For about two weeks every year, a few groups of St. Thomas students disappear after school. Homework is still being done, Practice still happens, but students have one thing on their mind, their Minecraft world. Nights are spent mining, trading, and building in Minecraft instead of doom scrolling on their phones. 

The phase did not start as a TikTok trend. According to senior Tripp Lawless, it started the same way most phases start. A friend group looking for something to do. 

“I did not realize it was everyone at first. It was just me and my friends… we decided to start playing again. Then I started seeing videos online of people saying the two week Minecraft phase has started. It is right before Christmas break, when there’s not a ton of homework and people have more free time”  Lawless’26 said.

What surprised Lawless was not about how many people joined, but how intense it got. 

“It’s so fun…it’s honestly a bad thing because it takes up so much of my time. But there’s endless stuff to do, so you never get bored” said Lawless. 

The group focused on building a base rather than rushing through the game. Lawless stated they have basically built a castle with a socialist ideology. 

Like all phases Lawless knows the phase is going to end as the schedules fill back up, but he gives some advice to St.Thomas students for the next Minecraft phase. 

“You are not too old for Minecraft, it gives friends something to do together and it is always fun to come back to it for a bit” said Lawless. 

The phases will come and go, but Minecraft is more than a game, it’s about spending time with friends. Spending your free time together is better than doom scrolling in bed all day. The Minecraft phase builds a part of that eagle brotherhood we all need.