SJND Alumni Day at the A's on September 16

You asked for it! In response to the alumni engagement survey, the Alumni Council is hosting SJND Alumni Day at the A's on September 16, and all alumni are invited to the 1:05 p.m. match-up between Oakland and the Baltimore Orioles, as well as a pre-game BBQ beforehand.

Tickets are $35, and SJND alumni will be given a lower box seat ticket to the game plus the pre-game BBQ, beverages and parking. The kick-off BBQ at 11:30 a.m. will be in the parking lot of Bay Area Contract Carpets, 747 Independent Road, in the shadow of the Oakland coliseum. Kerry Plain '70 has offered the secure parking lot of her carpet warehouse because it's a block from the coliseum.

Lower box seat tickets normally sell for $30, parking at the coliseum costs $17 and food and beverages at the game can really add up. Bring the whole family for a fun day at the A's, and get a chance to visit with other SJND alumni. Contact Suzanne Martin at 510-995-9456 to purchase your tickets or for more information.

Alumni from 1947 Visit Campus

Members of the Saint Joseph's Class of 1947 visited campus this month, touring the classrooms and halls of Marianist Hall, where at least one of them found his student photo hanging.

They were excited to share stories and memories as they toured the school with Principal Simon Chiu and admissions coordinator Gabriela Lippi '08. John Sousa '47 was excited to talk about SJND's basketball program and was pleased when the group ran into Coach Don Lippi on their way through Marianist Hall. John's daughter is Gail Sousa '70 Rodrigues, chair of the SJND math department, and his grandchildren are Jennifer Rodrigues '97 and Stephen Rodrigues '99.

John Sousa '47 and his daughter Gail Rodrigues '70

The group enjoyed seeing the changes that have taken place on campus and with the classrooms, which were renovated and revamped during the past two years as part of the Smart Classrooms project. Al Weinberger '47 recognized his sister pictured in Notre Dame Hall, which was also renovated as part of the project.

Don Luttrell '50 shared a film his brother, Eugene'47, created when the boys were at the school more than 65 years ago, and it included clips from a retreat the class took as well as a track meet. Don shared the film with the class, after Eugene passed away, and he gave a copy of the film to the school, along with other memorabilia. The group viewed the film at the end of the tour.

"It was a very special day," said reunion organizer Al Weinberger.

In July, members of the class of 2002 also met on campus for wine, cheese and a campus tour before their reunion at a local restaurant. For more information on reunions, contact alumni director Suzanne Martin at 510-995-9456.

Women's Alumni Volleyball Game This Month

The annual women's Alumni Volleyball Game at SJND is Aug. 24, and all alumni are invited to attend. Come to play or come to cheer on your former classmates!

The game is Aug. 24 at 6 p.m. in the Kelly Gymnasium, where the SJND Pilots will challenge the alumni players.

The 2011 Alumni Volleyball Team

It should be a great match-up, as many student players are returning from last year's 30-6 season. For an amazing look back at the 2011 season, view this SJND volleyball video. 

Also, this year's game features the return of both Sudarsana sisters, now that Kerri '06 can join her sister Sabrina '04, since she has completed her career as a collegiate volleyball player at Cal State Monterey Bay. As is the tradition after the alumni volleyball games, desserts will be provided in the atrium of the Kelly Gym.

The following players are confirmed so far: Sabrina Sudarsana '04, Kerri Sudarsana '06, Megan Lee '08, Mirella Villalpando '09, Geena Serles '10, Casandra Rodriguez '12, Jaelin McCreary '12, Alexis Perez '12 and Samantha Witherspoon '12. This is a fun opportunity for players and fans to catch up and swap stories. If you are interested in playing, please contact Coach Ed Chen at echen@sjnd.org. Go Pilots!

Recent Grads Part of Environmental Engineering Project 

Ben Levy Wendt '11 and Mia Bernardino'11 have summer internships at DOER Marine, which provides equipment and engineering services for deep-ocean and other jobs that are either underwater or in harsh environments.

Ben is working on a remote operating vehicle that will service a 6,000 meter system that observes water temperature, currents and other water quality issues. Because the water is so deep, only robots can service the system. The system will be deployed to the University of Hawaii's Station Aloha this fall.

Mia is working on Tules, a suite of system sensors that look at infrastructure strengths and weaknesses, such as levies and dams. She is working directly with Liz Taylor, the CEO of the engineering office at DOER Marine, and mother of Taylor Griffith '15.

New College Counselor to Visit SoCal Schools

We're pleased to announce SJND is building on its college counseling program and is now one of the only area Catholic high schools with a counselor dedicated to college admissions.

Dr. Angelica Bailon, SJND's new college counselor, will be visiting schools in Southern California later this month. She is planning to connect with SJND alumni and would welcome the opportunity to talk with them about their college experiences.

Angelica is planning to visit Occidental College, Mount Saint Mary's College and possibly Loyola Marymount University during the last week of August and is available to meet with SJND alumni on August 31. There will be future trips planned as well, so contact Angelica if you would like to connect with her. She can be reached at 510-995-9448 or abailon@sjnd.org .

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