new tricks and hitting goals, those attending were excitedly getting together with old and new friends to play. After the game, one of the senior players, “I had a good time playing soccer with the juniors.” said Aaron Aguiler.
He also mentions that he “learned about the event from Instagram and D2L,” which was in part due to NHS promoting the event through their Instagram page.
Munoz, the event organizer, appeared ecstatic, joyously explaining how the event “was really fun—not a crazy amount of people showed up, but it was great.”
For him, the original goal of the event was achieved—getting to play a nice game of soccer with his friends. Events such as these are staples of the Friday CARES program established by College Academy, which promotes mental health and socialization among students through student-run events. By providing hands-on activities for students to enjoy, they can create lifelong connections with their peers and unwind from their school work.
For example, another student-led activity is on the horizon: a spring-themed origami class that would teach students how to create different spring flowers into a bouquet. The details of the event are still being discussed, but so far it is set to occur on April 18th in building 9, room111.
caption: Shown above: Aaron Aguiler, Alex Munoz, and other players in the midst of the game.
Photo Courtesy of Max Fajardo
