Welcome
to Christendom's Alumni E-Zine. If you have information that
you would like to share with your fellow alumni, send it to
the Grapevine Editor, Tom McGraw, at tvmcgraw@yahoo.com.
The editor reserves the right to include or exclude any information
submitted for publication in The Grapevine.
The
Grapevine Online is uploaded on the First Friday of every
month. It will have a couple of sections (when information
is available), namely, Class Notes (your basic information
on alumni babies, weddings, jobs, etc.), Calendar of Events,
and Links to various
recent stories about Christendom College and/or the Alumni
of Christendom.
June
2007 edition of The
Grapevine Online
Class
Notes / Calendar of Events / Links
to Stories / Prior
issues
Class
notes
Fire
Jedi apprentice, Francois Flippen, exhibits his skill
as Master Fire Jedi, Ben Hatke, looks on with future
Fire Jedi, Zita Hatke. Master Ben is pleased with his young
apprectice's growing powers. Apprentice Flippen's wife is
just glad he didn't burn his face off.
Margaret
Luckey, MA just received her MA in Counseling from Steubenville."It's
really fun to sign my name with MA at the end" says Margaret.
A few
nights ago, at approximately 9:27 PM in Northern Virginia
, Elena Cardenas '03 and Vinnie Luther were engaged!
Although he isn’t a Christendom grad, he is Catholic,
and he was homeschooled. They hope to have lots of little
future Christendom alumni.
Laura
and Jake Minick have a picture they would like to share
with the Christendom Alumni: It is their little daughter Natalie
Rose Minick who was born on May 21 at 2:56 pm and was 5 1/2
pounds and 17 1/4 inches long. She and mom are doing well.
Although Laura and Jake have not slept in 5 days (they were
trying to break the world record of 22 days without sleep),
they are still in high spirits about their beautiful girl.
Please pray for Natalie's continued health as she was 4 weeks
early.
A
happy day for the Sayler family! Joe graduated
from Ave Maria Law School on May 13th and he and wife Mary
Theresa (Mead) Sayler are expecting baby number three
in December! Only one this time! Fourteen month old twins
Monica and Mary thought Daddy was awesome in his funny clothes.
Joe will be taking the Bar for Indiana.
Bunny
(Martell) Cerny '04 and her husband Michael are expecting
their first baby, and of course they are SO excited!!! Bunny
is due January 17th. They ask for prayers for a healthy pregnancy
and safe delivery.
Mindy
and Andy McDonald '05 recently were blessed with boy
number 4. Peter Athanasius (the little guy on the far right)
was born on April 27th. Although they had hired a midwife,
she didn't make it in time. Andy did a fine job delivering
Peter and would like everyone to know that because of his
expertise, Quixote Landscaping will now be offering midwifery
(or is it midhusbandry?) to its list of services.
Jason
and Christen Manak are expecting Baby Manak #2. They also
ask for prayers for the repose of the soul of Jason Manak's
father who passed away while visiting them on May 8th. More
details can be found on their blog - www.manakfamily.blogspot.com.
Fr.
Mark Wenzinger, OSB '81 graduated on May 12, 2007, from
Catholic University with his Ph.D. in Philosophy. His brilliant
dissertation was on Michel Henri and will soon be published
and (hopefully) topping the best sellers lists world wide!
He was celebrated in a lavish "Front Roll Porch Party"
with many local CC alumni including: O'Reillys x 4, Briggs,
McShurleys, Ciskanik, Joan (Longua) Philbin, Walter, Weisner,
Luckeys, Foecklers, and the Hofbauers. Father Mark lives in
LaTrobe, PA and teaches Philosophy at St. Vincent College.
Thomas
Cole, '04, received his Master of Arts in History from
George Mason University on 19 May 2007. His M.A. thesis is
entitled: "'To Declare for an Independency': Cumberland
County, Virginia and the Revolution: 1749-1789." This
thesis argues that the American Revolution was a revolution,
at least in Virginia. Cole continues, as well, to teach high
schoolers at Holy Family Academy in Manassas, Virginia, and
will do so next academic year.
Daniel
"DJ" Corey '04 has been quite busy this spring
with his job teaching 4th grade at The Avalon School in Bethesda,
MD and with many extracurricular activities. In February,
DJ directed his first play, The Devil and Daniel Webster,
for Avalon and their coordinate girls school, Brookewood in
Kensington, MD. The play was very successful, and prompted
several middle and high schools to opt out of their school
careers and pursue their delusions of grandeur on Broadway
and in Hollywood. During his spring break, DJ performed as
an extra in the upcoming National Treasure: Book of Secrets.
He played the part of Waiter #5, which is sure to receive
an Oscar nod come February 2008. Look for him when the movie
is released in December of this year. He may be the man in
the white jacket who is staring straight into the camera as
Nicholas Cage kidnaps the President, or he may be a loveable
blur in the extreme periphery of the background. In April,
DJ directed the show for the Avalon / Brookewood Gala, a black-tie
fundraiser for the school. DJ wrote lyrics, wrote scripts,
choreographed and directed 167 students and over 20 faculty
members in the Broadway revue that raised approximately $120,000
for the school. And lastly, DJ has been working since the
end of March on his role in The Heritage Theatre Company's
latest production of The Killer Angels, based on the
Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. He plays three roles, most notably
Lt. Tom Chamberlain, brother of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
(the man who led the heroic bayonet charge down Little Round
Top on the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg) and distant
cousin to Wilt "the Stilt" Chamberlain. The play
runs until June 30 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights
in Potomac, MD at an outdoor amphitheatre at 8:30 pm. Tickets
are $30, and directions can be found on the website: www.theheritagetheatre.org.
Please come. DJ will be retiring to Indiana for the month
of July for some much needed R & R. E-mail is danieljcorey@gmail.com.
On
May 6th, Isabella Rose Muro, daughter of Sarah (Stafki)
and Chris Muro '98, made the sacrament of First Holy Communion
at a beautiful tridentine high mass. Many family and friends
were in attendance. She is so pleased to be able to receive
Jesus in the Eucharist.
Dane
Weber just received on May 17 his MS in Clinical Psychology
from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences (www.ipsciences.edu)
and he will be continuing his studies there for a Psy.D. Dane
will be leaving Christendom College after eight years: four
as a student and four as a staff member.
Pictured
at right is our beloved Walter (the uber-Alumnus) with new
"alumni-of-alumni" Clare O'Reilly and Monica Briggs.
As of
June 2, Harrison Biros, young son of Mary Biros, will
be one full year cancer free. He is doing excellent and has
had no issues relating to cancer. He still has intestinal
lymphangiectasia, which he will have for life, but he is doing
so well it is almost like he doesn't have it. They are truly
grateful to everyone who kept Harrison in their prayers and
especially grateful to St. Jude. Please keep Harrison and
any child with cancer in your prayers. Harrison is truly a
miracle and a blessing!
Brittany
Smith was very happy to be able to attend her younger
brother Michael's First Communion recently (on Mother's Day),
along with fellow Christendom alumni Breton Smith and
current Christendom student Daniel Smith. It was a beautiful
First Communion at the Dominican Monastery in Buffalo, NY.
Brittany was touched to witness this special moment in her
little brother's life, which he had eagerly prepared for,
and she was also very elated to be able to spend some quality
time with her god-daughter and youngest sibling Lillian, aka
the most beautifullest baby in all the land.
Bernadette
Zapiain recently received her First Holy Communion. Bernadette
was thrilled to visit with her Irish tenor pal Mark Forrest
afterward. Her proud father, Gerry Zapiain '85 was
very moved after the ceremony, and he was heard saying: "My
daughter Bernadette is so astoundingly lovely, and my son
Chris so amazes me with his athletic talent and mathematics
skills, that I have half a mind to have their DNA tested."
The explanation is simple: look to your right, Ger.
Ryan Gorman
asked Jaime Berger to marry him and she said, "Yes."
They are getting married May 31, 2008 in Michigan. Jaime believes
now that it was a good thing she went to Texas! They are very
happy.
Breaking
news from the International Man of Leisure, Joseph Kosten.
He was just recently back in the Estados Unidos for a much
needed break from Europe. The purpose of his visit was to
attend the nuptials of his two best friends, Nate and Jess!!
Once he returns to Italy, it will be finals (all 10) . . .
. then Ireland, Greece, Turkey, and Spain. For the month of
May he was busy with many challenging projects like going
to the beach, snorkeling, and traveling around Italy. While
he was recently taking a break in Chile, he met Natalie and
tried to recruit her to come to Christendom's Summer Institute.
She said, "on one condition . . . that my picture appears
in next issue of Grapevine."
Calendar
of events
October
5-7, 2007: Homecoming Weekend
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Press
Releases and Campus News: http://www.christendom.edu/news/releases.shtml
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