Welcome back to the Jesuit Ranger Experience Podcast. Today, we are going to do a series on who we are behind the mic for our viewers to get to know us a little bit better. Ben Eppich ’24, my fellow co-host, and I sat down to talk about the start of his senior year and a get to know you section for people that don’t know him, and how we started the podcast as a whole. I’m very grateful to get to do this with him. Also, we have decided to link a transcript for anyone who would instead read it for future podcasts moving forward.

In the near future, we are in the works of doing a club profile and a teacher profile that should be great! Let us know if you have any ideas, feel free to email either Ben or I or find us in B107 in Dr. Degen’s room on Monday during community time.

 

 

Transcript:

 

Ben Eppich: [00:00:00] Hi welcome everyone to the Jesuit experience podcast. I’m Ben Eppich and I’m with Griffin Taber. And, , today we’re going to do a little spotlight on me. 

Griffin Taber: Yeah. So I thought it would have been a great idea for people that don’t really know Ben because, initially it was my idea ,and I took it to Ben because Ben and I, at the time, junior year, took the same sacraments class and we had, we both had Mr.

Rodriguez and I found out that Ben was interested in doing it and from right from there, I knew this was going to be successful. So, you know, let’s, let’s, kick it off. So first question for Ben, for anybody that doesn’t know, Ben, uh, Ben obviously is my cohost on this podcast, but he does a lot of behind the scenes work for what we do.

Uh, he edits. He helps me come up with ideas along with just suggesting, new information for us ahead of, school. You know, for example, student profiles like what we’re doing right now, faculty [00:01:00] profiles, um, you know, covering overall Jesuit student life news. But, yeah, I mean, let’s kick it off. So, first question, Ben, for people that don’t know you, what do you do?

What extracurriculars, what are you most excited about for the rest of the senior year? 

Ben Eppich: Yeah, so I’m on the water polo team, which is, it’s a lot of fun, it’s a lot of work. takes up a lot of my time, lots of mornings and afternoons. Um, but I love it, it’s really fun. , I’m a captain. Uh, all the guys are, you know, hard working, show up to practice.

, I also, , I’m really excited about my service this year. I work at the, Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. Downtown, where I’m a tour guide. Um, it’s a super cool museum. I went when I was in like, 6th grade. And they kind of like, redid it. And it’s first time I went through it, I was like, Oh my god, this is super cool.

Um, I’m trying to think of, Think of 

Griffin Taber: things. You do a lot. Yeah, 

Ben Eppich: obviously I do the podcast. It’s [00:02:00] very fun, super easy to just like, you know, crank these out and have a lot of fun doing it with Griff. Um, I have a quick question 

Griffin Taber: for you. Yeah. Funny enough that you mentioned the Holocaust Museum. My teacher, my history teacher, my social studies teacher at St.

John’s, I, for anybody that doesn’t know, I went to St. John’s Episcopal School from 7th to 8th grade and Ben went to Good Shepherd before we both arrived at Jesuit, but wanted to ask you this because my 7th grade social studies teacher, Will Carroll’s mom. She, she, she does, she now, she used to work at the Perot Museum, I believe.

I could be wrong. But, now she’s running the, like, Holocaust Museum, like, volunteering, , programs. I don’t know if that’s right or not. But, um, yeah, tell us about your experience so far. You know, it’s only been a couple weeks, but what have you enjoyed, what have you learned, and what do you, what do you like about it?

Yeah, I 

Ben Eppich: really like just [00:03:00] um, I think I’ve had a lot of, I’ve been really lucky at Jesuit to have a lot of like hands on like service experiences whether it’s like doing ESL tutoring for uh, refugees, Like helping out the homeless, or , one of the things I did last year was 

I repaired bikes. Yeah. What was it? What’s that one called? Spokes for folks. Um. I didn’t know that was a thing. Yeah, so that, that one, so there’s a lot of like hands on, like doing things. Whereas this one’s more like, I guess more like big picture, like kind of helping, people. Because at museums, like, it sounds like it would be a really sad thing.

Obviously, like, the Holocaust is a really sad event. But there’s like, the, I guess, like, the spirit of the museum is more uplifting. And it’s like, kind of, showing, like, how all these things happen. Like, the dangers in society that lead to these things happening. And trying to educate people. So, like, it’s…

usually like young, , young tour groups that come in, like school kids. And so we, you know, show them around. And [00:04:00] then, uh, there’s a big theme in the, museum of being an upstander, not a bystander. Um, so like not just, just because you’re not. Doing something bad if you’re letting it happen. Yeah, that’s it’s still buy not acting you’re acting So just kind of like I feel like it’s really making a difference and like kind of flipping the perspective of a lot of people .

I think a lot of people nowadays have a sort of selfish not like that’s not their fault Just how like society is Which kind of like, forces people to look at their life at a different view. And I, I think I definitely have been able to, you know, do that a little bit more. Um, since I started working there.

And so I’m just, I’m really excited about that opportunity. 

Who else do you deal with? 

Morgan McMillan, uh, David McDonnell, Max Bensing. I know he’s doing it cause, uh, Will Carol’s mom recommended him to do it. Um. Uh, Daniel Minster’s the uh, site leader, and there’s a couple other people, but yeah, it’s, [00:05:00] it’s really, 

Griffin Taber: it’s really fun.

What’s really funny is I remember during that, I don’t know if you were there, it was like a junior, it was one of like the junior meetings that we had in the spring, and I remember, I haven’t seen my, I haven’t seen Miss Carol in a long, long time. She was like, you know, really recommending me to do it. I want to say it was my second choice for like, for senior service.

So for anybody that doesn’t know and is, you know, unfamiliar about how service works at Jesuit, your senior year, um, you have to complete an intensive on the weekends or in the summer before your senior year begins. And on Wednesdays, you pledge and commit to working at an agency. Three hours a day. Three hours a day.

It kind of depends on what hours and where it is, but yeah, so for me, uh, I tutor, uh, kids at this elementary school north of, uh, Lovefield airport. Um, it’s called, I want to say it’s Stephen Foster Elementary and [00:06:00] a group of guys, uh, we, we tutor. Kids with the reading partners program. Um, yeah, I did that 

Ben Eppich: sophomore year. 

Griffin Taber: It’s a great program. Not because you’re helping kids, but you see, you see learning, um, really pay off for these kids because some of these kids are behind some of these kids. Should be at a 2nd, 3rd, 4th grade reading level, but they’re at a kindergarten reading level with phonics, reading comprehension.

Um, I’m not, I was going to ask Ben a following question, but I remembered something. I mean, for me, specifically with that, uh, it’s a great opportunity for me to, you know, get to know my fellow brothers. But I was at that point too. I have a learning difference. Um, it’s, it’s similar to dyslexia, but it.

Revolves around your speech language processing disorder with phonics and reading comprehension. So for me to help Mentor and tutor these kids that I see every week. It really means a lot to me But this service and [00:07:00] social justice really are a huge part of what we do here And I’m very thankful and I bet Ben is too.

I mean, that’s a great experience. Yeah What else? Oh, yeah Ben so water polo We’ve had countless discussions about water polo, you know the time commitments The time commitment is a lot. You guys are in, you know, really, really good shape. You guys are, you guys are lifting, correct? 

Ben Eppich: Yeah, we lift twice a week before practice, which is before school, and then we practice again after.

You lift before practice. So we lift from 6 to 7, practice 7 to 8, go to school, and then practice again after school. 

Griffin Taber: So wait, I want to, I want to know this because I’ve had to do this before. When you lift, so you lift obviously before practice. Does it feel weird to, you know, you, you’re lifting up in Dell, you go right down to the goal and swim and compete.

Like what is, what is the feeling of working, you know, with weights and then you go [00:08:00] directly into the pool? Like, is that kind of odd? 

Ben Eppich: It is. Does it take some time to adjust? It is kind of odd. Um, but I do just say it is like kind of nice if you get, you know, if you get a good workout in the Dell, which is the weight room, um, you get really, uh, you get really warm and like sweaty obviously.

So jumping in a cold pool, um. It feels really refreshing. Also, like, I don’t know if you’ve ever, like, noticed this, but when you’re swimming, it, like, if you’re sore, it kind of, like, loosens you up a little bit. So, it’s actually kind of, like, a good recovery from the workouts. Um, you know, it’s always, like, the danger of, like, overworking, but I feel like…

I’m so used to that routine now, like I’m pretty much it’s ingrained in your schedule. My body just used to 

Griffin Taber: it. And that’s especially with a heavy extracurricular here at Jesuit. Um, like Ben said, you know, you can get involved in many, many ways. And I think one thing Ben tell us you started water polo.

What 

Ben Eppich: year? I started, uh, right before my sophomore year. So we [00:09:00] actually COVID year. Um, didn’t have a water polo team, so we didn’t have one because water polo used to be a spring sport, so they didn’t do, we didn’t have practice. They didn’t have a team when we were in 8th grade because color just started and there was like nothing going on.

And then our freshman year, they didn’t have anyone that wanted to coach it. So then, when the goal got built, the person they hired to do, pretty much like maintain the goal, keep it, um, you know, like running and like the pool at the right level. And he happens to be like a super qualified water polo coach.

Like he played college water polo. He’s coached water polo for like, like over 20 years, like a college level. Like he’s like, he’s an amazing coach. So I just kind of like convenient that they hired him at the same time. And then right at that same time, uh, One of my friends who plays club water polo was like, Hey, we’re starting a, I swam freshman year and he was like, Oh, we’re [00:10:00] starting a, they started a water polo team.

Like you should just like come try it out. And it was really tough, but I mean, I liked the sport. It was, you know, it was something I think I kind of have like a, if I’m bad at something, like off the bat, I feel like I need to like become good at the thing. So I kind of, that kind of like drove me to be like.

Oh, I want to be like the best I can be at this. So I kind of just, I went to like every practice for, I want to say, I think my sophomore year I didn’t miss a single, I missed one practice and that was for an AP exam. Um, Talk about 

Griffin Taber: commitment, ladies and 

Ben Eppich: gentlemen. Come on. Um, but then yeah, I just, you know, work my tail off, try to be the best water polo player I can be.

Griffin Taber: And You know, like Ben said, Waterpolo is a, I mean, they started, they built the natatorium our sophomore year, am I right? Yeah. Like, going into our sophomore 

Ben Eppich: year. It got finished the, like, April of our freshman year, but no [00:11:00] one was swimming in it until the summer. 

Griffin Taber: Right. And I think that’s a great opportunity for anybody interested, you know, please contact Ben by his email.

I’ll link that in the, uh, article, but yeah, a couple of other things, Ben. For people that don’t know you, how would you describe, you know, your words? How would you describe, like, if you could give yourself three words to describe yourself, what would it be? If you had to. That’s tough. 

Ben Eppich: Um, I’d say, if we’re on the spot like that.

Griffin Taber: know. I to come up with 

Ben Eppich: this question. I’d say like, inquisitive, like I, like curious. I guess it’s like the same thing, but just like, I feel like I’m kind of a nerd about stuff. And if there’s something that I’m like, that interests me, I’m like, Oh, I want to learn all about that , when I was little I read like a comic book, I was like, oh that’s cool.

And then I, you know, I could tell you every single story about , I don’t know, like The Flash or like Spider Man or [00:12:00] whatever. But um, it definitely like applies to like academics, like there’s a topic that I’m really interested in. Like, I could just go like read about that for two hours straight and be like, oh, that was a good day.

Um, and then, I guess, you know, I think everyone has to kind of fight laziness, and I think, you know, everyone fights laziness, but I think I, I try to give myself like, like a structure to prevent myself from being lazy, I think that’s why a water polo is really good for me, because it is such a strict schedule, so I get, you know, yeah, there’s times, like today, I didn’t want to wake up at, 5 in the morning to, you know, wake up before, yeah, but I made a commitment to do it so I’m gonna go do it.

Yeah, 100%. Um, and I guess just, I think I’m just like pretty open to try new things, like, I mean, I feel like every time someone asks me if I want to do something, I’m just like, yeah, sure. [00:13:00] Um, like, whether that was like freshman retreat leader, or like big brothers. Oh, you did that? I did, yeah. It was. How was it?

It was pretty good. Yeah, I had a really really saw a group group of guys I was kind of nervous beforehand and they were like not gonna want to participate but Everyone was like, yeah participating and yeah, I was really proud of 

Griffin Taber: how they were I mean freshman retreat talk about a couple years ago. Um, yeah, I definitely remember that feeling It was I wouldn’t say it was awkward by any means.

I think it’s a really Deep connection with who you, who you like, who you’re obviously, who obviously your leader is. Um, what, what, what activities do you guys do? How did it work? I mean, obviously, you know, it was a couple of years ago for us. Like what was, uh, anything new that stood out to you at all? I 

Ben Eppich: think I appreciate most of the activities were like from what I remember from ours was we’re pretty similar, but the one, I guess I [00:14:00] sort of thing that I feel like we kind of missed out on, it wasn’t anyone’s fault just cause you know, COVID policies.

Um, was we got to eat lunch together, like, and then we got to play, go play, um, like Ranger ball or like soccer as like a, like with our groups, um, which I thought was super cool. to kind of get a break from all the, like the deep discussions and just like kind of have fun. And I think that made it really easy the second part of the day to like really, really, cause that’s the part that like really opens up.

Right. Um, so I thought that was like the main thing that like. Enhance the experience for my guys. 

Griffin Taber: Definitely. Like, the plexiglass, I mean, that’s, that was around for our freshman year, maybe a quarter of our first semester. I mean, it was, it took a while for that plexiglass to come down. I mean, that freshman, sophomore year, we were in and out of our house, here.[00:15:00] 

It was chaos, but I’m glad you got to enjoy that. I was, I didn’t realize you did it, but, you know, same thing with Big Brothers, too. I mean, Big Brothers is a great organization that Mr. Murphy and Mr. Patterson run that help transition freshmen into, you know, the rest of the semester moving forward. What, how has your experience been with that?

I also do it, too, but I just want to hear your perspective about it. Yeah, I think 

Ben Eppich: it’s, like, super cool. I’m kind of bummed out, just, uh… The way, kind of the way of the, my schedule’s worked out, I’ve had, uh, I’ve had a lot of like, off campus water polo tournaments. And they just happen to fall on the days that we’ve had Big Brothers, so.

I haven’t been to every single meet. I think I missed like two. But, I’ve tried, every time I’ve been here, I’ve, I’m trying to make it and, um, yeah, same thing as freshman retreat. I think it’s just really good to kind of, you know, give the, give everyone, even people [00:16:00] that like you think are having like, have it pretty easy or like adjusting well, like everyone needs a little bit of structure and support.

So absolutely don’t mind sacrificing a little of my time to make sure everyone feels like part of the community. 

Griffin Taber: It’s huge. Yeah, I mean, Big Brothers is like what I was mentioning about freshman retreat. It’s changed drastically. Um, you know, with the homeroom games, the slideshow we present every Friday, I mean, it’s a lot to take in because, I mean, you gotta realize in the perspective of a freshman, you’re looking up at a guy that’s been here for more than four years, almost four, you know.

Yeah, a long time. A long time. You know, it’s a little intimidating. I mean, you know, you’re in the, you’re in the seat of guys that have graduated. It’s, it’s a little intimidating. You’re in an all boys environment unless you transferred from another Jesuit school across the country. But yeah, I mean, I’ve really enjoyed my homeroom.

I mean, we have, it’s, it’s, tell you what, it’s, it’s a, [00:17:00] it’s new every time I walk in. It’s really good to like connect and get to know these freshmen because You know, and not even six, seven, six, seven months from now, we’re off. I mean, we’re, we’re, we’re on to college, which is a huge, you know, task ahead. But one last thing, um, Ben, for people that don’t know, where are you looking at for college?

What, what do you hope to pursue with degrees and whatnot? What are you thinking? 

Ben Eppich: Well, I really hope, , I just go somewhere that kind of, uh, kind of what I said earlier, like, forces me to kind of be the best version of myself, um, and stay open to, try new things. Definitely, I think I’m leaning to an economics major.

Okay. I took summer economics and I thought that was a super interesting class. And I even switched my theology to justice economics just to get, to get a little more of that, uh, taste of that before college. See if that’s a, like, discern [00:18:00] if that’s what I want to do. Um, yeah, uh, obviously my top choice is, I mean I’m wearing my Notre Dame tie and, and belt.

Um, so obviously Notre Dame. Uh, both my parents and my, both of my parents and my brother went there. Spent my whole life rooting for Notre Dame. , I hope we get in. I feel like I’ve, I feel like I’ve put, I’ve worked the hardest I could have to give like the best application to them. So, I’m not gonna have any.

Regrets if I don’t get in. I did the best I could do and, um, yeah, and I feel like, um, even if I’m not at Notre Dame, uh, any of the other schools I’m applying to, um, I’m just gonna work to be the best version of myself and, uh, whatever is meant to be is meant to be. Like, uh, I’m, yeah, so, 

Griffin Taber: I mean, just because, yeah, since we’re in that process right now, it’s, It’s a lot.

Applications are a lot for, you know, juniors right now. I’m just [00:19:00] warning you, it’s a lot of work. I mean, balancing school, extracurricular, sports, plus doing applications. I mean, I try to do my applications on the weekends. It’s really, I think it’s more of knocking out the short supplemental essays that restrict you from writing more than 500 words.

Those essays are, like Ben was telling me recently, that Notre Dame or some school is, uh, Like the word limit on one question is like 150 words and I can’t imagine talking about a huge topic like what has been your biggest challenge or what has impacted you the most and having to like concisely, I mean concisely, like you got to concisely put like 10, 10 sentences, 10 sentences, maybe, I mean, that’s, that’s a lot to distinguish and identify for someone that’s looking at your application to take in.

So, um, it’s 

Ben Eppich: definitely a skill you gotta, you know, kind of get better at, but yeah. Um, also I think we’re got two minutes till the bell, so might need to wrap this up kind of 

Griffin Taber: soon. I didn’t [00:20:00] realize that. But despite that, I just wanted to thank Ben for his time. Obviously. I’m glad we got to, you know, for the viewers to get to know you a little bit more, and what you’re interested in, and what you hope to do in the future.

And just wanted to thank you for your time. Thanks 

Ben Eppich: for interviewing me. For anyone wondering, , I will be,, interviewing Griffin, giving him the same treatment. but yeah, I just wanted to let you guys know, like… So, you know, if you’re listening to us talk, you know, a little bit about us. Um, yeah, obviously you see me and Griffin in the hallway and you need help. Just feel free to talk to us.

We’re always happy to help. 

Griffin Taber: Absolutely. Likewise, what Ben said, we’re always here. Um, I just felt like on my end, I feel like, you know, we never really got to introduce. We kind of went right in full speed and the, into the podcast. Um, and we just wanted to. You know, for people that don’t know Ben and I, we just wanted to clarify some things.

So, we’re really thankful for that. But, we’ll see you next time. Thank you for joining in. Griff and Ben signing out.[00:21:00]

Stay tuned to the Roundup for more episodes in the future!