163Rd Commencement
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Summer 2015 163RD COMMENCEMENT Also in this issue: • Benemerenti Medal • Interview with Mr. Marinacci • An Altar Fit for the Pope Message from the President Dear Friends, Summer is winding down and our 164th academic year is set to commence on September 8. The beginning of a new school year is always an exciting time at Blakefield. We have new students and their families joining our community, fresh faces among our faculty and staff, and an abundance of energy as we set our sights on making great things happen for our Dons. We are also on the verge of sharing details related to our newest strategic plan. As you may know, more than a year of planning has gone into the development of this document and we’ve involved thousands of members of the Loyola community. From those who took part in surveys, attended focus group discussions, and contributed in countless ways to its development, I am grateful for everyone who has played a role in crafting our latest strategic vision. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll have much more to report on this and I hope that you are just as excited as I am. Together, we are going to ignite a transformation in young men that will make a lasting impact on their lives and ours. In this issue of Blakefield Magazine, you will hear from our Principal, Mr. John Marinacci. One of the many initiatives that he has in place for the new school year is a pilot 1:1 program whereby a group of sophomore students and their teachers will be equipped with a Microsoft Surface Pro 3. Our hope is to take what we have learned through extensive research and planning and let this pilot program transition us to a 1:1 technology school in the very near future. This is just one of the many exciting changes that are coming to Blakefield, and I look forward to seeing the program in action. “Together, we are In closing, and in some ways summarizing my first seven years as a member of the Loyola community, I want to express my gratitude to all those who so going to ignite a proudly support our mission. I get to encounter the many ways your generosity fuels the work we do on a daily basis and I’m constantly in awe of what we are transformation in able to accomplish together. As a father of a current Don and one who just marched across the Hollow in June, I also have a front row seat in witnessing young men that will just how powerful a Loyola education can be. Thank you for making this make a lasting impact formation possible. Loyola boys are better men when they leave here as they continue to pursue academic excellence, serve others, and grow in their faith on their lives for the rest of their lives. Here’s to a great 164th year! and ours.” God bless you and your family, Mr. Anthony I. Day President 2 10 Summer 2015 BENEREMENTI MEDAL Contents Campus News 4 Alumni Events 6 163rd Commencement 8 Benemerenti Medal Recipients 10 163RD Interview with Mr. John Marinacci 12 8 COMMENCEMENT Gus Ruppert ’16 Visits Japan 14 An Altar Fit for the Pope 15 Father Josh Laws’ Path to Priesthood 16 Class Notes 18 In Memoriam 19 GUS RUPPERT ’16 VISITS JAPAN 14 Staff 12 Editor JOHN MARINACCI Michael J. Nitti INTERVIEW Marketing Coordinator Photography Michael J. Nitti James Berglie AN ALTAR FIT FOR Jerry Dzierwinski THE POPE 15 Design Inkwell Communications, LTD FATHER JOSH LAWS’ RISE TO PRIESTHOOD 16 3 CAMPUS NEWS rom May 22–24, nine members of Loyola Blakefield Forensics competed at the NCFL GRAND National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) Grand National Tournament in Fort NATIONAL F Lauderdale where sophomore Luke Scaletta finished 4th in his event (declamation) out of 221 students from across the country. Luke gave “The Hope Speech” first TOURNAMENT delivered by San Francisco Board of Supervisors member Harvey Milk in 1978. This marks the best declamation finish in Loyola Forensics history. The previous record- holder was Matthew Demetrides ‘15, who finished in th5 place in 2012. DONS IN SPAIN VARSITY RUGBY CROWNED 2015 MIAA CHAMPIONS or two weeks in July, Spanish teacher Mr. Ranalli led a group of Dons through Spain. They visited Valencia, F Tarragona, Barcelona, and several other cities and apping off an undefeated season, varsity rugby captured landmarks including the Ebro River and the Basilica of Our C the 2015 MIAA title on May 6 as they defeated Calvert Lady of the Pillar in Zaragoza, the 11th-century Loarre Castle Hall 13-12 in the finals. near Huesca, and the birthplace of St. Ignatius in Azpeitia. 8TH GRADE CELEBRATION n June 5, we graduated 89 students from our Omiddle school. Awards were presented for Faith Commitment (Ian Thompson), Christian Service (Blessy Mbaya), Compassion (William Sands), Integrity (Ronald Erdman), Justice (Benjamin Breschi), and Academic Excellence (Ronald Erdman, David Laredo, Graham Lindner, and Matthew Tampus). Also, the prestigious Daniel W. McNeal ‘90 Award went to Graham Lindner. 4 Summer 2015 SUMMER SERVICE TRIPS everal rising seniors participated in service opportunities this summer. From our annual traveling variety show, S dubbed “Talent Tour,” performing for schools and churches in Philadelphia, to educating underprivileged youth in Jamaica and Camden, New Jersey, participating in various labor-intensive tasks on a farm in West Virginia, and aiding the homeless through several Catholic Charities organizations in downtown Baltimore, our Dons actively pursued their role as Men for Others. MARCUS S. RYU ’91 EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION AWARD uring Loyola Blakefield’s end-of-year faculty/ staff meeting on June 9, Mr. Charles Donovan, D Mr. Tom Durkin ‘77, and Mr. Keith Schertle received the first-ever Marcus S. Ryu ’91 Employee Recognition Award. The Marcus S. Ryu ’91 Employee Recognition Award was created in June 2014 through SIX DONS ATTENDED UNIVERSITY OF the generosity of Mr. Marcus Ryu and his wife Cyrena BALTIMORE’S CYBER DISCOVERY CAMP “Torrey” Simon, M.D., to reward and recognize the highest talent within the faculty and staff of Loyola group of Dons, accompanied by Director of Loyola Blakefield’s Blakefield. This annual award is provided to two (or A Cyber Science Program Mr. Steve Morrill, took part in the more) faculty/staff members who have demonstrated University of Baltimore Cyber Discovery Camp from June 15-20. The camp experience included movies, discussion sessions, accomplishments beyond the regular scope and hands-on IT labs, a cryptographic treasure hunt, creative storytelling, assigned duties as employees, and who have most and a final cyber challenge. Created initially at Louisiana Tech improved the classroom or campus experience to University, Cyber Discovery Camp is funded by the Department of further Loyola’s success. Recipients are nominated by Homeland Security, and is part of a national camp program run by fellow faculty and staff members. the National Integrated Cyber Education Research Center. NEW n July, Loyola Blakefield and Hamilton Football announced a partnership that I combines the mission and philosophies of both organizations, and seeks to PARTNERSHIP enrich young men in mind, body and spirit. In addition to utilizing facilities at WITH HAMILTON Loyola for football, boys participating in the program will be provided academic support via Loyola student tutors. The football coaching staffs of Hamilton and FOOTBALL Loyola will also collaborate and mentor all participants as they prepare for the ANNOUNCED rigors of the gridiron and the classroom. 5 Alumni Events @ Blakefield ALUMNI DAY OF REFLECTION LBAA SERVICE PROJECT The Day of Reflection at Blakefield in May On the morning of June 27, I headed downtown to Cristo Rey Jesuit was an enriching experience. It was a quiet High School with nearly 20 other Loyola Blakefield alumni to perform time, a time to think about values and how we facility maintenance and improvement tasks needed while school is not in pray. Sometimes we lose track of the fact that session. The event has become an annual tradition for the Loyola Blakefield all the things in this world are gifts from God. Alumni Association, and I look forward to participating every year. The alumni We need to recalibrate our gratitude, reflect participants were joined by current students, parents, and faculty members on our humility, and focus on the meaning and representing multiple components of the Loyola Blakefield community. The rainy purpose of our lives. This day gave us a wonderful weather that day did not cancel our plans or dampen our opportunity to reinforce our personal integrity. enthusiasm. Instead of working on the outside grounds, we The personal reflection periods were reminiscent focused our efforts on painting classrooms and stairwells of the high school retreats at Manresa and how and scrubbing the previous year’s grime off of the hallway meaningful they were. All this ended with an tile. We gathered after the jobs were complete and recalled intimate Mass in the chapel. It was a stories of our days at Blakefield over a reward of pizza and great day. soda. I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve our fellow Jesuit institution and look forward to returning to serve again next summer. — JIM REDIFER ‘53 — ROBERT UTZ ‘05 CLASS OF 1965 – 50TH REUNION WEEKEND 1965 – The year when The Temptations recorded the iconic hit, “My Girl,” the year the Voting Rights Act was passed giving all Americans the right to vote, and the year the Federal debt reached $322.3 billion (that’s right, billion). It was also the year that 184 white-tuxedoed youth with rented black shoes received their diplomas from Father Bradley in the Hollow.