Orange Ya Glad to be Pro-Life?
Orange Out and the March for Life
By Tory Nagel, Class of 2012
Loud music blares through the John Paul the Great gymnasium as the varsity basketball team
enters wearing orange warm-up shirts. Fans sit silently and anxiously, filling the bleachers
waiting for the team to reach the magic number, thirteen.
On Friday December 16, Pope
John Paul the Great held an
Orange Out basketball game in
honor of Sarah Jakielski who died
of Leukemia only three days
earlier. Students from all the
schools in the diocese along with
local public schools covered
themselves in all things orange
from shoelaces to orange ponchos
in the name of Sarah and
Leukemia awareness. Suddenly,
the fans jump to their feet and
cheer with an enthusiasm that the
school has never experienced
before. Considering Sarah died on December 13th, the team scored its thirteenth point in
celebration and honor of Sarah’s life and memory.
Since Sarah’s death, the John Paul community has been committed to celebrating life
more than ever. Many months later, students still wear orange in Sarah’s remembrance and
pray daily for Jack Sarchet, the three-year-old son of the school’s football coach who has been
diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Ribbons reading “Sarah J” can still be found
pinned to polo shirts and sweaters while cheerleaders where wide orange ribbons and
basketball players wear their neon orange shoelaces. “The environment around the school
certainly has changed since Sarah’s passing,” remarks Senior Elizabeth Kestermann, “people
seem to be a lot more alive with a love for life regardless of condition and hardship”.
The perfect example of this love can be found in John Paul making the March for Life a
school wide fieldtrip with over four buses filled with students being taken into DC to protest Roe
v. Wade.
Sophomore Blake Allen says “while marching I wasn’t just thinking about protecting life,
but loving it even in times of physical and emotional pain, I was thinking about how life is
beautiful and should be defended and celebrated in all stages and circumstances”.
This more tenacious and steadfast love for life seems to have infected the school and
can only grow from here. Many students believe events like the Orange Out will become
tradition because with the school only being open three and a half years we are still building our
foundation on a love and appreciation for life and each other.
Students and teachers will never forget the energy and enthusiasm at the Orange Out.
Nor will they ever forget Sarah. However, most importantly, Pope John Paul the Great will never
forget the significance of life and the gift of community. To rally and find joy in times of hardship
can be a difficult task if one attempts to do so alone, however, as a part of a community united
in faith, all things are possible.