For the better part of the last century, LEGO bricks have filled the homes of millions of children across the globe. Across every Target, every Walmart, and even every Barnes and Noble, LEGO sets fill countless shelves and take up about as much popularity as they do space. LEGO has even found its way into our own campus thanks to LEGO Club founder Renzo Ogami ‘26.
He stated, “I made this club to foster my passion for LEGOs. Ever since my grandma bought me my first LEGO fire truck, I have always loved them. In my personal collection, I have sorted all my LEGOs by piece type, displaying them all in my room. Naturally, my next step was to make this club, and it has been a dream come true.”
Ogami also has a strong executive staff aiding him in running the club effectively. William Wetzel ‘26, the club’s vice president, noted, “While we’re only in our second year, the amount of creativity and love that fills Mr. Yim’s room every Wednesday at lunch truly makes me proud to be a Cub.”
The two leaders are actively expanding and have initiated the construction of a LEGO recreation of Loyola Hall. With almost 7,000 pieces, the set would rank 5th among officially sold LEGO sets in terms of piece count. In club moderator and English teacher Joseph Yim’s room (L216), the club has been working hard to construct the grand Loyola Hall.
Andrew Kowal ‘26, often referred to as “Head Chef Dimitri” by his fellow builders, stated, “Out of all the LEGOs I have ever purchased, I have by far had the best experience and most fun building this set!”
Kowal also leads several of his fellow “sous-chefs” in the construction of this grand project. Conrad Mills ‘26, often referred to as “Sous-Chef Dalton,” and Luke Sporer ‘26 have devoted almost every Wednesday lunch to aid in the hall’s construction.
As a member of the club, I have been helping the build, too. To make the LEGO Loyola Hall even more realistic, I have been conscripted to construct LEGO minifigures of Loyola teachers. By combining parts from various LEGO figures, I have constructed models of Yim, Paul Pascale ‘78, and Stewart Hayes, with many more on the way. Any teacher who would like their own figurine may e-mail me at [email protected].
Yim added, “This club is an exciting opportunity for students to express their creativity through a different medium.”
The LEGO Club has had such a positive impact on so many Cubs in such a short time. Everyone is eager to see what will come of it and its creations in the coming years. With LEGO Loyola Hall progressing fast, all are anxiously awaiting to see what pulchritudinous creation shall come next from the hands of these master builders.
