De La Salle Collegiate High School
| De La Salle Collegiate High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| , | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private all-boys secondary |
| Motto | Builders of Boys, Makers of Men |
| Established | 1926 |
| President | Brother Robert Carnaghi, FSC |
| Principal | Mr. Patrick Adams |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Number of students | 873 |
| Nickname | Pilots |
| Affiliation | Catholic, Lasallian Brothers |
| Website | www.delasallehs.com |
De La Salle Collegiate High School is an all-boys Catholic high school run by the Lasallian Brothers. Founded in 1926, the school was located on the east side of Detroit before moving to its current location in Warren, Michigan in 1982. The school is dedicated to the Catholic education of its diverse students, including the poor and disadvantaged. It is a college preparatory school inspired by the spirit and tradition of St. John Baptist de La Salle, where learning takes place in the presence of God. Each student is encouraged to develop his faith, character, intellect, and morality. This mission is embodied in the school’s motto: “Builders of Boys, Makers of Men.”
The school's most notable rivals in terms of athletics are Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, Catholic Central High School in Novi, Michigan, Saint Mary's Preparatory in Orchard Lake, Michigan and U of D Jesuit High School in Detroit, Michigan.
History of De La Salle Collegiate
The Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools is an international, religious association of Catholic men with a Motherhouse in Rome. It was founded in France in 1680 by St. John Baptist de La Salle. The Institute’s main purpose is to provide quality education to the poor and disadvantaged in a Christian environment. The Institute’s members are known as the Christian Brothers, or Brothers of the Christian Schools. The traditional vestment consists of a black habit and white collar and their vows include poverty, chastity and obedience. The institute divides the United States into regions known as Provinces. De La Salle and its Brothers belong to the New York Province.
Shortly after the Christian Brothers first arrived in Detroit in 1851, they opened schools in four parishes. In 1877, the Brothers transferred their activities to St. Joseph’s parish and organized St. Joseph's Commercial College (High School). In 1923, the alumni of St. Joseph’s Commercial College organized a drive to raise funds to build a school owned and operated by the Christian Brothers. Their efforts were rewarded in 1926 when De La Salle Collegiate, located on the corner of Connor and Glenfield in Detroit across from present-day Detroit City Airport, opened its doors for the first time with an enrollment of 85 boys. When St. Joseph’s High School closed its doors in 1964, many of its students transferred to De La Salle Collegiate. During the summer of 1982, De La Salle Collegiate moved to its present location on the corner of Common and Gloede in Warren, Michigan. The Brothers’ residence was built across the street on Gloede in 1985.
Expansion of the school and major improvements costing $1.1 million took place during 1993, as well as in 1996 when a student commons area was added to the building. Groundbreaking on a new academic wing took place on April 2, 2004 as a part of the Preserving the Legacy Capital Campaign. Improvement and renovations included:
- a new academic wing with four science labs, three classrooms, and an art room
- a renovated library/media center
- a new chapel and campus ministry center
- a new music wing
- a new bookstore
- an expanded weight training facility
- expanded technology
- removing the Dogan Cave
Administration
The school is incorporated and governed by a Board of Trustees and a President. The educational program and the school is conducted by the Christian Brothers.
- President - Bro. Robert Carnaghi, FSC
- Principal - Mr. Patrick Adams
- Vice Principal, Director of Disciplinary Action - Mr. Christopher Dean '89
- Assistant Principal - Mr. Stephen Stewart
- Athletic Director - Mr. Brian Kelly
- Director of Advancement - Mr. Chris Czarnik
School Trivia
- Support organizations of De La Salle Collegiate include the Christian Brothers’ Auxiliary, made up of present and past DLS mothers; the Dads’ Club, made up of present and past DLS fathers; St. Joe’s Alumni Association; De La Salle’s Alumni Association, currently boasting over 9,000 members; and the Music Boosters.
- The school’s motto is, “Builders of Boys, Makers of Men.”
- The school’s mascot is an airplane pilot. The latest Pilot logo was designed by Matt Sikora ‘90. The "DLS" logo is used primarily with the DLS Athletic Department and athletic teams.
- When the school first opened in 1926, a riverboat pilot (captain) was the school's mascot due to the school being built across from a river called Conner Creek, but when Detroit City Airport opened in 1937, the school changed its mascot from the riverboat pilot to the present day airplane pilot.
- At the school's previous building near the airport, the airplanes taking off would often cause the building to shake.
- De La Salle Collegiate is a Class A MHSAA-member school, as well as a member of the Catholic League Central Division in all sports with an enrollment of approximately 850 students from nearly 50 Metro Detroit communities and nearly 100 schools.
- The school’s seal is used in relation to academics. It was redesigned in 2002 for the third time.
- The school’s DLS logo was designed in the late 1960s by Sam Viviano, Class of 1971, current Art Director for Mad Magazine.
- The school’s colors are purple and gold.
- De La Salle produces an annual yearbook called The Pilot which recounts the year’s events, activities, sports and academic achievements. It is usually distributed in the fall.
- The student newspaper is called The Co-Pilot and is usually published by the journalism class.
- The alumni newsletter is called The Collegiate and is published three times a year by the Office of Advancement.
- The school’s website is www.delasallehs.com. The website is updated numerous times each week. At present Mrs. Vicki Granger is the website manager.
- The two street signposts in front of the school pay tribute to the history of the school. Jay and Orleans represent St. Joseph’s High School in Detroit, and Conner and Glenfield represent De La Salle Collegiate’s former location across from City Airport.
- The hallway parallel to the cafeteria where class pictures are displayed is known as Alumni Hall.
- The hallway next to the office where display cases are located is known as St. Joe’s Alumni Hall.
- Brother Dogan can be found still inside the now enclosed Dogan Cave.
- Inside Mr. Kirck's freshly painted room can be found a communist China podium and a painting by Matt Sikora of Edgar Allen Poe, Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), William Faulkner, and Ernest Hemingway
- The 2006-2007 school year will mark De La Salle’s 80th anniversary. The first ever class to graduate from De La Salle was in 1929.
Class Day
The school day is divided into 16 mods, which are 22–23 minutes long. Science labs are three mods long (approximately 70 minutes), while regular classes are comprised of two mods (45 minutes). The school day begins at 8:00 AM and ends at 2:37 PM during most school days. De La Salle Collegiate operates on a rotating six-day modular schedule.
During the school day, students with open mods are to be in one of the following places:
- library for quiet study, use of computers, or research
- student commons where students talk quietly, study, and socialize
- the cafetorium where students eat, socialize, and share a less quiet atmosphere
Religious notes
Classroom formal and informal prayers usually close with the following:
Reader: “St. John Baptist de La Salle.”
Response: “Pray for us.”
Reader: “Live Jesus in our hearts.”
Response: “Forever.”
Academic and Athletic Recognition
- De La Salle Collegiate continues to receive national recognition for its academics, athletics and fine arts. De La Salle Collegiate has averaged 11 National Merit recipients annually for the last five years. In the last ten years, 99.8% of its students have enrolled in college after graduation.
- In 2001, the concert and jazz bands performed in China. De La Salle’s band program was one of only two chosen throughout the United States to perform in China that year.
- De La Salle Collegiate won its first State Championship in 1990 in soccer. Since then, DLS has won nine more State Championships (four in soccer, two in bowling, two in baseball and one in lacrosse). The most recent state championships were won during the 2005-2006 school year when the school's soccer and bowling each won state titles.
Notable Alumni
Roland Rinke '43, President, Rinke Cadillac Company
William Fox '50, Owner/President, Bill Fox Chevrolet
J.P. McCarthy '50, former Detroit radio personality, WJR Radio
Honorable Patrick Duggan '51, Federal Judge, US District Court of Eastern Michigan
William Pulte '50, Chairman, Pulte Homes
Honorable Antonio Viviano '53, Chief Judge, Macomb County Circuit Court
Honorable Peter Maceroni '58, Judge, Macomb County Circuit Court
Dennis Olshove '68, Michigan State Senator, District 9
Douglas Geoga '71, former President, Global Hyatt Corporation
Sam Viviano '71, Art Director, Mad Magazine
Dr. Thomas Sakmar '74, former President, Rockefeller University
Daniel Loepp '75, CEO, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Chris Godfrey '76, former University of Michigan and All-Pro NFL offensive lineman, President and Founder of Life Athletes, Inc.
Bill Sheridan '77, linebackers coach, New York Giants
Steve Phillips '81, former New York Mets General Manager; current ESPN Baseball Tonight analyst
Keith Karpinski '84, former Penn State University linebacker
John Vitale '84, former University of Michigan football captain and former All-American football player
Mike Peplowski '88, former Michigan State and professional (NBA) basketball player
David Viviano '90, Judge, Macomb County District Court
Brian Maisonneuve '91, former Hermann Trophy winner and former professional soccer player with the Columbus Crew
School song
The “School Song” and “Alma Mater” were both written by H. O'Reilly Clint in the late 1920’s. It is traditional for each class to compete in singing the School Song at the first pep rally in the fall:
De La Salle, we’re rooting for you,
De La Salle, oh say can’t you see,
Everyone of us is for you,
We’ll cheer you on to victory.
Rah! Rah!
To the Gold and the Purple,
We will pledge our loyalty,
And may years add but fame
To that grand old name.
De La Salle! De La Salle!
"Alma Mater"
De La Salle, we pledge to thee
Hearts inspired with loyalty
Proudly we thy praises sing;
Boldly may thy anthems ring.
Purple and Gold,
To thee we shall be true;
Alma Mater ever faithful
Sons for you.