2019 Magazine

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LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

In the Hot Seat • Living in an Inclusive Community A House of Life and Death • New Frontiers

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LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

SPECIAL THANKS TO Chris Li ’19, cover photo Erin Neises Courtney Nuss La Lumiere Magazine is published in-house for alumni, students, parents, and friends of La Lumiere School. Every effort is made to contact all alumni associated with to the magazine feature and contents. We welcome communication about our alumni accomplishments, news, and current contact information to assist us in our ongoing efforts to improve alumni data.

If you would like to contribute your writing to the next issue of La Lumiere Magazine, send a letter to LA LUMIERE SCHOOL P.O. BOX 5005 LA PORTE, INDIANA 46352

or write an email to

We cannot grow into the most complete versions of ourselves if we insulate ourselves from the global community outside our campus gates or if we view our world from the perspective of one race, one income bracket, or one religious or philosophical perspective.”

– DAVID CHURCH “LIVING IN AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY” P. 8

ALUMNI@LALUMIERE.ORG

Find this magazine online at LALUMIERE.ORG/MAGAZINE

Follow La Lumiere School on Instagram @lalumiereschool, Twitter @lalumiereschool, and at facebook.com/lalumiereschool BOARD OF TRUSTEES Meg (Linnen) Caplice ’81, P ’10, ’12, ’14, ’17, ’19 Terri Carmichael Jackson P ’17 Rev. Gary Chamberland, C.S.C. Ryugo Kato ’92 Dan Kerrigan ’80 Keith Krause ’94 Adam Kronk, Head of School Johanna Miller Shetal Patel P ’19, ’20 Jeff Rea P ’20 John Rose ’94 Colleen Smith P ’14, ’16, ’19, ’21 Kevin Sullivan ’83 Bridget Van Eekeren ’88, P ’13, ’16, ’17 Daniel Walsh ’95 Britt Whitfield David Wood ’77, Chair We would also like to express our appreciation to the following La Lumiere School Board of Trustees members who recently completed their service on the board: Mary Jane Eisenhauer, Ed.D. P ’16, ’18, ’20 Connie (Devers) Falcone ’83, P ’19 Rick-jan Dekker P ’13, ’14 Rev. Wayne Watts

15 IN THIS ISSUE THE SCHOOL

FEATURES

4. A Message from the Head of School 5. Meet Our New Trustees 6. New Faculty 24. Celebrating the Class of 2019 28. The Year in Pictures

8. Living in an Inclusive Community

ALUMNI

by

DAVID CHURCH

Growing into the most complete versions of themselves in a community that values our common humanity, La Lumiere students will be on the front lines of making our world a more empathetic and more just place.

32. Alumni Updates

10. A Global Representation Explore a map of our expanding worldwide footprint.

EVENTS

12. What We’re Writing...

38. Oh, What A Night!

40. 2019 Golf Outing

by

ANNUAL REPORT 41. A Message from the Chair 42. Giving

THE LAST WORD 48. Elena Alick ’20

ANDREW HOYT AND MATT BUCHANAN

Writing is the bedrock of our academic program, and developing as a writer is a process that takes patience and dedication. The writing portfolio at La Lumiere honors the writing process and offers an opportunity to celebrate great student writing—both in and out of the classroom.

30. New Frontiers by

JOHN TOLSON

The first African-American student to attend La Lumiere reflects on his journey.

View more photos on La Lumiere’s Smugmug account.

FALL 2019 | 3

A MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Convergence As I sit down to write this letter, four students are juggling a soccer ball just outside Moore House for a few minutes between classes. My windows are shut against the early November chill, so I can’t hear their discussion. But I can see from my desk that it’s Jeremy, Kent, Kome, and Logan. Each is wearing a shirt and tie underneath their “La Lu layer,” either a navy sweater with the school’s crest on it or a sport coat of the same color. Each has a backpack on, and I wonder as they lunge after the occasional errant kick whether it’ll throw off their balance.

It’s a typical scene here and, except for the attire, probably a common one on pretty much any high school campus.

What’s decidedly uncommon is that these four young men are from England, Vietnam, Nigeria, and New Buffalo, Michigan (respectively). Oh, and they’re also a junior, a senior, a sophomore, and a freshman.

The bell rings, the ball bounces to a stop on the ground, and the four part ways, each heading to class. Their convergence in this moment on this campus is at the same time remarkable and—beautifully—typical at La Lumiere.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of welcoming back to campus Dr. Raymond E. Daly, who opened the doors of this school 56 years ago. It was an utter privilege to listen to him and hear about what drove him to get this place going, what it was like in those first crucial years, and what he hoped would become of his efforts. After several hours of talking, he said—I wrote it down verbatim because it blew me away—“I think, as of right now, we are closer than we have ever been to being what we wanted to be.”

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Here’s why that sentence matters: 1) Ray used the word “we,” which demonstrates what I pray everyone involved with this school at any point feels, which is a sense of continued ownership and belonging; 2) the flywheel is turning, and the founder of the institution notices this momentum; and 3) we have work left to do as we strive toward the lofty ideal set forth in the minds and hearts of our predecessors.

A 1975 edition of the Lamplighter, our yearbook, sits on my desk, opened to a page boldly and simply entitled Ideal.

“La Lumiere dares,” it reads, “to be an example of excellence pursued in every endeavor, of the drive to discover and develop, in all pursuits, each student’s own, unique, God-given gifts … to teach beyond historical dates and mathematical formulas to a mastery of life itself … assembling a dedicated faculty, whose daily effort would draw the school ever closer to the ideal.

Complete and final accomplishment of the La Lumiere vision is as unlikely as the true fulfillment of any dream which seeks perfection as its goal. Perhaps, however, it is not as important to determine if, or when, or whether the ideal has been fully actualized, as it is to continue to seek the ideal, daily, with constant effort.”

I have no doubt that in the infancy of the school, and indeed across every era here, a handful of students like Jeremy, Kent, Kome, and Logan kicked around a ball between classes on the exact same spot, overlooking the turning leaves with a view of the lake down below them. Their lives converged in much the same way, and no matter where they came from, they were encountered as individuals here, enriched by their peers, and stretched to become better versions of themselves in this closeknit environment. They didn’t attain perfection, but the striving unified them. And here at La Lumiere, that will never change.

Gratefully,

Adam Kronk

Meet our

New Trustees REV. GARY CHAMBERLAND is the

Director of Residential Life at the University of Notre Dame. He previously served as director of the Master of Divinity Program there and has also been a rector in residence halls, chaplain for the large service organization Holy Cross Associates, and Director of Campus Ministry at the University of Portland, where he sat as a member of the Presidential Leadership Cabinet.

Chamberland holds a license in canon law from the Catholic University of America and has taught canon law and theology at both Portland and Notre Dame. He taught junior high school science at St. Philip Neri School in Alameda, California, after receiving his Master of Divinity degree at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley in 1990. Following his graduation from the University of Notre Dame in 1984 with a B.A. in American Studies, Father Gary volunteered as a Holy Cross Associate in Portland, Oregon.

Rev. Chamberland is eager to help elevate the faith dimension of the school carefully, without alienating anyone. He’s familiar with complex issues of the day and has a wonderful sense of humor. He’ll be a great addition to our team at La Lumiere.

RYUGO KATO, class of 1992, works for

the Japanese conglomerate company, Hitachi, LTC, where he has been a part of its various power systems related divisions for the last 22 years. During this time he has lived in four countries – Japan, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Currently, he is the Deputy Project Director for the engineering, procurement, and construction of an Offshore Wind Farm Project in Taiwan.

Kato came to La Lumiere from Japan as a freshman and completed all four years of high school on campus. He attended Boston University and received a B.A. in Hospitality Management in 1997. Kato married alumna Hana (Ikeda) Kato ’93, and they have three children, daughters Rin (14) and Ran (12), and son Ryusei (9). They currently live in Tokyo, Japan.

BRITT WHITFIELD has redefined

the spirit of entrepreneurial success to include philanthropist, executive, and professional good time girl. The Revel Group, which Whitfield founded and where she serves as chief executive officer, is comprised of five unique businesses including Revel Global Events, Revel Décor, Revel Space, Limelight Catering and Belly Flop. Britt is a close friend and supporter of La Lumiere.

She and her wife Jacqui purchased a home in Long Beach, Indiana and opened Belly Flop shortly after in 2018.

They have two children Cal (3) and Paton (2) and a dog named Tada.

FALL 2019 | 5

LA LUMIERE SCHOOL

NEW FACULTY MR. DAVID CHURCH joined La Lumiere School in July as our new Assistant

Head of School for Student Life. Prior to this, David was Principal of the Upper School at Covenant Christian Academy in Peabody, Massachusetts.

David also served at The Stony Brook School for almost 30 years in various roles including Chair of the English Department, Director of Summer Programs, Director of Professional Development, Director of Educational Travel, Director of the Honor Council, and Division Head of the Middle School. He’s an accomplished soccer coach and an experienced dorm parent.

He holds a master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in English from Wheaton College.

MRS. PAULYN CHURCH serves as Director of Inclusion, which is a new

position at La Lumiere School. In this role, Paulyn will oversee student accommodations as well as support all students, focusing particularly on under-represented minorities and international students. Paulyn also teaches AP Psychology and is part of the residential duty team. She earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology with a minor in education from Wheaton College and bachelor’s degree in general science from the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. In addition to teaching a variety of subjects at The Stony Brook School, Paulyn was the Director of Counseling Services, and she founded and directed Student Support. At Covenant Christian Academy, she served as Director of Student Services.

MR. ERION CLARK enters our Mathematics Department with 17 years of

teaching experience in independent schools, including most recently The Montgomery Academy in Alabama and University High School in Carmel, Indiana. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has completed several advanced certifications, including Teaching for Understanding from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Erion states, “I believe that the classroom best functions when it feels like a family. To cultivate an atmosphere of respect and appreciation for all learners will be one of my primary goals at La Lumiere.”

MS. SARA BROWN is our new Chemistry teacher and joins us from the

United Kingdom, where she has a stellar, decade-long track record of teaching that discipline at various levels, including designing and running programs to prepare students for entry to Oxford and Cambridge Universities. She holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Secondary Education from the University of Dundee in Scotland and a bachelor’s degree in chemical sciences from the University of St. Andrews (also in Scotland).

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DR. FRANCIS YUN heads up our Music Program and draws on a

wealth of experience as an educator, choir director, and keyboardist.

He comes to us from Juilliard after having earned a performance degree there; he also holds a doctorate in music from the University of Michigan, a master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and a bachelor’s degree from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. Francis has coached voice students and taught music theory at the junior high, high school, and college levels. In addition to teaching throughout his academic career, he has worked for ten years at Friends Music Camp in Chicago, where he has served as Choir Director, Co-Director of the Orchestra, Musical Director, and Instructor in Piano.

DR. DYLAN LEBLANC joins our History Department after completing his

Ph.D. in that discipline earlier this year at the University of Notre Dame.

He taught and advised students throughout the last four years of his degree program and also earned a selective research fellowship at The Newberry Library, Chicago’s flagship independent research library. Dylan studied history and philosophy at Loyola University Chicago as an undergrad and is thrilled to dive into teaching at this level while continuing to work on turning the manuscript from his dissertation into a book.

MS. MEGAN BECK is our Director of Faith Exploration, a role which

combines teaching theology courses, leading retreats, and heading up community service. With a Master of Divinity Degree from Notre Dame and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from UCLA, Megan has a heart for service and a knack for helping young people reflect, grow, and talk about their faith experiences. Among the various hats she has worn in her career, she has been Director of Retreats and Christian Service at a high school in Sacramento, chaplain in a jail in South Bend, and an assistant rector of a dorm and a facilitator for service learning projects at Notre Dame.

MR. ETHAN TROYER is our inaugural Residential Life Intern and helps

lighten the load for our residential faculty and also bolster the opportunities for boarders here. A graduate of Western Reserve Academy, Ethan benefited from a robust boarding experience and looks forward to helping make that a reality for our students. He holds two bachelor’s degrees—one in anthropology and one in archaeology—from Boston University.

MS. MARY PICKENS joins La Lumiere School as the Assistant Director

of Admissions. In her previous role, Mary served as the Associate Program Director for the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Teaching Fellows program at the University of Notre Dame. There, she managed the recruitment, selection, placement, and formation of Catholic School teachers in the Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic. Prior to her time working at the University of Notre Dame, Mary began her career as a 5th grade teacher and ACE Teaching Fellow at St. Joseph School in Petersburg, Virginia.

While at St. Joseph, she was also responsible for the school’s communication efforts, led the choir, and served as a member on the Catholic School Management Committee. Mary grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and earned a B.A. in Communication from Michigan State University, and an M.Ed. from the University of Notre Dame.

FALL 2019 | 7

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Living in an Inclusive Community

BY DAVID CHURCH ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENT LIFE

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y wife Paulyn and I could not be more pleased to have joined the wonderful academic community at La Lumiere School. One of the first things we noticed when we were interviewing was the diverse nature of the student body and the growing diversity among the faculty. While diverse and inclusive communities present challenges to their members, they also present untold benefits and richness of experience. In almost every case, the “juice” (the cultural depth and fruitfulness of cross-cultural friendships) is worth the work of the “squeeze” (whatever challenges arise from living and working with people whose culture may be unfamiliar to you).

If you have met Paulyn and me, you know that we believe in the importance of an inclusive community.

I am a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) male whose ancestors settled in the Midwest well over 100 years ago.

Paulyn is a Jamaican woman whose ancestors are the Maroon people of Jamaica, who were brought there as slaves from West Africa only to escape from their captors shortly after arriving in the New World and then form free communities in the high, inaccessible mountains of Jamaica. What we had in common when we met in the fall of 1987 was a strong personal faith in God and a love of learning, teaching, and mentoring young people.

In the spring of 1988 we were married and next June we will celebrate our thirty-second wedding anniversary.

Throughout our married life, Paulyn and I have chosen to live in school communities that value diversity and celebrate both the unique differences of cultures and the shared values of our common human experience.

As a boarding and day school, La Lumiere is an intentional community where people from around the world can meet and be challenged together to “form character, cultivate scholarship, and explore faith” so that we may “grow into the most complete versions of ourselves.” That makes an inclusive, global community so important. We cannot grow into the most complete versions of ourselves if we insulate ourselves from the global community outside our campus gates or if we view our world from the perspective of one race, one income bracket, or one religious or philosophical perspective. Instead we are a school with students and faculty from around the world, and with community members from a variety of racial, national, economic, and religious perspectives. Why does this make La Lumiere a richer community and the best kind of place to grow into the most complete version of oneself ? In short, because it exposes us to people with many different ways of seeing the world. By discussing an idea with that person, by eating

a meal with her, or rooming in the dorm with her, one gets to see the world through her eyes. That experience, that opportunity to empathize with another person’s way of seeing, expands one’s world.

Sometimes we find wisdom in other cultures. I know some Americans that, having visited China and stayed in Chinese homes, adopt the custom of taking off their shoes when they enter their own home. Learning to find wisdom in another perspective enriches our lives, and seeing the world through the eyes of a community member can help us to empathize with their experience. Sometimes we feel the fear or worry of another person when we see through their eyes. When I am a passenger in my wife’s car as she is driving down the highway and happens to get pulled over for having her tail-light out, what she experiences is different from what I experience if I am driving. As the white police officer approaches her driver’s window, I can see that Paulyn is getting nervous and flustered. What’s going to happen? Will it be okay, or will this person be prejudiced against her because of her race?

Will he accuse her unfairly or escalate the encounter?

Will she be a victim of “profiling”? These are things I tend not to worry about if I am pulled over while driving.

Thinking about my wife’s daily experience, however, makes me conscious of the fears that some face every day that are not a part of my experience. It calls me to want to make our world more empathetic and ultimately more just. I hope that those who grow into the most complete versions of themselves here at La Lumiere will be on the front lines of making our world more empathetic and more just, because they have seen the world through the eyes of people other than themselves.

The other delightful, enriching experience that living in a global community affords is the opportunity to discover our common humanity – those things that are fundamentally the same in all of us. We all feel fear and joy at certain times; we all delight in a beautiful vista or an exquisite piece of music; we all laugh at a funny joke.

There is so much that we share, and yet we do not discover this unless we know people who are different from us and see how much we share with them.

I remember meeting with La Lumiere students during the first week of school last August to discuss the summer reading book, Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.

One of the themes of the book explores what it means to be a black person in white America during the Civil Rights Movement and in the decades that followed it. Dr. Dylan LeBlanc and I were leading a discussion with students and we asked the question, “Have any of you had the experience of being a minority in a place where the dominant culture

WHILE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES PRESENT CHALLENGES TO THEIR MEMBERS, THEY ALSO PRESENT UNTOLD BENEFITS AND RICHNESS OF EXPERIENCE.

were people of a different race from you?” It was quiet at first, so Dr. LeBlanc and I began sharing stories from our own experience, but soon several students decided to share their experiences as well. We ended up agreeing that as uncomfortable as this kind of experience might be at first, it was important and enriching for each of us; it taught us to be more empathetic to those who face this as a part of their daily reality.

La Lumiere School is an intentional community that relishes its diversity. We count it a privilege to be a place where the people of northwest Indiana meet the global community each day. Nothing would delight us more than to see friendships form so strongly that an American student decided to travel to Japan to stay with a friend for several weeks to immerse himself in his friend’s world.

Both of these people are La Lumiere students, members of La Lumiere families, though they may live 7,000 miles apart. They share the values of the La Lumiere community and embrace the school’s mission. There’s no reason why they might not change the world with their friendship once they are both influential members of their respective societies.

This is not just a fantasy but something that I know has already happened – and Paulyn and I hope it has occasion to happen time and time again as we all expand our cultural horizons as members of this exceptional school community.

FALL 2019 | 9

La Lumiere’s Global Representation

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Countries represented by current La Lumiere students Countries visited through school-sponsored travel in 2019-2020

FALL 2019 | 11

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WHAT WE’RE WRITING...

BY ANDREW HOYT AND MATT BUCHANAN

O

On a crisp November evening earlier this fall, Coco Sun, a La Lumiere junior, stood in front of the gathered students, parents, and guests in the darkened hush of the Fine Arts Building and, with all of her might, she slammed the speaker’s podium with a slipper. It was Poetry Out Loud night, and Coco had been chosen to give a speech. In her speech, Coco chronicled the development of her voice as a writer through the keeping of a daily diary. In her diary, Coco wrote about everyday things, like grappling with smashing stink bugs (hence the slipper), adjusting to life in Indiana as a student from Shanghai, and establishing small goals for herself like expressing her ideas more in class. Slowly, over time, her diary became a place for her to find and create her own writing voice.

For writing teachers, there is perhaps no more elusive and rewarding moment than when a student starts to find their voice. At La Lumiere, we recognize that developing as a writer is a process that takes daily practice, reflection, and patience. That’s why our four-year writing portfolio, one of our academic graduation requirements, offers students the opportunity to select their strongest pieces of writing each semester and reflect on how their writing has grown and where it might still need attention.

Writing is a bedrock of our academic work—clear writing being clear thinking. We are proud of how our students grow as writers across the curriculum, whether they’re working on writing in a history or social science class, writing an effective lab report, or honing skills across our writing seminars for juniors and seniors, where students write about passions and pastimes, explore memoir writing or narratives about travel, or master the art of rhetoric. The writing portfolio includes work from any class, not just English classes, and students often see improvements in the writing that they do in other disciplines—or even outside of the classroom.

Of course the other motivation behind our writing portfolio is that we love celebrating great student writing. Each year students craft myriad works of sharp insight, effective analysis, evocative description, and even quick wit, and we relish giving students the opportunity to share their work with others. And so, in the pages that follow, we offer you a few examples of the varieties of writing that students are engaged in at La Lumiere (and during their summer vacations). In these works, you’ll find students reporting back on a summer spent with The New York Times, deftly examining questions of existence through poetry, pushing the forms of creative nonfiction to probe both the personal and political for meaning, and putting it all in perspective in a senior chapel speech. In all of these examples of student writing, we hope you see our students wrestling with words, engaged in meaningful investigations of pressing topics, and pushing themselves to grow as writers, scholars, and human beings.

FALL 2019 | 13

INTERNSHIP REFLECTION

LAUREN JORDANICH

In the Hot Seat Lauren Jordanich, a sophomore at La Lumiere, spent two weeks studying journalism at The New York Times last summer. She was the winner of this year’s Poetry Out Loud competition at La Lumiere School.

V

eteran New York Times writer Judith Matloff, my instructor for the two-week journalism summer program in New York City, stood at the front of a Fordham University classroom.

“Alright, who’s going to be in the hot seat today?” It was only the second day of class, and a majority of the twenty or so high school students raised their hands eagerly. The hot seat was an opportunity for them to be in the spotlight. Apparently, sitting alone in the front of a room, letting everyone else ask any question they want, sounds exciting to some people.

I averted my eyes and focused on the Corgi being walked by its owner, wearing huge Dior sunglasses and neon green slides on the sidewalk below.

“Lauren? How about you?” My peers stared at me with envy as I begrudgingly made my way to the front of the room. As I sat down, at least a dozen hands of inquisitive and curious sixteen-year-olds went up, ready to ask me all sorts of questions. As I called on them, they didn’t ask the standard “Where do you live?” and “What’s your favorite color?” questions I was expecting. They asked about my biggest fears, the best moment of my entire life, and even about past boyfriends.

I forced myself to answer all of the obscure and personal questions, even the embarrassing ones, truthfully.

I had never been that open with a group of people whom I didn’t know before.

Most of the information that I shared with them took months, or even years, for my closest friends to drag out of me.

After the last question was asked and we were dismissed, I began to worry about what people would think of my answers.

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Would I spend the duration of the next two weeks friendless because I had told everyone that I was deathly afraid of touching hotel room floors with my bare feet? Or that my playlists consist of 80’s hits and rap, rather than what’s on the radio?

I showed up to class the next day expecting the worst; no one would talk to me, and I would spend the next eleven days writing, and not much else.

This wasn’t the case. It wasn’t as if everyone came up to me saying they thought everything I had said the day before was the coolest thing they had ever heard, but people did talk to me. They asked a few follow-up questions about some of my answers, but we mostly just talked about our hometowns, New York, and how we found the program.

I have always assumed that my “quirks,” the hatred of hotel floors and the love of rap music, were unnecessary to share. I have never wanted to tell people

“

anything that would make them think I was weird because I didn’t want them to have any reason to make fun of me.

What I learned was that it’s okay to share your opinions and details about yourself. Without your unique perspective, the world wouldn’t be as vibrant and colorful as it is. The people who are worth talking to will be the ones who appreciate the unique things about you.

I started my sophomore year at La Lumiere with some new writing skills, but also with a new mindset. I would try to act more like myself. I would be moody and smiley and loud and funny and assertive, because that’s who I am. I would try to speak up in class more and act comfortable in large groups even when I’m not comfortable. I would do all the things I was scared to do my freshman year because I thought people would judge me.

I can be on the soccer team but also sing in a choir and write. I can be friends with freshmen and seniors. La Lumiere is a special place where I can do all these things and be myself with the support of my teachers and peers.

So, students, and all other members of any community anywhere, should take that step in bringing what’s special about themselves to the table. And I know I can do that at La Lumiere.

Lauren? How about you?”

My peers stared at me with envy as I begrudgingly made my way to the front of the room.

FACULTY WRITING SPOTLIGHT

MATTHEW BENEDICT

Sitting on Both Sides of the Fence Hailing from Massachusetts, Matt Benedict (B.A. English University of Massachusetts/Amherst, M.A. English and M.F.A. Creative Writing University of Notre Dame) enjoys organic vegetable gardening, refinishing furniture, film photography, and exploring nature. Discovering dehydrated sencha tea powder has changed his life.

You are a working writer.

What are you working on now?

How do you think your own writing informs what you bring to your classes and activities at school?

Presently I’m working on a handful of short stories and a trilogy of plays.

The short stories I write and have published over the years are both “traditional” and “experimental” in form and I use the short story frequently as a way to experiment with structure and form. Several years ago I became familiar with an Austrian writer by the name of Thomas Bernhard. All the prose he published – memoirs and novels – he wrote as single paragraph texts. That fascinated me, so I began playing around with a similar structure. One of the stories I’m editing now has the working title of “Outside Providence,” fifteen manuscript pages as a single paragraph.

The trilogy of plays is anchored by one word contained in each title: “A False Lie,” a full-length, two-act play; “False Witness,” a one-act play; and “A False Sunset,” a one-act play.

The word “false” is an intriguing one: in order to know “false,” in order to know how something can be “false,” one has to have an understanding of and experience with “truth.” With the cultural moment we find ourselves in in 2019, “false” is, unfortunately, emphasized more than “true,” which is decidedly not healthy, so what the plays are attempting to do is switch the narrative, if you will, stem the ascendency of “false” by turning it as a word, concept, and mindset back on itself.

As a working short story writer and playwright, what I’m able to bring to the classroom and the drama program is something that can be described as “being able to sit on both sides of the fence.” In the literature courses, in addition to the “usual” explications of theme and plot and imagery and characterization, I can point things out to Students “from a writer’s perspective,” how a writer approaches not only those “usual” topics but also the choices a writer makes regarding structure and form and intent as well as how much a writer is aware of the “now” in which she writes. It’s very similar in the drama program. For example, when we’re in rehearsal and the Students are working through a script and are finding moments where “We’re not quite sure what’s going on here,” I can take my director hoodie off and put my playwright hoodie on and step in to try explain how what the playwright is doing in that particular scene is connected to the continuing unfolding of the story. Theatre is, by its nature, a collaborative effort – actors and crew and the director and the playwright and the producer and the ushers – all working towards the same goal.

This collaborative environment is something I value greatly and is something we always endeavor to foster in the drama program, of course, but also in the classroom as well.

In 2019, do you think we as a society value ‘writing’ highly enough?

It’s all about discovery. Unraveling what the writer is saying, yes, but more importantly how we then use those insights as guideposts through self-exploration. Which leads, ultimately, to discovering within ourselves what we value, what we believe, what we wish for others and the world around us – what makes us feel alive. When a novelist creates a character we identify with, she is making us feel alive to those aspects of self we care about and value. Whether it’s in the classroom or on the stage, we’re all in this discovery process, this journey together – turning possibilities, “What if ?,” into actualities, “This is” and “I am.” It’s a humbling privilege when Students invite me join them on their journeys – that’s pretty special.

Most of my writing, whether fiction or drama, turns on a similar dynamic: dire self-examination leading towards, hopefully, self-revelation, which becomes the catalyst for some type of redemption. And the operative word there is “hopefully,” not as in “maybe” but, rather, expressing a desire for fulfillment – “I have hope.” Art is about hope, and possibility, and exploration of some truth. Being able to make art is a tremendous gift, and in honoring it I think all of us artists, whatever medium we use, know that to live without hope and possibility and truth, to live without art, is a false life, which is why art speaks to those places in us that make us feel alive. It’s humbling to be able to contribute in some small way to our collective path towards hope and possibility and truth.

In what ways does your personal writing “teach” you, so to speak (broaden your own learning), as an adult?

FALL 2019 | 15

STUDENT NON-FICTION

JULIANNA MABERRY

Memories Makers Julianna Maberry, a senior at La Lumiere, loves to travel and to write. This essay began as a work of creative nonfiction in her writing seminar during her junior year. She appreciates the simple gift of travel because it enables her to embrace distinct cultures while meeting new people.

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housands of modern people numerical mileage is set to the hundreds humidity stings me as I disembarked off adore the excitement and or thousands range, it is the new the aircraft with the word “Aeromexico” busyness of a metropolitan, friendships that shape the moments printed on the side of the aircraft. After urban city. Red points on a remembered by the traveler. Whether visiting several young Mexican airport vast depiction of the world’s geography the destination is a dusty town or a workers at a different checkpoint, my mark major cities that are home to bustling city, it is the companions who mom, my brother, and I witnessed the millions of residents. All over the world, cultivate the unforgettable experience. steamy rays of the Mexican sun through municipalities are known for their unique Digging back into my files of recollections, the glass doors. Transitioning from the traditions or attractions. The bustling I realize my most memorable moments cool air-conditioned airport to the rush hours, the overwhelming numbers while traveling have been crafted by summery air of Yucatán, a pool of eager of pedestrians on sidewalks, and the people I met at the destination rather tourists dressed in tropical flowered skirts zooming metro buses become staple than the activities I participated in while and straw hats search for the promised elements of a hectic city. For example, there. During the trips, my relationships transportation offered by their hotel.

Paris, commonly referred to as the City with these initial strangers gradually Belongings stand idle next to their of Love, captures the hearts of owners. The unamused shuttle tourists, charming them with the drivers, wearing button-up shirts beauty of the Eiffel Tower printed with exotic flowers, hold glistening in the dark night. minuscule signs with the name of ...my most memorable moments while Its elevating lights outline the their expected riders. My mother, traveling have been crafted by people I met iconic frame of the Parisian exhausted by traveling with at the destination rather than the activities sculpture that leaves the visitors two hyper preteens, searches for in awe. Others might appreciate the shuttle promised by the hotel.

I participated in while there.” the calmness in a less hectic Eventually, my brother, Otis, town with only a few thousand points to a man holding a sign residents. Many tourists experience transformed into strong bonds. The with the words “Maberry Family.” their most nostalgic memories on a trip only moments I recall from my trips to We arrive at the hotel to find a hectic to major cities or a quiet town. On those Cancun, Mexico, and Saratoga, Wyoming, parking lot and busy employees zigzagging journeys, the people that surround you are paired with the new, short-lived through a spacious lobby decorated with can help you remember the experience friendships I created while visiting traditional Mayan paintings and bouquets more clearly because of a specific action, these locations. of flowers. While my mother chats with phrase, or comment they made.

The first journey takes us to the tip the young concierge, my brother and Traveling allows people to engage of Yucatán, where the waves of the Gulf I curiously take a stroll around the hotel with diverse cultures, whether across vast of Mexico ripple onto the shores of perimeter. Crashing waves trim the bodies of water or just a road trip away.

Cancun. Waking up to the view of the end of the hotel’s property. The crowded, Traveling pushes people to discover new blue horizon, I hear the mumbles of the chlorine-scented pool with swimmers horizons through encountering a city’s pilot on the overhead speakers, “Current relaxing near the in-pool bar reassures heritage or its local residents. But the arrival to Mexico.” The wings of the me of my return to the area before my distance of the journey does not determine aircraft flap over dark pools that resemble departure date. The coming days would its significance in the book of memories oversized puddles of water. I check my reveal my inner adventurer—swimming we store in our brains. Whether the iPhone; it was 10:00am. A wave of in cenotes, zip-lining through a thick

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forest, taking pictures with sea mammals— but at home I never even took a stroll to the public pool. Finally, after a long day of adventure, my brother suggests we listen to some tunes on the balcony, which was the perfect task to let off some steam.

Laughing and listening to the musical lyrics and rhymes that echoed off the portable speaker, our eyes trickle to the clear view of the aqua blue puddle a few stories below us with numerous moving specs that symbolized floating, treading, or swimming bodies. The sound waves echo from the Latin music being played at the pool while an unorganized limbo contest with young contestants waddles across a levitating bridge of foam tarts.

Intrigued by the amateur competition and the warm air, blue skies, and gentle breeze, my brother and I throw on swimsuits, slap on some sunscreen, and exit the hotel room for a trip to the pool.

Lyrics of pop Latin music fill the busy pool area as the DJ announces the cities where the volunteers reside. My brother and I, intrigued by the challenging game, station ourselves in empty white beach chairs in the rays of the sun for a short period of time before we encounter our new friends. After the madness of the competition concludes, we decide to submerge our bodies in the pool because of the reduced number of swimmers.

Thirty minutes later, we notice two teenagers enter the pool. They seem my age. I know that, by the end of the night, my brother and I will have made two new friends because of our outgoing and friendly personalities. The magic object that sparks my short-lived friendship with

them is a medium-sized magenta colored ball that we fling through the air.

Eventually, our obnoxious laughs, aimless passes, and comical conversations tempt the young strangers to join in our activity.

During our session of playing catch, the two strangers reveal their names, relationship with each other, and hometown. Our new mates, Edison and Itzel, share similar characteristics with each other. For example, their sun-kissed, brown skin hints at their Latin descent, confirmed by their accents and their residency in Baja California. They appear to be fascinated with American culture, because Edison repeatedly attempts to imitate our Chicagoan accent by asking us to say specific phrases in our native tongue. The laughs shared with Edison and Itzel drift into the brisk air as the setting sun gradually disappears to indicate the approaching departure time.

Our new friend Edison exclaims several times, “Remember my name!” The memorable phrase imprints my encounter with him in my mind and makes his friendship more memorable. Towards the end of our shared moments in the pool, the two young visitors reveal their departure date is the next day, meaning the plans of encountering each other to play a game of catch again is impossible.

The darkness of the approaching moon drains the light of the sun as the pool lights turn on and torches are lit. Pool time is at an end. The sad news encourages me to ask for a way to keep in touch with our new friends. Both Edison and Itzel share their WhatsApp numbers as their mothers call them out of the pool.

Shouting their last goodbyes, Edison and Itzel disappear into the busy hotel.

Similarly, a flight to Saratoga, Wyoming, included the chance to befriend strangers who created my memories in this location. Anxious and eager, I pack for the week-long summer camp I had been selected to attend alongside five other classmates. My five classmates and I were not the only ones spending seven days in the middle of the mountains, since about fifteen other students from schools in the Chicagoland area had been invited, along with their chaperones.

The possibility of befriending my future campmates fuels my excitement to attend the camp. Traffic directors instruct cars, arriving at O’Hare Airport, to their desired terminals. While my hands clutch the printed sheet from my chaperone explaining airport procedures, my eyes search the restless airport for a familiar face. A few moments after searching through the crowd, my mother points out my chaperone with others. My mother and I thread over to the pack to greet the waiting chaperone. I quickly dismiss my mother with a tight goodbye gesture as she reminds me of some last-minute travel tips like dumping out water before arriving at the Security Checkpoints.

Once everyone arrives, my group begins strolling to check in our belongings and pass through the complex machines used for TSA. Boarding the plane, my chaperone reveals to my group that we would meet the rest of the campers once we arrive in Denver for our connecting flight to Saratoga. Nerves of keenness rush through the veins of my young body FALL 2019 | 17

because of my uneasiness about these soon-to-be friends. Despite possessing a semi-outgoing personality, I know first impressions shape the way that a stranger will view me, which never fails to intensify my emotion when I am introduced to new people.

Gliding through the blue sky calms my hyperactivity as my eyes gradually close and do not open until I am bothered by the arrival announcement on the speaker by a flight attendant. My chaperone instructs the group of six kids to the bag pick-up area which leads us to the main waiting areas. There, she will locate the other three groups of campers from Chicago. We execute her wishes perfectly and travel to the area with a range of food options from Americanized Chinese cuisine from Panda Express to overly greasy American burgers from a Burger King. From a distance, we see a mosh of about fifteen sixth-graders wearing identical red t-shirts with the words “Big Shoulders,” the company funding the all-inclusive trip, in thick white letters. The rowdiness of the approaching crowd and the preexisting cliques reflect the familiarity between the students. During the food intermission between our connecting flights, I remain near my own friends instead of instantly forming friendships with the strangers.

Glancing around to get a sense of the faces I would be seeing for the next few days, I observe the diverse personalities in the group. After my quick observations of each of my camping mates, I conclude that some seem outgoing while others

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remain timid. An echo of laughter flutters from a certain group of students. Later, I would discover that one of those extroverted individuals would become my tent mate and one of my closest friends that entire week.

Eventually, the adult chaperones, exhausted and tired, manage to settle the excited middle schoolers by dividing us into subgroups for transportation after the madness of collecting everyone’s belongings had abated. The brisk Colorado breeze attacks us as I exited the glass doors of the Saratoga airport, yet the warmness of the sun settled my chills. A row of three white vans are parked outside in the pick-up vicinity outside the busy airport, and a mild sense of awkwardness emerges in the shuttle vans as we file in the vehicles and ride to the campsite.

Rouged mountains with thin layers of snow line the sides of the highway.

The whiteness of the snow fades into the dark grey rocks toward the bottom on the gigantic rocks while the peaks extend into the sky. Prickly, tall pine trees and extra greenery surround the somber mountains.

The ponds of water glisten in the rays of the bright sun as we speed past the breathtaking scenery of Saratoga.

Pulling off the paved, smooth highway, the driver turns on to a rocky dirt path as the other two vans follow. Carefully positioned wooden planks form large tents with small porches, and the tents are placed in a circular arrangement.

A spacious area with long grass with pieces of wood for the bonfire is centered

in the middle of the housing. Off to the side of the circles of tents, a shack with straight rows of glossy wooden tables lines the outdoor cafeteria. The driver comes to a complete stop in front of the teepees.

As we file out of the vans, the counselors introduce themselves to us and assign four campers to each tent. Fortunately, the counselors place one of my friends, Naomi, in my tent which relieves my nervousness of living with unknown roommates. A shy, short, plump girl with long, wavy hair begins unpacking her suitcase and organizing her clothes in the trunk next to my cot. Her shyness signals that she would be the quietest one in the tent, but my other unfamiliar tentmate displays a talkative personality. Constantly cracking amusing jokes, Jasmine’s humor diminishes the initial awkwardness that fills the tent. As we exchange basic information like our names and schools, I gradually break out of my shell of shyness to reveal my extroverted characteristics along with bashful Natalie. That entire night all the campers mingle with the help of typical ice-breaking games that spark friendships. My cabin mates, Natalie, Jasmine, and Naomi, remained inseparable for the entire duration of the program.

After a day of participating in outdoorsy activities, ATV riding and horseback riding that engages us with nature, my new friends and I gather at our designated lunch table. The setting sun provides sufficient light for us to enjoy our tasteful meal of crispy chicken tenders paired with golden fries. Laughing at

“Traveling encourages the opportunity of engaging with diverse people while immersing yourself into a unique culture.�

Julianna Maberry and Makenna Hamilton

goofy comments made about the events of that day, Natalie and I are unable to stop giggling at Jasmine’s nonsense. Then, Naomi shares her realization that our departure date had already crept up on us and is set for the next morning. A wave of brief sadness sweeps across our faces as we all know that our time together had ended. The gloom of her announcement dissolves as we are all instructed to gather around the bonfire after our meal. The stars, illuminating the dark sky, appear as a million tiny, glowing specs. The loudness of all the chatter amongst the hyper campers tunes out the soothing crackle of the bonfire that provides warmth.

I spend the last night crafting memories with my old and new friends, laughing and messing around with them until the chaperones blow the whistle that signals our bedtime.

The next morning, all the campers stuff our luggage into the same white vehicles that transported us from the airport to the camp. Admiring the naturalistic scenery for the last time, I sink into my chair as sadness fills my body because of upcoming goodbyes I would encounter when I landed.

Back in Chicago, the chaperones direct us to the bag pick-up area where we all gather our belongings off the conveyor belt, and we all walked out of that area of the airport in unison. I give each of my new friends a long hug. We all exchange phone numbers with each other because we thought our departure would not be the last time we saw each other. Eventually, parents began trickling into the airport

where they greet their kid with a kiss on the cheek and a big hug.

One by one each of my friends disappears out the sliding airport doors, the last time I ever see them.

Embarking on journeys to Saratoga and Cancun left me with a book of memories and fond friendships. Nostalgia strikes me as I relive my nights in the tent with Natalie, Naomi, and Jasmine, and as I recall our random conversations that rolled past our bedtime. Whenever my brother and I discuss funny moments from our family vacation in Cancun, I always recall the encounter with Itzel and Edison.

Every once in a while, my mind wonders about the quality of the lives of my traveling companions since I have lost communication with them. Do they even remember me as much I remember them?

These strangers, Itzel, Edison, Natalie, Naomi, and Jasmine, ensure that my trips to Saratoga and Cancun will never escape my mind because of the moments I shared with them.

These journeys to new locations not only allow us to be exposed to unfamiliar surroundings, but also promote a sense of open-mindedness. Traveling enables you to connect with strangers that possess distinct characteristics, personalities, opinions, and ideas. Traveling encourages the opportunity of engaging with diverse people while immersing yourself into a unique culture. These strangers have

the ability to create a tight relationship with the traveler, which remains in their personal memoir for a lifetime. New friendships and bonds stem from a certain moment lived by the groups of people that were present. These memories have the power to form relationships between people, whether they be temporary or permanent. The visible beauty and the physical attractions of cities initially lure tourists to travel there, yet they leave the place with more than just a souvenir.

They board their plane or ride in their car back home with a handful of moments, friendships, and experiences.

FALL 2019 | 19

STUDENT NON-FICTION

CONNOR FIFE

A House of Life and Death Connor Fife is a senior at La Lumiere and wrote the first draft of this essay on his family home during his junior writing seminar.

A

funeral home is not the first place most people want to have some of their best memories. However, if you live in one like me, this is the case.

More than one hundred years ago, Fife Funeral Home was originally built in East Chicago, Indiana, on the corner of Indianapolis Boulevard and Chicago Avenue just south of the railroad tracks. The family business was created

by Canadian-born immigrant, James Herald-Freeman Fife I. Along with his wife Alice and his children, he lived in an apartment just above the funeral home. Established on a city block, the structure resembled the traditional style and architecture of many of its neighboring constructions: narrow, vertical, and plain. The funeral home consisted of the basics: the chapel, the embalming room, and the garage for the hearse.

There was, however, a hidden room below the chapel which was not accessible to the public – one that characters in the movies look for with the guidance of a map or chronological list of clues. The room did not have one distinct purpose or use at first. It was just there. I wouldn’t say it was completely empty, as spiders usually nested their young and constructed their elegantly

Left to right: Connor Fife, Ethan Vanderboegh, and Kaveh Jalinous

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designed webs in the corners of the black void. The years went by and the basement eventually found its essence. My great grandfather secretly placed a miniature black safe within the room to protect an important artifact of American history: the gun of John Dillinger.

The First National Bank of East Chicago and Fife Funeral Home were neighbors. There existed a friendly relationship between the two businesses. The owner of the bank would allow my grandfather, a kid at the time, to park his toy cars inside of the vault next to large crates of paper money. It was a typical cold Midwestern day and the bank was busy handling deposits, extractions, transactions and whatever a bank normally does.

My grandfather was inside of the vault to retrieve his toy cars that he parked in there the night before. All of a sudden, people shouted and shots were fired as notorious criminal John Dillinger, along with his gang, attempted a robbery. My grandfather, frightened and confused, hid behind a tall stack of cash within the vault. After the hold up, Dillinger and his men secured the money and fled the scene. Just outside the bank on the sidewalk, Dillinger shot and killed Officer William Patrick O’Malley.

This was reportedly the first and only person Dillinger himself had killed. My great grandfather rushed outside of the funeral home to assist Officer O’Malley. My grandfather, coming out of the vault with his toy cars, noticed Dillinger’s handgun at the scene and instinctively grabbed it to take it back with him into the funeral home.

Historians throughout the country have visited my family, offering millions of dollars for the gun.

However, my grandpa along with the rest of my family today have no intention of selling the historical artifact. The money could tear the family apart and eventually end the business.

As the years went by, the city rapidly grew.

The funeral home was later relocated north of its original position onto the corner of Indianapolis Boulevard and 142nd Street. The large plot of land along with an increasing amount of business permitted the new building to be three times the size as the original. The budget afforded the expansion of the rooms: bigger embalming room, bigger chapels, bigger parking lot. Everything was bigger.

Most interestingly, an underground bunker was added to the building due to the growing tension between capitalist United States and communist Russia. The fear of a world war remained prominent in the city for decades as East Chicago, a massive producer of the country’s steel, appeared as a likely target for the Soviets to attack. The bunker was a 30 x 20 foot concrete room with all the supplies needed to survive an apocalyptic society following an all out nuclear war between the two superpowers of the globe. The walls were dark gray, rough textured and gritty.

There were shelves and boxes with canned goods, water bottles, toiletries, first aid kits, blankets, you name it. My grandfather decorated the bunker with posters to somewhat make it a “second home.” Two of the posters, a headshot of Sylvester Stallone and a campaign sign for Nixon, still hang down there, although appearing slightly decayed.

The bunker was used for many other incidents as well.

My dad along with his six brothers and sisters and mom hid in the bunker during a tornado. They spent the day playing cards and snacking on processed granola bars under dim flickering lights until it was clear for them to go back into the apartment.

My grandfather, however, spent the day upstairs waiting for the tornado to come within his sight. Once the opportunity came, my grandfather stood on top of the roof of the 100 foot tall building with his brand new, handheld video camera. A true adrenaline addict, he was able to get clear footage of the twister from only a few miles out. He would occasionally play the film at family parties. I remember being very intrigued by the idea of living life on the edge and to the fullest just like how my grandfather did.

Another sector of the funeral home was the state-of-the-art embalming room. Its seafoam green walls and tiles encompassed the cold, long steel tables. There was definitely a vintage feel.

Also known as the prep room, it contained instruments of all sorts: drainage tubes, scalpels and blades, cavity injectors, hypo needles, clamps, forceps, and what have you. Drawers were stuffed with cotton balls which were used to clog all of the body’s cavities, including the eye sockets and mouth. Gloves and other sanitary items filled the shelves on the walls completely. Cosmetics, like nail polish and hair dye, gathered in the cabinets above the counter which the boombox was kept on. It appeared as a welcoming, inviting room; this was especially odd when you consider its purpose.

As a result of the Marlboro Cowboy Commercials, my grandfather became hooked to smoking cigarettes as a young adolescent. My grandmother, a nurse at St. Catherine’s Hospital in East Chicago, urged him to quit the habit daily. She would tear up, throw away, or just simply destroy any cigarettes found within the house. My grandfather, tired of the constant nagging, started to hide his packs of Marlboro Reds throughout the embalming room. He knew that my grandmother never stepped

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I remember being very intrigued by the idea of living life on the edge and to the fullest just like how my grandfather did.”

foot in there and wouldn’t plan on it as long as dead bodies were in there. He would reach behind a jar of formaldehyde or underneath a kit of scalpels to grab his cigarettes and exit through the back door into the hidden alley to peacefully enjoy his Marlboro Reds. Year later, I would come to find many of his forgotten cigarettes within the prep room. To be ingenious was to be deadly, however, as my grandfather would later obtain multiple health issues due to the years of smoking.

There was a courtyard; half was concrete and the other half was grass. Weeds and other unwanted greenery, however, did find their way through the concrete cracks. Its perimeter was enclosed by the chipped red brick walls of the funeral home and its neighbor. Its small dimensions did not limit us to any one activity. A rusty basketball hoop with a chain net stood tall in the center of the courtyard just like the uncut grass.

Black permanent marker was used to indicate the free throw and three-point line. The wall directly behind the half court mark supported a homemade quarter pipe until rain and snow eventually warped the cheap plywood into becoming a boobytrap. A used trampoline with missing springs was the main attraction of the courtyard.

I remember my two brothers and I would bounce on that not-so-bouncy trampoline endlessly. This was the place where we practiced kickflips on a thin plank of wood and experimented with the moves we watched our WWE heroes perform on Monday Night Raw. The trampoline provided a safe way/place to do dangerous things. Perhaps the most daredevil act we did was jumping off of the roof of the funeral home onto the trampoline. At first, we were nervous so we stuck to simple landings. Later on, the adrenaline of free fall persuaded us to perform flips, both front and back, from about 100 feet off the ground. These stunts were later banned as neighbors called 911 to stop us. Although it looks dangerous enough, the trampoline was not visible from other houses. I don’t blame the neighbors being worried as a drop to the concrete from that distance is deadly. Eventually, our parents were contacted by the police and as punishment, the trampoline was taken down and thrown away. I have not seen that trampoline since.

However, we began to stay more inside because of the crime in EC. The funeral home was spray painted and vandalized by gangs, Latin Kings, because of the funerals we had.

FALL 2019 | 21

Similar to the courtyard, the exterior appearance of the funeral home was not appealing. The vintage red brick walls were chipped and faded. The oddly painted green garage doors were spotted with baseball sized dents. The yellow painted lines in the parking lot were nonexistent, so people improvised when stationing their cars. The rotted iron gates near the side of the building gathered garbage from all over the city which seemingly made the funeral home the new land dump. I don’t know what a proper funeral home should look like, but I don’t believe this was it.

Once East Chicago increased unemployment from the decline of the steel mills, gangs and crime rose through the heavy atmosphere of poverty. At first, it was banks and stores being vandalized and robbed. It did not take long before the funeral home became the next target.

One year, my father and I were called out by the county coroner’s office to pick up a body. We arrived at the back entrance and entered into the freezer. I remember seeing a young kid. He looked as if he was my age. The boy’s family arranged the boy’s funeral later that night. The morning of the boy’s funeral, I woke up early to help my dad set up the chapels. After getting dressed, I walked downstairs into the company of my father, a teary eyed mother, and a police officer. I looked just outside the window and saw several police cars. Confused, I went outside to see what was going on.

Finally, I see it. The entire front side of the funeral home was spray painted. The graffiti consisted of racial slurs, arrangements of letters and numbers, and most notably, a crown with the initials ‘LK’ which spanned over the entire middle garage door. I would later come to find out that the boy was an 18-year-old senior at East Chicago Central who was affiliated with a local, notorious gang. He was murdered shortly after leaving the gang with the hopes of going off to college and bettering his life. However, once you are in the gang, you are always in the gang. The only way you could leave was to be dead. This act of vandalism on the boy’s funeral was tragic and by far the most disrespectful thing I have ever seen. I never understood why this world was full with so much hatred. I still don’t understand. I do, however, understand that there is more to death than we regularly think.

The funeral home, although comprised of various rooms and spaces, acted as one, unified institution. Each room had its own purpose and was equally important as the others.

The funeral home was efficient. Tens-of-thousands of funerals have taken place there. Through generations of experience, my family has been able to perform their jobs well. Fife Funeral Home has been relied on by families for more than one hundred years to preserve the tradition of remembering

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“

We were not as much sad as we were satisfied. My grandfather, James Herald-Freeman Fife III, began and ended his life in the same place in which he gave everything.

and honoring the dead. Funerals have brought families and friends together. Funerals have taught many about life’s fragility and importance. Funerals have given people a reminder: a reminder that both life and death are inevitable.

Several years ago, my grandfather passed away due to the damage that years of smoking and drinking had done to his body. His heart was failing along with other organs. The surgeon at Community Hospital in Munster, Indiana, attempted to extend my grandfather’s life through a long, multi-hour surgery; however, nothing was sufficient enough to restore his youth and health. My father and I drove to the morgue to pick up my grandfather’s lifeless corpse and put him in the back of the hearse which he had driven for work himself. Once we got to the funeral home, we placed him in the same embalming room he had worked in for over 50 years. Then, we dressed him in the same suit he had worn for the thousands of funerals he had been involved in. Next, the entire family assembled at the funeral home late that night and planned the details for the funeral from the same catalogue my grandfather referred to when planning others’ funerals. A couple of days later, we placed him inside a casket and into the chapel where he spent countless hours setting up and cleaning. Many people came. People that shared no relation to us came. They gave their sympathy and condolences while telling stories about my grandfather. One elderly AfricanAmerican lady explained that my grandfather was the only one who would bury her father during times of segregation and discrimination. Stoicism is a word that comes to mind as we all failed to externally express our grief like so many others do for their dead loved ones. We were not as much sad as we were satisfied. My grandfather, James Herald-Freeman Fife III, began and ended his life in the same place in which he gave everything.

A few weeks after the funeral, the entire family came over to the funeral home. We gathered to watch the revealing of our grandfather’s portrait within the hallway next to the chapel.

My father pulled off the cloth that covered the picture and there it was: Grandpa right next to Great-Grandpa and GreatGreat-Grandpa. The three images could now all watch over the funeral home together.

STUDENT POETRY

ELIJAH MUSTILLO Elijah Mustillo is a senior at La Lumiere. He has written five novels while in high school, and he spent last summer writing poetry at the selective

Cosmic Origami the day after i died i got in my car when dawn broke and started driving into the middle of the country

Young Writers Workshop at the Kenyon Review.

a peopleless place just beyond the last cornfield,

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam sometimes when i look i see a world pulled forth from God taken out of a body of clay this unhinges my heart for two reasons; the entirety of existence was birthed from God’s womb came into being covered in amniotic fluid

a place that only snow and nature in its most naked form could reach and several miles in i came across a rusted bridge with aluminum siding that dangled like a second grader’s front tooth, dangled over a two hundred foot drop straight down into a creek threatening to swallow my car and the bridge completely there was nothing that could be done but stop, weary as i was.

and the universe is an infinity that came out of a larger whole, paradoxical though it is i wonder how much more paint there is, how many bottles of acrylics God keeps in the cupboard for later, how much more there is to beholding.

i stepped from my silver sedan into the middle of a ghosted road, an intestine that stretched from one town to the next and i craned my neck back, looking at the sky’s glowing eyes

and as i stood there staring, gaping at what i saw, there was a moment tucked between layers of moments on monday your voice was like maple syrup, submerging a house underwater in gooey resin sweetness

a moment like a pressed flower, so fragile i didn’t dare close my raw fingers around it;

on tuesday i could hear your footsteps swaying the building back

and forth

back

and forth

on wednesday each inhale faded to a heavy gasp like a hose with a leak

pouring back over me was my own reflection in the sky and as quickly as it passed, the entire universe began to fold into itself like some kind of cosmic origami

by thursday i could feel the concavity in the air we took up

and when i looked back down, there was no car or bridge or creek

on friday all that was left was the warmth i stole from your skin when i touched it

no cornfields or snow or road

there was no motion or sound

i realized that was the problem

on saturday your body began to dissolve like cotton candy in water, lips tearing like tissue paper

all that was left my own pulse pounding through everything i could see. an echo in a hollowed out church.

and by sunday there was nothing left, nothing but me and god and that house, the warmth i stole from your body and the maple syrup residue

FALL 2019 | 23

“

My encouragement to you is to not just go from this place and be successful, but to be clear on how you can be a success. Being successful is fleeting, but being a success—living a life of significance where your values and your actions align—that will be far more significant and far more enduring.”

DR. NICHOLAS PEARCE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

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C E L E B R AT I N G L A L U M I E R E ’ S

Class of 2019

T

hey’ve received their diplomas and said their goodbyes: our 52nd Commencement Exercises on May 24 saw the Class of 2019 as high school students for the last time.

Now, La Lumiere’s most recent graduates are looking forward to the new life experiences that await them.

In her speech, Head Prefect Annabelle Lake encouraged her classmates not to wait to look back and miss the good old days, but to realize that “the good old days are now,” and that the future is for making “good new days.”

The keynote address was given by Dr. Nicholas Pearce, an award-winning clinical professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University and Assistant Pastor of Chicago’s historic Apostolic Church of God, who left the Class of 2019 with simple, to-the-point wisdom.

“Many of us can go after things that other people consider success, and we can score many points on the scorecards that other people give to us. But there comes a moment when you look in the mirror and you recognize that you have scored nothing on the scorecard of your own soul,” he said.

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COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER

Dr. Nicholas Pearce A scholar, entrepreneur, and pastor, Dr. Nicholas Pearce is an award-winning clinical professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, the founder and chief executive officer of The Vocati Group, a global executive advisory consultancy, and Assistant Pastor of Chicago’s historic, 12,000-member Apostolic Church of God. He is the author of The Purpose Path: A Guide to Pursuing Your Authentic Life’s Work, released nationwide in April 2019

by St. Martin’s Press.

Dr. Pearce is an internationally recognized thought leader on the practice of leadership in organizations and has served as a trusted adviser, executive coach, and keynote speaker for corporations, nonprofits, churches, and governments on six continents. He frequently contributes his thought leadership in Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Forbes, Fortune, and Harvard Business Review, and on CNN and NPR, among other global media outlets.

Dr. Pearce is deeply committed to giving back to his community, serving as a trustee of the Field Foundation, Fuller Theological Seminary, McCormick Theological Seminary, Seminary Co-Op Bookstores, and Chicago Children’s Museum. In recognition of his impact, he has been named one of Chicago’s 40 Game Changers under 40 and is a Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago.

OUTSTANDING SENIORS WERE AWARDED THE FOLLOWING HONORS FOR DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT: James R. Moore Scholar-Athlete Award Haley Kathryn Harkness Paxson Walter Wojcik Head of School’s Award for Growth and Development Jillian Marie Butus Nolan MacKenzie Howard Senior Award for Stellar Academic Performance Annabelle Chiara Lake Senior Award for Service to Younger Students Amelia Rae Surma One of Us Award Nicholas Hadrian Gnaedinger Jakov Kukić Alan R. Hannan Unsung Hero Award Natalia Trejo Bax Guo Bochun Trustees’ Award for Leadership Based on Character Savannah Lynelle Starr View more commencement photos.

26 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

College Matriculation THE 62 STUDENTS making up the Class of 2019 hail from five states and five different countries. This fall they find themselves in even more diverse locations, beginning their undergraduate university careers in over 20 states and at least two countries outside the U.S. One student has enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

The following is a list of colleges and universities where members of the Class of 2019 are enrolled:

ALUMNI MEMORIAL AWARD MOLLY LINNEN CAPLICE Bestowed each year in recognition of the senior who best portrays the La Lumiere ideal and given as a tribute to deceased alumni and students whose character, scholarship, and faith are respectfully acknowledged and fondly remembered.

HEAD PREFECT ANNABELLE LAKE

Annabelle Lake (center) with classmates at the 52nd Annual Commencement Exercises.

HONORARY SENIOR MEDAL RECIPIENT CINDY HEFFRON Awarded to a member of the La Lumiere community whose contributions and dedication to the school are worthy of special recognition.

Arizona State University Ball State University Bard College Belmont University Butler University Denison University DePaul University College of DuPage Franklin Pierce University The George Washington University Indiana University Bloomington Loyola University Chicago Manchester College Met Film School London Michigan State University Montana State University Northeastern University Oxford College of Emory University Purdue University Purdue University Northwest San Jose State University Savannah College of Art and Design Tulane University University of Alabama University of California Los Angeles University of California Riverside University of California San Diego University of California Santa Barbara University of Dayton University of Kentucky University of Miami University of Missouri Columbia University of Notre Dame University of Oklahoma University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh University of Sydney University of Washington University of Wisconsin Madison FALL 2019 | 27

THE YEAR IN PICTURES

28 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

FALL 2019 | 29

New Frontiers

BY JOHN TOLSON

In 1967, the social conditions were sometimes volatile

The day finally arrived when I would begin at La Lumiere, when dealing with race relationships. The civil rights movement and of course we had the usual emotional family farewells. was at its peak around the country and in many areas, emotions Neil was in a dorm on the hills and Paris was staying in the were hot. However, there was a peace movement and a movement freshman dorm in the headmaster’s house. The initial day was to foster integration in businesses, schools, and communities. like the first day of school anywhere else. Guys who knew each La Lumiere’s headmaster, James Moore, had a vision of integrating other were catching up after a summer apart and new faces the school and showing that diversity could have a positive effect were introducing themselves to each other. both scholastically and athletically.

The first dorm mate I met turned out to be a lot like me.

He asked Father Bransfield, who was a Catholic priest serving His name was Greg and his father had worked as a maintenance La Lumiere, to find some minority students who would qualify person on campus for years, so he was granted the opportunity for admission to the school. He found my father, Johnnie Tolson, to attend La Lumiere. We hit it off right away. Next, I met Sr., at Ascension Parish in Harvey, Illinois. My dad was the Charles Comiskey and Jack Hiler—both were very friendly and coach of their football team. After several discussions, he agreed helpful with learning the layout of the dorm and the campus. to convene a meeting with the parents and players of his team I don’t know what experiences Paris was having, but Neil and to discuss the possibility of some of these young men attending I had been accomplished athletes and had achieved academic La Lumiere. status at our previous schools and now had to prove ourselves Around thirty people gathered in the basement of James again in our later high school years.

Perry’s home, and Fr. Bransfield showed slides and a Super 8 film La Lumiere’s daily structure was one of the things that of the La Lumiere campus and discussed their mission and core surprised me the most. I thought I was getting away from the values as it related to education and the community. rigid schedule my dad had created for us—he was a coach and At the time, the black community viewed Indiana as one of had served in the military—and stepping into a more relaxed the more racially divided states environment. Boy, was I wrong! and when told that parents Not only was the regimented ... MY FATHER PIPED UP AND SAID, would have to drive more than environment an adjustment, but “MY SON WILL GO. IF THEY WILL an hour through a wildlife game it was also strange getting ready ACCEPT HIM, MY SON WILL ATTEND preserve to reach their children, for school with a group of boys LA LUMIERE NEXT YEAR.” let’s just say it was not accepted when you were used to just your very well. Another factor that immediate family fighting over the made the meeting continue a bathroom. Hygiene items are very downward spiral was that students couldn’t leave campus unless different for white boys compared to black boys, so watching one they maintained a C average or above. another’s morning routine was strange for both of us. As the days The meeting seemed like it was going to be a complete failure passed, we became more comfortable with living together, but until my father piped up and said, “My son will go. If they will where we came together the fastest was on the field. In sports all accept him, my son will attend La Lumiere next year.” I was the rules are constant, and you were either proficient or not. I was in the person in question, and my response to my dad was, “Don’t my element in athletics, and I looked forward to every minute of it.

I get a voice in this decision?” I was a junior at Marian Catholic Some of the diversity issues that we encountered had nothing College Prep in Chicago Heights, Illinois—I had played three to do with the students at La Lumiere, but with the communities varsity sports each year and was a B honor roll student as well. to which we traveled when playing away games. Usually, if we There were 2,500 students at Marian but only five of us were had to spend the night, families of the other schools’ players African American: three boys and two girls. I did not want to would house our students until we could return to La Porte the leave my school for my senior year to attend a school I knew very next day. But we encountered instances where the other parents little about. But once my father offered me up, Mr. Barclay said didn’t want any black students staying in their homes. When we he would like to send his two sons, Neil and Paris, as well. went to Kouts, Indiana, we were a novelty. Parents and students Next thing we knew, we were making the adventurous drive wanted to touch us to see if the color would rub off, or they to campus with some sense of foreboding. Mr. Moore himself wanted to touch our hair. When we were on defense at one took us on a tour. As we walked around, we were impressed school, each time one of our black players touched one of their by the dorms and classrooms, and the view across the lake was players, the referee would immediately call a foul. Our coach breathtaking. finally said, “It looks like they don’t want you to play here today,” so we sat on the bench for the rest of the game.

30 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

I remember a teacher once stating that in order to become President you had to be “35 years old, an American citizen, and white.” I remember responding, “Just because it has never happened that a person of color has been President, doesn’t mean that it cannot happen.” To prove my point, I requested to go to Washington, D.C., to work as a page for our senator, Rupert Vance Hartke. I was granted permission and it opened my eyes to a whole new world outside of Illinois and Indiana.

Mike Vail also attended this workshop with me, and we developed a better friendship because of this experience. The plethora of information and watching how our government didn’t work together firsthand was an eye opener for me. The racial divide didn’t just exist in our small communities, it was even stronger in our House of Representatives and Senate. I saw and heard things that never made the news or newspapers regarding the Vietnam War and race relationships in our country.

Some of the amazing things that solidified our senior class were events that happened after study hall in the senior dorm.

Whether wrestling and pinning a teammate from the football team—and teaching him a move I had learned in martial arts, which he then went on to use with great success as a wrestler— or pulling pranks about which I am sworn to secrecy, we began to truly become a team both on the field and off. It was an “all for one and one for all” attitude that transcended race and economic status.

One of the closest ties I made was with a junior, Patrick Marsch. He came from a very different background, and once when his family wasn’t available for a weekend, he came home with me. We hung out in my neighborhood with guys who attended my old school or other public schools in the area, and Patrick saw a different side of my life. We ate dinner at the table together and my dad would ask what we did all day. Then my dad would tell a joke and ask each of us to share a joke after dinner. We played table games and teased my sister (we were four boys and one girl, with her being the oldest). Since we lived in a rural community, I would drive around in my mom’s car to get us places. Another person who enjoyed coming over on weekends was Mike Vail, who was the catcher on the baseball team and center on the football team. I would go to Mike’s house one weekend and he would come to mine. His parents were just like my parents, hardworking and wanting a better life for their son. Color was never an issue and we didn’t discuss race relationships—just how we could find more girls or other things to do away from school.

I remember that I received my first “F” ever from Mr. Breslin, the English teacher, for committing plagiarism. I didn’t even know what the word meant at that time. He told me to look up the word and then come see him during study hall. I went to his desk, which was at the end of our senior dorm hallway, and he explained that the La Lumiere library was basically his reading

Johnnie Tolson in his senior picture and walking with his father, Johnnie Tolson, Sr.

material from over the years. He said, “I have read every book in this library and if you think you can copy from one and I won’t know, think again.” I asked him what it was he wanted, and he replied, “I want you to form your own opinions based on the information that you have read. Make footnotes and references to support your ideas.” This was a game changer for me. At my former school, even though it was college preparatory, you were not taught how to form your own opinions. Plagiarism had been the norm. Here, my knowledge level and understanding of education went to the next level.

Overall, La Lumiere changed the way I looked at education, and my future in college and in society. I had been raised to get good grades so I could attend a college and then land a job where I would work for 30 years and retire. After associating with the individuals attending La Lumiere and recognizing the caliber of their families, I changed my focus to pursue my dream of being in aviation and even the possibility of owning my own business.

After leaving La Lumiere, I attended Lewis College, now a university, in Joliet, Illinois. It had 5,000 students and of that number only 250 were African American. I entered the Aviation/ Business Administration program. As it turned out, I was the first African American to register and be accepted into the program.

Here the racial tension began on the very first day of class.

I recall the Reciprocating Engines teacher having a confederate flag hanging over his desk.

I persevered, and have had an interesting, successful career and a fulfilling life. My wife and I have both faced plenty of adversity along the way, including bouts with cancer, and maintaining a positive outlook throughout it all has been key.

God and life have been very good to my family, and I owe the building of a strong foundation for my development first to Him, then my parents, and next to La Lumiere.

FALL 2019 | 31

ALUMNI

CONNECT WITH LA LU ALUMNI

Whether it’s been five years or fifty, we like to say that the LL never comes off. Read on to see where your classmates are now and what’s new in their families and careers.

Share your story at alumni@lalumiere.org before July 1, 2020 to be included in next year’s magazine.

Visit the La Lumiere Alumni Hub.

1 Front row, left to right: Dave Kirkby, Rick Newcombe, Brian Cassidy, John Rumely, Dan Ganster, Dennis Quirk Back row: Michael Hart, Mike Nolan, Bill Regan, Ray Daly IV, Michael Paul, Greg Stephan, Pat Flannery

32 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

A L U M N I U P D AT E S

1969

1 | The Class of ’69 celebrated its 50th

anniversary on the weekend of the 2019 golf outing. A great turnout: many came with their spouses, who probably heard a lot of stories – sometimes more than once or different versions from different sources. The weekend included tours of the campus, the golf outing, a BBQ at Marian and Dennis Quirk’s home in Long Beach, and plenty of time catching up with Coach Kirkby.

2

3

2 | Christine and John Rumely celebrated

being first-time grandparents. Their grandson, Bertrand Naidich, was born on September 17 to Madeleine Rumely and Zach Naidich who reside in Brooklyn.

Baby Bert weighed in just under 7 lbs and he and his mother are doing well.

1979 3 | The first La Lumiere Class of graduates

to include women graduated in 1979.

There were five female graduates that year and four of them reunited this fall at our Annual Golf Outing. Gretchen (Sandin) Jordan, Kitty (Kerrigan) Shannon, Stephanie Hurley, and Sally (Dorman) Craig enjoyed a day on the links and dinner along with several other members of the Class of 1979. The fifth female member of the class, Katy Girard, was instrumental in rallying her classmates to attend the reunion, but missing the event due to a last-minute conflict. Katy was missed by all!

4

5

4 | The Grote brothers, Tim ’83,

Joe ’82, Mike ’85, and Peter ’79, had a great showing at the Golf Outing.

1981

5 | Tom Daly visited campus with his

father, Dr. Raymond E. Daly III.

6 | The Class of 1981 enjoyed a spirited

reunion in California.

6 Front row, left to right: James Zegers, Michael Canan, Annette Chapa, John Heffron, Bob Weber, Robert Hackl; Back row: Tom Daly, John McAdams, Tom Osterman, John Marske, David Tomaka

FALL 2019 | 33

A L U M N I U P D AT E S

Front row, left to right: Kelly Bridgman-Dietrich, Kim (Brodkin) Johnson, Jerry Dehner Back row: Terry McGrath, Bridget (Adam) Van Eekeren, Ray Bonomo, Andy Vanderboegh, Mike Mack, Matt Barnicle, Tim Mack

1988

1 | The Class of 1988 returned to

campus this summer for a reunion weekend – nice LL’s!

1994

1

2 | Jerilyn (Roberts) Holm visited

campus from Santa Rosa, California, with her family: Darrin, Lily, and Eliana.

3 | Keith Krause and his sailboat racing

3

2

crew on Vytis, a J105, placed first overall in the National Offshore One Design Regatta at the Chicago Yacht Club. This is the second time Keith and the crew of Vytis have won this event, adding to their stable of trophies which already includes winning the Chicago Race to Mackinac overall in 2007. Winning a spot at the Overall Championship this past October in the British Virgin Islands, Keith’s team represented the Midwest Region in the Overall Championship and placed fourth.

1995

4 | George Demos and his wife

Sara welcomed daughter Elysia Irene to the family on November 28, 2018.

2002

5 | Devon Brennan and her husband 4

34 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

5

Michael Sullivan and daughter Regan welcomed Sadie to the family on October 23, 2019.

A L U M N I U P D AT E S

2009

1 | Natalie Allenbaugh, Cody

Dunifon, Zachary Gillis, Michael Gumm, Charmaine (Washington) Sibley, and Kiva Wenig returned to campus to celebrate their 10th reunion this fall. The group enjoyed lunch in Moore House, a tour of campus, and a visit to the school store.

2011

2012

Allie Sarwark started working at the non-profit Foundation for Fighting Blindness, the world’s leading private funder of retinal disease research with over $750 million raised in their 48-year history.

2013

Mateo Conner co-founded Muros, a company that brings together artists with brands to create unique spaces, environments, and mural campaigns.

Hyeonji Ginny Lee earned a Master of Architecture Degree from the University of Virginia School of Architecture this past May.

2 | Matthew Jelinek and Kate Roback

got engaged in February of 2019 and are looking forward to a spring wedding.

2

1 Left to right: Charmaine (Washington) Sibley, Zachary Gillis, Michael Gumm, Kiva Wenig, Natalie Allenbaugh, Cody Dunifon

FALL 2019 | 35

A L U M N I U P D AT E S

2

1

Left to right: Daniel Mockaitis, Tommy Yemc, Brian Caplice, Peter Bobrinskoy, Justin Dekker, Cody Ward ’13

Broderick and Lauren Yekel with Drew Yarger, Haley Luck, and Kathryn Knight

2013

Mickey Macius is in his first year working for the Michigan State Spartan football team as an offensive intern.

1 | Broderick Yekel and Lauren Yekel

were married on October 5, 2019.

Drew Yarger, Haley Luck, and Kathryn Knight were there to toast the happy couple!

2014

Katie Goble is pursuing an MA/PhD dual degree in Speech Language Pathology at the University of Kansas.

2 | The Golf Outing featured a few

competitive groups from the Class of 2014 for their 5th reunion. The final standings, however, remain confidential.

36 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

Sadiq Inuwa graduated from Montana Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Information Technology with a focus in Natural Resources Management.

Claire Jaffee moved to Milwaukee after graduating from Butler University and is working at Cramer-Krasselt in Media Planning.

Elise Jaffee is pursuing a master’s degree in Administrative Leadership in Higher Education at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee where she is working as a community engagement intern.

Anna (Maggie) Murdoch is pursuing a Master of Social Work at the University of North Florida.

Isabella Schuster married Michael Giggard in June and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Georgia Southern University.

Tommy Yemc earned a Master of Science in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame and is working for Deloitte in Chicago.

2015

Vivian Crowell spent the summer as an account executive at New Horizons Learning Solutions.

2016

Blair Arnell spent the summer as a Business Management Intern at The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, China.

Sam Sturtevant accepted a job working in the Memphis Grizzlies Front Office.

A L U M N I U P D AT E S

2017

Andi Breitowich was named a 2018-19 NCAA D3 All-Region qualifier for pole vaulting for the varsity track and field team at Emory University.

Stephanie Zaccone completed her second year at Notre Dame and received a Project GO scholarship through AFROTC to study her second year of Arabic at Indiana University during their summer language workshop.

2018

Jack Breitowich had a busy year at Colgate. He was the manager for the Women’s Ice Hockey team, worked in the admissions office, and served as the treasurer of the Blue Diamond Society.

This past summer he completed an internship in Chicago at a sports statistics and data analysis company called FastModel Sports.

After participating in two theatre productions during her first year at Aquinas College, Olivia Dybing spent the summer working as a missionary for Totus Tuus in the Diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska.

Shannon Jania is working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as a member of the volunteer organization Pals for Change at Saint Xavier University.

Woori (Beth) Lee received the President’s Freshman Award at Penn State University. She spent the year working at the Penn State microscopy lab on a research project studying the anatomy of infected sweet potato roots.

Marty Whalen secured a summer internship with KMH systems in South Bend and enjoyed getting some exposure to both the sales and marketing industries. He changed his major to integrated marketing communications at John Carroll.

IN MEMORIAM We would like to express our sympathies to the families and friends of the La Lumiere School community who lost loved ones during the past year.

E.M. Bakwin La Porte, IN – November 22, 2018 Neighbor and good friend to La Lumiere School Gertraud Bransfield Tucson, AZ – March 13, 2019 Mother of Michael Paul ’69 and Stephen Paul ’74 Derryck C. Broughton ’87 Scottsdale, AZ – December 13, 2018 Steven A. Dye La Porte, IN – September 22, 2019 Father of Cody Dye ’13 and Cassidy Dye ’14

Gretchen R. Hannan Flossmoor, IL – October 4, 2018 Mother of Alan Hannan ’78

Aameer Sahi ’16 Saint John, IN – August 12, 2019 Brother of Anmol Sahi ’15

Joan P. McKenna Winnetka, IL – July 20, 2019 Wife of Andy McKenna, Sr. and mother of Bill McKenna ’78 and Andy McKenna, Jr. ’75

Elizabeth Webster Cockeysville, MD – May 26, 2019 Wife of former Head of School Dick Webster and mother of Rich ’81, Mike ’83, and Dave ’84 Webster

Rosemary A. Mennen Long Beach, IN – July 10, 2018 Mother of Michelle Mennen ’88

Patricia Bridget Westinghouse Tampa, FL – February 3, 2019 Mother of George Westinghouse ’81

H. Jerome Noël Jr. ’69 Carmel, IN – November 20, 2018

Irene Wright (staff) New Carlisle, IN – February 28, 2019 Mother of Roxanna Willoughby (staff)

Charles William Ryan Long Beach, IN – September 9, 2019 Grandfather of Megan ’19 and Katy ’21 Gausselin

FALL 2019 | 37

EVENT

O H , W H AT A NIGHT! Spring Fundraiser WHEN May 3, 2019 WHERE Revel Fulton Market Chicago, IL

The spring event was an opportunity to celebrate the 55th anniversary of La Lumiere School in Chicago. The theme of the event paid homage to the year of our founding, 1963, and guests were encouraged to pull out their favorite “fit and flair dresses and skinny ties.�

Oh, What a Night! was an event for the record books! We grossed over $240,000, including $150,000 for scholarships during the paddle raise.

The generous outpouring from alumni, friends, and current parents was phenomenal. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

38 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

Click here to view all photos of Oh, What A Night!

FALL 2019 | 39

25 TH ANNUAL

Friday, September 20th was beautiful in so many ways...

The weather was gorgeous.

Ninety-six golfers hit the links at Long Beach Country Club in support of our great school.

A record-setting 215 guests joined us for cocktails and dinner.

Seventy-two alumni celebrated friendships formed at La Lu over the last 6 decades.

We grossed $155,000 (another record) thanks to YOUR generosity.

SIMPLY PUT, SPECTACULAR!

Click here to view all photos of the Golf Outing.

40 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

ANNUAL REPORT

69.6% Tuition and Fees

Sources of Revenue A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

4.0% Auxiliary Services 23.8% Annual Fund and Other Donations 2.6% Investment Income

It is my honor and privilege to serve as the La Lumiere Board Chair beginning here in 2019 and to be able to share my thoughts with the broader La Lumiere Community.

It’s no secret that much has changed over the 56-year life of La Lumiere. The world is frankly, a very different place.

What hasn’t changed however is the quality, character, dedication and perseverance of the La Lumiere community over those 56 years. From the founders and our very first class, to our current students, administration, families and alumni, the La Lumiere ideal continues to grow and remains strong in light of our changing world. Helping young adults to become the best version of themselves and giving them the tools and confidence they need to be prepared for the world in front of them are at the very heart of what La Lumiere endeavors to do each and every day.

Our recent success has been strong and this year is no different. In addition to many improvements to the physical campus, Head of School Adam Kronk, and his team have made significant progress in molding the culture for the future; strong new enrollment with significant growth in domestic boarding and a much broader pool of international students, improved student and staff diversity as well as continued development of new educational and co-curricular programs are at the forefront of how La Lumiere is growing and cultivating our environment.

I am confident that as we move forward in the evolution and growth of La Lumiere, we will continue to have the support of our entire La Lumiere family. 100% support at every turn is what got us to where we are today. And that is, for me, at the heart of what La Lumiere is all about.

On behalf of the entire Board of Trustees, I thank the La Lumiere community for its passion and dedication to the growth of the La Lumiere ideal.

Yours Sincerely,

61.1% Program Services

Uses of Revenue

30.8% Management and General 0.1% Fundraising

Financial Report 2018-2019 Sources of Revenue Tuition and Fees Auxiliary Services Annual Fund and Other Donations Investment Income

$ 4,340,531 250,824 1,481,651 161,987

Total

$ 6,234,993

Uses of Revenue Program Services $ 3,829,638 Management and General 1,925,655 Fundraising 518,731 Total

$ 6,274,024

H. David Wood Board of Directors Chair La Lumiere School

FALL 2019 | 41

2018-2019 Giving by Level Founders Society $25,000+ Anonymous (3)^ Mr. Nafe Alick Mr. Zhongzhu Guo and Mrs. Yezhi Qiu Mrs. William P. Linnen^ Linnen Memorial Scholarship Fund Sagamore Institute Mr. and Mrs. R. Keith Sandin ’77 Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Valleau ’80^ David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Walsh ’95^ Dr. William E. Wolf and Dr. Renee Wolf

God’s Hand Society $10,000 - $24,999 Anonymous^ Mr. E.M. Bakwin^† Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice^ Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund Mr. and Mrs. William Devers Connie ’83 and Charlie Falcone^ Mrs. Gretchen R. Hannan^† Mr. and Mrs. David B. Jensen Kay Hardesty Logan Foundation Dave Kirkby Mr. and Mrs. James Mullins Arlene, John, Sarah ’87, Merribeth ’90, and John ’94 Rose^ John ’69 and Christine Rumely^ Sandin Family Foundation^ Mrs. Britt Scott and Mrs. Jaqui Scott Mr. and Mrs. Kevin M. Sullivan ’83

Trustee Society $5,000 - $9,999 Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Bobrinskoy^ Mr. Keith E. Butus Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Cary Daly Scholarship Fund Mr. Arthur J. Decio^ Rick and Elizabeth Dekker Dr. Scholl Foundation Joe ’83 and Jane Gaffigan^ Michael and Nicole Guenin Mr. and Mrs. Peter C. Klekamp ’88^ Mr. Keith Krause ’94 and Ms. Mary Margaret Fehrman Mr. and Mrs. Mark E. McNabola ’77 David and Johanna Miller^ Mr. and Mrs. John E. Rose ’94 Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shoub Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith H. David Wood ’77 and Christina R. Thanstrom Tom and Susie Yemc

Leadership $2,000 - $4,999 Mr. and Mrs. Peter T. Crowe ’85 Mr. and Mrs. George Demos ’95 Mr. Steve DePalma Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Everist, Jr. ’73^ 1st Source Bank July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019

Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Franke^ Ellen Frankle^ Diane Gabriel^ Dr. Richard Gnaedinger and Dr. Monica Ovalle^ Healthcare Foundation La Porte John ’71 and Catherine Hiler^ Mr. Jaren Jackson, Sr. and Mrs. Terri Carmichael Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Kerrigan ’80^ La Lumiere School^ Mrs. Caryn M. Largura Mr. and Mrs. Mark Leyden ’77 Mr. John T. McCarthy^ Mr. and Mrs. William J. McKenna ’78^ Mrs. Barbara J. Moore^ Mr. and Ms. Douglas B. Nelson Mrs. Gayle F. Nicosia^ Mr. and Mrs. Kevin C. Nolan ’72^ Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Rea^ Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Roszkiewicz Mr. and Mrs. John J. Schirger ’84^ Mr. and Mrs. Uwe Schoberth Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sturtevant Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Franke^ Mrs. Robert G. Turner ’84^ Mr. and Mrs. Andrew A. Vanderboegh ’88 Maura and Elliot Visconsi^ Mr. and Mrs. Gary Wagner Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Whitlow ’85 Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Zeedyk^

Headmaster’s Club $1,000 - $1,999 Anonymous (2)^ Mr. and Mrs. David B. Arnell Paris ’74 and Christopher Barclay^ Mr. and Mrs. Jerimiah Borkowski Dr. Colin A. Brietzke ’94 Mr. Aaron B. Cooper^ Chris and Jill Craig Kevin Crowell and Janet Leong^ Dr. Raymond E. Daly III^ Mr. JoJo DeCaro Ms. Candyce Discavage^ Don and Mary Jane Eisenhauer Mrs. Jennifer K. Hall Mr. and Mrs. Eric D. Harkness Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Johnston ’73^ Mr. and Mrs. Terry H. Jones^ Ed and Julia Jordanich^ Mr. and Mrs. James Kaminski^ Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Kennedy ’86^ Adam and Jacqueline Kronk Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Krop ’83 La Lumiere School Endowment Fund at Unity Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Leyden ’78 Long Beach Country Club Mr. Wenhui Lou and Mrs. Jiayi Chen^ Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Luck Mr. and Mrs. Michael Maschmeyer Mr. and Mrs. Dean Mazzoni Mr. and Mrs. Jay A. Nawrocki ’68 Mr. and Ms. Kenneth F. Neuman^ Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Nolan ’69^

Mr. and Mrs. Gary Plunk Ms. Sarah Powell Ms. Colleen Quirk ’97 Mr. Robert Rohr and Ms. Megan Stiphany^ Mr. Thomas M. Rosshirt ’77 and Ms. Molly McUsic^ Mr. and Mrs. Scott Schermer^ Jeanie and Jeff Shuck Mr. and Mrs. Victor P. Smith ’86 Dr. and Mrs. Pietro Tonino Paul L. and Dana A. Whiting ’87^ Mr. and Mrs. Frederick D. Wojcik^ Mr. and Mrs. Michael Zweig ’71^

Lakers Club $250 - $999 Anonymous^ Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Adam ’85 Adams Third Wave Ken and Elissa Andert^ Corey Baker and Sandra Kirkby Baker Mr. and Mrs. Brett Balhoff^ Dr. and Mrs. Raymond A. Bonomo ’88^ Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Braasch, Jr.^ Mr. Lee Breitowich and Dr. Kathy Breitowich ’83 Doug and Allyson Cayce^ Mr. Christiaan J. Corthier ’91^ Mr. Ian R. Coxworth ’77 Sally ’79 and Ed Craig^ Mr. and Mrs. John P. Daly ’77 Mr. John Davidson Jenny DePalma Mr. Peter Disser Mr. and Mrs. John J. Edwards ’79^ Mr. Robert Eustace and Ms. Barbara Tracy The Honorable James P. Flannery, Jr. ’68 and Ms. Carol F. Zigulich^ Mr. Shaw R. Friedman and The Honorable Greta Friedman Mr. and Ms. Jordan Gallas Mr. and Mrs. Edwin A. Gausselin Dalia and Dale Goodman^ Mr. and Mrs. Michael Grote ’85^ Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Grote ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel E. Gumz ’89^ Mr. and Mrs. Jerome R. Gumz Mr. and Mrs. Gottfried Hart Mary Lou and Dick Hazleton^ Mike and Cindy Heffron^ Mr. Joseph W. Hostetler ’72^ Mr. Matthew M. Jelinek ’13 and Ms. Kate Roback Ryugo ’92 and Hana Kato ’93^ Dr. Clifford J. Kavinsky and Dr. Evalyn N. Grant^ Pat Kennedy^ Mrs. Elizabeth Kennedy Mr. R. Lee Kerrigan ’78 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Killeen Bill and Shannon ’92 Kral Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kronk Mr. and Mrs. John Lake Guy Lenardo ’76^ Ms. Kathleen A. Mack ’81

^Indicates Unrestricted Annual Fund Donor † Deceased

42 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

Mr. and Mrs. Tony Macri Mr. R. Scott McAdams, Jr. ’79 Sarah McAdams ’83 Dr. and Mrs. Brian McGuckin^ Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. McNabola ’85^ Dr. and Mrs. Gregory Merrick Mr. Timothy J. Miller and Dr. Lisa Hendricks ’84^ Mr. James M. Morrison, Jr. ’82^ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mustillo Jonathan and Susan Nesbitt^ Mr. James “Mac” O’Brien ’70^ Georganne Palffy^ Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Paul ’69^ Mrs. Gerhard Perschke^ Pressel Enterprises, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Ramirez ’80^ Kate Marshall and Justin Rashid^ Mr. Theodore T. Reese ’87^ Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Rezek^ Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Riley ’78^ Dr. Lori Risser^ Jack Roback and Jessica ’11 Schwingendorf Roback Mr. William A. Roberts Dan ’84 and Jean Rosshirt^ Clem Schaub ’69^ John J. and Barbara L. Schornack^ Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Shannon ’73^ Lorinda (Nina Cathcart) Shaw ’83^ Mr. and Mrs. Tim Stapleton Dr. Jenny Tristano ’01^ Mr. Lawrence J. Troksa^ John and Rachel Uryga^ Rev. Wayne F. Watts^ Mr. Martin J. Whalen and Ms. Kathleen A. Kennedy ’83 Mrs. Barbara Whitlow^ Jerry and Claudia Williams Mr. and Mrs. Bradley H. Wire^ Mr. Taylor O. Wright IV ’80^

Contributors Club up to $249 Anonymous^ John and Casey ’86 Allen^ Sandra J. Allshouse^ Mr. and Mrs. Hugo A. Arias Sandra L. Bach^ Chris and Grace Balawender^ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Barry ’82^ Ms. Mary Beaudin Mr. and Mrs. Jason R. Bertrand ’78 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Blas Mr. Charles R. Boll^ Mrs. Margaret Bolton Ms. Brigid M. Brennan Mr. Patrick Britton^ Mary Brockway^ Mr. Timothy Bronn Mr. Daniel Bronny and Ms. Katie Wall^ Mr. and Mrs. Matthew L. Buchanan^ Miles Buell and Alexis ’99 Pontius-Buell^ Dr. and Mrs. Peter Campbell^ Mr. Brian M. Caplice ’14

Circle “R” Mechanical, Inc. Complete Cleaning Service Mr. Robert C. Cronin ’70^ Current Electric, Inc. D & M Excavating, Inc. Mr. Raymond E. Daly, IV ’69^ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Daly ’81^ Ms. Michele M. David^ Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Demski ’79^ Mr. and Mrs. Willard R. Dorman ’76^ Mr. and Mrs. Paul Duggan ’77^ Rudy and Susie Eguizabal^ Tom Falcone^ Mr. and Mrs. James Fife^ Dr. and Mrs. Scott P. Fogel^ Mr. and Mrs. Dan Fournier Franciscan St. Anthony Health A & T Concrete, Inc. Jaime Frankle ’04^ Frontier Lawn Mr. and Mrs. Robert Funderburg^ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gold^ Mr. Daniel A. Goodman ’15^ Ms. Julia S. Goodman ’17^ Mr. Wendell Green, Sr. and Mrs. Rhonda Dalton-Green^ Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Green^ William and Mary Grimmer^ Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Grote ’82^ Mr. and Mrs. Dale Groves^ Mr. Alan R. Hannan ’78^ Juliene and John ’85 Hendricks Mr. and Mrs. Randy Hennings^ Mrs. Rita J. Hollingshead^ Mr. Pat Holmes and Ms. Torie Jaques Greg and Laura ’96 Horn^ Andrew and Bridget Hoyt Mr. Matthew M. Jones ’74 and Mrs. Mary Pat McCarthy-Jones^ Mr. Andrew E. Jones ’98^ Clare Kaminski ’10^ Dr. and Mrs. Robert O. Kinney ’78^ Tom and Lexi (Elliott) ’90 Klein^ Rick and Kitty Knoll^ Ruth Knoll Rich and Eileen Kochanny^ Mr. and Mrs. David Kozak^ Mrs. Helga M. Lake-Mark^ Larson-Danielson Construction Co., Inc. Brian and Kasey ’95 Leake^ Will and Stacey Lingle Mickey Macius ’13^ Mindy and Bonnie Macius^ Mr. and Mrs. Gary A. Marfise^ Mr. Matthew D. Marvin Mr. Rusty Mason Ms. Christina Massey^ Mac and Sarah McNaught^ Mr. Thomas McQuillan ’83^ Ms. Marlene Mehn^ Midwest Contract Operations, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. Jay Miller Miller’s Construction Service, Inc. Ms. Marje Monroe^ Mr. and Ms. Leigh Morris Mr. William Murphy ’68^ July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019

Mr. and Mrs. Sean Murphy^ Bob and Kelly O’Donnell Mr. James P. O’Malley, Jr. ’79 Mr. and Mrs. T. Michael Osterman ’81^ Mrs. Marion Owen-Fekete^ Dr. Linda D. Meehan and Mr. Andrew Peters^ Mr. and Mrs. James Petner^ Mr. and Mrs. Keith Phelps^ Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Poore^ Dr. Katrina Powers^ Proven Business Systems Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Rehrer^ Mr. Steve Rentschler ’73 Rieth-Riley Construction Co., Inc The Honorable and Mrs. John G. Roberts, Jr.^ Dr. and Mrs. John E. Rogers^ Mr. and Mrs. Bronson Rose ’96^ Royal Excursion Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Sauers Mr. and Mrs. John C. Shoop^ Don D. Snedden^ Mr. Michael H. Spaeth ’13 Katherine Bankowski Stahoviak ’05^ Dr. and Mrs. Dennis Streeter Dr. and Mrs. David R. Surma Mr. and Ms. Chad M. Tallman^ Jason ’98 and Lyndsay Tincher^ Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey A. Tincher ’99^ Mr. and Mrs. David E. Tincher^ TMM Insurance Services, Inc. Ms. Susan M. Tolbert^ Mr. Brian P. Tonino ’12 Brad and Katie Toothaker Mr. Guillermo Trejo and Mrs. Anne Bax Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Webster ’83^ Mr. Khuong Dao Xuan and Mrs. Hoa Pham^ Mr. John R. Yast ’75^ Mr. Thomas A. Yemc, Jr. ’14^ Ms. Rachael S. Yemc ’16^

Giving by Constituency Board of Trustees Anonymous Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice Rick and Elizabeth Dekker Don and Mary Jane Eisenhauer Connie ’83 and Charlie Falcone Mr. Jaren Jackson, Sr. and Mrs. Terri Carmichael Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Kerrigan ’80 Mr. Keith Krause ’94 and Ms. Mary Margaret Fehrman Adam and Jacqueline Kronk David and Johanna Miller Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Rea Mr. and Mrs. John E. Rose ’94 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith Mr. and Mrs. Victor P. Smith ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Kevin M. Sullivan ’83 David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Walsh ’95

Rev. Wayne F. Watts H. David Wood ’77 and Christina R. Thanstrom

Emeritus Trustees Anonymous Reverend Dr. and Mrs. Raymond E. Daly, III The Honorable James P. Flannery, Jr. and Ms. Carol F. Zigulich Joe ’83 and Jane Gaffigan Mr. and Mrs. Terry H. Jones Mrs. William P. Linnen Mrs. Barbara J. Moore Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Paul ’69 Arlene and John Rose

Former Trustees Anonymous Paris ’74 and Christopher Barclay Mr. and Mrs. John P. Daly ’77 Mr. Arthur J. Decio Mr. and Mrs. William Devers Ellen Frankle Mr. and Mrs. Jerome R. Gumz John ’71 and Catherine Hiler Mr. and Mrs. James Kaminski Mrs. Elizabeth Kennedy Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Kennedy ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Mark Leyden ’77 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Luck Mr. and Mrs. Gary A. Marfise John ’69 and Christine Rumely Mr. and Mrs. John J. Schirger ’84 John J. and Barbara L. Schornack Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Valleau ’80

Faculty and Staff Sandra J. Allshouse Ken and Elissa Andert Mr. and Mrs. Brett Balhoff Mr. Daniel Bronny and Ms. Katie Wall Mr. and Mrs. Matthew L. Buchanan Dr. and Mrs. Peter Campbell Jenny DePalma Rudy and Susie Eguizabal Tom Falcone Jaime Frankle ’04 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Funderburg Mr. and Mrs. Dale Groves Mike and Cindy Heffron Mr. Pat Holmes and Ms. Torie Jaques Andrew and Bridget Hoyt Adam and Jacqueline Kronk Brian and Kasey ’95 Leake Will and Stacey Lingle Mr. Matthew D. Marvin Ms. Christina Massey Mr. and Mrs. Jay Miller Ms. Marje Monroe Mr. and Mrs. Bradley Poore Dr. Katrina Powers Don D. Snedden Mr. Robert Rohr and Ms. Megan Stiphany Mr. and Mrs. Bryan P. Smith Mr. and Ms. Chad M. Tallman

Mr. Brian P. Tonino ’12 John and Rachel Uryga Jerry and Claudia Williams Tom and Susie Yemc

Former Faculty and Staff John and Casey ’86 Allen Chris and Grace Balawender Mary Brockway Rudy and Susie Eguizabal Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Kennedy ’86 Pat Kennedy Dave Kirkby Rick and Kitty Knoll Rich and Eileen Kochanny Mr. and Mrs. David Kozak David and Johanna Miller Mrs. Barbara J. Moore Mr. and Mrs. Sean Murphy Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Nolan ’69 Mrs. Marion Owen-Fekete

Current Parents Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Adam ’85 Mr. Nafe Alick Mr. and Mrs. Hugo A. Arias Mr. and Mrs. David B. Arnell Sandra L. Bach Mr. and Mrs. Jerimiah Borkowski Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Braasch, Jr. Mr. Keith E. Butus Dr. and Mrs. Peter Campbell Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Cary Mr. Aaron B. Cooper Chris and Jill Craig Jenny DePalma Mr. Steve DePalma Don and Mary Jane Eisenhauer Connie ’83 and Charlie Falcone Mr. and Mrs. James Fife Mr. and Mrs. Dan Fournier Mr. and Mrs. Robert Funderburg Mr. and Mrs. Edwin A. Gausselin Mr. and Mrs. David B. Jensen Dr. Richard Gnaedinger and Dr. Monica Ovalle Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gold Mr. Wendell Green, Sr. and Mrs. Rhonda Dalton-Green Michael and Nicole Guenin Mr. Zhongzhu Guo and Mrs. Yezhi Qiu Mr. and Mrs. Eric D. Harkness Mr. and Mrs. Gottfried Hart Mike and Cindy Heffron Juliene and John ’85 Hendricks Ed and Julia Jordanich Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Killeen Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Krop ’83 Mr. and Mrs. John Lake Mrs. Caryn M. Largura Mr. Wenhui Lou and Mrs. Jiayi Chen Mr. and Mrs. Tony Macri Mr. and Mrs. Michael Maschmeyer Mr. and Mrs. Dean Mazzoni Dr. and Mrs. Brian McGuckin Dr. and Mrs. Gregory Merrick

^Indicates Unrestricted Annual Fund Donor † Deceased

FALL 2019 | 43

Mr. Timothy J. Miller and Dr. Lisa Hendricks ’84 Ms. Marje Monroe Mr. and Mrs. James Mullins Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mustillo Mr. and Ms. Douglas B. Nelson Mr. and Ms. Kenneth F. Neuman Bob and Kelly O’Donnell Georganne Palffy Dr. Linda D. Meehan and Mr. Andrew Peters Mr. and Mrs. Keith Phelps Mr. and Mrs. Gary Plunk Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Rea Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Rehrer Dr. Lori Risser Mr. and Mrs. Scott Schermer Mr. and Mrs. Uwe Schoberth Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shoub Jeanie and Jeff Shuck Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith Dr. and Mrs. Dennis Streeter Dr. and Mrs. David R. Surma Mr. Guillermo Trejo and Mrs. Anne Bax Mr. Lawrence J. Troksa Mrs. Robert G. Turner ’84 Mr. and Mrs. Andrew A. Vanderboegh ’88 Maura and Elliot Visconsi Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Whitlow ’85 Mr. and Mrs. Frederick D. Wojcik Mr. Khuong Dao Xuan and Mrs. Hoa Pham Tom and Susie Yemc Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Zeedyk

Alumni Parents Anonymous (3) Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Adam ’85 Mr. and Mrs. David B. Arnell Chris and Grace Balawender Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Blas Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Bobrinskoy Mrs. Margaret Bolton Mr. Lee Breitowich and Dr. Kathy Breitowich ’83 Mary Brockway Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice Doug and Allyson Cayce Kevin Crowell and Janet Leong Reverend Dr. and Mrs. Raymond E. Daly, III Ms. Michele M. David Mr. Arthur J. Decio Rick and Elizabeth Dekker Mr. and Mrs. William Devers Don and Mary Jane Eisenhauer Dr. and Mrs. Scott P. Fogel Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Franke Ellen Frankle Diane Gabriel Dr. Richard Gnaedinger and Dr. Monica Ovalle Dalia and Dale Goodman William and Mary Grimmer Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Grote ’83 July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019

44 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

Mr. and Mrs. Jerome R. Gumz Mrs. Gretchen R. Hannan † Juliene and John ’85 Hendricks Mr. and Mrs. Randy Hennings Mrs. Rita J. Hollingshead Mr. Jaren Jackson, Sr. and Mrs. Terri Carmichael Jackson Mr. and Mrs. Terry H. Jones Mr. and Mrs. James Kaminski Dr. Clifford J. Kavinsky and Dr. Evalyn N. Grant Mrs. Elizabeth Kennedy Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Kennedy ’86 Rick and Kitty Knoll Ruth Knoll Mr. and Mrs. John Lake Mrs. Caryn M. Largura Mrs. William P. Linnen Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Luck Mindy and Bonnie Macius Mr. and Mrs. Gary A. Marfise Sarah McAdams ’83 Mr. John T. McCarthy Dr. and Mrs. Brian McGuckin Mrs. Barbara J. Moore Mr. and Mrs. Sean Murphy Jonathan and Susan Nesbitt Mrs. Gayle F. Nicosia Mrs. Marion Owen-Fekete Mrs. Gerhard Perschke Dr. Linda D. Meehan and Mr. Andrew Peters Mr. and Mrs. James Petner Mr. and Mrs. Andrew J. Rehrer Mr. William A. Roberts Dr. and Mrs. John E. Rogers John and Arlene Rose Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Roszkiewicz Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Sauers Mr. and Mrs. Scott Schermer John J. and Barbara L. Schornack Mr. and Mrs. John C. Shoop Mr. and Mrs. Bryan P. Smith Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith Mr. and Mrs. Victor P. Smith ’86 Dr. and Mrs. Dennis Streeter Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sturtevant Dr. and Mrs. David R. Surma Mr. and Mrs. David E. Tincher Dr. and Mrs. Pietro Tonino Mrs. Robert G. Turner ’84 John and Rachel Uryga David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren Mr. and Mrs. Gary Wagner Mr. Martin J. Whalen and Ms. Kathleen A. Kennedy ’83 Mrs. Barbara Whitlow Tom and Susie Yemc

Grandparents Ms. Candyce Discavage Diane Gabriel Mary Lou and Dick Hazleton Mrs. Elizabeth Kennedy Mrs. Helga M. Lake-Mark Mrs. William P. Linnen

Giving by Class Year 1968 Jim Flannery Bill Murphy Jay Nawrocki

1969 Ray Daly Mike Nolan Michael Paul John Rumely Clem Schaub

1970 Bob Cronin Mac O’Brien

1971 Jack Hiler Michael Zweig

1972 Joe Hostetler Casey Nolan

1973 Rick Everist Brad Johnston Steve Rentschler John Roberts Mike Shannon

1974 Paris Barclay Matt Jones

1975 John Yast

1976 Randy Dorman Guy Lenardo

1977 Ian Coxworth John Daly Paul Duggan Mark Leyden Mark McNabola Tom Rosshirt Keith Sandin David Wood

1978 Jason Bertrand Alan Hannan Lee Kerrigan Rob Kinney Paul Leyden Bill McKenna Mike Riley

1979 Sally (Dorman) Craig Mike Demski John Edwards Scott McAdams Patrick O’Malley

1980 Dan Kerrigan Peter Ramirez Rob Valleau Taylor Wright

1981 Meg (Linnen) Caplice Tom Daly Kathy Mack Mike Osterman

1982 Tom Barry Joe Grote Jim Morrison

1983 Kathy (March) Breitowich Connie (Devers) Falcone Joe Gaffigan Tim Grote Kathleen Kennedy Peter Krop Sarah McAdams Tom McQuillan Nina (Cathcart) Shaw Kevin Sullivan Bo Webster

1984 Anonymous Dan Hillenbrand Lisa Hendricks Dan Rosshirt John Schirger Kerry Turner

1985 Charlie Adam Peter Crowe Mike Grote John Hendricks Ted McNabola Rich Whitlow

1986 Casey (Barry) Allen Michael Kennedy Victor Smith

1987 Ted Reese Dana (Weninger) Whiting

1988 Ray Bonomo Peter Klekamp Bridget (Adam) Van Eekeren Andy Vanderboegh

1989 Dan Gumz

1990 Lexi (Elliott) Klein

1991 Chris Corthier

1992 Ryugo Kato Shannon (Ryan) Kral

1993 Hana (Ikeda) Kato

1994 Colin Brietzke Keith Krause John Rose

1995 George Demos Kasey (Ryan) Leake Dan Walsh

1996 Laura (Franke) Horn Bronson Rose

1997 Colleen Quirk

1998 Andrew Jones Jason Tincher

1999 Alexis Pontius-Buell Jeff Tincher

2001 Jenny Tristano

2003 Anonymous

2004 Jaime Frankle

2005 Katie (Bankowski) Stahoviak

2010 Clare Kaminski

2011 Jessica Schwingendorf Roback

2012 Brian Tonino

2013 Matt Jelinek Mickey Macius Michael Spaeth

2014 Brian Caplice Tommy Yemc

2016 Rachael Yemc

Gifts in Memory or Honor Dr. and Mrs. Herand Abcarian in honor of Gregory ’92 and Ariane ’95 Abcarian Mary Brockway in honor of Dave Brockway ’86 Kevin Crowell and Janet Leong in honor of Vivian Crowell ’15 Mrs. Marion Owen-Fekete in honor of Geza Fekete ’88 Mr. Alan R. Hannan ’78 in memory of Gretchen R. Hannan Mrs. Rita J. Hollingshead in honor of Barbara Hollingshead ’06 Mrs. Helga M. Lake-Mark in memory of Robert Lake, Sr. Mr. John T. McCarthy in honor of Kathryn McCarthy Class of ’97 Mrs. Gayle F. Nicosia in memory of Dr. Jon Nicosia Mr. Charles R. Boll in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 Mr. Patrick Britton in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Green in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 Mr. and Mrs. Terry H. Jones in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 Mac and Sarah McNaught in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 Ms. Marlene Mehn in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 Kate Marshall and Justin Rashid in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Rezek in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 John ’69 and Christine Rumely in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 Ms. Susan M. Tolbert in memory of H. Jerome Noel, Jr. ’69 Dan ’84 and Jean Rosshirt in memory of Matthew Rosshirt ’80 Clem Schaub ’69 in memory of Richard G. Schaub, Sr. John J. and Barbara L. Schornack in memory of Mark Schornack ’85 Mrs. Robert G. Turner ’84 in honor of Alex Turner ’19 Ms. Rachael S. Yemc ’16 in honor of Susie Yemc

Gifts In-Kind Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Daniel C. Hillenbrand ’84 Mr. and Mrs. R. Keith Sandin ’77

2018 Golf Outing

Special Thanks

Hole-In-One Sponsor

Nambé and the Hillenbrand family Matt Marvin Sterling Cut Glass and Steve Rentschler ’73 Sauers Buick Andy Vanderboegh ’88

Dan ’95 and Katie Walsh, Walsh Construction

Paddle Raise

Event Underwriters 1st Source Bank Stranco Inc.

Birdie Sponsor Jim and Line Mullins Gibson Insurance

Par Sponsor Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice, Darling Boutique Bill McKenna ’78 Ken and Lisa Neuman, Neuman, Anderson, Grieco, McKenney, P.C. Scott and Tamra Schermer Jeff and Jeanie Shuck, Plenty Consulting Kevin ’83 and Joanna Sullivan Tom and Susie Yemc

Faculty Golf Sponsor Jerimiah and Erin Borkowski Tim Bronn Ed and Julia Jordanich Billie Moore Gayle Nicosia Proven IT Brad and Katie Toothaker

Hole Sponsor A&T Concrete, Inc. Dave and Ginger Arnell Circle “R” Mechanical Complete Cleaning Services Current Electric, Inc. D & M Excavating, Inc. Charlie and Connie ’83 Falcone Franciscan Health Michigan City Frontier Lawn Jim and Liz Kaminski Larsen-Danielson Constructions Co., Inc. Paul ’78 and Lauren Leyden Midwest Contract Operations, Inc. Miller’s Construction Service, Inc. Rieth-Riley Construction Co., Inc. Royal Excursion Doug and Lael Wojcik Faculty Dinner Sponsor Joe and Elizabeth Blas Steve DePalma Charlie and Connie ’83 Falcone Jim and Carol Flannery Diane Gabriel (4) Michael and Nicole Guenin Gottfried and Anne Hart Ed and Julia Jordanich Ronald and Ruth Knoll Tom McQuillan Gayle Nicosia (2) Michael ’69 and Paula Paul TMM Insurance Services, Inc. (2) Dennis and Mariana Zeedyk (2)

Ken and Elissa Andert Mr. and Mrs. David B. Arnell Mr. and Mrs. Jason R. Bertrand ’78 Mr. Keith E. Butus Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Cary Mr. John Davidson Rick and Elizabeth Dekker Mr. and Mrs. George Demos ’95 Mr. Steve DePalma Don and Mary Jane Eisenhauer Connie ’83 and Charlie Falcone Jaime Frankle ’04 Michael and Nicole Guenin Mr. Pat Holmes and Ms. Torie Jaques Mr. Jaren Jackson, Sr. and Mrs. Terri Carmichael Jackson Pat Kennedy Mr. and Mrs. Michael H. Kennedy ’86 Mr. R. Lee Kerrigan ’78 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Kerrigan ’80 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Killeen Mr. Keith Krause ’94 and Ms. Mary Margaret Fehrman Adam and Jacqueline Kronk Mr. and Mrs. Edward Kronk Brian and Kasey ’95 Leake Guy Lenardo ’76 Mr. and Mrs. Paul J. Leyden ’78 Will and Stacey Lingle Mrs. William P. Linnen Sarah McAdams ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Mark E. McNabola ’77 Mr. and Mrs. James Mullins Mr. and Mrs. Jay A. Nawrocki ’68 Mr. James P. O’Malley, Jr. ’79 Ms. Sarah Powell Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Rea Mr. and Mrs. John E. Rose ’94 Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shoub Jeanie and Jeff Shuck Mr. and Mrs. Victor P. Smith ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith Mr. and Mrs. Tim Stapleton Mr. and Mrs. Kevin M. Sullivan ’83 Dr. and Mrs. Pietro Tonino John and Rachel Uryga David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren Mr. Martin J. Whalen and Ms. Kathleen A. Kennedy ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Whitlow ’85 Jerry and Claudia Williams H. David Wood ’77 and Christina R. Thanstrom Tom and Susie Yemc Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Zeedyk

Auction Item Donor Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Braasch, Jr.

July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019

FALL 2019 | 45

Mr. Lee Breitowich and Dr. Kathy Breitowich ’83 Michael and Nicole Guenin Mr. Keith Krause ’94 and Ms. Mary Margaret Fehrman Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Krop ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Tony Macri Mr. and Mrs. Mark E. McNabola ’77 Morris Park Country Club Mr. and Mrs. Gary Plunk Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Rea Mr. and Mrs. John E. Rose ’94 John ’69 and Christine Rumely Mr. and Mrs. Charles K. Sauers Mrs. Britt Scott and Mrs. Jaqui Scott Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shoub David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren Mr. and Mrs. Andrew A. Vanderboegh ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Gary Wagner Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Walsh ’95 Tom and Susie Yemc Long Beach Country Club La Lumiere School

Auction Item Purchaser Ken and Elissa Andert Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice Chris and Jill Craig Mr. and Mrs. Peter T. Crowe ’85 Mr. Peter Disser Mr. Robert Eustace and Ms. Barbara Tracy Connie ’83 and Charlie Falcone Mr. and Mrs. Edwin A. Gausselin Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Grote ’83 Mr. Jaren Jackson, Sr. and Mrs. Terri Carmichael Jackson Mrs. Caryn M. Largura Mr. and Mrs. Michael Maschmeyer Mr. and Mrs. James Mullins Mr. and Mrs. Uwe Schoberth Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shoub David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Walsh ’95 Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Whitlow ’85 Tom and Susie Yemc Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Zeedyk

2019 Spring Event Moore Sponsorship The Revel Group

Webster Sponsorship Nafe Alick The Devers Family David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren Dan ’95 and Katie Walsh

Bunting Sponsorship Anonymous Keith ’77 and Mia Sandin

July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019

46 | LA LUMIERE MAGAZINE

Sullivan Sponsorship Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice Mark ’77 and Eileen McNabola John ’94 and Kristen Rose

Kennedy Sponsorship Anonymous Peter ’85 and Lesley Crowe The Kennedy Family Mark ’77 and Maureen Leyden Dan and Tricia Luck Dean and Michelle Mazzoni David and Johanna Miller Mike ’69 and Susan Nolan Jeff and RaeLee Rea Frank and Milda Roszkiewicz Scott and Kristin Shoub Tom and Susie Yemc

Kronk Faculty Sponsorship Adams Third Wave, Luka Mirkovic ’08 John ’77 and Moira Daly Jenny DePalma Diane Gabriel (2) Dale and Dalia Goodman Gottfried and Anne Hart Edward and Margaret Kronk Kathy Mack The McAdams Family Brian and Kathy McGuckin Doc and Shonna Merrick (2) Billie Moore Michael ’69 and Paula Paul Lori Risser (2) William Roberts Mike ’73 and Helen Shannon Elliott and Maura Visconsi (2)

Paddle Raise Anonymous (2) Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Adam ’85 Mr. Nafe Alick Ken and Elissa Andert Ms. Mary Beaudin Ms. Brigid M. Brennan Dr. Colin A. Brietzke ’94 Mr. Keith E. Butus Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice Mr. Brian M. Caplice ’14 Chris and Jill Craig Mr. and Mrs. Peter T. Crowe ’85 Jenny DePalma Mr. Steve DePalma Connie ’83 and Charlie Falcone Joe ’83 and Jane Gaffigan Mr. and Ms. Jordan Gallas Dr. Richard Gnaedinger and Dr. Monica Ovalle Michael and Nicole Guenin Mr. and Mrs. Eric D. Harkness Andrew and Bridget Hoyt Mr. Matthew M. Jelinek ’13 and Ms. Kate Roback

Ed and Julia Jordanich Bill and Shannon ’92 Kral Mr. Keith Krause ’94 and Ms. Mary Margaret Fehrman Adam and Jacqueline Kronk Mr. and Mrs. John Lake Brian and Kasey ’95 Leake Mr. and Mrs. Mark Leyden ’77 Will and Stacey Lingle Mr. Matthew D. Marvin Mr. and Mrs. Michael Maschmeyer Mr. and Mrs. James Mullins Mr. and Ms. Douglas B. Nelson Ms. Colleen Quirk ’97 Jack Roback and Jessica ’11 Schwingendorf Roback Mr. Robert Rohr and Ms. Megan Stiphany John and Arlene Rose Mr. and Mrs. John E. Rose ’94 Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Roszkiewicz John ’69 and Christine Rumely Mr. and Mrs. Uwe Schoberth Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shoub Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith Mr. Michael H. Spaeth ’13 Mr. Brian P. Tonino ’12 David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren Mr. and Mrs. Andrew A. Vanderboegh ’88 Maura and Elliot Visconsi Rev. Wayne F. Watts Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Whitlow ’85 H. David Wood ’77 and Christina R. Thanstrom Tom and Susie Yemc

Auction Item Donor Mr. JoJo DeCaro Mr. Keith Krause ’94 and Ms. Mary Margaret Fehrman Flik Hospitality Group Mr. and Mrs. John E. Rose ’94 Mrs. Britt Scott and Mrs. Jaqui Scott Dr. and Mrs. Pietro Tonino David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren

Auction Item Purchaser Anonymous Mr. Keith E. Butus Jack and Meg ’81 Caplice Connie ’83 and Charlie Falcone Mr. and Ms. Douglas B. Nelson Mr. and Mrs. R. Keith Sandin ’77 Mr. and Mrs. Uwe Schoberth Mr. and Mrs. Scott Shoub Mr. and Mrs. Edward Smith Mrs. Robert G. Turner ’84 David and Bridget ’88 Van Eekeren Mr. and Mrs. Andrew A. Vanderboegh ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Walsh ’95 Tom and Susie Yemc

The

Never Comes Off

Make a gift. Leave your Laker legacy. Visit lalumiere.org/give today.

Enhancing Classroom Instruction

Great teaching doesn’t happen by accident. We’re enhancing professional development including robust instructional coaching that emphasizes collaborative goal-setting, feedback, and dialogue. Each dollar invested in these efforts not only invests in our faculty, but also ensures that the classroom experience at La Lumiere is unparalleled.

Financial Assistance for Students of Need

Making a La Lumiere education available to those who otherwise couldn’t afford it not only provides a life-changing opportunity for them—it enriches the experience for every single Laker.

Campus Renewal

While we prioritize the people who make La Lumiere unique, there are always needs for updating and upgrading our school’s remarkable setting.

July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019

FALL 2019 | 47

THE LAST WORD Elena Alick is a senior boarding student and also serves as the Humanities Prefect.

“ THE PROBLEM WITH THE WORLD IS THAT WE DRAW THE CIRCLE OF OUR FAMILY TOO SMALL.”

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few weeks ago when I heard Ms. Beck quote Mother Teresa during morning meeting, it resonated with me on a deep, personal level. For me, a small closed off family circle was never an option.

Had I not been fortunate enough to extend my familial circle, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

At the age of 5, living with my mother’s cancer was a normalcy. Her self breast exams were routine. I never asked her why she was checking for a lump. I would run into the bathroom, just like any other morning. In the mirror, my mother was the most beautiful person. Sickness didn’t exist. Time passed.

In practice, the sun beat down, sweat trickled down my back, summer tennis had begun once again. Once practice was over, I ran to the fence. Although her hair was gone, it didn’t stop me for a second. All I could think was that my mom was there with hot chocolate and cookies from the hospital. Not the best snack for sweltering June heat, but it was the best she was able to do. Regardless, it sure made me happy. It didn’t phase me that she had come from chemo. During the days I spent with her, going to the hospital was entertaining, like a trip to the grocery store, not a place to be sad. My mother was always my ray of sunshine, even in her darkest days. As a child, I was innocent.

I didn’t see anything wrong. I didn’t understand the concern of adults, or the sympathetic look in their eyes. I remember my second grade teacher, Mrs. Havens, asking me how my mother was doing. And I didn’t pause for a second before saying, “good” with a beaming smile.

At the age of 10, my mother’s death was incomprehensible, yet inescapably real. My entire world was turned upside down.

Amidst the chaos, funeral plans, and returning to 4th grade, there was only confusion. Death makes you rethink your definition of family, and your values. The question posed is how do you recover? How do you find strength to move forward? Will things ever be the same?

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In the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, Noah saves all creation by building a boat, pairing two of every species on earth. Enduring a massive flood, the ark was a unique place of safety. To me, it can be seen as a symbol of refuge. Losing my mother meant losing my comfort and the person with whom I identified best.

In the face of fear, I was forced to seek guidance from the various people within my life which, in essence, redefined my tacit idea of family. But things still weren’t obvious. Many of the people came from different backgrounds and had many differing perspectives on the world. In this light, I was fortunate enough to decide for myself who I was and what my morals were, coinciding with the plethora of viewpoints I was able to soak in and explore. My extended circle of family and friends gave me the resilience to go on and have hope for peace. They were, and are, my ark in times of difficulty.

I was fortunate to be raised by a community that embraced and valued diversity. Ethnicity was embodied in both my Muslim Lebanese and Italian Catholic family. There was a constant love and warmth. This ethnic diversity led me to accept all walks of life without hesitation, and to form extended familial relationships. I was never taught to act against diversity, so when I first heard people putting other people down for their race or religion, I was confronted with a foreign evil. Now when I hear people discriminate based on identity, I feel gratitude for the village of people who preached tolerance and acceptance.

For when answers are not straightforward, it is difficult to decide what is best for you. In the face of adversity, people feel belittled, and their insecurity may compel them to succumb to society’s precedent of discriminating against someone or something amidst discomfort. It is important to recognize who you are, embrace your heritage, and be proud of your culture. But when people use their identities as a vehicle of division, building walls and creating divisions from people different from themselves, we put ourselves in imminent danger, ultimately hurting ourselves.

Left to right: Zell Wilson, Lamariah Branch, Nidhee Patel, Elena Alick

We forget the sacred refuge established through diversity, risk close-mindedness, and potentially create darkness. During discussions in AP English over the book Their Eyes Were Watching God, Mr. Benedict posed a tough question: “Is it inherent in human nature to establish hierarchy? Or to believe someone is below you on the social ladder? Or is discrimination a societal construct? And if it is, why are we compelled to discriminate based on identity?” In my opinion, a child is born innocent.

An innocent child is incapable of intentionally devaluing others based on discriminatory factors. This form of discrimination can only be taught. One thing death made very clear is that we waste time dividing and fighting, instead of embracing beauty and gaining strength from what is not the same. In life we sometimes get caught up in particular details, problems, troubles, and lose perspective. This can be represented as the black dot.

We are limited by the vision of what we see, not the possibilities of what could be.

The adversity I’ve confronted throughout my life has led me to be a deep thinker, yet I refuse to focus on the “black dot.”

I’m unsatisfied with superficial conversations and puzzled when I don’t have a clear answer, purpose, or meaning. Following my mother’s death, I questioned my understanding of faith and God. And honestly I still struggle now. But one thing that is consistent is my moral compass which is attributable to the village of diverse people who raised me. That in itself is enough for me to establish clarity and mental peace. There are numerous questions that lack certain answers: why is there life and death, why are some people born with less and others more, why do people get sick, why is there violence, and war? These are significant questions that need to be grappled with, and they make up the black dot. What connects us is that we all deal with something in our lives. In that journey, we mustn’t get hung up on the black dot, or the unchangeable. We must look forward and persevere. That doesn’t mean ignore your troubles, or that

your struggles are not a big deal. A few weeks ago, Wyatt Toothaker listened to me ramble about all the terrible events I could muster from a recent period in my life. As I was talking, I felt myself getting more and more upset. After an unsettling silence, he looked at me, nodded, and said “Don’t look in the rear view mirror too long, you might get in an accident.”

For a moment, I was quiet and taken aback. First off, that was definitely not the response I expected from him. Second, he was right, and I didn’t like it at all. I felt embarrassed that I expended so much energy by letting all my pent-up emotions fester for months. I knew I was upset, took things out on the people around me, and decided to fume idly as my mind prepared for a mental war. I now realize that I had a choice.

I chose to focus on the black dot, instead of accepting it and moving forward. I realized perception plays an important role on how we view our lives. By merely changing the focus of our lens we either enable ourselves to persevere or disable ourselves to become stuck in a mold.

In this lifetime, it is our task to love one another and gather knowledge. Let us recognize the gift we are granted when we embrace diversity. We have the ability to acquire various understandings and perceptions of the world and decide our own lens. I never wanted to be known as the girl who lost her mother, but I am that girl. That is my black dot. And though it is part of who I am, it has not defined me – but allowed me to embrace and be embraced by a diverse group of people. The distinctness of our backgrounds is what enriches our community and the world we live in. It is the very reason I chose to come to La Lumiere and the reason this place is an oasis. So, let us not shy away from each other when things are difficult, uncomfortable, or insecure. Let us have the strength to not focus on the black dot. At the end of the day, we are here to get better, and we can only do that together.

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