St. Xavier High School (Hamilton County, Ohio)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Saint Xavier High School
Vidit Mirabilia Magna,[1] Men for and with Others, Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam, Magis
New logo, circa 2004
Established October 17, 1831
School type Private, all-male, college preparatory
Affiliation Roman Catholic, Jesuit (Chicago Province)
District Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Grades 9–12
President Fr. Walter Deye, S.J.
Principal Dave B. Mueller
Faculty 115 full-time teachers
Students 1,523 (2006)[2]
Athletics Baseball, basketball, bowling, cross-country, football, golf, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track, volleyball, and wrestling[3]
Athletic Conference Greater Catholic League South
Colors Blue and white
Mascot Bomber
Tuition $9,475.00 (2006–07)[4]
Campus size Over 110 acres (45 ha)[3]
Location Finneytown, Ohio, United States
Information 513-761-7600
Website St. Xavier High School

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 the oldest high school in Cincinnati[2] and one of the oldest 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.[5]

Contents

[edit] History

St. Xavier, once a part of Xavier University, traces its roots to the Athenaeum on Sycamore Street in Downtown Cincinnati, a "literary institute" dedicated on October 17, 1831, with St. Francis Xavier as its patron, just a week before the city's first public high school, Woodward College, opened its doors. 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.[6] 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. In September 1960, the same month that Moeller High School opened its doors, St. Xavier High School moved into its newly-built facilities, which cost more than $4 million to build. 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 field. The school also converted the former Girls' Town of America[7] location across the street into its "South Campus", including new baseball and soccer fields.[8]


[edit] Jesuit traditions

The largest of the 48 all-male high schools run by the Society of Jesus in the United States,[3] 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.[9] 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".

[edit] Alma mater

Students have noted the similarities between the alma maters of St. Xavier and another Jesuit high school, St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. The St. Xavier alma mater is sung after school Masses and graduation, among other events:

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.

[edit] Academics

Students apply to St. Xavier High School by taking the High School Placement Test (HSPT)[10] and submitting an elementary school transcript, teacher recommendations, and enrollment application. Other factors, such as legacy and ethnicity are also taken into account. Approximately 65% of applicants are admitted as freshman each year.[11] About a quarter of these students are admitted due to alumni or current students in their families.[12] Entering students come from many parts of the city, including the East Side, West Side, and Northern Kentucky. The Class of 2010 includes students from 93 elementary schools.[3]

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. According to BusinessWeek, nearly a third of the Class of 2004 pursued a major in business.[13] 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.[11] In all, the school offers 23 Advanced Placement courses in seven subject areas.[3] 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".

Each year, a number of St. Xavier students receive honors from standardized testing programs. In 2006, 137 students received Scholar Awards for their high scores on Advanced Placement tests. In addition, 16 were named semifinalists and 24 named Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program,[14] the most of any high school in Ohio.[13]

The St. Xavier faculty consists of 115 full-time teachers, including five Jesuits.[3]

[edit] Extracurricular activities

[edit] Athletics

An aerial view of St. Xavier's large campus, flanked by the school's many athletic fields and the surrounding community. Visible are the school's new South Campus (lower left), the unaffiliated Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science (center left), St. Xavier Stadium (top center), and the school track field (top right).
Enlarge
An aerial view of St. Xavier's large campus, flanked by the school's many athletic fields and the surrounding community. Visible are the school's new South Campus (lower left), the unaffiliated Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science (center left), St. Xavier Stadium (top center), and the school track field (top right).

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, which the school shares with the Cincinnati Marlins. 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".[15] 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.

[edit] State titles

The Bombers have won 37 Boys team OHSAA state titles, the most Boys titles in Ohio. Counting Boys and Girls title holders, St. Xavier is the second all-time title holder in Ohio. Ohio High School Athletic Association Division I State Championships:

[edit] 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!

[edit] 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 school's new theater space, which rivals those of many colleges in terms of size, replaced the old Xavier Hall, which was converted from a worship space.

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.

[edit] 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 that began in 1992,[16] Big Buddies, 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. According to the school, three-quarters of the student body voluntarily participates in community service programs.[3]

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.

[edit] 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 school's other two student publications are X-Ray, the annual yearbook, and Expressions, a student literary magazine founded in 1964.[19]
  • 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."[20]
  • The St. Xavier Chess Team, led by Dr. Brad Homoelle, won the Greater Cincinnati Scholastic Chess League (GCSCL) championship during the 2005–2006 season.
  • The North Bend Ski Club, associated primarily with St. Xavier, invites skiers and snowboarders of all technical levels to enjoy the slopes at various locations. The club offers discounted seasonal passes to Perfect North Slopes through the club program.

[edit] Notable alumni

Politics

Law

Athletics

Arts and literature

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Latin for "He has seen great wonders," a motto shared with Xavier University.
  2. ^ a b Amos, Denise Smith. "St. Xavier: A course in pride", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Gannett Company, October 6, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g St. Xavier High School. Excellent Facts. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
  4. ^ St. Xavier High School. Class of 2011 Tuition and Financial Assistance Information. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
  5. ^ Amos, Denise Smith, Cindy Kranz. "Private school tuition climbing", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Gannett Company, March 31, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-04-01.
  6. ^ Kolvenbach, Peter Hans (2006-10-03). Jesuit Superior General Graces 175th Anniversary Celebration. Retrieved on 2006-10-05.
  7. ^ Pulfer, Mike. "Goodbye to Girls' Town", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Gannett Company, March 14, 2001, p. F1. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  8. ^ St. Xavier Athletic Director Announces Retirement from St. X (2004). Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
  9. ^ St. Xavier High School. Profile of a Graduate at Graduation. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.
  10. ^ St. Xavier High School. Entrance Exam. Retrieved on 2003-09-23.
  11. ^ a b St. Xavier High School (2003). St. Xavier School Profile. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
  12. ^ Mueller, David B. Myth & Mystery: The St. X Admissions Process. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
  13. ^ a b "The Best Undergraduate B-Schools", BusinessWeek, McGraw-Hill, 2006-05-08. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
  14. ^ Motz, Mark. St. Xavier Students Earn More Academic Awards. St. Xavier High School. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
  15. ^ St. Xavier High School (2005-12-15). December 14th Declared St. Xavier High School Day. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-31.
  16. ^ St. Xavier High School. St. Xavier Housing Rehab Program. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
  17. ^ St. Xavier High School (2006). Summer Mission Trip Program, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
  18. ^ Lamping, Gregory (2006-08-15). Spring Newsletter 2003. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
  19. ^ St. Xavier High School. Student Publications. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
  20. ^ St. Xavier High School (2006-05-30). St. X Bids Farewell to Trio of ‘Superstars’. Press release. Retrieved on 2006-05-30.
  21. ^ Kiesewetter, John. "NBC makes case for courtroom humor", The Cincinnati Enquirer, Gannett Company, 2003-02-04. Retrieved on 2006-10-16.

[edit] External links

[edit] Sports teams


Institutional Constituent Members

Arrupe Jesuit High School (CO) • Bellarmine College Preparatory (CA) • Bellarmine Preparatory School (WA) • Boston College High School (MA) • Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School (IN) • Brophy College Preparatory (AZ) • Canisius High School (NY) • Cheverus High School (ME) • Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola (PR) • Creighton Preparatory School (NE) • Cristo Rey Jesuit High School (IL) • De Smet Jesuit High School (MO) • Fairfield College Preparatory School (CT) • Fordham Preparatory School (NY) • Georgetown Preparatory School (MD) • Gonzaga College High School (DC) • Gonzaga Preparatory High School (Spokane) (WA) • Jesuit College Preparatory School (Dallas) (TX) • Jesuit High School (New Orleans) (LA) • Jesuit High School (Portland) (OR) • Jesuit High School (Sacramento) (CA) • Jesuit High School of Tampa (FL) • Loyola Academy (IL) • Loyola Blakefield (MD) • Loyola High School (MI) • Loyola High School of Los Angeles (CA) • Loyola School (NY) • Marquette University High School (WI) • McQuaid Jesuit High School (NY) • Red Cloud Indian School (SD) • Regis High School (New York) (NY) • Regis Jesuit High School (CO) • Rockhurst High School (MO) • St. Martin de Porres High School (OH) • St. Ignatius College Prep (IL) • St. Ignatius College Preparatory (CA) • St. Ignatius High School (OH) • St. John's Jesuit High School (OH) • St. Joseph's Preparatory School (PA) • St. Louis University High (MO) • St. Peter's Preparatory School (NJ) • St. Xavier High School (Cincinnati) (OH) • Scranton Preparatory School (PA) • Seattle Preparatory School (WA) • Strake Jesuit College Preparatory (TX) • University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy (MI) • Verbum Dei High School (CA) • Walsh Jesuit High School (OH) • Xavier High School (NY)

Institutional Associate Members

Belen Jesuit Preparatory School • Loyola High School (Montreal) • St. Bonaventure's (St. John's, Newfoundland) • St. John's College (Belize) • St. Paul's High School (Winnipeg) • St. Ignatius High School (Haiti) • Xavier High School (Micronesia)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../s/t/2E/St._Xavier_High_School_%28Hamilton_County%2C_Ohio%29_ccb3.html"