Connecting the Dots with Shawn Young

Mike Merz, Linda Grassinger Ewers, Bob Ewers, Lennie Felkamp Blasing, Bill Reeves, Pam McGuire Stewart, and Nancy Farfsing Henson

In this edition of Connecting the Dots, we go back about 15 years.  Back then I was a Cub Scout leader for Pack 694 at Immaculate Heart of Mary.  One of our scouts was a boy named Matt Taylor '16.  As we got more involved in scouting, I got to know his mother Tricia Laake Oehler '88 and found out she was a Rocket as well. Fast forward 13 years and Tricia and I are talking about things going on at McNick.  Matt was then a senior, we discussed
 how we wanted to host a lunch for the Class of '66 to start off their 50th reunion year.  She mentions her parents are married Rockets from the Class of '66.  So I reach out to them and I bounce the idea off of Bob and Linda Ewers '66.  They think is sounds like a great idea, especially since their grandson is in that class.  But they suggest that I talk to Bridget Moran Kahermanes '66.  They tell me that she has been the one doing most of the work keeping this class together over the years.  Bridget loves the idea, and suggests that we should all get together and have a lunch and plan this out.  I must be honest at this point and mention that this lunch has developed into about 10 lunches at this point!  

Bridget and her crew developed a huge interest in this lunch, and we hosted about 15 members of the class back to campus last spring. It was a great time!  We are doing the same thing with the Class of '67 on March 20, so Class of '68- you can expect a call.  The turn out was great!  Everyone had a great time. As a matter of fact the get-together lasted well past lunch.  We moved down the street and kept it going. The momentum kept growing and the Class of '66 had a great reunion here on campus last year.  As part of their reunion the class decided to make a contribution to the Alumni Scholarship Fund.  In the true spirit of '66, they made it their goal to reach $5,000 in donations.  The record of $2,100 was shattered as the class went over their goal!  


Strong alumni presence on campus to start 2017

Jerry Doerger, Jerry Robinson '91, Jeannie Massa Flesch '81, Kurt Kiessling '85, Sarah Huber '00, T.R. O'Brien '88, Andy Mayer '88, Christina Gilene '09, John Krug '82, Pat Byrne '76, Mooch McClure '83, and Gordy Massa '85. 

Over the past couple of weeks Archbishop McNIcholas High School has hosted several events here on campus, and one thing was made clear- we are seeing an ever-growing amount of alumni involvement.  Thank you for all of the alumni who have stepped up to run the events, and for those who have decided to attend.

Back in January, Kelley Dwyer Lang '83, Karen Yorio Vennemann '84 and others worked very hard to host an outstanding Father/Son Breakfast  for the PTSA.  The featured speaker was  CW5 (R) Dave Cooper '78. Dave truly kept the crowd on the edge of their seats telling his story.  It was a true honor for us to have him at this event. 

Shortly after that we hosted the Hall of Fame.  Again, there were alumni all over the Café and Student Union.  We had Chris Gatio Haynes '74, and   Michele Byrne Thomas '75, working behind the scenes to get everything  set up. We welcomed Gordy Massa '85, and Christine Gilene '09 into the Hall of Fame, and there were many alumni in the crowd who came back to celebrate the night with us. 

Two nights later we have the Military  Memorial Dance.  I would like to thank Jim Hay '77, Ken Serger '69, Rick Ahlrichs '69, John Kindel '69, Sparky McHugh '69, and Barb Quehl Boots ' 78 for all the work they put into this event.  We had tables from the Classes of '59, '67, '68, and '69 at the event.  I am sure we had other tables there as well, and if I have forgotten anyone, please a  my accept my apologies .  It is a huge effort, and this team does an amazing job, for a great cause. But we are not even close to done. 

A week later we were back at it for another great cause.  We hosted the Ryan Dennis Give Back Blood Drive .  This event has been set up by the hard work of Bret and Bridget Liette Ryan, both from the Class of '98 and her sister and brother-in-law, Daniel and Sarah Liette Losse, both from the Class of 2001. (That is amazing by itself!)  Many of their classmates came out to support them in their effort again this year. 

Five days later, we hosted the largest fund raiser of the year, McNick at Night  on March 11.This event is held at Norlyn Manor which is owned by Norm Wolfer '67, and I cannot say enough about the work Joe Wolfer '99 did to help make this such a great event.  We had over 90 alumni in the crowd that night! That is amazing! 

On March 14, the school hosted C areer Day . Again, alumni were all over the building!  We had 15 alumni sharing their careers with present students.  This is a great way to give back to the school!  

This past weekend the Ladies Spring Fling trip traveled to Chicago.  A special thanks to Jill Grogan Crawford '83, and her team for putting this together .  They have enough alumni going that this year they need two buses !  So many great things going on!  If you have not been involved, maybe now is the time.  We have something for everyone.  Did I mention the Alumni Basketball league kicks off next week? Thanks to Tim Monahan '96 for getting the ball rolling!

McNicholas High School announces new Alumni Awards

Archbishop McNicholas High School is pleased to announce exciting new recognitions for alumni. Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, McNicholas High School will present three new awards. In conjunction with the establishment of these awards, McNicholas is also pleased to announce a special event on October 9, 2017, in the Café and Student Union where these new awards will be presented. (Archbishop McNicholas was ordained a Dominican priest on October 10, 1901.) The following day, October 10, the recipients will be introduced to the  students at an all-school assembly.
 
Selection
 The nominations for the distinguished alumni award will begin later this month.  The McNicholas community will have the opportunity to nominate for this award.  All three awards will be selected by a committee of school representatives.  Nominations will be due by June 15, and the committee will announce its selections on July 1.

Awards
The Distinguished Alumni Award
 will be presented annually to one male and one female McNicholas graduate who have honored McNicholas High School by their outstanding professional achievements, volunteer activities, and community-organization advocacy. These alumni have shared their affection for McNicholas and its community and have been shining examples of high moral and ethical standards and values learned at McNicholas High School.
 
The Full Stature Special Achievement Award   will be presented to an alumni who exemplifies the ideals and mission of McNicholas High School and the Sisters of St. Joseph. It is presented to an individual in recognition of his or her accomplishments which bring honor to self and school and whose service, leadership, and concern for McNicholas support, strengthen, and exemplify the school's mission. This award is bestowed as a lifetime recognition and will not necessarily be presented annually.
The McNicholas Outstanding Service Award   will be presented to a member of the McNicholas community who has made, through years of tireless effort, significant contributions of time, talent, and treasure to the growth of McNicholas High School. 
 
To nominate someone for the Distinguished Alumni Award please click here.

A Message from the Development Office

On Saturday, March 11, over 300 members of the McNicholas community came together in celebration at the 2017 McNick at Night Gala at the Norlyn Manor. Even though the results have not been finalized, every part of the evening was a great success. There are many people we need to thank. The event would not be possible without our great sponsors and the support they provide. The attendees, who joined us for the evening, made it into a fun event with their great participation. And of course, our great McNicholas McNick at Night Team, who put in so many hours of time, always are the key to making the evening a great event. I want to say a special thank you to the many alumni that joined us to make it a great evening. Next year will be the 20th McNick at Night. We will begin work very soon to make next year's McNick at Night the best ever.

Mark Doran
Director of Development
Alumni running to support classmate

 
 
Jim Serger '89, author and Rocket enthusiast is now jumping in with both feet on a new and worthy adventure.  Jim is trying to run his first marathon, which is amazing enough, but he is running in support of classmate Erin Lawry.  Erin is an elite athlete. She has competed in the Boston Marathon, the Flying Pig Marathon, Iron Man Louisville and the Lake Tahoe Marathon, and according to Jim, is a truly awesome individual. Erin was diagnosed in June 2015 of DCIS and was triple hormone negative.  She had a bilateral mastectomy, followed by reconstruction. She caught  breast cancer in time.  She has had no lymph node activity, so her surgeons believe Erin is cancer free.  Erin was lucky because if it would have spread to her lymph nodes her cancer had an 85% chance of re-occurrence in the first five years  Erin is now doing great because she got checked.  Jim is hoping to raise $3,000 dollars for U.C. hospital in her name, and  moreover, to raise awareness to get checked regularly for breast cancer.

The marathon is April 22, in Carmel, Indiana. To con tribute to this effort please follow link below and fill in Erin Lawry.  In order to  track how much is raised in  my effort toward $3,000.  Click here to support this effort.

Events in the news at McNicholas High School

To learn more about what has been happening on campus this past month, click on any of the stories listed below.

Gilene, Massa inducted into Hall of Fame

Fries, Hazzard crowned Mardi Gras king and queen

Alumni service opportunity

Be a part of the Rocket Volunteer Team!
Volunteers needed for the NVWG this July

Every year, the Veterans Administration hosts the Annual  National Veterans Wheelchair GamesThis year, the games are being held in Cincinnati, July 17-22, 2017, with the motto of   Life Without Limits . There will be over 600 participants, and they will need 2,500 volunteers. The volunteer work will range from physically-demanding to more sedentary assignments. There will also be a wide range of competitions.

All dates and events are seeking volunteers, and volunteers are needed to greet athletes at the airport on July 16 and to help with departure on July 23. Archbishop McNicholas High School has been asked specifically to cover three events:

--  Swimming -July 21 in the evening-Each world class athlete needs a personal volunteer to assist them in getting in and out of the pool. 35 volunteers are needed.

--  Weightlifting and Quad Weightlifting -July 21 in the evening-Each world class athletes needs a personal volunteer. 35 volunteers needed.

--  Volunteer Services Table -July 17 through 22 at Duke Energy Convention Center-Each day between July 17 and 22, an estimated 500 volunteers will sign in from early morning to night. We need a minimum of 5 people per shift, three shifts per day-75 volunteer opportunities. Volunteers should be comfortable on the computer.

To volunteer:
To be a part of the McNick team, please do not fill in the online volunteer form at this time. Instead, please email  Gwyn Bush  by March 27  with the following information:
  • Event or events
  • Shift (generally 6 a.m to noon; 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 5:30 to 11 p.m.; specific event times may vary)
  • Volunteer names (Please note volunteer ages between 14 and 18.)
Don't miss the opportunity to be a part of Team Archbishop McNicholas in supporting these extraordinary people at the 37 th  National Veterans Wheelchair games! Contact Gwyn Bush with any questions.

Reunions for 2017

1982 Class Reunion 2012
Class of 1982 at the 30 year reunion

If your graduation year ends in a 2 or 7, you are up for a reunion this year.  Most of the reunions are in the planning process at this point.  You can click on the link here to see where your class is in the planning process. 

We still need to hear from the Class of 1972. We are looking for a person, or a group of classmates to step up and get the reunion rolling. Please contact Shawn Young if you are able to help.

Winter Sports Wrap up.

The 2016-17 school year has been very successful year in athletics.  The great accomplishments of the fall season have carried over to winter sports as well. Congratulations to all of our Rocket athletes, especially the following stand-outs:
 
Swimming:  Junior Nick Rosenbaum broke two school records in swimming this
Rosenbaum
year. He set new marks in the 50 meter free style and the 100 meter butterfly.  Nick placed 16th in the state in the 100 meter butterfly.

Bowling: Rocket bowlers junior Anne Savage and senior Noah Pasco qualified for the district tournament.
 
Women's Basketball: Made it to the sectional finals.

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Gear
Wrestling: Junior Jackson Gear qualified for the state meet for a second consecutive year.
Alumni Updates

Any news?
Do you have news to share? Let us know what you've been doing since graduation! Update your information by completing our  alumni update form   on the McNicholas webpage or call the Alumni Office at 513.231.3500. ext. 5850.

Victoria Dale Brown '70  has retired and decided to start her own arts and crafts business. She travels mainly the east coast to different cities and venues. It gives her the opportunity to visit her three children, their families and my soon-to-be six grand children.

Michael Pewther '73 is hosting a job fair for flight attendants for Frontier Airlines in Cincinnati on April 11.  He would love to hire Rockets! If you are interested please click on this link

Mimi Gallenstein Bateman '77 has four grandchildren, three boys and a girl.

Col. Bill Bulter '86 has retired from the army after 27 years, and has accepted a three year job in Italy. 

Jeremy Boeh '02 The NEXT School Foundation has named Jeremy as its Founding President. The NEXT School Foundation's mission is to fund, research and build innovative and engaging learning experiences.

Allison Cochran Cambruzzi '02 is married with two children, Tripp (3) and Luke (13 months)

John Espy '02 has a daughter named Emerson. She was born in December 2015.

Julie Koumoutsos Field  '02 is married and has two children, Evelyn (4) and Andrew (19 months).

Andrea Wolfer Kendrick '02 married  Dunstan Kendrick. They have three kids, Arianna and Lincoln will be 3 in March, and Camden will be 1 in March.

Lindsey Barlag Thornton '02 lives in Chicago where she works as an artist and teacher.

Will Vogelgesang '16 has won the starting second base position at Miami
University.
In Memoriam

This list is generated from local obituaries and information received from the family and friends of our alumni and current students. Please contact the alumni office if there is incorrect or missing information. 

Alumni

Sandy Seibert Sink '66 ; Sister of Mary Judith Seibert Lawson '60, John '62, James (attended), and Thomas (attended). 


Distinguished Family and Friends

Joseph A. Benigni; Father of Janet Benigni Roedel '66, Judy Benigni Wolter '66, Patti Benigni Dold '71, and Beth Benigni Wulker '76. 

Irene I. Berling
; Mother of Dennis '68, Cynthia Berling Phillips '75, and Shelley Berling Bowling '78.

Carol A. Cook-Langsdorf; Mother of Lynn Langsdorf Kelch '73, Nancy 'Langsdorf Byrne 78, and Christine Langsdorf  Sullivan '79.

Richard J. Cost; Father of Jeanne Cost '00.

Paul Cunningham; Father of Paul '72, and Nancy Cunningham Crone '73.

William E. Dean; Father of Kathy Dean Harrison '71, the late Patrick '74, Shawn '76, Colleen Dean Hunt '78, Tim '79, Christine Dean '81, Tom '81, Kelly Dean Stachler '86, and Mike (attended).

Curtis Gullett; Father of LeeAnn Gullett Jones '77, and Kathryn Gullett Ponder '81.

Andrew Petri; Father of Deborah Petri Bourgeois '73, and Joyce Petri Kilbourne '79. 

Mary G. Schimpf; Mother of Janice Schimpf  Press '76. 

Lynette Smithson; Mother of Andrew '03.

Raymond W. Sohngen; Father of Nancy Sohngen Wetterer '72, David '74, and Becky Sohngen Monahan '79. 

Rev. William Thomas; Teacher at McNicholas 1962-1971.

Albert Volz; Father of Ron '67, Tom '70, and Linda (attended).

David J. Wolfangel; Son of the late David '78, and Grandson of Ruth Matthews Wolfangel '58.

Paul J. Zloba; Father of Donna Zloba Purcell '87, and Mark '89.

Quick Links for Alumni