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October 8, 2025With the 2025-2026 school year well underway, the Irish have been busy. From community action to sweepstakes awards, students are active as the year comes into full swing. In addition, with the start of a new school year, the school is seeing faces new and old. Here are just a couple of things the Irish have been up to …
Hearts and Hunger: Nguyen set hearts in motion
Initially emerging from an Instagram account meant to organize volunteer meetings, senior John Nguyen created Hearts and Hunger: a growing student volunteer effort that aims to help young people engage with the wider OKC area by helping those experiencing homelessness.
“Ever since I was young, my parents always taught me to pass out food to the homeless and to be kind to them, so I always had those values in me,” Nguyen said.
Though the group focuses on feeding people experiencing homelessness, their work goes beyond giving out meals.
“We don’t just pass out food,” Nguyen said. “We pray for people, we talk to them, we get to know them and hear their stories. It’s about making them feel seen and cared for.”
Nguyen said he believes listening is what makes his organization different.
“If you want to help somebody, do it with your heart, not with your head,” Nguyen said.
Through the group’s work distributing food, water and clothing, Nguyen hopes the organization will allow people to see homelessness in a new light.
“I would say to the people that join my organization, ‘learn with your heart, learn with an open mind, and just hear everyone’s story,’” Nguyen said.
Most recently, Hearts and Hunger collaborated with Irish4Life, a school organization that aims to establish an active, positive, pro-life culture and to promote the right to a dignified life for all persons among members of the Irish community. The group spent a morning cooking for Sister BJ’s Pantry’s breakfast program.
If you would like to support or donate to Hearts and Hunger and Nguyen’s missions you can find them on Instagram at hearts_and_hunger.
Speech and debate open with sweepstakes win
With a sweepstakes win at its first tournament, the speech and debate team started the competition season strong. The tournament, hosted by Southern Nazarene University, was long-awaited and the team prepared well, according to senior Regan Fulfer.
“I think we did better than usual,” Fulfer said.
Fulfer, a third-year member of the debate team, competed in Lincoln Douglas Debate, taking first overall.
“I felt pretty confident,” Fulfer said. “The topic was interesting.”
Fulfer added that she’s both proud and grateful for the win, attributing it to the help of her coach, Lori Crews.
Although the team came out on top, many went in feeling nervous preparing to face past rivals. Particularly, Fulfer was nervous about The Academy of Classical Christian Studies.
“Last year they were our main competitors at state,” Fulfer said
As it approaches the next couple tournaments, the team is also eyeing Ada, which is beginning to fill many regional qualifier spots.
“We’re going to have to bring it, especially the speech events,” Fulfer said.
Bennett steps in as senior counselor
Jerome BennettWhen the senior class learned it would begin its last year with a new senior counselor, many shared feelings of apprehension, considering the important life decisions they would soon have to make.
Their concerns, however, were put to rest when they met counselor Jerome Bennett.
Before he began as a college counselor at Cristo Rey OKC Catholic High School, Bennett worked as a Geographical Information Systems analyst and later a regional admissions representative for Wichita State University, finally taking a job at McGuinness.
“I really love the side of working with students,” Bennett said, “hearing their stories, helping them find opportunities for themselves that maybe they did or didn’t know about, and getting to enjoy the enthusiasm when they get accepted to a school that maybe they didn’t know.”
Since his arrival, Bennett has been working to develop relationships with the senior class and to adapt to school life at a new school.
“I feel like from the moment I walk in the door until the moment I leave, I’ve just been busy trying to get to know the students, trying to get to know the systems that we have in place here,” Bennett said.
So far, Bennett’s said the transition to new school life has gone well.
“What I’ve really appreciated is the community couldn’t have been more welcoming,” Bennett said. “From the students to the parents, to the families, to the staff, they’ve just been incredibly welcoming and understanding.”
Latham to lecture freshmen
The school anticipated a lecture by Author Jennifer Latham, set to return for a third consecutive year to speak about the research she completed for her novel: “Dreamland Burning.” The novel is required summer reading for the freshman class and based on the events of the Tulsa Race Massacre.
Latham’s lecture is meant to give students insight into what it takes to write a novel.
“The main aim is to recognize that real life human beings who live two and a half, three hours away actually write novels that are engaging,” freshman English teacher Kathy Judge said.
For a better insight into life at Bishop McGuinness, visit the school newspaper at ChiRhoan.com.
Katherine Menz is a senior at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.
Hearts and Hunger and Irish4Life after serving breakfast at Sister BJ’s Pantry. First row from left to right: John Nguyen, Donny Vo, Joseph Nguyen, Gia-luc Nguyen, Tony Nguyen, James Schultz. Second row left to right: Tom March, Anna LaForge, Sophia Hart, and Mary Sigmon. Photo Gia-luc Nguyen.
Seniors Sophia Welker, Sophia Hart and Mary Sigmon serve food at Sister BJ’s Pantry. Photo Gia-luc Nguyen.