CHRONICLE

Winter 2009

Houston, Texas

O F S T R A K E J E S U I T C O L L E G E P R E P A R A T O R Y

the

Football: An Escapefrom Tragedy

for Jesuit AlumOgbonnaya

I N T H I S I S S U E

Focused

CHRONICLECHRONICLEthethe

CHRONICLECHRONICLEthe

CHRONICLECHRONICLEO F S T R A K E J E S U I T C O L L E G E P R E P A R A T O R YO F S T R A K E J E S U I T C O L L E G E P R E P A R A T O R Y

Table of Contents

FeaturesFocused

p. 4

The Daily Examenp. 7

First Athletic Hall of Hon-or

Induction Ceremonyp. 15

Departments

President’s Message - 2

Principal’s Perspective - 3

School News - 7 - 10

Spirituality - 11

Development - 12 - 13

Athletics - 15 - 18

Alumni News - 19 - 20

Class Notes - 21 - 23

Births - 23

In Memoriam - 23

By George - 24

Winter 2009Vol. 40, No. 2

EditorRick Rivers, Director of Communications

ContributorsFr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJRichard NevleFr. Flavio Bravo, SJ

The Chronicle of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory (USPS 024165) Vol. 40, No. 2, Winter Edition, is published quarterly by Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, 8900 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, TX 77036. Periodicals Postage Paid at Houston, TX. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

The Chronicle of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory,8900 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, TX 77036-4699.

PresidentFr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ

PrincipalRichard Nevle

Director of DevelopmentNJ Santarcangelo ‘67

ON THE COVER - University of Texas running back Chris Ogbonnaya ‘04 fi rst learned his football skills at Jesuit, where his committment to football helped him through some personal tragedies.

The start of the new school year brought a new tradition to the Jesuit campus - the Daily Examen. At the beginning of 7th period every day, the entire campus comes to a stop and is led through Ignatius’ Examen. Read more on page 7.

CHRONICLECHRONICLEthethe

CHRONICLECHRONICLEthe

CHRONICLECHRONICLEO F S T R A K E J E S U I T C O L L E G E P R E P A R A T O R YO F S T R A K E J E S U I T C O L L E G E P R E P A R A T O R Y

Table of Contents

FeaturesFocused

p. 4

The Daily Examenp. 7

First Athletic Hall of Hon-or

Induction Ceremonyp. 15

Departments

President’s Message - 2

Principal’s Perspective - 3

School News - 7 - 10

Spirituality - 11

Development - 12 - 13

Athletics - 15 - 18

Alumni News - 19 - 20

Class Notes - 21 - 23

Births - 23

In Memoriam - 23

By George - 24

Winter 2009Vol. 40, No. 2

EditorRick Rivers, Director of Communications

ContributorsFr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJRichard NevleFr. Flavio Bravo, SJ

The Chronicle of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory (USPS 024165) Vol. 40, No. 2, Winter Edition, is published quarterly by Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, 8900 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, TX 77036. Periodicals Postage Paid at Houston, TX. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

The Chronicle of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory,8900 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, TX 77036-4699.

PresidentFr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ

PrincipalRichard Nevle

Director of DevelopmentNJ Santarcangelo ‘67

ON THE COVER - University of Texas running back Chris Ogbonnaya ‘04 fi rst learned his football skills at Jesuit, where his committment to football helped him through some personal tragedies.

The start of the new school year brought a new tradition to the Jesuit campus - the Daily Examen. At the beginning of 7th period every day, the entire campus comes to a stop and is led through Ignatius’ Examen. Read more on page 7.

Pre

side

nt’s

Mes

sage

Fr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ President

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g2 Winter 2009

I sit down to write this during the Thanksgiving holiday. I retreated for a few days to my

parents’ cabin in northern Wisconsin. Just in from a walk along the frozen shoreline of the

small lake where I boat and swim in the summertime, I reflected on how far away the beginning

of the semester seems .

It seems like ages ago that Hurricane Ike visited Houston and roared through 8900 Bel-

laire Boulevard. A few trees down, limbs scattered across the campus, the roof on the Parsley

Center a victim once again, Hurricane Rita having torn it open three years ago. The campus

dark and desolate, awaiting the return to normalcy.

Everyone has a story about the days following the storm. Perhaps my favorite memory is

of all the members of the Jesuit Community raking and picking up our corner of the campus.

Admittedly, Jesuits are not renown for our domestic abilities. Nor are all our members of tender

age. It was a wonderful sight and a gratifying experience as we all pitched in to clean up. In

the days that followed, groups of our students spread out across the region to help those most

devastated by the storm. The stories of coming together to overcome hardship are edifying.

How quickly campus life resumed in full force, and the semester has been one to remem-

ber. Once again we were named one of the top 50 Catholic High Schools in the country by the

Catholic Honor Roll. Our cross country team and football team each won their district title. Our

newest club, the Engineering Club, took first place in its first competition. One of our students

became the first private school student to win the coveted Touchdown Club’s Student-Athlete

Award. Our first Hall of Honor induction ceremony recognized some legendary members of

our athletic program. The 18th annual Freshman Retreat once again took over the campus,

and with the help of over 100 sophomores, juniors and seniors, the freshmen had the opportu-

nity to draw closer to our God. Yes, Strake Jesuit has fully recovered from the storm, and life

is as busy as ever.

The fall has also seen us settling into the new W.T. and Louise J. Moran Dining Hall. No

longer do students wait in line most of their lunch time to get their food. No longer are tables

littered with trash at the end of the period. I have been very proud of how well our students

have cared for all our new facilities. “To whom much is given, much is expected.” This line

from Luke is certainly about using our talents to serve God’s glory, but it is also about caring

for those things endowed to us . Respect for others, respect for our world, begins with caring

for what we have at home.

We wait in anticipation for the opening of the Clay Activity Center and the Lahart Chapel of

St. Ignatius. Construction continues to move along well, and we will dedicate these newest fa-

cilities at the end of January. These buildings will complete the current renovation of our lovely

campus. We began our strategic planning, Vision 2008, in the fall of 2002. This strategic plan,

which called for a variety of improvements to student life, will be fully implemented when our

construction in complete in January. We are very proud of what we have been able to accom-

plish, and I am very grateful for all who have helped make this possible.

No matter where you find yourself this Christmas season, whether in the cold and snow or

in the warmth and sun, I pray that the gift of this season may be born anew in your hearts and

homes. While our economy goes through turbulent, uncertain times we know with confidence

that our Lord came to bring us grace, peace, and salvation. May you and your families be

richly blessed during Christmas and in the year ahead.

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 3

The first Christmas tree I saw on campus was hardly up before I remembered an invitation I had received this past July from a ris-ing ninth grader I had met at the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico. His name was Tony Aldo. At least that was one of his names. He had other names given by the members of his clan that he did not share with us. What he did share was the story of his people, the people who inhabit the longest continually occupied dwelling in the United States. Acoma was one of the places I was able to visit as the result of receiving a Fleming Grant. Fleming Grants are funded by Mr. George Fleming and designed to improve classroom teaching and to attract and retain outstanding faculty. My own grant was awarded to “further my study of U.S. and World History.” Years ago I had taught a course in Native American Cultures and have spent most of my career here teaching World History. As much as the culture of Europe has shaped and touched the development of the United States, there is a frontier between the old world and the new that is still clearly visible in the Southwestern United States. Books tell part of the story, as do archi-tecture and landscape, but the best part of that story is in the hearts of the men, women and children who still live along that line of contact. Acoma sits on that line. It’s ancient American roots are visible from miles away as is the mark of the Conquistadors who took possession of it in the name of their king. The Spanish are gone, survived by their shadows in the lives of the Puebloans who remain. There’s a painting of the Acoma by Dennis Downey in the Parsley Center and it looks a great deal like the place I visited this past July. The Acoma story is told in numerous books, but to hear the story directly from Tony is to hear a history of the heart. Tony, as young as he was, was a trained guide. He was part of the tourism industry that developed among the Pueblo and Navaho peoples with the coming of the railroads to the Southwest at the end of the nineteenth century. But for Tony, telling people about his community and its long history was more than a summer job. The events he spoke about were as real to him as if they had happened in his own lifetime. When he spoke of Puebloan customs and ceremo-nies, about Acoma’s political decision mak-ing process, he was describing his world, the place he had in it and the role he would have when he grew older. At times some members of the small group that he guided around the mesa top asked him questions about religious practices. He always politely replied, “We don’t talk to visitors about these customs.” In spite of the fact that a large Church erected by Spanish missionaries in the six-teenth century is the largest building on the Mesa, only about 2 per cent of Acoma’s inhab-

itants are Catholic. Instead they practice a religion that significantly antedates the arrival of the Europeans in the New World, or at least some of that religion. Tony explained that religious practice in Acoma is really a mixture of the religion the “padres” preached and the reli-gion that has always been here. The Church is very much a place of worship for the people of the mesa. Tony, though not a Catholic, was completely conversant in his knowledge of the Trinity, the liturgy, and many of the saints of the Church. The frescos he pointed out were not just interesting decorations, but illustrations of his own belief. The tap-estries told stories not only of the saints they depicted, but they were reminders of the more recent history of the Puebloans. One depicting St. Stephen, the Church’s first martyr who was stoned to death in Jeru-salem, had become, in Tony’s hagiography, a victim of the Spaniards. Tony also explained how a group of children was taken by Span-iards and sold into slavery in Mexico. He points to a wall around the plaza at the entrance to the Church which also serves as a cemetery. He showed us how a gateway has been cut in the wall, but no gate has ever been placed there. The space is left open so that the stolen children can find their way home when they return. When one of our group asked about visiting one of Acoma’s kiva (a sort of chapel in which the various clans of Acoma meet and con-duct religious rituals), Tony explained that the Kivas were still very much a part of Acoma life and visitors were excluded from entering them. Likewise, visitors were not even allowed on the mesa when certain religious ceremonies were underway, “But you are more than welcome at Christmas,” Tony said. “We celebrate Christmas for four days, you really should come.” I would like to go to Acoma for Christmas–there is a great deal of history, and its people share a connection to that history that is in-timate and alive. It’s been four centuries since the explorer Juan de Oñate first climbed the mesa and took possession of Acoma. It has

been nearly as many centuries since Acoma’s church was built, and the wall around its plaza left open so that the children taken into slav-ery could return. The opening is still there, and people still wait.

C

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g4 Winter 2009

As a freshman entering Jesuit in the fall of 2000, Chris Ogbonnaya ‘04 had already faced great adversity and heartbreak

in his young life. At Jesuit, football became his focus, his means of dealing with that adversity. Now a star senior running

back for the nationally-ranked Texas Longhorns, Ogbonnaya’s story of overcoming life’s challenges serves as an inspira-

tion both on and off the field.

hris Ogbonnaya wasn’t allowed to play football. His father, a doctor, made that clear from the start. But soon after Ogbonnaya and his older sister, Valerie, walked into his high school, Houston’s Strake Jesuit, for orientation, a coach approached him. “You look like you can play football,” he said. “My dad said I shouldn’t play,” Ogbonnaya said. “You’re playing,” said the coach. “We’re having tryouts now.” “I don’t have any shorts,” Ogbonnaya replied. “We’ll get you shorts.” “I don’t have the right shoes on.” “We’ll get you shoes.” Valerie called her father. Despite concerns about injuries, he reluctantly gave the OK — a decision he hasn’t regretted. “Football has been a blessing,” says Dr. Kalu Ogbonnaya, origi-nally from Nigeria, “especially after everything we’ve been through.”

Focused

by Amy Dyson

The Chronicle 5w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g

Indeed, the Ogbonnaya family has been through a lot. They have experienced more tragedy in a few short years than most people do in a lifetime. As a witness to one tragedy, the impact hit Ogbonnaya especially hard: when he was just a teenager, his brother died in his arms. Ogbonnaya was the third child born into the family. His younger brother, Moses, followed. When his parents separated in 1996 and eventually divorced in 1998, his father was awarded sole custody of the children. As with any family torn apart by divorce, it wasn’t easy. “I will not kid you; it was tough for Chris,” says Dr. Ogbonnaya. “There’s nothing like having two parents. I did my best. I showed them love.” While Dr. Ogbonnaya was working hard to adjust to life as a single father, he also was trying to help his good friends, Jonah and Rose Ifegwu, also Nigerian immigrants, and their three boys. Jonah had brain cancer, and it became clear that he wasn’t going to make it. Dr. Ogbonnaya was helping the Ifegwus prepare for death and prepare a will. Then more misfortune struck: Rose was killed in a car accident. “Here was a sick man with three children,” says Dr. Ogbonnaya, “and now his wife was dead.” Jonah didn’t want his boys to go to foster care, and he asked Dr. Ogbonnaya to become their guardian. Jonah Ifegwu died a couple of months later, and Dr. Ogbonnaya was now the only parent of seven children. The adjustment proved to be an enormous challenge. The Ifegwu boys — Ifegwu, Charles, and Jonathan — were grieving and could be diffi cult, and the family’s house with little furniture was too small for eight people. Dr. Ogbonnaya would go to work, then come home and cook and clean until midnight. He got a lot of support from his fellow church members, who helped drive the children to school and to their activities. Still, it was extraordinarily diffi cult. “This all really affected Chris,” says his father. After a year, the family moved into a big-ger house. The Ogbonnaya siblings not only adjusted to having the Ifegwu boys in the fam-ily; they embraced them as brothers. Chris be-came especially close to Jonathan, who was a year younger. Life was getting easier until one terrible night in 2001. The eldest Ifegwu broth-er, Ifegwu, was killed in a car accident on the way back to the University of Houston, where he was a student. He was hit by a drunken driver. Dr. Ogbonnaya remembers the pain. “I took over my friend’s child, and now his child was dead,” he says. The family came together in grief. Just six weeks after the accident, Ogbon-naya, then 15, and Jonathan attended a church camp in Fort Worth to help build houses for people with low incomes. Ogbonnaya wasn’t planning on going at fi rst, but when he heard that Jonathan was attending, he changed his mind. The boys unpacked their things in the church, then headed to the basketball court. Soon after they started playing, Jonathan col-lapsed. Ogbonnaya heard his head smack on the court and desperately tried to help him. Jonathan had stopped breathing, so Ogbon-

naya tried breathing into his mouth. He pushed on Jonathan’s chest, frantically trying to get his heart beating. It didn’t work. The autopsy showed that Jonathan had congenital malformation of the coronary arteries. “I was young,” Ogbonnaya recalls. “It was diffi cult. It’s tough to watch somebody pass away in your arms. It’s a picture you don’t erase from your memory.” Dr. Ogbonnaya was afraid the experience would scar his son per-manently. “For a long time, he would break down emotionally,” he says. “Just crying. I wanted to make sure that it didn’t mentally inca-pacitate him so that he couldn’t function. I told Chris not to let it mess up his whole life.” Ogbonnaya remained depressed for a long time. The anniver-sary of Jonathan’s death was especially rough. Slowly, with the sup-port of his family, he began to recover. There was something else that helped him work through the trauma: football. He threw himself into the sport in order to focus his mind on something other than Jonathan’s death. “Football was my gateway out,” Ogbonnaya says. “Without it, I wouldn’t have made it through.” For that, the Ogbonnaya family is grateful. “It’s such a blessing that he’s out there and doing something that he loves to do,” says Ogbonnaya’s sister, Jessica. Ogbonnaya’s father fi rst learned about football when he came to the United States as a student at Clemson. “You can’t go to a football powerhouse without getting into football,” he says. “When Chris got into it, the transition was easy for me. It all came back. And for Chris, football was a really good coping mecha-nism.”

Ogbonnaya excelled in football at Jesuit, playing quarterback, receiver, and running back. He was bombarded with offers from 27 schools, including Michigan, Louisiana State, and Nebraska. He chose Texas because he liked the family atmosphere, the camarade-rie of the team. He also appreciated Mack Brown’s honesty. “Coach Brown told me I was being recruited as an athlete,” says Ogbon-naya. “He didn’t know what position I’d be playing. He was up front.” When he came to Texas, the coach-es weren’t sure what to do with him. They thought they’d make him a receiver — he’s got outstanding hands — but instead started him at fullback, a position with a lot of contact that Ogbonnaya wasn’t used to. “I think that position molded me into a third-down back. I can catch in the backfi eld, which I take a lot of pride in,” says Ogbonnaya. During his fi ve-year tenure at Texas, Ogbonnaya has played many positions. Last season, he appeared in all 13 games as tailback and on special teams. He continues to wear a lot of different hats. “He’s a guy who can do a lot of things well,” says UT offensive coordinator Greg Da-vis. “It would be hard to say what he’s best at — but probably his versatility. He’s one of those kids you enjoy coaching because he does everything right. He just keeps growing.

playing quarterback, receiver, and running back. He was bombarded with offers from 27 schools, including Michigan, Louisiana State, and Nebraska. He chose Texas because he liked the family atmosphere, the camarade-rie of the team. He also appreciated Mack Brown’s honesty. “Coach Brown told me I was being recruited as an athlete,” says Ogbon-naya. “He didn’t know what position I’d be playing. He was up front.” When he came to Texas, the coach-es weren’t sure what to do with him. They thought they’d make him a receiver — he’s got outstanding hands — but instead started him at fullback, a position with a lot of contact that Ogbonnaya wasn’t used to. “I think that position molded me into a third-down back. I can catch in the backfi eld, which I take a lot of pride in,” says Ogbonnaya. During his fi ve-year tenure at Texas, Ogbonnaya has played many positions. Last season, he appeared in all 13 games as tailback and on special teams. He continues to wear a lot of different hats. “He’s a guy who can do a lot of things well,” says UT offensive coordinator Greg Da-vis. “It would be hard to say what he’s best At Jesuit Ogbonnaya was everywhere on the

fi eld including at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver.

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g6 Winter 2009

I’ve seen him ma-ture to a 220-pound running back who’s excellent against the blitz and who’s a threat out of the backfi eld.” Since January, Ogbonnaya has lost about 15 pounds in order to help his speed. He knows he has to work hard to compete for his position. He worked diligently a year ago after two knee surgeries in the off-season, and he continues to train hard now. “You’re always under fi re,” Ogbonnaya says. “At Texas, you must work. There are always guys who want to play. I like the pressure. I love a challenge.” Already a team captain and leader, Ogbonnaya hopes to ex-pand his leadership role like one of his role models, Vince Young, did. “Vince made everybody so much more confi dent,” Ogbonnaya says. “We just believed we weren’t going to get beat, ever. Once our defense made a stop, it was over because our offense was going to score.” As a redshirted freshman, Ogbonnaya was part of the team that won the national championship in 2005 — an experience so sur-real for him that he’s not sure he even appreciates its magnitude yet, though he’d still like to repeat in 2008. “I want another ring,” he smiles. In addition to his dedication on the fi eld, Ogbonnaya also excels in academics. He’s a member of the National Honor Society and has already earned a degree in history. Since he has an extra semester of NCAA eligibility because he was redshirted, he’s decided to use that time to earn another degree in corporate communications. “My dad was always adamant about how important academics are to suc-ceeding in life,” says Ogbonnaya. “I took that with me.” Dr. Ogbonnaya, who succeeded in life through academics after growing up with no father and little money during a civil war, seems to have imparted this lesson to all his children. Besides Chris, Charles works in Los Angeles, 2007 Jesuit graduate Moses, is in business school at Southern California, Valerie is an opera singer living in New York City, and Jessica is an investment banker attending the MBA program at the University of Chicago. Coach Greg Davis appreciates the challenges of being a student-athlete and commends Ogbonnaya’s ability to manage his time on and off the fi eld. “He knows how to be a fun-loving picker kidder,” Davis says. “Then he knows how to leave there and go to the football fi eld and work extremely hard. And then he knows how to go to study hall and study.”

Jessica Og-bonnaya puts it another way. “Chris is a re-ally big nerd,” she laughs. “He’s always been en-amored with his-tory. He’s not a big reader, but he’s able to re-tain facts like no-body. When he was younger he’d come home and spout out what-ever he learned in history that day.” A c a d e m i c s play a central part of Ogbonnaya’s strategy for his future, a strat-egy that includes

plans and backup plans. Plan A is his dream: getting drafted by the NFL. He’d be happy with any team, anywhere, he says. In November, he’ll assess his football status, and if it’s not as promising, he’ll try to position himself to go to graduate school and be a graduate assistant with the football team. He’s also interested in joining the work force, especially in sports broadcasting. “Chris is very serious about his fu-ture,” says his father. “He told me he wants to be able to do things for himself so he doesn’t have to depend on me. That’s why he got the second major.” Ogbonnaya calls his father nearly every day. He’ll call to tell him about his grades, to discuss his future, or just to check on him and see what he’s eaten that day. “My father’s become my best friend outside of my brother,” Ogbonnaya says. “It’s a good relationship, but my relationship with any member of my family is extremely strong because of what we went through.” Ogbonnaya thinks of his family even during his everyday affairs. When he was in middle school, a close friend got into a fi ght, and Og-bonnaya rushed in to help him. Then he remembered his father and pulled back. Ogbonnaya’s friend got suspended. “Chris remembered his family upbringing and never got involved,” Dr. Ogbonnaya says. His family also keeps him in check, especially his two older sisters. “After all these years playing at a great school with a great athletic program, he still retains his humility,” says Jessica. “It comes from having a sister who’ll hit him over the head if he gets too haughty. Our family isn’t too fl ashy or shiny. We just like to excel at whatever we’re doing.” Ogbonnaya continues to excel, both on the football fi eld and in the classroom. A tragic event can swallow a person. It can also make someone stronger. “Jonathan’s death made me want to do better on the football fi eld and better in every aspect of life,” Ogbonnaya says. “Really, the tragedy set my life in motion.”

Reprinted with permission from Horns Illustrated magazine.

Jessica Og-bonnaya puts it another way. “Chris is a re-ally big nerd,” she laughs. “He’s always been en-amored with his-tory. He’s not a big reader, but he’s able to re-tain facts like no-body. When he was younger he’d come home and spout out what-ever he learned in history that day.” A c a d e m i c s play a central part of Ogbonnaya’s Ogbonnaya returned to Jesuit when the Crusaders took on Madison in the second round of the

UIL state playoffs and spoke to the team before the game.

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 7scho

ol n

ewsSCHOOL NEWS

scho

ol n

ews

scho

ol n

ewsSchool Begins Ritual of the Daily Examen

The start of the 2008-09 school year at Strake Jesuit marked the beginning of a new tradition on campus. It is a new tradition that has nothing to do with academics or athletics but has everything to do with the school being a Jesuit school. Each school day, the entire campus - including classrooms, of-fi ces, and walkways - stops and is guided through the prayer of St. Ig-natius’ Daily Examen. The Examen, or Examination of Conscience, is a simple method of daily refl ection developed by St. Ignatius in which one refl ects on his day in such a way as to grow in self understanding and to become more free to follow God’s will. It is a remarkable sight to see. While most students and teachers are in class, others are wandering the walkways, in the Dining Hall, or playing games in the quad. Wherever they are, they stop in their tracks and pray. This includes administrators in their offi ces who may be in a meeting or on the telephone. At that joint moment, everyone stops and prays. “Ignatius told the fi rst Jesuits, both as novices and professed mem-bers of the order, that going through the Examen was one of the most important activities they could undertake in growing spiritually,” noted Principal Richard Nevle. “Here at Jesuit, we have an extensive re-treat program which puts a signifi cant emphasis on the importance of looking at yourself and your relationship to the people and the world around you and, of course, your relationship to God. Ultimately that’s what the Examen is all about. It doesn’t matter that it lasts only a few minutes. It’s a daily reminder of why we’re here, what we’re about, where we are succeeding, when we are failing and what we need to do next.” So each day, at the beginning of 7th period, the entire Strake Je-suit campus comes to a stop and everyone is guided through The

Examen that includes a brief time of refl ection after each of these steps:

- Recall that you are in the presence of God- Give thanks and ask for God’s Grace- Examine how you have lived this day- Ask for pardon- Offer a prayer of reconciliation and resolve

“Praying the Examen each seventh period of our school day consecrates time and space to search for God’s will in our lives,” explains school chaplain Fr. Flavio Bravo, SJ. “The Ignatian Ex-amen is how Ignatius showed us the way to remain united in mind and heart through the days’ events. When I see the students, fac-ulty and staff taking the time to pray during their busy day, the Strake Jesuit community affi rms that God is infi nitively active in our academic world, our athletic world and all that is relevant to us. According to the Jesuit Conference, the Society of Jesus in the United States, “the general examination of conscience is a simple form of prayer directed toward developing a spiritual sensitivity to the special ways God approaches, invites and calls. It may be done at the end of each day, though it can be done more frequently as the person feels drawn. The more frequently performed, however, the more natural it becomes and more a way of growing into an ever-closer relationship with God. It can take anywhere between fi ve and fi fteen minutes, although it does not matter how long one spends. The important thing is to open oneself to recognizing and responding to God’s movement in your heart.”

scho

ol n

ews

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g8 Winter 2009

SCHOOL NEWS

Jesuit’s Men for Others Respond to Hurricane Ike Recovery The destruction that Hurricane Ike wrought across the greater Houston area on Friday and Saturday, September 12 and 13 was as enormous as it was swift. And just as swiftly, Jesuit’s spirit and tradition of Men for Others responded with action. On Tuesday, September 16, nine members of the Jesuit Cross Country team, led by Head Coach Michael Kerley and Academic Assis-tant Principal Carlos Roman, traveled to one of the hardest hit areas. They went to Clear Lake Shores in the far southeast part of the greater Houston area. The scene that greeted them was worse than any of them have imag-ined. The group set about the task of cutting trees off the roofs of houses and removing furniture from houses damaged by water. The need for help was so great that on Wednes-day, they sent out a call for more help and were joined by 25 more students, three Jesuit dads and Coach Willie Webster. The extra help arrived just in time on Wednesday, as the larger group found an even greater need. More people requested help getting the furniture and appliances out of their houses and then there were a seem-ingly endless number of downed trees. The group did all it could do and the people of Clear Lake Shores were very grateful. “Many cried, many said thanks, many just wanted to hug and talk to the boys,” said Kerley. “Just

because our students were not in school does not mean they were not getting an ed-ucation. This was an edu-cation and a memory that will last a life-time.” A n o t h e r group, led by Mr. Brian Reedy, SJ, Fr. Flavio Bravo, SJ, and Andy Pruett began roaming through the neighborhoods of Bay-side Terrace, Shoreacres and Bay Colony. The people there were overwhelmed with emotion by learning that help was on the way. For three days, the Strake Jesuit group orga-nized into teams and deployed and assaulted the ravages left by Ike by ripping out carpets, moving heavy furniture, sawing and hauling limbs, preserving personal items and letting people know that their situation was not as hopeless as they may have thought. To so many, this team was the fi rst responder On Saturday, September 20, Fr. Bravo

and Mr. Roman accompanied 33 moreJesuit students and some parents to assist in the food distributing effort. Working withCatholic Charities the group traveled to the POD (Points of Distribution) locations where the need was greatest. Fr. Bravo took tenpeople in a school van to the Food Bank to help with packing food. Mr. Roman accompanied 23 people in a school bus to St. Christopher’s Catholic Church to unload trucks and hand out supplies and food at that POD location.

Seniors Denys Herfort, Bradley Cayce, and Patrick Connolly were among a troop of Jesuit students and faculty members who assisted Hurricane Ike victims.

Jesuit Named Top 50 Catholic High School for 4th Time For the fourth time, Strake Jesuit has been included in The Catho-lic High School Honor Roll. The National Catholic High School Honor Roll is a list of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the United States, where schools are examined on the criteria of academic excellence, Catholic identity, and civic education. It is produced in consultation with an advisory board comprised of Catholic college presidents and scholars. The purpose of the Honor Roll is to recognize and encour-age excellence in Catholic secondary education, and is a resource for parents, schools, donors, and colleges. In its fi ve years, the Honor Roll has seen over 50 percent of Amer-ica’s nearly 1,300 Catholic high schools participate at least once. This

year nearly 300 schools complet-ed the three detailed surveys that measure a school’s adherence to the Church’s educational mis-sion. Each school also receives an evaluation to see how it com-pares to other schools nation-wide.

scho

ol n

ews

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 9

SCHOOL NEWS

Eight members of the Strake Jesuit class of 2009 are among 16,000 other students named as semifi nalists in the 54th Annual Na-tional Merit Scholarship Program. Each has an opportunity to con-tinue in the competition for some 8,200 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $35 million. The Strake Jesuit seniors named NMS Semifi nalists are Daniel Blado, Paul Doyle, Patrick Hoskins, Andrew Schneider, Henry Ung, Joseph Vennix, James Webb, and John Whitney. These select students were among more than 1.5 million juniors from over 21,000 high schools who entered the 2009 National Merit Program. The College Board also announced that 18 Strake Jesuit students have been recognized by the National Hispanic Recognition Pro-gram. They are among a pool of over 200,000 students who took the 2007 PSAT/NMSQT/PAA and identifi ed themselves as Hispanic. The honored 18 current Jesuit students, who are among 5,000 such students to receive the honor from students nationwide, are: SCHOLARS - Mark Allison, Christopher Bello, Christopher Black-Ce-lis, Francisco Castillo, Carl Diaz, Humberto Galvan, Roberto Garcia, Christian Grado, Philippe Haffner, Daniel Laucirica, Luis Murguia, Di-ego Pacheco, Andrew Schneider, and Paul Tyger. HONORABLE MENTION - Kenneth Haesly, Rodrigo Hernandez, Ja-son Hochstein, and Andrew Porras.

On Wednesday, October 23, Jesuit held its fourth annual Grandparents Day when grand-parents join their Jesuit grandsons for Mass and a lunch. On this occasion, one grand-mother in particular had reason to be espe-cially proud. Marilyn Branda Wood enjoyed the special day with all seven of her current Strake Jesuit grandsons. “This has become one of my favorite Strake Jesuit events of the year,” said Mrs. Wood. “I have been close to Strake Jesuit since the 1960’s when my oldest sons, Jim ‘69 and Brian Branda ‘71 attended.” In total, almost 400 grandparents of Jesuit students attended, gathering in the Competi-tion Gym with their grandsons for Mass and lunch. Afterwards, those who wished were given a brief tour of the campus with their grandsons serving as guides.

Marilyn Branda Wood is joined by her seven Jesuit grandsons at 2008 Grandparents Day (left to right) senior James and freshman Zach Branda, sophomore Patrick and senior Andrew Mar-tin, and sophomore Patrick, junior Thomas, and freshman Connor Benson.

Grandparents Day is Extra-Special For One Grandmother

scho

ol n

ews

scho

ol n

ews

Marilyn Branda Wood is joined by her seven Jesuit grandsons at 2008 Grandparents Day (left

scho

ol n

ews

scho

ol n

ews

Marilyn Branda Wood is joined by her seven Jesuit grandsons at 2008 Grandparents Day (left

scho

ol n

ews

scho

ol n

ews

Students Reap NationalAcademic Honors

Jesuit junior A.J. Ledesma was selected as Texas’ fi rst Teen Trendsetter, based on a commitment to volunteerism and school rec-ommendations. He traveled to Orlando to attend the national kickoff event where former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who helped establish the initial program, welcomed the students and applauded their de-sire to get involved in helping others. Teen Trendsetters’ Reading Mentors pairs high school students with third-graders, who struggle with reading, for one-on-one weekly sessions. The goal is to improve the basic reading skills of the young-er students and to nurture the volunteer spirit among youth leaders.

Junior Recognizedby Volunteer USA

A.J. Ledesma and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

scho

ol n

ews

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g10 Winter 2009

SCHOOL NEWS

Engineering Team Wins First Competition The new Strake Jesuit Engineering Club entered and won its fi rst competition on November 7 and 8 by taking fi rst place at the North Houston BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) event. BEST is an organization dedicated to fostering science and engineering among high school and middle school students throughout the country. Each year, a competition is held where students construct a robot from a limited set of materials. The robot competes in a game against the other schools where the robots may be removing “dangerous” materials, rescuing aliens, or saving the world. The teams competed in Oral presentations, submission of an engineering notebook, table display and interviews, spirit, and results of the robotic contest on Saturday. The team fi nished 3rd in the actual robotics competition round. With their win, the Jesuit club team moved on to the Frontier Trails BEST Regional Competition December 5 and 6 at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith. There, the fi eld included teams from North Dakota, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Ten-nessee. Though the Jesuit team did not have the same success as they had at the local competition, it was a great learning experience. The team took a 3rd place fi nish for their web page which is at http://sjen-gineering.org.Club team members include: Moderator - Diane WhitlowSeniors - Orion Campbell, Michael Collins, Carlo Henson, Patrick

Hoskins, Chris Lauinger, Chris McCullagh, Ryan Stangel, Sami Sul-tan, and John Work, Juniors - Anthony Banh, Marcus Barnett, Mi-chael Callegari, Mike Depinet, Kyle Droughton, Matt Geddie, Elliot Green, Nicholas George-Jones, Dan Pepin, Stephen Skerl, and Dan-iel Whitty, Sophomores - Charles Alford, J.B. Brennan, Ali Ebrahim, Charlie Grealish, Ryan Haney, Aidan Hickman, Chuck Jenner, Chase McArdle, Nicholas Naccarino, Eddie Saa, and Ken Tang and Fresh-

The new Engineering Club at Jesuit celebrated after winning the very fi rst com-petition they entered, the North Houston BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology) event in November.

Senior’s Eagle Scout Project Receives Mayor’s Award Jesuit senior Cavalier Coffi eld was in need of a project to earn his Eagle Scout. He approached the Holy Name Retreat Center in Houston and proposed building a labyrinth. His ef-forts resulted in his being presented with an award in Hous-ton Mayor Bill White’s Keep Houston Beautiful program. He saw the labyrinth as an opportunity to enrich the beau-ty of the grounds of the Retreat Center. A labyrinth is the perfect addition to a place of retreat and contemplation. The purpose of the labyrinth walk is to still the mind so the voice of the Divine, which dwells within, can be heard. A path and bridge were added to connect the Meditation Garden to the labyrinth, creating a special place for prayer, refl ection, and meditation for the 20 different groups that meet at the cen-ter. The project cost $29,000 of which Coffi eld raised $5,050. The balance was supplied by the Retreat Center with in-kind donations of craftsmanship and landscaping by John and Guillen Landscaping.

Cavalier Coffi eld admires his labryrinth at the Holy Name Retreat Center which earned him recognition by the Mayor’s Keep Houston Beautiful Program.

spir

itua

lity

Returning from a lunch of tacos at El Maguey, just down the

road from Strake Jesuit, we turned into the drive way and

behold: we hit a speed bump! What a way to end

a great afternoon and lunch time with friends. I

thought to myself, “Quite a pretty good scratch

on the belly of the car.” I often wonder what

it would be like driving a mudding truck in

the parking lot. No traffi c calming device

to fear. Well, unless you come across the

fi gure of Brother Casey walking the park-

ing lot.

Strake Jesuit’s speed bumps are

legendary, no doubt. But even more

legendary is the presence of Brother

Casey walking the parking lot. Recently,

because of the construction and chang-

es around our campus, information on

our parking lot has been on the school’s

website. I have jokingly said to myself that

part of the traffi c information on our park-

ing lot should include “Brother Casey sight-

ings.”

Many times I have asked Brother Casey

about his tenure at Strake Jesuit and how he fi nds

his work and ministry after so many years being the

enforcer of discipline and the master of PH’s. His respons-

es are always subtle and nuanced. Anybody who has ever sat to

converse with Brother Casey knows quite well that he does not

like to talk about himself. His fi rst and most common answer is,

“Well, it’s about fi nding God in all things.” Period, nothing more

needs to be said. The parking lot, as mundane as it may seem, is

one of the arenas where we can search for and fi nd God.

Continuing my conversation with Brother Casey, I asked him to

clarify what he means by fi nding God in all things. “Well,” Broth-

er’s voice rises as he puts the legendary clipboard aside, and

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 11

SPIRITUALITY

continues, moving his right hand up and down, “I tell you what, it

is about being contemplatives in action.” Period, no more

explanation needed. Being a contemplative in action

is what the parking lot sightings are all about! I

think I get it.

Indeed, this is the core of Jesuit Spiri-

tuality. To be a contemplative in action is

our vocation. Being men and women for

others requires being contemplatives in

action and vice versa. One cannot ex-

ist without the other. Brother Casey’s

walking the parking lot and the hallways

make his vocation to serve others and

to fi nd God in all things a reality. He

contemplates God’s presence in the of-

ten reckless drivers, and the numerous

jaywalkers cutting across the grass. But

more importantly, he makes sure that you

are safe and exercising your spirit by fol-

lowing the rules. The receiving of a PH or

being admonished by Brother Casey in the

parking lot or across the Dining Hall can lead a

student, and I venture to say that it is quite effec-

tive, to self-refl ection and contemplation.

Sometimes it takes the nudges of a friend, a

family member and, yes, Brother Casey’s yelling across the

hall “Hey Boy!!!” to get us to think beyond ourselves. It takes a

speed bump, a traffi c calming device, to try to contemplate our

surroundings.

The next time you drive across the parking lot speed bumps,

cut across the grass, or don’t tuck in your shirt, thank God for

being there when Brother Casey appears before you. He is there

to lead you, to contemplate your actions and to fi nd God in all

things!

“In him we live and move and have our being.”Acts 17: 28

by Fr. Flavio Bravo, SJ

spir

itua

lity

spir

itua

lity

by Fr. Flavio Bravo, SJby Fr. Flavio Bravo, SJ

Of Speed Bumps and Br. Casey

deve

lopm

ent

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g12 Winter 2009

The start of the second se-mester of the 2008-2009 school year will also mark the comple-tion of the construction projects of Phase III of The Greater Glory Capital Campaign. This includes the conversion of the Smith Gym into the W.T. and Louise J. Moran Dining Hall and the Clay Student Activity Center and the Daniel K. Lahart Chapel of St. Ignatius. The new Dining Hall was completed and opened in time for the start of the fall semes-ter. This new facility has been a welcome replacement to the Alumni Cafete-ria on whose site the new Student Activity and Chapel are being con-structed. The Student Activity Center will be a 3-story structure highlighted by a magnifi cent atrium foyer. The facility will be the new home of the Pastoral Ministry Center and the Spirit Store on the fi rst fl oor. The second fl oor will include offi ces and space for Debate, Yearbook, and The Magis student newspaper. The third fl oor will be the new location for SJET and will also include space for digital arts and ceramics. As school President Fr. Daniel Lahart, SJ has often stated, “this facility is the Heart of the Plan of The Greater Glory Capital Campaign. Including the new Moran Din-ing Hall, this facility will be where students congregate before and after school and between classes. From the dining hall to the chapel, this will be the place where stu-dents come to be fed and nourished, both physically and spiritually.” As the new structures take shape, it is be-coming apparent to all that this will, in fact, be the case.

Images of construction on the Student Activity Center and Chapel from mid-December set against artist renderings of the completed project are, from top to bottom: exterior including the chapel’s bell tower, the chapel, and the three-story atrium foyer.

DEVELOPMENT

Completion Near on Student Activity Center & ChapelTHE GREATER GLORY CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

deve

lopm

ent

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 13

DEVELOPMENT

Exciting Items Set for ‘Safari Soiree’, 2009 Fantasy Auction Look sharp, Big Game Live Auction Hunt-ers! Sights are set on some exciting live auc-tion packages to be offered at this year’s “Sa-fari Soiree” Fantasy Auction on April 4 at the Marriott Sugar Land Town Square. Check it out:• Custom-crafted Strake Jesuit Cruci-fi x. A stunning necklace fashioned after the crucifi x that will adorn the new bell tower of the campus chapel. Necklace designed and crafted by Mark Herfort.• Co-Cathedral Tour and Dinner with Car-dinal DiNardo. Once-in-a-lifetime insider’s tour for a party of eight with the architect and Cardinal DiNardo.• Science of Cooking-Texas Style. Mr. Reedy treats 10 people to a menu that’s 100% Texan and 100% prepared by him at the Bad-um family Bellville ranch house.• Stars & Stripes Sailing Adventure. A thrill for four lucky people to be part of the crew on Dennis Conner’s famous America’s Cup yacht in San Diego.

• H a n d -c r a f t e d Strake Je-suit Quilt. Mr. Tommy R o m a n o ’ s k i n g - s i z e d creation in a green-and-white “log cabin” quilt style.• Carefree New Eng-land Getaway. Escape to the coast of Maine with your family or friends and stay at this his-toric 1870 captain’s home.• Eight-day African Safari. The real deal

– an all-inclusive trip and safari for two! But that’s not all… watch for details on more excit-ing auction pack-ages, including a Cajun-style sa-fari, complete with your own custom-

made alligator boots; a Hill Country getaway vacation; a 16-piece needlepoint nativity scene stitched by Strake Jesuit moms; a spring break trip to Or-lando for Astros spring training; a golf enthusiasts’ package for a threesome at six top Houston clubs; mass and dinner at your home with Fr. Lahart; four tickets to South Bend for a Notre Dame football game;

reserved seating at 2009 graduation… and much, much more! Auction Chairs Jill and Phil Ribbeck prom-ise an evening that has something for ev-eryone… the thrill of the Big Board auction throughout the night; a silent auction; chances to win big in the raffl e drawing; and opportuni-ties for everyone to join in the fun of the many Sign-Up Parties. Plan your table now and join the herd of parents, alumni, faculty and friends at this do-not-miss gala dinner to raise money for Strake Jesuit College Preparatory. Last year, more than $500,000 was gener-ated to benefi t the school’s Financial Aid pro-gram and endowment and to offset operating

expenses. For more details on the 29th an-nual Fantasy Auction, please check the Strake Jesuit web site or call Jill Ribbeck at 281.556.1971 or Auction Coordinator Sharon Venables at 713.490.8107.

For more details on the 29th an-nual Fantasy Auction, please check the Strake Jesuit web site or call Jill Ribbeck at 281.556.1971 or Auction Coordinator Sharon Venables at 713.490.8107.

Among the items that will be available in the Live Auction at the 2009 Fantasy Auction, ‘Safari Soiree’, on April 4 are (top to bottom) a tour of the Co-Cathedral and dinner with Cardinal DiNardo, an 8-day African Safari, and a New England Getaway in Maine

trip and safari for two! But that’s not all… watch for details on more excit-ing auction pack-ages, including a Cajun-style sa-fari, complete with your own custom-

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g14 Winter 2009

When you Sponsor a student,your gift

comes with a faceand

a name.

Whether you have been a longtimecontributor to Strake Jesuit, or you have just beenwaiting for the right opportunity to get involved,

consider sponsoring a financial aid student.

As a Sponsor, you will be able to meet the student and watch him grow throughout his Jesuit experience.

It is a very personal and rewarding way to reach out to a deserving young man and impact his life

in a meaningful way.

For more information, contact NJ Santarcangelo ‘67 in the Development Office at 713.490.8152.

athl

etic

sw w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 15

ATHLETICS

It was, by any defi nition, a special night. A crowd of over 140 gath-ered in the Moran Dining Hall on Saturday, September 27, 2008 to witness the Inaugural 2008 Class offi cially inducted into the Strake Jesuit Athletic Hall of Honor. This fi rst class was comprised of four outstanding athletes, one memorable team, and one very distin-guished individual. The inaugural inductees were: Mike Janda ‘69 Mike Novelli ‘75 Eric Mullins ‘80 Chris Darkins ‘92 The 1976 Football Team Br. Casey Ferlita, SJ

If there was a consistent theme to their acceptance speeches, it was their shared memories of Strake Jesuit. They each spoke of their coaches and teammates, and the bonds and relationships they formed. None of those speeches may have been more memorable than those of the fi rst to be inducted, Mike Janda ‘69. He concluded his comments by saying “I promise that I have been and always will be a Crusader forever.” In his remarks, Athletic Director Bill McDonald described the dif-fi cult undertaking that the Hall of Honor Selection Committee faced. “With almost 50 years of Jesuit athletics to consider, the Selection Committee faced a daunting task. In the end, they arrived at an inau-gural class that was very worthy of this honor.”

School President Fr. Daniel Lahart offered his remarks to the inductees and those in attendance by pointing out that “al-most 75% of our students participate in one or more of our ath-letic programs. Through sports they learn about teamwork, about setting goals and working towards them, about dealing with suc-cesses and disappointments. We want them also to experience the greater lesson of athletics. Learning to prioritize responsibili-ties is important; but learning that integrity matters more than vic-tory is vital. “Tonight we take the time to honor individuals and teams who have excelled in representing Strake Jesuit College Prepa-ratory in a wide variety of athletic activities. We are proud of what

you accomplished here, and we are proud that Strake Jesuit was part of your growth from young boys to men. Through your athletic ac-complishments here and through what you achieved in the years since, you give witness to our call to be Men for Others. While an ath-letic contest ends when you cross that line or when the fi nal buzzer rings, your mission to be Men for Others never rests. “While many young boys have looked up to you because of your athletic accomplish-ments,” he concluded, “more important is that they look up to you for who you are today. “ Nominations for the Athletic Hall of Honor Class of 2009 will be open in February 2009.

Inaugural Class Inducted into Athletic Hall of Honor

you accomplished here, and we are proud that Strake Jesuit was part of your growth from young boys to men. Through your athletic ac-complishments here and through what you achieved in the years since, you give witness to our call to be letic contest ends when you cross that line or when the fi nal buzzer rings, your mission to be Men for Others “While many young boys have looked up to you because of your athletic accomplish-ments,” he concluded, “more important is that they look up to you for who you are today. “ Nominations for the Athletic Hall of Honor Class of 2009 will be open in February 2009.

Top: A large crowd turned out to see the inaugural class of Athletic Hall of Honor inductees honored.Bottom: Members of the Inaugural Class of 2008 of the Strake Jesuit Athletic Hall of Honor, fl anked by Athletic Director Bill McDonald (left) and school President Fr. Daniel Lahart, SJ (right) are (left to right) Br. Casey Ferlita, SJ, Eric Mullins ‘80, Mike Janda ‘69, Head Coach of the Hall of Honor 1976 Football Team Tom Nolen, Mike Novelli ‘75, and Chris Darkins ‘92.

School President Fr. Daniel Lahart offered his remarks to the inductees and those in attendance by pointing out that “al-most 75% of our students participate in one or more of our ath-letic programs. Through sports they learn about teamwork, about setting goals and working towards them, about dealing with suc-cesses and disappointments. We want them also to experience the greater lesson of athletics. Learning to prioritize responsibili-ties is important; but learning that integrity matters more than vic-tory is vital. “Tonight we take the time to honor individuals and teams who have excelled in representing Strake Jesuit College Prepa-ratory in a wide variety of athletic activities. We are proud of what

athl

etic

s

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g16 Winter 2009

The Crusaders football team, in their fi rst season in their new district, were matched up against the Spring Branch and Alief schools. They marched through district play with a perfect 7-0 to claim their fi rst district title since begin-ning play in the UIL in 2005. They had an overall record of 8-1 and went on to win their fi rst play-off game against Mayde Creek be-fore bowing out of the playoffs in the second round to Madison. “We had a great season,” said head coach Ron Counter. “This senior class has raised the bar of high expectations for the Je-suit football program.”

As a refl ection of that great season, the Crusaders dominated the All-District 18-5A

First Team selections with 11 players and added another three on the Second Team All-District. In addition, Quar-terback James Scott was named MVP on Offense and Head Coach Ron Counter was named District Coach of the Year. The team also excelled in the classroom with 20 mem-bers of the team being named

Academic All-District and fi ve of those being nominated for Academic All-State. T h o s e receiving post-season honors included:

DISTRICT MVP OFFENSEJames Scott

COACH OF THE YEARRon Counter

FIRST TEAM ALL-DISTRICTEric Baars, Offensive TackleKellan Belanger, Wide ReceiverKlein Kubiak, Wide ReceiverJames Scott, QuarterbackWes Williams, Defensive EndJo Jo Williams, Defensive TackleGarrett Staudt, LinebackerChase Mayo, SecondaryBayo Adesomo, SecondaryAlex Wilkins, KickerHugh Stewart, Kicker

SECOND TEAM ALL-DISTRICTJohn Hohlt, Offensive TackleHugh Stewart, Defensive EndPatrick Blizzard, Secondary

ATHLETICS

Senior Brett Provenzano became the fi rst private school student to win the Houston Touchdown Club’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award on Wednesday, November 12 at the Touchdown Club’s annual awards lun-cheon. A defensive tackle for the Crusaders, Provenzano was selected from a group of 25 fi nalists. He received a $1,500 scholarship along with the honor. “No one plays harder or with more heart than Brett Provenzano,” noted Head Football Coach Ron Counter. “While he may not have the stats that others have he is very steady and consistent on the fi eld.” Provenzano grew up wanting to play for Strake Jesuit. “When I was a kid I used to always go to Strake Jesuit-St. Thomas (football) games and I always wanted to be on the fi eld with them,” he explained. “I didn’t think I’d have that opportunity. A lot of guys that go to the school and a lot of guys on the football team are really smart and to represent them, it’s an honor.” Provenzano carries a 4.3 grade-point average, scored a 2,160 on his SAT and is a National Honor Society member.

Former Houston Oilers Quarterback Gifford Nielsen and Provenzano at the annual Houston Touchdown Club Awards.

Senior Quarterback James Scott and Head Coach Ron Counter each earned District 18-5A honors after the team claimed its fi rst district title.

Senior Provenzano Wins Houston Scholar-Athlete Award

Former Houston Oilers Quarterback Gifford Nielsen and

Football Team Captures First District Title

players and added another three on the Second Team All-District. In addition, Quar-terback James Scott was named MVP on Offense and Head Coach Ron Counter was named District Coach of the Year. The team also excelled in the classroom with 20 mem-bers of the team being named

Academic All-District and fi ve of those being nominated for Academic All-State. T h o s e receiving post-season honors included:

Senior Quarterback James Scott and Head Coach Ron Counter each earned District 18-5A honors after the team claimed its fi rst district title.

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 17

ATHLETICS

Nicolas Dodd committed to play golf at the University of Texas – San Antonio. Nicolas has been a member of the last three Jesuit District Championship teams as a freshman,

Tim Frazier (Penn State basketball), Nicolas Dodd (UT-San Antonio golf), and Joey Brooks (Notre Dame basketball) all signed on National Letters of Intent Signing Day.

On Wednesday, November 12, 2008, National Letter of Intent Signing Day, three current senior Crusaders signed on the dot-ted line and made commitments to play at the college level beginning next year. The three include basketball players Joey Brooks (Notre Dame) and Tim Frazier (Penn State), and golfer Nicolas Dodd (University of Texas – San Antonio). Joey Brooks, a 6’5” forward, committed to attend Notre Dame and play for the Fighting Irish. Last year as a junior he was named All-Region and 1st Team All-District 17-5A. He led the team in points per game with a 20.1 average and rebounds per game averaging eight. Tim Frazier is a 6’1” guard who has com-mitted to the Nittany Lions of Penn State. As a junior for the Crusaders last year he was named Defensive Player-of-the-Year in Dis-trict 17-5A. He also led the team in steals with 98 for an average of three per game.

Three Seniors Sign Letters to Play Collegiately

Cross Country Team District Champs, Earn State Berth

The Cross Country team fi nished another successful season. The squad posted wins at the University of Houston, Mayde Creek, Bellaire and Brenham as well as a 2nd place fi nish at the Round Rock McNeil meet. The Crusaders swept the District Meet with the Varsity, JV, and Fresh-man all claiming titles. It marked the third straight district title for the varsity runners. Senior James Webb won the individual championship. At the Region III meet the team placed a state qualifying 3rd with Webb claiming the Region Individual title. Sophomore Weston No-velli placed 5th in the race. From there it was on to the State UIL meet for the second year in a row. This year the Crusaders fi nished 9th.

“This year’s team was very young,” noted Head Coach Mike Kerley, “and we wound up running fi ve sophomores at the state meet. Joining Novelli were fellow sophomores Nick Gibson, Doug Pat-son, Conner Troxclair and Chris Schiller.” The squad will lose seven seniors to gradu-ation and their experi-ence and leadership will be missed. They include Julian Vela, Ben Barrett, Andre Boudreaux, Alex

Jefferies, Bryan Williams and the two team Captains Jack Brentin and James Webb. However, the returning team members will waste no time in preparing for the 2009 season with high expectations for another successful year.

The entire Jesuit Cross Country Team had reason to celebrate this year as they swept the District Meet by claiming the Varsity. Junior Varsity, and Freshman titles.

sophomore, and junior and fi nished 7th at the State UIL Tournament in 2008 as a junior. He also earned All-District honors each of those years.

athl

etic

sATHLETICS

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g18 Winter 2009

The Strake Jesuit Water Polo Teams had successful seasons this fall in a new league, the Texas High School Water Polo Coaches As-sociation (THSWPCA). The team owned a record of 12-9 entering Regionals. After a strong win over Clear Springs, 15-5, they fell to Clear Lake and then lost a close game for third place to Clear Creek 10-9. Their 4th place fi nish, however, did earn them a berth in the league’s fi rst state tour-nament. The Crusaders entered the state tournament playing their best team water polo of the entire season defeating Cy-Springs in the fi rst round rather decisively. Unfortunately, their draw pinned them against eventual champion Baytown Sterling in the second round. In a hard fought game, Jesuit came up a little short, 11-8. This put them in the bracket to play for 5th. They would not look back, winning their fi nal two games over Tomball (15-7) and Cy-Fair (10-7). The team was led by senior captains Chris Jennis, Nico Rizzo-Carrasco, and Jeffrey Peters. Jennis earned 2nd Team All-Region and 2nd Team All-State honors while Rizzo-Carrasco and junior Phil-lip Eukel both earned 2nd Team All-Region and Honorable Mention All-State honors. Freshman Nate Zuiker earned Honorable Mention All-State honors. Jennis was selected as the team MVP, and the Most Improved honor went to senior Tim Allen.

Water Polo Team Earns State Berth in New League

Senior Chris Jennis earned Second Team All- State and Second Team All-Region honors this season and was namd team MVP.

alum

ni n

ewsALUMNI NEWS

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 19

Ike Delays, But Can’t Stop Reunion Weekend 2008 While Hurricane Ike’s strike on the Tex-as Gulf Coast may have delayed Reunion Weekend’s original date, this year’s Reunion classes persevered. Though the dates were moved at the last minute to November 14 & 15, each class - 1968, ‘73, ‘78, ‘83, ‘88, ‘93, ‘98, and ‘03 - was well represented. The weekend began on Friday afternoon, November 14 with a golf outing at Wildcat Golf Club. That evening President Fr. Daniel Lahart, SJ hosted the President’s Reception. For the fi rst time, this year’s reception was held in the new Moran Dining Hall, which

all the attendees previously knew as the Smith Gymnasium. The next evening, each class gathered at various popular restaurants around town for their Class parties. Locations included sites like Churrasco’s, America’s, Amazon Grille, and Ragin Cajun. Members of the classes of 1969, ‘74, ‘79, ‘84, ‘89, ‘94, ‘99, and ‘04 are reminded that next year will be their Reunion year. Anyone from those classes interested in helping in the plan-ning should contact Tim Scalzittti ‘90, Director of Alumni Relations at tscalzitti@strakejesuit.org.

Members of the Class of ‘93 who enjoyed their Saturday night party at Ragin Cajun included: (left to right) Shane Hudson, Matt Girotto, Scott Kerr, Ben Wohlford, Mike Marino, Ted Gorman, Brian Kerwin, Rusty Ulrich, Aris Gonzalvo, Greg Cannella, Chris Lee, David Lafuente, Kevin Mineo,and Mike Nugent.

alum

ni n

ews

alum

ni n

ews

Members of the Class of ‘83 on hand for the President’s Reception Friday night were: (left to right) Eddie Fletcher, Mike Doyle, Todd Migliore, Chris Bertini, and Paul Junghans.

Members of the Class of ‘98 at the President’s Reception Friday night were: (left to right) John McDonald, Jose Anton, E.J. Malek, Matt Pesek, Scott Rose, Jacob Myres, Chris Kimball, Jonathan Raia,Sean McGee, Chanan Pnyopusarerk, Ian Shelton, and Sachin Bhandari.

alum

ni n

ews

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g20 Winter 2009

ALUMNI NEWS

Alumni Return to Address Seniors on Career Day Representing a variety of professions, 16 Jesuit alumni returned to campus on Wednesday, October 15 for the annual Career Day for the Senior Class of 2009. The event offered the soon-to-be graduates an opportunity to hear presentations from alums who have gone on to successful careers as doctors, lawyers, and engineers as well as entrepreneurs and more. The morning began with a keynote address by Alex Massa ‘97 with Tetra Surveys & Appraisals. Then, the students had three, 45-minute presentations they could choose to attend in break-outs. These ses-sions included presentations on engineering, fi nance and accounting, the legal and medical professions, oil & gas, sales, and others. Presenters included: - Jeffrey Cardenas ‘76, Project Manager, Cimarron/DKI- Brett Cochrane ‘98, Project Coordinator, FMC Technologies- Rick Couvillon ‘81, Director Origination, Natural Gas Marketing & Trading, Conoco Phillips Co.- Michael DiStefano ‘94, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine- Brendan Doran ‘96, Controller, NDT Systems & Services, Inc.- Tom Light ‘77, Director of Sales, SKF USA- Ken Mann ‘66, Organizational Development Manager, BMC Soft ware- Ryan McConnell ‘95, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Department of Justice - Joseph Mims ‘04, Broker, McDade, Smith, Gould, Johnston, Mason, & Co.- Bill Othon ‘82, Project Orion Modeling and Simulation Lead, NASA/ Johnson Space Center- Joe Mike Piazza ‘72, Family Dentist- Alex Montoya ‘91, Regional Vice President, Russell Investments

Alex Massa ‘97 (top) with Tetra Surveys & Appraisals gave the keynote address and Ryan McConnell ‘95 (bottom), Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Department of Justice, was one of the Jesuit alumni who returned to campus to speak to the Class of 2009 on Career Day.

- Tom Stallings ‘86, Lecturer, Professional Sports Intern Coordinator, Rice University- Miguel Suderman ‘79, President & Chief Science Offi cer, Cell Systems 3-D- Tony Zubizarreta ‘91, Industrial Sales, Rexel Electrical & Datacom Supplies

alum

ni n

ews

alum

ni n

ews

alum

ni n

ews

alum

ni n

ews

alum

ni n

ews

alum

ni n

ews

alum

ni n

ews

Houston-area members of the Class of 1967 attending their annual get-together luncheon in December at the Four Seasons were (left to right): Tom Standish, Mike Guarino, Gray Miller, Jim Stewart, Johnny Webre, Glen Boudreaux, George Gaenslen, Jim Booth, Gil Naert, Rick Sindelar, Frank Gullo, Rod Dosch, NJ Santarcangelo, Bruce Dugey, Ray Adamcik, and Mike Lallinger.

Class of ‘67 Reunites for Annual Lunch

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 21

CLASS NOTES

Tom Robinson ‘68 graduated from UT-Austin with a Journalism degree and entered broadcasting. He was the Sports Director for KTBC-TV in Austin and then became the radio-TV specialist for men’s athletics at UT. He left UT to join a friend in a video production company to serve as a producer/writer for corporate and commercial clients.

Steve Tower ’68 has been in the residential real estate fi eld since 1983, working in property manage-ment, commercial real estate, and selling foreclosure properties for fi nancial institutions in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He lives in the Me-morial area of West Houston and has been working as a residential real estate broker since 1995 with Coldwell Banker United, Realtors on Memorial Drive.

John Bradley ‘77 was recently ap-pointed Chair of the Advisory Com-mittee on Offenders with Medical and Mental Impairments by Gov-ernor Rick Perry. He is currently serving as the Williamson County District Attorney.

Joe de la Fuente ’88 is an attorney practicing commercial litigation and dispute resolution and prevention with the fi rm of Lloyd Gosselink in Austin, Texas. He has been in Aus-tin since 1988, graduating from the University of Texas in 1992 and Law School in 1995. He and his wife, Sarah (SAA Class of ‘88) have two children, Anna and Thomas.

Oscar Martinez ’88 and his wife, Stephanie, live in Lakewood, Colo-rado with their three boys. He spent fi ve years with Andersen Consulting with 18 months of that time in Argen-tina and traveled extensively to Ger-many and Mexico. He attended Har-vard for business school and went into investment banking in New York and San Francisco. He is currently Assistant Treasurer for Qwest, the local phone company in the 14 state mountain region.

Kevin Urbanowicz ‘88 is the Sales Team Division Leader for PSE of 360training.com, Inc. in Austin, Texas.

Luke Stellakis ’88 graduated from the University of Houston. He and his wife, Catherine, have two chil-dren, Maria and Yianni. He is cur-rently a purchasing manager for Primary Sourcing Inc.

Mark Bane ’93 served in the United States Marine Corps from 1994-1998. He and his wife have two daughters and he will soon graduate from Texas A&M at Galveston with a degree in Marine Biology.

Bernardo Escalona ’93 earned a BA in Mathematics from the Univer-sity of St. Thomas. He taught Math and Science to grades 5-12 for sev-eral years. He currently is an Educa-tor at Memorial Hermann Southwest and now Lead AV Technician at JW Marriott.

Matthew Hansen ’93 married Kris-ta Anderson in St. Xavier’s in New

York City in December. He has been in Management for the past 6 years while living in New York, London, and Vienna. He earned an MBA from Columbia Business School and London Business School and is now teaching a Private Equity class to MBA students at Columbia Busi-ness School on the side. He is on the Board of Directors of Blue Bird Bus Company, NABI, Green Tree Financial, and Boxclever LTD.

Michael Kenney ’93 lives in Austin with his wife and son, Logan. He is at Dell as a Director in their Channel Sales group after his company was acquired by Dell in April of 2008.

Chris Lee ‘93 graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design. He joined McCleary German Archi-tects here in Houston in 1998 and has worked there since.

Rich Ramirez ’93 graduated with a degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery from The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2002. He then moved to Dallas fol-lowing graduation and started his own dental practice in 2003.

Paul Smith ’93 is married with fi ve boys and one one girl and is current-ly working for Memorial Hermann Hospital as a Sr. Software Applica-tions Engineer.

Scott Tompkins ’93 recently ended his naval career and is currently working as a government contractor in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Steve Roberts ‘93 and his wife, Jennifer SAA ‘94, and their daugh-ter, Jordan, welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Blakely Ann, on September 3.

‘60’s‘60’s

‘90’s‘90’s

‘70’s‘70’s

Zeb Poindexter ‘77 won the 2008 Pinnacle Award for Healthcare from the Citizens Chamber of Commerce. He is a dentist and has a practice in Houston.

Gabriel Amado ‘78 recently climbed Mt. Kilimajanro in Tanzania. The climb, which included ten other climbers, took seven days.

Hal Bean ’78 lives in Beaumont, Texas with this wife and four chil-dren.

Joe Dante ’78 is married with four children and lives in Katy, Texas. He is the Vice-President of IT for PM Realty Group in Houston.

Guy Sullaway ’78 lives in Yorkville, Illinois which is 90 minutes west of Chicago. His son, Marshall, gradu-ated from Jesuit in 2005.

Henry Drewinko ’83 earned his Law Degree and, after working for a prominent top-rated national law fi rm, began his own fi rm in Hous-ton. Ricky Tejada ’83 graduated Ameri-can University of Paris and Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He married Paloma Marchand in 1998. He served as an economic advisor to U.S. Secretary of Labor R. Reich and President Bill Clinton from 1995 to 1998. He lives in Paris, France with his wife and daughter, Inès. Carlos Garcia ‘87 and his wife, Lila, welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Marisol Isabella, on No-vember 10.

‘80’s‘80’s

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g22 Winter 2009

CLASS NOTEShe is in quality control and construc-tion manager for an architectural metal company.

Edward Hourani ’98 graduated with an MBA in 2006 and is fi nish-ing a second Masters of Computer Information Systems in May 2009.

Andy Jones ‘98 graduated from Trinity University and went on to law school at the University of Texas. After graduation, he worked as a liti-gator in New York and has spent the past few years in Washington, D.C. He currently serves as Counsel to a Member of the U.S. House of Rep-resentatives from South Texas.

Chris Kimball ’98 graduated in 2003 from Saint Edward’s Univer-sity with a B.S. in Chemistry. He is currently in his 4th year of Dental School at UT Houston.

Adam Mackie ‘98 graduated from the University of Texas with a BS in Electrical Engineering. He joined Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Com-pany in Fort Worth, Texas where he met Monika, his wife. He completed his MBA from Carnegie Mellon.

Daviz Pham ’98 graduated from the University of Texas in 2004 with a BA in Government. He enlisted in the Army in 2005 as an infantryman and deployed to Iraq with the 101st Air-borne. He trained in Florida with the 6th Ranger Training Battalion and is currently on assignment to Korea as an airborne rifl e team leader.

Jonathan Raja ’98 graduated from the University of Texas in 2002 with a BA in Plan II Liberal Arts and Spanish. A few months after gradu-ation, he entered seminary studying for the priesthood in the Diocese of Austin. After six years of formation, he was ordained a deacon and will be ordained as a priest in June.

Danny Rigamonti ’98 graduated from Texas A&M in 2002 with a BA in Biology. He has worked as an Elec-troneurophysiologist since 2003. He and his wife have two children, Ca-mille and Nathaniel.

Ryan Scharar ’98 graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a degree in Accounting. He then graduated from the MBA program at Baylor University and took a job as an auditor for PriceWaterhouseCoo-pers in Houston. After working for almost three years he went back to Law School at Michigan State Uni-versity and is now in his third and fi nal year.

Brian Smith ’98 graduated from the University of Virginia in 2002 with a BA in Government, Phi Beta Kappa. He attended law school at Columbia University and received his JD in 2005. Since then he has been prac-ticing law in the Washington D.C. of-fi ce of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr, LLP. After his second year of private practice, he left the fi rm to clerk for the Hon. Rosemary M. Collyer on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He returned to private practice last spring and married Kristin Long-hauser on May 10, 2008.

Jonny Vu ’98 earned a BA in Mar-keting from the University of Denver and a MA in Advertising from the University of Texas. He has worked for sports companies like the Colo-rado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and Colorado Rapids. After living in a variety of cities, he’s begun to put roots down in Chicago where he vol-unteers at the Children’s Hospital, takes Improv classes at the Second City Theatre, and catches games at Wrigley Field whenever he can.

Marc Wren ’98 earned his under-graduate degree in Fine Art and Digital Media at the University of Denver. After graduating he worked as a graphic designer at Xylem In-teractive and then later helped start an online television company called ManiaTV! He is currently Director of Software Development at Beatport, an online music sales company for electronic music. He spends his spare time producing music, music videos and coding.

Jeff Shaddix ‘99 graduated from Harvard Business School in June 2008 and was the recipient of the Dean’s Award as one of six stu-dents honored for their service to the school and society. Jeff spent his January breaks in New Orleans helping with Katrina recovery ef-forts.

Lorenzo Servitje ‘02 and Mary Ann Marquez were married Mexico City in December.

Justin Douglass ’03 played soccer for 4 years for Missouri State Uni-versity and is attending Optometry School at University of Houston.

Andy Duffy ‘03 graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service with a degree in Culture & Politics. He worked three summers with Amigos de las Ameri-cas in Panama, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. He now lives and works in Washington, DC, where he teaches GED Exam prep-aration classes at a youth center.

Steve Hogan ‘03 graduated from UT-Austin in December 2007 and married Mary Tschoepe in June 2007. In July, 2008 he began a four year dental program at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio.

Alex Steffl er ’03 spent three sum-mers working on staff for Amigos de las Américas in Paraguay, Costa Rica, and Honduras. He then spent three months in Buenos Aires work-ing on an independent research project. He graduated from George Washington University in 2007.

Richard Zientek ‘95 and his wife, Leslie, welcomed the birth of Ethan Andrew on October 8, 2008. Rich-ard also recently took the position of Public Affairs Coordinator with the Harris County Toll Road Authority.

Andrew Aguirre ’98 earned a BS & MS in Applied Mathematics and MS in Finance from The University of Tulsa. He is currently employed as a Financial Analyst for a privately held aerospace company.

Justin Boeker ’98 graduated from the University of Nebraska. He worked in fi nancials for three years before switching careers and is cur-rently in the home building industry.

Brett Cochran ‘98 attended the United States Naval Academy where he earned 3 letters playing football. He graduated in 2003 and married his wife, Stephanie. Brett spent 5 years in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Offi cer and served onboard two naval vessels: USS Iwo Jima and USS Laboon. He left the Navy in May and moved back to Houston where he is a Project Coordinator for FMC Technologies.

Pedro Correa ’98 graduated from Rice University with a degree in Economics in 2002. He worked as a management consultant with Bain & Company for 4 years and then graduated from Harvard Business School with an MBA.

Matthew Hoffman ’98 graduated from Texas A&M in 2003 and joined the Alumni Service Corps at Jesuit from 2003-2004. He married his wife, Julie, in August of 2004 and they moved to Irving, Texas. He became a Construction Superinten-dent for D.R. Horton in Fort Worth and later transferred to Austin. They moved to Oahu in 2007 and he worked on an organic farm. They have now settled in Grapevine and

‘00’s‘00’s

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

Andrew Aguirre ’98Andrew Aguirre ’98

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

Andrew Aguirre ’98

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

earned a BS Andrew Aguirre ’98Andrew Aguirre ’98 earned a BS Andrew Aguirre ’98Andrew Aguirre ’98

Mark Strickland ‘08 was named the Collegiate Water Polo Associa-tion Southern Division Rookie of the Year playing for Johns Hopkins. He is the fi rst player in the history of the school’s Water Polo team to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

Wesley Trojacek ‘03 has completed the United States Marine Corp Offi -cer Candidate School in Quantico, Virginia and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant last August. He earned a degree in Business Admin-istration from St. Edward’s Universi-ty in Austin in December 2007.

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g The Chronicle 23

CLASS NOTES

Theresa FalgoutMother of Walt ‘66

Barbara HessMother of Michael ‘86

Allen KinghornFather of Patrick '78 and Daniel '82

William Lafl in, Sr.Father of William ‘68, George, ‘72, Robert ‘74, & Chris ‘81

Ursel LangeMother of Michael ‘81 and Grandmother of Grant Miller ‘08

Mario LunaFather of Jorge ‘86 and Albert ‘92

Ray MillerFather of Gray ‘67

Victor MirandaFather of Michael ‘00 and Matthew ‘08

Marie RothMother of Bob ‘71

Michael RutledgeFather of Alex ‘04

Jeanette SantarcangeloMother of NJ ‘67 and Grandmother of Michael ‘97 and Brad ‘01

John SteetsFather of Walter ‘65 and Grandfather of Andrew ‘00 and Jonathan ‘02

- IN MEMORIAM -

clas

s no

tes

clas

s no

tes

- BIRTHS -

Blakely Ann Roberts on September 3, 2008Steve ‘93 and Jennifer

Ethan Andrew Zientek on October 8, 2008Richard ‘95 and Leslie

Marisol Isabella Garcia on November 10, 2008Carlos ‘87 and Lila

Mark Bambace ‘77 Jerry Cox ‘79 Adam Williams’08

Fr. Joseph (Joe) Francis Doyle, SJ1936 - 2008

Rev. Joseph (Joe) Francis Doyle, SJ, passed away on Saturday, December 6, 2008 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida. He was 72 years old, a Jesuit for 50 years and a priest for 38 years. From 1983 through 1986 Fr. Doyle served as a counselor and teacher at Strake Jesuit. Then from 1988 to 1995 he was at St. Joseph’s Parish as pastor and chap-lain for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston. A native of New York City, Fr. Doyle was born on December 4, 1936. He at-tended Fordham Prep High School and Fordham University in Bronx, New York, from which he graduated in 1958 with a degree in History. He entered the Society of Jesus on August 14, 1958 in Grand Coteau, Louisiana and was ordained a priest on May 30, 1970 in Toronto, Canada. Fr. Doyle served as the Spiritual Director of Scholastics at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, 1972-1974; Superior of Scholastics at Loyola University, New Orleans, 1972-1974. From 1974-1981 he was the Novice Master at St. Charles College, Grand Coteau, Louisiana. After his time in Houston, he was Superior of Ignatius Residence in New Orleans from 1986-88. In 1996 through 2008 he was assigned to Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida where he served as President and School Chaplain.

There are two buildings on campus that bear the Moran family name. Newcomers to this campus may be unfamiliar with the Moran family, but they have been committed to philanthropy and especially to the betterment of Catholic education for as long as this Olde Cru-sader can remember. As a testament to their generosity, the Moran family name graces edifi ces not only at Strake Jesuit but also at the University of St. Thomas, Duschene Academy, and St. Thomas High School. Those of us who love this school will be forever grateful to the Moran family. But this is the simple story of a friend, a classmate and a role model. He is someone that I have always admired. I am very fortunate to have this opportunity to tell all of you about a really nice guy; Patrick J. Moran. I fi rst met Pat in 1962. The Jesuit College Preparatory was just one year old when we were both enrolled as freshmen. My fi rst impression of Pat has been an enduring one. He was then, and is still, a genuinely nice guy. Pat was a handsome young man with boyish good looks and a disarmingly pleasant smile. The years have had little affect. Pat is widely recognized among his 1966 classmates as one of the youngest looking amongst them. Today, those boyish good looks and disarming smile are still his stock and trade. Pat the freshman took to Jesuit like a fi sh to water. He was everywhere. Pat the leader was confi dent enough to take charge but Pat the team player was also modest enough to allow others to take the lead. In short order, Pat either volunteered for or was elected to Student Council, Yearbook, Southwell Players, student newspaper and sports. The Crusader student newspaper once named him as their “Crusader.” The entire student body recognized Pat as a tireless volunteer; keenly motivated and unselfi sh with his time and effort. He still is. Pat was not shy about his work ethic or his commitment to his studies. He was a member of the National Honor Society, made good grades and took pride in doing so. During the school day, he paid at-

tention in class and was engaged. At night he went home and studied hard. More often than not, by the time report cards were issued, Pat led his homeroom. I was in the same homeroom as Pat and some-times shared in class honors with him. Those were proud moments for me. I still remember standing next to Pat as Class honors were awarded. I was proud to be there with him. To this Olde Crusader’s way of thinking, Pat personifi ed the standard that the rest of us strived for and he still does. No accounting of Pat’s years at Jesuit would be complete without mention of his alter ego, the outspoken and often irreverent, King Quasi. Pat wrote for the student paper. His column chronicled the King’s fabulous albeit fi ctional exploits. The stories were narrated with tongue in cheek and offered the readers an insight into Pat’s satirical and humorous perspective of the current events of the time. Even as a youngster, Pat defi nitely had a marvelous sense of humor.

They say that at Strake Jesuit the boys will establish friendships that will last a lifetime. That was certainly true for Pat Moran. His best of friends to this day are classmates Joe Polichi-no and Jim Brown. Friends for life, I used to call them the ‘Three Musketeers.’ If you ever have an occasion to see any one of them, be assured the other two are somewhere nearby. They are all older now with adult priorities like fami-lies, careers and responsibilities, but through the years the friendships that were forged at Jesuit have endured the passage of time. Make no mistake

about it; Pat was a good guy to have as a friend. He still is. Since those early days I have been blessed to meet a lot of the nice guys among the alumni of this school. They have all been great but to this Olde Crusader’s way of thinking, Pat was always the “King.” To Mr. Nice Guy, I pledge my sword and my shield.

George

the boys will establish friendships that will last a lifetime. That was certainly true for Pat Moran. His best of friends to this day are classmates Joe Polichi-no and Jim Brown. Friends for life, I used to call them the ‘Three Musketeers.’ If you ever have an occasion to see any one of them, be assured the other two are somewhere nearby. They are all older now with adult priorities like fami-lies, careers and responsibilities, but through the years the friendships that were forged at Jesuit have endured the passage of time. Make no mistake

w w w . s t r a k e j e s u i t . o r g24 Winter 2009

Mr. Nice Guy

tongue in cheek and offered the readers an insight into Pat’s satirical

Suspice, 2001, by Edward Lee Hen-dricks, is suspended gold plated tubes. It is located in the foyer of the 800 Building and is on loan from Frank Ribelin.

PARENTS, if you are still receiving your son’s Chronicle although he no longer lives with you, let us know so we can change our records and send the maga-zine directly to him. If you enjoy reading the publication but do not receive a copy of your own, let us know that too. We would be glad to send a copy to your son’s new address and continue to send you one.

Contact the Alumni Office at tscalzitti@strakejesuit.org or at

713.490.8153

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory8900 Bellaire BoulevardHouston, Texas 77036

CALENDAR OF EVENTSJanuary

February

For up to date event information,go to www.strakejesuit.org

MarchFather-Son Pool TournamentAlumni Mothers TeaKairos XXXIV

Application Deadline Open HouseEntrance ExamFather-Son Sophomore Retreat Parent-Teacher MeetingThe Next Three YearsFather-Son Sophomore RetreatFather-Son Basketball TournamentAsh Wednesday Liturgy

1111

27-30

257

9-121118

19-222225

President’s DinnerSpring FlingKairos XXVSpring BreakFeast of Annunciation LiturgyAlumni Moms RetreatGreen MassSpring Senior Ignatian Retreat

19

9-1216-20

252829

30-31