Miege Matters March 2003 a Newsletter for Alumni, Parents of Alumni and Friends
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Miege Matters March 2003 A Newsletter for Alumni, Parents of Alumni and Friends Honor Society Students Spread the Joy Each year, Bishop Miege’s National Honor Society members gather together to perform a Fall Service Proj- ect. In the past, the students have raked leaves for the elderly and participated in Christmas in October activi- ties. This year, the students initiated a new project, and it had tremendous results. The NHS officers, Krissy Schlake, Shiva Ramin, Gissel Sonnenbrot and Jana Owens, dreamt up this inventive idea — they arranged for an original mural to be painted at the playground for kindergartners through fourth graders at Saint Pius X grade school. The mural Sitting in front are NHS officers Jana Owens, included several inspiring words, such as love, hope, Krissy Schlake, Shiva Ramin and Gissel Son- faith, happiness, believe, inspiration and imagination. nenbrot. Left to right behind them are Damian Tamayo, Danielle Gilpin, Joann Fierst, The mural was set to a blue-sky background, with bright Teresa Meagher, Paul Kolarik, Jenny Morrison, trees and plump white clouds sprinkled along the wall. Audrey Lewis, Megan Easterday, Nick D’Angelo, Katie Garman and Anthony Roa. NHS Vice President Shiva Ramin created the mural, and seniors Jenny Morrison and Nick D’Angelo added a few extra details. All of the NHS members helped paint the inspiring mural on the playground walls, which took five days to complete. Chris Thompson, the program coordinator for child- care at St. Pius X, said, “We were thrilled that Miege wanted to do something so neat for our school. The children just love it, and the mural has brightened up the playground. I can’t believe how well the Miege students worked together — it was really nice to see.” The Miege students who participated, as well as their moderator, Mrs. Clara George, had a wonderful time and were heartened to know that the mural will be Gissel Sonnenbrot and Krissy Schlake pose with the FAITH enjoyed for years to come by hundreds of little children. mural that they helped paint. Congratulations for a job well done! Rachel Konomos paints bright green leaves onto a tree in Megan Easterday and Jana Owens were among the students the playground. who created the LOVE mural. A Letter from the President Dear Friends of Miege, Some projects take more time than others. Patience is a virtue. Good things come to those who wait. Let me share a story with you that supports all of these statements. For the past several months, we have been in the process of working with an architect to complete the design for the renovation of our St. Angela Merici Chapel. Our hope is to do the work this summer. Suffice it to say that this project is long overdue — just like all the other building improvements that have taken place in the last four years. However, a great deal more patience has come into play on this project than I ever imagined. I guess you could say I learned the real meaning of patience just this past week. From the very beginning, the key component of these improvements has been to add stained glass in the big arched space on the west side of our chapel. We were in the process of locating a pool of potential artists and craftsmen to select from to do this work. With this in mind, I called Frank Grimaldi to see if he could suggest some candidates. Frank, an architect, was part of the firm that designed and built Miege in the late 1950s. The original plans for our chapel, Frank replied quickly and enthusiastically when he told circa 1957. me he could do better than that. He informed me he had saved several copies of the original design for the stained glass in our chapel. These designs had been created in 1957. It seems the plan for stained glass was changed to call for a translucent glass in 1958 because of lack of funds. This glass was replaced in 1976 with the colored plastic panels that we currently have. Included in the items Frank had saved was a copy of the March 8, 1957, edition of the Eastern Kansas Register (the predecessor to The Leaven). The cover story focused on the new Bishop Miege High School that was to be built and opened in the fall of 1958. The cover page contained a rendering (shown above) of the front of the school. By looking closely at the chapel in the illustration, you can see that the original design (from the gospel theme the “fishers of men”) had been drawn on the stained glass window. In addition the contents of the article described the features of this new high school including the following: “The distinctive semi-circular elevation of the chapel is achieved by wood arches and a wood ceiling, the front of which will have a stained glass window in the future.” I am not sure what they had in mind when they said, “…in the future”, but, I am quite sure they were not thinking of 2003. But here we are 45 years after our chapel was built, close to being in a position to complete what was started in 1957. Currently, we have $115,000 raised toward the needed $400,000 to refurbish our chapel. With the help of our generous community, the dream will be completed soon…hopefully this summer. To the entire Miege community, all I can say is thank you for your PATIENCE…and then some. God bless! Sincerely, Dr. Joe Passantino President P.S. Please contact our development office at 913.262.2701, ext. 238, if you would like to help us with a gift or pledge. We hope to be able to complete the work in the NEAR FUTURE (this summer). Debate Teams Place Second at State This is the seventh consecutive year that the Miege Alumnotes Debate Team has placed first or second at State 1953 At the Kansas State Debate Tournament, Bishop Miege placed second in both the 4-Speaker and 2-Speaker tournaments. This is the seventh consecutive year that • St. Agnes High School’s Miege has placed first or second at State Debate. class of 1953 will celebrate its 50th reunion on April 12, In the 4-Speaker State Debate Tournament, Miege placed second with an 11-3 2003, at St. Agnes. Spouses record. The team are welcome! If you have was composed of any questions, contact Paul Nick Trusty, Erin O’Connell at 913.888.2130. DeSeure, Dan Peters, Whitney 1975 O’Byrne, Abigail • VHS videos of the 1975 Oliver and Katie championship football Scanlon. game, as well as four other In the 2- games, are now available! Speaker State Contact Frank Fiorini at Debate Tourna- 913.451.9559 for more ment, the team of information. Katie Garman and 1980 Joe Devine, Dan Peters, Whitney O’Byrne, Erin DeSeure, Joe Devine placed Moderator Melissa Reynolds, Abigail Oliver, Katie Garman and second out of 34 • John Riley is studying for Katie Scanlon. Nick Trusty is not pictured. teams. the priesthood at Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was ordained Opportunities Abound for You to a traditional deacon on Oct. 10, 2002, and will be ordained a priest on June Visit Miege 28, 2003, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Kansas You are always welcome at Bishop Miege — to say hi to favorite teachers, meet City, Kan. John hopes to see up with classmates, tour the new facilities and cheer on our teams. In the next few some classmates there! months, there are several opportunities for you to come back to Miege, many of which are listed below. Drop by! You won’t regret it! 1983 March 26 Chapel Open House and Reception, 5:30 p.m. at Miege • Paul Zahner is living in Topeka, Kan. Paul is the April 1 Varsity softball game vs. Aquinas at Miege, 4 p.m. district manager for April 3 3rd Annual Donkey Basketball Games at Miege, 7 p.m. Wal-Mart stores in Northeastern Kansas. April 8 Varsity baseball game vs. Aquinas at Miege, 3:30 p.m. Varsity softball game vs. Turner at Miege, 4 p.m. 1984 April 10 Varsity girls’ soccer vs. Lansing at Miege, 6:30 p.m. • Jeannine Stephens Billings April 12 Amigos fundraising dinner lives in Overland Park with her husband, Roger, and April 15 Varsity girls’ soccer vs. Blue Valley at Miege, 6:30 p.m. their two children, Emma, Varsity baseball vs. Ward at Miege, 4:30 p.m. age three, and Zachary, age one. Jeannine is a physical April 17 Holy Week Prayer Service, 9:30 a.m. therapist at Lawrence April 22 Varsity tennis vs. S.M. East at the Prairie Village Courts, 3:30 p.m. Memorial Hospital in Lawrence, and Roger is a April 26 30th Annual Auction, Great Stag Lodge, at Miege, 6 p.m. publication designer. May 2-3 Mid-America Games May 7 Spring concert, 7 p.m. May 12 Awards assembly, 9:30 a.m. Alumna Shines in New York Opera Alumnotes Joyce DiDonato, from the class of 1987, recently starred as Sr. Helen Prejean in the opera, “Dead Man Walking.” We recently interviewed Joyce about her career. 1986 How did your history at St. Ann’s stage production I was in, I was in heaven, • Katie McCowen Orscheln Q and Bishop Miege prepare you for and it felt like home to me. To this day I still and her husband, Greg, your role as Sr. Helen Prejean? live in Overland Park. remember the experience of my final musi- cal, “Godspell”, as being life changing: The The couple has three My experience growing up in the cast, already most of us being the best of small boys (Riley, Ryan A Catholic school system gave me a and Michael) with whom friends, became incredibly close, and we number of experiences and insights which Katie stays home to raise.