Marist High School (Chicago, Illinois)

Marist High School is a private Catholic preparatory high school located in the Mount Greenwood neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Marist Brothers on behalf of the Archdiocese of Chicago.[3] Founded in 1963 as an all-male institution, the school became co-ed in 2002 and today educates over 1,700 young men and women each year.[4]

Marist High School
Address
4200 West 115th Street

Chicago
,
Illinois
60655

United States
Coordinates41°41′6″N 87°43′28″W
Information
TypePrivate, Coeducational
MottoEducation for Time and Eternity
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1963
OversightArchdiocese of Chicago
PresidentBr. Hank Hammer, FMS
PrincipalLarry Tucker
Teaching staff119
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,647[1] (2018–19)
Student to teacher ratio19:1
Campus size55 acres (22 ha)
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)    Red, White and Black
Athletics conferenceEast Suburban Catholic Conference
MascotRedhawk
Team nameRedHawks
AccreditationAdvancED
NewspaperThe Sentinel
YearbookThe Lantern
TuitionUS$12,600
AffiliationMarist Brothers
Websitewww.marist.net
[2]

History

In the early 1960s, the Christian Brothers of Ireland were asked by Cardinal Albert Gregory Meyer to operate an all-male high school on the far southwest side of Chicago, on land surrounded by St. Casimir Lithuanian Cemetery at the corner of 115th Street and Pulaski Road. With three area schools already under their purview (Leo Catholic High School, Brother Rice High School, and St. Laurence High School) the Christian Brothers declined, and shortly thereafter the Marist Brothers were asked to operate the school instead.[5] Marist opened on September 9, 1963, with 323 young men enrolled in the charter class.[6]

In the mid-1990s, the Marist community decided to begin a transition from the school's original mascot and nickname, Redskins, to a less controversial one. RedHawks was chosen as the new mascot and nickname before the start the 1997–98 school year. This also caused several minor changes in student life, for example renaming the yearbook from Plainsman to The Lantern.

The school remained an all-male institution until the 2002–03 school year, when girls were admitted for the first time.[6]

Starting in 2003, the school launched a multi-year fundraising campaign to advance needed upgrades to the school's physical structure, as well as to provide for the school's financial foundation, technology upgrades, and to continue financial assistance to students.

Academics

Like many Catholic high schools, students are required to take four years of coursework in religious studies. In their fourth year, students may opt out of traditional coursework and fulfill their graduation requirement through work in community service or in peer leadership. In community service, students are assigned to travel off campus to work at a hospital, a work community for adults with developmental disabilities, a grammar school, or other such environment. Peer leadership offers seniors the opportunity to work within a classroom aiding teachers and other students.[7]

Seventeen different AP classes are offered in: English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Calculus (both AB and BC), Biology, Chemistry, Physics (C), U.S. History, European History, U.S. Government and Politics, Psychology, Computer Science (A), Art History, Studio Art, French Language and Spanish Language[7]

Athletics
The east part of the building is mostly gymnasiums and other athletic facilities.

Marist sponsors the following sports for both boys and girls, all of which are governed by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA): basketball, bowling, cross country, golf, soccer, track & field, volleyball, and lacrosse. Boys compete in baseball, football, and wrestling. Girls compete in poms, cheerleading, softball, and swimming

Marist also sponsors boxing and ice hockey, though these teams do not compete in state series sponsored by the IHSA.

Marist competes in the East Suburban Catholic Conference (ESCC). Marist also competes in the largest school classes of the state series sponsored by the IHSA. Known more for academics than athletics, Marist has finished in the top four in several IHSA sponsored state championship series. Among them:[8]

  • Baseball: State Champions (1977–78); 3rd place (2000–01)
  • Basketball (girls): 4th place (2007–08)
  • Cross Country (boys): 3rd place (1996–97); 4th place (1982–83, 1983–84)
  • Football: 2nd place (1986–87, 2009–10, 2015–16 )
  • Softball: State Champions (2011–12, 2014–15)
  • Volleyball (boys): State Champions (2001–02) & (2009–10) & (2018–19); 4th place (1995–96); 9th place (2015–16)
  • Volleyball (girls): State Champions (2017–18) & (2018–19) 4th place (2011–12)
  • Wrestling: State Champions (1982–83, 1986–87); 2nd place (1996–97, 2013-2014); 3rd place (1984–85, 1988–89, 1990–91)
  • Hockey: 2nd Place (1992), (1994)

The varsity wrestling team won twenty-seven consecutive varsity conference titles dating from the 1980–81 season through the 2006–07 season.[9] The school claims this to be an American high school record.

While not sanctioned by the IHSA, Marist won the Kennedy Cup, the oldest hockey prize in Illinois high school hockey, as a part of their Chicago Catholic Hockey League Championships in 1991,1994 and 1995.[10]

Rivalries

Since its foundation Marist has enjoyed a natural rivalry with neighboring school Brother Rice. Games between the two schools are often referred to as the "Battle of Pulaski”. When Marist became a coeducational school, the local all-girls high school in the neighborhood Mother McAuley became a natural rival.

Activities

The Marist band is somewhat unusual in that it is not only an extracurricular activity, but also an Honors academic class. The band functions as a marching band generally in the autumn (performing pregame, halftime, and postgame shows at home football games), and as a concert band for the remainder of the year (highlighted by Christmas and Spring Concerts). The general exceptions are their annual performances in the Chicago Columbus Day Parade, the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the Chicago St. Patrick's Day parades.

The band is generally not a competition band, but has been successful enough to perform on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and to be the featured marching band to open the new Comiskey Park in 1991.[11]

The Marist band has won numerous honors and awards, and has traveled across the country to perform in parades and shows such as the Tournament of Roses Parade, the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade, the Sugar Bowl, the Orange Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Peach Bowl, the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade and many other events.[11][12] The Marist marching band were grand national field show champions out of 10 bands at the 2011 Chick-fil-A bowl competition, with a score of 93 and a gold rating.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "School Directory - Chicago (Marist)". www.ihsa.org.
  2. "Marist High School Profile 2015–2016" (PDF).
  3. "Home Page | Marist High School". www.marist.net. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  4. "Marist High School Profile 2016-2017". issuu. Retrieved 2017-07-01.
  5. Marist vs. Brother Rice - Twenty Years of Tradition August 25, 1995 p. 27 by Chris Fusco Marist '90, et al.
  6. "Mission & History | Marist High School". www.marist.net. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
  7. Course catalog Archived 2010-06-13 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "School Directory - Chicago (Marist)". www.ihsa.org.
  9. "wrestling history". www.eastsuburbancc.com.
  10. Kennedy Cup information at USAHockey.com Archived 2008-04-05 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Greve, Courtney (26 March 2006), "Turning in his baton: Original Marist music man ready to retire", Daily Southtown (Tinley Park, IL, USA), pp. B1, B8, Although the emphasis was never on competition ... the groups found consistent success under Manna's direction. The marching band, for example, was selected to perform when Jay Leno taped his show in Chicago, when the new White Sox ballpark opened, and at nearly every major college football game, including the Rose Bowl.
  12. "Band - Marist High School". www.marist.net.
  13. "The Point" (PDF). www.marist.net. Marist High School. Winter 2015. p. 22. Retrieved 2018-02-19.
  14. "Chicago actor stars in 'Manhattan' — about the making of the A-bomb". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 2018-02-22.
  15. Tom Gorzelany's information page at mlb.com
  16. Gomez, Luis (September 21, 2012). "Interview: Michael Pena's adjusting to the view from up there". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 13 January 2017. I grew up reading the newspapers, mostly the sports section. I was a wrestler and would check to see if I was ranked. I went to Marist (High School) originally and went downstate a couple times.
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