SLUH Magazine - Summer 2019

MAGAZINE

|

SUMMER 2019

I NSI DE T HIS S P ECI AL I SSU E:

GO FORTH

BOLDLY EMBRACING OUR THIRD CENTURY

FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY • JESUIT IDENTITY • COUNSELING • STEAM • GLOBAL EDUCATION • ARTS • THE FUTURE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION • AND MORE

A PILGRIMAGE

200 Years

IN THE MAKING

SLUH completed its 200th anniversary celebration with a Bicentennial Pilgrimage in downtown St. Louis on April 12. The entire student body, guided by faculty, staff and parents in small groups, explored historic, cultural and religious sites to learn about and reflect on their significance. The day began with all-school Mass before visiting the school’s first two campus locations at the Gateway Arch and America's Center. Other sites included the Old Cathedral, Federal Reserve Bank, the Shrine of St. Joseph and City Hall, among many more. The event was originally scheduled for November 16, 2018, but was postponed due to inclement weather.

#weareSTL #SLUHday #solidarity #goforth

Leadership is inspired by boldness, an unrelenting will to pursue excellence. It is guided by vision, to look beyond the horizon for new opportunities and pathways. Its direction changes, yet does not waver. Its roots are strong, its wings stronger, and when it takes flight its potential is boundless and immeasurable.

Summer 2019 | 1

and critical thinkers of high moral caliber.

We are brothers united in Christ, committed to justice and service.

We promote Solidarity and serve the Common Good.

We are blessed with a 200-year tradition of excellence inspired by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Every day we come from miles apart.

We come from onebedroom apartments and two-story homes.

We drive, bike, and take the bus from more than 90 zip codes, on both sides of the river.

Our parents are executives, plumbers, university professors, and cab drivers.

We represent diverse cultures, perspectives, and backgrounds.

We are scholars, artists, athletes, and campus ministers.

We represent St. Louis.

We are many unique parts yet one unified body.

We share a drive to become prolific learners

2

We are grateful for our past, but we are not looking back.

Now is our time – to take our school’s torch and to light the future.

It’s our time to become master innovators, to create new opportunities.

Now is our time to shine – for the greater glory of God.

imagination.

It’s our time to expand our mindset and how we view the world.

It’s our time to make the mold, set the standard, and raise the bar.

We are SLUH. We are called to Go Forth into our Third Century.

To Go Forth for our city, for our nation, and for the world.

Now is the time to fan our flame and “set the world on fire.”

It’s our time to embrace impossible challenges, to push the boundaries of

goforth.sluh.org

This is Our Century “No student will therefore pass through the school without laying at least a minimum foundation of classical scholarship and training on which to build his future specialized education and culture; and in making this innovation (a four-course choice of Classical, English, Scientific or Commercial in third year) the authorities of the school venture no mere experiment but follow a course dictated by the best educational experience of this and other countries.”

Excerpt from 1923 Dauphin Yearbook article, entitled “A Pioneer High School,” celebrating the laying of the cornerstone for the current Backer Memorial building at Oakland Avenue.

These words reflect how high-quality Jesuit schools – like SLUH – continually seek to model the best elements of formation and education while embracing continuous, thoughtful change to remain relevant and effective.

Our Go Forth campaign, which we publicly launched on November 16, 2018 (our official 200th anniversary), embodies such strategic thinking. It is punctuated by a generational demand that we constantly evaluate and adapt to ensure access to excellence in faith formation and educational experience.

Go Forth will allow us to extend our proud history of “launching” our young men to college, for the service of the greater good and beyond. It will continue to set the foundational elements of what it really means to be successful college students, effective contributors to society, community and faith leaders, great fathers and "men for others."

About 150 stakeholders – including alumni, parents, faculty, Board members and outside experts – lent their expertise and passion to our Imagining 18 Strategic Thinking process. Imagining 18 ultimately shaped our Go Forth priorities, which support financial accessibility, program excellence and a 21st-century campus.

Go Forth has energized our school

community to pursue curriculum and assessment work; develop a revamped approach to retreats and formation; design and dream of upgraded and modernized facilities to serve the needs of 21st-century science and innovation learning; and inspire creative, artistic energy in both the visual and performing arts.

At the center of Go Forth is the foundational concept of cura personalis, or care of the whole person. Our students today are facing pressures that require us to consider carefully how our programming, environment and curriculum form and prepare them for success in both life and school. We are incorporating College Counseling, Guidance Counseling, learning support and how our spaces physically and aesthetically complement a healthy and socially supportive lifestyle into our goals. In addition, our faculty are evolving pedagogical and curricular methods to reflect the needs of a 21st century student and global experience.

It is inspiring to consider how the Holy Spirit led SLUH on a pilgrimage of developing Go Forth goals that parallel the Universal Apostolic Initiatives, which grew out of the 36th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus.

These initiatives, as designated by Father General Arturo Sosa in his February 2019 letter, include: 1.

To show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and discernment 2. To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice 3. To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future 4. To collaborate in the care of our Common Home It has been said that we at St. Louis U. High stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us. That is true, but now is our time. It is our time to become a model of academic achievement and faith formation for the nation and the world. Now is our century.

It is our century to develop leaders of competence, conscience and compassion at a time when they are needed more than ever.

I invite you to learn about Go Forth in the following pages. To be successful, we seek wide participation and we need transformational support. I thank those who have led in supporting our vision, and I call on all in our extended community to help ensure we meet our goal – for our young men and their service to the world for centuries to come.

God bless,

Alan Carruthers President

Summer 2019 | 3

IN THIS ISSUE 10

10 Go Forth Campaign Introduction 12 FINANCIAL

ACCESSIBILITY

13 Our Story by the Numbers 14 The Power of Asking 15 Avec Férocité: The Life of

Antwine Willis '19

18 JESUIT IDENTITY &

FAITH FORMATION

19 A.M.D.G.: A Reflection

on the SLUH Chapel Renovation Project 20 Finding God in All Things 20 Immersion Trip to Border Complicates, Humanizes Immigration 22 Answering the Call 22 A.M.D.G.: Ignatian Spirituality for SLUH Parents

23 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

24 Ready for the Challenge:

Achieving Success in Selective College Admissions 26 Expert Advice: College Selectivity 27 Mind Over Matter: How Brain-Based Research is Improving the Learning Process

29 GLOBAL EDUCATION 30 East-West Solidarity: SLUH's

Partnership with China Thrives as a Global Education Exemplar 32 Experience of a Lifetime

34 STEAM 34 Why STEAM Needs

the Humanities 35 Robobills Pave Way for Future Success 36 Entrepreneur at Heart

38 Going the Distance 38 Reaching for the STARS 4 | SLUH Magazine

GO FORTH AND SET THE WORLD ON FIRE 46 ART CENTER 47 In the Eye of the Beholder:

Matt Harvey '81 Shares Beauty of Local Treasure 48 Art Collection at SLUH 49 Artistically Speaking

50 MEDIA CENTER 50 EIC to DOJ: Jim Santel's Life

with the Prep News 52 This Ridiculous D-II Baseball Announcer Will Make Your Day and Deserves an MLB Gig 53 Insignis: Finding a Voice 54 In Medias Res: Sulli Wallisch '19 and the Art of Photography

MAGAZINE

ABOUT SLUH Magazine is a publication for alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, benefactors and friends of St. Louis University High School. If you do not receive correspondence from SLUH but wish to, please send a note to alumni@sluh.org with your name, email and mailing address.

CONTACT SLUH Magazine St. Louis University High School 4970 Oakland Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110 magazine@sluh.org

1818 INSIDER

U. HIGHlights

7 Semester Highlights 8 Fostering an Inclusive

55 Men for Each Other 56 Noteworthy

Environment 9 Spring Sports Claim 3 State Titles

FEATURE 40 BEYOND THE

HORIZON: LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION

57 Bringing Home the Cup 59 Shadow@SLUH 60 Women for Others:

Martha Staley 61 Requiescat in Pace

62 Peace of Mind:

The Benefits of Planning Your Future

63 Now is Our Time 64 Ignatian Reflection 65 Upcoming Events ON THE COVER: A.J. Storer '19 works on his laptop during AP Physics 2 class in the new James Guth Costigan '62 Innovation Lab, a gift of the Guth Foundation in support of Go Forth's third century vision. This new 5,200-square-foot innovation commons features a central workshop, computer/planning area, woodworking shop, group collaboration area, Robotics/STEAM Club room and flex classroom with tables and presentation media.

EDITOR Ben DuMont '92 Director of Communications SUBMISSIONS Story ideas and submissions are welcome. Please send a note to magazine@sluh.org.

THANK YOU Photography Club for their dedication and commitment in digitally capturing life at SLUH and contributing to this publication...and to students in Prep News, SLUHTube, Sisyphus and Gadfly, for enriching the SLUH experience through their coverage, perspectives and creativity.

www.sluh.org sluhigh sluh @sluhjrbills COPYRIGHT © 2019 St. Louis University High School

Summer 2019 | 5

1818 INSIDER

6 | SLUH Magazine

1818 INSIDER

SEMESTER HIGHLIGHTS Baseball Centennial This spring SLUH celebrated 100 years of baseball, marked by legendary players and coaches, dramatic victories and life-changing team experiences. On April 27, alumni and others gathered for a special reception to commemorate the program's centennial. The event culminated with the retirement of Steve Nicollerat's number, #14. The Hall of Fame coach, who recently retired from coaching after 39 years with SLUH's program, received a special commemorative jersey. Nicollerat threw out the first pitch at a special centennial game on May 6, when SLUH hosted DeSmet (the Jr. Bills won 6-2).

In Gratitude SLUH thanks the following retiring faculty and staff for their dedicated service and tireless commitment to our mission (years of service at SLUH in parentheses): Matt Sciuto ‘70 (39), Kevin Moore (36), Eric Laboube (29), Charlie Martel ‘74 (27), Steve Debrecht (11). We also thank and wish the following faculty and staff all the best as they depart SLUH: Maria McNair (1), Claire Olderman (1), Meg Beugg (8), Chuck Chiodini (1) and Alum Service Corps volunteers Peter Lucier ‘08 (1) and Justin Seaton '13 (1).

Speed and Explosion Center This summer SLUH opened a new Speed and Explosion Center, a dedicated 1,000 square-foot space to support studentathlete training and campus-wide health and wellness efforts. Located next to the Pettit Fitness Center, it features a stretching rail, a reinforced wall for medicine ball work, rubberized flooring throughout for cardio work and eight mounts for TRX straps (suspension weight training).

Golden Gala SLUH celebrated the 50th anniversary of its annual Cashbah auction on April 6 at the Golden Gala. The incredible support of sponsors, donors and attendees raised more than $1.2 million.

These critical funds will help ensure the school continues to admit all qualified young men, regardless of their families' economic circumstances. SLUH is grateful to co-chairs Nicole Nester and Aura Quinn and the many dedicated volunteers who made the event a resounding success.

Achievement in the Arts SLUH artists and musicians worked hard this semester honing their craft and sharing their gifts with the community.

Highlights include: • 45 Choir, Band and Orchestra students received an Exemplary or Outstanding rating at the District Solo and Ensemble contest, and 15 of those students competed at the state level; • The Dauphin Players produced a successful production of Into the Woods, followed by an Improv Show; • The Band and Orchestra traveled to New York City and worked with professors from New York University’s Tisch School of Music, Columbia University and The New School, and received Gold Ratings and five outstanding soloist awards; • The spring art exhibit featured exceptional student work; • Four instrumentalists were featured in the prestigious JazzU showcase at the Ferring Jazz Bistro; • Alexander Unseth ‘21 performed with the renowned St. Louis Youth Symphony Orchestra; and • Jr. Bill singers and dancers wrapped up the year with an unforgettable show in the Joseph Schulte Theater.

Summer 2019 | 7

At SLUH, we insist upon a safe, inclusive learning environment for our students. There will never be tolerance at SLUH for conduct or speech that is hateful or racist.

We believe that every human being is made in the image of God and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.

Fostering an Inclusive Environment

In that spirit, we are committed to creating lasting and positive change in our institution with numerous initiatives to ensure equity and inclusion. New activities either underway or in the launch stage include: • Adding a Black Student Union group to our club offerings, along with several other affinity

groups for minority students, while maintaining our very successful Association for Cultural Enrichment at SLUH (ACES) group as an umbrella organization.

• Creating a parent equity and inclusion group, called the Parent Association for Cultural Enrichment at SLUH (PACES), to advise school leadership, support initiatives and welcome families.

• Creating an official role in the hiring process for our Director of Equity and Inclusion to help ensure careful consideration of minority job candidates.

• Creating a new committee of the Board of Trustees composed primarily of minority parents and alumni, to liaise with PACES and to hold us accountable for identifying needed changes and executing them.

• Making racial and social equity a regular focus of faculty inservice time.

• Identifying curricular pieces to develop a consistent focus on racial and social justice so that SLUH students graduate with the ability to identify and interrupt racism.

• Updating our school aesthetics and religious iconography so that it more fully reflects the diversity of the human race.

We welcome any ideas you may have for making SLUH a more inclusive, welcoming place, and invite you to share them with us at diversity@sluh.org.

Cultivating Tomorrow’s Leaders Today In addition to fulfilling its equity and inclusion mission through a variety of clubs, programs and retreats, SLUH provides students the opportunity to attend the Arrupe Leaders Summit. This annual national conference, which is sponsored by the Ignatian Solidarity Network, cultivates leadership skills for social change and advocacy. Jr. Bills who attended this year’s event, held in Mount Hermon, California, include (from left) Cameron Perry ‘21, Ismael Karim ‘22, Indranil Kar ‘22, Ocean Okohson-Reb ‘21, Giovanni Loftis ‘21 and Britt Nelson ‘21.

8 | SLUH Magazine

1818 INSIDER

SPRING SPORTS CLAIM 3 STATE TITLES Rugby, Volleyball and Water Polo Bring School Year Talley to 7 State Championships, Including Swimming, Ice Hockey, Racquetball and Riflery Baseball: The 100th season of SLUH baseball featured 16 wins by the varsity team, including three victories at the Graves County Classic, played near Paducah, Kentucky.

The team's season ended with a loss to Ladue in extra innings in the opening round of district play.

Golf: Jonathan Turner ‘19 led the way for the Jr. Bills in the MSHSAA Class 4 Championships, tying for 18th with a two-day total of 154. Ray Winter ‘20 tied for 26th with a total of 156, and Parker Leavitt ‘19 tied for 41st with a total of 161.

Inline Hockey: For the first time in program history, the inline program fielded four teams for competition in the MOIHA. The Varsity1 inline team opened the postseason with a series win over Rockwood Summit and advanced to the semifinals before falling in the best 3 series against eventual champion, Oakville.

Lacrosse: With postseason victories over Marquette and St. John Vianney, the varsity lacrosse team, the fifth seed in the MSLA Championships, advanced to the semifinal round before falling to MICDS. Rugby: The schedule for this year's rugby program featured competition against some of the best programs in the country, including teams from Illinois, California and Tennessee.

The rigor of that schedule paid dividends as the Varsity1 squad registered victories over Liberty and the KC Junior Blues to claim the school's first state championship.

Tennis: Courtesy of postseason wins over Kirkwood, Lindbergh, Oakville and Marquette, the varsity

tennis team returned to the MSHSAA final four for the first time since 2006.

The team defeated Rockhurst 5-3 in a grueling semifinal before falling to Rock Bridge in the Class 2 Team Championship.

On that same weekend, Nick Fischer ‘22 claimed 6th place in the Class 2 singles bracket, and the doubles team of Leo Da Silva ‘21 and Victor Stefanescu ‘20 claimed 6th place in the Class 2 doubles bracket.

Track & Field: The SLUH track team qualified in six events for the Class 5 MSHSAA Championships and came away with all-state performances in four of them. The 4x800 relay team of Patrick Hetlage ‘19, Charlie Perry ‘19, Lucas Rackers ‘20 and Lazarus Williams ‘20 finished 2nd and set a new school record.

Rackers claimed his second medal of the day with a 5th place finish in the 1,600 meter race. Williams followed with a new Class 5 record and the top spot in the 800 meter race. The performances concluded with Rackers grabbing his third medal of the championships with a 4th place finish in the 3,200 meter race. In the sectional meet, triple jumper Christian Wallace-Hughes ‘19 topped the school record that had been in place since 1977 and qualified to compete in the state championship.

Ultimate Frisbee: The growth of the SLUH ultimate frisbee team was reflected in its seasonending three consecutive wins,

including a win over Ladue on a late score to claim 13th place in the Missouri postseason tournament.

Volleyball: The varsity volleyball team recorded victories in two sets over three of the top-ranked teams in the area – DeSmet in the quarterfinals, Pattonville in the semifinals and St. John Vianney in the finals – to claim its second consecutive Class 4 state championship.

Water Polo: The JV PoloBills claimed the runner-up spot in the Missouri Water Polo JV Postseason Tournament. The varsity squad defeated Parkway South and Parkway West in the semifinals and finals, allowing only eight goals in those two games en route to claiming its 5th consecutive Missouri championship and first for new head coach John Penilla '99 (Coach of the Year).

For athletic scores, schedules and more, visit sluh.org/athletics Twitter: @SLUHAthletics

Summer 2019 | 9

SET THE

St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, urged his followers to “Go forth and set the world on fire.”

WORLD GO FORTH ON

FIRE

These words resonated with the founding of SLUH in 1818, when the school sparked a fire that continues to spread. For 200 years, we have illuminated the world by developing leaders of intellectual competence and moral caliber. We have provided fuel to better the world, especially for the most needy, through an active commitment to justice and service.

Yet our flame needs to be fanned. Our third century poses new challenges. It presents new opportunities, and it calls for support from the school’s entire community to further our tradition of excellence.

10 | SLUH Magazine

POWER OF IMAGINATION In the spirit of St. Ignatius, SLUH undertook a comprehensive strategic thinking initiative to exercise the imagination. This undertaking, called Imagining 18, unleashed bold ideas and fresh approaches. About 150 alumni, parents, faculty, Board members, Jesuits and outside experts helped to vision our future.

Imagining 18 was guided by a vision to become a model of academic achievement and faith formation for the nation and the world.

Ultimately, it inspired Go Forth.

Go Forth provides the direction to achieve this ambitious goal, benefiting three core areas:

$37,000,000

FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY

To ensure all qualified students are admitted based on their ability to learn, rather than their families’ economic circumstances. A new level of scholarship assistance is critical to preserving our student diversity and commitment to affordable education in the Jesuit tradition.

$10,000,000

TOTAL

$70,000,000

$25,000,000 ENDOWMENT $12,000,000 OPERATING GOAL Our annual fundraising is rolled into this goal, as this helps cover financial aid while we build the endowment.

$3,000,000

CAMPAIGN

To fund campaign activity and any bridge financing for capital projects.

PROGRAM EXCELLENCE

To embrace a new vision that emphasizes collaboration, innovation and experiential learning, one that is balanced by cura personalis, or care for the whole person, and grounded in a spiritual and global mindset.

$20,000,000

21ST CENTURY CAMPUS

To support our innovative program initiatives through facility improvement, while addressing the needs of our 96-year-old academic building.

We move forward from a solid position. A vibrant community of 1,000 students and more than 100 faculty and staff, we continue to have a strong, active presence in the City of St. Louis, with accomplishments ranging from academics and athletics, to drama and service. We cannot, however, rest on our laurels. We must continually reflect, adapt and move forward. It is what we have done throughout our proud history. It is what we are compelled to do today.

Summer 2019 | 11

FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY SCHOLARSHIP: ENSURING OUR IGNATIAN TRADITION OF ACCESSIBILITY The generosity of George and Anna Backer provided SLUH with essential support for many years, but the school has long since outgrown the ability of the Backer gift alone to sustain itself. The needs of our students, faculty and curriculum have grown and evolved, while the demand for financial assistance has risen significantly.

Today SLUH relies on tuition and the support of alumni, parents and benefactors to meet its annual operating needs. The endowment, although carefully managed by school leadership and the Board of Trustees, lags behind that of many peer Jesuit and independent schools. With a net value of approximately $43 million, it allows for an annual draw of just $2,473 per student. Any significant stagnation in fundraising and enrollment would risk draining the endowment.

The Board has prioritized growing the endowment as a top strategic priority to ensure SLUH’s legacy of need-blind admission and uncapped financial aid. An additional $25 million in Go Forth scholarship funding will better meet today’s needs while leveraging the impact of annual fundraising for investment in the school program.

Learn more at goforth.sluh.org

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FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY

OUR STORY BY THE NUMBERS

FINANCIAL AID (%) The percentage of Jr. Bills benefiting from financial aid has doubled in less than 10 years. Currently, the average award is $9,800.

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$500,000

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$1,000,000

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14

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13

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11

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10

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09

$3,000,000

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06

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07

$4,000,000

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04

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FINANCIAL AID ($) The amount of financial aid has more than tripled in the last decade, thanks to the generosity of benefactors.

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ENROLLMENT SLUH has experienced a steady increase in enrollment over the last century. More recently, we have reached a stable enrollment level and anticipate it will continue to plateau.

20

1,000

19

1,200

19

STAFFING AND JESUIT PRESENCE In the 1970s, the lay faculty and staff (dark blue) began to outnumber the Jesuits (light blue), a trend that continues to affect the cost of education.

TUITION (blue) AND COST OF EDUCATION (gray) Historically, SLUH has not charged the full cost of education to allow students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to attend. The difference, or gap, between the cost of education and tuition is made up through fundraising. More recently, SLUH has made a strategic decision to move tuition closer to the cost of education. This benefits financial aid by freeing up additional funds to help families from the lower and middle income families. In 2003-04, tuition was 62% of the cost of education; today it is about 90%.

$18,000

ENDOWMENT (blue), DEBT (gray) AND NET ENDOWMENT (navy) Current figures dispel the myth that the Backer endowment funds our operations and financial aid (this would require an endowment in excess of $360M). Contrary to popular belief, the value of our endowment is less than other leading Jesuit and independent high schools nationwide.

Nonetheless, we have made great strides in the recent past to manage our operating budget and improve our annual fundraising efforts to underwrite financial aid, thus preserving our endowment corpus, while simultaneously paying down our debt (primarily acquired in the 1990s to refurbish our aging urban facility and build our theater). The net result is a notably increased net endowment. Even still, at an average draw of 5% annually, our net endowment is only $2,473 per student.

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$10,000,000

FY2019 statistics available later this summer.

Summer 2019 | 13

GO

ALUMNI REFLECTIONS

Thousands of alumni benefited from financial aid during their time at SLUH. The investment donors made decades ago continues to pay dividends for

them and their service to the world. Here a few graduates who benefited from scholarship assistance reflect on the impact SLUH had on them.

The POWER of Asking

BY ANDY KLUMP ‘94 Since moving to China over 16 years ago, I have realized the greatest benefit of my SLUH education has been the ability to ask questions and challenge accepted wisdom. In my current role as CEO, Founder and Owner of Clean Energy Associates, a global solar pv and energy storage engineering company with 100 employees in 10 countries, my team is constantly dealing with pushback from suppliers, financial institutions and industry competition questioning our approach to providing supply chain transparency and quality control oversight to clients from more than 50 countries.

When I established the business in 2008, many questioned my ability to survive and told me that this model would never succeed, yet I continued to ask questions counter to industry frameworks and probe for answers in areas where others accepted conventional beliefs. By challenging the status quo, our company discovered key insights and know-how that allowed us to become the industry leader in solar and storage technical advisory solutions globally. As SLUH teachers allowed me to ask difficult questions and pursue my own line of thinking, I was able to mature from a shy, introverted kid whose father was a St. Louis County Cab taxi driver of 44 years to become an adventuresome and confident business owner who has built an international company culture that thrives on unending curiosity as one of its core values.

While I studied French at SLUH for four years and ignored Chinese at the time, my curiosity served me well as my educational path and career evolved to China. I earned my Economics degree from Northwestern in 1998 and an MBA at Harvard Business School in 2003, but only at the age of 25 did I start a two-year journey to gain business fluency in Mandarin while surviving the raw elements of Beijing shortly after the outbreak of SARS. I now continue to live in Shanghai and have a thriving family with four daughters who are all learning Mandarin as well as the art of asking questions in a diverse, international environment.

14 | SLUH Magazine

“SLUH instilled in me a commitment to serve others in an environment that allowed the pursuit of academic excellence with little regard to race or financial status of the student.”

MICHAEL DEBAUN ‘78 Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Director of the Vanderbilt-Meharry Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Diseases who has dedicated his career to improving the lives of children with sickle cell disease.

“At SLUH there was no hiding.

It was up to each student to earn their way. I’ve carried those standards forward in my life today.”

DAN FLYNN ‘73 CEO/Secretary General of U.S. Soccer who was a student on financial aid at SLUH and member of 1972 state championship team.

“At SLUH there was an unspoken attitude that one had to work at their capacity.

In fact, from the first day of my attendance, I felt that I must exceed what I thought possible.”

JOHN KVETON ‘68 Performed the first cochlear implant in St. Louis in 1984; currently the Clinical Professor of Surgery/Otolaryngology and Neurosurgery at Yale University School of Medicine, he has given hundreds of patients the gift of hearing.

FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY

Avec Férocité:

THE LIFE OF

ANTWINE WILLIS '19

BY PETER LUCIER '08 AND JUSTIN SEATON '13

Sitting for one of the last times in the 95-yearold Backer Memorial, 12 days before graduation, SLUH senior Antwine Willis shook his right foot nervously. His head was cocked up and to the right, and his eyes scanned a small, defunct radio studio – one of the last undiscovered pockets of the school he knew so well, the school he’d touched with a certain, unique, hard-earned…je ne c’est quoi.

The fifth of seven siblings, Antwine grew up in north St. Louis, off of Jefferson Ave. He went to grade school at Gateway Elementary – a school which sits on the former site of the Pruitt-Igoe housing complex, between Carr Street and Cass Avenue on Jefferson Avenue in north St. Louis. Behind the school, on 20th street, are the twin, redbrick, green-copper-capped gothic towers of St. Stanislaus Church.

Looking back, Antwine remembered, “I was very silly. I was a really goofy kid and I was kind of a trouble maker. I just like to make people laugh, and I did that a lot.”

Even as a young child, Antwine had a style and personality all of his own. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t have much time to indulge his silly side.

Difficult times lay ahead.

“We were a big big happy family until my parents split,” Antwine recalled, during an interview with Assistant Principal Jim Linhares for SLUH’s Insignis podcast. “We would come home, do homework, play games, do stuff a normal family does. Then my parents split up. My dad lost his job.”

Even now, it is easy to see how difficult this time was for Antwine. He seems much more comfortable talking about his activities at SLUH, or Loyola, or his friends, than he is talking about himself, his past.

But if there was a bright spot amid those difficult years, it was that it brought him together with his grandmother, Mrs. Daisy Willis, who would become one Antwine Willis ‘19, a student on financial aid at SLUH, is attending Washington University in St. Louis on scholarship this fall.

Summer 2019 | 15

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of the most significant people in his life. After the separation, Antwine and two of his siblings moved in with “Granny.” In the defunct SLUH radio studio, Antwine smiled as he remembered living with her, his right foot shaking faster. Mrs. Willis was a librarian and English teacher in the St. Louis public school system for over thirty years, and she ran her home like a schoolteacher.

“She expected these things out of us that no one had expected of us,” said Antwine. “Naturally we all started to improve our grades when we started living with a school teacher … It was nothing like I had ever experienced before. I always thought that she was super strict and super mean, because I always thought that of school teachers, but after awhile I started to see that she just really cared, and that she was an amazing person.”

Mrs. Willis’s love, and the structure she provided, was crucial for Antwine. When he was 10 years old, his father was killed.

“My father passed away when I was in 4th grade. He was killed by someone who was in conflict with my cousin, who he was with at the time. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Losing him, my view on the world kind of changed, I started dealing with the problem of evil. How could this happen?”

As Antwine grappled with questions most children his age never have, and should never have to entertain, he continued to grow, and excel academically. He spent 6th through 8th grade at Loyola Academy. A few blocks west of the Fox Theater, nestled near Cardinal Ritter High School, Loyola Academy is a squat brick building located at 3851 Washington Ave. Loyola has had a special relationship to SLUH since its founding in 1999. First conceived by SLUH’s own Fr. Paul Sheridan, SJ, Loyola Academy is a Jesuit middle school for boys who have the potential for college preparatory work, but whose progress may be impeded by economic or social circumstances. Antwine still returns there often to volunteer.

While successful academically, Antwine struggled to come out of his shell. “Loyola is a place where I blossomed in the shadows,” said Antwine. He was most comfortable in the shadows, and that’s where he would stay, for a time.

During his summers, between years at Loyola, Antwine attended SLUH’s Upward Bound program, where English teacher Adam Cruz first encountered him. Even as a 7th grader, shy Antwine was a “prince of Loyola. He belonged at SLU High,” said Cruz.

St. Louis is famous for the question “Where did you go to high school?” As Antwine completed 8th grade, he had to make a decision. His grandmother was unsure about SLUH, despite Antwine’s time at Upward Bound. She was worried he might face racial issues. SLUH’s academic curriculum is also notoriously difficult. But Dr. Eric Clark, a 1983 alumnus of SLUH, who also served as Dean of Students at SLUH for many years, encouraged Antwine.

“Dr. Clark approached me and said, ‘You should go to SLUH.’” Luckily for SLUH, Antwine said yes.

Antwine came to SLU High timid and unsure – of himself and of the new people around him. But Suzanne Renard, Antwine’s

16 | SLUH Magazine

freshman and sophomore French teacher, saw what she called “the light” in him almost immediately.

Renard had a habit of asking each freshman on his first day if she could call him by a French version of his name. “So I would ask Joe if I could call him Joseph,” she explained over the phone, in a convincing French accent. When she finally came to Antwine’s name, she said, “Oh, Monsieur Willis, do you mind if I just say ‘Antoine?’” He stood up, shook her hand, and said, “Yes, I wish you would.”

Renard laughed as she remembered that first impression of Antwine, with his high-top box hairdo and pencils sticking out in every direction. “That sense of self struck me from the first second – the very first second—that I interacted with him,” she said. “... But that first moment was clearly something that came out of him in spite of himself.” Before that moment, he was quiet and looking tiny in his chair, said Renard.

In Renard’s freshman and sophomore French classes and adventures with the Staycation Club, Antwine saw that sense of silliness that he’d lost track of. By leading skits and doing voices, and making it clear that she expected her students to do the same, Renard created an environment where Antwine and his classmates felt comfortable being expressive.

“Being interested in different cultures and wanting to try new things and wanting to learn languages other than the French language – that all came from Madame Renard … She was so quirky and corny, and I loved it,” said Antwine.

As his granny once told Renard, “This boy has a French heart.”

Antwine soon found a support network of women at SLUH, including Renard, who challenged and inspired him – like his grandmother had for so many years – to be his best. Another of those women was his freshman theology teacher, Mrs. Danielle Harrison.

Harrison was an indomitable force at SLUH. Often donning varicolored headscarves, she stressed the unconditional love of God and sang loudly and often. A force for good with a special concern for black students at SLUH, Harrison often stayed after class with Antwine and pushed him to open himself up to the school.

“She would just tell us, ‘Expand, go try new stuff… Some parts of the school don’t have a lot of black representation.’ So she would say, ‘Go try this. You never know,’” said Antwine.

Renard, now retired and living in Chicago, and Harrison, now an administrator at Visitation Academy, each gave Antwine time, advice, and support before he could ask for it, and their care had tangible effects. By his sophomore year at SLUH, Antwine was an active member of six SLUH organizations, the founder of a short-lived after-school dance club, and an emerging presence in the school.

FINANCIAL ACCESSIBILITY His junior year, Antwine was selected as one of seven juniors who would represent SLUH as a participant with Youth Leadership St. Louis (YLSL) – a year-long service program that re-cultivated his concern for social justice.

The first YLSL 2017 trips – which challenged students not only to engage with social justice issues, but to imagine creative solutions to them – fell around the same time as a heavilycriticized case in the national discussions on police violence: the Stockley verdict.

On the day of the Stockley verdict, Adam Cruz, the English teacher who had worked with Antwine as a 7th grader at Upward Bound, walked into class ready to talk about the swirling issues.

In a class of 21 students, Antwine was the only African American.

Cruz remembers resistance and confusion from Antwine’s classmates, but even as a junior, Antwine spoke out for ten full minutes in class. He talked about his experience – coming from Loyola, about being the only African American student in the class, and, as Cruz remembers, most importantly, about loneliness.

“The poise and grace he showed made me completely and totally embarrassed. Embarrassed about how angry I was. About how combative about it I was – I saw someone living those experiences, and who had none of that anger, or if he did have that anger, had found a way to express it that could hopefully bring his classmates into the fold rather than alienate them.”

In the aftermath of the Stockley acquittal, Antwine and his classmates recognized an issue in their daily lives that needed solving.

“We thought the biggest problem facing SLUH was the talk around social justice issues. When I was a freshman and sophomore, we would have these ‘civil discourses’ that always ended up with someone being heated, someone complaining to the administration,” said Antwine. “So, what we wanted to do was create a space where we could actually have civil discourse – just a chance to talk about these issues and get people’s different perspectives.”

With the help of Director of Equity & Inclusion Frank Kovarik, Antwine and his peers in YLSL and ACES (the Association for Cultural Enrichment at SLUH) created the Voices of SLUH series, an opportunity for students at SLUH to hear about and discuss racial injustice in their famously divided city. The work of putting that first assembly together built up Antwine’s confidence and passion for social action and began him on a track of hyperinvolvement at SLUH. “When I was in middle school I was such a timid person – I would still be concerned with social justice issues, because my grandma always talked about it. So I was still aware of the injustice in this world, but I was never ever the person to say anything about it … But I did become that person at SLUH.”

On April 17, 2019, thirty-nine days before Antwine's graduation, Daisy Willis died of pneumonia, having been sick for the better part of two years. By that point, Antwine had cemented himself as a joyful leader and caregiver, at home and at school.

He had become president of the Staycation club, Yearbook Editor, Senior Advisor, varsity football team manager, and an active member of ACES and STARS (Student-Teacher Association for Racial Studies). He had helped organize the first and second ever Voices of SLUH programs, written Op-Eds for the school newspaper, participated in Youth Leadership St. Louis and WashU’s Changing Systems Youth Summit. He had been offered a scholarship to Washington University in St. Louis and had taken steps toward his dream of studying French and medicine in college.

He had taken a dream trip to France – a trip that his grandmother had fought for, just as she had fought every day to give her grandchildren the lives they deserved. “One day she said to me, ‘You know, Antwine hasn’t had much, but we’re gonna move heaven and earth to get him to France with you,” recalled Renard. Daisy was unstoppable. By his senior year, so was Antwine.

When Antwine sent Renard a bilingual reflection he had written on his trip to France, entitled “When I Fell in Love with Paris,” it gave her pause. “I said, ‘What do you plan to do with this? You’re really wearing your heart on your sleeve here,’” said Renard.

Antwine responded, “It’s OK, I’m not worried. I know what you mean, but.. Je ne regrette rien (I regret nothing).”

In his piece published in the Spring ‘19 edition of SLUH’s literary magazine, Sisyphus, Antwine describes Paris as a place “that wasn’t afraid to argue about politics and then go back to being friends, a place where every opinion has an outlet, and a place where every person expresses themself fiercely // Ils n’ont pas peur se disputer sur les politiques et puis retourne étant amis, un endroit ou tous les opinions avait un endroit être entendu, et un endroit ou tous personnes expriment lui-même avec férocité.”

Antwine, with his French name and French heart, brought a little bit of Paris to SLUH. He was nourished by a network of family members, friends, and experiences, and he, in turn, nourished everybody around him. He argued about politics with friends, voiced his opinions gracefully, and expressed himself fiercely, and as Madame Renard said: “SLUH was lucky to have him.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Justin Seaton ‘13 (left) graduated from Saint Louis University in 2017 with a degree in Communication: Journalism & Media Studies. He then spent time independently traveling and freelance writing before serving as an ASC teacher in SLUH’s English Department. Peter Lucier ‘08 (right) is a Marine veteran and a graduate of Montana State University. As an Alum Service Corps (ASC) volunteer he taught junior English at SLUH. He will begin law school at Saint Louis University in the fall.

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JESUIT IDENTITY & FAITH FORMATION Go Forth will build up a four-year retreat program integrated with a four-year service program for all SLUH students; increase Campus Ministry staffing for additional programming; renovate and restore the main chapel; move the Campus Ministry office to the renovated space within the current chapel area; expand and enhance international service immersion opportunities; and add statues and religious art to the campus to promote our Jesuit, Catholic character.

Learn more at goforth.sluh.org

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REFLECTION

JESUIT IDENTITY

“Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race.

He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them.”

(REV. 21:3) Throughout the Scriptures we hear stories of how God revealed himself in a specific place, turning it into a sacred space. Jacob had the vision of the ladder to heaven at Bethel and built a shrine there (cf. Gen 28). God revealed himself to the people of Israel on Mount Sinai (cf.

Exod. 19), which became the mountain of

God. When Solomon built the first temple in Jerusalem, a cloud descended from heaven and filled the inner sanctuary, thus turning it into the Holy of Holies of God’s presence (cf. 1Kgs. 8). Jesus was born in the stable in Bethlehem (cf. Lk 2), died on the cross at the place called Golgotha, outside Jerusalem (cf. Mk 15).

Those places have become holy sites, destinations for pilgrims throughout the centuries.

SLUH is not the Holy Land. Yet, the chapel in the middle of Backer Memorial contains elements of all of these places.

It is the location where angels descend and ascend between heaven and earth

A.M.D.G. A reflection on the SLUH Chapel Renovation Project

BY FR. JOSEPH HILL, SJ, CHAIR OF CAMPUS MINISTRY

during the liturgy, and where the new covenant is continually renewed, and where the tabernacle of Christ’s presence is held, and where the faithful continually participate in Jesus’ birth and his death and resurrection. So it is with great devotion and honor that we have now taken up the task of renovating the chapel as part of the execution of Go Forth. A team of Campus Ministers, teachers, administrators and architects have met several times over the course of this

past year to develop the design for the renovation. We have been guided by the principle of creative restoration and trust in the Holy Spirit.

Although we have not finalized the plans yet, there are some elements that we envision and are eager to share. We will open up the original skylights, letting much more natural light into the chapel. We hope to put windows back into the walls, so that the sacred space will be more visible in the hallways of the school. The south doors

of the chapel (closest to the altar) will be closed, in order to return the side chapels, dedicated to Our Lady and St. Joseph, to greater prominence visually.

It is a very exciting project, and we are deeply grateful to the benefactors whose generosity is making it possible. We hope that the renovated chapel will renew this sacred space so that all of our students, faculty, staff, parents and alumni will experience it as a place of encounter with God.

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STUDENT REFLECTION

Finding God in All Things

BY LIAM JOHN ‘19 Retreats allow for the opportunity to escape, providing moments to reflect. SLUH is challenging and time consuming, but on retreats, you have nowhere to go – you get time for yourself to reflect on parts of your life that would get overshadowed with the busy school schedule.

The Kairos Retreat was very special because it unveiled God for me. With the many wonderful things I did at SLUH, Kairos showed me that God was in each of them. One time on retreat, I was talking to my leader Nick Parisi ‘18 on the rocking chairs at King's House, and he related to me about the troubles I was having. Talking with someone I looked up to, I realized how God can be in something as simple as a conversation. I felt loved, like I had a good grasp of where God was in my life.

Service instilled in me the grace of finding God in others, a way to befriend others as God does. I love service because it allows me to connect with people and hear their stories. Service challenges me to want to make a change for the people I work with. Service gives me a drive to be better for them and myself.

While on a service trip in Honduras, I was holding one of the babies at the child nutrition center and I felt as if I understood him. It is hard to explain, but I was holding the baby and he was staring at me and we were both just smiling. I took him over to a paper Christmas tree on the wall, and seeing the laughter and beauty in that child really showed what Jesus meant when he told us to be children entering into Heaven. In that moment, I was not stressed about responsibilities. I was just admiring the little guy.

Finally, I find God in ceramics. Over the summer, I visited the art room to work alone and became immersed in the process of sculpting and transforming the clay into something beautiful. Every time I hop on a ceramics wheel, a shiver flows from my spine to the tips of my fingers like a whisper saying, “I am here.”

Liam John ‘19, recipient of the Archbishop May Service Award, was active at SLUH in Sisyphus, Prep News, theater tech, social justice clubs, National Honor Society, President’s Ambassador program and racquetball. He wants to study public health and health management in college, and to travel to East Africa and possibly work for the United Nations.

Are you interested in experiencing Ignatian prayer and spirituality on a deeper level? Learn how you can participate in a 15-week journey of Ignatian prayer.

Visit www.sluh.org/lightworks

20 | SLUH Magazine

Immersion Trip to Border Complicates, Humanizes Immigration

BY KYLE MCENERY ‘20 The following article was published in the Prep News on March 29, 2019.

After a long week of studying for exams, a group of six students, accompanied by Spanish teacher Kate Toussaint and theology and English teacher Michael Mohr, SJ traveled to the United StatesMexican border in Nogales. For a week, they worked with the Kino Border Initiative to learn the story of immigrants, asylum seekers and those who live on the border.

SERVICE

JESUIT IDENTITY

Kino Border Initiative is a binational organization seeking to improve the lives of migrants on either side of their international journey. The SLUH group participated in the educational aspect of the initiative and came to understand how complex immigration can be, by humanizing, accompanying, and complicating immigration stories and policies.

During the first two days of the immersion trip, the group fed and visited with migrants at the comedor, KBI’s soup kitchen just south of the border. They also took a tour of downtown Nogales, walked along the border wall, and heard stories of those who crossed the border.

The group heard many different stories from people trying to receive asylum. Many didn’t have a spouse or children to help their chances. The group saw the struggles of migrant families and those who were deported firsthand.

They heard stories of the effects of drug trafficking in the community.

After that, the group traveled to a federal court and witnessed Operation Streamline, a process of rapidly sentencing people who have been charged with illegal entry into America. They spoke with judges and saw a human trafficking case.

The next day, the SLUH group visited Casa Elitas, an old Benedictine monastery temporarily turned into a social service center for temporary housing spaces for families approved to live in the United States with family while they apply for asylum, on their way into the country for hearings. While there, the students played games with the kids in an attempt to bring a smile to their face while Toussaint translated for new arrivals and Mohr worked inside.

“It really felt like we had brought in a sense of ease, community, and just fun by playing with the

“It was definitely a very difficult experience for me, and I almost felt guilty knowing that at the end of the day I would just cross over the border and continue my life in America, a life he would dream for,” said junior Victor Stefanescu.

The third day, the group went into the desert in Arivaca and saw relics and artifacts of immigrants who had passed through on their journey north.

“There were blankets we found, water jugs, and clothing in the desert, and I think even from the hill tops we were being watched by the Cartel,” said Mohr.

The group attended Mass with the community and afterwards talked with some locals who held wide ranging beliefs and perspectives on immigration.

children and taking everybody’s minds off of the many different things that probably had to happen for them to get where they were at that moment,” said junior James Galli. “It was just a great, precious moment of community, family, and bringing people together through something as simple as soccer.”

“I felt like I was in the kingdom of heaven when I saw SLUH kids playing frisbee, hula hoop, football, baseball, and basketball all with the children,” said Mohr. “It was amazing.”

“We saw real people, like you and me, with real love for their families, a desire to work, a desire to do better, to be in a better place,” said Mohr. “I was just so touched and grateful for the experience to bond with my fellow human beings.”

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ALUMNI VOCATIONS

ANSWERING

THE CALL

For 200 years, SLUH has played an influential role in the faith formation of its young men. Nowhere is this more evident than when a graduate of the school answers the call of a religious vocation.

Today, SLUH continues its strong tradition as a leading feeder school for the U.S. Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus and Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

“When Anna Backer gave the money to create our campus here

on Oakland Avenue in 1924, her stated objective was that the school would produce vocations to the priesthood, and specifically the Jesuits,” says Fr. Ralph Houlihan, SJ ’52, theology teacher and former SLUH Principal. “We are still honoring Mrs. Backer’s gift today, as each year we help young men discern their priestly vocation.”

Since 1924, more than 250 SLUH alumni have been ordained to the priesthood – with many more since the school’s founding in 1818.

Currently, 86 living SLUH alumni are Jesuits.

Congratulations to the following graduates who were recently ordained to the priesthood: (pictured, left to right) Rev. Stephen Kramer, SJ ‘96, Rev. Stephen Schumacher '08 and Rev. George Staley '10.

Interested in learning more about pursuing a religious vocation?

Visit WWW.BEAJESUIT.ORG

AMDG: IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY FOR SLUH PARENTS For the Greater Glory of God and the spiritual health of our families, SLUH parents gather quarterly to learn about the spirituality of St. Ignatius and to grow closer to God and one another in faith and friendship. Each meeting explores a new chapter of the book What is Ignatian Spirituality? by David Fleming, SJ ‘52.

Alumni, faculty and staff are also welcome.

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Mark your calendar and join us this 2019-20 school year: Thursday, August 29 Thursday, September 26 Thursday, January 30 Thursday, April 16 Visit www.sluh.org/AMDG to learn more.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Learn more at goforth.sluh.org

Go Forth will move and expand the counseling offices to accommodate a comprehensive counseling program and the J. Anthony '57 and Donna M. Dill Center for Academic Success; reduce the student-to-counselor ratio; create a four-year learning skills program; strengthen SLUH’s reputation as a college preparatory school; develop a comprehensive four-year College Counseling program to include a multitude of elements, such as class-specific meetings/ activities, low income/first generation student programming, college relationship development programming and faith transition programming and partnerships.

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COLLEGE COUNSELING

ReaR TdHEy FO e g n e l Chal

sions s i m d A e g e Colle in Selectiv NG

Success S, DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE COUNSELI g n i v e i h c A IMMIN

BY KEVIN CR Ever since I joined SLUH four years ago as the Director of College Counseling, I have been impressed by the brilliance of our students, the support of our families, the loyalty of our alumni, and the dedication of our faculty. I cannot imagine a high school where I would be happier guiding students from the safe yet challenging halls of high school to college.

SLUH’s 200-year history makes it feel immovable and immune to the forces that affect other schools, as if the waves that may buffet other schools could only rock the Jr. Bill boat gently.

However, in college counseling, many of those external forces are beginning to impact our students in unpredictable and challenging ways.

I am grateful for the opportunity to discuss the evolving college admissions landscape while addressing significant themes affecting our students and families in a three-part magazine series:

24 | SLUH Magazine

1. Increasing Competition and Selectivity in College Admissions 2. Unequally Increasing Costs of College Education (future issue) 3. A Wider Variety of Definitions of College Success (future issue)

The average number of applications students are submitting also continues to rise. As students fear the falling admit rates, they feel pushed to spread out the risk. In 2001, 4.5 million applications were submitted to colleges, compared to 10.5 million in 2018. While more students are attending college, much of this growth has been fed by frenzy. The average number of students submitting seven or more college applications has grown from 9% of students in 1990 to more than 36% in 2015.

Because of this frenzy, some colleges are experiencing dramatic decreases in admit rates. Looking at all four-year institutions, the “average” admit rate has decreased from 63% in 2001 to 54%

Increasing Competition and Selectivity It is no secret students are facing increasing levels of competition when they apply to college, and this selectivity seems to be accelerating. Each year, we hear from directors of admission who share that their applicant pools have increased – in some cases by as much as 10%.

INCREASES IN STUDENT APPLICATION SUBMISSION: 1990 TO 2015 (First-time Freshmen)

90%

82%

80% 70%

61%

60% 50% 36%

40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

9%

1990

1995

2000 2005 2006 2007 Submitted 3 or more applications

2008

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Submitted 7 or more applications

2014

2015

Source: Eagan, M.K., Stolzenberg, E.B., Ramirez, J.J., Aragon, M.C., Suchard, M.R., & Rios-Aguilar, C. (2016) The American Freshman: Fifty-Year Trends, 1996-2015. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA.

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

COLLEGE

ADMIT RATE 2001

ADMIT RATE 2018

Stanford

13%

4.9%

Harvard

11%

5.2%

University of Chicago

44%

8.7%

Washington University

22%

16%

Boston College

33%

32%

Case Western Reserve

74%

33%

Univ. of Minnesota

80%

44%

in 2017; however, for the most selective institutions, the admit rate has decreased from 19% to 7%, while at very selective institutions, the admit rate has fallen from 32% to 17% in the same time period.

Unfortunately, when you look beyond the admit rates, the story is even more daunting for many students. A growing and common trend among colleges is a micro-targeting of their applicant pool to build and craft a class. Colleges know they need a specific number of students to fill majors, to play sports, to appease donors, to craft a diverse class, and even to balance out the number of domestic and international students in their school. This micro-targeting can hide an even higher degree of selectivity in many cases, especially at the most selective colleges. The pervasive feeling – and new reality – is that it is no longer enough to be the best student. Top GPAs and top ACT scores are now “table stakes” and the decision is being made at the next level of “what has this student uniquely done or what contribution can I see them making to the college community?” It has reached such a point of absurdity that New York Times columnist Frank Bruni wrote a satirical article on Stanford reaching the “inevitable” 0% admit rate.

Another tool colleges are implementing is earlier and binding application programs (i.e. Early Decision). In order to help themselves control the unpredictability of the student applicant pool, they are “offering” students the opportunity to apply early and learn by Christmas if they are admitted. The flip side of this equation is that the student, parent and college counselor all sign an agreement that “if admitted, this student will withdraw all other applications to other institutions and agree to attend this school.” While this policy has profound financial implications for families (we’ll explore that in a future article), it also requires some students to decide where they will be attending college by November 1 of their senior year, as opposed to the historical May 1 deadline.

What is SLUH Doing?

If this is the reality our students are facing today, what is SLUH doing to help? As a result of the amazing work stemming from Imagining 18, SLUH has formed a college counseling department.

Next year we will have four full-time college counselors to help guide our young men through their college transition. Each of

During their sophomore year, students participate in the GPA Game to learn more about college admissions.

these college counselors are year-round positions to provide programming and support over the summer to ensure students are ready to reach their new – and earlier – deadlines. Before school even starts, we’re providing students early application workshops during our “Open Application Work Week” in early August.

More staff means lower caseloads and more time to meet with students individually and in the classroom. In recent years, we have begun providing classroom lessons on timelines and college research, in addition to partnering with the English department to integrate the college essay into the curriculum.

We are bringing college experts into the classroom as early as sophomore year to play “The GPA Game,” where we lightly introduce students to the importance of all factors that make up the college admissions process beyond grade point averages and test scores.

We have dramatically increased our programming for students and families to help them understand the realities of what goes into selective college admissions through our “Tips from the Pros” presentation and our “Selectives Sunday” panel. This past year at “Selectives Sunday,” representatives from Vanderbilt and Wake Forest addressed questions from students and families regarding the realities of how college admission works at their schools.

When we look at SLUH’s admit rate to some of these highly selective colleges compared to the national averages, we are generally doing well. At one school with an average admit rate of 16%, we have been averaging 32% over the last four years; at another with an 18% admit rate, SLUH has averaged 28%.

However, we are not satisfied with our current level of success and will be working hard on living the ideal of magis, looking for more and better ways to help our students be successful.

At the same time, we can say confidently that SLUH is well equipped to help students transition to college, particularly with the persistent pressures of the admissions landscape. We are invested in helping each student find colleges that fit his goals and to support our students who are reaching for the most selective colleges. Our college counseling team aspires to be adaptive and well prepared to share our expertise and experience with our students and families.

This is the first of a of three-part magazine series discussing the college admissions landscape. Our next issue will address the increasing costs of college education.

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EXPERT ADVICE

College Selectivity

BY MATT DEGREEF ‘85, DEAN OF COLLEGE COUNSELING AND STUDENT ENRICHMENT, MIDDLESEX SCHOOL (CONCORD, MA) When I departed SLUH in 1985 for Harvard, I had no idea I would end up spending the next 34 years in the Boston area working in the world of college admissions; however, the training I received in the hallowed halls of Backer Memorial have served me well.

The work of any good admissions professional is so clearly being a "man for others," and I feel this basic principle every day when I enter my office. I have been blessed to have spent my entire 30 years in the world of college admissions evenly split between the Harvard College Admissions Office and Middlesex School.

It is hard to imagine that nearly 60 colleges are admitting 20% or less of their applicant pool, and everyone is trying to "cut to the chase" on what it takes to get into these elite institutions. I always tell my students that you have to meet the basic academic criteria to get yourself on the table during committee discussions, and then your personal narrative, distinguishing excellences, leadership skills and strong personal qualities can then be fully considered. Here are a few thoughts for consideration.

First, you need to align your curriculum with your potential college major and then try to challenge yourself through this chosen path, maximizing the rigor that your school can offer you.

Most high school students have no idea what they want to study in college, which is totally normal, but if you think you want to pursue computer science, engineering,

26 | SLUH Magazine

medicine, architecture, business or economics, I would urge you to talk to your counselor about how to take the appropriate courses so you can be competitive for these majors. For example, if you want to be an engineer, you need to take AP Calculus and AP Physics or AP Chemistry. If you are considering architecture, you may need to take courses in design, drawing and photography, along with learning how to develop a portfolio for the college process.

Lastly, Middlesex has the motto: “rigor with sanity.� We encourage our students to stretch, but to stretch appropriately and sanely so they can do all of the things they love to do, including sleep!

In terms of standardized testing, the ACT and SAT are still the tests of choice for the most selective colleges, and it is important to take the tests at the right time within the school's curriculum. This typically coincides with the intellectual maturation of the testers in the middle of junior year. Testing too early can result in testing fatigue by senior year. We also encourage our students to carefully consider the importance of taking SAT subject tests when they align with the curriculum. More colleges are lowering the importance of subject tests in their admissions deliberations; however, if you are a good tester and are taking courses that correspond with the subject tests, there is no harm in taking the tests, particularly in math and science. In the New England boarding schools, we are more hard-wired to have our students

take the SAT subject tests, but we are seeing a decline in our students taking them, which mirrors the national trend. Having a thorough conversation with your college counselor about a testing plan is the best advice if you aspire for the highly selective colleges.

There is no special sauce when it comes to how to define extracurricular excellence. The colleges are looking for length and depth of commitment along with leadership skills that demonstrate perseverance, teamwork, engagement, sacrifice for others, grace under pressure, defying personal limitations, and the ability to handle uncomfortable situations. While this might feel like a normal day at the U. High, these are personal qualities that take time to develop, test, and refine, and the colleges are looking for young men who not only have the ability to excel but lift up those around them.

The most important thing about pursuing colleges that, like Stanford and Harvard, deny 96% of their applicants is that you have to keep in perspective that the journey is more important than the destination. The hard work towards developing yourself into an ethical, intelligent, ambitious, spiritual and kind young man who intends to leave his mark on the world cannot be measured by acceptance to one of these ivy-covered colleges.

Extending yourself as you pursue your goals will, however, prepare you for whatever may come in your life.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Mind OVER

Matter HOW BRAIN-BASED RESEARCH IS IMPROVING THE LEARNING PROCESS

BY TIM CURDT ‘90, DIRECTOR OF SLUH LEARNING CENTER, FRESHMAN CLASS MODERATOR, ENGLISH TEACHER

Today new and exciting advances in neuroscience offer a deeper understanding of how the brain operates in the learning process.

Research on the adolescent brain specifically has yielded fruitful insights for what has become known within the Jesuit Schools Network (JSN) as the “Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm.”

A 2015 JSN document, entitled Our Way of Proceeding: Standards & Benchmarks for Jesuit Schools in the 21st Century, describes an authentic Ignatian pedagogy as one that “engages the world through a careful analysis of CONTEXT, in dialogue with experience, always open to EVALUATION through REFLECTION, for the sake of ACTION.” Using these guidelines as inspiration for our third century, we continually look at research-based best practices and how we can apply them to our curriculum and support services.

Research Applicability "Brain-based research" is a term that’s become widespread at education conferences and within the academic world – and for good reason. Its applicability is invaluable.

Executive Function Skills (EFS) represent one of the most intriguing areas in neuroscience. Located primarily in the prefrontal cortex, EFS encompass the ability to

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manage oneself and one’s resources in order to achieve a goal.

Or, as neuroscientist John Medina humorously remarked in his recent book Attack of the Teenage Brain, EFS are “the ability to get something done – and not punch someone in the nose while doing it!”

Our student programming in the Learning Center has expanded in recent years with a focus on the acquisition and growth of EFS. In fact, this focus drives our mission to provide support for students to independently demonstrate resilience and personal accountability in the successful managing of school and personal materials, competing time commitments, academic expectations and requirements, and personal stressors.

In addition to EFS, researchers have made discoveries in “neuroplasticity,” which describes how neural pathways and brain structure change when learning and practicing a new skill. In contrast to previously established neural models, studies have revealed how focused attention and repetition in practicing a new skill or developing a new habit help neural pathways fire more efficiently. New pathways frequently used are strengthened through a process called “myelination,” and old pathways not used die off through “synaptic pruning.”

We know the teenage brain is open developmentally not only to acquiring new habits and skills through these processes, but also to finding purpose and meaning in exposure to new experiences. As Frances Jensen notes in her book The Teenage Brain: A Neuroscientist’s Survival Guide to Raising Adolescents and Young Adults, “This is why adolescence is a time of true wonder.

Because of the flexibility and growth of the brain, adolescents have a window of opportunity with an increased capacity for remarkable accomplishments.”

The downside to the adolescent brain’s remarkable window of opportunity and growth, however, is that it can become, in Jensen’s words, “a double-edged sword because an open and excitable brain can be adversely affected by stress, drugs, chemical substances and any number of changes in the environment.” We teach our students careful discernment in the Ignatian tradition to help develop their “open and excitable” brains in the healthiest way possible.

Researchers have learned that the wiring of the prefrontal cortex supporting these skills for impulse control, self-regulation and cognitive flexibility isn’t fully complete until the age of 25 for most adults. Although there are several evolutionary reasons for the timing of this development, there is no denying it can be occasionally frustrating for a parent or teacher working with a teen who has inevitably made a rash, impulsive decision with unintended consequences.

Pathways to Success When it comes to learning new skills, national Executive Function specialists Dr. Richard Guare and Dr. Pam Dawson say the teenage brain is like “a beautiful Ferrari with no brakes.”

What are we doing to best equip these fast sports cars buzzing through our hallways at SLUH?

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Recalling the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, our Learning Center operates within the CONTEXT of acute awareness of the developmental challenges and opportunities of the teenage brain, which manifests an intense openness and excitability to new experience combined with an underdeveloped self-regulation system. In addition, we take ACTION supporting students struggling academically by helping them learn to apply their brakes.

First, we give them a skill-based lens through which to see their efforts to persevere and improve in the midst of their worthy struggles both inside and out of the classroom. We help our students see their work as fundamentally one of building capacity and expanding their skills, rather than judging them or having them judge themselves. We approach our work in ways similar to a specialty hitting instructor helping a baseball player with his swinging mechanics. With a foundational focus through the lens of EFS, we work with the student as he becomes the lead detective examining his most urgent growth opportunities – and building on his strengths. We strive for the student to take ownership of the process, learning to advocate for himself while improving and growing through purposeful practice.

The core of our mission-based work centers around reinforcing the gifts that our curriculum offers students. Reflecting on the academic skills acquired by a Jr. Bill graduate, we developed the “SLUH SEVEN: Seven Academic Skills for Success at SLUH and Beyond.” These skills include: 1. Academic Resilience and Mindset 2. Materials Management 3. Task Initiation and Completion and Goal-Directed Persistence 4. Focus, Attention and Active Learning 5. Meta-Cognitive Self-Assessment 6. Self-Advocacy/ Building Rapport with Teachers 7. Impulse Control/ Responsible Technology Management Helping our students master these essential skills calls for an agile approach to continually REFLECT and EVALUATE (a la Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm) our programming and interventions in light of best practices. To that end, our core team meets regularly to discern the most impactful, data-driven ways of helping our students to help themselves learn more effectively and take control of their academic destiny, at SLUH and beyond.

We have learned that, if approached from the right skill-based lens and given just enough scaffolding to support student growth and autonomy, academic struggles in our rigorous college-prep curriculum can become a springboard for future success by encouraging resilience, determination and a spirit willing to accept challenge and embrace risk. Indeed, many successful alumni have affirmed this potential for growth through their own stories of occasional struggle at SLUH and the purpose and meaning it has brought them in their lives of service to God and others.

Inspired by Imagining 18 and our Jesuit mission – and guided by the latest research – we look forward to continuing to help students discover pathways to success in mastering skills and seeking growth.

GLOBAL EDUCATION Go Forth added Arabic language and culture studies to SLUH’s foreign language curriculum in 2017. Moving forward, the campaign will expand foreign- and English-based exchange programs; begin endowing international service and cultural immersion programs so these formative experiences are available to all Jr. Bills; and increase international service immersion opportunities, integrating them with retreat programs and curriculum.

Learn more at goforth.sluh.org

In addition, Go Forth will create a new World Learning Center, featuring: a 21st century research library; expanded technological capacity for virtual partnerships with international Jesuit schools and civic organizations; ability to connect students with alumni leaders around the world; Office of Global Education to increase and enhance international immersion opportunities (Rob Chura was appointed as the school’s first Director of Global Education last fall); and project-based learning opportunities for students through interdepartmental collaboration.

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CHINESE PROGRAM

East-West Solidarity SLUH’s Partnership with China Thrives as a Global Education Exemplar Each year SLUH’s Chinese Lion Dance Team puts on remarkable performances, with live music, colorful costumes and undulating gesticulations. On April 26, the team entertained for an important audience – the mayor of Nanjing, China and his guests – at the Missouri Botanical Garden, in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Nanjing-St. Louis Sister City relationship.

“Our lion dance troupe is very popular among the local Chinese community,” says Dr. Chingling Tai, who retired in 2015 after teaching Chinese at SLUH since 1987. “They perform in a way that is professional and entertaining.”

In 1964, Principal Fr. Gerry Sheahan, SJ started Mandarin at SLUH. To this day, it is one of the longest standing programs in the Midwest – and, given China’s global influence, it is exceedingly relevant. In 1994, under the leadership of Dr. Tai, SLUH became a sister school with Nanjing Foreign Language School, one of China’s top schools. A few years later, the first two Nanjing students attended SLUH. Since then, the two schools have

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thrived from a reciprocal relationship that offers language education and cultural immersion opportunities.

Chinese remains an exemplar in a robust foreign language program at SLUH, which also offers Arabic, French, Greek, Latin, Russian and Spanish.

Formative Experience When Michael Schumacher ‘93, a successful investment banker, was 13, he decided to take Mandarin at SLUH. It was a decision that would impact the rest of his life.

“I wanted to be fluent in Chinese,” he says. “The fact that I took Chinese not only helped me to get in to some of the top schools, but it has also given me an angle for businesses in my profession.”

Schumacher earned a B.A. in Economics with honors from the University of Chicago, an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and an M.A. in International

GLOBAL EDUCATION

Affairs from the University of Pennsylvania’s Lauder Institute.

During college, he studied Mandarin in a full-immersion program in Taiwan for more than a year.

Throughout his 19-year career, he has advised, evaluated and worked with companies and financial sponsors across various industries and sizes, completing transactions totaling more than $10 billion in value, including debt, equity and strategic advisory transactions. He started his career with Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. in equity research and debt capital markets in New York and Hong Kong, in addition to focusing on general industrials sectors in North America and Asia as Vice President at Morgan Stanley.

“All of the companies I’ve worked with throughout my entire career have been affected by China,” he says. “Every client I touch is impacted by global supply chain concerns.”

Schumacher continues to be grateful for the foundation he received at SLUH – and for his favorite teacher, Dr. Tai. This same gratitude is shared by other alumni who learned Chinese at SLUH, an

experience that has advanced their pursuits in education, medicine, social justice and religious vocations, in addition to business.

“I wouldn’t be where I’m at today without deciding to take Mandarin at SLUH,” says Schumacher.

Sustaining a Tradition Although Dr. Tai is no longer teaching, she still organizes cultural events in SLUH’s Confucius Classroom, and she continues to serve on the Board of the Nanjing-St. Louis Sister City Committee, a role she has held for the past 35 years. Her presence is still felt in the excellence of the Chinese program, now carried on by Yude Huang, who became SLUH’s Chinese teacher after her retirement.

In 2006, Dr. Tai created a scholarship to further enhance cultural learning opportunities for selected students in the Chinese exchange program. Her generosity recently came full circle, when a former student from Nanjing who studied at - continued

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STUDENT TRIPS SLUH (he wishes to remain anonymous) donated $25,000 to her scholarship fund, in addition to $2,000 for the Senior Project in Taiwan and Shanxi.

SLUH’s 25-year relationship with Nanjing Foreign Language School thrives today, with students from China continuing their studies beyond sophomore year (historically, they stayed for just a single semester). In 2017, Lancer Li ‘17 became the first student from Nanjing to graduate from SLUH. He is now studying statistical science, computer science and business at Duke.

According to Dr. Tai, "Nanjing students are well adjusted to SLUH life. They receive so much care and love shown by teachers, classmates and host families.

Their American experience is way beyond classroom and textbooks. It is people-topeople cultural exchange and enrichment.

The exchange program has generated much interest and understanding of another culture, while fostering friendships and bonds that transcend nationality."

The Chinese program remains in good hands with Huang, whose knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for Chinese is evident in the accomplishments of his students. In the past 5 years, Jr. Bills studying Chinese have won 17 awards from both national and local Chinese language competitions. Beyond the classroom, students immerse themselves in the Chinese culture through the Confucius Classroom-sponsored culture workshops, Chinese New Year celebrations, Lion Dance performances and partnerships with local Chinese communities. In addition, they participate in a two-week exchange program with Nanjing, a three-week Senior Project in China and Taiwan, and a summer trip to China and Taiwan.

“I feel blessed to be a part of a vibrant program,” says Huang. “I get to know the students throughout their four years so I can see their growth, watch them strive for greatness and live to their potential to become the best they can be.”

If Fr. Sheehan were alive, he would be smiling.

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EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

Koesterer

See

This summer Justin Koesterer ‘19 and Micah See ‘20 are studying abroad in Russia and China, respectively, through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program. This U.S. Department of State program provides merit-based scholarships for eligible high school students and recent high school graduates to learn less commonly taught languages in overseas immersion programs.

We asked Koesterer (JK) and See (MS) about their perspectives on their immersion trips, and here’s what they had to say.

Where are you studying this summer, and what will you be doing?

JK: I was selected to travel to Narva, Estonia, about two hours south of Saint Petersburg, Russia, to do seven weeks of intensive oral and written Russian proficiency training. We will learn, as well, about Russian and Estonian cultures, how they compare to each other, and how they compare generally to our American culture. I will leave June 16 for a two-day session in Washington, DC, then depart with the rest of my group of 17 other students, for Estonia until early August. While I’m there, I will be staying with a host family, who will serve basic functions for me, but will leave my daily interactions, like finding my way to school and around the city, to myself. Of course, I will be speaking almost exclusively Russian, as well as taking classes at Tartu University in Narva. After classes on various days, we will be able to see different cultural attractions, and will at least once make the short trip south to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.

MS: The program I am attending is run by the University of Delaware and is hosted at the University of Xiamen in Xiamen, China. I will be living part of the time at the university and the rest of the time with a host family. We will experience cultural exchanges, local food and sightseeing, among other activities. I will mainly spend my time studying Chinese at the University of Xiamen. Xiamen is a beautiful city on the east coast of China across the sea from Taiwan. It is known as “China’s Hawaii.” The climate is very warm and tropical.

What do you want to study in college? Do you have any professional ambitions?

JK: I will be attending Boston College to study political science and Russian.

With Russian, my options open up, so I don’t exactly know what I would like to do professionally. Among other possible professional fields I am considering are international law, international diplomacy or even the FBI. Although I’m unsure where I will end up, I know that I will continue to study Russian in college.

MS: I am interested in pursuing computer science or electrical engineering.

China has a growing and already vibrant industry with brilliant computer and electrical engineers churning out all kinds of innovations. Hopefully I will be able to collaborate in the future with engineers in China if my Chinese speaking ability is good enough.

GLOBAL EDUCATION

Do you feel SLUH’s program has helped you prepare for college and beyond, and if so, how?

JK: SLUH’s Russian program allowed me to take multiple trips to Russia, which engrained me into their culture. I was able to see Russia firsthand and be a part of it, and I am so grateful to Mr. Chura and the SLUH administration for making my cultural exchange and senior service trips to St. Petersburg possible. Aside from the trips, the class is pretty straightforward and, most of all, enjoyable. The different activities we do – whether translating texts, developing stories, watching movies or talking about our weekends – has made this class fun. It has stimulated my interest and inspired me to study Russian in college. SLUH Russian has provided me with the solid foundation of grammar and speaking skills needed to build on in college and life afterwards.

Besides having friends halfway around the world, I can now use my host students for cultural or grammatical references.

MS: SLUH’s Chinese program fueled my interest in Chinese language and culture. We have excellent instruction in speaking and writing that has helped me converse and communicate with native speakers. We focus on practicality of language and this is so useful in actually using Chinese to do things like buying food. Further, SLUH hosted a trip to Taiwan last year which I attended.

After this amazing experience, I knew I wanted to return to Asia for a more extended period of time. The foundation in Chinese language from SLUH will definitely allow me to more easily pursue Chinese in college and beyond.

DID YOU KNOW? SLUH’s global education program, which continues to expand and offer students more opportunities, remains an important strategic priority. In 2018, Russian teacher Rob Chura was appointed to the new position of Director of Global Education to lead the school’s efforts in this area.

Each year SLUH welcomes international students from several countries while providing Jr. Bills the opportunity to learn and serve abroad. Some highlights from this past school year include: • Nine full-time transfer students from China. All but one of them are from the Nanjing Foreign Language School, considered one of the top schools in China.

They have been at SLUH since the second semester of their sophomore year (if not earlier).

• Five exchange students studied at SLUH for at least a semester. They include three Russian sophomores from St. Petersburg Gimnaziya #209, and two Colombian students from Colegio San Pedro Claver in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

• Eleven students did Senior Project at four international sites: St. Petersburg Gimnaziya #209 and St. John the Baptist Parish (St. Petersburg, Russia);

St. Aloysius Technical School (Hsinchu, Taiwan); Boys Hope Girls Hope (Guatemala); L'Arche community (Nantes, France).

• Summer immersion trips to four countries: Spanish teacher Myriam Aliste led a group of four Jr. Bills on a five-week study and homestay program at Colegio San Pedro Claver in Bucaramanga, Colombia; Chinese teacher Yude Huang took a group of 20 SLUH Chinese students and parents to Taiwan for a two week program (a longer term relationship with a Taiwanese Jesuit school is being explored); French teacher Kevan Morshed led a group of students to Chartres, France, for a twoweek homestay program with a Catholic school; and Russian teacher Rob Chura took 12 juniors on a two-and-a-half week study and homestay program in St. Petersburg.

In addition to international experiences, Campus Ministry offers service immersion trips to places like Arizona, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Students can also take advantage of field immersion experiences in Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Washington, D.C. Below: Service immersion in Camden, NJ.

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ALUMNUS REFLECTION

Why STEAM Needs the

STEAM STEAM is not just a buzzword, and it means more than Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. It's a concept that epitomizes who we are: inquiry-based learners and intellectual pursuers of practical solutions in today's complex world. It's a way of learning that emphasizes what we value in education: creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking.

Mostly, STEAM is an opportunity to adapt in our Jesuit tradition to meet the needs of our students and the world. It's what SLUH has been doing for two centuries, and it's what Jesuits have been doing for much longer.

With support from Go Forth, SLUH will expand STEAM projects and projectbased learning (PBL); enrich curriculum collaboration and experiential learning; upgrade and improve the science education program for labs and PBL; and convert art classroom space into multiple classrooms for STEAM and other collaborative learning methods.

Learn more at goforth.sluh.org

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HUMANITIES

BY DAN WAGNER ‘17, RISING JUNIOR STUDYING ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO-BOULDER As I write this reflection, I am hours away from flying to Oyugis, Kenya, to work on rainwater collection technology that I helped create as CTO of Current Solutions NPC. After a week in Kenya, I return to Boulder to continue developing a vector magnetometer, an extremely sensitive device for measuring magnetic field direction and strength. And finally, I am helping develop a cold gas thruster for the SpaceX Hyperloop competition that will hopefully be test fired at NASA Whitesands Test Facility this summer. My summer is full of opportunities for experience in technical leadership.

This past semester I took a class called Leadership, Fame and Failure. My professor outlined an idea that made sense but one I had never heard before. Experience is not enough to develop technical leadership. Careful study is required. Political, business and intellectual leaders study Caesar, Carnegie and Socrates, but for some reason engineers do not often seriously consider

STEAM

Left: Dan Wagner ‘17 times his water project intended to collect rainwater from roofs in developing countries (photo taken at SLUH in 2016).

Jimmy Reddy ‘16, Joe Reznikov ‘17 and Andrew Pluff ‘17 also worked with Wagner on the project.

Above: Wagner met several friends on his trip this May to Kenya, including (from left) Israel, Sunni and Louis, who live in one of the homes that Wagner set up with his Skydration water collection system.

Skydration saves villagers from walking several kilometers each day to get water from unhealthy water sources – which also means they can now make better use of their time farming, working, housekeeping and learning.

the great leaders of tech. Do not misunderstand. We worship Musk, Zuckerberg, and Jobs, but we do not always consider the reasons behind their success, failure, and ways to improve upon their model.

This is why engineers need to read more. Vicariously, we can live a thousand lives by reading about warriors and prophets, adventurers and poets, presidents and peasants. I used to look down on “the humanities,” but every single engineer, scientist, and entrepreneur deals with the human struggles that "the humanities" tackle, and these struggles can stump us something fierce.

While at SLUH, I sat through Mr. Missey’s discussions, I watched Dr. Callon’s gesticulations, and I remember Dr. Osburg’s quizzes. I was not completely inactive in my high school English classes. I enjoyed our books and discussions, but I did not appreciate how important those classes were until now. All leaders need to read, and some aspiring tech leaders need to catch up. This semester I have tried to always have a book on my nightstand even if I only opened it once a week. Right now, James Comey’s A Higher Loyalty sits on that nightstand. Engineers – we need to read, and learn, more.

STEAM

ROBOBILLS PAVE WAY FOR FUTURE SUCCESS For the first time in school history, SLUH’s robotics team advanced as a championship round selector (instead of a hopeful selectee) at the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) St. Louis Regional, held March 13-16 at Chaifetz Arena. The Jr. Bills, who finished 8th out of 48 teams in preliminaries, were in first place most of the first day of competition and reached the quarterfinals before some tough-luck losses.

FRC is a popular robotics-based competition that teams engineering professionals and high school students to solve real-world engineering problems in fun, rewarding and inspiring ways. Each team must solve a common problem designing, building and programming their robot in a six-week time frame using a standard “kit of parts” and a common set of rules.

As a result of SLUH’s success at the regional competition, the RoboBills were invited to the Missouri Championship competition held at Lindenwood University.

RoboBills pictured (from left): Sean O'Brien '19, Luke Giunta '20, Daniel Klarsch '21, Matt Hayes '19 and Daniel Blittschau '21.

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Entrepreneur at Heart Theology teacher Fr. Ralph Houlihan, SJ ‘52 fondly tells the story of Dr. Jerry Dwyer ‘75, who, in 1974, was the first white student to attend a mixer sponsored by the Organization for Black Achievement at SLUH (OBA), the predecessor of today’s Association for Cultural Enrichment at SLUH (ACES).

“It was a great event,” recalls Fr. Houlihan, SLUH’s Principal at the time. “CJ the DJ and the Jocks & Jockettes were playing music. Everybody was all dressed up and having fun. Jerry looked around and noticed he was the only white student. He was the senior class president, and it said a lot about his character. Jerry has always been about seeking solidarity and forging new relationships.”

Dwyer was recognized for his strong, consistent leadership with the Ed Hawk Award, given annually to a senior who: “for his love and dedication to SLUH, and through his example of working and giving, was most able to influence his class toward success by cooperation and unity.” To this day, it is his most treasured accolade – which, given his distinguished career marked by achievement, is quite remarkable.

Family Tradition As a kid, Dwyer, who grew up in Holy Redeemer Parish, knew what he wanted to become. His father had a PhD in biology and taught at Saint Louis University (SLU). Eventually he and two of his brothers (Joe ‘63 and Jim ‘71) became cardiologists. Dwyer’s family tradition continues today, with the recent graduation of his daughter, Dr. Emma Dwyer ‘19 from SLU's School of Medicine.

Dwyer says SLUH inspired his love of math and science, while cultivating his leadership ability. “During my high school years, I visited some of the poorest countries in Central and South America. That experience helped solidify my goal to help the sick as a doctor.”

The critical care aspect of cardiology always appealed to Dwyer, who graduated from the SLU School of Medicine before completing cardiology and electrophysiology fellowships at Washington University School of Medicine. In addition to founding a private cardiology practice, Dwyer has participated in multiple clinical trials and published a paper examining pacemakers and defibrillators. He says, “Having the ability to dramatically impact the lives of patients is a great privilege and responsibility.”

Dr. Jerry Dwyer '75, a cardiologist, is a recipient of the Thomas A. Dooley III Award presented by Saint Louis University (SLU) students in MEDLaunch, as well as the 2019 Alumni Merit Award for the SLU School of Medicine.

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STEAM

Forward Thinking Dwyer’s pursuits are so wide and varied, one may wonder how he has time to be a doctor. He is a partner with Sunora Bacanora (Amigo Brands, LLC), a two-time Double Gold award winner at multiple international spirit competitions; Healthcare Advisory Board Director (Chair) for American Bank of Missouri; co-founder of MediBlurb, a podcast on the latest advances in medical care; business owner at St. Louis Cardiology Center, PC; community philanthropist; commercial developer predominantly in the healthcare field; and a member of the Board of Trustees of the SSM Health Foundation in St. Louis.

What compels Dwyer, amid all of his activity, is an insatiable drive to learn and help others. Thirty years ago, he helped to start SLU’s John Dwyer Public Lecture Series as a way to address science-related topics, while publicly recognizing his father.

In 2014, Dwyer, as a full-time doctor, earned his MBA from the Trulaske School of Business at the University of Missouri. Several years later, he led the LCME Remediation and Continuity Committee, the liaison committee on medical education remediation process to obtain full accreditation of SLU’s School of Medicine. At this year’s School of Medicine graduation, Dr. Dwyer was awarded the SLU Alumni Merit Award for his lifelong work with the medical school.

His latest, and perhaps most impassioned, activity is serving as a Board Advisor for MEDLaunch, an incubator ecosystem that fosters startup within the SLU academic environment. It’s the ideal outlet, utilizing Dwyer’s business acumen

“SLUH has always attracted outstanding students interested in science and medicine. I studied at Backer Memorial with several classmates who were my peers in medical school. Go Forth is a natural evolution for the next generation by updating the brick-and-mortar for state-of-the-art labs and classrooms so they match the program’s excellence.”

- DR. JERRY DWYER ‘75

(he’s an expert in the medical silo of startup companies and holds a real estate license), good legal sense (thanks, he says, to his brother John ‘61, who is an attorney) and medical background.

“I really enjoy working with students on new innovations and mentoring them as they look at careers in medicine,” he says. “In order to be successful, I teach them they need to reinvent themselves every six months.”

Dwyer concedes he has a full plate, yet in the Ignatian spirit of magis, he focuses on what more he can do as a ‘man for others.’ “I may do a lot,” he says, smiling, “But I can always do more.”

STEAM

IN HIS OWN WORDS: The Importance of Entrepreneurialism

BY DR. JERRY DWYER ‘75 The entrepreneurial mindset looks at life with problem-solving optics. The world today is littered with new apps and technologies meant to solve the problems of our lives, whether it’s as simple as organizing our photos or even detecting arrhythmias with at-home monitoring of implanted defibrillators, such as in the TRUST clinical trial in which I participated.

In medicine, it is especially important to keep this mindset as it allows physicians and researchers to critically analyze their work – think outside the box – and build the products, devices and businesses to best improve patients’ lives.

Some of these are direct, like the detection of heartbeat abnormalities from the comfort of the patient’s home, or indirect, like the use of AR (Augmented Reality), AI (Artificial Intelligence) and VR (Virtual Reality) in the operating room to help the physician perform at a higher level in surgery – which ultimately leads to lower risk and better outcomes for patients.

The entrepreneurial mindset is key in any walk of life because it allows the individual to focus on how to implement their ideas to better others’ lives. Much as in the Jesuit spirit of being a ‘man for others,’ an entrepreneur is an inventor for others.

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GOING THE

DISTANCE Eight Jr. Bills led a Ranken Technical College-sponsored team with two vehicles at the 14th annual Missouri SuperMileage Challenge. They earned the Pit Award and Best in Show Award, in addition to establishing the highest qualifying run for the entire competition with an astounding 359.89 miles per gallon.

The competition, which invites Missouri high school students to "build a one-person, fuel efficient vehicle powered by a single cylinder, four-stroke engine to run a specified course,” was held April 16 at the Missouri Safety Center on the campus of the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg.

The Jr. Bills’ team, which competed in the e-10 gasoline fuel category, worked diligently since September to ensure the design, fabrication and testing of their vehicles were ready for the competition.

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REACHING FOR THE

Nine rising seniors were accepted to the Students and Teachers as Research Scientists (STARS) Program at University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL). They are among 75 St. Louis-area students to participate in this competitive summer program, in which they will conduct intensive research with local professionals and professors for six to eight weeks.

“STARS is a perfect program for students to discover the power and importance of adding new knowledge to the common collective, for the greater good,” says chemistry teacher Mary Russo. “The fact that we have nine STARS students this year is remarkable and a testament to their talent and interest in applying scientific discovery to improve our world.”

STARS introduces high school students to aspects of the scientific enterprise as practiced by successful scientists in academic, private or corporate research institutions. UMSL sponsors the program in cooperation with the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis University, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and Washington University in St. Louis.

STEAM BIOLOGY

Daniel Gatewood ‘20 Dr. Joseph Jez (Washington UniversitySt. Louis) Exploring regulatory networks in plants and microbes; investigating the molecular basis of biological processes with biochemistry, protein engineering, x-ray crystallography and cell biology.

Nicholas Schulze ‘20 Dr. Zhenguo Lin (Saint Louis University) Studying the evolution of genome and gene regulation through generating and analyzing highthroughput sequencing data.

CHEMISTRY

Tong Wu ‘20 Dr. James O’Brien and Dr. Leah O’Brien (University of Missouri-St. Louis/ Southern Illinois UniversityEdwardsville) Utilizing high resolution molecular spectroscopy to analyze diatomic free radicals that can be important in catalysis or in the semiconductor industry.

ENGINEERING / EARTH & ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE / COMPUTER SCIENCE / PHYSICS

Sirius Song ‘20 Dr. Badri Adhikar (University of Missouri-St. Louis) Investigating how artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve human health; developing methods for predicting three-dimensional models of protein molecules.

Thomas Reilly ‘20 Dr. Jeffrey G. Catalano (Washington UniversitySt. Louis) Studying how heavy metals in wetlands affect the production of greenhouse gases; investigating the formation of clay minerals and their possible role as energy sources for life.

David Thuita ‘20 Dr. Henry Kang (University of Missouri-St. Louis) Exploring computer graphics and computer game development with a focus on non-photorealistic rendering and illustrative visualization, which emphasizes the aesthetic and perceptual aspects.

Matthew Friedrichs ‘20 Dr. Mark McQuilling (Saint Louis University) Developing predictive relationships from acquired data using dimensional analysis and curvefitting techniques to design more efficient supersonic engine inlets.

MEDICINE / PSYCHOLOGY / ALLIED HEALTH

Bryce Van Bree ‘20 Dr. Rachel Wamser Nanney (University of MissouriSt. Louis) Studying the brain and its reactions to physical and chemical stimuli, specifically what physically happens during and after traumatic stress, to offer fresh perspectives for care and treatment.

Dominic Nguyen ‘20 Dr. Terri Rebmann (Saint Louis University) Researching a biosecurity-related project, such as assessing community resilience relating to local hospital integrity and regional stockpiles in preparation for a pandemic or bioterrorism attack.

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Beyond Horizon: THE

Across the nation, high school leaders are embracing new modes of learning – and teaching – as they plan for the next generation of students. Where do they see secondary education decades from now, and how will they get there? What are some of the impending challenges and opportunities? To find out, we asked SLUH Principal Fr. Ian Gibbons, SJ and several alumni who are secondary education leaders throughout the country.

Q&A

WITH EXPERT PANEL

40 | SLUH Magazine

Jeff Bell ‘96

Fr. Ian Gibbons, SJ

Ian Mulligan ‘02

Head of School, Beacon Academy in Chicago

Principal, SLUH

Principal, Vianney

Matt Paradise ‘04

David Sorkin ‘96

Ryan Williamson '01

Asst. Principal, Arrupe Jesuit High School in Denver

Asst. Principal, Seton Catholic Prep in Phoenix

Asst. Girls Division Head - Regis Jesuit High School in Denver

Looking at the Future of Secondary Education Here’s what they had to say...

How are students learning — and teachers teaching — differently than in the past? What does this mean for education in the coming years?

IG: Many of the previous assumptions about secondary education have fallen away due to the advent of rapid access to technology and information. Students don’t need to “go” to find information; it can come to them.

The veracity and helpfulness of this information, however, is critical. Teachers have become closer to learning coaches than content distributors, helping students gather, process, analyze and distill information into powerful resources. Student roles have morphed into those of data miners and critical thinking processors.

Data access, analytical skills, technological acumen and global mindsets are the “reading, writing and arithmetic” of the next decade.

JB: Teachers are much more cognizant of and sensitive to learning differences, and students are much more willing to ask for the accommodations that they need in order to learn more effectively.

Consequently, classrooms and learning environments are more collaborative than in the past.

Students and teachers partner in covering content and

on skills acquisition, rather than students passively receiving information as was more common in the past. Additionally, the use of technology as a learning tool has evened the playing field so that a broader range of students can find academic success.

In other words, you don’t have to be a certain kind of learner to do well in school. You simply have to be open to learning and put the time in to do it. This shift makes learning more accessible and results in more engaged students.

The challenge for the future is finding the kinds of teachers who are willing to work in this more dynamic environment rather than the static one that has been more pervasive in schools in the past.

RW: Students are not learning differently

than they ever have—we all learn by doing. What teachers are doing better now is recognizing that fact and intentionally giving students more opportunities to practice the things we really want them to do. Particularly at Jesuit schools, that means giving students more occasion to work together to solve real, justice-oriented problems. Education will continue to shift away from an emphasis on the content (the nouns) to a focus on the skills (the verbs) that we hope our students pursue: collaborating, fighting for justice and standing with the poor and marginalized.

MP: Students are learning by doing and by creating more than ever. Teachers are no longer simply conduits of information. Instead,

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teachers create engaging learning and assessment experiences through which students, coupled with their own experiences of the world, construct meaning. Differentiated spaces for collaboration and increased support for instructional technology will foster student and teacher creativity. In coming years, it will be necessary to capture students’ imagination in a more digitally connected world. Technology will facilitate faster and tighter collaboration and feedback loops for both teachers and students. Within this progress, we will be called to discern more intentionally how to instill our students with the belief that we are created by and loved by God. IM: The past decade has been ripe with research in the field of neuroscience.

This knowledge has given us a deeper understanding of how our brains learn and, hopefully, provides insight to educators and schools on how they should be teaching. At the same time, technology has provided the opportunity for students to think more critically in the classroom than ever before. A student’s analysis of a major historical event in today’s classroom can be much richer in content and information because of technology.

The future of education will continue to focus on transferable thinking skills 42 | SLUH Magazine

learned in the classroom, such as innovation, rather than a need for students to memorize facts that they can access through their devices.

Many private schools struggle with attracting a diverse student population. How can they address this in the future?

IG: Jesuit schools have to be welcoming places for all of society. The Jesuit mission is the salvation of souls, all souls. This means our schools should be serving a population that represents the global reality as found in that locale. SLUH is a Jesuit school founded for the leadership development of young men in St. Louis, and we will work with any adolescent boy who has the intellectual and spiritual background to succeed.

This means that we have to create the structures to help underprivileged middle school students learn about SLUH and understand how we can support their development toward the capacity to thrive at our

school. Outreach, middle school programs and financial aid are all critical pieces to recruiting a diverse student population.

JB: It starts with the hiring process. Ethnically and racially diverse students are more comfortable attending a school where the faculty and administration look like them. As such, schools need to meet the challenge of examining their hiring practices and their interview processes to ensure that they are inclusive to a wider range of applicants.

Additionally, many private schools rely heavily on word of mouth marketing.

While this is an effective tool, it can also perpetuate attracting a certain kind of student population.

It is essential that schools broaden their outreach in order to find greater diversity in their student body.

This requires an examination of enrollment practices and a closer look at the kinds of school-sponsored events that might attract more diverse families. Many schools still operate on the model that it is incumbent on students and families to “find” them.

The growth of the internet can perpetuate this mindset.

However, finding (and retaining) diverse families requires a different kind of effort and a clear strategy with goals and deliverables; otherwise, it simply doesn’t become a priority.

RW: The first thing private schools should do to attract a diverse student population is rigorously examine their own biases and assumptions.

Is this a school that appeals to students from diverse backgrounds? Does the curriculum honor diverse voices? Do English classes, for example, read texts written by persons of color? If not, how might that impact a student of color’s experience at the school? In the admissions process, what barriers exist, real or perceived, for students trying to find success at the school?

Many private schools rightly pride themselves on a tradition of a rigorous academic curriculum and have admissions standards that reflect that. That bias will inherently reward students who come from already-rigorous academic backgrounds and will disadvantage students from low-income schools who may not be as wellprepared. The sense that a private school cannot simultaneously serve both the academically elite, which in America is statistically synonymous with “wealthy,” and those from less privileged backgrounds is a false choice that too often prevents private schools from truly serving a diverse population.

MP: How deep is a school’s desire to attract a more diverse student population?

Is the desire rooted in the school’s mission, values and programs? When the desire is authentic, the

school must seek out the diversity and create structures within the school to support those diversity goals. Such support could require a shift in school culture to be open to that growth. Courses might be updated to provide students with texts and lessons that represent the diversity of the larger world through which they see themselves represented. Hopefully, the holistic experience expands the worldview of students who have not encountered such diversity before and enables them to see not the “other” but to celebrate the unique gifts each brings to the community.

DS: There are a number of ways to attract diverse populations, but it begins with a belief in the power and strength in diversity.

If students from diverse populations do not feel welcome the moment they step on campus, diversity will not be achieved. The welcoming of every student is the responsibility of each faculty member, staff, student and parent. School communities must be attentive and intentional in developing such a culture of welcome, or as Pope Francis might say, “a culture of accompaniment.”

Regardless of whether you are discussing socioeconomic, ethnic, religious, cultural or linguistic diversity, our Catholic faith has always provided a way to build a common understanding of a life pointed toward Christ, which transcends any moniker

of diversity and instead creates unity. Research continues to show the power of Catholic schools to close the achievement gap and help minority and underperforming students from all backgrounds succeed. The more welcoming we are, the better and stronger our schools will be.

How are physical campuses needing to change to meet today’s needs in education? How will they adapt moving forward?

IG: SLUH’s classrooms are about to be transformed by our Go Forth campaign.

Project-based learning and transfer goal foci require educational spaces that are collaborative, empowering and flexible. While there are still needs for traditional classrooms and spaces, the 21st century learning process dictates that schedules, resources and teacherstudent partnerships drive the assumptions about SLUH’s campus. I came from a school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan where space was at an absolute premium. We had a building, not a campus. This didn’t matter, because New York City was our campus. The same holds here at SLUH. St. Louis’s museums, parks, universities, companies and civic institutions are as much our campus as any classroom on Oakland Avenue.

JB: Schools need to focus on creating optimal learning

environments for their students. This doesn’t mean finding the latest and greatest technological gadgets. Oftentimes, this method backfires because teachers are resistant or the technologies themselves are untested in education.

When I talk about learning environments, I mean more basic things like furniture, lighting and space design.

Sometimes it’s not about putting up the next amazing building, but rather being intentional about creating the space where students feel comfortable learning.

If you have to sit in uncomfortable chairs all day, you are going to learn less. If an air conditioner is blowing so loudly that you can’t hear the teacher, you are going to miss some key content. If the space isn’t thoughtfully designed, students (and teachers) won’t want to be in it. These more costeffective measures usually pay greater dividends for both teachers and students.

RW: As classrooms continue to emphasize collaboration and interdisciplinary learning, schools need to have spaces that reflect that.

In a single class period, students may spend 20 minutes researching a topic on their own, 20

minutes brainstorming with a small group about that same topic, and then 20 minutes presenting their findings to the class.

Campuses will need to provide spaces for all those different modalities, spaces that are just as flexible and adaptable as the curricula that teachers are developing.

DS: Physical campuses need to adapt mostly in the classroom and common spaces. Within the classroom, flexible/ movable seating allows for individual, paired and group work. Spaces for creative collaboration are also necessary. Common spaces such as cafeterias and quads also need to have spaces for collaboration and comfort.

Beyond this, I believe it is critical to develop policies and expectations that encourage community during common times.

Students are inundated with technology, which can have isolating effects.

While technology has a role, we also need to teach students how to maintain a human connection with those around them. For instance, Seton has a policy that no devices are allowed in the quad or cafeteria during break or lunch to encourage community and conversation. Students are welcome to access their computer, but they can only do so in the library.

IM: Most of the physical changes I’ve noticed recently have been towards flexible learning spaces.

Summer 2019 | 43

These designs allow teachers to plan more collaborative opportunities for students and mimic a more progressive workspace, which many of today’s students will experience when they begin their careers.

Much has been written about the stress and anxiety uniquely felt by this generation of students. What should parents and schools do in response to these pressures?

IG: The shadow side of information and technology access is the overwhelming grip of possibility. Each year brings a dozen exabytes of new information that is added to millennia of previous knowledge. Audio psychologists calibrate our devices’ pings and prompts, demanding our attention.

Competing data sources and complex realities reveal the scarcity of resources, time and cognitive capacity.

At some point, we each hit walls of functionality. These walls are both defense mechanisms and processing gateways. When we shut down to reflect and rest, this leads to progress.

When we break down from stress and overwhelmed minds and bodies, this is obviously dangerous.

Understanding the somatic and psychological needs of our teenagers is an important first step. Other key pieces are having realistic and meaningful formational goals, providing differentiated approaches

44 | SLUH Magazine

to learning, and creating a proactive mindfulness amongst our students. SLUH aspires to teach our young men to learn rather than collect endless streams of data.

parents can increase efforts to teach and model healthy stress management and wellness practices, including balance of school, family, work, screen-time, exercise and diet.

RW: The role of schools is to give students opportunities to challenge themselves and to learn resilience, while also being an entirely supportive environment. Schools and parents need to sincerely listen to what our students are telling us and then examine what messages we give them, both explicitly and tacitly. For example, as a teacher I can tell my students, “Don’t worry about your grades, just do your best and focus on learning.”

But when the students then see the school give out awards based primarily on grade point average, it’s hard to convince them that grades do not matter.

Our schools should be safe places for students to learn how to recognize their own emotions and to learn how to best address their own emotional needs, and that means dedicating resources, especially time, to mental health topics. The more that schools and parents can normalize healthy ways for adolescents to express their emotions and manage stress, the better prepared students will be.

DS: Students have incredible amounts of pressure placed upon them, and it is up to the schools and parents — working together — to lead the charge in helping students balance their lives.

MP: Schools should hire mental health counselors and support adult formation around social emotional learning. Parents should monitor students' social media usage. Schools and

Schools can help by clarifying for parents their expectations of a healthy student-life balance. They can discuss with students and families what academic excellence and achievement means in attempts to temper some unrealistic expectations that families have. Schools also need to provide additional resources regarding student health and wellness. This can come in many forms, but it begins with counselors helping administrators and faculty understand the effects of stress and anxiety. These counseling services must also be extended to the students themselves. Schools should also work to educate parents on the realities of stress and anxiety, and how in their role as parent they can intentionally and unintentionally add to the stress and anxiety.

Parents desire so deeply for their child's success, but sometimes that desire is manifest in unhealthy and negative ways. Through such conversations and approaches, we can hopefully begin to turn distress and anxiety to eustress and serenity — a healthy and positive kind of stress and presence that results in higher achievement.

IM: In my 12 years in education, I have noticed a significant change in the stress and anxiety that students experience.

Schools and districts have responded by adding more resources, when possible, to support these increased needs by students. We see it is as our job to partner with and educate our students and parents about the potential causes for anxiety and stress. We can offer solutions on ways to change or modify behaviors (e.g., social media use) that are linked to these increases.

As a parent of two young children, I already have conversations with them about healthy habits, like eating and exercise, while setting limits on things like screen time. There is no simple fix or solution to share with parents, but I will always encourage parents to talk with their children about anything that can impact them in a harmful way.

What are the biggest opportunities and challenges you envision in secondary education in the next few decades?

JB: Although technology is rife with challenges, it also is a powerful learning tool. Students no longer have to go to the library to find basic facts and have access to more information on their devices than any previous generation. It is incumbent upon schools to leverage this opportunity and continually work to create courses and teach skills that optimize this access. The challenge is finding teachers who are willing to experience the changes that we expect out of our students. Good secondary schools will go through significant changes not every 20-25 years as in the past, but closer to every 5 years. It is essential that schools hire faculty and administration who are open to working in a less routinized environment than in previous years. So, in short, the biggest challenge and biggest opportunity isn’t so different from the past: find great people who are passionate about education.

RW: The biggest opportunities for secondary education will come from

continuing to adapt our pedagogy and curriculum to best prepare students for a changing world, and Jesuit schools are particularly well-suited to seize that opportunity.

Tech companies may want schools to provide them with more workers who can code, but the world really needs more coders who know philosophy, and I feel fortunate to work at a Jesuit school that can combine a broad liberal arts education with a strong foundation in faith.

The challenge is to do all this while working with students who are steeped in a culture that favors radicalization over nuance, fear over empathy, and individualism over community. Instead of preparing students to join that world, how can we prepare them to change it?

MP: Technology and virtual reality bring both the biggest opportunities and challenges for us. We should welcome their immersive possibilities for creation and connectedness, and balance them with the sacredness of our humanity.

How can we teach and model this balance for

our students? How can we responsibly embrace the seemingly limitless power of technology and remain grounded in organic, authentic human relationship? Does the meaning of being human change with these new realities?

DS: The biggest opportunity is that students have the ability to know more than ever with access to far-reaching resources beyond classrooms. They are connected with the world and people around them in ways that were not possible 10 years ago.

They bring a broader base of knowledge and in many ways are smarter than ever before. Teachers have new tools to make learning highly individualized with 'just-in-time' learning that can really push students to achieve amazing levels of understanding. The flip side of this coin: although technology is creating a means of connection and access to knowledge, technology also creates isolation and de-humanizes the world. It's very easy to hide behind a cell phone screen and text or post vitriol without regard for the other. The challenge we face is to continue presenting the why of education to our students. Why do we need to continue memorizing and learning about some aspects of life so deeply? Why do we need to study science and math? Why do we need to know literature and art?

It's because all of the world is simply a revelation of

God. It is through the world that we come to know God, and so all of learning and knowledge points directly back to God. And when students understand that, it provides purpose and meaning to excellence and innovation, and allows people to humanize the world. Incredible advances are happening daily, but we always must remember the people who these advances serve.

IM: In the future, I imagine students and families will have even more choice in what type of education they want, just as they’ve had with the growth of charter schools in the U.S. The choices will expand even further along the lines of more blended options that include more online learning as opposed to classrooms.

Keeping up with the demands and attachments to technology will remain a challenge for schools and districts if you consider the costs and addictive nature of it to our students.

We are educating students when the exact knowledge and skills necessary for their future are unknown.

To me, that will be always be a challenge for schools but is also what makes teaching and school leadership energizing as it continues to adapt and change to meet the needs of the times.

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ART CENTER In support of SLUH’s commitment to the Arts, Go Forth will develop a new Art Center with gallery space that provides the opportunity for art education and exhibits, and connecting our art collection with education.

Learn more at goforth.sluh.org

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ALUMNUS PROFILE

In the Eye of the Beholder Matt Harvey ‘81 Shares Beauty of Local Treasure

Whether you've seen it, with its spontaneous, creative explosions rising from the gentle rolling hills of South County like enchanting metallic spires from a bygone era, or even tried to pronounce it – successfully or not – Laumeier Sculpture Park is a journey of the mind and soul for those who behold it. For Matt Harvey ‘81, Laumeier Board President, it is a beautiful treasure for our entire region, and it’s why he is committed to preserving it for future generations.

In his role as Vice President of Sterling

American Property Inc., Harvey manages assets of more than three million square feet of office properties in the West, Midwest and Southeast regions – but art is his passion. So we asked him more about what makes Laumeier so special.

How did you get involved in the world of art?

During my 30-year career in commercial real estate, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to utilize public art as part of a properties’ repositioning. That function led me to explore all types of art options, including sculpture, large scale photography and paintings.

How did your education at SLUH influence you love of art?

My exposure to such a wide variety of people and experiences at SLUH helped form my open-minded approach to all things, including the use of beauty, through art, to impact an environment in a way that benefits everyone.

ART CENTER

What was your favorite memory from SLUH? The SLUH memories that I revisit the most relate to the band, including a trip to Kansas City in the blue “SPIRIT” bus.

Our performing for a couple of high schools there was a really rewarding experience for me, at that moment in my life.

What is your favorite artwork at Laumeier?

There is a wide variety of art at Laumeier, evoking a range of emotions, but the piece that moves me the most is The Way, by Alexander Liberman. It has to be one of the three most iconic works of art in the region (including #1 the Gateway Arch, and #2 the Serra Sculpture).

-continued

Matt Harvey ‘81 stands amid The Way, by Alexander Liberman, at Laumeier Sculpture Park.

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GO

ARTS

What is your favorite piece of art in your own collection?

I have been collecting St. Louisbased artists work for about 20 years, and the variety is vast, but I’m most connected to a piece called “Four Walls”

by Michael Eastman. There are four large photos of the former World’s Fair wall that ran along the north side of Forest Park. The wall was quite dilapidated prior to being replaced by the Light Rail system. The artist’s use of light reflecting on the crumbling concrete is really beautiful.

What do you hope visitors will take away from their Laumeier experience?

There is a lot to do within Laumeier’s 107 acres. I would hope everyone could find some peace and tranquility by walking the paths and discovering so many unique art installations. There are also curated, indoor exhibits that change twice per year, so there’s always something new to explore at Laumeier Sculpture Park.

FINE ART COLLECTION AT SLUH SLUH has an impressive collection of paintings by Missouri artists as well as cultural and historical artifacts, thanks in large part to the generosity of Tim '68 and Jeanne Drone. There are also a few works of art created by Fr. William Doyle, SJ '42, who founded the school’s art department – most notably, the iconic statue of St. Ignatius that greets visitors at the campus entrance.

Top, left: St. Louis Levee, by Frederick Conway (1900-1973) ; Top, right: A View of Gloucester Harbor,

by Kathryn Cherry (1880-1931); Bottom: Instructions,

by Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975)

Why do you think art is important for the future of SLUH? I believe that experiencing art firsthand raises one’s self esteem. The intellectual and emotional growth that art can provide to everyone is something that you can’t buy – rather, you have to live the experience.

That’s how personal growth occurs.

What advice would you give to students and alumni who are interested in art?

If collecting art is of interest, then find something that speaks to you, personally.

Don’t worry about what anyone else thinks, at least up to a certain price point. If creating art makes you happy, then you are already ahead of the game.

To learn more about Laumeier Sculpture Park, visit www.laumeiersculpturepark.org The correct pronunciation of Laumeier is "Lau" (rhymes with "now") –"meier" (rhymes with "higher").

48 | SLUH Magazine

Tim '68 and Jeanne Drone at their Painting the Midwest exhibition at the Saint Louis University Museum of Art. The 2015 exhibit featured the Midwest Scene Painting Movement, as well as female artists of the early 20th century.

SAVE THE DATE Join us at SLUH on Thursday, November 7 for a presentation by Fr. Terry Dempsey, SJ, Executive Director of the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art at Saint Louis University, on modern painting and the religious imagination based on pieces from SLUH’s fine art collection.

SEEKING ALUMNI ART COLLECTORS SLUH is seeking wisdom and input from alumni who collect and are passionate about art as it envisions a new Art Center. If you are interested, please contact Sean Agniel ‘96, Advancement Chief of Staff, at sagniel@sluh.org.

STUDENT ARTWORK

Artistically Speaking

ART CENTER

SLUH provides students a wide range of experiences in a variety of media in Studio Art, with courses offered in ceramics, painting in acrylics, printmaking and 3-D design, among others. Through the exploration of various techniques, students begin to understand how to express their ideas visually. They learn how to see the world around them through a new lens, and they learn how to discuss, interpret and analyze works of art.

ANNUAL STUDENT ART EXHIBIT This spring’s exhibit featured a diverse spectrum of work, including:

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1 6 3

1. Self-Portrait, block print, by Benjamin Krummenacher '19 2. Water Balloon Towers, colored pencil,

by Benjamin Krummenacher '19 3. Hands, oil pastel, by Darion Mullins '19 4. Fruit, ceramic, by Milo Wilson '20, Bradley Pike '19, Kolin King '19, Grant Newsham '20, Paul Reddy '19, John Fogerty '19

4

7 5

5. Self-Portrait Mosaic, ceramic, by John Nikolai '19 6. Self-Portrait, block print on chine-collĂŠ, by Jonathan Gillooly '19 7. Still Life With Bottle, watercolor,

by Logan Florida '20

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8. Sardines, oil pastel,

by Robert Stevens '21

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MEDIA CENTER

EIC to DOJ With support from Go Forth, SLUH will design and build a new Media Center that allows students to pursue journalism, photography, video, music and podcast production at a level commensurate with industry standards. Similar to the Innovation Lab, the Media Center will provide collaborative, highly functional spaces that allow our students to become producers, not merely to learn about producing.

Learn more at goforth.sluh.org

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Jim Santel’s Life with the Prep News

BY PAUL GILLAM ‘19 Ninety minutes. That’s all the heads-up he had been given.

It was July of 2016. Tensions in the United States were rising and Jim Santel ‘08, the Acting Chief Speech Writer of the U.S. Attorney General, was notified of a press conference – one the nation would surely be watching. He had just spoken to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and now was hunkered in his office, fervently writing her speech. Working on such a short deadline, adrenaline pumped through the stressed but not panicked speechwriter, and he couldn’t help but laugh. He had been here before and had written much more in much less time. Memories of late Thursday nights flooded into his mind and Jim, Editor-in-Chief of Prep News volume 72, found comfort in them.

“That was the Prep News alive and well in my life,” said Jim in an interview. “In a very concrete way, it was a way to remind myself that I had the skills to do this and that I was there for a reason. I wrote the speech and it all went fine, but I drew directly on Prep News in a very stressful time at the heart of American government.”

That wasn’t the first or the last time Jim drew on his experiences with the high school newspaper. To Jim, the Prep News is a living and evolving project that still continues to impact him today.

Long before Jim was a speechwriter for the chief lawyer of the Federal Government, he was a freshman at St. Louis U. High.

PREP NEWS

Jim Santel '08 works with Attorney General Loretta Lynch on a speech.

Entering SLUH in 2004, Jim followed in the footsteps of his father, Tom ’76, who in his day was Editor-in-Chief of Prep News volume 40 and more recently has served as the school’s chair of the Board of Trustees. Jim had heard about the Prep News from his father and wanted to try it out for himself, so three weeks into his freshman year, he found his way up to the Prep News office. That Friday, for the first time ever, he saw his name in print and never looked back.

Junior year, Jim was one of two news editors – the other being a senior who he would carpool with on Thursdays – and the only non-senior on the editorial staff.

Although not unheard of, junior editors were uncommon. But Jim didn’t feel out of place.

“It’s a place where everyone put the project above any other distinctions,” said Jim. The following year he was named Editor-in-Chief – becoming one half of the only father-son EIC duo in Prep News

history – and took his position seriously.

Although classified as a club, to Jim the Prep News was more. It was a second education where he learned skills that have since been the foundation of his professional life and have largely shaped who he is today. It was his gratitude for this education that brought him back to SLUH. After graduating from University of Pennsylvania with an English degree, Jim returned to SLUH with the Alum Service Corps in the fall of 2012. He taught two sections of junior English and assisted Prep News moderator Steve Missey with the newspaper. Although his end goal was not teaching, he wanted to give back to the place and people that gave so much to him.

“SLUH and Prep News really put my life on the trajectory it was sent on,” said Jim. “Whether it was majoring in English or pursuing writing, I was just very conscious of the fact that all of that came out of SLUH.” But perhaps most importantly, the Prep News was a school for citizenship where Jim learned the importance of being an active and responsible member of his community – a lesson he’s kept with him since.

Through a six-month-long internship with West Wing Writers in New York and a two-year-long stint as Kerry Kennedy’s speech writer at the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Center, Jim’s speech writing career had taken off. In his opinion, there was no better way to

MEDIA CENTER combine his love for writing with active citizenship. The necessity to quickly learn about topics, then spin them into interesting, compelling and followable language reminded him of his high school news writing – just on a larger scale – and once again he found himself thankful for the Prep News.

Jim loved the Kennedy nonprofit, but he wanted to get into government. Since high school, he had had an interest in politics, and he hoped that his speech writing experience could help him get his foot in the door.

One day in May of 2015, Jim found in his inbox an email from the U.S. Attorney General’s chief speechwriter, asking Jim to apply to be the Attorney General’s deputy speechwriter. Someone at West Wing Writers had recommended him for the position. Out of the blue – being recruited for his dream job. Jim couldn’t believe it. It was just too good to be true.

He applied and got the job that August.

Around the same time Jim opened a life changing email, he started writing a book – a biography of Hubert Humphrey, Lyndon Johnson’s vice president. Never having considered himself a novelist, but having learned interview and information gathering skills with the Prep News and in his SLUH English classes, a biography was right in his wheelhouse.

“It’s a project that I can trace directly back to SLUH,” said Jim. In July of 2016 the Attorney General’s chief speechwriter left his position and

Two generations of the Prep News: Jim ’08 and Tom ‘76 Santel (middle), both editors in chief of the newspaper, along with their respective moderators, Steve Missey ’88 (left) and Jim Raterman. (Photo taken in 2008.)

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GO

Jim was asked to fill the vacancy. For the next six months, while America faced racial and political strife, Jim worked 50 to 60-hour weeks, meeting and travelling with Attorney General Lynch as her acting chief speech writer. It was an exciting and busy job – the often unfixed speech schedule made sure of it – but Jim was well prepared. The hundreds of hours he’d spent interviewing students, faculty, and staff and the late, time-crunched nights in the Prep News office paid off.

When the Oval Office changed hands and a new Attorney General was appointed, Jim continued his speech writing with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He was there until December of 2018, when he decided he needed a change of scenery. Law school crossed his mind. “(Speech writing) is a young person’s game,” said Jim. “At some point I thought, ‘I don’t just want to write about policies, I want to help shape them.’”

So Jim enrolled at Stanford Law where he will begin as a full-time law student this Fall and hopefully enter back into government.

Until then, he’ll be working on his book.

Fifteen years ago, the path Jim would soon embark on seemed absurd. The many twists and turns leading him from SLUH to the Department of Justice to Stanford Law have made for an exciting journey, each stop shaped by a life changing high school newspaper.

“The Prep News is a living, evolving project, and it was fun to be a small part of it,” said Jim. “I can’t tell you how I think it would be different (without it), but I know it would, and I wouldn’t want it to be any other way.”

About the Author While at SLUH, Paul Gillam ‘19 was Prep News Editor-in-Chief (Volume 83), a senior advisor, member of the senior pastoral team and varsity chorus. He is attending Saint Louis University in the fall and wants to pursue a major in English and minors in Catholic Studies and Journalism.

“I want to follow in the footsteps of all of those who have taught me as a role model and witness to young people,” says Gillam. “One goal I have is to come back to SLUH and teach. I have been given so much from this institution and those in it that I feel called to give back in any way I can.”

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This Ridiculous D-II Baseball Announcer Will Make Your Day and Deserves an MLB Gig THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE, WRITTEN BY TED BERG, WAS PUBLISHED IN USA TODAY ON APRIL 24, 2019.

There’s far too little joy in Major League Baseball broadcasts. If you’ve been watching the sport regularly over the past couple of years, you probably already know this. And it’s hardly an issue for every person paid to announce ball games – even some of the ex-players you might guess would be stodgy still demonstrate lots of enthusiasm for a game now played at a higher level than ever before.

But I watch a whole lot of baseball, and far too much of it is soundtracked by people who spend so much time wringing their hands and talking about the old days that it seems like they’d rather be just about anywhere else. And that’s frustrating, because I love baseball.

So does this guy: Joey Zanaboni is a play-by-play man for the Division II University of West Florida Argos. And thanks to the wonders of reddit, his broadcasting highlight reel is making the rounds on the internet today. It’s silly and ridiculous and extremely fun.

This feels like what Monday Night Football was hoping for when it put

MEDIA CENTER comedian Dennis Miller in the booth so many years ago. Zanaboni’s quips sound like they’re pre-scripted, but – unlike Miller’s on football – they’re genuinely funny, they’re accessible, and they highlight the announcer’s earnest appreciation for the sport.

Some highlights: “Living in the Gap like an overzealous clothing store employee.”

“Doing glovework like he’s building a business on Etsy.”

“Defense hotter than a shingles outbreak at a Longhorn Steakhouse.”

“Recycling him like the cornstarch utensils at a PETA staff mixer.”

And so on. Zanaboni’s pinned Twitter profile tweet contains his statement of purpose:

Joey Zanaboni '09 keeps his commentary fun, light and entertaining.

Joey Zanaboni @joey_zana I want to be the first real millennial sports announcer who reflects the endless optimism, relentless anxiety and glorious randomness of this generation. We were raised on iPhones and smart toilets and Family Guy. Mine is not a toast to the world as it was, but as it is. #LCRR Someone should totally hire this guy to broadcast Major League Baseball games. Baseball is beautiful, stupid, random fun, and so are all these calls. Plus, I want to know more about Zanaboni’s Uncle Gary.

Here are some more highlights from his YouTube: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/04/joeyzanaboni-college-baseball-announcerjokes-so-many-jokes-mlb “Making it disappear over the wall like Colton in that uncomfortable episode of The Bachelor.”

That’s topical, timely humor, folks. This guy is tuned in like Uncle Gary during a late night Cops marathon. Or something. I don’t know.

FINDING A VOICE Catch the latest episode of SLUH’s podcast, INSIGNIS! We explore a topic at the very heart of what secondary education – and Jesuit, Catholic education in particular – is all about: the journey to becoming one's self, the authentic, unique, generous and creative person God intends for us to become.

In "Finding a Voice," you'll hear from several members of our community: • Antwine Willis ‘19 discusses his pathway to developing the confidence and faith in himself, despite tremendous challenges, to become one of the dynamic leaders of his graduating class; • Dan Cornell '94 and Daniel Heard '04, successful professionals who have become leaders and mentors for others, reflect on their SLUH years as crucial, formative steps in their journeys; • Frank Kovarik ‘94 talks about discovering his own voice as an English teacher at SLUH, his leadership role as Director of Equity and Inclusion, and the "Voices of SLUH" essay project; and • Excerpts from SLUH choral performances under the direction of choral director Addie Akin and original rap music composed and performed by Romano Ortiz ‘20.

INSIGNIS, hosted by Assistant Principal for Mission Jim Linhares, features lively interviews with members of our school community engaged in a variety of roles and fascinating projects "down the hall, across the metro area and around the world" in support of our mission.

Listen and subscribe to INSIGNIS at www.sluh.org/insignis

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In Medias Res SULLI WALLISCH ‘19 AND THE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY The photography club captures life at SLUH throughout the year – from games and concerts to mixers and retreats – to feature in the Prep News, SLUH Magazine, website and yearbook.

Most importantly, they build on a dynamic, digital archive that documents the story of SLUH for future generations.

Among the club’s talented photographers, Sulli Wallisch ‘19 was an active member throughout his four years at SLUH. His knack for putting himself in medias res (in the middle of the action) and snapping the camera at just the right time allowed viewers to relive, if vicariously, unforgettable moments through his artistry.

Wallisch earned medals of honor for his exceptional photography work, as well as his excellence in the circus club. He will be attending the honor College of Engineering at the University of Missouri in the fall.

“In my future, I hope to make an impact in the world through engineering as I design and manufacture new generations of tools and products to better society,” says Wallisch.

“Also, I hope to continue making an impact with photography. I've found photography has an amazing potential to convey emotions and a celebration of life from baptisms to the wakes that I've photographed over the years.”

We asked Wallisch to pick his 10 favorite photos he’s taken as a Jr. Bill. What he provided offers a snapshot – in living color – of the diverse spectrum of life and activity that is St. Louis U. High.

SULLI'S TOP 10 1. Commencement of the 2016 Running of the Bills 2. Tony Adams ‘17 at a SLUH football game (Adams is now a safety for the University of Illinois football team) 3. Students gather at the 2017 Mission Week ‘car smash’ for charity 4. 2017 Back to School Mixer

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5. Andrew Wilson ‘19 and Jimmy Wolfe ‘19 at the school-wide Bicentennial Day of Service in 2018 6. Deacon Allen Boedeker spreads incense during an Advent Mass in 2017 7. Senior Jimmy Wolfe ‘19 performs during Into the Woods in 2019

8. Students celebrate after winning the 2019 Mid-States Challenge Cup, SLUH’s second consecutive ice hockey state title 9. Luke Wilmes ‘18 reciting a profound poem in the Poetry Out Loud contest 10. Fireworks cap off the Bicentennial Mass and Celebration in 2018

IN GRATITUDE SLUH thanks all members of our 2018-19 Photography Club, led by moderator Kathleen Chott. In addition to Sulli Wallisch '19, they include Louis Barnes '19, Jonel Olar '20, John Hilker '20, Miguel Cadiz '20, Ben Andrews '20 and Matthew Leight '22.

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Men for Each Other

BY TERRY DONOHUE ‘63 For the last four years, I have spent one day every week working with seven of my Class of ’63 classmates to preserve the history of SLUH with a professional archive collection. The project started as a first step in the creation of a book commemorating the school’s bicentennial in 2018 – but it evolved into a much larger vision to preserve SLUH’s legacy.

As we initially accumulated documents and artifacts from within the school, alumni and their relatives began to turn over their SLUH keepsakes to share treasured memories. At the same time several of these same individuals asked us to help them locate academic, athletic and participatory activity records and pictures of their relatives, which in many cases we have been able to provide.

SLUH had such a lasting impression on their relatives' lives that they wanted to, in some way, relive that experience.

This whole experience continues to have a profound impact on my understanding of the Ignatian influence on all of us who were fortunate to attend SLUH. One particular request for information from an alumnus caused me to reflect further on what the formative phrase “Men for Others” was really all about – in addition to realizing the power of the school archive. The common theme behind “Men for Others” is graduates committed to doing justice in the service of creating a better world.

But I think this goes even further. SLUH students are not only shaped to do justice in the world, but they are also infused with a spirit to be men for each other – in the classroom, in athletics, in carrying out God’s mission in their life.

This particular alumnus, who graduated in the late 1950’s, approached the school with a request to find

Class of ‘63 SLUH Archive volunteers (from left): Lee Schilligo, Terry Donohue, Ron Horst, Bob St. Vrain, Norm Thomas, Tim O’Connell and Marty O’Brien

the benefactor for a two-year full scholarship he received. His intention, later fulfilled, was to “pay back” the scholarship endowment from which he benefited. The archive committee was able to locate a scholarship ledger that Fr. Gerald Sheahan, SJ (SLUH Principal, 1955-67) had accumulated from years of bookkeeping and correspondence.

This allowed us to deliver the requested information that resulted in a grateful alumnus providing scholarship funding for needy students. This alumnus was anxious to share the spirit of a transformative experience with future generations – a man for other SLUH generations.

The spirit we absorbed as we were formed into young men at SLUH lives on forever. Reflecting on this, I wonder: Why did that alumnus carry that scholarship memory with him all those years?

Why do alumni give so generously of their time and resources in support of our school?

Why do my classmates do acts of kindness for one another (in one instance rescuing a fellow classmate from unhealthy living conditions to settle him into a comfortable assisted living arrangement)?

The answer: Men for each other!

We hope that the SLUH Archive will not only capture the formative documents and artifacts that accompanied that spirit, but also be

able to share it with inquisitive minds who seek memories, inspiration or education. To that end, we ask alumni, students, and current and former faculty and staff consider sharing their documents, artifacts and inspiring stories with us to help us compile our legacy for others to cherish.

To learn more about the SLUH Archive, visit www.sluh.org/archive

Order Your Commemorative Book!

From a bishop’s vision for a school in a muddy river town in the early 19th century to a flagship institution for education and faith formation today, SLUH has lived an epic journey. To commemorate this 200-year odyssey the school published To God, with Gratitude

by Frank Kovarik ‘94, a magnificent coffee-table book filled with hundreds of fascinating stories and seldom-seen images. The narrative reveals painful trials—like the near closing of the school in the 1820s—and glorious triumphs—like Anna F. Backer’s teaming with the Jesuits to build a stand-alone campus. To God, with Gratitude offers the most complete history of SLUH ever assembled and is sure to captivate those whose lives have been touched by it.

To order your copy, visit www.sluh.org/bicentennial/book Summer 2019 | 55

ALUMNI

NOTEWORTHY Following is a sample of recent alumni activity and achievement. For an extensive list of class notes, visit alumconnect.sluh.org.

Michael O'Keefe '55 was recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Top Attorney in the field of Law as a Senior Counsel at Thompson Coburn LLP, where he specializes in business litigation. A distinguished member in the profession of law for the past 55 years, O’Keefe he has also lectured extensively throughout the country about discovery and trial tactics.

A recent gift from two University of Rochester alumni established the Paul J. Burgett Distinguished Professorship at the Eastman School of Music.

This endowed fund honors the legacy of Paul Burgett '64, one of the university's most recognized citizens.

It also recognizes his lifelong commitment to music and education and a University career that spanned 54 years, 20 of which were spent at Eastman, as both a student and a leader. Burgett was the first African American

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to be honored with SLUH's Backer Award.

Mike Hamm ‘70 is currently at University of Oxford for six months as an Oxford Martin School (OMS) Visiting Fellow.

OMS is a think tank for sustainability at Oxford.

Hamm, the C.S. Mott Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at Michigan State University, founded the school’s C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems in 2003 and was founding director of the MSU Center for Regional Food Systems from 2011-2015. In 2018, Hamm returned to SLUH as the keynote speaker for Common Good Day.

Saint Louis University announced that Thomas Finan, PhD '85 will serve as the new Chair of the school’s History Department. Finan, a faculty member at SLU since 2006, is the Director of the Walter J.

Ong, SJ Center for Digital Humanities. Well known for his research on medieval Ireland, he has served as Director of the Center for International Studies and Associate Director of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Kwofe Coleman '01 is the Muny theater’s new managing director. A first-generation American, Coleman is the son of parents who migrated from the African nation of Ghana in the 1970s.

According to a Ladue News article: “At 16, [Coleman] got his first job as an usher and spent his summers handing out playbills and pushing wheelchairs. Even in the early days, Coleman showed potential. ‘He always understood the culture and the tradition and what The Muny meant to St. Louisans,’ [Muny President and CEO Denny] Reagan says. ‘He has all the tools.’” Visit Class Notes online to access the article.

David Willard ‘01, founder, CEO and Managing Partner of 52 Capital Partners, LLC (based in San Francisco), was featured on Bloomberg News discussing the U.S.China trade deal dynamics.

During his career as a

mergers and acquisitions (M&A) advisor and finance executive, Willard, who is fluent in Mandarin, has executed and participated in landmark M&A transactions and other significant corporate matters at firms in the U.S., Europe and Asia, closing 53 transactions totaling more than $150 billion in aggregate deal value.

Visit Class Notes online to access his TV and radio interviews.

Follow Us on LinkedIn! www.sluh.org/linkedin Network with alumni and learn about employment opportunities and updates from SLUH, recently ranked a Top Workplace by the St. Louis PostDispatch for the 7th consecutive year.

Bringing Home

THE CUP

On June 12, the St. Louis Blues made history.

After being written off by many until the season’s mid-point, when they were last in the league, the team battled their way to the playoffs and ultimately earned their first championship in franchise history.

Sean Ferrell ’88, the Blues video coach who assists with skills development, also made history by becoming the first St. Louis native coach to win the Stanley Cup. An accomplished hockey player himself, Ferrell shares his gifts and talents with others beyond the Blues organization.

According to SLUH hockey coach Jack Behan, “Sean has volunteered to come each of our middle school camps the past two seasons. He spoke to the campers for an hour in each camp about hockey and also how SLUH shaped him into the man he is today. He has been a terrific advocate for the school.”

In celebration of Ferrell’s remarkable contributions to the St. Louis Blues – and in gratitude for his “man for others” spirit – we proudly share a Prep News article from 2017.

FROM THE PREP NEWS ARCHIVE

Ferrell ’88, from SLUH player to NHL coach, becomes first franchise coach from STL

BY WILL FARROLL ’17 AND ANDREW MODDER ‘17 JANUARY 13, 2017 Since graduating St. Louis U. High in 1988, Sean Ferrell, current St. Louis Blues video coach, has gone from playing competitive hockey, to working in corporate America, to living his dream as an NHL coach and the first Blues coach hailing from St. Louis.

Ferrell played competitive hockey when he was younger, including four years at the high school varsity level at SLUH and nearly three years in the North American Junior Hockey League with the St. Louis Jr. Blues.

Fifteen years ago, Ferrell’s coaching career began when he worked with his children’s youth hockey teams.

“I started to specialize in the coaching area of skill development,” said Ferrell, now in his fourth year working for the Blues as the video coach. “One of my strong suits was skating

Sean Ferrell '88, St. Louis Blues Video and Skills Coach, hoists the Stanley Cup after the team clinched its first championship.

(Photo courtesy of the St. Louis Blues.)

Summer 2019 | 57

skills, so power skating, stride efficiency, speed, and the puck skills, stick skills, shooting skills all followed suit.”

In 2005, a group of Blues players, including defensemen Bryce Salvador and Barrett Jackman and forward Jamal Mayers, had been working at the Hockey Academy with the current head athletic trainer Ray Barile and former video coach Jamie Kompon.

“I was working in corporate America at the time, there weren’t many coaching jobs back then,” said Ferrell. “If you wanted to make a living as a coach you would be working for the St. Louis Blues, and I really hadn’t gotten to that point in my life where I had built the right skill set to be here.”

A friend reached out to Ferrell asking him to help out with defensemen at a youth hockey camp, a camp where Mayers and Salvador were also instructing. Ferrell’s coaching of professional players sprouted from his volunteering at this youth camp. “(I) got a phone call from Bryce about two weeks later asking who I was, where I played, if I would be interested in doing something more extensive in the coaching area, and I made the decision to take the leap out of corporate America and start heading down the path of coaching professionally,” said Ferrell.

Ferrell began working with a small group of four or five NHL players, primarily dealing in the area of basic skill development in the offseason. He coached professionals who made St. Louis their home, and collegiate players like Cam Jansen and Pat Maroon, and eventually his group grew to 25 players.

“We do have other players who make St. Louis their home, they play for other teams, but in the summer it’s a developmental process,” said Ferrell. “We’re not sharing trade secrets but basically working one-on-one with people, and that’s been incredibly rewarding. If there are NHL players who make St. Louis their home, they’ll seek each other out or they’ll find me.”

The NHL had its most recent player lockout in the 2012-2013 season, which Ferrell described as the jumping off point for his career with the Blues. The lockout shortened the season to 48 games instead of 82, meaning players had about four months away from playing games.

Ten to 12 Blues players spent that time working with Ferrell in his skill development programs, and, through networking, Ferrell received a call from Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock offering him the position of head video coach for the team.

Ferrell’s work as the video coach is vital to the performance of the team on the ice, as he watches and analyzes opponents’ games several times in order to prepare the Blues for those teams. He also records every small detail in each Blues game, from the goals to the passes between players.

“The analytical side of the game is something I feel I have always been pretty good at, moreso now than ever before, but I think the other thing is that you’re constantly learning something,” said Ferrell. “To be able to wake up every day and walk into a building as part of a team with a common goal and still collectively with everyone else know you can learn more, it just keeps you thirsty for showing up every day.”

Through his analysis of all these games, Ferrell is able to figure out the strengths and weaknesses of the Blues’ opponents and how the team can defend or exploit them.

Ferrell values the team aspect behind all of the hard work he puts in, which continually motivates him to strive to move his way up the coaching ladder despite all of the sacrifices of travel and long periods of time away from family and friends throughout the nine months of the season.

“There’s a lot of sleepless weeks, but I think being part of a team is the most enjoyable thing. In business, you’re part of a team and you have goals that are usually more long-term, so there is an immediacy to success and failure, and I like that intensity,” said Ferrell.

Ferrell’s work does not stop once the NHL season ends, as he works extensively with Blues prospects, newly drafted players, junior players in both Canada and the United States, and the Chicago Wolves, the Blues’ American League affiliate.

“It’s basically a 12-month job, and some guys take the two and a half month break in the summer to go to seminars and become students of the game in every way they can, and then there’s guys who skate more. I skate almost every day in the summer with somebody,” said Ferrell.

As he continues to work for the Blues, Ferrell aspires to continue to climb the coaching ladder, and he feels supported in his journey when his players express interest in working with him long-term.

“I get asked if I ever think I will be a head coach, and I don’t know if that’s a goal. I think being an assistant coach (with) my skill set is better in one-on-one with players and their development,” said Ferrell. “It’s one of those things that you’re constantly seeking this affirmation of your work, like are you good, and though I think I’m good the guys coming back wanting to continue is the support I may need to take the next step.”

Cheers Heard Around the World Chris Herzberg '89, Business Development Director at ITAGroup (Des Moines, Iowa), shows his St. Louis spirit on a recent trip to Machu Picchu. Like many alumni who travel frequently or reside outside St. Louis, Herzberg enjoyed the Blues' incredible playoff run. A recognizable SLUH name, Herzberg had three brothers who attended SLUH, including Matt '85, Dan '86 and Paul '95.

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NEW THIS YEAR!

Shadow@SLUH 8th Graders - Class of 2024: Join a freshman host for a morning of classes and discover SLUH!

Discover….

• A favorite class • Captivating teachers • Delicious lunch • What it means to be "men for others" • Engaging activities • Winning sports • SLUH brotherhood Parents are welcome, too.

Stay for coffee, conversation and a quick campus tour (optional).

Visit us online in early fall to register for your Shadow@SLUH. www.sluh.org/admissions

Summer 2019 | 59

WOMEN FOR OTHERS

Woman for Others: MARTHA STALEY

BY CHRIS STALEY ‘19 I like to think of myself as a “momma’s boy.” Whenever I hear that phrase, it usually comes with a negative connotation, but I say it loud that I’m lucky enough to have Martha Staley as my mom. While I greatly appreciate her doing my laundry, cooking for me, and cleaning my room, I think her love, patience and joy are what get overlooked most. Those three characteristics are what make my mom a "woman for others."

In our immediate family, my mom somehow spread her love to her five children and husband so evenly that no one can decide who was her favorite. My mom taught four of us at home for years and took us to sports and music practices and always seemed to be with us. Honestly, I don’t know how she wasn’t sick of us, but her patience and love for her children made us have well-rounded childhoods, especially in our faith. Her love showed most clearly in her actions to us, especially with my brother, Daniel, who is 25 and has had special needs his whole life. Her constant caring for him shows me that even though a life like his looks hard to live, it’s never impossible to love anyone so much.

And I mean anyone.

My mom and I went to Cardinals games a lot when I was homeschooled alone, and it was a neat thing we had that just the two of us could share. The games were fun, but the best parts about them were when my mom would talk to random strangers in line or on the streets. She went out of her way to create solidarity between her and one other person. Every conversation she’d spark up was always positive and ended with my mom

making a new friend. She has a special gift where she sees the humanity in everyone and brings out the life in everyone she meets, seeming to care for them more than herself.

I hear about my mom at SLUH, too. While she is Mothers Club President (until next school year) and has served tons of other helping roles at SLUH, she is always asking me about kids at SLUH. It seems as if she wants to be everyone’s mom. People always come up to me, telling me they saw my mom and talked to her and how nice she is. It’s cool she wants to get to know everyone, but at the end of the day, I’m lucky that I’m her son and she’s my mom.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to love my mom not only as just my mom, but as a true role model. Through her selflessness and love, she has led by example to show me what it means to be a "man for others" – one who loves others as much as they love oneself. As I go to college and the real world, I won’t forget the small things my mom did that impacted me in the deepest ways.

TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN OF SLUH Visit our website for details about the unveiling of the Bicentennial Tribute to the Women of SLUH. This beautiful, unique work of art, created by art teacher Sean Powers ‘05 and current students, recognizes and gives thanks to the women who have toiled tirelessly, and often anonymously, to make SLUH what it is today, and what it will be for future generations. www.sluh.org/women

From left: Madeleine, Chris ‘19, Thomas ‘14, George ‘10, Martha, Daniel and Jay Staley at George’s Ordination.

Family Tradition: The Staleys have a long family tradition at SLUH, including (in relationship to Chris): George McCalpin, 1910 (great grandfather), F. William McCalpin ‘39 (grandfather), George McCalpin ‘40 (great uncle), William McCalpin ‘75 (uncle), David McCalpin ‘82 (uncle), William Winfrey ‘05 (cousin), Joe Hejlek ‘05 (cousin), Peter Winfrey ‘09 (cousin), George Staley ‘10 (brother) and Thomas Staley ‘14 (brother).

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REQUIESCAT IN PACE Since November 2018, SLUH has learned of the deaths of the following alumni. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

List compiled 11/1/18-6/4/19

Joseph F. Switzer '29 Chester F. Moore '39 Thomas K. Holland '42 John J. Cahill '43 Kenneth E. Ruddy '43 Robert M. Simpson '43 Frank R. Finnegan '44 Leonard J. Appelbaum '46 Robert E. Croghan '47 Donald J. Koch '47 Virgil P. Leahy '47 Hugh R. McVey '47 Michael S. Shields '47 Lawrence C. Sumner '48 Robert Grashoff '49 Robert E. Hoeynck '49 O'Neill J. Printy '49 John F. Bruemmer '50 Eugene H. Bauman '51 Raymond H. Bulte '51 Gerard K. Gunther '51 Eugene L. LaBarge '51 Claude B. Martin '51 Edmund J. Boyce '52 Robert A. Kolmer '52 Patrick J. O'Brien '52 Richard F. Baalmann '53 Richard J. Bardgett '53 Philip C. Ruoff '54 Gregory P. Boyer '55 Gerald Hofer '55 Thomas M. Noonan '56

Edward J. Wynne '56 Carl F. Moyer '57 James R. Murphy '57 Arthur A. Sullivan '57 George R. Schillinger '59 Michael T. Bradley '60 Gary M. Gutting '60 John T. Moran '60 Michael T. Roy '60 Courtney G. Pitkin '61 James T. Barry '63 Michael D. Magee '64 Edmund A. Smolik '64 Stephen B. Clark '66 F. Henry Schwetye '66 Lawrence J. Helm '67 Edward S. Meyer '67 Gerard J. Bosch '68 Craig N. Ortwerth '68 Gerald T. Weir '68 Michael A. Corrigan '69 Walter J. Fague '69 Robert M. Thibaut '71 Mark A. Brencick '82 Thomas R. McDonnell '83 Robert M. Rabbitt '84 Christopher T. Aye '86 Michael J. Wilhelm '86 Thomas H. Chaney '90 Thomas V. Rotermund '95 Ryan D. Brady '15 William M. Smit '18

Summer 2019 | 61

GIVING

Peace of Mind The Benefits of Planning for Your Future

BY TOM MUG ‘69

It is well known that estate planning is important and everyone should have a will – but there is much more to it than that.

First, everyone needs estate planning. It is not only for the wealthy. Because estate planning affects lifetime issues, offers protection in the event of incapacity and assures your intended recipients share in your estate as planned, it is critical that you engage in the estate planning process – and do so early.

The decisions you make during the estate planning process will impact much more than inheritances.

The process and choices also affect what happens during your lifetime – decisions primarily related to your health and your financial affairs. However, they also include gifting to loved ones and charitable institutions. By including tax planning, this gifting can become very effective.

Regarding healthcare, estate planning should include a healthcare power of attorney and a medical directive to designate who can make healthcare decisions when you cannot. This also provides guidance to your loved ones of your wishes regarding end-of-life treatment.

Similarly, a financial durable power of attorney allows others to handle your affairs if you cannot or simply need assistance.

Much more important lifetime choices concern what

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you have accumulated. Part of the planning process is determining how to share what you have been fortunate enough to accumulate. This may include gifts to children and grandchildren, as well as fulfilling your social responsibility through effective charitable giving. Because of the increased gift and estate tax exemption, you have much more flexibility to deal with these issues in a manner that accurately reflects your wishes.

Important decisions regarding the disposition of your estate at your death are a critical part of your planning. Many individuals use revocable trusts for this because trust administration does not require probate, thereby reducing cost and providing privacy in the course of administration. Through your trust you can establish a detailed roadmap to benefit your family, protect your heirs and make charitable gifts.

It is also critical to include assets that pass by beneficiary designation in the planning process. These include life insurance and retirement accounts, such as 401(k) accounts and IRAs. These are frequently the largest assets in an individual’s estate. For instance, if your planning includes charitable giving, the use of retirement funds to accomplish your charitable goals may be most efficient, maximizing benefits for both heirs and charities.

It is never too early to begin your estate planning.

By working with well-qualified estate and financial advisors, you can achieve your goals and give yourself peace of mind.

Tom Mug ‘69 is a partner at Greensfelder law firm in St. Louis. A past SLUH parent (Keith ‘97), he has served on the school’s Alumni Board and Advancement Committee.

To learn more about creative ways of giving, visit plannedgiving.sluh.org

GOAL

NOW IS OUR TIME

$70,000,000

$55,905,613 RAISED As of June 17, 2019

The third century of SLUH belongs to everybody in our school community. We are the giants whose shoulders our successors will stand on. SLUH must outlast all of us so the world will know Men for Others not only now, but for eternity. We must stand strong, united in our efforts to achieve the myriad of initiatives you've read about in this issue of SLUH Magazine.

The renovation projects, which provide the foundation for our innovative programs, and the importance of securing financial accessibility for all young men can only be accomplished with your commitment to Go Forth.

a number of ways you can give to SLUH. To discuss a gift to Go Forth, contact President Alan Carruthers at (314) 269-2129 or acarruthers@sluh.org; Melissa Jones, CFRE, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, at mjones@sluh.org or (314) 269-2186; Sean Agniel, Advancement Chief of Staff, at (314) 269-2095 or sagniel@sluh.org; or Linda Domeyer, Director of Leadership Giving, at (314) 269-2113 or ldomeyer@sluh.org.

Every gift counts, and transformative gifts will allow us to move quickly to fulfill these goals. The chart on this page lists

See goforth.sluh.org for more information as well as naming opportunities.

YOUR GOAL

GIFT VEHICLE

HOW TO MAKE THE GIFT

BENEFITS TO YOU

Make a quick and easy gift

Cash

Give online, write a check, wire funds, use a credit card, give from a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) or set up a recurring credit card or ACH payment

Income tax deduction (as permitted by law)

Make a quick and easy gift

Transfer of Stock

Using the stock transfer form, transfer stock directly to SLUH

Income tax deduction and avoidance of capital gains tax

Satisfy your required minimum distribution (RMD) by making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from your individual retirement account (IRA)

Qualified Charitable Distribution

At age 70 1/2 or older, you can make a direct transfer of funds to SLUH through your IRA as a QCD; allocate up to $100,000 per year of your RMD to charity

At age 70 1/2 or older, you and your spouse can each satisfy up to $100,000 of your RMDs by making QCDs from your individual IRAs

Eliminate capital gains tax on the sale of a home or other real estate

Real Estate Gift

Donate the property to SLUH or sell it to SLUH at a bargain price

Immediate income tax deduction and avoidance of capital gains tax

Give your personal residence or farm but continue to live there

Retained Life Estate

Transfer the deed of your home to SLUH but retain occupancy

Charitable income tax deduction and lifetime use of home

Make a large gift with little cost to yourself

Life Insurance Gift

Give a policy with SLUH as owner and beneficiary

Current income tax deduction; possible future deductions

Avoid the twofold taxation on retirement plan assets

Retirement Plan Gift

Name SLUH as beneficiary of the remainder of the retirement assets after your lifetime

Avoidance of heavily taxed gift to heirs, allowing less costly gifts

Create and/or increase income from assets

Charitable Gift Annuity

Create a charitable annuity that pays you a set income annually

Immediate income tax deduction and fixed income for life; remainder of the corpus passes to SLUH

Create and/or increase income from assets; create a hedge against inflation over the long term

Charitable Remainder Trust

Create a trust that pays you a fixed or variable percentage of the trust’s assets; valued annually

Immediate income tax deduction; annual income for life that has potential to increase; remainder of the corpus passes to SLUH

Reduce gift and estate taxes on assets passing to heirs

Charitable Lead Trust

Create a trust that pays SLUH a fixed or variable income for a set term, and the remainder passes to your heirs

Reduced size of taxable estate; keeps asset in family with reduced tax ramifications

A simple way to make a future gift to SLUH

Bequest

Name SLUH as the recipient of a written amount, percentage of the estate, or description of property in your will

No impact on assets during your lifetime

All donors and prospective donors are encouraged to seek guidance from a professional advisor such as an estate planning attorney, a tax accountant, broker, banker, or insurance agent to determine the best giving strategy for their unique circumstances.

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IGNATIAN REFLECTION

SPIRITUAL HIGHLIGHT REEL

BY FR. JOE LARAMIE, SJ ‘96

I work with college students. I might finish an event at 11 pm on Wednesday, then I roll out of bed at 9 am Thursday and am back on campus by noon. I’ll often catch a little TV before I go to sleep. Usually it is ESPN’s SportsCenter.

It’s a quick way to catch up on the Cardinals, Blues, SLU and Mizzou. My favorite part has always been the “Top 10 Plays” feature. This segment delivers the most amazing highlights from the day in sports. We see outfielders diving for catches, thundering slam dunks and 80-yard touchdown passes.

Highlight reels capture the best moments in sports. What about your own Top 10 – your spiritual Top 10?

When have you felt close to God? St. Ignatius invites us to prayerfully “ask for interior knowledge of all the great good I have received, in order that, stirred to profound gratitude I may become able to love and serve the Divine Majesty in all things” (Spiritual Exercises, #233). What are the greatest graces I have received? What is my spiritual ‘Top 10’ list? These aren’t simply fun events – like winning $50 in the lottery. Rather, recall those deeper experiences when you felt peace, love

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and communion with Christ. For most of us, one or two examples will jump out immediately.

One of my top moments was leading Kairos #1 at SLUH during my senior year. I remember praying with my classmates and feeling a call to Christian leadership. My best highlight is my ordination to the priesthood in 2011. My whole family was there at the College Church on SLU’s campus.

The church was filled with Jesuits and friends from high school and college; I recall the fragrant flowers, glorious music and solemn prayers.

What’s in your Top 10? You might recall your confirmation, college graduation, a family trip to Florida, or your wedding. In the Catholic Church, we mark seven of these holy moments as sacraments. With help from photos and mementos, and by using your intellect, memory and imagination, you can visually and emotionally ‘savor’ these events from your personal history. Recall the sights, sounds, smells, faces and emotions. The Holy Spirit can help you to feel joy and gratitude as you prayerfully recall these experiences.

St. Ignatius Loyola uses the Examination of Conscience to help us to look back on our day with gratitude.

A ‘Top 10’ list is a creative way of engaging the ‘Examen’ to thank the Lord for the central blessings of my life. With God’s help, we can cultivate an attitude of gratitude. The Holy Spirit can remind us of the beautiful things God has done in our lives. These blessings from the past can renew us in the present, and give us strength to trust the Lord in the future.

Excerpt from Fr. Laramie’s new book entitled Abide in the Heart of Christ: a 10Day Personal Retreat with St Ignatius Loyola, based on the Spiritual Exercises; Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame IN. Set for publication in September. Learn more at joelaramiesj.com A 2000 graduate of Saint Louis University, Fr. Laramie is a campus minister at SLU.

UPCOMING EVENTS | 2019-20

Following are some upcoming events and activities. Please visit www.sluh.org/calendar for more details and a complete listing.

For alumni reunion details, go to www.alumconnect.sluh.org.

2019 Wednesday, July 31 Feast of St. Ignatius 7:30 a.m. Mass in SLUH Chapel with reception following All are welcome Friday-Saturday, September 20-21 Reunion Weekend Classes of '59, '64, '74, '79, '84, '89, '94, '99 and '04 Monday, September 23 Scholarship Golf Classic Bogey Club

Thursday, November 14 St. Louis U. High Day Phonathon Si Commons Tuesday, December 3 Jazz Band Christmas Concert 7:00 p.m.

Joseph Schulte Theater Sunday, December 8 Christmas Choir and Dance Concerts 4:00 p.m.

Joseph Schulte Theater

2020

Friday-Saturday, October 11-12 50-Year Reunion Class of 1969

Thursday-Sunday, February 13-17 Dauphin Players Production Joseph Schulte Theater

Thursday, October 17 SLUH Night (for prospective students) 6:30 p.m.

Si Commons

Saturday, April 4 Cashbah Si Commons

Friday, October 18 Reunion Luncheon Classes of ‘49 and ‘54 Sunday, November 3 Open House (for prospective students) 11:30 a.m.

Thursday-Sunday, November 7-10 Dauphin Players Production Joseph Schulte Theater

Saturday, June 27 5– and 10–Year Reunion Classes of 2009 and 2014

First Friday Mass On the first Friday of every month, beginning September 6, SLUH invites parents and alumni to morning Mass in the main Chapel at 7:00 a.m., followed by coffee and donuts in the Currigan Room

VISIT SLUH ONLINE

When You Give to SLUH, You Give to the World

www.sluh.org

A SLUH education is a tremendous gift, made possible by the generosity of our benefactors. Financial support is needed to maintain our excellence and provide accessibility to all qualified students. Ultimately, it is a gift that keeps giving. In the words of one alumnus, “When I give to SLUH, I give to the world.” Make a difference today and visit www.sluh.org/giving.

sluhigh sluh @sluhjrbills

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