S T. S EBASTIAN’S FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021
M AGAZINE
2020-2021 Board of Trustees Seán Cardinal O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap. Chairman William L. Burke, III P’95,’97,’00,’04, GP’23 Executive Officer, Headmaster James L. Elcock ’77, P’08 President Patrick J. Hegarty ’89, P’23 Vice President Kathleen A. Murphy P’21 Secretary David M. Calabro ’78, P’16 Treasurer Members: Rev. John M. Borders, III P’03 Casey M. Condron ’94, P’23,’24 Timothy J. Connelly P’17,’19 Barbara E. Connolly P’10,’12,’17 John G. Cox P’22,’25 Catherine C. Daniel P’15,’18,’20 Timothy P. Doherty ’87 P’17 Rev. Michael E. Drea Stephen M. DuFour P’14,’18,’21 William B. Evans ’77, P’17 Dana W. Fulham P’14,’24 John W. Hueber ’71 Kathleen F. Ix P’22 Susanne C. Joyce P’20,’23,’26 Carolyn M. Lemone P’16,’18 Shawn D. Martin P’17,’18,’19 Peter J. McLaughlin ’55, GP,’13,’19,’24 John E. McNamara ’81, P’14,’18 James F. Mooney, III P’18 Michael P. Muldowney P’12,’16,’22 Mark L. O’Friel ’79 John A. Piccione ’76 Randall P. Seidl P’17,’19 Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. Troy L. Stanfield P’21 Kurt R. Steinkrauss ’91, P’19 Brian S. Strachan P’11,’14 Mary L. Supple P’09,’10,’15 Stephen P. Ward ’96, P’24,’25 Andrew A. Wasynczuk P’14,’17 Laurel A. Mullen P’19,’21 President, Guild of St. Irene Michael R. Frisoli P’17,’19,’21,’22,’26 President, Men’s Association Charles M. Haley ’92 President, Alumni Association Trustees Emeriti: David F. Gately ’73 J. Brad Griffith ’58, GP’19,’23
FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021
S T. S EBASTIAN’ S M AGAZINE
FEATURES
Assistant Headmaster Michael P. Nerbonne
IN EVERY ISSUE
14 Campaign Goal Exceeded
2
Headmaster’s Letter
3
Around Campus
The Spirit & People Campaign surpasses its fundraising goal, raising over $56 million
16 Our Year of Return
Headmaster Burke’s remarks on “Return,” the one-word theme for the academic year
20 Rising to the Challenge
Through community-wide collaboration, students are able to return to campus in the fall
24 The Ideal Solution
Alumni interns serve as an extra set of hands for teachers and coaches during the pandemic
32 A Tribute to Morris Kittler
Headmaster William L. Burke, III P’95,’97,’00,’04, GP’23
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New Trustees
38
Academic News
42
Fine Arts
44
Fall Sports
48
Event Highlights
50
Alumni Updates
57
Class Notes
64
In Memoriam
Director of Advancement Richard F. Arms P’14
Editor and Designer Christine Y. Robertson, Director of Communications Principal Photographer Brett Crawford, Visual Media Coordinator Contributor Michaela Chapman, Communications Associate Editorial Advisor Michael Deschenes, Director of Library & Information Services
St. Sebastian’s Magazine is published three times a year by the Communications Office.
We remember St. Sebastian’s first Dean of Students and his lasting impact on our alumni
Correspondence concerning the magazine should be sent to: communications@stsebs.org St. Sebastian’s School 1191 Greendale Avenue Needham, MA 02492 781.449.5200 www.stsebs.org COVER: Rising to the Challenge
20
The Ideal Solution
24
St. Sebastian’s School Mission Statement A Catholic independent school, St. Sebastian’s seeks to engage young men in the pursuit of truth through faith and reason. By embracing Gospel values in an inclusive, nurturing community and by inspiring intellectual excellence in a structured liberal arts curriculum, St. Sebastian’s strives to empower students for success in college and in life. The ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate will be a moral and just person, a gentleman of courage, honor, and wisdom, a life-long learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor.
Morris Kittler P’85,’87,’90, GP’18 served St. Sebastian’s for 37 years as a teacher and the school’s first Dean of Students.
INSIDE COVER: Students walk across campus on a snowy day in January.
From the desk of the headmaster Wi llia m L . Bu r k e III
“The better one is known, the more perfectly one is loved.” —St. Thomas Aquinas “Naturally, this pandemic has been incredibly challenging for everyone, but we have found the St. Sebastian’s response to be the gold standard in terms of communication and a clear focus on doing what is best for the students.” This sentence from a current parent’s letter of February 8, 2021, speaks volumes about our beloved School’s culture. Because we exist for the glory of God and for our students and their families and because we know that in-person learning is far superior to distance learning, our goal for our year of RETURN was to be as open as possible for as many people as possible for as many days as possible, while, as always, maintaining strict safety standards for all and clear communication with our students’ primary educators—our parents with whom we bond in sacred partnership. Led incomparably well by Assistant Headmaster and Dean of Studies, Mike Nerbonne, Dean of Students, Brendan Sullivan, and Director of Health Services, Jen Joyce, with invaluable support from Dr. Ed Ryan P’23 of MGH, our outstanding faculty and staff have stepped up heroically to provide our students with the very best learning environment possible in these challenging times, and our students have responded magnificently, especially our Seniors, who have assumed vitally important leadership roles. Mr. Nerbonne’s brilliant article in this issue of the St. Sebastian’s Magazine on “Depth and Mastery” evinces many beautiful truths. Our curriculum and our culture are all about depth. Our outstanding teachers do not merely guide students across superficial surveys; rather, they engage and inspire and lead them into deep exploration. Our students’ Chapel speeches, while often witty, are not shallow. Our young men seem to have most willingly adopted a go deep or go home ethos. In the arts, in athletics, in our clubs, in our social service commitments, and in the spiritual realm, our Arrows put out into the deep and grow exponentially, each proving himself to be well on his way to becoming the ideal graduate championed in our mission statement: a life-long learner who continues to grow in his capacity to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor. Morris Kittler, whose photo graces the cover of our magazine, will forever be honored as a giant on whose shoulders we stand. We hold him and his family and his friends and all of you in our hearts, and we will forever. The essence of life is truly in relationships. I thank you for ALL that you do to advance our most important mission. May we connect soon and often and may God continue to bless you and your loved ones every sacred step of the way. With love and gratitude,
William L. Burke III Headmaster
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News & Notes from Our School Community FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021
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Six Senior Scholars Receive National Recognition Alessandro Barbiellini ’21, Timothy Ragnoni ’21, Samuel Randall ’21 and Max Samulka ’21 were named as Commended Students by the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Recognized for their exceptional academic promise, these students placed among the top 3% of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2021 competition by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
Eric ’17 and Ricardo ’80 Jeremiah serve as keynote speakers for Founder’s Day.
FOUNDER’S DAY 2020
Ricardo ’80 and Eric ’17 Jeremiah Reflect on Their Time as Arrows
O
n September 30, 2020, St. Sebastian’s continued the annual tradition of celebrating Founder’s Day to mark the day the school first opened its doors in September 1941. Ricardo Jeremiah ’80 and his son, Eric ’17, served as this year’s keynote speakers. As students and faculty listened from their class gathering spaces across campus, Ricardo shared memories of the warm and supportive atmosphere at St. Sebastian’s during his time as a student and of great teachers who really cared for him. He also spoke of the glory of a football championship in his sophomore year. Ricardo has always remained connected to St. Sebastian’s and recalled attending an alumni gathering when his wife was pregnant with Eric and Headmaster Burke’s prophetic proclamation that she may well be carrying a future Arrow! Ricardo expressed that our School has only become more deeply spiritual, caring, and loving over the decades. Eric ’17 joined St. Sebastian’s as an intern faculty member this fall and shared how happy he is to be back on campus and his love for the school. Thank you, Ricardo and Eric, for helping us celebrate St. Sebastian’s 79th birthday! 4 |
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Two members of the senior class were selected by the College Board National Recognition Program for their remarkable achievements and outstanding performance on the PSAT/ NMSQT. Jonathan Jones-Booker ’21 was honored in the College Board National African American Recognition Program. Juan Oliva ’21 was honored in the College Board National Hispanic Recognition Program.
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Debaters Excel in Virtual Competitions Thanks to technology and the adaptability of our debaters, the St. Sebastian’s Debate Team was able to participate in three virtual tournaments during the first few months of this school year. On October 11, 2020, St. Sebastian’s hosted the Annual Parliamentary Extemporaneous Invitational Novice Debate Tournament for students who are relatively new to debate. This was our very first Tournament conducted entirely on Zoom. Eight Arrow debaters in grades 9 and 10 participated, along with students from 13 other independent schools. James Joyce ’24 won a Speaker’s Prize for his outstanding individual performance in the Tournament. On November 15, 2020, 18 members of the St. Sebastian’s Debate Team participated by debating or serving as judges in St. Paul’s School Invitational Debate Tournament. This was a Prepared Cross-Examination Tournament on the following topic: “Resolved, that the United States should establish a NATO-like alliance in Asia.” Students debated on either the affirmative or negative side of the resolution for three rounds in both the advanced and novice divisions. Congratulations to the team of Gianluca Centola ’24 and James Joyce ’24, who earned a prize for placing 3rd out of 26 teams from 11 schools in the novice division. The Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School Invitational Debating and Public Speaking Tournament took place on December 6, 2020, with 13 members of the St. Sebastian’s Debate Team participating by debating or serving as judges. This was a combined Debating and Speaking Tournament, so competitors were required to participate in all three events: Parliamentary Extemporaneous Debating, Impromptu Speaking, and Interpretive Reading, in both the Novice and Advanced divisions. Alessandro Barbiellini ’21 won a prize for placing 3rd out of over 50 speakers in the Advanced Division in the category of Parliamentary Extemporaneous Debating.
The team of James Joyce ’24 (left) and Gianluca Centola ’24 (center) earned 3rd place in the novice division in the St. Paul’s School Invitational Debate Tournament. Alessandro Barbiellini ’21 (right) placed 3rd in the Advanced Division in the category of Parliamentary Extemporaneous Debating in BB&N Invitational Debating and Public Speaking Tournament.
68 Students Inducted into the
National Honor Society This fall, 68 St. Sebastian’s students were inducted into the Sr. Evelyn C. Barrett, O.P. Chapter of the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society aims to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, stimulate a desire to render service, promote leadership, and develop character.
CLASS OF 2021 Thomas A. Armstrong Timothy J. Blue Christian A. Casiano Brendan K. Dumas Declan J. Gray
Joseph G. Harney, Jr. Cameron A. Howell Benen C. Kaczmarek Derek J. O’Donnell
CLASS OF 2022 Williams J. Adams III Ryan P. Albertson Colin C. Boland Michael P. Callow John M. Carroll III Michael T. Cataldo Matthew S. Choi Michael C. Connelly John G. Cox Thomas C. Cronin Kevin E. Cummings Griffin K. Cusack Charles S. DeMatteo Nicholas J. Derenzo Braedan P. Donovan William M. Elias John T. Flynn Bennett T. Frisoli Cormac K. Gallagher Ryan W. Gallant Brendan R. Gorman Jayden J. Grier Nicholas N. Grover Andrew J. Hahm Alexander S. Hartman John G. Hentschel Samuel B. Hinman Martin F. Kane III Dylan C. Knightly Brian W. Luppy
Aidan J. Maguire Gary J. McCall Cooper B. McCann Aidan C. McCarthy William M. McInerney Patrick J. McKeigue Brendan A. Melley Liam C. Muldowney Mark J. Newell Aidan E. Noonan Matthew T. Noone Kristian G. Nordby Christian G. Pichay Thomas E. Proia Alexander L. Purpura Thomas M. Scordino Timothy R. Souza Jack K. Sullivan Maxwell C. Surprenant Joseph G. Sylvester Cole J. Szeman John J. Toomey Kevin S. Wakakuwa Gavin G. Walsh Richard C. Walsh Paul F. White Richard A. Wilz IV Cormac F. Wright Charles Z. Yang
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Unity Day Focuses on the Black Experience at St. Sebastian’s
S
tudents and faculty took a break from classes on November 6, 2020, to celebrate Unity Day. The purpose of this annual event is to heighten our awareness of every person’s dignity and to strengthen the bonds that unite us so that all may grow in our capacity and resolve to know, to love, and to serve God and neighbor. This year’s theme was the Black Experience at St. Sebastian’s, with a focus on Faith, Brotherhood, and the Arts. Bishop John Borders P’03, Pastor of Morningstar Baptist Church and St. Sebastian’s Trustee, opened the day with a stirring prayer, a panoply of happy memories from his son’s days at St. Sebastian’s, and an impassioned plea for our students to see themselves as Moses, called by God to bring unity, understanding, and reconciliation. Veteran faculty member Meyer Chambers, his sons, Severin ’10 and Zachary ’14 and his wife, Beth, shared a video about their varied experiences in our faith community and beyond. Henry Kennedy ’13 presented a brilliant paper on the Black plight in America and engaged in a candid conversation with his former football teammate and forever friend, Conor Strachan ’14, 6 |
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about how their open dialogue on race deepened and strengthened their bond. Jordan Barros ’15, a talented artist, spoke about the concept of double consciousness and showed how he portrays this concept in his artwork. Marlon Matthews ’14 blessed us with his incredible gift of music, singing “My World Needs You” at the beginning of the program, and ending with “Wake Up Everybody,” accompanied by Christian Casiano ’21 and faculty member Olivia Uhlman on the violin and Mr. Chambers on the piano. Aturo Adkins ’14, Assistant Director of Admissions, moderated the Alumni Forum, during which he, Henry, Marlon and Jordan responded to questions from members of the senior class. Conducting themselves with refreshing candor, courage, confidence, and grace, the panelists helped our students and faculty gain a deeper and better understanding of their backgrounds and experiences, especially in the areas of race and identity, while emphasizing their love of and commitment to St. Sebastian’s. Between presentations, seniors led small groups of students in discussion, reflecting on what they heard and brainstorming ways to grow
TOP LEFT: Alumni Jordan Barros ’15, Aturo Adkins ’14, Marlon Matthews ’14, Henry Kennedy ’13, and Conor Strachan ’14 participate in Unity Day. TOP RIGHT: Henry and Conor explain how their bond grew through an open dialogue on race. MIDDLE: Trustee Bishop John Borders P’03, Pastor of Morningstar Baptist Church, speaks to the St. Sebastian’s community. BOTTOM: Seniors lead students in reflecting on various topics during small breakout sessions.
in faith, hope, and love. The program ended with a moving prayer from Fr. Arens, in which he reminded us all to listen intently and really hear each other, and a charge from Headmaster Burke to embrace the truth that we are responsible for more than our intentions and that we are called to grow in our capacity and resolve to love God, work hard, and take good care of one another.
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Carlos Garcia-Marxuach P’21 Talks about the Value of Community to the Finance Academy Carlos Garcia-Marxuach P’21, Founder and CEO of BayBoston, delivered a fantastic presentation to the St. Sebastian’s Finance Academy on November 12, 2020. Garcia took the club members on a journey through his career and how he got to where he is now—from a young tennis star in Puerto Rico to the leader of a minority-owned private equity firm that invests in companies located in the United States, Latin America and select geographies, with the mission-based goals of community, diversity, and inclusion. The value of community was particularly evident in Garcia’s presentation as he talked about the investment that has given him the greatest satisfaction, CFG Partners. Garcia serves as Chairman of the Board of CFG, a company that gives access to credit in Latin America, providing needed financial solutions to a sector of the population that is underserved by traditional banks. Garcia shared that his happiness and success increase the more he gives back.
AP Scholar Awards Congratulations to the following students and recent graduates who earned AP Scholar Awards from the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program.
Scholar with Distinction
(scoring 3 or higher on at least 5 exams, with an average score of at least 3.5) Alessandro G. Barbiellini ’21 Michael J. Colgan ’20 Michael P. Farinacci ’20 Thomas J. McCarthy ’20 Patrick W. McDonald ’20 Evan T. Nordby ’20 Austin J. Persons ’20
Nathan J. Piecyk ’20 Evan G. Prince ’20 Jeffrey M. Serowik ’20 Wesley J. Stanton ’20 Michael T. Treseler ’20 Dennis M. Yandow ’20
Scholar with Honor
(scoring 3 or higher on at least 4 exams, with an average score of at least 3.25) Jose Maria Castelo ’20 Matthew S. Choi ’22 Dylan J. Crandall ’20 Jake W. Cusack ’20 Thomas A. Flatley ’20 Raymond J. Hilvert ’20
Daniel Y. Ko ’21 Thomas J. Messineo ’21 Samuel J. Randall ’21 Gabriel A. Twohig ’21 Charles Z. Yang ’22
Scholar
(scoring 3 or higher on at least 3 exams)
The balcony outside Martin Hall provides a peaceful spot for self-reflection.
A Day of Reflection for Seniors On November 8 and 9, members of the Class of 2021 gathered on campus for the Senior Retreat. Although the seniors were not able to head to Craigville Retreat Center on Cape Cod this year, they had the entire campus to themselves while the rest of the school learned remotely. Led by Fr. Arens and the Religion faculty, the retreat gave seniors an opportunity to reflect on their lives: where they have come from and where they are heading. Fortunately, the weather accommodated, providing plenty of opportunity for quiet, self-reflection and to be together outside on a gorgeous November day. The retreat proved a great occasion for strengthening bonds among the senior class.
John R. Beam ’20 John P. Feeney ’20 William P. Ford ’20 Luke P. Garrity ’20 Edward D. Harrington ’21 John A. Hodgson ’20 Brett T. Hogan ’21 Nathaniel T. Kelly ’20 Timothy M. Malloy ’20 Nolan T. McGovern ’21 Connor J. McKay ’20 Luke D. McKenzie ’20
Aidan G. Mulvey ’21 Edward T. Murphy ’20 Conor T. Mynahan ’21 Juan P. Oliva ’21 Will D. Perri ’21 William D. Queally ’20 Patrick J. Rourke ’20 Dominic T. Scordino ’20 Krishna F. Thach ’20 Nicholas J. Urban ’20 Patrick J. Wade ’21 Timothy A. Williams ’20
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Undergraduate & College Book Awards
The following students were presented with awards acknowledging their academic achievements during the Undergraduate Awards Assembly on September 16.
COLLEGE BOOK AWARDS Boston College
Dartmouth College
St. Anselm College
University of Virginia
Juan P. Oliva
Edward D. Harrington
William D. Goldman
Samuel J. Randall
Brown University
George Washington University
St. Lawrence University
Villanova University
Daniel Y. Ko
Mark T. Wilson
Will D. Perri
Conor T. Mynahan
Bryant University
Harvard University
St. Michael’s College
Williams College
Carlos M. Garcia-Marxuach
Alessandro G. Barbiellini, Gabriel A. Twohig
David E. Jones, Nicholas J. Vallace
Nolan T. McGovern
Trinity College Dublin
Yale University
Suffolk University
Timothy J. Ragnoni
Max O. Samulka
College of the Holy Cross Aidan G. Mulvey
Patrick J. Wade
University of Notre Dame Ryan J. DuFour
MEMORIAL & SCHOOL AWARDS Alizadeh Most Improved Student Award
Gandolfo Award
Jason Keating Award
James E. Freehill, Derek J. O’Donnell
Carlos M. Garcia-Marxuach, Nolan T. McGovern, Timothy J. Ragnoni, Gabriel A. Twohig
Justin P. Bourque
Kevin Ghelli Award
John E. Mahoney
Bausch & Lomb Science Award Juan P. Oliva
John P. Birmingham, Jr. Writing Award Jack R. Lordi
Chapel Speech Awards Grade 11—Benen C. Kaczmarek, Max O. Samulka; Grade 10—Andrew J. Hahm, Brian W. Luppy; Grade 9—Edward T. Ryan, Andrew D. Selian, Caspar T. Touloukian; Grade 8—Jack A. Mulka, Luke R. Ward; Grade 7—Declan H. Carroll, Liam N. Cunjack
Catholic Citizenship Award Colin M. Lapus
Joseph Compagnone Memorial Award Benen C. Kaczmarek, Isaiah P. Stanfield
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Sean E. Duffy
Frank J. Hennessey, Jr. Award Alessandro G. Barbiellini, Christian A. Casiano, Henry L. Gennari, Cameron A. Howell, Daniel Y. Ko, Colin M. Lapus
Robert J. Joyce, Jr. Award Seamus C. Foley, Gabriel A. Twohig
William P. Judge Award James R. Joyce, Luke R. Ward
William P. Judge Scholarship Conor T. Mynahan
James P.B. McDonough Award The Men With Positive Attitudes Award Lyndel T. Erold
Kevin T. Mutch Award Thomas J. Messineo
The President’s Volunteer Service Award Maxwell C. Surprenant
The Prudential Spirit of Community Award Maxwell C. Surprenant
Grace S. & Raymond M. Vorce, Sr. Award Nolan T. McGovern, Aaron N. Pace
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Serving
Our Neighbors
I
ntegral to the St. Sebastian’s mission, our Service Program lives the order of the day of loving God, working hard, and taking good care of one another. Below are just a few of the many ways our students have served our neighbors recently.
National Honor Society Hosts Successful Drives at Thanksgiving & Christmas
Backpack Drive & Embrace A Family Program Support Students at San Miguel The Classes of 2023 and 2024 and their parents donated 64 backpacks filled with a variety of essential school supplies to students at the San Miguel School of Providence, RI. This year’s donation also included water bottles, hand sanitizer and neck gaiters. On August 31, 2020, Jennifer Walsh, along with her sons, Cotter ’22 and Cormac ’24, traveled to San Miguel with Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne to deliver the backpacks. Because of the overwhelming generosity of so many of our students and parents, we also made a donation of over $1,400 for the San Miguel Compassionate Care Fund which supports San Miguel students and families. Special thanks to Jennifer for her generous and inspired leadership of this project. In addition, several 8th grade families participated in the Embrace A Family program for our friends at San Miguel. This is the 13th year our students have been a part of this wonderful tradition, bringing joy to our “brothers” at San Miguel during the holiday season. Thank you to the 8th grade parents who helped to organize this effort and to all the families who gave so generously.
The National Honor Society sponsored St. Sebastian’s annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and Christmas Warmth Drive to benefit Catholic Charities. Both drives were a huge success due to the generosity of the St. Sebastian’s community, with families delivering donations to a school van during morning drop-offs. Prior to Thanksgiving, additional food supplies purchased by Catholic Charities were stored in St. Sebastian’s gym and then sorted by NHS students, who filled in for United Way volunteers. The students assembled 900 bags of food. The many donations helped to restock shelves for those in need of food in the days following Thanksgiving and to keep our neighbors warm with donations of hundreds of gloves, hats, scarves and socks.
“As the food you donated was put on the van, there was no separating by class or donation status. There was only a common goal—to care for the dear neighbor.” –Meyer & Beth Chambers
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English Department Chair Christopher Lynch receives the first copy of the 2020 Arrow yearbook, which is dedicated to him by the Class of 2020.
A GLIMPSE
along Greendale Avenue
Dante Hall, former NFL Pro Bowl return specialist for the Kansas City Chiefs, gives a motivating speech to the St. Sebastian’s varsity football team during practice.
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Student Council President Scott Behman ’21 speaks to the St. Sebastian’s community during a December assembly.
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Mike Cevoli ‘00 Brings His Passion for Art Back to Campus
A student makes his way into school on a snowy day.
Mike Cevoli ’00 returned to St. Sebastian’s this fall as a member of the Fine Arts faculty. Cevoli had previously taught photography at St. Sebastian’s for a few years after receiving his BA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2004. He also holds a masters degree from RISD. In between teaching stints at St. Sebastian’s, Mike built his own photography business and taught as an adjunct professor of photography at both RISD and Salve Regina University. Much of his photographic work for editorial and advertising clients revolves around the commercial fishing industry, taking him all over the east coast of the U.S. as well as Canada. Both his commercial photography and personal photography have been exhibited extensively nationally and internationally, and are in the permanent collections of several museums. “Being back on campus after so many years has been a wonderful experience, despite the difficulties of teaching during COVID. It has been incredible to see all of the changes on campus not only since my time as a student, but as a former faculty member as well,” noted Cevoli. “One thing that has not changed in the 7th and 8th grade Fine Arts classes that I teach has been seeing the students excel at the dayto-day ups and downs of learning during the pandemic, and exemplifying what it means to be an Arrow.”
Senior Colin Lapus writes a note during the Christmas Card Assembly.
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Welcome
to Our New Trustees St. Sebastian’s is very fortunate to have an exceptional group of parents, alumni, and friends of the School who give generously of their time and share their wisdom as members of the Board of Trustees. We are pleased to welcome our newest members joining the Board.
Rev. John M. Borders III P’03 Bishop Borders and his wife, Sandra, have three children, Leylana, Matt ’03 (Morehouse College), and Brittany (NYU Tisch School of the Arts), as well as three grandchildren. He is the visionary and senior pastor at Morningstar Baptist Church in Boston. Bishop Borders entered pastoral ministry in 1981. He has a strong social commitment to the community, serving on various community boards, including Boston Medical Center and the Governor’s Anti-Crime Commission. He is also the author of a book, “Unlikely Blessings: Discovering Happiness through the Life of Joseph.” Bishop Borders holds a diploma in Religion from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and has studied at Boston University, School of Theology. He also holds honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees from St. Thomas Christian College in Jacksonville, FL, and Maryland Theological Seminary of Baltimore, MD.
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Casey M. Condron ’94, P’23,’24 Casey and his wife, Christina, currently live in Chestnut Hill with their five children, Chris ’23, Jack ’24, Lucy, Richard and Karina. As an alumnus from the Class of 1994 and current parent, Casey is thrilled to be joining the Board. He is the third member of his family to serve as a Trustee; his father, Kip, served in the late 1990’s and his brother, Devin ’92, was on the Board for over 15 years, most recently as an officer. Casey is the Head of the Institutional Client Group for Fidelity Asset Management Solutions, focused on institutional clients and consultants. Prior to joining Fidelity, Casey was in Bank of America’s institutional equity business, where he held a variety of positions in their sales, corporate access and small cap businesses. He has been in the financial industry since 1998. He earned his B.S. in Finance from Georgetown University and has a Masters in Finance from Boston College.
Michael R. Frisoli P’17,’19,’21,’22,’26 President, Men’s Association
Mike and his wife, Kerry, live in Westwood with their five sons. Jack ’17 is at Harvard playing lacrosse; Will ’19 is at Duke University playing lacrosse; and Sam ’21, Ben ’22 and Tedy ’26 are current students at St. Sebastian’s. Mike is an Executive Managing Director at Newmark Knight Frank and has over 28 years of commercial real estate experience. He earned his B.A. in 1993 from Tufts University. Mike serves on the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and was the President of the Commercial Brokers Association in 2019. He also serves as a Trustee on the Athletic Board of Advisors of Tufts University.
Laurel A. Mullen P’19, ’21 President, Guild of St. Irene
Laurel and her husband, Jay ’78, live in Weston with their four children: Christopher ’21; Ryan ’19, a sophomore at Boston College; Taylor, a 2020 graduate of Boston College; and Ashley, a senior at Boston University. Laurel has dedicated herself to volunteering at the schools her children have attended, including serving as Board President and on the Director Search Committee at Red Barn Nursery School; on the Parent Council at St. John the Evangelist in Wellesley and as a parent representative for St. John’s NEASC re-accreditation; and on the Principal Search Committee at Ursuline Academy in 2016. Laurel has enjoyed her years of service to St. Sebastian’s where she has worked on the Annual Fund for the past six years, served as a Class Representative, co-chaired the Christmas Auction in 2018, and served on the Class of 2019 Senior Parent Class Gift Committee. Laurel received a B.S. in Psychology from Union College and a M.Ed. in Educational Research from Northeastern University.
Brian S. Strachan P’11,’14 Brian and his wife, Aleece, live in Wellesley with their four children. Their son, Brian ’11, graduated from Brown University and their son, Connor ’14, graduated from Boston College, where they both played football. Their daughter, Claire, is attending Southern Methodist University and their daughter, Emily, graduated from Wake Forest. Brian is Managing Director, Private Wealth Advisor and head of The Strachan Group of Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management. He has more than 25 years of experience in the wealth management industry. Brian received a B.S. degree from the Whittemore School of Business at the University of New Hampshire. He is a former board member with Youth Enrichment Services (YES). Brian previously served as President of the St. Sebastian’s Men’s Association for a twoyear term from 2011 to 2013.
ACADEMIC WORKSHOPS Writing | Robotics Debate | Math
Summer 2021
Sessions run from 9am-12pm for either one or two weeks. Open to all boys entering grades 5–9 These four distinct workshops, run by our experienced St. Sebastian’s faculty, are an enriching learning opportunity for students looking for a challenging and fun summer experience.
For dates and to register:
stsebs.org/workshops FALL 2018
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WE DID IT!
Our goal has been
EXCEEDED!
$55,000,000
$56,477,312
102.7%
Campaign Goal
Total Gifts & Pledges
Thank you for getting us there! 14 |
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W
hen the Spirit & People Campaign commenced in 2016, our most ambitious goal was to raise $55 million in gifts and pledges within five years. We are thrilled to report that as of December 31, 2020, we have not only achieved this goal, but exceeded it! We are beyond grateful to our Campaign Co-Chairs, Jack Connors GP’20,’23,’24,’24,’26 and Bill O’Malley P’09,’10,’13, and to Board President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08 for their selfless service and outstanding leadership. “They have led the charge with positive energy and unwavering commitment every step of the way, and we love them for it,” praised Headmaster Bill Burke. To date, gifts and pledges have reached $56,477,312, with $33 million directed to construction of the West Campus Center and over $22.5 million earmarked for endowment. The West Campus Center, a massive and beautiful structure encompassing 49,000 square feet of new construction and 21,000 square feet of renovated space, houses our winter sports facilities; a state-of-the-art theatre/video classroom; a training room, fitness center, and locker rooms; athletic, admissions, business, college counseling, communications, and advancement offices; a campus store; and a majestic hall welcoming all.
TOTAL GIFTS & PLEDGES As of December 31, 2020
6.9%
4.9%
Current Parents (131) $27,458,321 Alumni (84) $13,598,293
15.5% 48.6%
Parents of Alumni (48) $8,745,936 Grandparents (13) $3,899,538
24.1%
Founda ons, Friends & Faculty (20) $2,775,224
$56,477,312 Total raised in gifts & pledges
In shepherding our students through the pandemic, the additional space has enabled us to offer vitally important in-person classes and activities in a safe, socially distanced environment. We’ve been able to continue schoolwide traditions, including weekly Corporate Chapel and Masses, broadcast from the wrestling room where the senior class gathers, while other classes watch simultaneously from locations throughout the School. The expansive West Campus Center spaces prove invaluable to our growing winter sports program, even as they afford students with places to study, attend classes, eat lunch, and socialize in small groups inside and outside on the bricks of the West Campus Center Class of 2017 Courtyard. The Spirit & People Campaign is the first of our capital campaigns to make significant endowment growth a strategic priority. When the Campaign began in 2016, our endowment stood at $31.8 million. As of December 31, thanks in large measure to generous Campaign gifts, it has ballooned to $52 million, a remarkable increase! A greater endowment enables us to advance our most important mission with surging momentum. Huge gains are being made on so many of our loftiest, long-held goals such as controlling tuition, expanding financial aid resources, increasing faculty and staff salaries, and securing the future of our beloved School. Support for the Spirit & People Campaign has come from every constituency in the St. Sebastian’s family. We are so
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296 Total # of donors
very grateful to our current parents, our alumni, our parents of alumni, our grandparents, and our many friends on our faculty and staff and beyond. In early 2020, when we were $3 million shy of our goal, Campaign Chairs Jack Connors and Bill O’Malley most generously announced a $1 million challenge as an incentive to finish the Campaign. Initially, the rapidly evolving pandemic, which caused the shuttering of many schools and businesses across the nation, proved a challenging environment for capital fundraising. Eventually, as school re-opened in the fall for in-person learning, Board President Jim Elcock, Headmaster Bill Burke and Director of Advancement Rich Arms refocused their attention on navigating the Campaign to a successful close. Our Trustees, as well as past and new donors, collectively supported us through that period and provided the necessary momentum to propel us to exceed our goal of $55 million. The Spirit & People Campaign has transformed our School by blessing us with many more and much better spaces in which we call our students to ever rising peaks of excellence in body, mind, and spirit and by greatly boosting our ability to preserve, protect, and advance the mission of our School for the glory of God and for our students and families and those who serve them. With pride in our past, with joy in our present, and with hope for our future, we thank you for your prayers and for your most generous gifts. You make St. Sebastian’s School an ever stronger, ever better place! FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021
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Return OUR YEAR OF
September 14, 2020 / Opening remarks for the academic year BY HEADMASTER WILLIAM L. BURKE III
I
selected The Return of the Prodigal Son—A Story of Homecoming by Henri J.M. Nouwen as our All-School Read last spring when we were 100% engaged in distance teaching and learning. Soon afterward, the word Return all but presented itself as our year’s theme. Before last week, we hadn’t held a class on our campus since March 12. Return we devoutly hoped and return we happily have, thanks be to the grace of God and to the generosity and heroic efforts of our Board of Trustees, our faculty and staff, and many other members of our St. Sebastian’s family who have so freely and fully cooperated with God’s grace. We all feel truly blessed and so very, very grateful. If we hope to continue to offer on-campus education, we simply must step up our commitment to the safety precautions laid out in the St. Sebastian’s School COVID Compact. We know that it is the weekend congregation of large numbers of people that shuts down schools and communities. Mitigating the risk of transmission is everyone’s responsibility, and it’s a seven day a week day and night job. We are one and we need everyone to work together in harmony. No one knows how long it will be before we can gather without masks. The future is unknown. All we have is the present. Let us resolve to live each present moment freely, fully, and safely. To focus us on the present, I offer this passage from C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. The speaker is Screwtape, the devil writing to a devil in training. The Enemy to whom the devil refers is God. You got that? It’s a total reversal, but very instructive. Listen carefully: The demon Screwtape writes: The humans live in time but our Enemy destines them to eternity. He therefore, I believe, wants them to attend chiefly to two things, to eternity itself, and to that point of time which they call the Present. For the Present is the point at which time touches eternity. Of the present moment, and of 16 |
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it only, humans have an experience analogous to the experience which our Enemy has of reality as a whole; in it alone freedom and actuality are offered them. He would therefore have them continually concerned either with eternity (which means being concerned with Him) or with the Present—either meditating on their eternal union with, or separation from, Himself, or else obeying the present voice of conscience, bearing the present cross, receiving the present grace, giving thanks for the present pleasure. Our business is to get them away from the eternal, and from the Present. With this in view, we sometimes tempt a human (say a widow or a scholar) to live in the Past. But this is of limited value, for they have some real knowledge of the past and it has a determinate nature and, to that extent, resembles eternity. It is far better to make them live in the Future. Biological necessity makes all their passions point in that direction already, so that thought about the Future inflames hope and fear. Also, it is unknown to them, so that in making them think about it we make them think of unrealities. In a word, the Future is, of all things, the thing least like eternity. It is the most completely temporal part of time—for the Past is frozen and no longer flows, and the Present is all lit up with eternal rays.
The present is all lit up with eternal rays. Oh, man, do I love that line. We have this moment, guys. We have God. We have our families. We have one another. How blessed are we? As I mentioned last week, if we all behave as though we have COVID, we will take all of the necessary safety precautions, for we live for the Lord and for one another and not for ourselves alone.
Our All School Read is a little book with a big impact. Inspired by the parable Jesus tells of the Prodigal Son, 17th Century Dutch artist, Rembrandt Van Rijn, painted a masterpiece. Acquired by Catherine the Great in 1776, the huge 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide work of art hangs in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1983, Dutch Catholic priest, professor, theologian, and writer, Henri Nouwen, cast his eyes upon a print of Rembrandt’s famous painting, and he went deep with it, and I mean deep. His burning desire to view the original was satisfied in 1986, when he traveled to St. Petersburg and spent several graced hours perusing the painting, which captures the moment of the wayward young man’s return to the arms of his loving father. The book, published in 1994, takes us on Nouwen’s journey from his first encounter with a print of the painting to his trip to see the original in the Hermitage and ultimately to his deep analysis of the painting and of the parable. I find it fascinating that both the painter and the writer were Dutchmen, who lived some 300 years apart, and that both the painting and the book were among each man’s last works. Clearly, each was drawing from a lifetime of hardearned wisdom. I hope that your reading and viewing experience has given you a deeper understanding of the New Testament parable and a greater appreciation for the finest of fine art. As we segue to Return from last year’s theme of Faith, I offer these two sentences from Nouwen’s book: Faith is the radical trust that home has always been there and always will be there. There is a loving God waiting for me at the very center of my being. I could pretty much end right here, but I won’t. Dictionary definitions of Return include: to go back or come back again, to restore to a former or to a normal state, the act of coming back to or from a place or condition. In an explication of the obvious, Nouwen writes: Implicit in the return is a leaving. You will not have to search far and wide to find the word return in the Old Testament. From Job: If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored. Jeremiah: I will give them a heart to know me, for I am the Lord; and they will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with their whole heart. Lamentations: Let us examine and probe our way, and let us return to the Lord. Malachi: Return to me, and I will return to you. And, finally, Isaiah: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who
sows, and bread to him who eats, so shall my word be, that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but will do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. Our faith teaches us that Jesus is the eternal word our Father sends from heaven to earth to save us and then returns to heaven. Homer’s Odyssey and many other literary works from antiquity onward follow the same quest formula: separation, initiation, return. Separation, initiation, return. The protagonist leaves home, faces challenges, and returns a changed and changing person. I believe it is this quest formula that poet T.S. Eliot points to in these memorable lines: We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. Let us turn to the parable as presented to us in Luke’s Gospel: There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that will come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery. FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021
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When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were eating but no one would let him have them. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s hired men have all the food they want and more, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired men...’” So he left the place and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him. Then the son said, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we will celebrate by having a feast, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate. Now the elder son was out in the fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. The servant told him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the calf we had been fattening because he got him back safe and sound.” He was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out and began to urge him to come in; but he retorted to his father, “All these years I have slaved for you and never once disobeyed any orders of yours, yet you never offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But, for this son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property—he and his loose women—you kill the calf we had been fattening.” The father said, “My son, you are with me always, and all I have is yours. But it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found.” Our faith teaches us that we are made in the image and likeness of God and that we are called to live happy, healthy, holy lives of love and service in this world and to strive for eternal joy in the next. To be prodigal is to be wasteful, to spend money or resources recklessly.
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Rembrandt’s painting, “The Return of the Prodigal Son”
The passionate younger son is in a hurry. He wants his money now, so he can rush out to a distant country and initiate himself in a life of pleasure, but that distant country proved to be no abiding place, and, in fact, it suffered a severe famine. As has been said, money can buy you everything but happiness and a ticket to any place but heaven. Might the distant country represent a condition or way of being far removed from the way the younger son, in his heart of hearts, truly wants to live? And might the severe famine represent the emptiness of such a life? My friend, Michael Gaynor, Executive Director of Admissions at Villanova, asserts: There are only two kinds of people in the world: those who are humble, and those who are about to be. The younger son was not at all humble before his separation and initiation, but he sure is now. In advance of his return, he examines his soul and rehearses his confession: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired men. Clearly, somewhere deep inside, even though he had misbehaved egregiously, he knew he could go home. And what happens next is one of the most beautiful things in all of the Bible, in all of literature, in all of the universe— While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy. That he saw his son while he was still a long way off suggests that the father never stopped pining for him, never stopped watching for him, never stopped hoping that his son would return. Then what did the old man do? He ran. Ran! This tiny, three-letter past tense verb is one of my favorite words in holy scripture. On it hangs the essence of the parable. Ran so clearly celebrates
the blessed truth that our God is not a reluctant God. Think about it. We’re all sinners. We all make poor choices from time to time, but when we do, if we humble ourselves and summon the courage to turn to God, we will come face to face with the truth expressed by Sister Miriam Pollard: There is nothing we can do that God is not eager to forgive. Ours is a merciful God. We don’t have to earn or merit or deserve His love. It’s unconditional love, for God is love. God cannot be unlove. And we love because God loved us first. He gives us free will so we can choose to love, we can choose to turn away from love, we can choose to return to love, and when we do, He runs to us. Let us embrace the truth that each of us is God’s beloved. Nouwen muses that this great Rembrandt painting of father embracing son might be more properly titled The Welcoming of the Compassionate Father, for from him comes all of the light, to him goes all of the attention. And the author adds this reflection on the beautiful scene: In the context of a compassionate embrace, our brokenness may appear beautiful, but our brokenness has no other beauty but the beauty that comes from the compassion that surrounds it. And what great commentary Nouwen provides on the father’s hands. The father’s left hand touching the son’s shoulder is strong and muscular...that hand seems not only to touch, but, with its strength, also to hold...How different is the father’s right hand! That hand does not hold or grasp. It is refined, soft, and very tender...It is a mother’s hand...The Father, Nouwen asserts, is not simply a great patriarch... He is, indeed, God, in whom both manhood and womanhood, fatherhood and motherhood are fully present. So there the younger son is in his loving father’s embrace, repeating the words he has rehearsed, but before he can utter the final lines treat me as one of your hired men, his father has already turned his attention to celebration. He never asks his son a single question. All he feels is joy. My son was lost and now is found. He has returned, and that’s all the matters. And believe me, that’s all that matters to your parents, and when you’re a parent some day, you’ll understand that. His son was lost and is found, was broken and is whole. The older son, however, feels no joy at all in his brother’s return, only resentment, and as Nouwen reminds us: Joy and resentment cannot coexist. Choose one. The older son had been obedient to his father, but apparently had stayed and obeyed out of a sense of duty, not of love. In his heart, he was not deeply connected to his father. Fuming with resentment, jealousy and anger, he refused to enter the house where the celebration was well underway. ...his father came out and began to urge him to come in. But he responds by getting in his father’s face, essentially accusing him of favoring his good-for-nothing younger brother. The father responds compassionately: My son, you are with me always, and all I have is yours.
“We love because God loved us first. He gives us free will so we can choose to love, we can choose to turn away from love, we can choose to return to love, and when we do, He runs to us.”
Because the parable ends there, we don’t know whether the older son swallows his pride and joins the celebration, which is to say that we don’t know whether he humbles himself as his younger brother did or whether he is still numbered among the people who are about to become humble. We can only hope that he will choose joy; we can only hope that we will choose joy, for we know that resentment is drinking poison and waiting for the other guy to die. There’s plenty of love to go around, so we should never feel diminished by the good fortune of another, points Nouwen makes clear in another of his books, writing: When we truly enjoy God’s unlimited generosity, we will be grateful for what our brothers and sisters receive. Jealousy will simply have no place in our hearts. If I were asked to share my all-time favorite quotations, this one by St. Augustine would certainly be in the running: You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you. Through Jesus’s teaching and Nouwen’s writing and Rembrandt’s painting, we know that the prodigal son finds rest in the Lord. May the same be true for all of us this day and forever. We’re at the very beginning of our 2020-2021 journey, and we have an awful lot of work to do. We devoutly hope for success as individuals and as a St. Sebastian’s family. As we call one another to ever rising peaks of excellence in body, mind, and spirit, and as we battle the diseases of racism and COVID-19, may we love God, work hard, and take good care of one another every sacred step of the way. Please know that we love you and that we will forever. Let us be fully present to every graced moment—all lit up with eternal rays.
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Rising to the
Challenge
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There is no replacement for in-person learning. This truth was the driving force behind St. Sebastian’s plans to bring students back in the fall for a full on-campus experience, despite the pandemic. It took thoughtful planning, added expense, and community-wide collaboration to achieve this ambitious goal. The St. Sebastian’s family came together in a way like never before, proving the order of the day, “Love God, work hard and take good care of one another.” Many tools played a role: technology; creative use of space; health and safety measures; and the greatest one of all—our faculty
U
and their dedication to making this work. nder challenging circumstances last spring, the faculty devoted themselves to making distance learning a success. Yet, the experience of being fully remote made it clear that learning happens best when it happens in community. The connections made between faculty and students are the hallmark of St. Sebastian’s, and although those connections did not go away during distance learning, there was a cost to our students and to our faculty by not being together in person. “Technology is a wonderful way to support learning, but it can’t replace the human touch,” noted Headmaster Bill Burke. When the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its extensive guidelines for how schools could open safely in the fall, St. Sebastian’s rose to the challenge, with every member of the administration and every department contributing. “We knew what we had to do,” shared Brendan Sullivan, Dean of Students. “It was going to be a significant effort to change the campus, to change some behaviors and to get people ready, but
we knew we had the opportunity to get back into the classrooms in the fall and that was very exciting.” The summer months were dedicated to formulating a comprehensive strategy for the safe reopening of campus. Recognizing that some students and faculty would need to stay home because of their circumstances, the administration, in collaboration with faculty, set to work to develop an intentional hybrid program that would serve everyone in the school community. “We know how to run a school when everybody shows up and we found out last spring we could run a school when everybody doesn’t show up,” noted Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne. “Then we had to figure out how to run a school when some people are in school and some are at home.” For the few faculty who would need to work remotely, the school hired young alumni, currently at home due to COVID-19 restrictions on their college campuses, to be in the classroom with the students—an initiative that has turned out to be an enormous success. During a series of virtual faculty meetings in August, several faculty members shared insights gained
OPPOSITE: Branded signage around campus reminds students to socially distance. TOP: English teacher Adam White teaches class in Martin Hall. BOTTOM: Science teacher Ben Brown gives direction to a student during a lab.
during distance learning, summer academic workshops and the summer conditioning program. These firsthand experiences helped to inform best practices for the fall, including: the use of technology in distance learning and the hybrid model; ways to help students at home feel as if they’re part of the classroom community; and how to approach athletics while wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing.
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LEFT: Director of Health Services Jen Joyce checks in a student for COVID-19 testing; MIDDLE: Inductees of the National Honor Society rise during a socially-distanced ceremony; TOP RIGHT: Class takes place outside under a tent; BOTTOM RIGHT: Members of the dining hall staff prepare individually packaged lunches to be distributed to locations across campus.
Countless other decisions were made and then implemented over the course of the summer—all revolving around how to make a full schedule of in-person learning work, while keeping our students and faculty safe. Thanks to the generosity of so many people in our community, we had the resources to make it happen, a reality that was simply not the case at a great many under-resourced schools across the nation. Technology would continue to play a significant role, keeping classes, departments, and even the entire school together in situations where being in-person wasn’t feasible. Several upgrades, such as new smart boards, webcams and monitors, were made to enhance the classroom experience for
those learning and teaching from home, class meetings, and virtual assemblies. Every space on campus was assessed and transformed to allow for optimal physical distancing. Tables were replaced with tablet desks; tents were put up to provide outdoor space for classes and lunches; large areas such as the competition gym, wrestling room, Martin Hall and Ward Hall were repurposed as class gathering spaces; the faculty lounge was designated as an isolation room for students feeling unwell. “We knew we had to take advantage of the entire campus and having the additional space in the West Campus Center was a big part of being able to bring the students back safely,” shared Sullivan. Many other
“I’m just in awe of my colleagues who love our students and know what they need, and, from the depths of their hearts and souls, they give it all they’ve got.” —Headmaster Bill Burke 22 |
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safety measures were put in place, from dramatically changing the delivery of food services to purchasing ample health supplies, adding extra cleanings of high traffic areas throughout the day, and placing extensive signage around campus to serve as helpful reminders. When the first day of school arrived in mid-September, St. Sebastian’s was ready to welcome its students back to Greendale Avenue for the first time in six months. In order for the plan to work, everyone in the school community was called upon to adopt new behaviors: proper masking; physical distancing; frequent handwashing; staying home when showing symptoms or having been exposed to COVID-19. Our students understood the huge benefit of being back on campus and being together and they did their part, making the necessary sacrifices to help protect the most vulnerable members of our community. Their collective efforts and the support of their families in abiding by the safety guidelines have played a key role in helping St. Sebastian’s to maintain a mostly healthy campus.
The added work required by our faculty and staff to keep this program going each school day has been significant, but it has been carried out with a unified approach that once again reflects their dedication. “Here’s the philosophy. Our school exists for the glory of God and for our students and their families; the rest of us are here to serve,” shared Headmaster Burke. “The culture of the place is you show up, you make it work. If you can be here, you will be here. I’m just in awe of my colleagues who love our students and know what they need, and, from the depths of their hearts and souls, they give it all they’ve got.” Their willingness to adapt and pivot has given the administration the flexibility to call a distance learning day or move to the cohort model when needed. “If you’re a teacher, the most important thing to you is that kids learn and that’s been true for our faculty,” noted Nerbonne. “Their cooperation, collaboration and creativity have made learning relatively seamless.” From day one of the pandemic, it has been a true team effort, with
many faculty and staff taking on extra duties, including our Director of Health Services Jen Joyce. Informed by the statistics in the state of Massachusetts, as well as data of what’s happening on campus, the administration has been careful and intentional at every turn. The school has been fortunate to receive additional guidance from members of the St. Sebastian’s community, including Dr. Edward Ryan P’23, Director of Global Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital. “I couldn’t ask for better guidance, leadership, consultation and friendship from Ed as he’s helped us navigate these times,” shared Sullivan. With colder weather and surging numbers, the school continues to adjust its plans, adding new measures like air purifiers in every classroom and a strategic campus-wide testing regimen. The necessary protocols to keep our community safe have inevitably impacted the typical St. Sebastian’s experience: Mike Nerbonne misses the interactions with students in the library, a place that is normally humming with activity; Brendan
Sullivan misses the conversations around the lunch tables in Ward Hall; and Bill Burke misses seeing the parents at Chapel speeches, events and on the sidelines. These are just a few examples, but they all share one common theme—the value of connections. Yet, despite the many challenges, the love of learning and passion for teaching are still very much present, and those connections are still being made every day. When the masks come off and the six-foot gap is removed, there will be a new appreciation for Headmaster Burke’s signature phrase, “The essence of life is in relationships.” “Among the lessons we’ve learned from this experience is how blessed we are to be part of a community like St. Sebastian’s and how all of that leads to our responsibility to be watching out for others and to do what we can to help,” observed Sullivan. If there is a silver lining to this pandemic, let it be that we maintain these lessons and continue to take good care of one another—and especially those who need us most— long after this chapter is behind us.
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THE
IDEAL OLUTION
As the pandemic raged on last summer, it became clear that a few of our most beloved teachers would need to continue teaching from home in the fall while their students learned from the classroom. Although our goal was to provide the best possible learning environment for our students, the safety of every member of our community was paramount. This unprecedented scenario presented a host of new challenges and enlisting the help our young alumni proved to be the ideal solution.
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T
he administrative team worked together to develop the alumni intern program. Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne led the recruitment efforts, reaching out to college students who would be learning remotely in the fall due to COVID-19 restrictions at their schools, from Harvard and Middlebury to Dartmouth and Northwestern. By the time the first day of school rolled around, several young alumni were on board, including: Raffi Barsamian ’17, Eric Jeremiah ’17, Nicholas Connelly ’17, James Esperne ’19, Thaddeus Kennedy ’17, Tommy Seidl ’17, Jack Frisoli ’17 and Anthony Perez ’19. Geoff Wade ’15, a graduate of Holy Cross, also joined the team. As a full-time faculty member, Geoff took on a leadership role of coordinating the alumni interns’ schedules, in addition to covering Deirdre Rynne Annan’s art history classes while she was on maternity leave. The primary responsibility of the alumni interns is to facilitate dayto-day logistics for those teachers working from home, making sure the technology is functioning properly, passing out papers, checking homework assignments—whatever a teacher
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LEFT: Eric Jeremiah ’17 offers support to a student during English class. RIGHT: James Esperne ’17 helps out in Denis Cleary’s history class.
would do in class that they can’t do over zoom. In addition to assisting the few faculty who are teaching remotely, the interns have also served as an extra set of helping hands for other teachers, monitoring lunches or covering any other needs that come up each day. Wade has played a pivotal role in matching the needs with the schedules of the interns, most of whom are also managing a college course load. While the physical set-up of the classroom may look different, with desks spread apart and the teacher projected onto a large smart board, the content is still the same and the students are still engaging with their teachers and with each other. “Having done remote learning myself, the fact that these kids are able to come into the classroom every day and learn with their peers is so important,” said Barsamian, who has been working in classes taught by Mark Rogers, Chair of the Fine Arts Department. “My favorite part about being here is seeing the way the boys interact with each other, how much they love each other and are building that brotherhood. I was in their seat not too long ago; seeing it from the other side and the way it’s fostered on a day-to-day basis is incredible.”
For the three faculty members who have needed to teach from a distance, the alumni interns have made the opportunity to educate from home possible. This group of Arrows have proven themselves to be committed, conscientious, on time and willing to follow up on any tasks asked of them. “This is a novel experience in my 49th year of teaching and I didn’t think old dogs could learn new tricks,” noted Denis Cleary, Chair of the History Department. “With these young men I’ve been able to do a lot of stuff that I never believed I would have the capacity to do. I can’t say enough nice things about their efforts and am so appreciative to the administration for creating the program and the Board of Trustees for supporting it.” The alumni interns have not only been a saving grace for these teachers, but have also had an impact on the students as well. “One of the great things about having the interns around this fall has been that they both model and demand the best virtues,” noted Nerbonne. “There’s a kind of mentoring that’s going on.” Eric Jeremiah, who assists in David Cornish’s classroom, has developed a fan base, as evidenced by the stack of cards that piled up for him in the front office after the
“One of the great things about having the interns around this fall has been that they both model and demand the best virtues.” —Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne
Christmas Card Assembly. “The boys have gotten to know Eric quite well and they love him,” shared Cornish. “Having been a star hockey and lacrosse player during his years here has been a plus, too, for they look up to him and see him as a student-athlete to emulate.” The alumni, who are distance learning themselves, often have their laptops open, demonstrating their work ethic as serious students at exceptional colleges and universities. From academic accolades to athletic accomplishments and leading roles in the play, each of these young men were outstanding Arrows who serve as great role models for our youngest students and our older students have had the chance to engage in conversations and enjoy their company. “I think it’s important to be able to see yourself five or six years down the road and realize this is what I can be like when I grow up,” said Jeremiah. “The best part of coming to school every day is being able to set an example for these kids.” Some of the interns have also been an enormous support to our coaches and the athletic program. Barsamian assisted with varsity soccer, Wade and Seidl with varsity football, Jeremiah with the hockey teams, and a set of new recruits have joined to help with other winter sports. Matt Karpowicz ’16, a Williams grad, was meant to be coaching at WPI this winter. When the season was cancelled, Athletic Director Dave Hinman saw a great opportunity to bring Matt, and his passion and knowledge for the game, back to St. Sebastian’s as head coach of the JV team, as well as assist with the varsity and middle school teams.
Miguel Vega ’19 and Trace Gotham ’20 are also helping to coach basketball and Andrew Ko ’19 and Brian Piatelli ’19 are working with the squash team. All these interns served as leaders of their team when they played for the Arrows. “Who better to turn to than a group of former St. Sebastian’s captains who model the values that define our great community,” shared Hinman. “It has been so rewarding to see the respect and admiration our youngest students have for these guys.” Along with the students and faculty, the interns themselves have benefited from this experience. Due to the pandemic, these young men are not where they should be—in their college classrooms and dorm rooms, playing for their teams, many of them in their senior year—but this program has given them a sense of purpose and community. “Routine is important for everyone and this initiative has not only provided the alumni interns an opportunity to get out of the house, but to give back to a place they love,” shared Wade. “Coming back here has been super nostalgic, although it’s funny being on the other side as a teacher.” Some interns will stay on through the end of the year, others have headed back to college, and a new round of interns will join the team to serve the school that served them so well. Having these young men in our classrooms during these challenging times has been a true blessing for everyone involved. Thank you to our alumni interns for reflecting the ideal St. Sebastian’s graduate and showing a new generation of students what the brotherhood is all about.
TOP: Matt Karpowicz ’16 assists with coaching the varsity basketball team. BOTTOM: Geoff Wade ’15 sets up the technology in Deirdre Rynne Annan’s art history class while she teaches remotely.
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Taking the Lead Assistant Dean of Students Dan Burke delivered the following speech to the Class of 2021 during their Senior Leadership Day on September 1, 2020.
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ypically at this time of the year, we have the senior class come together for what we call senior leadership day. During that day we put guys into some challenging, sometimes uncomfortable situations. It could be a physically demanding task or a mentally strenuous problem to solve. We do this because often tough situations reveal much about one’s character and also his leadership. In those challenging times, we see different types of leadership. Some show their leadership by example, quietly going through the task without complaining and inspiring others in the group through their attitude and effort. Grinding through not because they necessarily wanted to do it for themselves but because they knew they were part of a team and others were watching and relying on them. Others display vocal leadership, urging their teammates and themselves on, knowing that encouragement and support help people accomplish more than they could on their own. Some use humor to ease the tension within the group and to help lift spirits. While you do not have a traditional senior leadership day today, you certainly are facing some challenging, sometimes uncomfortable situations. Just as those leaders before you have shown and so many of you have shown throughout your years here, you will
have opportunities to lead in major and what might seem minor ways. We will need you, too, to lead by example and to lead by word. To show the younger guys how to behave and stay positive. To encourage the guys who need it and to get on guys who are not doing what the team needs them to do. I mention the word team, and you will be on many teams that will come in many forms and sizes. Your class is a team, and you have built a reputation up to this point, but this is the year that you really solidify your legacy. How will you be known in the lunchroom, in the library? How will you be seen by the younger students and by the faculty? Another team will be your classrooms. How will you lead by example and in word in supporting and furthering the learning? Will you work hard and encourage others to do so? Another team involves the whole student body. Will you set the tone for how to act and be good to one another? Will you say hi to younger kids in the hallways, bringing them more happiness and feeling of belonging than you can imagine? A final team that I will mention, but certainly not the only other one you will find yourself on, is the entire community, including the administration, faculty, and staff. Will you do what is required for this school year to be as successful as possible for all of us? Will you work through the adversity that none of us have chosen but all of us are responsible for managing? Will you do what it takes to
mitigate risk by following the protocols of our school? We need you, the senior class, to take the lead just as we always do each year. Some parts of the start of this particular year are not ideal, but we are all in it together, and we need you to step up and lead with us. That we even get to be together in person as we start this year is a real blessing and one the Class of 2020 would tell you that you should be so grateful for and did tell you in their chapel speeches during distance learning in the spring. Take advantage of the time you have. Don’t take anything for granted. Those and many other pieces of advice you heard from last year’s seniors. Yes, there are changes to the routine that, again, most of us would prefer not to have, but we are together. And each moment we are together, we get to be working on our relationships, strengthening existing ones and forming new ones. In order for us to stay together in person, we need to follow the protocols you will hear more about today. We need to get off to a great start to the year, and your leadership will go a long way to making that happen. On the football teams I have played on and coached throughout my time here, we have always had talented players and leaders in the sophomore and junior classes, but ultimately it was the senior class and their leadership that was the greatest factor in the success of the team. That is true again this year and will be true
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“Each moment we are together, we get to be working on our relationships, strengthening existing ones and forming new ones.” in the future because the younger guys certainly follow what the coaches say and listen to their guidance and leadership, but they also look up to the seniors and follow their lead. You do have an influence, and as leaders at this school it is incumbent upon you to use that influence for good. Even without COVID-19 modifications, some students need extra support as they adjust to a new school or a new school year. This year in particular, though, we anticipate that the need for that support will be higher because of the modifications and stresses caused by this pandemic. While all of your actions of kindness, hard work, and adherence to the school rules will have an impact as examples to the younger guys, there will also be opportunities this year for more official mentorship, so please be ready and willing to volunteer. Another key aspect of leadership is communication. We are communicating to you what we need from you this year and we need you to live up to these standards. And you will also need to communicate effectively this year. Again, your actions and your words to younger guys and to your classmates are forms of communication that set a standard for how this year will go. But your communication with the adults on campus is also crucial. We need to hear from you often when you have concerns, questions, or thoughts about how things are going. The faculty and administration are planning to talk after each week to share what is going well and ideas about what could go better, and we want to hear the same from you. We also hope you understand 30 |
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that just because you are the leaders among the student body does not mean that you will not need guidance and support as well. As always, you should also know that there is a tremendous support network around you and that you need to communicate with the administrators, teachers, coaches, and advisors to access that support when you need it most. We are here for you and we are all here for each other. Communication and relationships go hand in hand. A study conducted by Harvard University starting in 1938 confirms the value of relationships. The study of 268 sophomores, including President John F. Kennedy, continued for over 80 years and eventually included their children and 456 residents from the inner city of Boston. The study was conducted to observe how the participants’ experiences through their lives affected their health and happiness. What shocked the researchers was that more than intelligence, money, fame, or even exercise, the greatest predictor for health and happiness was the strength of the participants’ relationships. More than cholesterol levels of men at the age of 50, their relationships were more correlated with their physical health. Robert Waldinger, the director of the study, shares more of the findings: “Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes. That finding proved true across the board among both the Harvard men and the inner-city participants…The people who were the
most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest at age 80… Good relationships don’t just protect our bodies; they protect our brains. And those good relationships, they don’t have to be smooth all the time.” Again, we do not all have to agree on everything, but we do need to know that we are all on the same team, and we need to communicate with each other to work through the times that are not as smooth. Some of the findings of the study may be new information to you, but some of it is what we already know to be true. At St. Sebastian’s we talk about brotherhood and family, recognizing the truth of the power of relationships. That major finding from the longitudinal Harvard study of over 80 years is something you know from your own experience of under 20 years of life. We build and strengthen relationships and find joy in our work as a result. We have each other with whom to multiply joy and divide grief. You know how much better it is to celebrate a win with teammates and fans storming the fields than to play for personal stats and accolades. You know that in times of struggle and sadness, we have brothers in the school along with advisors, administrators, coaches, teachers, and staff who care deeply for us and want to help. Our new students will be starting up without as many established relationships as you have and it will be harder for you to interact as frequently and as closely as you have in the past with other classes. That said, you can help through a greeting in passing and mentorship opportunities. Let’s have a great year starting new relationships, strengthening existing ones, and leading the way for an outstanding 2020-2021 school year. God Bless and Go Arrows!
Growing as Educators
in an Ever-Changing World St. Sebastian’s investment in faculty professional development benefits our outstanding teachers, our school and our students. Last summer, several faculty members took advantage of opportunities to grow as educators and returned to campus inspired to use their experiences to enhance students’ learning in this ever-changing world.
MODERNIZING MATH CURRICULUM
Mark Nelson and Carla Callini were hard at work this summer retooling the AB Calculus curriculum to better fit the needs of the students. They learned a lot teaching from a distance this past spring and have made modifications to fit today’s uncertain world. One exciting creation they are bringing to the classroom is a library of video tutorials for every topic in the course.
UNDERSTANDING & FIGHTING RACISM IN THE CLASSROOM Courtney Bent, Shayna Gilman and Dean Adams virtually attended the National Anti-racism Teach-in Conference, supporting St. Sebastian’s efforts to learn more about and fight ever more vigorously against the very real and terribly devastating effects of systemic racism. Following the eye-opening conference, Gilman noted, “Many speakers highlighted the fact that as white people of privilege, we cannot possibly fathom the challenges our brothers and sisters of color face on a daily basis. In acknowledging this reality and in recognizing and challenging the implicit biases which undeniably plague us all, we have a place to start as we promote antiracism in the classroom.” Bent, whose life work has been devoted to giving a voice through photography to people with disabilities, came away with a renewed commitment to bring a fully diverse and inclusive perspective into her teaching. “During the conference, I thought back to my experience in photography school. I did not learn about any photographers of color, and only a small handful of female photographers, but they were out there. They were just not written into the history books. It is my role, our role as educators to work even harder to seek out these unique and important perspectives—from the black experience, people of color, women—and rewrite them into the histories and stories that we present in our classrooms.”
EXPANDING VIEWS THROUGH LITERATURE In addition to attending the National Anti-Racism Teach-in Conference, Dean Adams began his M.A. in English at Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English, focusing on the literary history of New England, and also took a graduate literature class through the Harvard Extension School called “How to Change the World.” Adams shares the impact of these three learning experiences: “Prior to this summer, teaching English felt very much like it centered around helping students understanding the stories on the page. This summer made it clear that teaching English is more closely centered around helping students understand the human experience. I will use what I’ve learned to help make it clear to my students that literature is a way to connect to the past, understand the present, and work toward creating a better future.” FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021
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A TRIBUTE TO
Morris Kittler Devoted Dean of Discipline Universally feared and loved, Morris Kittler was blessed with the gift of making men out of boys. The talented and tireless educator helped to shape the conscience and the character of decades of Arrows in his role as St. Sebastian’s first Dean of Students. When Kittler passed away on January 4, 2021, our school community lost an icon who will forever be associated with discipline, but more importantly, remembered for the many life lessons he imparted and his deep commitment to St. Sebastian’s and our students.
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ittler’s journey to St. Sebastian’s began in 1969 when he stepped in to cover biology classes for a member of the priest faculty who had passed away suddenly. The Boston College graduate student, who was also working as a fellow at the Cancer Research Institute, took the part-time job to make some extra money for the growing family he’d started with his wife, Ann. He never imagined it would turn into a full-time position two years later and ultimately a lifetime vocation. Joining the faculty during a transition period for St. Sebastian’s, Kittler embraced the challenges of the times. The School did not have a lot of money or resources, but Kittler found creative solutions to teaching biology in a regular classroom rather than in a lab. He was an excellent teacher—tough but fair—and taught science in a way that made it applicable to everyday life. An avid photographer, he also taught a photography course, sharing his knowledge about concepts such as composition, lighting and film development. In the late 1970s, Kittler was charged with introducing the younger students to the St. Sebastian’s way as director of the middle school. His brother, Peter, also joined the faculty, becoming a beloved member of the Science Department until his retirement in 2016. In spite of the many challenges faced by St. Sebastian’s over the course of the 1970s, several key faculty members, including Kittler, stayed the course and helped the School evolve successfully. When Fr. Charles Riepe began his tenure as headmaster in 1980, he worked with the Board of Trustees to formalize the administrative offices, creating several key management positions. Kittler’s gift for understanding and dealing with the students made him the perfect choice for the School’s first Dean of Students. His philosophy was that the entire family was part of the experience. “We feel responsible, just like the parents do, about the way their sons—our students—develop,” shared Kittler. “And, if we see something that’s wrong, we’re going to address it.” Kittler’s uncanny ability to read minds and get the truth out of students earned him “living legend” status among the boys at St. Sebastian’s. Headmaster Bill Burke recalls meeting Kittler during his interview in 1990: “After only a few moments with this powerful personality, I knew that I was in the presence of something great.” The Headmaster would later assert: “A tireless gatherer of information, a preternatural reader of minds, a master interrogator, Morris was our Scotland Yard, Pentagon, Justice Department, CIA, FBI, CSI and CTU rolled into one enigmatic, inscrutable, lovable genius.”
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“A tireless gatherer of information, a preternatural reader of minds, a master interrogator, Morris was our Scotland Yard, Pentagon, Justice Department, CIA, FBI, CSI and CTU rolled into one enigmatic, inscrutable, lovable genius.” —Headmaster Bill Burke
The youngest Arrows lived in abject fear of finding themselves in Room 101 with Mr. Kittler or encountering him in the hallways, taking out of the way staircases just to avoid him. Yet, by the time they were seniors, they would seek him out. “He knew how to inspire fear, but it was a fear that always, over time, morphed into respect, admiration and great affection,” recalled Headmaster Burke. Kittler loved the underdog—the boy that needed a lot of growth—and was an expert at recognizing underlying issues and coming up with clever solutions. He was always generous and steadfast in his support of the faculty, offering wisdom, support and advice. Growing up under the watchful eyes of Mr. Kittler—from a stern look to a wink—was a rite of passage for every Arrow during his reign as Dean of Students. As upperclassmen, students had the opportunity to experience a different side of him, whether it was on the annual trip to Washington, D.C. or at the prom when he would dance the “Moe Shuffle.” They realized that behind the gruff exterior was a caring man who just wanted the best for them. Even as he became their friend, he still
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TOP: Morris offers guidance to a student in his office on Greendale Avenue. BOTTOM LEFT: Morris at the head of the class in 1971. BOTTOM RIGHT: The biology teacher gathers supplies for a lab in 1983.
commanded their respect. “I’ll never forget the first time I accompanied Morris to Washington, D.C. There were 60 seventeen-year-old boys in a crowded Metro station—and he was able to get the attention of every single boy,” noted Brendan Sullivan, who was a biology teacher at the time. “I couldn’t believe how smoothly that trip would run under his command. He was an incredible leader and a master of logistics.” Indeed, Kittler was the master of many things at St. Sebastian’s, immersing himself in every aspect of the School. From dances and dinners to lectures, orientations and graduations, he performed countless tasks behind the scenes. The School had no photographer at the time, so he took on this role, too, using his talent to capture events and activities. He even built a darkroom in his basement at
home so he could develop photos for the School, creating collages to memorialize each senior class. Despite all his administrative duties, Kittler found time to continue teaching a biology class as well. “Morris always made his time in the classroom a clear priority,” recalled Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne. “He was first and foremost a very talented and dedicated classroom teacher. He loved to see his students engaged with the subject matter and he took great delight in presenting scientific topics in the most innovative and inspired ways.” Kittler’s work at St. Sebastian’s was much more than a job; it was a labor of love. St. Sebastian’s was like a second home for Kittler, but family always came first. He and Ann, a talented nurse and gifted professor, were blessed with three sons—Tim ’85, Jamie ’87 and
Nathan ’90. The boys essentially grew up on the Nonantum Hill campus, playing on the outdoor hockey rink or running around in the big gym, before attending St. Sebastian’s themselves. They got to see a softer side of their dad than the one he showed in his role as dean. “He supported us in everything we did and was always there, whether it was to pick us up when we fell down or to push us in the right direction when we started going down the wrong path,” shared Jamie. Simultaneously playing both roles—dad and dean—was not always easy, but Kittler cherished those years as he watched his sons grow into Arrows. At the end of the 2005-06 school year, Kittler retired from his position as Dean of Students, staying involved as a member of the Alumni and Development Office for several years. Alumni, parents, former and current faculty members and countless friends attended numerous events to honor Kittler for his 37 years of exemplary service to St. Sebastian’s. Brendan Sullivan took over as the second Dean of Students in the School’s history. The transition was seamless, with Kittler serving as a mentor to Sullivan. “I made many phone calls to Morris over my first few years,” noted Sullivan. “He always had great advice, with a twist that only Morris could provide. I still employ many of his practices, and his legacy lives on in so many ways.” Kittler would come back to campus whenever he could, attending special events and reunions with his sons. He greatly enjoyed reconnecting with alumni and had a knack for remembering details of their time as students. When one of his eight grandchildren, Charlie ’18, became an Arrow, Kittler was thrilled to attend Grandparents’ Day. “His family was the most important thing to him, and the second thing was St. Sebastian’s. Having his two passions collide like that meant the world to him,” noted Jamie. “When we’d go visit him on the
weekends, he’d always sit Charlie down and ask him about how school was going and his teachers.” Kittler was beyond proud of the school St. Sebastian’s has become since he first walked onto Nonantum Hill in 1969. He also believed wholeheartedly in the unwavering mission and used every teachable moment to reinforce the School’s values. His greatest legacy was the students themselves and the
role he played in helping them to succeed. Kittler often mentioned that “teaching is a profession of delayed returns. It’s the alumni coming back that make you realize the impact you have had.” It is clear from all the lives he touched that his returns were massive. May you rest in peace, Moe. You deserve it.
TOP LEFT: Morris congratulates a student before he receives his diploma from Fr. Riepe at the 1985 Commencement. TOP RIGHT: The Dean of Students and the Headmaster take a break outside the Birmingham Academic Building on a beautiful spring day in 2006. BOTTOM LEFT: Morris with his wife, Ann. BOTTOM RIGHT: Nathan ’90, Morris, Charlie ’18 and Jamie ’87 on Charlie’s graduation day.
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Remembering
Mr. Kittler After Morris passed away on January 4, 2021, we asked our alumni to share memories of the former faculty member and administrator. Tributes from across four decades of Arrows came pouring in, demonstrating the lasting impact he had on so many of our graduates. Here are excerpts from some of the many reflections submitted.
“In my sophomore year, I learned all there was to learn in biology from Mr. Kittler. My most enduring recollection of that class was that Mr. Kittler was very rigorous in his instruction and expected all his students to do well. He was so dedicated to his students’ success that in the spring of sophomore year, Mr. Kittler offered a separate after-school class focused on preparing for the Biology Achievement Test. I am happy to say that my score in the Biology Achievement Test was the highest of any of the college admissions exams that I took. I have always attributed that success to Mr. Kittler and his attention and devotion to his students!”
—John Piccione ’76
Mr. Kittler is responsible for enticing me into the biological sciences and my eventual application and matriculation to BU Dental School. That small but robust classroom he inhabited on Nonantum Hill was a treasure trove of wonder as a young student, and without Moe, I am not sure I would have found my path.
—John Fiore ’79
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Being in the Class of ’87 and good friends with Jamie Kittler, I have had the unique pleasure of spending time with Mr. Kittler outside of a school setting and often in his own house. Of course, during our high school years, the ‘Big Guy’, as we referred to him had to stay in his Dean of Students character when we were at his house, but as we aged out of high school, our privilege became more and more enjoyable as we were then able to see other sides of Mr. Kittler. He was a jovial man with a great laugh. He was able to take a ribbing, but also highly skilled at delivering one. At times, he would return to his position of authoritarian with us and that unmistakable glare that let you know you were toeing a line, never lost its effect. After high school, I believe he did this because he truly cared about us. He wanted us to succeed and was always trying to limit the damage that young adults tend to inflict upon themselves through poor decisions. We will miss you Big Guy. Thank you for all you did for all of us to make us better people.
—Dan Fitzpatrick ’87
“I am forever grateful for the love of science, discovery, and learning that Mr. Kittler showed us in each and every class. He was dedicated and demanding, always pushing his students to exit our comfort zone, ask the difficult questions, and commit to building a base of knowledge that would benefit us as informed citizens of the world.”
Mr. Kittler is a staple of my Seb’s experience. I got mad love for ‘Mojo Jojo.’ He was a giant, a man loved by the youth he was in charge of... My heart smiles knowing with all the strength that Mojo Jojo exhibited here on Earth that he’ll be a tough drill sergeant in Heaven. Amani Na Mafanikio.
—Joe DiNunzio ’80
—Donkor Minors ‘01
Mr. Kittler could not have been more successful at his job in building boys into men—he did it with a strong, but kind hand! Mr. Kittler was not a coach—there are no trophies, titles or plaques to show his work—but he was the core of school at the time. He is somebody I will never forget and am blessed that he was part of my life!
—Frank Casey ’90
“One of the reasons I went to St. Seb’s was because I needed a level of discipline and structure that I was not getting in public school. Mr. Kittler provided that in spades to me and the other students at the school. He seemingly had eyes in the back of his head, and few dared to try to get anything by him. He was tough but always fair which made people like and respect him even when he was hard on you. That style was an inspiration to me when I became a teacher myself later in life. I wanted my students to view me the same when I viewed him. I am proud to say it worked and I was a better teacher because of it.”
—Andrew Kelley ’00
“I have found my way back to education; I try to carry with me the best lessons learned from my teachers at St. Sebastian’s, and Mr. Kittler is very high on that list of excellent people. He directed his energy toward things he cared deeply about: our education, his family, our school. His occasional words of correction taught us to respect the rules, but more importantly, his support allowed us to thrive within those rules. Above all, you knew he was on your side—even (especially) if he was chewing you out!”
—Michael Cedrone ’91
I was lucky enough to work with Morris when he volunteered in the Alumni Office a few days a week after he retired as Dean of Students. Because he was no longer ‘on the clock’ as Dean, I got to hear stories dating all the way back to the 70s... I remember him telling me about some of the more difficult students. What struck me the most was that those were the students he fought the hardest for. He knew what a great gift of an education they were being given, and he would do anything to get them to realize it.
—William Hayes ‘03
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Depth & Mastery Assistant Headmaster & Dean of Studies Michael Nerbonne delivered the following speech to prospective families during Admissions’ Curriculum Night on December 3, 2020.
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he most basic and yet arguably the most unique and significant aspect of our approach to curriculum is the fact that it is studentcentered. We believe that a student-centered approach to curriculum best serves all of our students as they proceed through our program. This begins even before students arrive on campus. We offer math placement testing to all students entering grade 7. We require math placement testing for all students enrolling in grades 8 and above. We use the results of these tests to place students in the most appropriate math course for the coming year. We also carefully review every incoming student’s experience in foreign language study at these grade levels, again, in order to place students in the appropriate level language course. I meet individually with every student who enrolls in grades 9, 10 and 11 because there are so many specific decisions to be made course by course for these students. The result of all of this careful planning and discussion is that some students are ready for more advanced study, even at a young age. This year, for example, we have a freshman studying Accelerated Precalculus, a course normally taken by our most qualified juniors. We have another freshman this year studying AP Spanish 4, again, a course normally reserved for juniors in high school. You might be wondering what happens to a student who pursues such advanced courses in his early years here; does he run out of courses to take in later years? I am 38 |
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pleased to say that the exact opposite happens, namely that these students can then pursue even higher-level courses in subsequent years. For example, a student accelerated in math in grade nine, is then very well-positioned to pursue both Advanced Placement offerings in math: AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC and then even Multivariable Calculus, a course usually taken by a sophomore math major in a selective college. Similarly, a student who takes a higher-level language course can then pursue language at a much more advanced level in later years of high school. That freshman I mentioned who takes AP Spanish 4 this year can literally take Spanish 5, 6 and 7 here, if he so chooses, and he likely will, because he has fallen in love with the subject this year under the expert guidance of our outstanding AP Spanish teacher, Ms. Shayna Gilman. The reason all of this can happen, and does happen, is our stated objective that our students develop depth and mastery in the disciplines. And you will hear more about depth and mastery from our students and faculty as our program progresses this evening. We promise all of our students that this will be our goal for them throughout their studies at St. Sebastian’s. And I can say that we always deliver on this promise for two reasons: we will always make those high level classes a priority in our program, so that we will run those courses even with comparatively smaller enrollments. For example, this year alone, we have five students taking Multivariable Calculus, four taking AP Physics 2, four taking Spanish 6 Honors, five taking Ancient Greek, and four taking AP Music Theory. We will always run these upper level electives and have never cancelled one because a smaller number of students is enrolled in them. The other reason that I can deliver on our promise regarding advanced courses always being available to our most qualified students is the talent and dedication of our
“While it is true that our teachers will always encourage and even push students to achieve at the highest level, it is also true that they will support them and be there for them every step of the way.”
faculty. They have the expertise to teach at the very highest levels, so that we never have to recommend that a student take a course at a college or online, because our faculty cannot teach at that level. And I am proud to say that this is true in every discipline in our school. In addition to challenging our students in all of the ways which I have described, St. Sebastian’s is also a very supportive place. While it is true that our teachers will always encourage and even push students to achieve at the highest level, it is also true that they will support them and be there for them every step of the way. I often catch my colleagues giving extra help to students very early in morning to late in the evening and at every moment in between: during their free periods, lunchtime and now even on Zoom at any hour of the day. The message from our faculty to our students is clear: we will present to you a very rigorous program of studies but we will make the sacrifices necessary to support you and to help you to achieve at a level commensurate with your God-given abilities. I have often remarked that most schools opt to do one of these things but not the other: lots
of challenge with little support or lots of support with little challenge. St. Sebastian’s does both and we know well from their demonstrated success in college and beyond that our students benefit greatly from this unique approach to teaching and learning. Our commitment to depth and mastery also defines our approach to offerings within each discipline in our curriculum. Rather than a panoply of stand-alone electives which you see in many schools, St. Sebastian’s offers a prescribed program of studies in which students are encouraged to go deeper. In science for example, our students study biology, chemistry and physics and then can elect one or more of these at an advanced level. Coincidentally, this is exactly the approach to the study of science endorsed by the Harvard faculty in a publication they authored called “Choosing Courses to Prepare for College”. The professors not only recommend that secondary school students take this exact lineup of courses, but they also note that science elective courses, other than these, are not appropriate substitutes for core courses in science.
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LEFT: Two Arrows “brothers” catch up between classes in their walk across campus. RIGHT: Innovation Lab Director Matt Burke works with a student on a project.
St. Sebastian’s also has a unique and successful approach to verbal skills development unmatched by any secondary school of which I am aware. Every freshman at St. Sebastian’s takes a year long course in Writing in addition to his Freshman English course. The placement of this course in freshman year is strategic and intentional: students develop the writing skills necessary for success in secondary school early in the program so that those same skills can be honed and developed over subsequent years in our program. Every spring, nearly every one of our juniors will test on the AP Language and Composition Exam, also known as AP Writing. In addition to the many opportunities which students have to write for several school publications including the St. Sebastian’s Journal, we also enter their writing in state and regional competitions. Our Classics students have achieved tremendous success over the years in an essay contest sponsored by the Classical Association of New England. Every student at St. Sebastian’s writes and delivers a Chapel Speech every year. Under the guidance of a faculty member assigned to each grade level, students write original speeches on a whole panoply of topics of their choosing. In addition to the obvious benefits of writing as many as six speeches over their career here, our students also have a unique opportunity to stand and deliver, and to hone their skills as a public speaker. Many of our students will take this even further by participating in our very popular and competitive Debating and Public Speaking Team which debates under the auspices of the Debating Association of
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New England Independent Schools and includes some of the most talented debaters and speakers in the country. Last winter one of our current seniors placed first in a league debating competition in the category of Impromptu Speaking. His success in this event was the direct result of the skills and habits which he had developed as a writer and public speaker during his years in our academic program. I have said some things about the powerful relationships which our students and faculty develop in their work together. But I would be remiss if I did not mention one final very important aspect of our curriculum which I would like to highlight this evening. This is the very real, oft mentioned, storied brotherhood which our boys develop with each other. And one might ask, what does this have to do with the curriculum, this seems more proper to a speech about their social relations or athletics or the friendships they form. But the brotherhood here has an enormous impact on the academic experience of all of our boys. This is a competitive place, as I imagine are most boys’ schools. But it is a healthy kind of competition in which the boys compete against the standards set before them rather than against each other. They take pride and joy in the success of their peers and evidence for this can be seen in the myriad ways in which they help each other, whether through our formal tutoring or peer mentoring programs, their collaboration in our robotics studios or Innovation Lab, or in the less formal interactions they enjoy helping each other with homework or preparing for a test or writing a research paper. Their brotherhood is an integral part of our academic program because our boys desire to help each other become the best that God wants them to be in body, mind and spirit.
Above the Curve A new mathematical discovery—the orthovolute— was recently made in Richard Palmaccio’s Multivariable Calculus class. After completing an in-depth study of the cycloid, a test on parametric equations was given and one of the problems led to this discovery of a new kind of locus of points situation described by two curves related to a given curve. One student, Charles Yang ’22, ran with the concept of the orthovolute and was the first to complete the derivation of the orthovolute for the cycloid. He then introduced Palmaccio to the Desmos graphing system. Figure 12 (shown above) was the result of
Charles’ work. The remaining students, Alessandro Barbiellini ’21, Matthew Choi ’22, Daniel Ko ’21, and Samuel Randall ’21, are also, in addition to Charles, accomplished mathematicians who are among the very few to have ascended to Multivariable Calculus while still in high school. Palmaccio, a 1962 graduate of St. Sebastian’s and veteran teacher of 54 years, has taught many classes of varying levels of sophistication at St. Sebastian’s and notes that this present class in Multivariable Calculus ranks at the top of the many classes experienced. “Teaching this class of excellent mathematical scholars has been personally inspiring and has led in no small part to the creation of the orthovolute,” shared Palmaccio. An expert mathematician himself, Palmaccio’s problem inventions have been the basis of three past books, presenting some unique problem situations not available in ordinary textbooks.
Math teacher Richard Palmaccio ’62 (3rd from left) with the students in his Multivariable Calculus class—Samuel Randall ’21, Alessandro Barbiellini ’21, Matthew Choi ’22, Charles Yang ’22 and Daniel Ko ’21.
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FINE ARTS
IT’S ALL ABOUT
PERSPECTIVE
AP Photography students explored the idea that everyone has a unique perspective and that we often see things in very different ways—including our beloved statue of St. Sebastian. By physically moving around the statue and changing the angle and height of their camera, students took pictures that created a very different mood and feel.
Joe Harney ’21
Reed Shachoy ’21
Jake Lavoie ’21
PORTRAIT IN SPACE Tommy Cronin ‘22 gets creative with the background for his Memory Project portrait. 42 |
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BACK IN THE STUDIO Nolan McGovern ’21 continues to work on his amazing eagle sculpture, a project he started before the pandemic hit last March.
FINE ARTS
Virtual Christmas Program Showcases Our Musical Arrows On December 18, the St. Sebastian’s community celebrated the season with a virtual Christmas Program. Several faculty and staff, including Karl Grohmann, Paul Rossini, Meyer Chambers, Fr. John Arens and Olivia Uhlman, collaborated to keep this tradition alive. The event was broadcast to spaces across campus so students and faculty could watch together. During the first part of the program, Fr. Arens provided the Prayer for the Lighting of the Advent Wreath, students read scripture and the St. Sebastian’s Schola and Mass Ensemble performed several traditional Christmas pieces. The second half of the program featured contemporary Christmas music performed by our music students. The cleverly filmed performances not only showcased the Arrows’ musical talents, but added in some elements of fun, with scenes shot in various locations across campus, from the football field to the theater.
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FALL SPORTS Varsity Football BY COACH DAN BURKE
While the 2020 Varsity Football season came in a different form due to the pandemic, the character, resilience, and passion for playing Arrows football was just as high as ever. Because of the state’s mandates on contact sports, we began the season without helmets and pads, practicing with the hopes of competing however we could. After a few weeks, some of the schools in the ISL agreed to compete in 7 v. 7 scrimmages, and we had our first scheduled competition vs. Belmont Hill on October 17. Our team—one that figured to be vying for the ISL title had there been a full season—was eager to display its talents and how hard everyone had been working to be ready to play. We played in three scrimmages that day: Varsity, JV, and linemen. Though they were technically scrimmages, the Arrows played to win and showed early on how dominant we could be. In the varsity scrimmage, quarterback Michael Phelps ’21 zipped the ball to 44 |
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receivers underneath and put perfect touch on deep balls over coverage throughout the competition. Two touchdowns on the day for both Sam Frisoli ’21 and Nick Vallace ’21, and one each for Louis Hansen ’21 and Zion Simmons ’23 resulted in a 38-12 victory. We also performed well in the JV and linemen scrimmages, highlighted by the quarterback play of offensive tackle, Chris Mullen ’21 in the latter contest. It was a great day for St. Sebastian’s football! We did not get to play the full schedule of scrimmages, but we were able to compete in 7 v. 7 scrimmages against Roxbury Latin and Rivers before the end of the season. The Arrows came out on top in both of those matchups in closely contested battles. Trying to maximize the time on the field together, we also had an intrasquad 7 v. 7 scrimmage that almost didn’t happen due to a storm blanketing our field in snow. Willing to do whatever it took for the boys to be able to play, parents, past parents, coaches, and players all worked together to safely clear the field in time to play. While fans were not allowed for most competitions this
fall, senior parents were able to attend that scrimmage. It was a memorable day for all and a fun way to celebrate the Class of 2021 and their parents. Just as the season was winding down, Massachusetts removed some of their restrictions on contact sports. Hoping all season for the chance to put on their pads, the players were thrilled to finally get the green light. After practicing for two weeks, the team played in an intrasquad game on November 20 to finish off the season. While it was not a game against another opponent, this scrimmage was an opportunity for the guys to play the game that they love. This senior class lost their ISL season, but they did not miss an opportunity to enjoy being on the field together and to grow as young men. They led the younger guys incredibly well, showing them how to remain positive, resilient, and united. Captains Scott Behman, Seamus Foley, and Louis Hansen led the way, but the whole class modeled what it means to be a St. Sebastian’s football player. They will be missed, but their impact will be felt next year when the Arrows take the field again in the fall.
FALL SPORTS
FALL ATHLETIC AWARDS The following student-athletes received special awards for their performance during the fall season. OPPOSITE: The Arrows suit up in their helmets and pads for an intrasquad game to finish off the season. LEFT: Louis Hansen ’21 battles the defense while running a receiving route during a scrimmage against Rivers School on November 17. RIGHT: Nick Vallace ’21 carries the ball up field during the team’s only full-contact game of the season.
FOOTBALL Ennis Award Presented to a senior who displays the qualities of commitment, teamwork, and dedication to the football program. Sam Frisoli ’21, Nick Vallace ’21
SUMMER
ATHLETIC CLINICS SOCCER | BASKETBALL | LACROSSE
Big Hit Award Presented to the player who makes a positive impact on our opponents. Scott Behman ’21, Louis Hansen ’21
SOCCER Peter Kerr Award Presented to the soccer player who displays sportsmanship, dedication, and commitment to the soccer program. Juan Oliva ’21
CROSS COUNTRY Coaches Award
These one-week clinics, run by our experienced St. Sebastian's faculty, are designed to sharpen the skills of student-athletes.
For the runner who in his performance, leadership, and example best contributed to the success of the St. Sebastian’s varsity cross country team. Joseph Pandit ’21
Grade-based sessions open to all boys entering grades 4-12 For more information, including dates & rates:
stsebs.org/clinics
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FALL SPORTS
LEFT: Captain Colm Kearney ’21 kicks the ball up field during game action. MIDDLE: Senior Varsity Team players (from left): Paul Vallace, Jack Mahoney, Colm Kearney, Juan Oliva, Nolan McGovern, and TJ Ragnoni (missing: Gabe Twohig). RIGHT: Juan Oliva ’21 passes off the ball during a game.
Varsity Soccer BY COACH WOODY REDPATH
The 2020 season was one full of uncertainty. Would we play our scrimmage on Saturday? Is practice still on? Will we have a season? Many questions arose throughout the fall; some questions we did not know how to answer. But the young men of the 2020 soccer team did not let the uncontrollable aspects of the season affect their vibe. The resiliency this team showed this fall was inspiring. The 2020 varsity team was a diverse group made up of seven seniors: Colm Kearney (captain), Paul Vallace, Jack Mahoney, Gabe Twohig, Juan Oliva, Nolan McGovern, TJ Ragnoni; six juniors: Aidan Noonan, Aidan McCarthy, Will Adams, Nicholas Grover, Ryan Gallant, Kevin Cummings; five sophomores: Oliver O’Donnell, Matt Malloy, Timmy Weiss, Alex Baynes, Charlie Hoffman; and four freshmen: Kellan Kilmartin, Nick Adams, Jack Mulka and Brendan Schmidt. Every member of the squad played a valuable role this season. Despite many setbacks, we were lucky enough to have three competitions this fall against Belmont Hill, Roxbury Latin, and Rivers. Though called 46 |
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scrimmages, anyone who saw firsthand the spirit, passion, and energy our boys put forth knew right away they were much more than that. In our opening scrimmage at Belmont Hill, we took a game on razor’s edge to a 0-0 draw at half. As so often happens in soccer, the momentum shifted suddenly, and the game escaped us. Despite losing in the end, the Arrows showed grit and determination. We created chances in the run play, including Ragnoni getting in behind only to see his shot miss by mere inches and hitting the cross bar late in the game. We strung together passes with confidence and demonstrated a cool demeanor when put under pressure from the Belmont Hill defenders. The score line hurt, but it was clear the boys were moving in the right direction. Our second scrimmage was against a talented Roxbury Latin team who put us under pressure early. Our back line of Kearney, McCarthy, Baynes and Mahoney stood tall and defended valiantly, earning us the clean sheet in the end. We absorbed pressure when out of possession and looked confident and dangerous when in possession. Our first win of the abridged season came off the foot of Oliva who scored the lone goal of the game on a penalty kick. Our final match, an especially spirited event, was against Rivers. The
game saw five first half goals, with three more coming in the second. Every little aspect that we had worked on in practice this season made an appearance in this game. Our passing, defending, communication, tackling, off ball movement, and ultimately, our finishing was on full display. Vallace and Mahoney both got on the score sheet with expert finishes after some great build up play. With the game tied at 3 with less than 2 minutes to play, our senior goalie, McGovern, picked out freshman midfielder Schmidt with a clever throw; he beat a defender and played the ball wide to freshman winger Mulka, who slotted a ball through the defender’s legs for senior Twohig. With a defender draped over his back, Twohig struck the ball from the top of the 18 towards the right post only to see his shot saved. The rebound, however, fell nicely right into the path of an on- rushing Noonan, who had been in our box seconds before, to coolly slot the ball in the open net to cap off a 4-3 come from behind victory. The goal was a fantastic way to end a season of uncertainty—senior leadership, smart play from our newcomers, and an expert finish from one of our rising captains. Coach Moore and Coach Barsamian and I would like to extend a huge thank you to the parents, athletic training staff and the players for all of their commitment and sacrifice this fall.
FALL SPORTS
Varsity Cross Country BY COACH JOSEF CRESSOTTI
When the Arrows Cross Country team began the season, they knew it was going to be different. By the middle of the summer, the ISL had decided that the 2020 fall season would not have the normal slate of competitions, championships, and awards. Nevertheless, the Arrows runners were excited to train together, to compete however possible, and to set new personal records. The Arrows returned five seniors: Alessandro Barbiellini, Henry Gennari, Daniel Ko, Mark Wilson, and captain Joey Pandit. Juniors Ryan Albertson and Sam Hinman came back to the team and were joined by new runners Jack Sullivan and Hans Vigener. The sophomore class included returners Matthew Choumenkovitch, Will Hansen, Michael Kalinichenko, and first-time runner Eddie Ryan. Jack Connors, who ran with the team as an 8th grader, returned as a freshman. He was joined by classmates Jonathan Demosthene, Henry duBose, Liam Gavin, James Joyce, Robert Mitchell, and Chris Thompson. After minimal training, the Arrows showed promise in their early time trials. Five athletes ran under 20 minutes in our 5k intrasquad races. Several other runners were not far off. On paper, our team was faster than our previous year’s team, which had finished 6th place at ISL’s. In their first scrimmage of the year, a race against rival Belmont Hill, the Arrows were victorious 27-29. Unfortunately, COVID restrictions limited our ability to train intensely and to race other teams in a normal fashion. Still, our runners continued to practice as hard as they could given
the circumstances. Despite missing the Adventure Run, the Cutler Cross Country Cookie Run, and other annual events, the team maintained a positive attitude and found a way to have fun during practice. Captain Joey Pandit and the other seniors set a great example and encouraged the younger runners. Being together with friends and exercising in lovely fall weather were blessings no member of the team failed to appreciate. With the hard work of a lot of people, two scrimmages at Nobles and Roxbury Latin were organized for the end of the year, which gave everyone a chance to race at least once this year. To help fill the void, Arrows runners competed in the Cross Country Olympics. Once every week, three intrasquad teams would compete in random athletic events, from the frisbee chuck to the long jump to the forty-yard dash. Team A (Hinman, Barbiellini, Kalinichenko, Wilson, Demosthene, and Vigener) came in first place, earning the Cat-Cow Trophy designed by Innovation Lab Director Matt Burke.
In recognition of his performance and leadership, Joey Pandit won the Coaches Award. Will Hansen received the award for Most Improved Runner; and Hans Vigener was recognized as the Best New Runner. Seniors Barbiellini, Gennari, Ko, Pandit, and Wilson will be missed next year. They helped create many happy memories and contributed to the growth of the program. With Sam Hinman named captain for 2021, the future of the team remains bright.
TOP: Captain Joey Pandit ’21 races to the finish during the first scrimmage of the season. BOTTOM: (l to r) Henry Gennari, Hans Vigener, Will Hansen, Jack Connors, Ryan Albertson, Joey Pandit, and James Joyce kick off the season against rival Belmont Hill. FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021
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Headmaster’s Scholarship Golf Tournament
ARROWS FOREVER DAY 4.20.21
St. Sebastian’s parents, parents of alumni, alumni and friends gathered for the Annual Headmaster’s Golf Tournament on September 21, 2020 (postponed from its original date in May 2020). Over 110 golfers headed out for a wonderful day on the course, grateful for the opportunity to be together in the great outdoors. Afterward, they returned to the outside patio for a socially distanced reception to hear remarks from Headmaster Bill Burke and outgoing Men’s Association President Sam Hodgson P’12,’20. We thank Hodgson for his leadership and dedication to the golf tournament over the years, as well as his co-chairs, Mike Frisoli P’17,’19,’21,’22,’26 and Mike Muldowney P’12,’16,’22, for their time and effort to make this event a success. We are grateful to all of our sponsors and participants for their generous support. All proceeds from the event benefit The Arrows Fund which provides financial aid to St. Sebastian’s students.
Save the Date
April 20, 2021 On Arrows Forever Day, we ask our alumni, parents, and other members of the St. Sebastian's community to give in support of the Annual Fund. Mark your calendars to help us make our 5th annual giving day a success.
Every gift counts!
www.stsebs.org/AFD TOP: Headmaster Burke addresses the golfers before they hit the links. BOTTOM: The course at the Wellesley Country Club provided plenty of space for participants to spread out while still being together.
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TOP ROW: Members of the St. Sebastian’s community tune in to participate in the auction from home; Joe Amorosino P’24 and Marty Kane ’84, P’22 keep the bidding going during the live auction. BOTTOM ROW: Guild of St. Irene President Laurel Mullen P’19,’21 makes remarks; behind the scenes in Cramer Studios; Headmaster Burke thanks parents and friends of St. Sebastian’s for supporting the auction.
Home for the Holidays
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS AUCTION CELEBRATED VIRTUALLY
O
ver 400 parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and members of the St. Sebastian’s community tuned in from home to participate in the annual Christmas Auction on December 5, 2020. The pandemic—and the snowstorm—did not stop our community from supporting our beloved School, with “Home for the Holidays” serving as the theme of this year’s virtual event. The generosity of the community was overwhelming, and the Christmas Spirit of the St. Sebastian’s Community shined brightly. The event, broadcast from Cramer Studios, featured a live auction, along with student entertainment, a prayer from Fr. John Arens, and remarks from Headmaster Bill Burke and Guild of St. Irene President Laurel Mullen P’19, ’21. Guests were entertained throughout the program by current parent auctioneer, Marty Kane ’84, P’22 and our Master of Ceremony Joe Amorosino P’24. The silent auction, which started the previous day, had bidders vying for hundreds of items, from professional chef experiences to premier vacation getaways, and a Sweepstakes with exciting prizes added to the fun!
Proceeds from this year’s Raise the Paddle went to offset expenses that the school has absorbed due to COVID-19. After hearing a message from Headmaster Burke about the importance of keeping our boys safe but in school, viewers watched a powerful video featuring several staff members and alumni interns who explained the everyday school experience and changes due to COVID-19. The donations started to roll in electronically and we surpassed our Raise the Paddle goal of $200,000! We are so grateful to our Auction Co-Chairs Athena Balouris-Grover P’22, Kara Field P’24 and Dana Fulham P’14 ’24, and Guild of St. Irene President Laurel Mullen P’19, ’21, along with the Auction Committee, who gave their time, talent, and resources to bring the auction to fruition under extraordinary circumstances. We also extend a special thank you to Patrick Martin ’99, P’26 and Cramer Studios for helping us to produce a professional live program. And, of course, thank you to all our generous donors, sponsors, advertisers, and bidders who helped us make our first-ever virtual auction a great success!
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ALUMNI UPDATES
ALUMNI
RECEPTION
T
St. Sebastian’s Virtual Alumni Reception on October 29 served as an opportunity to showcase the lifelong brotherhood that exists throughout the ranks of our Arrows alumni. The event, held on Zoom instead of its usual Ward Hall location, included Alumni Service Awards and a conversation with NHL stars Brian Boyle ’03 and Noah Hanifin ’15.
he invitation to tune in to the Alumni Reception was extended to the entire school community, with current and past parents joining alumni for the special evening. The program began with an opening blessing by Fr. John Arens and welcoming remarks by Alumni Association President Charles Haley ’92. Headmaster Bill Burke then awarded the first Recent Alumni Service Award to George O’Toole ’05. George’s exemplary service to the Class of 2005 and to St. Sebastian’s was recognized as an example for all in living the St. Sebastian’s motto: Love God, work hard, and take good care of one another. George offered an outstanding speech on love, resiliency, and surrounding yourself with the best people (see opposite page). Headmaster Burke then awarded the Alumni Service Award to Jack Sullivan ’66 for his lifelong,
faithful devotion to St. Sebastian’s. Jack was accurately called a “leader’s leader” as the oldest of nine children and the captain of the hockey team at St. Sebastian’s as well as Boston College. Jack took the opportunity to honor his teacher, coach, and best man in his wedding, Henry Lane with many kind words. Jack truly exemplifies the enduring truth: Once in, never out, Arrows forever. Following the presentation of awards, Headmaster Burke led a lively conversation with NHL stars Brian Boyle ’03 and Noah Hanifin ’15. Both players shared memories of their time at St. Sebastian’s as well as highlights from their professional careers. While they were not teammates at St. Sebastian’s or Boston College, Brian and Noah did share the ice at the 2018 All Star Game—two Arrows on one of hockey’s biggest stages.
TOP LEFT: Alumni Association President Charles Haley ’92 welcomes alumni to the virtual reception. BOTTOM LEFT: Jack Sullivan ’66 receives the Alumni Service Award for his lifelong dedication to St. Sebastian’s. RIGHT: Headmaster Burke talks with Brian Boyle ‘03 and Noah Hanifin ’15 about their time on the ice for the Arrows as well as their careers in the NHL.
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ALUMNI UPDATES
LOVE NEVER FAILS Speech given by George O’Toole ‘05 during the Virtual Alumni Reception
Good evening, everyone. It’s a pleasure to be here both as a recipient of this award, but more importantly as your fellow alum. As Bill says, “Once in, never out, Arrows forever.” Forever, that’s quite the commitment; that infinite period of time, another word for eternal. As a student there were certain class periods that felt like forever, while the four or five or six years spent at Seb’s seem to fly by. And I say this as just an alum of only 15 years. I can’t imagine how my fellow award recipient, Jack Sullivan, feels as he and his classmates are getting ready to celebrate their 55th reunion next spring. Now that’s forever. Yet, there’s a reason we all continue to return to Seb’s, whether it’s a hockey game, an alumni reunion over Zoom, or perhaps as a father or dare I say, even a grandfather of a current or recent student. We’re all men of St. Sebastian’s and feel the bond of this community always. I’ve been fortunate enough to keep in touch with several of my classmates on a regular basis, but even
when I run into others I haven’t stayed as close with, I find us returning to the memories we cherish and we relive our time at Seb’s. And that bond extends across classes. In fact, you and I have another thing in common, Jack—we’re also both Eagles as are tonight’s guest speakers, Brian and Noah. Actually, you’ll detect a theme as all three of you played hockey for Seb’s and then BC with Jack and Brian, both winning the John Snooks Kelley Award for the player who best typifies Boston College hockey, 37 years apart. And then of course, Brian and Noah were both first round picks in the NHL draft, which kind of begs the question, what am I doing here? It looks like the only thing we have in common is the diploma, but that isn’t exactly true, right? Because on a more fundamental basis, we all share the belief in the call to service for others that’s ingrained in St. Seb’s mission, “Love God, work hard, and take good care of one another.” That’s something that’s developed during our time at Seb’s, and then carried on by all alumni after graduation. One might say ad infinitum. There it is again, “Once in, never out, Arrows forever.” I personally felt this both during the positive times, as well as the most challenging moments in my life. In 2019, I was privileged to marry my best friend. Three Seb’s guys were in the wedding party with another dozen in attendance. On both sides of our June wedding, I was diagnosed with
“Choose progress. Choose supporting each other. Choose love because in the end love never fails. In fact, it prevails.”
cancer and underwent chemotherapy. While on treatment, first in the spring and then again in the fall, those same Arrows called, visited and sent so many gifts to my wife and me, you wouldn’t believe it. In fact, some of those gifts were so, shall we say, creative? You literally would not believe it. My wife sure didn’t, but that support, that love, lifted our spirits in a way only true friends can. Fr. Arens is fond of saying, “Joy shared is multiplied. Grief shared is divided.” He’s onto something. 2020 has been a year that can be summed up as a massive test of adversity for us all. I personally had my cancer raise its ugly head again. As in September, we found a new tumor in my brain. I’ve already had successful surgery to remove the tumor and my last day of radiation is actually tomorrow. Soon I’ll begin one final round of chemo to defeat this disease once and for all, but as scary as these circumstances have been, I found focusing on love, resiliency, and surrounding yourself with the best people—three things recognized in St. Seb’s mission of “Love God, work hard and take good care of one another”—is the best way to overcome the challenges we face, whatever they may be. It won’t be easy, but with the love and support from my own personal triumvirate of faith, family and friends, especially my Seb’s brothers, I have the strength and determination to beat this again and this time for good. After all, next spring, the classical five has scheduled an in-person sweet 16 reunion. You bet I’ll be there. In closing, we’re currently going through unprecedented times and it’s easy to become overwhelmed with all the constant chaos and change. When I feel this way, I remind myself of something I would hear frequently while at Seb’s, “Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.” Choose progress. Choose supporting each other. Choose love because in the end love never fails. In fact, it prevails. And together, so shall we. Once in, never out, Arrows forever. FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021
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ALUMNI UPDATES
Potential improvements to the rink, named in honor of Henry Lane ’49 P’77, long-time teacher, hockey coach and Athletic Director, include: •
Elevating Our Rink to Match Our Game
T
he storied tradition of Arrows Hockey dates back to the formation of its first team in 1943. From Saturday nights at the Skating Club of Boston to the outdoor rink at Nonantum Hill and the Henry T. Lane Rink at the Needham campus, over 550 athletes have laced up their skates as an Arrow. Hundreds of St. Sebastian’s players have gone on to play at the collegiate level, 27 players were drafted by the NHL, 12 of whom went on to play in the NHL, and three Arrows have represented our country in the Winter Olympic Games. Recognized as a top hockey program in one of the most competitive leagues in the country, it is time to revitalize our rink, enhancing the safety measures and the appearance of our facility. We have embarked on a multi-faceted project to improve the Henry T. Lane Rink, ensuring the Arrows Hockey program thrives well into the future. Following a generous lead gift from an anonymous donor, and the commitment and support of friends of Arrows Hockey, $850,000 has already been raised.
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•
•
•
New permanent bleachers that will elevate the fan experience. To give spectators an unobstructed view of the ice, the first row of the bleachers will be level with the top of the boards. The St. Sebastian’s “S” with crossed arrows logo will be prominently featured on the west wall. Improvements will include new wooden panels to display our banners, and new scoreboards on either side of the rink. A new warming room centered behind the net on the east end of the rink will be constructed, giving families, alumni, friends and guests a space to warm up during and in between periods. The rich heritage of Arrows Hockey will be celebrated through muraled walls flanking both sides of the new warming room. The murals will highlight the history of our program, including the achievements of many teams and former players, providing inspiration for future Arrows.
These improvements will breathe new life into the Henry T. Lane Rink, giving it an extended lifetime for generations of Arrows to come while also paying tribute to Henry and his lasting contribution to St. Sebastian’s and the hockey program.
To learn more about the Henry T. Lane Rink Improvement Project, please visit:
stsebs.org/rinkproject
VIRTUAL
Reunion
2021
MAY 22 Calling all
1’s and 6’s! Don’t let this year’s Reunion pass without recognizing this milestone and gathering in spirit via Zoom. Wear your St. Sebastian’s swag, toast with an Arrows cup, and join us for an evening of reminiscing and good company. Once in. Never out. Arrows Forever! Mark your calendar now and register online at:
stsebs.org/reunion
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ALUMNI UPDATES
Networking Spans Generations & Careers
T
he ongoing efforts of the Alumni Board’s Professional Networking Committee reflect the notion that the brotherhood lasts long past graduation day. Two recent professional networking events offered valuable insights to Arrows across the generations, from those just starting their careers to those considering a later-stage career transition. On December 11, Alex Cook ’91, Chair of the Alumni Board Professional Networking Committee, moderated the Career Transition Seminar. The panel of alumni, all of whom have professional expertise in guiding people through career transitions, included: Tim Sullivan ’65, President of Wellesley Partners; Dan Daly ’88, President of Daniel Roberts; and John Lawler ’78, CEO of PrimeGenesis. From navigating the search process to mapping out the first 100 days of a new opportunity, the panelists shared sage advice with their fellow Arrows as they consider making a career move. The Arrows Connect Career Night on January 5 focused on offering career guidance to our college-aged alumni. Cook moderated another outstanding panel of Arrows: Rob Brooks ’08 (Livongo), Tucker Elcock ’07 (Teneo), Marlon Matthews ’14 (Cytiva/Stretch Global), Brendan Quinn ’09 (Connor Group), and Luke Sullivan ’09 (Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher). While the night did not offer the benefit of meeting mentors in person, it did allow attendees and presenters from across the US to participate. Alumni logged in from Colorado, Florida, Virginia, and Wyoming to name a few.
ARROWS
CONNECT
Looking for an internship, industry contacts, first job, next job, or career advice? Arrows Connect is the place to start.
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TOP: Dan Daly ’88, Alex Cook ’91, Tim Sullivan ’65, and John Lawler ’65 provide guidance on making a later-stage career move during the Career Transition Seminar. BOTTOM: Marlon Matthews ’14, Tucker Elcock ‘07, Brendan Quinn ‘09, Luke Sullivan ‘09, Alex Cook ’91 and Rob Brooks ‘08 offer advice to college-aged alumni during the Arrows Connect Career Night.
Arrows Connect is our own networking directory connecting members of the St. Sebastian’s community to each other. Your profile has already been set up by the Alumni Office. Just upload your LinkedIn profile to the site, answer a few short questions and your profile will be complete. As a member of Arrows Connect, you can access an extensive directory of professionals, find qualified candidates to hire, post job offerings, volunteer to be a mentor, and more.
Register today: arrowsconnect.org
ALUMNI UPDATES
Arrows Helping Arrows through Internship Initiative
Joe Maalouf ’19 and Miguel Vega ’19 meet with Tucker Donahoe ‘08 as part of their internship at Tucker’s company, ThreeHill.
As part of the Alumni Office’s continued efforts to build and strengthen our school’s professional network, the Arrows Connect Internship Initiative was launched last summer. The program’s goal is to connect our current college alumni with internships opportunities. We often hear alumni ask, “What can I do to help my fellow Arrows?” and supporting this initiative is one way to do just that.
Tucker Donahoe ’08 was among the alumni who responded to the call for opportunities, ultimately hiring three Arrows graduates—Will Coyne ’18, Joe Maalouf ’19 and Miguel Vega ’19— as interns at his company, ThreeHill Capital Partners. Tucker and his friend, John Yanchek, founded the private investment firm in early 2020 with the goal of buying one business to operate for long term. The business partners were classmates at Middlebury College, where they played hockey together, and are also both products of private school education. As a two-man shop, they decided to establish an 8-week internship program, with the goal of providing internships to alumni from their high school and college alma maters. The interns at ThreeHill receive valuable hands-on experience— from industry research to individual company analysis—while expanding the firm’s capacity to identify and reach out
to small business owners in Boston and New England. “Tucker was extremely helpful in increasing my understanding of the financial industry,” shared Coyne. “He helped me develop skills in financial modeling that I will continue to use throughout my career.” The internship is designed to be remote, and the average time commitment of 10 hours a week makes it manageable for a college student with classes and other commitments during the school year or summer months. As part of the internship model, Tucker and John incorporate professional networking, introducing the interns to connections in the industry they are hoping to pursue. “Tucker has advised me about not only on the workings of ThreeHill, but on other important subjects like how to network properly, interviewing tips and tricks, as well as investing strategies,” Joe noted. The mentors
also work with the interns to craft a set of bullet points to enhance their resumes. “They not only have these real, tangible experiences and deliverables they can cite for future interviews, but we help them structure it into their resume in a way that best tells the story of what they actually did,” shared Tucker. As someone who landed his first job thanks to a St. Sebastian’s connection, Tucker felt compelled to pay it forward and give Arrows like Will, Joe and Miguel the chance he was given. “St. Sebastian’s has such a strong network and there is something special about it,” noted Tucker. “As a student, you have a finite amount of time to have a real impact on the school, but as an alumnus, you can have a mark that lasts way longer.” If you are a business owner, a hiring manager, someone with influence over an internship program or your company or institution runs an internship program or summer research opportunities, please reach out to Mike Melley, Director of Alumni Programs, at michael_melley@stsebs.org or 781-2470104. Available positions will be posted on ArrowsConnect, St. Sebastian’s own professional networking directory.
“As a student, you have a finite amount of time to have a real impact on the school, but as an alumnus, you can have a mark that lasts way longer.” —Tucker Donahoe ’08 FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021
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ARROWS’ GATHERINGS Recent Alumni Share College Search Experiences In a collaboration between the College Counseling Office and the Alumni Office, juniors and seniors met via Zoom on September 9, 2020, to hear college search advice from recent St. Sebastian’s alumni. In a college admissions season unlike any other, the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts from eleven of our Arrows alumni who graduated between 2016 and 2019 was an invaluable experience. A very special thank you to this group of alumni for sharing their insights, experiences and wisdom with our upperclassmen as they navigate the college search process during these unprecedented times.
Class of 2020 Yearbook Reception
Steven Purpura ’21 asks recent Arrows graduates a question about the college search process.
The Class of 2020 reconnected virtually for the annual Yearbook Reception on November 25. Every graduate received their yearbook and a bound copy of all of their Chapel speeches by mail prior to the event. Student Council President Jeff Serowik ’20 welcomed his classmates back and fellow alumnus Dan Daly ’61, P’88,’92, GP’23, a Vietnam veteran, shared words of wisdom, encouraging the Arrows to maintain St. Sebastian’s relationships, grow through adversity and make a difference with their talents. Following the programmed portion of the gathering, the Class of 2020 joined breakout sessions with faculty members to “welcome them home” to St. Sebastian’s.
Fall 2020 Alumni Golf Outing On October 9, 62 alumni from the Classes of 1966 through 2016 gathered at South Shore Country Club for the Fall Alumni Golf Outing. While there were limitations as a result of the pandemic (smaller field size, no post golf reception and lunch), there were no limits on the fun shared by all participants. At the end of the day, four members from the Class of 2001—Michael Culgin, Brian Flaherty, Mark McLean and Michael White—were victorious!
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CLASS NOTES
In 1970, the school community celebrates the Feast of FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021 | 57 St. Sebastian in the Church of St. Ignatius, Chestnut Hill.
CLASS NOTES
WHAT’S
NEW? Keep your classmates up to date on your accomplishments, family members, travels, or anything else new in your life. Send us photos, too!
Submit class notes and photos online at:
stsebs.org/classnotes Deadline for next issue:
JULY 1, 2021 Photos will be published based on quality and available space. Please be sure to send the highest quality image possible and identify everyone in the photo.
1961
Dan Daly writes: “We survived the summer at the Cape with family coming and going. It was most enjoyable. I am still working, which helps maintain my sanity. Reaching out to friends and acquaintances is also critical. My grandson, Jack, is a sophomore and represents a third generation of Arrows. He is doing well and could not be happier. The tradition of the “St. Sebastian Family” lives on. Best wishes to all in these challenging times.”
1966
George DeMambro reports: “Still working with a company as an optimization specialist and loving it. We save business money in their expense area. I now have four grandsons, two of them are skiing this year. I have stayed healthy during these unusual times. Best to all my classmates!”
1968
Connelly Akstens writes: “I am still on faculty at SUNY/ Empire State College, currently teaching (remotely) Shakespeare, the Enlightenment and the Renaissance and Reformation. I am often reminded that, in the 10th or 11th grade, the wonderful John Boles lent me a book on Renaissance and Reformation thought when I expressed an interest in Thomas More and Erasmus. I am also teaching a discussion group on modern drama for The Players Theater in Providence. My spouse, Susanne, and I love to garden and walk the beaches of Rhode Island. My memoir, Without Shame: Learning to Be Me will be published in February.”
1970
Joe Abely recently welcomed his 7th granddaughter, Grace Caroline Abely. He was also recently named Chairman of The Hundred Club
Dr. Joe Corkery ’65 and his father appeared
in a photo on the front page of The Boston Globe as part of an article about vaccine rollouts on January 11, 2021. In the photo, Joe is receiving the polio vaccine as part of field trials in 1954 in Everett, MA. Ironically, Joe began thinking about becoming a doctor when he was just four years old. With encouragement from his father, and gently pointed in that direction by St. Sebastian’s physics teacher, Fr. Harrington, he worked hard as a student to pursue his dream. Today, he is an internist with nearly five decades of experience, holding several leadership positions during his career, including Chairman of the Department of General Medicine and Chief Medical Officer for Philanthropy at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center.
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CLASS NOTES
of Massachusetts, a charity that provides benefits to the families of fallen first responders.
1971
Gleason Gallagher writes: “Looking forward to seeing the boys of ’71 at our 50th Reunion in May. Whether it is live under a tent or a gathering on Zoom, we will enjoy reminiscing about life on Nonantum Hill between 1965 and 1971. Make sure to sign up early, get yourself to the Boston area by May 21 and call if you need help with housing. See you then.”
1976
Ned Desmond reports: “My wife, Joan, and I were delighted to see our eldest son, John, wed the wonderful Lainie Ransom in Santa Barbara, CA, last September. Just fifteen family and friends gathered (in a socially distanced way) in the courtyard outside of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church for the vows. In August
last year, I left the media company TechCrunch after 8 years and in January this year I joined SOSV, a venture firm that runs startup accelerators in China and the US. I look forward to getting back to Cape Cod this summer. I was so sad to hear about Mr. Kittler’s passing. He was my favorite and most inspiring teacher. I still laugh about his late night poker stories.”
1977
Tom Flannery writes: “I am finishing up my 40th and last year at Ernst & Young working virtually. What a way to finish up! I plan to retire on June 30th and spend the summer with Gina at the Cape. We look forward to gathering again with family and friends after this past year of social distancing. We also plan some fall travel and the winter in Naples, FL. From the Class of ’77, I see Charlie Sullivan and Jay Driscoll quite often. Hope all are well and safe in this pandemic.”
On November 29, 2020, the Scituate community gathered to dedicate their season of giving to Joe Norton ’57, GP’16. During his 30 years as selectman, he selflessly gave back to his town, epitomizing the values of kindness, compassion and volunteerism. Especially dear to Joe was his 15 years as Scituate’s favorite Santa (as pictured).
’68 John Fiore ’79 (4th from left) shared: “We had a great turnout at the Alumni Golf Outing in October. Four foursomes. Lots of laughs...hope more classmates turn out next year!”
Connelly Akstens ’68 recently completed her first full-length memoir “Without Shame: Learning to Be Me.”
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CLASS NOTES
’92
’89
’73 ‘05
’94 Craig Collins ’89 earns a Master of Arts in History from Yale University. n Declan Sullivan, son of J.T. ’92, drops the puck at a UNH hockey game during military appreciation night. n On September 15, 2020, 1973 classmates (from left) Tom Cook, Andrew Maloney & Vin Gandolfo enjoyed meeting up for dinner. “We got together to celebrate our respective 2020 retirements and receipt of our Medicare cards that start next month!” shared Vin. n Upon his retirement from the Army, Chris Conley ’94 shares a throwback photo of his visit to St. Sebastian’s campus for a Veterans’ Day Assembly in November 2019, where several of his classmates attended to show their support. n Nick Poling ‘05 and Marta Johnson were married on July 27, 2019, at St. John’s Cathedral in Austin, Texas.
Blake Gallagher ’17 had a fantastic season in his final year of playing
football for Northwestern University. Blake received the Bednarik Award for his 14 tackles, sack, forced fumble, and fumble recovery in Northwestern’s win over No. 10 Wisconsin on November 21, 2020. His outstanding play this year also contributed to the team’s Big Ten West Title and earned him Second Team All Big-Ten honors. The Wildcat middle linebacker ended his college career in style as Northwestern won the Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day, its third Bowl game victory in four years. “It was just a special year with everything going on, not knowing if we would play or not,” Blake shared. “I am so blessed to be in this situation right now.” Blake has his sights set on the NFL next. Congratulations, Blake! We can’t wait to see where your talent takes you!
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1989
Craig Collins reports: “I just earned a Master of Arts in History from Yale University (see photo). I am also keeping busy with my law practice, which now involves appearing in court via Zoom without even having to leave the house.”
1982
ALUMNI GOLF OUTING May 21, 2021 / 8:00 am Shotgun Start South Shore Country Club, Hingham, MA Open to all St. Sebastian’s alumni
Chris Kennedy has joined Castles Unlimited, Inc., a real estate company in Newton, MA.
1992
Brian Faherty continues his acting career in New York and sometimes in Boston! He is playing a Juror and avid Cubs fan on an upcoming episode of CBS’s “Bull,” and working with some big stars on the Netflix film “Don’t Look Up,” shooting here in Boston. J.T. Sullivan writes: “2021 signifies my 10th year as a pilot for JetBlue Airways and 20 years of flying for the airlines. My two sons are playing varsity hockey together for Campbell High School in Litchfield, New Hampshire. My family supports Operation Hat Trick and my son Declan was able to drop the puck at a UNH hockey game during military appreciation night.” (see photo)
1994
Christopher Conley shares: “After 23 years of service, I have decided to retire from the Army. I want to thank everyone from the St. Seb’s Community for the deep support I have felt over that time, both at home and overseas. Go Army! Go Arrows!” (see photo)
Registration and sponsorship information:
www.stsebs.org/alumnigolf
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CLASS NOTES
’13
Michael Petro ’13 pronounced first vows at the cathedral in Syracuse, New York, on August 7, 2020, with his immediate family members in attendance and fellow Arrows joining the livestream. n Emilio Tangerini with his son, Ronan, already showing his Arrows spirit!
1999
C. Todd Patterson reports: “We moved back from the British Virgin Islands in April of 2020. My wife, Kara, and I welcomed our second son, Luke, in June. We are currently living on Cape Cod as we await the subsidence of COVID-19 and decide whether to return to the BVI or stay here. I find myself reminiscing frequently of my times at St. Sebastian’s. I really enjoy looking through our alumni magazine and seeing so many of the faces that helped shape my time there, Brendan Sullivan, Dave Wilbur, Jim Ferguson,
’07
Mike Nerbonne, Bill Burke and of course, Father Arens. I feel so blessed to have been surrounded by so many amazing people who really care about their students. Thank you all.”
2007
Emilio Tangerini shares: “Ronan Parker Tangerini was born on June 9, 2020, at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Mom, Alexandra, and Ronan are doing great! He’s already studying to hopefully become a 3rd generation Arrow following in the footsteps of his dad, Emilio ‘07, uncle, Charlie ‘08, and grandfather, Charlie ’62.” (see photo)
2013
Michael Petro writes: “On Friday August 7th, I professed lifelong vows as a Jesuit out in Syracuse, NY. Although only family members were able to attend (including John Petro ’17), several Arrows joined the livestream, including Nikhil Basavappa, Kevin Looney, Alex Moore, Kevin Patterson, Chris Riley, and Luke Scotten. With my two years of Novitiate complete I’m now off to begin studies for First Studies in Chicago.” (see photo)
Wear your Arrows pride wherever you go! Check out our online campus store for the latest inventory. There are new items in all categories, including men and women’s jackets, sweatshirts, sweatpants, t-shirts and more.
shop.stsebs.org
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Blackhawks Select Drew Commesso ’20 in 2020 NHL Draft Drew Commesso ’20, a goaltender for Boston University and previously for the U.S. National Development Team, was selected in the second round (46th overall) of the 2020 National Hockey League Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Drew is the 27th Arrow in our school’s history to become an NHL draft pick. While playing at St. Sebastian’s, Drew earned a 2.13 GAA and .918 save % as a sophomore following an impressive freshman campaign (1.77, .932). Most recently, Drew was the primary goaltender for the 2019-20 U.S. U18 Team and the 2018-19 U.S. U17 Team, during his two years with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. Drew posted the second-best GAA in U18 history (2.05) to go along with a .920 save percentage. He helped Team USA win the U18 Five Nations tournament in November 2019 with wins in all three starts. Sean McCann, Head Coach of St. Sebastian’s varsity hockey team, shared the following about Commesso: “At a young age, Drew displayed amazing fundamentals with his technique and knowledge of the position. His calm demeanor and work ethic allowed him to excel at the varsity level much earlier than most goaltenders. However, although Drew possesses all these amazing qualities, it was his character that made him such a valuable member of St. Sebastian’s. He’s just an outstanding person and a great teammate. He embodies everything we want out of our student-athletes.” Congratulations, Drew!
Share your IDEAS for Alumni Profiles Do you know an alumnus you would like to see profiled in an issue of St. Sebastian’s Magazine? Tell us about it! Send an email with your suggestions to our Communications Office at communications@stsebs.org.
STAY CONNECTED Follow us on Instagram
Lindsay Kennard ‘08 Shares His Career Journey with the Engineering Club On December 17, the Engineering Club hosted guest speaker, Lindsey Kennard ’08, a founding member of the St. Sebastian’s robotics team. During the virtual meeting, Kennard spoke about his journey as a Software Engineer, including recently obtaining his PhD! As a young Arrow with a passion for computers and gaming, Kennard took the initiative to immerse himself in the world of programming by writing code on his calculator, coding robots, and pushing the limits of video games. He spoke about several of his recent projects, including his fascinating and complex cyber security doctoral thesis. Through his words and life story, Kennard gave the students in attendance phenomenal advice on how to approach both college and the workplace in order to succeed as a Software Engineer.
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IN MEMORIAM We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the graduates and friends of St. Sebastian’s School whose deaths are reported with sorrow.
FACULTY, STAFF & TRUSTEES Morris Kittler P’85,’87,’90 GP’18
Former Faculty Member and Dean of Students Morris passed away at the age of 79 on January 4, 2021. He joined the St. Sebastian’s faculty as a science teacher in 1969 and assumed the role of Dean of Students in 1980, a position he held until he retired in 2006. Morris’s family was his biggest source of happiness, but he was also an avid gardener, golfer and had perfected the art of puttering and tinkering. He had a great belly laugh and could dance the “Moe shuffle” like no other. He cared deeply, was kind, generous, intelligent, and loving. We will forever miss the glint in his eye and his special wink that made you know that you were loved. Morris is survived by his wife, Ann; his children Timothy ’85 and his wife, Kate, James ’87 and his wife, Julie, and Nathan ’90 and his wife, Jacquie; his brother Peter—a longtime member of St. Sebastian’s faculty—and his wife, Janyce; and his grandchildren, William and his wife Caity, Caroline, Ally, Charlie ’18, Andrew, Jay, Taylor, and Brady. (see feature story, “A Tribute to Morris Kittler, Devoted Dean of Discipline,” on pg. 32)
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James Orr P’88
Board of Visitors, Member James passed away on January 17, 2021. He graduated from Cornell University in 1949, and later earned an MBA in the Northeastern University night school. In 1949, he joined the Research & Development Division of Arthur D. Little, Inc., where over the next 17 years he was involved in a variety of projects and a basic program in passive radar camouflage, as well as chemical market surveys and project management with the Division Business office. James also met his future wife, Jane, at ADL and they married in October 1963. In 1966, James joined Colonial Management Associates, Inc., a mutual fund investment management firm founded by his father. He was a Chartered Financial Analyst, a past President of the Boston Security Analysts Society, and a co-founder of the Health Care Analysts of Boston. A dedicated philanthropist throughout his life, James focused his energy in helping the secondary schools attended by his two children, Christine and Alexander ’88. He was Treasurer and Trustee of the Brimmer & May School for over three decades, as well as a consistent supporter of St. Sebastian’s School, where Jane was a Trustee for 18 years, from 1988 to 2006. After his son graduated in 1988, James remained involved with St. Sebastian’s for the next several decades, regularly attending special events and cheering on the Arrows from the sidelines. In 2014, he and Jane became founding members of the Board of Visitors. “A brilliant, grounded, compassionate, wise and witty man of faith and honor, an eminently loyal and generous supporter of schools, a diehard football and hockey fan, a fabulous golf partner, an eternally devoted husband, father, grandfather, family man, and friend, Jim Orr makes us all want to be better, kinder, more loving people, and do we ever love him for it!” shared Headmaster Bill Burke. James is survived by Jane, his wife of 57 years; his two children, Alexander and Christine; and two grandchildren, James and William.
IN MEMORIAM
ARROWS ALUMNI James O’Reilly Coleman, Jr. ’58 Jim passed away at the age of 80 on November 13, 2020. While at St. Sebastian’s, he played for the tennis team (and was a Tennis Tournament Champion), along with managing the hockey team. He was also a member of the dramatic society and served as class treasurer. After graduation, Jim went onto the College of the Holy Cross and worked for the A. W. Chesterton Company for close to fifty years, retiring as the Vice President of North America Sales. He was an avid golfer throughout his life and was a charter member of the Hudson Country Club in Hudson, OH, as well as a founder of the Hudson Junior Invitational Golf Tournament, one of the oldest and most prestigious junior tournaments in the United States. His generosity extended to many organizations and many places, but he was particularly supportive of children’s welfare and education. Jim is survived by his wife, Nancy; his four children, James, William, Barbara, and Christopher; his four grandchildren, Willa, Lily, Cordelia, and Declan; and his brother Daniel ’62.
Donald Corey ’55 Donald passed away at the age of 83 on October 11, 2020. After graduating from St. Sebastian’s, Donald went onto Bentley College. A member of the 102 Tactical Fighter Wing of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, Donald was activated during the Berlin Wall Crisis and served overseas. When he returned, he joined Blanchards, the family retail and
wholesale liquor business. Donald is survived by his wife, Marcia; his four children, Donald, Robin, Christine, and John; and his six grandchildren, Isabella, Natalie, Benjamin, Ava, Lauren, and Samuel.
James P. Curran ’53 Jim passed away at the age of 84 on May 5, 2020. While at St. Sebastian’s, he played football, baseball and hockey where he captained the team and was known as “Eastie.” He also worked on the Arrow and Walrus publications. After graduation, Jim went onto Boston College, served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a 1st Lieutenant and spent most of his professional career working in the petroleum industry. Jim is survived by his wife of 56 years, Maureen; his four children, Jacqueline, Jim, Sean, and Michael; and his six grandchildren, Megan, Katelyn, Imani, Finn, Killian, and Liam. His family would like him to be remembered for his heart of gold, always putting his family first, his selflessness, his out-going nature, and giving and singing the “old songs” to anyone who would listen, especially his sweetheart Maureen.
Cornelius T. Duffy ’57 Neil passed away on September 15, 2020. While at St. Sebastian’s, he participated in football, basketball, and skiing. He was also a member of the Walrus staff and the National Honor Society. After graduation, he went onto Harvard
University and earned his master’s degree from Babson College. He served in the Navy ROTC in his early 20’s while in college. After graduating from college, Neil joined the Navy as a purser on a ship for a few years, traveling to many countries. Early on in his career, he was a buyer for Jordan Marsh and eventually became a real estate agent. Neil was married to his wife Sandra for 54 years and was the youngest brother to John Duffy and the late Thomas Duffy and Mary Storti. He is survived by his three children Christopher, Karen, and Heather; and his grandchildren Christopher, Sean, Nicholas, Andrew, Keira, Lucy, Caroline, and Michael.
Robert Flynn ’46 Bob passed away at the age of 92 on August 3, 2020. While at St. Sebastian’s, he was a member of the football team and ski club. Bob also was on the Arrow publishing staff and the prom committee. After graduation, he went to Boston College and then joined the United States Navy where he served as a lieutenant aboard the USS Taconic, an Adirondack class amphibious force command ship, during the Korean War. Following his discharge, he attended Boston College Law School and graduated in 1958. For the next fifty plus years, Bob practiced law in Waltham where his affable personality and capable skills earned many admirers in the legal community and beyond. He was the husband of the late Ann, father of the late Amy, and a brother of the late Roger, Paul ’46 and Peter. He is survived by his sister, Andrea.
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IN MEMORIAM
David L. Govoni ’58 David passed away on April 26, 2020. While at St. Sebastian’s, David was an avid member of the Radio Club, as well as the science club and dramatics. His page in the 1958 Arrow yearbook states, “His calm, patient, serious personality is bound to make the same favorable impression everywhere that it has made so definitely here at St. Sebastian’s.” He was the brother of George “Graham” Govoni ’61.
George “Graham” Govoni ’61 Graham passed away at the age of 77 on August 27, 2020. While at St. Sebastian’s, he participated in several different extracurricular activities, from the ski club to the Walrus school newspaper. He also managed the JV baseball and hockey teams. After graduation, Graham attended the University of Notre
Dame. He retired in 2007 after spending 40 years working for Bath Iron Works as a Cost Analyst. He proudly built his home in Woolwich, ME, and lived there for 47 years. He was predeceased by his parents, son Gregory and brother, David ’58. He is survived by his wife, Barbara; daughter Elizabeth; and his grandchildren, Savannah and Sydney.
Ronald A. Misasi ’61, P’01,’07 Ron passed away on September 21, 2020. While at St. Sebastian’s, Ron was a member of the baseball and hockey teams, as well as in the National Honor Society. His favorite subjects were math and physics and his page in the Arrow yearbook noted that while he was the quiet type, his friendly personality found him to be an easy companion. He is survived by his wife Maureen; his children, Susan, Karen, Robert, Brian ’01 and Michael ’07; ten grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
George White, Jr. ’54 George passed away on August 28, 2020. While at St. Sebastian’s, he was an avid athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball. He was also class treasurer, and a member of the Arrow yearbook staff as a cartoonist. After graduation, George attended Holy Cross and received his MBA in Finance from The Wharton School and his JD from Harvard Law School. He spent 28 years with Arthur Young, one of the original “Big 8” accounting firms, later merging into Ernst & Young. After time in their Boston and San Francisco offices, George joined their Washington Tax Group and became partner. He specialized in Corporate Taxation and had a lead role in the Group’s Mergers and Acquisitions practice. He was a dedicated tax professional, always maintaining his enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity for all challenges. George is survived by his wife, Carolyn; his sons, Matthew and Dillon; and his grandchildren, Cecilia, Riley, and Mason.
In Memory of Our Friend, Travis Roy Our St. Sebastian’s family is greatly saddened by the passing of Travis Roy. Almost exactly 25 years to the day after his life was tragically altered 11 seconds into his first shift for the Boston University hockey team, Travis died at the age of 45 on October 30, 2020. Through the annual Travis Roy Cup hockey game with his alma mater, Tabor Academy, through the selection of his book “11 Seconds” as our All School Read, and through his many visits to St. Sebastian’s campus to share his remarkable story of grit, grace, and resiliency, Travis has inspired countless Arrows. “We are truly blessed to call him friend and soul mate,” shared Headmaster Bill Burke.
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IN MEMORIAM
ALUMNI RELATIVES & FRIENDS Stanley Abel August 20, 2020 Grandfather of Royce ’18 Bernadette Aylward August 10, 2020 Grandmother of Edward ’10, Maxwell ’10, Douglas ’12 and Gordon ’13 Kingsley, Patrick Kelly ’08, and Nicholas Urban ’20 Erik Brinkhaus October 30, 2020 Brother of Chris ’92 Alexandra “Sandy” Conway July 20, 2020 Mother of Laurence ’76 Florence Rose Cranshaw August 23, 2020 Mother of Richard ’65 Dr. Mary Thérèse (Foley) Dowd December 10, 2020 Mother of JB ’86 Maureen Harrington December 1, 2020 Grandmother of Sean ’16, Aidan ’21, and Luke ’25 James L. (Jim) Kenefick November 14, 2020 Father of Paul ’87
Eleanor D. Maskell July 19, 2020 Mother of Stephen ’74 and grandmother of Matthew ‘09 Micheline Mathews-Roth December 29, 2020 Grandmother of Alex Roth ’23 Barbara McKinlay July 19, 2020 Mother of Trustee Barb Connolly, grandmother of Will ’10, Jack ’12, and Michael ’17 Eleanor W. O’Connor April 23, 2020 Mother of Arthur ’76, Stephen ’78, and Thomas ’82 Carmel O’Neil May 20, 2020 Grandmother of Patrick ’02, Conor ’05, Peter ’08, Nicholas ’16, and Owen ’17 William J. Sullivan December 31, 2020 Father of Sean ‘06 Michael A. Valerio September 2, 2020 Father of Michael ’77
This listing contains deaths reported before January 20, 2021. To see a complete listing of alumni who have passed away within the past twelve months, please visit www.stsebs.org/inmemoriam. To report a death of a St. Sebastian’s alumnus or relative to the Development Office, contact Kelsey Kane at kelsey_kane@stsebs.org.
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From the Archives
1966
Fr. Neil Harrington taught science, math and religion at St. Sebastian’s from 1947 to 1970. A diligent scholar, expert hobbyist and trusted advisor, he had a profound influence on many of his students. His lessons in chemistry and physics continued outside of the classroom, as well as through club activities and the annual Science Fair. Undeterred by the lack of sophisticated science facilities on Nonantum Hill, the down-to-earth teacher had an uncanny ability to assemble a working “ham radio” out of the most amazingly intricate collection of scrounged-up junk. Fr. Harrington’s brilliant instruction and constant encouragement inspired many Arrows to pursue a field in the sciences. Imagine the fun he and his students would have had in the state-of-the art science facilities and Innovation Lab our campus boasts today!
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ST. SEBASTIAN’S MAGAZINE
Making a Gift for Today and Tomorrow Jim ’77 and Kathleen Elcock P’08
have watched St. Sebastian’s grow into the institution it is today over the past four decades and are proud to be part of the school’s remarkable transformation. Soon after graduating as an Arrow in 1977, Jim joined the Alumni Board and has been consistently involved in supporting St. Sebastian’s ever since, first as an alumnus and then a proud parent when his son, Jimmy ’08, became an Arrow. In his current role as President of the Board of Trustees, he was thrilled to be part of the leadership behind the Spirit & People Campaign, which propelled the school forward with a magnificent addition to campus and a significantly increased endowment. Over the years, the Elcocks have given back to the place that has meant so much to their family in numerous ways, including leaving St. Sebastian’s in their will. Committed to helping the Spirit & People Campaign get over the goal line, they considered how best to make their final campaign contribution in a way that would work for the School and for their family. “I decided to use a benefit from a Massachusetts institution in which I hold a seat on the board of directors,” shared Jim. “In my director position, I receive life insurance that I can direct to St. Sebastian’s. It was easy to do and it felt good.” Jim and Kathleen hope their gift inspires others who may be in a similar position, perhaps with different holdings such as real estate, appreciated assets, or life insurance, to make a planned gift as part of their portfolio of giving to St. Sebastian’s. From life-long lessons to fond memories and meaningful friendships, Jim is grateful for
all that St. Sebastian’s has given to him and his family—his wife Kathleen, son Jimmy ’08 and daughter Elizabeth— but he is equally committed to the School’s future. “We are about to celebrate St. Sebastian’s 80th anniversary and I want the School to celebrate its 180th anniversary.” Thank you, Jim and Kathleen, for your unwavering support of St. Sebastian’s mission and your commitment to strengthening the School for future generations of Arrows.
For more information about gift planning and including St. Sebastian’s in your estate plans, contact James Barron P’16,’19 in the Office of Planned Giving at 781.247.0158 or james_barron@stsebs.org or visit plannedgiving.stsebs.org.
Monsignor Charles D. McInnis Society
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