VOLUME XII, ISSUE III
2016-2017
S T. SMEBASTIAN’S AG A Z I N E
Six graduates continue the Arrows legacy at Commencement 2017
2016-2017 Board of Trustees FEATURES
IN EVERY ISSUE
10 Commencement 2017
26
32
2
Around Campus
St. Sebastian’s graduates 67 students
35
Event Highlights
Spirit & People Campaign
36
Fine Arts
40
Spring Sports
The School launches a capital campaign to build the new West Campus Center and increase the endowment
Reflecting on 35 Years of Teaching Arrows
56 Class Notes 62
An interview with Elaine Schwimmer, Chair of the Spanish department
In Memoriam
64 From the Archives
50 Reunion Recap
The classes of 2’s and 7’s come back to campus
50
Reunion 2017
32
Elaine Schwimmer retires
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.
Credits St. Sebastian’s Magazine publishes three times a year. Photos: Joey Spadoni, Adam Richins
St Sebastian’s School 1191 Greendale Ave Needham, MA 02492 781.449.5200
Seán Cardinal O’Malley, OFM. Cap. Chairman James L. Elcock ’77, P’08 President William L. Burke III P’95,’97,’00,’04 Executive Officer, Headmaster Douglas A. Kingsley, P’10,’10,’12,’13 Secretary Robert M. Wadsworth, P’10,’15 Treasurer Devin C. Condron ’92 Assistant Treasurer David M. Calabro ’78, P’16 Barbara E. Connolly P’10,’12,’17 John P. DiGiovanni ’84, P’14 Rev. Michael E. Drea Kevin F. Driscoll ’72, P’05,’09 Patrick J. Hegarty ’89, P’22 Jane M. Hoch P’07 John W. Hueber ’71 Ross M. Jones P’16,’17 Susanne C. Joyce P’20 Carolyn M. Lemone P’16,’18 Wesley D. Mateo ’03 John E. McNamara ’81, P’14,’18 James F. Mooney, III P’18 Mark L. O’Friel ’79 William A. O’Malley P’09,’10,’13 Robert M. Reardon P’15 Kristin E. Reed P’15,’17 John A. Sebastian P’18 Randall P. Seidl P’17,’19 Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. Kurt R. Steinkrauss ’91, P’19 Mary L. Supple P’09,’10,’15 Stephen P. Ward ’96 Andrew Wasynczuk P’14,’17 Lucy Kapples P’16,’18 President, Guild of St. Irene Michael P. Muldowney P’12,’16,’22 President, Men’s Association Timothy P. Doherty ’87, P’17 President, Alumni Association James A. Cotter, Jr. ’57 David F. Gately ’73 J. Brad Griffith ’58, GP’19 Trustee Emeriti
From the desk of the headmaster
As our year of Reverence and our 75th Anniversary celebration conclude, I offer these words on your School’s purpose:
Wil l ia m L . Bu rk e I I I
We believe that St. Sebastian’s exists for the glory of God and for our students and their families. The rest of us are simply here to serve. And what a great honor and true joy it is to do so! We promise our students that they will be known and loved and called to greatness by great people, who model and demand the best virtues, and we assure them that they will be prepared for entrance to and success in the most excellent, most appropriate colleges for them. We urge them to continue to pursue the truth through faith and reason and to love God, work hard, and take good care of one another through college and beyond, to seek meaningful work that makes the world a better place, and to take their vocations very seriously, which, for most will be as husbands and fathers. And we focus on the eternal, reminding our boys that we want them to go to heaven. Everything we do at St. Sebastian’s is done with that sense of ultimate purpose ever before us. Why St. Sebastian’s? The world’s great need and our true calling meet here, and we’re all the better for it. I’m powerfully stirred by the graduation day photo gracing the cover of this magazine. How richly blessed I am to stand shoulder to shoulder with such fine men and true St. Sebastian’s legacies! On the left beside me are three generations of Doherty greatness: Tim ’87, Jack ’62, P’86,’87, and Jack ’17. Our outstanding Board President, Jim Elcock ’77, P’08, and Mike Finucane ’17 complete the front row. Left to right in the middle row are Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans ’77, P’17, his son Will ’17; Ricardo Jeremiah ’80, P’17, his son Eric ’17; and Mike Finucane ’79, P’17. Left to right in the third row are Jay Roche ’77, P’17, his son Will ’17; and Devin Birmingham ’84, P’14,’17 and his son Henry ’17. Not in the picture, but in our hearts forever is founding Trustee and former Board President, Jack Birmingham ’59, P’84, GP’14,’17. Inside, we honor the many accomplishments of our beloved students; the selfless contributions of our devoted parents, grandparents, faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and friends; the delightful gifts of visiting speakers and entertainers; the stirring testimony of Commencement; the boundless joy of Alumni Reunion; the transformative power of our Spirit & People Campaign; and a host of other treasures. I hope that you will enjoy these pages and that you will visit soon and often to see and hear and feel the ineffable Spirit of your great School. From the depths of my soul, I thank you for your prayers and for the many other blessings you shower upon us. May God continue to bless you and your beautiful families every sacred step of the way. With love and gratitude,
William L. Burke III Headmaster
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AROUND CAMPUS News and Notes from Our School Community
Immersed in the Classics
St. Sebastian’s students had the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of Latin and Greek literature at various events this spring. On April 6, members of the Latin Club headed to CLASSICS DAY AT HOLY CROSS to compete against other schools for prizes in various academic events. For many years, our students have had great success in the Certamen, a Jeopardy-styled team contest, and this year was no exception with a First Place win in the Lower Division Certamen. St. Evan Prince ‘20, Michael Treseler ‘20, Stephen Jessup ’19 and Sebastian’s students also Wes Stanton ’20 win first place in the Lower Division Certamen earned awards in the at Classics Day. Manuscript Challenge, the Art Contest and Upper Level Certamen. It was a fun day for all involved and a chance to showcase our strong Latin program. On May 10, students in the Latin IV Advanced Placement class demonstrated their mastery of Latin in the annual VERGILIAN ACTUS. Richard Thomas, the George Martin Lane Professor of Classics at Harvard, engaged the students in a “conversation” about significant passages from Vergil’s Aeneid. Students read passages in the poetic meter, translated the lines, and commented on Vergil’s artistry and themes. Held in front of parents, faculty, and other St. Sebastian’s students, the Vergilian Actus served as a warm-up, boosting students’ confidence before the Latin AP exam later in the week.
Debate Team Competes in Winsor School’s Tournament On April 23, thirteen members of the St. Sebastian’s Debate Team traveled to Boston for the Winsor School’s Annual Invitational Boston Area Debate Tournament. In addition to St. Sebastian’s and Winsor, debaters from Belmont Hill and Roxbury Latin also participated. The Tournament consisted of three rounds of Parliamentary Extemporaneous Debate. Congratulations to sophomore Joe Maalouf and freshmen Dylan Crandall and Patrick McDonald who won Individual School Speaking Prizes.
Individual Speaking prize winners Dylan Crandall ’20, Patrick McDonald ’20, and Joe Maalouf ’19 with Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne.
Kevin Queally P’19 Speaks to the Finance Academy
Juniors who participated in the Vergilian Actus—Michael Twohig, Nicholas Howell, Martin White, Thomas Olson, Patrick Ryan, Luke Diggins, William Fox, Henry DeMatteo, Harrison Carlson, Neil Melley, and Andrew Santosuosso—with Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne and Professor Richard Thomas.
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As part of the Finance Academy’s speaker series, members had the opportunity to hear from Kevin Queally P’19, a partner at Morgan & Stanley, at the club’s May meeting. Queally spoke to the students about investment philosophy and strategy. The main theme he touched upon throughout his presentation was “time in the market, not timing the market.” Queally’s investment advice to the students included spreading out investments among the four major asset classes, investing early and staying in the market long term to achieve long term success.
AROUND CAMPUS
A Musical Twist on Shakespeare The School community was treated to a special performance by Shakespeare to Hiphop in Ward Hall on May 3. The combined poetic and performance talents of literary performers Regie Gibson and Marlon Carey, accompanied by live musicians, had the audience engaged and tapping their toes. Both Regie and Marlon have been featured at several TED events and on various NPR programs, most recently WBUR’s Radio Boston.
2017 Edition of
The Quiver
For the 2016-2017 season, Shakespeare to Hiphop partnered with the Boston Public Library to celebrate the works of William Shakespeare. To do so, Shakespeare to Hiphop created The Shakespeare Speakeasy, a presentation using live music, poetry, song, storytelling and rap to explore the life, impact, and mysteries surrounding the man reverently known as “The Bard.” For Regie and Marlon, St. Sebastian’s holds a very special place in their hearts because they first performed together here.
T
his year’s edition of The Quiver, St. Sebastian’s literary and artistic magazine, features work from both within and beyond St. Sebastian’s. The Quiver provides a platform which invites high school students from all over New England to showcase their talents through poetry, prose, and visual works. Sam Gordon ’17 and Ethan Fidalgo ’17 served as Senior Editors. This year’s Quiver Writing/Artwork Award winners included a striking photograph by Finn Mulligan ’18 and In My Blood, a phenomenal poem by Pat Barron ’19, referencing the story of Oedipus.
Photo by Finn Mulligan ’18 Marlon Carey and Regie Gibson entertain and educate students in Ward Hall.
10th Annual Moot Court Ends in a Tie
Seniors Andrew Elcock and Samuel Gordon and Juniors Michael Milbury and Patrick DuFour with the panel of judges and Denis Cleary, Chair of the History Department.
The finals of the 10th Annual Moot Court Competition took place on May 31. The competition was sponsored by the History Department and Denis Cleary, Chair of the History Department, served as the moderator. In an unprecedented decision by judges Marian Ryan, District Attorney of Middlesex County, Kevin Curtin, Senior Appellate Counsel and Grand Jury Director of Middlesex County, and Peggy Flaherty, Clerk Magistrate of the South Boston District Court, the 10th St. Sebastian’s Moot Court Competition ended in a tie. The team of Andrew Elcock ’17 and Samuel Gordon ’17 and the team of Patrick DuFour ’18 and Michael Milbury ’18 were outstanding in their presentation of the arguments in the Supreme Court case of Shaw vs. Reno.
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AROUND CAMPUS
A Stunning Performance at
Carnegie Hall As part of the American Fine Arts Festival Competition, Alessandro Barbiellini ’21, an exceptional pianist, earned the incredible invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Barbiellini was selected after auditioning in front of two AFAF judges at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts in February. After spending many months to perfect Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata Movement 2, Barbiellini played beautifully in the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on May 27, joining a list of impressive musicians to perform at this iconic venue. Congratulations, Alessandro!
Alessandro Barbiellini ’21 in front of the crowd.
Thirteen Seniors Inducted into Cum Laude Society Headmaster Bill Burke, Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne, and faculty member David Cornish inducted 13 members of the Class of 2017 into the Cum Laude Society during a ceremony held on April 13. Ross Jones P’16,’17, Managing Director for Berkshire Partners, provided the keynote address. The Cum Laude Society is dedicated to honoring scholastic achievement in secondary schools. Modeled after Phi Beta Kappa, the Society has grown to over 350 Chapters located in public and independent schools in the United States, Canada, England, France, Spain, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The Class of 2017 Inductees were: Samuel P. Cullen, Liam J. Duggan, Andrew M. Elcock, Michael K. Finucane, Richard P. Gallo, Tyler J. Goldman, Michael A. Hartman, Joseph R. Hunt, Luke N. Jones, Stephen C. Karol, Kyle P. McCarthy, Cameron A. Rivera, and Christopher P. Vallace.
TOP: Ross Jones P’16,’17 speaks at the Cum Laude Society Induction Ceremony. BOTTOM: The newest members of the Cum Laude Society with Headmaster Bill Burke, Assistant Headmaster (and Chapter President) Mike Nerbonne, and Director of Grades 7 and 8 (and Chapter Secretary) David Cornish.
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Music Album Showcases Students’ Talents Every year, St. Sebastian’s students record a school music album using our state-ofthe-art recording studio in the Arts Center. From first time songwriters to experienced musicians and everything in between, all students are encouraged to share their music. The songs are both original compositions and covers of well-known songs chosen by the students. This year, the students did a tremendous job in offering a variety of musical styles and creating their own unique sound.
Listen to the 2017 album at: www.stsebs.org/music
AROUND CAMPUS
Grandparents & Special Friends Day St. Sebastian’s students hosted their grandparents and special friends for a memorable day on campus on April 25, 2017.
T
he day’s events started in Ward Hall with a welcome from event Co-Chairs Carolyn Lemone P’16,’18 and Janet Seidl P’17,’19. Following lunch, guests were also treated to a special video of highlights from St. Sebastian’s 75th Anniversary year and a performance of “Beyond the Sea” by The Arrowheads and Jazz Trio. Student speaker Peter Blake ’19 spoke about his wonderful grandparents and the impact they have had on his life. After his grandson concluded, Grandparents’ Fund Co-Chair Peter McLaughlin ’55, GP’13,’19 made a few brief remarks. Students then took their special guests to class before celebrating Mass with Fr. John Arens. The afternoon concluded with family photos and a dessert reception in Ward Hall. A special thank you to the grandparents and special friends who visited and the mothers of the Guild of St. Irene, who worked tirelessly to make the entire day, from registration to dessert, run smoothly.
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AROUND CAMPUS
Learning the Art of Gyotaku On May 4, artist Jenna McEachern Reedy taught a group of Arrows how to make Gyotaku fish prints. The practice dates back to the 1800s in Japan when ink was applied to fish as a means to measure and record a commercial fisherman’s catch. Today, Gyotaku has become a recognized form of fine art. McEachern Reedy brought in both fresh and salt water fish she had caught with her family on the South Shore. After learning about the technique, the boys covered the fish in paint and pressed paper and fabric against them to create beautiful prints of their own!
MPA Banquet Celebrates Seniors
O
n May 25, St. Sebastian’s Men with Positive Attitudes celebrated another successful year with a feast of food and friends. The night was filled with reflections from the nine graduating seniors (Raffi Barsamian, Camryn Cain, Ethan Fidalgo, Tyler Goldman, Adama Kaba, Thaddeus Kennedy, Junior Laura, John McCarthy, and Jackson McKeigue). A number of underclassmen also shared their thoughts regarding the departing seniors, and Anthony Perez ’19 presented a video he had made to introduce the 2017-2018 MPA
Officers. Several fathers of MPA members read from memory boxes guests filled for the graduates. The evening’s keynote speaker, Thomas Harwell, Director of Student Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives at Boston University’s Questrom School, shared some wisdom with the MPA members regarding college and life beyond St. Sebastian’s. The senior members of the club presented the MPA Gift—a reader board that will reside in the Class of 2015 Student Commons. The night ended with the traditional blessing of the seniors by Fr. Arens and members of MPA singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
LEFT: Senior members of the MPA Club gather together. TOP: Raffi Barsamian ’17 at the podium. BOTTOM: Jackson McKeigue ’17 (left) receives a memory box.
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Undergraduate & College Book Awards MFA Rhetoric Competition On May 18, five members of the Class of 2021—Alessandro Barbiellini, Gabe Twohig, Nolan McGovern, PJ Walsh, and Matthew Choi—participated in the Museum of Fine Arts Rhetoric Competition. Each student chose a few lines from the Odyssey or the Iliad to memorize and then delivered the lines in front of a panel of judges. In the weeks leading up to the competition, the boys worked on perfecting their recitations with Fine Arts Department Chair Mark Rogers and Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne. Following tremendous performances, Twohig and Barbiellini were declared as two of the winners by the judges.
St. Sebastian’s School is proud to recognize the following students who were presented with College Book and Memorial Awards for their academic achievements during the Undergraduate Awards Assembly held on May 24.
COLLEGE BOOK AWARDS:
MEMORIAL AWARDS:
Boston College Harrison P. Carlson ’18
Bausch & Lomb Science Award Vaughn S. St. Marie ’18
Brown University Orvin A. Pierre ’18
John P. Birmingham, Jr. Writing Award Patrick W. McDonald ’20, Michael T. Treseler ’20
Bryant University William F. Coyne ’18
Catholic Citizenship Award Patrick J. Ryan ’18
College of the Holy Cross Luke A. Diggins ’18
Joseph Compagnone Memorial Award Peter C. Julien ’18, Peter L. Pickard ’18
Dartmouth College Robert A. Lordi ’18
Gandolfo Award William F. Coyne ’18, Henry M. Kapples ’18, Luke A. Diggins ’18, Patrick J. Ryan ’18
Harvard University William P. Fox ’18, Patrick J. Ryan ’18 Regis College Henry M. Kapples ’18 Trinity College Dublin Patrick S. DuFour ’18 St. Anselm College Paul T. Scemama de Gialluly ’18 St. Lawrence University Peter J. Kilmartin III ’18 St. Michael’s College Ryan K. Curran ’18 University of Virginia Martin P. White ’18 Villanova University Peter F. Murphy, Jr. ’18
Fine Arts Department Chair Mark Rogers (far left) and Assistant Headmaster Mike Nerbonne (far right) with the eighth graders who participated in the MFA Rhetoric Competition: Alessandro Barbiellini, Matthew Choi, PJ Walsh, Nolan McGovern, and Gabe Twohig.
Williams College Royce D. Abel ’18 Yale University Michael D. Twohig ’18
Kevin Ghelli Award James F. Mooney, IV ’18 Frank J. Hennessey, Jr. Award William D. Forman ’18, Nicholas M. Howell ’18, John T. Kerwin ’18, Andrew J. Santosuosso ’18, Paul T. Scemama de Gialluly ’18 Kevin T. Mutch Award Timothy K. Kiley ’18, William P. Kiley ’18 Robert J. Joyce, Jr. Award Orvin A. Pierre ’18 William P. Judge Award Matthew S. Choi ’21, Gabriel A. Twohig ’21 William P. Judge Scholarship Brendan M. McKenzie ’18 Jason Keating Award Brendan A. Melley ’18 James P.B. McDonough Award William R. McNamara ’18 Grace S. Vorce and Raymond M. Vorce, Sr. Award Osamudiamen V. Onaiwu, Jr. ’18
“We all realized that this performance was not just about saying the words, but making those words come to life in front of the audience.” — Matthew Choi ’21
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AROUND CAMPUS
#75Reasons Countdown to Commencement
As we came to the end of St. Sebastian’s 75th Anniversary year, our students counted down to Commencement with their top 75 reasons why they love our School! Each day from March 27 to June 9, a different reason—from favorite student events to traditions—was posted on St. Sebastian’s Instagram account. A few of them are below. Check out our Instagram account, @StSebastiansSchool, to see all 75 reasons!
Reason #23:
The Walrus!
Reason #55:
On June 1, the Alumni Association Board joined with other alumni to celebrate the Class of 2017 at the annual Senior Class-Alumni Breakfast. Alumni Association President Tim Doherty ’87, P’17, Board of Trustees President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08, and Owen Finnegan ’16—who just completed his freshman year at Tufts University—each addressed the soonto-be graduates, offering advice for the future, and welcoming them to the alumni ranks. Headmaster Burke spoke as well, asking the seniors to slow down and savor each moment during their final days at St. Sebastian’s. He also showed the seniors a slideshow depicting their parents’ Senior Class Gift in honor of the Class, The St. Sebastian’s Class of 2017 Courtyard, as well as reflecting on the impact the Class of 2017 Brotherhood Fund will have on the School community. In honor of Arrows Forever Day, St. Sebastian’s first ever giving day, 100% of the Class of 2017 made a gift to the Annual Fund as our newest alumni.
Reason #48:
Chicken Patties!
Reason #59:
After Hours!
Cheering “ZA” at games!
Reason #61:
Reason #67:
Corporate Chapel Speeches!
Senior Class-Alumni Breakfast
The Hockey Rink!
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TOP: Seniors show some Arrows pride after making their first alumni gift. BOTTOM: Bill O’Hern ’86 shares a table with seniors Alex Zafonte, John McCarthy, Peter Rowe, Junior Laura, and Adama Kaba.
AROUND CAMPUS
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. Serving breakfast at the Paulist Center, collecting clothes for Cradles to Crayons and preparing lunches for the homeless are just a few of the many ways our students have served our neighbors recently.
Cradles to Crayons Clothing Drive On April 8, members of the 7th and 8th grades participated in the Needham Gives Back Drive for Cradles to Crayons. The volunteers delivered clothes collected by the St. Sebastian’s community to Needham High School, where the clothing and other donations were sorted, cleaned and delivered to the non-profit’s headquarters in Brighton. The Needham Drive is the biggest annual collection hosted by Cradles to Crayons’ Boston location.
Paulist Center’s Community Breakfast Project Over the course of the 2016-2017 School year, the junior class continued its tradition of helping the Paulist Center’s Community Breakfast Project. This year marked the 5th year St. Sebastian’s has helped with this program. On the third Saturday of each month, the Community Breakfast serves food to the homeless of Boston. A group of St. Sebastian’s students traveled to Boston each month to assist in setting up the room, serving the food and coffee, and cleaning up.
Mothers and Sons Volunteer Together During evenings in March and April, more than 50 St. Sebastian’s mothers and sons came together in Ward Hall to prepare lunches for homeless individuals served by Father Bill’s shelter in Quincy and the MainSpring House in Brockton. These monthly events included a brief introduction to the work of Father Bill’s and MainSpring House, and involved making sandwiches, assembling lunch bags, and writing personal notes to the men and women receiving the lunches. In addition to making a valuable contribution to on-going needs at these shelters, this activity provided for quality mother-son time together.
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St. Sebastian’s School graduated
67 students at its 73rd Commencement Exercises on Friday, June 9, 2017. The morning’s celebrations included awards, speeches and the conferral of diplomas to the outstanding Class of 2017.
Congratulations, Class of 2017!
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Commencement Awards Pursuit of Excellence in the Discipline Awards Presented to individuals selected by the faculty English Literature Cameron A. Rivera
Special Medals
Awarded to individuals who, during their high school years, have achieved the highest grade point average in required and advanced courses in the respective disciplines
The Joseph P. MacDonald Award
The St. Sebastian’s Scholar Award
Presented to the graduates who have received a yearly average of B or higher in every course every year
Rev. Msgr. Charles D. McInnis Memorial Medal for History Richard P. Gallo
Samuel P. Cullen, Liam J. Duggan, William P. Evans, Ethan P. Fidalgo, Michael K. Finucane, Richard P. Gallo, Tyler J. Goldman, Samuel H. Gordon, Michael A. Hartman, Joseph R. Hunt, Cole E. Jarczyk, Luke N. Jones, Stephen C. Karol, Kyle P. McCarthy, Jackson S. McKeigue, Kevin M. Moore, Cameron W. Mulvey, Jake T. O’Neil, James P. Orscheln, John C. Piatelli, Michael P. Ragnoni, Cameron A. Rivera, Peter S. Rowe, Thomas P. Seidl, Thomas S. Wasynczuk
Drama Andrew M. Elcock
Paul A. Ablondi ’57 Memorial Medal for Mathematics Andrew M. Elcock
The Sr. Evelyn C. Barrett, O.P. Scholarship Award
Visual Art Ethan P. Fidalgo
St. Sebastian Medal for Science Christopher P. Vallace
Music William P. Evans Kyle P. McCarthy
St. Sebastian Medal for Fine Arts Kyle P. McCarthy
Latin William P. Evans History Richard P. Gallo Michael A. Hartman Religion Thaddeus J. Kennedy Jackson S. McKeigue English Writing Joseph R. Hunt Kyle P. McCarthy Spanish Cameron A. Rivera
Mathematics Samuel P. Cullen Cameron A. Rivera Physics Andrew M. Elcock Luke N. Jones Chemistry Christopher P. Vallace Biology Michael K. Finucane Greek John D. Petro Computer Science Stewart M. Smith
Humberto Cardinal Medeiros Memorial Medal for Modern Languages Cameron W. Mulvey Rev. Msgr. Joseph A. Beatty Memorial Medal for English Andrew M. Elcock Rev. Msgr. John F.X. Harney Memorial Medal for Religion Richard P. Gallo
St. Sebastian Medal for Classics Andrew M. Elcock The Headmaster’s Award
Presented to the graduate who has achieved the highest cumulative grade point average Andrew M. Elcock The St. Sebastian’s Scholar with Distinction Award
Presented to the graduates who have received a yearly average of A- or higher in every course every year Andrew M. Elcock
Presented to that senior who, in the opinion of the Faculty, most exemplifies in body, mind, and soul the spirit of St. Sebastian’s School Eric M. Jeremiah The Robert S. Gilligan Award
Presented to a senior who best exemplifies the qualities of courage, determination, and perseverance Timothy M. DiFiore and James M. Laura The Cardinal Cushing Memorial Medal for Student Service
Presented to a senior for exemplary service to the School Jackson S. McKeigue
Presented each year by the Student Council, in conjunction with the School community, to a member of the St. Sebastian’s family for outstanding service to the School Elaine D. Schwimmer The Reverend Charles K. Riepe Medallion Presented by the Assistant Headmaster, in consultation with the administration and faculty, to the members of the graduating class who have shown true leadership in exemplifying the virtues of faith and honor for which the School stands Raffi A. Barsamian Thaddeus J. Kennedy The Founder’s Medal Presented to the member of the Senior Class whose character, leadership, and fortitude most closely reflect the ideals that inspired William Cardinal O’Connell to found this School in the name of St. Sebastian Christopher P. Vallace The Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Medal Presented each year to seniors for exemplary initiative, creativity, and perseverance in advancing the mission of the School Andrew M. Elcock Ethan P. Fidalgo The Alumni Award Presented to seniors, selected by the faculty, who possess strength of mind, body, and character; who display outstanding attitude, effort, and achievement; have innate commitment to excellence in all endeavors; and who have made many and varied contributions to St. Sebastian’s School William P. Evans Blake J. Gallagher
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CLASS OF 2017 MATRICULATION William Allen Raffi Barsamian Henry Birmingham Camryn Cain
Lehigh University Middlebury College Elon University Union College
Adama Kaba Stephen Karol
Northeastern University Dartmouth College
Thaddeus Kennedy
Harvard College
James Laura
Bowdoin College
Ryan Martin
Villanova University
Nicholas Connelly
Kenyon College
Michael Connolly
Dartmouth College
James McCabe
Providence College
Samuel Cullen
Northwestern University
John McCarthy
University of Richmond
James Dietrich
Northeastern University
Kyle McCarthy
Brown University
Timothy DiFiore Bryan Doe
Providence College University of Miami
Jackson McKeigue
Georgetown University
Kevin Moore
Lehigh University
Jack Doherty
Providence College
Patrick Mulrenan
Tulane University
Joseph Duffy
Providence College
Cameron Mulvey
Wake Forest University
Liam Duggan
University of Notre Dame
Richard Murphy
Gap Year
Andrew Elcock
Duke University
Seamus Noonan
The Catholic University of America
William Evans
Harvard College
Bryan O’Donnell
Ethan Fidalgo
Tufts University
Joseph O’Malley
Michael Finucane John Frisoli Blake Gallagher Richard Gallo Tyler Goldman Brendan Goostray Samuel Gordon Christopher Hailer Michael Hartman
Boston College Harvard College
Stonehill College Villanova University Stonehill College
Northwestern University
James Orscheln
Wake Forest University
Cornell University
Vito Palombella
Syracuse University
Wake Forest University Hobart and William Smith Colleges University of Pennsylvania College of the Holy Cross Georgetown University
Mitchell Heffernan
Villanova University
Thomas Hovsepian
Boston College
Austin Huffman
Jake O’Neil Owen O’Neil
University of Miami
Lehigh University
John Petro John Piatelli Michael Ragnoni Patrick Reed Cameron Rivera William Roche Peter Rowe
Union College Cornell University University of Notre Dame Villanova University University of Wisconsin, Madison Providence College University of Denver
Thomas Seidl
Harvard College
Stewart Smith
University of Southern California
Joseph Hunt
Northeastern University
Cole Jarczyk
Colgate University
Christopher Vallace
University of Notre Dame
Eric Jeremiah
Middlebury College
Thomas Wasynczuk
Washington University in St. Louis
Luke Jones
Duke University
Christopher Joyce
Providence College
Parker Joyce
Dartmouth College
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Trevor Yandow Alexander Zafonte
Villanova University Bowdoin College
COMMENCEMENT 2017
Celebrating on the Eve of Commencement On June 8, the night before Commencement, we held our annual Senior-Parent Dinner in Ward Hall following the Baccalaureate Mass in St. Bartholomew Church. It was a wonderful opportunity for seniors and their parents to gather together and celebrate the Class of 2017. In addition to receiving graduation ties and pens, students were presented with awards recognizing their talents and contributions to the School. Some of the awards presented include: Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award
Christopher P. Vallace Chapel Speech Award
James M. Laura
Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award
Samuel H. Gordon and Cameron A. Rivera
Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award
John M. Frisoli and Luke N. Jones
Semper Fidelis Award for Music Excellence
William P. Evans
Independent School League Award of Excellence
Thomas P. Seidl
FIVE-YEAR
Matriculation #’s Colleges to which 5 or more students have matriculated over the past 5 years Boston College ................................46 College of the Holy Cross ................20 Harvard College ..............................18 Providence College ..........................15 Georgetown University ....................11 Middlebury College .........................11 Trinity College ................................10 University of Notre Dame ...............10 Dartmouth College ............................8 Villanova University ..........................8 Northeastern University .....................6 Union College ...................................6 Wake Forest University ......................6 Bowdoin College ................................5 Colgate University ...............................5 Duke University ................................5 Tufts University .................................5 Washington University in St. Louis ....5 Worcester Polytechnic Institute ..........5
TOP: Seniors and their parents, along with the faculty and administration, fill Ward Hall during the Baccalaureate Dinner; BOTTOM LEFT: Headmaster Burke shows the graduating seniors how to tie a bow tie; BOTTOM RIGHT: Sgt. Martincek of the United States Marine Corps presents Luke Jones with an award.
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HEADMASTER’S ADDRESS
Here I Am. Send Me. BY WILLIAM L. BURKE III
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hen I checked in with our graduates this morning, one of them informed me that he went to bed last night at 10:30, but he just couldn’t get to sleep. And he added that at 1:00 AM he wrote a letter to his future son, telling him how awesome St. Sebastian’s is going to be for him…Gentlemen, you are ready. Let us pray one more time together as a class: Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen. As we often say: We don’t play fair here. We get all the best young men from all the best families, and we’re just going to keep doing it. One of you, who devoted your powerfully beautiful Corporate Chapel address to your mother, shared: “She works harder for less praise than anyone I know…I love you, Mom!” Another of you spoke of your wonderful father, asserting: “He’s the hardest working man I know—the most disciplined and most wellrounded.” Each of you 67 genetically unrepeatable gifts from God has been nurtured by parents, by grandparents, and by other loved ones who care way more about what happens to you than they could ever care about what happens to themselves. You have been held, and fed, and bathed, and clothed, and chauffeured, and encouraged, and inspired in more kind and loving ways than can be counted. Your families have prayed for you and paid for you, sacrificing mightily to send you to this great School, which you love beyond all telling. And you know full well that, if pressed, they’d do it all again—and in a heartbeat. So great is their love for you! Please rise, turn to your loving families, locate them with your eyes, and express your eternal gratitude. I am in awe of my colleagues, the lifeblood of our School, and I am so much more grateful to them than I can say. And I know that you love them, too. This past October at Open House, one of our 7th graders, the youngest of three St. Sebastian’s men, proclaimed: “My brothers always tell me how much the teachers care, but I can’t believe how true it is— they’re always available for extra help. They really want you to succeed.” One of you gentlemen expressed gratitude to our beyond excellent faculty in these words: “Thank you for loving your job so much that the students do, too.” Another, citing a specific teacher, shared that he “embodies everything I want to be: kind, disciplined, hard-working… with a thirst for knowledge.”
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You have been called to greatness by truly great educators who have, in the words of our outstanding Assistant Headmaster and Dean of Studies, Mr. Nerbonne, challenged you and supported you. From well before dawn until way after dark, they have freely and fully given the very best parts of themselves to you. As has been shared here: At the height of his powers, Abraham Lincoln proclaimed: “I am a success today because I had a friend who believed in me, and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.” Please rise, face your friends who have believed and believe in you, and express your heartfelt gratitude.
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What a great day! How great our gratitude for your many accomplishments! So much respect, admiration and affection that you’ve earned. So much joy! But other feelings, too. Last year, on Commencement day, as we were getting ready to march across campus, I asked one of the seniors how he was feeling. “It’s sad,” was his answer. And I replied: “Yes, it’s sad but wouldn’t it be sad if it weren’t sad?” And so it is today. So many emotions running all over the place. After the last games of your fabulous seasons, you didn’t want to leave the field. One of you, through tears, told your mother that you never wanted to take off your St. Sebastian’s jersey. But off it had to come. Our heads know it’s time to go, but how our hearts ache that it is so. And it’s all about love. Love of one another. Love of our faculty and staff. Love of our School. And the good news is: love is eternal. In the words of St. John of the Cross: “In the twilight of our lives, all that will matter is how we have loved.” For some time now, I have been collecting very short sentences from sacred scripture, and you gentlemen of the great Class of 2017 have inspired me to share them today. Please let each truth settle in. First, I give you sacred scripture in threeword sentences: God is love. Love never fails. He remains faithful. God is light.
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We are one. Love one another. Love your enemies. Father, forgive them. Be not afraid. Listen to Him. Pray without ceasing. Remain in me. Let it be. Increase our faith. Come, Lord Jesus. Lord, save us. Rejoice in hope. Endure in affliction. Persevere in prayer. Feed my sheep. Let me see. Bear your share. Put on love. Turn to me. Jesus, remember me.
When you were just freshmen, I asked one of you to reach out to a new classmate who had not yet found his footing socially. Shortly afterward, his mom informed me that her son’s whole world had turned—and so very, very much for the better. When next I saw you and told you that I had given you a job to do, that you had come through big time, and that I couldn’t thank you enough, you smiled broadly, gave my shoulder a push, and said: “That’s my job. We’re family.” Here I am. Send me.
Sacred scripture in two word sentences:
This past fall, as the parents of one of last year’s graduates helped their son settle into his dormitory room, they met his roommate and his roommate’s rather anxious mother, who pulled our Arrow aside and urged him to look after her son, an only child who suffered frequent asthma attacks. Our boy’s father chimed in—in these or similar words: “Why don’t you tell this nice woman what your School’s motto is?” He complied: “Love God, work hard, and take good care of one another.” And his new roommate’s mother just melted. All was now right with the world. Here I am. Send me.
Jesus wept. Stay awake. Pay attention. Follow me. Choose life. Forgive us. And, finally, sacred scripture in a three-word sentence and a two-word sentence: Here I am. Send me.
This spring, while visiting some of you at your service placement, a school for handicapped students, one of my new colleagues called one of you aside to express his awe and respect, and this is what he got back from you: “It makes me a better person.” My colleague later sent me this message about what he saw and felt that day. I quote: “The level of love and respect they showed for the students…blew me away…I got emotional…I could go on and on…what I am trying to tell you is—thank you. Thank you for filling this world with better human beings who are moral, just, courageous, honorable, and wise.” Here I am. Send me.
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“Reason and faith, academic rigor and spiritual depth, intensification of scholarship and expansion of spirit, love of learning and love of God— ours is a fully integrated mission.” A Catholic Independent School, St. Sebastian’s seeks to engage young men in the pursuit of truth through faith and reason. This first sentence of our mission statement radically distinguishes us from every public school in the 50 states and from most independent schools. Pursuit of truth through faith and reason. What does that mean? This key concept at the heart of our enterprise is so easy to say and so hard to comprehend. Though we’ll never fully grasp its essence, may we never, ever stop trying. Frederick Buechner helps us understand in these words, which seem to have been written with our faculty in mind: “If you lose yourself in your work, you will find who you are. If you express the best you have in you in your work, it’s more than just the best you have in you that you are expressing.” Marlon Matthews, Class of 2014, helped me understand at his Commencement three years ago, when, standing right over there, he sang these words: “You raise me up to more than I can be.” Blaise Pascal helps us understand in these words: “The last step that reason takes is to recognize that there is an infinity of things beyond it.” Our beloved Chaplain, Father John Arens, helps us understand every time he’s praised for yet another excellent sermon and he points heavenward and humbly asserts: “I get a lot of extra help.” And when he shares: “Faith is a gift to our reason to help us come to understand the meaning and purpose of life.” Note the words you’ve just heard: more, beyond, infinity, extra, purpose. I’m not big on limits, guys. And there’s one phrase in this business of education that really bothers me: “He must work up to his potential.” Up to potential implies a limit, a ceiling. You get there and you’re all set. Infinite thy vast domain. Everlasting is thy reign. Infinite and everlasting—beyond space and time are God’s love and mercy and joy and power to give and forgive, and there is no limit to our capacity for learning and loving. There is no ceiling, and if there were, we’d help you blow right through it. Here I am. Send me. Reason and faith, academic rigor and spiritual depth, intensification of scholarship and expansion of spirit, love of learning and love of God—ours is a fully integrated mission. All good giving and every perfect gift is from above. (James 1:17) The best we can do is obey the command of Father John: “Give what you’ve been given.” And embrace the truth that we always and forever have access to the two most powerful forces in the universe: God and people of good will through whom our
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Lord works. And if we choose, we get to be part of that second force, and why wouldn’t we so choose? Here I am. Send me. We’re never alone. Many of us were privileged to attend Cam Cain’s grandmother’s funeral and hear Bishop Borders deliver a stirring sermon punctuated by these calls: Help me, Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jesus. Here I am. Send me. And there’s another word I don’t like when applied to the educative process. Mold. “These educators mold character.” No, we don’t! Every one of our students is made in the image and likeness of God. We don’t mold. We evoke. We call out. We fan into flames the beauty and truth and goodness the Lord has given, helping each young man become ever more fully all that God has made him to be. Here I am. Send me. In John’s Gospel, after Jesus tells his disciples that he will send them the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He concludes: I have told you this so that you may not fall away. (John:1 6:4) You will soon find yourselves on college campuses where the idea of pursuing truth through faith and reason may not even be regarded as a possibility let alone a life’s work devoutly to be wished. You may hear professors derisively utter the words of Pontius Pilate: What is truth? Do not fall away. Do not fall away from Jesus, the way, and the truth, and the life. But stay. Stay in earnest pursuit. You need not, should not, be strident, but, rather, just, merciful, earnest, sincere, reverent. Pray for your professors and fellow students. Be loving and kind. Pursue the truth through faith and reason. And go to Church on Sunday. …conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning. (1 Peter 1:17) When you walk into your college dining hall, be on the lookout for a person sitting alone and take up a seat next to him or her. Here I am. Send me. I am so very honored when you reference my sayings in your Chapel Speeches. Everyone wants to be part of something great. The essence of life is relationships. Love God, work hard, and take good care of one another. I’ve never met a happy lazy person.
COMMENCEMENT 2017 And I absolutely love this headline in the April Fool’s edition of our newspaper titled Not the Walrus: “Happy Lazy Man Discovered; St. Sebastian’s Community in Turmoil, Mr. Burke Unsure How to Respond.” To those oft cited phrases, please add this one, which I offered in last year’s opening address on Mercy: Neutrality is not an option. Never silent when a racist or sexist or any kind of demeaning joke is told, never a frozen bystander when a person is being hazed or bullied. For you gentlemen, neutrality is not an option. Conduct yourselves with reverence. Employ the phrase: You’re better than that, as you call the wayward and the bully to greatness. Here I am. Send me. When fellow students are in harm’s way, help them get the treatment they need. Protect the vulnerable. If someone is inebriated at a party, find his or her friends, who can make sure the person gets home safely. Here I am. Send me. It’s all a gift. All of it. This day. Our School. Every one of you. Your families. Your mentors. Our staff. Every moment of every day, this great chance at life we’ve been given—all gifts from our gracious and loving God, the giver of all good gifts. Thanks be to God. And you’re so well prepared for what unfolds before you. Last week, several recent graduates were on campus to represent their colleges at our 11th Grade College Fair program. Here are some of things I heard from them: I have edited others’ papers and I’m way ahead of my new classmates in math and science. Physics 130 has the reputation of being the hardest class and it’s been easy for me…St. Sebastian’s prepares you so well…gives you confidence to speak up…I feel I can talk to anybody…our writing program made my transition smooth; it’s so much better than others; my roommates have really struggled. I speak for my colleagues as well as for myself when I tell you that I love you, that I’m going to miss you, and that I wish you
every good grace. All of you. Each of you. As I’ve told you before, while I cannot promise you lives free from injury or illness, I can promise you good lives—if you hold sacred your relationships— with God and with everyone else. For if you keep your heart and your mind and your soul open to the grace of God and strive to do the Lord’s will and if you regard every woman and every man you meet to be someone like you, who has been made for eternity, you’re going to treat each person a certain way—with honor and dignity and respect and mercy and justice and reverence and love and truth, and you’re going to live good lives. It cannot be otherwise. Here I am. Send me. One last reference to our year’s theme, this one from St. Ignatius: “Man was created for a certain end. This end is to praise, to reverence, and to serve the Lord his God and by this means to arrive at eternal salvation.” And one last lesson: did you know that the expression Goodbye, which has been with us since the late 16th century, is a contraction of God be with you? So, in that spirit, we say goodbye, beloved Arrows. Go now in peace. Return to us often, in joy or in sorrow, and we’ll be right here waiting for you with hearts and arms wide open. Once in, never out. Arrows forever—Saecula Saeculorum. Shalom!
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BOARD PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS
Arrows Forever BY JAMES L. ELCOCK ’77, P’08
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lmost 40 years ago to the day, I had my graduation from St. Sebastian’s. At that point, we had just concluded the School’s 35th Anniversary. Cardinal Archbishop Humberto Medeiros in his closing blessing challenged us with his words: You have been given a great gift in your St. Sebastian’s education, now go off and commit to me and St. Sebastian’s to lead by example, to share your talents and do great things. Stay connected with each other as there is always strength and safety in numbers. Those words were brought to my attention three weeks ago at our 40th Reunion. Gentlemen, remember and reflect on today. Make a point to remember all the good advice and well wishes that are upon you. For one day, you will stand in my shoes and you will want to share your graduation day memories. Fellow Trustees, Headmaster Burke, Bishop Reed, faculty, staff, family, friends, and most of all the great Class of 2017, good morning and welcome. As President of the Board of Trustees, I am honored and delighted to address you this morning. As we bring the School’s 75th Anniversary to a close with your graduation, one can only reflect that the 100th Anniversary will coincide with your 25th Reunion—a milestone most fitting for this extraordinary class. Today, you will hear from two of your classmates, our Commencement speaker Bishop Reed, and then final remarks from Headmaster Burke to you as students. The ceremony will conclude with the time honored tradition of your final walk past your teachers for that final goodbye, all filled with an overwhelming mixture of elation, exhaustion and excitement. Thus, my remarks will be brief. First, you must understand my strong personal connection to the great Class of 2017: • I became Board President as you were entering the 7th grade. I committed to my fellow Trustees that I would serve at least six years and see you through graduation. Over the past six years, I have followed your class with great interest. 67 young men from 27 different cities and towns; 18 of you had brothers graduate, while 19 of you still have younger brothers here. Your accomplishments in the classroom, on the athletic field, on the stage, and everything in between have been spectacular. I am a huge fan. The colleges you will be attending have never been more highly regarded. You have set benchmarks on the hours of community service, in which you have served, and you and your parents collectively have
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brought the Brotherhood Fund to a height never seen in the School’s 75-year history. • Six of my fellow Trustees and six alumni will have sons and grandsons graduating today—so I was not the only one with a set of eyes on you. Two of the alumni in particular were my classmates from the great Class of 1977. One went on to grow his family’s small grocery chain into a multi-billion dollar operation, and the other has become Boston’s finest Police Commissioner. What a pleasant surprise from two classmates who were fondly referred to as “Sleepy” and “Mousy” 40 years ago! • Finally, my nephew is in this class. Known as the “Professor” by his aunts and uncles, I am glad to be finished with proof reading papers and all the extra help I have had to give him over the past six years. It has been exhausting. I hope it has paid off. I feel as though I am graduating today as well. It won’t be too long and usually at your 10th Reunion, until you begin to hear the usual chorus: “I could never get into Seb’s today.” This is only said because the Arrows following in your footsteps know they must build upon your achievement and success. You have given them the tradition and challenge to go on and to do great things. A St. Sebastian’s Arrow never accepts the “status quo.” We are simply too competitive. Your class has a set a very high mark. St. Sebastian’s has prepared you well, better than you can ever imagine. Perhaps it is this September when you find yourself sitting in a large seminar with 50 other freshmen (young men and women) and the Professor hands out a syllabus that speaks to three papers, minimum of 15 pages each, and the average of 300 pages of reading each week required before a comprehensive written and oral semester exam. You finally realize that this is manageable, because you had the likes of Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Wishart or any one of your other teachers who have prepared you well.
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“This is your School and as you look to your left, to your right, behind you and in front of you, your fellow Arrows will not leave you or let you down. We are Arrows forever!” Maybe it is two years from now when you set your eyes on that illusive “paid” summer internship in New York City, Boston or Washington, D.C. You have read up on the company, prepared your questions, interviewed with great poise, made constant eye contact, dressed smartly as you are today (OK, without the white pants), and conclude the interview with a firm handshake and a genuine smile. Only to follow up with a hand written thank you note, all coming naturally… Or just maybe it’s your 40th Reunion when you are dealing with a family health issue, a friend’s loss of a job or your own personal transition, when you realize you don’t have all the answers, but you have the three F’s—Faith, Family & Friends —all embodied here at St. Sebastian’s. You may leave St. Sebastian’s, but St. Sebastian’s will never leave you. This is your School and as you look to your left, to your right, behind you and in front of you, your fellow Arrows will not leave you or let you down. We are Arrows forever! As President of the Board of Trustees, it is my responsibility to encourage each member of the Class of 2017 to continue to live the motto of the School no matter where the future takes you: 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. Finally as I conclude my remarks, I was watching the CMA fest last night going on in Nashville and one of my favorite groups, “Little Big Town” sang one of their newer songs “Happy People.” Knowing that today is a day filled with joy, I would like to share with you a few lines of that song and encourage you to download that song in its entirety later today: Happy people don’t cheat Happy people don’t lie They don’t judge, or hold a grudge, don’t criticize Happy people don’t hate Happy people don’t steal ‘Cause all the hurt sure ain’t worth all the guilt they feel Well life is short And love is rare And we all deserve to be happy while we’re here Congratulations, the great Class of 2017! We are incredibly proud of you.
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KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Make the World a Holier Place BY BISHOP ROBERT REED
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t’s great to be here pinch-hitting this morning. I am very honored and Cardinal O’Malley called me yesterday afternoon and wanted me to wish you guys sincerely a huge congratulations and he said that he is praying for you today. So, I’ve delivered my message and I know he was very sincere in saying that. And may I be the first to remind the soon-to-be graduating class that you are about to join all of us in sustaining and growing this incredible school, 75 years in the making, sustaining it and growing it for the young men and their families who, in future years, will come here just as you did not too long ago. Never forget, in this place you have come to be known and loved and you are called to greatness. A special word of gratitude to your Headmaster, Bill Burke, and his team, the many alumni, parents, trustees, generous benefactors of this great place, so very dear to our hearts and so very key for our lives. One of the many fine things about being an alumnus of a stellar institution like St. Sebastian’s are the memories. Thank God we have the ability to remember. Some of you, like me, perhaps have known someone who lost that ability and you know how tragic that can be. I was fortunate, as the Headmaster mentioned, to attend another great Catholic high school, Class of ’77, up in Danvers. And before that I enjoyed nine years at a parochial school in my boyhood parish. It’s always kind of eerie when you go back to a place that has been so much part of your life and visit a campus, for example, and recall the experiences and the faces of the past. There’s a curved wall, a brick wall, in Swampscott, in the recess yard at my parochial school where I used to flip baseball cards with my friends. These cards had the local faces—names like Yastrzemski, Petrocelli, Conigliaro, Lonborg. And when I’m in the area, I like to go there and stop and stand in front of that wall and remember the great fun and the friendships we formed. This Needham campus, the names and the faces of those with whom you have walked, will forever, forever be a part of who you are as a man. You realize, I’m sure, that you have been blessed beyond measure, blessed by this opportunity. Now, of course, the learning goes on, it never stops. But what a great moment this is, on this beautiful spring day, to pause and to remember, to be grateful to almighty God, to be grateful to your self-sacrificing parents, your Headmaster, faculty, staff, coaches, mentors, to your classmates and friends for this incredible experience and to commence the rest of the journey.
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It’s been interesting for me over the past year, I’ve celebrated over fifty confirmations and I can’t believe how many guys take the name Sebastian as their new name. Maybe some of you did. No doubt. In any case, that name, and the person of this third century victim of the Diocletian persecution, will be forever branded onto your personal history. Are you willing to take the arrows, the not so polished arrows, and to imitate that kind of character and depth of Christian spirit? To take the blows and the arrows that life will throw at you and learn from them and grow from them to be willing to sacrifice yourself, perhaps for your wife, for your children. To be able to lay down your lives for the people you might serve, perhaps as a priest. Yes, I said, as a priest. We are so desperately in need, I’m telling you, of heroic men, to lead this Church, to lead these United States of America. We need men to be wise and strong and disciplined fathers and husbands and priests and friends. And so, all of this, this is necessary so that our world might become a holier place. Holiness. Why would you want to be holy? It sounds so unmanly. Much to the contrary, my brothers and sisters, in fact, holiness is the fulfillment of our personhood as men and women. I look to Jesus, my dear friend. He is my dear friend. I look to Jesus for the greatest inspiration. Behold the man behind this red wall and the seal of this great school. Behold the man. There is no greater love. There is no greater or deeper friendship. My guess is that Sebastian, the Saint, had the name of Jesus on his lips when he breathed his last. Keep the holy name of Jesus always in your mind and on your lips because you have no better example of masculinity, of triumph from disaster, of holiness. Jesus is our only hope. He is, I believe, without question, the only hope of our divided nation and our broken world. And the lessons learned on this campus, which are embedded in the academic and athletic and interpersonal and interscholastic elements of these treasured years, these are the most critical takeaway. They are a plan, a way of living, more lasting even than the memories.
COMMENCEMENT 2017 A century after Jesus ascended to heaven, there was a letter written to an early Christian and it was an example of apologetics, or defense of the Christian way. And in that letter, the author describes what Christians are like. He says, “They live in the same neighborhoods. They speak the same language. They eat the same food. They dress in the same clothes. But they don’t kill their babies. They don’t create weapons of mass destruction. They don’t give themselves over to immoral behavior. They don’t disrespect the bond of marriage. They pass their days on this earth knowing that they are ultimately citizens of heaven. How quaint.” My brothers, about to graduate, you pass this way but once. You have been charged with a way of living, the way of Jesus, which is increasingly alien in our secular world, where our concern, as Christians, for the unborn, for the dying, for the sacredness of marriage, makes us seem almost quaint, even meddlesome. In our own country, American Catholics have worked arduously to pass on the faith, to educate young people, to be good citizens of this country, the world, and our eternal homeland. St. Sebastian’s is part of that grand tradition but you know, in the midst of our present difficulties, we tend to overlook the challenges of the past. For example, when Boston was established as a diocese two centuries ago, the Pope was a virtual prisoner of Napoleon. As a result, our first Bishop, Cheverus, his consecration as a bishop was delayed a couple of years because the documents were unattainable. The no-nothings burnt down the Ursuline Convent and Catholic School in Charlestown. One of the first rectors of Boston College was tarred and feathered. We think we have it bad. But challenges remain and are even greater, though, to build up the Catholic Church in this third millennium. That challenge will be yours as the next generation of Catholic leaders. But never forget, just as you helped each other tie each other’s ties this morning, just as you walked through this campus lead by your Headmaster for the last time, we are in this together. The privatization of religion in today’s climate of individualism is poisonous to our mission and to the gospel message of community, of connectedness in the Body of Christ. As Catholics, we need to be part of a parish. We need to worship and to receive the Holy Eucharist each weekend. Your years here at St. Sebastian’s have prepared you for this important role in the life of the Church and in society. I thank you all for your commitment to this great mission, as you carry with you the blessing of the foundation established by your education and formation here at St. Sebastian’s. God so loved the world that He sent His only son, Jesus Christ to establish a people, a Church, entrusted with this mission, to make disciples of all nations and to build a civilization of love. Never forget that every person you meet along the way is an irreplaceable mystery made in the image and in the likeness of God on their way to a heavenly homeland. The Church’s teachings on human rights, on the dignity of each life, on sexual morality, social justice, these are all corollaries of that great truth about our origins and our destiny. And let’s do what we can, all of us, to make certain that the St. Sebastian’s experience, the daily life and rituals of this
campus, continue to open hearts and minds, to prepare young men, not just for college, but to change the world in the name and in the power of Jesus. Gentlemen, love God, work hard, and take very good care of one another. And your reward will be great in heaven. Thank you very much.
Introduction of Bishop Robert Reed by Headmaster William L. Burke III It is my pleasure and honor to introduce our Commencement Speaker, Bishop Robert Reed. Bishop Reed was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop of Boston on August 24, 2016. A priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and President of The CatholicTV Network, he was born in Boston and lives in Wayland, MA, where he serves as pastor of Good Shepherd Parish. Educated at Saint John’s Preparatory School in Danvers, he prepared for the priesthood at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Bishop Reed holds an advanced degree in Television Management from Boston University’s College of Communication. Ordained a Catholic priest in 1985, Bishop Reed has served in parishes in Malden, Norwood, Dorchester, Haverhill and Whitman. He was appointed to direct CatholicTV in May 2005. He oversees the creation, acquisition, and delivery of increasingly diverse and high-quality Catholic programming from around the nation and the world. In addition to his administrative responsibilities at CatholicTV, Bishop Reed regularly celebrates the network’s Masses and hosts several shows, including WOW: The CatholicTV Challenge; House+Home; Inter Nos; and several Blink segments. He has been recorded praying the mysteries of The Rosary at various locations around the world that airs three times daily. He is regular co-host of CatholicTV’s signature talk series This is the Day. Bishop Reed currently serves as President/CEO of iCatholic Media, Inc., the parent company of The CatholicTV Network. He is Director of the Radio Apostolate for the Archdiocese of Boston and regularly assists at Corpus Christi–St. Bernard Parish in Newton and St. Bonaventure Parish in Plymouth, MA. He is the author of Renewed: Ten Ways to Rediscover the Saints, Embrace Your Gifts and Revive Your Catholic Faith and its companion television series RENEWED. Please help me welcome our esteemed Commencement Speaker, Bishop Robert Reed.
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VALEDICTORY ADDRESS
Becoming an Arrow BY ANDREW ELCOCK ’17
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ishop Reed, Mr. Elcock, Mr. Burke, Mr. Nerbonne, Father Arens, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the faculty, parents, family, guests, and especially my brothers of the Class of 2017: Seb’s has been the biggest part of my life for the past 6 years. That’s a third of my life. If any of you have looked at the before and after pictures in the hall by the main office, you’d see that a lot has changed for our grade since we got here. RJ Murphy, for example, at some point discovered haircuts, and Stevie Karol no longer looks like a doll out of a horror movie. On the other hand, Cam Cain looks exactly the same, so you can never be too sure. As for me, I went from being roughly 5 feet tall and not being able to smile in pictures to about 6 feet tall and not being able to smile in pictures. Now, if Mrs. Atwood taught me my math right, I’ll be 7 feet tall by age 24. The odds are I still won’t have figured out smiling, but at least I’ll make it to the second round of cuts for varsity basketball instead of the first. Before we get to the rest of my speech, I’d like to take a minute to thank everyone that has made it possible for me to get here. Mom, Dad: you guys made everything I did at Seb’s possible. All the rides, the late nights, the support—you guys are the best. Mikey, Conor, you’re the best brothers I could have asked for. Uncle Jim, you always know how to make me smile, and what you’ve done for Seb’s during your time on the Board is inspiring. Mr. Nerbonne, I know I told you that you weren’t gonna get a shoutout, but it wouldn’t have felt right not to include you: thanks for all the advice, jokes, and the muchneeded opposite point of view you’ve given me over the years. Now, back to my main point. I still remember my first day at Seb’s. I walked into the McCulloch Room, sat down next to Joe Duffy, and said, “Hi, I’m Andrew from Needham.” He responded, in one of the most depressed voices I’ve ever heard, “Joe. Walpole.” I later learned that he just wanted to go back to Walpole and be with his friends from there, and hated the idea of Seb’s. Now, obviously, Joe’s changed a lot since then, and I have, too. Like Joe, I took a while to get used to Seb’s. When people started calling each other “storm troopers” or shouting “Hey, copernicus” I was completely lost and too nervous to find out what my classmates were talking about. I had no idea what the 2:30 club was, while also being a firm member of it. I didn’t get why we hated Bel Hill. As time passed, I finally began to grasp what Seb’s stands for. I use terms like “doubt it” and “hardo” fifteen times a day each, I stayed at school til at least 7 almost every day this year, and I am the proud owner of a piece of a certain school’s stands after we broke them. To be honest,
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though, I’m still not sure what, “Hey, copernicus,” means, and I don’t think I ever will. Even so, I can proudly call myself an Arrow, with everything that entails. So, what exactly does that entail? What has becoming an Arrow changed about me? Well, for one, it’s given me opportunities. More than that, though, it’s given me the courage to take advantage of my opportunities. Without the community at Seb’s, I never would have joined the drama club, let alone written a play. I never would have started debate, let alone ended up in the tournament for champions. I never would have gone out for ultimate frisbee, let alone gone on to be termed “The Allen Iverson of Frisbee,” though that was mostly because I had a habit of skipping practices. I can’t imagine that I would have the courage to run for school president anywhere else, and even though I lost, I’m glad that Seb’s gave me the chance to compete in the first place. That’s not to say that I couldn’t, for example, debate at Needham High; I just never would have. I’d be too worried about being called a nerd or losing my friends. At Seb’s, literally half the class has done debate at one point or another (if only for the free pizza). I have never felt as warm or as welcomed as I do at Seb’s, no matter what I participate in or do. Not only that, but the examples that Mr. Burke, Father Arens, and the rest of the faculty have set for me have made me a better brother, son, and friend. The dedication to service of everybody in the St. Sebastian’s community is remarkable. From the Haiti trip to senior service, everyone is always looking to help others, and it’s the smallest examples that stand out the most to me. Just last week at the Moot Court finals, when the food didn’t show up, Father Arens took it upon himself to make homemade sandwiches for the judges. It would have been much easier to spread blame or brush over the problem, but Father Arens instead immediately looked for a solution. I hope that I can live up to that spirit of helping others in my life, and I know that Seb’s has put me on the right track.
COMMENCEMENT 2017 “I have never felt as warm or as welcomed as I do at Seb’s, no matter what I participate in or do. Not only that, but the examples that Mr. Burke, Father Arens, and the rest of the faculty have set for me have made me a better brother, son, and friend.” But most importantly, becoming an Arrow has changed how I approach my life. I can guarantee that without Seb’s, I wouldn’t spend my time debating politics during lunch, or going over the page limit on a paper because I find the topic interesting, or going for extra help at 7 in the morning. Seb’s has fundamentally made me into a person more excited about learning and knowledge. Now, when I argue about why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest basketball player of all time (and he is), I don’t point just to championships, but I take the time to research statistics and read articles. The atmosphere of learning at Seb’s is like nothing I’ve found anywhere else, and it’s why I’m excited to go to college and find new viewpoints and ways to learn. Now, my experience isn’t universal. Other people here love Seb’s for the brotherhood, Henry’s Corner, the friends they made here, jam shack (RIP), the Catholic life, and a million other things. And I love Seb’s for those reasons, too. They only gave me 5 minutes up here, and I’m pretty sure I’m already at like 7, so I couldn’t point out everything I love about this amazing place. All I’m saying is that when our mission says that an Arrow is “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,” that’s not marketing speak or something Mr. Burke made up; it’s the truth. I know because it happened to me. That’s why I’m grateful I’m Valedictorian, but I’m also sad to say goodbye to this school. Unfortunately, we all have to at some point, so here goes. Bye, Seb’s. Thanks for all the memories. It was a good ride with the boys of 2017. Once in, never out, Arrows forever. Thank you.
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COMMENCEMENT 2017
SALUTATORY ADDRESS
1,373 Days Together BY RICHARD P. GALLO ’17
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ishop Reed, Mr. Elcock, Mr. Burke, Mr. Nerbonne, Father Arens, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the faculty, family, guests, and brothers of the Class of 2017: I would like to begin by congratulating all my brother members of the Class of 2017 for all the hard work, determination, and perseverance during these years. It is a great honor, and we should feel proud of this great accomplishment. Between the first day of 9th grade and now, we have experienced 1,373 days together. That’s 1,373 days of memories. That’s 1,373 days of studying, taking tests, debates, discussions, competition, cheering, and countless other activities. These shared experiences will bind our class together for many years to come. It is very difficult to sum up what makes Seb’s special. When I reflect on my years at Seb’s and the extraordinary mark it has left on me, so many unique qualities and happy memories come to my mind. Some of these include: the welcoming and nurturing community; the challenging environment inside and outside the classroom; the academic and intellectual quest for excellence, the culture of love and support for one another; and the emphasis on faith and serving God. I first experienced the welcoming nature of the Seb’s community when I joined the school in the 9th grade. As you can imagine, I was nervous, wondering how I would fit in, given that many of the students had been together since the 7th grade. Less than one hour into my first day, in Mrs. Schwimmer’s classroom, Kyle McCarthy and John Petro had introduced themselves to me and made me feel welcomed in my advisor group. Later in the day, Joe Hunt saved a seat for me at the lunch table. I had, through these simple acts, felt a connection to a group of my peers. I also remember my second day of school when we were working on computers during Mr. Wong’s Biology class. I left my desk to collect materials for the lab when suddenly my computer slid off the table and onto the floor, making a loud and embarrassing crashing noise. My classmates gave me quite a bit of good-natured ribbing. Even four years after the incident, we still laugh about it. This endearing moment is now a part of the many jokes and funny stories we tell each other. The academic rigor of Seb’s is self-evident. The proof is in the many students who attend many prestigious universities. Over the course of these four years, we have taken 24 courses; many of us have taken 6, 7, 8, or more Advanced Placement courses. We have learned so much, both inside and outside the classroom. We take the principles and lessons learned in the classroom
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and apply them to life. Many classes are built on discussion and debate between peers with faculty facilitating the discussion. Many times, we would have debates in class which would carry over into the library. I have had classes with many of the same students, and we have grown together not only as students, but as friends. Faculty and students work together to provide a nurturing and supportive environment to all. Teachers frequently will give up many hours before and after school to help students. They truly invest in their students. Teachers like Ms. Callini, Mr. Ryan, Ms. Gilman, and countless others help students early in the morning, late after school, and even during their lunch periods. Whenever a student needs more help, a teacher will be available to provide the support necessary for success. Also, teachers will invest their time in different clubs, activities, and sports. I often see the same teachers I have in class as coaches or club leaders. That is something unique to this school, and it will be hard to find another school with a teaching staff so dedicated and committed to the students. The Seb’s community motivates students to go beyond their comfort level and take on new challenges outside of school. The various clubs, activities, and sports people can participate in provide great tools for development. I am naturally an introverted person. However, this introvert has joined the Senior Investment Group, Finance Academy, Debate Team, International Club, Swim Team, and other clubs, sports, and activities. Seb’s encourages each student to step outside his comfort zone, and try something he might not like at first. I would never have experienced what I have experienced without such a supportive and inclusive environment. For that I am forever grateful.
COMMENCEMENT 2017 “When I reflect on my years at Seb’s and the extraordinary mark it has left on me, so many unique qualities and happy memories come to my mind.”
Seb’s fosters a community of love and care for one another. It starts with Mr. Burke, but includes everyone here. When we call the school community the “Saint Sebastian’s Family”, we mean it. The school provides each person who enters our doors with a second family away from home. From cheering on the hockey, football, or lacrosse teams on Friday evenings to going to debates, hearing a guest speaker at the Finance Academy, or watching the chess tournament championship on the television, we are excited about the achievements of our peers, and want to see them succeed. It is rare to find other communities where a group of over 400 students, staff, teachers, and administrators are so supportive and so caring of each other. In addition to preparing students for college, Seb’s prepares us to be men of faith. The deeply religious foundation of the school makes us all better people. Seb’s taught the moral and compassionate values that are so built-into who we are today. We learned the importance of giving and helping others less fortunate. I particularly enjoyed the breakfasts at the Paulist Center organized by Mr. Eaton during my junior year. Every month, Jackson McKeigue, Cole Jarczyk, a few other people, and I would prepare and serve meals to homeless individuals in Boston. We saw a personal side to homelessness that will remain with us for the rest of our lives. In addition, Seb’s taught us a broad range of Christian principles. All in all, the school taught us to look to something far deeper and more meaningful to our existence. This provides a different, often overlooked, perspective which makes all of us wiser, more compassionate, and better members of our community. And now, a message for the Class of 2017: It has been a long road together. We have experienced great joys, sad moments, and everything in between. We have grown closer, and have become a family. I would not have wanted to spend my high school years with another group of students. I am in awe of the character, the resolve, and the friendship of this group of 67 scholars, athletes, musicians, artists, and gentlemen. Although our high school years are over, that does not mean that we must lose contact with each other. We should work to maintain the friendships we have built, so that they can last a lifetime. Now, I would like to thank a few people before I go. To my mother and my father, thank you for the constant support, love, and advice you have given to me over the years. You have made me who I am today, and I hope and pray to be like you when I grow up. Cristina, thank you for helping me manage high school with your wisdom. To all my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, many of whom are here today, thank you for your constant love, support, and friendship. To all my teachers, especially my advisor, Mrs. Schwimmer, and my math teacher
and swimming coach, Ms. Callini, thank you for always being there for me; I appreciate all your help over the years, both inside and outside the classroom. Finally, to the Class of 2017, let’s remember each other as we go on. Thank you, and God bless.
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Launching the
SPIRIT PEOPLE CAMPAIGN
S T. S EBASTIAN’S M AGAZINE Image:26 West| Campus Center Entrance
Volume XII, Issue III
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he story of St. Sebastian’s School has been one of eternal purpose, crystal clear vision, and dramatic transformation. Highlights include our immediate success in 1941, the move from Nonantum Hill to Needham in 1983, the appointment of Bill Burke as the first lay Headmaster in 1990, the growth in the number and quality of students and faculty, the expansion of our property, and the renovation and construction of facilities. Forever leading with mission, every move we have made has been in service of helping us call our young men to ever-rising peaks of excellence in body, mind, and spirit. In January 2016, our Board of Trustees approved the $55 million Spirit & People Capital Campaign, so as we conclude our 75th Anniversary, we find ourselves on the cusp of another major leap forward.
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Our new Spirit & People Campaign promises to provide needed facilities in which we can call our young men to ever-rising peaks of excellence, and to provide additional endowment funds to keep tuition as low as possible, to boost financial aid, and to compensate our great people even better. Ours has been an inspiring story. And with your continued support and love and prayers, the best is yet to come.
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— Bill Burke, Headmaster P’95,’97,’00,’04
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he five-year Spirit & People Capital Campaign has two distinct components; $31 million to fund construction of the West Campus Center, a project that will greatly enhance our athletic facilities and provide needed space for performing arts, college counseling, archives and administrative offices; and $24 million to increase the School’s endowment, enabling us to achieve our short term and long term financial goals. Led by fabulous Campaign Committee Co-Chairs Jack Connors GP’20,’23 and Bill O’Malley P’09,’10,’13, and Board of Trustees President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08, and thanks to the tremendous generosity of our
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board and many loyal alumni, parents, past parents, grandparents and friends of St. Sebastian’s, we have surpassed the half-way mark in fundraising. Following a formal Groundbreaking Ceremony in May 2017, Bowdoin Construction Corporation began in earnest on the West Campus Center project with an expected completion date of September 2018. This magnificent renovation and expansion project, designed by Rob Olson and Associates, will increase opportunities and improve experiences for our students and those who serve them in more powerfully positive ways than we can count.
It’s the right thing to do – both the building and the endowment; it’s the right time to do it. We are doing this for a great man and a great community and if our supporters step up, we will get it done together. — Bill O’Malley P’09,’10,’13, Campaign Co-Chair
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Adding 49,000 sq. ft. of new construction space and 21,000 sq. ft. of renovated space, the West Campus Center will feature: For Winter Sports • New competition basketball court with an observation deck, providing the School with two full basketball courts • Six Squash Courts • A dedicated wrestling room with two full mats; multipurpose space in fall and spring Training and Fitness • Athletic Director’s Office and Meeting Room • Additional locker rooms with showers for our students and visiting teams • Women’s Locker Room • Official’s Locker Room School-wide Program Support • 144-seat theater, providing meeting and performance space for fine arts, athletics, college counseling and other purposes • Expanded lobby for events and enlarged Arrows Hall • Courtyard with tables and chairs for students • Administrative offices • Space for School Archives and Campus Store • Elevator for full access
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St. Sebastian’s is now among the elite private schools in the Commonwealth academically, but not in all the facilities it offers or in the comparative size of its endowment. To remain competitive, we must build the West Campus Center and increase our endowment significantly. Without both, the School cannot realize its dreams.
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— Jack Connors GP’20,’23, Campaign Co-Chair
In 1990, the School’s endowment was a mere $30,000. Thanks to a transformative $5 million gift from Frank Ward P’96, GP’09,’11 and his wife, Eileen, the success of subsequent campaigns, and the generosity of many donors, our endowment stands at $36 million as of June 30, 2017. While this growth has been truly impressive, our endowment funds are still well below where they need to be, as we remain, in essence, a tuition-driven School. By boosting endowment significantly, we will be able to control tuition increases and fund financial aid for deserving students. This additional source of funding will enable us to compensate our outstanding faculty more robustly and secure the School’s future. A successful Spirit & People Campaign promises to strengthen our beloved School beyond words and position us extraordinarily well for the next 75 years and beyond.
1} Main entrance to the West Campus Center. n 2} Future Arrows basketball court with observation deck. n 3} Six squash courts will allow the Club Squash Team to compete at the varsity level. n 4} Multi-purpose theater space. n 5} Dedicated wrestling room with theater style seating.
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We are breaking ground today on an incredible building, which will be the next step toward reaching our goal of achieving a state-ofthe-art campus. This project is a timely and substantial investment in our Athletic program, but it really will go far beyond athletics to improve many other departments and aspects of the school. — Jim Elcock ’77, P’08, Board President
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Breaking Ground on the West Campus Center
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n May 11, the School community celebrated the groundbreaking of the new West Campus Center, an exciting milestone for St. Sebastian’s and the Spirit & People Campaign. In the afternoon, students and faculty gathered outside of the Administration Building for a brief ceremony, beginning with a blessing by Fr. John Arens and remarks by Board President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08. Headmaster Bill Burke addressed the School community next, followed by Athletic Director David Hinman and Student Body President-elect Matt Wolpe ’18. Chief of Staff to Senator Richard Ross, Greg Casey, presented a Proclamation from the State House to St. Sebastian’s and Fr. John Paris closed the afternoon ceremony with a prayer. In the early evening, prior to the annual President’s Society Reception, the Board of Trustees and lead donors gathered for the official Groundbreaking Ceremony. Along with the blessing by Fr. Arens, Campaign Co-Chair Bill O’Malley P’09,’10,’13 shared his excitement about the project and what it will mean for the students and future of St. Sebastian’s. Headmaster Burke and Jim Elcock also gave remarks before trustee Rev. Michael Drea delivered the closing prayer. The celebration continued in Ward Hall, where Campaign Co-chair Jack Connors GP’20,’23 spoke about how far St. Sebastian’s has come thanks to the School’s leadership and generous support of current and past parents and alumni.
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Top: Engraved groundbreaking shovel used for the ceremony. n Above: Campaign Co-Chair Bill O’Malley P’09,’10,’13, Headmaster Bill Burke, Board President Jim Elcock ’77, P’08 and Campaign Co-Chair Jack Connors GP’20,’23. n Left: Students applaud from the sidelines as the groundbreaking begins.
Class of 2017 Parents Celebrate the Senior Class Gift
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arking the beginning of Commencement Week, parents of the Class of 2017 gathered at St. Sebastian’s School on Sunday, June 4, for a reception and dinner to dedicate this year’s Senior Class gift. Parents congregated on the turf field under a tent, with a good view of the construction that had already begun on the West Campus Center, a part of the Spirit & People Campaign. After sharing the architectural designs for the future courtyard, Headmaster Burke said a few words about the Senior Class Gift: the Class of 2017 Courtyard and the Class of 2017 Brotherhood Fund. This year’s gift is especially meaningful, with 100% participation from the senior parents, raising over $250,000 for the Class of 2017 Brotherhood Fund. Although the courtyard will not be completed until the fall of 2018, Fr. John Arens blessed the ground on which the new courtyard will exist. Afterwards, the parents enjoyed dinner, followed by remarks from Headmaster Burke, on the Class of 2007 Terrace. It was a wonderful evening.
Top to bottom: Class of 2017 Courtyard will serve as an outside courtyard gathering area for students. n Fr. John Arens blesses the future Class of 2017 Courtyard. n Members of the Class of 2017 Senior Class Gift Committee
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Reflecting on 35 Years of
Teaching Arrows
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or three and a half decades, Elaine Schwimmer served St. Sebastian’s as Chair of the Spanish Department. “Elaine loved her discipline, teaching the Spanish language and culture to generations of devoted students with energy and passion. Even greater than her love for Spanish was her love of her students,” shared Michael Nerbonne, Assistant Headmaster and Dean of Studies. “She cared about every aspect of their lives, both inside and outside of the classroom. She was certainly interested in how much Spanish they were learning; but she cared much more about the kind of men they were becoming.” Schwimmer reflects on the many memories and changes that have occurred during her tenure as St. Sebastian’s longest-serving female faculty member.
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How did you come to find yourself working at St. Sebastian’s?
It was 1982 and I was looking for a teaching job. Responding to an advertisement I saw in The Boston Globe, I applied to “Box Z.” Shortly afterward, St. Seb’s called me for an interview. I had never heard of the school, but I came in and loved it from the very beginning.
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How have you changed since you started working here in 1982?
I see students more holistically now than I did when I taught in public school. I grew to know the kids better through extracurricular activities, such as the International Club, the Spanish National Honor Society, serving as a class moderator, going with them to Washington D.C. That made a big change in how I viewed students.
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What has been your favorite part of working at St. Sebastian’s?
My favorite part of working here has to be the quality of both the students and the faculty. Seeing the students’ growth, not just in their ability with the Spanish language, is a joy. I love teaching a subject where
your students come in knowing nothing, or they are at a certain level, and within a week you see progress. Within two weeks you see more progress. It’s immediate gratification being a language teacher, whereas you might not see so visibly the day-by-day progress in some other courses. I also love broadening students’ horizons, making them more open-minded by teaching them about other cultures. After all, studying a foreign language isn’t just listening, speaking, reading, and writing. It’s also culture, not only geography and history, but also the kiss on two cheeks, the Quinceañera (a girl’s 15th year birthday party), the different ways religious rituals are celebrated, or what’s happening in Cuba now. Learning about other perspectives can be a real eye-opener.
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What has your experience with the International Club been like?
When I first got here there were very few clubs, sports mostly but not clubs, so I started the International Club. I welcomed students from grades 7 through 12 at the time, and I had all of seven boys join that first year. After a while, though, enrollment increased and this past year, there were 45 or so students, and that’s with the club being open to only grades 10 to 12. The club does a lot of planning for events like field trips to a museum or a play. We’ve raised funds to support a Bolivian foster child through the Child Fund, and donated to Haiti and Japan after their devastating natural disasters. During National Foreign Languages Week, we’ve presented school-wide
“The students really care about you. They respect you as a person, not just as the teacher with a capital T.” WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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“My favorite part of working here has to be the quality of both the students and the faculty. Seeing the students’ growth, not just in their ability with the Spanish language, is a joy.”
assemblies featuring speakers from both in and out of the school community as well as international lunches during that week. Working with the boys in a club setting helped me see them outside of the world of academics. Some students demonstrated creativity, some demonstrated leadership whereas they might not have had the opportunity to showcase those particular characteristics in the classroom.
passed away or when I gave birth to my first son earlier than expected, faculty members rallied around and covered my classes. That’s just the type of community it is. The students really care about you too. They respect you as a person, not just as the teacher with a capital T.
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Can you talk about your experience with the St. Sebastian’s community?
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The key word here is community. When I started working here, I was in awe. I had come from working in public school, where there was much more of a division among administration, parents, students, and teachers. Here we are really a community. When my father
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What have been some of the biggest changes you’ve witnessed since you first joined the faculty? There have been humongous changes since I came here 35 years ago, the last year at the Newton campus. I had five classes in five different classrooms, in two different buildings, depending upon the day of the week. One was in the biology lab. One was off the gym. After we moved to the Needham campus, I had my own classroom. A major change from then until now is that there were only 3 women faculty members in 1982,
and there were under 300 students at the school. There were few students studying Spanish as it had been only recently introduced into the curriculum (most took Latin or French). Presently, about half of the school is taking Spanish, and we offer two Spanish Advanced Placement courses! We have trips to Spanishspeaking countries, National Spanish Honor Society and multiple awards for all the languages. Foreign language study has indeed become a major part of the curriculum. On a larger scale, over the years the physical size of the school has expanded exponentially, accompanied by constant advances in technology. There are additional playing fields, a larger and improved library, dedicated labs for computers (including a language lab), to name a few examples. There’s just been tremendous growth and I am so proud of having been a part of St. Sebastian’s.
LEFT: Elaine Schwimmer is congratulated by fellow faculty member Carla Callini as she receives the Joseph P. MacDonald Award at Commencement 2017 RIGHT: Schwimmer in the classroom.
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EVENT HIGHLIGHTS PARENTS OF ALUMNI RECEPTION On April 27, St. Sebastian’s hosted the annual Parents of Alumni Reception in Ward Hall. Numerous parents from a wide range of classes returned to campus to reconnect, reminisce and celebrate as St. Sebastian’s approached the conclusion of its 75th Anniversary year. Parents of Alumni Co-chair Celeste Wolfe P’09,’12 welcomed the parents and Father John Arens offered an opening prayer. Headmaster Bill Burke greeted everyone in attendance and shared a few words before introducing a video which showcased some of the special moments and memories from the 75th Gala celebration.
Rebecca Wasynczuk P’14,’17, Lucy Kapples P’16,’18, Julie Mulvey P’17,’21 and Eileen Orscheln P’17.
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION COOKOUT On June 14, Headmaster Bill Burke hosted many parents, alumni and friends on the Class of 2007 Terrace for the Volunteer Appreciation Cookout to celebrate and thank the tremendous team of volunteers who have made contributions of time and talent this year. From supporting Guild and Men’s Association events, to working on the annual fund and serving as class agents, we thank all the volunteers that have made this year so very special. Pat and Tom Lyons P’90, GP’19 with Ann Hunnewell P’11,’20.
GUILD OF ST. IRENE FASHION SHOW St. Sebastian’s mothers enjoyed an evening of fun and fashion on May 16 at the Guild of St. Irene’s annual closing event in Ward Hall. The Dinner & Fashion Show began with socializing and some fantastic shopping. The event was an opportunity to welcome new moms and celebrate senior moms, as well as thank departing Guild President Lucy Kapples P’16,’18 for all of her hard work this past year and hand over the reins to incoming President Cara Real P’13,’19. Thank you to event co-chairs Jeanne McKenzie P’18,’20 and Susan Wagner P’19 and the entire committee for their fantastic efforts to organize this wonderful evening!
Headmaster Bill Burke, Mike Muldowney P’12,’16,’22, Rob Wadsworth P’10,’15 and Chris Kelly P’10.
HEADMASTER SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT More than 100 St. Sebastian’s parents, alumni, and friends hit the links at Charles River Country Club on May 8 for the Headmaster Scholarship Golf Tournament. For the fourth year in a row, the outing successfully raised funds for the Headmaster Scholarship which provides financial assistance to St. Sebastian’s students. Thank you to Men’s Association President Mike Muldowney P’12,’16,’22 and Golf Chair Sam Hodgson P’12,’20 for their efforts to make this event a fantastic success. Thank you also to all of our sponsors and participants for your generous support of the tournament.
Incoming Guild President Cara Real P’13,’19, Co-Chair Susan Wagner P’19, 2016-17 Guild President Lucy Kapples P’16,’18 and Co-Chair Jeanne McKenzie P’18,’20. WWW. S T S EBASTIANS S CHOOL.ORG
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Spring Revue T
he St. Sebastian’s Community filled Ward Hall on Friday, May 12, for the Fine Arts Department’s annual Spring Revue. The entertaining evening showcased students’ acting and musical talents. The Slings & Arrows Players began the night with four student-directed plays: “The Argument Clinic,” directed by Aidan Garrity ’20; “Morning of a Private Eye,” directed by Tony Perez ’19; “DMV Tyrant,” directed by Thomas Olson ’18 and AJ Santosuosso ’18; and “The Philadelphia” directed by Andrew Elcock ’17 and Sam Gordon ’17. After intermission, the Spring Revue turned to music, with sets from the Pop Rock Ensemble and the Jazz Band. Pop Rock took the stage first, performing “Twist and Shout” and “Holiday.” The Jazz Band followed with “Sell Out,” “Our House,” “Beyond the Sea” and “Buttercup.” Lights and sound were beautifully handled by Aidan Garrity ’20, Nicholas Howell ’18, Evan Prince ’20 and Nolan Prince ’19. Congratulations to all the students for your wonderful performances!
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An Exploration of ETHAN FIDALGO ’17 recently completed the St. Sebastian’s Advanced Placement Studio Art course led by art teacher Deirdre Rynne Annan. Fidalgo’s concentration was “Family: Past into Present.” Throughout the year, Fidalgo explored his Cape Verdean heritage and how his large immigrant family has influenced and shaped him throughout the course of his life. His compositions were either direct observations or based off of source images that explored his family’s boundless love and dedicated hard work. The twelve pieces he submitted for his concentration studied the dynamics of memory and legacy in his large, Cape Verdean family. “I focused on the feelings I got from being around my family,” said Fidalgo,
Family through ART
explaining how he settled on the theme for his AP Studio Art concentration. “Mrs. Annan had me write down one hundred questions and then from that we were going to see what I was most interested in.” Fidalgo explored a number of topics including emotion and human interaction, but because of his interest in portraiture and his love for those closest to him, he decided to do a whole series on his family. Creating twelve pieces for his concentration was no easy task, and Fidalgo struggled along the way. The biggest challenge he overcame was getting out of his own head. Fidalgo is a self-proclaimed perfectionist, but Annan encouraged him not to fixate intensely on making his portraits picture-perfect.
Instead, Fidalgo learned to relax more and let the piece develop before him. His favorite piece in the entire portfolio is the painting of his grandmother. Even though he never met his father’s mother, Fidalgo felt inspired to create her portrait from photographs he found in an old album lying around his house. “She’s never going to be able to see it,” said Fidalgo, “but it is how everyone else in my family remembers her.” Fidalgo’s family, in particular his father, loves the painting. Fidalgo’s work is thought-provoking and creative. He explored his family’s heritage and discovered many things about himself along the way. As for his future aspirations as an artist, Ethan plans on minoring in art at Tufts University.
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a Creative Voice giving students with disabilities
BY JOEY SPADONI
T
he students enrolled in this past year’s AP Photography course shared what they had learned in their photography class with children at the Cotting School—the first day school in the United States to serve students with disabilities. Blake Gallagher ’17, Eric Jeremiah ’17, Adama Kaba ’17, and Will Hentschel ’19 raised money for cameras and adaptive equipment that allowed each child, regardless of his or her physical disability, to take pictures. The Arrows worked with students with a broad spectrum of learning and communication disabilities, physical challenges, and complex medical conditions.
Courtney Bent, the AP Photography teacher, offered her students this opportunity as a way to provide them with the fulfilling experience she gained from her 100 Cameras Project—the joy of watching someone take a picture for the very first time, the pleasure of giving a creative voice to someone who has been invisible in many ways to society, and the deep sense of happiness and satisfaction felt when giving to others. “I wanted our students to see how something simple, that we often take for granted like taking a picture, can be incredibly empowering and rewarding for someone who has never been given the opportunity,” said Bent. Every Monday for five weeks this spring, the students visited the Cotting School and took pictures with the new photographers. “It’s been so amazing to not only see the excitement from the Cotting School students when the St. Sebastian’s crew
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walks into class,” shared Bent, “but so incredible to see the joy, patience, commitment, compassion, and love these boys have brought to each and every photographer.” The end of the service opportunity culminated in the AP Photography class editing over 1,000 photographs taken by the Cotting School photographers and creating a slideshow of their work. The slideshow, the final piece of the project, provided a way for the Cotting School students to share their own personal vision with the community. Viewing this powerful collection of images allowed them to feel pride and a real sense of accomplishment in what they had created. Although the Arrows were volunteering their time, they also gained something from working with the Cotting School students—a deeper sense of the commonalities between themselves and individuals with disabilities, and more compassion and acceptance in their hearts as they move forward through life. Learn more about The 100 Cameras Project at www.shootingbeauty.org.
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3
ISL Championships in One Season
The spring athletics season at St. Sebastian’s ended with three of our varsity teams—lacrosse, baseball and golf—securing Independent School League (ISL) Championships! This incredible achievement is a historic first for the Arrows—never before have three of our teams won ISL titles in the same season.
On the course, the golf team ended the season with an 18-0-1 undefeated record overall, a 16-0-1 league record, and the Walworth Trophy as the league champions for the second consecutive year. The team also came home with the Kingman Cup.
Varsity Golf BY COACH GEORGE MORELLI In the preseason ISL coaches’ discussions, the 2017 Arrows Golf Team was not mentioned on the short list of possible teams to make a run at the league championship. The sentiment was that the Arrows had a nice returning group from the 2016 championship team but lost too much talent with the departure of five seniors. When this sentiment was relayed to the team, Co-captains Mario Oliva ’18 and Jack Lemone ’18 took this as a challenge to prove all the forecasters wrong, which they did. It all began against Tabor Academy on one of the better weather days of the year at beautiful Kittansett Golf Club with a resounding 8-0 victory. A tight 4-3 win against last year’s runner-up, Rivers, followed along with victories over Middlesex and Governor’s Academy. Next up was Nobles and a battle of undefeated teams. Making a clear statement that the Arrows were not to be taken lightly, the team defeated a very talented Nobles squad 5.5 – 1.5. Leading the way were Andrew Giacchetto ’19, with
On the diamond, the baseball team finished with an ISL record of 12-2 (17-4 overall), capturing a title to match their hard work all season and bringing home their first banner since 2007.
On the turf, the nationally ranked lacrosse team clinched a share of the ISL crown, finishing with an ISL record of 14-1 (17-2 overall). This is the lacrosse team’s second ISL title in school history; the first was in 2012.
In a 16-school league as deep, talented, and competitive as the ISL, winning these championships was no easy feat. Congratulations to all of our teams and coaches on an outstanding season. Go Arrows!!! Co-captain Mario Oliva ‘18 drives the golf ball off the tee.
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a sizzling four under par 32, and Oliva, with one under par 35 at Charles River Country Club. After close calls versus Thayer and BB&N, both 4-3, the Arrows were aligned to face rival Belmont Hill. The match came down to the wire. With both teams gathered around the final hole, Joe O’Donnell ’19 calmly matched his opponent shot for shot and the match ended in a tie. By this point, the Arrows had started to roll and their record stood at 8-0-1. Seemingly the Arrows biggest weakness, depth, was turning out to be their biggest strength. The Arrows were getting tremendous play at the top of the lineup from Giacchetto and Andrew Michienzi ’19. On the rare occasion Giacchetto wasn’t winning, he was grinding out ties (two of which were on the final hole). Michienzi, a number one player for most teams, was piling up wins in the second position. As the season unfolded, it was apparent that there were potentially three number ones on the Arrows roster, as Oliva compiled victory after victory at the number three and four spots. At the midway point, Oliva was 7-0-1. And Lemone was not to be overlooked, as dangerous a four as there is in the league, capable of even par on any given day. In addition to the “seasoned” first four, the newcomers to regular spots in the varsity rotation were more than holding their own. After eight matches, Billy McNamara ’18 quietly amassed a 7-0-1 record and his playing partner, tri-captain elect Patrick DuFour ’18, never gave an inch (or a putt); this duo was proving themselves more than formidable at the five and six positions. Lastly, the aforementioned sophomore Joe O’Donnell and 8th grader Juan Oliva were combined 5-2-1, sharing duties in the seventh spot. Over the second half of the season, the Arrows shifted to an even higher gear, beating St. Mark’s and Middlesex by a combined 12.5 to 1.5 and the rematch with Nobles on their home course 4.5 to 2.5. A share of the regular season title was secured with a sweep of Belmont Hill and Thayer in a tri-match. With only a half needed to clinch the league, the Arrows traveled north to Renaissance golf club to take on
Andrew Giacchetto ‘19, Andrew Michienzi ‘19, Mario Oliva ‘18, Jack Lemone ‘18, and Billy McNamara ‘18 at the Kingman Cup.
Brooks and Milton Academy. The Arrows played relaxed and with rhythm, winning both by 6.5 to .5 and 4.5 to 2.5 respectively. With a final 4-3 victory over non-league Dexter, the Arrows ended the season with an 18-0-1 undefeated record overall, a 16-0-1 league record and the Walworth Trophy as the league champions for the second consecutive year. On May 15, St. Sebastian’s participated in The Kingman Cup—the 18 hole medal play tournament where every team sends their five top players to one site to contend for this prestigious trophy. Our team this year was composed of our cocaptains Mario Oliva and Jack Lemone, accompanied by Andrew Giacchetto, Andrew Michienzi and Billy McNamara. On a cold, windy, rainy day at the seaside location Newport National Golf Club, the Arrows walked off with all the hardware as they captured the Cup by a four stroke margin and Giacchetto won individual honors with an eye-popping 2 under
par 70. Michienzi again won all league distinction with a fourth place finish at 75. Billy McNamara fired an 87 to complete the best four out of five team score of 314. Even though golf is an individual sport, there was a tangible feeling of camaraderie with this group throughout the season; teammates pulling for each other regardless of how their own individual matches played out. On so many occasions, Arrow golfers from all positions 1-7, delivered key wins to secure matches and a repeat championship season. Other contributing varsity players who competed in at least one match were juniors Matt Wolpe, Jake Milbury and Nick Price and freshman Ted Murphy. With no graduating players, the Arrows are looking forward to having the bullseye on their backs and second title defense next year!
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Varsity Baseball BY COACH RICHARD CONNOLLY It’s the first banner the baseball program has hung since 2007 (a team coached by current physics teacher John Ryan), but more significantly, it’s the first outright championship since 1996 (an undefeated team coached by the inestimable Bob Souza). The varsity baseball team went 17-4 overall, and 12-2 in the Independent School League. All-league recognition went to co-captain Tommy Seidl ’17, Brian Craven ’18, Landon Dombrowski ’18, and Matt Joyce ’20. Honorable mentions were given to Connor Bertsch ’19, Tim Noone ’19, and Billy Seidl ’19. The Paul Lepley award, given by the coaches to the player who shows the qualities of commitment, teamwork, and dedication to the sport of baseball at St. Sebastian’s, went to Tommy Seidl. Captain-elect for next year is Brian Craven. The story of this season was the team’s refusal to lose close games. Looking back on the campaign, there were at least six games that could have gone either way, but the Arrows decided it would go theirs. The 2017 team played a brand of baseball they, as a group, created and cherished. Timmy DiFiore ’17 was cocaptain alongside Tommy Seidl, and Chris Joyce ’17 joined them as the senior leaders who set the tone from day one. They showed the younger players how this team would approach each day, and demonstrated gratitude for having the opportunity to play the game they love with their brothers. It all started in Washington, D.C. where Coach Connolly’s former school, St. Albans, graciously gave the team use of their amazing baseball facility. The Arrows’ simple daily itinerary was: breakfast, walk to field for practice, lunch, rest, walk to field for batting practice, play a game or scrimmage, team dinner, back to hotel to watch the World Baseball Classic, bed. Rinse. Repeat. The team played two official games, winning
Co-captain Tommy Seidl ’17 crushes a solo home-run.
both, but their time in the Nation’s Capital will ultimately be remembered for the bonding that took place, and the sense of identity the team formed. Up north, the team lost their first game to Dexter, who ended up going undefeated. The Arrows bounced back with an ISL-opening win over crossbridge rival Nobles, then delivered a walk-off win against Lawrence, who entered the last inning with a one-run lead that was quickly erased when Craven tripled to lead-off, was driven in by Billy Seidl, and later Alex Cherry ’19 singled with the bases loaded to avenge last year’s heartbreaking loss at Lawrence’s field. At Groton, the team earned an 8-3 win that was closer than it sounds, and followed that up with a 4-0 victory against St. George’s. Facing all-boys’ school rival Roxbury Latin, the varsity squad overcame a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead into the seventh, when RL loaded the bases with one out, but Craven induced a pitcher-to-catcher groundout, then used three pitches to strike out the next batter to earn the save, after Billy Seidl had delivered a masterful performance on the mound.
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Next was a 7-4 extra innings win, after blowing a two-run lead in the seventh, against now-non-league St. Paul’s, then a 6-1 loss to Belmont Hill, who finished a game behind St. Sebastian’s in the standings. Tommy Seidl started the first inning in the Belmont Hill game with a solo homerun, and then the Arrows loaded the bases, but the Sexton shortstop snagged an absolute screamer off the bat of Cherry to end the inning, and the rest of the team’s offensive chances seemed to be similarly snuffed out. The team’s mantra is Kaizen, a Japanese word that means “continuous improvement,” but this year, the Englishteaching head coach decided to borrow another word from a foreign language: manana. In Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, the narrator explains, “manana,” a lovely word and one that probably means “heaven.” Of course, it means “tomorrow,” but after a loss to Belmont Hill on a Thursday, and then faced with the immediate challenge of taking on reigning league champion BB&N the next day, it can feel like a gift from heaven. Against the Knights, the team
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took a 5-0 lead into the 7th, and with two outs BB&N just had a man on first base. In a Murphy’s Law kind of way, the Knights scored three runs and had the bases loaded before Noone jogged in from right field, with limited warm up between innings, and induced the gamewinning out. The Arrows lost to eventual Central New England champs Worcester Academy, then cruised to a win over Middlesex, before facing Rivers, a team that always gives St. Sebastian’s problems, and once again they pushed across two runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 5-4 game, and then got a man on with one out in the seventh before Bertsch snagged a line drive and doubled-up the runner to secure victory. The team then beat soon-to-be ISL rival Tabor 7-3, before facing another reigning league champ in Milton. The Mustangs took a 3-2 lead in the fifth, but the Arrows punched back in their half of the inning to make it 4-3, only to have Milton put runners at first and third with two outs in the seventh. Matt Joyce ’20 threw a groundout to pick up the save, after Billy Seidl was once again dominant on the bump. Matt Joyce was called into action three days later, spinning an 82-pitch, complete-game gem to beat another defending champ, Governor’s, 6-1. In what could probably be called the defining game of the season, the Arrows were down 7-3 to St. Mark’s entering the sixth, but scored two runs in that frame, and two more in the next to send it to extras. Noone entered in the bottom of the fifth with no outs and the bases loaded and retired the next three batters, continuing into the bottom of the ninth, ultimately striking out nine Lions. Craven then took the mound with the bases loaded and two outs, only to have St. Mark’s best player work a full count. Bottom of the ninth, tie game, bases loaded, full count—one bad pitch (or a bad call) and the game would have been lost. Craven threw a high fast ball that looked too good, the batter swung, he missed, and the game went into a 10th inning, where DiFore ’17 led off
with a double, was sacrificed over by Jack Browne ’18, and driven in by Noone, who then scored when Craven punished a ball over the left field fence. The team left Southborough with a 10-7 win. Four days later at Brooks, with a 5-1 win that was punctuated by another Tommy Seidl homerun, St. Sebastian’s clinched the ISL title, a full week before the season would finish. Unfortunately,
the team was unable to really distance themselves from the other teams, as they dropped a 4-3 decision at Thayer in what was the only close game that they didn’t find a way to win. Fortunately, Phillips Andover was added to the schedule this year, and it was nice for the Arrows to end the year at home, especially given that they won 9-5 against a traditional New England powerhouse.
TOP: The varsity baseball team gathers around together before their game. BOTTOM: Landon Dombrowski ’18 rounds second base.
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Varsity Lacrosse BY COACH ADAM WHITE With fourteen Division I commitments on the roster, the 2017 Arrows entered the season with high expectations. In order to prepare for a grueling ISL schedule, they co-hosted the first ever Spring Kickoff Tournament with Nobles. Also in attendance were the Hill Academy from Toronto, IMG from Florida, and Taft
and Westminster from Connecticut. The Arrows opened up with a tough draw, facing IMG, one of the top-five programs in the country. IMG practices in the sun all year round and they had already played some nationally ranked opponents, so with only three practices under their belts, the Arrows squad was in for a rude awakening. In a chippy contest, IMG won 19-12, but the St. Sebastian’s team took away two important lessons from that day. First, they learned they could score plenty of goals against a good defense. And
ABOVE: Members of the varsity lacrosse team celebrating together during their game at Harvard Stadium. RIGHT: Alex Gainey ‘18 and Peter Blake ’19 defend the Arrows’ net from an opponent’s shot.
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second, they learned that they didn’t want to play the way they played against IMG ever again. The next two games came back-toback. The day after the IMG loss, the boys bounced back with a 13-10 win over Taft, last year’s Founder’s League champions. The next day, they beat Westminster 13-12 in a come-from-behind OT thriller. John Piatelli ’17 scored the game-tying goal with ten seconds left in regulation, and he set up Matt DeSisto ’18 for the winner in doubleovertime. After that, the Arrows roughed up Exeter in their final non-league tune-up, and then it was on to the ISL. After a tight win over Roxbury Latin, the Arrows reached new heights with a 15-7 win over Nobles. It was still early in the season, but the boys were starting to adapt to their new style of play. They wanted to play fast and score in transition, using their depth to put pressure on opponents. The run-and-gun style continued to pay dividends with big wins over the next four opponents. And then it was time to face Belmont Hill. Belmont Hill has been the class of the league for the past five years, and it had been that long since the Arrows beat their rivals. On a cool, drizzly day in Belmont, the Arrows struck early and often. Behind great faceoff play from Peter Rowe ’17 and Brendan McKenzie ’18, the Arrows controlled possession for most of the game. The talented Belmont Hill squad made a valiant comeback effort in the second half, but the Arrows held on for a 14-11 win. For the moment, the Arrows were the only undefeated team in the league.
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Spring Athletic Awards St. Sebastian’s School is proud to recognize its student-athletes for their performance on the Arrows varsity baseball, golf, lacrosse, sailing, tennis and ultimate frisbee teams. Awards and letters were given on Wednesday, May 31, 2017, during the spring Athletic Awards Assembly.
All-League ISL BASEBALL: Thomas Seidl ’17, Brian Craven ’18, Landon Dombrowski ’18, Matt Joyce ‘20 GOLF: Andrew Giacchetto ’19, Andrew Michienzi ’19 John Piatelli ‘17 and Parker Joyce ‘17 running together in the offensive zone.
As St. Sebastian’s rose up in the national rankings (#24, then #10, then #8 in the USA Today Super 25), other teams started gunning for them. Just one week after the win over Belmont Hill, the Arrows stumbled for just the second time all season, dropping a one-goal game to Rivers in the pouring rain. It was time to rally once again. Every game from that point onward was, in essence, a playoff game. One of these games was played against perennial ISL powerhouse, Governor’s, in Harvard Stadium before a huge and boisterous crowd of fans, parents, students, and alumni. Once again, the Arrows stormed out to an early lead in a big game and held on for a 15-12 victory. After that game, the defense decided it needed to stop letting the offense do all the work, so in front of stand-out goalie play from Alex Gainey ’18 and Mac Fotiades ’19, the defense took control down the home stretch, and the Arrows went into the final game of the season against Thayer needing a win to clinch a share of the ISL crown. They did so in convincing fashion, winning 15-7. It was the Arrows’ first title since 2012 and just the second in school history. To finish the season, the boys were invited to Washington, D.C. to participate in the first ever Geico High School
National Tournament, which aired on ESPNU. After a big 21-8 win over a strong Virginia squad, they eventually fell 12-10 to Hill Academy in the semi-finals, but it was a great experience for all involved. The boys wore their St. Sebastian’s dress code to games punctuated by pink sunglasses. Pink became the team’s unofficial third color down the stretch, and the boys fought hard in honor of their league and their school, but most importantly they played in honor of Suzie Pickard, mother of Peter Pickard ’18, and JJ Frisoli, uncle of Will ’19 and Jack ’17. Congratulations are in order to Parker Joyce ’17 for leading the league in goals and to John Piatelli ’17 for leading the league in assists and points. John was named an All-American and the ISL Player of the Year. Six Arrows were named All-League and six were named AllLeague Honorable Mention. Some of the losses suffered by the Arrows lacrosse community off the field were far more meaningful than any on-the-field wins, but the boys always maintained their focus and they always played hard. The seniors were exemplary leaders, and they’ve shown the younger players how to be champions, for which the program will be forever grateful.
LACROSSE: John Piatelli ’17, Parker Joyce ’17, Jack Frisoli ’17, Matt DeSisto ’18, Eric Jeremiah ’17, Will Frisoli ’19 TENNIS: Luke Jones ’17
Honorable Mention All-League BASEBALL: Connor Bertsch ’19, Tim Noone ’19, Billy Seidl ’19 LACROSSE: Cam Martin ’18, Michael Connolly ’17, Will Plansky ’18, Mike Swirbalus ’19, Alex Gainey ’18, Mac Fotiades ’19
Paul Lepley Award (Baseball) Presented by the coaches to the players who show the qualities of commitment, teamwork, and dedication to the sport of baseball at St. Sebastian’s School: Thomas Seidl ’17
Scholar Athlete Award Presented to members of the senior class who have participated in athletics each season from their sophomore through senior years: Camryn Cain ’17 and Blake Hailer ’17
Letterman Award Presented to members of the Senior Class who have earned a Varsity Letter in each season from their sophomore through senior years: Thomas Seidl ’17, Luke Jones ’17, John Petro ’17 and Peter Rowe ’17
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FIGHT
BY JOEY SPADONI
T
he motto for this year’s Varsity Lacrosse team was “fight.” During this very special season, the Arrows took that motto to heart, demonstrating their brotherly bonds both on and off the field. The squad rallied around one of their teammates through an inspiring fundraising campaign in honor of his mother.
At the beginning of March, Peter Pickard ’18, along with three of his classmates on the lacrosse team—Peter Murphy, Cam Martin and Brendan McKenzie— approached Dean of Students Brendan Sullivan with the idea of launching a fundraiser to support breast cancer awareness and help families challenged by the disease. At the time, Pickard’s mother, Suzie—also mother of Matthew ’14, daughter of Peter Powell ’52, and sister of Steven Powell ’81 and the late Peter Powell, Jr. ’78—was battling breast cancer. The
boys had heard that the team was going to play a game at Harvard Stadium as part of the Boston Cannons’ High School Rivalry Series and saw this as an opportunity to promote their campaign. They proposed that the whole team wear pink t-shirts under their jerseys, as well as pink socks, at the match to bring awareness to the cause. Their plan was to donate the money they raised from selling special t-shirts around the School, as well as from a GoFundMe page, to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Both the players’ t-shirts and those that were sold
featured the “Fight” motto, incorporating the breast cancer awareness symbol. The initial fundraising goal was set at $6,000. On the first Monday after March break, the four Arrows kicked off the fundraiser at Corporate Chapel and raised over $10,000 dollars by the end of that day! The campaign went viral. Donations came in over the following weeks, with support coming from friends of the Pickard family and the St. Sebastian’s community. Classmates of Peter Powell ’52, in solidarity with their “brother,” were instrumental in
TOP: The team’s “fight” motto on the back of a t-shirt. LEFT: The varsity lacrosse team wearing their pink t-shirts at Harvard Stadium. RIGHT: Juniors Cam Martin, Brendan McKenzie, Peter Pickard, and Peter Murphy present a check to Dr. Judy Garber of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
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helping to spread the word and contributed generously to the campaign. By the time of the first faceoff at the Harvard Stadium game on May 13, over $50,000 had been raised. For leading the team’s efforts, Pickard was recognized by the Boston Cannons as one of five “High School Heroes.” A moving example of St. Sebastian’s order of the day—to love God, work hard, and take good care of one another—those enduring values were clearly put into practice by the lacrosse team through the remainder of their incredible season. After securing the ISL title with a win against Thayer on May 22, the team, along with the entire junior class, attended Suzie Pickard’s funeral the following morning. Just a few days later, the Arrows headed to Washington, D.C. to play on the national stage in the Geico Tournament, continuing to support breast cancer awareness, and their teammate, by wearing their pink gear. During the Athletic Awards Assembly, Pickard and his friends presented a check to Dana-Farber medical oncologist and clinical cancer geneticist, Judy Garber. Having far surpassed their original goal of $6,000, the Arrows ultimately made a donation of $76,000. “It says more about the community, that through their generosity, we could raise as much as we did,” shared Pickard. “I know our money will make a difference. When someone in your family struggles with any kind of disease, the family can feel helpless. This helped me feel like I was doing something for my mom.” This spring season was a very challenging one for the Pickard family. Yet, in the face of great hardship, Peter found a way to give back with his Arrow brothers by his side. “I couldn’t have asked for a better group of guys. Everyone was so nice to me and my family, and gave us what we needed,” said Pickard. This year’s Varsity Lacrosse team perfectly illustrates the brotherly bonds fostered at St. Sebastian’s School. “I want to acknowledge Peter and his classmates for their incredible dedication to this fundraiser,” commented Brendan Sullivan. “The way they were able to take a tragedy and turn it into something positive was incredible. It doesn’t take away from the loss, but it definitely shows the character of these great young men.”
Save the Date HOMECOMING October 14, 2017
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CLOCKWISE: Luke Jones ’17, Royce Abel ‘18 and Jayson Barros ‘18 demonstrate their power on the courts.
Varsity Tennis BY COACH BRIAN RICHTER The Arrows Varsity Tennis team finished its season with a 10-game winning streak—one that secured a three-way tie for sixth place in the ISL. The team recorded a league record of 9-6, and 11-7 overall. Having lost its #s 1, 2, and 5 players from last year’s roster, the team fielded eight players, three of them newcomers— junior Royce Abel and sophomores Jack Dumouchel (#6) and Owen Martin. Returning from last year’s team were senior Luke Jones (co-captain and #3) and juniors Kurt Saraceno (co-captain and #1), Jayson Barros (#2), Henry DeMatteo (#4), and Paul Scemama (#5). In a sport that highlights individual performances, this year’s squad was characterized by its team play. At many points during the season, players met a variety of challenges in such a manner that all matches were true team efforts. Coaches Thomas and Richter never knew who would be coming up with
the surprise points. In several matches, the usual roster had to be adjusted to compensate for illness. In these matches players moved up a position, and doubles teams had to be juggled. In facing higherranked teams, players met the challenge, barely losing one of these matches and winning another. Two matches embodied and characterized this team effort— Milton and St. Mark’s. Milton came to St. Sebastian’s with a stronger record (they ended in 5th place in the league), yet we knew that if we played our best, we could snatch a win. And we barely did that in a tight 8-7 victory. Our match with St. Mark’s, with whom we tied in the league standings, was another much anticipated match-up, and on paper should have been a Milton-like close one. But the contest ended in a 13-2 Arrows’ romp. Two individuals received ISL honors at the end of the season. Luke Jones received Honorable Mention for All-League, and Jayson Barros earned All-League distinction. Jayson will replace Luke Jones as co-captain with Kurt Saraceno next year.
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Ultimate Frisbee BY COACH BEN BROWN Ultimate at St. Sebastian’s began as just a handful of students tossing discs and playing the occasional scrimmage under faculty member Ben Brown’s watch in 2013. In the spring of 2014, the club had its first full, interscholastic schedule. With the help of Chris Haley’s ’15 passion and leadership, Coach Brown was able to recruit enough players to field a team. Since then, the team has competed every year with growing numbers. As part of the USA Ultimate High School Boys Division Two, the Arrows are able to easily find teams of a similar skill level to play against. These tend to be public schools in the region, although the Arrows have competed against several local private schools with established programs such as Xaverian, BC High, St.
Varsity Sailing BY COACH DEIRDRE RYNNE ANNAN As we concluded the season which fell on the centennial of avid sailor and past President John F. Kennedy, we considered his sentiments about time on the water: “We are tied to the ocean and when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch, we are going back from whence we came.” The connections made on the water are life-long and this season’s friendships were made with teammates from both St. Sebastian’s and Ursuline Academy, who for the second season formed a composite team. Five athletes from Ursuline joined eight from St. Sebastian’s and we competed in seven regular season races before concluding the season by participating in the Mass Bay League Zimba Regatta, one of the largest high school races in the area, held annually at Community Boating. This year marked the 22nd season of Arrows Sailing and the team practiced at Courageous Sailing, often out in Boston Harbor and up the Mystic River in both Rhodes 19s and 420 sailboats.
The Arrows on the Ultimate Frisbee squad.
John’s Prep, and even ISL schools Nobles and Milton Academy. This season was a series of ups and downs, with nail-biting close matches, some easy wins, and a few blow-out losses against particularly strong teams. The Arrows ended the year with a commendable record of 5-5. Despite a
large roster, Seb’s was unable to rally enough people to compete in the state tournament this year due to scheduling conflicts, but hopes to return to match or even improve on their third place finish in 2016. They’re looking forward to an even stronger 5th official season next year!
This season we were challenged by the unseasonably cold spring, threatening lightning storms and pendulum temperature shifts. As a result, we all kept our winter equipment with us until the end of May! As the popular phrase goes, “the big boats get the glory, but the small boats make the sailor.” We enjoyed beautiful brisk days out on the water overlooking the scenic Boston skyline and enjoyed traveling in the area to venues in Hingham and Natick. Sailors learned how to adjust to shifting wind conditions and strong tidal currents. Forming a composite team has been an additional challenge, but all sailors worked on teamwork, with many interchangeably moving from positions as skippers to crew. Many of the St. Sebastian’s sailors are new to the sport and have not only learned boat handling and racing techniques, but valuable life skills. A highlight from the season was a narrow victory vs. Lincoln-Sudbury on Lake Cochichuate. While there were hard fought races that did not go our way, the boys had fun and enjoyed themselves. We graduate senior captain John Petro ’17 who has been with the team since 7th grade. He was one of four seniors awarded
The Letterman Award which is presented to members of the Senior Class who have earned a Varsity Letter in each season from their sophomore to senior years. It has been a pleasure to watch John develop and grow as a teammate and skipper. He joins two Ursuline skippers who brought leadership and dedication on the water. It is our hope that new talent joins the team next season. On behalf of Fr. Arens and myself, we are grateful for the support of our colleagues at school and our partnership with Ursuline Academy.
John Petro ‘17 steers his sailboat.
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REUNION 2017
REUNION
2017 BY THE NUMBERS Over $100K The classes of 1967, 1977 and 1992 each made a gift to the School in excess of $100,000. The Class of 1977 also made a gift of $100,000+ for the second time, a goal they achieved in celebration of their 25th Reunion in 2002.
3,031 miles The furthest distance traveled to get to Reunion by Bob Flynn ’97, coming from Encitas, CA. Michael Bucciero ’67 and Henry McCarthy ’67 were runners up, coming from Austin, TX, and New Orleans, LA, respectively.
A Weekend to Remember Alumni from the classes of 2’s and 7’s came back to campus to relive their days as students and reminisce with their Arrow brothers.
R
eunion events kicked off on May 18 with a 50th Reunion golf outing and a dinner hosted by Chip ’67 and Bobbie O’Hare. The following morning, on Friday, May 19, over 50 alumni from the classes of 1957 through 2012 joined their fellow Arrows for the first ever Reunion Golf Outing at CrossWinds Golf Club in Plymouth, MA. A reception and dinner for the milestone classes of 1992 and 1967, who were celebrating their 25th and 50th Reunions, took place on campus that evening. The festivities on Saturday, May 20, included the Headmaster’s Luncheon for the Classes of 1945 through 1967. Returning Arrows also had a chance to tour the campus and watch lacrosse
and baseball games before honoring all departed classmates during a Memorial Mass celebrated by Fr. John Arens in the St. Sebastian’s Chapel. Reunion events concluded with the annual Headmaster’s Cocktail Reception and Clambake on Saturday night, with more than 230 alumni, their spouses, faculty, and friends in attendance. Before dinner, classmates reunited on the Class of 2013 Courtyard for the reception and class photos. The clambake in Ward Hall followed, featuring a brief program and video presentation celebrating St. Sebastian’s 75th Anniversary. Thank you to all of the alumni who returned to campus to be a part of this special Reunion weekend!
Class of 2012 63% of the class came back to campus for Reunion 2017, setting a new record with the highest percentage of members from one class to ever attend a Reunion.
100% All 14 Reunion classes were represented over the course of the weekend’s events, with Richard Griffin ’47 serving as the most distinguished alumnus.
2012 Classmates raise a glass during the Reunion Clambake.
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From top to bottom, left to right: Kenneth Csaplar ’07 with Father John Arens. n Charlie Tangerini ’62, P’07,’08, Bill Dowling ’62, Cheryl Cremens, Jack Doherty ’62, P’86,’87 GP’17, Tom Furlong ’62, Barbara Furlong, Charlie Cremens ’62, P’06, Kathy Doherty P’86,’87 GP’17 and Fred Corcoran ’62. n Headmaster Bill Burke with members of the Class of 2007. n Mike Callahan ’97, Trevor Hamilton ’97 and Dan Burke ’97. n Donna and Tom Vasquez ’77, Tim Harney ’77, Jim Boyle ’77, Jim and Kathleen Elcock ’77, P’08, Jay and Jean Driscoll ’77, Lynn and Bob Donovan ’77 P’08, and Tom and Gina Flannery ’77 P’06,’09. n 50th Reunion Committee Chair Chip O’Hare ’67 with his wife, Bobbie.
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REUNION 2017
Milestone
CELEBRATIONS
FRONT ROW: Joe Stivaletta, Henry McCarthy, Jim Connell, Phil Tracy, Chip O’Hare, Phil Quinn; BACK ROW: Mike Power, Mark Donahue, Mark Whittemore, Chris Kelly, Fred Smith, Mike Bucciero
50th
REUNION
50th Reunion
Top: Chip O’Hare ’67, Headmaster Bill Burke, Bobbie O’Hare and Henry Lane ’49 gather at the O’Hare residence with members of the Class of 1967 and 1966. n Bottom: Ron Rich ’68 and Mike Bucciero ’67.
25th Reunion
The Class of 1967 launched their 50th Reunion celebration on May 18 with a golf outing at Kittansett Country Club, followed by dinner at the home of Chip ’67 and Bobbie O’Hare. It was a very special event attended by Henry Lane ’49 who coached, taught and mentored all of the 1967 alums. Several members of the Class of 1966 also attended. Headmaster Bill Burke honored Chip and Henry with a plaque commemorating the $100,000 Class Gift that has been added to the Henry T. Lane and Class of ’66 & ’67 Scholarship Fund. The following evening, the class gathered again for their 50th Reunion dinner in Ward Hall, watching videos featuring photos from their years at St. Sebastian’s and sharing stories.
25th
REUNION The milestone Class of 1992 enjoyed celebrating their 25th Reunion and catching up at their dinner held under the tent on the Class of 2013 Courtyard on Friday, May 19.
Above: FRONT ROW: Joe Harney, Devin Condron, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Dave Cuzzi, Mike Heffernan, Justin Gould; MIDDLE ROW: Dana Story, Bryan Welch, Chris LeBoeuf, Chris Brinkhaus, Mark Daly, Marc Antetomaso, Brian Compagnone; BACK ROW: Brian Faherty, Charles Haley, Tom Mellor. n Left: Brian Compagnone, Joe Harney and Dave Cuzzi.
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Reunion Golf Outing On Friday, May 19, 55 alumni from the classes of 1957 through 2012 joined their fellow Arrows for the first ever Reunion Golf Outing at CrossWinds Golf Club in Plymouth, MA. The winning foursome from the Class of 1992 included Joe Hulbig, Brian Compagnone, Scott Robison and Chris LeBouef. A great time was had by all of the alumni in attendance!
Top to bottom, left to right: The winning foursome: Scott Robison ’92, Chris LeBoeuf ’92, Joe Hulbig ’92, and Brian Compagnone ’92. n Lining up the perfect “straight as an arrow” putt. n 1977 Classmates, Jim Boyle, John Quinn, Paul O’Reilly, and Brendan Hoarty, on the course.
Headmaster’s Luncheon The Classes of 1945 through 1967 kicked off Saturday’s festivities with a luncheon hosted by Headmaster Bill Burke and his wife, Patty, on the Class of 2007 Terrace. During the luncheon, Ed O’Donoghue ’57 was honored for 60 years of dedicated service as class agent. In addition to catching up with each other, alumni had an opportunity to hear from current students.
Top to bottom: Headmaster Bill Burke and Ed O’Donoghue ’57. n Maureen Zock, Rich Arms P’14 and Bob Zock ’50. n James Mooney ’18, Orvin Pierre ’18, Raffi Barsamian ’17 and Jackson McKeigue ’17 speak to the alumni about life at St. Sebastian’s today.
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REUNION 2017
Richard and Susan Griffin
Charlotte and Ed Carroll
FRONT ROW: Dotti O’Donoghue and Donna Regan; BACK ROW: Dr. Bruce Gray, Charlie Monahan, Ed O’Donoghue, Tom Regan and John Sullivan
FRONT ROW: Mike Owens, Jeff Quinn, Dave Frawley, Mark O’Malley, Ted Cronin; BACK ROW: Mike Viano, Mark Sullivan, Peter Turck, Brendan O’Connell
1962 Classmates Tom Furlong, Charlie Tangerini, Jack Doherty, Charlie Cremens, Fred Corcoran, and Bill Dowling
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FRONT ROW: Tom Vasquez, Jim Boyle, Jay Driscoll, Bob Donovan, Bill Evans; BACK ROW: Tom Flannery, Tim Harney, Jim Elcock, Jay Roche.
REUNION 2017
Chris Kennedy and Chris Mara
FRONT ROW: Mike Doherty, Tim Doherty, Scott Reilly, Jay Downes, Patrick Regan; BACK ROW: Joe Griffin, Jamie Kittler
Mike Ragusa, Greg Kelly, L.T. Patrick O’Neil, Nick Morteo, John Seguin, Rob Fox
FRONT ROW: Mark Holbrook, Bob Flynn, Brian Moxley; BACK ROW: Jeff London, Dan Burke, Brendan Mansfield, Bret O’Brien, Trevor Hamilton
FRONT ROW: Brandon Peck, Emilio Tangerini, Kenneth Csaplar, Tim Tierney, Joe Clark; MIDDLE ROW: Mike Regan, Jack Doherty, Tim Smith, Nick Kelly; BACK ROW: Connor Smith, Patrick Brennan, Pete MacDonald, Andrew McCue, Nick Harney GROUND: Kevin Dillon, Gordon Donnelly; 1ST ROW: Sam Washburne, Aidan Balboni, Jarrod Dillon, Tommy Kenney, Kendall Dardy-Jones, Ben Thai, M.J. Muldowney, Tommy Allen, Chris Nadeau, Anthony D’Amato; 2ND ROW: Austin Franchi, Sam Hodgson, Mitchell Emerson, Patrick Ciapciak, Conor Reenstierna, Conor Haughey, David Loughborough, Brendan Dunphy, Patrick McLaughlin; 3RD ROW: James Astrue, Brendan Burke, Gus Gordon, Curtis Yandow, John Cheever, Jamie Hilton, Kevin Martin; 4TH ROW: Doug Kingsley, Ryan Sanderson, Matt Fechtelkotter, Sean Frazzette, Andrew Vandini, Tyler Sweeney, Peter Cimini, Mark Cunningham
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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. ALUMNI RELATIVES & FRIENDS Grace Bonanno April 26, 2017 Grandmother of Robert Lordi ’18 William Crowther July 15, 2017 Father of Kathy Calabro P’16, father-inlaw of Trustee David Calabro ’78, P’16, grandfather of Michael Calabro ’16
George Haley April 20, 2017 Father of Eric ’90 and Charles ’92 Haley Hilda Ledoux May 7, 2017 Mother of Derry ’70, Bryan ’71 and Michael ’75 Ledoux
Joseph B. DiCalogero April 8, 2017 Grandfather of Tim ’00, Tony ’01, Mike ’04, and Nick ’05 Coskren and father of Paula Coskren, Assistant to the Headmaster
Suzanne S. (Powell) Pickard May 18, 2017 Mother of Matthew ’14 and Peter ’18, daughter of Peter Powell ’52, and sister of Steven Powell ’81 and the late Peter Powell, Jr. ’78
Robert Dudley April 22, 2017 Father of Robert ’04 and Joseph ’12 Dudley
Mildred Sullivan June 9, 2017 Mother of John ’66, Thomas ’80 and Robert ’83 Sullivan and grandmother of John ’00
Irene Ferrante July 13, 2017 Mother of John Ferrante ’86 Charlotte Flatley June 2, 2017 Grandmother of John ’15, Thomas ’20, and George ’23 Flatley and Samuel Ix ’22
Kay Yameen May 20, 2017 Grandmother of Kenny ’15, Christopher ’17, Paul ’21, and Nicholas ’21 Vallace
This listing contains deaths reported between April 11, 2017 and July 15, 2017. To see a complete listing of Alumni who have passed away within the past twelve months please go to www.stsebs.org/inmemoriam. To report a death of a St. Sebastian’s alumnus or relative to the Development Office, please contact Kelsey Johnson at kelsey_johnson@stsebs.org.
ARROWS ALUMNI Brian Carey ’70 Brian passed away on April 26, 2017. While at St. Sebastian’s, Brian played football, basketball and served as the captain of the golf team. His sense of humor, vivacious spirit and relentless energy made him popular with his classmates. After St. Sebastian’s, he went on to Providence College where he graduated in 1974. He then worked as a financial advisor, most recently at UBS. Brian is survived by his wife, Kathleen; father, Robert; stepmother, Anne; children Kaitlin, Colin, Ryan and Brendan; siblings Christine, Noreen, Donald ’76 and Steven ’88; and grandchildren Jack, Emily and Grace.
Charles P. Agrillo ’69 Charles passed away on June 23, 2017. While at St. Sebastian’s, Chuck made important contributions to the academic, social and athletic life on campus. His fiery personality and invincible spirit enabled him to succeed in both the classroom and on the playing field. After graduation, he furthered his education at American International College. Chuck was employed as an Outreach Coordinator for the City of Waltham Parks & Recreational Department, but his greatest passion and enjoyment in life came from cooking. He was a talented chef; he owned and operated a catering business as well as “Just Italian Restaurant” and the “Suds & Subs” Restaurant in Ashland. His success on the baseball diamond led him to be an All-State Scholastic Catcher and scouted by minor league baseball organizations. He was a diehard baseball player and he enjoyed coaching his son’s youth baseball teams. Chuck is survived by his loving children Kristina and Charles, his siblings Pamela, Sally and Paul, and his devoted ex-wife Diane.
Fred L. Glimp Former Trustee Fred Glimp passed away on June 5, 2017. Fred served in Germany during World War II as a member of the United States Army Air Forces. Following the war, he entered Harvard College under the G.I. Bill, and graduated in 1950. He studied at Cambridge University as a Fulbright Scholar, and received his PhD in Economics from Harvard University. Fred served as Dean of Admissions at Harvard College, as well as Dean of Harvard College. He left for ten years to serve as Director of the Permanent Charity Fund, now known as The Boston Foundation. He returned to Harvard University as Vice President of Alumni Affairs and Development, a post he held until his retirement in 1996. Fred was a key member of St. Sebastian’s Board of Trustees for over two decades. Held in the highest regard by his fellow board members, he did not happen to be Catholic, but he believed most passionately in St. Sebastian’s mission. He joined the Board in 1973 after having been most favorably impressed by the great number of highly qualified applicants to Harvard our small School had produced. In addition to hosting one of the seminal events in the School’s history—a lunch at the Harvard Faculty Club in early 1980 that led to the hiring of Father Riepe as Headmaster—Fred served on the Search Committee that recommended Headmaster Burke to the Board. He was a key Trustee in countless other ways, helping St. Sebastian’s improve its quality and raise its status over the 20-plus years he served on the Board. The School was truly blessed to have his experience and insight. Fred is survived by his wife of 65 years, Eleanor (Buster) Foley, and four children and ten grandchildren; Emily Glimp and daughter Kiki Kavouras; Ted Glimp (Beth) and son Trent; Rebecca Brewster (Toby) and sons William, Eli, Peter and Seth; Sarah Hume (Michael) and daughters Adrienne and Emily, and sons Michael and Charlie.
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From the Archives
1959
Beginning in the fall of 1942, a year after St. Sebastian’s was established, the School began a tradition of the Red vs. Blue Games. Each sports season concluded with teams of St. Sebastian’s students competing against each other in football, basketball, hockey, and baseball. Two captains for each sport were elected and they, together with the coach, divided the School’s manpower equally. These games were often some of the most spirited of the School year, pitting classmates, and even brothers, against each other. It was considered a great honor to be the winning captain, to have your name engraved on a plaque, and to have the plaque hung in the dining hall on Nonantum Hill.
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“I just wish that John and I had given more.”
I
n June 2005, John ’51 and Mary Rose Griffin initiated a generous Joint and Survivor Charitable Gift Annuity with St. Sebastian’s School. John had benefited greatly from his St. Sebastian’s education, especially in the area of journalism where Father Barrett gave him the title of “official lens man” for both The Walrus and The Arrow yearbook. Mary Rose endorsed the idea wholeheartedly, as she and John had been high school sweethearts. She recalls meeting John at a St. Sebastian’s Christmas Shop (now the St. Sebastian’s Christmas Auction). “He was the ‘geek’ with the camera around his neck.” The rest is a beautiful love story that spanned over half a century and was greatly influenced by John’s journalistic passion. In college at Holy Cross, John continued to develop his love for journalism. Shortly after graduating and marrying Mary Rose, John founded and built Griffin Publishing which centered on The Griffin Report which was and is still the most widely read trade news magazine in the supermarket/grocery industry. After Mary Rose and his family, The Griffin Report was John’s love.
Mary Rose Griffin holds a precious photograph of her husband, John ‘51.
From its initiation, the Annuity has provided the Griffins with a fixed amount of income that as Mary Rose explains “is like the gift that keeps giving back.” As the joint owner/ survivor, she continues to receive payments even after John’s passing in February 2014. “Every quarter when I receive our check,” Mary Rose explains, “I just wish that John and I had given more.” Indeed, Mary Rose has made an additional investment in the School so
loved by her and her husband. In 2016, she informed St. Sebastian’s that she was making a provision in her will to leave a bequest to the School. As a member of the Monsignor Charles D. McInnis Society, Mary Rose is proud of her chance to give back to St. Sebastian’s and honor the wonderful “geek” that she met there and the role our School played in developing their shared values. Thank you, Mary Rose, for your friendship, generosity, and leadership!
For more information about gift planning and including St. Sebastian’s in your estate plans, contact Ed Davis ’65 in the Office of Planned Giving at 781.247.0158 or ed_davis@stsebs.org or visit plannedgiving.stsebs.org.
Monsignor Charles D. McInnis Society
1191 Greendale Avenue Needham, Massachusetts 02492
Nonprofit Org. US Postage PAID Boston, MA Permit No. 19943
William L. Burke III Headmaster Richard F. Arms Director of Alumni & Development Christine Y. Robertson Director of Communications
St. Sebastian’s breaks ground on the new West Campus Center, officially launching the Spirit & People Campaign. (see pg. 26)