NDCL School News
Wildlife expert and adventurer Coyote Peterson '00, host of Animal Planet's “Coyote Peterson: Brave the Wild” series and YouTube's Brave Wilderness channel, returned to NDCL for a special Spirit Week assembly for the entire sophomore class on Jan. 30...
Coyote Comes Home
Wildlife expert and adventurer Coyote Peterson ’00, host of Animal Planet’s “Coyote Peterson: Brave the Wild” series and YouTube’s Brave Wilderness channel, returned to NDCL for a special Spirit Week assembly for the entire sophomore class on Jan. 30.
Science teacher Melissa Parey invited Coyote to return to his alma mater. Known as Nate Hahn at the time, Coyote was a student in Miss Parey’s environmental science class in 1998-1999.
Miss Parey originally asked Coyote to be a Zoom guest for the Animal Defenders Club that she advises. When he proposed an in-person visit to his alma mater, she jumped at the chance for him to speak to the 177 sophomores.
Coyote regaled the students with stories of his up-close and often intense interactions with wildlife around the globe. Students lined up to ask him questions about his adventures and YouTube celebrity status.
Following the presentation, Coyote lingered in the Trela Dining Commons to chat with students and to pose for dozens of selfies.
Legal Lions Advance to Regionals
After snagging seven of the eight individual awards in the district mock trial competition on Jan. 27, both NDCL mock trial teams qualified to compete in the regional trials on Feb. 17.
When the gavels fell after a series of morning and afternoon trials at the Lake County Courthouse in Painesville, the Legal Lions won the following awards: Best attorneys– seniors Victoria Baioni and Bailey Rice and freshmen Paige Pavosevic and Makenna Marrott; and Best witnesses – sophomore Ava Ogint and freshmen Quinn Linnert and Rook Eckert.
The 2023 mock trial case examines the complexities of school investigations into incidents of misconduct, specifically when the misconduct may have criminal implications. The budding attorneys are exploring the facts of the case and relevant laws to determine whether high school students were in police custody at the time they made incriminating statements to a school resource officer and whether they should have been advised of their rights against self-incrimination.
The Lions owe much of their success to the expert advice provided by their dedicated and generous volunteer legal advisors, including Richard Carbone ’65; Kimberly Baioni, mother of senior Victoria; Martin Delahunty (father of Jackie ‘16 and JD ’17); Perrin Sah and Judge Carolyn Paschke (parents of Garrett Sah ’20 and Mallory Sah ’22); Judge Michael Shaughnessy (father of Megan ’12, Kate ’18 and sophomore Kelly); and Nick Burling ’01 from the Geauga County Prosecutor’s Office. Special thanks to Judge Terri Stupica and Judge Deena Calabrese ’88, who officiated scrimmages for the teams. Mallory Sah ’22, a current member of the mock trial team at Miami University, also helped the teams during her winter break.
English Department Chairperson Victoria Frabotta ’86 and English teachers Katie Martin ’14 and Michael Vitale advise NDCL’s mock trial teams.
Spirit Week
NDCL students enthusiastically beat back the wintertime blahs by celebrating the end of the sixth annual Spirit Week with an exciting and often hilarious Spirit Games competition on Friday afternoon.
The games culminated a week of friendly competition among the classes, including a coin war, scavenger hunts and daily contests for such things as getting to class on time and joining in the dress down themes. Each day featured raffles and special lunchtime games and treats, including funnel-cake fries, Rice Krispie treats and doughnuts — all designed to banish the winter blues.
The fierce but friendly coin war between grade levels nearly quintupled our goal by raising over $4,800 for Blessing House, a children’s crisis care center in Lorain founded by Sr. Mary Berigan ’73. Blessing House offers nonjudgmental support to the families God sends for help, striving to communicate and demonstrate acceptance and forgiveness that leads to resiliency and personal growth.
Special thanks to campus minister Lexie Danch ’15 and English teacher Maura McGinty-O’Hara, who worked tirelessly with our student leaders and faculty colleagues to organize a fun-filled, spirited, successful and mission-driven Spirit Week. Their hearts and hands help build a school community that truly does transform the world by living the truth in love.
