Veritas Magazine Spring/Summer 2007

SPRING/SUMMER 2007

WOLF1942-2007

IN THIS ISSUE:

Celebrating Wolf

Fran Donohoe-Pitts ‘67

Commencement 2007

Winter Sports Wrap-up

Black & Gold Night

Class Notes

VERITASThe magazine for the Bishop Montgomery High School community

V E R I T A S T h e P r e m i e r I s s u e

This truth is an eternal conversation about things that matter, conducted with passion and discipline. This, indeed, is Palmer’s defi nition of critical think-ing.

To be a good teacher and to be a good student is a challenge; to be willing to participate in that “risky business” demands a generous spirit. For us, as members of the Bishop Montgomery community, there is another dimension, however, our faith. The measure of our dedication to education as teachers and students in the Bishop Montgomery community does not only depend on academic achievement, but more important, on the courage of each member of the community to witness to God’s call to holiness. That call--to work daily for intellectual excellence, to be spiritually alive, open to growth, loving, and committed to the needs of others is rooted in the truth that God has created us to be in His image and likeness and that our call is to recognize and honor that truth by expecting the best from ourselves.

We hope that this magazine, Veritas, provides you with a window into the world of the Bishop Mont-gomery community, a window that reveals our efforts at being “in truth”, at participating in the eternal conversation about things that matter, con-ducted with passion and discipline, love and faith.

We are proud to call ourselves Bishop Montgomery.

Rosemary LibbonPrincipal

Dear Friends of Bishop Montgomery,

Welcome to our fi rst issue of the Bishop Mont-gomery magazine, Veritas. Why Veritas? There is the obvious answer, of course. Our school motto is “justice, truth, honor” and the case can be made that all pursuits, if they are valid, must fi rst be rooted in truth. We, as a school community, certainly strive to achieve that goal. When consid-ering the title of the magazine, however, I recalled the thoughts of a Harvard professor of education, Parker Palmer, who wrote an article titled, “Good Teaching: A Matter of Living the Mystery” in which he addresses the place of truth in the class-room. Since, in my view, the individual classroom is where the mystery and the magic happen, it is, indeed, where the truth is explored.

Palmer says that “Good teaching is an act of gener-osity… a risky business… Good teaching comes from

the integrity of the teacher, from his or her relation to the subject and the students, from the capricious chemistry of it all.” He says that “To teach is to create a space in which the community of truth is practiced… Good teaching, whatever its form, will help more and more people to learn to speak and listen in the community of truth, to under-stand that truth is not in the conclusions so much as in the process of the conversation itself, that if you want to be ‘in truth’ that you must be in the conversation.”

VVVERITAS magazine is published two times a year by Bishop Montgomery High School for alumni, parents,

and friends. For more information, please contact:

Bishop Montgomery High School5430 Torrance Boulevard

Torrance, California 90503

(310) 540-2021www.bmhs-la.org

Publisher Rosemary Libbon, Principal

Editors Andy Marafi no, Director of Development Dione Dierks, Asst. Director of Development Amy Traxler, Asst. Director of Development John Hong, BMHS Publications Director

Photographers BMHS Yearbook Staff; Mark Comon

Contributing Writers Andy Marafi no, Dione Dierks, Amy Traxler, Georgiana Troin

ContentsCOVER STORY

Celebrating the Life of a Legend 4The BMHS community remembers longtime teacher Bill Wolfenbarger.

SPIRITUALFran Donohoe-Pitts ‘67 6Christian Service 7

SOCIALBlack and Gold Night 12Mothers’ Club 13

PHYSICAL Dynamic Duo 10Winter Athletics 11

ACADEMICDulcie Galdamez 8Commencement 2007 9

DEPARTMENTSDevelopment 14Class Notes 1650th Anniversary 19

VERITAS magazine is published two times a year by Bishop Montgomery High School for alumni, parents,

and friends. For more information, please contact:

Bishop Montgomery High School5430 Torrance Boulevard

Torrance, California 90503

(310) 540-2021www.bmhs-la.org VERITAS Spring/Summer 2007 3

Celebrating the Life of aCelebrating the Life of a LEGENDFor more than thirty years, room 306 at

Bishop Montgomery High School was the place where students could go to

travel to distant lands, visit ancient ruins, and listen to tales about the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incans. This is the same room where it is estimated that Bill Wolfenbarger taught over 8,000 young people during his career at BMHS, which began in 1975.

Through many years and many class periods, Wolf always managed to skillfully balance academic instruction with tales of different cultures and far away worlds that came from his fi rst-hand experiences of traveling to over twenty countries. How appropriate, then, that he taught world history and anthropology up until his death on March 28, 2007.

BELOW: BMHS Hall of Famers Bill Wolfenbarger, left, and Dietmar Farkas.

Wolf accomplished great things and served many roles in his time at BMHS. In 2002, Wolf celebrated 25 years with the school at his induction into the school’s Hall of Fame, an honor he shared with his longtime friend and colleague, Dietmar Farkas. In addition to teaching world history and anthropology courses, Wolf taught a variety of other classes, including driver’s education, geography, and drafting. He also served as the social studies department chairperson for many years, and for each of the last fi fteen years, he was chosen by the faculty as their representative on the school’s administrative council.

The incredible impact that Wolf had on his students, colleagues, and friends was evident on April 23 when a capacity crowd fi lled the Bishop gymnasium for Wolf’s memorial. The entire faculty, staff, and student body were joined by many alumni, former faculty, and friends, including Rev. Charles Hill, the prin-cipal who hired Wolf, who came back to be a part of the celebration of Wolf’s life. Longtime friend and former BMHS administrator Caro-lyn Quijano spoke about the “gift of Wolf” and what he meant to so many people. “Look around,” Quijano told those gathered for the mass, “and you can see what friendship meant to him. He had a plethora of friends - from Panama to New York to Arizona to Oregon to Huntington Beach to Pine Street to Bishop Montgomery.”

COVER STORY

4 VERITAS Spring/Summer 2007

There is no doubt, though, that Wolf’s great-est contribution to Bishop Montgomery High School was the tremendous impact that he had on his students both in and out of the classroom. Throughout his distinguished teaching career, Wolf always had a special connection with his students because he had a pas-sion for teaching and an unfailing respect for the young people in his classroom.

At his Hall of Fame induction, Wolf stated that his best memory was, “and always [had] been, the students and the way they [made him] laugh.” BMHS Principal Rosemary Libbon reiter-ated this sentiment to the student body at his memorial. “I think what is most important for you to know,” she told the students at Mass, “is that [Mr. Wolfenbarger] cared about you simply because you were you. You made him laugh and he liked being with you. That, in itself, was his amazing gift to every student.”

What Wolf may not have realized is that he had as big an impact on his students as they had on him. For decades, hundreds of alumni have come back to visit Wolf on campus, with many visiting years and years after their graduations. Others not only carry fond memories of Wolf beyond graduation, but also appreciated his teaching while they were still in Room 306.

William Wolfenbarger Scholarship Endowment Fund

Following the passing of Mr. Wolfenbarger, Bishop Montgomery High School established the William Wolfenbarger Scholarship Endowment Fund to create a legacy in his name. Donations to this endow-ment fund will be used for tuition assistance to help students who would otherwise not be able to attend Bishop Montgomery. An initial gift of $10,000 was given by the school to establish the scholar-ship fund. Wolf’s passing has since elicited a wave of gifts, including a matching $10,000 gift from an anonymous donor. “It seems to me,” joked BMHS Principal Rosemary Libbon, “that this scholarship should probably be awarded yearly to someone who is mischievous, adventuresome, loves to travel, and is a little bit naughty.” It is certain that Wolf would not have wanted it any other way.

If you would like to make a gift to the William Wolfenbarger Scholarship Endowment Fund, please contact Andy Marafi no,

Director of Development, at amarafi [email protected] or by calling (310) 540-2021 ext. 246.

Senior Brian Ivey, who had Wolf as a teacher in his sophomore year for World History and Cultures, spoke at the memorial Mass and re-called Wolf’s teaching style and the way he made learning enjoyable. “Wolf had a ballad style of telling a story,” Ivey said. “I think the only place

Wolf hadn’t been was space; and I am convinced that if he had lived long enough he would

have gotten there, too.” Ivey also spoke for all of Wolf’s former students when he concluded that “learning wasn’t boring in his class because of the ex-citement he brought to the world in which we live.”

Wolf spent his life discov-ering the world and bring-ing these adventures to life for his students in room 306. Soon, a plaque will sit outside the classroom, marking it as Mr. Wolfen-barger’s room, a place where students “saw” the world through the eyes of a courageous, generous, and loving teacher.

“Mr. Wolf cared about you

simply because you were you.”

VERITAS Spring/Summer 2007 5


FEATURE

In August 2005, the thrift shop opened for busi-ness in Lomita, and has been going strong ever since. In little more than 18 months, the thrift shop has distributed $220,000 to charitable orga-nizations throughout the community. The current list of benefi ciaries of this all-volunteer, non-profi t organization includes Agape, a St. John Fisher outreach program; Casa de los Angelitos, a home for unwed mothers; Christian Outreach in Action, a Long Beach organization that feeds the home-less; the Downtown Women’s Center, a home-less women’s center; House of Hope, a San Pedro alcohol and drug abuse center for women; Meals on Wheels, a provider of meals for the homebound; Presentation Learning Center in Watts run by the Presentation Sisters; Sts. Peter & Paul Poverty Program, a distribution program for the very poor; the Sisters of Charity of Rolling Hills, which pro-vides food, clothing, and household items to the poor; and STAR (Society to Aid Retarded, Inc.), an organization that owns and operates two houses in Torrance for developmentally disabled young adults.

Fran, president of the board of Palos Verdes Re-sale, is quick to credit the help and cooperation she received from members of the board, fellow St. John Fisher parishioners, and former members of the National Charity League. “Without the invalu-able help and assistance of all the members of the board – as well as all our wonderful volunteers - we could never have become such an outstanding success,” she shares. “The nice part about Palos Verdes Resale is that everyone can contribute to this ministry. Whether it’s making donations, volunteering to work in the store, or shopping for merchandise, everyone is contributing something to our charitable organizations. It’s truly a win-win situation.”

Palos Verdes Resale is located at 2321 Pacifi c Coast Palos Verdes Resale is located at 2321 Pacifi c Coast Palos Verdes ResaleHighway in Lomita. They are open from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm,Tuesday through Saturday. If you are interested in more information or would like to make a donation, call the store at 310-534-1722.

A Thrifty Way toA Thrifty Way to

When Fran Donohoe-Pitts ‘67 gets an Fran Donohoe-Pitts ‘67 gets an Fran Donohoe-Pitts ‘67idea, watch out - it’s bound to be a rousing success. Ten charitable orga-

nizations in the South Bay, 75 volunteers at a thrift shop in Lomita, and a ton of happy customers will vouch for that!

After graduating from BMHS and Cal State Long Beach, Fran worked at Rockwell and Garrett AiResearch in Torrance and married her husband, Bob. Together, they have two children, Brian, 25, and Laura, 24. After moving to Palos Verdes, Fran and Bob became active members of St. John Fisher Parish when their children attended the elementary school. Their involvement continued through the years with Fran chairing St. John Fisher’s successful fl ea markets for a number of years as well as becom-ing a member of the National Charity League. Fran worked regularly at the league’s thrift shop, relin-quishing her membership once her daughter entered college, but she didn’t leave behind the merchandis-ing skills she learned. She soon began wondering why she couldn’t start a similar shop to serve the South Bay area. “Since we were more or less ‘booted’ out of the Charity League once our girls went off to college, starting a thrift shop in the South Bay area just seemed like a natural,” Fran rationalized.

With this goal in mind, Fran approached her friends and encouraged them to join her in this venture. Betty Wall, whose two daughters, Laurie ‘89 and Estelle ‘95, graduated from BMHS and Georgianna Troin, whose granddaughter, Amanda Pierce, is a 2003 BMHS graduate, helped Fran lead the way. Af-ter months of investigation and research, obtaining the necessary non-profi t status requirements, and fi nding a suitable site, Palos Verdes Resale was born.

SERVE

ABOVE: Fran Donohoe-Pitts ‘67 stands among the cloth-ing racks at Palos Verdes Resale thrift shop in Lomita.

A MISSION REALIZED: SPIRITUALACADEMIC

PHYSICALSOCIAL

At the May Crowning Mass on May 2, Lina Borgo and Carlos Rodriguez were recognized by

our own Bishop community for their exceptional dedication and commit-ment to serve others. This recognition on campus followed a special Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in March, where these two seniors were awarded the Archdiocesan Christian Service Award. Each year, this Archdi-ocesan award honors those individuals who, having been nominated by their peers and teachers, exhibit signifi cant Christian service within their local and church communities.

During the Mass in May, Lina’s and Carlos’ teach-ers were invited to share with the Bishop commu-nity their insights into these two students. Tomas Renna, Carlos’ Italian teacher, described Carlos as an all-around student, “a gift to Bishop.” Addressing his call to serve and share the Gospel with others, Renna portrayed Carlos as “a Christ-centered individual” who frequently shared “his insights on how and what it means …to live as a Christian.” Renna also noted that most mornings, when the rest of campus was still sleepy, Carlos could usually be found in the chapel, “out and about, making sure that morning prayer [got] running.”

Carlos’ ministry, however, did not end with the Bishop campus. In addition to

Students Receive Students Receive Christian Service Award

the many service activities he was in-volved in at BMHS, he was also an ac-tive member of St. Joseph’s parish in Hawthorne and a volunteer for many organizations in his local community. The wonderful part of his willingness to serve, noted Renna, was that all of it was done “with equal commit-ment,” selfl essly and passionately with nothing asked for in return.

Bishop math teacher and Habitat Club moderator Jake Roehl thanked Lina Borgo for inspiring him and her fellow classmates with her tremendous donation of time and energy to so many

service proj-ects. “Lina has inspired the building of one house, six dorms, 23 beds, a classroom, a Christ-mas, and a library on

wheels. There now is an orphanage in Mexico, a church group in Manhattan Beach, a school in Watts, a student body at Bishop Montgomery and a teacher in room 317 who all lead dif-ferent lives because of Lina.”

Clearly moved by her selfl ess actions, Roehl, speaking for himself and “all the future victims of [her] irresistible will,” concluded his speech by shar-ing the secret to her accomplishments with the rest of the students: “It’s no big secret-- she’s real.”

The wonderful part of his willingness to serve, noted Renna, was that all of it was done “with equal commitment,” selfl essly and passionately with nothing

asked for in return.

ABOVE:Lina Borgo ‘07

ABOVE:Carlos Rodriguez ‘07


FEATURE

Dulcie Galdamez

What was your most embarrassing moment as a teacher?I’ve had very many! One that stands out is (many years ago, of course) tripping on a backpack on the fl oor and speeding out of control down the aisle until the last student on that row kindly stood up and saved me with a rescuing embrace from impaling myself in the back wall.

Since the 2000-2001 school year, eleven members of the faculty and staff have celebrated twenty-fi ve years of service to Bishop Montgomery. This past year alone, four distinguished members

of the staff, Dulcie Galdamez, Karin Heckethorn, Dee Masters, and Rose Martinez, were inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame as part of their 25th anniversary celebration. So what brings these remark-able educators to BMHS and what keeps them here for so long? We recently sat down with Dulcie Galdamez to fi nd out.

ABOVE: Dulcie Galdamez, center, is honored at the 2006-07 Wel-come Mass along with fellow Hall of Fame inductees, Dee Masters, Karin Heckethorn, and Rose Martinez.

When did your association with BMHS begin?It started in the 1981-82 school year. I was hired to teach French 1, 2, 3, 4 AP.

What are some of your fondest memories of BMHS?There are so many! When Cathy Keesling received a grade of fi ve on her AP French Language test my fi rst year of teaching high school; when Lisa Roehl and Michael Walle, both former students, came back to let me know that they were engaged to be married as I had predicted years before; when the students in my classes got together and organized an incredible baby shower in February 1993 when I was expecting my son, Jonathan; when former students like Rudy Garbalosa and Amy Meehan and many others have returned to BMHS as part of the faculty…

Why have you chosen to work at BMHS?In September 1981, Carolyn Quijano called my house to ask me if I wanted to come to BMHS for an interview for a French language teaching position. It was love with Bishop at fi rst sight. I liked the students, the faculty, and the school. I have never wanted to go anywhere else.

Your son will be a freshman in the fall. Why have you chosen to send him to BMHS?We are sending Jonathan to BMHS because this is a great school. In addition to the excellent aca-demic program, there is a true sense of community here.

What is the biggest change that you have seen in the school in your 25 years?In 25 years I’ve seen many changes for the better in BMHS. The school facilities have improved tremendously; a faculty house, an art room, a theatre, and the new gym facility are just a few of the physical improvements that the school has undergone. We offer more AP and honors courses and more opportunities for students to take summer school classes. As a teacher, one of the changes that I am grateful for is the decrease in class size. I can work more closely with my students in a class of 25 than in a class of 42 students.

How do you think today’s high school experience differs from when you were a student?When I was a high school student I was very busy trying to learn English (I arrived from Cuba when I was 14 years old), but regardless of the language we spoke, my classmates and I spent lots of hours at the library doing research for our papers. We did not have computers and Internet access at home like the students today do. After the research was fi nished I had to type my papers using an electric typewriter and lots of correcting tape to blank out the mistakes before I could retype the correct word.


Commencement2007A MISSION REALIZED: SPIRITUAL

ACADEMICPHYSICAL

SOCIAL

Class of 2007 College Matriculation

• 262 Seniors • 220 (84%) Seniors attending 4-year institutions • 38 (14.5%) Seniors attending 2-year colleges • 4 (1.5%) Seniors attending vocational schools • 262 (100%) Seniors attending college • 238 (91%) Seniors who applied to 4-year institutions • 233 (98%) Applicants accepted to 4-year institutions• 113 (43%) Cal State System• 42 (16%) UC System• 34 (13%) Private California Colleges• 41 (16%) Junior Colleges/Trade Schools• 32 (12%) Out of State Colleges

100% of Seniors to Attend College

Members of the Class of 2007 will attend:Boston University Santa Clara Cal Poly Pomona StanfordCal Poly San Luis Obispo UC BerkeleyCornell University UC DavisGeorge Washington Univ. UCLAHoward University USCJohns Hopkins US Naval AcademyLoyola Marymount Washington Univ. (MO)Notre Dame Yale

LEFT: Chris Dippel ‘07, who received an appointment to the U. S. Naval Academy, is given a standing ova-tion at the senior awards ceremony.

LEFT: Class of 2007 grad-uates, left to right. Tim Donahue, Brent Watanabe, and Alex Stellato.

“Today we all become teachers: teachers of values

On Friday, June 1, 262 graduates from the class of 2007 received their diplomas and officially became alumni of Bishop Mont-

gomery. Before a near-capacity crowd of over 2,500 family members and friends, the seniors spent one last moment together as a class before leaving BMHS and opening the next chapters of their lives.

In his speech, Co-Valedictorian Harry Mai appropriately compared their journey to a novel that they, together, had written. Recalling freshman year as one spent mostly “yearn[ing] for the glory of… graduation day;” sophomore year as being the ‘wise fools’ of the school,” and junior year as a time when the class began to feel its presence in the school com-munity, Harry acknowledged that their unique story was one that took four whole years to write. He concluded his analogy by acknowledging that it was going to be difficult to part ways with 261 friends, but praised his class for dem-onstrating “great humility and tolerance to really come together and unite… [as] seniors” for the final chapter of their story.

The class’ unity was especially evident during the ceremony when Ms. Libbon announced this year’s Outstanding Graduates, A-lan Holt, Carlos Rodriguez, Kyle Rosso, and Brent Watanabe, to a thun-derous round of applause from the class, and also when the gradu-ates remembered their fellow classmate, Adam Guymon, who passed away in the spring of 2006. Escorted to the stage by Adam’s best friends and graduates John Haberstroh and David Mares, Adam’s mother, Eileen Guymon, ac-cepted his diploma posthumously.

Now, though the high school chapters are finished for the graduates of the class of 2007, we know that these students will continue to write their own amazing and adventurous stories. As the newest members of the BMHS alumni community, these graduates go out into the world as representatives of their alma mater who “speak truth, seek justice, and serve with honor.”

that our experiences at Bishop have instilled in us - justice, truth, and honor.”Harry Mai ‘07, Salutatorian


FEATURE

ABOVE:Noelle Quinn ‘03, right, at the WNBA Draft with WNBA Com-missioner Donna Orender .

Dynamic DUO

BELOW:Carmelita Jeter ‘98 fi nishes 3rd in the 100m at the U.S. Track & Field Champion-ships.

Over the years, BMHS has graduated many outstanding student-graduated many outstanding student-graduated athletes who have gone on to great success both collegiately and professionally. Many former Knights are currently competing

in college and two football alumni are starters for their NFL teams. The last ten years have been an especially fruitful time for BMHS athletics - 45 team league titles and 11 CIF titles. What is most impressive about the last decade is that arguably the two greatest female athletes in the school’s history, Noelle Quinn ‘03 and Carmelita Jeter ‘98 - have made their way through BMHS and have made their marks in the world.

When Noelle Quinn graduated from BMHS, she left as the most deco-rated student-athlete in school history. In basketball, she was a four-time

CIF Southern Section and State Player of the Year, a three-time Del Rey League MVP and twice the Daily Breeze Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-AmericaDaily Breeze Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-AmericaDaily Breeze n. She was also CIF and Daily BreezePlayer of the year in volleyball and a four time Scholar-Athlete who carried a 4.0 GPA throughout high school. On January 30, 2007, the school honored Quinn by retiring her #45 jersey in a ceremony at halftime of the girl’s’ basketball game against St. Joseph, marking it as the fi rst number retired by BMHS. “This is an amazing honor,” Quinn said. “I feel truly blessed.” The stream of accolades for Quinn, however, was far from ending.

Referring to Carmelita Jeter as one of the fastest women in the world today is certainly not a stretch. Since graduating from BMHS, where she was an outstanding sprinter and the 1998 Female Athlete of the Year, Jeter has made her mark locally, nationally, and worldwide. Two years ago, Jeter returned to

BMHS to head the track program and serve as an Assistant Athletic Direc-tor. Prior to her return to campus, Jeter completed a spectacular career at Cal State Dominguez Hills, where she was a six-time Division II All-American and the fi rst athlete in the school’s history to qualify, in 2004, for the U.S. Olympic Trials. In 2000, Jeter was named the NCAA Division II West Region Female Track & Field Athlete of the Year and, in 2004, she graduated as the CSUDH record holder in the 100m and 200m sprints (11.40 and 23.20 seconds, respectively).

ABOVE:Noelle Quinn ‘03 has her #45 jersey retired at a ceremony in Janu-ary.

This year has been especially successful for Jeter. In January, at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Boston, Jeter fi nished second in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.17 (the winner fi nished in 7.16). In May, she fi nished fourth in the 100 meters at the Adidas Track Classic. The highlights of the year to date have come in recent months. In April, at the Mt. SAC Relays, Jeter won the women’s 100 meters in 11.16 seconds. In May, she fi nished fi rst in the 100 meters at the Road to Eugene ‘08 Invitational in Oregon with a time of 11.29. To top it all off, Jeter fi nished 3rd in the 100 (11.17) at the U.S. Championships on June 22. Her third place fi nish qualifi ed Jeter for the World Championships in August in Osaka, Japan and makes her a strong candidate to make the U.S. Olympic team.

For Jeter and her fellow alumnae Quinn, an amazing pair of athletes, more accolades are sure to follow as they represent themselves and BMHS on the local, national, and world stage.

Quinn recently completed an outstanding basketball career at UCLA where she was a three-time fi rst-team All-Pac-10 pick and a two-time All-American. She is the only UCLA player, man or woman, to record 1,700 points, 700 rebounds, and 400 assists. Quinn capped an incredible 2007 on April 4 when she was selected by the Minnesota Lynx with the fourth overall pick in the WNBA Draft.


Winter Sports Wrap-UpWinter Sports Wrap-UpBoys’ BasketballThere was nothing more that they could have done. Coach Doug Mitchell’s boys’ basketball team ran off eleven consecu-tive victories at one point, fi nished undefeated with another Del Rey League title and fi nished 23-4 overall. However, the Knights fell short in their quest for the CIF crown when they lost in the quarter-fi nals to Arroyo Valley. Many players turned in outstanding performances. Leland Jones ‘08 was named Del Rey League MVP and 1st Team All-CIF in Division II. Joining him on the All-Del Rey League fi rst team were Aaron Ware ‘08 and Justin Cobbs ‘09. Cobbs was also a 2nd Team All-CIF selection. Three other players were named to the All-Del Rey League 2nd Team: Erik Vaughn ‘07, Brandon Bibbons ‘09, and Mike Panaggio ‘09.

Girls’ BasketballThe girls’ basketball team reached the post season once again, fi nishing 18-9 overall. With her team fi nishing 2nd in the Del Rey League, coach Bryn Britton is optimistic for the future of the team as they graduate only four seniors. The Lady Knights made the playoffs, but lost in the second round to a powerful Troy squad. Many team members received post-season recog-nistion for their performances. Team captain Rheina Ale ‘08was named 1st Team All-Del Rey League and 2nd Team All-CIF. Other impact players were 1st Team All-Del Rey League selec-tions Lauren Cooper ‘07 and Lauren Cooper ‘07 and Lauren Cooper ‘07 Bridgette Conejo ‘08.

Boys’ SoccerThe boys’ soccer team, under the guidance of new head coach Clive Hulbert, proved to be quite competitive, as they fi nished with a record of 7-8-3, including four 1-0 losses. With a 4th place fi nish in the Del Rey League, the team advanced to the post season, but lost in the fi rst round to Santa Maria Righetti High School. Captain Adrian Burgess ‘07 was named to the Del Adrian Burgess ‘07 was named to the Del Adrian Burgess ‘07Rey League 1st team and will head off to study and play soccer at UC Irvine in the fall. Bishop had four players named to the All-Del Rey League 2nd Team: David Mares ‘07, Michael Kim ‘08, Zack Comon ‘08, and Paul Mares ‘10.

Girls’ SoccerThe girls’ soccer team, coached by Shannon Maddox-Martinez, recorded an 11-5-3 overall record and fi nished 2nd in the Del Rey League. The girls’ march through the playoffs ended in the CIF fi nals when they lost to their Del Rey League rivals, La Salle, 1-0. First team All-Del Rey League honors went to Dani-elle O’Neil ‘07, Jaclyn White ‘07, Lauren Hernandez ‘07, Jes-sica Gerski ‘09, and McKenzie McGoldrick ‘09. Second team honors were awarded to Lauren Proano ‘07, Justine Zavala ‘07, and Courtney Monzon ‘08. Special congratulations to the Lady Knights who will further their soccer careers in college: Jaclyn White at the University of Nebraska, Danielle O’Neil at UNLV, and Carrie LaPonza ‘07 at Cal State Monterey Bay. Carrie LaPonza ‘07 at Cal State Monterey Bay. Carrie LaPonza ‘07

LEFT:Leland Jones ‘08 prepares a free throw against Serra HS.

LEFT:Rheina Ale ‘08 drives past a St. Joseph HS defender.

LEFT:Zach Comon ‘08 battles for the ball against La Salle HS.

LEFT:Jacklyn White ‘07 prepares to play league foe St. Joseph.


PHYSICALSOCIAL


FEATURE

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

Black & Gold Night fundraiser brings school and community together

ABOVE (l to r):Kathleen Ham-merle, Pam York-Altobelli ‘73, Maggie Wilbanks, Tom Boren, and Miranda Boren.

BELOW (l to r):Cindy Percz, Bryn Britton, Amy Meehan-Pilon ‘89, and Celeste Adams ‘94.

ABOVE:Karin Heckethorn, left, and Dee Masters are inducted into the Hall of Fame.

LEFT:Brenda and Greg Dulan, current BMHS parents, enjoy the night.


On March 24, 2007 Bishop Montgomery’s new Student Activity Center was transformed into a desert oasis for the 7th Annual Black & Gold Night, “Walk on the Wild

Side.” The evening’s festivities included live and silent auctions, Bishop’s own South Bay Restaurant Sampler, casino-style gaming, dancing and Hall of Fame inductions.

On the auction tables, over 350 items were up for bid. Highlights included trips to Florida, Lake Tahoe, Breckenridge, and Cabo San Lucas; an evening in a Staples Center suite watching the Lakers take on the Trailblaz-ers; autographed caps from Mike Scioscia, Vladimir Guerrero, and Andrew Bynum; a Luke Walton autographed basketball; a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take flight in a military com-bat plane and engage in simulated dogfights over the skies of Southern California; and, of course, the most hotly contended item of the evening—ten extra tickets with reserved parking for the 2007 BMHS Commencement ceremony.

When they weren’t bidding, guests could be found “big game hunting” at the many poker, blackjack, and roulette tables that filled the room or dining on unlimited menu samples from lo-cal restaurants, bakeries and specialty shops in the South Bay. Participants in this year’s “South Bay Restaurant Sampler” included perennial Torrance-based favorites like Aliotta’s Via Firenze, Trader Joe’s, El Pollo Inka and Mexican Riviera; Rizzo’s Pizza and Cre-ative Cakery of Redondo Beach; Dulan’s Catering and Catered Occasions of Los Angeles; and, New York Food Company of El Segundo. Crowd-pleasing newcomers included Dream Dinners, the Marriott Hotel, Chipotle, and Sally’s Boston Pizza, all from Torrance.The highlight of the evening was the induction of four faculty and staff members into the BMHS Hall of Fame: Dulcie Galdamez, foreign language; Karin Heckethorn, fine art; Rose Martinez, school reg-istrar; and, Dee Masters, theatre arts and English. These wonderful individuals were recognized for

25 years of service to BMHS.The evening’s festivities brought together over 400 current and past parents, alumni, faculty, staff and benefactors all for one very good

cause. This one night of “walk-ing on the wild side” helped Bishop gross over $75,000 to fund the completion of the new Student Activity Center which opened earlier this year to serve our short flags, dance, basketball and volleyball teams.


PHYSICALSOCIAL

Mother’s Club Gives Back in Many Ways

Alumnus Pedals His Way toAlumnus Pedals His Way to Make a Difference

Justin Boren ‘98 is like many of us, leading a very busy life and dealing with a hectic

schedule. The Torrance native now resides Jschedule. The Torrance native now resides Jin Arizona and spends much of his time as a doctoral student and graduate teaching associ-ate at Arizona State University’s Hugh Downs School of Human Communication. With his own studies and a teaching schedule to keep up with, it is amazing that he has time for anything else, but he manages to fi nd time to make a difference in people’s lives by volun-teering with AIDS/Life Cycle.

On June 3, 2007, Justin began the AIDS/Life Cycle 6, a 545-mile bike ride from San Francis-co to Los Angeles in support of AIDS founda-tions nationwide. Justin completed the ride on June 10 when he pulled into the VA Center on Wilshire Boulevard for the fi nish and the closing ceremonies. “What an incredible jour-ney...” Justin said upon completing the ride for the second year in a row. “...[there were] so many amazing people I met along the way.”

The AIDS/Life Cycle ride attracts ap-proximately 1,800 cyclists annually and this year raised over $11 million. Each rider is required to raise a minimum of $2,500 and Justin’s goal this year was to double that amount. Even though the ride is completed, he is still soliciting donations in order to reach his goal.

Prior to the start of this year’s ride, Justin, in his blog, thanked all those who sup-ported him to date: “I am very happy with the generous donations that everyone has contributed, especially the student body at Bishop Montgomery - you are all very special!” In fact, many sponsors of the event were touched by the generosity of the stu-dents at Bishop Montgomery in support of Justin and this cause.

If you are interested in learning more about Justin’s journey and the AIDS/Life Cycle ride, log on to his website at http://www.aidslife-cycle.org/1069.

ABOVE:Justin Boren ‘98 celebrates half-way to Los Angeles during the 2006 Aids/Life Cycle ride.

Mothers’ Club holds a long-stand-ing tradition of service to Bishop Montgomery. For over forty years,

they have been a driving force behind many activities and events here on campus includ-ing the Black and Gold Breakfast, the annual teacher appreciation luncheon, the decorating and assistance in setting up for the gradua-tion ceremony, helping to host Back to School Night, college fairs, the Senior Luau and the Undergrad Awards, and hosting parents and teachers of incoming freshmen at the fresh-man interviews and Open House. Supple-menting these annual events are their month-ly meetings, fundraising and social events, and other projects that support our school and our students.

One of Mothers’ Club’s largest and most anticipated events each year is the annual Christmas boutique and luncheon. Held in December, the school’s gymnasium is trans-formed into a holiday festival with booths of handmade jewelry, purses and handbags, Christmas wreaths and ornaments, and gift baskets full of beauty treatments and care.


With over 350 women in attendance and a catered lunch, this very successful event not only celebrates the friendships among many signifi cant women in Bishop’s history, but also raises funds for various campus im-provement projects. In the past three years, Mothers’ Club has donated over $15,000 towards the new Student Activity Center, with most of the funding supported by this annual luncheon.

A mother’s connection to Mothers’ Club does not end with graduation; rather, every mother of a Bishop Montgomery student holds a lifetime membership to this elite group of women and many continue to serve long after their children are off to college. With the commitment of so many mothers throughout the years, Bishop Mont-gomery has always been able to provide our students, their families, our alumni, and our benefactors a campus that is warm and welcoming, with events that are rooted in tradition, friendship, and camaraderie.

ABOVE:Lifetime Mothers’ Club members include alumni moms who are also on staff at BMHS: Nancy Piechocki, Pam York-Altobelli ‘73, Shirley Forsythe, Maggie Wilbanks, Kathy Dieter, and Rose Martinez.

DEVELOPMENTEven though now, almost half of a century later, our lives are different in so many ways, Bishop Montgomery, its mission, its core values, and its purpose remain relatively unchanged. We are still a school that strives to nourish our students spiritually, academically, athletically, and so-cially and to extend that support to our students’ families, our alumni, and our benefactors. We are still a school that continues to develop daily, monthly, and yearly, working to meet the chang-ing needs of our student community and of the global community in which they must prepare to live. Most importantly, we are still a school proudly rooted in Christ and guided by His Gospel.

As the Development Offi ce looks forward to the next era of Bishop Montgomery, we have decided it is an appropriate time to give our publications a bit of a face-lift and create a new look for a new chapter in our school’s history. We start with this new magazine, Veritas, for our entire school community; and, although we have retired our previous newsletter, Knights of Olde, we offer this new format and hope that it will not only ap-peal to our alumni supporters, with sections like “Class Notes” and feature articles, but to all of those people in our community who remain con-nected to Bishop Montgomery.

I would like to thank you for joining us as we venture into our next 50 years and thank you for your continued support of Bishop Montgomery, its mission, and its students. While we fondly remember the past and the wonderful memories created there, we gratefully embrace the future and look forward to the realization of the many goals and dreams that await us.

Andy Marafi noDirector of Development

Dear Friends of Bishop Montgomery,

Each June, as I watch our graduates receive their diplomas, I am reminded of how quickly an-other school year has hurried by. I fi nd myself reminiscing about the year’s highlights—the school masses, the championship games, seniors receiving acceptances to their colleges of choice, and individual students and student groups volunteering in the community— and smiling as I recall all of the good things that I have had the privilege of which to be part. Usually, and almost simultaneously, I also marvel at how quickly these young adults have grown, hardly believing that four years have passed since these same students were just freshmen, navigating the halls of Bishop Montgomery and trying to fi nd their niche among a class of approximately three hundred equally anxious, curious and adolescent peers.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of Bishop Montgomery High School opening its doors to the young men and women of the South Bay in September of 1957, I have to wonder if this school, with its faculty and its students, was also a bit apprehensive about fi nding its niche and establishing itself as a leading Catholic institution among a group of highly-regarded public and private schools in the Los Angeles area. There can be no doubt that those fi rst few months, and probably even years, were chal-

lenging ones for this new school community; but, I imagine that they were also ones fi lled with hope, imagination, and purpose—very much like to those 262 graduates I watched process a few weeks ago.

BELOW:Rosemary Libbon, far left, enjoys the Black & Gold Night with de-velopment offi ce staff members Amy Traxler, Andy Marafi no, and Dione Dierks.

ADVANCING THE MISSION OF BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL


ABOVE: William Lucas ‘07, center, receives the Sumer Alvarez Scholarship from Sumer’s father, Dave. At left is William’s mother, Rosa.

One of the greatest areas of growth at Bishop Montgomery High School in the last ten years has been the number of scholarships available to students and their families. Having grown from just a handful to the seventeeen that are

available today, all of the scholarships provide tuition assistance to either current stu-dents or college-bound seniors. “We are honored that each of the scholarship donors has chosen to give back to BMHS,” says Andy Marafi no, Director of Development. “Without these scholarships, many students would not be able to attend Bishop and receive the quality, Catholic education we offer.” This year, over $122,000 in scholar-ships was awarded to deserving students and that number continues to grow annu-ally.

One highlight of the year, however, was the $1,000,000 gift the school received from the George and Virginia Schneider family, much of which has been earmarked for tuition assistance. George, who passed away in 2005, and Virginia are the parents of eleven BMHS graduates. Even before the doors of Bishop Montgomery opened in 1957, George and Virginia made their mark on the entire school community. George, the founder of Bay Cities National Bank, was involved in the purchase of the property on which to build BMHS and he and Virginia volunteered endless hours while their children were in school. “The entire Schneider family has demonstrated a great dedi-cation to Catholic education,” says Marafi no. “Their family is a blessing to our school and, especially, to our students.”

Scholarships at Bishop Montgomery High SchoolSumer Nicole Alvarez ‘03 Scholarship Morgan Miranda ‘00 Memorial ScholarshipJimmy Clarke ‘86 Scholarship Jean Miyoshi ScholarshipCarrie Estelle Doheny Foundation Scholarship Piechocki Scholarship Adam Guymon ‘07 Memorial Scholarship Robert Roach ‘82 Memorial Endowment Kathryn Kelly ‘91 Scholarship The Michael B. Ruggera, Jr. ‘69 Memorial Joshua Lopez ‘03 Scholarship Endowment Scholarship Jeffrey J. Mahowald Memorial Scholarship The George and Virginia Schneider Val Manalansan ‘97 Memorial Scholarship Charitable FoundationGeorge H. Mayr Foundation Scholarship William Wolfenbarger Endowment ScholarshipDamion Mendoza Scholarship Cathloic Education Foundation

If you would like more information on scholarships, or you would like to make a gift to the scholarship program, call the Development Offi ce at 310-540-2021 or e-mail us at amarafi [email protected].

ScholarshipsGROWat BMHS

ABOVE: Mary-Kate Hett ‘07, left, receives the Mahowald Scholarship from Lisa Mahowald.

KNIGHT PRIDE: Making a Difference One of the many ways the members of our community make a difference in the lives of our students is through Knight Pride. Through this program, parents, alumni, and friends make a gift to a specifi c area or give an unrestricted donation. Every gift received through

Knight Pride is used to enhance the educational experience of our students; none of these funds are used for operational expenses. Projects completed in past years, through Knight Pride, include the renovation of the library, the purchase of laptop computers for teachers for classroom use, the renova-tion of TMH into an on-campus theatre, and the construction of the new Activity Center. Additionally, benefactors can make a gift to Knight Pride for an even more specifi c need of their choosing. Highlighted at right are just a few of the ways our community has given back to BMHS.

CAMPUS MINISTRY

This year, two Bishop Montgomery past parents made a generous gift to Campus Ministry to help seniors who could not afford to go on their Kairos retreat.

A LASTING MEMORY

In the fall of 2006, a past BMHS family took a tremendous step by making a gift to purchase the new stained glass windows for the chapel.

GIFT-IN-KIND

Last Spring, a past parent and alumna donated a Nautilus exer-cise machine to the PE department and a Baldwin piano to the Music department.

EDUCATION

This spring, a past BMHS family made a gift to provide a full year of tuition assistance for a student who could not otherwise afford to attend BMHS.

VERITAS Spring/Summer 2007 Spring/Summer 2007 15

CLASS NOTES

ABOVE:Students gather at the front of campus for the dedication of the school, circa 1957.

1970’sSusan Day-Crum ’74 celebrates her 30th wed-ding anniversary with her husband, Greg. She and her husband have a son, Greg, who gradu-ated from Stanford University and is currently attending Loyola Law School. Their daughter, Megan, will be entering her senior year at Pep-perdine University.

Mike Foley ’74 and Denise Mascola-Foley ’75 celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in April. They have four children, Matt and Kevin, class of 2005, Nicole ’07, and Michael, 11. Nicole is the 19th member of the Mascola-Foley family to graduate from BMHS.

Steve Baumgartner ‘76 lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife, Kim. They have three daughters, Hilary, 22, Michelle, 21, and Allison, 18. Allison recently signed a letter-of-intent to play vol-leyball at Montreat College (NC).

1980’s

Jo Newville-Montoya ‘90 and Ruben Montoya welcomed their second child, Sophia Grace, on May 24, 2007.

Cynthia Forsythe-De-Lay ’92 and Donald De-Lay welcomed their fi rst child, Lucas Andrew, left, on September 26, 2006.

1990’s

Joana Alvarez-Delgado ‘88 and Alonso Delgado welcomed Justin, right, on September 4, 2006.


Sgt. Gregory Dillon ’03, United States Marine stationed in Yuma, AZ, was selected in January as Non-Commissioned offi cer of the Quarter for MCB Camp Pendleton. He also scored a perfect 300 on the Marine Corps physical fi tness test.

Sakura Bryant-Hollis ’98 and Simon Hol-lis were married on March 31, 2007. Sakura works as a custody assistant for the LA County Sheriff’s Department. She is pursuing a career as a deputy sheriff.

1990’s

Marcy Perry-Herrera ‘96 and Carlos Herrera welcomed their fi rst child, Aiden Joseph, above, on October 4, 2006.

Angela David-Nguyen ‘97 and Lam Nguyen‘97 welcomed their fi rst child, Stwelcomed their fi rst child, Stwelcomed even, above.

Ryan Hall ‘99 and Jaime Soto ‘98 are engaged to be married.

2000’sAlix Taylor ‘02 received her MBA from Florida A & M University. She works at Eli-Lilly Phar-maceutical and resides in Florida.

Two alumnae and three current BMHS students recently par-ticipated in the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo, Hawaii. This festival, held annually the week after Easter, is the most prestigious hula competition in the world. Pictured above from left to right are Lorraine Labayan ’08, M. Clarizza Dalisay-Osorio ’88, Krystin Conroy ’07, Tiffany Nyi ’05, and Danni-elle Cruz ’08. All fi ve are members of Hula Halau O’Lilinoe in Carson.

Pfc. Kevin Dillon ’03, United States Army, fi nished at the top of his class for Unmanned Aerial Flight Reconnaissance Vehicle Opera-tors. He is stationed in Washington State.

In Loving MemoryBishop Montgomery extends its prayers and

symphathies to the members of its community who passed away.

AlumniMary Dowd-Foster ’62, November 2006

Jim Rudnick ’65, May 6, 2007Kathy Nagle-Hargrove ‘68, June 17, 2007Michael Edward Griffi n ‘70, May 5, 2007

Alumni ParentsMichael Walsh, January 19, 2007

Former FacultyAngela Kozubek, April 2, 2007

Bill Wolfenbarger, March 28, 2007

Send us news of your new job, marriage, births, latest adventure, or other signifi cant event for publication in the next issue of VERITAS.

Send in your news by e-mail to amarafi [email protected] drop us a note and put it in the mail to: Development Offi ce, Bishop Montgomery High School, 5430 TorranceBlvd., Torrance, CA 90503.

VERITAS Spring/Summer 2007 Spring/Summer 2007 17

On page 15 of this issue of ERITAS, we highlighted our Knight Pride annual giving program and the wonderful things we are

able to provide our school and our students through the generosity of our parents, alumni, and friends. As we celebrate 50 years of excellence in education, we look back at where we have been as a school and where we are headed. In order to continue to provide

our students with an outstanding educational experience, we need the support of our 13,991 alumni who have personally reaped the benefi ts of a Bishop Montgomery education.

This fi scal year represents an exciting challenge - we are asking each alumnus to make a commit-ment to Knight Pride by donating $1 for every year since graduation. The class of 1961, for example, had 195 graduates 46 years ago. If each member of the class donated $46, the class total would be $8,970. Our goal is to raise $200,000 in alumni contributions, but if every BMHS graduate partici-pated, the total contribution to Knight Pride would be $308,303!

Please join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bishop Montgomery by making a gift to Knight Pride. All gifts to Bishop Montgomery are tax-deductible as we are a 501 (c) (3) organiztion. You may direct your gift to a destination of your choice, or you may make an unrestricted gift. All contri-butions to Knight Pride are used to enhance our school and its programs and are not used for opera-tional expenses.

You can make a difference in the lives of our students and in the future of Bishop Montgomery High School. All gifts received before June 30, 2008 will be included in our annual report.

KNIGHT PRIDEALUMNICHALLENGE


It is our goal to raise $200,000 in alumni contributions. If every BMHS alumnus donated $1 for each year since graduation, this goal is attainable.

Class (Grads) Years Since Financial Class (Grads) Years Since Financial Graduation Goal Graduation Goal

1961 (195) 46 $8,970 1987 (375) 20 $7,5001962 (215) 45 $9,675 1988 (401) 19 $7,6191963 (197) 44 $8,668 1989 (364) 18 $6,5521964 (215) 43 $9,245 1990 (351) 17 $5,9671965 (245) 42 $10,290 1991 (355) 16 $5,6801966 (261) 41 $10,701 1992 (369) 15 $5,5351967 (285) 40 $11,400 1993 (318) 14 $4,4521968 (255) 39 $9,945 1994 (333) 13 $4,3291969 (284) 38 $10,792 1995 (365) 12 $4,3801970 (283) 37 $10,471 1996 (330) 11 $3,6301971 (277) 36 $9,972 1997 (331) 10 $3,3101972 (277) 35 $9,695 1998 (326) 9 $2,9341973 (246) 34 $8,364 1999 (283) 8 $2,2641974 (265) 33 $8,745 2000 (306) 7 $2,1421975 (258) 32 $8,256 2001 (306) 6 $1,8361976 (270) 31 $8,370 2002 (286) 5 $1,4301977 (274) 30 $8,220 2003 (262) 4 $1,0481978 (288) 29 $8,352 2004 (273) 3 $8191979 (290) 28 $8,120 2005 (234) 2 $4681980 (320) 27 $8,640 2006 (275) 1 $2751981 (323) 26 $8,398 2007 (262) - $2621982 (360) 25 $9,000 1983 (368) 24 $8,832 1984 (327) 23 $7,521 Total $308,303 1985 (361) 22 $7,942 1986 (347) 21 $7,287

ABOVE (l to r): Senior soccer players Lauren Proano, Dani-elle O’Neil, Jacklyn White, and Lauren Hernandez.

J as we celebrate the

Bishop Montgomery High School

In the Student Lunch Area~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Homecoming Football Game vs. St. Bernard

Knight Stadium~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

8th Annual Black & Gold Night

April 12, 2008

Dinner Dance, & AuctionHall of Fame Induction

Redondo Beach Historic Library~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2007-08 Hall of Fame Honorees

Mrs. Tricia Miller-Goettsch ‘79

Mrs. Debbie Skelley

-----------------

50th Anniversary MassTBA

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. Postage

PAIDTorrance, CA Permit No. 317

VERITASMagazineBishop Montgomery High School5430 Torrance BoulevardTorrance, California 90503(310) 540-2021 www.bmhs-la.org

Documents

Veritas Magazine Spring/Summer 2007