As the school awaits the selection and announcement of the new leprechaun sometime in June, the transition process begins for this past year’s leprechaun, Max Beatty ’20.

Mrs. Kim Jamell, Student Council co-moderator and parent of former leprechaun Daniel Jamell ’18, provided an insider look into the history, the role and the selection of the leprechaun.

She said that the Cathedral leprechaun had not been a tradition for much of the 2000s until Mr. Matt Renie ‘11 started it again. Jamell said, “It really came from him and his friends who wanted to be excited and positive about Cathedral. It had nothing to do with administration.”

She disclosed a secret about the leprechaun’s famous garb. She said, “There was this rumor that because a (Bishop) Chatard mom always made the costume, that ‘Go Trojans’ is in the lining of it somewhere.” She saw it as an urban legend, “but when Daniel (wore it), my aunt worked on his jacket. She did find it in there and she sewed it back in there.”

This was done because, as Jamell said, “You know how superstitious Cathedral sports people are, so I know it seems counterintuitive, but I think people would be afraid to touch it.”

Jamell mentioned that the responsibility of the selection of the next leprechaun falls solely on the current leprechaun. She said, “Most of them would tell you that it’s not really about the administration at all,” but rather about the student body. She stressed the fact that the leprechaun’s main purpose is to get a grass roots spirit going. She said, “It is not anything that the school does, but something that kids do.”

Regarding her son’s tenure as leprechaun, Jamell said, “It was really exciting for our whole family. I think he had a lot of fun.” She mentioned while the position can be one that uplifts and brings together students, it can create some stress. A tough part for Daniel was that it was rewarding but sometimes challenging to balance all the events with academic work, his mother said.