St. Augustine High School 3266 Nutmeg Street

San Diego, CA 92104-5199619-282-2184

www.sahs.org

Dear Parents and Friends

Loving our Brothers:the Saints Experience

Last year at a parent gathering where we introduced several new parents, we asked the current parents present to share one

thing that they liked about St. Augustine’s. With-out hesitation, one of the veteran mom’s said, “What I really like about Saints is how well it combines academically challenging and loving.” In another conversation, a mom observed, “St. Augustine’s is the place where I want my son, when he is not with me.” These two observa-

tions might give you some sense of the special place that we call our “home” each day. This year our annual theme is, “Loving our Brothers”. It is the spirit of love, when combined with the search for truth in our school community that creates “The Saints Experience.” The Saints Expe-rience comes to life in Our 90 year tradition and legacy of Catholic education in the Augustinian tradition the extraordinary quality of the faculty/staff and their powerful relationships with Saintsmen, our innovative school programs and opportunities for the development of hearts and minds, the presence of rich co-curricular programs and student support services, our commitment to a 21st century curricu-lum, competencies and skills, our focus on developing spirituality and character our commitment to advanced technology and excellent facilities, our vibrant parent-school partnership that supports a safe and vibrant campus life most of all, through engaged young men who learn to value and appreciate unity, truth and love. At St. Augustine’s the unique talents and gifts of each young man are cultivated, nourished, celebrated, and recognized; calling students to move beyond themselves and grow to become ready to participate in our changing world. Our fervent prayer is that our Saintsmen will live lives worthy of their calling and change the world through their faith, ideas, vision and service. In the end, though, The Saints Experience can be found less

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Principal James Horne

September 2012 Vol 33 no. 1YOUR MONTHLY REPORT ON THE ST. AUGUSTINE HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

Saints Scene

Welcome back to Saints from your Austin Parents Association.

We wish to remind new parents that all current parents of enrolled new Saintsmen are automatically

members of the Austin Parents Association. Parent involvement is key to the success of St. Augustine High School and it allows you to experience the strength and love of the greater Saints community. Saints asks each family to commit to 25 hours of volunteer service

New Parents’ Primer & Key Fall Events

Parents Helping the SchoolAustin Parents Association Shows the Way

Spirit Bar-B-Q — Come meet faculty, staff and new friends at first major Saints Community mixer of the year. For tickets contact Maya Madsen (dmadsen3@san. rr.com). For More Saints Austin Parents Assn. Events see article on this page and on page 3.

The role of the Associated Student Body (ASB) program at St. Augustine High School is multi-faceted. The student officers serve as an extension of the Student Services Office and their tasks range from serving as ambassadors to

parents and visitors, liaisons among students and teachers, and activities coordinators for many student-related events throughout the school year. To put it simply, the ASB is responsible for almost all non-athletic and non-academic related activities. Each grade level consists of four elected class officers (a president, vice presi-dent, secretary, and treasurer). Each set of grade level officers is responsible for dif-ferent activities throughout the year. When the time comes for a certain activity, the class officers work with their moderator to plan, publicize, and pull off an event. Here

I welcome each of you back to St. Augustine High School for the

2012-2013 academic year with great optimism that the coming school year will be a time of grace for your family. May the hope of the risen Lord who guides

us and gives form to our desire for a closer relationship with Him, allow our aspirations to grow in His truth. While there are certainly many matters of concern as we begin this year, I wish to em-phasize the need for students, parents, faculty and friends to treat our neighbors in the North Park community with the utmost respect. Although St. Augustine has an excellent repu-tation in the local community and beyond, it is important to realize that traffic congestion before and after school can be a trying experi-ence for our neighbors. At recent community meetings, our neighbors have made it very clear that each of us could be more considerate while driv-ing and parking in the neighborhood. All students are required to have a parking permit for any car they drive to school regardless of where they park. While Saints provides more on-campus parking than required by the city, there are still not enough parking spots for ev-ery student to park on campus. Neighbors are frustrated with student cars without permits parked in front of their home. When there is a parking problem off campus with a car without a student permit, it makes it hard for Saints to respond to the complaint in a timely manner. Furthermore, every decision to park in the neighborhood rather than use on-campus parking hinders our ability to prove our commitment to being a good neighbor. Please do not ever block driveways even if your business takes only a minute. This is infuriating to the homeowner whose driveway is blocked. With 98 parking spots for students in the new parking structure, the need for public parking on city streets has been greatly

Spotlight on Student Government

Saints ASB NurturesLeadership & School Service

…Road Together

ParkingPointers

Help Saints be a Good Neighbor!

By Edwin Hearn, President,St. Augustine High School

Edwin J. Hearn, Jr.

through our Family Involvement Pro-gram, the backbone and support of our APA events. The APA provides you the oppor-tunity to get involved in two important ways, leadership and volunteering. As Saints begins its new leadership program for your son, become an example and share your leadership and organization skills by attending and participating in our monthly APA Board of Directors meetings. Help us organize and plan hospitality and fundraising activities and events and keep you finger on the pulse of Saints! We guarantee you one valuable result for volunteering at our APA events, you will make a new friend. Make that first step, give your time, share your love for Saints and the friendships will follow. Become part of over 50 years of a tradi-tion of parent involvement at St. Augus-tine High School. – John Marin, APA President Emeritus Here are just some of the opportuni-ties you will have to get involved during the Fall Semester:

Spirit Bar-B-Que - Thursday, August 27 at 5 pm in Tolle Lege Plaza.Our Football kick-off Party! Help us set-up, serve, clean-up and share with other Saints families. Contact Maya Madsen

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in the words that we might say and more in the deeds of our students. On any given day, you might discover budding art-ists creating masterpieces, future scientists igniting rockets on the lower field, young authors wrestling with finding the right words for their stories, or young hands making gift bags for the homeless. Visitors to Saints find a noticeable kindness, a wel-coming attitude, a generosity of spirit, and an authentic spiri-tuality that transcends mere words; virtue and manners matter here. At the same time when you walk the halls or sit in the classrooms, you see respectful young men actively engaged in their learning, working hard, having fun, and genuinely enjoy-ing each other’s company. Welcome back for another year in your Saints Journey. We hope summer was restful and relaxing and we are excited about the beginning of another unique year in your Saints Experience. In the Spirit of Catholic Augustinian Education,

James HornePrincipal

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The  Saints  Players  Announce  Auditions    

“ HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS

WITHOUT REALLY TRYING”

Tuesday: August 28th – 2:30 p.m. -5:30 p.m.

Wednesday: August 29th – 2:30 p.m. -5:30 p.m.

You need only come one day.

Call Backs: August 30.

• Dress comfortably for Dance Audition • Auditioning for Singing lead: Please prepare 60 seconds of a song from

a musical. (Bring sheet music or recorded accompaniment.)

• Auditioning for Chorus:“Happy Birthday” is Okay

Meet in Room #317  

Mr. Greg Ranney, Math, Physics

and GolfCoach Retires

“So Long, and Thanks forAll the Birdies”

By John White (Parent ’11, ’13)

In June, Saints bid adieu to Mr. Greg Ranney, its venerable Math/Physics teacher and golf coach, after 33 years’

service to the school. “I had a great time teaching there,” reflects Mr. Ranney. “All kinds of things: the golf team, the state championship, the Southern California championship... My years at Saints have been tremendous.” Mr. Ranney majored in Chemistry

at SDSU, where he also taught in the lab. He taught Chemistry at Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad, until he heard about an opening at Saints in 1979. Then-principal Fr. Tony Wasco interviewed him and offered him a job teaching Physics and Algebra. “I was very pleased with the students and their parents. Parents are a combination of the right amount of hands-on and the right amount of hands-off. If they think something needs to be done, they go after it, but they also understand that the class belongs to the teacher. For example, when teachers discipline a student, the parents don’t normally come back at them, and that’s critical for being able to run your own classroom. But parents are right there to help when needed. In my Physics class back in the 1990s, one parent helped me build a couple of manned underwater vehicles so that Saints could compete at the Inland Water Basin. Then we built one that competed off Scripps Pier. We won first place both times. “I took all the kids bungee-jumping one year. Of course, I’d checked into the safety aspect of it, so I had buy-in from Fr. Sanders, our principal at the time. None of the parents tried to stop me; they all encouraged it. In fact a couple of parents came along and one parent jumped with the class. I jumped twice. The kids made me go first.” He’s always liked golf and wanted to be around the sport, so he was pleased to take over as Saints’ golf coach. “You get a lot of good golfers at Saints,” Mr. Ranney notes, “which leads to a lot of good seasons. Throughout my career, we’ve played teams almost every year that have never won a league championship or even beaten Saints. They keep trying, but they can’t do it, and if they can’t do it after 25 years, that means Saints has consis-tently good players.” Two months into his retirement, Mr. Ranney is building things around the house, including a playset for his grandchil-dren. He golfs a lot (to nobody’s surprise) and swims, and is trying to decide on which language to learn. Italian is at the top of the list so far. “I couldn’t be happier that I started teaching at Saints back in 1979,” Mr. Ranney sums up. “The students have been fantas-tic, the parents have been supportive and the administration has been great. I’m the kind of person who has always wanted to run his own ship, and that’s more or less the way my life went for thirty-plus years at Saints.”

Mr. Greg Ranney

Follow Saints on Twitterand Facebook

Are you looking for up to date info on meet-ings, announcements, activities, breaking

news and game times, locations and results. Do you wish you had a reminder for all these

events?

http://www.twitter.com/saints_infohttp://www.facebook.com/st.augustine

You can set up an account to have news sent directly to your e-mail or sent as a text to your phone, or you can simply link to the Twitter/

Facebook feed by clicking on the icons at the lower left on the Saints home page.

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In 1922, Fr. Nicholas Vasey, OSA, provincial for the Augustinians in the United States, approached Fr. Alphonse Martel, OSA, in his chemistry lab at Villanova College and

asked: “How would you like to go to California and start a high school for boys?” Martel without hesitation said, “Yes, I would.” Martel arrived at the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego September 2, 1922, and set himself to open St. Augustine School for Boys on September 18. And he did: fifteen boys assembled at the parish hall of St. Vincent’s on that date and began St. Augustine High School. Preparation for the one room Augustinian schoolhouse was the result of Archbishop John Cantwell’s initiative to found a school in the southernmost city of his sprawling California diocese. Negotiations with Vasey followed, and the appointment of Fr. Thomas Healy, OSA, as the pastor of the Mission Hills parish of St. Vincent provided the school’s base of operations. However, the school was not to stay in Mission Hills for long. A ten-acre lot was purchased by October 4 in the developing North Park area of the city for $17,000, with Frank Mead and Richard Requa as architects. Construction began on April 3, 1923, and the school opened its new Nutmeg Street campus on September 4, 1923 (constructed at a cost of $70,000) with an astonishingly increased student enrollment of 59! However the school was not to stay in Mission Hills for long. A ten-acre lot was purchased by October 4 in the developing North Park area of the city for $17,000, with Frank Mead and Richard Requa as architects, construction began on April 3, 1923, and the school opened its new Nutmeg Street campus on September 4, 1923 (constructed at a cost of $70,000) with an astonishingly increased student enrollment of 59! In the next year, four Augustinians were on the faculty, and by 1926 the school took on its familiar name of “Saints.” While Martel said at the school’s opening that St. Augustine’s “was a credit to the city,…a power for culture and perfect manhood, and a more upright citizenship,” he must have known, despite his rhetoric, that the school’s limitations would result in ongoing struggles to achieve these claims. There would be many beginnings. Saints’ second principal, Fr. George O’Meara, OSA, faced external threats, hostile, anti-Catholic feelings that were present in the San Diego of the times. The school received unsigned threats and even a cross-burning in front of the school property. The school endured further hardship in 1927 when a road paved down the center of the school property hindered future development. O’Meara fumed that not only had the school been “stabbed in the heart,” but was assessed $27,000 to pay for it! Internal challenges were reflected in the action of Saints third principal, Fr. James Hurley, OSA. Acknowledging that “the school had to admit anyone who could pay,” he judged that “St. Augustine School for Boys” was “too highfalutin” and he re-named the school “St. Augustines High School.” Indeed Saints struggled in the l930s with a student body of dubious academic quality with its share of troubled boys, but this was to end by 1940. In this period, and a constant concern of the school, was the financial struggle to provide Catholic education. In the mid-30s

90th Anniversary Series

A Short History of St. Augustine High School, 1922-2012

By John D. Keller O.S.A., (’55)

the school, along with the entire nation, was in financial crisis. Few Catholic families could afford the tuition (about $100 per year) and many students were attending free of charge. When Fr. William Kelly, OSA, arrived as principal in 1932 only a dozen families were able to pay their bills in full. Financial support from the Augustinians and donors from the East Coast kept the school alive. Spurred on by the Augustinian provincial of the time, an economic reorganization of the school brought on a firm policy that “all students must pay full tuition.” Unpopular and painful as this was it was nonetheless effective and a 1942 report indicated that “for the past two years the school has been self-supporting.” The school survived this crisis and the hardships of World War II. By 1947 enrollment topped 350 students with nine Augustinians on the faculty. Four new classrooms (Sullivan Hall) were built in 1947, and in 1952 six additional classrooms (Sheehan Hall) and Dougherty Gymnasium were completed. In the fall of 1953, Fr. John R. Aherne, OSA, the school’s new principal set out to accomplish a three-fold task: to bring the school to greater academic excellence, to intensify the school’s role in the San Diego community, and to have Saints admitted into the public schools’ athletic program. By the time he completed his nine year tenure, he had succeeded in all three tasks. He prepared the platform and gave the profile of what St. Augustine High School was to be in the following years, by the mid-50s the school’s enrollment exceeded 850 students, its highest number ever.

In 1962 Fr. Patrick Keane, OSA, was named the first San Diego native and Saints graduate to become principal. In his recollection of those years, Keane describes two periods.

From 1962 to 1967, the school continued the work of advancing Aherne’s thrust toward academic excellence while seriously addressing the school’s precarious financial situation. From 1967 to 1975, the school collaborated with the girls’ Catholic high schools in a consortium of shared classes, developed a greater collaboration with the San Diego Diocese, and increased awareness in the entire school community of social justice issues. Vice-Principal Fr. William Sullivan, OSA, and Keane were an effective leadership duo in making improvements throughout the school community. After 23 years as teacher and principal at Saints, Keane was elected provincial of the Augustinians in 1975, and Fr. Anthony Wasko, OSA, was named principal. He had been an outstanding English teacher and director of student activities at Saints from 1959 to 1969 and had just finished a six year term as Headmaster of Villanova Prep in Ojai. Known for his stentorian voice and Eastern ways, during his eight years of service he continued efforts to strengthen the academic program and improve student services while working with business manager Steve Chipp, ’68, to maintain the school’s financial viability. These were the days of Bingo in the gym twice a week, with enormous parent participation. One back-story in the Saints history that threads its growth is

From StudentTo Principal

Father John Keller, OSA, is a graduate of St. Augustine High

School, Class of 1955. He is a member of the Saints Board of Directors and the Director of Education for the Order of St. Augustine in California. He is also the prior of the Au-gustinian community living at the Monastery and Direc-tor of the Center for Christian Spirituality at the Universi-ty of San Diego. He is a past President and Principal of the school.

Dedication 1923—on September 16, 1923 the Augustinian Community formally dedicated St. Augustine High School. Earlier on September 4, the school on Nutmeg Street accepted 59 new students, which became the Class of 1924.

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the development of lay participation in the school’s governance and support. Aherne first developed an “Advisory Committee,” Keane moved to a “Board of Trustees,” and we will see greater lay participation in policy and administration in the years ahead. Another back-story, easily traced in a close look at the school’s yearbooks, is the increasing number of graduates of Saints who took on teaching, coaching, and administrative positions at the school. As the school grew from a one room school and one Augustinian with 15 students to a larger enterprise with greater ambitions, so, too, did the valued participation of a strong body of collaborators who shared a passion for the school’s mission. In 1983 Fr. John Pejza, OSA, another Saints alumnus, was named principal and moved the school forward in technology infrastructure, computer education, and with the Board of Trustees envisioned a long-term development plan for the school. Fresh from graduate studies at USC, Fr. John Sanders, OSA, became principal in l988. Sanders set three immediate goals for the school: full enrollment in the freshman class, with a waiting list; financial independence from Bingo income for school operational costs; and increasingly competitive teams in all sports. He also effected significant improvements in campus facilities (e.g., weight room, air conditioning, improved science labs) while preparing to fulfill a major requisite for major campus development, the closing of Bancroft Street (O’Meara’s “stabbing in the heart” of 1927). The stories of his efforts to gain City assent for the closure, and the finding of the holograph will of Saintsman Bill Ryan ’45 (whose bequest made the closure possible) are great evidence of Sanders’ tenacity and passion in achieving school goals.

On the occasion of the school’s 75th anniversary in 1997, Sanders, with the dedicated collaboration of friends of the school, increased the endowment by $750,000. The

school’s curriculum was enriched with Advanced Placement courses and there was a large expansion of offerings in the Fine Arts. In the Fall of 2000 a professional feasibility study was undertaken to advance proposals made since 1979 for the long term development of the campus to meet school needs. But before the study was completed, the community was shocked by Sanders’ sudden death from a massive heart attack on November 25, 2000, at the age of 52. The community was stunned and saddened. His funeral liturgy was celebrated on the football field, over 3,000 people were present. The enduring strength of the Saints community, now led by acting principal, Mr. Anthony Sabatino, was evident as the school year continued; new tasks were taken on and the mission pursued. Beginning in July, 2001, Fr. John Keller, OSA, was named to take the posts of both principal and president of the school in anticipation of action on a long planned decision to develop a new school governance structure. As Keller took over leadership of the school, a development with unexpected consequences took place. Due to a sudden surge in enrollment, four portable classrooms were moved on to the Sheehan-Sullivan patio. As part of the agreement with the City for the portables came a requirement to submit a full Master Plan for the entire campus with a date specific limitation on how long the portable classrooms could remain on the campus. Long-term planning took on a new urgency. The Board of Trustees and school administrators took their breath, developed a plan, brought it to four public meetings, and received a favorable response from the City in December of 2003. The Saints community mobilized to meet the building challenge: design for two classroom structures with underground parking; a $6 million target for a capital campaign; and bond financing to complete funding needs. The construction was completed in June of 2007. Meanwhile the new governance model for the school, pondered over since the mid-1990s, took shape. Mr. James Horne became Saints’ first lay principal in 2003, and in 2006 Mr. Edwin Hearn became its first lay president. As a deeper background to these developments at St. Augustine High School was the clarification and articulation of the essential elements and flavor of Augustinian education which had been developing throughout the world of Augustinian education since the 1980s. The number of Augustinians in the classroom was diminishing as a growing majority of lay people was in the

classroom, administration, and on the fields and courts. They were ever more valued, generous, competent, and welcomed collaborators. They sought better orientation and deeper involvement in the mission. Beginning in 2004, the Augustinians in North America met the need with annual gatherings of school personnel from across the U.S. and Canada. The “Institute for Augustinian Values in Education” brought the values, language, and vision of Augustinian Catholic education to hundreds of educators. The Augustinian “core values” were identified as the signature set of values which lift up St. Augustine’s concerns in his life and his teaching, they are emblematic of Augustine’s window on the Gospel, his synthesis of the Good News. At Saints these values found a comfortable home and gave light and greater substance to what the school had been describing since at least 1983 as the “Saints Experience.” This “experience,” hard to define, is a constellation of experiences which gives meaning, inspiration, and coherence to the high school experience. The large and strong values of unity, truth, and love were being realized in the fraternity of a diverse, all-boys school with a traditional college prep curriculum and vigorous athletic program. Traditions in the school community, participation in the life of San Diego, Catholic culture with weekly Mass, Augustinian presence, loyalty of alumni, and lifelong friendships were perennial hallmarks of the experience. Add to this the heightened intentional turn throughout the school’s program toward instruction and formation to meet the particular needs and learning style of young men. This strengthened the substance of the tagline for Saints used for many years, “Accepting boys, graduating men.”

In the ninth decade of the history of St. Augustine High School the curriculum has been enriched and diversified, an Intersession of creative and experiential curriculum developed,

technology is at the service of learning throughout the school, the arts have received greater emphasis, class scheduling has been re-designed, and the mind boggles at the growing opportunities in athletics. From an institutional point of view, the school experienced its share of “fits and starts” in these first 90 years. Close to failing financially, it remained faithful to its mission (in 1942 Bishop Buddy asked the Augustinians to give him the school and make it coed, in the ‘50s voices urged going coed and moving to the East County). The school remained boys-only, Augustinian, purposely of moderate size, and urban with a continued regional reach. It received sustained Augustinian commitment, responded creatively to the changing needs of students, with great effort met the needs for improved campus facilities, responded to families of modest means to keep Saints accessible, and with purpose made significant changes in leadership and governance – and St. Augustine High School not only survived, but flourished.

The “institutional” story is perhaps the easier one to tell, but what makes its telling possible is the echo in word, deed, and personal commitment of thousands of parents, students, teachers, coaches, pastors, donors, Board members, and Augustinians who with Martel in 1922 have repeated something like “I’d like to start an Augustinian Catholic high school for boys in California.” For indeed a school always has to start again, again, again, and again. And, in particular, a unique school like Saints needs to be continually re-created. For 90 years a human chain of people has realized its importance and continued to fashion St. Augustine High School with love and sacrifice as a presence of God’s care for his people and hope for young men.

This narrative depends heavily on the book of Fr. John Sanders, OSA, “Before All Else: The History of the Augustinians in the Western United States, 1922-1985” (Augustinian Historical Institute, 1987).

90 Years Ago—In a rare picture, members of the Class of 1923 pose with Fr. Martel (center, back row). The school’s first year began in Sep-tember, 1922 at St. Vincent’s Church in Mission Hills, while the Nutmeg campus was being built.

Requa Design—Richard Requa, a prominent San Diego architect, designed the school. Requa went on to also design many of the buildings in the heart of Balboa Park in time for the 1935 Exposition. Aerial view of the Saints campus taken shortly after its completion in 1923 reveals former Bancroft Street cut between the two block square campus.

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AFTERNOON TEA—Mrs. Tracey Grosser was high bidder at the Spring Cinco de Saints for an Afternoon Tea for Ten. Phyllis Shess (’05 parent) donated the tea party, which was held at her North Park home. Phyllis is a professional tea caterer (North ParkBungalowTeaSociety.com) and for the past three years has donated a tea event at the annual Saints Fundraiser. “We had a lovely tea,” said Mrs. Grosser, “Phyllis is an excellent cook and hostess.” Pictured (left to right) are those who attended: Terry Williams; Tracey Grosser; Karen Jorgensen; Con-nie Martin; Donna Rose Ibaibarriaga: Arleen Lujan; Christine Martinez; Dawnella Stoddard and not pictured: Lucy Celeste.

BETTER BUSINESS— This is a photo taken at the spring Better Business Bureau awards ceremony for the Student Ambassador Pro-gram. The students are L-R Bobby Jertberg, Cameron Roberts and Garrett Barclay. The boys won third place among those who entered the event. They presented on consumer education topics.

Editor’s note: In his book, “Before All Else,” Fr. John R. Sanders, O.S.A., describes how St. Augustine School came to be built in its present location and how prominent architects Frank Mead and Richard Requa were hired.

The year is 1922:

Bishop John Cantwell, whose Diocese ran from Mexico to Monterey and Augustinian Provincial Nicholas Vasey called upon a fellow Augustinian Fr. Alphonse Martel to

begin a boys school in San Diego. On September 2, Father Martel arrived by train at the Santa Fe station in San Diego. He quickly noticed that while the weather was warm, it was not nearly as hot as summertime in the East, and there was no humidity. He was given a September 18 date to begin classes at the new St. Augustine High School. Under Fr. Martel, the founding principal and only teacher, the school opened at St. Vincent’s on Ibis Street in Mission Hills on September 18 with 19 students consisting solely of freshmen and sophomores. Martel later recorded that the first program of instruction included religion, English, algebra, ancient history, Spanish, general science and public speaking. The first Saints basketball team went undefeated in a three game season led by coach Lee Waymire.

The New School

On October 5, after months of searching, a ten-acre lot was purchased in the eastern

section of the city. The lot was bounded by 32nd and 33rd Streets on the west and east, by Palm and Nutmeg on the north and south. Fathers Thomas Healy and Martel bought the site from whom Fr. Martel called “a fine Catholic woman named Mrs. Mannix, who favored the project and was willing to sell the prime land for $17,000.” Bishop Cantwell arranged for bank loans in Los Angeles with the Bank of Italy (later Bank of America) to cover the land costs. The Augustinians in San Diego, Martel and Healy, urged their Provincial Fr. Vasey to let them hire an architect to design both the school and a priory. Bishop Cantwell recommended the noted San Diego architects Frank Mead and Richard Requa. The Bishop was familiar with Requa from his work to design St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ojai, California. Requa was hired to design St.

Early History of Saints

The Architect and the School

Augustine High School in the “Mission Style.” The school was completed on August 25, 1923 at a cost of $70,000. The new school opened on September 4, 1923 with a student body of 59 and included the addition of Fr. John A. Walsh and Fr. George O’Meara to the faculty.

DAY ONE NUTMEG STREET – September 4, 1923--On this day, 59 students, all boys, who comprised the first students at St. Augustine High School, started their first day at the new Nutmeg Street campus. Designed by architect Richard Requa, who crafted many of Balboa Park’s exist-ing Prado buildings, the new school included many of Requa’s hallmark features – arches, pergolas, iron work, vines and lush vegetation.

The Architect

Richard S. Requa’s career included a stint in the office of Irving J. Gill in 1907, where he worked as an on-site Project Supervisor. In 1912, Requa joined Frank L. Mead to form Mead and Requa. Mead & Requa focused on designing homes for San Diegans and they also redesigned the business section of the community of Ojai for A. J. Libbey (Libbey Glass Co.), which included the Post Office, Catholic Church, a hotel and homes. In 1920, Mead left the firm and Herbert L. Jackson joined Requa. Requa & Jackson became San Diego’s top architects during the roaring 20’s and their style, which Requa named ‘Southern California Architecture’, dominated the San Diego scene. In a San Diego Historical Society biography Parker H. Jackson, a noted Requa historian wrote: [Requa] “was interested in the historical heritage of the Colonial style of Old Mexico, the Pueblos of the Southwest, and the Moorish features from Spain and North Africa, which he saw as similar to San Diego’s climate.” Requa made extended trips to Spain and the Mediterranean area photographing and filming architectural details and garden effects. In the early 1930s, Requa was commissioned to design many of the buildings for the California Pacific International Exposition which was held in 1935. His works included Spanish Village; Ford Building, Starlight Bowl; Federal Building; original Muni Gym, House of Pacific Relations complex; House of Hospitality; Casa del Rey Moro garden, Alcazar Gardens and many of Balboa Park’s tile benches, fountains and arches. Historian Parker Jackson noted, “In 1936, Requa was selected, along with Louis Gill, Willam Templeton Johnson, and Sam Hamill, to the Committee to design the City-County Administration Building, now the County Administration Building on Harbor Drive. Requa died of a heart attack, while at work in his office, in June, 1941.”

Requa’s Legacy

With its white stucco, heavily tiled roofs, wrought iron ornamentation, unique chimney designs, Moorish arches and polychrome tile fountains, Requa’s ‘Southern California Style’ has endured through the decades and is still reflected in commercial and residential building today, according to Parker Jackson. Requa’s Books are available at the San Diego Main Public Library and the San Diego Historical Society Archives in Balboa Park. The San Diego Historical Society has nearly 300 files of Requa’s architectural drawings, most of them the original office copies, as well as a number of associated ‘presentation drawings’ in color. Copies can be made of most of them by Special Order at a nominal cost.

ASB LeadershipContinued from page 1.

is a list of some of the typical/traditional class-related ASB activities: Freshman ASB: The freshman officers’ main responsibilities are the planning of a few activities with AOLP. These include freshman dance lessons in October and an off-campus frosh-soph spring formal at a desig-nated hotel.Sophomore ASB: The sophomore officers’ main responsibilities are the planning of the Charger Sunday Father/Son Breakfast, planning of the frosh-soph spring formal and the Turkey Trot Thanksgiving race.Junior ASB: The junior officers’ responsibilities are the planning of all Homecoming-related activities (the dance, pep rally, and halftime show), the Junior Boat Dance in April and the hypnotist show.Senior ASB: The senior officers’ main responsibilities include the planning of all Freshmen Welcome Week activities, the Mother/senior luncheon in April, Prom and the Disneyland Day trip in May. Besides the four class officers for each grade level, there are also ASB Executive Officers who handle many other activities, as well as serving the class officers in a supporting role. Here is a brief glimpse into some of the executive officers’ responsibilities: • The planning of all other pep rallies.• Assisting in Freshman Dance Lessons.• Assisting with Freshman Welcome Week• Assisting with 8th Grade Visitations• Assisting AOLP with the Elementary School Leadership Conference• The planning of the ASB Spirit BBQ Aside from all of the events already mentioned, all ASB officers also work to bring in some of their own creative ideas. Over the past few years, the ASB has sponsored several faculty vs. student flag football and basketball games, the In-N-Out Lunch Truck, Hawaiian Shirt Day, two dodgeball tournaments, a kickball tournament, a talent show, and many other activities. All students who are elected to any of the ASB positions are automat-ically enrolled in the ASB/Leadership class that meets three day a week during zero period (7 – 7:40 a.m.). This class is taught by Mr. Inzunza, the ASB Moderator. During class time, many of these events are dis-cussed and planned with new ideas presented. The Leadership class has an open-door policy and any student is welcome to attend a class meeting to ask questions or present an idea for the ASB officers.

Executive Council:President: Eli Ashenafi [1]V. Pres: Francisco Koichi Ishino (2)Secretary: Robert Baughman [3]Treasurer: Tyler Hofstee [4] Senior Class CouncilPresident: Xavier Redondo [5]V. Pres: Juan Miguel Rodriguez Secretary: Antonio Faustino Treasurer: Will Gonzalez Junior Class Council:President: Michael McRoskey [6]V. Pres: Rocky Beas Secretary: Patrick O’Connor Treasurer: Matthew O’Connor

Eli Ashenafi

Robert Baughman Tyler Hofstee

Michael McRoskey Bryan RielXavier Redondo

Francisco Ishino

Saints ASB Officers 2012-13

Sophomore Class Council:President: Bryan Riel [7]V. Pres: Luis PerazaSecretary: Rex HammockTreasurer: Tyler Dexter

Freshman Class CouncilElections to be announced

The Road TogetherContinued from page 1.

APA Saints EventsContinued from page 1.

GUATEMALA MISSION— Incoming Saints Seniors Tyler Hofstee (left) and Tom Blick recently completed a service mission to Guate-mala with the HELPS Medical Mission and the Morton Eye Team. Saintsmen pose with a boy who received medical attention from the visiting medical team. Note the boy is proudly wearing his new 2012 Saints Alumni Association Parochial Basketball Championship T-shirt (the extras Tee’s were donated as surgical gowns for youngsters.

Continued on Page 7.W H E R E I N T H E W O R L D

ALUMS CHECKING IN--Left, Alex Guittard (’07) and Jason Palomar (’07) caught up with each other at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Guittard is currently a U.S. Army Military Intelligence of-ficer with a Civil Affairs Unit and he was at Ft. Benning taking parachute lessons from another Saintsman, U.S. Army second lieutenant Jason Palomar. Jason is the executive officer at Ft. Benning’s Bravo Company, First Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment attached to the Basic Airborne School.

reduced. Our neighbors on Nutmeg Street have had their driveways blocked on more than one occasion over the past year. Please be thought-ful when parking your car. Put yourself in their position. First and foremost, Saints’ intention is to be a good neighbor in the North Park community. If we all slow down and think of the other person, our ability to get along with each other will be significantly enhanced. Thank you in advance for assisting Saints in this critical area of school life and welcome back to school.

(dmadsen3@san.rr.com) to volunteer or buy tickets and meet some new friends.

Meet the Teachers Night - Wednesday, September 5 at 6:30 p.m. in Tolle Lege Plaza. The APA hosts the evening with refreshments and brings you up to date on APA events, then it’s off to the classrooms!

Family Mass - Sunday, September 16 at 9 a.m. in Tolle Lege Plaza.

Our beautiful outdoor Mass & Brunch celebrating the family and our bigger Saints Commu-nity. Help us set-up, serve and clean-up. Contact Debbie Piorkowski (wduluth@gmail.com) to volunteer.

8th Grade Visitation – Wednesday & Thursday, October 10 &11We provide refreshments and Saints hospitality to future Saintsmen, their teachers and par-ents. Contact Patty Brandon (shackishere@gmail.com) to volunteer.

Freshman Retreat – Saturday & Sunday, October 13 & 14Your son’s most memorable Saints Experience thanks to the help of over 130 volunteers.Contact Shirley Mehling (semehling@cox.net) to volunteer.

College Night - Wednesday, October 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Gym.The APA hosts this informative evening about all things College. Help us with set up and refreshments. Contact Juan Ibaibarriaga (ibaibarriaga@cox.net) to volunteer. 8th Grade Open House - Sunday, November 4 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.We welcome future Saintsmen and their parents, tour the campus and answer their questions. Contact Patty Brandon (shackisback@gmail.com) to volunteer.

Christmas Social Dinner Dance & Drawdown - Saturday, November 17 – Mission Valley It’s the Saints way of starting the holiday season and a chance to win $10,000!

7

AustinParentsAssociation

Saints Season Ticket Packages Football and Basketball Home Games

2012-2013 St. Augustine Austin Parents Association invites all families to be part of an exciting tradition, Saints Football and Basketball. If you have already attended a Saints football or basketball game, you know we have the greatest fans and fan turn out anywhere. The high school years go by so quickly and this is a great opportunity to spend more

time with your son as well as meet fellow Saints families. Our students are very proud to share this unique experience with their parents, grandparents, and Saints Alumni. The best way to participate in this great tradition is

with a SAINTS SEASON TICKET SPORTS PASS to all HOME GAMES. Remember your pass allows you to skip the lines and pre-purchase deadlines. We’ll see you at the games!!!

Ticket Options $750.00 LIFEFTIME ATHLETIC PASS - One pass to ALL HOME football & basketball game for YOUR LIFETIME (non-transferrable) Plus…1 LIFETIME Game Day Jacket, Saints car decal and $25.00 voucher to Halo Joe’s….$1000 for Two Passes….

$150.00 GOLD Season Ticket Pass– 2 Passes to ALL HOME football & basketball games for 2012-13 school year PLUS…$25 voucher to Halo Joe’s, 2 Seat Cushions and 2 Saints car decals...

$90.00 PURPLE Season Ticket Pass - 2 Passes to ALL HOME football & basketball games for 2012-2013 school year PLUS a car decal

$50.00 ADULT Season Ticket Pass - 1 pass to ALL HOME football & basketball games for 2012-2013 school year

$25.00 STUDENT Season Ticket Pass - 1 pass to ALL HOME football & basketball games for 2012-2013 school yearTotal Number of Passes:____

Payment Information

Name_____________________________ Phone __________________ e-mail ____________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________________

Son’s Graduation year ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 OLP Cheerleader Alumni Grandparent Friend (circle one)

Make Checks Payable to: St. Augustine Austin Parent Association Check# ______ Check Amount______

Credit card options: MC Visa (circle one) Account #_________________________ Exp. Date_______

Cardholder________________________ Signature________________________ Total _____ Date_____

PLEASE RETURN FORM TO THE SCHOOL OFFICE Information on ticket and merchandise pick-up to follow

For information please contact: Marci Harkness – marcella@capitalgrowthinc.com

So�a Samouris – ssamouris@cox.net

Payment Information

Name_____________________________ Phone __________________ e-mail ____________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________________

Son’s Graduation year ‘13 ‘14 ‘15 ‘16 OLP Cheerleader Alumni Grandparent Friend (circle one)

Make Checks Payable to: St. Augustine Austin Parent Association Check# ______ Check Amount______

Credit card options: MC Visa (circle one) Account #_________________________ Exp. Date_______

Cardholder________________________ Signature________________________ Total _____ Date_____

Villanova Hall is named in honor of St. Thomas of Villanova, O.S.A. He was born in Fuenllana (Villanueva), Ciudad Real in 1486. He died in Valencia in 1555.

Thomas was one of the outstanding preachers of 16th century Spain. He was a brilliant student at the University of Alcala de Henares, where he went on to become a professor. At the age of 30, he entered the Order of St. Augustine. As an Augustinian he was known for being an outstanding teacher and eventually served as a Provincial of the Order in Spain. In 1544 he became Archbishop of Valencia. At a time of great materialism in Spain, Thomas lived frugally. He used the income of his affluent archdiocese to provide social programs for the poor and rejected. He fed and sheltered the homeless in his own home. He is the Patron of Studies for the Order. Mendel Hall is named to honor Fr. Gregor Mendel, O.S.A., who was was a member of the Augustinian Community in Brno in the present day Czech Republic. Using 34 different kinds of peas,

DID YOU KNOW?

Names behind the Hall NamesSet love as the criterion of all that you say. And whatever you teach, teach in such a way that the person to whom you speak by hearing may believe, by believing hope, and by hoping love. – St. Augustine, The Instruction of Beginners, 8

Mendel’s mid-19th century scientific experiments were the first to apply mathematics to a biological problem and to understand the importance of statistical investigation. He established two principles known as the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment (now known as the “Mendelian Laws”) and has been recognized as the father of modern day genetics. Vasey Hall is named for Fr. Nicholas Vasey, O.S.A. He was Provincial of the Augustinians in the United States in 1921 when Bishop John Cantwell (Bishop of the Diocese of Monterrey-Los Angeles) wrote saying that he “saw a great need in San Diego of a Boys’ School” and invited the Augustinians, based in Villanova, Pennsylvania, “to be useful and to bring us some things that we have not ourselves.” Vasey visited Los Angeles and San Diego in February of 1922. Vasey accepted the invitation to send Augustinians to San Diego and returning to the East visited the chemistry lab at Villanova College where Fr. Alphonse Martel was teaching, called him over and asked, “How would you like to go to California and start a school for boys in San Diego?” Martel opened St. Augustine School of San Diego at St. Vincent’s parish in September, 1922. In October, 1922, he purchased ten acres of land on Nutmeg Street in North Park and began construction on the present day school. On September 4, 1923, 59 young men began classes in the new building named in honor of Fr. Vasey.

Publisher: Edwin J. Hearn, Jr. Saints President Editor-in-Chief: James Horne, Saints Principal Senior Editor: Steve Chipp (’68), Finance & Facilities Augustinian Columnist: Fr. Bob Gavotto, O.S.A., (‘55)Saints Scene Coordinator: Thomas Shess, Alum Parent (’05): Thomas.Shess@gmail.comStaff Writers: John White and Robert Blodgett, Saints DadsCopy Editors: Kathy Wilson and John White, Saints Parents. Art Director: Carol Sherwood, Sherwood Newsletter Design: Sherwoodnewsletter@gmail.com

Circulation Director: Casey Callery, Director of CommunityRelations and Special Events. Austin Parents Assn. Editor: Theresa “TK” Kosen Editor Emeritus: John D. Keller O.S.A. (’55)Correction Policy: While every effort is made to be accurate, we occasionally err. We do apologize to those impacted and kindly ask that you notify Saints Coordinator: Thomas.Shess@gmail.com for any corrections.

Saints Scene Your monthly reporton the St. Augustine

High School Experience

Mission of St. Augustine High School – Our mission is to provide a Catholic liberal arts education for young men in an environment that promotes the development of mind, heart and body in the Augustinian tradition. By helping to form loving disciples of Jesus Christ we communicate to the world the gospel values of community, truth and love.

Shop www.sahs.bkstr.com

IT’S NOT TOO LATE! ORDER TEXTBOOKS

TODAY

official school book list money-saving used books and book rental options easy and convenient be ready for class the first day!

Need Help? Call Follett at 877-827-2665 Follett Virtual Bookstores preferred book partner of St. Augustine High School

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