U. HIGHlights - Spring 2013

U.HIGHlights

ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH The Alumni Newsletter | Spring 2013

Advertising’s Rock Star Tim Rodgers ’71 held the title of “Spirit Chairman” in student council his senior year at SLUH. In this role, he wrote the scripts for all of the pep rallies.

“Fr. Wayne jugged me every week,” says Rodgers with a smile, “because the pep rallies ran too long and into class time.”

For the past couple of decades, Rodgers has been the definitive leader and guru in the advertising industry in St. Louis.

Before starting his own company, Rodgers Townsend, in 1996, he enjoyed a 20-year career at D’Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, where he became the youngest vicepresident in company history.

Today, Rodgers Townsend, which serves clients such as AT&T, BASF, The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, The Hartford, Missouri Baptist Medical Center and Nestle-Purina, continues to excel as the preeminent ad agency in the area, garnering more awards and recognition than any other outfit.

“I can now see where my experience writing pep rallies had a lot to do with how I got in the advertising business,” says Rodgers, who speaks with an unassuming air, and carries a sharp, upbeat wit. “It’s when I developed a love for writing skits and stories that made a point, which helped shape and influence my career.”

and earned the Mayor’s prestigious Spirit of St. Louis Award for their unparalleled commitment to the St. Louis community.

He has also displayed that dedication and commitment by supporting his alma mater. Rodgers Townsend, which was bought by Omnicom in 2006, has donated significant time and resources to SLUH Integrity and Success for past campaign efforts, including the development of marketing materials for Rodgers’ career, indeed, has been a VISION 2000. Most recently, Rodgers and distinguished one. Among other accolades, his son, Tim Jr. ’05, provided their time he and his partner, Tom Townsend (past and agency’s expertise for a rebranding parent, Nate ’10), have been recognized as effort at the U. High on a pro-bono basis.

Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year, Indeed, his roots in Jesuit education are refreshingly apparent. Rodgers enjoys spending time with his 1971 classmates in a Manresan group, which meets monthly at SLUH and explores Ignatian Spirituality topics. In addition, he conducts himself with humility and integrity in his role at Rodgers Townsend.

“We aim to keep things simple, and stay

Tim Rodgers ’71 with son Tim, Jr. ‘05

[Rodgers Continues on Page 6 ]

A Paradigm of Excellence Michael Huber ’89 and John Duffy ’90 are a rare Jr. Billiken duo. The two, among few alumni who are business partners, own Paradigm New Media Group, a leading brand design and interactive media firm in St. Louis.

Their start began long before Huber founded the company in 1995. Huber and Duffy had a shared interest in fine arts while at SLUH, and one of their favorite teachers was John Mueller, who helped them develop their passion for graphic design.

Pictured (from left): John Duffy ‘90 and Michael Huber ‘89.

joining Paradigm in 1997, saying, “The first More than 20 years after graduation, the two thing Michael told me was to buy a Mac and Jr. Bills recall their experiences at SLUH with teach myself HTML.” fondness and gratitude.

Paradigm, which has grown over the years to a current staff of 16, has evolved to provide a full-service, interactive marketing approach “I’m pretty sure we took every art class at that includes a range of services from branding SLUH,” says Duffy. Huber adds, “The self- and websites to social media and mobile apps. guided portfolio class got me out of taking They serve clients such as Panera Bread, Wells Fargo Advisors, Laclede Gas, Fontbonne physics.”

University, as well as their alma mater.

Shortly after graduating from college, Huber says he started Paradigm “to seize an opportunity The company redesigned the SLUH website in helping companies and organizations with in 2005 and has since updated it with various the necessary transition of their traditional modules, including the AlumConnect portal. marketing to the interactive and digital space.” Recently, Huber and Duffy donated their firm’s services to refresh the school’s logo as part of a At the time, most colleges did not even offer rebranding process. classes in Web design or HTML. Duffy recalls

“SLUH has been a cornerstone in my life,” says Duffy, nephew of former SLUH President Fr. Tom Cummings, S.J. ’56. “From running the hallways as a kid, to Upward Bound, to working my way through school via the Work Grant program, I’m forever grateful to the Jesuits and SLUH for the values of hard work, responsibility and diligence I still rely on today.”

“There was always a challenge to aspire to greatness at SLUH,” says Huber. “You were part of something truly special. To this day, I’ve tried to live my life ever-mindful of the ‘men for others’ ideal and how it applies to me in my thoughts and actions every single day.”

A TRADITION SIX GENERATIONS DEEP When Joe Boyce, son of Charlie Boyce ’83, received his acceptance letter to join the Class of 2017, he was the sixth generation of his family to gain admission to SLUH. Joe is the the grandson of Ed Boyce, Jr. ’52 and nephew of Don Boyce ’61.

Edmund J. Boyce, Sr. (Joe’s great grandfather) was in the SLUH class of ’17 – that is, 1917.

So young Joe Boyce is on course to graduate from SLUH exactly 100 years after his great grandfather.

From left: Charlie ’83, Joe ’17 and Ed ’52.

[2]

high school and college. High school level studies were simply a part of the university’s curriculum.

Finally, John Boyce’s father was the prominent St. Louisan named Captain Joe Boyce. Captain Joe Boyce attended what was then called the “St. Louis Academy” in the 1850s. He was a Civil War veteran who fought in the battles of Shiloh and Franklin, and published several books about his experiences.

Congratulations to Joe Boyce (the younger), The father of Edmund, Sr. was named John P. and to all the members of the Class of 2017 as Boyce, and he graduated from SLU in 1883. they set out to add their own chapter to the rich Little distinction was made in that era between tradition of SLUH.

Scientifically Speaking SLUH alumni have excelled in all fields and at all levels – and science is no exception. Following are condensed profiles of a few Jr. Bills who are doing cutting edge work in the field of physics.

To read the complete story, visit alumconnect.sluh.org.

Dr. Keith Schwab ’86 Founder and Principal Investigator, Schwab Research Group, California Institute of Technology; Undergraduate Degree – University of Chicago; Doctorate – University of California at Berkeley

Have you ever wanted to be in two places at once? Dr. Keith Schwab ’86 at Cal Tech believes it might just be possible – in theory, anyway.

Dr. Bob Scherrer ’77

Chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University; Undergraduate Degree – Princeton University; Masters Degree – Cambridge University; Doctoral Degree – University of Chicago

While Dr. Schwab is exploring the smallest particles in existence, Dr. Bob Scherrer is studying things on a much larger scale in cosmology. “One of my fields of research is ‘large scale structure,’ which is the study of how galaxies are distributed on the largest scales in the universe, billions of light-years across,” says Scherrer. His most compelling research has been in the mysterious field of “dark matter” and “dark energy.”

According to Dr. Schwab, “The theory of Quantum Mechanics has proved to be very accurate in how it describes the properties of atoms and their particles and how they move and interact. But Quantum Mechanics has some very strange features. Particles can be in two places at the same time. It makes no sense on the surface, but all the “SLUH was the most influential period of my math and all the evidence so far points to education,” says Scherrer. “Fr. Valiquette this as being true.” was the AP Physics teacher and also the moderator of the Astronomy Club. We used The fundamental question that Dr. Schwab to go out to a rural property that the Jesuits and his team are exploring is this: if one owned and look through telescopes. atom or particle can be in two places at once, can a larger item do the same? “The “SLUH was also a great time in my life. physics suggest it can,” says Schwab.

I told one of my children that he would likely remember every one of his high Reflecting on his upbringing, the physicist school teachers, but he would forget half says SLUH was a crucial stepping-stone. “I the names of his college professors, and came from a modest financial background. that has certainly been the case for me.

My parents put me in the right place when I believe that high school teachers really they sent me to SLUH, and I am forever are the greatest educational influence on grateful.” a person, far more than any teachers who come before or after.”

Michael Baumer ’08

Currently in Graduate Studies at the University of Cambridge; Undergraduate degree – University of Chicago; Doctoral Studies – accepted to Stanford beginning next fall

After winning a prestigious Gates Scholarship last year and graduating from the University of Chicago, Michael Baumer ’08 traveled to England for additional studies at Cambridge.

As part of the Gates Scholarship program, Baumer spent the summer of 2011 on the Swiss-French border, analyzing data from the world’s premier particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider, or LHC. At the LHC, atomic particles are sent whizzing around a circular track 17 miles long and collide with each other. The collisions are studied to learn about sub atomic particles.

Baumer says his time at Cambridge has been very rewarding. “Cambridge is a world of its own. It’s a place where you’re sitting in the pub, and the people are wearing tuxedoes.

There’s such over-the-top ways of living and doing business that it’s hard to get used to.”

After his year at Cambridge, Baumer will return to the United States, where he plans to enroll at Stanford University to study for his PhD.

[3]

1

2

5 6

7

8 4

3

Class Notes Following is a sampling of Class Notes from the past couple of months.

Visit alumconnect.sluh.org to view a comprehensive listing of Class Notes.

If you would like to submit an item for Class Notes, please send it to alumni@sluh.org.

Philip Dacey ’57 received the Blue Light Press 2012 Book Award for his twelfth collection of poetry, Gimme Five, which will appear from the San Francisco press in 2013. The winner of three Pushcart Prizes for his poetry, Dacey has written entire collections about Gerard Manley Hopkins, Thomas Eakins, and New York City, where he lived, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, from 2004 until 2012.

He co-edited the influential anthology Strong Measures: Contemporary American Poetry in Traditional Forms (Harper & Row, 1986). More about his work appears at www.philipdacey.com. From 1970 to 2004 he taught at Southwest Minnesota State University, in Marshall; he now lives in the Lakes District of Minneapolis.

The ABA Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities (IRR) has announced that former Section Chair Stephen F. Hanlon ’59 will receive the 2013 Robert F. Drinan Award for Distinguished Service to the Section. The award, named in honor of the late Father Robert F. Drinan, a former member of Congress who chaired the Section from 1990 to 1991, recognizes service to the Section that advances its mission of providing leadership to the legal profession in protecting and advancing human rights, civil liberties, and social justice.

SLUH English teacher Rich Moran ’66 was featured in the Winter 2013 Sisyphus podcast, discussing his story “Tying the Knot,” from the new issue of the magazine. Visit Class Notes in AlumConnect to access the podcast.

David Friedman ’79 has been named Chief Financial Officer for Novus International, Inc. Headquartered in St. Charles, Mo., Novus is a specialty chemical company and global leader in developing animal health and nutrition solutions for customers in nearly 100 countries.

Dr. Matthew J. Kemner ’84 has been named Chairman of Management of the

[4]

9

law firm of Carroll, Burdick, McDonough, LLP in San Francisco, California, with a practice specializing in clients and legal matters with a German/European focus.

Terry Tyrrell ’94 has been named the new Principal of St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, OH. He will begin July 1, 2013.

Tyrrell is currently serving as the Assistant Principal for Student Services at Saint Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, IL, where he has been the past six years. He also has teaching experience in Social Studies at SLUH, St. John’s College High School in Washington D.C. and Saint Ignatius, as well as working as a resident school prefect at Georgetown Preparatory School in Bethesda, MD.

Jason Purnell, PhD, ’95 has been selected as one of 20 Young Leaders for 2013 by

Familar SLUH Alumni Faces Visit alumconnect.sluh.org to view the entire Alumni Gallery.

1. Jason Purnell Ph.D. ’95 (photo courtesy of Brown School/Washington University) 2. Jack Lally ’09 3. Dan Lally ’82 (left) and brother John Lally ’80 at the Father/Son Rec Night at SLUH. 4. From left: Steve Naert ’80, Patty Feder and Dan Feder ’83 5. From left: Peter Sharamitaro ’69, Julie Sharamitaro, Tom Mug ’69 and Mark Wuller ’69. 6. Eric Clark ’83 at the Alumni Board meeting 7. Frank Kaveney ’61 (left) and Terry O’Toole ’64 8. David Weiss ’71 (left) and David Laughlin 9. Tim Sansone ’84 (left) and Fr. Michael “Marco” Marchlewski, S.J. ’54

Basketball Alumni Reunite

E 1

mmet Hanick earned two basketball State

Championships and a 386-205 record – as well as the respect of his players and fans – during his coaching career at SLUH from 1956-1978. On Tuesday, February 12th, basketball alumni honored their former coach with a special halftime presentation and banner unveiling at the home game versus Vianney.

2 1. Rich Moran ’66 (left) and Emmet Hanick. 2. Basketball alumni from the Coach Hanick era. 3. From left: Pat Farris ’59, Emmet Hanick and Bill Nordmann ’59. 4. Emmet Hanick (center) with members of the ’58 undefeated State Champion basketball team. the St. Louis American Foundation. He earned this distinction as a committed, compassionate and generous professional who is making a positive impact in the community.

Monogram Club. At 138 pounds, he is likely the smallest athlete to earn such a letter at Notre Dame this year!

in the 83-year history of their boxing competition to win his weight class all four years. The “Bengal Bouts” boxing tournament is a long tradition at Notre Dame. Begun in 1931 to raise funds for the Holy Cross missionaries in the region of Bengal (what is now Bangladesh), the tournament features boxing matches between Notre Dame students, who train all year for the chance to take part. Winning four consecutive boxing championships entitles Lally to a coveted Varsity Letter from the Notre Dame

have been awarded fellowships to conduct research in Moscow for twoplus weeks this summer. The program, titled Biotechnology and Russian: A Summer Science and Language Program for Undergraduates at Moscow State University, is sponsored by the George Washington University School of Medicine and was limited to five awardees.

“SLUH was fortunate to have Coach Hanick as a teacher, coach and friend for many years,” says Bill Nordmann ’59, who was on the undefeated (28-0) State Championship team as a junior. “He instilled the highest principles in those with whom he came in contact while teaching and coaching at SLUH.” Alumni and lifelong friends gathered for a reception for Hanick in the Si Commons following the game. Hanick addressed the crowd, articulating his gratitude and pride for his former players and students.

He also emphasized that the personal relationships he developed and witnessing the successful seeds of education in the lives of his Jr. Bills outweighed any victory or notoriety.

Former players of Hanick’s attest that he was always a “teacher first.” The former coach taught science and math at the U. High from 1953 to 1990.

3

Saint Louis University Russian majors

Michael Meyer ’10 (also Honors BS Jack Lally ’09 (son of John Lally ’80) Biology and Int. Studies) and Daniel became only the 12th Notre Dame student Pike ’10 (also Honors BS Biochemistry),

THINKING OF A RELIGIOUS VOCATION? Visit www.sluh.org/campus/vocations for information regarding vocations.

4

[5]

Rodgers [continued from Page 1] Today, March Hare performs a blend of contemporary and classic rock that spans seven decades.

true to four priorities in everything we do,” he says. “They are integrity, creativity, collaboration and equality. Integrity is particularly important to us. We believe that how we treat each other, and our clients, is paramount to our success.”

Tim Jr. is in his third year at Rodgers Townsend after graduating from Miami of Ohio in 2009 and earning an MBA from Saint Louis University in 2010. He says he has learned a lot from his father.

“He always asks one question more than necessary to come up with a better, more creative solution,” he says.

Rodgers and Enright have more in common than a shared passion for music. In 1971, the two were the first Jr. Bills to serve in Honduras for Senior Project.

From left: Tim Rodgers and Jack Enright in 2011 playing with the March Hare

Leader of the Band

Tim Jr. can also attest to the value of integrity at Rodgers Townsend, saying, “How you go about your work here is as important as the work itself. It’s refreshing to hear from clients how they value the way they’ve been treated.”

In 2007, Rodgers Townsend moved into their current office, a historic Cupples Warehouse building in downtown that they co-developed with Kevin Kloster ’72. While the environmentally friendly, LEED-certified structure is spacious and offers spectacular views of the city and “Working with my son has made me much nearby Busch Stadium, it was designed to more aware of the impact my words and discourage any kind of political hierarchy, actions have on others,” says Rodgers, and to encourage collaboration and “and I couldn’t be prouder to observe the equality. Like the rest of his employees, unassuming, yet spirited way he conducts Rodgers shares a work pod with three himself as ‘the boss’s son.’” others in an open floor plan, as does his partner, Tom Townsend.

And, like his 75 employees, Rodgers is casually clad on most workdays. He may even seem indistinguishable in the office, aside from some band equipment that resides next to his pod.

Rodgers has been an avid musician since his role in SLUH’s Senior Follies, joining a rock group, March Hare, in college that continues to play occasionally to this day. Tim is the lead singer, and Jack Enright ’71 is the lead guitarist. The band From left: Tim Rodgers and Jack Enright previously included classmates Dan in Honduras for Senior Project Schaljo ’71 (deceased) and John Kish ’71.

[6]

“It was an eye-opening experience,” says Rodgers. “We were painting houses and got to know the locals. I was the first blonde-haired, blue-eyed person they’d ever seen, so I really stuck out. They all had so little but seemed so happy.”

Rodgers deeply values his SLUH experience, including his excursion to Honduras and the relationships he formed at the school.

“SLUH brings together students with similar God-given talent, but different worldly circumstances,” he says. “This blending of students and perspectives from all walks of life has tremendous benefits. This was – and still is today – the magic of SLUH.” Rodgers continues to apply the lessons he learned at the U. High in his role as a dynamic business leader.

“The most important thing I’ve learned is to understand what your gift is, and then to give every challenge or opportunity everything you’ve got, no matter how big or how small,” he says. “Leading an organization is all about consistency and setting and living the right example. I feel those are the most important lessons I learned at SLUH from my instructors as well as my classmates.”

MEN FOR OTHERS Jeff Rombach ’98 | A Little Help Goes a Long Way

When Jeff Rombach ’98 was a senior at SLUH, he received a $100 gift from an anonymous alumnus donor to help with his prom expenses.

From left: Mark Favazza ‘98, Jeff Rombach ‘98 and Bill Rombach ‘95

“Sometimes it’s the little help in your life that you don’t expect that has the most meaning.”

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TO SLUH AND MAKE A GIFT TODAY.

www.sluh.org/giving

“It was always a struggle to come up with money, and one hundred dollars was a really big deal,” he says. “It was a great feeling to be able to just enjoy prom and not worry about how to pay for it.”

Rombach’s mother, Bev, was a single parent who had a great belief in Catholic education. She worked multiple jobs and had to rely on scholarship assistance to ensure the best education for her four children (Rombach’s brother, Bill, graduated from SLUH in 1995).

Rombach excelled at SLUH. He was the 1998 State High School Racquetball champion and a member of the first SLUH National Racquetball Championship team.

Rombach was also a guitarist in both the jazz band and a successful SLUH-based local group.

“SLUH taught me how to learn and challenge myself,” he says. “It was hard and a lot was expected of us. I developed a drive to succeed there, both in and out of the classroom.”

After high school, Rombach attended the University of Dayton. He then worked for Ernst & Young’s Financial Services Group and, subsequently, JPMorgan’s Real Estate Investment Group in New York City.

Rombach returned to St. Louis in 2007 to

work for Wells Fargo’s Commercial Real Estate Group, where he currently serves as Assistant Vice-President.

In April of Rombach’s freshman year of college, he had some extra money from coaching racquetball.

“I had an idea to give one hundred dollars to an in-need SLUH senior to ‘pay back’ the favor I had received,” he says.

Since then, Rombach has continued to give on an annual basis.

“Sometimes it’s the little help in your life that you don’t expect that has the most meaning,” he says. “SLUH was full of those moments for me and now I can reciprocate for others.

“Without scholarships and work-grant assistance, I couldn’t have attended SLUH. My life would be drastically different and I’ll never forget the opportunity the U. High gave me. That is why I’ve made it a priority to give back to help fund future scholarship needs. I think everyone should find a way to give back to the school whether it be money, volunteer time, mentoring, or some other way. It can be very meaningful to the SLUH community and rewarding at the same time.”

Rombach and his wife, Idania, have an 18-month old daughter, Camila. He stays involved with SLUH as a racquetball coach and a member of the Alumni Board.

[7]

SLUH

ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY HIGH Backer Memorial 4970 Oakland Avenue St. Louis, MO 63110-1402

Non Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

St. Louis, MO Permit No. 9161

BELIEVE IT. BECOME IT.

U.HIGHlights

Upcoming Events & Activities Visit alumconnect.sluh.org for further details on the following events.

Alumni Baseball Reunion Friday-Saturday, April 12-13 Former players and managers are invited back to the U. High to recreate and reconnect for this inaugural event, which will include a reception, baseball activities, a barbeque and a varsity game.

Festival of Miles

In This Issue • Advertising’s Rock Star Tim Rogers ’71 • John Duffy ’90 and Michael Huber ’89 working together for a Paradigm of Excellence

Thursday, May 30 SLUH hosts a premier track meet featuring American Olympic hopefuls and sub 4-minute mile runs.

• A little help goes a long way for Jeff Rombach ’98

Fr. Hagan Memorial Alumni Golf Tournament

2013 REUNIONS

SAVE THE DATE!

Class of ’63 Reunion

Saturday, April 20 Roll up your sleeves for a fun day of fellowship and service! This annual event kicks off with Mass in the SLUH Chapel at 7:30 a.m., followed by service work at select sites off-campus until noon.

Friday, May 31 This year’s event will be held on May 31 (as opposed to when it has been traditionally held in July). Join fellow alumni for a fun day of golf on the Norman Probstein Golf Course in beautiful Forest Park.

Alumni Happy Hour

SLUH Scholarship Golf Classic

Classes of ’43 and ’48 Reunion

Alumni Day of Service

Monday, September 30 Thursday, May 2 On the first Thursday of each month, SLUH The second annual event coincides with Reunion Weekend. gather to reconnect and network. [alumni 8]

Fri.-Sun., September 20-22, 2013

Reunion Weekend Thurs.-Sat., September 26-28, 2013 (Classes of ’53, ’58, ’68, ’73, ’78, ’83, ’88 and ’93) Fri., October 11, 2013 (Mass and Lunch)

Classes of ’98, ’03 and ’08 Reunion Friday, November 29, 2013