Mother of Mercy High SchoolAlumnae Magazine | Fall 2013

BLUEprint

Special Feature: Countdown to Centennial Celebration!

Message froM the President

Mother of Mercy’s CENTENNIAL

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Interviewers frequently ask centenar-ians “What is the secret to reaching one hundred?” and listeners seek wisdom in the words that are shared. As we prepare to celebrate one hundred years at Mother of Mercy High School in 2015, many will soon look to us and wonder the same thing: how did Mercy reach this milestone when so many other schools have come and gone since 1919? Interestingly, our Mother of Mercy has a lot in common with all those who come to see a century pass.

Along with a positive attitude and quick-ness to laugh, 100-year-birthday-cele-brants will typically have experienced a strong sense of community throughout their lives. In their towns and churches, among their friends and families, they were surrounded by the uplifting energy and compassionate support of community. Is this not our Circle of Mercy?

Additionally, it is said that those who live to one hundred or beyond never really

retire, but instead, renew. They reinvent themselves, take on new challenges and continually stretch their capacity for knowl-edge. Has Mercy not witnessed such evolving inspiration from countless teachers over all the years?

Centenarians often say that while life should be taken one day at a time, it is important to have something to look forward to, a reason for which to live, and they look to the future with optimism. Has Mercy not been a leader of change and continually moved toward great things?

Due to the special care that has always been taken of our Mother of Mercy, she will reach the age of 100 with undeniable strength. Over all these years, an end-less number of mercy-full people have cherished this school, giving their heart and soul, their hard-earned resources and their steadfast support to an institution that has stood the test of time. And today, as she approaches 100 years, Mother of Mercy is not slowing down. Instead, there is an invigorating vision that will boldly usher this school into the next one hun-dred years.

From the synergy and opportunity provid-ed by the Mercy Educational Collaborative of Cincinnati (MECC), Mother of Mercy will further enhance its college-preparatory education by realizing:

• A redesigned written, taught and tested curriculum, referencing yet exceeding the Common Core Standards, aligned with ACT benchmarks for college readiness, and structured to meet a diverse range of learning needs;

• Innovative technology programs tied to enhanced instructional delivery and as-sessment of learning which fosters maxi-mum development of each student;

• Enhanced guidance and counseling pro-grams utilizing proven, effective technolo-gies and characterized by regular contact from counselors to both students and par-ents for personalized academic, personal, college, and career counseling;

• A wide array of co-curricular activities designed to support and enrich the core curriculum;

• A continuing wide range of extracurricu-lar activities in sports, drama, music, and arts;

• Enhanced web-based research in sup-port of academic and community service programs;

• Comprehensive curriculum offerings and experience with diverse learning op-portunities through traditional classroom settings, online offerings, blended course environments, and flipped instruction utilizing Khan Academy and others.

As final plans are made to celebrate our history (see page 14-15), we have every reason to look forward with great enthu-siasm for the future of Mercy. To all those who have helped bring us through the past 99 years, thank you. Job well done!

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SENIOR COMMENTS FROM THECLASS OF 2012

Mercy was such a good place for me because I was able to challenge myself, learn, and grow. I got involved in activities I would have never been able to had I gone to another school. I love that Mercy values service. I found my love of service through this school and I am happy that it has become something important in my life. I try to incorporate it in my daily life--the simple things.

Mercy creates a loving, strong, family-like atmosphere. Mercy teaches us to be mature, well-behaved, young women by instilling in us the five Mercy values: faith, compassion, service, leadership and excellence. Mercy gives us count-less opportunities to grow and become who we want to be, allowing us to get involved and never letting us fall through the cracks. Mercy challenges us to work to the best of our ability and to never give up.

Mercy does an amazing job of having a certain feel when you walk in the building. It just feels like home. The teachers are phenomenal; they know so much about their subject that they challenge us to al-ways learn more and discover new things that they themselves do not know. Being able to go from a PC to Mac to iPad to a smartphone is a great set up. I love being able to work with so many different types of technology in one day, and it’s great that Mercy is unique in that way.

Mercy has a wonderful balance between work and play. The teachers know when

to get serious and push their students, but they also know when the students need a break and need to do something fun.

Mercy has given me a lot over my four years. I fell in love with the building and the kind of people in it.

At Mercy, I have grown personally, emo-tionally, physically. My confidence has de-veloped through many different aspects at Mercy over my four years.

WHY DO YOU LOVE MERCY?

Whether you are an alumna, a past parent or simply a witness to the Mercy spirit, what can you tell us about your experience in the first 100 years? Share your memory with us and yours may be included in our listing, 100 Reasons to LOVE Mother of Mercy! Please email us at ilovemercy@motherofmercy.org.

Best wishes for the holiday season! And isn’t it fitting that we start our holidays with Thanksgiving? From the Mercians of the Academy years to our current Bobcats of 2013 we are grateful for every student who has graced our halls. You were part of the first century and we hope you will be a part of our next century!

Kirsten MacDougalPresident

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BLUEprintBLUEprint is published three times a year for alumnae and friends of Mother of Mercy High School by the Office of Institutional Advancement. ExECUTIVE ADMINISTRATIONKirsten MacDougal President

Dave Mueller Principal

Heather Wagner Associate Principal

Dan Bley Director of Finance

Mark DiStasiVice President of Institutional Advancement EDITOR Jennifer Kroner Jackson ‘00 jackson_j@motherofmercy.org

Vol. 32, No. 1, Fall 2013

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Cover Photo: Mother of Mercy celebrated their 39th Annual Walk on September 24 with a 6 mile walk through Westwood and Cheviot. Read more about the fundraising event on page 9.

MOTHER OF MERCY HIgH SCHOOL3036 Werk Road Cincinnati, OH 45211Phone: 513-661-2740Fax: 513-661-1842www.motherofmercy.orge-mail: info@motherofmercy.org

Please direct all address changes or correspondence to the above address.

This magazine is printed on FSC certified mix paper from responsible resources.

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Mother of Mercy recently unveiled a new Fine Arts painting outside the theatre. The Art Department collaborated with the music and theatre departments, as well as many volunteers, to create a mural that represents the outstanding Fine Arts programs of-fered at Mercy. The painting features various silhouettes of current students in each of the fine arts. Additionally, photographs of recent performances in music and theatre have been framed and placed throughout the painting. To see images of the second wall and progress photos please visit motherofmercy.org/FineArtsMural.

froM the editor

Take a Minute ...The first quarter of the school year has already whizzed by! Students have crammed in hours of studying and teachers have graded countless papers. The Cross Country team raced to the front of the pack numer-ous times this fall. Seniors have filled out over 400 college applications! Sometimes it seems as if life will never slow down. However, if you find a few minutes, flip through this magazine. Read about how our Art Department took the time to create a beautiful new mural in the first floor hallway. Read about how one senior took the time to find herself during the senior Kairos retreat. Read about our World Language Department and the international connections our students are making throughout the school year. Then, take a few min-utes for yourself, and appreciate all that is around you because at Mercy, when we take a minute to pause, we are reminded just how blessed we are. Our students are getting a top notch education. Faculty and staff work amongst dedicated colleagues.

Alumnae are making a difference in the world through small and large gestures. The spirit of Mercy is alive and well!

This is also a time of year when we are blessed to recognize the many gifts bestowed upon us. From vol-unteers offering time for upcoming fundraising events, to contributions to the Mercy Fund, and everything in between, the generosity of the Circle of Mercy is astounding. Soon we will celebrate 100 years of Mercy education. We will celebrate 100 years of young women excelling in the classroom, rooted in their Catho-lic faith. We will celebrate 100 years of dedicated support from the com-munity around us, the alumnae who have graduated our halls and the friends and families we’ve met along the way. We will pause and reflect on 100 years of amazing history and acknowledge how quickly it flew by. And then we’ll embark on another 100 years of inspiring excellence!

Jenny Kroner Jackson ‘00 Editor Communications & PR Specialist

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ON THE WEBG R A N D P A R E N T S D A Y !

A look at what else you can find online!

Grandparents play such a key part in their granddaughters’ lives. We are thrilled that our annual grandparents celebration is now in its third year and a huge success! During our All Saints Day Mass on November 1, we welcomed grandparents of freshmen and seniors. In January, we will celebrate Catholic Schools week with grandparents of sophomores and juniors!

Let’s Connect !Facebook: Become a fan of our official Alumnae Facebook page at facebook.com/MotherofMercyAlumnae.

LinkedIn: Network with Mercy alumnae businesswomen by joining the Mother of Mercy Alumnae LinkedIn Group.

Stay Connected: Keep up with the latest news, events and programs at Mercy by making sure we have your current information. Simply visit motherofmercy.org/AlumnaeUpdate to change your contact information.

Twitter: Receive instant updates on awards, events, results and more. Follow @MMHBobcats1.

Instagram: Follow the adventures of #FlatBobcat with occossional appear-ances by the real #MercyBobcat! Follow: @mmhbobcat

Emma Hatch ‘14 was named a Com-mended Student for the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. “Emma is an exemplary student and an all-around exemplary person,” said Dave

Mueller, Mercy principal. “Her enthusi-asm and self-discipline are evident not only in the classroom, but also on the cross country course, where she has worked hard to become one of the lead-ing runners in the region.”

Commended Students place among the top five percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2014 competi-tion by taking the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

The Center of Ethics at the Better Busi-ness Bureau (BBB) selected Kaitlyn Luckey ‘14 as a 2013 Student of In-tegrity scholar. The Center for Ethics gives the award to high school seniors

in the BBB’s 20 county service areas who demonstrate a commitment to ethi-cal behavior. The scholarship program is designed not only to recognize, but also promote ethics and integrity in today’s youth. Kaitlyn has been awarded a scholarship towards her post-secondary education at an accredited institution.

Nominated by Math and Science teacher Steve Baker for her exceptional academ-ic performance in mathematics through the end of her junior year, Rachel Haut-man ‘14 has been awarded the Honda-

OSU Partnership Math Medal Award for the Class of 2014. She is now part of a select group of high school seniors in Southwestern Ohio who received this award from the Honda-OSU Partnership, located at The Ohio State University in the College of Engineering. The Honda-OSU Partnership (HPP) is a unique partnership between OSU and Honda that supports programs in education, re-search and public service that positively impact the transportation industry.

Senior Success

This past summer, Mother of Mercy was notified that 10 graduates of the Class of 2013 and six current seniors were named AP Scholars. The AP Program offers several AP Scholar Awards to recognize all high school students who have demonstrated college-level achievement through AP courses and exams.

Receiving AP Scholar designation for scoring a 3 or higher on three or more AP exams were: Rachel Barkalow ‘13, Emily Budde ‘13, Hannah Donnellon ‘13, Lauren grosheim ‘14, Emma Hatch ‘14, Lauren Leesman ‘14, Jessica Lienesch ‘14, Abby Reiger ‘14, Ellen Steinmetz ‘14 and Callie Talbot ‘13.

The AP Scholar with Honor designation is awarded to those receiving an average score of at least a 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more exams. Mer-cy’s AP Scholars with Honors are Haley Baker ‘13, Kristen Bauer ‘13, Ellen Bley ‘13, gabby Discepoli ‘13 and Rachel Hautman ‘14.

Mercy also had four 2013 graduates named AP Scholars with Distinction. Erin glankler ‘13, Katherine Ruwe ‘13, Kelsey Watts ‘13 and Kelley Wiegman ‘13 each received an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams and scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams.

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Over a dozen Mercy artists received awards for their art-work in the Harvest Home Fair: Jessica Flam ‘14 -1st and 2nd place ribbon (artwork left), Maddie Nieman ‘14 - 1st place, Alyssa Cassidy ‘17 - 2nd

place, Kerry Stephens ‘16 - 2nd place, Katie Tegenkamp ‘15 - 1st place.

The following students received Honorable Mention: Jessica Flamm ‘14, Maddie Nieman ‘14 (2), Alexis Bauer ‘14, Molly grayson ‘16, Alyssa Caffaro ‘16 (2), Theresa Schill ‘14, Victoria Brackett ‘15, Marissa Long ‘15

Additionally, Carolyn Kestermann ‘14 was awarded a 2nd place ribbon in the woodworking category. This was her ninth year in the category!

Thirteen Mother of Mercy students are members of the Pride of La Salle Band who has had a tremendous start to their compe-tition season. Results to date are as follows: Bishop Fenwick, 1st Place Class AAA, Bands of America Mason Regional, 2nd Place Class A, Bellevue Contest, 1st Place Class AAA, Mason Invitational, tied for 4th Place Class AAA, finished 2nd Place Class AAA at the Centerville Invitational, and at the Mid States Band competition they placed an impressive 2nd after finish-ing 5th in the prelims! The following students represent Mercy: Mary Beiter ‘17, Becca Bradley ‘14, georgie Close ‘16, Sara Dressman ‘15, Jordan Dukes ‘16, Kate Eichhold’ 14, Jessica Flamm ‘14, Emily Fromhold ‘16, Kristen gandenberger ‘15, Chantal Mester ‘16, Elizabeth Meyer ‘17, Maddie Munro ‘17, Alex Zeller ‘15.

This Fall, Walsworth Company presented the “Gallery of Excel-lence” award to Mercy’s Yearbook Class for their 2012 Mercy-wood. The “Gallery of Excellence” is the collection of the top books produced by the Walsworth Company. These books are displayed as examples at regional and national conventions and workshops. Spreads from these books are used as illustrations in Walsworth’s educational resource material. Mercy is one of only two schools in the area to receive this award. The award was given for the 2012 Mercywood, “Beneath the Surface,” pro-duced by the 2012 yearbook staff led by Anna Bross ‘12 and Emily Schroer ‘12.

Linda Behen, Mercy’s Library and Media Specialist, was awarded a grant to support her project, eBooks and Mobile De-vices Create Tech Agile Girls and Senior Citizens. The Greater Cincinnati Foundation awarded the grant. The eBook and mobile device project will be “an intergenerational event that de-velops female students’ informational literacy, technology skills and confidence in order to demonstrate to senior citizens the benefits and use of mobile devices and eBooks. This event is an opportunity for both students and senior citizens in our com-munity; students develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to teach, and senior citizens gain knowledge and information about the latest technology while interacting with enthusiastic high school students.” Students began preparing for the event this Fall and the intergenerational event will occur in the Winter of 2014.

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Student and Faculty Awards

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Photo courtesy of Barry Reynolds.

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Mother of Mercy celebrated their 39th Annual Walk in con-junction with Mercy Day on September 24, a day celebrated around the world as the Feast of Our Lady of Mercy and in particular by Sister of Mercy ministries, recognizing foundress Catherine McAuley. After an all-school Mass and breakfast provided by Lenny’s Fruits & Vegetables, students gathered for the final results of the Walk. After almost 3 weeks of col-lecting pledges and hosting spirit dinners at Chick-fil-A, Penn Station, Panera and Subway, the school raised over $30,000 to support student scholarships. Additionally, as part of Stu-dent Council’s Global Action Project, a portion of the funds raised were donated to The Bilum Project in WeWak, Papua New Guinea to fund education for young women.

The senior class took 1st place in the class competition with students collecting $68.82/student and led the way along the walk route. The 6-mile walk weaved through Westwood and Cheviot. Cone Zone, owned by Mindy Perrino Sweeney ‘96, opened early for Mercy and sold $1 ice cream cones!

In addition to our spirit dinner restaurants, Lenny’s Fruits & Vegetables and Cone Zone, Mercy thanks our generous fam-ily, alumnae and friends of Mercy who support our students as well other local business including: Dunkin Donuts, Price Hill Chili, Arby’s, Frisch’s, Skyline Chili and Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken.

We Walk for WeWak - 39th Annual Walk

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Photo courtesy of Barry Reynolds.

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Opening a World of Possibilities

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Broadening students’ global perspec-tive is an integral part of how Mother of Mercy inspires individual excellence and awareness. Mercy’s World Languages Department believes that bringing the languages, cultures and literatures of the rest of the world to our students is a vital humanistic endeavor which also serves essential national interests. Veteran World Language teachers, Anne Herrmann and Shannon Smock, have been educating young women in Spanish and French, respectively, at Mercy since 1994. Over the years, they have enhanced Mercy’s foreign lan-guage classes from simply memorizing words in another language to learning authentic material that stresses com-munication. “While there are a variety of methods used for second language instruction, we use a ‘blend’ of two that we consider most effective,” said Mrs. Smock. The Natural Approach, devel-oped by Dr. Stephan Krashan, is based on the idea that “acquisition

requires meaningful interaction in the target language – in which speakers are concerned not with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and understanding.” The Communicative Method, which is based on the idea that the goal of learning a second language is to gain communica-tive competency, focuses on the use of language in everyday situations, or the functional aspects of language, and less on the formal structures.

“To enhance these learning methods, we incorporate a variety of learning lessons in our curriculum,” said Mrs. Smock. “We include current events, news programming, current music and authentic reading materials. Students also collaborate across languages to allow them the opportunity to work together and teach each other. We also often take students outside of Mercy to provide language enrichment activities for local grade schools.” Mercy has established International Penpals as

well, which give students the opportu-nity to connect through letters to stu-dents their age from around the world. The penpal exchange programs not only help develop written language skills but the exchange of information also fosters cultural understanding.

Expanding beyond classroom learning, yearly international travel opportuni-ties are available for students to travel abroad. Past itineraries have included England, Spain, France, Ireland, Ger-many, Switzerland, Italy and Monaco. “My World Language class (French) helped me to be open to different cultures,” said Teresa Rust ‘14, who traveled to Europe last summer through Mercy’s international travel trip. “Rather than be intimidated by other cultures, I found them interesting and was able to respect how things are done in other countries.”

Additionally, students benefit from visit-ing exchange students. Mercy is one of several schools in the Archdiocese to host students from various countries for yearlong education. Mercy is a registered host school with International Student Exchange USA. When stu-dents from another country are seek-ing residency in the Cincinnati area, Mercy opens the opportunity for current families to host a student who then also attends Mercy. This school year, Mercy is pleased to have three students from Korea, Mexico and Germany as part of the student body. Having exchange students a part of everyday classes and events at Mercy allows students to col-laborate with one another in the class-room, on projects and assignments, and forge international friendships.

Students gather for a photo during Mercy’s 2013 Summer Europe Trip.

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Another added benefit to Mercy’s World Language program is the recent connection with College of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, better known as Col-legi Casp, in Barcelona, Spain. Prin-cipal Dave Mueller had established a student exchange program with Collegi Casp in 1994 when he was principal at St. Xavier High School, a program that continues to this day at St. Xavier. In the Fall of 2012, during his first year as principal at Mercy, Mr. Mueller invited the president and principal of Casp to visit Mercy. The Casp officials were impressed by Mercy and agreed to broaden their nineteen-year-old con-nection in Cincinnati to include Mother of Mercy. This past September, four young women from Collegi Casp landed in Cincinnati for a three-week stay with four Mercy seniors – Kaitlyn Luckey, Erin Schapker, Maddie Sheridan and Corey Specht. “Being a host for the exchange program was amazing,” said Corey. “I enjoyed meeting new people and learned so much.” Corey was host to Mariona Ruiz Peris who shared: “The exchange program not only taught

us a lot about a different culture, country and lan-guage, but it also made us break down all of these barriers to get to meet great people, like our hosts. We were really lucky to have the chance to spend three weeks at Mother of Mercy, where we felt like home, and to take part in this amaz-ing experience. We hope it was just the beginning of a wonderful overseas friendship!” All four seniors will travel to Barcelona over Christmas break. “These girls had a huge impact on my life and I am so excited that we get to visit and learn about their lifestyles first-hand,” said Corey.

While the Casp and International Stu-dent Exchange programs are not organized through the World Language Department, it is evident that welcoming

exchange students to Mercy enhances the education of world language for both students and teachers. The vision of Mercy’s World Language teachers to develop a curriculum that creates enthusiasm for international learning opens up a world of possibilities for the young women of Mercy. When they enter college, they are prepared and comfortable speaking and interact-ing with international classmates or at internships and future careers that may take them around the world.

Mercy’s World Language Program offers five levels in each language. French IV and Spanish IV are offered as college credit through Thomas More College’s Gemini Program (French) and the Col-lege of Mount St. Joseph (Spanish).

While adapting to diverse instructional methods, Mercy’s World Language Department also incorporates the latest in technology into their curriculum with the frequent use of iPads, laptops, and LCD projectors in every classroom, in addition students learn through blogs, online homework, Blackboard and online project presentation through Voicethreads and other web tools.

In 2012, Spanish teacher Kelly Mullen integrated a service project into the final assignment for seniors in her Spanish class. Students created and illustrated books of traditional fairy tales, where

one page read in English and the oppo-site page read in Spanish. The books were then taken on the ARISE Mission Trip and shared with children in South Texas. (See photo at left.)

Due in part to the Collegi Casp ex-change program, French students have started a penpal program with St. Sigisbert in Nancy, France. The plan is to develop the partnership into an additional exchange program.

More World Language Highlights

Above: Mercy seniors stand behind their exchange students from Collegi Casp.

CROSS COUNTRYNatalie geraci ‘14: GGCL 2nd TeamEmma Hatch ‘14: GGCL 1st Team, Academic All Ohio, District Champion, State QualifierAlex Stevens ‘17: GGCL 1st TeamMaria Waters ‘15: GGCL 2nd TeamMargo Waters ‘16: GGCL Honorable MentionTori Weckenbrock ‘14: GGCL Honorable MentionMegan Zeinner ‘15: GGCL 2nd TeamScott Ridder: GGCL Coach of the Year

gOLFEmily Beckmann ‘14: OHSGCA Phil Allen Academic All-Ohio AwardEmily House ‘15: GGCL 2nd TeamMaddie Sheridan ‘14: GGCL Honorable Mention, OHSGCA Phil Allen Academic All-Ohio Award

SOCCERMacey Anderson ‘14: GGCL 2nd TeamLauren Cummings ‘14: GGCL 2nd TeamJulia Kennedy ‘14: GGCL 2nd TeamSam Mattlin ‘14: GGCL 1st Team, 1st Team All Southwest OhioBrenna Mueller ‘14: GGCL 1st Team

VOLLEYBALLKatie Klusman ‘14: GGCL 1st Team, 1st SWOVBCA All DistrictCarly Schnieder ‘16: GGCL Honorable MentionSam Seger ‘16: GGCL Honorable Mention

SWOVBCA Senior Academic Award: Lauren Dinkelacker, Lauren Grosheim, Katie Klusman, and Emily Wagner

The entire 2013 Volleyball Team received the SWOVBCA Team Academic Award for maintaining a team gPA of 3.867.

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BOBCATSIN ACTION

Fall Sports Wrap Up

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HOMECOMING

HALL OF FAMEand

January 4, 2014 Cheer on the Bobcats as they

take on McAuley at 3, 4:30 and 6 p.m.

Following the Varsity game, Mercy will honor ALL members of

the Hall of Fame during a special ceremony and the Bobcat Spirit Award recipient will be announced.

Help us fill the gym with as many members ofMercy’s athletic tradition as possible!

FREE admission for all alumnae!

RSVP online at motherofmercy.org/HallofFame

MERCYMOTHER of

BOBCAT BROADCASTING CLASS

Remember, you can catch all of Mother of Mercy’s home Basketball games live!

Tune in for live streaming and commentating atwww.motherofmercy.org/streaming.

BOBCATSIN ACTION

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Records Fall as Athletes ExcelMother of Mercy has entered another year of strong athletic excellence! Our Fall sports always do an exceptional job of get-ting the athletic department off to a great start each school year. This Fall Mercy celebrated record breaking performances!

Mercy’s golf Team was the first of the Fall Sports to get post-season tourna-ment action underway and they got off to a great start! The team advanced to the District Match for the first time in 15 years with a 3rd place finish at Sectionals. They shot a team score of 353 at Walden Pond and set a new school record. Coach Rick Niklas noted, “This is a really close team that feeds off of each other, both competi-tively and in just having fun. The sectional match was no exception. Our golfers put on their game faces at the practice range and played great!” Maddie Sheridan ‘14 led the Bobcats golfing her best round with an 82, and Emily House ‘15 had one of her best, shooting an 83. Emily Beckmann ‘14 and Rachel Hoferer ‘16 contributed with 94’s and Maria Vetter ‘15 shot a 102.

Cross Country raced to the front early this season finishing in 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in every race. The Bobcats set the pace for an outstanding season with a 3rd place finish out of 34 teams at the Tiffin Cross Country Carnival, the second larg-est cross country race in the country, in September. At the Girls Greater Catholic

League Meet the Bobcats won in dramatic fashion as their top five runners tied with Ursuline, which means that the team with the fastest 6th runner wins. The entire team ran an impressive race including Tori Weckenbrock ‘14 who represented the Bobcats as the 6th runner and gave them the win! This was Mercy’s 10th GGCL Cross Country title. The school now stands alone with the most Cham-pionships in the Scarlet “large school” division. This was also the 25th consecu-tive year that Mercy finished in the top three in the GGCL Championship meet, which is also a league record. To make the afternoon even more memorable, Coach Scott Ridder was named GGCL Cross Country Coach of the Year for the 5th time!

The GGCL Championship set the tone for the post-season as the Bobcats placed 2nd at Districts to qualify to the Regional Meet for the 5th year in a row. Emma Hatch ‘14 led the team all season long, breaking the school record three times this season and becoming Mercy’s first-ever individual District Champion. The team finished the season 8th at Regionals and Emma qualified to the State Meet for the 3rd year in a row with a 3rd place finish in a time of 18:08 at Regionals. She ended her high school running career with a 5th place finish at the State Meet, the highest State finish for any Mercy Cross Country Runner.

Additional Sports Highlights

Soccer posted an impressive record of 9-4-4 this year. The team, led by 11 seniors, posted an exciting win against McAuley early in the season. After drawing a bye during the first round of sectionals, the Bobcats lost a heartbreaker to Lakota East on a last second goal.

Mercy’s Tennis Team advanced three play-ers to the District Match. Elizabeth Staley ‘14 qualified in the singles tourna-ment and Lauren Leesman ‘14 and Sam Smith ‘17 represented Mercy in the doubles tournament.

Despite a series of injuries throughout the season, Mercy’s Volleyball Team finished runner-up at the Fall Volleyball Classic. After losing their first meeting against Seton at home, the Bobcats went on to beat the Saints in their next two matches, including the 2nd round of Sectionals. Mercy lost to Lakota West in the finals of the Sectional Tournament.

Photo courtesy of current parent Don Schierenbeck.

sPeCiaL feature

Mercy is Turning 100!

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In 2015, Mother of Mercy High School will be celebrating its 100th year of inspiring and educating young women. It is not every institution that reaches such a milestone, so this is quite a testament to Mercy’s long-standing academic excellence.

There is so much to celebrate after 100 years that our Centennial Planning Committee, headed by alum-nae Carol Duffy Pieper ‘80 and Lisa Raterman ‘85, started making plans with administration last school year. While we will continue to add to the festivities, here is a bit of what you can expect to see and how you can take part as we prepare to be 100!

TODAY THROUGH 2014

Centennial Logo Competition: Could your design help tell our story of 100 years? Share with us your personal creation and you could help us excite and engage others in celebrating this exceptional school. Visit www.motherofmercy.org/logo for details, submission requirements and the deadline for the centennial logo competition.

The Mercy Heritage Wall: The story needs to be told. From Catherine McAuley’s house on Baggot Street to Mother of Mercy Academy and the Sisters who lived and worked here over the years, we need to memorialize the pride which we have in our history. If you would like to help tell the Mercy story or have archives to share with us, please contact Lisa Mahon Fluegeman ‘78 at alum@motherofmercy.org.

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Mercy Alumnae Travel group: What better way to revel in the charism of Mercy than by sharing a cup of tea with your class-mates on Baggot Street in Dublin! Our inaugural alumnae travel excursion to Ireland will occur June 8 – June 17, 2015. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to visit the house of Catherine McAuley and take in the beauty of the Emerald Isle. Visit www.motherof-mercy.org/Europe2015 for more information and to contact the trip leaders, teachers Kate Mitchell ‘93 and Shannon Smock.

Mercy gala 2015: An elegant and elaborate dinner and dancing event that looks back, in all its glory, at 100 years of Mercy.

The 100th Birthday Party: You won’t want to miss this” once-in-a-hundred-years” party to raise the roof and rock the house at 3036 Werk Road! From a special centennial Mass to live music and fun for the whole family, this event will be the icing on the birthday cake and culminate our year of centennial celebration.

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WHAT’S INCLUDEDRound-Trip FlightsCentrally Located Hotels24-Hour Tour Manager

Dublin Tour with GuideTrinity CollegeDublin-Holyhead FerryLondon Tour with Guide

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In Year 2015

Looking for more photos of Mercy throughout the years? Follow us on Facebook (Mother of Mercy Alumnae - Official) and Twitter (@MMHBobcats1) as we countdown to Mercy’s Centennial Celebration!

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sPirituaL Life

M other of Mercy’s 4-year retreat program is designed to help students understand themselves, their class-mates and God more deeply. Seniors participate in Kairos, a 3-day, 2 night retreat off campus that invites students to engage in deeper small group faith sharing. This retreat empowers students to give witness to their faith and life experiences, learning and growing from one another’s sharing. Julia Kennedy ‘14 reflected on her experi-ence at Kairos this past summer.

I stepped off the bus with my bag over my shoulder and my pillow under my arm. I was nervous. I had no idea what to expect. I heard Kairos was a life changing experience, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to change. On the first day we talked about why we decided to attend Kairos, and many answers were the same, most of them having to do with the fact that no one wanted to miss

a final opportunity to bond with their classmates and friends before senior year officially started. While this was true for me as well, my greatest reason for attending Kairos was that I was lost. I didn’t know who I was and I didn’t know who I wanted to be and I certainly didn’t know how to find out. There was something missing in my life and I had no idea how to fill that void. Maybe all I needed was a little faith.

Kairos helped me open up and express all my thoughts and feelings. With the help of God and the comfortable envi-ronment my peers created, I could be completely and totally the person I really am. I talked about my hopes and fears and struggles and passions and I wasn’t afraid. Some of these things I had not even told to my closest friends, or any-one for that matter. I realized that people are willing to listen to me, but in order for them to listen, I have to speak out. I learned that I am important, and I now have faith in my life to come that I never had before. We live in a world where our talents and achievements and flaws define us, and this retreat gave me the opportunity to break through my surface persona and show people who I really am.

Kairos showed me that it’s okay to be different. I’ve never been very religious, but I’ve always had a strong sense of God’s presence in my life. A lot of times I struggle with this because I never felt like a good person since I don’t go to church, or pray every night, or do things expected of a member of the Catholic religion. I’ve always had a hard time finding my place, but through this expe-rience I realized that everyone has there own special relationship with God, and

that is okay. Faith is personal. It is about whatever brings us comfort in our lives. For some people, going to church brings them comfort. My comfort comes from a dialogue with God in which I started at Kairos. Someone I admire greatly told me that she talks to God through-out the day, that she has conversations with Him when she feels like talking. If something good happens in her life, she thanks Him. If she witnesses something bad, she says a little prayer. What she told me, I will never forget, and to this day I continue to carry it over into my life. She said when she is feeling lonely, or like no one cares, she talks to God as if she were talking to a friend. If I could only take one thing away from Kairos, it would undoubtedly be those few words she said to me. My dialogue with God is how I welcome Him into my life, and let-ting Him know that I love Him. My faith is strong enough now to know God is always with me.

Kairos was an opportunity for me to grow. It was a time and place for me to get to know myself. Through my faith I realized my worth, and with the help of my peers, I came to love the person I am. The Julia who walked into St. Anne’s Convent and the Julia who walked out were completely different. It sounds cliché to say Kairos changed my life, but it did. This experience changed my perspective on my life, my faith, and myself. I walked in with insecurities and doubt, but I left with confidence. I know who I am and I know who I want to be and I know God is right beside me every step of the way.

A Little Faith Goes a Long Way

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serviCe Life

While academics are the primary focus at Mother of Mercy, a life of service plays a key role to the school’s mission. Mercy’s Director of Service Learning, Megan Kruse Knapke ‘06, updates us on some of the large-scale service opportunities available to our students. These are in addition to the everyday service acts our students take part in throughout the school year and beyond.

What do you get when a Bobcat meets the Holy Spirit? Blazin’ Bobcat Bud-dies! This year’s buddy program be-tween Mercy freshmen and St. Boniface grade school students is off to a running start. In September, the freshmen class hopped on a bus to St. Boniface and met their buddies for the first time. The day was perfect! It started out with a picnic lunch and then each grade spilt up to participate in various activities. The sec-ond graders and their buddies worked in the school community garden planting daffodil bulbs and the third graders and their buddies learned ballet basics from a representative of the Cincinnati Ballet. Other buddies were designing beautiful sidewalk chalk art and making leaf prints. Everyone was sad when the short visit was over, but we are all eagerly awaiting our next visit happening here at Mercy in late November.

We bleed blue and gold…? No, Mercy’s school colors have not changed. We are still the same Bobcats that don our blue and white, shouting, “loyal we stand and true we remain” everywhere we go. How-ever, we have added a little more color to our mix by collaborating on some of our service efforts with our sister school, McAuley.

In October, students from Mercy and McAuley joined together to volunteer at the Mercy Hospital West Open House. The ladies were able to provide some

fun activities for children who came to the event with their parents. Looking into the future, Mercy and McAuley will be partnering for Shantytown, our annual homelessness awareness event. Stu-dents from both schools will be active in planning and attending the event happening in March. Finally, this sum-mer Mercy and McAuley students will be coming together to participate in the mission trips at St. Vincent de Paul. We are very excited to continue creating op-portunities for students from Mercy and McAuley to serve together and carry on the mission of our foundress, Catherine McAuley.

B4B1 sounds like a guess in the game of battleship. Actually, it is the name of a new immersion retreat experience open to Mercy students. This retreat, hap-pening in January, is a partnership with LaSalle High School, DePaul Cristo Rey High School, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Mayerson Foundation.

During the weekend long immersion, ten students from each of the four high schools will come together as one, hence B4B1 as the title. Students will

gather at the St. Vincent de Paul Oza-man Center for Service-Learning, with the single goal of breaking down bar-riers and building bridges. Throughout the weekend students will participate in activities that will help them learn to “be for” others and “be one” with all people – regardless of what school, community, or background someone comes from. Various speakers, games and activities, small group time, and service will en-courage students to confront stereotypes and prejudices, explore issues related to root causes of poverty, and build new connections and perspectives.

Last but not least, students have already applied for Mercy’s summer mission trips. Seniors who attended a trip last summer recently shared their experi-ences with underclasswomen. This was a great way for seniors to “pay it forward” and encourage their peers to consider going on a summer trip. Service trips opportunities include: ARISE in Las Mil-pas and Muniz, Texas, Burnsville, North Carolina, Lake Erie with the Sisters of Mercy, an Urban Immersion experience in Cincinnati and two opportunities to serve at the St. Vincent de Paul Ozanam Center in Over-the-Rhine.

Connecting with Others to Serve

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M ark DiStasi joined Mercy’s administration team in August as the school’s Vice President of Ad-vancement. Mark brings tremen-dous development and sales back-ground that will serve Mercy very well. Most recently, Mark served as the Development Director of the Je-suit Spiritual Center at Milford. Prior to his work with the Jesuits, he was

the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at the College of Mount St. Joseph for several years where he demonstrated real fundraising strength and leadership. Mark has a well-established connection to Mercy. Mark’s wife, Agnes Bellissimo DiStasi, is an alumna of the Class of 1978, as well as his daughter Bernadette from the Class of 2012.

Additionally, Mark served on Mercy’s Advancement Commit-tee Board. “Mark has long been a contributing volunteer to our advancement efforts at Mother of Mercy and I am delighted to now welcome him on as an official member of our team,” said Kirsten MacDougal, President of Mother of Mercy. “Mark brings vast experience to this leadership role for our school and most importantly, he also brings a genuine love of God and family. I have tremendous faith in what he and our advancement team will do for the mission of Mercy.” As Mother of Mercy advances toward its centennial celebration in 2015 and begins envisioning greater collaboration with its sister school, McAuley, the Vice President of Advancement will be key to successful planning and progress. We are pleased to welcome Mark to our team at such an exciting and pivotal point for our Mother of Mercy.

advanCeMent

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Mercy Hires Vice President of Advancement

J ohn and Sue Frey Eby ‘80 are very involved at Mother of Mercy. Their daughters Jane ‘13 and Anna ‘17 recently volunteered at Open House. Volunteering -- it’s a big part of the Eby family character. Sue Eby describes why they give back. “I truly believe that service and volunteering is part of who you are, how you view the world and

how you were raised. This is something that I want my girls to see us doing and hopefully service will continue to be a part of their lives.” John is just as passionate about giving back. “My parents always gave back to our schools that my family attended and that was passed on to me. When our daughter Jane started at Mercy, I was a skeptic. After the first year, I was an advocate. Now that she has graduated and Anna is a freshman, I’m an

evangelist for Mercy High School.” “The change in my daughters’ maturity, spiritual growth and academic achievement compelled me to give back in any way that I can. We all have gifts to share: time, talent, and treasure. We all bring something to the table to share freely.” At Mother of Mercy we are blessed to have many generous families just like the Ebys, dedicated to supporting the Mercy’s mission. Sue says, “I am very proud of Mercy and the wonderful young ladies my girls have become!” Mercy counts this as the high-est praise and continues to put all of its efforts into maintaining its nearly 100-year tradition of educating young women. If you would like to learn more about the opportunities as to how you can help, please visit us at www.motherofmercy.org/support.

Why I Give Back

aLuMnae Life

This year, Queen City Metro commemorates 40 years of loyal transportation, and a few Mercy grads were able to celebrate with them! Last spring, Metro called for 40 stories that took place on Metro buses, and Rex Settlemoir was chosen as the grand prize winner. He told Queen City Metro about meeting his wife (and Mercy grad) Anita Wiggins Settlemoir ‘74 on the #21 Metro bus in 1975.

They met while Rex was in the Navy and stationed in the Westwood area. When he was supposed to be transferred to a new location, he realized he couldn’t leave without Anita so he proposed! They were married in Clifton in 1976. Karen Draper ‘74 and Sue Cook Sattler ‘74 were two brides-maids in their wedding party. Diane Braun Pekal ‘74 was also a guest at the wedding!

For being the grand prizewinner of the Metro Story contest, Rex and Anita received a year of free bus passes, which they

donated back to charity. Metro also arranged for them to re-new their wedding vows on Fountain Square as well. A Metro bus picked up the Settlemoirs, their bridal party, family and friends and drove them to Fountain Square in the brand new Metro*Plus bus. There, they were greeted by a Navy sword arch and a large crowd was in attendance to witness Rex and Anita renewing their wedding vows!

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Reuniting on a Metro Bus

Elizabeth galbraith ‘99 is one of the world’s best “jugglers.” No, not someone who keeps colored balls, plates or even knives in the air, but, as the general manager of the Costume Gallery in Newport, Kentucky, she routinely juggles costume rental, sales and produc-tion. As Elizabeth says, “Every day is relaxed but stressful, fun but chaotic, and we never know what each day has in store for our shop.

It’s an adventure!” Costume Gallery is a professional theatre costume shop and has been providing costumes for theatre, opera and special events since 1996. Elizabeth has been the full-time general manager for the past eight years, although she has been exposed to the costume business since birth – her mother, Joy Galbraith, is the owner and creative force at the shop.

The Costume Gallery offers rental and retail costumes for masquerade and themed events (how about a Civil-War era wedding outfitting the entire bridal party?), theatrical cos-tumes for rental or purchase, accessories such as make-up and props, as well as custom work and alterations. As Eliza-beth says, “if we don’t have it, you don’t need it!” Elizabeth, as

general manager, is the one who makes it all work – produc-tion management, rental agreements and paperwork, ordering and more. She is also a board member of the National Cos-tumers Association, where she is chairperson of the student competition. She has worked with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and the Utah Shakespeare Festival and works with many theatre groups, large and small, every day. She loves her work, helping customers and the ever-changing adventure of each day in the shop.

Mastering the Costume Business

Theatrical and MasqueradeCostumes

Year Round ProfessionalCostume Shop

Historical, Fantasy and MasqueradeMakeup, Wigs and AccessoriesAdult, Children and Plus Sizes

Period Correct AttireCustom Designs

“Close attention to detail and periodauthenticity are abiding concerns of mine.” —Joy Galbraith, President

859-655-9419638 Monmouth StreetNewport, KY 41071

costumegallery@fuse.net

www.costumegallery-newport.com

aLuMnae Life

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Emily gels Vaive ‘87 works at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center as the Manager of Patient Relations and is “the proud mother of 3 wonderful teenagers. The youngest is considering becoming a Bobcat next year!”

Stefanie Ferraris godbey ‘92 has been an audiologist for 15 years, practicing part-time in Western Hills. She and husand Aron were married 14 years in September 2013 . They are the proud parents of Matthew (10) at St. Jude and Natalie (3) at Three Rivers Local Schools Preschool. Stefanie and Aron were Co-Chairpersons for the Bulldog Auction for St Jude Parish this past June.

Jennifer Bolger Magato ‘99 is pleased “to announce the birth of my daughter, Katherine Marie Magato. Kate was born July 30, 2013. She joins big brothers, Connor (4) and Jonathan (2) at home. She is the second granddaughter of Diane Eckstein Bolger ‘69. I am lucky enough to get to work from home, so I am enjoying all the time I get to spend with my 3 children!”

Heather Herling Jauch ‘02 married Jim Jauch, a 2002 LaSalle alumni, on May 25, 2013 at St. Martin’s. “My sister, Anna Herling Florkey ‘06 served as my maid of honor, with my new sister-in-law, Katie Jauch ‘10, serving as one of my bridesmaids. After an exciting honey-moon in Hawaii, we have settled into married life and our Westwood home.”

Heather recently earned her Masters of Education in Sports Management from Old Dominion University.

Jennifer Frey Sutton ‘02 is “still living in Northeast Ohio and continues to work for the Barberton City School district. This year I have taken a new role as an academic coach for the special Ed department. The new adventure has been exciting. This past February my husband and I were blessed with a little boy, Alden James Sutton.”

Shana Kay ‘03 is a Program Specialist, National Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP), Norton Healthcare in Louisville, KY. She holds a Master of Business Administration, Concentration in Healthcare Management from Sul-livan University.

Cheryl griffin Trimpe ‘05 is a self employed floral designer and small business owner. Cheryl shares; “Hey Mercy! Just a little update about my life since I graduated 8 years ago! First of all, I had my first baby, my son, Elijah, on March 5, 2013. He is the WORLD to me and my husband Sean Trimpe (Elder Class of 2006); we are so very blessed to have a precious baby like Eli-jah! Second of all, I have been running a homebased floral business in Harrison Ohio! My expertise is weddings, special occasions and events! Give me a call

for dances and theater productions! I would love to design flowers for your next event! Check out my website- www.twigsntwine.com. Let’s just say, it’s been a reeeeally good life so far, Mercy!”

Rose Rolfes Boehmer ‘06 and hus-band Albert “welcomed our daughter, Ava Katherine, to the world on August 14, 2013. I hope all is well with every-one. I always enjoy getting Blueprint in the mail and seeing what is new in the circle of Mercy.”

Kiersten Kelley ‘07 shared this good news: “On August 4, 2013 my boyfriend, Matthew Knochelman, 2005 Elder High School grad, and I were engaged while on vacation in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He is the son of Mary Lynn Ratterman Knochelman ‘78, and brother of Melinda Knochelman ‘08.”

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Jessi McCloy ‘05 is now the Assistant Director of Athletic Development at the University of South Dakota Foundation.

Jaclyn Martini Mercurio ‘07 is happy to share this photo of she and her husband on their wedding day! Jaclyn, who holds a BFA in Electronic Media from UC/CCM-College of DAAP, is a real estate assistant in graphic design, marketing and social media for the Kopf Team.

Leah Smith ‘11 came back to Mercy as as the school’s intern for the 1st quarter! Leah is a Business Administra-tion, Marketing major at the University of Cincinnati. She was responsible for updating Mercy’s website with recent news stories, scheduling social media campaigns and helping create market-ing material for Mercy’s Open House!

Stay in Touch!

aLuMnae Life

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Mother of Mercy has over 10,000 graduates and we want to stay con-nected with each and every one of you! Make sure your contact infor-mation is up-to-date and let us know what you’ve been up to - whether you graduated 5 years ago, 25 years ago or more! You can update your mail-ing address, email address, married name and share what’s been going on in your life by visiting motherofmercy.org/alumnaeupdate. We’ll take care of updating your records and make sure you receive not only our BLUEprint but our monthly Alumnae eNewsletters.

Additionally, we invite you to join us on Facebook. We post weekly about cur-rent happenings at Mercy along with keeping alumnae informed of upcom-ing events. It’s a great way to recon-nect and stay in touch!

Lastly, we are always accepting stories for our Alumnae Spotlight feature found on page 23. There are “women of Mercy” from coast-to-coast and in many foreign countries contributing in big and small ways to our society every day. Mercy alumnae volunteer at their children’s schools and work at the local bank and hospital; Mercy alum-nae also minister to orphans in Africa and work for peace in Baghdad. Every alumna in the Circle of Mercy helps fulfill the school’s mission! Mercy is a major contributor of highly qualified and principled alumnae to the Cincin-nati and world community.

If you have a suggestion for an alumna to be “in the spotlight,” contact the Alumnae Office at alum@motherof-mercy.org or call Lisa Mahon Fluege-man ‘78 at 513-661-2740 ext. 304.

The Class of 1963 held their 50th Reunion Celebration on Friday, October 4, 2013 at the Manor House in Mason, Ohio. Over 80 members of the class attended the event. Cocktails, dinner and an evening of non-stop conversation and memories ensued. On Saturday interested members

of the class and their spouses were treated to a tour of Mercy where they experienced the old school and how it has become the new school. It was a wonderful weekend of renewing old friendships and catching up with many of our classmates.

Class of 1963 Note

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Upcoming ReunionsThese classes already have plans in the works:

--the Class of 1945 is holding their 67th Reunion at Nick and Tom’s on Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 11:30 am. Contact Dorothy Jansing Inderhees at (513) 741-3627 for more informa-tion.

--The Class of 2003 is planning their 10th Reunion for No-vember 30, 2013. Start out at Mercy and ‘raid the halls’ from 3:00-6:00 pm. (Feel free to bring your little ones!) Adults only party at The Pavilion, 940 Pavilion Street in Mt. Adams, from 7:00-10:00 pm – the 3rd floor penthouse is all ours! Contact Becky Kramer at becky.5585@gmail.com or (513) 439-3653 for more information.

Many classes meet on a regular basis throughout each year – check these out:

Class of 1952 – meets the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 12 noon at Price Hill Chili. Contact Phyllis Hey Thiem at phyljoe3455@zoomtown.com or (513) 598-1459 for more infor-mation.

Class of 1956 – December 18 at Nick and Tom’s at 6:30 pm. Contact Jan Gibson Mathews at jan.mathews@fuse.net or (513) 591-2356 for more information.

Class of 1965 – March 26, 2014 - at LaRosa’s on Boudinot. Contact Peggy Kleimeyer Tonnis at 513-923-4256 for more information.

Hello, Classes of 1944 – 1949 – 1954 – 1959 – 1969 – 1974 – 1979 – 1984 – 1989 – 1994 – 1999 – 2004 - 2009!

The Class of 1964 has a head start on their reunion. What about yours? Contact Lisa Mahon Fluegeman ‘78, Alumnae Coordinator for assistance in planning a special event for your class.

Heads up MMHS 1964 graduating class! It’s time to express interest in the five day, four night trip to Washington, D.C. (March 29 to April 2, 2014) by submitting your reservation and $100 per person deposit. Croswell VIP Tours has craft-ed an interesting mix of museums, monuments, and historic places for us to visit. If a government shutdown in the spring of 2014 affects our access to any of the places on the tour, Croswell will have a contingency plan so we can visit other sites that are privately owned or sponsored points of inter-est in the D.C. area. Although this trip is part of our 50th reunion celebration, classmates are welcome to invite friends and relatives.

Tour cost per person is $749 double occupancy, $649 triple, and $999 single; for anyone who is interested in joining our group at the hotel for the tours on March 30, 31 & April 1 (without the costs of bus trip from Cincinnati to the Capitol, hotel, and breakfast), the price is $499. We must have at least 30 paid passengers for the tour to proceed; the bus holds 52 – 54.

The reservation form and itinerary are available on Mercy’s website at www.motherofmercy.org/Reunions. Just complete the form and mail it along with your $100 deposit to Croswell VIP Tours, 975 West Main Street, Wil-liamsburg, OH 45176 or call Croswell at 513-724-2206 or 800-782-8747 and ask to register for tour G33465. With either registration method you can pay by credit card. For further information please contact: Marty Konrad Kunkle at 513-574-6612 or martykunkle@hotmail.com. Registrations and deposits must be received by December 1, 2013; bal-ance is due Feb. 7, 2014.

If you’ve ever been to one of our quarterly dinners or lunch-es, you know how much talking and visiting goes on. This trip is a chance to reconnect with former friends and to hear what they have been doing since graduation. Come along and get on board! Please join us!

Don’t forget our 50th Reunion Dinner/Reception is sche-dueld for September 20, 2014, at the Westn Hills Country Club. Reservation forms will be available in 2014. For further details about this event visit www.motherofmercy.org/Reuni-uons

Class of 1964

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Upcoming Events

Future Bobcat Events

Mother of Mercy

Christmas Concert"Snow"

Join Mother of Mercy's Music Department on Friday, December 13 or Saturday, December 14

at 7:30 p.m. for their annual Christmas Concert.

Tickets are $7 and will go on sale in Mercy’s Main Office beginning December 9.

Alumnae between 1987 and 2013 are invited to come on stage and sing Merry Christmas With Love.

RSVP to Kim Zang at zang_k@motherofmercy.org.

Young Alumnae Raid the Halls 12.20.2013

Graduates from 2009 - 2013 join Mother of Mercy’s Christmas Prayer Service

at 9:15 a.m. in the gym and then “Raid the Halls” and visit your favorite

teachers, classrooms and offices!

RSVP online to help us plan for seating!www.motherofmercy.org/RaidHalls

Christmas on Campus

❄❄

❄Friday, December 20

Sleepover event for 8th grade girls.$5 admission | RSVP online at

motherofmercy.org/ChristmasonCampus.

❄ Future Bobcat Spirit Game!Basketball vs. Seton | January 23, 2014

Activities | Prizes | Bobcat Spirit!FREE admission for grade school girls!

✷ FU

TURE

BOBCAT EVENTS

✷

✷ MOTHER OF ME

RCY

Class of 1964

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Calling all “COOL” Mercy Cats & Chicks to get down with us Saturday, February 15 as Mercy’s Gymnasium will again be transformed for yet another “HOPPIN” Mercy Gala!

Last year’s auction was a record breaker. A sell-out crowd, awesome items up for bid, live auction show and after party! This year we are excited to announce we will be honoring two special friends; Elaine & Jim Day as the “Man and Woman of Mercy.” Also, we are proud to celebrate Sister Doris Gottemoeller’s, President of the Mercy Education Collabora-tive of Cincinnati, 60th Jubilee as a Sister of Mercy. Come hear her story and help us toast her faithful dedication to MERCY.

Back by popular demand, Dean Gregory, of Montgomery Inn, will be serving up his delicious rib & chicken dinner. In addition there will also be a open bar throughout the evening, complete with malts, shakes and sodas at midnight!Steve Raleigh, Channel 9’s Chief Meterologist, will serve as host. He will bring Mercy’s version of American Bandstand to life!

There are many ways you can support Mercy’s largest fund-raising event:

1. Join us for our girls Night Out pre-party event! 2. Buy a Super Split-the-Pot ticket sheet or increase your chances for the big prize and buy several! 3. Be a sponsor; there are many different levels and you can even have your company name on the Walk of Fame the night of the event, or year-round in the halls of Mercy. 4. Attend MercyHOP!!

So don’t be a ‘square’, come get your ‘kicks’ at MercyHOP, Saturday, February 15, 2014!

Julie Leis Raleigh ’82Mercy FUNdraiser

MERCYHOP

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Enter the MERCYHOP Super Split-the-Pot!

Get sheets of 25, 75 or 150 chances to win!Cost is $25, $50 or $100 per sheet.

Ticket purchases and details online atwww.motherofmercy.org/MERCYHOP.

Try your luck for some cash!Strike Up Some Fun!Girls Night Out at Stumps Lanes

Friday, January 24, 2014 | 8:30 p.m.$15 includes 3 games of bowling

RSVP at motherofmercy.org/GirlsNightOut

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-

You’re the One that I Want!

Hey all you Cats and Chicks! Tickets are on Sale Now!

Save-the-Date!

as we transform the gym

to the 1950s!

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Reserve your seat before

they sell out!

motherofmercy.org/MercyHOP

MERCYHOP

Sponsorships include a table for 8-10, special corridor naming rights all year, recognition on invitation, program ad, logo/name on event t-shirts, logo on Mercy’s web page, Star on the MERCYWEST Walk of Fame, plus more!

Sponsorships include one to four tickets to MERCYWEST, program recognition and mention on Mercy’s web page.

For full sponsorship details please visit www.motherofmercy.org/MERCYHOP orcontact Julie Leis Raleigh '82, Mercy FUNdraiser at 513-661-2740 ext. 401

3.

4.

MercyHOP logo design courtesy of Aimee Wolf Reilly ‘80.

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The Circle of Mercy AwardThe Alumnae Circle of Mercy Award is presented an-nually to a Mother of Mercy alumna who best reflects the Mercy values of faith, compassion, service, leader-ship and excellence.

Nominations are now being accepted for an alumna who meets one or more of the following criteria:

To nominate an alumna today or to download a nomination form, please visit

www.motherofmercy.org/CircleAward.

*** Deadline: March 7, 2014 ***

Notable achievement in her profession or career•Exceptional support of church or parish •

activitiesPersonal achievement in the arts, sports or •

public serviceVolunteerism to one or more activities on a •

continuing basis

March 22, 2014

This event gets bigger and better every year! You won’t want to miss it!

All proceeds benefit Mother of Mercy High School. This event is hosted by Mercy’s Dads Club. Ticket sales will begin in early 2014; be sure to visit motherofmercy.org/MercyMadness.

NCAA Second Round - Round of 32 action • live on multiple TV’s in Mercy’s Gym

Monte Carlo games including poker tables •

GrandPrizeReverseRaffleofoneyearFREE• tuition or $10,000 cash.

Beer, soda, fantastic food grilled by Mercy • dads and lots of fun!

Save the Date!

MOTHER of MERCY THEATRE

in collaboration with

MCAULEY HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE will present

February 7 and 8, 2014 at 7:30 p.m.at the McAuley Performing Arts Center.

Prayer Requests Our Mother of Mercy High School community is happy to keep you in

our prayers. We are pleased to list your prayer requests and/or special

intentions in the petition book located in the Chapel as well as online and

will remember them at our school prayer services and liturgies.

Please contact:

Lisa Mahon Fluegeman ’78 at 513.661.2740 ext. 304 or email

fluegeman_l@motherofmercy.org

mail to: Mother of Mercy High School

Prayer Request,

3036 Werk Rd.

Cincinnati, Ohio, 45211

Or submit your request online at www.motherofmercy.org/PrayerRequest

“If we are humble and sincere, God will finish in us the work He has begun. He never refuses His grace to those who ask it.” Catherine McAuley, Sisters of Mercy foundress

sPirituaL Life

Alumnae:Rita Keller Staud ‘41Margaret Allender Pellman ‘42Kathleen McIntire McLaughlin ‘47Margie Krisch Bohman ‘50Marjorie Helmes Doherty ‘51Peggy O’Brien Hebel ‘52Mary Rowekamp Berger ‘53Lois Korte ‘53Mary Stahl Unkrich ‘53Marilyn Cramer Nostheide ‘57Patricia Horak Fierro ‘58Gail Collins Berger ‘60Marilyn Wandstrat Case ‘64Diann Logan Combs ‘65Victoria Robinson Whitton ‘73Christine Gately ‘79

Husband of:Joan Warburg Harman ‘51Marian Dourson Herbert ‘52Mary Rowekamp Berger ‘54Cynthia Harrington Brockhaus ‘60

Laverne Knapp Warman ‘61Elizabeth Thinnes Kuhling ‘63Nancy Zahn Jones ‘64Anita Lunne Louis ‘64Carol Diersing Ransick ‘75

granddaughter of:Doretta Hood Lampe ‘55

grandson of:Betty Doerger Todd Meade ‘58

Son of:Judith Greiner Weber ‘59Elaine Cranley Pate ‘79

Mother of:Barbara Colegate Helbling ‘58Jacquelin Cranert O’Neill- Hoeting ‘59Karen Donnellon Turk ‘63Diane Colegate Huebner ‘65Miriam Neiheisel Kirch ‘65

Joann Eckhoff Metzler ‘65Madeline Mauch Korb ‘66Sharon Donnellon Mullins ‘66Janet Shappelle Baroni ‘67Peggy Colegate Pieper ‘68Alice Dunlay Imfeld ‘69Beverly Pellman Jostworth ‘69Teddi Neiheisel Spade ‘70Mary Beth Donnellon Espel ‘71Margaret Dunlay Harter ‘72Darlene Peter Chewning ‘73Sandy Beckman Cobb ‘73Mary Ann Minges ‘73Mary Ann Peter ‘76Rebecca Dunlay Bomkamp ‘77Mary Ann Flickinger ‘77Aimee Donnellon Meier ‘77Jane Altimari Mishurda ‘77Lisa Beckman Schneider ‘78Therese Peter Staud ‘80Jane Minges ‘82Mary Beth Hebel Schramm ‘82Sue Minges Polanka ‘86

Stepmother of:Elizabeth Rausch Kissel ‘72

Father of:Gail Flaherty Sturdevant ‘54Jenifer Podvin Belokonny ‘64Sandra Rosemeyer Weinkam ‘67Patty Gibbs Schneider ‘68Judy Gibbs ‘69Cindy Rosemeyer Dunphy ‘70Nancy Fessel Herrmann ‘70Gail Laug Leisgang ‘70Mary Schute Losey ‘72Diane Wagner McMullin ‘72Susan Gibbs Pope ‘72Pam Mentrup Rouse ‘73Theresa Fessel Broxterman ‘74Stella Wagner Ludovicy ‘75Mary Jo Rosemeyer Koltuniuk ‘76Stella Wagner Buehler ‘77Judy Heidemann Schmitt ‘78Mary Beth Wagner ‘81Mary Fessel Weil ‘81Nanci Wagner ‘82Terry Schute Kyne ‘82Katrina Becker Brunsman ‘85Julie Vonderheide Raisor ‘86Maureen Gervers Seubert ‘86Andrea Case Kieffer ‘89Paula Mullen Haarmeyer ‘96Jessica Gottmann Cimprich ‘04Ashley Weber Najdovski ‘05Michelle Weber ‘10

Due to space constraints of our newly designed magazine, we will be printing the names of those who have lost a loved one in their immediate family – husband, children, parents - only. All others (grand-parents, siblings, in-laws, etc.) can be found on our website at www.motherofmercy.org.

We profess our common faith and our hope of eternal resurrection for those who have passed through death to new life.

(Mercy has been notified of these deaths through October 31, 2013.)

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