document

D e v e l o p i n g L e a d e r s h i p i n Yo u n g M e n

A C a t h o l i c S c h o o l i n t h e M a r i a n i s t Tr a d i t i o n

M ELLERFALL/WINTER 2012

ExploringEnvironmental

ConnectionsExploring

EnvironmentalConnections

Steve Jobs once said, while trying to define passion about something, “I have looked in the mirror every morning andasked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I wantto do what I am about to do today?’ “And whenever that answerwas “yes,” he knew he’d found what passion was all about.

There are often times when I think Moeller, being the non-stop,vibrant community that it is, runs primarily on passion. Andwhen I witness that passion I find myself sometimes asking,What do we want for the Men of Moeller? What do they needfrom education; what do they need from us?

While academic training is certainly important, I often findmyself thinking that Moeller, as much as producing academicallycompetent young men, wants those same young men to be character-filled, confident, giving, and instilled with capacity.

• A Man of Moeller with good character should intend to do whatis just, right, and good.

• A Man of Moeller with confidence has the assuredness neededto act effectively and to demonstrate and build competenceand character in challenging situations.

• A giving Man of Moeller uses these other attributes to give to others.

• A Man of Moeller with capacity gets involved in the life of theschool, and he finds his mind and days being incredibly full.That fullness often means that his time management skillsbecome honed, lifelong assets.

While academic training is certainly important, I often findmyself thinking that Moeller, asmuch as producing academicallycompetent young men, wantsthose same young men to becharacter-filled, confident, giving,and instilled with capacity.

In addition to these good qualities, wemust teach our Men of Moeller, andshow by our example, that all can begreatly enhanced by their sense of caring.When we truly care for them and putthem first, they will know. There is nothing like true caring. It is one of the backbones of our lives.

Whether it’s in the classroom, onthe field, at Mass, in the hallways,or on retreat, we adults teach and demonstrate the values ouryoung men possess. The bestway Moeller can collectivelychange the values of the studentsentrusted to our care is by livingour lives in such a way that they areable to see how we demonstrate thesecore values.

This is what I think we want for our Menof Moeller. This is what I think they needfrom us. They should be our passion.

Bill Hunt, President

Our Lady of Moeller SocietyArchbishop Moeller High School established Our Lady ofMoeller Society to recognize individuals and families whohave included the school in their estate plans. Planned gifts

will play a critical role in ensuring the future ofMoeller by providing the financial resources

necessary to offer the outstanding educationalopportunities for the next generation.

You have the power to make a lastingimpact on Moeller through a planned gift.These types of charitable arrangementsenable you to support our students andprograms far into the future, while also

providing tax and other benefits to you.Membership in Our Lady of Moeller Society

is open to alumni, parents, family, friends, oranyone who makes a commitment to Moeller

through their estate or other planned gifts.

If you have already included Moeller as a beneficiary of yourestate plan, please contact us so that we can personally thankyou and invite you to become a member of this importantcircle of friends.

Scott Schuster, Director of Development

“I always think about the potential that endowment funds hold.You can help make sure that Moeller is vibrant in the futurewith your planned gift. Gifts of all sizes are welcome. Togetherwe can ensure a stable financial future for our students.” Blane Collison, Principal

“We believe in the lasting gift of a Moellereducation for future generations.” Pat & Bruce Buckley ’67

With nearly 50 graduating classes,Moeller High School has entered anage where alumni and friends mustconsider contributing to the schoolthrough planned giving.” Jim Grau ’69

This year’s Veterans Day Program was special. I wish you could have been there. A bagpipe playerlead the entrance of the colors, while more than 40veterans, many dressed in their military attire, fol-lowed. Eveslage Chaplain Michael Staun’13 calledall to praise and remembrance, and School CaptainHarry Wahl ’13 gave a brief history of the signifi-cance of Veterans Day.

Then there was a moment of remembrance forMarine Sgt. John “J.P.” Huling ‘04 who was killed inAfghanistan this past May. His mother, Debbie Huling,pictured left, introduced as Moeller’s special guest,stood up with tears glistening, and the Men ofMoeller gave her a standing ovation.*

Army veteran Ed Finke ’64,pictured above, a member ofMoeller’s first graduatingclass, spoke about howMoeller became known asthe “Crusaders,” and abouthis passionate support forthe military veterans ofWorld War II. His program,

the Honor Flight Network, flies World War IIand Korean War veterans to Washington,D.C., to see the military memorials created intheir honor. Afterward, the Men of Moellerdonated more than $2,000, which will providefive veterans with this opportunity.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea.The Veterans Day Program was a poignantremembrance and salute to those who serveour county, and the Men of Moeller embracedit with reverence. Like I said, I wish you couldhave been there…

In this issue I hope you read the manymore reasons to feel proud of the Men ofMoeller – as well as all those who work tire-lessly to support their growth in mind, body,heart, and spirit. As Principal Blane Collisonoften says, we are developing the best leadersfor the world: Men who feel a call to dutymuch like the men and women who serve ourcountry. May we all make them proud.

Mary’s peace to you,

Johanna KremerCommunications [email protected]

P.S. The long-awaited Moeller Veterans Memorialwill become a reality this spring. Check ourwebsite under Support Moeller/VeteransMemorial in February 2013 for up-to-dateinformation. In addition, there is a VeteransDay Program slideshow on that Web page.

*J.P. was one of three Moeller alumni who lost their lives in service to their country.David S. Reilly ’66 and Dennis MichaelBoland ’67 were killed during the Vietnam War.

Ed Finke ’64 explained to the Men of Moellerhow their school mascot came to be knownas the “Crusader”: In 1960 a few weeks afterMoeller first opened its doors to 196 freshmen,Brother Keyes, S.M., held a contest to givethe new school a mascot identity. Theadministration chose “Crusader,” and twofreshmen had provided that name, Ed andDennis Cronin ’64. They split a $10 giftcertificate to the bookstore. Ed, however, didn’tlet anyone know right away that he was oneof the winners, because at the time there was acartoon character named “Crusader Rabbit,”and though he hadn’t chosen the namebecause of the cartoon, he was sure that hisfellow classmates and football teammateswould think he did and make fun of him.

M ELLER

Moeller Magazine is an official publication ofArchbishop Moeller High School for alumni,family, and friends. Comments and questionsare encouraged. Please send your commentsto Johanna Kremer, editor/communicationsdirector, at [email protected].

EDITORJohanna Kremer,

Communications DirectorArchbishop Moeller High School9001 Montgomery RoadCincinnati, OH 45242-7780Voice Mail: (513) 791-1680, ext. 1330Email: [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORSBill Balbach ’72Dick BeermanBarry Borman ’64Blane CollisonMary FischerChris Anne GaierBill HuntMarcia LechnerBetsy MorganCindy NeuhausScott Schuster

ADMINISTRATIONBill Hunt, PresidentBlane Collison, PrincipalChris Wilke, Dean of AcademicsCarl Kremer, Dean of Students

BOARD OF TRUSTEESCharley BlumTherese EssweinTom FitzChris Gilles ’82Jim Hubbard, SecretaryPete KimenerLeon Loewenstine Jr.Dan Neyer’77Bob Niehaus’65Sally Nugent, Vice ChairMark Rippe’72, ChairFather Larry Tensi

LAYOUT & DESIGNJames Wilmink ’85, Insignia DesignEmail: [email protected]

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSDennis Cronin ’64Maureen DiesslinMary FischerJohanna Kremer

PRINTINGLarry Kuhlman ’81, Bramkamp Printingwww.Bramkamp.com

DISTRIBUTIONGinny Bauer ©2012. All rights reserved. ArchbishopMoeller High School is owned and operated by the Catholic Archdiocese ofCincinnati and adheres to its policies.WWW.MOELLER.ORG

features

FALL/WINTER 2012-13

9 6 HOUSES, 1 ROOF: House System Key to Moeller’s ‘Home’ Environment

11 GREEN TITANS: Alums Profiled for their Green Commitment

departmentsInside Cover FROM THE PRESIDENT

1 EDITOR’S INTRO

3 PRINCIPAL’S NOTE

4 MOELLER TODAY

19 CRUSADER CONNECTIONS

The Tale of 2 Brothers, 4 Kidneys, and 2 Lives…Saved

25 ALUMNI NOTES

LETTERS TO THE EDITORGETTING THE STORY STRAIGHT: In response to an article in the spring/summer 2012 edition ofMoeller Magazine (“Four More State Championships: A New Record for Moeller’s ‘Winning Tradition’!”)we heard from reader Charles MacMillan (Westlake, OH): “Being a fan of high school sports and agraduate of Catholic schools (St. Edward High School, University of Notre Dame) and educator for 40years, I was perplexed by your reference to four state championships in one school year. I have to point

out that if your reasoning is correct St. Edward wonseven state titles this year: four in wrestling, one inindoor track, one in track & field, and one in rugby. Or they won four TEAM championships.”

Charles is correct. References to schools’ state championships are “officially” for teams and state-sanctioned sports only. For school purposes, wedecided to also recognize our students’ individualtitles, including those not officially sanctioned by thestate, and we meant to qualify that more clearly inthe article. My apologies for the omission.

Alumnus Brian Schings ’07 also pointed out thatusing our internal measure of state championshipsuccess, Moeller had five state titles in 2006-07: team

state championships in basketball and volleyball and individual state championships in wrestling(two) and swimming. We gladly stand corrected!

cover story25 QUALITY EDUCATION:

Exploring Environmental Connections Cross-Curricular Program Forges New Pathways

Cover photo by Maureen Diesslin

3 • SPRING/SUMMER 2012

This year Moeller enters the second year of theInterdisciplinary initiativethat focuses on the environment. The environmentaffects us all, creating theneed to explore the issues sovital to maintaining the natural world in which welive and that sustains our life.Some of the topics we are

exploring include the ethical use and preservationof natural resources, the effect of the environmenton our health, the issues surrounding sustainability,various alternative energy resources and theirlong-term impact, and how technologicaladvances help and hinder our environment.

As Catholics we are called to be good stewardsof all that God has created. Understanding one’splace in the world allows us to enjoy the beautyof creation and to be grateful for the earth thatprovides for our needs. Each of us is challengedto make decisions regarding how we can make use of the natural resources at our disposaland to create the means for sustainability forgenerations to come.

As E.O. Wilson once proclaimed, “If allmankind were to disappear, the world wouldregenerate back to the rich state of equilibriumthat existed ten thousand years ago. If insectswere to vanish, the environment would collapseinto chaos.”

Pope John Paul II stated in 1990 “that we cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying attention both to the consequencesof such interference in other areas and to the well-being of future generations.”

With the many issues related to the environmentimpacting us today, Moeller seeks to bring clearerfocus and heightened awareness of environmentalconcerns to our school community so that we maydemonstrate our stewardship for God’s creationby choosing to make ethical decisions.

Through the interdisciplinary initiatives takingplace in a wide range of academic content areas,we aim to instill in our students the wonder of thenatural world God has created, explore the meansfor being good stewards of our natural resources,and begin to understand the ethical ways in whichour environment must be cared for to ensure thatwe leave a legacy of using our resources wisely for the benefit of all.

Yours in service,

Blane Collison

“Moeller seeks to bringclearer focus and heightened awarenessof environmental concerns to ourschool community so that we maydemonstrate ourstewardship for God’s creation bychoosing to make ethical decisions.”

Edward O. Wilson (June10, 1929 - ) American biologist and active environmentalist known for his study of ants.

MONDAY MOVIE NIGHTS: As part of this year’s interdisciplinary program focusing on the environment, Moeller isoffering free movies and presentations periodically throughout the year.The first film, No Impact Man, followed a Manhattan-based family asthey abandoned their high-consumption 5th Avenue lifestyle and triedto live a year while making no net environmental impact. The secondpresentation, “After Black Friday: Trash and Waste Disposal” andinvolved the mini-documentary, The Story of Stuff, a fast-paced, fact-filledfilm that exposed the connections between environmental and socialissues. After the movie there was a panelwith representatives from Rumpke and theCincinnati Solid Waste District Management.All films and presentations are open to thepublic and currently include the followingdates: December 12, 2012; January 7, 2013;February 11; and March 11 or 18. See Moeller’swebsite for up-to-date information.

NEW SMART TEAM: ScienceTeacher Dan Shannon initiated a newacademic co-curricular this fall calledthe SMART Team (Students Modelinga Research Topic). This program connectsstudents with active researchers onspecific projects. This year’s projectinvolves the students designing andconstructing a physical model of a proteinand then telling the story of the researchin progress on that protein. SMARTTeams exist nationwide, but Moeller isthe only school in Ohio to have a team.

The students are working withBiology Teacher Dan Shannon andDr. Karen Gregerson (College ofPharmacy, University of Cincinnati)and will be studying Dr. Gregerson'sresearch on the protein prolactin andits link to breast cancer. The students will design a poster and develop a10-minute oral presentation that will tell the story of Dr. Gregerson’sresearch on prolactin. If all goes well, the SMART Team will present theirwork at the 2013 Annual American Society for Biochemistry and MolecularBiology (ASBMB) meeting in Boston in April. “As the mother of a memberof the SMART team,” says Francine Bugada, “I am impressed by the highlevel of thinking and understanding that these students are capable of. Theexposure to this level of research and opportunity to work with a researchscientist in her field is invaluable and rare at the high school level.”

AP STUDENTS’ TEST SCORES SETNEW SCHOOL RECORD! Of the 14 APclasses that the school offers, Moeller studentsscored above the national average on nine ofthem, which is a school record. During thepast five years, Moeller has increased thenumber of students taking AP tests by 75%and increased students’ average scores on 12of the 14 AP offerings. Last year the schooladministered 345 AP tests and had 31 APscholars, 4 National Merit ScholarCommended students, and 2 National MeritScholar finalists. “From our expansive APprogram to our Student Support Services program, our community is committed tochallenging and enriching all of our students,regardless of ability,” said Blane Collison.(Pictured above: Class of 2013 AP Scholars)

COVER PHOTO/ WATER CONSERVATION FIELD TRIP:As part of the AP environmental sciencecurriculum, the students took a field tripto Nisbet Park. "They analyzed the riverand gave it a score to determine the qualityof the river that day,” said Dan Shannon,their environmental science teacher. “The

kids were broken into groups and worked withthe Ohio River Foundation education staff,where they learned about various methods oftesting the river for indicators that are used todetermine the health of the river. You have tolook at the river physically, chemically, andbiologically to get an understanding of whatis happening. The river didn’t grade out wellthat day and scored below standards due to highheat and lack of rainfall.” (See slideshow andfollow-up information on the Moeller website:www.Moeller.org: About Moeller/News & Media/Spotlight.) Pictured left is Jared Diesslin ’15.

SPEAKERS WANTED FOR SYMPOSIUM: In preparationfor the April 15, 2013, Environmental Symposium, Dean ofAcademics Chris Wilke is soliciting speakers and panel discussionparticipants who have an expertise in any of the areas related to the “green” industry. Please contact him if you are interested: Call (513) 791-1680 or email [email protected].

The Moeller SMART Team members willcollaborate regularly on the project throughoutthe fall and winter. Once their project isapproved, in the spring they will travel toBoston to present their work at the 2013Annual American Society for Biochemistryand Molecular Biology. Pictured above:(Jacob Menke '15, Ethan Callahan '15,Krishna Kurup '15, and Evan Holloway'16). Not pictured: Jack Taylor, AJ Reinhart, Peter Sharpshair, Mark Bugada, BobbySchantz, Ali Fazlani, Jared Diesselin, Gus Sharpshair, Steven (Austin) Sanders,and Austin Mills.

2012-13 InterdisciplinaryStudy Program On The Environment

ACADEMIC AWARDS: Principal Blane Collisonposes with Kevin Schmitt ’13 who received theRensselaer Medal Award for excellence in math &science at Moeller’s annual fall Academic AwardsProgram. This program honors sophomores-seniors for

their academic achievementsduring 2011-12 to set the tonefor the upcoming year. In Mayeach year Moeller honors theseniors for their academic success."Our academic awardsceremonies are the most important assemblies we have incoming together as community,other than a school liturgy," saysCollison. "We recognize the

dedication, commitment, perseverance and sacrifice ittakes to achieve honors at Moeller. Due to the rigorouscurriculum students are provided by our faculty, itis truly an accomplishment when our studentsachieve academic success in so many content areas.”

FIRST MOELLER ‘MOLE DAY’:At 6:02 AM on a chilly October 23morning, Moeller ChemistryTeacher Russ Pinkerton launchedthe school’s first “Mole Day.” Every October 23 is Mole Day, anunofficial holiday celebrated bychemists from 6:02 AM to 6:02 PM.The goal of Mole Day is to encourage interest in chemistry. The time and date are derived from Avogadro’s number, which isapproximately 6.02 x 1023, definingthe number of particles (atoms ormolecules) in one mole of substance,

one of the seven base SI units. Mole Day originated in an article in TheScience Teacher in the early 1980s. Inspired by this article, Maurice Oehler,now a retired high school chemistry teacher from Prairie du Chien,Wisconsin, founded the National Mole Day Foundation in 1991. Now manyschools around the US, South Africa, Australia, and Canada celebrate MoleDay with various activities often related to chemistry or moles. Moeller’sinaugural celebration included stuffed moles catapulting from a chemistrypowered launch, a mole sculpture contest, mole races, and more. “We originallywere going to announce a “mole king,’ ” says Pinkerton, “but two studentstied, and they did not want to do the tie-breaker event (a chemistry problem),so we will have to wait until next year to crown the first Mole King.”(Pictured is Jake Barbara’14 preparing for the mole-making contest.)

5 • FALL/WINTER 2012

NATIONAL MERITSCHOLAR STUDENTS:More than 1.5 million studentstook the 2011 SAT/NationalMerit Scholarship qualifying testlast October, and Nick Staresinic’13 was named a National MeritScholar Semifinalist. Performersin the top 5% are named“Commended Students,” whichincludes the following Moellerstudents: Andrew Benza,Andrew Brinker, BenjaminBruggemann, Brian Butz, James Breitenbach, Steve Lair,and Drew Klosterman.

Nick Staresinic ’13 is also anAP Scholar with Distinction.During the fall AcademicAwards ceremony he receivedthe George Eastman YoungLeaders Award, which is presented for outstanding academic achievement and leadership. Nick was also a delegate to Buckeye Boys State.

NEW BRITISH LIT TRIP: In June, two of Moeller’sEnglish faculty members, Michael Rose and Eric Eble, took agroup of juniors on a British Lit trip, experiencing first handmany of the settings they’ve been reading in their classesthroughout the year. “Students visited Shakespeare's GlobeTheatre, the Sherlock Holmes museum, the Tower of London,Shakespeare's home in Stratford, Oxford University, Hadrian'sWall, Edinburgh Castle, Windsor Castle, the EdinburghWriter's Museum, and much more,” said Rose. “This was themaiden voyage of what will now be an annual June trip forjuniors. Next year we will be traveling to London, Oxford,Stratford, Bath, Somerset, and Winchester.”

LATIN AWARD: Latin Teacher andCertamen ModeratorBrian Compton receivedthe Summa Cum LaudeSponsor Award duringMoeller’s fall AcademicAwards ceremony.

MOELLER WRITING CENTER GOING STRONG: Under theleadership of English Teacher Eric Eble, Moeller’s new WritingCenter, which is available on B-Days during M-Block and afterschool, has become a valuable resource for students. "Students bringtheir ideas, outlines, and first drafts to the Chaminade Library,” heexplains, “and talented and friendly senior writing consultants buildMoeller culture by dialoguing with students about papers and ideas.”

BREAST CANCERAWARENESS: InOctober Moeller teamed upwith Elder 200 for the PinkRibbon Girls who supportwomen with breast cancer.This year they raised morethan $3,200 for the PinkRibbon Girls who supportwomen with breast cancer.Pictured: Michelle Hodge

(mother of senior football player Charlie Hodge) and TracieMetzger (co-founder/executive director, Pink Ribbon Girls)pose at the PINK Ribbon game. The football players collectedan additional $500 at the gate.

HURRICANE SANDY RELIEF: The families ofChaminade High School in Mineola Long Island, NY,were hit hard by Hurricane Sandy, and some familiescompletely lost their homes. Bro. Dick Hartz, S.M., aMarianist Brother at Chaminade, told Bro. Flaherty, S.M.,that financial support would be beneficial to their community at this time. Therefore, Moeller is sponsoringa collection at the Family Mass on December 9 to benefitthe Chaminade community in Long Island. If you wouldlike to help this Marianist community, please send yourfinancial donation to Moeller, c/o Pastoral Ministry, (HurricaneSandy Relief), 9001 MontgomeryRoad, Cincinnati, OH 45242.

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION: One ofMoeller’s annualcelebrations is theVeterans DayAssembly honoringthose who servedour nation. This yearMoeller focused onour World War IIveterans by supporting the

Honor Flight Network, which is directed locally byMoeller alumnus Ed Finke ’64. Honor Flight takesWorld War II veterans to the memorials in Washington,D.C., free of charge. Following the Veterans Dayassembly, Moeller took a collection in Mentor Group to help send World War II veterans to Washington,D.C., as part of the Honor Flights Program. TheVeterans Day Program keynote speaker, alumnus Ed Finke ’64, described his passion for recognizing themen and women who served America during WorldWar II. The students collected more than $2K, whichwill send five World War II vets to Washington, D.C.Debbie Huling was Moeller’s special guest. She is themother of J.P. Huling ’04 who was killed in May whileserving in Afghanistan.

Educating for Service,Justice & Peace

HERO-TO-HERO PROGRAM BLOOD DRIVE:The Pastoral Ministry Program holds Hoxworth BloodDrives throughout the year. Those who gave blood inNovember participated in the Hero-to-Hero Program bywriting a brief note of thanks to one of our soldiers servingin Afghanistan. In addition, a special care package wasattached to each note.

STUDENTS HOLDFUNDRAISER FOR CANCERFREE KIDS:Moeller sophomores Alex Marchionda, MatthewWolf, Andrew Johnson, andErik Mueller helped raisemore than $1,000 forCancerFree Kids with theirHaunted Trails fundraiserin October. This event is

held in the Miami Trails neighborhood in Loveland, andthe young men created and set up an entire haunted trailthat entertained the neighborhood children. They raisedthe kids’ spirits for Halloween, and at the same time theyraised money to fund pediatric cancer research. “We justcan’t say enough about these young men,” said MarlaHricovsky from CancerFree Kids. “They are another fineexample of the Men of Moeller in our community.”

ST. JOSEPH’S SERVICE PROJECT: ThirteenMen of Moeller helped clean out and organize two garagesand several storage and record rooms at the St. JosephParish in the West End: Brett Carlin, Mitch Hoelker, AdamGigax, Connor Hanson, Patrick Schenk, Mitch Meece, WillIttenbach, Andrew Olinger, Matt Messina, Jake Wermes,Daniel Bruns, Chris Wright, and Nick Wright. (Beth andSteve Wright, along with Rick Ittenbach provided theparental support.) “St. Joseph’s has a really strong community,” says parent volunteer Wright. “The parishand school date from 1846, and it’s the longest-operatingCatholic grade school in Cincinnati. The parish was originally mostlyGermans, as you mightguess, and the originalchurch records are in German and Latin.


BRO. RON LUKSIC, S.M., RECEIVES EF FOUNDATION AWARD: In May Bro. Ron Luksic, S.M., accepted the EF Foundation’sGlobal Excellence Award. Each year, the EF Foundation forForeign Study, a leader in high school exchange programs,recognizes schools across the country for excellence in globaleducation. Bro. Ron has been leading Moeller’s exchange programs for more than two decades.

The EF award is presented to high schools/school districtsthat demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to internationalunderstanding and global awareness.

“Bro. Ron plays an integral part in the program’s success,”says Moeller’s Alumni Relations Director Mary Fischer who hosted an EF studentfrom Norway in 2011-12. “More than 100 high school students from all over theworld have come to Moeller and experienced not only a world-class educationbut the Moeller Family Spirit as well. It is a win-win experience for all – for thestudents who come to study at Moeller, for the host families, and for the studentbody who experience different cultures from regions around the world.”

Bro. Ron’s love of travel began in the summer of 1976 when he worked at aMarianist school in Dublin, Ireland, and secured a Eurail pass to backpackthrough Europe. Soon afterward as an educator for Chaminade Julienne HighSchool in Dayton and then at Moeller, Bro. Ron began coordinating studenttrips. “These trips are a great way for students to end their high school tenure,”he said. “They spend time with 40-50 of their friends; they get a global experience;and they talk about the trip for years. I think the global education influencesmany of the students to do semester trips abroad in college. They get a littletaste of the world outside of Cincinnati and Hilton Head.”

‘A TASTE OF ITALY’ INVITATION:In conjunction with Moeller’s Main Eventtheme – “An Evening in Tuscany” – Bro. Ron is offering a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tuscanyand Rome, leaving September 2013. This 11-day tour includes stops in Florence, Siena,Assisi, Orvieto, and Rome. Optional activitiesfor participants include a cooking class, a winetasting, guided sightseeing, dinner with thetenors, and a papal audience. It’s not necessaryto be a part of the Moeller community to

attend – anyone is welcome to travel. “In 2009, I organized a similar tour to Italy, andparticipants had the time of their lives!” said Bro. Ron. “People have been asking meto plan another trip to Italy, and we thought this would be a great connection to ourMain Event Charity Auction.”

With almost 30 years of tour guiding in Italy, Luksic knows the secrets to making atrip memorable. “If you are really thinking about travelling, do it with someone whoknows the area – your trip will be so much more enjoyable.” So, another perk of travelling with Bro. Ron is his long-standing relationship with Enrico, his tour directoron every trip since 1999. “Enrico speaks the language and helps resolve any issue thatmight come up,” Bro. Ron explains. “Plus, Enrico has so much history and knowledgeof where we’re going. He doubles the value of the trip.”

In addition, because of Luksic’s long-standing relationship and connection with EFtours, the tour guide is making a generous donation to Moeller's Tuition AssistanceProgram, as part of Moeller’s Main Event.

Enrollment is open for the trip, which departs September 16, 2013. The cost is$3976/per person, and it includes airfare, transfers, bus, hotels, daily breakfast, some dinners, wine tastings, most excursions, and sightseeing. For enrollment information and more details, contact Louise Hoelker at [email protected] call (513) 791-1680, ext. 1304.

BRO. HAMM, S.M., CELEBRATES 70TH JUBILEE: Bro. Wilbert Hamm, S.M., a longtime volunteer at Moeller, recently celebrated his 70th jubilee as a Marianist Brother. He retired from Purcell Marian HS in 2006after completing 43 years of service as ateacher, driver’s education instructor,receptionist, and active volunteer. Aftermore than 65 years overall of service,Purcell Marian honored him with thePraestans Inter Omnes Award, meaning“Outstanding Among All.”

A Purcell Marian commemorativeproclamation noted that “Whenever Purcelland Purcell Marian alums gather, there arealways fond recollections of Bro. Hamm. Theyremember his coin jar and the money heraised for Marianist missions. Many havestated how they feared his discipline, but now,looking back, they realize how much theylearned from his high expectations of them.”

The Purcell Marian student paper,Cavalier, noted the following about theirbeloved educator: “Here at Purcell MarianHigh School it is that dedication to thethirst for knowledge, the value of the individual, and the quest for Christthrough Mary, the Marianist Tradition, that we see in Bro. Hamm.”

Since coming to Moeller, Bro. Hamm has been a regular volunteer in Main Office. "He calls everymorning at 8:50 AM to find out his assignment forthe day," says Administrative Assistant Edie Vicario,"and he is always happy to see a new face in theMain Office, so he can show them a card trick ortwo." Bro. Hamm has become renowned for hisexpertise with a deck of cards. Last year he wentdressed as a card shark to the student ambassadors'Christmas party. "The Moeller boys were climbingover each other to see Bro. Hamm’s card tricks," said Matt McLaughlin, Admissions Office assistant. "His tricks were engaging and mind-bending. It wasamazing to see him connecting with today’s youth ina real and honest way."

Educating for Family SpiritMEN OF FAITH

PRAYER BOOKS: Moeller’snewly published book of prayers isfilled with prose written by Moeller students for Moeller students. If youare interested in purchasing a copy of the book, they are available in theSpirit Shop for a suggested donationof $5. All proceeds go to PastoralMinistry’s Retreat and Service TripScholarship Fund.

Bro. Hamm was born in Pittsburgh in1927 and experienced the Marianist culture during his middle school years.Soon afterward he felt called to pursuehis vocation as a Brother, so after servinghis Noviate in Beacon, NY, he professedhis Marianist vows on August 24, 1942.

Bro. Hamm studied to be an educator at St. Louis and Dayton, graduating fromthe University of Dayton in 1944. He laterearned his master’s in education from theUniversity of Pittsburgh in 1955.

His first assignment was as a prefect andpart-time teacher at St. John’s Home forBoys in Brooklyn, NY (1944-1946). He nextserved one year as an accounting teacherat Purcell HS before moving to CathedralLatin HS in Cleveland through 1952.

Bro. Hamm became a second noviate inEureka, Missouri, before teaching again in Cleveland, Dayton (Chaminade HS), and

Hamilton. He then returnedto Purcell from 1959-63.

From December 1963 toAugust 1965 Bro. Hamm wasthe secretary and accountantto the head of temporalitiesat the Marianist GeneralAdministration Headquartersin Rome, Italy. He nextserved a one-year stint at St. Joseph HS in Clevelandbefore returning once moreto Purcell to serve 11 moreyears (1960-77) as ateacher and driving instructor.

He was needed at Moeller HS (1977-78)for one year, but he returned to Purcell andserved 28 more years before he retired.

50th CLASS CELEBRATION:The “MOEmentum” has begun!: Duringthe opening senior meeting, new SeniorModerator Doug Rosfeld introducedMOEmentum, which is the tag phrase for thisyear’s celebration of Moeller’s 50th graduating

class, the Class of 2013. He gave out T-shirts provided by the 50th ClassCelebration Committee (special thanks to members Kelly Collison, Beth Wright,Mary DiGiandomenico [logo designer], Ann Johnson, and Jenny Schmalz.) Theshirts introduce the logo for this special class celebration, and the studentcommittee will plan more celebratory activities during the upcoming year.

PARENT RECEIVES NECCAWARD: At the annual Red RibbonBreakfast, Beth Wright, Moeller parent andco-moderator for the Northeast CommunityChallenge Youth Coalition (NECC), receivedtheir 2012 Award of Appreciation. “Beth is a parent, a friend, and an advocate to hersons and the youth of our communities,”said Guidance Counselor Gail Dorsey. “Herefforts are far reaching. She embodies whatwe are each called to do – encourage ouryouth to make healthy and sound choicesthrough empowering them and being a positive role model." Pictured above,right are Beth Wright, and Moeller students from the Class of 2015: NickWright, Jake Wermes, Blake Crowley, Luke Weber, and Nick Spuzzillo. TheYouth Coalition is comprised of students from Moeller, CHCA, Sycamore,and Ursuline who come together to help promote the mission of NECC,which is to reduce risk factors and enhance protective factors in the community while building healthy communities and healthy youth.

RYAN RINN SELECTED AS ROTARYSTUDENT OF THE MONTH! The RotaryClub selected senior Ryan Rinn as their student ofthe month for October 2012. “I am very impressedwith Ryan,” says Guidance Counselor MichelleMeyer. “Not only is Ryan a very strong student, buthe has a strong commitment to service and to his faith,a true Man of Moeller. Ryan also received the serviceaward for both his sophomore and junior year.”

TWO STUDENTS TO REPRESENTMOELLER AT THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP FORUM! Juniors ChandlerWheat and Scott Rumsey were selected to representMoeller at the National Leadership Forum onNational Security, a weeklong study in Washington,D.C., that is designed to increase students’ knowledgeand understanding of US foreign policy within thecomplex context of contemporary international

political structures and ever-unfolding world events. (See article andslideshow on the Moeller website: www.Moeller.org: About Moeller/News

& Media/Spotlight.)

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE: Five students were selected toattend the annual Mayerson Leadership Conference. Moeller alumnusWill Tardio was selected to be the Mayerson keynote speaker. He is oneof the founding members of Unified for UNIFAT (u4u) – the student-ledorganization that works to support the UNIFAT school in Uganda. Aspart of the follow up to the seminar, Moeller joined with St. Xavier andcollected toiletries for St. Vincent de Paul.

Developing Leadership in Young Men


Moeller’s ‘Green Titans’Three Alums Profiled for Green Commitment

From the Editor:

Unbeknownst to him, Best Magazine Editor Doug Sandhagefeatured three Moeller alumni in his recent issue about“Living, Breathing, Working Green” in Cincinnati. Steve Melink ’76 and John Hueber ’71 even graced thecover. (Dan Neyer ’77 is the third alumnus profiled.) All were identified as “leaders in the city’s burgeoninggreen industry.”

Sandhage said, “The five people we picked to profile…were deliberately chosen because they not only live a greenlifestyle, they own, manage, or work for a company thatprovides green services or products. The overwhelmingtruth behind each of them is that they see a world that ischanging its ways.”

He goes on to say that Melink and Hueber are part of his“Gang of Four” who are committed to helping Cincinnatibecome the “greenest city in America, worthy of a presidential visit, attention in the national press, and areputation as a model for other cities.” A laudable goal,don’t you think?

Sandhage’s 23rd edition of Best Magazine proceeded fromthat vision, and his objective is to help readers understandwhat it means to live “green.”* Below are brief excerptsfrom the magazine profiles about our alums. I encourageyou to read the full versions, for our alumni are morethan just green lifestyle models. They exemplify theMarianist Characteristic of “educating for adaptation and change.” We can learn a great deal from them.

Johanna Kremer

Communications Director

*The annual Being Green in Cincinnati edition is availableat Joseph-Beth Booksellers, the Cincinnati Art Museum,the Weston Art Gallery, and Frame & Save in Hyde Park.More information is available at www.best-magazinecincinnati.com.

John Hueber ’71 (John Hueber Homes)John, age 59, says his first exposure to green was growing

up with four brothers and five sisters on St. Charles Placein Hyde Park. “We never got any toys,” says John. Instead,his father, Ken, built all the kids their own bicycles usingspare parts picked up in a junkyard. “My father was aGerman (descent) mechanical genius who could fix anything.He built cars; he built tractors; he could build a house. Heraised 10 kids and started in the lawnmower repair business.He worked 12 hours a day, and, of course, he would takeme and my brothers with him to work right along besidehim. He taught me to be a problem solver. That’s whatmechanical geniuses are; they can envision and solve problems.

I just think that kind of self-sufficiency was ingrained inme,” says John, adding that very little was wasted in theHueber household. To take the family on vacations, Johnsays his dad “bought a 1953 school bus, converting it intoan RV…The bus was so ingenious because it could sleepall of the kids in slung hammocks, like a submarine. Weeven had a kitchen. We used to go everywhere in thatthing. That whole way of living influenced my way of life.Being green is finding your connection to that universal,harmonious fabric that is right in front of us. I really thinkthat’s it. It’s something more than recycling…” (pp. 25-26)

Educating for Adaptation and Change

FALL/WINTER 2012 • 10

Dan Neyer ’76 (Neyer Properties)Dan was born in Dillonvale to Don and Phyllis, one ofeight kids. The family later moved to Kenwood. His firstjob at 13 was working in the company his great-grandfather,Joseph Neyer, founded in 1894. There he learned the basics,including “sweeping and cleaning up.” He graduatedfrom Miami University in 1981 with a degree in financeand accounting, and for the next 15 years, starting as anestimator and leaving as a land development manager,worked for Al Neyer… But deep inside he yearned to behis own boss, and during the evenings and weekendsworked on “buying and fixing up small residential andcommercial buildings,” he says. He liked what he sawand started Neyer Properties in 1995…

In 2005, Dan became aware of a new green buildingprogram being developed by the US Green BuildingCouncil known as LEED – Leadership in Engineeringand Environmental Design. “I was reading about it andtrying to figure out how to implement it from a marketingand PR standpoint,” he says. In the half-dozen yearssince, Neyer has completed 12 LEED projects havingreceived a gold, silver, or certification level. He believes heis #1 in Cincinnati in building the most LEED commercialproperties, with the American Red Cross being one of his favorites. (pp. 105, 107)

Steve Melink ’76 (Melink Corporation)Steve, the fifth of nine, was born in 1957. “It was very

frugal growing up; it was hard work,” he says. He addsthat perhaps his recycling education came from wearinghand-me-down clothes. “I probably had two shirts to myname. I remember going out with my friends and nothaving the money to go to Frisch’s or Skyline I would justsit there at the table and have a glass of water.” But he alsoremembers that money saved by his parents went tomaking sure the Melink siblings had “the best educationthey could provide.” Steve graduated from St. ColumbanElementary in Loveland and Moeller High School…

Overall, Steve says that three things happened in thelast decade that “I think helped put me where I amtoday.” First, the death of his father. “It put a greatersense of responsibility on me,” he says. Second, “I read abook called Visioneering that has a strong faith componentto it. This made me think of the opportunity I have, thatany leader has, to potentially change lives.” And third,the part that nearly anyone who has heard Steve speakseems to remember the most, “I went to a green buildingconference in Cleveland in 2004. It was an inspirationaltransforming experience. You think, how could a buildingconference, which seems pretty mundane, be interesting?But compared to the heating and air-conditioning industry,where you have a bunch of engineers walking the wallswith no passion, here (at the building conference) peoplewere passionate. It was like ‘Hey, we’ve got to change theway we design and make buildings. This is unsustainable.’I thought we are growing our (Melink) business, we arein the throes of designing our own building, and this is aperfect opportunity to do it right, design it, and build itin the way that shows we believe in energy efficiency…It changed my job to be not only a career but a vocation.”(pp. 67, 69-70)

The Neyer half-acre property atop steep Wiedemann Hill in Newport wasperfectly suited to erect a ground mount to hold 12 solar panels able togenerate 2.1 kilowatts of electricity. Neyer also has 24 panels installed onthe peaks of the roof, able to generate another four kilowatts. In all, thetwo solar arrays provide about 50% of the home's energy needs. MelinkCorporation of Milford supplied the solar power package to the home.

What’s the connection between English and the environment? How does APPhysics connect to our understanding of renewable energy? Where does art fit into ourunderstanding about the physical world? What does Catholic Social Teaching have to sayabout environmental sustainability? These are all questions that Moeller’s new curricularinitiative will explore.

As a college-preparatory institution, we seek to infuse our curriculum with whatEducational Specialist Bill Daggett of the International Center for Leadership in Educationrefers to as “the new 3 Rs: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships.”* As part of this effort,Moeller students and teachers are now engaged in our second year of what we call theFour-Year Interdisciplinary Program (4IP).

Year I of the program was dedicated to exploring the deathpenalty through the lens of our Catholic Social Teaching andMarianist culture. For the second and current year, our studyfocuses on the environment and our God-appointed roles asstewards of the environments.

To illustrate how the interdisciplinary study looks in practice,let’s look back on last year. Highlights from 2011-12 included aschool-wide summer reading of the book Dead Man Walking bySr. Helen Prejean, and our capstone event was a night with theauthor herself, Sr. Helen. More than 800 students, parents, andcommunity members packed into the gym to hear her heartfeltand first-hand perspective of how the death penalty rips at thefiber of human dignity and the culture of life so courageouslychampioned by Pope John Paul II.


Exploring EnvironmentalConnectionsCross-Curricular Program Forges New Pathways

By Chris Wilke, Dean of Academics

*You can find more information aboutDr. Bill Daggett of the InternationalCenter for Leadership in Education and the new 3 Rs – rigor, relevance, and relationships – at the Center’s website: www.leadered.com.

An Ohio River FoundationEducator instructs one of the APenvironmental science groups.Pictured, from left: AJ Reinhart,Mitch Meece, Noah Worobetz,Devin DeGroft, Aiden Dalton,Jared Diesslin, Sam Waldbillig,and Sam Simpson.

The following day we took agroup of students on a trip with

Sr. Helen to Lucasville State Prison to takepart in a vigil being held in protest of an exe-

cution, and then onto the Ohio State Capitol tolobby against the death penalty with state

representatives and senators. Members of our groupmet with multiple legislators both in and around thecapitol building, including one session directly in thechambers of the Ohio State Senate. Our young men pre-sented their case with a level of directness, courage, andintelligence that left one legislator saying, “This isn’t howmy typical visit with high students usually goes.”

The 4IP is a culmination of experiences such as these,along with a year-long movie series and the involvementof our teachers who incorporated reflections and lessonsof the death penalty into their daily classes, assignments,and projects.

So why does Moeller think that interdisciplinary education is so important? The reasons are numerous. As a Catholic school, we are dedicated to Catholic SocialTeaching and educating our students as to what theBishops and the Pope teach about various global andmoral issues.

As a Marianist school, we are dedicated to theCharacteristics of a Marianist Education, and the interdisciplinary learning is part of our “providing anintegral, quality education” and “educating for service,justice, and peace” for all of our students.

Studying the environment touches on all of these factors of a meaningful education. As a practical matter,we believe that much of our students’ futures will beimpacted by the environment, and not just as a matter of living. Green energy, sustainable agriculture, energy-saving engineering, and countless other “green” conceptswill make up a substantial part of the future job market.We want the Men of Moeller to be critically aware andable to successfully navigate the world they will enterupon their graduation.

As I mentioned earlier in the article, this year’s studyof the environment and last year’s study of the deathpenalty are part of a larger, four-year thematic cycle thatall current and future Moeller students will encounter.Eventually, all students will experience all four themes as part of their Moeller Marianist education. And as aMarianist school that teaches for “adaption and change,”we are committed to constantly improving this endeavor,keeping Daggett’s 3 Rs in mind: rigor, relevance, andrelationships. We see this model as our innovative stampon shaping the intellectual development of all currentand future Men of Moeller.

In terms of ongoing structure, our Year II study will havesome features that we started during our first year. First


LOOKING AHEAD: Year III of the Four-YearInterdisciplinary Study will explore the topicof how war impacts “forgotten” populationsand creates lasting obstacles to peace.Christ calls us to be agents of peace. We will look to the past and present forunderstanding how war must be overcomeand avoided to create the reign of peace thatChrist calls us toward. Year IV of the study isstill under consideration, but possible topicsinclude globalization, poverty, gender, orother topics of international significance.

and foremost is the common summer reading assignment. Thisyear we read A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson. At times, thebook is entertaining. At other times, it is unsettling. We will beusing this book as a reference point throughout the year in ourongoing discussion of the environment. We will also be using itas a springboard to offer a unique opportunity to our studentsat the conclusion of the school year. Our plan is to breakinterested students up into smaller groups and tohike portions of the Appalachian Trail.

The new Interdisciplinary Council (IDC)chose this book, in part, because of its readability to any student from freshmanto senior. The book also has a powerfulmessage for the state of our environment,but not in any theoretical, overly-scientific,or political way. Rather, through humor BillBryson seeks to make the reader stand up andtake notice of what is happening in his or her ownback yard. From the point of view of an untrained,casual, almost accidental observer, the environmentis presented as a beautiful, yet fragile, resource thatmust be actively and conscientiously maintained.That message is very consistent with Catholicsocial teaching and our role as stewards ofGod’s creation. And last but not least, anotherreason for the selection of A Walk in the Woodsis the friendship and brotherhood that existsbetween Bill Bryson and his hapless companion,Katz. What else more succinctly defines Moellerthan the idea of brotherhood.

This new Interdisciplinary Council is comprised of allnine department chairs and replaces the former AcademicCouncil. The IDC name indicates the revised focus and purposeof the group – to break down the traditional “silos” that havehistorically divided our academic departments and work towardgreater future curricular connections amongst our teachers.

The second 4IP structure is our popularmovie series. These are community-wideevents where parents, siblings, and othermembers of the community at large gatherin the auditorium to watch a movie relatedto the theme for the year. The first film ofthe year was No Impact Man, a documentary-like movie that followed the Manhattan-basedBeavan family as they abandoned their high-consumption, 5th-Avenue lifestyle and tried to live a year without making anenvironmental impact. Later this year we will beshowing The Lorax, Dr. Seuss's environmentallythemed tale about a young boy who encounters a cantankerous forest creature after venturing outside of his artificial city in search of a tree. It is a high-interest film for all ages with a seriousmessage. We hope our showing of this movie to bea true family affair, and we will be inviting ouryoung men to bring their siblings, cousins, or


During the summer the Moeller school

community read A Walk in the Woods

as part of this year’s interdisciplinary

study program. The first film of the year was

No Impact Man. More Monday night films

will be shown throughout the school year and are

free and open to the public. (See website for more

information under Academics/Monday Movie Nights.)

Sophomores in DanShannon's AP environmental scienceclass are learning procedures to test thewater quality of theLittle Miami River.Jared Diesslin andAndrew Wilder are"seining" or using afishing dragnet to filter the tributary,while Aiden Dalton usesthe capture bucket.

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friends for a nightof fun and family.

Additional movies andnights will be announced in

the upcoming months.

In addition to these outside ofthe classroom experiences, our faculty

will be weaving the topic into theirclasses where appropriate.

New to this year is the EnvironmentalSymposium on April 15, 2013. Although last

year’s presentation by Sr. Helen was fantastic,the capstone experience was only experienced by

the 50 students who went on the trip with Sr. Helen to Lucasville and Columbus. This year,

we are seeking to involve more students by introducing this event. The symposium will

consist mainly of projects, labs, and otherlearning experiences that were researchedand presented as part of their regularclasses. These projects and labs willthen be re-presented during the symposium to a larger audience.

A symposium was chosen for multiple reasons. One, as acollege-preparatory school,we wanted to introduce ourstudents to the experience ofresearching and presentingtheir findings to a broaderacademic community.Secondly, the symposium will be viewed by hundreds of ourstudents, enriching their knowledge of the environment and understanding of the interdisciplinary connects. It is a more effective way of getting our students to not only learn their lessons, but to live them as well. It is quite simply thenew “3 Rs” in action.

The final part of the 4IP structure is to bring in outside professionals and organizations from variousenvironmental fields share their wisdom, as well as

career advice, to our young men. Again, we are seeking touse this interdisciplinary approach to take our curriculumbeyond the classroom and connect the various componentsin real and substantive ways to enrich our students’ understanding of their world, as well as their stewardshiprole in it.

We hope that all members of the Moeller Family, pastand present, as well as friend and neighbors, feel welcometo participate in all public events that are associated withour interdisciplinary study. This endeavorwill continue to change and evolveas time goes on, and we arealways open to outsidehelp and perspective.

If you feel thatyou can contributeor improve ourefforts, please contact me at

[email protected]. As I mentioned

earlier, rigor, relevance,and relationships are

the keys to meaningfuland substantial academic

experience. We know Moellerhas rigor because we can point to

numerous accomplishments, such as AP scores, NationalMerit qualifiers, and acceptances rates to colleges of choice.We know we have relationships because of our wonderfullysuccessful House System and the involvement of our parents and alums. What the interdisciplinary initiativebrings to Moeller is a creative, concrete, and collaborativeplan of how relevance is fostered between the Men of Moeller and the curriculum that they encounter.


EIGHT YEARS AGO, Archbishop Moeller High School introduced The New Spirit of theCrusaders – The House System. After the first student exchange in February 2003 betweenAustralia’s St. Patrick’s College and Moeller – and under the leadership of Bro. Ron Luksic,S.M. – the new system of student governance was launched.

Students from all four grade levels were divided randomly into six Houses: Eveslage,Pillar, Quiroga, Trinity, Zaragoza, and Zehler. Six faculty members were then chosen to be thefirst House Deans and were charged with designing and developing their House identity.

Creating a Culture of Pastoral Care, Leadership, and CommunityAlthough much has changed throughout the course of the House System, much remains

the same. The primary purpose, which is to further the mission of the school by providinggreater pastoral care and leadership development to all students, while strengthening oursense of community, still holds true.

The goal of having a Dean and Mentor Teachermonitor and support the academic, social, spiritual,and behavioral growth of each student is realizeddaily in Mentor Group and during the M-Block portion of the weekly schedule. (See “House SystemTerminology” on page 17.)

The goal of strengthening the bonds of the MoellerFamily among 9th-12th grade students is evident everyyear at Homecoming. The annual dance that traditionallywas only open to juniors and seniors is now an all-schooldance. Freshmen and sophomores now join the upper-classmen and cheer on their senior representatives onthe Homecoming Court. (Photos page 17.)

The goal of providing opportunities for all seniors to be trained as leaders becomes realityevery May at Camp Kern during Junior Leadership Training. Juniors look forward to theirannual leadership training at Camp Kern where they compete in Moeller’s version of the“Amazing Race.” (Photos page 17.)


House System Key to Moeller’s ‘Home’EnvironmentBy Karen Matuszek, House System Director

The Moeller House SystemFounding Deans, top photo,from left: Jim Champlin ’72:Trinity House; (standing) RobRogers: Quiroga House; BruceNelson: Zehler; Ed Jamieson:Pillar; (standing) Mike Moroski:Zaragoza House, and KarenMatuszek: Eveslage House.

Photo above: Current HouseLeadership: House DirectorKaren Matuszek, School ViceCaptain Chris Wright ’13,School Captain Harry Wahl ’13,and School Vice Captain Dom Starvaggi ’13.

Marianist Cup Winners

2006 Winner – Eveslage House

2007 Winner – Trinity House


2009 Winner – Pillar House



2012 Winner – Pillar House

DEANS TODAYEveslage House Dean Anthony CorderI have enjoyed the camaraderie and collaboration with my fellow Deans who are likemy brothers and among my best friends at Moeller. We are all charged with the sametask, guiding our Houses to create environments and opportunities thatfoster growth through positive experiences and relationships. The HouseCaptains and I try to use Catholic Social Teaching to run the EveslageHouse. We try to take care of those who need extra help or need to beincluded, and to build community. As a Dean, I stress servant leadershipamong my Captains: “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of alland the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35). Like my own family, I don’t demandthat they become the best athletes or first in their class; I just want them tolearn to be good human beings, strengthening their hearts through prayerand service.

Pillar House Dean Clayton Graham Last year Pillar House won the Marianist House Cup in a close battle withQuiroga House. We made wristbands that were given out to all studentsto celebrate our victory. This year has not started off great, but we are stillbattling to make our way up to the top. The main focus for Pillar Housethis year is Mentor Group. The senior leaders and I are making sure thatactivities or discussions are taking place on B-Days.

Quiroga House Dean Mike SchafferI am in the fourth year of being the Quiroga House Dean. In thosefour years, I have emphasized community in all things. This emphasis can be seen in the students who stay to watch Housesports. It can be seen in our leadership in the Fall Raffle, where ourstudents see the value in contributing to tuition assistance. It can be seen in the pride that students have in declaring themselves amember of Quiroga House.

Trinity House Dean Dan DeverOur House philosophy is to be the best you can be with your Trinitybrothers – Esto Optimus. Our style is to make our journey through Moeller and life meaningful and fun. My leadership style is to make contact with the Mentor Groups as much as I can. The little known secret of success is the power of enthusiasm. I want my enthusiasm to spread throughout the whole House so that we can be successful in everything we do.

Zaragoza House Dean Alex ThompsonEight years ago Dean Mike Moroski established a mission for ZaragozaHouse. That mission was to instill the virtues of courage, honor, and loyalty in young men. The courage to do what is right. Honoring theMarianist heritage that set Moeller High School in motion and sustains it.Loyalty to Moeller, Zaragoza House, and the faith that guides us. Thoughmuch has changed in eight years, these qualities remain at the forefront.

Zehler House Dean Bruce NelsonBeing the “elder statesman” in the Deans’ Den, the only remaining originalDean, certainly gives me an interesting perspective. The House System, I feel, has been one of the most impactful changes that Moeller has instituted during the recent years. Its structure allows for leadershipopportunities, increased pastoral care, and multi-grade interaction. AsDean of Zehler House, the motto on our crest is “Ehre deinem Bruder,”which translates to “honor your brother.” We have tried to live up to that original motto by instilling and living out the Marianist Characteristics.By each of our Zehler boys striving to be Men of Moeller, we honor ourpast, present, and future brothers.



Houses still compete annually for the Marianist Cupawarded to the House that has accumulated the highestnumber of points for positive and friendly competitionthroughout the school year.

Competitions are academic (i.e., the number of HonorRoll students each quarter), athletic (i.e., House football),and community-service oriented (i.e., Canned Food Drive,Penny War, and Clothing Drive). The culminating activityfor the Marianist Cup competition is the annual springevent called the “Crusader Games” where students andMentor Teachers compete against other Houses in front ofthe entire student body and parents.

An Evolving EnvironmentWhat has changed during the past eight years at

Moeller is the environment – meaning the circumstances orconditions that surround one; the combination of external physicalconditions that affect and influence the growth, development,and survival of organisms; the complex of social and culturalconditions affecting the nature of an individual or community.

Enhanced House Identity: While students still experienceclass pride, they are more likely now to identify with theirHouse. As prospective students are shown the Houseplaques in the main hallway, they are vocal about their

hope of being placed in acertain House based ontheir brother or friend’s experience. Freshmen arequick to learn about thehistory of their Houseand can proudly boastabout its achievements.“I love the HouseSystem,” says DanielKopcha ’16. “I keep trackof the competitions and

know who has won the Marianist Cup in the past andwho’s winning right now.”

House crests and symbols are now visible on laptops,athletic uniforms, and fleece jackets. For the first time inMoeller history, students were introduced by House at theMay 2012 graduation ceremony, and they were congratu-lated by their Dean as they received their diplomas.

There have been many systemic changes as well.

Academic Intervention: Monthly academic interventiondays take place during Mentor Groups with MentorTeachers collaborating with the guidance counselors.Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, each House will have

House System TerminologyHouse: Communities of approximately students in grades 9-12 who are randomly selected and who stay togetherthroughout their years at Moeller

House Dean: A faculty member who is chosen to overseethe effective development of the students within the House

House Director: The faculty member who is chosen tolead the development of the House Deans and House programs

School Captain and two Vice Captains:The three seniors who are chosen by their peers and the faculty to lead the students during the academic year(much like “president” and vice president” roles)

House Captains: The two seniors within each House who are chosen to lead the students and theirHouse-specific activities

Mentor Teachers: The faculty members within eachHouse who are assigned to oversee the development of aspecific Mentor Group (similar to a homeroom onlymore focused on the pastoral care and academicdevelopment of the students)

Mentor Groups: Communities of approximately20 students, grades 9-12, within each House

M-Block: The M-Block is part of the school’s blockschedule system that was implemented to accommodatetime for using technology effectively as a tool. Theschedule involves rotating “A” and “B” days comprisedof classes that meet for an hour and half every otherday. The M-Block is a one-hour, multi-purpose blockof time at the end of the B-Day schedule that is used for a variety of purposes during the year (i.e., study time,mentoring, assemblies, clubs, etc.). Freshmen and sophomoresare required to stay for M-Block so that their Mentor Teacherscan help them develop their study skills.

Marianist Cup: Each year the six Houses compete forthe Marianist Cup Award. This award is given to theHouse that accumulates the most points in various eventsand competitions that are academic, athletic, communityservice, leadership, and school spirit oriented. The goal ofthe Marianist Cup is to promote healthy competition thatencourages academic success, boosts spirit, and enhancesschool pride.

Strengthening the bonds of FamilySpirit, the traditional HomecomingDance is now open to all grade levels.This year's dance involved more than700 students.

one guidance counselor strictly dedicated to the academicand emotional needs of the members of that House.

Man of Moeller Classes: To assist students to progressivelyassume leadership roles within their Houses and receiveage-appropriate training along the way, Man of Moellerclasses have been designed by the Deans for both freshmenand sophomores. These classes have been instrumental inteaching students about the five Marianist Characteristicsand the Stephen Covey leadership model.**

Service & Faith Formation: Freshmen and sophomoresspend one day during the first semester with their Houseperforming community service, and sophomores will soonparticipate in annual retreats by House.

House Parliament Structure: The newly formed HouseParliament is comprised of School Captains, House Captains,and House Chaplains. Students select membership in oneor more committees, and they work with leadershipteams from other Houses on various school events andinitiatives. Seniors meet regularly with Doug Rosfeld,senior advisor, for additional leadership and team-buildingactivities. It is quite evident that the bonds betweenHouse and class members are strong as a result of theimplementation and development of the House System.

The House System began under theleadership of Bro. Ron and continuedunder House Director Ed Jamieson as anew tradition that would hopefullystrengthen an already strong and vibrantMoeller Family. After having served asDean of Eveslage House for the first sixyears of the House System, I am honoredto now serve as House Director and privileged to work daily with the Deanswho truly have a vision for the continualimprovement of the House System and whowork consistently to help students livethe motto Esto Optimus – “Be the Best.”

Former Marianist Provincial Bro. Steve Glodeck says,“If I had to name the culture a Marianist milieu of FamilySpirit denotes, it is a culture of home. Our educationalministries are meant to be safe homes where lessons arelearned, discipline imparted, faith nurtured, and thewhole person educated – in body, mind, and spirit. TheHouse System at Moeller High School has most definite-ly created a home for our students, and the Family Spiritis alive and well!”*A brief history of the House System is located on Moeller’s website under CampusLife/House System.

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MAN OF MOELLER COURSECharacteristics of a Marianist EducationArchbishop Moeller High School is a Catholic school in theMarianist tradition. The Blessed William Joseph Chaminade,founder of the Marianist Order, had a vision for educationthat encompassed five principle characteristics of educatingthe whole person.• Educating for faith formation;• Providing an integral, quality education;• Educating in the Family Spirit;• Educating for service, peace, and justice; and• Educating for adaptation and change.

Before he retired fromMoeller, Art DepartmentChair Bro. Charlie Wanda,S.M., created the glass etchings that now graceMoeller’s main hallwaydepicting the fiveCharacteristics of aMarianist Education. Bro. Wanda now resides atthe University of Dayton and is a full-time artist in residence and Marianist educator.

Stephen Covey 7 Habits Leadership Model

Dear Alumni & Friends,

On behalf of MikeMunafo, Phil Kreiner,Mary Fischer, and the restof the Alumni Board, Iwanted to take a momentto express our gratitudeand excitement for all ofthe great things going onat Moeller from an alum-nus perspective. Threemonths into my role aspresident of the AlumniAssociation, I remain

humbled and honored to be serving in this role forMoeller and to be working with such a great and commit-ted team of individuals to drive our alumni engagementto the next level. I truly believe the efforts of all of ouralumni are bearing fruit.

NAMED SCHOLARSHIP BREAKFAST: Earlierthis year, I had the good fortune to be able to attendMoeller’s Scholarship Breakfast with our student recipientsand our endowed scholarship donors. Dr. TimothyKremchek and Kyle Zimmerman ’14 both offered theirthoughts on the positive impact that Moeller has had ontheir lives. Every student I engaged that day showedpride and recognition of the importance of their Moellerexperience, and all offered thanksgiving for such anopportunity. I was blessed with the opportunity to see theyoung Men of Moeller reflecting on how special theirexperience truly is, and it was one of those momentswhere I felt like the Moeller I remember is alive and well,and even enhanced from my day, and I left feelingrewarded for the hard work that all of us alumni aredoing to continue the Moeller legacy.

Education in the Family SpiritCrusader Connections


THE DECADE CAPTAINS:Our Alumni Association continues togrow and take shape. Back in August,we launched a slightly revised versionof the Alumni Board by naming“Decade Captains” for each decadeof our alumni base. We are verythankful that Nick Haverkos ’67,John Costello ’79, Rob Hornback ’88,Joe Buckley ’96, and Tony Lane ’01have all agreed to perform these critical roles for our new structureand serve on our Board. These fivegentlemen are helping our individualClass Captains continue to get the wordout to their classmates regardingalumni activities, and they are workingto continue to drive our AnnualFund engagement at the alumnilevel. Our goal is to keep you fully

abreast of what’s goingon at Moeller, keep youapprised of opportunitiesto get involved, and provide you with a wayto reconnect with yourclassmates. Please feelfree to contact yourDecade Captain or yourrespective Class Captain(contact informationavailable online at www.Moeller.org/Support Moeller/Alumni/Class Captains) with any comments or questionsyou may have. See page21 for more information.

REUNION WEEKEND: We were all energized by the great alumni turnout at ourReunion Weekend and our Crusader ClassicGolf Outing back on October 5 & 6. More than200 alumni participated in at least one eventoffered that weekend, which included 18 holes

of golf, the Moe Town Tailgate before the Moeller-ElderHomecoming game, an alumni Mass, and a reunion gathering on Saturday night at the Tap House Grill, hostedby owner Dave Seeger ’88.

The Class of ’77, led by classmate Dan Leuger, organized a 35-mile bike ride on the Loveland Trail, which was sosuccessful it may become an annual event.

Thank you to everyone for your participation in this greatweekend. And thanks to our class Reunion Weekend chairsfor all their hard work in putting together such a special

weekend for our reunion classes.

Named Scholarship Donor Dr. Tim Kremchekspoke about the importance of giving back, theimpact of Moeller on his father’s life, and the joy of watching and working with the Moellerstudents. The five students who are recipients of his scholarship fund gave him a standing ovation afterward.

Kyle Zimmerman ’14 poses withMoeller President Bill Hunt at theScholarship Breakfast. “I love being askedto speak about my experiences at Moellerbecause they are all good. Moeller is myfavorite place on earth. I don’t ever wantto leave. I can’t imagine my life withoutMoeller. Your gift of a scholarship is whatallows me to be a Man of Moeller.”

Class of ’77

Class of ’92

Golf Outing



My love for Moeller all started with myfather. I remember as a child my fathertalking about BIG MOE and how it was thebest school in the nation. His dream was formy brother and me to be Men of Moeller.My father Vince was diagnosed with cancerat the age of 29. My father was always areligious man and believed in a Catholiceducation. As a child I knew no better, butas I grew up I was able to see the directimpact Moeller had on my family.

On August 24, 1993, my brother Tony was about to begin his first day atMoeller. My father, now 39, was in

Hospice care but was so excited to see his son go to Moeller. I still remem-ber the excitement in the air at our house knowing this was the big day! Asmy brother was riding the bus to Moeller, my father passed away. Mymother called the school, and Father Mike met my brother at the frontdoors of Moeller. He told my brother Tony that he needed to go home. Thisis when we were introduced to the Moeller Family.

As most kids were off to their first week of school, we were dealing withthe loss of our father. Much of that week is a blur in memory, but I doremember one thing. As I entered the church for my father’s funeral, theresat the Men of Moeller. Never once had any of them met my brother Tonyor my family, but there they were, all wearing ties, sitting in church.

After the Mass I remember them telling us that we are family. Theyhelped us through the toughest point in our life; they helped us grow andlearn from this life experience. Moeller has truly made me the man I amtoday, and I want the same for my two boys.

This is why “For the Love of Moeller” means so much to me. The MoellerFamily gave me Hope, Faith, Love, and the support I needed to grow up to bethe man I am today. Without Moeller I do not know how my life would be.

I am very fortunate that my mother was able to send me to Moeller, butmany are not. Imagine how many future Men of Moeller will miss theiropportunity to attend such a great school. Should financial hardships hinderyour sons or the sons of your neighbors, co-workers, or friends fromattending Moeller? You can truly make the difference in someone’s life. Iask you to give back and make someone’s dream come true like mine.Give what you can, even if it’s 10 dollars, it will make a difference. I amchallenging everyone in the Moeller Family to make a difference this year.

Thank You & God Bless,

Mike Munafo ’00Alumni Association Vice President

Tyler Munafo, age 4, Future Man of Moeller.

REUNIONS 2013: Planning has begun for next year’s ReunionWeekend (for classes ending in ‘3 and ‘8). We are looking for individuals from each respectiveyear to help lead their class’s reunion activities next year, so please contact Mary Fischer if you would like to be involved.

ANNUAL FUND: Before I signoff, I wanted to comment on theAnnual Fund. Thank you to all whodonated to this important cause as ithelped us reach our goal and setanother Moeller record with $1.27Mraised!!! What a great year. And weincreased our alumni participationrate to nearly 8.5%.

As you all know, the Annual Fundhelps bridge the $2,357 gap betweenthe cost for Moeller to educate a student and the cost of tuition, and it is a direct way to provide tuitionassistance for Moeller students. My experience at the ScholarshipBreakfast only re-affirmed my commitment to participate in theAnnual Fund, and I truly hope thatyou will all prayerfully considerdoing the same. Our Annual Fundgoal for this fiscal year is $1.45M,and we need your help to continueto drive our alumni participationrate further. Alumni Vice PresidentMike Munafo ’00 will be helpingroll out our “For the Love of Moeller”Annual Fund campaign this year toalumni, and we truly appreciate yourconsideration to this important cause.

There is always something excitinggoing on at Moeller to keep all of us onthe Alumni Board passionate aboutthe opportunities at hand. We arecommitted to making your experiencein the Alumni Association compellingand rewarding. I truly thank you allfor your efforts to make the MoellerAlumni Association great, and I hopeto see more and more of you at ouralumni events throughout the year.

Thank you and God Bless,

Nick Hodge ’94Moeller Alumni [email protected]



The 2012-13 Moeller Alumni Association Introduces Decade Captains

The 2012 Alumni Awardees

Special Recognition to the Alumni of the Class of 2012Brian Markgraf ’12(middle) Man ofMoeller Award(University of Dayton)

Michael Riney ’12(far left) Gold ShieldAwardee (University ofKentucky)

Scott Nugent ’12 (far right)Fr. ChaminadeService Awardee(Boston University)

TED H. TORBECK ’74DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD:

Presented to a graduate who hasgiven outstanding service to hiscommunity and who has distinguishedhimself as a Moeller alumnus.

Ted Torbeck ’74 is the president andgeneral manager of Cincinnati BellCommunications. He is responsiblefor all Cincinnati-based communicationbusinesses, which includeCincinnati Bell Telephone/Wireless

and Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions. Prior to joiningCincinnati Bell, Ted was the CEO of the Freedom Group, acompany that generates approximately $950 million in annualrevenues in firearms, ammunition, and related products.

Ted is on the board of directors for United Way of GreaterCincinnati and the USA Regional Chamber Board. In addition, he serves on the Minority Business AcceleratorLeadership Council for the Cincinnati USA RegionalChamber and is a member of the Cincinnati RegionalBusiness Committee. A native of Cincinnati, Ted earned hisbachelor’s in marketing from Miami University in Oxford, OH,and his MBA at Xavier University.

MIKE FOLCHI ’79BROTHER EVESLAGE AWARD:

Presented to an individual whothrough years of tireless effort hasmade significant contributions tothe growth of Moeller.

Mike Folchi ’79 is the owner ofFolchi’s Fine Men’s Apparel &Formal Wear stores in Kenwood,West Chester, and Anderson. Hisbusinesses have been providingformal wear for the gentlemen ofthe Greater Cincinnati area,

especially the Men of Moeller, since 1973. “Mike has been a loyal supporter of Moeller for many years, donating itemsfor our Fashion Shows, Main Event Charity Auctions, andmore,” says Advancement Director Debbie Geiger. “He also employs dozens of Moeller students.”

In a continued effort to improvecommunication and engagemore Moeller alumni, PresidentNick Hodge ’94, Vice PresidentMike Munafo ’00, and PastPresident Phil Kreiner ’76

have implemented a Decade Captain systemalong with the current Class Captain structurealready in place. Decade Captains are responsiblefor class relations within a decade of classes (i.e.,1990-1999). They serve as a conduit of informationand foster communication among the classes,chiefly through their Class Captains, and help recruitnew members to get involved in the organization.They also function as a liaison between the ClassCaptains and the Alumni Association and aremembers of the Alumni Association Board.

THE 2012-13 DECADE CAPTAINS:

’60s Nick [email protected]

’70s John [email protected]

’80s Rob [email protected]

’90s Joe [email protected]

’00s Tony [email protected]

If you are interested in joining our Class CaptainTeam, please contact your Decade Captain or theAlumni Office at (513) 791-1680, ext. 1310. Wewelcome your support and really need your helpin supporting the Alumni Association’s initiatives and events.

GET CONNECTED: If you are currently notreceiving monthly updates or have not heard fromyour Decade or Class Captain, please update youremail with us at [email protected] or log onto www.Moeller.org/Alumni to update your infor-mation online.

ALUMNI CALENDARDecember 2012Basketball Alumni NightSaturday, December 22, 2012 Moeller vs. Middletown, 7:30 PMSee www.Moeller.org (under Athletics or Support Moeller/Alumni) for more information or contact the Alumni Office at (513) 791-1680, ext. 1310.

Follow Moeller basketball as they play in the Gulfshore Invitational December 27 – 31 in Naples, Florida. The 2012 Shootout will be held at Golden Gate's 2,000-seat gymnasium and includes 20 teams representing 15 states, as well as a pair of international programs. There will be a full 16-team bracket as well as a four-team sub-bracket. (If you will be in the area, let us know, we would love to meet up or host an alumni event.)

January 2013

Hall of Fame Induction LuncheonFriday, January 25, 2013Cooper Creek at the Blue Ash Golf Course

February 2013

Annual Alumni Association Sports Stag: TBAFor up-to-date information, see Moeller website. Register early asthis is sure to be a sell-out again this year.

Sunday, February 24, 2013Father/Son Mass & Breakfast9 AMMoeller Auditorium and Cafeteria

April 2013

Saturday, April 20, 2013 Main Event 2013: “An Evening in Tuscany”Savannah Center in West Chester, OHProceeds benefit the Moeller Tuition Assistance Program. See the Moeller website, www.Moeller.org (Support Moeller),for online registration. For more information,contact Main Event Coordinator LouiseHoelker at (513) 791-1680, ext. 1304, or email her at [email protected].

May 2013

Watch for details this spring for Moeller Day at the Cincinnati Reds.

The Alumni Board Association will have bi-monthly meetings and socials in December, February,

and April. Stay tuned for location and times. All are welcome. Bring a classmate and getreacquainted with what is going on at Moeller.

For the most up-to-date information:www.Moeller.org.

The Class of 2013 MoellerAthletic Hall of FameThe Moeller Athletic Department has announcedthe Class of 2013 for induction into the MoellerAthletic Hall of Fame. The luncheon and inductionceremony is scheduled for Friday, January 25,2013, at Cooper Creek at the Blue Ash Golf Course.Online registration begins on December 15, 2012.For more information, contact Ginny Bauer at(513) 791-1680, ext. 1300 or go online to Moeller.org.

Patrick Watt – Class of 2005Pat Watt saw action inthree varsity seasons infootball and basketball.In football, Pat ended hiscareer as the leadingreceiver in receptions(62) for a single season andwith the most touchdowns(11) in 2004. For his totalcareer, he finished secondin receptions and fifth in

scoring. During his senior year, Pat was awardedAll-GCL, All-City, and All-State honors. In basketball, Pat was a member of the 2003 StateChampionship Basketball Team and was awardedAll-GCL status his senior year.

Nick Lukens – Class of 2001Nick Lukens finished agreat wrestling career atMoeller by winning the2001 State Championshipfor the 171 lb. weightclassification. During his time as a Moellerwrestler, Nick was aGCL Champion in 2000& 2001, SectionalChampion in 2000 &

2001, and a State Qualifier in 2000 & 2001. Nickfinished with a winning percentage of 82%. Infootball, Nick was a two-year starter at linebackerand was selected to the GCL All-Star Team his senior year.

Drew Walter – Class of 1999Drew won the State PoleVault Championship as asenior with a vault of15’6”, which to this dayis the Moeller record inthe event. During hisjunior and senior years,Drew was the GCL,District, and RegionalChampion. Drew was a three-time State

Qualifier and was named First Team All-Ohioand All-American his senior year.

Education in the Family SpiritCrusader Connection

The PrognosisWhen Greg Hopkins ’74 found out that he had kidney

disease at the age of 17, he in no way thought he wouldbe sitting next to his brother, Dan ’85, in the MoellerBoard Room, telling his kidney transplant story.

“I was trying to get into the Navy with a fellowMoeller graduate when during a routine exam they foundthe problem,” says Greg. “They told me I had IgAnephropathy, an autoimmune disease that affects the kidneys. It could remain dormant, progress very slowly or progress at a quickened pace so it would be a wait andwatch with yearly monitoring.”

Bob Niehaus ’65 found himself in that same Board Room,ironically, telling a very similar story. He found out that hehad IgA nephropathy about eight years ago. He, too, was

told that he would have to be monitored closely forprogress of the disease, but at that point it could be

managed with good diet, exercise, and overall goodhealth. In no way did Bob realize that a fellow

Moeller alumnus would be on a similar courseand timetable for a kidney transplant.

The DeclineFast forward to late 2011 when both

gentlemen learned that their kidney functionshad deteriorated to a 15% functioning rate,

the threshold for decisions regarding dialysisor transplant.

For Greg, it has been a three-year spiral,and it began to get serious. “On the outside,I looked perfectly fine,” says Hopkins. “But in the inside, I was getting pretty sick.

My kidneys were not filtering properly, so Iwas dealing with lots of toxins and began prescription medication.”

So the conversation began that the idealsolution was going to be a kidney

transplant, and all research showed thata sibling would be the best match.

Greg, who is one of 11 siblings, neededto find a donor. “I didn’t want it to

be a sibling,” says Hopkins. “Itwould be easier if it was a

stranger. Blind trust is easier psychologically, but the closer thematch, the less the chance forrejection and the less use ofdrugs needed by the recipient.That is important.”

Bob found out that his functioning capacity had hit thealarm stage in December of 2011. Although he knew it wascoming, it still hit him as a bit of a surprise. “It camequicker than I had thought,” says Niehaus. “My wife knewas well as my brother Tom ’70, but we wanted to get throughthe holidays before we talked with the rest of the family.”

The MatchAnd so the donor matching began. For both Greg and Bob,

four potential donors were identified, and rigorous amountsof testing began to determine the best match for them.

For Greg, it meant testing four of his siblings. Four hadautomatically been eliminated. Four remained. For Bob, itincluded his brother Tom and three of his children.

When the results were returned, it was clear that thebest matches for Bob would be his brother Tom, and forGreg, it was his brother Dan.

“When the donor transplant team takes over,” saysTom, “they ask you over and over again if you are willingto be a transplant donor. They don’t want you givingunder duress.” The news came as a phone call, and Tomsimply said yes.

For Dan, his emotions were mixed. He received his phonecall as he was leaving the Verizon phone store with hisnew phone. When he was told that he had been selectedas Greg’s best match, he knew he was going to say yes,but he admitted that he was scared. He had four children,a business to handle, and he couldn’t die now.

What happened next was about a five-month waitfilled with extensive testing for both donors and a strictpreparation period for Bob and Greg. Tom had to lose alittle weight, but Dan was put through a very stressfulperiod with some hidden medical findings coming tolight. In the end, both were willing and ready to trulygive the gift of life to their brothers.

The SupportWhen asked about their spouses, all brothers

responded the same: There was 100% supportfrom their spouses. As they explained, this is afamily decision. Although there was bound to besome apprehension and questions, there remains apresence of faith and love that each family has forone another.

“It wasn’t just Dan donating his kidney,” saysGreg. “It affects the whole family. Dan’swife Nancy was just as much partof the process as he was,and I am grateful for hersupport. My wifePeggy was a wonder-ful personal-careadvocate. Theywere boththere for us thewhole time.”

The Tale of Four Brothers,Four Kidneys, and Two Lives SavedBy Mary Fischer, Alumni Relations Director


The Niehaus brothers were nodifferent. For them, there was complete support from the wholefamily. “My son Brian was very disappointed he could not be thedonor,” says Bob. “There was a senseof wanting to be the one to help outand not being left out when it comesto this kind of thing.”

The SurgeryThe threads of similarity between

the two stories continued as the surgery date neared. One of them isgolf. Brothers Bob and Tom played afull round of 18 the day before thetransplant, and Bob won the gamethat day with no discussion of the

upcoming transplant. Greg won his game with his brother Dan as well. (Dan now likes to say that he lost his kidney in a golf match.)

Both transplants occurred at Christ Hospital. Both transplants were stagedthe same way. The donor was wheeled into surgery 30 minutes prior to thetransplant recipients’ surgery. The waiting rooms were filled with close familyand friends. Both families were optimistic yet guarded about the outcome.Greg received his new kidney in May 2012; Bob received his two months later.

The EpilogueBob and Tom have fully recovered with just follow-up appointments

scheduled for Bob as his doctors continue to monitor his kidney functionand numbers. (Bob says it’s because he inherited his brother’s sweet toothsince the surgery.)

Greg’s post-surgery experience was a little more difficult. Approximately10 days after the transplant he suffered a severe set back from an allergicreaction to the blood thinner he was given. Although it was “touch andgo” regarding the kidney for a while, he now has fully recovered.

The GiftOn separate meetings at Moeller, each brother and alumnus shared

their story around the Board Room table. And it was a story of family. “Ihave a new appreciation of what family really is about,” said Greg. “Itis humbling to know how much people really love you, how much wereally love each other.”

Dan remembers going to Mass when he learned he was the best match. “I went to communion and felt completely washed with the Holy Spirit.

I felt a complete sense of peace. I knew it was going to be okay.”

For Bob and Tom as well, there was a huge sense of gratefulness. Bob is grateful for the gift of life from his new kidney. Tom is grateful

he could give. Both were a little surprised and certainly comforted bythe amount of prayer that was offered for the both of them. “It

makes a difference,” said Bob.

Both agreed that in part Moeller instilled in themthat sense of family. Through Marianist teachings, they

learned to stay close to God. They learned to pray.They learned to give selflessly. For them it was just“business as usual” to do what they did. Just anexample of what it means to be “Men of Moeller.”

For more information on donortransplants, you can see Bob andTom’s story on Fox 19 at thelink: www.fox19.com/.../gift-of-life-even-strangers-are-donating-kidneys?

Bob Niehaus ’65 served as the presidentof the Moeller Board of Trustees for sixyears. He continues to serve on the boardand in many other ways. He is the chair ofthe Annual Fund Committee, an AlumniAssociation Class Captain, and anAdmissions Committee member. In addition,Bob was awarded one of Moeller’s highesthonors, the Founder’s Award.

Greg Hopkins ’74 recently opened up aNamed Scholarship at Moeller to honorhis brother Dan (and his wife) for his self-less gift of life and to give more studentsthe financial assistance they need tobecome Men of Moeller.

Greg and brother Dan, a picture of goodhealth after many months of preparation for the gift of life.

Tom Niehaus ’70 listens intently to his brother Bob as he describes his Journey to good health.


Steele, Tom ’77 is theowner of Steele Realtorsand a past president ofthe Cincinnati AreaBoard of Realtors, aswell as a recipient of theCABR REALTOR of theYear award. But he isbest known as an EmmyAward-winning musician.“Influenced by musicartists Billy Joel, JamesTaylor, and John Denver,Tom’s music has contrasts of opposinggenres of jazz, blues,swing, and country,” saysone recent article. In November 2012, Tom produced ashow at the Redmoor in Mt. Lookout called “Young &Forever with Tom Steele,” which included comicsMichael Flannery and Dan Donnellon, the music fromHigh Street A Cappella, and harmonies from his threesons. (See more below.)

Tom writes, “As you may or may not know, I recordedtwo albums of original music a few years ago. They wereactually fairly popular and got great reviews in the localmarket. At the same time, behind the scenes, I was oneof those voices you constantly heard on the radio and TVsinging (hundreds) and eventually writing and arrangingscores of jingles. My solo career in the late ‘70s-‘80s atplaces like the Blind Lemon and McLevy’s (among manyother clubs) was followed by joining the TOAST andSLICE guys. Recently, I was invited back into the studioto write theme songs for several new documentaries.Those efforts earned me three nominations and twoEmmys for Composition and Arranging.”

Emmy Award-Winning Musician Tom Steele (MoellerClass of ’77 ) Produces Show at Redmoor in Mt. Lookout

Lifelong Cincinnati native Tom Steele is a singer/song-writer, as well as Emmy Award-winning film composer,writer, arranger, and the voice behind hundreds of localcommercials in Cincinnati (i.e., jingles from Goldstar,Furniture Fair, and Dreamland Waterbeds).

Tom’s recent concert, named “Young Forever,” featuredmusical works of his career and music from his newcompilation CD of hisalbums Everyday BalladSinger and Climbin’. Theevening featured his originaltunes, along with favoritesingles from Jim Croce,James Taylor, Billy Joel, andothers. He was joined onstage with several othermusical artists, includingChris Shenton, MicheleWells, and his three sons.Tom donated a portion of histicket sales to the Animal Friends Humane Society. (Seewww.YoungForeverShow.com for more information.)SOURCE: http://www.examiner.com/article/tom-steele-singer-songwriter-at-red-moor-mt-lookout

Charles R. Blanford(affectionately known as “Mr. B”) is a former MoellerLatin and Spanish teacher(1962-1975). He is picturedright with Terry Herweh ’65 infront of an antique shop inSturgis, KY, a few miles fromBlanford’s home in Henderson,KY. Mr. B. is 79.

Melink, Steve ’76, Hueber, John ’71, and Neyer, Dan ’77were featured in the Best Magazine, Cincinnati’s “GreenIssue.” Best presents Cincinnati’s most interesting peopletelling their stories from inside their homes. Founded in2005 by Doug and Marianne Sandhage, Best has nowpublished 23 issues. In issue 23, three of the five peoplepicked to profile were Moeller alumni. They were deliberatelychosen because they not only live a green lifestyle, butthey own, manage, or work for a company that providesgreen services or products. Steve ’76 is the owner ofMelink Corporation, a net-zero energy building in Milfordand lives green in Indian Hill. John ’71 is the owner of John Hueber Homes, Ohio’s #1 builder of LEED certifiedcustom-built homes and lives green in Loveland. And Dan ’77 is the owner of Neyer Properties, builder of LEEDcertified commercial buildings and lives in Newport, KY.(See a portion of the article on pp. XX, “Green Titans:Living, Breathing, and Working Green” by Best Magazinepublisher Doug Sandhage.)

Two Alumni Make UC’s All-Time All-Star Team!To mark the 125th year of football at theUniversity of Cincinnati, Enquirer reporter Bill

Koch put together an all-time UC All-Star team (October 4,2012). He selected two Moeller alumni, Karl Woods ’77(#45) and Doug Rosfeld ’97 (at UC from 1997-00).Woods was selected as Second Team Defense. During his time at UC, he was a career leader in tackles (502).Rosfeld was selected as Second Team Offense. While atUC, he was named the John Pease awardee as the MostOutstanding Offensive Lineman in 1999 and 2000; FirstTeam All-Conference USA in 1999; and Second TeamOffense in 2000. Rosfeld is currently teaching at Moellerand coaching varsity football.


Bell, Drew ’95 married his partner of three years, CurtisThompson, in Reykjavik,Iceland, on September 7, 2011.

Weibel, Paul ’82is a finance andinsurance manager

at Powder Keg HarleyDavidson in Mason, OH.

Meador, Denny ’90was appointeddeputy chief of theDeer Park-Silverton

Joint Fire District in April 2011.He has been employed withthe Fire District since 1999,becoming a full-time memberof the fire department in 2007.Meador began his career as avolunteer with the City ofSilverton Fire Department in1997. He is working toward hisassociate of applied science

Antenucci, Brian ’99 recentlyreturned to Cincinnati fromChicago to join the privateinvestment firm Bartlett & Coafter 10 years of experienceserving private clients, foundations,and endowments in Chicago.While a student, Antenucciplayed an active role at Moeller– captain of the ski team, memberof the lacrosse team, and participantin pastoral work – and he continues his involvement todaythrough his fundraising efforts. [email protected]

degree in fire science fromColumbia Southern University.A life-long Cincinnati-area resident, he and his wife, Kellie,reside in Amberley Village.

Davis, Nathan ’01is the director ofveterans affairs at

Xavier University. He spoke atthe 2012 Democratic Conventionabout his perspective on theAmerican Dream: “Iraq wasthe first time I had a worldview… When I went to Iraq…

Hermes, Ryan ’01 marriedAmanda Heareth on June 8, 2012.

I thought these were just abunch of crazy people runningaround and blowing things up.When I got there, I realizedthey were people who likedthe things I liked, felt pain theway I felt pain, and just wantedto be happy and free.”

Thompson, Mark ’05 writes, “Iwas forwarded a copy of the newsrelease regarding Moeller’srecently awarded Siemens PLMgrant. This is really exciting! Asa mechanical engineer with theProduct Definition EngineeringGroup at GE Aviation, I use NXevery day. Prior to GE I workedfor an automotive manufacturingcompany utilizing NX for machinetool design. Exposure to 3Dmodeling software is a greatway to generate excitement aboutengineering and technology.”[email protected]

Finegan, Sean ’08is currently a student-athlete at theUniversity of

Delaware where he is a memberof the Men’s Lacrosse Team.After being red-shirted his fresh-man year, as a sophomore hewas 4th attackman on the CAA ConferenceChampionship Team (the teamlost in the first round of theNCAA tournament to NorthCarolina by a goal 13-14). Duringhis junior year he started everygame throughout the season as the team won theCAA Championship for the second consecutive year. Hescored two goals and one assist against Duke on nationaltelevision (ESPN) in the firstround of the NCAA tournament,was third on the team in pointswith 29 (21 goals, 8 assists), and

led the team with the highestshooting percentage. As a seniorhe began the year strong witheight points in the first twogames, scored a goal, and hadan assist on national television(ESPN) against Johns Hopkins,but an ankle injury sloweddown his progress for the rest of the season. He is now in hisfifth year of eligibility.

Matt Rooks ’98 Inducted into Bethel University Hall of Fame

Alumnus Matt Rooks is a 2002 Bethel University graduatewith a degree in business administration. During his college

career he scored 2,183 points and is third all-time on the scoring list inmen's basketball. He ranks eighth in field goals made, 19th in rebounding,fifth in all-time steals, and 12th in all-time assists. Matt is still Bethel’s

all-time leader in free throws made with 491 andthird in three-pointers made with 214. He was aKIAC First Team selection both his junior andsenior seasons and an Honorable Mention All-American both of those seasons. Matt wasa key member of the only Bethel Men’sBasketball Team to advance to the NAIADivision II National Tournament with the Catsgoing to Branson, Missouri, in 2002. After hisplaying career at Bethel he served as a studentassistant for one semester. He then returned tohis hometown of Cincinnati and became anassistant basketball coach at Moeller. Recently heaccepted the head coaching position for boys’basketball at Wyoming High School. BethelHead Coach Jeff Britt said, “An outstandingteacher, husband, and father, Matt is a credit tohis profession and Bethel University. He was agreat player for us, but even more so he is simplya great individual. His numbers speak for themselves, but his heart and passion is evenmore profound.”

Matt and his wife, Michelle, and son, Drew, livein Cincinnati.

Source: http://www.bethelathletics.com/article/2710.php

Family SpiritAlumni Notes


Longtime Bethel PA AnnouncerKerry McElhinney said, “In my16 years as public addressannouncer, there have beenvery few players in Matt’s class.He was a great player on thecourt and great person off thecourt. I am so pleased for himand his family for this honor iswell deserved.”

Fischer, Nick ’08has begun his senioryear this fall at theAir Force Academy

in Colorado Springs and wasrecently selected to be one ofonly two Basic Cadet TrainingSquadron Commanders for thesummer. “Things were touchand go for a while this past summer with all of the wildfiresin the Colorado Springs area,”reports his father, Tim. “Theycould see the fires from the cadetarea, and the Academy evacuatedall the non-essential personnel.Nick said he had to draft up acontingency plan for evacuatinghis entire squadron if the needarrived. Luckily, the winds eventually died down, and theygot some much-needed rain thathelped contain the fires.”

Korn, Brian '08graduated cumlaude from ThomasMore College with a

bachelor of arts in businessadministration. He is currentlyworking for Consolidated Graphicsat Hennegan Company ofFlorence, KY, in their three-yearLeadership Development Program.He lives in Florence, KY.

Troy Stehlin ’08 isemployed with DeepDish Lacrosse basedout of Chicago, IL. “We

are a program that focuses on thedevelopment of the game oflacrosse and its players,” he writes.“We take small, selective groupsof players from the surroundingcommunities and try to replicateas close as possible the college-recruiting process to better prepareour boys and girls teams. We travelsummer, fall, and winter with thesame group of players. As a relativelynew program in an area ripe forthe development of the sport, wehave seen a great deal of successalready and are already organizingfor the fall and winter of next year.We will be offering a spring breaktournament to teams this springas well. As always, Go Moe andGod Bless!”

Sue Franz writes, “Here's a picture of Craig, his older brotherMichael '07), my husband, andme in St. Peter's Square afterthe Papal audience. Brother Ronwas kind enough to get us tickets,and we met up with the group –an unforgettable family experience!”

Hauck, Kyle ’07 marriedMarylee Helton on September15, 2012. His wedding includ-ed fellow Moeller classmatesTrevor Stein ’07 (best man) and Thomas Schmidt ’07(groomsman). The ceremonycelebrant was Moeller TeacherJason Schlotman.

Becker, Frank ’07 married KatieDriscoll on October 6, 2012.

Kyle’s sister, Katie, and husband (Tim Anderson)welcomed son Joseph Anderson on July 19,2012. Joseph is also the grandson of Athletic Department AdministrativeAssistant Kim Hauck.

We express our condolences and deepestsympathies to the families and friends of these and other members of the Moeller Family who have passed on:

Albrinck, FlorenceApking, AlbertArbino, Anthony ’67Augenstein, CaroleBeckenhaupt, ThelmaChapman, WesDunlap, VivianElmlinger, Jeffrey ’73 Farrell, MichaelFitzpatric, Michael ’69Gertz, Michael R.Gerwel, Richard Grinstead, John ’76 Gross, David IanHamm, MarionHiggins, Brian ’83 Hollmeyer, LauraJaeger, Christopher

In Memoriam

Kerkhoff, MarjorieMcCarty, JayMcCormick, DavidMcEwan, RuthMcNaul, MargaretMcPhillips, MaureenMorand, AgnesOtten, JanicePierce, IanRepasy, Mary BethRipperger, MaryRosselot, James ’73 Simpson, Michael ’67 Singh, KellySteinberg, MadelynZerges, RonZilch, Delores

Suter, Brent ’08 wasdrafted by the MilwaukeeBrewers in the 31st roundof the 2012 MLB June

Amateur Draft from HarvardUniversity (Cambridge, MA).Suter maintained a 3.43 GPA inenvironmental science and publicpolicy and was one of Harvard’sfive honorees on the Ivy LeagueSpring All-Academic Team. InAugust Suter was promoted tothe Single A Farm Team of theMilwaukee Brewers. Suterhelped the Wisconsin TimberRattlers win their first MidwestLeague Championship inSeptember by closing two games,including the final win.

Hoffmann,Nathan ’09is a LanceCorporal with

the 3rd Combat AssaultBattalion, Combat EngineerCompany, 2nd Platoon. He ispresently stationed in HelmandProvince, Afghanistan. Nate’sfamily asks that the MoellerFamily keep him in theirprayers as he serves his country.

Brennan, Kevin ’10and his sisters,Meagan ’04 (MND)and Maureen ’06

(MND), have made it a familyaffair by working at the CintasCorporation. Meagan was hiredfirst in June of 2008, followedby Maureen. Kevin was acceptedas an intern in their scholarshipprogram. He is finishing up his degree at Capital Universityin Columbus.

Fiessinger, Charlie ’11 (#17 pictured above) is the newestMoeller alumni to join theNotre Dame Football Team. He “walked on” to the team in the spring of 2012.

Danny O’Keefe ’02 Brutally Stabbed While SavingSister from Violent Attack

LETTER FROM Kevin Buckley ’02

Dear Alumni & Friends,

A best friend and fellow classmate of myself and Eric Eble,Danny O’Keefe ’02, was brutally attacked on May 6, 2011.Both Danny and his sister Kelly sustained brain-damaginginjuries, though his injuries were far worse. Danny heroically intervened to save his sister's life. Kelly’s recoveryhas been incredible, as she is back working as a ButlerCounty assistant prosecutor.

However, Danny’s road to recovery has been much longer.His situation is somewhat similar to that of SenatorGabrielle Giffords, as he suffers from a type of aphasia.Essentially, Danny can understand language but has had to relearn how to speak. Because of the extensivedamage on the left side of his head, his motor functionson the right side of his body have been severely affected,and he has also had to relearn how to walk.

The good news is that his parents, Jim and Kathy, arehoping to send Danny to a “boot camp” at the Universityof Michigan which specializes in this sort of rehabilita-tion. Danny's father Jim was featured on Scott Sloan's700 WLW show (LINK: http://www.700wlw.com/player/?station=WLW-AM&program_name=podcast&program_id=scott_sloan.xml&mid=22235408). I have tried to summarize this story, but the truth is much more harrowingand frightening. To paraphrase Jim, “This is the sort ofthing that you'd never expect to happen to your ownfamily. But it can and it did.”

If any of the Moeller Family can offer their support, donations can be made at any Fifth Third Bank to theO'Keefe Family Assistance Fund. Every little bit helps,and there is no donation too small.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Kevin Buckley ’02

FOR UPDATES ON DANNY’S AMAZING PROGRESS:www.helptheokeefes.blogspot.com

Follow-up Note: In October as part of“Make a Difference Day,” Suzy DeYoung,current Moeller parent (mother ofChristoph ’15 and Luc ’16) and theowner/chef of La Petite in Madeiramade and sold potato, minestrone,and chicken noodle soup for $10quart to benefit Danny O’Keefeand his family. If you would alsolike to “make a difference”for Danny, please go tothe www.helptheokeefes.blogspot.com.

Class of 2012grads NickBuehler andRobbyThompson at“The Grove” at Ole Miss.

NON-PROFIT ORG.US POSTAGE

PAIDCINCINNATI, OHIO

Permit No. 9931

A publication for alumni, family, and friends of Archbishop Moeller High School

CRUSADE COMPLETED8th State Championship RekindlesMemories of Glory Days

Just in time for Christmas, you can get the 50-yearhistory of Moeller athletics as viewed through DickBeerman, Moeller’s archivist and former AthleticDirector. He recently published We Are the ‘Big Moe’:A Year-by-year, Sport-by-Sport History of One of theGreatest High School Athletic Programs in the Nation,Covering the First 50 Seasons. The book is availableonline (www.WeAreTheBigMoe.com) and costs$39.95, plus shipping/handling. Thanks to Dick’sgenerosity, all proceeds support Moeller’s Tuition

Assistance Program.

9001 Montgomery RoadCincinnati, OH 45242-7780

Return Service Requested

The December 2, 2012,headline of TheCincinnati Enquirer’sSports section read,“Crusade Completed:Eighth StateChampionshipRekindles Memories of Glory Days.”

The night before theMoeller Crusadersdefeated the ToledoWhitmer Panthers forthe Division I StateChampionship, 20-12.

It was the Crusader’s12th state final gameand their first state titlesince 1985. Moellerbegan earning itsnational reputation inthe mid-1970s when the Crusaders wonstate championships in 1975, ’76, ’77, ’79, ’80, ’82, and ’85.

Read more on Moeller's website:www.Moeller.org(select “Athletics”) orLetsGoBigMoe.com.

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