Jump to content

St. Xavier High School (Ohio)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Mxn (talk | contribs) at 18:43, 30 October 2006 (→Notable alumni: Realphabetized list). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Saint Xavier High School
New logo, circa 2004
President Fr. Walter Deye, S.J.
Principal Dave B. Mueller
Mottos Vidit Mirabilia Magna, Men for and with Others, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, Magis
Founded October 17, 1831
School type Private, all-male, college preparatory
Religious affiliation Roman Catholic, Jesuit (Chicago Province)
Enrollment 1,500 students (as of 2006) [1]
Tuition $8,995.00 (2005–06) [2]
Campus size Over 100 acres [3]
Campus surroundings Suburban
Location Finneytown, Ohio, United States
Mascot Bomber
School colors Blue and white
Student newspaper The Blueprint
Annual publications X-Ray, Expressions, St. Xavier Course Catalog

Saint Xavier High School (often abbreviated St. X) is a private, all-male, college-preparatory high school in Finneytown, a community in Hamilton County, Ohio in the suburbs of Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1831, St. Xavier is one of the oldest high schools in the nation, preceding many universities in foundation. The school, an independent, non-diocesan institution, is operated by the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus and is one of six all-male Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati; as of 2006, it has 1,500 enrolled students, making it the largest Catholic high school in Cincinnati and the surrounding region.[1]

History

St. Xavier, once a part of Xavier University, is the successor to the Athenaeum on Sycamore Street in Downtown Cincinnati, a "literary institute" dedicated on October 17, 1831, with St. Francis Xavier as its patron. It was founded as St. Xavier College by the first bishop of Cincinnati, Rev. Edward D. Fenwick, O.P., and granted a state charter in 1842. The school was originally offered a six-year education based on Jesuite College in Messina, Italy, but later switched to an American-style eight-year program.[2] In 1844, St. Xavier opened a boarding school campus in Walnut Hills but was forced to close its doors two years later.

St. Xavier High School was formally separated from Xavier University in 1919 with full financial separation in 1934. The school began its move from the original location in downtown Cincinnati in April 1955 when its president, Fr. John J. Benson, S.J., purchased a 61-acre plot in Finneytown. Following planning and preparation, St. Xavier High School moved into its newly-built facilities, which cost more than $4 million to build, in September 1960, the same month that Moeller High School opened its doors. At the time, the new facilities were called the Finneytown Hilton.

Since that time the facilities have gone through many expansions, most recently during the 2003–04 school year. The recent additions include a new football stadium, theater, black box theater, art wing, music rooms, science wing, and track and baseball fields.

Jesuit traditions

St. Xavier shares many Jesuit traditions with other secondary institutions run by the order. For example, graduating students are expected to have acquired the five characteristics defined in the "Graduate at Graduation" profile: Open to Growth, Intellectually Competent, Religious, Loving, and Committed to Justice.[3] Many Jesuit high schools have "Grad at Grad" expectations, although the characteristics and their descriptions vary from school to school.

St. Xavier students are also taught the phrase Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, the motto of the Society of Jesus, and are often instructed to write the initialism "AMDG" at the top of submitted papers and tests, to remind them that even their schoolwork is "For the Greater Glory of God".

Academics

Students apply to St. Xavier High School by taking the High School Placement Test (HSPT)[4] and submitting an elementary school transcript, teacher recommendations, and enrollment application. Other factors, such as legacy – relatives who have been admitted into the school in the past – and ethnicity are also taken into account. Approximately 65% of applicants are admitted as freshman each year.[5] About a quarter of these students are admitted due to alumni or current students in their families.[6]

All students at St. Xavier are part of the school's college preparatory program, with 23.5 credit units required for graduation. Virtually all of the school's graduates enter a post-secondary institution after graduation. St. Xavier offers a wide variety of courses as part of the college prep program. The school's Foreign Language Department, for example, offers Advanced Placement–level instruction in French, German, Latin, and Spanish, as well as classes in Portuguese, Russian, and Classical Greek. Other high-level courses include Advanced 2D Design Portfolio, AP Computer Science AB, AP English Literature and Composition, Multivariable Calculus, AP Psychology, and AP European History.[5] As a Roman Catholic school, St. Xavier requires students to study various aspects of religion and theology each year. Students are also required to take physical education, public speaking (Oral Communications), and computer usage (Information Processing) classes, as part of an emphasis on "well-rounded individuals".

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

The school has developed and maintains a large and very successful athletic program. The Finneytown campus features athletic facilities comparable to most colleges, highlighted by a new football stadium and a modernized Keating Natatorium housing an Olympic-size swimming pool. The football stadium, named after the school, was built during the 2003–04 school year and surrounds Ballaban Field. Teams representing St. Xavier are nicknamed the "Bombers" and are part of the GCL. The school is one of four all-male institutions that participates in the GCL's South Division, competing with nearby Elder, La Salle, and Moeller high schools. The Bombers won the state basketball championship in 2000 and finished as runners-up in the 2005 state basketball tournament.

St. Xavier has established a prestigious swimming and diving program that has garnered considerable national respect. This team, known as the "Aquabombers" (a play on the "Bombers" moniker), has won district, sectional and city-wide titles in every year since 1970, capturing 28 Ohio state championships during this span. The team has earned the distinction of national high school swimming champions in 1973, 1992 and 2001. The team is currently headed by Coach James Brower. The Aquabombers have produced Swimming World Magazine high school swimmers of the year with Joe Hudepohl in 1992 and Jayme Cramer in 2001. Hudepohl was also a member of the United States Olympic Swim Team in 1992 and 1996 and still holds several school, state and national records in swimming.

St. Xavier has won a state championship in every sport in which it fields a team, except for bowling, wrestling, ice hockey, and track. On December 3, 2005, under Coach Steve Specht, the Bombers defeated Massillon Washington High School to earn the 2005 state football title, the first in team history, after having finished as state runners-up in 1992, 1998 and 2001. The Bombers ended their season with a perfect record: undefeated in the regular season and the playoffs. For this occasion, the City of Cincinnati declared December 14, 2005 "St. Xavier High School Day".[7] The Cross Country team has also had much success, having qualified to the Ohio state championships every year from 1987 to 2004, a streak that ended with the 2005 season.

State titles

The Bombers have won 37 Boys team OHSAA state titles, the most in Ohio. Counting Boys and Girls titles, St. Xavier is the second all-time title-holder in Ohio, after Upper Arlington High School, which won its 38th title for Boy's Golf in the Fall 2006 season.

Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I State Championships:

Fight song

We're on our way to victory
And when those Bombers get that ball
They'll rush right through the other team
And hit 'em hard until they fall.
(Fight! Fight! Fight!)
We're on our way to win the game
And then we'll let our banners fly
For we are the unexcelled
Bombers of Xavier High!

The arts

Under Michele Mascari, the school's drama group, Theatre Xavier (TX), has won the Cappies of Greater Cincinnati for many of its productions. Productions from recent years include Godspell, Red Noses, The Wizard of Oz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, The Laramie Project, and Les Miserables Student Edition.

The marching band is run by Anthony Palm. It has not enjoyed much success at competitions in recent years, but it has received a superior rating in state competition several times in the past and often receives standing ovations at football games. The St. Xavier drumline is especially enjoyed at football games. They are often seen and heard entering the stadium with one of their cadences, "Stroker Style", "What It Is", or "Jungle Groove". Palm also leads the wind ensemble and jazz ensemble. St. Xavier has other music groups including a men's chorus, Xmen and Something Blue. Xmen recently received first place in a national competition and has earned recognition on other occasions. Both choruses are under the direction of Karl Thomsen.

The string ensemble, under the direction of Ellen Stephens, has won several awards for performance in past years.

Community service

Following the call of Jesuit Superior-General Pedro Arrupe in 1973 to "form men for others", St. Xavier formed a Community Service department that is still active today. Service programs run by the school include the Advent Canned Food Drive, a housing rehabilitation program, Big Buddies and Junior Big Brothers, and a number of summer mission trips to disadvantaged areas both around the United States and internationally:

St. Xavier runs drop-in "tutoring centers", where students can get mathematics and writing help from upperclassman, as well as a separate peer tutoring program that pairs students up for one-on-one assistance. The school's emphasis on service is evident in the school's motto, "Men for Others". In recent years, attempts have been made to expand the school's motto to "Men for and with Others". The addition of these two words has met with criticism and ridicule from the student body, which sees it as a corruption of the original, more memorable version.

Other clubs

  • An active student-run newspaper, the Blueprint, is published and distributed to students and teachers monthly. It is entirely produced outside of the classroom, which is uncommon for high school newspapers. Many high schools offer journalism as a class, but St. Xavier has specifically chosen not to offer journalism as an English course for its students.
  • The St. Xavier Quiz Team, a member of the Greater Catholic Academic League (GCAL) has also enjoyed success under John F. Hussong, who has taught English at St. Xavier since 1964, and Ron Weisbrod, a history teacher at the school. The team managed its first state championship in 1997, as well as two runner-up finishes in the early 1990s.
  • Under the direction of Lindy Michael, the Math Club has grown to 120 regularly-participating students, making it "the second-most populated extracurricular after football."[10]
  • The St. Xavier Chess Team, led by Dr. Brad Homoelle, won the Greater Cincinnati Scholastic Chess League (GCSCL) championship during the 2005–2006 season.

Alma mater

The similarities between the alma maters of St. Xavier and St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland are often noted:

Our famed alma mater graces
Every shrine within our hearts
With her unforgotten faces
And the faith that she imparts.
Years in passing cannot sever
Ties of old days from the new.
We are Xavier men forever
As we hail the white and blue.

Notable alumni

Politics

Athletics

The arts

Law

References

  1. ^ Amos, Denise Smith and Cindy Kranz (March 31, 2006). "Private school tuition climbing". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Company. Retrieved 2006-04-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Kolvenbach, Peter Hans (2006-10-03). "Jesuit Superior General Graces 175th Anniversary Celebration". Retrieved 2006-10-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  3. ^ St. Xavier High School. "Profile of a Graduate at Graduation". Retrieved 2006-10-24.
  4. ^ St. Xavier High School. "Entrance Exam". Retrieved 2003-09-23.
  5. ^ a b St. Xavier High School (2003). "St. Xavier School Profile". Retrieved 2006-09-23.
  6. ^ Mueller, David B. "Myth & Mystery: The St. X Admissions Process". Retrieved 2006-09-23. {{cite web}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  7. ^ "December 14th Declared St. Xavier High School Day" (Press release). St. Xavier High School. 2005-12-15. Retrieved 2006-05-31. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ St. Xavier High School (2006). "Summer Mission Trip Program, 2006". Retrieved 2006-09-23.
  9. ^ Lamping, Gregory (2006-08-15). "Spring Newsletter 2003". Retrieved 2006-09-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  10. ^ "St. X Bids Farewell to Trio of 'Superstars'" (Press release). St. Xavier High School. 2006-05-30. Retrieved 2006-05-30. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Kiesewetter, John (2003-02-04). "NBC makes case for courtroom humor". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Gannett Company. Retrieved 2006-10-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)

Sports teams

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=St._Xavier_High_School_(Ohio)&oldid=84667558"