Brothers, it is I, Francis, back again. No, I have not been aimlessly wandering in the desert,

nor have I been on a mountain hiking trip with Jesus.

I must sheepishly admit that even a saint can get writer’s block. To remedy this situation, I sought help from our friends on the reunion committee. They have told me that these events listed below occurred during our time together at Saint Xavier. However, I think these guys may be pulling my leg. I am not sure all this stuff actually occurred.

Please respond to my email or to the class blog, ST. XAVIER CLASS OF 1976 – A space for all things St X ’76, to let me know whether each of these events are true or false. After I receive all of your advice and am able to crowd source (isn’t that the term they use today) the correct answers, I will report back those answers along with the name of the most helpful classmate(s) (highest number of correct answers). That classmate will qualify for some serious swag for pick-up at the reunion.

Here is the list …..

1.       The class of 1976 50^th reunion starts on May 28 with the ‘76ers escorting the Class of 2026 into the Cintas Center graduation ceremony. Shortly thereafter, the Class of 1976 will immediately be convened at a nearby local establishment.

True ____ or False ____

2.       Senior year Mike Osterfeld led the football team in tackles.

True ____ or False ____

3.       A certain chemistry teacher who shall remain nameless had a rare eye disease that caused his eyes to water and who would often visibly rub the eyes to relieve the discomfort.

True ____ or False ____

4.       St. Xavier Chess Club reigned victorious over the city of Cincinnati and the state of Ohio our senior year.

True ____ or False ____             

5.       Before the nautilus machines arrived (I think sophomore year), young aspiring athletes lifted with free weights. Dick Piening made these weights available.

True ____ or False ____

6.       From many a classmate’s perspective Justice Under God was meted out liberally and somewhat capriciously. Mr. Meyer, who in a compassionate attempt to rectify this injustice, assigned JUG for those arriving late to school based upon the creativity of the tardiness excuse.

True ____ or False ____             

7.       Tom Ballaban was a true sportsman. In addition to serving as our head football coach, during the off-season, Bal was a Big 10 basketball referee and worked summers at River Downs.

True ____ or False ____

8.       It is an urban legend of the 1970’s that high school boys were streaking the high school girls’ schools. Ursuline Academy purportedly was paid visit by a group of young naturalists. The girls, who quickly ran out of the school building to greet the lads, identified them as Men of Moeller because one of the visitors wore only a football helmet.

True ____ or False ____

9.       Mr. Emmett, aka Latin Jack, helped bring back the yearbook, The X-Ray, after a two-year hiatus by serving as the X-Ray moderator during our senior year.

True ____ or False ____             

10.  Before cross county highway became a highway that actually crossed the county, Caldwell Road was the chosen path for many classmates from the northeastern metropolis. While driving the family station wagon home after school, a classmate played chicken with an oncoming driver. That driver lost and ditched into Hartwell Country Club.

True ____ or False ____

11.  The ‘Harry Buffaloes’, who originated from the Class of ’76, were bound together in a passionate solidarity to save the America buffalo from the fate of the dodo bird. They conducted many fundraisers during our junior and senior year to save the American treasure from extinction.

True ____ or False ____             

12.  Every first Tuesday of the month, a member of the class of 76 hosts a happy hour for all classmates at a local Cincinnati watering hole. All classmates are welcome.

True ____ or False ____

13.  Rich O’Connell was announced as ‘king’ during Homecoming game in 1976.

True ____ or False ____             

14.  During summer practice junior year, one of the football coaches stopped all activity in its tracks as players and coaches alike listened to his smart, articulate manscaping advice for a senior running back.

True ____ or False ____

15.  The Reds, aka the Big Red Machine, won the first of its two back-to-back NL pennants and subsequent World Series by defeating the New York Yankees in the 1976 World Series.

True ____ or False ____             

Please help me sort out these event by responding to this email or to our blog, ST. XAVIER CLASS OF 1976 – A space for all things St X ’76.

Godspeed, Francis

Francis Xavier here. (How, I love speaking with you guys!)

Our reunion (May 28-30) is now only 2 months away. Don’t make a freshman mistake. Don’t forget to sign up for the reunion. Don’t be like these freshmen who forgot their ties on student picture day.

Sign up at Class of 1976 50-Year Reunion – St. Xavier High School. The school has several fun-filled activities. This year we have added pickleball, which is all now the rage for young and old alike.

Pickleball wasn’t a thing back in the1500’s when I was roaming the world, so I must admit I don’t really understand the game. I don’t understand why you need a court to play but my brothers at the reunion committee have informed me that we do and need to lock down the number of courts at the pickleball venue. The pickleball venue owner is definitely not a Man For Others. The owner is requiring we know the number of players by Wednesday, April 15.

Whether you are a beginner or an expert, I encourage you to join the fun and register by April 15. Everyone can play and have fun. Even if you are a beginner, have never played or are a dorky old man you can do it.

I plan to give it a go myself. Please join me. You can play solo, include your significant other but you need to go to sign up by April 15 at Class of 1976 50-Year Reunion – St. Xavier High School.

Maybe one of you pickleball enthusiasts can teach this old dog a new trick.

Godspeed,

FX

Mike Bachman

Retired Chief Magistrate for the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court

Cincinnati, OH

Mike has dedicated his entire career to the pursuit of justice for the aggrieved. He was Chief Magistrate for the Common Pleas Court for 12 twelve years until his retirement in 2018. Prior to Chief Magistrate, Mike was the Principal Litigator and Assistant Ohio Attorney General serving in the Capital Crimes Section where he traveled to smaller counties in the state to try death penalty cases. Both before and after his time as Assistant Attorney General, Mike served in the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s office. While still in law school Mike was a Constable (law clerk) for Judge Williams R. Matthews in the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. 

With all this important work, you might think Mike has been all work and no play. Think again, you might see him at a Xavier basketball game or providing trivia to local watering holes. In 2016 Mike was a contestant on the Price is Right with Jim Carey. This came as no surprise to those who have known Mike from his earlier years when he spent countless days and nights consuming Funk and Wagnall or Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Mike lives with his wife Joy and have raised three adult children.

Thank you Mike, for defending justice and the aggrieved in Hamilton County, throughout the State of Ohio and for showing us that even though we can have a big job, we can still have fun. Give Mike a shout out at our class blog, ST. XAVIER CLASS OF 1976.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Phil Maechling

Associate Director of Research Computing, Statewide California Earthquake Center

Los Angeles, CA

Born in California, Phil returned to his boyhood home after double Jesuit graduations at St. X and Xavier University to dedicate his career developing computer models which study and predict seismic activity. He has spent most of his career at the University of Southern California’s Statewide California Earthquake Center and prior to this he was at Caltech. Phil has developed open-source seismological and engineering software used in ground motion modeling and simulations in the pursuit of performing large-scale seismic hazard calculations. As a prolific researcher, he has authored a multitude of scholarly publications.

Phil lives in Long Beach, CA with his wife, Nady, where they raised three, now adult children

Thank you Phil, for your life-long service protecting the large west coast populations/ populations around the world from the devastation of seismic disturbances. California also thanks you for keeping Lex Luther at bay and making Nevada beach front property. Give Phil a shout out at our class blog, ST. XAVIER CLASS OF 1976. If you’d like to read more about Phil’s life’s works and accomplishments, please follow the links below.

Home Page – Philip James Maechling

maechlin | Statewide California Earthquake Center

Selected Publications, Proceedings, Posters, Abstracts – Philip James Maechling