“A New Generation...”
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SALLA UnionUnion DE LA SALLE HIGH SCHOOL “A New Generation... ” De La Salle Academy’s First Graduating Class Fall 2017 Commencement 2017 • New Learning Center Alumni: Why I Give L The Brotherhood of the Spartan Is Like No Other L Message from the President Dear Friends of De La Salle, As I reflect on how our school has grown writing we are winding-up the Capital over the last 50 years, I believe we have a Campaign on the STREAM Innovation school—to coin a phrase—for all ages! (A Center and are setting our sights on our school that adapts and transforms to the Athletic Performance Center—stay tuned! changing times and to the students we Thank you to those who have supported serve.) As you can see in the chart below, our efforts, and we look forward to future we have served and continue to serve four support. “generations” of Spartans. For most of us While many scholars believe that the who work at De La Salle, we believe the meaning of Proverbs 29:18 is widely mis - students that come to us are getting understood, I think the King James Version younger, and younger but in reality it is us and translation serves us well: “Where Mark DeMarco ’78 who are getting older and older! there is no vision, the people perish.” In President Just this past June we had our first my ten years as President, I have always graduating class from De La Salle said this: We must not become complacent Academy, and these young men are now at in what we do on a daily basis, and we We have served the High School with bright futures ahead must be true to the Mission our Founder and continue of them. This summer we renovated part has set out for us! May God continue to of the 400 Wing to add a Learning Center, bless. to serve four and we have hired a new learning coordi - nator to better serve the needs of our stu - In the Spirit of Saint John Baptist “generations” dents. We also completed the first year of de La Salle, our new administrative model. It has of Spartans. served us well, and we will continue to refine it. We have received numerous inquiries from other Catholic schools who Mark DeMarco ’78 want to adopt the model. Finally, as of this President Generations of Spartans UNION FALL 2017 Union Fall 2 01 7 PRESIDENT’S CABINET Mark DeMarco ’78 President Dr. Heather Alumbaugh Vice President for Academic Life Mark Chiarucci Vice President for Advancement WHAT ’S IN THIS ISSUE Jack Dyer Vice President for Campus Life Lynne Jones Vice President for Finance Leo Lopoz ’94 Vice President for Athletics Joe Aliotti Senior Staff for the Office of the President campus news 2 Neckties to Diplomas Commencement 2017 Produced by the Office of Advancement 5 De La Salle High School 10 College Bound 1130 Winton Drive Concord CA 94518 12 Facilitating Life Long Learning Tel: (925) 288-8100 Fax: (925) 686-3474 14 The De La Salle Band www.dlshs.org 2016-2017 Parent Class Honor Roll of Donors Comments, questions, news? 16 Contact Karla Wiese at [email protected] 20 STREAM Innovation Center Editor: Karla Wiese Layout and design: Jack Farage Design, Email: [email protected] Text: Bob Carrejo, Mark Chiarucci, Shannon alumni news Danser, Mark DeMarco, Lloyd Schine, Ida Tolentino, Karla Wiese 22 201 6-2017 Alumni Honor Roll Of Donors Photos : De La Salle Photo Library, 25 In Memoriam Christian Brothers Conference, Brother Lawrence Haley, FSC, Studio One 2 6 #GivingTuesday Read the Union online at www.dlshs.org 27 Staying In Touch 28 Alumni Association - Why I Give The De La Salle “Union” is a bond Reunions of unity for the extended De La Salle 30 family — alumni, parents, alumni parents and the many friends who make 32 An Evening Of Honor up our school’s growing family. The School Seal The school seal is an important part spartan sports of the identity of De La Salle High School. The symbols used to make up the seal 34 DLS Spartan App have particular meanings that reflect the values and purpose of the school. In the 35 Athletic Performance Center center of the seal is the Chi Rho (Kye Row). This is the Greek abbreviation of 36 Sports the title “Christ.” The first two letters of the word Christos or “Christ” are “Chi” and “Rho,” represented in the Greek alphabet as a capital “X” and “P.” The fleur-de-lis, with “lis” meaning lily in About the cover: De La Salle has provided a Catholic, Lasallian education to four genera - French, reminds us of our French origins with Saint John Baptist de La Salle. The tions of Spartans. The cover features our first generation, our inaugural graduating class lamp is a symbol of knowledge, reminding in 1969 (bottom left). Also featured is Dr. Heather Alumbaugh, Vice President for us of our primary purpose as a school — education. The section of broken chain Academic Life with a student from our current generation and graduating class of 2017, represents freedom — freedom from igno - and finally our first De La Salle Academy graduating class (bottom right)! Congratulations rance. The chain surrounding the seal sig - nifies strength and unity. “Les Hommes to all our Spartans on the next steps in your lives! de Foi” is French for “Men of Faith.” FALL 2017 UNION 1 campus news Neckties to Diplomas: De La Salle Academy Graduates Its First Class By Bob Carrejo Republished with permission. Special thanks to the Brothers of the Christian Schools District of San Francisco New Orleans! n June 2, 2017, school and District It was in the fall of 2014 that the class of San Francisco New Orleans received those “Spartan neckties”, the history were made as 15 young men school’s traditional symbol of mutual accept - Oreceived their diplomas as members of the ance and respect. Except that, to those par - first graduating class of De La Salle ticular students, it represented even more. It Academy in Concord, California. meant that they had been given a call to rise As the audience of family and friends at and a chance to try. In the new school on De La Salle High School Theatre looked on, Galaxy Way, their lives would converge with the Class of 2017 was honored, the people and tradition of the Lasallian mis - congratulated, and then pronounced as sion. It was to be a life-changing encounter, graduated by De La Salle Academy one that actually had been set into motion President Mark DeMarco and Principal several years earlier by another providential Marilyn Paquette. meeting—that of a community’s need, an The members of the De La Salle Academy Class of 2017 entrepreneur’s generosity, and a new District’s eyes of faith. include Gerardo Baez-Vargas, Brian Jesus Camarena, Juliano De La Salle Academy began as a conversation between Robert Canari, Alex Cardenas, Jose Ceja, Diego Cuevas, De La Salle High School President Mark DeMarco and area Jerod Davis, Luis Hinojosa, Nathan John Lomayesva, Tyler Osbey, Luis Sias-Chacon, Ramiro Rosas, Alexander Ramirez, Felipe Silva, and Fernando Valdez. Also in attendance at the commencement was Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ of the Diocese of Oakland. His pres - ence and remarks during the ceremony’s final blessing would underscore the special nature not only of the event but also of the school itself. “In four years as Bishop, this is my first graduation,” he said. “With 55 schools (in the Diocese), I have always thought that if I attended one, I should attend them all. And so, I haven’t been to any. Yet, I am here tonight because I believe in you and because I knew you had a special future ahead of you from when I was with you at your first mass at De La Salle several years ago when you received your ties. I am so happy to be with you tonight. Congratulations.” DLS Academy first class receiving ties in 2014 2 UNION FALL 2017 campus news Marilyn Paquette and Mark DeMarco with a proud graduate. businessman and philanthropist Kenneth H. Hofmann. A longtime supporter of several Contra Costa educational works, including De La Salle High School, Hofmann was looking for a new project when DeMarco proposed starting a school specifically for economically and socially at-risk students. Hofmann offered to provide funding for the first five years of such a school, and the impetus for a new Lasallian ministry was born. Those first days, and then years, would indeed pass quickly, and the distant hopes and dreams that had accompanied them were now much closer, and about to become reality. It was time for the school to prepare for its first graduation. Throughout the ceremony, different school communi - ty members and supporters did their best to express what they had experienced together. Eventually, it would be the words of valedictorian Alexander Ramirez that would best capture both the spirit and the significance of what had happened within the walls of his school over the past three years. In his valedictory address, he said: ‘If you’re absent during my struggle, don’t expect to be present during my success.’ That quote is from the actor, Will Smith. Think of this quote and of how it expresses brotherhood and its importance. Class of 2017, ask yourselves this—what will you do to not be absent in the time of struggle of your brothers, so that you can rise to success as your brothers rise? We rise or fall, but when either of those happens, we do it together.