THE M NARCH Volume 18 Number 1 • Serving the Archbishop Mitty Community • Oct 2008 Remembering Katie Reich Teacher, Mentor, Coach, Friend Katie Hatch Reich, beloved Biology and Environmental Science teacher and cross-country coach, was diagnosed with melanoma on April 1, 2008. She passed away peacefully at home on October 3, 2008. While the Mitty community mourns the loss of this loving teacher, coach, and friend, they also look back in remembrance on the profound infl uence Ms. Reich’s life had on them. “Katie’s passions were apparent to all “We have lost an angel on our campus. “My entire sophomore year, I don’t think “Every new teacher should be blessed to who knew her in the way she spoke, her Katie Reich was an inspiration and a mentor I ever saw Ms. Reich not smiling. Even after have a teacher like Katie Reich to learn from. hobbies, even her key chains. Her personal to many of our students. What bothers me is she was diagnosed with cancer, I remember Her mind was always working to improve key chain had a beetle that had been encased the fact that so many of our future students her coming back to class one day, jumping up lessons and try new things. She would do in acrylic. I recall her enthusiasm for it and will never have the opportunity to learn on her desk, crossing her legs like a little kid anything to help students understand biology wonder as she asked me, “Isn’t it beautiful?!” about biology, learn about our earth, or learn and asking us, “Hey! Anyone got any questions because she knew that only then could she On her work keys, Katie had typed up her about life from this amazing person. We have for me?” with a huge smile stretching across lead them to love her subject. Her passion commitments to teaching young adults on all been blessed for such a short period of her face. She truly is and was a beautiful per- for teaching science was contagious and so a small card and laminated it. She said she time to have had Katie as a colleague. May son who could bring joy to anyone’s day, no her love lives on in the 300 wing.” carried it with her as a reminder of her goals our memory of her live long.” matter how bad a day they were having. She –Sigrid Jacobsen to always be the best teacher she could be… –Ron Nicolett i will forever be loved and missed.” and it is apparent she always was.” –Kendall Whitham ’10 “I am definitely not a natural runner, but –Leslie Zuffi “She had a passion for biology and nonetheless, Ms. Reich stuck by me through- running and, as any of her students can tell “Thank you for being such an inspi- out the season with a smile on her face. Even “My strongest memory of Ms. Reich you, when she got rolling on a topic, the rational teacher, runner, and friend. I will when times got rough, she constantly moti- was from a freshman-year Rancho workout. bright glow of excitement showed through always remember our late nights training vated me to keep pushing through. I believe In spite of all our complaining, she ran with her eyes.” on the track at Los Gatos High School, as that she is in a better place and I hope that us. That may not seem too remarkable, ex- –Alisa Strayer, ’09 Cross Country Captain you raced around the bend–always with that she will here-after look down on us, as I have cept for the fact that she had run the Nike beautiful smile on your face. I am so grateful always looked up to her. May angels lead you Woman’s Marathon the day before–26.2 “God sent us a miracle in Katie herself– for the time we spent together. You will be in, Ms. Reich.” miles–and was out with us the next day. Ms. in the time we had to share with her, to the wind at my back always.” –Kendra Breunling ’09 Reich was always there for us, every step of laugh, to hug, and to learn. Katie is a miracle –Katie McCormick the way.” and we are all better for having known her. “Katie was an enthusiastic and dedi- –Katherine Edgecumbe, ’10 Katie–you are such an inspiration to me. I “Katie was a person of detail.... She cated teacher who enjoyed every facet of will cherish our friendship forever. Keep was a great teacher because she paid at- her teaching days and the time she spent “One of my many fond memories of smiling and watch over all of us.” tention to the detail that was within her with her students. Sometimes, people prove Katie, besides her love of running, is her –Katie Frise students and she adjusted in response to what caliber they are in how they live their work moderating Amnesty International. She that. She was an amazing person because she life. Other times, people show what they are had a deep concern for the plight of political “Katie Reich has left a bright and beauti- paid attention to who you were and what made of in how they face adversity. Katie prisoners, the tragedy of child soldiers and ful imprint on my heart forever. I was amazed you were about. God is in the details and certainly lived her life with dignity and honor for a global perspective on justice and peace. by her incredible enthusiasm for helping she understood that and because of that she and faced her illness with courage and grace. Our world is a better place because of her.” students, her meticulous organization, and touched so many peoples’ lives. She will be She will be missed by all.” –Richard Howard her passion for life. I loved working closely sorely missed.” –Sandra Mack with her during our first year teaching at –Tom Motroni “Ms. Reich was the kind of person I Mitty, and I will miss her greatly.” In memory of Ms. Reich’s life, aspire to be. She ran, she traveled and she –Th eresa Hannon “I have never run as far or as fast since clearly was passionate about her work. I only we started running together. There is not donations may be made to the hope that as I grow older, I will learn to radi- “Ms. Reich to me will always be the an inch of the Campbell trail, Rancho San Katie Hatch Reich Memorial ate the same passionate, positive energy as smiling face when I reach the top of the Antonio, or of the streets surrounding Mitty Scholarship Fund c/o Archbishop my teacher. Thank you Ms. Reich, I admire hill; (the) epitome of optimism, happiness, that does not remind me of her. I miss her Mitty High School, 5000 Mitty you so much.” and love.” so much.” Drive, San Jose, CA 95129. –Katie Helland, ’09 –Jenn Campbell, ’09 –Caroline Cable OPINIONS Election 2008: John McCain Vs. Barack Obama READY TO LEAD FROM DAY ONE CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN By Christina Jones to resist the insurgents trying to destroy the By Ian Davis corporate loopholes, reclaims the record profi ts Sports Editor fl edgling democracy developing in the tumul- Staff Writer from oil companies, and taxes only those in the Progress is made when people set aside tuous region. It would be even more reckless The decision voters will make on Novem- highest income brackets—those making over their differences to reach some middle ground. to publically announce a timetable for the ber 4 will be an important one; it will shape and $250,000 a year. He then invests this money In politics, one must reach across the aisle in withdrawal of troops. Should the U.S. leave mold our nation for the next four years. We are back into the American people, providing relief order to secure an agreement for the common Iraq prematurely, it would only be a matter of at a critical point in our history—we need a to the middle and lower classes in the form good. John McCain has attained such compro- time before anti-democratic forces from Iran leader who can unite us into a nation to face the of tax rebates, and by improving the schools mises by bringing together the ideologies and and elsewhere seize control of the country, challenges of the 21st century. That is why we through creating early childhood education desires of liberals and conservatives alike. As leaving it in an even more chaotic state. Mc- must elect Barack Obama as President. and making college affordable for everyone. President, he will do the same, working with a Cain will not leave until the job is done, but After eight years of President Bush, The latter is an issue that those of us here at liberal Congress to benefi t our society. unlike Bush, McCain will see that the job is our country cannot afford another bumbling Mitty in the middle class—who are not rich It has been shown that partisan politics completed satisfactorily. Commander-in-Chief. We need a leader who enough to pay for college ourselves but not from the White House does not help solve the Foreign policy clearly entails more than can inspire the nation to solve the problems of poor enough to qualify for extensive fi nancial complex problems that America faces. Argu- just the War in Iraq. John McCain sent a strong our foreign affairs, our economy, and our fail- aid—fi nd especially appealing.