red & gold spring 2015

Capital Campaign Update

Spotlight on oUr teaCherS

md alUmS ordained aS deaConS

new tenniS Complex

The Mater Dei High School Magazine Volume 31, Number 2 • Spring 2015

Red & GoldRed & GoldRed & Gold

2 Red & Gold Spring 2015

The Red & Gold is published three times a year by the Mater Dei High School Office of Institutional Advancement, to encourage understanding and support of the mission of Mater Dei High School. Through the Red & Gold, Mater Dei’s 10,000+ alumni, as well as the school’s many friends, continue to strengthen their relationships with each other and become better informed about the many ways Mater Dei strives for excellence through its spiritual, academic and extracurricular programs.

red & gold StaffEditor: Carol Nurrenbern

[email protected]

Art Director: Alan Inkenbrandt ’[email protected]

Photography Contributors: Yearbook Student Staff

Straub Photography

Contributors: Timothy Dickel

Sarah Wagner ’88 Maggie Hurm ’09

Send alumni news and address changes to Maggie Hurm, Database Manager, [email protected].

about the coverOne of the Mater Dei Theatre

Department’s productions this year was “A Midsummer Night's Dream.” Acting, stage scenery

and costumes were outstanding much to the audience's delight!

Photo by Andrew Roberson.

wrestlers continue tradition

MD wrestlers win Team State Duals and sent six wrestlers to individual state competition.

Full of grace: excellence for

tomorrowThe Capital Campaign has

exceeded its goal and several projects will begin this spring.

pilgrimage for lifeStudents traveled to

Washington, D.C. for the annual Pilgrimage for Life March.

in memoriamRemembering alumni, faculty

and staff.

Mater Dei High School • 1310 Harmony Way, Evansville, IN 47720 • 812-426-2258 • www.materdeiwildcats.com

in this issue

Red & GoldThe Mater Dei High School Magazine • Vol. 31, No. 2 • Spring 2015

Red & Gold

Spring 2015 Red & Gold 3

Jeremy Aldridge—Computer Engineering, Ciholas

Andrea Bauman ’96—Physical Therapist, ProRehab

Dr. Steve Becker—Dean, IU School of Medicine Evansville

Dr. Michelle Black—Child Psychologist, St. Mary’s

Seth Brunner—Physical Therapist, ProRehab

Staff Sgt. Burns—United States Army

Jacob Edwards ’08—Account Executive, Leed Samples

David Ellert ’75—Engineering Instructor, University of Southern Indiana

Dr. Tyler Frounfelter—Dentist, Franklin Street Dentistry

Jason Gregorec—General Manager, Tropicana

Kristy Hickson ’94—Architect, PCI Skanska

Dan Hoefling ’78—Senior Vice President, ICI Skanska

Tim Hollander ’89—General Manager, Administrative Division, Toyota Manufacturing

Mark Hutchinson— Maintenance Technician, Mead Johnson Nutrition

Dr. Thomas Josenhans—Music Department Chair, University of Evansville

Bryan Knicely—Executive Director, Evansville Museum

Blake Kollker ’02—Azzip Pizza, Director of Growth and Development

Gail Lindsay—Interim Dean of Nursing, Ivy Tech

Sara Lipking—Human Resource Director, Tropicana

Mary Beth Lodato—Nurse/Midwife, Deaconess

Jeff Lyons—Meteorologist, WFIE Channel 14

Gina Minnette ’00—Account Manager, Keller Schroeder

Cindy Moore—Dean of Health Sciences, Ivy Tech

Amos Morris—Director, Mesker Park Zoo

Matt Mulherin ’91—Senior Consultant, Keller Schroeder

Brad Niemeier ’08—CEO, Azzip Pizza

Dr. Todd Niemeier ’91— Optometrist, Professional Eyecare

Dan Niemeier ’08—Retired Plant Manager, Mead Johnson Nutrition

Barbara Price ’62—Retired Vice President, Phillips 66

Dr. Jill Raisor ’99—Professor of Education, University of Southern Indiana

Dr. Greg Rawski—Dean of School of Business, University of Evansville

David Robinson ’70—Attorney, Robinson Law Office

Jake Schiff ’02—Financial Consultant, Hilliard Lyons

Kathy Schoettlin ’88— Executive Vice President, Old National Bank

Dr. Jim Schroeder ’95—Child Psychologist, St. Mary’s

Les Seib—Fire Fighter, Evansville Fire Department

John Shetler ’05—General Manager, Shetler Moving and Storage

Davi Stein—Director of Social Work, Youth First

Joe Steinkamp ’85— Agriculture, Steinkamp Farms

Martha Stilwell—Accountant, BKD

Ben Weber ’05—Sales, WFIE Channel 14

Dave Wedding—Sheriff, Vanderburgh County

Jonathan Weinzapfel— Chancellor, Ivy Tech

Chris Wolking—Chief Financial Officer, Old National Bank

Kirk Wright—Owner, Elmer Buchta

Fr. Alex Zenthoefer ’97— Director of Vocations, Diocese of Evansville

It’s difficult for high school students to know what they want to be when they grow up, so to help them get

the process started the Mater Dei Friends & Alumni Association sponsored a Career Discovery Day

at Mater Dei for all 523 students.

To get the students focused on careers, they took a Career Cluster Survey indicating their top career interests. Business teacher Donna Lefler then tallied the results and assigned students to two sessions based on their selected interests.

Over 40 guest speakers from many different professions presented to students, sharing information about their career, including their education and job responsibilities.

Ivy Tech chancellor Jonathan Weinzapfel delivered the keynote speech. He shared lessons he has learned throughout his career. He advised students to find mentors, build relationships and find their passion. “Bottom line, learn about

the world around you, work hard, experience life,” he said. “In time you will find your passion and your career will come to you.”

Career discovery day

Chris Wolking, Chief Financial Officer at Old National Bank, speaks to students at Career Discovery Day.

Career discovery day presenters

Mater Dei President Dr. Tad Dickel, business teacher Donna Lefler, Jeff Bone ’92, immediate past president of the MDFAA and Natalie Emge ’98, current MDFAA president (not pictured) were the organizers of the Career Discovery Day event.

mater dei today


Mater Dei senior Anthony “Andy” DeWeese recently traveled to Village of Carefour Des Peres, Haiti, with his mother, Karla DeWeese ’81, and his sister, Olivia DeWeese, a 2013 Mater Dei graduate. Anthony spent a week building shelves in

school classrooms and repairing school desks.

What the students in Haiti ap-preciated most was when Andy replaced their soccer goals, which were comprised of two stones, with real goals. He took two 12-foot pieces of PVC pipe and turned them into two soccer goals that only enhanced their favorite sport.

Each year for the past three years, the Mater Dei Student Council has sponsored a student to travel to Haiti for a week. The Student Council raised $500 for supplies for the village that Andy and his group visited.

Editor’s note: Jim Schroeder ’71 was a member of the group that traveled to Haiti with Mater Dei senior Andy DeWeese this past fall for a week. Jim reflects on their experience in the following narrative.

They looked for him after school in the courtyard after they had changed from their uniforms to their old scruffy clothes and no shoes. Those boys waited for him after he returned from the village where he worked eight miles away because they knew he would play soccer and baseball with them. And by mid morning, with curious eyes, they would hover around him to see what he would do next forgetting that recess was upon them.

These were the poorest children in the western hemisphere—the children of Haiti. And they would not see that Andy had a special place in his heart, and that their Creole language would not be a barrier. What stranger had they ever met that did what he was doing? Why, they wondered, would he put his comfortable life in theirs for five straight days in the dirt and heat they were accustomed to and with no electricity? Every day these students and their teachers noticed something new, something fixed, something created out of materials not available in their remote village of Carefour Des Peres. On each of these days, the spirit of Mater Dei was there because the treasures were brought to this little village thanks to Mater Dei students and the leadership of a MD teacher.

One hundred and twenty Haitian students watched Andy and these three new assistants build new shelves along two concrete walls in two classrooms with a donated drill and an old dull circular saw. They hoped these shelves would someday be filled with classroom supplies

and hundreds of stories found in stimulating library books that would be shopped for in the days to come. They watched and learned as Andy and his friends repaired 17 desks from which these students could learn more comfortably tomorrow.

But what was more uplifting to their mundane lives was how this tall, light-skinned guy, whose sister some of them had met three years ago, decided that these children deserved something better than two small stones for a soccer goal. What brought excitement to their week was how Andy took two 12 foot pieces of PVC pipe and turned them into two soccer goals—equip-ment needed for their absolute favorite sport. And the WORD became alive on that day on the playground because the Spirit was moving in those moments. It was moving all over the land.

We could see the appreciation on the smiling faces of the children and the adults looking on. As teach-ers watched, we could see the unspoken gratefulness in their kind expressions. For they also saw their students’ lives enhanced that week with new soccer balls, jump ropes, a partially repaired swing set along with frisbees, balloons and rumors of a new library.

But maybe the most touching moment was on the first day we returned to the village with Mater Dei graduate Olivia DeWeese, whose 7-year-old sponsor child recognized her three years later as she ran across the playground and jumped into Olivia’s arms and would not let go. A real slice of heaven.

And so it was in the land far away where we took what we were taught with the treasures you shared and gave back a few of the talents that God has bestowed on us in Jesus’s name. Amen.

going forth to serveby Jim Schroeder

Senior Anthony DeWeese serves in Haiti

“The Student Council raised $500 for supplies

for the village.”

mater dei today


Twenty-nine students from Mater Dei traveled to Washington, D.C. for the annual Pilgrimage for Life March. They marched with hun-dreds of thousands of people from across the country in support of life from conception to natural death. Bishop Charles Thompson marched with the students and celebrated Mass each day. According to Mater Dei Campus Minister, Jeremy Goebel ’06, “The teens really appre-ciated his time and commitment to the young people in our diocese.”

During their four night pilgrimage, they visited several historical sites including Gettysburg, the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg, Md., and the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

People from the Diocese of Evansville had the opportunity to be served by a local parish, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. They prepared and served them meals for three full days. “Over 70 parishioners volunteered

their time to show a group of strangers an overwhelming amount of kindness and hospitality. We couldn’t be more thankful for their service,” said Jeremy.

He shares that the trip was an amazing experience for the high school students and adults as well. “The importance of the dignity of each human life was taught and

stressed each time we loaded the bus. The catechetical DVD that was played in segments throughout the trip served as a fantastic reminder of the type of people we need to be to truly live as pro-life Christians. We are thankful to God for the oppor-tunity to march, and the freedom to stand up for the sacredness of all human life, from conception to natural death.”

2015 pilgrimage for life march

Kunkler achieves Girl Scout Gold AwardSophomore Michaela Kunkler recently completed requirements for the

Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve.For her Take Action Project, Michaela created a “wish list program” for Mater

Dei High School entitled the C.O.I.N. Program (Classes and Organizations In Need), which was designed to raise awareness of the needs of groups in the Mater Dei High School community that are not normally funded by the school.

Teachers, coaches and sponsors were invited to complete a C.O.I.N. request form listing the needs of the group they represent. Donors wishing to help one of these groups could donate money toward what was needed.

As a member of the Marching Wildcats, Michaela decided to highlight a need identified by the band. Mobile lighting was necessary since the band practices on a parking lot with insufficient lighting. She formed a team to determine the most appropriate type of lighting, and band director Mr. Dan Klipper completed a C.O.I.N. Program request form for four torch lights and four battery bundles. The total cost was $1,000 (with a generous discount from Escalade Sports). Mater Dei made a donation to help fund the lighting project, and the remaining portion of the money was donated by generous supporters of the Mater Dei Marching Band.

The mobile torch lights have been used at several late four-hour band practices. The lights also traveled with the band to Indianapolis as they earned their way to their seventh ISSMA State performance.

Michaela Kunkler with the mobile torch light used for band practice.

mater dei today

Entrance Enhancement Work on the entrance began in 2014 when the convent

and other properties on Harmony Way were demolished.

The project will include greatly improved aesthetics from

Harmony Way and a new marquee. We anticipate begin-

ning the project after school in May with completion at

the beginning of the school year.

Artificial Turf FieldThe new field will provide greater flexibility for our athletic

teams including the ability to practice in most weather

conditions. In addition, the field will be a safer surface

for our students. Many different athletic teams and extra-

curricular activities will benefit from using the new field.

Tennis ComplexPreliminary design work has begun on the tennis

complex. We are trying to coordinate the details of

this project with those of the Entrance Enhancement

and Artificial Turf Field projects. At the latest, the

complex should be available for the spring 2016 girls

tennis season.

Kitchen RenovationThe current kitchen will receive a major upgrade this

summer. Much of the equipment is outdated and some

is believed to be original to the school opening in 1949.

The new equipment will be more efficient for utilities

and the school lunch program.

Full of GraceCapital Campaign Update

The Capital Campaign has exceeded our $4.6 million goal with $5 million in pledges. We are truly

appreciative of the community's generous support for this important effort. Campaign projects are planned

through the 2017–18 school year, and we are planning the following projects in 2015:

The Mater Dei facilities and campus will be greatly enhanced due to

the campaign's projects. For those of you who have not been on campus

recently, I encourage you to stop by and see the progress. We are in the

process of finalizing the campaign's conclusion and look forward to the

Campaign Celebration on May 1, 2015. Bishop Charles Thompson will

celebrate our May Day Mass and dedicate the Sisters of St. Benedict

Prayer Garden. We look forward to sharing more project details in the

coming months and years.

By Timothy Dickel, Ph.D., President


Full of Grace Strategic Direction ReportBy Timothy Dickel, Ph.D., President

Goal #1: lay a solid faith foundation in support of long-term spiritual growth

ACCoMPlISHMEnTS

• Developed an assessment for students’ knowledge of the faith and spiritual practices that is agreed upon by the West Deanery pastors

• Created survey for alumni on their spiritual practices

• Designed an annual retreat for faculty and staff

• Hired a campus minister that is dedicated to the spiritual development of our school

• Added freshman and sophomore retreats after several years of not being held

• Added an all-school prayer service each month

• Youth ministers and catechetical leaders from the area parishes visit with students at lunch at Mater Dei throughout the school year

• Many area priests help celebrate Mass and administer the Sacrament of Reconciliation

ACCoMPlISHMEnTS

• Hired an enrollment manager for the 2011–12 school year

• Enrollment increases in 2013–14 and 2014–15

• Increased percentage of feeder school students matriculating to Mater Dei to over 80%

• Tremendous increase of voucher recipients (130 in 2014–15)

• Enhanced feeder school communication with principals, parents and students

• Secured Tax Credit Scholarship (SGo) funding for Mater Dei and feeder schools

• Improved retention

The Full of Grace: Excellence for Tomorrow Strategic Direction was approved in May 2011 by the Mater Dei High School Board of Trustees. This bold plan encompasses spirituality, academics, enrollment, facilities, technology, alumni relations and fundraising. Throughout the spring of 2015, the Board of Trustees is reviewing the Strategic Direction and plans to approve a new plan for the

next three to five years. We are pleased to report many accomplishments over the last few years but recognize continued areas for improvement. our many successes are the result of careful planning and dedicated support of the Board of Trustees, committees, faculty, staff, parents, students, alumni, friends and community partners.

Goal #2: Increase enrollment to 650 students by 2025



ACCoMPlISHMEnTS

• Collaboration has occurred with the feeder schools to promote enrollment efforts

• Videos have been created to promote MD

• Advertising costs have been shared in multiple instances

• Mater Dei has become more visible and connected with the feeder schools

• Hosted feeder school students at Mater Dei annually

Goal #4: advance academic excellence by setting standards for student and faculty achievement

ACCoMPlISHMEnTS

• Increased Advanced Placement, ACT, SAT and End of Course Assessment scores

• Met goal for Honors Diplomas (over 60% of graduates)

• Increased percentage of students with college credits in high school to 88%

• Exceeded college scholarship goal of $5 million ($7.1 million in 2014)

• Funded graduate course work in content areas

• Increased technology offerings

Goal #6: Provide $600,000 annually in financial aid to support enrollment goal by 2020

Goal #5: Develop strategic alliance with MD feeder schools

ACCoMPlISHMEnTS

• our financial aid goal for 2020 was achieved six years early; significant financial aid increase: over $650,000 awarded in 2014–15 due to voucher and SGo programs

• Increased income from endowments

ACCoMPlISHMEnTS

• Established the Ave Maria Society and added 70+ members

• Created an annual Ave Maria Society newsletter and promoted through multiple avenues

• Raised awareness of the importance of planned giving and endowments

• Hosted an annual meeting for the Ave Maria Society

• Increased number of endowments from 18 in December 2010 to 40 in December 2014

• Increased balance of endowments at the Catholic Foundation from $671,648.80 in December 2010 to $1,903,716.50 in December 2014

Goal #3: Increase endowment to $10 million by 2025

“�While�we�as�a�Mater�Dei�community�have�already�completed�or�made�significant�progress�toward��many�of�the�strategic�goals�set�in�2011,�it�is�important�to�continue�to�revisit�our�plans�on�an�ongoing�and�routine�basis�to�make�sure�we�are�always�adapting�and�revising�our�goals�to�remain�successful�for�many�years�and�generations�to�come.�Mater�Dei�means�so�much�to�so�many�people�and�it�is�now�our�responsibility�to�continue�to�make�plans�for�its�long�term�success.”

—�Matt�Folz,�Mater�Dei��Board�of�Trustees�Chair


Goal #9: launch capital campaign to support plan by 2012 with completion by 2014

ACCoMPlISHMEnTS

• Successfully ran a Capital Campaign and exceeded goal in october 2014

• Several projects have already been completed

Goal #7: Develop and fund a facilities plan to meet long-term needs of school

Goal #8: Enhance alumni & Friends engagement through 40% annual Fund participation by 2025 and enhanced volunteer support by Mater Dei community

ACCoMPlISHMEnTS

• Created project priorities for the capital campaign

• A five-year technology hardware replacement plan was developed

• In process of improving curb appeal of Mater Dei through purchasing Harmony Way properties and demolishing them along with the convent

ACCoMPlISHMEnTS

• Have had relatively strong Annual Funds despite a successful Capital Campaign

• Using more email communication

• Added young alumni class chairs

Ave Maria Morning 2015The Mater Dei High School Office of Advancement and the Ave Maria Society

would like to invite you to our annual Ave Maria Morning

Friday, April 10, 2015 Mater Dei High School, 1300 Harmony Way, Evansville

ScHEDulE OF EvEnTS:8:00 to 8:45 a.m. 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. Rosary and Mass in Breakfast and presentation: Msgr. Wolf chapel “The Future of Mater Dei” in the Media center

Join us in recognizing the impact of the Ave Maria Society on Mater Dei High School and learn more about our plans for the future.

All MD alumni, friends and parents are welcome!

Please RSvP by Wednesday, April 1, 2015 to Sarah Wagner (812) 421-5727, ext. 405, [email protected]

“ I know firsthand the valuable lessons and catholic values that Mater Dei instills in our young people. When my wife and I were planning for our future, we knew that Mater Dei needed to be in those plans. We want Mater Dei to be a valuable part of our children’s lives and be there to provide for generations to come. This is why we have included a bequest in our will for Mater Dei High School. God bless and GO WIlDcATS!” —Josh ’99 & lauren Hodge

Josh, Kayden, Lauren& Kylar Hodge


Congratulations to the Mater Dei Wrestling Team for winning the Indi-ana High School Wrestling Coaches Association (IHSWCA) Team State Duals at Ball State University. The wrestlers began the day with a 73-3 victory over Westfield followed by a 56 to 9 win over New Palestine. In the semi-finals, the Wildcats defeated #4-ranked Warren Central 43 to 22. Mater Dei won a hard-fought match against #2 Perry Meridian with a final score of 31 to 27.

Four years ago the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) dropped the Team State Duals and as a result, the IHSWCA decided to keep the tournament alive and organize the event. Mater Dei has qualified each year placing fifth in 2013, finishing second in 2014 and capturing the title in 2015.

Mater Dei has a rich high school wrestling history, winning 12 state

wrestling championships, setting over 20 state wrestling records, plus some national records under the coaching of Mike Goebel.

John Johnson, a parent of Mater Dei wrestlers, has written a book, We Are... MD! A History of Mater Dei Wrestling, which was released

this past fall. The hardbound book contains 280 pages of highlights, sta-tistics, photos and a comprehensive decade-by-decade look at the wres-tling program. Names of hundreds of wrestlers, past and present, are also included. The book is available at the Mater Dei Athletic Office for $39.95.

wrestlers continue to make wrestling history at mater dei

IHSAA State wrestling records held by Mater Dei

Most Sanctioned State Champion-ships (12)

Most Sanctioned State Champion-ships by a Coach (12)

Most Consecutive State Champion-ships (9)

Most Semi-State Championships (23)

Most Consecutive Semi-State Cham-pionships (12)

Most Regional Championships (33)

Most Consecutive Regional Champi-onships (30)

Most Sectional Championships (43)

Most Consecutive Sectional Champi-onships (38)

Most Points Scored in a Sectional

Most Points Scored in a Regional

Most Points Scored in a Semi-State

Most Individual Semi -State Champions

Most Individual Regional Champions

Most Individual Sectional Champions

Most Points Scored at a State Meet

Most Consecutive Dual Meet Victories (135)

Most Regional Dual Meet Championships

Most Semi-State Dual Meet Championships

IHSAA All-Sports Records Held by Mater Dei Wrestling

Most Sanctioned State Champion-ships by a Coach (12: Tie between Mike Goebel, Mater Dei Wrestling and John Campbell, Gary Roosevelt Boys Track)

Most Consecutive State Champion-ships (9)

Most Semi-State Championships (23)

Most Consecutive Semi-State Cham-pionships (12 from 1995–2008)

Most Regional Championships (33)

Most Consecutive Regional Cham-pionships (30 from 1979–2008)

National records held by Mater Dei wrestling

Career Dual Meet Winning Percentage by a Coach: Mike Goebel, 94.7% (533-14-2)

Reserve Team Winning Streak: Randy Helfrich, 450

Wrestling records held by Mater Dei (from We Are... MD!, p. 258)

MD State wrestling titles

1985–1986 1999–20001994–1995 2000–20011995–1996 2001–20021996–1997 2002–20031997–1998 2005–20061998–1999 2006–2007

SportS highlightS


Girls soccer mental attitude awardCongratulations to Emily Bradley for receiving the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award at the 1A girls soccer state finals. Mater Dei received a check from the IHSAA in the amount of $1,000 in Emily’s name.

Football Class 2A State Runner-UpThe Mater Dei football team once again generated a re-markable and memorable season. Before a packed house at the Reitz Bowl, the Wildcats concluded the school’s fifth undefeated regular season with a win over the Reitz Pan-thers. The victory earned outright City and SIAC champi-onships and the West Side Nut Club Trophy for Mater Dei.

The excitement continued with Sectional, Regional and excellent Semi-State Championships, giving the Wildcats a berth into the final weekend of the season at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis Thanksgiving week-end. The Cats finished as IHSAA State Runner-Up title with a 14-1 record. As always, the football team enjoyed the great Mater Dei fan base throughout the season.

Special recognitions were earned by the following players:

Logan McCann: IFCA All-State Top 50 Player Team, AP All-State, All-SIAC, All-Metro, All-City, Mater Dei Kiwanis Award

Julian Weidner: IFCA 2A All-State, AP All-State (Honorable Mention), All-SIAC, All-Metro, All-City, Home Team Friday MVP Team

Adrian Butler: IFCA 2A All-State, AP All-State (Honorable Mention), All-SIAC, All-Metro, All-City

Drayke Richardt: IFCA Junior All-State, All-SIAC, All-Metro, All-City

Kyle Dennis: IFCA Junior All-State, AP All-State (Honorable Mention), All-SIAC, All-Metro, All-City

Evan Williams: AP All-State (Honorable Mention), All-SIAC, All-Metro, All-City

Luke Neitzke: All-Metro, All-City

Blake Jourdan: All-City

Congratulations to football coach Mike Goebel for being recognized by the Downtown Quarterback Club as the Coach of the Year in Evansville.

Nick Lee wins State wrestling titleMater Dei sophomore Nick Lee won the 132 weight class State title with a 16-5 major decision over his opponent.The Wildcats sent six wrestlers to individual state com-petition and finished third place in the state tournament.

113 Kyle Luigs: 6th place

120 Will Egli: 4th place

132 Nick Lee: 1st place

138 Joe Lee: 2nd place

145 Blake Jourdan: 7th place

126 Alex Johnson: state qualifier

Nine MD senior athletes have signed national letters of intent to continue playing their sport in college:

Adrian Butler, Football Indiana State University

Meredith Daunhauer, Softball Kentucky Wesleyan College

Logan McCann, Football Marian University

Paige Niemeier, Soccer University of Evansville

Sydney Seger, Softball Indiana University Southeast

Tori Schickel, Basketball Butler University

Ben Sellers, Baseball Western Illinois University

Kayla Shane, Volleyball University of Missouri-St. Louis

Julian Weidner, Football Marian University

“I like the small college feel and it’s in Indiana and close to home. I am very excited to play in the Big East. Butler’s academic programs are a good fit and will leave me with many options for the future. I am very impressed with the coaching staff and look forward to working with them.” —Tori Schickel, signing with Butler University

mater dei senior athletes sign national letters of intent

Nick Lee after winning the 132 State Title. Photo courtesy of The Evansville Courier & Press

SportS highlightS

Mater Dei’s faculty demographics

indicate that of the 37 teachers

on staff, 49 percent of teachers are age

50 and over and 51 percent are under

the age of 50. Seventy percent are 40

years of age or older and 30 percent are

under the age of 40. These numbers

change as senior members of the fac-

ulty retire. In the past four years, seven

teachers have retired and younger in-

dividuals have been hired to fill those

teaching positions. Currently, 12 teach-

ers have been teaching for more than

30 years and eight teachers have been

teaching for fewer than 10 years.

The veteran teacher

Teachers at Mater Dei who have

taught for over 30 years agree that

they are all still teaching because they

are still excited about teaching--every

day. Math teacher Rick Keith, who has

taught for 49 years, still enjoys the

challenge of improving students’ math-

ematical skills, and seeing “positive

student results that ultimately lead to

graduates who are making a difference

in the lives of others.”

Carl Voegel, a science teacher for

37 years, shares what he enjoys most

about teaching is “helping students

on their way to being professionals. It

is always interesting to watch as the

students progress from their freshman

year to being a senior and deciding on

what degree path to follow and which

university to attend.”

Theology teacher Scott Whitehouse,

after teaching for 38 years, states, “I still

find that excitement along with a more

refined sense of energy as students look

forward to entering college and life.

High school students are able to look at

world events closely which helps them

form and strengthen their values and

formulate a stronger course of action on

how to live in the world today.”

Veteran teachers have met many

challenges over the years in education,

particularly in the area of technol-

ogy. English teacher Sandy Lasher

maintains that over the past 33 years

of teaching “Technology has been the

largest challenge. I personally have met


Education is dynamic and constantly changing. The challenge for educators is how to collaboratively handle the constant changes and still improve teaching methods and student learning. Teachers at Mater Dei, the veteran teachers and the younger teachers, know that working together and sharing ideas, knowledge and experience is an ideal way to meet the challenges in education today.

Teachers often do more than teach. They help students in many different ways. Math teacher Rick Keith, ties senior Adrian Butler's tie for him the morning he signed his letter of intent to play football at Indiana State University.

Teachers work together to


those challenges by getting out of my

comfort zone and trying new things.

I have learned to ask students to show

me how they did something and by at-

tending workshops that focus on utiliz-

ing technology in the classroom.”

Social studies and German teacher

Steve Rode ’77 of 32 years adds, “While

I was at first leery of the changes, I now

look back in disbelief that we actually

taught without the modern technology

that we use every day. After the initial

fear of learning these new things, I

began to embrace them with great

enthusiasm and now consider myself

rather tech-savvy.”

Mr. Whitehouse points out another

challenge today not only with the fast-

paced changes in technology, but the

extent that students utilize technology.

“Students are often so caught up in the

fast movement of their daily lives that

they do not fully appreciate that there

are times for personal reflection which

need quiet and sometimes solitude.

There is also the need to identify that

technology does not always add to the

personal growth of an individual and

without proper management, it might

even cause difficulties as we now ob-

serve with some social media.”

Mr. Keith recognizes that ”the emer-

gence of high-tech phones has made

students more technologically social.

There is such a great dependence on

these phones that students have a prob-

lem listening and communicating.”

The experienced teachers believe keep-

ing up with technology will be the major

challenge for young teachers. Choosing

what technology actually helps students

to learn and what does not will be an is-

sue for young educators. Mr. Rode states,

“As almost everything imaginable is now

available with the click of a mouse, the

teaching profession will have to adapt

and a whole style of teaching is going

to evolve.” Mr. Whitehouse adds, “The

challenge for some of the young teach-

ers will be to figure out how some of the

old ways helped students to learn and

possibly, for many, even assisted with re-

tention of knowledge.” Mr. Voegel points

out that “not all new ideas are especially

useful ideas when working with young

people, and new teachers will need to

sort through all kinds of new teaching

approaches presented to them.”

Other significant challenges that vet-

eran teachers acknowledge are the state

standards for educational achievement.

Mr. Voegel’s experience with teaching

to the state standards have taken away

much flexibility within the science class-

room, plus they indicate what students

should be exposed to such as more sci-

ence labs that involve molecular biology

and working with DNA. ”The challenge

now for me is to stay current with

Science teacher Carl Voegel assists students in a lab in AP Biology.

meet challenges in education

“Listen to students about how they best learn.Give them choices to reflect what they learned.”


biological concepts that are continually

changing to allow Mater Dei graduates

to successfully participate and learn in

a college atmosphere.” He is grateful

for the opportunity to attend science

conferences that keep him updated on

new science concepts and the knowledge

he learns filters down to the students.

Art teacher Roger Sills of 38 years

sees different challenges ahead for

young teachers not only in technology

and changing teaching standards. ”Be-

cause we are continually moving to a

more individualized society, group dis-

cipline in a traditional classroom will

be a problem. Competing with other

countries on the educational scale

will be a problem. And as society sees

charter schools and home schooling as

better options, the classroom teacher

will have to prove their value.”

With their years of experience, these

teachers also have shared some advice

with the younger ones. Mr. Keith offers,

“It will take five years to learn how to

teach a course competently. A teacher

will continue to learn new concepts and

procedures as they evolve into being

respected in the classroom. Vary the

methods in teaching the same topic. The

texts are not always written in the correct

order students need to learn a subject.”

Mrs. Lasher suggests, ”Listen to

students about how they best learn.

Give them choices to reflect what they

learned.” Mr. Whitehouse encourages

young teachers to ”continue to find ways

to develop a ’love for learning.’ Teaching

should be looked at as a way of life that

goes beyond the idea that it is a job.”

Mr. Sills tells young teachers to ”over

prepare for the classroom, push yourself

to be the best you can be, and know

what is going on in the real world.” And

Mr. Rode wants young teachers to know,

”Don’t listen to detractors. This is one of

civilization’s greatest professions. What

we do impacts so many people and their

futures. We are not low-paid unskilled

workers. We are highly educated profes-

sionals who have a noble career.”

So what keeps a teacher motivated

for over 30 years? ”The students at Mater

Dei have a personal discipline and

style. The religious aspects of Mater Dei

are humbling. You just feel good being

here,” states Mr. Sills.

Mr. Voegel comments, ”Many students

do not understand the values and

quality of a Mater Dei education until

many years after they graduate, but

they do figure it out after a period of

time in the real world. This has always

been important to me.” Mr. Keith adds,

”The Mater Dei community offers

tremendous support. The student body,

faculty, and alumni have a rapport that

doesn’t exist in most schools.”

Novice teachers

The support that comes from the

administration, faculty, staff, students,

and parents serves as a valuable asset for

young teachers whether they are in their

first year or have been teaching for a few

years. English teacher Crystal Roberson

states, ”Veteran teachers have become a

blessing for me in my profession. Even

in my eighth year in the classroom, I still

go to my mentors for advice and direc-

tion. These professionals have not only

Nick Austin, business teacher, instructs students in Computer Applications class.

Art teacher Roger Sills assists a student in his Digital Design class.


been working their craft in the classroom

longer than I have, but they have also ex-

perienced the pendulum shifts in educa-

tion and are able to assist on a variety of

educational platforms unknown to us.”

Business teacher Nick Austin ’01,

who has been a classroom teacher

for seven years, also appreciates what

the older teachers can provide. ”The

more experienced teachers have been

great. Many were here when I was

a student, and I owe a great deal to

them. Having those previous relation-

ships has really helped me to under-

stand the bar that has been set here

at Mater Dei. Their knowledge and

experience is invaluable,” he states.

Young teachers are challenged by

the same factors as the veteran teacher.

Physical education teacher, Allison

Garrard ’05, after teaching for five years

believes that ”students are constantly

surrounded with technology and are

bombarded with social media that it is

a challenge for them to keep their focus

for a long period of time.” Mr. Austin

states, “I believe one of the greatest

challenges is the constant exposure to

outside influences. In today’s society,

students face many distractions. Every

student’s situation is different. It’s

important that we, as teachers, under-

stand this and try to make a meaning-

ful impact on each individual student.”

Mrs. Roberson adds, “I think the

greatest challenge for teachers today

is to find their niche in the classroom.

Not only finding teaching methods

that work best with their personalities

and passions, but finding ways to effec-

tively manage the students as well.”

With many years of teaching ahead for

young teachers, they have their thoughts

on how education will continue to evolve

in the future. Seven year English teacher

Kristyn Gabbert comments, “I hope that

educational reform focuses on helping

students develop intrinsic motivation and

critical thinking skills.” Mrs. Garrard is

concerned that “we continue to use tech-

nology as a tool to further our knowledge

but not become so dependent on it that

we lose our work ethic and ability to

process information on our own.”They also are counting on the field of

education to focus on the student. “My hope for education is that we can offer our students a community of safety, compassion, and academic rigor that inspires and enables them to be the best person they can be,” states Mrs. Rober-son. Mr. Austin adds that his expecta-tion is that “our leaders continue to keep the best interest of our children at the heart of all decisions and policies.”

Mater Dei is fortunate to have a faculty that respects and supports each teacher where they are in their teaching career. Their mutual respect and ability to work together enables the school overall to keep the academic rigor at a high standard for teaching and learn-ing. As Mr. Whitehouse shares, “As I see my career moving towards the end, I am

strengthened by some of the new and

young dedicated individuals who will

be handed the reins and leadership of

the school for the 21st century. As long

as we have dedicated young educators

being formed and added to the teaching

staff, the mission and growth of Mater

Dei will continue to be nurtured.”

Physical education teacher Allison Garrard conducts a basketball clinic with her class.

“Don’t listen to detractors. This is one of civilization’s greatest professions. What we do impacts so many people and their

futures. We are not low-paid unskilled workers. We are highly educated professionals who have a noble career.”

—Steve Rode, teacher

New curriculum director serving needs of faculty and students


At the beginning of this current school year, English

teacher Sandy Lasher was hired as the Curriculum Director

at Mater Dei. The new position of a part-time Curriculum

Director was established to better serve the needs of the faculty

and students.

Dr. Timothy Dickel, President, explains, “As we continue to

build upon a strong foundation of quality academics, we realized

the importance of establishing a position that is solely devoted

to enhancing our academic programs. We envision greater

curriculum alignment with our feeder schools, enhanced

professional development for faculty, and continuous adapta-

tion to the needs of a 21st-century global work force.”

Sandy shares her time as part-time Curriculum Director

and part-time English teacher. Her duties as Curriculum

Director focus on assisting in the areas of curriculum devel-

opment, instruction and assessment across subject areas,

professional development for teachers, compiling school

data for AdvancEd accreditation, and serving as the liaison

between the feeder schools and Mater Dei on topics such as

vertical curriculum alignment.

Sandy is a resource person for teachers as they study and

evaluate new instructional strategies and assessment tech-

niques they utilize in their classrooms, as well as ensuring

the effective use of technology in the teaching-learning pro-

cess. She meets regularly with department chairs and assists

each department with textbook selections.

For over 10 years teachers have implemented in their classes a

school improvement initiative, Writing Across the Curriculum,

to build writing skills in students not just in English classes,

but in all classes including math, art, and physical education.

“One of the things we did this year was to revamp our process of

documenting our Writing Across the Curriculum goal. We asked

teachers to provide examples of writing that demonstrate knowl-

edge, which include essays, letters, and more formal assignments

such as papers and/or projects that students would work on for

a larger amount of time. We also asked for samples of writing to

learn assignments which can be completed in class such as jour-

naling, responding to written or oral questions, or taking notes

that align to learning ideas and concepts. A writing-to-learn

strategy is one that teachers use throughout and/or at the end of

a lesson to engage students and develop big ideas and concepts.”

Sandy is also responsible for professional development for

teachers. She identifies and coordinates opportunities for

professional growth for faculty members by way of guest

speakers, conferences, and workshops that will train teachers

in instructional strategies and in best practices for education.

She gathers information from department chairs and individ-

ual departments on their particular needs and goals in regard

to professional development training. She maintains records

of professional development opportunities offered as well as

records of individual teachers attending.

“While most of our energy this year has been training on

Sycamore (the new administrative software implemented for all

diocesan schools this year), we have also offered some in-house

workshops on Google drive thanks to the leadership of Media

Sandy Lasher, Curriculum Director


Four Star SchoolMater Dei is recognized as a Four Star School by the Indiana

Department of Education.

Each year, the Indiana Department of Education acknowl-

edges schools that are in the upper 25th percentile of schools

in performance on ISTEP+ and End of Course Assessment

(ECA) state exams, as well their rating determined by the

national No Child Left Behind statute's Adequate Yearly

Progress (AYP).

“A” rating for Mater DeiMater Dei High School has received an “A” rating annually

from the Indiana Department of Education since the rating

system was initiated.

This year’s A-F grades are the first ratings state officials

have calculated using a new formula, known as a Growth

Model, that measures growth in individual students’ test

scores from year to year.

The formula still uses results of statewide tests—the ISTEP+

in elementary and middle school or the End-of-Course

Assessments (ECAs) in high school—to compute the ratings.

The new model places more emphasis on individual students’

academic growth, rewarding schools who are helping students

make greater gains but penalizing schools where students are

stagnating or declining.

At the high school level, the model also factors in gradua-

tion rates and the number of students taking college or career

preparation courses for credit.

Specialist Ron Hickman. Our English and Spanish teachers took

advantage of professional development opportunities through

the book companies to aid them in implementing the on-line

aspects of their newly adopted textbooks,” Sandy explains.

Faculty who teach Advanced Placement classes attended

a College Board workshop that centered on the classes they

are teaching. Other faculty members have attended regional,

national, and international conferences which included

National Council of Mathematics Regional Conference, the

National Council of English National Conference in Wash-

ington D.C. and the Learning Disabilities Association (LDA)

international conference in Chicago.

AdvancEd accreditation takes place every five years, and

Sandy is charged with working closely with the school

accreditation team, chairing one section of the process and

assisting in compiling the final report. She also tracks school

data which includes SAT, ACT and ECA (End of Course

Assessment) test scores and shares this information with the

faculty on a regular basis.

“As my role develops, I see it as being a resource for teachers

to have someone on site who can help them find professional

development opportunities that are pertinent to their particular

classroom needs, to help them implement new instructional

strategies and to help them wade through the arduous task of

textbook selection.”

“I see [my role] as being a resource for teachers to ... help them find

professional development opportunities ... implement new instructional

strategies and ... wade through the arduous task of textbook selection.”

2000sDr. Jason Kuester ’01 graduated from Indiana University School of Dentistry in 2009. He is engaged to Jenna Bittner, a dental hygienist. They are planning their wedding for the spring of 2016.

Lucas Nelson ’06 recently joined the law firm of Stites & Harbison, PLLC

in their Real Estate & Banking Service Group in Louisville, Ky. He graduated cum laude in 2014 from Indiana Uni-versity Maurer School of Law, in Bloomington,

Ind. He worked as a compliance department intern for Indiana University Athletic Department prior to his current position.

Friends & alumni news

1970sWayne Emge ’70 was named the Sales Representative of the Year for 2014 at Brenntag Mid-South Corporation, an entity of Brenntag North America and Brenntag World Wide, the world’s largest chemical distributor. He was also named for the third time to the Brenntag Mid-South President’s Council. Wayne has been in the chemical distribu-torship business for 34 years.

2010sSam Goad ’13 was elected Director of the Purdue Student Union Board. His responsi-bilities include organizing and implementing student events on campus. He serves as the Director of Late Nights leading a committee of students to brainstorm ideas for new events, organize budgets and oversee student events at-tracting 300–2,000 students. The Purdue Student Union Board as a whole is one of the largest stu-dent organizations on campus with the responsibility to provide entertainment, education and activities to the student body.

1950sRobert ’58 and Judy Wargel received the University of Evansville’s Edie Bates Volunteer Service Award at the recent Founders Day celebration honoring distinguished alumni.

Suzanne Crouch ’70 was elected as the State Auditor of Indiana this past November. As auditor of the state, she is the Chief Financial Officer and has four primary

duties that include accounting for all of the state’s funds; overseeing and disbursing county, city, town and school tax distributions; paying the state’s bills; and paying the state’s employees.

Suzanne began her politi-cal career her senior year at Mater Dei serving as the City Clerk of the Mater Dei-ville school government. “The teachings and values of Mater Dei as a whole

influenced my chosen career path. My upbringing and schooling instilled in me a desire and sense of respon-sibility to help others, which I decided to do through civic service,” Suzanne reflects.

Before becoming Auditor, Suzanne served as the Indiana House Representative for District 78, which includes areas of Vanderburgh and Warrick counties. She was elected in 2005 and was the Vice Chairman

of the Ways and Means Committee and on the Public Health Committee. While in the House, she had several legislative accomplishments. She was the co-author of Major Moves, which funded road projects across the state, including the future completion of I-69 from Evansville to Indianapolis.

Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Suzanne was the Auditor of Vanderburgh County from 1995–2002. She served as a Vanderburgh County Commissioner until joining the House. She presided as president of that body during her third year in office. Prior to her career in public service, she spent four years as Chair of the Vanderburgh County Republican Party.

Suzanne is honored to serve her state in her current elected position. “My role as State Auditor gives me the opportunity to serve all Hoosiers. It was an honor to serve my local community and Southwest Indiana during my time as a local official and then as a State Representative, and now I am able to bring my experience and passion for service to the whole state,” she shares.

Suzanne received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Purdue University and took post-graduate courses in accounting from the University of Southern Indiana. She has been married 35 years to her husband Larry Downs. They have one grown daughter, Courtney. She attends St. John the Evangelist parish in Daylight, Ind.

Suzanne Crouch ’70 Serves as indiana State auditor


The staff of the Red & Gold, the Mater Dei magazine, would like to recognize and thank those individuals who help us make each issue possible.

Thank you to Alan Inkenbrandt ’89 who has designed each issue the Red & Gold since 2003. He works as a senior graphic designer for the Indianapolis branch of DTZ, a global commercial real estate firm, creating marketing collateral for the Indianapolis market, which includes brochures, advertising and promotional items.

Alan’s interest in graphic design began while in high school. He was part of the school newspaper staff, the Mater Dei Highlights, doing page layouts and contributing cartoons. Accord-

ing to Alan, “I took several art classes all four years from Mr. Sills. He taught me all the fundamentals of art and design that I use to this day.”

Alan finds designing each issue of the Red & Gold “fun and challenging, and I like the idea of being able to present all of these interesting items about the MD community in, hopefully, an appealing format.”

He and his wife, Ruth, and their son, Simon, live in Greenwood, Indiana.

Thank you to Gary Schutte ’65, owner of Schutte Litho-graphy, who prints the Red & Gold. He started in the printing business in 1972 and opened his own business in 1977 and has printed each issue of the Red & Gold since the early 1980s.

The Red & Gold has a sharp, crisp appearance because Gary is one of the few printers who still does offset printing in Evansville. Offset printing offers sharper images due to the process of printing from a hard rubber printing blanket with more flexibility than a direct transfer to paper.

We appreciate Alan and Gary’s contributions of their gifts and talents to each issue of the Red & Gold.

recognizing our red & gold magazine contributors

Friends & alumni news

Brent Weinzapfel ’09, Brad Wannemuehler ’10 and Caleb Eickhoff ’09, members of the University of Southern Indiana’s 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship baseball team, show their championship rings. All three former Mater Dei baseball players started for USI during their championship title run.

Please send your Friends & Alumni news to Carol Nurrenbern at [email protected] or 812-421-5727. Are you receiving the Mater Dei eNewsletter? If you would like to receive it, send us your email to [email protected].

Class reunionsThe MD Class of 1970 reunion will be August 15, 2015, at the Ivy Room at SWIRCA, 16 W. Virginia Street in Evansville. Friday Night Meet and Greet will be August 14, 2015, at Smitty’s on Franklin Street. If you have questions, contact Wayne Emge at (812) 459-4945 or [email protected] or Kathy Schenk at (812) 963-6968 or 7230kjs@ insightbb.com. More details to follow.

The MD Class of 2010 five-year reunion will be June 13, 2015, at St. Phillips Conservation Club starting at 7:00 p.m. For more information, contact Brooke Schmitt at [email protected] or (812) 622-0268.


in memoriam

Joseph dulin ’53: A visionary educational leaderJoseph Dulin ’53, a visionary leader, warrior for social justice, champion of educational excellence and father figure for many of the students he mentored, died October 23, 2014, at the age of 79.

Joe graduated from Mater Dei High School in 1953. He received a bachelor’s degree in physical education and history from St. Joseph’s College and a master’s degree in Administration and Supervision from Indiana State University.

Joe spent more than half century involved in educa-tion, serving as a teacher and principal for students in Detroit and Ann Arbor, Mich. schools. Following the Detroit Riots in 1967, he became the first African-American lay principal of a Catholic school in the United States at St. Martin de Porres High School where he transformed the school into an educational success with students achieving a 78% college enroll-ment rate in a city where the dropout rate was 79%. Joe believed in making sure students received a quality education and making connections with students that went beyond the classroom based on his philosophy of family and an unconditional love for his students.

In 1974, he was named the first principal at Ann Arbor’s Roberto Clemente Student Development Center, an alternative school for high school students. The school went from being known as “Last Chance High” to becoming a “School of Choice” with over an 88% graduation rate.

Joe returned to Mater Dei often to visit. He spoke to the student body as a guest speaker in 2005 and served as the Commencement speaker in 2008 to graduating seniors. On both speaking occasions, Joe’s first words to the audience were “I LOVE Mater Dei!” He shared poignant stories of how Superintendent Msgr. William Lautner offered his support to him while at Mater Dei. Over the years, Joe shared that if he was in town over a weekend and the school was closed, he would sit in the parking lot and reminisce about his days at Mater Dei.

In 1995, Joe attended the Million Man March in Wash-ington, D.C. During the event, he witnessed a speech from a young orator who challenged the men in the crowd to go back to their communities and do more. That speech made a great impact on Joe. When he returned home, he created the first National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) as a way to encourage black parents to become involved with the

education of their children. Going back to his days in Detroit, he remembered how critical parental involve-ment was to getting kids into college and he thought by organizing a day where parents could learn just how important that involvement was, he could make a change in his community. He launched the day in February 1996 and NAAPID has taken place on the sec-ond Monday of February every year since in 48 states and in Japan, the Bahamas, Canada and Australia.

During his long career in Ann Arbor, his reputation as a no-nonsense educator who cared deeply for his students grew and a documentary film was made about his life. The movie, “Bridging the Gap,” portrayed Joe as “part drill sergeant, part psychiatrist, part motiva-tional speaker, and part Wal-Mart greeter,” according to an Ann Arbor News article.

As a nationally known educator, Joe received numerous awards and his accomplishments have been featured on ABC, NBC, BET, and CNN television as well as Time, Newsweek, Jet and other publications. He was also fea-tured in a book, Activists, Rebels and Reformers.

After retiring in 2009, Joe focused on giving back to the Ann Arbor area through community service. Last year he was awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr., Humani-tarian Award from Eastern Michigan University.

Joe is survived by his wife, Yvonne, five children, 11 grandchildren, a great-grandson and a host of friends and former students.

“I loVe Mater dei!” — Joseph Dulin



The Mater Dei community remembers those alumni, parents and friends who have passed. May they rest in eternal peace.

alumniDustin Beal ’03, of Evansville, Jan. 11, 2015

Judy (Blankenberger) Brown ’65, of Evansville, Jan. 15, 2015

Joseph Dulin ’53, of Ann Arbor, Mich., Oct. 23, 2014

Lydia Rose (Riger) Huber ’65, of Evansville, Oct. 11, 2014

Linda (Wargel) Keliipaakaua ’69, of Stansbury Park, Utah, March 27, 2013

Kenneth Maurer ’63, of Evansville, Dec. 10, 2013

Jerry McAtee ’51, of Evansville, Dec. 16, 2014

Ruth (Glaser) Minton ’56, of Evansville, Jan. 23, 2015

Gerald Reinhart ’58, of Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 17, 2014

Joseph Vessels ’53, of Fort Branch, Ind., Dec. 19, 2014

past parentsRobert Dick, of Evansville, Feb. 1, 2014

Joan Emge, of Evansville, Dec. 23, 2014

Dorothy Hillenbrand, of Evansville, Jan. 3, 2015

Joyce Niemeier Sanders, of Evansville, Oct. 31, 2014

Evelyn Oliver, of Evansville, Dec. 28, 2014

Bertha Phelps, of Mount Vernon, Ind., Jan. 10, 2015

Michelle Ricketts, of Evansville, Feb. 25, 2015

Janet Scheller, of Evansville, Dec. 4, 2014

Margaret Schutte, of Evansville, Dec. 8, 2014

Frank Steinkamp, of Mount Vernon, Ind., Oct. 20, 2014

Former FacultySr. Mary Esther Steckler, of Ferdinand, Ind., July 9, 2014

Sr. Mary Kenneth Scheessele, of Ferdinand, Ind., October 28, 2014

FriendsJohn “Jack” Groben, of Evansville, Dec. 25, 2014

Please email Carol Nurrenbern at [email protected] or or call 812-421-5727 to share the passing of MD alumni, parents and friends.

in memoriam

Sister Mary Kenneth Scheessele, OSB, former teacher at Mater Dei, died October 28, 2014, at the monas-tery of the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Ind.

Sister Mary Kenneth taught at Mater

Dei in the early 1950s with the first principal, Sr. Irmigard and Fr. Lautner, the first superintendent. She left Mater Dei and returned again in the 1960s teaching social studies and English and serving as the school librarian.

In 2012, she shared, “Mater Dei will always have a special place in my heart and prayers. I follow the news about Mater Dei in newspapers and other publications now. May God bless and keep Mater Dei strong all its future days.”

In her later years, Sister Mary Kenneth served her community as the monastery archivist and in prayer ministry.

Sr. mary Kenneth Scheessele, oSB

Sister Mary Esther Steckler, OSB passed away July 9, 2014, at the monastery of the Sisters of St. Benedict in Ferdinand, Ind.

Sister Mary Esther served in education

for 50 years. She taught English, religion, and history and was the second principal of Mater Dei from 1955–61. In 1968 she was sent to Holy Spirit Monastery in California and served as a teacher, principal, guidance counselor and librarian. Later, she was a director of forma-tion, treasurer and prioress of her community at Holy Spirit Monas-tery. In 2012, Sister Mary Esther returned home to the Sisters of St. Benedict where she resided until her passing.

Sr. mary esther Steckler, oSB

“Mater dei will always have a special place in my

heart and prayers.”

in memoriam


Judy (Blankenberger) Brown ’65, of Evansville, passed away January 15, 2015. She worked in the Mater Dei cafeteria from 1991–98. She was known as the “ice cream lady” who made and served ice cream to stu-dents each day from 1993 until 1998.

She was a member of St. Agnes Catholic Church where she served as a Eucharistic minister. She was inducted into the Diocese of Evans-ville Brute Society for her service and commitment to the Church.

Judy is survived by her sons, Jeffrey ’94 and his wife, Candace, and Brian ’00 and his wife, Andrea ’01; five grandchildren; and two brothers, John Blankenberger and Larry Blankenberger ’74. She was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, Michael Brown in 2013, a brother, Bill Blankenberger ’61, and her parents.

Judy was known as a loving, caring person who always placed the needs of others ahead of her own, and she was dearly loved by the students. The following is a poem about Judy written by Erin Goebel Grabert ’98 when she was a student at Mater Dei. The poem was taped to the ice cream machine for several years.

Margaret Schutte, of Evansville, passed away December 8, 2014, at the age of 93. She is survived by nine children: Sandy Schutte Hatfield ’63, Gary Schutte ’65, Susie Schutte Van Bibber ’66, Wayne Schutte ’67, Dave Schutte ’71, Sara Schutte Paulin ’73, Steve Schutte ’75, Mike Schutte ’78 and Sylvia Schutte Groves ’81. She was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, James Schutte.

Margaret was a strong advocate for Catholic education. She and her husband made certain all of their nine children attended Mater Dei. Her daughter, Sara Paulin, stated, “A lot of families struggled to send their kids to Catholic schools, as our parents did, but what was most im-portant to them was that all of their kids receive a Catholic education.”

Thirty members of Margaret’s fam-ily that include her children, their spouses, and grandchildren and their spouses have graduated from Mater Dei with a third generation currently enrolled. Eight have gradu-ated from Memorial High School and one grandchild will graduate in 2016.

On the following page is a tribute to Margaret and Jim by their son, Dave Schutte, for providing their children the opportunity for a Catholic education.

margaret SchutteJudy (Blankenberger) Brown ’65

JUDY, JUDY BROWNShe stands behind that big metal machine

And reminds me of an ice cream queen.Making each sundae with the utmost perfection

There’s vanilla and chocolate, such a selection!There’s four different candies; it’s your choice.But it would be as sweet just to hear her voice.

Sometimes I have a problem with FayeOr maybe I just want to say hey.

Often I’ll stay and talk awhileBut I’m always greeted with a smile.

She has the greatest ice cream, a supply that will never end.And if it’s not ice cream you want, she makes a wonderful friend!

When I’m with her you’ll never see me frownAnd that’s why I love dear Judy Brown!!!

—Erin Goebel ’98

in memoriam


by Dave Schutte

Our father Jim Schutte graduated from Memorial in 1940; our mother Margaret Downey Schutte in 1939, but the story begins way before that.

They met in the first grade at St. Agnes Catholic School in Howell. Dad always claimed she never looked at another boy after that day; however, Mom’s story has a different twist. Whichever version is true, we’re all pretty happy with the way it turned out—55 years of marriage and nine children.

These two Tigers produced a lot of Wildcats! Our Wild-cat production soon began. Forty-one years of Red and Gold madness!

Oldest daughter, Sandy Schutte Hatfield blazed the trail, entering Mater Dei in 1959 and starting a legacy that would continue until the year 2000. Sandy, our Miss Perfect, left quite a mantle to bear. The second oldest, Gary James Schutte, um… didn’t quite live up to the impossibly high standard that Sandy established. He blazed his own path, shall we say, entering MD in 1961.

The path now contained two forks for the third child, Emily Sue “Susie” Schutte Van Bibber. She could have chosen either one. Instead, she created her own, a third tributary in the stream, and a pattern that would con-tinue for the rest of the siblings. Seems those two Tigers left a little wild in each of their Wildcats. Susie entered Mater Dei in 1962.

The path could have stopped there. The next child, Robert “Wayne” Schutte, followed in his father’s foot-steps and started his high school career at the Latin School studying for the priesthood. He decided to leave there after his junior year and entered MD in 1966. Some speculate he was under enormous pressure to keep the streak alive, although no evidence exists to substantiate that, and others claim he was under pres-sure to maintain the discount you get for sending this many children through Catholic schools!

Number five, Dave Schutte, arrived on the scene in 1967. A five foot, 100-pound Wildcat, he claimed the hallways as his territory, which is kind of difficult when you’re stuffed inside one of the lockers. As is the case with many of the siblings, Mater Dei saved Dave and shaped him into the man he is today. Friendships forged over those adolescent years formed the solid foundations that have become his adult years.

By 1971 when Dave left, the world was a much different place. Tuition had climbed to almost $200 per year, and, perhaps more critically, we had suffered through the years of the Vietnam conflict. Conforming with the ways of society was being challenged, but not by number six.

It was 1969 when the sixth child, Sara Schutte Paulin began at MD. Sara holds a record that any school or employer would be envious of—she never missed a sin-gle day of school throughout all of high school. Even we don’t know how that was possible since we only had one car, one bathroom, one shower, and with eight other kids at home, surely someone was always sick, food was limited… oh, now I see, no wonder she went to school every day… she couldn’t wait to get out of the house!

Entering high school in 1971, number seven, Steve Schutte, epitomized the changing culture. Non-confor-mity was the new standard. Hair was getting longer on young men; music was evolving from the feel-good ’50s and ’60s to the feel-angry ’70s and the times, they were a-changing. Like the rest of his siblings, Steve found guidance and direction during his time at Mater Dei, even if he didn’t realize it at the time.

The eighth child, Mike Schutte, started in 1974. By the time he graduated in 1978, I think he no longer had to say, “Yes, I’m Sandy, Gary, Susie, Wayne, Dave, Sara, Steve’s brother,” every day.

And then, number nine, Sylvia Schutte Groves entered in 1977. Is it any wonder she became a psychologist? Trying to make order of a chaotic world? To this day, the older siblings contend that Sylvia is the only child that our parents ever purchased shoes, the rest of us relying on the hand me downs whether they fit or not!

Eighteen years gap the oldest to the youngest in our family. Just enough time, if you plan it right, for the streak to remain alive. Sandy’s oldest child, Tom Hat-field, started the procession of our nephews and nieces who roamed the hallowed MD halls, entering Mater Dei in 1981, the year Sylvia graduated. Over the next 19 years the halls flowed with Schutte offspring.

We know that there are many families who trump this legacy from 1959–2000. Many who can trace their high school lineage from 1949 to today. And what a great testimony this is to our parents and grandparents. It’s not an easy, popular or practical choice we have all made to send our children to a Catholic school. For many of us, certainly for most of my siblings and for our parents, it meant family financial sacrifice. Used cars, used clothes, used books.

It is those same sacrifices, however, that have forged the community we have. We have great friends, life-long friends, great memories and great knowledge gained from our years at Mater Dei. It is the great commitment to family that stands the test of time, no matter how far away you get, or how long it’s been since you roamed the halls or got stuffed into lockers.

These two Tigers, they produced a lot of Wildcats.

these two tigers produced a lot of wildcats


There are 62 permanent deacons in the diocese of Evansville. Of these, 50 are still active and 12 are retired. Most deacons serve in a parish, part-time and with no pay, providing support in ministries such as hospital visits, baptisms, weddings, funerals and other liturgies. The deacon may also lead classes in scripture, RCIA and sacramental preparation. A few deacons are employed full-time by either the diocese or by a parish as pastoral associates, parish catechetical leaders or parish life coordinators. Some fill multiple roles with the parish and with the diocese.

Deacons were first appointed in the earliest days of the church with the special ministry of serving the poor. According to Deacon David Seibert, director of the diocesan Office of the Permanent Diaconate, since the restoration of the permanent diaconate following Vatican II, some confusion and misunderstanding have surrounded the role and

responsibility of the permanent deacon. Deacons can baptize, witness marriages, perform funeral and burial services (outside of Mass), distribute holy Communion and preach a homily. They cannot celebrate Mass, hear confessions or administer the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.

There are two kinds of deacons: transitional deacons, who are seminarians in the final stage of their training for the priesthood, and permanent deacons. The transitional deacon’s vocation path leads to ordination as a priest. A permanent deacon however, is ordained for the diaconate only. He has a unique and specific role in the clergy and his ministry is fulfilled as a deacon.

To be ordained a deacon, men are called forth from their parish communities after demonstrating a life of service, prayer and spirituality. Upon entering the formation program, the men have four years of

academic and spiritual formation. During this time, they also continue their discernment to decide if ordination is truly what they are being called to do. Much of this time is spent studying theology, scripture, liturgy and practical matters related to their future ministry.

The primary focus of the deacon’s ministry is service, which includes visiting hospitals, nursing homes, shut-ins, prisons and the poor. These works of charity are the key mark of the deacon’s life.

In addition to these works of service, the deacon is required to pray on a daily basis. Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours are prayed each day. Deacons also must continue to develop their ministry through continuing education and spiritual formation.

Most deacons are employed full-time in a secular job and perform their ministry part-time. As Deacon Seibert explains, “It is important that the deacon’s priorities remain focused on God, marriage, family, job and ministry in that order. While the Church recognizes the important ministry of the deacon, she is also aware that this must be done without disruption to other aspects of the deacon’s life.”

Deacons bridge the sacred and secularWith the Catholic Church experiencing a shortage of parish priests, deacons have become very visible members of the clergy with an important role in the Church, as they serve as a bridge between the priest and the secular world. Currently serving the Diocese of Evansville are nine deacons who graduated from Mater Dei High School: Richard Preske ’50, Richard Grannan ’55, Joe Stofleth ’55, Tom Lehman ’60, Dennis Russell ’65, Charles Koressel ’69, Tom Goebel ’71, Tom Kempf ’74, and Kevin Bach ’82.


Deacon Richard Grannan has been a deacon for 37 years, serving the parishes of Sacred Heart, St. Boniface, St. Agnes, and, St. Joseph in the city. He shares that “Ever since I was a freshman at St. Meinrad Seminary, I’ve felt God calling me to become a more active participant in Church life. The restoration of the diaconate offered me that opportunity.”

Deacon Richard Preske over the past 33 years has served St. Boniface, Blessed Sacrament and

Holy Rosary parishes. He recalls the confusion that surrounded the diaconate in the beginning. “For several years many people called me Father when I stood

in the back of church greeting them as they exited the church. At first, I tried to tell them I am not a priest, I am a deacon. But it didn’t seem to register. So, after a while, I gave

up trying. It took several years for people to get to know what deacons were all about, and I found it to be a difficult adjustment for them as well as for me. I didn’t feel comfortable standing at the altar alongside the priest for the first few years.”

Deacon Tom Lehman was ordained in July 2005 and served at Sacred Heart, St. Agnes, and St. Boniface

parishes which have now merged into the single parish of St. Boniface where he continues his ministry today. He recalls his most memorable

moments as a deacon are when he baptized nine of his 14 grandchildren and “bringing Jesus the Eucharist to the sick and shut-in in their homes, hospitals, and nursing homes. What a blessing!”

Deacon Dennis Russell has served St. Mary’s parish for the past five years as a deacon and now serves

the merged parishes of St. Mary and St. John the Apostle. It was his music ministry that brought him to St. Mary’s, but he soon discovered his desire to help

the less fortunate. “Our parish being a downtown parish is committed to outreach. During my volunteer work with St Vincent De Paul and our soup kitchen, I observed how our poor really try to live. This experience, along with a longing to be more a part of the Church, renewed a longing for the diaconate. I strongly feel a call to serve and to help all of us on our common journey.”

For the past five years, Deacon Tom Goebel has served his ministry at Corpus Christi parish. He also has

served as temporary administrator for St. Bernard’s in Rockport and St. Martin in Chrisney for a brief period. Tom believes “by far the most important role

of being a deacon is to build up the priesthood. To help and compliment what they do whenever possible. There is no need for deacons if we do not have priests.”

As deacons, they have acknowledged the challenge of balancing their family life, work life and the diaconate. Duties at home and duties at church conflict, and they work diligently at allocating their energy between home and church. They all agree that it is worth the challenge to have the privilege to serve the Bishop, the priests, and their brothers and sisters in the Church.

Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. — Acts 6:3


Donors serve up tennis complex at Mater Dei

Due to the generosity of a major donor, construction of six tennis courts will begin on the Mater Dei campus this year. This project is included in the Full of Grace: Excellence for Tomorrow Capital Campaign and funded with gifts from donors who restricted their contributions for this purpose.

The tennis courts will be known as the Aichle Tennis Complex in honor of Steve ’61 and Colleen Aichle, who have provided a substantial gift in support of this project. Steve was on the Mater Dei tennis team all four years, and he was a member of the 1961 team who were City champions. Steve states, “The four years of tennis at Mater Dei increased my self-esteem and motivated me to become the very best tennis player possible. After graduation, I played tennis for the United States Navy and enjoy playing tennis for a lifetime.”

Steve and Colleen made their donation in memory of Steve’s classmate and tennis teammate, Bill Blankenberger ’61. “He was a very close friend of mine, on and off the court. My commitment to the tennis program at Mater Dei is a token thanks to Bill for all the memories,” Steve shares.

Steve remains a grateful alumnus. “By giving back financially, I was able to say thank you to Mater Dei for all the tangible and intangible gifts I received through my Catholic education that helped develop me as a person for challenges later in life,” he states.

The tennis courts project was included in

the Capital Campaign because tennis has been one of the fastest growing sports at Mater Dei. According to Chris Clements, Mater Dei tennis coach, 31 girls and 18 boys fill the tennis team rosters this current school year. Coach Clements also runs a west side Catholic feeder school league comprised of 20 girls and 12 boys.

The tennis teams currently practice at Wesselman Park on Evansville’s east side, which provides six courts. Their home matches are held at Burdette Park which only has four courts.

“To the players, this tennis complex means no more arranging car pools to practices and home matches. Players can enjoy the sport of tennis right on campus, and more fans will be able to attend our matches since it will be so easy to get to the courts,” Coach Clements explains.

Chris started coaching tennis at Mater Dei in 2005. Tom Tighe ’61, also a member of the City championship team in 1961, was to be the tennis coach beginning that year. Tom became ill and passed away suddenly before the season began. Chris’s son, Branden Clements, was on the tennis team and encouraged his mother to be the tennis coach since she was a very active player and was passionate about the sport. Ten years later, she remains strongly committed to the continued success of the tennis program and supports the new facility.

Former Mater Dei tennis coach Becky Larson began coaching tennis in 1977. She recalls that in the early days there were two tennis courts on campus between the old gym and the baseball field. “This location was a real challenge since there was not enough area for the whole team to practice and we had to dodge flying baseballs,” Becky recalls. The

Golfmoor facility became available so the team moved there for practice and matches. Lack of upkeep on the courts at Golfmoor prompted the team to move to the courts at Burdette.

At that time, the courts at Golfmoor and Burdette were not lighted. Becky remembers an evening when they were playing an out of town team, and the match did not start until after they arrived in Evansville which was around 4:30 p.m. “Number three singles was the last match to play and we were losing daylight. The match was very close in the third set and I knew the players wanted to finish, so I asked some of the parents and fans to line the cars up along the edge of the court and shine the headlights onto the courts so the girls could finish the match.”

Becky is excited about the tennis complex project. “The pride that comes with this accomplishment of having a facility on campus is overwhelming. The program will only grow, allowing more students to have the opportunity to participate in the sport.”

Emily McAtee ’13, a former Mater Dei tennis player, adds, “Tennis has been one of the better educators that I have ever had. The sport brings people together, and I am excited to see the positive impact the addition of the new courts will bring not only to Mater Dei, but the west side community.”

Coach Clements concurs, “The tennis program continues to become more successful each year. We are winning more individual and team championships than ever before in Mater Dei tennis history while holding our players to the highest standards of sportsmanship. The six court complex will ensure our continued growth and success by providing a safe on-campus facility that we can be proud of.”

1961 championship tennis teamFront row: Tom Tighe, Francis Miller, Gary Reasor; back row: Steve Aichle, Steve Waller, Bill Blankenberger

Steve and Colleen Aichle

roYal gold SponSorSCAPITAL ELECTRIC, INC.

Ben Wagner ’86, Marie Wagner ’86, Cliff Wagner ’88, Mark Wagner ’96, Brent Neitzke ’88

EDWARD JONES Roger A. Nurrenbern ’96, Andrea Dick Brown ’01

FEHRENBACHER CABINETS, INC. Bob ’71, Mary Kay ’71, Peter ’97,

Zachary ’00, Patrick ’03 & Sarah ’05

FREEMAN, WILL & NIEMEIER, INC. FREEMAN, WILL, NIEMEIER & HESTON, LLC

Patrick B. Freeman ’65, P. Evan Freeman ’90, Stephanie Helfrich Freeman ’91 Elissa Freeman Higgins ’94, M. Ethan Freeman ’00 Emily Freeman ’02 & Jordan Raben ’05

HELFRICH REALTORS George P. Helfrich ’69,

Sally Helfrich Green ’78, Stephanie Helfrich Freeman ’91, Peter D. Helfrich ’99, Jeremy Kempf, Bill Long, Carla Waelde

KEMPF’S DONUT BANK Harold ’54, Chris ’77, Lindsey ’81, Ben ’85 & Joe ’91

MUENSTERMAN FIRESTONE, INC. Tom ’73, Steve ’76, Jerry ’79, Mark ’83 & Bob ’87

PIERRE FUNERAL HOME Gary ’61 & Susie ’62, John ’88, Jim ’89 & Lori ’89

RABEN TIRE & AUTO SERVICE The Raben Family

RIVERBEND LANDSCAPING Frank ’71 & Holly Will, Scott ’10 & Matt ’13

SCHIFF AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING, INC. Jim Sr. ’69 & Jan ’69

Angie Schiff Happe ’93 Jim Jr. ’96 & Casi Jost Schiff ’97

SCHNEIDER HEAT & AIR, INC. Jeff & Judith Siemers Schneider ’79, Catherine Schneider ’14

SIEMERS GLASS Jane ’81 & Mark Weinzapfel ’80,

Jake ’06, Mac ’08, Ali ’11 & Jack ’13

MATT ZELLER ELECTRIC Matt Zeller ’09

loYal red SponSorSGALLAGHER NIEMEIER INTERIORS, INC.

Madonna Niemeier ’65

HILLTOP INN Don & Lanette Snyder

LAPPE HEATING & A/C Ed Lappe ’82, Dan Lappe ’77 & Dave Lappe ’03

MORROW MECHANICAL SERVICES, INC. Tony Morrow

OHIO VALLEY INSULATION COMPANY, INC. Scott ’80, Beth ’80, Dustin ’05, Logan ’08,

Faith ’10, Brooke ’11 & Joel Slaton

PAUL’S MENSWEAR, INC. Steve ’73, John ’78 & Brian ’99

PROFESSIONAL EYECARE ASSOCIATES Todd Niemeier, O.D. ’91, Andrew Moore, O.D.,

Morgan Hussmann, O.D.

PROREHAB, PC Andrea (Boots) Baumann ’96,

Stacey (Stonecipher) Turner ’94, Alex Weinzapfel ’08, Drew Lappe ’08, Seth Brunner,

Anne Basden ’86, Julie Buedel ’98, Tim Weinzapfel ’89

SOUTHWEST GRAFIX & APPAREL, INC. Rose Ann ’60, Mary ’82, Mike ’83, Michelle ’85 Mark ’89, Schelly ’89, Julian ’15, Brendan ’16

MARK A. TORNATTA, DDS Mark A. Tornatta ’69, Jeanne Tornatta ’69,

Chris ’97, Jennifer ’00, Sarah ’02

WILDERMAN ENTERPRISES, LLC dba ST. WENDEL AUTO PARTS & SERVICE

Dennis Wildeman ’68

please support our fine sponsors!

Mater Dei High SchoolOffice of Institutional Advancement1310 Harmony Way • Evansville, IN 47720

Return service requested

NoN-Profit org.U.S. PoStage

PaiDevaNSville, iNPermit 1689

SAVE THE DATE: FriDAy, MAy 1, 2015Full of Grace Capital

Campaign Celebration and Dedication

Friday, May 1, 2015

All Friends, Alumni and Donors are invited to join us as Mater Dei High School celebrates the success of the Full of Grace: Excellence for Tomorrow Capital Campaign.

9:30 a.m. May Day Mass celebrated by Bishop Charles Thompson Main Gymnasium

10:30 a.m. Full of Grace Celebration Program Main Gymnasium

11:00 a.m. Sisters of St. Benedict Prayer Garden Dedication

11:30 a.m. Luncheon Main Entrance Front Lawn

Reservation not required, but encouraged. Contact Sarah Wagner [email protected], (812) 421-5727.

red & gold spring 2015

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