Junior trigonometry student William Pouyadou works equations at his desk and shows teacher John Lavie ’83 his answers. With classrooms being renovated, desks have also seen an upgrade as each one can now be entered from either side and be written on with dry erase markers. 

For the past 80 years, Dooky Chase Restaurant has been bringing the community together through food and positivity. On Feb. 24, Jesuit had the honor of hosting Edgar “Dook” Chase IV ’00 in St. Ignatius Hall to speak about his positive experiences as a Blue Jay for Black History Month. Dook told the story of how his restaurant, originally founded by his grandparents, has always been about bringing people together, and how Jesuit operates in much the same fashion. Insightful questions were asked by students, and Dook’s genuine and tactful responses could be heard throughout the hall. 

Tony Milazzo‘ 67, Bill Kelley ’67 (chairman), and Glenn Scheyd ’67 once again conducted the Harry Tompson Center Shoe Drive. The shoes and socks were delivered to the HTC on February 19, 2021, and a total of 65 pairs of new shoes and 69 pairs of new socks were delivered. Included in that number were five pairs of shoes and 12 pairs of socks donated by three members of the Classes of 1975, 1976 and 1994.

In preparation for their semifinal matchup against St. Paul’s, the Jesuit soccer team gathered in the Holy Name of Jesus Chapel for Mass. Fr. Kevin Dyer, S.J., celebrated the Mass and shared a personal story of his father playing soccer while in St. Louis and related it to the meaning of Lent. The Blue Jays hope to continue their undefeated season and clinch another state title berth on Saturday at John Ryan Stadium at 2 p.m.

On Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, sophomores listened to a presentation by University Medical Center on the dangers of alcohol. Usually, sophomore students would travel to the trauma center fro the presentation, but, due to COVID-19, UMC came to the Jesuit Auditorium. Videos were shown and live accounts were shared that dealt with the problems of underage drinking and drinking under the influence. One of the speakers was in a tragic car accident only two years ago and told his story of continual recovery. Thank you to UMC for this educational and powerful experience. 

On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, Jesuit students gave up their lunch periods to learn about the process of desegregating Jesuit high school to celebrate Black History Month. Mat Grau ’68 and Brandon Gregoire ’91 spoke and used a powerpoint presentation to illustrate important historic events that happened from the 19th century to the present.   

With Lundi Gras being a week away, Jesuit’s hard working executive board meets to discuss the logistics of Mardi Gras week. Simply because Mardi Gras will look a little different this year does not mean that the Jesuit student council will not plan an exciting week of activities. Students should stay tuned and flock to the commons or courtyard when necessary. 

On fresh-kick Friday at Jesuit High School, freshmen in Mr. Woods’s English I class discussed the book Tex using the socratic seminar method. In this method, it is believed that thinking comes from asking questions, and that asking one question should lead to asking further questions. Students would pose questions and others would answer them creating a discourse of ideas throughout the period with little to no teacher influence. 

On Monday, Feb. 1, 2021, freshmen Blue Jays flocked to Will Clark Field to show off and learn new baseball skills. While they all have a lot to learn, the future on the diamond looks bright with these new developing players. 

Freshmen William Bellott and Peter Le search for inspiring sights on campus. The Jesuit yearbook team began a new chapter on Monday as a dozen Blue Jays began learning the ropes of digital photography.

In recognition of and appreciation for the school’s national presence, Jesuit president Fr. John Brown, S.J., met with members of Jesuit’s National Advisory Board on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. After updating members regarding academics, admissions, advancement, athletics, campus construction, and mission, Fr. Brown received helpful feedback and wisdom. Specifically, at Fr. Brown’s request, Blue Jays from across the country offered advice about identifying, hiring, and retaining talented teachers, administrators, and staffers. Members of Jesuit’s 2021 NAB are Lee Faust ’61 (Keswick, VA), John Gilluly ‘88 (Austin, TX), Jeff Laborde ’91 (Atlanta), Charles McClain ’60 (Berkeley, CA), Michael McGarry ’76 (Pittsburgh, PA), Robert Murphy ’69 (Houston, TX), John O’Shea ’80 (Houston, TX), Kevin Poorman ’69 (Chicago), George Rizzo ’57 (Houston, TX), and Paul Stevens ’70 (Alexandria, VA).

A group of dedicated students finish a variety of subjects before 3 p.m. in Jesuit’s Resource Center. Ever since its dedication in 1974, many Blue Jays have flocked to get ahead on an assignment, quickly make up work, or simply find a new read to pass the time. In addition to its beautiful aesthetic, the center provides online databases like EBSCO to help any Blue Jay at any time of formation. 

On Thursday, Jan. 15, Mrs. Tassin’s Biology II AP class was treated to a special guest: Gastroenterologist Dr. Chuck Schibler, father of senior Win and freshman William. Dr. Schibler showed videos about the gastrointestinal system including the properties of kidney stones. Schibler even did a mock demonstration about how to perform one of his many operations in his repertoire. 

Jesuit CFO Jason Hijelous took a short break from his usual day-to-day affairs to assist Mrs. Kate Arthurs-Goldberg’s public speaking class by conducting mock interviews. Students were asked common questions such as previous work experience and more in-depth inquiries like what their biggest strengths and weaknesses are. This exercise hopes to better prepare each student for what questions to expect and to better monitor his answers and body language for any career he might chase. 

Juniors have a unique and fun opportunity going into their senior years: picking of electives. Director of Student Affairs Helen Swan explained to Program I juniors that a plethora of elective classes are offered from Chemistry AP, Biology II AP, European History AP, to Theology of C.S Lewis Honors. A full list of all the unique topics can be found in Jesuit’s Bulletin. 

No better way to return to school than receiving an administrative building update. Most of the outer bricks facing the interior lot have been laid and everything is on schedule for administrators to move in by the summer. Another huge thank you to Ryan Gootee General Contractors, L.L.C, who continue their impressive work into the 2021 school year, and anyone who donated or assisted with the Minds & Hearts Enlightened capital campaign.