It’s that time of year again: time for the ugly sweater contest in the majestic Traditions Courtyard. While many atrocious outfits were worn, these two brothers took home first place during their half of lunch in a highly contested victory. Thank you to all the students who participated all week in various Christmas events. 

Jackson Navarro takes his turn on the Christmas deer-riding challenge—one of the many fun activities Student Council planned to make this season a little brighter on Jesuit’s campus.  Other Christmas week festivities include singing karaoke, Christmas-tree ornament making, homeroom door decorating, and the ugly sweater competition.

A ninth-grade student stares intently at his handmade paper airplane, willing it to travel the farthest distance in his class. With the knowledge that they have gained throughout the year, Mrs. Merritt’s geometry honors class had to create a plane that could fly a long distance and land on a certain target. Many planes were flown, only a few passed the test. 

After taking a short quiz on the different parts of the eye, senior students identified and labeled different parts of an infant pig. In Mrs. Tassin’s Biology II AP class, there is no such thing as a normal day, even with a 1 p.m. dismissal. Pigs were spread out at every table and offered the students an opportunity to see specific muscles, organs, and much more in yet another exciting lab exercise. 

With open house right around the corner on Dec. 2nd, volunteers flood St. Ignatius hall to prepare for the big day. The cheerful helpers organized name tags, lanyards, pins, and much more. Open house would not be successful if not for the help of all of our volunteers, so Jesuit thanks you today and everyday. If you have not signed up for an open house tour yet, register on the Jesuit website. 

Holly Smith’s Biology class of freshmen and sophomores investigated pH today by experimenting with Methyl Orange, Bromthymol Blue, and Phenylphthalein. Monday’s class involved testing the pH of various solutions, documenting group findings, and analyzing the resulting data.

Brenda Foucher-Slater presents a beaded representation of Jayson to Fr. Brown in front of the original Walt Kelly illustration. Brenda’s family has received Thanksgiving baskets from Jesuit students for many years. When the students bring the groceries to her house, she and her daughter always show them the beadwork that they meticulously and painstakingly work on throughout the year for Mardi Gras Indian suits. To show her appreciation for the students’ generosity, she asked alumni director Michael Prados ’83, who brought his homeroom to her house for many years, to provide her with an image of Jesuit’s mascot. Fr. Brown sketched Jayson on a canvas, and she spent a few months sewing on beads and sequins. Jesuit thanks Brenda for her kindness in sharing her talent to create a work of art that represents the history, traditions, and culture of New Orleans.

In Mr. Moran’s 8th grade physical science class, Jays spent their Friday the 13th in the third floor science lab. All the shrewd scientists completed a single-replacement experiment with aluminum and copper chloride. By the end, all the smiling 8th graders enjoyed a tremendous learning experience and discovered that Friday the 13th was nothing to fear.  

On Nov. 10, 2020, The United States Marines celebrated their 245th year of existence. To honor those current and retired Marines, the Jesuit MCJROTC program gathered in formation on Will Clark Field, recognized LtCol. Tim Huete ’76 (ret), and shared a meal of Jambalaya and cake. Jesuit cannot express enough gratitude to those who have served and will serve in the United States Armed Forces. 

Halloween is almost upon us, and the Spanish department decided to decorate a beautiful Día De Los Muertos altar outside of the Modern Foreign Language office. The elaborate display pays tribute to lost loved ones including former Jesuit president Fr. Raymond Fitzgerald, S.J. ’76 and Br. Billy Dardis, S.J. ’58. If you have not gotten a chance to see the altar, make sure to stop by the third floor sometime this week. 

Matthew Firmin ’10 assists the 8th and 9th grade wrestlers on their wrestling stances before practice at Carrollton and Banks. While these young Jays have a lot to learn, the present and future appear bright for these hard working athletes as they continue to perfect their craft on the mat. Do not forget to check out the website for further updates on the team as the season swiftly approaches. 

During Jesuit’s annual club Rush Day, Director of Student Affairs and Fishing Club Moderator Helen Swan explained to students the fun and function of her beloved club. Co-founder of the Fishing Club and Scholar Athlete senior Jacob Reinhardt also participated at the booth and provided insight into his vast fishing knowledge. In addition to fishing, over 30 clubs set up tables and were excited to add new members. If you missed the Rush Day or want to see a full list of all the clubs Jesuit has to offer, check out the Clubs page on the Jesuit website to get involved. 

On Oct. 19 and 20, 2020, all Jesuit theology classes participated in the feast day of the North American Martyrs in, believe it or not, the Chapel of the North American Martyrs. All the homilies touched on our call for meaning as opposed to comfort and shared stories of certain martyrs like St. Isaac Jogues, St. John de Brebeuf, and others. This was a unique time for students because this feast day usually falls during exam week, but this year all Blue Jays were able to gather and celebrate the North American Martyrs. 

As the weather starts to cool down, the Jesuit Blue Jay Newspaper is heating up with its first in-person meeting in the Jesuit conference room. Newspaper moderator Fr. Sean Salai S.J., instructed the editors of the paper on journalistic principals, and Communications Director Christian Bautista ’06 prepared a keynote presentation that covered writing, photography, and workflow. The student-run paper will cover sporting events, news, art, and much more. Stay tuned to the website for fun and informative articles on all things Jesuit written by passionate students. 

The class of 2024 enjoyed a special treat on Oct. 9 as Jeremy Reuther ’01 illustrated the importance of the love of family. Reuther was not the only tremendous speaker at the retreat as Daniel Augustine ’15 explained the obstacles of love, Roger Bacon ’10 talked about the love of friends, and Fr. Andrew Dyer, S.J., and Palo Taffaro led the freshman in a guided mediation, Adoration, and Benediction. One of the characteristics of a Jesuit graduate is “Religious,” and these freshman received religious guidance on the many facets of God’s love that can be leaned on until graduation and beyond. 

Mr. Dardant, coach of Jesuit’s J-Troupe improv comedy team, spared no expense when instructing Mrs. Arthurs-Goldberg’s speech class on the importance and regularity of improv. Dardant explained the five main rules of improv and even had multiple volunteers perform an excerpt in front of the class that led to stories about Jurassic Park and two co-workers who found themselves in a volcano. As the saying goes, time flies when you are improvising.