Around Campus

Debate Caps Season with State and National Accolades

It was a season unlike any other, as the pandemic forced the year’s competition to be entirely online, yet Jesuit Dallas continued its impressive 22-year streak of placing at least one team in the top 20 at the TFA State Debate Championships. Eighty teams qualified for the state tournament and Jesuit was joined by Houston Dulles and Austin Liberal Arts and Science as the only three schools to qualify five teams. Additionally, the teams of Jack E. Martin ’21 and Joshua Ramos ’21 and Justin Burns ’21 and Aarin Jain ’22 qualified for the National Debate Coaches Association National Championships in the varsity division while the freshmen duo of Brandon Gibson and Peter Loh qualified in the novice division.

Martin and Ramos made history during the season by besting 60 schools spanning the entire country to give Jesuit its first-ever win at the University of Houston Invitational. The senior duo also took first place earlier in the year at the Cypress Woods Tournament. As a team, the Rangers closed out at the Newman Smith Tournament, Coppell Invitational, and the UNT Invitational by securing first and second place in the varsity division. At the JV/Novice National Championships, the teams of sophomores Tejas Murugesh and Jon Noquil and freshmen Gibson and Caden Cutchall finished ninth overall in their respective divisions.

Inspired By Giants

Gretchen Crowder was highlighted in the winter 2021 issue of the Jesuits Central and Southern Province magazine. In an issue dedicated to women serving as spiritual ministers and working in pastoral ministry, Crowder penned a feature entitled, Inspired by the “Giants:” Sharing Faith at Jesuit Dallas.

The title of the article is a reflection of how her young children likely see the students at Jesuit, while the story itself explains how faith formation runs through the everyday experience of each student and the goals for each young man as he progresses through his own spiritual journey. “I have no idea if these young men realize what a profound impact they have on the children who look up to them. I do know, however, that I am blessed to witness the wonderful impact they have made on my little ones thus far.”

Scan the QR code to read the full story.