GENESIS a Report to Concerned Individuals Volume 53, Number 4 Winter 2016–2017
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GENEThe Quarterly Magazine of St. Ignatius College Preparatory,SI San Francisco, WinterS 2016–2017 GENESIS A Report to Concerned Individuals Volume 53, Number 4 Winter 2016–2017 Administration Rev. Edward A. Reese, S.J. President Mr. Patrick Ruff Principal Mr. Joseph A. Vollert ’84 Vice President for Advancement Mr. Ken Stupi ’78 Vice President, Finance & Administration Mr. Timothy A. Reardon ’86 Director of Alumni Relations Ms. Marielle A. Murphy ’93 Director of Development Editorial Staff Mr. Paul J. Totah ’75 Director of Communications Ms. Anne Stricherz Sports Editor Mrs. Nancy Hess ’05 Layout & Design Jesuit Community Rev. Edwin B. Harris, S.J. ’63 Superior Brother Douglas Draper, S.J. Minister GENESIS (USPS 899-060) is published quarterly by St. Ignatius College Preparatory, 2001 37th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94116-1165. Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GENE SIS, 2001 37th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94116-1165. CONTACT US: You can e-mail [email protected] or reach us at (415) 731-7500, ext. 5206. You can also read the issue on our website at www.siprep.org/genesis. ST. IGNATIUS, mindful of its mission to be witness to the love of Christ for all, admits students of any race, color and national and/or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded to or made available to students at this school. St. Ignatius does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and/or ethnic origin, age, sex or disability in the administration of educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs and athletic and other school-administered programs. Likewise, St. Ignatius does not discriminate against any applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, national and/or ethnic origin, age, sex or disability. Read GENESIS online at www.siprep.org/genesis. If you wish to receive the online version only, send an email to [email protected] to be removed from the mailing list or write to us at 2001 37th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94116. The Winter Dance Concert, Rhythm and Flow, featured a host of talented GENESIS is printed on certified FSC® paper, by a certified students performing numbers choreographed by Meredith Cecchin Galvin ’97 FSC® printer (FSC-C010109). In addition, 30 percent of the and Emily Shick ’10. Inset is freshman Mia Fuerte. ink comes from agriculturally-based renewable sources. genesis 3 St. Ignatius First Words Board of Trustees Frequent readers of my First Words know my wife available to young people who aren’t even thinking Fr. Gregory Bonfiglio, S.J. and I like to travel. We caught the bug early on as we about a school like SI. We have to do this simply Chair both trekked through Europe in Volkswagen vans in because we are in a position to do something.” Justice Peter Siggins ’73 the 1970s, she with her family for six months when Evolution is also happening to both the social science Secretary she was a sophomore at Mercy SF and I with Fr. John and religious studies curriculum. Again, read more about Becker, S.J., and nine classmates in the summer of 1975. the specifics of these changes in this issue. Though I Mr. Joseph Allanson ’81 Our first trips to foreign lands taught us more than any have never taught in either department — I’m a grizzled Amanda Alvarado-Ford, Esq. other experience save for having children. former English teacher — I am excited by what these Ms. Maureen Clark We went abroad once again recently, this time to changes will bring because I believe in something that Dr. Antonio Cucalon ’75 Peru and to the Galapagos Islands. To prepare for the the great poet and teacher Theodore Roethke once latter adventure, I read The Beak of the Finch: A Story wrote — that the art of teaching is a dance between Ms. Sheryl Evans Davis of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner, who won teacher and pupil. Teachers need to respond to the Dr. Mary Wardell Ghirarduzzi the Pulitzer for his remarkable work that chronicles students in front of them, not to students they taught Fr. Edwin B. Harris, S.J. ’63 the story of Peter and Rosemary Grant and their 20 years ago. We need to teach different material in Mr. Brian Heafey ’86 observation of 13 species of finches on Daphne Major, new ways because we have new dance partners in our part of the Galapagos archipelago. On that small island, Generation Z clientele — students who will soon be Ms. Heidi LeBaron Leupp they saw evolution in action when both drought and tasked with the job of solving the enormous problems Ms. Michele Meany heavy rains led to rapid evolution in beak size. Those facing us today and in the years to come. Mr. Timothy Pidgeon ’74 finches evolved in order to survive — to crack open the SI continues to evolve in other ways. Veteran Spanish Fr. Edward A. Reese, S.J. seeds that remained. teacher Pedro Cafasso and Director of Educational SI just announced two sorts of evolutionary Technology and Innovation Jennifer Gaspar-Santos Mr. Angelo J. Rizzo, S.J. changes; rather than changing to survive, we are designed a learning space configuration with new Mr. Bert Selva ’80 doing so because we are called, in the words of our desks, chairs and digital displays in Pedro’s third-floor Alicia Donahue Silvia, Esq. mission statement, to respond “courageously to the classroom; there is also a white board that runs from Timothy Alan Simon, Esq. ’73 opportunities and challenges of our time.” floor to ceiling on which students can brainstorm The first evolution is actually a return to our roots. ideas for innovative class projects. Our teachers and When SI President Eddie Reese, S.J., announced the administrators know that the inscape of the mind is creation of the Father Sauer Academy — a middle linked to the landscape of the classroom, and a simple Below: Spanish teacher Pedro Cafasso school program that this August will offer full thing as desks that swivel to allow for collaboration can and Director of Educational Technology scholarships for seven years to students who qualify enhance a school day. for reduced-price lunches through SNAP — he was I have seen some educational fads come and go over and Innovation Jennifer Gaspar- channeling the early days of the school when SI opened the years, but I also know that if we don’t experiment, Santos turned a third-floor room into a its doors to primary and middle school kids. we risk remaining stagnant and falling behind a rapidly classroom of the future with floor-to- Fr. Reese told me he created the academy because expanding curve. That’s what makes working at a place ceiling white boards, digital displays “there are kids starving for a great education, and we like SI exciting, because we have the courage to change run a bakery. We need to make our product available when we need to. That’s why I’m still an enormous fan and moveable desks and chairs that to those who can’t afford to buy it. This will give us of this place and why SI will be around, I suspect, far allow for easy reconfiguration. the chance to make transformational Jesuit education longer than any of us can imagine. — Paul Totah ’75 4 genesis Contents GENESIS: Volume 53, Number 4, Winter 2016–2017 DEVELOPMENT 6 COVER STORY: SI to launch new middle school program named for Fr. Sauer 7 St. Peter’s VP Karen Hammen to lead Fr. Sauer Academy 8 Meet SI’s new Board of Trustees 9 For Martin D. “Pete” Murphy ’52, legacy giving is no joke 10 Supporters step up to sponsor students with one-on-one scholarships 11 Day of Giving succeeds thanks to matching gift from Dr. Randy Green ’86 12 The next generation has its turn on the Ignatian Guild fashion show ’Catwalk SCHOOL NEWS 42 Design Thinking guides changes in social science & religious studies 44 From Kansas City to Costa Rica, students learn the value of simple living 46 Casey Elder ’17 knows who needs your used electronics 47 Finance class teaches students practical life lessons 48 Fall performing arts review 49 Math whiz Madie Wang ’18 adds up the victories in math competitions SPORTS 50 Long may they run, part II: SI cross country athletes of the 1970s 51 Claire Dworsky ’18: SI’s first female football player 52 Girls’ varsity tennis team makes history with first NorCal crown 53 Girls’ varsity volleyball enjoys best season ever with 2nd place NorCal finish San Francisco’s Presidio became a national park in large part due to the efforts 54 Sports Wrap of Jim O’Toole ’61. Pictured here are SI students restoring land overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge as part of a past Stewardship Week. Page 27 ALUMNI 14 FEATURE SECTION Sense of Place: Creating family, home & community 58 Alex Gerould’s The Valley of the Shadow of Death, by Tim Reardon ’86 16 TV writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe ’83 explores the life of the mind & the galaxy 59 Championing an education without limits, by Cate Scott Campbell ’00 20 The Cleary clan crafts a good life where redwoods meet the vines 60 SFPD’s Kevin Downs ’09 survives shooting 24 Finding Christ in the city’s Tenderloin 61 USMC Capt. Jorge Hernandez ’04 on SI/SHC friendship & rivalry in Iraq 27 The green heart of the city is the Presidio thanks to Jim O’Toole ’61 62 Tom Brandi, Esq. ’63 receives Christ the King Award for service 28 Dave Alexander ’95 brews beer in the name of the city he loves 63 Lincoln Center Director Bartlett Sher ’77 honored with Spiritus Magis Award 29 Brandon Brodt ’78 writes of the city’s neighborhoods of days gone by 30 The Barulich family celebrates 50 years of feeding the Bay Area DEPARTMENTS 32 Annie Leese Thistle ’02 creates a surrogate home for Marin’s budding performers 64 Keeping in Touch 67 Births 34 Ann Armstrong ’93 explores and teaches about Austin 67 In Memoriam 71 Calendar 36 John Hughan ’04 teaches performance driving on Texas racetracks 67 Nelia Riccetti-Schubert, longtime costumer, dies at 91 38 Finding yourself by naming your tribe, by Megan (Shaughnessy) Bondy ’95 On the Cover: This fanciful future-vision of the school speaks to SI’s forward- 40 Why class reunions matter more than ever, by Anthony del Zompo ’84 thinking approach to education, from the Design Thinking process that is helping teachers revise curriculum to the Father Sauer Academy, SI’s new middle school venture.