The Georgetown Prep Arrupe Society Christmas Toy Drive is in full swing! Students are encouraged to participate by donating toys to benefit the St. Francis Xavier Academy in Washington, D.C.

The toy drive will conclude on December 7 with the Best Buddies Wrapping Party in the Figge Foyer.

Student Assignments

• Freshmen: Kindergarten - 3rd grade girls
• Sophomores: 4th - 8th grade girls
• Juniors: Kindergarten - 3rd grade boys
• Seniors: 4th - 8th grade boys

Please drop off unwrapped gifts in the designated area in the lobby of Haas. For more information, please contact Mr. Kevin Buckley at kbuckley@gprep.org. Thank you for your generous support of this grace-filled tradition!

Dear Members of the Georgetown Prep Community:

In this season of Advent, I find myself thinking and praying about all that has happened this past year and how God's presence at Georgetown Prep is so palpable. We can all be grateful for so many graces given and received.

For the past four years as Prep's president, I have witnessed the young men of Georgetown Prep, our dedicated faculty and staff, passionate alumni, and devoted parents display an enthusiasm characteristic of this school's storied history. Prep is Prep because of all you. I have spent 35 years as a teacher and administrator in Jesuit education, and I can say unequivocally that there is no other school like Prep. We share a unique history, tradition, and legacy, but ultimately, Prep is about a unique community of people.

This December, I ask that you continue your support and generosity for Georgetown Prep. December is an important month for our advancement efforts and for the Prep Annual Fund. Your gift matters. All donations support student achievement, scholarships and financial aid, and operating costs that are not met through tuition and fees.

Over the course of this month, you will hear about the essence of our school from our students. You will hear about their experiences in emails, displayed on school's website and on social media. You will see your generosity at work. I have the privilege of seeing these acts of God at work every day and it is one of the great graces of my Jesuit life.

I thank you for your support in advance. Because of you, John Carroll's 229-year-old vision is being fully realized.

God Bless and Hoya Saxa,

Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.
President

Annual Fund participation rates are also key indicators that major donors and foundations consider when deciding to invest in Prep. When you give to Prep, you demonstrate to wider audiences that our graduates and current families value our work at the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit school. Each gift is an endorsement for Prep and has a much broader impact than financial support alone.

At the 36th Annual High School Model Organization of American States (Model OAS) in Washington, D.C., students from Georgetown Prep and the Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart worked together to successfully represent the countries of Colombia and Haiti.

On December 1, Georgetown Prep students engaged their peers and drafted bold solutions to problems facing every nation on the American continents, passing all 15 of their sponsored resolutions, save one. While Prep excelled as a team, several students displayed exceptional individual performances and as a result were elected to leadership positions in next year's model. Carlos Gonzalez-Ortiz '19 was elected President of the 37th Annual High School MOAS, Kyuchan Jeon '20 was elected to 2nd committee chair, and Conor Luck '19 was elected to 3rd committee chair.

Congratulations to our impressive delegates!

The 20th annual Georgetown Prep Christmas Concert will be held on Tuesday, December 12, at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of our Lady. The Prep Singers, String Ensemble, and "A Couple of Hoyas" will perform Christmas classics.

All members of the Georgetown Prep community are welcome. Admissions is free and a reception in Boland Hall will follow.

Congratulations to the members of Georgetown Prep's cross country, football and soccer teams who earned All-Met honors from The Washington Post for their outstanding play this fall.

Three Prep student-athletes received All-Met honors:

Cross Country

• Patrick Howley '18, honorable mention

Football:

• Jake Hagy '18, second-team

Soccer:

• Garrett Lyons '18, second-team

The winter 2017-2018 edition of the Alumnews is now available to read online.

The edition features an introduction of Rev. James R. Van Dyke, S.J., Prep's next president, to the Georgetown Prep community, Commencement 2017, Cornerstone: The Move to Garrett Park, 1912-1917 by Dr. Stephen J. Ochs, the President's Councilors Dinner awards, Global Prep by Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., Prep's president, and the Honor Roll of Donors for 2016-17.

Alumni News, Class Notes, and In Memoriam are included in this publication. If you have news or photos you would like to share with the Georgetown Prep community in the next Alumnews, please submit them by e-mail to alumni@gprep.org.

Follow the link to read these stories and more in the winter edition of Alumnews.

Auditions for the spring musical, "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," will be held January 9 and 10.

Students are asked to prepare one minute of a folk, country, or Broadway song as well as a one-minute story. Trumpet, trombone, woodwinds, percussion, guitar, violin, and piano players are also needed.

Follow the link to sign up for an audition slot.

Rehearsals will be held Monday through Friday from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the Figge Theatre. Tech weeks are February 19 through March 1 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m.

Performance dates are March 2-4, 2018. Contact Mr. Colin Brown with questions.

Rachel Swarns, New York Times correspondent and author of American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama, addressed the Georgetown Prep student body, faculty and staff on January 11 at a full school assembly. In April 2016, Ms. Swarms wrote the New York Times' story "272 Slaves Were Sold to Save Georgetown. What Does It Owe Their Descendants?"

Ms. Swarns discussed how the story came to the New York Times and her journeys to Louisiana to speak with descendants of the "272." At the time of the sale of the 272 enslaved people in 1838, Georgetown College (now University) and what is now Georgetown Preparatory School were the same institution. Ms. Swarns spoke on the continued dialogue her story was able to start and how the discussion still continues.

During her address to the Prep student body, faculty and staff, Ms. Swarns said, "There are opportunities for you guys, too, to go to the archives and to look at the history of the institution that you are involved in. The stories of these people, Cornelius and the others, were lost for a long time but I think that you guys here, students and faculty can play a really important role in unearthing these stories and showing how these young people, these men, woman, and children played an important role in the proud and prosperous institution that you are all connected to." She added, "These conversations are raw and hard and difficult but they are so important in understanding the country that we live in and who we are as Americans."

Prep's Headmaster, John Glennon Jr., noted on Ms. Swarns' address, "Her articles about Georgetown University's roots in slavery touched off a national conversation about American universities and their ties to this painful period of history. Our school-wide focus this year on Prep's earlier involvement with slavery is part of that larger conversation and of Pope Francis' call for a year of reconciliation. We are deeply grateful to Ms. Swarns for the key role she played in initiating this period of reflection here at Prep."

As part of Prep's Year of Reconciliation, the school hosted discussions, presentations, and speakers to address the year's theme. Dr. Stephen Ochs, Lawler Chair of History, spoke to the Prep community on November 13 about the connection between Georgetown Prep and the sale in 1838 of 272 enslaved people by the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. On November 27, the second presentation by Dr. Ochs and Prep students was made to the student body, faculty and staff focusing on the centrality of slavery at Prep between 1789 and 1838.

Georgetown Prep will continue the discussion through the winter and spring with presentations and speakers in line with this year's theme of reconciliation.

About Rachel Swarns

Ms. Swarns is the author of American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama, published in June 2012. American Tapestry was ranked as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2012 by The NYT Book Review and as one of the "year's outstanding books for public library collections" by Booklist. She is also a co-author of "Unseen: Unpublished Black History from The New York Times Photo Archives,'' which was published in October 2017. Currently, she is researching a book on the Georgetown 272 and their descendants. Ms. Swarns is an academic advisor to the African American Civil War Museum in Washington, D.C., is launching an exhibit based on her book about Michelle Obama's ancestors. This year, she will join the faculty at New York University, where she will serve as an associate professor of journalism.

Photo: Tianyang Wang '21

The following is a note from Fr. Pilarz, S.J. to the Georgetown Prep community on Friday, January 12.

Dear Friends,

On the occasion of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I want to connect the dreams articulated by Dr. King with the mission of Georgetown Prep that is animated by the vision of St. Ignatius and the aspirations of John Carroll.

These three men, while separated by centuries, are united in their understanding of human dignity grounded in God's grace. All three took risks to promote justice and inclusivity.

Georgetown Prep has a history of promoting the values cherished by St. Ignatius, John Carroll, and Dr. King. Our Year of Reconciliation is the most recent iteration of our shared commitment. During this year, we have faced our institutional failures and challenges, but always with an eye toward how we can do better at achieving our highest ideals and aspirations as the nation's oldest Catholic and Jesuit school.

I am not ready to say goodbye yet. We have a semester of important work yet to do. As I look back over my privileged time with you, however, I am struck most by the quality of our community, or "brotherhood" as our students rightfully refer to it.

Our brothers are from places as different as Bethesda and Benin City, Nigeria; Potomac and Panama; Northwest, Washington, D.C., and Nicaragua; Baltimore and Beijing; Hyattsville and Haiti. No other American Jesuit school can compare to our band of brothers. We cherish every one of you.

Earlier today I heard a spokesman from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center say that we should not think of this Monday as a day off but a day on: a day on to actively promote justice, equality and opportunity. I like to think that at Prep every day is a "day on" in the promotion of our mission.

God bless you, and God bless Georgetown Prep.

Sincerely,

Scott R. Pilarz, S.J.
President

Congratulations to the 92 students who received First Honors and 87 students named to the Dean's List for the 2nd marking period of the 2017-18 school year.

View the list of academic honors.

Jerome Powell '71 has been confirmed to be the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Fed Chair), the head of the central banking system in the nation.

Powell graduated from Georgetown Prep in 1971 and matriculated to Princeton University (1975) before earning a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University in 1979.

Powell comes from a long Georgetown Prep lineage. His father, Jerome Powell '40 (d.), brother, Matthew Powell '73, uncles, John Powell '28 (d.), Austin Powell '31 (d.), Francis Powell '36 (d.), and cousins, John Powell '58, Thomas Powell '62, and Gregory Powell '65, graduated from Prep.

After law school, he worked as an associate for Dillon, Read & Co., an investment bank. In 1990, Powell was confirmed to serve in President George H. W. Bush's administration as an assistant secretary and as undersecretary of the Treasury.

He was a partner at the Carlyle Group for eight years and was a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. Powell has been a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors since May 2012.

Rev. Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., president of Georgetown Prep, noted, "I would like to commend Jerome Powell, class of 1971, on his confirmation to be the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. We are proud to have a son of Georgetown Prep lead our nation's central banking system. On behalf of all of us at Georgetown Prep, we congratulate Jerome on his confirmation and offer our prayers and best wishes to him and his family."

Photo courtesy of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Congratulations to the Georgetown Prep Chess Club on placing 2nd overall in the St. Anselm's Chess Invitational at St. Anselm's Abbey School.

On January 27, seniors Max Ward, Ayush Pamecha, Nathan Higgins, and Mark Madaras traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the fourth annual chess tournament. The tournament was played over four rounds with Max finishing in 2nd place overall in the individual standings.

Congratulations to our students!

Coach Matt Mongelli '93 and the 2017-2018 varsity swimming and diving team won the 2018 I.A.C. title on January 25. The swimming and diving program has won eighteen consecutive I.A.C. championships.

The team totaled 740 points, 126 points better than second-place St. Albans. Here are the championship meet results:

1. Georgetown Prep 740

2. St. Albans 614

3. Landon 496

4. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 413

5. Bullis 190

John Wills '18 earned All I.A.C. honors by winning the 200-IM competition. Brett Feyerick '21 won the 100-Backstroke competition to earn All I.A.C.

Three Prep relay teams won I.A.C. titles:

200 Medley Relay: James Walton '18, Ryan Mathis '20, Dylan Danaie '21, and Feyerick.

200 Free Relay: Nathan Higgins '18, Walton, Mathis, and David Fitch '21.

400 Free Relay: Higgins, Wills, Feyerick, and Fitch.

Follow the link to view the full list of the I.A.C. Championship results.

The Hoyas host Paul VI High School on Wednesday, January 31 at 4:00 p.m.

Congratulations to the swimming and diving team!

Garrett Lyons '18 has signed his collegiate letter of intent to play soccer next fall at Saint Joseph's University.

Lyons earned All-I.A.C. honors each of the last three seasons and was named second-team All-Met by The Washington Post for his outstanding play this past season.

He led Prep's varsity soccer team to a second place finish in the I.A.C. regular season and conference tournament.

Third-year coach Ryan Eskow and the 2017-18 varsity basketball team won the 2018 Interstate Athletic Conference (I.A.C.) title on Friday night in thrilling fashion.

The Hoyas beat St. Stephen's & St. Agnes 65-63 on senior night to secure an 8-2 I.A.C. regular season record and the outright regular season championship. Prep held a 34-32 halftime lead and the game remained close through the final quarter. St. Stephen's & St. Agnes led by as many as four points before the Hoyas tied the game with under a minute left in the game. With the game tied at 63, DeJean Desire '19 scored on an offensive rebound as time expired to win the game for the Hoyas. Prep was led by Jared Bynum '18's 25 points and Ike Nweke '18's 12 points.

Prep will enter the I.A.C. conference tournament as the league's top seed. The Hoyas will host the winner of St. Stephen's & St. Agnes-Landon on Friday, February 16 at 7:00 p.m. The I.A.C. championship game will be played on Saturday, February 17.

Prep's overall record is 18-5 and the team is currently ranked #7 in the Washington, D.C., area by The Washington Post.

The Georgetown Prep Players will present the spring musical, Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, next month.

In Roger Miller and William Hauptman's musical adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Big River holds reconciliation and friendship at its heart. This Tony Award-winning musical will feature The Dirty Grass Players, a Baltimore bluegrass band.

Performances are Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 4 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 or students and faculty. They may be purchased at the door or online beginning Friday, February 16.

Georgetown Prep's varsity basketball team beat Bullis 60-49 on February 20 to win the 2017-18 Interstate Athletic Conference (I.A.C.) championship.

In front of a standing room only crowd in Prep's Hanley Center and on the Michael M. Boland, Jr. Court, Prep and Bullis played evenly throughout the first half. The Hoyas led 31-30 at the half. In the second half, Prep played exceptional defense and outscored Bullis 29-19 en route to a 60-49 victory.

Prep forwards Ike Nweke '18 and DeJean Desire '19 scored 13 points apiece while guards Jared Bynum '18 and Kamdyn Curfman '19 added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Read The Washington Post's full recap of the championship game.

Prep secured the I.A.C. regular season title on February 9 with a 65-63 win over St. Stephen's & St. Agnes to finish the season with an 8-2 regular league record. Prep concludes the season with a 20-5 overall record and is currently ranked #7 in the Washington, D.C., area by The Washington Post.

Photo: Gary Wang '21

Georgetown Prep hosted the second annual Alumni Retreat on February 24. Twenty alumni joined Rev. David Sauter, S.J., and John Krambuhl, Director of Mission and Ministry, for an afternoon of reflection in the season of Lent.

The retreat included conversations on "Divine Providence and the Experience of Love" and "The Call of Christ in Our Life." Fr. Sauter led the group in Stations of the Cross and Mass in the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes to conclude the retreat.

To learn more about alumni service and retreat opportunities, email Georgetown Prep's Alumni Relations Office.

Congratulations to the members of Georgetown Prep's basketball, hockey, swimming and diving, and wrestling teams who earned All Interstate Athletic Conference (I.A.C.) honors for their outstanding play this winter.

Jared Bynum '18, captain of the varsity basketball team, was named I.A.C. Player of the Year.

Eighteen Prep student-athletes earned all-league recognition:

Basketball

• Jared Bynum '18
  
• Mezzie Offurum '18
  
• Ike Nweke '18
  
• DeJean Desire '19
  

Hockey

• Will Boggs '18
  
• James Flannery '19
  
• Andrew Chaconas '20
  

Swimming and Diving

• Nathaniel Higgins '18
  
• Jay Walton '18
• John Wills '18
  
• Ryan Mathis '20
• Dylan Danaie '21
• Brett Feyerick '21
  
• David Fitch '21

Wrestling

• Enrique Matta '18
  
• Thomas Whittier '18
  
• Kobe Borda '19
  
• Kyonte' Hamilton '21

Mélisande Short-Colomb, a descendant of Abraham Mahoney and Mary Ellen Queen, who were two of the 272 enslaved people sold by the Society of Jesus in 1838, addressed the Georgetown Prep student body and faculty and staff on February 23 at a full school assembly. Part of the profits of that sale helped to save Georgetown College (now University) by paying down the crushing debt that threatened the school. At the time of the sale of the 272 enslaved people, Georgetown College and what is now "Georgetown Preparatory School" were the same institution.

In her address to the Prep community, Short-Colomb noted that she learned of her ancestors' connection to Georgetown when she was contacted via Facebook by a genealogist working on tying the descendants of enslaved people to the Georgetown Jesuits in the 1800s. She added, "I am a socially conscious person and knew of The New York Times coverage of the story, but never thought that I could be connected." Short-Colomb added that her attending Georgetown University was "completing a circle" for her family, herself, and the descendant community. She shared with the students her compelling story about growing up in segregated New Orleans. Short-Colomb, also, explained that today, she feels a sense of mission to make the story of her family and the "GU272" better known thereby encouraging conversation about the continuing legacy of slavery in American society.

Speaking to the Prep student body, Short-Colomb said, "You have probably been told time and time again that you are our 'future.' I am here to tell you today that you are our 'now.' You have the power to make a difference." She was an executive chef in New Orleans before enrolling at Georgetown University as a 63-year-old college freshman.

As part of Prep's Year of Reconciliation, the school planned and hosted discussions, presentations, and speakers address the year' theme. Dr. Stephen Ochs, Lawler Chair of History, spoke to the Prep community on November 13, 2017 with students about the connection between Georgetown Prep and the sale in 1838 of 272 enslaved people by the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. On November 27, the second presentation by Dr. Ochs and Prep students was made to the student body, faculty and staff focusing on the centrality of slavery at Prep between 1789 and 1838. On January 11, Rachel Swarns, a New York Times correspondent since 1995 and author of American Tapestry: The Story of the Black, White, and Multiracial Ancestors of Michelle Obama, addressed the Georgetown Prep student body and faculty and staff at a full school assembly.

Georgetown Prep will continue the discussion through spring with presentations and speakers in line with this year's theme of reconciliation.