MUHS MAGAZINE Vol. 61 Spring/Summer 2016
Farewells Terry Kelly, Mike Chaney ’63, Rev. Warren Sazama, SJ ’64 and Rev. Terry Brennan, SJ For Alumni, Parents, Students and Friends of Marquette University High School www.MUHS.edu 1
Things not done or said By Rev. Frank Majka, SJ
Jesus did and said many things. But as important as Jesus’ words and deeds were, we can also learn from things he didn’t do and words he didn’t say. For example, at the start of his public life, Jesus read aloud a passage from Isaiah (Luke 4) to describe his own mission. It was all about bringing good news to the poor, freeing captives and giving sight to the blind. But Jesus didn’t say the words that ended the passage and which spoke of God’s punishment and revenge on Israel’s enemies. When his audience realized that Jesus had left these words out, they turned against him and attempted to throw him off the hill on which their town was built. Jesus also kept silent when the religious authorities brought him a woman caught committing adultery and asked him to agree that it would be right to stone her to death. He refused to answer them. Instead, he just bent down and started making marks in the dirt. Eventually, after being badgered to give an answer, he simply said that whoever had never sinned should throw the first stone. Then he ignored them again and went back to making marks on the ground until all the woman’s accusers drifted away. His refusal to agree to their demands for the woman’s death spoke powerfully, though without words. Finally, when Jesus appeared to his disciples on Easter night, he might have rebuked them for running away despite all their promises of undying loyalty and love for him. In fact, they may have anticipated that he would tell them they were no longer fit to be his followers or his friends because of their cowardice and disloyalty. But he said nothing about their running away. Instead, he greeted them with words of peace, and made them ambassadors and preachers of his message of forgiveness and reconciliation. Jesus embodied God the Father’s mercy and love by things he did and said, but sometimes without doing or saying anything. Has Jesus ever surprised you by not doing or saying something he might have? Was that a challenge to your expectations or a confirmation of your best hopes?
Rev. Frank Majka, SJ, serves as mission associate at Marquette University High School. He also has a spiritual blog, “The Bridge,” at www.frankmajka.com.
Thanks for everything
Dear MUHS Friends, As I prepare to move on from Marquette High, I look back with many positive memories. My “institutional memory” spans more than 50 years since I was a freshman at MUHS in the fall of 1960; 16 years as a teacher, from 1971 through 2003, with roles including guidance director, pastoral director, and chair of the Theology Department; and the last 10 years as president. Not surprisingly, what means the most to me is the people I’ve gotten to know from my time as a student, teacher, and administrator. In particular, I treasure the colleagues I’ve had the opportunity to serve with over the past 40-plus years. They are truly amazing people—dedicated, competent, passionate and faith-filled educators. They inspire me to this day. In addition to my colleagues, it’s definitely fun to experience former students from the ’70s and ’80s as parents of our current students—and our current students never fail to delight me. Marquette High transforms lives. As one mother put it, “My son came to MUHS as a delightfully self-absorbed 14-year-old boy and graduated as a Christ-like man for others.” It’s very satisfying to be part of this transformation both on an individual, personal level as well as on the larger, institutional level. Personally, I have felt privileged to make a difference in the lives of many individual students from the ’70s to the present through teaching, advising, retreats and liturgies. It’s extremely rewarding when a student, alumnus or parent expresses gratitude for what has happened in their lives through some experience involving me. Institutionally, it’s also rewarding to see the good that’s been accomplished through having started programs like P.A.Y. (freshman advising) and the Kairos retreat program at MUHS back in the ’80s. And, as president, it’s been very satisfying to strengthen the Catholic, Jesuit mission and identity of Marquette High and increase our socio-economic and racial diversity. Moreover, it’s been enjoyable to form a strong leadership team and help our teachers and other employees feel respected and appreciated, thereby increasing their job satisfaction, and encourage a culture of going beyond what’s required.
All and all, I feel great about my years here at Marquette High and hope that I’ve helped to lead MUHS in a mission-centered way. Marquette High is a very special, dynamic community. Yes, it will be hard to leave. I will miss all of you terribly. However, God and the Society of Jesus have further adventures for me that I trust will be as fulfilling. A life of ministry as a Jesuit is a great adventure that’s taken me from Milwaukee to Australia, and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, and now to St. Paul, Minnesota. Farewell and God bless. Yours in Christ,
Rev. Warren Sazama, SJ ’64
Contents
12 MUHS NEWS
4
22
News briefs
12
Class of 2016 Acceptance list
14
Class of 2016 The next destination SPORTS
16
Golf wins first WIAA State title
18
Basketball makes State
20
Hilltopper highlights FEATURES
46
22
Rev. Warren Sazama, SJ ‘64
27
Mike Chaney ‘63
32
Terry Kelly
37
Rev. Terry Brennan, SJ
42
Rashad Cobb An agent for social change
44
Paul Manning Leadership rooted in the Jesuit tradition
46
Gold Star Men of MUHS ALUMNI UPDATE
56
48
Class notes
54
Rest in Peace: Tom Persin THEN AND NOW
56
Ignatian Educators
Editor
Editing Assistance
MUHS Magazine is published
Julie Felser
Kristen Scheuing
twice a year for and about the
Contributing Writers
Photography
As always, we appreciate
Katie Burton
Peter Beck
hearing from you and wel-
Joe Costa ’88
Empire Photography
come your comments and
Mike Feely ’89
Jon Irias ’17
suggestions. Please send
Dan Holahan
Steve Levin
your feedback to the editor
Ben Kozina ’18
VIP Photography
at felser@muhs.edu or
Marquette High community.
MUHS, 3401 W. Wisconsin
Chris Lese ’92 Frank Majka, SJ
Design
Wyatt O’Loughlin ’16
Jena Sher
Tim Prosser Warren Sazama, SJ ’64
Printing The Fox Company
Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208.
Cover: Four Farewells (left to right): Terry Kelly, Mike Chaney ‘63, Rev. Warren J. Sazama, SJ ’64, and Rev. Terry Brennan, SJ bid farewell to MUHS.
Opposite (left to right): Javon Matthews ’19 (blue shirt), Jace Boswell ’19, Job Alexander ’16, Jule Thompson ’16 and Nigel Fleming ’18 attend the Martin Luther King Jr. Mass, held annually in January and sponsored by the student groups Orgullo Latino, Conclave, MUHS Diversity Club and Pride, which plans multicultural activities, speakers and other opportunities. Photo by VIP Photography.
MUHS NEWS
MUHS takes one state debate title
Jeff Monday ’84, Chris Lese ’92 receive prestigious Kohl awards
Harry Lucas ’17 won Marquette High’s first state varsity debate title in the Lincoln-Douglas (LD) division, a one-on-one style of debate, which examines questions of morality and justice. “Individual debaters performed incredibly well across the board in all of their categories at the state tournament,” according to Matt Cekanor ’12, MUHS assistant director of debate. “Twelve MUHS students qualified in three divisions, which is one of the highest number of qualifiers in more than five years.” Lucas debated Sarah Spector from Whitefish Bay High School in the finals of the tournament on a 3–2 marking. MUHS varsity debate team members William Deverey ’18, Gavin Paap ’18 and Anders Sundheim ’18 also qualified for LD state competition. In varsity policy debate, MUHS qualified the team of Jonathan Resch ’16, one-half of the 2015 MUHS Wisconsin state championship team, and Oscar Rich ’19, one of the first MUHS freshmen to debate on a varsity policy team at the state level. After six preliminary rounds, MUHS had a 4–2 record but then lost to Mukwonago 2–1, ending its run to defend the state title in policy debate. “These students really put a lot of work into improving throughout the season and it was impressive to see their final efforts at the state tournament,” Cekanor says. Six MUHS first-year debaters qualified in the novice policy division: Andres Alfaro ’19, Connor Murray ’19, Miguel Monteagudo ’19, Souleymane Drame ’19, Nick Wieber ’18 and Joe Tierney ’19.
Senator Herb Kohl honored Jeff Monday ’84 (left) and Chris Lese ’92 with Kohl Foundation awards in April. Photo by Empire Photography
Jeff Monday ’84 received the inaugural Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Excellence in Leadership award, which recognizes school principals for setting high standards for instruction, achievement and character and for creating a climate to best serve students, families, staff and community. He was one of four private school principals in the state of Wisconsin to be honored at an April luncheon, sponsored by the Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools and the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation. Social studies teacher Chris Lese ’92 was also honored at the luncheon as a Teacher Fellowship winner. Lese, along with 13 other private school educators in Wisconsin, were selected for their superior ability to inspire a love of learning in their students, their ability to motivate others, and their leadership and service within and outside the classroom. The Kohl Foundation gifted MUHS with $6,000 in honor of Monday and Lese and their contributions to private education in Wisconsin. Previous MUHS faculty members who have received a Kohl Foundation Teacher Fellowship award include social studies teacher Victoria Temple Bonesho in 2009 and now-retired science teacher Carolyn Parrott in 1995. Former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, who served 24 years in the Senate, founded the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Excellence Scholarship and Fellowship Award programs in 1990. To date, the foundation has awarded a total of $10.4 million to Wisconsin educators, students and schools.
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Joe Meyer starts environmental nonprofit Ben Kozina ’18
Biology and environmental science teacher Joe Meyer began his nonprofit organization, Laudato Si’ Project, on the foundation of restoring humanity’s natural connection to the environment as Pope Francis believes people should. In May 2015, Pope Francis released his second encyclical, Laudato Si’, where he calls for “swift and unified global action” in order to put an end to environmental ruination. Meyer had been looking for a platform from which he could begin to educate those who may have not had the chance to learn about the natural world. The Pope’s letter provided Meyer the foundation that he needed in order to begin the project. “The Pope was able to articulate what I was thinking in such a way that others would listen to him, even those of the secular world,” Meyer says. When asked why this idea is so important Meyer says, “In our modern society, I believe there is a certain disconnect between people and the land that our ancestors did not experience. We have been raised on the assumption that food comes from the grocery store,” Meyer says. “Our goal is to restore humanity’s connection to the land which truly provides for us.” Meyer takes a three-tiered approach when it comes to getting people involved in the Laudato Si’ Project: Education, stewardship and recreation. As Meyer explains it, each part is based on the others, beginning with education. He believes that educating people about the world they live in sparks an interest in learning how to take care of it. Some education projects the group has organized include: engaging schools in conservation projects or coordinating a prairie planting where they help schools, parishes, and property owners with conservation goals. With this education, Meyer believes people can begin to participate in the stewardship aspect of the program and “begin to make a positive change to the environment, whether through construction or conservation.” Patrick Donohue ’17, who has participated in a few Laudato Si’ activities, says, “Mr. Meyer has given us opportunities to grow in our education of topics from the classroom, experience our faith through God’s creation, and answer Pope Francis’s invitation to care for our common home.”
Joe Meyer explains how to tap a maple tree to harvest its sap. To learn more about Meyer’s nonprofit organization, visit www.naturecatholic.org.
The project also aims to engage youth and adults with recreational activities to encourage more outdoor engagement with the land around them. In March, a maple syrup demonstration was held for the Heiliger Huegel Ski Club, where about 20 adults and children learned how sap is harvested from trees. “We need to realize that the material world around us sustains us,” Meyer says. “And I believe this disconnect that has occurred during the last few generations has hurt this gift of the environment, which continues to sustain us.” Meyer hopes that if people begin to view creation as a gift and not a right, they will begin to treat the environment differently; and through this we can discover God in a new light. “The project’s main goal is to continue to spread the word about Laudato Si’, Meyer says, “and continue to engage people in learning about their environment, especially in Southeast Wisconsin and beyond.”
www.MUHS.edu 5
MUHS NEWS
Robotics team heads to worlds
Team 1732 Hilltopper Robotics, a joint extracurricular activity of MUHS and Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, earned an invitation to the 2016 FIRST Championship and joined 600 other teams from around the globe in St. Louis in April. This year’s game, FIRST Stronghold, followed the premise of the well-known “tower defense” video game format with castles, towers and defenses. Each team competed on a three-team alliance, simulating actual castle defenses with rock walls, rough terrain, moats, drawbridges and even a cheval de frise (a medieval anticavalry tactic). Traversing the defenses earned each alliance points, but the prize was the tower, which teams bombarded with “boulders.” Once weakened, the tower could be captured at the end of the match if all three robots surrounded the opposing alliance’s tower for more points. Extra points were awarded to any team that could propel its 100-plus-pound robot up the tower walls. Team 1732 was placed in the Hopper division, named for Admiral Grace Hopper, a pioneer in computer software design. After competing on randomly selected alliances for ten rounds of qualifications, the Hilltoppers finished in the middle of the pack. Then the division moved on to the elimination rounds, where the top eight qualifiers chose their own alliances. Team 1732 was selected by the number four-ranked alliance. “It was an absolute thrill to be chosen to advance at worlds,” says John Callen ’86, parent of Brian ’18 and one of about 25 team mentors. “Word from our team’s scouts was that we were chosen for our ability to frustrate the opposing alliances with a stifling style of defense not expected by most teams. We advanced but were eliminated in the semifinals. Overall, the team had great success.” Leading up to the 2016 Championship, Team 1732, comprising 70 MUHS students and 20 DSHA students, made it to the semifinals for the Wisconsin Regional competition and quarterfinals at the Central Illinois Regional event. In addition to preparing for competitions, Team 1732 is active in the Milwaukee community. The team’s marquee event, FIRST
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Hilltoppers (left to right) Brian Callen ’18, Karl Arnhold ’17 and Robert Scheidt ’16 meet Robotics FIRST founder, Dean Kamen at worlds.
LEGO League, the largest FIRST competition for middle school students in the state, is held for one weekend every November at MUHS. “The event is a favorite of teams based in Milwaukee,” Callen says of the event, which features many inner-city teams. The team also does robot demonstrations at various libraries, children’s camps, technology fairs and even Summerfest, to tell the story of fun and robotics. This summer the team will host a robotics camp with classroom and building sessions for middle school students at DSHA. FIRST Robotics Competition combines sports excitement with the rigors of science and technology. Under strict rules, limited resources, and time limits, teams are challenged to fundraise, design a brand, exercise teamwork, and build and program robots to perform tasks against competitors. Approximately 78,500 students on 3,140 teams from 24 countries competed during the 2016 season.
New Spanish exchange program begins this fall
Dave Archibald ’99, David Cooks ’82 move on from MUHS Ben Kozina ’18
MUHS is partnering with the Jesuit high school, Colegio San Ignacio, in Pamplona, Spain, to offer students a unique languageimmersion experience that enhances cultural understanding and global perspective. Spanish teacher Dick Hallberg says he and his other World Languages colleagues researched and discussed various options before deciding on Colegio San Ignacio. “Pamplona is a beautiful medium-sized city that has historical significance in St. Ignatius’s life,” Hallberg says.
“It also offers a very typical experience of family life in Spain.” In September, MUHS families will host 12 Colegio San Ignacio students, seven boys and five girls. The Spanish students, accompanied by their English teacher Eduardo Guillén and biology teacher Jorge Hernández, will attend classes at MUHS for two weeks with their host students. The group will also tour Chicago and Milwaukee. The following June, 12 MUHS students, accompanied by two MUHS teachers, will spend two weeks in Pamplona living with host families. Even though classes will not be in session at Colegio San Ignacio, MUHS students will have the opportunity to participate in language and cultural activities in the mornings. The group will also take trips to Loyola and Xavier Castle, the birthplaces of St. Ignatius of Loyola, SJ and St. Francis Xavier, SJ (respectively), the founders of the Society of Jesus.
Theology teacher Dave Archibald ’99 is moving on from MUHS to be the head varsity football coach and substitute teacher at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Ill. Archibald taught theology at MUHS for 11 years. During that time, he also moderated the Hilltoppers Defending Life group, coached football and was involved with the retreat program. For Archibald the decision to leave was not an easy one. “I will miss being in the classroom as well as teaching at the high academic standard seen at this school,” he said. However, it was his passion for coaching football that initiated his career move. “I had been searching for head football coach positions in the area but ended up looking farther away from home,” he says. Director of Diversity and economics teacher David Cooks ’82 is also biding farewell to MUHS after 17 years of service. Cooks says this was a difficult decision and it’s hard to leave the students and school community. “I am going to really miss my interaction with the students. These kids treated me like royalty and I will miss the relationships I have built here,” he says. Cooks is still considering various career options. “I want to take advantage of my skills the best way I can, whether that be in an academic or corporate setting,” Cook says. “Whatever I do I want God to be pleased with my life.”
Hallberg is excited about the program. “I’m looking forward to comparing the Jesuit school experiences and seeing how the grad-at-grad concept plays out across cultures.”
Ben Zellmer ’14 and Patrick O’Grady ’14 listen to David Cooks ’82, who delivered the faculty address at the 2014 commencement ceremony. Photo by VIP
www.MUHS.edu 7
MUHS NEWS
Hilltopper highlights news Katie Burton
Nathaniel Gillon, MUHS counselor of more than 20 years, received the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Claver Legacy Award, which is given every other year to the tenants of Claverism— a charge to work together in friendship, love and Christian charity. The award recognizes devotion to the development of future leaders through mentoring, service and teaching. Spanish teacher, Jacki Black, was a featured presenter at the Wisconsin ACT conference in February. She presented during a session to address the unique challenges that undocumented migrant students face as they navigate the high school and college admissions process. The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP-WI) awarded Spanish teacher, Alexis Cazco, with the 2015 Teacher of the Year award for her leadership, achievements and devotion to making sure Spanish-language students receive a high-quality education. Robert Scheidt ’16 and Jacob Webb ’16 were nominated for the prestigious United States Presidential Scholars Program. Described as “one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students,” this Department of Education program recognizes the academic achievements of distinguished high school graduates. The following seniors were recognized as National Merit Finalists: John Drea, Michael Kearney, Chris Povinelli, Robert Scheidt and Jacob Webb. Seniors recognized as National Merit Semifinalists were Oliver Bestul and Tyler Hall. Four students received the recognition of Commended Students: William Eder, Colin Flanagan, Colin Kim and Ryan Mauk.
by NCTE for student publications and only two other Wisconsin high schools received this recognition. Of the 31 issues Schauble has moderated, all but one has been ranked as “Superior.” The CyberPatriot Team earned second place in Wisconsin’s state competitions and 15th in the Midwest Regional Round. The CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program was developed to motivate students toward careers in cyber security and other science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. In addition to serving families through Nativity Jesuit Academy, St. Rose and other inner-city parishes last December, Key Club and the MUHS community also supported the House of Peace efforts to prepare and serve Christmas food boxes and gifts for more than 1,300 Milwaukee households, including approximately 4,000 children. All Key Club officers received the distinction of outstanding at the annual Key Club Convention: Will Kiesling ’16 (president), Evan Woloszyk ’16 (vice president), George Elliott ’17 (secretary), and Sam Schelble ’17 (treasurer). Jonny Klar ’18 was recognized for being the district’s outstanding new member and Kevin Eberle ’18 was the district’s only distinguished member. The group won its first “cheer off,” as determined by a decibel meter.
Since the competition began in 1974, only six MUHS students have qualified for the USA Mathematical Olympiad competition. Zach Sekaran ’18 joined the elite group and took this extensive, two-day, nine-hour test consisting of six proofs.
Fifty-three of the Math Club members competed in the Wisconsin Math League and the team finished sixth out of 50 high schools that participated. Zach Sekaran ’18 finished third in the State, Chris Povinelli ’16 tied for fourth and Jacob Webb ’16 took 25th place. Ten members of the team also competed in the American Mathematics Competitions. Povinelli had Marquette High’s highest score on the AMC 12 exam. Sekaran had Marquette High’s highest score on the AMC 10 exam and qualified for (and took) the three-hour American Invitational Math Exam. By solving 8 of the 15 mind-boggling problems, Sekaran qualified for the USA Junior Math Olympiad.
The 31st issue of Signatures, moderated by Ginny Schauble, received the rank “Superior” from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Program to recognize excellence in student literary magazines. This is the highest award offered
The molecular engineering SMART Team researched and presented at a poster session at the Medical College of Wisconsin titled, “The Effect of Inhibiting NFKB on Ischemia-Reperfusion-Induced Cell Apoptosis and Necrosis in Cardiac Myocytes.”
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Mariachi Estrellas de Mexico, comprising (left to right) Francisco Hernandez ’17, Kevin Avalos, Elizabeth Avalos, and Victor Cardenas ’17 performed at Marquette High’s annual food drive event, Can Jam, in March. The group performs regularly at private and public events in Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago. Photo by VIP Photography
Conclave’s “Can Jam,” a school-wide food drive, collected 327 pounds of food and $500 to help Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force. The freshman Conclave members recruited more than 80 student volunteers and 15 faculty and staff volunteers for the annual Trash 4 Pizza service project. The group picked up trash in the Merrill Park neighborhood before enjoying a delicious pizza lunch.
Impromptu Oratory). The MUHS Level 4 Certamen Team consisting of Michael Kearney ’16, Ted Chisholm ’16, Quinlan Furumo ’16, Jeremy Horky ’16 and Sam Schelble ’17 won the Latin Quiz Bowl competition for the fourth year in a row. Myles Roeske ’16 served as the president of the Wisconsin Junior Classical League, overseeing the 600 students competing in the three-day convention.
Latin Club took third place in the state convention of the Wisconsin Junior Classical League for the third year in a row. Beating out more than 100 competitors tested, five students finished in first place in their respective levels of Latin: Tommy Naum ’19 (Latin 1–Mottoes), Nick Yang ’18 (Latin 2–Greek History), Chris Rizzo ’18 (Latin 2–Roman History), Ted Chisholm ’16 (Latin 4– Essay) and John Drea ’16 and Jonathan Skipper ’16 (Latin 4–
Max McLachlan ’17 won the national 2016 Junior Travel Award for his achievements on the National Spanish Examination. Guy Chinang ’16 was one of 13 students in the Milwaukee area to receive the 2016 Gesu Parish Fr. Robert F. Purcell, SJ Peacemaker Award for outstanding leadership in conflict resolution, advocacy for justice and peacemaking in their schools or the community.
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MUHS NEWS
Faculty members Dan Miller and Br. Ken Homan, SJ, accompanied Cristian Flores ’16, Jovanny Hernandez ’19, Leonel Landeros ’19, Anthony Mancinelli ’18, Marco Montemayor ’19, Joey Nunez ’18, Austin Piszczek ’19, Michael Vazquez ’17 and Francisco VazquezSanchez ’17 to the 2016 Ignatian Family Teach-in for Justice. The IFTJ is an annual gathering for members of the Ignatian family to come together in the context of social justice and solidarity to learn, reflect, pray, network and advocate together. The German Language and School Society of Wisconsin honored the following students for scoring in the 90th percentile on the National German Exam: Michael Kearney ’16 and Karl Arnhold ’17 (Level 4 exam), Seth Bartos ’19 (Level 3 exam), and Zach Fischer ’18 and Nicholas Kasun ’18 (Level 2 exam). Additionally, Kearney finished seventh out of 200 submissions in the annual essay contest and Fischer was an honored finalist for the Study Trip award. Ceramics students donated 50 bowls to a fundraiser for Milwaukee Empty Bowls, a nonprofit, volunteer organization that uses art to increase hunger awareness and raises money to support meal programs and food pantries throughout Milwaukee.
In February, band director Randy Skowronski accompanied the school’s jazz lab students to Walt Disney World where they played at the Disney Springs’ Waterside Stage. During their stay, the students performed on other stages and immersed themselves in movie magic by rehearsing and recording classic Disney songs played in “Jazz It Up,” a Disney Performing Arts workshop at Epcot. MUHS Prep Players performed Oscar Wilde’s, The Importance of Being Earnest, in January. The spring musical, Sweeney Todd, was performed in March. Three students received National Scholastic Art awards for their artwork, which was displayed at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Jonathan Skipper ’16 won a gold medal for his depiction of the Madonna, and Paul Scheidt ’16 won two honorable mentions for his rhino and octopus ceramic pieces. The Orgullo Latino homeroom hosted the 7th annual Expresate, an open-mic talent show followed by a social and dancing.
(Left to right) Kobe Brown ’17, Caroline Powers, Leo Ehrlich ’16, Jayce Staszak ’18, Alejandro Camacho ’17, Gabriella Visser and Nick Wieber ’18 performing in the spring musical, Sweeney Todd. Photo by VIP Photography
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Kenyon Terrell ’18, Joey Nunez ’18 and Ross Johnson ’17 qualified for the National Catholic Forensic League’s Grand National Tournament in Sacramento, California. Terrell and Nunez participated in the category of Oratorical Declamation, Johnson in Student Congress. Johnson was also chosen to compete on the Southern Wisconsin District World Schools Debate team. In January, the Forensics Team hosted a WFCA invitational tournament at MUHS, with more than 375 students competing from 31 schools, and in February hosted its second Student Congress competition in the Common Council Chamber at Milwaukee’s historic City Hall. Special guests Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett ’72 and City Clerk Jim Owczarski ’84 were in attendance to watch the team in action.
Rev. Warren J. Sazama, SJ ’64 (left), Rev. Michael J. Marco, SJ and Jeff Monday ’84 honor Greg Reesman ’16 with the Jesuit Schools Network (formerly the Jesuit Secondary Education Association) Award at the 2016 commencement ceremony. Photo by VIP Photography
The Flambeau Yearbook, co-moderated by Carol Hardke and Sarah Clendening, was named Jostens 2015 National Yearbook Program of Excellence. This program recognizes engaging yearbooks that reflect a broad representation of the student body while helping students develop 21st-century skills such a communication, collaboration and information and communication technologies literacy. Greg Reesman ’16 received the Jesuit Schools Network (formerly the Jesuit Secondary Education Association) Award at the 2016 commencement ceremony. The JSN Award is presented to the graduate who most closely resembles the grad-at-grad ideal: a well-rounded person who is intellectually competent, open to growth, religious, loving and committed to justice in generous service to the people of God. Other JSN finalists from the Class of 2016 were Ted Chisholm, Bryce Drezek, John Kloser, Jacob Webb, and Evan Woloszyk.
John Drea ’16 (standing) and Kenyon Terrell ‘18 perform in the Prep Players winter play, The Importance of Being Earnest. Photo by VIP Photography
The Webster Club Forensics Team had the most successful season in recent history, with a number of students winning individual trophies in their respective events. Four members of the team advanced to semifinals at the WFCA State Forensics Tournament: Ross Johnson ’17, Greger Makowski ’16, Max McLachlan ’17 and Adam Prueher ’18. Johnson went on to win third place in the category of Radio Announcing.
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MUHS NEWS
Class of 2016 Acceptance list Members of the Class of 2016 were accepted to more than 160 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and received $6.6 million in merit scholarships for freshman year.
Northeast Boston College Drexel University Fairfield University Fordham University Green Mountain College College of the Holy Cross Johnson & Wales University Lehigh University University of Maine New York University Northeastern University University of Pittsburgh Providence College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute St. John’s University, NY Saint Joseph’s University Seton Hall University Stonehill College Syracuse University Temple University United States Military Academy Villanova University Yale University Southeast The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa American University Belmont University Clemson University University of Delaware Emory University Fisk University Florida Gulf Coast University Florida Memorial University Furman University The George Washington University Howard University
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University of Kentucky University of Miami University of Mississippi Morehouse College
Illinois Institute
Saint Louis University
of Technology
Saint Mary’s University
Indiana University, Bloomington
of Minnesota St. Norbert College
University of Colorado, Boulder Colorado State
St. Olaf College
Creighton University
University of Iowa
University of St. Thomas
University of Dallas
Saint Leo University
John Carroll University
Saint Xavier University
University of Denver
Talladega College
Lakeland College
Southern Illinois University,
Gonzaga University
University of Tennessee,
Lawrence University
Carolina at Charlotte
Carbondale
Hilo
Loyola University Chicago
Valparaiso University
Luther College
Viterbo University
University of Kansas
United States
Macalester College
Winona State University
University of Mary
Madison Area Technical
Wisconsin Lutheran
Montana State University,
Naval Academy Vanderbilt University Wake Forest University
College Marian University Marquette University
Midwest
Miami University, Ohio
Ball State University
Michigan State University
Bradley University
Michigan Technological
Butler University
University
Cardinal Stritch University
University of Michigan
Carroll University
Milwaukee Area
Carthage College Case Western Reserve University Central Michigan University University of Chicago Cleveland State University Coe College Columbia College Chicago Concordia University University of Dayton Denison University DePaul University DePauw University
Technical College Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design Milwaukee School of Engineering Minnesota State University, Mankato University of Minnesota, Twin Cities University of Missouri, Columbia Northern Michigan University
College University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire University of Wisconsin, Green Bay University of Wisconsin, La Crosse University of Wisconsin, Madison University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh University of Wisconsin, Parkside University of Wisconsin, Platteville University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point University of Wisconsin, Stout University of Wisconsin, Waukesha
University of Detroit Mercy
Northland College
Drake University
Northwestern University
Edgewood College
University of Notre Dame
Franciscan University
Oberlin College
Wright State University
The Ohio State University
Xavier University
of Steubenville Heartland Community
University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
West
Hillsdale College
Ripon College
The University
University of Illinois
Rose-Hulman Institute
at Urbana–Champaign
of Technology
Bozeman University of Nebraska, Lincoln North Dakota State University University of North Dakota University of Portland Regis University University of San Diego University of San Francisco Santa Clara University South Dakota State University University of Southern California Texas A&M University Texas Christian University Texas Tech University University of Texas, Austin Trinidad State Junior College United States Air Force Academy Utah State University
Parkland College Purdue University
College
Canada
University of Hawaii,
Tulane University
Knoxville
University of Toronto,
University
Iowa State University
University of North
International
University of Washington
of Arizona
Wichita State University
Blinn College
University of Wyoming
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MUHS NEWS
Class of 2016 The next destination Members of the Class of 2016 are attending the following colleges and universities (as of 6/29/16).
DePaul University
University of Kansas
Miami University,
MSOE
Gasparri, Mario
Duffey, Ryan*/**/† (JHS)
Ohio
Gilpin, Joseph (JHS)
Janusz, Nicholas
Schultz, Joseph (JHS)
University of Kentucky
Michigan State
at Lincoln
Chaffee, Aaron
University
Acker, Joseph
Allen, David
Montgomery, William
Drake University
University of Nebraska
Resch, Jonathan
University of Arizona
Florida Gulf Coast
Tarantino, Michael
University
Loyola University
Wilson, Andrew
Chicago Bagin, Alec
Belmont University
** (JHS)
University of Michigan
Northland College
Lapcewich, John
Byrne, Owen*
(JHS)
Nelson, Hunter
Fordham University
Briska, Brady
Trzcinski, Karsten
Crowley, Patrick
DeMeulenaere, Riley (JHS)
Milwaukee Area
Northwestern University
Drea, John
Technical College
Webb, Jacob (JHS)
(JHS)
Boston College
Franciscan University
Nakata, Matthew
Helf, James
of Steubenville
Tegge, Nolan (JHS)
Doro, Jake*/**
University of Notre Dame
Hughes, Joseph
Wlodarski, Noah
Jelich, Nicholas
Storts, Daniel (JHS)
Gonzaga University
Macalester College
Hutt, Dominic
Chinang, Guy
Bradley University
Scheidt, Paul
Chisholm, Theodore
Jarecki, James*/** (JHS)
Ward, Ryan (JHS)
Ehrsam, Thomas (JHS)
Cardinal Stritch
University of Hawaii,
Marquette University
University
Hilo
Becerra, Ernesto
Mora, Brian
Diaz, Brandon
Mackey, Michael
(JHS)
Dale, Austin
**/†
Ortega, Luis
Povinelli, Christopher Royston, Daniel (JHS)
*
Palacios Cruz, Guillermo Carthage College
Purdue University Milwaukee School * (JHS)
of Engineering Luenig, Yavori
St. John’s University,
Nolan, Benjamin
Queens Campus
Snyder, Harrison
Drechsler, Elliot (JHS)
Furumo, Quinlan
Minnesota State
Saint Louis University
Glynn, Ian
University, Mankato
Drezek, Bryce (JHS)
Cappon, William
Grassmann, Oliver
Leach, Nicholas
Henry, Jakob**
Hillsdale College
Grum, Paul*
Giampietro, Alexander
Horky, Jeremy
*/**
Hudson, Jovan
Ralls-Franklin, Jalen
Gauthier, Grant (JHS)
Hussey, Evan
Indiana University,
Keane, David (JHS)
University of Minnesota,
Kapke, Luke
Case Western
Bloomington
Makowski, Gregor
Twin Cities
Kloser, John (JHS)
Reserve University
Anguil, Jeffrey
O’Meara, Timothy
Bestul, Oliver
Lehner, Ryan
Takton, Nicholas (JHS)
Lafferty, Aidan
Preciado, Braulio
Gregory, Malcolm
Mikhailov, Nicholas
Roeske, Myles
Macheel, William
Mullen, William**
Luettgen, Matthew
*
(JHS)
University of Chicago
Walton, Michael
Saffold, Johnathan
Rauh, Caeleb
Sawasky, Charles (JHS)
Reyes, Jose
Woloszyk, Evan (JHS)
Sanchez, Christian
Youngblood, Jacob
Scheidt, Robert*
Sanchez, Ernie
Stapleton, Seamus (JHS)
University of Dayton
Iowa State University
Silverman, Brent
University of Mississippi
Bolles, Charles**/†
Malucha, Nicholas (JHS)
Skarr, Zachary
Schwartz, Matthew** (JHS)
Dougherty, John**
Olson, Joseph**/† (JHS)
Sladky, Michael
Vincent, Jack
Floyd, Seamus
Sobczak, Calvin
Winkel, Harrison
Megna, Benjamin
Johnson & Wales
Moesel, William
University Walter, Andrew
14 MUHS Magazine
St. Norbert College Badalich, Garrett
University of Missouri,
Bosch, Tristan
MATC
Columbia
Brooks, Jack
Martinez, Alan
Rettko, Vincent
Cone, Jonathan
Wasilik, Joseph University of Denver
Tripi, Mason
Drought, Timothy
Komas, Jerome
Villanova University
Jaber, Murad
Miklaszewski, Taylor
Keough, Patrick
Jaskolski, Charles
Simanek, Nathan
Roenitz, Stephen
(JHS)
Thota, Adam St. Olaf College
Roels, Christian**
David, Jackson
Stojsavljevic, Neven
Gequillana, Nicholas-Ian
Kass, Matthew*/**/†
Torania, Mohammad
Greco, Anthony
Kiesling, William
Valensa, Colin
Hauman, Nicholas
*
** (JHS)
Winona State University
Kim, Colin
Little, Greyling
Koppa, Mitchell
University of Wisconsin,
Kurtzweil, Henry
Lundeen, Craig
Oshkosh
Yang, Houa Der
Cannestra, Andrew
Holinka, Nikolas (JHS)
Wisconsin Lutheran
MacKay, Spencer
University of St. Thomas
College
McBride, Joseph (JHS)
Cera, Nathan
Skrade, Nathan
Miller, William
(JHS)
Gratz, Max*
Ollmann, Michael University of Wyoming University of Wisconsin,
(JHS)
Montgomery, Jared (JHS)
Parkside Alba, Colm*
Wright State University
Harrington, Jacob
University of Wisconsin,
Neuberger, Colton
Spadafora, Stephen
Eau Claire
O’Loughlin, James
Kass, Salvatore*
Palmersheim, Scott (JHS)
University of Wisconsin,
Tenorio, Charles
Puchner, William† (JHS)
Platteville
Reesman, Gregory
Burbach, Peter
University of San Diego Foy, Lukas
(JHS)
University of San Francisco Krawczyk, Jan
(JHS)
Philippe, Alec
(JHS)
Xavier University Grandelis, Jack (JHS)
**
University of Wisconsin,
Russell, Michael
Green Bay
Sanchez, Cristian
Terlizzi, Michael
Bradford, John
Schultz, Jeromy
Thompson, Jule
Tarantino, David**
Flores, Cristian
Shaw, John University of Wisconsin,
Yale University
Stevens Point
Kearney, Michael (JHS)
(JHS)
Shemanski, Jack Santa Clara University
University of Wisconsin,
Volkert, Peter
Skipper, Jonathan
La Crosse
Ziolkowski, Blake
(JHS)
Swan, Jerard
(JHS) *
Schneider, Andrew
Martinez de Alva, Jorge (JHS)
Doucette, Robert Andre
*/**
Hernandez-Galvez, Carlos
Gap Year
University of Wisconsin,
Mabbett, Tyler
Hall, Tyler**
Milwaukee
Pruhs, Sebastian
Alcorta, Jonah**
Sotomayor, Mario
Dwyer, Jack*/**/† (JHS) Texas A&M
Stuart, Robert
University
Von Rueden, Lane
Kent, Graham
Wright, Nolan
Texas Tech University
University of Wisconsin,
Daugherty, Kalman
University of Wisconsin,
Erato, Joseph
Hall, Preston
Madison
Dominguez, Brett
Stout
(Sheet Metal Apprenticeship)
*/† *
Lundeen, Patrick
*
Other Plans
Bevington, Nicholas
Finucane, Patrick
Ehrlich, Leo
University of Texas
Barczak, Jack†
Gagliano, Matthew*/**
Hicks, Kevin
at Austin
Carrillo, Noah
Giese, Benjamin
Chiqui, Jefferson
Gomez, Christopher
University of Wisconsin,
Farrington, Isaiah
Christenson, Chaney*
Haskins, Tyler
Waukesha
Kimple, Connor
Trinidad State
Coffey, William*/**/† (JHS)
Hernandez, Alfredo
Medina, Jonathan
Nuruddin, Fateh
Junior College
Crowley, Michael
Keyes, Michael
Reinert, Nicholas
Petersen, Quinlan
Alexander, Job
Demmon, Sean (JHS)
Klein, Nathan
Russell, Sean
Dugan, William**/†
Konle, Matthew
Taylor, Donovan
Tulane University
Eder, William
Mercado Mora, Erick
Kallman, Nicholas
Flanagan, Colin (JHS)
Powless, Alexander
University of Wisconsin,
Gerew, Trenton
Quinto Zamudio, Oscar
Whitewater
Asad, Adan
Mauk, Ryan
(JHS)
(JHS)
(JHS)
*
Undecided
US Air Force Academy
Grebe, Nicholas
Ramirez Jr., Armando
Adams, Samuel
Johnson, Connor
Heebink, John (JHS)
Reich, Casey
Ahler, Benjamin*
Holton, Robert*
Riemer, Alexander*/†
Chairez, Rene
* (JHS)
(JHS) Jesuit Honor Society Son of alumnus ** Grandson of alumnus † Great-grandson of alumnus *
www.MUHS.edu 15
SPORTS
Golf wins first WIAA State title Wyatt O’Loughlin ‘16
“Whether it was the smell of Jack’s socks, or Steve walking into a Culver’s with his golf bag, there were many laughs along the way,” senior Evan Hussey ’16 says about the camaraderie of the first MUHS golf team to win a WIAA state championship. Until this year, Marquette High golf had won six WIAA sectional titles, but had never taken the state title. As freshman Jack Blair ’19 states, “Being a part of the first MUHS state championship golf team is an incredible feeling. MUHS is filled with such great legacy and greatness and to make a mark in this school’s great history feels truly amazing.” The team relied on the strong leadership of its upperclassmen. “Harrison Ott ’17 and Evan Hussey were really the leaders of the team,” Coach Brad Niswonger says. “You can’t go anywhere unless the leaders can pull everyone together, so those two guys were prominent in the success of the team.” The team’s two other seniors David Keane ’16 and Colton Neuberger ’16 played strong, and the squad was rounded out by Blair, who finished tied for 13th in state individually, and contributed to the team with a 74 and 77. “[Blair] was truly a surprise, but the more he played, the less of a surprise it was,” says Coach Niswonger. “He’s got a lot of talent—he’s just scratching the surface, and he’ll get stronger every year.” Niswonger also praised Steven Butler ’17 for his ability to keep things light-hearted. Niswonger says, “He’s the guy that keeps everybody laughing and eases the tension on the team.” He was also a formidable competitor. Butler shot a 2-under 69 at Brown Deer in what is believed to be the lowest sectional score ever in the state of Wisconsin with a 285. As for the state championship itself, the MUHS Hilltopper golf team finished first with a 22-over total over two days, and with a cushion of eight strokes in front of second place Middleton. With an impressive 7-over 295 on Monday, the team got off to an early lead, and never looked back. Hussey says of the opening Opposite: David Keane ’16 sinks a put to help the Hilltoppers win their first WIAA state championship in June. Photo by VIP Photography
The 2016 WIAA state champions (left to right) Colton Neuberger ’16, Jack Blair ’19, Steven Butler ’17, David Keane ’16, Evan Hussey ’16, Harrison Ott ’17 and head coach Brad Niswonger. Photo by VIP Photography
day, “We all played some of our best golf of the season on Monday. The best part was to see it all come together when it really mattered.” Adds Coach Niswonger, “The 295 the first day at University Ridge was probably even more impressive [than the 285] because of how much wind there was, and how difficult the golf course is. I couldn’t have asked for better results in either case.” Even before tournament play had ended, MUHS Athletic Director Bob Herman ’85 said, “Winning the state championship would be nice, but more important, I hope they are out there enjoying the experience and creating memories they can look back on.” The team ended up taking away some great memories—along with the state championship title. As Ott, who finished tied for second individually and is verbally committed to Vanderbilt University for golf, sums up, “Winning state was extremely gratifying and surreal. It was amazing to be a part of and to think about what we accomplished.” To a great season, full of laughs and “great memories,” Blair gave praise to the seniors Hussey, Keane and Neuberger, “The season as a whole was filled with great golf memories. With the state title, I can’t think of a better way to send off the seniors—they are truly great people and will be missed.”
www.MUHS.edu 17
SPORTS
Basketball makes state, Kowalewski plays key role Wyatt O’Loughlin ’16
The Hilltopper basketball team started the season determined to advance to state after a heartbreaking loss to West Allis Central in the sectional final last year, despite finishing the regular season with a 13–1 record.
Athletic Director Bob Herman ’85, praised Kowalewski’s performance, “He’s a great leader and disciplinarian. He has high expectations of the players in and out of school. Coach Kowalewski did a great job this year.”
This year, the Hilltoppers topped the conference again with an impressive 12–2 record before pushing through sectionals, earning a trip to state play at the Kohl Center in Madison.
Kowalewki says the team never gave up. “We’ve always had a never-quit attitude.” This perseverance not only speaks to the powerful results of a good coach, but also to the positive outcomes that come with teamwork and overcoming mental challenges.
In his second year as head basketball coach, Casey Kowalewski ’98 showed his ability to guide and lead a victorious team. MUHS
Ironically, this year’s sectional final took place at West Allis Central, home to the team that beat them in the sectional final last year. This year, the Hilltoppers faced off against a tough Milwaukee Riverside Tigers team in a 59-58 duel. Led by senior Job Alexander ’16 (who had 24 points) and support from an enthusiastic MUHS fan section, the Hilltoppers made a key stop with six seconds left in the game to keep the Tigers from delivering a buzzer-beating defeat. Brady Briska ’16, one of the seven seniors on the roster that day, reflects on the win. “The team had a great spirit about it after the win. We were really excited about how we won, and how we could go to state. We knew it was going to be a challenge, but at the time, it was great getting by Riverside.” Heading into the state tournament, the team was confident and excited. “Going into the game, the chemistry was super supportive and fun,” Nate Klein ’16 says of his state experience. “We were all on the same page, it was like playing JV basketball all over again.” Unfortunately, the Muskego Warriors defeated the Hilltoppers 62–54, with 25 points from the conference’s leading scorer, Caleb Wagner.
Head basketball coach, Casey Kowalewski ’98, who played on the Hilltoppers varsity basketball team his sophomore, junior and senior year. Photo by VIP Photography Opposite: The basketball team prior to tip off vs. Muskego at the state semi-finals at the Kohl Center in Madison. Photo by Jon Irias ’17
Although the Hilltoppers did lose at state, Herman reflects on the season as positive. “The Hilltoppers were competitive, they were great sports, they did very well in conference games and non-conference games, and then it was a great run through the playoffs. There were some incredibly exciting games, some great fan participation, and great support. Overall, it was a great community builder, so congratulations to the players.”
www.MUHS.edu 19
SPORTS
Hilltopper highlights sports Ben Kozina ’18
The soccer team, coached by Steve Lawrence ’99, won the 2015 WIAA Division 1 State Championship. The team is ranked fourth in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches of America Association. Lawrence was named Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association State Coach of the Year as well as NSCAA Great Lakes Regional Coach of the Year. Alec Philippe ’16 was named NSCAA All-American, Co-State Player of the Year, and top five in NSCAA All-Midwest. Philippe was also named to the first-team All-State with Ben Leas ’17. Jack Bradford ’16 and Michael Russell ’16 were named to the second-team All-State. Dominic Lambo ’18 received Best of the Rest All-State honors. Bradford, Chaney Chistenson ’16, Will Coffey ’16, Will Eder ’16, Tom Ehrsam ’16, James Helf ’16, Bobby Holton ’16, and Russell all received All-Conference Senior Scholars honors, recognizing varsity team students who earned a 3.5 or higher GPA. Helf and Russell were also named to the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association Academic All-State Honor Roll. The cross-country team won the sectional championship and finished fifth in the WIAA State meet. The team was also awarded Academic All-State. Coach James Kearney was named Greater Metro Conference Boys’ Coach of the Year as well as District 7 Boys’ Coach of the Year. Riley DeMeulenaere ’16 and Ryan Mauk ’16 received Individual Academic All-State honors. DeMeulenaere was
(Left to right) Ryan Mauk ’16, James McKenna ’17 and Nolan Kozinski ’18 running in the state cross-country meet. Photo by VIP Photography
also an All-State Honorable Mention. These seniors were named All-Conference Senior Scholars: Patrick Crowley, DeMeulenaere, Lukas Foy, John Kloser, Mauk, Jared Montgomery, Benjamin Nolan, Paul Scheidt, Robert Scheidt and Jonathan Skipper. The football team finished its season as a WIAA Division 1 State Semi-Finalist. Michael Crowley ’16 was named to the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association first team All-State as well as the Associated Press first-team All-State. Nicholas Leach ’16 was also named to WFCA first team All-State in addition to AP second team All-State. Jack Dwyer ’16 received WFCA honorable mention All-State. These seniors were named All-Conference Senior Scholars: William Kiesling, Nicholas Malucha, Peter Volkert, Jacob Webb and Evan Woloszyk. The volleyball team tied for fifth in the WIAA state finals. Stephen Roenitz ’16 was named to second-team All-State, and Evan Dorschner ’17 received honorable mention All-State. Ryan Ward ’16 was an All-Conference Senior Scholar.
Soccer won the WIAA Division 1 State Championship in November. (Left to right) James Helf ’16, Alec Philippe ’16, Bobby Holton ’16 and Michael Russell ’16. Photo by VIP Photography
20 MUHS Magazine
The hockey team received the Sectional 7 Academic Excellence Award, for being the team with best average GPA of the top 15 players. These seniors were named All-Conference Senior Scholars: Colin Flanagan, Grant Gauthier, Trenton Gerew, Craig Lundeen and Nicholas Mikhailov.
The swim 200 Medley Relay team of Ian Reynolds ’19, Will Grintjes ’18, Zach Sekaran ’18 and Nick Jelich ’16 placed 11th at the state meet, Grintjes placed 11th in the 100 breaststroke, and Lou Locher ’17 placed 9th in diving. These seniors were named All-Conference Senior Scholars: Adan Asad, Timothy Drought, Nicholas Grebe, Joseph McBride and Jared Montgomery. The ski team finished in ninth place at the state meet. Jack Coakley ’17 finished sixth in the slalom and qualified to represent MUHS in the Eastern Championships in New Hampshire. Sean Demmon ’16 was an All-Conference Senior Scholar. Wrestler Andy Salemme ’18 finished second at sectionals and qualified for the state wrestling meet.
Tennis won the WIAA Division 1 State Championship for the eighth time in nine years. Photo by VIP Photography
The basketball team finished its season as Greater Metro Conference champs, regional champs, sectional champs and as state semifinalists. Head coach Casey Kowalewski ’98 was named Greater Metro Conference Coach of the Year. Joe Schubert ’17 won the wheelchair WIAA state Track & Field team title. He won the 100, 400 and 800 wheelchair events and took fourth in the shot put. Other WIAA state Track & Field participants included Riley DeMeulenaere ’16, who placed 10th in the 1600 and 14th in the 3200. The 800-meter relay team Patrick English ’17, Michael Crowley ’16, Alec Czaplicki ’17 and
Zach Nogalski ’17 finished in 18th place. Senior track members DeMeulenaere, John Kloser and Ryan Mauk were named Greater Metro Scholar Athletes. The lacrosse team made it to quarterfinals of the state tournament. Lacrosse players Jon Langenfeld ’17 and Matthew Kuhn ’17 were named first-team All-State by the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation. Seniors Grant Gauthier, Jack Vincent and Ryan Duffey were named All-Conference Senior Scholars. The tennis team, coached by David J. Frank ’99, won the 2016 WIAA Division 1 State Championship. Ethan MardanusBudiono ’17, Nick Kallman ’16, Danny Royston ’16, Ben Sinense ’17 and Noah Guillermo ’18 were named first-team All-State. John Massart ’17 and Nick Yang ’18 were named second-team All-State. These seniors were named All-Conference Senior Scholars: Kallman, Royston, Daniel Storts, Evan Woloszyk, Will Coffey and Colin Kim.
Football earned a trip to state play in November. Photo by VIP Photography
The golf team, coached by Brad Niswonger, won the 2016 WIAA Division 1 State Championship. Harrison Ott ’17 was named first-team All-State, Evan Hussey ’16 named second-team AllState, and Jack Blair ’19, Steven Butler ’17 and David Keane ’16 were named Honorable Mention All-State. Colton Neuberger ’16 and John Lapcewich ’16 were named All-Conference Senior Scholars.
www.MUHS.edu 21
Rev. Warren Sazama, SJ ’64 Hearing the call of Heiliger Geist Dan Holahan
FEATURES
We should have seen it coming. Raised in a Milwaukee parish named after the Holy Ghost should have been clue of what lay ahead for the young Rev. Warren Sazama, SJ ’64.
In those days, Heiliger Geist, an ethnically German, workingclass parish with roots in the immigrant community that built Milwaukee, became the spiritual home to the Sazama family. There was Mass on Sundays with participation in the Holy Name Society for the Sazama men and attendance at Christian Women functions for the women. From his early years of spiritual instruction under the direction of the School Sisters of St. Francis, Sazama has attended Mass nearly every day since first grade. It is a blessing that he easily acknowledges. Holy Ghost parish was the religious springboard that furthered his growth in the Catholic culture that would forever imprint his life. In 1960, a young Warren Sazama left the comfort and security of his south-side enclave at 31st and Beecher to enter the formidable halls of Marquette University High School at 34th and Wisconsin. At that time, Jesuit teachers were the norm and Sazama’s own vocational direction began to take form, along with his leadership skills. Larry Hanser ’67 remembers, “In his last year or two as an MUHS student, he drove around and supervised a handful of teenagers, myself among them, selling magazines door to door as a summer job.”
However, Sazama was challenged by his senior sodality retreat at Holy Hill. Set to attend St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto with the intention of becoming an actuary, Sazama was forced to look more deeply at the decisions he was making. Through the openness to the meditation on the Kingdom of Christ, he heard the call to serve Christ along a different path. Just as it had in his old neighborhood, the Holy Ghost had spoken again! At that time, Mr. Charley Stang, SJ, a well-liked Jesuit scholastic and favorite teacher of this soon-to-be Jesuit, was a sounding board for Sazama’s discernment. Soon afterward, he entered the novitiate. His family was growing. Now the circle of “siblings” included the Jesuits at the novitiate/juniorate at St. Bonifacius outside Minneapolis. In 1968, Sazama’s next stop was Missouri and St. Louis University. He earned his degree in philosophy in 1971, an era of cultural revolution, as 60 percent of Americans opposed the war in Vietnam; Texas Instruments released the first pocket calculator; the Doors’ Jim Morrison died in Paris; Apollo 15 was launched; Amtrak was founded; Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Fla.; and the voting age was lowered to 18. That same year, Sazama returned to Marquette University High School as a scholastic, teaching science and theology, and coaching high jumpers and pole vaulters on the track team. “Father Sazama helped me to learn how to pole vault as part of the freshman track team,” Peter Cavaluzzi ’77 says. “We practiced in the third-floor gym. It was new and exciting and it was a blast! He was a good and patient coach.”
Opposite and above: Rev. Warren Sazama, SJ ’64 celebrates his last Mass of the Holy Spirit as president. Photo by VIP Photography
www.MUHS.edu 23
FEATURES REV. WARREN SAZAMA, SJ ‘64
“I had Saz for an IPS teacher in fall of 1971, and went on a retreat with him. He was not only a teacher and mentor for my class but was also a friend to all of us,” Patrick Damiano ’75 says. “I later saw him when my daughter went to Loyola University Chicago in the fall of 2004, and he remembered who I was.” Sazama’s second time around at MUHS was even better than his first. His resolve to continue to follow the “Holy Ghost way” was fortified as a Jesuit. Regency was a time of genuine formation for the young Jesuit; these years gave Father Saz a chance to drink deeply of MUHS, not as a student but as a member of the faculty. The relationships with students and other employees were instrumental in his ongoing formation as a Jesuit and a person for others. “Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam” was a call to return to the MUHS community and then to take his experience of “the High” to another family. From 1974 to 1979, Sazama earned his master’s degrees in divinity and pastoral counseling from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkley, Calif. It was an experience of community that taught him the meaning of “ecumenism” and gave him an opportunity to grow beyond the “friendly confines” of the Midwest. Serving, after ordination, as an associate pastor at St. Patrick Parish, in Oakland, Calif., Sazama discovered more friends who sustained him and gave him a chance to grow as a priest. The challenges of parish ministry also allowed him to grow in ways that would be useful in the years to come. His scholarly work had a practical benefit as his next assignment became a reality. In the year that the Sony Walkman hit the retail market, Sazama return to Marquette University High School for round three.
Father Sazama then a school counselor and teacher, celebrates Mass in the new third-floor chapel after a late-1970s renovation.
24 MUHS Magazine
Sazama threw himself into his new ministry and worked to teach, preach and touch the lives of the MUHS family once more. This time around, he worked in the areas of his academic background: theology and counseling. Tom Lacy ’89, who still stays in touch with Sazama, says, “I still cherish the important teaching moments and memories from Father Sazama during my time at MUHS in the ’80s. It’s the Jesuit spirituality he fostered in his theology classes and student retreats that I carry with me today. He has made an incredible impact on me and countless students.” John Fricker ’85 concurs with Lacy on the influence in his life. “I recall many fun times and laughs with Saz over the years but two things a bit more serious stand out as most memorable. First, is the lasting impact he has had on my faith life. During our years at Marquette High, Saz always had a special way of helping me and my classmates relate to God on a personal level and understand His presence in our daily lives. This guidance laid the foundation for my faith, which remains active today,” Fricker says. “Second, the compassion and comfort offered by Saz following a very difficult loss many years ago was an important part of helping our family through a dark time. We will always be grateful for his presence at a time when we needed it most.” During this stint at MUHS, Sazama was a part of multiple departments and wore numerous hats: theology teacher and department chair, head of Pastoral Ministry, counselor and head of Guidance. He was even optioned to the Australian province for a one-year tour during the 1990–91 school year. His work with the CLC (Christian Life Community) groups is still fondly remembered and cherished. “Father Saz was always there for his students and their parents,” recalls Brenda Bittner Stanislawski, mother of Anthony ’83 and grandmother of Benjamin Andres ’18.
Warren Sazama’s senior photo.
(Left to right) Leonard Rush, Jr. ’64, Warren Sazama ’64 and James Munroe ’64
Sazama served as manager for the sophomore football team in 1961.
“My son was in one of his very first CLC groups and still stays in touch and sees members of his group as well as Father Saz. There are no words to express the gratitude our whole family has for this amazing Jesuit in our lives.”
of life on “the Rez.” The dialogue between Christian and Lakota spiritualities grew to become the strength needed to walk in solidarity with beautiful and faithful people who have suffered great deprivations. In 1995, Sazama returned to Milwaukee to do development work for the Jesuit Partnership on behalf of Jesuits who were retired, in studies, or sharing their gifts in lands beyond the United States.
Sazama was a part of the team that began the freshman advising program, PAY, at MUHS. In 1989, he and theology teacher John St. Peter took a group of seniors to Chicago and returned with the Kairos retreat program, which recently notched the school’s 111th retreat.
After a time, Sazama’s talents were shared in another venue: vocations director for the Wisconsin Province. This gave him an opportunity to walk with a different constituency—young men and women who were considering their own call to follow Christ. Sazama saw himself as a “spiritual accompanist.” While he was speaking and praying with men who might be called to follow Ignatius of Loyola, he was also meeting a diverse group of people who were seeking the voice of God as it was speaking to their hearts. Nine men who said “yes” during this process are scheduled to be ordained this year. However, his impact as spiritual guide and mentor for so many others during this time is more difficult to numerate. In fact, while on this path at Iowa State University, the spiritual calling of Heiliger Geist (and an actual phone call from then-Provincial Rev. James Grummer, SJ) drew him back to 34th and Wisconsin.
Beyond the hallways of MUHS, Sazama also worked in Milwaukee’s central city to assist not-for-profits in their work to connect the underserved, unemployed and underemployed with jobs in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. He served on the Archdiocesan Synod of 1987 as well as with the Commission on Social Justice. Marquette High was not an entity unto itself but rather was hearing a call to “walk together” with the larger Church family and Sazama was excited to be a part of it. In 1993, Father Sazama was missioned to Red Cloud High School on the reservation at Pine Ridge. The richness and beauty of Lakota spirituality was the counterpoint to the harsh realities
Sazama was named president of Marquette University High School in 2006. His goal was to become the pastor of the MUHS
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FEATURES REV. WARREN SAZAMA, SJ ‘64
community, which he knew would be making a transition to a time when there would be fewer Jesuits and therefore the development of strong lay leadership was critical. In addition to the reality of fewer Jesuits, the talented core of veteran faculty members would eventually give way to a talented younger cadre who would continue the traditions of excellence at MUHS. The Catholic and Jesuit character of Marquette High was a gift to be strengthened especially as the face of education and the next generation of Hilltoppers became clearer. Sazama was instrumental in forming a Mission and Identity Committee to ensure the transition from past to future. As Sazama looks back on the past 10 years, he has deep regard and fondness for the community that has been so much a part of diverse passages in his life. As president, his desire was to continue the positive work environment and culture of Marquette High. The sense of community that drew him in 1960 and kept him coming back over the years, has evolved into a culture that works to enhance and deepen the community of students, parents and families, alumni, employees and the public at large. “As a father I am deeply grateful for his leadership and nurturing of Marquette High School,” says alumni parent Tim Sheehy, father of Conor ’14. “The Marquette High team had a great impact on our entire family. So in all sincerity and with great respect, Father Saz left us all a bit closer to God, and a bit lighter in the wallet. And we are better for it!” Sazama has seen positive growth at MUHS throughout his tenure as president—endowment growth especially in funds available for scholarships, capital development, a more diverse population
Father Sazama literally and figuratively passes the torch to new president Rev. Michael J. Marco, SJ at the 2016 Topper Auction.
of students, and gathering an assemblage of professional adults who are willing to say “yes” to the vision that extends back to 1857. He worked especially hard to avoid “mission drift” and to keep the Jesuit Catholic mission of MUHS strong and thriving. The faith community of Marquette High listens to the call of Christ as it comes through the tradition of St. Ignatius; it is a call to grow in our own faith and to become Christ-like men and women for others. As Sazama moves on from MUHS once again, he heads northwest to the Twin Cities to serve as pastor of the faith community of St. Thomas More in St. Paul. He will miss Marquette High and his work in the formation of students through teaching, coaching and counseling. He will always fondly treasure the relationships of people he has ministered at weddings, baptisms and funerals— the moments of life, death and resurrection. And, the feeling is mutual. “When I received him as my advisor sophomore year, I never knew the impact that he would have on my family and me,” Paul Glembocki ’12 says. “During my senior year at Marquette while my mom battled cancer, Father Saz took time out of his own schedule to visit my mom almost every week. He saw the need to help and cultivated a relationship to do that. Father Saz embodies what it means to be a man for others. I can only hope to help someone someday the way he helped me. I am eternally grateful for the connection I made with him during my time at Marquette.
The hockey team honored Father Sazama at a home game and gave him his own Hilltoppers hockey jersey.
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“Thank you for everything Father Saz!”
Mike Chaney ’63 Creating chemistry with colleagues, students Tim Prosser
FEATURES MIKE CHANEY ‘63
Mike Chaney is very proud of his St. Patrick’s Day birthday, and though his speech carries no brogue he has more than enough of the Irish for him to spin an entertaining yarn. Retired MUHS counseling director and fellow running enthusiast Johnna Papin recalls being grateful for the tales he told for almost 26 miles straight as encouragement during her first marathon. “He even promised to never repeat some of the choice comments I made as we approached a hill at mile 20,” she says. “He is such a good and loyal friend.” That vignette captures some ingredients inimical to Mike Chaney’s stellar nature: disciplined dedication; exemplary loyalty and steadfastness; and grace in perseverance, wit, friendship and humor. “He always has a twinkle in his eye, but we do not know exactly why,” rhymes newly retired English teacher Terry Kelly. That twinkle has prompted many a returned smile, a fun retort, an eyebrow raised: it is an invitation to converse, to enter his dance of play and silliness, or simply to share a laugh. His humor has lifted many of his colleagues and students on days when they needed to laugh.
“He contributed to the joy of working with each other,” recalls former teacher and administrator, and longtime friend Greg Meuler ’64. Outgoing and fun-loving, Chaney combines his love for people with his commitment to MUHS and the many students, parents, faculty and staff whose lives he has touched. Jim Wilkinson ’73, who taught Spanish at MUHS and now teaches at Divine Savior Holy Angels, grew up down the block from the Chaney family and attests, “Mike has always been a ‘people person;’ he has a wide range of friends and lives an active social life.” No doubt. He gets the gift of community and his colleagues love him for it. Before Humphrey (now Takton) Field, before the Noack Fitness Center, before the renovated classrooms, and long before the recent building campaign, a certain MUHS principal kept on his door a poster of Raggedy Andy, reminding others not to take themselves too seriously. And this principal’s assistant, Mr. Mike Chaney, while maintaining an utmost degree of professionalism, took this message to heart. (Although he hardly needed such encouragement because humor is as natural to him as breathing.) Chaney has formed lifelong relationships with an array of personalities who love him—his colleagues, his students and his friends. We stand in awe of the kind and thoughtful energy he has sustained for so many through the years. “Mike Chaney is one of the funniest people I know,” Papin says. “His wit is just as sharp with the 6 a.m. breakfast group as it is later in the day, breaking the tension of a serious meeting with a one-liner so that we can refocus on the business at hand with lighter hearts and perhaps clearer minds.” Chaney’s companions express an everlasting fondness for him. Tim Malloy ’62, recalls him as “a thoughtful, spiritual fellow who was a joy to be with.” Denny Kelly ’63 has remained a close friend. “Mike gets much of his personality from his parents. His dad had a crazy sense of humor, too. Mike is a great conversationalist with whom you might spend hours, a deep thinker whose thoughts can turn on a dime to something outrageously funny.”
Top: Mike Chaney in 1992, his last year as dean of students; bottom left: Chaney in 1983; bottom right: Chaney’s senior photo in 1963
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Not long after Michael Ross Chaney was born in Kingston, Penn., his parents, John and Grace, relocated to Minneapolis for 10 years while his dad was in military service. The family, including Chaney’s two brothers and a sister, then moved to Milwaukee. Mike started sixth grade at St. Robert’s in Shorewood before eventually attending MUHS, which he refers to as “great years.”
While at MUHS Chaney’s passion for science was sparked, and he went on to earn his undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemistry at Marquette University, matriculating in 1975. For 21 years Chaney served MUHS as assistant principal and the officially titled Dean of Discipline from 1971 to 1992. In 1981 he earned his certificate in secondary administration in a post-Master’s program at UW–Milwaukee. Chaney’s coaching career began in 1982, when he was asked by cross-country coach Jim Kearney to be the assistant coach. Butch Cassidy and Sundance had nothing on these two. Kearney recalls Chaney’s use of rhyme as a mnemonic device for keeping the multitude of runners’ names straight: there were “Haskell the Rascal” and “Dhaliwaladoodle all the day, fare thee well.” One season Chaney invented a training regimen that, in order to complete, would have required every runner to mark a personal best performance that day. Kearney once argued with him about a route with a hill that Chaney insisted had no hill. “There’s no hill,” Chaney ranted. “Yes, there is,” asserted Kearney. The argument continued. Kearney remembers, “Well, Chaindog [Chaney] returns from the workout later that afternoon, he stoops over, hands on knees and blasts, ‘That @#!$%&* hill!’” “The kids respected him and treated him well,” Kearney says. “because they were able to see him in a light other than that of disciplinarian. Mike was an asset to the program and each season’s team.” Chaney’s love of running was a gift to share with everyone, as far as he was concerned. Faculty members and former students would meet at his home to run the lakefront on Sunday mornings and end with a dive in the Michigan drink. An accomplished marathoner, he is always humble about his accomplishments—on and off the field of competition. Despite a desire to remain in administration, Chaney came to a crossroads in his career. In 1992, Chaney relinquished the position of dean of students to Rev. Mike Kolb, SJ, and with enthusiasm and grace reentered the MUHS classroom to teach chemistry. He had never really left, though, because he had been teaching chemistry in the evenings at Milwaukee Area Technical College, which he has done for 35 years. From the start of his professional journey, Chaney has remained steadfast to his first professional ambition. Chaney kept expanding his skills and knowledge working summers at Hydrite Chemical in Milwaukee. While acknowledging Chaney’s passion and interest in his students, CEO Mike Honkamp ’59 hoped Chaney would join the company as either a full-time chemist or salesperson: “He is both technically proficient and talented. He has
had a wonderful career in education and he would have done so in whatever field he had chosen,” Honkamp says. “I have seen him just marvel at his students and what they have gone on to do. He stays in touch with some of them to this day. At the MUHS Discovery World event a few years back, we couldn’t go six feet without him being stopped and greeted by former students and parents.” Another Catholic schools educator, Chaney’s friend Roger Baehr states, “One trait about Mike that I truly admire is that he takes a sincere interest in his former students. Whether we are at a social event, an athletic event or just out for dinner, Mike makes time to speak with them. Mike cares about what they are currently doing and his students have a high regard and great respect for Mike.”
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FEATURES MIKE CHANEY ‘63
Chaney’s effect on kids’ discovering their passions and helping them discern their lives proved a career constant. “Mr. Chaney sparked my interest in chemistry. I took both general and AP chemistry with him and loved both classes. That interest led me to study chemical engineering at UW–Madison . . . I look back at my time in his classes as one of the reasons for the great career path I have discovered,” says Tim Sullivan ’08, now working for a Madison chemical company. Perhaps more in keeping with Chaney’s own tone, Conrad Kaminski ’12 remembers, “Mr. Chaney always advised us to ‘find a lab partner who’s smarter than you are’—wise words from a great man, teacher and role model. Marquette will miss him.” Stanford University junior Patrick O’Grady ’14 adds, “Mr. Chaney has been one of the best friends I made at Marquette High. He is committed to being a teacher of the person as much as being a teacher of the student. Almost every day at lunch I would go up to his room to eat and chat with him. I remember one day in particular where I had been very interested in working with fuel cells and he put a lab together for us to do, just me and him. Personally, I don’t know what else someone could want from any person. He will be missed dearly.” Chaney is remembered with equal reverence by the students who had to meet with him when he was a school disciplinarian. Andrew
Dhuey ’85, recalls being a frequent guest in Mr. Chaney’s administrative office. Running an NCAA basketball tourney pool one winter, Andrew was seen changing money. “Mr. Chaney asked me if I was involved, and I replied, ‘Yes, it’s very much like the faculty’s NCAA pool.’ He thought for a minute and said, ‘OK, you can go back to class.’” Chaney’s impact has been just as profound on the MUHS faculty. Colleague and former science chair Jim Kostenko says, “Mike is very pastoral. He makes a point to know how things are going with others not just professionally but also personally. He is genuinely interested in people. He might have attended more than the Jesuits Marquette-related funerals, even those of faculty in-laws. Something rare about Mike: he might get upset but I have never seen him in a bad mood because of it.” Kostenko adds that the departments of Chaney’s tenure never had anyone so knowledgeable in chemistry. “He stays current by reading and working. He even has worked with Glen Sebourg, at one time the only person alive to have an element named for him.” Several years ago, Chaney and Kostenko together toured the Los Alamos nuclear test site. Veteran teacher now retired, Mike Donovan mentions that one of Chaney’s assets to the school is his versatility in teaching students of any ability and just about any scientific content. “At the same time, he had regular, accelerated and advanced placement sections, five sections of three different courses. We never had anyone so qualified teaching the freshman Introductory Physical Science. He helped develop its success even as it evolved into Introduction to Concepts in Chemistry. Teaching Chem 2 for years, he covered topics not studied in other courses, including nuclear and organic chemistry.” Science teachers newer to the faculty speak of his professional influence while observing and studying his habits. Biology and chemistry teacher, Nicole Williams says, “When interviewed by Mike to teach here, I identified with the labs, especially the AP ones, that he runs—they really struck home for me. He chooses meaningful content and lab experiences that help a kid learn chemistry. He is a walking, talking chemistry book in terms of his knowledge and expertise.”
Mike Chaney ’63 (pictured) invited Dr. Don Showalter, professor emeritus and former chairman of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point, to MUHS every four years to perform his World of Chemistry show for students.
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Williams notes that Chaney also enjoys using the lab’s new distillery, though department members puzzle over Chaney’s fascination with it. “He arrives early every day and it’s already been running.” Physics and chemistry teacher, Carl Kaiser concerns himself more over why the Geiger counter “always goes nuts when it’s near Chaney’s lunch. We’re not yet certain whether his diet is radioactive or that Mike himself is a nuclear phenomenon.”
AP Chemistry students created University of Chaney t-shirts in honor of their chemistry teacher, Mike Chaney ’63.
Amid this rich school life, Chaney raised three children with his wife Kathy. Mike and Kathy married in 1968, and have lived in Shorewood ever since. Math teacher and chair Beth Piper observes: “Lucky for me and my family that my friendship with Mike has also turned into a lovely friendship with his wife, Kathy. She has become a sort of fairy godmother to my son. The love that Mike and Kathy have for each other, for their family and for their friends serves as a wonderful model for all who know them. Mike is someone I can depend on for friendship, support and lively banter.”
menu of service to reveal Chaney’s dedication, consider the interest and fun Chaney has brought students through his love of scuba diving. Having gained his diving instructor’s license, for 10 years he moderated the Scuba Club, and has taken students to Mexico on dives, many of them for the first time in their lives. “I can’t recall ever thinking that I didn’t want to do this. I never called in just to take a day off. There is nowhere else I would like to teach at the high school level,” Chaney says. Rev. Frank Majka, SJ, a cohort for decades, affirms, “Mike would never admit it, but he truly is a man for others.”
Mike is always ready to share his family’s news. His and Kathy’s daughter Elizabeth and her husband Bryan Beauchamp are parents to Christian ’19; son Matt ’91, and spouse Libby live and work in Kennebunkport, Maine; and son Christopher resides in St. Paul. The faculty also witnesses the value Chaney places on community in his sharing of those less recognized roles and labors so vital to our school. In addition to staffing retreats, chaperoning dances and assisting at other MUHS events, Chaney has also served as work grant program moderator, sophomore retreat coordinator, and summer-school principal. He was among the charter faculty of the PAY (Positive Alternatives for Youth, since revised as Freshman Advising) program, ran the graduation ceremony for years and has facilitated small groups of students facing addictive behaviors. The senior class of 1985 honored Chaney by electing him the faculty speaker for commencement. If that were not a broad enough
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Terry Kelly Building community with humor, compassion Julie Felser 32 MUHS Magazine
FEATURES
If Terry Kelly should ever call you “buffalo breath,” a “useless sack of aardvark barf” or a “dim-witted pus bag,” don’t take offense—it means he likes you.
“When you got hit with a zinger like this from Coach Kelly, you knew it wasn’t an insult, quite the opposite. It was one of these moments, as much as any other, that made me feel like a part of the MUHS family,” says James Wermers ’99, who teaches in the humanities at Arizona State University. “Coach taught me that humor can be a way to build community.” After 48 years of teaching—37 at MUHS—longtime English teacher and coach Terry Kelly retired from the classroom in May. He, along with his engaging, offbeat wit, will return in the fall as a part-time tutor. When confronted about the countless quips alumni attribute to him, Kelly says with a twinkle in his eye, “In the spirit of Yogi Berra, I didn’t say all those things that people said I said.” Although he confesses with a wry smile to “trying to get these young men’s attention every now and then.” Stephen Ciatti ’88, principal mechanical engineer and technical lead at Argonne National Laboratory in the Chicago area, recalls his favorite Kelly pep talk before a race, “We have the most balanced mile-relay team at this meet! The good, the bad and Ciatti. No problem.”
Kelly hints that the famous award he created for Hilltopper football players was born from a self-deprecating reference to himself. “There was a reason there was the Ugliest Lineman award, right?! We can’t all be quarterbacks,” says Kelly, who played football in high school and college. But this honor has nothing to do with looks. On the contrary, it acknowledged a lineman’s hard work and perseverance on the gridiron. And it’s on the football field where Kelly made a lasting impression with his players. Tim Sweeney ’09 remembers, “After a quick pep talk, Coach Kelly grabbed my football face mask and head-butted me with his bare skull. I’m pretty sure it hurt me more than him. What a savage . . . I just love that guy!” Director of international business for Siemens Energy Management, Martin Carney ’86 has a similar memory. “Clearly, his head is made out of iron, because during practice Coach Kelly would jump on the line with no pads, and play defense to show us how it’s done. This made such an impression on me that I did the same when coaching my son’s little league football until the eighth grade,” he says. “At that point the kids were getting too big for me and the hits started to hurt. Coach Kelly had no fear of being hit by the MUHS seniors.”
Ciatti says, “Mr. Kelly has been one of the most important teachers/coaches that I’ve ever had. His intelligence, humor and blue-collar work ethic are a rare combination.” Duke Volpe ’14, a finance and accounting major at UW–Milwaukee, fondly recalls his favorite Kelly-ism: “Mr. Kelly telling me the reason I wore Duke apparel during school was so I could remember my name—and he never missed an opportunity! It was three semesters of pure enjoyment as his student.” Kelly does admit that he has used humor as a way to connect with his students over the years. “Kids have to know that you’re having fun with them, not at their expense,” he says. “If you don’t laugh every day, I think you miss something.” His students aren’t the only ones he pokes fun at. “I make fun of myself. I do a lot of self-deprecating humor.” Kelly says. Fellow English teacher and office mate for 37 years, Tim Prosser says Kelly “is the crown prince of a self-deprecating humor, which borders on a form of masochism.”
Terry Kelly in 1990.
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FEATURES TERRY KELLY
Underneath his stronger-than-steel exterior, Kelly has a softer, endearing side. He genuinely cares about his students, players and colleagues. Carney says, “I was struggling with some personal issues during junior year. Mr. Kelly saw this and helped me through the ordeal.” John Hopkinson ’85 was in Kelly’s freshman English class and recalls one of Kelly’s caring gestures. “I was on the freshman football team, but had never played before. After practice one day in the locker room hallway, I overheard Mr. Kelly ask an assistant coach, ‘How’s Hopkinson doing?’ The answer was a polite ‘okay.’ That stayed with me because I was amazed that someone would care how I was doing. It made me feel welcome at a school, which to that point, had felt very different to me.” Prosser says of his longtime friend, “Terry possess an amazing depth of compassion especially for kids, but also adults who are suffering loss, and supports them into their futures as they sojourn.” Mike Feely ’89, who had Kelly as a teacher and now teaches English at MUHS, says Kelly has a gift for providing just the right words at just the right time. “Terry has the ability, with a joke or a kind supportive word, to make a bad day good and a good day great,” Feely says. “I will miss his ability to calm when calming was needed or get the adrenaline going with his pregame pep-talk style.” In addition to his ability to connect with students and colleagues with humor and compassion, Kelly is a skilled educator in the classroom who has taught generations of Hilltoppers how to master the five-paragraph essay and write short stories.
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“Mr. Kelly was the best freshman English teacher I could’ve had. He was the first teacher I had who really helped me learn how to write well,” says Bill Jones ’08, a competitive intelligence coordinator at Tractor Supply Co. “My writing skills have always been a strong point for me in my academic and professional career, and Mr. Kelly gave me the push I needed to be a good writer.” Kyle Sweeney ’02, director of investment management at Omega Healthcare Investors, says, “He taught me how to write a paper in expository writing. Still to this day I think of his mantra; ‘show, don’t tell.’” Providing a teacher prospective, Feely explains, “Terry has diverse interests in the things he reads and his beliefs about what constitutes good writing. His ability to explain both to the teenage mind is exemplary. His content knowledge is outstanding and went miles beyond any textbook.” Kelly shares that he employed a number of different strategies both in and outside of the classroom to engage and teach his students. He believes in delivering blunt honesty. “I don’t believe in BS. I do have a phrase about driving the bull truck,” he says. As a learning device, he would incorporate all the guys’ names into sentences for quizzes in his class. Kelly did this so “they would feel more at ease. You know, a test doesn’t have to be this foreign thing, it’s part of their everyday life,” he says. Kelly always tried to keep an open ear to his students to gauge his own performance. “You want to make sure that you listen to your
Then-head football coach Dick Basham (left) and Terry Kelly after winning the WIAA Division 1 State Football Championship in 2009. Photo by VIP Photography
students and catch what’s really important,” he explains. “If a student is complaining about doing something, probably 90 percent of the time it’s because you’re making him do something beneficial—it’s hard. But you do have to be aware that 10 percent of the time maybe you [as the educator] did something that didn’t make total sense. You need to listen to your students, but have some filters on that.” He also offers this bit of advice: Don’t let the last thing that you say to a student be a negative. Delivered with classic Terry Kelly humor, he says, “Don’t let your last parting shot be ‘you worthless piece of pond scum.’ You can start by saying, ‘you know, you are really the dumbest guy I know, but you’re working hard. I’m sure you’re going to overcome it.’ You can correct them, but you always have to leave them with something they can build on.” Jordan McMonagle ’86, an Atlanta-based cinematographer who films around the globe, recalls of his English teacher, “He always made me feel like I needed to try harder. That affects me to this day. Thank you, Mr. Kelly, you are a good man.” When asked what he is most proud of, he responds, “I think the thing I take the most pride in is helping people achieve what they’re capable of and maybe they didn’t know it; they sold themselves short. I take satisfaction in just the enjoyment of seeing somebody being able to perform and feel good about themselves, whether that’s writing a paper or mastering a particular skill. When I hear kids say, ‘you really made a difference’ that’s what I’m proud of.” Born in Detroit, Kelly moved to the Minneapolis area with his family just before he began high school. In 1963, he graduated
from the all-boys high school Saint Thomas Academy, where he participated in both football and track. He went on to attend St. Norbert’s College and continued playing football and helped begin its club hockey team, which eventually became a varsity sport. Kelly will be honored in October by St. Norbert’s College with the school’s Alma Mater award, which recognizes a graduate who lives a life reflective of Christian ideals and demonstrates distinction in his/her professional field. Kelly became lifelong friends with his St. Norbert’s roommate, nowretired MUHS math teacher, Doug Harder, who shared Kelly’s humor. As the story goes, while they were in college, the two friends, along with five other guys, drove to Florida in Terry’s car—a used hearse. The group was pulled over by police while in the Sunshine State. As it turned out, the same model of hearse was used as a getaway car in a nearby robbery. The innocent spring-breakers were eventually released. After earning his bachelor’s degrees in English and history, he landed his first teaching position at Lake Mills High School. When he left Lake Mills in 1975, he received the Lake Mills Jaycees Outstanding Young Educator’s Award for his exemplary work in the classroom. The same year, he earned his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from UW–Milwaukee. Kelly taught at Kewaskum, Wis., for two years before accepting a teaching and coaching position at Brookfield Central High School. He was there for a year when now-retired math teacher, athletic director and head football coach Dick Basham called Kelly about
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FEATURES TERRY KELLY
coming to MUHS. “I actually turned the job down. At that point it was too big of a pay cut. That was one of the hardest choices I had to make,” Kelly says. A year later, Basham called Kelly again to let him know of another opening at Marquette High. “I figured somebody was trying to tell me something,” Kelly says. “The idea that our three sons could go [to MUHS] weighed into that decision.” Kelly accepted and started teaching at MUHS in 1979. As Kelly was building a name for himself in the classroom and on the athletic fields, he was forging friendships with his fellow faculty members, including the Prossers, Papins and Boneshos. “My colleagues here have had a tremendous impact on me,” says Kelly. “You know, I’ve worked with marvelous people [here]; all the people who mentored me, the people who have given me some kind of identity I’d like to strive for . . . there’s so many of them it’s incredible.”
office before MUHS had a full-time admissions director. He was happy to help, but never considered a transition to administration. “I enjoyed the classroom too much,” he says. For both him and his students, it was too much fun to leave. Of course, a tribute to Kelly wouldn’t be complete without mentioning his laser-precise aim with an eraser. “If a student would dare slip off to sleep during class, Mr. Kelly would grab an eraser, wheel and pelt the unconscious Hilltopper right in his head to bring him back to reality,” Hopkinson says. “In my mind’s eye, the eraser always hits the sleeping boy right in his forehead, with a plume of chalk billowing into the air while the groggy teenager lifts his head. And, the scene makes me laugh all over again.”
Kelly has served as a mentor to many himself, and he always advised new teachers to get involved.
As Kelly reflects on his career, he says “I feel blessed. Not selfsatisfied, but blessed.” And he appreciates how MUHS inspired him to be his best. “I think that the type of place that Marquette High is, it kind of gets your best effort 90-some percent of the time,” he says. That best effort was recognized by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association, which inducted Kelly into its Hall of Fame in 2008.
“Don’t just lock yourself in a room. Listen to people. Seek advice and sort through it and find what’s going to apply to who you are,” Kelly says. “I think you have to be yourself.
He also appreciates the community that he and his family built around the school, starting with his sons, Brian ’90, Peter ’93 and Tim ’95. “It was such a remarkable gift for them to be able to go here.” His wife, Peg, also enjoyed it he says. “Peg oftentimes says, ‘This is amazing; everywhere we go, somebody is saying hi.’”
But I think sometimes you can be a better self when people have given you a couple hints.”
Brian is a property manager and his wife Sarah heads up the sonogram department at St. Francis Hospital. They have two daughters. Peter followed his father into education and teaches AP U.S. History at Hartford High School, where he also coaches track. He and his wife, Maria (a physical therapist in Mequon) have three kids. Tim, a graphic designer with Franklin Energies in Port Washington, and his wife, Adriana, an arbitrator for the National Labor Relations Board, have two preschool-aged sons. “All the Kelly males have outkicked their coverage,” he says with his trademark self-deprecation when referring to his wife and daughter-in-laws.
Over the years, Kelly made sure to stay involved beyond teaching and coaching. He was the Senior Shared Life director for 35 years, coordinator of the STAR program, and lent a hand in the front
Kelly says he and Peg, who recently celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary, are lucky their children—and seven grandkids—are in the area. That is one reason for his “soft retirement,” at the age of 71. He will still be around part time next year because “I don’t want to just totally walk away. I enjoy the classroom. And I didn’t want to stop because I had to. I didn’t want somebody to tap me on the shoulder and say, ‘you know you stayed too long.’ So far that hasn’t happened. I wanted to be able to make that call myself.”
The Kelly family (left to right): Tim, Adriana, Sarah, Brian, Terry, Maria, Peg and Peter.
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And so, after nearly a half-century in the classroom, Terry Kelly is still making the call—and it’s as strong as ever.
Rev. Terry Brennan, SJ Sharing the Spirit through song Julie Felser www.MUHS.edu 37
FEATURES REV. TERRY BRENNAN, SJ
As English teacher Ann Downey finished her tribute to her retiring colleague at Marquette High’s annual end-of-theyear employee celebration, Rev. Terry Brennan, SJ, weaved his way through the crowd to the podium. He greeted Downey with a warm embrace and, then with microphone in hand, thanked her for her gracious comments.
“I know it’s common to give remarks, however I would like to do something a little different,” Brennan explained to the group. “I wrote a little song about Marquette High I would like to sing for you. And, I would like your help singing the refrain. I put a copy on your table.” With theology teacher Dan Holahan strumming his guitar in the background, Brennan shared his vocal gifts and songwriting talents with the crowd: To a quaint little town called Milwaukee I came 23 years ago, After meeting both Quillin and Meuler I chose to be part of the show While Snopek polished the building and Hardtke taught math clearly, Stang, Vogt and Chaney did their best to blow up the building nearly “Everybody join in,” Brennan exclaimed over the cheers and laughter. The group obliged. This school it sparkles like diamonds, it’s easy to give her a hand Sure MUHS is tremendous, so proud to be best in the land The end-of-the-year retirement party is far from Brennan’s only MUHS audience. In 2006, while teaching both at MUHS and
at Nativity Jesuit Middle School, Brennan treated more than 600 Marquette High auction attendees to an impromptu song. The auctioneer introduced the voice auction package, “A Mexican Dinner with Father Brennan, donated by Nativity parents,” and invited Brennan to the stage. Promising the winning bidder an evening of great food and music, Brennan offered a glimpse of the evening’s entertainment by belting out an Irish melody. Guests cheered, paddles were raised and the dinner sold for $5,500. However, Brennan has shared his musical talents at more serious events. MUHS Vice President of Development John Thimmesch ’77 recalls how Brennan wrote and sang a song for the funeral of his mother, Dorothy Thimmesch. “My mother would have loved it. She was a devout Catholic, and of Irish descent,” Thimmesch says. “To know that a priest wrote a song for her for her funeral would have been extremely meaningful to her. [The song] was beautiful and very meaningful to me and my family. It’s what everyone was talking about after Mass.” Brennan traces his love of music back to his childhood. Born to Edward, a Bible salesman and church choir director, and Annabelle Brennan, a stay-at-home mother, in Waterloo, Iowa, Terry was the middle child with one older brother and sister and one younger brother and sister. “Need I remind you that perfection lies in the middle,” Brennan says with a charming smile and sparkle in his eye. “My brothers and sisters would not argue with that.” The Brennan children were raised in the same house where their dad grew up, which was built by their grandfather, son of an Irish immigrant. “I’m three-quarters Irish. My Irish ethnic background has always been important to me and my family,” Brennan says. “And, I’ve always been proud of my home state though I haven’t lived there since I left high school. Good Iowa blood!”
The Brennan family in 1949 (left to right): Mary Ann, Edward, baby Kevin, Terry, Annabelle, Rose Marie and Michael. Previous page: Rev. Terry Brennan, SJ is proud of his three-quarters Irish background. His remaining quarter is German.
38 MUHS Magazine
Brennan grew up in a strong faith environment. He and his siblings attended Catholic schools in addition to daily Mass and Holy Hour on Sunday afternoons. Receiving Communion has remained constant throughout Brennan’s life. “I think I can say that, whenever humanly possible, I’ve been to Mass every day since I made my First Communion in second grade.”
cooked for him. When Brennan returned home four years later for a visit, his mother died of cancer. He was 21. Brennan earned his bachelor’s degree in philosophy and French from Saint Louis University in 1970 and was then assigned to St. Francis Mission on the Rosebud Indian Reservation to teach speech, English and French. “I was young and naïve and fresh and didn’t fully realize the violent culture and atmosphere I was walking into,” Brennan says. Within the first week of arriving, he better understood his new reality. “A big sophomore threw me up against the wall,” Brennan explains. “Then, using the student’s native Lakota language, I said, ‘This is my jacket.’ I would have liked to have said ‘Get your hands off me,’ but I didn’t know how to say that. Well, he let me go and never gave me any trouble after that. “Because I spoke his language, he respected that. I’ve often told that story as a language teacher as a way to show the importance and respect you give to another culture when you learn their language.”
Top: Terry Brennan, SJ, singing at his diaconate ordination in Cambridge, Mass. in November 1975. Bottom: Father Brennan with Mike Frank ’03 and Tim Russell ’03 in 2002 on a Somos Amigos trip in the Dominican Republic. Brennan loved celebrating Mass every night with the Dominican people in their homes. He would also travel to pray with the sick and bless marriages while in the DR.
And, he explains there were “a lot of religious in the family. Two of my aunts, two first cousins and at least two second cousins and a great aunt were nuns,” he says. One of his brothers went to the Jesuits and a sister to the Maryknolls, but neither would stay. At a young age, Terry chose to devote his life to God, after a brief interest in another career.
Even though he learned the Lakota language, Brennan still encountered dangerous situations, including twice being confronted by students at knife-point. “I don’t even remember why they were angry, maybe I had given them bad grades or something like that,” he says. “Both times, I calmly backed away and ignored [the person]. It wasn’t personal. Kids would get drunk and go wild. It was just a violent culture. Ten percent of my freshman homeroom died before senior graduation.” Despite these difficulties, Brennan reflects fondly on his time at St. Francis Mission and says he developed a deeper compassion
“I wanted to be a policeman in first grade and then I wanted to be a priest in second grade— and it never changed after that,” he says. “When I was a senior in high school, I simply told the guidance counselor that I wanted to be a Jesuit, like my older brother was at that time.” And, the reason he wanted to be a Jesuit? “Two reasons—I wanted to be a teacher and I wanted to be a priest,” Brennan says. He was among the 200 students to graduate from Catholic Columbus High School in 1964. The night before he left for the Jesuit Novitiate in Minneapolis, his mother offered him the dinner of his choosing. “I asked for hotdogs for my last meal at home. That is my favorite meal,” he says. As it would turn out, that was the last meal his mother
www.MUHS.edu 39
FEATURES REV. TERRY BRENNAN, SJ
and understanding “for people who didn’t seem to have been given a fair share of this world’s goods or the privileges that we are born with,” he says. “Life isn’t just a bowl of cherries and it doesn’t go according to everyone’s expectations. I think that was very key for experiencing and better understanding cura personalis and compassion.” It was on the reservation that he also discovered his natural aptitude for languages. “I learned that I had something of a gift with languages because I went from Latin to French to their language of Lakota,” he says. However, he wouldn’t learn Spanish until nearly 20 years later. After attending graduate school at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass.; teaching at Holy Rosary Mission on the Pine Ridge reservation; and serving as assistant pastor at Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Mankato, Minn., and at St. Francis Mission, he was assigned to teach French and theology at Creighton Prep in Omaha, Neb. But when the demand for Spanish started increasing, Brennan was asked to make a switch.
“I took a Spanish class at Creighton U that summer and it just changed my life,” he says. “It opened my eyes to all these people that speak it. And that led me to summers in Mexico and Spain and studying more. It was very rewarding.” After six years at Creighton Prep, Brennan came to MUHS in 1993 to teach theology and Spanish. In addition to classroom responsibilities, he celebrated school Masses and was involved in the retreat programs. In 1995, Sue Smith, then-MUHS vice president and now president of Nativity Jesuit Academy, along with Rev. Doug Leonhardt, SJ ’56, then-MUHS president and now superior of the St. Camillus Jesuit Community, approached Brennan about a service trip to the Dominican Republic called Somos Amigos. “He was very enthusiastic about the idea,” Smith recalls. “He did a great job investing the time and effort in launching the program.” Psychology teacher, Janice Kofler who went on the inaugural Somos Amigos trip with Rev. Rob Kroll, SJ ’83 and Brennan, says that over the years, “the Somos Amigos program seemed to ignite a fire within Terry. He has a passion for the people of the Dominican Republic, and a desire to share the gifts gleaned from the mission trip with our students,” she says. “It was not simply a yearly service trip for Fr. Brennan. Terry became an integral part of the lives of the Dominicans through the program and their faith and joy energized him throughout the year.” Ann Downey, who for years led a Somos Amigos group to the Working Boys Center in Quito, Ecuador, traveled to the DR with Brennan in 2003. “Terry was the first one into the latrine holes and took his turn like everybody else. He was a no-nonsense worker and didn’t tolerate tomfoolery lightly,” she says. “While he liked to have a good time joking and laughing with the Dominicans and our boys, he insisted that our primary job was to work.” She also recalls the joy he felt celebrating Mass in people’s homes every night and connecting with the families. “He loved to sing and thoroughly enjoyed the party the campo threw for us on the final evening,” she says. “We would clean up and then walk to a local colmado (grocery store) to buy an ice-cold Coke in a bottle. We’d drink our Cokes and chat with anyone we saw.” Brennan’s natural ability and enjoyment of connecting with people was apparent in his classroom. MUHS Spanish teacher Dick Hallberg says, “Terry got to know his students, was very organized and sang songs, especially on Fridays. Never a dull momento with Padre!” Chris Chang ’07 a family medicine resident at University of Massachusetts Medical School fondly remembers “his patient
40 MUHS Magazine
Father Brennan moderated the Sheepshead homeroom and enjoyed playing card games.
teaching, his passion for Somos Amigos, and his dramatic recitation from memory of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky.”
a while and said a prayer and off he went to visit another of his fortunate friends.”
Andy Owsiak ’98, associate professor in the Department of International Affairs at the University of Georgia, says Brennan had a knack of balancing high standards and expectations with patience and a genuine concern for students. “I remember this vividly, particularly because I had an unusually (and inexplicably) difficult freshman year,” Owsiak says. “The respect for, dedication to, and love for his students is something I never doubted then, but can see even more clearly in hindsight—from the friendly ‘hellos’ in the halls to asking how we were doing in study hall to just a simple smile. All those small things added up and made a difference to me. It’s something I think of now and try to emulate in my interactions with my students.”
Spanish teacher Marie Mansfield shares a similar admiration for her colleague and dear friend. “I truly admire, respect and love Padre. What stands out the most for me about Padre is his total and unconditional love for everyone with whom he relates,” she says. “He does not judge. Padre listens carefully, and responds compassionately, respectfully and truthfully. He truly wants everyone to grow closer to God and has successfully dedicated his life to this end.”
Colleagues also felt Brennan’s sincere care and compassion. “If you forgot when your birthday was, Terry would always remind you,” Hallberg says. “He never failed to leave a nice birthday card with a handwritten note in my mailbox. He did this for many of his MUHS colleagues.” Hallberg recalls a time when he fell and broke his hip. “I will never forget the time he “stopped by” during one of his cross-country summer expeditions to visit me at a hospital in San Antonio, Texas. In strolled Terry. ‘The hospital was easy to find,’ he said. We chatted
While Brennan is retiring from teaching, he has accepted a new assignment as minister at the St. Camillus Jesuit Community in Milwaukee. Although he will be a short drive away from MUHS, Mansfield says she will miss seeing him on a daily basis. “I will mostly miss Padre Brennan’s daily presence, which brings peace and comfort. His presence shows us how to live, and how to be with Christ,” Mansfield says. “He was, and still is, an integral part of our department that brings us together and shows us God. Padre has been an important and life-changing part of my time at MUHS.”
www.MUHS.edu 41
FEATURES
Rashad Cobb ’96 An agent of social change Joe Costa ’88
The Green Bay Chamber of Commerce commended Cobbs’ many efforts in 2015 as one of their “Future 15” young professionals whose work has influenced the growth, prosperity and quality of life in Brown County. From those 15 individuals, Cobb was named the Young Professional of the Year. Accolades aside, Cobb’s humility and genuine desire to help people succeed are deeply embedded qualities. After graduating from Marquette University in 2001 with a degree in business management, Cobb knew the corporate environment would not be the best fit. Cobb says he began working “with and for” people in workforce development at the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership.
Rashad Cobb ’96, Director of Education and Career Development Initiatives at the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay, joins the kids behind him for their daily snack.
Rashad Cobb ’96 didn’t know it at the time, but his Senior Shared Life experience in 1996 proved a harbinger of his future commitment to helping others reach their full potential. “If you had asked me to volunteer five minutes of my time I would have laughed,” Cobb jokes, but “that spirit had been planted in me without my knowing it.” Currently, Cobb serves as the Director of Education and Career Initiatives at the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay, one of the most decorated and respected Boys & Girls Clubs of America affiliates in the nation. He directly oversees programming designed to help hundreds of young people set goals, manage academics, build confidence and motivation, and develop both career and life skills. Cobb’s service to the community does not end with his work at the Boys & Girls Club. He contributes his energy, expertise and leadership by serving on the boards of the Brown County United Way, the Literacy Green Bay and NeighborWorks, a community development organization in Green Bay that guides individuals and families through the entire home buying process. He also supports the Green Bay Public School District in a variety of ways.
42 MUHS Magazine
When his wife, Brittany, was offered an opportunity as a nursing home administrator in Green Bay, the Cobbs transplanted and Rashad took a position at the Oshkosh Correctional Institution preparing soon-to-be-released inmates with a variety of skills they would need to find and maintain jobs once their sentences ended. Additionally, knowing that so many of those incarcerated struggled with mental health problems, Cobb found ways to connect these individuals to proper services for necessary care and medication. Eventually, Cobb did use his skills as a wealth management professional for Associated Banks. Although he saw the importance of the work, he felt the need to serve elsewhere. “That job didn’t feed my soul,” he says, “You only have one life to live and you have to fill it up with something. What’s going to be your story? I got love for people, for humanity; I want to see people reach their fullest potential. I want to be that agent of change.” Agent of change illustrates precisely what Cobb does on a daily basis in his work at the Boys & Girls Club of Green Bay. Specifically, he oversees two major programs: Teens 2 Work (T2W) and Be Great Graduate, both programs that outfit kids with the tools, experiences and specific skills they will need to reach their full potential. T2W is a career-readiness program that serves more than 100 kids a year, providing three stand-alone programs aimed at a holistic preparation for life after high school. The first step is Career Launch, a skill-building program incorporating interest inventories, resume
writing, mock interviewing and strategies for kids to identify their strengths and experiences. The second step, Money Matters, teaches important lessons about checking accounts, the dangers of credit card debt and strong decision-making regarding needs versus wants. “Many of the people we serve are living in generational poverty,” Cobb says. “So not only are we teaching the kids, but their families are learning too.” The final stage in T2W, Junior Staff, actually puts kids to work in paid positions within the Boys & Girls Club. Those hours of experience have proven invaluable as individuals seek employment opportunities beyond the Boys & Girls Club. Be Great Graduate is also a preparatory program which helps kids pursue post-secondary education opportunities. Cobb stages college tours that highlight not only the academic life of university students, but also the social opportunities and community environment, making, for some, the prospect of attending college more enticing. The program also encourages academic achievement by building incremental changes in students’ perceptions towards school, as well as study habits well before they need to
make decisions about college. Currently, 121 kids defined as “at risk” partner with staff, or “graduation coaches” to build accountability for attendance, classroom behavior and to recover academic credits. The daily challenges of his work demand incredible energy, positivity and a profound optimism. Cobb possesses these traits in abundance. Undoubtedly, these traits serve as a guide to both the staff he oversees and the kids with whom he works directly. Cobb is quick to point out that he too had a guide in high school, Mr. Nathaniel Gillon, a guidance counselor at Marquette High since 1990. “I wasn’t always the best student,” Cobb says. “A lot of people gave up on me and I probably even gave up on myself. I just knew that his door was always open and that he would always accept me. I want to be to other people what Mr. Gillon was to me.” Gillon remembers a young man “with an innate leadership ability” and “a person who always had a larger vision.” As a teenager at Marquette High, Cobb “didn’t want to be labeled as a negative youth,” Gillon says. As a result, Cobb became an active community member through participation in the AHANA (African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American Business and Professional Association) State Convention and seeked leadership opportunities. “MUHS was good for [Rashad]” Gillon states. “It forced him to look at his world in a different way and started this mission to find and help youth like himself.” Although far from the halls of Marquette High, Cobb’s energy, perseverance and positive effect in the community is both a tribute and a corollary to Gillon’s influence. As an individual who has worked closely with adults who are either incarcerated or lack movement in their career paths, Cobb knows well the importance of connecting with kids early and offering them the guidance and ability to harness their potential. “Young people do not always have the voice or wherewithal to advocate for themselves,” he says.
Cobb received the Brown County Chamber of Commerce 2015 Young Professional of the Year Award.
Rashad and Brittany Cobb attending a food drive event.
Regarding all of his work with youth, his volunteerism, his dedication to community, Cobb says, “This is who I am. I want to represent people who are unheard.” In Green Bay Rashad Cobb’s voice of advocacy for change and social justice is loud and clear.
www.MUHS.edu 43
FEATURES
Paul Manning ’93 Leadership rooted in the Jesuit tradition Julie Felser
Although he completed his academic coursework years ago, chairman and CEO of Sensient Technologies, Paul Manning ’93, is still graded on a regular basis. “Leading a public organization, I get a report card every 90 days,” he says. “Shareholders are very unforgiving. You need to deliver every 90 days.” Manning’s drive and results-oriented determination is apparent by his rapid ascent at Sensient Technologies, a global manufacturer and marketer of colors, flavors and fragrances with annual sales of more than $1.3 billion. He joined Sensient in 2009 as general manager of food colors for North America, and soon thereafter, added Latin and South America to his region of responsibilities. He was named president of the company’s color group a year later and eventually assumed the position of president and chief operating officer in October 2012. So what’s his secret to success? Manning draws on his experiences and lessons learned at MUHS and in the Navy to guide his daily decisions in his professional and personal life.
Born in New York, Manning moved to Wisconsin when he was in grade school, completing fourth through eighth grades at St. Monica School in Whitefish Bay, Wis. When it came time to choose a Catholic high school, he was drawn to MUHS for its academic reputation. “I was very focused academically and I wanted to get into a good college—that was a fundamental goal of mine,” he says. Manning immediately appreciated Marquette High’s educational approach in the classroom. “The Jesuit style of educating is very unique, similar to the Socratic method with lots of questioning and not jumping to a conclusion,” he says. “The Jesuits have perfected the art of debating an issue and I enjoyed that intellectual stimulation.” Manning enjoyed “intellectually sparring” with Rev. Tom Doyle, SJ, now vice president of Jesuit Identity at St. John’s Jesuit in Toledo, Ohio, and Rev. Michael J. Marco, SJ, then-scholastic and now president of MUHS. “They would argue with you about anything,” Manning says. “It was fun and it really made you think about what you believed and the logic behind your argument. We may have different opinions on issues, but you can have a collegial relationship even at the tender age of 16 or 17.” “He was very mature, extremely bright, and—for his age—very knowledgeable about current events,” Doyle recalls. “I, too, remember intellectually sparring with him around the school. One particular memory was running into Paul in the stairwell. It ended up being a whole period political debate. While Paul and I were pretty much on opposite ends of the spectrum, I admired his tenacity, intelligence and courage.” It is this intellectual dialogue he appreciates and encourages at Sensient. “In the fine Jesuit tradition I love it when people challenge ideas and positions. But in the same fine tradition, you better have your data. This isn’t about emotion or ridiculous conclusions from one data point, this is a fact-based discussion.”
Paul Manning is chairman and CEO of Sensient Technologies. Photo by Peter Beck
44 MUHS Magazine
Marco recalls Manning as always having a smile on his face. “He just seemed to be a joy-filled young man. He laughed a lot and seemed to bring that out in others,” Marco says. “I also found him to be very loving in how he related to his teachers and classmates. I also know that Paul’s faith is important to him.”
be about just that,” he says. “It’s about being pleasant to the bank teller, it’s being helpful to your employee who isn’t understanding something, it’s picking something up for your wife and it’s about the thousands of interactions you have with various people and how those interactions are defined. It’s all these small kind acts as a Christian.” One way Manning enjoys helping others in the workplace is to take an interest in his employees’ career aspirations and then provide assistance and constant feedback to make those professional goals a reality.
Paul Manning and other Sensient Technologies representatives at the NYSE closing bell on Sentient’s 35th anniversary of being a public company.
After graduating from MUHS, Manning attended Stanford University on an ROTC scholarship. He always wanted to serve in the military as a way to support the country’s democracy. “If I’m not going to volunteer, who is? For me it was about sacrifice and service [for my country] and I liked the idea of doing that type of work,” Manning says. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry, an interest initially sparked in Jim Kosteno’s sophomore chemistry class, and then went on to serve four years as a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare officer. Afterward, he headed to Evanston, Ill., to earn his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Before landing at Sensient, Manning worked in mergers and acquisitions for Danaher Corp., and in supply-chain and project management positions with McMaster-Carr Supply Co. Reflecting on his professional career, Manning says, “One of the best decisions I ever made was going into the Navy.”
“As simple as it sounds, you need to ask your employees what they want to do with their career,” he explains. “Training and developing individuals is more about having thousands of conversations with them and less about three-day seminars or assigning them mentors. I think it is about good leaders who are willing to give feedback all the time.” He has this advice for young professionals entering the work force: Always have an idea of what you want to do with your career, but be flexible enough that it can change. “Sit down and make yourself create a 30-year plan. Mapping out your career is so important,” he advises. “My other words of wisdom: The most valuable people in organizations are the people who get things done. What did you do or what did you fix? It’s just that simple.” In the spirit of supporting aspiring scientists, Manning and Sensient Technologies supported Marquette High’s Companions on the Journey campaign with a gift to the new science classrooms and STEM lab. “We don’t have enough scientists and engineers in our country today, the professionals who are going to drive innovation, efficiency and economic prosperity in the future,” he says. “I was very interested in the science technology engineering component of the campaign. It’s absolutely fundamental to education today.”
He attributes many lessons learned of his military experience— how to conduct oneself, how to provide and receive feedback, how to get things done and how to care for people. “When [the Navy] says take care of your people, you are expected to care for your people—professionally and personally,” he says. “This guy is having a problem at home, you need to be involved. This other guy has a bankruptcy issue, you are expected to help him through that.” Manning believes “you have a fundamental duty to help others,” a concept emphasized and nurtured at both MUHS and in the Navy. Today, he continues to embody and live out this ideal in both his professional and personal life. “People work all day and go home to kids, so it can be difficult to integrate public outreach into their life, but it doesn’t have to
The Manning family (left to right): Paul, Sally (11), Liam (8), David (12), Molly and Michael (4).
www.MUHS.edu 45
FEATURES
Captain James Fitzsimmons ’14 and the Gold Star Men of MUHS Chris Lese ’92
Across the hall from Marquette High’s O’Rourke Performing Arts Center rests a special memorial dedicated to the 44 MUHS alumni who died during World War II. Donated by the class of 1945, the 18” × 30” bronze plaque is displayed in a marble alcove. These fallen alumni are MUHS Gold Star men, a distinction given to families of alumni who died while in military service. Seventy years ago, Rev. John Foley, SJ, dedicated the memorial with a blessing following the school’s annual Gold Star Mass. Clearly WWII was on the minds of MUHS community members. Hundreds of alumni served in the war and the school published the Blue & Gold, a newsletter that updated the comings and goings of its alumni soldiers. A 1945 issue reported, “Over a hundred of the alumni have dropped in on us, many in uniform but an increasing number in ‘civvies’ —and does that make us happy.” When WWII concluded, however, it was time to remember those Hilltoppers who did not return home. In May 1946, the Blue & Gold published a memorial pamphlet, which quantified the war’s
impact on daily life at Marquette High for the duration of the conflict: 165,295 Masses, 40,275 communions, 41,275 rosaries, 54,248 visits, 261,961 prayers and 13,220 stations were “offered by the student body for the souls of Marquette’s fallen ones, for God’s protection on the many others, and their speedy and victorious return home.” The pamphlet was filled with photographs of each of the fallen alumni and a brief description of their service. Of the MUHS alumni listed on the Gold Star plaque, Lieutenant Colonel James R. (Bob) Fitzsimmons was the earliest graduate— and his service began in World War I. Fitzsimmons was born in Newark, Ohio, on Dec. 13, 1894. After his family moved to Milwaukee, he attended St. Rose Catholic Grade School and in 1914, graduated from Marquette Academy, the precursor to MUHS. Just four years after graduation, Fitzsimmons was serving in World War I. He was appointed captain of Company C in the 339th Infantry Regiment when it was ordered to England in August of 1918. Fitzsimmons was one of 500 draftees from Wisconsin who
James (Bob) Fitzsimmons ’11 (top row, third from the left) was a member of the 1911 Marquette Academy Football team. Photo courtesy of MUHS Archives.
46 MUHS Magazine
Colonel James R. (Bob) Fitzsimmons ’14
Scottish, British and allied Russian troops. Indeed, the weather dipped to 42 degrees below zero Fahrenheit and “frozen corned beef and hardtack” comprised the soldiers’ diet. On Feb. 2, Fitzsimmons was wounded, likely a result of the “constant shelling” which “leveled the town to ruins.” By spring, the undermanned American troops retreated to Archangel where they were finally relieved by other White Army forces. In early June 1919, Fitzsimmons and his company were deloused, stripped of their Russian equipment and set sail for the U.S. from Europe aboard the USS U.S. Grant, where they would celebrate the Fourth of July at sea. World War I had finally ended for Fitzsimmons.
American officers gather in April 1919 in front of the Headquarters of the American North Russian Expeditionary Forces in Archangel. Capt. James R. Fitzsimmons, Co. C 339th Inf. is farthest left. Photo courtesy of Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan
served alongside nearly 4,000 Michigan soldiers in the regiment. Most of the men assumed they would serve on the French front lines and were shocked when they were rerouted to Archangel, Russia, near Finland. Six months earlier, Russia had pulled out of World War I and was embroiled in a civil war between the anti-Communist forces that comprised the White Army and Vladimir Lenin’s Bolshevik Red Army. The 339th’s primary mission was to protect and redistribute stockpiles of military equipment to the White Army. Despite assurances they would remain behind the lines in reserve duty, the men of the 339th were quickly drawn into combat with Communist forces. The regiment endured many hardships, including spending a night waist-deep in a swamp. When Western Europe’s front lines celebrated Armistice Day on Nov. 11, the 339th Regiment was “hotly engaged with hordes of Bolsheviks, or desperately striving to erect fortification to stave annihilating attacks.” It was near that time when Captain Fitzsimmons received credit when he led the men of Company C in the face of superior Communist forces near Shenkursk to allow fellow American soldiers to safely retreat.
Twenty-two years later, Fitzsimmons answered the call of duty again when World War II erupted and he enlisted in San Francisco on Sept. 7, 1943, as a major in the 45th Quartermaster Battalion. Unlike his frigid service during World War I, this tour of duty in the China–Burma campaign consisted of monsoons and excessive heat. The 45th Battalion oversaw the last stretch of a 15,000-mile journey that brought supplies from America to the front lines deep in the jungles along the Burma Road. The duties of the 45th consisted of rail unloading and convoying supplies in vehicles of all kinds forward to the Chinese and other allied forces in India. They also assisted Merrill’s Marauders, the U.S. Army special operations jungle warfare unit. Fitzsimmons died of coronary sclerosis in New Malir, India, on Oct. 20, 1945, 16 days before he was scheduled to return to the United States. He was buried with full military honors in Karachi, Pakistan. In 1949, he was re-interred at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Circumstances would not get easier for Fitzsimmons and his fellow soldiers as the calendar flipped to 1919. From the end of January through March, they struggled to hold the town of Vivavka alongside
www.MUHS.edu 47
ALUMNI UPDATE
Class notes Ben Kozina ’18
Jerry Bushman ’48 and
jump, and triple jump
Arts and Science from
National Chemistry
years in the insurance
his wife, Suzie Washburn,
in his age class (80-84) at
Marquette University.
Olympiad competition in
industry and says he is on
celebrated their 64th
the Wisconsin State
Stephen Woo ’56 sent
Tulsa, Okla., and works
an “extended sabbatical.”
wedding anniversary.
Indoor Masters Champion-
leis from Hawaii to his
with area high schools to
ships. In the U.S., he is
longtime friend and
review their chemical
Rev. Tony Kuzniewski,
William Taylor ’48 is
ranked 1st in the triple
Herman’s wife, Susan, to
inventories and lab health
SJ ’62 is a professor
author of A Shooting Star
jump and 5th in the high
celebrate the occasion.
and safety practices.
of history and chaplain
Meets the Well of Death,
jump and long jump
Why and How Richard
events.
Thomas Caffrey ’58 is a
Joel Kriofske ’61 published
Athletics at Holy Cross. In
practicing psychologist
the book And Good
April, the school’s athletic
in New York City.
Night to All the Beautiful
field was dedicated in
Young Women, based on
his honor and is now called Kuzniewski Field.
Halliburton Conquered the World. Taylor lives
John Enright ’56 is
in New Berlin, Wis.
curator emeritus for the
for the Department of
North Point Lighthouse
Donald Simons ’59
the time he spent with his
Ernest Terrien ’50 serves
Museum in Milwaukee
taught finance and
father, Joseph Kriofske ’28
daily at Mass at Holy
and Herman Viola ’56
accounting for 45 years
during his 19-month stay
Francis Wiesner ’64
Name of Jesus Church.
is curator emeritus of the
at Marquette University,
in hospice care.
is chairman of the board
He lives in West Palm
Smithsonian Institution
Boston University and
Beach, Fla.
in Washington, D.C. The
UW–Oshkosh. He is
Doug McRae ’61 is a
zation. He also served 14
two traveled to Ireland
retired and lives with his
retired educational
years as a board member
Bob Kustra ’51 received
in October and enjoyed
wife in Goodyear, Ariz.
measurement specialist,
for the Milwaukee Center
the Outstanding Service
Irish whiskey each night
having developed K-12
for Independence.
Award from Marquette
by the fire.
University’s School of Dentistry.
for St. Camillus Organi-
Michael Henk ’60 is
tests to measure higher-
an adjunct chemistry
order thinking skills. He
Dean Collins ’65 is retiring
Herman Viola ’56 received
professor at Tulsa
lives in Monterey, Calif.
as assistant chief of
the Distinguished
Community College.
Paul Lehmkuhl ’51 won
Alumnus of the Year for
He also coordinates
Arvid Tillmar ’61
Police Department.
the long jump, high
the Klinger College of
the high school U.S.
celebrated 50 consecutive
He previously retired
police with the Brookfield
Far left, top to bottom: Herman Viola ’56 (left) and John Enright ’56 in Ireland. (Left to right) Susan Viola, Jeff Mazurczak ’82, Rev. Michael J. Marco, SJ, and Herman Viola ’56, who was named Distinguished Alumnus of the Year for the Klinger College of Arts and Science at Marquette University. Middle: The book recently published by Joel Kriofske ’61. Right: Classmates and longtime friends get together for their annual hunting trip at Kiss Lake in Crivitz, Wis. (Left to right) bottom row: Jim Pittelkow ’63, Richard Mangan ’63, Roger Klement ’63, Ivo Spalatan ’63, middle row: Peter Schwantes ’63, Richard Christenson ’63, Steve Suhi ’63, Mark Miller ’63, top row: Augie Jurishica ’65, Dale Lewis, Thomas Holsen and Peter Holzhauer ’63.
48 MUHS Magazine
as commander from
Paul Conway ’74 works
SEAL Teams on blacked
Monitor, a news aggre-
events and five relays,
the Milwaukee Police
in the hospitality and
out insertion and extraction
gator that covers Africa
placing 5th in the 50 Free
Department after 32
event industry. He lives
missions in eastern Iraq
south of the Sahara, pub-
(setting a new Wisconsin
years of service. He is
in Sonoma, Calif., with
near the Iranian border.
lished in affiliation with
state record), 4th in the
an ordained deacon.
his wife and three
New World University in
200 Free, 3rd in the 200
Dominica, West Indies.
Free Relay and 2nd in
James Injeski ’65 is
children, Kaylyn, Kyle
John McDermott ’76 and
and Kamryn.
his wife, Chris, hosted a
chairman and mentor of
the 100 Free.
get-together of football
Carl Wellstein ’77 is
two groups of business
Patrick Damiano ’75
teammates to commem-
senior systems engineer
Philip Miller ’80 was
leaders at Executive
lives in West Allis, Wis.,
orate the 40th anniversary
at Lockheed Martin,
named 2016 Milwaukee
Agenda, where they work
with his wife, Cindy,
of their 1975 state champ-
a manufacturer of high-
Trusts & Estates Lawyer
on executive development.
of 38 years.
ionship season. The team’s
energy lasers for
of the Year by Best
coaches, Dick Basham
defense applications.
Lawyers magazine.
Larry Hanser ’67 is a
Tom Goblirsch ’76 is
and Rick Bridich ’69, also
researcher for the RAND
a colonel in the U.S. Air
attended.
Mark Steinhafel ’79
Donald Drees ’81 is the
Corporation, a nonprofit
Force and chief of aero-
swims for Wisconsin
president of the Arch-
organization designed
space medicine for the
Hugh Dugan ’77 is a
Masters Swimming along
diocese of Milwaukee’s
to assist with research for
115th Fighter Wing. He
professor of diplomacy
with Dan Schaetz ’88,
initiative Seton Catholic
the armed forces.
was awarded the Meri-
at Seton Hall University.
Curt Paulsen ’78 and
Schools, a network of
torious Service Medal in
He recently completed
MUHS physics teacher
26 elementary schools
Matthew Stano ’67
2012 for saving the lives
32 years of diplomatic
Carl Kaiser. Steinhafel
committed to the highest
is president of Stano
of 28 Iraqi children during
service with the U.S.
competed in the U.S.
outcomes in academics
Landscaping, Inc. and re-
and after a chlorine gas
Department of State abroad
Masters National Cham-
and spiritual formation
ceived the 2016 Lifetime
explosion in Baghdad,
and at the United Nations.
pionships in Greensboro,
serving 10,000 urban
Achievement Award
and the Combat Excel-
N.C., in April. In the
students.
from the Wisconsin
lence Award by the U.S.
Richard Sincere ’77 is
55–59 age group he
Landscape Contractors
Navy for accompanying
editor of Sub-Saharan
qualified in six individual
Association–-Milwaukee Chapter. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Green Industry Federation Hall of Fame in 2002. Mike Walker ’69 appeared in Mary Poppins – The Musical with the Reston Community Players in Virginia. James Betts ’73 is a certified mediator in Tampa, Fla. He recently hosted a golf outing for MUHS
Top, left to right: Matt Stano ’67 During the NCAA Frozen Four in Tampa in April, Jim Betts ’73 (far left) hosted a golf outing for classmates (left to right) Tim Carlton ’73, Dave Druml ’73, Mark Meuler ’73, Greg Stack ’72, Jimmy Pandl ’73 and Frank Falsetti ’73. Mark Steinhafel ’79 at the U.S. Masters National Championships in Greensboro, N.C. Bottom: Football players and coaches from the 1975 championship season: (left to right) Dick Eberle ’76, Steve Guhl ’76, Bill Smith ’76, Mike Phillips ’76, Pat Feely ’76, John McDermott ’76, Lou Teresi ’76, D.J. Gral ’76, Dick Basham, Rick Bridich ’69 and Brian Carroll ’76.
1972 and 1973 classmates.
www.MUHS.edu 49
ALUMNI UPDATE CLASS NOTES
Mark Gehring ’82
in law enforcement for
an avid Ironman triathlon
record for his weight
their son, Leon Masson
received the Entrepre-
more than 20 years.
endurance athlete, ultra
class and age group (35–39)
Kearney, born on Dec.
runner, author and moti-
in three categories, and
30, 2015.
neurial Award from Marquette University’s
Bob Glowacki ’89
vational speaker. He lives
qualified for the USA
College of Engineering.
was named NonProfit
in Scottsdale, Ariz.
National Masters Weight-
Matt Swentkofske ’97
lifting Championship
and his spouse, Nichole,
in Georgia.
announced the birth
Executive of the Year in Michael Hanrahan ’84
Milwaukee at the BizTimes
Greg Deuchars ’93 and
was appointed to the
Media 2015 NonProfit
his spouse, Jason Lohn,
Milwaukee County Circuit
Excellence Awards.
announced the birth of
Paul Rifelj ’96 was
Jo Swentkofske, born
Court and previously
He is CEO of Easter Seals
their adopted son, Owen
appointed to the Milwaukee
on Sept. 29, 2015.
served a partner at
Southeastern Wisconsin.
Lawrence Deuchars-Lohn,
County Circuit Court in
on February 11, 2015.
Wisconsin in December
BJ Westfahl ’97 received
Fox, O’Neill & Shannon Bruce Redenz ’89 was
of their daughter, Celia
after serving 12 years as
the Howard Eisenberg
named Habitat for Hum-
Mark Andres ’94 is an estate
a staff lawyer in the
Award from Marquette
Greg Mager ’88 was
anity of Dane County 2016
planning attorney with
Wisconsin State Public
University’s Law School.
named a Board Certified
Volunteer of the Year and
Miller, McGinn & Clark S.C.,
Defender’s Office.
Family Law Trial Advocate
now serves on the HFHDC
located in Milwaukee.
by the National Board of
board of directors. He is
Matt Hepp ’97 and
is the executive director
Trial Advocacy and listed
a Saturday jobsite regular
Theodore Lipscomb ’94
his spouse, Kara,
of Studio in a School,
and crew leader.
is chairman of the
announced the birth of
a community of profes-
Milwaukee County Board
their daughter, Paige
sional artists teaching
Gregory Unger ’91
of Supervisors and is
Catherine Hepp, born
visual arts to New York
on May 6, 2016.
City children in under-
since 2001.
in the 2016 edition of the magazine Best Lawyers in America for Family Law.
Chris Wisniewski ’97
is owner/CEO of Unger
completing his second
James Theep ’88
Technologies L.L.C., a
term in office.
is a lieutenant with the
Microsoft programming
Germantown Police
and engineering consult-
John Heim ’95 set the
and his spouse, Libby,
community-based
Department and has served
ing firm. Unger is also
Wisconsin weightlifting
announce the birth of
organizations.
served public schools, Brendan Kearney ’97
daycare centers and
Top, left to right: Dr. Justin Gerstner (left) with Bruce Redenz ’89 on a Habitat for Humanity of Dane County jobsite Owen Lawrence Deuchars-Lohn Matt Swentkofske ’97 with his wife, Nichole, and daughter, Celia Jo Paige Catherine Hepp Bottom, left to right: Marion Margaret Cerminaro David Joseph Frank John and Kara Celentani’s children (left to right): Cecilia, Filippa, Leo and Luca. Kynsey Mae Morales
50 MUHS Magazine
ALUMNI UPDATE
Michael Cerminaro ’98
government relations
Mae Morales, born on
Joseph (Holubowicz)
announced the birth
and his spouse, Gretchen,
organization in Wash-
June 1, 2015.
Wollersheim ’01 and
of their son, James
announced the birth
ington, D.C., after five
his spouse, Stacy,
Francis McCarthy, born
of their daughter, Marion
years of service to the
Jesse Procknow ’00 is a
announced the birth of
on Feb. 2, 2016.
Margaret Cerminaro,
Department of Health
postdoctoral associate
their daughter, Ashley
born Dec. 21, 2015.
and Human Services.
at Washington University
Dorothy Wollersheim,
Donnie Meurer ’03
in St. Louis. He recently
born on July 26, 2015.
and his wife, Megan,
Andy Bischoff ’99
John Celentani ’00
had two research publi-
completed Ironman
and his spouse, Lisa,
cations published.
Wisconsin 2015. He and
announced the birth of
his wife, Katie, volunteer
their twin daughters,
James Fee ’01 and his
announced the birth of
with myTEAM TRIUMPH,
Cecilia Maria Celentani and
spouse, Kathrynn, announ-
their daughter, Margaret
Patrick Sullivan ’03 is an
an organization that
Filippa Maria Celentani,
ced the birth of their
Alice Blake, born Sept.
active-duty naval officer
helps people with
born March 28, 2016.
daughter, Bridget Monica
18, 2015.
studying for his master’s
disabilities take part in endurance events.
announced the birth of Brian Blake ’02 and his
their son, Wesley Francis
spouse, Gabrielle,
Meurer, born Jan. 1, 2016.
degree as an Olmstead
Fee, born on Dec. 9, Mike Maher ’00 and
2015.
his instrumental group,
Scott Detrow ’03 covers
Scholar at Charles Uni-
the 2016 election, tech-
versity in Prague, Czech
Dave Frank ’99 and his
The Snarky Puppy,
Steve Whelpley ’01 and
nology and data angles
Republic. Conor Sweeney
spouse, Britt, announced
received their second
his doubles rowing
for NPR. He graduated
’03 and his wife, Ruth,
the birth of their son,
Grammy Award for best
partner won the men’s
from Fordham University
visited him and his wife,
David Joseph Frank, born
contemporary instru-
heavyweight double
and is working toward
Stephanie, there at their
on Oct. 12, 2015.
mental album.
sculls at the U.S. Olympic
his master’s degree at the
home. Additionally,
Rowing Regatta in
University of Pennsylvania
Patrick and Stephanie,
Brad Wolters ’99 is vice
Josh Morales ’00 and
Sarasota, Fla., and ad-
Fels Institute of Government.
announced the birth of
president at McBee
his spouse, Whitney,
vanced to the final Olympic
Strategic Consulting,
announced the birth of
Qualification Regatta
Michael McCarthy ’03
Edward Sullivan, born
a public affairs and
their daughter, Kynsey
in Lucerne, Switzerland.
and his spouse, Elise,
on April 11, 2016.
their son John (Jack)
Top, left to right: Ashley Dorothy Wollersheim Newborn Bridget Monica Fee meets her older siblings, Jeremiah and Claire. Steve Whelpley ’01 (right) with Tom Agnello, who surprised Steve by coming to Sarasota, Fla., to watch him race at the U.S. Olympic Rowing Team Trials. Margaret Alice Blake Bottom, left to right: Alma Lavender Valente Ruth (far left) and Conor Sweeney ’03 (third from left) visited Patrick ’03 and Stephanie Sullivan and their children, Finn and Paige, in Prague. Wesley Francis Meurer Max Meinerz ’06 with his wife, Susan, and Popeye, a Guatemalan contact who helps coordinate the free dental care services Max, Susan and other dentists provide to underserved Guatemalans.
www.MUHS.edu 51
ALUMNI UPDATE CLASS NOTES
Michael Valente ’03 and
Max Meinerz ’06 is
eight students in the
High School, a charter
2015 as a Wackman
his spouse, Baltina,
a dentist, who with his
graduate class. He earned
school in New Orleans
Scholar.
announced the birth of
wife, Susan, and a few
a bachelor’s degree in
with the goal of bringing
their daughter, Alma
other dentists, started
criminal justice.
the option of college to
Logan Andryk ’12 was
Lavender Valente, born
United by PAT Inc.,
the poorest high school
named NSCAA Division
on Nov. 21, 2015.
a nonprofit focused on
Nate Simmons ’07
students.
III Soccer National Player of
providing dental care to
and his spouse, Maegan,
Corey Nenno ’04 is a
underserved populations
announce the birth of
Daniel Krebs ’11 earned
Player of the Year by
sargeant in the U.S. Army
in Escuintla and Antigua
their son, Edmund Peter
a bachelor’s degree in
College Sports Information
and stationed at Fort
Guatemala.
Simmons, born on May
business management
Directors of America.
Detrick in Maryland. He
the Year and Academic
22, 2015. Nate works as
as a Distinguished Military
He graduated from the
graduated from the Univ-
Nick Rechlitz ’06 married
the executive assistant
Graduate at Boston
Milwaukee School of
ersity of Minnesota in 2009.
Stacey Schultz on Sep-
to Bishop Robert Morlino
College. He was com-
Engineering with a bach-
tember 26, 2015. Rev.
and is the coordinator
missioned as a second
elor’s degree in biomo-
Kevin Jordan ’05 is a
Terry Brennan, SJ, was
of Respect Life and Social
lieutenant in the U.S.
lecular engineering.
clinical scientist and soft-
the Mass celebrant.
Justice Issues for the
Army and is serving as an
Diocese of Madison, Wis.
amor officer in Eastern
Nicholas Farrar-Foley ’12
Europe.
graduated with a bachelor’s
ware quality assurance engineer at Phillips health-
Michael Laing ’07
care in radiation oncology
married Lizzie Picciolo
Nick Unger ’08 married
systems. He earned his
on August 8, 2015.
Danielle Kawleski on
Eric Obscherning ’11
physics from Tulane
master’s degree in medical
Jason Pattengale ’07
October 17, 2015. Rev.
is a sales evangelist for
University, where he
physics from Wayne
served as best man.
Tom Manahan, SJ, was
Locals, LLC a startup
worked in a solar energy
the Mass celebrant.
company that uses vertical
materials science labor-
farming to connect locals
atory. He will attend grad-
State University. Eusevio Saldivar ’07
degree in engineering
Tim French ’06 is marketing
received Lamar Univer-
Mike Herbers ’10 teaches
to accessible, organic
uate school in mechanical
manager at Equinix in
sity’s Plummer Award,
Civics and Free Enterprise
foods. He graduated from
engineering at Northwest-
Redwood City, Calif.
which recognizes the top
at ReNew Accelerated
UW–Madison in August
ern University in the fall.
Top, left to right: Nick Rechlitz ’06, Stacey Schultz and Rev. Terry Brennan, SJ Lizzie Picciolo and Michael Laing ’07 Edmund Peter Simmons Rev. Tom Manahan, SJ, Danielle Kawleski and Nick Unger ’08 Bottom, left to right: St. Norbert College football players, Wyatt Veseth ’12, Greg Neuburg ’12, and Logan Gott ’12, hold the Midwest Conference Championship trophy. Logan Andryk ’12 (holding awards) celebrates being named NSCAA Division III Soccer National Player of the Year and Academic Player of the Year by College Sports Information Directors of America with (left to right) Alec Philippe ’16, brother Braeden Andryk, and MUHS soccer coach Steve Lawrence ’99.
52 MUHS Magazine
MAKE A DECISION TODAY TO CREATE A BETTER TOMORROW
“I received a great return on my Marquette High educational experience.”
2016 ALUMNI EVENTS
ALUMNI MOTHERS
why he decided to name MUHS in his estate plans. The Feericks join
Get reconnected with
Just because your
others in the Manresa Society—a group of people, who while providing
your alma mater by
son graduated doesn’t
for their loved ones, have remembered MUHS with a planned gift.
attending one of these
mean you have to
To learn more about Marquette High’s Manresa Society and your planned
upcoming alumni events.
leave MUHS.
Robert Feerick ’66 knows a good investment when he sees one, which is
giving options, please contact John Thimmesch ’77, vice president of development at 414-933-7220 or thimmesch@muhs.edu. Above: Robert ’66 and Deenie Feerick
More information available at muhs.edu.
Stay connected with other alumni mothers
Class of 2016 Send-Off
by attending these
Mass & Yearbook Pickup
events.
August 7, 7 p.m. MUHS
Fall Salad Supper
Paul Glembocki ’12
finance. While at Notre
He earned his bachelor’s
earned his bachelor’s
Dame, he was named
degree from the University
degree in English with a
Division I Academic Player
of Minnesota.
minor in psychology at the
of the Year and was
University of Minnesota.
one of 43 U.S. student-
Conor Sheehy ’14
He recently worked at
athletes to receive the
earned Academic All-Big
Camp Kesem, a summer
Weaver-James-Corrigan
Ten honors for the 2015
camp run by college
award, a postgraduate
fall sports season as
students supporting
scholarship. He was the
a member of the UW–
children whose parents
28th overall pick in the
Madison football team.
have been diagnosed
Major League Soccer
Homecoming
of the Month
draft and now plays for the
David Sinense, Jr. ’15
Football Game
September, October,
played #2 singles and #1
October 23, 7 p.m.
November
doubles for John Carroll
Hart Park
with cancer.
San Jose Earthquakes. Patrick Hodan ’12
September 29, Alumni
5:30 p.m.
Cross Country Run
MUHS
August 20, 9:30 a.m. Washington Park
Mass & Brunch
Soles for Catholic
December 4,
Education Walk
9:30 a.m.
October 15, 8:30 a.m. Mount Mary University
graduated from University
Alec Stewart ’12 research-
University and was the
Open House
of Notre Dame with
es raptors for the U.S.
only freshman named
October 30, 9 a.m.
a bachelor’s degree in
Forest Service in California.
First Team All-Conference.
MUHS
Alumni who played in the annual Hockey Alumni game, always the day after Thanksgiving, pose for a group shot. The 2016 game is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 25.
Alumni Mothers
Book Club Third Thursday
Alumni Hockey Game November 25, 2:15 p.m. Eble Park Ice Arena Alumni Basketball Tournament December 26, 9 a.m. MUHS
www.MUHS.edu 53
ALUMNI UPDATE
Tom Persin Rest in peace Mike Feely ’89
During his tenure, Persin taught a variety of history courses, but was most noted for being a freshman World History teacher, introducing young Hilltoppers to the high expectations and rigor of a Marquette High classroom. Persin expected students to sit up straight, listen and take copious notes. He always modeled the importance of solid organization skills. Persin served many roles outside the classroom. During the early years of his career, he was active in the MUHS band program, having the distinction of being the school’s last marching bandleader in the early 1970s. He also served as the school’s athletic trainer and equipment manager. He loved to coach and brought this passion to the MUHS basketball program on the freshman level. He is also credited with building the MUHS golf program into a state contender during his 17 years as the head coach. He worked behind the scenes as a game manager for the soccer team and as the official timer at the scorer’s table for MUHS basketball. As a public address announcer for the football team, Persin called some of the most exciting games of the last 20 years with his iconic phrase, “In for the score!” when the Hilltoppers broke through the goal line. From his early years through his retirement in 2007, Persin embodied an important pragmatic attitude on a daily basis. He enforced rules that taught students the importance of maintaining dignity and professionalism. While Persin took rules and expectations seriously, he was always one to show wit and humor that was unforgettable in the minds of his students. One of his favorite sayings, especially when handing out exams, was, “It’s a can of corn,” to signify that a task could be completed with ease.
Tom Persin
A young man from Ohio, Mr. Thomas Persin joined the Marquette High faculty in 1964 and taught for 43 years, upholding the values of academic integrity, responsibility and discipline in his classroom. Persin passed away on Jan. 13, 2016, at the age of 75. When the announcement of his death was posted on the MUHS Facebook page, more than 150 people commented about the influence he had on them. One comment in particular summed it up for all who knew and loved Persin, “What a legacy he has left.”
54 MUHS Magazine
Outside of his life at MUHS, Persin supported his children’s educations by volunteering in the St. Pius X School and Parish community. He served in various capacities working for the Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association and was a successful girl’s basketball coach at Pius XI High School. Persin is survived by his wife of 51 years, Judy. He is further survived by his children Julie, Jennifer, Tom Jr., Amy and Bek, and nine grandchildren.
ALUMNI UPDATE
May they rest in peace We extend our sincerest sympathy to the families of the alumni listed here and to any alumni who have lost a loved one.
Edwin C. Zalewski ’45 March 30, 2016
Bernard J. Klamecki ’50 March 12, 2016
William E. Schaefer ’56 Thomas J. McGinn ’65 November 2, 2015 December 16, 2015
John A. Gruesser ’46 March 22, 2016
John A. Lynch ’45 February 16, 2016
Thomas G. Kutchera ’50 Stanley J. Bykowski ’57 Rev. Gerard L. Stockhausen, SJ ’67 April 7, 2016 March 31, 2016 January 11, 2016 William M. Jermain, Jr. ’46 John A. McRae ’50 Thomas R. Haessler ’57 February 2, 2016 James P. Merchant ’68 February 16, 2016 December 4, 2015 January 24, 2016 Thomas J. Maurice ’46 Robert A. Chartier ’51 Ronald W. Horkheimer ’57 April 16, 2016 Peter M. Machi ’71 December 14, 2015 October 20, 2015 October 29, 2015 William J. Schendt ’46 Kenneth A. Kautzer ’51 William F. July ’57 October 25, 2015 Timothy J. Lawler ’72 April 20, 2016 March 11, 2016 October 23, 2015 Roland J. Zainer ’46 Joseph J. Walter ’51 John P. Kelly ’57 February 8, 2016 Michael T. Sheedy ’72 January 8, 2016 March 8, 2016 March 27, 2016 Sebastian L. Hartinger ’47 James W. Foley ’52 David J. MacDougall ’57 April 29, 2016 Richard C. Reuteman ’74 April 30, 2016 May 28, 2016 August 24, 2015 Jack A. Gesell ’48 John C. Gramling ’52 Robert J. Schraufnagel ’58 October 13, 2015 Philip T. Berce ’75 November 23, 2015 December 31, 2015 November 12, 2015 Thomas J. Lawler ’48 Richard M. Malensek ’52 Howard J. Hoerl ’60 October 30, 2015 Richard V. Giery ’78 December 7, 2015 March 24, 2016 October 4, 2015 William M. Stone ’48 Terrance M. Keenan ’60 Edward J. Resch ’52 January 15, 2016 John T. Miller, Jr. ’78 January 24, 2016 November 15, 2015 October 9, 2015 Hugh T. Boland ’49 John B. Casper ’53 Dennis J. McNally ’60 April 23, 2016 John A. Rexroat ’81 June 1, 2016 May 6, 2016 April 10, 2016 William J. Hagerty ’49 Robert C. Korosec ’53 William F. Sheahan, III ’60 April 23, 2016 Casey L. Thom ’02 June 23, 2013 December 19, 2015 May 18, 2016 Jerome P. Mitten ’49 Edward R. Willer ’53 Philip B. Martinson ’61 February 18, 2016 Garrett J. Kelley ’13 January 12, 2016 April 25, 2016 May 17, 2016 Philip C. Rozga ’49 William B. Esser ’54 Salvatore V. Bartolotta ’62 February 21, 2016 October 11, 2015 January 15, 2016
Daniel J. Murphy ’45 May 29, 2016
Michael A. Sweet ’49 October 28, 2015
John A. Calteaux ’55 David O. Butler ’62 December 31, 2015 January 25, 2016
William A. Ryan ’45 March 12, 2016
Duane A. Chmurski ’50 December 5, 2015
James J. McDonald ’56 Peter J. Reilly ’64 May 2, 2016 October 17, 2015
James R. Conway ’38 January 22, 2016 John W. Ahlhauser ’41 February 2, 2016 John H. Weber ’42 October 4, 2015 John H. Heiser ’43 December 24, 2015 Thomas F. Makens ’43 October 10, 2015 John E. Monahan ’43 January 28, 2016 James G. Scheid ’43 April 6, 2016 Earl J. Smith ’43 October 14, 2015 John F. Bartzen ’44 February 18, 2016 John D. Mitchell ’44 April 5, 2016 David V. Foley ’45 April 10, 2016
www.MUHS.edu 55
THEN AND NOW
Long-serving Ignatian Educators When chemistry teacher and former administrator Mike Chaney ’63 retired in May after 46 years of service, Rick Bridich ’69 assumed the role of longest-tenured teacher. Bridich, who teaches math and previously coached football and baseball, is now the only current teacher who has more than 40 years of service under his belt. Throughout MUHS history, there have been 16 individuals who have devoted 40-plus years of their career to MUHS. Three of those 16, John Fountain, Louis A. LeMieux and Rev. Charley Stang, SJ, have the distinction of influencing generations of Hilltoppers by logging an impressive 50-plus years. John Fountain left Cathedral High School in 1923 to joined MUHS when the school was still located at 10th and State. The longesttenured educator in MUHS history, Fountain taught across disciplines—algebra, geometry, trigonometry, Latin, English, history and science. He also served as an assistant football coach and choir director. He retired in 1978. A Marquette University graduate, Louis LeMieux came four years after Fountain and taught chemistry. A trumpet player who played with the Marquette University band, LeMieux also organized the band at MUHS and went on to direct the group for 28 years. He retired in 1977. Rev. Charley Stang, SJ first arrived at MUHS in 1961 as a scholastic and then returned to teach physics, algebra and theology. Over the years he was Conclave moderator and senior class advisor. However, he is mostly known for his service as Prep Players stage manager and the famous egg drop, an MUHS tradition still carried on in physics classes. Although he retired in 2011, he still visits MUHS on a daily basis. Teachers and administrators with 40 or more years of service to MUHS include: Rick Bridich ’69 (43), Mike Chaney ’63 (46), Elizabeth Connelly (40), Z. William Day (44), Michael Donovan (47), John Fountain (55), Gerald Friday (46), James Greenwald (40), Rev. Lawrence Kelly, SJ (45), Sylvester Kreilein (45), Louis A. LeMieux (51), Paul Noack (46), Rev. Robert Ostertag, SJ, (40), Thomas Persin (44), Leon Schlenk (42) and Rev. Charley Stang, SJ (50).
56 MUHS Magazine
Top: John Fountain with Cardinal Samuel Stritch. Middle: Louis LeMieux, performing a chemistry experience in 1966, started teaching at MUHS 1927. Bottom: Rev. Charley Stang, SJ, who taught physics for 50 years at MUHS and still makes daily visits to school, gets ready for the annual egg drop contest in 1983. Opposite: Math teacher Rick Bridich ’69 will begin the 2016–17 school year as the most-tenured MUHS faculty member with 43 years of service.
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3401 W. Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53208
SEEKING FUTURE HILLTOPPERS
We work hard to enroll students who have the desire and potential to carry on the MUHS legacy of those students who have come before them. You can assist the Admissions Office in its efforts to attract qualified students who want to be a part of the spirit and mission of Marquette High by nominating future Hilltoppers who live in the Greater Milwaukee area. This includes sons, nephews, grandsons, or any other boys who will be eighth graders this fall. To nominate a future Hilltopper, contact Sean O’Brien ’98 at obrien@muhs.edu or call 414-933-7220.