Other Clubs and Activities
The Gonzaga Dramatic Association (GDA) - One of Gonzaga's oldest and proudest institutions, the Gonzaga Dramatic Association was officially formed in 1863 (though the school had been putting on plays for the previous forty-two years). There are two productions each year: a smaller comedy or classical play in the fall and a larger musical in the spring. The theater program is housed in the Gonzaga Theater (formerly known as Gonzaga Hall), which is the oldest continuously-operated theater in the District of Columbia (operated continuously since 1896). The GDA has a rich tradition of drawing upon girls from all the region's schools to play the female parts in its performances. In its most recent production of Li'l Abner, the girls schools represented included: Georgetown Visitation, Academy of the Holy Cross, Oakcrest, Good Counsel, Woodrow Wilson H.S., Stone Ridge, Connelly School of the Holy Child, and O'Connell, as well as several home schooled girls. GDA actors and actresses often go on to accomplish great things in professional theater, and the Gonzaga Dramatic Association Hall of Fame was established in 1999 to honor these individuals (as well as those who continue to add to the theater at Gonzaga or elsewhere in their lives). The GDA inspires great loyalty in its members and five of eight current members of the production staff were involved in the GDA during their high school years. Older members of the GDA also help out in raising money for the Dr. John C. Warman Scholarship for performing arts students by putting on benefits where they sing songs from shows they were in.
It's Academic - Gonzaga's It's Academic Team has been solid in Virginia-D.C.-Maryland tournaments in the past several years. Additionally, they have made a good showing on the It's Academic television show on NBC, receiving third place in the 2006 final and winning in 1998. The team practices twice a week using practice questions that encompass geography, history, mythology, literature, art, and more. Their wins-losses in individual games have also been improving in the past few years; in the 2002–2003 school year the team went 80-26; in the 2003–2004 season they went 91-22; in 2004–2005 they went 110-27; and in the school year 2005–2006 they went 106-32 and finished as a quarter-finalist at PACE national championships. With the 2006–2007 season ending in June 2007, the team is now recouping to form another solid team for the 2007–2008 season. The team finished at 151-35 after competing in two national tournaments, where they placed tied for 5th and tied for 8th at the PACE-NSC tournament and the NAQT High School National Scholastic Tournament, respectively, leading to the best record and winning percentage ever attained by Gonzaga's team in one school year. Throughout the year the team also won the most tournaments ever won by Gonzaga's quizbowl team, winning prestigious tournaments at Princeton University and Yale University.
Speech and Debate - Gonzaga's Speech and Debate Team has competed mainly in Student Congress debate for many years. The team has gained prominence for the school's individual and group accomplishments. Among Gonzaga's greatest achievements is the team's victory for the Harvard Cup, which symbolizes the best overall effort on the part of one school out of the more than 100 schools that participate in the competition. They also have several top place finishes in national tournaments in recent years including: the Liberty Bell Tournament at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Patriot Tournament in 2011 at George Mason University. Gonzaga participates in the Washington Arlington Catholic Forensics League, which is part of the National Catholic Forensics League, and has been ranked first in the DC area two years running.
The Aquilian - Gonzaga's student newspaper, The Aquilian, was founded in 1940. Published throughout the school year, The Aquilian also possesses an online presence on AquilianOnline.com.
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Famous quotes containing the words clubs and/or activities:
“As night returns bringing doubts
That swarm around the sleeper’s head
But are fended off with clubs and knives ...”
—John Ashbery (b. 1927)
“Both gossip and joking are intrinsically valuable activities. Both are essentially social activities that strengthen interpersonal bonds—we do not tell jokes and gossip to ourselves. As popular activities that evade social restrictions, they often refer to topics that are inaccessible to serious public discussion. Gossip and joking often appear together: when we gossip we usually tell jokes and when we are joking we often gossip as well.”
—Aaron Ben-Ze’Ev, Israeli philosopher. “The Vindication of Gossip,” Good Gossip, University Press of Kansas (1994)