spring mustang messenger 2015 online

THE MUSTANG MESSENGER 1

THE MUSTANG MESSENGER2

4 President's Pen 5 La Reine Reunion

6-9 Around Campus Campus Chatter

50th Anniversary Event Information 12-15 Academic Excellence

The St. Joseph's Program 16-19 Talent in the Arts

Visual Arts Teacher Kate Heneghan: Drawing From Life

20-27 Athletic Pride Rasheed Slade: Holding Court

Mustang Fever Mustang Hall of Fame

ADVANCEMENT OFFICEDirector of Institutional AdvancementL'oreal Edmondson '98Director of Annual ProgramsAlice V. CaseDirector of Web CommunicationsJanice Conlon Cuellar LR '69Director of Alumni RelationsMichael Jones '96Director of Special EventsMelissa Antonio Huar LR '91Director of CommunicationsRobert FeasleyPlease contact: Advancement Office301.735.8401 ext. 134

BISHOP McNAMARA HIGH SCHOOL6800 Marlboro PikeForestville, Maryland 20747(p) 301.735.8401(f ) 301.735.0934

PRESIDENT/CEOMarco J. Clark '85

PRINCIPALDr. Robert Van der Waag

The Mustang Messenger is published three times each year. We welcome comments, suggestions, and information.

ISSUE TITLE: "The Studio Art Issue"


Spring2015 CONTENTS

4 President's Pen 5 La Reine Reunion

6-9 Around Campus Campus Chatter

50th Anniversary Event Information 12-15 Academic Excellence

The St. Joseph's Program 16-19 Talent in the Arts

Visual Arts Teacher Kate Heneghan: Drawing From Life

20-27 Athletic Pride Rasheed Slade: Holding Court

Mustang Fever Mustang Hall of Fame

28-29 Faith and Service Br. David Andrews, C.S.C. : A Man of Holy Cross

30-35 La Reine & McNamarAlumni Gemma Puglisi LR '74: My La Reine

Alumni News Memorial Garden

In Memory of CFC: 62489 United Way: 8895

Maryland Charities: 6137 ©BMHS All Rights Reserved


Dear Bishop McNamara and La Reine High School Family and Friends,In 1856, the Blessed Basil Moreau, C.S.C., founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, published Christian Education, outlining the goals and ideals of a Holy Cross education. With those goals and ideals as guidelines, he opened Our Lady of Holy Cross in Le Mans, France. Nearly two centuries later, his aspirations remain the backbone for Holy Cross schools at all education levels, with his ultimate goal being the "formation of the hearts of young people and the development of a positive response toward religion within them." His vision of the Holy Cross education is one that forms the hearts of young people, teaching them to be more like Christ. In Moreau's words, "education is the art of bringing young people to completeness. For the Christian, that means being more like Christ."

Moreau's vision was for inclusive education, to meet the needs of all students, and, in a time when schools were offering only classical education of literature, philosophy, and geometry, Moreau's mission was to do more — to educate to completeness by developing the minds, hearts, and hands of young Christians. While he certainly saw the importance of educating the mind with classic lessons in literature, philosophy, science, and mathematics, he saw equal importance in developing the heart through music, poetry and fine arts; and the hands through service to others. Moreau's schools also included revolutionary educational principles for the time, including sports teams to foster competition and develop the body, and marching bands to allow students to become active in music.

That revolution continues today at Bishop McNamara High School. Fr. Moreau's mission is put to work each day in the classrooms, on the practice fields and courts, in the rehearsal rooms and dance studios, on the stage, and throughout the community. Today, Bishop McNamara offers 165 different course offerings including a complete array in the arts. Creativity and self-expression are essential components to a Bishop McNamara education. As well, our St. Joseph's Program and Project PRIDE demonstrate our commitment to fulfilling Moreau's desire to provide high-quality, Catholic education to all children. Please take the time to read about the St. Joseph Program in this issue.

Our Fine Arts programs are uniquely placed in both the academic and co-curricular life of the School. We offer courses and performance opportunities in Band, Chorus, Dance, Orchestra, Theatre, Speech, and Visual Arts. The Fine Arts curriculum is designed to awaken and challenge every student's desire to create. Guided by practicing artists who all share a love, passion, and vocation to teach, the Fine Arts Department at Bishop McNamara offers one of the most extensive arts educations in the Washington, D.C. area.

This program not only fulfills the dream of Holy Cross education — to educate the whole person — but it has become a distinguishing characteristic of our School. With more than 650 students participating in the arts, it is a joy to appreciate the creative expression of our students who translate God's love and life through art. From award-winning paintings, sketches, and photography, to breathtaking productions and concerts, we invite you to enjoy the arts at Bishop McNamara.

Thank you once again for all of your love, prayer, and support. As I often like to say, "There's no place like McNamara!" Many blessings to you and your families!

Ave Crux Spes Unica,

Marco J. Clark '85President/CEO@mustangprez


The Lady Mustangs were ranked sixth nationally in Women's Varsity Basketball by USA Today High School Sports after a thrilling 46-45 victory over the Riverdale Baptist Lady Crusaders!

Bishop McNamara's mobile site won an "Outstanding Mobile Website" award from the Web Marketing Association! Kudos to Director of Web Communications, Janice Conlon Cuellar LR '69, for her remarkable effort

Maya Davis '97 returned to Bishop McNamara for a second year to speak with Ms. Keller's African American Studies class and discuss slave trade practices, as well as assist students with their genealogy projects.

Tyoka Jackson '89 of 'The Big 10 Network' spoke to the Broadcast Journalism class as part of the Alumni Speaker Series. He spoke about live broadcasting and live studio etiquette.

Outreach Coordinator Mary Doan visited Bishop McNamara Theology classes to give a brief introduction on social justice in the context of refugees and internally displaced people. Afterwards, student leaders from the Service Club expressed interest in organizing a letter writing campaign to refugees and hosting a fundraiser.

Twenty Bishop McNamara dancers, along with Dance Teacher Mrs. Vicki Keithline

LR '90, traveled to Norfolk, Virginia for the Regional High School Dance Festival from March 4-8, 2015. As one of five non-performing arts schools and the only private Catholic high school in attendance, the Bishop McNamara dancers represented the School and the dance department very well by participating in audition sessions, dance classes, college fairs, demonstrations, and performances. By the end of the festival, nine of the student performers came away with over $30,000 in scholarship offers for college tuition and summer dance intensives from various institutions.

Bishop McNamara was honored to have the Director of Jazz and Contemporary Programs of the Joffrey Ballet School, Mr. Michael Blake, who traveled from New York City to provide a Master Class and Audition session for upper-level students enrolled in the Dance program at Bishop McNamara. Students participating in the Master Class were also given the opportunity to audition and be selected for scholarships to the Summer Intensive at the Joffrey School. All 36 students that auditioned were accepted into the Joffrey 3-week Summer Intensive Program in NYC. Morgan Anderson '15, Gabriela Grant '16, Kaelan Jones '17, Lauren

Roach '16, and Janae Witcher '16 received scholarships for the intensive that totaled over $20,000.

Senior Angelita Pollard '15 started her own dance company - Xtra Productions Dance Company - in May of 2012 and it is now a thriving company with almost 30 members specializing in hip-hop.

We congratulate Tom Ballenger, one of the faculty members from the Social Studies department, and his family on the birth of their son! Rory Raymond Ballenger was born on February 15, 2015 at 2:22 a.m. weighing 8.22 lbs., measuring 19.25 in. Everyone, including Mom, are doing well!

We are happy to congratulate Jennifer Daniels, the Grant Writer in the Advancement Office, and her family on their newborn daughter! Everly Rose Daniels arrived healthy and beautiful Tuesday, February 10, 2015, at 8:41 a.m. weighing eight lbs. and six oz. Jennifer and her husband, Gavin, also have two daughters, Emily and Ella.

MUSTANGMOMENTS

Mr. Michael Blake (center) with Principal Dr. Robert Van der Waag (left), the auditioning dancers, and Mrs. Vicki Keithline LR '90 (right).


LRHS Class of 1965: La Reine Class of 1965 will host their 50th Reunion on Friday, September 25th - Sunday, September 27, 2015 at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center. Please contact Terry Hoffman LR '[email protected] for reunion information.

LRHS Class of 1975: La Reine Class of 1975 will host their 40th Class Reunion on Saturday, August 1, 2015 at the Historic Inn of Annapolis from 6-11 p.m. Please contact the planning committee at [email protected] or call 202.681.4345 for more details.

BMHS Class of 1995: Bishop McNamara Class of 1995 will host their 20th Reunion on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at the Bishop McNamara Fine Arts and Athletic Center. Contact: Erica Counts-Logan '95: [email protected]

BMHS Class of 2005: Bishop McNamara Class of 2005 will host their 10th Class Reunion on June 13, 2015 at the Bishop McNamara High School Alumni Hall. Please contact Adriane Taylor '05: [email protected] Kristian Owens '05: [email protected] or visit their website more details.

Summer Camps at Bishop McNamara

Bishop McNamara High School is proud to announce its summer line-up for camps! As always, full information will be available on our website, www.bmhs.org!

BMHS Boys Basketball CampBMHS Girls Basketball CampBMHS Boys Soccer CampBMHS Girls Soccer CampBMHS Girls Volleyball CampBMHS Dance IntensiveBMHS Dance CampAnd more!

For more information, consult our website or contact: Jeffrey Southworth ‘05 at [email protected] or 301.735.8401 x. 102

Let Bishop McNamara Help You Plan Your Reunion!

Bishop McNamara High School is calling on the following BMHS and La Reine High School classes, and any other interested parties, to let the School help organize and promote their reunions: Classes of 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990, 2000, and 2010: it's Reunion time! If interested in planning a class Reunion, please contact:

Director of Alumni Relations Michael Jones '96 [email protected] ext. 111

For further information, visit www.bmhs.org

May 1, 2015Mustang Cup Golf

Tournament Sip 'n Swing

May 3, 2015Annual Alumni Lacrosse Game

May 9, 2015Annual Alumni Football Game

May 23, 2015Commencement Exercises

May 28, 2015Caritas Awards Night

UPCOMING EVENTS


The St. Joseph's Program at Bishop McNamara High School


t had to be a mistake. Had he not studied the correct material? Was he hallucinating? What was wrong with

him? Jeffrey Edwards '14, or Jay, sat in class, his already sweaty palms now smudging what few marks he'd made on his test, staring at his test.

This was a difficult test, but Jay could remember nothing of the subject matter. Everything he'd studied was gone; every hour spent reviewing material may as well have been spent playing video games or sleeping for all the good it was doing him now. His heart raced and his focus drifted. It just wasn't fair.

Jay could do no more than put his head down. His teacher, used to his antics on test day, collected the test and scored him as he would every other student who had left large parts of the test blank – poorly. The teacher assumed Jay's admission of defeat was an admission of a lack of preparation.

Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) in the third grade, Jay and his parents assumed his test-taking troubles stemmed from his lack of proper medication. However, tinkering with his dosages, kinds of medication, and all combinations in between was a fruitless endeavor. Jay was not a troubled child with a history of misbehaving. Why, then, would he blank on test day?

Though he didn't know it at the time, Jay had what is referred to in Special Education as a high-incident disability. Diagnosed through a battery of tests, few area schools had the resources to accommodate his needs without slow-tracking his academic progression.

Jay's symptoms are relatively tame in the grander scheme of learning disabilities, but still omnipresent at any stressful moment in his academic career. Among those who suffer from test-taking anxiety are students who lose the ability to read the words on the page, become nauseous, or become so unsettled that they must leave the room to collect themselves in a bathroom or adjacent hallway. In a test-driven society, in which the likes of the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) relegate children into brackets based on their test-taking abilities, panicking on test day is quite the disadvantage.

The St. Joseph's Program

The St. Joseph's Program was founded during the 2010-2011 school year, with a focus on individual intervention and accommodation plans to allow students with learning or performance issues to succeed in the regular classroom and on test day.

President/CEO Marco J. Clark '85, transitioning from Principal during the same year of the program's founding, cited a tradition of accommodation and acceptance for the creation of the program. "Bishop McNamara is a place where success is a part of the language," he said. "Everyone is possessed with gifts, and as an educational institution, we set the bar high for our students and then we say that we're here to walk this journey with you."

The St. Joseph's program, for him, was the physical culmination of a desire to help every student, regardless of conditions. "We were already well intentioned in our efforts, but sometimes meaning well isn't enough," he said. "We had a need, and the St. Joseph's program fulfilled that need perfectly."

Elaine Greene runs the St. Joseph's Program. Sitting in her office on a Thursday afternoon, she's surrounded by light blue painted walls. It's a color she's not crazy about, but she's covered her surroundings with sticker mosaics of daffodils and French phrases of encouragement. She doesn't speak French, but she loves the way they make her feel. Behind her is a framed picture of a woman, walking alone in Central Park, New York City, in the rain. Poet's Walk, as it's titled, is for her father. Her father's parents were farmers who, for its life-giving purposes, loved the rain. "Always think of me when it rains," he used to tell her, "and be happy."

Elaine is the head of the St. Joseph's program that, in 2014, saw its first graduating class. She has over 20 years of experience working in Special Education and doesn't consider herself a teacher, so much as an advocate for her students. She doesn't hesitate to describe herself as, "a little strange." Office settings aside, she also revels in her strange choices of lunch – a sweet potato and nothing else, on this day. She is at ease, both personally and professionally.

Her classroom, next to the Guidance department, is a stark contrast in composition to her office. The walls are painted a mango hue and the floor is littered with tools generally reserved for physical therapy centers – bike pedals to use while sitting at a desk, balance boards, and swivel chairs.

On some days, it appears as if nothing's going on in the classroom. Half of the students seated in the room aren't in the St. Joseph's program, engaging in normal discussion with members of the program, or trying out one of the innumerable balance contraptions. To the untrained eye, it is a barely managed maelstrom of chaos, until Elaine explains to you what's going on.

"I don't run a quiet study hall," she says, laughing, "but everything you see in my classroom is the product of a calculated effort."

The orange walls are painted a color that, in psychological studies, produces a calming effect on people, allowing them to relax. "I'm not a psychologist," she says. "I'm a mom and an experienced professional, and I want my kids – both my biological kids and St. Joseph's kids – to feel safe and secure when they address problems that have given them difficulty over the years."

The bike pedals, balance boards, and swivel chairs are learning tools. Elaine frequently will quiz her students while they work on their balance or, for more practical purposes, "are too distracted to be distracted." Diverting their attention to minimal movements such as a swiveling chair or a balancing board allows her students to expend energy that might otherwise be used squirming and not focusing on their test.

"If a student can focus on balancing, he or she can have a clear enough mind to focus on the questions I'm asking," she says. The tools are so effective that her students often take the chairs or bicycle pedals to class for test days. "The challenge isn't getting the kids to use the pedals, but to not have my tools spread out all over the School," Elaine jokes. One of the pedal sets is out for repair.

"One of the biggest difficulties I run into is instilling confidence in these children," Elaine says. The students in the center that

I


are not enrolled in the St. Joseph's program are friends and classmates of those in the program, and serve to remove any kind of stigma having a learning disability might have for an adolescent.

The conversation doesn't always stray from academic topics, but on this day the purpose of discussing weekend plans, local events, and weekly personal highlights is to, almost ironically, help some students focus. "Some of my students can't focus in dead silence," she says. "We create a friendly, warm environment."

She also doesn't believe in student withdrawal, as has historically been the treatment method for Special Education. Her students, like any other Bishop McNamara student, follow a regular curriculum. During their study halls and after school, they come to the St. Joseph's program for help with studying, homework, and note-taking. "We don't exclude students from their normal progression," she says. "Rather we supplement it." To her point, several of her students, for the first time since the founding of the program, are

enrolled in Advanced Placement courses.

A Safe Haven

Elaine doesn't write detentions, but expects her few rules to be followed. Her room, as she puts it, is a safe haven for students. "Kids want to do well more than anything," she says. "Contrary to the opinion of many in society, the kids are never academically lazy. It's all a question of understanding and cognitive processing." For that purpose, she is always available to her students. They can email and call her at home, and often stop her in the hallway to speak between classes.

The results have been overwhelmingly successful. Elaine not only advocates for her students, but expects that they excel. Since her first year, the program is at maximum capacity of 40 students, and is searching for means to expand. "Without the incredible buy-in of the staff and volunteering of teachers and counselors, it wouldn't work." The students, for their part, respond well to the challenges as well as the environment. It's apparent in the way they speak of Elaine, but also in the way Elaine speaks

of them. When her father passed away, she says, she received calls from over half of the program. Without her students, she says, she might not have been able to return to work. "When you invest this much time and effort into kids, their response never fails to surprise you," she says. "I consider each and every one of these kids one of my own, and they often think of me as a second mom."

Mr. Clark, in his praise of the program, is quick to discuss the future development of the St. Joseph's program. "When you have families relocating to send their children to school here, you know you're onto something," he says. "We have the opportunity to help students who other schools have written off as lazy or ineffective and help them to realize their God-given potential and gain the confidence to succeed."

The Civil Engineer

Jeffrey ( Jay) Edwards entered the St. Joseph's program during his freshman year at Bishop McNamara and, in his first

quarter, got a 3.0 grade point average. "I had never received anything higher than a 2.8," he said. "It was a great moment for me."

Part of the first graduating class of the St. Joseph's program, Jay, along with every other classmate in the program, went on to pursue higher education at colleges and universities. A freshman at Morgan State University, Jay is a civil engineering major – one of the most challenging in the school. His first semester grades, he said with a laugh, were pretty good – he finished with a 3.8 GPA and expects to do better this semester.

Jay speaks with his professors on a near daily basis, crafting his study guide and habits after a series of daily questions. He designs flash cards with pictures, quick answers, and useful pneumonic devices and often doesn't sit down to study. He studies before and and after class, leaving his afternoons open to be a regular college student. "It's always going to be a little difficult for me," he said. "But I've figured out how to approach every assignment and that makes the difference right there."


Visual Arts Teacher Kate Heneghan is Creating Masterpieces, One Student at a Time

Visual Arts Teacher and Assistant Department Chair Kate Heneghan, a 16-year Bishop

McNamara High School veteran and lifelong artist, prefers to work in, as she calls it, "mixed

media."

"Mixed media" can be anything. In college, at St. John's University, she studied drawing, painting,

and printmaking. As an avid reader and aficionado of classic literature, she began

creating art from her bookshelf. "Each book I read can strike me differently," she says. "Some books move

me to create a sculpture, others move me to paint."


he even has an eye for business. After every school year, Kate retreats to Delaware Beach for the summer to

run a small shop – "Yesterday's Fun" – that sells vintage board games, video games, and cultural phenomenon of decades passed.

Kate considers her diversity of interests to be part of what makes her teaching style unique. Laughing, she says that, as an artist, "I do a little of everything and I get bored by repeating myself." Each day represents a different challenge in the classroom, whether it comes from helping aspiring artists grow or communicating that which comes so naturally for her.

While she may experiment with various forms of artistic expression, her true passion and artistic ability is found in the classroom, as an educator. The students are her canvas, and she the painter's brush.

Collegiate Aspirations

The blank canvas metaphor is apt, Kate says, for many of the students entering Bishop McNamara. "Funding for the arts, particularly at the public school level, is always the first to get squeezed," she says. "What I receive as students, in turn, are wonderful kids with incredible potential and talent, but absolutely no formal training."

She structures her education process, or molding of students, to the college preparatory model, striving to prepare them for the collegiate realm of artistic study. "Demands at the higher level of education generally fall within the realm of conceptual thinking," she says. "So as a teacher, I have to first teach kids how to draw and then back up and teach them how to understand and envision what they've learned to do without seeing it on paper."

The restructuring and re-teaching of students, she says, often requires the implementation of a different thought process. "Art," says Kate, "is a process of problem solving. If you can fix something yourself, you don't have to depend on others, but you have to learn to fix it first."

She teaches her students to not only create the art, but to also understand the process. "Art can be very black and white," she says. No pun intended. "If you draw a line incorrectly, to the trained eye, it's

immediately apparent what you did and how you have to fix it. Every decision in art can be a problem to solve, but at the same time every decision in art can be an opportunity to work on problem solving." Adults without an art education, she laments, "buy what's sold to them, rather than working around problems to get what they need."

Her teaching method, she says, revolves around visual and experiential learning. Despite the move towards technology in the classroom, Kate still believes that the physicality of forming and shaping art with hands provides an invaluable lesson for budding artists. "Computers and such things are certainly very useful," she says, "but are incapable of replacing sculpting or other kinds of textural work."

Aspiring Artists

Tucked in the corner of the second floor of Holy Cross Hall, her art students work on a variety of creations, with all kinds of inspired styles. Kate can talk about her students' ability, but sometimes it's easier to showcase.

Selected were four students, one senior and three juniors, who have come to exemplify the problem-solving methods being taught.

Daric Rich '15: The Carpenter

In carpentry, the industry standard is to "measure twice, and cut once" – the idea

being that precision is an invaluable skill for those seeking to build structures. While Daric Rich '15 works with pencil and paper rather than hammer and nails, the same can be said of her art.

Her piece, a drawing of Bishop McNamara, isn't just well eyeballed – it's an exact replica of the front face of the School. Not an awning, brick, or window is out of place, with parallel and perpendicular lines perfectly cascading in effortless strokes. For this specific piece, she used a variety of pencils to give the drawing depth and texture. "My art is pretty straight forward," she says. "I try to be disciplined." She describes her art style as systematic. With her drawing, she sought to break down the front of the School into individual shapes rather than draw a building in its entirety. For her, squares, triangles, circles, and rectangles add up to a more defined reproduction. "I guess I am kind of like a carpenter," she laughs, "except I'll always measure four times."

Jeffrey Belfield '16: Casting Shadows

When choosing which drawing style to pursue, Jeffrey Belfield '16 was slightly out of his usual medium. Jeffrey draws cartoons – anime, technically – and often juxtaposes the stylistic Japanese art with other mediums to create beautiful compositions. It takes his classmates' extended goading for him to display some of the art he's done in class. For the tennis ball he drew, it was his impetus to give life to something

S


inanimate.

The light, the wear and tear, and the vivacious court colors are all his own. "I found an image of a tennis ball and a tennis court and wanted to bring it more to life," he says. "I changed the color of the tennis court, added the shadow, and then added additional grit to the tennis ball to give it life." To draw the ball and its surroundings, he drew not only from the picture he found, but also from his own conceptualization of the real-life settings.

Allie Horton '16: The Artist's Perspective

Allie Horton '16 drew herself into her art piece. Why? "Once upon a time, I had blue hair but I had to change it," she says. "I miss it though, and drawing yourself with blue hair doesn't count as a dress code violation." More comfortable with black and white drawings, the junior challenged herself to draw, as she called it, "how I wished my own art desk looked." The drawing, created with colored pencils, is "an artist's perspective," and helps, "give a window into what an artist sees as they are preparing or creating something."

If Daric is a carpenter, Allie would consider herself the opposite. "I guess I sometimes measure," she laughs. She describes her art style as expressive, gestural, or sometimes even "sketchy." While some of her classmates would rather see strict definition to their lines and creativity, she prefers, literally and artistically, to blur the lines.

"I like to think of different ways to express certain things," she says.

David Cobb '16: The Dreamer

David Cobb '16 stands, physically, a head taller than his fellow artists. The junior is quiet until you ask him about his drawing of Elaine Greene and the St. Joseph's Program, when he suddenly bursts forward with a detailed description of everything that went into his creation. Drawn with pastels, David had to visit the St. Joseph's Program several times to capture the right angle, gesture, and, as he says, "experience."

"When I draw, I visualize myself in the drawing," he says, "and I want the audience to be there, too. I see the room not just as it is, but in parallel and perpendicular lines and shapes." His creation, though with less rigid borders than anyone else's drawing, has an ethereal, yet structured feeling to it. "I like to think it's like walking into a dream," he says. "Everything's a little fuzzy, but the world is still structured as it should be. I'm a visual learner, so I take and learn from everything I see."

College Preparatory

Chris Mona '79, a professor of art at Anne Arundel Community College, lends collegiate credibility to Kate's teachings. "At the high school level, it's looked upon well if the students have raw talent," he says. "But at the collegiate level, it becomes more of a question of, 'what can you do

with that?'" The separation between the concept and the production, he explains, is what separates good artists from great artists. "I say craft with a capital 'C' because when college students create something, or craft it, it is a complex, layered creation that began far before they began painting or drawing." The process, he says, is one that can be learned, but takes years to master. He praises the work done at Bishop McNamara as distinguishing its students from others their age, saying, "to have a formal education in art as a high schooler is increasingly rare, but gaining the ability to use different sides of your brains – creative and executive – truly separates applicants in their future pursuits."

Kate isn't the type to brag about her own teaching, but often her accolades supersede her in that department. Nominated this past year for the Gazette "My Favorite Teacher" award, Kate has taught a long list of successful students who, she jokes, she never hears from. "The problem," she laughs, "is that when you teach people to be self-sufficient and to visualize art for themselves, they don't need you anymore!" Students like Mykl Gormley '07 and Helen Bell '13, she cites off of the top of her head, have continued to spread the tradition of Talent in the Arts at Bishop McNamara High School. "I'll see alumni every once in a while when they visit campus, but they've all gone off to be successful elsewhere and, like I hoped they would learn, can solve their own issues, in life or art."


HOLDING COURTTHE ASCENSION OF TENNIS PHENOM

RASHEED SLADE '15

Rasheed Slade '15, or 'Sheed' to his friends, spends his summers indoors at the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, right off of Mississippi Avenue in Washington, D.C. The 48,000 square foot indoor tennis facility is host to six hard courts, one clay court, and

even a mezzanine seating section for the local tennis crowd.

It's 8:30 am and Rasheed has no adoring fans seated watching him – not even his mom or dad. As a counselor at the Tennis and Learning Center's summer camp, he's working from 8:00 am to

4:00 pm and then practicing his own craft until 8:30 pm. It's a long day of tennis, day in and day out, that make for quite the

long summer.


is campers range from five-year-olds massively outsized by their tennis racquets to fellow high

school students seeking to spread news of their own talent in an already gifted metropolitan area.

After some morning stretching, Rasheed calls roll to pair off campers into agility, speed, and coordination drills. His favorite students, who he's already spotted, are first to get in line. Brian and Briana, 10-year-old twins, have completed their usual walk from their home to make it to the camp. The twins are African immigrants, and live with a legal guardian while their parents work through their own visa applications. They walk to camp each morning and do the same each evening, after a full day of tennis.

With help from the Washington, D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation

summer camp subsidy program, Brian and Briana are not only gifted racquets to use at camp, but also admission fees.

"I can tell that they're usually a little tired when they get here, but never have I seen them complain," he said. The kids, he's noticed over the summers he's coached (of which he's lost count by now), simply do what must be done – whether that be walking to practice or the most monotonous of drills.

"They're pretty incredible," he says. "I give them an eight out of ten right now, but you know they'll keep with it and someday soon we'll be talking about them." With a sheepish grin, he adds that, "they remind me of, well, me a little bit."

Making a Name

Rasheed first made his name on the

Washington, D.C. tennis circuit when he was nine. As a competitor in the Les Halles Youth Cup held in conjunction with the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, Rasheed went head-to-head with Andrew Fenty and won, handily. There was a brief intermission during the match, The Washington Post reported on August 3, 2007, when Andrew's father, former Mayor Adrian Fenty, stopped play to give his son a newer racquet. It didn't help.

Before he was known at Legg Mason, however, Rasheed, too, found his way to the South East Tennis Learning and Development Center with a push from his mother.

"I wanted to play basketball, football, or soccer as a kid, but my Mom told me no," he said. "She's a tennis player, my sister's a tennis player, my grandmother's a tennis player, and my dad isn't terrible at tennis,"

H

Rasheed Slade '15 (orange shirt) was part of a doubles team that went undefeated at the Junior Team Tennis National Championship this summer.


he laughs. "It only made sense that I'd follow the family tradition."

Rasheed held court, literally, at the Les Halles Youth Cup, championing the event in front of the French Ambassador. So impressed was Francois Delattre that he invited Rasheed to come to France, at his (France's) expense, to play tennis. "I'd always loved the sport, but I'd never thought 'wow, I could make something of this,'" he said.

Despite the enormity of the situation, Rasheed joked that he found the ping-pong more enthralling than the competition (he won all of the matches he played, both in ping pong and tennis).

Quick Cuts

Rasheed, on the tennis court, has about as much energy as a 6,000-watt halogen bulb. The 17-year-old from Washington, D.C. bops around the tennis court, ferociously exhorting himself when he misses a shot. Off the court, he chatters on about himself, his dreams, and even his fallacies with an infectious youthful enthusiasm.

There's almost a sense of obliviousness when Rasheed discusses tennis. Like many prodigies, the sport has come to him through years of hard work and dedication, but ask him to talk about specifics and he draws a seeming blank. He just "is."

When he speaks in an interview after school in mid-January, his eyes dash between the interviewer and his constantly buzzing phone. Aside from the friend he's brought to the interview, he's probably entertaining two to three more conversations and, miraculously, satisfying every one. Text messages, Tweets, Instagram posts, Facebook messages, Vine retweets, Snapchats, – it's difficult not to sit and wonder how he can pay attention to so many people at once. He jokes that conversation is the only thing that can keep his attention other than tennis. Even during a sit down interview, we have to take a break so he can grab a quick selfie. #interviewface

It's difficult to fully appreciate what Rasheed means about paying attention until you see him play.

During a late afternoon practice session at

the South East Tennis Center, Rasheed is locked in exhibition play. With his doubles partner, Nolan Jones, he's up 6-0, 5-0 in his second set. It's not a particularly close game, but that's hard to tell from his facial expression.

In between each point, he jokes, laughs, and prods as any 17-year old would do, but as soon as he steps up to the service line, that beaming smile fades into a quiet, calculating player already three moves ahead of his opponent.

Rasheed, serving for game, puts down a 105 mph tennis ball that curves right as soon as it bounces in play – "I love putting spin on my serves," he says – and before his opponent can get his racquet on the ball, Rasheed has approached the net.

His opponent's return speedily makes its way towards the net, holding onto some of Rasheed's initial power. As he has done all game, Rasheed gives a backhand chop to the ball that sends the ball straight down the service line and out of reach. Game. Set. Match.

I can't help but ask Rasheed how he so consistently outmaneuvered his opponents at the net – where players have far less time to react to shots than on the baseline. He just smiles and tells me, "I knew where they were going to hit it!"

Rushing the Net

Even in Rasheed's practice stroke, he reveals the true talent and beauty of his game. In tennis, there are two conventional kinds of players – baseline sluggers and net players. There are those in between, but for practical purposes baseline sluggers are stronger, slower, players that seek to win by overpowering their opponents with a barrage of topspin heavy shots while net players rely on quick, choppy shots that misdirect the tennis ball with short and long shots often laden with backspin.

Players who play the net give the paradoxical illusion that they are gambling each and every point with an all-out blitz (to borrow another sport's metaphors) of offensive recklessness, while also expressing the distinct ability to read their opponents' minds.

Good net players can return any shot their

opponent fires at them; great net players can choose what kind of shot they'd like their opponents to hit (if at all).

Rasheed is a net player. He's fast, aware, and always on top of the ball. While his strokes can contain power, he is more conservative with strength to mislead his opponents.

"When I'm not playing tennis, I'm all over the place," he says. "Something just changes when I get on the court though."

His instinctive ability, coupled with his almost twin-like connection to his doubles partner, Nolan, brought him and his team, the D.C. Hot Shots, to within striking distance of the Junior Team Tennis National Championships. He and Nolan went undefeated in doubles play, carrying Washington D.C.'s team to a fourth place national finish – the best in program's history.

Ron Jackson, his coach at Bishop McNamara High School, is effusive in his praise of him. "Rasheed, the tennis player, is one of the most talented male players I've seen," he said. "He has the talent to play Division One tennis at a major university and I believe with his talent and athleticism, he may play on the professional circuit after college. He's just that talented."

Planting Roots

Rasheed, in the next several weeks, will choose where he's going to play his college tennis. He's looking at several schools, all of which have Division One athletic programs, and is narrowing his options further on the basis of academics – another strong suit of his. "I know tennis isn't forever," he says. "But I like it, and it's a lot of fun for me."

The pressure, like most things for Rasheed, doesn't mount – it simply is.

Just like his tennis game, he will go where he goes, he will play the way he plays, and he will win the way he wins.

Until then, he'll spend his summer with Brian and Briana – years removed from international tennis play and collegiate recruiting – to help further the budding legacy of Washington, D.C. tennis.

"It's going to be a fun summer," he says, smiling.


During varsity football offseason, Camari Murray '16, Brian Thompson '16, Jonathan McCullough '16, and Xavier Williams '17 participate in Indoor Track & Field. Just as they torch defenders on the football field, so too do they sprint ahead on the track.

At the Emerging Elite 4x200 National Championships, the foursome won in a convincing 1:30.54 over the best relay runners in the country. Camari led off to set the grueling pace and then handed off to Brian, who competed for first. Jonathan overtook the competition and handed off to Xavier, who ran a 22.06 anchor - good enough to smoke the competition and elicit incredulous praise from the announcers.

The boys are coached by Keith Chapman, and compete in multiple events. "We couldn't be prouder," says Athletic Director Anthony Johnson '88.

MUSTANGRECORD

BREAKERS


At every sports game - be it football, volleyball, soccer, track and field, baseball, softball, cheerleading, Dance Team, tennis, cross country, lacrosse, basketball, wrestling, golf, swimming, diving - there's always a large group of cheering students. Even represented by a twitter account (@StangSpirit), the Bishop McNamara High School cheering section never lets down its athletes, from varsity to intramural. "We truly do have the best student cheering section," says Athletic Director Anthony Johnson '88. "They're always there to support the maroon and gold and we thank them for it!"

FEVER

THE BISHOP McNAMARA MUSTANG

SPIRIT

L. Paul Jackson II '94 Maurice Young '00 Michael Brooks '97 Crystal Washington '00

Ota Tabron '73 Coach Robert St. Pierre and Frank Abood '83 of the 1980 Golf Championship Team

Family members of Coach Bill Shea

The 1985 La Reine High School Championship Basketball Team with Coach Rohan and Coach McNamara

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rother David Grand Andrews, C.S.C., born March 16, 1944 in Mansfield, Massachusetts was

baptized one month later at St. Mary's Church. He was the fifth of 10 children born to Emery Collins Andrews and Elizabeth Bernier Andrews.

David's education was completed at Immaculate Conception School in Taunton, Massachusetts. When his faith was sacramentally confirmed on May 10, 1959 at St. Mary's Church in Taunton, David adopted the name of a formidable patron saint, Ignatius, which he often used thereafter as his middle name.

From early on, David felt that God was calling him to a life of service in the Church. The family move to Taunton gave young David the opportunity to attend Msgr. James Coyle High School, administered and staffed by the Brothers of Holy Cross, Eastern Province. There, he was taught by the Brothers and participated in the Andre Club, which offered guidance on vocations to all walks of life. During his last two years at Coyle, David took the job of washing the breakfast dishes at the Brothers' residence. In the daily contact he had with the Brothers, he found serious conversation, encouragement, and the example of love shared. Before the end of his junior year, he had decided on his vocation.

Upon graduating from Coyle High School in June of 1962, David entered St. Joseph Juniorate, Valatie, New York and was received into the novitiate there in August of 1962. Br. David made his first profession of vows as a religious man on August 23, 1963 and his final profession on August 22, 1969.

In September of 1963, Br. David began his undergraduate studies at Stonehill College in North Easton, Massachusetts, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1967. He later earned Master's degrees in English (Rhode Island College, 1975) and in Social and Systematic Theology (Boston College, 1977). Br. David completed pre-law studies at the University of Notre Dame, in 1991 and received his JD from the University of Loyola School of Law, New Orleans, Louisiana in May of 1995. He began his ministry in Holy Cross as an English teacher, first at Holy Cross High School, Flushing, New York (1967-1970), next at Cardinal Mooney High

School (1970-1972), and then at Bishop McNamara High School (1972-1976). He was an excellent teacher in the Classical tradition, leading students to discover for themselves the truths to be learned.

Br. David began his tenure at Bishop McNamara following a year of experimentation with a new academic teaching tool, "modular scheduling." Modular scheduling was akin to independent study, often found in colleges and universities, but was a complete failure on the high school level. President/CEO Marco J. Clark '85 said that Br. David's strict adherence to a rigorous curriculum and structure helped found the characteristics of academic excellence known today at Bishop McNamara. "Students who hadn't done much in a year were suddenly reading 50-100 pages a night of classic, American literature," he said. "I have alumni say to me that, even to this day, they're still not as well read as they were in high school."

In 1977, he stepped out of the classroom and became the administrator of the St. Joseph Spiritual Life Center at Valatie, again facilitating the discovery of truth in God. In 1981, he took on a new role when chosen to be the Executive Director of the Edward Vincent O'Hara Institute for Rural Ministry. Under his five-year leadership, the institute rose to national prominence for its authoritative work in the field of rural pastoral ministry and was a resource to the National Catholic Rural Life Conference of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

He then served as the Director of Education for the Eastern Province of the Brothers of Holy Cross, returning to serve as the first President of Bishop McNamara (1989-1990). Br. David came shortly before Bishop McNamara and La Reine High School merged for budgetary purposes. During his first year, Bishop McNamara High School became Bishop McNamara High School Incorporated, as the Holy Cross institution moved from an ownership model to a sponsorship model. "The move was a sign of financial peril," Marco said. "What had to be done in his year as President was the work of revival for a school headed towards closure, and look at us now." He credits Br. David with saving the School by making difficult, but necessary choices. "Not all of his decisions were popular or well-liked, but he moved with the Holy Spirit to save

our institution."

Following his work at Bishop McNamara, Br. David pursued his law degree, at the University of Loyola (1995). He was named the Executive Director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference (1995-2007). Br. David brought his remarkable talents to this and to succeeding roles as the Coordinator of Justice and Peace for the Congregation of Holy Cross (2006-2010) and as a Senior Representative for Food & Water Watch (2008-2014). With faith and compassion, he expanded his experience of living in a large family to a global context in which all must care and share in order to survive. A truth-speaker, he fearlessly and eloquently voiced concerns about the relationship to the earth and to each other, challenging the complacent, the powerful, and the shortsighted. At the center of his philosophy was the saying: "eating is a moral act."

Br. David served on provincial councils and was a stimulating and enjoyable presence at province and general chapters. He had a long list of publications covering issues in rural pastoral ministry, food justice, and sustainable food systems. His expertise made him a sought-after lecturer and valued member of boards and councils. When failing health demanded his attention, Br. David retired to St. Joseph Center in Valatie, but maintained an interest in community news and world issues that stayed close to his heart. On Monday morning, January 5, 2015, Br. David peacefully slipped the bonds of this good earth and went to meet the God of Truth.

Br. David is survived by Bruce Andrews, Jane Correia, James Andrews, Timothy, Leao, Dennis, Kathleeen Viveiros, his late sister Melanie Andrews, and Kevin Andrews, and many nieces and nephews. To honor the life and legacy of Br. David, Bishop McNamara High School, in association with alumni and former students, has created the Brother David Andrews Scholarship. If you would like to give to this scholarship, please send your gift to the School or give online at www.bmhs.org under "Support BMHS." For questions or additional information, please contact: Director of Advancement L'oreal Edmondson '98 [email protected] or 301.735.8401 x134.

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t's hard to believe that, over 40 years ago, I graduated from La Reine High School. Last May, I had the

opportunity to see some of my former classmates and it was as if time stood still. To this day, I tell people that high school was truly one of the greatest times of my life.

In my hometown, I found my passion beginning with my extraordinary family. My father was a hard-working, young, idealistic Italian man who wanted to come to the United States to take advantage of all the opportunities the country offered. He served as a soldier in World War II who, during his service, was captured and held as a prisoner of war. As often was the case, he was the first to come to the states, worked hard as a barber in Washington, D.C. at the landmark hotel, Hotel Harrington. Shortly after, my mom and two sisters, Angela and Beatrice (also La Reine graduates in '68 and '70), followed. I was born a couple of years later.

Growing up in Berkshire, Maryland a few minutes from Mt. Calvary Elementary School and Bishop McNamara High School was perfect. The Berkshire-Forestville community was a special one. Mt. Calvary, La Reine, and Bishop McNamara mirrored the family I found in my community. La Reine and Bishop McNamara were the two older, wiser siblings, while Mt. Calvary was the young, upstart of the family.

As a member of the class of l974, my memories of my time at La Reine are profound. I attended high school during a turbulent time in our nation's history. The Vietnam War was at the forefront of national debate, creating a schism between younger and older generations. In the year before my freshman year, Martin Luther King, Jr., and presidential nominee Robert Kennedy were assassinated. During my freshman year, National Guardsmen fired 67 rounds of ammunition toward college students in Kent, Ohio protesting the Vietnam War. In my community, I felt safe from these turbulent times, but also informed and motivated to address them. I graduated from high school in May, three months before President Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. What I had witnessed in my youth inspired

my career pursuit following my time in high school. I went to Trinity University in Washington, D.C., and then pursued my graduate degree in drama in 1980 from Catholic University.

I wanted to work as an actress in entertainment, and followed my dream to New York City. After my time at a talent agency, I explored other opportunities and landed a job with "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw." The experience was incredible, but also reminiscent of my childhood. The same little girl who had asked her father why only The Washington Post had been covering all President Nixon's transgressions was now breaking the same caliber of stories. I was able to witness and work on some of the biggest events of our time — the Challenger shuttle tragedy, the first Gulf War, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was called to return to W a s h i n g t o n , D.C. several years into my work with NBC to be with my parents, who both suddenly became terminally ill. I was fortunate and thankful to God that I could be with them, and to have the same community that had raised me helping me to cope with their passing. Shortly after my parents passed, I returned to New York. Leaving my

post at NBC, I began working for a high level public relations agency that did publicity for the likes of Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Advil, and Kentucky Fried Chicken to name a few. The experience, ultimately, brought me back to Washington, D.C., where I began my new career as a college professor at American University. There, my new position afforded me the opportunity to address the activism impetus I've always felt. Part of what I do as a communications

professor is to reach out to organizations and people who need help so that my students can assist them with visibility, social media, press releases, etc.

In July of 2007, I noticed a story in The Washington Post about an African American man in Georgia named Troy Davis, accused of killing a Caucasian police officer, who was set to be executed the next day. The evidence, labeled as questionable by The Washington Post, relied on the testimony of nine witnesses who had almost all recanted their testimony, claiming police had originally coerced them.

Davis was not executed the next day, so I called Amnesty International to connect me with Davis' sister, Martina, and offered my help. That semester, my class helped write letters to the media about Davis, asking them to cover the case because of the injustices and inconsistencies surrounding it. Tragically, my work with Troy ended on September 21, 2011, when he was executed by the state of Georgia.

Troy's fate, and life, further inspired my desire to involve students in social justice campaigns. This semester, my class is working with the family of James Foley, the young journalist killed by ISIS this past summer. Diane and John Foley have created a nonprofit to remember the work their son did as a journalist and to inspire young people. The students' involvement

in these issues reminds me of my own involved upbringing in the Berkshire-Forestville community. My time at La Reine High School left such an indelible mark upon my

person and future, that I am unable to conjure anything but feelings of

immense gratitude for the opportunity to pass this same sense of communal

and social awareness to my students. As I celebrate my 40th reunion from La Reine, and Bishop McNamara's 50th anniversary, it is my hope that people who graduated with me – my fellow 'La Reinians' – will want to pass along their experiences to the next generation as well. I can think of no better place to support than my own family member, Bishop McNamara High School, as it moves forward in building the La Reine Science Wing addition, a physical embodiment of the industry-leading women of my alma mater. Look to the Star – Call Upon Mary!

I


Athletic Director Anthony Johnson '88, Hall of Fame Inductee Crystal Washington '00, President/CEO Marco J. Clark '85, and Principal Dr. Robert Van der Waag at the Mustang Hall of Fame

'74Ms. Gemma Puglisi LR '74, spoke to the Senior Class in the month of November about her extraordinary career in journalism, marketing, and public relations. She focused on how those experiences led her to her volunteer work for Amnesty International and her vital role as a part of the Troy Davis death penalty case. Ms. Puglisi is a full-time professor of Public Communications at American University. In 2006, she received the Order of the Star and was knighted by the Republic of Italy

for her contributions to education and for promoting Italian language and culture.

'77North Texas head football coach Dan McCarney has announced the hiring of Chris Cosh '77 as defensive coordinator. Cosh comes to North Texas with a wealth of experience, having served as a defensive coordinator for 16 of his 30 seasons in coaching, including time at Kansas State, Maryland, South Carolina, Michigan State and Illinois. He spent 2014 as the defensive line coach at the University of Buffalo. He will replace John Skladany, who retired at the end of the season.

David Allan Beas '77 has written a new book which is now available! This Note's

For You: Popular Music + Advertising = Marketing Excellence takes you behind the curtain of some of the best popular music in advertising campaigns of all time. This collection of award-winning music in advertising campaigns shows where this art in advertising form has been, where it is now, and helps the student to be a part of where it is going. David is currently a professor of music marketing, and chair of the marketing department at the HAUB School of Business at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

'79Theresa "Terry" Davis Benelli LR '79 was appointed Executive Director of the Phoenix, Arizona office of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). The LISC is a non-profit community development organization that strives to transform distressed neighborhoods into healthy and sustainable communities.

'87Ernest "Reggie" Smith III '87 was featured in Lincoln University's Black History Month Issue for his success as an alumni. Named with such historians as Francis Cecil Summers and Thurgood Marshall, Reggie is the first African American President and Board Chairman of the United States Distance Learning

Association.

'95Elliott Gibson Jr. '95 proposed to his girlfriend, Yolanda, in November after dating for four years. He proposed while they were on vacation in the French Riviera.

'96Joseph Webb '96 recently had the honor of meeting legendary actor, dancer, and singer Ben Vereen. Mr. Vereen has been the recipient of many awards for his performances on stage and on-screen. Joseph is an international award-winning dancer and is the director of his own company, The American Embassy of Dance in Washington, D.C. The company offers many classes and workshops, including ballet, hip-hop, tap, flamenco, and more.

'98LaShell Stratton-Childers '98 was nominated for a NAACP Image Award for her book, Another Woman's Man, in the Outstanding Literary Work-Fiction category.

Crystal M. Lee '98 received the DCC Junior NCO of the Year Achievement Award from the military's DOD Defense Information Systems Agency Command Center on December 18, 2014.

'00Theology teacher Justin McClain '00 was recently published in the Ave Maria Press bi-annual school newsletter, for his article "Catholic Education and Jesus as the Definitive Teacher." The Ave Maria Press is a major Catholic book publisher under the Congregation of Holy Cross that provides an important outlet for good Catholic writing.

When I Was the Greatest, written by Jason Reynolds '00, was selected as this year's John Steptoe Award winner. A compelling story about neighborhood, family, friendship, values, and the acceptance of difference, Reynolds focuses on the importance of these, the acceptance of responsibility, and the obligations of friendship, and portrays a likeable teenager learning how to be a good man. The Coretta Scott King Book

McNAMARalumni


McNAMARalumniAwards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. Jason was also recently recognized and quoted by Beyoncé on her website. Highlighting his success and several of his books, Jason has been recognized as "proof that no dream is too large." Below is the quote that was recognized: "I think our children have always been tethered to the magic of life. It's innate. So we should never cast them aside or relegate them to beastliness. Instead, we should always be expecting brilliance. Always."

'04Cameron Trexler '04 is doing well as a firefighter for Prince George's County and is married with a little boy of his own!

'05After graduating from UNC Charlotte with a degree in Exercise Science, Alexandra Roane '05 has had a successful start to her career as a personal trainer and pro-bodybuilder. She also owns her own personal training company, PERFECT F.I.T. Training (Faith Ignites Transformation). For anyone that may be interested in quality and versatile training sessions, they can send an email to [email protected]

'06Edward "Eddie" Tyson '06 and Natalie Seppi '07 got engaged on December 6, 2014 after three and a half years of dating. Natalie thought she was going out to dinner with two close friends, but then Eddie showed up and got down on one knee in the rain in front of all their closest friends.

'07After returning from Peace Corps Morocco and moving to Oregon, Tiara Darnell '07 recently spent last summer working in a vineyard during harvest and crush season, learning how to make wine. After traveling abroad and learning more about wine, Tiara is now beginning her studies to complete a specialized degree in Wine Business at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.

Brandon Gallman '07 and Ebony Edwards '08 got engaged on December 25, 2014, here at Bishop McNamara where they first met. Brandon proposed to Ebony in front of all of their close friends the middle of our School gym, as Ebony is a former Lady Mustang.

'08Kaisha Sutton '08 and Quinton Huguley were wed on January 2, 2015 at Arena Stage. The couple met during their first year of college at Mount Saint Mary's University. More than 100 couples entered to win this $80,000 dream wedding sweepstakes, inspired by the musical production of "Fiddler on the Roof." Kaisha and Quinton were the winners of the contest.

'09Andrew Bannister '09 was recently named to the NCAA Division II All-Academic Team by the Wrestling Coaches Association for the 2014-2015 year for the Notre Dame Falcons

Vincent Harrington '09 was sworn in as a member of the Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee.

Anthony Venida '09, along with other scientists and physicians, has achieved his very first publication in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, affiliated with the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Joshua Walker '09 graduated from Morgan State University on December 19, 2014 with a B.S. degree in Computer Science. Joshua was also accepted in the National Society of Collegiate Scholars Honor Society in 2011.

Keona Williams '09 is currently an active member of AmeriCorp, and is one of the few, if not the first African American woman to hold a position on the Fire Management Team.

Talib Zanna '09 was named to the 2015 NBA Development League All-Star Team. In 32 games (23 starts) this season for the Oklahoma City Blue, Talib averages 13.2 points and 10.9 rebounds in 27.3 minutes while shooting 63.3 percent from the field. He ranks third in the league in offensive rebounds (4.4 per game) and fourth in double-doubles (18). Talib plays forward for the Blue.

Kaisha Sutton '08 & Quinton Huguley Wedding Contest Winners!


'10Brandon Coleman '10, New Orleans Saints receiver, was selected among 25 current and former NFL players for a three-week offseason externship. He worked for The Trust, powered by the NFLPA, to gain comprehensive experience and take advantage of learning about areas that may be available outside of football. After spending most of his rookie season on the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster late in 2014, he is expected to compete for a roster spot with the Saints in training camp.

Temple University senior, Kiersten LaRoche '10, has been named the Under Armour OwlSports.com Athlete of the Week after an impressive showing for Temple at the Patriot Games on January 30-31. Kiersten set three personal bests and broke a school record over the two-day event in track and field.

On January 10, 2015 Kendall Smith '10 was crowned Miss Annapolis 2015. With her title, she will fulfill her duties by serving her community and supporting her platform STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education Coalition). In past years, Kendall was crowned Miss White Oak 2012, Miss Prince George's County 2013 and Miss University City 2014. June 21-27, 2015 will be Miss Maryland week, and Kendall will join the other 21 lucky young women all across the state to vie for the title of Miss Maryland 2015.

'11The Towson University Women's Swimming and Diving team won its third consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship title. Amanda Barber '11 placed fifth in the 100-yard freestyle. The Tigers totaled 720 points over the four-day meet. They capped off a historic season with their seventh conference title in eight years and went undefeated in dual-meets during the regular season (10-0, 4-0 CAA) for the first time since the program's debut in 1972.

Taylor Brown '11 has been a key factor in the ascendance of the George Mason

Patriots this season. She led the Patriots during her first season in scoring and assists, and has been recognized as the most productive player and leads all area men's and women's players in scoring at 22.7 points per game.

Denise Idun '11 graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County on December 18, 2014 with a B.A. in Health Administration and Policy and a minor in Information Systems. She is currently applying for graduate school and plans to start in the Fall.

Allison Morris '11 was recently published in the Rose-Hulman Undergraduate Math Journal as a co-author of "The Strong Symmetric Genus Spectrum of Ablian Groups". Allison is currently a senior

Mathematics major at Towson University.

Edward "Eddie" Pak '11 recently returned from New York after attending an awards dinner, receiving an award from the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) for the second year in a row. While in New York, Eddie met with influential designers and fashion individuals from all over the nation. Eddie is currently finishing his last semester at University of Southern California, studying Business Administration. He also has a full-time job waiting for him with Macy's Executive Development Program.

Capturing the 2015 Atlantic 10 Women's Track and Field Championship on Sunday, VCU's Women's Track and Field clinched their first-ever indoor track title. Alexis Stroman '11, senior hurdler, placed second

McNAMARalumni

Were you at our Alumni Christmas party? We were so happy to have all of our graduates return!


McNAMARalumniin both the preliminary and final 60M hurdle contests.

Marcus Thornton '11, senior guard at William and Mary, has been selected as this year's Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year. Marcus averaged 19.4 points per game, and made William and Mary's scoring history with a record 2,155 points. Marcus played for the Tribe with an automatic bid to the 32-team National Invitational Tournament (NIT).

Alexandra "Alex" Vinci '11 led a mission trip to India with 17 other Iona College students from January 5-17, 2015. They traveled to Calcutta and New Delhi to work with several service groups, such as the Sister's of Charity in Mother Theresa's House, the Lotus Project, the Christian Brothers, and Nine is Mine. Alex is currently interning with the Global Poverty Project, a non-profit with the objective of ending extreme poverty by 2030.

'12Sydney Kidwell '12 was selected for an internship with Adidas this past fall. Since August, Sydney has been in Germany working with designers from Adidas as well as from all over the world to help develop, design, and arrange their upcoming clothing lines.

Leslie Martin '12 traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi to participate in "Alternative Spring Break" with eight other students from UVA. Leslie and the rest of the group worked on disaster relief and environmental conservation projects. They teamed up with Community Collaboration International, who rely on student volunteers to restore and rebuild homes, clean trails and shorelines, and mentor youth.

'13Alexis Alvarez '13 recently joined the University of Virginia Chapter of Students Helping Honduras. During her Christmas break, she traveled to San Pedro Sula, Honduras to help break ground for a new school. The mission of the chapter is to deter gang violence and poverty through education. Alexis continues to fundraise in order to help other chapters complete

the work she, the University of Virginia Chapter, and the villagers started.

Defensive back Jordan Martin '13, a sophomore at The University of Toledo, had three tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and two pass breakups in Toledo's 63-44 win over Arkansas State in the GoDaddy Bowl on January 4th.

Kendall Pace '13 is a sophomore student-athlete at Columbia University in New York, and was the recent recipient of the 2014 Jack Armstrong Most Outstanding Offensive Lineman Award. Kendall is a two-year starter in the Ivy League and received the honor at the Columbia University football athletic banquet on February 7, 2015.

'14Alfred "Baby J" Bannister '14 was featured in the Gazette for one of the Top 10 Stories of 2014, highlighting his accomplishments here at Bishop McNamara. He finished with 272 career wins, which is good enough for third in the history of the nation. He also won his fourth straight Maryland Independent School State title, a feat accomplished by only four other wrestlers in state history.

Brenna Kacar '14, along with several other freshman at Washington College, have made a great start in the Shorewomen's rowing team. The Shorewomen opened their spring schedule on March 7th in Philadelphia against Division I schools Drexel, La Salle, Saint Joseph's, and Delaware. After back-to-back Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference (MARC) Championships and NCAA Division III Championship berths along with lofty season-ending national rankings, the Washington College women's rowing team was heavily favored to win its third consecutive conference title.

ALUMNI: WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

MENTOR PROGRAMBishop McNamara is initiating a new program to create mentor

connections between students and alumni. This program will promote

the overall success of the student and give the alumni the opportunity to inspire, encourage and engage with our bright young leaders. The idea is

for students to develop skills that will enable them to achieve, succeed, and recognize their own potential while

our awesome volunteer alumni exhibit their commitment to affecting positive

change in the educational futures of young people. This is why we need

you! You can inspire and encourage a young person to aim high and build

their confidence to follow their dreams. You do not need any specific skills

or experience. You simply need to be willing and enthusiastic about wanting

to encourage, guide and inspire our Bishop McNamara students. No matter

how far you climb, you should always look back to see who you can pull up

along the way.

Please sign up to become an Alumni Mentor by sending an email to Michael Jones '96 at [email protected] or

calling 301.735.8401 ext. 111.

SPEAKER SERIESWe welcome all alumni to come back

to Bishop McNamara and speak to our current students about their amazing careers and offer any advice they have about their professional experiences.

If you wish to come by and share, contact Michael Jones '96 at

[email protected].


Memorial GardenThe pictured Bricks, Pavers, and Benches are available to purchase and

personalize in memory of your loved ones. Bricks are $250, Pavers are $500, and Benches are $1,000. For further information please contact

L'oreal Edmondson at 240.455.9618 or [email protected].


Eternal rest, grant unto them O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Maythey rest in peace. Amen.

Alec Altimus, son of Kelli Altimus Wagner LR '88, and the nephew of Doug Altimus '84 and Todd Altimus '85, passed away on

November 28, 2014. .

Donald Anderson, father of Brenda Anderson Osborn LR '76, passed away on January 3, 2015.

Kevin M. Barry, Sr., father of Dolores Barry Heil LR '69, the late Kevin M. Barry, Jr. '71, and Maureen Barry Mussler LR '73, passed

away on January 18, 2015.

Ken Bowen, husband of Teresa Lucas-Bowen LR '86 passed away.

George Browne, father of Tiffany Browne '98 passed away.

Dwight Bynum '05 passed away December 1, 2014.

Contee Cameron Jr., father of Contee Cameron III '09 and Jasmine Cameron '17 passed away on January 30, 2015.

Doris Whalen Castagna, mother of Linda Marie Whalen Rennie LR '78, passed away on February 21, 2015.

Michael Colabucci, brother of Brian Colabucci '74 and Kevin Colabucci '76, and husband of Patricia Byrnes Colabucci LR '76,

passed away on February 23, 2015.

Mary Fowler, mother of Carol Fowler Szymkowicz LR '65, passed away on December 19, 2014.

Carol Glover, sister of Beverly Inman, a BMHS parent and former Caritas Volunteer of the Year, passed away on January 13, 2014.

Venus Greenwell, mother of Ellen Myers LR '70, Loretta Finamore LR '71, Lynn Sizemore LR '73, Chuck Greenwell,

Charlotte Handley LR '78, Paula Fitzgerald LR '76, John Greenwell '79, Alice Oliff LR '82, Mary Biggs LR '82, and Patricia

"Tricia" Kiernan LR '83, and grandmother of Mark Myers '92, Raymond Myers '90, Ryan Jedrey '92, passed away on November 5,

2014.

Florent Hughes, father of Karen Showalter and Father Mark Hughes, and grandfather of Rebecca Showalter '02

passed away recently.

Jerome D. Julius, Sr., grandfather of Jessica Julius '04, Noelle Johnson '10, Leon Julius Johnson '14, and Dione Johnson '16,

passed away on March 2, 2015.

Scott Kelly '80 passed away on December 29, 2014.

Veronica Kennedy, mother of Bishop McNamara High School Board of Directors member Father Kennedy, passed away on

March 14, 2015.

James V. Lomax, Jr., parent of Thais Lomax Joy LR '91 and James V. Lomax III '97, and father-in-law of Christopher Joy '90, passed

away on December 9, 2014. He is survived by his spouse, Bonniejean.

James Maruca, father of Constance Maruca Zambelli LR '78, James Maruca '81, Donald Maruca '84, and Christopher Maruca '86,

passed away on Wednesday, November 19, 2014.

Spurgeon Montgomery, parent of Spurgeon B. Montgomery '95 and Curtis Montgomery '99, passed away on January 6, 2015.

Mr. William Munn, longtime bus driver for Bishop McNamara, passed away.

Brother Richard O'Brien, CSC passed away.

Ellsworth D. Patterson Sr. (US Army), father of Ellsworth David Patterson Jr. '78, passed away on January 31, 2015.

Mrs. Lynn K. Rice, mother of BMHS staff member Brayon Rice, passed away on Friday, December 5, 2014.

Annette (Antonia) Toscano Stine LR '77 passed away on December 21, 2014.

Robert Sweringen, father of former BMHS Staff member Sue Meyer and grandfather of Andrew Meyer '12, passed away on

March 8, 2015.

Tanya Walls, mother of Erica Walls '09, passed away December 6, 2014.

Mary Teresa "Terri" Schmitt Wilson LR '68 passed away October 24, 2014.

Marilyn Undercoffer, aunt of Justin Banford '01 and William Banford '97 passed away on January 13, 2014.

Cora Lee Davis Winchester, mother of Nancy Winchester LR '74 and Joan Winchester LR '77, passed away October 12, 2014.

in loving memory

OUR MISSIONBishop McNamara High School, a college preparatory school in the Holy Cross tradition, exists to educate and form young men and women in and through the Catholic faith. The School challenges its students to think with Christ, a thought animated by the Gospel, manifested in service and informed by academic excellence.


BISHOP McNAMARA HIGH SCHOOL6800 Marlboro PikeForestville, MD 20747-3270301.735.8401www.BMHS.org

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