The Prep Pulse

Generosity to Magnanimity...

Are we only doing things generously or is our doing a contemplative act that urges magnanimity? The quiet moments at Creighton Prep during this Christmas filled me with deep gratitude for everything that happens here. Moments of such calmness in a place such as Prep are few and far between. I wonder if anyone except a Jesuit who stays back during the breaks has the privilege to perambulate around Prep, relishing and savoring the richness that Prep treasures in its hallways and well-constructed utilitarian precincts.

It is during these times that one listens to the walls at Prep that speak. They are loud. Really loud. Oh! We can’t hear them with our ears but with our eyes and our hearts. This Christmas break, as I listened to these personified walls, I could see the wide, ongoing spread of our branches, but I was left pondering about the depth of our roots, the grounded in mission part of this year’s theme.

Everything that newly titivates our hallways is fabulous. Yet, this Christmas, I was drawn one evening to pause, reflect and listen with deep admiration to the giants on whose shoulders Prep stands. This visual narrative, showcasing Prep’s legacy, milestones and culture through graphics, photos and timelines, shines forth on the walls opposite the Hall of Fame Room. You cannot pass by this demonstration without a deep chord being struck within you as you witness there the historic highlights of major expansions, improvements and developments over the years at Prep.

A realization dawned.

We can become so consumed with doing good that we forget to become good. There lies a subtle danger in our culture of constant achievement and generous service. Is our enthusiasm to continue structural development (or any other development) at the cost of qualitative growth? Are we becoming victims of the competition around us? Are we, like every other educational institution today, looking ahead without focusing on the present? Are we becoming people of depth or merely people of motion?

Look at our roots…

St. Ignatius understood this peril intimately. We recognize that the Spiritual Exercises are not a manual for ceaseless activity, but rather a school of discernment, teaching us to find God in all things precisely by learning to notice, attend and contemplate. The Examen, that cornerstone of Ignatian spirituality, demands that we stop twice daily to review not merely what we have done, but how God has been present in our doing, what movements have stirred within our hearts and where we have been truly alive versus where we have simply been productive. Generosity without contemplation risks becoming a performative virtue, a résumé-building exercise in goodness that never touches the soul. We can tutor students, serve meals, organize fundraisers, build structures and remain fundamentally unchanged, our hearts no larger than when we began.

Our Call…

A Christian development of an Aristotelian concept reflects that the magnanimous person acts not from a sense of obligation or even from natural kindness, but from an interior largeness of spirit that has been cultivated through deep encounter with truth, beauty and transcendence. Magnanimity is generosity that has been aged in the cask of contemplation until it becomes something richer, more complex, more sustainably nourishing (Spiritual Exercises).

Those walls opposite the Hall of Fame Room tell the story not merely of what was accomplished at Prep, but of who was formed here. The giants on whose shoulders we stand were not simply energetic doers; they were contemplatives in action, people who understood that the quality of their interior life would determine the enduring value of their external works. They built not just buildings and programs, but a culture of depth, a tradition of reflective excellence that refuses to separate competence from character or achievement from wisdom. When we pass by these displays in our typical hurried fashion, treating them as mere backdrop to our busy lives, we miss the invitation they extend.

The Need…

Let 2026 be a time to reclaim silence. Let those moments of silence not be an empty space to be filled, but a sacred ground where transformation happens. In this silence, we finally hear what the walls are saying. In the stillness, we finally notice the richness we've been too distracted to see.

We must resist the tyranny of the full schedule, the assumption that a day without activities is a day wasted. We must create margins in our lives, actual empty spaces in our calendars where nothing is planned, nothing is productive, nothing is achieved. Only in these margins can contemplation take root. Only when we stop trying to fill every moment can we become aware of what is already present, calling for our attention.

This requires institutional courage. It means occasionally saying no to good opportunities to preserve space for the best thing: the formation of contemplative hearts. It means scheduling times of communal reflection, of shared silence, of collective discernment about our direction and purpose. It means evaluating our programs not only by what they accomplish but by what they form, asking not just "Did we serve?" but "Did we grow in magnanimity through this service?"

The world has enough competent achievers; it desperately needs magnanimous human beings.

The giants on whose shoulders we stand understood this integration. They were contemplatives and activists, thinkers and doers, people rooted in prayer. They knew that sustainable excellence requires deep wells to draw from, that we cannot give what we do not possess, that the quality of our doing flows from the depth of our being.

The quiet Christmas hallways revealed something essential: Prep's soul is found not in the noise of our activities but in the depth of our foundations. Those walls opposite the Hall of Fame Room speak loudly precisely because they gesture toward something deeper than accomplishment; they point to a tradition of contemplative formation that has always been at the heart of Jesuit education, even when we've been too busy to notice it.

The walls are speaking. The question is: Are we still enough to listen?

Fr. Amit D’Souza, SJ
Creighton Prep

Check out the online version of our recently published winter 2025-2026 Creighton Prep magazine, including the cover story on accessibility & belonging, a key component of our 2029 Strategic Plan; news of alumni working in architecture and engineering and others exploring religious life; perspectives on Prep from President Fr. Matt Spotts, SJ and three of his Jesuit predecessors; recaps of our fall events, and much, much more!

Congratulations to all the coaches and student-athletes in basketball, bowling, hockey, powerlifting, swimming & diving and wrestling who are performing so well as they move toward the midseason mark in their respective sports.

The varsity basketball team's 9-4 season to date has been highlighted by key wins over other highly ranked teams such as Westside, Bellevue West and Millard North, and reaching the finals of the Metro Holiday Tournament. The guys play at Millard West tonight (Tuesday, January 13) at 7:15 p.m. then return to the Heider Center this Friday, January 16 to play Westview at 7 p.m.

The bowling team is also looking forward to the rest of the season after strong matches against Burke, Westside, Millard North and Millard South. Matches this week include contests against against Buena Vista today then Norfolk on Thursday, January 15.

The hockey team remains one of the top teams in Nebraska, and Head Coach Jerry Hill reports that the squad is ranked second in the state with a 17-1-1 record. Key upcoming games for the Jr. Jays include contests against Millard North on Monday, January 19 and Westside on Friday, January 30. The state playoffs begin on Sunday, February 15.

The powerlifting team looks to build on the success of their victory at the Early Bird Powerlifting Meet in December, and is positioned to qualify a number of lifters for the state meet on Saturday, February 21 at Central. Prior to that, Prep will host the Freshman Invitational Powerlifting Meet on Saturday, January 31.

Already qualifying a number of student-athletes for state competition, February 26-28 in Lincoln, is the swimming & diving team. Divers Parker Dvorak, Tommy Lampert and Darian Samuel have made their state meet auto cuts, as have swimmers Mason Collier, Henry Grosshans, Grant Hultgren, Connor Kuehl, Riley Mead, Cole Pacer, Evan Soma, Carter Stuckey and OIiver Wong. Head Coach Tom Beck ’84 also reports that the team finished 4th at the recent Maroon & Gold Invitational in Minnesota, a performance that included “numerous season and lifetime best performances.”

Finally, the wrestling team continues to excel, topping Skutt Catholic in a Thursday, January 8 match and finishing just 13 points out of first place at a national-level tournament in Kansas City earlier in the season. Over Christmas break, the guys won the 18-team Tom Dineen Invitational at Prep by 150 points, highlighted by weight-class wins from Kieran Akerson, Cruzer Dominguez, Kam Green Jr., Kaleb Griffith, Bodi Knudsen, Joe Novero, Myles Sanchez and JT Smith. The Metro Conference meet is this Saturday, January 17 at Bellevue East, and Senior Night at Prep on Monday, January 26 is a triangular meet with Columbus and Millard South. A home meet with nationally-ranked Liberty, Mo. follows on Thursday, January 29.

Dear Members of the Creighton Prep Community,

I’m pleased to share an exciting campus update as we look ahead to the spring and summer months.

Thanks to the generous support of Prep donors, we will break ground in March on a new tennis complex on campus. While fundraising is ongoing to complete support of the project, thanks to a generous lead gift and one major additional gift, we are able to proceed with construction. This new facility, located on the field on Prep’s east side, near Jurgensen Park, will serve as a dedicated practice and competition space for Prep’s tennis program, which is one of our most decorated programs in terms of state titles and one of the most successful programs in any sport in the history of the state. This facility represents a long-held dream for our student-athletes, coaches and community.

With increased demand for tennis court space across Omaha, recent years have seen increased challenges in securing locations for our athletes to train and compete. These new courts guarantee that Prep will be able to sustain participation in tennis at our current levels for years into the future and support our athletes’ performance in an excellent training facility. Moreover, the location of these courts allows us to enhance the experience for our tennis athletes while preserving existing practice and competition space for other programs on campus that share the east fields.

While we continue broader campus master planning work (as part of our 2029 Strategic Plan), this project represents an immediate opportunity to enhance our campus and achieve a long-term goal, supported by philanthropy and years of thoughtful consideration and planning. Competition tennis courts have been part of previous plans for campus improvement, and we’re delighted that those plans are finally becoming a reality. Final design renderings will be shared once they are complete.

We are incredibly grateful to the donors who made this possible and excited about what this new facility will mean for Prep athletics and campus life. We look forward to sharing updates as the project moves forward.

In Christ’s Mission,

Fr. Matt Spotts, SJ

Winter sports season is underway! Get geared up now to cheer on the Junior Jays with Prep-branded Nike gear and sports teams apparel for basketball, bowling, swimming & diving and wrestling. Please note that specific winter sports apparel is available exclusively through online purchase, with options for either shipping or in-store pickup at the Jay Mart. These items are carried throughout the year.

The Jay Mart is open during regular school days from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please note that the Jay Mart will be closed on Monday, January 19.

If you live outside of the greater Omaha area and can’t visit the Prep store, no worries. Just shop 24/7 at cpjaymart.com, and stay tuned to that site as well as to the store's Facebook and Instagram pages for all the latest from the Jay Mart.

Father Matthew Spotts, SJ, president of Creighton Prep, cordially invites you to a reception in Phoenix for Prep alumni and friends. Please join us for an evening of fellowship with the Prep family, and learn about the exciting things happening at our school.

Hosted by Mary Jo and Mike Dahir ‘66

• Wednesday, January 28
• Gainey Ranch Golf Club
  • 7600 East Gainey Club Drive in Scottsdale
• 6-8 p.m.
• Hosted drinks and hors d’oeuvres
• Prep gear or business casual attire

Please register HERE by Wednesday, January 21.  If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact Hannah Pray at 402-548-3881 or hpray@creightonprep.org.

Father Matthew Spotts, SJ, president of Creighton Prep, cordially invites you to a reception in La Quinta for Prep alumni and friends. Please join us for an evening of fellowship with the Prep family, and learn about the exciting things happening at our school.

Hosted by Julie and Pete Maschka '78

• Saturday, February 21
• 4:00-7:00 p.m.
  • The Citrus Club at PGA West (50-503 Mandarina, La Quinta, CA 92253)
• Hosted drinks and hors d’oeuvres
• Business casual attire

Please register HERE by Friday, February 13. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Hannah Pray at 402-548-3881.

Creighton Prep Trivia Night 2026 is scheduled for Friday, February 27, and we want you to be there!

We are excited to have Mr. Mike Monday serve as our host once again. Mike is a graduate parent that hosts many entertaining trivia nights around town, and this year's event will live up to the same billing!

• Check-in and social hour begin in the commons at 6 p.m.
• The trivia contest begins at 7 p.m.
• Topics are created by the event host.
• The event concludes and winners are announced at 10 p.m.

The entry fee is $250/table and is purchased at the time of registration. Each table will be allowed a roster of up to eight players but may play with less than eight. The per table cost, however, is not prorated for tables that choose to participate with fewer than eight players. Additional details include:

• Participants must be 21.
• Seating is limited to the first 50 registered tables, and the deadline to register is Friday, February 20.
• Table rosters may be changed prior to the event by the table captain upon check-in.
• Festive tables and costumes are HIGHLY encouraged, but not required. A prize will be given to the best themed and decorated table, so be creative, but please no decorations extending beyond the sides of the table or obscuring views of the podium.
• You are welcome to bring your own food and beverages (BYOB). Prep will have a modest bar with beverages available for cash purchase.
• Raffle prizes, “Heads & Tails” and other games will be offered throughout the night. Thank you for your support of these extra moments!

Register your table today at CreightonPrep.org/Trivia. If you have questions about the event or would like to support it with a sponsorship, please email Director of Alumni Relations Mike Beacom '85.

We can't wait to see you on February 27!

Creighton Prep is proud to recognize alumni, coaches and supporters for outstanding contributions to the athletic program. Their commitment, achievement and sense of sportsmanship set the standard for the young athletes who follow in their footsteps today.

You are cordially invited to the Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony recognizing the 2026 Hall of Fame honorees:

Teams

2012 Golf Team

2013 Golf Team

2014 Golf Team

2015 Golf Team

Athletes

Brian Jimerson '89

Alex Schaake '16

Carson Schaake '13

Easton Stick '14

RJ Urzendowski '14

Contributor

John C. Naatz 

Event Details

Monday, March 9, 2026

Henry L. Sullivan, SJ Campus Center

Park and enter on the west side of the building

Cocktail reception 6 p.m.

Dinner 7 p.m.

$75 per person

Business casual attire

Please register by Tuesday, March 3 at CreightonPrep.org/AHOF.

If you have any reservations questions, please email Hannah Pray or call 402-548-3881. If you have any event questions, please email Amy Knight or call 402-548-3858.

Established in 1971, BASH (Building A Scholastic Heritage) serves as a cornerstone of our commitment to financial accessibility for 1,000 young men. This year, we provided $6.4 million in financial assistance to over half of our students and families. Bottom line, every dollar raised through BASH ensures that a transformative Prep experience remains within reach for our community.

It is an exciting, fun-filled time highlighted by a wonderful evening in the Heider Center complete with a gourmet dinner, raise-the-paddle, auction and raffle drawing.. Many people will put forth a tremendous effort to make the night a reality, including Prep students and staff along with hundreds of volunteers and donors who generously give their time, talent and resources. 

BASH 2026 will take place on Saturday, April 25, with the online auction running from Monday, April 20 through Saturday, April 25. Mark your calendars now to join us!

The BASH 2026 Executive Committee chairs are Megan and Sam Addy ‘94, Seana and Jason Cosgrove, Katie and Kevin Grosshans, Dana and Steve Patterson ‘91, Mindy and Tim Reed ‘89, Michelle and Jason Smithberg, and Beth and Tim Wilson.

Watch for more details on BASH 2026 in the weeks and months ahead. If you have any questions, please contact Director of Events Amy Knight at (402) 548-3858 or aknight@creightonprep.org.

Planning is underway for the 2026 reunion for classes with graduation years ending in 1 and 6, and we want to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey and help shape the weekend. Thank you for being part of the Prep community. We look forward to celebrating together!

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