News

Two Spring break trips returned this year: the traditional trip to the Kino Border Initiative (KBI) in Nogales, Ariz. at the U.S./Mexico border, and a long-standing immersion trip to Yoro, Honduras.

One of the many changes around St. Louis U High, with the conclusion of spring break, is the yearly beginning of Inside SLUH Visits. Between this week and the middle of May, there will be 26 days of Inside SLUH visits.

Prospective seventh graders and their families have had opportunities to visit SLUH in Open Houses, athletic camps, and summer academic programs, but Inside SLUH Visits are the first opportunity they have to see everyday SLUH life up close and in person. 

Recently, chess has become one of the favorite games of the average St. Louis U. High student. With this growth in popularity, so too has SLUH’s Chess Club grown in success. Not long ago, the SLUH Chess team ventured to Columbia, Mo. to compete in the State Championships. For the first time ever, they brought home a trophy.

The State Championship for chess has been a weekend event for the last 25 years or so, yet SLUH had never sent any students to the competition until this year. The team sent by SLUH managed to snag fifth place in the tournament.

The St. Louis U. High Robotics team earned the runner up title at their regional tournament for the first time ever. 

On Thursday and Friday before Spring Break, the RoboBills headed to Chaifetz Arena to participate in the Charged Up tournament, one of the team’s most anticipated events of the year. Every year the task that the robot has to perform changes along with the criteria for constructing the robot. 

Members of the St. Louis U. High Band program spent Spring Break performing across Europe. The most notable of these performances was in Vatican City in front of Pope Francis himself. 

Eight seniors traveled to Spain and Italy for a Spring Break Ignatian Pilgrimage following the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola through mountains, caves, and churches. The group was accompanied by Director of Campus Ministry Matt Stewart, SJ, and theology teacher Mike Lally.

Four students and two teachers spent spring break traveling in Eastern Europe. This group took the opportunity to learn in much more depth the Cold War and what surrounded it.

(Left to right) Elliot Murray, Megan Menne, Cyrus Ranek, Lucas Hayden, Chase Hatch, Lindsey Ehret at the East Side Gallery in Berlin. photo | Petar Ljubich

Three ambitious Jr. Bills embarked on a trip to Taiwan over the course of spring break, staying with host families as they attended school and went sightseeing. The weeklong trip included a variety of activities, culinary experiences, and lasting memories for these Jr. Bills.

This immersion trip option was available only for students currently taking Chinese at St. Louis U. High. As they were eligible, seniors Patrick Brennan and Max Grellner and junior Lorenzo Gutting took advantage of this opportunity.

Julie Purschke, mother of senior Nicholas Purschke, appeared on KMOV last week to discuss her family’s organization, Knockout ALD, which raises money for research of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). The TV interview was organized after Missouri added ALD to newborn screening. Purschke spoke on the news about the work Knockout ALD has done to get to this point and their plans for the future.

With Chapel renovations under way, Saint Louis U. High’s daily Mass has sought sanctuary in the Theater Loge, allowing for the continuation of the morning Masses so important to many in the community. 

Seven St. Louis U. High seniors traveled to the campus of Saint Louis University after school last Wednesday to participate in the Academic WorldQuest competition, held by the World Affairs Council of St. Louis.

The St. Louis U. High Mothers Club hosted its 13th annual Mother-Son Trivia last Saturday. Over 700 guests attended the festivities, held in the Si Commons. 

After months of study, the St. Louis U. High Class of 2023 is taking the Seal of Biliteracy test this week, an all-encompassing final exam for students studying a foreign language. 

If you live in or around St. Louis, chances are you have encountered one of Brooks Goedecker’s projects. Drive under one of the Grove signs that stretch across Manchester? Watch a game at the new City Armory? Enjoy a meal at the City Foundry? All of these projects resulted in part from Goedecker’s dedication to improving St. Louis. Young Urban Planners hosted Goedecker, a 1998 graduate, on Monday to teach students about these large redevelopment projects and what they mean for the city.

As the Lenten season begins, the St. Louis U. High community welcomes the annual Fish Fry with great excitement. Traditionally, the Fish Fry brings people from all over together for a delicious meal. The Fish Fry the last two years had been adapted to fit the COVID protocols, but this year’s event marked a return to normal. People greeted by a joyful and speedy crew of students there to serve. Live music played throughout the night, and a focal point of the Fish Fry came from the drink and dessert counters.

Women play important roles at St. Louis U. High today. Teaching in the classroom, serving in leadership roles, moderating clubs, and coaching sports, the women of SLUH are a valuable and integral part of the community. But less than a century ago, women had yet to walk the halls as SLUH faculty. In 1957, SLUH hired its first female faculty member: librarian Irene Coyle. Coyle dedicated the rest of her life to the betterment of the SLUH community.

As the students and faculty of St. Louis U. High gathered in their Advisory classrooms Tuesday, they were met with the sound of the intercom calling classrooms down to the Commons. It was time for their summer reading to come full circle. Randy Ribay,  the author of Patron Saints of Nothing, had arrived at SLUH and was going to give a presentation to the whole school on various themes and topics surrounding the book. 

Early-morning yoga. Spirited spikeball matches. A nail-biting basketball game between the school’s biggest rivals. After months of planning and preparation, StuCo has shown up and shown out with another exciting Mission Week energized by a charitable mindset.

Senior Keller Anderson and his band played at the famed Duck Room at Blueberry Hill in University City last Friday night, on a stage once frequented by rock and roll legend Chuck Berry. In a vibrant performance, the band played a set of both original and cover songs to a standing room only audience of 180, who packed the venue for an evening of excellent live music.

The Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC) enjoyed  a four-day ski trip last week in Denver, Colo., and along the way explored different ranges while picking up various leadership qualities.