The Mighty Pen
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St. Francis DeSales High School THE MIGHTY PEN 2015-16 ANNUAL REPORT 29 and Counting Girls Lacrosse Brings Home State Championship ALUMNI NEWS AND MORE! TOP 10 at SFD WHAT MAKES US GREAT Plus a look at the CAMPUS MASTER PLAN IN THE MIGHTY PEN 2 Baccalaureate and Graduation Celebrations 5 Artists in the Spotlight 8 Girls Lacrosse Brings Home 29th State Championship 11 Living Our Faith 12 Annual Report 23 Casino Royale 2016 26 Campus Master Plan 29 Upcoming Alumni Events 30 Stallion Sweethearts In Every Issue Excellence in Teaching......................6 EDITORS: Karen Cofojohn and Rob Dvorak Athletic Highlights.......................8-9 CONTRIBUTORS: Dan Garrick, Karen Cofojohn, Rob Dvorak, Michele Moriarty, Scott Hartman, Tom Snyder, Aly McGinnis, Katie Kapala, Andrea Belt, Abbey Dop and Kyle Moon. Special thanks to Arius Cook, Terisa Sites, Barb Dougherty, and Lifetouch Class Notes.............................31-33 Photography for their photography contributions. On front cover: The front of the school building has once again become the main entrance at 4212 Karl Road. Completed last fall, our front doors graciously welcome visitors into our home. On this page: A stroll down the Walkway of Champions to Alumni Stadium. Autumn Greetings: As I begin my thirtieth year of service to my Alma Mater, I have come to appreciate that the energy and excitement associated with the start of each new year often finds its foundation in the accomplishments of the recently completed year; simply put, the culture of success that surrounds our school encourages each of our students, faculty members, parents, and alumni to embrace the responsibility that comes with adding to a rich and dynamic legacy. With this in mind I would like to take this occasion to thank our recent graduates, the class of 2016, for leading us with their grace and strength. I am especially grateful for their model of faith and their willingness to live lives of virtue and service. There is no doubt in my mind that the 206 young men and women who graduated on May 28, 2016 will make their new communities better just as they did here at SFD. And while I am exceptionally proud of our newest alums I am equally proud of the Class of 2017 and their early efforts to embrace their role as leaders for their peers. On behalf of the students, faculty, staff, and administration I wish to extend an invitation to each of you to join us on our exciting new journey. History tells us that the 2016-2017 school year will provide us with both challenges and opportunities to grow closer together and closer to Christ. As it has been the case in past years, it will be our internal strength that will empower us to meet any challenges that we face along the way. It was with this determination and fortitude in mind that we selected our school theme for this school year. Our theme for the year is “Strength Within.” Given some of the difficult loses our school community has endured in recent years I believe this is a very appropriate theme. The level of resiliency and perseverance demonstrated by our school family during times of challenge and adversity is a great affirmation of our communal faith, unity and strength. I am convinced that this sense of faith, unity and strength provides our students with a sense of empowerment to meet their goals regardless of what obstacles may come their way. To be surrounded with people of strong faith and accomplishment provides a strong sense of inspiration for future success. It is with this in mind that I wish to express my deepest appreciation to our alumni, parents, and benefactors for your love, support, and inspiration. It is my prayer that we can continue to count on your support. The reality is in order for Saint Francis DeSales High School to successfully deliver on our mission - to deliver a world-class education in the Catholic tradition - we need your ongoing gifts of time, talent, treasure and prayers. I would encourage you to take the time to review the “Annual Report” that is a part of this publication so that you can see how the gifts of our loved ones have enabled us to provide a quality educational experience for our students. I am very pleased to report that our community’s annual giving in 2015-2016 once again witnessed an increase both in dollars raised and participation. Please join me in offering a prayer of thanksgiving for those who have been so generous to our young people. At a time when many schools are experiencing significant cuts in support, it is gratifying for me to witness the financial support for our students and teachers continuing to rise. Through the selfless giving of our alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends we were able to renovate our Technology/ Productions Lab and our Math Lab; furthermore, we were able to purchase the six-acres of land behind Alumni Stadium. The purchase of this property was a critical acquisition for our community to position ourselves favorably to complete the remaining portion of our 2020 Vision Strategic Plan (please see inside story). To those who have given please know how appreciative the students, faculty, and administration are for your continued love and support. A simple thank you does not adequately convey the true depth of our appreciation. Please know we will work each day to demonstrate our appreciation through our efforts. We will work to make you proud to be affiliated with this wonderful school. In light of the above, I am sure you can understand why we should all be enthused to write the next chapter to the history of Saint Francis DeSales High School. To this end, I would ask that you consider joining us in the very near future as we share the vision for our school in a series of Town Hall meetings to be held this autumn. We look forward to hearing your feedback as we strive to make our community vision come to life. I would like to take this final opportunity to extend my personal gratitude to the class of 2016 who enthusiastically accepted the challenge to lead our school this past year; furthermore, they exemplified the virtues we wish to see in our students. In addition, I wish to thank a truly special educator who retired in June: Mr. Jeff Stevens. This wonderful educator dedicated forty-three years of his life to the students of Saint Francis DeSales High School as a teacher, coach, Technology Director and mentor, and his efforts left a lasting impression on all who were blessed to work with him. While it was difficult to say goodbye to our recent graduates and our retiring colleague, we are able to derive a level of comfort knowing that we already started an exciting new year. With that in mind, I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to those families and students who are new to our DeSales family, especially the 197 members of the class of 2020. In closing, as we prepare to embark on a new journey know that I look forward to working with each of you as we demonstrate true strength within by adding to the wonderful legacy of this special place. Until we meet again please know I hold you in my prayers. Peace and God’s Blessings, Daniel J. Garrick ’79 “If we conduct ourselves with humility and good faith God will raise us up to heights that are truly great.” ~St. Francis DeSales THE MIGHTY PEN 1 A Beautiful Tradition The class of 2016 celebrated their final liturgy Pictured clockwise: Father Charlie Klinger presided over together with beautiful readings and songs during their Baccalaureate mass at St. Paul the Apostle Church with Baccalaureate Mass at St. Paul the Apostle Church. concelebrants Fr. Rodenfels ’64, Deacon Mickey Hawkins ’66 (both pictured), Fr. Cotton, and Fr. Petry; seniors Katy Two days later, the Fifty-Third commencement Spittell, Brenna Bookless and Gillian O’Daniel led the ceremony took place at Alumni Stadium. With the Responsorial Psalm; Graduates with their proud alumni sun peeking out, 206 soon-to-be graduates walked proudly behind members of the class of 1966 parents and siblings. down the Walkway of Champions. After speeches by Valedictorians Brittany Shook and Joe Braun, the presentation of diplomas, and a parent/teacher’s reflection from Mrs. Molly Barrett ’85, senior members of the choir sang Homeward Bound. In keeping with tradition, the ceremony ended with heartwarming words from Principal Garrick, and the class of 2016, arm in arm, sang the Alma Mater one last time. Fifty-Third Commencement The class of 2016 amassed total scholarship offers of over $18 million. Valedictorians with a GPA of over 4.15 — 10 see listing below 9 Students recognized by the National Merit Program, including 2 Finalists: Julia Murray and Brittany Truong 99% Pursuing an advanced education, attending 58 colleges and universities 2016 Valedictorians Brittany Shook– ranked first in class The Ohio State University Brittany Truong Stanford University Lauren Morabito The Ohio State University Andrew Schwenk University of Southern California Ross O’Sullivan Case Western Reserve University Alexandra Weikert Georgetown University Jack Baird The Ohio State University Donatella Guanciale College of Holy Cross Joseph Braun Miami University Andrea Coffey Miami University Pictured from top: Members from the Class of 1966 gathered before the Graduation procession; Joe Braun delivered one of the Valedictorian addresses, Sydney Wilson received her diploma from her dad, B.J., alumnus from the class of 1989 and SFD coach; graduates enjoyed their moment in the spotlight during the ceremony; our newest alumni were all smiles as they exited Alumni Stadium.