For family, friends, and alumni of Cistercian Preparatory School

June 2001

The

Sitting the benchCaros LLopez ’’84 bbecame aa jjudge aat29. HHe mmay bbe oon tthe ffast ttrackbut hhe hhasn’t llost ssight oof wwhat’simportant.

2 The CONTINUUM

Letter from the Headmaster

Dear Cistercian Families, Friends, and Alumni,

Reunions Weekend marked a fitting end to a wonderful school year. Traditionally held thefirst full weekend of June, the event brought together alumni and alumni parents from thefirst graduating class, Class of 1970, through the most recent. Former classmates and

friends met for a golf tournament on Friday, a picnic on theUpper Field on Saturday, major reunion parties on Saturdayevening, and a Mass on Sunday followed by a brunch host-ed by the school. The Weekend was a fitting conclusion tothe school year because it manifested so concretely two ele-ments of a Cistercian education: community and the com-mon practice of our faith.

The major reunions drew alumni back to Cistercian fromaround the country. In some cases, the graduates had not vis-ited the school or their teachers since they graduated. Morethan one alumnus remarked that he felt as if he were return-ing home. Home, we all hope, is a young person’s most last-ing experience of life in a community. It is where — evenafter years of absence and change — you still belong; youare still in “familiar” surroundings, the surroundings of your

family. Upon their return, alumni found a new lunchroom, track and library, but the facesof favorite teachers and the search for academic excellence in Cistercian’s centuries-oldtradition made even these new facilities seem “familiar.”

On the heels of Reunion weekend, it is fitting that an alumnus grace the cover of the TheContinuum. The story of Carlos Lopez ’84 is one of astonishing legal success — Carloshas been a judge since he was 29. But what may be more remarkable is his determinationto share his time in the community and his commitment to fight for what is fair. The sec-ond feature revolves around our central mission, preparing students for the college of theirchoice. The process of gaining acceptance to and paying for college, however, has grownmore daunting each year. We share with you how students and their families are facingthese challenges with the help of Cistercian’s experienced college-counseling team.

As another Reunions Weekend passes, it reminds us that we must measure the “success”of Cistercian’s students and alumni in personal terms — how well a student uses his tal-ents, how much he contributes to his community, how fully he responds to God’s grace. Ihope this issue of The Continuum inspires you to continue seeking success in these terms.

Fr. Peter Verhalen ‘73Headmaster

Photo by Jim Reisch

Carlos Lopez ’84sits tall on the bench

Whether he is rendering a decision fromthe bench in a complex case or convey-ing his enthusiasm for the legal processto disadvantaged students or framing awindow for Habitat for Humanity oreven getting “down and dirty” in a pick-up soccer game, Judge Lopez demon-strates “the common touch.”

CISTERCIANPREPARATORY

SCHOOL

ADMINISTRATION

Rev. Peter Verhalen ’73Headmaster

Rev. Bernard MartonAssistant Headmaster

College Counselor

Mr. Rodney J. WalterAdministrative Assistant

Director of Transportation

Mr. Greg Novinski ’81Dean of Students

Mr. Robert J. HaaserDirector of Admissions

Mr. Matthew P. Walter ’86Director of Development

and Alumni Relations

Mr. Danny LeeDirector of Athletics

Mr. R. Kevin Spencer ’85President, CistercianAlumni Association

EDITORIAL STAFFMr. Matthew P. Walter ’86

Editor

Mr. Tom B. PruitCopy Editor

Mrs. Sally L. CookAssistant Copy Editor

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Cistercian Preparatory School was founded with the aim of preparing talented boys for the colleges of their choiceby challenging their minds with excellent academic programs, molding their character through the values of Catholiceducation, and offering them guidance with both understanding and discipline. Cistercian Preparatory School doesnot discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational practices,admissions, scholarship programs, and athletic and other school administered programs.

In this issue.....

D E P A R T M E N T S

F E A T U R E S

The thick and the thin of applying to colleges

Daniel McSwain was looking for aCatholic school with small classes anda strong political science department.He also needed a scholarship. Helpcame from Cistercian’s experiencedcollege counselors. Then a surprisingenvelope arrived in his mail box.

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6

Letter from the Headmaster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2School News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Sports News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Alumni Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Cover photography by Jim Reisch

June 2001

C O M M U N I T Y SS E R V I C E

Pruit & Parkerwin honor forspecial dance

The Association forRetarded Citizens (ARC)presented Dr. Tom B. Pruitand Mr. Tim Parker with the“2001 Award of Excellence”on May 4.

The two Cistercian teach-ers were honored for theirrole in organizing dances forthe Down’s Syndrome Guildof Dallas held at Cistercianand hosted by students fromCistercian, Ursuline, andHockaday.

“I wish the entire Cistercianstudent body could receive thisaward,” said Dr. Pruit. “Tim

and I just organized it. Theboys, plus their counterparts atUrsuline and Hockaday, pro-vided the fun, the care, and thegenuine courtesy. They madeus proud.”

The award recognizesindividuals in the communitywho make significant contri-butions to improve the quali-ty of life for people withmental retardation and devel-opmental disabilities.

C L A S S ‘‘ 0 1

High test scoresare hallmark ofthese seniors

The Class of ‘01 may beremembered as Number One

for more than just their classyear. Fr. Roch’s raucousbunch proved peerless whenit comes to standardizedtests, scoring an average of1425 on their SATs (714 ver-bal, 711 math). Nine mem-bers of the class were named

National Merit Scholars.AP scores were equally as

impressive as the Class of ‘01took a total of 120 tests andscored an average of 4.1.

Seven received full col-lege scholarships and tworeceived appointments to theUnited States MilitaryAcademy. For a completelisting of colleges attendedby the Class of ’01, see thebox at left.

W H A T AA RR U N

Quiz Bowlerstake state andwhip the Aggies

In April, three seniorsended their phenomenalrecord in Quiz Bowl compe-titions with a state title. Withthe help of John Davies ’04,Andrew Gregg ’01, ChrisEdgemon ’01, and DavidDaly ’01 took first place inthe 2001 Texas StateChallenge Quiz BowlTournament at Sam HoustonState University inHuntsville, TX.

Cistercian’s victory givesthe team the privilege of rep-resenting the Lone Star Stateat the Panasonic NationalChallenge Championships,which will be held June 23 -27 at Disney World, Orlando,Florida. The top three teamsat the Panasonic tournament

4

School News

Trevor Turner ’02 and two friends signal their luck with the ladiesat the Down’s Syndrome Guild of Dallas held at Cistercian andhosted by students from Cistercian, Ursuline, and Hockaday.

Traveling in groups to ...

UT-Austin* . . . . . . . . . . 5Texas A&M** . . . . . . . . 5Notre Dame . . . . . . . . . 5University of the South 3SMU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Austin College . . . . . . . 2Stanford . . . . . . . . . . . . 2West Point . . . . . . . . . . 2

* Three are Plan II** Two are Honors Program

Traveling solo to ...ColumbiaEmoryFranklin W. OlinGeorgetownLoyola (NO)MiddleburyRice

SW Texas StateTrinityU. of FloridaU. of MissouriU. of PennsylvaniaU. of VirginiaWashington & Lee

College travel plans lean to the EastNumber of seniors matriculating by state

The CONTINUUM

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School News.d

and their coaches take homevaluable scholarships andother awards.

Earlier in the month, theQuiz Bowl team took theNorth Texas Area Quiz BowlLeague championship.

In March, the team com-peted in the UT-sponsoredReveille-Bevo Quiz BowlTournament that includesteams from state high schoolsand colleges. Cistercian tookfirst place over second-placeTexas A&M.

For the uninitiated, QuizBowl competitions test aca-demic skills across the entirespectrum of the high schoolcurriculum.

A C A D E M I C S

Spring full of triumphs

Cistercian students did notspend the spring smelling theroses. In Spanish, French, andMath, students earned honorsin a variety of competitions.

Ten were recognized fortheir work on the NationalSpanish Exam, three fresh-man, three sophomores, onejunior, and three seniors.Approximately 80,000 stu-

dents nationwide take thistest of reading and listeningcomprehension.

Not to be outdone,Cistercian French studentsfared well on the NationalFrench Contest, a 60-minuteexamination produced by theAmerican Association ofTeachers of French. Tenplaced including two fresh-man (John Davies ’04 wonfirst place), two sophomores,and six juniors.

In April, the Cistercian“mathletes” began a string ofimpressive accomplishments.In the grueling, four-monthMandelbrot competition, thevarsity placed first in Texasamong all schools, fourth inthe nation among schoolsunder 500 students, and sev-enteenth in the nation amongall schools. The junior varsityalso placed first in Texasamong all schools, fifth in thenation among schools under500 students, and seven-teenth overall.

In MATHCOUNTS, anationwide middle schoolprogram, Cistercian is begin-ning to make its mark. For

the first time, a Cistercianstudent (Arthur Yang ’05)finished in the top ten atState. The team of eighthgraders finished with a rank-ing of number 17 in the state.

S H A K E S P E A R E

Summer fun for parentsand students

Phyllis Carr, mother of Alex’94 and Phillip ’99, once againis putting together a summerShakespeare program foralumni, parents and friends ofCistercian. The July 3 eventmarks opening night ofShakespeare’s The Tempestwith the Dallas ShakespeareFestival. The program begins at7:30 pm at Samuell-GrandPark in East Dallas. Fr. GregorySchweers will introduce thetwo and a half hour play.

Students from the Class of’02 will provide communityservice at this performanceby helping with various pre-show activities.

2 0 0 1 CC O M M E N C E M E N T EE X E R C I S E S

Speeches emphasize gratitude“Though we thank those here tonight who helped us getwhere we are, it would be incredible folly to forget themaster who gave us our gold talents. We owe it to God andto the world that He created to use our talents to benefit asmany of our fellow men as possible.”

— Mike Keljo ’01, Valedictorian

“Now our time is up, and we're being forced to leave, aclass of young men, a class of friends who have achievedmuch more than just maintaining high test scores. We leaveknowing without a doubt that there was no better place wecould have been.”

— Ed Brophy ’01, Salutatorian

Four faculty members will not be returning toCistercian next year. Murry Gans leaves after 16 years ofteaching Biology I (Form V), Biology II (Form VIII),and science electives. He also taught a popular CivilWar elective. His wife, Saranne Gans, will continue toserve as Cistercian’s Head Librarian. Ten-year veteranDr. Cheryl Huff taught math to Forms II and V. SpanishDepartment Head Dr. Monica Navarro spent three yearsat Cistercian, teaching Forms V-VIII. James Sorreltaught Spanish to Forms V-VIII for two years.

Cistercian's Dr. Richard Newcomb, head of theMath Department, was honored with the Coach of theYear Award at the Mandelbrot competition this spring.

Uniforms are making a comeback. Starting in thefall, students in Forms V-VII will have to tighten uptheir sartorial act and wear white knit or button-downshirts and khakis (no more large pockets).

Rob Kowalski will be phased into the college coun-seling team next year. In time, he will take the place ofBob Haaser who will concentrate on his duies as FormMaster and director of admissions. Kowalski’s duties willbe to teach students how to research colleges and narrowtheir choices before meeting with Fr. Bernard.

N O T E W O R T H Y

June 2001

The CONTINUUM6

IN TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD ATTICUS FINCH endshis defense of Tom Robinson with a tribute to the powerof law in a democratic society: “…there is one way inthis country in which all men are created equal-there isone human institution which makes a pauper the equalof a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an

Einstein…That institution is a court…Our courts have theirfaults, as does any human institution, but in this country thecourts are the great levelers, and in our courts all men are cre-ated equal.” Such a statement gives eloquent expression to thebelief that motivates the best members of the legal professionand of the judiciary. It expresses not only the creed but also thepractice of Carlos Lopez ’84, judge of the 116th District Courtin Dallas County.

Whether he is rendering a decision from the bench in a com-plex case or conveying his enthusiasm for the legal process todisadvantaged students or framing a window for Habitat forHumanity or even getting “down and dirty” in a pick-up soccergame, Lopez demonstrates “the common touch.” He is a manwhose compassion for “all sorts and conditions of men” runsdeep and whose own life exhibits time and again his belief thatall men are created equal.

Lopez is perhaps the lone Cistercian alumnus who “sits thebench.” He was appointed to the 116th Judicial District Court lastSeptember by then Governor Bush to fill a term that expires at theend of 2002. The district courts (376 in Texas, 37 in DallasCounty) are considered the state trial courts of broadest jurisdic-tion over both civil and criminal matters; as such they are the toprung of the trial court “ladder.” In more densely populated areassuch as Dallas County, the district courts further specialize ineither criminal, civil or family law. Judge Lopez’s 116th DistrictCourt is one of 13 courts in Dallas specializing in civil law.

Prior to his appointment to the district court, Lopez hadserved as a judge in the Dallas County Court of Law.

Appointed in 1996 when he was only 29, Lopez was theyoungest Hispanic ever to sit on the bench in a county court oflaw. (He may also be the youngest Hispanic ever to sit on thebench in the state district court). Yet, despite his youth, heearned a 90 percent positive rating in the Bar Poll results of

Presiding Judges in Dallas County Civil Courts. Now in hismid-thirties, Lopez already has amassed nearly a decade ofexperience as an attorney and judge.

“Carlos has certainly excelled as a judge; just look at hisrapid advancement to the District Court as proof of that,”observes Jay Hartnett ’83. “It is a pleasure to appear in hiscourt. Carlos has displayed an in-depth knowledge of the lawand always conducts himself in a very professional manner.”The road to the bench, however, was a meandering one, one thatbegan with his entrance into SMU as a “pre-med.”

After his sophomore year-and two years of struggle, he cameto realize that “medical courses just weren’t something thatcame natural to me” and decided to “do the unthinkable: switchmajors!” He is still grateful for the fact that when he approachedhis parents with his decision, they were very supportive: “Justdo whatever will make you happy”-and he did.

“I always had a knack for numbers and formulas so I decid-ed to enroll in several Econ courses, taking them in the summerafter sophomore year so I could see how I liked something otherthan medicine and could avoid falling a semester behind afterchanging majors.” He found that he liked the courses very muchand went on to get a degree in Economics (with a minor inanthropology).

Meanwhile he knew he was not yet through with school andwas attempting to decide whether he wanted to pursue an MBAor a law degree when Jay Hartnett, who was then attending lawschool at SMU, gave him a sage piece of advice, “Look, you canalways go into business with a law degree, but you can’tbecome a lawyer with a business degree.” He entered SMU LawSchool on a partial scholarship in the fall of 1988.

In his third year of law school Lopez took a litigation courseand knew that this was “it,” and was informed by his instructorsthat “if you want significant courtroom experience early on inyour career, there was only one place — the D.A.’s office.”After graduation, Lopez landed a job in Houston, in the HarrisCounty D.A.’s office because, unlike Dallas County, Harriswould accept resumes from law school graduates before theyhad passed the bar exam.

“The interview was a very formal, structured, nerve-wrack-

Sitting the bench

Wise beyond his years, Carlos Lopez ’84 brings a distinct senseof what’s important to the 116th District Court, and to the community.

BY TOM PRUIT

ing process, but fortunately I was hired as a ‘pre-commit,’whichmeans that I was one of those whom they didn’t want to lose tocompeting employers. All I then had to do was pass the barexam. I spent the summer of 1991 studying for the exam, tookit in August, moved to Houston in September, and was actuallyin the courtroom a month later when I got the call that I hadpassed the exam. What a relief!”

“I began my career in earnest and though I loved my work, Iknew that if the right opportunity arose, I would seize thechance to return to Dallas.” In the spring of 1992, just such anopportunity arose. Lopez interviewed with Dallas CountyDistrict Attorney John Vance. “We immediately ‘hit it off’ and,upon conclusion of the interview, he offered me a job. I think thefact that I was already a prose-cutor had a lot to do with hisdecision.”

After two years at the DallasD.A.’s Office, Lopez felt he hadgained the courtroom experi-ence he had been looking forand began thinking about whathe might want to do next. “Ihadn’t gone to the D.A.’s Officeto forge a career in criminal lawbut because I wanted to get intolitigation.” It was at this pointthat he began to see that hisinterest in civil litigation wasleading him toward an interestin the bench. He left the D.A.’sOffice to join Dean &Associates, a small law firmdedicated to public policy andadministrative law. “I was hiredin April of 1994 and it turnedout to be a very good match: thepublic policy aspect of the workallowed me to continue mypolitical involvements as well.”

Those “involvements” thenled, after two very satisfyingyears with Dean & Associates,to his appointment in July of1996 to the judgeship ofCounty Court at Law No. 2. “Iwas 29 years old and had a lotto learn about being a judge,but thanks to my courtroomexperience at the D.A.’s office, to a lot of hard work, and to thegrace of God, I got the hang of serving on the bench fairlyquickly and have greatly enjoyed it ever since.”

Younger brother Alex Lopez ’89, who is himself practicinglaw in Corpus Christi, thinks that maybe there’s more to it thanjust experience and hard work. “A trait of a good lawyer is theability to look at a set of facts and quickly distinguish the impor-tant issues that merit further consideration from the issues that donot. My brother, first as a lawyer and now as a judge, has alwayshad that trait. I think that is a major reason for his great success.”

For now at least the last step for Lopez began last Augustwhen he heard that Judge Martin Richter, who sat on the 116thDistrict Court, had been appointed to the Court of Appeals, leav-ing his judgeship vacant. Lopez sought and received an inter-view with then Governor Bush for the vacancy and in

September heard of his appointment. He began work as DistrictJudge on September 18, 2000.

Judge Lopez describes his judicial philosophy as belongingto the school of those who believe in “judicial restraint.” “Ibelieve it is the Judiciary’s role to apply the law as it is writtenby the legislative body, and to interpret the law in cases whereit may be ambiguous. It is not the role of the Judiciary to effec-tively rewrite the laws that they may not agree with. If a judgedoes not like a law, he should do the same thing that all othercitizens do: write his legislator!”

When asked about those cases argued before his court that hefound particularly interesting or challenging, he replied, “That’sa little difficult, because I think you learn something from every

case that you’re involved with.I just presided over the COCvs. CompUSA case whichmade national headlines sinceit was the first major businesslitigation dispute arising out ofcross-border business dealingsin the post-NAFTA era. It wasvery challenging, but I can’tsay much more since the caseis pending appeal.” Later thissummer Judge Lopez will hearthe case involving a suitbrought by the singer Lee AnnRimes against her father andformer agent.

For Lopez, even in his ever-busier schedule, there isalways time to give back to thecommunity; such commitmentserves as a constant reminderto him that “we are all citizensand we owe each other a basicrespect and considerationregardless of our economicstatus, political views or cul-tural differences.” For JudgeLopez that means pitching inand lending a helping handwhether it be through Habitatfor Humanity or an elementaryschool. “It is always rewardingto give something back, and, atleast with Habitat forHumanity, I get a little exercise

thrown into the bargain. You can’t beat that.”“I am very happy to report that his being a judge doesn’t

appear to have gone to his head,” said brother Alex. “My broth-er doesn’t fall into the stereotype of the pompous, elitist judgewho likes to hear himself talk. To his old friends and classmateshe is still known affectionately as ‘Los.’Also, before I moved toCorpus Christi, he and I had begun playing pick up soccergames on Saturdays in a park in Dallas. Now maybe I justmissed them, but as far as I could see, there weren’t any otherCounty Judges out there running around getting dirty playingwith and against total strangers on those Saturday mornings. Butthat’s my brother. We are, however, still in dispute about whoreally is the better soccer player.”

Men like Carlos Lopez give men like Atticus Finch good rea-son to place hope for equal justice in the courts.

June 2001

Photos by Jim Reisch

7

The McSwains receive athick envelope from NotreDame. Clockwise fromtop: Brian ’03, Robert,Daniel ’01, and Connie.

8 The CONTINUUM

June 2001 9

“WEATHER’S GOING TO BE A factor,”said Peter Graham ’02, reflecting onissues he’ll give serious considerationwhen selecting a college. “I am not seton one place but I am leaning towardsmall schools.” With less than a yearbefore a final decision will be made, he doesn’t appear overlyconcerned. But he admitted, “I have no clue what’s going tohappen.”

“It’s a real eye-opener,” explained Sue Graham, Peter’smom. “It’s a different world today. It’s not good enough forthese boys just to go to college; we want them to go to the bestcollege for them. And the schools are so selective.”

Indeed, the numbers applying to the top colleges continue tosoar each year, making acceptances tougher than ever to comeby. At many top-tier schools, nine out of 10 applicants are reject-ed.

For those who are accepted, there’s the tuition hurdle. Thecost for many of the top private institutions hovers around$40,000 per year.

Like all the parents of this year’s junior class, the Grahamswere briefed in April on the college application process. And thejuniors met with Fr. Bernard individually in the spring to sharetheir preliminary college selections.

“I feel comfortable that if Peter has a question, Fr. Bernardwill be able to answer it,” Mrs. Graham said.

With 20 years of experience as Cistercian’s college coun-selor, it is easy to see why parents have confidence in him. Formost of those years, Fr. Bernard also held down the post ofHeadmaster in addition to his Form Master and teaching chores.

“It was rather handy serving in the capacity of bothHeadmaster and college counselor,” Fr. Bernard recalled.“Should college admissions officials point out a weakness in thecurriculum, I could say, ‘I can fix that.’”

Fr. Bernard brings great energy to his job, plus a razor sharpmemory, maniacal record keeping, and a quiet confidence thatrubs off on those he advises. (When asked about whereCistercian boys go to college, Fr. Bernard is fond of answering,“Wherever they’d like to go.”)

Despite all of his years of experience, Fr. Bernard continuesto seek out ways to facilitate the college counseling process.

Just this spring, he published the latest edition of the“Manual for College Applications,” now a one-inch-thick tomedevoted to every aspect of the college application/selectionprocess. In addition to sound advice on selecting and applyingto colleges, charts illustrate the admission tendencies of everycollege Cistercian students have applied to over the past fiveyears. Armed with his GPA and SAT scores, a student can referto hundreds of schools and determine his chances.

Fr. Bernard also has modified his advice on when to beginwork on the essay part of the applications. In light of the col-lege-level courses seniors take during the first semester, he nowsuggests that students begin work on their essays during thesummer before they’re caught in the grind.

For the most part, however, the college counseling processhasn’t changed much in the past decade.

The Form Master introduces the concept of college counsel-ing to his class freshman year. During the first semester of thesophomore year, Fr. Bernard details application procedures, theuniverse of colleges (e.g., just how many colleges are out there

T H R O U G H

THICKTHIN

Selecting, applying to, paying for, and gaining acceptanceto college isn’t what it used to be. It takes a team of

counselors, parents, plus a dedicated student to make it work.

STORY BY DAVID STEWART ’74 • PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM REISCH

&

The CONTINUUM10

and the number to which Cistercian students apply), and admis-sions criteria for some well-known schools.

“Somehow,” Fr. Bernard said, “half the students come awaywith the impression that they can get into any college. The otherhalf leaves thinking they can’t get in anywhere. Of course, nei-ther conclusion is correct.”

During the second semester, sophomores fall into the capa-ble hands of Mr. Bob Haaser, who served as Form Master of theClass of ’92 and who shepherded three of his own children ontocollege (including Bobby Haaser ’91).

“My job is to prepare students so that when they meet withFr. Bernard in the latter half of their junior year, they are able totalk intelligently about what they are looking for in a college,”said Mr. Haaser. College counseling is a sideline Mr. Haaser

juggles along with his duties asDirector of Admissions, FormMaster (Class of ‘06), and SocialStudies teacher (IV, VII).

“I encourage sophomores andjuniors to investigate colleges,”he said. “I also recommend they begin visiting colleges in theirsophomore year. They may feel awkward about it initially, butthey need to build up a base of information and perceptions overa period of time to start narrowing down their choices.”

THE PREPARATION

“Life isn’t fair,” Mr. Haaser tells sophomoreswhen he introduces the process of selecting(and being selected by) a college. This lessonhits home when the students research a list ofthe nation’s top 40 colleges. The lofty admis-sion standards and sky-high tuition fees ofthese institutions never fail to amaze the boys.

Having shaken the complacency of the sophomores with thetop 40 list, he re-builds the confidence of the juniors by identi-fying a number of second-tier schools, state schools, and solidTexas schools. With this set of schools, the students learn ofschools where admission requirements and tuition fees are with-in reason.

“I want to expose them to the full range of schools,” Mr.Haaser said. “We want them to understand that there are a lot ofgood choices that can be made from the top tier down to the

“Meeting with Fr. Bernard helped a lot. He stressed what colleges were going

to see in me and evaluated my chances based

on my grades, tests, and extracurricular activities.”

— Daniel McSwain ’01

The Grahams look over col-lege catalogs at theirkitchen table. Peter ’02 issurrounded by parents Joeand Sue.

June 2001 11

more reasonably priced schools.” The exercises also illustrate that — beyond admissions

requirements and tuition fees — there are many factors to con-sider: academic strengths, social life, size, and location, to namea few.

To reinforce this lesson, Mr. Haaser recommends the boysexpand their research from books to campuses.

“Mr. Haaser gave us very sound advice in Bryan’s sopho-more year,” remembered Susan Madole, mother of BryanMadole ’99. “He said, ‘Start practicing the process of looking atcolleges. Look at small, medium, and large. Look at urban andrural. You can start right here in the Metroplex, with schools likeUD, SMU, TCU, and UTA.’”

After a visit to the University of Texas in Austin, theUniversity of Dallas, and SMU, Madole concluded SMU repre-sented the right size school. He also found he wanted an urbansetting.

“This exercise was so useful for us,” Mrs. Madole empha-sized. “It was a non-threatening way to narrow the focus. And itsaved us a lot of money in airfares.”

“It also helped to make our trip to visit colleges duringBryan’s junior year just great. We really got to talk. It was a veryenjoyable time together,” Mrs. Madole recalled.

“After a number of visits,” Mr. Haaser explained, “the stu-dent and his family begin to identify the factors they like anddon’t like. Gut feelings can become really important. I tell stu-dents this is not just a place you will go to school; it is the placewhere you will live for four years.”

The third step in Mr. Haaser’s program is to meet individu-ally with the students andhelp them craft a prelimi-nary list of about tenstrong contenders. Mr.Haaser expects this list toreflect the boy’s interests(e.g., possible major), hisbook research, and theperceptions accumulatedthrough college visits. Mr.Haaser avoids dismissingany of the student’s choic-es but frequently willmake a suggestion.

Each list must includeat least one safe school(i.e., within reach bothacademically and eco-nomically). The remain-ing schools on the listmay fall into either thereality or dream cate-gories.

Once the student andMr. Haaser finalize thislist, the student moves onto complete his researchon each of the schools,including strengths andweaknesses.

“Now,” said Mr.Haaser, “the students areready to talk to the master,Fr. Bernard.”

NARROWING IT DOWN

WHEN DANIEL McSWAIN ’01 SAT DOWN withFr. Bernard last spring, his list largely reflecteda desire for a relatively small catholic school(e.g., the University of Dallas and BostonCollege). But there were exceptions. TexasA&M, where his stepbrothers had attended andwhere McSwain had visited often, stood out in this respect.The school and its traditions had made a huge impression.The University of Virginia also made the list because Danielhad heard good things from UVA sophomore StevenReinemund ’99. The list was rounded out with a selectionfrom left field, the University of California at Berkeley.

McSwain explained to Fr. Bernard his concerns about hightuition fees; he hoped to find a school that would offer him ascholarship.

“Meeting with Fr. Bernard helped a lot,” McSwain said. “Hehelped me form a general idea of the type of school I was look-ing for. He stressed what colleges were going to see in me andevaluated my chances based on my grades, tests, and extracur-ricular activities.”

A few weeks after his meeting with Fr. Bernard in the spring,McSwain’s portfolio of extracurricular activities grew signifi-cantly when he was elected president of the student government.

During their fall meeting, Fr. Bernard reassessed his chances ofearning a scholarship. In addition to his 3.23 GPA (3.7 whenweighted for honors courses), McSwain demonstrated a commit-ted, outgoing personality through a variety of extracurricular activ-

ities. Beyond the studentgovernment work, he wasinvolved with theInformer, Exodus, andfounded the LiturgicalCommittee. He participat-ed in the 30-hour Famine.He volunteered as a bigbrother, with Scottish RiteHospital, and for Habitatfor Humanity. Athleticexploits included soccerand tennis.

Fr. Bernard struck theUniversity of California atBerkeley from McSwain’slist and added Georgetownand Notre Dame. Fr.Bernard also felt that therewas a good chanceProvidence College inRhode Island might makehim an offer, so it wasadded to the list. Now thetime had come to travel to

Fr. Bernard has served asCistercian’s senior col-lege counselor for 20years. He is holding the“Manual for CollegeApplications,” a one-inchtome containing statis-tics and hints to help stu-dents and parents.

The CONTINUUM

a campus or two to take a closer look at the top candidates.College visits can be a wonderful time for parents and their

college-bound young man but it is no vacation.Fr. Bernard and Mr. Haaser suggest that students sleep in a

dorm, attend classes, eat in the cafeteria, and take notes. “I recommend they take notes on each campus. After visiting

more than a few, it can be difficult to remember what you likedabout each one,” Fr. Bernard said. It also is recommended thatstudents pick up a copy of the school paper and ask studentswhat they like and don’t like (most are brutally honest).

The Grahams went on their first trip to visit colleges overspring break this past March. “I felt a lot of comfort after thecollege visits,” said Mrs. Graham. “I began to get a feel for thecampuses that would make a good environment for my son andthose that were supportive academically.”

“But there were a few campuses I wouldn’t feel as comfort-able with,” she said.

“Families have to consider the politics of the campus,” saidJanet Bucher, mother of Russell Bucher ’99 who attends theUniversity of Chicago.

“I call it the ‘nose ring factor,’” said Mrs. Bucher, whoknows a little something about the college counseling business,having served as a college counselor for The Hockaday Schoolfor 15 years. “The question is how many nose rings do you wantin the student population?”

The Northrup family pondered such concerns as Robert

Northrup ’00 sought out a small liberal arts college. “Robert looked high and low for a small liberal arts college,”

explained Robert’s father, James “Chip” Northrup. “They arethe last bastion of a quality undergraduate degree since virtual-ly all the major universities employ teaching assistants to teachundergrads. There are virtually no small liberal arts colleges inTexas, with the exception of Austin College and Southwesternin Georgetown.”

Wesleyan sat atop Northrup’s list, which he considered to bea preppy, “little Ivy League” school. During their visit, Fr.Bernard suggested that Northrup consider some other small lib-eral arts colleges, including Middlebury, Pomona, and a lesser-known school in Ohio called Kenyon.

“After one visit to Wesleyan,” recalled Mr. Northrup,“Robert found that it was the most politically correct school onthe East Coast. As a liberal Cistercian senior, he would be themost conservative freshman on campus.”

“A New York Times story showed that Wesleyan was admit-ting not on merit, but on how politically correct the student was.The article cited a less than mediocre street kid from Brooklynwho was admitted on account of being a ‘scrapper,’” said Mr.Northrup.

While Wesleyan was seeking out cultural diversity, theNorthrups were searching for a more comfortable campus.Kenyon, which features a world famous writing program and amovie-set campus amidst rolling farmland, succeeded whereWesleyan had failed.

Sometimes, it is hard to put a finger on why one campusranks over another. It can be just a gut feeling.

On the plane ride home from a visit to Providence College,Connie McSwain asked her son how he felt. She wasn’t sold onthe campus; she hoped he felt the same way.

“I liked the students who showed me around,” McSwainsaid. “The campus is a lot like UD.”

“Why don’t you go to UD?” asked his mother. “I want to get away from 114.”“Close your eyes and think about A&M,” she suggested.

“How does it compare with that?”“Well the facilities are not nearly so modern. Considering my

other options,” he concluded, “I don’t think Providence is oneof my favorites.”

THE PANIC

FALL SENIOR YEAR CAN SEEM LIKE AN ENDLESSstream of college-level course work, extracurricularactivities, social events, and, oh yes, college applica-tions. “We felt like we were behind the eight ball dur-ing the fall semester,” remembered Susan Madole.“We were overwhelmed.”“It can be confusing and intimidating,” said Jim Reisch,

Cistercian’s photography teacher and father of Jon ’98, Dan ’01,and Kit ’04.

Some applicationsrequire as many as threeessays. There may be somematerial that a student can“cut and paste” but much ofit must be original.Combined with the toughestcoursework Cistercian hasto offer, the fall can seem

Kati Ferenczi and Bob Haasersupport Fr. Bernard in collegecounseling. Mrs. Ferenczichecks each application foraccuracy. Mr. Haaser helpsstudents begin investigatingcolleges during their sopho-more and junior years

12

June 2001 13June 2001

like a non-stop, full-court press.Daniel McSwain was swimming

upstream for more than one reason.“It was totally chaotic because ofmy student government responsibil-ities,” McSwain said.

In addition, McSwain was apply-ing to seven schools rather than thenormal four or five. The good newswas that this would improve hischances of securing a full scholar-ship. The bad news was thatMcSwain would have to write 15essays for these seven applications,then four more for scholarshipapplications.

“I wrote most of the essays lateat night right before the deadline,” explained McSwain.

Although Fr. Bernard now recommends that students writetheir essays over the summer, they can do so only if they knowto what colleges they’ll be applying. McSwain added threeselections after his fall meeting with Fr. Bernard. Then there’shuman nature.

“It would surprise me if any more than two or three wrotetheir essays over the summer. They were the most industriouspeople,” McSwain said. “It’s a great idea in theory but …”

Most college essay questions seek out the “real person.”Problem is, most boys are not accustomed to writing aboutthemselves.

“Girls find it easier to talk about themselves,” said JanetBucher. At Hockaday, the college counseling program includesregular “personal writing.” In addition, Bucher recommendsthat her students keep a journal during the summer. The idea isto focus the girls on what distinguishes them from others. Thoseentries will become important fodder for their college essays.

The most succinct piece of advice Mrs. Bucher gives her stu-dents is, “Write for a 24-year-old admissions officer who isreading your application at 2 a.m.” That, after all, is the reality.

The Reisch family received similar advice when they visitedan open house at Texas A&M several years ago for son Jon.

“The people who read the appli-cations told us why some applica-tions catch their attention,” Reischsaid. “They suggested students sendin specific examples of the types ofactivities that make them differentfrom other applicants.”

The message: applicants need to“package” the student’s extracurric-ular activities to present theiraccomplishments in a persuasivefashion.

Fr. Bernard recalled a visit toStanford in which an applicantasked if he would like to see hervideotape. She had competed in theOlympics in the luge.

But, Mrs. Bucher said, “It has to look like a 17-year-old pro-duced it.” She warned against using consultants to produce slickpresentations. “I have seen portfolios bound in leather, 8 x 10glossies. Admissions officers are bright. They know what thework of a 17-year-old looks like.”

Few possess a keener appreciation of the work of 17-year-olds than Cistercian’s Kati Ferenczi. For eleven years, she hasserved as the funnel through which nearly 200 applications floweach year. Over the years, there have some ususual cases.

She remembered one family in which the father simply hadhis secretary complete the applications.

When she asked another student what schools his applica-tions were destined for, he could not tell her. “My mom filledthem out,” he explained.

“Sometimes Fr. Bernard and I just shake our heads andlaugh, often out of disbelief,” Mrs. Ferenczi said.

Some applications barely make the deadline. One student —taken by surprise that his application for early decision wasrejected — had to complete his backup applications in a madrush. Late in the afternoon of the December 15th deadline, Mrs.Ferenczi heard banging on her window as she was collecting herthings to go home for Christmas break. The student was holdinga stack of applications and beseeching her to process them.

College visits can be a wonderful time

but it is no vacation.Fr. Bernard and Mr. Haaser

suggest that studentssleep in a dorm, attend classes,

eat in the cafeteria, and take notes.

“Every college in the nationwould like to have a prominentplace on the Cistercian SeniorProfile*. The greatest fear acollege can have is not beingincluded annually in this mostimpressive publication.”

— Jay Evans, Director of Admissions,

Austin College* The Cistercian Senior Profile is a four-pagepamphlet published every year that lists everycollege at which Cistercians students matricu-late over a five-year period. It also describes thecurriculum and notes standardized test results.

“I’d evaluate Cistercian as oneof the top high schools in thecountry. It’s a strong schoolthat prepares its students verywell. I don’t think thatCistercian students have a verydifficult time adjusting to theNotre Dame curriculum. Ican’t remember a weak studentapplying from Cistercian.”

— Cynthia Santana, Asst. Director, Office of Admissions,

Univeristy of Notre Dame

“Cistercian is known at Stanfordto be a very special school thatproduces very special graduates.Not only are Cistercian alumniat Stanford extraordinarily wellprepared academically, theycome to Stanford with a strongsense of self and an uncommoncommitment to others. Thesevalues are well matched to ourvalues at Stanford.”

— Jim Montoya, Vice Provost andformer Dean of Admissions, Stanford

University

THE VIEW FROM THE IVORY TOWERS

The CONTINUUM

“We try to let the boys know thatthey cannot wait until the lastminute but many still do,” she said.

Mrs. Ferenczi checks all essen-tial information, verifies that allcomponents of the applications arepresent, completes the generalschool information, and maintains afile on each boy. Fr. Bernard thenwrites the college counselor’s rec-ommendation and generates thetranscript. When returned to her,Mrs. Ferenczi rechecks the applica-tion and all its components, mails the application, and recordsthe date of mailing. All this she does in addition to handling theschool’s accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll.

Around deadline time (e.g., Dec. 1, Dec. 15, and Jan. 1),Mrs. Ferenczi and Fr. Bernard can be rather harried. So areteachers who have been asked to write recommendations.

“The quality of the teacher recommendations fromCistercian is among the best in Metroplex,” said Mrs. Bucher.“It comes from the fact they know the kids better than anyschool in the area. They are so supportive and they write verypersuasive, important recommendations.”

“One admissions official commented on one of the letters hehad received on Daniel,” remembered Mrs. McSwain. “He saidthat the teachers had spoken very highly of him. The teachers atCistercian go the extra mile for each boy. They can get person-al because they know the boys so well.”

DECISION TIME

IT WAS ALREADY SHAPING UP TO BE A VERY hec-tic day when, in mid morning, Daniel McSwain receiveda call from his mom at school. With the prom thatevening, McSwain was awash in details as he tended tohis final duties as student government president.McSwain also was a bit tired, having stayed up late thenight before reviewing his college decision, which was due inthree days.

During the course of his deliberations, at about 10:30 pm, arepresentative of the Notre Dame Club of Dallas called to offera university-endowed scholarship for $10,000. It wasn’t goingto be nearly enough to cover the tuition at Notre Dame. Thatsealed it.

McSwain decided to stay close to home and to take the fullscholarship to Texas A&M offered to him by the TerryFoundation.

Between morning classes, he informed teachers and class-mates about his decision to become an Aggie.

“Daniel,” his mother said urgently over the phone, “I thinkyou should come home for lunch. I talked with the people atNotre Dame this morning and they said they sent somethingseveral days ago. It should arrive in today’s mail.”

By the time McSwain arrived, the mail already had beendelivered. His mother was holding the letter from Notre Dame.The university was offering him a need-based scholarship of$27,000 a year.

“He was mortified,” said Mrs. McSwain. “He didn’t knowwhat to do.”

“Somehow I knew I was going to Notre Dame as soon as mymom told me about the scholarship,” McSwain said. “But I was

overwhelmed, stressed, and veryworried, mostly about the prom.”

As he had time to ponder thedecision later that weekend, heweighed the two options.

“I knew A&M. I knew next tonothing about Notre Dame,” hesaid. “I hadn’t even visited NotreDame. I worried about making thewrong decision.”

At A&M, McSwain would roomwith his best friend from Cistercian,be surrounded by other classmates,

remain close to home, and enjoy the traditions his stepbrothershad introduced to him.

“But Notre Dame was what I really wanted: a small studentbody, a strong political science department, and small classes,”McSwain explained. “In the end, those factors outweighed mydesire to stay close to home. That was the hardest part of thedecision.”

At decision time, the college counselor and teachers canadvise, but it is the family — each with their unique set of fac-tors — that must decide. Tuition fees and scholarships fre-quently play a major role in the final decision.

Andrew Gregg ’01, for example, was accepted to HarvardUniversity but opted to take a full scholarship to the Universityof the South at Sewanee as a Benedict Scholar. (In all, sevenmembers of the Class of ’01 received full scholarships and tworeceived appointments to the United States Military Academy.)

“At Cistercian we admit students from a range of culturaland economic backgrounds by design. The Cistercian fathersdictate this,” said Mr. Haaser, who is very familiar with the pol-icy as director of admissions. “We understand that tuitions andscholarships will play a major role by the time the boys choosea college. It is part of the reality that we try to convey to the boysearly in the college counseling process.”

“I remember one situation where the parents told their sonthat they could manage the tuition at the University ofPennsylvania where he had been accepted,” said Mr. Haaser.“They felt like their son had earned the right to go there and theywere prepared to make the necessary sacrifices. He told them, ‘Iam sorry but I am not going to put that burden on you.’ He tooka scholarship to UT Plan II.”

Nearly half of this year’s graduating seniors chose schools inTexas (see page 5). Most of those students earned 29 trans-ferrable credit hours or almost an entire year of college expense.Outside of Texas, school policies are more difficult to pin downalthough many colleges outside the state, including Stanford,accept all the credits.

How can we expect the likes of Daniel McSwain to fare atcollege? Statistics show that GPAs for Cistercian students at thetop schools typically drop a little when compared with their highschool averages. Meanwhile GPAs for students at all otherschools rise above their Cistercian averages.

“It’s hard leaving Cistercian,” McSwain said. “It’s beeneverything to me for the last eight years. I will miss the routine,the teachers, and my friends. Classes are over but I still feeldrawn there.”

In the fall, McSwain and four classmates will become part ofanother tradition, one with a golden dome.

“Daniel knows that he has been blessed,” said Mrs.McSwain. “It is up to him to use this opportunity. I am confidenthe will.”

“I knew next to nothingabout Notre Dame.

I hadn’t even visited Notre Dame. I worried

about making the wrong decision.”

— Daniel McSwain

14

15

Sports News.d

A young Hawk baseball team enteredthe 2001 campaign with the weight of aDivision II title to defend.

“We were real young,” said CoachMark Gray. “We started four sopho-mores and one freshman.”

Due to heavy rains and some homefield problems, the title defense began onthe road where the Hawks played theirfirst 16 games.

After charging to an 8-2 start, the roadcaught up with the weary Hawks wholost their next six, evening their recordas they headed into conference play.

At the SPC South Zone, the Hawksmet their match in Houston Episcopal,St. Mary's Hall and St. Stephens, going0-3 and settling for a seed in the DivisionII tournament.

The team bounced back well fromthis tough weekend to win their nextthree games behind the clutch pitching ofAnthony Perone ’01, Michael West '02,

and Patric Turner ’02.At SPC, the Hawks faced ESD in the

opening round winning 12-4 behind thehitting of Clint Bodein ’01 and TylerWolf ’01.

The second round game ended with a7-2 victory over a very good TulsaHolland Hall team, sending the Hawks tothe Division II championship game forthe second year in a row.

In the championship game, theHawks fell to a strong Fort WorthCountry Day team.

“Our bats went cold on us and wecame up short,” Coach Gray said of the6-1 defeat to the Falcons. “But just get-ting back to the championship game wasan accomplishment this young team canbe proud of.”

“We will miss Anthony [Perone] whowas our top pitcher and leading hitter.He’s going to walk on at West Point,”Gray said.

Tennis team lands SPC I berthThe tennis team, captained by Daniel McSwain ’01 and

Chris Fronda ’01, led a team of sophomores and juniors tothe first SPC Division 1 berth in Cistercian history.

The Hawks went 1-2 in the SPCI tournament. Cistercian beat ESD,a team that is quickly becoming anemesis. The Hawks narrowly lostto St. Stephen's, one of the mostrespected teams in the conference.

Team members want to extendtheir fondest wishes to their coachand mentor Johnny West who isgetting married.

Tyler Wolf ’01 wins first Hillary Award

The 2001 Upper School AthleticBanquet featured the presentationof the very first Hillary Award, hon-oring Tom Hillary who coached atCistercian for 16 years.

“We had been kicking around ideas for a possibleaward, as a tribute to Coach,” said Dan Lee, athletic direc-tor. “Fr. Peter liked the idea. We felt like it should givenonly to a senior because of the importance Coach placed onsenior leadership,” Lee said.

The remaining criteria reflect the traits that CoachHillary emphasized as Cistercian’s athletic director andvarsity football coach.

The award reads: “This award is presented to a seniorwho best exemplifies the traits and characteristics demon-strated and held in high regard by Coach Tom Hillary. Thewinner will be a student-athlete who has participated inmultiple varsity sports at a high level, demonstrated class,sportsmanship, leadership and character in victory as wellas defeat, and has maintained a high level of academicachievement.”

Tyler Wolf, a four-sport letterman (football, basketball,track, and baseball) who served as captain of the footballand basketball team, won the award. “In Tyler, we have theperfect candidate for the first Hillary Award,” Lee said.

Recipients of the Hawk Award, which is presented toseniors who letter in three or more sports, included: DavidAird ’01, Jordan Bethea ’01, Ed Broph ’0y ’01, AdamHarris ’01, Rich Novak ’01, Brett Sudderth ’01, and TylerWolf ’01.

Baseballers fall to FWCD in SPC II Championship

Second baseman Patric Turner ’02 firesthe ball to first base.

Andrew Riela ’04practices hisserve.

Photo by Peter Graham

Photo by Peter Graham

S P R I N G R E C A P

June 2001

20

CALENDARAugust

10 Black & White Scrimmage22 Opening Ceremonies31 Alumni Parents football

game

September26 Fall Open House28 Homecoming

November29 Private School

Classic (basketball tournament)

December20 Ring Ceremony22 Alumni Casino Night

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit No. 281Irving, Texas

CISTERCIANPREPARATORY SCHOOLONE CISTERCIAN ROADIRVING, TX 75039-4599

Address correctionsYour address is important to us! Please send your change ofaddress to the Development Office at 972-554-2291 ormwalter@cistercian.org as soon as possible so we can sendpublications to you in a timely manner. Thanks for your help!

Alumni

ISTERCIAN

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Golf tournament brings together boosters and alumniOn April 16, 2001, the First Annual Cistercian Booster Club

and Alumni Association Golf Tournament debuted at HackberryCreek Country Club in Las Colinas.

More than 70 alumni, current parentsand friends of the school enjoyed a per-fect afternoon for golf. As lunch wasbeing prepared by the Club, playerswarmed up on the driving range, honedtheir putting skills, and took part in asimple, yet challenging putting contest.Promptly at 1 pm, each foursome tookits place for a shotgun start.

The beautifully manicured course,played from the blue tees, provided justenough challenge for the scratch golferand just enough forgiveness for theweekend warrior. Approximately 4 anda half hours later, players worked theirway back to the clubhouse ballroom toenjoy appetizers while club officials tal-lied the scores.

Winners of the longest drive and closest to the pin contestswere announced, each receiving a gift certificate. Teams posting

the low gross and the three lowest net scores were also awardedprizes. A weekend getaway to Austin’s Barton Creek Resort was

auctioned off to cap off the day’s activity. “The Association is glad to have been

able to team up with the Booster Club toput on this event. It should become oneof the premier events of the year for ourmembership. We look forward to help-ing it grow to its maximum capacity of144 players and to increasing the tourna-ment proceeds year after year,” saidKevin Spencer ’85, president of theCistercian Alumni Association.

Victor Arias, Booster Club president,was quick to thank current parent JimTruitt for all his efforts in making thetournament a reality. He also expressedtremendous gratitude to all the playersand the tournament sponsors. Throughtheir generosity, proceeds from the tour-

nament totaled over $9,000. Plans are already underway to make next year’s tournament,

scheduled for April 1, 2002, even better.

Parents Marshall Payne, Jim Tuitt (tourna-ment organizer), and Jere Thompson ’74enjoy the festivities.