SEARCH

On his very first carry as an O’Dowd running back, Austin Jones ’19 broke loose for a 68-yard touchdown. It was the start of a prolific high school career for the four-year varsity football player. Jones rewrote the O’Dowd record book during the 2018 football season, moving into the top spot in total rushing yards, carries and touchdowns, as well as total points scored – 558 points on 93 touchdowns. Jones finished his high school career with 6,902 yards on 940 carries (averaging 7.34 yards per carry) with 86 touchdowns, edging out Louis Arnold ’06 who tallied 5,675 yards on 781 carries (7.27 yards per carry) with 67 touchdowns during the three years he played varsity football. In addition, Jones now ranks third all-time in total receptions (77) and total receiving yards (1,048). And, Jones established himself as one of the top running backs in Bay Area history. According to O’Dowd varsity head football coach Napoleon Kaufman, Jones is the Bay Area’s second all-time career rusher, behind former Antioch High standout Najee Harris (who now plays for the Alabama Crimson Tide) who tallied 7,948 yards. “It means a lot to me because it’s due to a lot of hard work and dedication both on and off the field,” Jones said of his top spot in the O’Dowd record book. Kaufman said the accomplishment speaks to Jones’ consistency and durability. “Austin played varsity football for four years and he never missed a game. And his senior season was his best – he rushed for over 2,000 yards,” he said. Jones has been an exemplary team leader, Kaufman said. “From the very beginning, Austin has led by example. He was always the guy who went out every day and worked hard,” he said. “I’ve just been amazed at his humility.” For Jones, the individual accomplishments take a back seat to team achievements. When asked about his favorite O’Dowd football memory, he said “Winning the state championship.” The Stanford-bound Jones was part of two sectional championship teams (2016 and 2018) and the 2016 state championship team. Jones has been equally successful in the classroom, maintaining a 4.0 grade point average while taking Honors and Advanced Placement courses. “I’ve never seen anybody who’s done what he has done in terms of excellence on the football field and in the classroom,” Kaufman said. “It’s a tribute to his parents who have done a great job supporting him, but he is also really self-motivated.” Honors Chemistry teacher Jan Coonrod said Jones is a very accomplished student, whose curiosity and work ethic help to drive his success in the classroom. “And he is held in such high regard by all the adults who encounter him because he embodies great character, integrity, respectfulness, and kindness. He is one amazing young man,” she said.

O’Dowd students in Molleen Dupree-Dominguez’s Justice In Action classes are among those from several Bay Area high schools who have been invited to help make content for KQED as part of the Youth Takeover project. Launched last year, the project seeks to elevate the voices of the youth community through stories that matter to them. The O’Dowd students pitched their stories to KQED producers and staff on February 13 and received constructive feedback on how to proceed with their pieces. Program Manager for Student Media and Classroom Learning Teresa Wierzbianska ’96 was on hand for the work session, as well as Youth Media Specialist Chanelle Ignant and Associate Director, Partnerships, for the California edition of PBS LearningMedia Almetria Vaba, a current O’Dowd parent. KQED Youth Advisory Board member Olivia Sally ’20 also sat in on the session and helped critique the pitches. The next step for the students is to actually write and produce their radio stories and submit them to KQED. Producers at the station will review them and choose several for broadcasting. The selected pieces will be featured on air in late April and the others will be published on the KQED website. “I was nervous pitching my story to the people from KQED, but they were very kind, reassuring, and helpful. They actually know a student from another high school who is interested in doing a similar story, so we might collaborate and do it together!” Alden O’Rafferty ’19 said. Dominguez is thrilled to have her students participate in this program. “It provides real-world experience for my students and allows them to get honest feedback from professionals in the field. It really makes their research and contemplation seem relevant to contemporary society – it’s a teacher’s dream!” she said.

Congratulations to O’Dowd senior swimmers Sam Cadenasso, Katie Rehberger, and Anna Nihei for being named 2019 NISCA (National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association) Academic All-Americans. These student-athletes qualified with a 3.75 GPA and a varsity letter. Sam and Anna were four-year varsity swimmers and Katie was a three-year varsity swimmer. A three-year varsity water polo player, Katie was also named a 2019 NISCA Water Polo Academic All-American. In the fall, Sam is headed to Northeastern University. Katie will be attending Azusa Pacific University and playing water polo. Anna is going to UCLA! Way to go Dragons!

Bishop O’Dowd High School’s 65th Commencement was held on Sunday, June 2, at Oakland’s Paramount Theatre of the Arts. On May 31, members of the Class of 2019 and their families gathered in the large gymnasium for the Baccalaureate Mass, celebrated by O’Dowd Chaplain Fr. Jim Sullivan. A reception on the Quad followed. At the Commencement, Pearl Li delivered the valedictory address, while Alden O’Rafferty gave the salutatory address. Li said that as the new graduates look forward to a new chapter in their lives, they shouldn’t forget those who have guided them along the high school journey, particularly their teachers. “It is under the guidance of amazing teachers at O’Dowd that we have become both academically and mentally prepared for challenges along the way that imparted to us problem-solving skills, resilience, the ability to connect and collaborate with others, and a more comprehensive understanding of ourselves and the world around us,” she said. O’Rafferty walked her classmates down memory lane, from their first day of BOWOW when they donned an O’Dowd polo for the first time to Grad Night. “It all goes by in a blur,” she said. “Take a second to look around you. Try to think of a memory you have with the people near you, even if it’s as tiny as sitting near each other at fire drills.” Added O’Rafferty, “These memories don’t disappear as we graduate. These people don’t either. You have both for the rest of your life. You have O’Dowd for the rest of your life.” One of the highlights of the Commencement was the presentation of the Cor Unum Award to former faculty member Tom Tyler who addressed the students. Tyler’s two children, Sage and Maya, are alums from the Class of 2013. Named for the school’s motto, “One Heart in Christ,” the Cor Unum Award is Bishop O’Dowd High School’s highest honor. It is presented each year to select members of the O’Dowd community whose lives and work embody the school’s Mission to create a more just, joyful and sustainable world. Tyler was recognized for his integral role – as a teacher, parent, volunteer and respected advisor – in educating the O’Dowd community about our shared responsibility in caring for the earth and helping further our school’s commitment to Kinship with Creation. Meanwhile, several students received special awards during the Commencement Exercises. Alden O’Rafferty and Colm Connolly received the General Activity awards, presented to students who are distinguished by scholarship, excellence in conduct and outstanding devotion to Bishop O’Dowd High School through participation and demonstrated leadership in extracurricular and cocurricular activities. Colleen Cushing and Keshawn Wynn received the Loyalty awards, presented in recognition of their consistent support to the student body, staff and parents in carrying out activities, and their willingness to give of self in terms of service. Scholar-Athlete awards went to Elizabeth Avery and Austin Jones for distinguishing themselves through consistent excellence in academics and athletics, and demonstrated good sportsmanship on the athletic field. Aisha McMahon and Xavier Brown received the Regents’ Award, given to the seniors who most exemplify the mission of Bishop O’ Dowd High School. The members of the Class of 2019 will soon be headed to colleges and universities throughout the country. A complete listing will be included in the fall/winter 2019 issue of the Dragon magazine. Additional Content All pre-graduation and diploma reception photos » View entire archived graduation in the on-demand section of this page »

Photos are here

In April 2021, we celebrated breaking ground on the new O’Dowd Center. Thanks to our families and alumni, faculty, staff, and friends, and the unprecedented matching grant from the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation, we raised $40,324,731 to build the new O’Dowd Center. This state-of-the-art 38,000-square-foot facility will house our fantastic performing arts, athletics, and academic programming, with space for all of us to gather for Mass, assemblies, and much-loved community traditions. We are forever grateful for your tremendous generosity. Watch our short video from President J.D. Childs, standing on the site of the new Center, to celebrate the groundbreaking – a historic event for our school! Thank you for believing in the future of O’Dowd.

Today, in the midst of our busy lives, we pause to pray as we reflect on the suffering journey of Christ. As we accompany Jesus on His journey to Calvary,  let us take a moment toremember how difficult that journey was. He carried His cross through the narrow crowded streets of Jerusalem. It was Passover time and so the city was full of people, many of whom mocked, jostled, and took pleasure in watching as Jesus struggled with His heavy burden. The way was often steep.  The journey that Jesus made on that day remains a symbol of Christianity in the world, as it struggles with its own crosses and failures, and the challenges of modern life. The streets of our towns are filled with people who carry their personal crosses, who are bruised, battered, and struggling. Through these Stations of the Cross, Jesus is inviting us to journey with Him and to reflect on His suffering as it continues in the lives of His people. In solidarity with all who suffer, let us pray that we will be open to whatever He wants us to see, hear, and understand. The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Die.  Jesus was captured at night, taken away by soldiers, stripped of His garments, interrogated, tortured, crowned with sharp thorns and now handed over to be condemned to death by Pontius Pilate – death on a cross.  Jesus is condemned unjustly by those who did not understand Him and by those who were frightened of what He did and said. Perhaps they sensed that this man could make a difference, that He could turn their world upside down. Today, we continue to condemn people unjustly. People are condemned because of the color of their skin, their gender, their beliefs, because they are born differently-abled, because they don’t conform to our way of thinking, the list is endless. There are also the people who have been justly condemned, who have been found guilty, served their sentence and asked for forgiveness. Does our society really forgive; really believe that people can change, or do we continue to condemn them over and over again? Second Station: Jesus Takes Up His Cross Jesus was led away carrying the cross by Himself. A cross is not just a piece of wood, it is everything that makes life difficult. Jesus carried the crosses of His life without complaint, as a poor person and as an itinerant prophet. In a calm and courageous way, He put up with the threats of the Pharisees and the lack of understanding of His own disciples. In the way that He carried all the burdens of His life but, in particular, the way in which He carries this awful, final burden, He transforms the cross from a symbol of condemnation into one of liberation.There are burdens that we all carry, some are very obvious and others we take great care to hide. There are the burdens of illness, pain, and being differently-abled, of old age, dependence, and caring for someone who no longer knows who we are. There are the burdens of constant fear, of loneliness, and of isolation. The invitation of Jesus on the cross is to hand over these burdens to Him. Third Station: Jesus Falls for the First Time Jesus falls. Here Jesus shows us that being heroic does not mean staying on one’s feet at all costs. Being heroic means getting up again after falling and starting off on the road chosen. Human beings will never resign themselves to stay flat on the ground. Like Jesus, they will get up again, pick up their crosses and keep on searching for a promised land of total liberation. Like the crowd, we often have only condemnation and rejection for those we see as sinners. We judge them without knowing about their trials, scourging and crowning them with thorns. Do we even suspect the part we might have played in knocking them down? What do we do to help them?  Fourth Station: Jesus Meets His Mother When Jesus and His mother meet, they just look at each other – words cannot express how they feel. What He saw in His mother’s eyes must have hurt Him more than the raw pain of His wounds. This for Jesus is the most painful time of all. This is His bereavement. Let us name the crosses of today. We see Mary’s pain in the mothers and fathers who watch their children giving up their life to drugs, addictions, and other issues, in the individuals who suffer violence, and the ongoing threat of violence in their home from a spouse or child. We see Mary’s pain in the child coping with the breakdown of a parent’s marriage, in the couple trying desperately to rebuild their relationship and family anew. Fifth Station: Simon Helps Jesus Simon the Cyrene, a stranger in the city, did not know Jesus. But that did not matter. What matters is that in this moment of need Simon was capable of lending his shoulders to one whose own had given out, of offering his strength to one who had nothing left, of taking on himself the cross, which Jesus could no longer carry. Jesus lies hidden in the unknown crosses of today, beneath every person in need. Across our world, we see human suffering in the faces of strangers, in the faces of those struggling for democracy in the Middle East and beyond, in the faces of those dealing with the loss of life and destruction of property.  People we know of, but do not know, must live with the aftermath of the ravages and destructive forces of nature – coping with floods and drought, with the devastating effects of climate change... Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus Veronica was so moved by the sight of Jesus suffering that she courageously moved out from the crowd to wipe the blood and sweat from His face with a towel. She was rewarded when the image of His face was transferred to the towel. It is a suffering face, disfigured with wounds. Yet, this is the only image of Himself that Jesus chose to leave with us. Today, the visible face of Christ, the Church, stands before us still wounded and disfigured; disfigured by its own sins of abuse and power, and creased with the wounds of hurt and betrayal. Bearing the scars of reports of abuse, the face of Christ calls us to look upon and heal the sin of our Church.  Seventh Station: Jesus Falls for the Second Time Stretched to breaking point by His awful scourging, bowed under the weight of the cross, worn out by the abandonment of all His friends, Jesus stumbles again. All around us people are overburdened by the crosses they carry; they struggle and sometimes fall. There are those who have lost their jobs and feel that they have little hope of finding another, those who live with the prospect of unemployment, and those who struggle to keep others in work. There are those who suffer because of failures in our financial, healthcare, and political systems. Jesus is with each one of us however we fall and there He chooses to love and save us. Eighth Station: Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem .  The women of Jerusalem wept when they saw how Jesus suffered. Jesus recognized their distress, He broke His silence for the first time, spoke to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem do not weep for me. Weep for yourselves and for your children’. Look at Jesus and listen to His message for us today. Weep for the children who are abused. Weep for the women who are victimized. Weep for men and women who suffer from the tyranny of today’s body image that controls their lives and prevents them from feeling lovable. Weep for the young who cannot find a job or a way in life. Weep for the old who are forgotten. Weep for people who starve in the shadow of abundance. Weep for people who are homeless, in exile or seeking refuge. Weep for them.  Ninth Station: Jesus Falls for a Third Time Jesus falls for a third time, broken and exhausted physically and emotionally. Lying on the ground, Jesus must decide – does He get up once more or does He just stop and give up? We see Him rise again, and with all His power He continues on His journey. Jesus shows us that we can go on, even if nobody else thinks that it is possible. Many in our world today feel that they are at that moment of final falling, that their burden is too much to carry. They cannot bear any more. Crushed by the weight of their cross they feel unable to get up, unable to go on. Some may look for relief in addiction. Some may look to escape through other unhealthy means. In Jesus we find our hope and our encouragement. The third fall of Jesus reminds us that even in our moment of complete helplessness, or our experiences of depression, in our own Calvary, we can stand up again. Jesus is with us and Jesus is our strength.  Tenth Station: Jesus is Stripped of His Clothing As the clothes were ripped from Jesus, He was stripped of His dignity in front of an irreverent mob. Jesus sacrifices everything. He holds nothing of Himself back. Here, on the threshold of death, even more intensely than during His lifetime, He is a being-for-others. He surrenders everything in order to ransom all. Let us name the crosses of today. Look at Jesus and the absolute indignity inflicted upon Him by society. Jesus continues to be stripped of His dignity in those who have their good name taken from them and the intimate details of their lives exposed through the media. Society takes on the role of judge and jury as we curiously devour the details. Jesus is stripped again when men, women, and children are portrayed as objects in magazines, movies, on television, and the internet. Eleventh Station: Jesus is Nailed to The Cross .  Huge iron nails are hammered through His wrists and through His ankles. Iron through human flesh, the flesh must yield, there is no defense. Jesus, nailed to the cross, cannot move. The hand that has wiped blindness from the eyes; the hand that opened the seal of deafness, the hand that touched a heart and cured a leper, the hand that blessed children and those with different abilities; the carpenter’s hand is joined to the wood again. As the cross is put in place, He hangs there between us and God, a blood stained victim for love. Let us name the crosses of today. Jesus continues to be crucified in the ten children who die every minute of hunger in our world. He is crucified in all who are maimed, damaged, and displaced because of war. He is crucified in all who are marginalized in our society because of their race, sexuality, or gender. He is crucified in those who are abused physically, sexually, or emotionally. He is crucified in those who are trafficked across the world. He is crucified in the exploitation of the earth and its resources.  Twelfth Station: Jesus Dies on The Cross As the life of Jesus ebbs away, His words are not of condemnation or of pity for Himself, but of forgiveness; ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do’. In the midst of His anguish and suffering, Jesus calls upon His Father to forgive those who are putting Him to death. This is the real challenge of the cross, forgiveness even of those who hurt us most. Let us name the crosses of today. There is much to seek forgiveness for in our world today – hunger, poverty, violence, abuse, war, neglect, corruption, the list seems endless. Each one of us praying these stations could continue the list on our own behalf and indeed on behalf of those who have hurt us. As Jesus dies on Calvary, He challenges us to love our enemies, to let go of hurt, to ask for forgiveness, and when we cannot find it in our hearts to forgive, to ask God to do it for us. Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Thirteenth Station: Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross Now Mary takes the broken body of her Son in her arms. In her grief, she remembers the words of her Son, over the bread, ‘this is my body, broken, for you,’ and over the wine, ‘this is my blood poured out for you.’ She remembers that little baby in Bethlehem worshiped by shepherds and kings. She remembers the days when the crowds followed Him and she is full of sorrow. Mary’s grief is our grief too. As Mary cradles the lifeless body of her Son and offers Him back to the Father, she stands with all parents who have held their children close to them in death: those lost through accidents or acts of violence and those who died suddenly or after illness. Mary grieves with all who sorrow for loved ones: parents, siblings, family members, friends.  Fourteenth Station: Jesus is Laid in The Tomb That night, His body lay in the dark earth of the world, a seed dying, in the winter of all spirits. All those who had loved Him felt emptied and exhausted. There seemed no longer any sense or purpose in anything. But at least no more harm could come to Him. They closed the tomb and left. There are times when we are overcome by the darkness of the tomb, by the countless deaths that we experience each day, but the answer to all our grieving and despair lies in this place. The world is now the tabernacle of God. The grain of wheat sown in darkness and in death has indeed yielded a rich harvest. Our presence here gives witness to that. Jesus’ death was not in vain.

The tribute below was written by longtime O’Dowd faculty member Annie Prutzman, in honor of her beloved spouse, David “Chicken” Nesmith. A devoted volunteer and cherished presence at O’Dowd for over two decades, Chicken’s legacy lives on in the Living Lab, in the hearts of students, and in the deep roots of a community he helped cultivate. I’d like to share with you the story of Chicken’s significant contributions to the O’Dowd community. Chicken fell in love with O’Dowd when he fell in love with me, 26 years ago. (Want to know how he got his nickname “Chicken”? Read to the bottom of this post.) On my first date with Chicken in 1999, I read to him a first-draft description of my vision for what is now called the Living Lab – an educational ecological restoration project to reclaim what was once a quarry dump site. With enthusiasm, he responded, “Count me in!” , thereby becoming the first official and ultimately the most dedicated Living Lab volunteer. While the Living Lab was officially co-founded by science teachers Tim Newman, Tom Tyler, and myself, Chicken quickly proved himself to be a key member of the founding team. Known as the “Compost King,” he designed and helped build the Living Lab compost bins, teaching students the science and practice of high-quality compost. This was the power potion that transformed a rocky, barren, eroded hillside into the forested Living Lab garden we have today. Nearly every tree and shrub got its start with rich soil from this compost system, which continues to thrive. He taught students how to cut the trails still in use today, how to work the land, how to remove debris efficiently, and how to keep up good spirits, a sense of community and productivity, despite many challenges and difficult conditions. With his own tools, he trained students how to build, including the first greenhouse, three outdoor classrooms, many retaining walls, and two versions of the pond. (Students once expressed their appreciation for him by trying to throw him in!) He focused on empowering young women to gain competency with power tools and heavy hand tools like trenchers and pickaxes. A professional water policy expert and strategist for environmental and civil rights issues, he was a regular guest speaker in my AP Environmental Science and Applied Ecology classes. He invited students to participate in political issues, including testifying before decision-making bodies on behalf of conservation issues. A certified Wilderness First Responder and expert whitewater rafting guide, he co-lead (as a volunteer, of course!) countless students on many outdoor adventures, along with Tom Tyler and myself – “Beyond the Classroom” hikes, camping trips, and wilderness immersions. He provided his expedition gear, taught them camping skills, and tended their scrapes and sore hearts. The students playfully referred to him as “Camp Mom” on these trips. The annual highlight in 2008-2012 was the 5-day APES Immersion trip in the Santa Cruz redwoods. Creating the base camp involved clearing and rebuilding a defunct Girl Scout camp that was smothered by poison oak. Chicken led the charge in making the site habitable. He was also an active participant in the design and planning sessions for the Center for Environmental Studies, which was completed in 2014. Chicken was a tireless supporter of all things O’Dowd, and proudly wore his yellow-and-black tie to awards ceremonies, sporting events, theatrical productions, and the annual faculty Christmas party. He was a chaperone on O’Dowd’s Ecology Project International trips, including a particularly memorable one to Costa Rica in the spring of 2011 during which he proposed marriage to me (I accepted!!) while on the Pacuare River. He somehow got all the students in on his plan and everyone kept it a secret from me until the big moment! Chicken suffered a debilitating stroke in 2012 and yet continued to participate in Living Lab workdays and O’Dowd events while in his wheelchair until 2023. Now, you ask, “How did he get his nickname?” Chicken was born David Nesmith. He was one of the first Conscientious Objectors to the Vietnam War in his region. His alternative service started in the Peace Corps. He was in a group of 50 volunteers, including 14 Davids, so the need for nicknames was urgent. On the first day, the trainers left a truck of live chickens, saying “There’s dinner!” The only person who knew what to do was David Nesmith, who quickly organized the group into preparing those chickens for a meal. Soon Chicken Dave became Chicken, and it stuck, ironically, to a brave man. Chicken is a hero for me as well as for countless O’Dowd students. Since his passing, my inbox has been swamped with messages from former students. I’ll close this post with the words from one of them, Corey Ordonez ‘02: “Chicken occupies a portion of my heart and soul that defines me. It’s the part of me that continues to push me to be a better person each and every day… I struggled to tell people who Chicken was to me. I also had to explain what the importance of the Living Lab was and what it meant to me and the thousands of other students who participated in it. I finally realized that Chicken was a family member, Chicken was a friend, and Chicken was a teacher to me and all those who were lucky enough to know him. His impact will be forever felt by the thousands of people he touched. I am not sure what is on the other side of this life, but I take comfort in knowing that Chicken lived an incredible and impactful life. I only hope I can live half of the life he lived in his time with us.” Thank you, Corey. I close with deep gratitude for our beautiful community - staff, students, parents, and alumni, especially to all of you who have reached out to me to soften my sorrow. His public memorial is tentatively planned for September 14, 2025. Thank you all, my dear O’Dowd Community, Annie

By Jack Joyce ’25 and Ben Prater ’25, The Crozier Senior Sports Editors Photos by HomeTeam and Team Submission As the winter sports season comes to a close, Jack Joyce ’25 and Ben Prater ’25 break down each team's standout performances, postseason runs, and all-league selections in this episode of O’Dowd’s Sports Talk Radio podcast. Girls Soccer Under the leadership of team captains Isabella Nasif ’25, Chloe Keating ’26, Abby Forsgren ’26, and Issa Bonner-Papazian ’25, the girls soccer team put together a remarkable season, finishing undefeated in the regular season, scoring 65 goals and allowing only one goal. Their postseason journey saw them advance to the NCS Division I Semifinals and the CIF Division I Regional Semifinals, proving themselves as one of the top teams in the region. Additionally, the team was awarded the NCS Scholastic Team Award for the second highest GPA in their division. Congratulations to Koffy'e Chappel ’25 for her commitment to Concordia University, Wisconsin. All League Awards Player of the Year: Chloe Keating ’26 First Team All-League: Abby Forsgren ’26, Ana Pintard ’28, Katelyn Wong ’28 Second Team All-League: Dahlia Anderson ’27, Paloma John-Baptiste ’28, Ava Johnson, Kiana Lee Olson ’27 Honorable Mention: Maya Hollinger-Miles ’27, Remi Hayes ’26 Boys Soccer The boys soccer team, led by standout players Gabe and Sean Carney, put together a strong season, finishing with an 11-6 record and advancing to the NCS Division II Quarterfinals. Their balanced team effort was reflected in multiple all-league selections. All League Awards First Team All-League: Sean Carney ’25, Dallas Scott ’25, Nick Stratton ’25, Riley Stratton ’25 Second Team All-League: Chase Borjon ’25, Alex Garcia ’27, Jacob Glasgow ’25, Ian Hannum ’25, Mateen Leclair ’26 Girls Basketball With a 20-9 record, the girls basketball team had another stellar season, making it to the CIF Division I Regional Round II. Led by co-player of the year Jayla Stokes ’26, the squad showcased resilience and talent throughout the season. Congratulations to Madison Gordon ’25 for her commitment to Tulane University. All League Awards Co-Player of the Year: Jayla Stokes ’26 First Team All-League: Myella Chapman ’27, Simdi Chukwu ’25, Madison Gordon ’25 Second Team All-League: Ella Bibbins ’27 Honorable Mention: Teryn Green ’27, Emilyn Haw ’26 Boys Basketball The boys basketball team battled through a competitive season, finishing at 14-13. They had strong individual performances, including a First Team All-League selection for Josh Green ’25, who broke the school record for points scored in a single game, setting a new record of 47 points. The team qualified for NCS Playoffs, finishing their season in the first round against Amador Valley High School. All League Awards First Team All-League: Josh Green ’25 Second Team All-League: Kaiden Gibbs ’26, Chris Jackson ’25, Brandon Roundtree ’25, Nassir Griffin ’26 Honorable Mention: Avery Loftus ’25 Boys Rugby The boys rugby team continued their tradition of excellence with another strong season. Senior standout Elliot Lewis ’25 and underclassman OC Lehner ’27 led the way for the Dragons. The team captured the Division I NorCal Single Schools Cup to finish off their season. Season’s Men of the Match Elliot Lewis ’25 OC Lehner ’27 Kyle Turner ’25 Felix Davis ’25 Eli Burnside ’28 Girls Rugby This season, the girls rugby team showed their talent and passion for the sport. The Dragons were led by senior leader Chloe Bortnick ’25 and displayed excellent skill and athletic ability on the field. Season’s Women of the Match Emery Catupusan ’28 Kate Bibbo ’26 Emerson Raab ’27 Maura Kornak ’27 Maezie Yee ’26 Hazel Slemmer ’27

Earth Day 2016 held special significance for Bishop O’Dowd High School. That’s when U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. and Managing Director of the White House Council of Environmental Quality Christy Goldfuss announced O’Dowd was named a 2016 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School. O’Dowd is among 47 schools, 15 school districts, and 11 postsecondary institutions being honored this year. The honorees are being recognized for reducing their environmental impact, including energy use, waste, transportation, and water; creating healthy learning environments and fostering wellness practices; and providing effective sustainability education that prepares students to succeed in the 21st century. O’Dowd was nominated for the federal award in February when it became the first Catholic school to receive the highest-level honor (Green Achiever) in California’s Green Ribbon Schools program. The school was recognized as a California Green Ribbon School program (CA-GRS) Gold School in 2015, and a Silver School in 2014. “Our school leadership has worked hard aligning values and decision-making practices with sustainability principles, as well as designing pathways for students to access sustainability in the curriculum and co-curricular programming. Receiving this recognition now is an affirmation that we have really stepped forward as leaders in the Education for Sustainability movement, and gives us purpose for continuing to move this important work forward,” Director of Sustainability Andra Yeghoian said. One example of O’Dowd’s recent efforts includes a partnership with the ReThink Disposable project. In 2015, the school replaced disposable plates and bowls in the cafeteria with reusable baskets, reducing solid waste by 3,376 pounds per year. And, as a Catholic high school, O’Dowd is committed to bringing the themes of Pope Francis’ environmental and social justice encyclical – Laudati Si – to life. To that end, the school strives to equip students, faculty staff, and the greater community with the tools, resources, and life experiences to create an environmentally sustainable, socially just, and economically viable world. Some of the initiatives, programs, and curriculum that O’Dowd was recognized for include: Building a LEED-platinum-certified Center for Environmental Studies Gaining recognition as a Fair Trade School (O’Dowd is only one of 16 schools nationwide at the K-12 level to receive such recognition) Creating a comprehensive transportation program to encourage carpooling Replacing grassy areas with artificial turf or drought-tolerant plants Installing a total of 243 solar panels on campus Introducing new curriculum, such as the freshman Science and the Environment course, which provides a meaningful introduction to the environment and issues associated with stewarding the earth Piloting the Living Lab Certificate program in which over 125 students participated Supporting the formation of student clubs – such as the Sustainability Corps – dedicated to the greening of campus, spreading social justice, and empowering others to live sustainably O’Dowd faculty and staff are currently formalizing the drafting of forward-looking sustainability initiatives across campus, community, and curriculum areas, building off of the success of efforts to date.

The Sustainability Certificate program has continued successfully into the 2016-17 school year, graduating its third cohort of certificate earners! O’Dowd’s Sustainability Certificate program is a unique co-curricular opportunity that provides students with real world skills that are applicable to sustainability oriented college, careers, and lifestyles. This past semester, students had the opportunity to earn certificates in the following categories: Living Lab: Introduction to Edible Gardening Living Lab: Native Habitat Gardening Naturalist: Nature Studies Forest Ecosystems Naturalist: Hiking Each certificate category has requirements appropriate for that pathway, but all certificates are built around a similar structure: knowledge foundation (student directed research or direct instruction), applied action, service, and reflection. The Sustainability Certificates program also aims to develop important 21st century skills such as eco literacy, problem solving, systems thinking, and collaboration. Over 125 students participated in workshops and activities within the Sustainability Certificate program this semester with over 20 students completing a certificate. The program continues into the second semester, please see an overview of opportunities and scheduled dates here: Living Lab Certificates Overview Naturalist Certificates Overview

Earth Week 2017 was a huge success! S-Corps Leaders established two key goals for the week: heighten awareness of key environmental issues and celebrate our beautiful earth. To bring these goals to fruition, S-Corps leaders created an environmental theme for each day, shared relevant facts about these themes, and had fun lunchtime activities that brought these issues to the forefront, and had a powerful assembly that tied the entire week together. Enjoy a recap of the week below. The week started off on Monday with the most important environmental topic, Climate Change. Students wore red to introduce a sense of emergency of the climate crisis that our world is facing. During lunch students enjoyed bike blenders which highlighted alternative ways to create energy, and participated in a challenging round of Environmental trivia. On Tuesday, students wore white and grey to represent the contrast between clean air and polluted air as the theme was Clean Air. Facts and questions at the Trivia table were about local and global air related issues. Other fun lunchtime activities included giant bubbles, kites, and popcorn. On Wednesday, S-Corps raised awareness for the importance of clean water, and ways in which we can practice sustainable water usage. Students wore blue to represent the water theme. During lunch, in addition to a trivial wheel and bike blenders, S-Corps had a sticker-making booth to create fun stickers that students can post on their reusable water bottles. The thursday theme was forests awareness day, so students came dressed in green. Lunchtime activities included a petting zoo and nature art. The day was primarily focused around the morning assembly, where the S-Corps Senior Leadership Team presented a wide array of sustainability topics through a schoolwide assembly. Generation Waking Up, a nonprofit organization dedicated towards towards igniting youth audiences for positive change, gave an enlightening presentation on how O’Dowd students can be the change we wish to see in the world. After the Generation Waking Up presentation, the Senior Leadership Team organized the first annual Kahoot! Game. Additionally, S-Corps led a segment in the assembly where the entire student body filmed students shouting “Planet over Profit,” a slogan which sustainability leaders hope to launch beyond the O’Dowd Community with a viral video that inspires others to encourage politicians to take action to mitigate climate change. The week closed on Friday with Rainbow Day with the all the colors combined. S-Corps chose this theme as the culminating theme of Earth Love. They day was meant to combine all the knowledge and awareness that was celebrated in the previous days. During lunch, S-Corps had their most popular day of sales with “rainbow” flavored smoothies. The Living Lab also held the Soup Table alongside the Trivia Wheel table. All in all, the week was a success! Students learned a lot about environmental issues, and closed the week with a feeling of love and devotion to making the planet healthy.

O’Dowd was recently awarded a $30,000 grant from the Altamont Education Advisory Board to continue the school’s Zero Waste program. This is the largest grant O’Dowd has ever received for a specific project related to sustainability. This Board’s grant funds are distributed to schools, non-profits, individuals and other organizations working to reduce the amount of waste headed to landfill. O’Dowd is making great strides in this area, having established a Zero Waste program during the 2013-14 academic year, and is on target to become a zero waste campus by 2020. This means the school must reuse, recycle or compost 90 percent of the waste generated. Towards that end, O’Dowd has actively committed to three major strategies, including diversion infrastructure, reduction tracking and education, and Director of Sustainability Andra Yeghoian said the grant will allow for enhancement of these efforts. Grant funds will be used to purchase two on-site commercial fully enclosed composting systems, called Earth Tubs, which can jointly compost up to 200 pounds of organic material a day. Currently O’Dowd has a rotating bin compost system that accommodates grass clippings plant material and fresh produce cuttings from the Cafeteria. “This system only accommodates about 15 percent of the organic waste produced on campus,” Yeghoian said. “In addition to increasing on-site organics processing, the new composting system will potentially reduce the trips Waste Management makes to haul O’Dowd’s waste to the landfill from three times a week to once a week, which is a huge reduction in greenhouse gas emissions,” she added. In order to properly maintain the existing tri-bin waste system, special triple capacity push carts will be purchased to aid custodial staff in the collection process. And a new, robust digital online dashboard system, that provides a clearer picture of overall associated costs and greenhouse gas emissions from O’Dowd’s waste generation, will provide benchmarking and tracking capabilities. The grant will also support the expansion of O’Dowd’s “Green Gloves” waste diversion and reduction training program. Currently incoming freshmen students participate in a two-day training session led by the senior Eco Leadership Class that includes both an educational component and hands-on waste sorting activities. The plan is to use the grant funds to take the “Green Gloves” program to local elementary, middle and high school students. “The long-term effects of these programs will be that every student understands the deep impact waste has on our planet and society, and has the knowledge to step up and take individual responsibility. Their expertise and skills can be transferred to home life, which will have a ripple effect on the greater Bay Area community,” Yeghoian said.

Did you know that an idling vehicle emits 20 times more pollution than a vehicle traveling at 30 miles per hour? Student leaders in the Sustainability Corps (S-Corps) are familiar with that fact and more. During the 2016-17 school year, these students conducted research on the environmental and health impacts resulting from idling vehicles for their legacy project, “Stop Idling at O’Dowd,” and have initiated a campaign to reduce the incidence of idling on campus. To that end, signs will be installed in and around campus where vehicle idling is most prevalent – in the Quad, on Stearns Avenue, and in the drop off/pick up area located below campus on 98th Avenue. Additionally, flyers will be available in these locations to provide drivers with important information about the dangers of idling vehicles. The students also created an educational video . S-Corps (Sustainability Corps) is the student action team of O’Dowd’s Sustainability Department, and was responsible for organizing and hosting Earth Week and a variety of other environmental awareness activities this year. It is comprised of members of Students for Sustainability (S4S) and the Living Lab Club. As a student leadership group, similar to Campus Ministry Team and the Associated Student Body, S-Corps meets as a class during 6th period to plan schoolwide educational activities and community impact projects, both on campus and in the greater community. S-Corps members were charged with developing and executing legacy projects as their culminating class project. S-Corps member Danielle West ’17 said that the idling project was informally launched last spring when a student group organized a survey in which parents were asked about their driving habits when they come to campus to pick up their teens. “We recorded that over 80 percent of parents who wait more than three minutes to pick up their students left their engines idling,” she said. “It was mainly because they weren’t aware that their actions were damaging to the air quality at school. So we wanted to bring this information to the forefront with this campaign.” Meanwhile, a second legacy project was the creation of a Butterfly Habitat Garden in the Living Lab. Tyler LeBoa ’17 explained that this project was actually a restoration of native habitat. “This area had gotten overrun with weeds, blackberries and sage brush,” he said. “We got rid of all that and are in the process of finishing up the planting of plants and trees native to this area that will attract local butterflies that have become endangered,” he said. Some of those plants and trees include lilac, buckeye, fennel and flannel bush. Planting should be completed by the end of the school year, with mulching and irrigation work following. The garden should be fully established within a year. S-Corps members are proud of their legacy projects and grateful that they had the opportunity to attend a high school that has such a strong commitment to practicing and living sustainability principles each and every day. “It’s been such a valuable experience to be able to come up with ideas and then plan and execute them,” Sal Beeby ’17 said.

Siegel & Strain Architects

Daily Themes and Dress Code Students will be allowed to dress in the assigned color on each day, and faculty/staff are encouraged to do the same! Except for polos, regular dress code will still be strictly enforced. Monday – GREEN: Earth Day – Plants and Forests Tuesday – BLUE: Water Wednesday – BLACK: Energy Conservation / Black Out Day Thursday – RED: Climate Change Awareness Friday – WHITE: Hope for a bright future! Points See here for flyer outlining how students can earn points for their class year. Students have ongoing opportunities to earn points by carpooling/taking pub transit to school, and by bringing reusable water bottles, utensils, and dishware to use at school. Living Lab Service Day attendance yesterday was 5 points per person, so we start the week off with current point totals: Seniors: 75 points Juniors: 70 points Freshman: 25 points Sophomores: 10 points Educational Offerings and Participation Opportunities All weekdays: For each day, Eco Leaders have planned a variety of fun and educational break and lunch activities on the quad. All week, the cafeteria will be highlighting Living Lab ingredients used in lunch. Monday, 4/23: Meatless Monday in the cafeteria Tuesday, 4/24: Volunteer in the Living Lab after school! Wednesday, 4/25: Living Lab soup Thursday, 4/26: Assembly by Eco Leaders featuring TED-talk-style presentations from three local organizations working on environmental and social justice solutions to big problems Saturday, 4/28: Living Lab Plant Sale at Navigating O’Dowd! Thank you for your support, as always ☀

Kwame’ Glover ’19 was among a group of O’Dowd students, faculty and staff who joined with more than 30,000 people in the historical RISE March for Climate, Jobs and Justice that took place on September 8 in San Francisco. He recently shared his reflection on the experience. My personal experience at the march was truly incredible from the very start. When I first exited the BART train at Embarcadero station at 10:15 a.m., I did not know what to expect from the march. As I walked out of the station I immediately felt the entire atmosphere change from the dull and monotonous Bart station to the lively streets of San Francisco. I remember being greeted by a group of teenagers from Credo High School who also handed me a poster which read “We Stand For Climate Justice.” All around, thousands of people from various organizations were gathered around Embarcadero Street preparing for the march. One thing that I overlooked as I waited in anticipation was the importance of the march. It was easy to get caught up in the jubilation and lighthearted atmosphere, but the march was not only a fun way to spend a Saturday. It was a way to actually do something concrete to work for change. I participated in the march to make a statement to the leaders in the Global Climate Action Summit – to let them know that I care about the future of the planet and will not sit back and watch humans destroy it. The Global Climate Action Summit took place from September 12-15, 2018, and the goal of the event to come up with a plan to combat the threat of climate change by mobilizing the voices and experiences of real people. The fact that the climate march took place only four days before the Global Climate Action Summit showed that we as a community are very serious about the future of planet earth. Looking around at my fellow Solidarity in Action Leaders, I could tell that they, too, were on a mission to make a statement. In a time where it seems as if everyone is divided by societal labels, it was very refreshing to see different groups of people all gathered together for one cause. Moving forward, I will cherish the moments of the march where everyone sang, danced and walked in unity for change. I am very proud of the fact that I am a part of a global movement that will hopefully continue until change is made. Looking forward, I will continue to fight for the climate both at home and in the community. Doing the little things such as recycling waste, buying eco-friendly products, or simply being educated about social and climate injustice can go a long way. I encourage others to take action in whatever way they can so that we can look forward to a bright future for our planet.

Marching down Market Street in San Francisco, singing harmonious songs, chanting empowering words, and carrying creative and thoughtful signs, I felt connected with the thousands of people around me as we all marched to achieve the goal of environmental justice. Environmental justice is not simply about the environment, it is interconnected with all areas of social justice including racial, economic, and environmental justice. This is why 30,000 people marched in the RISE Climate March in San Francisco, held on September 8, together with thousands more across the world. People from all different background, ethnicities, and religions all joined together in the march. The O’Dowd students that marched together met near Embarcadero Center and walked down Market to Civic Center. The group we marched with, entitled “We Rise for Democracy,” was made up of many different religious groups. We joined together, singing hymns from many different backgrounds and seeing posters of different religions supporting the same cause. It was so inspiring to see everyone put their differences aside in order to fight for a cause that is affecting all people. We all wanted to show our leaders that we understand the impacts of climate change and there needs to be something done about it. It was amazingly impactful to me to see so many O’Dowd students marching for a topic that I am so passionate about. It proved to me how much our students care for our community and the entire world that we would come together on our own time to fight for such an important issue. We are willing to stand up to our leaders and demand change. This was also an extremely important event for the Eco Leaders, as we made it our mission this year to educate students about sustainability and to make an impact on a greater scale. Mobilizing the O’Dowd community to attend this event, in unison with Solidarity in Action, was very significant to our group as it is a major step forward in our quest to make change. I hope that Eco Leaders, along with all the other students who attended this event, will be able to bring their experience back and inspire others to continue to fight for what they believe in. After marching on September 8, I attended a One Planet Charter writing event on September 9 with students from all over the Bay Area and experts in their fields of study, such as sustainability, zero waste, water conservation, and more. We used a design thinking process to write ten principles around the subject of environmental justice. All the students brought these principles to their school and their own communities. The following Tuesday, we attended the Coal and Ice Summit in San Francisco where we were able to talk to leaders in the environmental community and present them with our charter. At the Summit, I heard solutions and ideas that will lead to a more sustainable planet, and I also heard an inspiring interview with former Vice President Al Gore. He spoke about environmental issues, the ways he has been able to make change in the field, and advised us on how to create a difference in our own lives. I hope that I can bring the impactful feelings of the RISE Climate March, the principles of the One Planet Charter, and the new ideas from both events back to the O’Dowd community. Read the Climate Change Recap here »

Eco Leaders and Solidarity In Action students attended the unique BioneersConference in Marin on October 19-21, exploring the theme “Pathways Forward.” Bioneers offers the opportunity for environmental leaders, youth activists and professionals to share knowledge and come up with creative solutions to the most pressing environmental and social problems we face today. The O’Dowd students attended countless workshops and panel discussions, and heard from speakers addressing a range of topics, from recent groundbreaking research on plant consciousness to the struggle of protecting land in the Amazon Rainforest from oil drilling. Out of the 14 O’Dowd students that attended the conference throughout the weekend, five had the privilege of participating in an intensive program called “Intercultural Conversations.” As a part of this program, organized and funded by the Bioneers organization, these five students committed to participating in a series of “Talking Circles” over the course of six months preceding the conference. During these “Talking Circles,” the students connected with other groups of native and non-native youth from across the nation via Skype and engaged in critical conversations around environmental and social justice issues that disproportionately affect indigenous people. This experience finally culminated in the Bioneers Conference, where the youth got to meet face-to-face and attend the conference together. Read testimonials written by some of the O’Dowd students who participated in the “Intercultural Conversations” program: Kwame Glover ’19 (Solidarity In Action): Accepting the offer to join the 2018 Bioneers Intercultural Conversations was a decision that has changed my life. From the Intercultural Conversations, to the intense Bioneers Conference, I have loved every moment of Bioneers. Starting with the Intercultural Conversations with fellow youth, I learned valuable knowledge of the history of indigenous peoples and about their current struggles. I enjoyed talking to fellow youth and hearing their very different perspectives on topics such as racism, environmental injustice, and climate change. These conversations helped me gain new understanding and prepared me for the Bioneers Conference which took place in October. The Bioneers Conference was filled with a diverse group of people from all around the world. For me, it was great to see so many people of different age, race, and religious faith coming together to learn and be inspired to make change. The conference was also filled with amazing speakers such as Cat Brooks who is a local activist and politician in the Bay Area. I was very excited to see a leader who not only is running for Mayor in my own city, but who is making an impact with her activism nationwide. Another speaker who I really enjoyed was Jayden Lim who is an award-winning Pomo activist. I was inspired to learn how she was able to speak in front of the former first lady Michelle Obama and accomplish so much while also being a high school student. Along with these two amazing women were many other speakers who took turns captivating the crowd. I loved how although each speaker was unique, they all had the same positive energy and kept the theme of unity within their messages. My main highlight of the Bioneers Conference was certainly meeting new people and gaining new connections. During the entire conference, everyone, including the speakers, was very open to sharing knowledge and having conversations about any topic. This is my main highlight because I absolutely enjoyed being able to interact with people who represented communities and cultures that I rarely interact with. I feel as if it was easy for me to step out of my comfort zone and talk to different people because the group was so diverse and unique. The Intercultural Conversation talks helped a lot with preparing me for the conference. For instance, learning about history of racism and slavery in California gave me a very different overlook on many topics from the Conference. Learning about the history of the native people is knowledge that I will cherish and try my very best to spread along. I feel that learning about the history of native people is the first step into being more equipped to help with the current struggles of indigenous people. I look forward to not only helping with indigenous problems but combating local problems in my own community. Participating in Bioneers has given me the knowledge and the drive to make a change and speak up about injustice. From the Skype calls in May, to the conference in October, I am very grateful to have participated in the entire Bioneers experience. Mia Rahman ’19 (Solidarity In Action): The Bioneers Conference has been one of the most inspiring and formative experiences in my life so far. Connecting with and learning from activists from so many fields and backgrounds helped me envision the potential scale of passions and ideas that youth today have to offer. I was inspired by the ways in which these activists of all ages used arts, sciences, customs, and technology as tools to spread and strengthen their movements. The Intercultural Conversations program did a great job unifying people from different backgrounds around a common cause. I enjoyed our monthly videos and Skype calls and learned about how modern society has devalued indigenous people. While I found our conversations moving, it was even more impactful meeting the group in person and experiencing the conference alongside the members whose stories we had heard and who had taught us so much. Attending the indigenous workshops and meeting the group the day before the conference built a strong foundation within the Intercultural Conversations team that lasted throughout the conference. The conference gave me a better understanding of others in my community. I learned about struggles and injustices that different groups face and how to use a background of privilege to give voice to silenced groups without speaking for them. I learned about how native knowledge is ignored by a society who causes rapid environmental degradation, even though indigenous people lived sustainably and in balance with the surrounding environment for thousands of years. The conference helped me envision a path and mission for my future. It helped me understand the importance of youth taking on the challenge of social justice as a lifestyle, rather than a destination. It helped me connect with people who were so passionate about helping others and saving the environment and had created enormous change in their communities and inspired me to do the same with my life. Although it may sound cheesy, I now truly believe that this generation of youth truly can change the world for the better if we are dedicated and work together across belief systems, age groups, ethnicities, and genders. Rio Galicia ’19 (Eco Leaders): My participation in the Talking Circles, ICC program and Bioneers helped me better understand how important it is to take action on environmental injustice now and how important it is as youth that we are fighting for change. The ICC program educated me on the authentic experience of California’s indigenous people and the different issues that native people are experiencing everyday. These conversations and talking circles made me think more about respecting the knowledge of the indigenous people of my area and respecting their land. Being able to learn about the real indigenous people instead of the vague and misrepresentation that I learned in elementary school gave me new insight and appreciation for their culture and traditions before colonization. Along with Bioneers, these programs provided me with a new way to see the world. I am a lot more conscious of how my actions impact other minority groups and the environment all around.Although there is a great amount of disparity in the world, Bioneers gave me hope and motivation that there can be positive change and we can all be part of it. The speakers at Bioneers inspired me to pursue a career path that benefits the health of the environment and every person in it. This really helped me during this time because I am applying for college and now have an idea of what I am passionate about pursuing and doing for the rest of my life. Ever since participating in ICC and Bioneers, I have tried to bring the same perspective and knowledge I recieved to everyone around me. Everyday I try to get people to make small positive differences in their life that add up the more people do them. A big part of what inspired me is that we need systemic change in order to save the health of people and the planet. It inspired me to be apart of the movement for a greater change so that every living thing on this earth can live with dignity and wellness.

The 5th annual Living Lab Do It Yourself (DIY) Holiday Festival, held in the Annex during MP on December 11, 2018, put students and staff in the holiday mood. Put on by student Eco Leaders, the event is designed to encourage more sustainable holiday activities, such as making your own gifts and decorations. Students also decorated and enjoyed gingerbread and sugar cookies with a variety of colored icing and sprinkles and hot cider. There were a variety of DIY activities to choose from, including making swags or wreaths from redwood boughs and other native plants cut in the Living Lab, ornaments made from Living Lab pine cones and acorns, dream catchers featuring Living Lab chicken feathers (donated through the natural molting process!) and holiday paper crafts made with old library books.