A magazine for alumni, parents, students, faculty and friends of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School Vol. 2 No. 2, Summer 2006
news • A Day In The Life • Hawktion • Tennis and Crew Champs
• Prep Leadership Change • “Some Like It Hot” • Mingey and Foy Profiles
president’s letter
Dear Friends, I am sad to say that this is my last letter to you as President of St. Joseph’s Prep. In early June, I submitted my letter of resignation to the Board in light of recent personal issues in my life. I appreciate the calls of prayer and support; they mean more than you can imagine. There is so much good for me to reflect upon during my four years here. First and foremost, I will remember the students. They are the lifeblood of this school and for all of us they are the reason we work here. I have valued my interactions with them, through retreats such as Kairos, through celebrations of great achievements such as National Honor Society or sports accomplishments and, maybe most importantly, through casual interactions in the hall. They are wonderful young men and I thank God for the opportunity to know them all. We are all so very proud of our students and their accomplishments. I have also had the privilege of working with a very dedicated and professional faculty and staff. They are able to transform these young men in remarkable ways. Many of the men and women who work here could make more money or glory elsewhere but they all believe in the mission of The Prep. Without them, this school could not exist and I thank them for all that they do. My duties have also given me the distinct pleasure of meeting many of our alumni throughout the country. The dedication of these men is astounding. No matter where we meet, whether it is in the Delaware Valley or places like San Francisco, Phoenix or even Paris, we are instantly transformed back to 17th and Girard. Many people in my position would give anything for such loyal alumni and I am grateful to have gotten to know so many of you. I am sad to be leaving now as we embark on an exciting project to transform the old Jesuit rectory into a vibrant classroom/office building. I have enjoyed dreaming the dream for the past year and look forward to coming back to visit the fruits of our labor when it is completed. In closing, I thank you all for your love and support of St. Joseph’s Prep; I am glad to know that The Prep is in good hands. I wish you all a fond farewell.
Sincerely,
Rev. Bruce M. Bidinger, S.J. President Front cover image: Michael Neal ’07 prepares for class. (photo by Mike Monti)
inside:
school news
s c h o o l f e at u r e s
alumni news
Prep Leadership Change
2
“A Day in the Life”
9
Alumni Profiles
22
Graduation
5
Roundtable, Part II
12
Class Notes
24
“Some Like It Hot”
6
Faculty Profiles
14
Calendar
31
New Board Members
7
Student Profiles
16
Perspectives
32
Modern Language Profile
18
14
2
editorial board
editor
Rev. William J. Byron, S.J. ’45 Michael Egan ’71 Michael Gomez John T. Anderson Rev. Bruce A. Maivelett, S.J. Albert J. Zimmerman ’73
Bill Avington ’90
President Executive Vice President Principal Vice President for Development Director of Ignatian Identity Director of Alumni Relations
photography Director, Marketing and Communications
designer Maridel McCloskey
McCloskey Designs
class notes editor Angie Falcone
Development Secretary
editorial staff Bonny Barry Nancy Moule
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Director, Annual Giving Development Services Assistant
David DeBalko, Dennis Monaghan ’06, Maryland Province Jesuits, Mike Monti,Frank Raffa, Saint Joseph’s University, Ryan Schick, Mike Trerotola ’06
The Prep News is published three times a year. Please send comments or contributions to: Attn: Editor The Prep News St Joseph’s Preparatory School 1733 Girard Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19130 or e-mail to: afalcone@sjprep.org For additional information, check our website www.sjprep.org
school news
Fr. Byron Becomes Prep’s 30th President Following the resignation of the Rev. Bruce M. Bidinger, S.J., as president in June, the Board of Trustees named the Rev. William J. Byron, S.J. ’45 to serve a two-year term while a search can be made for a more permanent successor. They could not have found a more respected person to fill the position. Fr. Byron has had a long and successful career in higher education. He served as President of Catholic University (1982-92) and the University of Scranton (1975-82). In addition, he was Dean of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University of New Orleans, a Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Ethics at Georgetown University and a research professor at the Sellinger School of Business at Loyola College in Maryland.
In addition to his academic work, Fr. Byron is also a prolific writer. He pens a bi-weekly column (“Looking Around”) for the Catholic News Service and has written and edited several books. “The Board of Trustees could not be happier to have someone with the expertise and talents of Fr. Byron during our transition,” says Rod Henkels ’82, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “We believe that Fr. Byron will allow us to keep our momentum moving forward.” Fr. Byron assumed the duties of the President in July and will be at the school full-time in late August. A more in-depth profile of Fr. Byron will be featured in the fall issue of The Prep News.
Egan Joins The Prep as Executive Vice President FOR SOME, WALKING INTO ST. JOSEPH’S PREP with the duties of Executive Vice President having never worked in academics might be a daunting task. But Michael Egan ‘71 has been in tougher situations and surpassed expectations. Egan, who resigned his position on The Prep Board of Trustees to accept the newly created position, has been asked to take some of the administrative load off of the desk of the president. To that effect, a restructuring was done so that most of the business operations now report to Egan, while the president continues to directly supervise the academic and development operations. “From what I could see, the president was being overloaded; there was just too much on his plate for one person to handle,” says Egan. “It might have worked, under normal circumstances, but in the midst of a capital campaign and the residence renovation, it was really too much to ask of anyone.” Egan was enjoying a career of consulting and some relaxation after a pressure-packed career in the oil industry and the utility field. But an offer from his alma mater was too much to pass up. “As my son (Michael ‘95) said, ‘it’s The Prep, you’ve got to do it,” Egan says with a laugh. “But I accepted because I thought I could be helpful and I love this place. I know that I would not be the person that I am without it.” While his heart may have always remained at The Prep, his body traveled throughout the U.S. After graduating from Saint Joseph’s University in 1975, Egan spent 20 years working for the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) spending time in Alaska on the Alaskan pipeline and later in Exploration and Production. He also worked in California for the company in Corporate Finance. He returned to Philadelphia in 1991, in part for his son to attend The Prep and to join ARCO Chemical.
After working two years as CFO for a privately owned commodity chemical company, Egan accepted a position with Philadelphia Electric Company (PECO) during the utility’s shift to deregulation. He served a variety of roles there, including restructuring the finance function and heading the company’s purchases of nuclear reactors. He was chairman of Amerigen, the first company to ever buy a nuclear power plant. PECO bought the operating reactor at Three Mile Island, a controversial decision that paid off in great dividends for PECO, its customers and its shareholders. One of his most effective charges was spearheading PECO’s merger with Unicom to form Exelon, which was the largest utility merger ever and also the fastest. But with such a huge responsibility come long hours and stressful days. After the merger, Egan stayed at Exelon for a few more months before deciding to retire and spend time with his wife Debbie and children (Michael and daughter Kelly). “My years at PECO and Exelon were really a marathon run and I wanted time to reconnect with my family,” says Egan. “I wanted to take control of my time.” So Egan worked as a consultant but also wrote several screenplays. And when The Prep called, he was willing. “My hope is to provide a little more structure and give us some consistency in our business practices,” says Egan. “This is a great place with great people and I want to be a part of bringing new energy to it.” 2
school news
Gomez Named Principal After a comprehensive and deliberate national search for principal, Michael Gomez has been appointed principal of St. Joseph’s Prep. Gomez, who most recently served as Assistant Principal for Student Affairs at Creighton Prep in Omaha, replaces Rev. Thomas Clifford, S.J. “I am thrilled that we have landed such a competent, energetic and capable person to lead The Prep forward,” says outgoing Prep President Rev. Bruce M. Bidinger, S.J. “Mr. Gomez has a wealth of experience in Jesuit education and he is steeped in Jesuit tradition. He is also academically sound and a compassionate educator. I could not be happier with our selection.” The Prep is the third Jesuit high school in which Gomez has served. Prior to his tenure at Creighton, he taught and coached baseball at St. Peter’s Prep in Jersey City, which is also his alma mater. Gomez holds a
Morgan and Tom Farren, board member and parent John Sasso and parent and alum Joe Ruggieri ’69. “I am extremely happy with the work of this committee,” says Fr. Bidinger. “They spent months reviewing resumes, conducting interviews and deliberating. I think they have done an outstanding job and found a wonderful candidate who embodies all of the qualities we wanted in a principal.” Gomez, who recently moved to Cherry Hill, N.J. with his wife Sarah, is excited to get started.
Master’s degree in private school administration from Columbia University, a Master’s in English from the State University of New York at Binghamton and a Bachelor’s degree in English from Providence College. The appointment is the result of the hard work of the search committee, led by Rev. Bruce Maivelett, S.J.,and composed of teachers Meredith
WATERS EARNS EAGLE SCOUT
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BILL WATERS ’06 is one of the select few Boy Scouts to achieve the Eagle badge, the highest rank in the scouts. In April, he received the badge at a ceremony at St. Denis Church where his troop is based. At right he and his mother Theresa stand in front of a table full of Bill’s scouting achievements after the ceremony. Bill is headed to Saint Joseph’s University where he plans to major in English.
“After meeting with faculty members and administrators, it is clear that there is a great love of tradition at The Prep as well as an excitement concerning innovation, which was wonderful to see,” says Gomez. “I am very excited to begin working with the entire Prep community and getting to know people on an individual basis.”
school news
THE PREP CLASSIC 2006, this year held at the Philadelphia Cricket Club in Flourtown, was a huge success with more than 200 golfers playing the club’s 36-hole courses. In addition to the golf, more than a dozen people hit the Cricket Club’s tennis courts. A special thanks to Joe Murphy ’53 and John Sigmund ’54 for organizing the tennis portion. Afterwards, a reception was held at the club. There, The Prep honored Gus Kueny ’53 (below middle) for his several decades of service to the school. Kueny began teaching at The Prep in the 1950s before moving into Development after the fire of 1966. He retired in 2000 as Vice President for Development, helping to oversee many campaigns.
Mothers’ Club Fashion Show Is A “Classical Beauty” More than 800 women attended the 50th annual Mothers’ Club fashion show, with this year’s theme “Classical Beauty” at the Bellevue. The highlight of the event was the large number of Prep students who served as models. Thank you to Joann Duff and Ceal Biello for their hard work coordinating the successful event.
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Graduation 2006 On Sunday, June 4, 257 students from the Class of 2006 received their diplomas at a ceremony at Saint Joseph’s University. At the ceremony, outgoing principal Rev. Thomas Clifford, S.J., received an Ignatian Award for his years of service to The Prep.
The Honorable Henry J. Bender, Jr. Medal for Latin Andrew J. Gangemi (Gold) Andrew Haas (Silver) Classical Archaeology William C. Waters (Gold) Brad T. Kelly (Silver) The William F. Ford Memorial Award for Greek Thomas S. Nell (Gold) Brian V. Phillips (Silver) Computer Science Joseph W. Coyne (Gold) Steven J. De Laurentis (Silver) English Peter E. Horgan (Gold) Kevin M. Endres (Silver) AP English Christopher R. Petersen (Gold) John G. Hendrickson (Silver) Fine Arts Jordan M. Mrazik (Gold) Seton B. Spadt (Silver) AP European History Brian T. Burke (Gold) Matthew F. Du Pont (Silver) United States Government Konstantinos L. Koutroubas (Gold) Stanley Witherspoon (Silver) AP Government Jaimeson W. Rice (Gold) J. Kyle Sweeney (Silver) The John L. Himes Medal For Mathematics Peter E. Horgan
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After the Baccalaureate Mass on Saturday and at the Commencement ceremony, many seniors were presented with academic and activity awards along with recognitions of other noteworthy contributions. Here is a list of award winners: Charles E. Barton Ignatian Chemistry AP Calculus BC Service Award Peter E. Horgan (Gold) Andrew T. Molchan (Gold) Salvatore J. Profaci Jeremy P. Hopkins (Silver) Matthew J. Brennan (Silver) AP Calculus AB Brian T. Burke (Gold) Brian V. Phillips (Silver)
Physics Thomas S. Nell (Gold) Peter E. Horgan (Silver)
Jesuit Secondary Education Association Award Joseph J. Connor
Honors Calculus Ryan J. Kurtz (Gold) Ryan S. Taras (Silver)
Band Thomas Kain (Gold) Joseph Coyne (Silver)
Reverend Pedro Arrupe Award Andrew J. Gangemi
Calculus John P. Coladonato (Gold) Daniel J. Ramspacher (Silver)
Chronicle Literary Magazine: Robert Carden (Gold) Michael Mullin (Silver)
AP Statistics Peter E. Horgan (Gold) Corey T. Clyde (Silver) Matrices/Probability and Statistics Anthony J. Franchetti (Gold) Harry S. Fennimore (Silver) The Joseph L. Walsh Memorial Award for French Patrick O. Byrne (Gold) Michael J. Mullin (Silver) German Daniel E. Pierson (Gold) Jaimeson W. Rice (Silver) Spanish John S. Turner (Gold) Charles K. Schrier (Silver) Honors Spanish Patrick K. Ennis (Gold) Brian T. Burke (Silver) AP Psychology Patrick K. Ennis (Gold) Kevin E. Endres (Silver) Religious Studies Peter E. Horgan (Gold) Theodore P. Warren (Silver) Biology Peter E. Horgan (Gold) Andrew J. Gangemi (Silver)
The Joseph P. Hauck Medal for Community Service David Gambone Thomas A. Everly, Sr., Award for Dramatics Michael Trerotola (Gold) Daniel F. O’Brien (Silver) Julia Rogers Fine Arts Service Award Thomas J.P. Kain Forensics Joseph Kapusnick (Gold) Brian Burke (Silver) Hawklet Adam M. Ferrone (Silver) Dennis P. Monaghan (Silver) Jazz Band Joseph Coyle (Gold) Matthew Shapansky (Silver) Mathletes Brian Burke (Gold) Matthew Brennan (Silver) Pre-Prep Award Michael R. Trerotola Yearbook Dennis P. Monaghan (Silver)
Prep Spirit Award J. Kyle Sweeney Edmund A. Cassidy General Excellence Award Matthew J. Brennan Brian T. Burke Steven J. De Laurentis Patrick K. Ennis Andrew J. Gangemi Peter E. Horgan Ryan J. Kurtz Thomas S. Nell Timothy P. Nowlan Jaimeson W. Rice Fathers’ Club ScholarAthlete Award Thomas S. Nell The Student Mothers’ Club Award Michael R. Trerotola Bernard E. Kueny, Jr., ‘53 Alumni Award Andrew T. Haas John Mc Shain Award Joseph A. Kapusnick Saint Joseph Award Thomas J.P. Kain Richard B. Mc Closkey Loyalty Award Keith W. Pizzi
Everyone Likes “Some Like It Hot” Cape and Sword’s “Some Like It Hot,” produced by Tony Braithwaite ‘89, won popular and critical praise this spring with a sold-out, two-week run. In the first ever Cappie Awards to honor excellence in Philadelphia high school theatre, the show won 10 prizes, more than any other school. Mike Kearney, Dave Serratore and Drew Zebley Tom Loughran, Mike Noel Ensemble in a musical: “Some Like It Hot” ensemble Male dancer: Seton Spadt Comic actor in a musical: Dave Cullen Featured actor in a musical: Drew Haas Lead actress in a musical: Eileen Cella (junior at Agnes Irwin) Lead actor in a musical: Steve Wood Best song: “Dirty Old Men” Best musical: “Some Like It Hot” Lighting:
Former Commish Pays Homage to Friend’s Alma Mater In April, former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent spoke at Saint Joseph’s University. He used it as a chance to thank an old friend and Prep alum.
Sets:
Vincent donated his $2,000 honorarium to The Prep in honor of his longtime friend Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. ’47, the former president of Fairfield University who is currently teaching at Fordham University. According to Vincent, Fr. Kelley often spoke highly of St. Joseph’s Prep and he wanted to take the opportunity to remember an old friend. Principal Rev. Thomas Clifford, S.J., attended the talk and accepted the check for The Prep.
Class Dances
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school news
Prep Board Welcomes New Members At its May meeting, the St. Joseph’s Prep Board of Trustees invited two alums to join its ranks, Joseph Ruggieri, Esq., ’69 and Leo Carlin, Jr. ’81. Ruggieri is semi-retired after several years dually working as a civil attorney at the Law Offices of Raymond J. Quaglia, P.C., and as co-owner of R. Energy Management Company, a business development group that provides growth planning strategies and implementation for Ruggieri and Sons Fuel Oil, Inc., and several car wash locations in the Philadelphia area. He also gives of his time, serving as Assistant to the National Director of the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which was founded by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Senator Robert Taft to recognize individuals for their contributions to community service. In addition, Ruggieri was the parent representa-
tive to the committee that selected the new Prep principal this spring. Ruggieri and his wife Anna live in Villanova and have three sons Jerry ’97, Stephen ’00 and Daniel ’06.
Joseph Ruggieri, Esq., ’60 and Leo Carlin, Jr. ’81
Carlin is also very busy professionally. As detailed in the spring issue of The Prep News, Carlin is Executive Vice President of Commercial Sales for T.W. Cooper Insurance while also serving as minority owner of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. In addition to The Prep Board, he serves on the boards of the Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, the Covenant House of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation. He is part of a major Prep legacy with his father Leo ’55 and brothers Clayton ’83, Chris ’85 and L.D. ’89 all attending the school. Carlin and his wife Suzanne live in Drexel Hill with their four children (Karleigh, Leo III, Keenan and Margo).
Class of 2010 Clockwise from top left: Freshman, Sophmores, Senior and Junior Prom
IN SEPTEMBER, THE PREP WILL WELCOME ANOTHER QUALITY GROUP OF YOUNG MEN TO THE MIX. THE CLASS OF 2010 has 250 students registered out of 625 students who tested and applied in November 2005. Academically, the students are stellar; 101 of the candidates scored in the 98 and 99 percent range and the median score on the entrance exam for the registered students is 91 percent, one point higher than last year. The Prep continues to draw from among our family, as 93 sons and brothers will enter, including 15 who are both a son and a brother. The majority of students will continue to hail from the Pennsylvania suburbs (58 percent), with large numbers of students from New Jersey (24 percent) and Philadelphia (18 percent) as well. In addition, 38 students of color are registered. “We are extremely fortunate to have such a well-rounded group of young men who have chosen to join The Prep’s Class of 2010,” says Jason Zazyczny ‘90, Director of Admission. “In addition to their obvious academic qualifications, these students also bring with them a wealth of experience in areas such as musical talents, athletic abilities and community service experiences.”
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school news
HAWKTION ’06 Combines Fun and Fundraising The 2006 Hawktion, “Viva Las Vegas,” was a huge success. More than 700 people attended this year’s event in the Kelly Fieldhouse and they were treated to a dazzling array of items for auction, entertainment such as Elvis, Marilyn and Sinatra and a wonderful food and drink spread, provided splendidly by Tony Fiume and his outstanding staff. During the live auction, tickets and lodging for the Notre Dame-Penn State football game in South Bend drew more than $11,000. Other items included the “Prep Puppy,” a day on the campaign trail with Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, along with several trips to golf, shop or relax. A special thank you to Beth Missett, Director of the Hawktion, and the co-chairs Susann and Robert Undi, who volunteered to run the event for a record third time, and Pat and Joe Quinn ‘71 and all of the many men and women who worked to make this Hawktion a success.
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c o v e r s t o ry
A day in the life
Mone (second from left) and friends head out after school
In many ways, The Prep experience has not changed much over the past 155 years. The same bedrocks of Jesuit teaching apply as much in 2006 as they did in 1851. However, a typical day for the students of St. Joseph’s Prep may be very different from those who came before. The three students profiled in the next few pages are not unusual or unique. Their days in many ways represent the days of the nearly 970 other students who fill the building each day.
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Andrew Mone ’07 Hometown: Bryn Mawr
7:05 a.m.: Wake up, shower and dress for school. “I pretty much wake up
at the last possible second,” Andrew says laughing. 7:25 a.m.: Mike Heenan ‘07 pulls up in his red 1993 sedan, with younger brother Ryan ‘09 in the backseat, to pick Andrew up for the ride to school. The group heads out down Haverford Ave. to Lancaster Ave. and then through Fairmount Park. 8:05 a.m.: The trio pulls into the Prep parking lot off 17th Street on
Flora. Andrew walks in the back entrance of the school and goes right into the Dining Hall for a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich and a milk. Today, there is also a last-minute review of Othello before class.
12:11 p.m.: Time for a meeting in the Campus Ministry Office. Andrew is applying to join the Ixthus retreat team and now has to interview with Sr. Kate Woody, Mr. John Bloor ‘01 and Mr. Brian Smith ‘01. The group talks about Andrew’s essay on life lessons and on his friendships. Andrew makes the team and will spend his senior year leading retreats and assisting with Masses. 12:53 p.m.: Back to class and chemistry with Mr. Joe Feighan. After the regular seventh period announcements are through, the class hands in their homework and Mr. Feighan begins a lecture on balancing chemical equations and stochiometry. 1:37 p.m.: Andrew’s school day ends with religion with Mr. John Groch.
8:30 a.m.: Room 212 and homeroom with Mr. Jim O’Brien ’62. 8:41 a.m.: Stay in room 212 for English with Mr. O’Brien. After a quiz on
the homework reading, the group launches into a discussion on Othello. 9:23 a.m.: Head down the hall for Spanish with Ms. Ligia Baland. First the group reviews vocabulary and then works on exercises from the textbook. At the end, there is a discussion about Ms. Baland’s native Venezuela.
2:15 p.m.: As soon as the last bell rings, Andrew rushes to the theatre for
10:05 a.m.: Virgil with Mrs. Nancy Primick. Andrew says this class was a real challenge at first but “once you get the hang of things the content was much easier to manage.” Each night the group gets 30 lines to translate and spends the first few minutes of class going over the material, including a quiz.
5:20 p.m.: Andrew grabs a shuttle bus to Center City where he will catch
10:47 a.m.: Algebra II/Trigonometry with Mr. Daniel Kilpatrick ’94.
7 p.m.: Dinner with mom and dad (Drew). Sometimes Andrew’s sister Shannon joins them, if she is home on break from Catholic University.
Today’s course features sine/cosine graphs. Mr. Kilpatrick uses a tablet PC to illustrate examples on the board. “I really like this class because Mr. Kilpatrick is so structured,” says Andrew. “He is consistent so you know what to expect every class.” 11:29 a.m.: Andrew runs to the Dining Hall to grab lunch and spends a few minutes eating in the junior lounge in the third floor atrium. He then heads backstage of the theatre to help put the finishing touches onto the set for “Some Like It Hot.” Today he joins fellow stage crew members Dave Serratore ‘06, Tom Loughran ‘06, Greg Stathes ‘07 and Kevin Nihill ‘07.
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Today the discussion focuses on the modernist movement in the church. “I really like this class because we have a chance to listen to what Mr. Groch has to say on a subject and then he listens to us,” Andrew says. “It’s a great way of communicating.”
stage crew. Here he and the crew work to finish the set and also help get props, etc., ready for run through. The show is one week away.
the R-5 to Bryn Mawr. Once there, his mother Mary Jo will pick him up on her way home from work. 6:10 p.m.: While mom makes dinner, Andrew watches TV to unwind.
7:30 p.m.: Start homework. Andrew has a system: first math and science
then Spanish and religion followed by his lines from Virgil. 9:15 p.m.: A bit of TV, “CSI.” 10 p.m.: Shower and dress for bed. 10:30 p.m.: Read English assignment. 11:15 p.m.: Bed.
c o v e r s t o ry
Harry Cunnane ’08 Hometown: Jenkintown
6:30 a.m.: Shower and dress for school 6:55 a.m.: Eat cereal with mom (Madeline) and dad (Patrick). Brothers
Pat, a senior at La Salle College High School, and Alex, a student at Ancillae-Assumpta Academy, sometimes join them. 7:05 a.m.: Walk to the Wawa on Old York Rd. to catch the bus to school.
Harry meets up with six other Preppers at the stop. 8:05 a.m.: Arrive at The Prep. After a quick stop at his locker, Harry goes
right to room 105 to wait for homeroom and review his Chinese assignment.
After school, Cunnane goes for extra math work with Ms. Lyons.
8:30 a.m.: Homeroom with Ms. Kathryn Quinter. 8:41 a.m.: Chinese I with Ms. Yan Huang. Harry is one of just a dozen
students registered. After taking 10 years of Spanish, he was looking for a change. He has loved the class so far. “I thought I would like it a lot and I have,” he says. “It’s not like any other language. There is no alphabet, they use characters for words.” Harry is already planning on taking Chinese II next year. 9:23 a.m.: English with Mr. John Bloor ’01. Today, Harry acts out a scene from “Death of a Salesman.” He plays Biff while Dave Barlow ‘08 and Alex Dempsey ‘08 play Willy and Happy respectively. The scene takes place in a restaurant after Biff stole a pen. 10:05 a.m.: Geometry with Ms. Jennifer Lyons. Today’s topic is cosines tangent identities. Ms. Lyons uses the tablet PC to show the students how to work out the problems. 10:47 a.m.: Harry and his friends head for the dining hall to grab lunch. After eating, they will go to the third floor atrium to review Latin in the sophomore lounge. 11:29 a.m.: U.S. History with Mr. Paul Lynch. Today, the group discusses the Vietnam War. Mr. Lynch presents an outline and gives key facts.
12:11 p.m.: Latin II with Mr. Michael Dougherty ’93. Class begins with a 10-minute quiz on Caesar before Mr. Dougherty goes over the homework translation. 12:53 p.m.: New Testament with Mr. Ken Kania. The discussion dwells on heaven, purgatory and hell, both the Catholic teaching and the common understanding. 1:37 p.m.: Biology with Mr. John Milewski. Human systems are the subject, today focusing on the circulatory system. 2:15 p.m.: Right after the final bell, Harry heads to the math office for some extra help from Ms. Lyons. The two go over materials for an upcoming exam. 3 p.m.: After going over geometry, Harry goes to the cafeteria and to do some written homework with his friends. 4:10 p.m.: With the weather turning warm, Harry and his friends go out
into the plaza to play football. “I like having the time after school,” Harry says. “It’s fun being there with my friends.” 5:20 p.m.: Back to 18th Street to catch the Prep bus ride home to
Jenkintown. 6:15 p.m.: Get off at the Wawa and walk a few blocks home. 6:30 p.m.: Dinner with the family. 7 p.m.: Hangs with friends. 8 p.m.: Unwinds by watching the hockey playoffs on OLN. 9:15 p.m.: Reviews homework and does his studying. 11:30 p.m.: Bed.
Cunnane and his friends gather in foyer after school.
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Michael Neal ’07
Hometown: West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia 6:30 a.m.: Wake-up, shower and dress for school. 7:05 a.m.: Grab breakfast with his mother (Lisa), father (Stephen) and
Frankie, his brother who is a fifth-grader at The Gesu School. Stephanie, his sister and a sophomore at The Baldwin School, sometimes joins them. 7:30 a.m.: Michael and Frankie get on the subway at Broad and Olney
and ride it to Girard Avenue. The two walk three blocks up Girard, turning onto 17th Street. Michael arrives at The Prep while Frankie continues a half block to his school. 7:50 a.m.: Michael heads to his sports locker in the basement of the school. Once he drops off his gear, he goes to his second floor locker to get his books for the day. 8:05 a.m.: Michael and friend Justin DePermentier ‘07 sit in the library and review their work for the day. 8:30 a.m.: Homeroom with Ms. Anne Smith. 8:40 a.m.: Government with Mr. Bill Conners ‘80. Today’s class discusses lobbyists and their impact on Congress. 9:23 a.m.: Back to the library for some studying, this time meeting up with friend Kelvin Bloodsaw ‘07. “The librarians always joke that they should get me my own desk because I am in there so much,” Michael says with a smile. 10:05 a.m.: Spanish III with Rev. Bruce Maivelett, S.J. After praying the “Padre Nuestro,” the group goes over vocabulary from the text book and then read a story. “Fr. Maivelett is an awesome guy,” Michael says. “It’s the best Spanish class I have ever had.”
12:11 p.m.: Chemistry with Mr. Fran DeHoratius ‘63. Today the class discusses thermochemistry. Although Michael struggles with the subject he says he is doing okay, with Mr. DeHoratius’ help. “It’s a difficult subject for me but I work through it,” he says. “I go to Mr. DeHoratius a lot for extra help.” 12:53 p.m.: Algebra II/Trigonometry with Mr. Dan Kilpatrick ’94. This class is one of Michael’s favorites. “I like Math and Mr. Kilpatrick is a very good teacher,” he says. “As long as you put in the work, he is there to help.” Michael also likes Mr. Kilpatrick’s teaching style. “He has made the course very interesting. He teaches the problems like puzzles.” 1:37 p.m.: English with Mr. Joe Griffin. Today’s course features “Hamlet.” Mr. Griffin reads portions aloud to the students followed by discussion. 2:20 p.m.: In the fall, Michael has to rush from class to his sports locker
to get gear for football. He then has to get to the parking lot for a ride to practice. “I have it timed to seven minutes.” In the winter, after school means lifting weights to stay in shape. The spring is reserved for track and Michael runs several events, including the 100, 200, 400, 110 hurdles and he is the anchor of the 4 X 100 team. 6:30 p.m.: Michael gets a ride home from his mom and grabs a quick
dinner. 7 p.m.: Homework. This could last for several hours. “I try to take my time and get it all right,” he says. “I do my homework as soon as I get home because I don’t want my brain to get tired.” 11 p.m.: Some downtime, chilling in front of the TV. 12 a.m.: Bed. “Sometimes I wish there were more hours in the day,” he
10:47 a.m.: Lunch period begins with a few minutes in the library.
Michael then grabs lunch with friends before heading to class. 11:19 a.m.: Christian Ethics with Mr. Steve Oldham. The class begins
with a five-minute meditation. “It really clears my head,” Michael says. After that, Mr. Oldham goes over the notes, which Michael had already downloaded from the Internet. 11
says. “It can be stressful but I like to be active.”
“The librarians always joke that they should get me my own desk because I am in there so much” —Michael Neal ’07
r o u n d ta b l e
IN THE LAST ISSUE OF THE PREP NEWS, we began a roundtable discussion with several members of the St. Joseph’s Prep community about what a Jesuit education means to them. Here is part two of their conversation with magazine editor Bill Avington ’90. The Prep News: What should define a graduate of The Prep or any Jesuit school? JOHN GROCH, Religion teacher: I think a big part of it is that the graduates leave here with as many questions as they have answers. They have the basis for understanding and a certain world view that is not formless or shapeless but they want to ask more questions. SISTER KATE WOODY, Director of Campus Ministry: They need to know that they have the ability to integrate all of the things that they been presented with and were encouraged to develop but then they need the courage to do it. They aren’t taking a wild leap though; they know that they have abilities, including the gift of God’s grace to go along with it, so they are not out there alone. SAM DEITCH, Director of Ignatian Service: I think they also need to develop the ability to articulate the experience. To share it so that it is not just theirs but they are evangelizing. The ability to say, this is what I have experienced, this is what I have learned and I am going to share with you because I know that it is important. If you don’t articulate it, then you are not letting the experience truly affect you.
REV. BRUCE MAIVELETT, S.J., Director of Ignatian Identity: It’s amazing how comfortable and how easy it is for these kids to reflect on their experiences and talk about it. They are learning that somewhere. If we want to point at something that we are doing well, we should look at these kids who are capable of that sort of experience reflection. TPN: What is the job of the faculty and staff of a Jesuit school and how is it different from faculty and staff at other types of schools? BM: I think we do too much saying what makes us different. In reality, to a very large degree, I think what you find here you ought to find in other schools. But there is something about the lived reality here that might be what sets us apart. That’s tradition and it’s who we are and what we are trying to become along with the Ignatian ideals. KW: One of the things that a Jesuit educator has to do if they are serious about it is to become as Ignatian as possible; to pray in the Ignatian way, to understand the Ignatian insights and principles. More than anything we say, the students are being formed by what we do. If we are authentic in our own living out of Ignatian principles, then the students will get that. SD: I think it is all rooted in the Spiritual Exercises. They are deliberate in how they work and where they move you. People at St. Joe’s Prep are very in tune with the process. We don’t just send students on a service trip, we prepare them to go. Once they are on the experience, we try to make sure they are processing 12
are wonderful bridge people. Even though most don’t stay beyond a year, they have given me the insight into that year’s student in terms of superficial things like slang and movies but also on the deeper level, like what kinds of questions are the students thinking about. SB: The Jesuits are talking about the new vision for the order here in the states. I think articulating what that vision is to all of us and how we are going to get there is critically important because it takes into account the culture, our resources and how we are going to respond to that. I think the challenge for the Society is articulating the vision to all of us. As in any organization, I think we need to have clear sense of purpose and vision.
[L-r] Rev. Bruce Maivelett, S.J., Sr. Kate Woody, John Groch, Dr. Stew Barbera ’86 and Sam Deitch
their experience and continue that experience when they come back. I think that to me is a major part of a Jesuit education. TPN: What are the challenges of providing a top-notch Jesuit education? KW: One huge one is we don’t have a lot of Jesuits. That means it is much more incumbent on non-Jesuits to develop their whole Ignatian selves. STEW BARBERA ’86, Director of Counseling: Another challenge is the accessibility of this great enterprise that we have here for a wide, diverse group of students. If you want to be top-notch, there is a cost to it. That’s a huge challenge because it you want to attract good faculty, have a state-of-the-art facility and train these students for loving and serving God, then you have to make it accessible. BM: There’s always the temptation to think that we’ve achieved all that we need to achieve. In reality, if you buy the Ignatian thing completely, there is always more. It’s not being satisfied with simply being effective. We’re always looking for more effective ways, whether it’s in the classroom, out of the classroom, service retreats or whatever. We might not hit it but there’s always this deep desire to be more and that’s challenging. KW: Another big challenge is continuing to deal with the culture because it keeps changing. Every four or five years, kids are different so you have to keep current. That’s one of the wonderful things the teachers in the Alumni Service Corps have to offer. They come in and 13
BM: I know we are going to be challenged in the near future by declining numbers. The Society is working on how it defines its apostolic mission and its distribution of its limited manpower, not by how it has been done in the past but by what our documents are calling us to do. If our Society decides to take it seriously, we will also have to look at our mission here. It’s incumbent upon us to keep asking the question, just how does what we do serve the majority of the world population? SB: I think too, in the 21st century, there is a competency part but on the other side of the coin is character, values and ethics. I think going forward everyone is examining that. We’ve done a great job on the competency part; many schools do. But the challenge is to integrate this character-ethics-values piece. That is going to be really critical. BM: And it’s also working on diversity. It’s looking to increase diversity, not just say a certain percentage of minority kids go here but that it’s diverse experience from which we all learn from. SD: We have to keep looking at our mission statement and ask ourselves if we are doing things effectively. It’s a continuous challenge. You can’t stop because one part is doing well. BM: One of the difficulties is we are educating and forming young men who are becoming. The rubber really hits the road somewhere down the line where this kid is making choices about what to do with his life. That’s incredibly difficult to measure and do it in a consistent way. Normally we do it anecdotally. It’s like wow, look at this guy or that guy or we celebrate that we have five people profiled in Philadelphia magazine. It’s like, ok, fine, but what are they doing with life? Boy they look great now but we need to see what they are like 15 or 20 years down the line and what long-lasting effect has this formation had on them and how have they continued that formation as they grow. There will be ups and downs, hills and valleys and everything else but in the end what sort of person are they?
faculty profile
Christina McGuire-Villarreal Ever since she was a young girl, Christina McGuire-Villarreal has been fascinated by the great monuments of ancient Greece and Rome. In the summer of 2005, she got the chance to see some of them with her own eyes. McGuire-Villarreal spent several weeks as a student at the American School for Classical Studies in Athens, Greece. Having earned a scholarship from the Classical Association of the Atlantic States to study in the acclaimed program, McGuire-Villarreal was able to learn ancient history on location. “It was magical to see Greece first hand,” she says. “There is nothing quite like standing inside the Parthenon. Because of the program, I got a pass to see things that most people never get a chance to see.” She enjoyed her experiences there so much that she applied to study in Rome at the American Academy. To do so, she earned another prestigious scholarship, this time from the Fulbright Foundation. The process required interviews, recommendations and essays. For McGuire-Villarreal, there is nothing like immersing herself into the culture she teaches. That immersion comes through in the classroom where she has become a popular figure since arriving at The Prep in 2001. To her, she is living a dream, teaching “Roman Politics” and “Homer’s Iliad.” “My friends who only teach Latin are so jealous that I also get to teach Greek,” she says with a laugh. “I think The Prep is one of the few places that still offers Greek.” And you can count McGuire-Villarreal among those who believe that a Prep education is better for including the Classics. “I really think that students who take Latin and Greek learn better grammar, better vocabulary and have a better sense of literary references because so much of our cultural history contains threads from the Classical language,” she says. “That, plus the process of rote memorization exercises a part of your brain that helps with math and science.” The Prep’s focus on Classics also binds the generations, as McGuire-Villarreal has learned. “Anytime I go anywhere and someone finds out that I teach Latin at The Prep, an alum will come up to me and tell me about their experiences here,” she says. “The Prep alumni I meet are very passionate about Latin.” And McGuire-Villarreal is passionate about teaching and being at The Prep, something she considers “an honor.” “I come from a Prep family,” says McGuireVillarreal, an alumna of Masterman High School, the University of Pennsylvania (B.A. in Classics) and Villanova University (M.A. in Classics). “My grandfather (Philip Wilz ‘49), my uncle (Bill Wilz ‘73), my brother (Mike McGuire ‘98) and my cousin (Daniel Rosa ‘06) all went to The Prep and I wanted to go here too but obviously could not. I feel really privileged to be here now.” She and her husband Ian live in South Philadelphia but she spends a great deal of her time at 17th and Girard as the moderator of several student activities, including the Irish Culture Club (with an annual march in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade), the Classics Club (including donning a toga for the yearbook photo) and the Martial Arts Club. When asked why she gets so involved, her answer is typical of her.“I really love to see the students enthusiastic about things,” she says. “It is contagious and as long as it is something productive, I will help them out.”
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faculty profile
Jim O’Brien ’62
Some teachers have become a part of The Prep landscape. LIKE THE CHURCH OF THE GESU OR THE SENTINEL STATUE OF IGNATIUS AT THE ENTRANCE, IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE THE SCHOOL WITHOUT THEM. JIM O’BRIEN ‘62 IS ONE OF THOSE TEACHERS. Having entered the Prep as a freshman in the fifties, O’Brien is currently in his sixth decade of continuous association with Jesuit education. Although he has been teaching in the English department since 1970, his classes are as fresh and entertaining as they were four decades ago. And O’Brien doesn’t seem eager to leave. “I still love the work,” he says. “I love revisiting the literature, discovering new perspectives, and sharing the experience with my students. If I can help them to appreciate a Cummings’ poem or find a play that holds their interest or lights a spark, then it makes it all worthwhile.” Over the years, O’Brien has helped thousands of students find their way into the world of literature and the arts. He is famous for finding little theatres, organizing class outings, and turning his students onto new experiences. More than a few have reminded him about memorable moments they shared in and out of the classroom years ago, and O’Brien, who rarely misses an alumni function, loves hearing the stories. “It’s the richest reward to relive those experiences, to know that you shared a significant experience with so many students,” he says. “If we shared an intense class or two while they were in their formative years, then I love to revisit those moments.” For O’Brien, his role in the classroom is to encourage young men to think for themselves, and his highest praise for a student is to credit him with possessing “a questioning and critical attitude.” “I love that phrase,” he says, “because it sums up the approach to problems that we should always attempt to foster and encourage.” “I love it when a student challenges me,” he says. “It is fun to watch a young man have the confidence to raise an objection, handle criticism, and defend his position. When I see that happen, I am impressed” Those students who achieve that level become one of O’Brien’s prestigious “academic marines.” “I like the students who embrace a challenge and separate themselves from the crowd, and I enjoy making much of their initiative in front of their peers,” he says.
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O’Brien credits many influences for shaping his teaching style and somewhat eccentric approach to the classroom. “My parents encouraged me to embrace learning and have fun along the way, my teachers at the Prep and colleagues over the years helped me to branch out and grow, and a generation of Prep students has inspired me with their enthusiasm and energy,” he says. O’Brien and his wife Josephine are particularly proud of their three daughters and their growing families. All three girls – Jeanine, Kristin, and Siobhan – are married, have earned Master’s degrees (English, mechanical engineering and social work respectively) and are keeping their parents busy with three grandchildren, Roman, age 5, Kaelin, age 2, and the newest addition, Owen Michael born in May. A fourth grandchild is expected in November. Recently, the O’Brien’s were honored to stand as godparents at the Baptism of Michael and Mark Miller, the twin sons of Prep teacher Matt Miller. At The Prep, O’Brien continues to see students who encourage him about the future. “There has been no change in the students over the years; The Prep continues to attract a special breed, sensitive, generous, and intelligent young men who want to be challenged and are encouragingly curious,” he says. “With such people in our community, The Prep is in a very good place.”
student profile
The Brothers Kain perform as part of a tri-state Grammy band (Tom on keyboards, Will on drums).
Profile on “The Brothers Kain” High school is a special time for most but for Tom and Will Kain, it was extra special-they got to share it with each other.
prestigious competitions such as Pennsbury and the Classics Festival in Delaware County. “I am so thankful that my parents always encouraged me to stay with music,” says Kain. “Without them, I might not be playing.”
Tom says all of the The Brothers Kain, as time spent playing they are known music is well worth it. throughout The Prep, “Music pours itself are one year apart in back to you in so many school. They are also ways,” he says. “All of inseparable. Both play the preparation is in the jazz band and worth it when you get both are among the down and you’re most accomplished groovin’. When you Will and Tom Kain musicians in the stuplay with other musident body. cians, there is a special communication that is unique to music.” Tom is a senior headed for the Peabody Conservatory at Johns Will, a junior, also had other interests Hopkins University, where he will but it was in music where he found major in jazz performance for piano his most enjoyment. and sound recording technology. This He also found success year, he helped keep the Prep Jazz early on, winning a Band afloat, serving as the student spot on the 20-piece director. But while it seems he was tri-state Grammy Band destined to be a musician, it wasn’t as a drummer, joining always the case. his brother. He also “As a kid, all I wanted to do was play baseball,” says Tom, who played for the freshman team at The Prep. “But after freshman year, it was getting harder to do both well so I decided to choose music.” That decision seems to have been a good one. In six competitions during the past two years, Kain has won the soloist award at all of them, including
won a scholarship to the summer jazz program at the University of the Arts.
The brothers point to their parents as inspiration. “They were unbelievably supportive, driving, packing gear, anything we needed,” says Will. He also pointed out that with a drummer and a keyboardist, they had more equipment than anyone else. There was also the question of music in the house. Both brothers say music was frequently on, with music from The Beatles to Billy Joel and Elton John filling the majority of the time, though recently they have wandered into more eclectic styles. Not only did the Kain’s have music during their time at The Prep, they also had each other, brothers and best friends. “My first year was hard because I was the only student from my grade school and it was a bit lonely,” says Tom. “Once Will arrived, there was always a familiar face here.” Will agrees. “I’ll be walking in the hall,” he says, “when I see Tom’s fuzzy hair bopping to some tune, it’s like I’m home.”
While Tom will be away from The Prep next Tom directs the jazz band year, he has a lot to keep an eye on–his younger brother and the jazz band. “I want the jazz “Those two things encouraged me to band to be successful and thrive, to pursue music,” he says. Although he build on what we have accomis unsure of his college plans, Will plished,” he says. “What I love about does not doubt that he will continue The Prep Jazz Band is that we play playing music. because we want to, not because we have to.” 16
student profile
Profile on Blaine Crowley ’09 That summer between eighth grade and high school is often a seminal time for a young man heading to St. Joseph’s Prep. In many respects, it is his last summer as a boy before leaving the comfort of his neighborhood for a broader experience at The Prep. Blaine Crowley ’09 went above and beyond that during his summer of 2005. Crowley and his mother cycled from Seattle, Wash., to Long Beach Island, N.J., all in the name of a good cause. Crowley rode to raise money for cancer research in honor of his cousin Erin who is currently suffering through her third recurrence of brain cancer. Crowley traces his desire to ride cross country to a conversation he overheard as a five year old. “My mom has always been a touring cyclist and she had a friend in Wisconsin who rode across the country,” he says. “I was five when I heard the story and said that I wanted to do it then.” Though he was obviously not ready as a pre-schooler, he and his mother Karen decided that the summer between elementary school and high school was the perfect time for the adventure. To prepare, for an entire year the two would get up early and ride a 10-mile loop before school. On weekends they stretched it out and then added weight to simulate the backpacks they would carry.
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The trip started in Seattle and almost didn’t make it to day three. “That second day, we had to climb this mountain outside of Seattle,” he says. “It was cold and it was rainy and I was really questioning the trip. But once we got past that, we settled into a routine.” The two riders bonded during the trip and were twice met by Blaine’s dad Terry and younger brother Nate ’10. They also called Erin in Austin, Tex., when they crossed the continental divide, ironically the same day she was released from the hospital. time to join Crowley and meet Lance. All in all, the adventure traveled 3,150 miles over 50 days. It also raised $16,100 and earned Blaine and Karen a trip to meet and ride with cyclist Lance Armstrong, a six-time winner of the Tour de France who survived cancer and raises millions of dollars to aid in the disease’s research. “It was amazing to meet him in person,” Crowley says. “I showed him our itinerary and our map. He seemed really interested in it.” Thanks to his fundraising efforts, Crowley got to ride five miles with Armstrong during the cyclist’s Ride for the Roses, a 70-mile ride that included celebrities such as Robin Williams. But while Crowley got the chance to live a dream, so did Erin. Though she is currently undergoing chemotherapy, she was healthy enough at the
“She was really interested in the whole trip and was grateful for it,” Crowley says. “I know that she definitely enjoyed sharing in the publicity.” Crowley continues cycling, training for some small amateur events. He also rides with the Prep Cycling Club. But it will be hard to top his ride in the summer of 2005. “It was a chance to get out and do something amazing,” he says.
Crowley shows Lance Armstrong his route across United States.
student profile
Profile on Modern Language
Imagine this scenario from the mid-1990s: YOU ARE A STUDENT AT THE PREP WITH A GREAT GIFT FOR MODERN LANGUAGE, EITHER SPANISH, GERMAN OR FRENCH. YOU EXCEL AT IT AND WANT TO KEEP DEVELOPING YOUR LOVE OF THE LANGUAGE. UNFORTUNATELY, THREE YEARS WAS ALL YOU COULD TAKE BECAUSE MODERN LANGUAGE CLASSES DIDN’T BEGIN UNTIL SOPHOMORE YEAR FOR STUDENTS.
[L-r] Frank Raffa, Jesse Kennon, Deirdre Schlegel, Tom Farren, Ligia Baland, Fernando Mendez, Anne Smith and Rev. Bruce Maivelett, S.J. Missing: Yan Huang.
That all changed towards the end of the decade. Students now take two years of modern language, two years of classics and two swing years, meaning they can take three years of both or four years of classics or four years of a modern language. It also means that students are able to take a modern language in their freshman year. “This compromise alleviated some of the challenges in the structure for students looking to take four years of
a modern language,” says Tom Farren, Chair of the Modern Language Department. It also helps those students who may have already taken a modern language in elementary school. Now they will not lose that first year of instruction. “The old system wasn’t working,” says Frank Raffa, longtime Prep Spanish and French teacher and a former chair of the department. “For some students, they were losing a year of their ‘ear’ and they were
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Another major focus of the modern language department is to bring culture into the classroom. For Mendez, studying Spain and Latin America is a huge part of the curriculum. “To me, learning the culture is an integral part of understanding the language,” he says. “I make a big deal about studying the history and the culture of these countries.” It is also a chance to reinforce the Ignatian values of helping those in need. “Many of the countries we study in Latin America or South America are really dealing with major political, social and economic issues,” says Raffa. “It is a great opportunity to sensitize them to the poor and enhance their awareness of Ignatian principles.” A new wrinkle to the department was the addition of Mandarin Chinese to the curriculum. Currently taught once a day by Yan Huang, the class includes roughly a dozen students. “Our students have really taken to it and there has been a lot of success,” says Farren. “Having the opportunity to study Mandarin Chinese gives our students an advantage.” starting almost from scratch as sophomores. I am ecstatic that we can teach freshmen.” That change in structure is not the only difference in the modern language department. There is also a greater focus on fluency and communicating, rather than translating and reading. “Communicating is always the main goal of teaching a language,” says Fernando Mendez, a Spanish teacher
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and former department chair who has been at The Prep since 1976. “There are some who argue that being grammatically correct is less important than being able to communicate.”
And Farren says that the department is considering an AP Spanish course to take advantage of students taking four years of modern language. But Mendez cautions that things are still evolving.
Raffa agrees. “I think we have done a very good job of that in the past seven or eight years,” he says. “More and more students are becoming proficient in speaking the language than we have ever had before.”
“In theory, this new structure is beautiful and it helps that the quality of students will improve from freshman year on,” he says. “But we are still getting accustomed to having more fluency and we have to adjust our curriculum to meet those needs.”
prep sports
able to personally affect the game. I wanted to do whatever it took to win.” Last spring, he started getting ready, playing catcher in his backyard with his brother Sean ’09 throwing to him. Things did not go smoothly at first. “I was really struggling,” says Murphy. “I came to off-season workouts and it wasn’t going well. But the coaches started helping me out, especially Coach (Ed) Turner who gave me a lot of tips. Now I enjoy catching.” Of course with catching come the bumps and bruises. Murphy says he is okay with that. “I’m bruised all over but during games you don’t even feel it.” Murphy also has a way with words. He is sports editor of the Hawklet and shared a space called “Hawk Talk” on TedSilary.com, a Website devoted to Philadelphia high school sports. Murphy and partner Adam Ferrone ’06 would recap each of The Prep’s football games and some basketball games. The site was very popular, if not always politically correct.
Profile on Pat Murphy If Topps or Donruss were printing baseball cards for St. Joseph’s Prep players, they might have a tough time with senior Pat Murphy. After all, Murphy has played every position during his four years at The Prep, including spending his senior year behind the plate. And his willingness to play anywhere has helped the team find success, including a berth in the Catholic League championship game. At first, Murphy’s desire to play any position was more selfish. “As a
junior, I just wanted to get a spot on varsity,” says Murphy. “The rest of the infield positions were set so I transformed myself into a first baseman.” Murphy played well, especially on offense. Still, heading into his senior year, a switch would be made again, this time moving Murphy into really unfamiliar territory. “Our catcher (Pat McKeever ’05) was graduating and we really didn’t have anyone to play there,” says Murphy. “I volunteered because I wanted to be
“We had a lot of fun with it and a lot of people would tell me they enjoyed it,” he says. “If you give me a pen and let me write about something that I enjoy, I can write forever.” Murphy hopes to continue both loves at Penn State in the fall. While he will major in business, Murphy wants to minor in journalism and write for the student newspaper. He also hopes to play baseball, even catcher if need be. “Adam’s going to be there too so who knows, maybe we can keep Hawk Talk going at Penn State,” he says.
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prep sports
Crew Shells Christened A shell named in honor of Lt. Col. John C. Spahr ’81, who died tragically over the skies of Iraq in his F/A Marine fighter jet, was dedicated in April at the Boathouse. Mass began the day’s events with the dedication and christening following. Shells were also dedicated to Thomas Ellis ’80, a former coxswain who died late in 2005, and Margaret Frances Schmidt, a Prep mother and grandmother. Contributions can be made to the Spahr Shell Fund; all money should be sent to The Office of Alumni Relations, St. Joseph’s Prep, 1733 Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa. 19130. Checks should be made payable to “St. Joseph’s Prep Crew” with “Lt. Col. John C. Spahr ’81” written in the memo section.
Prep wins Catholic League Tennis and Crew Titles Top: Margaret Schmidt dedicates her boat. Middle: Stephen Spahr dedicates boat in his brother’s honor. Left: Anne Ellis and two of her sons dedicate shell.
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Meanwhile, the Prep tennis team won the Catholic League title for the second year in a row with a 70-46 win over La Salle at La Salle University and, with wins in six categories, The Prep crew team shared the title with Roman Catholic at league championships in May. For the year, The Prep won three league championships and reached the finals in baseball and lacrosse.
alumni profile Mingey (far right) at a ceremony at Baghdad’s main soccer stadium to unveil the new logo for the Iraqi Olympic Committee, With Mingey is Mark Clark, a British representative to the Iraqi Ministry of Youth & Sport, and interpreter Mutaz al Muhuidras, a local Iraqi.
Profile on Dave Mingey ’88 ON AUGUST 29, 2004, a small group of Iraqi athletes entered the stadium in Athens, Greece, part of the Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics. Nearly 5,000 miles away, Dave Mingey ’88 was watching with tears in his eyes. Less than a year after Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was removed from power, soccer players, a boxer, a sprinter, a tae kwon do athlete and a judo athlete were living a dream, while also bringing some normalcy to a war-torn country. And they did it with the help of people like Mingey. For three months, Mingey lived in a container car on the grounds of Hussein’s presidential palace, working as a communications advisor to the Iraqi Ministry of Youth and Sport. The ministry’s mission was to help reclaim sports and youth programs in order to begin to restore the psychological infrastructure of the Iraqi people.
“The Prep teaches you about the potential of your life and the need to commit yourself...” —Dave Mingey ’88 “I have always been a big believer in the power of sport,” says Mingey. “It is one of the very few things that can unite very diverse audiences and groups. Whether it is the World Cup, March Madness or the Olympics, sport is an unbelievably powerful thing.” And with a decade spent in sports, Mingey has seen its power. Since graduating from Boston College in 1992 and spending a year in the Pacific Northwest as part of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC), Mingey has worked for some of the nation’s top athletic companies, including Sports Illustrated and Nike. After helping Sirius Satellite Radio establish its sports marketing plan, Mingey moved to Johnson & Johnson to be its Director of Olympic Marketing. But nothing can surpass the time he spent in Baghdad. The inspiration for Mingey’s involvement came from an article sent to him by his sister Jane. The article focused on Ed McVaney, a multi-millionaire software entrepreneur from Colorado who had volunteered to live in a military tent in Baghdad to provide support for the rebuilding of Iraq’s infrastructure. Mingey was so moved by the article that he called a contact in the White House to see what he could do.
“He said that it was funny that I had called because Ambassador (L. Paul) Bremer was really bullish on getting the Iraqi Olympic team back together and having them march in the Summer Olympics, which was less than a year away,” says Mingey. “I laughed because they had no idea how long it takes to get anything done with the Olympic committees. When he asked if I knew anyone who could help, I volunteered.” From that conversation, Mingey took a leave of absence from Nike then spent several months in Iraq, training the ministry staff in issues such as Sports Marketing 101, English and helping them file the proper paperwork with the International Olympic Committee. He also saw the horror that had been in place before the American offensive that led to the ouster of Hussein and his sons. “I saw the torture chambers that Uday Hussein used against the athletes,” Mingey says somberly. “No news article, no Time magazine piece could ever fully convey how horrific it was.” The Iraqi soccer team outdid expectations to qualify on its own and nearly won bronze in Athens. Mingey and the ministry obtained exemptions for the other athletes so the Iraqis could field a team. “I think it was a great moment of pride for the people of Iraq to witness their athletes once again marching into the Olympic opening ceremony, to see their flag take its place among the flags of the world,” he says. But Mingey is humble about his achievement. “To be honest, we weren’t there asking the insurgents to lay down their weapons, we were ordering soccer balls,” he says modestly. “I know there are guys out there, guys like Dave Sheronas ’88 and others, who are really involved in terrible situations every day. Compared to them, what I did was nothing. But I do think that we helped the Iraqi people regain some normalcy and pride. That is important.” Now Mingey has moved onto another learning situation, trying to discern all that he can about the Chinese business market and find ways for Johnson & Johnson to benefit from it during the 2008 Olympics. “I am fascinated by China and grow more so every day,” says Mingey. “I think the 2008 Olympics will be a watershed moment for world business; it is an opportunity for us all to get a glimpse into China.” Making the most of his opportunities is a trait that Mingey says he acquired in high school. “When I think of The Prep, the two words that stand out for me are potential and commitment,” he says. “The Prep teaches you about the potential of your life and the need to commit yourself to making the most of it, not only for yourself but for the world around you.”
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profile in giving
Profile on Chris Foy ’77 FOR CHRIS FOY ’77, THERE WAS LITTLE CHOICE ABOUT WHERE HE WOULD BE GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL. Despite living “a golf shot” from La Salle College High School, Foy says “that was never an option.” “My father (George Foy ’45) never spoke very highly of La Salle,” Foy says with a laugh. “I don’t think I even took the test to get in there. There really was no other school to consider besides The Prep.”
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Others, thinking of others before yourself, that kind of thought process dominated his life and obviously had a direct impact on mine as well.”
16, Nate 14 and Max 10) in Westborough, Mass. For the past few months, he has been working to keep Prep alumni in that area connected.
To honor his father, Foy has started the George Foy ’45 Scholarship Fund. Foy hopes that the money will help disadvantaged kids in the Germantown area, his father’s home neighborhood, attend his father’s alma mater.
“I wanted a connection to The Prep but I thought it was impossible living 300 miles away,” Foy says. “I didn’t realize that there are several hundred alumni living in the Boston area. It’s incredible.”
So instead of a short walk, Foy and his brothers Daniel ’73 and Eddie ’75 took the “S” bus from their Laverock home to the Broad Street subway. Then it was a three-block trek up Girard Avenue, a walk that Foy says matured him. But he knew that The Prep was the best place for him.
For Foy, a bond salesman for Bank of America in Boston, giving to The Prep is an easy decision. “The reality is the opportunities that I have been afforded are directly related to what The Prep taught me,” he says. “It laid an unbelievable foundation and I owe it to the school and the students to give back.”
“It started with my father and the high esteem in which he held The Prep,” says Foy. “That impact that The Prep had on him was tremendous. The teaching of being a Man for
After graduating from high school, Foy went to Boston College on a basketball scholarship and still lives in New England, residing with his wife Noel and four sons (Jake 18, Nicholas
Foy helped arrange a Prep alumni event at a Boston College basketball game and plans are in the works for a trip to Fenway and possibly a BC football game or a fall golf outing. He says that it is always interesting to get together with fellow Preppers. “There I was sitting in Boston College, talking to a guy living in New Hampshire and we were talking about 17th and Girard,” Foy says. “You start telling stories and it brings you right back to that point, that formation point in our lives. It’s amazing.” In the photo below: Chris Foy ’77 with his wife Noel and sons, Jake, Nick, Nate and Max.
alumni news
1930s Francis McCormac ‘39 and his wife Esther recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They have seven children, 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
1940s Joseph Klock ‘44 writes a syndicated opinion column that now appears in The Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Joseph Price ‘46 is professor emeritus at Penn State University where he taught for 28 years. He has conducted seminars and lectures at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., the Shakespeare Institute at Stratford-upon-Avon and the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford, Ontario. In 1992, he received a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to assemble a group of international scholars to study the role of Shakespeare in Communist countries. This past June, the University of Toronto Press published his most recent book, Shakespeare in the Worlds of Communism and Socialism. Although he is retired in Hawaii, he continues to lecture on Shakespeare at various Chinese universities. Rev. Msgr. John A. Sharkey ‘47 celebrated his 50th year as a priest. Pastor Emeritus at Old St. Mary’s, Msgr. Sharkey currently is in residence at St. Monica’s. Peter Sigmund ‘47 is an editorial consultant for Construction Equipment Guide, published by classmate Ed Mc Keon ‘47.
Rev. Msgr. James F. Connelly ‘49 is pastor at Stella Maris Parish in Philadelphia where he celebrated his 50th year as a priest.
Francis Chardo ‘61 and his wife Ann are the proud grandparents of Catherine Grace, daughter of their son Fran ‘86 and Christine Chardo.
1950s
Robert Fitzpatrick ‘63 is Dean of the Conservatory at the Curtis Institute of Music, a position he has held since 1986. Prior to that he served as musical director and chairman of the fine arts department at The Prep from the late 1960’s until 1980 when he moved to Curtis as Executive Assistant to the Director.
William Gallop ‘55 is in his 47th year of teaching at a girls’ Catholic high school in New Orleans. He has also qualified to become a hospice volunteer and chaplain. James Kelly ‘57 is an adjunct faculty member in the finance department of Saint Joseph’s University. His nephew is a junior at Saint Joseph’s and his niece is Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information there. Kevin Quinn ‘58 is presently in his 40th year as Director of Track and Field at Saint Joseph’s University. He is currently coaching the women’s track and field and cross country teams. William Ott ‘59 received the 2004 Physical Science Award of the Washington Academy of Sciences for leadership of the Physics Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md. He has been the Deputy Director of the lab since 1990.
David Dilworth ‘65’s daughter, Dianna Dilworth, won the Best Documentary Award in the Big Apple Film Festival held in New York City in November, 2005. The documentary, “We Are the Children,” followed Michael Jackson fans through the arrest and trial. James Higgins ‘65 is in his 22nd year of research and development with Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, N.Y.
1960s Gerald P. Madden ‘60 wrote an article on “Asset Allocation and Retirement Planning” for the spring issue of the Journal of Investment Consulting. Jerry lives in Hanover, N.H.
Leonard Lazarick ’66
Leonard Lazarick ‘66 is the State House bureau chief in Annapolis, Md., for the new Baltimore Examiner daily newspaper. He previously spent eight years at The Washington
The Class of 1947 held their annual reunion at the Conshohocken Marriott on May 3. Those attending were: (Standing, l-r) Ray Thomas, Brad O’Brien, Earl Caffrey, George McHugh, Ed McKeon, Jim McCabe, Herb Tiedeken, Pete Sigmund, Jim Garrity, Bill White, Bill Truskey and John Lucey. (Sitting, l-r) Joe Donahue, Joe Byers, Rev. Donald Clifford, S.J., George Little, Tony Giunta, George Bendinger, Joe Donnelly, Rev. John Sharkey, John Voit, Paul McDermott, John Currie and Bob Downs.
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Post on the national copy desk. In December, he completed his Master’s degree in East Asian History at the University of Maryland College Park. Joseph Vignola ‘67, a former City Controller and Councilman, has joined the firm of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC as Senior Vice President and Manager for the Philadelphia Public Finance Division. Prior to that, he served as the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority.
1970s Rev. James J. Anziano ‘72 celebrated his 25th anniversary as a diocesan priest. He is currently in residence at Regina Coeli Residence for Priests in Warminster. Rev. Dennis J. Carbonaro ‘73 is Director of the Permanent Diaconate Department at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and celebrated his 25th anniversary mass at the seminary in April. Mark Schmidt ‘75 was Past President of the American Association of Hospital Dentists and Director of the General Practice Residency Program in Dentistry at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford, Ct. He recently earned board certification and became a Diplomat in the American Board of Special Care Dentistry and serves on the examination committee of the ABSCD and maintains a general practice in Feeding Hills, Mass. He is also an international official in the sport of luge. His son Mark, Jr. was the US Junior National Champion in the sport in 2003 and 2004. Craig Settles ‘75 has written a new book, Fighting the Good Fight for Municipal Wireless: Applying lessons from Philadelphia’s WiFi story, a story about Philadelphia’s effort to make the whole city wireless and a guidebook for other cities that want to do the same. Frederick Amrein ‘76, Principal at Amrein Financial in Wynnewood, PA was a recent guest on CN8’s “Money Matters Today” to discuss creative ways of paying for college. He also writes a free monthly newsletter on educational funding.
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Rev. Joseph Cocucci ‘76 has been appointed Rector of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Wilmington by the Most Rev. Michael A. Saltarelli, Bishop of Wilmington. Fr. Joe also serves as Director of Priestly and Religious Vocations for the diocese. John Dougherty ‘78, head of Local 98 International Brotherhood of Electricians, has formed a non-profit organization titled Enough is Enough, Inc. for children most at risk of violence. Thomas Egan ‘79 was a guest speaker at the joint meeting of the St. Joseph’s Prep Fathers’ and Mothers’ Clubs. His topic, “The Consequences of Underage Drinkers Who Drive Under the Influence,” explained Pennsylvania’s recently revised law for those who drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Dr. Martin O’Riordan’79, Director of the Adult Congenital Heart Clinic at Lankenau Hospital and Chief of Cardiology at Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital, took an 11-week sabbatical in the spring to travel to Italy to study that nation’s program to screen athletes at all levels to prevent sudden death. The vast majority of sudden death in people under 35 years old is due to a congenital heart condition.
1980s
Sean Rooney ’80 with his father John Rooney and three daughters
Sean Rooney ‘80 and three of his children were in Detroit as the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL. Rooney’s father John shares ownership of the Steelers, the team founded by Sean’s grandfather Art in 1933 and currently run by his Uncle Dan who is Chairman and CEO.
Lt. Col. Lawrence Henigan ‘81 assumed command of the 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division at a ceremony held at Fort McHenry in Baltimore, MD. He served in Iraq from September 2004 until early 2006, working with the Engineer Section at MNC-I representing II Marine Expeditionary Force. Stephen O’Connor ‘81 has returned to the United States after thirteen years as a media entrepreneur in Eastern Europe. He is currently working in Washington, D.C. as group publisher for Eagle Publishing, Inc., publisher of America’s oldest national conservative weekly newspaper, Human Events, and of e-newsletters by Bob Novak and Newt Gingrich. In late April, he was named to the executive committee of the board of directors of the Institute for New Democracies, a USAID backed organization which works to stabilize and democratize transitional societies. Locally, he is a “champion” for the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), where he is part of a team judging business-plan competitions in D.C. public high schools and at Georgetown University. He lives in Washington with his wife Jade, daughter Reagan, and new born twin girls, Charlotte and Caroline. Michael Garry ‘85 has started his own wealth management firm, Yardley Wealth Management after serving as a vice president at Global Investment Management in Princeton, N.J. Dr. L. Stewart Barbera ‘86, Chair of The Prep’s Counseling Department, presented a continuing education workshop on “Academic Underachievement: Assessment Considerations and Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Strategies” at the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers Annual Meeting in Valley Forge. Francis Chardo ‘86 currently serves as First Assistant District Attorney for Dauphin County in Harrisburg.
alumni news
F. David Osinski ‘90 passed his oral examinations in the Ph.D. program at George Washington University and received his degree in May. David, an economic consultant with Bates White in Washington, D.C., and his wife Michele have two children, Katie and Ryan.
Albert Lagore ’86
Tony Braithwaite ’89
Albert Lagore ‘86 is currently the Team Chief of a U.S. Marine Border Transition Team tasked with training, mentoring and advising an Iraqi Border Police Brigade in Al Anbar, Iraq.
Tony Braithwaite ‘89 played the part of Pseudolis in the Arden Theatre’s production of “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in May and June. Braithwaite played the same part at The Prep in 1988.
Charles Leonetti ‘86 works at Federal Mogul in Exton. He and his wife Tina Lee live in Woodbury, N.J.
Joseph Frattone ‘89 was recognized by his peers as well as the publishers of Philadelphia Magazine and the Pennsylvania edition of Super Lawyers magazine as a “Rising Star”. He, his wife and their three children reside in Gilbertsville.
Kenneth McHugh ‘86 lives in Sarnen, Switzerland with his wife Tammy and their four children. He works for Sarna, Inc. an international company. Gregory Yatcilla ‘88 is a 10-year veteran of the Philadelphia Police Department currently assigned as a crime scene officer/investigator. He and his wife Valerie reside in Philadelphia.
1990s D. Jacques Bagley ‘90 has been named Assistant General Manager of the Chicago Machine, a Major League Lacrosse expansion team.
Kevin McGowan ‘91 was featured in the Idaho Business Review as one of the state’s most accomplished professionals under the age of 40. Kevin is a commercial real estate broker for Thornton Oliver Keller in Boise. John D’Angelo ‘92 was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the 21st Ward Athletic Association. He was a member of the baseball and football teams during his Prep days. Timothy Keeler ‘93 recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from George Mason University’s School of Law in Arlington, Va. Tim, his wife Katie and baby son also live in Arlington, a short drive from brother Michael ‘85 and sister-in-law Elizabeth, who live in Great Falls, Va.
(l-r) Hobson, Brooks, Cipollone, Morris and Walters
“THE HAWK HITS MANHATTAN” IS A SUCCESS Several dozen Preppers in Manhattan (plus a few who made the trip from the Philadelphia area) gathered at the New York Athletic Club to hear a celebration of The Prep sports legacy. They also heard from the speakers: Victor Hobson ’98, former standout at University of Michigan and current linebacker for the New York Jets; Pete Cipollone ’89, Olympic Gold Medal coxswain in 2004; and Prep coaches Gil Brooks ’75 (football) and Bill “Speedy” Morris (basketball), who have a combined 13 Catholic League titles to their credit; and the emcee John Walters, a graduate of Brophy Prep (the Jesuit high school in Phoenix, Ariz.) and senior writer for Sports Illustrated. 26
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alumni news
Damian Fallon ‘95 had a work published in a recent edition of Fire Points, a Journal of Literature and Art. He is a graduate of the Creative Writing Program at New York University and lives in Brooklyn. Raymond Rafferty ‘95, a past member of the Augustinian Volunteer Corps who was placed in San Diego and then in an orphanage in La Gloria, Mexico, has now moved back to the Philadelphia area and is attending Villanova University’s School of Law. David Ristaino ‘95 relocated to Rochester, N.Y., and was promoted to Professional Medical Sales Representative with Vistakon, a division of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. He manages the upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania territory. Dave and his fiancé Stacey, a kindergarten teacher in Ohio, are planning a wedding in the fall of 2007. Christopher Heuisler ‘97 recently starred in “In the Family Room” at the Hedgerow Theatre in Media. Chris also assisted Tony Braithwaite ‘89 with The Prep’s spring musical, “Some Like it Hot.” Jason Mulgrew ‘97 has been named one of People’s most eligible bachelors. He also scored a TV development deal with Dreamworks and a contract with DK Publishing for a book to be called Everything Is Wrong With Me: An American Childhood Gone Wrong. Kevin Dougher ‘99 received his M.B.A. at Saint Joseph’s University in December. A few weeks later, he became engaged to Katie Miller.
2000s Arthur Kay ‘01 is an account manager with Fathom SEO which is based in Cleveland, Ohio. Drew Kramer ‘01 is a student in Saint Joseph’s University Graduate School of Business. William Sullivan ‘02 a senior at Yale, earned a prestigious internship at the Financial Times in London. He and his twin brother Thomas ‘02 are managing editors of the Yale Daily News.
F. Shannon Sweeney ‘04, captain of the Prep swim team in 2003-04, is now swimming for Holy Cross. Juan Cave ‘05, a freshman at Georgia Tech, recently took second place in the high jump at the Atlantic Coast Conference’s indoor championships, clearing the bar with a personal-record mark of seven feet-one inch. Daniel DiPasquale ‘05 captured the crown at Fordham University’s “Mr. Fordham” pageant. An article on the pageant ran in Fordham’s student newspaper, The Ram.
Matthew Duke ‘03, a solo musician, is performing along the East Coast. He recently opened for the band “The Vinyl Addicts,” a group of young NYU students that includes Anthony DeFeo, son of George DeFeo ‘76. Nick Stathes ‘03 and Pat Daley ‘04 were elected President and Vice President of the Penn State Undergraduate Student Government. Other Preppers elected as representatives to the government are: Luke Kreider ‘04, Andrew Stathes ‘04, Ted O’Brien ‘04 and Harry Byrne ‘04. Mark Zoller ‘03, a junior at the University of Pennsylvania, earned a spot on the first-team, All-Ivy League basketball team. Andrew Morris ‘04 is a sophomore at George Washington University and served as president of fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi.
Several Preppers sent well wishes from the Great Wall of China. From the left is Steve Gallagher '03, Kevin Kilroy '06, Maura Kilroy, John Kilroy and John Kilroy '03.
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alumni news
Update The Prep Fund, our annual giving campaign, had another successful year with great participation from our wonderful alumni and remarkably increased participation among our parents, parents of alumni and faculty. With your help and generosity we have raised well over $1.3 million, and including the gift of our dedicated Mothers’ Club we have raised over $1.4 million in annual giving alone.
St. Joseph’s Prep vs. LaSalle College High School in a Better Ball Match Play Competition Seaview Marriott Resort Route 9, Galloway, N.J. (Soft Spikes Required)
The Prep is so grateful to the members of the community who served as Prep Fund Chairs. We want to extend a warm thank you to the following alumni, parents, parents of alumni, and faculty for all of their hard work: Chairs of the Prep Fund Cabinet: Melissa and Lynn McGrath Leadership Chairs: Linda Galante and John Colussi Alumni Chairs:
Friday, August 4 at 11 a.m. Cost: $350 per Golfer (Free Shirts!) Hole Sponsorships are available for an additional $350 each. A limited number of spots are available. Questions? John Paul ‘66 p: 215-517-6116 JTPaul@thomasjpaul.com
John P. Quinn ’79 and Christopher M. Tretta ’71 Parents Chairs: Maura and John Kilroy New Parents Chairs:
YOUNG ALUMNI MIXER
Dianne and George Belecanech Alumni Parents Chairs: Kathy and Dan Heist Faculty Chair: Nancy Primick We also want to thank all the alumni, parents, parents of alumni, and friends who volunteered time and made donations to this year’s effort. Annual giving donations
PREP ALUMNI SUMMER BASH Saturday, August 5, 3-6 p.m. Ocean Drive 3915 Landis Avenue Sea Isle City, New Jersey Must be 21 or older to enter.
are vital to the success of a school like The Prep. Tuition alone does not cover all the costs of operating our school, so your Prep Fund donations help to enhance all aspects of a Prep experience today. Your generous contributions go towards funding the many educational, spiritual, service and co-curricular programs that encompass our Prep education. You truly impact the lives of our wonderful students everyday, and help us in our mission to develop the minds, hearts and souls of young men in their pursuit of becoming “Men for and with Others.”
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For more information, contact Al Zimmerman ’73 at (215) 978-1013 or azimmerman@sjprep.org
alumni news
Alumni Births Charlotte Ryan and Caroline Grace to Jade and Stephen O’Connor ‘81 Catherine Grace to Christine and Francis Chardo ‘86 Francis Paolo to Dora and Thomas O’Connor ‘87 Ryan Ana to Beth and John Master ‘89 Nicholas Joseph to Debbie and Carmine Rauso ‘89 William Pearson to Katie and Timothy Keeler ‘93 Chase Michael to Dana and Michael Cellucci ‘94 Caroline Ann to Erin and Dennis Johnson ‘94 Morgan to Kelly and Andrew Savicky ‘94 Laurence Richard to Dorianne and Bryan Sullivan ‘94 Thomas Joseph to Maria and Thomas Eble ‘96 Elizabeth Patricia to Lynne and Mark Halligan, Dean of Students Lindsay Frances to Sean and Melinda O’Neill, Integration Technologist
Clockwise from top left: Charlotte Ryan and Caroline Grace O’Connor, Catherine Grace Chardo, Nicholas Joseph Rauso, Lawrence Richard Sullivan and Thomas Joseph Eble
Alumni Deaths IN MEMORY
Carl J. Schwab ‘26
Jack T. Kain ‘42
Philip J. Adler ‘48
Francis A. Selgrath ‘59
Joseph P. Speitel ‘29
James F. Welsh, M.D. ‘42
James P. Kane ‘50
Daniel J. McCarron, Jr. ‘62
Charles C. Sibre ‘32
John W. Goldschmidt, M.D. ‘43
Richard F. McDonough ‘51
James Gosse ‘63
Joseph J. Fasy ‘33
Joseph A. Cleary ‘45
Richard T. Rosenberry ‘52
George A. Kracher, Jr. ‘65
Arthur J. Gordon ‘35
Edward B. Dougherty, Jr. ‘45
Richard F. O’Connor ‘56
Nicholas J. Finamore, M.D. ‘77
Thomas J. McCann ‘37
Eugene J. Craven ‘46
Louis F. Junker ‘57
Thomas I. Ellis ‘80 Brendan J. Giblin ‘02
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Calendar of Events AUGUST
NOVEMBER
4
War at the Shore (see ad, pg. 29)
2
Jacksonville, Fla. Alumni Gathering
5
Young Alumni Mixer (see ad, pg. 29)
5
30
Freshman Orientation
Open House for 7th & 8th Graders & Their Parents, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
9
Boston Alumni Gathering
SEPTEMBER
10
Fall Play
7
Mini-school Night for Freshmen Parents
16
13
Mothers’ Club Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
Parent-Teacher Conferences Connecticut Alumni Gathering
18
Scholarship/Entrance Exam, 8:30 a.m.
Alumni Board of Governors Meeting 14
Mini-school Night for Upperclassman Parents
22
Wednesday Night JUG
15
Mass of the Holy Spirit
25
Homecoming
23
Pre-Prep Begins
29
Alumni Board of Governors Meeting
30
Washington, D.C. Alumni Gathering
OCTOBER 1
Mother-Son Communion Breakfast, 9:30 a.m.
DECEMBER
2
Mothers’ Club Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
6
5
Phon-a-thon
7
New York City Alumni Gathering
6
Freshman Father-Son Night
17
Christmas Concert
10
Phon-a-thon (also 10/12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 29, 30 and 11/19)
26-29 Grade School Basketball Tournament
11
Mothers’ Club/Fathers’ Club Joint Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
14
Fathers’ Club Gesu Service Project, 9 a.m. (also 11/11 and 12/9)
Senior Mother-Son Christmas Dinner
20-22 Reunion 2006 (see ad, pg. 27) 22
Alumni Father-Son Communion breakfast, 9:30 a.m.
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Northern N.J. Alumni Gathering
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Perspectives
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Len DiPaul ’68
has spent a lifetime working with young people to help them find their true potential. In the Jesuit model of training the “mind, body and spirit,” DiPaul has examined how youth sports can also carry God’s message. He has been inducted into the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s CYO Hall of Fame and he was recently the recipient of the Archdiocesan Outstanding Catholic School Graduate Award.
$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$%$$%$ OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, I have been teaching in a Graduate Instructional Education program with a Catholic school focus called “Calling Forth Leaders.” This unique program was developed by Neumann College in conjunction with the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware and prepares current Catholic school faculty members for future roles of leadership in Catholic elementary and secondary schools. In its introductory course, I usually begin by asking the students to reflect on the teachers they have had and
memories from their high school experiences. I ask them, how did these teachers and programs reflect the purpose and mission of their school? In preparing to answer that question myself, I reflected on my experiences at the Prep in the late 60’s. Immediately names of faculty members such as Bill Gallop, Jerry Bennett, Nick Kueny, J. Gordon Wright, Charlie Barton, Joe Bloh came to mind. Then it was Jesuit Misters like Mr. Kelleher, Mr. O’Connor, Mr. Garrity and Mr. Maier and Jesuit
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In the photo to the left: DiPaul with his mother Josephine, The Prep’s librarian from 1964-1985. In the photo below: The DiPaul Family at the recent awards ceremony. (L-r) Joe, Kristen, Len, Ellen and Alison.
Fathers such as Fr. Burton, Fr. O’Connor, Fr. Rooney, Fr. Proctor, Fr. McGinty (with whom I worked upon graduating) and Fr. Ayd. There is also a list of Latin teachers who would probably prefer to stay anonymous.
for Pastoral and Theological Studies at Neumann College. Upon leaving Saint Joseph’s College in 1970, I entered Saint Charles Borromeo seminary for seven years and Maryknoll seminary for one more. Then, from 1978 until 2001, I worked in the Youth Department for the Philadelphia Archdiocese as the Assistant Director and Director of Parish Youth Ministry. It was
questioning. It has become a part of me; I am often indicted as being a product of Jesuit education. When that happens, I proudly say “yes I am.”
This exploration resulted in the development of two kindred organizations that have had Names and faces of classmates national impact upon examining also surface, guys like Mike the roles of sport as related to Kane, Bob Schuster, Paul Lang, spirituality, The Center for Sport, Dan Rendine, Jere Crean, Buzzy Spirituality and Character Development at “I can never be grateful enough for the Jesuit Education Neumann College The National that encouraged us to seek through critical questioning. and Center for Catholic It has become a part of me; I am often indicted as being Youth Sports of which I am currently a product of Jesuit Education.” the Director. These Harris, Nick Sacchetti and way there that the components of centers have served to explore too many to mention. Yet the service, advocacy, faith and the and reveal the spiritual dynamic epiphany that I experienced was preferential option for the poor, that can result from participathat all these people and the which were taught at The Prep, tion in and reflection upon true stories that they helped to started to come to fruition. I sports. I have had the opportucreate are a significant part of was obviously a latent learner. nity to give numerous talks and who I am and what I do today. presentations nationally on the I certainly am most proud of role of sport and the mission of I graduated The Prep in 1968 and feel most blessed as a result Catholic schools and parish and, truth be told, I was not of my marriage to Ellen Junod CYO’s. It has been amazing how one of the more academically 27 years ago and the birth and schools sponsored by the Jesuits accomplished graduates from growth of our three children, are so interested in this topic. our class. However, as I look Joe (26), Alison (25) and Kristen The Ignatian charism of a back over the past 38 years, I (23). Yet professionally, I have person for others fits well with can confidently say two things also had numerous chances to the notion of true sports, those for certain: 1) I received a be a part of many life-giving that demonstrate God in the wonderful Jesuit education and opportunities and experiences. lived experience. 2) I have even come to discover that I did learn some things in I want to get back to why I And it turns out, I had already my four years (and two write. Remember the class learned that at 17th and Stiles summers) at 17th and Stiles exercise on mission and purpose three decades ago. I guess it all Street. Believe it or not, in May and your high school sunk in after all. 2004, I received my Doctorate experience? I can never be in Educational Leadership from grateful enough for the Jesuit Immaculata University and education that encouraged us currently serve as the Director to seek truth through critical
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Reunion 2006 October 20-22 see p. 27
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