It’s been six weeks since Jesuit’s football team capped the 2014 season by winning the Division 1 state championship. In a sense, there is no off-season. Underclassmen who will return to play on the 2015 Blue Jay team — such as sophomore quarterback Denny McGinnis (left) and junior defensive end Seth Pohlmann — are expected to follow a strict weight training program. McGinnis and Pohlmann had just finished Friday’s workout with other Blue Jay football players and were ready to head home. It struck the Wild Photographer that the old joke about how does one get to Carnegie Hall could easily be adapted to, “How does one get to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome?” The punch line, of course, is “Practice, practice, practice!”

Blue Jays crossing Carrollton Avenue walk by a utility box that recently received a face-lift fitting for its location. The utility box, located at the intersection of Carrollton Avenue and Banks Street, is now adorned with a mural of stately oaks and lively blue jays painted by the artist Karel Sloan Bookbinder. The art is part of the New Orleans Street Gallery, a project of Community Visions Unlimited. CVU is a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing New Orleans neighborhoods through community beautification and business development. CVU hopes to have each of the 400 utility boxes in the city of New Orleans painted within the next two years.

Junior Joshua West experiences a virtual roller coaster ride through a classmate’s 3D stereoscopic viewer attached to a smart phone. These Jays are part of Jesuit’s new Programming Club formed by juniors Sean Fogg and Mayank Mardia and moderated by Mr. Nick Simoneaux. They meet after school on Wednesdays in Computer Lab 3.

Members of Student Campus Ministry meet with Mr. Jeremy Reuther ’01 and Fr. Raymond Fitzgerald, S.J. ’76 in the recently-refurbished campus ministry office. The office, located on the second floor of the school’s Carrollton Wing, serves as a center for students to assist in the planning and execution of various liturgical activities throughout the year. 

The Jesuit soccer team loaded up the bus and headed to Lake Charles to participate in the Louisiana Showcase Tournament. On Friday, Dec. 19, weather permitting, the Blue Jays will face St. Louis Catholic at 4 p.m. and AWGY — a team from Texas — at 7 p.m. The Jays are scheduled to face University High of Baton Rouge (1 p.m.) and St. Thomas More of Lafayette (3:45 p.m.) on Saturday, Dec. 20. All games are being played at the Lake Charles Power Center Complex. The games against Louisiana teams will count toward state power rankings, which determine playoff seeding. Jesuit’s in-state record is 3-0-1. UPDATE: All of Friday’s games have been cancelled due to rain. The Blue Jays will play three games on Saturday.

Jesuit alumnus Jonathan Burke ’98 taught students about reflexes as a guest teacher in Mrs. Amy Tassin’s biology class. Senior August Vanlangendonck learned how to tap for reflex with a willing “patient,” classmate Josh Mackles. Burke is a physical therapist with TherapydiaNola.

Sophomores and juniors picked up their PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test) scores from guidance counselors during lunch in St. Ignatius Hall. The PSAT is an aptitude test which provides practice for the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and, in junior year, can provide entry into the National Merit Scholarship Program. For information on Jesuit’s courses available to help prepare students for various standardized tests, visit the Standardized Test Prep page.

… you say Blue Jays! A spirited pep rally at lunchtime has the Jays cheering for the football team, which kicks off tonight at 8:30 in the Allstate Sugar Bowl/LHSAA Division 1 state championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Student Council has decreed a “White-Out” at the Dome, and asked that Blue Jay fans wear white for the game.

Blue Jays enthusiastically participated in lunchtime karaoke, eliciting audience participation and cheers. Seniors Blake Jaubert, C.C. Miller, William Arseneaux, Will Arnold, and Jonathan Legier performed a rousing rendition of The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be,” better known as “500 Miles.”

Students interested in studying theology and philosophy in college attended a lunchtime presentation given by Dr. David Delio, professor of theology at Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans. Dr. Delio spoke about the role theology plays in Catholic education.

The Jesuit MCJROTC program received outstanding grades in its annual inspection held in the Roussel Building. The inspection included a personnel inspection of all 111 cadets in the Battalion, drill by five platoons, and drill by the Battalion Color Guard. The inspection was conducted by Marines from Marine Forces Reserve Headquarters in Algiers and from the Marine Air Group in Belle Chasse.

Freshmen are eating up Mrs. Kate-Arthurs-Goldberg’s speech class — literally. On the day the Wild Photographer stopped in for a visit, Harrison Robichaux showed his classmates how to cook quesadillas, Gavin Sheng, whose family owned the House of Lee — a popular Chinese restaurant in Metairie — used a PowerPoint presentation to roll out his recipe for egg rolls, Tanner Booth yucked it up during his speech about yogurt pops, and Alex Petty dished out delicious brownies. As Dick Bruce used to say in those McKenzie’s commercials, “MMM…mmm!”

When the weather is 80° one day and 45° the next, Blue Jays scurry to find jackets and pullovers that satisfy uniform requirements. Freshmen Chris Ross, Jake Theriot, and Andrew Hemelt seem to have it all figured out. “Top’s Tip of the Day” recommends that now is a good time to review the Bulletin with reference to what is allowed to be worn in cooler weather.

A most unusual artifact was spotted on the altar in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs at the conclusion of November’s monthly Mass for the Jesuit Community. An oval-shaped brass or silver frame protected by a thin piece of glass, under which were the names of 33 Saints meticulously inscribed in Latin, was actually an exquisite reliquary, which serves to protect the relics of these holy men and women. Each of the 33 Saints, many of whom were Jesuit martyrs (this being the feast of St. Stanislaus Kostka, he is included — his name is in the right column, fifth name from top) have a tiny fragment of what appears to be a “1st Class Relic” preserved below the name. According to Catholic Doors Ministry, the Catholic Church defines a 1st Class Relic as a part of the Saint, such as a bone or hair, that is, the instruments of Christ’s Passion. The 2nd Class Relic consists of something that was owned by the Saint or instruments of torture used against a martyr. The 3rd Class Relic consists of something that has been touched to a 1st or 2nd Class Relic. Anyone can make their own 3rd Class relics by touching an object to a 1st or 2nd Class Relic, including the tomb of a Saint. The reliquary appears to be very old, ancient in fact. Brady Stiller, a junior, borrowed this venerable and delicate historical object from Fr. Ian Bozant, the parochial vicar at Mary Queen of Peace Church in Mandeville, to bring to today’s Mass and afterwards to the theology office. An amazing artifact with, to be sure, an incredible history. Perhaps one day the whole story will be told. 

Seniors Jack Marzullo, David Senentz, and Bobby Comeaux picked up their copies of the 2013-2014 Blue Jay Annual. The yearbooks are being distributed in Room 132 first to seniors. Upcoming pick-up dates for other classes will be announced throughout the week. The books were also mailed to the class of 2014.

Juniors Charles Glass and Joshua West are happy to be at the front of the lines to get a piece of cake being cut by MGySgt. J.R. Piseno after the MCJROTC held a cake-cutting ceremony in Traditions Courtyard on this 239th birthday of the United States Marine Corps. Each year, Jesuit’s MCJROTC honors one person during the ceremony. This year, Academic Asst. Principal Kathy Juhas was honored. The first piece of cake was given to Mrs. Juhas as the ceremony’s honoree. The second and third pieces of cake are traditionally reserved for the oldest and youngest cadets present, respectively. The MCJROTC also celebrates the occasion with an evening ceremony and reception attended by family and friends.