BOARD OF TRUSTEES Joseph T. Eckelkamp, Sr. Board Chair Jackie Yoon Vice Chair, Finance & Audit Chair Timothy Clark ’08 Building & Grounds Chair Susan R. Conrad Trustees Chair Peter O. Sheahan ’82 Advancement Chair
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Patrick M. Wheadon Mission Integration Chair Patty Boyd Rebecca S. Byrne Gerard T. Carmody ’67 W. Wesley Clayton ’97
President’s Letter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ESTO VIR FOREVER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 A New Chapter.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Curran Coulter ’05 Dr. Rollin F. Jackson, Sr. Lawrence J. LeGrand J. Michael Pressimone Christopher A. Ruzicka ’78
Amazing Accomplishments. . . . . . . . . . 8 The Family Picture – DEI. . . . . . . . . . 12 Admissions.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Bernie P. Schweiss ’80 Michael F. Shanahan, Jr. Jay F. Shekelton Adeyemo Sodipo Kevin Travers Rev. Oscar Vasquez, S.M.
1st Semester Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
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an independent, Catholic Day and Resident school, sponsored by the Marianist Province of the United States, is dedicated to developing the inherent spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical potential of young men in Sixth through Twelfth Grade so they are prepared for success in college and life and ultimately become the men the world needs them to be. This is accomplished through emphasis on the FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF CATHOLIC MARIANIST EDUCATION: • Educating for Formation in Faith • Providing an Integral Quality Education • Educating in Family Spirit • Educating for Service, Justice, and the Integrity of Creation • Education for Adaptation and Change
Athletics 2021.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Principal’s Letter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Alumni News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
ADMINISTRATION Erik Carretero James Chrismer ’85 Matt Dailey
Remembering Don Ohlms 53’. . . . . . 22 Advancement Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Rest in Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Brett Desnoyer Elizabeth Dunlap Tom Fernandez
Philip Rone
CHAMINADE COLLEGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 425 S. Lindbergh Boulevard St. Louis, MO 63131-2729
ESTO VIR Magazine is published twice annually. Submissions are encouraged. Articles and information may be edited and printed as space allows.
Bob Schnur
www.chaminade-stl.org
Lee Tilley Jack Twellman
(314) 692-6656 (877) ESTO VIR x1156
Managing Editor: Tracy Bowler, Director of Marketing and Communications.
Peter Vlahutin
tbowler@chaminade-stl.org
Dr. Todd Guidry Robyn Pilliod
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Contributing Editors: Julie Lohr, David Nolda
PRESIDENT’S LETTER As I’ve reflected on the first semester of the school year, I can’t help but be grateful for the Chaminade Family. We’ve known for a long time that the Family Spirit of Chaminade is something that is special to those of us that are a part of the community, and it was evident in the days and weeks leading up to and following the passing of Fr. Ralph. As faith filled people, I believe we are conditioned to find light in darker days. The way that the school community came together to support one another was nothing short of inspiring. We miss Fr. Ralph terribly. I often find myself wishing he were here for advice, counsel, and guidance. Thankfully though, he had surrounded himself with great people, and it’s been comforting having the vast experiences of others to lean on for support. I continue to be appreciative of the care of the Chaminade community. As any strong organization would do in a significant leadership transition, we have used this time to take stock of who we are and where we want to go, grateful for the people that have gone before us, while longing to understand how best to shape the future. At this point in the history of the school, the first time led by a lay person, on the heels of the transformative leadership by Fr. Ralph, it’s important to understand that it takes all of us to come together to ensure that we are providing the best Catholic Marianist education we can. A school like Chaminade is complex, and requires laser focus on its mission. When we all recognize our role in helping fulfill that mission, we are that much closer to making the world a more holy, and happy place. Our top priority has and will continue to be to form the faith lives of our students, so that they recognize their God-given talents to change the world around them. We continue to work diligently to meet the kids where they are in their faith journey and to intentionally and purposefully draw them closer to God, so that they recognize their goodness, and the role God plays in their life. The pandemic has taught us that the world is getting smaller, and our interactions with people from different cultures are becoming more common. The connectivity to different people, and the sensitivity that it requires, makes cultural understanding a necessity in preparing our students for the real world. Cultural competency towards diverse populations will continue to be a focus of our efforts. A strong and evolving curriculum is where so much of our efforts converge, to ensure that our students receive a holistic education that gives them a solid foundation for success in college and beyond. We are proud of our PACE program, offering the most college credit opportunities of any school in St. Louis. Students are encouraged to
develop their passions through a robust offering of courses. When we see opportunities to grow our programs so that students can push more into an area of interest, to hone their skills and enliven their passion, we will do so. Curriculum at Chaminade is a living, breathing organism that changes and grows with the times and the people. We will review it with a keen eye on the rapidly changing global world in which we live and put our time and resources toward making the changes and adjustments that are needed. Ensuring that all students have access to a Chaminade education, regardless of financial means, is going to be crucial to the viability of the school for generations to come. Securing the future of the school through responsible stewardship of resources, as well as continued growth of the funds that support our students is going to be a collaborative effort for many years. Because of the generosity of the Chaminade Family, we can give countless students an education in the virtues of Esto Vir that otherwise may not have had the opportunity. I am firmly convinced that the more students impacted by Chaminade, the better the world around us will be. We need more good men in the world today. Fr. Chaminade made clear to us our call as a Marianist school: to multiply Christians, and to use education as a means to share our faith with young people. That is, to use the classroom, the cafeteria, the basketball court, the baseball and football fields, the band rooms, the stage, the chapel, and the retreat programs as a way to connect students to God, and to people that most reflect God in their lives. As we look inward at who we are and the mission given by those who have gone before us, we enthusiastically look toward the future and the opportunities to grow so that we can best impact the world. It is an honor and privilege to be able to serve the school and the community in helping bring this mission to life. Esto Vir!
Todd Guidry, Ed.D. President
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by Tracy Bowler The start of this school year was certainly an unorthodox one. We opened our doors on Thursday, August 19 diving into our second school year in the midst of the pandemic. That first day of school was missing one key component. Our faithful leader, Father Ralph Siefert, was in the hospital and was quite ill. Calls for prayer went out among our faculty, staff, students and larger Chaminade community. Unfortunately, it was just over 24 hours later that we learned that Father Ralph was called to his heavenly home. We immediately pulled together as a faith community and family to determine how to support one another in this loss. An all-school prayer service was held on the afternoon of Father Ralph’s passing. The reverence portrayed by every single person in attendance was beyond moving. Students who typically talk and joke with one another when in a setting outside of the classroom were silent and still. Even the new students and faculty who had not yet met Father Ralph were aware of the impact his death would have on all of us. On Saturday, August 21 a group from the Class of 2022 came together to determine how they might honor Fr. Ralph. A very short discussion ensued and the result was a graphic that has become a visual representation of the amazing impact that Father Ralph had on Chaminade. This graphic spread across campus in the form of vinyl stickers on computers, cars and windows, banners on the athletic fields, social media, and even painted on the playing surface of the soccer field. ESTO VIR, the motto of our school, was very dear to Father Ralph. The students knew that any representation of Father Ralph’s impact on Chaminade and his legacy must include those words. FoReveR, the FRR representing FR. Ralph, was included as the students know that Chaminade is the wonderful place that it is, in large part, to Father Ralph’s 34 years here and his legacy will live on forever. A special place for prayer was constructed in the Immaculate Conception Chapel. All were invited to come
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and pray, remember Father Ralph, and even leave a special written memory. It seemed only fitting that this take place in the Marian window in the chapel, one of Father Ralph’s favorite spaces on campus. A gathering was held on August 26 and the entire Chaminde family, past and present, was invited. We came together to remember Father Ralph and to support one another. The Family Spirit that makes Chaminade so special was alive on this special night. We were honored to receive a request from Rev. Oscar Vasquez, S.M., the Provincial for the US Marianists, to host the visitation for Father Ralph on campus at Chaminade. The visitation took place on Thursday, September 2 in the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts. The Chaminade family came out in force to honor Father Ralph and support one another. Photos and a video from Father Ralph’s time at Chaminade were visual cues that sparked lively discussion and sharing of memories among those in attendance. Rev. Ralph A. Siefert, S.M. was laid to rest on Friday, September 3, 2021. His funeral mass was celebrated at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Once again, we all witnessed just how beloved he was. The crowd was standing room only. A poignant homily was shared by Father Oscar. Perhaps one of the most touching moments was the honor guard of Chaminade students and alumni that lined the pathway following the ceremony. While the loss of Father Ralph will be palpable for years to come, the Chaminade community came together just as Father Ralph would have wanted. We were there to support and love one another. Father Ralph was indeed a good and faithful servant who made an immeasurable impact on Chaminade, an impact that we are called to continue for our students and the entire Chaminade family. Rest in Peace Father Ralph!
God of all mercies and God of consolation, You love us eternally and transform the shadows of death into the dawn of life. Look upon our grief; be our refuge and comfort so that our sadness and sorrow may turn into the light and peace of your presence. Into your hands, O God, we entrust Father Ralph Siefert. In this life, You embraced him with your tender love; deliver him now from every evil and welcome him into eternal life. May the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be glorified in all places through the Immaculate virgin Mary. Amen.
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A NEW
CHAPTER by Dr. Daniel Karcher
Chaminade College Preparatory School is a massive unwritten book. Spanning generations and covering almost one hundred and twelve years, thousands have written in this book. Time spent in the hallowed halls of Chaminade have allowed students to make their mark in this large volume. Some have etched a few lines while others have contributed substantial paragraphs. Accomplishments in academics, the arts, and on the athletic fields and courts have all merited a place in this volume. Bonds of brotherhood formed in the classroom forged into life-long friendships. Struggles, challenges, and failures also have a place because these are all part of the learning process that leads to the formation of boys into men. In its earliest days, Chaminade welcomed students as young as fourth grade. Fledgling boys came to be educated and formed into men. Many stayed for nine years of education. By the time they graduated from Chaminade, they had already spent half their lives here. The lines written in this book of Chaminade are not limited to the students who passed through the halls. Parents, the teachers’ partners in education, believed, supported, and trusted the institution with the formation of their sons. This support and trust manifested itself in tuition to support the operation of the school, volunteering services of time and talent for the good of the school, and a faith that the quality education provided was what was best for their sons. Without this support, Chaminade would not be what it is today. The parents’ partners in education, the teachers, are also written into the story of Chaminade. Some have passed through the halls quicker than the students while others have dedicated their lives to Chaminade and provided a richness to the Chaminade experience. Those with long tenures are the institutional memory of Chaminade. Their decades of service to the young men of Chaminade providing a model of servant leadership earns long passages by virtue of the number of lives they have touched. Climbing the steps to Chaminade Hall and passing under the ornate façade that adorns the stately entrance, one faces a large portrait of Fr. William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Marianists and namesake of the school. To the left and right are administrative office and passage to
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other floors and another wing of Chaminade. Hundreds of people walk this hall every day. And they walk by, without noticing, the past presidents of Chaminade. Most would be hard pressed to name a past president other than Fr. Ralph. To be fair, his thirty-three-year tenure is the longest in school history and the most recent past president. This hallway has portraits of all the past presidents except Fr. Ralph whose portrait is in the works. It is strangely fitting that these men go unnoticed for they did not serve in the capacity as president for recognition. Two have buildings named for them, Fr. August Frische, SM (the first president of Chaminade) and Fr. Sylvester Juergens, SM. Others have awards or programs named for them, Jordan, Blume, and Klapp. Fr. Nobert Moellering, SM has the cafeteria named for him. And, of course, the Reverend Ralph Siefert Auditorium in the Skip Viragh Center for the Arts. These men and a dozen others have all served as president of Chaminade. The role of president is an important one. This position is the head of the school, the public face of Chaminade. The president is the steady hand of the tiller of the ship as it is guided through both troubled and smooth waters. Prior to Fr. Ralph’s thirty-three years run as president, the previous presidents served terms from one to six years. It should be mentioned that Fr. Lawrence Jordan, SM is the proverbial Grover Cleveland of presidents having served two non-consecutive terms. These nineteen men, all Marianist priests and brothers, are owed a huge debt of gratitude. Though they are often forgotten, Chaminade is what it is today because of their dedication and commitment to Catholic, Marianist education. Today, Chaminade stands on the shoulders of these giants, these dedicated men who created the very foundation of Chaminade. Their decisions and deeds helped determine the course of the institution. For this forethought and perseverance, Chaminade continues to educate and form boys into men today. As the leaders of the school, their tenure as president helps to define the chapters in the book of Chaminade. The largest chapter in this book belongs to Fr. Ralph. During his long tenure, he molded the school in his own image. Welcoming and out-going, his many gifts included
a strong vison for the school, an astute business sense, a gift for nurturing relationships among students, parents, and donors, culinary talents, and a photographic eye he willingly shared with his students. Almost a year ago, Fr. Ralph announced his retirement. This present school year was to be his victory lap. A year where he would provide on the job mentoring for his chosen successor. But that was not to be. The installation of Dr. Todd Guidry Ed.D was a unique event. Normally, the installation of a school president would take place at a mass that would be attended by special invitees, primarily the board of trustees. Dr. Guidry’s installation was unique for two reasons. First, the installation took place during the First Friday Liturgy for November that is attended by the entire student body. Second, in this age of Covid-19, the mass was celebrated outdoors in the football stadium. Earlier masses this school year found the weather to be warmer than comfortable. This November Installation Mass was the opposite and was cold for early November. With students socially distanced and parents and guests in lawn chairs on the sides, this bright sunny day marked the beginning of a new chapter at Chaminade. Fr. Oscar Vasquez, SM, Provincial of the US Marianists, presided assisted by Fr. Sean Downing, SM, Chaplain of Chaminade. Also in attendance was Bro. Jesse, O’Neill, SM, Marianist Assistant for Education. Never before had the student body of Chaminade witnessed the installation of its president. Fr. Oscar eloquently spoke about the importance of the students witnessing this event. Father spoke of the importance of family and how this new role would have an impact on not only Dr. Guidry but his family and everyone present. As the Provincial, he assured Dr. Guidry that he had the confidence of the Marianists, the Board of Trustees, the faculty, staff, and administration, and the student body. Dr. Guidry is uniquely qualified for this new position.
Dr. Todd Guidry will be the first lay president of Chaminade College Preparatory School. In that role, he will face some unique challenges. He will have big shoes to fill. Not being a professed Marianist will create new challenges for this position. Moving into the position without an experienced mentor in place will also be challenging. However, Dr. Guidry is uniquely qualified to serve in the role of president. He began his tenure at Chaminade as a Campus Minister. He was then tapped to be the Middle School Principal. Along the way, he pursued both a masters and doctorate in Catholic School Leadership from Saint Louis University. With the Board of Trustees and Fr. Ralph’s approval, Dr. Guidry was chosen to be the nineteenth president. In addition to being a caring family man and skilled musician, Dr. Guidry brings many other gifts to his new role. Having risen through the ranks of Chaminade, Dr. Guidry is intimately familiar with the innerworkings of the institution. His easy-going manner reveals a passion for Marianist education. He possesses a vision for the school. Perhaps his two greatest gifts are his speaking ability and his ability to build relationships. His comfort in public speaking situations shows his ease and command of every situation. He is articulate, thoughtful, and relatable. This leads nicely into his second gift, forming relationships. He possesses the ability to be present and in-the-moment with everyone he meets and makes them feel special. He takes a genuine interest in others and puts their interests before his own. He is a genuine, caring man who will be writing the next chapter in the book of Chaminade. Godspeed, Dr. Guidry!
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AMAZING ACHIEVEMENTS Students Attend Prayer Breakfast On Tuesday, September 14, a group of Chaminade Gentlemen were invited to represent Chaminade at the Archbishop’s Gospel of Life Prayer Breakfast. This Pro-Life event was sponsored by Legatus.
Chaminade Earns PLTW Distinguished School
These students attended (pictured L-R): Max Nottingham ‘23, Isaiah Stevens ‘22, John Adamitis ‘22, Andrew Lane ‘22, Joe Corrigan ‘22, Ian Steele ‘23, and David Portman ‘23. Chaminade alumnus Fr. Chris Martin ‘97 (pictured in back) stopped by the table to say hello to the guys.
Swim & Dive Sets New School Records
EVAN COX ’22
CONGRATULATIONS NATIONAL MERIT SEMI-FINALISTS!
NATE MOSE ’22
COLE PISUTHA-ARNOND ’22
JAKE SUDDUTH ’22
MARK ZOBERI ’22
National Merit Semi-Finalists Congratulations to our National Merit Semi-Finalists!
Chaminade Swim and Dive team competed in the COMO Invite at Mizzou placing 11th out of 38 teams. Trey Cunneen ‘24 and Matthew Judkins ‘24 each broke a school record in one of their events. Trey Cunneen placed 4th in the 500 freestyle setting a new school record of 4:39.65 and 7th in the 200 Freestyle. Matthew Judkins placed first in the 200 Individual Medley setting a new school record of 1:54.94 and 2nd in the 100 Butterfly.
Congratulations to our faculty and students on earning PLTW Distinguished School designation for HIGH SCHOOL! Chaminade routinely earns this recognition for Middle School, but it is our first time for the High School. The designation celebrates schools that are committed to helping students own their education by increasing access, engagement, and achievement in their PLTW programs. This recognizes Chaminade for empowering students to unlock their potential by developing the in-demand, real-world knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in life and beyond the classroom.
• Evan Cox ‘22 • Nate Mose ‘22
ASHTON KAUTZNER ’22
• Cole Pisutha-Arnond ‘22 • Mark Zoberi ‘22
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THOMAS SMITH ’22
Chaminade National Merit Commended Scholars
• Jake Sudduth ‘22 Their results on the PSAT/NMSQT is reached by fewer than 1% of seniors nationally. They will continue on in the scholarship competition.
JEREMY (JAY) SMITH ’22
Matthew Judkins ’24 and Trey Cunneen ‘24
Congratulations to Ashton Kautzner ’22, Jay Smith ’22, and Thomas Smith ’22 on being recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars as a result of their high performance on the PSAT!
Fishing Club Our Fishing Club had a successful outing in late September. Thank you to alumnus, Ryan Hillenbrand ‘92, for hosting. Several Largemouth bass and bluegill were caught. Catch of the day was a 3.5 lb. Bass caught by Tyler Imo ‘23.
Chaminade Participates in Wash U Model UN High school students participated in the online Washington University Model United Nations Symposium on October 2-3, on the following committees: Boxer Rebellion; Democratic National Convention of 1968; JCC: House of Representatives; JCC: SCOTUS; Kowloon Walled City; North Korea 2011; Pharaoh Akhenaten; Nigerian Civil War; Triple Alliance. From left to right: Isaac Carey ‘23, Gavin Rizzo ‘23, Joe Mura ‘23, Max Nottingham ‘23, Tomas Belloso 23, Ben Gorin ‘24, Max Holder 24, Jake Wedding ‘24, Mark Zoberi ‘22, Aidan Ford ‘22
Finnie ‘27 Wins Sportsmanship Award Congratulations to John Finnie ‘27 on being awarded the Tennis Sportsmanship Award for the St. Louis district of USTA. What a great example of Esto Vir!
Walsh ‘22 and Weber ‘22 Commit Seniors Ryan Walsh and Charlie Weber signed their National Letters of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers in college. Ryan will be attending Loyola University in Chicago and will be on the Golf Team. Charlie will attend Wofford College and will be a member of the Baseball Team.
Chaminade Serves Gravois Park Neighborhood A number of Chaminade Gentlemen and their chaperones helped with alley clean up in the Gravois Park Neighborhood. Your efforts were much appreciated by the Neighborhood Association.
Fishing Club Thank you to the Brown family (AJ ’26) for hosting the Fishing Club on Sunday, October 24. Many bass, catfish and crappie were caught. Catch of the day by Nick Benninger ’28 with a 4lb bass.
Scott Family Supports Ronald McDonald House At the end of last school year, Ethan Scott ‘23 and his sister, Emma (Visitation ’22), started collecting materials for STEM bags. The donors included VIZ NHS and BSA Troop 685. Emma and Ethan designed and assembled over 100 STEM bags. They used their day off wisely on Monday, Oct. 4 and delivered the bags to the Ronald McDonald House.
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AMAZING ACHIEVEMENTS Pryor ‘23 Invited to On the Hill Legislative Summit Junior Travis Pryor was invited to participate in the Jack and Jill of America’s On the Hill Legislative Summit in Washington DC. Jack and Jill of America is a national non-profit organization focused on a mission to develop youth into leaders through cultural, civic, and social experiences. Travis joined youth from around the world at this special summit in September.
JOHN GUERRA ’234
BUBBA CHAPMAN ’24
Cross Country Boasts Nine Medalists at MCC Meet Chaminade Cross Country tallied a 3rd place MCC Finish! They finished the meet having earned nine individual medals: Varsity: Mitch Hardeman ‘24, Henry Hardeman ‘22, Alex Cattoor ‘24, and Ryan Wolak ‘23 JV: Mark Zoberi ‘22, John Mackie ‘23, and Max Nottingham ‘23 Freshmen: Henry Hammell ‘24 and Patrick Byrne ‘24
RYAN WALSH ’22
Chaminade Golfers to Compete at Mid-America Junior Cup John Guerra ‘23, Bubba Chapman ‘24, and Ryan Walsh ‘22 were selected to represent the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association at the Mid-America Junior Cup.
Model UN Civitas Event High school students participated in the Civitassponsored Model United Nations event at Webster University on November 20. The group’s draft resolution proposing a United Islamic Alliance/ Economic Aid narrowly failed in the General Assembly, by a vote of 22 in favor to 28 opposed. From left to right: Joe Mura ‘23 (Iran), Kellen Zoberi ‘23 (Italy), Charlie Fair ‘22 (Iraq), Gavin Rizzo ‘22 (United Arab Emirates), Jack Bryan ‘24 (Afghanistan), Isaac Carey ‘23 (United States), Louis Mehelic ‘23 (Turkmenistan), Tomas Belloso ‘23 (Egypt).
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Deluca ‘28 Named Player of the Year The Gateway PGA Junior Tour announced the 2021 Players of the Year, and Chaminade sixth grader John Deluca was the winner of the 9-hole Boys 10-11 Division.
Wind Ensemble Selected to Perform
Pisutha-Arnond ‘22 Earns Eagle Scout Congratulations to Cole Pishutha-Arnond ‘22 on advancing to the rank of Eagle Scout. Cole’s project was to enhance the outdoor classroom at Chaminade. A big thank you to Cole for his work on our campus.
Nine members of the Chaminade Wind Ensemble were selected to perform as part of the McKendree University Honors Chamber Ensembles. Chaminade was one of 22 schools who participated on October 10. Representing Chaminade from left to right:
Sophomores Shine at State Swim and Dive Team Finish 11th Place The Chaminade Swimming and Diving Team competed in the Class 1 State Championship Meet at the St. Peter’s RecPlex. Chaminade qualified 3 team relays and 6 individual events: • • • •
Dennison Haines ’24, Jack Shadden ’24, Khai Colebrooke ’24, Alex Cattoor ’24, Logan Zwirn ’24, Evan Cox ’22, John Mackie ’23, CJ Reilmann ’24 and Pete Wuellner ’22.
Matthew Judkins ’24 - 200 IM and 100 Butterfly Trey Cunneen ’24 – 200 and 500 Freestyle Elliot Speckhard ’24 – 1m Diving Joe DiGuiseppe – 100 Backstroke
Judkins finished 4th in the 200 IM and won the state championship in the 100 Butterfly breaking a Chaminade school record that had stood for more than 15 years. Cunneen also set 2 new school records on his way to a second place finish in the 500 Freestyle and a 5th place finish in the 200 Freestyle.
Matthew Judkins ’24 and Trey Cunneen ‘24
Chaminade also placed two relays in the top 16. The 400 freestyle relay of Cunneen, Judkins, Seitaro Takai ’23, and Ethan Figert ’22 finished 9th overall. Congratulations to the team on a great season. The team finished with an overall record of 9-6.
Excellence in Education Award
Walsh ‘22 Excels in GolfWeek Jr. Tour In his first win on the GolfWeek Jr Tour, Ryan Walsh ‘22 carded two rounds of 3 under par 69 for a 6 under par total. Ryan would card the most birdies of any player this weekend at UK Club with 12, and not make any double bogies.
Congratulations to our very own Mr. Chris Shaver, who has been named a 2021 Excellence in Teaching Award honoree by Emerson! Mr. Shaver is one of 85 educators across the St. Louis metropolitan region recognized this year for demonstrating excellence in education and exceptional dedication to students. Thank you Mr. Shaver for your commitment to Chaminade and our Chaminade Gentlemen!
Chaminade Presents at MOCHE Dr. Kevin Knickman from Chaminade’s social studies department presented at the recent Missouri Council for History Education Conference. His presentation, Exploring the Development of Early Complex Societies through the Lens of the Cahokia People highlighted his expertise and benefited the conference attendees. Chaminade is blessed to have Dr. Knickman!
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OUR PANORAMIC
FAMILY PICTURE
The Characteristics of Marianist Education give Marianist educators common language to use when discussing our mission, and, from among the five CME’s, “to educate for family Mr. Matt Dailey, spirit” is probably the Director of Campus Ministry most cited when it comes to how we distinguish our philosophy of education from those of other Catholic orders. Forming individuals to follow Christ through the loving, faith-filled communities that they participate in has been the Marianist way since Blessed Chaminade first formed his faith sharing groups, or sodalities, in France two centuries ago. At Chaminade College Prep we continue that work through the intentionally fraternal formation of our classes, teams, faith sharing groups, clubs, houses, bands, troupes, and all of our other group offerings. “Our Family Picture: Chaminade’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative” is another example of how we are always attempting to create welcoming, loving communities to support our students as they grow in their faith and learn to love Christ’s mission. To achieve that goal, “Our Family Picture” is preparing to carry out our first major task: a climate survey. To make our diversity initiative a data-driven program, the seven DEI committees want to learn from the students’ insights where our efforts are most required to meet their social and emotional needs. The DEI steering committee has chosen to partner with Panorama to support us in this process. Panorama is a company dedicated to improving school climate and culture, teaching and learning, family and community engagement, and students’ social and emotional learning by gathering data and helping schools to come up with improvement plans. Panorama has been administering social-emotional surveys for several years, and we think that they will provide us with valuable resources to evaluate how we are meeting our goals of maintaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture. They will also partner with us as we formulate and implement our self-improvement strategies. We expect to administer our first climate survey in February, and we hope that it will continue to affirm that each Chaminade student is a valued and loved member of the family. Educating for family spirit intersected with another Characteristic of Marianist Education “educating for formation in faith” at “The Balms in Gilead: Deepening
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our Understanding and Conversation about Race through the Eyes of Faith” a workshop in Dayton sponsored by the Society of Mary and the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, or the Marianist brothers and sisters. Dr. Brett Desnoyer, Associate Principal for Instruction and Mission, and Mr. Matt Dailey, Director of Campus Ministry, both attended “The Balms of Gilead” in September. All of the national Marianist sponsored schools and retreat centers were invited to send representatives to discuss how promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion is paramount to living the Marianist mission. Indeed, the Marianist mission statement in part reads that “wherever we are sent, we invite others to share in Mary’s mission of making Christ present in every age and culture by forming persons and communities of apostolic faith that advance justice and reconciliation.” Desnoyer and Dailey both found the conversation, facilitated by St. Louisan Danielle Harrison, to be very affirming of the work that we already do at Chaminade. Chaminade’s administration is excited to continue the task of “reading the signs of the times”, as Blessed Chaminade instructed, so that we lay people can employ new methods of education to address the needs of our changing world through the eyes of faith. The Marianist Family has always recognized the gifts of the laity and their essential role in continuing Christ’s mission. The first faith sharing groups that Blessed Chaminade established after the French Revolution were comprised of lay men and women, and ever since then, well-formed lay people have been leaders in the Marianist mission. Venerable Marie-Therese de Lamourous is one of the co-founders of the Marianist Family because she lent her gifts and talents as a lay woman to keeping Catholicism alive during the revolution and to starting the Marianist Family with Blessed Chaminade. At Chaminade College Prep, the choice of Dr. Guidry as our first lay president affirms our commitment to DEI, because we know that God gives particular talents to different individuals, and by choosing the person who is best suited for leadership, regardless of vocation, we are affirming the Marianist value of the “discipleship of equals”. The discipleship of equals tells us that all members of the Marianist Family, and the Body of Christ, must use their God-given talents to minister as they are best suited, and that all members of the family are regarded equally in stature, regardless of their job, vocation, ethnicity, gender, or physical ability. Dr. Guidry’s talents, experience, and his commitment to his faith make him an excellent leader for our Chaminade Family. Chaminade College Prep is eager to ensure that each family member is celebrated within our inclusive family spirit.
CHAMINADE
ADMISSIONS This Fall, the Chaminade Admissions Office has been alive! As the newest member of the Admissions Team, it has been a wonderful experience to see how the machine works from the inside. I have worked in education throughout my career and have had a son at Chaminade for the last two years. However, working in the Admissions Office has made me appreciate the Marianist education in an environment that is certainly a “School Built for Boys.” It has been a wonderful opportunity to see the Chaminade spirit alive. The team, composed of Erik Carretero, Julie Malloy and me, has had a very busy Fall. Our team has hosted over 270 shadow visits this semester, which were not conducted last school year. This has been a fun experience to give tours and promote all the things that we love about Chaminade. Our Student Ambassadors have provided our shadows with a day in the life of a Red Devil. They are the best salespeople for Chaminade, as they are so proud of their school and genuinely love learning in an environment rich with Marianist tradition and support. We kicked off the Admissions Season hosting a Tailgate before Chaminade’s football game. The prospective families enjoyed food, fellowship and fun, getting to see Chaminade in its glory. It was a beautiful Fall evening on campus, and the very brief rain did not dampen the mood of the Red Army storming the field as Chaminade took home a great victory!
Gus Lawler ’25 and Patrick Scheller ‘25
Thanks to the Keller Family with three sons at Chaminade: Quinn (‘22), Colin (‘25), Paddy (‘26), for hosting a prospective parent presentation: Reaching Boys, Teaching Boys. Middle School principal Jack Twellman and Admissions Director Erik Carretero presented on the design of everything from Chaminade’s House System to the dynamic teachers educating in 80-minute classes. It was fun to meet so many new families interested in Chaminade. We were so proud of Open House, as the day brought over 130 families to Chaminade to experience the campus. Chaminade was absolutely alive with Chaminade’s faculty and staff, Esto Vir Ambassadors, and parent volunteers; many of our visitors’ favorite stop was the BBQ provided by Chaminade’s robust and active Parents’ Club. The Admissions Department has been proud to host so many prospective students and families this Fall. As we review the high number of applicants, we are reminded what a special place Chaminade is. Esto Vir! Dr. Heather Lawler, Ed.D. Admissions Associate
Danny Allen ’23, Jackson Allen ’22, Matt Murawski ’22 and Jack Winter ‘22
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1 SEMESTER ST
EVENTS The Class of 2022 did incredible work on Senior Service Day.
Our Chaminade Moms came together to shop at the Mothers’ Club Fall Event.
Ms. Dunlap with one of the goodie carts provided by the Administration for Faculty Staff Appreciation on Oct. 28, 2021.
Celebrate Chaminade welcomed our alumni to campus to celebrate on Oct. 1, 2021.
Evan Younge and his mom are all smiles on the First Day of School Aug. 19, 2021.
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Students came out in force to support Bring Home the Bacon on Sept. 2, 2021.
The Chaminade Speaker Series was held on Nov. 4, 2021.
The State Champion 2021 Chaminade Golf Team were presented with their championship rings.
The Fathers’ Club Distiller’s Event on Nov. 11, 2021 was well attended!
All Saints Liturgy Nov. 1, 2021
Even the faculty enjoyed dressing in costume for Halloween.
Fr. Chris Martin ‘97 and Fr. Paul Hamilton ‘04 concelebrated a special Mass in memory of Fr. Ralph on Aug 27, 2021.
The Anthon Family enjoyed their annaul trip to the Fathers’ Club Christmas Tree Lot for their Christmas Tree.
The 2020 Chaminade Hall of Fame Class were honored with a long overdue ceremony in the Skip on Sept. 11, 2021.
Oktoberfest welcomed our Chaminade parents to campus on a beautiful evening!
The Chaminade Liturgical Musicians shared their talents at our First Friday Liturgy Oct. 1, 2021.
The Annual Fall Classic on Sept. 25, 2021 was a fun time for all!
The whole school gathered in the stadium for the annual Homecoming Pep Rally.
Chaminade parents gathered to celebrate the kick-off to the 2021 Esto Vir Auction on Aug. 29, 2021.
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ATHLETICS
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FOOTBALL
SOCCER
The 2021 Chaminade football season will forever go down in history as the year of the “Threepeat.” For the first time in school history, the Red Devils were able to secure a District Championship for the third consecutive year, a major accomplishment that can be largely attributed to the efforts of many of our seniors who have been starting for the entirety of that run, most notably senior DB/QB/ATH Cam Epps, senior DL/ TE Grant Finley, senior WR/DB Elijah Griffin, and senior OL/DL Jimmy Lansing, Alex Todt, and Jake Ortiz. The year started off rough with a 1-3 start due to a grueling schedule of area powers. Midway through the season, the team began to find its stride with a dedication to the run game that included Cam Epps tying Rob Standard’s single-game scoring record with 6 touchdowns against Granite City. The team finished 4-5 before really reaching their full potential in the playoffs where they rattled off three dominating victories against Ritenour, Fort Zumwalt South, and Fort Zumwalt North to secure the team’s third district title in a row. The season ended with a heartbreaking 31-28 loss to an undefeated Wentzville-Holt team that is now playing for the state championship. This resilient Red Devil team displayed plenty of fight even when it felt as though the odds were stacked against them numerous times throughout the year. Outside of the paramount team accomplishment, numerous individuals were named to the all-conference team (see below). Cam Epps also finished 5th in the area in scoring with 190 points as well as 4th in the area in all-purpose yards with 2,024. The team returns a number of experienced underclassmen who hope to lead the football program to a district 4-peat and beyond!
Chaminade enjoyed another successful soccer season achieving a 17-5-3 record, surrendering only 14 goals the entire season, and winning the Metro Catholic Conference (MCC) for the third straight season! While we fell short of our final goal, there were still a tremendous amount of accomplishments. First and foremost, the team was lead by the seniors, Jack Olwig, Jackson Allen, Jack Winter, Will Caspari, Connor Fulton, Teddy McNulty, Blake Pingel, Drew Ganninger, Max Skorubskiy and Andrew Lane. These young men created one of the best cultures of TEAM that has ever been established in the program. Our seniors have been rewarded with a plethora of post season accolades, most notably Jack Olwig being named First Team All-Metro and Jackson Allen being named to the Missouri Coaches All-Academic Team.
ESTO VIR
Great games this year included dramatic victories against SLUH, CBC, Vianney, Ladue and Fremd (Chicago). The schedule, once again, was one of the most difficult in the area if not the country. The team competed against seven teams that either won their state championship or lost in the final. We wish the seniors nothing but the best moving forward and look forward to Lucas Higgins, Giovanni Gabrielle, John Reim, Johnny Schlattman, JP McAlone, and many more underclassman carrying the tradition of our program. Finally, many thanks to all the teachers, staff, students, and parents for their support throughout the season. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Chaminade Soccer Saturdays in the fall of 2022!
CROSS COUNTRY The 2021 Cross Country team had another competitive and successful season. After placing as a team at the Class 4 State meet for the first time since 2001 in our 2020 season, our expectations were high for our team this year. Our captains set the goals of having every runner achieve a personal best time (PR), to qualify a team through to the state meet again, and to ‘sweat the details’ at practice to minimize the risk of injuries. At 39 runners strong, nearly every runner on the team achieved the goal of running a PR. The team placed 3rd at MCC and earned an impressive 9 medals between the Varsity (4 medals), JV (3 medals), and Freshmen races (2 medals). There were many breakthrough performances where individuals improved by a minute or greater including Mitch Hardeman (16:22), Alex Cattoor (17:09), Joe DiGuiseppe (17:54), Vincent Rumsey (17:59), Ryan Wolak (18:20), Isaac Carey (18:35), Ethan Scott (20:16), Pete Wuellner (20:19), Jason Rea (20:26), Graham Toombs (21:22), JD Grant (22:48), and Henry Maurice (24:47). The Varsity Team raced well at the District XC Meet on a chilly, wet day. Despite many great efforts, we narrowly missed qualifying to the state meet as a team, coming up a mere seven places short. Seniors Henry Hardeman and Matt Murawski and Sophomore Alex Cattoor each towed the line at Gans Creek for the state meet this year. In a very competitive field, Mitch Hardeman finished 30th place (16:22), while Henry Hardeman ran for his 2nd time at the state courses (16:45). Alex Cattoor, a sophomore, finished in 71st place (17:09) having improved impressively from 19:29 as a Freshman – a testament to the benefits of consistent training in the off-season. Great work this season CCP XC, thanks Seniors, and thank you everyone for your Commitment, Heart, and Brotherhood.
SWIMMING AND DIVING Swim Season Sets New Records –Team Finishes 11th at State Chaminade Swimming and Diving finished their regular season with a dual meet record of 9-6. Chaminade finished fourth at the MCC Championship meet and took 11th place at the Class 1 State Championship. At the state meet, Chaminade qualified 3 team relays and 6 individual events, Matthew Judkins ’24 - 200 IM and 100 Butterfly, Trey Cunneen ’24 (pictured bottom right) – 200 and 500 Freestyle, Elliot Speckhard ’24 – 1m Diving, and Joe DiGuiseppe – 100 Backstroke. Judkins finished 4th in the 200 IM and won the state championship in the 100 Butterfly breaking a Chaminade school record that had stood for more than 15 years. Matthew Judkins also set a new school record in the 200 individual medley at the COMO Invite earlier in the season. Cunneen ’24 also set 2 new school records on his way to a second place finish in the 500 freestyle and a 5th place finish in the 200 Freestyle at the State Championship. Chaminade also placed two relays in the top 16. The 400 freestyle relay of Cunneen, Judkins, Seitaro Takai ’23, and Ethan Figert ’22 finished 9th overall. Congratulations to the team on a great season. Jake Wedding ’24
Trey Cunneen ’24
POST SEASON
ACCOLADES FOOTBALL ALL-STATE CLASS 5 First Team: Cam Epps ’22 DB Second Team: Cam Epps ’22 Punter Grant Finley ’22 DL Jimmy Lansing, Jr. ’22 OT Alex Todt ’22 OL MCC All-Conference Selections Co-Offensive Player of the Year: Cam Epps ’22 First Team: Gary Barbour ’22 LB, Nick Divis ’22 Safety, Derek Fields ’23 CB, Cam Epps ’22 Athlete, CB and Punter, Grant Finley ’22 DL, Elijah Griffin ’22 WR, Jimmy Lansing, Jr. ’22 OL, Alex Todt ’22 OL Second Team: Gary Barbour ’22 RB, Peter Fesler ’23 Safety, Elijah Griffin ’22 Safety, Zion Harrell ’23 LB, Christopher Jenkins ’23 Athlete, Jake Ortiz ’22 OL & DL, Alex Todt ’22 DL Honorable Mention: Joe Corrigan ’22 OL, Andrew Hayden ’24 DL, Kyle Russell ’24 OL
SOCCER MISSOURI ALL ACADEMIC Jackson Allen ’22 ALL REGION MISSOURI Jack Olwig ’22 ALL STATE CLASS 4 First Team: Jack Olwig ’22 Second Team: Will Caspari ’22 ALL REGION CLASS 4 Defensive Player of the Year: Jack Olwig ’22 Team selections: Will Caspari ’22, Jack Olwig ’22 MCC ALL-CONFERENCE First Team: Jackson Allen ’22, Will Caspari ’22, Jack Olwig ’22 Second Team: Giovanni Gabriele ’23, Lucas Higgins ’23, JP McAlone ’23, John Reim ’24 Honorable Mention: Jack Winter ’22
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PRINCIPAL’S LETTER I have been an administrator for thirty months. I have been an administrator preparing for and responding to the impact of a global pandemic on the world of education for twenty four of those thirty months. And honestly, I don’t know if I would have wanted to start my career as Chaminade’s Associate Principal of Curriculum and Assessment any other way. Please don’t misunderstand me. I am not discounting the tragedy and pain that has been felt around the world and in our own community. My heart aches for those who have lost loved ones, experienced job or financial insecurity, struggled with physical and mental health, and endured the many other stressors and anxieties brought about by the pandemic. But as people of hope, we have all tried to find ways to understand these challenging times. We have looked for the good, the grace, the lessons, the light. I am grateful that my silver lining became apparent very early on and I have been reminded of it day after day. I was able to do something that very few new principals do in their first year on the job and many principals never do in their entire career; I got to reinvent school. And by that I mean I got to be part of a courageous administrative team, work alongside the most dedicated faculty and staff, have the support of trusting families, and be inspired by the resilience of our students, as we, the Chaminade community, reinvented school. I could go on about Chaminade’s many accomplishments during the last two years as we reimagined school and brought it to life. But I am most excited to share about how that experience has, and will continue, to inspire our future, particularly in the area of curriculum development. This year, Chaminade began some in-depth work on our school curriculum using the Understanding by Design framework by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins. This approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment has a focus on developing and deepening students’ understandings of important ideas, specifically through the lens of the Six Facets of Understanding: Explanation, Interpretation, Application, Perspective, Empathy, and Self-Knowledge. Over the next several years we will work to further articulate and align our curriculum to ensure that we are offering the best possible academic experience for our students.
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This initiative is a major one that will take time and energy to see through. And if you have read anything about the world of education lately, you may note that time and energy are two things lacking for teachers these days. So why take this critical look at our curriculum now? There is no doubt that teaching in a pandemic has impacted the morale of educators across the country. I would be lying if I said we haven’t had our days here at Chaminade. But those moments of challenge have not caused our teachers to lose sight of our mission, and in many ways have prepared them to better live it out. One could argue that our faculty has never been more ready to jump into this curriculum work. That at this moment in time, they are primed for it. They have spent the last three and a half semesters examining, analyzing, learning. They have asked themselves what’s important, what’s necessary, what should stay, go, change. It is likely they have never had a more critical eye on their curriculum than they have in the last year and a half. And we want to capitalize on that great work. We want to capture it. And write it down. And continue that examination, analysis, and learning, and we want to do it together. The pandemic has reminded us that it is possible to change things in education, to try something new, to break tradition. So we are going to keep reinventing school here at Chaminade, over and over again, so that it best prepares our students to be the men our ever-changing world needs them to be. Beth Dunlap Associate Principal Curriculum and Assessment
ALUMNI NEWS
ALUMNI
NOTES Prior to writing this letter, I was curious to review the mindset and events that were included in the Chaminade Magazine one year ago. At that time, I discussed Chaminade’s resilient ability to overcome difficult, unforeseen challenges mostly caused by the impact of COVID. While still in the process of conquering those challenges, we were hit with the unexpected passing of our long-time leader, Fr. Ralph. He meant so much to the Chaminade family, and to us individually, that there was never going to be a great time for him to leave. Further, there is never going to be enough memorialization of Fr. Ralph nor prayers of thanksgiving to God, but we must press forward. It’s what Fr. Ralph would have wanted, and praise God, we are! The Alumni Board could not be more proud and excited for the induction of our new president, Dr. Todd Guidry. Despite the many challenges we face today, we are confident in our new leader and stand ready to support him in any way possible. One of the best ways Chaminade alumni can honor Fr. Ralph and Dr. Guidry is to stay active and supportive of the school. If you have not done so already, please make sure your contact information is up to date at www.chaminade-stl.org/updateinfo. Also please consider participating in our upcoming events including Blessed Chaminade Day in January, the Esto Vir Auction in February, Trivia Night in March, the Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in April, the golf tournament in May, and/or the many other club and sporting events throughout the year. One of the greatest pleasures in serving as the Alumni Board President is contacting the recipients of the annual Alumni Awards. Our Alumni Board is honored to award the 2022 “Alumnus of the Year” to Jim Chrismer ’85 and the “Honorary Alumnus” to Philip Rone, current High School Principal. The awards will be presented at mass on Blessed Chaminade Day, January 18 and it is always a wonderful event. Please come to support these two fantastic role models of Chaminade who embody the spirit of the Marianist tradition. May God bless you all and may God continue to bless Chaminade!
Bradley Beal ’11 and Jayson Tatum ’16 met in the NBA’s Play-in Tournament matchup in May 2021. Jayson scored 50 points for the third time that season as the Celtics beat the Wizards 118-110. Sam Korb ’17 graduated from the University of Dallas where he was awarded the Cardinal Spillman Award, which is conferred annually upon a senior man or woman who has attained a G.P. A. of at least 3.5, aspires to graduate study in an academic or professional field, and exemplifies the ideals of the University. Sam also claimed the First Academic Honor medal as the only person in his class to graduate with a 4.0. Sam’s proud mom is Chaminade faculty member, Margie Korb. Sam graduated with degrees in Theology, Classical Philology - Greek and Classical Philology - Latin. He was Phi Beta Kappa and Summa Cum Laude. In his book, Another Big Lie, author Tim Pagliara ’75 details the decadelong fight over the government’s role in regulating a safe and sound mortgage market. At the heart of the story is the contrarian bet investors made to buy Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac government sponsored entities, GSEs securities in the heat of the mortgage crisis in late 2008. This is the story of how a select group of GSE investors exposed the government’s theft of billions of dollars from the American dream of homeownership. Congratulations to Chaminade’s oldest living alumnus, Albert Schweitzer, Jr., who turned 100 in November! Chris Marsek ’98 participated in a two-weekends-long Scout Leadership Training called Wood Badge. In it, attendees learned about leadership styles, communication, teamwork and more... all while camping and practicing the Scouting traditions.
Esto Vir, Aaron Thompson ’03
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ALUMNI NEWS Kevin Dill ’99 was a staff member at Wood Badge. Kevin’s son, Connor, is a member of the Class of 2026. Justin Cook ’17 graduated from NYU with a degree in film and television. He will pursue his dream to write, direct and film projects in multiple areas of interest.
John Wright ’01 was promoted to Commander of the 4th Reconnaissance Squadron based in Guam. The squadron was deployed to Yokota AFB in Tokyo until October 2021.
Justin also continues to pursue his musical interests with former Chaminade student, Jack Deubner. They just released their second album on GarageBand. Ben Jackson ’17 was honored with the Men’s Division II Yeardley Reynolds Love Unsung Hero Award. The award celebrates the accomplishments of collegiate Divisions I, II and III lacrosse players who demonstrate dedication, integrity, humility, hard work, community service, leadership, kindness, and sportsmanship. Eagle Scout, RJ Jackson ’21, was named Missouri Scout of the Year by the VFW: Missouri. Mark Finke ’82 was featured in Kirkwood Lifestyle magazine about retirement. Mark is the former varsity hockey coach of our Red Devils.
Chris Wideman ’08 won a bronze medal with Team USA at the 2021 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships. John W. Guyol, S.J. ’05 was ordained into the priesthood and has been missioned to the Ravalli Jesuit Community in Missoula, MT, where he will serve at St. Francis Xavier Church and St. Ignatius Mission.
Jerry Carmody ’67 was named as a 2021 Icon awardee by Missouri Lawyers Media.
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David Murphy ’00, a successful Chicago chef at Mercat a la Planxa, was featured on WGN’s “Lunch Break.”
Bradley Beal ’11 was named to the All-NBA Third Team. Bradley finished second in the NBA in scoring with a career-high 31.3 points per game, which is the sixth-highest scoring average in the last 10 years and the second highest in franchise history. Jayson Tatum ’16 became the thirdyoungest player to score 50 points in an NBA playoff game in the 125-119 win over the Nets in Game 3 of the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Tyler Wood ’10 has launched a business that provides tech support to adults 55 and older. His company, Quincy, was also recently featured in Poets & Quants.
David Lee ’01, and his wife, Caroline Wozniacki, welcomed a daughter, Olivia Wozniacki Lee.
Joe Bayer, Jr. ’97 (far left) of First Integrity Mortgage and Trevor Olwig ’06 (far right) of Berkshire Hathaway Alliance had a great “St. Louis” moment. They had a mutual customer and they enjoyed working together. It turns out that Trevor and Joe are both alums of Chaminade. Of course, that’s why their transaction together went so smoothly.
Kevin Robson ’03 was named as associate head coach for Indiana University’s men’s soccer program.
Congratulations to our USA Basketball gold medalists! After winning gold in Tokyo with Team USA, Jayson Tatum ’16 is the first USA Basketball male athlete to win a gold medal at: • The Olympics • FIBA U19 World Championship • FIBA U17 World Championship • FIBA Americas U16 Championship Brandon Lockhart ’09 was inducted in the Drury University Hall of Fame in December. Brandon is a Red Devil and State Champion as well as a Panther and National Champion.
Chris Bandi ’08 released a collaboration with Nelly, titled “Follow Me.”
Congratulations, once again, to the Class of 2020-21: • 1998 State Champion Swimming Relay Team • Joseph McLain ’37 • Robert Van Uum ’60 • John Hamilton ’68 • Bill Keaney ’73 • Skip Berkmeyer ’92 • Bill Coby ’95 • Coach Doug Taylor Justin Wyms ’17 participated in the United States Powerlifting Association’s Midwest Challenge in Columbia, Missouri in the Super Heavy Weight (SHW) division. He had FOUR 1st Place finishes and set THREE Missouri State records for his weight division. Current Chaminade parents, the Kellers (Chris ’93, and his wife, Kerry), were featured in an article in St. Louis magazine about selecting a school where your student can succeed.
Cole Hanson ’17 is currently attending Naval Officer Candidate School. He will graduate and be commissioned as an Ensign in January 2022 with Navy Flight School to follow. Thanks again to all who joined the Class of 1995 on Saturday, October 16 in Shaw Park for the annual Jack Prebil BBQ. The Class of 1995 saw its largest attendance to date and the event raised $12,725 for the Jack Prebil ’95 Memorial Scholarship and the current fund balance is $76,089!
Under the 4th generation leadership of Jacob (’95) and Seth (’94) Goldkamp, Design Aire Heating & Cooling has been collecting accolades in 2021: • Named St. Louis Magazine’s A List Winner for Heating and Air Conditioning • Received their 6th Post-Dispatch Top Workplaces Award
Thank you, for your support and for helping to keep Jack’s memory alive! Craig Palubiak ’73 was featured in the Wall Street Journal in an article titled, “The Mistakes Small Businesses Made During Covid.” Acclaimed Military Historian John C. McManus ’83, was the featured speaker at the St. Louis County Library Foundation’s Westfall Politics & History Series. Alex Piontek ’20 has been selected by the University of Tampa to study at Oxford University next semester. Alex’s experience will include one-on-one tutoring by their professors in History and Philosophy.
Our Chaminade alumni at the University of Dayton held their own Memorial Mass for Fr. Ralph. Now THAT’S an Esto Vir moment! Steve ’79 and Jack ’11 Schmitt dedicated their climb of Quandary Peak in Colorado in memory of Fr. Ralph. Esto Vir!
Chaminade’s Alumni Board of Directors is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Alumni Awards. Jim Chrismer ’85 – Resident Director and Varsity Track Coach Philip Rone – HS Principal
Fritz Clifford ’75 (Alumnus of the Year) and Fr. Patrick Hyde ’04 (Alumni Humanitarian) received their awards at the First Friday Mass on October 1 on Don Ohlms ’53 Field. They are pictured receiving their respective awards from new Chaminade President, Todd Guidry, Ed.D. Matt Francis ’07 ran the Indianapolis Marathon in 2:54:08 to qualify for the Boston Marathon in April.
Michael Nance ’05 recently graduated from the University of Missouri with his MDPh.D. His Ph.D. was in Microbiology and focused on developing genetic engineering technologies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Michael is completing his radiology residency at Emory University in Atlanta. He is married to Sophia (Meyer) Nance and has two children, Audra and James.
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REMBERING
COACH OHLMS
by David Nolda
November 29, 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the passing of a true Chaminade legend and a shining example of Esto Vir. Donald J. Ohlms came to Chaminade as a freshman in 1949. Over the next four years, he distinguished himself as both an outstanding athlete and a student leader. He played baseball, basketball, and football and served as the captain of the team his senior year. He was elected to several terms as a class officer, was a member of the band, wrote for the Cardinal & White – all while making the honor roll. At graduation, he was named Athlete of the Class and received the Babe Ruth Foundation Sportsmanship Award. After Chaminade, Coach attended Washington University in St. Louis on a football scholarship where he learned the infamous “single wing” formation. After graduating from Washington University, he returned to Chaminade in 1960 as a teacher and varsity football coach. Over the next thirty-five years, Coach Ohlms wore many hats, including Athletic Director, Director of Admissions and coach of the football, track, basketball and swimming teams. As coach of the varsity football team, he compiled a 123-65-5 record and reached the Missouri Class 3A title game in 1972. He also led the Red Devil swimming and diving team to the Missouri state championship in 1984. Based on his coaching efforts, Coach Ohlms was inducted into the Missouri State High School Football Coaches’ Hall of Fame in 1995. That same year, the football field at Chaminade was renamed as the Coach Don Ohlms ‘53 Field in his honor. For all that he meant to the Chaminade Family, the Alumni Board of Directors presented him with the Alumnus of the Year Award in 1999.
To those involved with Chaminade athletics, Ohlms is our Knute Rockne, Bear Bryant, and Nick Saban. However, Coach wasn’t focused solely on athletics. He understood and exemplified the meaning of Chaminade’s motto, “Esto Vir.” Coach was a man of extraordinary intelligence and wisdom, a fierce competitor who was still able to maintain compassion, a very proud man who remained humble, and a man who never sought personal glory but chose to direct the attention to his players. As former Chaminade teacher, coach and Athletic Director, Tom Fiala, said at the time of Coach Ohlms’ passing, “He was a second father to countless Chaminade students and taught them lessons that will serve them well throughout their lives. He never had to tell them the meaning of “ESTO VIR.” He simply showed them each day by the way he lived his life.” Ask any alumnus from 1960-1995, who played for or was taught by Coach Ohlms, and those words will still ring as true for them today as when Fiala said them twenty years ago. Every football team he coached attended Mass before each game, took a knee before the Virgin Mary’s shrine, and said a “Hail Mary” immediately after each game. At his funeral, hundreds of Chaminade graduates took a knee before a shrine of the Virgin Mary and said one more “Hail Mary” -- not to the Queen of Victories, but for the man who had taught them so much both on and off the field. As a fitting tribute to the man who always gave more than 100% and inspired all those with whom he came in contact to do the same, the family and friends of Coach Ohlms established The Donald J. Ohlms “Red Devil” Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship benefits a senior who, like Coach Ohlms, possesses the qualities of fairness, humility, honesty, discipline, teamwork, character, and commitment to Chaminade. Chaminade’s first All-State football player, Gavin Woolley of the Class of 1969, wrote to Mrs. Joyce Ohlms, after Coach’s passing and shared that, “When my Dad passed away many years ago, my Mom was most appreciative that Coach came to the visitation. When talking with Mom about Coach, her comment was “now there was a football coach and all-around good man.” And a good man he was, much more than a coach or teacher, but a good man. Thanks to the Ohlms Family for sharing this special man so that we, too, could have the opportunity to become good men.” Well said, Mr. Woolley. Well said.
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ADVANCEMENT UPDATE Father Ralph Memorial Gifts While the start of our school year was challenging with the loss of Fr. Ralph, we have been so blessed to be together and feel the love and support of our entire Chaminade Family. Your generous support following the death of Fr. Ralph was remarkable. Chaminade has received memorial contributions totaling more than $160,000 from nearly 200 gifts. As a tribute to Fr. Ralph’s Jubilee Celebration of 50 years as a Professed Marianist, the Chaminade Family came together to establish the Vera Siefert Memorial Scholarship in Honor of Rev. Ralph A. Siefert, S.M. It was one of Father Ralph’s goals to have this scholarship fully funded by the time he retired. With that in mind, the decision was made to allocate memorial gifts to this scholarship. We are happy to report that the Vera Siefert Scholarship has been fully funded and will now generate a full tuition scholarship. Vera Siefert was a strong and caring woman who dedicated her life to raising her only child, Ralph. They lived in South St. Louis where Ralph was first exposed to the Catholic faith through a friend and neighbor. As a single parent, Ms. Siefert faced many struggles, financial and otherwise, yet she persevered and remained the supportive and loving pillar in Ralph’s life until her passing in 2005. The criteria for this scholarship was created as a tribute to all that Ms. Siefert did for her son Ralph. This scholarship is awarded to an incoming 7th grader who comes from a single parent family and has financial need. It is renewable as long as the recipient maintains a B average or better, exhibits a variety of interests and makes a positive contribution to the Chaminade School Community. Now that the Vera Siefert Memorial Scholarship has been funded, gifts made in memory of Fr. Ralph are being designated to a newly endowed scholarship established this fall in memory of Fr. Ralph – The Reverend Ralph A. Siefert, S.M. Esto Vir Scholarship. It has received more than $50,000 in contributions making it eligible to be awarded for the first time this spring for the 2022-2023 school year.
Record Year for the Rowdy Red Raffle The superb sales techniques of our students resulted in us surpassing this year’s goal and breaking our previous sales record by over $10,000 with $170,975 in total tickets sales. Thank you to everyone who supported the Rowdy Red Raffle this year by purchasing a ticket. A special shout out to this year’s Rowdy Red Raffle Committee of juniors Nilavan Daniels, Nick Duggan, Peter Fesler, Charlie Hughes, Joe Mura, Max Nottingham, Travis Pryor, Holden Schroyer, and Charlie Travers. Their creativity in determining the revamped incentives and the clarity and thorough explanation of the selling process in their video were key to the record level of sales achieved. We are so grateful to them and proud of their efforts. The money raised from this year’s raffle will provide an update to the campus ministry area and increase internet access in Chaminade Hall and McBride Hall which will address the connectivity challenges in the library, Café Moe and the Atrium.
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ESTO VIR
MENTOR GROUPS THAT EARNED A FREE BREAKFAST
MRS. GALVAN – GRAY MR. BELL – LAMOUROUS MR. MORGAN – MAUCLERC MR. SLATTERY – MEYER MR. HAHN – O’DONNELL
HOUSE WITH HIGHEST % OF PARTICIPATION
265
STUDENTS EARNED A PERSONAL DAY OFF BY SELLING 10+ TICKETS
553
STUDENTS EARNED A DRESS DOWN DAY BY SELLING 6 TICKETS
McBride High School Still Alive After 50 Years of Closing When you are introduced to someone from St. Louis, the first question that is usually asked is ‘what high school did you attend?’ And for more than 50 years, the William Cullen McBride High School graduates had to respond that their school had closed. They no longer had a high school home. In 1983 at their 50th reunion (some 12 years following the school’s closing), the McBride class of 1935 conspired to rekindle the fire; the McBride Alumni Club was the result. The Chaminade community has “adopted” the McBride men, displaying their trophies and banners, hosting their annual Communion Breakfast and Hall of Fame ceremonies, and creating a “Throw-back” night where the Chaminade basketball team wears the McBride colors of orange and green. This fall Chaminade continued the tradition of being home to McBride events as McBride Alive, a Homecoming of sorts, was celebrated on campus. Generations of Micks recalled their shared experience and had the opportunity to talk about those days of long ago over a casual dinner and live music provided by Butch Wax and The Hollywoods. And the 1971 graduates that were at McBride when the doors closed had a chance for a golden reunion. In return for Chaminade’s wonderful hospitality, the McBride Alumni Club has established the McBride Legacy Scholarships Endowment to provide scholarships for the legacies (such as grandsons, great-grandsons, nephews, etc.) of the McBride alumni. To date McBride alumni have contributed over $1.5 million dollars to this endowment. Over the last 12 years, 158 Chaminade students have received annual support from the McBride Legacy Scholarship, and for the 2021-2022 school year there are 60 McBride Legacy Scholars.
Annual Report of Donors – Posted Online While typically included in this issue of the Esto Vir Magazine, the Chaminade 2020-21 Annual Report of Donors (July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021) moved to a digital report posted in September. You can use this link https://resources.finalsite.net/ images/v1632837550/ chaminadestlorg/ n1lucuavhufrwxvctkyl/ ChaminadeAnnualReport20218.pdf to access the report.
Impact all Students with a Gift to the Chaminade Fund A successful Chaminade Fund is critical to our overall financial success and enables us to continue to offer a challenging, transformative Catholic Marianist education. Your gift ensures that we are able to maintain our exceptional level of academic excellence, mentoring and support, faith formation, leadership and service opportunities, and extra-curricular activities that impact each student’s “Esto Vir” journey. A Chaminade Fund gift goes directly into our operations budget and is utilized to support our rigorous academic curriculum, professional development for faculty, all facets of the arts and athletic programs, Global Reach education, grade-level retreats, campus-wide improvements, and the more than 55% of students receiving tuition assistance. The Chaminade Fund is critical to our mission and to our financial success. We hope that you will help lead that effort this year. Your partnership makes it possible for us to offer educational opportunities to all of our students.
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REST IN PEACE
IN MEMORIAM – JULY 8, 2021 through DECEMBER 8, 2021 PAUL ACSAY (MCBRIDE 1973) September 21, 2021 Brother of Peter Acsay (McBride 1970) MARGARET “PEGGY” AMENDOLA October 22, 2021 Grandmother to Curran Coulter ’05, Michael A. Eby ’09 & Robert A. Wolken ’87 ELSA ARBAUGH August 18, 2021 Mother of Dr. Scott J. Arbaugh ’76 YUSUF ABDULAIR BANGURA July 29, 2021 Father of Chaminade faculty member, Alpha Bangura Grandfather of Alpha Bangura II ’24 DIANE LEE GREEN BISHOP November 13, 2021 Mother-in-law of faculty member, Cyndy Bishop GREGORY F. BROWNE, SR. ’50 July 7, 2021 Father of Gregory F. Browne, Jr. ’82 REBEKAH JANE BRYANT November 14, 2021 Stepmother of faculty member, Hannah Bryant Grandmother of James H. Gage ’28
VIRGINIA “GINNY ANN” GERKER October 22, 2021 Wife of the late Edward C. Gerker ’40 Mother of James E. Gerker ’70 & Daniel R. Gerker ’78 Aunt of Stephen E. Gerker ’70, Thomas E. Gerker ’73 & Matthew B. Gerker ’78 Grandparent of Colin J. Gerker ’06 & Jackson D. Gerker ’15 Sister-in-Law of the late Bernard J. Gerker ’42 GREGG W. GREGORY September 23, 2021 Grandfather of Samuel G. Egan ’25 JEFFREY T. HAMILTON ’56 November 9, 2021 Son of the late Louis A. Hamilton (attended 1920-21) Brother of Alan A. Hamilton ’57, William A. Hamilton ’58 & Marc A. Hamilton ’64 FR. GERALD R. HAMMEL, S.M. July 10, 2021 Chaminade faculty 1982-84
DOROTHY G. CONNELL November 18, 2021 Grandmother of Charles G. Hughes ’23
RYAN J. HEMKENS September 20, 2021 Brother of Benjamin P. Hemkens ’05 & Michael D. Hemkens ’07
GAIL ENLOE November 11, 2021 Grandfather of Benjamin M. Enloe ’22 & Nicholas D. Enloe (attended 2017-2020)
DIANA L. HOLLER October 9, 2021 Mother of Eric J. Holler ’91 & Douglas P. Holler ’94
CAROLE BRENNAN FRIERDICH November 7, 2021 Mother of Daniel J. Brennan ’88
HOWARD F. HORNER (MCBRIDE ’42) October 6, 2021 Uncle of Christopher R. Horner ’77 & Robert Horner, Jr., (McBride ’62)
LIAM GAUDREAULT ’19 June 29, 2021
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CAMMY GEGEN September 30, 2021 Mother of Peter G. Gegen ’85, Timothy J. Gegen ’87 & Matthew C. Gegen ’94
ESTO VIR
KATHYANNE E. JOHNSON November 14, 2021 Mother of Nicholas A. Johnson ’18 & Daniel P. Johnson (attended 2010-2014)
WILLIAM “BILL” C. JONES September 7, 2021 Father of Clifford M. Jones ’77 & Charles P. Jones ’79 THOMAS O. KALISH August 23, 2021 Father of Connor T. Kalish ’16 Son-in-Law of former Chaminade faculty member, Robert C. Schmiehausen RAYMOND E. KARCHER September 20, 2021 Father of Chaminade faculty member, Dan Karcher JAMES P. KILLEEN, JR. October 17, 2021 Nephew of Thomas V. Clemens ’72 MARY JO KIRSTERN August 30, 2021 Mother of the late Stephen D. Kirsten ’88 STEPHEN D. KIRSTEN ’88 August 30, 2021 STEVEN J. KOZENY ’02 September 8, 2021 DONNELL R. KUNTZ ’62 August 17, 2021 Brother of the late Edwin C. Kuntz III ’52 & James R. Kuntz ’58 JAMES A. LATTY, PH.D., PE (MCBRIDE ’64) November 25, 2021 DAVID G. MCCADDEN ’69 September 23, 2021 Brother of John E. McCadden III ’67, James R. McCadden ’73 & Michael E. McCadden ’74 Uncle of Michael E. McCadden, Jr. ’04, Patrick J. McCadden ’07 & William H. McCadden ’08 JOHN F. MEERSMAN September 16, 2021 Grandfather of Jonathan D. Huels ’22
MARGARET M. MERSINGER November 16, 2021 Mother of retired Chaminade faculty member, Dolores Perlow DR. RICHARD F. MOERCHEN October 2, 2021 Chaminade faculty 1955-56 & 1957-61 ROBERT W. NOLAN July 22, 2021 Grandfather of Nolan M. Geis ’18, Andrew W. Geis ’24 & William Geis ’25 JAMES W. NORTHENOR ’56 April 15, 2021 DENNIS J. OFFNER ’71 May 23, 2020 Son of the late Lawrence J. Offner, Sr. ’41 Brother of the late Lawrence J. Offner, Jr. ’64 Father of Joseph A. Offner ’04 & Robert P. Offner ’08
MICHAEL L. ROZIER November 15, 2021 Husband of staff member, Susan C. Rozier Father of Samuel C. Rozier ’12 DANIEL J. SCHINDLER ’74 July 6, 2021 Father of Daniel K. Schindler ’06 Brother of John R. Schindler ’73, Paul A. Schindler ’77 & Charles A. Schindler ’78 Brother-in-Law of John K. Miller ’68 SHARON ANNE SCHWEISS August 29, 2021 Mother of Board of Trustee member & Past Fathers19 Club President, Bernard P. Schweiss ’80 & Robert M. Schweiss (Past Fathers’ Club President) Grandmother of Peter B. Schweiss (attended 2004-05), Benjamin E. Schweiss ’12, John P. Schweiss ’12 & Timothy R. Schweiss ’13
LOIS POLING August 7, 2021 Grandmother of Matthew R. Poling ’94
JOHN J. SHEAHAN, SR. ’42 November 16, 2021 Brother of the late Andrew E. Sheahan ’41, the late William T. Sheahan ’49, & the late Timothy D. Sheahan, Sr. ’51 Father of John J. Sheahan, Jr. ’82 & Paul W. Sheahan ’84 Uncle of A. Patrick Sheahan ’69, Timothy D. Sheahan, Jr. (attended 1972) the late R. Michael Sheahan ’74, Martin K. Sheahan ’80 & Peter O. Sheahan ’82 Great Uncle of Christopher H. Sheahan ’09, P. Reilly Sheahan ’17 & Martin O. Sheahan ’19
MARY QUINLIVAN October 1, 2021 Mother of Stephen D. Quinlivan ’79 & Kevin Quinlivan (attended 1975-79)
REV. RALPH A. SIEFERT, S.M. August 20, 2021 Chaminade faculty 1968-69 President 1987-2021
JEAN REEVE July 8, 2021 Mother of Matthew H. Stoner ’93 & Robert P. Stoner ’96
MARIANNE SMITH October 6, 2021 Wife of Thomas C. Smith ’61
PAUL J. PETRUSKA, M.D. September 8, 2021 Father of Paul E. Petruska ’88 Grandfather of Grant P. Petruska ’24 SALVATORE PITTI October 13, 2021 Grandfather of John N. Della Camera ’06 & Steven S. Della Camera ’06 RAYMOND A. POKOSKI (MCBRIDE ’45) October 12, 2021
KEVIN C. ROBSON October 11, 2021 Father of Kevin P. Robson ’04 & Michael A. Robson ’09 Uncle of Andrew P. Robson ’26
THOMAS J. STANTON (MCBRIDE ’45) September 5, 2021 ORA MAE STOKES November 9, 2021 Grandmother of Bradley E. Beal ’11, Bryon E. Beal ’13 & Byron E. Beal ’13 JUDIE STONE November 3, 2021 Wife of P.H. “Bud” Stone ’56 Sister-in-Law of the late James W. Stone ’50 Mother of Scott H. Stone ’83 & Michael W. Stone ’86 WILLIAM S. STRECKFUS, SR. July 14, 2021 Father of William S. Streckfus, Jr. ’80 DR. JAMES A. STUCKMEYER ’72 August 31, 2021 Brother of John C. Stuckmeyer ’67 GEORGE H. TEMPLETON July 13, 2021 Grandfather of JaKobi G. Buchanan ’18 LAWRENCE C. WHITE ’61 September 20, 2021 THOMAS J. WINFREY ’67 November 11, 2021 Brother of the late James A. Winfrey ’63, Michael C. Winfrey ’69, William F. Winfrey ’73 & Stephen E. Winfrey ’74
KATHRYN S. SOMMER February 20, 2021 Wife of Francis “Bud” J. Sommer ’59 Mother of Timothy F. Sommer ’93 Sister-in-Law of Gerald G. Sommer ’52 & William F. Sommer ’54
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