The Bear Facts
September 26, 2015

Good morning! I’m Andrew Thilges!

I’m Joseph Espinosa!

And I’m Maddie Sullivan! Welcome to the 925th weekly episode of the “Bear Facts”, the weekly radio show from Bishop Garrigan High School.

Last week we summed up Homecoming week on our show. As always, though, we had to record the show before the end of the week, so not everything was decided when we put the show together. We were especially pleased that Homecoming week ended on a high note, with the Golden Bear football team grabbing a big 35 – 7 win over Mason City Newman. There was a lot of excitement in that game, including a defensive score when Chase Winkel intercepted the ball.

We said on last week’s “Bear Facts” that the class competition was one of the closest ever. That was less true later in the week. While the sophomores had the top parade banner, the seniors won the skit. The seniors also blew away their competitors in donations of canned goods and change, which led them to a big win in the overall class competition. Congratulations to the Class of 2016.

Earlier this month the Des Moines Register announced their list of the top workplaces in Iowa, and we’re pleased to say that the Bishop Garrigan Schools made that list. Garrigan staff members were surveyed and later interviewed as part of the award. They spoke of the family atmosphere at our school and the ability to express their religious beliefs through their work.

A video was created as part of the award process. It features interviews with staff members Ron Patterson, Annette Vaske, Renetta Seiler, and Linda Ferjak. You can see that video at bggoldenbears.org and also on the Des Moines Register website. Congratulations to the Bishop Garrigan Schools on being named one of Iowa’s top workplaces.

The new video is just one of thousands of things from Garrigan that you can check out online. There are now two Bishop Garrigan websites. This is the twenty-first year that BGHS students have been working on our school’s home in cyberspace. Their work is now at bggoldenbears.org, and every day new pictures and information are added to that site.

In addition to pictures and information, you can also listen online to any “Bear Facts” episodes you miss or read the scripts of old shows. You can also read each day’s announcements or check out the calendar to find out what’s going on when. This fall Alex McGuire, Andrew Lallier, Will Eggers, Drake Buscherfeld, Chase WInkel, Will Kelner, Jedd Magill, and Alex Lichter are all working hard keeping bggoldenbears.org up to date.

The school’s second website, bishopgarrigan.org, has a new look this fall. It is now managed by the Garrigan development office, which is also in charge of the school’s main Facebook account. This fall the school has expanded into many other social media sites. There are new accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Vine, and Facebook highlighting Bishop Garrigan school pride, and there are new Twitter feeds from Bishop Garrigan athletics as well as some individual sports.

We mentioned at the top of the broadcast that today marks our 925th episode of the “Bear Facts”. It was five years before any of us had even been born when the show first went on the air in the fall of 1992. In fact some of the people who were “Bear Facts” announcers back then are now parents whose children are in high school today. More than 300 people have worked on the show over the years, and we hope lots more will be bringing you the school news in the future.

Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Zac Kibby. Here to tell you about him is Landen Studer.

Zac Kibby is one of the top athletes—not just at Garrigan, but throughout our area. His favorite sport is probably football, where he’s a captain and the Golden Bear quarterback. Zac was also a first-team all-state baseball player, he’s broken school records in track, and he’s also lettered in basketball. He’s gone to state in the Envirothon, he does service work with kindergarten students, and you’ve probably heard him announcing here on the “Bear Facts”. Zac wants to play football in college, and we wish him all the best in the future.

Thanks, Landen! On our Golden Bear calendar, the volleyball team is hosting their home tournament today. Competition starts at 9:00 in both the old and new gyms at Garrigan

Tomorrow afternoon sophomores will have a retreat at St. Cecelia’s in preparation for their confirmation. Then Monday there’s no school at Garrigan and Seton because of a diocese-wide inservice in LeMars.

Monday night the cross-country team runs at Algona High. There’s also JV football that night, with the Bears hosting St. Ed’s.

Tuesday the volleyball team plays at Forest City. Then Wednesday we dismiss early for teacher inservice. Next Friday art students will be traveling to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, and that night the Golden Bear football team hosts North Butler.

That’s the “Bear Facts” for September. Thanks for listening, and be sure to tune in again next week for our 926th weekly show, bringing you the news from Bishop Garrigan High School.