President's Message These four important projects represent a judicious and thoughtful use of present space on campus and a reimagining of how to utilize our current infrastructure in completely new ways. They will all transform our campus and advance our sacred mission on behalf of our students.
The Hollman Family Student Union in the Gedrose Center The Gedrose Center, which has served the Jesuit High School community so well for decades, will have an entirely new look beginning in the fall of 2021, thanks to the generosity of Joe Hollman, Jesuit Class of 1960. Planned improvements, which have already commenced and will be completed by the end of summer, will provide students with a more engaging environment to socialize, study, and share meals together. The flexible, student-focused design will transform the cafeteria and adjacent commons into a vibrant, welcoming community hub for our students to enjoy. Every surface in the cafeteria and commons (floor, walls, ceiling) will be refurbished with new materials and vibrant colors. In addition to enlarging the doorway to unite the cafeteria and commons, there will be an upgrade to audio-visual technology and all new furniture and booths with multiple seating options will be installed. We continue to coordinate this $2.9 million investment with our partners Opsis Architecture and Schommer & Sons (with daily construction led by Paul Schommer, Jesuit Class of 2000). This will be a wonderful transformation of an important historical space on our campus, making it an energizing hub of activity from early in the late morning until the late afternoon. We are thrilled with what this investment will do for student life on our campus.
Dear Jesuit High School Community, In spite of the numerous challenges faced by the members of the Jesuit High School community in the last year – including the global pandemic, a time of racial reckoning in the U.S., a divisive national political climate and election, an unprecedented series of fires, and a debilitating ice storm – Jesuit is looking forward with great optimism and hope to the 20212022 academic year. Our objective is to boldly move into the post-pandemic world with energy, confidence, and a renewed sense of commitment to our mission.
We are deeply grateful for the phenomenal generosity of Joe Hollman, not only on this investment, but over the last several decades at Jesuit High School. For 360-degree views of the Hollman Family Student Union or a livestream of the construction site, please visit jesuitportland.org/studentunion.
Senior Hall Upgrade The renovation of Senior Hall is also underway this summer. We have removed underutilized lockers in Senior Hall and transformed the space into a comfortable and functional area for our students to congregate and socialize during their downtime. This project, which is also managed by Opsis Architecture and Schommer & Sons, will be completed by the start of the 2021-2022 academic year.
On June 5 and 6, we celebrated the inimitable Class of 2021 with a joyful Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement on Cronin Field. All 301 members of the class have made our community a better place over the last four years and been sources of immense light and hope on our campus. Although our hearts break for the lost opportunities that are typical rites of passage for our seniors, we admire their courage, resilience and hope in the face of adversity. We look forward to watching their journeys unfold as they go forth and set the world on fire as women and men for others.
The Clubhouse Jesuit will be creating a multi-functional facility, temporarily called “The Clubhouse,” in the former Valley Plaza Theatre building adjacent to our main campus. Improvements to the unique space will allow for academic, co-curricular and athletic activities and provide us with two additional academic rooms (the two small theatres will be refurbished into academic rooms with comfortable theatre seating) and a “ballroom” (70 feet x 100 feet x 25 feet high) that will be used for such activities
Looking ahead, we currently have four unique infrastructure projects that provide tangible opportunities to invest in the lives of our students. Each will allow our community to generate momentum as we accelerate out of the pandemic and into a hope-filled future.
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