ST. JOSEPH’S PREPARATORY SCHOOL SPRING 2013
JASON ZAZYCZNY ’90
TAKES OVER A S P R I N C I PA L
A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, Those of us engaged in Jesuit education very often appeal to the long and fruitful history of our Jesuit educational enterprises as a motive to encourage today’s parents to take an interest in our present day schools. An exciting 450-year-old history undergirds the mission today at St. Joseph’s Prep and at over 400 other Jesuit and Ignatian high schools around the world. Christopher Lowney in his book Heroic Leadership analyzed the qualities of leadership that are essential to those laboring within the tradition of the Jesuits. A book blurb identified these qualities in this way: a leadership style in favor of a holistic approach focusing on four values: self-awareness, ingenuity, love and heroism. How are these four values illustrated in the recent history of St. Joseph’s Prep? It is now nearly 50 years since a devastating fire destroyed most of the school’s physical plant and created the opportunity to move the campus from this neighborhood then under considerable stress. But the Jesuits were aware of themselves, of their identity for 400 years, founded in a European capital and always attracted to the mission in the kinds of communities that cities create. The decision to remain in the city was a product of self-awareness, perhaps even heroic in the eyes of some. But it has required ingenuity and love to sustain and nurture the particular urban mission of the Prep. We share with other urban schools and community groups the search for practice fields for our sports programs. We support to the extent possible the education of the best and brightest of urban students from a broad economic, ethnic and racial composition. We practice our love in cura personalis, the care for the individual, as well as in cura apostolica, the care for the mission of the school as a Catholic school, one among brothers and sisters who struggle in present economic circumstances to survive in service to the Universal Church. While we here at St. Joseph’s Prep labor to sustain and enhance the mission of the Prep, Jesuits and others inspired by the vision of St. Ignatius continue creating a network of ingenious and heroic deeds. Jesuits and their colleagues take charge of educational networks in refugee camps in various parts of the world. Jesuits and their colleagues fashion new models of schools such as the Cristo Rey model new to Philadelphia and to many other cities across the USA and soon to be new to Atlanta, Georgia. So the history is fruitful but the present day with all its challenges also demands these same qualities: self-awareness, ingenuity, love and heroism. I hope that you will find a blend of these qualities in the leadership models fostered by those in this issue of the magazine.
Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59
Fr. Bur and Principal Jason Zazyczny ’90 with National Merit Scholars.
2 PREP BUZZ
3 PREP PRIDE
16 VASTURIA ONE OF THE BEST
EDITOR’S NOTE/TABLE OF CONTENTS BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR: Mr. Paul D. Geraghty (P’97, ’00, ’03, ’08)
Dear Friends, Welcome to a re-imagined Prep News. Since last issue, we have worked to create a magazine that was cleaner and fresher for the reader. We have also tried to emphasize the Jesuit traditions that are the hallmarks of a St. Joseph’s Prep education. To that end, you will see new subject headers, many are terms familiar to anyone who has been educated in the Ignatian model. Look for them! When I speak with Prep people, it undoubtedly comes back to the fact that they would not be the person they are today without the Prep. Often, people with no affiliation with us, when finding out that I am Prep grad and work there, will ask me “What do you guys do down there? Prep guys are so loyal.” We are loyal and we love our school with passion…I hope that the articles included here reflect that love and passion for our alma mater.
Mrs. Christine S. Beck Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59 Rev. John J. Cecero, S.J. ’76 Rev. Peter A. Clark, S.J. Sheila Brennan Connor, Esq. (P’04, ’08) Mr. A. Bruce Crawley ’63 Marianne T. Ritchie Gordon, M.D. (P’04, ’09) Rev. Otto H. Hentz, S.J. ’55 Rev. Daniel R.J. Joyce, S.J. Rev. Herbert B. Keller, S.J. ’69 Mr. Jerry J. Maginnis ’73 (P ’09) Mr. Joseph F. McElwee ’73 (P ’04, ’08) Rev. Gerard J. McGlone, S.J. ’75 Mr. James J. Mergiotti ’71 Mr. Michael P. Moran ’74 (P’07, ’10) Mr. John M. Natale ’72 Ms. M. Shawn Puccio (P’10) Mr. Wadell Ridley, Jr. ’77 Mr. James J. Smart ’75 Mr. Anthony C. Stevenson Rev. John W. Swope, S.J. ’72 Mrs. Milissa M. Tadeo (P ’03) Joseph C. Vignola, Esq. ’67 (P ’07) SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
Our cover story features Jason Zazyczny, our new principal. Jason and I met on the first day of school in 1986 as members of 1A, Fr. Taggart’s homeroom (we were “Taggart’s Task Force” complete with camouflage intramural jerseys). What an honor it was to write this story about him and to work with him every day. As students, we were privileged to learn from men like Fr. Taggart, Nick Kueny and Jerry Taylor and I am glad to be a part of the team providing this Prep education to a new generation of Preppers.
PRESIDENT
Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59 PRINCIPAL
Jason M. Zazyczny ’90 CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Russell Gartz DIRECTOR OF IGNATIAN IDENTITY
Rev. Bruce A. Maivelett, S.J. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
I hope you enjoy this revamped edition of the Prep News. We welcome your feedback.
6 ZAZYCZNY ’90 TAKES OVER ALMA MATER
28 TURKEY BOWL PERSPECTIVE FROM ALUMS
Richard J. Scanlan
ST. JOSEPH’S PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Bill Avington ’90 Editor, The Prep News P.S. One thing Fr. Taggart did as part of freshman World History greatly assisted me the writing of this magazine: for two weeks, our extra credit question on our daily quizzes was “Spell Zazyczny.” By week two, I think I got it right. Hopefully, I spelled it correctly in this issue.
EDITOR ST. JOSEPH’S PREPARATORY SCHOOL
Bill Avington ’90, Director, Marketing and Communications DESIGNER
Maridel McCloskey, McCloskey Designs CLASS NOTES EDITOR
Kevin Gilbert ’02 EDITORIAL STAFF
Ceal Biello, Connor Dehel ’11, Debbie DiMarzio, Beth Missett, Nancy Moule, Beth Vander Vennet, Al Zimmerman ’73 ST. JOSEPH’S PREPARATORY SCHOOL
PHOTOGRAPHY
David DeBalko, Frank Raffa WRITERS
Bill Avington ’90, Susie Cook, Tom Lyons ’60 PRINTING BY
Smith Edwards Dunlap
PREP BUZZ
Feedback and Comments FROM THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNITY
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Xavier Gallon-Blackman via Colin Fleming St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, Educating Men for and With Others since 1851. The best damn high school in the nation, no doubts about that. 7
19 Nov St. Joe’s Prep @SJPREP A story of Prep brotherhood & continuing a legacy. Josias Sterling/Apple Pie 7s in yesterday’s Inquirer. philly.com/philly/opinion...
Maguire Herriman “But the Prep isn’t an Exeter, not remotely, and thank God for that. Instead, it’s become the academy of choice for a certain slice of the regional elite–a slice that values access to power, that gives a damn about the City of Philadelphia, and that wants its sons to endure mandatory Latin and four years of being told their job is to be men for others. The power factory is still humming.” 7 Zac Munsell I’m Saint Joes til I die... RJ Schilgen via Francis Raffa I’m st joes til i die...
St. Joe’s Prep @SJPREP 25 Oct This year’s class includes the Prep’s longtime teacher/coach/ AD Jim Murray. SJU Athletics Hall of Fame - November 11 sjuhawks.com/genrel/091212a... St. Joe’s Prep @SJPREP 25 Oct Each class today is wearing a different t-shirt in honor of cancer awareness. #GOPREP #HAWKLIFE #CANCERAWARENESS pic.twitter.com/LNS6lmHl
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St. Joe’s Prep @SJPREP 19 Oct Today, we join 1000s of schools and organizations in support of Spirit Day to show that we are against bullying in all forms. #spiritday
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St. Joe’s Prep @SJPREP 16 Oct Congratulations to our National Merit Scholarship semifinalists, commended students and outstanding participants! pic.twitter.com/Z8v5D8Ze
Mark Wisniewski via Howie Brown Proud to be a Prepper -- everyday Ross Euteneuer via Francis Raffa The Prep is a powerhouse! Howie Brown "It seemed to me that the faculty has the same basic outlook as those tough Jesuits of old: These boys are here to become men, and that won’t happen if we treat them like kids." A great and balanced article about the place I love. Will Bankhead Here's an awesome article about The Prep. To any of my friends that still don't quite understand my love and respect for that school and the Jesuits, this is definitely worth the read
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hawk@sjprep.org
Dear Editor of The Prep News, The Peace of Christ! A voice from the distant past. Yet over many years, I have been enjoying The Prep News which you have faithfully sent me. But your last edition, “Keeping the Faith,” is so wonderful that I must simply write to tell you that it is the most relevant and beautifully done issue yet. God bless you and your many co-workers not to mention all of the teachers, students and their families. Just reading the article start to
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finish has been an inspiration and strengthening of my Faith, Hope and Love. Thank you, thank you! You might be interested to know that I was introduced to our faith by my parents from an early age, encouraged in it by the Immaculate Heart Sisters of St. Lawrence Parish, Upper Darby and then wonderfully energized during my four years at the Prep, 1938-42. I will never forget the Prep! Since I haven’t ever written to you, I
thought you might be interested to know that I have been working at Thailand’s Catholic Major Diocesan Seminary for the last 15 years. May our Lord bless you and all of those dedicated to the Prep’s growth and fruition still more and more each day. You are in my prayers. In our Lord, Rev. Sigmund Laschenski ’42 Lux Mundi Seminary Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
PREP PRIDE
“THE BEST STUDENT SECTION IN THE COUNTRY.” – MILES OVERTON ’13
The students were ready for the Prep basketball game vs. La Salle at the Kelly Fieldhouse. Some students tell what they love about being part of the Crimson Tide.
Peter Carroll '13
ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM SWARTHMORE
It's great to be a part of such an amazing student section to help cheer on my friends and Prep brothers.
STUDENT PHOTOS
Ryan Hieb '13
Chris Martin '14
Matt McIntrye ’13
Kevin Rowley '13
COLONIAL MIDDLE SCHOOL ST. KATHARINE OF SIENA LAFAYETTE HILL KING OF PRUSSIA
ST. JEROME’S PHILADELPHIA
ST. ALBERT THE GREAT HUNTINGDON VALLEY
Watching the guys that I hangout with, in and out of school, succeed at such a high level is always exciting and to be able to cheer them on fills me with Prep Pride every game.
There is no better feeling than being there and seeing my school win.
The student section is hundreds of Prep students uniting in their love of the Prep and their dislike of the referees.
I love being in the student section because I want to give back the same cheers we get at football so other Prep teams can have a great atmosphere in which to play.
Submissions from the basketball games at the Palestra. Photos courtesy of John Antiskay ’13 and Colin Cunningham ’15
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STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE ST. J OS E P H’S P RE PARATORY S CHOOL
G O
F U R T H E R
STRATEGIC PLAN 2010 – 2016
In fall of 2009, the Prep community engaged in a lively exchange of hopes and dreams in order to achieve the goal of a stronger commitment to the mission of St. Joseph’s Prep over the coming years. After months of process (surveys, focus groups, discussions, retreats), a plan emerged. “Go Further Still” was our plan to reach every student with an experience of learning and inner growth. Here is a look back at the first two years of the plan and a look ahead at the next two years:
OVERALL STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS • Student Engagement Improving on the promise of our mission and formation of our students • Diverse Student Body Preserve and strengthen the fruitful diversity that exists among the present student body • Faculty Development Continue to develop a professional, growth-focused culture
ACCOMPLISHED INITIATIVES 2010-2012: • Created a working document, “Profiles of an Ignatian Educator” that establishes a set of Characteristics of Professional Excellence for Faculty and Staff • Increased the number of academically qualified students from diverse economic, social and geographic backgrounds (diversity now stands at 15%) • Completed a Master Site Plan, after a year-long process with a planning firm that included over 500 community interviews • Evaluated freshmen experience with Freshman Advisory Board to address transition into freshman year evaluating students’ participation, academics, social challenges and religious experiences • Completed third-floor Maguire Science Wing renovations and opened for use as of September 2011 • Grew neighborhood communication efforts and educational efforts through the hosting of block captain meetings, service initiatives and Camp Magis for primary school boys in summer • Expanded Kairos retreat programs to include juniors as well as seniors – 30% increase in participation • Increased student participation in Cape and Sword by 75% • Doubled the number of performing ensembles offered and participation in music has increased by more than 150% • Added another college and guidance counselor to provide for more individual attention
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STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
S T I L L AREAS OF FOCUS (2012-14) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: • Continue to dedicate significant dollars to faculty professional development STUDENT ENGAGEMENT: • Continue to study the freshmen experience including curriculum and study skills • Enhance student support networks for academics, social issues and diversity FINANCE: • Average annual tuition increases will be focused on staying below 6% • Short term (by 2016) – Endowment assets need to grow by $8 million MASTER SITE PLAN: • Define the priorities for interior building renovations, field plans, and repairs to the Church of the Gesu in order to build financial support for the projects TECHNOLOGY: • Create a fully-integrated Strategic Plan to combine Jesuit Liberal Arts with today’s technology needs • Academic Considerations – BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), 1 to 1 laptops, Faculty Training (see pg. 10-11) • Physical Plant Considerations – Media Center, Labs, Cloud, Storage, Security ADMISSIONS: • Document how our prospective families are making choices in the present environment and develop new relationships amid changes in traditional feeder networks • Study the distribution of financial aid to balance the needs of all sectors of our population • Seek opportunities to expand the Camp Magis program that prepares elementary school students for the Prep and other rigorous high schools In the past few months, Prep President Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59 and Board of Trustees Chair Paul Geraghty, along with members of the management team such as Russell Gartz (Chief Development Officer) and Rick Scanlan (Chief Financial Officer) have made presentations of this plan materials to leadership donors and the Alumni Board of Governors. Be on the look out for more events will be held throughout the area to highlight the plan material. WWW.SJPREP.ORG/PREPNEWS
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Jason Zazyczny ’90 starts every work
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THE PREP NEWS SPRING 2013
COVER STORY New Principal Jason Zazyczny ’90 brings a strong work ethic and a belief in cura personalis to his position at the helm of his alma mater. BY BILL AVINGTON ’90
day the same way. He wakes up, gets ready and leaves his Port Richmond house, the same house where two other generations of his family have lived, to drive to the Prep. It is roughly the same drive he has made since 1986, when he and his twin brother Justin began their St. Joseph’s Prep journey. It is a drive that is just a few miles but it is a journey that has spanned more than a quarter of a century, 25 years of exploration, of change and, most of all growth. During that quarter century, Zazyczny has gone from a nervous freshman to the man in charge, starting as Principal in June 2012. In some ways, those who know him best are not surprised.
It is still dark when Zazyczny enters his car, the morning dew forming a thin sheet of ice on his windshield. Zazyczny admits, with a smile, that he doesn’t see the sunlight too often in his job. He arrives between 6:30 and 7 most days and does not arrive home before 7 in the evening. In between, Zazyczny’s day is filled with meetings, both informal and formal. The hours are also not a surprise. Zazyczny brings a lunch-pail attitude to his job. That’s who he is, where he comes from. Hard work is a given for him and his family. His father, Joseph, was a member of City Council and active in local politics. Long hours were part of the job description for him and his kids saw that. “We had people knocking on our door all the time, day or night,” says Zazyczny, who is one of six children. “My dad was never off duty and my mom was a big part of what he did. So were we, as his family.” Zazyczny remembers collecting newspapers from the neighbors to bring to the local rag shop where he would get a few dollars. At the time, 5 or 6 years old, it felt like a fortune and it instilled in him the value of work. The city, too, seems to be a part of his blood. Port Richmond is not just where he comes from, it is where he lives. The people of his neighborhood seem to reflect him. “I like the constant flow,” he says. Zazyczny lives in the house his maternal grandmother lived in. He is the third generation of his family to live there.
Just down the street is the church, St. Adalbert’s, where he served as an altar boy and worked as a sacristan and with the maintenance staff. It is here where the value of hard work was reinforced, no matter the job. “I worked just as hard mopping the floor then as I do now developing policy,” he says. “I strive to bring the same dedication, attention and time to the job no matter what.” While a student at St. Adalbert’s, Zazyczny brought his work ethic to his studies. He would get home, pull out his homework and put hours of time into it. He says that is the only way it worked for him, the “only way to keep it in my brain.” School for him did not come easily. “I had to work extremely hard for every grade I received,” says Zazyczny. “In order to do well, I had to put the time in.”
Zazyczny is meeting with a member of his staff. Though the corner office is big and somewhat impersonal, Zazyczny has managed to make it feel smaller. He sits in a chair just a few feet away from the staffer with whom he is meeting. Often during the meeting, he leans forward, bridging even that small gap between them. “If there are concerns, I need to be told about them,” he says, his eyes making contact with hers to emphasize the point. He is supporting her now in this discussion, asking her to make sure he is in the loop as she moves forward. He offers this advice, “don’t take it personally, but let the discussion happen.” As the meeting moves to a conclusion, he ends by saying, “send it to me and then we’ll have a follow up meeting.” As soon as his guest leaves the office, Zazyczny heads to his computer to record his notes. “I have to do this,” he says. “Otherwise, it’s too much and something will get missed.” While he types, he is surrounded by reminders of his priorities. On the bulletin board, in line of vision beyond his computer screen, sit four different photos depicting St. Ignatius, plus one of WWW.SJPREP.ORG/PREPNEWS
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former Jesuit Superior General Pedro Arrupe with a prayer. Zazyczny’s spirituality is right there at the surface and you wonder why he is not a priest. He almost was. In fact, he spent 16 months in the Jesuits. Though he loved his time with the Society, he realized that life as a Jesuit priest was not for him. Still, that time greatly affected him. “I am glad that I followed my calling and that I am still a faith-filled Catholic who can do good,” he says. “I am proud to serve the church as a layman.” It was natural for Zazyczny to enter the novitiate. After all, he had grown up around priests all his life. “I felt connected to them,” he said. “I had been exposed to the lifestyle of the priest for so long and felt that was my calling. The more time I spent in the novitiate, the more I realized that it wasn’t.” Still, his calling seems to be among the Jesuits and at the Prep. It was a place that feels very comfortable. Zazyczny was a leader in his Class of 1990, serving as one of the first Kairos leaders and also the co-editor of the yearbook. After graduating from the University of Scranton, he returned to be among the first group of Alumni Service Corps. He returned once more, taking over when beloved history teacher Rev. J. Vincent Taggart, S.J., was too ill to teach. Zazyczny was there when the Prep needed him and knew that he had big shoes to fill. “I think that I had an advantage because I had so much respect for Fr. Taggart that I knew I couldn’t be him,” he says. “I had to find a way to take what he did so well and make it my own.” There were things he kept the same and others that he changed. He was careful not to change for change’s sake but also careful not to keep something simply because that’s the way it had always been done. Those skills were important for him as he continued on his journey, a journey that took him out of the classroom and into the offices of the Prep.
Photos of Zazyczny through the years, from high school to his teaching days through his position as Director of Admission and Principal
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Zazyczny has followed in big footsteps ever since. He became Director of Admission after Al Zimmerman ’73 had been in the job for more nearly two decades. He is now the principal, following after men like Michael Gomez, Mike Coury, Fr. Herb Keller ’69 and, most memorably for many Prep graduates of his era, Dan Brennan. It can be daunting but Zazyczny takes it all in stride.
COVER STORY
“I can’t be those men, I have to do it my way, I have to be myself,” he says. “That’s not to say that I don’t appreciate and value what the person before me brought to the job. No, I trust the people who went before me and I want to tweak what they did and make it my own.” It would be easy for him to rely on nostalgia. As a Prep grad and a longtime teacher/administrator, he could simply stay with what he knows and what he remembers of the Prep. That would be a mistake, he says. “It’s good to have history,” he says, “but we have to continue to grow, both as individuals and as a school. It must always be about the students.” That has led him to continue the curriculum review, to ensure that the current generation of Prep students is prepared for life in the 21st century. He is also leading the charge for more technology in the classroom (see pg. 10-11) as well as diversity and innovation. “We will always remain rooted in the traditional programs but we also have to be mindful of our society and must teach students how to use it thoughtfully but effectively,” says Zazyczny. Still, as much as he yearns to move forward, the ghosts of the Prep still occasionally emerge. “Sometimes, when I walk through the halls, I do get nostalgic, remembering the days when I was a student here, remembering my friends and classmates,” he says before stopping in an open door to observe a class in session. This is something he does throughout the day in an effort to be present for his faculty and his students.
“I want to be visible,” he says. But it is difficult to get away from his desk. Stopping before his walk to check his email turned into a return phone call, four follow up phone calls and a brief meeting with his assistant. Then, just as he was about to walk out of his office, a teacher popped in to ask him a question. He graciously took the time, even though that further delayed his scheduled walk through the halls. One last delay was a student coming in to have him sign a letter to allow him to attend a dance at Lansdale Catholic. “That part I enjoyed,” said Zazyczny with a smile. Sadly, as principal, interacting with students can get lost but that interaction is exactly why Zazyczny is in education. “My connection with the students I taught was amazing and so rewarding,” he says. “To this day, I have a connection with those guys that is one of the graces of being a teacher.” His goal is for every teacher to have that connection. “When I see a teacher really engaging the students, calling them by name, knowing them, I realize that’s our goal here. All the students really want is someone to pay attention to them, to let them know that they matter. That’s our vocation.” As principal, he wants to do that. “When I taught, I had 25 kids in a class, 25 kids from different backgrounds and my job was to be attentive to all of them. Now, I have a lot more kids to take care of but the goal is the same.”
Zazyczny [far left] and President Rev. George W. Bur, S.J. ’59 with freshmen on first day of school.
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INTELLECTUALLY COMPETENT
tech•nol•o•gy BY BILL AVINGTON ’90
Today technology is ever present. For educators, it can be a daunting task. How do you find a balance between traditional classroom learning with preparing students for a world in which technology is ever present?
The scene is the chemistry lab on the Maguire Science Wing. There, in the newly renovated lab, the students in Mr. Joe Hendrzak’s class are working to determine a solubility curve. To accomplish this, they dissolved a specific amount of salt into a solution at high temperatures. As the temperature of the solution decreased, they measured the temperature where they observed crystal formation in the solution. In years past, the experiment would have required manual temperature gauges and someone writing down the data. Then they would create a graph from their measurements. Not now, according to Hendrzak. “The students are able to capture this temperature using a probe connected to a laptop which then recorded the temperature and plotted that temperature on a graph,” he says. “After testing several different concentrations of solutions, students were able to create a solubility curve and print the curve in the laboratory.” There it is. A “traditional” lab made better by using new technology. It is a step towards a better balance between classical and modern. It is this type of balance the Prep seeks in all areas of its curriculum. Laptops. iPads. Macbooks. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). These terms would have been foreign to someone at the Prep in the 50s, 60s, 70s or 80s. Even the 90s were still in the infancy for personal computing devices, a time when computers were still expensive and not available to all. Slowly but surely these devices are making their way into the classrooms. Some teachers, like Religion teacher Joe Donahue ’63, allow students to use computers if they have them to take notes and view class documents. Math teacher Matt Miller has his students use Geometers, geometry sketchpads. In a class called “Digital Learning & Information Literacy” taught by Prep Librarian Sonia Nelson and Instructional Technology Specialist Colleen McManus, students rely solely on laptops with little need for paper and pen. “This class gives students the
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opportunity to use computers as learning devices rather than solely for entertainment,” says McManus. “It is designed to teach the students how to create an online presence that shows that they are intelligent young men with many interests and talents who have important views to share.” Students do this through the use of various online tools including blogs and social media tools that are typically not viewed as having educational value. Nelson explains, “this helps them to create a personal learning network that extends well beyond the walls of the classroom by giving them an opportunity to connect with experts and others who share their interests.” Both McManus and Nelson share enthusiasm about their class and admit “we are excited about how this class has evolved into a very student-centered environment where they are given the chance to explore topics that are of personal interest to them while at the same time learning important skills that are necessary for successful online research, communication and collaboration.” There are many factors at work. In one corner you have an
technology is being used successfully, and not so successfully, by other schools,” says English teacher Kathleen Sullivan. “Hopefully, with this measured approach we will make an informed and successful transition in upgrading technology at the Prep with the ultimate goal of enhancing the teaching and learning experience.” The fact that a school like the Prep has an “Instructional Technology Specialist” is proof that times are indeed a-changing. But adjusting the curriculum and habits is not easy, according to Mark D’Eramo, Director of Information Technology, because “we all have to transform not only the way we teach but the way we learn,” he says. The physical change in the classrooms will not be difficult, D’Eramo says. Already the school is wireless; classrooms in Jesuit Hall and the Maguire Science Wing are equipped with Smart podiums and boards. Though there will be some infrastructure upgrades needed, for the most part the Prep is ready. The more difficult thing will be to change the way that we think about teaching. While some worry about changing the methods that have been successful for generations, others believe that we have no choice. Dermot O’Callaghan ’16 and Anthony Gagliardi ’16 working on an experiment in the McKenzie Chemistry Lab.
educational system still steeped in traditional methods working with students who came of age in a digital world. Many at the Prep, including McManus and Nelson, feel that the students would be well served if these types of learning environments were incorporated into the curriculum more extensively than these few examples. To accomplish that requires, to some extent, a change in mindset. “If we want to create life-long learners, we have to make it easier for them to access information, communicate and collaborate with one another,” says McManus. In an effort to explore the possibilities, a small group formed for the purpose of participating in a two year professional development experience called, “Powerful Learning Practice” has taken on the task of researching the benefits of a 1:1 program through which every student would have a laptop or tablet with them throughout the day as his primary learning tool. “The group is meeting and will continue to meet often over a two year period to discuss, compare, and become informed on what
“It is not going away,” says Nelson. “Technology is only going to become more ubiquitous.” She and others imagine a classroom where the teacher is not necessarily the holder of knowledge but more of a facilitator. McManus, who was hired in 2007 to help facilitate these types of changes, says that while this is still a struggle for teachers, their standing in the classroom is still vitally important. “They are still the experts in their field but this allows the students to be more independent,” she says. McManus repeats the words of author Will Richardson who, in his book Why School?, advises to not ask questions on tests that are “Googleable.” She says that “in this new learning environment the students must have opportunities to learn how to find answers, validate the information and then make connections. We as teachers need to facilitate the process.” And this change has to be made soon. Already, students live in this age. To ignore it much longer, says D’Eramo, is silly. “The students all arrive here with a high level of comfort with technology,” he says. “This set up, where the teacher is more of a coach in the classroom, allows students to be more engaged and challenged. There is a wealth of knowledge available; we need to help students connect to it.”
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MEN FOR AND WITH OTHERS
Matt Geschke ’95 BY SUSIE COOK
Using basketball to serve those in need throughout the world, Matt Geschke is able to live according to his Jesuit roots. When a herd of cattle crossed the court, well, Matt Geschke ’ 95 knew he wasn’t in Narberth anymore. On a court amidst the sugarcane just outside Durban, South Africa, this was a strange, sweet pause. It wasn’t a typical timeout for the locals of KwaZulu-Natal Province, either. In a land historically dominated by rugby, cricket and soccer – and the odious residue of apartheid, an HIV/AIDS pandemic, azure coastlines and apricot sunsets – basketball is no big dance. Geschke was working to change all that. “Basketball is a sport that was not played there, and so it lacks the racial tension and history that the other sports have. It’s neutral. As far as the kids were concerned, they were mesmerized. Not by us. By the game.” In working for Peace Players International from 2006-2008, Geschke saw firsthand the power of sport to create changes in attitudes of self and society. Peace Players International, by the way, is an organization that, through basketball, bridges social and cultural divides not only in South Africa but other postapartheid areas – Northern Ireland, Cyprus, and the Middle East among them. Geschke, 35, is joyful when he speaks about the two years he spent using hoops to develop young leaders and to change the world in the spirit and vision of another game-changer, Nelson Mandela. Sport is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers, Mandela said in the late 90s. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination. Geschke now works in New York heading the U.S.-based office of the Laureus Sports Foundation, a global operation that funds programs like Peace Players, programs that harness the universal language of sports to create social change. Laureus, whose home base is London, is currently involved in 104 such projects in 36 countries. Among Geschke’s tasks in New York is to manage Coaches Across America, a program that trains coaches to serve in low-income community centers that otherwise couldn’t afford such direction.
Direction for Geschke – and his two brothers, Chris ’00 and Michael ’06 – first came from home. “My parents always told me that if I had the opportunity to do something for someone, do it.” Rich Geschke, Matt’s dad, is a 1969 Prep grad and former chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Then the Prep amplified this call for me. That’s a powerful statement – to be a man for others. That piece of Jesuit philosophy to give to others and respect them really helped mold me.” It was at the Prep, under legendary coach Eddie Burke ’63, where Geschke was senior all-Catholic whose team in his senior year needed a point guard—the director, the one who sees the whole court and its possibilities take shape, the one who helps his brothers connect. Geschke moved unreservedly into the role. Not soon after, the sharpshooting kid from St. Margaret’s in Narberth went on to a successful career at Johns Hopkins University as a four-year starter. The dream continued. Geschke had always wanted to be a college coach in the game he loved absolutely. Soon after graduation he got what he wanted, but after two years as an assistant at DeSales University near Allentown, that dream, strangely, wasn’t enough. “I realized that coaching might not be enough for me to see the world and effect change at a larger level,” Geschke says. “I wanted to see the world and what the heck was going on. I didn’t want to see David or the Sistine Chapel. I wanted to meet the Romans and see how they live. I wanted to connect and see how those cultures worked.” Geschke credits the Prep with that curiosity. And so, with an Ignatian sort of restlessness, he went west. Shifting direction, he did ambassador work in low-income areas around San Diego for the PGA tour. It was then that Dennis Hart, now the Prep’s Dean of Students, got a call from his best friend since 1991. “I just said, ‘Are you sure? You are going to leave San Diego to go to work for a start-up in South Africa?” Hart recalls with a laugh. “When it came down to it, though, I wanted him to go. He had a need to go.” And, listening to his own call, Geschke found himself going further still, landing in a sweet timeout on the other end of the earth, in a game that only cows could interrupt, a game where saving the world was on the line. “To work in that poverty and hopelessness was unbearable at times,” Geschke recalls. Especially after Geschke’s best friend in Peace Players, a South African native his own age, died of AIDS, Geschke felt those sad depths—and a new fire. “That was the most powerful experience for me there. I didn’t know what it looked like to die of AIDS, and here it was happening to my best friend, someone my own age, but such different lives. “We were both working through basketball to give AIDS education and awareness, and it was happening right in front of us. I just remember thinking, we have to do something about this. At that point I knew I had a career in this work.” Susie Cook is chair of the SJP English Department and a frequent contributor to The Prep News.
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THE PREP NEWS SPRING 2013
Khalil Johnson ’13 BY TOM LYONS ’60
Khalil Johnson works to make a difference in the world, from registering citizens to vote to cleaning up vacant lots in Philly.
Pundits and sages throughout the ages have said: “You can’t get there unless you know where you are going.” Khalil Johnson is way out in front on this advice. In 20 years, he plans to be the head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He has fixed a target and laid out his strategic plan. In his middle school, a Charter school, Johnson felt he wasn’t being challenged. He not only wanted to be pushed harder but he wanted to experience more diversity and cultural difference. His school was predominantly African–American with a sprinkling of Hispanic students. To insure acceptance to the Prep, he took a summer entrance exam-training course. His effort was rewarded, as he entered as a freshman in the class of 2013. He got what he wished for; he was challenged, maybe more than he expected. At first, he struggled with Latin, math, and was overwhelmed by the expansive vocabulary of the faculty, particularly his English teacher. Although discouraged at times, he realized that this was a transition year and his personal pride to succeed would, in time, improve his performance. And, it did! He worked even harder, more than he had ever done before. It was also a new experience to associate with students from different social and, specifically, financial strata. But, he knew the Prep was the right place for him. With each succeeding year, he improved in the classroom and got closer to his classmates. Outside of class, however, is where he really blossomed. He became aware of the Junior Statesmen of America (JSA), a national student organization that increases political awareness and encourages discussion and debate at the high school level. One of the benefits is that you can qualify to study at a prestigious university with an international peer group to explore current issues. Khalil applied for a scholarship, wrote several essays, got the endorsement of Prep President Rev. George Bur, S.J.; he was accepted and spent four weeks between junior and senior year at Stanford University with 300 international finalists. At his own initiative, he started a JSA chapter at the Prep now totaling 25 students. Johnson has a profound respect for the environment and is very committed to ecological reform. During his junior year, he founded Eco-Prep which is committed to improving the North Philadelphia neighborhood around the Prep. Along with fellow students, he has removed trash from the streets, reported on condemned properties and environmental violations. He uncovered an unscrupulous contractor who was dumping unwanted cement in vacant lots. His two biggest projects are refurbishing an empty lot to create a playground and building a neighborhood Green House. When he’s not working on
Eco-Prep, he supports and does work for “Keeping Philadelphia Beautiful,” a city environmental program, even working to have the group designate the Prep as a “Litter-Free School Zone.” During the recent Presidential election, he worked in Center City on voter registration and education. Along with fellow Prep students that he recruited, many phone calls were made to support the campaign of President Obama and Governor Romney, even though Khalil personally supported Obama. In addition to his environmental career path, he entertains the possibility of someday running for Congress or another public office. College is right around the corner and he has narrowed his choices to two schools. Davidson is his top choice because it has one of the best environmental programs in the country, supporting his EPA vision 20 years down the road. George Washington University is also attractive because it is in downtown Washington D.C., giving him immediate access to the political action. Upon completing undergraduate work, his sights are set on Stanford for a law degree. His past four years at the Prep have been very satisfying and fulfilling. He is very grateful to Mr. Bill Conners ’80, who taught him “more about history in three months than I learned in my entire life.” He admires Mr. Connors’ zeal and excitement which has ignited a burning interest in history. He is also appreciative of Ms. Susie Cook who increased his vocabulary, honed his writing skills, and generally took a personal interest in his development. He felt that a single sex school allowed him to freely develop with minimal distraction. But in his own words one thing really stood out: “what is really great about the Prep is that everybody here loves and respects each other, we have built a camaraderie that will last for life.” Tom Lyons, the father of three Prep grads (T.J. ’87, Drew ’89 and Sean ’93), is the author of You Can’t Get to Heaven on the Frankford El (magispress.com) and a frequent contributor to The Prep News.
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GO FORTH
The Class of 1988 will celebrate its 25th Reunion this fall. Here, we catch up with three members of the class.
Andrew McCloskey
’88
FINANCIAL ADVISOR, McCloskey Financial Group CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES, Waldron Mercy Academy MEMBER, ALUMNI BOARD OF GOVERNORS, St. Joseph’s Prep. MARRIED, wife Jenny, with two children (Owen and Eden) HOW DID THE PREP PREPARE YOU? The Prep definitely toughened me up. It was competitive both inside and outside the classroom. I got cut from so many Prep sports teams, I think I own the school record. The experience taught me how to deal with adversity and that with every door that closes there is one that opens. Thankfully the Prep offered other ways to stay involved. I was active with soccer for four years, but was also the President of the Respect Life Club, a co-founder of SADD, and an editor of the Chronicle Yearbook. The Prep exposed me to so many different opportunities. The one that surprisingly had the most practical impact was my short stint as a yearbook editor. My yearbook involvement spurred my interest in photography, which I eventually parlayed into my first career. After the Prep I went to Notre Dame, got involved in the daily newspaper and then spent 11 years at Sports Illustrated and SI For Kids. In 2005, I totally switched gears; when my son was born, we decided we wanted to be closer to home and the Prep. I started a new career as a financial advisor following in the footsteps of my father, Matt ’59. I always admired how he stayed close to his Prep classmates. I’m lucky to be able to say the same. It’s hard to underestimate the impact of going to the Prep and meeting kids from all over the area. There’s something about that shared experience that brings you closer to your classmates and fosters life-long friendships. The Prep opened my eyes to a much larger world and helped me figure out what my place was going to be in that world. It inspired me to want to give back, to be a “Man for Others.” In this way it has touched all of my brothers as well (Pat ’84, Brian ’91 and Sean ’99).
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THE PREP NEWS SPRING 2013
Chris Garrity
’88
“MOST POPULAR” STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT RETAIL MARKETING, Apple MARRIED, wife Kristine, step-daughter (Kennedy) WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? I have been working in retail marketing at Apple for the past two years; I look after the educational and event programs in stores. Apple presents events in stores across the globe – hosting everything from entrepreneurs to artists, musicians to filmmakers. The stores serve as community gathering places and the educational programs help our customers get the most out of their Apple products. Before Apple, I worked at Netflix for seven years, creating nontraditional marketing programs (events, social media, branded content) that helped build that brand. Prior to that, I worked in marketing at Levi’s for two years, and at Spin and Vibe Magazines for four years. My love of music and the arts is the best way to describe how I got into this line of work. Helping put together events like dances and the “Battle of the Bands” is something I learned at the Prep. HOW DID THE PREP PREPARE YOU? St. Joe’s Prep taught me there was more than just the sheltered suburban existence that I lived in Bala Cynwyd. Going to the Prep allowed me a glimpse of the energy and cultural life of a city; and made me want to be a part of that life. I played briefly in the Jazz band at the Prep and although I had pretty weak chops, I learned enough to be in rock bands. Music was a big part of helping me figure out what I wanted to do in life and that’s the thread that runs through my professional life at Spin, Vibe, Levi’s and Apple. My summer service trip to Mexico with (Fr.) Don Ward (’56) also had a profound impact on me. It was my first international trip and it opened my eyes to the world beyond the Prep, the Schuylkill and the burbs. I came home with a global perspective, wanderlust and a strong sense of service. It prepared me for the career I have now in a couple ways: First, it helps me on a daily basis in working with a global team and keeps me excited to get on a plane for 12 hours. Second, I apply that service mission to the customer-oriented culture at Apple.
Paul Schneider
’88
“DONE MOST FOR THE SCHOOL” MARRIED, Lisa, two daughters (Emily 9 and Alise 7) CORPORATE CONTROLLER, Aegerion Pharmaceuticals WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW? I currently work for a company called Aegerion in Cambridge, Mass. I have a financial background, but it’s cool to work for companies where it’s more than just that. At Aegerion, we just got our first drug approved to help those suffering from HoFH, a rare disease where people are genetically inclined to have extremely LDL-C or “high bad cholesterol” levels. It is ingrained into us at Aegerion that “The patient is waiting.” Every discipline within the company has the urgency to get our product to patients who need it most. This is a life changer for folks. To hear the patients tell you how your drug changes their lives for the better makes the hard work worth it. I fell into this industry but I wouldn’t change it. I’ve been married to an amazing woman and we have two great daughters. HOW DID THE PREP PREPARE YOU? I tell people up here in Boston all of the time, you have no idea what it was like to go to St. Joe’s Prep. I often think about two mottos: one from Boston College, “Ever to Excel;” and the other from the Prep, “Men for Others” taught to me by men like Fr. (Joe) Michini. My Prep education shapes everything I do. The “get out of Cherry Hill, NJ” card gave me the chance to experience the world at 17th and Girard. In itself, that was a whole education. Coming from the suburbs to the inner city, I will never forget it. My horizons and view of the world changed dramatically. The Prep taught me to think critically and question everything. I use that every day. I wouldn’t trade my Prep experience for the world. It shapes who I am on a day-to-day basis, my values, how I treat other people, everything. These companies that I work for are about changing people’s lives for the better and that matches the world view I learned at the Prep. I am trying my best to pass those same Prep values along to my daughters.
Reunion 2013 ReunSaturday, ion 2013 September Saturday, September 28 28 taste of philly! www.sjprep.org/Reunion2013 WWW.SJPREP.ORG/PREPNEWS
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STEVEN VASTURIA ’13
BY SUSIE COOK
Vasturia is unassuming by nature but may be the best basketball player in school history.
e’ve all seen him do it: Lebron James, aware of his own display, carefully takes the bottle of powder into his hands, only to make the chalk go poof in a white cloud, the fans awhirl.
STEVEN VASTURIA ’13 It is hard to imagine the Prep’s basketball “king”, Prep senior Steve Vasturia, ever considering such a pre-game show. As the senior made his way towards the all-time scoring mark held by Reggie Redding at 1,566 points, it’s the manner in which Vasturia puts on the show – unaffectedly – that we will remember most. Without airs, without flash, without even a grimace, Vasturia’s way is mystifyingly unglamorous.
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Yet, we’re all awhirl. “It’s just the way he is,” says assistant coach Dov Grohsgal who, in his fifthyear next to Speedy Morris, has moved with Vasturia every step of his way into Prep history. “It’s not a practiced skill. He is that even-keeled, and so his teammates look to him for that consistency. And his evenness probably scares opponents in a sense because they can’t rattle him.” Before it all began, there was Vasturia’s freshman classmate Mike Garrucio walking past the Kelly Fieldhouse one day in September 2009. Inside he saw a kid shooting hoops with star Joe Nardi ’10. “I didn’t know who he (Vasturia) was, but I could tell he was really good,” says Garrucio,
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THE PREP NEWS SPRING 2013
MIND, BODY, SPIRIT stresses keeping your head forward, not looking back.”
now the varsity manager and close friend of the kid who will soon have his name stitched on a burgundy Fieldhouse banner. “His name didn’t really spread till the season started. Then we all knew him.”
When trainer Bryan Ghee looks back, he sees a sophomore Vasturia in a game against Mastery Charter South flying down the court on a fast break only to be – you guessed it – stricken. With his teammates helping him up from the floor, his ankle ballooning, Vasturia had only one mission: to move to the foul line and make those shots.
Back then, the lanky freshman was the sixth man on a varsity team led by the likes of Nardi and Sean Brophy ’10. Soon, when the team was shorthanded against a packed house at La Salle, the rookie out of St. Mary of the Lakes in Medford got the nod to start. “That’s the first time I realized how fearless he was, the first time I realized his attackeverything, fear-nothing mentality.” Grohsgal recalls. “Of course he had playing experience, but not starting experience. In front of the big, hostile crowd, we realized that he’s completely fearless.” Hall-of-Fame coach Speedy Morris’ relationship with Vasturia goes back to 2006. “I met him when he was in 6th grade at my camp, and you could tell he was going to be good.” In his office, there’s a picture of Speedy as coach at La Salle University. There are trophies from championship seasons and plaques for several of the 10 halls of fame to which he belongs. And there are pictures – tons of them – taped to the filing cabinet, framed on the cinderblock walls, perched on his desk. Snapshots of players he’s coached, shoulder-to-shoulder. And of course there are the newspaper clips cataloging the campaign of the winningest coach in the 93-year history of the Catholic League. In other words, Morris has basis for comparison. “This is my 45th year as a head coach, and he’s one of the best,” he says, Steve’s stat sheet in his hands. “He’s very special without the ball. He reads the defense, and the defense tells you what to do. So he sneaks up on people and scores 20, 21 points a game, and shoots over 50%. “His demeanor is special,” Speedy continues. “Even today, he runs to everything. He sprints during every drill. He is the first man over at every whistle. He’s the first guy, and that’s special – a lot of great kids don’t do that. That’s why he’s going to be a great person. He’s not perfect, but who is? But he’s close. I never have to tell him twice.” Vasturia, who carries a 3.4 G.P.A., remembers first meeting Speedy at camp. “I didn’t know him at all. At his camp, it’s a much quieter, much more laid-back Speedy. He’s the main reason I came here. Once you start playing for him, it’s different, but he’s the main reason for my success. “He’s been at it for so long,” Vasturia adds. “He’s helped me so much preparing for games and especially after a loss to help the team realize that that game’s over, to move on. He
“I evaluated him and he had a broken ankle,” says Ghee, who is in his third year healing Prep pain and watching Vasturia cause it on perimeter and paint. “And he still fought me to go back out. When he got treatment, he still wanted to go back to the bench. Now knowing him, I know it wasn’t a selfish thing, not ‘I want to do what I want to do’ – he just really wanted to be with the team. “To be honest, after eight months of being around him, that’s the first time I talked to him. He’s that quiet and reserved.” As Speedy says, “He’s not stuck on himself at all.” As Grohsgal puts it, “he’s the best combination of his parents – tough, strong and kind” and a “100-percent guy who is always going to come through.” And, as Ghee will say, “he’s a dishrag at halftime.” Sometimes, the biggest problem for Vasturia is that he’d rather pass than shoot. “Sometimes the right thing for him is not right for the team,” Morris adds. “I’ve had to tell him to take the 20foot shot rather than pass it to a teammate for the 10-foot one.” Says Vasturia: “Sometimes you have to take those shots. Leaders have to make the bigger plays, and sometimes for me that means not to always pass first.” The 6’3”, 190-pound sharpshooter adds that this year he’s assumed a more vocal role on the court. “I’m a quiet guy, so that was difficult for me.” The Notre-Dame bound senior smiles, a little. Assistant coach and announcer Joe Donahue describes Vasturia’s way as quite Christian in its humilitas. “He’s really not playing for personal gain at all. His game is truly generous in that he is always sensitive to those around him and what they can do.” Adds Grohsgal: “Steve’s always asking himself to be better. His ability to ‘be the guy’ without telling everybody he’s ‘the guy’ is what defines him. I wouldn’t change any of that. He teaches me more than I teach him.” Morris says that Vasturia plays the game “the right way.” Ignatius asks his men to toil and not to seek for rest, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to give and not to count the cost. A man of the magis, Vasturia fits this bill, and we can’t wait to see where his above-the-rimness will take him. With his interior laws of charity and modesty to ground him, how high will #32 fly? And where will the Prep’s Basketball King, with his innate calm of ferocious capability, land? We can’t wait to see.
Vasturia with teammate Miles Overton ’13 and Coach Speedy Morris on the night he surpassed Redding as all-time leading Prep scorer.
WWW.SJPREP.ORG/PREPNEWS
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TO GIVE AND NOT TO COUNT THE COST
What’s In a Name? BY TOM LYONS ’60
St. Joseph’s Prep depends on the generosity of their alumni to sustain its quality education. Tuition, alone, doesn’t pay all the bills. To recognize generous supporters, the Prep has named spaces in their honor.
(first floor, Jesuit Hall)
Sean Rooney ’80, along with his father, spearheaded the project to name the space after his brother James. “We did this because the Prep gave me so much, I felt the least I could do was to give something back,” says Rooney, who asked the school to name the room after his younger brother who spent two years at the Prep. Although 22 out of 24 of his grade school classmates went to LaSalle, Sean, revealing his individualist nature, chose the Prep. And he never looked back. In his own words, “other than my parents, the Prep is the best thing that ever happened to me. The Jesuits taught me to be a man and how to function on my own.” Travelling into the Prep each day from the suburbs, Sean loved the experience of taking SEPTA to the Prep; the R5 train, the Broad St. subway and the Route 15 trolley were a whole new experience to him. “This was part of the education,” he says. He also loved the demographic and socio-economic mix that he met when he arrived at the 17th and
Girard (denizens from the Northeast, Jersey, 2-Streeters from South Philly, etc.) that combined to give him a unique life perspective. “You learn how to get along and achieve goals with heterogeneous groups of people,” Rooney says. The foundation that Sean got in high school has provided him with the tools to live a full and productive life. He was captain of the football team, a member of Student Council, and involved in many school activities. Both he and his father have served on the Prep’s Board of Trustees and were central figures in a capital campaign that changed the landscape at 17th & Girard. His 20 years of experience at Aramark, where he moved up through multiple positions to become President of Stadiums and Arenas, gave him the knowledge and fundamentals to start his own consulting business and Sean is currently President/CEO of Trinity Consultants specializing in the Sports and Entertainment industries. He also worked for the Pittsburgh Steelers, which were founded by his grandfather in 1933 and remains in the family. Besides sitting on several boards, Sean is involved with multiple charitable endeavors. Closest to his heart is the Kelly Rooney Foundation, a non-profit for breast cancer research that he and his late wife founded as she fought the disease. Sean and his five children reside in Wayne.
NEW SCHOLARSHIPS Growing the endowment through named scholarships is a main focus of the fundraising efforts moving forward. Thank you to the following who have recently established scholarships to help a current Prep student in need of financial assistance:
THE O’BRIEN FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP: funded by Patrick O’Brien ’89 and his wife Jennifer
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THE JAMES J. AND RHETA K. MCLAUGHLIN SCHOLARSHIP:
THE THOMAS A. THE MCKEON NOONE, M.D. ’42 FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP: SCHOLARSHIP:
funded by the family, funded by the estate friends, and classof James McLaughlin mates of Thomas Noone ’42 ’47 and his wife Rheta
THE PREP NEWS SPRING 2013
THE KEELEY FAMILY SCHOLARSHIP:
THE JOHN CARDINAL J. FOLEY SCHOLARSHIP:
funded by brothers funded by brothers Edwin McKeon ’47 Frank Keeley ’45 and funded by the estate and Thomas McKeon George Keeley ’47 of Cardinal John ’50 Foley ’53, his family, and classmates
President’s Club Reception Members of the President’s Club – those who have given the highest amounts of time, talent and treasure to the school as well as those who have shown consistent, long-term financial support – were thanked for their dedication to the Prep with a reception, catered by Carlino’s, with performances by Prep music and theatre students. Leadership donors provide 80 percent of the monies raised yearly at the Prep and an important part of the school’s efforts to provide a quality Jesuit education in Philadelphia.
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3 Current President Rev. George Bur, S.J., ’59 with his two predecessors, Rev. Bruce Bidinger, S.J. (2002-06) and Rev. William Byron, S.J. ’45 (2006-08) Dr. Garry Bolger ’44 and his wife Pat with the Prep Jazz Band. Dr. Bolger was part of the first Prep concert band to perform publicly. Four former President of the Alumni Board of Governors were in attendance: [L-r] Andrew Lynch, Esq. ’85, Christopher Tretta, Esq. ’71, James Murray ’59 and Bernard Kueny, Esq. ’79 Prep Fund chairs Janet and Stephen Gleason ’83 [far right] with Paul Geraghty, Chairman of the SJP Board of Trustees, and Ceal Biello, Director of Annual Giving
Scholarship Reception At a reception on campus each fall, recipients of endowed scholarships have the opportunity to thank the donors who made the scholarship possible and connect in a personal way. 1 2 3
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The family of Dick Welsh ’58, including his widow Mary Sue, with the Welsh Scholarship recipient, Bidley Jean-Baptiste ’16 John Burns ’54 represents his class and stands with three of the Class of 1954 Scholars: [l-r] Franklin Neblett ’16, Hector Trillo ’13 and Shawn Feeney ’14 Tom McParland ’52 (left), his wife Marge (right) and Bishop Robert Maginnis ’52 with Chris Clover ’15, recipient of the McParland Scholarship.
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TO GIVE AND NOT TO COUNT THE COST
THE PREP IN MY LIFE:
Jim Agger ’54 and Hank Raucci ’54 In September 1950, both Jim Agger and Hank Raucci arrived at 17th and Stiles, Agger from East Falls and Raucci from Upper Darby. More than 60 years later, both credit the Prep for their life’s success and plan to continue supporting the school even after they die. “The Prep prepared me completely for every academic experience I would have,” says Raucci [below right]. “I learned study habits and the fact that you can’t cut corners. I never had a problem academically after the Prep.” Agger [below left], his friend and classmate, agrees. “The Prep was the most important educational experience for me,” he says. “The emphasis on effective communication skills proved invaluable to me in my career as a lawyer.” The two men are part of a close-knit class. Twice a year, the men gather, once at the shore (“54 at the Shore”) and once near the Christmas holidays. “As a group, we have found our friendships important enough to stay connected,” says Raucci, who frequently travels from Montana to attend the functions. One way they have continued to help the Prep is through the Class of ’54 Scholarship. Begun first to provide the funding for the son of classmate John Cahill to attend the Prep after John’s sudden passing, the scholarship evolved so that future generations of students can benefit from a St. Joseph’s Prep education. Both Jim and Hank have included the Prep in their wills and the money will go to the Class of ’54 Scholarship Fund. “I was fortunate to have attended the Prep and I want others to have the Prep experience,” says Agger. “An endowment seemed to me to be the most effective way of ensuring the sustainability of the scholarship. I believe that many of my classmates will share that feeling and support these efforts. I am convinced we will be successful.” “I can state unequivocally,” says Raucci, “that I would not have achieved the things I have or become the person I am without the Prep. I want others to have that opportunity.”
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For more information on how you can make an impact through a planned gift to the Prep, contact Al Zimmerman ’73 at 215-978-1013 or azimmerman@sjprep.org.
EVER ANCIENT, EVER NEW
SJP’s VILLIGER ARCHIVES BY BILL CONNERS ’80, MANAGER, VILLIGER ARCHIVES
The Villiger Archives of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, named to honor the Rev. Burchard Villiger, S.J., exists to further the mission of the Prep, and to preserve, catalog, and make accessible material for research, school history exhibits, and alumni publications. The holdings document the photographic, audio/visual, and historic paper records of the high school from 1868 to the present. Highlights from the Villiger Archives include: • Diaries/daybooks from 1892 to 1975 recording events in the daily life of the school from the mundane to the historically significant – like the three-week closing during the Great Influenza Epidemic of 1918, and the fire that devastated the school in January 1966 • Scrapbooks from 1892 to 1988 documenting life at St. Joseph’s Prep with clippings from local newspapers and school related ephemera; • Bound school catalogs from 1892 to the 2000 documenting course offering, student body data, etc. • Bound school annuals and literary magazines from 1910 to the present
The Archives is housed in the Quinn Room on the second floor of Jesuit Hall, currently being restored to its 1912 glory. The Quinn Room provides hundreds of feet of shelf space in a reasonably controlled atmosphere, along with ample seating and tables for researchers. Over the next five years, material will be available online on the school website, and the holdings will be cataloged as a Special Collection of the school’s McShain Library. The collection supports the research needs of the Office of Alumni Relations and others. Materials are exhibited in display cases in the foyer of Villiger Hall and the first floor link connecting Villiger Hall and Jesuit Hall; in the first and second floor hallways of Jesuit Hall; and in the offices of the Principal and the President. Material is also displayed in the Quinn Room. Ideally, once material in the collection is properly cataloged and accessible, it could be loaned to other institutions for exhibition purposes. In Fall 2012, the Villiger Archives lent over 40 relics to Saint Joseph’s University as part of an exhibit of 18th and 19th century relics. The Archives will host this exhibit in Spring 2013.
1930
• A selection of reel-to-reel tapes and vinyl LPs of the Prep Band from 1946 to 1980 • Thousands of photographs documenting student life The Archives seeks the donation of any papers, photographs, books, audio-visual material, maps, and architectural drawings of the school and the Church of the Gesu. This includes items from faculty, staff, students, and alumni, as well as people in the community who are interested in contributing to the archival program. The papers and memorabilia of some longtime faculty members are part of the Archives, including thousands of photos and photographic slides of the Rev. J. Vincent Taggart, SJ, and the papers of James J. Murray ’59, a teacher, athletic director, and coach for 40 years and counting!
Football photos from the Archives. A tackle from a game in 1930, a play in the 1942 Catholic League championship and the 1944 team photo, including former Prep President Rev. William Byron, S.J. ’45 (#22).
1942 1944
WWW.SJPREP.ORG/PREPNEWS
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CLASS NOTES
1940s
real estate in Ocean City, NJ. Leo currently serves as the Intertel Director of Region 3 for the International Association of Top 1% IQ. He also has been an active member of MENSA since 1963.
Michael McElderry ’62 retired in 2011 as senior archivist/manuscript curator at the Library of Congress in Washington DC.
Ferdinand Manlio ’53 rode his bicycle in RAGBRAI- The Ride Across Iowa, a 500-mile trip across 6 days in July.
Jim O’Brien ’62 is enjoying retirement while traveling with his wife, babysitting their nine grandchildren, and attending Prep alumni events.
Board of Governors: Lawrence Judge ’42, S. Thomas Harrington ’43, Donald Ferry ’49, Richard Graupner ’49, John Murray ’49, Richard Nagle ’49, Harry Stinger ’49, Richard Torpey ’49
Thomas Slattery ’53 reports that he continues to teach Irish history and give talks on Ireland.
James W. Duffy ’44 called to say that his daughter, Diane Hankee, wife of Jim ’87, has joined the Campus Ministry department at Saint Joseph’s University. Bill Hemp ’46 has created and produced a 4-color poster: Iconic Boats of Bainbridge Island. Paul Sigmund ’46 is currently revising and updating his book: St. Thomas Aquinas on Politics and Ethics.
Matt Gutowicz ’62 has been chief of radiology at Fisher Titus Medical Center in Norwalk, Ohio as well as a partner of two Ronald Pruett ’55 is a retired retina surgeon at Massachusetts restaurants in Southern California. Matt and his wife Alice plan to semi-retire soon in La Quinta, Calif. Eye and Ear in Boston. John Curran ’57 is teaching as an adjuct professor in law at Delaware County Community College. Ralph Esposito ’58 is professor and chair of the electrical and computer engineering technology department at Vermont Technical College.
Thomas Dolge ’65 retired from Amtrak.
Ray Shaffer ’59 and his wife Sabinia celebrated Peter Sigmund ’47 writes feature stories as senior editorial their 50th Wedding consultant for Construction Equipment Guide, founded and Anniversary with a vow owned by classmate Ed McKeon. renewal ceremony at St. Francis Cabrini church in Raymond Thomas ’47 reports that his son Raymond Thomas Ocean City, NJ. Classmates III is a major general in the US Army now serving in Afghanistan. John Cardone and Dave Weston were in the Ed Dillenschneider ’49 continues to reside in Las Vegas, wedding party back in 1962 Nevada. He remains active in his assisted living community with Father Bennett presidthrough the welcoming committee, bingo, poker, black jack, and ing. Ray and Sabinia are living in Playa del Rey, CA and have other events. He was named the August 2012 resident of the four sons, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. month. Jim Higgins ’49 continues to teach in the MBA program at Holy Family University. He currently serves as a trustee for the Gesu School and the Jesuit Collaborative in Boston, MA. Rev. John Martinez, S.J. ’49 celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.
1950s Board of Governors: Thomas McKeon ’50, Francis Canuso ’51, William McGarvey ’51, James Shallow ’51, Joseph Tague ’51, Raymond Adamczyk ’52, Louis Cissone ’52, Joseph McHugh ’52, Thomas McParland ’52, Joseph Milani ’52, Henry Adamczyk ’53, William Hill ’53, Bernard Kueny ’53, Bernard Morgan ’53, John Burns ’54, John Sigmund ’54, John Branka ’55, Leo Carlin ’55, Gerard Goldner ’56, Paul Smith ’57, Charles Sweeney ’57, Richard Wickersham ’57, Joseph DeSalvo ’58, William Novak ’58, Thomas Prior ’58, James Murray ’59, Louis Pauzano ’59, John Schmitt ’59, David Weston ’59
Jack Devitt ’50 and wife Joan have been coaching skating for 55 years, 43 of which have been at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, NY. On Sept 15, 2012, they were inducted into the Lake Placid Hall of Fame. Leo Robb ’51 recently enjoyed a Disney Cruise with his children and grandchildren. His grandson, Zachary Certa ’07, is currently a second year student at Jefferson Medical College. Salvatore Chiolo ’52 is planning his retirement in 2013. Raymond Rogowski ’52 is currently active in research on Lyme Disease for a commercial lab. He is married to Margaret Kane for 54 years and has nine grandchildren. Charles Sweeney ’52 completed his fourth year as President and CEO of the Distinguished Flying Cross Society. He earned 3 DFC’s in one week in Vietnam during 1972. Leo Burke ’53 writes that after 30 years of employment with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, he continues to manage
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THE PREP NEWS SPRING 2013
Jack McCarthy ’63 recently began a part time role as Sr. Advisor to the President at Northeastern University. He continues to serve as a trustee at Boston College High School and on the finance and audit committee of the New England Province of the Jesuits.
Edward McIntyre ’59 continues to practice law as a partner at Solomon Ward.
1960s Board of Governors: James Byrne ’60, Adrian King ’60, Thomas Lyons ’60, Donato Montanaro ’60, Albert Tegler ’60, Charles Kling ’61, Joseph Hogan ’62, Pat Anthony Lannutti ’62, James O’Brien ’62, Aloysius Stuhl ’62, Henry Bender ’63, Francis DeHoratius ’63, Joseph Donahue ’63, John Master ’63, Louis Orlando ’63, Alexander Giacobetti ’64, D. Webster Keogh ’64, Michael Shields ’64, Charles F. Gallagher ’65, Joseph Ferroni ’66, Edward Meehan ’66, Raymond Peppelman ’66, Michael Gallagher ’67, Francesco Spezzano ’67, Daniel Sherry ’68, John Tucci ’68, Daniel Gallagher ’69, Joseph Savage ’69
Jim Haggerty ’60 is presently on the board of directors for the Ignatian Volunteer Corps which offers opportunities for service for those over the age of 50. George L. Huckaby, Jr, ’60 is President/CEO of the Orange Empire Railway Museum, in Perris, CA. J. Quentin Lauer ’61 and his wife Jo has been active in Retrouvaille, a ministry for hurting couples, for 23 years.
James Higgins ’65 is still working at Brookhaven National Lab. His latest efforts focus on superconducting magnetic energy source. William Zeits ’65 is currently retired and lives in St. Augustine, Fla. while working with the county to keep beaches clean. Fran Baird ’66 was recently named Director of Development at St. James School, an independent middle school located in North Philadelphia. Established in 2011 with its first class of fifth graders, St. James School is a faith-based middle school in the Episcopal tradition committed to educating under-resourced students in a nurturing environment. William Culleton ’67 is a certified hearing official for special education. Jerry Doyle ’67 was recently selected to be a member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. A 24-year veteran of the FBI, Jerry owns and manages J. Doyle investigations, a private investigation firm in the tri-state area. Joseph Korey ’67 and his wife Linda are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. Herbie Meyers ’67 is semi-retired but occasionally takes on a project writing copy for promotional materials. Richard Santore ’67 reports that he and his wife Kathy celebrated their 32nd anniversary in December. He continues to work full-time as an orthopaedic surgeon in San Diego. Michael Wade ’67 and his wife Deb celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in September 2012. Michael currently is a distinguished professor at Indiana University.
1970s
Ed Mullen ’61 recently retired from his position as the COO of Knights of Columbus Insurance Program in New Haven, Ct.
Board of Governors: Harry Byrne ’70, J. Michael Farrell ’70, John McConnell ’70, Francis Burns ’71, Curtis Cockenberg ’71, Mario D’Adamo ’71, Jeremiah O’Leary ’71, Charles Strowhouer ’71, Christopher Tretta ’71, William Wechsler ’71, John Duffy ’72, Charles Intenzo ’72, Robert Jones ’72, Joseph Mancano ’72, John Natale ’72, John Zeller ’72, Joseph Boccuti ’73, Armand Della Porta ’73, Francis Felici ’73, Martin Quinn ’73, Francis Sherry ’73, Albert Zimmerman ’73, Conrad Benedetto ’74, Joseph Boyle ’74, William DeFeo ’74, Thomas Lederer ’74, Michael Moran ’74, Calvin Taylor ’74, Jeffrey Barker ’75, Joseph Clearkin ’75, John DeFeo ’75, Peter Della Porta ’75 (president), Edward Foy ’75 (vice president), Richard Lobron ’75, Mark Meehan ’75, Joseph Battaglini ’76, David Magerr ’77, George McCool ’77, Robert Murray ’77, Thomas Duffin ’78, John Gannon ’78, Sean Kennedy ’78, Hayward L. Ratliff ’78, William Gennaro ’79, Bernard Kueny ’79, John Quinn ’79
Mike Murphy ’61 is practicing at Michael L. Murphy and Associates in Media and has been voted at PA Super Lawyer the past seven years.
Peter Barnett ’71 is the litigation manager for Neil R. Gelb, PC, a law firm in Philadelphia.
Joseph Dieterle ’61 recently retired from the active practice of pediatrics. He was awarded the 2013 alumni association certificate of honor from PCOM and was presented with the fourth annual department of medicine chairman’s award. Dr. Dieterle continues to serve on the board of PCOM and is enjoying life in Oxford, Md. Robert Hardegen ’61 was given command of Naval Reserve USFF Maritime Air and Operations Unite, Fort Dix, NJ.
Earl Artis ’72 is the Manager of Corporate Communications for the USPS in its Southern area, covering 12 districts from Florida to Texas. Joseph Mancano ’72 was named the recipient of the Nora Barry Fischer Award as presented by the Pietragallo Law Firm. The award comes with a $1,000 contribution to a charity of choice which Joe directed to the Prep.
Rev. Paul DiGirolamo ’75 is pastor of Old St. Mary’s Church in Philadelphia, which is celebrating its 250th anniversary. Rev. Charles Zlock ’76 is the new rector at Malvern Retreat House. [right]
Outside Aviva Stadium before the Notre Dame vs. Navy game: Fenton FitzPatrick, Jr ’80, Patrick Farrell ’11, Will Farrell ’11, Joe Farrell ’09, Chris Farrell ’07, Fenton FitzPatrick, III ’11
Thomas Smedile ’72 was selected by Philadelphia Magazine as a 5-Star Wealth Manager. Wadell Ridley ’77, a member of the SJP Board of Trustees, recently attended a conference at USF on trustees. [left]
Rev. John Swope, S.J. ’72, President of Cristo Rey Baltimore, has been named by the Daily Record to its list of “Influential Marylanders” for 2013. In honoring Fr. Swope, The Daily Record recognized the impact of Cristo Rey in the Baltimore community. Jerry Maginnis ’73 was elected vice president of the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a professional association. Maginnis is managing partner for KPMG’s Philadelphia office. Bill DeFeo ’74 serves as the Director of Finance for the Sisters of Mercy, Mid-Atlantic Community. Marc Liciardello ’74 was elected as chairman of the International Facility Management Association for the 2012-2013 year. Stephen Jones ’74 is pleased to announce the opening of a Bala Cynwyd office of his Boston based law firm, Jones & Geraghty. He splits his time between Boston and South Jersey. Br. David K. Betz, SM, ’75 has returned to California. As of August, Br. David has been in Cupertino living with the Cupertino Marianist Community where he is the Activity Coordinator and Member of the Care Team. Br. David is responsible for planning and coordinating activities for the brothers and priests who are living in the retirement/health center community in Cupertino. He continues to use his social work skills in collaboration with the community director and director of nursing coordinating the health care concerns for the members of the community. Anthony Cirillo ’75 had his perspective “Uniting the Continuum of Care” selected for presentation at the Perspectives in Nutrition and Aging: A National Summit, held in August in National Harbor, Md.
Fred Santarelli ’80 and his wife Letty continue to live in South Philadelphia with their daughters Tisha (17) and Alexis (14). Their son Freddie is a member of the Towson University football team. Letty is head coach of Neumann-Goretti girls varsity basketball team. Fred was voted Top 100 PA and Top 100 Philly by SuperLawyers for 2012.
Eric Hall ’78 was accepted into the doctoral program in Industrial and Systems Engineering at Mississippi State University for the Fall 2013 semester. Kevin Sweeney ’78 took command of Carrier Strike Group 10/Harry S. Truman. Jerry Wojt ’78 is currently the branch manager at the Scottrade, Inc. office in Allentown. Jerry is also a retired U.S. Naval Reserve Commander with 21 years of service.
1980s Board of Governors: Mark Burgoyne ’80, Matthew Finnegan ’80, Terrence Mulhern ’80, John O’Brien ’80, Frederick Santarelli ’80, Vincent Campo ’81, James King ’81, Paul Perpiglia ’81, Matthew Washlick ’81, James Dempsey ’82, Daniel Fahy ’82, Michael Feighan ’82, Stephen Fera ’82 (treasurer), Charles McGlynn ’82, Joseph Bergan ’83, David Cattai ’83, Stephen Gleason ’83, Joseph Martino ’83, Sean Sweeney ’83, Edward Villanueva ’83, John Branka ’84, Richard Brown ’84, Bernard Buckley ’84, Philip DeCamara ’84, Sean Fitzpatrick ’84, Joseph Kieffer ’84, Christopher McElroy ’84, Anthony Ambrosini ’85, Michael Broadhurst ’85, Andrew Lynch ’85 (immediate past president), Matthew Macdonald ’85, Charles Parsons ’85, G. Lawrence DeMarco ’86, Christopher DiPaolo ’86, Scott Grande ’86, Franz Loeber ’86, Jake Fruncillo ’87, Thomas Lavin ’87, Christopher Loeber ’87, William McKernan ’87, Stephen Calabro ’88, Jude Carey ’88, John Grugan ’88, Christopher Leonard ’88, Andrew McCloskey ’88, George Voegele ’88, Patrick Begley ’89, Kevin Emery ’89, Daniel Heenan ’89, Craig McHugh ’89, Mark Sullivan ’89
Jim Arimond ’81 was one of 50 teachers in the US to receive special recognition for innovative use of NASA Explorer School materials and exemplary use of best practices in teaching. Robert Buchanan ’81 works as a mate onboard a 4200 HP ocean tug moving oil barges on the east coast. In his spare time he serves as a captain on the Spirit of Philadelphia, Spirit of New York, and Spirit of New Jersey. John Kearns ’82 is a Senior Technical Writer at NBCUniversal in New York. He is the Treasurer of Irish American Writers and Artists (IAW&A) and Producer of the IAW&A Salons, where he frequently reads from his novel in progress, Worlds. John Corrigan ’82 has been living in Chicago area (Grayslake, Ill.) since 1989. He is married with two kids, Cam and Makenzie. In July 2010, he founded Mirovia Networks. Frank DeBenedetto ’82 is currently employed as Dining Services Director at Plush Mills Senior Living in Wallingford, and lives with his wife Claudia in Lansdowne. Thomas Monari ’82 announces that his daughter Jane graduated from Juilliard in 2010 and is currently studying at the Royal Academy of Music. His sons Patrick and Richard are attending Swarthmore College.
Support The Prep with your corporate tax dollars! EITC and OSTC are PA state programs that let you redirect your company’s tax dollars to the Prep instead of Harrisburg. The application takes 5 minutes. You receive a 90% tax credit. Our students receive a priceless financial aid gift. Help us today! The need is constant. Visit www.sjprep.org/EITC for more information. “The EITC program is a win-win giving incentive. The Prep receives tax free scholarship money while my firm earns a 90% tax credit on the donation I make. Every Prep-owned business should seriously consider the program.” - Chris Tretta ’71 Partner, Yost & Tretta, LLP
There is Still Time… OSTC still has $37 Million set to expire on June 30. Don’t miss this opportunity to direct your taxes to the school you love! WWW.SJPREP.ORG/PREPNEWS
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Bob Williamson ’82 currently works as an attorney with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Philadelphia office. In his spare time, he remains active in Democratic politics and with the local Georgetown alumni club.
Anthony SanFilippo ’91 has been hired as an Inside Reporter for the Robert Dobie ’84 is an associate professor of philosophy at Philadelphia LaSalle University. He recently published a book entitled Logos & Flyers, with most Revelation. of his work appearing on Adrian R. King, Jr. ’85 will serve as First Deputy Attorney Gen- philadelphiaflyers.com. He was photographed rinkside on Openeral for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Most recently, Mr. ing Night with Prep dad Joe Kadlec. King was a partner at Ballard Spahr, LLP where he was a member of the Business and Finance Department and Co-Chair of Brendan Curley ’92 and his wife Cara have two children, both the Government and Regulatory Affairs and P3/InfrastrucAidan and Claire. ture Practice Groups. Stephen J. Kriz ’92 was recently recognized for 10 years of Kevin Quinn ’85 is Vice President for Advancement at service at CBRE, Inc. In addition he was promoted to First Vice Immaculata University. President in their Wayne office. Prep 1985 alums gathered at Turtle Creek Golf Club in Limerick, PA for a round of golf. [L to R] Tom Kane, Andy Lynch, Matt Swanick, Vince Wallace, Kevin Rawlings, and Billy Winters
Chris Murphy ’92 is now practicing with the firm of Papano and Breslin in Brookhaven, specializing in elder law and was recently named a Rising Star as voted in PA Super Lawyers Magazine.
Michael Santora ’02 is scheduled to graduate from Boston College in May 2013 with an MBA in Finance. Ed Quinn ’02 recently moved back to Philly and is a member of the Temple Law Class of 2014 and Coast Guard JAG. Gregory Brun ’02 recently married his wife Andrea and the two made a move to Columbus, Ohio. Andrew Weber ’02 is in Nairobi, Kenya volunteering for Zidisha Microfinance. While away in Lamu Island, Kenya, one weekend, he ran into this gentleman wearing a SJP shirt. [left] Edward Fenlon ’02 graduated Summa Cum Laude, first in his class, from Georgetown Med School in May 2012. He will be completing his one year internship at Flushing Hospital Medical Center in New York and then head back to Philadelphia for his residency in Radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Edward and his fiancée, Jillian Schroeder, plan to marry in October 2013.
Tom McAvoy ’96 and his wife Kelly currently live in Great Falls, Mt. with their three children. Tom is currently deployed in Drayton Smith ’02 is now a dentist practicing in Broomall. Afghanistan to serve in a Civil Affairs Unit to help bring peace and security to the area. This is Tom’s fourth deployment to the Stephen Fromhold ’02 is in his fifth year teaching science at Middle East. DePaul Catholic School.
Col. Kevin Vizzarri ’85 has assumed command of the 166th Aviation Brigade, which provides pre-mobilization training for units across the US and post-mobilization for training for all National Guard and reserve aviation formations. This command marks a promotion for Vizzarri, who had been a fellow at the U.S. Army War College in Rome, Italy.
Christopher Budano ’96 graduated from the University of Maryland in August 2012 with a PhD in curriculum and instructions in education.
Ryan Grace ’02 is working as an assistant district attorney in the special victims unit of the Delaware County District Attorneys office.
Ryan O’Rourke ’97 got married to his wife Jen in 2010 and just welcomed their first baby boy, Brendan, in February 2012.
Greg Savarese ’02 and his wife Sally live in Beijing, China.
Brandon Brown ’87 has been appointed to the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on African American Males. He serves as the regional coordinator for his fraternity’s mentoring program.
Jason Mulgrew ’97 has released a next book, 236 Pounds of Class Vice President. The title comes from the slogan of his (successful) student council run while at the Prep, and is a memoir about his years at SJP.
John Coppinger ’87 is proud to report that his son, John IV, is a freshman this year at the Prep.
Michael A. Ambrosini ’98 recently opened The Promenade Car Wash in Marlton, NJ.
R. Michael Wolk ’87 has two small children, Mandy (8) and Michael (6). He is still working at Apple (13 years), collecting cars, and simply enjoying life. Justin McGlynn ’87 is an attorney with the law firm of Christie, Pabarue, Mortensen, and Young. He has 3 children: Norah (6), Justin (5), and Elyse (3).
1990s Board of Governors: Bill Avington ’90, Joseph Daniels ’90, James DeMarco ’90, Robert Irwin ’90, Hagop Keshishian ’90, Thomas Marsden ’90, Michael Mooney ’90, Jason Zazyczny ’90, Joseph Armstrong ’91, Joseph Braut ’91, Emanuele Buonamici ’91, Craig Dimitri ’91, Brian McCloskey ’91, James McCollum ’91, Kevin McGowan ’91, Geno Rapone ’91, Anthony Torre ’91, Mario Crestani ’92, Brendan Curley ’92, Stephen Kriz ’92 (secretary), Kenneth Kryst ’92, Joseph Saloma ’92, Jeffrey Smith ’92, Brendan Sullivan ’92, Joseph Casacio ’93, Bernard Coney ’93, Thomas Cretella ’93, Michael Dougherty ’93, James Gabriele ’93, Terrance Houston ’93, David Jacovini ’93, Damian Lavelle ’93, Keir Politz ’93, Joseph DeMarco ’94, Thomas Farren ’94, Brian Pearce ’94, John Regan ’94, John Avicolli ’95, Benjamin Crowley ’95, Michael Gallagher ’95, Dennis Hart ’95, Anthony Hayden ’95, Nevin McGinley ’95, Timothy Murphy ’95, Joseph Talluto ’95, Michael Thomas ’95, John Corey ’96, Joseph DeCamara ’96, Mark Glanzmann ’96, Christopher Komelasky ’96, Francis McCartan ’96, Christopher Barone ’97, David Falcone ’97, Ryan Flynn ’97, Gabriel Gliwa ’97, Brian Kraus ’97, Brian Madden ’97, Ryan Carney ’98, Daniel Cram ’98, Alfred Garfall ’98, Sean Killeen ’98, Kevin Komelasky ’98, Larry Walker ’98, Howard Brown ’99, Eric Cahill ’99, Kevin Dougher ’99, Shane Funston ’99, Brian Kearney ’99, Scott Mullen ’99
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THE PREP NEWS SPRING 2013
Alumni celebrating Patrick Travers’ bachelor party met up with Mayor Nutter! [L-r] Dan Coleman ’02, Sean Travers ’09, Mayor Michael Nutter ’75, John Fife ’98, Patrick Travers ’03, Joe Fallon ’02
2000s Board of Governors: Daniel Cellucci ’00, Kevin Maloney ’00, Anselm Sauter ’00, Michael Barker ’01, Matthew Battipaglia ’01, Michael Campo ’01, Ronald Donatucci ’01, Harry Egner ’01, Christopher Egoville ’01, Michael Fitzpatrick ’01, Benjamin Haney ’01, Brendan Murphy ’01, Andrew Davis ’02, Stephen Fromhold ’02, Kevin Gilbert ’02, Justin Hopkins ’02, Matthew Kelly ’02, Martin Quinn ’02, Matthew Schwartz ’02, William St. Clair ’02, John Cycon ’03, John Kilroy ’03, Mark Zoller ’03, Matthew Cary ’04, Patrick Daley ’04, Andrew Tosto ’04, John Connolly ’05, Matthew Boccuti ’06, Brian Bennett ’07, Joseph Cirucci ’07, Christian Henry ’07, David Binder ’08, Joseph Kelly ’08, Robert McDonald ’08
Mark Gress ’01 was recently named Associate Director of Employer Relations at Arcadia University. Matthew Harm ’01 was recently named to the Economics Pennsylvania western region Advisory Board in Pittsburgh. Arthur Kay ’01 presented two sessions at the ThatConference, held August 13-15, 2012 in the Wisconsin Dells. It is a premier software conference focusing on Mobile, Web and Cloud technologies, and hosts over 1,000 developers from around the world. Christopher Kurek ’01 is now working at the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office as a Deputy Attorney General. Rob Nguyen ’01s documentary short film, “Walking Merchandise: child trafficking and the snakehead trade” will screen as part of LaSalle University’s Diplomat-in-Residence program.
Steven Boc ’04 was Southeast PA director of Election Day Operations for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. He attended the Republican National Convention this August in Tampa, Fla. John McAvoy ’05 of Exton took his Oath for Limited Practice of Law. He is in his final year of law school and will serve in the Delaware Civil Clinic. Matthew McCabe ’05 was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a Board Member for the Corporation for National and Community Service. McCabe was nominated by President Obama in 2011 to serve on the board which oversees national service programs in the United States such as AmeriCorps, NCCC and AmericorpsVISTA. McCabe is currently a high school history teacher and 2012 Teach+ Policy Fellow in Chicago where he participated in Teach For America from 2009-2011. James Schlucter ’05 helps organize a basketball league in Philadelphia which sponsored a trip to Jamaica where they ran a camp for underprivileged youth in the mornings and adults in the evenings. They built courts, solar panel lights, and gave away hundreds of shirts and pairs of socks and sneakers. John Hendrickson ’06, formerly the Managing Editor of Reverb at the Denver Post, has been named the Entertainment Editor at Digital First Media in New York City.
CLASS NOTES Will Reardon’06 is head groundskeeper for the Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium, “Home of the Newark Bears”, in Newark, N.J. Under Will’s management, the baseball field was awarded “Playing Surface of the Year” in the Can-Am League, an independent minor league that is combined with the American Association of Baseball in the Midwest. Will graduated from Rutgers University-Cook College in 2010 with a B.S. Degree in Plant Sciences, specializing in Sports Turf Management.
Mike Pinciotti ’09 a senior offensive guard at the University of Pennsylvania, is part of the Class of 2013 at Penn that has the distinction of winning the Ivy League football title three of its four years. This marks only the fifth time in the 119-year history of the Ivy League that a class has accomplished this feat. Mike was also a 2nd team All -Ivy selection in 2012. Perry Russom ’09 interned with NBC at the Summer Olympics, covering boxing.
Stephen Coleman ’07 graduated from Widener University and is involved in various volunteer organizations such as Philabundance. Matthew Dolan ’07 is currently Head Varsity Basketball coach at Christopher Dock High School. Christopher Gannon ’07 is a lieutenant in the Army National Guard, currently on active duty at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri attending the Military Police Basic Officer Leadership Course. Michael Gennaro ’07 represented the US in the 2012 Summer Olympics as an alternate for the US men’s rowing team. Nicholas Hurrey ’07 is currently pursuing a doctorate in pharmacy; anticipated graduation in May 2013. Second Lieutenants Sean C. Sasso [left] and Jeffrey M. Battipaglia, both Class of 2007, at graduation ceremonies of The Basic School of the U.S. Marine Corps in September, 2012.
Greg Taylor ’07 is a Student Naval Aviator stationed at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi. He is currently going through intermediate and advanced jet training with his training squadron, the VT-7 Eagles. Timothy Primick ’08 has accepted a position as the Administrative Assistant for the Department of General Studies at Jefferson University. He will oversee the Jeff-at-Night program for the Jefferson School of Health Professions. Samuel Settle ’08 was recruited as the finance and fundraising assistant for the campaign of Patrick Morrisey, the Republican challenger for Attorney General of West Virginia. Morrisey, a former New Jersey congressional candidate, defeated the five-term incumbent and is the first Republican in 80 years to serve as Attorney General of WV. Samuel was the youngest paid staff member on the campaign. Samuel is a candidate for the Alumni Council, which governs the Penn State Alumni Association. John Pedicino ’08 graduated from Fordham University Gabelli School of Business in May with a B.S. in Business Administration. He is now working in the advertising firm Universal McCann in New York City as an Analyst. Ernie Menold ’08 is teaching in Bangkok, Thailand for a year. He joined a men’s ice hockey league there and got the chance to skate with Johnny Oduya, an active member of the Chicago Blackhawks.
2010s Jeremiah Clark ’11 was recently recognized as a member of Sigma Alpha Lambda, National Leadership and Honors Organization at the University of Pittsburgh. Tyler Tynes ’11 began as a journalist for the Huffington Post in 2012 writing in the college section and sports sections. Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton ’11 recently appeared as the title character in the Penn State Centre Stage production of “Sweeney Todd.” Bridson M.D. Wallace ’12 recently competed at the South Hill Pittsburgh Karate Championships and won two Grand Championships - in sparring and forms.
T HA N K YOU F OR B EI N G … THE W HO M A K ES A DI F FE RE NC E!
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The Prep Fund supports all the things that make the Prep great. All gifts made by June 30, 2013 will continue to make a difference in this year’s programs! Donate now at www.sjprep.org/giving
F i n a n ci a l Ai d C lu b s & Act i v i t i e s Sch ol a rs h i p s Ka ir os C ap e & Sword Rug by Exce p t i on a l Fa cu lt y C om m en ce m en t B a s e b a ll AP Ex a m s B a cca l au re a te Cre w B an d Se r v i ce Tr i p s Fore n s i cs Tre b l em a ke r s Ju n i or Ri n g Mas s WWW.SJPREP.ORG/PREPNEWS
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CLASS NOTES
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BIRTHS Iris Amelia to Scott & Leslie McKinley, Assistant to the Principal [1] Maeve Elizabeth to Patrick & Colleen McManus, Prep Instructional [2]
Technology Specialist
Maggie Elizabeth Joy to Angelina & Chris Vargo ’77
Laura Prior & Peter Mellen ’03 were
Flynn Emmi to Monica & Stephen Molasky ’87 [3]
married on June 16, 2012.
Patrick Liam Dolan Jr. to Stacey & Patrick Dolan ’88
Back Row: Michael Beck ’03, Mike Kirk ’05, Nate Egner ’03, Larry Wargo ’06, John Noel ’03, Pat James ’03, Ted Beck ’10, Matt Beck ’06, Jacques Bagley ’90, Matt Mellen ’10, Greg Mellen ’05. Front Row: Henry Schober ’03, Laura Prior, Peter Mellen ’03, Dan Kirk ’03, Mike Hass ’03.
Luke Joseph to Julie & Jim McLaughlin ’91 [4] Maron Elizabeth to Beth & Gregory Feliciani ’94 Christopher Thomas to Gwenn & Michael Nolan ’98 [5]
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Michael Francis to Meghann & Michael Musial ’98 [6] Jordin Marie to Tracy & Matt Faber ’00 [7]
Andrea Hammer & Greg Taylor ’07 were married on September 29, 2012.
MARRIAGES
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Margery Mark and Peter Farmer ’61 [1] Natalia Elizabeth Dominguez and Bernard Buckley ’84 [2] Rebecca Knab and Brian McMicken ’95 [3]
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Katie Guest and Christopher Kurek ’01 Kristen Davis and John Cooper ’03 From left: Brendan Stallard ’03, Richard Cooper ’99, John Cooper ’03, Kristen Davis Cooper, Sean Mitchell ’03, Greg Connors ’02, Dan Fitzpatrick ’03. [4] Laura Prior and Peter Mellen ’03 Maura Kelley and Patrick Travers ’03 Back Row: Bryan Tracy ’98, John Fife ’98, Andrew Rice ’03, Fr. J Patrick Hough, SJ, Brendan Stallard ‘03, Sean Travers ’09, Patrick Travers’03, Trevor Echelmeier ’03. Front Row: Joseph Fallon ’02, Ryan Cobb ’03 and Daniel Fitzpatrick ’03 [5] Abigail Barrett and John Fitzpatrick ’04 Andrea Hammer and Greg Taylor ’07
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THE PREP NEWS SPRING 2013
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(as reported to the Prep by 2/12/13)
Walter J. Romejko ’30
Nicholas C. Pedano ’52
Edward A. Filmyer Jr. ’36
Walter J. Riedemann Jr. ’52
Earl W. Martin, ’38
E. Kane Casani ’53
John L. Murphy ’38
Thomas F. Jennings ’53
John W. Whelan ’38
John F. Morrow ’53
Thomas F. Brophy Jr. ’41
James J. Shannon ’53
Michael C. Goglia Jr. ’41
Richard F. Hyland ’55
Joseph T. Wood ’41
Louis C. Flanagan ’56
Albert J. Drueding Jr. ’42
George R. Donges ’57
Rev. Henry J. Erhart S.J. ’42
Edward J. Gottsman ’57
Robert J. Kane ’42
Martin E. Kondrath ’57
William J. Kelly Jr. ’43
Robert B. Mahoney ’58
Edward N. Slamon ’44
John J. Toto ’58
Robert M. Gillin ’45
J. Michael DeLone III ’59
William D. Keenehan Jr. ’45
Gerald J. Fitzpatrick S.J. ’59
W. Frank Kelley ’45
John F. Gormley ’59
Paul W. Baker ’46
Guy D. Dolente Jr. ’62
Thomas E. Eichman ’46
Daniel L. Thistle II ’62
Joseph L. Tenaglia ’47
Ronald F. Bove ’63
Vincent S. Dougherty ’48
John A. Boyce ’64
John W. Magee Jr. ’49
G. Charles Reice ’64
Robert A. Nolen Jr. ’49
Dennis E. Haggerty ’65
Robert E. Timby DDS ’49
Robert F. Giangiulio ’68
Edward F. Collins ’50
Joseph P. Ryan ’69
Thomas J. McCormick Jr. ’50
Fred J. Papaleo ’72
William P. Phipps Jr. ’50
Michael A. Parcheta ’74
John D. Apple USN ’52
Luciano Tribuiani ’82
Walter D. Forrester III ’52
David J. McDonnell ’86
Dante S. LaRocca PhD ’52
Steven A. Ranjo ’90
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27
TRADITIO N
PERSPECTIVES
THE
BY ANTHONY SANFILIPPO ’91
A Prep grad tells us how the Class of 1991 continues a Thanksgiving tradition, showing that Prep ties last forever. It’s funny sometimes how traditions get started. It was December 1988 and Craig Dimitri ’91 was having a holiday party at his house in Northeast Philadelphia. And while the Christmas music was churning constantly through the stereo, setting the mood in the Dimitri home, the focus of the eight boys in attendance at the party was on the television, where the Nintendo gaming system – and specifically Tecmo Bowl – was getting the competitive juices flowing. So while Craig and classmate Jim McLaughlin were in the middle of a particularly heated battle between their favorite teams – the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins respectfully – something just clicked in my head and I blurted out to the room, “Who wants to play touch football?” It took a little cajoling for the whole group to buy-in to the idea, but the weather was mild, the sun was shining, and Craig’s mom could use the break from eight teenagers taking over her living room, so out we went to a nearby field. Being someone who always liked to take on seemingly impossible odds, I boldly proclaimed that I could win with the guys who didn’t often play football as a recreational activity, leaving the more football savvy group to play together.
following September, at a birthday party for Craig, we rehashed the game from the previous winter. It was there that we put in place a plan to play a bigger version of the game with more players – him creating his team, and me creating mine.
Which I did for the first time in 1992, in dramatic fashion, throwing the winning score to my then-10-year-old cousin, someone Craig’s group never expected to be involved with the game-deciding play in overtime.
It was set – the game would be played the day after Thanksgiving. We would play at a neutral site – Craig picked Saint Joseph’s University because they had just put in an Astroturf soccer field (and it was exciting for us as teenagers to want to play on turf rather than grass and dirt).
After that game and the ensuing celebration, I had a “now what?,” moment.
Craig would bring a posse of Prep students. I did the same, but also brought out some family members and some old friends from my West Philadelphia neighborhood where I grew up.
“We had a couple of years of 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 – which meant a lot of running for everyone, but we never let the tradition die,” Dimitri said. “It was especially important to us during our college and grad school years, because everyone was home at Thanksgiving, and we could reconnect with each other in person.”
Joining me were Mike Taylor ’91, Mark LoSasso ’91 and Victor Rauch ’92. On the other side were Dimitri, McLaughlin, Matt Craig won. I was annoyed… again. Forcina ’91 and Anthony Torre ’91. We decided to do it again the next year. Suffice it to say, my team lost. But, only Craig won again. My frustration level was by one score – as I tried to pull out every through the roof. trick play in the book in an effort to keep And although we were all headed off to the game close – and it almost worked varying colleges around the country, I perfectly. wasn’t going to let the game end until I wasn’t satisfied by that defeat, and the I won.
28
THE PREP NEWS SPRING 2013
Where would the game go from here? With all of us in college, what were the odds of keeping this thing going? I figured I’d keep trying every year and as long as there was interest, we’d give it a whirl.
This past November 23, we played the 25th annual game – on that same turf field at St. Joe’s. Oh, the game has changed considerably over the years. We now play flag football.
...L IV ES ON!
Craig Dimitri ’91, an original participant, is now the referee
Top photo: Longtime participants: [l-r] Victor Rauch ’92, Craig Dimitri ’91, Jonathan DiRenzi ’91 and Anthony Torre ’91. Bottom photo: Anthony San Filippo ’91 (#37) makes an interception in the 2012 game.
Craig doesn’t play anymore, but he is the referee who we yell at for missed calls all the time. And with us in our late 30’s, we now have families, and the kids come out to play too. Every year the game is offered to Prep alums first, specifically members of the Class of 1991, but anyone is welcome to play. In November, I won for the first time since 2008, and was able to proudly raise the trophy that Craig had made in 1996 for the game. It’s beat up. It’s missing a golden eagle that was broken off the first day we had it when my cousin sat on it accidentally, but it’s still there.
“Anthony was always dragging me to different things when we were kids,” DiRienzi said. “But now he doesn’t need to even call. I know to show up at St. Joe’s on the morning after Thanksgiving ready to play.” DiRienzi wears the same jersey he’s worn for years. Torre has the same sneakers from the original game in 1988. “They stay in the back of my closet and only come out once a year,” Torre said. McLaughlin has played in 20 of the 25 games while countless other classmates have been a part of the game over the years as well.
every year, not for the winning or losing, or even playing for that matter, but just knowing that I’m taking part in something special related to the Prep that I think will go on forever.” Though others may play, including my oldest son Anthony (a junior at Springfield HS), the game promises to be a Prep tradition for many years. My fifth-grade son Andrew got to score a touchdown this year. Afterwards, he came up to me and said, “Dad, I’m going to be playing in this game when I’m 38 with my friends from the Prep class of 2020.”
I guess that means he’ll be writing about the 50th anniversary of the game. I may not From Stefan Politz ’91 to Brian McCloskey The trophy has been stolen, left in ’91. From Carlo Sena ’91 to Fred Short ’91. be playing still at that point, but God restaurants, lost in storage, shipped through From Matt McCormick ’91 to Kevin willing, I’ll still be there on the sidelines the mail and has had countless other watching. And I’m betting at the very McGowan ’91 – who simply showed up for encounters, but it still exists. And we are least Dimitri, Torre and DiRienzi will the annual postgame social at Chili’s - the proud of it, no matter how junky it looks be there too. game has been a part of the Class of ’91 today. (and the Prep) for a quarter century. Craig, Torre and I are the only three “It’s really indicative of the spirit of members to have been a part of all 25 camaraderie and tradition that was instilled Anthony SanFilippo ’91 is the Inside Reporter for the games but honorable mention goes to Philadelphia Flyers. He can be read on PhiladelphiaFlyin us when we matriculated at the Prep,” Jonathan DiRienzi ’91, who has played in ers.com and his blog at FlyersInsideOut.com. He can also Torre said. “It’s a day I look forward to be followed on Twitter @AnthonySan37. all but the original game. WWW.SJPREP.ORG/PREPNEWS
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