Decoding Strake Jesuit: Part 2

Last year, I published a short article highlighting some of Strake Jesuit’s unique terms and traditions. That piece only managed to scratch the surface, so I felt that a second edition would help to further clear the murky waters of our school’s complex - and occasionally odd - culture.

Saturday: The most dreaded day of the week. A Saturday Penance Hall, affectionately shortened to “Saturday,” is one of the more serious punishments dealt out to unruly students. Consisting of a painfully early arrival on campus and a gauntlet of less-than-pleasant tasks, it’s an extremely effective form of negative reinforcement. A single morning spent cleaning up the debris from Friday night’s football game is enough to lead even the most disobedient of teens towards the light.

MAGIS: Bearing a name derived from the Latin word for “better,” MAGIS, a bi-weekly newspaper, serves as a mouthpiece for the Strake Jesuit student body. Though mostly online, it nonetheless boasts a classic journalist spirit, featuring a wide variety of writers with a true passion for good ole guerilla journalism. From music to schoolwork to personal anecdotes about the adventures of public transit, MAGIS has it all.

AP English Literature: "It'll ruin your life and your GPA," said one recent graduate. "Take what you usually make in English, and expect it to drop by at least a letter grade - if you’re lucky," said another.

Widely regarded as the school's most difficult course, AP English language represents a grueling eight-month onslaught of reading, writing and extreme literary analysis. However, between the dismal essay grades and massive vocabulary assessments, there's an extremely valuable course, one that meticulously prepares students for the tidal wave of college-level writing. It's a painful trip - one that I'm currently embarking on - but according to everyone who's reached the finish line, it's a journey well worth undertaking.

Southwell Players: The oft-mispronounced name for Strake’s theater troop, Southwell (Suth-ell) Players produces at least four shows a year. These include full-lengths plays directed by the beloved Mr. “Sully” Sullivan, one-acts directed by various members of the arts faculty, and even a few shows whose responsibilities are placed solely in the hands of eager students.

Vamos A La Playa: This is kind of a weird one. For some reason or another, it became part of Strake Jesuit tradition for seniors to wear oversized Hawaiian shirts and blast terrible Spanish pop music on their last day of classes. I really wish I knew the story behind this one, but nobody seems to know. Perhaps it’s better that way.

The Grass: Strake Jesuit is very proud of its quads. So proud, in fact, that tarnishing their beautiful green luster with one’s feet elicits a furious reaction from any faculty member within a half-mile radius. There are certain times when the quads are open for student use, but for the most part, they’re strictly foot-free zones. Many freshmen find this out the hard way.

Rest in peace, boys.

Building Names: It’s apparently mandated by law that each building on campus must be known by at least five different names. Needless to say, this is occasionally a subject of great contention, confusion, and annoyance throughout the student body. Even as a senior, I still get a bit flustered every once in a while - as far as I’m concerned, anyone who can keep it all straight deserves an honorable diploma and a nice steak dinner.

Read Part I of Trevor's "Decoding Strake" here.