Prep Magazine: Summer 2021

Prep

SAINT PETER’S PREPARATORY SCHOOL

SUMMER 2021

Thanks, Coach.

Looking Back, Looking Forward Normally, summer is a time for me to stop and reflect on the year just past and engage in some planning and dreaming for the year ahead. Of course, last year, that usual pattern was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, so this summer, I dare say, feels more normal.

Every June, my reflection on the past year has both public and private components. Publicly, the faculty and staff take part in several days (yes, days!) of meetings after classes are done and grades are submitted. In these meetings, we as a community, engage in various exercises looking back and looking ahead, reflecting and planning.

When I share with my principal colleagues [at other schools], they often marvel at the fact that we at Prep do this.

It seems only natural—especially given the year we just experienced—that people just want to get out of here and put the school year in the rearview mirror. And yet, our faculty and staff spent several days discussing the lessons we all learned this past year, and shared with one another what we would like to retain going forward and how we need to adjust and adapt our work as a result. All of this was done with a great sense of care and emotional support that springs from our shared mission as Ignatian educators.

Once the public phase of meetings ends, I then turn to preparing summative letters of evaluation for each member of the faculty. I am greatly helped in this process by each teacher who engages in a self-evaluation that asks him or her to look back on the previous year and assess how it went. It is a great privilege for me to read these submissions and gain precious insights from our teachers.

While any evaluation process necessarily involves some bureaucratic elements, the sharing of hopes and dreams, successes and failures—really everything that comprises the art and science of teaching in today’s world— is truly breathtaking. I am greatly aided in this undertaking by our Director of Faculty Formation, Ms. Boreta Singleton, who works with our teachers throughout the school year and also gets to see the beautiful mosaic of Jesuit education that our teachers create.

Finishing these letters of evaluation really marks the end of the school year for me. Rather than feeling tired or spent, I always find myself energized and greatly refreshed, and ready to look forward to the new school year and all of the hope and newness it promises.

In a similar way, I hope that this issue of Prep Magazine offers you the opportunity to look back on this pandemic year as well as the phenomenal coaching career of Mr. Rich Hansen, and look ahead to the joyous celebration of Prep’s 150th anniversary of founding that begins this summer and will continue throughout the year ahead. As you read through these pages, I hope you will feel as I do each June: looking back with gratitude for what has been, and looking forward with great anticipation for what is to come.

Jim DeAngelo, ’85 Principal

CONTENTS

Prep

Cover Story

Volume 31 | Number 2 Summer 2021 Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91 President

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Jim DeAngelo, ’85 Principal

Mike Jiran, ’03 Editor John Irvine, ’83, P’11 Sports Editor Trish Fitzpatrick, P’07,’16 Vince Grillo, ’58 Jim Horan, ’70 Lauren Lapitan Kate Lillis-Magnus Contributors Mark Wyville, ’76, P’11,’18 Select Photography Mace Duncan Ohleyer | Hotplate Original Design Concept

A Vocation, Never a Job Rich Hansen hung up the headset last fall, closing the book on a peerless career as Prep Football’s head coach. The story of his three-plus decades (and counting) as athletic director, though, is still being written.

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The Long Road Back The journey from March 2020 to May 2021 was a road marked by fears and joys, setbacks and celebrations.

16 Then. Now. Always.

Prep’s 150th anniversary celebration officially began July 1. Here’s a look at what’s to come in these 18 months of Pride & Glory.

Mike Jiran, ’03 Layouts and Additional Photography

Departments 2 144 Grand Class of ’21 refined and redefined; Prep’s principal announces his final year; New roles for familiar faces.

Prep Magazine is a publication of the Office of Communications of Saint Peter’s Preparatory School. It is distributed in print, free of charge, to Prep alumni, faculty, staff and parents, and online at spprep.org/prepmag Copyright © 2021, Saint Peter’s Prep. All publication rights reserved.

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Alumni Relations: alumni@spprep.org or 201-547-6413 Communications: info@spprep.org or 201-547-2308

5 Questions Even when Prep’s campus was closed due to COVID-19, the Siperstein Library, a site of seemingly endless innovation in recent years, found a way to remain a hub of school life.

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ON THE COVER: Amidst the noise and bright lights of the 2019 state final at MetLife Stadium, a moment of quiet focus for Coach Rich Hansen and his players.

Photo by Mark Wyville, ’76, P’11,’18

To Whom Much is Given Vince Conti, ’96 continues a tradition of generosity.

19 Sports Outdoor Track’s dream season; County and sectional titles for Volleyball; Wrestling is HCIAL team of the year.

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Alumni Creating a positive with the Bubba Fund; ’58 Cuppa Club and ’55 lunches back in business; accolades for legal Marauders.

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ABOVE: The graduates were again seated with their parents, making for a celebration of Prep families as well as the Class of ’21; student speaker Andrew Smith, ’21.

BELOW: Bene Merenti awards were presented to Rocko Tejada, P’18 of the operations staff and tennis coach Very Rev. John Fencik, ’70, P’98 in recognition of 20 years’ service to Prep; faculty speaker Fred Galano, P’22.

Prep Men, Refined and Redefined As the sun shone on Keenan Field and the 226 newest Prep alumni and their families on May 19, it would have been tempting to view the day as just another step back toward normal life at Prep. And indeed it was a celebration not just of the Class of 2021 as they prepared to move on from Grand & Warren, but of a weight that continues to be lifted, day by day and bit by bit, as the pandemic’s grip continues to loosen. But that wouldn’t tell the whole story of the Class of 2021 nor of the 14 months that began in the midst of their junior year.

Rather than a distraction to be swept aside or viewed as having diminished the Prep experience for the class, argued student speaker Andrew Smith, ’21, the global and personal challenges of the pandemic instead define the bonds of this unique class and redefine what it means to be “Prep alumni, Prep brothers…Prep men.”

“Our white tuxes all match, polished and perfect like every other Marauder who has walked this same maroon line,” he said. “Yet, our experience was not synonymous with theirs. Our maroon line was much more rugged, embedded with the unknown of what tomorrow could hold.”

“While yes, we are Marauders,” he added, “this year, we became pioneers…Yes, we

faced discomfort and anxiety and overwhelming loss; however, we did so as we do all things: together and All for the Greater Glory….Our

legacies we leave behind shall pave the way for Prep men who recognize our perseverance, our integrity, our dedication, and our camaraderie, even in the face of the utmost adversity. Today, we get to own…this new standard and this new experience that we have upheld Prep men to. We get to own that…we are now the definition of Prep men.

In the faculty address, Fred Galano, P’22, a member of Prep’s Religion Department as well as Director of Financial Aid, encouraged the class to engage in the sort of reflection that forms the backbone of his “Finding God in All Films” elective: “[Y]ou can do the same thing with the events of your day, or the events of your life. Think back, through the events of senior year. What was your favorite scene from this year? Relive that scene in your mind.

Who were your favorite characters that you encountered this year? Be grateful for them. If there’s a musical score or theme to go along with this year, what would it sound like? How can you apply what happened to you this year to something that you learned or read about?”

“By doing this,” he explained, “you

can catch glimpses of whoever or whatever God is to you in those reflections. It’s about finding God in all things.”

That process of discovery, discernment, and reflection, is perhaps the greatest gift Prep alumni take with them after graduation. In his closing remarks, Prep’s President, Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91, referred to the theme for the upcoming 150th anniversary celebration—Pride & Glory | Then. Now. Always.— in sharing his hopes for the graduates. “Obviously, when you think of your Prep experience, you have a then and a now of your own. Your 2 SUMMER 2021 n PREP MAGAZINE

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always is just starting now. And to so many of us, the always means more. The

always is what it has always been about.”

“The Prep experience does not just help define the person you are,” he added, “but it motivates you to constantly refine the person you will be for the rest of your life. And I hope as you continue this lifelong refinement, the refinement of your mind, heart, soul, and character, I hope you make a great discovery: the holy boldness and sacred madness inside of you…that stirs your soul to love and dream…the one that creates an unstoppable dream inside of you that puts a dent in the universe when it comes true.”

ABOVE LEFT AND CENTER: John and Michael Scheurer, ’21 received their diplomas from their uncle, Joseph Scheurer, ’86 and their brother, Robert Scheurer, ’20. Their father, Bob Scheurer, ’84, was unable to attend for health reasons. ABOVE RIGHT: Brothers Claudio Zamarra, ’90 (left) and Alfonso Zamarra, ’86 presented diplomas to their respective sons, Lorenzo Zamarra, ’21 and Alfonso Zamarra, ’21

The Prep Family, Reunited After the pandemic forced a one-year hiatus, the 143rd Commencement saw the return of alumni fathers and grandfathers to the graduation stage, presenting diplomas to their sons and grandsons who represent the next generation in a Prep legacy. Not pictured: Teague Mulcahy, ’21 and his father, Paul Mulcahy, ’90.

Julian Ayala, ’21 and Luis Ayala,’91; Andrew Bowling, ’21 and Brian Bowling, ’89; Terence Boyle, ’21 and Michael Boyle, ’84; Colin Brancatella, ’21 and Robert Brancatella, ’85; Vincent Chirichella ’21 and Victor Chirichella, ’86; Matthew Dobronsky, ’21 and Richard Dobronsky, ’83; Gabriel Doria, ’21 and Gabe Doria, ’81

Nathaniel Jablonski, ’21 and Jeffrey Jablonski, ’88; Danil Kirichenko, ’21 and David Chiang, ’86; Richard Lugo, ’21 and Richard Lugo, ’85; Gavin O’Farrell, ’21 and his grandfather, Patrick Downes, ’57; Alexander Sciarra, ’21 and Charles Sciarra, ’87; Andrew Smith, ’21 and Jack Smith, ’76; Gregory Van Sant, ’21 and Gregory Van Sant, ’81

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Remarkably, the Freshman Class Mass marked the first time nearly the entire class was together on campus at once. The members of the Class of 2024 are set to get their first taste of a more normal Prep experience in the fall.

Mass Gatherings Return Mass gatherings resumed at Prep late in the spring semester—literally!

Beginning with the Sophomore Class Mass, and continuing through the Baccalaureate Mass, Freshman Class Mass, and Junior Ring Mass, all students and their parents were invited to gather and pray at the sacred ground of Grand & Warren. The response was overwhelming, as hundreds of students and parents filled the courtyard, yielding joyous scenes that hinted at the return of a full, vibrant campus life in the fall.

Following the journey of the school year—from hybrid to all-virtual classes in the first two marking periods, then back to hybrid and finally, at long last, back to (mostly) in-person learning in the spring, the Masses were an opportunity to reflect on the past year and look ahead to the next. Some highlights included the blessing of graduates by faculty and staff members at the Baccalaureate Mass, the presentation of Freshman Magis Awards to outstanding members of the Class of 2024, and the awarding of class rings and medals to the Class of 2022.

The archived streams of all four Masses are available on Prep’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/spprep1872).

Brooker Receives Inaugural Pre-Law Scholarship Prep's student council president, Johnnie Brooker, ’21, concluded a most successful senior year by winning the inaugural Patricia, Robert and Daniel Haggerty Memorial Scholarship competition. The scholarship was created by a member of the extended Haggerty family as a tribute to the late members with whom she had enjoyed a long friendship. (Robert, an attorney, and Patricia were the proud parents of Dan, ’97, and the family cherished their close connection with Prep.) In September, Brooker, an East Orange resident, will begin studies in the pre-law program at Marquette University in Milwaukee, which includes his selection for an internship at the university's Les Aspen Center for Government in Washington, D.C. At Prep's graduation in May, Brooker received the Francis J. Shalloe, S.J., Award as the Prep senior who represented the values of Jesuit education as a “man for others” during his Prep career. Pictured with Brooker (third from left, receiving the Haggerty Scholarship notification from principal James DeAngelo, ’85) are Guidance Department chairperson Joseph Giglio, ’87; director of student services Mary Durante; faculty member Anthony Keating, ’78; and vice president James Horan, ’70.

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DeAngelo Announces Departure Following 2021-22 School Year Prep’s Principal, Jim DeAngelo, ’85, announced in June that the 2021-22 school year will be his last in that role. DeAngelo is Prep’s third lay principal, and 45th overall, and the conclusion of his 15-year tenure next spring will coincide with the 150th anniversary of Prep’s founding.

“I am beyond grateful for the many blessings my work has given me,” he wrote in a message to Prep parents. Certainly, Prep is—and will remain—grateful for the many gifts he has given in return. After spending 16 of the previous 18 years as a member of Prep’s faculty, DeAngelo was appointed principal prior to the 2007-08 school year. The years since have seen exponential growth in numerous areas of academic life at Prep, from the continual refinement of the curriculum to enhanced professional development for faculty and staff; from the ongoing introduction and integration of new educational technology at Grand & Warren to the rapid expansion of Prep’s global connections to partner schools around the world. Prep’s understated principal would be quick to point out that everything Prep achieves is a collaborative effort, but his leadership in those (and many other) initiatives would be difficult to ignore.

Prep’s President, Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91 summed it up: “We will have opportunities to formally thank Jim next year, but please know how grateful I am for his leadership and dedication to Prep, especially through some extremely challenging circumstances over the last 14 years. His steady hand has steered Saint Peter’s Prep through the uncertain days of Superstorm Sandy and the uncertain months of the global pandemic, and helped us to emerge from those experiences stronger than ever—Prep strong.”

“In the coming weeks, we will announce plans for the process of identifying our next principal,” Dr. Gomez added, “but as we conclude this school year, please join me in thanking and congratulating Mr. DeAngelo for his outstanding work. I look forward to another incredible year together as we celebrate Prep’s 150th anniversary.”

Edges Earns Rising Star Nominations As the vibrant campus life at Grand & Warren ground to a halt in March 2020, one of the first casualties was Prep Dramatics’ spring production of Into the Woods, which was forced to close after one performance following months of preparation by the cast and crew. Under the guidance of director Adam Bouley, musical producer Emily Fencik, and producer Dalma Santana, the task for the cast of this year’s spring musical, Edges, worked to rise above the disappointment of last year—and, fittingly, their work was rewarded with three nominations in the Paper Mill Playhouse Rising Star Awards program. The run-up to the four virtual performances this March included numerous live rehearsals—which had to take place during the winter in the bleachers of the often-windswept Keenan Field in order to comply with social distancing rules then in place.

Nicholas Matos, ’22 was nominated for Outstanding Solo Performance by an Actor, while Halle Lipton (Millburn HS ’21) was nominated in the Outstanding Solo Performance by an Actress category. The entire cast was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Large Ensemble. These were the first three nominations for a Prep production in the 25-year history of the Rising Star Awards. What a difference from just a year prior!

Prep’s first-ever Paper Mill Rising Star nominees: the cast of Edges, Nicholas Matos, ’22, and Halle Lipton (Millburn High School ’21).

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Familiar Faces, New Roles This summer, a number of familiar faces at Grand & Warren are transitioning into new roles in the academic administration: Emma Bagg will become Prep’s registrar, assuming responsibility for all student records and the online applications that house them as well as managing the master schedule and proctoring assignments. She previously served as a teacher in the Classics Department, where she pioneered a number of innovative approaches to teaching Latin from Latin I through AP Latin.

Anthony Locricchio, ’96, after 10 years as Dean of Student Life, will transition to a new role in the Office of Dean of Students.

Catie Eppler will take on the role of Dean of Student Life, where she will work with moderators and student leaders in our extensive co-curricular program, as well as organizing student orientation and assemblies and numerous special events throughout the year. She previously served as a teacher and Assistant Chair in the Science Department.

Sal Veniero, ’05 will become the Director of Global Programs, charged with coordinating Prep’s many international programs and re-starting our exchanges that have been paused by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions on travel. He previously served as Assistant Chair and taught German and Italian in the World Languages Department, while also directing Prep’s German Exchange.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Emma Bagg; Anthony Locricchio,’96; Catie Eppler; Sal Veniero, ’05

A Spring Thaw at Grand & Warren The spring semester at Prep was marked by a gradual return to the vibrant campus life that so defines the Prep experience. It began in early March as seniors were invited to participate in a series of optional, on-campus activities on Wednesdays—which had no scheduled classes under the modified schedule for 2020-21. The first week, more than 100 seniors answered the call to take on the Grit ’N Wit Challenge, an obstacle course that challenged teams with puzzle-solving as well as physical obstacles. By month’s end, the Pride (on campus Monday/Tuesday) and Glory (on campus Thursday/Friday) cohorts of the senior class had been merged, marking the end of a hybrid schedule for the Class of ’21. Seniors now had the option to attend all classes in person or all classes virtually, and the vast majority opted to be on campus each day once again. The pattern repeated with the freshman, sophomore, and finally junior classes, and by mid-April, Prep’s campus was once again bustling with students and teachers each day.

Although some typical spring events remained virtual due to planning constraints—the Grand Gala and the spring musical, for instance—a senior day of retreat, the senior-faculty brunch, a seniors-only Mother-Son Dance, and, of course, the class Masses and graduation events (pages 2-4) were among those able to return to a more traditional in-person format. On April 30, the final day of senior classes, a courtyard concert by the Prep Jazz Band (featuring an original composition by Chase Bradshaw, ’21) brought a vast swath of the Prep community together on Warren Street at the end of the school day, a moment of togetherness that felt a world away from the isolation of a year prior.

While welcome on their own, these changes during the spring of 2021 also served to set the tone for the 2021-22 school year, when all classes will once again take place in-person, with no virtual option planned.

BELOW: Seniors tackled the Grit ’N Wit obstacle course, which promises to be “where brain meets brawn.”

RIGHT: Chase Bradshaw, ’21 played lead guitar as the Jazz Band debuted his original composition on Warren Street.

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Woman for Others:

Janice Irvine Martineau

by Trish Fitzpatrick, P’07,’16

We often speak of Prep as being a family, and in the case of Janice Irvine Martineau, that applies both figuratively and literally. Janice and her brother, John Irvine, ’83, P’11, are sometimes referred to as the “bookends.” As Director of Admissions, John brings in the students, and as the Administrative Assistant/Office Manager in Guidance and College Counseling, Janice ushers them out and on to college. In the process, she has formed many strong bonds with Prep students and their families over the last 27 years.

As Janice says: “Prep has been woven through the fabric of my life for many years. My two brothers and my nephew attended here, my daughter Megan worked alongside me at many Phonathons (she was the only girl to ever receive a Prep varsity letter) and as a HAP teacher. My Dad was also a permanent fixture for years as a volunteer.” A native of Jersey City, Janice and her sister and two brothers attended Saint John’s Grammar School.

She remembers walking home for lunch every day, and never eating at school until she enrolled at Saint Michael’s High School in Union City. After high school, she worked at Freeman Securities and several other companies, using her excellent stenography skills. When her daughter Megan was born, she stayed home for several years and then started working in the Evening Admissions Division of Saint Peter’s College. She and her family shared a two-family house with her parents.

Janice proved to be a valued employee at Saint Peter’s and was soon offered a full-time day job, with a schedule that worked well with her family obligations. She remembers loving the college and working in the Glenwood Avenue building, now occupied by the Jesuit community. After a while, she was asked by then-Principal Jack Raslowsky, ’79 to work part-time, supporting the Main Office. She says: “Working with [then-Vice Principal] Pat Reidy was so wonderful. He was like a kind and loving grandfather.” At that time, Guidance and College Counseling were separate offices, and Janice worked for Father Ray Balduf, S.J., whom she called, “the sweetest man you would ever meet.” After a time, the departments merged and Jim Dondero, ’66, P’00 took the helm. At Janice’s recent retirement celebration, Dondero toasted her with these words: “Janice has a sense of loyalty, teamwork, and dedication that has benefitted Prep students for over 27 years. Basketball, soccer, football games, Prep social events—Janice was there. If you need something done right, Janice is your ’go to’. Without her we would be lost.”

Janice’s office was a hub for students, and some became permanent fixtures. She remembers attending an off-Broadway show written by Jeff Hughes, ’00, which included, “An Ode to the College Placement Lady.” She also recalls when some of Prep’s talented artists painted a mural in her office, which was a very popular hangout spot for Prep students. Her brother, John Irvine, said, ”Janice never missed a game in the years I coached soccer. She also went to every fashion show and parent event she could, just to support Prep’s programs.” Her good friend Diane Casazza, P’95,’97, of the Admissions Office, worked with Janice for years on the proms. She said: “Janice was great to work with. We could communicate easily and we were both focused on giving the boys and their dates a beautiful night.”

Leaving Prep after over 27 years is difficult. She said: “After knee surgery, I had a lot of time to reflect on my life during my recuperation. Also, the sudden passing of Terry LaBruno reminded me that nothing is promised, and while I truly love Prep, I love being a grandmother even more. I’m apprehensive about this new chapter, but it’s the right time.” In retirement, she will leave Jersey City to move closer to her three grandchildren. She’ll help her daughter and son-in-law and—just as at Prep—plans to attend every school function she can, never missing any milestones.

As testament to her close relationships with her family, recently her granddaughter Avery completed a school project called “My Hero,”and selected her grandmother Janice.

Her last words to her colleagues and friends at her retirement party were borrowed from a phrase often uttered by her friend, Prep President Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91: “I love you, and let’s go Prep!” And as Jim Dondero said that day, “Janice and I will be co-authoring the best seller The Real Stories of Saint Peter’s Prep.” Stay tuned, and Godspeed to the heart of the Guidance Department, Janice Irvine Martineau.

An Irvine-Martineau family Christmas.

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5 QUESTIONS

WITH SKY FRIEDLANDER, ASSISTANT LIBRARIAN & SCHOOL MEDIA SPECIALIST

The story of Prep’s Siperstein Library in recent years has been one of continual reinvention, allowing it to maintain and even grow its role as a center of campus life even as the evolving nature of academic research has spelled a reduced reliance on its print collection for coursework. Having just completed her second year as Assistant Librarian (and, starting this year, School Media Specialist), Sky Friedlander has already spearheaded a number of initiatives in keeping with that trend. Given the upheavals in life at Grand & Warren and beyond since March 2020, this innovative approach has proven more valuable than ever!

Prep Magazine: This year your title grew to include “School Media Specialist.” What does that part of the job entail?

Sky Friedlander: That was added to my title this year because we were in this hybrid learning environment. We wanted to make sure the students at home had access to library services. I just tried to think about ways to make sure the students at home could use things in the library that they would want to use if they were in person, like ebooks or audiobooks. So, [Prep Librarian] Will Reese and I put a lot of time and thought into using the databases. We created our own tutorials, YouTube channel, newsletter, and Instagram—which I run, and I don’t even run my own Instagram account!

PM How did the idea for the library newsletter come about ?

SF When I started last fall (2019) we did send out schoolwide emails whenever there was something big happening. But when we went virtual in the spring, it just seemed like it was really hard to connect, like we kind of disappeared from our students’ lives. The library is a really big space; we can fit over a hundred kids. It was a big change going from a big community feeling in the library to just being at home wondering what we could do to let them know, “Hey, please talk to us.” We tried a couple of things and the newsletter just stuck. This year we started doing it again and we

ended up with 31 issues. Every Friday we sent out an email; there were fun little pieces of information and book recommendations. I’ve decided to continue it next year. It was a nice way to stay connected with the students.

PM In recent years the library has come to be a relaxed environment for studying or reading. How did the environment change this past year?

SF It changed a lot. At the beginning of the year we had partitions and curtains throughout the library. The limited capacity made everything more quiet and static. Before, kids would be pulling chairs to different tables and sleeping on our big comfy chairs. But this year, we could only have two to three people at a table. We also had signs that said, ‘don’t touch the books’ and I would have to grab the books for students that wanted to check out. It made the library feel formal.

I know a lot of libraries feel formal, but Will and I like the informal atmosphere. We lost that and it was sad.

PM What are your hopes for the library’s environment next year, as the pandemic restrictions are lifted?

SF It’s easy for me to say I want it to be exactly like it was before.

But I think I just want it to go back to being this communal welcoming space. I want students to come here in person, and have a lot more to do, and weigh in on. I want to feed off the students’ great ideas!

Hopefully, we learned some things during the pandemic and hybrid learning that will make things better.

PM The library holds a plethora of genres. Which one is your favorite?

SF I’m a big fan of fantasy (and sometimes I worry I give that section too much attention). I also really like comics and manga. It makes me happy that the students love manga, because when I went to high school manga used to be so dorky. So I get to renew my enjoyment!

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To Whom Much is Given: Vince Conti, ’96 “May your banners still guide us wherever we go,” is just one phrase that has stayed with Vincent Conti, ’96, since his graduation 25 years ago. “I take that phrase to heart and the lessons I learned at Prep are the banners that still guide me today,” he said in reflecting on the gifts that Prep gave him during his time at Grand & Warren.

Having grown up in Bayonne amidst a strong family foundation of generosity, it’s no surprise that Vince has been a loyal donor to Prep’s Annual Fund for decades. He recalls how his grandfather, Emanuel “Al” Comandatore, P’59, was a very generous man who helped to make other people’s lives easier. Vince’s parents, Thomas and Nancy Conti, P’94,’96,’00, have made the honor roll of Prep donors since the 1990s and his two brothers, Christopher, ’94, and Gregory, ’00 support Prep as well.

And if all that generosity wasn’t enough role modeling, Vince felt it was only reinforced at Prep. Vince recalls how his interactions with Fr. Tony Azzarto, S.J., had a profound effect on him. “I remember taking a service trip to Kentucky with Fr. A, and other

clergy, and being impressed by their ability to volunteer without hesitation. It struck a chord with me and motivated me to do my part in contributing to society for as long as I am able.”

As a marketing specialist with Verisk, an innovative data analytic company that helps companies manage risk, Vince credits Prep with his chosen career path. “I studied math and science honors courses at Prep and I think the mathematics background helped me decide on a career.” He recalls how helpful the teachers and upperclassmen were on his journey at Prep. “They were very understanding and identified trouble spots early on.” With their guidance and advice, he was able to make necessary adjustments in both academic and life decisions. He later became a Big Brother at Prep during his junior and senior years.

One more phrase that resonates with Vince, years later, is men for others. “I find myself going back to that often,” he says.

“While there’s the emotional aspect of feeling good about paying it forward, I believe it’s a privilege to do so.” And so continues another generation of family generosity.

ABOVE: A Conti family gathering. From left: Tommy and Christina (nee Conti) Roesinger; Allie, Anjelica, and Gregory Conti, ’00; Nancy and Tom Conti, P’94,’96,’00; Angela, Sofia, Olivia, and Chris Conti, ’94; Alison and Vince Conti, ’96. LEFT: Alison and Vince Conti, ’96.

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FEATURE Every school year represents a journey, and the Petrean, Prep’s yearbook, has documented those journeys from many perspectives since 1922. When asked to share his perspective on a most unusual year for the school and for the world, Prep President Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91 found that some of his own words to members of the Prep community served as mileposts along this road home to Grand & Warren. These excerpts reflect the moments that produced them, along with the fears, joys, setbacks, and celebrations that defined the year. We’ve reproduced the full text here, with gratitude to the Petrean staff, as an invitation to the broader Prep community to join in reflection and remembrance as we turn the page on this challenging school year.

The Long Road Back

by Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91

When Mr. Comey asked me to share a reflection on the past year at Prep, I realized the

story of this year really begins in

March of 2020, when the day-to-day experience of life at Grand & Warren was upended seemingly overnight. I thought one way to tell

that story would be to share some excerpts from talks, letters, and videos I have shared with various groups within the Prep community. Some you might have heard or read before, and others might be new to you. I know this doesn’t cover everything that happened since March 13, 2020, but I hope it paints a picture of this time at Prep...at least from my point of view. Thanks to my Prep brothers and sisters for walking this road with me.

Faculty and Staff Meeting | March 13, 2020 “Good morning. I love you.” That is the first thing I said to you at the start of our year together. It’s exciting to say that and to start a year filled with joy and hope and new beginnings. But to be honest, it’s more important to say that when we have challenges, anxieties, and the unknown staring at us...with no exact playbook in our toolkit. But what we do have in the toolkit is the belief that our number one responsibility is to love our students, and we can’t do that effectively unless we love each other. So at this moment in time, how do we love and care for our students and you and your family? We are going to close school for a minimum of two weeks. So here’s what that looks like and here’s what we will do now...

Incoming Freshman Parent Zoom Meeting | May 7, 2020 When I look ahead to the 2020-21 academic year, I am focused on three questions: How do we keep our students and faculty and staff safe from the virus? How do we best educate and form the minds, hearts, and souls of our young men under several possible scenarios? How do we continue to be fiscally responsible?

Video to Prep Students & Families | April 8, 2020 But right now epicenter is a scary word. The challenge is new and frightening at times, but it’s also familiar. Within the past 20 years, we found ourselves at the epicenter on 9/11 and again during Superstorm Sandy. Now, as then, we will find the light. We’re going to rely on our faith and pray and pray, but we also know we have to rely on each other and work and work. And while the days feel dark at times, we know that love, and its powerful light, is the true "epicenter."

I know that the action rises and falls between the global struggle to meet this challenge and the quiet moments at home with our families and alone with our thoughts. The resolution is not yet clear, but there will be one, and there will be a next chapter. And I know that Prep will someday look back at this chapter in its history, and we will be proud of the way we wrote it, came through it together, turned the page, and with our metaphoric pen in hand, we said, what’s next?

Letter to the Prep Community | June 12, 2020 As a Prep alumnus, my values were shaped right here at 144, and I know so many of us always look to Prep as the source of “the banners that guide us.” One of the most important “banners” is that all who enter the doors of Grand and Warren are called to be men and women for and with others. Racism is diametrically opposed to that call that originated with Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J. That is true whatever form racism may take.

Upperclassman Virtual Orientation | September 9, 2020 We are called to see our home with new eyes—clear eyes, courageous eyes, careful eyes. Your education and formation at Saint Peter’s Prep is at a time when people are suffering from division, in a nation grasping for peace, grasping for ways to heal, grasping for ways to move forward, grasping for togetherness and unity...This year will have many challenges. One of them is being in a familiar place where we have been successful, but we are now asked to do a lot of unfamiliar things in order to be successful. We are in a familiar place, but we can’t do all our familiar things. If we act the same in this familiar place, we will fail. We have to learn things, but we have to unlearn things as well. We have to learn to stop doing some things we like to do.

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SECTION FEATURE Faculty & Staff Zoom Meeting | November 11, 2020 Let me begin by saying that I recognize that our tension grows as COVID numbers in New Jersey and our country rise. I know there are a lot of other things that are giving us tension: these masks, physical distance, a student seeing his teacher in person once a week, the habit now of checking your phone to see what the daily COVID numbers are...being conflicted about how to spend Thanksgiving, having dialogue about whether or not students or teachers or staff should come in person to our school at all, worrying about powering up heat lamps for our outdoor tent, and too many zoom meetings. And some will call this the new normal in schools. I refuse to do that because that maybe implies that all these things are here to stay. I’d rather call it today’s normal.

But I don’t think any of this overrides commitment and love and faith. Please know how grateful I am that you have shared that everyday—commitment and love and faith. I am so, so grateful. I told you on my first day that I will always be in awe of the faculty and staff of Saint Peter’s Prep. That doesn’t change.

Video to Prep Students | January 6, 2021 I know there is a wide range of emotions concerning what occurred at the Capitol today—including shock, sadness, fear, and anger. These are opposite the feelings you likely experienced just a few days ago—on January 1st—as we were turning the page on 2020.

This violent assault on the Capitol disrupted the important work of our government, and it put elected men and women, civil servants, and others in danger. I keep thinking about the picture I saw online of the evacuated Senate Chamber today. Displayed prominently is the phrase, “e pluribus unum.” What happened earlier today is the opposite of that phrase.

Faculty & Staff Zoom Meeting | March 1, 2021 COVID has done too much damage for us to just show up in September and say we are back to normal. We need a different type of orientation for next year. One way to think about that is possibly inviting students to return for the end of this year. It would be great to finish strong with our seniors. It would be awesome. But we could also be thinking about using this return time as momentum leading to September. It would lay the foundation for the full return next fall. If we return this school year, it would be like the beginning of a 5-month orientation to get us ready for September.

Letter to Prep Parents May 11, 2021 We had a terrific Senior Mass with Fr. O’Hare, a student-led jazz concert on the Plaza, and an outdoor dinner for our student council members and their families. Spring sports are in full swing, our retreat program has resumed with Kairos 64, and the last Class of 2021 Spirit Awards were presented at our Senior-Faculty Brunch.

Baccalaureate Mass Closing Reflection | May 16, 2021 But none of that happens unless you are open to growth, like Peter—with a great desire to not just learn but to learn more, a desire to not just live a faith-filled life, but a desire to have a soul-filled life with boundless faith, a desire to not just be strong in mind and heart and body, but a desire to have the confidence to be someone’s rock. And of course, humble enough to ask questions like, “Can you help me?”

“Will you walk the road with me?” and “Can you forgive me?”...You are becoming a man, a good man, and in a few days a Prep grad, who can and must change the world. I expect nothing less from you. Love you. Let’s go Prep!

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COVER STORY

Before the first game of the 2020 season, Prep Football’s winningest head coach announced it would be his last campaign on the sidelines. After 33 years, 273 wins, and five state championships, Coach Rich Hansen hung up the headset at season’s end. But save the retirement cards and balloons; he will continue in the other role he has come to define over the decades—that of Prep’s athletic director— which leaves little chance of taking it easy any time soon!

A Vocation, Never a Job

by John Irvine, ’83, P’11

There are a handful of people who did not graduate from Saint Peter’s Prep, yet have grown to love this place as much as any alumnus and come to leave an indelible mark at Grand & Warren. Charlie Rooney, Ana Garcia, Father Tony Azzarto, S.J., and Father Jim Keenan, S.J. come to mind. You can certainly add Rich Hansen to that list.

Hansen joined Gerry Bellotti’s coaching staff in 1982 as defensive coordinator and to oversee the weight room, but he was soon asked to substitute in the physical education department while Milt Berkowitz recovered from an illness. That coaching position and “temporary” teaching spot turned into 39 years of dedicated service to Prep—and counting! As Hansen recalls, “When I interviewed with [then-President Fr.] Joe Parkes, it was like talking to John Wayne. He sold me on his vision to reenergize the athletic program and thereby resurrect the

belief that Saint Peter’s was the school for boys to attend.”

With competition from other local schools and downtown Jersey City’s lack of appeal at that time, enrollment was down and, by extension, so were the athletic programs. Hansen credits Gerry Bellotti and Joe Parkes for understanding that a successful athletic program was essential for the life of an all-boys school.

In 1983, the team went 6-3—its best record in 16 years—and the rebuild was underway. In those first five years, Hansen was given more and more responsibility. Bellotti gave him autonomy over the defense, invited him to bring in other assistant coaches, and had him represent Prep at all coaches’ association meetings. Bellotti was, quite simply, preparing his successor. In 1988 he stepped away from football in to dedicate his full attention to his Director of Development position. That was the year Rich Hansen became head coach and took over as Athletic Director; North Jersey football and Prep athletics would be changed forever.

“In ’88 we were a very good 9-1 team,” Hansen remembers, “but the 10-1 State Championship team in 1989 put us on the map. That team did not have a D-1 player, but those guys were gritty and absolutely loved playing for Prep. We just caught lightning in a bottle.”

Other state championships would follow (’94, ’05, ’14, ’19), but Hansen is quick to recall the great teams that did not finish with a ring. “’04 and ’07 were fantastic teams and in ’93 we gave up 19 points all season, but lost 7-0 to Don Bosco.”

With successful teams come a long roster of great players. Hansen is reluctant to single out individuals, but he does point to the arrival, in 1991, of Paul Que and Damian Locricchio as a turning point for the program. Que and Locricchio were known throughout Hudson County and as Hansen puts it, “Que was the first marquee player of that era to come to Prep, and other players would soon follow.” That group matured into the championship team of 1994.

“In those early years, it was tough to convince players (and families) to select Prep,” Hansen recalls. “Thirteen-year-olds had to believe that they could handle the academic grind, the daily commute, the demands of our training—all for the chance to get a great education and to go to (and 12 SUMMER 2021 n PREP MAGAZINE

SECTION COVER STORY OPPOSITE: Head Coach Rich Hansen and Defensive Coordinator Rich Hansen, ’03 react on the sidelines during Prep’s 21-7 win over Don Bosco last October. The younger Hansen will succeed his father as head coach this fall.

LEFT: Coach Hansen surveyed the weather on a raw, snowy afternoon at Giants Stadium during the 2009 NJSIAA final.

BELOW LEFT: As a first-year head coach, Hansen guided the Marauders to a 9-0 regular season, outscoring opponents 257-27. Key senior contributors Raoul Bustillo (#20) and John Formoso went on to Yale and the U.S. Naval Academy, respectively.

BOTTOM LEFT: Few figures loom larger in the history of Prep athletics than the legendary Coach Bill Cochrane. When Hansen surpassed Cochrane’s win total in football—before going on to win another 118 games for good measure—about 30 Cochrane-era football alumni called to offer their congratulations.

maybe even play in) college.” Add to that the financial commitment, and recruiting can be tough. He adds, “Once we became successful, players wanted to be here.” Hansen has been fortunate to have had so many great players pass through the program. Some came to Prep with proven talent while others had their skills discovered and honed here. Either way, all were products of a system run much like a college program.

That success spread to other Prep sports, and over the years new programs like lacrosse, rugby, crew, and fencing were spawned by what Hansen calls, “a high excitement level that became contagious throughout the school. Just

as Fr. Parkes had envisioned, guys wanted to come to Prep to be a part of that atmosphere.”

With a head coaching career spanning 33 years, the record and numerous accolades are impressive. So where does Hansen stand among the coaching legends? “The Mount Rushmore of...” is a phrase that has made its way into the sports lexicon and usually generates lively debate. Bring

up the Mount Rushmore of Prep coaches and you’d better hold that first spot for Rich Hansen. Legendary Prep coach Bill Cochrane will immediately come to mind, and it may be sacrilege to some, but Hansen’s record and accomplishments far surpass even those of Cochrane.

Hansen’s career record of 273-77-1 gives him 119 more wins than Cochrane. Add to that 22 seasons with 8 or more wins, 21 county titles, 5 state championships and a final ranking as New Jersey’s #1 team on 4 separate occasions, and it is clear Hansen stands atop Prep’s all-time coaches list.

In a career filled with more emotional and exciting memories than he could ever count, Rich holds a series of phone calls very high on his list. “Right after I surpassed Coach Cochrane’s win total, about 30 of his former players called to congratulate me. They were sincere. They also spoke with such love and respect for ‘their coach.’ It was another reminder that the relationships are the best part of coaching and have kept me here for nearly four decades.”

Had Hansen ever considered leaving Prep? Marist and Bayonne made offers over the years, as did Christian Brothers Academy when that school introduced a football program. Then there were the opportunities to move up to the college level. Offers to join the staff at Syracuse, Nebraska, or Virginia may have been very tempting, but as Hansen puts PREP MAGAZINE n SUMMER 2021 13

COVER STORY

Dan Hansen, ’09 (far left) and Rich Hansen III, ’03, both received their Prep diplomas from their father on stage.

it, “Sometimes the best opportunities turn out to be the ones we pass on.” He adds, “It

has never been a job; it’s a passion,

a vocation. And my sons (Rich, 03 and Dan, ’09) were coming

here; it had become our home.” He also credits then-principal Jack Raslowsky, ’79 with keeping him here. “The run of years while Jack was principal was the most fun I have had as athletic director. I really felt that we were changing the place; it was a great renaissance.”

It is a common adage among coaches that once a coach begins thinking about stepping down, it’s time to step down. About five years ago Rich began considering moving away from coaching. He wanted to stay to see that senior class through, but then there was another class and, in fact, he realized there would always be another class to coach through graduation. “I would have made the move after the 2019 season, but the upheaval and uncertainty of COVID-19 was an unfair burden to place on a new coach.”

Hansen finally made it official last fall, announcing his retirement from coaching before the 2020 season. His son (not to mention longtime defensive coordinator and now successor as head coach) Rich Hansen III, ’03, believes it was a preemptive strike. “He made that statement so

that there would be no wavering, no turning back, no danger of falling into the cycle of needing to see another group graduate.”

Rich will continue as Athletic Director, but football has been so much a part of his life for nearly four decades that there will definitely be a void to fill. “I am going to create extensive personnel development opportunities for the many coaches at Prep. From guest speakers, to seminars, to trips,

I look forward to helping them improve their craft. I am also going to develop more interactive events with parents. There’s more I can do to make our athletic programs better.”

He also looks forward to the time he will have for some of the “fun” things football precluded. “I would like to visit soccer camp, and I want to get to college games where our Prep guys are playing, or even just spend a fall day with the grandkids.”

You may even still see him at some Prep football games, sans the headset and rooting for Prep as a fan—for the first time in 38 years.

Rich Hansen’s peerless record as Prep Football’s head coach includes five state championships. In his words, the 1989 title (Hansen and quarterback Tony Guma, ’90 are pictured at right) “put us on the map,” and paved the way for further triumphs in 1994, 2005, 2014, and 2019 (below, left to right).

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SECTION COVER STORY

Hansen Hands it off to Hansen In 2008, after Rich Hansen surpassed Coach Bill Cochrane’s win total, I wrote a short piece for Prep Magazine. In it Rich spoke of a chance meeting with Cochrane in the early eighties. I wrote, “...in that casual handshake, Prep’s football history touched its future.” I ended the article by saying, “Perhaps the current ‘legendary’ coach will one day meet the next Cochrane or Hansen in the handshake of a young, ambitious assistant; could Prep be that lucky?” Those lines proved prophetic when Rich Hansen III was named as his father’s successor—literally the next Rich Hansen!

Rich certainly had earned the right to name his replacement, and as athletic director that task would have fallen to him anyway. As he put it, “I have complete peace of mind with Rich taking over. It’s the family business. He has been a student, a player and a coach here and I know with 100% certainty the care for the kids, the program, the school will continue.”

The younger Hansen began coaching shortly after graduating from Prep in 2003. An injury kept him from playing his freshman year in college and so when Ed Roselle needed help with the freshman team, he joined the staff. He was immediately hooked on coaching and any thoughts of a career in computer science or accounting were removed from the playbook.

After three years with the freshmen, Rich, ’03 became a varsity assistant and then joined the physical education department about six months after graduation. Amazingly, he has already been coaching at Prep for eighteen years.

Much as Coach Gerry Bellotti had done for him nearly forty years ago, Rich had been giving his successor more and more responsibilities over the last four years. Sounding much like his father’s own experience, the younger Rich said, “From the day-today details, to in-game decisions he was loosening the reins and preparing me for this.”

The new head coach handled the requisite question about the pressure of replacing a Prep legend with ease and confidence. “It’s not a pressure to win games, but rather to improve on something that is already very good; that is always harder to do.” He added,

With 18 years already under his belt as a member of the Prep Football staff, including more than a decade as defensive coordinator, Rich Hansen III, ’03 is exceedingly well‑prepared to step into the foreground as head coach.

“As I told the players and coaches in my first meeting: One, I am not him. And two, we are really good, but we want to be better in every aspect.”

Changing the head coach can be traumatic for a program, and replacing a legend even more so. For Prep football the switch will be a bit easier; not only is the new coach competent, innovative and knowledgeable, but as his father did nearly 40 years ago, he’s also ready to follow a legend.

– John Irvine

PREP MAGAZINE n SUMMER 2021 15

FEATURE

The official start of the 2021-22 school year on July 1 also marked the official start of an 18-month celebration of Prep’s sesquicentennial. Heralded by the installation of celebratory banners and signs around campus this summer, the festivities will begin in earnest this fall and continue throughout calendar year 2022. Here is your guide to what’s ahead for this school year, as we celebrate 150 years of Pride & Glory and look to what comes next.

Then. Now. Always.

by Mike Jiran, ’03

MAY YOUR BANNERS STILL GUIDE US In the relative lull of on-campus activity between the closing faculty/staff meetings and the start of HAP each year, Prep’s operations staff is always busy, and this year was no exception. What was exceptional, though, was a new task on the agenda: installing banners and signs virtually everywhere, proclaiming the theme for Prep’s 150th anniversary: “Pride & Glory | Then. Now. Always.” They range in scale from the banners (each “only” five feet tall) on the Warren Street lamp posts to massive displays on the walls of the Perkins Athletic Center and Moriarty Science Center.

The large windows of the Siperstein Library received their own perforated-vinyl treatment, appending the all-important “150” to the Memorial Gymnasium’s iconic “PREP” lettering (which itself got a fresh coat of paint shortly after the photo above was taken), while allowing light to pass into the library almost unabated. Add in a healthy dose of anniversary branding in Prep’s online presence and printed materials, and there’s no overlooking the festive mood that has begun to take hold.

THE JESUIT TRADITION For more than 470 years, one of the first steps in the new year’s journey at every Jesuit school has been the Mass of the Holy Spirit. It is a time to pray for the grace to approach the new year ready to rise to its challenges and opportunities, and open to God’s presence— in other words, to reflect on the past, give thanks for the present, and look with hope to the year ahead. There could hardly be a more fitting moment for the first large-scale event in the sesquicentennial celebration. This year’s Mass of the Holy Spirit on September 17 will, of course, take on even greater significance as Prep embarks on a more normal fall semester following a year and a half of COVID-related disruption. In fact, it will be the first time the entire Prep community has gathered to pray in person since the Ash Wednesday service in February 2020! We have invited all living Jesuits who have served on Prep’s faculty and staff—about 60 Jesuits!—to help us celebrate this deeply meaningful Mass.

After Mass, a carnival for students, faculty, and staff will take place on Warren Street, serving as a “welcome home” to campus life and a welcome to the ongoing 150th anniversary festivities.

A NIGHT FOR CLASS ACTS On November 11, a group of legendary past members of the Prep faculty will share their memories and favorite stories—some of which might even be true!—from Grand & Warren during a panel discussion in the Siperstein Library. This will be a great opportunity for alumni to visit the Prep campus of today while reconnecting with some of the people who are synonymous with Prep as you might remember it! There will be a cocktail hour with appetizers as well, so if you’re looking to share a toast to Prep with one of your favorite teachers from days gone by, this is your night!

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FEATURE SECTION

THE GRANDEST OF ALL Prep’s 150th “birthday” will be on April 3, 2022. That’s the date in 1872 when the New Jersey State Legislature approved a charter for a new school directed by the Jesuits of Saint Peter’s Church, at the corner of Grand and Van Vorst Streets in Jersey City. That school, initially occupying only what is now Shalloe Hall and offering both collegiate and college-preparatory level courses, would eventually become both Saint Peter’s Prep and Saint Peter’s University.

Since the biggest party on the Prep calendar each year—the Grand Gala, supporting Prep’s financial assistance program—has taken place each spring since 2008, it seemed only fitting to schedule this year’s event for the 150th anniversary weekend, Saturday night, April 2. Save the date for what Prep President Michael Gomez, Ed.D., ’91 has taken to calling “the Grandest Gala!” We expect a sellout crowd as we celebrate the difference Prep has made in untold thousands of lives through its first 150 years, and work together to make a difference for today’s Prep students and their families who count on financial aid to reach the starting point for life’s great journeys, right here at the corner of Grand & Warren. When we celebrate Prep, we are really celebrating Prep’s Jesuit mission, and opening our doors to students of all backgrounds is a vital part of that mission.

A FAMILY CELEBRATION Some of Prep’s most memorable parties—including one during the 125th anniversary year of 1996-97 (see Photo File on the next page!) and two different parties honoring Fr. Tony Azzarto, S.J. (2005 and 2018)—have been barbecues for the entire Prep family, right in our “front yard” along Warren Street. On May 14, we invite alumni, parents past and present, students, and faculty and staff past and present to join us in the courtyard and on the plaza for a day of ourdoor fun. Bring the kids along and share in this celebration of all things Prep! A surprise unveiling is in the works for a permanent commemoration of Prep’s 150th anniversary, so don’t miss it!

A MEDIA EVENT In addition to these and other events (our usual slate of Prep events during the year will all have an extra sesquicentennial flair, too!), two media projects are in the works that will showcase Prep’s history and proud tradition. First, an ongoing series of videos will premiere on Prep’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/spprep1872) this fall, which highlights important moments, themes, and people in Prep life through the decades. A book documenting the first 150 years of the Prep story from a variety of perspectives, and illustrated with archival images, will be published in the spring.

WHAT’S NEXT? Prep has grown and evolved, continually meeting new challenges and setting new goals throughout the first 150 years of this “story of gladness.”

Being true to that heritage means never being content only to look back. One lasting legacy of this sesquicentennial era will be the next chapter in the ongoing renewal of Prep’s campus. With the main academic buildings west of Warren Street (Hogan, Mulry, and the Moriarty Science Center— formerly Burke Hall) all recently modernized, and the Perkins Athletic Center serving as a base of operations for most of Prep’s outdoor sports, early planning is in progress for the restoration and renovation of what (depending on one’s year of graduation) might be called the Science, Freshman or Humanities Building, but what most people just call the English Building.

With its stunning Romanesque design and pride of place overlooking the courtyard, the building stands literally “upon this rock” known as Paulus Hook, on the highest and firmest ground in downtown Jersey City. It is built for the ages. It is arguably the crown jewel of Prep’s campus. The task now is to delete the “arguably” by further strengthening its structure, upgrading its interior spaces to bring them on par with the outstanding work that takes place within them, and maintaining its distinct and historic character. The end product will be a fitting stage on which to play out Prep’s next 150 years.

Saint Peter’s Prep pride & glory | then. now. always.

Visit spprep.org/150 or scan the QR code at right for updates throughout the year!

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PHOTO FILE

PHOTO FILE:

Partying Like it’s 1997!

When Prep celebrated its quasquicentennial (that’s for those of you who find our current sesquicentennial talk to be mere Latin 1 stuff!) during the 1996-97 school year, the festivities included a “Prep Funfest” in the courtyard and along Warren Street in mid-May (not unlike the one planned for May 2022; see page 17!). The main photo above shows members of the Prep Parents’ Association executive committee tending the grill and helping to fuel the fun. From left: PPA president Joe Casazza, P’95, ’97, Diane Casazza, P’95,’97, and Bob McGrath, ’71, P’99,’01. Diane would join the staff at Prep a decade later, and has spent most of the years since as the assistant to Admissions Director John Irvine, ’83, P’11.

Other calendar highlights during the year included an anniversary Mass at Saint Aedan’s Church in conjunction with Saint Peter’s College (now Saint Peter’s University) at Saint Aedan’s Church, and an “Alumni Hop” in the gym that paid homage to the Gridiron Hops and Hardwood Hops of the 1950s and 1960s. Poodle skirts and leather jackets were encouraged, competition in the hula hoop and limbo contests was fierce, and dessert included an appropriately decorated cake courtesy of Joe Gigante, ’91 and the now-departed Goehrig’s Bakery in the Jersey City Heights. The cake was front and center on the cover of Prep Magazine’s Summer 1997 issue, to date the only dessert-themed cover in Prep Mag’s 40-year history.

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SECTION SPORTS

Junior Kevin Whitworth broke two school records and was named team MVP.

Swimming The Aqua Marauders, as Coach Jay Imus likes to call them, had one of their finest seasons ever in 2021. The shortened season yielded a 9-1 record, and a final statewide ranking of #10. Prep took big victories over state-ranked teams like St. Joe’s Metuchen, Scotch Plains, and Delbarton.The lone blemish was a narrow loss to Bergen Catholic. The team also took down four school records, in the 100 freestyle (Kevin Whitworth, ’22), 50 freestyle (Henry Brown, ’21), and 200 and 400 freestyle relays (Whitworth, Brown, David Slowinski, ’23, and Tim Jimenez, ’21)All four record-breaking swimmers received First Team All-State recognition.

Bowling

Hockey

Even with an abridged schedule, the bowling team marked several achievements. The team went undefeated during the regular season while capturing First Place in the HCIAL South Division.

The individual high point of the season was a 300 game from junior Blaise Edwards.

Pandemic-related obstacles, including a delayed start and numerous schedule changes, set the table for a tough 3-12 season. Despite the many issues, Prep was one of only six teams in the state to play their entire schedule. Coach Ken Such attributed it to the diligence of every player on the team. The highlights included a 4-2 win over #9 Saint Joe’s Regional with goals by juniors Chris and Mike Benkovitz coming with under two minutes left in the game and senior Ryan Wallace’s 5-point game (1G, 4 A) in a 7-4 win over Paramus.

Perfection in any sport is a rarity.

Blaise Edwards, ’22, pictured in 2019-20, attained perfection with a 300 game this past winter.

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SPORTS

Senior Ray Ford (#4) releases the game-winning jumper in Prep’s win over Immaculate Conception.

Ford, a First-Team All-County and All Non-Public selection, has committed to play next year for Coach Greg Herenda, ’79 at Fairleigh Dickinson.

Basketball The pandemic dealt a few unfortunate blows to the basketball team. The team was both talented and just plain fun to watch, but fans were not permitted in the gym. The season was halved to 12 games and there were no post-season playoffs. Fewer games also impacted junior Mark Armstrong’s pursuit of becoming Prep’s all-time top scorer. In a win over Snyder, Armstrong became the 12th player in Prep history to score 1000 points. He finished the season with 1128, sixth on the list and 565 away from Jack Gordon’s record total. The team finished 11-1 with wins over #10 Immaculate Conception (60-57 OT) and #12 Hudson Catholic (49-45). Prep was #5 in the final state rankings—the highest since 2012.

“Indoor” Track In a year when being adaptable was necessary for success or even just getting through the day, Coach Chris Caulfield, ’03 and Prep’s track team should get special recognition. “It definitely was not an ‘indoor’ season,” joked Caulfield. “I just called it ‘winter track.’” Due to health restrictions, indoor facilities like the Jersey City Armory were not available, so the team basically practiced outside during the winter. Add to that a quarantine of nearly 30 teammates (mostly sprinters) and it made scheduling meets nearly impossible.

The Hudson County Track Coaches Association did hold “polar bear” meets in March and so the team was able to compete. Several senior team members even earned First Team All-County recognition: Owen Fletcher (shot put); Edwin Klanke (800 meters); Alex Schimmel (1600 meters and 3200 meters).

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Mark Armstrong finishes a thunderous dunk. Armstrong—a junior—was the Hudson County Player of the year and has already committed to Villanova.

SPORTS

Wrestling With all of the restrictions and enhanced health protocols generated by COVID-19, no sport raised more concerns than wrestling. Simply by the nature of the sport’s intense contact, most doubted a season could be completed. The Prep wrestlers proved all of the doubters wrong.

“The credit goes to the boys and our staff,” commented Head Coach Anthony Verdi, ’95. “We told the guys it was already a shortened season and so they had to do their part to make sure we were never quarantined.”

The boys met the challenge—never missing a day—finishing the season 8-1 and the HCIAL Team of the Year. Seniors Sean Rendeiro (132) and Patrick Adams (126) placed third in the North 2 Regional while junior Felix Lettini (145), sophomores DJ Chavis (120) and Angelo Pellici (113) placed fifth. Rendeiro went on to place fourth in New Jersey at 132 and was later named the HCIAL Wrestler of the Year.

Patrick Adams reached the 100 win milestone during the regional tournament and finished his Prep career with 101.

Volleyball Coach Greg Steward front-loaded the schedule with a number of difficult opponents, all on the road. His plan was to prepare his team for the end-of-the-season playoffs and the unfriendly gyms the Marauders would have to visit. The tactic worked as Prep got stronger as the season progressed, finishing with a record of 18-8.

In the HCIAL playoffs, the boys avenged earlier losses with wins over Bayonne (25-23, 25-20) in the semi-finals and Kearny (25-16, 15-25, 25-15) in the championship. It was the 11th HCIAL title for Saint Peter’s.

In its state playoff run, Prep defeated Payne Tech, the #2 seed in the section, and then upended Scotch Plains-Fanwood, which entered the match previously undefeated at 24-0. That propelled Prep to the Sectional Finals and another battle with Kearny, the #1 seed. In straight sets (26-24, 27-25) Prep notched the 7th sectional title in the program’s history.

Senior Aidan Apito had a dominating performance in the HCIAL Finals against Kearny. He recorded 13 kills, 11 digs, and 4 service points (including an ace).

PREP PREPMAGAZINE MAGAZINEnnSUMMER SUMMER2021 2021 21

SPORTS

Baseball The team finished another challenging schedule with a respectable final record of 16‑10. The Marauders notched big wins over Ramapo HS and Bergen Catholic. They finished with a league record of 8-2, giving them the third seed in the County Tournament.

The team also took a 3-0 win over Paramus Catholic in the first round of the State Tournament.

22 SPRING 2021 n PREP MAGAZINE Senior Ian Wilson received the Jeff Kachel, ’89 Award at graduation. Ian will play next year at SUNY Maritime.

Golf The young Prep golfers (8 of 10 were underclassmen) turned in a 5-3 record in a season that saw a few matches cancelled. With big wins over Blair Academy, Seton Hall, and Don Bosco, the Marauders qualified as a team for the Sectional Tournament for the first time since 2013. The team was led by senior captain Titus Cooke (38 average) and junior Gehrig Shannon (39 average).

Senior Titus Cooke’s 38 average led the team. He missed the cut for the Tournament of Champions by just a single stroke.

Tennis Prep played to a 10-5 overall record in a shortened season, including a 9-0 league record, good for a defense of the regular season league title. A hard-fought 3-2 loss to Memorial in the HCIAL finals prevented Prep from capturing the County Championship.

The freshman second doubles duo of Jack Brosseau and Jeremy Kamber went undefeated throughout the entire league season and HCIAL Tournament.

Against Memorial during the regular season, junior Andrew Li played the longest recorded match in league history, pulling out the win after six hours and thirty-two minutes of play, spanning two days.

Lacrosse Lacrosse finished a very challenging schedule with a final record of 3-10. The squad did record wins over Dayton (13-7), Warren Hills (8-6) and St. John Vianney (16-3). The Marauders also fought hard in a 14-5 loss to Delbarton in the State Tournament.

Junior JD Farkas earned Academic All American, second team All-Conference and honorable mention All-State honors. Seniors Colin Brancatella and Colin Williams also earned All- Conference recognition.

22 SUMMER 2021 n PREP MAGAZINE

SPORTS Senior captains Edwin Klanke, Rodolfo Sanchez and Joey Morrone helped guide Prep Track to perhaps its most successful season ever.

Outdoor Track Coach Chris Caulfield’s track athletes completed another fantastic season, highlighted by record-setting individual performances and a number of team championships. As a group, the Marauders continued some impressive streaks with an eleventh straight Jersey City championship, a sixth straight Hudson County Relay championship, a fifth consecutive Hudson County championship, and back-to-back NJSIAA Sectionals. Add to that a state title for the 4x800 Meter Relay.

The individual feats were just as noteworthy. Senior Edwin Klanke broke the school record in the 800 with a time of 1:51.74 as he won the Hudson County Title. He also ran 4:09.42 in the 1600 to break his own school and Hudson County record, coming in second at the Meet of Champions.

Senior Joey Morrone won two state titles in the 400 and 110 hurdles at the NJSIAA Non-Public Group Championships. He broke his own school record in the 400 hurdles at the Meet of Champions, coming in third with a time of 14.32.

Senior Rodolfo Sanchez took Prep’s first ever state title in the 3200. He set a school record earlier in the season with a time of 9:17.58 at the Cherokee Night of 3200s.

Junior Fitzroy Ledgister shattered the school record in the long jump, winning the county championship with a jump of 23 feet 5 inches. He also took home a state title in the 200 meters at the Non-Public Championships.

Finally, junior Landers Green made the most of his first year in the program, breaking the school record in the triple jump with a distance of 43 feet, 7.5 inches, which was good enough to claim the county title.

Capping off this dream season, five Prep athletes (Klanke, Morrone, Sanchez, Ledgister, and rising senior Sam Slade) competed in the National High School Track & Field Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, in early July. Competing as the “Saint Peter’s Prep Track Club” because the meet is not NJSIAA-sanctioned, Ledgister, Slade, Morrone, and Klanke combined for a time of 3:24.40 in the sprint medley relay. They not only took the gold medal, but broke a 45-year-old Hudson County record (Lincoln’s 3:25.30) and shattered the Hayward Field track record (3:30.48) in the process, finishing an impressive 3.3 seconds ahead of the second-place team from Milford Mill Track Club of Maryland.

PREP MAGAZINE n SUMMER 2021 23

ALUMNI

Strengthening the Bonds, Creating a Positive It was early 2017, and the members of Prep’s 1994 state championship football team were reeling from the sudden loss of their friend and teammate, the all-state offensive lineman Bill “Bubba” O’Donnell, ’95. “I vividly remember talking to [classmate and Prep history department chair/ wrestling coach] Anthony Verdi about a group of us doing something substantial to preserve Bill’s legacy,” recalled Jeff Skinner, ’95, who was the team’s quarterback. “That’s when we discussed setting up a scholarship fund at Prep...I thought it was important for us to keep his spirit alive, and no better place than at Prep, which played such important role in his development.”

There was a lot of work to do. “None of us had ever done this type of thing before,” Jeff said. “The obvious move for us was to tap into Prep alumni for support.” Rob Kolakowski, ’97 offered advice on organizing a nonprofit, and Ed Mullins, ’98 handled the legal paperwork. The Bubba Foundation was now official; the next step was to begin fundraising. “We initially focused on former football players and supports of the program,” explained Jeff. “We also received a lot of support from Coach Hansen and his staff.”

At the inaugural Bubba Bash fundraiser, Jeff outlined the ultimate purpose: “How do you create something positive out of a negative?” The loss of Bill O’Donnell was an unquestionable negative, but the Bubba Foundation was committed to turn it into a positive: helping to make the Prep experience a reality for another generation. More positives would emerge as the Bubba Foundation story took shape. The first was simply giving Prep Football alumni a chance to reconnect, building and strengthening friendships.

Another, perhaps less expected, was the opportunity to build business relationships. Mike Gonnelli, ’00 introduced Jeff to Bill Rabbitt, ’01 as a potential supporter for the scholarship.

In loving the late a found created honor th The foun objectiv provide partial s alma ma Prep.

“The conversation flowed like we had been friends for years, even though we never met before,” Jeff said. As they got to know each other, they realized Jeff’s small business, Diploma Debt—which provides student loan consolidation services—and the company Bill co-founded, College Funding Service—which assists families with financial planning and securing financial aid for college—had a natural affinity. It took several years for a formal collaboration to develop, but Diploma Debt and CFS co-hosted a webinar for students and families in February, in what looks to be the first of many co-branded events.

Prep wo In the meantime, Bill introduced Jeff to another football alum, Ken O’Connor, ’99, who later joined each stu Diploma Debt as a minority owner. Jeff was also able to advise Bill when tragedy struck the Prep Football for Othe alumni community again, and Bill looked for ways to memorialize his own classmate, Augie Gonzalez, were on ’01. he lived by that mantra – he would do anything to ha was a big with man with an evenFoundabigger heart. During h “On the football field Coach Hansen always talked about the team being a family,” Jeff said. “Through my He experiences the Bubba football team he earned the nickname tion, that notion of family still holds true years later. Prep is a special place, where someone can develop strong bonds/connections with people Bubba. We tho be fitting to name the foundation after his nickname who weren’t even in the school at the same time. The Prep name just carries that kind of importance.” of his spirit. Now every year some young man in need

scholarship to help that person make it through Prep.

Accolades for Five “Legal Marauders” Major announcements regarding five Prep alumni in the legal profession this past winter indicate that Marauders need not be lawless after all!

•

Superior Court Judge Jeffrey R. Jablonski, ’88, P’21,’23 was appointed Assignment Judge for the Hudson County Vicinage—the highest judicial post in Hudson County—effective April 1. Judge Jablonski was first appointed to the bench in 2013, and served in the civil division as supervising judge of the special civil part, before being selected as the complex litigation judge. He received tenure following his re-appointment in 2020. Since 2018, he had served as the presiding judge of the chancery division in the Hudson Vicinage.

•

Legend of Prep and former Prep trustee Ken Kunzman, ’54 (pictured at left) received the Edward Bennett Williams Lifetime Achievement Award from the Holy Cross Legal Association in February, during the Holy Cross Virtual Winter Homecoming. Ken was selected by unanimous vote of the Board of the Holy Cross Legal Association, in recognition of his positive impact on the administration of justice and demonstrated loyalty to Holy Cross. He was nominated by Prep and Holy Cross classmate Frank Grather, ’54, who also noted that 13 members of the Prep class of ’54 went on to Holy Cross— five of whom later practiced law: Kunzman, Grather, Tom Walsh, and the late Herb Keene.

•

Among the 30 attorneys selected for ROI-NJ’s “Influencers: Power List 2021,” Top Lawyers category were Phil McGovern, ’76, P’11 (Managing Partner at Connell Foley, and chair of Prep’s Board of Trustees), Joe Boccassini, ’85, P’22 (Managing Partner at McCarter & English, and a member of Prep’s Board of Trustees) and Elnardo Webster, ’87 (Partner at Inglesino, Webster, Wyciskala & Taylor and a former Prep Trustee).

24 SUMMER 2021 n PREP MAGAZINE

LEFT: A Cuppa Club gathering in 2015.

After nearly 18 months away, live gatherings resumed this summer.

SECTION ALUMNI

BELOW: a “Zoom Cuppa” in March 2021

Raising a “Cuppa” to Prep

by Vince Grillo, ’58

It started more than seven years ago, with just four guys in a booth in a diner in Park Ridge, New Jersey. Vince Grillo, Cos Ferrara, Dave Connolly and Jim Barrett, all members of the Class of ’58, kicked the whole thing off, and the rest is history. The Cuppa Club was born!

Named as a nod to Vince’s father, who had a “cuppa” coffee every morning, the Cuppa Club gives the gang a chance to say hello, swap stories, and keep in touch beyond emails. Since then, the Cuppa Club get-togethers have grown into a regular monthly event, and draw quite a bit larger crowds. A dozen guys showed up at the Cuppa in June 2018, which is all-time attendance record with 5 new Cuppa Club attendees. We started the “Summa’ Bash” in 2015, which has become our annual Reunion, where we had 25 guys! Three more Summa Bash get-togethers have made it a mainstay on the schedule.

Most of the Cuppas have been in New Jersey, but we’ve had 3 Cali Cuppas in Yorba Linda, California, with Randy O, Bill Shalhoub, Jim Kozmor and Vince, and at the Bimini Boat Yard, in Ft. Lauderdale, where Randy, Bernie Barry & Eddie Burke got together. Anywhere two or more ’58 guys get together is declared a Cuppa, and we have dozens of mini-Cuppas in the record books.

As an accommodation to the COVID-19 restrictions, we held our first “Zoom Cuppa” on May 12, 2020, and have met monthly on Zoom ever since.

We had a few glitches with scheduling in the beginning, but eventually we got the hang of it. We hosted our first live Cuppa in nearly 18 months at the Reo Diner in Woodbridge this June, but because of the popularity of the Zoom sessions with the out-of-staters, we will be holding both online and live events regularly going forward.

Everyone who shows up at a Cuppa for the first time gets an official Cuppa Club mug, and the mugs now reside in cupboards all over the country. We’ve given away more than 120 already, and there are more available. If you haven’t made it to a Cuppa, we hope to see you soon! Visit prep58.org and prep58.blogspot.com for upcoming dates and more from the Class of ’58!

Correction: Class of 2020 Legacies

Support Prep via AmazonSmile!

In the Winter 2020-21 issue, we listed members of the Class of 2020 who were the sons or grandsons of fellow alumni. The families below were later added to the online version, but since they were omitted from the print version, we are sharing their names here, along with our regrets for the error: • Aidan Foca, ’20, grandson of Charles Gallagher, ’63 and great-grandson of the late Charles Gallagher, ’36 • Nicolas Gronda, ’20, son of Rick Gronda, ’89 and grandson of Rich Gronda, ’59 • Daniel Onorato, ’20, son of Daniel Onorato, ’84 • Jack Riley, ’20, son of Tom Riley, ’86

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PREP MAGAZINE n SUMMER 2021 25

ALUMNI

CLASS NOTES

8 Share your photos, class

notes and other news with us...Email info@spprep.org!

Dear Prep,

CLASS NOTES

The ’50s Bob Esti, ’55 recently moved out of New Jersey and bought a summer home near his son and his son’s family in Heritage Hunt, a 55+ community located in Gainesville, Virginia. “I will miss all those wonderful luncheons with the class of 1955, but will, hopefully, find some representation of Prepsters in VA/DC area,” Bob writes. He notes that he’s still spending the winters in Estero, Florida, “enjoying every minute of sunshine & great weather,” but will skip the summer heat and hurricane season. “If in the area, stop by,” Bob writes. “Always have Sunday Gravy on the stove!”

John Massaro ’59, retired Distinguished Teaching Professor at SUNYPotsdam, is the author several books on politics and pop culture. His latest, Shades of Springsteen: Politics, Love, Sports, and Masculinity, was published this summer by Rutgers University Press. In this unique blend of memoir and musical analysis, John reflects on his experiences both as a lifelong fan and as one the first professors to design a college course on Springsteen’s work. Focusing on the four themes named in the title, plus a fifth—the power of music—he draws connections between the Boss and such disparate influences as James Joyce, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Thomas Aquinas, Bobby Darin, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. As a bonus Prep connection, the book includes powerful concert photos by Mark Wyville, ’76.

The ’60s Walter Baile, M.D., ’62, while retired, is grateful to be able to continue his teaching on patient communication, presenting “How to break bad news to your patients” in a video series found at Pulmonaryfibrosis360.com and authoring an article on the same topic found in the scientific journal Chest Physician, May 2021.

George Searles, ’62 was recently named a Distinguished Teaching Professor by the State University of New York’s Board of Trustees. Considered a capstone award, this is the state system’s highest honor. George continues to teach English and Latin at Mohawk Valley Community College, and has also taught on Pratt Institute’s upstate campus and graduate courses for The New School. A widely-published literary critic, textbook author, and poet, he has served as a communications consultant to numerous corporate clients and social services agencies, as 26 SUMMER 2021 n PREP MAGAZINE

well as the National Science Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is also a former Carnegie Foundation New York State Professor of the Year.

Greg Riley, ’67 paid a visit to his daughter Meghan and her husband in Portland, Maine, to celebrate the first birthday of his granddaughter Scarlett Reed (pictured above) this past April.

The ’70s Jack Foley, ’71 wrote and directed the short film, “Cue the Sun,” which won Best New Jersey Short (Drama) at the Brightside Film Festival.

Jack’s four short films can be found on his YouTube channel, “Jack Foley Brownstone Films.”

Sigmund Grudzinski, ’73 happily reports he has finished restoring the electronic dashboard and center console on his 1985 Corvette—of which he is the original owner!

Other jobs have included replacing the hood and rear window hatch struts as well as the paint that was done last fall. “There are still some minor things to take care of,” he writes, “but this retirement project is done.”

The photo is from the first local cruise-in of the year.

Jim Hague, ’79 recently closed out a long 31-year career with The Hudson Reporter. But he still has his popular Hudson County Sports Podcast, which can be found on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Some of his guests have included such Prep names as Rich Hansen, Gerry Bellotti, Rev. Earle Markey, S.J. , ’49, Billy Fitzgerald, ’99 and Pat Laguerre. Hague also maintains a blog: jimhaguesports.blogspot.com.

The ’80s Frank Ciatto, ’84, president of the Georgetown University Alumni Association since July 2020, told Georgetown Magazine “I’m from Jersey City, New Jersey, and was the first person in my family to go to college. Had I not first gone to Saint Peter’s Prep, which provided the path to Georgetown, I believe my life story would have been very different.”

Ray Pagkalinawan, ’85 shared an update about his son, Stephen Pagkalinawan, who attended Prep from 2004-06 before moving to Barnegat, N.J.: Stephen is finishing up his first year of fellowship in infectious diseases at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. He attended NJ Medical School (UMDNJ) and spent his 4 year residency in internal medicine and pediatrics at Maine Medical in Portland, Maine.

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

Lunches are Live for ’55!

Joe Haviland, ’55 is happy to report—”thanks to God”— that the members of the class of 1955 have resumed their monthly lunches, live and in person! Only three live meetings were possible in 2020 due to the pandemic, though the tradition carried on through the magic of Zoom.

“We had thirteen guests” for the May luncheon at Glen Ridge Country Club, Joe wrote. “And that is miraculous considering our age. When we graduated there were very few alumni who were in their 80s. There were lots of laughs and stories told about our lives in hibernation.”

Lunch dates have been set for the remainder of 2021, alternating between North and South Jersey, so it’s safe to say one of the longest-running class traditions among Prep alumni is alive and well!

The ’90s Daniel Beck, ’91 was promoted in February to the rank of Correctional Police Lieutenant in the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office.

Alex Salas, ’97 is now Assistant Vice President of HR at Federal Farm Credit Bank, located at Exchange Place in Jersey City. “Feels great to be back in the neighborhood that brought me four years of wonderful memories,” Alex writes.

Michael Mara, ’98 left a career on Wall Street to open a soccer specialty store in Kearny called the Soccer Post. Soccer Post Kearny will provide soccer retail merchandise, club/team uniforms, and little kicker classes/small group training. Michael is also the Sporting Director of Kearny Thistle United FC, a premier youth soccer club.

Anthony Machcinski, ’07 became the Marketing Communications Manager at Manor College in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.

Neil Patel, ’09 earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from Nathan Weiss Graduate College at Kean University.

The ’10s Jeremy Selecky, ’10 has been working in finance in New York City since his 2014 graduation from Skidmore College. Jeremy has worked at Morgan Stanley, BNY Mellon, and most recently a long short hedge fund by the name of Alkeon Capital. Jeremy was inspired to go back to school and get his MBA while home during the pandemic. After a long fall of applying to business schools, he will be attending IMD Switzerland in January 2022. IMD is one of the top ranked MBA programs in Europe.

The ’00s

James Lancelotti, ’11 received a master’s degree in divinity from Regent University in May.

Edmund Caulfield, ’00 was appointed in May 2021 as Acting General Counsel and Chief Compliance & Ethics Officer of the Gateway Development Commission, which will be responsible for overseeing the development of new rail tunnels into New York Penn Station. He had served as Senior Counsel in the Authorities Unit of the Chief Counsel Office for Governor Phil Murphy since February 2018.

David Lizza, ’11 completed an MBA from Georgetown University in May 2021 and was recognized as a McDonough Scholar (top 10% of the class) and Community Fellow (100+ hours of community service during the time of his studies).

Charles Rutkowski, ’03 graduated from his Family Medicine Residency Program at Hackensack Meridian Health Ocean Medical Center in Brick Township NJ. He was part of the inaugural graduating class. Dr. Rutkowski—pictured (in labcoat) with with fellow Prep alumnus Christopher Bader, D.O., ’97, attending faculty physician in family medicine—is Board Certified in Family Medicine and will be joining Our Family Practice located in Brick Township, NJ. He will also be part of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Ocean Medical Center as an attending faculty member.

Gabriel Russotto, ’15 is currently teaching science and coaching tennis at Bayonne High School.

Tyler Cholankeril, ’17 graduated magna cum laude from The George Washington University and will be attending Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in the fall.

PREP MAGAZINE PREP n SPPREP MAGAZINE .ORGnn SUMMER SPRING 2019 2021 27

ALUMNI

VITA MUTATUR NON TOLLITUR (LIFE IS CHANGED, NOT ENDED) Through June 30, 2021

Alumni Edward J. Grant, ’43 2008 Athletic Hall of Fame honoree Carl J. Finneran, ’44 Francis X. Santolla, Sr., ’44 Hugh F. Doherty, ’45 Father of Hugh P. Doherty, ’77; brother of Vincent R. Doherty, ’49† Rev. Gerald A. Marchand, ’46 Joseph V. Braddock, ’47 Former trustee; 1997 Legends of Prep honoree Ronald J. Carney, Sr., ’47 Brother of Charles T. Carney, ’52 Rev. H. James Roleke, S.J., ’48 Brother of Robert Roleke, ’55 and Richard Roleke, ’56† William A. Narducci, ’49 Donald M. Finn, ’50 Richard F. Hering, ’50 Thomas F. Kelaher, ’50 Kenneth von Schaumburg, ’50 Father of Kenneth von Schaumburg, ’86; grandfather of Kenneth Carroll, ’14 and Desmond Watkins, ’20 Sherman J. Bligh, ’51 Brother of John L. Bligh, ’42†; greatuncle of Christopher M. Bligh, ’06 Rev. Benedict Taylor, O.F.M., ’51 Uncle of Joseph Page, ’67, George Taylor, ’73, and John Taylor, ’76 John P. Egan, ’52 James “Jim Jim” Deveney, ’53 Grandfather of Anthony Crincoli, ’17 and Domenico Crincoli, ’19; 2010 Athletic Hall of Fame honoree William Lane, ’54 Brother of George Lane, ’52 Ralph T. Murray, ’54 Donald J. Williamson, ’54 Paul Conway, ’56 Brother of Edward Conway, ’52† Richard Roleke, S.J., ’56 Brother of Rev. H. James Roleke, S.J., ’48† and Robert Roleke, ’55 Edward J. Borrone ’57 David J. Wright, ’57

John R. Riordan, ’59 Brother of Timothy Riordan, ’53†; Father of Rev. Joseph Riordan, S.J. (former Prep Latin and English teacher) Edward D. Schroeder, ’59 Brother of John Schroeder, ’61 Gerald P. Cuozzo, ’61 Robert J. Wright, ’61

Marianne Conod Mother of Andrew Hall, ’00 Margaret M. Curran Mother of Colin Curran, ’81 and Terrence Curran, ’88; grandmother of John Curran, ’18 Irene Norton Connell Mother of James Connell, ’70

Rev. Joseph J. Kamiensky, S.J., ’63

Rose D’Amelio Mother of Frank D’Amelio, ’75

Joseph “Rick” Ryglicki, ’64 Brother of Walter Ryglicki, ’67; Father of Jonathan Ryglicki, ’99 and Jason Ryglicki, ’04

John J. Dalton, Sr. Brother-in-law of Philip F. McGovern, Jr., ’76 (chair of Prep’s Board of Trustees) and John M. McGovern, ’80†

William H. Connolly, Jr., ’65 2017 Prep Hall of Fame honoree James Audet, ’70 Brother of Prep trustee Paul Audet, ’71 Kevin M. Crociani, ’70 Edward C. Parlock, ’71 Frank M. Kimmish, ’75 Philip M. Czochanski, ’80 brother of Michael Czochanski, ’84 William “Jeff” Hanna, ’85 Roehl C. Empestan, ’87 Jeffrey M. Bryant, ’91 Dominick J. Maak, ’01

Family of Alumni Olga O. Alvarez-Mejia Mother of Joseph Alvarez, ’08 Teresa J. Brudnicki Mother of Lawrence G. Brudnicki, ’68 Frank Castella, Sr. Father of Anthony Castella, ’79 and Frank J. Castella, ’82 Jacob Cardiello Grandson of Joseph Cardiello, ’61 Kathleen Chester mother of John T.M. Chester, ’74, and Bernard J.J. Chester, ’78; grandmother of Timothy Chester, ’03, Kevin Chester, ’05, Bernard Chester, ’13, Mark Chester, ’16, and Adam Chester, ’17; aunt of Michael Boylan, ’69; sister-inlaw of Charles Atkinson, ’42†; cousin of the late Matthew Boylan, ’32† William M. Culhane Father of Christopher Culhane, ’88

Mary Dawybida Wife of George Dawybida, ’73† ; mother of Campus Ministry staff member Nicholas Dawybida, ’15; sister-in-law of Michael Dawybida, ’75 Christine Drobny Wife of Vincent I. Drobny, Jr., ’67 Theresa Fortunato Sister of Dominick Fortunato, Jr., ’77 Alicia M. Fromfield Sister of Michael Fromfield, ’91; aunt of Kevin Fromfield, ’23 William Grapstul Father of William Grapstul, ’08; uncle of Richard Zaszewski, ’93, John Zaszewski, ’02, and Matthew Grapstul, ’10 William M. Hanley father of Mark S. Hanley, ’93 Kathleen Haughney Mother of Brian Haughney, ’89; grandmother of Patrick Hughney, ’19 and Emmet Haughney, ’25 Corinne D. Irvine Mother of Richard Drozd, ’67†, John T. Irvine, ’83 (Prep Admissions Director), and Janice Martineau (Prep Guidance & College Counseling staff member); grandmother of John J. Irvine, ’11 Camille L. Kenny Mother of Charles F. Kenny, Jr., ’66 Christopher S. Kucan Son of Steven Kucan, ’81 Douglas A. Mahoney Father of Michael K. Mahoney, ’03 Mary Marmora Mother of Joseph P. Marmora, Jr., ’74; aunt of Ronald Zingaro, ’68

Rodolfo C. Mazo, Jr. Father of Rolf J. Mazo, ’11 and Patrick Mazo, ’12 Therese McGovern Sister of Rev. Earle Markey, S.J., ’49 (former Prep trustee) and David Markey, ’53 Raymond J. Mikovits Father of Kevin Mikovits, ’13, Sean Mikovits, ’17, and Brian Mikovits, ’20 Eileen Morris Mother of Kevin Morris, ’88 Carol Morrison Mother of Corlando Grant, ’08 Mary Beth Oria Sister of James McGuinness, ’69, Michael McGuinness, ’73, and Brian McGuinness, ’80; daughter of Robert McGuinness† (former Prep math teacher and 2001 Legends of Prep honoree) Gladys Pinto Mother of Steven Pinto, ’94 Ann Marie Panzarelli Daughter of Albert T. Rinaldi, ’64; sister of Albert A. Rinaldi, ’98 (Prep Alumni Board president) Mary Louise Ripnick Mother of George Ripnick. ’78 Maureen Savage Sister of Jack Savage, ’57 (former Prep Alumni Board president and 2012 Legends of Prep honoree) Louise Sheyker Wife of Michael Sheyker, ’57 Ricardo Traba Father of Rick Traba, ’93 Delorice Greer Webb Mother of James K. Greer, ’76†, Charles E. Webb, ’81, Michael Webb, ’83, and Rodney Webb, ’89

Family of Faculty & Staff Romy Galano Father of Fred Galano (religion teacher & Director of Financial Aid); grandfather of Sam Galano, ’22

Former Faculty & Staff Jack O’Donnell Math teacher, 1986-2001

Vita mutatur, non tollitur. Life is changed, not ended.

28 28 SUMMER SUMMER2021 2021 nnPREP PREPMAGAZINE MAGAZINE

WEDDINGS | BIRTHS

Susan Chiu and Rey Osma, ’04, married May 21, 2021

Renee Garofalo, born September 1, 2020

Weddings

Births

Matt Hladik, ’05 and Meagan Lyn Maes August 29, 2020

Ingrid and Joseph Garofalo, ’99 daughter Renee Louise, September 1, 2020

Will Ryan, ’11 and Gina Palmiero February 27, 2021

Cecilia and and John Dougherty (Director of Campus Ministry) son John James, December 1, 2020

Dan Tomassi, ’10 and Chris Bramble March 10, 2021 Rey Osma, ’04 and Susan Chiu May 15, 2021 Antonio Infante, ’02 and Yazmir Moronta May 21, 2021 Savon Huggins, ’11 and Victoria Clark June 13, 2021 Joseph Feinstein, ’10 and Nicole Lotterman June 14, 2021

ALUMNI

Santiago Medina, born April 22, with his sister Kateri and parents Marci & Anthony Medina, ’09

Emily and John DuVal, ’08 son William John, December 4, 2020 Justyna and Mark Inocencio, ’02 daughter Isabella Rose, March 5, 2021 Rebecca and Ronald Cardoso, ’03 daughter Eliza Rae, February 21, 2021 Jamie and Marc Amadeo, ’03 daughter Scarlett Cynthia, April 21, 2021 Marci and Anthony Medina, ’09 son Santiago Thomas, April 22, 2021 Courtney and Joe Perez, ’99 son Daniel Joseph, May 11, 2021

RIGHT: Gina Palmiero and Will Ryan, ’11, married February 27. Attendees included groomsman Eric Kenny, ’12, the groom’s uncle Joseph Horan, ’78, and longtime friend Michael Skircak, ’11, of Prep’s math department.

BELOW: On hand for the June wedding of Victoria Clark and Savon Huggins, ’11 were (Front row) AJ Dobson, ’10, Keith Cummings, ’10, Savon Huggins, ’11, Jim Dondero, ’66, Rich Hansen, Nyshier Oliver, ’09. (Back Row) Bill Fitzpatrick, ’99, Rich Hansen, ’03, Raphael Ortiz, ’10, Brandon Napoleon, ’12, and Keith Lumpkin, ’11 William DuVal, born December 4, 2020. He is the grandson of William Petrick, ’79

PREP MAGAZINE n SUMMER 2021 29

144 Grand Street | Jersey City, NJ 07302

BEST WISHES TO THE CLASS OF 2021!

The 226 members of the Prep Class of 2021 had a unique experience of senior year, moving from hybrid to all-virtual to mainly in-person classes while scarcely missing a step. Without a doubt, as these young men join the maroon line of Prep alumni that stretches back nearly 150 years, they do so having been tested by challenging circumstances, and having met and exceeded that challenge. We invite you to join us in wishing them the very best as they embark on this next journey, guided like so many thousands before them by the banners of Saint Peter’s Prep. Their proven versatility will serve them well at these and other colleges and universities in the fall: Albright College University of Arizona Barry University Bloomfield College Boston College Boston University Brown University University at Buffalo University of California, Santa Cruz University of California, Berkeley Carnegie Mellon University Case Western Reserve University University of Chicago City College of New York Coastal Carolina University University of Connecticut Covenant College DePaul University Drexel University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Emerson College Essex County College Fairfield University Fairleigh Dickinson University Flagler College

Florida Institute of Technology Fordham University Georgetown University University of Hartford High Point University Hofstra University College of the Holy Cross Howard University University of Illinois Indiana University of Pennsylvania James Madison University Johns Hopkins University Johnson & Wales University Lafayette College Loyola University, Chicago Loyola University, Maryland Marist College Marquette University University of Miami Miami University, Ohio University of Michigan Middlebury College Monmouth University Montclair State University University of New Hampshire

University of New Haven The College of New Jersey New Jersey City University New Jersey Institute of Technology New York University Northeastern University Nova Southeastern University Pace University University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University University of Pittsburgh Purdue University Ramapo College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island College University of Rhode Island Rider University University of Rochester Rochester Institute of Technology Rowan University Rutgers University, New Brunswick Rutgers University, Newark Sacred Heart University Saint John’s University Saint Joseph’s University

Saint Peter’s University University of San Francisco University of Scranton Seton Hall University Siena College Skidmore College University of South Carolina Southern Methodist University Springfield College Stevens Institute of Technology SUNY Maritime College Syracuse University Texas A&M University University of Texas Union College United States Military Academy Vanderbilt University University of Vermont Villanova University Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University William Paterson University Williams College University of Wisconsin, Madison Xavier University