Brian McCarty to be Inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame

Alum Brian L. McCarty (1972) will be inducted in the school's Alumni Hall of Fame on Monday, September 14, 2015. McCarty will also serve as the featured speaker for the school's Academic Letter Ceremony that same evening.

Upon gradating from Oak Lawn Community High School, McCarty attended DePaul University then began his professional audio recording career at Viking Studios in Denver, Colorado. In 1977, he began his film sound career at The Burbank Studios in Hollywood. McCarty focused primarily on production sound and was part of a team that garnered Oscar Nominations for Best Sound for the feature films Altered States, On Golden Pond, and Dick Tracy. His accomplishments in sound recording and movie music also include the Oscar-nominated films Sister Act, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Starship Trooper, Jerry Maguire, As Good As It Gets, The Big Lebowski, as well as dozens more.

McCarty is a 27-year member of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE). He has authored engineering standards for new technology such as Digital Cinema and Ultra High Definition Television (UHDTV). He has also served as the chairperson of the technical Committee Sound for Digital Cinema and Television at the Audio Engineering Society (AES).

In the 1990's, McCarty recognized the film sound reproduction was not keeping pace with the rest of the audio industry so he began a two-decade push on standards to address the issues. His work resulted in the development of new Standards for Measurement and Equalization of Sound Systems in Rooms for the Audio Engineering Society.  He has also authored several technical papers on cinema audio, and has lectured at universities around the world including Columbia College in Chicago. 

Building on his Hollywood success, McCarty has served as a consultant and project manager for the Bose Corporation, managing the design and launch of a new professional audio product. He was also the first film sound engineer to lecture and consult with the Chinese film studios, starting in 1985 - including Shanghai, Beijing, Xi'an, and Ermei (Chengdu).  In 1999, McCarty was recognized by the Australian Government as a Distinguished Talent and established residency there with Sandra (Marolt) McCarty, also OLCHS '72.  McCarty is the Managing Director of Coral Sea Studios in Cairns, Queensland Australia.

McCarty credits his love and appreciation for music to his two OLCHS Band Directors, Richard Pettibone and Charles Yara. McCarty is still known to play bassoon as well as Hammond Organ from time to time.

McCarty is the school's nineteenth Alumni Hall of Fame inductee. Four others will be inducted throughout the 2015-16 school year. James Dague (1984) and Jayne Saniat (1982) will be inducted on Friday, October 23, 2015, as part of the school's fall musical. Dr. William Reiners (1955) will be inducted on Monday, October 26, 2015, as part of the school's National Honor Society Ceremony.  William Vail (1967) is tentatively scheduled to be inducted on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, as part of the Winter Sports Awards Ceremony. To learn more about the selection process or to nominate a candidate, please refer to the school's website at www.olchs.org.



Homecoming Festivities  -Week of September 8, 2015 

Student Council is currently making plans for the Homecoming celebration. The festivities are scheduled for the week of September 7, 2015.  The week kicks-off with an All-School Pep Assembly on Tuesday, September 8, 2015, at 2:00 p.m.

The Annual Homecoming Parade, under the theme of "Spartans in Space" will step off at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 10, 2015, at the Wesleyan Community Church at 89th Street and Austin Avenue and will travel south on Austin Avenue to the OLCHS South Parking Lot.  The Pep Rally begins after the parade and includes the Homecoming Court King/Queen Coronation.  The Pep Rally concludes with a Fireworks Display. 
 
Again this year, the Homecoming Parade is being planned in cooperation with the Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce. Chamber representatives include:  President; Jennifer Villafan, Immediate Past President; Michelle Williams, 1st Vice President; Larry Lehman, 2nd Vice President; Adam Woodworth, Treasurer; Brian Ferrell, Secretary; Vicki Scanlon, and Julie Miller, Executive Director.

The Student Council officers who are planning and coordinating the Homecoming activities are: Stacy Zea Lopez, President, and Yasir Muhammad, Vice-President.  Mrs. Jennifer Sidlow is the Student Council Advisor and Mr. Joseph McCurdy is the Assistant Principal. 

The parade will be led by the Johnson-Phelps VFW Color Guard, and will feature the Homecoming Court, Spartan Marching Band, cheerleaders, and floats sponsored by the various student, community, and civic organizations. The Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce donates four cash prizes for the Best Float, Best Walking Float, Best Use of Theme, and Most Spirited Group.  This year's Grand Marshals are OLCHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductees James Dague, Class of 1984, and Jayne Saniat, Class of 1982. 

On Friday, September 11, 2015, the Oak Lawn Spartans will host the Argo Argonauts in a Varsity football game. The Spartans, coached by Nick Novak, will kick-off its game at 7:00 p.m.; while the sophomores, coached by Adam Probst, will get underway at 5:00 p.m.  The half-time show will feature the Spartan Marching Band, Cheerleaders, Dance Team, and the presentation of the Homecoming Court including the Homecoming Queen and King. 

The Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. in the Spartan Gym. 

All OLCHS students, parents, alumni, and community members are cordially invited to participate in the Homecoming activities.  Additional information is available on the school's website, www.olchs.org.


Oak Lawn Community High School District 229, Oak Lawn, Illinois

Mission Statement.  
Oak Lawn Community High School exists to: inspire, challenge, and empower students and staff in a safe, supportive environment; maximize individual potential through academic and personal growth;  and graduate students who attain the high standards set forth by our community.    

 

Board of Education:Webpage-Spartan-Logo 
Matthew Egan, President
Robert Loehr, Vice President
Kathleen Berry, Secretary
Timothy Burke, Member
Stephen Greene, Member
James Melnik, Member
Ann Touhy, Member
   
Administration:
Dr. Michael Riordan, Superintendent/Principal
Richard Hendricks, Assistant Superintendent
Joseph McCurdy, Assistant Principal
Dr. Jeana Lietz, Assistant Principal