Homecoming

2019 HOMECOMING

The 2019 Bishop Dunne homecoming game, held on Friday, October 4, featured a football matchup between the Bishop Dunne Falcons and the St. Pius X Panthers at Earl Hayes Stadium. The alumni reception took place in the Orender Family Complex, where past graduates gathered for fellowship to relive high school memories. Alumni were taken on school tours and could purchase special class t-shirts and Bishop Dunne memorabilia. Taco Y Vino and Oak Cliff Beer and Wine catered the event.

The Bishop Dunne community recognized the class of 1969 for their 50th anniversary since graduation. Additionally, two other reunions took place that weekend, celebrating the 45th anniversary of the class of 1974 and the 40th anniversary of the class of 1979.

Mapping Student Journeys with GIS

At Bishop Dunne Catholic School, students are encouraged to discover their passions in and out of the classroom. Through Bishop Dunne’s Geographic Information System (GIS) program, two young women have found ways to positively impact their local communities with the guidance of current teacher, Brad Baker and former teacher, Roger Palmer.

Olivia Dugger, incoming senior, and Marlowe Martensen, incoming junior, have attended Bishop Dunne since sixth grade and are taking advantage of Bishop Dunne’s 7-Year Advantage program to pursue their dreams, using what they have learned through GIS along the way.

“Teachers at Bishop Dunne offer unique ways of learning that is open and accepting towards everyone. This place is a diverse environment, and the teaching style revolves around the students instead of a set curriculum,” says Marlowe about what has changed her perspective on Catholic education. Marlowe began her GIS journey in Mr. Baker’s classroom during her freshman year. Innovative projects, like mapping areas devastated by natural disasters, sparked Marlowe’s interest, allowing her to gain hands-on experience in work that directly influences community responses.

Olivia first became involved with GIS through her work with Mike Kistner on the mapping of Vietnamese Firebases for the 2019 GeoTech Conference. “GIS is not just applicable towards maps – it’s helped me strengthen my presentation abilities, gotten

me involved in community outreach, and taught me life-long skills on how to visualize data,” says Olivia.

Both Marlowe and Olivia are working on the Dallas Deck Project, focusing on how to make the park equitable for all, and showing the designers and investors of the park how important it is to consider community needs of Dallas’ southern population. Both students also work with Track15, a nonprofit organization that partners with other nonprofits to build and strengthen donor relationships through engagement giving campaigns, and meaningful events.

Bishop Dunne looks forward to watching these students flourish as they continue their education journeys.