We know our fans have probably been asking themselves why we have yet to review arguably our biggest rival? To that we say, stop asking questions. Luckily for you folks, the time has come. Infamous for their Under Armour CEO Alum and pro-life club, we finally took on Saint John’s College High School.
When we entered SJC we were immediately greeted by a Christmas tree comparable to that of Rockefeller Center (as we continued our tour we saw 10 more). Next to the tree sat something we most definitely don’t have at Jackson-Reed: a chapel.
Being a De La Salle high school, St. Johns’ religion definitely shines through; from the personal chapel to the infinite amount of crosses and, of course, their slogan: “Live Jesus In Our Hearts Forever.” Students are required to take a religion course every year and classes are supposed to recite a prayer each period. Every couple months or so, grade levels gather for a collective mass in the auditorium (seeing as the chapel is too small), which is really just a big room with a small stage and classroom chairs.
It can’t go without saying that St. John’s is a massive sports school, and boy do their facilities reflect it, from their three different turf fields to the large building dedicated to athletics. This building contains not only two basketball courts, but a slew of locker rooms for different sports, a wing dedicated to sports medicine, and a recovery room with hot and ice baths. Crazy.
Unlike JR, students are subject to before or after school detention. Cadets can get detention for using airpods, looking at their phone, or incorrectly sporting their uniform. If you haven’t seen them roaming around Tenleytown, their uniforms consist of a white collared shirt with khakis or a gray plaid skirt (usually paired with some sort of pajama or sweat pants underneath).
Jackson-Reed students might be surprised to find that once the bell rings, anytime between 2-2:50 p.m., students do not immediately run out of the building. In fact, it’s a common social norm to hangout in the cafeteria and common areas. I guess they just can’t get enough? Although most people stick around for sports practice. Shocker.
For those who do leave after school, they can all be seen leaving in their very own cars, on par with the preppy stereotype the school so bravely upholds. There are so many cars, in fact, that three whole parking lots and even a field are full. Although, this does make sense considering at least 50% of the student population lives in Bethesda, Potomac, or Gaithersburg.
But don’t try to leave school early, you will get caught and probably get detention, again. Students are not allowed off campus for any reason during the school day, even lunch. The security guards have guns, which probably strikes fear in students’ hearts, and strikes shock and worry in ours.
As we conclude, we want to note a few memorable parts of the school. First off they have an aquarium. We wonder if the fish play sports? They also have a hallway lined with class photos from the 1800s till present day, a huge bell that is rung when students graduate, a school store the size of two Jackson-Reed classrooms combined, a display of cadet corps memorabilia, and of course, iPads seen in every kid’s hand.
