The Jesuit Journal - 2024 by Jesuit Dallas

JOURNAL

LITERATURE AND ART

THE IMPRESSIONIST EYE OF JONATHAN SHU

JACK SIMONS: BECOMING AN ARTIST

THE

VIVID SKETCHES OF KIAN ESFAHANI

KIAN ESFAHANI

First Place

One look at a Kian Esfahani drawing is never enough.

You need to look at least twice before you realize you’re not looking at a photograph, but a stunning work of art.

You look at the drawing more closely (perhaps with the same anxious expression in the self-portrait on the opposite page—“Can this be real?”) and admire Esfahani’s talent, the attention to detail, shading, line, and light.

The Jesuit Journal congratulates Kian on his impressive works: As Sam Elliott (featured on the next page) might say, “May the creativity abide...”

JONATHAN SHU

Second Place

Third Place

Jack Simons: Becoming an artist

BIO

I’ve been doing freelance photography for two years now. I got into photography in the eighth grade after suffering a broken arm during my baseball season, and because of this, I found my love for photography through the experience of being my team’s photographer. I always had an interest in cars stemming from my father, so I decided to combine my two passions, which led to me finding my niche in automobile photography. Throughout my years of experience I have made many many friends as well as connections through the world of photography.

My inspiration comes from other aspiring photographers within my community whom I strive to be like. Now that I’ve met them I’ve realized that they are normal people like me and you.

When I’m around taking pictures, I’m always looking for the perfect shot...but sometimes I think that it’s not something you can just find by looking for it. It has to come naturally.

RANGER HEART

(From left to right) A Lucky Ranger. Defensive back Fredrick Lucky looks out at the crowd during the Jesuit vs. Highland Park game, 9/29/23.

Cheering Rangers. Jesuit vs. Highland Park lacrosse game, 4/14/2023.

Right: Lone Ranger in the crowd. Jesuit vs. Highland Park football game, 9/29/23.

NESTOR RESENDIZ

ARTWORK BY MATTHEW TOKER

ARTWORK BY ELI BRODSKY

EXTRATERRESTRIAL

FICTION BY TYLER EZETENDU

Maya had always been fascinated by the stars. As a young girl, she’d spend hours on her rooftop, gazing up at the night sky, convinced that something or someone was out there. It wasn’t until she became an astrophysicist, working at a remote observatory in the mountains, that her childhood wonder turned into something more tangible. One cold winter night, while analyzing data from a nearby star system, her equipment detected an anomaly. At first, she thought it was just a glitch—a burst of random data— but then the signal repeated, rhythmic and deliberate. Intrigued, she followed it, tweaking the instruments until she realized it was coming from within Earth’s atmosphere, just outside the observatory.

When the lights in the sky appeared, Maya’s heart raced. She watched as a sleek, metallic object hovered over the nearby clearing, slowly descending. She had seen enough sci-fi films to feel both fear and excitement, but what stepped out of the craft wasn’t the grotesque figure she’d imagined. It was humanoid, tall and slender, with silver-blue skin that shimmered under the moonlight. Its large black eyes locked onto hers, and in that moment, she felt a strange sense of recognition, as if she had always known something—or someone—like this would come.

The alien spoke, not in words but in thoughts. It introduced itself as Kael, a traveler from a distant galaxy, exploring planets for signs of life. Kael’s kind didn’t rely on speech but communicates telepathically, and through that connection, Maya could feel not just its thoughts, but its emotions— curiosity, intelligence, and oddly enough, compassion. Over the next few weeks, Maya and Kael developed an unusual bond. She taught him about human culture, art, and the complexities of human emotion, while he shared glimpses of his world—a place where time and space were perceived

ARTWORK BY ALEX MURRAY

differently, and the idea of war or conflict didn’t exist.

As they spent more time together, their connection deepened into something Maya couldn’t quite define. It was more than friendship, more than intellectual curiosity. Despite their differences, there was an undeniable pull between them, a shared understanding that transcended species or form. Maya realized she was falling in love, not with a human, but with a being whose thoughts and feelings resonated with hers on a level she had never experienced. Kael, too, seemed to be affected by this connection, though he struggled to grasp the concept of human love.

However, their time together was fleeting. Kael’s mission on Earth was temporary, and soon, he would have to leave. On their final night, beneath the stars that had once seemed so distant, they shared a silent goodbye. Maya watched as Kael’s ship ascended into the sky, the bond between them lingering even as the stars swallowed the craft. Though they would never meet again, Maya felt no sorrow. Instead, she was filled with a quiet certainty that somewhere out in the vast universe, Kael would always carry a piece of her with him, just as she would carry a part of him forever.