The Quarterly Magazine of St. Ignatius College Preparatory, San Francisco, Summer 2016 AND ALL THAT JAZZ: The spring musical Chicago, directed by Ted Curry ’82, featured two talented casts for this rollicking production. The part of Velma was played by Sofia Angelopoulos ’18 and Tamlyn Padilla-Grafilo ’16; Roxie was played by Kellen Drew ’17 and Lunden Harrell ’16; Meighan LaRocca ’17 and Bella Cistaro ’16 shared the role of Mama Morton; and Billy Flynn was played by Chris Fisher ’16 and Daniel Camou ’16 (pictured here). GENESIS A Report to Concerned Individuals Volume 53, Number 2 Summer 2016 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 send e-mail to [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. GENESIS is printed on certified FSC® paper, by a certified FSC® printer (FSC-C010109). In addition, 30 percent of the ink comes from agriculturally-based renewable sources. genesis 3 2015–2016 St. Ignatius First Words Board of Trustees May the ghosts of my past English teachers not strike Rev. Gregory Bonfiglio, S.J. me dead for violating one of their commandments — Chair thou shalt not write in clichés — because I’m about to Justice Peter Siggins ’73 do just that. Yes. The only constant is change. Try writing that Secretary truth in some new and better way. I dare you. Ms. Maureen Clark This adage barely merits repeating, it’s so obvious, Rev. Edwin B. Harris, S.J. ’63 but when one works at a school, this truth stares you Dr. Ted W. Love in the face each summer when one class leaves and another enters, with each new crop of young Ignatians Mr. Angelo J. Rizzo, S.J. striving to adopt old traditions while creating new ones. The same is true for our faculty, as new teachers come 2015–2016 Board of Regents in to replace veteran educators. Art Cecchin and Fr. Edwin Harris, S.J., both class of 1963. Claude Perasso, Jr., Esq. ’76, This year we say goodbye to two of our best — Elizabeth Purcell of the English Department and Art Chair the years have lent their expert advice. We are a better Cecchin ’63 of the Social Science Department. When I school thanks to them. Mr. Joseph Allanson ’81 interview alumni and ask them to name teachers who As of July 1, we now have one group called the Vice Chair made a difference in their lives, they sing the praises of Board of Trustees, composed of 18 people. (See the one or both of these greats. Mrs. Jeannie Sangiacomo story in this issue for more.) This reconfigured group They are, first and foremost, teachers. You will find Secretary will provide more effective governance and allow SI to them meeting with students before and after school change more quickly and to adapt to a world evolving Mrs. Tina Butler and also attending games, concerts and plays. Simply at supersonic speeds. It also brings SI in line with the Mrs. Susan Carter put, they are the best of us and serve as exemplars for best practices of similar private schools, both Jesuit both our students and for young teachers who seek to Mr. Simon Chiu ’88 and secular. become great teachers. Dr. Antonio Cucalon ’75 We also had a change of leadership on July 1 when I also want to point out that Elizabeth and Art are Fr. Edward A. Reese, S.J., took office as our school’s Sr. Cathryn deBack, O.P. on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Seems newest president. Most alumni have not met him, but Mr. Keith Dunne like an odd point to make, but I mention this because once they do, they will feel as if they have known him they also provide a model for our students as to the Dr. Frederick Gaines for years. They will also appreciate the direction he kind of civic discourse we should be having — the Mr. Gordon Getty ’51* takes SI, one that follows a consistent trajectory of kind the founders had in mind when they launched excellence yet with a style all his own, one born of the Rev. Edwin B. Harris, S.J. ’63 a new nation, one marked by intelligent dialogue, same visionary leadership he has shown at Brophy Mr. Brian Heafey ’86 polite debate, compromise when necessary and College Preparatory in Phoenix these past two decades. steadfastness to principles. Ms. Heidi Leupp A dedicated Jesuit, Fr. Reese has the same spiritual This particular national presidential campaign has Ms. Margy Lico heart of outgoing SI President Edwin Harris, S.J. ’63, been and will continue to be marked by the worst a man who served the school so well these past two Niall McCarthy, Esq. ’85 of who we are. We have seen demonization and years and who, at the graduation exercises, recalled his Mr. William McDonnell ’42* generalization in a race to the bottom. When this first days on Stanyan Street with classmate Art Cecchin. contest is over, I hope we take stock of ourselves, listen Mrs. Michele Meany Watching Fr. Harris shed a few tears as he recounted to our better angels and change the system. Martin D. Murphy, Esq. ’52* their friendship almost brought me to tears. That kind We have been doing some work here at SI of late of colleagueship is special, as it comes from decades of Mr. Timothy Pidgeon ’74 to see how we can improve our own governance friendship as well as a shared vision and mission. Mr. Marcus Robinson structures. Back in 1966, SI President Harry Carlin, The only constant may be change, but what’s also S.J. ’35, assembled SI’s first Board of Regents who Mr. Bert Selva ’80 true is that within this change, much still remains advised him and helped raise money for the building of Alicia Donahue Silvia, Esq. constant. You could see this both during the new Red the new campus in the Sunset District. Later, in 1998, and Blue Campus Crawl and the SI’s first Day of Giving Timothy Alan Simon, Esq. ’73 we expanded the Board of Trustees — the ownership on June 28. We are more than a school. We are the SI Mr. Steve Sirianni ’84 body of the school — from four priests to nine men and family. Most alumni will tell you they bleed red and blue, women, both lay and religious, as a result of the call Mr. Robert Uhrich ’83 they whisper the fight song as they drive by campus, of the Jesuits in 1995 to deepen our invitation to lay Mr. Albert Waters II ’80 and they look forward to reunions and homecoming people to help us run the school. games because, while the faces and structures might * Lifetime Members That two-tiered structure served the school well, change, the values remain the same. We are a place though at times, those on the two boards felt that we that teaches our students to be heroes and saints and could do better. After many months of consultation to remake their world into a just and loving place. and discernment, we chose, exactly 50 years after the That will never change. establishment of the Board of Regents, to end its run. — Paul Totah ’75 We owe much to the men and women who through 4 genesis Contents GENESIS: Volume 53, Number 2, Summer 2016 DEVELOPMENT 6 Newly streamlined Board of 18 Trustees to govern SI 7 Compass Spotlight on KTVU anchor Mike Mibach ’94 8 Selva brothers fund scholarship to honor their mother 10 SI thanks all those who participated in the Parent Giving Program SCHOOL NEWS 54 SI students receive a host of honors at the May Awards Assembly 56 Valedictorian Sean Hampton ’16 asks classmates to plant trees ‘under whose shade you do not expect to sit’ 57 Allyson Abad ’16 awarded for four years of excellence 58 Lizzie Ford ’16 puts a new spin on Exec Council as student body president 59 Loyalty Award recipient Gavin Doyle ’16 serves SI on the water & in government 60 Art Cecchin ’63 leaves SI after a storied career of saying yes to invitations 62 Elizabeth Purcell, English teacher exemplar, retires as one of SI’s greats 65 Patrick Watson ’16 & Marisol Sandoval ’16 honored for service to others 66 Students explore religious vocations: By Anne Stricherz 67 Matthew Abranches Da Silva ’17 builds photobioreactor for algae experiments 68 Girls Who Code Club helps young women find their way to high tech firms 70 Gypsy Robe follows actors from show to show: By Meredith Cecchin Galvin ’97 SPORTS Camp 1 on 26,906-ft.