The Plank - Features

The Jesuit High School Sacramento Science Olympiad team allows students to dive deeper into their love for science and engineering in ways that a conventional class does not allow. Whether it is building a bridge from scratch or maneuvering a laser through a maze of mirrors, the Science Olympiad team is always doing something fun. 

While the team is enjoyable for every student that joins, the ultimate goal of the team is to prepare for an annual Science Olympiad competition.

The Jesuit High School Sacramento Sportsman’s Association helps students develop their passion for trap shooting in a controlled and welcoming environment. The club is led by Math Teacher Mr. Keegan Smith, and Mr. Mark Smith, the father of Cooper Smith ’25 and Griffin Smith ’27. Every week, Mr. Smith leads practices where members hone their skills, preparing for the several competitions they attend throughout the year.

“The club is primarily focused on giving the boys an opportunity to learn and practice clay target shooting in a safe and fun environment,” Mr. Mark Smith said. “We accomplish this by having practices at the [Sacramento] Valley Shooting Center on Sunday afternoons.”

Jesuit High School Sacramento’s World Religions class, taught by Theology Teacher Dr. Mark Luttio, is a great way for students to gain new perspectives on the traditions that surround them. Dr. Luttio’s profound experience with various religions has been an essential part of the class’s ability to strengthen students’ knowledge of the wider world.

Dr. Luttio’s involvement with World Religions can largely be attributed to his diverse upbringing in Japan.

This year, Jesuit High School Sacramento welcomes a new face to its counseling department. Ms. Jocelyn Kulper, who previously taught health education at Tokay High School in Lodi, California, stepped into the position as Administrative Assistant for Counseling.

In her new role at Jesuit, Ms. Kulper is in charge of ensuring that communication is smooth and efficient throughout the Counseling Department.

This year, Jesuit High School Sacramento welcomes Spanish Teacher Ms. Estela Heringer to its campus.

Although it’s her first year at Jesuit, she brings nearly a decade of teaching experience in a Jesuit environment. 

As technology evolves and the world shifts into a digital era, the demand for cybersecurity is rising. According to Statista.com, annual worldwide revenue in the cybersecurity industry has increased by nearly $100 billion since 2016. 

Jesuit High School Sacramento has taken note of this booming industry. There’s now a way to explore the world of cybersecurity right here on campus: the Computer Science Club. Moderated by Math Teacher Mr. Justin Tsai and Computer Science Department Chair Mr. Peter Strawn ’04, the Computer Science Club competes in various competitions throughout the year that test programming and cybersecurity skills.

Every year, Jesuit High School Sacramento announces their Valedictorian and Salutatorian for the graduating class. This year James Randall ’24 was named Valedictorian and Delvin Ntale, ’24 the Salutatorian.As Salutatorian, Delvin will start the graduation in prayer, after which James will give his valedictorian address, a speech about the Senior class and their four years together at Jesuit.   

On March 14, Jesuit High School Sacramento welcomed a group from the Kino Border Initiative (KBI), a program devoted to helping migrants in Nogales, Mexico. KBI provides helpful resources such as food and shelter to those being deported or seeking asylum in the United States. Additionally, they work towards spreading awareness throughout the country of what life at the border is really like.

For more than 50 years, the Holy Rollers Bowling Club at Jesuit High School Sacramento has provided students an outlet for fun and social bowling. The club aims to spread bowling in a non-competitive and welcoming way.