Maroon and Gold Alumni Newsletter - Summer 2018

Tour I taly 2019

with the 65th HS Graduating Class and Perillo Tours!

Skip the crowds of summer and join us April 26th - May 6th as we tour sunny Italy for 10 days from Naples to Rome to Florence and lastly to Venice with exciting stops in between.

Join us as we walk in the steps of St. Benedict with special visits to Nursia and Monte Cassino.

We’re going back for one last time to Italy with our HS seniors and we would love to have you join us!

Journey to the Borderlands ST. BENEDICT HIGH SCHOOL AGORA 2018

HIGH SCHOOL ITALY TRIP 2014

MEMORIAL MASS OF REMEMBRANCE

Please join us for our annual Memorial Mass of Remembrance for all deceased students and faculty of St. Benedict High School on

Sunday, November 4th at 12 Noon at St. Benedict Church.

Refreshments and tours of the school following the liturgy.

QUESTIONS? Contact Mr. Joe Accardi, Director of Alumni Relations at jaccardi@stbenedict.com or 773-509-3832.

ST. BENEDICT PARISH AND PREPARATORY SCHOOL Our Passion is the Best Possible You

AT THE BORDER BETWEEN MEXIC0 AND THE UNITED STATES

COVER STORY: The journey to the Borderlands was headed by our campus minister, Mr. Dan Masterton. Along with Social Studies teacher, Ms. Maggie Deady, 11 High School students went to see first-hand what is occurring at our southern border in Arizona. They stayed at Casa Saeta in Nogales with the help of the Kino Border Initiative, a Jesuit led organization which provides humanitarian assistance to migrants. Below are edited excerpts from the student blog. For more pictures and the full blog visit: http://bensborderlands.blogspot.com/

of the Border Patrol Station with Agent Lenny Queriapa.

Agent Queriapa explained the structure, logistics, and work of Border Patrol and showed us around a few parts of the station. Finally, we hosted Bob Feinman of Humane Borders, who taught us about his organization’s work to cooperate with government agencies in mapping fatalities and placing regularly serviced and refilled water stations to prevent those in transit from dying. We ended our night with a family pasta dinner and some thought-provoking reflection on a full day of learning.

Day 1: At the Border - Our first up close encounter with

Day 3: We crossed into Mexico to visit the ministries of the

the situation at the border occurred with a visit to the trial proceedings of Operation Streamline, a fast-paced, controversial sentencing system for those detained for illegal entry. Laura Martinez, of Tucson Samaritans, another humanitarian relief organization in the southern Arizona desert, made this possible for us. We came to a better understanding after our time in the courtroom through a long, spontaneous discussion with Judge Bernie Velasco, who spoke candidly to us about our justice and political systems.

Kino Border Initiative (KBI). Splitting into two groups, we crossed at the Mariposa pedestrian entrance into Mexico and walked to KBI’s “comedor”, (Spanish for dining room) a center where KBI provides meals as well as offering first aid, social work and advocacy, and more for recently deported people and those in transit. After assisting with the meal service and talking to some of the visitors, we went to a

Day 2: This morning, we headed north to Green Valley, where we met Shura Wallin of the Green Valley Samaritans.

Shura collects discarded artifacts from the desert and uses them to educate others on the realities of desert travel; after her discussion with us, she guided us on an hour-long desert walk, where we encountered more items left behind.

Next, we returned to Nogales for a presentation and tour

SHURA EXPLAINS THE EFFORTS OF THE GREEN VALLEY SAMARITANS

Congratulations to the HS Class of 2018!

temporary home for unacccompanied women and children.

We met with residents and heard their transit stories. When everyone was back home, we enjoyed taco night. Then, we had another great discussion where everyone shared their impressions of Mexico and passed along the stories they heard from migrants we encountered during our time across the border.

Our seniors are ready to take on the world having been accepted to the following colleges and universities who have offered them over $2.7 million dollars in academic merit-based scholarships.

Day 4: Our last hurrah in Nogales: We visited Lourdes Catholic School, a PreK-12 school where many of the students are Mexican citizens and cross the border each day for school. We attended their all-school Mass for the Easter Season and joined in with their blessing over their senior class. After Mass, we had lunch and talked with some juniors and seniors. Many of these students work with Kino Border Initiative as part of the Kino Teens program.

They then invited us to their games assembly, where Jose and Elia joined some seniors in competing for their class.

To celebrate our last night together here at Casa Saeta in Nogales, we played another big group game together.

The chance to all be together under the same roof, to pray together, cook together, and eat together, to gather for discussion in the comfort of a home, has been a huge blessing for our experience.

Institute of Culinary Eduation EST. 1975

LAKE FOREST COLLEGE

We have bonded and shared well together. We had a great week of learning with so many hospitable, knowledgeable, selfless people. We pray that their advocacy and accompaniment of people in transit will continue to improve the situation for all involved at the U.S. / Mexico border.

THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO

THANK YOU’S AND GOODBYE’S CONGRATULATIONS TO MRS. JEAN BAHR HYBINETTE ‘72 on her 40 years of service as an educator and mentor in our High School. Jean will continue to be chair of the business/technology department for the 2018-19 school year. She is currently working on a committee this summer that is planning the renovation of Rm. 222 into a Creative Media Lab.

THANK YOU AND FAREWELL TO DR. ERIKA MICKELBURGH, who after 8 years as HS principal will be moving on to be the principal of St. Paul of the Cross in Park Ridge.

She worked diligently to increase the rigor of all high school courses. As a result, our high school seniors over the past seven years have earned even more respectable college acceptances as well as merit based scholarship well into the millions each year. Additionally, under Dr. Mickelburgh’s leadership, two distinct SBPS programs were created: our Agora Program (immersion-learning and travel) and our House Program (school culture and community building).

We are grateful for her service to this community.

THANK YOU AND FAREWELL AS WELL TO MS. SUZANNE STONE who for 7 years has led the Protégé Internship Program here at St. Benedict. This distinct program has placed seniors each year in all fields to experience first hand what this career choice is all about. Many recent alumni are now working in fields that they first experienced thanks to Ms. Stone.

Thank You&and Congratulations HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR

Opening of the Senior Class Lounge

Walk out Wednesday National Honor Society Senior to protest gun violence Acknowledgement at Honors Night

Junior Ring Mass

Blessing of Kairos crosses upon return from LaSalle Manor

Mrs. Hybinette ‘72 joins in the fun at Prom on the Odyssey

Man of the Year Jimmy Tran, heading to Northern this fall.

Jeanette Heiner ‘54 presents the Alumni Association Awards to lifer Dominique Ghuneim and Jimmy Tran.

Congratulations to the 64th graduating senior class!