MUHS MAGAZINE Vol. 59 Winter/Spring 2015
Companions on the Journey Ellen Story Johnston, Gordon Henke Creative Collaboration: Ann Downey, Joe Cavanaugh ’95, Joe Meyer, John Azpell ’96, Terry Kelly and Luke Meuler ’97
For Alumni, Parents, Students and Friends of Marquette University High School
Daily Bread By Rev. Frank Majka, SJ
We ask God for our daily bread every time we say the Lord’s Prayer. It’s what Christ told us to do and what he expects. But what are we really asking for? Clearly, we’re not asking God for something trivial or something we can obtain by our own efforts. On the contrary, we are asking for something important and for which we don’t have the power to get for ourselves. The notion of our “daily bread” certainly points us to the example of God’s giving “daily bread” (called “manna”) to the tribes of Israel when they were wandering through the desert on their pilgrimage from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land. They were told to gather the manna each day, but only enough for that day. Any more than that would spoil by the next morning. The only exception was that, on the day before the Sabbath, they could gather two days’ supply. Similarly, in the Lord’s Prayer we ask that God give us the food (the “bread”) that will make us strong for our daily journey through this world. We are praying for the daily help and grace we need. It’s a prayer by and for us as individuals and as the whole Christian community. And, like God gave the manna, God will give what we need for each day. And, though not specifically stated in the Old Testament, it makes sense that if some were unable to gather the manna themselves because of age or another reason, there would be enough for them, too, provided that those who did gather it would share what they had gathered. That’s why we’re told not to pray, “Give me my daily bread,” but “Give us our daily bread.” We’re asking for what we need to feed and strengthen ourselves for the journey, but also that others, through our willingness to share, will receive the daily bread they need. Finally, when we ask for the nourishment that comes from God, we are also saying that we will accept how God gives it. We don’t tell him in what form our daily bread must come, if it should be soft or hard, tasty or plain. We pray only that it truly nourish us as we make our journey through life. And we can depend that God will, in his turn, answer our prayer and unfailingly send us each day exactly the bread we need.
Rev. Frank Majka, SJ, is alumni chaplain at Marquette University High School. He also has a spiritual blog, “The Bridge” at www.frankmajka.com.
Companions on the journey Dear MUHS Friends, On my first day as president, I walked into my office and noticed a bookshelf full of books. As I perused the different titles, I pulled from the collection an aged blue hardcover entitled Père Marquette. Author Agnes Repplier beautifully details our school’s namesake’s inspirational life and his explorations, which forged a path for future missionaries to proclaim the Good News. And, she shares stories of the Native Americans and French Canadian explorer Louis Jolliet, who generously served as Father Marquette’s companions on his journey in the New World. If you would like to learn more about Père Jacques Marquette, SJ, I highly recommend this read. Just as our namesake, Marquette University High School has had many important companions throughout its rich 150-plus-year history. From the founding Jesuits and the talented dedicated teachers, both Jesuit and lay, to sacrificing parents and supportive alumni—all have played a key role in our community to advance the Marquette High mission, forming faith-based leaders for tomorrow. I invite you to learn about a couple of Marquette High companions from years past. Thanks to Ellen Story Johnston, her leadership gift funded the construction of the 1925 building at 3401 W. Wisconsin Ave. Alumni parent Gordon Henke, whose donation funded the 1994 building addition, helped provide MUHS with a new front door, along with desperately needed technology updates, classrooms and offices. Without these two individuals, MUHS would not be in the position of strength we enjoy today. This issue also features six teachers, Ann Downey, Joe Cavanaugh ’95, Joe Meyer, John Azpell ’96, Luke Meuler ’97 and Terry Kelly, and highlights how they are collaborating to provide an exceptional educational experience for our students. Their stories underscore their continuous pursuit of instructional excellence and the importance of educator collaboration in the 21st-century classroom. Finally, I am excited to share plans for a capital expansion at MUHS that begins in May. Through our Companions on the Journey fundraising effort, we secured the necessary funds to expand the Gordon Henke Center, relocate and renovate the Campus Ministry Center, and add two academic floors to the 2008 addition.
This building project will provide flexible and collaborative spaces necessary for project-based learning, STEM and advanced course offerings and new technologies—all critical to stay competitive in today’s educational market and prepare our students for life after MUHS. This endeavor, along with dollars raised for the MUHS financial aid scholarship endowment, supports the school’s strategic plan. We are all companions on this MUHS journey, blazing a path of academic excellence in the Catholic, Jesuit tradition for future generations. I feel fortunate to be here at MUHS, doing God’s work of forming men for others. I am even more grateful to have your involvement and support. Thank you for all you do to be a Marquette High companion. Yours in Christ,
Rev. Warren Sazama, SJ ’64 President
Contents
14 MUHS NEWS
4
News briefs SPORTS
21
8
Volleyball rallies to defend state title
10
Sweet redemption for soccer
12
Steve Lawrence ’99 Developing the whole person
14
Cross Country places eighth at state meet
16
Football makes final four run FEATURES
35
18
Twenty years of Somos Amigos
21
Companions on the Journey
22
Ellen Story Johnston
28
Gordon Henke
35
Creative collaboration Ann Downey, Joe Cavanaugh ’95, Joe Meyer, John Azpell ’96, Terry Kelly and Luke Meuler ’97
42
Building for a 21st century college-prep curriculum ALUMNI UPDATE
42
46
Class notes
50
Milestones THEN AND NOW
52
Sha Na No The faculty rocks
Editor
Contributing Writers
Photography
MUHS Magazine is pub-
Julie Felser
Cole Brown ’15
Peter Beck
lished twice a year for and
Tim Goblirsch ’15
Phil Horter ‘82
you and welcome your com-
Design
Jacob Heinen ’15
Jonathan Irias ‘17
ments and suggestions. Please
Cover: Rev. Albert C. Fox, SJ, president of Marquette University, breaks ground on the Ellen Story Johnston Memorial High School (Marquette University High School) on July 17, 1924.
Jena Sher
Mike Kiesling ‘18
John Thimmesch ‘77
send your feedback to the
Photo provided by MUHS Archives.
Frank Majka, SJ
MUHS Archives
editor at felser@muhs.edu
Printing
Jeff Monday ’84
Marquette University
or MUHS, 3401 W. Wisconsin
The Fox Company
Jake Murray ’10
VIP Photography
Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208.
Opposite (left to right): Betsy Dziadulewicz, Fares Hasan ’15, John Drea ’16, Jon Irias ’17 and Leo Ehrlich ’16 performing in the Prep Players’ winter performance, The Castle by Franz Kafka. Photo by VIP
JoAnn Cekanor
Evan Bloch ‘15
about the Marquette High
Editing Assistance
Isaac Conlon ’17
Stephen J. Carrera/
community. As always, we
Kristen Scheuing
Thomas Fleischmann ’18
Jon Parsons Warren Sazama, SJ ’64
Northwestern Athletics
appreciate hearing from
Photography.
MUHS NEWS
Policy Debate team takes state
Group attends Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice
The varsity policy debate team of Thomas Van Bibber ’15 and Jonathan Resch ’16 won the Wisconsin State Debate Tournament. The team had an impressive 5–1 record in the preliminary rounds with its only loss against Appleton East, who MUHS would eventually defeat in the finals. Seeded third in the competition, Van Bibber and Resch advanced to the semifinals where they handily defeated the squad from Rufus King High School. After its semifinal victory on a 3–0 decision, the team advanced to the finals to debate the Appleton East team, favored by many to win the tournament. The duo beat Appleton East on a quick, 4–1 decision to take the state championship. “It was a great way to conclude the in-state season for Thomas who has been an incredible leader for the team over the last few years,” says Matthew Cekanor ’12, MUHS assistant director of debate. “It was also amazing to see Jonathan win a state tournament in the policy debate category the first year after switching from the public forum category.” Patrick Butler ’15 and Ross Johnson ’17 competed in the varsity public forum division. Although their record of 3–3 was not enough to advance into the elimination rounds, “they had a solid showing at the tournament,” Cekanor says. The team also brought two Lincoln Douglas division debaters. With a 4–2 record, Harry Lucas ’17 advanced through the quarterfinals. Gavin Paap ’18 competed in his first varsity state championship tournament and finished with a 2–4 record. Cekanor says, “It was great to see the Lincoln Douglas program which was just restarted at MUHS this year, be able to make it to the elimination rounds.” Overall, Cekanor, who won the policy debate state championship in 2012, says he was honored to be a part of the team’s successful weekend at state. “It was incredibly humbling and amazing to be able to coach them.”
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(Left to right) Jeider Gonzalez ’15, Michael Vazquez ’17, Saul Lopez ’15, Evan Bloch ’15, Nick Egelhoff ’15, Francisco Manzano ’15 and Armando Ramirez ’16 visit Washington, D.C., to attend the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice.
In November, MUHS faculty members Rev. Tom Manahan, SJ, Dan Miller and Matt Waldoch ’10, traveled to Washington, D.C., with Jeider Gonzalez ’15, Michael Vazquez ’17, Saul Lopez ’15, Armando Ramirez ’16, Evan Bloch ’15, Nick Egelhoff ’15 and Francisco Manzano ’15 to attend the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, an annual gathering for members of Jesuit institutions and the larger Church to come together in the context of social justice and solidarity to learn, reflect, pray, network and advocate together. More than 1,600 individuals representing 95 Catholic institutions attended this year’s Teach-In, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the murders of six Jesuit priests, killed in El Salvador in November 1989 by Salvadoran military for their defense of the economically poor. While at the three-day conference, students attended keynote addresses, small-group workshops, networking sessions, advocacy training and Mass. The MUHS group, along with other Teach-In participants, met with U.S. Congressional lawmakers and staffers, urging Congress to pass human comprehensive immigration reform, support human rights-oriented policies in Central America, and respond to the negative impact of climate change on the poor across the world.
Former Vatican Observatory CyberPatriot team finishes director visits MUHS fourth in Midwest Tim Goblirsch ’15
Jacob Heinen ‘15
Astronomer Rev. George Coyne, SJ, came to Marquette High in October to talk to students about the relationship between science and religion. He was visiting Milwaukee to give a presentation at Marquette University as a part of a series of physics lectures. Among his many professional accomplishments and extensive published works in scholarly journals, Coyne served as director of the Vatican Observatory where he led a team of Jesuit astronomers in conducting cutting-edge astronomical research and in developing net telescopes and other instrumentation for studying the cosmos.
The MUHS CyberPatriot team, consisting of Evan Tobin ’15, Andrew Cayen ’15, Kevin Mikolajczak ’15 and Blake Ziolkowski ’16, placed first in Wisconsin with the group outperforming two teams from Madison Memorial for the top spot. The team then advanced to the regional round, where it placed fourth in the Midwest. In the competition, teams of two to six students must work to find and resolve cyber security issues in simulated environments over the course of six hours.
His presentation at MUHS focused on how the exploration of the universe corresponded to God and faith, as well as how Catholics can relate science and religion. “Science is a prayer. We explore the scientific universe, which was created by God and is a way to know God,” Coyne says. Coyne went on to discuss how science blends with theology. “The universe is a sign, it is a way to know God.” Coyne currently works at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., where he serves as the McDevitt Chair of Religious Philosophy. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a licentiate in philosophy at Fordham University, and a doctorate in astronomy at Georgetown University.
Of the 265 teams across the nation that participated in the regional round, the MUHS team ranked 60th. When asked what he thought about their success, team member Mikolajczak responded that the team was “amazed” by their results. “We spent six hours over a span of three rounds in which we improved every time. It’s great to find out we got first in state and ranked first in the Midwest at one point.” Established by the Air Force Association, the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program was created to expose students to the topic of cyber security and promote interest in this and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. The MUHS CyberPatriot team, originating from a Cyber Forensics club formed three years ago, was initiated by Tobin last year. The club is currently moderated by Chris Reis, teacher of math and AP Computer Science.
Astronmer Rev. George Coyne, SJ speaks to MUHS students about the relationship between science and religion.
www.MUHS.edu 5
MUHS NEWS
Hilltopper highlights news Jacob Heinen ’15
Faculty members Jean Morrell and Cynthia Blaze participated in the Ignatian Pilgrimage for Educators in Spain and Italy last summer with educators from other Midwestern Jesuit schools. The trip allowed them to experience more deeply the life of St. Ignatius of Loyola and the mission of Jesuit schools. Additionally, Morrell, who holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University, earned her master’s degree in education leadership from Cardinal Stritch University in August. Counselor Tom Ernest taught Introduction to School Counseling at UW–Milwaukee last fall. The graduate-level course provides an overview of the school counseling profession and the role of the school counselor in the 21st century, covering topics about the comprehensive developmental school counseling model, counseling individuals and groups, multicultural competence and ethical and legal issues. Teacher and diversity director David Cooks ’82 was the keynote speaker at the annual convention of the Wisconsin Education Association of Student Support Programs on Dec. 12. He spoke to educators about the economic disadvantage in Wisconsin schools. Director of instruction Megan Doering is an appointee of the Wisconsin Professional Standards Council, serving as a representative of the Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools. Tony Evers, state superintendent of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, and the Wisconsin State Senate approved her appointment. Doering earned her master’s degree in education from Alverno College in May. Kristen Leffelman joined MUHS as a part-time archivist. She also works three days a week for the Library-Archives division of the Wisconsin Historical Society as its field services representative at the Milwaukee-based Water Council. Previously, she worked as a research associate for the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and as an archives technician at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. She earned her bachelor’s degree in history from UW–Madison and her master’s degree in museum studies from San Francisco State University.
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The MUHS speech and debate program earned significant recognition from the National Speech and Debate Association. The program, headed by Amy Geyser, achieved more than 100 degrees last year, ranking among the top 10 percent of schools nationwide and earning membership in the Association’s prestigious 100 Club. Casey Kowalewski ’98, dean of students, earned his master’s degree in educational leadership from Cardinal Stritch University in May. German teacher Ryan Grusenski and nine MUHS students (Owen Sinsky ’15, Niko Sjorgren ’15, Alex Martinez ’15, Matt Gottsacker ’15, Brennan McGinn ’15, Dennis Ortega ’15, Danny Storts ’16, Max Prospero ’15 and Charlie Elliot ’15) hosted French students and teacher Gervaise LeCoz-Janvier and from Lycée St. Jeans, a high school in Limoges, France. The visitors spent five days attending classes at Marquette High and participating in activities with their host families. Math teacher Joe Griesbach ’75 and the Math Club hosted and participated its annual Marquette Fall Math Meet in September. About 250 students attended, with 100 competing on the “beta” level (geometry or a higher level math course). Tyler Nettesheim ’15 and Zach Sekaran ’18 received medals, taking second and eighth place respectively. Nettesheim also scored 116 out of 120 on the Mathematical Association of America Exam. In November, Nettesheim, Sekaran, John Heffernan ’15, Connor Bachman ’15, Kieran Fendt ’15, Ben Malewicki ’15, Brent Carter ’15 and Chris Povinelli ’16 finished third out of 28 teams at the MSOE Math Competition. In the individual rankings, Sekaran tied for first with a perfect score, Heffernan tied for 20th, and both Carter and Bachman tied for 23rd. In October, students taking ceramics classes donated 50 bowls to a fundraiser for Milwaukee Empty Bowls, a nonprofit, volunteer organization that uses art to increase hunger awareness and raises money to support meal programs and food pantries throughout Milwaukee. The Father’s Club organized a Marquette High team to participate in the Walk for Catholic Education on October 25.
Colin Mitchell, Nicholas Reit, Nicholas Rizzo, Peter Schelble, Isaac Schickert, Joseph Tsuji and Michael von Estorff. Seven students received the recognition of Commended Students: Charles Elliott, Kieran Fendt, Timothy Goblirsch, John Heffernan, Jacob Heinen, Nicholas Rokosz and Thomas Van Bibber. MUHS students collected more than $2,000 during the allschool Thanksgiving Mass to help support the Key Club Christmas Basket project, the Cheyenne River Indian Youth Project and the Kino Border Initiative program.
Jacob Heinen ’15 portrayed MUHS teacher Randy Skowronski in Follies Night Live.
The Class of 2018 is the largest freshman class in MUHS history with 305 members. The record-setting class is attributed to a lower than normal attrition rate of acceptances.
Photo by VIP Photography.
Directed by faculty member Chris Lese ’92, this year’s Senior Follies production Follies Night Live spoofed the MUHS faculty and administrators using the Saturday Night Live show format. The robotics team, Team 1732, hosted the FIRST Lego League tournament at MUHS in November. With more than 1,000 gradeschool students and volunteers partaking in the event, it was the largest FLL tournament in the state. Moderated by Paul Fleisch ’94, Team 1732 is the largest in its history, comprising 99 students from MUHS and DSHA.
Seven students received National Scholastic Art awards for their artwork. Gavin Hock ’17 received a Silver Key in the category of drawing and Michael Thompson ’15 earned a Silver Key in ceramics. The following students received Honorable Mention: Souleymane Drame ’18, Nick Bevington ’16 and Jack Davis ’17 in the category of drawing; Henry Bauer ’15 in painting; and Nik Roels ’15 in ceramics. Artist Mary Pimmel-Freeman, who is known for her portraits of the six Jesuits and two women who were murdered at the University of Central America, came to MUHS to talk with students about her artistic technique and the process of creating her work.
The Key Club, with the help of the MUHS school community, Mothers Guild and Alumni Mothers Guild, completed its annual Christmas Basket Food Drive. Students and faculty delivered boxes filled with donated food and gifts to approximately 150 families in the Milwaukee area. In November, Christopher R. Foley ’71 and attorney Kathleen Stilling spoke at the annual Junior Parent Wellness Evening, discussing the legal ramifications of underage drug and alcohol use, the risks of technology and social media, and the legal consequences of underage sexual activity. The following seniors have been recognized as National Merit Semifinalists, Henry Bauer, Matthew Gottsacker, Bryan Kasten,
Rev. Tom Manahan, SJ, celebrated Marquette High’s MLK Mass, which kicked off the school’s Multicultural Week festivities. Photo by VIP Photography.
www.MUHS.edu 7
SPORTS
Volleyball rallies to defend state title Mike Kiesling ’18
After an impressive 24–4 regular season record, the Marquette High volleyball team entered the postseason with high hopes of defending its state title from a year ago. The Hilltoppers sailed through sectionals with two three-game sweeps against Shorewood and Greenfield. Brookfield East, who had been generally regarded as Marquette High’s stiffest competition coming into the tournament, lost to a red-hot Tosa East team in post-season play. This sectional upset cleared the way for Marquette High to grab the No. 1 tournament seed and set the stage for a matchup with the Tosa East Red Raiders in the quarterfinals. Although the Raiders had a losing record, the team played strong and took game one with a score of 22–25. After the first-game loss, Marquette High bounced back, led by Drew Reilly ’15 and Stephen Roenitz ’16, and took the next three games 25–19, 25–18, 25–22. Marquette dominated the stat line: Roenitz finished with a gamehigh 19 kills, Donald Foley ’15 added 57 assists and Jonathan Duffy ’15 set another game-high with his 14 digs.
“[Tosa East] made us realize that every team at state was good and anyone could compete with us. We had to be ready,” Roenitz says. After the victory against Tosa East, the Hilltoppers swept Burlington High School and advanced to the championship game against New Berlin United. After rushing to early leads in the first two sets, the Lions put the Hilltoppers in a major hole in the best-of-five series. MUHS found itself down 0–2 losing the first set 21–25 and the second set 16–25.
The key to MUHS’ success could be seen in the adjustments made by coach Sullivan. “After the second game we put Stephen [Roenitz] and Drew [Reilly] in at outside,” Foley says. “Our serve receive really picked up, making it easier for us to run the middle and that opened up our hitters so everyone was so much more effective.” After winning the third game, the Hilltoppers needed to regain momentum once again in game four. Finding themselves in a 14–17 hole, Marquette tied it back up at 20–20. Winning the next three points, they were able to finish off the job, with another 25–22 win. The victory evened the match at 2–2, leaving everything on the line in the crucial fifth game. “Most of it was adrenaline. I did my best to drown out the chants of the opposing crowd and just focus on my game,” Roenitz says. Marquette jumped out to a quick 5–1 lead, but the Lions battled back and the score was tied 13–13 when Jake von Rueden ’15 entered the game and served the last two points of the season. With one point needed, von Rueden recorded a dig and Reilly finished the championship season with a final kill off New Berlin’s outside block. The victory gave MUHS its eighth WIAA championship in 13 tournament appearances and its first back-to-back championships since accomplishing the feat in 2007 and 2008. As Roenitz put it, “It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. We worked so hard all season and managed to win. It was a great team effort and it meant the world to everyone on the team.”
Head coach Eric Sullivan attributed New Berlin’s fast start to strong players. “New Berlin United serves very well and they have good blockers on the outsides. They frustrated us in games one and two and the first half of game three,” Sullivan says. “We settled down and were able to grab momentum in each of the games thereafter.”
Opposite: Eaven Mason ’15 racks up one of his 14 kills during the WIAA State Championship game against New Berlin and led the Hilltoppers to their eighth title since 2002. Photo by VIP Photography.
www.MUHS.edu 9
SPORTS
Sweet redemption for soccer Cole Brown ’15
The feeling of redemption filled Uihlein Soccer Park on Nov. 1 as the Marquette High soccer team triumphantly lifted the gold ball after defeating Menomonee Falls 4–1 in the WIAA state championship game. It was a return to glory for the Hilltoppers, who last season failed to make the state tournament for the first time since joining the WIAA in 2000. The Hilltoppers got off to a quick start in the championship game with Nick Leas ’15 hitting forward Ted Bieser ’15 in the second minute to give Marquette High an early 1–0 lead. Bieser would strike again at 26’ to extend the lead to 2–0. Menomonee Falls was not shaken by Marquette’s fast start, responding two minutes later with a goal of its own. Marquette had no trouble suppressing the Falls’ comeback effort as Michael Russell ’16 connected on a long strike from outside the box in the 28th minute to give the Hilltoppers a 3–1 lead. Forward Alec Philippe ’16 sealed the victory for Marquette at 58’, scoring the Hilltoppers fourth and final goal. The state championship capped off a dominant postseason for the Hilltoppers, who outscored their five playoff opponents by a combined 44–4. The win marked the soccer program’s fourth WIAA state championship in the last five years and its 10th overall. “We talked at the beginning of the year about being everyday soccer players and that characteristic truly stands out for this team. Every day they came, they worked hard and put in 100 percent, whether it was practice or a game,” head coach Steve Lawrence ’99 says. “They got better each game and by playoff time, they started playing their best soccer together because they had that commitment and that mentality of giving it all every single day.” Lawrence praises the veterans on the team, who came off last year’s shortcoming determined to return to glory. “They just weren’t satisfied with how [last season] ended. They used that as their motivation every time they stepped on the field, knowing that you have to play your best every game and every practice.” It was evident on and off the field that this team had developed great chemistry. The Hilltoppers worked as a cohesive and selfless unit on the field, but also developed friendships with players off the pitch.
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“This year, as seniors, we made it a priority to make relationships with the juniors and sophomores,” says Bieser, who scored 24 goals this season. “That helped a lot with the whole chemistry of passing the ball up and moving it through the midfield up to our forwards. That was a pretty good aspect of our game.” Another major factor that contributed to the Hilltoppers’ success was the high level of play by their bench. “Last year we had a lot more talent at the top, and a bunch of guys that went D1,” Leas says. “This year we were a lot deeper as a team. We didn’t have that top-level talent, but we could go deep into our bench. A lot of our bench guys could be starting on most teams in the state.” Marquette finished its season with a 23–1–2 record, with the only loss of the year coming early in the season to Missouri powerhouse Chaminade College Prep. The Hilltoppers are ranked No. 6 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches of America in its final national poll of the season. Marquette will return four starters next season: Alec Phillipe ’16, who led the team in scoring with 27 goals and was also a Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association All-State selection, as well as Jack Bradford ’16, Casey Reich ’16 and Ben Leas ’17 among a number of other non-starting underclassmen who played a significant role on the team this season. Lawrence is confident that the next generation of Marquette High soccer players can continue the winning tradition that has defined the program over the years. “I’m excited for next year; I think we have a lot of strong, talented players coming back,” Lawrence says. “What’s going to make them even better is that this year they saw how they need to lead and how they need to move forward. Having that experience this year is going to pay dividends for them.”
Opposite: Michael Russell ’16 (left) and Will Coffey ’16 hoist the gold ball trophy during the post-game celebration. Photo by VIP Photography.
SPORTS
Steve Lawrence ’99 Developing the whole person JoAnn Cekanor
It would be difficult to find another 34-year-old who can claim the type of soccer success Steve Lawrence ’99 has had as a player and as a coach. On the field, Lawrence was a soccer standout at both Marquette High and Marquette University, earning many accolades for his efforts. On the field, Lawrence racked up an impressive list of titles and honors. He was part of two State Championships-winning Marquette High teams and played four years at Marquette University, where he was captain for two years, and in his senior season, led MU to a Conference Championship, was named C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, and was invited to the Major League Soccer Combine. He went on to play two years of professional soccer with the Milwaukee Wave United of the A-League. His coaching record is equally impressive. Over nine seasons as MUHS Varsity Soccer coach, Lawrence has a 183–23–15 record including five WIAA State Championships (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014), one State Runner-Up (2007), eight Sectional Championships (2006–2012, 2014) and six Greater Metro Conference titles (2007, 2008, 2011–2014). In addition, he was named the 2011 NSCAA Private School Coach of the Year and the 2011 and 2012 NFHS Wisconsin Coach of the Year. So, many must wonder, just why is Steve Lawrence still at MUHS? Surely, a coach of his caliber would be coveted by any number of collegiate programs. While his love of soccer and the winning tradition of the program are important, according to Lawrence, staying on as coach is his way of giving back to MUHS. “I think Marquette High helped get me to where I am today. My Jesuit education taught me to give back,” Lawrence says. For Lawrence, giving back means building a successful team both on and off the field. For a coach—and a soccer program—that had grown accustomed to success, one of the biggest challenges the team faced was overcoming the 2013 season, when the Hilltoppers failed to qualify for the state tournament for the first time since joining the WIAA in 2000. As an accomplished athlete, Lawrence embodied the competitive spirit on the field. As a coach, he has tried to help his players see
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that a team is not defined by one game, but he also sees the irony of failing to measure up to a bar set so high by his own school’s program. “That’s just the standard we’ve set,” he says. “If you don’t win a State Championship, everyone thinks you had a bad season.” But each game is infinitely important, and wins—and losses—are celebrated—and suffered—deeply, and after 2013, Lawrence had to challenge himself and his players to think of the bigger picture in order to gain and keep a positive perspective. “As a coach you want to make sure you’re helping the kids develop and make them better players,” he says, noting that not coming out on top has its advantages. “When you don’t win, that gives you a little extra motivation coming into the following season and you learn from the things that didn’t work.” That drive to learn from their past mistakes and to come out on top again was the momentum the team needed as one by one, it racked up a 23–1–2 record on its march to a Division 1 State Championship. The team was also ranked No. 6 in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Even with the honors, Lawrence doesn’t lose sight of the mission. When asked about what he brings to the soccer program, “Steve Lawrence is a man of exceptionally high character,” says MUHS athletic director Bob Herman ’85. “Each year near the end of the season, Steve honors seniors for their accomplishments, which often include notable deeds of leadership and service. By highlighting more than athletic achievements, Coach Lawrence supports the goals of Marquette High and places athletics in a context of Marquette High’s mission.” Lawrence works hard to create leadership opportunities for seniors, in particular. “Seniors can make or break your team,” he says. “The more leadership opportunities you can provide for them, the more they can grow and help the team grow.” What Lawrence loves about soccer is that it is really a team sport. According to Lawrence, it is difficult to really succeed as an individual in the game of soccer, you have to be a team player and make others around you better. “I’ve had a lot of good players come through, but the best teams have been the ones that overall
player one through 24 were team players. Those are the teams that are the most successful for me,” says Lawrence. Senior leader Joe Jeruc ’15 agrees. “When Coach Lawrence develops a team, he also strengthens the relationships between the players on the field and himself. When the chemistry between the players is recognized, the final product in the game becomes a state-winning team and not state-winning individuals.” Lawrence’s philosophy is very apparent when talking with the players about their experiences. “Playing for Coach Lawrence and his staff for the past four years made me a better soccer player and most importantly, a better person,” says senior leader Samson D’Amato ’15. “Everyone on the field, Coach Lawrence included, believes that the players must function as a cohesive machine in order to succeed. That is the one lesson I will always keep with me.” As a coach, Lawrence has found that he is rewarded in many different ways than when he was a player. Sure, it’s great to win championships, he says, but his focus and motivation is in the type of experience that the boys are getting. Developing the whole player is important to Lawrence and his coaching staff, which over the years has included former teammates and players. Lawrence looks at his work with the soccer program as that of a teacher. “I want to be doing the same job that the teachers at Marquette High are doing for these boys. State Championships are kind of the icing on the cake if you can get those.” Lawrence earned his bachelor’s degree in information technology from Marquette University in 2002. Currently he is a systems manager at Waterstone Mortgage in Pewaukee and is on staff at the Bavarian Soccer Club. He lives in Brookfield, Wis., with his wife, Liz (who is also an accomplished soccer player and coach), and their daughters, Grace and Molly. After games, Grace often runs across the field to congratulate her dad and the “soccer boys.” Grace even joined her dad and the team on the field for the celebration of the 2014 State Championship. “It’s definitely neat to have your child there and see her eyes light up when she’s around the sport. It’s a cool experience,” Lawrence says. Steve Lawrence ’99, head varsity soccer coach. Photo by VIP Photography.
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SPORTS
Cross Country places eighth at state meet Isaac Conlon ’17
The Marquette High cross-country team finished in eighth place at the WIAA State meet, besting last year’s result of 11th place. Despite a solid performance, some runners were left wishing the finish had been stronger. “We hoped to place a little higher, but even so, we all ran well and managed to place higher than last year and it’s always nice to see improvement,” says Leo Ehrlich ’16, who ran in his second state meet. Head cross-country coach Jim Kearney had similar sentiments. “I thought we ran a strong race. We had some good senior leadership and we had some guys take some chances, which people are reluctant to do in a meet of that importance,” he says. “But they did it, and for the most part, it paid off. It is the nature of the risk.” Pacing the Hilltoppers at the finish were Jack Heinrich ’15 and Ehrlich, who ran 16:48 and 16:49, respectively, and finished in 46th and 48th place overall. Other runners included Ryan Carter ’15 (17:01), Riley DeMeulenaere ’16 (17:09), Ryan Mauk ’16 (17:25), Caeleb Rauh ’16 (17:25) and Will Cappon ’16 (17:33). Despite the successes, the season was rough for the runners at times according to Kearney, who thought the team handled adversity well. “We had some hurdles to overcome. We had a rocky season last year, and I thought the guys responded to it quite well. Maybe they didn’t run as much over the summer as I would have liked, but they eventually got very fit and could run very good times,” he says. “We have been keeping track of the top 50 5k runners since 1980 and five of these guys are on that list. I find that pretty impressive.” As attention turns to next fall, both coaches and runners have high hopes for the future. Kearney says he is looking for strong leadership out of the guys next year with the hopes of continued improvement of the program.
Right (left to right): Jack Heinrich ’15, Ryan Carter ’15 and Leo Ehrlich ’16 running in the WIAA State cross-country meet. Photo by VIP Photography.
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SPORTS
Football makes final four run Thomas Fleischmann ’18
Wide receiver Jake Matkovich ‘15 (#9) brings in a catch against Brookfield East. Matkovich caught 100 receptions for a total of 1,725 yards, capturing the state record. Photo by VIP Photography.
The Hilltoppers earned hard-fought victories against Kenosha Indian Trail and Franklin high schools during the football team’s deep playoff run. But, when MUHS was tasked with dealing with the No. 1 ranked Kimberly Papermakers in the tournament semifinals, Marquette met its match. “Our team had been playing with passion and aggressiveness, and I don’t think they’ve seen a team like [Kimberly] so far this year,” head coach Jeff Mazurczak ’82 reflects following the Hilltoppers 48–16 defeat. Hilltoppers went into the game with an aggressive attitude, which was matched with the great skill set that Kimberly brought to the field. Despite moving the ball in the first half, Marquette turnovers killed multiple chances to get on the board. “We showed that we could move the ball on them,” Mazurczak says, “but our drives ended in turnovers . . . certainly their defense had a lot to do with that.” The Papermakers took the opportunity to turn these miscues into points and shook the Hilltopper defense on their way to
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48 halftime points. Marquette came out with more energy the second half, scoring 16 unanswered points, but the team could not muster enough to match Kimberly’s first-half scoring cushion in the time-shortened second half. While the Hilltoppers’ season came to a conclusion one win away from state championship venue Camp Randall Stadium, Kimberly advanced and claimed the Division 1 title with a decisive 31–6 win over Arrowhead. “It can be hard to take away positives from a game like that,” says senior standout Jake Matkovich ’15. “But I believe it was definitely a learning experience for our program. On both sides of the ball, Kimberly was a strong team. It is our job to push the juniors and sophomores to put the work in this off-season so they can make the program stronger.” Mazurczak is also looking forward to the next season. “There’s some great young guys that got great game experience this year,” he says. “We are looking to put a tough defense on the field, and in terms of offense, we have some great players coming up.”
Hilltopper highlights sports The varsity football team finished its season as Greater Metro Conference champions and made a run at state, finishing in the top four before losing to eventual state champion Kimberly High School. Jack Horter ’15 and Jake Matkovich ’15 were named 1st Team Coach’s All-State. Charlie Greif ’15 received the Associated Press All-State Honorable Mention, and Michael Rolfe ’15 received the Coach’s All-State Honorable Mention. Rolfe was also named AP 2nd Team All-State. Matkovich was named AP 1st Team All-State, the 2014 recipient of the Al Toon Award as the most outstanding senior wide receiver in Wisconsin by the Wisconsin Sports Network, and the Offensive Player of the Year in the State/EC Region. Coach Jeff “Maz” Mazurczak ’82 was named Greater Metro Conference Coach of the Year for a second consecutive year and the third time in five years. In collaboration with Easter Seals Southeastern Wisconsin, the Hilltopper football teams hosted the fourth-annual Tackling Autism Football Camp in October for children and family members dealing with autism.
The varsity soccer team, coached by Steve Lawrence ’99, won the 2014 WIAA Division 1 State Championship. The team is ranked first in the Midwest region and sixth in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The team tied a Marquette High scoring record of 124 total goals this season and shares the honor with the 1989 varsity squad. Samson D’Amato ’15 and Alec Philippe ’16 were each named to the 1st Team All-State and to the NSCAA Fall Boys High School All-Great Lakes team, designating them among the top five players in Wisconsin. Nick Leas ’15 and Michael Von Estorff ’15 received Best of the Rest All-State honors. The MUHS cross-country team won both the Greater Metro Conference and sectionals meets and placed eighth out of 20 teams at the state meet. Coach Jim Kearney was named Greater Metro Conference Boys’ Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year. The team also received Academic All-State honors, which requires the team to run in the state meet and team members must have a cumulative GPA of more than 3.4. Jack Heinrich ’15, Ryan Carter ’15, Riley DeMeulenaere ’16, Ryan Mauk ’16, and Caeleb Rauh ’16 received Individual Academic All-State Awards, meeting the criteria of running in the state meet and having a GPA of at least 3.5 The cross-country team comprised 178 runners— a school and state record—which included 72 freshmen. Coach Eric Sullivan led the varsity volleyball team to a state championship. Donald Foley ’15 received 1st Team All-State honors, Mark Heinen ’15 received High Honorable Mention All-State and Eaven Mason ’15 was recognized with Honorable Mention All-State. Dan Cleary ’83 has been named head coach of the varsity track and field team. He succeeds Keith Klestinski, who retired from the track and field program after serving more than 25 years as a coach, including 18 years as head coach.
Jack Horter ’15, head football coach Jeff “Maz” Mazurczak ’82 and Jake Matkovich ’15 at the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State Awards banquet at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Photo by Phil Horter ‘82.
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Twenty years of Somos Amigos Jake Murray ’10
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FEATURES
When Spanish teacher, Father “Padre” Terry Brennan, SJ, looks back on the first Marquette High Somos Amigos trip to the Dominican Republic in 1996, the challenges readily spring to his mind.
very enthusiastic about starting a similar model here. The Marquette High program was named Somos Amigos—Spanish for “we are friends.” Brennan, Kroll and Kofler volunteered to lead the first group of Marquette High students to the Dominican Republic. Tom Drexler ’78 who worked at the Jesuit Institute of Latin American Concern in the Dominican Republic served as the group’s liaison and worked tirelessly to create a positive first experience.
“Oh, the heat,” he says, with his eyes shut, the back of his hand wiping imaginary beads of sweat from his brow. Since the beginning, the three-week Somos Amigos trips have been centered around a service project—and that first year in particular, the work was grueling. Twenty years ago, work, travel—and even living—in the remote areas of the Dominican Republic presented many challenges and with few paved roads, the MUHS volunteers had to work very hard to accomplish even the most basic of tasks.
While not every Somos Amigos group has finished its service project– many things are built, especially lasting bonds with the local community and host families. “You begin to realize you are there to help the people, not for your carpentry skills,” says Dennis Ortega ’15.
“The hardware store would deliver only to a certain point and from there we had to use burros to haul the materials the rest of the way to the site,” Padre remembers. “Your burro could only drag three big pieces of wood at a time.” At the end of a hard day of work, the Marquette High volunteers were driven to a spot about a half-mile from their camp, and dropped off to hike in with their bags on their burros.
Throughout the past two decades, the day-to-day schedule has remained largely the same. “The day begins with prayer and breakfast,” says current faculty leader, Javier Reyes. “Then we work. Afterward, there is a prayer, and another meal and then we go back to work again until 4 or 4:30. We all take a brief rest in the afternoon, get cleaned up and then have dinner. The guys are able to spend the rest of the evening with their host families.”
Students on that first Somos Amigos trip had little in the way of construction experience and not many could communicate in Spanish. Even with the months of planning, Padre Brennan; psychology teacher, Janice Kofler; and Rev. Rob Kroll, SJ ’83 (who was then a French-speaking scholastic at MUHS) were overwhelmed by the task of provide guidance for that group of teenage boys—all untrained in craftsmanship or construction.
The volunteers have the chance to connect with the campesinos (villagers) in many ways. In addition to living with their host families, they work and worship alongside the people from the campo (village) every day. “Right from the very beginning,” says Padre Brennan, “we had Mass every day in the campo, which was wonderful for the people living there, because there might be one priest per 20-some villages. This makes having regular services a challenge for them.”
Nevertheless, somehow, this first group managed to build a school and a latrine for the community. “Somewhere in the Dominican Republic,” Padre Brennan says proudly, “there is a latrine with my name, and the names of all those first Somos participants, carved into its concrete floorings.” That first group left its mark on a small Dominican Republic community in many ways.
The Somos start In 1996, Sue Smith, then vice president of administration at MUHS, approached MUHS president, Rev. Doug Leonhardt, SJ ’56, with the idea of creating an international service program to the Dominican Republic. She had traveled there the previous year with a group from Gesu Parish and was deeply moved by her experience. With Leonhardt’s encouragement, Smith contacted Georgetown Prep, a Jesuit high school in Washington, D.C., with an established international service program. A Georgetown Prep representative came to Milwaukee to talk to MUHS faculty members, who were
The experience
“I remember Padre Brennan being very generous in traveling long distances to minister to villagers’ spiritual and pastoral needs,” says Father Kroll. “He not only celebrated Masses, but also baptisms and weddings and anointed the sick.” The students have other unique opportunities to interact with the local residents. Matthew Gottsaker ’15 recalls the times when cocoa bean farmers, after having put in their own long work days, would stop by the sites to assist in the manual labor and ask the boys how their days were going. Aside from this, Gottsaker says the laborers made the best eggplant he’s ever had. Being able to interact with the people there proved to be powerfully spiritual for Gottsaker. “I began to find God in interactions with
Opposite: Matthew Gottsaker ‘15 smooths the base of a latrine he and other students constructed in the Dominican Republic. Photo by Evan Block ‘15.
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FEATURES TWENTY YEARS OF SOMOS AMIGOS
the people I met, and I noticed how there was this faith being built in the relationships we were making,” he says. The deepest bonds are forged with the host families the students stay with throughout their stay. At first, the experiences tend to be focused on the differences between the accommodations there and back home. A.J. Krahn ’97 recalls the house he stayed in had no running water and they bathed daily in the river. “On top of that, I had to share a cot with Bill Schmidt ’98, and we had to check it each night for both cockroaches and spiders.”
The inaugural Somos Amigos group worked side by side with locals in a remote area of the DR to build a cement-block schoolhouse in 1996. The initials of this group of 12 are forever preserved in a cement slab in front of the building.
But the more time spent with their host families, the stronger the bond that is built. Despite any language barriers, they become very close during their journey and most students and host families find it difficult to say goodbye at the end. “On the last day of our trip, we always have a final service,” says Padre Brennan. “It’s a celebration—and very tearful.” All the boys get to personally stand up and thank their host families. It’s wonderful.”
At his despedida, Ortega, was introduced to his host family’s extended relatives. “It took a long time,” says Ortega, “meeting everyone. But they were all so happy to introduce us to their loved ones.” One person was missing, though, at the farewell gathering. “My host family’s father couldn’t come to see me when it was time to leave. He was worried of becoming too upset, and so he stayed upstairs the whole time.”
The final day brings the despedida (farewell). Students and host families alike take turns saying goodbye and expressing their gratitude for the experience. The event is always emotionally charged and sometimes nerves factor in. Padre Brennan tells this story from a well-planned despedida that didn’t go as planned.
The despedida includes a religious service and departure ceremony held in the campo’s chapel. Then the students are treated to a celebratory meal, sometimes just a cold soda and some fried chicken, Padre Brennan remembers from one year. Still, the meal seems like a feast to most. “There is such a great display of generosity and selflessness,” says Reyes.
“One of the guys was supposed to give his speech to the ladies who washed all of our belongings throughout the trip. He had this great idea to hold up one clean shoe and one dirty shoe to illustrate how we looked at the end of the day (the dirty shoe) and how we were after the ladies cleaned us up (the clean one). Unfortunately, he was pretty sick at the time and had to keep running outside. He did eventually manage to make it through the speech, though.”
Somos today As the infrastructure continues to improve in the Dominican Republic, the Somos Amigos trips have become less strenuous. The main road between the capital Santa Domingo and the other major city, Santiago, has recently been paved, and other signs of positive growth can be found in many places. “Light poles and electricity have stretched much further into the country,” Padre Brennan says. “Running water is more prevalent now. Also, travel has become safer for non-locals.” As the work becomes less strenuous, the focus shifts more to the spiritual. Whether it is while helping to build latrines in the campo, or attending daily mass, student and faculty volunteers in the Dominican Republic all observe as the Jesuit mission becomes actualized.
Although originally from Iowa, Padre Brennan had to get used to his new mode of transportation on the 1997 Somos Amigos trip.
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These daily expressions of a kind-hearted, living faith, coupled with the physical labors of the students and the locals, allow our community members to become totally immersed in the experience, says Padre Brennan. In addition to this eye-opening view of the world outside Wisconsin, the trip has also provided for both its MUHS participants and for those people living in the Dominican Republic an opportunity to witness a level of interpersonal faith and trust that builds hope for the future.
Companions on the journey Yesterday, today and tomorrow
Throughout its history, Marquette University High School has been, and continues to be, blessed with a community of individuals passionately committed to Catholic, Jesuit secondary education. Beloved Jesuit and lay educators, dedicated students, supportive parents, involved alumni and generous benefactors—all have played a role in shaping the premiere college-preparatory institution MUHS is today.
for their students’ benefit. Finally, we take a look ahead, to the major building project that will support the school’s efforts in delivering a 21st-century college-prep curriculum. All these—and many more—efforts throughout our past, present and future, help advance the MUHS mission and could not have been achieved without Marquette High’s companions on the journey.
In the stories ahead, we take a look back at two of Marquette High’s most important benefactors whose names are etched in the school’s history and, literally, in its buildings. Then, we look at six current “Companions”—teachers who are collaborating with one another
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Companions on the journey Ellen Story Johnston 22 MUHS Magazine
Jon Parsons
FEATURES
It doesn’t get much attention these days; that old tan stone squeezed between the second- and third-story windows of Marquette University High School. Car after car zips downtown, their drivers and riders paying no heed to the history. Even students, who hustle into the building, pass by unaware of the stone—and its meaning—in the stately edifice overhead.
Ninety years of freeze and thaw have done little to dull the letters that proclaim the building at 3401 W. Wisconsin Ave. a memorial to Ellen Story Johnston. Amidst the busyness that is a normal Marquette High day, it is easy, though, to lose the memory of this significant woman, her family and the generous contribution that made education at this site possible.
Johnston was born in 1846. The family made its way to Milwaukee and was established here by 1848. Alexander’s livelihood was baking and he founded the A.H. Johnston Confectionary and Cracker Company, a small business of 12 employees located on 2nd and Wells streets. Twenty years later, young Robert graduated from St. Aloysius Academy, a predecessor of Marquette High, and was playing an integral role in the family business, hitching a wagon and carrying pastries and other baked goods to the Janesville and Beloit areas, where the company gained quite a following. Within 11 years, he was running the company. When Robert met Ellen, they were both members of well-heeled local families; Ellen, perhaps even more so than Robert. He pulled out all the stops to impress her, coming to call in a single buggy drawn by two high-stepping black horses, a bowler hat perched on his head.
And so we begin. The account of Ellen Story Johnston’s donation to Marquette High is really the tale of two pioneering Milwaukee clans. Horace Story, Ellen’s father, was born in Vermont, the product of an old New England family; with roots stretching all the way back to the Mayflower voyage in 1620. He and his wife Eunice (née Vail) settled in Milwaukee about 1857 after a brief stay in Detroit, where Ellen was born. Horace followed his brother Hiram, who, intent on farming, had purchased 160 acres of land west of the city in the 1840s. That property is now a Milwaukee neighborhood that still bears the family name—Story Hill. Discovering lannon stone under the soil, Hiram’s farming enterprise soon gave way to a thriving mining business that would become known as Story Brothers Stone Quarry—now the site of Miller Park’s Molitor parking lot just north of I-94. The Story homestead now clearly rests within the city limits, but in those days a mile long dirt trail down through Pigsville and up again would have been the family’s main connection to Milwaukee. An only child, Ellen Augusta Story grew up in these outskirts, walking four miles each way to attend school. “That may be the reason she had such lovely legs,” daughter Jessie lightheartedly speculated in a family memoir. The Johnston family was also among the early settlers in the area. An ardent Catholic, Alexander Hugh Johnston came to the United States in 1840 from Scotland. He settled in Rochester, N.Y., where he married his childhood love Margaret Mary Maxwell Porter, who had arrived with her brother several years beforehand. The couple first moved to Beaufort, S. C., where Robert Alexander
Opposite: Ellen Story Johnston. Photo provided by Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Marquette University Libraries.
Above: Construction of the MUHS building on Grand Avenue (now Wisconsin Avenue) began in the summer of 1924 and was completed in time for the start of school in September 1925. Marquette High’s previous building on 10th and State streets was sold to the Capuchin Fathers. Photos provided by MUHS Archives.
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FEATURES ELLEN STORY JOHNSTON
At the time of their marriage in 1873, Ellen was 23 and still a Congregationalist, which she would stay for the first 13 years of the marriage before converting to Catholicism in 1886. Robert, on the other hand, had been a faithful Catholic since his altar boy days at St. Gall’s Catholic Church (2nd Street and Michigan Avenue). It is unlikely either he or Ellen had an inkling at this early date how much of a role they would play in shaping Catholic education for generations to come, especially since the path they had recently chosen was not necessarily one that readily led to prosperity.
Upon reestablishing in Milwaukee, the Johnston family attended Sunday services at Holy Name Church on 11th and State streets. The parish had outgrown its space and hoped to build a new church on Grand Avenue (renamed Wisconsin Avenue in 1926). By all accounts, the Johnstons donated generously to the construction and furnishings for their new parish home, the Church of the Gesu, completed by 1894. Pew rental records show the family paid a fee of $25 ($665 today) per year for the privilege of occupying the front seats for services.
Not long after the couple became engaged, Robert decided to walk away from the family business and try his hand at farming. Ellen reluctantly agreed to the plan and the two made a go at it on a stretch of land in Walworth County. The five years that the couple spent farming yielded two sons, Robert S. and Harry, but not much in profits.
By that time, the bakery business was again growing, and with it, Johnston’s personal wealth, evidenced by the construction of a new family home at 2315 Grand Ave. The house boasted a billiard room, conservatory and a ballroom, from which waltz, two-step and polka music would commonly emanate. Perhaps most important to the faithful family, though, was the third-floor chapel, a 300 square-foot space to which all would retire for evening prayers.
Daughter Jessie Lee recorded her mother’s reflections on the experience. “She pictured herself as sitting at the butter churn with a child on each knee and tears streaming down her face. The butter wouldn’t come—the hens wouldn’t lay, and she never, or seldom, got to go to the country dances. Papa was tired at night—oh, very, very tired, what with the plowing and the planting and all the rest of it.” Letters were arriving at the farmstead asking for Robert to return to the bakery, which had been suffering some decline in his absence. With that prompting, the family returned to Milwaukee. Jessie Lee remembers her father saying: “I never made a nickel on the farm,” and then quickly adding, “but I did not lose one either.”
An 1895 Milwaukee Journal article on the house declared the fourstory gothic brick home a “modern palace” that was “one of the finest residences in Milwaukee, the city of homes.” When the mansion was razed in 1935, the Milwaukee Journal reported workers on site estimated the home had $80,000 just in stained glass and carved wood. Today, that amount would be $1.3 million. The stability the family’s new home provided was in sharp contrast to the upheaval in the baking industry during the same time
The Johnston family (left to right): Ellen Story Johnston, son Walter Vail Johnston, son Robert Story Johnston, son Harry Stuart Johnston, daughter Jessie Lee Johnston and Robert Alexander Johnston. Photo provided by Ellen Story Johnston’s great-granddaughter, Mary Walsch.
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Robert Alexander Johnston. Photo provided by Department of Special Collections and University Archives, Marquette University Libraries.
Ellen Story Johnston, seated in the car, with her chauffeur, Herman Hardtke (far left), and her sons Rev. Robert Story Johnston, SJ, and Harry Stuart Johnston (seated). The Johnston family was one of the first families in Milwaukee to own a car at the insistence of son Harry. When they bought it, the expectation was that Harry would teach the hired help how to drive it, which he didn’t do. That way, whenever the car was needed, Harry always got to drive it. Photo provided by Ellen Story Johnston’s great-granddaughter, Mary Walsch.
period. When the New York Biscuit Company acquired a Chicago bakery in 1890 with the intention to expand into the Midwest, Johnston’s company combined with other Midwestern bakeries to form the American Biscuit and Manufacturing Company. Johnston served as director and executive committee member, and was one of the largest stockholders of the new trust. Competition over prices and quality turned to cooperation when in 1898 three large trusts comprising more than 100 American bakeries combined to become the National Biscuit Company; a conglomeration that is now known as Nabisco. Johnston’s former factory was taken over by the trust, but Robert was appointed to manage operations at the facility on Erie Street in Milwaukee’s Third Ward. Robert didn’t like the business of working within a large trust, and he began to sell his stock and used the money to build a new factory on 1st and Florida streets in the Fifth Ward. Resigning his position with the trust, he opened the Robert A. Johnston Company in 1899. During this time period, the Johnston family continued to support Catholic causes. Along with Patrick Cudahy and other involved Catholics, a donation of note was made in 1892 to aid in the development of a Catholic girls school in Milwaukee. With financial
support to purchase the original house and a promise of continued support, eight Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVMs) agreed to open a school called Holy Angels Academy at 12th and Kilbourn streets. Robert’s daughter Jessie Lee graduated from the school, a predecessor of Divine Savior Holy Angels. In 1906, Johnston was able to make an even larger splash by agreeing to fund a new building for Marquette College, which was still sharing an out-of-date structure with high school students on “the hilltop” at 10th and State streets. The $110,000 donation ($2.8 million today) fully financed the construction of an academic building next to Gesu Church. Thomas Jablonsky, professor emeritus of history at Marquette University and author of Milwaukee’s Jesuit University: Marquette 1881–1981, says the Johnston gift puts the family among the top benefactors of MU. “It is the most important donation, without question,” he says. “Without the Johnston’s there at that particular time, there isn’t a Marquette University as we have seen over the last century.” So excited and relieved were the trustees by the chance to move out of the old Academy building, they offered to name the college in honor of Mr. Johnston, as the Jesuit college in Omaha had done following a major gift by Edward and Mary Creighton. Although Robert humbly declined this honor, he did allow the four-story
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FEATURES ELLEN STORY JOHNSTON
building to carry his family name: Johnston Hall. A short time before the dedication of the structure in 1907, Robert Johnston passed away at the family’s summer home on Lake Beulah, 30 miles southwest of the city. Ellen continued her husband’s charitable efforts, with a 1910 donation to found Marquette University’s Robert A. Johnston College of Business Administration. In 1916, she made a gift that proved to be the impetus for establishing the Jesuit high school that would become Marquette High. That year, she promised $100,000 ($2.1 million today) to the college, earmarking it specifically for the construction of a long-overdue high school building. Some seven years later, a portion of the Johnston gift was used to purchase the land for the new school at 34th Street and Grand Avenue
Ellen Story Johnston passed away in 1923, before the ground breaking ceremony in 1924 for Marquette University High School’s 1925 building, which was dedicated to her. Marquette University president Rev. Albert C. Fox, SJ (holding shovel) is joined by Ellen’s family members (from left to right): son Harry S. Johnston and his wife, Jessie A. (Norbeck) Johnston; Helen Johnston (Harry and Jessie’s daughter); son Rev. Robert A. Johnston, SJ; Ellen’s daughter Jessie Lee (Johnston) Frez and her daughter, Eunice Fretz. Photo provided by MUHS Archives.
at what had been the Sherburn Merrill estate. Merrill, who had died in 1885, had built his large home in 1870, just up the hill from the roundhouses and repair yards of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad where he served as general manager. His mansion anchored the end of one of the most prestigious thoroughfares in the city, home to many Milwaukee industrialists with familiar last names such as Mitchell, Plankinton, Pabst, Harnischfeger and, of course, Johnston. The Jesuits employed the architectural firm of Herbst and Kuenzl to draft the new building. The duo is known for designing other schools in the area including Messmer and Shorewood high schools, as well as Notre Dame Hall at Mount Mary University. Their plans for the school called for a Collegiate Gothic Revival structure housing a state-of-the-art facility for 1,000 students. The building would cost $600,000 ($8.1 million today). The design called for 24 classrooms, in addition to chemistry and physics laboratories, an auditorium, and a spacious chapel, “designed to give an atmosphere of dignity and reverence,” according to architect William Herbst. A “large and modern” gymnasium was also planned, a first in the history of the school. “No longer will checkers be the reigning indoor sport,” a Marquette Flambeau article playfully joked.
Ellen Story Johnston’s name is etched in stone above the main entrance door on 3401 W. Wisconsin Ave. between the second and third floors of the school. Photo by Jonathan Irias ‘17.
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With automobile usage still in its infancy, the basement also had a room designated for students to park their bicycles. “The entire structure was built with the idea of permanency, sanitation, convenience and practical adaptability for school purposes in mind,” Herbst added. The facility was an improvement in every way. Even the athletic field outside, which would be known for years by student-athletes as “the rock pile” was a step up from the cinder surface at the old Academy building.
As a way of honoring Ellen’s seminal gift, as well as other gifts to Jesuit causes, when the high school was completed in 1925, it was dedicated in her honor as the Ellen Story Johnston Memorial. MUHS student Sherburn Stroebel ’25 gave a grateful reflection in the Marquette Flambeau from the time,
“It is but fitting that full credit for this work of Divine Providence be given to the woman who has made possible the building of our new high school—Mrs. Ellen Story Johnston. It has been only through her benignity and generosity that the necessary funds for the construction of the new High School, now stretching sky-ward on the most beautiful thoroughfare of the city— Grand Avenue, have been advanced. And it may be said in all sincerity that every Marquette University High School student feels the deepest gratitude towards Mrs. Johnston for making the dream of years a living reality.” Sadly, like Robert before her, Ellen did not live to see the finished structure that bore her name. In 1923, she passed away at the family home on Lake Beulah, just as her husband did. At the time of her death, the Johnston fortune was valued at $1.5 million ($20 million today) and was divided among her four children. The oldest child, Robert S. had joined the Society of Jesus upon graduating Marquette College at age 16, thus relinquishing his share to the Jesuits, resulting in another sizable gift. His 1944 obituary in the Milwaukee Journal clarifies that this money, approximately $450,000 ($6 million today) was also used toward the construction of the MUHS building. Robert had a distinguished life in the Society, including many years teaching philosophy at St. Louis University and Marquette University, in addition to six years as president and rector at SLU. Robert and Ellen’s sons Harry and Walter went to work in the family business, Harry assuming the reins of leadership upon his father’s death. In 1923, they expanded into the company’s fifth home at 4023 W. National Ave. The red neon letters spelling J O H N S T O N on the roof were visible from MUHS’ southern exposure, and were no doubt well known to decades of Marquette High students, many of whom may also remember making the pilgrimage, well known to Milwaukeeans, to this location to buy bags of broken cookies for a quarter each. The family sold the company in 1969. Masterson Company, which continues to manufacture sundae syrups and
toppings in the confectionary tradition the Johnston family established more than 150 years ago, now occupies the building. The impact of the Johnston family is seen throughout the city, and especially at Marquette High. Although he never had the opportunity to meet his great-grandparents, Robert Johnston Jennings ’72 is well aware of their influence at his alma mater and in the community. “She was just a huge believer in education, and in Jesuit education,” says Jennings. “She and Robert were leaders in many ways—civic leaders, business leaders and philanthropic leaders. [Robert] really was a captain of industry, he had his business principles that were very important to him, thus the ‘not in any trust,’ his breaking away of what would become Nabisco, and then all the innovation that came about throughout his time building that company. When he and his brother took it over, it was successful, but you know, it was a bakery, and he turned it into a national brand.” Even more important to Jennings, owner of the Napa Valley Paratus Vineyards, is that the family did things the right way. “My mother talked about it. My grandfather talked about it. There seemed to be an attitude of humility and responsibility that came with success. It’s great to be successful and you should strive to be the best that you can be, but you also should be humble and share in the gift that had been given to you. I’m very proud that Robert and Ellen were so prominent in the community in their own right, leaders in society and business, but also that they were so dedicated to education and put their money where their mouths were, so to speak.”
Robert Johnston Jennings ’72, great-grandson of Ellen Story Johnston, at his vineyard Paratus, which produces ultra-premium boutique wine on Mount Veeder in Napa Valley. Photo by John Thimmesch ‘77.
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Companions on the journey Gordon Henke Julie Felser
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FEATURES
Gordon Henke, dressed in a dark suit, stood on the auditorium stage to address the Marquette High student body. “I have a quiz for you today. Please stand,” Henke said as he motioned the boys to rise from their seats. “I want you to shout out your answers. Shout them loud.”
The students, unsure of what to expect, obediently stood for their guest speaker.
“Here’s the tough one,” Henke said before shouting out the final question. “Who is going to beat Waukesha Memorial tomorrow?!”
“Number 1,” Henke started. “What’s the best school in the world?” Without hesitation, the students yelled, “Marquette!”
The students enthusiastically yelled, “Marquette!” followed by hoots and hollers.
“What school has the best president?” Henke asked, giving a nod to then-president Rev. George Winzenburg, SJ ’63. “Marquette!”
Sensing the students’ ramped-up energy and excitement, Henke shouted, “Let me hear it one more time!”
“What school has the best principal and faculty?” “Marquette!” Henke had an attentive engaged audience with the momentum and noise level building with each question and answer. “Where is the world-class Doerr library located?” “Marquette!”
“MARQUETTE!” The student body roared. The cacophony streamlined around the traditional MUHS cheer, “We are (clap, clap) Marquette! (clap, clap). We are (clap, clap) Marquette! (clap, clap). We are (clap, clap) Marquette! (clap, clap).” Henke led this rousing rally following the Mass held to celebrate the opening of the Gordon Henke Center and the Emmett and Martha Doerr Library in 1994. At the event, “Gordy” Henke shared with the students that he had always wanted to attend MUHS. Instead, he grew up in the shadows of the school—and ended up dropping out of high school altogether to go to work. Born in 1922, Gordy came from humble beginnings. He lived with his parents, Red and Mabel, on 23rd and State streets in Milwaukee. His father and five uncles worked in their family carnival business, Henke United Attractions. Tragedy struck the family when Red died from tuberculosis when Gordy was only five years old. Three years later, the Great Depression hit and the family business struggled. Gordy began working multiple jobs to earn money to help support his mother. Gordy’s son, Brian ’73, explains, “He came from a working-class family and didn’t have a lot of money. He scraped for everything he had.” At an early age, his tenacity and hard work ethic was apparent. At the age of 10, Gordy landed a job delivering newspapers. As part of his route, he would stock the stand at 27th and State streets and collect the money from the box. He soon began to notice that the box tally wasn’t enough to cover the newspapers that had been taken. So, one day, he got up early to investigate.
Opposite: Serving as president for more than 30 years, Gordy Henke grew C&H Distributors from a small retail store into one of the largest industrial supply businesses in the U.S. Left: Red Henke, Gordy’s father and a fan of boxing, dressed his son in boxing garb and gave him the nickname Mickey. Right: Gordy Henke served in World War II, where he managed the enlisted men’s clubs.
Gordy saw a man put a couple of pennies in the box for a paper, but take three extra copies, presumably to sell to people on the street. Young Gordy followed the man onto a streetcar and confronted
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FEATURES GORDON HENKE
him. “I thought it showed a lot of guts for a kid who was only 10 or 11 years old,” says Brian. Known for his dry sense of humor, Gordy quipped of the matter: “Well, I had to, there was a great crime that had been committed.”
was his motto while he served,” Mary says. He believed the servicemen needed entertainment to ease the burden of serving in the war and would frequently sing for them. Even while serving abroad, he continued to send money home to his mother.
In addition to his duties with the family business and his paper route, he also helped deliver towels on game day to Marquette University Stadium, now the site of Marquette High’s Quad Park. When his job was done, Gordy would stay to watch the game. “It was the only way he could get into the game. He didn’t have money to pay for a ticket,” Brian says.
While Gordy was gone, his uncle Otto Henke, along with his business partner Charles Clark, had shifted the family business from carnival work to an electrical repair and supply store, located on 5th Street and Juneau Avenue.
Around the same time, Gordy’s entrepreneurial spirit began to emerge. His newspaper route included part of the Marquette University campus and the fraternity houses where the 1936 Golden Avalanche football stars lived, including All-American, Heisman Trophy nominee and future Chicago Bears player Ray Buivid. Gordy made a deal with them. He would deliver free newspapers for the week—a 12-cent value—to each football player in exchange for 10 autographed photos, which he could sell for a profit of $5. When it was time for high school, Gordy, who was raised Catholic and attended St. Michael’s Catholic Grade School, wanted to attend MUHS. But, his family couldn’t afford the $75 tuition, so he started at North Division High School. He eventually dropped out. “He didn’t care for school and felt compelled to financially support his mother,” Gordy’s widow, Mary, says. Brian agrees. “He didn’t drop out to lie around or have fun. He dropped out to work, to make money. He loved to work.” Gordy continued to work before leaving for World War II, where he managed the enlisted men’s clubs. “‘Everything for the men’
When Gordy returned stateside, his uncles asked him to temporarily fill in for a worker who had just retired from the family business, then known as C&H Electric Company. But, he received no special preferences for bearing the Henke name. When he arrived for his first day of work at 9 a.m., his uncle Otto asked him what he thought he was doing there. “I’m here to work,” Gordy replied. “Well, kid, around here we start at 8 a.m. and work until 5 p.m.” Otto stated. “If you don’t like those hours, don’t come back.” And from that day on, Gordy started work at 8 a.m. but typically worked well beyond the 5 p.m. quitting time. World War II ended and the government began holding surplus auctions to offload excess war supplies. Knowing that as a war veteran, Gordy would receive preference at these sales, the uncles began sending him to the auctions with a list of electrical supplies to acquire for resale in the store. Gordy soon discovered his knack for striking a deal. While at the auction one day to purchase items on his uncle Otto’s list, Gordy noticed stretchers that were being auctioned off at 25 cents a piece. He knew this was a steal, so he purchased 500 of them. When the trucks pulled up to the storefront full of stretchers, Uncle Otto looked to Gordy. “What are all these cots doing here?” he asked him. “Well, I thought it was a great price and we’ve got a great opportunity to make money,” Gordy replied. “Cots weren’t on our list,” Otto said. “You bought them—they’re yours!” So, Gordy had to figure out how to offload 500 stretchers. He began by identifying likely customers—hospitals, police departments, ambulance units—from around the country. He used a simple “three cents in the mail” direct-marketing plan, a fairly new concept at the time. One penny for postage, one penny for printing the card and one penny to have someone write the address from the Yellow Pages onto the card.
Then MUHS president Rev. George Winzenburg, SJ ’63 with Mary and Gordy Henke. Photo provided by MUHS Archives.
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He sent out his postcards, advertising each stretcher for $29.95. The cots sold out within 10 days, bringing in nearly $15,000. As Mary recalls the story, she says this is when Gordy realized, “You know, I think I would rather start buying for myself.”
And, he had strong negotiating skills.
“He knew how to handle and negotiate a business deal,” Mary says. “He was happiest when he was negotiating a deal. It was exciting for him.” As the company grew bigger, the deals grew bigger. Yet, he wasn’t intimidated by the scope of the situation, even when it meant negotiating with a Harvard-educated lawyer from General Motors. “He had a sense to him. He knew when to push and when to back off,” Brian says. “He always wanted to leave the situation knowing they could do another deal. He wanted to get a great deal for the business and himself, but he wanted the other person to make money and be successful, too. He went for a win–win situation.”
Mary and Gordy (far left) at the ground breaking ceremony for the Gordon Henke Center on July 8, 1993. Photo provided by MUHS Archives.
He continued buying for his uncles, but also began buying more things he thought he could sell on his own. He purchased and repurposed aircraft landing lights and sold them to outdoor movie theaters. He bought 10,000 black high-top tennis shoes, which he marketed to mechanic shops. Eventually, the war surplus dried up and Gordy and his uncles began to rethink their business. Gordy wanted to move away from the one-time sale, and instead, create a repeat customer base. He wanted to get to know his customers, developing relationships built on trust. As a result, C&H Electric evolved into C&H Distributors, a catalog business selling electrical products and industrial supplies. In 1960, Gordy’s uncle Otto passed away and, at the age of 38, Gordy took the helm of C&H as president. He worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the business. He broadened the company’s product offering, adding material handling and shop equipment, office furniture and safety supplies to its catalog. Over the years, Gordy would grow C&H from a small storefront business into one of the country’s largest industrial supply businesses, employing more than 150 workers. Family and friends attribute his success to hard work and his strong business sense. “He may not have had a college degree, but he had a PhD in street smarts,” Brian says. “He could look at a complex situation with a multitude of facts and boil it down to a clear problem and solution. Many were impressed how he could summarize difficult situations.”
Mary agrees. “He had finesse. He knew how far he could take it without offending anyone.” His negotiating style led to longtime, mutually beneficial business relationships with core vendors, many lasting more than 30 years. These negotiating skills played an important role when he finally decided to sell the business. “It took one year of negotiations,” Brian says of the selling of C&H Distributors to K+K, a company based in Germany. “It was important to him that the new company kept the management team and all employees in place. It was a family to him.” Mary says he had mixed emotions about selling the company. “One of the hardest parts of this decision for him was how it would affect the employees,” she says. “Part of the agreement included a commitment to keeping key employees.” After retiring from C&H, Gordy and Mary traveled around the world. Brian recalls them coming home from exotic places with their tales of amazing adventures and meetings with “VIPs.” Brian recalls, “Not only would he share these experiences, but he would recall conversations he had with a taxicab driver. He could relate to people on a real level,” he says.
“He wasn’t impressed by what someone did or how much money they made, but by who they were. As he progressed through life, he never lost that. That was a very important lesson to me.” Mary agrees. Gordy never forgot where he came from. “What I respected most about him was that he treated everyone the same,” Mary says.
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An example of this happened at a meeting Gordy was in at Milwaukee’s University Club, which he was ineligible to join because he didn’t have a college degree. Gordy was in a meeting with bank executives including Jack Puehlicher, then president of M&I Bank. As Brian recalls the story, “Everyone was saying hello to Puehlicher and no one was talking to [my dad].” The group was seated in a private dining room when a man came in to fill the water glasses. A former employee of Gordy’s, the man recognized him and said, “Hey Gordy, what are you doing here?” The room fell silent and Brian says, “the bankers were shocked.” But this didn’t hinder Gordy, who remembered the man and engaged in a brief conversation, asking him about his wife and children. When the server left the dining room, an awkward silence hung in the air. Gordy looked at Puehlicher and said, “You think you know people, Jack. I know people, too!” Brian says, “He wasn’t ashamed of knowing the “water boy” or of that relationship. He felt comfortable in the presence of prominent presidents or waiters. He treated everyone the same.” One president he developed a strong relationship with was Winzenburg, who led MUHS from 1985 to 1995. Winzenburg recalls Gordy as warm and engaging.
“He gave you his full attention in conversation and was eager to know what you were thinking,” he says. Winzenburg assumed his leadership role at a precarious time in Marquette High’s history. The school faced declining enrollment, increased competition from public suburban schools and a grim financial situation. The 1925 building, which only had one computer room, desperately needed renovations to bring the facility up to date. There were no practice fields for athletic teams and the school’s scholarship endowment was less than $500,000. Additionally, the stock market crash of 1987 created a tumultuous economic environment for recruiting and retaining students. Winzenburg assembled the school’s first Board of Directors and partnered with other community leaders to address the issues plaguing Marquette High. Gordy was one of those leaders, and in the late ’80s, Winzenburg approached him about making a leadership gift to the AMDG campaign. This is when Winzenburg experienced Gordy’s business savvy firsthand. He recalls selling him on the idea of renovating the third-floor gym as the site of a new library. “He got excited about
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Then Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist (far left) with Rev. George Winzenburg, SJ ’63 and Mary and Gordy Henke at the Blessing and Dedication of the Gordon Henke Center on October 20, 1994. Photo provided by MUHS Archives.
the project and welcomed a naming opportunity,” Winzenburg says. Months later, Winzenburg dreaded telling Gordy that they would have to abandon the plans for renovating the gym to focus on building an addition between the 1925 building and the 1962 gym. “Gordy
charged me with presenting him with another plan,” Winzenburg says. “He was a tough but a fair negotiator who held others to their word. Negotiating was never personal; it was business.”
Winzenburg presented an alternative plan, which Gordy accepted. Brian says of Gordy’s willingness to support the project, “He thought his gift could serve as a significant step, to help the school transition from a position of struggling to one of thriving. He thought he could change the momentum.” The end result—the Gordon
Henke Center—became the new main entrance to the school, as well as new administrative offices and classrooms. Throughout the planning and building process, the two men developed a warm friendship. “I always enjoyed his company and am grateful that we became friends,” says Winzenburg, who admired Gordy’s hardworking nature and care for others.
“Gordy had an eye for the little guy,” Winzenburg says. “He worked hard from an early age and knew the value of a nickel. He respected people and admired those who worked hard, believing that character and hard work would better a person and strengthen family life,” he says.
And, the Henkes thought highly of Winzenburg, who received annual invitations from Gordy and Mary to visit them in Florida during winter. “Father George is a warm thoughtful person,” Mary says. “I think [Gordy and Father George] enjoyed each other’s sense of humor.” Just prior to Gordy engaging students in the Marquette quiz, Winzenburg presented him with an honorary Marquette University High School diploma. “He was thrilled,” Winzenburg recalls. “His smile said it all.” Gordy looking at the piece of paper stated, “I will treasure this. This is the highlight of my career.” “It was a total surprise. He talked about [the honorary degree] and how much it meant to him all the time,” Mary says. “I think he always regretted not having graduated from high school.” Before his passing from cancer in August 1995, Gordy established the Gordon and Mary Henke Scholarship Fund. “He wanted to give an opportunity to others that he didn’t have,” Mary says. “Although he was successful without finishing high school, he felt earning a quality education was important.” Through his commitment to Jesuit education, Gordy embodied the mission of Marquette High. Today, Mary and Brian continue Gordy’s legacy through the Henke Family Foundation, serving as caretakers of the resources Gordy worked so hard to earn.
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Creative Collaboration
FEATURES
MUHS spirit of collaboration Jeff Monday ’84
Collaboration is embedded in the fabric of the Marquette High community and is a prerequisite of being an Ignatian educator at MUHS. Faculty members are committed to collaboration as a way of achieving academic excellence and caring for students. The “Profile of a MUHS Teacher” is a guiding document that includes the statement that faculty members “model intellectual curiosity, a thirst for knowledge, and a desire to work collaboratively with colleagues.” This spirit of collaboration is evidenced through intra- and inter-departmental curriculum planning, shared instructional practices, some common assessments, and for the past two years, a common HilltoppeREAD project for the entire MUHS community. In addition, teachers participate in Ignatian Learning Teams to explore areas that lead to continuous improvement as a school. Marquette High students achieve at high levels, as reflected by their standardized test scores, but more importantly, in their ability to think critically, communicate effectively and act with justice. Research has consistently found teacher collaboration to significantly impact student learning and instructional practice. Collaboration enables educators to share a common vision, engage in the implementation of that vision and improve instruction that lead to collective responsibility for student learning and growth. The culture of collaboration extends to classroom experiences. Students must be prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century. MUHS courses provide students the opportunity to learn and experience collaboration—a highly valued outcome. Technology has enhanced opportunities for collaboration both for teachers in their design of curriculum and instructional practices and for students in their mastery of subject matter. You will find countless models of collaboration at MUHS. These are some of the stories of creative collaboration within our exemplary team of educators.
Left: Science teachers Joe Meyer (left) and John Azpell ‘96. Photo by Peter Beck.
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FEATURES CREATIVE COLLABORATION
Creative collaboration Julie Felser
Now, five years later, the two reflect back on this continuing project—which has evolved from a few basic “Parts of Speech” videos into a comprehensive grammar digital library—and say they were a perfect match for this endeavor. “I could make a video, but I didn’t always know the best way to explain a conjunction,” Cavanaugh says. “And, I could explain a conjunction because I think like a 14-year-old boy,” quips Downey, who is known for her quick wit, grammar acumen and love of Shakespeare. Switching to a more serious tone, she praises her colleague. “Joe is very innovative regarding technology,” she says. “He comes up with different games to make a dry topic more engaging, to make it more accessible to a 14-year-old boy.” Each year, Downey and other freshman English teachers are challenged to teach students with varying writing abilities and knowledge who come to MUHS from 150 different feeder grade schools. “Some student learned how to diagram sentences while other students were part of whole language programs where they focused on writing and didn’t get too concerned with formal grammar,” Cavanaugh says. It’s these varying abilities that put some kids at a disadvantage. “As an English teacher having a conversation with a student about
AN N D OWN EY & J OE CAVANAU G H ’95 G O I N G D I G ITAL W ITH G RAM MAR English teacher Ann Downey made her presence known as she strolled into the classroom full of sophomores. “Good morning, gentlemen,” she announced in a commanding voice. “I will be filling in for Mr. Cavanaugh while he is out of the building.” Out following the birth of his son Brady, then full-time English teacher Joe Cavanaugh created a video of himself teaching an American Art lesson for Downey to show his American Literature class. She simply needed to hit the play button. Downey was impressed by her colleague’s digital presentation, and it got her thinking. Maybe videos might be an effective way to help her freshmen struggling with basic grammar. Upon his return, Cavanaugh and Downey began conversations about creating a series of grammar videos as an alternative instructional method for helping students unable to identify simple parts of speech.
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his paper, you need to have some language in common,” says Downey referring to simple parts of speech definitions. “If he doesn’t know enough about the language to have an informed conversation, you can’t really help him. The more technical his understanding is of the language, the more facile he can be with it and hopefully improve his writing.” She also believes it’s a justice issue. “We can’t let these kids fail. Sure, we could easily have spent the entire first quarter teaching the parts of speech, but then we can’t get to other content that is much more important in terms of their writing,” Downey says. “You might have eight kids in your class who don’t know what an adverb is, but you can’t leave those eight behind.” So, instead of using an out-of-the box solution or sending students to YouTube for remedial instruction, Cavanaugh and Downey made the conscious decision to create their own grammar videos. “We have a relationship with these students and we didn’t want to send them to someone else,” Cavanaugh says. “We are their teachers. It’s symbolic. It’s like saying to our students, ‘we are the ones teaching you this because we care about you and we want you to learn it.’” Downey agrees. “We wanted them to hear our voices and wanted to simulate the direct instruction they would receive in class,” she says. “We also like the fact that they are not slick videos, that they’re not highly produced or polished. We wanted the videos to be free and accessible in an educational way, something familiar to [our students].” In addition to aligning the video content to classroom content, Cavanaugh explains they wanted the ability to edit the videos as necessary. “If we determine there is a part of the video that is creating confusion, we can go in and change it. We are in control of the content,” he says. Downey recorded all the raw footage for the videos at her dining room table by securing a video recorder to a couple of two by fours. Her profile never makes it on camera. Instead, students only see Downey’s hands with a colored marker underlining different words in a sentence as she narrates instruction. Cavanaugh, who now teaches part time and also serves as IT educational coordinator, was responsible for editing the footage into the final product and creating assessments on Moodle, an online learning platform. Their collaborative effort resulted in eight videos covering simple parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions and interjections. As Cavanaugh explains,
Opposite: Together Joe Cavanaugh ‘95 and Ann Downey have created nearly two dozen online videos on English grammar for their freshman and sophomore students. Above: Ann records herself diagramming sentences. Photos by Peter Beck.
“There are eight Ann Downeys just waiting to start teaching, depending on what the student needs.” Once the student views the video, he can take an online quiz, created by Cavanaugh, to determine if he understands the concept or needs further instruction. The initial set of videos proved so effective with students that Downey and Cavanaugh went on to create 14 more videos covering more complex topics, such as different types of clauses and phrases. Today, other freshman English teachers are directing their students to the videos. “We never thought at the beginning that this is where we would be today. Each stage becomes an expansion and is a testament to the fact that [the videos] have been successful.” Cavanaugh says, “So the question becomes, what more can we do? We’re not finished yet.”
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FEATURES CREATIVE COLLABORATION
J OE M EYE R & J OH N A Z PE LL ’9 6 TE STI N G TH E WATE R S As a student in Gerry Friday’s biology class, John Azpell ’96 remembers trekking down to the Menomonee River underneath the Wisconsin Avenue viaduct to learn about river ecology. There, students collected water samples by tossing tethered buckets into the river. “It’s one of my most memorable experiences from the class,” he says reflecting back on the field trip. Now, nearly 20 years later, Azpell, along with his fellow colleague Joe Meyer, have come together to bring back to MUHS the River Edge Nature Center’s Testing the Waters program. Through this experiential learning activity, students perform nine different water quality tests of the Menomonee River. Data is collected and then brought back to the classroom for further analysis and discussion. As Azpell and Meyer explain, this type of outdoor laboratory experience provides their Environmental Science students with learning opportunities not available in a traditional classroom setting. “We wanted to create a memorable experience that could serve as a base for our classroom discussions. It makes what we are studying more real in their eyes and makes data more real and important since they are creating the data,” Azpell says. Meyer agrees. “We talk about how different environmental issues are impacting our communities, like Milwaukee and Waukesha, but we thought it was important to get them out and do some of this testing” he says. “We wanted to provide our students with a concrete experience to base our discussions of these issues.” And, from this type of experience, students have an opportunity to better understand career opportunities in this field. “Guys talk about possibly wanting to pursue careers in environmental science, but what does that mean? You could be doing something like this, testing water quality, for the DNR or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an environmental consultant,” says Meyer, who, as a undergraduate student, spent a semester abroad in Costa Rica researching tropical ecology and environmental and water quality issues. However, unlike years past, Azpell and Meyer bypassed Marquette High’s original testing site by Miller Park and, instead, took their 80 students to two different locations of the Menomonee River. Azpell traveled with one group where the Little Menomonee converges with the Menomonee, near Highway 100 and Hampton Avenue in Milwaukee. Heading down river, Meyer’s group went behind Hart Park in Wauwatosa, where the Honey Creek hits the Menomonee.
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Joe Meyer (left) and John Azpell ‘96 led more than 80 students on a field trip to assess water quality in the Menomonee River. The educators work together to find hands-on ways of reinforcing the classroom curriculum. Photos by Peter Beck.
On a sunny fall day, students waded into the river to test various water quality factors such as dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, pH, biological oxygen demand, temperature, total phosphates, nitrates, turbidity and total solids. The groups also conducted a macro invertebrate test, collecting and counting crayfish, snails, water striders and various types of larvae and nymphs, which led to some unexpected finds for Azpell’s group. “Hey, Mr. Azpell,” a small group of students shouted for their teacher’s attention. “Look what we found!” Azpell, engaged with another small group of students to explain proper use of testing chemicals, looked up to see the students proudly displaying dripping wet tires and a blender. With a laugh, Azpell responded, “Okay, cool. Now let’s see if we can find something living.”
Meyer says he enjoyed seeing how his students responded to this new learning environment. “Some guys who are totally introverted and quiet in class turned into giddy little school kids. It was like watching second graders explore a pond for the first time. That was really cool seeing them so engaged.” But, he adds, some had reservations. “For some guys, it was a totally new experience and outside of their comfort zone walking in this river. Some didn’t want to go into the river at first.” Back in the classroom, students organize and analyze their collected data. “A key component to this program is how we make sense of all this data,” Meyer says. “I’ll ask the guys, ‘This is the dissolved oxygen value, so what does that mean? Why might this be? What else could be affecting this?’ There is a lot of higher-level thinking to interpret what the data means.” In fact, the educators will refer back to this experience throughout the yearlong course. “We examine all the different tests to put the mosaic together, to get a picture of the river,” Meyer says. “We examine results from past years and trends for the river. There’s just so much you can do in the classroom with it. I just love it.” Reflecting back on the day, Azpell and Meyer say overall it was a positive experience for the students. “There was a lot of laughter. We were blessed with beautiful weather and low water levels which allowed us to go into the river,” Azpell says.
Azpell and Meyer say they collaborate often, making this field trip and other learning experiences a reality. Students have skyped with an environmental engineer and water quality expert based in Louisville, K.Y., and visited the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District to learn more about the water treatment process in our community. Additionally, Marissa Jablonski, a civil and environmental engineering doctoral student and a mentor of UW– Milwaukee’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders, spoke to MUHS students about designing and implementing water distribution projects in Guatemala for villagers who have no running water in their homes. “We couldn’t do the activities we do or bring in the outside speakers without working together. It’s just too much for one person to coordinate,” Meyer says. Azpell agrees and adds, “We complement each other really well in the way we organize class and put together assignments and labs.” Based on higher-than-normal test scores for the water quality unit, Azpell and Meyer believe the Testing the Waters experience has had a positive impact on their students’ learning. More important, the educators hope the experience creates a greater awareness of environmental issues with their students. “[Our students] drive around the city and the suburbs and they see non-point sources of pollution, they understand what they are reading in the newspaper about Green Bay’s dead zone. I just feel like their surroundings make more sense to them after having this type of experience,” Meyer says. He adds, “Water is such a big issue for the city. Water quality, water usage—these are issues that are going to be in the forefront of their lives. We know most guys aren’t going into ecology, however this is important for how they live their lives.”
But, the three-hour field trip required extensive planning time. Both teachers completed a one-day, Testing the Waters teacher course at Rivers Edge Nature Center, in addition to the typical logistical work associated with a field trip. They also spent considerable time addressing the trip’s risk-management issues, keeping students safe and ensuring the integrity of the tests. And, the trip required patience. “The outdoor laboratory presents a whole new dynamic of managing students. You have to be flexible when things don’t go the way you expected,” Azpell says. “You have to balance helping students with managing the group and that can be difficult.”
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TE R RY K E LLY & LU K E M E U LE R ’97 H E LP I N G F R E S H M E N F I N D TH E I R F E ET
students to work with teachers on essential skills they will need throughout their time at MUHS,” Meuler explains.
English teacher Terry Kelly and social studies teacher Luke Meuler ’97 agree—the most rewarding aspect of teaching is learning of their students’ achievements after high school. “The best thing we can ever hear from a kid is that he is off in college getting As and Bs, that he is experiencing academic success after high school,” Meuler says.
STAR students are drilled on the basics. “We work on language with a heavy pounding of foundational grammar, which more than likely, they weren’t exposed to in grade school,” Kelly says.
This may be especially gratifying for these two educators who serve as coordinators for the STAR program, an academic plan that provides students additional learning and studying support. As part of STAR, 32 students are assigned to a specific sequence of classes taught by Kelly and Meuler. One set of 16 students is in Kelly’s first-period English 1 class while the second set of 16 is assigned to Meuler’s first-period World History class. The two groups alternate classes for second period. During third period, all 32 students meet in the same study hall, which is moderated by both Meuler and Kelly. Math teacher Carol Hardtke joins the group to provide tutoring in algebra. Kelly and Meuler use the same textbooks and cover the same content as other English 1 and World History classes. But through STAR, students receive more personalized attention. “It’s not a remedial program as much as it’s a more focused opportunity for
“We focus on different reading strategies, plus all forms of writing— note taking, developing thesis statements, formal research papers— all the things we know they are going to run into countless times here and in college,” says Meuler. An important focus of the program is helping students develop strong organizational skills. “This is a major hurdle for many of our students,” Kelly says. “Luke and I have set up a binder system with color coding that carries across our classes—yellow for literature, blue for grammar, salmon for vocab, pink and white are writing, and so forth.” Through this intensive skill-building and personalized attention, Kelly and Meuler develop close relationships their students and come to better understand their needs. The teachers can provide immediate feedback on assignments and make instructional adjustments as necessary. Meuler says that an important aspect of STAR is for students to realize the importance of interacting with their teachers. “Hopefully in building relationships with us and other teachers during their freshman year, the guys come to understand that working with teachers provides them with an advantage. It’s not because they did something wrong or they are insufficient; rather [meeting with teachers], becomes part of the learning process.” And, Meuler adds, that another positive impact on the students is observing how Kelly and he work together. “Terry and I can goof on each other, give each other a hard time. I say things about him when he’s teaching his class, knowing the guys are going to go into his room next and tell him what I said. It gives [the students] something to laugh about,” Meuler says. “But they see those interactions, they see Terry and I planning things together, they know we are working together. It gives them a model of how to work together and have a positive, healthy relationship with one another.” It’s this positive modeling that may contribute to the STAR students developing strong friendships with one another, forming a subcommunity of sorts within MUHS where they support and learn from each other. STAR was developed nearly 20 years ago as a retention program to address higher-than-desired attrition rates of freshman students.
40 MUHS Magazine
Together, Luke Meuler ‘97 (left) and Terry Kelly focus their efforts on incoming freshmen who need extra support in transitioning to Marquette High’s rigorous standards. Photos by Peter Beck.
Candidates for the program are initially identified during the admissions process and then at the conclusion of summer school. STAR is only a one-year program for freshmen, who transition out of the program as sophomores. Kelly believes MUHS has a responsibility to support the needs of all its students, especially those who may need more personalized attention. “If you admit a student, you better find a way to address any deficiencies he might have,” he says. “You can’t let students be cut adrift.”
While these results are promising, Meuler says there are greater rewards ahead and has this message for all MUHS students. “Yes, the transition to [MUHS] can be difficult and, yes, there’s a lot that is expected of you in four years. But we are trying to provide an environment that is supportive with people who care about you,” he says. “But, we’re also going to challenge you, so in four years when you are done with high school and you go off to college, you will be prepared to excel at a high level.”
As Meuler explains, the transition from grade school to Marquette High’s rigorous and demanding academics is not always an easy one. “For a lot of [our students], their first-semester GPA can be difficult to deal with because, like all our students, they are used to achieving at a high level and receiving high marks,” Meuler says. While it’s difficult to truly measure the success of the program, STAR students showed the greatest gains among all students in standardized reading scores and GPA last year from the beginning to the end of their freshman year.
www.MUHS.edu 41
Building for a 21 -century college-prep curriculum st
42 MUHS Magazine
FEATURES
Renovations, expansion support strategic plan In May, MUHS will begin a major building renovation and expansion project, adding two floors on to the southwest addition and expanding the Gordon Henke Center entrance. Marquette High staff and volunteers raised more than $10 million toward the capital project through the fundraising effort, Companions on the Journey, which is a direct result of the school’s strategic plan, Building on Our Strength.
This plan identifies three priorities: . develop an optimal college-prep curriculum for the 21st century . help every student succeed and flourish . keep an MUHS education financially accessible to qualified students from a broad range of economic backgrounds The upcoming construction project will take approximately 16 months and add 31,000 square feet to the MUHS campus.
www.MUHS.edu 43
FEATURES BUILDING FOR A 21 ST-CENTURY CURRICULUM
Inside new Gordon Henke Center entrance
Expanded Gordon Henke Center The Gordon Henke Entrance will be expanded, providing additional space for students to study or relax as they wait for their rides after school. A new staircase in the Henke Entrance will provide additional accessibility to the second and third floors. The current lift will be replaced by an elevator, which will service the lower and first levels. The target completion date of these renovations is September 2015. New Campus Ministry Center The new Campus Ministry Center, to be located adjacent to the Henke Entrance and across from the Three Holy Companions Chapel, will serve as a hub of student activities, meetings and information for the Marquette High community. The Center’s prominent location near the school’s main entrance communicates the importance of the school’s Catholic, Jesuit identity and mission. Renovated Counseling Center and College Counseling Center Both the Counseling Center and College Counseling Center will be relocated and renovated to better facilitate small-group meetings, but remain on the first floor next to the Campus Ministry Center. The College Counseling Center entrance will be featured off the main hallway from the Henke Entrance to promote the school’s college preparatory curriculum.
44 MUHS Magazine
Academic Success Center An Academic Success Center will provide students with resources to help them in their academic and personal development. Services will include tutoring, advising, testing, study skills assistance and structured study groups. Collaborative Spaces Collaborative spaces will be created for each academic department within their respective classroom areas to make group projects, meetings, tutoring and advising more accessible and efficient. Tiered Lecture Hall A tiered lecture hall, accommodating up to 140 people, on the third floor will allow for a host of learning opportunities including combined lecture sessions, guest speakers, special presentations and after-school events. Science Labs and STEM Center Two additional lab classrooms will be added to accommodate AP and regular science classes. A STEM Center will provide students the opportunity to apply existing scientific knowledge to develop more practical applications such as technology or inventions. This space will allow math and science departments to collaborate more, along with providing activity space for the SMART Team, Robotics Team, Engineering Homeroom and Science Club.
Above: Inside new Campus Ministry Center. Middle: A circular element will be added to provide gathering space for students. Bottom: Inside new Academic Success Center. Images provided by Bray Architects.
www.MUHS.edu 45
ALUMNI UPDATE
Class notes Bill Taylor ’48 was one
visiting Jesuit Professors
men in grades fourth
Medical Center at
He and his wife, Molly,
of three Wisconsin writers
at Marquette University
through eighth located
NewYork–Presbyterian
and their son, Gabriel,
chosen to present his
for the 2015 spring semes-
in Omaha, Neb. He
Hospital. He was the
live in Evanston, Ill.
book at the New Berlin
ter. In addition to teaching
serves on the Creighton
first CUMC Emergency
Library. His book was
a course on Cross-Cultural
Prep board of directors
Department physician to
Dr. Christopher Pelzek ’87
a biography of Richard
Christian Ethics, he is
and is also chair of the
receive both the CUMC
is a vitreoretinal surgeon.
Halliburton, entitled A
writing a new book ten-
Development Committee
Clinical and Translational
He was recently named
Shooting Star Meets the
tatively entitled Still A
there. He and his wife,
Science Award, Pilot
president of Retina-
Well of Death, Why and
Morally Complex World:
Maureen, have three
Grant for $50,000 and
Vitreous Associates, a
How Richard Halliburton
Engaging Moral Theol-
college-aged children.
the NIH-National Heart,
corporation based in
Conquered the World.
ogy in the 21st Century.
Lung and Blood Institute
Chicago, where he and
Philip Miller ’80 is an
PRIDE Scholar Diversity
his family live.
Thomas Kieren ’59 is
Tom Kingsbury ’70
attorney with Whyte
Award to study point-
studying advanced trum-
is president and CEO of
Hirschboeck Dudek S.C.
of-care bedside clinical
Jonathan Renner ’87 is
pet playing and music
Burlington Coat Factory.
and serves as a member
ultrasonography in the
a faculty member at Fort
with the brass faculty at
He was recently honored
of the Trust & Estates
Emergency Department
Berthold College in New
the Julliard School of
by K.I.D.S./Fashion Delivers
Team. He earned his law
at Columbia University
Town, N.D. He earned his
Music in New York City.
for his partnership in
degree from Marquette
Medical Center.
doctorate in education
He continues to perform
developing Burlington
University Law School
with his Jefferson [N.J.]
Gives Back, a program
and his bachelor’s de-
Michael Von Rueden ’84
jazz-swing ensemble,
that donates new merch-
gree in accounting from
is a family physician
which plays for civic, night
andise to thousands in
Boston College.
and chief of staff for the
Kevin McGuinnis ’88 is a
club, commercial, religious
need, and the Red Dress
Colombia–St. Mary’s
culinary arts instructor at
and corporate events.
Event, a Burlington pro-
David Riley ’82 is an
clinical system in the
Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wis.
from Grand Canyon University of Phoenix, Ariz.
gram to that supports
attending physician in
Greater Milwaukee area.
Rev. Thomas Unz ’62
WomenHeart, a nonprofit
the Emergency Medicine
He was also promoted
retired as pastor of
organization dedicated
Department, director of
to director of clinics.
Divine Providence Parish
to educating women about
Emergency Ultrasonog-
in Westchester, Ill. He is
heart health.
raphy and Ultrasound
Michael Moynihan ’86
tions for the Milwaukee
now serving as a senior
Dan Smyczek ’89 is vice president of public rela-
Research, and assistant
is the head coach of the
Bucks. He recently trav-
priest at St. Giles Parish
Albert Wellstein ’73 is
professor of medicine
women’s soccer team at
eled to Florida to watch
in Oak Park, Ill.
employed at the Penn-
at Columbia University
Northwestern University.
his nephew, Harrison
sylvania Senior Law Blaise DiPronio ’66 is
Center, a nonprofit orga-
alderman for the city of
nization that improves
Muskego, Wis.
the lives of older Pennsylvanians and protects
Left to right: Tom Kingsbury ’70 (left), along with model and fashion celebrity Heidi Klum and former All-Pro NFL linebacker Carl Banks, was honored for his charity work by K.I.D.S./ Fashion Delivers.
Noll Amidzich ’69 is vice
their rights through
president of purchasing
legal representation,
for Unit Drop Forge Co,
education and advocacy.
Head coach Michael Moynihan ’86 of Northwestern University’s women’s soccer team. Photo by
Tom Hoy ’79 is president
Stephen J. Carrera/Northwestern
Inc. in West Allis, Wis. Rev. James Bretzke, SJ
of Jesuit Academy, a
’70 is the Wade Chair for
Catholic school for young
46 MUHS Magazine
Athletics
Ott ’17, play golf in the
Sarah, and their children,
in Jackson, Miss. He
he now serves as an
Chapel on Georgetown
Junior Player Champion-
Ben (6) and Maya (5), live
was recently awarded a
assistant professor of
University’s campus.
ship, an American Junior
in Denver.
grant from the National
occupational therapy. His
Institutes of Health to
Golf Association tourna-
research focuses on the
Charley Boynton ’04
ment for the world’s top
Chris Weigert ’97 is a
study platelet activation
transition from school
is associate director of
junior players. Michael
software quality assur-
in septic shock.
to work for those with
Development, Planned
Steele ’74 served as a
ance engineer for Apple
intellectual and develop-
Giving at American
caddie in the tournament.
Inc. He resides in Camp-
Tony Gonzalez ’00 is
mental disabilities.
University in Washington,
bell, Calif.
elementary school dean
Nick Leider ’93 is the
D.C. He married Heidi
at Milwaukee College
Andrew Lelinski ’02 is
Dessecker in July and lives in Baltimore.
homeless adult services
Eric Hofschulte ’97 is a
Prep. He recently received
a high school English
director at Nativity House
process analyst in Mort-
a surprise visit by Green
teacher at Milwaukee
Shelter, a program of
gage Servicing at North
Bay Packers quarterback
Public Schools. He is on
Michael Hutz ’06 is
Catholic Community Ser-
Shore Bank’s corporate
Aaron Rodgers and was
a one-year leave of
the recipient of Loyola
vices in Tacoma, Wash.
office in Brookfield, Wis.
highlighted in a video on
absence while his wife
University Chicago’s
itsAaron.com, created
Jessica completes a
2014–15 President’s
Eric Landon ’94 is a master
Eric Kirsch ’99 is counsel
to bring awareness to
forensic pathology fellow-
Medallion, an award that
potter, designer and
in the Enforcement Divi-
organizations and people
ship in Minneapolis. The
recognizes outstanding
co-founder of Tortus Co-
sion of the Securities and
who are making a positive
couple has two children:
students who exemplify
penhangen, a ceramics
Exchange Commission.
impact in the community.
two-year-old Joseph
leadership, scholarship
studio and showroom in
Before joining the SEC,
and newborn Adele.
and service. He is a fourth-
downtown Copenhagen,
he was an associate in
Marcus Mescher ’00
Denmark. In October, he
the New York office of
is an assistant professor
Marek Posard ’02 is
at the Stritch School of
visited MUHS art classes
Dechert LLP. He lives in
of Christian Ethics in
a doctoral candidate at
Medicine.
and shared his experi-
Miami, Fla.
the theology department
University of Maryland,
at Xavier University.
College Park and an ad-
James Tynion ’06 is a
junct researcher with the
writer at DC Comics for
ences of studying under
year medical student
Br. James Garvey, SJ.
Michael Puskarich ’99
Landon is a graduate
is director of research
Andrew Persch ’01 earned
RAND Corporation. He
the Batman series. He
of the Danish school of
in the department of
his doctoral degree in
married Nicole Escuadro
spoke to MUHS students
Design in Copenhagen
emergency medicine at
health and rehabilitation
on October 11. Rev. Mark
in Jim Kearney’s English
and has been awarded
the University of Mis-
sciences at The Ohio
Carr, SJ presided over
classes about his career
with a number of grants,
sissippi Medical Center
State University, where
the wedding at Dahlgren
journey.
international exhibition selections and other honors for his work. Jeff Bridich ’96 is the general manager of the Colorado Rockies. He became the youngest GM in Major League Baseball when he was appointed to the position
Left to right: Harrison Ott ’17 (center) played in the AJGA’s Junior Players Championship tournament in September. Michael Steele ’74 (left) caddied at the event and Ott’s uncle Dan Smyczek ’89 (right) attended as a spectator. Tony Gonzalez ‘00, with his wife, Danielle and daughter, Mia, receives a surprise visit from Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
in October. He, his wife,
www.MUHS.edu 47
ALUMNI UPDATE CLASS NOTES
Matthew Von Rueden ’07
associate with Robert W.
is the development direc-
Baird in Milwaukee. He
tor for Pro-Life Wisconsin.
received a bachelor’s
MAKE A DECISION TODAY TO CREATE A BETTER TOMORROW
degree in business ad-
“MUHS has made
Mike Walczak ’07 is a
ministration in finance,
nurse, working in the Car-
investment and bank-
such a difference
diac Intensive Care Unit
ing and real estate and
in Adam’s life and in
at Children’s Hospital of
urban economics from
our life too, it just
Wisconsin. He graduated
UW–Madison in May 2014.
made sense to make
from Marquette University
a commitment to the
in 2011. He and his wife,
Jordan Borst ’10 is a
Katie, live in Wauwatosa,
student at Milwaukee
Wis.
School of Engineering
next generation.”
majoring in architectural Jacquez Orr ’09 is as a
and structural engineer-
visual design consultant
ing. Advised by MSOE
at Nordstrom Inc. for the
associate professor and
Midwest region. He is also
MUHS alumni parent
pursuing a degree in
Robert Lemke, Borst and
advertising at the Illinois
three other MSOE stu-
Institute of Art.
dents took first place at the 2014 National Design-
Moved by their son’s and their own MUHS experience, Julie and Tim O’Malley named Marquette High in their estate plans. The O’Malleys join others in the Manresa Society—a group of people who, while providing for their loved ones, have remembered MUHS with a planned gift. To learn more about Marquette High’s Manresa Society and your planned giving options, please contact John Thimmesch ‘77, vice president of development at 414-933-7220 or thimmesch@muhs.edu. above: The O’Malley family (left to right): Tim, Megan, Julie and Adam ’09.
Adam O’Malley ’09 is a
Build Student Competition,
manufacturing engineer
beating other finalists
at Thermal Spray Tech-
from the University of
nologies in Sun Prairie,
Oklahoma and University
Therapy and Program
Family Teach-In for Jus-
Wis., and graduated from
of Washington.
in Exercise Science at
tice event in Washington,
Marquette University.
D.C. and was interviewed
UW–Madison. Mark Caballero ’10 is
for and quoted in an
David Manke ’09 is a pri-
the teaching laboratory
Ed Nunez ’14 is a student
article that appeared in
vate wealth management
coordinator for the
at Creighton University.
the Jesuit publication,
foundations program
Department of Physical
He attended the Ignatian
American Magazine.
Left to right: MUHS teacher and coach Terry Kelly (center) visiting his alma mater and St. Norbert College foot-ball players Gregg Neuburg ’12 (left) and Wyatt Veseth ’12. Alumni Service Corps teacher Michael Herbers ‘10 belts out “867-5309/Jenny” during a Sha Na No performance at the MUHS Homecoming pep assembly.
48 MUHS Magazine
ALUMNI UPDATE
May they rest in peace We extend our sincerest sympathy to the families of the alumni listed here and to any alumni who have lost a loved one.
Louis F. Migliaccio ’37 November 23, 2014 William J. Brennan, SJ ’38 August 11, 2014 Paul M. Weishar ’38 December 11, 2014 Harold J. Ruidl ’39 November 3, 2014 Gene G. Babler ’40 January 12, 2015 James H. Roettgers ’40 October 27, 2014 George M. Hastrich ’43 October 27, 2014 Richard J. Schalk ’43 January 10, 2015 Don A. Roettgers ’44 December 10, 2014 Richard W. Hoy ’45 December 7, 2014 George W. Kalweit ’45 April 17, 2012 Edward C. Kellogg ’45 September 5, 2014
John P. Roughen ’45 October 16, 2014
Carl M. Regenfelder ’51 January 17, 2015
Robert J. Philipp ’66 August 15, 2014
David M. McCarthy ’00 Unknown
Robert W. Boncher ’46 January 7, 2015
Bill Voss ’51 October 12, 2014
James J. Fox ’67 October 29, 2014
Romel D. Cobb ’01 November 6, 2014
Thomas A. Riedel ’46 September 10, 2014
James F. Murphy ’52 August 9, 2014
Mark F. Kobelinski ’68 January 4, 2015
James A. Blonien ’47 January 1, 2015
Gregory J. Patterson ’53 July 18, 2014
Frederick M. Migliaccio ’68 September 27, 2014
Paul M. Sanger ’47 August 21, 2014
Martin W. Welles ’54 January 2, 2015
Bert J. Beihoff ’49 November 3, 2014
Franklin M. Gauer, Jr. ’56 January 2, 2015
Edgar R. Czarnecki ’49 October 17, 2014
Thomas P. Maas ’56 November 7, 2014
Richard J. Stangl ’68 November 25, 2014 Edward F. Sadowski ’69 September 13, 2014
Thomas P. Doherty ’49 August 21, 2014
Michael J. Michaels ’56 November 4, 2014
John H. Steigerwald ’69 December 1, 2014
Jerome L. Rinzel ’49 October 17, 2014
Stephen R. O’Neil ’57 January 7, 2015
Michael J. Herzog ’73 September 12, 2014
Martin F. Ciszewski ’50 December 9, 2014
Peter J. Dundon ’59 July 26, 2014
Paul J. Novotny ’73 November 22, 2014
William G. Inda, Sr. ’50 January 1, 2015
Jim L. Michalski, SJ ’60 December 6, 2014
Thomas H. Riehle ’74 January 3, 2015
Ronald J. Reiter ’50 September 19, 2014
Michael J. Collier ’62 December 13, 2014
Christian G. Steinmetz ’74 October 7, 2014
John S. Verfurth ’50 March 2, 2014
Stephen F. Johnstone ’62 September 8, 2014
Jon M. Tilley ’76 October 14, 2014
James A. Booz ’51 August 1, 2014
Terance W. Fagan ’64 September 24, 2014
William F. Prospero, SJ ’83 September 8, 2014
Thomas H. Devine ’51 August 6, 2014
Brian W. McCormack ’66 December 21, 2014
Robert A. Koehne ’89 September 8, 2014
www.MUHS.edu 49
MILESTONES
Weddings Mike Duffey ’96 and Morgan Middlemas August 10, 2014 Marek Posard ’02 and Nicole Escuadro October 11, 2014 Charley Boynton ’04 and Heidi Beth Dessecker July 26, 2014 Patrick Volkert ’06 and Joanne Marie Jones October 25, 2014
1
2
3
1. Marek Posard ‘02 and Nicole Escuadro 2. Heidi Dessecker and Charley Boynton were married at Northwestern University, where they met as students, and participated in the campus of tradition of painting The Rock to celebrate their wedding. 3. MUHS alumni at the Patrick Volkert ’06 and Joanne Jones wedding (left to right): Drew Nowak ’06, Billy Fox ’11, Jon Nowak ’06, Peter Volkert ’16, Bud Fox ’80, Phil Volkert ’18, Quin Rowen ’14, Danny Fox ’06, Mike Hutz ’06, Patrick Volkert ’06 and Joanne Jones, Evan Filtz ’06, Terry Adams ’06, Brenden Rowen ’84, Patrick Fuchs ’06, Robert Wissing ’79, Peter Parks ’88, Conor Rowen ’13 and Will Boesen ’06 4. Morgan Middlemas and Mike Duffey ‘96
50 MUHS Magazine
4
Births Candace and Joe
Teresa and Tim
Costa ’88
Janusz ’04
Ariana Nicole Costa
Oliver Patrick Janusz
November 19, 2014
January 4, 2015
Alicia and Peter
Samantha and John
Smith ’89
Bender ’08
Sebastian Allyn-Echols
Jacob Andrew Bender
Smith
August 7, 2014
March 27, 2013 Maggie and Charlie Marie and Brian
Weber ’02
Butler ’99
Wayve Thomas Weber
Lucas Michael Butler
December 23, 2014
3
1
2
August 26, 2014 Liz and Steve Lawrence ’99 Molly Rose Lawrence 4
June 22, 2014
5
Katie and Jeffrey Ruidl ’99 Marion Elizabeth Ruidl August 5, 2014 6
Jessica and Andrew
7
8
10
11
Lelinski ’02 Adele Grace Lelinski January 6, 2014 Claire and Chris Acker ’03 Jude William Acker September 4, 2014 9
Abby and Tony Basile ’03 John “Jack” Mackenzie Basile September 25, 2014
1. Lucas Butler 2. Peter ‘89 and Alicia Smith with son, Sebastian 3. Marion Ruidl 4. Jude Acker 5. Jacob and Sarah Bender 6. Joey and Adele Lelinski 7. Oliver Janusz 8. Jack Basile 9. Molly Lawrence 10. Oliver Janusz sporting his new Hilltopper onesie while sleeping on dad, Tim ‘04 11. Ariana Costa Let us know about your newest family member and we will send you a complimentary onesie. Please send birth announcements and other alumni updates to felser@muhs.edu. Hilltopper onesies available for purchase at www.hilltoppershop.com.
www.MUHS.edu 51
THEN AND NOW
Sha Na No The faculty rocks! In February 1975, the MUHS staff and students surprised then principal Rev. Doug Leonhardt, SJ ’56 with a farewell assembly just days prior to his departure to lead the Jesuit Novitiate in Minnesota. Student speakers, Joe Griesbach ’75, John Heinen ’75 and Dave Murkowski ’75, along with the student body, presented Leonhardt with a going-away gift, an easy chair. But, another surprise was in store for Leonhardt and the students. A Marquette High tradition was born that day when the auditorium curtains were drawn back to reveal the faculty rock band Sha No No. As Rev. Charley Stang, SJ recalls, “the students went crazy seeing the teachers perform the modern music they liked. They were standing on the arms of the chairs, jumping up and down. They really got into it.” Over the years, Marquette High’s rock group, inspired by the popular ’70s band, Sha Na Na, has gone by a number of names— Sha No No, Sha New No and Sha Na No. Regardless of the name, the band has always consisted of faculty and staff sharing their musical talents to entertain the students. And, the group’s performance date is always top secret—one never knows when the rockers will appear, although it’s usually once every four years. This year’s performance at the Homecoming Pep Rally once again brought students to their feet in the O’Rourke Performing Arts Hall, nearly 40 years after the inaugural concert. Longtime band members, Dan Holahan, Jim Kearney, Randy Skoronski, Tim Prosser and Dick Hallberg, led this year’s group of 20 to perform rock classics “Twist and Shout,” “Wild Night,” “Wild Thing,” “867-5309/Jenny,” and “Sweet Caroline.” Encore!
Opposite: Longtime band member Dan Holahan (left) plays alongside rockers (and theology teachers) Dave Archibald ’99 and Erik Anderson. Photo by VIP Photography. Top: The original Sha No No band members, (left to right) Rev. Chuck Burns, SJ, Rev. Tom O’Neill, SJ and Rev. John Melcher, SJ, performing at the farewell assembly for then principal Rev. Doug Leonhardt, SJ ’56. Middle: Sha Na No appears in 1995 to sing farewell to the seniors. (Left to right) Brian Krill ’90, Lisa Brody, Rev. Rob Kroll, SJ ’83 and Jim Kearney. Bottom: Drummer (and English teacher) Tim Prosser has performed eight times with Sha Na No. Photo by VIP Photography.
52 MUHS Magazine
Non Profit Org. US POSTAGE PAID Milwaukee, WI Permit No. 5299
3401 W. Wisconsin Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53208
APRIL 25, 2015
AT H L E T I C H A L L O F FA M E
INDUCTION CEREMONY MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
For more information or to register for this event, please visit www.muhs.edu/hof Inductees: Tom Rabas ’53 . Mike Collopy ’55 . P. J. Pfannerstill ’62 . Rick Majerus ’66 . Tim Cotter ’67 . Tom Sonnenberg ’67 . Don Rodenkirk ’73 Gregg Scholler ’74 . Ron Alba ’81 . Darin Chambers ’83 . Brian Belardi ’88 . Tim Bonk ’90 . Mike Huwiler ’90 . Jeremy Gintoft ’93 . Coach Terry Kelly 1952 Varsity Football . 1962 Varsity Baseball . 1982 Varsity Tennis . 1983 Varsity Tennis . 1989 Varsity Track . 1989 Varsity Cross Country