The Student Commons was packed Friday at lunch as the video game Fortnite took center stage. The battle royale styled video game recently received an update bringing the gameplay back to its original maps and functionality. With a mix of nostalgia and excitement for the new season, Blue Jay fans of Fortnite were glued to the screens as the streamer Ninja revealed the updates ability to bring the game back to its “old days.” Jesuit is home to recent E-Sports state champions, Gizzard Gaming, and is working on a new gaming room for future practices. Wild Photo Credit Lucas Nicholson-Uhl and Nate Sanders.

Broadcasting from “Studio 128, hosts of the Ten Minute Break podcast, Sanad Hamdan and Jeremy Rink, interview Jesuit High School chaplain Fr. John Polce, S.J. Combined with his love of cooking, fantasy football, and puns, Fr. Polce offers a unique window into the priesthood and his role as a spiritual guide to the student body. Stay tuned for more episodes, posted every two weeks, with unique perspectives, untold stories, and engaging discussions that reflect the heartbeat of student life at Jesuit. Photo by senior Ahmad Farrukh.

On the Feast Day of the North American Martyrs, sophomore Joe Accardo takes his final quarter one exam under the watchful eye of one of St. Isaac Jogues S.J., a Jesuit priest martyred while serving the Huron tribe in present day Canada. The North American Martyrs were a group of French Jesuit missionaries who, in the 17th century, ventured into the wilderness of North America to spread the Christian faith. St. Isaac Jogues was captured and tortured by a rival tribe of the Hurons and had his fingers chewed off. After recovering from his injuries in France, Jogues decided to return to North America and continue his work with the Hurons. He served in the missions faithfully until he was captured and killed by the Mohawk tribe. St. Isaac Jogues, S.J. saw his torment, and the anticipated death that would ensue, as a means to emulate and thus share in the suffering of Jesus’ passion. 

October 19th – The Feast of the North American Martyrs

Meet one of our podcast co-hosts, Sanad Hamdan, ready to carry forward the legacy of the Ten-Minute Break, Jesuit’s student podcast, along with fellow seniors Jeremy Rink, co-host, and Ahmad Farrukh, podcast coordinator.  They’re all set to introduce you to the vibrant voices of our school community, kicking off with a bang and an insightful first episode featuring Jesuit’s student body president and vice-president, Luke Couret and Kyle Collins. 

In the upcoming episodes, our co-hosts will bring fresh perspectives, untold stories, and engaging discussions to the Blue Jay community. As they continue to explore the heartbeat of student life, you can expect an ever-expanding roster of guests from faculty members to athletes to students who will inspire, inform, and entertain. So, stay tuned for a series of episodes that promises to be both informative and entertaining.

Photo by senior Ahmad Farrukh.

Nolan Clark ’23 honed his skills at Jesuit by photographing numerous athletic contests and school events as part of the student communications initiative. Now a freshman at the University of Alabama, Clark continues to develop his talents as a student athletic photographer in Bryant–Denny Stadium. Below is a photograph of Clark on the field in action during the recent Alabama vs. Ole Miss game on September 23, 2023.

Jesuit’s MCJROTC cadet leadership conducted a platoon inspection on Wednesday during their class period. These weekly exercises serve as one of the methods through which cadets establish a foundation of military structure and tradition.

Blue Jays are immersing themselves in the fundamentals of photography in the new media class instructed by Mr. Peter Flores. The media class covers a wide range of skill sets that encompass various forms of media, including digital media, video production, photography, and editing, among others. As part of their coursework, students are currently focused on mastering the exposure triangle. In a recent lesson, they had the opportunity to refine their skills with the guidance of Jesuit’s Communications Specialist, Melissa Jurisich.

Photo Taken by Nate Sanders ’24

During the 8th grade retreat, students reenact the transformative cannonball moment in the life of St. Ignatius that ultimately guided him towards his path to sainthood.

LtCol Craig P. Himel ’91 USMC (Ret) pinning Cadet Private Haffner for his promotion to Cadet Private First Class this week.

Welcome week continues for the Blue Jays with Donatello’s ono axe throw. Students attempt to hit the target while others worked their throws to douse Shredder in the dunking booth.

The Student Council Executive Board kicked off Welcome Week with an exciting lunchtime event featuring ninja turtle races. Students enthusiastically competed by maneuvering through cones, navigating toddler-sized hamster tunnels, skillfully dodging water balloons, and racing to the finish line with their pizza boxes.

On Mondays and Fridays, students, faculty, and staff assemble in the Traditions Courtyard for morning assembly. Though the tradition dates back many decades, the content of each assembly can range from athletic updates to club meeting times to alumni speakers. The bustle after assembly is a quintessentially Jesuit moment for Blue Jays to greet their friends and catch up with their classmates as they head to class from the courtyard.

1930 – Original Blue Jay Band taken at Loyola field.

Here is a nostalgic glimpse of the editors of The Blue Jay Magazine back in 1956. Pictured in the “Blue Jay Room,” where the student newspaper was edited and published, these individuals played pivotal roles in bringing the magazine to life. The editors of The Blue Jay Magazine in 1956 were Harry Fleddermann ’58 (Page One), T. Noel Osborn ’58 (Features), Danny Matthews ’57 (Features), Joe Napoli ’58 (Editorial Page), Steve Rodi ’58 (Assistant Sports), and Bob Winn ’56 (Sports). It’s remarkable to look back and appreciate the hard work and dedication of these individuals who contributed to the success of The Blue Jay Magazine during that time.

This remarkable photo captures a moment in history, taken in 1965 on the flight deck of the USS Midway, an esteemed aircraft carrier stationed in Pearl Harbor, HI. On the left, we see Lieutenant Earl Higgins ’59, USN. Lieutenant Higgins served as the First Division Officer within the ship’s company. Standing next to him, holding a sextant, is Lieutenant Richard Vidacovich ’55, (MC) USNR, a dedicated medical officer and flight surgeon assigned to the ship’s air wing.

At the time this photo was taken, the USS Midway was en route to the Vietnam War, specifically Operation Rolling Thunder in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin. It is truly remarkable to reflect on the fact that both Lieutenant Higgins and Lieutenant Vidacovich were aboard the USS Midway during this historic military operation.

For the first time in over a decade, Jesuit High School sent a delegation of students to the heart of the Jesuit Province for a service trip. Eleven students, joined by Mr. Bacon and Fr. Kramer, S.J., traveled to Grand Coteau to engage in service to the poor. While staying on the grounds of the Jesuit Novitiate and Infirmary, in what many call the Holy Land of the South, the students not only enjoyed a trip that was full of direct service but was rich in spiritual fruit as well. Each day was bookended with prayer—starting with a morning prayer and ended with an evening Mass alongside the parishioners of St. Charles Borromeo and their pastor Fr. Mark Kramer, S.J. (the brother of our own Fr. Kramer, S.J.).  

The rest of the days were divided between an array of service opportunities. A rotating team of students spent each day directly engaging the wonderful residents of Grand Coteau at either a day camp for underprivileged children or at a day center for retired and disabled adults. And, despite the considerable 100 degree heat, a team of students cheerfully went out to work outdoors around the community—painting houses, trimming bushes, and fixing fences.