THe
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S t. A nselm’s A bbey S chool • W ashington, D.C. • S pring 2010 • V ol. 18 N o. 2
The Corbie Chronicle Spring 2010 • Volume 18, Number 2
St. Anselm’s Abbey School 4501 South Dakota Avenue, NE Washington, DC 20017 202-269-2350 www.saintanselms.org
The Corbie Chronicle is published two times a year by the Communications Office of St. Anselm’s Abbey School. We welcome correspondence and submissions from the St. Anselm’s Abbey School community. Please direct letters, class notes and other communication to James Leathers, ’04, at the School or via email at jleathers@ saintanselms.org. Photography in this publication has been provided by the St. Anselm’s Abbey School yearbook and newspaper staffs, as well as by David W. Powell and school faculty and staff. We apologize in advance for any errors and/or omissions. Contributors: Valerie Brown; Hajnalka Enzel; Fr. Michael Hall, OSB, ’56; Lawrence Hamm, ’68; Kevin Hudson, ’04; Kirk Otterson; Steve Roush; Scott SalandyDeFour, ’06, Peter Young, ’01 Design and Layout: James Leathers, ’04 Production and Printing: Camera Ready Graphics, Bethesda, Md. On the Cover: The Abbey grounds were in full bloom during Holy Week this year. Photo: Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB
A Message from the President Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB
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Reflections from the Headmaster Mr. Louis Silvano
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Campus News
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Panther Sports
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All-Alumni Reunion Weekend
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Class Notes
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Above: Headmaster Louis Silvano (left) and the student body wait for a free throw to drop in the first round of the 63rd St. Anselm’s Invitational Basketball Tournament.
A Message from the President Located on 40 secluded acres in the midst of the Nation’s Capital, St. Anselm’s Abbey was founded in 1924 as a center of monastic prayer for men seeking God through a life dedicated to higher education and academic research. A life based on these twin pillars, prayer and work, follows Saint Benedict’s 1,500- year-old dictum of ora et labora.
Remembrance, and a Future of Joy and Peace Dear Alumni, Students, Past and Present Parents, and Friends:
A
s President, I would like to highlight a number of recent Reflection. At the same time, the School needs to increase events as we approach the midpoint of 2010 while the substantially its Scholarship Endowment so that the monks monks continue to celebrate the 86th anniversary of can continue to educate all the gifted young men whom God the Abbey’s establishment here in Washington. Form VII sends into our lives. Forever, our new Past Parents Association, has had two I would be remiss if I did not thank those who work so very successful events: a cocktail party prior to the School’s hard to make sure all my many jobs get done: Mr. William Christmas Concert in December, and a Mass and brunch Fennell, ’66, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Mrs. Valerie celebrating the Feast of Saint Benedict on March 21st. Exactly Brown, Director of Development; Mr. Lawrence Hamm, one month later, on April 21st, the ’68, Director of Alumni Affairs; Mr. Abbey and School concluded their Awenate Cobbina, ’98, President year-long celebration of 900 years of the Alumni Association; Mr. of Saint Anselm of Canterbury’s James Leathers, ’04, Director of impact upon the Church in the Communications; and Ms. Michelle Western world. Shortly thereafter, Kannan, Development Associate. the weekend of April 23rd-25th, the Likewise, I want to thank all the Alumni Association held its second alumni, students, faculty, parents, All-Alumni Reunion Weekend. and guests who are able to celebrate And finally, at the end of May, we our accomplishments with us. And will celebrate the end of another I must also thank all those who academic year with the graduation have taken the time to fill out our of the Class of 2010, the 64th class important feasibility questionnaire. to graduate from the School. “As we progress in this way of life And now, under our new and in faith, we shall run on the path Director of Development, Mrs. of God’s commandments, our hearts Valerie Brown, we have launched overflowing with the inexpressible a feasibility study for the future delight of love. Never swerving mission of St. Anselm’s Abbey and from His instructions, then, but the continuing development of faithfully observing His teaching Fr. Peter speaks at the Alumni Banquet St. Anselm’s Abbey School. In our in the monastery until death, we on April 24th. community’s early years, the monks shall through patience share in the of St. Anselm’s maintained a full monastic horarium of prayer suffering of Christ that we may deserve also to share in His while teaching and doing research at the Catholic University kingdom.” [From the Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue] of America. Then in 1942, extending this same mission, the Remember that the monks pray for you and your needs monks opened a secondary school dedicated to bringing every day in our monastic chapel during Divine Office. Please the search for God to young men through an accelerated enjoy the rest of the articles and pictures in this spring issue of educational program based upon Saint Anselm’s thirst for the Corbie Chronicle. academic excellence, employing his well-known assertion of fides quaerens intellectum, faith seeking understanding. Pax in Sapientia, In the year 2010, by remaining faithful to the Abbey’s original purpose, and with the help of our feasibility study, the monastic community hopes to broaden its mission once again to include a wider range of activities. Perhaps this will include a modernization of facilities to better serve the aging monks, an upgrade of our guest accommodations, and a vision Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB for a Benedictine Spiritual Center for Prayer, Study, and President
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Reflections from the Headmaster
Inspiring Service Dear Parents, Alumni and Friends,
As Headmaster, the longer I am here and learn more and more about my predecessors, I continue to be inspired by the dedication and service of our former Headmasters: Fr. Austin MacNamee, Fr. Stephen Reid, Fr. Hugh Monmonier, Fr. Dunstan Hayden, Fr. John Main, Fr. Michael Hall, and Fr. Peter Weigand. Indeed I have the rare privilege to work on a daily basis with Fr. Peter, our President, and with Fr. Michael, Headmaster Emeritus, who is now our Chaplain. I am deeply grateful to both of them for their support and advice. Since Abbot Alban Boultwood died last year at the age of 97, I have been reflecting upon his life of service. It was not until I read his obituary that I learned he was a chaplain to the British 8th Army in North Africa in World War II. It so happens that my father was in the 8th Army and fought in the North Africa campaign. I recall a story my father often told us about a priest who reached out to him. Following the defeat of Rommel’s army, the 8th Army’s next destination was Italy. Prior to the day of departure, the chaplain met with my father and advised him that because of his Italian heritage he could request to be reassigned due to the risk of being captured and possibly killed by the Italians as a traitor. However, my father declined the offer saying that he wanted to remain with his regiment. As fate would have it, he never made it to Italy, because his ship hit a mine in the Mediterranean Sea and sank, killing many fellow soldiers. Fortunately, my father survived and lived to tell the tale. After the war, Abbot Alban wrote an account of his time in Tunisia, in the book entitled The Priest Among the Soldiers. Having read it, I am convinced that he was the very priest whose caring service my father always remembered. Chaplain Alban Boultwood wrote: “I was posted to an armored brigade in June, 1943, and was posted away from it in July, 1944, and I have always reckoned those twelve months as among the most satisfactory and happiest of my service as a chaplain.…While the Division rested from the Tunisian campaign and trained for the Italian one, it was possible for me to go round the units with my lists of Catholics, and seek out each man individually for a little talk, for friendly contact with his priest, to offer the help and benefit of God’s Sacraments.” In reflecting upon the life of Abbot Alban, I am inspired by his compassion and his courage as a chaplain. In 1961, he was elected as the first abbot of St. Anselm’s Abbey, a post he held until his retirement in 1975. His life of service exemplified the Benedictine principle of ora et labora, and indeed it is most fitting that one of our houses is named Alban. Service is at the heart of the mission of St. Anselm’s Abbey School, and our purpose is to be a “school for the Lord’s service.” We strive to instill a spirit of service in our students
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in our daily work and, more explicitly, in our community service program. We build service into the weekly schedule for juniors and seniors as an integral part of their curriculum. Students are assigned to serve at twelve different communitybased non-profit organizations to assist them in advancing their missions. Some examples include: • Food and Friends, whose mission is to care for men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling. Student volunteers serve in the kitchen and pantry, assisting in meal preparation. • St. Ann’s Infant & Maternity Home, which provides residential care and services to abused and neglected children and to single, pregnant and parenting adolescents in crisis, as well as quality day care to the children of working families. Student volunteers work mostly in the day care center. • Christ House, which is a temporary residence for men who are ill and homeless. Student volunteers serve mostly by assisting in the kitchen and by stocking the food pantry. • The Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Institute, which provides individualized academic and therapeutic services to students ages 6 years to 13 years with some form of developmental disability. Student volunteers serve as teacher-aides at the preschool, elementary and middle school levels. Our students look forward to their community service work as they develop meaningful relationships at these organizations and it is often the highlight of their week. Throughout their community service work students demonstrate compassion for those who are needy and who differ from themselves. In this way, they follow Christ’s example in feeding the hungry and in serving the poor. These experiences inspire students to maintain a lifelong commitment to community service and to promoting equity and justice in our world. In this way, we fulfill an important part of the mission of St. Anselm’s Abbey School: “By living the Benedictine spirit, we strive within our school to create an atmosphere of peace, a sense of service to community, and a willingness within our students to work toward a balance in mind, body and spirit.” Pax,
Louis Silvano Headmaster
Campus News A Banner Year for It’s Academic Team Ranked 7th in the Nation, Squad Takes On High-Level College Opponents The St. Anselm’s It’s Academic team has officially added the word “quizbowl” to the title of our club. We now spend almost every weekend during the school year competing in tournaments hosted by NAQT (National Academic Quiz Tournament) and similar organizations at high schools and colleges all over the East Coast. While the TV show It’s Academic features games of three teams competing simultaneously and only hosts matches a few times a year, quizbowl tournaments feature brackets of up to eight teams each, and each team plays all the others in its bracket in a single morning. Later in the afternoon, the bracket champions play each other, and by the end of the day, the high-finishing teams may have played as many as 13 games against the best possible competition. Tournaments range in size from as few as 10 teams to over 40 at very large events. Each round of competition features 20 “tossup” questions answerable by either team worth 10 points each, with the opportunity to answer a three-part “bonus” worth up to 30 points given to the team that buzzes in correctly on the tossup first. At the end of the day, the team might have heard over 500 questions on subjects from literature to social science. Just two years ago, we rarely won enough preliminary games to continue on to the top playoff bracket. Last year we made it once in a while. This year, however, our luck began to change. In our first tournament of the year, hosted at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, we placed second behind a team that won third place at last year’s national championships. We placed third at tournaments hosted by Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Maggie Walker High School in Richmond. We placed second at
The A-team, from left: coach Hajnalka Enzel; captain Matthew Bollinger (Form VI); Jacob Wasserman (Form IV); Aidan Mehigan (Form IV).
tournaments held by the University of Pennsylvania, Virginia Commonwealth University, Georgetown Day School and Hunter College High School in New York City. At our most recent tournament, hosted by Caesar Rodney High School in Camden, Del., we came home with a 10-0 record and were overall champions of the tournament. Several of our younger players were also the undefeated champions of a novice tournament held in Richmond earlier in the year. Our A-team, made up of captain Matthew Bollinger (Form VI), Aidan Mehigan (Form IV), Jacob Wasserman (Form IV) and Brendan Ziebarth (Form V) achieved national recognition this spring. At the end of January, we were ranked seventh among all high school teams in the country in a national poll, and we have since beaten several teams ranked above us. Since we also compete in university-level tournaments for an added challenge, we are ranked in the collegiate poll as well, one of only four high school teams in the nation
to receive such recognition. Our 33rd place ranking is higher than that of Duke, Princeton, Vanderbilt and MIT. Our captain, Matt Bollinger, routinely receives top-scorer prizes, even at the most difficult tournaments. This March, we also held a tournament of our own for the first time, co-hosting with Gonzaga College High School at Gonzaga. Georgetown Day School was the undefeated champion. Next year, we plan to host a tournament here at the Abbey. As to the future, we have qualified to compete in the National Scholastics Championship in June, doing so through several “platinum-certified” tournaments, representing the highest level of regular-season high school competition available. On May 8, Walt Whitman High School will host the DC/MD State Championship, and expectations are high. You can follow the week-to-week exploits of our team on the school website. -Mrs. Hajnalka Enzel
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Campus News
WNO Baritone Performs for Music Students On March 12, baritone Chris Jones from the Washington National Opera’s recent production of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess spent the day at St. Anselm’s Abbey School team-teaching the chorus classes with chorus director Mr. Michael Lodico. During ninth period, Mr. Jones performed a vocal recital for all St. Anselm’s music students that included works by Gershwin, Fauré, Bellini and from the musical theatre genre, which was followed by a questionand-answer session with students. Photo: Peter Young, ’01
Sixth Former Receives Prestigious Gates Scholarship St. Anselm’s Abbey School senior José Gutierrez was among seven District of Columbia high-school seniors who were named Gates Millennium Scholars in a ceremony at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School April 15. As a Gates Millennium Scholar, José will receive a “good-through-graduation” scholarship to the college of his choice. The scholarship program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, provides college scholarships to high-achieving students of color with significant financial need. Scholarships cover all education expenses not covered by family contribution, including books, room and board and living expenses. The grant can also be extended for up to six years of graduate school if students study education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or the sciences, for a total of up to 11 years of education funding. José will attend Stanford University in the fall. He was accepted to several prestigious colleges and universities across the country, including Harvard, Princeton and the California Institute of Technology. He plans to major in mechanical engineering.
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Jose Gutierrez, center, poses with (from left): Michael Lomax of the United Negro College Fund; Headmaster Louis Silvano; his mother, Nancy Gutierrez; President Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB; and Larry Griffith of the Gates Millennium Scholars Program.
José has attended St. Anselm’s since sixth grade and has participated in a wide variety of academic and extracurricular activities at the school. As a senior this year, he has been a member of the varsity soccer and track teams and served as a co-editor of the Priory Press.
Last fall, José and more than one-third of his classmates at St. Anselm’s were honored by the National Merit Scholarship Program, the National Hispanic Recognition Program and the National Achievement Program in their 2010 scholarship competitions.
Campus News
Abbey and School Welcome New Development Director Last fall, the Board of Trustees recommended that Fr. Peter hire a new Director of Development to help direct the office as well as to work closely with him in all fundraising matters. In January, Mrs. Valerie Brown joined our community as Director of Development for both the Abbey and the School. Mrs. Brown brings vast experience in public relations, strategic planning, and fundraising. Her experience has included working with the Dominicans here in Washington on the early stages of planning and fundraising for their new facilities near Catholic University. At St. Anselm’s, Valerie’s duties include helping the Abbey to formulate and execute their plans for future development and to help obtain funds for these projects. She will also assist the monks in their long-range planning for the years ahead. Likewise, Val will also be in charge of development matters for the School, including such things as the Annual Fund, the Fall Scholarship Gala, the ongoing Scholarship Endowment Fund, and working with all our constituents to support them in their programs and events. Furthermore, she will assist Fr. Peter with the many facets of his role as President. When asked about her views on development and the work of St. Anselm’s Abbey and Abbey School, Val found it very easy to talk about the connection between fundraising and St. Anselm’s. “The starting point for all successful development must be a passion for excellence,” she said. “Today, as many institutions face serious challenges to their financial health, the need for a distinctly Catholic approach to philanthropy is acute. Catholic philanthropy and development are really two sides of the same coin. When exercised with vision, faith, generosity of spirit and commitment to excellence they can be catalysts for transformation—all qualities clearly present at St. Anselm’s.” Throughout her many years of
Faculty Notes Religion teacher Mr. Robert Alspaugh and his wife Michelle welcomed their second child (and first girl) on March 26. Catherine Mary Alspaugh came into the world at 7 lbs., 5 oz., with a full head of hair and looking very much like her mother. Mr. Alspaugh reports that the family is happy and healthy.
experience in development, Val has learned certain lessons about how to approach fundraising in a way that is consonant with being a proper steward of God’s blessings. In her short time with St. Anselm’s she has found that these lessons are actually virtues found here in the Benedictine way of life. Some of these include the fact that one must be worthy of generosity, that is, there must be a passion for excellence. St. Anselm’s has this in its well-defined mission. Another lesson is that money follows mission. Fundraising at its best is a byproduct of an organization’s creativity, vitality and vision – all clearly present at St. Anselm’s. And, one of her favorites is that you must always imagine abundance. That is, nothing succeeds like success meaning that there is always more to be given and received. At St. Anselm’s, Val is quick to point out, there is a vibrancy and passion that exudes confidence in the institution and what it is all about. Summing up her work for St. Anselm’s Abbey and School, Val said, “Development is about hope and trust in God’s providence, not for the sake of raising money or meeting income goals, but rather, for the sake of our young men and their hopes and dreams as we work to contribute to their future successes. I am excited to be a part of this great venture at St. Anselm’s.” We are very happy to welcome Val Brown to St. Anselm’s.
Chemistry and Environmental Science teacher Dr. Antonio Chaves will present a lab he developed here at St. Anselm’s to the College Board’s annual A.P. Conference in July. The lab gives participants a “quick and dirty” means for quantifying the most important aspects of soil texture. This is the second time that Dr. Chaves has presented to the A.P. Conference; he gave another presentation at last summer’s session in San Antonio, Tex. School counselor Ms. Maura Kristof married Nicolas Rohde on May 21 in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Congratulations! Fr. James Wiseman, OSB, has published several articles recently. One, entitled “Approaching the Eucharist,” appeared in the journal Emmanuel. Another, “The Spirituality of Meister Eckhart and Its Implications for Christian Life Today,” was published in Spiritual Life, and a third piece is a chapter in the new book Green Monasticism: A Buddhist-Christian Response to an Environmental Calamity. Fr. James has given talks to various audiences in the past couple of months, and he has also been selected to participate in a program called “Writing Theology,” to be held this summer at Princeton University. This will be conducted by the Pulitzer Prize-winning lay theologian Marilynn Robinson.
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Campus News
Students Carry Torch of Life in Worldwide Relay Four Upper School students took part in the international “Torch of Life” relay April 14, participating in a campaign that for nearly a decade has promoted awareness and support for organ and tissue donation programs around the world. Benjamin Moniz (Form VI), Alexander Jankovic (Form V), Garrett Jansen (Form IV) and Diego Jones (Form IV) participated in a brief program at the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center on Harewood Road near Catholic University before marching to the Capitol, taking turns bearing the torch. The St. Anselm’s contingent was joined by groups from neighboring Archbishop Carroll High School and DC Preparatory Academy. The Torch of Life was first lit in 2000 and was blessed by Pope John Paul II, who was a strong supporter of organ donation throughout his papacy. Since then, it has made its way through nearly 200 countries and traveled over 35,000 miles, serving as a symbol of hope and endurance to those in need of organ and tissue donations.
St. Anselm’s students Alexander Jankovic (far right) and Benjamin Moniz (center) carry the Torch of Life down Michigan Avenue on their way to the Capitol with students from Archbishop Carroll High School.
Activities & Accomplishments Second Former Seamus Kirkpatrick won fourth place in the 2010 Washington, D.C. Geographic Bee on April 9. The Bee, which featured a field of bright middle school students from across the city, took place at the Beacon Hotel downtown, across from the National Geographic Society headquarters. Seamus advanced to the city-wide finals after beating out his fellow Abbey Middle Schoolers at a competition at St. Anselm’s in March. Farrell Sheehan (Form V) spoke before the Maryland House of Delegates Health Disparities Subcommittee on January 20. He and three other members of a group called Teen Ambassadors Against Health Disparities spoke about the need for young people to understand the health-care disparities that exist in their
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communities and work to eliminate them. The group presented a school course they designed to educate other students on the topic. The Middle School Government led a school-wide fundraising effort in March to help Ste. Rose de Lima School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The students initiated the fund drive after Sr. AnneMarie, the school’s headmistress, visited St. Anselm’s on March 25. Addressing the entire student body and faculty, Sr. Anne-Marie spoke in detail about the devastation that January’s earthquake has brought to her country and her school. Mrs. Agnes de Dreuzy (mother of Pierre, Form III) graciously translated for Sr. Anne-Marie, who spoke in French. Students asked questions in both English and French about the
earthquake and rebuilding efforts.
the
community’s
Several students from St. Anselm’s Abbey School attained national recognition for their performance on the 2010 National Spanish Examinations. Students earned a total of 9 gold, 19 silver and 17 bronze medals, along with 18 honorable mentions. Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, National Director of the Exams, called the medals and honorable mentions “very prestigious.” The exams are the largest of their kind in the U.S., with 125,915 students participating in 2010. Students from St. Anselm’s have a long history of high achievement on these exams. They were taught by Spanish teachers Fr. Javier Castro, Sra. Michelle Arene and Sra. Hajnalka Enzel.
Campus News
2010 Egg Drop The 24th annual Save-the-Egg Contest and singalong was held on April 7. The vessels were dropped from the clock tower of the gym after the Fourth Form sang eight verses of the Egg Drop song. The material used this year was the construction paper used to line the School’s walls for art exhibits. The results were mixed (or perhaps “scrambled” would be a better term), and this year’s winner was Daniel Magee. -Dr. Herb Wood
Clockwise from top: The crowd of spectators awaits the next vessel with great anticipation; Dr. Wood and Mr. Taylor atop the clock tower; Excitement among students and faculty alike as Dr. Wood tabulates the results; Form IV students on the field sing the traditional Egg Drop song.
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Campus News Model United Nations
A Tale of Two Conferences (And One Scrimmage!) It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. A spring of hope—the GW conference— and a winter of despair—”Snowmageddon” and the cancelled CUA conference. But all in all, it was a great year for the St. Anselm’s Model U.N. team! “Best” was our return to Harvard; “worst” was the snow and swine flu conspiring to complicate our schedule. This was a year that saw excellent teamwork, outstanding diplomacy and superb negotiation by the Abbey Boys. A year of Academy Award-worthy performances for the “in-character” diplomatic speeches by the men of St. Anselm’s at variety of challenging venues. For the second year running, the Abbey Boys organized and hosted Monk MUNC (Model U.N. Conference), with over sixty students from local area schools participating in the two-day event. This year, the guys developed a variety of scenarios for each committee instead of a single scenario as was done last year. Research and background guides were prepared on the G-20 and the global financial crises, small arms trafficking, self-determination and Kurdistan. Students from St. Albans, Holy Cross, Georgetown Visitation and St. John’s participated, and experienced “model UNers” from these schools co-chaired the committees with our boys. Dr. Bernd Schaefer, a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, provided the keynote address. The scrimmage was another resounding success, confirmed by the many laudatory comments from student participants and their advisors. With Monk MUNC now established as a local area practice, we will transition the scrimmage next year to Holy Cross so that other schools have the opportunity to host the event. As Monk MUNC was being planned and executed, several members of the team were also preparing for a selection to go to the most prestigious model U.N. conference in the country – Harvard Model U.N. (HMUN). A test and position paper, as well as
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recommendations from faculty advisors, helped clinch the eight candidates who would represent St. Anselm’s at Harvard. The team consisted of Chris Bragale, Marco Cerritelli, John Hamm, Mike Higgins, Patrick Riechert, Askari Rushing, Farrell Sheehan, Brendan Ziebarth (all Form V). Our club Secretary-General Michael McCutchen (also Form V) was asked to assist with on-site logistics and support. Following the conclusion of Monk MUNC, the team went into high gear, researching the positions of their country (Bangladesh) on a range of issues related to international security, gender equality, global economics and climate crises. But all the preparation would have come to naught had it not been for the generosity of an alumnus who agreed to fund the team’s trip. For that, we are extremely grateful! We traveled to Harvard by train (which was cool!) and on arriving, quickly made our way from the hotel to Harvard to enjoy a unique dining
opportunity at Annenberg Hall, the freshman-only dining hall on campus. Thanks to Wes Mann, ’09, who acted as our host, and Andrew Hamm, ’08, who met us at one of Harvard’s many gates, we were in good hands at dinner. Fr. Peter joined us, as did Charles Hamm, ’04. We had an entire table to ourselves in this magnificent building. Having the alums and Fr. Peter with us made for a very special evening. You can access our trip blog via the school website for more details. The boys were very engaged at the conference and were active in much of the debate. We had a fantastic personal tour of Harvard, and this, too, was a unique experience. The conference aside, the exposure to Harvard professors, Harvard students and the international flavor of the venue made for a very valuable, eyeopening experience. Hopefully, we can return in the future. While we had a team in Boston, one of our guys paved the way forward at
Fr. Peter at Harvard University’s Annenberg Hall with (from left) Form V students Michael Higgins, John Hamm, Patrick Riechert, Askari Rushing and Michael McCutchen, and their host, Harvard undergraduate Andrew Hamm, ’08.
Campus News another prestigious local area event – the Sidwell Friends Model U.N. Conference. Thanks to close collaboration with St. Albans, our own Christian McConville (Form IV) attended with their team and was able to hear the keynote from Dr. Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. He did a great job there and received an Honorable Mention. Next up was the conference at Catholic University. This is a great conference for us each year, as it is both close-by and small. The guys have ample opportunity to practice and hone their diplomatic skills. We often garner a number of awards at CUMUNC – which is nice! However, Snowmageddon forced CUA to cancel the event. No matter—much diplomacy and negotiation was evident anyway, as we all returned to school and sorted out homework, tests and other academic necessities! Our last opportunity for a conference came at George Washington University with their well-attended Washington
Area Model U.N. Conference. Snowmageddon may have boosted our participation in this case, as the conference was held over days we had reclaimed from the scheduled Spring Break. So we fielded a large team and had some great countries/committees. As expected, the Abbey Boys did very well, with John Hamm, Mike Higgins, and Yaw Oteng-Agipong (all Form V) earning Verbal Commendations and Mike McCutchen getting an Honorable Mention. Every time I walked into a committee to observe, an Abbey Boy was speaking on an issue: James Cao (Form V) and Felix Wu (Form IV) were on opposite sides of the 1949 Revolution in China. Patrick Riechert was a “ringer” in a German cabinet position—he actually helped the GW student leadership with some corrections to their materials. Vince Marcantonio (Form III) gave a most compelling speech on chastity—a near standing ovation in his committee! And there were many other examples of great
performances by the guys. But you had to see Allen Church as the “Dear Leader” of North Korea… phenomenal and eerily accurate at the same time! As the year winds down and club interest gives way to exam preparation, we have a few things left to do. The team has produced a draft chart, which contains a revised leadership structure that will ensure the club endures even if the faculty advisor doesn’t! We are also working on a schedule and a couple other related surprise projects for next year. And as always, to those reading, the team greatly appreciates your tremendous support and ever-ready Benedictine hospitality. From model U.N. donut sales to university model U.N. dance chaperones— not to mention generous financial help and consideration by faculty for missed class—everyone is always ready to pitch in and “get her done!” So we will close with a big thank you—we can’t wait until next year! -Mr. Kirk Otterson
Campus Ministry Notes
2010 March for Life Nearly 25 students ranging from Form A to Form VI participated in the annual Rally and March for Life on January 22. Fr. Michael said Mass for the marchers in the School’s Chapel of St. Benedict before the buses departed for the National Mall. These St. Anselm’s students and teachers joined an estimated 250,000 marchers, a record crowd.
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Panther Sports A Year of Ups and Downs for Varsity Basketball This year’s Abbey Hoops Varsity team certainly had its fair share of obstacles to overcome. Following a 20-win season and a painful defeat in the St. Anselm’s Invitational championship last year, a thin squad of only 10 regulars set some lofty goals at the outset of the season. Experience was not an issue, as the team was led by a core of 6 seniors, 4 of whom regularly started. However, the Panthers were often setback by streaky play along the way to a 13-10 finish, as two three-game winning streaks were equaled by losing streaks of the same length. The squad enjoyed some early-season success, winning the St. Andrew’s Tournament championship for the 8th consecutive season. The Panthers peaked in January, winning 7 of their first 9 games in the month to earn a 10-5 record and a share of first place in the PVAC South Division. This successful start culminated in a hard-fought victory on the road at Washington International School. Senior guard and cocaptain Anuj Tharakan led the way with a career-high 32 points as the Panthers held a 13-point fourth quarter lead and were able to put the Red Devils away late. The team would only enjoy three more wins over the remaining month of the season. The regular season was cut short due to snow, but the Panthers were able to secure an opening-round home game in the playoffs. In a game many would like to forget, the team Senior guard Anuj Tharakan was run off the floor in its own gym by the eventual tournament champions, Covenant Life. A first-round loss in the 63rd St. Anselm’s Invitational was followed by two well-played victories, ending the season on a much-needed high note. In a rematch of the previous year’s title game, the Panthers topped defending tournament champions St. Mary’s (Annapolis), 55-52, on Sunday afternoon. Senior forward Dionysios Koroulakis iced the victory with two free throws in the final seconds and finished with 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
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Senior forward Dionysios Koroulakis
All the seniors—co-captains Nick van Dijk and Anuj Tharakan, Branden Alegbele, James Keegan, Dionysios Koroulakis and James Mwombela—certainly will be missed next year. The team will look to returning players Joe Breslin, Chris Epps, John Hamm and Luke McCormick, as well as some Junior Varsity call-ups, to mount a successful campaign next year. -Asst. Coach Kevin Hudson, ’04
J.V. Basketball The one phrase to describe J.V. basketball this year was “hard work.” From timed water breaks to timed sprints, everything this season was extremely fast-paced. Most importantly, though, as coach I can say that everyone on the team improved tremendously over the course of the season, which bodes well for the future. As a team, we did not accomplish all of our goals (partly due to the snow) but we feel that this will make us work harder in the off-season to be successful next year. As a coach, I could not have asked for a better group of guys, and I am excited to walk into the Abbey Dome over the next couple of years to see how many banners they put up. -Coach Scott Salandy-DeFour, ’06
Big Win for Abbey Fencing Our fencing team made the Abbey proud Friday, April 16 at the Washington, D.C. Interscholastic Epee Tournament hosted by Gonzaga, winning their firstever, first-place prize in both varsity and junior varsity divisions. Our fencers swept all the other participating schools in round-robin matchups with Georgetown Prep, Gonzaga and a combined Landon/Holton Arms team. Fencing at the Varsity level were Douglas Krafft (team captain), Giacomo Sartorelli, Ronald Bokow and Thomas Hansen. Fencing in the J.V. division were Jeffrey Nemes, Brendan Ziebarth, Jack Butler and Will Butler. This win was significant not only because of our first-place finish, but also because our Varsity fencers repeatedly defeated nationally-ranked opponents from other schools. Many of our students fence in local clubs as individual competitors, and the dynamic of team fencing (scoring points for a team rather than for individual placement) rallied them around a common cause and energized them. Our coach, Janusz Smolenski from the D.C. Fencers Club, and all our parents were extremely proud of the way the boys supported each other – indeed, it was this unified front and enthusiastic support of each other that brought our team the win. It was a great day for the boys, and for our school. Many of our fencers also play on other sports teams and were unable to attend the tournament. Peter Hansen, John Biffl, David Polhemus, Kevin Joyce, B.J. Bailey and Matthias Early are key members of the fencing team, and were supporting other Abbey events that afternoon. Nonetheless, their support all season made them instrumental to the team’s first-place finish.
Middle School Basketball
Coach Paul Commins and the Middle School Panthers had a strong season once again in 2009-10. Led by an experienced contingent of Form II players, the team’s season ended prematurely with a loss in the semifinal round of the PVAC tournament to Grace Brethren. The Panthers had eked out an exciting three-point victory the previous game, beating Hebrew Academy on their own floor in the quarterfinal round. The Middle School team is pictured above. Back row, left to right: Coach Paul Commins; Ellis Byrd-Tabscott; Sebastian Mazza; Devan Abercrombie; Brian Murphy; Anthony Duckett; Marcus Garcia; Ayinde Grimes. Front row: Caleb Gilbride; Tarik Wright; Ellis Berns; Mark Yde; Jared Allen. With only one player returning next season, the Middle School “A” team will look to fill its ranks with call-ups from this year’s “B” team. The Middle School “B” team had a successful year under coach Cory Hudson, putting together impressive wins against Montrose Christian and Washington International, among others.
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Panther Sports
Another Strong Year for Abbey Wrestling The Abbey wrestlers had another successful season in 200910. With 22 Middle School and 27 Upper School men participating, the mats were very busy. The Middle School season was greatly curtailed by the snows, but of the 16 young men who participated in the tournament at McLean School, eight—half the team—earned a medal. At the Varsity level, the team went 8-3 in league competition. In the league tournament the Abbey placed fifth in the tightest tournament in memory, only one individual win out of third place or two individual wins out of first. Sebastian Zaki and Yaw Oteng-Agipong both placed first, Diego Torres and Giuseppe Niosi both placed second, and Blaise Fortier and David Oetjen both placed third in their weight classes. In non-league competition the team was 3-6 with wins over Maret, Georgetown Day and St. John’s and losses to St. Andrew’s, Washington & Lee (Va.), Sidwell Friends (twice), Landon and Georgetown Prep (ranked fifth in the area). In the city tournament, the Abbey again placed fifth, with Sebastian Zaki, Yaw Oteng-Agipong and Giuseppe Niosi placing third and Geri Dunellari, Alex Jankovic and Joe Downs placing fourth. With the changes in coaching, phantom schedules and unpredictable snow, the team earned flying colors in perseverance and flexibility. Sebastian Zaki became the consummate team leader both on and off the mat, taking responsibility for all of the conditioning aspects of practice—he did an outstanding job. Giuseppe Niosi also stepped up and led the team in technique instruction. Abbey alumni assisted in coaching the team during the season as well, including John Kelly, ’08, who spent several weeks with the team, and Ed Zaki, ’07, among others. A great deal of fun was had by all! -Coach Steve Roush
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Above: Senior Sebastian Zaki is declared the victor after beating an opponent from the Heights. Below: The 2009-2010 Varsity wrestling team with head coach Steve Roush (far right).
Second Annual All-Alumni
Reunion Weekend
April 23 - 25, 2010
After a second successful year, the All-Alumni Reunion Weekend is becoming an annual tradition for St. Anselm’s and Priory alumni. Following the remarkable success of the inaugural event in 2009, when roughly 250 alumni returned to St. Anselm’s over the course of three days, the Reunion Weekend was well-attended once again in 2010. Approximately 80 alumni and friends turned out the evening of Friday, April 23 for a cocktail reception with the School’s faculty. Beautiful weather and music provided by the student jazz band made for a pleasant and memorable evening. Rain on Saturday afternoon forced the cancellation of our planned softball game and hurt the turnout at the barbeque, but those in attendance enjoyed a delicious spread of pork and chicken barbeque. Saturday evening, 125 alumni and guests filled the School Commons for the weekend’s main event, the Alumni Banquet. The Alumni Association presented Fr. Michael Hall, OSB, ’56 with the Abbot Alban Boultwood, OSB Alumni Award, given for service to the School’s alumni community. Fr. Peter welcomed members of the Class of 1960, celebrating their golden anniversary, and the Class of 1985, celebrating their silver anniversary, and presented each of them with medals. Sunday morning, the weekend came to a close with a Mass offered in the Abbey Church for alumni and their families. The Office of Alumni Affairs and the Alumni Association are grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s Reunion Weekend a success, and we look forward to building on that success in 2011.
Alumni Association President Awenate Cobbina, ’98, welcomes guests at the Alumni Banquet on Saturday evening in the School Commons. Over 125 alumni and guests gathered for the second annual dinner.
Celebrating their 50th anniversary, the Class of 1960 gathered to reminisce in the Stafford Library after the al fresco reception Friday evening.
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Reunion Weekend 2010
President’s Remarks Given at the Alumni Banquet, April 24
Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB It is my privilege to welcome you all here this evening in this, our School Commons, where tradition meets the future, where the old meets the new. The 1946 gym on the south side of this hall meets the 2001 gymnasium on the north side. In this corridor of time, our current students are greeted each day with the great cardinal virtues which loom over head, Prudence which unlocks Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude. Here our students encounter the past history of the school in the four houses, Alban (our first abbot), Austin (our first headmaster), Moore (the founder of the monastic community), and Main (the fifth headmaster and builder of the science wing), and here, our students can view pictures of all of our alumni.
Christian Barry, ’85, Fr. Peter and Tom Burke, ’85.
“Human beings are made for God, and without God, human existence is incomprehensible.” This thought was first trodden out by Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430), it is found in the Rule of Saint Benedict (480-547), and it lays the foundation for the meditations and prayers of Saint Anselm (1033-1109). Later, this same thought was proclaimed by Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) and it is met even in the writings of Kierkegaard (1813-1855). What is important for a student at St. Anselm’s Abbey School is the notion that all of one’s academic studies should lead him to God. The scientia of learning—legere, scribere, numerare found as far back as Plato (428 BC-348 BC) and Aristotle (384 BC 322 BC)—was first Christianized by Augustine and tempered by his notion of what a liberal education should be. Augustine lists the liberal arts curriculum as grammar, dialectic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, and astronomy. And then in the 11th century, Anselm insisted that this same scientia must be guided by some criterion of sapientia. That is, for Anselm and for us, science or learning is through necessity guided by wisdom, his Pax in Sapientia. Anselm insists that it is sapientia that gives this or that particular item of knowledge its real value. For Anselm all education would be entirely at the service of truth. He wrote: “How great is that light from which shines out every truth that lightens the reasoning mind! How wide is that truth in which is everything that is true, and outside of which is nothingness and falsehood!” Last night Mr. Hamm and I were honored to have listened to the beginnings of the Class of 1960. Each alumnus of that class told his story. Birth brings power to an individual to be sure; but so does education. Indeed, education is a birth as attested to by what it has done for each and every one of you sitting here this evening. As I keep stressing to our current students, mastery of the liberal arts is a long corridor that every student has to travel to bring him from obscurity to distinction, from ignorance to truth. So let me assure you that excellence in education is still strong and vibrant at St. Anselm’s. Thank you for being here and thank you for sharing your gifts of knowledge and truth to the world.
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Director of Alumni Affairs L awrence Hamm, ’68 presents Fr. Michael with the Abbot Alban Boultwood, OSB Alumni Award.
Members of the Class of 2003 at the Alumni Banquet.
Class Notes 1974
1948
Judge James Lawson was the earliest alumnus to make it to this year’s Reunion Weekend. Although he graduated 62 years ago this spring, Judge Lawson maintains close ties to the School: his grandson Daniel Magee is a current Fourth Form student.
1956
Fr. Michael Hall, OSB received the Abbot Alban Boultwood Alumni Award at the Alumni Banquet on April 24 (see photo, opposite page). The award, which was first given out at last year’s inaugural Reunion Weekend, is given by the Alumni Association to honor service to the School’s alumni community.
1960
Thirteen members of the Class of ’60 returned to campus in April as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of their graduation during All-Alumni Reunion Weekend. Attendees included Albert Branson, Anthony Bruno, Stephen Clark, Jerome Covel, Christopher Daly, John Donnelly, Michael Hartford, Brian McManus, John Millwater, Denis Murray, George O’Keefe, Peter Schmitt and Peter Traskey. See page 15 for a photo of the classmates on Friday evening.
1973
Mark Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Hebrew and Judaic
Charles Peters was appointed to the bench of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City by Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley in January. Classmates Patrick Attridge and Peter Collins were on hand for his investiture May 5. Mark Smith, ’73, at the Reunion Weekend in April.
Studies at New York University, has been awarded (for the second time) the Annual Professorship at the Albright Institute for the spring semester of 2011. His wife, archaeologist Elizabeth M. Bloch-Smith, will receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to work at the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem. They will be working together on a commentary on the biblical Book of Judges for the Hemeneia series. Dr. Smith is also working on a book on biblical poetry concerning warriors and attitudes about them. His most recent book, his twelfth, is entitled The Priestly Vision of Genesis 1; it was published by Fortress Press earlier this year. Drs. Smith and Bloch-Smith have three children: Benjamin, Rachel and Shula. Stephen Martin was present for the confirmation of his nephew Ellis Berns, a current Form II student at St. Anselm’s, at the Church of the Little Flower in Bethesda in March. Fr. Gabriel Myers, OSB served as Ellis’s sponsor and School President Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB was also in attendance.
1979
At the Cherry Blossom TenMiler on April 11, Dave Haaga finished 71st overall out of 15,694 who finished the race. Dave came in first in his age group (males age 45-49) with a time of 55:46, a personal record. Lately, Dave has been running even faster than he did as a college cross-country runner, despite his responsibilities as a professor in the psychology department at American University and as the parent of a college freshman, Kevin,
and a high-school junior, Megan.
1986
Bruce Valencia’s third child, Emma Faith, was born last summer. He and his family reside in Eagle River, Alaska.
Bruce Valencia, ’86, and his youngest daughter Emma Faith at their home in Alaska.
From left: Dr. Stephen Martin, ’73; Mr. Douglas Martin; Fr. Gabriel Myers, OSB; Ellis Berns (Form II); Anson Berns; and Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB.
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1991
Bradford Willett married Lea Ann Wells on April 10, in Tucson, Ariz., with classmates Eric Dickman, Patrick Kenny and Patrick Landers attending. Lea and Bradford reside in New York City, where he works at Barclays Capital.
1998
Neill Horton is engaged to Laneia Shisson. The couple plans to marry June 19 in Cleveland, Ohio, where they live.
2004
Former Austin House head and now Second Lieutenant Daniel Nugent visited the
School in early April and spoke to students about his experience in the U.S. Air Force and at the Air Force Academy. Daniel graduated from the Academy in 2008 and is now serving as an instructor pilot with the 41st Flying Training Squadron in Columbus, Miss.
Alumni in New York City
2009
Jamsheed Lovelace received his Private Pilot License (PPL) on May 7. Jamsheed recently completed his freshman year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla., where he is studying to be a commercial pilot.
Fifteen St. Anselm’s alumni gathered on January 19 at the Harvard Club in New York City, joined by School President Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB; Director of Development Valerie Brown; and Director of Alumni Affairs Lawrence Hamm, ’68. Pictured above, left to right: Thomas Lee, ’87; Lawrence Hamm, ’68; Christopher Hume, ’91; Patrick Thrasher, ’97; Bradford Willett, ’91; Erin Ersenkal, ’94; Patrick Resing, ’97; Carl Morales, ’94; Lawrence Lucier, ’86; Fr. Peter Weigand, OSB; Alfonso Romero, ’02; Brendan Gleason, ’03; and Peter Fielding, ’03.
We Extend Our Deepest Sympathy to the Families of Those in Our Community Who Have Died Mr. Donald Caulfield
Mr. Patrick F. Kennedy
Father of Dan Caulfield, ’81, Terrence Caulfield, ’85, and Christopher Caulfield, ’87
Former student; brother of Ian Kennedy, ’05
Mr. Bernard F. Foley
Mother of Michael LaPlaca, ’55
Prof. Alexander Giampietro
Brother of G. Brent Mickum, ’72
Mr. Robert L. Hillyard
Mother of Thomas Ryan, ’66, Fr. William Ryan, ’68, Philip Ryan, ’71 (non-grad), and Steve Ryan, ’72
Class of 1951
Father of Joseph Giampietro, ’70, Charles Giampietro, ’77, Fr. Anthony Giampietro, ’78, and Gordon Giampietro, ’84
Class of 1953
Mrs. Gertrud Hodgson
Mother of Adam Hodgson, ’65, Michael Hodgson, ’66, Lawrence Hodgson, ’67, and Christopher Hodgson, ’70 (non-grad)
Mr. Frank Keenan
Father of Tom Keenan, ’77, and Alan Keenan, ’81
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Mrs. Helen LaPlaca
Mr. Joseph B. Mickum Mrs. Inez Ryan
Mr. J. Burke Walsh Class of 1946
Mrs. Lory Walsh
Wife of J. Burke Walsh, ’46
Mr. Fletcher H. Word, Jr.
Father of Fletcher Word, III, ’68
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Mark Your Calendars for the
Fall Scholarship Gala Saturday, October 23, 2010 Join us as we honor His Eminence Theodore Cardinal McCarrick Archbishop Emeritus of Washington
and raise much-needed scholarship dollars for current St. Anselm’s students! Invitations will be mailed in late summer. Contact the Development Office at 202-281-1644 or development@saintanselms.org for more information.