By Noah Leingang ’21, Staff Writer

I walked into the Discipline Office on a Tuesday morning, ready for an interview. Little did I know that I was not the only student who was having an important meeting that morning. I waited for a few minutes as I got to watch a small drove of students arrive in the office. The wide range of students were ready to defend a PH, explain an absence, excuse their behavior and so on and so forth. Needless to say, a few displeased Blue Jays walked back to class that morning with a PH in hand. Finally, he invited me into his office and shut the door. 

“Man, you could write a whole story on that, huh? And that was only first period,” he chuckled.  His demeanor had changed, just like that. Suddenly, he was all smiles as he sat down across from me at his desk.  

He’s been an English and World Geography teacher, a state-championship winning head football coach, a ten-year pharmaceutical rep, and everything in between. Now, he’s the Prefect of Discipline at Jesuit High School. The new man in the Discipline Office is no other than Coach Mark Songy. 

Among his other stints, Coach Songy is most widely known around Jesuit as former head coach of the football team, joining the team in 1990 as offensive coordinator and being elevated to head coach in 1992. In 2014, he led the Blue Jays to the Superdome to win the Division I state championship, and he’s been coaching ever since. That is, until now.  

Coach Songy says his new position in the administration has been quite an adjustment. He notes, “Covid presented many interesting and unusual problems that we’ve never had to deal with until now. We’re still learning every day, but it was definitely a challenging way to start the job.” When I asked him what a good day at school looks like, he frankly responded, “a day where I have nothing to do. Those days are rare because I always have something new to do.”  

I curiously asked him, “what’s something that students do that frustrates you the most?” Coach explained that there are two main objectives in his role: to make sure learning can take place and to get students to graduation. He explained that the most frustrating problem is when people disrupt class because it then interferes with his objectives as disciplinarian.  

On a lighter note, he said his favorite part about his new job is helping guys stay out of trouble. “I can interact now with a much larger part of the student population than I was able to with football. Being able to catch guys that are about to make a mistake that can lead to something bigger is always good for me and the student,” he said.  

Coach also said he has some plans that he wants to continue working on in the future, like being more conscientious at mass, training in manners and gentlemanly conduct, and stifling bullying and harassment. 

Although Coach Songy certainly hasn’t had an easy year to start off with, he said he’s happy with the work that he’s been able to accomplish so far and hopes to finish this year strong.