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University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy

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Coordinates: 42°25′58″N 83°9′18″W / 42.43278°N 83.15500°W / 42.43278; -83.15500
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University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy
Address
Map
8400 South Cambridge Avenue

Detroit
,
(Wayne County)
,
Michigan
48221

United States
Coordinates42°25′58″N 83°9′18″W / 42.43278°N 83.15500°W / 42.43278; -83.15500
Information
TypeAll-mens Private
MottoAd Majorem Dei Gloriam
("For the Greater Glory of God")
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic,
Jesuit
Established1877
PresidentFr. Karl Kiser S.J.
PrincipalAnthony Trudel
Grades7–12
Enrollment875 (2012)
CampusUrban
Color(s)Maroon and White   
Athletics conferenceCatholic High School League
AccreditationNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools[1]
PublicationInscape (literary magazine)
NewspaperCub News
YearbookCub Annual
Tuition$10,980
Admissions DirectorAtif Lodhi
Athletic DirectorNicholas Kocsis
Websitewww.uofdjesuit.org

The University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy, (commonly referred to as U of D Jesuit, The High, Detroit Jesuit or U of D) founded in 1877, is one of two Jesuit high schools in the city of Detroit, Michigan (Loyola High School being the other). Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, the school is rooted in the Ignatian tradition of intellectually and spiritually developing men who use their acquired and natural talents to serve God's will. With the exception of female staff members, U of D Jesuit is an all-boys school, and in addition to the high school, operates an academy for young men in grades seven and eight. The school's mascot is the Cub; similarly, its athletic teams are the Cubs. The school colors are Maroon and White. Black is sometimes used as an alternate color for athletic uniforms.

Jesuit education

The school bases its academics on the teachings of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits. Students are taught to be "Men for Others", and by the time of graduation, the school aims to instill in its seniors five key values. Ideally, a student should be open to growth, intellectually competent, loving, religious, and committed to doing justice. Approximately 500 Jesuits have taught at U of D Jesuit since the school's founding in 1877, though today there are fewer Jesuits] than lay faculty, all the faculty works to teach these values to every student. As related in The Second Hundred Years, by Fr. P Joseph Keller, S.J., et al., a chronicle of U of D Jesuit's first century, lay faculty first joined the staff during World War I, and by the school's 100th anniversary in 1977, the lay to Jesuit ratio stood at nearly 3 to 2. In 2007 the school celebrated its 130 year anniversary, making it the oldest Catholic high school in the city of Detroit. The school's history, mission, and successes were highlighted by Time (magazine) in its November 9, 2009 issue.

Academics

U of D Jesuit is a college preparatory school. At the high school level, students take four years of both English and Theology; three years of a foreign language (Chinese, Latin or Spanish), with the fourth year as an elective; three years of mathematics, with the fourth year as an elective; three years of social studies, with the fourth year as an elective; and three years of science, with the fourth year as an elective.

French was offered as a language at U of D Jesuit, but was discontinued in 2008 due to a lack of student interest. In its place, Chinese is now offered due to a higher demand by incoming students.

Students may also take advanced placement (AP) courses in American History their sophomore year; government or Modern European History their junior or senior years; and Spanish, Latin, English, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics or Biology their senior year.

Theology classes consist of Introduction to U of D Jesuit and Hebrew Scriptures freshman year; The Church and The Paschal Mystery sophomore year; Morality and World Religions junior year; and Social Justice and Marriage & Family senior year.

Social studies classes consist of World History freshman year, U.S. history or AP U.S. history sophomore year; and government, or an AP class junior year (see above). Juniors may also elect to take African American History, Economics, Sociology, Michigan History, and American Society since 1945. Seniors may take the same courses, plus Psychology.

In mathematics, freshmen take Algebra I unless placed into a higher level; sophomores take Algebra II/Trigonometry, unless placed into a higher level; and juniors take Geometry, unless placed into a higher level. Seniors may take Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Trigonometry, Analytical Math, Statistics and AP calculus.

In science, freshmen either take Physical Science or Biology; sophomores take Biology, Honors Chemistry or Chemistry (for those who took Biology as freshmen); juniors take Chemistry, Physics, Honors Physics, Applied Chemistry, or Honors Chemistry. In addition to the above AP science classes, seniors can take Honors BioChemistry; Forensic Science or Anatomy & Physiology.

Other classes: Freshmen take Physical Education/Health; sophomores take 21st Century Media and Culture or Computer Applications.

General electives include supervised study, band or art for freshmen and sophomores; and band, art, acting, music appreciation, debate, computer applications, computer web design, AP Computer Science, Physical Education Health 1 and Physical Education Health 2 for juniors and seniors.

Seventh grade students take classes in Mathematics, Language Arts, English, Social Studies, Art, Computer Applications, Faith in Jesus, Biology, and Physical education.

Eighth grade students take classes in Mathematics (Algebra or Pre-Algebra depending on the student's mathematics score on the entrance exam), Religion (Life in the Church), Integrated Science, English, Language Arts, Latin (which may be substituted if the student plays in the school band), Social Studies (World Geography), and physical education.

In keeping with their dedication towards the betterment of the local community, seniors are required to spend their Wednesday mornings at a designated service project site of their choice among the designated areas.

The school has a reputation for academic excellence with 99-100% of seniors attending college each year. Since 1955, U of D Jesuit has had a total of 766 National Merit Semi-Finalists and National Achievement Semi-Finalists, including 16 for the class of 2009. In 2011, over $17.9 million was awarded in higher education scholarships to graduating seniors. Academically, the University of Detroit Jesuit High School is consistently rated as one of the best high schools in the State of Michigan, and among the top 50 Catholic, all boys high schools in the country.

History and Location

U of D Jesuit, originally known as Detroit College, was founded in 1877 by Bishop Caspar Henry Borgess, who had come to Detroit from Cincinnati on May 8, 1870. The Second Hundred Years records that Borgess had determined that the city needed a Catholic College for young men. Borgess was finally successful in this endeavor in the winter of 1876-1877, when the Jesuits, acting through the provincial at St. Louis, Fr. Thomas O'Neill, S.J., agreed to found a school.

Originally located at the Trowbridge Mansion on Jefferson Avenue, in 1890, the school moved across the street to Dowling Hall, a more spacious facility, able to better accommodate the influx of students. The demand for better accommodations led to the building of a new school located at 8400 S. Cambridge, near Seven Mile Road in 1931. According to The Second Hundred Years, a historical text written about the school to celebrate its centennial anniversary, work on the new school building began in late 1930, although news that the school would move to what was then the city's edge had been circulating since 1923. Classes at the new campus were supposed to begin on September 9, 1931, but a polio epidemic kept all schools in the Detroit area closed for a few weeks. The first classes were held at 8400 S. Cambridge on Wednesday, September 23, 1931.

Although U of D Jesuit has remained at 8400 Cambridge since 1931, the campus has undergone several physical changes since then. In 1950, the school built a new gymnasium, the largest in Detroit at the time, according to The Second Hundred Years. In 1992 a science center was built along with labs and departmental office space through the efforts of then-president Fr. Malcolm Carron S.J..

In 2001, as reported in The Michigan Chronicle (Suburban Edition), December 5–11, 2001, the school celebrated the completion of a $25 million fund-raising campaign, "Reclaiming the Future." Funds raised in that campaign paid for renovations and expansions to the campus, including restoration of the original chapel (which had been converted to a library in 1968 due to the requirements of Vatican II); construction of an addition to the building that included several new classrooms, a spacious art room and two new gymnasiums. Other funds from the campaign were used for faculty endowment and student financial aid scholarships. The "Reclaiming the Future" campaign was orchestrated by the school's then-president, Fr. Timothy Shannon S.J.

In 2005, after the closing of several Metro Detroit Catholic schools, University of Detroit Jesuit stated that it would waive its transfer rules for juniors coming from the closed schools, and accept students who have 3.0 or higher grade point averages.[2]

On April 6, 2006, U of D Jesuit started the public phase of a $22 million endowment campaign called "For the Greater Good", which is designed to support tuition assistance, faculty salary compensation, and other means of strengthening the school's core mission. In a March 29 April 4, 2006 Michigan Chronicle article, the school's president, Fr. Karl Kiser, defined the school's core mission as providing a quality education in a value-centered, and Christ-centered environment. Kiser also said it involves recruiting and retaining the best teachers in Southeast Michigan.

Kiser told the Michigan Chronicle that the "Reclaiming the Future" campaign had been about U of D Jesuit's body; "For the Greater Good" was about its heart and soul.

CBS Sports play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson, a 1985 graduate, served as emcee of the April 6 event, which also paid tribute to 20 former teachers, according to an article in the Michigan Chronicle's May 3–9, 2006 edition. Johnson told assembled students and alumni that having a chance to "come home and speak to my family," was the most special moment of his career. Johnson defined his "family" in this context as the teachers that affected and changed his life.

According to the Michigan Chronicle article, the $22 million endowment campaign seeks to raise $10 million each to help maintain the school's faculty; and to continue to provide tuition assistance. The remaining $2 million will go toward physical improvements to the campus. The article also reported that the public phase of the campaign was expected to run two to three years. Kiser's goal was for it to be a two-year effort.

In 2011, the planning of an addition to the Science Center began. The addition will consist of three additional floors, up-to-date science equipment, computer labs, and offices, such as Admissions and Billing. No construction has begun on the project. It is scheduled to open in late 2015.

Rumors arose in 2011 that every student would receive an iPad for educational purposes. No confirmation relating to these rumors has been given.

Although U of D Jesuit was originally called the Detroit College, the register of students, which contains both the birth date and registration date, shows that the students were of high school age and younger. Students were placed according to their ability and background as well as their age. In fact, the youngest students were 9 years old, and college level classes weren't added until 1879, according to The Second Hundred Years. The first class of high school students were graduated into college courses, and in time, a separate college, the University of Detroit (now the University of Detroit Mercy, following the 1990 merger with Mercy College) broke off from the original school, both physically and legally.

Co-curricular activities

Athletics

The Cubs are a member of the Michigan High School Athletic Association and compete in the Detroit Catholic League with Brother Rice High School, Detroit Catholic Central High School, St. Mary's Preparatory and De La Salle Collegiate High School as their primary rivals.

U of D Jesuit offers teams in 14 different sports - Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Hockey, Lacrosse, Skiing, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Track & Field, Wrestling.

The soccer team won the Michigan state championship in 2001 and was runner up in 1998; the Lacrosse team was the state runner up in 2005, 2008, and 2009 and reached the state semi-finals in 2007 and 2010; and in 2006, the Baseball team was also a state finalist. A swimmer - Tony Wahl- has won the state championship in the 100 yd. butterfly[3] two years in a row, and in 2007 set the state D1 record for the 200 IM, in which he was also the state champion. In 1966 and 1967 the swim team won the Catholic League championship and in 1967 Steve Waszak, a national merit finalist, was selected for the High School All-America team in the 100 butterfly.[4] In 1927, the golf team won the state championship, the first state title for U of D. The cross country team won its fifth straight regional trophy in 2006, and the track team won the Michigan state championship in 1993, the Detroit Catholic High School League A - B champions in 2006 for its fifth consecutive title and they also won their seventh consecutive regional trophy that same year. In 2005 the Hockey team advanced all the way to the Frozen Four and in 2010, they were the number one academic team in Michigan for the fifth consecutive year as well as MHSAA Regional Champions. The tennis team has been a state finalist in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. The ski team also advanced to the state championship placing 8th in 2002, 8th in 2004 and 9th in 2006. The basketball team won the CHSL Central Division, regular season, and playoff championships in the 2012-2013, along with a District championship and an appearance in the Regional championship game. The basketball team set a school record for wins (19), won their first CHSL playoff championship since 1992, and won their first regional semifinal since 1990. Three players were selected to the All-Catholic team, and coach Pat Donnelly won the CHSL Coach of the Year, the Detroit News Coach of the Year, and the Metro-Detroit Coach of the Year.

Other activities

The Quiz Bowl team won the National Championship in 2012, as the first team from Michigan and first Catholic School to win the title. Starting in 2004, the FIRST Robotics team has competed in the state tournament. In 2009, the First Robotics team, The RoboCubs, qualified and competed in the First World Championship in Atlanta. From 1987-2002, the Model United Nations team earned the highest possible school award - the "Outstanding School" award - at North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN) held in Washington, DC.[citation needed] The school has a Show Choir, which has competed in the State Festival for years. In 2005, The Show Choir earned a "1" rating at the State Level. The school regularly helps out in the local community, participating in many different service activities from food delivery to landscape cleanup.

School Spirit

U of D Jesuit has been noted for their vast school spirit. Each year the Student Senate designs a shirt for the student section for their fall and winter sports. Due to U of D's commuter population, high numbers of fans are also known to attend away games around the Detroit area. U of D Jesuit is credited with having the largest student section at athletic events, either home or away, in the Metro area. They were also recognized in 2005 by local television show "State Champs!" for their spirit. Students are often crammed into bleachers with matching "spirit shirts" cheering for their classmates.

=Fight Song

Here's to U of D High School Were full of Fight Here's to our colors Of Maroon and White Fight, Fight,Fight

Here's to all the fellows Loyal they'll be Singing the Battle Song Of U OF D

Notable alumni

References

  1. ^ NCA-CASI. "NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement". Retrieved 2009-06-23.
  2. ^ Pratt, Chastity, Patricia Montemurri, and Lori Higgins. "PARENTS, KIDS SCRAMBLE AS EDUCATION OPTIONS NARROW." Detroit Free Press. March 17, 2005. News A1. Retrieved on April 17, 2011. "U-D Jesuit will waive its transfer rules and accept transferring juniors from the closed schools if they have a 3.0 grade point average."
  3. ^ "http://www.mhsaa.com/sports/bsw/06d1finalap.htm". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); External link in |title= (help)
  4. ^ http://www.waszak.com/udswim/swimarchive.htm

Kerry Fino - Professional Chair Spinner

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