The Plank

Plank Article Cooper Zarro ’26

Giving marrow for others

On Thursday, May 21 2026, after the class of 2026’s graduation practice, Jesuit High School Sacramento will host its National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Donor Drive. The first in school history, the drive seeks to enter students into a database of potential future bone marrow and blood stem cell donors for those in need of transplants.

Plank Article Cooper Zarro ’26 Aiden Thomas ’27

What can we learn from Regis High School?

With the news that Jesuit High School Sacramento is transitioning from an all-boys school to a co-divisional model in the 2027-28 school year, questions have abounded, with many in the community confused as to what a co-divisional school even looks like. Regis High School – a formerly all-male Jesuit high school in Denver, Colorado – has frequently been cited as a successful example of a co-divisional Jesuit high school in the United States. 

Plank Article Logan McManus ’28

Opinion: “Project Hail Mary” is a stellar spectacle

“Project Hail Mary” is the best science fiction movie I have ever seen. When I first started watching the film, I expected a typical space movie with action and special effects, but it turned out to be much deeper and more interesting than that. 

The story centers around a dangerous space mission to stop a mysterious organism that is draining energy from the sun, putting all life on Earth at risk. This high-stakes problem creates a lot of suspense and keeps the audience interested the whole time.

Plank Article Charlie Kramer '26

Jesuit’s Coach Ford receives coach of the year award

Every year, the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) votes to bestow their Coach of the Year award to a leader who represents the values for which every coach strives. This year, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s very own Head Varsity Water Polo Coach, Mr. Josh Ford won the PCA national Coach of the year award.

Plank Article Bruce Van Parys ’27

Opinion: I hope the Kings lose

The Sacramento Kings are awful. They finished with a bottom-four record in the NBA this year. Yet despite the dire situation, there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. 

I had no hope for the Kings at the start of the year. They were running the season back with a team that lost in the play-in the previous year, and had only gotten older since. However, I didn’t think they were going to be this unsuccessful. Ranking bottom in both offense and defense, they are truly awful at everything on the court. At this point, it really can’t get worse. 

Plank Article Bruce Van Parys ’27

Jesuit spikes the competition

Jesuit High School Sacramento’s Varsity Volleyball team had an incredible regular season, finishing with a record of 28-5 and a perfect 14-0 record in Sierra Foothill League play. These results have led to the team being the number one seed in the San-Joaquin Section for playoffs, and being ranked top 25 nationally, as well as top 15 in California.

Plank Article Sean Broderick '26 Matthew Gilfry '28

Opinion: How corporations expose children to gambling

Gambling is not a foreign concept to kids these days. Via in-game purchasable loot boxes that dispense items, corporations are exposing the youth to chance-based systems for monetary payouts. Recently, a gaming corporation, Valve, has come under heavy fire from the state of New York after being accused of promoting illegal gambling to minors. Games like Team Fortress 2, Dota 2, and Counter Strike have had purchasable loot boxes that anyone could buy for decades.

Plank Article Nate Aizenberg ’28

How to Reduce Our Carbon Footprint

As Jesuit students, we’re not called just to academic excellence and service to others, but also to the stewardship of God’s creation. With Earth Day in the recent past, we are reminded of the importance of taking better care of our Earth. But real change starts with each one of us, one day at a time. 

It doesn’t take a total life transformation to start taking better care of the environment. Small, consistent, daily choices can cut down your carbon footprint while saving money. Here are practical ways students can make a difference every day:

Plank Article Peter Fallon '28

Creative Writing Club offers an outlet for imagination

At Jesuit High School Sacramento, the Creative Writing Club offers students a place to develop their writing and share ideas with other students who enjoy storytelling and poetry.

The club was founded to give writers a shared space to create and collaborate. The club’s goal is to help students stay motivated in their creative pursuits in a busy academic environment.

Plank Article Nate Aizenberg ’28

Jesuit’s Favorite Sports Teams

It’s a no-brainer that students at Jesuit High School Sacramento love sports, but I wanted to conduct a schoolwide survey to get some hard numbers behind it. Students were asked to name their favorite sports team across four major leagues: NFL, NBA, MLB, & the NCAA. As expected, the top of the lists were dominated by West Coast squads, but a few national blue-bloods cracked the rankings.

Here’s the whole breakdown and what it means for the Jesuit fandom:

Plank Article Charlie Kramer '26

Jesuit volleyball goes head-to-head against the nation’s top players

Over spring break, Jesuit High School Sacramento’s varsity volleyball team traveled to Hawaii to compete in The Clash of the Titans tournament. The tournament hosted the top competition in the country, allowing the Marauders to showcase their talents and skills while representing the school. 

Jesuit played three of the top 15 teams in the country, including No. 2 Mira Costa and No. 1 Huntington Beach. Although they came short of the tournament title, Jesuit showed up and competed against the best talent in the nation.

Plank Article Logan McManus ’28

Opinion: “GOAT” roars in theatres

The new animated basketball film “GOAT” recently concluded its theatrical run, and received a good amount of attention from audiences. The movie focuses on a young goat who dreams of becoming a professional roarball (basketball) player, even though he is considered too small to compete. The film was very entertaining and did a great job telling an inspiring underdog story. 

Plank Article Sean Broderick '26 Milo Moggan ’26

The resurgence of Jesuit’s Debate team

During the 2023-24 school year, Jesuit High School Sacramento restarted its Debate Club after a long absence following COVID-19. In the three years since, the team has made a strong return.

At their State Qualifier Tournament this year, the Debate Club won the Small School Sweepstakes. On April 17-19, Seth Eriki ’26, Bobby Price V ’26, and Nick Baltazar ’29 will be competing at the States competition, and later in the month, Nick and Connor Frings ’29 will be going to the National Qualifier tournament. 

Plank Article Jack Stouder ’28

Opinion: Too Far Gone? NIL, The Transfer Portal, and the Downfall of College Football

Through the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) revenue to college football, a sport once defined by the development of young men as players and as people has been corrupted into a player-centric circus that promotes greed and rewards disloyalty. 

Control of a program’s success no longer lies in the hands of coaches, but rather in the pockets of their school’s boosters. Programs once built on tradition and reputation have fallen, and new, well-funded programs have risen from the ashes. NIL has made an amateur sport pay-to-win, and it must be amended and limited before it causes even more harm than it already has.