Maur Hill - Mount Academy

Connection

Live the Faith Pursue the Truth Strive for Excellence

Winter 2014

Ora Et Labora

Time for a true confession: I am a recovering perfectionist. That’s right. I am the oldest of four boys in a very competitive family, and I’ve found myself striving for perfection my entire life. I wanted to be great at anything I tried. How did that go? Not well. Tons of failure. Good in some areas, maybe occasional

moments of greatness. Mostly filled with frustration. However, I’m a changed man. Let me explain.

My turning point happened when I read a book by John Powell, S.J. entitled “Happiness is an Inside Job.” Chapter three caught my attention. The title was “Seek Growth, not Perfection.” That was an eye-opener for me. He explained how so many perfectionists end up unhappy because perfection is almost impossible to attain. There is nothing wrong with reaching for the stars and trying to be the best, but to be perfect, you can’t make a mistake. That’s tough. As human beings, we are going to make mistakes. His emphasis on seeking growth was my epiphany. Forget being perfect. Try to be the best you can possibly be, work on constant improvement, and you will find yourself going in the right direction and becoming much happier. Now I can relate to that!

Whether it’s athletics, a job, or trying to be a great husband and father, I can work on getting better each day. Even when I fail, I can get back up and work on improving. The continual learning from failure and success is how excellence can be achieved. That Midwestern work ethic comes into play here. Hard work, high morals, and becoming the best you can possibly be all point toward excellence. Perhaps attaining excellence doesn’t happen right away or even

at all. Can you still be successful? Absolutely. It is the “striving for excellence” that will help you to become your best.

You probably recognize that “striving for excellence” phrase. It is a part of our school motto: “Live the faith, pursue the truth, strive for excellence.” We don’t expect our students at Maur Hill-Mount Academy to be perfect. But we do expect them to strive for excellence and to become the best that they can be. They need to give a total effort to head in that direction. If you are striving for excellence, you are giving 100%.

As MH-MA continues to grow and improve in every area, we have been able to celebrate our “striving for excellence.” Our football team won their District, our Scholar’s Bowl team won the region for the third year in a row, the boys’ track team won their league, the baseball team were regional runners up, several individuals made it to state in track, cross country and swimming, we have two commended National Merit Scholars, our students won an archdiocesan art contest, and we continue to either win or place in the top three in academic competitions at several colleges. Sure, we may not be perfect, but we are reaching excellence in some areas.

Enjoy this issue as you read about some of the successes of Maur Hill-Mount Academy and about how so many in the Raven family are making a difference. I hope to see you soon.

God bless,

Phil BaniewiczPresident

President’s Letter

Table of Contents2 President’s Letter3 Board/League/Pres. Circle Members 4 Sports Recap5 Upcoming Events/Student Spotlight6 Homecoming10 League of St. Maur12 Bob Goalby13 House info/events14 Graduation16 Dorm Project/Concession stands18 Life teen article19 Class Notes

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President’s Circle

Monks of St. Benedict’s AbbeyJames Coleman, Jr.Cloud L. Cray, JrMick and Geri HarrisMick and Marlys HavertyTimothy J. KeeleyVelda LovettJonathan and Shannon MizeWarren and Joanne PowersTimothy and Sue ReganCarol L. Rogers

($10,000 and Above)

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Mick Harris ‘84 ChairpersonTheresa Worman ‘89 Vice ChairJanelle (Kautz) Hegarty ‘80 SecretaryDouglass Adair ‘94 TreasurerMike Hundley MemberMike Kuckelman ‘82 MemberFr. Gabriel Landis, OSB MemberSkip Miller ‘83 MemberTimothy Regan ‘74 MemberAbbot James Albers, OSB MemberPrioress Anne Shepard, OSB MemberSr. Rose Marie Stallbaumer, OSB MemberKelly Vowels MemberJanet Wilcox MemberDave Rindom ‘73 MemberPete Klebba ‘78 MemberTim Keeley ‘80 MemberSr. Helen Mueting, OSB MemberJim Slattery ‘66 MemberSandy Sampson ‘77 MemberCathy Paolucci ‘76 Member

Platinum Level ($5,000)Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. ScholasticaRon CretenJanelle HegartyMichael and Joy JeffersonRaymond and Theresa MillerJoe and Cathy PaolucciMaureen and Jesse Beckett

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League of St. Maur

President’s Circle

Monks of St. Benedict’s AbbeyJames Coleman, Jr.Cloud L. Cray, JrMick and Geri HarrisMick and Marlys HavertyTimothy J. KeeleyVelda LovettJonathan and Shannon MizeWarren and Joanne PowersTimothy and Sue ReganCarol L. Rogers

($10,000 and Above)

Silver Level ($1,000)Douglass AdairMartin and Aggie AsherPhil and Lisa BaniewiczLarry and Tresa BuessingJan Clements MillerMarty and Linda ClementsMaj. Gen Ret. and Mrs. Stephen CondonArvin DeMarcoMark DreilingDavid and Marilyn FloresMick HundleyMichael and Debbie HundleyShane and Ashley HundleyP.J. and Virginia KeeleyPaul and Kasey KinderJohn and Lisa KlebbaGerald and Pat KuckelmanMichael and Jo Kuckelman

Gold Level ($2,500)Timothy and Kelli BeckerJames and Linda SlatteryTodd and Kamille CaudleKevin and Lisa CummingsSandy Cummings-SampsonChristopher and Patty HunterHenry and Susan KeeleyPaul and Becky MillerSkip and Traci MillerStephen and Amy MinnisRandy and Mary SchrickTheresa Worman

Fr. Gabriel LandisCMSAF James M. McCoy, USAF (Ret)Kevin and Theresa McDermedJoseph McLineyJohn MurphyDavid and Brenda RindomAndrew and Kasey TrainerStephanie VanDyneKelly VowelsMakinzie Vowels

We want to recognize and thank every member of the President’s Circle and League of St. Maur. Your ongoing commitment to the school is making a difference in the lives of our students.

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MH-MA Sports Recap

From spring to fall, our athletes came to play this year and success followed their blazing trails.

Baseball finished with a winning record of 13-8 this past spring. The team also took second place in the league and just barely missed taking the Regional championship title, claiming the runner-up position after a one-run loss. President Phil Baniewicz will return as head coach this spring to lead the team on the road to State.

Spring was a successful season for track and field as well. Our boy’s team took home the league title and several individuals qualified for State competition, including Adam Wagner, Austin Geenens, Nathaniel Curry, Josh Caudle, Nick Caudle, Harry Trotter, and Michael Thomas.

Football brought home the district title for the first time in two de-cades along with a solid 7-3 record. The Ravens started the season out strong, out scoring their first three opponents 106-6. After a couple of set backs, the team re-grouped

to finish strong with the District Championship and a spot in the playoffs. The team came up short in playoff competition, but it’s evident that Coach Monroe is taking this program in the right direction. The future is looking bright for Raven football.

Volleyball finished one of the best seasons in the program’s recent his-tory with a 25-13 record. The Lady Ravens were rewarded with a 2nd seed at Sub-state where they made it past the first round before falling short in the semi-finals. Though the team will be losing some solid seniors, many key players will return next year to lead the team to victory.

Junior Jack Siebert made an impres-sive mark his first year as a com-petitive cross country runner. After placing 7th at Regionals, Siebert finished 40th out of more than 100 runners at the State competition. Siebert will look to make a name for himself in track and field, as well, this coming spring season.

Students find success in and out of the classroom Student Spotlight

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Maur Hill - Mount Academy is jumping leaps and bounds for the 2014-15 school year. Our students have shown to be excellent in the classroom and on the field, and we’re making big improvements to our already incredible campus ministry. Our football team made

the playoffs, our volleyball team had a great winning season, and we now have over eight students who have scored a 30 or higher on their ACT! The teachers and students are working hard to “Start a Fire” on campus, and it’s working.

One thing that’s very important to us is service. It’s at the very heart of our school’s mission. Every year, each one of our four houses chooses a charity to support for the rest of the school year. Every month, the proceeds from our charity jeans days go toward supporting these great causes. As a school, we support St. Jude’s Child-rens Research Hospital, Unbound, the Crossing Ministry Outreach, and Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. These four organizations make a huge difference and we’re incredibly proud to be able to help them in every way we can.

But we don’t just stop there. Maur Hill - Mount Acad-emy also has a hands-on tradition: Service Day. At Ser-vice Day students go into the community, ranging from St. Joseph to Kansas City, or right here in Atchison, and they make a positive impact through various service projects. This year, we’re having two service days and our first one, on November 7, was a big hit. St. Sebas-tian went to Second Harvest in St. Joseph, and prepared over 5,000 Backpack Buddies for kids in the area who might not get a meal on the weekends. This was a new record for one day at Second Harvest! St. George went to Habitat for Humanity, and helped build a home for a very deserving family. Mother Teresa went to Leaven-worth’s Veteran’s Hospital and spent time helping out those who have spent their lives serving. Mother Teresa also had some students stay back in Atchison to sell poppies for the veterans, and they raised over $450 for this cause! St. Gabriel helped setup and manage Stand Down, a place where the homeless can get food and clothing, and they directly helped over 580 people!

This is what we’re all about. We live the faith, We pursue the truth, and we strive for excellence.

Student Spotlight

Story by Stephen Akers

Stephen Akers

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Homecoming 2014

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Thanks to all who “came home” and helped us make wonderful memories at this year’s homecoming festivities. We look forward to seeing you all again!

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Thanks to all who “came home” and helped us make wonderful memories at this year’s homecoming festivities. We look forward to seeing you all again!

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The League of St. MaurSeptember 20th, 2014

More than $124,000 was raised for the school thanks to the generosity of many at the 4th annual League of St. Maur Dinner.

Maur Hill-Mount Academy was also honored to cel-ebrate two amazing couples during the night. Gerald Sr. and Virginia Kuckelman became members of the MH-MA family in 1972 when they enrolled their old-est child as a freshman at the Academy of Mount St. Scholastica. All six of their children went on to gradu-ate from Maur Hill or the Mount, and 11 of Jerry and Virginia’s 16 grandchildren have graduated from or are presently attending MH-MA. The Kuckelmans’ many years of service to the Atchison Community and MH-MA made them the perfect recipients of the 2014 Fidelis Award.

Jerry ‘59 and Bernadette (Enzbrenner) ‘63 Urban were recognized with the Fr. Edwin Watson Award for their long-standing commitment to MH-MA and their count-less efforts to help the school. Both are alums of Maur Hill and the Mount. Bernadette has been employed with the school for 35 years, and Jerry can often be found mowing and helping with other projects around campus. Two of their three children are graduates of Maur Hill. They have four grandchildren, one is a 2009 graduate of MH-MA and one is a current senior.

Both families have been committed to MH-MA for de-cades and were very deserving of these awards on such a special night.

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The League of St. MaurSeptember 20th, 2014

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May 2nd proved to be a spectacular day to host the Bob Goalby Golf Tournament at Deer Creek Golf Course in Overland Park, Kan.

The weather held out for the tournament this year, providing more sunshine and warmth than the previous year.

More than 170 alumni and friends gathered to play in the tournament this year.

Tanner’s Grill and Bar provided food for the banquet and beverages throughout the entire day.

Jerry ‘59 and Bernadette (Enzbrenner) ‘63 Urban provided their infamous bratwursts for everyone attending to enjoy.

Many prizes were up for grabs at the banquet, in-cluding a trip awarded to Pat O’Keefe, and a $500 cash prize which went to Theresa Lanfermann.

Join us for the Bob Goalby Golf Tournament May 8th, 2015! Contact Erin Hunninghake for more information at (913)367-5482 ext. 225, or ehunninghake@mh-ma.com.

2014 WinnersA FlightFirst Place- Mike Lasater, Shane Boos, Matt Lomshek, Mark Gellings, Steve O’Keefe, Mike LutzSecond Place- Noel Rueb, Dick Hunninghake, Ron Pennington, Rob Weber, Kirby Schimke, Andrew Lewman

B FlightFirst Place- Dave Rindom, Tom Cray, Bill Nolan, Greg Wyatt, Kevin Van Dyke, Mike HennighSecond Place- Tim Keeley, Steve Bellis, Dan Nass, Robert Arensberg, Mark Shrout, Mike Rindom

C FlightFirst Place- Phil Baniewicz, Chris Clements, Marty Clements, Steve St. Denis, Lyle KirkSecond Place- Dustin Pickman, Jack Pennington, Rob Shriwise, Joe Zigtema, Ted Henry, Justin Pregont

Longest Drive- Steve O’KeefeLongest Putt- Rob Shriwise

Bob Goalby 2014

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Hole SponsorsSuper Grand MarshalSt. Benedict’s AbbeyAbbot James Albers and Community

Super MarshalVelda “Spook” Lovett

Grand MarshalHank ’52 and Susan KeeleyFred Wulff ‘62

MarshalBlish Mize CompanyMike JeffersonRaymond and Theresa’54 (Wolters) Miller Hole SponsorMaureen Beckett (Stork) ‘90Carrigan FamilyJim Coleman ‘64Compdata Surveys-Theresa Worman ‘89Exchange National Bank and TrustKuckelman, Torline and Kirkland; LewisMetropolitan Life-Larry Buessing and Andrew LewmanHarry Oberle IIIDavid Wulff ‘60

19th Hole SponsorBen Buehler ‘91Don Carlos ‘40Drs. Michael and Nancy Dickason-ConnellyPatricia Domann ‘72Patrick H. Dyer ‘55Larry Giller ‘51Linda Guetterman Dinsmore ‘66Terry Hagen ‘82Mike Lasater ‘86Big Jack LaurieMichael McGuire Patsy Porter, CPA, PAMary Margaret RuhlmanTom and Deanna Wagner

Goalby Gallery

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Maur Hill - Mount Academy

GraduationMaur Hill-Mount Academy celebrated the class of 2014 one last time at this year’s Baccalaureate Mass and graduation ceremony on May 18th.

Abbot Barnabas, OSB gave this year’s commencement speech followed by the announcement of salutatorians, Margaret Kuckelman and Alice Ye. Lane Fry then rep-resented his class with his valedictorian speech. Mark McDermed and Margaret Kuckelman were awarded with the St. Benedict and St. Scholastica awards. Lane Fry and Miranda Baniewicz were also recognized during the ceremony for receiving these awards in the fall semester.

Jake Schmidt was then presented with the Dickason Scholarship Award for the 2014-2015 school year pre-sented by Chris Dickason.

After the graduates received their diplomas, the cer-emony concluded with the rightful passage of switch-ing their tassels from right to left. We’re proud to say the class of 2014 maintained MH-MA’s high percent-age of graduates who choose to further their educa-tion with 96% of the class going on to college and the other 4% joining the military.

Congratulations and good luck to all of the 2014 Maur Hill-Mount Academy graduates!

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Farewell to the Class of 2014.You’re continuously in our

thoughts and prayers!

Photos by Chris Sinclair

Rachel Adducci Newman UniversityMiranda Baniewicz Benedictine CollegeSkylar Busenbarrick University of KansasYijia (Claire) Cen Virginia Poly. UniversityXuemeng (Rona) Chen U. of Wisconsin – MadisonNathaniel Curry United States NavyIan Davis Kansas State UniversityAna Duraes Kansas State UniversityMorgan Falk Dodge City Community CollegeNicholas Falk Benedictine CollegeWeitian Fan Boston UniversityJiaxin (Jason) Feng Northeastern UniversityRichard Fry Benedictine CollegeRebecca Funk Kansas State UniversityMegan Galley Highland Community CollegeAustin Geenens Benedictine CollegeShayna Gering Washburn UniversityAllison Harris Benedictine CollegeHaley Harris Kansas State UniversityKatherine Kistler Kansas State UniversityLingfei Kong School of Art Institute of ChicagoMari Kubota Washburn UniversityMargaret Kuckelman St. Louis UniversityChase Kunecke Washburn UniversityRongxin (Hugh) Li Purdue UniversitySimin (Sammy) Li Miami University of OxfordXinyi (Lucy) Lu California State University – NorthridgeChao (Mark) Ma University of BuffaloKyle Mason United States NavyMark McDermed Kansas State UniversityKyle McGuire Kansas State UniversityNathan Mize University of KansasSau Ching Mok Kansas State UniversityEamon Mulholland Benedictine CollegeHeeae (Nicole) Nam Kansas State University SalinaKazekene Oliveira University of Mary WashingtonSamuel Panchot United States ArmyBenjamin Pickman United States Air Force Northwest Missouri State UniversityMatthew Roberts Xavier UniversityMindy Rottinghaus Work ForceBrian Robert Scott Emporia State UniversityTanna Nicole Taylor Northwest Missouri State UniversityLauren Thomas Kansas State UniversityMichael Thomas Kansas State UniversityBeau Vowels Emporia State UniversityAdam Scott Wagner University of Missouri Kansas CityZimo (Summer) Wang University of KansasWilliam White Highland Technical CenterSiqi Xue Michigan State UniversityYu-Jie (Melissa) Yang Pennsylvania State UniversityPeixin (Alice) Ye University of Washington - SeattleJingfu (Mike) Zhang University of San FranciscoKevin Zhang Ball State UniversityYi (Thomas) Zhu California State University - Northridge

Class of 2014College Picks

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Maur Hill-Mount Academy is seeing a resurgence take place. More students want to be part of the Raven family. Yet, even though our students are teenagers, the dorms they live in are old and outdated.

We recently invested $500,000 in energy efficient improvements across campus. However, there are still multiple issues to address in our dorms: aging machinery, failing air-conditioning units, worn out furniture and dated decor. As we strive for excellence, we want our facilities to coincide with our efforts. Therefore, we started this initiative to improve our dorms.

New carpet has been laid throughout St. Leo’s, hallways have been painted and several pieces of new furniture have been purchased. However, there’s still a lot to accomplish, and with the generosity and help of others, we hope to complete the renovations by Spring 2015. If you want to learn how you can donate to this project, you can follow the links on our website, www.mh-ma.com > Giving > Ways of Giving > Donate. Or you can contact Erin Hunninghake at 913-367-5482 ext 225.

Dorm Project

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House UpdateAlways Moving FowardCampus Improvements

If you’ve been on campus lately, you’ve surely noticed the many new improvements and additions popping up all around the school.

New bleachers for the football field were put up just in time for our fans to cheer the team on to a winning season. New scoreboards on the football, soccer and baseball field, as well as the new gym, are all up and running. The new gym also has a new roof and a new A/C unit, and work has begun on a new wrestling room beneath the gym.

But we’re still not finished! With all the new improve-ments around campus, one addition stands out and demands the attention of all who pass by. Thanks to

Hundley Construction, Robert Mason, Terry Wagner, Tim Wagner, and other hardworking volunteers, construction on the new concession stand/ticket booth/restroom area for Guy Galley Field has been moving right along. Now that the roof is on, the focus will turn to the interior work and finishing touches. The highly anticipated project is right on schedule and set to be complete by Fall 2015.

This addition promises to be one that will enhance the overall fan experience for all who enter Guy Galley Field for years to come.

What’s been happening around campus? A ton of things!

Construction on the new concession stand/ticket booth/rest-room area for Guy Galley Field has begun. Set to be completed in Fall 2015.New bleachers for the football field are up. New scoreboards on the football, soccer and baseball field, as well as the new gym are all up and running. The new gym now has a new roof and a new A/C unit. Work has begun on a new wrestling room beneath the gym.

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MH-MA Dorms: We need your helpA new youth minister has joined St. Benedict’s parish this year, and she’s looking to help inspire the teens of Atchison.

Lenexa, Kan. native and 2013 Benedictine College graduate Shelbee Hernandez is using her four years of ministry experience to lead the Atchison youth closer to Christ through the Life Teen program.

Under Hernandez’s leadership, a core team of Benedictine College students and MH-MA faculty members are hosting Life Nights every Sunday evening using this year’s Life Teen theme, “Inspired.”

“When I first heard the theme was ‘Inspired,’ the first thing that came to mind was ‘inspired by the Holy Spirit, inspired by the word of God, inspired by the sacraments,’” Hernandez said. “Those are the keys to the church. Ultimately, what Life Teen is hoping to do, is to revive these things and bring them back to the Church through the youth.”

Going along with the Life Teen theme, the first Life Night included games, talks, and small group discussions centered on who and what inspires the kids. Every Life Night will have a different theme, and once a month, there will be Eucharistic Adoration along with praise and worship.

Life Nights will continue to be held every Sunday night directly following the 5:00 Life Teen Mass in MH-MA’s roost under the gym until the end of the school year. To learn more about Atchison Life Teen, you can contact Shelbee at shernandez@mh-ma.com.

Life Teen

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Life Teen

Greg and Hillary (Rice) Arnold, both graduates of Maur Hill-Mount Academy are proud to announce the arrival of their daughter, Gwyn Elissa Arnold. She was born on February 20, 2014. 6.0 lb and 19.5 inches. Greg graduated in 2006 and Hillary in 2007. The Arnold family resides in Eudora, Kansas.

Blair (Hanf) Flinn, class of 2009, welcomed her first daughter, Kate Elizabeth Flinn, on July 17th, 2014. Blair now resides in Wichita, Kan. with her husband Russell Flinn.

Bryce Hundley, class of 2010, joined the family business January of 2014. Bryce is now a broker for Hundley Insurance Services, LLC where he works with his father Dave Hundley.

Courtney Lykins, Class of 2010, married Mark Siemsen of Lamar, Col. on Au-gust 16th, 2014 in Manhattan, Kan. The couple will be moving to Hurst, Tex. in January of 2015 where Mark has taken a position with the Textron Engineering Leadership Development Program at Bell Helicopter.

Traci (Coy) Nolte (Class of 1984) was named to the Board of Directors of the Kansas City Society of Association Executives.

Class Notes

Upcoming EventsChristmas Break- December 18th-January 7thCatholic Schools Week- January 25th-30thFamily Weekend- February 13th-15thSpring Break- March 15th-23rdProm- April 11thSenior Retreat- April 17th-18thBob Goalby- May 8thSenior Finals- May 11th-13thBaccalaureate and Graduation- May 17thUnderclassmen Finals- May 19th-20th

Newsletter CommitteeWritersErin HunninghakeStephen AkersDesignerChris SinclairPhotographersKatya BeckDillon KramerRox’s ImagesChris SinclairThe MH-MA Photography classThe MH-MA Publications class

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