Dragons, Allderdice has a new club! With constant brawls breaking out, teachers and staff are required to break up the vicious hallway altercations and janitors are repeatedly asked to mop up blood from the cafeteria and hallway floors. The staff has had enough, and it is high time that somebody came up with a solution. Thus, the Allderdice Fight Club was born.

“It’s a general biohazard, having all these bodily fluids tracked through the school almost daily,” comments an anonymous Allderdice custodian of fifteen years. “On the occasion that a simple fist fight turns bloody, it really creates a mess. Blood, spit, tears smeared on lockers and floors can take a while to completely mop up. With all the traffic of students walking from class to class, the blood travels. On top of hallway crime scenes, our custodial staff is also bogged down with the general, day-to-day messes. I’ve seen a lot at this school, perhaps too much…” 

The Fight Club is merely a single step amidst a school wide initiative to reduce violence and create a safer, more constructive environment—not only for students but for staff and administration as well. Creating an area where students can come to “settle differences,” cuts back on the amount of rogue hallway altercations and allows the school to control the aggression that takes place on a daily basis.

The club hosts “meetings” during lunch periods (Time slots 5,6,7, and 8) in the hallway that leads to the boiler room. 

One of the club members commented, “I couldn’t figure it out at first. I didn’t even know we had a boiler room. It took me a minute, but after I found the trap door in the wall of the first floor main hallway, it was a straight shot down the stairs, to the boiler room entrance. I’ll remember my flashlight next time.” 

The Fight Club has been not only an outlet for students with malicious or hostile  tendencies to relieve themselves but a wonderful opportunity for the staff to make some extra pocket change. 

“Easily the best part of my day,” reports a teacher from the science department. “I always wear my lucky sweater when betting on fights! I’ve never lost a bet once. I usually bring my lunch down to the boiler room, and some of us staff members place bets on the kids–you know, like who draws blood first, who taps out, whatever! It’s all in good fun.”

“I made $47 last week,” says one of the school counselors.

The Fight Club not only brings joy to our much deserving staff, but to students in and outside of the club. 

An Allderdice junior comments, “The hallways are clear. I haven’t seen a fight in bathrooms, at the T, or in the cafeteria in weeks. It’s clear that this is the only solution that’s actually worked around here. Suspensions, security cameras, guards standing watch at the end of hallways aren’t really deterrents. Kids want incentives… and blood, I guess.” 

The club prides itself on not only creating a sanctuary for aggressive students, but also teaching its members good sportsmanship, and ways to cope with disagreements. The sponsor of the club, Mrs. Rice, a history teacher, was excited to share her perspective on the club.

“It’s been a great opportunity. Allderdice has not had any clubs similar to this in the past. Although things have a slight tendency to get out of hand, we have been able to keep the fights contained to our makeshift ring. The boiler room hallway is getting a bit stuffy with the hoards of staff and students that come to watch the fights—hopefully we will be able to transition our meetings to the crawl space above the auditorium!”

There is always an opportunity to make friends, build your resume, and settle differences with your fellow peers at the Dice Fight Club. Let’s get physical, Dragons!