|
|
| Volume #5 Issue #10 Date: October 2019
| |
| ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT:
College Hoops Coach John Giannini '80
| |
 |
Coach Giannini grew up in Elmwood Park and attended St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in River Forest before enrolling at Fenwick.
|
| As basketball season draws nearer, Fenwick alumnus John Giannini ’80 gets antsy. He hears the echo of his whistle and the orange, leather balls bouncing in the gym, but those sounds now are memories thumping in his head. It’s only natural because this past year marked the first time in 30 seasons that he was not coaching a college basketball team.
For 14 years (2004-18), Giannini, who was raised in Elmwood Park, IL, was head coach of the La Salle University men’s basketball team, an NCAA Division I program in Philadelphia. Giannini quickly turned the program around, when in his second year, the 2005-06 Explorers set a school record for Atlantic 10 Conference wins and tallied their first winning season in 13 years. Coach G. was named as a candidate for the National Coach of the Year. In 2011-12, La Salle won 21 games and was asked to participate in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).
A year later, the Explorers punched a ticket to the lauded NCAA Tournament, where they were seeded 13th in their region. They defeated Boise State in the opening round, and then beat Kansas State and Ole Miss. The run ended in the Sweet 16, where La Salle fell to Wichita State. The team finished with a No. 24 national ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
| |
| Homecoming & Class Reunions: This Weekend!
| |
|  |
Friars on the gridiron in the fall of '68.
| |  |
Coach Gene Nudo gets 100 wins!
| |  |
2019 net-minder Jacob Arquette.
| |
| | |
Reunion Weekend is here! If your class year ends in 4 or 9, join your classmates at all of the events happening this weekend. Click the red button below for more details.
Alumni & friends, please join us at Homecoming (Triton) on Friday, Oct. 4, vs. Marmion as we honor Head Football Coach Gene Nudo before the game for his 100th high-school coaching victory! The Friars' Class of 1969 will be recognized at halftime.
All soccer alumni are invited to the October 5th home contest against Proviso West. Game time is
10 a.m. Saturday at the Priory (House of Studies) in River Forest.
| |
| The Sr. Marion Cypser Scholarship Fund
| |
Fenwick High School is thrilled to announce the establishment of the
Sister Marion Cypser Scholarship Fund. Named after long-time, now retired, principal of St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy School, Sr. Marion Cypser, RSM, this fund has been established by a donor in appreciation of Sr. Marion’s 40+ years of teaching in Catholic education in Oak Park and her longtime affiliation with Fenwick.
The purpose of this scholarship fund is to provide the equivalent of one full-tuition financial aid scholarship annually for at least the next four years (beginning in the 2020-21 school year), or until all proceeds are disbursed, to one or more students who can benefit from the quality education and formative experience that Fenwick provides. Preference will be given to alumni of St. Catherine’s-St. Lucy’s, students from St. John Fischer School (SJF) or children of alumni from SJF.
Let us continue Sr. Marion’s legacy of providing quality Catholic education in Oak Park for years to come! Thank you!
| |
| Our 4 National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists!
| |
|  |
This Friars’ Class of 2020 quartet is competing for 7,600 scholarships valued at more than $31 million.
| |
| | |
Last month, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced those students who have qualified as Semi-finalists in this year’s Merit competition. Fenwick is pleased to report that it has four seniors who have qualified for this honor. Of the nearly 1.5 million students who sat for last year’s PSAT/ NMSQT examination, these students placed in approximately the top 1%. Of the 16,000 Semi-finalists, about half will be awarded scholarships under the auspices of the National Merit program, earning the “Merit Scholar” title.
“These seniors now move on to the next phase of the contest,” explains Richard Borsch, Director of College Counseling at Fenwick. “Congratulations to them -- and best wishes in the continuing competition!” The four Fenwick semifinalists, with grade schools and cities of residence, are (from left): Eva Homberger (Oak Park, Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School); Joseph Zawacki (Oak Park, St. Giles Catholic School); Jacob Arquette
(Oak Park, Percy Julian Middle School); and Elizabeth Rogowski (Hinsdale, St. Isaac Jogues Catholic School). Read more.
| |
| Recapping a Summer Pilgrimage to France
| |
As autumn dawns, French Teacher Korin Heinz reflects on a special summer journey abroad with Fenwick President Fr. Richard Peddicord, O.P.:
On June 26th, 28 people from all over the United States came to the village of Fanjeaux, France, to spend 10 days together exploring faith. What drew us to this beautiful and remote region of Southwestern France was the Dominican Spirituality Pilgrimage: “Deepening the Dominican Spirit.”
Organized by the Sisters of St. Dominic and Fenwick President Father Richard Peddicord, O.P., this trip traces the footsteps of St. Dominic. He began his mission in the 13th century in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains in Fanjeaux. We stayed in the convent of Ste. Dominique. Our days were comprised of day trips, talks on Dominican life and spirituality, mass, reflection, free time and daily communal meals of delicious French food.
| |
| FACULTY FOCUS:
English Teacher Shana Wang
| |
 | Ms. Wang, in her 23rd year of teaching and her third at Fenwick, greets students by name) as they enter her classroom.
|
| Faith = Hope: "Fenwick students ... are buoyed by their faith. They lean on and support each other," observes third-year English Teacher Ms. Shana Wang. "They still believe that they can improve the world and, because of that, they will!"
What is your educational background?
SW: I graduated in 1993 from Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights. Then, I followed our beloved 'Quinnies' [Social Studies Teacher/alumnus John Quinn '76] to Amherst College, where I graduated with a B.A. in English and Black Studies. After working for a year, I went to L’Université de Montpellier III in France. There, I earned my Métrise in French Language and Culture. The following year, I enrolled at Columbia University in New York, where I earned my M.A.T. in English.
What did you do prior to becoming a teacher at Fenwick?
SW: I have taught in three different countries and in a variety of schools before crashing through the halls of Fenwick. During my second year of teaching in Qingdao, China, I met a math teacher by the name of Dan Navarro [Fenwick Class of '97]. I told him that when my sons grew older, we would probably move back to the Chicagoland area. “You should go to my alma mater and see if they have any open positions. If Mr. Finnell is still alive, tell him that I became a math teacher because of him!” Imagine the odds of meeting a Friar in a Chinese city of 8,000,000. I’m sure Finnell could figure that out. Read more.
| |
| COLLEGIATE FRIARS: 2016 Classmates
Margaret McLean and Cavan Smith
| |
|  |
These Fenwick '16 classmates now are seniors at Saint Louis University and UConn, respectively.
| |
| | |
MARGARET McLEAN
Fenwick Graduation: 2016
Hometown: Elmhurst, IL
Grade School: Visitation Grade School
Current School: Saint Louis University
Major: Nursing
Summer internship: This past summer, I was so blessed to complete the UMSL/BJC Summer Nurse Externship program. I was a “nurse extern” on the Telemetry (Cardiac) Unit at BJC St. Peters Hospital, in St. Peters, Missouri. As a nurse extern, I acted in the role of the Registered Nurse (RN) under the supervision of and alongside my nurse preceptor. I worked her full-time schedule: 12-hour shifts, 3 days a week. I completed 340 clinical hours of direct patient care, from which I gained invaluable nursing care experience.
This externship was separate from my SLU education; it was something I wanted to do on my own to get more clinical experience. Most of the patients I had were there for chest pain, TIAs and strokes, heart failure, cardiac dysrhythmias, respiratory issues, and electrolyte imbalances. From this experience, I grew an appreciation for and developed a passion for cardiac nursing. Some exciting things I learned how to do were focused patient assessments, neuro checks, administering all types of medications, giving tube feedings, interpreting EKG strips, updating the doctor on the patient’s status, and giving end-of-shift report.
Career aspirations: After I graduate, I want to work as an RN in a hospital. I am not sure yet what unit I would like to work on, but I am interested in working in a Telemetry Step-Down Unit, the Emergency Department, the Intensive Care Unit, or possibly Labor & Delivery. After I work for a few years, I may decide to further my education by getting my MSN or DNP and becoming a nurse practitioner. Read more.
| |
CAVAN SMITH
Fenwick Graduation: 2016
Hometown: Western Springs, IL
Grade School: Hadley Middle School
Current School: University of Connecticut
Major: Finance (Minor: English)
Summer internship: During my sophomore school year, I was a research assistant in the Department of Economics at UConn. In the summer going into my junior year, I interned at Archer Daniels Midlands Investor Services (ADMIS) in Chicago. This summer I interned at a family wealth fund called OCEANM19 LLC in Hinsdale.
Career aspirations: Investment Research
Fenwick achievements/activities: I was a four-year varsity letter athlete on the swim team. I had a couple of school records. The 100 Butterfly might still be there.
Fenwick teacher who had the most influence on you: Either Mr. Schoeph or Mrs. Weicher. They are the reason why I minor in English. Each day was fun and challenging. I was happy to be in their class every day.
Fenwick class that had the most influence on you: Mrs. Weicher’s junior-year English class. She taught me to enjoy reading, and it changed my perspective. Read more.
| |
| 50th Annual Fall Play Is November 1-3
| |
The Blackfriars Guild (BFG) presents Fenwick's 50th annual fall play, Charles Dickens's "David Copperfield, in the school's Auditorium. Performance dates:
> Friday, November 1st, at 7:30 p.m.
> Saturday, November 2nd, at 7:30 p.m.
> Sunday, November 3rd, at 3:00 p.m.
BFG alumni and families, please join alumni/faculty members Roger Finnell '59 and Director John Schoeph '95 on Saturday evening before the show (6:00 p.m.) for a reception celebrating 50 years of the fall play!
| |
| Lifetime Achievement Recognition
for Alumnus Tom Cashman '56
| |
Fenwick Life Trustee Tom Cashman '56 received a lifetime achievement award on Sept. 26 from 100 Club of Chicago, which helps families of 1st responders who've died on duty. Cashman, whose father was a CFD captain, is with great-niece and current sophomore Camille Nourie '22.
"Tom is a dear family friend," writes Ms. Nourie's mother, Vera Chan, "and it was an honor to be there, especially for Camille to support her Fenwick mentor and great uncle (in-law). Camille’s grandmother was the emcee for the evening and is a member of the 100 Club as is her grandfather, Stuart Ellison. Tom did mention Fenwick in his acceptance speech and it was a proud moment for Friar pride!"
| |
| MASS OF REMEMBRANCE:
Sunday, November 3rd
| |
Please join us for a Mass of Remembrance on Sunday, November 3rd, in memory of loved ones born to eternal life. Mass begins at 10 a.m. at Fenwick followed by a reception with light refreshments.
Please RSVP to Kristyn Rein at (708) 948-0306 or krein@fenwickfriars.com by October 28, and provide the name(s) of those attending
and the name(s) of the person(s) being remembered.
| |
| Sign Up for "FriarsConnect"
| |
FriarsConnect recently went through an upgrade in its design! Log in or sign up today to check out Fenwick’s exclusive alumni platform. Nearly 900 members of the Friar Community have signed up for this service that keeps you connected to your fellow Friars.
FriarsConnect allows you to:
- Find jobs and opportunities where you can work with your fellow Friars
- Cultivate meaningful mentoring opportunities
- Connect with and organize the powerful relationships available via the
Fenwick community - And so much more!
| |
| Get Your Fenwick Gear from the Friar Shop!
| |
The Friar Shop online store is an excellent resource for Fenwick Alumni to purchase spirit wear and Friar gear. We have a great selection of apparel and accessories: Whether it be for baby, toddler, youth or adult, we’ve got you covered! New items are added regularly, so check out The Friar Shop online store today! Items may be shipped directly to you or you may choose In-store Pick-up.
School Year Regular Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.*
*On Varsity Football Home Game days, the Friar Shop hours will be 9 a.m. till noon. The Friar Shop will be selling merchandise at Triton during the Varsity games.
| |
| Purchase a Friar Courtyard Brick Today!
| |
Personalize a gift for the Friars in your life. Commemorative bricks can be purchased now for installation in the summer of 2020 in the ever more beautiful Fenwick Courtyard. (Orders are due by June 5, 2020). A brick makes the ideal Christmas, birthday, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and graduation gift!
| |
| Know a Classmate Who's Not Receiving FAN?
| |
Do you know a Friar who is not receiving the Fenwick Alumni News (FAN) e-newsletter every month? All we need is her or his email address! Please have the person contact us at communications@fenwickfriars.com.
| |
|
Mass of Remembrance
Sunday, November 3
Naples, FL Alumni Gathering
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Blackfriars Gala
Friday, April 24, 2020
| |
|
Homecoming and Reunions are this weekend! Please consider making a gift to help ensure that every class of Fenwick graduates is as prepared for their college years as you were.
| |
|
Have something to share with your fellow alumni? Please send all of your alumni news and happenings to Peter Durkin '03, Director of Alumni Relations (pdurkin@fenwickfriars.com).
| |
|
Fenwick High School is owned and sponsored by the Dominican Friars
of the Province of St. Albert the Great headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
| |
|
|
|
