The Devon Dialogue GRANDPARENTS’ SPECIAL EDITION
volume vii, GP issue | November 2015
proudly publishing for five decades
Devon Preparatory School
A Magical Run Matthew Kelly ’16
There is a type of pure bliss one feels maybe once in a lifetime, twice if lucky. Devon Prep’s soccer team felt that one cold, dark night on the football field of William Tennent High School. It was the pinnacle of the team’s season; for the eleven seniors it was the pinnacle of their high school careers. The Tide had taken Plumstead Christian, last year’s state semifinalist, to overtime at 1-1, and, five minutes in, the team had won on senior Tanner Daggett’s golden goal. The players had won a spot in the district final. Never before had any of them been there, and never before had they beaten their next opponent, New Hope-Solebury. In the end, Devon lost to New Hope. The Tide had taken New Hope to halftime at 1-1, but a crucial formation change led to New Hope scoring five second-half goals. However, this defeat did not discredit Devon’s fantastic season. The season was marked by the return of senior Matt Bevilacqua, and the introduction of freshman Nick Bello. They, alongside with Drew Maslanka ’18, Dan Shannon ’17, Andrew Welsh ’16, Tanner Daggett, and Jimmy Loftus ’17, made up the core of the side. Other seniors, like Tony Gallo, Grant McKnight, Harpreet Cheema, and Mike Love, put in strong performances whenever they were on the field. The Tide won notable victories in the regular season against Plumstead Christian on Senior Day (3-1 Devon), and against Church Farm School in overtime after playing four other games that week (3-2 Devon). The team finished the season with a respectable record of 12-7-1. The future also looks bright for the Tide with a core of youngsters and veterans returning next year. Freshmen Connor Kelly and Jake Thomas both earned callups to the varsity team at the end of their junior varsity season, and next year they will be crucial players for varsity. Key returners will be Dan Shannon, Jimmy Loftus, Willson Camp ’17, Drew Maslanka, Frank Byrd ’18, and Tyler Wright ’18. These players will make up a solid team, which will look to build on this year’s excellent season.
Tanner Daggett ’16 streaks past the New HopeSolebury defender in the district final.
Devon’s varsity soccer team surges to the District 1 Final, finishing with a 12-7-1 record. See Left.
A November Break
Features
Devon seniors skim along the waters of the Everglades on their trip to sunny Naples. See Page 2
Running to Remember The cross country team runs in remembrance of senior teammate Michael Nicolas. See Page 4
No Sleep, No Problem Max Verna ’16
On Friday, October 24, Devon’s Christ ian Act ion Prog ram (CA P) began its annual f undraiser, Up for a Cause, for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The event lasted from 7 p.m. unt il 7 a.m. t he nex t morning, going for a total of t welve hours. The event att racted more t hen 120 upper school students and raised more t han $25,000 for childhood cancer research. The long night, consist ing of f un, friends, and food, k icked off w it h a performance from The Nort h Philadelphia Footstompers, who woke up t he students w it h t heir drumming and music. The Footstompers, an award-w inning drill team of young people, are sponsored by Project Home and St. Elizabet h’s Communit y Center
in Philadelphia, an establishment t hat CA P has helped out numerous t imes in t he past and has formed a close bond w it h. A f ter pumping up t he students, some of t he Footstompers challenged t he students to a game of basketball, which star ted t he t radit ional Up for a Cause spor ts tournament. In t he tournament, students compete against each ot her in spor ts such as basketball, soccer, and football. W hile t hese spor t tournaments were going on, v ideo game tournaments, board games, and pingpong were also tak ing place. This night was made successf ul by CA P moderator Mrs. Elizabet h Eshleman and by t he generosit y of bot h parents and students of t he Devon Prep family.
Matthew Kelly ’16 (left) watches the ongoing activities holding St. Jude’s $25,208 check.
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Dialogue News A November Break Brian Damerau ‘16
For many at Devon, t he second week of November signif ies a t ime of shif t from fall to w inter, t he beg inning of t he second quar ter, or t he daw n of w inter spor ts. However, for t he seniors, t his week represents a t ime of warm weat her, rela xat ion, and reprieve on t he calm shores of Naples, Florida. The senior t rip is a t ime for bonding on a much more profound level t han possible during prev ious t rips. The seniors’ schedules were f ull of count less hours of beach dawdling, dining adventures, and ot her recreat ional act iv it ies. But somewhere among t he volleyball games, t he Cheesecake Factor y feasts, and t he mov ies watched bot h in t he t heat res and in t he hotel rooms, t he boundaries bet ween t he days vaporized, and t he days began to meld toget her. This
t rip was no longer just seven days of rela xat ion, but instead one amorphous, sleep-deprived period of bonding and understanding. The seniors w ill not say t hat t he t rip was a life-chang ing ex perience, t hat t hey came out of it w it h a completely
Shane Norris ’16 spikes the volleyball over the net on the beaches of Lowdermilk Park in Naples, Florida.
different out look on life. However, what t hey w ill say is t hat it was a wholly posit ive ex perience. The Devonites came out feeling more connected to t heir classmates, f inally understanding t he weight of t heir relat ionships w it h each ot her. These are t he men who have enjoyed almost four years of t he Devon Difference. These are t he men t hat, t hrough t heir jok ing and laidback demeanors, have made t his school’s academic rigor bearable. These are t he men t hat understand each ot her, and af ter t his t rip, understand each ot her even better in order to appreciate each ot her f ully. The t rip was, as usual, a success.
Getting to Know Mrs. Si Brandon Hoang ‘18 and Jacob Pabia ’18
The Devon Dialogue: Can you tell us some of your personal background? Ellen Si: I’m married. My husband is Chinese. He grew up in the Philippines, and we have four daughters. DD: What are your interests outside of the classroom? ES: If what I put my time in shows my interests, one thing that takes a lot of time outside the classroom is homeschooling my kids because I have four kids. Whenever I have extra time, I like to scrapbook. I also like to spend time outside. DD: What are your favorite foods, places, and role models? ES: I like chickens wings, Buffalo chicken wings. I went to college up around Buffalo right when they were coming out. I enjoy Yellowstone National Park. I’ve only been there once but if there were some place in the continental United States where I could go back, I would go back there. On the east coast, I enjoy the beaches in North Carolina. We go to Sunset Beach, North Carolina. When I was quite a bit younger, I admired almost all of my math teachers. My eighth grade math teacher got me interested in pursuing math and, specifically, teaching. Now as I’ve gotten older, my friend Gloria has become one of my role models because she has a great prayer life. She spends a lot of time praying, and I admire that. My friend Sabrina is as well because of her occupation. She’s a nurse, but she has the gift of mercy. So, she’s very intent on looking to reach out to people who are hurting. Those are two of them. DD: What is your educational
background? ES: I went to Houghton College. It’s a small, private Christian college in western New York State, and then I did my master’s work at Oswego. That’s way up in New York State, up on Lake Ontario. DD: When did you decide to teach and why? ES: Like I said, I would say that my eighth grade math teacher probably got me started initially in being interested in math, but that was eighth grade. Then, I’ve had more good teachers throughout high school for the most part. They encouraged me to think about education as well. They all thought I was doing well in math, but a lot of people, not necessarily my teachers, were saying, “You should be an engineer.” However, I didn’t want to be an engineer. I’m glad I followed my heart in that case. DD: What is your teaching style? ES: Probably more lecture but with some group work, and I allow for question and answer. DD: Do you enjoy teaching children? If so, why? ES: I think one of my favorite parts about teaching math to middle school and high school students is when you get to see on their faces that they’re working hard, trying to think through a problem that you’re presenting. All of a sudden it clicks, and they get it. There’s that “aha” moment. So, I like to see that. DD: What is the most rewarding part about being a teacher? ES: I think it’s always rewarding to hear of students later on that have graduated, gone on to college maybe,
and are pursuing math degrees. I think that’s rewarding for me. I feel like that when I hear back from my students, and they’re just doing well in general. I feel like I had a part in that with the good solid families that they’ve established. I’m thinking of this one girl that I saw this summer, and I saw her with her four little kids running around. That was neat to see. She was one of my students, and she had married one of my students. Just hearing how they’ve matured is rewarding. DD: What is the hardest thing about being a teacher? ES: Right now, the hardest thing about it is the hours every night planning simply because I’ve been out of it for a while. But that wouldn’t matter even if I had been teaching at another school and then come here. When you start over again, it’s still hard. Any time you go to a new school just starting over is hard with the planning, trying to find good problems, and good test questions. DD: What do you plan to contribute to our school community? ES: Well, my primary goal is to communicate math effectively to you all in the classroom. I went to the school drama this weekend, and I brought a couple of my kids. We really enjoyed that. DD: Do you want to add anything else? ES: I really like it here. This is a great place. I felt welcomed. The faculty is very welcoming and encouraging, and the students are welcoming. So, it seems like you guys are in a good place.
Blue and Gold Show Spirit
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Joe Orsatti ‘17
Homecoming is a staple in high schools all around the countr y. Traditionally, homecoming includes a pep rally, football game, and a formal dance. However, Devon Prep is k now n for being unique. The Devon Prep Homecoming Semi-Formal was only one part of a full week of festivities, k nown as Spirit Week. Led by our student council, the Devon Prep student body came together for a week of fun filled events from October 23 to October 30. Spirit Week commenced w ith a peprally during 8th period on October 23. It included various events that were led by members of the Devon Prep fall sports teams. The golf team led off w ith a putting challenge, complicated by a dizzying t w ist. Each member of the team had to spin around a baseball bat before attempting to putt the golf ball. Senior Vince Finley ’16 was the victor. The cross countr y team followed w ith a three-legged race won by Matt Fasullo ’17 and Chick Hallinan ’18. Finally, members of the soccer team took part in
a shootout, in which Edward McGinley ’16 attempted to block the shots while wearing a gorilla costume. Follow ing the pep rally, a game of tag ensued bet ween the gorilla and a bunch of bananas, which were seniors in costumes. Students then proceeded to the park ing lot where Pat Nattle and several seniors were grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for them. After the tailgate, the Senior
Golfer Joe Conroy ’16 is honored with his mother on Senior Day before the varsity soccer game.
Day festivities were ready to commence. The seniors on ever y fall sports team and their parents were brought onto the field and honored by the student body. This ceremony was followed by the triumph of the Varsit y Soccer team over the Plumstead Christian School. This victor y was cheered on by a loud and enthusiastic Pit. The festivities did not even stop there even though the sun was setting behind the trees. Later that night, students gathered in the g ym for the Christian Action Program’s annual Up for A Cause, which benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Over $25,000 were raised by these students as they stayed awake from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Spirit Week continued on to include dress dow n days, donuts, food trucks, music interludes, and the homecoming dance on October 30. It was a true representation of Devon Prep Pride and w ill not be forgotten by the student body.
Open for All
A Bit about the Pit
Dan O’Connor ’17
Sean McGeehan ’16
At the annual fall Devon Prep Open House, prospective families came to receive information about the school. Students, parents, and alumni described the “Devon Difference” and their experiences here to the guests. First, the families gathered in the gym to hear Mr. Patrick Kane, Mr. Barry Brazunas, eighth grader Luka Miraldi, freshman George Kweder, and student council president, Eddie McGinley ’16 each speak. Afterwards, students guided the families through the school, listening to our faculty present their respective courses. Following the tour, representatives from our numerous extracurricular activities and clubs were outside Calasanctius Hall to give a brief explanation of each and answer questions. As always, there was plenty of food for all in and around
Calasanctius. With all this, Devon had yet another successful Open House due to the cooperative efforts of those involved.
Student council president Eddie McGinley ’16 recounts his experience in coming to Devon at the Open House.
We Meet Again Steve Duffy ’17
The Devon Prep A lumni Reunion offers an opportunit y for Devon graduates to catch up w it h old friends and return to see t heir school. The annual event took place t his November in Calasanct ius Hall and had a g reat turnout. This year’s reunion was for all alumni t hat g raduated in years ending w it h a f ive or zero. Graduates have a chance to attend a class reunion ever y f ive years. Food and drink were prov ided and t he alumni took t he chance to have a lot of f un while sharing old stories about Devon. The event was organized by Mr. Dav id Evans ’08 and t he A lumni Associat ion. The A lumni Associat ion consists of all g raduates of Devon and plays a ver y act ive role in t he Devon Prep communit y. The esteemed members of t his Associat ion dedicate t heir t ime
and energ y to plan all alumni events, especially t he reunion. Mr. Evans has been running t he event for years and organizes all alumni events. The Devon Dialogue was afforded t he opportunit y to ask quest ions to t he attendees. W hen asked if t hey kept in touch w it h each ot her af ter g raduat ion, most were not hesitant to answer, “No.” Most admitted t hey’ve had litt le communicat ion w it h t heir classmates besides social media. They’ve been preoccupied w it h job and family commit ments. However, t he alumni st rongly felt t hat t heir ex perience at Devon helped t hem w it h college and in t heir chosen career f ields. The A lumni Reunion was a g reat success and t he A lumni Associat ion looks for many more to come.
Devon Prep’s student section, the Pit, had some of its largest turnouts in recent memory this soccer season. Students came out to most games and supported the team in their very successful season. They screamed chants such as “Roll Tide!” and the famous “I Believe” in hopes to motivate the team, and affect the game as best they can. The Pit was so successful that Head Coach, Tim McNally, called it the team’s “twelfth man.” The two largest turnouts for games were Senior Day and the District Championship game, which was nearly an hour away at Council Rock High School in Bucks County. In fact, at the championship game, the Pit was comprised of over 70 students, which is certainly a record. The Pit’s goal is to impact the game as much as it can so that the team has the best home field advantage possible. This soccer season was only the beginning for the Pit. It hopes to have even more students attend the basketball games, to support the team during their quest for a championship this season. In addition, the Pit looks forward to a successful baseball season in the spring.
Pit members cheer on as they watch the varsity soccer team compete against New Hope-Solebury in the District 1 Final.
Running to Remember
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Thomas Brower ’18
At first glance, cross countr y may seem to be a solitar y sport. It may seem that the runners are simply out on the course by themselves w ithout any interaction. There is no ball being passed around among team members as in soccer or football, and it is hard to see team members work ing to achieve a common goal as one can clearly see in row ing. However, cross countr y is most assuredly a team sport in ever y sense of the word. One may wonder, “How can this be?” In cross countr y, ever ybody is running the same race, unlike other sports that host different positions such as offense, defense, or midfield. There is great unit y in this because ever ybody shares the same experience of running the same race. All of the athletes k now exactly what their fellow runners are going through since they themselves are undergoing the same thing. As such, there is no aspect of the competition that can be uniquely experienced by one individual and not by his whole team. Team success is based on the performance of the overall team, not that of any one runner. A team’s score is the cumulative value of the top five runners’ finishes; this means that the score is generated by adding together the top five runners’ places. Furthermore, runners act as critical deciding factors in the instance of a tie. This leaves no room for one athlete to cover for the mistakes of another as can be done in other sports w ith different roles. Because of this cumulative scoring, a team composed of relatively good runners that all finish w ithin a few places of each other w ill always beat a team consisting of t wo or three really good runners and t wo or three poor runners. For this reason, runners must work together as a team to perform well overall if they hope to succeed. A positive team dynamic is especially important in cross countr y due to its largely mental nature. It is often remarked, “Cross countr y is ten percent physical and ninet y percent mental.” Although this statement may not seem to be ver y true, it is, in actualit y, quite accurate. The biggest obstacle to one’s success in running is not any external factor like bad weather or a difficult course; the biggest obstacle of any runner is his ow n mind. Runners are not so much competing against each other as they are competing against himself. Training strongly reinforces team unit y by mimick ing the environment present during a race. W hether it be a core workout, speed workout, or distance run, ever ybody
is participating in the same workout w ith each other simultaneously. This, coupled w ith the small size of Devon’s cross countr y team, creates a ver y strong team dynamic that is unique to cross countr y. Cross countr y provides an environment where runners can relax and strike up conversation w ith other teammates; these conversations t y pically encompass the entire team due to its relatively small size. This positive, conversational environment in practices really helps to draw the team together. W hen this is added to the shared experience of workouts and races, the team becomes like a family. The Devon team truly did come together as a family this year as the runners ran the workouts and races together. They all laughed, talked, and competed, constantly helping and look ing to better themselves and the team. Senior Michael Nicolas was the heart and soul of the Devon cross countr y family. In the words of the team he was, “focused, self less, dedicated, a mentor, and a leader.” Mike brought his positive attitude to ever y practice and race and always encouraged ever yone to do better. He was the glue that held the team together. He was more than just a fellow runner, a team captain, and a friend, Mike was a brother to ever yone.
The cross country team runs against some stiff competition in Christopher Dock and New HopeSolebury.
Eighth Grade Edges Out the Rest Colin Fulmer ’20
Every year the Devon Prep Middle School has two middle school spirit days, one in the fall and one in the spring. These are great opportunities for students to receive a break from academics and become better acquainted with their classmates. Every Middle School student counts down the days till Spirit Day in anticipation of winning the trophy. To commence Middle School Spirit Day, the entire middle school gathers in the chapel for Mass. Afterwards, the participants assembled in the gym so that Mr. Barry Brazunas could explain the schedule. When Mr. Brazunas was finished, the students donned eye black and wristbands so that the competition could begin. There were many events in the morning such as Frisbee, football, basketball, football, and doughnut eating, along with many others. Next, after the morning activities were completed, the students marched off to Calasanctius Hall where Mr. and Mrs. Scavitto had prepared pizza. The satisfied students returned to the gym after lunch in order to kick off the afternoon events. These included track and field, kickball, homerun derby, and the tug-of-war. This year, the race for first place was very close. It all came down to the last event: the tug-of-war. This would decide the champions of Middle School Spirit Day. The eighth grade valiantly triumphed and were declared victors of Middle School Spirit Day. All of the participants had a rewarding and relaxing day. Many of the students could not wait for spring to arrive along with the second Middle School Spirit Day of the school year.
Middle school students enjoy a deserved break from classes on Spirit Day.
Editorial Board
© 2015 Devon Prep
Editor-in-Chief: Grant McKnight ’16 Deputy Editors-in-Chief: Sean Fulmer ’16 & Justin Hennessy ’16 Associate Editor for Entertainment: Christopher Carpenter ’16 Associate Editor for News: Shyamal Patel ’16 Faculty Moderator: Mr. Lawrence Theuer All photos, unless otherwise noted, taken by newspaper staff or Ms. Rose Lombardo, for Devon Preparatory School. Special thanks to Fr. Shea for his tireless assistance and guidance.