Around De La Salle

De La Salle ranks among nation’s top STEM schools

De La Salle Collegiate has been named one of the nation’s best schools for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, according to Newsweek magazine. “What an incredible honor,” De La Salle Principal Nathan Maus said. “The credit goes 100 percent to our students who work very hard in their studies and who strive to do their best. The credit for this achievement also goes to our teachers who are determined to help students develop their love of learning, challenge them to achieve more and sup port them along the way and to our students who work hard and strive to do their best every day.” De La Salle was among the top 13 percent of the nation’s public and private high schools – and ranked second in Macomb County – to be honored as a 2020 Best STEM school. Five De La Salle Collegiate students competed in the sec ond part of the Michigan Mathematics Prize Competition in December. Their scores in the first portion - a 40-ques tion, multiple-choice exam - taken earlier this fall, ranked among the top 1,000 students in Michigan. The second part was a five-proof exam; both exams were given at De La Salle. The students included senior Derrelle Murray, juniors Michael Wisnieswki and Suheum Hao, sophomore Minseok Bae, and senior Tristan Lago, who competed in Part 2 in 2018. De La Salle’s Math Department chair Joe Novak said 50 students took the first part of the competition, which is voluntary and open to all students. The top 100 students in the second part of the MMPC Newsweek partners with STEM.org to rank the nation’s top STEM schools. The schools were ranked based on data collected from 2015-19. The research determined which schools provided the best STEM experience for students while positioning them for post-secondary study. “Second overall in the county, that’s an amazing achievement by our students,” Maus added. “It shows their devotion to their studies and extremely hard work, and that our teachers are really pushing hard for the students to achieve their best.” The top-ranked school in the country was the School of Science and Engineering in Dallas, Texas. The top Michigan school was Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills (No. 9 overall). The top Michigan public school rank

Five write exam for potential scholarship

ing was Frankenmuth High School (No. 114). are invited to an awards banquet, and the top 50 receive a scholarship ranging from $250 to $2500. De La Salle has had students place in the top 100. Novak says the challenge of the test is good for students. “Students may see math they haven’t seen before,” he said, “and sometimes they don’t know their full potential until pushed.” Novak also notes that Bae, who also took the first part last year, did so well that the Math Department moved him to the Advanced Placement Calculus AB class; Bae did well on the May 2019 exam, and this year, is enrolled in AP Calculus BC. For more information on the MMPC, check this link https://www.nmu.edu/mathandcomputerscience/ mi-mathematics-prize-competition

Freshman earns photo award

De La Salle Collegiate freshman Roland Hernandez has been named a 2020 Michigan Thumb Scholastic Art Awards winner in photography. Hernandez came to De La Salle as a Michigan Art Education Association-sponsored, Michigan Middle School Top 100 art winner. He received the Silver Key Award from Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program, which is the longest-running recognition program for creative young people in the country. Hernandez was recognized for this photo of the Mackinac Bridge that he took with his iPhone. Scholastics Art & Writing is a national art competition for students in grades 7 through 12. The Scholastic Awards look for work that demonstrates originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. The Awards were launched in 1923 by Scholastic, Inc. – the global chil dren’s publishing and media company – to encourage, foster and reward creativity in American classrooms. Each year, students who excel in the visual arts and creative writing have the chance to earn recognition, get their work exhibited or published and to earn scholarships. Hernandez, who attended St. Mary’s Royal Oak, received his Silver Key certificate on Feb. 3 at the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts. His photograph is on display during the Michigan Thumb Region Show at the Lorenzo Cultural Center on Garfield in Clinton Township, Feb. 3-12.

Roland Hernandez

Roland’s winning picture of the Mackinac Bridge, taken with his iPhone.

Chapel receives a stained-glass makeover

De La Salle Collegiate has a stunning new addition to its already beautiful chapel. Thanks to a generous dona tion from Mrs. Irene Wojcik, the 84-seat chapel will shine even brighter with the instal lation of a new stained-glass window in February. “It was my idea to do a win dow and it made sense to do one of Saint John Baptist de La Salle,” said Joe Gerardi, De La Salle’s vice president of mission and ministry. “I got in contact with the archdiocese to find out who to go to.” Gerardi was directed to Brighton-based Thompson Art Glass, which worked furiously to finish this month. The stained glass, which measures nearly 97 square feet, is a welcomed addition that replaces the plain tempered glass and vertical blinds behind the altar. “They’re a fourth-generation company and they do, and have done, both new and all kinds of restoration projects for the Archdiocese of Detroit, as well as all other kinds of places,” Gerardi said. “Sounds like their bread and but ter has been doing a lot of work for the archdiocese.” “Thompson Glass asked for examples of Lasallian art,” Gerardi said. “So I basically gave them a bunch of stuff, features of Lasallian art. They don’t know anything of who Saint John Baptist de La Salle is, so we gave them various images that are out there of him and the symbols that are used with him.” From the time of the idea’s conception, the project took approximately 18 months to finish.

In December, Gerardi – along with Brother Ken Kalinowski and De La Salle art teacher John Hicks – visited Thompson’s art studios to get a peek at the project’s progress. Gerardi said it’s amazing to watch the artists work with so many different colors. “There are at least a few dozen colors that are being used,” he said. “It’s all different shades. It’s a process with only two panels at the top that has the darkest of dark blues. Then it’s like layers of different blues. At the bot tom, all of the browns and the grays are all choices. “What they wanted to do with us was give us a range. What’s the darkest you want to go and what’s the lightest you want to go? For instance, the rabat – which is the white piece worn by the Christian Brothers – that’s actually going to be a clear glass that they’ll paint on. The black of the habit, the glass for all of that will all be gray. Then there will be some staining of that glass in some black so there are some stria tions so you’ll see the folds.” As for Mrs. Wojcik’s involvement, Director of Alumni Relations Dennis Koch learned of her plans to make a dona tion to the school and thought the stained-glass project was a perfect fit. Mrs. Wojcik’s son, Mark, is a 1969 alumnus. “Dennis knew that Mark’s mom was interested in making a donation to the school in some fashion or another,” Gerardi said. “Then Dennis put her in touch with me knowing that this project was out there as a possibility. She loved the idea and we will be doing a dedication to her late husband (Joe) and family.” A dedication ceremony is planned for March 10 with Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Robert Fisher giving a blessing.

Stock Market Club students compete in virtual game

Senior Noah Cole just made $112,913 - virtually - in an online simulation game that engages students in the world of global capital markets. https://www. marketwatch.com/game Although the money isn’t real, the competition is. Students start with $100,000, and over a two month period try to increase their portfolio value as much as they can. “I really had so much fun taking part in the stock market challenge,” Cole said. “I feel I learned a lot about the value of a good investment and the risk that comes with the stock market.” Senior Andrew Rusu took second; seniors Justin Desmet and Brendan Pochmara, and junior Andrew Fergan were finalists. “What a great opportunity to expose yourself to the stock market,” Christine Quitter, the DLS liaison to the Christian Financial Credit Union, said. “The more practice you have with finance simulation, the better off you will be down the road. Great job Pilots!“ To date, the annual Virtual Stock Market Game has prepared 17 million students for financially independent futures. The De La Salle Stock Market Club meets twice a month. The moderator is Dennis Koch, director of alumni relations, and a former business teacher at DLS.