Summer 2009 Issue - De La Salle Institute

magazine
Spring Summer 2009
A publication for alumni and friends of De La Salle Institute
Feature Story:
Recognizing the Value
of a Neighbor

De La Salle Magazine
Spring/Summer 2009
Editors
Michelle Aukstik
Michael Walsh
Contributing Writers
Michelle Aukstik
Iris Gist Cochran
Sarah Reczek
Michael Walsh
Photography
Michelle Aukstik
Michael Walsh
Root Studios
Designer
Jeff Marienthal
Printer
Andrews Printing
De La Salle Magazine is published
three times a year by De La Salle
Institute’s Office for Advancement.
The purpose of this publication is to
unite the Christian Brothers, alumni,
students, parents, faculty, staff and
friends together in De La Salle’s
mission of excellence in education.
All submissions or comments should
be directed to dmagazine@dls.org.
Dear Friends,
It is the time of the school year when nostalgia sets in as the graduating seniors
leave our familiar school halls and spread their wings for new challenges. We
can proudly reflect upon how much they have developed since they started
their journey at De La Salle four years ago.
The four students who were the valedictorians and salutatorians of the Class of
2009 will be attending some of the most academically challenging universities
in the country. Dan Joyce, the valedictorian at the Institute Campus for Young
Men, will attend the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, as will Jessica
Nelson, the salutatorian at the Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women.
Jillian Vilimas, the valedictorian at the Lourdes Hall Campus for Young
Women, will also further her education in the Midwest, choosing Marquette
University in Milwaukee. Joe Karas, the salutatorian at the Institute Campus for
Young Men, has wisely opted to leave Chicago’s winters behind, traveling to the
warmer climes of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, FL.
De La Salle President Father Paul Novak
The aforementioned students aren’t the only members of De La Salle’s Class
of 2009 who will attend prestigious and academically excellent schools of
higher learning this fall. Having been prepared for their great futures in a caring and thorough manner by our
dedicated faculty and staff, our Meteors will attend 78 different colleges and universities in 20 states across our
great land.
While some graduates will remain nearby at institutions such as DePaul University, Illinois Institute of Technology,
Illinois Wesleyan University, Lewis University and Loyola University, others from the Class of 2009 will be found in
such destinations as Alabama (University of Alabama), California (San Diego State University), Connecticut (Fairfield
University), Kansas (University of Kansas and Kansas State University) and Pennsylvania (Penn State University).
Though they will be spread across the country through different time zones and area codes, these outstanding
young men and young women will always possess the commonality that they are and will forever be Meteors.
Wherever their path through life may take them, these graduates of the Class of 2009 travel with the knowledge
they have been well prepared as a result of their four years at De La Salle. Please join me in wishing our
graduates the best.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Paul E. Novak, OSM
President
Mission Statement
De La Salle Institute is an independent Catholic secondary school rooted in the tradition of Christian
education begun by St. John Baptist De La Salle. Founded in 1889, its mission has been, and is, to
foster a desire for excellence in education. Young people from a variety of ethnic and economic backgrounds
are given the opportunity to fully develop their abilities so they may be active, contributing
members of our complex, changing society.
INSTITUTE CAMPUS For Young men
3455 SOUTH WABASH AVE
CHICAGO, IL 60616-3885
P 312.842.7355 F 312.842.4142
LOURDES HALL CAMPUS For Young Women
1040 WEST 32ND PL
CHICAGO, IL 60608-6507
P 773.650.6800 F 773.650.9722
TOLTON Adult LITERACY CENTEr
TOLTON Adult LITERACY CENTEr
EAST CAMPUS
WEST CAMPUS
3647 South State St
115 South Pulaski Rd
Chicago, Il 60609-1951
Chicago, Il 60624-2823
P 312.747.3471
P 312.746.7744
www.dls.org
De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

De La Salle Institute
Chicago, IL
Board of Directors
2008–2009
Chairperson
Sister Mary Alice Jarosz, SSF-TOSF
Page 2
Page 7
Page 10
Page 16
Table of Contents
Academics
Valedictorian and Salutatorian Addresses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Faith, Service & Community
Living our Faith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Meteors Making a Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Lasallian Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Tolton Students Honored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Parent Place – NEW!
Welcome to the Parent Place . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Campus Scrapbook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Feature Story
Recognizing the Value of a Neighbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Athletics
Winter Sports Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Spring Sports Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Development
Reliving the Great Futures Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Scholarship Honors Memory of Graduate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
President’s Club Reception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Alumni Connection
Getting Together and Staying Connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
De La Salle Alumni Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Lourdes Hall Alumnae Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Members
William S. Aldrich
The Honorable William J. Aukstik ’64
Marshall A. Blake
George A. Bonomo ’59
Mary L. Burke
Victor M. Chavarria ’69
Eugene L. Ferretti
Michael J. Glennon ’84
Dr. Robert O. Graham ’64
The Honorable Patrick M. Huels ’67
Prentiss J. Jackson ’67
Brother Michael Kadow, FSC
Sister Valerie Kulbacki, SSJ-TOSF
Paul D. McCoy ’68
Michael J. Passarelli ’90
Thomas J. Sargant ’62
Michael A. Tadin ’69
James A. Vanek ’64
President’s Council
Michael G. Bansley ’53
Michael F. Hickey ’56
James R. Woodrow ’53
Extollo Educational
Foundation
Board of Directors
President
Brother Michael Quirk, FSC
Vice President
Michael F. Hickey ’56
Secretary/Treasurer
Joseph J. Hartnett ’73
De La Salle Magazine 1

Valedictorian and Salutatorian Addresses
Jillian Vilimas attended Bridgeport Catholic Academy and is from
All Saints – St. Anthony Parish. Jillian, who will attend Marquette
University, graduated with a 4.957 grade-point average in De La Salle’s
Honors Program.
Here is Jillian’s reflection on what being the valedictorian of the Class of
2009 at De La Salle’s Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women
means to her:
I had a great opportunity at
De La Salle to share the same experiences
that most of the men in
my family have had. My father,
Paul Vilimas ’78, my brothers,
Eric ’02 and Matthew ’05, my uncles
Keith ’73 and Joseph ’70, and my
cousin Zachary ’07 were all Meteors
before me and I am the first female
in my family who is able to call
myself a Meteor.
Some of the best things that
Jillian Vilmas
De La Salle offered me were a
Christian life in a diverse community,
a quality faculty and staff, extensive extracurricular and athletic
programs, and demanding regulations and procedures.
At De La Salle, I was very involved in clubs, activities, and athletics.
Some of the highlights of my high school years were being the
President of the National Honor Society, winning the Girls Catholic
Athletic Conference Athlete of the Year for the White Division in
volleyball, and achieving the highest honor of being valedictorian
of my class.
Being the valedictorian means so much more to me than just the
title. My uncle, Joseph, was also the valedictorian 39 years ago when
he graduated. It is an honor to follow in his footsteps, especially
since he is no longer with us today.
Next year, I will be attending Marquette University where I hope
to find a career that I love in the medical field. The memories that I
am leaving with are priceless. I am going to miss all of the students
who became friends and the faculty who became family. De La Salle
became a second home to me, and it will always have a special place
in my life.
Daniel Joyce attended St. Daniel
the Prophet Elementary School and is
also from St. Daniel the Prophet Parish.
Daniel, who will attend the University of
Illinois – Urbana-Champaign, graduated
with a 4.891 grade-point average in
De La Salle’s Honors Program.
Here is Daniel’s reflection on what being
the valedictorian of the Class of 2009 at
De La Salle’s Institute Campus for Young
Men means to him:
I was very excited when I learned
Daniel Joyce
that I was the valedictorian of the
Class of 2009. I am very proud to
represent such a great class. We have had many good times over
the four years at De La Salle. We have had a number of successes,
including sports, school productions, St. Baldrick’s Day, and many
other events. Members of the Class of 2009 were all major contributors
to these accomplishments.
As I move on to continue my studies at the University of
Illinois—Urbana-Champaign, I will take many things I learned
at De La Salle along with me. Aside from the outstanding education
provided by an excellent faculty, I have learned other things
about life.
One great thing about De La Salle is the diverse student population.
I have gotten to know and become friends with many different
people from all over the city. I now have a greater appreciation and
understanding of different people and cultures. De La Salle also
encourages its students to become more active in the community.
Whether it is volunteering at the soup kitchen with Brother Kevin
or building bicycles with the Fire Department, De La Salle students
have impacted the community around the city for the better.
At the University of Illinois, I plan to study business. I feel the education
I acquired at De La Salle has prepared me to succeed. I
have been challenged and worked through Mr. Khazen’s tough
Calculus course, and a number of teachers have taught me how to
do research and write a good paper about it. As I move forward in
life as an alumnus, I will never forget how De La Salle has impacted
my life.
Congr atulations
2 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

Jessica Nelson attended Bridgeport
Catholic Academy and is from Nativity of
Our Lord Parish. Jessica, who will attend
the University of Illinois – Urbana-
Champaign, graduated with a 4.848
grade-point average in De La Salle’s
Honors Program.
Here is Jessica’s reflection on what being
the salutatorian of the Class of 2009 at
De La Salle’s Lourdes Hall Campus for
Young Women means to her:
Walking into the doors of De La Salle Jessica Nelson
seemed both intimidating and exciting.
I was the first girl in my family to attend De La Salle after my
uncles, Kevin Nelson of the Class of 1980, and Mark Nelson of the
Class of 1993.
It seemed surreal to me that I would be following in their footsteps.
Later, it was all the more important after my Uncle Kevin
passed away unexpectedly. I was determined to make both my
uncles proud.
I feel like I have accomplished so much in the past four years. I
have made amazing friends and expanded my interests by joining a
variety of clubs, such as the City of De La Salle student government,
National Honor Society, Science Club, Spanish Club, REACH Club
and Lily Club. I was also a writing center tutor. Some of these clubs
I held offices in, and that gave me a greater sense of responsibility
and confidence in my leadership abilities.
Next year, I will be attending the University of Illinois – Urbana-
Champaign and will major in psychology. Being named salutatorian
has made me more confident in my abilities.
I feel that because of De La Salle, I will be able to break down any
obstacles that might come my way. I am honored to be a part of the
long-respected tradition of being a De La Salle alumnus.
Joseph Karas attended St. Jane de Chantal Elementary School and is
also from St. Jane de Chantal Parish. Joseph, who will attend the University
of Miami in Coral Gables, FL, graduated with a 4.870 grade-point average
in De La Salle’s Honors Program.
Here is Joseph’s reflection on what being the salutatorian of the Class of
2009 at De La Salle’s Institute Campus for Young Men means to him:
Although we are all leaving
De La Salle, I personally feel that
I will forever be a Meteor. During
these past four years, I have grown
tremendously and have been lucky
enough to meet hundreds of people
and enjoy great success at the
Institute. I have made friendships
with and have come to know people
whom I would never have talked
to if I had not decided to go to
De La Salle.
I will never, ever forget my hilarious
lunch table and drama class, all
Joseph Karas
the time I spent practicing and playing basketball in the Parmer
Activity Center, along with all the unforgettable personalities who
make up the Class of 2009. Our class is truly a memorable one. We
are a class of scholars, actors, musicians and champions—even a
state champion.
We are also the last class of both Mr. Radecki and Br. Kevin,
two school legends who have undoubtedly left their mark on
De La Salle. I had the privilege of being part of Mr. Radecki’s last
homeroom and the last class Br. Kevin dismissed.
One of the things that stands out for me was from Mr. Khazen. All
year in calculus class, he repeated the phrase “You’ve got to do the
work.” That six-word phrase really has an authentic meaning. I
have learned that there really is no substitute for hard work.
Something we should all take to heart is the idea that we ourselves
are responsible for our own futures. Life is a matter of choice—
not chance. It is important to keep the values we learned here at
De La Salle close to heart and always remember the authenticity
of our experience here as Meteors.
Class of 2009!
Academics De La Salle Magazine 3

Class Notes
During the second semester of school, students at De La Salle were
involved in unique interactive learning experiences and challenging
projects that enhanced their preparedness for college. In addition
to classroom assignments, one student tested her imagination
and writing skills in an essay contest, exemplifying the ambition of
De La Salle students.
Senior Jessica Hosendove ’09, a student at the Lourdes Hall
Campus for Young Women, entered the Upward Bound Essay
Contest and was selected as the winner by Chicago State University.
As a result, Hosendove represented the Upward Bound Program
Leadership Excursion in Washington, D.C.
The leadership excursion and seminar provided an opportunity
for students to not only visit and tour the nation’s capital, but also
to meet with members of the United States Senate and Congress
on Capitol Hill. The students also were scheduled to visit the
Smithsonian Institute, the White House, several local colleges
and other sites.
Students returned to De La Salle from spring break to live
“Renaissance Week,” an interactive learning experience showcasing
the historical significance of the Renaissance through a variety of
educational, interesting and fun methods.
Teachers dressed in period costumes while incorporating information
about the Renaissance into their daily lesson plans, while
students designed family crests and coats of arms and also participated
in sword combat demonstrations among other activities.
Sam Fitzgerald’s AP English class delved into research projects
as an end of the semester project. A collaborative research project
is a group research project in which the students choose their
own topic and are required to persuade the reader to agree with a
point of view that the group has decided to adopt. In gathering the
research, the students needed to not only gather books and websites
as resources but also conduct an interview with someone who has
expertise on the subject.
“I wanted the students to discover that the research process can be
interesting, especially on a topic of their choosing,” said Fitzgerald.
“Also, I wanted them to realize that books and websites are not the
only sources for information. This is why the interview constituted
a great deal of the project.”
Colleges for Class of 2009
Some will become doctors. Some will become teachers.
Others will go into law, art or medicine.
Some will attend college in Florida. Some will pursue higher
education in California, Kansas or Wisconsin. Others will be
as close as 35th and State or Chicago’s North Side.
Wherever they have chosen to enroll, members of the
Class of 2009 at De La Salle’s Institute Campus for Young
Men and Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women will be
attending some of the best colleges and universities in the
United States as they take the next steps in achieving their
great futures.
They do so knowing that De La Salle has prepared them
well and that everyone at the Institute is filled with immense
pride as a result of their many accomplishments.
Alabama A&M University
American Academy of Art
Arizona State University
Bradley University
DePaul University
Eastern Illinois University
Fairfield University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois State University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Kansas State University
Lewis University
Loyola University – Chicago
Marquette University
Northern Illinois University
Penn State University
Purdue University
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
San Diego State University
Southern Illinois University
– Carbondale
The Ohio State University
University of Arizona
University of Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois
– Urbana-Champaign
University of Kansas
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Toledo
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Summer/Fall
Calendar of Events
De La Salle Institute Golf Classic, Gleneagles Country Club ....... 6/24/2009
Lasallian Youth Summer Gathering in Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . 7/26–31/2009
Blue/Gold Game @ Chet Bulger Field ...................... 8/21/2009
Prep Bowl @ Soldier Field, 2:30pm ........................ 8/28/2009
Alumni Banquet @ Beverly Country Club ................... 10/02/2009
De La Salle Homecoming @ Chet Bulger Field ............... 10/09/2009
4 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

Living our Faith
Faith, service and community are more than just words for
De La Salle Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women student
Briana Martinez ’10.
Earlier in the 2008–09 school year, Martinez guided an initiative
benefiting Feed My Starving Children. Feed My Starving Children
(FMSC) is a non-profit Christian organization committed to feeding
God’s starving children who are hungry in body and spirit. The
approach is simple: children and adults hand-pack meals formulated
specially for starving children and the meals are shipped to
more than 60 countries around the world.
During the summer of 2008, Martinez attended a Lasallian Youth
Gathering in which she was provided the opportunity to work at
the FMSC facility in Aurora, IL.
“When I got there, they showed us a video and pictures of the children
who were starving and how they looked,” Martinez said. “It
was very sad for me to see that kids around the world are suffering
and it also made me happy that these people are doing something
to help them.
Meteors Making
a Difference
Students at De La Salle continued to show their commitment to
helping others throughout the second semester. A 3-on-3 basketball
tournament raised money that was donated to the St. James Food
Pantry. The St. James Food Pantry gives struggling families access to
nourishing food. Students also volunteer their time at the St. James
Food Pantry as part of the De La Salle community service program.
During the second semester, the Meteors also pledged a renewed
commitment to environmental awareness during Environmental
Awareness Week. Recycling paper and reusing everyday items such
as water bottles and towels were highlighted as convenient ways to
improve the impact on the environment. The week ended with a
recycling drive in which
600 batteries, 40 printer
cartridges, 10 electronic
devices and over 500
pounds of paper were
recycled.
Students participate in the 2nd Annual 3-on-3
charity basketball tournament.
Stay tuned as the
Meteors further their
environmental awareness
efforts in the fall.
“We packed food and it was so
much fun. I loved it. I brought it
up to my youth group at St. Mary
of Celle Church and said that I
wanted to go and volunteer there;
they loved the idea.”
Martinez also aided FMSC through
a fundraiser she organized at the
Lourdes Hall Campus.
“Our goal was to raise $170 and
that would feed 1,000 people,”
Martinez said. “As a school, we
raised $467.
“I was really happy that we made
three times the amount our goal was.”
Briana Martinez ’10
Congratulations, Briana on the success of the FMSC initiative at our
Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women and thank you for your
care and concern for the wellbeing of others.
Lasallian Youth
De La Salle’s Lasallian Youth group put its second-semester efforts
into faith, service and community by participating in mission trips
and fundraising for a unique organization. This summer will mark
the second year that Lasallian Youth will travel to Guatemala to fulfill
a unique mission trip.
The spring break trip to Appalachia is an annual mission trip in
which De La Salle partners with a Catholic community to provide
service in a variety of ways to an underserved area. Members
of Lasallian Youth spent their spring break travelling to Nazareth
Farm in rural West Virginia and repairing homes in the underserved
Appalachian community. Creating a balanced experience for
youth, their work was supplemented with prayer and a social evening
of fellowship with the community members who they served.
The LifeStraw ® fundraiser was spearheaded by Mercedes Zapata ’10
who has been committed to the mission since middle school.
LifeStraw ® water purifiers prevent disease and save lives by
purifying otherwise contaminated water. The mission of the organization
is to eradicate water-borne illness in developing countries.
De La Salle students raised money in an effort to aid with the distribution
of LifeStraws to developing countries.
Lasallian Youth begins summer break with its second annual trip to
Guatemala to serve at the San Lucas Mission in San Lucas Tolimon.
The group will work on the mission’s coffee plantation, teach local
students and assist with building projects; however, their labor and
service will be supplemented with learning opportunities. Students
will enrich their minds with lessons from community members
about the local life in Guatemala—especially about the conflict in
the 1980s. Encouraging camaraderie among Lasallian students,
De La Salle’s Lasallian Youth will meet up with Lasallian Youth students
from Totino Grace High School, which is in Fridley, MN and
together they will take a tour of the Christian Brothers School in
Solola, Guatemala.
Faith, Service & Community De La Salle Magazine 5

The Tolton Adult Literacy Center is an adult-education
program that provides employability skills,
family literacy and child services in low-income
communities in the Chicagoland area, without fee.
Serving approximately 800 people a year from
various backgrounds, Tolton has been recognized
as a leader in adult education at local, state and
national levels.
The Tolton strategy is to empower poverty level
adults through academic achievement. This strategy
recognizes that breaking the illiteracy cycle
must begin with the adult who is the center of the
family and community structure.
Tolton’s mission is to provide excellent alternative
adult education experiences within a caring
community where “everyone teaches and everyone
learns.” Fr. Augustus Tolton, for whom the Tolton
Tolton Students Honored
Two Tolton students were honored this spring by the Illinois
Secretary of State as part of the Spotlight on Achievement
Awards. Lauded for their efforts were Mariela and
Armando Mayorga.
The Mayorgas received their award at a ceremony held in
Springfield where they met Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.
“Tolton has begun to anchor itself in the Little Village area
of Chicago with two very strong ESL (English as a Second
Language) programs that have yielded award-winning students,”
Vic President Blakley ’83 said. “There are only 10 students
nominated in the state for the Secretary of State’s Spotlight
on Achievement Awards and I’m proud to report that Tolton
had two.”
Here is an excerpt regarding the Mayorgas from the nomination
form submitted by Tolton educator Mary Ellen Lesniak:
Adult Literacy Center is named, was the first
African-American priest in the United States. He
overcame many hardships to have a great impact
on the lives of many disadvantaged people.
Among the programs the Tolton Adult Literacy
Center offers include:
“This is a story of two individuals who are working very hard to
achieve the quintessential American dream. They came separately
from Mexico, fell in love, married and had a child. They had to
be separated for over a year and a half, so that Mariela and her
child would be able to enter the U.S. legally.
“During the time that they were separated, Mariela finished her
Prepa, Mexico’s equivalent of U.S. high school. Armando studied
hard and passed his U.S. citizenship exam. When Mariela
returned from Mexico, she rejoined our Tolton ESL classes, but
in our family literacy program.
“Mariela and Armando have become incredible parents. Armando
has now moved to a computer training program with Institute
Del Progreso Latino, and he hopes to go to Malcolm X (College)
for an Associate’s Degree when he finishes his current program.
“Armando thanked the Tolton Program for bringing him this
far. Mariela feels that she needs to stay with our program for at
least another year, but eventually would also like to take college
courses. Armando and Mariela continue to help and support each
other and together to encourage (their daughter) Katia.
• G.E.D., Pre-G.E.D., Basic Skills and
Literacy
• Employability
• Child Services
• Family Literacy
• English as a Second Language (ESL)
Founded by De La Salle Institute in 1991, Tolton
has grown over the years. In 1998, a partnership
with Chicago Public Libraries led to the
development of two Tolton sites: One located on
Chicago’s South Side at the Chicago Bee Branch
Library, located at 3647 S. State and a second
site on Chicago’s West Side at the Henry Legler
Library, located at 115 S. Pulaski. A third site
is also located on the West Side within the Alain
Locke Charter Academy at 3141 W. Jackson.
There are also two Tolton sites on the Southwest
Side at the Chicago Toman Branch Library at
2708 S. Pulaski and Our Lady of Tepeyac School
at 2230 S. Whipple.
For more information about the Tolton Adult
Literacy Center or to make a donation, please
contact De La Salle Vice President for External
Affairs Lawrence Blakley ’83 at (312) 842-7355
ext. 142 or blakleyl@dls.org or Tolton Center
Executive Director Susan Perez at
(312) 746-7744.
Mariela and Armando Mayorga with their daughter and Secretary of State Jesse White
“Both Mariela and Armando could be nominated individually, but
this is really a family story of courage and determination.”
Congratulations to Mariela and Armando on being chosen as
Illinois Secretary of State Spotlight on Achievement
Award winners.
To continue its mission of education reaching throughout
Chicago, this April, the Tolton Center began a pilot adult literacy
program near the Cabrini-Green Homes on Chicago’s Near
North Side. Operating four days a week at the St. Luke Church of
God in Christ at 914 N. Orleans St., Tolton is serving 30 students
with an all-volunteer staff consisting of parishioners from St. Giles
Parish in Oak Park and St. Luke Parish in River Forest.
“In this continuous economic struggle, the Tolton Center—as part
of its mission to bring literacy services to Chicago—has begun
a pilot program at Cabrini-Green,” Blakley said. “If successful,
Tolton will look to make this permanent in the fall of 2009.”
Preparing students like the Mayorgas for great accomplishments
and expanding to serve wider populations, the Tolton Center is
clearly on a path of continued success.
6 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

Welcome to the New Parent Place!
Welcome to the new Parent Place of the De La Salle Magazine. This is
a new communication channel geared for parents and guardians of
students at De La Salle. Each edition will cover a key issue or topic
that pertains to parents in hopes to provide helpful information
from school and/or outside sources. Also featured will be upcoming
event information from the Parent Association.
If you would like to submit a suggested topic to be covered in future
editions, please email parentplace@dls.org.
Another new development for parents is the restructuring of the
Parent Association. Based on direct parental feedback, a project was
launched last fall to assess the mission and purpose of the organization.
An online survey of current parents was conducted to obtain
anonymous feedback on areas of success and those for improvement.
Immediately following, an all-parent Town Hall meeting was
held to allow for a live discussion about formulating the feedback
into a new reorganization and new direction for the group.
A detailed look at the resulting new structure can be found online
under Parent Association at www.dls.org under the Alumni &
Friends tab.
For parents who want to get
involved, five new committees have
been formed and are seeking members
as well as co-chair leadership,
one from each campus. The committees
are:
mmClass Representatives
mmCommunications
mmFundraising
mmRecruiting
mmVolunteering
Please email parentplace@dls.org if
you would like to participate in one
of these committees or to obtain
Spending some quality time together at
the annual Father-Daughter Dance.
more information about the Parent
Association, its new structure, and
additional ways you’d like to support this group.
Meteor parents generously volunteering their time to make the 18th Annual D-Final Event
a huge success.
This summer, there are a few special events where parents are
encouraged to show school spirit, and where you can even volunteer
to help. The Blue/Gold Football Game on Friday, August 21
is an opportunity to support this classic football scrimmage as the
Meteor varsity, sophomore and freshman teams participate. Parent
volunteers are needed to help in set-up, registration, concession
stand and more.
The Pre-Season Prep Bowl Game at Soldier Field is Friday, August
28 at 2:30 pm. Parents are encouraged to organize a group to
attend, especially parents of our athletes playing against Lane Tech.
Purchase tickets in advance for $5 from the De La Salle Athletic
Department.
Booksale Days are Tuesday, August 11 and Wednesday, August 12,
2009. In addition to getting students ready for their new classes in
the fall, the Bookstore will be featuring new items on sale, including
men’s oxford shirts, men’s belts and ladies polo shirts, pleat skirts
and flat front khakis.
More information about the start of the next school year will be
mailed home in late July.
Have a great summer!
Tom Lally ’09 and his dad, John, are interviewed by Fox 32’s Patrick Elwood as
De La Salle faculty member Vince Correa prepares to shave their heads as part of the
St. Baldrick’s Day fundraiser.
Dr. Kathleen Blake, mother of Kristiana Blake ’10, provided her insight and expertise
as a guest speaker at the first annual 21st Century Women’s Seminar at the Lourdes Hall
Campus for Young Women.
Parent Place De La Salle Magazine 7

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1. Valedictorian for the young men’s class, Dan Joyce, gives his address at
the 2009 graduation ceremony.
2. Meteor cheerleaders share a moment with Southpaw, the White Sox
mascot, at the De La Salle White Sox Rally.
3. A student gets his head shaved for the annual St. Baldrick’s fundraiser.
The Meteors raised more than $14,000 for kids’ cancer research.
4. De La Salle students James Hartnett ’10 and D.J. Bland ’10 take notes
during their Honors Chemistry class.
5. Members of Mr. Khazen’s Honors Calculus class perform during
graduation.
6. Faculty members Sam Fitzgerald and Danny McGuire dress for
Renaissance Week.
7. Students at the Lourdes Hall Campus for Young Women during the
Rose and Candle ceremony.
8. Jillian Vilimas, valedictorian for the young women’s class, carries in the
flag of St. John Baptist De La Salle at graduation.
9. De La Salle students participate in a community
service day.
10. WGN’s Dean Richards gets a pie in the face during a
trivia contest at the De La Salle White Sox pep rally.
11. Students participate in the 2009 Drive ’n Ride program in
the parking lot of U.S. Cellular Field.
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8 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

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Campus Scrapbook De La Salle Magazine 9

Recognizing the
Value of a Neighbor
By Michelle Aukstik
Community partnerships bring together organizations to support
spreading a mission or furthering a message. For De La Salle, many
partnerships have had a direct impact on our students’ personal
growth and work experience. As a result of successful partnerships, we see
the local neighborhood benefit at various levels. De La Salle Institute has
a long history of partnering with neighbors on a range of projects. We are
thrilled to have several long-lasting partnerships and we are proud of the
new partnerships we have embarked upon this year.
As this school year ends and students
begin summer break, the joint ventures
that De La Salle has created play an important
role for students who would like to
work within the local community during
the summer.
Charles Muse, a graduate of the Class of
2009, knows the benefit of the partnership
between De La Salle Institute and
the Chicago White Sox. Muse, the immediate
past Mayor of De La Salle’s student
government, was chosen by De La Salle faculty
his sophomore year to be a candidate
for the Clubhouse Attendant position with
the White Sox.
In 2007, Muse and three other student candidates
were tasked with writing an essay on
why they would be the best for the job. Muse
wrote an outstanding essay and earned
an interview with Clubhouse Manager
Vince Fresso and was hired in 2007 for
the Clubhouse Attendant job.
“To be honest, I was surprised I got the
job. At the time, I didn’t know much
about baseball and I didn’t really think it
was an exciting game,” explained Muse.
Looking back, this now self-proclaimed
baseball fanatic can’t believe he ever took
the Clubhouse Attendant opportunity
for granted.
“I feel blessed to be working for the White
Sox,” Muse said. “I realize that this is a prestigious
first-time job for a 16-year-old kid.
It has taught me some very important lessons,
not to mention I get to be right there
for all of the baseball games. It’s exciting
every day.”
The lessons learned that have meant so
much to Muse are self-discipline and time
management. Clubhouse attendants need to
be at U.S. Cellular Field three to four hours
before each game and are expected to stay
three to four hours after the game. There
have been days when Muse goes to U.S.
Cellular Field immediately after school and
he doesn’t get home until 3:00 A.M. Often,
the long hours fell on school nights, but this
experience has taught Muse that you can
accomplish anything with self-discipline and
excellent time management.
Muse prides himself on earning high marks
in the classroom, fulfilling community service
commitments, being involved in school
and holding this job.
“Working with the White Sox taught me that
in order to be successful in life, you need to
be committed to time management,” Muse
said. “I have learned the aptitude of what I
am capable of doing while working with the
White Sox and I know that the lessons I’ve
learned there will serve me well in college.”
De La Salle’s mission of preparing students
for great futures is clearly advanced by this
partnership. Muse will refer back to this
experience as he embarks on his college
career at The Ohio State University.
Just a few blocks away from U.S. Cellular
Field and the De La Salle-Lourdes Hall
Campus for Young Women, junior Gianna
Capecci joins several other De La Salle
Charles Muse ’09, Chicago White Sox Clubhouse Attendant
since 2007.
students this summer who will work as
camp counselors for the Valentine Boys and
Girls Club.
As a lifelong Bridgeport resident, Capecci
believes that working within her community
is her way of giving back. She thinks of the
staff and patrons of the Boys and Girls Club
as one big family, which is the same way she
views De La Salle.
“I am really excited to be working at the
Boys and Girls Club this summer because
I’m able to stay within my neighborhood
and be a part of the great family atmosphere
at the Boys and Girls Club,” Capecci said.
“Plus, working with kids is never boring!”
Capecci hopes to have fun with the kids in
day camp while being a role model for them
and sharing the important lessons she has
learned at De La Salle.
“I hope to add to my responsibility as a
young adult this summer by working with
kids and teaching them as much as I can,”
Capecci said. “De La Salle has taught me
many valuable lessons, but I think the most
important one is to have respect for myself
and respect for others.
10 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

“I am really excited to be working at
the Boys and Girls Club this summer
because I’m able to stay within my
neighborhood and be a part of the
great family atmosphere at the Boys
and Girls Club . . .”
Gianna Capecci ’10
“I also want to give back to my community
and I think working with the Boys and Girls
Club is a great way to do that.”
The Valentine Boys and Girls Club, located
at 34th Street and Emerald Avenue, is
currently partnering with De La Salle in
order to support the new Meteor swimming
team and water polo team. The
pool at the Boys and Girls Club is “home
court” for the teams. Having access to the
pool has enhanced the athletic program at
De La Salle by giving students more options
to choose from when pursuing sports.
Club Director Jeff Sadowski is happy with
the relationship between De La Salle and
the Valentine Boys and Girls Club.
“Our partnership between the Valentine
Club and De La Salle yields so many positive
results for both organizations,” Sadowski
said. “It is like a ripple effect watching all of
the various ways this partnership has grown
to impact our youth and their families in
this community.
“At the Valentine Club, our young learners
gain access to outstanding role models when
De La Salle students spend time here. I am
proud that the De La Salle students at both
the young men’s and young women’s campuses
are truly receiving a quality education
at De La Salle.
“I recognize in our De La Salle volunteers
and interns such qualities as dedication,
commitment, good manners and am
pleased to offer them the opportunity at our
club to learn better time management skills
and stay focused on giving back to their
community. Because of their involvement,
our club’s teen enrollment has dramatically
increased, which leads to securing more dollars
and donors in support of what we are
all about here.”
De La Salle is also proud to partner with our
neighboring colleges and universities. The
Second Annual Great Futures Gala, held
on April 24, 2009, is a great example of an
educational community partnership benefitting
the students of De La Salle. The
unique silent auction at the Gala featured
educational items such as credits for various
courses from IIT, Lewis University and
Roosevelt University, cooking classes from
Kendall College and a Drum Circle from
Vandercook School of Music. Guests were
enthusiastic to bid on the items and more
than $12,000 was raised to support the student
scholarship program at De La Salle.
During the second semester of this school
year, De La Salle collaborated with WGN
to hold a pep rally for Opening Day of
the Chicago White Sox baseball season.
The commitment to supporting a neighbor
was represented by students coming
to school earlier than needed to cheer on
the White Sox.
Whether or not they were a fan of baseball
didn’t matter for our students. It was
the spirit of community that resonated
with each Meteor. The game was cancelled
due to weather, but the rally went on.
WGN’s Dean Richards broadcast the rally
on Channel 9’s morning show and friends
of De La Salle and the Chicago White Sox
were able to connect with the rally during
their morning news.
De La Salle recognizes the importance of
seeking educational experiences for our
students beyond the classroom and into
the community. Charles Muse and Gianna
Capecci are only two examples of the many
De La Salle students who find value in working
in the neighborhood in which they go
to school.
The opportunities are endless for faculty,
staff, students, parents and alumni to
enjoy working with neighbors on academic
endeavors, community building and development.
The benefits from partnering with
neighbors are infinite. De La Salle looks
forward to continuing to build upon community
partnerships for years to come.
Dean Richards of WGN cheers on the White Sox with the Meteor cheerleaders at the Opening Day Pep Rally.
Feature Story De La Salle Magazine 11

Winter Sports Roundup
Meteor Varsity Wrestling
Curtis Blaydes ’09 made history this past winter as he became the
second individual wrestling state champion in De La Salle history.
In the Class 3A state championship held at the University of Illinois’
Assembly Hall in Champaign, Blaydes defeated O’Fallon’s Terrell
Pugh 9–8 to win the title at 285 pounds and finish the season with a
perfect record of 37–0.
Clayton Kendall ’09 placed second at 189 pounds, losing to West
Aurora’s Mario Gonzalez 7–2 in the finals. Kendall, who authored a
34–2 record this season, was fourth in the state at 171 in 2008.
“I could not be prouder of Curtis and Clayton,” Meteor head wrestling
coach Dale Burke ’00 said. “Their success is directly correlated
to the amount of time and preparation they put into this season.
“Curtis’ winning a state championship and Clayton’s placing second
are their rewards for all their efforts. Each of them has certainly
earned a special place in the annals of Meteor wrestling.”
De La Salle state wrestlers pause for a photo with coaches and administration.
Meteor Varsity Men’s Basketball
Four members of the Meteors varsity boys basketball team were chosen
to the 2008–09 All-Chicago Catholic League Basketball Team.
Lauded for their on-court excellence were guards Rich Fisher ’09
and Derek Needham ’09, guard/forward Andre Henley ’11 and
forward Michael Shaw ’11.
As a team, the Meteors were 21–5 overall in the 2008–09 season
and 6–1 in the Catholic League South, good enough for second
place. In the Illinois High School Association playoffs, De La Salle
captured the Class 4A St. Patrick Regional title for the second consecutive
season and advanced to the Class 4A Morton Sectional final.
Henley led De La Salle in scoring, averaging 14.4 ppg. Needham
(13.5 ppg), Fisher (13.4 ppg) and Shaw (10.1 ppg) also averaged
in double figures for the Meteors. Shaw led the team in rebounding
(6.9 rpg), Needham paced the Meteors in assists (5.3 apg) and
Fisher set a school record with 75 3-pointers made.
“I’m proud of our young men and the memorable season they had,”
De La Salle head coach Tom White said. “Rich, Derek, Andre and
Michael all provided wonderful performances throughout the year
and they played integral roles in our success.”
Along with making the All-Chicago Catholic League Team,
Needham ’09 also was the recipient of the Tony Lawless Award in
basketball, emblematic of the
Most Valuable Player in the Chicago
Catholic League for
the 2008–09 season.
Needham was second on the team
in scoring (13.5 ppg) and 3-pointers
made (30), while leading De La Salle
in assists (5.3 apg) and steals (2.4 spg).
Needham also was chosen the MVP
at the Washington (IL) Thanksgiving
Tournament and to the All-Tournament
Team at the State Farm Classic.
In addition to his success on the basketball
court, Needham, who will attend
Fairfield University in the fall, also
Derek Needham ’09 will attend
Fairfield in the fall and play basketball
for the Stags.
excels in the classroom, holding a 3.156 grade-point average and
ranking No. 74 in the 162-member Class of 2009 at De La Salle’s
Institute Campus for Young Men.
“Derek is a very deserving winner of the Lawless Award,” White
said. “Not only is he an exceptional athlete, he’s also an outstanding
young man who exhibits true leadership skills.
“Derek is always willing to work hard to achieve success—whether
it’s in the classroom or on the basketball court. I’m proud of Derek.
He truly is a Meteor.”
White received an accolade of his own as he was chosen the Illinois
Basketball Coaches Association’s Boys Class 3A/4A Co-Coach of the
Year in District 2 for the 2008–09 season.
White was honored with his coaching colleagues from the IBCA’s 21
districts at a banquet held at Illinois State University in Normal.
White, who is also De La Salle’s athletic director, has been the
Meteors’ head varsity boys basketball coach since the 1995–96
season, compiling a career record of 240–137 (.637 winning
percentage).
White guided the Meteors to a 21–5 mark in the 2008–09 season
as De La Salle won the Illinois High School Association Class 4A St.
Patrick Regional title, as well as earning a berth in the IHSA Class
4A Morton Sectional championship game.
The Meteor Basketball team celebrates after earning the title of regional champions.
12 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

Spring Sports Update
The young men’s water polo team with Coach Garcia
Meteor Men’s Water Polo
One of the brightest new additions to
De La Salle during the 2008–09 school year
was the men’s water polo team.
Coached by Heriberto Garcia, a Spanish
teacher at the Institute Campus for
Young Men, De La Salle recorded the first
victory in school history in water polo with
a 10–8 triumph over Argo in a match played
on May 6 at the Valentine Boys & Girls Club
in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood. The
Meteors concluded their season with an overall
record of 1–6.
Comprising the Meteors’ roster was
Jaime Cruz ’09; Xavier Cruz ’09; John
Griffin ’11; Jose Huerta ’09; Ricky Lucio ’09;
Nico Mangione ’09; Erik Medina ’11;
Desmond Ng ’12; Joseph Nieciak ’09; Jesus
Ochoa ’10; Jordan Rodriguez ’09; Joshua
Shilney ’12; Dmitri Snyder ’10 and Armando
Velasquez ’11.
De La Salle would like to thank the Valentine
Boys & Girls Club for its support and for
providing a venue for the Meteors to participate
in swimming and water polo during the
2008–09 school year.
“The season was definitely a success,” Garcia
said. “The only goal this season was to introduce
a new sport to the school and hope that
kids would enjoy it.
“The overall record of the team does not
reflect the effort that each athlete put into
practice. They should all be proud and walk
tall. With eight of the 14 players returning
next season, there is no doubt that we
will improve.”
Meteor Women’s Soccer
The Meteor women’s soccer program concluded
the 2009 season with an overall
record of 11–6–2 and was 7–1 in the Girls
Catholic Athletic Conference White Division.
De La Salle defeated Hubbard 2–1 in the
opening round of the Illinois High School
Association Class 3A Morton Regional before
losing to Lyons Township in the second
round.
The leading scorer on the season for the
Meteors was forward Wendy Sotelo ’12, who
tallied 10 goals and four assists.
As a result of her excellence, Sotelo was
chosen to the All-GCAC White Team along
with midfielder Irene Martinez ’09 (7 goals, 9
assists), goalkeeper Becky Medina ’09 (8 shutouts),
defender Marquita Wiggins ’10 (1 goal,
1 assist) and midfielder Maricruz Zarco ’11 (5
goals, 4 assists).
Martinez also achieved Illinois High School
Soccer Coaches Association All-Sectional
Honorable Mention plaudits.
The junior varsity Meteor women’s soccer
program began and was 3–6–1 overall and
placed seventh in the GCAC JV tournament.
The young women’s soccer team beats its opponent
Meteor Women’s Softball
De La Salle’s varsity softball team authored
a successful season as it posted wins over
Fenwick, Whitney Young, Regina, Mount
Assisi, Andrew, Guerin Prep, Bremen, Taft,
St. Francis de Sales, Morgan Park, Bogan and
Seton Academy. The victories over Fenwick
and Mount Assisi were the first-ever in DLS
softball history.
As a team, the Meteors were 3–5 in the Girls
Catholic Athletic Conference Red Division,
marking De La Salle’s initial appearance in
the GCAC’s highest level of competition.
As a result of the Meteors’ success, three
athletes were lauded by the Girls Catholic
Athletic Conference as they were chosen to
the All-GCAC Red Division Team. Honored
were pitcher Jackie Sernek ’10 and infielders
Alex Hanes ’10 and Jaicie Botica ’11.
On the mound, Sernek won 9 of 14 decisions,
striking out 107 and walking 18 in 86 innings
pitched. She allowed 18 earned runs for an
ERA of 1.47 and tossed nine complete games
and four shutouts.
A trio of 2009 all-GCAC Red Team Meteor softball players.
Hanes hit .500 with five doubles, four triples,
one home run and 22 RBI. She also scored 16
runs and swiped 21 bases.
Botica batted .483 with eight doubles, four triples,
two home runs and 19 RBI. She stole 16
bases and tallied 15 runs.
Meteor Men’s Baseball
In his first season as the Meteors’ head coach,
Nick Bridich guided the team to
victories over Catholic League opponents
Fenwick, Gordon Tech, Leo
and Seton Academy, as well as Simeon,
Washington, Shepard and Kenwood in
nonconference contests.
Another highlight for the Meteor varsity baseball
program was the announcement that
four seniors will play collegiately next season.
Infielder/pitcher Gerardo Esquivel ’09
will attend Kansas State University, pitcher
Kevin Crowley ’09 will attend Benedictine
(Ill.) University, infielder Tom Lally ’09 will
play at Prairie (Ill.) State College and pitcher
Mike Spalla ’09 has chosen Illinois Wesleyan
University.
Meteor Men’s Tennis
Kristen Powell ’09 created his place in
De La Salle athletic history as he went undefeated
in the Chicago Catholic League during
the regular season and earned the CCL
championship at No. 1 singles with a 6–3, 6–1
victory over Loyola’s Lawson Barter. For his
efforts, Powell was chosen as the Tony Lawless
Award winner as the Most Valuable Player in
the Chicago Catholic League.
Powell took a 15–2 record into the Illinois
High School Association’s University High
Sectional.
“Not only was Kris a great tennis player
during his four years here at De La Salle—
amassing over 40 wins at 1st singles—but he
was also a great person,” Meteors head varsity
tennis coach Steve Hopkins said. “He also
Continues on page 14
Meteor Athletics De La Salle Magazine 13

was a great student at De La Salle, becoming a
member of the National Honor Society.
“Kris has been a joy to coach and teach.”
Powell placed first at the U-High Sectional,
beating U-High’s Tyler Anderson 4–6, 6–1,
7–5 at No. 1 singles and attaining a berth in
the IHSA State Finals.
Powell’s teammates also experienced oncourt
success this season as London Walther ’09 was
fifth in the Chicago Catholic League at No. 2
singles and William Lee ’09 and Armando
Barron ’09 took sixth at No. 1 doubles. Larry
Muse ’12 was fourth in the CCL tournament
at No. 3 singles.
The tandem of Walther and Lee garnered
fourth place at the U-High Sectional to
advance to the IHSA State Finals.
In state competition, Powell lost in the first
round to Niles West’s Vova Zverkovsky
(6–2, 3–6, 4–6) and to F.W. Parker’s Andrei
Molchanov (6–1, 3–6, 3–6) in the first round
of the consolation bracket.
Lee and Walther lost their first match in state
doubles competition 0–6, 2–6 to Lake Forest’s
Andy Walker and Carter Wheatley before garnering
a 6–3, 6–4 victory over Mt. Vernon’s
Blake Jennings and Tyler Knox in the consolation
bracket’s first round. Lee and Walther
were defeated by Bowen Tretheway and
Michael Arenson of Latin 2–6, 4–6 in the second
round of the consolation bracket.
As a team, the Meteors were fourth in the
nine-team Catholic League tournament.
In sectional competition, the Meteors were
third in the seven-team field at U-High with
16 points. During the course of the regular
season, De La Salle was 4–7 overall and
picked up victories over Brother Rice
and Loyola.
On the frosh-soph level, Jeremy O’Brien ’12
and Vinny Ovalle ’12 were the fifth-place finishers
in the CCL tournament while Troy
Gueno ’12 placed sixth at No. 2 singles.
Meteor Men’s and
Women’s Track and Field
The Meteors’ men’s track and field team was
eighth in the 13-team field at the Chicago
Catholic League championships, finishing
with 38 points. The highlight for De La Salle
was the performance of Ahmad Evans ’11,
who won the 200-meter dash with a time of
22.44 seconds.
Evans also qualified for the Illinois High
School Association’s state meet at Eastern
Illinois University by earning first place at the
Class 3A St. Ignatius Sectional with a time
of 21.93.
The Meteors’ women’s track and field team
was a 10th-place finisher in the 13-team Girls
Catholic Athletic Conference meet.
Meteor Men’s Volleyball
The primary highlight for the Meteor boys
volleyball program was a third-place finish
at the Kelvyn Park Tournament. Over the
course of the event, the Meteors prevailed
against Taft, North Grand and Schurz.
Individually, middle blocker/middle hitter
Tim Crowley ’10 and libero Tito Ponce ’10
were chosen to the All-Catholic League team,
while outside hitter Raul Rodriguez ’09 was
selected to the Catholic League All-Star Team.
Go Meteors!
2009 De La Salle
Varsity Football Schedule
Aug. 28 vs. Lane Tech @ Soldier Field
Sept. 6 at Hales @ University of Chicago
2:30 pm
Noon
11 vs. Leo 7:30 pm
19 at St. Ignatius @ Rockne Stadium 11:30 am
25 vs. Mount Carmel 7:30 pm
Oct. 2 at Bishop McNamara
7:30 pm
9 vs. Gordon Tech (Homecoming) 7:30 pm
16 at Providence 7:30 pm
23 vs. St. Laurence 7:30 pm
Where Our Students Will Play in College
From the soccer pitch to the baseball diamond
and from the volleyball court to
the football field, student-athletes from
De La Salle’s Class of 2009 will be using
their considerable talents to compete at
some of the finest intercollegiate programs
in the country next year.
Wherever their respective arenas of competition
will be, we wish all the Meteors the
best of luck and ample amounts of success
in the future.
Congratulations, Meteors!
Baseball:
Kevin Crowley – Benedictine (IL) University
Gerardo Esquivel – Kansas State University
Tom Lally – Prairie State (IL) College
Mike Spalla – Illinois Wesleyan University
Boys Basketball:
Derek Needham – Fairfield University
Boys Cross Country:
Jeremy Joanes: Coe (IA) College
Gerry Medina – Lewis University
Henry Scates – Monmouth (IL) College
Football:
Seay Akintonwa – Benedictine (IL) University
Chris Botica – Loras College
Nate Bowman – Western Illinois University
Nick Estrada – Loras College
Juan Gonzalez – Loras College
Chris Martinez – Monmouth (IL) College
Matt Murray – Wabash College
Ed Tremore – Elmhurst College
Rich Valdez – McKendree College
Michael Wiggins – Merrimack College
Boys Soccer:
Scott Mestan – Clarke (IA) College
Victor Trujillo – University of St. Francis (IL)
Boys Tennis:
Kristen Powell – Prairie View (TX) A&M University
Wrestling:
Curtis Blaydes – Northern Illinois University
Clayton Kendall – Lincoln (IL) Community College
Zach Paluch – Knox (IL) College
Girls Soccer:
Irene Martinez – DePaul University
Girls Volleyball:
Samantha Ginger – Morton (IL) College
14 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

D-Final Recap
In April 2009, De La Salle held the 18th Annual D-Final Event in its Parmer
Activity Center. More than 500 alumni and friends of the Institute gathered
to watch the NCAA Men’s National Championship basketball game.
In addition, those in attendance participated in raffles and a silent auction
that included such items as a basketball autographed by the
2008–09 Meteor varsity boys basketball
team, Chicago Blackhawks tickets,
a brand-new bicycle, tickets to the 2009
Champs Sports Bowl and a round
of golf with De La Salle president
Fr. Paul Novak, OSM.
De La Salle would like to thank all of
the D-Final Event contributors, especially
Keith Alexander ’85 and Walk
Wireless, LLC for their generosity in
sponsoring the premium giveaway.
All proceeds of the 18th Annual D-Final
Event go toward the De La Salle athletic
program and general scholarship fund.
Thanks to everyone who attended and
made the 18th Annual D-Final Event
so memorable and successful. The 19th
Annual D-Final Event will be held on
April 5, 2010. We hope to see everyone
next year!
Father Paul Novak pulls the winning Super
Raffle ticket out of the barrel.
Games were a hit with guests.
Alumni enjoy the camaraderie with classmates at the 18th Annual D-Final.
Meteor Football to
Begin 2009 Season
at Soldier Field
De La Salle’s varsity football team will open the
2009 season in the preseason Prep Bowl as the
Meteors battle Lane Tech on Friday, August 28, at
2:30 pm at Soldier Field, 14th and Lake Shore Dr.
De La Salle also plans to honor the members of
the 1984 Prep Bowl team who will be celebrating
their 25th anniversary.
There will be a ceremony—including a
Jumbotron tribute—to the 1984 team, as well as
introductions of former players in attendance.
If you have pictures from your 1984 season, please send them to Jim McHugh at dgijkm@aol.com.
Any members of the 1984 Meteors who wish to participate are asked to contact McHugh at 708-535-2514
or the De La Salle Athletic Department.
Tickets will be available for pre-sale at a cost of $5 at De La Salle or $10 at the Soldier Field gates.
For more information, please contact De La Salle’s Athletic Department at 312-842-7355 ext. 118 or 119.
Meteor Athletics De La Salle Magazine 15

Reliving The Great Futures Gala
The Second Annual Great Futures Gala on Friday, April
24th was a testament to the enduring support for education
and the belief in De La Salle as an outstanding
academic institution.
In a year of economic challenges and cutbacks, this event to benefit
the students of De La Salle Institute ended impressively strong,
raising more than $140,000 for the student scholarship program.
Guests ranging from board members and current parents to alumni
and community members sponsored tables, invited new friends to
De La Salle and generously participated in the unique silent auction.
The compelling words of this year’s honoree, Mr. Elzie
Higginbottom, resonated with each and every person in the room.
He eloquently spoke of the power of a good education and his
immediate connection with De La Salle when first introduced
to our mission to educate all students. The Great Futures Gala
is an opportunity to acknowledge the generous support for and
belief in De La Salle demonstrated by community leaders like Mr.
Higginbottom who are the role models for our youth.
A new component to the celebration this year that further demonstrated
community support of De La Salle was the unique
“education-themed” silent auction. Twelve surrounding colleges,
universities and museums participated by donating access to their
coursework auctioned off as opportunities for guests to further their
great futures. The auction alone raised more than $12,000 and
paved the way for future partnerships with De La Salle and the surrounding
educational community. The auction also benefitted from
Honoree Elzie L. Higginbottom was presented with the Founder’s Award, and a portrait
by De La Salle student Khafre Liggens ’09, who will attend the Art Institute of Chicago
this fall.
the generous donation of local artist Desmond McFarlane who provided
a beautiful woodcarving piece. A very special thank you to
Mr. McFarlane, the Art Institute of Chicago, Catholic Theological
Union, Columbia College, DePaul University, Dominican University,
Kendall College, Lewis University, Loyola University, Museum of
Science & Industry, Roosevelt University, The Field Museum and
VanderCook College of Music.
Paul McCoy ’68, this year’s Gala Chairman, and his family and
friends enjoy the evening.
Board Member Vic Chavarria ’69 and President’s Council
Member Mike Bansley ’53 share a laugh during the cocktail hour
in College Hall.
Guests enjoyed a unique silent auction built
around educational experiences.
Mayors of the City of De La Salle student government, Charles
Muse ‘09 and Chelby Burgess ’09, welcome guests to the Great
Futures Gala.
Mistress of Ceremonies Diann Burns and Father Paul Novak take
a moment to smile for the camera before dinner.
16 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

Scholarship Honors Memory of Graduate
Omar E. Torres died in the line of duty on August 22, 2007
at the age of 20, while serving his country in Iraq. Mr.
Torres, a 2005 graduate of De La Salle Institute, is survived
by his parents, Oscar and Doris; his sister, Oralia; and his brother,
Oscar E. Torres Jr. ’04. He attended St. Richard Elementary School
on Chicago’s Southwest Side where he developed a love
for team sports. While attending De La Salle, Omar
excelled in football and other extracurricular activities.
After graduating in 2005, he attended The Ohio State
University on a full scholarship before deciding to enlist
in the U.S. Army Reserves and then on to Active Duty.
In consideration of Omar’s exceptional educational
experience at De La Salle and his caring spirit, the
Torres family decided to establish a memorial scholarship
in his name. The Omar E. Torres ’05 Memorial
Endowed Scholarship will provide tuition assistance
The President’s Club Reception was
held on Thursday, June 4, 2009
at De La Salle’s Institute Campus
for Young Men. Our guests enjoyed a
great event with delightful hors d’oeuvres,
drinks and the camaraderie of friends and
fellow Meteors. This was an ideal setting
for our guest speaker, Arnold Randall,
Director of Neighborhood Legacy for
Chicago 2016, who shared his interesting
and entertaining views about Chicago’s
bid to host the Olympics.
Pfc. Omar E. Torres ’05
The President’s Club Reception was also a time to give special
thanks to those who continue to make our growth possible—
the Christian Brothers, alumni, benefactors, friends, faculty, staff,
parents and students who make up De La Salle. It was a time of celebration
of what we are together—De La Salle Institute.
De La Salle’s President’s Club members are passionate role models
for our students and our community and that is shown through
their consistent involvement, advice, leadership and philanthropy
Class of 2009 Pledge Commitment
for young men attending De La Salle. His parents have said that
Omar would think this a most fitting tribute. The ability to provide
financial assistance is the cornerstone and essence of the school’s
mission to educate all of the young people who desire to receive a
De La Salle education.
Anyone who is interested in making a contribution to
the Omar E. Torres ’05 Memorial Endowed Scholarship
is asked to make their check payable to De La Salle
Institute and indicate that they wish their gift to go to
the Omar E. Torres ’05 Scholarship Fund. Contributions
will be acknowledged and notification will be sent to the
Torres family.
On behalf of all of us here at De La Salle, we thank the
Torres family for their generosity and continued commitment
to Catholic education.
De La Salle Hosts President’s Club Reception
On April 23, 2009, the Office for
Advancement hosted a senior breakfast
at the Lourdes Hall Campus for Young
Women and a senior luncheon at the
Institute Campus for Young Men later that
day. At these two special events, members
from the Class of 2009 had the opportunity
to hear from De La Salle alumni. Guest
speakers Allison Steffenhagen ’06 and John
Lorenz ’95 spoke about their experiences as
students at De La Salle, their education after
De La Salle Director of Development Iris Gist Cochran welcomes Mr.
Tom Lyons ’43 and his wife, Lillian, to the President’s Club reception.
high school, their career progress and their
continued involvement in the community.
Father Paul Novak, OSM provided a
PowerPoint presentation about De La Salle,
its Lasallian mission and the school’s future
plans. He also stressed the importance of
giving back to the Institute. Each senior was
asked to make a five-year pledge on behalf
of their graduating class.
The Class of 2009 demonstrated what it’s
truly like to be a De La Salle “Meteor.” They
De La Salle President Fr. Paul Novak, OSM shares a moment
with Keith Alexander ’85.
while they continue to nourish and support the Institute.
Throughout the school’s 120-year history, we have been fortunate
to have the support of exceptional people whose contributions and
achievements are represented by their inclusion in the President’s
Club.
We remain grateful to this distinguished group of individuals that
demonstrates a tangible interest in supporting the school, its goals,
direction and plans by taking the highest financial leadership role
in the De La Salle community.
raised more than $15,000 in pledge commitments.
Funds raised will help support
scholarships, technology, athletics, fine arts
and the school’s greatest needs. De La Salle
is very proud of our seniors being role models
for generously supporting the Institute.
Please remember De La Salle in your charitable
giving plans.
Thank you for your generous support of
our students!
Development De La Salle Magazine 17

Getting Together and Staying Connected
The high school commencement ceremony
symbolizes a ritual rite of passage from student
to alumnus. It is a special moment to reflect
on accomplishments and new possibilities
ahead. The Alumni Association of De La Salle
Institute congratulates the Class of 2009 and
proudly welcomes these new members to the
organization.
To prepare the
graduating seniors
while they were
still in school, John
Lorenz ’95 and Allison
Steffenhagen ’06 came
to campus this April to
introduce the meaning
and importance
of being a De La Salle
alumnus. Through
their personal stories,
John and Allison
highlighted the fun, enjoyment and camaraderie
one feels as an alum of “D.” They both
mentioned the many
ways to reunite with
classmates on campus,
at various special
events and, of course,
at the annual Alumni
Banquet, this year falling
on Oct. 2, 2009.
Allison Steffenhagen ’06,
speaks to the graduating class
at the Lourdes Hall Campus.
John Lorenz ’95, shares with
the seniors at the Institute
Campus why he supports
De La Salle.
Just as important to
remind the outgoing
seniors was the critical
role of alumni
to stay connected to
De La Salle and remain actively a part of its
future success, whether through volunteering
time, talent or treasure. The seniors seemed to
agree and feel motivated to keep the Meteor
spirit strong after graduation.
Young alumni and friends catch up at the Night at the
Sox Game.
During the spring season, we saw an example
of this Meteor spirit among the De La Salle
alumni. On a torrentially rainy April night,
the Young Alumni Club of De La Salle
demonstrated that simply sharing time
together was more important than the
planned activity for the group. The Night at
the Sox Game outing didn’t involve much of
the Sox at all as it turned out, with the game
against the Seattle Mariners being canceled
due to the heavy rain. Despite this disappointment,
more than 60 young alums and another
10 friends mingled in the terrace suite, enjoying
food and beverages and sharing their latest
updates, ending a successful Young Alumni
Club gathering.
Andy Bugajski ’99, Dave Moore ’00, Father Paul Novak and
Joe Wodark ’01 at the Young Alumni Night at the Sox Game.
If you would like more information about
the Young Alumni Club, please visit the web
at www.dls.org and search under Alumni
Relations or email alumnirelations@dls.org.
The following are scheduled events and class
reunions this summer and early fall that
are great opportunities to get together with
alumni and friends:
2009 Golf Classic—Wednesday, June 24 at
Gleneagles Country Club—Lemont, IL
In the fall edition of the De La Salle Magazine,
we will be featuring a recap of the popular
Golf Classic outing taking place this summer
on June 24.
Blue/Gold Football Game—Friday, August
21—Bulger Field, De La Salle Institute
Gather your classmates together and come
support this classic football scrimmage, featuring
the varsity, sophomore and freshman
teams. Proceeds support the Chet Bulger
Society Fund.
Pre-Season Prep Bowl—Friday, August
28—Soldier Field—Chicago, IL
De La Salle plays Lane Tech at 2:30 pm.
Purchase tickets in advance for $5 from the
De La Salle Athletic Department. Tickets
will also be available at the gate for $10/adult
and $6/student. De La Salle’s Prep Bowl
Championship Team from 1984 will be honored
during the event. Members of the 1984
Meteors team who wish to participate in this
event are asked to contact Jim McHugh at
708.535.2514 or dgijkm@aol.com.
Lourdes Alumnae Reunion – Class of 1959
The Lourdes High School Class of 1959 will
celebrate its 50th Anniversary on Sunday,
September 20th at 12:30 pm with a dinner at
Mama Luigi’s Restaurant—7500 S. Harlem
Ave, Bridgeview, IL. The cost is $42.00. RSVP
to Barbara Pekan at (727) 773-8167 or Carole
Prosser Lepper at (708) 599-0045.
114th Alumni Banquet FAQs
Q: When and where is the Banquet this year?
A: The 114th Alumni Banquet is Friday,
October 2, 2009 at Beverly Country Club,
87th Street and Western Avenue, Chicago, IL
60620.
Q: Is this event only for anniversary classes?
Who typically attends?
A: The annual De La Salle Alumni Banquet
is a standing tradition to celebrate all alumni
and their spouses, family members and
friends who wish to accompany them to this
wonderful evening. This is a much-awaited
opportunity for classmates to reunite, some
for the first time since graduation! The 25th
and 50th Anniversary Classes are honored
as part of the program, as well as the recipient
of the Honor Key awarded by the Alumni
Association.
Q: I would like to help promote the Banquet. Who do
I contact to get involved?
A: The Banquet Co-Chairs this year are Andy
Plonka ’59 and Kevin Dahill ’84. They have
formed Alumni Banquet Committees tasked
with spreading the word about the event,
getting people to attend, and finalizing the
plans for a great evening. Contact them at
a.plonka@att.net and mayorkev@yahoo.com.
Q: How do I know who is attending this year’s
Banquet?
A: Go to De La Salle Alumni Relations webpage
for a current listing of all attendees of
this year’s Banquet on Friday, October 2.
Q: What if I want to contact some classmates, but I
do not have their contact information?
A: You can email alumnirelations@dls.org to
obtain a current Class List, including phone
number and email contact information. Please
send any updates, corrections or contact information
to the Alumni Office to help maintain
an accurate database.
For ticket pricing, sponsorship opportunities
and more information about the 114th Alumni
Banquet, please check the Alumni Relations
webpage found at www.dls.org.
18 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

Alumni Updates
1946
Dr. Robert Kozlowski was chosen as the
recipient of the Signum Fidei Award
at Saint Mary’s College of California.
Kozlowski was the first winemaker and a
partner at Kenwood Winery in Sonoma
County, CA. He also worked for 37 years
for Chevron Corporation, culminating in
management positions in research and
the Law Department. A proud beneficiary
and advocate of Saint Mary College’s
winemaking tradition, Kozlowski founded
the Gaels in Wine alumni chapter in 2008,
which now has 50 members working in
the industry. He holds a Ph.D. in organic
chemistry from Northwestern University.
1953
Michael F. Barry is retired from the fire
protection industry and resides in Chicago.
His email address is mfbary@comcast.net.
Donald P. Pollard retired from the
Chicago Department of Public Health in
1998, serving as a project manager. He
lives in Chicago and his email address is
dpollard53@hotmail.com.
1959
Joseph L. Fontana owns a graphics business
and is a resident of Naples, FL. His email
address is josephlfontana@aol.com.
Robert J. Kempa is retired from the
distribution industry and lives in Leesburg,
FL. His email address is parkem01@
earthlink.net.
Robert F. Quinn is retired from the Chicago
Police Department. He resides in Chicago
and his email address is rquinn1241@
comcast.net.
1961
Frank Zelis Jr. is retired from sales and
marketing in the computer hardware and
software industries. He resides in Tucson,
AZ and his email address is webzed@msn.
com.
1965
Paul Olenski has retired as the corporate
software manager for Fannie Mae. He and
Carol reside in Gold Canyon, AZ. Olenski’s
email address is opaul1002@qwest.net.
1966
Allen F. Otrin is a consultant in the
computer software industry. He resides
in Phoenix, AZ and his email address is
claudiaal12000@yahoo.com.
1968
Michael J. Andrews is a sales manager in
the retail industry. He lives in Chicago and
can be emailed at mike61950@aol.com and
mandrews@ssteincompany.com.
Arthur J. Vermette is the president of a
trucking business and resides in Homer
Glen, IL. His company’s website is www.
arttransportationservices.com. Vermette’s
email addresses are artvermette@yahoo.
com and artvermette@hotmail.com.
1971
Walter J. Triche is in sales in the beauty
industry. He resides in Fayetteville, GA and
his email address is wtriche@aol.com.
1972
Dr. Carl Albert Grant lives in Marietta, GA.
His email address is carribj@gmail.com.
1973
Peter Messina is involved in private
jet management and certified public
accounting in the private aviation industry.
He resides in St. Charles, IL and his email
address is pmessina@messina-patek.com.
Terry Pestlin calls Greendale, WI home.
He’s been married to his high school
sweetheart, Marge, since 1978 and has three
children. Pestlin, who is an engineering
instructor in the medical diagnostic imaging
field, informed De La Salle Magazine that
he “moved to Cheeseland in 1991, but is
still a loyal Bears and Sox fan.” His email
address is terrance.pestlin@ge.com.
1977
David R. Bonko is the owner and president
of AR3 Promotions. The company’s website
is www.ar3promos.com. Bonko resides in
Homer Glen, IL and his email address is
dave@ar3promos.com.
Alberto A. Pecina is a vocational supervisor
and social worker in the human services
industry. He lives in Dubuque, IA and his
email address is littleguy58@gmail.com.
1978
Robert S. Arthurs is a performance analyst
for the United States Postal Service. He
lives in Minooka, IL and can be emailed at
Robert.s.arthurs@usps.gov.
Bechara W. Manzur Jr. calls Phoenix, AZ
home and works in the IT field as an analyst.
His email address is bmanzur@cox.net.
1980
Francis J. Carrington is an eighth-grade
science teacher and resides in Edwardsville,
IL. His email address is joescarrington@
hotmail.com.
Don Houston is in the sports hospitality
industry as an account executive. He lives
in Plainfield, IL and can be emailed at
carmanmedia@gmail.com.
James Ficaro is a laborer with the Chicago
Park District. He is newly married and
has five children. Ficaro’s email address is
lindaficaro@yahoo.com.
Bill Sanderson is the principal of Evergreen
Park High School in Evergreen Park, IL.
Sanderson, who taught at De La Salle from
1991–94, reminded De La Salle Magazine
that his class’ 30-year anniversary will be
coming up next year. His email address is
bsanderson@evergreenpark.org.
1981
Ramon Correa works in the banking
industry as a vice president. He lives in
Round Rock, TX and can be emailed at
ramon-correa@att.net.
1983
Joseph Catuara is an IT auditor and resides
in Antioch, IL. His business website is www.
trolleydogs.com. Catuara’s email address is
respondtojoe@hotmail.com.
Terence Murphy is a firefighter and
paramedic and lives in Blue Island, IL. His
email address is goodcraker@comcast.net.
1984
David Katauskas resides in Waukesha, WI
and works in the construction industry as a
laborer. His email address is katzman66@
yahoo.com.
Wayne Olson is in management in the
telecommunications industry and is a
Chicago resident. His email address is
wayneolson@ameritech.net.
1985
George Ferro lives in Chicago. His email
address is georgeferro@hotmail.com.
1987
Charles Pete Rudd is an architect and lives
in Downers Grove, IL. His email address is
prudd_11@yahoo.com.
Alumni Connection De La Salle Magazine 19

1988
James F. Bowen is an assistant principal in
the South Bend (IN) Community School
Corporation. He and his son reside in
Walkerton, IN. Bowen’s email address is
jbowen@sbcsc.k12.in.us.
Steve Gilbert is employed in the health care
field as a medical technologist. He resides in
Chicago and his email address is sgilbe1@
yahoo.com.
Dave C. Gunn is in the marketing industry
as an interactive marketing manager. He
resides in Nashville, TN and his email
address is davecgunn@hotmail.com. Gunn
informed De La Salle Magazine that “I’m
extremely proud to be a De La Salle
Institute alum. My high school years
were some of the best of my life and ‘De’
definitely contributed to the impressionable
and energetic time of my youth. I will
remain spiritually attached to the Institute
forever and pray for its continued success
in the development of some of the brightest
young minds of Chicago. Thank you,
De La Salle.”
1989
Roger E. DeAnda works in the electrical
industry. He lives in Wood Dale, IL and may
be emailed at rrogerdeanda69@yahoo.com.
Paul Lauer resides in Chicago. His email
address is paul_lauer2001@yahoo.com.
Anthony Valdez is employed by the Chicago
Transit Authority in its maintenance
department. He resides in Chicago and can
be reached at youseguys@sbcglobal.net.
Keith A. Vitale is a L.I.U.N.A. Senior
Instructor in the construction and safety
training industry. He resides in LaGrange,
IL and his email address is keith.vitale@
chicagolaborers.org.
1991
James P. Dildine is a consultant and PhD
candidate and resides in Champaign, IL.
His website is www.jamesdildine.com and
his email address is jdildine@gmail.com.
1993
John Henry Rogers III is working in the
banking industry as a branch manager
and personal banking officer. He resides
in Chicago and his email addresses are
beatsmithx17@sbcglobal.net and jrogers@
lakesidebank.com.
1994
William Martinez is an IT coordinator in
the charter schools industry. He resides
in Chicago and his email addresses
are wmartinez@uno-online.org and
wmartinez3020@gmail.com.
1996
David Garza is a member of the Chicago
Police Department. He resides in Chicago
and his email address is dgarza1@hotmail.
com.
1997
Thomas J. Daly is a training specialist in the
field of property management. He resides in
Chicago and his email address is email.tjd@
gmail.com.
1998
Jerome William Harris II works in the sales
industry as a performance manager and
lives in St. Louis, MO. His email address is
sonny_blak@msn.com.
1999
Juan Avila is the service manager at
Our Lady of Peace Church. He and his
wife, Katie, reside in Oak Forest, IL with
their two sons. Avila’s email address is
juankatie81@att.net.
Edward Eng is a marketing executive
in the technology field. He graduated
from the University of Illinois – Urbana-
Champaign in 2003 and moved to Taipei,
Taiwan in February 2004 to teach English as
a second language. Eng’s email address is
edwardalaneng@gmail.com and his website
is www.mistereng.com.
Ross Read works as the Director of New
Apprenticeship for United Services of
Chicago, an organization that recruits, trains
and places individuals in construction and
trades. Read also informed De La Salle
Magazine that he graduated from Hampton
University in 2003 and is engaged. He
resides in Chicago and his email address is
ross.read@gmail.com.
2000
Paki Latham Sr. is employed in the
transportation industry as a driver. He is
married with five children and resides in
Chicago. Latham Sr.’s email address is paki_
latham@hotmail.com.
2001
Michael A. Munoz is serving in the
United State Marine Corps. He resides
in Jacksonville, NC and his email address
is Munoz_320@hotmail.com. De La Salle
thanks Munoz and his colleagues for their
service to our country.
2002
Roberto Gomez lives in Chicago. He can be
emailed at beto1dmcat@aol.com.
Amanda Knych is residing in Chicago and
working as a cashier. Her email address is
aknych@hotmail.com.
Kevin Zolkiewicz is a user experience
designer and resides in Chicago. His email
address is kzolkiewicz@gmail.com.
2003
Anthony Bonelli lives in Chicago and
is working as an option trader in the
investment industry. His email address is
alwysfishin2@yahoo.com.
TyJuan Cratic currently works as a law clerk
in Chicago and will be graduating from
Southern Illinois University with a degree in
Political Science in December 2009 and will
be seeking law schools to attend in the fall
of 2010. His email addresses are tycratic@
gmail.com and cratict@collegedems.com.
Cratic’s website is www.progresscamp.org.
Kirk Di Grazia is a ramp agent for
Southwest Airlines, in addition to doing
web development. Di Grazia resides in
Romeoville, IL and his email address is
vash469@gmail.com.
Nicholas Hurley lives in Scottsdale, AZ. His
email address is nrhdesigns@yahoo.com.
Carl Regalado is a resident of Joliet, IL. His
email address is Supersphinx5@aol.com.
Yvonne Roman resides in Chicago. Her
email address is vonne3603@gmail.com.
2004
Adam Lasky lives in Chicago and
works in sales in the wireless
communications field. His email address is
alasky6022@comcast.net.
Marcus Miller is a contracting officer and
resides in Bowie, MD.
2005
Freddie Manuel is a student and calls
Chula Vista, CA home. His email address is
jaymanuel17@hotmail.com.
Cory Norman lives in Chicago and is a
student. His email address is jenling@aol.
com.
2008
Elliott N. Washington is a college student.
He resides in Lynwood, IL and can be
emailed at enwashingtonjr@yahoo.com.
20 De La Salle Magazine Spring Summer 2009

Lourdes Alumnae Updates
1964
Kathleen Nolan (Werdermann) resides in
Chicago and is employed as a nurse. Her
email address is kwojack@netzero.com.
1969
Cyndi Annette Johnson (Wojtulewicz) is
a resident of Payson, AZ. She is the owner
of Ichabod Beads & Creations store. Her
email address is cmoo@q.com.
1970
Elizabeth H. Gierlowski-Kordesch is a
professor at Ohio University in Athens, OH.
She and her family reside in The Plains,
OH. Her email address is kordgier@ohio.
edu.
1974
Maureen T. Brongiel (McCarthy) lives in
Chicago and works for the Chicago Public
Schools as an assistant principal. Her email
address is mbrongiel@yahoo.com.
Debbie A. Jansen (Jankiewicz) is a financial
analyst and lives in Riverside, IL. Her email
address is d_jansen@sbcglobal.net.
1976
Jane Schaal (Schafer) works in the human
resources industry and resides with her
family in Lemont, IL. Her email address is
arangel0828@sbcglobal.net.
1979
Jeanne F. Zelten (Murphy) resides in
Roscoe, IL and is a registered nurse. Her
email address is jmzelten3@netscape.net.
1984
Chris Mayer (Kujawa) lives in Buffalo
Grove, IL with her husband and two
children. She works as a caregiver to
the elderly and her email address is
sundance2209@aol.com.
Paula Thomas (Magnant) is a financial
analyst in the healthcare field. She lives
in Chicago with her husband and four
children. Her email address is Paula-T-16@
hotmail.com.
1987
Jennifer Ann DeMasi (Krystyniak) works
in the education field and lives with her
family in Lockport, IL. Her email address is
girlsx4mom@yahoo.com.
1988
Maureen T. Dwyer lives in Chicago. Her
email address is bigred1204casey@yahoo.
com.
1994
Patricia L. Mesarina is a student and resides
in Hammond, IN. Her email address is
mesarinap1@calumet.purdue.edu.
1995
Tomeki Webb is a loan officer. She is a
Chicago resident and her email address is
lushishlips23@yahoo.com.
1996
Sara L. Bates (Hurtuks) is an administrator
for a non-profit organization. She resides
in Chicago and her email address is sara_
hurtuk@hotmail.com.
1998
Christine Ann Lopez (Goslawski) is a
college student. She lives in Chicago and
can be reached at clopez3282@gmail.com.
Mini-Meteors
E-mail a photo of your Mini-Meteor wearing their favorite De La Salle gear to alumnirelations@dls.org
to appear in the De La Salle Magazine and we’ll send you a free t-shirt.
De La Salle Institute extends its deepest
sympathies to the families of the following
De La Salle and Lourdes alumni and
friends who have recently passed away:
Mr. William F. Davin ’35
Mr. Eugene M. Wagner ’35
Mr. Carl W. Siegel ’38
Mr. James A. Pitaro ’39
Mr. Joseph W. Linden ’40
Mr. Robert E. Langan ’43
Mr. Anthony M. Bozich ’43
Mr. James M. Clifford ’44
Mr. Daniel W. Noonan ’47
Mr. James F. Fitzgerald ’48
Mr. Edward L. Matyus ’48
Mr. John J. Noonan ’48
Mr. Richard H. Murphy ’49
Mr. James A. Ward ’50
Mr. Robert P. Paveleck ’51
Mr. Richard F. Young ’52
Mr. Francis J. Kopack ’54
Mr. John D. Leen ’54
Mr. Robert R. Canty ’55
Mr. James A. Tomczak ’55
Mr. Ralph J. Stiglich ’56
Mr. Andrew F. Capola ’59
Mr. James D. Gianone ’59
Mr. Arthur W. Kuhnhofer ’59
Mr. John S. Rymsza ’59
Mr. John P. Dillon ’59
Ms. Carole St. Pierre ’L59
Mr. Owen M. McAleenan ’61
Mr. Leo K. Daubaras ’62
Mr. John J. Jankas ’64
Mr. Daniel M. Kuber ’74
Mr. Michael J. Phillips ’77
Mr. Michael R. Houlihan ’89
Mr. Michael T. Hughes ’90
Mr. Fausto A. Manzera ’06
Mr. Randyl L. Stuckemeyer
Eternal rest grant unto our brothers
and sisters, O Lord, and may perpetual
light shine upon them. May their
souls and all the souls of the faithful
departed rest in peace. Amen.
St. John Baptist De La Salle, pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts, forever.
Caden Krystofiak shows off his
Meteor gear.
Cooper Holmberg, nephew of
Dale Burke, faculty member.
Hayden Charles Addesso, great
nephew of Brother Chris Oddo,
Director of Technology.
Alumni Connection De La Salle Magazine 21

Office for Advancement
3455 S. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60616-3827
312.842.7355
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit No. 3092
Chicago, IL
Address Service Requested
Parents: If this is addressed to your son or daughter
and he or she no longer resides there, please
contact De La Salle’s Office for Advancement
by phone or with the enclosed envelope so
that we may update our records.
METEOR FOOTBALL
BLUE/GOLD GAME
-FINAL
The Annual
Chet Bulger Society
Blue/Gold Football
Game
Friday, August 21, 2009
JV Game starts at 6:00 pm
VARSITY GAME at 7:00 pm
114th Annual Alumni Banquet
Friday, October 2, 2009 • Beverly Country Club • Chicago, IL
De La Salle Institute Golf Classic
Each ticket includes:
hot dog, chips and beverage!
$10 entry fee
$5 High School Students
Younger than H.S.–FREE OF
CHARGE!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Gleneagles Country Club
13070 McCarthy Road
Lemont, IL 60439
PLEASE JOIN US FOR A
GREAT NIGHT OF FUN!
For more information on any of the above events, please contact Sarah Reczek, Director of Community Relations,
at 312.842.7355 ext. 147 or reczeks@dls.org