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#1 NAME: Toni Carter AGE: 17 CLASS: 2017 What advice would you give to Trump and Clinton for their upcoming debate on Monday night? I would advise Trump to curb his blunt opinions to appeal to minority voters if he wants to gain the slightest percentage of their vote. I would advise Hillary to take a more light-hearted approach and counter Trump’s blunt opinions with fairly blunt responses. How should they prepare to debate each other? I would tell Clinton to capitalize on her offense. To avoid contributing to negative gender stereotypes, it would behoove her to correct Trump when he provides incorrect facts. I would advise Trump to focus on big picture ideas because his weakness is the recitation of facts and statistics. By Trump making sure to stick with his slogan and bolster his wall argument, he’ll perform better in the debate. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate? Hillary is smart and should not be underestimated – if Trump does present facts or statistics without a firm understanding concerning the issue, she will be able to mentally outmaneuver him. However, her weakness is her demeanor, coming off as snooty serves her a great injustice. Trump’s strengths are his outspoken, blunt nature because he has the ability to make Hillary’s very serious issues seem menial. Unfortunately, his weakness is his strength; Trump’s lack of a filter put him in jeopardy when trying to recruit minority voters. What things should they do or not do during the debate? Hillary should definitely not try and speak over Trump or attempt humor because those two things definitely do not play to her strengths. Trump should try not to say anything too offensive. ———————————————————————- What advice would you give to Trump and Clinton for their upcoming debate on monday night? I would advise Trump to maintain a filter on his thoughts in order to be respectful towards those he may disagree with, and to specifically state his plans rather than describing them in vague terms. I would tell Clinton to be honest and convey the gravity of recent events regarding terrorism and race relations. To both candidates, I would stress the importance of focusing on current issues that voters have been discussing in the past week. How should they prepare to debate each other? The candidates should prepare by ensuring they feel comfortable discussing any and all topics they think will be brought up, as media outlets across the nation will be waiting for one of them to misstep, just as Gary Johnson did when asked about Aleppo. Likewise, the candidates should know their strengths and weakness enough to know which topics and areas of discussion to which they should draw the most attention. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate? The candidate’s strengths seem to set them as polar opposites of one another: Trump’s willingness to break the political mold through flirting with extremism sets him apart from the typical politician of whom his supporters have grown so tired; Clinton on the other hand possesses immense experience in politics and has stayed dedicated to American government throughout the majority of her life. Regarding biggest weaknesses, both candidates struggle immensely with likability. For Trump, this is largely due to his lack of a filter, unpredictable attitude, and his very small amount of knowledge about policy issues. Clinton’s low popularity mostly results from her history of shadiness and dishonesty. What things should they do or not do during the debate? The candidates should not speak over one another, but still try to maintain dominance over the debate; getting into a yelling contest does nothing for viewers, but using the time to discuss issues important to the candidate’s party is appealing to American citizens. Other suggestions? Keep the ultimate well-being of the United States in mind! This may be a debate between two parties who disagree on seemingly everything, but in the end we all want just what’s best for our country–undecided voters will appreciate a focus on the American people over a focus on partisanship. ———————————————————————- What advice would you give to Trump and Clinton for their upcoming debate on Monday night? A large issue with presidential debates is avoiding the question asked of them with a long and drawn out broad strokes remarks about either their policies or the status quo. Often, debaters just take sound bytes and recycle them for many – often completely different – questions. Instead of doing this, they should directly respond to questions with pragmatic and understandable answers that will make it easier for the audience to understand the nuances of each campaign. How should they prepare to debate each other? I think both sides need to understand the fine details of their policies, otherwise the other side will spend the debate questioning the implementation of said reforms. Often times during these debates the ends are ignored and the means are questioned, and if the debaters know how exactly they are going to get their plans and policies to become a reality, we will have a much more educational and comprehensive debate. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate? Donald Trump has a lot of emotion, and regardless of whether his emphatic and coarse language is a good thing, directing that emotion and craze into common sense explanations of what exactly he is going to do during his presidency will greatly benefit him and his standing during the debate. Hillary Clinton always has an uphill battle debates because of the amount of controversy associated with her, and it is important for her to make sure that she addresses these controversies accordingly, but she must do so quickly in order to go back to the issues that her candidacy is built on. She should avoid an email based debate or health based debate (which we are probably going to see) and should not let the debate distract from the issues. What things should they do or not do during the debate? Debaters really need to not let their emotions get out of hand and let the debate turn into a expletive loaded shout-fest. They need to contain their emotions and remember that telling the voters what they will do when in the oval office is really what will matter most to their success. Other suggestions? Overall, the most important things that the debaters can do is to quell their emotions and think about what they are going to say before they say them. ———————————————————————- #4 NAME: Sophia Yau-Weeks CLASS: 2017 What advice would you give to Trump and Clinton for their upcoming debate on Monday night? My advice for Trump and Clinton for their upcoming debate is to reiterate what the future holds, not just to restate their ideologies, but what they will actually do to carry out their beliefs within our government. What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate? To prepare to debate each other, both candidates must be familiar of the opposition’s arguments. This way, the candidates can maintain clash so that the debate remains a discussion. Through refutation, the candidates are able to put their arguments side by side allowing the viewers/audience to assess both candidates and compare their viewpoints. What things should they do or not do during the debate? Hillary: Strengths: Experienced, passionate, persistent Weaknesses: seems untrustworthy Trump: Strengths: Honest Weaknesses: Derogatory, disrespectful, lacks knowledge of policies and current issues, and often avoids answering the questions at hand among other things Other suggestions? I would say that both candidates should avoid interrupting the other and should stay respectful throughout the debate. I would also recommend that the candidates avoid derogation. They should address every question asked with complete honesty

Transitions are bittersweet. As we bid a fond farewell to the highly accomplished Class of 2016, we welcome the newest members of our community, the Class of 2020. The talented members of this class – 333 students selected from among more than 800 freshman applicants to O’Dowd – are leaders, thespians, artists, debaters, environmentalists, social justice activists and athletes, and bring a remarkable diversity of socioeconomic, ethnic and geographic backgrounds. The Class of 2020 is also one of O’Dowd’s most academically accomplished entering classes ever, with more than a third of the class designated as Honors Program students. “I am thrilled that we have such an accomplished and diverse group of incoming freshmen who have a real breadth of interests and talents. These newest O’Dowd students have demonstrated through the application process that they are eager to learn and grow, taking advantage of the many opportunities O’Dowd offers,” Principal J.D. Childs said. “We are all thrilled to witness them begin to ‘speak with their own voices’ and practice making their lives a gift for the betterment of our world.” Prospective families were carefully stewarded through the admissions experience and were exposed to the distinct benefits of an O’Dowd education at numerous touch points. “The admissions messaging and stewardship process illuminated the academic strengths of an O’Dowd education as well as the expansive array of co-curricular opportunities and the deep support that help ensure a highly successful college preparatory experience,” Admissions Director Kerryn Pincus said. Over 900 prospective students experienced the campus in person, touring the campus and visiting classrooms. Many noted that they felt at home in our diverse and accepting community, and that they could see themselves taking advantage of the phenomenal opportunities in both academics and extracurriculars, said Pincus. “When students and parents toured the campus, we heard them say that they could see the O’Dowd values alive on campus. If you peek into classrooms you’ll see focused and engaged students, caring teachers, a genuine joy and positivity around campus and a respectful community of teenagers. Our students are eager to help, they are involved, hold a strong moral compass and have varied interests,” Pincus said. President Steve Phelps says that all O’Dowd students receive an academically excellent and spiritually nourishing education that equals or surpasses that of the best independent and public schools, while providing so much more. “O’Dowd’s unique combination of academic excellence, authentic diversity, student support, and the quality and breadth of programs arise from our inclusive Catholic Charism.  I know of no other school in America that combines these traits with the excellence of our performing and visual arts, athletics, campus ministry and service, debate, and experiential sciences intertwined with one of the best sustainability programs in the world.  Our graduates’ values and joyful achievement result in superb college preparation, while enriching their families, friends, and our society,” he said. A Closer Look at the CLASS OF 2020 → The students come to O’Dowd from more than 80 different feeder schools, across 20 Bay Area regions → Approximately 1/3 are from Catholic schools; 1/3 are from independent/private schools; and 1/3 from public schools → Ethnic composition of the class is 22% African American, 15% Asian /Pacific Islander,   11% Latino, 43% White and 9% other → There is an equal number of male and female students → Student religious affiliation is 70% Catholic and Christian, 5% Jewish and   25% other religions or no affiliation. → 45% of the students have an alumni connection

The Senior & Parent Mass is set for Tuesday, September 27, beginning at 1:15 p.m., in the large gymnasium. Parents of all faiths are invited to join their sons and daughters for this O’Dowd tradition celebrating the special parent – child relationship. Seniors are encouraged to dress up for this special occasion. Details will be emailed to parents, guardians and seniors.

A highly regarded expert in the area of Holocaust education, O’Dowd social studies teacher Bonnie Sussman will present at the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) annual conference, being held in Washington, DC, in December. Sussman’s presentation, titled “Fighting to Survive! Teenage Diarists during the Holocaust,” will be delivered along with colleagues Lisa Bauman, of Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and Colleen Tambuscio, of New Milford High School in New Milford, New Jersey. All three are members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Regional Education Corps, and jointly lead an annual Holocaust Study Tour. Session attendees will also have an opportunity to meet one of the diarists, Peter Feigl, who wrote about his day-to-day life, fears and hopes for the future. “The diary is fascinating,” Sussman said. On the faculty at O’Dowd since 1990, Sussman introduced an elective course in Holocaust studies in 1996, and the book Salvaged Pages: Young Writers’ Diaries of the Holocaust, written by Alexandra Zapruder, is a staple in the course. Sussman, Bauman and Tambuscio have created a study guide, Teaching “Salvaged Pages: Young Writers’ Diaries of the Holocaust,” that provides primary sources and lesson plans for language arts and history teachers to complement Zapruder’s award winning collection of diaries written by young people during the Holocaust. Some of the writers were refugees, others were in hiding or passing as non-Jews, some were imprisoned in ghettos, and nearly all perished before liberation. The study guides give an overview of the diary entries, provide focus questions, learning goals, activities and assessments. https://www.facinghistory.org/teaching-salvaged-pages. Sussman is passionate about teaching students about the Holocaust, and believes studying events of the past can provide insight about current conflicts. “The kids don’t understand how the Holocaust could have happened.” Sussman said, “So we spend a lot of time analyzing behavior, and talking about what it means to be a citizen and the responsibility that we all have to speak out when we feel something is wrong.” The best advice Sussman says she can give to students is to care. “Like (Holocaust survivor) Elie Wiesel said, ‘The opposite of love is note hate, it’s indifference’,” Sussman said.

Today, students in Molleen Dupree-Dominguez’s Masterpieces of Western Religious Art course installed their cave art exhibition. Students studied various cave art that scientists have discovered, and they have learned about various theories on the spirituality behind cave art. They created symbols to represent their spiritual questions and spiritual stories. Then they illustrated these symbols and stories on paper in the Living Lab, using natural materials like dirt, fruits, vegetables, flowers, as well as chalk. Students used natural ingredients from the Living Lab for to paint in color.

The following letter was published in the SF Chronicle following the death of Malcolm Graham ’09. Read the O’Dowd administration’s community letter  in response to this tragic death» By Ricci and Vernae Graham August 26, 2016 In the hope that we can help other families confronting addiction and mental illness, we are sharing our journey and our prolonged fight for our son, Malcolm Rushe Graham. Malcolm died of an apparent heroin overdose just as he was attempting a fresh start. Although it is difficult to write this just hours after being informed our beautiful son passed away, we feel compelled to do so. Some may think this is too personal of a story to share in this manner. We feel drug addiction is an issue that must be addressed out loud, in public. We need to speak out about the heroin epidemic that few comprehend and too many accept as it continues its slow yet insidious invasion into our lives. Malcolm, who was injured while playing football during his senior year at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, became addicted to prescription pain medicine after two knee surgeries. His addiction was further complicated by his struggles with a mood disorder, leading to encounters with the criminal justice system and repeated stays in treatment centers. There was a time when we thought he had defeated his addiction, when he had evolved into the person we knew he could be. For two years, Malcolm was sober, immersing himself into what became his true passion: mixed martial arts. The sport became a welcome source of discipline that provided the structure and support missing in his life. He was clean and loving life — the young man who we worked so hard to raise and nurture. Then something happened: A demanding full-time job that no longer allowed him the freedom to train and participate in activities sponsored by the gym. He was learning computer coding, and taking prep courses, but all these activities proved just too much. He began to suffer from panic attacks. During this time, we urged him to get back on his prescription medication for those symptoms, but unbeknown to us, he had already eased back into the use of opioid-based paid medication, followed by the deadly plunge into heroin use and addiction. Over the years, we’ve reached out to an endless line of physicians, drug counselors, therapists, judges, lawyers and police officers. So many of you have been wonderful, but your counsel wasn’t enough to save Malcolm. He was denied what could have been a lifesaving drug by our insurance company even though his outpatient treatment center insisted that he was a “perfect candidate.” The insurer declined the use of this drug because it was recognized to treat alcoholism, not opioid addiction. The treatment center appealed several times over two months. All the while, Malcolm was slipping away. Shortly after the final denial, his outpatient treatment facility said he needed a higher level of treatment and recommended a rehab center in Sacramento. So, in April, Malcolm was admitted. Three weeks later he was released to the center’s sober living environment apartments and assigned to an intensive outpatient program. Many good things can be said about these programs, but one constant is they’re not designed for a Millennial. The curriculum is dated and doesn’t hold the attention of young people who have grown up with technology integrated into their lives. After three short weeks, Malcolm was released. The reason given? He no longer needed inpatient care. We were shocked: It didn’t take three weeks to become a heroin addict and certainly doesn’t take three weeks to break the addiction. The addiction treatment system is broken and needs a complete overall. The new White House drug czar, Michael Botticelli, gives us hope. He is a recovering alcoholic who recognizes addiction as a disease that needs to be treated like any other disease. We also need to take a look how other countries are dealing with heroin addiction. Portugal has significantly reduced the number of addicts in recent years; there the stigma is being lifted. We need to look everywhere for solutions — beyond any boundary, real or imagined. As we sifted through Malcolm’s school memorabilia, we came across an essay about if he could help the homeless, then he would. And he did. During many of our travels to treatment centers, hospitals and in our quest to find him safe housing, we always were amazed when he would stop, in mid-step, after noticing a homeless person, and offer to help in whatever way he could. That is who Malcolm was. It’s too late for Malcolm, who turned 25 on July 25, but it is not too late for those who are still suffering. They need help, they need the resources and care that so often are denied by the bureaucracy of the health care system. The health care insurers, who so eagerly accept payment of our premiums, are just as eager to deny the care that could keep our loved ones alive. Heroin addiction is cruel and relentless, leaving a path of pain, hopelessness, shame and ignorance. We must recognize it is an insidious disease, not the mark of a person’s character. We must pull together and do all we can to defeat this epidemic, because the next Malcolm Rushe Graham is just another 911 call away. Our son is no longer suffering. He will always be our highly intelligent, funny, moody, gorgeous, somewhat shy, silly son. He had a heart of gold and was extremely loyal to his true friends. Good night, sweet prince! You’re in God’s hands now. Ricci and Vernae Graham live in Oakland. Malcolm Rushe Graham passed away Aug. 14 in Denver. If addiction is an issue that concerns you, then please donate to the New Leaf Recovery Foundation in Lafayette; Free At Last Community Recovery in East Palo Alto; Narcotics Anonymous World Services; any drug treatment research center. Read the O’Dowd administration’s community letter »

Please use this form to sign-up for any or all of the remaining meetings » The book for our Fall semester is The Awakened Family: A Revolution in Parenting by Shefali Tsabary Ph.D » This recently published book will help parents develop skills and gain insights to have greater calm, compassion, and wisdom in parenting. Each Book Club meeting will be an informal discussion related to the selected readings and an opportunity for parents to share their experience in response to the material presented in the book.  The reading groups will be facilitated by AP Psychology teacher and Marriage and Family Therapist Intern, Mark Lederer. Meetings are as follows: Tuesday, September 6    Chapters 1-7 Tuesday, September 20    Chapters 8-12 Tuesday, October 4        Chapters 13-18 Tuesday, October 18         Chapters 19-end

With the entire Bishop O’Dowd High School community gathered on the Quad, Bishop of Oakland Michael C. Barber, SJ, along with campus chaplain Fr. Jim Sullivan, celebrated the Mass of the Holy Spirit on Sept. 8. Diocesan priests Rev. Alexander Castillo and Fr. Bich Nguyen also participated. Prior to the start of the liturgy, the Campus Ministry Team performed a skit focused on “Community in Diversity,” an integral element in O’Dowd’s Charism and a theme for the 2016-17 school year. Watch more videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel » The CMT members noted that our school community is special because each individual member is different. “We all have different talents, and together we are unstoppable,” they said. In his homily, Bishop Barber paid a special tribute to Mary, as it was the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He recounted the story of a student from a Bay Area Catholic high school who was severely injured several years ago while playing baseball. He was hit in the head by a line drive and fell into a coma. “The students at the school put a photo of the baseball player in front of the statue of Mary in the school’s Chapel, and students said the rosary for him at lunch,” he said. “Two weeks later, the player woke up.” To honor Mary at Mass, Bishop Barber placed a small framed image of the Virgin Mary on the altar. “Mary is a mother to each and every one of us. She will never let you down,” he said. Campus Ministry Team with Bishop Barber. Bishop Barber blesses student body.

What makes work satisfying? Apart from a paycheck, there are intangible values that, Barry Schwartz suggests, our current way of thinking about work simply ignores. It’s time to stop thinking of workers as cogs on a wheel.

To All Bishop O’Dowd Families, please come to a special presentation about Sojourn To The Past, the civil rights tour, on Wednesday September 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the theater.  The tour for Bishop O’Dowd begins April 3, 2017.  The evening talk will be presented by Jeff Steinberg, the founder of Sojourn who will give you in depth details of this life changing educational experience.   The attached video was created by the students who went on the inaugural trip for BOD last year.  If you have any questions please contact Marguerite Green at  or Jase Turner. If you have any questions please contact Marguerite Green at or Jase Turner.

The following letter was published in the SF Chronicle following the death of Malcolm Graham ’09. By Ricci and Vernae Graham August 26, 2016 Updated: August 26, 2016 3:45pm In the hope that we can help other families confronting addiction and mental illness, we are sharing our journey and our prolonged fight for our son, Malcolm Rushe Graham. Malcolm died of an apparent heroin overdose just as he was attempting a fresh start. Although it is difficult to write this just hours after being informed our beautiful son passed away, we feel compelled to do so. Some may think this is too personal of a story to share in this manner. We feel drug addiction is an issue that must be addressed out loud, in public. We need to speak out about the heroin epidemic that few comprehend and too many accept as it continues its slow yet insidious invasion into our lives. Malcolm, who was injured while playing football during his senior year at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, became addicted to prescription pain medicine after two knee surgeries. His addiction was further complicated by his struggles with a mood disorder, leading to encounters with the criminal justice system and repeated stays in treatment centers. There was a time when we thought he had defeated his addiction, when he had evolved into the person we knew he could be. For two years, Malcolm was sober, immersing himself into what became his true passion: mixed martial arts. The sport became a welcome source of discipline that provided the structure and support missing in his life. He was clean and loving life — the young man who we worked so hard to raise and nurture. Then something happened: A demanding full-time job that no longer allowed him the freedom to train and participate in activities sponsored by the gym. He was learning computer coding, and taking prep courses, but all these activities proved just too much. He began to suffer from panic attacks. During this time, we urged him to get back on his prescription medication for those symptoms, but unbeknown to us, he had already eased back into the use of opioid-based paid medication, followed by the deadly plunge into heroin use and addiction. Over the years, we’ve reached out to an endless line of physicians, drug counselors, therapists, judges, lawyers and police officers. So many of you have been wonderful, but your counsel wasn’t enough to save Malcolm. He was denied what could have been a lifesaving drug by our insurance company even though his outpatient treatment center insisted that he was a “perfect candidate.” The insurer declined the use of this drug because it was recognized to treat alcoholism, not opioid addiction. The treatment center appealed several times over two months. All the while, Malcolm was slipping away. Shortly after the final denial, his outpatient treatment facility said he needed a higher level of treatment and recommended a rehab center in Sacramento. So, in April, Malcolm was admitted. Three weeks later he was released to the center’s sober living environment apartments and assigned to an intensive outpatient program. Many good things can be said about these programs, but one constant is they’re not designed for a Millennial. The curriculum is dated and doesn’t hold the attention of young people who have grown up with technology integrated into their lives. After three short weeks, Malcolm was released. The reason given? He no longer needed inpatient care. We were shocked: It didn’t take three weeks to become a heroin addict and certainly doesn’t take three weeks to break the addiction. The addiction treatment system is broken and needs a complete overall. The new White House drug czar, Michael Botticelli, gives us hope. He is a recovering alcoholic who recognizes addiction as a disease that needs to be treated like any other disease. We also need to take a look how other countries are dealing with heroin addiction. Portugal has significantly reduced the number of addicts in recent years; there the stigma is being lifted. We need to look everywhere for solutions — beyond any boundary, real or imagined. As we sifted through Malcolm’s school memorabilia, we came across an essay about if he could help the homeless, then he would. And he did. During many of our travels to treatment centers, hospitals and in our quest to find him safe housing, we always were amazed when he would stop, in mid-step, after noticing a homeless person, and offer to help in whatever way he could. That is who Malcolm was. It’s too late for Malcolm, who turned 25 on July 25, but it is not too late for those who are still suffering. They need help, they need the resources and care that so often are denied by the bureaucracy of the health care system. The health care insurers, who so eagerly accept payment of our premiums, are just as eager to deny the care that could keep our loved ones alive. Heroin addiction is cruel and relentless, leaving a path of pain, hopelessness, shame and ignorance. We must recognize it is an insidious disease, not the mark of a person’s character. We must pull together and do all we can to defeat this epidemic, because the next Malcolm Rushe Graham is just another 911 call away. Our son is no longer suffering. He will always be our highly intelligent, funny, moody, gorgeous, somewhat shy, silly son. He had a heart of gold and was extremely loyal to his true friends. Good night, sweet prince! You’re in God’s hands now. Ricci and Vernae Graham live in Oakland. Malcolm Rushe Graham passed away Aug. 14 in Denver. If addiction is an issue that concerns you, then please donate to the New Leaf  http://myemail.constantcontact.com/news-from-New-Leaf-Treatment-Center-and-New-Leaf-Recovery-Foundation.html?soid=1106567940123&aid=cVJjTnjalkY Recovery Foundation in Lafayette; Free At Last Community Recovery in East Palo Alto; Narcotics Anonymous World Services; any drug treatment research center. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at http://bit.ly/SFChronicleletters.

Role: Cassie Ferguson Year In School: Sophomore Theater Experience: “I was Little Inez in Hairspray here at O’Dowd. I do a lot of outside theater.” Describe your role in A Chorus Line. “I play a well known dancer who everyone thought would become a star. She had a previous relationship with the director, Zach, that didn’t end well. This relationship complicates her audition dynamic.” What themes and/or subject matter of the show attract you? “The idea that so many different people with different backgrounds can find comfort and love in the same industry.” What challenges, acting, singing, or dancing, does this production present? “I would have to say all three; singing, dancing and acting. That’s actually my favorite part about the show. You have to work hard to be excellent in all three disciplines.” Describe life as a BOD Drama Student? “Life as a BOD drama student is extremely exciting. The kids in the drama program are very enthusiastic and so talented. Everyone is so much fun to be around.”

On the 10th anniversary of their son Stephen’s passing, Katie and Leonard Tom, as well as friends and family of Stephen, wished to celebrate his life by creating a scholarship fund in his honor. According to Katie Tom, “O’Dowd was the perfect place to establish the fund because education is important to our family. Our sons were raised in Oakland, three of them attended O’Dowd, and we believe strongly in the value of an O’Dowd education. We are thrilled that we can leave a legacy for our son at a school that has been such a big part of our family.” The Stephen Tom ’78 Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 2015 to provide financial aid to top students that reside in Oakland. Recently, the family also decided to plant a tree on campus as a visual reminder of Stephen’s life and commitment to the outdoors. He enjoyed many activities, including hiking, backpacking, skiing, golf and tennis. The Tom family and friends gathered on the O’Dowd campus on April 16, 2016, for a ceremonial planting and tree blessing. Lifelong friend and O’Dowd classmate Stephen Woo ’78 spoke at the gathering. “In 2005, Theresa Rush Woo ’81 and I lost a dear friend and a classmate of mine, Stephen Tom ’78, to a tragic accident after climbing down from Mt Whitney. It was just a couple of days after I saw him going to a Cal football game and dinner at our house. We miss him,” Woo said. Given the school’s motto “Finding God in All Things,” it’s very fitting that there is a plaque and especially a coast live oak planted in Stephen Tom’s honor on the O’Dowd campus, Woo said. Longtime friend Mark Kramer said that when the pair met 36 years ago as freshmen at UC San Diego he could tell right away that Stephen had been shaped by his family and his high school education. “This is a perfect, fitting tribute to Stephen who loved bringing joy to others,” Kramer said.

An accomplished dancer and actor, Aliyah was one of only 18 applicants (from a pool of more than 1,000) accepted into the acting program at UCLA’s elite School of Theater, Film & Television. She begins her studies in September. The interview/audition process was rigorous and included participation in an information session, the performance of two contrasting monologues (one classical and one contemporary), an interview in which applicants are asked to discuss their goals and aspirations for studying theater, and a movement audition where judges assess how applicants comport themselves in a group setting and how they respond to challenges. Aliyah said the process was nerve-wracking. “Throughout the whole thing they are taking notes on you, observing you, and writing your number down … or not writing your number down,” she said. Expanding Her Creative Repertoire A competitive dancer since the age of three who has performed locally and nationally in several different styles of dance, Aliyah was chosen two summers ago, along with several other top performers from the Castro Valley Performing Arts program, to attend dance classes full-time at the famous Broadway Dance Center and Alvin Ailey Schools in New York City for a week. Her creative repertoire expanded to acting when she got involved with the Neighborhood Youth Theater in Castro Valley about 10 years ago. She pursued drama O’Dowd, starring in several performances including Godspell, Hairspray and A Chorus Line. She credits Drama Director Dennis Kohles and drama teacher Trina Oliver – “MizzO” as she is affectionately called – with cultivating her passion for acting. “They are very professional and knowledgeable about acting and that really opened up my eyes to the possibility of pursuing it as a career,” she said. MizzO was instrumental in helping Aliyah prepare for her UCLA audition, as well as the other auditions she had at Pepperdine University, Chapman University and Loyola Marymount University. “MizzO came to me at the beginning of senior year and asked if I was interested in pursuing acting after high school. When I said ‘Of course,’ she said we needed to start working on monologues and training for the auditions and interviews. She was a big help,” Aliyah said. Aliyah prepared “Waiting for Lefty” as her contemporary piece and a monologue from “As You Like It” for her classical piece. She performed the classical piece at the Ohlone College High School Theatre Festival in May, and ended up placing in the category. “That really boosted my confidence for the auditions,” she said. For the past year, Aliyah has taken film and screen acting classes at Film Acting Bay Area (FABA) in Emeryville, where she has been provided several casting opportunities. She’s appeared in a short film, Through the Windowpain, and will star in an episode of FABA’s new, dramatic WebSeries The Traffick in August. She’s also secured a role in the upcoming feature film Taking Liberty. Aliyah says what she enjoys most about acting is “telling a story and getting people out of their reality and making them believe and become invested in something she is creating.” Looking ahead, Aliyah hopes use the actor showcases at UCLA as a springboard to a film acting career. “I can’t wait to start auditioning and truly living out my passion,” she said.

RECORD: 3-2 WACC, 5-3-1 OVERALL MATCH MVP: GRANT CRANEY – During an overall tough day, Grant held down #1 doubles as well as stepping in to play #1 singles for exhibition. Very mature as a Freshman in the face of adversity to complete his own match and offer to play Piedmont’s #1 player when the O’Dowd had trouble with ours. MATCH SUMMARY: We knew it was coming, a matchup with our rival during our ‘rebuilding year’. Our gents tried their hardest in spite of a problem at #1 singles. Piedmont had a fairly easy time with the Dragons, as our players simply didn’t have the firepower to stand up to Piedmont’s barrage. We didn’t take a set this time although everyone tried their hardest. BOD MEN’S TENNIS MATCH SCORECARD Opponent: PIEDMONT HIGH Home Date: 3/15/16 Time: 4:00pm VARSITY # LP BISHOP O’DOWD PIEDMONT TIME MATCH SCORE 1 1 Ian Thomas vs. Rohan Srivastava default 2 2 Noah Linde vs. Brian Lai 63 4-6, 1-6 3 6 Aidan Forth vs. Koji Ky-Fries 46 0-6, 1-6 4 7 Nick Riani vs. Ricky Peters 49 0-6, 2-6 1D 4 Grant Craney vs. Devan Joseph 44 1-6, 2-6 1D 3 Aaron Hicks Kalen Davidson 2D 5 Graham Williams vs. Joey Lalli 53 1-6, 1-6 2D 9 Camron Castro Nathan Auyoung 3D 10 TJ Hicks vs. David Monical 56 1-6, 4-6 3D 8 Michael Jayasuriya Polvoroso 0 TOTAL VARSITY WINS 7

March 8, 2016 RECORD: 2-1-0 WACC, 4-2-1 OVERALL TOURNAMENT MVP: Graham WIlliams/Camron Castro – Our Senior doubles team went 3-0 including a pair of 3 set wins. They showed nerves of steel as TWO team matches came down to their court. In the second match v Milpitas, Williams/Castro were down 0-6 and 5-9 in the tiebreaker before roaring back to win the final 6 points and the match. Amazing tennis from our two team captains. TOURNAMENT SUMMARY: O’Dowd won the first match 6-0 vs Immanuel from the Central Valley. Last year we had a tougher time with this school and O’Dowd’s preparation and attitude had a lot to do with this shutout. Our second match was with Milpitas – a team we had tied two years ago. Working around their amazing #1 player Dillon Lam, the Dragons put emphasis on doubles – sweeping all three contests. Nick Riani capped the victory with a victory at #3 singles for a 4-2 win. The final match pitted O’Dowd vs San Luis Obispo for the division title. It was an extremely even battle with four tiebreakers and average match time lasting two hours. Noah Linde pulled out #2 singles in a TB, as did Williams/Castro (#2 dubs) and Jayasuriya/Forth (#3 dubs) . SLO captured #3 singles in a TB, but also won #1 singles and doubles in straight sets. This gave the Tigers a 9-7 set edge to break the 3-3 match deadlock for the title. All-in-all a great tournament for the Dragons – match experience for our young squad. Lots of fun was had by all even though Saturday was rained out. BOD MEN’S TENNIS MATCH SCORECARD Opponent: IMMANUEL HIGH SCHOOL FRESNO TOURNAMENT Date: 3/4/16 Time: 8:30 am VARSITY # BISHOP O’DOWD W IMMANUEL TIME MATCH SCORE 1 Ian Thomas vs. Joel Reimer 6-1, 6-2 2 Noah Linde vs. Christian Gomez 6-1, 6-1 3 Nick Riani vs. Daniel McCracken 6-2, 6-3 1D Aaron Hicks vs. Travis Bakker 6-0, 4-6, 10-7 1D Grant Craney Cody King 2D Graham Williams vs. Colby Panison 6-4, 6-3 2D Camron Castro Wyatt King 3D Aidan Forth vs. Keoki Kalempono 6-0, 6-2 3D Michael Jayasuriya Kealona Kalempono 6 TOTAL VARSITY WINS 0 TOTAL VARSITY WINS Opponent: MILPITAS FRESNO TOURNAMENT Date: 3/4/16 Time: 11:30 am VARSITY # BISHOP O’DOWD MILPITAS TIME MATCH SCORE 1 Noah Linde vs. Dillon Lam 44 0-6, 1-6 2 Grant Craney vs. Paul Le 57 3-6, 2-6 3 Nick Riani vs. Timmy Plean 62 6-3, 6-4 1D Aaron Hicks vs. Kenneth Cheau 54 6-1, 6-4 1D Ian Thomas Ryan Nguyen 2D Graham Williams vs. Cyrus Chen 87 6-7 (4), 6-3, 11-9 2D Camron Castro Jarrett Romasu 3D TJ Hicks vs. Jackie Tran 64 7-6 (0), 6-2 3D Michael Jayasuriya Jhasper Santino 4 TOTAL VARSITY WINS 2 TOTAL VARSITY WINS Opponent: SAN LUIS OBISPO FRESNO TOURNAMENT Date: 3/4/16 Time: 2:30 pm VARSITY # BISHOP O’DOWD SAN LUIS OBISPO TIME MATCH SCORE 1 Ian Thomas vs. Zach Hilty 135 2-6, 4-6 2 Noah Linde vs. James Raj 129 6-2, 1-6, 10-4 3 Nick Riani vs. Jake Alltucker 131 3-6, 6-4, 3-10 1D Aaron Hicks vs. Kavi Frexaldenhauer 121 4-6, 4-6 1D Ian Thomas Alex Hasley 2D Graham Williams vs. Cole Westwood 116 6-0, 3-6, 10-6 2D Camron Castro Sam Johnson 3D Aidan Forth vs. Kannan Frexaldenhauer 108 6-1, 2-6, 10-5 3D Michael Jayasuriya Gus Billings 3 TOTAL VARSITY WINS 3 TOTAL VARSITY WINS SLO WINS SETS 9-7 JUNIOR VARSITY RECORD: 1-3-1 OVERALL TOURNAMENT MVP: Nick Vollintine – Senior JV player went 3-0 for the tournament. His experience paid off as he won with three different partners at #2 doubles. TOURNAMENT SUMMARY: O’Dowd JV players got some valuable match experience in Fresno. Having won D8 last year, the JV moved up to D7 even though there were only a few returning players. D7 proved to be tough, as many schools fielded only one squad and we faced essentially their Varsity players. El Capitan (Merced) and Valley High (Elk Grove) both had amazing singles players and defeated our JV 4-2 and 5-1 respectively. The Dragons were able to eek out victories in doubles, and enough wins to overcome Delano 3-3 (54-53 games). For our first-year players this tournament is very informative to let them know the sort of commitment and focus they will need to become good players! Lots of fun was had by all even though Saturday was rained out. BOD MEN’S TENNIS MATCH SCORECARD Opponent: EL CAPITAN HIGH SCHOOL FRESNO TOURNAMENT Date: 3/4/16 Time: 8:30 am JUNIOR VARSITY # BISHOP O’DOWD EL CAPITAN HIGH TIME MATCH SCORE 1 Amit Nagdev vs. Lee Yang 1-6, 1-6 2 Bryce Suzuki vs. Gen Chang 0-6, 1-6 3 Nic Chan vs. Olive Calos 0-6, 1-6 1D Brandon Pang vs. Brennan Garcia 2-6, 4-6 1D Brandon Choy Joseph Vance 2D Nick Vollintine vs. Calvin Hu 6-1, 6-4 2D Tristan Mortarotti Ethan Silvera 3D Salvatore Beeby vs. Jesse Alvarez 6-4, 6-3 3D Orion Aljarrah Jesus Rodriguez 2 TOTAL JV WINS 4 TOTAL JV WINS Opponent: DELANO HIGH FRESNO TOURNAMENT Date: 3/4/16 Time: 1:00 pm JUNIOR VARSITY # BISHOP O’DOWD DELANO HIGH TIME MATCH SCORE 1 Amit Nagdev vs. Nayib Rivera 52 1-6, 1-6 2 Bryce Suzuki vs. Oliver Ignacio 117 4-6, 6-4, 11-9 3 Salvatore Beeby vs. Andrew Vasquez 114 4-6, 6-2, 7-10 1D Brandon Pang vs. Mendoza 61 6-2, 6-2 1D Brandon Choy Alejo 2D Nick Vollintine vs. Cacal 63 6-4, 6-1 2D Nic Chan Marin 3D Irvin James vs. Flores 73 2-6, 5-7 3D Shawn Schulz Miranda 3 TOTAL JV WINS 3 TOTAL JV WINS O’DOWD WINS 54-53 GAMES Opponent: VALLEY HIGH FRESNO TOURNAMENT Date: 3/4/16 Time: 4:00 pm JUNIOR VARSITY # BISHOP O’DOWD VALLEY HIGH TIME MATCH SCORE 1 Bryce Suzuki vs. Thu Vu 54 0-6, 1-6 2 Tristan Mortarotti vs. Chia Vang 51 0-6, 0-6 3 Orion Aljarrah vs. Sam Mora 58 1-6, 2-6 1D Brandon Pang vs. Jeramiah Holt 62 1-6, 3-6 1D Brandon Choy Toni Xi 2D Nick Vollintine vs. Su Long Lee 67 6-3, 3-4 ret 2D Amit Nagdev Gordon Thao 3D Ivan Fong vs. Steven Vang 67 4-6, 1-5 ret 3D Josh Yost David Cruz 1 TOTAL JV WINS 5 TOTAL JV WINS

Full results HERE East Bay Times article HERE Friday, June 3rd, 2016: Senior Natalie Mitchell competed in the shot put at her first ever State Meet appearance. Natalie threw her second furthest throw of the season with her throw of 38 ft 1 inch. This earned her 18th place, outside of the top 12 that moved on to finals the following day. Natalie looks to continue her training over the summer as she prepares to go to UC Riverside where she will be coached by Olympic coach Kent Pagel. Junior Hana Johnson competed well in the triple jump with her furthest jump of 36 ft 2 inches. This just was not enough to qualify for the finals but this comes after Hana had to sit out more than a month of training due to a fractured toe earlier this season. Her resilience and competitive drive to come back and qualify for the state meet leaves her hungry going into next year, her senior season. The Girls 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams advanced to the finals, placing 6th and 10th in the trials. KaRa Awakoaiye competed in the 100 hurdles running a new personal best, 13.87. Tierra Robinson-Jones competed in both the 400m and 200m running 55.04 and 24.41. Her 400m time and place earned her a spot in the finals in the 400m the next day. Saturday, June 4th, 2016: The girls 4x100m relay team placed 7th in the finals, this team was made up of KaRa Awakoaiye, Tierra Robinson-Jones, Lauryn Moore, and Marnae Glover. Their time of 46.63 from the trials was a season best followed closely by their 46.82 in the finals on Saturday. KaRa Awakoaiye came back shortly after to run the 100 hurdles where she placed 4th overall earning a place on the medal stand with her time of 13.78. With this race KaRa now holds the Bishop O’Dowd school record in the 100 hurdles. Capping a great season KaRa will be headed to Howard University on a full academic scholarship. Tierra Robinson-Jones competed in the girls 400m race and placed 4th behind junior Kaelin Roberts (Carson), senior Hannah Waller (Buchanan), and sophomore Maliyah Medley (El Toro). Her time of 54.05 breaks her previous personal best and Bishop O’Dowd school record. As just a sophomore, the future is bright as Tierra will continue to be a key part of the girls relay teams in addition to her own pursuit for an individual title in the 400m. In the girls 4x400m relay senior Aliyah Walker lead the Dragons running a strong first leg from lane 2, she passed the baton to Tierra who made up 3 places during her leg of the relay, Lauryn Moore ran 3rd and Jasmine Powell closed for the team who finished 7th overall. Three of these four girls will return next year looking to place even higher with another year of competition under their belt. Congratulations to the Dragons on a stellar season. Thank you everyone for your support!

Jason Brown (Senior) Marcus Williams (Senior) Adrian Davis Thomas Flynn Aaron DePaolo Ruben McIntosh