Remember when we could simply walk into the football stadium and see a packed crowd on a Friday night, or go buy a hot dog from the concession stand at intermission in a soccer game? Today, everywhere we go, we are temp-checked and asked about our contact with other people. 

To ensure the safest possible learning environment when students return to a hybrid schedule on Sept. 10, St. Louis U. High decided to upgrade the current HVAC system with state of the art equipment to provide both students and faculty with the best air quality the school has ever seen. The installation timeline for these upgrades is the reason the start of the hybrid in-person learning schedule was delayed.

As a boy, Saint Louis U. High principal Ian Gibbons, S.J. never thought that he would be a Jesuit priest. He definitely didn’t plan to be the principal and a social studies teacher at an all boys’ high school less than an hour away from his home town of Edwardsville, Ill. Yet, Gibbons has now been a part of the Jesuit order for 25 years, and in a one-of-a-kind beginning to the school year, he received his final vows at the first all-school Mass of 2020, officially completing his Jesuit formation process.

The Jesuit Central-Southern provincial, Fr. Tom Greene, S.J., along with SLUH President Alan Carruthers and SLUH Principal Ian Gibbons, S.J. signed the Jesuit sponsorship agreement at the Mass of the Holy Spirit on Aug. 18. The signing formally ended a year-long process that involved a thorough examination of SLUH to review its focus on the Jesuit tradition and mission.

As the school year gets underway, St. Louis U. High welcomes back Giuseppe Vitellaro, ’15 as a part of the Alumni Service Corps (ASC) who will be joining the newly expanded communications department. Vitellaro hopes to use this year to immerse himself in campus ministry, help the Prep News, and potentially help moderate the SLUH Media Group, all while he discerns his next steps in life. 

Although perhaps originally motivated by them, it is far more than familial ties that brings new Advancement Project Assistant Julie Devoti to St. Louis U. High.

Like many Americans, Sam Glass had to adjust his career plans during the COVID-19 pandemic. He made his way to St. Louis U. High through the Alumni Service Corps and will be helping the Athletics Department this year.

Saint Louis U. High welcomes Ryan Doyle to the community as he works as the Digital Media Specialist, a new position that was created  to further with SLUH’s goal of having a stronger media presence.