miege matters.indd - Bishop Miege Alumni

MIEGE
MATTERS
A NEWSLETTER FOR ALUMNI, PARENTS OF ALUMNI AND FRIENDS
AUGUST 2006
INSIDE
29th annual
auction
page 3
Dream Field
contest
Page 4
Planned giving
Page 5
All-Classes
Reunion
Page 6
Student
achievements
Page 8
Martina’s year of milestones
BRIEF BIO
Sr. Martina Rockers
■ Born: April 23, 1926
■ Hometown:
Scipio, Kan.
■ Received by
Ursulines: 1942
■ Final vows: 1947
■ High school:
graduate of the
Ursuline Academy,
Paola, Kan., 1943
■ Undergraduate
degree: St. Mary’s
College, 1956
■ Master’s degree:
Notre Dame, 1965
■ Bishop Miege
High School:
1958-present
T
his summer, Sister Martina Rockers received an invitation to a 60th
birthday party for some of her
former Miege students. A group of them
were celebrating the same milestone birthday, and they wanted to share it with one
of their earliest teachers. As they sat around
telling stories about their lives, Sister Martina chuckled and said, “Well, you’ve been
alive as long as I’ve been teaching.”
This year has been a year of many
milestones for Sister Martina. In addition
to marking her 60th year teaching, she celebrated her 80th birthday in April and was
delighted to receive a basket of birthday
greetings from many past students at an
all-school Student Council assembly. Leah
Latenser, ’05-’06 Student Council president, organized this surprise.
Then in June she was the guest of honor
at the first All-Classes Reunion. During the
Saturday evening festivities, Miege President
Dr. Joe Passantino surprised her by announcing that the school courtyard would be
renamed in her honor.
It’s hard to overstate the impact Sister
Martina has had on Bishop Miege High
School and the thousands of students she’s
taught in her long career in Kansas City.
She has been with the school since its
beginning in 1958, but she was already a
seasoned teacher before St. Agnes High
made the switch to Bishop Miege.
She began her full-time teaching career
at age 19 at Queen of the Holy Rosary
Grade School, where she filled in for a
teacher who had surgery; she stayed at
Queen for seven years.
“Sometimes I look at the seniors and I
think, gosh, when I was your age, I was taking
care of four grades in a classroom and making
sure I scheduled all classes,” she said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Faculty focus:
Melissa
Reynolds
Page 10
Alumnotes
page 11
Calendar
page 12
COMING
EVENTS
27th annual
Miege Open:
Friday, Sept. 15
Page 5
Sutera Italian
Picnic and
Music Fest:
Saturday,
Sept. 16
Sutera Pizza
Page 5
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Dear Friends of Miege,
As a Catholic
school, we
must rely on
the generous
donations
of alumni,
parents and
friends like
you to make
these kinds
of facility
renovations
and
expansions
possible.
I would imagine whenever a bond issue gains enough votes to approve the
funding for a public school district to embark on a capital improvements program,
great effort is put forth to thank all constituents who voted “yes” on the issue. While
our situation is quite a bit different, we are nevertheless similarly pleased to express
our gratitude for the tremendous support that we received in the recent Dream Field
Contest.
As most of you know, a local radio station sponsored a contest to provide the
Kansas City area high school that received the most internet votes with a newly
renovated baseball stadium. Bishop Miege was selected as one of the five finalists
based on two criteria: a field in serious need of repair and a lack of resources
available to make the necessary improvements. Even though we finished second
in the voting, we were truly amazed to have received more than 12,000 votes.
This figure is particularly impressive because according to the rules, only one vote
per IP address (per network) was counted and we have only 9,000 addresses in
our database. Therefore, the response of our parents, alumni and friends was truly
overwhelming.
With that type of voter turnout in a public school setting, we would likely
be celebrating a victory for having been provided the funds to renovate the
baseball stadium. Obviously, though, tax monies are not available to us for such
improvements. We are ineligible for that type of funding stream because we make
God an integral part of our everyday learning process. As a Catholic school, we
must instead rely on the generous donations of alumni, parents and friends like you
to make these kinds of facility renovations and expansions possible.
While our religious mission of bringing our students closer to Jesus Christ
is a privilege we value and treasure and would not trade for any amount of tax
support, it does make our ability to fund the needed improvements to our facility
particularly challenging at times. This situation reminds me of a cartoon I saw some
time ago in a Catholic development magazine that described this paradox perfectly.
The drawing depicted Moses on Mt. Sinai holding the Ten Commandments and
looking up toward Heaven. The caption was Moses’ response to the voice of God
and the Commandments. It read: “No disrespect intended, Almighty Father. I
realize these laws represent all that is virtuous and direct us on how to serve You….
BUT WHAT ABOUT FUNDING??”
The Bishop Miege community has always responded positively to that question:
“But what about funding?” The many wonderful improvements that have been
made to our building over the last five years are a testament to that generosity. And
while your tremendous participation in the Dream Field voting did not produce
the resources required to renovate our baseball field, it did make it obvious that you
are aware of how badly improvements are needed for our outdoor athletic facilities.
You most likely are aware of our own dream: The Future of Miege Athletics.
Soon — hopefully this coming year — you will be given the opportunity to
participate in a major capital campaign that will enable us to realize this dream. The
Athletic Master Plan, as we have described before, will complete our campus and
provide Bishop Miege students with one of the premier educational facilities in the
area.
Please know we appreciate your vote in the Dream Field contest, your past
generosity and your consideration for all of our future fund-raising efforts.You are
our answer to the question Moses is depicted as posing in the caption above. We
could not meet our funding needs without you.
God Bless.
Sincerely,
Dr. Joe Passantino, president
2
MIEGE MATTERS
■
AUGUST 2006
Miege Matters alumni
magazine is published
three times a year by
Bishop Miege High
School, 5041 Reinhardt
Dr., Shawnee Mission,
KS 66205.
POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to
Bishop Miege High
School, 5041 Reinhardt
Dr., Shawnee Mission,
KS 66205.
LETTERS in response
to articles in Miege
Matters are welcomed.
Please limit your letter
to 200 words and
include your name,
year of graduation,
address and daytime
phone number. Address
correspondence
to Colleen Cooke,
Editor, Miege
Matters magazine,
5041 Reinhardt Dr.,
Shawnee Mission,
KS 66205; e-mail:
ccooke@bishopmiege.
com. Letters may be
edited for style, clarity
and length.
www.alumni.
bishopmiege.
com
To join the Bishop
Miege online alumni
community for the
first time, enter
your user name as
your first name, last
name and four-digit
year of graduation
with no spaces
between words: i.e.,
susantremonti1979.
Your password is the
numeric code at the
top of this issue’s
mailing label. Once
you’ve logged in,
you can personalize
your username and
password in your
profile information.
Questions: ccooke@
bishopmiege.com
bishopmiege.com
AUCTION WRAP-UP
A
bracadabra! The “Magic of
Miege” auction cast its spell over
a transformed school on April 29,
as more than 650 guests enjoyed a magical
evening of tantalizing silent and live
auction items. All told, $380,000 was raised
to further support the school’s mission.
Magical moments included the
auction car drawing, when Sue Hicks
was astounded to hear her name called
to win the 2006 Nissan Maxima. At the
party following the auction in Houdini’s
Hideaway, guests danced and belted
out their favorite songs via the karaoke
machine.
The honorary chair of the event was
Janet Kunz, and auction chairs were Lee
and Patrice Ludwig. Mike Thompson and
Kathy Quinn of Fox 4 News were the
celebrity MCs, and George Nigro provided
his outstanding auctioneer services along
with the famous Nigro brothers.
Patty and Don Kincaid opened their
Mission Hills home the week before the
auction for a patrons’ party to thank donors
and volunteers. ■
TOP: Janet Kunz
(seated fourth from
left) with her family.
Kunz was the 2006
honorary chair of the
auction.
SECOND: Miege parent
Sue Hicks went
home with the Nissan
Maxima.
THIRD: Dave White and
Mary Ann McTigue ’77.
BOTTOM: Pam Molnar
’64, Patty Kincaid ’70
and Dorothy Murphy
Spezze.
FAR LEFT: Bill Creach
’83 served as faculty
master of ceremonies.
Mike Thompson and
Kathy Quinn of Fox
4 News were the
celebrity MCs.
ONLINE
For more photos
from this event, visit
the online alumni
community at
www.alumni.
bishopmiege.com
bishopmiege.com
AUGUST 2006
■
MIEGE MATTERS
3
NEWS & NOTES
Snow fences form the outfield barrier for
the baseball field.
Poor drainage plus a dirt infield equal
standing water and thick mud.
Foul balls can bounce into the parking lot
near the baseball field.
Miege still dreaming of a new field
S
o, now we know. Bishop Miege has
the second neediest baseball field in
the Kansas City area.
In June, The Kansas City Star, State
Street Bank and 610 Sports sponsored the
Dream Field contest, awarding a complete
makeover to the high school baseball field
voted the worst in the city. Based on essay
entries — many of which were submitted
by Miege students — Miege made it to the
final five, along with Center High School,
Truman High School, Washington High
School and J.C. Harmon High School.
In the end, Truman came out on top,
but Miege still received about 12,000 votes.
A big thanks to everyone who e-mailed
their support!
As a private school, Miege lacks the
funds necessary to update the baseball
facility. While the Booster Club, coaching
staff and players do a lot of work to prepare
and maintain the field during the year, the
facility is lacking in many areas.
■ No irrigation, which means the coaches
hand water the field, which must be
re-seeded three or four times per year
■ Sink holes have appeared on occasion
and were repaired immediately
■ The dirt infield requires constant
maintenance, hindered by poor drainage
■ There’s no outfield fence apart from
temporary snow fences
■ The proximity of the dugout to home
plate isn’t ideal for players
■ Foul balls often land in the parking lot
Even though we finished second in the
voting, we are thankful for the response,
encouragement and well wishes received
from alumni and friends across the nation.
The dream of our baseball field remains
alive in The Future of Miege Athletics
Master Plan. This coming year, we hope
you will be given the opportunity to
participate in a major campaign that will
enable us to realize this dream. ■
Summer mission trip brings year-round service
T
his summer, the Campus Ministry Office
expanded the opportunities for students
and alumni to serve others in the form of
two mission trips. Miege students joined Ascension
Parish for a return trip to New Orleans to
provide more work on the devastation caused by
Hurricane Katrina last fall.
Then, Mary Perrini, Richard Sulzen, Julie
Burdick ’05 and Stephanie Perrini ’02, traveled
to Wayne County, W.Va., to serve the Appalachia
community. They joined a group of 90 volunteers
from around the country to repair homes, rebuild
decks, add stairs and repair floors.
“For many of the Appalachian families, the
ability to repair and add to their homes is a true
financial burden,” said Mary Perrini, director of
Campus Ministry. “Serving these families is a
privilege, and you become family.”
Each summer, Miege will continue to join the
Wayne County Work Camp the second week of
June. Anyone is welcome to join us to serve others,
meet new people and make a difference!
4
MIEGE MATTERS
■
AUGUST 2006
The Campus Ministry Office sent groups to New Orleans and West Virginia
this summer as part of its expanded efforts to serve others around the
country.
bishopmiege.com
NEWS & NOTES
Planning for
Miege’s future
– and yours
M
any times, giving a gift is its
own reward, but that’s not
the case with planned gifts to
Bishop Miege. By making a planned gift
to Miege, you can improve your financial
assets and make a difference in our school.
The benefits from a planned gift can:
■ Provide an income for life
■ Reduce or eliminate capital gains taxes
■ Generate an income tax deduction
■ Reduce or eliminate gift and estate taxes
Moreover, planned gifts allow you to
make a larger gift than you thought possible, and in doing so, you become a “difference maker.”
Every estate plan is unique to the needs
and desires of the estate owner; therefore, it should be individually designed. A
primary thing to consider is if you have a
will — only 42 percent of Americans do.
Then, the first step
begins with you
Planned gifts
— your thoughts
allow you
and desires, your
loved ones and any
to make a
charitable causes
larger gift
you want to support. Make a quick
than you
valuation of your
thought
assets: property,
stocks, bonds,
possible.
mutual funds, life
insurance, valuable property and retirement
plans. Determine your goals and what you
would like to accomplish with your assets.
Gather information to select professional
counsel. Create a plan with your adviser
that reflects your goals.
But it’s not enough to simply make a plan.
It’s critical that you both implement these
financial plans and update them regularly.
Planned gifts not only help you reach
your financial and tax goals, but are also
a great benefit to Bishop Miege. Please
consider boosting our efforts to provide
current and future students with the most
well-rounded and extensive Catholic education possible by making a planned gift.
If you have made a planned gift to Miege
and have not informed us, or would like to
do so and have any questions, please contact
Susan Tremonti at 913-262-2701, ext 238. ■
bishopmiege.com
27th annual
Miege
Open
Golf Tournament
Join us for the 27th Annual Miege Open
Golf Tournament — a time for Miege alumni,
friends and parents to have fun while
providing scholarships for Miege students.
Registration begins at 9 a.m., and golfers
will be able to participate in the $10,000
Hole-in-One Contest and a putting contest.
After a full day on the course, all golfers are
welcome to attend a silent auction, awards
ceremony and dinner.
A wide variety of sponsorship levels
are available and each has a variety of
benefits. For more information, please
contact Susan Tremonti, Vice President of
Development, at 913.262.2701, ext. 258, or
at [email protected].
COST: $175 per player,
with a variety of sponsorship levels
available
REGISTRATION: 9 a.m.
LUNCH: 11 a.m.
SHOTGUN START: noon
Silent auction, awards ceremony and
dinner follow your day of golf
Friday,
Sept. 15
9 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
Leawood South
Country Club
Register: www.alumni.
bishopmiege.com
12700 Overbrook Road,
Leawood, KS 66209
YOU ARE INVITED
Sutera Italian
Picnic & Music Fest
Saturday,
September 16
■ Mass at St. Ann’s: 5 p.m.
■ Transportation provided (following
Mass) to and from St. Ann to
Mogren’s from 6 to 11:30 p.m.
■ Party: 6-11:30 p.m.
■ Bob and Suzanne
Mogren’s Home:
3101 W. 75th St.
Prairie Village, KS 66208
■ Cost: $100 per person
■ Limited to 200 guests
■ Musical entertainment and
karaoke by Bob Bibb’s band
Mach 4
Party-goers will enjoy an authentic Italian
dinner prepared by world famous Jerry Sutera
at the home of Bob and Suzanne Mogren.
Watch the chef in action, then feast on the
amazing results. Enjoy music by Mach 4 band,
led by Miege alumni Bob Bibb.
Register: www.bishopmiege.com
AUGUST 2006
■
MIEGE MATTERS
5
ALL-CLASSES REUNION
Reunion honors sister’s career
F
or two days in June, alumni from all
47 years of Bishop Miege graduating
classes came together for the first
All-Classes Reunion at the school
The weekend kicked off with a concert
for a crowd of more than 300 by the
Irish rock band The Elders on June 17 in
the Miege gym. On Saturday, about 100
alumni and friends attended Mass, toured
the renovated school grounds and caught
up with old friends. Some even took
the opportunity to reconnect with their
classmates and plan specific class reunions.
The guest of honor at this first allclasses reunion was Sister Martina Rockers.
Miege President Dr. Joe Passantino
announced that the courtyard at the school
would be renamed The Sister Martina
Rockers Courtyard. In addition, Miege will
sponsor Sister Martina on a pilgrimage to
St. Angela Mereci’s homeland in Italy with
the Ursuline sisters.
“Sister Martina was the overwhelming
choice for the reunion,” said Susan Tremonti,
Vice President of Development at Miege.
“She’s been here since the doors opened.” ■
Sister Martina Rockers was the guest of honor at the first All-Classes Alumni Reunion,
which took place June 16-17 at Miege.
TOP: Sister
Kathleen Condry,
Sister Martina
Rockers, Sister
Kathleen Dueber
and Sister Angela
Fitzpatrick.
BOTTOM: Alumni
The Elders brought their brand of Irish rock to the Miege gym to
kick off the reunion weekend on June 17.
from all graduation
years took tours
of the renovated
campus, looked
through old
yearbooks and
caught up with
friends at the AllClasses Reunion.
Next All-Classes Reunion: June 2007
We’re already planning the
next All-Classes Reunion for
June 2007, so keep an eye
out for more information!
6
MIEGE MATTERS
■
AUGUST 2006
ONLINE
For more photos
from this event, visit
the online alumni
community at
www.alumni.
bishopmiege.com
bishopmiege.com
MIEGE MATTERS
ACT program gives students the testing edge
W
hen most students prepare
for the ACT exam, they take
a couple of practice tests or
maybe buy a guidebook.
Not Miegians. Since 2004, freshmen,
sophomores and juniors have been preparing for the ACT simply by going to class.
With the three-year Cambridge ACT
prep program, the four test areas of English,
math, reading and science/reasoning are
integrated into the curriculum. Sometimes
that means revisiting a subject area covered
in an earlier class. Other times, students
learn how to quickly decode what a
question is really asking, which helps them
to better manage their time during tests.
In addition, the Cambridge program
provides lots and lots of practice.
“By the time students take that first ACT
test, they’ve already taken at least nine tests,”
said Brady Beek, Director of Guidance.
Miege President Dr. Joe Passantino
wanted an ACT prep plan that affected all
students, not simply a one-shot course or
summer workshop. Plus, the Cambridge program provides some essential accountability.
Miege is not only the only high school
in the Kansas City area offering the Cambridge program, but it’s also one of the few
in the country to feature such a program.
“After two or three years of doing this,”
Beek said, “you really wouldn’t recognize it
as part of the Cambridge program — it has
just become part of our teaching.” ■
BY THE NUMBERS
13
6%
Number of seniors
who scored 32 or
above on the April
2006 ACT
Percent of the class of
2006 that scored 32 or
above
$3.6 million Amount of scholarship
offers the class of
2006 received
$16,000
Average amount of
scholarship offers for
the class of 2006
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
from St. Mary’s; nine years later, she earned
Like many teachers, Sister Martina
her master’s degree from Notre Dame.
found her way to education thanks to an
By 1968, she had received one of the last
inspirational teacher — Miss Highberger,
lifetime teaching certificates awarded
her fifth/sixth grade teacher in
in Kansas.
West Scipio School. Also, like
As part of the new Bishop
many teachers, Sister Martina
Miege High School in the late
practiced early — using her
’50s and ’60s, Martina took
younger brothers and sisters
part in transitions and some
as students.
growing pains. In the early
“My younger brothers
’60s, the school experienced
and sisters have told me they
so much growth that there
got very tired of playing
simply wasn’t room for the
school,” she said. “My mothfreshmen. So, they arrived at
er’s sewing machine cabinet
10 a.m. and stayed until 5 p.m.,
was my desk, and from there I’d
while the rest of the school was
have them say their numbers and
on the standard schedule. A few
spell words and so forth.”
years later in 1967, Miege saw
Sister Martina found
another great inspiration in her
CURRICULUM another milestone pass when
the sisters no longer wore the
high school years. She attended
VITAE
traditional religious habits.
the Ursuline Academy in Paola,
■ 1946-1953:
Martina’s dedication to her
Kan., and by 16, she knew she
Queen of the
students
has been recognized by
wanted to live in a religious
Holy Rosary
many
others.
In 1994, she was a
community. She professed her
Grade School
delegate to attend the Russiafinal vows five years later.
■ 1953-1955:
St. Ann’s
U.S.Teachers Conference, and
At the same time as
Grade School
three years later she was part of
beginning her teaching career
■ 1956-1957:
the Ursuline community honand her life as an Ursuline
Ursuline Academy
ored by the Miege Foundation.
sister, Martina was taking
■ 1957-1958:
In 2003, she was the first
college courses every summer
St. Agnes
High School
recipient of the Ken-A-Vision
and some by correspon■ 1958-present:
Outstanding Science Teacher
dence. One of those courses,
Bishop Miege
Award at the Greater Kansas
a botany class from Kansas
City Science and EngineerState University, required her
ing Fair. Not only was she the
to pick up leaves and twigs
first recipient, but the award is now officially
and mail them to her instructor. In 1956,
known as the Sister Martina Rockers Award.
she received her undergraduate degree
bishopmiege.com
Dr. Richard Wilson, who is the educational
adviser for Ken-A-Vision, said Sister Martina “works harder than any teacher I’ve ever
known to reach all of her students, and she is
a role model for many teachers.”
Her roles at Miege have gone far
beyond that of classroom teacher. In the
early days, she was Dean of Girls (and in
charge of discipline, believe it or not). She
continues to be chairwoman of the Science
Department, setting a standard of excellence that has been recognized across the
city and the nation. In addition, she has
been moderator of Student Council since
its inception, forming a bond with her
students.
“I like being involved with the students
in situations other than the classroom,” she
said. “You see a different side of them and
you hear about their dreams and goals.”
Beyond her official duties, Sister Martina
is often behind the scenes doing whatever
needs to be done. She works tirelessly to
make sure every student has textbooks, and
it’s not unusual to find her cleaning another
teacher’s classroom.
In 60 years of teaching, Sister Martina
has taught nearly every age of student
— and received a remarkable education
herself — but her philosophy of teaching
remains the same.
“The question originates in the student’s
mind,” she said. “As they’re questioning and
they read and view material, there are more
questions. As they seek and get those answers,
that’s when they’re learning.The motivation
comes from within.We have to stir that.” ■
AUGUST 2006
■
MIEGE MATTERS
7
STAG ACHIEVEMENT
STAG SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
TRACK AND FIELD
Isaac Miles, shown here with Miege
President Dr. Joe Passantino, received the
2006 DiRenna Award.
Miles wins top
KC basketball
player award
F
or the first time since the award’s
inception in 1954, a Bishop Miege
student has received the DiRenna
Award as the top boys’ basketball player in
the Greater Kansas City area. Isaac Miles, a
four-time DiRenna Award finalist, ended his
senior year with his first win.
Miles averaged 23 points, eight
rebounds, six assists and four steals. As a
starter all four years, Miles became the
Stags’ all-time leading scorer. The team
made it to the Kansas 5A state tournament
every season he played.
Miles will attend Creighton University
in Omaha, Neb., this fall.
In 1954, Dr. James A DiRenna
established the DiRenna Award to annually
honor the top boys’ basketball player in
the Greater Kansas City area. In 1997, the
award began recognizing the top girls’
player. ■
Sparks just missed breaking the school
record by half a second. Lee
Gibbs, who received the
MVP award this season, also
made it to State in the 100
breaststroke.
The girls’ team broke the
200 free relay record this year.
At State, the team finished 11th
out of 25. The team made State
in the 200 medley relay as well as
consideration times for State in
200 free and 400 free relay.
Jaclyn Unruh made State
in the 200 IM as well as
consideration times in 100
flystroke, 100 free and 50
free.
Three Miegians have
received All-Metro honors
from The Kansas City
Star in track and field.
Melesa Johnson was named
first team for the triple
jump, thanks to her firstplace victory at State. Shalisa
Williams made second team
in the 100 meter, and Renoil
Simpkins received an honorable
mention in the 200 meter.
BASEBALL
Chris Conner was selected
for the first team (outfield) in
The Kansas City Star’s All-Metro
Baseball team. Conner hit .570 with
13 doubles, six triples and three home
runs this year for the Stags and added
27 RBIs to his career totals.
BOYS’ GOLF
GIRLS’ SOCCER
The girls’ soccer program had a
successful 2006 season with a record
number of girls playing this spring. Anna
DiLeonardo, new to the program, coached
the C-team, and Joe Schramp returned to
coach junior varsity.
Varsity went to State with a 7-9 record
and advanced to the State Quarterfinal
game against St. Thomas Aquinas. It was a
well-played game, which Aquinas won 3-0.
SWIM AND DIVE
Each squad doubled in size, and the
team was 3-1 in dual and tri meets. The
boys sent the 200 free relay to the State
Tournament, where the squad of Alex
Bryant, Tim Pintar, Sean Sumrall and Steve
Miege hosted the
Regional 5A Tournament
at Sycamore Ridge Golf Course.
The team just missed State by two strokes.
However, Senior Bryan Rollo finished
eighth and made it as an individual qualifier.
At the State Tournament, Bryan shot a
personal best 76 to finish in the top 25.
SOFTBALL
The Miege varsity softball team ended
its 2006 campaign with a hard-fought 4-3
loss in Regionals. The squad finished the
season with a 13-8 record. The team says
goodbye to four seniors: Rachel Baxter
(who will play softball at Benedictine),
Amy Byfield (who will play volleyball at
Emporia State), Becca Smith-Vandergriff
(who will play softball at Benedictine) and
Alex Zimmerman (who will play softball at
Johnson County Community College). ■
FOR MUCH MORE ON STAG ATHLETICS, VISIT WWW.BISHOPMIEGE.COM
Homecoming 2006
The football team takes on Blue Valley North at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. Tickets are $5
for adults and $4 for high school students with ID. At halftime, we’ll announce the 2006
Alumni of the Year, and the Homecoming Queen will be crowned. Plus, Stag Shop
items will be available for sale throughout the night. Hey, class of 2006: you’ll receive
free passes to the game!
8
MIEGE MATTERS
■
AUGUST 2006
October 6-7, 2006
bishopmiege.com
STAG ACHIEVEMENT
Seniors earn $3.6 million in scholarships
The class of 2006 earned a remarkable $3.6 million in scholarship offers, which averages out to more than $16,000 per student.
This figure is substantially more than the typical figure of $2 million or $2.5 million that classes tend to receive.
Debate/forensic
students earn
national rankings
T
he Miege debate and forensics
teams continue their decadelong tradition of impressive
performance by earning All-American
recognition from the National Forensic
League this summer.
Five members of this year’s squad
were recognized as All-Americans. Out of
93,000 members, Ethan Struby ’06 was
ranked 10th in the nation, and Lizz Esfeld
’06 was ranked 16th. In the top 250, Tom
Hogan ’06 was 36th, Kate Maxwell ’06 was
66th and Paula DeSeure ’06 was 159th.
Students earn points through competing
in local and national tournaments, and the
National Forensic League then compiles
the top 250 point-earners, assigning special
recognition to the nation’s top 25 students.
This spring, seven team members also
earned Academic All-American honors,
which takes into account their NFL point
total, grade point average and ACT/SAT
scores. Emily Bland, Esfeld, Jess Gisler,
Hogan, DeSeure, Maxwell and Struby, all
class of 2006, received the honors.
bishopmiege.com
STAG SHOUT-OUTS
FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE
YEAR FINALIST
Colleen Rielley ’06 was one of the
finalists for the Kansas Female Athlete
of the Year award sponsored by the
Kansas City Sports Commission and
Foundation.Three boys and three
girls from Kansas and a corresponding
number from Missouri were recognized.
AMBASSADORS
SCHOLARSHIP
Megan Madrigal ’06 received one
of 25 $2,000 scholarships given by
the Kansas City Ambassadors. The
scholarship was presented June 22.
REGIONAL MUSIC
In April, eight Miegians received I
ratings for vocal solos at the Regional
Music Festival at Baker University: Allie
Richmeier, Alisa Schemmel, Caitlin
Jarzemkoski, Shannon Dougherty,
Sarah Brower, Nathan Harkins, Nancy
Griego and Ellen Poulose. Seven of
those students went on to State Music
Festival in Gardner, Kan. Jarzemkoski
and Griego received II ratings, and
Poulose, Harkins, Brower, Dougherty
and Schemmel received I ratings.
Students’ artwork
chosen for use in
national museum
A
rtwork by two Miege students is
being used to create souvenirs at
the National Frontier Trails
Museum in Independence, Mo.
The museum recently
acquired a penny press for
visitors to use, and it needed
new designs for the machine
to impress on flattened
pennies.
Miege Librarian Judi
Wollenziehn, who is a former
president of the Friends of the
Museum, asked art teacher
Diana Werts to conduct a
contest among her graphic
arts students to create new
designs for the penny press.
The finished designs from two
students are now the ones used in the
museum’s penny press. Sigrid Quade
’07 produced the wagon train graphic
(bottom), and George Hsiao ’07 created the
image of Jim Bridger (top).
AUGUST 2006
■
MIEGE MATTERS
9
IN FOCUS
A decade of
making their case
L
BRIEF BIO
Melissa
Reynolds
High school:
Kickapoo
High School,
Springfield, Mo.
Undergraduate:
Southwest
Baptist, English
and Speech/
Theater
Graduate: Baylor
University,
communication
studies
Bishop Miege
High School:
1987-present;
Speech, Debate,
Forensics and
AP Composition
Melissa
Reynolds Day:
April 20, 2006, in
Mission, Kan.
ike many people, Melissa Reynolds
found her career path thanks to the
inspiration of a teacher. But hers
nagged her into it.
The current Miege Debate and Forensics
coach babysat the children of her high school
debate teacher, and he pestered her about
taking his classes, even though she was quite shy.
“I tell my students that I eventually signed
up out of spite,” she said. “I figured the only
way to make him shut up was to show him
how bad I was. But then I caught the bug.”
She decided against becoming an
engineer, and instead studied speech and
theater in college, eventually coming to
teach at Bishop Miege 19 years ago.
For 10 years, the Miege Debate and
Forensics squads have come in either first
or second at State, which is a streak the
current students are eager to continue.
“The goal used to be to bring home
some hardware from State,” Reynolds said.
“Once we started winning, it began this
streak, and now the new students don’t
want to be the ones to break the streak.”
Because of the remarkable success of her
teams, Mission, Kan., named April 20, 2006,
Melissa Reynolds Day, and she received the
Chamber of Commerce’s Golden Apple Award.
As Miege’s debate and forensics coach, Melissa Reynolds has
helped establish a long tradition of success in the program.
Seven students qualified for the 2006
National competition, which took place
June 19-23 in Dallas: Kate Maxwell ’06,
Matt Lanning ’06, Lizz Esfeld ’06, Joanne
Bauer ’07, Maggie Kane ’07, Ethan Struby
’06 and Tom Hogan ’06.
At Nationals, Lizz reached the semifinals
in Student Congress and received the Karl
Mundt Medal for her performance, while
Ethan made it out of the preliminary
rounds and advanced through round eight,
reaching the quarterfinals in Commentary.
Joanne also reached the quarterfinal round
in Expository. It’s a big deal to make it out
of the preliminary rounds — the field goes
from 200-300 students down to 20 or 30.
“I see the whole history of Miege when
they’re debating,” Reynolds said. “There’s
a real tradition present for these kids, and
there’s a sense of obligation that the older
kids have to the younger ones to pass on
their knowledge.” ■
COACH’S STATS
In a 19-year career,
Reynolds’ students
have amassed an
impressive record.
■ 5 State debate
championships
(four-speaker
category) – 1998,
1999, 2000, 2004,
2006
■ Runner-up at
State in the twospeaker debate
championship in
2003
■ 14 individual
State forensics
champions since
1990
■ 43 students
from debate
and forensics
have qualified for
nationals
1996 alum joins Kansas Sports Hall of Fame
T
Catherine Fox, who was inducted into the Kansas Sports Hall of
Fame on June 3, with her coach, Pete Malone (right), and Duane
Muck, the Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees Chairman.
10
MIEGE MATTERS
■
AUGUST 2006
en years after capturing a gold medal in the 1996 Summer
Olympics, Catherine Fox ’96 has been inducted into the
Kansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Fox is one of the most
decorated athletes ever in
Kansas and one of the top
female swimmers in Stanford
University history. She’s a 21time All-American in women’s
swimming, a nine-time NCAA
champion and an American
record-holder at Stanford. She
won gold medals in the 1996
games in Atlanta as a member
of the 400-meter medley and
400-freestyle relay teams. While she didn’t swim competitively for
Miege, she earned an honorary letter from the school.
The ceremony took place June 3 in Wichita, Kan. For more
information about the Kansas Hall of Fame, visit www.kshof.org. ■
bishopmiege.com
ALUM NOTES
1960s
Steve Murray ’62
Steve recently retired
as a captain for
American Airlines
and is retired in
Maui, Hawaii. His
daughter Krista lives
in Redondo Beach,
Calif.
and two granddaughters.
Jim Garner ’64
Robert Bens ’79
Dr. Jim Garner
has opened a new
veterinary practice at
15110 Ash, Leawood,
Kan. This is located
at 151st Street and
Nall Avenue at Ironhorse Centre. The
practice is limited to
small animals.
Marianne (Furst)
Weber ’66
Marianne is a
program coordinator for an adult
ministry program in
Kansas City. She and
her husband, Dick,
celebrated their 36th
anniversary in July
and are the proud
grandparents of a
new granddaughter.
Ginny (Stiles)
Tadlock ’69
Ginny retired from
Sprint in January
after 36 years. She’s
enjoying the local
grandbabies (Kaden,
age 2, and Kortlan,
4 months, from
daughter Evelyn),
and traveling to visit
daughter Erica and
her kids (Brooklyn,
13, and Blake, 11) in
Jax, Fla.
1970s
Don and Linda
Tabberer ’70
Don recently
received his master’s
of divinity degree.
Don and his wife,
Linda, have two
grown sons in Tulsa
bishopmiege.com
Robert started running marathons in
1999 with a race
for the Leukemia
Society (and missed
his 20-year reunion
because of it). Since
then, he’s caught the
bug and has run 35
marathons. Last fall,
he ran the Tahoe
Triple (three marathons in three days).
Festival. Recently,
she performed in
the musical “The
Covenant” in Los
Angeles. Film clips
and demo reels are
available on Susanna’s
Web site: www.susannavelasquez.com.
Jennifer (Wagner)
Lynch ’86
Jennifer and her
husband, Bill, have
two kids, Liam 6
and Katie 3, and live
in Springfield, Mo.
Jennifer works as a
neurologist and sleep
medicine physician
for Ferrell-Duncan
Clinic. They are
happy to be back
closer to home after
moving around for
nearly 10 years.
begin a career as a
professional volleyball player for three
months.
Seanna Viggers ’98
Seanna married
Robert Viggers in
June 2005 in Kansas
City. They live in
Wichita, Kan., where
she in marketing and
he is an engineer.
Mellisa Murphy ’99
Mellisa became
engaged to her college sweetheart just
after Christmas 2005.
They plan to marry
in February. They
live in St. Louis,
where Mellisa a
respiratory therapist
at Barnes Hospital.
2000s
Alan Peel ’00
1980s
Kelley (Rubison)
Whisler ’89
Susanna
Velasquez ’81
Kelley and husband
Dan have a new
addition to their
family. Layne Patrick
Whisler was born on
Feb. 27, joining big
sister Grace, 3, and
big brothers Michael,
14, and Matt, 10.
After living in
Orlando, Fla., for 15
years, Susanna moved
to Burbank, Calif.,
where she’s been
acting in film and
television. She has
appeared in several
commercials and
TV shows such as
“The Young and the
Restless,” “Gilmore
Girls,” “The Shield,”
“Unsolved Mysteries,” and “The Inside.”
She also has recurred
as a reporter on
“General Hospital.”
Susanna also costarred in the short
film “A Temp For All
Seasons,” which was
honored with five
awards including Best
Short Film at the
2005 168 Hour Film
1990s
Julie Thomas ’97
In January, Julie
participated in a
professional volleyball league tryout
in Europe. She
traveled to places
such as the Czech
Republic, Austria,
Germany, Italy and
Slovenia, where
she practiced with
various professional
teams. She plans to
move to Indonesia
in February 2007, to
Alan is the graduate assistant for the
Rockhurst University men’s basketball team. He also
worked the Rock U.
basketball camp with
fellow Bishop Miege
alum Sam Sutera.
Rebecca
Konomos ’01
Rebecca graduated in May 2005,
from Emporia State
University with a
bachelor’s degree
in elementary
education with an
endorsement in
special education.
Emily Richardson ’01
Emily graduated
from Washburn
University in May
2005 with degrees in
finance and management. She works at
Hormel Foods as a
territory manager in
Portland, Ore.
IN MEMORIAM
When a loved one from the Miege
community passes away and the school
is made aware, the loved ones are
remembered at the next all-school Mass.
A reception follows for family members.
ALUMNI
David “Bryan”
Aziere ’97
Patricia Fuchs
Kearney ’64
Kathleen
O’Connell ’67
John Patrick
McGuff ’77
Jonathan Unseld ’06
John “Jay”Walsh ’63
John “Jack”
Weitkamp ’73
OTHERS
Eva Ahern
Vladimir “Walt”
Azaroff
Joseph Bartkoski Sr.
Dorothy R. Bibb
Catherine Bintner
Stella Brocato
John Buffkin, Jr.
Gerald “Fritz”
Cashion
William Criqui
Nell Cullen
Mary Dana
Jesus DeLaCruze
Veronica
DesLauriers
Glen Dorlac
Mary Dowd
Mary Engel
Marjorie Fahey
Joseph Flynn
Rico Fontana
Ralph Gates
Mary Lee Gayley
Josephine Harn
Margaret
Harrington
Pauline Houts
Emanuella “Lena”
LaSala
Kathryn Lazzo
Carl LaVino
Dorothy Lusk
Donald Lysaught
Bernard Mabry
Mildred Marx
John McCarthy, Jr.
George
McDonald
Peter McGinley
Joe McGuff
Marjorie Mellody
Victor Merino
Donald Miller
David
Moneymaker
Marjorie Moore
Geraldine Murphy
Manuel Muzquiz
Bernadine Noel
Veronica North
Mary O’Connell
Robert O’Connor
Nick O’Donnell
Jackie O’Neill
James Pepper
JoAnn Phillips
Michael Pitnick
Vincent Ponchur Jr.
Mary Raplinger
Wayne
Richardson
Chantel
Richardson-Dean
Ralph Sarli
Charlestine
Scroggins
Betty Sine
Louis Tremonti
Paul Tumberger
Annette Von Lintel
Lillian Wayenberg
Charles “Chuck”
Wendt
Adam Troy
Williams Sr.
Stanley Wolski Sr.
Your classmates want to hear what’s
new in your life! Keep us informed of
marriages, births, promotions, moves,
honors and general updates. Don’t
forget to send photos, too! Submit
news at www.alumni.bishopmiege.com.
AUGUST 2006
■
MIEGE MATTERS
11
HAVE YOU
LOGGED ON LATELY?
To join the Bishop Miege
online alumni community
for the first time, enter
your username as your
first name, last name
and four-digit year of
graduation with no
spaces between words:
i.e., susantremonti1979.
Your password is the
numeric code at the top
of this issue’s mailing
label. Once you’ve logged
in, you can personalize
your username and
password in your profile
information. Questions:
[email protected]
■
■
■
■
■
■
■
Submit and read
alum notes
Register for
upcoming events
Visit the career center to
post positions or look for
jobs
View pictures from Miege
events and reunions
Get the latest information
about your upcoming
reunions
Donate to your
alma mater
Reconnect with
old friends!
WWW.ALUMNI.BISHOPMIEGE.COM
UPCOMING REUNIONS
CLASS OF 1961
Saturday, Oct. 21
Meet at the Lionsgate
Golf Club House in
Overland Park for
your 45th reunion.
www.bishopmiege.
com
CLASS OF 1976
CLASS OF 1986
CLASS OF 1996
Aug. 4-6
Aug. 11-13
Oct. 6-7
Join your old friends
for a Classmates
Bash at Sutera’s on
Friday, a cocktail
buffet at the Great
Wolf Lodge on
Saturday and a
T-Bones game on
Sunday.
http://bmhs76.
myevent.com
Start the weekend at
Tim Swanson’s Final
Approach Bar and
Grill on Friday. On
Saturday, take a tour
of the school and join
us for a reception.
Bring the family to
a picnic on Sunday
at Shawnee Mission
Park.
www.bishopmiege.
com
Come back for
Homecoming
and join your ’96
classmates for the
Miege football game
and tailgate in the
Commons on Friday.
We’ll head out to
The Levee in Kansas
City on Saturday
night for cocktails
and hors d’oeuvres.
www.miege1996.
myevent.com
CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
AUGUST
5
8
11
13
17
18
21
24
Class of 1976 Reunion,
Fall Sports Information Night, 7 p.m.
Class of 1986 Reunion
Freshman Welcome Mass and Picnic,
10:30 a.m.
Freshman/Senior Orientation. Seniors:
7:50-11 a.m., Freshmen: noon-3 p.m.
Sophomore/Junior Orientation.
Juniors: 7:50-11 a.m., Sophomores:
noon-3 p.m.
First day of classes; freshman
welcome activities, 11:30 a.m.–3 p.m.
Sports Extravaganza, 5 p.m.
SEPTEMBER
4 Labor Day, no classes
6 Back to School Night, 7 p.m.
15 27th Annual Miege Open
(see page 5)
16 Sutera Italian Picnic and Music Fest
(see page 5)
25 Faculty Professional Day, no classes
OCTOBER
6
Homecoming Weekend
Stag Strut
7 Homecoming Dance
6-7 Class of 1996 Reunion
9 Faculty Professional Day, no classes
15 Open House
21 Class of 1961 Reunion, Lionsgate
Golf Club House
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Shawnee Mission, KS
Permit No. 342
Bishop Miege High School
5041 Reinhardt Dr.
Shawnee Mission, KS 66205
Address Change Service requested