It was a dark and overcast night. A sea of Vineyard Vines frocket t-shirts (shirts with pockets on the front) and Sperry top-siders approached Jesuit. The strong mixture of cologne and perfume filled the heavy air. A storm was brewing, both inside and outside the Terry Center. The Freshman Mixer had started.
On Saturday, September 6, 2014, Jesuit hosted the annual Freshman Mixer exclusively for freshman from Jesuit and Ursuline. The party invites the newly enrolled students to the dance floor to relax and melt away their worries about being freshmen. This year’s theme was Jesuit Athletics/School Spirit, in an effort to expose the freshmen to some of the many enjoyable extracurricular activities. The dance from 7-10 p.m. featured D.J. Jabron setting the mood. The music playlist ranged from upbeat dance/techno to country to classic rock. As Assistant Principal Mr. Mark Knize can attest, this year’s dance was by far the “best mixer ever!”
Jesuit’s Student Council sponsors the Mixer and puts in many hours to plan, prepare, and set up the dance, making sure everything is ready for the guests. Eleven members of Student Council led by Student Body President Zander Erturkuner ’16 and Vice President Garrett Amy ’15 arrived at the Terry Center around 4 p.m. that afternoon. Immediately, they began to organize and arrange tables, decorations, poker and blackjack tables, and stock the concession stand with an assortment of snacks.
Adding excitement to the evening, Student Council raffled off prizes near the end, a Jesuit tradition. This year, the club gave away a pair of navy blue Beats 2.0 headphones, charcoal black Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses, and a classic navy blue Jesuit belt with gold J’s inscribed. This feature of the dance acts as somewhat of a grand finale, for once the raffle concludes, the lights come on and the music stops.
When asked what he liked most about the dance, Student Council’s moderator and English teacher Mr. Colin Hanley replied that he “liked it when one of the Jesuit freshmen won the headphones and was so excited that he jumped onto the stage. I also liked seeing the faculty come and support the student council event. The M&M cookies were great too.” Freshman Josh Betanzos said that, “ I had a great time. I got to meet lots of new people and hang out with my friends. My favorite part of the dance was playing at the poker tables…the dance was very well executed.”
The Freshman Mixer would not have been as successful without the help of Mr. Hanley, Mr. Kieth Reese, Mr. Matt Duross, Mr. Andrew Katz, Mr. Timothy Howard, Mr. Tim Murphy, Mr. Tim Host, Mr. Corey Marr, Mr. Mark Knize, Ms. Vanessa Jones, and many others. These faculty members willingly volunteered on a Saturday night to help check-in students and monitor the event. Mr. Hanley said that he likes helping out at the dance because he thinks that “the Mixer is a good way to kick off the school year for the Jesuit community, and it gives me an excuse to show off my righteous dance moves.”
Kicking off the Jesuit school year, the Freshman Mixer acts as a beginning milestone for the students, successfully “initiating” them into the Jesuit and Ursuline community. Looking forward, the members of Jesuit’s Student Council anxiously await hosting Jesuit’s upcoming Student Homecoming Dances on October 25, Ranger Day on October 31, and Alumni Homecoming on November 1.
