Blue Jay of the Month: Jeremy Rink and Sanad Hamdan
Carrying on the tradition, a new era of Ten Minute Break hosts hits the air bringing fresh ideas.
In this double issue of the Blue Jay it is fitting to celebrate not one but two outstanding students as the Blue Jay of the Month. Broadcasting from the Student Communications Office, Jeremy Rink and Sanad Hamdan have carried on the legacy of the Ten Minute Break podcast, while putting their own unique stamp on the latest season. To delve deeper into the success of the Ten Minute Break podcast, we sat down with Jeremy Rink and Sanad Hamdan for an exclusive interview:
Q: What inspired you to continue the Ten Minute Break Podcast, and how has it evolved since its inception?
JEREMY: Sanad and I have always wanted to start a podcast since 9th grade so when we saw the opening, we jumped at it.Â
SANAD: We have very good chemistry, so we knew that we could carry out the podcast well. We wanted to take podcast to max level, to heights it’s never seen.Â
Q: Tell us about a memorable moment or interview that stands out for you in the podcast journey so far.
JEREMY: Definitely the interview with Fr. Polce. When he was studying in Rome, he met a Jesuit priest, who was also an astrophysicist. After talking with this priest, Fr. Polce realized he also wanted to be a priest.
Q:Â How do you select guests for the podcast, and what criteria do you consider when inviting individuals to share their stories?
SANAD: We want someone who has a really fun personality. Our guests sit with us for a minimum of twenty minutes, so we want to make sure our guests feel like they’re in the room having a conversation rather than being recorded.
Q: In what ways do you believe the podcast contributes to the sense of community at Jesuit High School?
JEREMY: We defintely want to be a source of entertainment for the student body, but also show people outside of Jesuit what the student experience is really like.
SANAD: People may think that Jesuit kids have no soul and go home and look at a textbook all day; but Jesuit has a very lively culture and we want to show people that.


Q: Can you share some behind-the-scenes anecdotes or challenges you’ve faced while producing the podcast?
JEREMY: One challenge is that we don’t plan the things we’re going to say. On the first episode, we ran out of ideas halfway through and started talking about random things.
SANAD: We’ve done an amazing job since episode one so we can talk about new topics and keep the conversation going. We also learned how to edit on the way. We call it creative control.
Q:Â What future topics or guests can the Blue Jay community look forward to on upcoming episodes?
Jeremy: Anyone is possible. We plan to have Mr. Genovese, Mr. Kernion, and possibly some notable alumni.
Q:Â How do you balance your academic responsibilities with podcasting, and what advice do you have for students interested in starting their own creative projects?
SANAD: Don’t be afraid to try new things. It’s good to find new responsibilities to maintain.
JEREMY: We balance it by having a set time so we can manage when we do schoolwork. Be yourself and show your personality. If people like your personality they’ll keep listening.
Q:Â What impact do you hope the Ten Minute Break podcast leaves on Jesuit High School, and what legacy do you aim to create with this initiative?
JEREMY: We hope to expand the popularity of Ten Minute Break not only to the Jesuit student body but also outside of the school.
SANAD: We want to leave with the best season of Ten Minute Break that we’ve ever had, and we want future hosts to build off what we built. We want to make Ten Minute Break one of the best media outlets at Jesuit, not just one of the things in the back of Student Communications.
Ten Minute Break is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.