BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL

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Established	1854
School type	Private
Religious affiliation	Roman Catholic(Jesuit)
President and Principal	Rev. Marcelino Garcia, S.J.
Location	Miami, Florida,USA
Student Body	approximately 1,500 students (All male)
Grades	6-12
School Mascot	Wolverine
School Website	http://www.belenjesuit.org
Students to Teacher ratio	30:1
★ as of 2007

'Belen Jesuit Preparatory School' is a Roman Catholic high school in Miami, Florida. It was established in Cuba by the Jesuits in 1854, but moved to the United States after the communist government of Fidel Castro, himself an alumnus, took power. Its current principal is Father Marcelino Garcia SJ. It operates independently of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami.
Belen is one of the four all-male schools in greater Miami-Dade, along with Mesivta School Of Greater Miami, Yeshiva Toras Chaim, and Christopher Columbus High School. It was recently selected, for the second time in a row, as one of the top 50 Catholic high schools in the United States by the Catholic High School Honor Roll of 2006.
Belen Jesuit annually provides over $1.9 million in need-based grants to students; the money is raised by the sale of raffle tickets by students, the annual Tombola fair, and private donations. The school prides itself in its various community services projects, including its annual trip to the Dominican Republic, and its other service projects across the greater Miami area.
Belen Jesuit recently created a million-dollar "Agape Scholarship" to recruit gifted African-American students throughout Dade County. A Miami Herald article covering this scholarship was displayed on its front page on April 10th, 2007.

Contents

Timeline

Facilities

Athletics

Arts

Library

Accreditation

Noteworthy alumni and former students

Academics

Business leaders

Entertainers and athletes

Journalists

Lawyers

Public officials and public servants

Sources

External links

Timeline

★ March 2, 1854 - Her Majesty Isabella II of Spain issues a royal charter founding the "Colegio de Belén" (Belen School) in Havana, Cuba. Belen School begins its educational work in the building formerly occupied by the convent and convalescent hospital of Our Lady of Belen, hence the name of the school.

★ 1925 - Sixty acres of plantations and several buildings are donated to Belen School. The complex is later known as "The Palace of Education." As of 2005, "The Palace of Education" still stands in Havana, Cuba (Note: Google Earth is required to view link).

★ September 18, 1961 - Belen Jesuit School is established in the United States. The fourth floor of the Gesu Church in downtown Miami becomes the first site of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. The faculty, like many other priests and religious, had been expelled from Cuba by the Communist government of Fidel Castro, an alumnus of the school. The school's property was ultimately taken over by the government.

★ October 22, 1962 - Belen Jesuit Preparatory School acquires its own building and moves to a new site on the corner of S.W. 8th Street and 7th Avenue in Miami.

★ October 17, 1980 - Ground-breaking ceremony is held for a new building on a 30 acre-site located in west Dade County.

★ September 14, 1981 - The school year 1981-82 begins in the new facilities with an enrollment of 598 students.

★ 1990 - 450th anniversary of the Institution of the Society of Jesus and 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

★ 1992/93 - A language laboratory, two computer laboratories and four new classrooms are installed. The library is remodeled. A new track and a parking lot are added.

★ 1994 - Belen Jesuit Preparatory School celebrates its 140th anniversary of founding of the school in Havana. The construction of the gymnasium starts.

★ 1995 - The gymnasium is inaugurated. Two more classrooms are added. Computers are updated in the computer labs.

★ November 1996 - Belen Jesuit receives accreditation from SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools), a prestigious and recognized association devoted to recognizing elite institutions.

★ March 1997 - Construction of a new media center in the library begins. The media center will provide 30,000 volumes of audiovisual material and a computer resource center with 26 networked computers to access the Internet and CD-ROM libraries.

★ May 1997 - Ground breaking ceremony for a new wing that would provide a larger cafeteria, eight more classrooms, and a guest dining room.

★ January 1998 - Belen Jesuit inaugurates the new Vincam wing, providing a larger cafeteria, eight new classrooms, and a guest dining room.

★ 2002 - Belen inaugurates the additions of Villa Javier, the Jesuit residence on campus, and the Raúl and Nidia Rodriguez Science Pavilion. Work is also completed on the new outdoor basketball courts and tennis courts.

★ 2004 - Belen celebrates its sesquicentennial. Belen innaugurates the Ignatian Center for the Arts which includes new classrooms, a choir and orchestra practice room, a stagecraft workshop, an amphitheater, the Olga & Carlos Saladrigas art gallery, and the Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca theatre with a 662 patron capacity.

★ 2005 -2006 - Belen wins its first ever District Championship in football, sending three players to the Ivy League and one to Northwestern.

★ 2006 -2007 - The 2006-2007 school year was met with great success both in academics and athletics. The Catholic School Honor Roll names Belen Jesuit as one of the top 50 Catholic high school in the U.S. again this year. Belen Jesuit was recognized in two categories, Academic Excellence and Civic Education. Belen Jesuit was also the only Florida school on the Honor Roll noted to have a highly selective admission policy. The swimming team, cross country team and track & field team all won state titles in their respective divisions.

★ February 3, 2007 - The Inaugural Sports Hall of Fame Class is inducted at the Roberto C. Goizueta Athletic Center. Its members include Luis Botifoll '25, Ernesto Smith '36, Alfredo Porta Bolaños '47, Julio J. Bordas '48, Felix P. Perez-Majul '55, Eduardo Sowers '56, Rene Walker '69, Julio Campa '71, Jorge M. Cabrera '72, Eric Alvarez '85, Hector Ortiz '86, Michael J. Covert '91, Edward Acosta '99, 1995 Cross Country Team, Otilio "Cappy" Campuzano, Coach, Carlos Barquin, Coach/Athletic Director.

Facilities

'Arts Center'

The Ignatian Center for the Arts is located on the north side of our campus. The art center consists of the Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca Theater, Olga & Carlos Saladrigas Art Gallery, 7 classrooms, a music rehearsal hall, and the theater’s administrative office. The seven classrooms house the Humanities Department classes which include Philosophy, Drama, Art History, Music, Jazz Band, Studio Art I and II, and Stagecraft
'Athletic Center'

The Roberto Goizueta Athletic Center is the home of Belen Jesuit's athletic department. The building houses two classrooms, the athletic department office, a weight room, two locker rooms, a training room, and a beautiful lobby. The gymnasium holds two full length basketball courts, two full length volleyball courts, and the ability to seat the entire school
'Observatory'

Continuing a tradition of over 140 years, the Belen Observatory for Astronomy and Meteorology is at the service of its students and the Miami community. Belen Jesuit is the only school in the United States equipped with a 16" telescope with a CCD camera for astrophotography. Weather forecasts are radioed daily to various cities in Florida.
The observatory was made possible by donations from the Belen Jesuit Class of 1972.
'Science Pavilion'

The Raul and Nidia Rodriguez Science Pavilion is located on the south side of the our campus. It has 5 classrooms with lecture-lab spaces and three classrooms with demonstration areas; a total of 8 rooms. The five labs include: one for Chemistry, one for Biology, one for Physics, one for Earth and Space Science, and one for Middle-School Science.

Athletics

Belen fields teams in all major sports. Sports programs sponsored by the school: baseball, football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, golf, swimming, water polo, tennis, wrestling, crew(rowing), and many more.

Frankie Ruiz helped replace long-time Cross Country coach Carlos Barquin. Ruiz, a full time marathon runner, has helped the Belen Wolverines triumph and maintain their tough position to always qualify for the state championship.
Richard Stuart has successfully led the football program for over 20 years; Belen won its first district title in 2006, with a win over Monsignor Pace. Belen will have five football players playing Ivy League football in the Fall of 2007-2008 (two at Princeton; one at Yale; one at Columbia; one at Dartmouth).
The crew team has become one of the toughest teams in the school as of late and has improved in both size and efficiency due to the coaching of former head coaches Dawn Viyella and Adam Thorstad and new head coach Edgardo Carranza. In the last four years the team has seen itself reach the regional finals twice and was district champion three out of the last five years. In 2007, Belen's Crew team won states in their freshmen category and was runner-up in their varsity category, this was truley Belen's best rowing year to date.
Belen recently renewed athletic competition with its longtime rival, Columbus. The schools resumed their basketball rivalry in 2003 after not playing for over 20 years. Belen won the 2004, 2005, and 2007 games. The two schools have recently begun to compete against each other in football and soccer.
The 2006-2007 school year was met with great success by the swimming team, cross country team and the track & field team at Belen Jesuit. All three teams won state titles in their respective divisions. Belen also won the district championship in water polo and baseball. The baseball team reached the state semi-finals. The Miami Herald awarded Belen Jesuit with the 4A-1A award for athletic excellence.
Hall of Champions

Arts

The humanities and arts are held at a high esteem at Belen. The Arts department at Belen Jesuit Preparatory school is currently overseen by Leopoldo Nuñez, the director of the Ignatian Center for the Arts at the school. As of 2004, a new building was added to the campus solely for the arts. The art center consists of the Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca Theater, Olga & Carlos Saladrigas Art Gallery, 7 classrooms, a music rehearsal hall, and the theater’s administrative office. The seven classrooms house the Humanities Department classes which include Philosophy, Drama, Art History, Music, Band, Stagecraft, Studio Art I and II, and AP Studio Art..
Theatre
The Ophelia & Juan Js. Roca Theatre features a 662 person occupancy, an orchestra pit, catwalk, a stage area and male and female dressing rooms. Prior to the construction of the theatre, Belen productions were staged in the Guillermo F. Kohly Auditorium.
Production Credits:
"Death of a Salesman", October 2003, Directed by Richard Signore

"A Flea in her Ear", March 2004, Directed by Leo J. Williams

"Fuenteovejuna", April 2004, Directed by Marcos Cassanova

"Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead", October 2004, Directed by Richard Signore

"A Time of Your Life", March 2005, Directed by Leo J. Williams

"Dialogos de las Carmelitas", April 2005, Directed by Marcos Cassanova

"Dracula", October 2005, Directed by Richard Signore

"Crossroads of Faith", February 2006, Directed by Leo J. Williams

"Los Intereses Creados", April 2006, Directed by Marcos Cassanova

"The Fantasticks", November 2006, Directed by Richard Signore

"The Boys Next Door", March 2007, Directed by Leo J. Williams

"Middle School Showcase", April 2007, Directed by Leo J. Williams and Eliana Parenti

Library

The Ramon Guiteras Memorial Library, located on the campus of Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, is one of the top school libraries in Miami-Dade County. It serves the student body and faculty of Belen, as well as the community at large. The library currently has over 35,000 volumes, 15,000 ebooks, and subscriptions to some of the best databases, including ProQuest Direct with over 2,000 periodicals online and Questia, with over 67,000 books online. The library staff includes two librarians and two library assistants. Library hours are 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday. The library is equipped with 24 computers with fast access to the Internet and houses a special collection of Cuban books, currently over 5,000 volumes, with books about Cuba and/or written by Cubans or Cuban-Americans.

Accreditation

Belen Jesuit Preparatory School is Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The School is also affiliated with the National Catholic Educational Association and is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education Association and the Jesuit High School College Counselor Association.

Noteworthy alumni and former students

Many of Belen's alumni are bureaucrats, professionals, and other influential members of society. These include:

Academics

★ Xavier Briggs, Ph.D. - '85, served in the Clinton Administration; currently a faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

★ Jorge Dominguez , PH.D. (did not finish at Belen) - '63, faculty member at Harvard University.

★ René Monteagudo, Ph.D. - '91, Clinical Psychologist, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

★ Frank O. Mora, Ph.D. - '82, Latin America expert and professor at the National War College.

Business leaders

★ Alvaro Cabrera - '76 - second largest Burger King franchisee in the United States (250)

★ Cesar Conde - '91, former State Department fellow and current Vice President of Univision

★ Marco A. Fernandez - '94, video game designer, GTA: Vice City, Midnight Club 2, currently VP at Marc Ecko Entertainment.

★ Calixto Garcia-Velez- Class of 84'-chief executive officer of Doral Bank Puerto Rico.

★ Roberto Goizueta - '47, former CEO of Coca-Cola; the Emory University School of Business is named after him; his foundation plays an important role at the school.

★ Carlos Saladrigas - '67 (did not finish) founder of the Vincam Group and Premier American Bank. One of Belen Jesuit's most important benefactors.

Entertainers and athletes

★ Raúl Esparza - '88, Broadway actor.

★ Gabriel Hernandez - '04, highest rated minor league pitcher in the Florida Marlins organization.

★ Mario Lavandeira - '96, founder of PerezHilton.com.

Journalists

★ Oscar Corral - '92, ''Miami Herald'' writer; covers Cuban politics and the exile community. Corral was one of the journalists who exposed the Radio Marti scandal.

★ German Pinelli - '25, Cuban journalist and actor

★ Roberto Suárez - '46, former President of ''The Miami Herald'' & ''El Nuevo Herald''

Lawyers

★ Fernando S. Aran - '75, former President of the Cuban-American Bar Association (1995)

★ Braulio Baez - '82, Senior Counsel at Holland & Knight; he is a former chairman of Florida Public Service Commission.

★ William X Candela - '80, Assistant County Attorney, Miami-Dade County

★ Antonio C. Castro - '86, former President of the Cuban-American Bar Association (2005)

★ Jose A. Garrido, Jr. - '72, former President of the Cuban-American Bar Association (1988)

★ Jorge L. Hernandez-Torano - '75, former President of the Cuban-American Bar Association (1989)

★ Sergio L. Mendez - '77, former President of the Cuban-American Bar Association (1999)

Public officials and public servants

★ Eduardo Alvarez, S.J. - '63, pastor at Gesu Church (Miami, Florida)

★ Fidel Castro - '44, President of Cuba

★ Gaston Cantens - '79, former Florida State Representative

★ Alonso R. del Portillo - '78, former Assistant District Director to Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and former president of the Dade County Young Republicans

★ Manny Diaz - '73, Mayor of Miami.

★ Joe Garcia - '82, former Executive Director of the Cuban American National Foundation, and Chairman of the Democratic Party in Miami-Dade County.

★ Humberto Hernandez - '80, former City of Miami commissioner

★ Gustavo Leon, M.D. - '63, former Chairman of Florida Board of Medicine.

★ Marcelo Llorente - '94, Representative, Florida House District 116

★ Carlos A. Manrique - '78, former Florida State Representative

★ Braulio Orue-Vivanco, - 1860, first Roman Catholic Bishop of the Diocese of Pinar del Rio

★ Xavier Suarez - '67, former Mayor of Miami

Sources

★ ''The International Jesuit Alumni Directory Belen'' (Forum Press Inc., 1994)

★ ''The International Jesuit Alumni Directory Belen'' (Bernard C. Harris Publishing Company Inc., 2004, MCNH-W54-4-4.OVA)

External links

★ http://www.belenjesuit.org

★ Belen Summer Camp

★ Privateschoolreview.com's page on Belen

★ Belen Key Club

★ Belen Robotics

★ Wolverine Crew