Spring 2020 Celebrating years of Roncalli 50 Greatest Moments of Roncalli Two State Wrestling Champions Rebel Rhapsody Show Choir 3X Grand Champions Cover photo by Raegan Thomas R'21 SPRING UPDATE 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 10 GYMNASIUM DEDICATION 12 SHOW CHOIR 19 50 GREATEST MOMENTS Point of View Valedictorian and ACT & SAT All Stars 04 13 Salutatorian 18 06 Revelations 14 Quest for Excellence 18 ISSMA Gold Awards 08 Advancement Angle 14 Rising Stars 24 Speech Team Christmas Catholic Schools Week Lilly Endowment 09 Performances 15 25 Scholarship 16 Dodgeball 25 Mock Trial Team State 17 Senior Assist Day UPDATE MAGAZINE SPRING 2020 Update Magazine is published by the Office of Institutional Advancement under the direction of Terese R. Carson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. Its intent is to be a vehicle to inform alumni, family and friends of recent and upcoming happenings and achievements at the school, as well as showcase the talents and gifts of its students, faculty and alumni. Editor-in-Chief: Terese Carson | Deputy Editors: Jeen Endris, Tina Hayes and Gary Armbruster R’81 | Design Director: Jeen Endris | Photographers: John Smith, Stefan Welsh, Phil Anderson, Jeen Endris | Inquiries/Correspondence: Fran Davey, Roncalli High School, 3300 Prague Road, Indianapolis, IN 46227, (317) 787-8277 ext. 238 [email protected]. Website: www.roncalli.org Circulation: 13,037 Email: [email protected] FOR EDITORIAL INFORMATION, CONTACT TERESE CARSON AT (317) 787-8277, EXT. 240 OR [email protected] MISSION STATEMENT As a Catholic high school, our pledge is to provide, in concert with parents, parish and community, an educational opportunity which seeks to form Christian leaders in body, mind and spirit. Guided by prayer and the Gospel values of faith, love and justice, students are challenged to respond to the call of discipleship and to fulfill their potential as lifelong learners in service to others. Our end is to make God’s love complete among us. ADMINISTRATION PRESIDENT: 3 Dr. Joseph D. Hollowell Hon’97 PRINCIPAL: Charles Weisenbach R’79 VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT: R FAMILY DAY ATHLETIC REVIEWS 26 34 Terese R. Carson Hon’18 VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE AND FACILITIES: Hollowell Collegiate Commitments Dave Gervasio R’85 26 Retirement Dinner 42 VICE PRESIDENT OF MISSION AND MINISTRY: Robert Tully Hon’93 Bruster’s Bits Kiwanis Scholarship ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR 28 44 ACADEMICS: Kathy Arruda ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR "You Can't Take it Classnotes STUDENT LIFE: 30 With You!" 46 Kevin Banich R’09 DEAN OF STUDENTS: A Week of Service Tim Crissman Scholastic Awards 52 at Roncalli GUIDANCE DIRECTOR: 31 Lisa Beckwith R’01 CAMPUS MINISTRY DIRECTOR: New Coaches The Last Word Jeff Traylor 32 54 ATHLETIC DIRECTOR: David Lauck R’94 CHAPLAIN COORDINATOR: Father Douglas Hunter RONCALLI • SACRED HEART CENTRAL • CHARTRAND • KENNEDY MEMORIAL POINT OF VIEW Running on the Premium Gas of Truth Joseph D. Hollowell Ed. D., President All students For the past 30 years, it has been after coming to us from a public a privilege to write this column school. For years, as a leader in deserve to fully for our premiere publication - the Catholic education, I had searched understand Who has Update. It is a sacred privilege for a good description that ably and responsibility that I do not defines what it is that makes what created them and take lightly. For my final column, we are doing at Roncalli worth it seems appropriate to revisit a the investment. Leave it to a 7th Who has given them theme that I wrote about five years grader to provide me with the help a divinely ordained ago. It should not surprise you I needed! 4 that, with every fiber of my being, I do not raise this issue lightly. task to complete I delight in the opportunity to Both my father and my sister work in a Catholic school. I have on this earth. taught in public schools for many often thought about the difference decades. My best friend spent between a Catholic education and the vast majority of his career as the many other options that are a public school teacher. My wife currently available. Any leader of a taught in public schools, both Catholic school should have a great before and after we got married. I answer ready when someone asked am keenly aware of the many fine them, “What’s so special about a people who work in our public Catholic education?” Here is my schools. What I am about to say is best shot. not a reflection on the people in a “Mom, public school is killing system. Rather, it is a comparison my soul.” These startling words of our Catholic schools to a system came from a 7th grader and were of education that does not allow relayed to me a few years ago by its teachers and administrators to the mother of the student who engage students in the essential uttered them. She was explaining and full Truth of who they are. to me why her child had to attend What Christians ardently believe Roncalli. The comment would not to be the absolute Truth of human leave me. In fact, it still has not left existence is not allowed a platform me, though the student who spoke in most schools today. It has no these words to his mother has long place in the curriculum or mission. since graduated from Roncalli Plainly put, Jesus said, “I am the UPDATE MAGAZINE SPRING 2020 Truth.” Without the nourishment Catholic schools are running on It is instructive to note that faith of that Truth, the human soul is in premium gas – the Truth. Their has always been one of the primary danger of starvation. teachers, classwork, and curriculum motivators behind the provision The comment from our 7th grade are catering to the whole person – of education in this country. One witness is at once both a very body, mind, and spirit. Catholic does not have to look hard to find rich and very sad statement. It is schools take advantage of all parts that the motivation to create the profoundly rich in its wisdom. It of the engine and all of the luxury system of public schooling in this is sad in that it was an account features with which our human country was to teach children of the reality this young person “car” is built. Students in Catholic how to read and understand the was experiencing. It is a comment schools are fed with the Truth. I Bible. Catholic schools still count 5 not unlike the ancient wisdom believe this special fuel explains the this among their most important expressed by St. Augustine who extraordinary results we see from objectives. Regrettably, since the said, “Our hearts are restless our students. early 1960s, our public school until they rest in thee, O Lord.” A similar analogy may also be brothers and sisters in this country In related ways, Jesus proposes considered. Running a school that are no longer allowed to work a similar idea in his startling is not centered on Truth is like toward this goal. question, “What does it profit a trying to run the human body Many sacrifices are needed to man to gain the whole world but without a simple but absolutely continue to make Catholic lose his soul?” Catholic schools necessary nutrient such as iron. education possible. Every one of teach that the Truth is that God Without iron in our blood, the those sacrifices are necessary to creates each human person. Each hemoglobin that carries oxygen allow our students to thrive in the person was made to know God and to all parts of the body cannot joy in which the Truth is boldly to serve God with the special gifts function. Oxygen is essential in the proclaimed. All students deserve to given to him or her. Ultimately, slow fire of cellular respiration that fully understand Who has created we were made to love God in this burns in our body to give us energy them and Who has given them a life and to share in His joy in the and keep us all alive. In Catholic divinely ordained task to complete eternal life that comes after. schools, that simple element, our on this earth. In a world where we Trying to live life without this faith in God, allows the fire of the provide so much to our children, Truth is like running a car that Holy Spirit to burn, keeping alive why would anyone settle for less is built to burn only premium the desire for learning and the than that? gas and yet the owner insists on love for our neighbor. Remove the God bless all in the Roncalli putting the cheaper stuff in that element of faith and we run the family as we continue to proclaim does not allow the engine to risk of becoming a dying shell of the Truth! perform quite as well. Students in who we are made by God to be. RONCALLI • SACRED HEART CENTRAL • CHARTRAND • KENNEDY MEMORIAL REVELATIONS Converting Our Hearts to the Way of Christ Fr. Douglas Hunter, Chaplain Coordinator During this catastrophic outbreak with In order that we may convert our hearts COVID-19 (Coronavirus), we are able to to the ways of Jesus Christ, we must keep see, we were not prepared. In a particular our hearts and minds open. We must way, ask yourself this question: “Will we repent of our sins. The season of Lent be prepared when Jesus returns?” affords us that opportunity. In the midst Without changing our hearts, the answer of this pandemic, God has hit the reset will likely be “no.” So often, we spend button for us and has brought everything our time running from God, seeking only to a screeching halt.