In the corner of the C-building, a movement is empowering students of a new generation.
Since the conception of Block Day Barz early last semester, PHS students have connected through freestyle raps and cheering crowds during each week’s conference period.
The Barz have been an outlet for all students and serves as a release for people from the school’s best athletes, to its most unassuming.
“[It] brings something everyone can be apart of,” senior Nick Brickous said, “it brought life to Perry.” Brickous is the group’s judge, or “officiator of the battles.”
The original six members: seniors Brickous, Madi Gloss and Nasib Abdullah, and juniors Jalen Cross, Jordan Howard, and Robbie Reyes are taken back by the uproar that this club has ignited.
“It was literally twenty kids in Mrs. Strock’s class,” said Gloss.
The Barz used to be an underground-style group that gathered during conference; but last month administration urged the group to become an official club.
“It went from us just hanging out at bathroom breaks to rapping in front of 100 people in the gym,” affirmed Abdullah.
The Barz have struggled with security and administration because students were getting out of class during conference period, some even using fake club passes.
“We probably should have made it a club earlier,” said Brickous.
No one could have envisioned how popular the Barz would become.
“We didn’t realize how big it was until it actually started growing,” Howard said.
Assistant principal Kevin Ames, who oversees all clubs on campus, says he supports all entities in school that have a positive impact on students.”I think its something that if it’s a positive influence and students want to be a part of it, then I’m all for it,” he said.
Principal Dan Serrano would like to see if the club is holding up to school club standards.
“I am going to look more into it to see what is going on, and see if (the club) is being used effectively,” Serrano said.
Now that it is an official club, more and more students show up weekly and the officers are thrilled to see how the Barz will play out for the rest of the year.
Although the gym is starting to look like a basketball game during Wednesday’s conference period, Ames and Serrano have made it clear that there will most likely not be a limit to the club.
The Barz continue to gain support from not only students, but teachers as well.
As if thrusting their arms in the air and being proud of what they have created Abdullah shouts, “We’re finally famous!”
