XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL
The magazine for alumni, parents, and friends of Xavier High School
REFLECTIONS ON THE REGIMENT
Summer 2019
SUMMER 2019
SUMMER 2019
Xavier High School Jack Raslowsky P’16 President Michael LiVigni P’21 Headmaster Rev. John Replogle, S.J. ’51 Assistant to the President Shawna Gallagher Vega, APR Director of Communications Editor, Xavier Magazine Contributors Jeanette Alvarez Michael Avalos ’94 LTC Geoffrey Cole, USA ’95 BrigGen Ruben Cubero, USAF (Ret.) ’57 LTC Tony DeMartino, USA (Ret.) ’85 Ralph Dinielli Dr. Thomas Draper ’44 MAJ Ronald Grandel, USA (Ret.) Shane Lavin ’03 Dr. John Muller ’75 Jim Tierney ’68 Gregory Watch ’12 Lead Photographer Michael Marmora Contributing Photographers Michael Acerra Erin Scott Harisch Studios Mark Wyville Design Erbach Communications Group How to Reach Us Xavier Magazine Xavier High School 30 West 16th Street New York, NY 10011 Email: news@xavierhs.org Class Notes: classnotes@xavierhs.org
Xavier’s Mission
Founded in 1847, Xavier High School is an academically rigorous, Catholic, Jesuit, college preparatory school in New York City that educates intelligent, motivated young men of diverse backgrounds and means. Xavier teaches students to take responsibility for their lives, to lead with integrity, to act justly in service of others, to pursue excellence in every endeavor and to deepen their relationship with God. Ultimately, Xavier forms young men who will go forth to transform the world for God’s greater glory.
On the Cover
From the mid-1890s until 1971, mandatory participation in the Regiment defined Xavier’s public image. Fortyeight years after President William Wood, S.J.† made the military program optional, the Regiment continues to develop military and civilian leaders of the highest caliber. MIX Paper from responsible sources
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Departments
Featured in This Issue
2. From the President 3. News from 16th Street
12. Reflections on the Regiment
30. A Day in the Life
26. Caretakers of History:
32. Class Notes
The Role of Cadet Colonels
48. Back Story
XAVIER MAGAZINE 1
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Forming Generations Memories of the mandatory Regiment vary widely. Among certain alumni, the decision to make the Regiment optional is still a source of the greatest consternation, yet for the large majority of our living alumni, an optional Regiment is all they have ever known. The history of the Regiment—mandatory and optional— if honestly told will always show there were strengths and weaknesses. What is indisputable is the positive contribution the Regiment has made in the formation of generations of young men. This Xavier Magazine celebrates that positive contribution through the decades. Dr. Thomas Draper ’44, BrigGen Randy Cubero, USAF (Ret.) ’57, Jim Tierney ’68, Dr. John Muller ’75, LTC Tony DeMartino, USA (Ret.) ’85, LTC Geoff Cole, USA ’95, Shane Lavin ’03, and Greg Watch ’12 have each generously responded to the call to share their experiences of the Regiment. Dear Parents, Friends, and Sons of Xavier: On June 13, we sent forth the Class of 2019 from St. Patrick’s Cathedral—250 young men who will transform the world in ways large and small for God’s greater glory. I am writing this letter from Lleida, Spain, on my third day on the Camino Ignaciano, making (in part) a journey that Ignatius made 497 years ago: a journey that would transform the world for God’s greater glory. Since Ignatius first left Loyola to serve in the Holy Land, his sons, their friends and colleagues, and their friends and colleagues have been on a journey, united through the years co-laboring with God to make real the hope of the prophets to create a world of justice and peace—a world bound in love. The College of St. Francis Xavier (with primary, secondary, and college divisions) stepped onto that road in 1847 and continues to walk it today with hundreds of Jesuit secondary schools and thousands of Jesuit educational works the world over. For most of our journey, there has been a Regiment at Xavier, and since 1935 an Army JROTC Regiment. Regiments were never common in Jesuit schools and are even less so now. The Regiment is a distinctive part of Xavier life. This was true before 1971, when all students (like it or not) were members of the Regiment. It remained true after 1971 when membership in the Regiment became optional. 2 XAVIER MAGAZINE
While their reflections vary, their respect and gratitude for their Regimental experiences unites them through the years. I am grateful to MAJ Ron Grandel, USA (Ret.) for the essay that concludes this magazine. He and his staff raised the bar for the optional Regiment, and we have consistently been a Gold Star Regiment since his time at Xavier. This summer once again features a host of activities for our students and faculty—JROTC camp, the 53rd year of the Jesuit Higher Achievement Program, X-Prep, CFX service trips to Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, the Red Cloud Reservation in South Dakota, and Maryland, the Ad Majorem retreat, and the Jesuit Schools Network Colloquium. Our summer tour has already brought alumni, current and past parents, and friends together in Rockaway and the Jersey Shore and will do so again in Quogue and at the Summer Sunset barbecue here in the Tirelli Quad at Xavier. We hope to see you if your schedule allows. Be assured of my prayers for you. Please keep our work and all Sons of Xavier and their families in your prayers. Summer blessings. Jack Raslowsky P’16 President
News from 16th Street
MEMBERS OF XAVIER’S REGIMENTAL COLOR GUARD
led the way at St. Patrick’s Cathedral on June 13 as 250 young Sons of Xavier marked their graduation. “As you set the world ablaze with the love of God, picture the next generations of men who will be sitting in these same pews,” valedictorian Christian Deem ’19 urged his classmates. “You are the makers, the shapers, and the doers of the world that those young men will enter. For them, and for the love of God, make it a just world.”
XAVIER MAGAZINE 3
NEWS FROM 16TH STREET
Eng, Gibbons Awarded Bene Merenti Medals Each year, Xavier celebrates veteran members of the faculty and staff marking 20 years of service with the Bene Merenti Medal. On June 13, school secretary Mei Eng and college counselor Tom Gibbons were honored during graduation at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Eng and Gibbons said they were deeply grateful to be recognized—and even more grateful for their two decades at Xavier. “Our students, Xavier families, the Jesuits, the faculty, staff, administration— everyone involved at Xavier is truly invested in the mission to make our school great,” Gibbons said. “There has never been a day that I haven’t wanted to be here. Xavier people are good humans with New York flavor, flair, and grit.”
“ There has never been a day that I haven’t wanted to be here. Xavier people are good humans with New York flavor, flair, and grit.” “We are always moving forward,” he continued. “What was good enough this past year isn’t good enough going forward. I love that. There is always something new to go after, to reach for, to strive toward.” As Eng and Gibbons reminisced about their most memorable times at Xavier, poignant memories flowed forth. Eng recalled offering support to students in need, including at her very first graduation, as well as simple moments on Maroon and Blue Day, CFX trips, and Kairos. Gibbons remembered the community’s response to September 11, Superstorm Sandy, and the passing of Chris Fagan ’02†, baptizing his three children in the Student Chapel, and 4 XAVIER MAGAZINE
everyday experiences with colleagues and
Lou Lovallo challenges me with his ideas,
students. “It has always been about the
keeping me on my toes to figure out how to
people and shared experiences for me,” he
conceptualize to get the results he wants.”
said. “Always will be.” The Bene Merenti recipients remain
“It’s an honor to help guide our students and their families. I don’t take
energized for the years ahead, spurred
that responsibility lightly and appreciate
on both by students and by supportive
the trust,” Gibbons said. “There is nothing
colleagues who have become close friends.
better than seeing a happy Xavier family
“In my job, I get to meet and speak to
on the steps outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral,
all that come into the Headmaster’s Office,”
and to think that I had a small part in that
Eng said. “I get to see students from all
is pretty cool. And we get to start fresh on
walks of life who come to Xavier and see
a new and exciting year every September.
them grow into responsible young men.
What’s better than that?”
INSPIRING DISCIPLINE Assistant Drill Commander Kory Sam ’20 executes drill commands during afternoon practice on the roof, where the team practices four days a week. The drill team is composed of the Saber Guard (which conducts precision drill movements without rifles), the X-Squad (which conducts precision drill movements with rifles), and the Color Guard.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 5
NEWS FROM 16TH STREET
Saying Farewell to the Reinharts Maureen and Bob Reinhart ’69 P’94 ’99 have been a team for more than 50 years. They raised two children together, Robert Reinhart ’94 and Kevin Reinhart ’99, and in the 1990s, they arrived as employees at Xavier within a year of each other. Earlier this year, they made the joint decision to retire, travel, and spend more time with their family—especially their four grandchildren. The Reinharts were feted at Gaudiosa and again at graduation, where they were each awarded the Robert Bellarmine Medal, an honor given to long-serving members of the faculty and staff upon their retirement. They jointly served as Commencement speakers for the Class of 2019, marking a historic first for Xavier—Maureen Reinhart is the first woman ever to give the Commencement The Reinharts at the 1968 Military Ball
address. A week after graduation, the
Reinharts reflected on their years on 16th Street—Maureen as assistant to the Dean of Students and Bob as a religion teacher and department chair.
but put the student at the center of their practice, keeping the high but loving expectations that I experienced as a student alive. Changes? The student body has grown by 20%. Underneath that statistic, the students are being formed by a culture that values instant results and undervalues reflection. Parenting styles have changed as well. These are challenges going forward if we want to continue to inculcate the values of the mission and the Grad at Grad. What have been your most memorable moments? Maureen: Meeting the new Dean of Students again, and again, and again, and again, and again! Yes, I have the great honor of having worked for every Dean of Students in the history of Xavier High School. No, no, no, I haven’t been around since 1847...prior to Dean Frank
What kept you at Xavier for so many years?
Gregory P’80 ’86 ’87, the position was titled Prefect of Discipline. I also
Maureen: The work and activity in the Dean of Students’ office
will never forget the many colleagues who have become friends—
changes daily. No two days are the same. So coming to work each
people I have shared happy times and sad times with, friends at Xavier
day was always a new beginning. I enjoyed interacting with students
and outside of Xavier, retired friends who are still a part of my life.
every day—each one an individual, each one someone special—and the opportunities to accompany them on Kairos and Ad Majorem retreats and CFX service trips, where I got to know them in a different light. Bob: Where would I go? It was good work, challenging work, and I always had colleagues in the religion department who were never satisfied with what we did last year but constantly sought to improve and develop. My gratitude to be part of this work has continued to grow, right up to my last day. What about Xavier has changed, and what has stayed the same? Maureen: The curriculum, technology, and spiritual programs. I saw amazing members of the faculty and administration working
Xavier is a lifeline...one you never leave. And I will never forget sharing the privilege with Bob as we addressed the Class of 2019 at their graduation. Thank you, Mr. Raslowsky, for the honor. Bob: That’s a tough one. So many memories! Leading the school song, for sure. Students who thanked me for making them think or see themselves and God in a different way. The work with Deacon Vin Laurato, Bob O’Hare, S.J., and Jim Van Dyke, S.J. as we conceived and developed the Magis retreat. The daily visits to the Dean’s office just to touch base with Maureen. What will you miss most about working at Xavier? Maureen: The students, colleagues, and friends who over the years
constantly to make a better Xavier for our students. It is their hard
taught me what it meant to be a woman for others in their care,
work and enthusiasm that makes Xavier...Xavier. But along with this
actions, and prayers for me and each other.
growth and progress comes the constant—the care and concern for
Bob: The interactions with colleagues both academic and non-
each student and each other. Over the years, this has never changed.
academic as we all tried our best to care for the students. The funny
Bob: The work of forming young men has been a constant. Another
ways the students react in and out of class. The love and appreciation
constant was colleagues who were passionate about their subjects
so many of them showed, even when I wasn’t quite at my best.
Rizzo Wins New York Emmy Award
When meteorologist Mike Rizzo ’10 was nominated for a New York Emmy in February, he couldn’t believe it. On May 4, when he took the Emmy home, it was one of the proudest moments of his career. “I couldn’t have imagined in a million years that at the age of 27 I would be handed a New York Emmy Award for my performance as an on-air meteorologist,” said Rizzo, a weather anchor at News 12 The Bronx and News 12 Brooklyn. “It’s
easily one of the coolest things to happen in my life.” When the Kean University graduate returned to Xavier in May, he reminisced about the moments that shaped him. “I’ve always loved weather,” he recalled, “and I was always the kid naming the clouds, watching The Weather Channel, and reading up on weather.” On 16th Street, Rizzo’s teachers encouraged him to follow his passions, including art and French.
He pointed to Denise Iacovone, Cindy Castro, and Michael Wlach ’71 P’01 as his favorite teachers, but he said all of his instructors inspired him. “The majority of my teachers were absolutely amazing,” he said. “I feel that I made connections with each of them during my time there.” In particular, conversations with Iacovone continue to reverberate. “Mrs. I was always encouraging me and inspired life philosophies such as creating your own reality—something I still live by to this very day. I learned that my passion and interest in art only helped me with meteorology by applying creative rightbrained critical thinking to highly analytical left-brain analysis. It’s a balance that was essential and necessary,” said Rizzo, who creates his own weather graphics at News 12. “I just really enjoy what I'm doing, and I have a lot of fun with it. I feel comfortable being creative, I enjoy connecting with our amazing viewers, and I love watching the weather,” he said. “What makes me proud is that I did create my own reality and followed my dreams.”
Robotics Team Triumphs Again
For the second year in a row, Xavier Robotics won the New York/ New Jersey Autonomous Robotics Botball Tournament on May 11. Xavier entered two teams in the tournament and earned first and third place finishes. The team of Christian Deem ’19, Marc Awikeh ’19, Dillon Cortez ’19, Drew Pearlstein ’19, and Esteban Rivera ’19 won first place trophies for the seeding round, the double elimination round, and the overall tournament. The team also earned a special Judges’ Choice award for best overall programming. A second team led by Pat Nilan ’19, Joe Macchiarola ’19, Patrick Scariano ’19, and Rocco Dioguardi ’19 earned third place overall and won a special Judges’ Choice award for best use of sensors. Their robot used a camera, a distance sensor, and two infrared sensors to navigate the course. “The two Xavier teams faced each other in the double elimination round with thrilling results,” said computer science and technology
department chair Michael Chiafulio. “The final score of that round was 151-149. It was shaping up to be an all-Xavier finals rematch, but the second team failed to advance to the final when their robot malfunctioned at the start of their semifinal match.” Xavier then showcased its local robotics domination in the final with a 201-7 win over Minisink Valley High School of Middletown, New York.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 7
NEWS FROM 16TH STREET
Reflections from the Holy Land
Above: Scenes from Raslowsky’s journey through the Holy Land. He is pictured with James Cappabianca ’05, America Media’s Director of Advancement, at the bottom right.
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For eight days in late February and early March, President Jack Raslowsky P’16 walked in the footsteps of Jesus while on a pilgrimage with America Media. Matt Malone, S.J., president and editor-in-chief of America, and Jim Martin, S.J., editor at large of America and author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage, led the journey to the Holy Land, which included stops at the Mount of Beatitudes, the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Cana, Bethany, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. “The Holy Land had a powerful draw—to walk where Jesus walked, to see what he saw, to touch the people and places he did,” Raslowsky said. “Israel is wonderful and complicated. There’s this unity of past and what’s to come. And there’s a mystery to it. When you’re at the Holy Sepulchre, you have a mosque right next door. You’d be at Mass and hear a Muslim call to prayer in a Jewish nation.” Throughout his journey, Raslowsky remained mindful of the Holy Land’s place in the life of Saint Ignatius. When he first entered the Old City of Jerusalem, he did so through the Jaffa Gate, just as Ignatius did in 1523. “In some sense, Jesuit schools exist because the Holy Land didn’t work out for Ignatius,” Raslowsky reflected, recalling the Jesuit founder’s subsequent return to Europe, pursuit of education, and ultimate connection with the companions who formed the Society of Jesus. Each evening in Israel, Raslowsky and his own companions—his fellow pilgrims—gathered for liturgy and faith-sharing, which became the highlights of the trip. “It was a constant reminder of the goodness of humanity and the constant and loving presence of God—and the importance of trying to see that,” he said. “It, quite simply, was grace, and overwhelming in its abundance.”
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Students Unravel Immigration Stories Dr. Stephen Haller ’05 encourages students to take an active interest in history—including their own. Thanks to a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), Haller introduced his AP World History students to archives that allowed them to delve deeper into their families’ immigration stories. Students completed the project in stages woven throughout their busy AP curriculum, starting with informal family interviews in the fall, followed by “micro-histories” of the places from which their families emigrated, formal interviews, and research papers. Haller said the NHPRC’s goal is to encourage scholars’ use of their archives. “Their approach is to get younger people involved,” he said. “We want students to be able to use the databases historians use.” Students unraveled fascinating family histories through the project. Austin Ginocchio ’21 researched his family’s departure from France in the 1950s. “I learned that my great-grandfather spent over five years in a German concentration camp after being mistaken for a Jewish prisoner,” said Ginocchio, who plans to read a journal his great-grandfather kept during his imprisonment. “I was surprised that my grandmother and her brother were extremely reluctant to leave their lives behind in Europe.” Rich Toledo ’21 knew of his family’s flight from Cuba after Fidel Castro’s Communist party took control of the island nation in 1959, and the class project inspired him to learn more about the economic and political situation there at the time. After the government seized her family’s businesses and imprisoned her relatives, Toledo’s grandmother, Aurora García Febles, fled Cuba shortly before the Cuban Missile Crisis. Toledo learned more about these events through his research and discussions with his grandmother. “She liked talking about it,” he said. Elias Emery ’21 learned about the economic factors that drove his grandparents from Germany after World War I. “It was hard to live in America as a German immigrant in those days,” said Emery. “It was cool to figure out the history. I knew I was German, but learning about my family’s origins and how they got here was really interesting.” The project also piqued an interest in Haller, who has roots in the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe. He looks forward to replicating the research project again this fall with a new set of AP World students. “We want our students to be citizen historians,” he said.
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XAVIER MAGAZINE 9
NEWS FROM 16TH STREET
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News & Notes featured Dr. George Kaftan ’45†, MVP of the 1947 Holy Cross national championship team, and Dave Anderson ’47 P’72†, the legendary New York Times sports columnist.
Paso Bojito, while the team at the border worked with the Kino Border Initiative to learn about the realities of immigration and accompany people seeking asylum.
In recognition of his volunteerism and long service to Xavier, Ed Hawkins ’52 was awarded the Francis X. Leahy ’41 Alumni Service Award on May 8. Classmates, family members, and friends gathered at Xavier for a Mass and luncheon in his honor.
Xavier dedicated Jesuit artist Michael F. Tunney, S.J.’s Cross, Knot, Stripes: A Mural for Keenan Commons on May 14. “I hope people see the Catholic and Jesuit mission and identity of Xavier, distilled into Xavier’s color and stripes, the cross in complementary hues, and the Irish heritage of Jim Keenan, S.J.,” Tunney said. “I hope it speaks to all our shared ideals and desires to make our world a better place.”
Led by the Student Leadership Council, Xavier students hosted a fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research on March 22. With the help of participants from the greater community as well as a local company, the fundraiser raised a total of $32,320.
Xavier celebrated the past 60 years of track and field at its first track homecoming on March 23. More than 100 guests, including the children of late coach Jim Scott P’79 ’84†, filled Keenan Commons.
Xavier rugby won its sixth consecutive New York State title on June 2, defeating Buffalo’s Kenmore High School, 45-8. The team came in fifth at the national tournament.
On May 13, Xavier hosted a screening of College Basketball’s Purple Reign: The Story of NCAA Hoops’ Most Improbable Champion, a documentary about the great College of the Holy Cross basketball teams of the late 1940s and early 1950s. The documentary
During Holy Week, the Companions of Xavier program sent two groups of students and faculty members to the Dominican Republic and the U.S.-Mexico border. The team in the Dominican Republic helped build a mile-long pipeline to the village of
Xavier will dedicate a tree in memory of late fine arts department chair Renzo Ventrella ’92† on October 13, the first anniversary of his passing. Denise Iacovone, Ventrella’s mentor and friend, secured a permit from the City of New York, and Orazio and Roseann Boccadifuoco P’18 ’21 donated and planted the tree on 15th Street.
10 XAVIER MAGAZINE
Marco Caramanico ’19, Nicolo Del Negro ’19, and Ramses Peña ’19—all part of Xavier’s new Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program—were confirmed at the Church of St. Francis Xavier during Ascension Thursday Mass on May 30. Brendan Cottingham ’19, Nicolo Del Negro ’19, Arthur Gange ’19, and Julian Navarro ’19 won $22,500 for Christian Help in Park Slope (CHiPS), a nonprofit where they completed their senior Christian service, at the Ignatian Social Justice Tournament on April 8. Held at the New York office of the USA Northeast Province
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1. Alumni reconnect at Track Homecoming on March 23. 2. The state championship rugby team. 3. Jack Raslowsky and Xavier Jesuit community rector Tom Feely, S.J. share a conversation under Michael Tunney, S.J.’s Cross, Knot, Stripes: A Mural for Keenan Commons. 4. Comptroller Nicole Orosco, center, after her induction into Jack and Jill of America. 5. Ed Hawkins ’52 after receiving the Leahy Alumni Service Award. 6. Math teacher Jessica Durand has her head shaved at Xavier’s St. Baldrick’s Foundation fundraiser for childhood cancer research. 7. Nicolo Del Negro ’19, Brendan Cottingham ’19, Julian Navarro ’19, and Arthur Gange ’19 at the Ignatian Social Justice Tournament. 8. Ramses Peña ’19, Marco Caramanico ’19, and Nicolo Del Negro ’19 with their Confirmation sponsors.
of the Society of Jesus, the competition brought together students from six Jesuitaffiliated high schools from Philadelphia to New York. Each school’s team presented information about a nonprofit to a panel of judges, explaining where the money would go and why it was needed. Jim Rowen, the benefactor behind the event, was so impressed by each school’s presentation that he increased his planned donation to each nonprofit by 50%. In May, the Metropolitan New York Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese recognized Matteo Moessner ’22, who earned second place in the bilingual category of the National Language Level I Spanish Exam. Part of the Solution (POTS), a nonprofit in the Bronx, honored Will Rugai ’19 with its Jack Ursy Award in April. The Ursy Award recognizes a student volunteer who embodies POTS’ mission to create a safe, comforting, and dignified space for those in need.
USA Rugby named Marco Caramanico ’19, Stephen Hoey ’19, and John Walsh ’19 to its boys high school All-American 15s team. Head Xavier rugby coach Greg Norris has been named one of the AllAmerican team’s assistant coaches. Theology teacher Michael Aprea ’06 recently earned a master’s degree in ethics from Fordham University. Arabic teacher Caroline Haidar recently published a book, a conversational and cultural tome focused on Levantine Arabic. She is the CEO and founder of Nasma of New York, an Arabic language school. History teacher Dr. Stephen Haller ’05 presented a paper titled “The Understanding of Property and Justice on the Frontier” at the Long Island Philosophical Society’s annual meeting on April 13. The paper examined how property and justice were handled legally in the often lawless frontier of eighteenth century America.
Comptroller Nicole Orosco was inducted into the Queens Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. on May 19. Jack and Jill is a membership organization of mothers with children ages 2 to 19, dedicated to nurturing future African-American leaders by strengthening children through leadership development, volunteer service, philanthropic giving, and civic duty. Science teacher Deanna Iovine and campus minister Jim Stayton recently became Fellows of the Academy for Teachers, an organization that honors New York City’s strongest educators. On February 12, Stayton participated in an Academy master class, “Choral Conducting,” led by Francisco Núñez, the founder and artistic director of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. Iovine participated in “Basic Biology: The Body’s Barrier Cells” with Michael Caplan, Yale University’s chair of cellular and molecular physiology, on April 16. In June, the Public Relations Society of America’s New York chapter honored Xavier with a Big Apple Award for its 2017-18 Annual Report.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 11
Dr. Thomas Draper ’44
12 XAVIER MAGAZINE
REFLECTIONS ON THE REGIMENT
Since a military department emerged on 16th Street in 1886, Xavier’s history has been closely intertwined with that of its Regiment. A mandatory military education defined the Xavier High School experience until 1971, when a nation and city divided over the Vietnam War led President William Wood, S.J.† to make military participation optional. Forty-eight years later, the Regiment lives on at Xavier, and despite the years that separate them, its alumni attest to the important role it played in their lives.
F
rom 1940-44, all Xavier students were cadets under the instruction of a unified faculty consisting of Jesuits, laymen, and military instructors. In my first year on 16th Street, there were 20 Jesuits—nine priests, 11 scholastics. To understand how the Regiment influenced my life, it is necessary to recall those times. My years at Xavier began on a clear morning in early September 1940, when Jack Lovely ’42† arrived at my house promptly at 7:15 a.m. in his dress blue uniform to guide me on my first day. He escorted me, in my new blue uniform, to the 8th Avenue subway in Jamaica, Queens, where we took the E train to Manhattan—my first time on the subway. Other uniformed young men joined us as the train proceeded to 14th Street, where we exited and walked on to Xavier, on 16th Street. Entering through the side door adjacent to the Church of St. Francis Xavier, Jack brought me to the “new gym” where a throng of freshmen gathered. The sound of a bugle brought quiet, and Headmaster Thomas Doyle, S.J. ’25† (the cadet colonel of his class) spoke from the balcony to welcome us. We were divided into classes, and I was assigned 1B under the supervision of Ray Gibson, S.J.†, who taught Latin and religion. In the course of the day we were introduced to our other teachers—Mike O’Donnell† for algebra, Leo Paquin P’64† for English, Frank McGuire ’36† for history. One afternoon that first week was set aside for military instruction. We assembled at the 9th Regiment Armory on 15th
Street under the direction of LTC Andrew Knight, USA (Ret.)†, SGT Bradley Van Deusen, USA (Ret.)†, and SGT Stephen Nemeth, USA (Ret.)†. My platoon was led by Cadet Sergeant David Henry ’42†, later a close friend. LTC Knight and his assistants were career officers assigned to Xavier from the 1st Army commanded by LTG Hugh Drum, USA†, once a student at the College of St. Francis Xavier. The introductory week culminated on Friday, when the entire Regiment marched into the Church of St. Francis Xavier for the Mass of the Holy Spirit. After class once a week for the rest of the year, we would assemble in the gym and march to the Armory for military drill. We eventually celebrated the conclusion of our first year with a delightful cruise to Bear Mountain for the entire school with families, friends, and faculty, sharing the festivities on a luxurious Hudson River dayliner. The nation was still at peace in September 1941 when we returned for a new term. The military department was now under new leadership—COL Fred Chamberlain, USA (Ret.)† was Professor of Military Science and Tactics, assisted by LTC Edwin Mooney, USA (Ret.)†. In the Regiment, I was placed under the command of Cadet Captain David Henry. Dave was also sports editor of The Review and arranged for me to report results of Xavier basketball and football games to the New York newspapers. Meeting sports editors at the New York World Telegram and the Long Island Press was a great pleasure for me, particularly when we defeated Fordham Prep on Thanksgiving Day to finish the football season with six wins and just one loss (to St. Cecelia’s, coached by Vince Lombardi). The Regiment marched at the Fordham Prep game at what
XAVIER MAGAZINE 13
Xavier memorabilia fills Draper’s home in Newtown, Connecticut. From left: Draper in his senior yearbook photo; his ROTC pin; and his Xavier diploma, dated June 11, 1944.
proved to be its last appearance in peacetime. A new era was about to dawn. The 69th Military Review of the ROTC Regiment of Xavier High School took place on Sunday, December 7, 1941, at the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue. In the midst of the ceremonies, the loudspeaker began blaring the names of reviewing officers to report to headquarters. While marching back to 16th Street, we learned of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. A group of us huddled in the Headmaster’s office, listening as the radio broadcast reports of the attack and warned that there might be further attacks on the Philippines. The following day found us gathered around the radio once again as President Roosevelt addressed Congress and war was declared. The realization that our nation was at war had a profound effect throughout the Regiment. We all recognized that a new era had begun that would affect all of our lives. Evidence of that became clear when we learned that ENS Robert King, USN ’33† had been killed in action when his ship, the USS Arizona, was bombed at Pearl Harbor. In early January, the entire Regiment formed up in the Church for a memorial Mass in his honor. In March, Frank McGuire’s basketball team completed its most successful season. Then, in April, the Regiment assembled in the gym for a farewell salute to him and fellow faculty members called up for military service. As the year progressed, a large contingent of the graduating class enlisted in Officer Training Programs sponsored by the Army and Navy. Jack Lovely chose the Army program. The Selective Service Boards also became more active. In June, Xavier established a summer term for seniors approaching draft age to enable them to graduate before being called up. For the duration of the war, there would be three graduations each year. We began to meet graduates who visited Xavier while on home leave from combat and were awed by stories told of fighting in such places as Guadalcanal. But there was great sadness when the news came in February 1944 that Dave Henry was killed when his plane crashed on a training mission. 14 XAVIER MAGAZINE
There was more sadness just prior to our graduation when a classmate from 1B died after a long illness. Cadet Colonel Joe Novak, S.J. ’44† led an Honor Guard to render the final salute at the burial. On June 6, 1944, the invasion of Europe under General Eisenhower began. A few days later, we graduated at the WaldorfAstoria. In December 1944, Jack Lovely—who introduced me to the Regiment—was killed at the Battle of the Bulge. It was my privilege to wear the blue uniform of the Xavier Regiment and to march in the company of dedicated comrades whose lives had a significant impact on mine. Dave Henry and Jack Lovely, who had been my student mentors, gave their lives in service to our nation. So how did the Regiment shape my life? Was it by comrades who marched together, learned together, played together, prayed together? Was it by teachers whose wisdom and inspiration extended far beyond the classroom? Was it the universal commitment to service with which we were endowed or the abiding loyalty of friendship with which we were blessed? It was all of these and more. For me, Xavier and its Regiment were a single entity, inextricably linked, that shaped the character of my life. Donald Connolly ’44†, cadet colonel of the February 1944 class, said it well in his final message to me before his death in 2018: “I have long known that whatever worthwhile my life may have wrought was developed and nourished in the leadership, fellowship, and example of my Xavier comrades and mentors—in the precincts of one of the finest institutions and traditions in history. AMDG!” A pediatrician, Dr. Thomas Draper recently retired from his post at Connecticut’s Greater Danbury Community Health Center, where he served as chief medical officer for eight years. He is the former president of the medical staff, pediatric department chair, and director of community medicine at Danbury Hospital. A U.S. Navy veteran, Dr. Draper studied at Fordham University, Queens University in Ontario, and Yale University. He and his wife, Patricia, raised six daughters and a son.
REFLECTIONS ON THE REGIMENT
BrigGen Ruben Cubero, USAF (Ret.) ’57
D
uring my 37-year career in the Air Force, I served as a military pilot and academic professor. There is no doubt in my mind that Xavier’s curriculum set me on a path to academic excellence. During my first and second years at the United States Air Force Academy, I honestly excelled primarily because my coursework echoed what I had already studied at Xavier. Moreover, my desire to achieve academic excellence—born at Xavier— propelled me through my graduate coursework for master’s and doctoral degrees that enhanced my military career, especially as a full professor on the Academy’s academic faculty. Most importantly, however, it was the Xavier Regiment that introduced me to the military profession. In the JROTC program on 16th Street, I learned leadership, obedience, military protocol, self-discipline, and the need and ability to work well with others. I enjoyed marching as a show of our unit’s precisely executed military movements. I wore my Xavier uniform with pride and progressed in rank from private to cadet lieutenant colonel and second in command of the Regiment. By my senior year, the Regiment had become an exciting part of my life. When I was ready to graduate high school, my beloved football coach, Leo Paquin P’64†, suggested I attend a service academy. His suggestion led me to inquire about the newly constructed Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Regiment cultivated my idea of becoming a career military officer and filled me with an even greater determination to attend the Academy in 1957—a decision I have never regretted. I learned the complexities of leadership in the Regiment.
Initially, I thought leadership was simply the act of giving orders to subordinates. However, after four years at Xavier, and upon deeper reflection, I realized leadership is extremely complex, requiring a merger of directing and serving subordinates. A leader directs best from the front, acting as a professional role model to be emulated, especially in dangerous combat situations. A leader will never ask subordinates to do something he or she is not willing to do. A leader must ensure subordinates’ safety and well-being and never put them in unnecessary danger. I learned servant leadership at Xavier, and it served me well throughout my entire military career. At Xavier, I also learned the complexity of merging the tenets of Christianity with the realities of being in the military. We studied the life of Jesus and the ultimate sacrifice he made by giving his life on the cross for the salvation of humanity. It was never lost on me that being in the military and risking one’s life for the protection of others was a very close parallel to the selfsacrifice Jesus made for us all. Now that I’m retired from the military, I must acknowledge that my time in the Xavier Regiment guided me to enter the Air Force Academy, graduate as a Second Lieutenant, and become a pilot in the United States Air Force. Xavier was instrumental in formulating my personal code of values and ethical behavior. Today, I am a member of the Order of the Daedalians Flight 11 in Colorado Springs, where we provide ROTC scholarships each year to four very deserving cadets from Army, Air Force, and Navy ROTC units at colleges in Colorado. We also provide medals and ribbons to 18 JROTC high school programs around Southern Colorado. These awards are presented to ROTC and JROTC cadets who are unit leaders interested in seeking a career as a pilot or navigator in the service of their choice. Recommending a flying military career to young men and women in JROTC and ROTC programs—similar to the encouragement I received many years ago at Xavier—is my way of paying my debt to 16th Street forward. It is my fervent desire to add a new generation of young military men and women who will continue to risk their lives for the defense of our country, as has been the case with countless generations of Xavier cadets who were similarly affected by the Regiment. A veteran of the Vietnam War, Brigadier General Ruben “Randy” Cubero, USAF (Ret.) is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, the University of New Mexico, and the University of Denver. In 1991, he became the first Hispanic ever to serve as the Air Force Academy’s Dean of the Faculty. He is a member of the Xavier Hall of Fame.
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REFLECTIONS ON THE REGIMENT
Jim Tierney ’68
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I
t was a Friday afternoon, November 22, 1963. My Epiphany grammar school classmates marched into the church auditorium for our regular weekly assembly. Sr. Miriam James, our principal, evidenced a foreboding presence on the stage. She spoke briefly before sending us home for the rest of the day. “I have some very sad news. The President has been shot. He is dead.” I had just turned 13, and the happy days of the 1950s and early 1960s were over and gone forever. I entered Xavier in September 1964. Things seemed to be getting back to some sense of normalcy after the jolting horror of President Kennedy’s assassination and ensuing period of national mourning. The Xavier Regiment I entered would be very familiar to the many Xavier boys who came before me. We wore our dress blue uniforms on Mondays and Fridays, and the olive drab JROTC uniform Tuesday through Thursday. We began a unique bonding experience as we attended military drill once a week at the 69th Regiment Armory and lined up for full military reviews twice a year. We proudly strode up Fifth Avenue together for the Columbus and St. Patrick’s Day Parades. The highlight, though, was marching onto the playing field at Randall’s Island on Thanksgiving Day, almost 1,000 strong, to support our Kaydets in the annual Turkey Bowl. As Xavier students, we mostly concerned ourselves with academics, sports, and extracurricular activities. There was also a strong religious component in the classroom, in the church, and on our annual retreats. Meanwhile, the world outside 16th Street was changing as 1966 turned into 1967. The Vietnam War was now raging, and anti-war demonstrations were taking place in nearby Union Square Park. Our history teachers, Rich Mannion† and Joe Caruso†, provoked some classroom discussions about the direction of the war. The constant for Xavier boys was the Regiment, as we continued to drill and wear our distinctive uniforms on the subway, even as our hair was growing a little
longer and our military hats were now being crammed into our bookbags. One teacher became vocal about the role of the military at Xavier as the war and the protests escalated. The conversation evolved into the possibility of doing away with the Regiment—or at least making it optional. Not surprisingly, the teacher met with a lot of pushback. I remember joining the debate, citing the traditional role of the military at Xavier and how it kept us together and united. The teacher’s quick response was “united for what?” This was indeed thought-provoking for a 17-year-old whose older brother (Bill Gilfillan ’61) was then serving as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army, as the grim reality of the war was being broadcast into our living rooms on the nightly news. What I would still say to that teacher is that the Xavier Regiment is an intrinsic part of Xavier’s unique identity beyond its Catholic, Jesuit, and New York City traditions. The esprit de corps I developed at Xavier as part of the Regiment has stayed with me for a lifetime. After college and graduate school, I proudly served as a Special Agent in the FBI for 25 years. I discovered that Xavier is the number one feeder high school for new FBI agents. Being part of something larger than myself with a common purpose of service to others is what the FBI’s rank and file do every day. Sound familiar? In October 2001, shortly after 9/11, I was working as an executive in the physical security industry in midtown Manhattan. On Columbus Day, I came upon the Xavier military contingent as they were preparing to march up Fifth Avenue. I called out to Dan Gatti, S.J. ’59, Xavier’s President at the time, to say hello. Fr. Gatti quickly invited me to march along with the Regiment. As we started to march together, the Xavier band led off with a spirited rendition of “Over There.” As we turned onto Fifth Avenue the band followed up with our beloved anthem, “Sons of Xavier.” It was the first time I consciously smiled since 9/11, as I was united once again with the Xavier Regiment. Truth be told, I had never left. Jim Tierney spent 25 years as an FBI agent and supervisor in New York City. He later worked as an executive in the physical security industry in midtown Manhattan. A graduate of St. Peter’s University and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, he now works as a security consultant.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 17
REFLECTIONS ON THE REGIMENT
Dr. John Muller ’75
T
he Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Regiment at Xavier has had a long, storied history as part of the school, and the 1970s proved no exception to this history. In many ways, however, the Regiment of the ’70s came to represent the school of that time as well as the environment of the nation. It was a time of change, controversy, and yet, constancy. In the spring of 1971, William Wood, S.J.†, Xavier’s President at the time, announced that the military program would become optional that fall. And so the Class of 1975 became the first class in the modern history of Xavier not to have to partake in any military training. Vietnam still raged, with two more years of battlefield deaths before the final U.S. withdrawal in 1973. Nightly news programs still ran the listings of those killed in Southeast Asia. Within the Xavier community, there were those who supported making the military optional, and those—including influential alumni, experienced faculty, and staff—who did not. Despite the change and the controversy surrounding it, students in the Regiment were soon working, studying, participating in extracurricular activities, and going on retreats with non-participating students. Never during my four years in the Regiment did I hear a disparaging word about my military participation from any other member of the community, which stood in stark contrast to the protests and occasional negative interactions experienced outside our walls. This was the first lesson that Xavier and the Regiment provided—that companions with differing views on issues could co-exist and respect each other with grace and understanding. Other lessons soon followed. We learned to march together (mostly!) in a straight line, realizing that while one person could not make a Regiment, one could make a mistake that would diminish the work of the rest of the group. It was “team-building” before the phrase became popular! We also learned to prepare lesson plans, to speak with confidence in front of an audience, and from such leaders as SGM Ray Carney, USA (Ret.) P’96† that maintaining dignity, even in the face of defeat, said more about your character than any win or loss. Timeless constants such as these do not fade in the heat of contemporary notions. Regardless of whether a JROTC graduate left Xavier and continued in some military capacity or not, the Regiment was a foundation that left its mark. It certainly continues to influence my life and behavior today. I would not be who I am now if I had not been a part of it. The cadet colonel of the Class of 1975, Dr. John Muller is an attending anesthesiologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College. He is a graduate of Cornell University, St. Louis University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He served in the Army reserves from 1988-1997. Dr. Muller and his wife, Suzanne, have three children. They live in Manhattan.
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XAVIER MAGAZINE 19
REFLECTIONS ON THE REGIMENT
Erin Scott
LTC Tony DeMartino, USA (Ret.) ’85
O
n my first day at Xavier, my father took the subway with me from Brooklyn to Union Square, telling me to pay attention because I would be on my own after that first day. This was back in 1981, which was not the safest time in New York City—so I was really paying attention. Although my dad did not ride the train with me again, I was far from being on my own. In fact, I never felt as if I had to ride that train alone after I first walked through the doors on 16th Street; from the beginning of my time there, I formed a close group of friends and brothers. When I think of Xavier and the positive impact those four years made on my life, I think of the people, the education, and especially the Regiment. The people and the education were terrific, but for me, the magic of Xavier will always be the Regiment. The Regiment had a profound impact on my life—from the moment I put on my first uniform, it provided me with an opportunity to be part of something bigger than myself. At the time, I did not realize that I would spend most of my adult life
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wearing a very similar uniform. The JROTC curriculum involved history classes, weekly drills with old M1 Garand rifles, and the opportunity to join various military-related clubs and activities. I loved hanging out around the military offices, listening to the retired NCOs—all were Vietnam veterans—talk about their military experiences and teaching important life lessons that we didn’t learn in a classroom. As the years went on, the Regiment continued to challenge me with increased responsibility. The faculty trusted us to plan and execute training. They also instilled in us the obligations of being a leader. I learned about responsibility, service, duty, and that your words matter. It was humbling and exciting, and it further enhanced what I was learning from my peers and in the classroom. The Xavier JROTC instructors and a Jesuit college counselor recommended that I apply for an Army ROTC scholarship. That scholarship made the financial challenge of college much easier on my family. But it was so much more than that—if it were not for what I learned through the Regiment, I may not have joined the Army and become the person that I am today. It laid the foundation for a continued connection to people in service of a cause bigger than ourselves that has meaning and impact around the world. ROTC led to my commissioning in the Army and soon thereafter, as a Lieutenant, to service in the first Gulf War. After September 11, 2001, I spent more than four years in combat in Afghanistan and the Middle East, including commanding one of the “Band of Brothers” battalions in Afghanistan. Throughout my military career and in my time thereafter, I have encountered other Xavier graduates and we never fail to find instant kinship. Usually, it is never too long before one of us starts humming and singing “Sons of Xavier, keep marching…” I am always taken back to my 14-year-old self, marching in formation where it all began—on 16th Street in the Xavier Regiment. Lieutenant Colonel Tony DeMartino, USA (Ret.) is a founding partner of Pallas Advisors, a consulting firm that specializes in the intersection between technology and national security. He was most recently the deputy chief of staff to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. Previously, LTC DeMartino served more than 25 years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army with multiple command and combat deployments. He is a senior fellow at the Center for New American Security, a D.C.-based, bipartisan think tank. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University, the School of Advanced Military Studies, and George Mason University.
LTC Geoffrey J. Cole, USA ’95
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hen I attended Xavier from 1991 to 1995, the Regiment worked tirelessly to attain the Gold Star for excellence from the JROTC Regional Command. During our initial, mandatory 10 weeks of Regimental participation, my classmates and I heard about the work and preparation that would be required by the Regiment to attain the Gold Star. Because of this, I joined the Xavier Regiment due to my desire for discipline, camaraderie, and membership in a winning organization. All of us cadets were motivated to make Xavier’s JROTC program the best in the country. We were led by outstanding, retired U.S. Army servicemembers: MAJ Ronald Grandel, USA (Ret.), 1SG Frederick Scruggs, USA (Ret.), MSG James Jones, USA (Ret.)†, SFC Edward Vicente, USA (Ret.), and later SFC Wayne Atherton, USA (Ret.). These men provided us guidance and shared their unique Army experiences (well, the PG-rated stuff) with us. They oversaw the way we conducted uniform inspections, drill, and ceremonies. They encouraged our participation in the Regiment’s clubs—the X-Squad, Color Guard, and the Blackjacks, which later became the Raiders. They reminded us every day that attaining our goals would only come through preparation and humility. How many of us remember 1SG Scruggs or MSG Jones correcting our uniforms or haircuts? Their determination and selflessness were character
traits that I have aspired to emulate throughout my personal life and professional career. They took time during class and after school to work with us and improve our leadership skills. My classmates and I always saw the Gold Star for excellence as just one of many ways we could improve the Regiment’s reputation and performance at local JROTC competitions, parades on Fifth Avenue (St. Patrick’s Day and Columbus Day), and around school. We worked on having a winning mentality in the program. I carried that mentality into my academic work and attendance at the United States Military Academy. With the constant stream of Xavier JROTC graduates attending our country’s service academies, I have faith that the program motivated other cadets to achieve their goals, just as it motivated me. Personally, the Regiment taught me about the complexities of leadership and the value of hard work. I have now served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, and the consistent trend I have observed is that leaders must care about their people—subordinates, peers, and superiors alike. The JROTC instructors, Jesuit priests, and lay teachers were always inquiring about our welfare. Knowing that I had instructors who cared about my performance motivated me to apply myself in every class, club, and sport in which I participated at Xavier. During my time in the Army, I have done my best to emulate my Xavier instructors by motivating soldiers to achieve more than they dreamed possible. Of course, some soldiers fail, but treating them with dignity and respect is a characteristic I picked up at Xavier. Our Senior Army Instructor, MAJ Grandel, showed us through his sometimes stern and other times jovial mannerisms that leaders are people, not machines. With any mistake we made as cadets, there was a lesson to be learned. In 1991, members of the Blackjacks transitioned the organization to the Raiders to focus on physical fitness and orienteering competitions. We made numerous mistakes along the way. Nonetheless, MAJ Grandel continuously mentored us and encouraged resilience as we worked to fulfill our purpose and achieve our goals. This is what I learned most during my time at Xavier: You may not always succeed at your first attempt, but if you set a goal and build a road map to accomplish it, you will be successful. The cadet colonel of the Class of 1995, Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey J. Cole, USA is a graduate of the United States Military Academy and Rutgers University. His operational and staff assignments have taken him to Texas, New Jersey, Germany, Iraq, Qatar, and most recently South Korea. LTC Cole returned to the U.S. with his wife, Laura Zamarripa, in July. He has one son, Julius.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 21
REFLECTIONS ON THE REGIMENT
Shane Lavin ’03
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I
t is impossible to separate my Xavier experience from my participation in the Regiment. In many ways, the Regiment was central to my everyday life on 16th Street. While I only wore my uniform once a week for drill, I was at school early three additional mornings a week for practice with the Raiders and was often in the military science office during recess or in the supply room at lunch. While I played hockey and was involved in other activities, the Regiment was a constant throughout the year for each of my four years at Xavier. But it is not simply the time spent in Regimental activities that was so formational. My time as a cadet was an important learning experience that introduced me to the complexities of leadership. In a hierarchical setting, especially as a teenager, it can be tempting to “pull rank,” but that is not leadership. What I learned in the Regiment is what we so often see modeled by the men and women who serve in the military—servant leadership. During my first experience at JROTC summer camp at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, I had a rotation as a squad leader and quickly learned that squad leaders were the last to eat. The initial excitement of being in a leadership role was promptly dampened by hunger. The lesson was, of course, not about the process of forming a line in the mess hall, but to make sure that leaders cared for the cadets in their charge before themselves. I often saw this modeled at Xavier by my teachers, Army instructors, coaches, club moderators, and team captains, though at 14 years old, this was the first time I had been called both to lead and serve in a minor but concrete way. During my time in the Regiment, our Senior Army Instructor, MAJ Ronald Grandel, USA (Ret.), introduced a Regimental motto—“Exceed the standard: Excel!”—a charge to us all to do more. Xavier’s current mission statement similarly calls students to “pursue excellence in every endeavor.” I see much in common between my Regimental experience and that mission statement—not only in being called to excellence,
but also taking responsibility for my life, leading with integrity, and acting justly in service of others. Part of that personal responsibility was also a responsibility for my peers. It was certainly my responsibility to get my uniform ready for inspection, have my hair cut, brass polished, and shoes shined. However, I was—whether in a leadership position or not—also responsible to ensure everyone was prepped and ready for inspection, or parades, or a Raider challenge. These valuable lessons learned in the context of the Xavier community have proven all the more fruitful. One can find parallels in the concept of magis in Ignatian spirituality—the fundamental idea of trying to do the more, the better, the greater, for God and not for ourselves. When we encountered our peers from military schools at summer camps or other competitions, there was no question of their firm grasp of drill and ceremonies and military bearing. However, I did not get the sense that there was the care for the whole person we so fortunately benefited from at Xavier. I certainly felt cared for—though I would likely not have used those words at the time—by MAJ Grandel, the late MSG James Jones, USA (Ret.)†, my current colleague SFC Wayne Atherton, USA (Ret.), and by all of my teachers and coaches at Xavier. When the Raiders approached MAJ Grandel about entering our first competition, we were met with guidance and encouragement. SFC Atherton then spent countless mornings before school during my senior year preparing us for land navigation, first aid, and physical training. MSG Jones, who commuted from southern New Jersey, was known to sleep at Xavier to ensure the X-Squad could get to early morning drill competitions throughout the Tri-State area. There are many stories like these about faculty— Jesuit, lay, and military—that I have had the privilege to hear during my time working at Xavier. They were willing to take on new challenges without concern for how it might impact them or their personal lives but to support us in doing more, being better, becoming greater. I will strive to follow that example for the rest of my life. Shane Lavin returned to Xavier in 2009 as Director of Alumni Relations and now serves as Director of Annual Giving. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Villanova University.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 23
REFLECTIONS ON THE REGIMENT
W
hen we processed out of St. Patrick’s Cathedral seven years ago, my cadet classmates and I started down a path about which we were excited, but a bit nervous: flourishing as adults with the wind of Xavier at our backs. What truly turned that wind into a gust was our experience in the Regiment and its perennial lever that we continue to pull. Our time in the Regiment undoubtedly shaped us— notably through challenges atypical to an ordinary high school student. In classic Jesuit style, these challenges continue to ground us and shape our lives. As I reminisce about my time as a cadet, it’s impossible to start anywhere else but orientation in the 5L6 classroom with our pensive, stoic leader, LTC Roy Campbell, USA (Ret.). During that first high school semester, we learned firsthand what honor looked like and leadership sounded like. Lessons about how to wear our uniforms transcended into our daily lives: dressing in an orderly fashion meant taking ourselves seriously and representing a cause greater than ourselves. The physical fitness and written exams became not just a healthy competition among peers, but a barometer for the growth of our physical and mental acuity. Dropping for 20 pushups became less of a trial and more of an ethos. Weekly drill formations instilled organization, punctuality, and direction—not in a classroom setting, but a calibrated environment. None of these tenets were unique to the Regiment, but in aggregate, the Regiment synergized them as our brand. Our growth in the Regiment depended on branching out of our comfort zones and partnering with cadets in different grades and of different ranks, whether to rewrite our standard operating procedure or to organize our annual parades and ceremonies. I found the greatest challenge to be preparing and executing the annual spring awards
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ceremony. The coordination of its itinerary hinged not only on billing the appropriate segments, but doing so with commitment from cadets in all grades. But the constant camaraderie reminded us that we were all working toward the same goal, keeping egos in check and our mission at the forefront. For me, the culmination of this teamwork was unquestionably the 2011 spring awards ceremony during which the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia ’53† graced us with his appearance. As the recently appointed cadet colonel, it was my honor and duty to deliver our State of the Regiment address to the audience and this American judicial icon. In bearing this mantle, I had to harness the poise, decorum, and articulation that I learned during my tenure in the Regiment and from my tutelage by LTC Campbell. Reflecting back on my time in the Regiment, it’s impossible to overlook how those four years subtly permeate my post-graduate life. At Boston College and now J.P. Morgan, in social, academic, and professional settings alike, the Regiment’s credo manifests in the way I carry and measure myself, represent those important to me, and endeavor to accelerate above and beyond. The Regiment emphasized being a strong leader: to strive to be worthy of recognition without becoming consumed by the recognition itself; to be too big to take offense and too noble to give it. As we all continue to uphold the responsibility of being mainstays in our homes, at work, and with friends, continuously heightening our own bars of greatness is paramount. In doing so, we empower those around us and inspire in them what the Regiment entrenched in us during each of our respective times in the program. Thanks to it, we’re all sharper and more altruistic men for others. Gregory Watch ’12 is a graduate of Boston College, an associate at J.P. Morgan, and a member of Fiver Children’s Foundation’s Young Professionals Committee.
Gregory Watch ’12
XAVIER MAGAZINE 25
CADET COLONELS
1. 3.
2. 1. Rector-President Henry Boyle, S.J.† presents Cadet Colonel Philip Lacovara ’60 with the Regimental commander’s ceremonial gold saber in 1959. 2. Regimental leaders surround Cadet Colonel Raymond McGuinness ’41†. 3. Cadet Colonel Joe Reilly ’49†, right, with Lieutenant Colonel Robert Simmons ’49†.
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Caretakers of history: THE ROLE OF CADET COLONELS
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By Shawna Gallagher Vega
or more than a century, the weight of the Regiment’s history has rested squarely on the shoulders of its cadet colonels. Through wartime and peacetime and moments of great patriotism and protest, those colonels have set the standard for their peers and served as guardians of a long tradition of discipline, service, and civil engagement. Decades after leading the Regiment, past colonels vividly remember both moments of glory and lessons learned. “You feel that you’re a part of history,” said Tim Williamson ’00, whose father Arthur Williamson ’66 P’00 regaled him with tales of the Regiment growing up. “I also felt like I was a role model for others. I tried to set the tone for the younger kids of the school about how to act, how to behave, and how to represent Xavier.” “What I learned was that when you’re at the top, you’ve got to help people. Even as the colonel, I would help a freshman. You get to that place and you’ve got to take care of the troops,” said Joe Garvey ’67, who served in the Navy before transitioning to a law career. “I learned a lot at Xavier that I applied when I was in the service. You learn things about keeping people together and making sure people fit in. You set that example. The personality of the Regiment—and the personality of any organization—comes from the helm. Words matter.”
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CADET COLONELS
L
earning to lead is a hallmark of the cadet colonel role that transcends generations. Philip Lacovara ’60, a celebrated lawyer who served as counsel to the Watergate special prosecutor in the early 1970s, absorbed a sense of discipline and ethical leadership. “Very few people wanted to march in the rain or stand at parade rest out on a hot football field. That self-discipline proved valuable,” he recalled. “And as cadet colonel I realized—partly at the time, but certainly in retrospect—that power is something to be used carefully and not abused.” “For me, it was the start of a career,” said Tom Healey ’72, a public relations and marketing executive who served as a Coast Guard reservist and volunteer firefighter. “I learned about understanding the people you lead, about the presence of management, the presence of leadership, and that continues to shape me. Cadet colonels get an opportunity, while relatively young, to try out different styles of leadership. It was a chance, quite frankly, to make mistakes and to learn from them.” Leading hundreds of young men as a teenager is a tremendous opportunity, but it often proves daunting. Rising to the challenge is a lesson in itself. “It was kind of overwhelming. You’re 17 years old and now have this responsibility that’s heaped upon you,” said CMDR John Pucciarelli, USN (Ret.) ’85, who took command of the Regiment just as beloved Senior Army Instructor SGM Ray Carney, USA (Ret.) P’96† fell ill and died. “I had people looking to me saying, ‘What do we do?’ We all loved the man. We went and represented Xavier at his funeral. I learned a lot helping the Regiment get through that.” Tom Healey served as cadet colonel from 1971-72, the pivotal first year of an optional Regiment. “It was a very difficult time,” Healey said as he recalled cadets being accosted while commuting to Xavier in their military uniforms. “But we learned from that. We learned not to judge people so much by what they look like on the outside. Even if you were against the war, people judged you based on the uniform you were wearing.” When President William Wood, S.J.† announced that the Regiment would become optional in the spring of 1971, onethird of the student body dropped out of the JROTC program. As Regimental commander, Healey’s central goal became uniting all of his fellow students. “There were a lot of people completely disappointed in the decision to make the Regiment optional, and on the other side, there were people who said this was the way of the future. I was kind of in the middle,” he recalled. “The first thing we needed to do was unify the student body, and that’s what I tried to do. I tried to be a role model and get along with everybody. We had a tremendous class and the classes behind us were tremendous. I give a lot of credit to my classmates, who were the seniors and the leaders of the school.” 28 XAVIER MAGAZINE
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6.
or all its challenges, the cadet colonel role has long offered its occupants unique, lasting memories. Lacovara and Garvey recalled Colonels’ Day, an official investiture ceremony that took place annually in the Church of St. Francis Xavier. (These days, each year’s cadet colonel and Student Leadership Council president are recognized at September’s Mass of the Holy Spirit.) Other cadet colonels said their most memorable moments were simple ones. “The best times were always with my friends in the JROTC,” said Anthony Ciaffone ’03. “I had a great time going to summer camp at Fort Indiantown Gap, competing on the drill team, and attending the Military Ball.” “The daily interactions with our cadets, our cadre, and the community will always be most memorable for me,” said COL Bernard Harrington, USA ’93. “Whether in the Commons with the X-Squad, or standing on Fifth Avenue with the Regiment as we marched along the parade route, it's those moments of personal interactions with our team that I always try to reflect upon.” Almost universally, former cadet colonels cite leading the Regiment at the Columbus and St. Patrick’s Day Parades and meeting the Archbishop of New York as their favorite memories.
2.
3.
4.
7.
1. Tom Healey ’72 with Cardinal Cooke. 2. CMDR John Pucciarelli, USN (Ret.) ’85, center, with his parents, Anthony† and Barbara Pucciarelli P’85. 3. CPT Charlie Galletti, USA ’08 with his mother, Nelida Rodriguez P’08. 4. Kevin Moncrief ’15 addressing the 2015 Celebrate Xavier Scholarship Gala. 5. Cadets escort Joe Garvey ’67 into the Church of St. Francis Xavier on Colonels’ Day 1966. 6. Former President Ken Boller, S.J., John Cardinal O’Connor, COL Doug LeVien, USA ’90, and MAJ Ron Grandel, USA (Ret.) at the 1990 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 7. Joe Nocito ’00, Colonel Tim Williamson ’00, and Jamie Keane ’00.
“This was pre-Vatican II, and it was a very different world,” Lacovara said of the moment he met Francis Cardinal Spellman and kissed his ring. “The relationship to the hierarchy of the Church was one of awe.” A new era had dawned in the nation and the Catholic Church 12 years later, but Healey recalled being similarly ecstatic to meet Terence Cardinal Cooke. “To my parents, the son and daughter of Irish immigrants, they could have gone to heaven right then and there!” Earlier this year, when Matthew DuBois ’19 turned away from St. Patrick’s Cathedral and looked back at the Regiment, he absorbed his most lasting memory. “To see 300-plus cadets as well as the Regimental teams marching in unison was an impressive sight,” he said. “To think that I was their cadet colonel.”
when they were cadets in the Regiment,” said COL Doug LeVien,
s Xavier approaches its 175th anniversary in 2022, former cadet colonels are reflective about the Regiment’s history—and they look forward to witnessing the achievements of commanders to come. “The minute you step into Xavier, you are reminded of the sacrifices of its alumni during our nation’s wars, which began
better condition than he received it.”
A
USA ’90. “When you are the leader of the Regiment, you represent all of the past and are responsible for maintaining its reputation and continuing to make it excel and make the alumni proud.” “I don’t think there has ever been an individual who has held the rank of cadet colonel who was not fully aware of the history of the Regiment and its importance to Xavier and its legacy. If there was ever any doubt, the reality fully sets in when you are presented with the Regimental saber in a ceremony in front of the entire student body and faculty at the start of the school year,” said Michael Avalos ’94. “For me, as I held that saber—which many others had held before me—it was evident that one of the important responsibilities of the cadet colonel was to be a caretaker of that legacy and hand it to the next cadet colonel in a “Attending a school that cherishes its history and has alumni in major positions around the world tells you about the quality of education and the quality of humans that Xavier produces,” echoed CPT Charlie Galletti, USA ’08. “I’m honored to have been a part of the Regiment’s history.”
XAVIER MAGAZINE 29
Military Science 10
A DAY IN THE LIFE
The Regiment Regimental Inspection
Military Science 9 30 XAVIER MAGAZINE
With their busy schedules, cadets quickly develop discipline, perseverance, and time management skills. All JROTC participants enroll in military science classes, where they learn about leadership, citizenship, and military principles. Regimental club meetings and team practices take place before, during, and after school, and one day each cycle, cadets gather in the gym for Regimental inspection, where cadet leaders ensure they are upholding JROTC standards. “In view of the varied activities in which our cadets are involved, I expect them to be men of their word and men of character. In other words, they are to do what they say they are going to do and always do it to the best of their abilities,” said Senior Army Instructor LTC Jacob Kelly, USA (Ret.). “As a result of their involvement in the diverse activities of the Regiment, cadets enhance their abilities to properly manage their time, as well as increase their planning and organizational skills.”
X-Squad Practice
Military Science 11
Regimental Inspection
Military Science 10
Rifle Team Practice
XAVIER MAGAZINE 31
32 XAVIER MAGAZINE
CLASS NOTES
’48
’49
Tom Lamberti and his wife, Eileen (right), with Jean Kelly, executive director of The INN
1942 John Maloney is now 95 years old. He has been a deacon for the past 46 years. Maloney recently wrote, directed, and acted in a two-hour play for the town of Clarkston, New York. “I did imitations of Humphrey Bogart, Detective Columbo, Willie Nelson, Laurel (of Laurel and Hardy), Frank Sinatra, and Bob Hope,” he writes. 1945 George Camisa and his wife, Marilyn, live in Rolling Hills Estate, California. Remembering his Regiment days, Camisa writes, “Does anyone remember the 9th Regiment Armory between 14th and 15th Streets between 6th and 7th Avenues? Traffic was held up on 15th and 6th while the Xavier Regiment and band marched to the Armory to drill—rifles and all. Xavier was known as the only JROTC high school in New York City. ’Til this day New Yorkers in California still remember.” 1947 Larry Reilly and his wife, Ellen, relocated from Niskayuna, New York to Parker, Colorado in 1995. Last October, they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Before his retirement, Reilly enjoyed a career in television advertising sales. He and Ellen have two sons and a daughter. 1948 Tom Lamberti and his wife, Eileen, were honored at the Innkeepers Ball at the Long Island
’55
Dr. Tom O’Brien performing with the Venice Ukulele Ensemble
Marriott Uniondale on May 9 for their work for and generous support of The INN (Interfaith Nutrition Network) on Long Island, a nonprofit that feeds and houses the hungry and homeless. 1949 Dr. Tom O’Brien and his wife, Nancy, visited Xavier in May to attend the Named Scholarship Reception and the Golden Knights Luncheon. In February, they attended the alumni reception in Naples, Florida, where attendees reported on their retirement activities. O’Brien mentioned that he plays the ukulele weekly in Venice, Florida, as part of a group called the Venice Ukulele Ensemble. “There is a rumor that we will play a short concert before the 2020 Naples Reception!” 1952 Fr. Robert Lauder, a Brooklyn Diocesan priest, has recorded five seasons of a lecture series titled “The Catholic Novel with Fr. Robert Lauder” on NET TV. He also published his 15th book, Pope Francis’ Profound Personalism and Poverty, in 2017. Dr. Chester Schmidt writes to thank Xavier for honoring Ed Hawkins with the Francis X. Leahy ’41 Alumni Service Award. 1955 Chris Kloss recently sold 50% of the assets of his municipal software business. “Hopefully the rest will be sold soon. I want to retire, play more tennis, and travel with my wife,” he writes.
Chris Kloss and his wife, Joyce
’57
1957 Fr. Tim Tighe, CSP celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination as a Paulist priest on February 22, 2019. 1958 In April, Dr. Bob Vecchiotti spoke to a business class at his alma mater, Saint Peter’s University, about contemporary leadership practices. The dean of Saint Peter’s School of Business attended the lecture. Dr. Vecchiotti was pleased to see how much Saint Peter’s has grown and integrated itself into the vibrant Jersey City community.
Fr. Tim Tighe, CSP
1960 Dr. Stephen DeAngelis has lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, for the last 26 years. He earned a master’s degree in Russian language at Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Russian history at St. Petersburg State University. The author of 25 books, he has lectured throughout the U.S. and Russia and is a member of the House of Scholars in St. Petersburg, a trustee of the Golitsyn Library, and serves on the advisory board of the Hermitage. In March, DeAngelis gave a series of lectures at the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, Florida, and in May, he spoke at the Round Hill Club in Greenwich, Connecticut. Philip Lacovara, who served as counsel to the Watergate special prosecutor, has authored multiple Washington Post opinion pieces related to the Mueller investigation. He has also been interviewed by multiple news organizations recently, including CNN and NPR.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 33
CLASS NOTES
’62
’60
Bob Scavullo in Yap, Micronesia
’64
Rocco Iacovone, right, with fellow musicians in New York City
’67
1961
In March, Bob Scavullo spent two weeks serving as a pro bono tutor and teacher at Yap Catholic High School in Yap, Micronesia, where his friend Rich McAuliff, S.J. is the director. Scavullo kept his classmates informed with frequent emails throughout his journey.
Jim Keenan, S.J.
Dr. Bob Weierman is retired but remains active volunteering with Gulf Coast Christian Ministry in Gulfport, Mississippi. “There are a lot of people with no insurance or money to see private doctors,” he writes. “If you are nearby, we need more doctors. We also can always use money to help pay for lab tests.”
’64
Bill Borst writes about “some significant life changes.” In October 2016, he lost his wife of more than 50 years, Judy O’Rourke Borst. Ten months later, he met Anna Maria Bommarito on a blind date. They married in his parish church five months later. “We just love answering to the phrase newlyweds,” he writes. Borst also recently authored The St. Louis Browns: The Story of a Beloved Team with two other members of the St. Louis Browns Historical Society, a group he founded in 1984. It was voted the best baseball book of 2017 by Sports Collectors Digest. Tony Vivolo graduated from Seattle University in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and a regular Army commission as a Second Lieutenant. “It was a difficult time for our country and for us—men and women who served,” he writes. “I served four years in the Army, deployed twice to the Vietnam conflict. In 1969 I left my wife and 8-month-old daughter for Tay Ninh, Vietnam. Fifty years have passed and Vietnam was something not discussed or spoken about. In my 75th year, I want to share my thoughts and feelings with family and friends.” To a read a poem Vivolo composed, turn to page 46. 1962
Elizabeth and Raymond Maruca before the 1963 Military Ball and at Xavier’s 55th Reunion in May 34 XAVIER MAGAZINE
In May, Rocco Iacovone celebrated the international release of Palermo Sketches, a CD he recorded in Italy with three other musicians— Luciano Troja, director of the Filarmonica Laudamo in Messina, Italy; Giancarlo Mazzu, musician,
Dr. Doug Fraser and his wife, Aideen
composer, and teacher at the university there; and Blaise Siwula of New York City. This is the same quartet that formed when Iacovone and his wife, fine arts department chair Denise Iacovone, were invited to teach a week-long seminar at the Filarmonica Laudamo in 2017. “We just completed a New York City tour and played with the quartet around the city. We also recorded a second CD while the Italians were here,” Iacovone writes. “As always, Denise painted the music while we played. Venues included the Downtown Music Gallery, Scholes Street Studio, and the beautiful Casa Italiana at NYU. The group rehearsed at Xavier, and all were very impressed with the school and the facilities. We even sent Giancarlo home with Xavier memorabilia for his 16-year-old son!” 1963 Rick Geffken’s new book, The Hidden History of Monmouth County, will be published in August by The History Press. Bill Porter and his wife, Joan Sullivan Porter, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on May 10. Frank Herrmann, S.J. officiated the anniversary Mass at their parish, the Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria, Virginia. Thomas P. Lydon attended the Mass and ensuing celebration. 1964 Dr. Doug Fraser recently sold his ophthalmology practice. He is working two days a week for the new owners, traveling with his wife, Aideen, enjoying their seven grandsons and two granddaughters,
’66
’65
Upcoming Events Quogue Reception Peter Hansen and Wilbur Ross ’55
August 22, 2019
John Meditz
and “reveling in no more Medicare paperwork!” Dr. Raymond Maruca is retiring after 48 years as a professor of mathematics at Delaware County Community College. He taught at Fordham University for three years before arriving at DCCC. “It’s been a great half-century,” he writes. In May, he and his wife, Elizabeth, attended the 55th reunion festivities at Xavier and shared a photo of themselves 56 years ago, just before leaving for the Military Ball on November 22, 1963—the day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. 1965 Peter Hansen met Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross ’55 last August when Ross addressed the Paraguayan American Chamber of Commerce, where Hansen serves on the Board. “When I mentioned that I was also captain of the rifle team, he immediately asked if we were undefeated that year,” Hansen said. “I stumbled a bit as I didn’t really remember, but I said we had a very good team!” 1966 John Meditz recently joined the board of the Hackensack Meridian Healthcare Network. He is also a trustee at Fairfield University (where he has served for 24 years), John Cabot University in Rome (where he has served for five years), and serves on various other boards and committees. “Some retirement!” he writes.
1967 On June 12, members of the Class of 1967 gathered at St. Peter’s Prep Chapel for their annual Memorial Mass and a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jim Keenan, S.J.’s ordination. 1968 Mathew Mari is a proud grandfather. He writes that Mary Barricelli (who is also the granddaughter of Anthony Barricelli ’74) will celebrate her first birthday on September 23. 1970 Thomas Burns hosted Michael Oleske, Peter Reilly, and John Sabini in Raleigh, North Carolina, in May. “We were feted with chicken, biscuits, and porky things in good company,” Sabini writes. “As usual for the class of ’70, we remembered our Xavier comrades both living and deceased. We also solved all the current world’s issues, and wrote them down in the margins of our notebooks. Pax et Bonum!” 1971 Anthony Flood published a book, Herbert Aptheker: Studies in Willful Blindness, in April. He mentioned his “Jesuit military high school” on page 1. Eric Hoffmeyer retired from the Pentagon on May 31, and he and his wife, Bridget, moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky, in June. “The new place has a separate shop, two-car garage, and a barn on six acres,” he writes. “Come on out and visit anytime.”
Summer Sunset at Xavier August 28, 2019
Admissions Open House October 19, 2019
Turkey Bowl at Aviator November 28, 2019
Washington, D.C. Reception December 4, 2019
Beefsteak Dinner January 17, 2020
Celebrate Xavier Scholarship Gala April 3, 2020
50th Reunion Weekend April 24-25, 2020
Golden Knights Luncheon May 1, 2020
5th-25th Reunions May 1, 2020
30th-45th, 55th & 60th Reunions May 2, 2020
For the latest event updates, visit xavierhs.org/events.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 35
’73
’74
Richard Krajewski
’82
Michael Nardolilli
’83
Ikem Okeke and his family
Chris Stevens, right, with Andrew Gonzales P’17 and Salvatore Vitale ’96
’72 1972
Dr. Franklin Caesar
Dr. Franklin Caesar shared memories of his time in the Xavier Regiment. “I was there when Fr. Bill Wood, S.J.† made the announcement that JROTC would be optional in my upcoming senior year. I stayed and became a Captain - Company Commander. It was my turn to give orders!” he writes. “SGM Raymond Carney, USA (Ret.)† was an incredible leader.” 1973 Richard Krajewski presented a poster on electroenterography at a student research conference at Penn State in April. “There is a lot to be done. Thank God for the means to be involved in some small way,” he writes. “I am more convinced as I get older of the willingness of God to help us. Some of the amazing long shots that have materialized after prayers for help would have to make you start to realize the likelihood of God’s existence just on the odds alone. I joined the Society of Catholic
’74
Scientists. I recommend that alumni in the sciences join, too.” 1974 Seventeen graduates of the Class of 1974 returned to 16th Street for their 45th high school reunion on May 4. The festivities included Mass, a cocktail reception, and a gala dinner in Keenan Commons. Michael Nardolilli was recently appointed executive director of the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB). The ICPRB’s mission is to enhance, protect, and conserve the water and associated land resources of the Potomac River and its tributaries through regional and interstate cooperation. Phil Whalen writes that his youngest daughter, Jenna, is a marketing major and information systems minor at Loyola University Maryland. She is on the executive board of Loyola’s Women in Business organization and raises funds through their Phonathon. 1977 Anthony Sarro, Jr. recently started a new medical practice data analytics company using his 27 years of experience in medical billing. His 18-year-old daughter, Jaime, is off to college in September, while his 16-year-old son, Anthony, is starting the process. “How time flies!” he writes. “Best regards to all Xavier brothers.”
Members of the Class of 1974 at their 45th reunion in May 36 XAVIER MAGAZINE
1978 Dr. Dominick Gadaleta was recently named chairman of surgery at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, the Northwell Health tertiary care hospital in Suffolk County. 1980 Mike Barbieri is a principal partner in TRUE Vodka. Imported from Italy, the new vodka is featured in all TAO Group venues and recently became the official vodka of the BB&T Center in Fort Lauderdale and the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers. 1981 Daniel Holohan writes that he has had an exciting 2019 so far. He and his wife, Catherine, moved to Chicago, his son Daniel received his Ph.D. in immunology, and his daughter Lauren got married to Parker Mitchell. William McNerney is a captain at JetBlue at John F. Kennedy International Airport. He will soon retire from the U.S. Navy Reserve after 34 years. “My son, Connor, just finished his freshman year at the College of the Holy Cross. He is running cross country and track there,” he writes. “His brother, Ryan, is a junior at Immaculate High School and led their cross country team to the school’s first state title.” 1982 Dennis Healy is an instructor at Louisiana State University’s National Center of Biomedical
CLASS NOTES
’83
’86
25 Years Later, A Cadet Colonel Reflects BY MICHAEL AVALOS ’94
Pat Carroll, right, with Kevin Flynn ’67 and Jim Tierney ’68
Research and Training (NCBRT)/ Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education. Ikem Okeke lives on Staten Island. His daughter, Olivia Nicole, graduated with honors from Hampton University on May 12. His son, Lance, began working at Grace School in December 2018. 1983 Pat Carroll served as the guest speaker at the February 2019 monthly luncheon of the New York City chapter of retired and former FBI agents. Carroll is vice president for financial crime compliance at Goldman Sachs. Also in attendance were Kevin Flynn ’67 and Jim Tierney ’68. Jim McEleney lives in St. Petersburg, Florida after nine years living overseas. He works as a business coach and is also a multi-unit franchise owner. Chris Stevens spoke at the Staten Island Boys Football League (SIBFL) Annual Awards Brunch at the invitation of SIBFL president Salvatore Vitale ’96. 1984 Phillip Hoblin now lives in Marina Del Rey, California. Bill Kelly is an attorney who represents accident victims (including those diagnosed with cancer or respiratory illness from exposure to 9/11 dust) as well as victims of clergy or institutional sexual abuse.
MAJ Tom Hutton, USA (Ret.) with his son, Liam, in France
Frank Natale writes that his daughter, Alexandra, was recently inducted into the National Honor Society. She will attend Villanova University this fall. 1985 John Bivona is currently serving in Riga, Latvia, as the FBI Legal Attaché to Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. He also serves as a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve at European Command. In March 2018, Special Agent Peter D’Antonio of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was selected as ATF’s newest Special Agent Canine Handler. D’Antonio and Explosive Detection K-9 Conley are now working together to protect our nation’s most vital interests and its people. D’Antonio and K-9 Conley are currently based in ATF’s New York Field Division. 1986 MAJ Tom Hutton, USA (Ret.) led a Boy Scout trip to Normandy, Paris, and London earlier this year. “Our troop participated in the Transatlantic Council’s Normandy Camporee commemorating the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion,” he writes. “We camped on the bluffs above Omaha Beach and toured several significant sites critical to the success of the Allies in World War II.” Rob Suarez has lived in Florida for five years. He works as a staff attorney for Florida Rural Legal Services, Inc., with his main
As members of the Regiment, cadets are challenged to become leaders of service to others. Twenty-five years after my graduation, the lessons I learned as a cadet—and especially as cadet colonel—continue to resound in my own life. In September 1993, I had the honor of becoming Regimental commander. There are few responsibilities that have been as challenging, yet rewarding, as that role. My time leading such men for others helped shape the leader I have become in other chapters of my life. The Regiment taught me that the privilege to lead is earned. I knew early on that the cadets would always respect my rank; however, they would never respect the man unless he earned it. Being given a rank or title does not make one a leader; rather, earning such a right through one’s actions will. On 16th Street, I learned to lead in my own unique way. My predecessors as cadet colonel knew early in their Xavier careers that they wanted to pursue a career in the military. They ran the Regiment like an army, and they did an amazing job. However, I knew that if I was going to be successful, I needed to make the position my own. I made a conscious decision to run the Regiment not as an army but as a corporation where I was CEO and where I would lean more on my executive staff than my predecessors had. It was a departure from how the Regiment had traditionally been run, but it was a genuine reflection of my personality and leadership style. It taught me that I could break the mold and try new and different approaches—not just the status quo—and the courage to do so has played a big part in the success I have enjoyed in my career. I also learned to leave the Regiment—and any organization—in a better condition than I found it. One of the most important responsibilities of any cadet, and especially the cadet colonel, is to be a caretaker of the Regiment’s legacy. When given a position of leadership, I’ve always remembered that I not only represent myself but those who came before me and those who will come after me. Finally, I learned that the best leaders are selfless. As my late father-inlaw, a high school religion teacher, used to teach his children and students: You are most yourself when you give yourself away. The best leaders are not those who bark orders but rather those who take the time to teach—to pass on what they have learned for the benefit of others. During my time in the Regiment as well as in my professional career, I have had the great fortune of having encountered amazing mentors who gave of their time and talent to develop my abilities. They not only made me a better professional but, most importantly, a better person. We can never forget that the best leaders teach—so teach, be selfless, and give yourself away. I can truly say that nothing has had as profound an impact in shaping the type of leader and person that I have become more than my parents, Xavier High School, and the honor of having served as Regimental commander. I wish good luck and Godspeed to today’s cadets. Michael Avalos ’94 is a graduate of Fordham University and Widener University School of Law. He currently serves as associate general counsel at AIG.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 37
’87
’87
Marlon Hosang with his staff and their families
’87
Elliott Robinson
practice areas in immigration, veterans’ disability, and wage and hours laws. He works closely with migrant workers under the H-2A program and represents clients in deportation hearings. 1987
Ed O’Callaghan P’17 ’20
Marlon Hosang recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as principal of PS 64 on the Lower East Side. His son Maxwell is playing travel hockey for the NYC Cyclones (Squirts) with the goal of playing for the Xavier team as a member of the class of 2028. Ed O’Callaghan P’17 ’20 serves as the Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. During the time between the departure of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and the confirmation of his successor, Jeffrey Rosen, O’Callaghan served as Acting Deputy Attorney General at the request of Attorney General Bill Barr. Bill Peterson and Ken Marino ’95 were recently ranked 54th in the country in the Barron’s Top 100 Financial Advisor rankings. Peterson’s team was also ranked 14th in New York State. Peterson and Marino have worked together at Neuberger Berman for 15 years. Elliott Robinson is the producer and host of the Creative Tension podcast. Creative Tension provides a voice for people and periods forgotten by history. 1988 Kevin Miller joined the staff at Bellarmine College Prep, a Jesuit
38 XAVIER MAGAZINE
’88
Allan Suarez
high school in San Jose, California, as Dean of Students in July. Allan Suarez was recently featured in Forbes. He discussed his Newark, New Jersey co-working space, Newark Foundry Workspaces, from conceptualization to launch as well as his further visions for commercial real estate in Newark. 1990 Dr. Ryan Galicia is a cardiovascular specialist at UNC Health Care in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 1991 Anthony Freire is an adjunct professor of applied psychology in the graduate program in mental health and wellness at New York University. He is also the founder and director of the Soho Center for Mental Health Counseling, where his team of clinicians works with a diverse group of clients struggling with mental health issues. Freire is a Board-certified mental health counselor and certified EMDR trauma therapist, having left behind a long career as an Emmy-nominated daytime television producer. MAJ Ron Grandel, USA (Ret.) shared a photo of LTC Joe Degliuomini, USA as he assumed command in Fort Campbell, Kentucky in August 2013. Grandel and LTC John Giordano, USA attended the change of command. “COL Bernard Harrington, USA ’93 had just taken command of a battalion there a couple of weeks before,” Grandel writes.
1992 Dr. Robert Bruno and Kevin Corbett joined Joe Tully ’96 for a round of golf at historic East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta on April 9. The following day, Bruno and Corbett attended the 2019 Masters Tournament at Augusta National. 1993 In January 2019, Michael Buckley transferred to Ottawa, Canada, where he is now posted as the Attaché for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). In this capacity, he oversees all liaisons and investigative activities for HSI in Canada and works closely with his Canadian counterparts to combat transnational criminal organizations. COL Bernard Harrington, USA relinquished command of the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on June 26. Peter McCarthy suffered a heart attack last year, bringing his career in law enforcement to an end. “I closed out 21 years with the NYPD,” he writes. “I am now officially retired, looking forward to the next chapter in my life.” 1994 John Georges recently earned his second master’s degree in higher education administration from Baruch College. He earned his first master’s degree in culture and communication from New York University. He and his family moved to Dallas, Texas, in June.
CLASS NOTES
’91
’92
COL Bernie Harrington, USA ’93, LTC Joe Degliuomini, USA, MAJ Ron Grandel, USA (Ret.), and LTC John Giordano, USA
’96
Joe Tully ’96 with Dr. Robert Bruno and Kevin Corbett
John Koch with his wife, Amie, and daughters Stella and Juliet
’96 Matt Hickey and his wife, Brigitte, lead a busy life in Montclair, New Jersey. They are parents to Theodore, 3, and Anderson Pierre, 1. Charles Stuart recently founded Ambedo Hospitality, a consulting group based in Columbus, Ohio, that helps hotel owners, operators, and brands unlock opportunities to drive revenue, build loyalty, and ultimately maximize profitability. He is currently an Allied Member of both the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association (OH&LA) and serves on the Allied Council and Membership Committee of the OH&LA. 1995 Malik Benjamin recently left academia to focus on economic development full-time. He is a senior associate at RW Venture and business development manager at Elevate Energy. LTC Geoffrey Cole, USA relinquished command of the 2nd Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment in South Korea on June 12. 1996 Christian Delgado-Scalercio shared memories of his time in the Xavier Regiment. “I always say some of the best times I have had were at Xavier. In September 1992, I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of the JROTC program. I particularly knew I wanted to compete on the X-Squad for the coveted National Drill Team Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida,” he writes. “The Regiment
taught me so much. Through my Army instructors, MAJ Ronald Grandel, USA (Ret.) and MSG James Jones, USA (Ret.)†, I was instilled with discipline and motivation to succeed—not just on the drill deck but in the classroom. The best friends that I have today, I made at Xavier. I am the man I am today because of the values instilled in me by my parents and my teachers on 16th Street.” In June, Bowdoin College history professor Dr. Brian Purnell lectured at a Catholic university in Brazil. “I wore the summer dress code,” he said, referring to his Xavier polo shirt. Purnell is a member of the Xavier Board of Trustees. John Koch lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Amie, and their daughters, Stella and Juliet. He is an attorney with Weisbrod Matteis and Copley, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm, where he focuses on environmental law and insurance recovery. He typically works out of the Times Square office on Mondays. “After many years I am reconnecting with this fine institution,” he writes. “I look forward to seeing old classmates and meeting alumni in the near future.” CDR Timothy Sommella, USCG relinquished command of the USCGC Dauntless at Naval Air Station Pensacola on June 27. 1997 Stephen Ferdinando and Anthony Cozzolino recently founded a general contracting business, Halo Construction Group, which has
been awarded a community project owned and run by ArchCare, the continuing care community of the Archdiocese of New York. “We are thrilled to be able to work together and continue our friendship that started 26 years ago on West 16th Street,” Ferdinando writes. Jamel Robinson recently wrote his first screenplay, a short film that was read at one of New York’s oldest cold reading series. He also celebrated six years as a professional fine artist in April. “I have been focused on a new body of work that I believe is God’s loudest use of His voice in my practice to date,” he writes. He welcomes fellow alumni to follow him on Instagram (@IAMJAMELROBINSON). Michael Rybicki relocated to Washington, D.C. in January to take a job as an engagement director for the country digital acceleration program at Cisco Systems. In this capacity, he helps state and local governments improve their operations and services by leveraging technology. Any Sons of Xavier in the area are welcome to email him at michael.rybicki@aol.com.
Dr. Brian Purnell, left, in Brazil
’97
Jamel Robinson
’99
1999 Dominick Cognata works at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at New York University and also serves as a director for the Downtown Giants, a nonprofit youth sports program. 2000
Dominick Cognata
Davey Ron started a multimedia company, jdastudios.com, where
XAVIER MAGAZINE 39
’00
he works with athletes, models, recording artists, and celebrities. He has a 1-year-old son, Adam James Ron, class of 2036. 2002 Thomas Panazzolo starred in a recent film, Painless, now on Showtime on Demand.
Davey Ron
’02
Anthony Ungaro graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in May. 2003 Joe Guster and his wife, Melissa, are the proud parents of two boys— Landon, 2, and Zachary, 1. Christopher Silvestri and his wife, Stephanie, celebrated their daughter Mia Joelle’s first birthday on May 17.
Anthony Ungaro
’03
Joe Guster and family
’03
Christopher Silvestri and family
2004 Daniel Fazio recently graduated from CUNY School of Law. He writes of his time in the Regiment: “I was a member of the Xavier Regiment all four years. I was a member of the drill team and the Color Guard. The lessons and skills I learned from the Regiment are skills that I still use to this day. My time on the drill team gave me friendships that still continue to this day, 15 years later. Participating in the Regiment was one of the best decisions I have ever made.” James Kraft recently completed 10 years working at an investment advisory firm that he helped found. He is currently attending Columbia Business School and lives in Chelsea with his wife, Elizabeth, an agent at the Creative Artists Agency. “We love living in the neighborhood and occasionally seeing Xavier students in their uniforms going to school,” Kraft writes. “AMDG. Sons of Xavier, keep marching!” John Fagan co-founded Doorkee, a real estate start-up that connects apartment seekers with departing tenants, allowing them to search and close on their next lease months ahead of their move-in date without paying a broker fee. Doorkee just closed its seed round funding and is launching this summer. Fagan is looking to connect with fellow Sons of Xavier in real estate, product
40 XAVIER MAGAZINE
development/management, and software engineering. John Polinemi, a guitarist, is embarking on a tour with Makes My Blood Dance, the symphonic disco metal group he co-founded two years ago. “We set out to share our musical vision and fulfill God’s will, putting together charity rock festivals in the Northeast and bringing the music community together for a good cause,” he writes. “Our first video, Beaming Right Up, will be released this summer.” 2005 Andrew Mittiga just finished his seventh year teaching at an allgirls public school in New York City where he has helped grow a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) research program from eight student participants to 24. He was recently accepted as a master teacher in Math for America, and he and his wife will soon close on their first house. 2006 Michael Patti and David Sokolowski are running a full-service real estate sales and advisory team based out of Brooklyn. 2007 Michael Chiaia finished his service as an active duty Army officer and Blackhawk helicopter pilot on August 24, 2018 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He has since moved back to the New York City area and attended his first Beefsteak Dinner in 2019. Brandon Scaturro transitioned out of the U.S. Army in 2017 and continues his service to the nation as a Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service. He currently lives in northern Virginia. His wife Paula, a captain in the U.S. Army, is deployed with the Joint Special Operations Command in support of the Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan. 2011 Brian Mastro recently began working as a weather producer for the AccuWeather TV network.
Luna Mishoe writes that he is proud to be a Son of Xavier as the Class of 2011 continues to achieve great things. 2012 Beau Nolan graduated from the College of Staten Island with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in December 2018. He recently began working as a field and office engineer for Kiewit, a Fortune 500 construction engineering contractor company. Greg Travers started a successful production company in 2018. “Clients from our first year include Under Armour, David Yurman, Cartier, Moet & Chandon, and Equinox, to name a few,” he writes. 2013 Sebastian Betancourt Vasquez is in veterinary school at the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine. He will graduate in 2021. Michael Palillo is at Ohio State pursuing veterinary and master of pharmacology degrees, which he expects to earn in 2021. Kyle Stelzer began working on his Ph.D. in history at the University of Maryland last fall. He is studying modern U.S. urban history with a focus on public policy and the built environment. Sean Sullivan earned a master’s degree in international affairs from Catholic University in May. “My thesis examines smallholder development in Rwanda, with a research focus on developmental sustainability as well as increasing state capacity within a Rwandan context,” he writes. “I was also inducted into Pi Sigma Alpha, the national honor society for graduate and undergraduate students of political science.” 2014 Gregory Coppola recently graduated from Fairfield University with bachelor’s degrees in politics and international studies and a minor in environmental studies. He was inducted into the national honor societies for both political science and international relations
CLASS NOTES
’14
’14
Gregory Coppola
’14
Aidan Hughes and State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin
in addition to being a Division I athlete on the men’s crew team. Coppola recently accepted a position at the New York City Council as a compliance analyst and plans to obtain a master’s degree in environmental science and policy at Northeastern University. In 2018, he finished the TCS New York City Marathon on behalf of the Team for Kids charity, raising $2,600 for after school programs. After working for the New York State Senate for the last two years, Aidan Hughes has taken a new job
James Ikeda
in the New York State Assembly. He is the Special Assistant to New York State Assemblywoman Judy Griffin and handles community relations. James Ikeda honorably completed his enlistment in the Marine Corps infantry in August 2018. He just finished his first year at Columbia University and will be participating in a research program for biophysics and disease at Harvard University this summer. He is engaged to a student at Oxford Medical School.
’16 Paul Gargiulo writes of his time in the Regiment: “My introduction to the Xavier Regiment was when I was in 8th grade at the fall 2011 Open House. While on my tour, I was very impressed with the many students in their Xavier blues. Upon speaking with many of the student ambassadors, I learned about the Regiment and its importance to Xavier. The Regiment, in my eyes, was one aspect of Xavier that set it apart from many other Catholic, Jesuit institutions. It was that day I told my parents that I had my heart set on attending Xavier and joining the Regiment. I spent all four years at Xavier as a cadet in the Regiment. Some of my fondest memories at Xavier were marching in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, competing with the Regimental rifle team, and being in LTC Roy Campbell, USA (Ret.)’s military science class. The Regiment taught me many important life lessons in discipline and leadership. However, the most important lesson imparted on me was duty and service to God and country. Xavier and its Regiment left me changed for the better as I exited St. Patrick’s Cathedral in my dress blue uniform on graduation day. The lessons I learned during my time in the Regiment influenced me to enlist in the Coast Guard Reserve after completing my freshman year at Fordham University. I consider myself lucky to have been a member of an institution with such tradition and history. I will always look back at my time at Xavier and the Regiment humbled and indebted, knowing that l am not the same man who entered the halls of West 16th Street as a freshman seven years ago.”
’16
’16
Marc Bisogno
’15
Christian Raslowsky and JC Rice
Joseph Vazquez recently earned a master’s degree in adolescence education from St. Bonaventure University. He’ll soon return to Xavier to work in the Admissions Office. Rob Irimescu recently graduated from Penn State with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting as well as a bachelor’s degree in finance. He will begin working at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in September. 2015 Oliver Moe graduated from Colgate University in May. He will pursue a master’s degree in sports industry management at Georgetown University.
KNIGHT SHOP Stock up on your Knight pride at the Xavier campus store.
Joseph Profanato earned a bachelor’s degree in biology at New York University. He is deciding between dental programs at NYU, Rutgers, and the University of Toronto. In March, Robert Spiker starred in King Lear at the City College of New York. 2016 Marc Bisogno is a pitcher on the Fordham University baseball team. In May, the team won the Atlantic 10 Championship. Christian Raslowsky and JC Rice ’15, who run track at Santa Clara University and the University of Texas at Austin, respectively, reconnected at the Brian Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California, on April 18. 2017 Brandon Sapienza recently began an internship with ABC 7 Eyewitness News, working with the 7 On Your Side Team.
Save 15% off nonuniform items through August 31 with the code SUMMER19
campusstore.xavierhs.org XAVIER MAGAZINE 41
2019 Alumni Reunions New York City • May 2019
1.
2.
4.
5.
3. 1. John Georges ’94, Andy Garcia ’94, Socrates Castillo ’94, and Bisi Ezeolu ’99. 2. John Cappabianca ’14, Marco Raffa ’14, Rourke Struthers ’14, and James Bruzzese ’14. 3. Franklin Gregory P’80 ’86 ’87 and John Foley P’77 ’79 ’81 ’84 ’86. 4. Roger Mooney ’65, John Laffey ’65, Ken Nolan ’65, and Jim Rogers ’65. 5. Terence Tubridy ’99, Walter Delgado ’99, and John Traugott ’99. 6. Michael Moriarty ’64, Bob Persichette ’64, Gene Capello ’64, Kevin Cuddihy ’64, and Timothy Dwyer ’64. 7. Bob Reinhart ’69 P’94 ’99, Maureen Reinhart P’94 ’99, Jim Keenan, S.J., Francis Ribaudo ’69, and Diane Ribaudo. 8. Bobby Dockett ’79, Joseph Celestin ’79, and Dr. Alberto Castiel ’79. 9. J.P. Kennedy ’84, Robert Johnston ’84, and John Sottnik ’84. 10. Brian Moroney, Holger Menendez ’69, and Dr. Tom Forlenza ’69.
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6.
Spring Receptions Palm City, Florida Bob Baratta ’58 and Gene Rainis ’58 at Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club.
Miami, Florida Sons of Xavier at the home of Al Durrell ’80.
7.
Naples, Florida
Rosina Buongiorno, Vin Biagi, S.J. ’67, and Joe Buongiorno ’75 at Bayside Seafood Grill & Bar.
8.
9.
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Alumni and their guests at Ela’s on the Water.
10.
Boston, Massachusetts
Alumni and friends gather at the office of Joe Maher ’67.
XAVIER MAGAZINE 43
’17
Kraig Puccia
’17
Francis Silvestri
’18
Francis Corrado
Kraig Puccia, a rising junior at Fordham University, won the 2019 Penn Mutual Life of Significance Award on May 31. The award is given annually to a college rugby player, male or female, participating in the Penn Mutual Collegiate Rugby Championship, and the recipient must exemplify Penn Mutual’s values of integrity, commitment, and respect in addition to making substantial contributions to society and his or her community. Puccia is a devoted volunteer who has traveled to Bethel, Alaska, to assist an organization that protects women from violence. In 2018, he volunteered at the Domestic Violence Bureau at the Queens District Attorney’s Office. This summer, he’s volunteering at the Veterans Advocacy Project through the Urban Justice Center, doing probono work for neglected veterans throughout New York City. Puccia is the recipient of Fordham’s Thomas M. Lamberti Endowed Scholarship, which provides financial assistance to a Fordham student who graduated from Xavier. Tom Lamberti ’48 is the scholarship’s donor. Francis Silvestri is a student at Drexel University. During his spring term, he was given the opportunity to apply and interview for fulltime jobs through the co-operative education program. After being accepted for positions at Bayer, Navair, and other engineering firms, he accepted an electrical engineering position with Navair. He has accepted another position with the jet propulsion branch for his next co-operative experience in the fall. 2018 Francis Corrado, valedictorian of the class of 2018, recently completed his freshman year at the University of Michigan. This fall, he will be fully enrolled in the College of Pharmacy pursuing a Pharm.D. degree and a career in the pharmaceutical industry. Corrado is the philanthropy chair and scholarship chair of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and played a key role in organizing fundraisers that raised more than $120,000 for the Autism Alliance of Michigan and more than $60,000 for cancer research.
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Jimmy Ryan ’92 and his fiancée, Anna Pietrzak
Milestones ENGAGEMENTS Jimmy Ryan ’92 is engaged to Anna Pietrzak. “While marching in the 258th New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade with the NYPD Holy Name Society, I pulled [Anna] out of the line of march and asked her to be my bride,” he writes. “Good thing she said ‘yes!’”
BIRTHS John Georges ’94 and his wife, Mythily, welcomed a daughter, Reyva, in April. She joins her older brother, Kirthan.
Brian Condon ’03 became engaged to Kasia Mierzejewska on March 1.
Jordan Castro ’97, his wife, Angelique, and their 3-year-old daughter, Evangeline Grace, welcomed a son, Caiden Jax, on March 22.
WEDDINGS Surrounded by many Xavier friends, Matthew Lyons ‘96 married Jenny Greenberg on June 29. They later enjoyed a honeymoon in the Bahamas. Anthony Rosado ’11 married Sasha Lukanina on September 14, 2018, in Denver, Colorado. They live in Queens with their puppy, Soralina.
Anthony Ciaffone ’03 and family
Matthew Meehan Scalzo ’95 and his wife, Victoria, welcomed their second child, Thomas Xavier, on April 13.
San Iswara ’02 and his wife, Rebecca, welcomed their second child, Wyatt Ansel, in September 2018. Their older son, Winston Xavier, is over the moon. Peter Troisi ’02 and his wife, Kirsten, welcomed twin boys, Dylan Michael and Kristopher Jon, on March 20.
Brandon Scaturro ’07, left, and David Perez ’07, right, at the Baptism of Delaney Perez
CLASS NOTES
Brian Condon ’03 and Kasia Mierzejewska
Sasha Lukanina and Anthony Rosado ’11
Peter Quartuccio ’02 and his wife, Cari, welcomed a daughter, Elena Lennon Quartuccio, on November 24, 2018.
were married, on May 4. Brian Insdorf ’04 attended the baptism with his son, Andy, as did Mark Spiers ’04 with his son, Matthew.
Anthony Ciaffone ’03 and his wife, Christina, welcomed Adrianna Ciaffone on August 22, 2018.
CJ Slicklen ’05 and his wife, Vivien, welcomed a son, Charles J. Slicklen V, on September 6, 2018.
Peter Faherty ’03 and his wife, Stacey, welcomed a son, Leo Michael, on February 25.
Michael Long ’06 and his wife, Alexandra, welcomed their second child, Christopher Patrick, on January 16. Christopher joins his older sister, Grace Catherine.
Chris Holland ’03 and his wife, Dr. Jessica Cunningham, welcomed their second son, Lucas Xavier, on February 17. He joins big brother, Caleb William, 2. Salvador Rivas III ’03 and his wife, Jessica, welcomed Bentley Sal on April 18. Georges Abikaram ’04 and his wife, Elizabeth, welcomed a daughter, Catherine Grace, on January 8. She was baptized at the Church of St. Francis Xavier, where Georges and Elizabeth
John Georges ’94 and family
The family of Matthew Meehan Scalzo ’95
Alexander and Bentley Rivas
Jordan Castro ’97 and family
CJ Slicklen ’05 and family
Peter Woods ’06 and his wife, Caitlin, welcomed their son, Ryan Cillian, on October 30, 2018. David Perez ’07 and his wife, Allison, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Delaney Amelia, on December 19, 2018. Delaney was baptized in Xavier’s Student Chapel on March 30 with her godfather, Brandon Scaturro ’07, and her godmother, Alexis Perez, supporting her.
Winston and Wyatt Iswara
Chris Holland ’03 and his children
Ryan Cillian Woods
Brian Insdorf ’04, Georges Abikaram ’04, and Mark Spiers ’04 with their children
XAVIER MAGAZINE 45
The Replacement To all who served and those not with us today Some knew him twelve hours Others less than one We shared days, old coffee Talking over generator noise New fatigues, clean shaven Tall, late twenties, brown hair Virginia born and raised Outgoing, big smile Married high school sweetheart Daughter, now three Throws ball, counts to ten Says “Daddy, I love you” He shared a fatigue pocket photo Wife, white dress, long blond hair Holding tiny gloved hand Pink dress, brown hair, big smile His chopper rose Into a purple black sky Explosive orange filled the night Smoke, Anger, Silence, Prayers Our time together, brief Last name, I never knew Hank, Abby and Lisa Forever part of me Tony Vivolo ’61, Tay Ninh, Combat Base, Vietnam 1969
46 XAVIER MAGAZINE
CLASS NOTES
in memoriam ALUMNI Richard Riordan ’39, 4/16/14 John F. Curran ’43, 12/8/18 Thomas Doyle ’43, 8/22/18 Frank Fiorentino ’43, 1/29/18 Edward Alford ’45, 3/2/17 William F. Laffan, Jr. ’45, 8/28/18 William J. O’Brien ’45, 2/23/19 Walter McGraw ’46, 9/13/17 Patrick Francis Quinn ’46, 5/26/18 George Riley ’46, 12/14/18 Edward Atnally, Esq. ’49, brother of Richard Atnally ’53†, 3/22/19 John Bernius ’49, 3/29/19 John Kelley ’49, 4/12/19 Dr. John Madaras, Jr. ’49, brother of Lawrence Madaras ’55, 4/9/19 Gordon King ’51, 6/30/09 Donald Luecke ’51, brother of Erwin Luecke ’50†, 5/11/19 Terence McAuliffe ’51, 5/31/16 Francis Morris ’51, 2/17/19 S. Thomas Trotta ’53, 2/2/19 Dr. James Flynn ’54, 5/15/19 Carrol Muccia, Jr. ’54, 3/19/19 Andrew Aldrich ’55, 4/8/16 Francis Cox III ’55, 3/13/19 Thomas Cusack ’55, 4/4/19 Edward Ribaudo ’55, brother of Thomas Ribaudo ’70, 3/18/19 Bill Hagany ’56, 1/1/19 Robert Gaye ’57, 2/6/19 Donald J. Williams ’58, 10/30/16 Frederick O’Connor ’61, 10/28/18 Vincent Murphy ’62, 4/29/19 Arthur W. Bresciani, Jr. ’64, 4/9/19 Michael Sheehan ’66, 6/7/19 Harry J. Brix III ’71, brother of Stephen Brix ’66 and George Brix ’67†, 4/10/19 Hon. Gerald S. Keegan ’72, 4/4/19 Edward Daily ’80, 2/23/19 Christopher Jaick ’86, 5/21/19 PARENTS Dorothy Regina Willoughby Thomas P’70 ’81, mother of Rodney Thomas ’70 and Kevin Thomas ’81, 4/9/19
Helene Coyne P’74 ’76, mother of Edward Coyne ’74 and John Coyne ’76, 3/11/19 Lora Kalisz P’75, mother of Andrew Kalisz ’75, 5/26/19 Joan D’Arienzo P’77 ’80 ’82 ’86, mother of Peter D’Arienzo ’77, John D’Arienzo ’80, Paul D’Arienzo ’82, and Dennis D’Arienzo ’84, 4/2/19 Bill Krohn P’80, father of Michael Krohn ’80, 7/17/10 James P. McHugh P’81 ’87 ’88, father of Joseph McHugh ’81, James McHugh ’87, and John McHugh ’88, 3/20/19 Julia Latalardo P’85, mother of Stephen A. Latalardo ’85, 10/8/18 Kathleen Shea P’86, mother of Edward Shea ’86, 3/25/19 Daniel McGarry P’90, father of James McGarry ’90, 2/25/19 Antoune Wahesh P’92 ’97, father of Elias Wahesh ’92 and Edward Wahesh ’97, 5/27/19 Louis Liotta P’09, father of Paul Liotta ’09, 5/17/19 Isidro Camacho P’13 ’15, father of Isidro Camacho ’13 and Henry Camacho ’15, 4/2019 My-Lan Jeffery P’19, mother of Adriel Jeffery ’19, 4/6/19 Harry Walters P’20, father of Michael Walters ’20, 5/10/19 Robert Lawrence Jones, father of Xavier trustee Eileen Shashaty P’14 and grandfather of Joseph Shashaty ’14, 5/21/19 SPOUSES Rose Hitchman, wife of George Leonard ’23† Emily McCarthy, wife of John McCarthy ’39†, 2/19/10 FACULTY & FAMILY Hugh McGrane, father of faculty member Joseph McGrane P’20 and grandfather of Joseph McGrane ’20, 4/12/19 Brid O’Tighearnaigh, mother-in-law of Director of Special Events Claudia Tierney P’20 and grandmother of Eamon Tierney ’20, 4/26/19 Donald Remiszewski, father of staff member Melissa Cassidy, 6/1/19
XAVIER MAGAZINE 47
BACK STORY
Exceed the Standard By MAJ Ronald Grandel, USA (Ret.)
W
hen I first arrived at Xavier in February 1987, the Cadet Regiment had just lost its Blue Star recognition. Everyone was disappointed, partly because they had lost the coveted Gold Star three years before, but also because it would be another three years before redemption could be gained. But recovery could begin immediately. The Cadet Regiment, leaders and followers alike, worked tirelessly toward the single goal of restoring its reputation. Year by year, they built on each small success. In 1990, it was awarded the Blue Star, and then, in 1993, it earned the Gold Star once again. That Gold Star status remains continuous to this day because of the motivation and strength of character within
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the core of the Regiment and the leadership of the cadet chain of command. The JROTC mission is “to develop patriotism, good citizenship and appreciation for the work of the U.S. Armed Forces.” This quote is from written literature. On its website, the mission is more succinctly stated as “to motivate young people to be better citizens.” A major goal of mine was to get cadets to realize that JROTC was more than weekly uniform inspections, marching in parades, drill meets, and rifle competitions. I wanted them to do everything to the very best of their ability. The oral challenge “Exceed the Standard!” was urged for use when saluting, in greetings, and in documents posted on the bulletin board. When used orally in formations, when saluting, or in greetings, cadets were urged to respond with a resounding “Excel!” Cadets were constantly reminded that they were the best—and always to do their best. During my first six years, I had to learn about Xavier’s relationship with the Regiment. Before coming to 16th Street, I knew nothing of its military program other than that it was an Army JROTC unit. Nothing special, I thought—but I was wrong. The military program, and specifically the Regiment, had always played a special role in the hearts and minds of graduates and faculty alike. I had to deal with differing generations—those from before 1972 and those after. Everyone— cadets, students, alumni, faculty, even parents—held strong views about what the Regiment meant to them. In 1971, when he made the decision to make the military program optional, William Wood, S.J.† supposedly said, “The military has been
part of Xavier, but it most definitely is not Xavier.” While he was correct, the point was still argued at reunions, Hall of Fame dinners, and other get-togethers when I arrived 16 years later. This complexity— or challenge—included navigating this divide while protecting the cadets from any diversions towards their goal. But the military program, and by default, the Regiment, had things in common with Xavier. One of the JROTC requirements was community service. This fit in perfectly with Xavier’s service programs. In the case of the military program, it affected points towards the Gold Star, while the school required it for graduation. The military was—and is—still part of Xavier. When cadets eventually graduated, I hoped they would take with them more than just memories of drills and parades and inspections. I hoped they would have been imbued with a respect for others, honesty, moral courage, and a willingness to assume the responsibility of leadership. I needn’t have worried. Through social media and email I have remained in contact with many of my ex-cadets, now grown and with careers and families of their own. I am extremely proud to see that they have not only continued to be Xavier men for others, but have continued to exceed the standard. MAJ Ronald Grandel, USA (Ret.) served as Xavier’s Senior Army Instructor from 1987 to 2004, when he left to become superintendent at Scotland School for Veterans’ Children, a state-run residential elementary and high school near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. He is now retired and lives with his wife and cat in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
19O4
From the Archives
In 1886, the military department emerged at Xavier under the direction of the National Guard. In those days, the College of St. Francis Xavier featured college, high school, and grammar school divisions, and for the first decade of the military department’s existence, military drill was reserved for the youngest boys. The program soon spread to the high school and college divisions, and by 1895-96, all students of high school age were part of the Regiment. Xavier would become known as New York’s Catholic military school, a public image that endured for decades to come. Pictured here are grammar school officers of the Regiment in April 1904.
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