The Tradition Continues: Jesuit at 60

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T HE T RADITION C ONTINUES:

Jesuit at 60 Jesuit High School

Portland, Oregon

Compiled and edited by Paul Hogan, Principal Contributing authors: JK Adams, S.J., Greg Allen, Kathy Baarts, Don Clarke, Erin DeKlotz, Mark Flamoe, Elaine Forde, John Gladstone, Paul Hogan, Mike Hughes, Peter Johnson, Jennie Kuenz, Melissa Lowery, Ken Potter, Chris Smart, Carol Wyatt



T HE T RADITION C ONTINUES:

Jesuit at 60 Jesuit High School

Portland, Oregon

Compiled and edited by Paul Hogan, Principal Contributing authors: JK Adams, S.J., Greg Allen, Kathy Baarts, Don Clarke, Erin DeKlotz, Mark Flamoe, Elaine Forde, John Gladstone, Paul Hogan, Mike Hughes, Peter Johnson, Jennie Kuenz, Melissa Lowery, Ken Potter, Chris Smart, Carol Wyatt


,

Published by Jesuit High School Portland, Oregon

Copyright © 2017 Edited by Paul Hogan Printed in Oregon First Edition, 2017

www.jesuitportland.org


Dedication For all of the writers who have contributed to this volume, reflecting on the recent history of Jesuit High School has been a labor of love. This update to Fr. Larry Robinson’s Honoring the Tradition is dedicated to Mrs. Sandy Satterberg and Mr. John Gladstone. Sandy and John were my bosses, my mentors, my companions and my friends – as they were to countless students, teachers, and parents of Jesuit High School. Building upon the work of visionary leaders like Fr. Bill Hayes, S.J., and Dick Gedrose ’61, Sandy and John deserve our collective thanks for leading us into a new era of excellence. Sandy is a math teacher nonpareil who became the first lay woman to serve as Principal of a Jesuit high school in the United States. As Jesuit’s Academic Vice Principal (1991-97) and Principal (1997-2012), Sandy taught the faculty to make the Profile of the Jesuit Graduate and the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm the foundation of all that we do. When John came to Jesuit in 2005, the last stop in his storied career as an Ignatian educator, he brought with him a deep commitment to the JHS mission, to financial aid and diversity, and to creating a culture of gratitude. He left in his wake countless friends and a future brimming with hope, including the exciting addition of Valley Plaza to the campus. Sandy and John, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all you have done for our beloved school. Of course, both Sandy and John would want to dedicate this history, like all of their service, to the students of Jesuit High School. Our mission starts and ends with them. Ultimately, Jesuit High School is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Thanks to the hard work and vision of decades of Ignatian educators at Jesuit High School, the future for our school and our students has never been brighter.

Paul J. Hogan, Principal December 2016 AMDG



CONTENTS 1 Jesuit at 60 13 Academics 19 Activities and Diversity 25 Admissions 29 Alumni 35 Athletics 41 Campus Ministry and the Jesuits 49 Christian Service 53 Counseling 57 Global Engagement and Sustainable Development 67 A Farewell Reflection by John Gladstone


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ONE

Jesuit at 60 In updating Fr. Larry Robinson, S.J.’s, Honoring the Tradition, the history of Jesuit High School’s first half century, we faced a series of challenges and choices. First and most daunting was following in Fr. Robinson’s legendary footsteps. Second was to choose a theme: “The Gladstone Era”? “Jesuit in the 21st Century”? “Tradition, Gratitude, and Hope” (our theme in 2016, as we celebrated Jesuit High School’s 60th birthday)? As Fr. Robinson’s tome demonstrates, Jesuit was built on the broad shoulders of myriad students, parents, alumni, and passionately committed faculty and staff. For six decades, teachers, counselors, coaches, administrators, and support staff have brought intelligence, energy, and faith to the sacred work of education in the Ignatian tradition in Portland. We expect our students to change the world as faith-filled leaders of conscience, compassion, and competence. As longtime teacher and coach Tim Massey tells his student-athletes, “All we ask is all you’ve got.” 1


For 60 years, Jesuit has received the best efforts of Ignatian educators who have given all they have to this remarkable Northwest incarnation of the mission of the Society of Jesus. The story of Jesuit’s past decade is really a continuation of the same narrative arc we see in Fr. Robinson’s history, even as the school has grown and become a more complex institution. In the last ten years, the curriculum has become more globally focused through the addition of courses such as AP Comparative Government and Politics, AP Macroeconomics, International Studies, Spanish Lengua y Cultura, Chinese, Environmental Science, and Broadcast Journalism. We have added buildings, most notably the Elorriaga Center for Math and Science. In 2014, the JHS campus footprint expanded by 14.4 acres, as President John Gladstone and the Board of Trustees managed the amazing feat of acquiring the Valley Plaza shopping center, the adjacent property west of campus. Through Jesuit’s innovative “1:1” program, students and teachers explore ideas in an educational ecosystem that includes iPads, the Canvas learning management system, and PowerSchool. The co-curricular program has likewise expanded, with programs such as Robotics, Mock Trial, Lacrosse, Freshman Ensemble, JCTV, and dozens of clubs that help all students to find their niche at Jesuit, often in programs that did not exist ten years ago. 2

Still, to borrow a phrase from Mr. Gladstone’s favorite band, Led Zeppelin: At Jesuit, the song remains the same. As every student and alum can attest, the real “secret sauce” of Jesuit High is love. After 60 years of educating men and women for others, we can say along with St. Paul that “faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13). This love is of a unique origin. It is not the same as “I love the new iPhone,” or even “I love summer vacation.” The love that we nurture at Jesuit High is the love of Jesus Christ. The adults at Jesuit intentionally live His great commandment to love our students as Jesus loves us. Students absorb and radiate that love out into the community, especially to those on society’s margins. So, we sing on Encounters and Masses throughout the year, “Holy Spirit, you are welcome here / Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere.” Indeed, the Holy Spirit seems to have a special fondness for Jesuit High School. “This place” is holy ground, where God’s love spills from the classrooms in laughter or a teacher’s passionate presentation, into hallways where students hug one another and hold doors open for visitors. Love permeates locker rooms before games and backstage before performances. Love sings and sways at Mass, on retreats and in the Gedrose Center when hundreds of alums return to deliver food to Portland’s hungry during Christmas Break. Love and the softly beating wings of the Holy


Spirit hover in the air when a counselor or a Jesuit or a teacher helps a student struggling with a learning issue or a challenging situation with family or friends. Those of us on Jesuit’s campus during Easter week 2016 will testify that we experienced the gifts of the Holy Spirit in a unique and powerful way following the unexpected and tragic death of junior Ruby Gray on Good Friday. As Fr. JK Adams, S.J., Superior of the Jesuit community at JHS, explains, “We felt the Holy Spirit burst in, turning us from ‘chronos’ time to Kairos time, when the regular course of things turns sidewise and the Holy Spirit floods in. Just like the early Christians, we would go to the lions proclaiming this to be true: We encountered the Living Jesus on our campus during Easter week after Ruby died.” Organization of this Update to Honoring the Tradition After this introduction tracing the chronology of Jesuit High’s last eight years, this document is organized by portraits of programs told by those who know Jesuit best. Vice Principals and freshly minted doctors Chris Smart and Carol Wyatt trace the growth of Jesuit’s academic, professional development, and technology programs, while Dean of Students Elaine Forde explores Jesuit’s unique approach to diversity and activities. Alumni Director Kathy Baarts illuminates the evolution of our alumni programs, in-

On “Ruby Tuesday” (March 29, 2016), students and staff paused to remember and celebrate the remarkable life of Ruby Gray ’17.

cluding the National Alumni Board. You will read a description by Athletic Director Mike Hughes ’79 of an athletic program thrice ranked number one in the country over the past decade. Don Clarke and Erin DeKlotz tell the story of Campus Ministry, while Fr. Adams explains the relationship of JHS to the Jesuits, who are the beating heart of the school. Greg Allen, Andrea Casey ’97, and Scott Powers discuss “the faith that does justice,” as they explain the powerful praxis of Theology courses, faith support groups, and Christian Service. Exploring the intersection of global education and sustainable development, teachers Mark Flamoe and Jennie 3


Cournia Kuenz ’97 outline the strides Jesuit has made in developing globally-minded students. Director of Personal Counseling Ken Potter and Director of College Guidance Peter Johnson describe Jesuit’s deepening commitment to students, especially those who “think differently.” At the end of this document, Mr. Gladstone, Jesuit’s former President, reflects on the lessons he learned and the miracles he witnessed in his 11 years at Jesuit. You will read about shifts in administrative structures and a bus from St. Andrew Nativity School and four consecutive hoops titles and five consecutive swim trophies, of the movement of stars in our pantheon and the graduation of thousands of young men and women for others. In the online version of this document, soon you will find quotes from blogs and links to stories from the JHS student newspaper and other school publications. Fr. Robinson’s Honoring the Tradition tells the story of Jesuit’s first 52 years, tracing the school’s journey from its founding in 1955-56 through the 200708 school year. Thus, we pick up the narrative in the 2008-09 school year, the third year of the presidency of Mr. Gladstone and the 12th year of the principalship of Sandy Satterberg. In the fall of 2008, Jesuit enrolled 1,162 students, 20 percent of whom received financial aid averaging $5,348 on a tuition of $9,500. For the 2008-09 school year, Jesuit welcomed new faculty Ms. Casey, Amanda Case ’02; Fr. Paul Grubb, 4

S.J., ’91; Michelle Strear; Geoff Skipper; and Steve Fennah. Readers of Fr. Robinson’s text will know that Mr. Fennah was in 2008 actually returning to JHS for a second tour of duty as a teacher and head women’s soccer coach. Reflecting upon his experiences at Jesuit in the 1990s and 2000s, Mr. Fennah says, “On returning to Jesuit after nearly 11 years, at first I was struck by how much the school seemed to have changed. Jesuit was bigger, with more diversity but fewer Jesuits. Certainly some faces had changed. It soon became apparent, however, that Jesuit was like an old friend. You can be apart for many a year, but you are soon comfortable in their presence, and you pick up where you left off. You are welcomed. In 2008, Jesuit was cosmetically different, but its heart and soul remained the same.” Mr. Fennah represents a modern trend: Teachers who have left Jesuit for continuing education, professional opportunities, or to raise young families, only to return to the school with a deeper appreciation of Jesuit’s unique spirit. This group includes Mr. Powers, Michele Gray, Kathleen Myers, Joe Trasciatti, Karin Popkin (known to earlier students as Mme. Cochran), Konrad Reinhardt, Kate Foulke, Maureen Milton, Roxann Asp, and Jesuit priests Fr. Adams, Fr. Grubb, Joseph Carver, and Kevin Connell. Another now-famous Jesuit, Fr. Pat Conroy, S.J., taught at Jesuit from 2004 to 2011, serving as Supe-


rior, Freshman Faith Formation teacher, and JV II assistant softball coach with his friend Mr. Clarke. Since being named Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives in May 2011, Fr. Conroy has returned to Jesuit many times to visit with friends and former students, to preach, and occasionally to serve as a guest JV II softball coach. In a similar way, retired teachers like Michael Benware, Janice Harwood, and Kathy Fritts have periodically returned as long-term substitutes for colleagues on maternity or paternity leave, bringing both experience and a legacy of service to our school. What draws them back? Mrs. Milton, who spent 1989-96 as an English teacher as Jesuit transitioned to coeducation, returned in 2014 after 18 years as a mom, administrator, and, later, librarian at Arbor School, observes, “Jesuit today more fully embraces and embodies the ideals of the Profile – loving, religious, open to growth, committed to doing justice, and intellectually competent – as well as the varieties of human experience. We have more students of every ilk who are able to find kindred spirits and a home in what can be the wilds of high school. I am so pleased to be back!”

Students participate in the annual food drive.

2008: The Great Recession Hits

America’s and the world’s economy. In October, the biggest recession since World War II clamped its jaws on American citizens, including hundreds of Jesuit students and families. The U.S. unemployment rate rose from 5 percent in 2008 to 10 percent by late 2009, as millions of Americans lost not only jobs but their homes and sense of security. The U.S. stock market (and Jesuit High’s endowment) fell by over 35 percent, as did home values, retirement accounts, and other measures of economic security. Over the next few years, Oregon’s schools, both private and public, froze salaries, laid off teachers, and increased class sizes.

As it turned out, 2008 was a watershed not only for Jesuit, but also for the U.S. and the world. In fall 2008, the U.S. housing bubble burst, decimating both

At Jesuit, our own sense of stability was further shaken when President Gladstone announced to the faculty in October 2008 that he had developed kidney 5


healing to the prayers of our community. Once again, faith, hope, and love for our President flooded the halls of Jesuit High. As the Great Recession took hold, administrators took the unusual step of accepting 12 mid-year transfers in January 2009, expecting that we would lose a significant number of students for the 200910 school year due to economic hardships in their families. Again, something rather miraculous happened. Jesuit did not experience the expected loss of students in the face of the economic meltdown. Instead, Principal Sandy Satterberg enjoys a moment of fun at a basketball current families, donors, and the school game during the 2011-12 school year. At top left is Fr. Pat Conroy, S.J. doubled down on their commitment to keeping all current students at JHS. Even cancer and needed surgery. The prognosis was not in the face of economic calamity, two decades of good. At an emergency staff meeting, Mr. Gladstone strong fiscal management and aggressive fundraising asked for prayers and expressed hope and faith in had left Jesuit in a stronger financial position than God, as many teachers turned away in tears. many of its peer institutions. President Gladstone and On November 4, the day that the American people the Board of Trustees increased Jesuit’s allocation of elected Barack Obama as the first African-American financial aid by 15 percent from 2008-09 to 2009-10, President, Mr. Gladstone shared the miraculous news and another 30 percent in 2010-11, to $1.9 million per that he was cancer-free. President Gladstone’s suryear – without cutting programs or faculty salaries. geon, Jesuit parent Dr. Brian Schaefer, reported that Early in 2009, while schools and colleges throughwhen he removed the diseased kidney, he would have out the U.S. were suspending fundraising, a hopeful sworn that it was riddled with a malignant tumor. and determined President Gladstone announced a Amazingly, the kidney tested negative for cancer. new capital campaign for Jesuit, “Endow the Future,” chaired by former JHS President William Hayes, S.J., To this day, Mr. Gladstone ascribes his miraculous 6


and parent Greg Specht. This project sought to raise funds not only for endowment and Legacy giving, but also for a new math and science center and remodeled administrative building. Inspired by the entreaty of the Oregon Province that all new construction be designed in an environmentally responsible manner, Mr. Gladstone decided that Jesuit would build one of the first LEED-Gold buildings at a U.S. Catholic school. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.) The Building Committee, led by campaign cochair Mr. Specht, as well as members of the science and math departments and administration, spent many hours refining the design, with the expert help of long-time JHS architect Henry Fitzgibbon ’72 and project manager Pat O’Brien ’68. The site of this new building was to be on the west end of campus, where the Dieringer Administrative Center stood. The new academic space became the Elorriaga Center for Math and Science, one of the most innovative buildings at a U.S. Catholic high school. The structure took its name from John and Lois Elorriaga, who made an early, substantial gift toward the campaign. In describing the process that led to this new structure, Mrs. Satterberg, legendary math teacher (1980-2012) and Principal of Jesuit (1997-2012), stated: “The Elorriaga Center presented a wonderful opportunity for the science and math departments to provide students with an example of how mathe-

matics and science are so strongly bound together. By excelling in both areas, today’s students will become tomorrow’s innovative leaders in engineering, industry, aerospace, computer science, and research – and even in areas only now in our imagination!” Just opposite the Elorriaga Center, next to the Swindells Counseling Center, now sits the Satterberg Courtyard, dedicated in Mrs. Satterberg’s honor upon her retirement as Principal in the summer of 2012. Satterberg Courtyard is highlighted by a bench in the shape of “golden spiral,” a logarithmic shape whose growth factor is φ, the golden ratio. In other words, a golden spiral gets wider (or further from its origin) by a factor of φ for every quarter turn it makes. The courtyard also includes mathematical symbols on its bricks. Students who hang out in the courtyard can absorb intuitively the beauty of mathematics that Mrs. Satterberg bequeathed to generations of students, including alums and current JHS math teachers John Gorman ’84, Rob Skokan ’84, Vaughn Langsdorf ’84, Jason Hildreth ’90, and Nick Davies ’09. (Another math-teaching alum, Megan Atkins Frandsen ’06, “retired” to have a child in June 2016!) In considering the myriad ways the Elorriaga Center has improved Jesuit’s program, Science Department Chair Brad Schaal explains, “The Elorriaga Center allows us the flexibility to teach both chemistry and biology in any of the four upstairs labs. These state-of-the-art classrooms, as well as the biology and 7


chemistry offices, are in close proximity, enabling meaningful collaboration among teachers. The resource room is used on a daily basis by students to hold conferences with teachers regarding scientific research and exploration.” Focusing on the Mission While school leaders were navigating the treacherous shoals of the Great Recession, Jesuit’s teachers kept focused on the school’s mission. That mission calls on them not only to educate “men and women for others,” but also to “foster the harmonious development of the adolescent’s gifts: spiritual, religious, intellectual, physical, emotional, and aesthetic.” Among the creative tensions inherent in Jesuit High’s way of proceeding is that the school insists that students strive for excellence in all their pursuits, and that teachers care for each individual student, especially those who struggle academically, socially, or spiritually. These two forces are reflected in two mottos: age quod agis and cura personalis, both inherited from the Society of Jesus. Age Quod Agis For generations of JHS alumni, this Latin phrase has made an indelible imprint. Age quod agis translates literally as “Do what you are doing,” though tradition inserts a “well” into the exhortation – “Do well whatever you do.” This insistence on giving one’s best effort reflects former Superior 8

General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach’s famous comment that “mediocrity has no place in Ignatius’ worldview.” Students and staff at a Jesuit school are to pursue excellence not for its own sake, but to fulfill their full potential, “for the greater glory of God” (ad majorem dei gloriam, the motto of the Society of Jesus). Still, age quod agis can be a daunting challenge, especially to a freshman who walks into the Knight Center to encounter all those trophies and banners. Age quod agis does not mean that students should take every available honors or AP course, nor deprive themselves of sleep in the pursuit of academic, athletic, or artistic perfection. Jesuit’s teachers and coaches explain to students that if their process is sound, then the product (essays, exams, games, performances) should take care of itself. In other words, if students concentrate and really do what they are doing, whether it is math or an art project or playing a game, they will likely achieve excellence. Cura Personalis While many students may not be as familiar with this Latin phrase, for Jesuit’s faculty, staff, and administration, cura personalis lies at the core of our practice as Ignatian educators. The literal translation of cura personalis is “care for the individual person.” Students should experience it this way: “My teachers really care about me.” Former JHS Principal and President Dick Gedrose used to tell the faculty that every student who goes through Jesuit should have at least one adult who knows him or her


well and really connects with that student. As Jesuit’s enrollment grew to 1,300 students in 2015-16, exercising cura personalis became more challenging – and more important – than ever. Being an adolescent has never been easy. Being a teenager in the age of social media and pressure to get into “the right college” is harder still. Jesuit High expects excellence and creates opportunities to help students to achieve their potential. Just as important, Jesuit actively looks for signs that students are struggling – even those who seem to “have it all together.” As reports of teenage stress and anxiety have climbed nationwide, Jesuit has added resources in the counseling staff and included mental health training for faculty and staff. Because stressors on teenagers are not likely to decrease, the school administration and faculty are committed to doing even more to ensure that students experience cura personalis, which is, ultimately, the expression of Jesus’ call that we love our students as Jesus loves us. Observes Jesuit parent Larry Lazo (Matt ’18): “It is obvious that age quod agis and cura personalis are not just empty slogans, but values that drive behavior at all levels of Jesuit High School. The culture we see at Jesuit today is clearly the result of a decades-long commitment to those goals by hundreds of educators. Matt is a better human being for attending JHS. Once Jesuit administrators’ selfie during their 2016 retreat on Mt. Hood. Left to right: Paul Hogan, Elaine Forde, Chris Smart, Khalid Maxie, Carol Wyatt.

he started as a freshman, Matt’s transformation to a student eager to go to school was immediate. He loves his teachers! Each experience Matt has had at JHS has taken place in a culture of love, encouragement, and acceptance. In a world in which looking out for oneself drives so many people, Jesuit develops competent, confident kids who really care for others.” Changes in Administration Soon after JHS unveiled the new Elorriaga and Dieringer Centers, the school also experienced its most significant turnover in administration in a generation. One of the great strengths of Jesuit over the past three decades has been the stability and quality of the school’s top leadership. When Mr. Gedrose became

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2015-16 Jesuit Chamber Choir: A heavenly chorus

Principal in 1983 and Fr. Bill Hayes, S.J., the President in 1984, the school was on rocky ground. As Fr. Robinson’s Honoring the Tradition reminds us, the Jesuit Board of Trustees seriously contemplated closing the school due to financial hardship in 1984. Between 1984 and 2016, Jesuit had only three presidents and three principals, and the school has flourished. In spring 2012, after a remarkable 15-year career as Jesuit’s first female Principal, Mrs. Satterberg decided to return to the classroom, where she began her tenure at Jesuit in 1980. Since 2008, Mrs. Satterberg had led an administrative team that included Paul Hogan as Academic Vice Principal, Jim Naggi as Vice Principal for Administrative Services, and Chris Smart as Vice Principal for Student Life. Mrs. Satterberg’s decision to retire as Principal precipitated a reshuffling of the administration. 10

In 2012, Mr. Hogan was selected as Principal, and Mr. Smart became Academic Vice Principal. When Mr. Naggi decided to retire after a stellar 41-year career in Catholic education, Mr. Hogan and Mr. Gladstone restructured the administrative team, appointing Mrs. Forde and Khalid Maxie as Deans of Students. When Professional Development Director Karen Love left Jesuit High to become Vice Principal at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois, Mrs. Wyatt moved from the math department into Ms. Love’s former position. Jesuit continues to invest in the professional development of faculty. Teachers have been actively involved in graduate level courses, attending conferences and workshops. Jesuit has hosted a variety of professional development events for the Portland educational community. These include an EdCampPDX in 2012, hosting John Medina for the Teaching Mindfully conference in 2013, a Coaching for Character Conference in 2014, a screening of and conversations after Melissa Lowery’s film Black Girl in Suburbia, several technology conferences, and a host of other classes. In recent years, Jesuit educators have more actively built professional learning networks, espe-


cially with local Catholic schools and colleagues in the Jesuit Schools Network. In 2008, as Fr. Robinson was wrapping up his history of Jesuit’s first half-century, U.S. unemployment stood at 4.5 percent. In 2010, at the height of the Great Recession, unemployment reached 10 percent nationwide and 11 percent in Oregon. From 2010-16, unemployment steadily declined (to under 5 percent by the fall of 2016), and home prices in Portland rose at the highest rates in the country. Throughout, Jesuit stayed true to its mission and continued to thrive, as students felt both the love and the challenge inherent in attending Jesuit. Jesuit continued to adapt to a changing world. During the 2014-15 school year, the administration and Board of Trustees launched a strategic planning process under the leadership of President Gladstone and JHS parent and well-known educational consultant Ian Symmonds (Makayla ’14 and Jules ’17). The planning process included input from Jesuit faculty, staff, parents, and students. The Steering Committee identified five major areas of focus for the 2014-19 time frame: Programs, Accessibility and Diversity, Role in Community, Facilities and Infrastructure, and Sustainability. As we reflect with pride on the progress of the last remarkable decade at Jesuit High, we also look to the future with great hope and enthusiasm. In June of 2016, Mr. Gladstone retired as President amid

President Tom Arndorfer is installed by Provincial Fr. Scott Santarosa, S.J., in September 2016 at the annual Mass of the Holy Spirit.

great fanfare, including an epic four-hour Mass and celebration on June 12. Mr. Gladstone is succeeded by Mr. Tom Arndorfer, a current Jesuit parent and former chair of the JHS Board of Trustees. Under Mr. Arndorfer, thanks to the five-year plan he helped to develop, the school has a clear blueprint for the near future. As ever, Jesuit High School’s progress will be fueled by the unquenchable fire of Christ’s love. 11


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TWO

Academics Between 2008 and 2016, the number of JHS students increased by 10.5 percent, topping out at an enrollment of 1,300 in the 2015-16 school year. To keep pace, Jesuit also increased the number of faculty, program directors, and administrators by 10 percent. Including support staff, the total number of employees of Jesuit High stands at 135 in the 2016-17 school year. Since 2008, Honors and AP courses increased by 12.5 percent and 25 percent, respectively. In response to student interest, the school added several other exciting new electives. In 2008, teachers Emily Schmidt and Mark Flamoe developed International Studies, a popular senior course that has taught a generation of students to be thoughtful, engaged global citizens. The same year, an elective in Anatomy and Physiology, taught by Tim Massey, became available to seniors. In 2010, Mandarin Chinese was added to the World Languages curriculum. 13


Arnob Das ’18 and Chaitanya Karamchedu ’17 represent Jesuit at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in spring 2016.

The Speech and Debate class, which began as a Mock Trial course taught by then-Vice Principal Paul Hogan, became an English elective in 2008. In 2012, the Mock Trial Gold team, comprised of veterans who had taken Speech and Debate, won Oregon’s state championship and earned 12th place at the Mock Trial National Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Mock Trial program has continued to grow and flourish under the leadership of Academic Vice Principal Chris Smart. In 2010-11, the Theology Department responded to an exhortation from the Oregon Province in Jesuit’s 14

Sponsorship document by expanding the Freshman Faith Formation course from one semester to two, with an explicit exploration of the Gospel’s message for freshmen. All Jesuit students now take eight semesters of theology, plus one semester of Christian Service in conjunction with the linchpin Peace and Justice course for upperclassmen. The History curriculum also diversified between 2010 and 2013. In addition to International Studies, teachers Mike Simons and Jerry Hahn began to offer AP Macroeconomics and AP Comparative Government and Politics, respectively. In 2013-14, through Jesuit’s new professional learning communities, history teachers Malia Bernards, Mr. Flamoe, and Scott Montanaro revised the freshman World History curriculum to make it a true global studies course. In the spring of 2013, Carol Wyatt became Jesuit’s first Vice Principal for Professional Development and Instructional Technology, as the school prepared to transition to a 1:1 program, through which every student would receive an iPad, access to the Canvas learning management system, and electronic textbooks. The shift to a 1:1 environment is the most significant development in school-wide academics in the past decade. It came as a result of extensive research into the benefits of technology in the curriculum, but 1:1 also brought with it considerable costs – not only financial, but also in terms of training, classroom culture, and a temporary spike in technology-related JUGs!


Jesuit began preparing for the 1:1 transition eight years before implementation. In 2007, Mr. Hogan and CFO Ken Foley had visited Brophy College Preparatory, a Jesuit school in Phoenix that was one of the first 1:1 schools in the Jesuit network. Since that time, teachers and administrators had visited a dozen other 1:1 schools, studying best practices. Meanwhile, under IT Director Craig Huseby and CFO Ken Foley, Jesuit was building its wireless infrastructure, adding fiber optic cables, upgrading servers, and increasing the number of wireless access points all over campus. In 2011-12, the school replaced Edline, its first online reporting system, and adopted a true “web 2.0” learning management system called Canvas. In 2012-13, teacher Jennie Kuenz ran a pilot project in her Honors Physics class. This experiment led the school to choose Apple’s iPad as the most powerful digital tool for students and teachers. Teachers were given iPads in the 2013-14 school year, and students received school-owned iPads in 201415. In the same year, Jesuit’s faculty adopted digital texts in more than 75 percent of academic classes. In 2013, Jesuit launched JCTV (Jesuit Crusaders TV), allowing students to provide live audio and video coverage of JHS athletic events. In 2015-16, JCTV evolved into Broadcast Journalism, a workshop course co-taught by Scott Powers, Laura Schick ’01, Mr. Huseby, Mike Wallace ’00, and Melissa Lowery. Jesuit has always had a superb arts program. As

Fine Arts Department Chair Jeff Hall points out, from the very beginning of Jesuit education, the arts, especially music and drama, have been central to a Jesuit education. The first recorded performance of a play in a Jesuit school was in 1551. By 1599, the Ratio Studiorum, the curriculum guide that all Jesuit schools worldwide followed, required Jesuit schools to teach self-expression through dramas, debate, and other declamation of poetry. Visual arts teacher Gail Fleenor, together with her colleague Maurice Fykes, for many years inspired Jesuit’s student artists to plumb their spiritual as well as artistic depths. When Mr. Fykes retired in 2012, Sascha Gordon-Manning joined Ms. Fleenor in the visual arts program. Within a couple of years after Mrs. Gordon-Manning’s arrival, Jesuit acquired a new kiln and added two new art courses: Art I Bridge and Art IV. Art I Bridge offers talented freshman artists an art course with their classmates, so they feel safe to explore and take artistic risks. In Art IV, those dedicated students who begin taking Art I as freshmen are able to complete four years of studio art at Jesuit. The fruits of student artists’ work has begun to become more prominent on campus, from display cases and walls filled with student work in the PAC to the display case at the end of Ignatius Hall, to the lovely “McKenzie River from the deck of St. Benedict’s” mural at the end of Upper Arrupe. As the newly-remodeled Clark Library was unveiled in 15


who crossed the threshold into the Band room, including all 225 freshmen who take the Fine Arts Wheel, most of whom had never played an instrument. Ms. Young is a vocal music director extraordinaire. In 2008, Ms. Young began to teach her choir students to read music in earnest, and the result has been a Jesuit choral program that has soared to new musical and artistic heights.

Jesuit transitioned to the 1:1 program in 2014, giving each student the opportunity to incorporate an iPad into their daily classes and studying.

September of 2016, so were five gorgeous, monumental pieces by student artists from the Class of 2017. For over two decades, the directors of Jesuit’s instrumental and vocal music programs, Al Kato and Carol Young, taught students to sing and play in an environment that resonated with the pure joy of performance. When Al moved into a crucial new role in the diversity and campus ministry offices in 2015-16, new Band Director George Izzett brought his energy and experience to the music program. Most notably, Mr. Izzett put an instrument in the hands of every student 16

Then there’s Jesuit drama. No other drama programs that we know of matches the depth and breadth of Mr. Hall and Elaine Kloser’s creative theatrical powerhouse. From one-act plays written and directed by students to bring-down-the-house musicals like Shrek the Musical, Les Miserables, and Legally Blonde, the JHS drama program has become famous nationally for the quality of the students’ artistry – both on the stage and behind the scenes. Of the many indicators of the heights to which Jesuit drama has climbed, in 2016, Mr. Hall was one of four high school drama teachers in the entire U.S. to be named to the Educational Theatre Association’s Hall of Fame. Another sign of the high regard of the U.S. drama community: Jesuit was chosen by the Disney Corporation to stage the high school world premiere of the musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame in February of 2017. Jesuit’s seventh decade of teaching the arts kicked off with a creative explosion of harmony and high drama.


Students show off their song-and-dance moves in the musical production of Legally Blonde in 2016.

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THREE

Activities and Diversity When Jesuit alums look back on their high school years, they recall not only classes, favorite teachers, Masses and retreats, but they also fondly remember assemblies and dances, Powder football and dodgeball, the sheer energy of playoff games, and weekend trips to compete in State chess, cheer, Model United Nations, mock trial, or robotics competitions. The past decade has seen an explosion of student interest in activities; Jesuit now offers more than 50 unique club options that reflect student interests. These days, clubs range from the academic (Political Awareness, Young Entrepreneurs, Medical) to artistic (Ballroom Dance, Coffeehouse, Underground Music) to service (Abby’s Closet, Crusaders for Kindness) to fun companionship (Ping Pong, Valhalla Gamers, Outdoors). 19


Students perform at an open mic Coffeehouse event.

As the students most responsible for activities, the members of Student Government coordinate many events throughout the year. Dances have become more interactive, including less formal dress and creative themes (e.g., Decades Dance!). Student Government officers work with the Christian Service office to organize the annual Christmas Food Drive and with the development office on the annual Student Fundraiser. Since 2012, the Student Fundraiser has raised over $150,000 each year, with funds going to financial aid for students, special faculty and student projects, and professional development opportunities for faculty. Each year student government sells Valentines to raise money for local charities, such as Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. A popular recent addition is Munch 20

Madness, an early spring coed 3-on-3 basketball tournament that raises funds for St. Vincent de Paul. Activities Director Roxann Asp returned to Jesuit in 2013 to oversee clubs, cheerleading, and Student Government events. To help with the increase in student participation, Librarian Gregory Lum stepped up as Assistant Activities Director, running elections, organizing rooter buses to games, and working with Student Government and Fun Patrol to raise spirit at athletic contests. Social media has changed communication strategies, as student leaders employ Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat to alert fellow students to upcoming events. One of the most popular events of the year is the annual Father-Daughter dance. In January 2016, over 700 dads and daughters got their groove on at the Oregon Zoo. Legends are born at the dad and daughter dance competitions, ruled from 2013-16 by the indomitable duo of Mia Baudey ’16 and her dad Pierre-Laurent. Dads dance till they drop, and daughters sing their favorite songs at the top of their lungs. In 2015, a Jesuit tradition dating back to 1998 moved to a new level. For many years, JHS students have been raising money for the Portland-based Children’s Cancer Association (CCA). In 2015 and 2016, Jesuit students invited their friends from Central Catholic, St. Mary’s Academy, and Valley Catholic to join them for a fundraising walk and Mass for CCA. The event was kicked off at the Jesuit-Central foot-


ball game in October. On October 2, 2016, over 400 Catholic high school students walked and worshiped together, raising over $50,000 for CCA and reminding the Portland community that we are all on the same mission – spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. Diversity and Inclusivity Jesuit’s Diversity and Inclusivity program has grown dramatically over the past decade, along with a significant increase in students of color at Jeuit High. In 2005-06, 17 percent of the JHS student body identified as students of color. As the 2016-17 school year opened, the percentage of students of color rose past 30 percent. From 2004-12, Elaine Forde served as Jesuit’s Diversity Director. As Director, “Mama Forde” helped to guide and support hundreds of students of color, including the first students from St. Andrew Nativity School (SANS) to attend Jesuit High. Members of the Class of 2016 share laughs in Hayes Plaza.

When Mrs. Forde became Dean of Students and Activities in 2012-13, David Blue ’93 took over the Diversity program, bringing the perspective of an alum who had truly walked the walk. Under Mr. Blue’s leadership, cultural and student-support clubs continued to blossom, including groups such as Sharing Black Communities, Legado Latino, Asian-American Club, and Unity. Through Jesuit’s diversity programs, students attend summits across the West, especially at other Jesuit and Catholic schools. In addition, JHS students and staff have attended an annual diversity conference

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ketball coach – and founding Diversity Director! – at Central Catholic High School, he was succeeded by the dynamic Melissa Lowery. The year 2015-16 also saw the addition of a part-time Associate Director of Diversity, former Band Director Al Kato, who also lends his expertise to Campus Ministry. JHS delegation at Model United Nations spring conference at University of Oregon The Diversity office in April 2016 continues to support gradat Catlin Gabel School. At the start of the school year, uates of St. Andrew Nativity School who attend JHS. In 2008, our first four Nativity alums – Tote Capuia, parent affinity groups and the Diversity and Inclusion Jakub Forrest, Raphiel Lambert, and Ramazan Muoffice offer welcome back picnics for students and hammad – graduated from Jesuit High. In the 2015-16 their families. school year, Jesuit’s student body included 20 alums In 2013, Jesuit High hosted the JSEA National from St. Andrew Nativity, and the number climbed Diversity Conference. Mrs. Forde was the national in 2016-17 as seven more SANS students joined the diversity chair, welcoming 50 diversity directors from Jesuit community. The support the Diversity program other Jesuit schools to Portland to network and share offers these students includes academic tutoring, ideas. Attendees not only learned from national speaktransportation, and counseling, including during the ers, but also heard a panel of students of color speak college process. about the positive and negative realities of attending Multicultural Week and brown bag lunches are predominantly white Jesuit, Catholic schools. important highlights of the JHS Diversity program. When Mr. Blue departed Jesuit in the fall of 2015 Each year the Diversity Club sponsors a Cultural Awareness Assembly, featuring dancing in a variety of to pursue his dream of becoming a head men’s bas22


styles, from Irish and Scottish to Indian and hip hop. Students read poetry, spoken word and rap. In 201516, brown bag lunch discussions led by students addressed serious current issues, ranging from cultural appropriation, to Black Lives Matter and the police, to Islamophobia, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the use of hurtful racial language. Mrs. Lowery and Mr. Kato attended the national Jesuit Diversity Conference in April 2016 in Philadelphia, returning with even more ideas for supporting all of Jesuit’s students. After a difficult summer and a contentious 2016 election season, Mrs. Lowery, Mr. Kato, Mrs. Forde, and “their kids” continued hosting courageous conversations about race, culture, gender, and identity at Jesuit High School.

Top: Cici Pham '16, Associate Director of Diversity Al Kato, Diversity Director Melissa Lowery, and Noah Kulala '16 Bottom: Diversity Club leaders Kiki Ogino ’17 and Sienna Kaske ’17 share a welcoming smile at the Club Fair in fall 2016.

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FOUR

Admissions For 20 years, from 1990 to 2010, Shirley Poppe served as Jesuit’s energetic and highly-effective Director of Admissions. During those years, as Jesuit moved into the era of coeducation, Mrs. Poppe developed a firstrate admissions program, including an elegant and comprehensive Open House, a rigorous application and interview process for eighth graders, and an increased number of applicants. In 2010, when Mrs. Poppe retired, Erin DeKlotz, Spanish teacher and director of the Setons women’s faith-support program, became the new Director of Admissions. Mrs. DeKlotz immediately put her own stamp on the admissions program, encouraging student ambassadors to show Jesuit’s heart and soul to eighth graders and their parents. As the impact of the Great Recession caused Oregon’s public school class sizes to soar, applications to Jesuit increased dramatically, reaching a record high of 656 in 2013 for the Class of 2017. 25


The Student Ambassador program also grew to the point where more than 400 juniors and seniors now serve as trained JHS Ambassadors. Ambassadors assume a variety of roles, including Orientation leaders, presenters at Catholic grade school visits, tour guides at Open House, shadow hosts for prospective students, and greeters and guides at school events. The Student Ambassadors serve as Jesuit’s best representatives. Ambassadors wear green T-shirts and a smile as they welcome new and prospective students. The JV Ambassadors, established in 2012, are sophomores who help organize Orientation lunch and create the famous welcoming locker posters for the freshmen. JV Ambassadors also greet guests at Open House and the Financial Aid Luncheon as well as other events. They wear yellow T-shirts, hoping to graduate to the green as full-fledged Ambassadors during their junior and senior years. Catholic school visit skits are created and developed by Mrs. DeKlotz and Drama Director Jeff Hall, who work to make Jesuit’s presentations dramatically interesting and attention-grabbing for eighth grade audiences in 27 Catholic grade schools during the month of September. Open House has grown over the years to include not only student tour guides and student musicians around campus, but also lively displays of clubs and athletic teams. Sometimes the number of student volunteers rivals the number of pro26

spective students! The event has been known to cause traffic jams on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. Newly admitted eighth graders are greeted in midMarch with an acceptance video and a letter of welcome on special, ceremonial letterhead which many students frame for display on their bedroom walls. After a new class is admitted and enrolled, a fun and interactive event in early May allows the incoming freshmen to meet and play ice breaker games in the gym with their new classmates. At the direction of the JHS Board of Trustees, Jesuit’s enrollment is managed to allow for rich and varied curricular, co-curricular, and spiritual programs, while allowing school staff to maintain their commitment to cura personalis, “care for the individual.” After peaking at an all-time high in 2015-16 with 1,300 students, Jesuit opened the 2016-17 school year with 1,292 students. School leaders aim for an enrollment of approximately 1,275 as JHS enters its seventh decade of service.


Students lead a panel for prospective students and parents at Open House.

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FIVE

Alumni

Over the past decade, Jesuit has made several changes to the alumni program to increase outreach to alums and participation by alums in JHS events. In 2007, the Alumni Council was disbanded to make way for a new concept: the National Alumni Board (NAB), with Tom Rask ’86 as its first chair. This new advisory board was comprised of alums from all five decades of Jesuit’s history and from all over the U.S. The first National Alumni Board included alumni from Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas, and Washington, D.C. The rest of the board members were local Oregon alumni. The NAB started with three major initiatives: to enhance alumni communication, outreach, and events. Most communication with alums takes place through the Alumni Portal, where grads can update their 29


contact information and look for classmates and other alums. The portal also lists all upcoming alumni events. In addition, Alumni Director Kathy Baarts along with Communications Director Erika Tuenge ’94 post regularly on Facebook and Twitter, manage a JHS group on LinkedIn, send regular emails to alumni, including a monthly electronic newsletter, and contribute to and produce the Age Quod Agis magazine. Hosting successful alumni events requires creating a robust network. The main questions in 2008 included: Who knows whom? Where are alumni located? And how can we use those connections to re-engage as many alums as possible with the Jesuit High community? As we began to look at JHS alumni clusters throughout the United States, we found several locations where a significant number of alums reside and where many young alums attend college. It became clear that creating a network would require regional gatherings. Although Jesuit hosted occasional regional events prior to 2008, it did so only sporadically. Annual regional alumni gatherings proved to be an excellent way for Jesuit grads to network with each other, as well as catch up on Jesuit happenings. Alums established in their careers provide a source of support and mentoring for those still attending college. These professionals continue to offer younger alums direction on careers, internships, or simply a friendly face away from home. Alumni events have 30

planted solid roots in several cities across the United States and have grown to include service opportunities, Mass, happy hours, and other events outside the annual gatherings. Another successful tradition that began in 2008 was a revamped Alumni Weekend. In prior years, alumni reunions had toggled between individual class events and an all-inclusive Alumni Weekend. Class chemistry played a big role in the success of the gathering. In 2008, President John Gladstone and Ms. Baarts committed to an all-inclusive Alumni Weekend. The idea was to invite all alums back to campus, while also highlighting those classes celebrating milestones. The concept has continued to evolve since it became a permanent annual event, incorporating events like the alumni reception that invites graduates to mingle and enjoy hosted food and drinks. Alumni Weekend also includes the Alumni Golf Tournament, which began in the 1990s and became an annual tradition in 2004. Steve Elorriaga ’76 took the lead on the tournament for the seven years leading up to 2016. In 2016, Mark Wilson ’00 and Trevor McBride ’05 took over the leadership and organization of the tournament from the strong foundation that Mr. Elorriaga had created. Over the years, the tournament evolved into a fundraiser for the Alumni Food Drive. Through this fun day on the links, Jesuit alums annually raise approximately $20,000 to help feed families in our community during the holidays.


In 2010, Jesuit celebrated its first 50-year reunion with the class of 1960. This special celebration began with a luncheon for Jesuit’s first graduates. The student body also recognized them at an assembly. Later that day, these “golden alums” were welcomed home by the whole community as the cheerleaders escorted them onto Cronin Field during a football game. This tradition continues today, as each year Jesuit honors alumni celebrating their 50-year reunion.

Alumni family and friends sort and deliver food boxes for the Alumni Food Drive in December.

The final day of Alumni Weekend, usually a Saturday, has taken many forms over the years. For many years, Jesuit hosted a Fall Fest – a concert in the Alumni Quad featuring the Bart Ferguson Band led by Bart ’84 and Ted Ferguson ’87. Alumni Weekend events have evolved to enable individual classes to celebrate off campus in the evening, while day events on campus include games such as soccer, baseball, tennis, and a fun run for families. A festive barbecue follows in Hayes Plaza, while a Mass in Canisius Chapel concludes the celebration.

In addition to Alumni Weekend, Jesuit has created several other events to bring alumni together for a common cause. Some of these events include the popular Crusader Crunch, an annual basketball tournament, and Career Day, a chance for alums to share their expertise with current JHS students. In 2009, George Weatheroy ’75 proposed a luncheon that would bring African-American students and alumni together for a meal and conversation. Mr. Weatheroy had been mentoring African-American 31


Don (Santa) Clarke, John Andreas ’96, and Laura Schick ’01 share the Christmas spirit with style during a staff celebration in December 2015.

Jesuit students for many years. Mr. Weatheroy knew that students would appreciate hearing stories from successful alumni. Thus began the African-American Alumni/Student Luncheon, a way to celebrate outgoing seniors and bring our past and present African-American community together. At the luncheon, alumni return to share stories of their time at Jesuit and beyond, as well as to impart 32

valuable advice to seniors preparing to attend college or enter the workforce. Students get to hear messages of overcoming hardships, utilizing resources and support systems, being a good friend, being true to one’s self, and finishing strong. Underclassmen also benefit from these messages and from seeing the seniors’ journeys. This event is a wonderful way to bring the community together in fellowship and support of each other. If there’s anything that brings Jesuit’s alums together, it’s a service project. The Alumni Food Drive celebrated its 30th year in 2015. Alumni often refer to this Christmas tradition as “the best three days of the year.” With the help of the Alumni Food Drive and many generous benefactors, Jesuit raises money to fill 1,700 food boxes and help more than 30 agencies in the Portland Metro area, including those serving families from St. Vincent de Paul, Beaverton schools, Franklin High School, and local churches. For many years, Bob Keerins ’73, John Grout ’71, Brian Ferschweiler ’73 and Dave Kopra ’73 have been the core group leading this effort. These veterans of Jesuit’s Alumni Food Drive have mentored other organizations, including the Clark County Sheriff’s Santa’s Posse and Lincoln High School, to help them start their own food drives. In 2015, Bart and Ted Ferguson raised money to donate bikes to families served by the food drive through their annual Ferguson-Murphy Run and Bike Ride. This partnership kicked off with


Jesuit alumni play in the Crusader Crunch basketball tournament held each spring, including alumnae who now participate in an annual exhibition game during the tourney.

32 bikes for kids at Raleigh Park Elementary. Today, it continues to grow to serve even more local children, including an astonishing 200 bikes in December 2016. Family traditions are built at Jesuit’s Alumni Food Drive, as graduates and families pack food, enjoy an annual Saturday breakfast, and then deliver 1,800 boxes of food to over 1,500 needy families. The December 2016 Alumni Food Drive was truly one for the history books. Even as school was out of session because of snow and ice, hundreds of student and alumni families braved the elements and showed up to sort, box, and deliver food to hungry folks across the metro area.

Bringing alumni together to serve those in need continues to be a tremendous community-builder. As President Gladstone reminded the Class of 2016 at Baccalaureate Mass on June 4, 2016, it is not until a class is out of Jesuit for ten or more years that we can say whether that class has truly achieved the mission of becoming “men and women for and with others.� For the past decade, JHS alums have consistently demonstrated that they have internalized this commitment to service, both at their beloved alma mater and beyond.

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SIX

Athletics Fr. Robinson’s Honoring the Tradition recounts many of the key events in the storied history of Jesuit athletics. After a half-century of high quality athletic performance, Jesuit teams in the past decade reached a level of sustained excellence unmatched by any high school in the country. Our student-athletes’ achievements are especially noteworthy given that Jesuit so explicitly prioritizes the spiritual and academic growth of students. At Jesuit, athletics is kept in perspective as a true co-curricular activity. Students play sports for lots of worthy reasons, but mostly, to quote head football coach Ken Potter, “We play the game because it’s fun!” Jesuit’s remarkable success in athletics has earned the school accolades for overall excellence from Sports Illustrated and MaxPreps, which named Jesuit the top high school in the U.S. for athletics in 2007, 2011, and 2016. Think about that: out of more than 37,000 high schools in the U.S., Jesuit has been named number one in athletics three times in the past decade! 35


indomitable Nicole Peterson ’16 was named the top volleyball player in the nation. Other recent athletic highlights by the Sader Nation: The women’s golf program won the Metro League title 11 years in a row, 2002-12.

Jason Talley (Edison High School ’16) cruises through a hole blown open by the offensive line (aka the Franchise) as the Crusaders roll to a playoff victory over Central Catholic in the fall of 2015.

In 2008, Jesuit’s volleyball team, which had won its first-ever state title in 2004, reclaimed the Oregon crown. Coach Teresa Zimmerlee’s team again took top honors in Oregon in 2012, 2014, and 2015. Between 2013 and 2016, in fact, the JHS volleyball team won more than 100 straight matches. In the fall of 2015, the team ventured to its first national tournament, winning the prestigious Nike Tournament of Champions and taking down the top teams in the country in the process. At the end of the 2015-16 school year, Jesuit volleyball stood second in the nation, as senior Jasmine Gross was selected to the All-American team, and the 36

In the fall of 2008, Jesuit men’s cross-country earned the lowest point total ever at the Oregon State Meet, as head coach Tom Rothenberger continued to build one of the finest programs in the nation. In 2007, Coach Rothenberger had been named National Coach of the Year in women’s cross-country.

In 2010, the women’s cross-country team won its ninth consecutive cross-country championship with Annamarie Maag ’11 leading the way, as she took home three consecutive individual titles. The tradition continues, with the state trophy in both 2015 and 2016. The Jesuit track team has likewise had an outstanding run at the Oregon state meet. The women of spring have won four state championships (2008, 2010, 2011, 2016) and placed second twice (2007, 2009). In 2011, Jesuit’s women scored twice the number of points as the second place team (96-48). The men have consistently performed at the top level as well, with stars such as Max Dordevic ’14 and Julian Body ’16 taking home state medals. In fact, in 2013


and 2014, Jesuit’s men’s track team won back-to-back state crowns, a feat matched by only two other schools in the history of Oregon track. The Crusaders’ 97 points in 2014 is the second highest point total ever at the Oregon state track meet, held annually at historic Hayward Field in Eugene. In the spring of 2008, Jesuit introduced the first new varsity sport in several decades – men’s and women’s lacrosse. The first lacrosse game ever played at Jesuit occurred on March 11, 2008, as Katie Zweber ’09 scored the first goal for Jesuit lacrosse. Max Krieger ’09 followed up a few days later with the opening goal in the first men’s game on March 14, 2008. Head coaches Joe Corbitt and Traci Geist (along with co-coach Mary Beebe) went on to coach the Crusaders for the next decade. In June 2016, the women’s lacrosse program enjoyed its best season ever, making the state semi-final match for the first time. Coach Corbitt’s men’s team came within one goal of the state championship after a stirring run through the state brackets.

going, as his lads earned state titles in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014. In the fall of 2009, in his final season as head coach, Ken Skipper led his JHS women’s soccer team to another state title. That 2009 team was voted by USA Soccer as the number one program in the U.S. During the 2010-11 school year, an amazing eleven Jesuit teams earned their way to a state championship – women’s cross-country, soccer, swimming, ski racing, basketball, and track and field; men’s basketball, tennis, soccer and golf; and combined ski racing. With Steve Fennah back at the helm, the women’s soccer team also won the 2015 championship for its 11th state title. In the winter of 2010-11, under first-year coach

In the spring of 2008, longtime PE/Health department chair and men’s soccer coach Dave Nicholas retired after 21 years of sterling success, including 16 league titles and 11 state championships. Coach Nicholas was inducted into Jesuit’s Hall of Fame in 2012. His successor, fellow Brit Chris Thurley, took the reins of the soccer program and kept the tradition The women’s soccer team celebrates after winning the state championship in 2015.

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Jason Lowery ’93, Jesuit’s women’s basketball team took home its first state championship, led by the superlative Liz Brenner ’11. By the end of her career in June 2011, Liz graduated as perhaps the most talented female athlete ever in the history of Oregon high school sports. Liz was a state champion in volleyball, softball, basketball, and track and field. She was first team AllState eight times in four sports, as well as the Gatorade Player of the Year for volleyball and individual state champion in javelin in 2010 and 2011. From 2012 through 2015, in order to meet increased interest in Jesuit athletics, the school added the following teams to its existing programs: women’s soccer JV2 green, volleyball JV2 green and JV2 black. More athletes, and especially young women, are wearing the green and gold than ever before. In February 2012, men’s basketball won its fourth consecutive state championship. Under Gene Potter’s leadership, the Jesuit men’s basketball program appeared in the state semi-finals 13 out of 14 years between 2002 and 2015, including 15 of 17 years since 1999, and qualified for the playoffs 19 out of 20 years between 1997 and 2015. Our men’s hoopsters have appeared in eight championship games during this time, winning the title six times (1999, 2005, 2009-12). In the winter of 2014, the Jesuit ski team notched its fourth consecutive men’s and women’s combined state trophy. This remarkable run also included a 2011 women’s state championship win. 38

The men’s tennis program won a historic seventh championship in a row in the spring of 2014. The women’s tennis program also took the 2014 state championship, their sixth championship in the previous nine years. At the state tourney, senior Erin Larner battled to her fourth state singles crowns in a row, making her one of the few female tennis players in the history of Oregon to win four individual titles. As of 2016, Jesuit’s men’s golf program had placed in the top seven in state for 11 years in a row, including state titles in 2007, 2008, and 2011, with four more runner-up trophies. In the spring of 2015, Joshua Schumacher ’18 set the Oregon freshman record in the 3,000 meters (8:36.26) and the 1,500 meters (3:59.90). Before heading off to Stanford, Julian Body ’16 broke the all-time Oregon record for the 400m Hurdles in 51.72, eclipsing the record set in 1979. In the fall of 2016, Joshua ran one of the three fastest times in Oregon history at the state cross-country meet. In the fall of 2015, the JHS football team captured the state championship in a thrilling, last-minute 2114 win over West Linn. This win capped a remarkable decade of success for Coach Potter and the Crusaders, including seven league titles and seven semifinal appearances since 2007. In fall 2016, the Crusaders again took home the Metro League title. In the winter of 2015-16, both the men’s and wom-


en’s swim teams became state champions, as the women’s team earned its sixth state title in the past eight years, including an amazing five in a row. Chemistry teacher and head swim coach Bryan Butcher has racked up an incredible eight state titles since 2009. The 2015-16 school year ended with an athletic exclamation point, as JHS teams took four state championships in the spring (women’s track, men’s tennis, baseball, and softball), plus three state runners-up in men’s track, women’s tennis, and men’s lacrosse, which lost a heartbreaker 8-7 to Beaverton in their first appearance in a state title match. Women’s lacrosse had its best finish ever, taking third in state. The 2015-16 school year ranks among Jesuit athletics’ best years ever, as students Women’s lacrosse win Metro and go further than ever before, to the celebrated nine state champions and five state semi-finals in spring of 2016. runner-ups, with no JHS team finishing leadership and commitment and has pushed me to be lower than sixth in the state. my best both on and off the field.” Says Sydney Collins ’18, who has won state titles We can only shake our heads in wonder at these as a soccer player and track athlete, “Being a Jesuit sturemarkable athletes. The fall and winter seasons of the dent-athlete has been both a privilege and an honor. 2016-17 school year has brought still more success, From the moment I arrived on campus, I found my including a state title in women’s cross-country, enplace through sports and have developed some amazsuring that the future is bright indeed. ing friendships along the way. Managing academics while competing for Jesuit has taught me discipline, 39


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SEVEN

Campus Ministry and the Jesuits Campus Ministry continues to play a significant role in the Jesuit High School mission. Like other school programs, Campus Ministry has grown to keep up with a rising school population and the complexities of teen life in the 21st century. In 2005-06, as Jesuit High School celebrated its 50th year, the Campus Ministry Program offered students four years filled with faith support groups, such as Knights and Setons, powerful liturgies, and retreats that often have a transforming effect on young people. Freshmen participate in the only mandatory retreat at Jesuit in October of their first year. The Freshman Day Retreat consists of games, singing, and reflections, with the express purpose of building community and the students’ relationships with one another and with God. The Chapter 1 Program continues to flourish as a big brother/big sister experience, with seniors guiding freshmen in activities five Sunday evenings per year. 41


a significant part of their senior year to serve the school in the liturgical prayer of the community. While their primary service is for the weekly Friday Mass, they also serve at funerals and Oregon Province celebrations, provide Eucharistic Ministry to the sick, and assist at other Sacraments that are celebrated in the school chapel. In 2010, Archbishop John Vlazny paid the Sacristans a big compliment when he said to them, “You Sacristans are really vital to the vibrant spiritual life of this school.” Many of the Sacristans have gone on to serve in similar roles in college Eucharistic ministers share blessings and the body of Christ with classmates. ministry programs. To offer spiritual cura personalis to a growing In 2007, under the direction of Principal Sandy student body, in 2010, the overnight retreats for Satterberg and Campus Minister Don Clarke, the freshmen and sophomores became back-to-back school started the Advent and Lenten Daily Examen. overnight retreats, with students choosing to attend Each day during these two penitential seasons, right either “Night 1” or “Night 2.” after second lunch, the school stops to “honor the In the 2011-2012 school year, a seventh Encounsilence and the prayer time” as sophomore lectors ter was added to the calendar. In March 2012, Jesuit lead the whole school community through a series of inaugurated its first Novena of Grace, with students questions and reflections based on the Examen prayer and staff participating in the nine days of prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola. to St. Francis Xavier. While the Novena of Grace One area of Campus Ministry that has seen much is a traditional Jesuit devotion, it takes on a special meaning for Jesuits in the Oregon Province, as sevgrowth is the Sacristan program. These students offer 42


eral Jesuit parishes in the province hold very popular Novenas during these days. In 2015 and 2016 respectively, Mr. Clarke and Theology department chair Kathleen Myers preached the Novena at St. Ignatius, a Jesuit parish in southeast Portland. In March 2013, the campus watched with the rest of the world as Jorge Bergoglio, S.J., a Jesuit Cardinal from Argentina, was elected Pope. On that day, a news team from a local TV station was driving to campus to interview a student who had recorded a perfect score on the ACT when the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel appeared in Rome. The camera operators decided to stay on campus and filmed the reaction of the students in Tom Manning’s Theology class when the first Jesuit Pope stepped onto the balcony in St. Peter’s Square. The reporters interviewed JHS students, who were suddenly in the spotlight because they understood the importance of having a Jesuit as Pope. Sophomores continued with their second semester overnight retreat, but in October 2013, a sophomore evening Labyrinth Retreat was added, providing a popular evening for the class led by juniors, as the sophomores walk five of the different labyrinths owned by Jesuit. These labyrinths, funded through a gift of the Burke Family Foundation, were designed by Art 3 classes under the direction of Gail Fleenor. The fifth labyrinth was added in 2014 by a group of students who called themselves the “Art Angels.”

Juniors, of course, experience the Encounter Retreat. Over the last ten years, new exercises have been added to the weekend experience, because the way high schoolers communicate with one another has radically changed. The weekend is still shrouded in secrecy, and alums often return to assist leading small groups. In its 38th year, the Encounter is still a significant experience of finding God and love. Over the past four years, Jesuit has offered two men’s Encounters, two women’s Encounters, and three coed Encounters. Seniors in September 2016 completed the 21st Jesuit High School Pilgrimage to the oldest Catholic mission in the Northwest, St. Francis Xavier Mission in Toledo, Washington. The 12-mile hike has become a marking point for many seniors as they seek to make the walk a significant moment in their high school career. It may be meeting unknown classmates for the first time, seeking reconciliation in a relationship, or proving to oneself that “I really can walk 12 miles!” The weather has varied with each walk, and three senior classes have found themselves inside the small St. Francis Xavier Hall sleeping on the hardwood floor to avoid the rain. In May, busy seniors can choose to attend a quiet retreat that asks them to stop for 32 hours and reflect on their experiences over the last four years, and what will happen over the next six months. 43


Knights and Setons Within the Campus Ministry program, two faith-support programs – Knights for the young men and Setons for the young women – have helped generations of students deepen their faith and find spiritual support at Jesuit. Among the spiritual values and issues that the Knights and Setons discuss: gratitude, the power of prayer, inclusivity, openness, vulnerability, “masks” we wear, support, generosity, kindness, self-awareness and self-examination, and community. In these faith-support sessions, students and adult leaders often discuss the stressors and joys of teenage life in the context of significant passages from Scripture. Separate groups of sophomores, juniors and seniors meet one Sunday night a month for “prayer, share, care” sessions. The Knights were started in the 1980s under the leadership of adult coordinator Fr. David Olivier, S.J., as a faith-support group for Eucharistic Ministers. It soon evolved into a group that “serves students of all religious faiths,” as the JHS mission statement says. The Setons were founded by Erin DeKlotz in 1993-94, the first year of coeducation. Setons of the modern era would be surprised to learn that junior and senior women met together due to low numbers of females in the school. Only six sophomore girls attended the first meeting in Room 31! Mrs. DeKlotz 44

has now led 500-plus Setons meetings over the past 22 years, with grade-level groups that now number more than 100 young women. Knights and Setons groups elect two “Rectors” at the end of sophomore year to serve as student leaders of the group through graduation. Over the past few years, each Setons group has started an online prayer group page on Facebook and Instagram. For several groups of young alumnae who are now in college, this page serves as a powerful way for the women to remain connected through prayer and positivity, even as they are separated across the country and the world. Ignatian Formation: Not just for kids! While Jesuit focuses its efforts on the spiritual development of students, school leaders realize that without strong role models of adult faith, students will never catch the fire that St. Ignatius asked his men to bring to the world 475 years ago – the fire of the Gospel of Jesus. In order to help Jesuit’s teachers, parents, and alums to deepen their faith lives, the school has created the position of Ignatian Formation Director, a role that has evolved and grown significantly since 2008. In 2008, the spiritual formation of faculty and staff was under the aegis of Director of Professional Development Karen Love, who also taught two math classes. Ms. Love received support from the Ignatian


Identity Committee, which also helped plan and implement the yearly Faculty/Staff Retreat. Mr. Clarke organized the overnight Faculty/Staff Retreats and Parent/Alumni Retreats at St. Benedict's Lodge. He also managed Pub Theology nights. In spring 2011, responding to a suggestion from Pat Lee, S.J., Provincial of the Oregon Province, as part of the Province’s “Sponsorship Review” of JHS, Mrs. Satterberg and John Gladstone created the position of Ignatian Formation Director. Theology teacher Charlie Schreck, the first to fulfill this position, broadened the school’s spiritual outreach to parents, past parents and alumni, while also leading the Faculty/Staff Retreat. Mr. Schreck stepped down from this position at the end of the 2013-14 school year to return full time to the classroom, and Theology department chair Greg Allen stepped in beginning in fall 2014. Mr. Allen and Associate Christian Service Director Andrea Casey had co-chaired the Sponsorship Review process during the 2013-14 school year. As Ignatian Formation Director, Mr. Allen has taken on responsibility for training new board members in Ignatian discernment, as well as the direction of the Parent/ Alumni Retreat, the broadening of the Pub Theology program, the creation of a Jesuit Volunteer Encorp Program chapter for Jesuit parents, alumni, and past parents who wish to perform service, and joined the Portland SEEL Board of Directors. In his new role, Mr. Allen continues to look for ways to broaden the

Scholastic power! Billy Biegler, S.J., Eddie Ngo, S.J., John Guyol, S.J., and Fr. JK Adams, S.J., on the 2016 Senior Pilgrimage

school’s spiritual outreach and support of adults in the Jesuit High community. A Decade in the Jes Res As Fr. Robinson’s Honoring the Tradition tells us, it was the collaborative work of then Provincial Henry Schultheis, S.J., and then Portland Archbishop Edward Howard that launched the mission and construction of Jesuit High School. With the establishment of the school came the first assignments of Jesuits to serve here. The Oregon Province has faithfully sent Jesuits 45


In December 2016, recent Freshman Faith teachers and newly-ordained Deacon Ryan Rallanka, S.J., and Fr. Patrick Couture, S.J., celebrate Mass on campus.

from all levels (from novices to fully-professed fathers) to our school. These men have not only kept the organic connection between the Society of Jesus and JHS, they have also served to deepen the spirit of Saint Ignatius Loyola into the fabric of the school’s mission. Since 2006, 21 Jesuits have been assigned to the Canisius Jesuit Residence, a home built in 2004. Thirteen Jesuits have taught in the classroom during the past decade, with four more actively engaged in other important works of the school. Four of the Jesuits who lived at the “Jes Res” were assigned to works outside the school, but they have also taken 46

an active interest in this important work. Numerous novices have also come to spend a significant portion of a semester at Jesuit High School as part of their training. In the spring of 2016, a tertian named Fr. Matt Walsh brought his unique gifts to JHS. Two superiors have been at the helm since 2006, Fr. Pat Conroy, S.J., until 2008 when he moved on to serve as Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, and Fr. JK Adams, S.J., superior from 2008 to the present. In addition to being a full-time Theology teacher, Fr. Adams serves on Jesuit’s Board of Trustees and as a mentor to countless students and adults – including our Jesuits in formation. Jesuit has been greatly blessed by a steady flow of men in formation sent by the Province. This generosity shows the ongoing trust the Province places in the Canisius Jesuit Community and Jesuit High to provide a healthy and productive atmosphere for the deepening of the lives of Jesuits in formation. For the 2016-17 school year, Jesuit has been honored and encouraged by the assignment of three scholastics who are members of the California Province as part of the process of forming the new U.S. West Province: Billy Biegler, S.J., John Guyol, S.J., and Eddie Ngo, S.J. For generations, the Jesuits of Jesuit High have been the lifeblood of the school. The Jesuits are the incarnations of the mission of the Society of Jesus in our midst. We look forward to many more decades of Jesuit presence at JHS.


The hands of Christ: Seniors from the Class of 2017 continue the tradition of washing each other’s feet after the 12-mile Senior Pilgrimage.

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EIGHT

Christian Service The Christian Service program at Jesuit High School has continued to grow since it was launched in 1985-86 under the leadership of Mike Hughes ’79. Mr. Hughes’ original vision of offering students a real world experience in relationship with people on the margins of U.S. society, coupled with an intensive study of Catholic social teaching and institutional injustice through the Peace and Justice Theology course, remain the bedrock of the Christian Service program. The program has indeed grown, from the “Greg Moore years” in the 1990s and early 2000s and under the leadership of Scott Powers, who took over as director in 2005-06. In 2007, service learning projects became an integral part of the Freshman Faith Formation and Sophomore Scripture classes. As part of these classes, students are required to perform at least eight hours of community service each year. The freshman year theme is “service with family,” and the sophomore theme is “service with friends.” 49


Students with the Working Boys Center immersion group play with local children in Quito, Ecuador, in 2014.

A distinguishing element of Jesuit’s Christian Service program is that junior and senior students spend at least 65 hours building relationships with people who are marginalized. Once they develop these relationships, many students choose to continue their work beyond the required amount of hours. For the past decade, Jesuit seniors have averaged about 135 hours of service, more than twice the requirement. As Olivia Glaser of the Class of 2016 explains, “At Jesuit, service is integrated closely with education, and education is taught with boundless compassion. Under the guidance of the Christian Service Department, service becomes less about a number of hours and more about the depth of these relationships.” 50

Jesuit’s Christian Service program has established long-term partnerships with social service agencies, many of which continue to thrive today. Local day camps, such as Camp Rivendale, for people with developmental disabilities, and Beaverton Police Activities League (PAL), an affordable day program aimed at building partnerships between youth, police, and the local community, continue to draw Jesuit students in large numbers. Many students choose to serve as counselors at overnight camps for people with physical and/or developmental differences. JHS partnerships with Upward Bound Camp, Mt. Hood Kiwanis Camp, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Camp remain strong. Students eager to learn about homelessness participate in the Portland Plunge, a week-long immersion facilitated by JOIN. Many students choose to be with and learn from residents at local nursing homes, such as Maryville and Raleigh Hills Assisted Living. In recent years, we have reached out to Jesuit ministries abroad and have offered more affordable immersions close to home. In 2013, Jesuit began sending a group to the Mexico-Arizona border in Nogales with KINO Border Initiative, a Jesuit ministry whose vision is to help make humane and just migration between the U.S. and Mexico a reality. In 2014, the Christian Service office added a spring break immersion trip to Quito, Ecuador, in partnership with the Working Boys Center, a Jesuit


work that serves the poorest of the poor in Quito. Also in 2014, Jesuit began offering a summer immersion to L’Arche Tahoma Hope, an intentional community in Tacoma, Washington, where adults with and without developmental disabilities share life together. Jesuit continues to send a group to Nicaragua with Seeds of Learning, through which JHS students build friendships with students from Colegio Centro América, the Jesuit high school in Managua. Since connecting with Courts for Kids in 2009, Jesuit students have also assisted several communities with court-building projects in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Cambodia, and Panama. In 2012, after many years of Jesuit students and staff attending the Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice at Fort Benning, Georgia, the Teach-in moved to Washington, D.C., with an emphasis on legislative advocacy by students at Jesuit high schools and colleges across the country. Very quickly, Jesuit High’s participation in the Teach-in grew to more than 40 students, making JHS the largest high school delegation at the conference. In November 2013, Claire Lucas ’15 gave a powerful speech to more than 1,000 assembled Ignatian family members on the need for comprehensive immigration reform. When she arrived at Seattle University in the fall of 2015, Claire was asked by Seattle University’s Christian Service office to help lead the university’s first-ever delegation to the Teach-in.

In November 2016, Sebastien Quach ’17 gave a stirring, powerful address to the Ignatian family on the challenges faced and overcome by LGBTQ students at Catholic schools and in America. Back home, Teach-in attendees from the Class of 2016, such as Alzena Henry, Serena Oduro, Hadley Wilhoite, Jenna Koury, and Mira Petrillo, brought the lessons they learned about courageous conversations about race and restorative justice back to Jesuit High. In presentations to faculty and students, including a powerful series of brown bag lunches on race, Islamophobia, and the Syrian refugee crisis, these students brought to life the tenets of Catholic social justice learned in their Peace and Justice classes and the Teach-in to bring about real change at Jesuit High. At Jesuit, Christian Service, whether abroad, in Portland, or as part of a program like the Ignatian Teach-in, goes right to the core of Jesuit High’s mission to create “leaders who are committed to serve God and their fellow men and women.” Michelle Escobar-Machorro, winner of the Class of 2016’s award in Christian Service, offers this assessment: “Doing my Christian Service had a huge impact on me because I made an incredible connection with the medically fragile children of Providence Hospital’s Child Center. It’s amazing how their simple smiles changed my insight. I always enjoy going back during the summer to see my new and old friends.” 51


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NINE

Counseling Cura personalis, “care for the individual person,” is a hallmark of Jesuit education and especially of Jesuit High School. Nowhere is that care more evident on a daily basis than in Jesuit’s Swindells Counseling Center. Though the student body has grown, and counselors and programs have changed over the past decade, the standard of care has remained remarkably high. Says Tim Haarmann of the Class of 2017, “The counseling office is a place where I truly feel like I have someone in my corner. Whether I am struggling with personal issues, having trouble balancing my course load, or dealing with loss in my life, I know our counselors have my back and will help me through it.” One does not have to have a degree in counseling to know that being an American teenager in the 21st century is not always easy. While Jesuit High is a warm and welcoming place where hugs are ubiquitous, 53


Katie Kilpatrick and Keara Vu celebrate their graduation as members of the JHS Class of 2015.

academic and social dynamics can be intense. Being a high schooler in the U.S. has long meant struggling to make life-changing decisions, as well as navigating a number of temptations, including drugs, alcohol, and sexual activity. Over the past ten years, the cost of college has skyrocketed, while the Common 54

Application, early admissions and early action, and an abundance of college marketing have increased pressure on students – and counselors. Ten years ago, the average Jesuit student applied to three or four colleges, usually completing applications during Christmas break. By November 1, 2016, more than 76 percent of the Class of 2017 had applied early to at least one college. Many seniors now apply to more than ten colleges. Combine academic and social pressures with constant background chatter regarding terrorism, climate change, the endorphin rush and ugly underbelly of 24/7 social media, and we see why Jesuit needs a high-quality, fully-engaged counseling staff. The counseling department is organized by two major functions: the Personal/Academic program and the College Guidance program. These two major strands are currently led by longtime directors Ken Potter and Peter Johnson, respectively. Over the past five years, two major figures in the department, Carol Maier and Ken Skipper, retired. Marci Cammann also left Jesuit to raise her young family and move to Oregon Connections (an online high school). Mrs. Cammann’s personal counseling position was taken by Michelle Strear, a thoughtful and intuitive former attorney. Added to the personal counseling staff since 2008 were dynamic young alums, Jason Barry ’91 and Jason Lowery ’93. In 2015, Mollie Falkner took over the college counseling role in which Mrs. Maier had served so effectively for so many years.


One of the most significant recent enhancements to the JHS Counseling Program has been the hiring of Colleen O’Mahony in 2015-16. For many years, Mr. Potter, with the assistance of longtime receptionists Leeann Leaverton and Sue Krieger, had organized extended time exams and other academic services for students with learning differences (or LD students). In 2012-13, new Principal Paul Hogan, who as Academic Vice President had firsthand experience with the academic needs of LD students, asked Mr. Potter to take all of Jesuit’s students with documented learning differences into his counseling caseload. At that time, Mr. Potter also became Jesuit’s official liaison with Edison High School, a remarkable school for students with learning differences, which has shared Jesuit’s campus for four decades.

counseling staff already knew Mrs. O’Mahony well from years of working with her as a learning specialist who had tested and diagnosed dozens of JHS students. Mrs. O’Mahony, a Bellarmine Preparatory School (Tacoma) alumna with two uncles who are Jesuit priests, is very familiar with both Jesuit and Edison high schools. Her primary role is to train and support Jesuit teachers as they create lesson plans for all students, including the 100 or so with documented learning disabilities. In concert with the support services offered by Jesuit’s Diversity and Campus Ministry programs, the JHS counselors provide individual care for students so that they can navigate the sometimes-difficult waters of high school life with confidence.

In 2014, the Archdiocese of Portland issued a report showing that over 20 percent of K-8 students in Catholic schools had been diagnosed with a learning disability. The urgency of serving those students that Jesuit had long admitted, along with the prospect of more LD students in the future, meant that Jesuit had to take its program for serving students who learn differently to a higher level. The addition of Mrs. O’Mahony markedly improved Jesuit’s ability to serve such students. The Members of the Counseling and Diversity offices welcome students as the 2015-16 school year kicks off.

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TEN

Global Engagement and Sustainable Development

In the summer of 2016, 11 members of the JHS faculty and administration journeyed to Xavier University in Cincinnati for a conference of Jesuit educators from around the U.S. and Canada, hosted by the Jesuit Schools Network (see photo at left). Such “Colloquia in Ignatian Education” meet every three years, with teachers in Jesuit high schools from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon, gathering to share best practices and discuss the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing our schools. In June 2016, the three major themes of the Colloquium focused on topics with which the faculty and student body at Jesuit are quite familiar: global citizenship, sustainability, and race and compassion. In fact, throughout the conference, teachers from a number of the 70-plus Jesuit secondary and middle schools in attendance approached JHS staff members to ask how we address the conference’s key topics, 57


knowing that we have been working hard on all three areas for more than a decade. Science teacher Jennie (Cournia) Kuenz ’97 and former JHS teacher Fr. Joseph Carver, S.J., delivered a keynote to the entire conference on sustainable development, taking up the call of Pope Francis in Laudato Si to “care for our common home.” As the only Jesuit school in the U.S. to have won a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School Award, JHS has become a national leader in sustainability. Thanks to the efforts of teachers like Mrs. Kuenz, Andrea Casey ’97 and Shannon Shelburne, and students like Manali Yavatkar ’11 and Meghana Rao ’13, Jesuit has come a long way toward being an environmentally-responsible school – but there is still much, much more to do. One of Mrs. Kuenz’s enduring gifts to JHS is her insight that sustainable development is inextricably linked to global citizenship. Global Engagement at JHS In the fall of 2004, the Model United Nations Club was resurrected at Jesuit under the leadership of history teacher Mark Flamoe. JHS has played a prominent role in the statewide organization over the years, representing Big Five countries in four different years, with Ansaf Kareem ’06 and Lizzy Zhao ’14 serving as general secretary (the main student leader of the conference). In the spring of 2016, 58

Claire Devine ’17 was elected by her Oregon peers to serve as undersecretary for the conference. In order to “internationalize” the curriculum, in 2006-07 history teacher Jerry Hahn offered AP Comparative Government and Politics to seniors, introducing students to the political structures of leading countries such as Brazil, China, and Russia. Mr. Hahn’s international and multilingual expertise and passion for global politics makes this course one of the most sought-after among seniors. Also in 2006-07, language teacher Emily Schmidt proposed a new course called International Studies to provide students the opportunity to explore world cultures and global issues in a workshop environment that is less intense but no less engaging than AP Comp/Gov. The class launched in the fall of 2007 with one section, but expanded soon after to two very full sections taught by Mr. Flamoe, who keeps his curious and excited students engaged in the analysis of contemporary geopolitics. In the summer of 2012, President John Gladstone and new Principal Paul Hogan attended the first International Colloquium on Jesuit Secondary Education at Boston College. This was truly a landmark gathering of representatives of the 800 Jesuit high schools around the world. Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Hogan had a classic metanoia (conversion) experience as they interacted with colleagues from Brazil and Belgium, South Sudan and South Asia, India and Ireland.


They returned to Portland more convinced than ever of the vital importance of teaching students to be global citizens. They also came home with new friendships and a new realization that as a Jesuit school, JHS is part of the biggest system of education in the world, with more than 2.5 million students learning and growing into men and women for others, from traditional “prep schools” to K-16 programs to Fe y Alegria schools throughout Latin America and Africa.

During a trash audit conducted by environmental science students, Neha Iyer ’17 displays a sample of the uneaten cafeteria food and the packaging thrown out every day at Jesuit.

One direct outcome of the Boston Conference was the formation of Jesuit’s Global Engagement Committee, chaired by Mr. Flamoe. The committee’s first duty was to locate the concept of global citizenship within the context of Jesuit High’s mission. The committee went first to the Profile of the Jesuit High Graduate, developing a “profile of the globally-engaged JHS student.” Three of the committee’s members – Mr. Flamoe,

Scott Montanaro, and Malia Bernards – were inspired to revise the freshman World History curriculum to reflect a more global perspective (the course had long followed a classic Western Civ curriculum). The members of the Global Engagement Committee included Christian Service Director Scott Powers, who deeply understands the wisdom of the old saying, “Think globally, act locally.” 59


Origins of Jesuit High’s Commitment to Sustainable Development In 2007, Fr. Bill Watson, S.J., presented the Oregon Province’s “Regional Sustainable Development Plan of Action” at a faculty meeting. The effect of Fr. Watson’s presentation was immediate and electric. Theology Department Chair Greg Allen stood up at the meeting, noting, “This is all important and fascinating – but what are we going to do about it?” What the school did was to form a Sustainability Committee chaired by Mr. Allen to look deeper at the issues presented in the Plan of Action document. Among the committee’s first steps were to dramatically improve recycling efforts on campus and to focus on limiting resource consumption on campus. During “Green Week” events in April of each year, Jesuit’s Green Team chooses different areas of focus, including having former Secretary of State Bill Bradbury speak to the student body in 2008 about the devastating impacts of climate change, with student leaders facilitating small focus groups on water awareness around campus and the world. From 2008-10, the JHS Science and Mathematics departments met with architect and alumnus Henry Fitzgibbon ’72, who was designing the Elorriaga Center for Science and Mathematics. A team of faculty, staff, and administrators met with Mr. Fitzgibbon and project manager Pat O’Brien ’68 to search for LEED 60

(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification points, with the aim of making the Elorriaga Center a living, green building. In April 2011, the Elorriaga Center opened as a LEED-Gold structure, the first at a Jesuit high school in the U.S. April was a ground-breaking month indeed at JHS! Says chemistry teacher Darrell Feebeck, “After many years of teaching chemistry in an older lab with no natural lighting, moving into the Elorriaga Center was literally a breath of fresh air! The state-of-the-art, well-equipped science labs not only allow us to offer more sophisticated activities, but the students also see the school’s serious commitment to the science program and therefore take their science learning more seriously. The natural lighting and high-quality projection systems provide a wonderful learning environment, making our teaching much more accessible to students. “New lab and safety equipment and chemical resources enable us to do higher-level labs, especially at the Honors and AP levels. We are also better equipped to help students with science fair projects and the Science Bowl. Finally, having chemistry and biology in close proximity allows better cross-curricular communication and sharing of ideas among both students and teachers.” Also in 2011, Mrs. Kuenz, the science department chair at the time, traveled to Japan on the Japan-U.S. Teacher Exchange for Education for Sustainable


Development. While in Japan, she learned about the Green Ribbon Schools program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. To qualify, schools in Oregon have to apply through the Oregon Sustainable Schools Initiative (SOSI) and the Oregon Department of Education. The Green Ribbon Schools program opened to applicants in all 50 states in 2012. The program has four pillars, which Jesuit students and staff have made into schoolwide priorities: • Environmental impacts • Healthy, safe students and staff • Education for sustainability (including STEM, civic skills and green career pathways) • Social sustainability The SOSI program represents a comprehensive approach to sustainability; the focus is on schools making annual progress. Applicants are asked to demonstrate achievements through quantified measures and detailed evidence. Beginning in 2012, Jesuit has had a remarkable string of success in our applications for state and federal recognition of our efforts to “care for our common home,” to borrow the subtitle of Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si (“Praise be to You”).

Jesuit’s Recognition as a Green School 2012: Oregon Pillar 3 Honorable Mention 2013: Oregon Pillar 3 Winner (Educating for Sustainability) 2014: Oregon Pillar 1 Winner (Environmental Impacts) U.S. Dept. of Education Green Ribbon School 2015: Oregon Sustainable School Award (Overall Award) Oregon “More Sustainable” Award (This is a new award created by SOSI to recognize a school’s continuous improvement efforts over the four years since the Green Ribbon Schools’ initiative. Jesuit was the first school in Oregon to win this honor.) Oregon Governor’s Award for Sustainable Non-profits (Jesuit was the only recipient in this category.) Working with Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle’s Recycling Specialist Kate Taylor, Jesuit has instituted several new practices to protect the health and safety of students and staff. Testing for lead, radon, and other toxins has become part of Jesuit’s “green way of proceeding.” 61


still have a long way to go. Members of the Green Team and the AP Environmental Science classes have conducted “waste audits” of both garbage and recycling in the Gedrose Student Center. Jesuit has encouraged carpooling via a new online carpool website through which students can connect with other JHS families who reside in their zip code. In addition, ongoing conversations are held among the following key agencies in the school: facilities, custodial, maintenance, security and safety, administration, students (Green Team/Service Club), and the Sustainability Committee. In 2016, the school completed the final In 2015, Jesuit receives the Oregon Governor’s Award for Sustainable phase in a three-year program to Non-profits from State Treasurer Ted Wheeler, now mayor of Portland. add a new HVAC operating system. The system boasts a programmable Ongoing Sustainability Efforts thermostat and better control of fans and blowers. Since 2012, the school has conducted annual In order to encourage students to leave a lighter audits of the school’s overall energy use, including carbon footprint, Jesuit added new Elkay water bottle water, electricity and natural gas usage. In addition, filling stations that chill and filter water and display custodial, maintenance, and landscaping practices are the number of single-use plastic water bottles we have now analyzed, especially student and staff behavior. kept from going in a landfill by using these machines. In the fall of 2014, the Green Team’s proposal that JHS Recycling behaviors are of particular interest, which 62


stop selling single-use plastic water bottles in the Student Center was accepted by the administration, an important practical and symbolic move that reminds students that their daily decisions have impact on people (and landfills and oceans) all over the planet. In the summer of 2016, at the Jesuit Schools Network Colloquium, Sustainability Committee Chair Mrs. Kuenz delivered a keynote address to 460 Jesuit educators on Jesuit High’s green initiatives. Following the Colloquium, Mr. Hogan asked Mrs. Kuenz to serve as Jesuit’s first Director of Global Engagement and Sustainability. Purchasing Valley Plaza After several years of complex negotiations led by President Gladstone and CFO Ken Foley, Jesuit announced in 2014 that it was purchasing Valley Plaza, the shopping center attached to the west side of campus, for $18.4 million. This “game-changer” purchase was made possible by a major donation from an anonymous and very generous friend of Jesuit High. It would be hard to overstate the importance of the acquisition of Valley Plaza, which will stand as one of Mr. Gladstone’s (and the anonymous benefactor’s) greatest gifts to Jesuit High. It is rare for a high school to be in a position to acquire land contiguous with its property. While Valley Plaza will not be available for development until the remaining mortgage is paid off

in approximately 2025, the purchase of this property has several immediate, positive effects on Jesuit High: • Owning Valley Plaza allows Jesuit’s administration to manage the western flank of campus, an especially important consideration as marijuana dispensaries, adult “entertainment” shops, and liquor stores have become all too common on Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway; • Valley Plaza enables faculty, staff, and board members to dream of a long-term future for the Jesuit High campus unimaginable just a few years ago; • Valley Plaza offers a potential source of revenue that could build Jesuit’s endowment, helping future school leaders manage tuition increases and provide for faculty and staff. The long-range strategic plan approved by the JHS board in 2015 said this about what it called the Valley Plaza question: “During the five- to seven-year horizon of this Plan, Valley Plaza will remain a significant real estate investment to safeguard Jesuit’s longterm future, but not the site of new JHS buildings or projects. In evaluating facility needs, the Steering Committee and Board of Trustees assume that Valley Plaza’s tenants will retain the long-term leases that are in place.” 63


Seventh Decade Begins As Jesuit High School enters its seventh decade, President Arndorfer (Jesuit High School-Sacramento, Class of 1981) has challenged the school to “make this the best year and decade in Jesuit’s history!” Thanks to the heroic daily labors of the JHS faculty, staff, and student body over the past 60 years, Jesuit is indeed well-positioned to step confidently into an ever-more-promising future.

President Tom Arndorfer showcases the Jesuit mission.

Such clarity on Valley Plaza has guided a nascent campus-wide master planning process, announced by new JHS President Tom Arndorfer in October of 2016. In 2017, the administration and board will be seeking community input regarding facility needs over the next five years, the next ten years, and the next 15 years. President Arndorfer and current board chair Patti O’Mara will lead the effort to ensure that the future of Jesuit’s physical plant will be carefully planned and executed. 64

It cannot be done alone. Students cannot master material, dig deep into their own spiritual soil, or spread their artistic or athletic wings without the support of dedicated mentors. Jesuit’s programs cannot flourish without the support of parents, benefactors, and devoted alums. In recent years, Jesuit’s faculty and administration have reached out to our fellow Catholic schools in the Portland area for mutual support and friendship, from the Manresa Center for Professional Development to the Children’s Cancer Association Walk for Joy to a simple “prayer for Ruby and Leila” before the women’s soccer match against Central Catholic in fall of 2016. Of course, Jesuit High School itself would not exist without the inspiration of our founder St. Ignatius, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the Gospel vision of Jesus Christ, and the holy breath of our Creator. To all of these, we offer a deep and reverent prayer of gratitude.


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66


ELEVEN

A Farewell Reflection by John Gladstone

As I reflect on my 11 years as President of Jesuit High School, I stand in awe at the goodness of this school community. The strides we, as a community, have made since our 50th Anniversary in 2006 and certainly since Fr. Robinson’s Honoring the Tradition was published in 2008 have been remarkable. The intentionality in bringing about these changes continues to make me very proud of Jesuit High and our community. With such significant successes comes a grand caveat not to be satisfied. There is so much more that we need to do together. I have often said that at Jesuit we are not necessarily better, but we are different – in the way our mission shapes all that we do; in the way our teachers teach and our students learn; in the way we treat each other; in the context of being counter-cultural in an often “me-centered” world; in the fact that we are unapologetically a Catholic and Jesuit school, all while welcoming students of all faiths; and so much more. 67


• The sense of gratitude that must be present in all we do and in all we are; • The academic strength of our faculty and administration and their commitment to sound academics, teaching, and our students; • The life-giving impact of Campus Ministry, which we witness in our Friday Masses, retreats, Eucharist ministers, and sacristans; • The way Christian Service shapes our students and the people they serve – always in the context of the spiritual reflection our students undergo;

John Gladstone, JHS President 2005-2016

Among our school’s many strengths, the following seem especially significant: • Our faithfulness to our mission and how that mission is so central to the way we proceed; • The role of Jesuits on our campus, and the school’s relationship with the Society of Jesus on a local, provincial, national, and international level; 68

• The commitment of our support staff who, in their unheralded roles, give life to our school in such a professional and caring manner; • The actions and purposeful involvement in our school by our Board of Trustees, parents, alumni, and friends of our school; • The unbridled and continuing success of drama, choir, athletics, robotics, Mock Trial, JCTV, and so many more activities – with the knowledge that winning awards and championships is more about doing things the right way than just bringing home trophies;


• Jesuit’s very positive and symbiotic 40-year relationship with Edison High School and how our two schools have shared in the education and growth of thousands of students in these years;

present, and that our future is unlimited if we learn from each other and are always driven by our mission as a Catholic, Jesuit, college-preparatory school.

• The school’s commitment to changing the face and fabric of our student population over the past decade, so that today more than 25 percent of our students receive need-based financial assistance and 30 percent are students of color – almost unimaginable a decade ago;

We are blessed to share these successes and milestones with our entire community. But our school will also continue to be shaped by our many challenges and our ability to face them directly and appropriately, such as:

• Our relationship with St. Andrew Nativity in Northeast Portland, ever since that very special school opened its doors in 2001, and the realization that our shared missions as Jesuit schools have made both schools better; • The expansion of our campus by the acquisition of Valley Plaza and the many opportunities we have in developing that property in the years to come; • The growth in the school’s Endowment and the Jesuit High School Foundation as a means to keep our school affordable and vibrant; • The realization that Jesuit High School continues to be shaped by our past and our

• Being true to our mission in an increasingly secular and fractured world; • Teaching our students to be thoughtful about both themselves and others in the choices they make daily; • Maintaining affordability so that every admitted student can enroll and graduate from Jesuit, no matter the family’s financial situation; • Discovering even better ways to embrace students who come to us with learning differences and varied perspectives; • Offering faculty and staff regular opportunities for renewal and inspiration along with fair salaries and benefits; 69


• Expanding our students’ understanding of the obligation to protect our environment and to develop global awareness and action;

Gina. Everyone in the world should be so fortunate! I have often said that these past 11 years have been the most fulfilling in my 49-year career.

• Continuing to teach our students the appropriate uses of technology;

Thank you for being such an integral part of my life and of all we have witnessed together. I will always hold this community very close to my heart.

• Building strong bridges of trust and dialogue with the local Catholic Church as we walk together in this 21st century of change, grace, and mercy; • Increasing our endowment to insure the school’s continuing commitment to fiscal viability;

John J. Gladsone JHS President 2005-2016

• Embracing and holding the presence and importance of Jesuits in our school and on our campus; • Keeping humility, faith, and gratitude in the forefront of all we do. As I leave Jesuit, I want to thank every dimension of our school community. Any successes we have achieved in the past 11 years are the results of all of us working together and believing in each other, our mission, and especially our students. I could never have walked on this journey without you – and certainly not without the undying support and love of my wife, 70

President John Gladstone and wife Gina join the final prayer of the football season during his last year at Jesuit High School.


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TRADITION, GRATITUDE, HOPE

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