From Omaha to Hollywood

Jono Matt, ’06, studied at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and now works for the executive producer of “Son’s of Anarchy” at FX Network.  The show won the Television Critics Association award for outstanding achievement in a drama, and it boasts Katey Segal who won the 2011 Golden Globe Award for best actress in a drama.  Matt was recently in town for the Mount Michael Class of 2006 reunion and had an opportunity to answer some questions about his new job for the Alumni Post. 

Q: What does your new job actually entail?

A: I’m the assistant to television director and producer Paris Barclay, and we’re now working on the FX show “Sons of Anarchy.”  My job is to keep track of what the most recent decision is, according to daily changes on set involving, weather, actor illness, etc ...  

Q: How did you find this job and get hired?

A: Paris was forwarded my resume by my college pal that worked with him on Glee. Paris was intrigued by a line in my opening sentence ‘...raised in a boarding school flanked by cornstalks.’ So he plucked my resume from the stack, and we bonded during the interview over our similar high school experiences. He graduated in the 70’s from an all-male boarding school in Illinois. 

Q: What is the most rewarding part of the job?

A: My favorite part of work is spying in on the writer’s room. The writers have the pressure on their shoulders of writing 13 hours of TV on very short deadlines. For example, the writers are outlining episode 12 of the season, and the crew is now filming episode 9 -- not a lot of time to mess up. Also, a child from the make-a-wish foundation is coming to set this week; which is an emotional reminder of how lucky we are to be working at a place that people ‘wish’ to visit.   

Q: What is your favorite memory from Mount Michael?

A: My favorite part of MM is the bonds that are created from the universal experience every class shares. I just had four of my best friends come visit and none of them graduated with me (1 from 07, 3 from 08). In fact, I never spoke to them during school, it wasn’t until college when we got to chatting and were like “holy crap, we’re telling the same stories, just with different characters.”

Q: Where do you want to go from here?

A: I want to write for a scripted, one-hour drama television show next. Then move into feature screenplay writing and ultimately write an animated movie for Pixar.

Greg Sullivan '06 Reflects on a Year in Africa on a Benedictine Volunteer Program

Togo, the smile of Africa, is a small, West African country tucked in between Ghana and Benin. It is one of the poorest nations in the world with no major exports or mainstream tourist attractions. But what this little country lacks in financial capital and world recognition, it makes up for in culture. I could not have asked for a more difficult, trying, or rewarding experience than what I went through in my six months in Togo. The mission of my service was to teach in a rural school and determine if the monastery at which I was residing would be a valid and safe service site for the St. John’s Benedictine Volunteer Corps, as I was the first volunteer to set foot in West Africa. My teaching and my time in Togo lasted for six months when I decided to join forces with another volunteer in Nairobi, Kenya to work with street children living in the Mathare slum. The two months I spent in Kenya were a wonderful compliment to my experience in Togo. I was afforded the rare opportunity to work with children from two very different yet very similar cultures of Africa. It truly was the experience of a lifetime. And to avoid doing the trip a disservice that experience by trying to describe it in a few words I have provided a link to the blog which I edited throughout my journey.

Faculty Kick Off the Year with a Retreat

In preparation for the new school year the entire faculty and staff made a short retreat on Monday morning, the feast of the Assumption of Mary.

The retreat was led by Teresa Moynihan from thePro Sanctity Center.  Teresa has been a friend of Mount Michael for many years. The Pro Sanctity Center hosts our class retreats for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors every fall.

Being very familiar with the Benedictines Teresa spoke about Benedictine values and how she has observed them at Mount Michael and adapted them into her own life.

She pointed out that the Rule of Saint Benedict begins with the phrase: “Listen carefully, my son, to the master’s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart.”  All of us, whether faculty, staff, monk or student, needs to listen carefully to what our hearts are telling us, not just the noisy sounds around us.  We need to take time each day for the Benedictine practice of the slow meditative reading of scripture called Lectio Divina.  It is listening to our hearts during this prayerful time that nourishes our souls and gives us the energy and insight to live our Christian faith fully.

All Family Mass and Picnic Starts the Year

Every school year starts off with Mass and a picnic under the pines sponsored by the Mount Michael Booster Club. The Mass was said by school chaplain Fr Gregory Congote O.S.B.  The music was led by senior Joe Bastian.

At the conclusion of Mass a few announcements were made and then the chicken was distributed for dinner.  More Photos

Senior Legion Baseball: State Champions

 

At the state tournament the Knights had a spectacular showing.
The Knights dominated by outscoring their opponents 55-5.
Congratulations Knights!

State Results
Round one: Hartington - Knights win 11-0 
Round two: Alma - Knights win 13 - 1
Round three: Pender - Knights win 10-0 
Round four: David City - Knights win 12-3 
Championship Game: Pender - Knights win 4-1 in 10 innings

Photos 

 Omaha World Herald - Championship Article
Omaha World Herald - All in the Family 
Omaha World Herald - Heads called, Mount Michael Declared Champ