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Once a Friar, Always a Friar

Introduction by Fenwick Athletic Director Scott Thies ’99:

A junior hooper and All-State runner offers a student-athlete reflection.

Junior Bella Daley came to Fenwick High School from St. Vincent Ferrer in River Forest. Bella has run cross country and track while playing basketball in the winter. Her hard work and determination showed up in early November when she finished 23rd in state, earning All-State cross-country status!

By Bella Daley ’23 (Oak Park, IL)

‘Once a Friar, always a Friar.’ It’s likely that this motto rings a bell for many of you. As the sixth Daley to attend Fenwick High School, I was very familiar with what it meant to be a Friar even before I walked into the Atrium on my first day of high school. My family and I would pile into our 12-passenger van almost every weekend to watch my siblings represent Fenwick proudly. We traveled to track and cross-country meets, football games, wrestling tournaments and music competitions. I looked forward to the day when I could finally wear a uniform with the Dominican shield.

That day arrived three years ago, and as a current student and athlete at Fenwick, I have learned a lot about what it means to wear a Fenwick uniform in the classroom and on the field, track and court. To be a Friar means that when you walk into school, you are greeted with a smile, a ‘good morning’ and. oftentimes, a ‘put your lanyards on.’ When you leave school, Fr. Peddicord acknowledges you by name because he knows each of the 1,200 students in the school.

Being a member of the Fenwick community has allowed me to strive for excellence both within and outside of the classroom. It was a privilege to represent Fenwick at the IHSA cross country state meet this season. I am extremely thankful for the support that I have received from the Fenwick community who has encouraged me along the way.

I would like to conclude by congratulating all of the fall athletes on tremendous seasons. With two top-three finishes at state, three sectional champions, six regional wins and multiple All-State performances, we have demonstrated that Friars strive for success. I would like to wish the football team the best of luck as they continue with the end of their season. No pressure, but we could really use another day off of school. Thank you! And GO FRIARS!!

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All-State Chorus for 2 Fenwick Singers

Tom Latz repeats as member of ILMEA All-State Chorus, joined by fellow senior Grace Toriello.

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Grace Toriello (left) is an All-State soprano vocalist, while repeat All-State performer and senior classmate Tom Latz brings up the bass.

Two Friars have been chosen for the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State Chorus in Illinois. Grace Toriello ’18, a soprano, was named to the All State Chorus; and bass singer Thomas Latz ’18 has achieved the highest choral level of All State Honors Chorus. “This is Thomas’ second year of All-State participation,” points out Fenwick Choral Director Suzanne Senese. “We are very proud of both of our talented performing artists.”

District auditions were held in October at Sandburg High School, and the District Festival was hosted by Elmhurst College in November. Ensembles consist of Senior Chorus, Band, Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble, Vocal Jazz and 9/10 Chorus. (See related story https://www.fenwickfriars.com/a-dozen-very-musical-friars/) Of the 41 instrumental and choral students who auditioned, 10 choral students, two orchestra students and three 9/10 Chorus students were chosen to participate in the District 1 Festival ensembles held at Elmhurst College. More than 500 musicians and singers from District 1 participated in this event.

From the District Festival students are then chosen to participate at the next level, which is All State or All State Honors ensembles. These ensembles will rehearse and perform with students chosen from all districts in the state of Illinois on January 27, 2018, at the All-State Conference in the Peoria Civic Center. The ILMEA’s primary function of the audition process is to determine which students are best suited to effectively participate in the performance organizations at the district and state levels, and to rank those students as necessitated by standard organization processes within each division (i.e. part assignments, solo assignments, seating, etc.).

ILMEA is a non-profit association representing every level of music education, in every discipline. The association exists to advocate for universal access to comprehensive music education; deliver exemplary professional development for educators; and provide outstanding musical experiences for all Illinois learners facilitated by licensed music educators. It is the only professional association in Illinois dedicated to the support of a comprehensive, standards-based and assessed program of music education. With more than 3,500 members, it is one of the largest of the 52 affiliates of NafME, the National Association for Music Education, which is over 75,000 members strong. ILMEA is among the largest fine-arts education organizations in the nation and is the largest in Illinois, featuring nine districts throughout the state.