Winter 2016-2017

m a g a z i n eA Publication for Alumni and Friends

of De La Salle Institute

Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Theatre 100!

www.dls.org

This issue of ‘D’ Magazine celebrates the 25th anniversary of the founding of our Theatre 100 program.

We proudly honor retired faculty member Linda Matonich, who taught at De La Salle from 1991-2014. Linda also was Theatre 100’s founder, serving as artistic director for 22 years and its moderator and director for 18 years.

With Linda’s instruction and direction serving as the foundation, many of our students who participated in Theatre 100 have gone on to careers in the theatre and theatre-related industries.

Six Theatre 100 alumni reflect upon the importance the arts have played in their careers and lives in the main story of this magazine. Additionally, we have provided an article about Theatre 100 today under the direction of Sam Fitzgerald as well as several reflections on the significant impact theatre arts have on today’s Meteors.

As De La Salle continues to expand and strengthen its curriculum around the concepts of STREAM (science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics), we take great pride in seeing our Theatre 100 program continuing its high degree of success.

Thanks to our Theatre 100 program, we’ve been fortunate enough over the last 25 years to see some of the brightest students with the brightest talents on the De La Salle campus gracing the stage. These Meteors certainly have shone when taking their places in the spotlight.

I thank each of you for your generous support of De La Salle and encourage you to attend a Theatre 100 performance in the Ayres-Conway Theatre when you have an opportunity to do so. I’m confident you will leave feeling very proud of our Meteors and excited about their great futures.

May God bless you and those you love with health, happiness and peace!

St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us!

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

Live Jesus in Our Hearts, Forever!

Mission StatementDe La Salle Institute is an independent Catholic secondary school rooted in the tradition of Christian education begun by St. John Baptist de La Salle. Founded in 1889, its mission has been, and is, to foster a desire for excellence in education. Young people from a variety of ethnic and economic backgrounds are given the opportunity to fully develop their abilities so they may be active, contributing members of our complex, changing society.

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De La Salle Magazine Winter 2016-2017

Editor Michael K. Walsh

Photography De La Salle Archives Root Studios/HR Imaging Michael K. Walsh

Contributing Authors Christopher Ahearn Iris Gist Cochran Paul Dirschl La Toya Keys Emily Stinnett Michael K. Walsh

Designer Nichole Flynn

Printer M&G Graphics

De La Salle Magazine is published three times a year by De La Salle Institute’s Office for Advancement. The purpose of this publication is to unite the Christian Brothers, alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends together in De La Salle’s mission of excellence in education. All submissions or comments should be directed to dmagazine@dls.org

To receive this magazine electronically, please send an email to dmagazine@dls.org.

De La Salle President Fr. Paul Novak

De La Salle Institute Board of Directors 2016-2017

Chairman Mr. Paul D. McCoy ‘68

Vice Chairman Mr. Prentiss J. Jackson ‘67

Members Mr. Marshall A. Blake Mr. George A. Bonomo ‘59 Mr. Victor M. Chavarria ‘69 Mr. Eugene L. Ferretti Dr. Robert O. Graham ‘64 Honorable Patrick M. Huels ‘67 Sister Mary Alice Jarosz, SSJ-TOSF Brother Michael Kadow, FSC Dr. Scott A. Kier Sister Valerie Kulbacki, SSJ-TOSF ‘L64 Mr. La Rue Martin, Jr. ‘68 Ms. Sharon R. O’Brien Mr. Joseph D. Parente ‘84 Mr. Michael J. Passarelli ‘90 Mr. Michael A. Tadin ‘69 Mrs. Cathryn P. Taylor Mr. Thomas L. Taylor Mr. Mark A. Tomassini ‘88 Mr. James A. Vanek ‘64

President’s Council Honorable William J. Aukstik ‘64 Mr. Michael G. Bansley ‘53 Mr. Michael F. Hickey ‘56 Mr. James R. Woodrow ‘53

Extollo Educational Foundation Board of DirectorsPresident Mr. Michael G. Bansley ‘53

Vice President Mr. James R. Woodrow ‘53

Secretary/Treasurer Mr. Michael F. Hickey ‘56

Table of ContentSacadeMicsTheatre 100 – A Silver Celebration of Excellence 2-7

De La Salle App Team Lauded by Verizon 8

Inaugural Robotics Club Tournament Held at De La Salle 9

Step Up to the Challenge, Double Your Giving 10

Eighteen Meteors Chosen as Illinois State Scholars 11

One of the Best Bands in the Land 12

2016 Huether Lasallian Conference Held 13

Adrienne Adu ’18 Attends Congress of Future Medical Leaders 14

Walking across Boyle Courtyard with Jackie Perales ’09 15

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words… 16-17

faiTH, seRVice & coMMUniTYTolton Center Remains a Leader in Adult Education 18-19

aTHleTicsWinter Sports Update 20-21

deVeloPMenTDouble the Impact of Your Gift during the 2017 Phonathon 22

Lagunitas Night a Success! 22

The Parent Association Wants You 22

Continuing the Legacy of Omar Torres ’05 23

Meteor Alumni Success Story – Emrhan Slaton ’06 24

De La Salle Alumni Newsnotes 25

Lourdes Alumnae Newsnotes 25

In Memoriam 25

Mark Your Calendar for the 10th Annual Great Futures Gala 26

Skate with the Meteors – Alumni Hockey Game to be Held 27

2003-04 Girls Volleyball Team Welcomed into Sports Hall of Fame 27

de la salle Magazine 1

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Theatre 100’s 25th anniversary

Enter the Toth Foyer and head for the stairs in front of Bansley Hall. After climbing the stairs, make a left in front of the 1889 main entrance doors and you will see another smaller staircase.

Ascend those stairs and you will find a venue that has nurtured and developed some of the top cre-ative talent that De La Salle has proudly produced. There you will find the Ayres-Conway Theatre, the home of De La Salle’s Theatre 100 program.

Inside you will find posters from a wonderful va-riety of plays as evidence of the amazing work

that has been done by the students and faculty who have participated in the Theatre 100 pro-gram over the years.

In the May 2006 issue of De La Salle Magazine, we looked back on the 15th anniversary of the Theatre 100 program.

As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Theatre 100 program in this issue, we do so by interview-ing some of the people for whom Theatre 100 has played and is continuing to play an integral role in their lives. These are the women and men who

directed, produced, shaped and performed these pieces. We hope you enjoy this feature on the silver anniversary of De La Salle’s Theatre 100 program.

The first person’s reflections you will read are those of Linda Matonich, who taught at De La Salle from 1991-2014. Matonich was the person responsible for the creation of the Theatre 100 program and also served De La Salle as an art teacher. Matonich was Theatre 100’s artistic di-rector for 22 years and the after-school modera-tor/director for 18 years.

What are your favorite memories of Theatre 100?

“I have so many favorite memories of Theatre 100 that it would require an entire magazine of its own. Each season brought something fun or touching and something to take away and keep. The musicals were always a challenge, but also a source of great pride.

“‘Amadeus’ stands out for me because it was a small group who worked as a complete ensem-ble to pull off a very adult and difficult piece. ‘Superstar’ was the largest cast of any musical we produced but again, it was a great cast en-semble piece. I don’t have a favorite show be-cause each one brought something special to the DLS stage.”

What advice would you give a student who is thinking about theatre as a college major/fu-ture profession?

“Without one note of sarcasm, I would give the advice that was in one of the books I used for classwork: ‘If you can think of anything else you would like to do, do that.’ Working in the theatre takes tremendous amounts of hard work, dedication and a giant pinch of luck. You need a tough skin and a second or third job to support yourself while you audition or look for production work. Of course, talent plays a part, but there is depth and breadth to the talent out there competing for every theatre job.

“What is something unique that you can bring to the work? Cultivate a circle of theatre friends with connections and keep your eyes and ears open for every opportunity. If it is what you want above anything else, then keep going. Keep believing.”

What were the rewards gained from guiding Theatre 100?

“I always learned more from my students than I am sure they did from me. Theatre is about life lessons as much for the adults involved as for the students. The rewards are many and they continue to give back on a daily basis when I look on my Facebook page and see the faces of their families and read about their lives, know-ing they are part of my life because of theatre.”

What made you decide to create the Theatre 100 program?

“When I started at DLS, there was no drama program but there was a need for one. It took baby steps and a belief that there were students who wanted this program and would thrive be-cause it existed.

“We started with a Christmas show performed by my first drama class in the old cafeteria. Stu-dents performed in my classroom for years un-til the new facility came into being. We added improvisation, student-directed plays, one-act (plays) and sword combat to the after-school mix as the interest and abilities of the students changed and grew.

“We were chosen to perform in the Illinois Theater Festival seven times because the stu-dent participants put their hard work and tal-ent on the line. With each step as we grew, the students always stepped up and did more than I asked or expected. The students today who work in Theatre 100 stand on the shoulders of those first young men who decided that theatre was where they wanted to be. That’s why the program thrives and still exists.”

Why is the theatre program called “Theatre 100?”

“It’s called Theatre 100 because all of our early shows were put on in my art room (which is now part Meteor Shop and part trainer’s room) and the room number was 100. “Later on, the after-school drama kids said, ‘Yes, but it’s also because we give 100 percent to what we do 100 percent of the time.’”

Theatre 100 - A Silver Celebration of Excellence

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Avery Waddell ’94 has 58 acting credits to his name on IMDb’s website. Waddell, who cur-rently lives in Los Angeles, is best known for his appearances in the movies “Road Trip” (2000) and “The New Guy” (2002) and doing voiceover work in the 2005 video game “True Crime NYC.”

Waddell is currently working on a feature film that he wrote and directed titled “Questions.” The film is scheduled to be released later this year. Waddell also has a cartoon called “Hanazuki” for Hasbro in which he voices five characters in-cluding Sleepy Unicorn and Dazzelesence Jones.

Waddell studied theatre and film as a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

What was your favorite role as a member of Theatre 100 and why?

“My favorite role was a wolf. I played a wolf in a production that we put on that was an adapta-tion of a Ray Bradbury story. I remember when Mrs. Matonich first told me that she was cast-ing me as a wolf, I was extremely disappointed. After all, the role didn’t even have any lines. Mrs. Matonich said, ‘Trust me.’ I begrudg-ingly agreed to do it and that turned out to be a great decision. That role ended up teaching

me so much about acting. It was way more of a challenge than I was expecting. How do you communicate feeling without talking? It’s much more difficult than being able to speak lines. Mrs. Matonich giving me that role took my act-ing to another level.”

What was your favorite memory of being in Theatre 100?

“My favorite memory of Theatre 100 is doing a play in (what was) the De La Salle library at the time. From what I understand the building is much different now. Anyway, the stage con-sisted of desks and tables. That was my first time acting in a production in front of a live audience and I’ll never forget getting that first response from the audience.”

How much of an influence was Linda Matonich?

“Linda Matonich was a huge influence on me…By the time I left De La Salle, Linda Matonich had played a pivotal role in turning me into a professional actor. My respect for the craft made me want to be a professional. People like Linda Matonich were responsible for helping me develop that respect.”

What were the rewards gained from being in Theatre 100?

“I’ve been able to enjoy a twenty-plus-and-counting-year career as an actor. The profes-sion has been very good to me and my family and I’ve been extremely fortunate. And that’s thanks – in no small part – to Linda Matonich, Theatre 100 and De La Salle.”

Upon graduation from De La Salle, Andre Gard-ner ’99 participated in the MileWalkers theatre troupe at DePaul University as well as the About Face Youth Theatre on Chicago’s North Side. Gardner is currently active in making music and writing fiction. He calls Los Angeles home.

What was your favorite role in Theatre 100?

Henry in ‘The Fantasticks!’ It was my first au-dition and my first musical. I beat out a lot of people to get the part and my singing experi-ence came in really handy. I’ll say this over and over: Hard work keeps you humble, but fear-lessness keeps you authentic. That was the first time I knew I could do amazing things.

What are you doing now and what have you done professionally in terms of theatre?

A friend asked me to be in a short (film) he directed in 2014, ‘Before Your Eyes.’ I was act-ing with folks who’ve been at it longer than I’ve been alive. The highlights were working with Laurie O’Brien (who has a crazy resume but I love her for being the voice of Miss Piggy on

‘Muppet Babies’) and I got some writing credit for a little in-character improv I did. I don’t think it’ll be very long before I’m back on stage though. Acting feels better and more natural to me than I remember it.

How much of an influence was Linda Matonich?

‘MizM’ taught me to be humble and fearless all at once. The work demanded respect and through hard work, nothing was impossible.

What are your favorite memories of Theatre 100?

Archview! After shows, we went to (the) Arch-view (restaurant on 35th and Archer) and had a meal. Coming down from that stage high together and bonding. We really did feel like family.

What advice would you give someone think-ing about acting as a profession?

Be humble: The work is all there is. Be fearless: The best comes out when you allow it.

acadeMics

Carlo Garcia ’00 currently resides in Austin, TX and is auditioning for various film and television roles. On Garcia’s resume, you will find appear-ances in TV shows such as “Chicago PD” and “Em-pire” as well as independent feature films. Locally, Garcia worked at Chicago theatrical institutions such as the Goodman Theatre and the Looking-glass. He acted in and directed over 20 produc-tions while in Chicago as well as helping to run the Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company that closed in 2016. Garcia also maintains membership in both professional unions for actors: Actor’s Equity and the Screen Actors Guild. He is currently working on a web series “Under Covers” and “Cowl Girl”, which is a TV pilot that is in post-production.

Garcia’s website is carlogarcia.com and his Twitter handle is @CarloLGarcia

How much of an influence was Linda Matonich?

“Linda Matonich was a second mom to me and many other students. If it weren’t for the structure and activities of Theatre 100 and the mentorship of Linda, I don’t believe I would be where I am in my professional career. She re-ally nurtured my talent and gave me the con-fidence to pursue acting as a profession. I’m really grateful for her guidance. I was able to take part at a theatre program at Northwest-ern University in 1999 that really solidified my goals of becoming a professional actor, thanks to her suggestion and recommendation. ‘Miz M’ always went above and beyond to take care

and teach us all how to be true theatre artists.”

What are your favorite memories of being in Theatre 100?

“My time with Theatre 100 was one of the best parts of my high school experi-ence. I was able to learn about all aspects of theatre production from directing to building sets to acting and improvisa-tion. It set the core for me as an artist to grow from. My favorite memories included taking a production to the All-State Theatre Festival one year and be-ing a part of the All-State Theatre Cast in 1998; it’s like the sports equivalent of being an all-star. I also enjoyed being a part of the improvisation group; it was a great way to connect with the other guys in the group in a fun setting. I made many of my high school friends in all the activities of Theatre 100.”

What made you choose acting as a profession?

“Before finding Theatre 100, I wanted to be an art-ist or an architect. By partaking in the theatre pro-ductions, I found a new calling; it was a creative outlet that I enjoyed and found success in. There is nothing like being onstage and living the life of different characters in each new play or film I do. It’s been a very rewarding and enjoyable career for me. I’m lucky to have had Theatre 100 in my life at a very crucial point for many young men. It took me off the streets causing trouble after school and gave me direction and purpose.”

What advice would you give someone think-ing about acting as a profession?

“If there is something you would rather do more, do that. If there is nothing you can think of more than acting, then pursue acting. You have to come to embrace rejection in this industry; it’s very competitive and takes a great endurance to keep going through the hard times. Success happens in the perfect meet-up of talent, prepa-ration and luck. Take classes, learn as much as you can, read plays, watch plays and absorb as much as possible. It will help you along the way. The way I look at being an actor is auditioning is your job. My job is not to book every role; my job is to give the very best audition possible. There is so much that goes into casting that you can’t control; the only thing you can control is your audition performance. Once you can ac-cept that, the disappointment of not getting cast begins to fade and you can enjoy the journey.”

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Steven Hanks ’00 brings a different perspec-tive to theatre and performance as he began his career in lighting as a master electrician and designer. He now works in audio production. Hanks said that “production of performance has always been my goal.” Hanks graduated from Howard University in Washington, DC where he majored in film and minored in technical theater. He began working as a freelancer in the Washington, DC area in 2001 and still lives in the nation’s capital where he works in theater, film and television production.

What are your favorite memories of Theatre 100?

“My two favorite memories are the first improv show that we performed in 1997. The rehearsals leading up to it were magical hysteria. The second was when were first moved to the Ayres-Conway Theatre in 1999. I think it inspired our creativity.”

How much of an influence was Linda Matonich?

“I came to Theatre 100 in the improv group my sophomore year. The following year, I co-directed with Steven Collins ‘00. Mrs. Matonich set the standard of excellence high, not only with improv, but with all of the performances. For example, I did a skit and I stopped in the middle because Mrs. Matonich yelled out. When I asked her what was wrong, she said I was funny in the most monotone voice. That’s when I realized that was the first time I heard her laugh out loud. I felt proud and it in-spired me to try to get her to crack up again.”

What are you doing now and what have you done professionally in terms of theatre?

“I started as a stagehand/carpenter before switch-ing to electrics, working my way up to a master electrician. I began designing lights for dance

concerts before I transitioned to audio. In audio, I worked stage plays and concerts as an RF (radio frequency) technician, and systems engineer, as well as mixing monitors and front of house.”

What rewards were gained from Theatre 100?

“Theatre 100 was a safe space for us to experiment with our creativity. We perfected our ideas there and thus perfecting the craft of theatre. God bless Mrs. Matonich for creating that environment.”

Theatre 100 - A Silver Celebration of Excellence

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Brandon Boler ’01 is currently working with Strawdog Theatre on its production of ‘Cymbeline’ at the Factory Theatre in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood. Boler also has toured the Midwest and the Eastern United States, performed at the White House during President Obama’s adminis-tration and been the lead in a music video released in 2016 that revolved around issues such as poverty, race and class. Boler’s website is brandonboler.com.

How much of an influence was Linda Matonich?

“She is the reason I started acting and continue to pursue my goals and dreams and spreading the effects of theatre and arts in our society. I watched her mold strong, free-thinking men, making them become fearless, yet vulnerable. She encouraged us to be a community first and actors/technicians/directors/writers/comedi-ans second. She gave all of us a lens to the world that not everyone at ‘D’ had, unless you had the opportunity to meet and talk with her.”

What was your favorite role in Theatre 100?

“I’d have to say Senex in “A Funny Thing Hap-pened on the Way to the Forum.” It was my senior year and I wasn’t sure what my major would be yet or even what college to attend. We had the new (Theatre 100) space for about one or two years and the department was starting to grow with more freshmen and upperclass-men. That show proved that our department was family. Some guys had been dealing with issues at home, dating problems and the anxi-ety of going to college or another year at ‘D’, but

we had fun singing and cracking inside jokes about the themes and moments of the show.”

What were the rewards gained from being in Theatre 100?

“I made some great lifelong friends. Some of them I don’t see every day like I did while at ‘D’, but I talk to them all from time to time. Theatre 100 and Linda gave me the tools and opened my eyes to where my life can go and how I can be a positive agent of change in my community and this world. I’m often told that I can walk into a room of strangers and make friends with at least one of them. I have Theatre 100 to thank for that.”

What advice would you give someone who has aspirations of a career in theatre?

“It’s a long road with lots of sacrifice and pa-tience; it’s not always easy or lucrative. Find the fun in it and know why you love it. When you can’t do that, you should think about your retire-ment or how the skills you learned are going to apply to your next job, because trust me, theatre skills will apply in any job you come across.”

Hugh Sullivan ’02 is currently working as a cin-ematographer in Decatur, IL. Sullivan holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree in Studio Art from Millikin University with an emphasis in pho-tography and graphic design. He has worked in those fields since May 2006.

Along with filming events and commercials, Sullivan works with actors to produce short films. Sullivan is a co-owner in Hulida Produc-tions based in Decatur. Sullivan’s works may be viewed at https://youtu.be/pZf4rJZzsUs?list=PLBFBCD47F49B43A58. His website is Hulida-Productions.com.

What were the rewards gained from being in Theatre 100?

“I like to think I’m a pretty good storyteller and that I have a decent sense of humor. I like to tell stories and I like to make people laugh. That’s why I joined Theatre 100 and it’s why I still spend so much time producing little com-edies today.

“My time on stage doing improv and acting in comedies helped build my confidence in story-telling and speaking in public. I wouldn’t be the same person without the things I gained during my short time on stage at De La Salle.”

What made you choose your current profession?

“The reason I decided to act and then work with actors is because I have always enjoyed en-tertaining. When I was a little kid, I would stop people on the street and sing my ABCs because I liked the applause. I don’t sing at random strangers as much anymore, but I still crave ap-plause and laughter. I have a great partnership with Theatre 7 in Decatur, IL. I film promos for their shows as well as their performances and they provide me with costumes, props and ac-tors when I need them. I haven’t been onstage since DLS, but I was in the wings as the organ-ist for ‘Bleacher Bums’ a couple years ago, so I’m considering going out for a speaking role sometime.”

How much of an influence was Linda Matonich during your time in Theatre 100?

“Ms. Matonich was an incredible influence. Through theatre, I not only learned how to act, but I developed my public-speaking abilities and became a better musician. In her class-rooms, I found my calling and got the encour-agement to pursue a career in art, despite some family members and other people suggesting a safer course.”

What was your favorite Theatre 100 role?

“My favorite role was definitely Pseudolus in ‘A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.’ Before that I was Emperor Joseph II in ‘Amadeus’ and the Singing Cowboy narrator in ‘The Death & Life of Sneaky Fitch’, but playing the lead in a hi-larious musical was amazing. That was my senior year and I also was proud and a bit surprised to receive the title of Thespian of the Year.”

acadeMics

Along with exploring the rich history of Theatre 100 over the last 25 years with some of our alumni and retired faculty, ‘D’ Magazine also spoke with current Theatre 100 director Sam Fitzgerald as well as four of the top students currently participating in Theatre 100. Here are their responses:

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TIFFINY HAEPP ‘18

What do you enjoy most about Theatre 100?

“I love the community feeling at Theatre 100. Walking into the theatre every day is like walk-ing into home. There is never a moment when I’m uncomfortable.”

What is your favorite memory of Theatre 100?

“My favorite memory has to be the Friday night show in 2016. That was the best performance of Macbeth that Shiloh (Boston), Gabriel (Utreras) and I did. We felt so alive and happy afterward.”

What benefits do you gain from being a Theatre 100 member?

“I was able to get better with my stage fright thanks to Theatre 100. The many activities we do during practices helps us gain confidence and helps us care less about what other people think.”

Is theatre something you would like to pursue in college?

“After the Fall Theatre Festival in 2016, I’ve de-cided that theatre is something that I want to pursue in college.”

SHILOH BOSTON ‘17

What do you enjoy most about Theatre 100?

“What I enjoy most about the Theatre 100 pro-gram is the fact that absolutely everyone in-volved is just a kind, open person. We are nev-er afraid to share our commentary on difficult topics (whether it is with each other or an au-dience) and no one’s opinions are ever judged. Nothing about anyone is ever judged. Theatre 100 is a place of expression and what makes it unique is that we can express every part of our-selves without fear while we’re there.”

What is your favorite performance/memory of Theatre 100?

“My favorite performance from Theatre 100 would have to be ‘Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Neo-Futurist Plays in 60 Minutes.’ Yes, the title is a bit tedious to say, but the production itself was so fun and differ-ent being made up of a bunch of little plays that we raced to finish. That was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done. My favorite memory from Theatre 100, though, is not a performance, but the work calls that happen

during the rehearsal process. We all come in sweats and work clothes, build and paint sets, listen to music, joke around and just have a good time.”

What benefits do you gain from being a Theatre 100 member?

“The most important benefits you gain from being a Theatre 100 member are the ability to tell different stories that people aren’t often told, the freedom to do, say and be almost anything you want and be accepted for it. If you’re a real theater nerd like me, you have the privilege to work and create under some of the coolest and most talented directors ever – especially, Mr. Sam Fitzgerald.”

Is theatre something you would like to pursue in college?

“I 100% plan to pursue theatre in college. I re-cently finished applying to the colleges I want to go to and the first thing I looked for in all of them was the presence of a top-notch theatre program, because acting is my intended major and hopefully, future career.”

IMANI PAYNE ‘17

What do you enjoy most about the Theatre 100 program?

“The thing I enjoy most about the Theatre 100 program is how even though we are a small en-semble, we are all close. The people you meet in theatre are people who are going to be lifelong friends. I enjoy how close everyone is and how we all strive to bring out the best in each other and ourselves as well.”

What is your favorite performance/memory of Theatre 100?

“My favorite performance in Theatre 100 would have to be the spring play last year, ‘Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Plays in 60 Minutes.’ This is my favorite because not only did it push us as actors to finish all the plays every night during the show, but it also pushed the audience to help us finish all 30 plays in 60 minutes.”

What benefits do you gain from being a Theatre 100 member?

“I am able to call myself a thespian and pursue my passion, which is acting. Being on stage is the biggest gain of being in Theatre 100.”

Is theatre something you would like to pursue in college?

“I will without a doubt pursue theatre in col-lege. I want to go to college to receive my bach-elor of fine arts degree in acting.”

GABRIEL UTRERAS ’18

What do you enjoy most about the Theatre 100 program?

“I enjoy theatre mostly because of the people. The people in theatre are some of my favorite people because they’re just like me and they’re passionate in what they do. They inspire me to do better and we have each other’s backs when we need help in certain scenes.”

Is theatre something you would like to pursue in college?

“When I’m older, I would like to pursue theatre overall whether it’s in college or acting being my career in the future. I have been into theatre since I was in the fourth grade and I just love doing it.”

What is your favorite memory of Theatre 100?

“My favorite is ‘Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: 30 Plays in 60 Minutes.’ It was a lot of fun having every play be something

different and I think everyone gained a new experience by not staying as one character but portraying plenty of them.”

What benefits do you gain from being a Theatre 100 member?

“I became more outgoing and getting comfort-able with performing in front of big crowds. Freshman year, I was a really shy kid. But with theatre, I think it has made me a more confi-dent person when I speak.”

Theatre 100 - A Silver Celebration of Excellence

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Faculty Member Sam Fitzgerald Theatre 100 Artistic Director

How long have you been working with Theatre 100 and in which capacities?

“I started working with Theatre 100 right when I started at De La Salle in the fall of 2007. I had trained with the Comedysportz Improv Theater in Chicago previous to working at ‘D’ and offered my help to Linda Matonich, (who was then) Theatre 100’s Artistic Director. She agreed and I helped out with the students in improv with Mr. Dan Villa ‘00. I love improv and I really loved sharing what I learned with the students. Soon thereafter, Linda asked if I would be interested in directing the spring play in 2009. I had never done anything like it before, but I was excited for the opportunity. I chose to direct ‘Our Town’ and I was really pleased with the process and the performance.

How can I support Theatre 100?

We invite all alumni and friends to be on the lookout to attend our shows. We will always wel-come them back to attend shows. If they are still practicing theatre and would like to come back

or if they have opportunities for current stu-dents to receive internships, please let us know.

Which aspect of Theatre 100 do you enjoy most?

“I enjoy seeing young people embrace De La Salle theatre as their own. I have seen students from ev-ery class over the last decade come in as unsure freshmen and leave as confident, funny and pas-sionate men and women. Each person who comes through this program has added something of themselves to the program and it still lives here after they graduate. I suppose I am a keeper of the memories and emotions that these young actors have experienced here. I use those experiences that I have witnessed to better instruct the next generation of actors who walk through the theatre doors. I enjoy that responsibility and privilege.”

What benefits do you think the students derive from Theatre 100?

“I think that students gain confidence and strength from being onstage. The benefit that I most hope they derive is the satisfaction of achieving something together as a cast, as well as gaining long friendships from working to-gether in the theatre.”

What is your favorite memory of Theatre 100?

“It is really difficult to choose one memory. I think of each cast I have directed fondly. I can look at the performance posters hanging on our wall and be reminded of funny and meaningful moments from all of them. I’ve enjoyed seeing students make a mistake onstage, realize the mistake and recover!!! The audience rarely knew a mistake was made, but I knew. However, the mistake is not what sticks out in my memory. The recovery and “getting on with the show” al-ways makes an impression on me. I’m sure there are alumni I’ve directed who might be waiting for me to mention something they did above any other memories that I have of working in The-atre 100. To all of you, I do. Every one of you. Thanks for that. You are the reason I keep doing this worthwhile job. Never doubt it.”

2017 SPRING PRODUCTION

10-2 will take place on March 18-19 and

March 25-26 in the Ayres-Conway Theatre. Tickets are $5.

Tiffiny Haepp ‘18, Gabriel Utreras ‘18, Imani Payne ‘17, Theatre 100 Director Sam Fitzgerald, and Shiloh Boston ‘17.

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In keeping with the Lasallian tenets of faith, service and community, five students created an app that is designed to keep everyone in the city of Chi-cago as safe as possible.

De La Salle faculty member Diniah Dean along with students Krystale Cole ’17, Morgan Lawson ’17, Alexis Leon ’17, Sydney Roberson ’17 and Michelle Vega ’18 combined their appreciable talents and skills and came up with an app entitled “Save Our City.”

“We picked the concept of safety for this app because we wanted to help other people in the city of Chicago to avoid violence because we see our peers and others get in-nocently killed every day and we wanted to help the police depart-

ment with the violence,” Roberson said.

The results of that collaboration were impressive to be sure. The Meteors earned a “Best in State” award in the fifth annual Verizon Innovative Learn-ing App Challenge. With the award, they also received laptops PCs, $5,000 from the Verizon Foundation for De La Salle and the opportunity to become TV stars of sorts.

The Meteors appeared on NBC 5 Chicago during two segments and also logged time on WGN Channel 9 and Chicago’s Univision Spanish-speaking WSNS Channel 44.

“Save Our City is an app that helps Chicagoans be alert of shootings in their nearby area and it helps them find a safer route to their destinations,” Law-son said.

As one of two winners from Illinois in the Verizon competition, the Meteors were eligible for one of eight Best in Nation awards as well as the Fan Favor-ite award. Should the Meteors win a Best in Nation award, they will earn an additional $15,000 for De La Salle as well as an opportunity to work with experts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who would assist in transforming the app from concept to reality and a place in the Google Play store.

“When you open this app and you are going (somewhere), if there is going to be any crime activity, you’ll get an alert,” Vega said. “For walking some-where, if I’m walking to my friend’s house and I type in her address, it will pop up, ‘Oh, there had been a shooting two minutes ago,’ and it will give me a safer route option to get to my destination. I hope (“Save Our City”) becomes an actual app so that I can change more than just my life, but every-body’s life because it is designed to affect lives in a positive way.”

To view the Meteors on NBC 5 or Channel 9, please paste these links into your browser: http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/High-School-Students-Develop-App-Idea-to-Change-Chicagos-Violence-411809405.html and http://wgntv.com/2017/01/26/could-an-app-help-solve-chicagos-violence-problem/

Congrats, Ms. Dean and the Meteors!

Meteors strive to “save our city” by creating award-Winning app

8 academics

The Meteor App Team receives its $5,000 check from Verizon.

Newsmen Charlie Wojciechowski and Art Norman welcome the Meteors to NBC 5.

WGN’s Amy Rutledge (far left) visited the Lourdes Hall Campus to interview the Meteors.

De La Salle App Team Lauded by Verizon

academics 9

For the first time in school history, De La Salle hosted a South Chicago League Robotics Club Tournament this past December in the Parmer Activity Center.

In all, 11 teams competed with De La Salle’s freshman team – the Meteorites – finishing fifth while De La Salle’s varsity team – the Meteors – garnered eighth. The Meteors are in their second year of competition. Of the 120 stu-dents who participated in the tournament, 20 were from De La Salle.

“It’s great that we’re not just participating in the program, but that we’re also starting to shape how the league is run,” De La Salle Robotics Club advisor and faculty member Ian McNair said. “We hope to host more competitions at De La Salle.

“That would be big not just for De La Salle, but also for our community. We hope these are steps in the right direction in terms of helping us go in the right direction with our STEAM program.”

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this very suc-cessful event and we look forward to hosting again in the future. Great job, Meteors!

inaugural Robotics club Tournament Held at de la salle

Brenden Camacho ’20 and Sebastian Perez ’20 proudly display their D-Bot during the competition.

Jacquelin Camarena ’19, Jack Mills ‘17, Josh Moy ‘19, Quimari Carter ‘17, and Brandy Wayne ’18 prepare their D-Bot.

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THANK YOU

Meteors love a good challenge! Here’s an opportunity to double your giv-ing to De La Salle Institute. Your willingness to support our students will help them reach their educational goals.

The Elizabeth Louise Smith Fund at the Chicago Community Trust has issued a challenge grant and will match dollar for dollar any gifts made to the student financial assistance program up to $75,000. The challenge grant runs from January 1 through June 30, 2017 and offers a great way for you to double the impact of your contribution. It will also provide financial assistance to help make a De La Salle education possible for our

students and provide financial assistance to other families who are most in need.

We are very excited about this unique opportunity presented for our students! Please don’t pass up this challenge! Whatever you give will be doubled. Every $1 will become $2! The challenge has been set, let’s show our Meteor pride!

If you have any questions, please contact Iris Gist Cochran, Director of Development at 312.842.7355 ext. 152 or by email at cochrani@dls.org.

step Up To The challenge, double Your Giving!

10 academics

Granting the wishes of the Meteors

academics 11

In keeping with our tradition of excellence in the class-room, we are proud to announce that 18 members of our Class of 2017 were named Illinois State Scholars this fall.

Lauded were Kyrie Agee ‘17; Colleen Barnotes ‘17; Shiloh Boston ‘17; Matthew Carroll ‘17; Raphael Cruz ‘17; Allison Galvin ‘17; Ethan Godina ‘17; Sam Gurgone ‘17; Daniel Herrera ‘17; Kamau Lucas ‘17; John Mills ‘17; Thomas O’Leary ‘17; Juan Ramos ‘17; Isabel Rodriguez ‘17; Kaitlyn Truty ’17; Destini Val-le ‘17; Peter Zaja ’17 and Frederick Ziemianin ’17.

Since 2001, De La Salle has had 230 students attain the prestigious plaudit of Illinois State Scholar.

Congratulations, Meteors!

eighteen Meteors chosen as illinois state scholars

Front Row: Sam Gurgone ‘17, Juan Ramos ‘17, Kyrie Agee ‘17, Kamau Lucas ‘17, Daniel Herrera ‘17, Raphael Cruz ‘17 Back Row: Matthew Carroll ‘17, Peter Zaja ‘17, Thomas O’Leary ‘17, Shiloh Boston ‘17, Frederick Ziemianin ‘17, John Mills ‘17, Ethan Godina ‘17

Allison Galvin ‘17, Colleen Barnotes ‘17, Kaitlyn Truty ‘17, Isabel Rodriguez ‘17, Destini Valle ‘17

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This January, 21 members of De La Salle’s band program were afforded the opportunity to participate in the All-Catholic Honor Band concert held at the Vander Cook College of Music under the direction of Dr. Charles Menghini, Vander Cook’s president.

The Meteors who were lauded are: Carlson Ayanlaja ‘18; Raphael Cruz ‘17; Emanuel Carrera ‘18; Jessalyn Duran ‘17; Sherrod Eaton ‘19; Gabriel

Garcia ‘18; Thomas Haepp ‘20; Justin Harris ‘17; Gerald Hopkins ‘18; Shaun LeVine ‘18; Yvens Louisma ‘18; Kamau Lucas ‘17; Imani Payne ‘17; Christie Pierre ‘18; Juan Ramos ‘17; Joshua Roman ‘20; John Stewart ‘20; Ryan Stunard ‘17; Yan Sun ‘18; Cecil White ‘19 and Joya Wright ‘17.

Congratulations to De La Salle band director Larry Pawlowski and the members of the Meteor band!

Making beautiful Music Together

12 academics

First Row: Kamau Lucas ‘17; Cecil White ‘19; Raphael Cruz ‘17; Juan Ramos ‘17. Second Row: Imani Payne ‘17; Joya Wright ‘17; Gabriel Garcia ‘18; Jessalyn Duran ‘17.

Third Row: Shaun LeVine ‘18; Emanuel Carrera ‘18; Carlson Ayanlaja ‘18. Back Row: Justin Harris ‘17; Sherrod Eaton ‘19; Ryan Stunard ‘17.

Yvens Louisma ‘18 Christie Pierre ‘18 Joshua Roman ‘20 John Stewart ‘20 Yan Sun ‘18

Gerald Hopkins ‘18

Thomas Haepp ‘20

One of the Best Bands in the Land

academics 13

“The Good Samaritan: Confronting New Poverties in the 21st Century” was the theme for the two-day 2016 Huether Lasallian Conference. The 43rd gathering of educators in the Lasallian Region of North America was held at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza River North for the third consecutive year. There were nearly 300 participants including teachers, advancement professionals, campus ministers, administrators and others representing many types of Lasallian educational ministries.

New this year at the Huether Conference was a Pre-conference Advance-ment Track for development professionals from Lasallian colleges/uni-versities, high schools, San Miguel schools and retreat centers. From Planned Giving to Making the Ask, from Fundraising 101 to 25 Great Annual Fund Ideas, the Pre-conference Advancement Track began with a networking reception the evening prior to a full day of outstanding pre-sentations from experts across the country.

Iris Gist Cochran, De La Salle Institute’s Director of Development, served on the Huether Conference planning committee and was one of the co-presenters along with Nancy Smith-Fagan, Director of Advancement at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, CA.

Their session Fundraising 101 in 90 Minutes was presented to a group of more than 30 advancement professionals and provided a thorough intro-duction to the fundamentals of a comprehensive fundraising program to newcomers and a helpful review for veteran fundraisers.

“The success of the newly added Pre-conference Advancement Track served as a great networking and resource opportunity for all develop-ment professionals. Hopefully, it marks the beginning of many more such gatherings to come,” Cochran said.

This year’s conference provided an invaluable opportunity for educa-tors to come together to explore educational and spiritual issues of special interest and importance. By addressing this year’s theme, conference participants were able to explore the challenges that these new poverties bring to our Lasal-lian ministries and how these chal-lenges may be addressed.

Since 1973, the Huether Lasal-lian Conference has been an an-nual tradition for Lasallian schools in the United States. It began as a workshop called forth by Br. Fran-cis Huether, FSC, to bring together administrators, which at that time were all Christian Brothers, to ad-dress educational concerns.

Following Br. Francis’ retirement, the annual workshop was named after him and eventually evolved into a conference of 200 Lasallians – Chris-tian Brothers and lay women and men working together in shared mis-sion – to explore ways to strengthen the mission of the schools and to deepen the vocational commitment of educators.

Each Huether Conference has a theme that addresses the most prominent current needs and seeks to explore ways to respond.

In addition to Gist Cochran, De La Salle was represented at this year’s Huether Conference by campus minister Emily Vogel and faculty mem-bers Veronica Cornejo ’07 and John Grubisich ’08. Vogel served on the Huether planning committee.

Lasallians from across the country gathered for three days of dynamic workshops, inspirational keynote speakers, engaging prayer, and festive socials.

Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the United States Fund for UNICEF and Ambassador Susan Page, senior adviser in the Office of the U.S. Spe-cial Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan both gave riveting keynote ad-dresses that challenged us to rise above with courage and hope. Breakout sessions ranged in topics from economics, poverty in rural America, serv-ing undocumented students, trauma in young people and diversity.

Plans are already underway for Huether 2017 which will take place in Denver this November.

2016 Huether lasallian conference adds Pre-conference advancement Track

De La Salle Campus Minister Emily Vogel

De La Salle Director of Development Iris Gist Cochran

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14 academics

Adrienne Adu ’18 is a junior at De La Salle and enrolled in our Honors Program. A graduate of Lincoln Elementary School in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, Adu maintains a 4.578 grade-point average and is ranked No. 11 in the 85-member Class of 2018 at the Lourdes Hall Campus.

Along with excelling in the classroom, Adu is also a member of the Na-tional Honor Society and French Honor Society, President of the French Club and captain of the girls tennis team. If that weren’t impressive enough, she also is a peer mediator and peer ministry volunteer.

Outside of De La Salle, Adu has created her own block club organization that promotes cleanliness and safety in the South Shore neighborhood.

In the summer of 2016, Adu, who aspires to be a cardiovascular surgeon, was afforded the opportunity to participate in the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Boston as a result of nominations from De La Salle counselors Tracy Aldaz and Nicole Accomando.

“Since the age of six, I have dreamed of becoming a surgeon,” Adu said. “At (the) Congress (of Future Medical Leaders), I was exposed to the many brilliant minds of science.

“I gained a lot of knowledge on my career path and received insight re-garding college preparedness. I stayed in the overnight program in the dorms at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

“I shared a dorm with many other Congress students and it was very interesting to see how we all came from dif-ferent parts of the world, yet shared many of the same passions. I made long-lasting friendships with many stu-dents at (the) Congress and I still talk to them today.”

During her four days at the Con-gress, Adu learned many things, including how to improve her ability to be innovative.

“Don’t be afraid of failure,” Adu said. “And if you fail, don’t let that discourage you. I am also currently working on a medical experiment and I would like to thank my family and (the) Congress for supporting me. In 2017, I vow to go by my all-time favorite quote by Gandhi that states, ‘Be the change you would like to see in this world.’ That is exactly my goal for 2017.”

Of all the things Adu saw and did at the Congress, there were two events in particular that had a measurable impact on her.

“We were able to see a live hip replacement surgery,” Adu said. “I was given a chance to ask the surgeon questions about the procedure and re-ally get a feel for if the pre-med track is right for me.”

In addition, there also was a memorable address from one of the keynote speakers.

“I also cannot leave out listening to the most inspiring doctor, Dr. Richard Sacra,” Adu said. “Dr. Sacra was a worldwide sensation when he contract-ed Ebola and overcame the illness.

“I was very blessed to be a part of The Congress of Future Medical Leaders and hear his life-changing story.”

As for her future, Adu hopes to enroll at either Boston University or George-town University with a major in Biochemistry or Anatomy after graduating from De La Salle in May 2018.

“My passion is to help others in need and hopefully create something that will change the face of medicine,” Adu said. “I want to be a cardiovascular surgeon and that requires a lot of dedication and hard work.

“I have been working toward my goals by pushing myself and going toward the extra mile. I continue to stay proactive and remain involved in my com-munity. I am not only a De La Salle student, but I am also a college student.

“After I finished my classes at De La Salle, I took a three-month Anato-my and Physiology college course from 5:30-9:30 pm every Tuesday and Thursday after school at the City Colleges of Chicago.”

Congratulations, Adrienne! Keep up the outstanding work!

adrienne adu ’18 attends congress of future Medical leaders

Adrienne Adu ’18 is afforded the opportunity to meet Dr. Ray Mitchell, MD, the Dean of the Georgetown University School of Medicine.

Adrienne Adu

At the Heart of the Matter

academics 15

One of the newer features in D Magazine is “Walking across Boyle Courtyard with…” in which a member of the De La Salle faculty and staff is interviewed. For this issue, we’ve chosen Jacqueline “Jackie” Perales (Argenbright), a mem-ber of the Class of 2009.

A member of the faculty at the Lourdes Hall Campus, Perales teaches Modern Geometry, Honors Algebra, Geometry and Modern Algebra. Perales returned home to De La Salle as a faculty member at the beginning of the 2013-14 school year. Perales is a 2013 graduate of Lewis University.

Outside the classroom, Perales also has spent four years as a member of the coaching staff for the girls softball program and is in her first year as an as-sistant girls bowling coach. She also spent three years coaching cross country. Perales is also the moderator of the Math Club.

Please enjoy reading “Walking across Boyle Courtyard with Jackie Perales.”

Walking across boyle courtyard with Jackie Perales ‘09

How special is it to be back at ‘D’ as a teacher?De La Salle has always had a special place in my life and I couldn’t be more grateful to be back teaching here. I want to instill my love for the school to every student in my classroom and make sure they are taking every opportu-nity that this school has to offer. I pride myself in being a graduate from ‘D’ and will share my personal stories of when I was in high school. I think this helps the current students relate to me more because they know that I have experienced a lot that they have. I want them to have that sense of family and community when they are in the school and even when they graduate. I want to make an impact on my students, like ‘D’ has made an impact on my life.

Who are some of the ‘D’ teachers who influenced you and how?There are two teachers who come to mind and they are Justin Costello-Stebelton and (former De La Salle teacher) Colleen Sanchez. These were two teachers who really took an interest in their students’ lives and seemed to really enjoy being in the classroom. When I was hired at De La Salle, Justin and Colleen made sure that I had an easy transition into being a first-year teacher and they have continued our relation-ships. I had the opportunity to have Mr. Costello-Stebel-ton for a Spanish teacher and as a Guitar Club moderator. He has a way of instilling the

best in his students and making sure to keep in contact with them far be-yond graduation. He always made sure his classrooms were engaging and everyone loved his jokes. I had Mrs. Sanchez for a few science classes and her kindness is infectious. She has taught me to always be kind to others and that all it takes is a few kind words to turn anyone’s day around.

Who has had the greatest influence on you as a person?My older brother, Miguel Patino ’92, who is also a De La Salle grad, has had the greatest impact on me as a person. My brother is 17 years older than I am, so he helped raise me into the person I am today. He has taught me to always put others first and be friendly with anyone I meet. He has encouraged me and pushed me to pursue anything in life. I admire how he went from being an engineer at a top company to doing volunteer work and becoming a teacher to help and inspire others. Miguel took the change in careers because he wanted to make a positive impact on adolescents. That was his way of teaching me that it’s not about the money and as long as you do what you love, you will not work a day in your life.

You get to have dinner with three people. Whom do you choose?If I were able to have dinner with three people, I would have to choose my grandmother (Mary Argenbright) who passed away before I was born. I al-ways hear inspirational stories about what she did for our family and I would love to have a chance to just talk to her over dinner. The other person that I would like to have dinner with would be my 8th grade teacher (Raymond Wettergren). He retired a while ago and it would be great to catch up and tell him how much he made a difference in my life. I would like to hear about his personal stories of teaching and what made him become a teacher. The last person that I would like to have dinner with would have to be the former President of Lewis University, Br. James Gaffney, FSC. It always amazed me on how connected he was with the student body and he always made an effort to make a relationship with the students at the school. Br. James had a way of making the students feel as if they were more than just a number at the school. He is a perfect example of what a leader should look like.

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16 academics

One of the strongest teams at De La Salle in 1993 didn’t throw a pass or hit a home run or make a jump shot. The Academic Team participated in ‘Jeopardy-like’ competitions against other schools.

The members of the 1978 Biology Club take their group picture with longtime faculty member Rich Radecki.

Peter Gorman ’14 and Eric Tremore ’14 celebrate

Hawaiian Day during Homecoming 2012.

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words...

academics 17

De La Salle was represented on the 2008-09 All-Girls Catholic Athletic Conference basketball team by Angel Brooks ’10 and Natalie Williams ’11 pictured with De La Salle principal Diane Brown. Brooks is currently an assistant coach on the girls varsity basketball team.

In this 1980 photo, veteran math department faculty member Thomas Millard works with

two members of the Computer Club.

Brother George, FSC, explains the purpose of a voltmeter to his class of aspiring electricians in this 1956 photo.

One of the most popular places for reading and studying in the 1930s and 40s was the library. Does this room look familiar? It should. This is where Bansley Hall currently resides.

The popular senior play in 1962 was based upon Booth Tarkington’s novel “Seventeen.”

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In the fall of 2016, Tolton Center began its 11th year at its location at Our Lady of Tepeyac in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side of Chicago. It is currently running weekly Beginner English as a Second Language (ESL), Intermediate ESL and Adult Basic Education classes. Tolton Center operates its family literacy programming out of Our Lady of Tepeyac’s Catholic Charities-run Headstart program.

Almost 100 percent of Tolton’s students come from the 60623 zip code that encompasses the Little Village neighborhood. Since beginning the program, Tolton’s ESL students have made great gains. As of the midpoint testing in December 2016, 96 percent of Tolton’s ESL students made at least a gain in ESL.

According to Tolton’s primary testing tool, the BEST Plus 2.0 language assessment, the average language level gain per student was 1½ levels.

“We are very proud of our students and the continued gains they are mak-ing in learning English,” Jaemey Bush, Tolton’s Intermediate ESL Instruc-tor, said.

Bush utilizes a variety of teaching methods that encourage communica-tion in everyday life and in class to ensure the students are advancing and making progress towards meeting their goals. In addition to classroom instruction, Tolton’s programming focuses on parenting education, par-ent and child activities together, computer literacy and increased library access and utilization.

18 faith, service and community

Tolton center Remains a leader in adult education

Fieldtrips for the Tolton students and their families are wonderful learning opportunities.

Growing in Faith by Serving the Community

faith, service and community 19

“We not only teach our adult students in a structured classroom environ-ment but also on fieldtrips and library trips with their children,” Tolton Family Literacy Program Coordinator Emily Stinnett said. “Our goal is to ensure the knowledge our parents have acquired at school is active-ly being passed down to their children through increased reading and homework help.”

In the fall, Tolton Center students and their children attended field trips to the library, Lincoln Park Zoo and the Garfield Park Conservatory.

Stinnett said that those fieldtrips could not have taken place without the support of De La Salle’s buses. Prior to the fieldtrips, ESL teachers infused their lessons with parenting tips and activities to try out on the fieldtrip to continue the education beyond the classroom. In 2017, fieldtrips to the Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Harold Washington Library and more are planned.

For more information, please visit De La Salle’s website at www.dls.org and click on the Tolton Center dropdown.

Students and staff of the Tolton Center gather to celebrate Christmas.

faiTH, seRVice and coMMUniTY

20 athletics

Winter Sports Update

HockeyThrough its first 24 games of the Illinois High School Hockey League (IHSHL) season, the Meteors’ junior-varsity team was 10-14 with two victories over St. Laurence, Lincoln-Way and Nazareth Academy/IC Prep highlighting the schedule along with wins against Fenwick, Mun-ster and Fox Valley. De La Salle forwards Jack Herbst ’18 and Domi-nic Caponera ’19 were lauded with berths in the 2017 IHSHL All-Star Game at Oak Lawn Ice Arena. Meteor head coach John Wallin also was honored as he coached the Gold Team in the IHSHL All-Star Game.

boys basketballAmong the highlights for the boys basketball team was winning the St. Patrick/Glenbrook North Thanksgiving Tournament as the Meteors defeated Niles West in the championship game. Guard Stone Parker ’17, forward Aeris Jackson ’17 and forward William Norman ’17 earned places on the All-St. Patrick/Glenbrook North Team.

During the course of the season, the Meteors (13-8) also posted victo-ries over St. Joseph, Providence-St. Mel, Marmion Academy, Rockford Lutheran and Montini.

boys bowlingDuring Chicago Catholic League varsity play, the Meteors garnered wins against Leo, St. Ignatius, St. Rita, and DePaul Prep. In the Chicago Catholic League Tournament, De La Salle’s varsity was ninth, while the junior varsity was fifth. At the Illinois High School Association’s Mount Carmel Regional, the Meteors were third, enabling them to advance to the Glenbard East Sec-tional where De La Salle was 13th.

An individual highlight was Luke Hermle ’17 signing a letter-of-intent to continue his bowling career at Clarke University in Dubuque, IA. Hermle averaged 172 in CCL play this season.

WrestlingIn dual competitions this season, the Meteors posted decisions over Bishop McNamara, Nazareth Academy, Fenwick, St. Laurence, Loyola Academy, St. Ignatius, St. Joseph, DePaul Prep and Bremen. In tourna-ment action, the Meteors were 12th at the Conant Invitational, 12th at the Glenbrook South Tournament and eighth at the Leyden Tournament.

In the postseason, De La Salle was 7th with 77 points in the Chicago Catholic League Tournament in the Parmer Activity Center. Solomon Smith ’17 was first at 285 pounds, while Collin Sheedy ’17 was fourth at 145. Devin Michicich ’17 was fifth at 170 and Mateo Portillo ’19 was sixth at 152.

Meteor hockey captains Ryan Stunard ‘17, Jack Herbst ‘18, Dominic Caponera ‘19 and Thomas O’Leary ‘17

De La Salle bowling coach Ray Garcia, Luke Hermle ‘17 and Clarke University bowling coach Andrew Gonner

Devin Michicich ‘17; Collin Sheedy ‘17; Solomon Smith ‘17; Mateo Portillo ‘19

athletics 21

aTHleTics

Girls bowlingIn Girls Catholic Athletic Conference competition, the Meteor varsity was victorious against Regina Dominican, DePaul Prep, Fenwick, Queen of Peace and St. Ignatius.

In the GCAC Conference Tournament, the Meteor varsity took seventh place while the junior varsity was eighth.

Highlighting the campaign for the Meteors was guard Kiya King ’17 and forward Teresa Caponera ’18 being chosen to the All-Girls Catholic Ath-letic Conference Team.

Triumphs over Lincoln Park, DePaul Prep, Hinsdale South, Shepard and TF South occurred during the course of the regular season in which the Meteors were 6-22.

Girls basketball

22 development

On January 9, De La Salle welcomed over 50 guests to the Lagunitas Brewery in Chicago for an evening of fun. A raffle was held as our guests enjoyed some of the great bev-erages Lagunitas has to offer.

All proceeds benefited the students of De La Salle. We would like to thank everyone who attended as well as our friends at Lagunitas for welcoming us to their beautiful facility.

We’ll see you next year at Lagunitas!

lagunitas night a success!

A fellow Meteor will be calling you soon to ask for your generous support of our stu-dent financial assistance program! De La Salle’s 2017 Phonathon begins on Monday, March 6, 2017 and runs through Thursday, March 23, 2017.

This year, we have been issued a challenge grant. The Elizabeth Louise Smith Fund at the Chicago Community Trust will match dollar for dollar any Phonathon gifts up to $75,000 through June 30, 2017!

The challenge grant offers a great way for you to double the impact of your gift and provide financial assistance to help make a De La Salle education possible for many more students.

Our student callers will have the opportunity to get acquainted with alumni and friends of the Institute, share information about the school’s most recent achieve-ments, raise critical funds for the student financial assistance program and discover what it really means to be a De La Salle graduate. Please respond as generously as you can. The challenge has been set, let’s show our Meteor pride!

double the impact of your Gift during the 2017 Phonathon!

We are looking for parents to join the De La Salle Parent Association for the 2017-2018 school year. This would be a great opportunity to meet parents and help support the students at ‘D’!

The mission of the Parent Association is to develop an in-formed, interested and engaged body of current parents and guardians of De La Salle students who are commit-ted to executing activities that foster community as well as benefit De La Salle Institute as an organization, its student body and the parent/guardian population.

Events hosted by the Parent Association include Ricobene’s Night, the Wine and Spirit Tasting and the Family Dance. Stay tuned for information regarding membership for the next school year. We welcome all mothers and fathers to join!

For more information about the Parent Association, please contact La Toya Keys at (312) 842-7355 ext. 146 or keysl@dls.org.

The Parent association Wants You!

Answering the Call

The financial challenges of assisting students and their families at De La Salle Institute can be increasingly difficult as the need continues to sur-pass scholarship dollars. The ability to provide financial assistance is the cornerstone and essence of the school’s mission to educate all of the stu-dents who desire to receive a De La Salle education.

The Torres family merits special recognition for their generosity and in-vestment in our Meteors. They established an endowed scholarship in memory of Omar E. Torres ‘05 who died in the line of duty on August 22, 2007 while serving our country in Iraq. The Omar E. Torres ’05 Memorial Endowed Scholarship was created in 2009 to honor his exceptional edu-cational experience at De La Salle, his dedication to serving others and his giving spirit. This is a most fitting tribute to Omar.

After losing Omar, the Torres family reflected on his attitude of never giv-ing up; his love of history, reading, math and politics, as well as his strong commitment of service to his family, community and country. His par-ents, Oscar and Doris; his sister, Oralia; and his brother Oscar E. Torres Jr. ’04 have served in roles that help others and strongly believe in helping to make a difference for the young women and men attending De La Salle.

Since its inception, the endowed scholarship in his memory has provided tuition assistance for students and their families. For the current academic year, there are three Torres scholars. We feel that the endowed scholarship’s effect reinforces the commitment of the students to achieve all that De La Salle has to offer. We want students to strive for excellence and develop a strong work ethic which will carry them into college and their lives.

It is the 10th year of the annual picnic hosted by the Torres family as a fundraiser which helps fund the endowed scholarship in Omar’s name. The picnic will be held on Sunday, June 4, 2017 at De La Salle’s Institute Campus. Please “save the date” for this great event! More information will be provided in the coming months.

Endowing a scholarship represents the best source of stable income and continues the legacy of providing an excellent education to the students at De La Salle. On behalf of the entire educational community, we offer our heartfelt appreciation to the Torres family for their generosity and for continuing Omar’s legacy. For more information, please contact De La Salle’s Director of Development, Iris Gist Cochran, at (312) 842-7355 ext. 152 or cochrani@dls.org.

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continuing the legacy of omar e. Torres ‘05

Torres Scholars Brian Bialczak ‘18, Asael Ramirez ’19, Joshua DeLeon ‘20 Omar E. Torres ‘05

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24 development

Meteor Alumni Success Story

What made you want to choose the legal field as a profession?I chose the legal field as a profession because I want to forge a positive change in our society through policy and the law. God has given us all natural talents and gifts that we should use to improve the quality of life for everyone. As I grow in my profession, I hope I always maintain a special place in my heart for people and their plight. We all benefit from the positive advance-ment of humanity. That’s a win-win situation!!!

How did De La Salle influence your life?De La Salle is where I started building my char-acter. I learned how to be a leader, how to set goals and how to be disciplined in studying and pursuing my goals. De La Salle is where I gained confidence in my abilities and myself.

What advice would you give parents who are interested in sending their children to D?What are you waiting for? Send your children to De La Salle. It will be one of the most memo-rable experiences of their lives. De La Salle gives students room and the tools needed to grow, express themselves and find their own individuality.

What are some of the most important things you learned at ‘D’?At ‘D’, I learned that hard work pays off, how to balance between classwork and extracurricu-lar activities and how to build genuine friend-

ships. Some of my closest friends are friends I met at ‘D.’ I also learned that we all have challenges, aspirations and personal conflicts.

Who were some of the teachers who had the greatest influence on you and why?I had some great teachers at ‘D.’ Each teacher was unique and brought diversity to the learn-ing experience. However, I had two teachers at ‘D’ who were particularly influential. The first teacher was Mr. (Bob) Klebes. He was my Honors history teacher. As a class assign-ment, Mr. Klebes asked us to write an essay that would be submitted to a citywide essay contest presented by Mikva Challenge called “I Dream a City.” The contest was open to all high school students in Chicago for a chance to win a three-day trip to Washington, D.C. to tour Capitol Hill and meet then-Senator Barack Obama.

One day, Mr. Klebes stopped me after class. He commented that he read my essay and thought it was well-written and opined that I could be a great lawyer. Mr. Klebes’ statement resonated with me. He submitted the entire classes’ essays to Mikva Challenge for the con-test and I won. I along with nine other high school students from various Chicago high schools was chosen to go on a complimentary three-day trip to Washington, D.C. We toured Capitol Hill, met various Chicago politicians, visited the Democratic National Commit-tee headquarters and most importantly, met then-Senator Barack Obama. To bring this experience full circle, two years later, I spent a

college semester studying in Washington, D.C. and was there when President Obama won his first election. Thanks, Mr. Klebes!

The second-most influential teacher I had at ‘D’ was Mr. (Kamaal) Khazen. He is still my and many other classmates’ favorite teacher. He was my AP (Advanced Placement) Calculus teacher. AP Calculus was the hardest class I ever experienced at De La Salle. I and some other classmates were struggling with the mate-rial. Mr. Khazen was always open to staying after school to answer any questions we had and to helping us better grasp the material. I am certain that I would not have passed this class if he were not as committed to making sure we had the information and instruction we needed to be successful.

Also, Mr. Khazen inspired me to go to Hamil-ton College. Before Calculus class started one day, my best friend and I were trying to decide where we were going to attend college. At this time, we both had received various acceptance letters to colleges and universities, one of which was Hamilton College. Mr. Khazen asked us what colleges we were considering. After we told him the two colleges we had narrowed our list to, Mr. Khazen remarked that Hamilton College was a great school and his son initially planned on attending college there as well. We asked him why his son had not attended Hamil-ton and he responded that he ended up going to Harvard instead. Needless to say, I did not have an acceptance letter from Harvard, so I went to Hamilton College; my best friend went too. It also turned out to be a great decision.

emrhan J. slaton ‘06

Emrhan J. Slaton ’06 is a licensed attorney in the State of Illinois. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY and a Juris Doctor from The John Marshall Law School in Chicago.

Slaton is currently the Court Coordinator for the Elder Law and Miscellaneous Rem-edies Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Keep in touch with ‘D’. Send your updated information to Chris Ahearn at ahearnc@dls.org.

Meteor Alumni Success Story

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1966Gregory Dust retired from the Los An-geles Police Department as a sergeant. Dust calls Prescott Valley, AZ home and his email address is gpdust@msn.com.

James Mulford resides in Escondido, CA and is a Chief Executive Officer in the medical electronics field. His email address is jamescmulford@gmail.com.

1967Darryl Butler is retired from Amtrak as a Director of Claims and Litigation. Butler lives in Palos Hills, IL and may be contacted at dpbutler202@gmail.com.

1968Michael McDonough works for the fed-eral government as a computer systems analyst. McDonough lives in Orlando, FL and his email address is Comis-key43@yahoo.com.

1979Eric Urbano calls Shorewood, IL home along with his wife, Marisol. They have two daughters. Urbano’s email address is ejurbano@msn.com.

1989Marco Avila works in the airports and aviation industry in airport manage-ment. He resides in Chicago and his email address is maa.ord@gmail.com.

1992Matthew Majcherek is a firefighter and lives in Chicago. His email address is Gotti1806@aol.com.

1993Alan Maynie is a financial advisor liv-ing in Houston, TX. His email address is amaynie1@gmail.com.

1996Leonard Laino works for Chicago’s Bu-reau of Forestry. He lives in Chicago and can be reached at djdvs34@yahoo.com.

Carlos Prieto works in the athletic wear industry and lives in Beaverton, OR. His email address is ccpriet@gmail.com.

2003Markus Liner works in the trading in-dustry as a database developer. He lives in Chicago and his email address is mar-quisliner@gmail.com.

Abel Ochoa lives in Chicago. His email address is aochoa1@gmail.com.

2008Eric Hetland resides in Evanston, IL and works in the field of higher education in student affairs. His email address is het-land.eric@gmail.com. Hetland and Lind-say Roper were engaged in September 2016. They plan to marry in July 2018. Congratulations, Eric and Lindsay!

2010De La Salle congratulates Fatimah War-ner who appeared on NBC’s Saturday Night Live in late 2016 as a musical guest along with Chance the Rapper. Warner is an artist and rapper who performs as “Noname.” Please visit her website non-amehiding.com for more information. Congratulations, Fatimah!

2014Ohio State University’s Jamarco Jones was named Second Team All-Big Ten in football by the coaches and media in his first season as a starter at left offensive tackle. Jones was a key contributor as the Buckeyes led the Big Ten in total offense. Congratulations, Jamarco!

In MemoriamDe La Salle Institute extends its deepest

sympathies to the families of the following De La Salle and Lourdes alumni and friends

who have recently passed away:

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and all the souls of the

faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

St. John Baptist De La Salle, pray for us. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.

Mr. Richard R. Dougherty Jr. ‘65

Mr. Thomas Flynn

Ms. Dorothy Flynn

Dr. Joseph T. Gallagher ‘46

Mr. Steven E. Hoesley ‘75

Mr. Thomas D. Horvath ‘67

Mr. Dennis A. Jawgiel ‘65

Sister Gabriella Kowalski, OSF ‘L55

Mr. Phil M. Levato ‘11

Mr. Robert A. Lontka ‘71

Mr. Joseph L. Majka ‘58

Ms. Nina M. Mastro ‘05

Mr. James McNally ‘75

Mr. Patrick McNicholas ‘65

Mr. Joseph F. Meier ‘61

Mr. Robert A. Pfeifer ‘68

Mr. Walter J. Pilarski ‘45

Mr. Gerald C. Ralson ‘53

Mr. John M. Schroeder ‘79

Mr. Joseph M. Speck ‘76

Mr. Kenneth D. Stellon ‘63

Mr. Thomas J. Sushinski ‘56

Mr. Donald C. Trauscht ‘51

Mr. Francis J. Wagner ‘66

de la salle alumni notes

lourdes alumnae notes1995

Gabriela Tejeda-Rios is an attorney with a practice in Clarendon Hills, IL. Her email address is gtejeda1@yahoo.com.

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Meteor Alumni Success Story

Mark Your calendar for This Year’s 10th annual Great futures Gala

The Great Futures Gala – hosted by the Extollo Educational Founda-tion – is turning 10!

We are celebrating this wonderful milestone on Friday, April 28, at 6 pm at the Loews Chicago Hotel located at 455 N. Park Dr. in downtown Chicago.

We are proud to celebrate 10 years of ensuring the tradition of great futures for our young men and women at De La Salle. Over the past decade, the Great Futures Gala has honored several individuals and families who have provided outstanding dedication and leadership to Lasallian education.

The Great Futures Gala has raised over $1.76 million to benefit the edu-cational entities it supports.

Gala proceeds have provided support for the student financial assistance program. Silent and live auction items have funded classroom renovation projects, LCD projectors, faculty laptops, faculty development, student summer community service trips, the Theatre 100 program, science lab supplies, athletic equipment and student spiritual retreats at De La Salle.

Thank you to the many supporters of the Great Futures Gala, who have helped provide sponsorships and contributed to the classroom and building renovations. In all, 58 individuals, families and business partners have generously contributed each year to the Gala since its inception. We sincerely thank these special friends for their exemplary generosity in making the Great Futures Gala thrive and succeed.

To purchase tickets, a table or a sponsorship for this year’s gala, please visit: www.dls.org/greatfuturesgala.jsp For more information, please contact La Toya Keys, Special Events Manager, at 312-842-7355 ext. 146 or KeysL@dls.org.

De La Salle’s 10th Annual Great Futures Gala

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de la salle Welcomes 2003-04 Girls Volleyball Team to the sports Hall of fame!

On January 27, the 2003-04 girls volleyball team was inducted into the De La Salle Sports Hall of Fame.

The members of the 2003-04 Meteor girls varsity vol-leyball team were: Jenna Bruno ’06; Kelly Carroll ’05; Cecilia Cline ’06; Alex Domain ’06; Dana Ford ’04; Kristie Frugoli ’06; Anna Gargano ’04; Margaret Grabowski ’06; Sarah Green ‘04 – Manager; Erin Hen-derson ’04; Samantha Levato ’05; Dana Ragazinskas ’05; Becca Weaver ’06 and Erin White ’07. The head coach was Anna Marassa with Diane Geers, Mike Stanislaw and Jessica Andrasko her assistants.

In just its second season of existence, the De La Salle girls varsity volleyball team accomplished many things during the 2003-04 school year. The Meteors finished with an impressive overall record of 28-5, placed first in the Walther Lutheran Tourney and were third in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament.

In state competition, the Meteors defeated Collins and Kelvyn Park in the IHSA Class AA De La Salle Regional before falling to Lane Tech in the IHSA Class AA St. Ignatius Sectional Semifinals. Earning places on the All-GCAC Team that season were sophomores Frugoli, Bruno, Weaver and Grabowski and senior Henderson.

On behalf of De La Salle president Fr. Paul Novak, principal Diane Brown, our Sports Hall of Fame com-mittee and the faculty, students, alumni and staff of De La Salle, it is our pleasure to induct into our Sports Hall of Fame, the members of the 2003-04 Meteors girls var-sity volleyball team! Congratulations!

Skate with the Meteors!Saturday, March 25, 2017

12:10 pm - 1:20 pm

Johnny’s Ice House 1350 West Madison Street

Chicago, IL 60607

RSVP to Head Coach John Wallin wallinj@dls.org or 312-842-7355 ext. 123

This event is open to all De La Salle Institute Alums. The fee is $50 which includes a jersey and ice rental.

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office for Advancement3434 S. Michigan Ave.Chicago, Illinois 60616-3898 312.842.7355

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PaIDPermit No. 3092

Chicago, IL

Address Service Requested

Parents: If this is addressed to your son or daughter and he or she no longer resides there, please contact De La Salle’s Office for Advancement by phone or with the enclosed envelope so that we may update our records.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/delasalleinstitute

Twitter (School): www.twitter.com/DLSMeteors

Twitter (Athletics): www.twitter.com/MeteorAthletics

Instagram: @delasalleinstitute

YouTube: www.youtube.com/delasalleinstitute

Have You Considered a Planned Gift to De La Salle?

To volunteer for either of these events, please contact La Toya Keys at 312.842.7355 ext. 146 or keysl@dls.org.

De La Salle Institute 2017 Golf Classic

Grab Your Clubs and Join Us!Wednesday, June 28, 2017

9:00 am Shotgun Tee Off $150/ golfer; $600/Foursome

Includes: 18 holes of golf, cart, continental breakfast, lunch, dinner and open bar

Gleneagles Country Club 13070 McCarthy Road, Lemont, IL 60439

For more information or to sponsor this event, contact La Toya Keys, Special Events Manager,

312-842-7355 ext. 146 or keysl@dls.org.

26th Annual D-Final Event Don’t get left on the bench!

Join Us for the Largest College Basketball National Semifinals Watch Party in Chicago!

Saturday, April 1, 2017 Parmer Activity Center Doors open at 4:00pm

Ticket Cost: $35 in advance; $40 at door

Last year, this event was celebrated for the first time on a Saturday evening and the response was amazing! We welcomed over 300 guests and raised over $40,000

for the students of De La Salle Institute.

DON’T MISS OUT ON A NIGHT OF FUN INCLUDING DOOR PRIZES AND RAFFLES!

Be sure to purchase your super raffle ticket for a chance to win $20,000, $5,000 OR $2,500. A ticket purchase automatically

enters you in the student tuition drawing for $2,500.

Want to Help Sell Super Raffle Tickets? contact La Toya Keys, Special Events Manager,

312-842-7355 ext. 146 or keysl@dls.org.