The Sirus Theatre – 45 Years in

the Making!

Written by: Tony Quattrochi,

Development Staff Member

Forty-five years ago, Bruce Sirus, Class

of 1969, graduated from St. Joseph High

School. Little did he know that he would

return years later to be one of the school’s most generous and consistent benefactors. A member

of the St. Joseph Board of Directors, a chair of committees in years past, including Chargerfest

(now ChargerFeast), and a contributor of time, talent and many other resources, this Charger

personifies the phrase “giving back.” In an effort to express its appreciation, St. Joseph honored

Bruce by renaming its auditorium, The Sirus Theatre. Primarily through Bruce’s efforts, the

theatre had undergone much renovation during the last two years, with the addition of new

lighting, new sound equipment, including a systems board that rivals any professional theatre in

the area.

The June 18th

gala that “set the stage” for surprising Bruce with this tribute, A Night to Inspire

witnessed several accolades to this alum, who worked on many plays while as a student at St.

Joe’s. Gene Pingatore, who has been at the school since it opened in 1960, recalled young Sirus.

“He was a quiet young man who worked behind the scenes in this very theatre, developing the

scenery and other production elements for a St. Joseph play and where he also developed his

passion for the production world.” Gene also recalled how Bruce took his love for the arts and

theatre to St. Mary’s University (then St. Mary’s College) in Winona, Minnesota, another

Christian Brothers school, and later making productions his vocation. Along with his business

partner, Bruce started his first production company, Brulen Enterprises, which would be later

known as Production Plus. “Over the years, Bruce has paved the way for so many young men and

women here. He’s been an incredible champion of our mission; a passionate alum who is

generous with both his time and his treasures.” David McCreery, St. Joseph President, reflected

the same sentiment. “Occasionally in life, a school such as ours is blessed to have someone in

their family who makes you better. In very rare instances, an organization such as this one

intersects with a person who leaves an indelible imprint of goodwill. Bruce Sirus is such a person

at St. Joseph.”

Bruce’s daughter Lauren, IHM Class of 1998, shared several anecdotes about her father’s love for

the theatre, especially musicals, and especially The Man of La Mancha, featuring Bruce’s favorite

song, The Impossible Dream. Lauren spoke on how her father challenged and supported her to

love life and succeed in her efforts. “My father has always believed in living a life built on

excellence. He instilled in me that mediocrity is not an option. He always emphasized to me the

importance of chasing dreams of unique merit. That is why he is above and beyond a fitting

choice to be honored for his service to the St. Joseph Charger community. He believes in

motivating anyone in his atmosphere to choose to dream the impossible dream. ” The audience

responded with laughter and tears before Bruce took the stage to admit his surprise and extend his

appreciation to all who have supported him and St. Joseph High School.

E-News July 2014

Connect with

St. Joseph H.S.

Upcoming Events

Golf Outing

Friday, July 25

RSVP TODAY!

The 38th

Annual

St. Joseph & IHM

Alumni & Friends

Golf Outing is

almost here!

For more

information, contact

Gene Pingatore at gpingatore@stjoeshs.org

or click here.

2014 Soccer

Alumni Game

September 13

Save the Date!

The 8th

Annual

St. Joseph Soccer

Alumni Game!

For more

information, click

here to view the

event flier or visit

the St. Joseph and

IHM Alumni page.

EVENT News & Upcoming EVENTS

A Night to Inspire featured incredible performances from some of the areas most talented singers,

including Alfreda Burke, Linda Clifford, Rodrick Dixon, Ron Hawking, Shelley MacArthur and

Suzanne Palmer. All of the numbers were accompanied by Rich Daniels and the City Lights

Orchestra. The show concluded with Rodrick Dixon’s rendition of The Impossible Dream.

Performers joined other guests for a reception and silent auction after the show and the evening

raised funds in excess of its goal, all in support of the school.

Bruce, St. Joseph High School is proud of your success, appreciative of your generosity and

fortunate to have you as a graduate. Thank you and best wishes always!

Click here to view photos from the event!

Adam Stasica ‘03

performed during the receptions

Rich Daniels,

Musical Director,

The City Lights Orchestra

Members of

The City Lights Orchestra

Pictured (from left to right): Rodrick Dixon, Shelley MacArthur,

Ron Hawking, Alfreda Burke, Suzanne Palmer, and Linda Clifford.

Bruce Sirus ‘69

Rodrick Dixon performing

The Impossible Dream

Gene Pingatore

9/13 - SAVE THE DATE! St. Joseph Alumni Soccer Game

Click here to view the

event flier

Honorary Team

Coach/Captains:

Br. Peter, David Purton,

Mike Macken '67,

Ray Fligel, Jim Johns,

and Scott Berndt '90

Schedule of Events:

2:30 pm St. Joseph

vs. Lisle HS

3:30 pm Alumni

Game

Beer & Brat Tent located

on the south side of the

Varsity Soccer Fields. The

Beer & Brat Tent will

begin serving at halftime of the Varsity soccer match. The tent will begin serving halftime of the

Varsity soccer match and will stay open through the Alumni Game and into the night!

Brats, hotdogs, and snacks will be served hot off the grill! Drinks, pop, water, and beer will be

available. $5 Donations are asked for Brats & Pops!

All proceeds to benefit the Boys and Girls Soccer Programs

2014 Alumni Reunion – November 8th

at SJHS

St. Joseph High School will be having its first 50th

Reunion for the Class of ’64.

Other honored classes for the reunion this year are ‘74, ‘84, ‘89, ‘94, and ‘04.

Reunion invitations will be coming soon…

If you have any immediate questions, please contact Gene Pingatore gpingatore@stjoeshs.org/

708-562-7488.

Register Today for the 38th Annual St. Joseph

& IHM Alumni & Friends Golf Outing!

Friday, July 25th

St. Andrews Golf & Country Club

West Chicago

Can't make it?! Consider becoming a hole sponsor.

Call us at 708-562-7488 or email Gene Pingatore at

gpingatore@stjoeshs.org. Click here to view the event

flier.

Staying in Touch with Kids

Written by: Tony Quattrochi, Development Staff Member

“I always wanted to participate in sports and work with young

people.” That goal is being fully realized by Brian Kusnierz,

St. Joseph Class of 1994. The Brookfield native works with young

people from morning till night as he moves between his own business

and coaching.

Brian’s goal continued to grow after leaving St. Joe’s, where he played four years of basketball.

Brian then played varsity for four years at Angelo State University, where alumni Tyrone Brewer

and Kenny Dragas also played ball. Brian earned a degree in Business Management before

moving on to earn his Master’s Degree in Sports Management at Indiana University, where he

took a special interest in marketing. That focus would serve him a few years later.

After graduating from Indiana University, Brian coached basketball at Concordia University in

River Forest, at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Division I school), and at Queens

University in Charlotte, North Carolina. “As the years passed, however, I needed something

more substantial since I married and began a family.” Brian met his future wife, Kathy, through a

friend in 2010, and the Kusnierz couple recently welcomed their first child. And while Kathy

serves as Director of Trauma for BioMet, a medical device manufacturer, Brian left sales to start

his own company, With Honors Graduation Services.

“I work with schools to provide service in class rings and all graduation materials. I’m on the

road a lot, meet college and high school kids each day. It’s great!” Staying in touch with young

people is what Brian finds most rewarding about his job and that doesn’t vanish at the end of the

working day. “I also coach the freshman basketball team at Riverside Brookfield High School

(where his team finished 20-4) so I stay young myself by being around the kids.”

We are very proud of this Charger! Congratulations and good luck, Brian!

No Telling Her Next Stop!

Written by: Tony Quattrochi, Development Staff Member

Kelly Schreiber, Valedictorian of the St. Joseph Class of 2009 and a

Westchester resident, has logged more airline miles the past two years than

most people will in a lifetime. From her student-teaching experience in

Brazil to her most recent work teaching in Montana, this Westchester

resident was happy to be back in town.

“I enjoyed my experience teaching in Montana. It was very educational for me as well.” Kelly

spent the last school year teaching grades five and six at the only Catholic school on the Blackfeet

Reservation, De La Salle Blackfeet School. The school itself is located in the town of Browning

and the faculty at the school is composed almost exclusively of volunteers, some of whom, like

Kelly, are members of the Lasallian Volunteer Program. De La Salle Blackfeet provides for

grades four through eight, has over seventy students and has an innovative one-to-one iPad

program. “I really enjoyed seeing the progress my students made over the course of the year.

Improving their reading skills was a priority for me. They particularly enjoyed reading Long

Walk to Water (5th graders) and Lightning Thief (6th graders). The school community has a

ALUMNI NEWS

Brian pictured with former Math Teacher,

Tony Quattrochi.

Brian pictured with former

Math Teacher, Tony

Quattrochi.

number of financial challenges, however, so it was tough to try to provide the resources that the

kids need.”

Kelly was impressed with the outside resource of a weekly speaker

who addressed Native American studies, particularly focusing on

the Blackfeet Tribe. “There was an excellent curriculum for each of

the grades relative to their heritage. I learned a bit myself, including

a few words in the Blackfeet language.” The Blackfeet Nation is

about 50 miles south of Canada. North of the border are three tribes

of the same confederation – the Blackfoot, Kainai, and Siksika

Nations.

Both a benefit and a challenge for Kelly and her co-volunteers was the uniqueness of the

arrangements. “Part of being a Lasallian Volunteer is committing to living in community with

Christian Brothers and other volunteers. We shared the facilities, including cars, and we also

shared the chores, like shopping. Each of us was responsible for cooking the evening meals one

day a week. I enjoyed recreating some of the dishes I experienced while teaching in Rio de

Janeiro.”

Kelly welcomed spring break, taking time to visit Yellowstone National Park. She also traveled

directly north to Calgary, in the province of Alberta, before returning to Browning for her final

weeks at De La Salle Blackfeet. “Sometimes I felt as if I was in the beautiful middle of nowhere.

The scenery was gorgeous, but the winter was intense. There’s no such thing as snow days in

Browning!”

Kelly, who is certified to teach grades six through twelve, is looking forward to moving on to new

experiences as she prepares to travel once again. Where will she be next year?

We are very proud of the work of this Charger! Congratulations and good luck, Kelly!

VARIED VOCATIONS FOR FAMILY ALUMNI

Written by: Tony Quattrochi, Development Staff Member

The diversity of St. Joseph High School includes the varied fields into which graduates excel and

that is markedly exemplified in the two generations of Kolodziejs.

Stan, Class of 1965, is a Registered Representative for Transamerica Financial

Advisors, Transamerica Financial Group. Working out of his office in Oak

Brook, Stan is an independent contractor who works with a variety of

insurance and investment providers. “I love the financial services industry.

The satisfactions I get from helping families realize their short and long term

financial goals are the best compensation of this profession.” Stan particularly

enjoys the challenges that financial services bring. “Building rapport and

earning a new client’s trust are two critical responsibilities under my domain

as people plan for their futures. Fortunately, over the years I have earned a worthwhile stature so

that developing solid relationships with my clients is really a given.”

Tom, Class of 1993, is also in the investment field, but clients are investing

tuition at Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, Tennessee, where Tom

is a full-time English teacher and English Department Chair. “The hallmark of

a Christian Brothers school is getting to know one’s students. Each year I

marvel as I watch the young men I teach grow and mature. I also enjoy

bonding with them when they return to share their successes.” There is no

doubt what Tom’s greatest challenge is. “Achieving balance. Being a teacher is

truly a vocation, and the challenge to ‘leave school problems at school’ can, at

times, be difficult.” That difficulty is compounded by responsibilities Tom has

serving as husband and father of three children (ages 10, 12, and 13).

Steven, Class of 1995, has more unpredictable days than his father or brother

while serving as Regional Safety Manager for ThyssenKrupp Elevator. “When

I’m on the road, it’s usually to complete safety audits at one or more of the 35

branches we have in 15 states. When I’m working out of my office

(Indianapolis), I complete reports, track safety training and monitor OSHA

standards in our safety program. Other days I may find myself in the middle of

managing an injury one of our workers sustained in the repair of an elevator.

That’s a bad day but, fortunately, there’s not too many of those.” Steve finds

his work incredibly rewarding. “Everybody takes safety for granted but

knowing that our company can ensure that security and that people get to go

home at the end of the day and enjoy their family, that gives me a good

feeling.”

The Charger experience was significant for Stan and his sons and there is a unifying theme

amongst the three graduates. Stan is proud that as a member of the second graduating class from

St. Joe’s in 1965, he essentially grew up with the school. “The Christian Brothers not only gave

us an academic preparation but they taught us life lessons as well. They kept me and my

classmates on the straight and narrow.” Steve expanded on those life lessons. “St. Joe’s

reemphasized what we learned at home, how to treat people and that every person brings

something to the table. I’m thankful every day that my parents encouraged me to be a Brothers’

boy.” Tom saw his vocation as a direct result of the influence of all of his teachers growing up in

Westchester, from grade school through high school. “I strive to walk in the footsteps of

educators like Br. Peter Hannon, Br. Leo Jones, and Tom Hurt, men who lived one of my favorite

quotations, from St. Francis of Assisi: ‘Share the Gospel every day; when necessary, use words.’”

We are very proud of Stan, Tom and Steve Kolodziej! Congratulations and Best Wishes!

Class of 2014 exceeds $8 million in Earned Scholarships

Written by: Tony Quattrochi, Development Staff Member

Graduation night is a special event for all – relatives, friends, teachers and especially seniors. This

year’s St. Joseph Class of 2014 had much to celebrate, given their outstanding academic success

as evidenced by the more than $8,000,000 in scholarships awarded.

The highlight of the ceremony was the address given by valedictorian Allison Riebel (pictured

below), who thanked classmates, administrators, faculty, and staff before saving the best for last:

SCHOOL NEWS

“My final appreciation goes to the parents and guardians. It is not

every day that your child will graduate from high school. It is not

every day that your heart will swell with pride as your child completes

another part of his or her education. But it is every day that you will

look at them and see the hardworking individuals they have become,

and feel pride in who they will become. The wonderful people

graduating today are a result of your hard work and dedication.

I would like to extend a thank you to each and every parent or

guardian in this church today.

Students, I ask that when you get home, you thank your parents personally for extending their

hearts, minds,...and wallets...to send you not only to get an education, but a Catholic education,

and not only a Catholic school education, but a St. Joe's Catholic school education. They truly

had your best interests at heart.”

Allison, who graduated with a 4.77 G.P.A., plans to attend Loyola University in the fall and

pursue pre-veterinary courses in the school of Arts and Sciences. Her aspirations include graduate

school at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign

and to eventually run her own clinic, specializing in domestic and exotic animals. Amongst her

awards were the Presidential Scholarship and the Catholic Heritage Scholarship from Loyola

University and the Purdue University Presidential Scholarship.

Congratulations to all the members of the Class of 2014 and...welcome to the St. Joseph

Alumni Association!

Another Student-Athlete Signs

Written by: Tony Quattrochi, Development Staff Member

When Athletic Director Bruce DeSanto asked the new boys volleyball

coach her priority for the year, Ashley Talley, St. Joseph High School

Class of 2009, quickly responded. “I wanted to ensure they (student-

athletes) were going to a college of their choice and that I would do

whatever I could to help them obtain a scholarship.”

To that end, Coach Talley’s first year was successful with Yuriy

Adaskevych, Class of 2014, who signed a letter of intent from Missouri

Baptist University in St. Louis. “I remember our first practice,” remarked

Coach Talley. “I saw an aggressive and skilled athlete with a lot of

potential. Throughout the year, I made contact with college coaches,

some of whom came to watch our seniors. Missouri Baptist was

impressed with a tape of Yuriy I sent them and they offered him an

athletic scholarship.”

Yuriy, like his brother Andriy, took an interest in volleyball in middle school, takes the sport very

seriously. “I love the intensity of the game, the pressure. The competition is great.” Yuriy hopes

to go as far as his talent and hard work will take him in volleyball. He is currently considering

elementary education as a college major. Congratulations, Yuriy!

Yuriy pictured with

SJ Principal,

Ronald Hoover and Coach

Ashley Talley ‘09

St. Joseph High School is looking for a Softball Coach and Head Dance Coach. If interested,

please contact Bruce DeSanto, SJ Athletic Director at 708-562-0767 or bdesanto@stjoeshs.org.

St. Joseph

Board of Directors:

John J. Vosicky ‘66 -

Chairman of the Board

Thomas W. Begg, Jr.

‘64

Diane Guido Berner -

IHM ‘70

John A. Christopher

‘83

Thomas Chlada ‘80

Keith L. Karchmar

Robert McNichols ‘68

William K. Phelan ‘81

Kevin O. Pritchett

Anthony Rotunno ‘67

Br. Joseph Saurbier,

FSC

Bruce Sirus ‘69

James Tunney ‘88

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS