Fall 2018 Tower Revisited

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THE MAGAZINE OF SETON HALL PREPARATORY SCHOOL • FALL 2018

Our Bountiful Harvest Shared with Those Who Need it Most

Commencement 2018 • At Work and At Play • The Early Days • Our Alumni • Galleries


A message from the President Dear Fellow Setonians, Alma Mater sons be loyal. Keep her name in purest light. Never waver from her precepts. Guard her banner blue and white. O sing her praise to highest skies, and be ye faithful in her eyes. For she will foster all your dreams. Her name is Seton Hall. Our alma mater traces back almost to our beginnings in 1856 and we have remained faithful to its precepts from that day forward, bolstered by our Catholicity, our faculty, our students and our families. It was an unwavering trust in God, tenacity and total dedication that allowed our founding fathers to turn their dream of a fine school for young men into a reality. Standing on their shoulders, succeeding generations of priests and our dedicated lay colleagues have helped to keep that dream alive; and they have shaped and molded that vision to respond to the ever-changing demands of education. All of us today owe a deep debt of gratitude to those who went before us and poured out their lives to make Seton Hall Prep the school that we have come to know and love. Since our relocation to West Orange in 1985 we have added numerous physical improvements to our campus— a modern dining hall and classroom wing, the Murphy Science Center and the Edward D. and Helen M. Kelly Athletic Complex. All our changes notwithstanding, we at Seton Hall Prep have remained fundamentally the same. This past year our diverse student body of 970 young men from 130 towns studied Virgil and Shakespeare; AP physics, statistics, chemistry and calculus; robotics and environmental science; the original thirteen colonies and the Middle East. They brought home trophies in forensics, performed a cappella and with the concert band; they wrote plays, composed poetry and showed in art galleries; they visited Rome, London, Guatemala, Appalachia and Trenton. Our teams competed in state championships and as individuals in wrestling, track and field. They became closer to God and each other in their class retreats and at Kairos. They shared in difficult challenges and celebrated their successes. Yes, things changed this year, but they also remained the same. One of the most important areas in the life of the school that remained the same was the fundamental support that our alumni, parents and friends offered us. This past year alone we were able to provide financial assistance and academic scholarship awards to approximately 40% of our young men, while at the same time keeping our tuition reasonable for all. We could never have done any of this without the dedication and sacrifice of our benefactors, which to this day remains unchanged. Our Annual Appeal and the Generations Campaign have provided wonderful and continuing benefits, many of which you will see now in the pages of this Tower Revisited. Thomas Henry Huxley wrote, “Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it ought to be done, whether you like it or not; it is the first lesson to be learned.” Our young men live this maxim every day as they submit themselves voluntarily to the values, the rules and traditions of The Prep. In turn, these students are given the chance to witness life lived rightly— by their teachers, their coaches, their moderators and their peers. They are formed within this brotherhood to believe in both themselves and in the knowledge that giving of oneself does not diminish one but rather enlarges one’s heart to ”sing her praise to highest skies.” Our school is built on four pillars— faith, family, compassion and courage. A reminder of this welcomes each student and visitor at our entrance. As steward of this great preparatory school, this is my one ask, my one prayer for us all: that we as an institution, we as a community, we as a family continue to uphold our core values and commitments while embracing the challenge of being a model for the 21st century; so we may make the most of our blessings, so we may continue our rise, and so we may do all for the greater glory of God. On behalf of Headmaster Monsignor Harahan and myself, please be assured of our gratitude to all, our good wishes and prayers; kindly remember us in yours. Hazard Zet Forward,

Published for the Community of Seton Hall Preparatory School by the Office of Communications Director of Communications Publisher, Editor

Richard C. Morris H’95 rmorris@shp.org

on the front cover— Teammates on the diamond and with their senior classmates in the service of others, Ryan Hebert and Ryan Sheppard helped harvest a crop that would eventually bolster the inventories of food banks and pantries in food-insecure areas of the state.

PRESIDENT

Rev. Msgr. Michael E. Kelly ‘57 mkelly@shp.org

HEADMASTER

Rev. Msgr. Robert E. Harahan H’17 rharahan@shp.org

DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Matthew Cannizzo ‘90 mcannizzo@shp.org

DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS Richard M. Koles ‘69 rkoles@shp.org

Contact us at— 120 Northfield Avenue West Orange New Jersey, 07052 973.325.6430 • fax: 973.243.9274 www.shp.org • e-mail: rmorris@shp.org www.facebook.com/setonhallprep

Contributors to this issue: The Office of Institutional Advancement, Jeff Goldberg ’77, Ken Comer ’73, Chris Barnitt ’88, Dave Snyder ’89 Marty Berman H’05 Photography, design and editorial content, except where noted, by Richard Morris H‘95 For extensive photo albums of the events and activities pictured in this issue, visit the Media Gallery at www.shp.org.

Rev. Msgr. Michael E. Kelly ’57 president

The TOWER REVISITED is printed by QuadGraphics Midland, Inc., Midland, MI


T O W E R R E V I S I T E D The Magazine of Seton Hall Preparatory School Fall 2018

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inside Scene at The Prep

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A gallery of telling images that bring into focus what The Prep is all about

CommencementLet Happiness Reign

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The Class of 2018 finishes up with a celebration of hard work and great success

Signs of our Faith

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Liturgical celebrations draw our students to personal and spiritual growth

In and Out of the Classroom

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Time-honored programs and new initiatives continue to shine

Extraordinary Contributions

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A year of ribbon-cutting to celebrate uncommon generosity and support

Learning to Lend a Hand

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Prep students discover myriad ways to offer service to those who need it most

Thoughts on Fr. K’s Passing

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Reflections on what we have missed in the year since the death of Fr. Stephen Kilcarr

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Mail Call... Our Alumni

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Correspondence and news from all over— via letters, notecards, email and the internet

The Early Days

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From the sesquicentennial book, Chapter 4— The Prep and the Nation make their way through the tumultuous war years

Pulling Together

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Teamwork is at the core of students’ success in “making things happen”

Griffin Bridges at 25

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With a quarter century of great support behind it, the vibrant program continues to change lives

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Moms & Dads

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A dynamic duo of organizations work non-stop in support of The Prep’s students

Blue and White, Into the Fray

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Prep athletes in a gallery of images, displaying the energy and skill that keep the Pirates on everyone’s “want-to-beat” list

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scene at The Prep… Liturgical celebrations at The Prep bring the community together and reinforce the traditions we have shared for more than 160 years. Last November’s All Saints’ Day Mass was extra special as Cardinal Joseph Tobin celebrated the Mass with our students and faculty. Early in the liturgy he blessed a new ciborium, a gift of one Prep family in honor of another. • Just before leaving the auditorium, in acknowledging Msgr. Kelly’s bestowal of an honorary diploma, he gained a new following as he, invoking one of his perks in visiting a school, noted that the Cardinal gets to grant days off… “How about you guys take off the day after the Super Bowl!” A standing ovation ensued.

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scene at The Prep… Although much of the world has gone “all-in” for digital resources, it’s really hard to beat putting your hand on an actual piece of ephemera that captured the essence of an enduring moment in history. Thanks to the longstanding collecting habits of history teacher John Finnegan, four juniors experienced first-hand reaction to the events of December 7, 1941 as they were reported in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on the very day of the attack. • While well aware of the potential benefits of technology and the digital world, The Prep is equally committed to its students being fully grounded in traditional methods of learning.

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scene at The Prep‌ If getting your hands dirty is a mark of how serious you are about work in service of others, Prep seniors often lead the way. Last fall, as part of the Senior Class Day of Service, several dozen of them spent the morning at a farm in west Jersey in support of Grow-A-Row. Their task there was to harvest potatoes planted months before, to be donated to food banks and pantries in food insecure areas throughout the state.

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scene at The Prep… Each year 30 or so seniors commit themselves– in addition to their studies, their teams, their college apps, their free time– to the uncommonly important responsiblity of leading the newest members of the Prep Community through their freshman year. Beginning in the summer the Peer Leaders put together their team, and continue to hone their team-building skills throughout the year. • An August challenge for the group: split into six groups; take several hundred straws and paper clips; build a rollercoaster for a tennis ball. Lesson one… communicate!

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scene at The Prep… … and the object of the Peer Leaders’ attention is a new class of more than 270 freshmen, in myriad sizes, shapes and frames of mind, coming from upwards of 80 different towns. The seniors start their task from the first day, breaking the ice, spurring the strangers to get to know each other, establishing a comfort level in the new environment, building confidence. The daily lunchtime sessions go on all year, leading often to brother-like ties that endure beyond The Prep. • Dave Festa ’18 helps Shane Feins ’21 past a minor setback in a relay at the early September Frosh Field Day.

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scene at The Prep… While the sight of several dozen students and faculty offering up their locks at the Annual Buzz-Off creates a most festive atmosphere in the auditorium, never lost on the gathering is the reason for their sacrifices. Friends and supporters pledge hundreds of dollars for cancer research as each participant takes to the chair with a sign designating their inspiration. Those signs reveal how close to home the cause behind the event hits… parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends— all called to mind as the students take their turns.

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scene at The Prep‌ With work at the Kelly Athletic Complex finally at an end, a popular tradition was renewed last November after a hiatus of three years. The Thanksgiving morning Mass and 5K Turkey Trot was again the scene for alumni and friends to re-connect and start a pictureperfect day with a little exercise, laying the groundwork for the festivities planned for the rest of the weekend. • Begun on a rainy Thanksgiving morning in 1998 by 14 Prep faculty and friends, the event grew with each passing year and was eagerly welcomed back in 2017.

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Climaxing a Year of Hard Work and Great Success, The Class of 2018 at Commencement‌

Let Happiness Reign!

At the Baccalaureate Mass the evening prior to Commencement, Headmaster Msgr. Robert Harahan delivered his farewell message to the 233 members of the Class of 2018, as the 2500 in attendance looked on amidst the majesty of the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

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CLASS OF 2018 COMMENCEMENT AWARDS Archbishop Thomas A. Boland Award Most Representative Setonian Presented to that Senior who, by his Accomplishments and in his Person, most Exemplifies the Ideals of this Institution; and whose Values, Character, Maturity, Successes and Achievements Personify the Fulfillment of our Mission. Dominic P. Palumbo

As the clock ticks towards 6 pm Msgr. Harahan, student servers and the concelebrating priests prepare to begin the Entrance Procession • The seniors and their families join with the Leader of Song.

Vincent A. McIntee H’66 Award Presented to that Senior who has provided Consistent and Substantial Service to all Aspects of Life at Seton Hall Prep, without Consideration of Self or Neglect of his Studies. Christian H. McNeill Ralph J. Ciccone Medallion Mathematics James Lederman Rev. Martin J. Foran H’87 Medallion Calculus BC Zachary I. Margovskiy Aldo Itri H’83 Medallion Calculus AB Nicholas E. Roszkowski Statistics AP Medallion Yongjia Hou Harry H. Dawson H’90 Medallion English Studies Benjamin S. Ballway Hugo Senerchia Medallion Humanities Michael A. Oross

• At the Offertory members of the Barone, Colangelo and Pesci families bring the gifts forward to the altar.

Edward Jennings Medallion Literary Achievement James P. O’Neill Richard E. Binkowski H’97 Medallion Cinema Studies Sean E. Callaghan Andrew G. Mitzak H’79 Medallion Social Studies Connor S. Matteson United States History Medallion Benjamin S. Ballway

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Let Happiness Reign! Language Studies Medallion Ruiqi Zhang Malcolm Ewing Medallion Classical Language Cameron A. Fiore Spanish Studies Medallion Luiz E. Reis Vincent Visceglia Medallion Italian Studies Michael S. Bio William C. Safranek ’61 Medallion French Studies Jacques C. Clovis Chinese Studies Medallion Maguire J. Pecci Fine & Performing Arts Medallion Yongjia Hou Edwin J. Havas Medallion Art Yongjia Hou Joseph A. Neglia H’01 Medallion Music Studies Peter T. Groppe Joseph A. Neglia H’01 Medallion Music Performance Philip A. Mastellone Theresa A. Neglia H’14 Medallion Theatre Arts Paolo G. Arante Sciences Medallion Cameron A. Fiore John T. Theroux H’81 Medallion Physics Ruiqi Zhang Dr. Joseph P. Kane H’85 Medallion Chemistry John S. Simone III Biology Medallion Matthew G. Wettengel Dr. Richard Scaine ’52 Medallion Environmental Science Hunter C. Hagan Computer Technology Medallion Ryan R. Hebert Frank J. Tracey Medallion Physical Education Taras A. Jacus Msgr. John McNulty Medallion Theology Peter A. Pinto Fr. James Foley ’28 Medallion Peer Leadership Ryan R. Hebert National Hispanic Recognition Award Francisco J. Valliciergo V National Merit Scholarship Program Commended Students Cameron A. Fiore, Damani S. Francis, James Lederman, Kyle M. Miskovich, Matthew C. Murray, Ernesto V. Ruiz, Frank S. Spano, Francisco J. Valliciergo V, Matthew G. Wettengel

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Co-Recipient of the Alumnus of the Year Award, Richard Fritzky ’68, whose life over the past 20 years has been one of constant, life-threatening challenges, delivered an inspirational and memorable address to the graduates. He shared the award with classmate J. David Gill. • Valedictorian Ryan E. Martynowicz addresses his fellow graduates and the assembly of 1500.


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Damani Francis records the moments before Commencement. • Dean of Men Mark Smith and Assistant Headmaster Mike Gallo ready the awards and the seating. • The faculty leads the procession into Walsh Auditorium.

As the ceremony draws to a close, the C-Tonians lead their classmates in the Alma Mater.

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Let Happiness Reign!

[right]- Msgr. Kelly has much to smile about as the graduates come forward, about to receive their long-awaited diplomas. • Msgr. Haranan and Msgr. Kelly greet Christian H. McNeill as he receives the Vincent A. McIntee Award, for Extraordinary Service to The Prep. • Cameron Carti receives his diploma from Msgr. Harahan. [inside right]- Msgr. Harahan and Msgr. Kelly present the Archbishop Thomas A. Boland– Most Representative Setonian Award to Dominic P. Palumbo. • A beaming Jesse Reid III, diploma in hand, returns to his seat. • Pat Zagroda celebrates with a classmate. [overleaf]- The range of emotions among the graduates is a wide one—relief, gratitude, and joy top the list. Obrey Shillingford and William Kieselstein celebrate the end of their high school careers.

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National Merit Finalists Ryan E. Martynowicz, Alex M. Wang Anthony J. Verducci H’81 Award Presented to a Most Courageous Senior Vincent H. Zieger Chaplain Maj. Charles J. Watters ’45 Memorial Award Recognizing Exceptional Commitment to Campus Ministry Daniel S. Wikstrom Inger Bagger Stovall & Robert H. Stovall ’43 Award­ Presented to the Most Academically Improved Senior Jonah D. Philistin Christian J. S. Brogan ’87 Scholarship Award Daniel J. Samtani Tony Esposito Jr. Foundation Scholarship Award Charles J. Cunningham IV Daniel A. Galorenzo ’03 Memorial Award Philip A. Mastellone Donald W. Yaw ’03 Memorial Award Dwight L. Thomas Andrew L. Clark ’43 Medallion Recognizing Exceptional Leadership Qualities James Ward Coaches’ Award Presented to Senior Athletes for Exemplary Representation of The Prep’s Ideals, on and off the Field Anthony L. Algieri, Austin M. Angelo Jonah W. Benitez, Max D. Engelbrechtsen John R. Farrell, Daniel J. Gizzo Willem R. Juhlin, Charles E. Marashlian Timothy W. Metcalf, Matthew J. Michaels Quinn Nilan, Maguire J. Pecci Justice Sims-McCray, Charles M. Smollen Dwight L. Thomas, Jack E. Zyska Headmaster’s Award Presented to Seniors Who have been Leaders by Word and Example—Representative of the Values of Seton Hall Prep Matthew J. Dicaro, Cameron A. Fiore Matthew J. Michaels, James L. Mesce Charles E. Marashlian, Peter A. Pinto Stephon D. Smith, Luiz E. Reis David Schuldiner, John S. Simone III The Bayley Seton Activities Award Presented to the Outstanding Senior Participant in the Activities Program Paolo G. Arante Msgr. William J. Daly ’38 Award Presented to the Outstanding Senior Athlete Griffin T. Westlin Recognition of Salutatorians Cameron A. Fiore Recognition of Valedictorian Ryan E. Martynowicz

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The work of building The Prep’s Community of Faith is a year-long effort, with its roots in the pillars of Liturgy, Retreat and Service. That effort is designed to foster the personal and spiritual growth of each young person, to draw young men to participation in the work of the Catholic faith community, and to empower them to live as disciples of Jesus in today’s world. A wide spectrum of liturgical celebrations runs through the school’s calendar. It begins as school starts, with the Mass of 22

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the Holy Spirit and the commissioning of the new group of Eucharistic Ministers, followed by the All Saints’ Day Mass, Thanksgiving Services, a Mass at Christmastime, a celebratory Mass for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, an Ash Wednesday liturgy and a Holy Week Mass in preparation for Easter. All the while there are monthly Knights of Setonia Masses, Days of Reconciliation during Lent and on weekly “Fresh Start Fridays.” Monthly Adoration of the Eucharist in the Chapel of


Maguire Pecci’s expression affirms his understanding and that of his fellow Eucharistic Ministers of the role they undertake in the spiritual life at the school.

[left]- Luke Johnson, Matt Pascual, Todd Carolonza and Bill Rojack prepare for the February Knights of Setonia Mass. • [top] Msgr. Kelly calls upon the intercession of the saints at the All Saints’ Day Mass, surrounded by Msgr. Harahan, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, Rev. Jason Makarow ‘99, Rev. James White and Rev. Zach Swantek. • [above] International student Shicong “Tommy” Pan discovers the significance of the American traditions surrounding Thanksgiving. 23


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Chaplain Fr. Jim White celebrates the Kairos evening Mass with the retreatants gathered around the altar for the Consecration.

St. Michael the Archangel is attended by students, faculty and parents. The Retreat Program sets aside a special day each year for each grade, setting the stage for the more intensive four-day Kairos Retreat, now annually engaging more than 175 candidates and 50 student leaders on four separate occasions. The success of this program has recently led to the inauguration of parent retreats, one in November for newly arrived freshman parents, and a second in March welcoming 24

all the parents. The Kairos Retreat, time away from the daily grind and the call of smartphone and social media, encourages the students to tackle the tough issues of their faith and their relationships.The experience is profound and long-lasting, one which, as noted by Director Billy Ward, “students say is imperative to their Prep journey to becoming a man.” Headmaster Msgr. Harahan echoed the thoughts after his own participation: “I left inspired by it. Kairos continues to impact all dimensions of our school.”


During the Mass Cameron Fiore presents his group’s “sacramental” — the object they have discovered that symbolizes their experience at Kairos and their hopes for carrying it forward upon their return to school.

Talks by student leaders based upon their personal experiences often open them up to emotional expressions of support from their classmates.

The “time away” encourages prayer and personal reflection; most students keep detailed journals about their reactions and their new-found aspirations for the future.

The winter Kairos coincided with Arjun Trivedi’s birthday. Classmates surprised him with good wishes and a cake and candle that refused to be blown out. 25


In (and Out) of the Classroom

ast February, as 233 seniors began to think about their upcoming graduations, the Admission Office enrolled 276 members to the Class of 2022, the largest freshman class in a decade. Interest in The Prep remains widespread, and helping to spread the word has been the recent initiative called Pirates Academy, a summertime 8-day program that gives 7th graders a taste of the many facets of The Prep Experience. This summer’s group grew by 20% to 60 students (with a waiting list) who got a glimpse of SHP academics, activities and athletics from a number of the school’s teachers, advisers and coaches. The highly regarded group of marquee players from the new senior class, the Peer Leaders, continues to exercise the call to shepherd the freshmen through their first year, helping them integrate into the community. While middle school academic credentials helped the new freshmen in their acceptances to The Prep, not every prior school experience turns 26

out to be entirely helpful here. Consequently, on top of the regular schedule of teacher help classes and tutoring by the National Honor Society, this past year Seton Hall Prep inaugurated the Support Academy, offering four days a week of extra work in English, Science and Math to freshmen that find themselves in a struggle. Hard work has paid off in many other academic areas. Last year the school surpassed previous highs in the Advanced Placement Program, now with 23 AP courses and 763 AP exams administered to 342 students. Among the AP students, last year 37 were named AP Scholars; 14, AP Scholars with Honor; 49, AP Scholars with Distinction, and 13, National AP Scholars. Not surprisingly given national trends, much of the increase in enrollment for the AP Program was accounted for by a huge increase in the number taking AP Computer Science. The two-year-old STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) class built on last year’s project (see Tower Revisited 2017), and, as spring arrived,

came up with an experiment involving the release of floating payloads off New York City, which have since given indications that the Kill Van Kull’s reputation as the origin of pollution in Raritan Bay may be completely undeserved. Topping it all off was the summertime addition of a class in Marine Biology, featuring multiple working trips to area wetlands, rivers, waterfronts and nature centers. Just over the horizon is the school’s upcoming Middle States Evaluation and participation in the newly developed protocol for accreditation, “Sustaining Excellence.” This initiative is reserved for schools with a demonstrated and documented long-standing commitment to excellence. The Prep has been accredited since 1930 and the current self-study calls upon the school to identify an area of concern, engage in action research and to address that concern based on data analysis. Our Middle States Committee has chosen to investigate student spiritual, mental and physical wellness.


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OPPOSITE: Last February Science teacher Michael Smircich ’09 and a quartet of his students worked out the angles that account for the Earth’s change of seasons.

LEFT: John Finnegan points out some clues that will help his students construct a timeline for events in World War II that appeared in newspapers at the time. The page appeared in the Rome (NY) Daily Sentinel “as a contribution to the War Effort and to promote the War Bond Drive.” BELOW: A July afternoon Marine Bio class offered Brian Shea, Liam Bertrand and Kevin Harvey an inside look at a sea bass, and later, a skate and a shark. • Earlier in the year, the Mandarin class sponsored a Chinese New Year celebration, marking the Year of the Dog. Master of Ceremonies, Mandarin teacher Michael Hegedus, handed over the mic to the senior members of the class, with Maguire Pecci taking charge in the greeting to the assembly. The celebration began with a traditional entrance led by a dragon.

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Balloon Adventure 2.0

uilding on the success of the STEM class maiden voyage last year, the group decided to deal with the single fly in the ointment— the fact that the GoPro battery had died in the extreme low temps of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The previous design saw the GoPro quit at 45,000 feet, 40 minutes after launch at –50 degrees F. For the new attempt The Prep team eschewed the foam boxes and handwarmers employed by many other balloon launchers, in favor of a hardened mount of the camera to the payload, with this year’s engineers choosing an external lithium battery pack which they groundtested with dry ice, subsequently quadrupling the recording time! STEM teacher Dave Snyder happily noted that this year the class size had “ballooned” to 16, tripling last year’s enrollment. Consequently, the group formed up into two teams. Reluctant to take a day off from school, the launch was scheduled for the day before Thanksgiving again, which helped deal with the issue of getting far enough away seen to the purchase of a backup. “We couldn’t fill the balloons with enough helium on the windy to stand a chance of retrieving the two payloads in north Jersey. An airport near Hershey Park in day to achieve our desired ascent rate of six meters per second,” recalled Snyder. “So when we launched our first balloon, we Pennsylvania gave permission for the launches. Launch day was fraught with weather issues, knew that it would most likely be the last time we would see it. the wind being too strong for reliable results. (Correct he was… it eventually wound up travelling 400 miles Nevertheless the group decided to continue in before landing in the Atlantic Ocean, 40 miles east of Boston.) spite of the extreme conditions. One balloon even When balloons aren’t filled up to your desired volume of helium, ruptured before launch, but good planning had they don’t reach their maximum altitude fast enough and therefore 28

they don’t explode (to initiate its descent) before traveling too far.” The second much smaller balloon still managed to climb to 85,000 feet before descending in a wooded community in Southbury, Connecticut. Second-year police officer Elizabeth Alfano hiked with Snyder through the woods to discover it 80 feet up in a tree. With permission from the resident wife, Carole Cunningham, Snyder called Southbury Tree Service to help retrieve the payload by cutting down the tree. As it crashed to the ground, the husband, Bob, was already hustling up the driveway, howling that they had just felled a rare specimen tree and who told them they could do that! While the marital discussion ensued, Snyder tried to offer consolation, proposing to cut the downed tree into firewood for the family’s winter. That olive branch accepted, he spent the next several hours carting the logs out of the woods to the Cunningham house. The following day he sent a Prep hat and a pair of winter Prep jackets to Bob and Carole. [Feelings soothed, a Hallmark Christmas “thank you” card arrived at school a month later.] At project’s end, the STEM group rejoiced in their accomplishment. The GoPro recorded for 165 minutes, up to 55,000 feet. They were confident that, were it not for the extreme winds, the balloon would have reached maximum altitude.


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Prep Latin students scored high on the National Latin Exam. Latin III senior Derek Motley earned Cum Laude recognition; Aidan Gaul, Ronan Hagar and Evin Connolly received silver medals and Joseph Ferraro garnered Magna Cum Laude status.

The Walter P. McMahon Chapter of the National Honor Society welcomed 80 new members to its ranks last spring. Senior Damani Francis added the NHS pin to junior Tom Callahan’s lapel. While holding its members to a high standard of service to the community, the organization honors academic excellence, as well as character and leadership.

The Thomas G. Farley ’44 Seton Scholars Program has enjoyed great success since its founding in 2007, guiding the most academically promising freshmen through their four years, to their acceptances at some of the nation’s top universities.

TOP: A triple exposure captures Minh Trinh’s Freshman Physics group putting their classroom calculations to the test with their spring “rocket” launch. • ABOVE: In March Tony Lupica’s Italian program took possession of a spectacular work of art that could easily find a home in a museum. The family of the late Anthony Falcone presented the school an exquisitely detailed scale model of the Duomo di Milano. Using a simple coping saw and a small hand drill, the elder Falcone constructed the model over several decades as a labor of love, cutting meticulously detailed pieces out of very thin plywood using patterns he brought to America from Italy.

President Msgr. Kelly, Assistant Headmaster Kevin McNulty and Headmaster Msgr. Robert Harahan celebrated the National Merit Finalist designation awarded to Alex Wang (l) and Ryan Martynowicz. An additional eleven Prep students were awarded National Merit Commendations.

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Music to Their Ears

HERESA NEGLIA HAS A LIFELONG INTEREST IN MUSIC, but she had always ranked music technology pretty low in the pecking order— “right alongside creating a 12tone matrix,” she says. Yet after taking a course in music-tech as part of the M.ME degree she was pursuing, she came to realize several things: 1) she knew more about music-technology than she realized; 2) she could still learn, comprehend and apply new skills; 3) music technology needed to be part of music theory study in 21st century music education. For her thesis project in 2013, Mrs. Neglia had created a course curriculum for music theory through technology. She found inspiration in one particular author, Barbara Freedman, in whose book, Teaching

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ings of simple melodies with bass lines and percussion. The lab allows for immediate application of music theories, such as recognizing and using compound and simple time, creating melodies and basic harmonies. In evaluating this first year’s results, Mrs. Neglia judged that these concepts seemed to have been better retained when students worked from the keyboard and recorded their own work; their aural skills showed Music Through Composition, small, the group was able to improvement as well. she admits that early in her own set up a Music Lab in the cozy A positive buzz seems to experience she had to recognize second floor confines of the old have leaked out about this excitthat the students often knew video production space. Here more about the technology students were introduced to the ing new course. With enrollment nearly tripling for September than she did— which came as hardware– including 4-octave 2018, the lab will move to larger great relief to Mrs. Neglia, and MIDI keyboards and Mac strengthened her resolve to laptops loaded with GarageBand accomodations, so the summer will be busy setting up the new take on this important aspect of and Sibelius software. In no space— “a great problem to music education. time, the tech-hungry students With the inaugural enrollwere developing their keyboard have,” she says. ment in Music Theory relatively skills, creating 3-track record-


Kind Wishes from across the Ocean

AST NOVEMBER, as the new American administration and the Russian Foreign Office engaged in a chilling round of saber-rattling and while some of the most ominous headlines in decades sat at the top of both countries’ newspapers, a touching and counterbalancing effort began in Randy Schweitzer’s 3rd floor art room. Coordinating with an international program called Memory Projects, based upon photos sent to them, Prep art students crafted portraits of Russian children and teens living in orphanages and abusive circumstances. Memory Project then sent the portraits, along with those made by hundreds of other American art students, back to Russia where they were presented to the Russian kids. A video team documented how the effort was received, in towns, schools and institutions across 11 time zones there. By every account the results of the efforts of all involved were unforgettable. A Russian newspaper covered the story, titling it “From America with Love.” It began, “At the height of the political crisis, these portraits of kindness flew to Russia with the most kind wishes from across the ocean.” They went on to call this a “remarkable example of people’s diplomacy.” In a spring letter to the Prep students, Memory Project added, “Thanks to each of you. You’ve exemplified the art of diplomacy in your thoughtful and caring actions. You’ve helped to show that even with great tension between our countries our youth can still share joy and see themselves in one another.” The video of the effort captured the joy and excitement of the children and their teachers as they received the portraits. One Russian teacher expressed the feelings of her entire school: “Thank you from the bottom of my heart and the bottom of my soul. You put your time, energy and effort into doing these portraits. Then you sent this message of love and friendship from America to Russia across the ocean. In this

scenes from the Memory Project video

complicated world it is so nice to get these sincere and warm feelings from you. This is so exciting and makes us so happy and gives us hope that despite all the problems we can still share love and happiness and we can be friends and understand each other. It was truly kind, bright full of light. This project is like a line connecting our countries. We will always have this connection in our hearts and you will always have it in yours.” The normally reserved Prep art students were similarly moved by the experience. Giuseppe Percoco said, ““After watching the video, I was completely overwhelmed. I had no idea of the enormity of this program and how it affects the children. It feels incredible to do something for a cause that is so much bigger than yourself.” Prep Director of the Griffin Bridges Program Horton Sears ’07, who also participated, added, “It was moving to witness how this small gesture brought such great joy to the children and the adults in their lives. I’m so grateful we were able to use our talents to be a blessing for others across the world!” And finally, international student Luyi Tang noted, “This is what art all about. Art is about expression, innovation, and most importantly, change. I am truly grateful to see how our drawings have made a change for these kids. Their smiles are invaluable to all of us.”

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from the Office of Institutional Advancement

Honoring Exceptional Contributions The Prep had the pleasure of hosting several dedication ceremo- “The KAC would not exist today if it weren’t for John Murray’s consistent hard work and exceptional dedication. In addition nies at the Kelly Athletic Complex and on campus this past year. At to the project at the KAC, John has been instrumental in furthe KAC the John Murray ’59 Fieldhouse, the G. Kelly Martin ’77 thering development of the school for over four decades.” — JV Baseball Field, the Robert C. Williams, Esq. H’18 JV Baseball Scoreboard, and the Tony Esposito, Jr. ’07 “Pirates Cove” Conces- Msgr. Michael Kelly, ’57 sion Stand; and at the Northfield Campus the Matthew S. Tyahla The G. KELLY MARTIN ’77 JV BASEBALL FIELD • G. Kelly ’03 Admission Office and the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Mosaic were Martin is a 1977 Prep graduate who has continued to give back all celebrated with ribbon cuttings over the last year. to his Alma Mater. Recently Kelly and his family were key conThe JOHN MURRAY ’59 FIELDHOUSE • John Murray gradu- tributors to the “Generations” Capital Campaign. His remarkable ated from The Prep in 1959, earning the Archbishop Thomas A. generosity and continued support of the school helped construct Boland Award as Most Representative Setonian at commencement. the Junior Varsity Baseball Field. An outstanding left-handed pitcher who began his senior season with a no-hitter against the He went on to play football at the University of Notre Dame and state’s #1 team, Kelly is a member of The Prep’s Hall of Fame, later attended Georgetown Law. He began a life-long successful inducted in 1999. He and his wife of 32 years, Elizabeth Ann, career practicing in the field of law and to this day remains a reside in Connecticut and have five children— Genevieve, Griffyn, partner at the firm of Connell-Foley in Roseland, NJ. He has also Connor, Kelsey and Stuart. Kelly has often expressed a longstandserved as President of the New Jersey State Golf Association. In ing attachment to the baseball program, calling particular atten1987 John graciously agreed to join our Board of Trustees and in tion to his freshman coach Bob Farrell, and his varsity coaches, 1994 he began serving as Chairman of the Board. That year he the late Fr. Stephen Kilcarr and assistant Richard Morris. He was also honored with the Msgr. Thomas G. Fahy Award as Seton Hall Prep’s Alumnus of the Year.

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In an October ceremony at the Kelly Athletic Complex attended by scores of family, friends, alumni and West Orange officials, with his wife, Ann, at his side, Board of Trustees Chairman John B. Murray, Esq. ’59 unveils the plaque in front of the fieldhouse bearing his name. The new facility provides locker rooms for home and visiting teams, coaches’ and officials’ rooms, a trainer’s room, as well as a team meeting room.


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continues to express his excitement for what his classmate, Head Coach Mike Sheppard Jr., has done for and accomplished with the program. The ROBERT C. WILLIAMS, ESQ. SCOREBOARD • Robert C. Williams, Esq. H’18 served as Seton Hall Prep’s attorney during the litigation proceedings for the creation of the Kelly Athletic Complex. Bob provided countless hours of pro bono work for the school and has represented The Prep for several years. Attending town hall meetings, planning board meetings, zoning board meetings and assisting with myriad legal hurdles, Bob was a driving force in bringing the KAC to fruition. The TONY ESPOSITO JR.’07 “PIRATES COVE” • On September 9, 2017 Seton Hall Prep alumni, family and friends gathered to dedicate the Tony Esposito ’07 “Pirates Cove” Concession Stand. Named in honor of the late Tony Esposito Jr. ’07, Pirates Cove is where the Fathers Club members come to cook for fans and enjoy SHP football. Tony Jr. was a very special young man who lit up the room with his smile, passion and positive energy. From the time he started at The Prep as a freshman in the fall of 2003, his dad, Tony Sr., has been an absolute force for The Prep’s Fathers Club, even continuing to volunteer here well after Tony Jr. graduated in 2007 and passed away in 2009. Over the past 15 years, Tony Sr. has made his mark at SHP on football Saturdays, cooking with his community of fellow dads at the Pirates Cove, now permanently located at the KAC. Naming this building in honor of Tony Jr. was a most fitting way to memorialize him as well as recognize the contributions of the Tony Esposito, Jr. Foundation to Seton Hall Prep. The MATTHEW S. TYAHLA ’03 ADMISSION OFFICE • On December 14, 2017 The Prep’s Admission Office was named in honor of Matthew S. Tyahla ’03 in recognition of his generosity to the Generations Capital Campaign. This date also appropriately marked the seven-year anniversary of Matt’s opening of Matthew’s Italian Restaurant on Bloomfield Avenue in Clifton, where he began working as a teenager to help fund his Prep education. On the plaque in The Prep’s newly located Admission Office Matt’s words read: “Do what you love and always give back!” The ST. ELIZABETH ANN SETON MOSAIC • On February 2 Seton Hall Prep gathered with alumni, parents and students to dedicate the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Mosaic, gifted generously by Mr. Edwin Rambusch and Dr. Sharon Hubby P’18. The work is a replica of the mosaic of Mother Seton in the Trinity Dome of Washington’s National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception and is crafted of glass tiles with a Venetian gold border. With the Rambusch family in attendance, the blessing and dedication of the installation was streamed live on SHP’s Facebook page. In his remarks Msgr. Harahan noted, “This beautiful mosaic reminds all of us that it’s more than the name; it’s the person. Elizabeth Ann Seton is mother of this house. Her wisdom guides us; her prayer strengthens us; her life challenges us. The prayer on Elizabeth Ann Seton’s feast day opens our eyes to the heart of our mission: that we may always seek You with diligent love and find You in daily service.”

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In the company of their families and Prep administrators and coaches, Kelly Martin ’77 and Robert C. Williams, Esq., cut a ribbon to dedicate the JV baseball field and the leftfield scoreboard at the Kelly Athletic Complex last spring.

Prior to the opening football game last September, Anna and Tony Esposito Sr. unveil the plaque commemorating the dedication of the Pirates Cove in honor of their late son, Tony Jr. ‘07.

Flanked by Msgr. Kelly, brother Paul ’99 and parents Kathleen and Paul, Matt Tyahla ’03 celebrates the dedication of the Admission Office in his name.

Last February, in conjunction with the school’s celebration of the feast day of Mother Seton, with Edwin, Sharon and Pierson ’18 looking on, Msgr. Kelly and Msgr. Harahan dedicate the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton mosaic depicting her life, gifted by the Rambusch family.

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from the Office of Institutional Advancement

The Zimmermann Family Establishes the Msgr. Michael E. Kelly ’57 Scholarship Fund When the family of Frank ‘Bud’ Zimmermann ’75 approached the Seton Hall Prep Advancement Team regarding fundraising, they were curious if a scholarship had ever been named in honor of Msgr. Michael E. Kelly. The Prep informed Bud that one did not exist. Upon hearing this news, Bud and his family decided to initiate a new scholarship for the school in honor of Msgr. Kelly. Bud reflected on what inspired him to establish the scholarship fund: “Fr. Mike has been the motivating force at Seton Hall Prep for the past 38 years. He is the engine that drives The Prep. To so many he is SHP, and it is because of him that SHP is one of the top Catholic schools in the state. I met Father Mike when he was my guidance counselor in the early ’70s. He is as charismatic and driven now as he was back then. He had an incredible knack for remembering students’ names and making us feel comfortable. 34

You could tell there was something special about him. At a time when kids needed someone to look up to, he was there as our role model.” Bud also conveyed his gratitude for what The Prep did for him and his three sons: “I have always liked the idea of blending education and faith. I have seen firsthand how much my sons– Billy, Shawn, and Brian– have grown in their four years at The Prep—mentally, physically, spiritually, and in service to the community. It makes me proud to be a part of SHP.” The Zimmermann family created this scholarship to give talented and deserving young men with limited financial resources the opportunity to attend SHP. The family has been financially and emotionally invested in The Prep for over 15 years. Their strength and determination to help students thrive at The Prep is something to be admired.

In May 2017 the generosity and commitment to The Prep of the Zimmermann Family was center-stage as they dedicated the Kelly Athletic Complex scoreboard in memory of their son, Billy ’11.


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Annual Parent Fund Breaks Another Record

Current Parent participation in the Annual Fund hit a record high this past school year with 322 families raising $284,875 for The Prep. These funds help to make up the $2,000 difference between The Prep’s tuition and the actual cost of educating each student at the school. Our Annual Parent Fund Committee [right] kicked off the school year on October 13, 2018 with the Fall Parent Coffee Reception, which brought out close to 100 families to the Essex County Country Club. Families enjoyed meeting fellow parents and Msgrs. Kelly and Harahan, as well as the Advancement Office staff, all while enjoying coffee and muffins in the club’s lovely dining room. The Parent Fund Committee, in conjunction with the Advancement Office, also organized the parent phonathon in November and the Note Campaign in March to help boost participation in this year’s Annual Fund. Leadership donors to last year’s Annual Parent Fund were treated to a Christmas Celebration at the home of Rob and Rose Colangelo P’16, ’18 to thank them for their generosity. We could not be more grateful to our committee volunteers as well as all the families at SHP for their generosity and commitment to Seton Hall Prep in 2017-18.

Seniors Duren Horsey and Jack Flood joined forces with a team of classmates to make calls during the November Phonathon, an important element in the Annual Fund’s success.

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D The Annual Parent Fund Committee gathers at the Advancement Office to report on the success of the campaign and lay the foundation for continued success next year— Sue Agnew P’18 ’22, Eileen Hannaford, P’17 ’20, Missy Ferraro P’19 ’21 and Dawn Sandomeno P’15 ’18 ’19.

The Colangelo Family, Christopher ’18, Rob, Rose and Nick ’16, opened their home for a Christmas Celebration to leadership contributors to the Annual Parent Fund, in gratitude for their generosity.

Parents and friends of The Prep spent the festive December evening enjoying each other’s company in the Morris Plains home. Jay Sullivan P’19 ’20 and Dan Shea P’19 ’21, with Msgr. Kelly.

Danielle Harcourt P’19 ’21, Marcia Douglas P’20, Dawn Sandomeno P’15 ’18 ’19, and Clara Gaudioso P’20.

At October’s Parent Coffee Reception at the Essex County Country Club— freshman parents Debbie and Mike DeAngelis filled in Msgr. Kelly on their son’s first days at The Prep.

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from the Office of Institutional Advancement

VER THE YEARS we have heard from so many alumni about how it was, indeed, a Prep alumnus that they connected with when securing their first internship, finding a job, gaining admission to a graduate school, making a career transition or even landing a client. Throughout The Prep’s long and storied history, staying connected with fellow alumni has always been beneficial, and now, with the exciting technology of social networking, it has never been easier to make an introduction from one Prep alumnus to another. Seton Hall Prep’s Advancement Office is excited to announce the launch of its new alumni professional networking platform called PrepConnect. This will be a game changer for Prep alumni looking to make professional connections within Seton Hall Prep’s vast landscape. “Social networking has become such an effective way for so many people to connect and enhance their careers,” said Matt Cannizzo ’90, The Prep’s Director of Institutional Advancement. “Alumni often

Dr. Anthony R. Volpe, DDS, MS ’50 Scholarship Paves the Way for Prep Students Anthony R. Volpe, DDS, MS and his wife, Marlene, have been key contributors to Seton Hall Prep for over 30 years. Anthony and Marlene have made it a point to continue giving back to SHP, which has already helped several students receive an excellent education. With this in mind, they established the Dr. Anthony R. Volpe, DDS, MS ’50 Scholarship. In the late 1940s, a four-year trip to The Prep (with his brother Peter for the first two years) was not the easiest commute– two buses and a walk through the park– but it was well worth the effort for Dr. Volpe. “Traveling back and forth from Newark to South Orange,” he recalls, “taught me a great deal about life and helped me develop street smarts.”

Joined by Msgrs. Kelly and Harahan, Dr. Anthony Volpe meets Dominic Busby ‘20, inaugural recipient of the scholarship bearing Dr. Volpe’s name.

call our office asking us if we happen to know of other alums in their particular field or at a specific firm, and now these connections can happen instantly with a few clicks by joining us at PrepConnect.net.” The main objective for PrepConnect will be to make it very simple for Prep alumni from every era to connect with one another professionally throughout the world! It will also be a great way to follow Prep news, learn about upcoming events and even help plan a reunion. “This site is really a phenomenal way to connect with fellow alumni,” noted Alumni Director Richard Koles ’69. “ In today’s world social platforms like LinkedIn are so incredibly important to staying relevant and connected. We think that PrepConnect will be a tremendous service for Prep alumni looking to offer valuable advice and expertise, mentor a young alumnus or even advance their own personal careers.” To join today, simply visit PrepConnect.net and sign up by using your LinkedIn account, your Facebook account or with your e-mail address!

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When asked why he developed such a strong connection to The Prep, he responded, “It set the stage for how I would deal with education the rest of my life—note-taking, test taking and studying at home.” Dr. Volpe feels it is of the utmost importance to give back to The Prep in appreciation for all the benefits the school provided him, and he wanted others to have the same positive experiences. Furthermore, he added, “In life it is incumbent upon each of us to care and to share.” When queried as to the role SHP played in his successful career, Dr. Volpe stated, “The value and significance of education were emphasized by SHP and I went on to graduate from Seton Hall University, Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry and Rutgers University. We were taught team work and were inspired and encouraged to do our individual best.” Dr. Volpe always speaks very highly of Seton Hall Prep, Msgr. Michael E. Kelly’s outstanding leadership, as well as the teaching staff. He cherishes the many lifelong friends he made while attending the school. As a strong believer in the importance of a sound education, Dr. Volpe is proud to acknowledge the impact Seton Hall Prep had with respect to his many achievements.


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The hugely successful 2018 Golf Classic brought together alumni and friends

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The Prep’s first-ever Bleed Blue Giving Day,…

held on May 17, yielded $60,050 from 283 donors in 24 hours. With the “All In” Campaign slogan for Bleed Blue Giving Day, pictures of students and Msgrs. Kelly and Harahan were blasted over social media leading up to the big event. We are so grateful to everyone who participated in this “spirited” day of giving to Seton Hall Prep. It was a day of Prep Pride for all and we look forward to your participation in next year’s giving day, scheduled for May 16, 2019. Mark your calendars now to be “All In” for The Prep!

More than 200 golfers took to the links at the Montclair Golf Club on June 18, for The Prep’s Annual Golf Classic. The beautiful day provided the backdrop for a noontime lunch on the patio, followed by a one o’clock round starting on one of the club’s four nines. The golfers reconnected at the cocktail hour on the terrace, afterwards enjoying a gourmet dinner and prizes in the dining room. • Much of the day’s success was owed to a large contingent of leadership sponsors, including Gallagher Insurance, Acorn Financial (Joe Oakes ’90), J. Burke Capital Partners (Jim Burke ’69), Frank ’59 and Mimi Walsh, Flag Wharf Inc. (Tom Cannon), PSEG, and the Class of 1970.

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Shared with Those Who Need it Most

Lending a Hand Learning the ins and outs of

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ETON HALL PREP STUDENTS don’t go for very long without regular reminders about their call to offer service to their neighbors and those less fortunate. The exhortation is, after all, prominent in the final line of the school’s mission statement—and Prep students are quick to answer the call. In the most simple and most easyto-handle form of service, monthly Tag Days raise thousands of dollars for worthy causes with the immediate payoff being the chance to leave the blazer and tie in the locker for the day. The monies raised helped organizations ranging from Stop Hunger Now, Operation Smile and Make-a-Wish Foundation, to Bikes

With eagle-eyed Director of Service Learning Vinnie McMahon directing the scenario, senior Keyon Francis tries his hand at serving a meal to an “unsighted” Rafael de la Torre, remembering: “don’t just put a cup of hot coffee in front of him and walk away!” • At the same assembly a quartet of seniors experience the challenges of dressing themselves for school shared by those with physical disabilities.

for Africa, Guatemala’s Extreme Rescues and a support organiztion called Dismas House that helps former prisoners re-integrate into the community upon release. At one time or another there may be multiple collections in progress: a Christmas Tree tagged with gifts for the Division of Youth and Family Services; the Joy of Sox and Boxes of Boxers for the homeless, or winter coats for the Newark YMCA. But it is the special events that bring out the best in Prep students, requiring a hands-on approach to dealing with the

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Our Bountiful Harvest [right] With Ryan Hebert and Jack Zyska manning the glue guns, Brendan Lunga, Dominic Palumbo and Xavier Robbins fashion therapy hand puppets for chemotherapy patients at St. Barnabas. • History teacher Mike Hulsy is the center of attention for his barber, Horton Sears ’06, and dozens of his students at the Buzz-Off, while Luke Johnson gets a trim from Counselor Chris Scheick ’92.

needs of the disabled or disadvanaged. The annual lunchtime crowd in the auditorium always has a pep-rally vibe for the Buzz-Off for Cancer Research, which last spring raised over $4000. Games carnivals and sports clinics organized and manned by the baseball, soccer and basketball teams provided friend-

ships and basic instruction to more than a hundred physically and mentally delayed adults and children. Service Days, involving the entire senior class in the fall, and the seniors and freshmen in the spring, had students up to their ankles in dirt at a farm, or packing more than 10,000 food packages for hard-hit areas in the Caribbean, or cleaning windows and painting walls at a women’s shelter in Jersey City, or rehabbing a room for an East Orange veteran’s support organization, or distributing sandwiches, winter coats and gloves

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A monumental team effort, involving close to 100 seniors on their Day of Service, assembled 10,300 packets of rice, soy protein and dehydrated vegetables and spices, each enough for six meals. [left]- Senior Sean Callahan unloaded part of the thousands of pounds of rice needed for the effort, while [right] classmates Alex Wang, Kyle Miskivich, Peter Arleo, Michael Bio and Ben Halligan measured out the ingredients for the individual packets.


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Our Bountiful Harvest

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[left]- Jake Savino and Anthony Santangelo lend a hand to one of the Camp New Day guests at the baseball team’s Winter Carnival. Besides team members, dozens of other Prep students join in the team’s effort each January. [right]- Many of the same guests are regulars at the team’s fall baseball clinic and eager to fill Coach Mike Sheppard in on their recent accomplishments.

to homeless around NY’s Penn Station and providing partners in conversation at a local nursing home. Beyond those special days, a weekly Monday afternoon sandwich-making crew provided more than 2000 sandwiches this year in support of Newark’s St. John’s Soup Kitchen and for individual distribution to the homeless in New York City. Additionally, more than 40 students, the Autism Big Brothers, worked on a weekly basis with East Hanover’s Spectrum 360, mentoring high school age young men.

[right]- Part of the senior team heads out into the fields in Pittstown. Alex Brombauer Phillip Mastellone harvest part of the 5000 pounds of potatoes gathered that day for Grow-ARow, to be shared with food pantries and community food banks throughout the state.

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YEAR HAS PASSED since Fr. Stephen Kilcarr left this earthly lineup to take a spot, probably at shortstop, on the heavenly infield. And we’re finding that many an agreeable encounter is no longer part of our lives. Birthday calls, classroom parables, Notre Dame homilies— Fr. K is remembered for many things beyond his role as a spiritual and devoted priest of more than 60 years. Most know of his role as Head Baseball Coach from 1974 to 1986, during which time he taught a love of the national pastime as well as the intricacies of the game to hundreds. Foreshadowing the renowned 60-page playbook authored by former player and current Head Coach Mike Sheppard, Fr. K put one together of 25 hand-typed mimeographed pages way back in ’73, detailing a properly executed trip from the on deck circle to the batter’s box and all the way around the bases. Fittingly, and touchingly, it was entitled Show Me the Way to Go Home. His dual role as priest and head coach sometimes caused a little awkwardness for umpires, whose axiom is always to maintain the high ground in controlling the game: “If he comes out here to argue, how do I call him Father?” He was possessed of a near photographic memory of games, going back decades. More than once I was witness to conversations that included his correction on the order of: Actually, Caffrey hit a curve and Mike Reynolds was on 2nd, or... No, the Rangers won it 3-2 when Rod Gilbert scored... or No, Charlie Connerly was the quarterback that game. You better have come prepared if you wanted to talk about games that he was at. His personal routine of pre-game prayers worked its way into many other programs, as he was an inveterate attendee at other team’s games, both home and on the road. He unintentionally held up more than one National Anthem while he finished leading the football team in prayer. And he was steadfast in sticking to the proper things to be praying for before a game. Prior to an early 2000s hockey game, the head coach spent several minutes lighting up the team with a nuclear harangue— something about kicking ass, pummeling them, killing them— a quintessential coach’s pre-game tirade. When Fr. K’s traditional invitation to pray with the boys followed, he threw a monkey wrench into the whole deal, reminding the team, No, we’re not going to kill anyone, or kick any butt... we’ll pray to play well and to be courageous when things get tough. He was not asked to pray in that locker room again. Fr. Kilcarr celebrated many a Mass with teams at the start of their seasons. Never ever one to offer up some canned sermon, he tailored each and every homily to the team in attendance, with some lesson to be held fast from either the professional ranks or courtesy of some former player on that particular Pirates team. 44

Thoughts on that empty spot, where Fr. K used to be

His personal modelling of the right way to do things when involved in the game was contagious, as I discovered the first couple of years as his assistant. Occasionally a bad play or lackadaisical practice session would evoke from me audible examples of my recently-out-of-college locker room vocabulary. But after not very long his example wore that away, as instead I found myself unconsciously imitating his most angry expletive: “Nuts!” (However, I never did adopt his interjection for use upon a surprising play: “Oh dear!”) His attendance at games in the off-season was legendary. And it revealed several little realized facets of his personal interests. When he took over the mic

as PA announcer at home football games, the crowd was treated to pure Bob Sheppard, of Yankee Stadium fame. He took notes at freshman basketball tryouts so that, uninvited, he could compare his picks with Coach Marty Berman’s final choices. In the mid-70s he and I video taped several varsity hockey games, always a very late start at the outoor Branch Brook Park ice rink. The equipment was pretty clumsy back then, about 100 pounds of camera, half-inch reel-to-reel plug-in-the-wall VCR recorder, separate monitor. He would do play by play, with the venerable Sal Caprio the between periods guest. We followed up with postproduction in my apartment, where we added a musical introduction— LP album in hand he submitted Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man for our use. It turns out that Fr. Kilcarr was a WQXR classical music devotee, as well as a hard-core Big Band aficionado. He would brook no 70s or 80s imitators of Artie Shaw or Benny Goodman, and was barely accepting of the real thing when offered to him on CD instead of vinyl. Fr. Kilcarr’s love of Notre Dame and several New York teams led him to foresee a late-90s entertainment advance—the TV picture-in-picture. Prior to cable, particularly on weekends, he would often be found in this 3rd floor Mooney rooms watching two strategically placed televisions—his color set and an old black and white rabbit ear-ed job, sometimes while listening to a small transistor radio if more than two of his teams were playing games that afternoon. Coach Kilcarr, we’ve heard, sometimes from himself, was once quite an athlete. A request for details would, no doubt, result in a story or two of his days at shortstop at St. Cecelia’s, sliding nicely into some episode about Vince Lombardi. And without a doubt, watching him in the early days of his coaching run (yes, run!) onto the infield, I’m convinced I saw the same exact running style as I’ve seen in old films of the Yankee Clipper, Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio. He and I actually teamed up as double partners, sparring with a Pirates team that may have included Craig Pepin Donat and Reed Chisholm, as well as a team captained by the chairman of the University Chemistry Department. Recognized by all were his care and concern for his students. As his time in the classroom became more and more scarce, he still made it his business to interview every freshman; it was important to him that he still know them all. Everyone, faculty included, got a birthday call— sometimes in a surprising manner. Fr. K. left current Director of Advancement Matt Cannizo a 1987 birthday message impersonating ND Coach Lou Holtz. He would continue the practice for the next the three decades, always, according to Cannizzo, “starting out with ‘Hi, Matt, it’s Lou Holtz again, calling to wish you a happy


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birthday’ and then, of course, proceed to sing me a happy birthday song. For 30 straight years I received the call on my birthday, except for the one time he said he was Charlie Weis, but then that never happened again.” There was, we always realized, a payment to be put forth in exchange for our years with such a good-hearted person. Woe betide the student, teacher or parishoner who, unknowingly or without an exit strategy in mind, asked Fr K, “How’re you feeling?” or (Heaven forbid) “How’re the knees?” Many a teacher and student were late to class, unable to extricate themselves mid-response. One had to be aware of “do-notapproach” times. New teacher John Pascal once made his way down to the fence to greet Fr. K at the change-over between innings of his freshman game. The exchange wasn’t pretty: ”Hi, Fr. K, how are you. So nice to—“ “John, can’t you see I’m trying to watch the game?” “Yes, Father, but it’s between innings so I really don’t see that it makes much of a dif-“ “I said, I am watching this game and I have to concentrate. Don’t you get it.” Pascal slumped away, deflated. Only to be re-inflated several days later, when, laser-like focus on between-inning-grounders not being in high demand, Fr. K. insisted on exchanging his spot near the front of the long line in the bank with Pascal’s mother at the rear, telling her, “You have a very nice son; he’s a fine teacher and you must be very proud of him.” Birthday greetings followed later on. A weekend trip to Connecticut in the 70s with him to the regionals of the College World Series to watch the Seton Hall University team revealed to me his rigorous adherence to a NASA-like timetable for his meals, and then for the menu put forth. Reportedly this rigor was still held on to decades later as Fr. Kilcarr took up residence at Seton House with Msgr. Kelly, Msgr. Bradley and Fr. Melillo. Early in his career Mike Gallo once noted a particular stretch where Fr. K had a cold that was lingering for several days. “I asked him how he was feeling, a rookie mistake,” Gallo recalled, “and told him to feel better. As he finished his lengthy reply, he told me that he probably wouldn’t get better and would die in the morning. He looked at me later and said that probably didn’t sound positive. I look back and answered, ‘coming from you, Fr. K, it did sound positive.’” As Fr. K’s health declined and he came to live at the priests’ residence on the campus of Caldwell University, he was not shy about letting others know that, in addition to physical ailments, he suffered from lack of visitors. Contrarily, Coach Berman remembered that on one visit he was admonished with something like: You’re here? Now?… The Yankees are on, you know. All that being understood as signs of the man’s human-ness, former student and now English department Chairman Bill Siedler ’85 has a great memory that

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puts things into perspective— “His homily at my grandfather’s funeral was masterful. He captured the man perfectly– that was everyone’s opinion, the whole family, including my mom, who obviously knew him best. The surprising element is that he had never met my grandfather. He based his homily entirely on what he knew of me and Bob [’90] and what my grandfather meant to us. “He began by referencing the opening shot in The Babe (the horrible movie with John Goodman as Ruth) which opens with a shot of Yankee Stadium in the snow. He compared the Stadium in winter to the end of life and then discussed my grandfather as a

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Yankee fan, then used his fandom to transition in to discussing him as a man, a father and a grandfather. It was amazing.... it was genius... the perfect words for a man who meant a great deal to my family. I can’t say enough about how impressive it was, or about how good he was at writing a homily– great talent, great effort and great compassion. All of it on display in spades.” “First and foremost,” remembers Msgr. Kelly, “Fr. Stephen Kilcarr was a most faithful and spiritually oriented priest. He loved to celebrate daily Mass, pray the Liturgy of the Hours and the Rosary without fail. His personal challenge and goal was to know each student by name and he did this by interviewing each freshman individually and calling them on their birthday. His knowledge of sports and remembrance of each contest he attended rivaled his spiritual acumen.” Fr. Kilcarr himself, in typical fashion, revealed what lay below the surface when he wrote in a 2005 Tower Revisited article about the Seton Hall Prep priests that had served as his models— “Obviously there are countless others who have contributed in their own way to bring Jesus’ message to their students and hopefully through them to the outside world. “In mentioning before how baseball has changed, so has the religious work in the school. Most starting pitchers now only go six or seven innings, and then the relievers take over. Since the Second Vatican Council, the active laity has provided quality relief. Many of our faculty and students are involved with various apostolates: peer leadership, service projects, tutoring, ambassadors, retreat days, campus ministry, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, servers, musicians, singers. “Still, the work of the more sacramental priesthood continues. Yes, we do wish even more would participate in daily Mass, Lenten Masses, the Knights of Setonia, Reconciliation and Chapel visits. But, seemingly in exchange, as in our parishes and the Church in general, awareness of the needs of the poor and rejected has become more paramount. “Be assured that the prayer and spiritual life of Seton Hall Prep is still a priority. Each student is frequently reminded why our doors are open, that our Chapel, crucifixes and daily prayers are what sets us apart. We continually remind and reassure parishes and parents of our calling. “Yes, some of us are in our late innings, but we are still in there swinging. And with that, I’m rounding third and heading for home.” Clearly, for us, as he did back in the team’s 1973 playbook, Fr. K. has shown us the way to go home. —by Richard Morris H’95, with Marty Berman H’05 45


STAY IN TOUCH—

by sending us updates via email to the alumni office, or on your Annual Fund return envelopes.

Richard Connors ’44– I keep busy with research and writing. My study of “New Jersey and the Great War, 19141919” was published this spring and is being serialized in the online journal “New Jersey Studies.” My WWI collections are on exhibit at the InfoAge Museum, Lake Evans, Monmouth County. Oscar Birle ’45– I’m very distressed to see so many of my classmates passing on. Especially Jim Lacey, who was on the altar for both my mother’s and wife’s funeral masses. Dick Ott and I were first graders in Blessed Sacrament School in Newark. I knew him and Richard Kole’s dad all these years. Msgr. James J. Finnerty ’47– reports that he is confined to a wheelchair at St. Ann’s Home in Jersey City. “Can’t kick, but all is good because people are wonderful!” James Hanlon ’47– Still breathing! Moved to West Palm Beach permanently. Playing tennis two or three times a week, I’m OK if they hit it to me. Jim Joyce ’48– headed up the Class of 1948’s 70th reunion at the Spring Lake Manor in May 2018. Loren A. Greco ’50– My wife, Mary, passed away this past August 22 (2017). She loved reading the Tower Revisited. Dr. Peter Kelly ’50– I retired after 50 years of practice… loved every day of it. John J. Kennedy ’50– My second great-grandchild is due first week of April 2018. Pascal A. Pironti ’51– I’m totally retired, now living in Florida, spending summers in Ocean City, NJ. Playing golf but getting shorter each year. 46

Gerard Lynch ’52– reports that his six grandchildren are keeping him busy in his retirement. John Rodimer ’53– My wife, MaryLou, and I just celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary. My brother, Bishop Rodimer, celebrated the celebration Mass. He had also celebrated our Nuptial Mass. We have 23 living grandkids (four in heaven) and four great-grands. We have been blessed. Vincent Marasco ’54– I’m a retired CPA, now serving a limited number of clients, and an active memebr of the Financial Executive Institute. I celebrated my 81st birthday this year with wife, RoseMarie (who accompanied me to our SHP dances), and our 55th wedding anniversary. We’re loving and enjoying our kids and grandkids, who regularly flock to our summer home on LBI. My family has maintained a continuing, wonderful relationship with our travel partners, Charlie Vitiello ’54 and his wife, Nancy. Anton Schulzki ’54– Clare and Anton celebrated their 60th anniversary with 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren in Colorado Springs. Bernie Suttake ’54– Good memories of SHP 1950-54, both in the classroom and on the playing field. Thanks for all who made it a reality. Lawrence Bermingham ’55– celebrated his 80th birthday in November 2017. He has been retired for 20 years and is “hale, hearty, healthy and busy.” He has traveled “most of the world–six continents, one to go.” Walt Burke ’55– proudly reported that grandson Matt Oliveira, was named to the Big Ten Student Athlete Academic All Conference Team for the second year in a row out of the University of Maryland. Dan Clark ’55– I missed the last Army 10-miler but still am Northern Virginia Senior Olympics racquetball gold medal winner (five years running). Getting easier since opponents are not allowed to use walkers.


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Twice a year the Golden Knights of Setonia Luncheons bring together alumni who have celebrated the 50th anniversary of their graduation. • [clockwise from left]- At the fall luncheon at the Spring Lake Country Club, 1951 classmates Jack McMahon and Ray Marty catch up with Harry McEnroe ’48. • Tom Wentworth ’65 enjoys the luncheon spread, • and later runs into classmate Rich Merklinger and Al Mattia ’57. • Former Prep history teacher Jack O’Rourke ‘51 let Msgr. Kelly in on several of his newfound secrets of hair care.

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James Fischer ’55– I’m finally healthy. My wife, Lucretia, is fine and my six grandchildren are happy keeping us busy. Keep up your work at The Prep, Fr. Kelly. I’m going to stop by for a visit. Dan Campbell ’56– I just turned 80, but feeling good with normal aches and pains. Youngest granddaughter is now a junior at SHU. Pirates look good this year! Michael Duffy ’56– Dottie and I are enjoying retirement in Surf City, NJ. I am still chairman of the NJ Nursing Home Administrators Licensing Board and also a receiver for the NJ Department of Health. Grandkids are excelling in baseball, field hockey and track. Dot and I will celebrate our 60th anniversary next year. Tom Farina ’56– I’m celebrating my 80th birthday by taking my three daughters, spouses and four grandchildren on a cruise over the holidays. I continue to play golf and enjoy Florida life style. Thank you Fr. Mike for a great job for so many years. Richard P. Stahl ’56– Believe it or not I hit 80 in October. I have retired from my AIDS work and am enjoying my sunny life in Arizona. Health? Thanks to God and the good life. Much love, Fr. Mike and to all. Robert F. Dow Jr. ’57– was elected as VP to the Region 7 Senior Citizens for the Philadelphia Archdiocese. Joseph Citarella ’58– My partner and I won a gold medal in a seniors pickleball tourney in Palm Dessert, CA, this past February. 1100 players entered and we won the title for 75- to 80-year old youngsters. Gene Furey ’58– We are now up to five precious grendchildren. That means running up to Minneapolis monthly. Worth every mile! Best wishes to Fr. Mike. Dominic Grano ’58– We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with the entire family of four children, their spouses and 10 grandkids. We spend winters keeping warm in Florida, and playing lots of golf and pickleball. Keep up the great work at The Prep! 48

Last spring Nick Scalera and Gibby Zusi, members of the Class of 1959, visited The Prep to award a scholarship to a current student in the name of one of their deceased classmates. Joined by Headmaster Msgr. Robert Harahan H’17, they presented the 2018 award to sophomore Spencer O’Jeda in memory of their former classmate Dr. Anthony Caputo • Over the years the awards have totaled nearly $50,000 in the names of Phil Keegan, John Parker, Dave Clark, Ron Savare, Kevin Torpey, Frank Codey, Al Spagnola, Peter Kalustian, Joe Garcia, George McCormick, Charles Moore, Robert Rudden, Martin Dunn, John Mochtak, Pete Curtin and Thomas Griffin.

Dr. Harry McDade ’60– This year Joseph Rostel ’60– I’m enjoying Dorothy and I were blessed to be able to retirement and spending time with celebrate our 51st wedding anniversary. Mary Ann and 8 grandchildren… busy every day. John Ostrowski ’60– Grandchild number 22 arrived. I retired this year Donald Wolff ’61– All is well. Enjoyfrom dentistry. My hobbies of trains ing retirement and seven grandchildren. and cars continue. Richard Fafara ’62– I continue to Paul Palmarozza ’60– in his retire- work on the Army Staff in the Pentagon ment from business formed a community and keep active in philosophy. I gave interest company called IFICAN. “We the 2017 Etienne Gilson Lecture at the deliver and distribute apps about the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, application of human values like Truth, University of Toronto. I have a wonderLove, Justice and Freedom in everyday ful wife and two great sons. Best wishes life, with special versions for schools to Msgr. Kelly and all at SHP! and business. The latest project is an e-learning values app- The Ethical En- Dr. Anthony F. Carolla ’63– Retrepreneur- for young people entering tired! Plastic Surgeon; still in New Jersey the world of business.” James F. Rochford ’60– was inducted into the NJSIAA Hall of Fame in December 2017. He was a three-sport athlete at The Prep, and has coached scholastic baseball, soccer, swimming and wrestling. Additionally he served two terms on the NJSIAA Executive Committee, been president of the Shore Conference and of the Shore Soccer Officials Association, and been inducted into five separate halls of fame.

John Linfante ’63– Thank God we made it through another hurricane season and we are enjoying the Florida winter. The Tower Revisited provides us with great connectivity to activities at The Prep. Louis Nazzaro ’63– In 2018 I will enter my 20th year as an NFL replay official.

At the Rock Spring May luncheon, Bob Gilroy ’50 talks about “the good old days” before his Class of ’57 fellow alumni arrived at The Prep back in South Orange— Dick Bonforte, Jack Mallon and Ralph Milano. • [right]The Class of 1965 brought together a large contingent for the event— with Msgr. Kelly are Phil Maisano, Ray Farrington, Rev. Tim Shugrue, Rich Merklinger, Bill Mulkeen, Ron Heffers and Rich Brys. • A trio from the Class of 1959 catch up on recent matters— Nick Scalera, Hon. Walter Krako and Gibby Zusi.


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“Ringleader” for the Class of 1948, [upper right]- Jim Joyce [l] fills in Joe Williams ’54 on his recent 70th reunion. • Class of 1954 mates Dr. Phil Passalaqua, Bernie Suttake and Joe Hamill. • A trio of 1957 alumni— Pat Dante, Msgr. Kelly and Walter Kobin.

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William T. Suggs ’63– Traveling occupies a lot of our time. We visited places for the first time, like Oregon, and places we haven’t been to since my days at The Prep, not to mention our annual trip to Florida. Paul J. Zingg ’63– retired in 2017 after 14 years as President, California State University–Chico, with commendations for career development from the US House of Representatives and the California Legislature. He was appointed to the Internationial Advisory Council, United Arab Emirates University. John McMahon’64– I’m continuing my retirement venture of teaching shotgun shooting to new shooters, and experienced shooters who want to learn how to hit the more challenging targets in five standard and sporting clays. Tony Simonelli ’64– Dianne and I will be married 48 years in April (2018) and now have eight grandchildren. Our best to Fr. Mike. William Ebert ’65– I turned 70 last October and as I look back on my life I recognize watershed events, those that affect one’s life so profoundly that one’s life is changed forever. In this case, for the better. The Prep fixed in me a moral compass, a love of learning and reinforced an innate curiosity, all of which prepared me well for a career and fatherhood. At The Prep the boy became a man, a gift for which I will remain grateful until I draw my last breath. George Marino ’65– Wife, Angela, and I just celebrated our tenth anniversary. I have been happily retired for seven years now. We have two grandchildren with three more expected in the next six months. We have been blessed! Michael Schottelkotte ’65– I retired in 2013 aftet 41 years of law practice. I’m enjoying a post-employment life of many outdoor interests in the west. Go Pirates! Robert Biese ’66– I began coaching youngsters in springboard diving at 18, the summer after graduating from The Prep. Now 57 years later I am still at it here in Reading, PA, area. I’ve had one 50

high school state champion here and many other age group and high school success stories. The best part though— I learn more from them than I teach.

Martin Caffrey ’70– I became a grandfather. Daughter, Allison, gave birth to Reese Joanne Berndt last September.

Randolph L. Messina ’66– My good friends Carter and Jim Reynolds have moved to my neighborhood in Spring Lake and we are happy to have them.

Patrick M. McGrath ’70– Got together with Chris Campbell for dinner. Oldest grandson is a pitcher for Kolbe Cathedral High School. Another grandson played the National Anthem for the Ansonia Little League Opening Day.

James E. Reynolds ’66– Our fourth grandson arrived a few months ago, Christian Reynolds, to our son, Brooks, and his wife, Anna-Bain. Also, brother Steve ’76 just moved to Spring Lake, i.e. our new neighbors, along with Greg Fusco ’64 and Bill Ward ’65. Peter Frederiksen ’68– retired from Viking Yacht Company and returned to my writing roots as an Editor-at-Large for Power and Motoryacht and other marine publishing titles. Manuel Geraldo ’68– was the 2017 recipient of the Public Service Award from the Foundation for the Advancement of Music Education. Our son, Cameron, graduated from Florida Coastal Law School. Looking forward to our 50th anniversary.

Mike Furiness ’71– Congratulations to fellow classmate and teammate Bill Crum on his induction to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (NY Chapter), joining Coach Fred Pierro (NJ) and me (VA) in that club. Ed Fagan ’74– Retired life has been exciting. I am scouting for the Orioles at the amateur level in New Jersey. Our son, Charlie, was married in September to Caley Eagan. Great wedding– Fagan/ Eagan. Looking forward to our annual gathering of the Class of 1974… “A Treasured Tradition.” Hon. David A. Perkins ’76– In November 2016 I was re-elected to another six-year term as a District Court Judge for the City of Detroit.

The Golden Anniversary Class of 1968 gathered in the Bayley Seton Auditorium for their reunion portrait following their Memorial Anniversary Mass— [1st row seated]- Rich Fritzky, Joseph Reilly, Edward Moran, Dennis Doyle, Ronald Ulak • [2nd row seated]- David Gill, Richard Lahara, Allen Seltzer, Paul Meola, Peter Fredericksen. [3rd row seated]- James Shugrue, Al Barragona, David Arminio, Dominick Chiccino, Ed Prisco • [standing L-R]- Msgr. Michael Kelly, Msgr. Robert Harahan, Louis Trucillo, Joe Arancio, Thomas Newman, Rich Longo, Louis Giordano, David Schraffenberger, Michael Karam, Frank Muoio, James Sullivan, David Duthie, Frank Franzonia, Joseph Castiglia, Luis Sanchez, Ciro Scalera, Rick Ruzicka, Richard Maffei, Herb Campbell. • [RIGHT]- Members of the anniversary class gather in the Rec Center prior to Commencement. • J. David Gill receives the Co-Alumnus of the Year Award from Msgr. Kelly. • Anniversary class members are introduced to the Walsh Auditorium assembly.


At last, Resting in Peace

photo: Defense Department POW-MIA Accounting Agency

RELENTLESS 50-YEAR EFFORT by family and friends to account for Class of 1961 Prep graduate, Air Force Reserve 1st Lt. David T. Dinan, shot down over Laos in March of 1969, ended on the rainy morning of April 25 in Washington, as his remains, at last recovered in 2016, were interred at Arlington National Cemetery. David Dinan graced The Prep with academic credentials of the highest order, going on to MIT and later Stevens Institute to study physics. As the Vietnam War heated up in the late ’60s, he eventually wound up an Air Force Reserve pilot with the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force. The morning of March 17, 1969 he piloted the number two aircraft in a flight of two F-105s on a strike mission over northern Laos. During the second pass over the target, he transmitted a distress message. The Forward Air Controller then observed Dinan’s parachute enter the jungle, as well as an aircraft crash. Search and rescue aircraft conducted an aerial search and located a parachute and confirmed the death of the pilot. However, due to enemy fire in the area and the hazardous location, his body could not be recovered. The U.S. Air Force subsequently reported Dinan as killed in action. His body remained a the crash site for almost 50 years. In March 2014, a joint U.S./Laos People’s Democratic Republic team investigated the crash site near Ban Khap, Xiangkoang Province. That investigation included Leland Sorenson, the original para-rescue jumper who found, but could not recover David’s body in 1969. Given a short period to search by the Laos government, Sorensen found David’s faded military ID card and other personal effects in the investigation’s waning moments. “Before that, we really thought it might be hopeless,” brother Charles Dinan said. “They weren’t able to do a full excavation, but finding that card proved we were close.” Two years later the joint team excavated the same site, recovering osseous remains and material evidence, which were sent to the Defense Department’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency for analysis. To identify the remains, DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA, as well as dental and anthropological analysis. It was thanks to the unrelenting efforts of a group of Dinan’s family and friends, with the help of a small contingent from MIT led by his Air Force roommate, now retired AF colonel Edward L. Sykes, that his remains were recovered. “We thought a search for David deserved more attention,” said Charles Dinan. “But I don’t think we were expecting to find anything. The end result, including the response from MIT, was almost unbelievable.” David Dinan was honored at the MIT’s 2017 Veterans Day ceremony. In addition, a rosette was placed next to his name on the Walls of the Missing at the American Battle Monuments Commission in Honolulu, indicating that he had finally been found. “David’s story is one of service and loyalty,” said Lieutenant Colonel Sheryl Ott, MIT’s Air Force ROTC commander. David was a recipient of the Purple Heart, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, and three Distinguished Flying Crosses. — from internet sources

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Daniel J. Sullivan ’76– was appointed South Orange Fire Chief. Ed Giblin ’78– was recently named Director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate for the Diocese of Rochester after retiring from a 32-year police career. Anthony Soprano ’78– I just completed my 26-year anniversary at Gallagher Benefit Services and am celebrating my 25th weddinig anniversary in 2018 with my wife, Debbie. Loving life in Freehold, NJ. John Ard ’80– I’m still on staff at Tisch Hospital, part of NYU Medical Center in Manhattan. I hope you don’t need my services (anesthesiologist) but don’t hesitate to call if you do. I have two boys (11 and 13) in Summit public schools. Gary Armenti ’80– My second grandson, Vincenzo, arrived this June (2017) and my second daughter Christina was married in October. One more daughter to marry off. Joe Biase, MD ’81– I have partnered with Urology Center of South Florida since 1994. My wife, Donna, is co-founder of Best Foot Forward, which provides educational support to 155 kids in foster care in Palm Beach County. Daughter Dianna graduated from Alabama in May 2017 and son, Vince, from Notre Dame Law School this May. Charles Butler ’81– I am now teaching at University of Oregon. Give me a call if you’re in Eugene. Michael Morgan ’83– I am on assignment for my firm, Gannett Fleming, at LaGuardia Airport, working for the Port Authority of NY/NJ, rebuilding the airport. Remember–the inconvenience is temporary, the improvement is permanent! Vincent Valente, DO ’83– All is well in Winter Park, FL. I am married for eight years to my beautiful wife, Catherine. We have three amazing children. I am still practicing Emergency Medicine in the Florida Hospital System.

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Patrick McGrath ’84– All is well here in suburban Boston. Enjoying Rick Porcello as our ace on the Red Sox. Damian Handzy ‘86– Salutatorian at his Commencement, went on to UPenn for his degree in Math and Physics, and later for a PhD in Nuclear Physics from Michigan State in 1995. He started a Wall Street Risk Management company in 1999, which he sold to a British based public company in 2016. Today he is that company’s Global Head of Risk. He visited Prep science classes in April to speak about “what an education in the natural sciences, including Math, can do for them, especially in today’s tech-centered world.” He proposed that “the old MBA model is outdated and why everyone should study the sciences, especially computer science, if they really want to press ahead in cutting-edge businesses.” Ira Bowman ’91– was named Assistant Basketball Coach at Auburn University. Jay Hildreth ’91– completed a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Intelligence at National Intelligence University. For his thesis, he researched the scientific indicators of clandestine nuclear weapons programs. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Counter-terrorism with a Chemical, Biological, Radiological,

Nuclear Weapons concentration from Rochester Institute of Technology. Jay is the Deputy Chief of Intelligence Oversight and Compliance at the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command, and is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve, on the faculty at National Defense University. James Murphy ’91– My wife, Meghan, and I and two sons are still in Memphis. I’m teaching in the Psychology Dept. at University of Memphis, and recently completed the St. Jude Marathon, second of 442 in my age group. My wife and mother also did very well in their races. Still following Prep sports. Dominick Orefice ’92– I married my longtime girlfriend, Maryann, on June 16, 2017 at Hamiton GC. We live in Bernardsville. Bill Curran ’93– made partner with Davis, Polk, Wardwell this year. David Falco ’95– has been promoted to Regional Vice President of Hotel Operations at Stonebridge Companies, with oversight responsibilitites for three full service hotels in NYC and three in Denver. He has relocated to the company’s HQ in Denver CO.

At their annual day-afterThanksgiving reunion, the Soccer Alumni: [Front row l-r]Geoff Marino ’96, Brandon Adler ’11, John Johnson ’96, Matty Berman ’11, Chris Dockx ’91, Mike Newman ’91 • [2nd row]- Adam Ned ’17, Mike Georgiou ’17, Erik Sa ’13, Chris Wasilewski ’11, Tristan Stowell ’16, Mike Niehenke ’91, Jarid Towey ’96, Cameron Stowell ’11, Ryan Frazier ’11, Dave Snyder ’89, Marty Berman H’05 • [3rd row]- Ryan Vazquez ’17, Jonathan Santos ’17, Pat Buckley ’12, John Caramichael ’16, Owen Buckley ’11, Mike Finn ’94, Jon Azzinari ’13 • [4th row]- Sal Fusari ’06, J.T. Tiralosi ’14, Anthony Carracino ’14, Will McKenna ’08, Nick Coppola ’14 • [5th row]- Bobby Schneiderman ’14, Jon Okafor ’07 [right] At a Giants game at Metlife Stadium, Trooper Alex Wujciak ’06 reconnected with former Maryland teammate Torrey Smith. • Pre-game on the Pirates’ Coach Farrell Court, Coach Williams and former Pirates guard Gary Matthews, now head coach of the Montclair Mounties. • At the spring’s Celebration of Excellence English Department Chairperson Bill Siedler ’85 received the Msgr. Michael E. Kelly Award for his outstanding work over many years at the front of the classroom.


Savoring the Payoff of Good Planning INCE GRADUATING FROM SETON HALL PREP in 2014, I never imagined where I would be career-wise in just four years,” wrote Zach Hrinuk recently. At Elon University he pushed himself to find opportunities in the broadcasting and entertainment fields— from talent logistics in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, to the GRAMMYs, to producing New Year’s Eve in Times Square, to working for pop stars Big Sean, Demi Lovato and Nick Jonas. He learned the power of a good reputation and networking. Last year he enjoyed the icing on the cake, his work to graduate early paying off, as a summer 2017 phone call from NBC offered him a gig at the

Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. “There was no more exciting yet nerve-wracking time in our world’s history than to go to Korea in early 2018,” Zach recalled. “During the Games, I was based at the coastal venue cluster in Gangneung, South Korea, assisting with the ice sports, including Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, Ice Dancing, Speed Skating, and Curling. I spent a lot of time working on curling, as it aired every single day of the Games.” Zach’s work involved the creation of content for the on-air talent’s social media, helping the camera crew with sideline reports, and handling various NBC VIPs at the venue he was assigned to. He learned the ins and outs of such a large-scale production and got to rub elbows with NBC’s well-known on-air talent and some of our era’s great Olympians. “I had the opportunity to spend time with NBC’s official Olympic primetime host Mike Tirico, gold medalist Scott Hamilton, tennis great Mary Carillo, and TODAY Show legend and Opening Ceremony host Katie Couric [photo above].” Although he was working 16-hour days, he felt fortunate to be able to attend events like the Opening Ceremonies, the US Women’s Hockey gold medal win against Canada, and the US Men’s Curling Team victory. What little down time he enjoyed provided at least one rare opportunity, as Zach beat North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s Moon Jae-in to the DMZ, and took a field trip with the media north into the hermit nation. It was, “an eye-opening experience,” he remembers, and “though I wasn’t allowed to bring anything with me, the images are ingrained in my memory.” Zach’s recent experiences are the result of great foresight as a student and he encourages the Prep’s students in that regard— “to put their minds to whatever opportunities they want to try, and see what pathways can make that happen.” photo courtesy of Zach Hrinuk ‘14

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Seton Hall P rep Mourns Their P assing

James A. Bates ’61 January 20, 2018 John Beaulieu ’64 October 12, 2017 John R. Bergren ’61 October 25, 2017 Ronald J. Blaha ’46 November 1, 2017 Dr. John A. Brady ’74 September 24, 2017 Rev. Msgr. G. Thomas Burns ’49 June 23, 2017 Thomas M. Cahill ’48 May 29, 2018 James G. Cappuccino ’48 July 12, 2017 Dr. Anthony R. Caputo ’59 July 24, 2017 David Collins ’64 October 2, 2017 Terrance M. Connell ’79 July 3, 2018 Steven P. Craig ’81 September 14, 2017 Dr. Francis DePaola Sr. ’53 June 4, 2018 Rev. Donald J. DiPasquale ’54 October 26, 2017 James Donnelly ’53 July 1, 2017 Charles Douress H’86 FF February 17, 2018 Conrad A. Episcopo ’83 June 16, 2017 William J. Eyres ’54 August 3, 2017 Dr. Joseph M. Finizio ’54 August 19, 2017 James Joseph Flannery ’67 January 10, 2018 Nathan G. Gardner ’59 December 31, 2017 Rev. Johnadd J. Gibbons ’50 Terrance M. Connell ’79 February 3, 2018 Edward J.toGorman deceased’54 alumni section inJuly 13, 2017 Thomas L. Gray Jr. ’62 May 1, 2018 Tower. He passed July 3, 2018. James P. Guy ’57 July 25, 2017 Thomas J. Henderson ’73 September 12, 2017 William Jackle ’44 March 5, 2018 Patrick J. Kennedy Jr. ’81 November 1, 2017 Edwin A. Kleissler ’46 November 27, 2017 Rev. Robert H. Langdon ’48 April 29, 2018 Edmond V. Lawlor Jr. ’47 March 13, 2018 William E. Luithle Jr. ’49 FF May 21, 2018 J. Victor Lupo ’68 March 27, 2018 Vincent L. Lupo Jr. ’61 September 26, 2017 Capistrano Luzano ’86 February 26, 2018 Robert D. Lynch ’54 December 6, 2017 Phil Magnotti ’55 James J. Maguire ’48 August 21, 2017 Arthur T. Masiello FF John L. McDermott ’48 October 18, 2017 Dr. Joseph E. McDonald Jr. ’51 May 26, 2018 Rev. John P. McSpiritt ’49 April 30 2018 Curtis W. Monahan ’55 June 4, 2017 James M. Mulvaney ’65 July 9, 2018 Rev. Kevin Murphy FF November 27, 2017 John J. Nolan ’49 February 13, 2018 Dr. Robert G. O’Driscoll ’54 May 14, 2018 Timothy J. O’Leary ’61 October 28, 2017 Ronald Quadrel ’69 November 16, 2017 James R. Reardon ’76 October 18, 2017 Edmund Reiss ’72 May 22, 2018 Joseph Sheridan ’53 November 2, 2017 Louis P. Thebault ’39 January 16, 2018 William T. Turner ’48 September 6, 2017 Robert J. Veit ’49 May 18, 2018 John A. Wiggins ’77 February 5, 2018 Donald Wilderotter ’55 August 5, 2017 Gregory D. Winter ’67 July 3, 2017 date indicates when the notice arrived at Seton Hall Prep

In a Thanksgiving reunion engineered by Msgr. Harahan and Billy Ward, Nick Rizzuto ’14, on furlough from the US Army, snuck into a sophomore PhysEd class to surprise brother, Jason.

J.C. Hanisko ’04– will be joining the commissioning crew of the future USS Thomas Hudner (DDC-110) as her strike warfare officer.

Alex Betz ’06– NJBamboo.com has opened a farm stand to sell local and seasonal produce. Stop by and say hi Stephen McQuade ’95– My wife, when in Pennington! Kathryn and I welcomed our second child and first daughter in October Wills Desonne ’09– graduated from 2017. Her big brother, Dylan, SHP Class the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine of 2031, is a great brother, aiding in and is completing a two-year residency in Ava’s transition into this world. Pediatric Dentistry in NYC. Sebastian Millea ’00– Next month it will be 18 years since I graduated from The Prep and 14 years with L’Oreal USA, where I now oversee the External Operations team for the Americas! I’ve been married for eight years and have two wonderful children.

Doug Schkeuning ’10– is presently working at Genseler Architecture as Job Captain/Technical Designer in Morristown, NJ.

Sean Magarelli ’01– graduated with an MBA from John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, in Montreal in 2015. He lives and works in Toronto.

David DelCorso ’11– is beginning a new career with Martin Ottaway as an associate engineer working with marine salvage, appraisals, disaster recovery and maritime engineering consultation.

Alexander Anagnos ’02– and his wife, Erin, live in Leander, TX with their two children. He teaches high school history there.

Patrick Tempera ’10– is in his 2nd year medical school at Rowan University.

Robert Chesler ’13– graduated Cum Laude from the Carroll School of Management at Boston College in May 2017, where he was named ROTC Battalion Commander his senior year. He enlisted after graduaThomas Arminio ’04– just finished tion, with a goal of entering Special Forces his second year in Tanzania, teaching sus- training in 2018. tainable farming in the village of Goma for the Peace Corps Vincent & Paul Miller ’16– are at Georgetown and Stevens Institute… both loving it and both on the Dean’s List.


Moving to Better Weather JJ Strong ’99 visited last November

courtesy of Kevin Williams

with his novel Us Kids Know, published by Penguin Random House in October. The book follows a group of New Jersey teens who, in a search for greater meaning in their lives, engage in a series of risky, destructive acts. JJ talked with Bill Sielder’s AP Humanities Seminar and Chris Heintz’s Creative Writing class about the process of writing the book, his experience with its publication, and his time as a student at The Prep.

A fall trip for the Williams family to see a Notre Dame football game served to reconnect Pirates Basketball Coach Kevin Williams with Louisville resident and former Prep soccer player John McConville ’83/ ND’87, as well as his former point guard and all-time SHP leading scorer TJ Gibbs ’16, now playing for the Fighting Irish.

N THE AFTERNOON OF JUNE 1 IN NEW YORK, meteorologist Mike Favetta was celebrating his last day working for local 24-hour TV station News 12 at his favorite spot in the Bronx's vanishing Little Italy. As co-workers toasted his 10-year career, Favetta saw his final segment air on a wall TV. On another, he watched President Donald Trump announce his decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement. The timing was accidental. Favetta's last day at News 12 had been set six weeks earlier. But the striking coincidence only hardened Favetta's resolve. He was taking his meteorological training to Europe—Milan, to be precise—where the climate is more favorable to helping companies understand how global warming affects them. It took Favetta himself a long time to look seriously into climate change. When he first asked one of his professors at Kean University's meteorology program about the issue in 2003, he was told there wasn't a lot evidence to back up the theory of manmade warming. In retrospect, Favetta said, the professor hadn’t been keeping up with the scientific press. After after studying and pursuing his own research, his thoughts finally tipped in 2016. “From a pure science perspective, this is undeniable. It’s like DNA evidence.” Favetta founded his consultancy Weather Prep in 2014. The company focuses on private-sector weather and climate research, something he’d dabbled in before. In 2010 he became the event meteorologist for the New York City Marathon, briefing organizers before and during the headline event and at smaller races. Looking toward his move to Milan, Favetta honed in on the fact that recent years have brought volatility to Italian agriculture. Olive oil prices have spiked due to drought. Production in 2016-2017 was estimated to drop 58 percent over the previous year, trouble for the country producing about a quarter of the European Union's olive oil, second only to Spain in volume. Favetta will confront important issues on the Continent. Some premium Italian agriculture products—olive oil, wine, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese—can carry legally protected designations guaranteeing their geographic origin, which relies on local soil chemistry, grass strains, dairy tradition, and other factors. These quality guarantees may become more difficult to make as change comes to Italy’s climates. In Milan, Favetta’s Weather Prep will collaborate with Centro Epson Meteo, a private weather-and-climate forecasting research company that offers greater computing power for more complex modeling. Last spring he met Raffaele Salerno, Centro Epson Meteo’s CEO and chief scientist, at an annual conference for meteorologists in Turin. The two agreed that companies in agriculture need help from weather and climate experts. Companies “should know about what will happen in the future,” Salerno said, “so they can adjust accordingly.” Last spring Favetta spotted newly elected French President Emmanuel Macron’s invitation to American scientists to come to Europe, where their work will be taken more seriously. “Yeah,” Favetta said to himself. “This is the right move. I've got my ticket. Here I come.” Mike Favetta is a 2003 graduate of The Prep, an NY Emmy Award winner and periodic visitor to SHP science classes. For years his Weather Prep was a go-to-source for Prep snow-day cancellations. [Content from Bloomberg.com.] 55


IN THE SERVICE OF AMERICA

at last fall’s 2017 Golf Cla�ic

This past year was a big one for Prep alumni in the Armed Forces. ABOVE: 1st

Lt. Steve Rogacki ’09 was featured in a Defense Department magazine article about how he and his team track malicious cyber actors to stop or limit the impact of their actions. “We do cool stuff and it is to protect people, for national defense,” said the self-proclaimed nerd. “That’s pure. That’s unique.” • LEFT: Midshipman Tom Lacey was a star on the hardcourt for Navy. When the Midshipmen played West Point, USMA Cadet Mike Herbert ’13 met up with him, classmate Mike Condon and SHP AD Larry Baggitt. • BELOW: In May following graduation, the newly-minted 2nd Lt. Herbert got his first salute from Cadet John Rogacki SHP ’16. Four years ago, Herbert had given his first salute to Devon Perlee SHP ’11, who had given a first salute to Steve Rogacki ’09• As he received his diploma from Naval Academy Superintendant Vice Admiral Walter Carter Jr., Tom Lacey became a member of the US Marine Corps.

[top]- Msgr. Kelly, with The Prep’s KAC architect, Chuck Stewart, and Board Member David King ’81. • Msgr. Kelly’s first class, the Class of 1970, gathers at the Golf Outing– [standing]- Frank Tracey, Rick Pierce, Marty Caffrey, Peter Covino; [seated]Butch Falcetano, Sil Basile, Frank Richardi and Carl Lombardi. Larry Baggitt, with Class of 2002 alumni Mike Vittitoe, Kyle Frankoski and Traver Davis Chris McMahon ’90 and Basketball Coach Kevin Williams A quartet of lefties on the tee—Steve Sanczak ’14, Tom Sanczak, Jim Bradley, Brian McCabe ’82

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A Dream Fulfilled ASON TOYE '17 HAS SEEN HIS SOCCER CAREER TAKE OFF on a meteoric path over the past 18 months. In December of 2016 The Star-Ledger named him their boys soccer Player of the Year after he led the Pirates to the North Jersey, Non-Public A state title, with 21 goals and 13 assists. Following that season he was named New Jersey’s Gatorade Player of the Year. Two months later Mason was invited to Florida to play for the US U-19 team in several friendlies, including a game against El Salvador. Based on his performance, he was brought to the U-20 National Team for matches in England, playing against Fulham, an English professional team. An injury set him back, but coach Tab Ramos included him in the final training camp in Japan to prepare for the U-20 World Cup held last summer in South Korea.

HONORING A FRIEND… Four members of the Class of 1994, friends of their late classmate Justin Pasquariello, visited The Prep last April to present four current Prep students with scholarship awards from the JustinTime Foundation. Joined by members of Justin’s family and some of his former teachers, organization founders Jason Lee, Mike Hanf, Matt Pinilli and Mark DeRiggi made the presentations at an afternoon reception.

As the Pirates top offensive threat, Mason drew lots of attention from opposing defenses, here against Kearny in the Pirates’ 2016 win. • Indiana University’s bittersweet tweet in 2017— happy that he had been part of their program, sad to see him go so soon, joyful for his newfound opportunity. • Minnesota United FC echoed that happiness in now having Mason part of their organization.

Still hampered by his injury, Mason did not make that squad, but the experience propelled him to an incredible fall season at Indiana University. As a freshman striker, he started and led the Hoosiers in scoring and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The nationally ranked Hoosiers eventually lost an overtime heartbreaker to Stanford in the NCAA championship game in Philadelphia last December. At season’s end, Mason signed with Generation Adidas and was drafted by Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United, becoming Seton Hall Prep's first soccer player to play in the premier American professional league. After playing against the New York Red Bulls in Red Bull Arena in Harrison this spring, Mason sent The Prep his game jersey from the match. [report by Soccer Coach Marty Berman]

Jason Lee ’94, Adam Porfiris ’19, Brian Axelsen ’19, Geordan Walker ’19, Donald Hunter ’20, Robert and Julia Pasquariello. • Director of Institutional Advancement Matt Cannizzo ’90, with JustinTime Foundation founders Matt Pinilli, Mark DeRiggi and Mike Hanf. • Jason Lee catches up with his former English teacher Marty Berman H’05 and English teacher-classmate Chad Holland ’95

The JustinTime Foundation is a not-for-profit organization begun following Justin’s death in 2015, with the mission of providing timely support for children and families who suffer an unexpected loss of a parent, guardian or sibling and is committed to alleviating hardships for those families. The foundation works with The Prep to award grants to students “who exemplify the characteristics of Justin—hard work, kindness, family and selflessness.” The plaques received by the students describe the sacrifices each has made at a young age in support of their families, and their devotion to surviving family members, all while excelling academically and volunteering in the community.

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HALL OF FAME XXXIII

AT THE 33RD RENEWAL OF THE ANNUAL HALL OF FAME DINNER, The Prep inducted nine individuals and three teams, whose athletic exploits have served over the years to add further luster to the school’s tradition and prestige. More than 300 guests at Mayfair Farms in October gathered to honor their accomplishments, both on and off the field of play. THE 2018 INDUCTEES—[seated] Salvatore Fusari ’06 (soccer), Dr. Emmanuel Scrofani ’57 (football), President Msgr. Michael E. Kelly ’57, Hall of Fame Chairman Michael McMahon ’60, Kevin Bryan ’02 (wrestling), Viken Manoukian ’91 (tennis, football) • [standing] Robert Barsky ’82 (baseball, football), Robert C. Miller ’97 (hockey, tennis), Kyle Frankoski ’02 (soccer), Robert Mautone (wrestling) • [not pictured] Rick Porcello ’07 (baseball)]. • 1938-39 Basketball Team, 1957-58 Swim Team, 1977-1978 Football Teams 58

Assistant Soccer Coach Dave Snyder ’89 catches up with soccer team honoree Sal Fusari ’06.

Hall of Famer Jim O’Connor ’60 updates Msgr. Kelly on the year’s happenings.


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[top, clockwise from far left] Manny Scrofani‘s remarks included a game ball handoff to his quarterback, now President, Msgr. Kelly. Joining him at the podium were Kevin Bryan, Sal Fusari, [left] Bob Barsky, Rich Miller and Viken Manoukian

Among the 300 guests at the event were [clockwise from far left] Neil McNulty and Mike Manochio ’86, enjoying a reunion with classmate Frank Gately • 1978 Football teammates Dr. Marc Parlavecchio, Paul Bainbridge Chet Parlavecchio, Chris Puorro, and Coach Al Calcagno ’70 • Three generations of Merks: Conor ’16, Board of Trustees Member M. Richard ’65 and John Merklinger ’80. • Steve Meglio ’79, Dan Roselle ’79 and daughter Danimarie Roselle.

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Continuing the Tower Revisited’s look back at our history with a reprint of the celebratory sesquicentennial book “O Sing Her Praise,” these pages offer Chapter Four. ¶ The 184-page anniversary book was rigorously researched and authored by former Prep English teacher Ken Comer ’73, and designed and published by Director of Communications Richard Morris H’95. Enjoy a look at “The Preparatory” as we made our way through what have become known as “the war years.”

In words that could have been been written in 2006. Bishop Ahern addressed the Class of 1940 at Commencement, only 18 months before many of the graduates would find themselves signing up with the Armed Forces and on their way to war.

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Guard her banner Blue and White ...

Chapter Four 1938 THROUGH 1953

¶ War Clouds Gather ¶ Clergy, Faculty and Students to the Nation’s Defense (Twice More) ¶ Enrollment Skyrockets; Programs Expand ¶ The Bradley Era and the Duffy Years ¶ Pirates

HE YEARS BETWEEN 1938 AND 1953 WERE PIVOTAL FOR AMERICA. FINALLY STARTING TO PULL OUT OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION, most were acutely aware that the world seemed intent on dividing itself between Totalitarianism and Democracy, with the added difficulty of trying to balance the old empire system while new empires were forming. The rise of both Fascism and Communism and the attendant spread of interest in atheism presented keen challenges to traditional values, religious institutions, and educational systems which had never been experienced before. Attempts by some Americans to isolate the country from these problems seemed doomed to failure, as traditional allies became threatened with ever-increasing ferocity, while at the same time global interdependence increased with advances in trade, transportation and technology. In 1938 Europe stood on the brink of war, and America shared a collective sense of fear which would grow steadily and palpably until the Nation became involved in the greatest struggle mankind has ever known. Seton Hall Prep students were keenly aware of the world situation, since Italy, the European power which first exhibited the traits referred to above, was so closely associated with the Papacy. These events

were well documented in the Catholic press and were often therefore the subject of discussion in both History and Religion classes at the time. Lively debates of both theory and practice are remembered by many students of this era.

College President Msgr. James F. Kelley, at 35 the youngest college president in the nation, breaks ground in 1938 for the eagerly anticipated stateof-the-art Walsh Gymnasium

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The death of Pope Pius XI in 1939 and the election of Pius XII in the ensuing conclave gave many a new hope that he might play a preeminent role in keeping a lid on the European situation. News of the Pope’s every writing was widely covered and thoroughly discussed in many Prep classrooms. This chapter begins the period from which we begin to have a more complete and sequential archival record. Hence it seems only appropriate to attempt now to weave a much more strictly chronological narrative. Thus the somewhat obvious device employed in the fi rst three chapters, of putting general information fi rst, followed by athletics from an entire period, will give way to one which will be easier to scan, and thus hopefully lead to both repeated perusals and perhaps more than a few utterings of “I never realized that” on the part of the reader. What’s in a name? If ever there were an indicator of how our name could be confused, it existed symbolically in the year which begins this section. The Cricket of December 5,

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1938 had as part of its banner Seton Hall High School. Only two weeks later the sub-heading read Seton Hall Prep School. Years later, during World War II when publication would be suspended for the duration, The Cricket was replaced by a few plain paper mimeographed sheets, called The Prepster. In 1945, when publication of the formal school paper resumed, it was now called The Pirate, the banner reading Seton Hall Preparatory School. This has remained unchanged since. The newspapers of 1938 are as memorable for their catchy headlines as for any article. “Syncopation, Decoration, Good Attendance–Dance a Sensation!” read one. Crowing over some Track and Basketball victories, “Pirates Sweep the Sea Clear of Enemy Craft” read another. That year would be remembered by many as the beginning of The Knights of Setonia, under the direction of Fr. James Carey, which built on an idea from several years before. The much coveted position of Knights Commander handled all arrangements and organized students with an almost military precision. This year saw yet another heartbreak as student Pellegrino Pellechia, a great fencer, died. An assembly called the “United Clubs of Seton Hall Prep” was an event much anticipated. Returning after a hiatus of several years, it featured combined creative pieces from the Latin, Science and Mathematics Clubs, as well as a concert by the orchestra, several selections from the Glee Club, now under the direction of Godfrey Mayer, and three short original productions by the Dramatic Club: “The Crime in the Clubhouse,” “A Peculiar Old Duffer” and “Whom Shall We Sue?” A Cricket inquiry sought responses to the burning question: Slow dances or fast dances at the Valentine’s Dance? Responses came from several area schools and from afar—Notre Dame High School of Covington, Kentucky. Slow dances were much preferred. Swimming would struggle all year for success and Harry Quinn would lead the Tennis team as coach. The Thanksgiving turkeys tasted a little sweeter this year, as the day began with a 12-0 triumph over a previously unbeaten 62

St. Benedict’s team. The game was turned into a classy affair as The Prep Marching Band showed off their new blue and white uniforms and put what they had learned from Mr. Smith and Fr. Carey into practice. Later, this team and the Track team were hailed jointly with a huge bonfire and speeches from Rev. James F. Kelley, Coach Jack Fish and Coach Harry Coates.

America’s decision to stay out of “Europe’s war” was brought close to home in early 1941, as two young London refugees found new homes in South Orange.

Harry Singleton left the school and was replaced as Basketball Coach by Jack Reitemeir, who, with the help of the ubiquitous Fr. Carey, promptly booked an ambitious 23-game schedule. In one of the more obscure episodes from this time, The Prep announced that under the direction of Coach Robert Gendron, they would compete in the New York Prep School Hockey League (four teams), traveling for both practices and games across the Hudson and East

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Rivers to Brooklyn. In utter frustration after one Saturday’s wait of five hours for ice time, the team and coach actually constructed an outdoor rink on Campus grounds, one of a very few in northern New Jersey. Then they prayed for freezing temperatures The year got better and better as the Basketball Team ended a 30-year “famine,” defeating St. Benedict’s 56-36. In The Sunday Call Track Meet, The Prep came in first with 56 points, with Benedict’s a distant second with 141/2. Later in that academic year, the Basketball Team pinned a third defeat on Benedict’s, ended up winning 21 of 22 games, captured the New Jersey state title and came home victorious from the prestigious Glens Falls Tournament. Al Bellucci took the state title in Fencing, with Freddy Massucci placing in several tournaments. Amazingly, Bellucci would prove his versatility when, a few months later, he would win both the shot-put and discus at the Villanova Interscholastic Track Meet. Memorializing the recently deceased faculty member and students’ friend, the Father Outwater Society was formed, with the goal of helping to foster vocations to the priesthood. ¶ A new sport joined the standard list, as Jack Reitmeir agreed to coach the newly formed Golf Team. Having won 48 of 49 games over the previous three year the starting nine in Baseball had a difficult task, as they had few veterans returning. After three early victories, they could not get past either St. Benedict’s or St. Peter’s New Brunswick, and ended with a good but not great season. ¶ The sixth Prom went off without a hitch, this year held in the Crystal Room of the Robert Treat Hotel. ¶ Culminating this quite extraordinary year was the groundbreaking for the much anticipated new Campus gym in early June. 1938-1939 had been one of the best years in the history of the school and was a great way to anticipate the end of the decade. Little did students and teachers alike realize how soon this year would be relived over and over as “the good times,” because of what was just around the corner.


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e a r l y 1 9 4 0 ’s

1940 saw the dawn of a new decade with the tried and true duo of Fr. William N. Bradley as Headmaster and Fr. William J. Duffy as Assistant Headmaster. Three of the priest faculty most often mentioned at this time were Fr. Arthur Griffith from the Math Department, Fr. Charles Covert, who taught Greek, and Fr. Francis Finn, who taught Latin. Malcolm Ewing and Edward Jennings remained the “senior men” and several new members were added to the faculty, many of whom would barely settle in before history intervened and their call to serve in the armed forces would arrive. In May of 1940, 30 American History students spent a weekend in Washington D.C. with Mr. Dilson. Polls were actually taken as to what songs were to be played at the last senior dance of the year, and “With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair” just beat out “Isle of May.”—”Frances Seider and her Syncopaters who will be remembered for their excellent playing at The Harvest Ball will play a return engagement by request. They will play only one jitterbug to every five sweet tunes as was suggested by the students in the poll.” An entire column in the newspaper was devoted to etiquette in preparation for the Prom, and friend often helped friend to perfect the latest steps so as not to embarrass. By far the biggest event on Campus this year was the opening of the new gym. The unfinished shell had been a boon to the acquisition of demerits, as many students could simply not resist the occasional unguided tour. Guided tours would later be given by some of these same students, as the entire Campus constantly crowed about this exceedingly well-appointed facility. There were 3000 fi xed seats, pull-out bleachers courtside for an additional 1000, and for stage events, when the court could be covered and folding chairs added, 5200 could be accommodated. Since there were no regulations as to size at the time, the basketball floor was put together with “block-on-end” parquet construction, and built four to six feet longer and about four feet wider than most courts. 64

The “home court advantage” that this imposing facility provided to Seton Hall teams is hard to imagine for non-players, but several team members distinctly recall that it was usually close to half-time before visiting teams adjusted, if they ever did. By that time Seton

The College President and The Prep Headmaster planned for cutting-edge communication in 1939. • Walsh Gym shortly after its completion in 1940.

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Hall usually had a commanding lead. 1200 lockers fi lled rooms throughout the building. There was a full-sized five-lane pool downstairs, with spectator benches which could hold 250. There were squash courts, bowling alleys, ping-pong rooms, poolrooms, shuffleboard rooms and, as if that were not enough, a “Little Theater,” with fi xed theater upholstered seating for 302. The ticket booths, offices, trainer’s rooms, coaches’ rooms and too many other amenities to list made this facility beyond the means of any other secondary school in the area. It should be remembered that The Prep did her part with a flurry of fund raisers—everything from bake sales to card parties to Bingo Nights—to present College President Msgr. James Kelley with “purses” to defray some of the cost of construction. Remember that Prep enrollment far outstripped the College’s until after the war. The name Jack Reitemeir pops up still again, when intramural softball began with two leagues, one at noontime for the day-hoppers and one after school for the boarders. Activities now included a Model Airplane Club which had recently joined the ever-growing list. Jean Pouliot, new moderator of the Dramatic Club, directed Barrie’s “The Prisoner,” presented during the annual Christmas entertainment, and featuring Andrew Clark, John Moles, Richard Murray, Jerome Dolan and John Trumbauer. The performance received rave reviews in the school paper. Harry McTague continued to moderate The Cricket, which this year was led by Editorin-Chief Thomas Steele. A column “In The Groovings” featured reviews of all the latest records, a quick scan of which shows the most popular performers to be Jimmy Dorsey, Sammy Kaye, Ziggy Elman, Yvette, Woody Herman, The Ink Spots, Charlie Barnet and Tommy Dorsey, whose vocalists were the Pied Pipers, backing up a very young Frank Sinatra. Students turning to the last page of The Cricket would find an advertisement for Helen MacHugh at MArket 2-9676, who for a mere $10 offered to teach them both waltz and foxtrot in six private lessons of “Up-to-the-Minute Ballroom Dancing.”


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A few more interesting firsts included the inordinately high number choosing the Army beginning of J.V. Football and the varsity team’s Air Corps. traveling all the way to Fort Defiance, Virginia, Tuition in 1941-42 was $160 and Board was to beat Augusta Military Academy 26-0. The held at $500 per year, $600 with a private room. Winter Ball was held at the Hotel Suburban in A feature much advertised at this time was a East Orange, where music was provided by the “Guidance Department, Under a Priest DirecHal Breeze Orchestra; The Cricket reported that Dean of Discipline Fr. Covert kept a watchful eye. Spring dances were now held at the new gym. Ed Proccacini of 2-B printed the following poem on the occasion of the death of longtime Spanish teacher Fr. Baldimero Marcilla: Things have changed, have changed completely/ Changed as things can ever be,/ Since you left us, Father Marcilla, Left us here so suddenly./ You will never be forgotten,/ Though on earth you are no more,/ For you left us cheerful memories/ Memories that our hearts ache for!/ But perhaps some day we all will greet you/ In the land of “Kingdom Come”/ In the land where God’s immortals/ Help to pound on Justice’s drum! The 1941 yearbook was dedicated to all teachers, in memory of Fr. Marcilla and W. Francis Randall, who had also died the previous summer. September of 1941 brought a large new group of students to Campus, but with a sense of foreboding prevailing in view of the state of the world. Still, the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th of that year came as a shock to the Campus, as it had to the Nation as a whole. Almost immediately 166 College men withdrew to join the Armed Services, and Prep students, many of whom had turned 18, began to follow suit. Most waited until after graduation in June ‘42 to either volunteer for the service of their choice or to be called, mainly to the Army. While the greatest change on Campus would be the halving of the College student body, The Prep The Drama program in 1942 served as a notepad would be affected immediately and most di- for some John Macksey reminders, making sure he had everything in order for his date. • The rectly by the volunteering or call-up of faculty side steps of the new Walsh Gym wound up a members, many of whom were themselves only popular place for group photos. out of college a few years. A high percentage of them would begin immediate training to join the officer corps in various branches, with an

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tor” and comprising all Department Heads. Noteworthy was a carefully worded caveat that, “individual counseling is based not on the meager results of I.Q. tests, but on the record...” The Student Bulletin from that year continued with what can only be seen as the newly ironic: “Students are guided also on their future plans and vocational interests”— the unseen yet most omnipresent member of the Guidance Board being, of course, Uncle Sam. As 1941 progressed, and the following several years as well, the challenge constantly facing the Administration was finding enough men to teach and plugging holes in the faculty roster which did not always occur neatly at the end of a term or year. Of note also was the addition of the “General Course,” which had recently joined the traditional three avenues to graduation. Students could now follow its path or that of The Classical Course, The Latin Scientific Course or The Scientific Course. A seemingly ominous statement, by then boldfaced in the Bulletin, warned: No student, although he may have received a certificate of graduation, will be recommended for college entrance, except in those subjects in which he has received an average of 80%. That must have done wonders for keeping students at their studies. The ever-popular Knights of Setonia featured two masses each week, 7 am on Tuesday for the boarders and 8:10 on Monday for the day scholars. The Athletic Association Band was re-started and after a season with 50 participants, sought to augment that number under the direction of Professor Charles Smith and the moderator, Fr. Joseph Russell. Though many played in both, this was separate from the school orchestra, led by Mr. Frank Zavaglia. Sports included: football, basketball, baseball, track, icehockey, tennis, golf, swimming and 150-lb. football. The fourth floor of Mooney Hall saw another change as the Radio Club constructed their own short-wave set and, as noted in The Cricket, “carried on numerous successful [continues on page 68]


the war effort— a sequel

T WAS A HAZY COLD EARLY MORNING in Middle Wallop in England. It was in the spring of early 1944, and at our RAF air base was a new P-51 Mustang fighter plane sent to us from the States‌ I was the Flight Surgeon of the 12th Reconnaissance Squadron. I drove in my jeep with Major Robert Ware and Master Sargeant Vanderburg to the air field where our squadron of Mustang fighters were based. There

In March 1988, General Richard Arlen, looking back across fifty years of service to the United States Air Force, wrestled his way though the years that had intervened and banged away at an aged and balky typewriter to send this letter to the Headmaster of Seton Hall Prep, and to satisfy a request made by 750 young men in 1944:

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was a new plane that stood out amongst all the other planes. On its side in large letters was printed “SETONIA.” Today I was going through my manuscript of the events of that occasion 45 years ago. Major Ward asked me to get into the cockpit and read the inscription— “Seton Hall Preparatory School, South Orange, New Jersey. Hello, this is greetings to you from 750 young men at Seton Hall. We have worked hard to raise money to send you this plane. We worked because we have ideals of a great nation founded on the principles of her four great freedoms. You, the pilot, as long as you are at the stick of this plane, our prayers will be along with you. We shall pray that your missions will always be successful and when the war is over, the talents you have given to a new world will be returned to this nation of ours to help her in Peace. God bless you is the prayer that follows you from us Setonians to the end of the earth. Sincerely, 750 Setonians. PS… if you ever care to tell us of the history of our plane, please write to Father or Reverend William Field.” Almost fifty years later I remember there should be more surprises in people here like this one. What happier tribute could our TAC Squadron ever expect to cherish. This is our prize ship, and yet no different than our other Mustangs. As Major Ward, the pilot, says, “This ship symbolizes a spirit. A spirit of our youth and their prayers.” Both the pilot and the crew chief Sergeant Dwight Vanderburg [would wish me to satisfy the Setonians’ interest by reporting] this ship has successfully flown over 75 missions in England, France, Germany and Belgium, and she has been successful enough to become the eyes of our Commander in Chief General Dwight Eisenhower. Because of the many prayers of her Setonians she

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has been made immune to enemy flak and all other projectiles. SETONIA has and is successfully carrying out her missions. The information that she seeks from the enemy have made havoc with the enemy. By bringing critical information concerning the enemy’s actions [she] has indirectly saved many American lives and helped shorten the war. The members of our squadron along with its pilot will never let you Setonians down. For we have a Faith for a common purpose, a common conviction and a common devotion— to render secure the rights of all nations, whether great or small, to live under a government which they choose, to establish security for all nations their national rights to live [in a way] best suited for its ideals and freedom. The future of our country is as limitless as the human spirit. Now, many years [later] I write to the Setonians of that era and their grandsons… that we of the 12th Recon Squadron have not forgotten you men of Seton Hall [for] what you did there and that you prayed for the success of the SETONIA’s missions. How this plane with its powerful Rolls Royce engine took her up to the skies and battered the clouds with its wings! The anguishing moments we spent waiting for the return of the SETONIA from its missions! The happiness we endured when we realized that the SETONIA had accomplished its missions! In closing, thanks from us of the 12th to you Setonians, for we will never let you down. Appreciatively yours, Richard S. Arlen, MD Flight Surgeon of the 12th PS. Major Ware, the pilot of the SETONIA, is also from New Jersey. Just say I wish him a happy landing. 67


broadcasts... many contacts were made with stations in The United States, South America, and Algiers in Africa.” Thomas O’Rourke and Fr. Clement Ockay were the moderators. The Aviation Club became affiliated with Air Youth of America. Darkroom facilities were provided for the Photography Club, moderated by Mr. Vincent McIntee and Mr. John Farrell on, you guessed it, the fourth floor of Mooney Hall. The aforementioned The Prepster became the official newspaper of the school. In the national spirit of forming and joining organizations so understandable at the time, the Junior Classical League affiliated with the national organization of the same name, which boasted 354 chapters and 8,556 members. Language clubs existed in all languages taught (French, German and Spanish) with the most active at this time being Mr. Jean Pouliot’s French Club, which published its own monthly newspaper, L’Ecolier. The Department of Social Sciences now taught all the Histories, plus Government, Sociology and Economics. The Department of Fine Arts had added both Freehand Drawing and Music Appreciation to its original course, called Mechanical Drawing, which incidentally was taught, of course, on the fourth floor of Mooney Hall. The list of activities now stood at 21. It is significant that in 1942 several sports experimented with adding a High School Varsity team while also maintaining a Prep team, often populated with mostly PG students. The war would pretty much put the nail in the coffin of this system, as the continuity on which it depended was totally disrupted by the tightened draft. By the war’s end, when G.I. Bill* monies would be thrown at colleges and veterans, the practice of a fifth year became the province of a relatively few, almost exclusively boarding schools. At the same time, The Prep was easing its way out of this niche. An early visible reminder that the Nation was at war was the downsizing of The Tower to six by nine inches in what must have been an effort to save industrial resources. * Proposed in 1942, signed two years later by President Franklin Roosevelt, the “The Servicemembers’ Readjustment Act of 1944” granted educational, housing and business assistance to all veterans.

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Father Murphy formed a Debating Team in this year, which would eventually expand in the next decade to participate in Forensics in a more competitive inter-scholastic league. Orators would continue to play an important role in Campus-wide competitions for several more years. The entire Campus Community participated in Defense Plans which College President Msgr. Kelley had drawn up. Special sections The Tower acknowledged the passing of Dr. Edward L. Jennings and the early military service of Fr. Covert with the Navy, Mr. Meyer with the Army and Mr. Cetrulo with the Air Corps. By 1943, eleven faculty members had joined the Armed Services, and 23 students had left the

dozens of priests who had spent time at either The Prep or College, or both, some as students only, some as faculty only, and many as both students and faculty. 1944’s Tower was dedicated to all uniformed service members. 1945’s edition was once again dedicated In Memoriam, this time to Mr. Pouliot, whose years on the faculty had included five as Department Chairman of Foreign Languages, and several as the Moderator of the Dramatic Society and Director of their productions. This was a teacher who would be sorely missed. Student numbers remained very strong at this time; with the graduating class of 1941 the second to exceed 100 graduates (125). In 1942, the total student body reached 625 students. After a brief dip below 100 graduates in 1942 (91) and 1943 (98), certainly accounted for by many students turning 18 during senior year and volunteering immediately for service, the number of seniors again climbed— to 109 in 1944, 136 in 1945 and 138 in 1946.

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The reduced-in-size-in-service-to-theWar-effort 1942 Tower.

school for the same reason. The Tower was dedicated to “The Catholic Chaplain,” and honored not just Fr. Covert and Fr. Carey, who would serve so valiantly in the thick of battle on such distant shores as Okinawa, but also the

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The staff to handle this many students grew proportionately, making recruitment and hiring of faculty a larger part of the role of the Headmaster and the College President than ever before. In 1944, the faculty had consisted of 13 priests and 27 laymen. To start the Academic Year 1945-46, 22 new faculty had to be hired— 50% of the total for that year alone! Since five priests from The Prep had moved to The College (two of whom would remain particularly important in her history—Fr. William Noë Field ’38 and Fr. Francis Finn), nine priests were recruited from nearby parishes to add the teaching of Religion at The Prep to their other duties. Of these, two would soon join the regular faculty, Fr. Edward J. Fleming ’36 and Fr. Joseph Vopelak. Of the new laymen hired in that year, few remained for long, the exceptions being Frank Tracey and Louis Sarno. In 1945 Phil Thigpen achieved great recognition for his track prowess. His name was heard often both during his school days and beyond, as he would be one of many who would answer several later calls to service for his school. ¶ The elation over the August armistice in the Pacific must have helped Fr.


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Dan Murphy to plan a fairly extravagant Harvest Hop in October of 1945— he hired an eleven-piece orchestra and a male vocalist for entertainment. Bids were $1.20, tax included. The school newspaper morphed for the last time, returning to its pre-war glossy paper format, dropping the price from 15 to 10 cents per copy and taking on the name The Pirate. The name had stuck as a nickname many years earlier after a newspaper reporter accused The College team in a game against Fordham of “stealing a victory like a bunch of pirates,” by waiting until they were ahead to ring the campus bell signaling the end of time allowed for athletics. It was by 1945 regularly applied to Prep teams as well. An advantage to being part of The College Campus was realized when The Prep was invited to participate (along with 5000 others) in the ceremony presenting an honorary Doctorate to Gen. Jonathan M. Wainwright, “The Hero of Bataan and Corregidor.” The most bizarre event of 1945 had to be the ending of the football game against St. Mary’s, Rutherford. The Pirate reported that with a 6-2 lead late in the fourth quarter Fallat of St. Mary’s picked up a fumble and ran along the sidelines with it toward our goal. The Prep’s Larry Seder, overcome with indignation at Fallat’s mistake, leaped from the bench without bothering to don his helmet, [and] administered an atomic tackle. The ball carrier objected strenuously, but Seder came up swinging. While the players engaged in a slight tussle the spectators rushed the field. The usual Seton Hall sportsmanship was displayed, however, and the crowd of 4,000 retired to the stands peacefully (?). Final score: Seton Hall 6-2. In 1945 the tradition commenced of The Pirate’s publishing a Christmas issue printed in red and green ink. It featured a photo of the Campus’ unique crèche, featuring live animals. ¶ A proud headline acknowledged the fact that Lt. Col. James A. Carey, while a Chaplain on Okinawa, had been awarded the Bronze Star for gallantry— “for exposing himself to

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nawa. The 30-year-old Catholic priest has paid high tribute to the teamwork and comradeship evidenced by Marines during the final ground action of the war. Father Tuohy, on leave from duties as head of Seton Hall Prep School’s classical language department, is the son of Thomas F. Tuohy and brother of Margaret Tuohy of Jersey City. Eight years later he would lead men again—as Headmaster of The Prep. The April 15th 1945 Pirate also featured news of the return to the faculty of still another chaplain, Fr. Joseph Tuite, coming back to teaching duties at The Prep after stints with both the Tank Destroyers and Infantry in North Africa and at the United States Amputation Center of Lawson General Hospital stateside. Harry Singleton led the Baseball team this year and the honor was extended to The Prep to host the 25th Annual State Interscholastic Swim Meet, attended by 15 teams. Owen Garrigan “annexed” the squash title, not losing a match all year. Fr. Finn presented a medal to him and to participants Gene Gallaghan, Paul Cioffi, Bob Connors, Bruno Fik, Jack Hunt, George Keating, Jack Landers, Paul Lehman, Carl and Joe Noble and Jim Sharp. The Opera Club really swung into action this year with Fr. Finn and Fr. Field leading more than 50 an Edward Everett Horton encouraged all Prep Dramatic Society members to persevere in students to multiple performances and other their interests. An impromptu sketch and ques- events at The Metropolitan Opera. Many of the tion and answer period much endeared him stars whom they were able to see on a regular to the entire Campus Community. ¶ Track basis are names at which modern opera buffs received more acclaim this year as Phil Thig- can only marvel. These fine priests, who kept pen turned in the best time in the 1000 yard ties with and continued to lead the young men run in 20 years at the Eastern State Champion- from The Prep despite having moved on to “day ships and the team placed third out of 20 teams. jobs” at The College, are further evidence of Coach Ferinden sported a 22-member Swim- a stalwart commitment which so many clergy ming Team and planned a 10-meet schedule for held for The Prep. Constantly mentioning with potential stars Begley, Todino, Constants, Priff, fondness all his ties to The Prep, Msgr. Field especially would serve on Prep committees, Conforti, Goerke, Fetten and Brady. As winter 1945 turned to spring 1946, a unfailingly watch for items for our archives, delayed communiqué arrived at The Pirate and witness for the formation of solid Catholic offices with the dateline: Somewhere in the youth, literally until the day he died in 2000 at Pacific. Under the picture of a thin yet impec- age 84. He was truly a lifelong Setonian and cably trimmed soldier, the story read: Navy is missed by all who were fortunate enough to Lieutenant Senior Grade Thomas J. Tuohy of know him well. Pete Lennon pulled off another coup as Jersey City, New Jersey, was among the first chaplains to hold religious services on Oki- spring ‘46 wound down, this time interviewing enemy sniper fire while administering to the wounded of all denominations.” Also, Capt. Julius S. Lombardi, formerly of the Language Department, had been awarded both the Croix de Guerre for valor by France and the Silver Star “for bravery under fire” by the US Army. ¶ Intrepid Pirate reporter Pete Lennon ’47 was able to pull off the scoop of the year when he wrangled a personal interview with Jan Clayton, the Broadway star of Carousel, in her dressing room. A Campus appearance by famed comedi-

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the popular Capitol Records vocalist Margaret Whiting, perhaps the hottest big-band singer at the time, in Studio 6-B at NBC. The give-andtake in this interview showed a sophistication and maturity far beyond his years. The writing was on a par with the best The Pirate has ever produced and argued quite convincingly for both an extraordinary young man and some incomparable teachers. ¶ The Tower this year was dedicated to the mothers and fathers of all Prep graduates. ¶ A sad note occured when the legendary Track Coach Harry Coates resigned mid-season because of ill health, bringing an era to a close. Frank Sevigne replaced him at once, and would continue in the following year as assistant to the newly appointed College Coach John Gibson.

stantive. Firstly, the enrollment had reached an unheard of 1300 students. That number represents an almost unfathomable percentage increase, when one realizes that a mere seven years before, the entire Prep student body was 460! S.R.O. was the order of the day. Secondly,

1946-1947

The fall of 1946 brought a new Headmaster to The Prep when Rev. William J. Duffy, who had served as Assistant Headmaster for seven years, was promoted to the top job. His path was one not often seen in Campus history—after his ordination in Rome, he spent ten years on The College faculty before moving to The Prep. The tone set by his first remarks to The Pirate editors must have sent chills up their spines. They reported on his opening salvo: The main objective this year will be upon scholastic standing and maintaining the school’s high standards. “WORK,” is Father Duffy’s advice, “for learning is not play.” The new Headmaster goes further to say that there is no substitute in life for achievement. A well trained mind cannot be achieved through undisciplined habits. Learn to discipline yourselves and accept the authority of those above you. Honest effort, self restraint, and achievement produce a successful life and make good citizens, a credit to themselves, their school, and to their country. Now that’s a no nonsense introduction. When he continued that he intended to restore all the activities, intramurals and the like, which had been suspended during the war, one can almost hear the collective sigh of relief from the student editors. The major changes for ’46 were quite sub-

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Bill Luithle’s photo collection includes pictures of the early days of the New Building, later named for Headmaster Rev. William J. Duffy (top). Two years in advance of their graduation, his Class of 1949 mates exhibit a somewhat typical sophomoric bearing.

a new building, which would later be named Duffy Hall, (and which would in turn be rechristened “Old Duffy Hall” when a three-story addition was added in the early ’70’s, quickly becoming known as “New Duffy Hall”) had just opened and was therefore still the “new” building. Got that? Thirdly, 20 new members joined the faculty that year. Though most of the others would move on after a few years, several were

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names which would be associated with either The Prep or College for many years to come— names like Fr. John O’Brien, Fr. William Daly, Fr. Albert Hakim, Fr. Edwin V. Sullivan, Ralph Ciccone, William J. McCabe and Salvatore N. Caprio. They would be mentioned subsequently many times in interviews for this book, and a few would take their place in the pantheon of Seton Hall legends. The end of the War, the ensuing peace, and the fact that the G.I. Bill would swell the ranks of College students almost overnight had signaled the end to an entire way of life on Campus and would forever alter the relationship between The Prep and The College. These changes were not really sought by either, but seemed the inevitable outcome of events beyond anyone’s control. The world outside had changed forever; it would take but a short time for all to realize that the world within Seton Hall had changed forever too. International boarding students would continue to augment the number of day students for a few more years. Notable arrivals this year included several from Aruba and both Central and South America—John DeVeer, Oscar Harte, Hubert Arands, and Sandalio Cienfuegos became fast friends. Activities and Clubs re-formed as quickly as possible. Fr. Field agreed to reorganize the School Band. Achille Joyal agreed to moderate The Glee Club with the help of new faculty member Carmine Bruni, and took on the French Club as well. Librarian Robert Cavanaugh took on the Orchestra. Father Edward Scully took over The Knights of Setonia. Mr. Martyn re-invigorated the Stamp Club. With only two veteran players returning, the sport which faced the most upheaval and had the furthest to go was unquestionably Football. Vic DeFillipo, head of the College Phys. Ed. Department, was appointed Head Coach. His assistants were Buff San Giacomo, an All-State player at Nutley and a professional for several years, and Adolph “Butch” Stanziale, who had played professional ball with the Long Island Indians and Newark Bombers, and who had just completed a fiveyear stint in the Army, newly discharged as a Captain. Despite their inexperience, the brave new football warriors would acquit themselves quite well, securing in the annals such names


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as Bernie Smolensky, Bernie Degnan, Jack Farrell and Bob McDonough. The team defeated Bloomfield Tech in a game much more lopsided that the final score indicates, as The Prep was able to play three full teams during their 20-7 victory. The report on the aftermath of the victory bonfire, which lasted from 8:30 until well after 1:00 am, is humorous reading: “Of course there were the usual casualties, because of the excitement. Frenchy Shaw lost a tooth when he got in the way of a flying 2x4. Neil Nolan, Sal Marino, Mark Burns and many others suffered from the cold because of tears and burns in their clothing. Don Connely, John Rachel and Dan Moore received foot injuries from stepping on nails. Basketball had a new coach as well, “Pete” Finnerty. He had played for The College for three years under another legend, Honey Russell, and had been a member of the College team that started the 42-game win streak which had helped to put Seton Hall “on the map.” After a stint in the Navy and one winning season at St. James in Newark, he was ready to try his luck with returning players Bob McDonough, Jack Kiley, Bob Oelz, Jack Farrell, Sal Marino, Gene Preston, Neil Nolan and newcomer Lewis Bloom. The team began by clobbering opponents, with only two games won by less than 20 points, until a rough spot was encountered. The team finished with a record of 27 and 3. All seven competitors scored as The Prep invaded Bowdoin College in Maine and defeated their nearest competitor, Huntington Prep, by 35 points. At Madison Square Garden, the Track Team took the National AAU title behind Charlie “Tex” Slade and Phil Thigpen, who combined for six firsts. A track team picture featured some new names: Coyle, Wortman, Viola, Finley, Butler, Sheerin, Sharp, Jeffery, Quirk and McCarthy. An Alumni note: Frank Maguire ’43 signed with the Philadelphia Athletics when Connie Mack’s son Earl outbid the Yankee’s offer of $25,000 for his services. By November of 1946 all was returning to a “new normal.” Donald Kuhn and Peter Lennon represented the school in the Interscholastic Student Council of The Metropolitan Opera Guild. Seniors formed a Booster Committee to support all athletics and assist in the rejuvenation of the Intramural Program. ¶ Mr Thomas Elliott was The Pirate Moderator with 72

a staff of 33. ¶ Mr. Richard DePagnier signed on as Moderator of the Dramatic Club, which immediately produced a one-act play by student Ray Teboe. ¶ An Equestrian Club was formed for the first time, under the direction of Fr. Field. Charles Giurlando drew one of many political cartoons for The Pirate, one featuring Communism as The Grim Reaper—of such high quality that it could quite easily have appeared in any national paper.

The annual Boarder Thanksgiving Dinner was restored to its former glory without the restrictions of wartime rationing. A regular joke, spread throughout the freshman ranks as this feast

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was described beforehand, was to convince the Frosh that the Boarders ate that way every evening. ¶ Fencing had a new coach in the for-

mer College star Mr. Harry Boutsikaris, whose main recruiting tool was the promise of College scholarships for the serious and gifted fencer. ¶ A Freshman Father and Son Night had been spun off from the school-wide affair, because of both numbers and a need to make all feel a part of the school immediately. Performances were tried out on this night by all the student groups, who repeated them in Feb-


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ruary for the upperclassman night. Seton Hall’s Walsh Gym was further showcased by being the host for the First Annual Basketball Tournament which would be sponsored jointly by Seton Hall and The Newark Evening News—the Essex County Basketball Tournament continued in 2006 as the oldest of its kind in New Jersey. The Pirate description of the success of The Holiday Hop was good reporting, while it mimicked and, at the same time, presaged the style which would later be

popularized in both celebrity periodicals and columns. The nicknames and colloquialisms are all ’40’s, but the basic flow of the report could describe a Prep dance from almost any decade. Wednesday, November 27, was the scene of an unexpected turnout of students for the Holiday Hop. From our close observations it appears that everyone really enjoyed themselves. Four hundred balloons were originally purchased as decorations but due to the over anxiety of Teboe and company, only two hundred survived the spoils

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of the gallant Prepsters. We noticed among the classy twosomes London’s favorite “Big Ben” Degnan, Messrs. Guirlando, Gehri and Lennon of The Pirate staff. They seemed to be busy with other things than “Copy.” Duddy must have spent his summers in South America judging from the way he led the Conga line. Mr. Zoot! As we were waltzing along, we met Doc Bruder with Lana Turner’s protégé, Bob McDonough, with his sensational date, and John Farrell with his steady. The dance would not have been a success without the presence of Mario and Nick Comforti (the Marco Polo Boys) and their blind dates. Resting between rounds we ran into Ray Ehrig who looked lost without his shadow Pete at his side. We saw Bill Finn, the Greco brothers, and Tom Gannon resting at another table. Bob Sullivan seemed to be doing alright with his blind date. It must be said that the nattily attired Mr. Gene Cotter* showed good judgment in his choice of a feminine companion. An hour or so later while sitting one out in our shady hideaway, we saw Señor Hubert Arends returning the good neighbor policy. Mr. S. Shillcock and Mr. Caprio were recognized by one of their eminent teachers (no name of course). The big moment of the evening was when “Bing” Breitenfeld sang “To Each His Own.” It was during this number that we spotted Scotty Milne with a cute lil number and Mr. Burns trying to catch our eye. * years later, Prep and College scholar and faculty member Fr. Eugene Cotter

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Fr. Dan Murphy, moderator of the Social Activities Committee which planned this dance, celebrated his birthday to the happy refrain of “Happy Birthday to You” played by Bud Laird’s aggregation. And so after listening from our place of seclusion in the Trophy Cabinet to the idle chatter of those going home from the dance, we judged that it was quite a success. By February 1947, word had come that Adrian Burke and Edward Dereicks would direct the re-started band—a regular marching band, not the drum and bugle corps previously announced. Unfortunately, the 34 spots were quickly fi lled and a waiting list of even greater length was created, thus demonstrating that the huge new enrollment of the era was not coming without its attendant problems, and adjustments were constantly being made. ¶ The Pirate also reported that Miss Cain, the Headmaster’s secretary who had been severely injured when hit by two cars on South Orange Avenue, was recovering nicely, as was Mr. Prior, from a bout with ulcers. ¶ The march of technology began in earnest as a tape recorder was purchased for the English Department. ¶ The Boarders finally beat the Priest’s Basketball team 64-37, despite the best efforts of Fr. William Daly, Fr. Thomas Tuohy [high scorer with seven points] Fr. Albert Hakim, Fr. Edwin Sullivan and a “ringer,” Fr. Doyle from Bloomfield. The Minstrel returned this spring for the first time in several years, on March 17th. This large-scale production in the what had become known as “Big Theater” (the enormous stage in Walsh Auditorium) was seen by 3500 and featured a Dixie Jamboree theme. Special note was taken of the number of girls from both St. Elizabeth’s and Mt. St. Mary’s who attended. Highlights included Larry Piana’s accordion rendition of Rhapsody in Blue; Robert Schuler’s “Carmen Miranda,” backed by John Duggan, Paul Bishop and Alphonse Armenio; Gordon Oransky’s I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathlee; the “Rockettes” (hairy legs and all); and a guest appearance by the ersatz opera star Madame Bouthiswisky-Saraczak, singing Vhere iss meine horse—some suspected John Miller to be the great lady. The horse seemed somehow to remind many present of John Weber and Grant Colgary. (Exactly who occupied which end seems lost to time.) 73


On the academic side, all took pride in the announcement that Robert Nolan ’43 had, after a year and a half at M.I.T. and a transfer to the United States Maritime Merchant Academy at King’s Point, had graduated and been commissioned. A Pirate editorial discussed the difficulty of disciplining Vets, now students at the secondary level (almost exclusively short-stay men who had come up short on credits for college admission because of their having enlisted early). ¶ A series of debates within the History classes tackled the hot button topic: “Labor Unions are Un-American.” ¶ Honors designation (90 in every subject) went to eight seniors, five juniors, nine sophomores and 20 freshmen. ¶ Father-Son Night featured an address from Fr. William Furlong, Vice-President of The College, who spoke on college admissions. Entertainment was once again provided by each of the performing activities. Thomas Nolan of the English Dept. arranged for Prep students to be heard over WAAT, the Newark Radio Station, discussing, “Is Too Much Homework Being Assigned” in a debate format. James Farley and Pat Harte carried the day. ¶ Nine delegates from The Prep were accompanied by Fr. Field and Mr. McIntee to a forum at the WaldorfAstoria, where 3600 students from throughout the Western Hemisphere heard the topic “The Americas in the World We Want,” discussed by dozens of famous academics and diplomats and such luminaries as Nelson Rockefeller and Ingrid Bergman. ¶ 26 students competed in the Annual Oratorical Contest in the Little Theater, cheered on by over 100 spectators. On the lighter side, on an all-day bus trip for a hike to and through Darlington Seminary, Ted McLernon took a dip in an icy river on a bet and permanently entered the school’s folklore—he won several dollars for the stunt, as well. Later on the same trip, a huge snowball fight broke out, pitting 2A against 2C, imme74

diately turning on Fr. Field and the freshmen. The outcome of that event, long and arduous enough to those involved to be dubbed The Battle of the Bulge, is lost to history. June of 1947 saw a truly momentous milestone, as only nine years after the “century” milestone was achieved, the “double-century” was surpassed as 202 graduated from The Prep!

Typical of the era prior to the enviro-friendly 21st century, The Pirate ran advertisements for cigarettes, featuring all sorts of sports, music and movie stars.

A sad note was sounded when news of the sudden death on campus of Bishop Thomas Henry McLaughlin, first Bishop of the Paterson Diocese, reached Campus. He had been a fixture at Seton Hall from 1908 until 1933, the last 11 of those years serving as President. He had remained close to The Hall throughout his life, returning often to speak at or simply to attend functions. A link of almost a half century had been broken. The look at this first full year after the war has been extensive, but it should be noted that this, like all years, could easily produce remembrances ten times as long and even more

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detailed. It seemed appropriate here to lay the groundwork for the years which were to follow, in a wide variety of areas, as the number of students stayed strong and the truly “modern Prep” began to emerge.

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In September of 1947 substantial change greeted returning students. New subjects were added: Public Speaking with Fr. Field, and German, taught by Cecil DePagnier. A new Biology Lab had been constructed in Mooney Hall’s fourth floor Room 40. Faculty and students alike cheered the opening of the long awaited cafeteria in the “new building,” Duffy Hall. Though the classrooms there had already been used for a year, the cafeteria’s opening had been delayed due to the unavailability of kitchen equipment, a result of the slow re-tooling of wartime industries. Hot lunches were back at The Prep. A good deal of paving, known then as macadamizing, had also been done on Campus and work on this project continued as the school year began. Several moderators were new to their activities or even to the school itself. Fr. Fahy would moderate the Band; Fr. Tuohy, the Glee Club; Fr. Sullivan, the Social Activities Committee; and Fr. Hakim, The Knights of Setonia, which due to the burgeoning enrollment now held Masses on Monday for Freshmen, Thursday for Sophomores and Juniors, and Friday for Seniors and PG’s. The Music Appreciation Club, newly formed, was under the direction of Mr. DePagnier and Mr. Myers; Mr. Caprio shared duties in the new Health Course. The school dipped its toes into the “technology” arena again, this time with the inauguration of the WOR radio announcements of school closings. ¶ The social calendar seemed full as a successful Card Party raised funds and awarded lots of prizes; a Barn Dance


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changed the pace for students; 150 students The March 10th issue of The Pirate featured otal Social Activities Committee. Enrollment turned out for the Glee Club; participation was a two-page spread giving a short biography of remained in excess of 1000, but the four-year encouraged in the local Red Cross Chapter; each Track man, called The Winged Feet Bi- anomaly was beginning to moderate and would and three “new” clubs formed: Biology, Pho- ographies. There were 29 in all. ¶ WSOU, soon be reflected in graduating classes in the tography and Radio. ¶ The Pirate sponsored the Campus radio station. was inaugurated Fifties of slightly less than 200. an Alumni Christmas Ball which they hoped to in 1947, with the promise of shared programLarry Sartori, who had played two seasons build into a tradition. ¶ A novel idea kept ming between The Prep and College. ¶ The with the Detroit Lions, became the Head Footthose attending Friday night basketball games Tower was dedicated this year to the 40 Seton- ball Coach and the legendary Frank Tracey, on Campus, by setting up a series of dances af- ians who had died in Service, and the statue in already a fixture in Algebra classes, would add terwards. ¶ Contests seemed to be a constant, the quadrangle erected in their memory was to his duties, becoming the Head Basketball as Prep students competed Coach at The Prep, after givin writing, both analytical ing up that same position at and creative, debate, math, Immaculate Conception in photography, Latin and a Montclair. host of other areas; the prizA highlight of this year es seemed to hold a magical was the one-day stop of the attraction to the secondary Freedom Train in nearby students. ¶ Plans were Orange. This train toured disclosed to add a second the entire country, giving night to the Minstrel so that citizens a chance to see additional funds could be original copies of The Decraised to erect a statue of the laration of Independence, Blessed Mother as a memoBill of Rights, Washington’s rial to all Prep students who Farewell Address, many of gave their lives in the Service Lincoln’s addresses and of the United States in WWII. other important documents. ¶ 38 received honor roll ¶ The Second Annual Pirate designation. ¶ The FatherCard Party and Raffle was Son Night this year featured held with a grand prize of an eight boxing bouts, with R.C.A. Victor five-in-one conPrep and College students sole television. ¶ For the who had distinguished themthird year in a row, seniors 1949- Prep students gave regular presentations and graduates alike would be able to test for selves in Gold Glove competition. ¶ A passion on the College radio station. NROTC scholarships, which, after four years of play was presented over the loudspeaker sysgovernment subsidized education, would lead tem by The Radio Club. ¶ The National Rifle Association Charter was obtained, paving the unveiled and blessed in a solemn ceremony on to a commission in either the Navy or Marine Corps. ¶ Richard Malicky of 3A was appointway for interscholastic competition. ¶ The Sunday May 2nd. [see page 116] Intramural Program continued to expand, now The largest graduating class to date, 246, ed Chief of Corridor Patrol; he and his intrepid offering football, bowling, shuffleboard, four- received diplomas that year. The number still band of nine assistants would monitor the new wall hand-ball, horseshoe pitch, volleyball, stands as the fifth largest class in our 150-year one-way system of human traffic flow designed by Mr. Stanziale, to facilitate movement during squash. history. class changes in the famously narrow and alIn a less than stellar football year, sophoways crowded Mooney Hall corridors. ¶ Fr. more quarterback Pete Dedousis showed great Field organized the Altar Society; Arthur Ronco promise. Varsity Basketball struggled this year too, pulling out but four victories in their first In September of 1948, the major change was to organized the “new” Aviation Club (this ap13 games. Lawrence Doherty, champion diver, the daily class schedule, as homeroom periods pears to be at least the third time this “new” took second place in the National AAU Cham- were lengthened and one full period per week club has reappeared); Fr. Sullivan took responpionships. In Newark School’s Stadium, 2000 was allotted as an Assembly Period. Room 23 sibility for The Society for the Propagation of athletes from over 100 prep and high schools was converted into an adjunct to the Library. the Faith and the new Mission Club; Mr. Reccompeted in the Annual Eastern Champion- Fr. Tuite added to his resumé the new position chia took over the Photgraphy Club; Mr. Langan ships, where in the one-mile relay the quartet of Visual Aids Coordinator for films (many revived the Spanish Club; Mr. McCabe took over of Bart Cawlry, Carl Rietzal, Jim Hanlon and vocational in nature) to be shown mostly in the French Club; Mr. Theroux, the Biology Club; Carl Joyce took first place; the two-mile relay homerooms. He also gained overall responsi- Fr. Hakim the Chemistry Club. Pity the student the team of Joe Angelbeck, Ken Bauman, Jim bility for clubs and organizations and Fr. Daly who said to parent, teacher or administrator, was appointed moderator to the always piv- “There’s nothing to do.” Santon and Carl Joyce did the same.

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The “Pirate Pete” comic strip continued its run as a popular feature in the school paper. ¶ The first dance of the year raised funds for Track and Football, led ably by Ben Stanziale as Chairman, and Al Tutela, who handled decorations. ¶ This year saw the start of the Chess Club under Fr. Joseph Russell, which would quickly become a perennial favorite among a surprisingly wide range of Prepsters. ¶ The Pirate made special mention of the valiant injury-riddled play of Football’s Bob Ulesky, and the name of Fred Dwyer became a regular part of the Track Team’s vocabulary. ¶ The Priest’s touch football team romped over all competition, defeating successively the Boarders– 42-0, 3F– 60-6, the Social Activities Committee– 44-12, 3A– 36-6, 3C– 36-0 and 3G– 12-0. Frs. O’Brien, Sullivan, Daly, Clausing, Hakim, Finn and Fahy had become a juggernaut! What a great period it truly was to have so many students exposed to a group of men who worked hard, prayed hard—and also played hard. One can only wonder how much this example, along with the more scholarly side of so many great priests, must have contributed in those years to the solid well-rounded formation of so many young men. It certainly didn’t hurt the formation of vocations either. In interview after interview for this volume, students of the period commented that no matter what your interest or ability, there was a priest on the faculty willing to give of his time to help. The number of lifetime friendships which were formed first in these types of settings is innumerable and commented upon early in every one of those interviews. Further evidence came from The Pirate headline describing a bonfire for the Football and Track teams at which, “Fathers O’Brien and Daly Lead Cheering Section.” Many from those teams, which perhaps struggled more than usual for victories, also remembered the dinners at Ivanhoe’s in Irvington where their accomplishments were feted. ¶ Owen Carroll, College Baseball Coach spoke at the seniors’ Communion Breakfast and Dean Hazell of Northeast College of Engineering spoke at an assembly about the fact that too few students

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were pursuing Engineering and the Sciences as careers. Sound familiar? This theme has been sounded ever since, and by 2006 seems to be motivating even national policy. Owing to the popularity of the previous year’s boxing matches, the Father and Son Night once again brought all four years together, and trainer Ed Coppola acted as referee for this year’s ten bouts. ¶ Fr. Field was seriously injured in an automobile accident and received

1950- Msgr. Joseph Tuite set up and outfitted a freshman intramural baseball league.

many cards and letters while hospitalized in St. Mary’s Orange. ¶ The Catholic Action Committee, under the direction of Librarian Arthur Klimowicz distributed pamphlets in several high-traffic areas of school. ¶ Frank Rinks, who had replaced Ben Geraghty as equipment manager at The College when Ben accepted a professional baseball contract, became equipment manager and jack-of-all trades in athletics for The Prep as well. Varsity Basketball lost several games by only one point, and began to show signs of

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good days ahead with some very fancy college level moves which Coach Tracey employed. The Swimming Team went undefeated, behind stalwarts G. Carr, Doyle, Ramsey, J. Carr, McLouglin, Badaracco, Georke, Fuschetti, Serra, McDonald, Heimbold and Kossup. Track was a powerhouse again, with just a few of this season’s notable accomplishments to include Fred Dwyer’s new NJSIAA mile record time of 4:26.4, besting the old mark by an incredible 13.4 seconds. In the National AAU meet, James Fielding tied the record in the 60-yard dash, while Carl Joyce won both the 880 and mile, setting a record in the half when he shaved seven-tenths off the old mark, posting 1:56.9. Later they would win at the Penn Relays and take several titles in the Seton Hall College Relay Carnival. Standouts included Clancy, Lee, Terranova, Fielding, La Pierre, Dwyer and Cusack. Not to be outdone, Prep orators brought home prizes too. John Nolan won The New York Journal American Oratorical Contest, New Jersey Division, with a speech on Alexander Hamilton. Ed Duggan took first place in The Catholic War Veterans Annual Speech Tournament, requiring a combination which would never be expected in Forensics competition today: after delivering a memorized speech on “Americanism vs. Communism,” he then had a short time to prepare and deliver an extemporaneous talk on The Bill of Rights, to clinch the first place prize. Also on the “academic” side, Edward Hoffman, an exceptional pianist, was featured at the Card Party, the Minstrel, and the Oratorical Contest. Robert Waters took first in the State Oratorical Contest, and John Nolan took second. Late in the year, Bishop Ignatius Glennie S.J., Class of ’22, visited the school while back from his missionary work in Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The Pirate under Editors Gerald Williams and John McClemens ended the year with a never-beforeseen eight-page edition. The last Tower of this decade was dedicated to American Youth, and 230 diplomas were issued in early June.


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The beginning of Academic ’49-’50 saw Drawing come to the fore. Facilities were upgraded for the Mechanical Drawing Room, which moved from Room 60 to—you guessed it— the fourth floor of Mooney Hall, Room 41 to be exact. The Pirate’s enthusiasm at the Football Team’s returning to its winning ways was a little over the top, as a 19-12 defeat of Elizabeth was described as a “trouncing.” Five Prep students— John Buckley, John Sand, Joe Devane, Robert Hunt and Ronald Little— were among 75 inducted into the Newark Athletic Club in September. A milestone for students was achieved when, through the efforts of Jerry Baratta and Bill Addessa, a nickel jukebox was installed in The Prep cafeteria. ¶ The Senior Communion Breakfast featured two men with ties to The Prep—Fr. Wendelin Moore, C.P. of the class of ’27, who had returned from a colorful career as a missionary priest in China, and John Bracken, a lawyer and noted Catholic speaker, who also happened to have been the first Editor-in-Chief of The Cricket. The feature of the event, however, must have been the talk by Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto. ¶ Thomas Ertzberger, a sophomore, was congratulated on receiving his Eagle Scout award after having been recognized with the Ad Altari Dei designation. ¶ The Annual Harvest Hop was a huge success, attracting over 200 couples and adding a new feature, an elimination dance. The Cross-Country Team, behind Gerald McGee, John Janowski, John Smith, Al Hayden, Joe Devane, Mike Messenick, Thomas Dougherty, and John Gibbons took the Catholic School state title, by taking the top six spots and eight of the top ten. Football was not to be overshadowed this year, as Larry Sartori led his team to an 8-1 record, losing only to perennial power Trenton Catholic by a score of 7-0. The most impressive thing about this season was the way The Prep won down the stretch. They closed the season with five shutouts in a row: 31-0, 400, 33-0, 38-0 and 7-0 —pretty impressive play. Their annual dinner was held at The Crystal Lake Casino. This year marked the beginning of competition in the state’s High School Division, which would eventually alter some traditional rivalries which had been generated while competing in the Prep Division.

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The Tower of 1950 was dedicated to Archbishop Walsh on the occasion of his Golden Jubilee. 229 diplomas were issued as the last of the huge classes for awhile departed The Prep.

audience had grown to expect of Prep springtime productions, with the discipline of a script. ¶ All were grateful that the hurricane of November 25th hit on a Saturday; it whipped through Campus causing over $6000 in damage, sending tiles from the Mooney Hall roof careening through windows and damaging Scholastic ’50-’51 saw the transfer of two other buildings. ¶ Eighty Prepsters attended priests to the recently re-chartered Seton Hall the Snowball Dance at Mt. St. Dominic’s and University: Fr. Edward Fleming and Fr. Clem- many became regulars at Marylawn’s dances, ent Ockay, who were replaced by Fr. George the South Orange girls’ institution quickly beSenderak and Edward Walsh. Felix Fox, Paul coming a “sister-school.” ¶ James Reardon Manning and Richard Kernan represented The was profiled in The Pirate and was called the Prep as delegates to the Boy’s State Program. most recognizable man on Campus. He was Over the summer, 25 students had accompa- President of the Student Council, and a mainnied Frs. Ockay, Finn and Field on a five-week stay of both the Football and Baseball Teams. “pilgrimage” to Italy, France and England in Harold “Buzzy” Gascoyne was also profiled for honor of the Holy Year. his leadership role in many organizations. A dual-control driver education car was A fascinating newspaper story revealed a arranged for as Mr. Myers, Mr. Stanziale and chance encounter between John McElroy and a Mr. Caprio were now certified by the state to gentleman who had dropped by looking for Mr. teach Driver’s Ed. The term Pony Pirates ap- Martyn. When the student-reporter’s instinct peared in print and stuck as the new nickname took over and one question led to another, a for The Prep teams, players and students. ¶ full-blown interview was conducted with a A new man became the backfield coach for quite fascinating Dr. Arthur A. Siniscal, who, it the Football team—he was 26, a graduate of turned out, had arrived at Bayley Hall Gramthe University of Pittsburgh and had coached mar School as a student in 1918. He stayed previously at Barringer. His name: Anthony J. there for two years and The Prep for two before Verducci. transferring to Central High School to take adRev. John J. Dougherty S.S.D. was featured vanced Science Courses. He must have known as speaker for the Senior Breakfast. In Rome, what he was doing, since he had become the Pope Pius XII proclaimed The Assumption of Chief Medical Director of Trachoma Hospital The Blessed Virgin to be Dogma. ¶ The entire in Rolla, Missouri. His memory of sneaking off Prep Community was shocked by the sudden Campus to buy pancake flour which would then death at Georgetown from a kidney ailment of be cooked over a sterno stove in the basement, only one week’s duration, of James Fielding, made one question whether all the old days former Prep track star. ¶ Robert Wussler, were the good old days. showing an early interest in the TV business Mr. Elliott gave up his position as Pirate (where he would eventually become nationally Moderator because of his graduate studies; Fr. known) reported an article analyzing the offer- Hakim agreed to step in. ¶ The Civics Club, ings of several of the networks. How prescient! under the direction of Mr. Fitzgibbon, was ¶ The Pirate that year ran a series of extreme- actively debating local and national issues. ¶ ly mature editorials, provoking many letters Our tenuous position in this life was brought from readers and creating a repartee with home to the students once again when word University professors, parents and others that reached the school of the death of 27-year old made for excellent journalism. John McElroy, Marine Lt. Albert Briscoe, Prep alumnus, in Robert Shaffery and Pascal Pironti did them- Korea. As the next few years unfolded, there selves proud. ¶ While Wussler talked TV in were constant reminders of the World War II a Pirate article, Anthony Padovano produced years, as more and more reports of graduates a particularly insightful column titled: “Music, serving in Korea were received at The Pirate Music, Music.” office. Another graduate and Marine, Edward In a departure for the school, a “book play,” M. Kane, was seriously wounded in February. Brother Orchid was presented, combining the In an article about a 66-29 rout of Immacubest features of the extravaganzas which the late in basketball, Huey Gallagher, Charley

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Lorenzo and Dave Smalley figured prominently, Priest, be called upon to act similarly. But this but contributions were also made on defense seems a logical spot to remind all that the numby one Jack O’Rourke, who also contributed ber of “Setonia” Chaplains who willingly placed with, “a beautiful back-handed lay-up.” Later he themselves in harm’s way in all of our nation’s would earn the nickname “Tournament Bad Boy,” conflicts since 1856 must certainly number in when his aggressive assertion of control in the the hundreds! lane would earn him 19 personal fouls—out of Dick Scaine, a junior, took second in the a possible 20—in the four games of play! The American Legion Oratorical Contest, and the team would win 15 of 18 and would surpass the prestigious Metropolitan Math Association 1000-point mark for the first time in five years. came to Seton Hall for the first time as the site In January of 1951 it was announced that for its annual competition. ¶ Fr. Donald Cleary both Mr. Cavanaugh and Mr. Langan, who coinci- ’34, a Marynoll Missionary, returned from eight dentally both hailed from Scranton and had both years in Peru for further study at The University received Master’s Degrees from The College, had accepted teaching positions at high schools “back home.” Their duties were immediately assumed by Vincent Cerbone and Thomas Shear. ¶ The Alumni Organization was re-organized again, this time under Fr. John O’Brien, another of many early semi-successful and usually short-lived efforts. ¶ In a sign of the times, WSOU entered the Civil Defense Network and completed its first successful test, so familiar to all who lived through the Fr. John Washington ‘27– second from right period of the Cold War. ¶ The Glee Club was revived under Michael Nittoli and the German and French Clubs combined for a unique dining and renewed old acquaintances at The Prep. experience. ¶ The Campus was abuzz, and the University On February 3rd in Philadelphia, President ROTC decked out in full regalia, to welcome Lt. Harry Truman honored the famous Four Chap- Gen Lewis B. Hershey, Director of the National lains of the USAT Dorchester, as he dedicated a Selective Service, for a talk about service and chapel in their honor. The United States Postal the purpose of deferments. Representatives of Service acknowledged the occasion and their The Prep attended and passed on the informasacrifice with the issuance of a commemorative tion garnered to the entire student body. ¶ For stamp. The group included Fr. John Washing- the first time, attendance at the Spring Show, ton, Prep Class of ’27, who along with the three Brother Orchid, surpassed 5000. ¶ Fr. Tuother chaplains, after their transport ship was ite started a Freshman Baseball League, with torpedoed in the Atlantic and on the way to the equipment which he secured via donation. Top bottom, gave their life vests to four of the 695 prize for the entire winning team was a trip to a soldiers on board. Fr. Washington, and his fellow Brooklyn Dodgers Game at Ebbets Field. chaplains—a rabbi, a Methodist minister and a The year came to a close with The Tower Dutch Reformed minister—were heard by the dedicated to Salve Regina—The Blessed Virgin. few survivors to be singing hymns as they slipped Paul Manning was the class Valedictorian; John beneath the icy waters of the North Atlantic. In O’Rourke was labeled Most Optimistic; James 1961 in their honor Congress created the Chap- Reardon was given an unprecedented five Selain’s Medal for Heroism. Not until the Vietnam nior Superlatives in the yearbook; Rev. Henry War would a Seton Hall Prep graduate, later a G.J. Beck, the noted religious thinker and schol78

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ar, was the Graduation Speaker; 152 received diplomas.

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Change was once again apparent as 1951-’52 began, as was custom, with several days of Retreat. Mr. Martyn, senior faculty member with 23 years on staff, resigned, as did Mr. Cerbone, only recently arrived. Fr. John O’Brien, Dean of Discipline at The Prep, was given the same job at The University, and Fr. Hakim was transferred to teach there as well. Newly added was Mr. Leonard Rahilly in Spanish. All other positions were handled, at least for a time, by shifting teachers within the faculty. Italian was added as a course, taught by Hugo Senerchia, thus raising the number of Modern Languages to four. The Musical Appreciation Course was added as well. Mooney Hall had received quite a face-lift over the summer with many new floors and stair coverings added. The terrazzo floor on the first floor, inlaid with SHP (which is still visible in 2006), was probably the most obvious of the renovations. An archives room for record storage was fireproofed in the basement of Mooney. Fr. Field had a book of poetry published, “Hear My Heart.” ¶ Student Council Officers for the year were Dave Smalley, Donald Reardon, Paul Reilly, John Essig, Anthony Padovano and Benjamin Stanziale. ¶ The speaker for the Senior Communion Breakfast was Fr. Thomas Reardon, first Marine Chaplain to land on Guadalcanal; his exploits were immortalized in the book Guadalcanal Diary, and portrayed in the motion picture of the same name. Two one-act plays were performed by November, “There’s One in Every Company,” done for the juniors, and “Submerged,” which was presented for the seniors. ¶ Unique cross-cultural opportunities were presented when Frank Lo joined the school after taking courses in his native Hong Kong; similarly, Adrian Dolinsky, who had spent two years under Russian domination in his native Ukraine, been exiled, escaped to Czechoslovakia and then to Nazi Germany and later to America by an undisclosed route, joined


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The Prep. ¶ Col. Mackenzie who directed the University ROTC Band was retained to field a Prep Drum and Bugle Corps. ¶ The Advocate, the Diocesan Newspaper was founded and Fr. Field was appointed to the first editorial board. With the resignation of Charles F. X. Warren for health reasons, Frederick Sleckman was retained for the Spring Show, immediately announcing a return to the variety extravaganza form which had been so popular in previous years. “Doc” Meyers readied the Tumblers for an appearance in the show as well. ¶ Don Reardon was chosen to be Editor-in-Chief of The Tower. For the fourth year in a row, The Pirate entered the Columbia University Press Contest, and this year took First Place for the first time. ¶ Swim Coach “Doc” Feriden called “Sandy” Rodger, “the slickest freestyle swimmer The Prep has ever had.” In the second week of February the Swim Team suffered its first defeat in five years (34 meets) at the hands of the Ramsey team. The Football team went 3-5, but after they were inspired by the traditional bonfire pep rally, they managed to topple South Side on Thanksgiving Day. Basketball took their second Essex County Tournament in two years, then went to the Glens Falls Tournament where they took first place (for the first time since 1939) defeating Thomas More of Philadelphia 63-62, in what is generally considered to be one of the greatest games in Tournament history. Hugh Gallagher had 30 points and Charley Lorenzo 20 for Seton Hall. The Orange Lawn Tennis Club was chosen as the site of the Senior Prom on May 9th. ¶ Alumni notes in The Pirate featured the “marriage of Bob Stovall ’43 to Danish beauty Inger Bagger from Copenhagen,” Emil Hensler’s receiving his CPA, Al Tobey’s impending ordination, and the recall of multiple reservists to active duty in Korea. ¶ The combined PirateTower Banquet honored 17 with inscribed wallets and talks from several prominent members of the press. ¶ Athletes of the Year were Dave Smalley, Baseball starter and Basketball star, and “Moe” Moran, Seton Hall’s only three-sport star, this year, excelling in Football, Basketball and Baseball. ¶ The Senior Breakfast featured Fr. Joseph M. Corridan, the Jesuit “waterfront Priest” portrayed by Karl Malden in the blockbuster film On the Waterfront. Fr. Thomas J. Conroy ’19 was the Graduation Speaker, who on June 7th handed diplomas to 168 students. The 1952 yearbook was appropri-

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ately dedicated to Mr. Martyn, whose ill health had forced him to retire after 23 years on the faculty. Diocesan ordinations in 1952 numbered 19, 11 of whom were Prep alumni: Joseph Bailey, Gabriel Longo, William Heine, William Otto, John Mannion, William Schulte, Ronald Zimmerman, Michael Fitzpatrick, Frank McNulty, Alfred Tobey, Vincent Puma, Russel Perkiins, Martin Davy, Francis Rodimer, Martim O’Brien and Joseph Quinlan—members of the Prep’s Class of 1944.

1952-1953

Academic ’52-’53 opened with a card party which raised $5000 for the Rev. William J. Duffy Scholarship. News of the appointment of Thomas A. Boland [SHP ‘14] as Archbishop of Newark was greeted with joy, as some still remembered his time spent teaching Latin and Greek at The Prep in the Twenties, very early in his priestly career. For the second consecutive year, The Pirate took a first place at the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Competition. Co-Editors John Daley and John Lisowski divided the work of the paper, which this year took on a decidedly literary quality, featuring creative pieces and few photographs. The paper continued the tradition of including a section of communications from Alumni, which this year included the names of 14 graduates in the Armed Service, together with full addresses where mail could be sent to them, together with requests to do so. (This idea would be mirrored on-line 50 years later when The Prep web site gave all Setonians a simple and nearreal-time way to send information, encouragement, support and prayers to alumni in the military.) For the first time ever, attendance at the Spring Show exceeded 6000. ¶ Two one-act plays, “The Mystery of Scrooge McDollar” and “The Fountain of Youth” were presented at the Freshman Father-Son Night. ¶ When word reached The Prep that Francis McCawley of 4-C had been seriously injured in an automobile accident near Poughkeepsie, New York, Fr. Keller received help

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from Fr. Daly and Fr. Tuohy, and the services of Patrick Pisano and his bus, to transport 60 Prep students to Jersey City Medical Center to donate blood which would then be transferred north for Francis’s use. In addition, Frs. Daly, Keller, Fahy and Mr. Ronco joined the donors— truly and example of Prep spirit! ¶ Fr. Clausig originated and implemented the first student outing, this year taking 650 students to Playland in Rye, New York. The price for the Senior Farewell Dance remained a quite reasonable $1.25. ¶ Football went 6-2-1; Baseball was NJ Parochial A North Champ again. The shocker of the year came when, on February 9th, Headmaster William J. Duffy was assigned as Pastor at St Luke’s Church, Hohokus, and was succeeded by Fr. Thomas A. Tuohy. ¶ Fr. David Pathe continued this year, as in several in the past, to provide the Retreat for graduating seniors in the first week of June. Fr. Edward A. Synan spoke at the Senior Communion Breakfast. At the June 7th graduation Fr. Duffy returned as featured speaker, and 119 received diplomas and where tradition was broken, in a positive way, when Valedictorian Alfonso Janoski and Salutatorian George Hurler spoke not about gratitude but about matters concerning religion and present day social relations. The first topic was “Our Lady and the Modern World,” in honor of the school’s Patroness, The Blessed Mother, and the second was “St. Joseph, the Exemplar of Christian Manhood,” in honor of the school’s Patron. The Tower for 1953 was dedicated to the new Archbishop, Thomas A. Boland.

Big news in the 1949 Pirate


Bill Luithle’s photo of a 1948 class change captures for many their vision of Seton Hall Prep.

opposite- College President Msgr. James Kelley’s scrapbook preserves a cleverly crafted display of Pirate pride. • aboveThe delivery of the new Driver’s Ed cars in 1951 was a hugely celebrated event. Headmaster Fr. Duffy hosts the somehow co-ed festivities. • right- A 1948 Pirate shows the beginnings of the social consciousness that developed in the 1950’s and blossomed in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s.

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Pulling Together

to make things happen

ith more than 60 clubs and organizations active on campus during the course of the year, it is a rare student that finds nothing to pique his interest. Cultural clubs celebrate ethnic and national heritage; other clubs enjoy recreational and educational field trips, like the Museums Club heading off to the Met, the Ski and Snowboard Club travelling on breaks to Park City, Utah or Mt. Snow in Vermont, or the Future Medical Leaders taking in some professional instruction with the Summit Medical Group. Right from the start the Activities Program engages the newly arrived freshmen as quickly as possible, starting with an Activities and Service Fair to introduce them to the wide variety of 82

[ABOVE] Frosh Field Day energizes the 275 newest members of the SHP Community and, experience tells us, sets up relationships between Peer Leaders and their frosh that last beyond graduation. Mike Gaudioso gives a mid-battle pep talk to his freshman charge, Sam Gomes. • [LEFT]- Pirate Nation leads the cheers at athletic events. • The Senior Prom announces the start of Commencement Week; more than 175 couples attended this year’s festivities at the Manor in West Orange.


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In only its third year of existence, the Robotics Club enjoyed its first taste of success in competition with a qualifying spot in the regionals. More important is the growing interest among students interested in engineering and the sciences, as well as the lessons to be learned about good planning and teamwork. • Here the team readies Bot 5992 for its first test drive.

Drivers David Ndu, Sam Sayles and Shawn Monel get worked up as the competition heats up. • Aidan Musser and Sam make between-bout adjustments to a suddenly slightly ornery charge. 83


activities on the menu. Shortly thereafter, with the senior Peer Leaders pointing the way, the Freshman Field Day gets the spirit into high gear. By the time of the first games in the fall, the hundreds of fans comprising Pirate Nation are into full-throated cheering mode. Coming of age was the Robotics Club, which celebrated its third year of existence with its first prize-winning performance, emerging from a winter competition as a qualifier for the regionals at Lehigh University. A more stress-free time was enjoyed by the Fishing Club on the group’s three trips out on the ocean and to freshwater lakes. For those looking for opportunities in an intimate setting to perform their music or poetry readings, at trimester’s end three coffeehouses brought together 75 to 100 students for a casual

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[ABOVE]- Joining in the festivities provided by the Band on stage, junior David Seaman celebrates the start of Christmas Break with The Prep’s eagerly awaited visitor, Rudolph. • [LEFT]- In an event engineered by the Student Council, freshmen Andrew Walsh, Tomas Hut and Patrick Herbert demonstrate both defensive and offensive strategies at the Annual Dodgeball Tournament, helping to raise money for Hurricane Relief. • [RIGHT]- The Annual Christmas Tree Lighting brings together hundreds of friends, thanks to the combined efforts of the C-Tonians, the Autism Big Brothers and a casually organized troupe of musically inclined students. • Kyle Washington ’21 is the subject of multiple portraits with Santa.


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Casting its reach over a wide area in the region, the team putting together the annual Teen Hunger Summit reaches out to schools throughout the Metro area, bringing together students from 20 schools, working throughout the morning to brainstorm and strategize on ways to help thwart hunger in their neighboring communities. [ABOVE]- Sophomore Matt Guarnuccio and senior Paolo Arante organize the list of speakers emerging from the morning’s workshops. • [LEFT]- Director Vinnie McMahon welcomes guests from Barringer High School’s Junior ROTC. • Three of The Prep’s student organizers, Tim Metalf, Vincent Zanna and Tyler McGuigan, review the list of workshops.

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evening of simple pleasures in the Dining Hall. On the other hand, for those thrilled by performance in front of a packed auditorium, the Fall Drama and the Spring Musical were just the ticket, this year presenting Neil Simon’s Fools and Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Several annual events couple the day or evening’s fun with the goal of raising funds for a worthy cause. With more that 200 in attendance on a Friday night, October’s Dodgeball Tournament raised more than $1000 for Hurricane Maria Relief. Later, a spring 3-on3 basketball tournament involving 100 students raised $800 for Operation Smile. At the end of school, the Car-B-Que Auto Show at the Kelly Athletic Complex, featuring 25 cool looking rides, raised another $800 for The Prep’s Griffin Bridges Program.

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[ABOVE]- No activity joins more seemingly disparate forces than those performing on the Bayley Seton stage. Besides drawing several dozen Prep players from all ranks and years, they add young ladies from our local sister and public schools to enliven and fill out the mix. • Much of the cast is on display as Joseph (Paolo Arante) first tries on the Dreamcoat in the spring musical. [LEFT]- The Baker (Dave Schuldiner) and the Butler (John Bartolomeo) visit the imprisoned Joseph. • A scene from Neil Simon’s Fools, the fall dramatic production— Paolo Arante, Seamus O’Neill, Quinn Barnitt and Aleah Colon-Alfonso.


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Between the Band and the C-Tonians, close to 200 Prep students team up to make music that enlivens life at the school. Two seasonal concerts present a diverse spectrum of offerings, ranging from Tchaikovsky and Bach, to John Williams, the Beatles and the Stones. Joe Neglia continues to direct the band, while Theresa Neglia leads the C-Tonians. • Warming up for the start of the spring concert, Elias Getahoun ’19, Alex Wang ’18. James Merklinger ’20 and Nick Brown ’20 serve up an impromptu jam session.

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GRIFFIN BRIDGES– A Quarter Century of Changing Lives

As September 2018 approaches, the Thomas J, Griffin Bridges Program prepares to enter its 25th year, offering educational, social and financial support to academically talented but financially limited students from Newark, Orange, East Orange and Irvington. On the surface those students become part of a network consisting of an advisory committee, alumni and corporate mentors, a full time director backed up by a counselor/social worker, and a peer “big brother” program. Below the surface is the opportunity for those students to participate in the entire high school experience, as enjoyed by other more advantaged students. GB Scholars receive support in the way of college visitation trips, cultural outings, summer academic enrichment opportunites, corporate internships, as well as the day-to-day physical support perhaps in short supply in their family situations. Begun in 1990 by the family of the late Thomas J. Griffin ‘59 as a “standard” scholarship fund, the program initially relied upon collaboration with major donors, like MCJ-Amelior Foudation president Joseph Walsh ’61, and chairman of the Sandy Hill Foundation Frank E. Walsh Jr. ’59. But the first director of the program, Bill Luithle ’49, realized that more wide-ranging support was needed for its scholarship recipients, who sometimes felt caught between the two different worlds of their home’s inner city environment and that of The Prep. The inauguration of a mentoring program in 1993 was the first step towards dealing with those kinds of issues. GB Scholars are guided towards ways to adjust their academic habits and goals to ensure success here. They are encouraged to take advantage of the relationships awaiting them with peers, both inside and outside of the program, that are equally committed to achieving high grades and future success. GB Scholars benefit from the program’s mentors and advisory committee members tuned in to their well being and academic success. Advisory Committee chair James Orsini ’81 noted, “It’s not just tuition... anyone can write a check. It’s a backpack on your back, glasses on your head, cleats on your feet. It’s big brothers who advise, mentors who stay involved, tutors who give their time.” The program’s director for the past five years, Horton Sears ’09, has often expressed his own realization of and appreciation for what Griffin Bridges did for him as a student, including his scholarship to Providence College. “So much is given to you as a student. I wouldn’t be where I am.” He continues, acknowledging the “importance of building character... a sense of ownership, perseverance, as well as success in and outside of the school.” “This program changes lives!” Orsini went on. “Our goal is to change more lives.” As the Griffin Bridges Program celebrates a quarter century, Director Sears is about to return to Providence to pursue post graduate academic interests. Taking up the reins is LaQuan Ford, here by way of Seton Hall University, Loyola University and a previous position with Child Welfare Services, and whose early plans include a partnership with Wells Fargo for student workshops on savings and finance, as well as ways to reengage GB Alumni and to amplify the corporate mentorship initiative.

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Members of the program gather for their Chrismas card and Thank You to their supporters. • At the endof-year Potluck Dinner celebration, Andrew Williams, Josh Jeffers and Elias Getahoun sample the fare. • The 2018 graduating seniors Luis Reis, Jorge Lopez, Jacques Clovis and Quian Cooper. • Director Sears points the way for freshman Nigel McQueary at June’s 5K.


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Helping to bring the community together behind the program’s efforts, and to raise funds that enhance the lives of the GB Scholars, the Building Bridges 5K each June hosts more than 100 at the Orange Reservoir. The day benefits from the outstanding support of institutions like McLoone’s Boathouse, The MCJ Amelior Foundation, Peapack Gladstone Bank, Leo Pharma A/S, Goya and J’s Lawn Care.

A changing of the guard— after five successful years, Director Horton Sears ’09 [right] will return to Providence to work on an advanced degree, handing over the leadership of the 25-year-old program to LaQuan Ford.

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Moms and Dads— Working in Support of their Sons A pair of organizations, whose roots can be discovered back in the 1960s, continues in 2018 to share the common goals of fostering friendships and establishing ways to be involved in the support of The Prep and its students. The Mothers Auxiliary and the Fathers Club are integral parts of the Prep environment. Without their work the school would be hardpressed to provide the kind of high school experience that its students have come to rely on. The Mothers Auxiliary comprises current and alumni moms interested in building friendships while volunteering their time and talent in support of the organization’s astonishing array of functions and activities. The group’s November Fashion Show and Auction has evolved into a model for complex yet efficient organization, resulting annually in a festive night for 800, plus a huge financial reward. Throughout the year the schedule of events and fundraisers also includes a Welcome Mass and Brunch, hospitality for Admission

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T [clockwise from left]Last fall at the Family Mass and Communion Breakfast, the Fathers Club honored Guidance Counselor and Track Coach Chris Barnitt ’88, and Board of Trustees President John A. Murray ’59 with their most cherished Thomas A. Reynolds ’49 Award, for the pair’s longstanding contributions to the students of The Prep. • FC President Mike Nilan and Headmaster Msgr. Harahan talk over arrangements. • The Fathers Club mans the Pirates Cove at football games, a bustling center of pre-game and half-time activity. • The Pirate Treasure Auction brought together its largest crowd ever last April. [right]- The 2018 Fashion Show, Around the World @ The Prep, was a festive evening at Mayfair Farms for 800 attendees, with prizes and auction items galore, as well as the runway show featuring Prep seniors in addition to the professional models. At the group’s Christmas Social Msgr. Harahan and Msgr. Kelly accepted a portion of the show’s proceeds from Colette Lamothe, CoChair Fashion Show; Donna Pinto, President; Stacy Baker, Co-Chair of Fashion Show; and Wascary Hinds, Treasurer. • Former Parent Anna DeMaio catches up on MA activities with President Donna Pinto as she arrives in at the fashion show. • Peter Pinto Alex Brezik and Paul Krakoviak prepare to take to the runway in formal wear. • [far right] The Christmas Social is another opportunity for the MA Prep Store to ensure that everyone is decked out in good-looking Prep gear.

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Office events, a Christmas Social, the Teacher/Staff Appreciation Day and the end-of-year MotherSon Dinner and Tuition Raffle. Helping to spread the word to the community about The Prep is the work of their “Breakfast Brigade,” which throughout the year provides Saturday morning nourishment to the 7th and 8th grade NJ Seeds students as they begin their extra day of school in rooms provided by The Prep. The Fathers Club’s volunteer and support efforts impact a wide range of Prep activities and departments, as well as provide monthly opportunities to learn more about the school from administrators, coaches and advisers. Interestingly, it turns out that many of the organization’s activities center around food— ranging from the suppers at their monthly meetings, cooking and serving for the football program’s Kick-off BBQ and again for the Incoming Freshman Class Welcome

and for the October Open House for eighth grade families. The club members man the Tony Esposito Jr. ’07 Pirates Cove concession stand at the Kelly Athletic Complex and host the concessions at the Spring Musical. Their Family Communion Breakfast hosts several hundred in November, with the group’s efforts climaxing in the spring at the Pirate Treasure Auction and Car Raffle, which annually raises close to $100,000, as their watchword has professed for decades, “for the good of The Prep.”

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Blue White NICK KRIAK

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T O W E R If rising above adversity is a measurement for how to come together as a team, 2017 Pirates Soccer crafted the blueprints. First question to answer was how to replace the scoring and dazzling play of New Jersey’s best player, Mason Toye, gone on to Indiana and then Major League Soccer. Then, after only three games, how to deal with the loss to a season-ending injury of the player counted on to be the new go-to-guy for goals, Mike Pavick. And finally, how to react when the new-found top scorer, Aidan Dunphy, goes down to a separated shoulder right before the State Semifinal. Nevertheless, new chemistry emerged and the Pirates came through with their usual elegant style of play, another Super Essex Conference crown, a 5th Essex County Tournament title, and a 23-3-1 record (more wins than all but one Prep soccer team in history). The Star-Ledger placed them #6 in the paper’s final poll.• Without proven scorers in the line-up, the offense ran through the midfield, patrolled with fearless and dogged energy by Nick Kriak (left), who engineered an attack that saw the ball wind up at the feet of teammates that would do damage at the opponent’s most vulnerable point. • Leading scorer was sophomore Aidan Dunphy (14g, 12a), followed closely by junior Jon Ned (12g, 8a), Joe Cubero (9g, 3a) and Jason Gomes (7g, 3a). They were often sent on goal by senior Adam Silva, who led the team in assists with 21 and chipped in with 7 goals of his own. • The defense was often in lock-down mode. With senior Max Engelbrechtsen in the center and sophomore Liam Bertrand the keeper, the defenders gave up a hair under one goal per game. • At season’s end, Silva and Kriak earned All State All Groups 2nd and 3rd Team honors respectively. They were joined on the All State Non-Public Team by Dunphy and Engelbrechtsen. A lengthy list of players earned All Conference and/ or All County honors, including Ned, Kriak, Engelbrechtsen, Cubero, Gomes, team MVP Adam Silva, brother Paul, Joe Kearns, Brian Zimmermann, and Rocco Capozza. • Head Coach Marty Berman concluded his 32nd year at the helm— his record now standing at 446-186-56.

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AIDAN DUNPHY

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Into the Fray STEVEN SGARAMELLA

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Another season of well-played games brought the Pirates 24 wins against only 5 losses, a 7th Super Essex Conference crown, the StarLedger #1 spot in Essex County and a top 20 finish in New Jersey. • Junior 3-year starting shortstop Nick Maldonado (right) led the team in multiple offensive categories— his .411 batting average topped the team, as did his .648 on-base average. He was also hit-by-pitch an astonishing 18 times. Junior catcher Tyler Kaufman batted .397; senior outfielder Ryan Sheppard hit at a .378 clip. Notre Dame-bound outfielder Jack Zyska batted .364 (.543 OBA). Senior 1st baseman Brian Kelly led the Pirates with 25 RBI. • The Pirates were as pitchingrich as any team in memory, led by senior righty Steven Sgaramella (left), whose 6 starts resulted in as many wins and a microscopic 0.79 ERA, allowing only 24 hits in more than 35 innings, against a single walk. The staff also relied on seniors John Ariza (1.18 ERA) and Dave Festa (1.58 ERA, 44 k in 31 ip), along with juniors Tommy O’Rourke (1.18 ERA) and Maldonado (1.35 ERA, 70 k, 10 w in 52 ip). • The Pirates’ fine play earned a number of post-season honors— Maldonado and Sheppard landing on the All Super Essex Conference 1st Team, with Kelly and Sgaramella on the 2nd Team. Maldonado and Sheppard were also selected to the Star-Ledger’s All State Non-Public 2nd Team. Kaufman and Maldonado earned spots in the Quad-County Underclassman All Star Game, and Sgaramella and Sheppard in the NJ Senior All Star Game. • Head Coach Mike Sheppard Jr. finished his 33rd campaign, boosting his record to 768201-4 (.791).


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R E V I S I T E D NICK MALDONADO

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Into the Fray ALEX IMEGWU

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With a record of 24-3, a 5th Super Essex Conference title in the last 7 years, and a Star-Ledger final poll rank of #13 in New Jersey in hand, only a pair of earlier-thanpreferred exits in the county and state tournaments dimmed what might have wound up as a spectacular season. • Fans again enjoyed outstanding play, from sophomore guard Jabri Abdur Rahim (17.7 ppg, 9.2 rbg), junior guard Ashton Miller (17.0 ppg, 4.6 rbg, 4.8 apg), junior guard Geordan Walker (5.4 ppg), senior guard Jesse Reid III (5.3 ppg) and senior forward UPenn commit Alex Imegwu (16.4 ppg). • The All Conference 1st Team included Imegwu and Abdur Rahim, while Miller garnered 2nd Team honors. Miller was also selected to the StarLedger All State Non-Public 3rd Team and Imegwu was selected to play in the NJSIAA North-South All Star Game. • Performances by the sub-varsity teams bode well for the future, as the JV went 20-3 and took their 2nd straight Essex County Tournament crown; the frosh team was undefeated, with 26 wins, and grabbed a repeat title in the county tournament.


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ASHTON MILLER

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Into the Fray LARRY MELCHIONDA

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With the goal of building on last season’s record-setting campaign, Pirates Wrestling upped the ante this past winter, scoring 2 state-ranked wins, a 3-peat title in the Essex County Tournament (6th overall) and sending 4 wrestlers to A.C. for the state finals. The only blemish on the Pirates’ 19-1 record was a loss to the #1 team in the US. Along the way they snagged the Super Essex Conference title for the 4th time and won the prestigious Morris Knolls Tournament for the first time in the 15 years they have competed there. • Final polls reflected the team’s accomplishments— #1 in Region 4, Star-Ledger #10, Wrestling Coaches and Wrestling Writers #11; Star-Ledger Essex County Team of the Year. • Charlie Cunningham (132)

finished his career with 125 wins, while teammate Maguire Pecci (138) ended with 112. • Cunningham went 35-6, took 2nd in the ECT, 1st in District 13 and 1st in Region 4; Pecci (21-5) was a county tourney winner; Danny Young (160) was winner in the county and districts. Junior Niko Diakides (285, 32-10) was a county and district winner, and took 2nd in the region. Upstart sophomore Larry Melchionda (106, 29-7) and freshman Connor Decker (113, 30-10) were district champs and runners-up in the region. • Coach Jack Decker ‘04 completed his 9th season, raising his record to 136-65.


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CHARLES CUNNINGHAM

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Into the Fray CAMERON CARTI

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The Pirates’ record of a pair of wins against 8 defeats belies the gutsy and often exciting play the team posted against perhaps the toughest schedule east of the Mississippi. Taking the field in the North Jersey Super Football Conference, the Hall stayed alive in games with a sometimes potent offense that wound up posting 5 school records and tying an additional 2. • In a wild affair against Montclair, where seemingly neither team could stop the other (110 points scored!), senior wide-out Andrew Perez (far right) set records of 12 catches in a game, 214 yards and 4 TD receptions. He was on the receiving end that game of QB Cameron Carti’s single game record of 360 passing yards. Place-kicker Zach Hoban had a record-setting night in mid-September with 3 field goals against Paramus Catholic, and tied a season record with 7, including a 42-yarder against Don Bosco in the opener. He was 27 of 28 on extra points. • Over the season Carti was 165 of 270 (61%) for 1927 yards, with 19 TD passes. Perez grabbed 56 of those throws for 939 yards and a dozen TDs. • Named to the Conference 1st Team Offense were Carti, Perez, Hoban, RB Kyle Monangai and lineman James Petrovcik. Joining them on the Defensive Team were LB Jon Alvarado and DE Quinn Nilan. • The Star-Ledger included Hoban, Perez and Alvarado among its All State selections. Perez was the NJ Football Coaches Scholar-Athlete, and Anthony Algieri received the Essex Chapter of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Award. • Mid-winter, Head Coach Vito Campanile moved on, with highly regarded Hudson County coach Bill Fitzgerald now set to take over the helm in 2018.


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ANDREW PEREZ

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Into the Fray COLE KIRST

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Pirates Lacrosse is in the midst of quite a run, now going back half a dozen years. They won their 6th straight Essex County Championship (with a 22-11 pasting of Caldwell) and their 5th consecutive Super Essex Conference title. Finishing with a #11 national ranking, the highest ever for the program, and a StarLedger #4 rank and a #2 rank from NJ Laxpower, the Hall recorded the most wins ever in a season, with a 19-3 record, the most goals in a season (367, 16.7 avg.) and the most assists (10.7 avg)— all this while giving up 7.6 goals per game. No slouches in the classroom either, the GPA of senior team members was 4.1. • Senior attackman Griffin Westlin smashed his own previous record of 102 pts. with an astonishing season of 72g, 70a, for 142 pts. With him on the attack, now 2nd on the all-time list, was Cole Kirst, with 67g, 57a, 124 pts. Westlin’s 72, Kirst’s 67 and Jack Sarson’s 58 goals all surpass last year’s previous goals record of 55 equaled by Rutgers star Jules Heningburg ’14. Both attackmen also broke the previous assist record (Brian Tevlin ‘17, 53). • Joining Westlin, Kirst and Sarson on the All Conference squad were Goalie Cameron Fiore and middie Thomas Colucci. Colucci, Kirst and Westlin were All NJ Interstate Lacrosse League 1st Team picks, with the latter pair named to the NJ Coaches Association 1st Team. Fiore was selected for The Prep’s NJSIAA Scholar Athlete Award and Westlin received the Msgr. William Daly Most Outstanding Athlete Award at Commencement. Joining Henningburg, Tevlin, Chris O’Dougherty ’04 and Andrew Blasko ’08 as USLacrosse All Americans were Kirst and Westlin; Fiore was selected a USLacrosse Academic All American.


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GRIFFIN WESTLIN

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Into the Fray JOHN PROFACI

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The Pirates Hockey Team got over the hump last winter, with a 12-8-5 record– the squad’s dozen victories the most since 2009. They finished second in the Gordon Conference National Division, with 6 wins against a lone defeat and a tie. Senior forward Stephen Buck was New Jersey Devils Hockey Player of the Month in January, the first such selection for The Prep in a decade. At season’s end the Star-Ledger placed him on the 3rd Team All StateAll Groups, and 2nd Team All State Non-Public, acknowledging his 24 goals and 14 assists. The paper placed the team #8 in the state in the final poll. • Besides Buck, the offense relied on junior forward Thomas Colucci (15g, 16a), senior forward John O’Hern (7g, 21a) and senior defensman Jake Sandomeno (6g, 9a). • Joining Buck on the All State Non-Public squad was junior goal keeper John Profaci. • Buck, Profaci, Colucci and Sandomeno earned places on the All Gordon Conference team.


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STEPHEN BUCK

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Into the Fray DAN GIZZO

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NICK PARISI


TT OO W W EE RR The Cross Country Team rode the great momentum established in 2016, fielding the largest squad in SHP history, turning in a 7-2 dual meet record and a stunning 1,3,4 finish in the SEC Championship race. Highlighting the fall was a win at the Brown Invitational in Rhode Island, result of a 2,3,4 finish and a 16:23 team average—one of the fastest ever for a Pirates team. Senior Dan Gizzo (far left) set a school record of 15:27 at Brookdale Park and was named 1st Team All State, All Conference, All County and SEC Runner of the Year. Senior Mike DiDonato (15:51) also was selected 1st Team All SEC and All Essex, along with Soph Nolan Orr (15:57).

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JUSTICE SIMS-MCCRAY

The Indoor and Outdoor seasons were highlighted by a trio of team titles and several remarkable individual and relay performances. The Pirates won the Red and Black Invitational hosted by East Stroudsburg University, followed up by a dramatic Essex County Relays win, surging past cross town rival East Orange in the final event (4x200). Their 6-0 dual meet record earned them the Super Essex Conference dual meet title. • Senior Nick Parisi (left) put together a campaign for the ages—indoors, with an Eastern States 400m championship (49.56) and outdoors, with state leading times for most of the spring in the 100 (10.73), 200 (21.70) and 400 (48.65). He teamed up with Jesse Reid, Quentin Phanord and Ross Johnson at season’s end in the New Balance National meet in North Carolina for school records in the 4x100 (42.25) and the 4x200 (1:26.59). Gizzo led the distance events, with a 4:19.45 1500m, and a 9:31.73 in the 3200m. Anthony Algieri led the team in the 110 Hurdles (14.55). In the outdoor field events Algieri threw the javelin154’3”, Ken Washington hit 22’4” in the long jump and Justice Sims-McCray (right) set a school triple jump record of 47’1”.

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Into the Fray ROO FENTON

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The Pirates Swim Team is accustomed to success, and this season was no exception. Undefeated (12-0) in dual meets, the Hall won the SEC/Essex County Championships for the 21st straight time, and advanced to the semifinals of the NJSIAA Non-Public Championships. • A dominating performance in the SEC/Essex County Meet, with 8 firsts in 11 events, saw them score 200 points more than runner-up Montclair. Roo Fenton won the Cullen Jones (MVP) Award for the second year in a row, with a pair of golds– 50 and 100 Freestyle (21.38 and 47.72). He was also part of 2 winning relays. • The team’s dual meet record earned them a State Tournament bye to the quarterfinals, where they bested St. Augustine with an SHP all-time 3rd-best power points total of 4418, earning them a semi-final shot at state-best CBA. Though the Pirates fell short in a nail-biter, they went even further on the power points chart, their 4519 points 2nd only to the 2014-15 team’s 4528. • In the Meet of Champions Fenton

again stood out, with a 5th place in the 50 Free (20.99) and a 100 Free of 47.72. • The Pirates landed 8 of 11 1st Team All Conference honors, and 5 more on the 2nd team. The 1st Team included Fenton (50 Free), Matt Prior (200 Free), Jaeden Yburan (100 Back), Matt Michaels (at left, 100 Butterfly) and Alex Wang (200 IM). • After 30 years of spectacular success, including a 370-40 dual meet record and 46 of 48 available county and conference titles, Head Coach Randy Schweitzer stepped aside at season’s end, handing over the reins to longtime assistant, Joe Alexander.


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MATT MICHAELS

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Into the Fray DWIGHT THOMAS

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Life in the American Division of the Super Essex Conference, packed to the gills with NJ Top 20 tennis teams, has not been kind to the Pirates. A 7-4 outof conference record did bring some smiles at points during the season, but, without a win in the conference, the Pirates look ahead to next year. The team did take some solace in wins against parochial rivals Bergen Catholic, St. Peter’s and St. Joseph, with identical 5-0 scores. • Captain Dwight Thomas, at the #1 Singles position, had the unenviable task of playing against the top players in the state day after day. His characteristic optimism led to no upsets, but it coursed through the rest of the team to keep the squad’s spirits alive. He corraled a big win against MKA, 6-4, 6-5 and, despite his record, was named 1st Team All-Conference and SHP’s MVP. • Holding down the spot at 2nd Singles was T.J. Martynowicz, who picked the County Tournament to gain his first win of 2018, and whose 6-1, 6-1 win against Bergen Catholic was a key in that Pirates victory. • Andrew Marashlian played 3rd Singles; Pat Nolan and Jay Srinivason made up the 1st Doubles pair, with 8 wins, and were named Honorable Mention All Conference. Preston Yates and Peter Orloff formed the 2nd Doubles team.


T O W E R In only its second season of varsity competition the Pirates Crew Team made great strides. With this spring’s weather presenting unusual challenges to both practice and competition, the team still had several successes. At the Metro Youth Speed Order Regatta on the Passaic River near Kearny, the Pirates competed against local New Jersey teams, with the Varsity 4+ taking a bronze and the Freshman 4+ a silver. Boding well for the future, the Junior Varsity 8+ took gold with their first place finish. • At the Garden State Scholastic Championships on the Cooper River near Camden, a 1500 meter Championship egatta against the best New Jersey has to offer, the Varsity 4+ finished 4th in their heat and the JV4+ rowed their way into the finals, grabbing a 6th place.

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PHILLIP MASTELLONE BRANDEN ANGELO LUKE TUFARO ZACH TRAUTZ

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Into the Fray CHARLIE SMOLLEN CONOR HANDLEY

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With a super tough out-of-conference schedule, the Golf Team’s final match record lacked a little of the accustomed luster of previous seasons, at 13-7. Yet the Pirates finished tied for 2nd in the Super Essex Conference regular season. • Led by senior Charlie Smollen’s 3rd place 78, after an early frost delay and battling windy conditions at the Weequahic Golf and Country Club, the Hall took the Essex County Tournament, besting 2nd place Livingston by 9 strokes. Later, at the SEC Championship at the Maplewood CC, sophomore Conor Handley’s 78 was good enough for 5th place. • Smollen was named 1st Team All Conference. Handley and senior Dan Samtani were named to the 2nd Team; junior Matt Smollen was Honorable Mention.


Mark your Calendar Even in the Summer Pirates stay connected

Alumni Networking Breakfast Wed., September 19, 2018

Homecoming

at the Bar-A Summer Sizzle, July 2018

Sat., October 6, 2018 SHP vs Montclair (Kelly Athletic Complex)

34th Annual Hall of Fame Dinner Wed., October 17, 2018 (Mayfair Farms)

Fall Golden Knights of Setonia Luncheon Wed., October 24, 2018 (Spring Lake Golf Club)

Parent Coffee Reception October 2018 (Montclair GC at Rock Spring)

Mother’s Auxiliary Fashion Show Thu., November 1, 2018 (Mayfair Farms)

Fall Drama Production Fri.-Sat., November 9-10, 2018 (SHP)

Thanksgiving Day Mass and 5K Turkey Trot Thu., November 22, 2018 (SHP & Kelly Athletic Complex)

Family Christmas Tree Lighting Celebration Thu., December 6, 2018 (SHP)

Young Alumni Day Fri., January 4, 2019 (SHP)

Spring Musical Thu.-Sat., April 11-13, 2019 (SHP)

Spring Golden Knights of Setonia Luncheon May 2019

Bleed Blue Giving Day Thu., May 16, 2019

50th Anniversary Reunion / Commencement Fri.-Sun., May 31-June 2, 2019

Spring Golf Classic photos courtesy of Matt Cannizzo

Mon., June 17, 2019

• from the Class of 1968- Ciro Scalera and Herb Campbell; and 1969- Roy Pitta, Chris Langella and Kevin Driscoll. • from the Class of 2013- Miles McClearn, John Azzinnari, Kevin Mahala, Erik Sa, Dan DeMeo, Pat Gallagher. • Jim Burke ’69, Rich Brys ’65, Steven Sanczyk ’14. • Mike Mielko ’69, and ’79 alumni John O’Rourke, Jim Clutter and Jim Healy.

Alumni Summer Sizzle BBQ – Social Networking July 2019 (Bar A, Lake Como, NJ)

For calendar updates and additions, visit— www.shp.org/alumni/events To become involved, or for further information, contact:

Rich Koles ’69, Director of Alumni Relations 973.325.6634 rkoles@shp.org

Matt Cannizzo ’90, Director of Institutional Advancement 973.736.6861 mcannizzo@shp.org


TOWER REVISITED SETON HALL PREPARATORY SCHOOL 120 Northfield Avenue West Orange, New Jersey 07052

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