In preparation for their upcoming performance of Les Misérables School Edition, the Jesuit Philelectic Society welcomed Todd Simmons, Executive Director of the New Orleans Opera. Mr. Simmons is a parent to cast member Ellie Simmons, a junior at Ursuline. He served as rehearsal accompanist and gave a masterclass in performance of recitative. Here he works with sophomore Garrin Mesa and freshman Ben Schaubhut on their solos. Les Mis is scheduled to run March 30–April 1 and April 7–8. For a list of cast members and tickets visit the Phil’s webpage.

Springsteen, Clapton, Plant — these are just a few names you’ll hear about in Jesuit’s Classic Rock Club. But this club isn’t just for the Byrds. The Classic Rock Club provides a forum for the celebration, sharing, discussion, and listening of classic rock music. The club also gets together to show off some of their rock n’ roll memorabilia, like the items seen here: a vintage Rolling Stones tee, Led Zeppelin’s untitled fourth album (IV), a copy of Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen, a vinyl record of “The Jimi Hendrix Experience,” and The Who’s “Who’s Next” album. The Classic Rock Club meets weekly and is open to students of all grade levels. For those about to rock — we salute you. (Left to right: seniors Chris Chimento, John Kling, Jack Steib, freshman Patrick Albright, club moderator Mrs. Mary Favalora, and freshman Zach Svihla)

On Saturday, March 25, thousands of Jesuit families will flock to Carrollton and Banks to enjoy food, refreshments, activities, raffles, and live entertainment at the 2017 Blue Jay Bazaar. While committee members are busy with the finishing touches, they’re also unveiling some details for the upcoming festivities. Pictured here, seniors Jandon Briscoe and William Fine show off the newly-designed Bazaar t-shirt, which is available for $10 in the Volunteer Office, Room 126. Starting Monday, March 13, the shirts will be available for purchase during lunch in the Student Commons. Save the date and meet us at Carrollton and Banks for this fun-filled, family event!

On Thursday, the Student Council sponsored three-point and slam dunk competitions to coincide with the NBA All-Star games this weekend. Blue Jays brought their best game, but ultimately, junior Patrick Prosper (pictured) — who, quite literally, raised the bar — sailed passed his competitors to win the contest with a total of 30 points. Congratulations, Patrick!

On Valentine’s Day, students were demonstrating an affinity for volunteerism as they connected with 20 charitable organizations at Jesuit’s annual service fair. While all students are welcome, juniors – who will be completing the Junior Service Project – were encouraged to attend. Between now and the end of first semester next year, rising seniors will perform 100 hours of service with a single agency as part of these efforts. Service must consist of direct contact with people in need, and projects span mentoring at-risk children, working at camps for children with disabilities, and traveling abroad to perform manual labor. To graduate, students must complete their hours, write a reflective essay, and participate in group reflection with a faculty member and classmates.

Sophomore Peyton Toups examines a Civil War-era sword during a presentation by Marcel Gelpi, a docent at the World War II Museum. Mr. Gelpi brought artifacts from his own personal collection — such as rifles, bullets, and cannonballs — to show to students in Mr. Ron Rossi’s AP American History class, which is currently learning about the Civil War. The AP History exam at the end of the year is entirely centered on the students’ use of primary sources. Mr. Gelpi’s collection of artifacts and newspapers are primary documents, therefore, the students see and feel the real thing, not just a photo or a copy. Mr. Gelpi is a new source for the students, and he presents on the same topics that Mr. Rossi teaches in class. This is Mr. Gelpi’s fourth year visiting Jesuit, and he hopes to return later this semester with artifacts from World War II for the next topic of study.

Every Wednesday after school, Programming Club members meet in Computer Lab 3 to learn and teach each other computer-based languages like Java and Python. Pictured here, sophomore Donald Webster (kneeling) directs pre-freshmen (left to right) Jonathan Morse, Dominic Moore, Jack Saucier, Garrison Trahant, and Brett Steele to Code Academy, an online platform offering free coding classes, where they will take tutorials on Python. Because the club is student-led and student-driven, members decide for themselves not only what they learn, but also what they do with these skills.

Harry Connick, Jr., a celebrated musician, singer, actor, and daytime entertainment TV show host – and Jesuit alumnus – visited Jesuit to reconnect with his alma mater. Not only did the visit remind him of his student days when he met Jesuit for the first time, it also allowed him to meet the Jesuit of today, to walk the halls and speak with students about an experience they share: being a Blue Jay. Connick is in New Orleans filming for his TV show Harry, visiting locations with special significance to the New Orleans native. Harry Connick, Jr. is a member of the Class of 1985.

Recently, a group of Jesuit Philelectic Society members — along with family, friends, and alumni — were treated to a behind-the-scenes look of the Broadway national tour of Disney’s smash musical, The Lion King. Seizing the opportunity to take center stage, the group paused for a photo on the show deck at the historic Saenger Theater on Canal Street.

Actor Jarod Larriviere ’17, tech crew member Blake Brown ’17, and actor Ben Schaubhut ’20 load Philelectic Society moderator Kate Arthurs’ van with canned goods from last weekend’s senior-directed One Act Plays and Improv Comedy Festival. The festival raised about $1,800 in proceeds and 194 lbs. of food, all benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans. From the monetary proceeds raised, about 5,400 meals will be provided to those in need. The Phils Society turns 100 this year and recently cast over 70 student-actors from across New Orleans area schools for the spring performance of Les Misérables. Tickets for the upcoming show and a full cast list can be found here.

There’s never a dull moment at Jesuit, but — with a particularly packed week ahead — the Student Council made sure students knew how they could support their school. To boost Blue Jay spirit, the group sponsored an inspired Friday lunchtime event in Traditions Courtyard: students wearing wrestling singlets and heavy camouflage backpacks raced to the third floor in an effort to shoot soccer balls into a basketball goal with the quickest time. The context? On Saturday, Blue Jay soccer faces Brother Martin at Tad Gormley Stadium, and the MCJROTC hosts its 29th annual drill meet.  Next Tuesday, Jesuit basketball meets Holy Cross in the Birdcage and hosts an alumni homecoming event. Then on Wednesday, the wrestling team faces off against Holy Cross in an important dual meet for district standings. Pictured here, students react to senior Jacob Baxter’s amazing shot, which cleared the net on his first attempt.

American government and politics teacher Dan DiRosa is known for his completely neutral stance in the classroom, but — nonetheless — students are always trying to figure out his political ideology. Hoping to help them assess their own understanding of party systems, DiRosa assigned students quizzes to help gauge their ideological leanings. However, this served only to further pique their interest in his personal beliefs, and — over the course of several weeks — they sneaked in questions during class and filled out a test as they believed their social studies teacher might. Pictured here, senior Davis Martin (left) and junior Ryan Guillot (right) present DiRosa with “his” test as he insists that there is no hard evidence and that the “results” are all speculation.

On Tuesday, Jan. 24, Jesuit’s Academic Games Club competed in a first for Louisiana teams: the “Current Events” game. Joining club members were not only competitors from Dominican and Ben Franklin, but also Blue Jay civics students playing for fun. Pictured here, students grade each other’s answers on questions that ranged in topic from the Rio Olympics to pharmaceutical company cost hikes — if it happened in 2016, it was fair game.

Jesuit juniors Will Hite and Blaise Bonura, along with Ursulines students Sydney Worthy and Bryce Leonhard, act out a scene from Law & Order: Fairy Tale Unit, by Jonathan Larson. The show was part of The Philelectic Society’s senior-directed One Act Plays and Improv Comedy Festival. In this scene, Pinocchio (Will Hite) describes to Detectives H.D. (Blaise Bonura), Cindy (Sydney Worthy), and Gold (Bryce Leonhard) the crime he witnessed. The festival took in about $1,800 in proceeds, all benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of New Orleans. Audience members also had the option to donate five canned goods in lieu of cash for admission to the festival. The Phils Society turns 100 this year and recently cast over 70 student actors from across New Orleans area high schools for the upcoming Spring performance of Les Misérables. More info on the upcoming show can be found here.

Backstage in Jesuit’s Auditorium, The Philelectic Society has amassed a number of wigs over the years. The styles range from caveman to contemporary, illustrating every period in time from the stone age to now. The Phils turn 100 this year and is celebrating by performing their biggest show to date, Les Misérables (School Edition). You can see a variety of nineteenth century wigs and costumes this weekend, as the show continues Friday, April 7 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, April 8 with two showings at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here.

Pictured here (left to right) sophomore Harrison LeBlanc (cross country), freshman Brennan Kernion (swimming), and junior Michael Torry (football) pose with their brand-new letterman jackets. Blue Jay athletes who play on one or more of Jesuit’s teams are eligible for the jackets, earning stripes on the “J” for each year of active participation.