Walking out to sophomore Drew Boatwright’s backyard, the clubhouse door appeared right away. As the pasty white door swung open, two stairs led down to the carpeted surface full of empty soda cans, blankets, video games, and a mini fridge. Two bright lights beamed down from the ceiling revealing his prized possession.

“It’s original and not like any other clubhouse I’ve ever seen,” Boatwright said. “It’s a kid’s dream.”

The summer after their freshmen year, Boatwright and his sophomore friends, Brendan Frieders, Max Taulbee, Aaron Geise, John Beck, Patrick Tapang, and Adam Willougby built their own clubhouse in Boatwright’s backyard. They mowed lawns and worked at various jobs until they came up with the $1,500 necessary to build the clubhouse. Once able to pay for the construction of it, they got right to work.

“We worked hard on it,” Boatwright said. “Even though professionals didn’t build it, we were still able to make it look pretty professional.”

In the clubhouse, the boys played games and hung out. They often invited friends over and made multiple memories. One memorable event occurred at the start of their sophomore year, when they thought someone broke into the clubhouse after a bank robbery nearby.

“We were really freaked out,” sophomore Patrick Tapang said. “We were scared to check inside the clubhouse to see if anyone was there.”

Although they discovered no one in the clubhouse after the bank robbery, the event turned into one of their favorite events. Other events occurred that the boys did not enjoy so much. Rain warped the roof until they got tarp over it, and animals snuck in at night. Once they resolved those problems, they found the clubhouse very enjoyable.

“I think the clubhouse was a great idea,” Boatwright said. “It’s such an enjoyment and we absolutely love it. It’s nice to have a place that we can call our own.”