He sidesteps, jumps up while spinning around his defender, and races for the three point line. He shoots–he scores! Three points for… Mr. Hallihan?

That’s right, this wasn’t your average basketball game at South. Rather, it was the staff basketball game, hosted by our school’s Global Humanitarian Club.

The club’s mission is to provide support to areas with humanitarian deficits. Every year, they elect a cause to support, and this year, their focus is on Sudan, which is currently in the midst of a brutal civil war and has been since April 2023. Over its course, it has created over 12 million displaced people, including over 4 million refugees, and estimates for the total death toll, as of now, go as high as 150,000.

The Global Humanitarian Club’s annual money-making event is the staff basketball game, which raises money through admissions and concessions. A specific charity is chosen by the leaders of the club, and proceeds are directly deposited into it.

The game itself was eventful, with teachers we see in our classrooms every day battling it out on the court. They coordinated with each other both on and off the court, using callouts and substitutions, just as our student team’s players do.

“I enjoy the sport and the opportunity to play,” said Mr. Hallihan when asked why he elected to participate in the game.

Though the staff vigorously participated, the event itself fell short of its turnout goal, with more than triple the number of attendees in previous years. Members of the club attributed this to a lack of advertising in the upcoming weeks, while other attendees theorized that the requirement to pay for entry discouraged students from showing up.

Whatever the case, the Global Humanitarian Club will continue its efforts throughout the year to raise money for aiding humanitarian efforts in Sudan. The country is in a state of crisis, and with the challenges of providing aid in a deadly situation, any assistance can go a long way.