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Loyola offers a variety of interesting and fun extracurricular activities
to develop students’ talents beyond those of the classroom
and athletic field. These include Student Council, Model United
Nations, and the Loyola Honor Society.
Students also have opportunities to participate in choral and dramatic
performances. Loyola students explore the Metro Detroit area and
have journeyed to Washington, D.C., New York City, and even Central
America.
2008 Activities
Loyola Honors the Legacy of Dr. King
Loyola’s tribute to Martin
Luther King Jr. is a bit different from that of most other schools.
Like other schools, we do not have classes on the national holiday.
But the day after we return from this 3-day mid-January weekend,
the entire school community—students, faculty, and staff—participate
in a Day of Service as a way of honoring Dr. King.
Wyatt Jones III ’98, Loyola’s Director of Admissions,
served this year as the MLK Service Day Coordinator. He identified
19 different agencies, schools, and churches in the Detroit area
where we could volunteer for the day.
This year’s placements were scattered throughout the area:
Capuchin
Soup Kitchen
Cass Community Center
Christ the King Grade School
COTS
Detroit Humane Society
Dixon Elementary School
Doorstep Shelter
Focus:HOPE
Glasshouse Day Care
Greater Grace Temple |
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Kidz
World Day Care
Lincoln Park Schools
Northpointe Academy
Our Lady of Guadalupe School
PBJ Outreach, Inc.
Rehabilitation Institute
Rock of Ages Church
St. Leo’s Soup Kitchen
Wonderland Day Care |
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Rev. Christian Adams addresses the Loyola Community at Morning
Prayer.
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To begin the day, Reverend Christian
Adams, Associate Pastor at Hartford Memorial Baptist Church,
spoke to students and staff at Morning Prayer. Rev. Adams spoke
of his own teenage years when he was expected to serve in his community
and how this became an integral part of his upbringing. He reminded
the students that each one of them is a member of his community
and, as such, has a personal responsibility to be of service to
those in need. While such service takes time and may not always
be convenient or fun, it can often be a life-changing experience.
[Click on the photo for a larger
image.]
After Morning Prayer, members of the Loyola community fanned out
to put Rev. Adams’s exhortation into practice.
To fortify the student and adult volunteers, a group of parents
had gathered at Loyola the day before to make bag lunches for each
participant. Rhonda Morris, Carrie Gaines, Joslyn Gaddie, and
Dareese Hinds — who claim as theirs, respectively, Stephon
Johnson ’10, Allen Gaines ’08, Deandre Ulmer ’09,
and Maximillian Baugh ‘10 along with "alumni moms"
Cheryl Montgomery (Travis ’98, LaMarr ’00, and Terrence
’02) and Allyson Peterson (Brandon Baldwin ’07) —
assisted Wyatt in assembling 200 these lunches.
In evaluating the Day of Service, Jones believes that "it gives
our young men an opportunity to put ‘men for others’ into
action. They start to understand that there are people less fortunate
than they are and that they have a responsibility to assist them."
Generation of Promise: Learning
About Community & Leadership
Four Loyola juniors — Brian
Browder, Kevin Durant, Jamar Ragland, and Kumar Tuft —
are participating in this year’s Generation of Promise program.
This endeavor, now in its 20th year, is designed to bring together
students from the greater Detroit area, city and suburb alike.
The program provides a unique, year-long experience for 11th graders
who have demonstrated leadership potential. Bringing together a
multi-cultural mix of urban and suburban students, the program creates
a community of young leaders who celebrate diversity and dedicate
themselves to the elimination of discrimination in metro Detroit
and beyond. As faculty advisor Mr. John Lupinacci notes,
"At its core, Generation of Promise expands horizons and empowers
students to view ‘community’ as something greater than
their own neighborhoods."
The 60 students in the program, representing 17 schools, meet initially
at a weekend retreat in August and then get together one day per
month from October through April to focus on the resources, leadership,
and critical issues that influence the quality of life in Metro
Detroit.
Jamar Ragland believes Generation of Promise allows people
from the suburbs to really see Detroit and form their own interpretation
of the city and the people who live here. Most come with preconceived,
negative views but find a different, much more positive reality.
But he knows that city kids also benefit. As he states, "The
program sets up an exchange that allows us to meet people from other
places and gives all of us a chance to see that the stereotypes
we’re grown up with are not true." Kumar Tuft agrees
and is pleased he was chosen as a participant: "I feel really
lucky because this is an opportunity that not that many get."
Because of Generation of Promise, a handful of young, spirited students
are learning to forge relationships across racial, religious, and
socio-economic barriers, thus building toward one community, and
they hope that the number of like-minded individuals will increase
greatly.
To the top
The Quest for Non-violence: The
Ignatian Teach-in
In November of 2007, seniors Charles Dean, Branden Harris, Domivan
Jackson, Cameron Knox, and Terrell Swartz, accompanied by Mr.
John Lupinacci and Fr. Dave Mastrangelo, boarded an overnight
bus with 40 other metro Detroiters and headed to Columbus, Georgia,
to participate in the annual Ignatian Teach-In.
Fr. Dave Mastrangelo, Branden Harris, Charles Dean, Domivan
Jackson, Mr. John Lupinacci, Terrell Swartz, and Cameron Knox
at the King Memorial in Atlanta. |
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Cameron Knox reflects quietly at the gravesite of Dr. King. |
This event, which draws thousands of participants from around the
country each year, including contingents from dozens of Jesuit high
schools, universities, and parishes, is designed to promote gospel-centered
responses to pressing social issues of the day, particularly those
that touch on matters of war and peace.
After falling asleep at various places along I-75 and waking up
early Saturday morning in Columbus, Georgia, 15 hours later, students
headed to an array of workshops at the Teach-In.
At night they took part in a powerful, prayerful Mass attended by
over 3,000 people.
The next morning, participants in the Teach-In engaged in a non-violent,
silent march outside Ft. Benning to protest the policies of the
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, which was
formerly known as the School of the Americas (SOA), specifically
those policies that condone violence as an acceptable characteristic
of a democracy. The SOA has a long history of training anti-insurgent
forces in Latin America, including those responsible for the murders
in El Salvador of Archbishop Oscar Romero in 1984 and 6 Jesuits
and 2 of their lay colleagues in 1989.
After the march, groups began to return to their various sponsoring
institutions across the country. On the return trip, the Detroit
group visited the Dr. Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violence
in Atlanta. The experience of being at the memorial site for Dr.
King after the time in Columbus reinforced the possibility of peaceful
resolution of problems.
Throughout the weekend, students were encouraged by seeing so many
people gathered in the interest of non-violent approaches to the
issues of the day. Echoing the sentiments of his classmates, Domivan
Jackson stated, "I’m tired of seeing violence all around
me. This trip helped me realize things don’t have to be this
way."
The effects of the 30 rather uncomfortable hours spent in close
quarters on the bus quickly wore off, but the impact of an equal
amount of time spent in Columbus and Atlanta, in pursuit of a common
vision with fellow travelers from all walks of life and from all
parts of the country, will have a firm and lasting impact on those
who braved the trip. [Click on
a photo for a larger image.]
Domivan Jackson, Branden Harris, Charles Dean, and Cameron
Knox on the Sunday morning march outside of Fr. Benning. |
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A small part of the crowd engaged in a non-violent, silent
memorial march. |
To the top
Seniors Retreat Across The Border
The 29 members of the Class of ’08
made the Kairos Retreat in late January at the Holy Family Retreat
House on the shores of Lake Erie in Oxley, Ontario. More than any
other part of Loyola’s 4-year retreat program, Kairos centers
on student leadership and on the active involvement of every member
of the class.
The 5 student leaders were chosen by their classmates and made their
own Kairos with a group from U of D Jesuit in December. This prepared
them to lead their classmates in January. These leaders were James
Davis, Charles Dean, Branden Harris, Alan Gaines, and Domivan Jackson.
The 6 faculty and staff members who accompanied the group —
Mr. Jonathon Clark ’97, Mr. Tom Dobbs, Mrs. Bonney Hillen,
Mr. Wyatt Jones III ‘98, Mr. John Lupinacci, and Fr. Dave Mastrangelo
— played a supportive role, but always allowed the students
to stay in front.
James Davis, retreat Rector (Leader), is a strong fan of
the retreat: "My 2 Kairos experiences have been the highlights
of my senior year. As the retreat Rector, I felt like I had a responsibility
to make my classmates’ experiences even better than mine. Kairos
has helped me come closer to God and my classmates. I really look
at them as my brothers. Kairos has also helped me to have a better
understanding of the phrase ‘men for others.’ Kairos is
a wonderful, touching and beautiful experience."
Fellow student leader Branden Harris noted that prior to
the January retreat he had come under a lot of stress, but that
"the relaxing calm atmosphere of Kairos, along with my own
responsibility as a leader, allowed me to let my feelings out. I
returned feeling calmer and more centered. I feel like I can block
the negativity and stress and focus on what I need to do. That includes
being more open to my family and friends about my feelings, and
I think as a student retreat leader that I helped my classmates
do the same."
The seniors agree that there is something transformative about Kairos,
and they all know that, in a sense, the retreat really begins as
soon as they return to school and their homes. "Live the fourth"
becomes their rallying cry to let the three days spent on retreat
shape what they do thereafter—that is, on the 4th day. [Click
on a photo for a larger image.]
Loyola seniors Dwayne Stafford, Charles Dean, and Donovan
Thomas take a break for lunch. |
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James Trotter organizes his food and drink before diving into
them. |
To the top
2007 Activities
Spirit Week – Rah Rah Sis Boom
Bah!
To promote school spirit, camaraderie, and just plain fun, every
year the school organizes special dress days and activities the
week preceding the Homecoming Game and Dance. After activities such
as a Pizza-Eating Contest and the popular Faculty/Seniors Basketball
Game (to the students’ delight, faculty lost), the week culminates
with a carnival where students have the opportunity, for a modest
fee, to throw pies at their "favorite" instructors or
send them plunging into the waters of a dunk tank.
[Click on a photo for a larger
image.]
"Come on, Porter, just try and hit me—you can’t
hit the broad side of a barn," Math teacher Kevin Hall
taunts a student while sitting in the dunk tank |
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Freshman Larry Porter winds up and gives it his all |
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Bull’s Eye!!!! |
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A sopping wet Mr. Hall good naturedly takes ribbing from computer
teacher Mr.
Janik and senior Deont’a Robinson. |
Walkathon/Raffle
Four years ago, a raffle component was added to our annual student
fundraiser, the Walkathon. Instead of asking people to pay them
for walking, students sell raffle tickets of cash prizes ranging
from $100 to $2,500. After the entire Loyola community (students,
faculty, staff, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, etc.) treks the
perimeter of Belle Isle (almost 6 miles), they straggle into the
picnic area for hotdogs grilled by our master chef, physics teacher
Br. Mike Baranek, and alumnus parent Ms. Daphne Lee. (The ever-faithful
Ms. Lee has been volunteering every year at the Walkathon since
her son Jason ‘99 was just a freshman (10 years now and counting).
After lunch, everyone gathers around the picnic table upon which
sits the big, blue steel drum filled with raffle stubs. A "chosen
one" spins the drum and draws a ticket stub. The stub is then
dramatically handed over to Fr. Dave Mastrangelo who, with exaggerated
gestures and great flourish, calls out the winner. This continues
until all ten winners are called. The cheering became especially
loud and raucous when a Loyola mom was named the winner of the top
prize of $2,500. This year’s Walkathon/Raffle raised $17,525,
which will be used for student activities.
To the top
Leadership Retreat
Six seniors volunteered to be part of a "Leadership Retreat"
that took place at the beginning of the school year. The students
reflected on their own experiences, and then talked about their
understanding of leadership, identified people in their lives whom
they look up to as leaders, and set goals for the year with staff
members Ms. Kathy Gross, Mr. Dave Kuznia, and Fr. Dave Mastrangelo.
The highpoint of the 2-day retreat was the time students spent interviewing
several retired I.H.M. sisters, all of whom had worked in education
for much of their lives. At night the group went to a local bowling
alley, where Mr. Kuznia lit up his lane with his amazing kegling
skills.
To the top
Honduras Trip
Each summer student and staff from U. of D. Jesuit and Loyola participate
in an eight-day mission trip to Honduras. [Click
on a photo for a larger image.]
Devin Grant and Justin Crispe
to the left of Sr. Maria Rosa |
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In the back of the truck after
a hard day’s work. |
To the top |
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