St. Bernard student wins the 4th Congressional District Art Competition

Haleigh Black, recently won “Best of Show” at the 4th Congressional District Art Competition held at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville, earning the St. Bernard Prep Senior exhibition rights at the U.S. Capitol for one year.

Haliegh’s work titled “Perpetual Use of the Mind’s Eye” was entered into the mixed media category, having used paper sculpture, watercolor, acrylic paints, chalk pastels, metal, and various other mediums. Her great- grandmother, Irene Graham, served as a model for drawing the woman pictured on the left side of the piece.

“I wanted the pieced designed to convey that we as humans should make use of our imaginations frequently throughout our entire lives,” Haleigh said.

Her picture depicts an aged woman’s profile that is looking at a clock, symbolizing the many years lived and the many things seen and remembered over time. These remain within in mind as she carries them with her in an active imagination.
“I created the woman’s profile in a way that allows the viewer to see the imagination inside her head. It is filled with creations and dreams like that of a child,” Haleigh explained.

Mrs. Mona Ivey, art instructor at SBP, received the news of Haleigh’s winnings just days after tornados ripped through Cullman County. Ivey said, “I am so proud of Haleigh and her accomplishments. Her artistic ability has been demonstrated over the last few years and I look forward to seeing what her future holds.”

Haleigh was presented with a ‘Best of Show’ trophy, $500 cash prize, and two round-trip airline tickets to Washington, D.C. for the National Exhibition Reception. In addition, her work will be exhibited in the Nations Capitol for one year.

Haleigh is the daughter of John and Sabrina Black of Cullman. After graduation from St. Bernard Prep School, she plans to build an art portfolio at Wallace State Community College with the goal of transferring to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

St. Bernard wins Gold at State Track Meet

Saint Bernard Prep’s inaugural year of track and field has had its share of success during the 2011 academic year. The team finished with a very strong showing at the AHSAA Track and Field Championship held recently at Birmingham Southern College.

“We may be small, but our team put SBP on the ‘track map’ in the State of Alabama winning six gold medals, one silver, and one bronze and finishing in the top ten places in various running events over the two days,” Track Coach, William Calvert said.

Ayleana Mami, an 8th grade student, struck gold twice by claiming the State 1A Championship in both the 1600 meter run (5:49) and the 3200 meter run (12:23).
Freshman, Logan Ayers finished 10th place in the 400 meter dash with a time of 1:05 and also ran the 200 meters dash finishing in 16th place.

Overall the two girls’ team finished with 20 points, to earn 13th place overall out of the 35 schools that qualified athletes for the state meet.

Four young men won gold by competing to win the 4 X 800 Relay with a time of 9:04. Team members included Will Faulk, Sean Moriarty, John Russell, and Levi Schaefers.
Faulk took 2nd place in the 1600 meter run (4:49); 3rd place in the 3200 meter run (10:49); and 7th place in the 800 meter run (2:08).

Russell claimed 4th place in the 1600 meter run (5:12); 6th place 3200 meter run (11:49); and 8th place in the 800 meter run (2:12).

Samuel Robles placed 20th in the 300 meter hurdles.

The five boys competing at state scored 32 points to finish 9th place of the 35 teams participating.

“I couldn’t be more excited about the track program,” Calvert said. “I am proud of our students and really excited about their accomplishments and the future of our program at St. Bernard Prep."

Minor Damage at St. Bernard because of Twisters

The Saint Bernard Community is counting its blessings after EF4 tornadoes ripped through Cullman County the afternoon of April 27. The twisters, which destroyed much of historic downtown Cullman, damaged roofs on the main campus and on the farm buildings of the St. Bernard campus.

“Compared to the destruction in Cullman, we have been very fortunate and blessed,” said Fr. Marcus Voss, OSB, President of St. Bernard Prep School. “We only lost some trees near the cemetery and the roof damage is something we can repair. Downtown Cullman, on the other hand, looks like a war zone. The force of the tornado’s winds plus falling oak trees destroyed many homes and businesses in town."

Many families in Cullman are counting their losses, but are thankful to be alive. One St. Bernard faculty member lost her home entirely and another suffered significant damage.

“In addition to the damage caused by the storm, the impact from the loss of revenue at Ave Maria Grotto Gift Shop has also affected St. Bernard,” said Fr. Marcus. “Highway 278 was closed for over a week and phones and internet service is still not available. Communication is strictly limited to cell phone calls and text messaging."

Fr. Marcus continued, “We are patiently waiting for AT&T to get our phone lines and internet working again. Local authorities have been re-routing traffic around St. Bernard to help crews work without interruptions.”

Ave Maria Grotto is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit online www.stbernardprep.com or www.avemariagrotto.com.