Heard in the Halls - November 2017

November 8, 2017

Welcome to Heard in the Halls!

We encourage you to read all the current blogs, or click below to quickly go to a section.

ATHLETICS | BAND | CAMPUS MINISTRY | CHOIR | COUNSELING | JROTC | THEATER

Athletics

Wrestling

by Dan Willaert, Head Coach

The Raiders Wrestling Team is literally gearing up for a new season. A new rule from the National Federation of State High School Associations allows wrestlers to wear a compression shirt and combat shorts, rather than the typical singlet. The Raiders are all on board with several returning wrestlers and at least a dozen new wrestlers who are excited about the new uniforms. Many current wrestlers plan to continue wearing singlets but are also excited about the energy and enthusiasm this change will bring to the program.

This year’s squad will be lead by captains Javen Guzik-McNeil, Drew Kampmeier, Max Steigauf, Edmundo Villalva Lijo, and Danny Vrtis.

They have a tough task in front of them to meet the expectations set by recent seasons. The Raiders have had six individual state entrants in the past four years and at least one participant every year in that span. The last time such a streak occurred was from 1976 to 1979. If at least one wrestler qualifies for state this season, it would be the first ever five-year streak in school history.

The Varsity team is also on a four-year streak of earning a Gold All-State Academic Award from the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association for having a composite grade point average of 3.5 or higher.

CDH is also excited to be hosting two big events in February. On February 3, the Raiders will host the 3^rd Annual Michael Carlson Memorial Duals with 12 teams participating on six mats in both gyms. National powerhouse Apple Valley headlines a challenging field of teams that includes Forest Lake, Stillwater, Eden Prairie, Lakeville South, Wayzata, Fridley, Redwood-River Valley, Totino-Grace, Sartell-St. Stephen, and Minneapolis Washburn. Then on Friday, February 16, CDH will host the Section 3AAA Team Championships – a ten-team single-elimination tournament where the winning team qualifies for the State Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center. We are looking for parents and alumni to volunteer at both events. Please contact Coach Willaert if you are able to help out.

Finally, the Raiders would like to extend an invitation to all wrestling alumni from the Classes in the 1960s - 2017 to attend Alumni Night on Friday, December 1. CDH will take on Woodbury at home with a social to follow at Shamrock’s on West 7th Street.

Band

by Donna Novey, Band Director

Full speed ahead continues as the trimester winds down in the band department.  Just recently, the band has performed at two Open Houses for prospective students and provided support for the JROTC Diamond Promotions.  Four band members earned Diamond Promotions at the ceremony.

Pep Band opportunities are presenting themselves with the football team making it to Section Finals but Mother Nature has other ideas with high temperatures only in the mid-30s.  It's not that the band members are afraid of being cold; it's the problem of ruining the band instruments.  Woodwinds can crack, won’t come apart and pads start falling out.  Percussion heads and shells can break.  Brass instruments fare the best but the oil on those instruments evaporates and the valves won't go up and down.  A clarinet that cracks in the cold can cost up to $1000 to replace.  We can't risk damage to the equipment, especially with a concert coming up in just over a week.  So, that’s why pep band is an iffy thing this time of year. Hopefully, a trip to US Bank Stadium is in the future; best wishes to the team!

Speaking of concerts, plan to attend the Fall Band Concert on Monday, November 13 at 7 p.m. in the Griep Family Gymnasium.  Music selections will include a circus march, a Broadway tune, a Spanish dance, music from the Wizard of Oz and a patriotic selection in honor of Veterans Day.  As always, our concerts are free and open to the public.  This will be the band's 12th performance this trimester!

Looking ahead into next trimester:  Mark your calendars for the Christmas Band and Choir Concert on Monday, December 18 at 7 p.m. in the Joe Mauer Field House.

Band Member Spotlight:  9^th Grade Band Members

Seventeen fun and energetic 9^th graders joined the ranks of the CDH Band this year.  They started out nervous about coming to band camp and learning to march for the first time.  Today, we see such progress - they have come a very long way in their musical development.  Most are playing more than they’ve ever played before, now having Band every day, and their improvements have been measurable.  We welcome the newest CDH Band members!

Campus Ministry

by Peter Gleich, Campus Minister

Planning continues for our 16^th Annual Empty Bowls, which this year will be held on Wednesday, February 7, 2018.  For the past 15 years, CDH students, staff, parents, and friends, all with a desire to combat the reality of hunger and starvation in our world, have come together to raise awareness and funds to support the work of Heifer International.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our soup, bread, silent auction, ceramic bowl and financial donors, we have raised on average over $8,000 each year. As our nation prepares to celebrate Thanksgiving, a time when we both recognize and give thanks for the abundance of blessings in many of our lives, we also acknowledge and hopefully offer material support to those who struggle to have those most basic of needs met.

Again, thank you to all who have helped make Empty Bowls a part of the fabric of Cretin-Derham Hall.

If you have any questions regarding Empty Bowls, or might be interested in supporting the event with a monetary donation, or a donation of soups, bowls or silent auction items, please contact Peter Gleich.

Please add February 7, 2018, to your calendars for Empty Bowls 2018 and join us for a bowl of soup!

Choir

by Isaac Lovdahl, Choir Director

The CDH Choir is working hard on two upcoming performances and would love for you to join us. All are welcome!

Annual Christmas Dinner

The CDH Choral Program will be hosting its Annual Christmas Dinner in the Joe Mauer Field House on Saturday, December 9. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are now on sale, please visit the Choir page to purchase your tickets today!

A silent auction will be held and there will be appetizers, entrees, desserts, and more. Join us for a night of delicious food, quality music, and Christmas cheer!

Christmas Band and Choir Concert

We are also working hard on our Christmas concert with the CDH Band on Monday, December 18. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the Joe Mauer Field House. Christmas is a time for music and joy!

Counseling

by Joan O'Connell, College Counselor

Private Scholarships for College

Many private organizations offer scholarships to students intending to go to college.  CDH seniors can find private scholarship information on their “Naviance” accounts. Just log in, click on the “colleges” tab, scroll down to “scholarships & money”, click on “scholarship list” to find the most updated list. 

All of the private scholarships that we have been made aware of will appear here and students can get all the information they need to apply in one spot.  You can also do a search of a national scholarship database by clicking on “national scholarship search”. Please remember to check these resources throughout the winter and spring as they are continually updated.

Be vigilant about college scholarship scams.  Beware of any scholarship organization that asks you to pay a fee, promises scholarship money or touts money-back guarantees.  Don’t be fooled by official-sounding names that include words such as “National,” “Federal” or “Administration”.  Never supply your credit card information to a scholarship site.

College Application Deadlines

A reminder to seniors that your CDH College Application Contract  (Purple Sheet) is due to the Counseling Office no later than Monday, December 4 in order for your CDH supporting materials to be sent prior to the Christmas break.  Remember that the Counseling staff will also be on break, so we must have your requests early for any January 1 deadlines.  We realize this can be a stressful time for seniors, so please see your counselor if you need assistance.

JROTC 

by LTC Jamie Fischer, SGM David Berrisford, and MSG Ken Peloski

Since our last article, a great deal has happened…..

Our most exciting ceremony of the year occurred on Friday, October 27.  This year’s process was highly competitive; the class of 2018 has the highest percentage of cadet officers we have seen in many years. Some worthy cadets did not make the first cut but will have the opportunity to achieve additional rank over the course of the school year. Regardless of their rank, every member of the corps has the chance to develop their leadership and citizenship skills.

The 17 Diamond Officers (listed below) will lead the 220 strong Corps of Cadets through numerous activities and events over the rest of the school year concluding with the Twilight Parade on May 16, 2018. In addition to preparing for the parade, each Diamond Officer will manage a special project for the long-term benefit of the Corps. The Brigade and Battalion staffs will guide the Corps through a continuous improvement program. Select officers will plan, coordinate, and supervise the Upper Midwest JROTC Challenge for approximately 350 JROTC cadets coming from 15 other schools. All will help to commemorate the ongoing centennial of the CDH JROTC program, one of the oldest in the United States.

2017-18 Diamond Officers

Brigade S1: Cadet Major Alexis Feist 

Brigade S2: Cadet Major Jack Rymanowski 

Brigade S3:  Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Johnathan Koop

Brigade S4:  Cadet Major William Pope 

Brigade S5:  Cadet Major Bryce Vevey

1^st Battalion Executive Officer:  Cadet Major Andrew Keis

2^nd Battalion Executive Officer: Cadet Major Jacob Walters

3^rd Battalion Executive Officer: Cadet Major Edward (Teddy) Gray 

1^st Battalion S3:  Cadet Major Osagie (Obi) Abulu            

2^nd Battalion S3: Cadet Major Jack Engstrom 

3^rd Battalion S3: Cadet Major Thomas Knops

Commander, 1st Battalion:  Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Peyton Yurek

Commander, 2nd Battalion: Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Michael Burke

Commander, 3^rd Battalion: Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Shane Benick

Brigade Executive Officer:  Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Seifert 

Deputy Brigade Commander:  Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Giselle Centeno 

Cadet Colonel with duty as the Brigade Commander:  Cadet Colonel Leland Pornschloegl

Our JROTC co-curricular activities are busy.  Our Color Guard presented the colors at Diamond Promotions and will present them as well as at the home football playoff game.  The Rifle Team has started practicing for competitions and will endeavor to qualify for the Regional JROTC Championships this month.  Our Honor Guard continues to perform duties at wakes, and they assisted with the CDH Gala at the University of St. Thomas on October 28.  Both the Armed and Unarmed Regulation Drill Team is practicing for upcoming competitions later in the winter.

Five seniors attended the annual West Point Society’s Student Leadership Seminar on November 3.  Working with other local high school students mentored by local Senior ROTC and West Point Cadets, our students explored a series of ethical challenges and ways to lead their communities through them.

Our seniors have begun to lead the Brigade.  Many planned and supervised activities at Camp Ripley.  Those in key leadership positions have initiated the Continuous Improvement Process for the year.  They are currently reviewing our mission, vision, and values to identify desired outcomes and set goals using the SMART model.

Seniors should be finishing Senior ROTC applications and Academy nominations.  Juniors who are considering military service should be doing their research on which branch, what school, and which major.  As always, we are available to answer questions.

For the latest JROTC news, follow us on Twitter!

Theater

by Katie Kretizer, Theater Director

The Lillian Theater was filled with laughter these past two weekends, October 27-29 and November 3-5. The fall play, One Man Two Guvnors by Richard Bean was a hilarious hit. The witty British farce tackled difficult physical comedy and ridiculous situations leaving the theater rumbling with laughter.