Bruce Van Parys ’27
Plank Staff, Print Editor
Bruce Van Parys ’27
Attendance (916) 482-6060
Opinion: a Final Four for the ages
This year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament was special. It was the first year since 2008 that all number 1 seeds made the Final Four, which resulted in some great games that capped off an otherwise lackluster tournament. Some of the best teams that the NCAA has ever seen went head to head, and the games did not disappoint.
The first Final Four game was between the Florida Gators and the Auburn Tigers, both from the Southeastern Conference. In my opinion, Florida had the edge heading into the game, but Auburn was the aggressor going into halftime with an eight point lead. I still had faith that Florida could win, and they delivered. Florida was able to close the gap with Walter Clayton Jr. leading the way, and Florida ended up winning 79-73.
Review: it was a fun night gambling with Mom
On Saturday, April 5, I attended the annual Mother-Son Dance, which was themed “CasinoNight, and although it was called a dance, there was little dancing done – instead, I did a little bit of gambling with my friends, and made some of the fondest memories I have from a “dance”.
When I entered the Father Barry Gymnasium on that Saturday, it had been transformed into a lively casino that included a Bingo board and lots of snacks on the side. Mr. Lawrence Simon was DJing the event, and kept the tunes going the whole night.
Track team off to the races
The beginning of March brings the beginning of the track season, and this year’s track team, led by Head Coach Mike Rosales, is out to achieve their goals.
“Our goals for this season are crystal clear: we’re here to win,” Coach Rosales said. “We’ve set our sights on taking the league title and bringing home the section championship.”
Opinion: March Madness, the pinnacle of American sports
The college basketball season may start in November, but for the majority of the country College basketball does really start until March. With its upsets, incredible finishes, and the births of basketball legends, March Madness is the greatest sporting event in America.
One of March Madness’ greatest traits is the amount of upsets, as smaller colleges get matched up with basketball powerhouses. Over the years, there have been many teams that have gone on incredible runs such as Saint Peters, Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and Loyola Chicago. Before their runs through the tournament, these colleges were mostly unknown.
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.”
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.
EA Sports College Football 25: A Return To Form
After an 11 year hiatus, college football has finally returned to video games. On July 19, 2024, EA Sports College Football 25 was released, bringing the highly anticipated renewal of the storied game franchise.
University of Oregon: A Top Public University with great student life
The University of Oregon (UO) is a top public university located in Eugene, Oregon, that offers more than 300 undergraduate programs and 120 graduate programs to its 29,000 students. UO gives students the ability to continue their education surrounded by, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful campuses in the country and many engaging student events that you are able to attend.
In my opinion, one of the best parts of the UO is the beautiful campus. Situated on 296 acres of land, you can walk across it in 15 minutes, under shade the whole way. Because the school was built in 1876, the campus has many renovated historic buildings, which have been mixed in with newer buildings as the university has grown.
Jesuit gets revenge against Del Oro
On Friday, Oct. 18, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s varsity football team won an away game against the Del Oro High School Golden Eagles 34-14. This win avenged Jesuit’s triple overtime loss to Del Oro in last year’s section playoffs.
To start the game, Jesuit received the opening kickoff, and after a strong drive, they finished with a 10-yard touchdown run by quarterback Teddy Rios ’26. After an extra point by Yudiel “Dragon” Mondragon ’26, the score was 7-0.
Big Bash brings back brothers
On Saturday, Oct. 5, the Jesuit High School Sacramento alumni department will hold their Jesuit Big Bash for alumni, their families, and other members of the Jesuit community. The theme for this 21 and over event will be Oktoberfest flare.
The Big Bash is an opportunity for Alumni and Jesuit parents to come back and reconnect with their brothers that they made during their four years at Jesuit. Alumni Office Support Ms. Allison Hoferer, who is working on the Big Bash, wants to get as many people back to Jesuit as possible.
Mr. Havel brings creativity and innovation through English
Freshman English Teacher Mr. John Havel recently joined the Jesuit High School Sacramento faculty, and with 23 years of teaching under his belt, he is certainly qualified for the position.
One of Mr. Havel’s main goals is to connect with people on a large scale, which teaching enables him to do.