You have a partner who
You have a partner who is The primary care physicians of Providence and Providence Park Hospitals never stop caring about you and your family. We are on your side, listening carefully to you and caring for your needs. To make an appointment with a high quality primary care physician, call 866-501-DOCS. We’ll work together with you to find the most appropriate doctor for you and your family. www.stjohn.org A P A S S I O N f o r H E A L I N G HOSPITALS IN SOUTHFIELD AND NOVI 34 CHALDEAN NEWS NOVEMBER 2009
HIGH SCHOOL highlights U of D Jesuit: ‘Men for Others’ By Caroline M. Bacall A historical site all its own, U of D Jesuit High School and Academy was founded in 1877 by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), and is currently the oldest secondary school in Detroit. Standing as the only all-male Catholic college-prep high school within the city, U of D Jesuit serves grades 7-12 with 110 students attending the academy (grades 7-8), while 670 students are enrolled in the high school. Known to push their students to be intellectual and studious individuals, U of D Jesuit accepts only the best of students’ efforts. Junior Brandon Kassab from West Bloomfield has maintained an average 3.8 grade-point average (GPA). “It’s definitely one of the hardest schools, and one of the best in the state,” said Kassab, who is involved in Student Senate and enrolled in Honors Geometry and Honors Spanish. In addition to academics, Kassab has been a dedicated hockey player since age 5, and has been a part of the U of D Jesuit Cubs JV hockey team since his freshman year. Kassab plans to be on the varsity team this upcoming season. Vincent Shallal, a senior from Bloomfield Hills, remembers contemplating his decision on where to attend high school. “People I knew from St. Regis were going to Brother Rice, which is right across the street,” he said. A number of Shallal’s relatives are U of D Jesuit graduates, including his father, two uncles, his older brother and a few cousins. “I still had a choice of where I want to go, but my family had a lot to do with my decision. U of D was a new start for me,” he said. Shallal played for Jesuit’s hockey team his freshman and sophomore year, joined U of D’s wrestling team his junior year, and is this year’s president of the Arabic Club, an after-school program. Younger brother Anthony Shallal, a sophomore, is also involved in the Arabic Club. The program is open to all students at U of D who want to learn more about the Middle Eastern culture. About 30 students attend the once-a-semester field trip to an Arabic restaurant and enjoy ethnic foods while discussing the culture of the Middle East. photo by David Reed Current Jesuit students include: Andrew Hanna, Aaron Rife, Christian Bashi, Robby Wilson, Michael Yono, Jonathan Toma, Anthony Shallal, Joey Kittel, Brandon Kassab, Daniel Savaya, Andrew Bituin and Vincent Shallal. A guest speaker is also invited during the semester to communicate his or her own extensive knowledge about the culture. With Jesuit’s diverse student body, equality is easily promoted and cliques are not apparent. “If you were just walking down the halls, you would never know who’s friends with who,” Shallal said. This year being his last, Shallal reflected on the friendships he has built. “My senior year has just started and I’m already thinking about what I’m going to miss,” he said. Student achievements during and after school hours have been connected with the perception of Jesuit’s academic difficulty, which is universal among current students and alumni alike. Shallal explained how Jesuit graduates come back during their break from college and tell students how U of D prepared them for the college workload. “They’ve said that even though they didn’t realize it while they were in school, it was the best thing their parents ever did for them,” he said. Anthony Oraha, a 2008 graduate from West Bloomfield, attended Jesuit since seventh grade. He received a full ride to Wayne State University with an outstanding 3.9 GPA. Oraha spoke about how U of D has been the best experience of his life thus far. “It is the strongest Catholic academic school in the state by far and offered a concrete base for college,” he said. “I remember seeing teachers helping students until 9:00 at night. They were always, always available for help.” Jesuit has a number of noteworthy graduates in the Chaldean community, including: Terry, Ronny, Larry and Tommy Farida; Fred Najor; Victor Saroki; Jack Shallal; Jim Shallal; Joseph Shallal (whose three sons also attend); Andrew Zaituna; and Paul Garmo and Peirre Konja, who are both now in seminary to become Chaldean priests. Cary Piligian was an outstanding pitcher on the baseball team. Jesuit students are taught to be “Men for Others”; it is the primary goal of the school to prepare each and every student to be a leader. By the time of graduation, the school aims to instill in its seniors five key values: to be intellectual, loving, religious, open to growth, and committed to doing justice. Through Jesuit education, young men are taught to take initiative and engage in the world as leaders, not just to observe it. UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL & ACADEMY 8400 S. Cambridge Avenue Detroit, MI 48221 Phone: (313) 862-5400 TOTAL POPULATION: 780 students CHALDEAN PERCENTAGE: Less than 1 percent NOTEWORTHY CHALDEANS: Brandon Kassab, Vincent Shallal, Joey Kittel, Anthony Shallal, Andrew Hanna NOVEMBER 2009 CHALDEAN NEWS 35
