Blue Jays visit with students from Colegio San Ignacio (Puerto Rico) as part of the inaugural cultural exchange program between the two schools. The program is spearheaded by Spanish teacher Ms. Nilda Rivera (pictured at far right). Blue Jays visited Puerto Rico over the Mardi Gras break and are now hosting the Colegio San Ignacio students during their spring break. Several Jesuit families are serving as host families for the visiting students and faculty. While in New Orleans, the group will also visit local landmarks and participate in tomorrow’s Blue Jay Bazaar. 

Jesuit’s maintenance crew set up new event tents on Wednesday to prepare for the #BlueJayBazaar this Saturday, March 28. This will serve as the Wild Photographer’s “before” picture. Check back for another from this same spot on Saturday when the now-empty spaces are sure to be filled with tons of Blue Jay fun.

Junior John Nimmo turns in his Blue Jay Bazaar Grand Raffle ticket stubs to parent and volunteer Mrs. Anne Black. The deadline to turn in tickets for all salesman awards is 2 p.m. on Friday, March 27. Students may take care of all ticket transactions (money returns, extra books of tickets to sell, etc.) during lunch outside of the Volunteer Office (Room 126) Wednesday and Thursday. Raffle ticket stubs will be collected all day Friday in St. Ignatius Hall. Students selling certain amounts of tickets have the chance to win a variety of prizes.

Dozens of Blue Jays take out a dollar bill and hustle over to buy a Krispy Kreme doughnut being sold by Homeroom 1203 during the 10 a.m. break throughout Lent. Homeroom teacher Mr. Jason Giaccone picks up 25-30 dozen boxes of doughnuts each day as part of the class effort to raise dough for the school-wide Mission Drive. All proceeds go to the Santa Rosa missions in Paraguay.

Buddy Lazare of the Class of 1943 is a fixture at Jesuit baseball games and many other Blue Jay athletic events. Buddy brings his Jesuit stadium seat and eyeballs the scene from his perch under the grandstand, taking it all in from the start of the teams warming up to the ball players leaving John Ryan Stadium. A cheerleader of sorts (although the Wild Photographer had to coax that smile), Buddy is not shy about using his voice. It’s as strong as ever and fans in the bleachers can hear when Buddy has something to say. He encourages and applauds players and coaches. He also has suggested that umpires, after questionable calls, get in touch with his optometrist. That he often speaks his mind doesn’t translate into curmudgeonly behavior. Not this octogenarian Blue Jay whose face has witnessed probably thousands of Jesuit athletic events through the decades. And that puts Buddy in a class all by himself. A Buddy for all Blue Jays. 

A group of flag throwers, drummers, and trumpeters from Sansepolcro, Italy perform for Blue Jays gathered in the Traditions Courtyard during lunch. This group has traveled to New Orleans for the past 30 years to keep alive a centuries-old Italian tradition. The practice originated in Europe during the Middle Ages as the standard-bearing officers led the troops into battle. These flags, armed with blades, were used as weapons. Today the group helps keep the tradition alive through elaborate flag waving and throwing routines. 

Student athletes filed through the first floor hallway today to sign mats that will frame photos of this year’s sports teams. After penning their own names, freshmen Oscar Maumus and Mike Hull look at the photo of their ninth grade football team. These one-of-a-kind signature-filled gifts will be auctioned off at the Blue Jay Bazaar on Saturday, March 28.

During a 10 o’clock morning break, junior Brandon Wolff returns classmate Cameron Kaupp’s volley in a practice game of table tennis. The grade-level Ping Pong tournament will begin Tuesday during lunch in the Commons. Games will be played on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students should sign up with Ms. Daigle to participate. All proceeds benefit the mission drive.

Blue Jays look through the stacks for their own senior graduation announcements outside of Room 133. Monday marked the start of the 4th Quarter, and the countdown to graduation is on for the senior class.

Workers install the final restored stained glass windows in the Chapel of the Holy Name of Jesus (small chapel). These beautiful original art pieces — already more than a century old — now have new life breathed into them, after undergoing a restoration and preservation that will serve for another 100 years. The window restoration was a meticulous and painstaking process to repair and restore the pieces created by artists of Meyer of Munich, Germany in the late 19th century. Watch a video detailing the stained glass restoration process. 

Parent volunteers treated faculty and staff to a bountiful spread of lunch options on Tuesday during exam week. Homemade entrees, sides, soups, salads, and desserts filled the tables in the cafeteria. A group of Jesuit mothers, coordinated by Mrs. Kim Lee, helped to make this treat possbile. Some of those volunteers are pictured here (from left): Celeste Arseneaux, Liz Creel, Nancy Whitsell, Sammie Bohn, Dina Zelden, Kim Lee, Alison James, Anna Heim, Veronica Douget, and Barbara Koenig. Teachers and staff extend all the volunteers a hearty “Thank you!”

Junior Andre Nguyen hands a pretzel to senior Henry Creel during lunch on Friday. Creel was one of hundreds of Blue Jays who vowed to eat only the soft bread and water for lunch as part of their Lenten sacrifice. This was the second year Campus Ministry hosted the Pretzel Fast. For centuries, many Catholics have seen pretzels as a symbolic reminder of Lenten prayer, sacrifice, and fasting. According to pretzel maker Snyder’s of Hanover, in the early 7th century a young Italian monk was preparing a special Lenten bread made of water, flour and salt. To remind his brother monks that Lent was a time of prayer, he rolled the bread dough in strips and then shaped each strip in the form of crossed arms, mimicking the then-popular prayer position of folding one’s arms over each other across the chest.

Sophomore Patrick Hazard doesn’t let the falling temperatures stop him from enjoying a frozen treat. Br. Billy Dardis, S.J. ’58 frequently sets up a table near the Student Commons to sell a variety of sweet treats to hungry Blue Jays. The proceeds from Brother’s efforts benefit the mission drive. During this Lenten season filled with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, Blue Jays can find several ways to give to those less fortunate and be conscious of the needs of others — such as the lunch pizza sales or Friday’s pretzel fast.

At the front of the line, freshman Robert Argote eagerly awaits a slice of pizza from Mr. Cyril Lagvanec during lunch on Wednesday. Homeroom 1203 sells 30-40 pizzas ($2 a slice or $12 for a whole pie) to hungry Blue Jays daily throughout Lent to support the school-wide Mission Drive. All proceeds go to the Santa Rosa missions in Paraguay.

As the work on “100-year renovation” of the Chapel of the Holy Name of Jesus (small chapel) enters its final stages, the intricate stained glass of the central dome shines brighter than ever. Students and faculty/staff members walking through the second floor hallway of the administration wing regularly peek in to watch as construction progresses. Drawing on the Moresque style of Immaculate Conception Church on Baronne Street, the chapel was originally built downtown in 1901 as part of the Jesuit College, as the school was then known. When Jesuit built its high school at the current location, the stained glass, altar, and pews of the chapel were reconstructed on site.

Mrs. Meg Jennings brought her camera to the Media Club’s photography workshop led by parent volunteer Jeff Strout. Pre-freshman Travis Talamo, junior Cameron Armand, and sophomore Luke Navarro also attended in hopes to learn more about the art and science of photography. Strout, who has been a professional photographer for over 20 years, explained how to best use various digital camera settings to get the perfect shot. Future workshops will be posted in Daily Announcements.