Homecoming

The joy of our wonderful Jesuit community is always on full display during Homecoming, and this year proved even more meaningful as all of the festivities made a triumphant return to campus. The celebration began with Tuesday’s Sons of Alums Breakfast and continued through Sunday’s Alumni Memorial Mass. We are so grateful to our concert sponsors, volunteers, and everyone who participated in this special week of love and community.

1971

Our alumni took center stage on Friday night, as the presentation of the Golden Diplomas to the Class of 1971 preceded football’s dominant 37-0 victory over Berkner, while campus was packed for reunion celebrations. This was our largest reunion celebration ever, and more class photos from the evening can be found in Class Notes.

The annual Alumni BBQ Cook-Off had its most outstanding year yet, with the hundreds of guests in attendance at Alumni & Family Day enjoying the spoils of the competition. Congratulations to Nicholas Bowden ’99 and Carlos Ubinas ’99 of Team Jesuit ’99 for winning the ribs competition and Team Duda (Johnathon Bingham ’01, Brian Costanza ’00, Evan Ratcliff ’00, and Gavin Secchi ’01) for top brisket.

Beginning bright and early on Saturday, current and alumni families spent a fun-filled morning on Jesuit’s campus for Alumni & Family Day, which featured inflatable bounce houses and slides, temporary tattoos, balloon art, a magician, campus tours, and rugby and flag football contests for alumni.

Saturday evening brought Jesuit Live! and a two-set performance from The Spazmatics – on Wright Field! Dancing and singing was the order of the night as guests partied on campus to the sounds of the ultimate 80s tribute band. The entire week was an affirmation of our amazing community, and we are grateful for your partnership in our mission. See you next year!

or more than half a century, a major event in the lives of every Jesuit senior has been Community Days, formerly known as Senior Community Weekend. This cherished annual three-day retreat allows students to not only reflect on their previous three years at Jesuit, but also provides a unique opportunity to build and deepen relationships with classmates. Community Days is decidedly special because the ultimate goal is to solidify a lasting brotherhood that many alumni carry with them throughout the rest of their lives.

Community Days began in 1972, with more than half of the senior class gathered on an island owned by Texas Power and Light “to foster an atmosphere of trust and care between individuals and groups.” Later known as the Agape Celebration, these original events laid the foundation for what future generations of Jesuit students would experience.

There is a privacy element to the Community Days experience that prevents me from going into detail or providing specifics, although many of the activities are familiar to students who have experienced other class retreats. However, while the activities may be similar, the context behind them is altogether different. Most of the other retreats throughout a student’s time at Jesuit is focused on personal growth, like Kairos. Community Days is designed to be outwardly focused, where the basis is the whole class, not each student as individuals. Community Days can be summed up easily during a simple game of kickball during my own experience this past fall. There was no true form to the game; it was rather haphazardly played. Competition in the game seemed not only incredibly important but also worthless. In group discussions, our faculty mentor stated how seeing us playing in such a formless manner bettered us; our goals weren’t based in winning but rather in our time together.

“Community Days has been a formative part of my life both as a high school senior and as an adult,” remarked David Williams ’96, who has been a teacher, counselor, and coach at Jesuit for over 20 years. “Anytime you can get a group of people together for the purpose of refocusing on community I think you have the potential for meaningful personal and institutional growth. When I was a student, I sensed that Community Days was a sign of Jesuit’s trust in me. For three days my teachers and my peers were vulnerable and exposed. I was treated like an adult. As a member of the faculty, I witnessed the planning and intentionality of the day. Particularly, I marveled at the leadership of the students. The guys I once knew as tentative sophomores were now confident men. Some of Community Days’ magic simply cannot be explained. Even when you know what events are coming next, even as the student body grows in size, senior classes still surprise me with the love and acceptance that they show one another. It is beautiful and it is a privilege to witness.”

Changes in the structure and format of Community Days over the years have been minimal, and one ingredient that was given important consideration to the experience was sharing in this time together away from campus. It was not an insignificant departure to lose that aspect in 2020 and 2021, as COVID-19 forced us to modify our plans. I have heard many stories from teachers and students discussing how they would stay up late enjoying their time together, and I can’t help but feel a little disappointed that I missed out on some of those experiences with my classmates.

Despite our inability to be together overnight, Community Days was a profound experience, and even with the changes, I actually found it to be quite powerful to have it happen on campus. Ultimately, sitting in the Terry Center together, just like we had four years earlier at Freshmen Orientation, made Community Days feel more conclusive to the Jesuit experience.

“When I was a student, I liked it because it brought us closer,” shared alumnus and Director of Counseling, Jack Fitzsimmons ’76. “The class size has nearly doubled since the mid-70s, so it's nice that we've still been able to offer that same type of formative experience. Community Days provides a connection between generations. We just bring more faculty members and have more opportunities for people to participate in the individual and group work.” Community Days has its own unique importance for every class. In the wake of tragedies, global events, and hardships, Community Days allows for students to heal those open wounds. The Roundup published a piece in 2019 with Ashton Casey ’20 writing about how “[his] class had a rough start... From expulsions to tragedies, [his class has] been on a roller coaster ride over the past three and (almost) a half years.” The pain felt by that class is likely reminiscent to many classes over the years, and in my own Community Days experience, I felt a sense of togetherness based on my discovery that I wasn’t alone in my journey. I learned how common it was for students to bring each other out of the rough patches in their lives. In the 50 years between the first Community Weekend and our most recent Community Days, students still converse with each other about the same passions, experiences, and anxieties.

“Many of our students have enjoyed a great experience since they were freshmen, but some may have not felt like they were truly part of the community,” continued Mr. Fitzsimmons. “Like Junior Retreat, Community Days is one of those moments when students all of a sudden get it. They recognize that they are part of something bigger than themselves, and it’s great to be able to bring everybody together.

“Community Days proves that you don’t need to have 287 best friends, but you can know and respect the other people in your class for the work they do or the things they’ve done to help shape each person’s experience, whether as academic scholars, student-athletes, musicians, debaters, actors, or all the above. You understand that everybody has their value and that makes our community stronger.”

In my own personal experience with Community Days, it did bring me closer to my classmates and my community. I know I’m not alone in thinking this, but school events now seem to carry a greater weight after Community Days. Community Days reminded me that I won’t always be with my classmates, and a year from now I won’t be seeing many of them. This may seem like a quite obvious observation, but it was a realization that made me become a more active participant at Jesuit events.

Alumni from a plethora of high schools from around the country – both public and private, have fondness of their experiences as a class or keep friendships into adulthood, but our experience together at Jesuit and the bonds that are created during Community Days gives a different meaning to those relationships; it’s where our lifelong unity, companionship as alumni, and our brotherhood are crystalized. For 50 years, Community Days has been an experience specifically for Jesuit seniors, but the real magic is that it ends up uniting all of the classes.

Blake Woodard ’22 is editor-in-chief of Jesuit’s award-winning student newspaper, The Roundup.

NAMED JESUIT DALLAS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS

“When I look back at different parts of my life, I realize how much my values have been shaped by my time at Jesuit. The Jesuit experience – both high school and college – is an essential part of who I have become.”

It’s the moment in Dr. Hendler’s talk with fellow alumni and current students at the Sons of Alums Breakfast that best describes the reason he has lived a life espousing the mission of his alma mater. Selfless to his core, Dr. Hendler has made an indelible impact in the world through his commitment to service, academic achievement, and a belief that he can make a difference. In recognition of his contributions to medicine, his generosity and care of Jesuit and so many other schools and organizations as a medical advisor during the COVID-19 pandemic, and for crafting a legacy as a true Man for Others, Hendler has been named the recipient of the 2021 Jesuit Dallas Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Hendler currently serves as the chief medical officer at the Texas Hospitals Association and the Texas Hospitals Association Foundation, as well as a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern School of Medicine. His career in hospital administration is expansive and includes a turn as medical chairman of the Disaster Preparedness Task Force for a global healthcare corporation during the height of the avian influenza epidemic; recognition for organizing the medical direction of the relief efforts during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; and providing strategic guidance for the Clinical Innovation Department at THA while serving as liaison to the American Hospital Association.

A practicing physician for 20 years who never turned away a patient in need, Hendler transitioned to a leadership role with the Tenet Healthcare Corporation in 1998, before ultimately becoming senior vice president and associate chief medical officer at Parkland Health & Hospital System in 2016. Hendler made a career prioritizing healthcare for the underserved, from caring for AIDS patients at a time when not a lot was known about how the disease was transmitted to providing medical care for patients of all backgrounds regardless of insurance, religious, or financial circumstances. As he explained, “It was just what I did; it was never a question. That was something that was engraved in me through my education. You don’t just wake up and say you are going to be a Man for Others today. You do it every day. It’s a part of you; it’s always there.”

Early in 2020, and before the pandemic resulted in an economic shutdown that continues to have devastating impacts across the globe, Hendler met with administrators at Jesuit to talk about the likelihood of an uncontainable outbreak and what the School could do to both prepare and mitigate spread. Throughout the early stages of the outbreak and continuing through today, Hendler has remained in close contact with School officials. His guidance has helped shape Jesuit’s health and wellness policies and kept the School’s response grounded in science.

Because of his efforts, Jesuit Dallas was one of the only academic institutions in Dallas to begin the 2020-21 academic year on time and in person. Additionally, the School has been able to maintain all activities where allowed or reasonable with minimal incidents of spread. Through Hendler’s counsel, and the continuing education with our students and families, vaccination rates within our School community were quickly among the strongest in the city, and transmission of COVID-19 among students and staff has remained low.

“The pandemic has been something unlike anything else, and the struggle of people not being able to see their family and the hard times many of us are facing as a community is devastating. Earlier in my career, I built the pandemic response for 125 hospitals across the country, and so when I was initially asked to present, I was eager to explain the science as we knew it. I was impressed with the approach of the Jesuit leadership. One lost student or staff member was an unacceptable tragedy that would have never been allowed, and because of the measures Jesuit took, the school remained a safe place.”

“Being named a Distinguished Alumnus is a huge honor, although the attention does make me uneasy. I come out of a background, particularly as a health care professional, where you do your job without considering the number of hours worked or what the future may hold. I treasure my education and can honestly say that my Jesuit experience was a huge part of my success as a physician. We need smart, young, driven individuals to tackle the challenges of our world, and I hope that when I meet with Jesuit students I can inspire them, and help them understand our duty as Men for Others.”