During BSM’s March Madness celebrations this week, the school has included a variety of dress up days and activities. Unfortunately, some of this week’s festivities have come under scrutiny by GOLD, the Guiding Organization for Leprechaun Defenders, for the lack of celebration of leprechauns and false relations with St. Patrick’s Day.
GOLD’s Minnesota committee members feel that BSM does not do enough to acknowledge their community. They allege that BSM fails to sufficiently recognise the role of leprechauns in Catholic society, and that any recognition is repetitive. In addition, they claim that all of their appreciation seems to be going to someone unrelated to the organization. “Who even is this Patrick guy? And why are we associated with him? We have nothing in common with him,” Lenny O’Shenanigan, head of GOLD’s Minnesota department said.
This year, BSM shied away from doing a dress up day for St. Patricks, but Leonard McLuck, Director of Marketing and Design, reminisces on last year’s. The choice for the Green Out dress up day appeared to be one of the most contentious issues. McLuck observes that people always assume leprechauns like green, reinforcing prejudices that are corrosive to the community. “When did green become our color? It’s overly broad. Plus, all colors are appealing to us. As an example, I personally enjoy several different shades of green, including lime, sage, forest, and emerald. Oh, and I like gold too,” McLuck said.
I wish that greater parts of our past would be recognized. Everyone is aware that we bury gold at the end of rainbows; why doesn’t BSM do the same? They steal our celebration and can’t even do it correctly. Just follow by example, it’s not that difficult.”
— Lenny O'Shenanigan
Among BSM’s other festivities is the teachers vs. student basketball game. The leprechauns were also displeased about this, especially considering that they would rather hunt for gold than play basketball. “I wish that greater parts of our past would be recognized. Everyone is aware that we bury gold at the end of rainbows; why doesn’t BSM do the same? They steal our celebration and can’t even do it correctly. Just follow by example, it’s not that difficult,” O’Shenanigan said.
McLuck gave advice on how to better recognize the leprechaun community. McLuck’s main points included spreading a variety of leprechaun pictures, such as themed posters displayed across the school created by the art and design class, statues made in the engineering lab, and a feature in a student council video shown in homeroom to help bring awareness. He also suggested a BSM convocation featuring a leprechaun, or a pot of gold delivered to anybody under the height of 4 feet. “Everyone can gain something by encouraging leprechaun acceptance in school communities,” McLuck said.