Marist High School is a private Catholic preparatory high school located in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Marist Brothers on behalf of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Founded in 1963 as an all-male institution, the school became co-ed in 2002 and today educates over 1,700 young men and women each year.
Video Marist High School (Chicago, Illinois)
History
In the early 1960s, the Christian Brothers of Ireland were asked by Cardinal Albert Gregory Meyer to operate an all-male high school on the far southwest side of Chicago, on land surrounded by St. Casimir Lithuanian Cemetery at the corner of 115th Street and Pulaski Road. With three area schools already under their purview (Leo Catholic High School, Brother Rice High School, and St. Laurence High School) the Christian Brothers declined, and shortly thereafter the Marist Brothers were asked to operate the school instead. Marist opened on September 9, 1963 with 323 young men enrolled in the charter class.
In the mid-1990s, the Marist community decided to begin a transition from the school's original mascot and nickname, Redskins, to a less controversial one. RedHawks was chosen as the new mascot and nickname before the start the 1997--98 school year. This also caused several minor changes in student life, for example renaming the yearbook from Plainsman to The Lantern.
The school remained an all-male institution until the 2002--03 school year, when girls were admitted for the first time.
Starting in 2003, the school launched a multi-year fundraising campaign to advance needed upgrades to the school's physical structure, as well as to provide for the school's financial foundation. technology upgrades, and to continue financial assistance to students.
Maps Marist High School (Chicago, Illinois)
Academics
Like many Catholic high schools, students are required to take four years of coursework in Religious Studies. In their fourth year, students may opt out of traditional coursework and fulfill their graduation requirement through work in community service or in peer leadership. In community service, students are assigned to travel off campus to work at a hospital, a work community for adults with developmental disabilities, a grammar school, or other such environment. Peer leadership offers seniors the opportunity to work within a classroom aiding teachers and other students.
Seventeen different AP classes are offered in: English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Calculus (both AB and BC), Biology, Chemistry, Physics (C), U.S. History, European History, U.S. Government and Politics, Psychology, Computer Science (A), Art History, Studio Art, French Language and Spanish Language
Athletics
Marist sponsors the following sports for both boys and girls, all of which are governed by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA): basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field, volleyball, and new to the 2011 school year, lacrosse. Boys compete in baseball, football, and wrestling. Girls compete in poms, cheerleading, and softball.
Marist also sponsors boxing and ice hockey, though these teams do not compete in state series sponsored by the IHSA.
Marist competes in the East Suburban Catholic Conference (ESCC). Marist also competes in the largest school classes of the state series sponsored by the IHSA. Known more for academics than athletics, Marist has finished in the top four in several IHSA sponsored state championship series. Among them:
- Baseball: State Champions (1977-78); 3rd place (2000-01)
- Basketball (girls): 4th place (2007-08)
- Cross Country (boys): 3rd place (1996-97); 4th place (1982-83, 1983-84)
- Football: 2nd place (1986-87, 2009-10, 2015-16 )
- Softball: State Champions (2011-12, 2014-2015)
- Volleyball (boys): State Champions (2001-02) & (2009-10); 4th place (1995-96); 9th place (2015-16)
- Volleyball (girls): State Champions (2017) 4th place (2011-12)
- Wrestling: State Champions (1982-83, 1986-87); 2nd place (1996-97); 3rd place (1984-85, 1988-89, 1990-91)
- Hockey: 2nd Place (1992), (1994)
The varsity wrestling team won twenty-seven consecutive varsity conference titles dating from the 1980-81 season through the 2006-07 season. The school claims this to be an American high school record.
While not sanctioned by the IHSA, Marist won the Kennedy Cup, the oldest hockey prize in Illinois high school hockey, as a part of their Chicago Catholic Hockey League Championships in 1991,1994 and 1995.
Rivalries
Since its foundation Marist has enjoyed a natural rivalry with neighboring school Brother Rice. Games between the two schools are often referred to as the "Battle of Pulaski" which is no longer is played in football. When Marist became a coeducational school, the local all-girls high school in the neighborhood Mother McAuley became a natural rival.
Activities
The Marist band, is somewhat unusual in that it is not only an activity, but also an Honors academic class. The band functions as a marching band generally in the autumn (performing pregame, halftime, and postgame shows at home football games), and as a concert band for the remainder of the year (highlighted by Christmas and Spring Concerts). The general exceptions are their annual performances in the Chicago Columbus Day Parade, the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the Chicago St. Patrick's Day parades.
The band is generally not a competition band, but has been successful enough to perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and to be the featured marching band to open the new Comiskey Park in 1991.
The Marist band has won numerous honors and awards, and has traveled across the country to perform in parades and shows such as the Tournament of Roses Parade, the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade, the Sugar Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Peach Bowl, the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade and many other events. The Marist marching band were grand national field show champions out of 10 bands at the 2011 Chick-fil-A bowl competition, with a score of 93 and a gold rating.
Marist's Math Team has also made quite a name for itself. Coached by Jeff Nicholson '81 and Owen Glennon, the Marist Math Team competes in the Catholic Math League, joined by local Catholic high schools such as Nazareth Academy and Providence High School. For the last several years, Marist has won the entire league, qualifying for the 3AA regional where they have likewise have won first place in the last few years. The team has consistently advanced to the annual ICTM state math contest hosted at University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign where they have placed in the top 5 among all 3AA schools, and first among all Catholic schools in the last three years.
Notable alumni
- Robert A. Clifford - trial attorney, Class of 1967 (Citation needed as not listed in 1967 Marist HS Yearbook)
- Dan Donegan - Disturbed guitarist, Class of 1986
- Tom Gorzelanny - New York Mets pitcher, Class of 2000
- Bob Janecyk - NHL goalie, Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings, Class of 1975
- Chetan Kumar - Kannada cinema actor, Class of 2001
- Patrick O'Malley - former Illinois State Senator and gubernatorial candidate 2002
- Michael Peña - actor (The Martian, Ant-Man)
- Tim Pyznarski - MLB player (San Diego Padres)
- Bill Risley - MLB pitcher (Montreal Expos, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays), Class of 1985
- James Tyree - CEO and chairman at Mesirow Financial, Class of 1975
References
External links
- Marist High School Website
- IHSA records for Marist H.S.
- ESCC information
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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