NEWS
S T. J O S E P H ’ S P R E PA R A T O R Y S C H O O L SPRING 2017 ISSUE
STEM AT THE PREP PG. 12
MEET OUR NEW PRINCIPAL & JESUIT PG. 6
CAPE AND SWORD'S BANNER YEAR PG. 42
A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
While continuing our long-standing classical tradition, the Prep has launched more fully into STEM— Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. Many of our students are utilizing these Prep experiences to prepare for their college and careers. Dear Friends, As the Class of 2020, our Freshman, entered their second semester you can often see a change. Young men, who were good before, after a few short months at 17th and Girard are now even better. They open doors for others, they shake hands and look you in the eye when they are speaking. These young men who were the best and brightest of their grade school are now immersed in a world where they encourage each other to excel. Academics are more challenging than back in their grade school days. At St. Joseph’s Prep, the students work to get their A. And they are more proud than ever. Indeed, we are proud as well. I see these students outside my office on Friday afternoons with their ties loosened and their shirts untucked. When the final bell rings, the fun begins. And no one wants to leave. This is the Prep that they love the most. Whether it is a pick-up basketball game, playing Xbox in the Mission and Ministry Office, preparing for Cape and Sword auditions or simply finding a place to hang out, the students stay and develop the bond—the brotherhood—that will continue to grow strong through college and their professional lives. The stories in this issue of the Prep News highlight our students as well as recent alumni who not long ago were young men roaming through the halls and wondering how the lessons they were learning would impact other’s lives.
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• Liam Nestor ’16 is on a full scholarship at the University of Alabama, but maybe not for a reason you would normally associate the school: he is on a Robotics scholarship, an activity in which he first participated in here at the Prep. • John Reid ’15 is pretty well known as one of the best football players in Prep history; however, that is not why he is being profiled. Instead, we will focus on his work in Penn State’s renowned Computer Science program. It has been well reported that he built his own computer but he is also involved in a very rigorous program at a top tech school. A Jesuit education is a gift that we are privileged to share with the young men who walk through our doors each day and become the men that God calls them to be. I humbly thank you, our friends and benefactors, for continuing to support our students through your many gifts to our school. The Prep is truly blessed to have the most proud and dedicated alumni and parents that I have ever met.
Sincerely,
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION PRESIDENT: REV. JOHN W. SWOPE, SJ ’72 PRINCIPAL: JASON ZAZYCZNY ’90 CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER: BETH VANDER VENNET CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: RICK SCANLAN CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER: BETSY COURTNEY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR: MR. JAMES J. MERGIOTTI ’71 VICE CHAIR: MS. M. SHAWN BORT MR. JEREMIAH J. BUCKLEY ’78 SHEILA BRENNAN CONNOR, ESQ. MR. TERENCE J. CONNORS ’72 MR. STEPHEN FERA ’82 REV. BRIAN B. FRAIN, S.J. MICHAEL GAYDA, ESQ. ’72 MR. STEPHEN J. GLEASON ’83 MARIANNE T. RITCHIE GORDON, M.D. MR. ANTHONY J. HAYDEN ’95 MR. BRENDAN P. JOHNSON ’88 PAUL J. JASKOT ’86, ESQ. REV. DANIEL R.J. JOYCE, S.J. JOSEPH D. MANCANO, ESQ. ’72 REV. RICHARD MCCOUCH, S.J. MR. WILLIAM T. MCKERNAN ’87 MR. MICHAEL P. MORAN ’74 MR. JOHN M. NATALE ’72 REV. THOMAS A. PESCI, S.J. ’67 ANTHONY C. STEVENSON, ED.D. REV. JOHN W. SWOPE, S.J. ’72 CHRISTOPHER M. TRETTA, ESQ. ’71 Effective as of 4/15/17
THE PREP NEWS CREDITS EDITORS: BILL AVINGTON ’90 & AUDRA BRADY DESIGNER: SARAH SHAAK CREATIVE LLC PHOTOGRAPHERS: MELISSA KELLY, FRANK RAFFA CLASS NOTES COMPILED BY: DEBBIE DIMARZIO
Rev. John W. Swope, SJ ’72 President
PREP BUZZ WHAT YOU’RE SAYING COMMENTS FROM THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mr. Vaccaro @MrVacarro1
The Hurado Walk- taking Hurtado to the streets of Philadelphia @SJPrep_MandM @Bethesda_Proj @St_Francis_Inn @sjprep sjphurtadopantry.blog.spot.com/2017/01/the-20...
Jay Woods @JayWoods3
Loved hosting my high school, St. Joe's Prep, at the NYSE. Special thanks @BillGriffeth and @BobPisani for taking time to say hello.
Jim Kenney @JimFKenney @SJPREP @SJPCapeandSword I so miss my days there! Oh, to turn back the clock.
Dan Baker
Congratulations to Philadelphia and basketball legend, St. Joseph's Prep's Speedy Morris on his 700th high school win! When he speaks, you listen!!
Mia Petruzzelli Nigrelli Amen to St. Joseph's Prep. Teaching love kindness and brotherhood. Thank u! For teaching the same things we teach at home!
Kathleen Montgomery
I cannot tell you how much this program has, not only enriched our girls' lives, but our lives as their parents. Art truly is life. And AXB, Sonny, and the rest of the crew have been putting up with me for quite a few years now. They deserve an award just for that!
@gmcginge
Feature Story 12 STEM AT THE PREP
Sections 3
PREP BUZZ
4
PREP SPIRIT STATE CHAMPS
6
SCHOOL NEWS
10 MEN FOR AND WITH OTHERS 22 DEVELOPMENT 28 VILLIGER ARCHIVES 42 PERSPECTIVES "A BANNER YEAR FOR CAPE AND SWORD”
I walked into this incredible chapel this morning and spoke with 1,000 young men about #race #cleanwater and #socialjustice. What an incredible experience. @st_josephs_prep @digdeepwater
Notes 30 FACULTY/STAFF NOTES 32 CLASS NOTES Gesu School
@st_josephs_prep Thanksgiving Food Drive Rally has begun. Over 350 baskets are being assembled to be delivered on Tuesday. #GoPrep
FIND US ONLINE!
Congratulations to Paris, Gesu Class of 2017, on receiving a scholarship to St. Joseph's Prep at their Scholarship Awards Dinner! Gesu School is tremendously proud of Paris and his accomplishments!
39 BABIES 40 WEDDINGS 41 IN MEMORIAM
THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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PREP SPIRIT
STATE CHAMPIONS BY THE NUMBERS
14
#1
Wins
in PA
4
Players on All-PA Team
3
rd
4
#8
State Title
in US
(in 4 years)
(according to USA Today)
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16
Seniors committed to play
D'ANDRE SWIFT SPOTLIGHT
College Football
#7
3rd Retired Number in Program History
7
TDs vs LaSalle (school record)
4,112
Career Rushing Yards (school record)
5
Offensive Linemen
5
100+ Yard Games
selected as
All-Catholics (first in league history)
THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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SCHOOL NEWS
PETRUZZELLI RETURNS AS PRINCIPAL “A place that I love.” Those are the words that John Petruzzelli uses when describing St. Joseph’s Prep and now he gets the chance to lead it after being named principal. Petruzzelli replaces Jason Zazyczny ’90 who will return to the faculty as a member of the History Department. Petruzzelli’s hiring was announced by Prep President Rev. John W. Swope, SJ ’72 after a thorough nationwide search that spanned several months. A committee--chaired by Trustee Dr. Anthony Stevenson and comprised of faculty, staff, students and a parent--met with several candidates and decided on a final three from which Petruzzelli rose to the top. “We are fortunate to welcome such an experienced educator to our school,” says Fr. Swope, who made the final decision after consultation with the committee and other colleagues and students. “In his 26 years in the education field, John has worked in nearly every aspect of secondary education and will bring those positive experiences with him to this position. The fact that he is also a familiar face to many here at the Prep is a benefit. He embraces our Jesuit mission and understands the importance of the Prep in Philadelphia. I am thrilled to welcome him
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back and look forward to working with him to elevate the great work of our school.” Petruzzelli’s tenure at the Prep spanned six years. From 19982004, he served on the Prep’s administrative team, first as Dean of Students (1998-2002) and then as Director of the Ignatian Service Program (2002-04). A native of Northeast Philadelphia, he returns to his hometown after 13 years away, most recently as the Principal of Bethlehem Catholic High School, a position he has held since 2010. “As a product of Catholic education, I value the chance to instill my lifelong love of learning into a new generation of students,” says Petruzzelli. “Having worked at the Prep, I have a deep love for the school and so appreciate the work it does helping students become ‘Men For and With Others.’ Along with Fr. Swope and the members of the Leadership Team, I am excited to continue the Prep’s outstanding legacy.”
FUN FACTS ABOUT MR. PETRUZZELLI 1. He has had a cameo in the last four drama performances at Bethlehem Catholic, including a role as a cowboy in this semester’s show, “Oklahoma” and an Italianspeaking chef in last year’s show, “Wonderful Town.”
2. In his seven years at BECA, the teams won nine state titles, including the most recent 4A Girls Basketball Championship.
3. He attended Our Lady of Calvary School, the same alma mater as five current Preppers.
4. He has a growing Philadelphia Phillies memorabilia collection and is an avid St. Joe’s University Basketball fan.
5. He believes the best cheesesteaks are made at D’Alessandro’s.
Petruzzelli holds degrees from Wilmington University (M.Ed., Secondary School Leadership and Instruction) and Saint Joseph’s University (B.A., History). At Bethlehem Catholic, he taught a history class while Principal and hopes to remain in the classroom at the Prep when possible.
FR. FREDERICO JOINS STAFF It is hard to meet Rev. Chuck Frederico, SJ without being infected by his enthusiasm. He is one of those people who thrives on others and nowhere was that more apparent than Fall 2015 when he and other Jesuits came to the Prep for the 2Philly4Francis pilgrimage. Even in the midst of the exciting opportunity to be in the presence of Pope Francis, there were moments that could be exhausting and draining. Nevertheless, Fr. Frederico had a smile on his face all four days, actively engaging as many participants as he could. For a man charged with increasing the Society’s Vocations, it was a great place to be and he took full advantage. “That was such an incredible moment in time to be a Jesuit in the US and to be in Philadelphia,” he says. “The energy level was amazing, all in the name of our Catholic faith and our Jesuit tradition. How could you not be excited by that?” Ordained in 2006, Fr. Frederico spent the past eight years in the position of Vocation Director, working with men as they discerned a calling to the Jesuits as a priest or brother. Though he loved that role tremendously, he is moving into a new area, one that he has equally great love for: ministry to high school students and colleagues. This summer, Fr. Frederico will become the Prep’s Director of Mission and Ministry, overseeing campus ministry and Ignatian service. He will also serve on the President’s Leadership
Team and manage the school community’s engagement with our Jesuit mission and identity. It is a role that he looks forward to with typical excitement. “All of the times I have visited the Prep, I have been so taken by the place, the pride the students have in their school, the work the Prep does in the community and the educational legacy it has in the city,” he says. “When the opportunity came to be assigned to the Prep, I jumped at it and can’t wait to get started.”
FUN FACTS ABOUT FR. FREDERICO 1. A native of Springfield, he is a big fan of the Philadelphia Eagles.
2. After high school, he trained at the Culinary Institute of America, earning a degree in Culinary Arts. He worked as a sous chef and maitre d’ at several fine restaurants while earning his Bachelor’s degree from Saint Joseph’s University.
3. He worked at Fordham Prep and Scranton Prep, where he coached boys and girls swimming during his regency.
4. He is well known for his Italian cooking.
5. He has served as a hospital chaplain and a tutor for immigrants.
THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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SCHOOL NEWS ▼
ALUMNI/ FATHER-SON COMMUNION BREAKFAST Former NFL MVP and current CBS broadcaster Rich Gannon ’83 was the keynote speaker at the annual Alumni/Father-Son Communion Breakfast, talking about the importance of his faith and how the Prep helped shape his life.
Above: Prep President Rev. John W. Swope, SJ ’72 (center) with the honorees: (l-r) Principato, Dunn, Sosnowski, Gannon.
CHINESE NEW YEAR
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To celebrate the Chinese New Year, the Prep hosted a celebration for its Chinese exchange students as well as Asian students from Merion Mercy Academy. Organized by Mrs. Mareile Watson, Director of International Programs, and a committee of Prep teachers and staff, the event featured Asian foods as well as presentations from the students on Chinese culture. As a special treat, the students’ families from China sent video greetings.
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THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
Awards were presented to Joe Dunn ’65 (Alumnus of the Year), Joe Sosnowski ’58 (Rev. Charles Schnorr, SJ Service Award) and Mike Principato ‘17 (Rev. David Sauter, SJ Award). Dunn and Sosnowski were honored for their support of the Prep and other Ignatian works while Principato received his award for his perseverance while overcoming a health issue while a student at the Prep.
HARRISBURG
▼
Seniors Ricky Goodson, Taron Hampton and Zavon Sample were in Harrisburg to meet members of the PA State House. Here they are with State Representative Donna Bullock.
HACK A THON
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Four Prep students (l-r, Nate Coulibaly ’18, Tim Harris ’18, Riley Herriman ’18 and Jake Howard ’17) and Comp Sci teacher Mrs. Teresa Hoffman, participated in a Hackathon at the University of Pennsylvania. The Prep students were among just a few HS students selected for this event which draws top college students from across the country as well as many major tech companies.
▼
WSJP BRACKET SHOW WSJP hosted a Bracket Breakdown show to preview the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. ESPN's Joe Lunardi, who is also an Associate Vice President at Saint Joseph's University, was a guest analyst. Lunardi attended the Prep for one year before his family moved to California and has many Prep connections (brother of Hank ’63 and uncle of Mark ’88 and Tim ’95, as well as the father of Lizzie MMA ’16 who appeared in Cape and Sword’s Night of Scenes). The show can be heard at www.blogtalkradio.com/WSJP.
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MEN FOR AND WITH OTHERS
STUDENTS REFLECT ON SERVICE CONOR BATTIN ’17 I am truly grateful to be a part of the Hurtado Food Pantry. Since Mr. Vaccaro started it a few years ago, its donations and outreach have grown every year. Last year, for example, the Pantry received sock donations and a few students helped hand them to a few homeless people along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This year, for the same event, we received over 308 pounds of donations that were used to make more than 40 bags for the homeless stocked with hats, gloves, socks, deodorant, soap, shampoo, and other types of toiletries. Led by Mr. Vaccaro and Mr. Deitch, two vans completely filled with students were used for the event. One group stopped
first at Our Brothers’ Place, a site for the Bethesda Project, where we delivered food that would help feed the 149 men who live there, in addition to many more experiencing homelessness that the shelter provides meals for. Once at the Parkway, both groups split up and began distributing the bags to the homeless nearby. Although it seemed like such a simple act for us, the students, to pack and deliver the bags, I will not forget the impact this gift had on those who received them. Everyone was extraordinarily grateful for the contents these bags, containing basic items that we often take for granted. I know that this experience had a large impact of the students involved, like myself, and I am sure that this event will continue to grow in size for years.
Conor Battin '17 (far right) with Hurtado Food Pantry Moderator Mr. Leo Vaccaro '05 and Jack Mitchell '17.
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JASON MILES ’17 I will be the first to admit that I was pretty tired on that day before Christmas Break and my first thought of the morning was of all the sleep I would get over the next two weeks. This feeling lingered through my arrival at school and even up until we entered St. Malachy School to begin Operation Warm. However, once the Mission & Ministry Leadership Board and staff got there, and we started setting up the library for coat distribution, I began to feel a quiet excitement. We had a job to do, and this job was to provide the kids with not only a jacket, but a great day. I could sense this duty beginning to overwhelm
Jason Miles '17 (upper left) and Pat McHale '18 distribute coats to students from St. Malachy's students during Operation Warm.
Students from St. Malachy's enjoying their new coats and candy canes during Operation Warm.
all the members on the board as everyone was focused entering the library. We worked together to set up the stations and organize the coats; the returning leaders on the Mission & Ministry Leadership Board last year recommended ideas that worked and we were able to organize the room effectively. Yet, even throughout this important task the group was light-hearted and joyful, getting out candy canes to be shared with the kids, while saving a few for ourselves as well. When the kids arrived to choose their coats, our work became more difficult, yet more rewarding. There were times that the process was frustrating because I wanted to do and be
David McCabe '19 (second from right) and fellow Preppers Scott Hibbs '19 and Jay Fogarty '18 with students from St. Malachy's during Operation Warm
more for each student. Sometimes a student wanted a coat that was clearly too large or we didn't have the color they desired, so our group had to persuade him or her to take a smaller coat or a different color. This small hurdle did not stop us. Seeing the students' smiles and excitement made the whole day worth it. It is great knowing that spending time with others and giving of one's self can make someone's day a little bit brighter.
DAVID MCCABE ’19 Operation Santa Claus is one of the biggest programs that happens here at the Prep. It is well-executed and for a great cause. Some people may only go shopping or only wrap gifts and both help immensely, but when you go for the whole day you get the privilege of seeing the entire process and seeing something
great come from nothing. The Christmas season is such a magical and joyous time, especially for children, and the Prep brings that to some who would not otherwise have it. We, as a school community, remarkably come together on this day and work for social justice within our larger Philadelphia community. Besides the Thanksgiving Food Drive, this event must have the greatest attendance annually. Parents, student, faculty, and even little siblings come out to help, and that speaks for itself. Then there's the party for everyone who gets their gifts. It brings a smile to my face and melts my heart to see those little kids go crazy over their new toys. After all that planning and all the hard work that MIssion & Ministry and the student body puts in, it pays off with that final result. Operation Santa Claus is by far my favorite service program at the Prep. THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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FEATURE STORY
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THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
STEM COURSES PREPARE STUDENTS FOR BRIGHT FUTURES What do you get when you combine 165 years of academic excellence, a passion for knowledge, the best and brightest students in the Delaware Valley, and a stalwart pledge to providing students with the skills necessary to succeed in today’s world? Simple: STEM at St. Joseph’s Prep. By Bill Avington ’90, Director of Communications
And why not? With a Jesuit education rooted in real-world experience and critical thinking, Prep graduates enter the college environment not only
sophisticated and aware, but also ready to solve problems and approach challenges in any arena--including all of today’s STEM fields. State-of-the-art labs, leadingedge instruction, new course offerings--they’re all benefits afforded to students who focus on STEM at the Prep--not to mention the chance to work collaboratively with engaged, industry-savvy faculty.
IF THE STORIES TO FOLLOW SURPRISE YOU, YOU MAY WANT TO GET USED TO IT, AS THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT— VERY BRIGHT—FOR STEM STUDENTS AT THE PREP.
▼
For more than a century and a half, the Prep has earned its stellar reputation as a second-to-none classical, liberal arts high school in Philadelphia. Alumni have prominently excelled in law, politics, education, etc., but what may be less well-known is the large number of St. Joseph Prep students and graduates flourishing in STEM fields (Science/Technology/ Engineering/Math).
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FEATURE STORY
STEM SCIENCE Science classes at the Prep are probably not what many alumni remember. Gone are the antiquated third-floor labs, built in the 1960s based on science education philosophy from the 1930s. Thanks to generous donations from friends such as Jim Maguire, the Maguire Foundation and others, in their place are state-of-theart learning centers dedicated completely to the discipline they teach. In addition to the Biology, Chemistry and Physics labs that generations of Prep students remember, students today have access to a Greenhouse, an Advanced Lab, a Physical Science Lab and an Environmental Science lab/classroom space. Department Chair Barbara
Brown, who designed the new labs along with colleague Joe Feighan, is rightly proud of the science spaces. “Today’s students are visual learners, fluent in technology who can
Science teacher Andrew Staub ’12 works on plant dissection in the newly renovated biology lab.
manipulate digital data easily,” she says. “The design of our labs takes that into consideration. Also, all labs are connected to flat screens/computers for live looks at experiments so that teaching happens all the time.” On this day, however, the Chemistry experiment being worked on was as low tech as it gets. Students were filling plastic bags with water to measure their volume and determine their capacity. The lab included
Seniors working on an experiment in the new Environmental Science lab.
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mostly math and measurements, a perfect example of the integration of science and math. “Technology is a tool but not the be-all/end-all,” says science teacher Joe Hendrzak. “Of course many of our experiments are high-tech and our labs are well equipped for that when needed, but our students need to learn all of the different methods of experimentation. Sometimes we rely on the old tried and true methods.” For Hendrzak, these are opportunities to see the many facets of science. “For nearly all of our students, this is their first exposure to deeper science,” he says. “We want them to see all that science can be, all that is possible. We want them to know that science has so many different uses. We want to motivate them to choose these fields.”
Hendrzak teaches chemistry and environmental science. He structures his labs to mimic the work done professionally. “They need to learn those critical skills to move forward,” he says. “In our labs, we measure, we process and then we report, bringing in analysis. That is exactly what I did for years in pharmaceutical labs.” In Environmental Science, he has students adopt a stream in their area. Over the course of the year, they go there to get measurements. Often this
Freshmen create “atoms” in new Physical Science lab.
has led to students finding a new appreciation for nature in their own backyards. “Science is everywhere around them,” an animated Hendrzak adds. “I encourage them to get out and see it for themselves.” That is the key, he says. “Science should never be boring. I want them to be excited by what they are doing.”
Kevin Sampson ’16 Viterbi Fellow and Presidential Scholar, University of Southern California ASTRONAUTICAL ENGINEERING It is not easy for undergraduates to land a job at the well-regarded CHAFF lab (Collaborative High Altitude Flow Facility) at the University of Southern California. Only seven students receive the coveted position each year and only one freshman. Just a few months into his college career, Kevin Sampson is one of those students. That prestigious honor, in addition to him being named an Undergraduate Fellow in USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering, has allowed Sampson to make quite a splash at his new school and he’ll tell you that many of the skills he learned at the Prep prepared him for his exciting, new work. “I learned new ways of looking at a problem, especially in my AP Physics class,” says Sampson. “Often, it helped me look at things as an engineer would. My math classes, my engineering classes and my computer sciences classes did that for me, too.” That can be especially important as he tries to learn the ropes in this high-level lab environment. The CHAFFs lab, which works in conjunction with Edwards Air Force Base, currently focuses on
small thrusters for tiny satellites or “CubeSats” (10 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm). For someone new, the amount of material to learn can be daunting. “I’ve had to ask them to explain it to me a few times so I can understand,” he says with a laugh. “But at the Prep, I learned what to do when given a problem to solve; I gained a mindset of thinking through a problem. Now, when I get a problem, I know the first thing to do, and that was a practice that we went over repeatedly at the Prep.” Sampson points to senior level labs as great training ground for college. “Taking AP Physics C and the Intro to Engineering classes, there were a lot of labs and not all of them ended smoothly,” he notes. “I remember one project, a mousetrap car, that we had worked on repeatedly and it worked well on the smooth, hard surface we were using in practice. Then, in competition, there was a rougher surface and nothing happened, much to our (and Mr. Murphy’s) disappointment. However, that experience taught me that you need to consider things that you ordinarily might not, which is good for an engineer.” He also remembers a Prep Physics lab to make radios. Sadly, only one group was able to successfully complete the task but that gave Sampson another realization. “That showed me how difficult putting things into action can be,” he remembers. “It gave me a good understanding of how things work and how difficult it is to make things work. That was one of the greatest things the Prep did for me. It gave me not only the experience of learning the information, but also of what I could expect in the real world."
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FEATURE STORY
STEM TECHNOLOGY The conference room was packed, a sea of college students and a din of chatter. It would be easy for four high school students to feel lost among the group of college students plus representatives from top tech companies like Apple and IBM as well as professors from Penn and other Ivy League institutions. But these four Prep students truly belonged, selected among just a handful of high school students to participate in a Hackathon at the University of Pennsylvania. “Hackathons help companies bridge the gap between what schools teach and what employers need,” said Teresa Hoffman, the Prep’s Computer Science Teacher who accompanied the students. “For our students, most of whom are novices, to be selected was a real honor and a chance for them to learn more about the field.” It is cliche to say that technology is important. In fact, it is more than that. Technology figures into nearly everything we do and touch. It isn’t simply nice to know...it is vital for students to learn technology, to give themselves access to this world that impacts their lives so deeply. At the Prep, Hoffman teaches several levels of Computer Science, from Intro to Programming to AP Computer Science. And while theory and technique is
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THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
Students from the Robotics team test out their competition robots.
important, Hoffman makes sure that the students are learning practical information, too.
Enrique Feliciano ’17 is a student who greatly benefitted from the Prep’s technology offerings. When he entered SJP, Computer Science was a possible career choice in the back of his mind but he was more focused on medicine or engineering. It was Intro to Programming as a junior that influenced him to pursue Comp Sci in college. “The first time I was able to complete a project on my own, from my own work, my own knowledge, was so fulfilling,” says Feliciano, who recently received a full scholarship to Drexel to study Computer Science. “Mrs. Hoffman made it so interesting. She showed us the code of some of the games that we played and how it wasn’t very different from what we had already learned. That gave me confidence.”
Last year, Hoffman accompanied four Prep juniors to Penn each week to work with the chair of the computer science program to help underrepresented students learn more about the field in the hopes that they will major in computer science in college. One student worked to change his schedule to try and accommodate Calculus BC which is needed for most highlevel Comp Sci programs. “It is really important for our students to know what is possible, and understand the relevancy and impact programming will have in any field they choose,” says Hoffman. She also co-coaches the Robotics team with Science Teacher Kristin Collins. The group made the playoffs in their first season and this year expanded to host a high school tournament of their own.
“The first time I was able to complete a project on my own, from
Reid (right) with Rich Gannon '83, two of the three Prep football players who have had their numbers retired.
my own work, my own knowledge,
John Reid ’15
was so fulfilling.”
COMPUTATIONAL DATA SCIENCE
—Enrique Feliciano ’17
Feliciano sees the obvious connections between the other STEM fields and Computer Science. “Math is very much involved in Comp Sci, especially with binary codes, etc.,” he says. He also mentioned the intersection of engineering in things like robots and science in experimenting and problem solving. In fact, he wants to be a computer engineer, a mix of knowledge and hands on work.
Constructing the robot for competition in the specially designed Robotics room, complete with a competition ring.
Penn State University
When people think of Reid, they most likely know of his athletic talent. His play on the football field helped Reid land a spot as one of just three names on a banner of retired numbers hanging on the wall of Kelly Fieldhouse. But for many teachers at the school, his intellect, hard work and love of computers stand equal to his excellence on the field. “Whether it was researching the latest tech gadgets, tweaking his own selfbuilt computer or practicing writing code, it was clear John was bound for Computer Science in college,” says Mrs. Hoffman. “He has an undeniable passion for all things technology, which was contagious among his peers." “I remember taking computer science classes at the Prep, first with Mr. (Kevin) Dietzler and then with Mrs. (Teresa) Hoffman. They were my favorite classes,” Reid remembers. Reid is a Computational Data Science major at Penn State University as well as a defensive back on their Big 10 Championship football team. Though not exactly an academic road favored by many high-level college athletes, for Reid it combines his love of computer science with statistics and he hopes it will lead to work with machines, networks and software.
“Actually, comp sci reminds me a lot of football,” he notes. “With both, if you put the time in and work hard, you can be good at it. And both are complex so that you can keep learning no matter how much you know.” Hard work is something on which he thrives. When he went to visit Penn State as a senior, the Lions’ coaches were amazed that he chose to spend time with them watching film rather than joining other recruits at social events. “Football is not necessarily a game where you are instantly good, you have to work at it,” Reid says. “Computers and software are the same way.” Two years into college, Reid is grateful for the classes that he took at the Prep. “Being exposed to comp sci as a junior in high school definitely helped me a lot,” he says. “The learning curve at Penn State wasn’t nearly as steep as it could have been.” Some inkling of his future career path may have been there as a high school sophomore when he built his own computer. Even then, it was his competitiveness that helped him accomplish that task. “I was really into video games and the better the computer, the better you can do at the games,” he says with a laugh. “My dad and my uncle have always worked to keep up on the latest technology so they helped me out and I guess they passed it down to me. There are a lot of tutorials out there. You can pretty much google anything.” THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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FEATURE STORY
STEM ENGINEERING On the roof of the school, several Prep students, under the direction of teacher Scott Murphy, stood measuring. They wanted to know how many solar panels could possibly fit in the space and then work with Solar States to help estimate the costs/ savings, etc., of such a project. Later, in partnership with PECO, they would walk through the whole school, trying to gauge the Prep’s electricity usage and recommend ways to upgrade the electrical infrastructure for better efficiency. The students, who called themselves “Crimson and Green,” presented their findings to Prep President Rev. John W.
is. “I sometimes hear students say that they want to study
this makes it vital that students have the chance to explore the field while still deciding.
Swope ’72 SJ, and the Board of Trustees, prompting changes.
engineering in college, but what does that mean,” he asks. “This course is designed to give them exposure to all of the different fields to see what might catch their interest. I think it also gives them a leg up in college, compared to students who have not taken an Engineering class. It helps our guys get a better understanding of the field."
These upgrades are the results of the Intro to Engineering course. The course touches on all areas of engineering, often surprising students by its breadth.
In the Class of 2016, 33 students declared a choice to major in engineering, a number that the Prep college counselors see rising. Seeing numbers like
“Engineering solves problems that affect all people, companies and schools,” says Murphy. The course touches on all types of engineering: mechanical, civil, electrical, chemistry, bio-medical and environmental, among others. It also works with real companies to give students insight into how the collaboration might work. According to Murphy, often this introduction plays a vital role for students who don’t always understand what engineering
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The overview provided in the Intro course, plus some alumni advice, helped Dean Domingo ’17 find some clarity for his career path. When he entered high school, Domingo saw himself on a pre-med path but learned that his interest in math and science might be better suited to engineering. On Career Day, he attended a session led by Tim Reilly ’05, a civil engineer. “Listening to him talk helped me see that engineering could be something that I would want to
Engineering students work on creating radios (above & below)
do,” says Domingo. “It was an option before but it really became more concrete for me after that.” For Domingo, who plans to study at North Carolina State, it was in the first lab, building a mousetrap car, that sealed the deal. “I remember that it was a lot of fun for me; it was serious work but a joy to do,” he revealed. He and his partner Jack Yocom ’17 made adjustments to their car (for example, adding rubber bands onto the plastic wheels for better traction on the hard surface) that helped make the experiment a success. They joined other classmates at a competition at Widener University where “it was really cool to see how the different cars could work and that little minor changes could make a big difference.” For Murphy, that’s the whole idea. “Engineers are tasked with looking at a problem and solving it. Sometimes the changes are minor but can really improve things."
"This course is designed to give them exposure to all of the different fields to see what might catch their interest. I think
Liam Nester ’16 University of Alabama MECHANICAL ENGINEERING When you hear that a student is attending the University of Alabama on a full scholarship, you probably think that he plays football or runs track. You may even assume that he plays a musical instrument. For Nester, that full scholarship is for Robotics and Engineering. “When I realized that I was going to be able to attend my dream school for no cost to do the thing that I loved anyway, I was floored,” says Nester. Though he knew from a young age that he had hoped to become an engineer, it was at the Prep that those ideas took shape. As a junior, he joined the Robotics team, loving it so much that he left the lacrosse team to become the Robotics captain his senior year. “I really liked lacrosse but when I was at Robotics, I felt like this was something that I loved and would be more useful for my future,” he says. “I wanted to really devote time to it.” That year, Nester began to take what he was learning in math and science classes and put it into action. “I really started paying attention in Calculus and Physics classes to see what I could incorporate into the robot,” he says. “The more I learned, the better the robot became.”
He also continues to support Prep Robotics as an alum. He has shared some of the techniques learned with Alabama’s National Champion Astrobotics team to help the Prep guys do better. “At the Prep, we all went off and tried to solve the same problem,” he notes. "Here, we have subteams (mechanical, electrical, software, etc.) and get the work done faster because we all have our own specialties. It helps give us a much better robot.” “I don’t think there is a wrong way to think about robotics,” he continues. “There are many ways to approach a problem. If you have 10 people working on something, there are 10 different ideas to solve it. Doing any form of robotics prior to college if you want to be an engineer is super beneficial. It teaches you how to solve problems.” Nester also points to the Prep’s Intro to Engineering Class, as a great way to prepare for college. “I was so glad to be able to take that class my senior year,” says Nester. “It was everything I imagined it would be -- a really good opportunity to learn about a wide variety of engineering. When I got to college, a good amount of material I had already studied in high school. My friends were freaking out but I said, I got this. With all of the work I did in high school, plus activities like Robotics and the Chromebook help desk and computer science club as well as learning how to study, I feel like I could have gone my first semester in college without opening a book and still have gotten a good GPA. There is a huge, huge, huge difference and I see it every day. I was totally prepared for college engineering.”
it also gives them a leg up in college." —Scott Murphy
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FEATURE STORY
STEM MATH A usual morning journey for a Prep student begins in his neighborhood and heads through the school doors at 17th and Girard. However, for a select group of high achieving students, that route takes a detour to the classrooms of Temple University. There, three times a week, these students start their day taking Calculus 3 or another high-level math course, after having maxed out all of the Prep’s math offerings. “This opportunity allows our students to have a real college experience but still be high school students,” says Math Chair Paul Morrissey who has worked to expand this math offering and others for students. When recent changes to the language requirement gave students more flexibility in their schedules, the Math Department used that opening to create two one-semester classes, dividing the traditional Matrices/Probability/ Statistics class. That change, which increased the number of “available seats” for math, saw
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a uptick of three times as many seniors choosing this option, usually in addition to an AP Calc class. Sometimes though, students saw this as an opportunity to gain real-life math applications. “The goal is to increase opportunities and also increase satisfaction,” explains Morrissey. “Of course, we want to satisfy those students who want to study engineering, science or math in college, but we also want to provide classes for students not pursuing those majors who still want math that makes sense for their future studies and careers.”
Aidan O’Connor ’17 took Calculus 3 at Temple last fall and enjoyed the challenge of taking a college course. “It was a really neat experience working alongside college students, definitely worthwhile,” says O’Connor, who hopes to major in math with pre-med. “The Prep really supported us in the whole process. We met with Mr. Morrissey to decide which class made the most sense. Mr. (Mark) Kravetz was a good resource if we needed help. When I came
to the Prep, I didn’t expect that I would have this kind of opportunity. It has made me more prepared for college.” For someone like O’Connor, finding challenge in the Prep’s math offerings was important. “I never really felt challenged in math before I came to the Prep,” he said. “Freshman year, in Mr. Morrissey’s Honors Geometry class, he pushed us to go beyond the textbook problems. It really set me up well.” The program’s flexibility is not just for those students who are at the highest math levels. A current sophomore currently taking Geometry and Algebra II/Trigonometry chose to delay fulfilling his history requirements in order to be better prepared for the math portion of his SATs/ACTs. “There is no doubt that the standardized tests have shifted to include more Algebra II and even Trig questions than before,” says Morrissey. “What this student is doing is great and definitely forward-thinking. I hope more students see the value in this and do it as well.”
good experience because it showed that you can think you are right but then in practice it doesn’t work. We had to figure out what went wrong and learn from our mistake.”
Mathematics chair Paul Morrissey instructing an Honors Geometry class. (above & below)
“There are as many math tracks at the Prep as there are students.” —Paul Morrissey
That “forward-thinking” is exactly what Morrissey recommends for all Prep students, saying that “there are as many math tracks at the Prep as there are students. You can wind up where you want to be even if you take a different path to get there.” Morrissey points to external influences on the curriculum. “We used to worry more about internal demands (classroom space, teacher availability, etc.) to create our courses,” he says. “Now we rely on what colleges want, what the standardized tests are asking and what jobs are available in the STEM fields. To prepare our students for all of these things, flexibility is vital.”
Matt Caltabiano ’14 University of Pennsylvania MECHANICAL ENGINEERING/ BUSINESS ANALYTICS MAJOR Caltabiano remembers very clearly the moment when he realized that coding and programming were in his future. As a senior in the AP Computer Science course, he was working on a project to create a Monopoly game. “It was the first time I did something useful with a computer and I could see how it works and learn how I could tweak it to make it work better,” says Caltabiano, who had taught himself the coding language of Python and Java that previous summer to be prepared for the class. “Now I’m learning how to use coding to optimize operations in the business sector, wealth management, finance, etc.” Caltabiano is spending part of his time in Penn’s highly touted engineering school and the other part in the prestigious Wharton School of Business. While he now knows eight coding languages, it was that summer preparing for AP Comp Sci at the Prep that started it all. As a senior, Caltabiano was also part of the AP Physics class that served as the pilot group for the Intro to Engineering course. He noted that many of the projects they did in class mirrored some of his college lessons. “Mr. Murphy would come in and give us a blanket statement task that we had to solve during the lab,” says Caltabiano. “I remember in one lab our project caught on fire. That was a
Caltabiano felt prepared for his college STEM major. “Work we did was very similar to what I am doing now,” he says. “Senior year at the Prep, we built bottle rockets and launched them to see which one went the highest. Sophomore year at Penn, we did almost the exact same lab." As far as the Prep’s stance that “College Starts Here,” Caltabiano says it’s true. “When I came to Penn, I assumed everyone would be as ready as I was, but they weren’t. There are six guys from my Prep class here and all of us felt like we knew something the others didn’t. We felt more confident in what we did; it was very apparent how much better prepared we were.” Caltabiano sees the value of the STEM interconnection. “Looking back, I probably took it for granted,” he says. “Now I realize that you can’t think about coding without thinking of it as a math problem. Math drives everything you do in physics, in chemistry, in computer science. Math is a prerequisite for engineering and physics.” He points to AP Calculus BC with Mark Kravetz as his favorite class. “We were taught to think through a problem, to figure out an answer,” he says, “and that has been my experience in my college courses, too. Mr. Kravetz taught us the entire curriculum by the end of the first quarter and then spent the rest of the year teaching us things that he thought would be useful moving forward. I took a linear algebra class at Penn and I knew a little about it because of that class at the Prep. I wasn’t intimidated.”
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DEVELOPMENT ▼
MEET THE PREP DEVELOPMENT TEAM! Last summer, when Betsy Courtney was hired to be the Chief Development Officer, she brought with her a plan for enhancing the office to maximize its ability to meet alumni, parents and friends to help fund the school’s educational mission. This winter, all of the changes were finalized, with new positions added and others enhanced.
(Standing, l-r) Al Zimmerman ’73, Director of Alumni Development; Patti Killeen, Director of Stewardship and Events; Linda Rooney P’13, Director of Development Operations; Betsy Courtney P’08, P’10, Chief Development Officer; Kathy Chavis, Database and Office Administrator; Will Dennis ’01, Manager of the Prep Fund. | (Sitting, l-r) Andy Quirk ’99, Director of Major Gifts; Patti Frey, Director of Major Gifts; Debbie DiMarzio P’14, Development Associate; Kevin Ryan ’08, Alumni/Development Associate.
“It is vital to our future that we engage our donors frequently, articulating the Prep’s needs and supporting the mission for generations to come,” she says.
TO LEARN MORE GO TO WWW.SJPREP.ORG/SJPDEV
ALUMNI SUPPORT: IMPORTANT TO THE PREP St. Joseph’s Prep graduates are rightly proud. They speak highly of their time at the Prep and are proud of the experience they had attending school in the city with students from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. They believe strongly that the Prep should continue to provide those same educational opportunities to students well into the future. “The only way to ensure that the Prep mission lives on is through the philanthropic support of our alumni, parents and friends,” says Betsy Courtney, Chief Development Officer. Courtney, the mother of two
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alums, has met with over 100 alumni since her arrival. The discussions have been around the reality of Prep alumni giving and the need for their support. In fact, the Prep’s alumni giving rate is below 20%, a low number compared to educational fundraising benchmarks. Other Jesuit schools of the same age and reputation of the Prep tout double that number or higher. “Our alumni are shocked by the giving rate,” Courtney notes, “and it certainly does not match the pride, success and loyalty of our alumni.”
“The school is incredibly tuition dependent, not an ideal situation,” she notes. The Prep Fund supplements tuition dollars to continue to fund the needed programs that make the Prep so unique and worthwhile. It is also a significant source of financial aid for students who couldn’t otherwise attend the Prep. While the news might alarm some readers, Courtney is optimistic that changes aren’t hard to make. “When the development team meets with our alumni and talks about ensuring the mission of the Prep, their response is incredibly positive,” she says. “They want to give back.”
THIS YEAR’S GOAL FOR THE PREP FUND IS $1.65 MILLION. AS OF THE END OF DECEMBER, 60 PERCENT OF THAT GOAL HAD BEEN RAISED. AS WE APPROACH THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR ON JUNE 30, PLEASE CONSIDER A CONTRIBUTION TO THE PREP FUND. WWW.SJPREP.ORG/GIVING. THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
FULL-TUITION SCHOLARSHIP GIFT FROM JIM AGGER ’54 Last fall, Jim Agger ’54 and his wife Pat made a decision. They wanted to give a deserving student the same chance that he got: to be a Prep graduate. A loyal Prep alumnus who has been an active supporter of his alma mater, Jim graciously credits SJP with his success and wants to support future generations of students as they receive their educational foundation. A scholarship to St. Joseph’s Prep is something that families cherish. For many, entering this prestigious brotherhood is their son’s next step towards college and career success as well as a well-earned recognition of their hard work. Until this year though, there was no way for a student to achieve a full-tuition merit scholarship to the Prep. Even the highest achieving applicants only earned
a half-tuition scholarship. But that changed for one member of the Class of 2021, thanks to the generosity of the Aggers. In consultation with the SJP Office of Development and the Office of Admission, the Aggers helped fund the St. Joseph Scholarship, a four-year, full-tuition merit scholarship awarded to one incoming freshman who demonstrates the
Agger (second from right) joins Fr. Swope and Howie Brown '99 (third from right) in congratulating Sponseller and his parents.
highest standard of excellence in academics, character and leadership. The first recipient of the St. Joseph Scholarship was chosen this January: Daniel Sponseller from Gwynedd-Mercy Academy in Spring House, Pa. “We are thrilled to have this St. Joseph Scholarship awarded annually to a student whose academic and personal profile is clearly a cut above those competing for merit scholarships and a place in the incoming freshman class,” says Howie Brown ’99, the Prep’s Director of Admission. “I know that it was important to Jim that the recipient be of the highest quality. Daniel more than qualifies on all fronts, and we couldn’t be happier for him and his family.” “It still seems a bit surreal to us that Daniel is the recipient of such an incredible award, the St Joseph Scholarship,” says Daniel’s mother Carol Sponseller. “We are so deeply appreciative of this honor that has been granted to him in recognition of all his hard work. We look forward to beginning our journey with Daniel through his years at the Prep and can't wait to witness what he makes of the wonderful opportunities that await him.” By request of the Aggers, this scholarship has been established in memory of Rev. William Lynn, SJ, who, as a Jesuit scholastic, had a lasting influence on Jim. Fr. Lynn taught Latin and French during three years at the Prep (1950-53). THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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DEVELOPMENT
OAKES ’60 HUMBLY GIVES BACK TO HIS ALMA MATER There is no denying the love that Joe Oakes ’60 has for his alma maters, St. Joseph’s Prep and University. And though he has been active over the years at SJU (serving on the Board, supporting the school financially, etc.), distance had made it more difficult to stay connected with the Prep since he moved from the area in 1964. A recent visit by Prep President Rev. John W. Swope, SJ ’72 and Chief Development Officer Betsy Courtney to his North Jersey office changed that. “When Fr. Swope and Betsy approached me, it was very humbling,” says Oakes, Chairman of Acorn Financial Services in Livingston, NJ. “When you are presented with the chance to support something that means so much to you, of course you say yes and ask how you can help and even be an example to others.” Oakes has signed to become part of the Prep’s 30 over 4 Scholarship Program, committing to donating at least $7,500 per year over four years to support a Prep student’s financial aid. For Joe, it’s a continuation of his generosity towards educating
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the next generation. He has been very generous in his support of SJU students and he also has supported children in Newark, NJ for over 25 years through The Scholarship Fund for Inner-City Children of which Joe is a Founding Trustee. “The Jesuits taught me a sense of giving back,” he says. “That’s why it’s so important for me and all of us to support the Prep now.” The Prep is where Joe’s family roots are. His dad Joe was a graduate of the Class of 1934 and coached basketball at the school for a decade (including winning the Prep’s last basketball
City Title in 1947). Joe has two brothers, three uncles and four cousins among the Prep’s alumni rolls. Now he has a grandson and a great nephew as prospective students and Joe says there is no doubt the legacy could have been even deeper. “If we lived closer, there is no question my boys would have gone to the Prep,” he says of his two sons who attended Seton Hall Prep. In fact, he says that he compares every school with the Prep. “Every school my children attended or 15 grandchildren attend now, I ask if it’s as good as the Prep,” he laughs. “My kids tease me about it but I truly use the Prep as my litmus for how good other schools are.” Lessons learned at the Prep, from men such as legendary Rev. Michael Smith, SJ, have stayed with Oakes all of these years.
“Fr. Smith came up with the phrase I have used as a guide for business and coaching: ‘there is no right way to do a wrong thing,’” Oakes states. “I believe that I was taught that at the Prep and the University."
VILLIGER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL
“I admire the Jesuits so much,” he continues. “They gave us direction, they were demanding and they required honesty but they also taught us to have a good sense of humor. The Jesuits were terrific role models. They taught us how to live and how to care for other people. They helped us become aware of generosity of the spirit as well as financial generosity.” And those lessons, learned in North Philly, stay with you. “If you graduated from the Prep, you were prepared to go to college. There was no question the Prep brought that out,” Oakes says. “But there is more than that to a Prep education. When I was awarded the Shield of Loyola Award at SJU, there was a table of my friends from the Prep there; that meant so much. You look back at different things that changed your life and the Prep is one of the big ones for me. Those fellow classmates and alumni are like an extended family.”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 30 OVER 4 PROGRAM, CONTACT BETSY COURTNEY AT 215.978.1035
John and Lisa Figge, parents of John ’18 and Mark ’20, chairs of the Villiger Executive Council with Fr. Swope.
Last fall, the Villiger Executive Council was established and currently has more than 75 members. This group of parent leaders meet twice a year with Rev. John W. Swope, SJ ’72, President, and the Prep's Leadership Team and members of the Board of Trustees to discuss strategic initiatives and the vision for the future of the Prep. Villiger Executive Council members become ambassadors throughout the St. Joseph’s Prep community, the Philadelphia region and their own professional and social networks. Members will act in an advisory capacity to the Prep's leadership team and offer counsel on various topics that positively impact the experience of Prep students.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO WWW.SJPREP.ORG/VEC.
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DEVELOPMENT
DNB FIRST SUPPORTS THE PREP THROUGH PA EITC PROGRAM
Christopher McGill '87 and William Hieb P'13, P'14 For two of DNB First Bank’s leaders, St. Joseph’s Prep is a very special place. They have been able to use Pennsylvania’s EITC program to help support the Prep by paying certain state taxes to the school rather than to PA.
engagement efforts and, in particular, our support for education in the region," said William Hieb, President and Chief Executive Officer of DNB First. Hieb and his wife Diane are the parents of two Prep grads Ryan ’13 and Austin ’14.
The Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) provides tax credits of 90% of your contributions to the Prep (with a two-year commitment), up to a maximum of $300,000 (or credit of 75% for one-year commitment). Instead of going to the state, that money can be designated to a scholarship fund.
For Christopher McGill ’87, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Lending Officer, this support of his alma mater is a no-brainer. "Every day of my career, I've found myself drawing on the lessons and experiences of my education, so it's deeply satisfying to be able to give back to the Prep on behalf of our bank," he says.
"DNB First is pleased to contribute to St. Joseph's Prep through the EITC program, which allows us to supplement our extensive community
DNB First is one of dozens of companies utilizing this opportunity to support the Prep, and the
Prep’s Development Office would like to add to that number. “This is such a valuable resource for the Prep and a great way for our alumni and parents to support the school,” says Andy Quirk ’99, Director of Major Gifts. He adds that the Development Team at the Prep wants to make it an easy application process. “We will take care of all paperwork, filling out the online state application for each company.”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EITC PROGRAM CONTACT LINDA ROONEY AT 215.978.1016
“This is such a valuable resource for the Prep and a great way for our alumni and parents to support the school” —Andy Quirk ’99
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SUMMER 2017
SUMMER PROGRAMS
FOR PRE-7TH & PRE-8TH GRADE BOYS & GIRLS Math, Science, Sports, Robotics... Even Improv Comedy!
JUNE 26 - JULY 21 8:30AM - 2PM EACH DAY WITH ADDITIONAL SPORTS CAMPS AVAILABLE IN THE AFTERNOON
Ask about bus transportation from your neighborhood!
www.sjprep.org/PrepU THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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ARCHIVES
REMEMBERING SUMMER CLASSICAL PROGRAMS For generations of St. Joseph’s Prep students, travelling abroad with Dr. Henry Bender ‘63 was as much a part of the Prep experience as anything learned within the walls of the classroom. For more than four decades Dr. Bender, often with his good friend and colleague Mr. Charlie Kling ’61, would lead a group of Prep students to Italy or Greece to learn more about the places
they studied in their Classics classes. The trip grew to mythical proportion: fathers who went on the trip when they were Prep students, would eventually send their sons (and their daughters once Dr. Bender expanded the trip to include students from Merion Mercy Academy). Both generations were overwhelmed by the enormity of the trip--it was life-changing for so many.
Dr. Bender, third from right, in 1988. Group included current Prep employees Tony Braithwaite ’89 (fourth from left) and Dolores McPoyle (center).
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The Summer Classical Program spawned trips that continue today for alumni as well as past and present parents.
VILLIGER ARCHIVES
Students in the early 80s touring the Coliseum
Prep Students at Trevi Fountain in Rome
At the Acropolis of Athens THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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FACULTY / STAFF NOTES
FACULTY & STAFF NEWS Dr. L. Stewart Barbara ’86 (Counseling) joined an alumni panel at Penn's School of Social Policy and Practice for a conversation about getting started in careers related to social work and non-profit leadership and management. Last May, he completed an Advanced Certificate in Spiritual Direction from Fordham University's Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education. Tony Braithwaite '89 (Theatre, Marketing/Admissions), Kevin Ryan '08 (Development), Andrew Staub '12 (ASCScience) and Prep parent Rachel Nichols took two trips worth of students to New York to see the world premiere of the stage adaptation of Dead Poets Society. The show's lead, Saturday Night Live and Hollywood star Jason Sudekis, was good enough to take time after each performance to speak with the groups. ▼
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Bill Conners '80 (History) took a class in American Protest Literature in July 2016 at Harvard University. The course was taught by Professor John Stauffer, a prominent scholar of the works of Frederick Douglass. Here Conners and his class are pictured at the Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial, located across Beacon Street from the State House in Boston. Mr. Conners also took a fall graduate class on "Immigration in American History" with Professor Vincent ▼ Cannato of U Mass, Boston.
Mr. Conners also accompanied a dozen students to the Presidential Inauguration, the fifth time he has led that trip. Here, the group meets with Mrs. Ali, the long-time proprietor of Ben's Chili Bowl, a popular spot ▼ on U Street for 60 years.
Susie Cook (English) was accepted into Boston College's Institute of Advanced Jesuit Studies, joining 20 other Jesuit educators from the United States as well as Dublin and Hiroshima to walk in the footsteps of St. Ignatius in Spain and Rome this June. The group returned from the dusty heights of Montserrat and the lows of St. Peter's tomb to take three graduate courses at BC in July. Under the guidance of Jesuit historian Seth Meehan and theology professor Casey Baumier, S.J., the group delved into the history of the Society and dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises. Cook's capstone project involved a study of how the patterns and movements of the Exercises inform and inspire classroom methodologies. Ms. Cook is in front in the photo below.▼
▼
Corinne Logan (College Counseling) attended the Pennsylvania Association for College Admission Counseling Conference in Hershey presenting a session titled, "What I Wrote, What I Meant, What you Read, & What You Thought" on recommendation letters.
Ms. Cook (far right) was also inducted into the Haddonfield Memorial High School Athletic Hall of Fame. With 12 varsity letters, Cook was a standout on the soccer team and winter/spring track teams. In soccer, she holds school records for career goals (88), goals in a season (38) and goals in a game (four). Haddonfield won four conference championships while Cook led in goals each season. She was captain of the state championship team in 1997, when she was allstate and South Jersey Player of the Year in the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Camden Courier-Post. Cook also captained in track. She was the state Group 1 indoor champ in the 3,200 meters and was South Jersey’s top miler in outdoor, making allSouth Jersey and all-conference first ▼ teams in her running tenure.
Kevin Kearney (English) completed his M.A. in Literary and Cultural Studies from La Salle University in December. His thesis was entitled "Meeting in the Digital Void: The Possibilities of Post-9/11 Fiction in the Work of Jennifer Egan."
Tara McFadden (President’s Office) has been accepted to be a part of MAGIS, a program from the Office of Ignatian Spirituality. This 18-month program that helps lay companions understand and live Ignatian spirituality and the Jesuit way of proceeding through seminars, retreats, readings, personal prayer and reflection. She begins in March 2017. Scott Murphy (Science) attended a conference sponsored for the Knowles Science Teaching Foundation, in conjunction with the Lever Engineering Group. The workshop was intended to help teachers become agents for increasing high school students' access to quality engineering experiences within the math and science curricula.
Steve Oldham (Religious Studies) completed a 10-week certification for teaching MBSRT (mindfulness based stress reduction for teens) program sponsored by the Stressed Teens organization. The curriculum is based on scientific research that shows positive outcomes for teens who regularly practice simple, brief mindfulness practices along with a better understanding of the connection between their brain, body, thoughts and emotions. Many teens report increased ability to sustain focus, better sleep patterns, less overall stress/reactive levels, and a more positive life outlook. ▼
STAFF NEWS
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CLASS NOTES
ALUMNI NEWS As of 2/3/2017
1940s/50s Former Prep President Rev. William J. Byron, SJ '45 offered the invocation at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
William Gallop '55 recently toured Barcelona led by Ian Stewart '05. The meeting happened completely by chance, but the two bonded over their shared love of Mother Prep. ▼
Kevin Quinn '58 had the track at Saint Joseph’s University named in his honor after his 49 years of coaching at SJU. ▼
Jim Murray ’59 stepped down from his position as the Prep’s head soccer coach after the 2016 season, his 50th year in coaching (46 at the Prep and four at Friends Central). ▼
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The Class of 1959 organized a gathering in Avalon this past August. (L-r) Jim Murray,
Jim Panetta, Bernie Kelly, Ed Szuszczewicz, Harry Egner, Dell Campbell, Jim Smyth, Leo Lane, Jerry Stewart, John D'Lauro, John Stroebele, George Bur, Bruce Schmitt and E. Gerald Donnelly. Not shown but in attendance Pat McIllhinney. ▼
Several members of the Class of ’59 also gathered at Old St. Joseph’s with an old teacher: (l-r) Al Chinappi ’59, former Prep President Rev. George Bur, SJ ’59, former Prep teacher Rev. Gerry McAndrews, SJ and Rev. Ed Dougherty, SJ ’59. ▼
1960s Albert Tegler ’60 and his company Tegler McHenry & Associates Inc. were listed as #20 among Employee Benefits Consultants in the greater Philadelphia area by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
A. Bruce Crawley '63, former member of the Prep's Board of Trustees, was honored on his 70th birthday by his partner Patricia with a foundation to support the gifts of bikes to Ghana. These bikes will help Ghana children get to school, adults to get to markets, etc. George Alburger '64 retired as CFO of Liberty Property Trust. Dr. Dan Mankowski '64 was recently awarded "Excellence in Teaching" by the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Holy Family University in Philadelphia.
George Carlson '65 has accepted a research position at UCSF's Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases in San Francisco. Joe Dunn '65 wrote an article for America Magazine on Reviving Liberal Education. Christopher Mullins '65 and his company McGillin's Olde Ale House are listed as one of the top family-owned businesses in the Philadelphia area in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Harry Nasuti '67, professor of theology at Fordham University, is currently serving as President of the Catholic Biblical Association of America. Paul Zerkow '67, after serving more than 20 years in the Army and 25 years at ASM Research, retired from his position as Senior Vice President of Corporate Development. Paul and his wife Brenda keep active in their Woodbridge, Virginia community and following their 5 grandchildren through their sports and academic careers. Rev. Herb Keller, SJ '69, former Prep Principal and Trustee, was part of the General Congregation 36 which chose Rev. Arturo Sosa, SJ, as the new Jesuit Superior General. Here he and the other members of GC36 stand with Fr. Sosa and Pope Francis. ▼
1970s Judge Thomas DelRicci '71 was recently installed as the President Judge of the Montgomery County Court System.
Joe Bartolomeo '76, a professor at the University of Massachusetts, was a three-day champion on Jeopardy. He won $24,000 for the two shows in which he finished first. ▼
Joe McElwee '73 and his family, including son Joe McElwee '04 and daughter Taylor, visited Chuck Goldstein '14 at Air Force Academy where Chuck is a junior on the lacrosse ▼ team.
Many members of the Matthews Family participated in the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation (LCF) 5K in October. (L-r) Pat '88,
Bob '79, Trevor Schmanek '17, Dan '81, Michael '20, Jack '80 and Tom '84. The group participates in memory of their mother/ grandmother Kathleen Matthews.
▼
Mark Rupsis '71 was honored by the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) with the 2016 Outstanding Administrator/Chief Clerk award. Rupsis was recognized as a champion of county government, bringing 39 years of service the Chester County.
Phil Martelli ’72, Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Saint Joseph’s University, was honored by the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association with the 2017 Good Guy Award. Many of Phil’s Prep teammates and classmates were in attendance to celebrate the award, including Maurice Howard '72 who played with Phil on the 1971 Catholic ▼ League championship team.
Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter '75 has been racking up parttime jobs since his term as mayor expired last year: senior fellow for a campaign called What Works Cities, an initiative launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies to encourage 100 midsize cities to better leverage data and evidence in their policy making; CNN political contributor; faculty position at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs as a professor of professional practice in urban policy; member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council; executive fellow at the University of Chicago Urban Labs, which is dedicated to addressing challenges faced by cities through evidence-based policymaking.
Stanley Jaskiewicz '78 was honored for board service to Manna on Main Street.
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CLASS NOTES
1980s Robert Buchanan '81 is the captain of Vane Brothers' latest tug, Kings Point, which is named for the US Federal Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY. Their current assignment is moving oil barges in NY Harbor and Coastal. He is one of the part-time Captains on the Spirit of Philadelphia and also on the Spirit of New York and the Spirit of New Jersey when not on the tug. Michael Irvine '82 and his company M.F. Irvine Corporate Solutions were listed as #11 among Employee Benefits Consultants in the greater Philadelphia area by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
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▼
▼
Thomas O'Brien '82 (third from right) was presented the Frank O'Hara Award by the University of Scranton. The prestigious annual award, presented by the University and its Alumni Society, honors select alumni who embody Scranton's Catholic, Jesuit experience and who have achieved distinction in their professional or personal endeavors. O’Brien—co-founder, CEO and president of SumRidge Partners, LLC—is a member of the University of Scranton's Board of Trustees and currently chairs its finance committee. He is a founding member of the executive committee of the University's Presidential Business Council (PBC) and recently completed tenures as PBC vice chair and PBC chair. His son Michael is a member of the Scranton's class of 2019.
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Tom Burgoyne '83, the Phillie Phanatic, has co-authored a book, Pheel the Love: How the Most Powerful Force in the Universe Builds Great Companies-Phillie Phanatic Style. Tom and the Phanatic (and co-author Evan Marcus) have been featured on ESPN, SI.com, Fox29 and others. EJ Dougherty '88 joined Accenture's Emerging Technology Wearable Practice. He is responsible for driving the use of wearable devices such as Smart Watches, Smart Glasses and other intelligent wireless sensors across industries. EJ also continues to teach courses in the Engineering Entrepreneurship and Android Mobile App Development at Villanova University. Anthony Giordano '88 is proud to announce that his son, Anthony, graduated from Rutgers Law School in May 2016 with a Juris Doctor degree. He is now an associate with the law firm Reilly, Janiczek and McDevitt in Philadelphia. Dr. Patrick J. McHugh, DO '88 received a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in May of 2016. He currently lives in Overland Park, Kansas, where he works as Executive Vice President for the EmCare Alliance Group.
Christopher Missett ’89 and his company The Safeguard Group Inc. were listed as #18 among Employee Benefits Consultants in the greater Philadelphia area by the Philadelphia Business Journal. Maximillian Potter ’89 joins Esquire as editor at large. Maximillian Potter has been an award-winning staff writer/editor for GQ, Premiere, Philadelphia and Details, and a contributor to Outside and Vanity Fair. Tony Braithwaite '89, Director of the Cape and Sword Drama Society and Artistic Director of Ambler’s Act II Playhouse, gave a presentation at the Jesuit Colloquium in Cincinnati on "An Ignatian Stage: Jesuit Pedagogy Involved in Rehearsing High School Shows." He and Will Dennis '01 wrote and starred in Electile Dysfunction at Act II. The show combined presidential impressions, man-on-the-street interviews, and more in a bid for (votes) laughs.
1990s Lt. Col. Geno Rapone '91, Commander of the 270th Engineering and Installation Squadron, received a certificate of appreciation presented to him by Col. William Griffin, Vice Commander of the 111th Attack Wing, during his retirement ceremony at Horsham Air Guard Station. Rapone retired from uniformed military service with 20-plus years of exemplary and dedicated service. ▼
Sean Moran '91 recently received his Masters of Accounting from Rutgers University-Camden School of Business. He graduated Magna cum Laude and was chosen by the faculty to give the address on behalf of the graduate students at commencement. He is also an adjunct professor at Holy Family University. ▼
On a recent vacation in Ireland, students Joe Scott '19 and his brother Liam '17 ran into alumnus Mike Cardamone '92 at the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. ▼
Rob Gerhardt ’95 had some of his photographs included in an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York called "Muslim in New York." Gerhardt, who has spoken at the Prep in the past, has been profiled often for his work on “Muslim American/American Muslim,” a photo display chronicling the everyday life of Muslims in America.
ALUMNI NEWS
Rob McElhenney '95 was the chair for the annual CORA for Kids Golf Classic at the Philmont Country Club in June. He and his wife Kaitlin Olson were there with their co-stars from their FXX series "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." ▼
Christopher Rosenbleeth '95 has been appointed chair of Stradley Ronan’s real estate practice group. In his new role, Chris oversees attorneys across the firm in areas including acquisitions, development and dispositions, leasing, real estate financing, private fund formation and governance, and real estate taxation.
Dr. Alfred Garfall '98 was featured in a recent issue of Parade Magazine. One of his patients was featured for beating cancer thanks to a new therapy and Dr. Garfall was one of the clinical trial doctors on the case. ▼
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CLASS NOTES
Mike Castagno '99 is the new head brewer at Twains Brewpub in Decatur, GA. Michael Quinn ’99 and his contracting company received a Best of Philly 2016 Award as the Best Urban Kitchen Contractor from Philadelphia Magazine. ▼
Michael Rady '99 starred in the Lifetime movie "It Had To Be You." ▼
Daniel Cellucci '00 has been named the Chief Executive Officer of the Catholic Leadership Institute (CLI), which provides Catholic bishops, priests, deacons, and lay persons with pastoral leadership formation and consulting services.
Colin Curtin '05 was coach of the Overseas Elite team which won the $2 million The Basketball Tournament (TBT). ▼
Kevin Stefanski '00 was promoted to Quarterbacks Coach of the Minnesota Vikings. Patrick King '01 is a SAG/ AFTRA actor and stuntman. He has most recently worked on the film Wild Hunt and the TV series SIX, on the History Channel. He has also been cast as Wolverine in Marvel Universe Live, one of the world's biggest stunt shows. He performed on the tour throughout Europe. Justin Hopkins '02 performed Britten's War Requiem with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. Justin also appeared with the Choristers in Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah and will be with the Philly Pops this Christmas season.
Mike Gennaro '07 will be part of the coaching staff for the heavyweight crew at Yale University. Members of the Class of '08 at the 2nd Annual J.A.S. Memorial Golf Outing at Center Square Golf in Norristown, PA in September. ▼
▼
2000s Jimmy King '08 and Vince Quinn '08 coordinated the 5th annual "Buy A Brew/Make A Splash" 21+ fundraiser at Tir Na Nog in Center City. ▼
Rev. Christopher Ryan, SJ '00 was ordained a Jesuit priest at a ceremony at Fordham University in June. After ordination, he will serve at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. ▼ Matthew Stefanski '03 is managing director of multifamily investment sales at Berkadia Real Estate Advisors in Philadelphia.
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THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
Michael Gallagher ’07 has been inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He is one of six students from the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine's Class of 2017 to be selected for this honor, which is based on academic merit, leadership activity, research achievements, community service, interprofessionalism, humanism, and clinical performance.
Joe Farrell '09 reports that his old band broke up and he has branched out on my own as a solo artist. He released his debut record"Alexandria EP" back in June and have been performing in Philly, New York City and Washington D.C under the name J.W. Farrell.
Christopher Cannataro ’11 visited Kathryn Quinter's senior Cold War and Intelligence class and her sophomore US History classes to provide an update on the US Supreme Court and discussed with the students some recent cases decided by the Court. Christopher is
Stephen Codella '08 graduated from Thomas Jefferson Medical College with a Medical degree. He is currently in his first year residency in Internal Medicine at Temple University Hospital. John Pedicino '08 was recently elevated to Director of Media Advisory at global software company at MediaMath. In his new role, John oversees media strategy working with Fortune 500 enterprise clients as well as developing relationships with web content owners/ publishers. John currently resides on Manhattan's Lower East Side. Jack Braithwaite '09 started his own wood and metal working company, Timber Forge Woodworks, which specializes in custom slab furniture, featuring live-edges and a natural feel and look, while also incorporating different materials, such as hand-welded steel bases, allowing the final products to be a hybrid of natural and industrial.
2010s Ben D'Annibale '10's concert “RAVEL 1-2-3: An exploration of Maurice Ravel's compositions for various ensembles” was released on YouTube.
currently a second year law student at the Georgetown University Law Center. Last summer, he interned with Judge Gene E.K. Pratter, who is a federal judge serving on the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and this summer he will be working as a summer legal associate at the Wilmington law offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP.
Ryan George '11 designed the set for Temple University's production of Glory Days. The set prominently featured a Prep jersey. Kevin Toniazzo-Naughton '11 appeared in Penn State School of Theater's "Dogfight." Alexander La Bruno '12 was commissioned as a Second lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
▼
Bobby DellaPolla '09 spoke at the Prep after the Mass of the Holy Spirit to scholarship donors, students, Prep staff and administrators. Several family members attended the Mass and breakfast.
Perry Russom '09 has moved to Boston to become a reporter for the NBC affiliate there. His story led the network's first newscast on the new channel on New Year's Day. He also spoke to the WSJP Student ▼ Broadcasting Team.
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CLASS NOTES
Michael Catrino '13 was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu (the National Jesuit Honor Society) at Wheeling Jesuit University. Dan Egan '14 appeared in "9 to 5" as Franklin Hart at the Off Off-Broadway at the University of South Carolina. Gary Hovsepian '14, a junior at George Washington University majoring in Biological Sciences with minors in Chemistry and Psychology, has been accepted into GWU School of Medicine's early selection program and was invited to join the Doctor of Medicine program starting in the Fall of 2018. Gary participated in a sixweek internship in Yerevan, Armenia at a pediatric hospital this summer.
Jack Norberg '14, a junior at Saint Joseph's University, is currently studying in Belfast and met up with Rugby Coach Tom Dugan '78 there. Norberg first visited Ireland as part ▼ of the Prep Rugby Team in 2014.
Angel Segarra '14 was named "Blue Jacket of the Year" for his work with the Naval Communications Security Material System for the US Navy and marched in the presidential ▼ inauguration in January.
Semaj McDowell ’15 visited Ms. Quinter's senior Cold War and Intelligence class and sophomore US History classes to discuss political and military hot spots across the globe. Semaj is a sophomore at George Mason University studying government and international politics.
ALUMNI NEWS 38
THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
Dino Cattai ’15, a freshman baseball player at Chestnut Hill College, was selected to the All-CACC 2nd Team. He finished the year with 6 saves, .97 ERA, 34 Ks and a .153 BAA.
Nick Shields ’16 was part of the North Ridge Music School Band ensemble that played at the Inaugural Ball for Philadelphia ▼ Mayor Jim Kenny ’76. Mark Stevens '16 has been awarded the Lenahan Scholarship, which is given in memory of Timothy Lenahan, basketball coach at St. Rose of Lima for over 30 years and a dynamic person on and off the court. The scholarship recognized an outstanding student for qualities of perseverance, generosity of spirit, leadership, and the passion to make a difference.
PREP BABIES Grace Catherine to Jaclyn & Howie Brown ’99, Director of Admission at the Prep ▼
Declan Rigler to Erika &
Matthew Rigler '99 Claire Margaret to Maribeth
& Joe Boyle '04 ▼
Matt McConnell '01, John McConnell '00 and Mike Bucci '00 with their sons, members of the Prep Class of '35, at the Shore: (l-r) Theodore Francis McConnell (son of Matt McConnell '01), Lucas Dean McConnell (son of John McConnell '00), Michael Ignatius ▼ Bucci (son of Mike Bucci '00).
Daniel Patrick to Megan
& Patrick Carney '04 ▼
Abigail to Kimberly &
Michael Maloney '04
TELL US YOUR NEWS! EMAIL US AT HAWK@SJPREP.ORG
THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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CLASS NOTES WEDDINGS Colleen Moran & Bryan Ghee, Director of Student Activities and Transportation at the Prep
Colleen McGibbon & Robert Jankowski ’04 ▼
Brooke Norrett & Bill Corr ’99 Kelly Barrows & Robert Nguyen ’01
Christine Schaad & ▼ Michael Krause ’05
Anne Griffin & Senesi Blake ’02 ▼
Amanda Kaestner & Colin McKenna ’05 ▼ Kimberley Ray & Michael Maloney ’04 Jaclyn Brennan & Robert Protesto ’04 ▼
Heather Cicala & John Powell ’03 Courtney Murphy & Brian Comly ’04 ▼
Hema Patel & Max Funk ’04 ▼
Catherine Farrell & Patrick Henigan ’05
Kim Smeltzer & Chris Gordon ’06 Katarina Wilson & Kyle Sweeney ’06 ▼
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Kelly Bieker & Christopher Farrell ’07 Kristen Riley & J. Theodore Hosmer ’07 Erin Manners & Sean Dooley ’08
Gina Cavallaro & ▼ Chris Tanzola ’08 Lauren Willis & Nick Cardone ’08 Amada Pacheco & Kevin Kennedy ’08 Kim Smith & Dan Cassidy ’09 ▼
IN MEMORIAM Rev. George Hohman, SJ Br. James Lemon, SJ Rev. William Miller, SJ Peter Reid Bill Mohr '28 William Hyland '39 Theodore Toole '40 John Gallagher '41 Rev. Edward A. Jarvis, SJ ’41 Carlos Alvare ’42 John Conboy '42 Richard Power '42 John Healy '42 James Mancini '43 Andrew Snyder '43 John Dickinson '45 Thomas Hurney '45 Arthur Nace '45 William Quain '45 James Connor '46 Charles O'Connor '49 Edward Davitt '49 Walter Donovan ’49 Edmond Duffy '49 John Gallagher '50 John Guilfoyle '50 Philip Swissler '50 James Brunetti '51 John Collins '51 George Grimes '51 William McGarvey '51 Leo Robb '51 Louis Cissone '52 Leonard Decker '52 Robert Shallow '52 John St. John '52 Raymond Adamczyk '52 Thomas McDermott '52
Vincent Byrne '53 Everett Delahanty '53 Rev. James English '53 Gerald Glackin '54 Thomas Durkin '54 Donald McNulty ’54 Frank Lario '55 T. Walker Lloyd '55 John Lafferty '56 John Napoleon '56 Henry Rigler '56 D. Howard Silcox '56 Joseph Tiberino '56 John Mahony '58 Michael Howitz '59 Arthur Malcarney '59 Rev. Dennis Linehan, S.J. '60 Henry DeGregorio '61 William Gallagher '61 Louis Vizi '61 William Colonnello '64 Francis Salerno '64 George Tuss '65 William Bailey '66 Thomas Fee '69 Michael Ferguson '69 Michael Kennedy '70 Ronald Slanga '71 Mark Fischer '73 Charles Migeot '74 Ronald Bates '75 Thomas Hennessey '77 Thomas Schwartz '80 Michael Griffith '81 Clifton Wright '86 John McCormick '98 Harry Gillin '02 Michael Donatucci '03 As of 2/3/2017
Emily Williams & Michael Pereira ’09 THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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PERSPECTIVES
A BANNER YEAR FOR CAPE & SWORD By Tony Braithwaite ’89
Serving as Director of the Cape and Sword Drama Society has truly been the greatest joy in my life. I've gotten the chance to witness thousands of students become engaged and near-euphorically self-actualized on and off the Prep stage. I've seen our alumni go on to become actors, directors, teachers, Jesuits even (special shout out to my own nephew Jake Braithwaite nSJ '07!). I've developed friendships that remain in the deepest parts of my heart. And I have had literally thousands of Prep students tell me over and over during the course of 23 years: “I have never enjoyed theatre until I saw a Prep show.”
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That last point speaks to the sad reality (that few ever want to admit) that most high school theatre is bad. Really bad actually. There are few universal standards, no scoreboard or other metric to judge success, and in some cases there's just no basis of knowledge for what to even strive for. Stale retreads of old chestnuts get done - and done to death - on high school stages everywhere, with little panache or excitement. In the majority of cases, this is the only theatre kids ever see, and they think it's boring. They are not wrong.
shows could be hysterical, spiritlifting, and just plain awesome. The Jesuit Ratio Studiorum of 1586 said, “Theatre could be a forceful agent for stirring pupils’ interest in learning.” I knew that was true because I was one of those stirred pupils! And, as a result, I have always made it my determined mission to ensure that Cape and Sword shows remain accessible - and most importantly entertaining - for not only those who are participating but for those who are attending performances, especially current and future Prep students.
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family that saw good theatre. My mom and dad took my siblings and me to dozens of Broadway and professional shows each year. I was taught – and it was reinforced in my time as a Prep student - that
I’ve been blessed with good fortune in this regard – perhaps never more quantifiably than when Football Coach Gabe Infante brought his whole team to come see our production of The Producers to “show them what precision and passion
THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
looked like.” We’ve had a string of great success recently, too. And though we can't technically count W's in our column, here are some recent wins: • November
2015: Cape and
Sword put on first ever world premiere, Kennedy’s Crisis: 13 Days in October. Though I devised and co-wrote the play (which chronicled the Cuban Missile Crisis), it was a towering performance by Tom Koenig ’16 as JFK that will long be remembered.
at City Hall as part of the city’s “Culture in the Courtyard” program. • Fall • May
2016: the musical comedy
2016: Cape and Sword
becomes one of the first high schools
“who-dun-it” Curtains is performed,
in the nation granted the rights
featuring a cameo by Philadelphia
to perform the play Peter and the
Mayor Jim Kenney ’76. While running
Starcatcher. As has become tradition
for Mayor, Kenney had told the press
with each show, highlights are
his biggest regret was not being in the
performed at SJU’s Manresa Jesuit
shows when he was a student at the
Infirmary for the elderly Jesuits there.
Prep. I made him a playful public offer at the Communion Breakfast and he enthusiastically accepted the cameo role of a Boston cop! Kenney was so taken with Curtains that immediately following the performance he asked me if the student actors could perform Shakespeare in the City Hall Courtyard that summer, and if I would help create a Philadelphia High School Theatre Festival. That festival will debut this June with Cape and Sword as one of a handful of groups chosen to perform. • May
2016: the Cape and Sword
Improv Club offers a free performance after school. The club was started
• July
2016: I took students to
Manhattan to see the Broadway
• January/February
2017:
continuing a seven-year tradition,
musical Something Rotten! starring
Night of Scenes is performed for
Rob McClure and John Cariani
four sold-out shows. Night of
(above 3rd from right). The stars,
Scenes’ mission is to cast every
both Tony-nominated, are also huge
actor who auditions, and upwards
supporters of Cape and Sword. In
of 185 students have appeared.
fact McClure has directed multiple
As a result, Cape and Sword is
times for Night of Scenes, and Cariani
now the largest student activity
has said, “Theatre everywhere –
at the Prep. The shows, by the
including in New York - would be
way, are hilariously funny.
so much better if everyone put on plays the way St. Joe’s Prep does.” • August
2016: At Mayor Kenney’s
• February
2017: The Music Man
is cast with 37 students. This will be the largest cast on the Prep stage in
request, 35 Prep students and alumni
decades. The show runs May 12-14
perform scenes from Shakespeare
and 17-21.
in 2011 as part of the Prep’s “Go Further Still” initiative. Improv is also offered each summer – taught by Cape and Sword alums - as part of Prep U Summer Program, and remains one of the most popular aspects of that program.
THE PREP NEWS | SPRING 2017
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