Here is the latest from DeMatha:

• DeMatha won the Fire Protection Engineering Design Challenge last weekend. Sponsored by the University of Maryland, the competition involves the design, construction and burn testing of a small housing model. Students are challenged to find an innovative solution for fire detection and suppression. The Stags beat five schools to win the title for the first time since 2016. Photos
   
• Dean of Students Shaka Dickerson '03 is featured on the latest "Stag Symposium" podcast. From DeMatha to Columbia, Howard and Vanderbilt, with interests ranging from architecture to urban planning to history and leadership, Shaka thinks deeply about spaces and learning, expectations and learning, self-discipline and self-awareness. Listen
   
• Over 200 DeMatha musicians will be traveling to Virginia Beach, Va., to participate in the annual spring music trip and festival this weekend. Parents and alumni are welcome to attend. (See the epilogue for more on the event.)
   
• DeMatha will help to raise awareness for organ donation with a flag raising ceremony in April (National Donate Life Month). Please send us names of organ donors, living or deceased, and organ recipients who we could call out during the event. Respond to Pat Smith '82 at psmith@dematha.org.

In Memoriam:

• Maura Jeffords, mother of Patton '23. Obituary
   
• Reginald Taylor, father of Kevin '81 and Kirk '93. Obituary

Athletics:

• The baseball team (17-3) won its past four games, including an 8-3 victory Saturday over Good Counsel that ended the Falcons' six-game winning streak. The Stags host Gonzaga today at 4:30 p.m. and then hit the road for contests at The Heights (11 a.m. Saturday), Bishop McNamara (4:30 Tuesday) and St. John's (4:30 Wednesday).
   
• The lacrosse team (5-5) lost to La Salle, 6-1, in the Fallen Heroes Game, and at Landon, 13-9. The squad plays Friday at Gonzaga (5:15 p.m.) and Tuesday at Paul VI (7 p.m.).
   
• The tennis team (6-2-2) fell to Sidwell Friends and Bishop Ireton before bouncing back to beat Good Counsel on Senior Day. The Stags travel to Gonzaga on Friday (4 p.m.) and to St. Albans next Tuesday (3:30).
   
• The rowing team competed at the Lake Lenape Sprints in May Landing, N.J., this past weekend. The Junior 4+ remains undefeated. They have won their last two races and recorded the fastest time of all teams in their event. The Varsity 8+ had a great race despite windy conditions and a rough start. The team competes against Walter Johnson at Bladensburg Waterfront Park on Sunday at 10 a.m.
   
• The golf team defeated Good Counsel, 5.5-3.5. The squad plays Holy Cross at Woodmore CC on Monday; Seton at Renditions GC on Tuesday; and Gonzaga at Cannon Club on Wednesday. Tee time for each match is 3:30 p.m.
   
• Senior Caleb Barley committed to High Point (N.C.) University on Wednesday. This past weekend, at the South County Stallion Invitational in Lorton, Va., he won the shot put (56-6) and was second in the discus (165-5). Chase Lopez was first in the 1,600m run (4:23.59) and second in the 800m run (1:59.58). Full Results
   
• The Stags will compete Saturday (10 a.m.) at the P.G. Sports and Learning Complex in Landover.
   
• David Adkins, former faculty member and coach, has been named associate head coach of the University of Washington women's basketball team. Link

Alumni News:

• Graduates of the Class of 1970 and prior are invited for a get-together at Ledo's Pizza in College Park this Friday at 3 p.m. Please RSVP to Charlie Kenny '68 at litigator1@aol.com.
   
• Members of the Class of 1980 will gather at Coconut Joe's in Edgewater, Md., this Saturday at 6 p.m. Chris Scianella '80 and his band Sister Midnight will perform later that evening.
   
• Calling all DeMatha Stags in the New York City area! We will be hosting a reception at the Ainsworth Midtown (45 East 33rd St.) on Thursday May 9, 6-8 p.m. Food and beverages will be available. Dr. Dan McMahon '76, Tom Ponton '78 and Ben Fleri '11 will be attending. This will be our first reception in New York since the pandemic. All members of the DeMatha community are welcome. If you live or work in New York or nearby, please help us spread the word. RSVP to Ben at bfleri@dematha.org. We hope to see you there.
   
• John Farrell '78 is the new executive director of Warrior Ethos, which is dedicated to providing assistance in the career planning, professional development and placement of service members, veterans, their spouses and caregivers throughout their transition. Link
   
• Kevin Wells '86 wrote a story on a group of nuns who risk their lives to rescue poor and tormented children in Tanzania to provide them with a life-changing education. Link
   
• Dave DiLuigi '88 and his wife Regina are co-chairs of the Catholic Charities Ball this Saturday night at the Washington Hilton.
   
• Paul Hackett '88 is a trade show carpenter with the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America.
   
• David de Weldon '89 is starring in the new sci-fi series "Chaser." The eight-episode drama, about a guy who finds a software that allows him to edit the last 24 hours of his life, began airing April 12 on Prime Video. Trailer
   
• Evan Kee '08 has been named head men's basketball coach at Randolph College in Lynchburg, Va. And for the second straight year, he is coaching in the Portsmouth (Va.) Invitational Tournament for NBA prospects. Link
   
• Brian Alvarez '10 has accepted a position as vice president, partner with National Office Systems.
   
• Arie Kouandjio '10 is a senior business rotation professional at NextEra Energy.
   
• Michael Lowe '10 is a financial planner with Northwestern Mutual.
   
• Andy De Luca '12 is a member of Frisco Woodline, specializing in lumber sales. If anyone in the DM community is involved in construction or has a need for high-quality lumber products, he would be happy to help. Feel free to reach out at andy@friscowoodline.com if you have any questions or require assistance with lumber-related needs.
   
• Errol Clarke '14, a former DeMatha golfer, has been accepted into the Harvard Business School.
   
• Jahmir Young '19 is among 64 NBA and European league hopefuls participating in this week's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Link
   
• Jack Bulger '20, an All-America baseball player at DeMatha, was named Mr. Commodore at Vanderbilt University's Golden Dores banquet. The award goes to a male athlete who exemplifies "leadership, dedication and excellence." Video (starts at 39:35 mark)
   
• Jack Smith '20 on April 14 became the Randolph-Macon men's lacrosse all-time scoring leader. With his 269th career point, one of the players he passed was Frank Smollon '93.
   
• We will have upcoming reunion details in next week's Express.

Events & Miscellaneous Info:

• The DeMatha rowing team is sponsoring Purse Bingo in the Antler Room this Saturday night, 6-9 p.m. Win purses from Coach, Michael Kors, Vera Bradley and more! Tickets are $25 for 20 games (cash only and must be 18 to attend). Join us for a night of food, fun and prizes.
   
• The DeMatha Players are proud to present "Hoodwinked," a musical parody of the well-established tale of Robin Hood. Adding a few original characters into the mix makes for a riotous and unpredictable show that demonstrates the power of ingenues and ingenuity when dashing derring-do loses its grip on the nick of time. Performances are Friday and Saturday April 26-27 at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 in room 7302 of the Looney Convocation Center. Tickets are $10.
   
• Looking for a summer job in the education field? Consider working with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth in Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, Rhode Island or New York. Salary, room and board, as well as travel expenses if location is over 300 miles. Resident advisers for dorms especially needed. Link
   
• A son-in-law of a DeMatha parent is looking for a job in the computer industry. He is proficient in analyzing and solving complex software issues for applications installed on both Unix and Windows platforms. Also highly fluent in SQL and SQL scripting across numerous database platforms. Please contact Tom Ponton (tponton@dematha.org) with any leads.
   
• DeMatha will host a youth baseball camp June 24-28 at Riverdale for children 6-10. The camp will run each day from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and lunch is included. Players will receive instruction in skill-development and participate in games. Cost is $450 per camper. Register here.

Stag Store Item of the Week:

• Ladies, this one's for you. Check out Champion's new Women's Touch Suede Crewneck Sweatshirt. 88% polyester / 12% Spandex sueded fleece. It has a set-in self collar, dropped shoulders and side vents. Sizes XS-2X. Comes in silver spotlight or black $45.Link

That is all.

Thomas Ponton '78

Executive Director of Advancement

tponton@dematha.org

240-764-2222

Postscript from the Office of Advancement:

DeMatha was abuzz with excitement this morning as 202 students and 14 staff members filled into five buses for their spring music trip and festival in Virginia Beach, Va. The musicians have been preparing for this excursion since August.

“This is the high point of the year,” DeMatha director of bands Carlos Castrillon ’95 says. “Everything we’ve been working for since the beginning of the academic year has been geared towards this trip.”

The caravan, including a large rental truck, is expected to arrive in Virginia Beach around 3 p.m. All bands, choruses and Sinfonia have rehearsals this evening. The competition is Friday at the L. Douglas Wilder Performing Arts Center at Norfolk State University.

DeMatha students typically perform exceedingly well at these events. Last year, the Stags placed first or second in eight categories with all excellent or superior ratings. In addition, Sinfonia won the Overall Orchestra Award, and the Voices of DeMatha took home the Overall Choral Award.

“When these young men focus and really concentrate, they play at an extremely high level,” says Matt Bickel ’95, DeMatha director of instrumental music. “It’s about getting everyone there on the same page at the same time.”

Friday begins with a 6 a.m. wake-up call. The first judging session (schedule below) is at 9:15; they continue until about 5 p.m. DeMatha students are expected to remain dressed in their tuxedos the entire time in support of their schoolmates.

By 6 o’clock Friday, the boys can relax at the hotel or go to the beach. Although today’s water temperature is expected to be 56 degrees, Bickel predicts some of the youngsters will plunge into the chilly Atlantic.

“You know these kids are brave,” Bickel says. “They’ll get in the water – guaranteed.”

On Saturday morning, the group heads to nearby Williamsburg to enjoy the rides, tours and shows at Busch Gardens. The awards ceremony is at 1 p.m. At 7, the DeMatha entourage leaves for their three-hour trip home.

The DeMatha music program, which also includes directors Jim Turk, Michael Gatti and Jason Gonzales, is one of the finest in the nation. We are blessed to have such talented instructors and students lifting people’s spirits with the sound of sweet music.

“Everyone is working very hard toward this performance,” Castrillon says. “Whatever the scores and rankings are is secondary to making sure our students compete – and perform – to the best of our ability.”

Performance times are:

9:15 a.m. - DeMatha Harmonics

10:15 a.m. - Voices of DeMatha

11:00 a.m. - Percussion Ensemble II

11:15 a.m. - Advanced Percussion Ensemble  

12:15 p.m. - Sinfonia 

1:25 p.m. - Concert Band II

2:35 p.m. - Concert Band

3:45 p.m. - Symphonic Band

4:25 p.m. - Wind Ensemble

(Written by Chris McManes, DeMatha communications manager.)