Plugged In - The Official Podcast for JSerra Catholic High School
Plugged In is a monthly podcast offering personal and professional insights from guests with hands-on involvement in the life of adolescents and expertise in education and related fields. Our goal is to partner with parents and adults involved in the formation of young men and women by inviting them to tune into ongoing and engaging conversations that offer insight into the lives, habits, culture, gifts, and challenges of the current generation of adolescents. We hope these insights will enable all of us to raise young men and women of deep faith, sound intellect, and exceptional character.
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Arthur C. Brooks on the Science of Happiness
01/24/2023
Arthur C. Brooks on the Science of Happiness
Arthur C. Brooks has done the homework on happiness. The tenured Harvard Business professor, who is also a best-selling author and sought-after speaker, shares with us the secrets to finding true and lasting happiness — the scientific way. In this full-length recording of a talk he delivered recently to the JSerra community, Brooks lays out the facts about happiness according to brain science, facts that may surprise many of us. The good news is happiness is not as hard to attain as we imagine. Tune in to this entertaining and transformational presentation with the potential to change your way of looking at life. ABOUT THE GUEST Arthur C. Brooks is the William Henry Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership and happiness. He is also a columnist at The Atlantic, where he writes the popular weekly “How to Build a Life” column. Brooks is the author of 12 books, including the 2022 #1 New York Times bestseller . He speaks to audiences all around the world about human happiness, and works to raise well-being within private companies, universities, public agencies, and community organizations. His upcoming book, co-written with Oprah Winfrey, will explain why suffering is necessary for ultimate happiness.
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Reading the Right Books with Dr. John Boyle
10/29/2022
Reading the Right Books with Dr. John Boyle
For Dr. John Boyle, co-founder of the Catholic Studies program at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN, not all books are made equal. Tune in as he explains why reading for reading's sake is not enough, and why reading the right books matters. In this extraordinary insightful conversation, Dr. Boyle explains why books impact who we become, and gives parents tips for determining what makes a book "good." His explanation may surprise you! ABOUT THE GUEST Dr. Boyle is Professor and Chairman of the Department of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. He holds a Licentiate in Mediaeval Studies from the Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies in Toronto and a Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto. His published works on the thought of Thomas Aquinas are many; among them are Master Thomas Aquinas and the Fulness of Life and The Order and Division of Divine Truth: St. Thomas Aquinas as Scholastic Master of the Sacred Page. Aquinas on Scripture: A Primer will be available later this fall from Emmaus Academic. His awards and honors include a National Endowment for the Humanties Fellowship, the Aquinas Medal from the University of Dallas, and he has delivered the Aquinas Lecture at the National University of Ireland. Dr. Boyle lives in St. Paul with his wife, Dia; they have three grown children.
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The Rise of Fentanyl with Sgt. Brian Gunsolley
10/10/2022
The Rise of Fentanyl with Sgt. Brian Gunsolley
Fentanyl is now the number one cause of death among American adolescents. Declared a national emergency by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the alarming rise of this drug is that much more precarious due to its deceptive nature and its overpowering addictive qualities. Fifty times more potent than heroine and one hundred times stronger than morphine, the tiniest dose of Fentanyl has lethal implications. Tune into this sobering interview with Orange County Sheriff’s drug education expert and learn what parents can do to protect their sons and daughters from this growing threat. ABOUT THE GUEST Sergeant Brian Gunsolley is a 23-year Orange County Sheriff’s Department veteran with experience working in Corrections, Patrol, and Critical Incident Response Team, as well as serving as a Field Training Officer, Drug Liaison Officer, DUI Task Force member, and School Resource Officer. Sergeant Gunsolley currently supervises the Community Engagement Unit, responsible for providing safety education for schools and the general community. Sergeant Gunsolley has a BA in Economics from UCLA and a Master of Science degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego.
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Making the Case for Morality with Fr. Robert Spitzer
09/22/2022
Making the Case for Morality with Fr. Robert Spitzer
In this recording of a recent talk given by Fr. Robert Spitzer, the famed author, television host, and international advisor gets into the nitty gritty of the most contentious moral controversies confronting American young people today. With his trademark brilliance-made-simple, Fr. Spitzer identifies the undergirding bases of several modern moral stances and counters each one point by point with clarity and persuasion. Buckle up for this exhilarating, high-speed presentation that will have you on the edge of your seat and eager for more! About Fr. Robert SpitzerFr. Robert Spitzer is a Jesuit priest, the former president of Gonzaga University, and former Rector of JSerra Catholic High School. Fr. has authored over 10 books and made innumerable media appearances including The History Channel PBS series (multi-part series entitled Closer to the Truth), the Today Show (debating euthanasia), and Larry King Live(debating Stephen Hawking). His myriad of published articles has appeared in major publications Philosophy and Science and the Business and Professional Ethics Journal. Fr. Spitzer has spoken the world over, including addressing government officials in Costa Rica, Tony Blair's Cabinet in London, and on both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland. He is the founder of numerous major national institutes such as Magis Center, Spitzer Center, and Healing the Culture. Additionally, Fr. has produced multiple television series for EWTN, most recently Fr. Spitzer's Universe. Fr. Spitzer has been a frequent speaker at JSerra and a regular presider at our all-school and Baccalaureate Masses.
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What You Need to Know About Your Teen’s Culture with Dr. Leonard Sax
08/16/2022
What You Need to Know About Your Teen’s Culture with Dr. Leonard Sax
In this episode of Plugged In, Dr. Leonard Sax and his 16-year old daughter Sarah explore the factors contributing to America's current "culture of disrespect." They answer questions such as: What's different about today's teen culture and why does it matter? How much social media is too much? Does limiting your child's social media use make any significant impact? Is TikTok good for my son or daughter? Is there evidence to support decisions around these issues or is all just guesswork? Tune in for the answers to these questions and many more on this month's episode of Plugged In.
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From Coven to Convent with Sr. Maria Catherine
03/19/2022
From Coven to Convent with Sr. Maria Catherine
Sr. Maria Catherine wasn't always a Jesus fan. Far from it. Before meeting Christ, she was an actress who was involved in a host of non-Christian practices and thought Christianity and its "superstitious belief system" would be the last thing she would ever give in to. Then something changed — dramatically. Tune in to hear how this now deeply committed religious sister took the long road to Christ. In this dynamic podcast, Sr. Maria Catherine shares in depth about her miraculous journey from black magic to the foot of the Cross. You won't believe it until you hear it! ABOUT THE GUEST Sr. Maria Catherine, O.P. is from the great state of Texas. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, she worked in various industries but mainly banking and administration before entering the convent. Sister has traveled widely and has been one of a few representatives of her community on The Oprah Winfrey Show. She is a published author in the Catholic San Francisco, The Imaginative Conservative, and Homiletic and Pastoral Review. She loves teaching English and Theology and continues to be grateful for the opportunity to study Aquinas at Ave Maria University. She is currently teaching English at JSerra Catholic High School.
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Mentoring Struggling Students with Drew Clute
03/10/2022
Mentoring Struggling Students with Drew Clute
Students struggle in school for a variety of reasons. How do parents recognize when their son or daughter's academic struggle deserves expert attention? How do they help their teenage child to overcome the stigma associated with learning challenges? In this mini-podcast, JSerra's Director of Learning and Academic Support, Drew Clute, tackles a topic which is touching upon more and more parents via their teenagers' academic experience. Drew steps us through the methods and the means parents and teachers can use together in order to hearten young people facing academic trials and arm them with the tools to bring them through with confidence and success. ABOUT THE GUEST Drew Clute is the Director of Learning and Academic Support at JSerra where he oversees multiple programs that provide support for various student groups on campus. Drew earned a bachelor's degree in Recreation Administration Fresno State University (2006) and a certificate in serving under-privileged and at-risk youth. In 2010 he complete his M.A. in Secondary Education, as well as two credentials in social studies and mild-moderate special education. Drew spent six years teaching special education, History, Economics, and US Government in Fresno before coming to JSerra. He and his wife, Kristen, live with their two daughters, Chloe and Nora, in Laguna Beach, Calif.
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Finding Joy in Waiting with Cara Morales
12/15/2021
Finding Joy in Waiting with Cara Morales
Cara Morales is back! Join her in this mini-podcast as she shares her thoughts about how to prepare well during the days leading up to Christmas so we can experience the fullness of joy this season is meant to offer.
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Why We Teach Virtue with Sr. John Michael
11/29/2021
Why We Teach Virtue with Sr. John Michael
With a vibrant Catholic curriculum already in full stride, why would a school like JSerra feel the need to add a campus-wide virtue program? Dominican Sister John Michael explains in this brief mini-podcast.
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How to Discipline with Dignity with Dean Bridget Desmond
11/09/2021
How to Discipline with Dignity with Dean Bridget Desmond
Bridget Desmond is a woman who sees her role of disciplinarian at a Catholic school as exactly that: a call to equip young people with the disciplines — the habits and virtues — that will enable them to achieve the greatness for which they are made.
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American Teens At Risk with Dr. Leonard Sax
08/30/2021
American Teens At Risk with Dr. Leonard Sax
Always informative, our most popular guest, Dr. Leonard Sax, returns to the podcast this year with a special guest in tow: his daughter. Join Dr. Sax and Sarah as they detail what it is that puts American teens today at risk and what parents can do to fortify them against those risks, with proven success.
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Should We Have Black History Month? with Fr. Claude Williams
02/28/2021
Should We Have Black History Month? with Fr. Claude Williams
Amid the heated conversations our culture is steeped in, race is at the forefront. Black History Month, its purpose and its necessity, continues to raise questions for many Americans. In this candid podcast, Fr. Claude Williams shares his framework for answering this and other questions in a way leads us closer to each another and to Christ.
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The Catholic School Difference with Sr. Maria Catherine
02/10/2021
The Catholic School Difference with Sr. Maria Catherine
With public schools gone virtual across America, students are finding face-to-face interaction in Catholic schools, and more and more parents are willing to pay for it. The question is: Will these new families stay? In this dynamic podcast, Sr. Maria Catherine explains why she believes they will. Tune in as she explains the Catholic Difference.
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Connecting Parents to Teens and One Another with Cara Morales
12/14/2020
Connecting Parents to Teens and One Another with Cara Morales
Is it too late to connect with my high school teen? Not according to licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Cara Morales! During the challenging adolescent years, communication can get stifled or even conflicted. Cara shares tips for overcoming common obstacles parents face and explains why strong relationships are the key to our children's success — and to our sanity.
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Broken Mary with Kevin Matthews
11/10/2020
Broken Mary with Kevin Matthews
One of the nation's most listened-to and award-winning radio hosts Kevin Matthews shares about the seemingly random encounter that changed the trajectory of his career from popular entertainer to ambassador of Christian hope and love. Hear about his amazing journey with Broken Mary.
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Racism in America with Damon Owens
10/16/2020
Racism in America with Damon Owens
Is there racism in America? Do we need sweeping law enforcement reform? Catholic lay leader Damon Owens shares his thoughts on race, injustice, the current political unrest, and the proper Catholic response.
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Pandemic Parenting with Dr. Leonard Sax
08/18/2020
Pandemic Parenting with Dr. Leonard Sax
Can we really say how the pandemic is affecting our kids? According to recent studies, we can. Join doctor, speaker, author, and scholar, Dr. Leonard Sax, as he discusses the affects of the pandemic on our teens and how parenting with wisdom and intention is crucial for moving them through this time with positive outcomes.
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Pivoting Your Parenting: How to Stay Sane in a Quarantine
05/15/2020
Pivoting Your Parenting: How to Stay Sane in a Quarantine
Week nine of the shelter-in-place has almost everyone on edge. What seemed like a dream come true to teenagers has become more like an unbearably monotonous version of Groundhog Day. High school students are now reporting a host of conflicting reactions to being isolated from their normal outlets for support. How can parents deal and manage their own work-from-home schedule simultaneously? JSerra counselors Olivia Huie and Cara Morales offer sound and timely advice for working moms and dads with kids.
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Sports Reveal Your Teen's Character
02/06/2020
Sports Reveal Your Teen's Character
Do good guys and girls always finish last? Not according to JSerra Athletic Director Chris Ledyard. Chris shares with parents the secrets of raising great kids through the medium of sports and shares his strategy for teaching young people how to achieve excellence in mind, heart, and spirit without sacrificing excellence on the field.
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This Is the Pro-Life Moment
10/23/2019
This Is the Pro-Life Moment
In this episode of Unplugged, host Pat Reidy discusses the pro-life movement with activist Lila Rose, who describes her pro-life journey starting at 15 years old. Rose handles the delicate topic with love, compassion, and eloquence.
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Why Is My Kid So Stressed?
10/14/2019
Why Is My Kid So Stressed?
Is teen life really that stressful? Are adults over-diagnosing teen "anxiety"? Join this insightful conversation with veteran teen therapist and speaker, Mary Naimie. Mary gives us the real scoop on today's teen pressures, discusses their legitimacy, and suggests ways parents can navigate a whole new adolescent world.
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Identify Formation Wrap Up
05/29/2019
Identify Formation Wrap Up
Pat and Cara are back with this month’s Identity Formation wrap up! Tune in as they debrief about recent classroom conversations they and the IF Team had with students about the Newport Beach scandal, racism, human dignity, the college party scene, and more.
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Five Movies You Have to Watch with Your Teen
05/03/2019
Five Movies You Have to Watch with Your Teen
Speaker, author, and podcaster Patrick Coffin joins Plugged In host Pat Reidy for a quip-filled, entertaining conversation that gets at the secret behind the movies we love. Mr. Coffin explains what is at the heart of a every great story, and explains the genius behind five classics that every family should watch together . . . more than once!
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Identity Formation Recap: February 2019
02/22/2019
Identity Formation Recap: February 2019
This month Cara Morales and Pat Reidy join forces again with a quick summary of the quarter’s Identity Formation summation, where they talked with teens about mental health and college challenges. Tune in to hear more.
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True vs. Toxic Masculinity
02/01/2019
True vs. Toxic Masculinity
In this episode, host Patrick Reidy responds to the Gillette Razor commercial and the mega-debate that has been ignited around it. What does it mean to be a man? Is masculinity "toxic"? What do science, philosophy, theology, and the natural law say it means to be a real man? How have the culture's messages about manhood over the last 60 years negatively affected boys and men? And how can we raise boys with an authentic understanding of genuine masculinity so they grow up to be real men?
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Dr. Cliff Patterson: Relational Parenting
12/18/2018
Dr. Cliff Patterson: Relational Parenting
Teens can be a handful! Dr. Cliff Patterson gives laser-sharp advice to parents and offers them practical tips for disciplining their adolescent sons and daughters with confidence, humor, and grace. Using examples from his personal counseling practice and life as a husband and dad, Dr. Patterson tackles chore time, back talk, slacking in school, the silent treatment, and more!
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Identity Formation Recap: November 2018
12/10/2018
Identity Formation Recap: November 2018
Cara Morales joins host, Pat Reidy, in a summary of the talks given to 9th-12th graders in their November Identity Formation seminars. Topics include masculinity and femininity, friendship, dating, and the hook-up culture. Identity Formation creates co-institutional small groups that conduct conversations with teens about the cultural toxins that challenge their faith and values.
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How To Talk to Teens About Life: Identity Formation
12/10/2018
How To Talk to Teens About Life: Identity Formation
A licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, theologian, teacher, youth minister, wife and mother, Cara Morales brings a host of creative gifts to the table and young people respond. Join Cara as she explores the origins and evolution of JSerra's unique outreach to students called Identity Formation, the school's response to the culture's current toxic influences on teens. Cara will show you how to talk to your teen about life and its challenges.
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Dating Dysfunction Among High School and College Students
10/24/2018
Dating Dysfunction Among High School and College Students
One of the most powerful statements you can make, says Sarah Swafford, is, "I promise not to use you." In this dynamic interview, the author, speaker, and former college RA helps parents make sense of the growing dating dysfunction among high school and college-aged kids, and makes practical suggestions for saving your sons and daughters from the drama that accompanies the hook-up mentality.
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Julie Lythcott-Haims: How To Raise An Adult
09/14/2018
Julie Lythcott-Haims: How To Raise An Adult
In this illuminating conversation, Ted Talk speaker and author Julie Lythcott-Haims shares the dangers and inevitable pitfalls of overparenting and the consequences on burgeoning young adults. Offering personal anecdotes about her own parenting faux pas, Lythcott-Haims warns about the unintended long-term consequences of hyper-managing children and offers advice on how to pivot one’s parenting style toward the most important child-raising objective: capable men and women in charge of their own lives.
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