The Plank
Buddhist monks return to spread compassion
For the second year in a row, Tibetan Monks from the Gaden Shartse Norling Monastery in India, visited Jesuit High School Sacramento.
On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the monks visited as part of their monastery’s Sacred Arts of Tibet Tour, which aims to share the culture and traditions of the Buddhist faith with the world, as well as promote religious unity.
The event consisted of a short prayer service, followed by a lengthier Question and Answer session where students had the opportunity to ask about everything from the monks’ dress code to deeper questions about Buddhist philosophy.
Jesuit basketball looks to build on recent success
Jesuit High School Sacramento’s varsity basketball team has been playing well through the middle weeks of January; as of January 28, their record stands at 15 wins and 6 losses, and 7-1 in league play.
Don’t be crabby, support the Jesuit Crab Feed
Jesuit High School Sacramento will host its annual Crab Feed on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2025 at 6 p.m. to 10 p.m in the Father Barry Gym. This event is an opportunity for families and community members to come together for a night of great food and drinks, all to support Jesuit students.
The Boosters Club is in charge of orchestrating the event. They hope that in addition to aiding students, the Crab Feed will help foster Jesuit’s community.
“The goal of the event is bring the Jesuit community together for a fun, casual night filled with delicious crab, camaraderie, and dancing, all while raising funds for our amazing students,” said President of the Boosters Club Ms. Kristi Babb.
Refocusing on relationships at the Father/Son Mass
On Sunday, Feb. 2, Jesuit High School Sacramento will be holding its annual Father/Son Mass at 10 a.m. in the Phelan Chapel of the North American Martyrs. At this mass, students and their fathers will have the chance to reflect on their relationship.
“It’s a great opportunity for dads and sons to come together at Jesuit,” said Associate Director for Campus Ministry Mr. Adam McGrew ’15. “[The mass] deepens that bond between father and son.”
Ali Zaidi ’25: everything, everywhere, all at once
Ali Zaidi ’25 cemented his extraordinary legacy at Jesuit High School Sacramento through his extensive work in the arts, science, and academic communities on campus and in the larger community.
Over the years, Ali has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Echelon Catapult, the President of the Computer Science Club, and the editor-in-chief for Moorings. He puts effort into all aspects of his work and life, expertly leading and organizing events in his co-curriculars.
Brady Calkins ’25: making waves in the Jesuit community
To Brady Calkins ’25, the idea of excellence evokes leadership, dedication, and hard work. He has exemplified these traits throughout his Jesuit swim career, breaking an individual school record and contributing to several school relay records.
“He has proven his skills in the pool and has set numerous team records,” said Swimming Head Coach Michael Solander. “His name is part of all three relay teams: the 200 meter Medley, 200 meter Freestyle and 400 meter Freestyle. Brady also set a new school record in the [individual] 100 meter backstroke during the 2023-2024 swim season.”
Wrestling team powers its way through the season
The Jesuit High School Sacramento wrestling team has had a strong start for the 2024-2025 season. With athletes demonstrating outstanding determination and development through training and meets, it seems there is nothing the team can’t accomplish.
“The team has demonstrated incredible resilience and growth throughout the season,” said Wrestling Head Coach Chris Carlino. “We’ve consistently shown strong performances in both dual meets and tournaments, with wrestlers stepping up to fill key roles. Additionally, our conditioning and ability to compete late into matches have been standout strengths.”
Samuel Gegax ’25: the man, the myth, the musician
Everyone who’s met Samuel Gegax ’25 knows about his love for music, and the time and effort he puts into his practice, having taken advantage of every opportunity presented to him over his four years at Jesuit High School Sacramento.
At Jesuit, Sam has become the section lead in Jazz Band, the concertmaster in Symphonic Band, and the Woodland section leader in Marching Band. This year, he even made the prestigious California All-State Band on clarinet.
Winter Ball is here
On the evening of Saturday, Jan. 25, Jesuit High School Sacramento will be hosting its second annual Semi Formal Winter Ball. This magical night will be held from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Father Barry Gymnasium.
This year, the student council has enhanced the atmosphere and added more details to compliment the dance. Student Council treasurer and secretary Luke Elken ’27 explains the frosty vision.
Jesuit falls to crosstown rivals in annual Holy Hoops
On Saturday on Jan.11, the Jesuit High School Sacramento Marauders took on the Christian Brothers High School Falcons at home in the annual Holy Hoops game. After 32 minutes of physical and competitive play, Jesuit fell to their rivals 48-50, losing Holy Hoops for the first time since the Obama Administration.
The first quarter started off fast. Thanks to Christian Brothers’ fouls, as well as 8 points from forward Asher Schroeder ’25, Jesuit took an early 16-13 lead.
Drop of blood, an ocean of difference
On Wednesday, Jan. 22, the student council will be hosting their 35th Annual Blood Drive on campus at Jesuit High School Sacramento. This opportunity to donate blood will be available to students and faculty from 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Jesuit’s tradition of giving blood is a great way to give back to the community and save lives.
Max Troppmann ’25: jack of all trades, master of all
Is there anything Max Troppmann ’25 doesn’t do? As the founder of the Engineering club, a peer tutor, and a member of Speech and Debate, Mathletes, and wrestling team, Max is entrenched in many parts of the Jesuit High School Sacramento community. On top of these skills, he speaks four languages: English, German, French, and Spanish.
Max’s vast and varied talents make him a unique individual.
Raphael Edralin ’25: Lead, Laugh, Love
The spirit of a true marauder is loud and proud, and there’s no one that embodies this better than Raphael “Rafi” Edralin ’25. From hearing him on the loudspeaker to seeing him hype up the Holy Bowl crowd, Jesuit students are constantly made aware of Rafi’s presence.
As Head Cheerleader, Rafi always plans activities with enjoyment as his biggest priority.
Opinion: “Red One”: A mediocre movie for a merry Christmas
Released on Nov. 15, “Red One” is an action-packed Christmas movie directed by Jake Kasdan and written by Chris Morgan. Critics’ reviews on the film have been generally negative, logging a 30% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the “Popcornmeter” (the audience reviews) displays a whopping 90%.
Is the movie as bad as the critics say? Or is the audience review more accurate?
LMU: A small campus in a big city
Loyola Marymount University (LMU) is a private Jesuit college located in Los Angeles, California. When I visited, I saw the small yet beautiful campus and a few of the landmarks that made the university stand out from others.
LMU has 7,000 undergraduate students and 2,800 graduate students on their 142 acre campus. LMU is one of top ranked film colleges in the nation and has a great STEM program as well. The school has a teacher to student ratio of 11-to-1, allowing students to have closer discussions and relationships with their professors.
Chris Palchak ’25: setting a high bar
If you’ve exited campus via American River Drive in the spring, you likely saw Chris Palchak ’25 sling a 12 pound shot into the cosmos. If you caught the toss out of the corner of your eye, then you also likely saw him seamlessly shift his focus after every throw from his performance to his teammates.
Whether it’s by answering questions, demonstrating the proper form, or sharing words of encouragement on and off the field, Chris’s compassion and integrity help guide others to success.
Koen Miyashiro ’25: a loyal friend and mentor to all
When you meet Koen Miyashiro ’25 for the first time, you’ll quickly discover two things about him: he’s exceptionally smart and exceptionally friendly. He’ll speak first, curiously asking a question or sharing an observation. When you respond, he’ll show genuine interest and will continue asking questions or sharing stories. Before you know it, you’ll be deep in conversation with him, trying to keep up as he speaks rapidly and excitedly. Because of experiences like this one, many people at Jesuit High School Sacramento call Koen a friend.
While working with Koen to organize Echelon Catapult classes and events, Director of Admissions Mr. Matthew Ramos ’05 has watched Koen grow into a capable and confident leader.
Opinion: normalized hate feeds a dangerous cycle
The internet is arguably the best invention since the wheel. It allows us to connect with other people and share our ideas. Many people have harnessed this ability and shaped it into various online communities.
However, in the words of the late Ben Parker: “With great power comes great responsibility.” While these communities are often used for good purposes – advocacy, education, or even plain and simple entertainment – the power granted by the internet is very easily used to promote hateful ideology, whether intentionally or not.
Opinion: the greatest sport of all time, soccer
There is a variety of sports that countries and cultures find to be the “greatest sport of all time.” Cricket, American football, tennis, and basketball are globally popular sports with enormous fanbases. However, out of all the numerous sports celebrated around the world, I believe soccer is the most fulfilling and the greatest of all.
As someone who grew up with the sport, I fell in love with the game at a very young age. I believe that soccer tops all other sports in terms of the emotions it evokes in the players and audience, as well as its global reach to almost every culture on the planet.
Opinion: Gladiator II, a modern masterpiece
“Gladiator II” is a historical fiction action film directed and produced by Ridley Scott. The film released on Oct. 30 2024, with a Tomatometer score of 72% and an 82% score on the “popcornmeter.” Generally speaking, the movie has garnered positive views and generated a whopping $369.7 million worldwide.
The plot focuses around Hanno (Paul Mescal), a disgraced Numidian soldier who was forced into slavery as a gladiator after being captured by the Roman army. The twin emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hichinger) have both corrupted Rome’s ideals, and launched an invasion into Northern Africa, where Hanno was living. The movie focuses on spectacular fights, grand visuals, and Hanno’s quest for vengeance against those who have ruined the “Roman dream.”