Age Quod Agis - Jesuit High School

Campus Corner
In a weekly tradition known as “Friday Forum,” Ms.
Festine encouraged her students to speak openly and
honestly about the real issues in their lives. Students
looked forward to Ms. Festine’s classroom as a safe place
to clarify key questions as they crossed the threshold from
adolescence to adulthood. Ms. Festine also served as the
moderator of Jesuit’s Political Awareness Club, helping
students explore current topics from a variety of political
angles.
Says Ms. Festine of her time at Jesuit: “Real education is
about discovery, and Jesuit encourages each of us, students
and staff alike, to discover what is best within ourselves and
then to act on it. It’s a place where people love you and you
love them back. What could be better?”
Ms. Festine is looking forward to spending as much
time as possible with her new grandchild. Sra. Smith plans
to travel to Croatia in October as well as spend two weeks
in Costa Rica in February. Mrs. Harwood is going to France
for three weeks this fall. Mr. Fykes will spend the majority
of his time on art projects.
Don’t be surprised if you see any of these teachers in
the halls over the next few years. All of them would love
to substitute teach from time to time. These teachers have
been an integral part of the Jesuit community for many
years and will be truly missed.
Appeared in the May 2010 Issue of the Jesuit Crusader (except for the tribute
to Maggie Festine written by Paul Hogan).
Supreme Court Goes to School
BY CArL COTA-rOBLeS ‘10
Kirsten Bell ‘12 and Bianca Bumpers ‘12 chat with JHS Board Chair mike
Kelley and Oregon Supreme Court Associate Justice Thomas Balmers.
Students in the Speech and Debate class hosted the seven Supreme Court
justices for lunch after the court heard two cases in the Knight Gym.
On Monday, February 22, the seven justices of the
Supreme Court of Oregon came to Jesuit High School to
hear two official cases in the Knight Gym.
The administration created a new class schedule that
included 30 minute classes and a lunch period at 9:50 a.m.
so that students could hear the cases.
• 10 •
For many of the justices, being able to come into
high schools is an important experience that teaches the
community about the court system and its importance.
“It’s important to touch different parts of the
community and to meet people,” said Justice Rives Kistler.
The first case, State ex rel. Juvenile Department of
Clackamas County v. M.A.D., focused on the issue of
whether a public school needed probable cause or just
reasonable cause to search a student. The second case, State
of Oregon v. Michael James Blair, focused on the issue of
whether felony murder has a minimum mental state of
criminal negligence when causing another’s death.
Students felt that the first case was a lot easier to follow
and easier to relate to than the second.
The question and answer sessions at the end of each
case were a highlight for many students.
“I liked how guests from Beaverton and Westview got
to ask questions too,” said junior Georgie Loennig.
These questions ranged from being about how the
Supreme Court operates to being about the justices
themselves.
During a luncheon that followed, the justices got
the chance to meet and talk with students about their
experiences.
The newest justice on the Supreme Court, Virginia
Linder, became interested in law during her high school
general government social studies class. But because not
many women went into law during that time, Linder began
her career by pursuing a teaching degree from Southern
Oregon University.
“I had never even heard of a woman lawyer,” said
Linder.
A few years later, Linder decided to take a risk and went
for her law degree at Willamette University, graduating in
1980.
Another justice, Martha Lee Walters, became interested
in law during her sociology class at the University of Oregon
because she felt it would be concrete. She later realized it
was something that required a lot of interpretation.
Chief Justice Paul De Muniz agrees that law requires a
lot of interpretation.
The most interesting aspect of law, Muniz says, is “trying
to interpret the laws according to what the legislature
intended.”
Kistler didn’t become interested in law until nearly
seven years after graduating from college. Because he felt
law would be an interesting field to go into, he enrolled in
the Georgetown University Law Center.
One of the things Kistler enjoys most about law is
solving disagreements that arise and finding answers.
“Being asked to try to find that answer...I feel really
lucky to have that role,” said Kistler.
Appeared in the March 2010 Issue of the Jesuit Crusader.