Priorities #12: Spring 2000

PRI RITIES A Magazine of Woodside Priory School

April 2000

ACHIEVE! A celebration of life’s possibilities.

A Learning Community for the New Century

Woodside Priory School A Learning Community for the New Century

In This Issue Trekking the Andes. Twelve seniors and three faculty members visit the site of the plane crash and meet the survivors they read about in the book, ALIVE. Benedictine Letter, page 4 Accreditation process is complete. The visiting committee offers commendations and recommendations. Now the process of taking action begins. Headmaster’s Letter, page 3 Trekking the Andes • page 4

Fall & Winter at a Glance. It’s been an active year - evidence of growth is everywhere. Page 6 Math is Jazzercise for the mind. It trains us how to think and at its best it encourages us to use both the creative and the analytical sides of our minds. Conversation with Mathematics Chair Nancy Newman, page 8 Why you love some web sites, hate others. A web designer can make the Internet terrain welcoming or hostile. Dan Riveong, Class of 2000 and a designer of corporate sites, explains. Student View, page 11

Athletics • page 16

Good news to use. In this new feature, P.E. Chair Kim Mason offers advice about using weight training equipment and Theology Chair John Provost suggests three good paperbacks for a philosophical read. In the next issue, two more faculty members will share their expertise. Faculty Focus, page 14 Never say “I can’t,” musician and inspirational speaker Tony Melendez advises.

Without arms, he makes music, enjoys life, and believes that with God all things are possible. Special Assembly, page 22

Alumni Reunion • page 19

Two League MVPs, a CCS Division 5 championship team, a Division 5 top-scorer and a competitor at State. Woodside Priory sports are looking good! Athletics, page 16 New Alumni Fund Chair. Andy Kuchins is accepting a new post on the East Coast.

Ken Tehaney, Class of 1966, and Tim Griffin, Class of 1984, share the post. Alumni News & Notes, page 19 Young Alums Meet Over Winter Break. Story, photos and “Save the Date” for the June event. Reunion, page 21

A Special Visitor • page 23

On the cover: A new level of athletic achievement is symbolized by four who reached “firsts.” Passsage to Paris, this year’s auction and ball theme, symbolizes two kinds of achievement - community-building and financial support. Achievements large and small are the theme of all the feature articles in this issue.

Board of Directors Abbott Matthew Leavy, OSB Rev. Mark Cooper, OSB Brother Edward Englund, OSB Father Martin Mager, OSB Father William Sullivan, OSB Board of Trustees Mrs. Pat Adams, Alumni Parent Mrs. Liz Cirino, Co-Chair, Parent Association Mr. Wayne Davison, Parent Mr. Al Ebneter, Friend Mr. Gene Flath, Friend Mr. Michael Gullard, Friend Mrs. Anne Hannigan, Alumni Parent Father Pius Horvath, Monastic Community Mr. George Huertas, Alumnus Mrs. Kathie Maxfield, Friend Mrs. Sandra McCarthy, Parent Mr. Bruce Mosbacher, Friend Mr. Matt O’Rourke, Alumni Parent Mr. Ray Rothrock, Friend Mr. Andy Schilling, Alumnus Mr. Art Schultz, Parent Mr. Bob Ward, Friend, Mrs. Donna Wengert-Neff, Parent Priorities Magazine is published in September, March and June by Woodside Priory School for its alumni, parents, students, neighbors and friends.

Editor: Carolyn Dobervich Design: Ennis Kirkland Design Contributing Writer: LeeAnn McDermott Photos: Jim Kirkland, Father Martin Mager, Carolyn Dobervich Our thanks to the Palo Alto Weekly, Catholic SF, and Annie Simon for photos Corrections: In the Oct. 1999 Annual Report, Alan and Elizabeth Cirino were listed in Headmaster’s Club ($1,000+). They should have been listed in the Anniversary Club ($1957+). The following members of the 1998-99 Parent Association Board should have been listed as follows: Treasurer,Camille Yost Secretary, Pearlasia, Twelfth Grade Class Parents: Aloysius and Sharon Van Dalen, Stella Gonzalez, Cyndi Rothmeier (Moss), and Wendy Fleming Kevin Kasenchak’s name was omitted from the Father Martin Mager scholarship list.

From the Headmaster Dear Priory Community, arch is a special month at the Priory - the beginning of spring, looking to graduation ahead, and another academic year soon to come. We celebrate the Feast of Saint Benedict (March 21). Students organize a week of activities, March Madness, that brings everyone out in the sunshine (we hope) on Red Square. Our admissions office sends out the acceptances for the fall and Priory students begin the course selection process for the next year.

This month, we completed the last step in our year-long self-study for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. A visiting team of educators, volunteers from other private, Catholic schools, evaluated our report and from March 6-9 visited the campus to observe us and prepare their accreditation report. We have the report and in June will know WASC’s decision on our accreditation.

The process was a very positive experience for the school community. I thank all the students, parents, faculty and staff who participated. I especially commend Brother Edward for his leadership.

The report includes a number of commendations and recommendations, based on our self-study and the committee’s observations. Among the commendations: • the Benedictine Community for their visible support of the spiritual growth of the faculty and students; • the administration and faculty for providing flexible programs that address a variety of student needs and interests; • the students for their openness to and participation in communication among all age groups, fostering positive relationships within the student population; and • the entire school community for its commitment to both the Catholic and Benedictine identity, which supports the school’s mission.

Among the recommendations: • tie student learning goals expressed in the school’s philosophy to the performance objectives in the subject areas;

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• modernize the library content; • consider new and alternate models of faculty compensation, including faculty housing; • Increase interaction between dorm and day students as a way to increase cross-cultural interaction (a goal of the school).

It gives us a great sense of achievement that the visiting team confirmed the many positive choices our students have in their curricular plan. Countless hours of inspiration and preparation are behind those choices. They lead students to discover areas of particular interest or passion, then deepen their abilities and knowledge.

The committee especially commended the faculty for “their success in building a rigorous, dynamic program that leads to effective, in-depth student learning.” This program is the hallmark of our Benedictine educational mission.

Students benefit in many tangible and intangible ways from their exposure to the monks, our contemplative campus, our diverse and integrated experiences, and our committed faculty/staff.

The theme of this month’s magazine is “The new millinneum - a time to achieve.” It is our intent to celebrate not awards but instead the joy of the possible. That is Tony Melendez’s message on page 22-23. Our students continue to discover about themselves that much is possible - and they pursue their possibilities.

Hopefully, for everyone, this process is the Benedictine experience of work and prayer St. Benedict’s motto and the motto on which our school life is based.

Sincerely,

The committee especially commended the faculty for “their success in building a rigorous, dynamic program that leads to effective, in-depth student learning.”

All the teaching monks as well as many faculty, parents and Trustees, welcomed the visiting committee from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges at a Sunday evening reception. Brother Edward Englund (left) headed the WASC accreditation study.

Tim Molak Headmaster

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Benedictine Letter May our eyes be open to His presence as our own journeys unfold.

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Just getting up (to the memorial site) was a big risk for me to take. It was cold, windy - you could imagine what they must have felt.

Now, when something goes wrong, I think how much worse things could be.

Katelin Stasun Class of 2000

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he recent trip by twelve seniors and four accompanying teachers to South America that took place over the Winter break proved to be a remarkable and unforgettable experience for all concerned.

The trip was the brainchild of Jim Lawhon whose Humanities class has been reading the book ALIVE as a part of the required reading for his course.

The remarkable tale of survival, hope and courage has inspired and continues to inspire readers throughout the world since the book was first published. It was my privilege to have been invited to join the Priory team in this venture to South America.

The book relates the events that took place nearly three decades ago when a plane carrying the Old Christians Club rugby team from Uruguay crashed in the snow high in the Andes mountains in Argentina

on the way to Chile. Two-thirds of the passengers perished; only 16 survived. The highlight of the trip was the horseback trip to the site of the plane crash with Roberto Canessa, one of the survivors, and the sharing of the story with other survivors.

In the midst of a blinding snowstorm and plummeting temperatures at the 11,500-foot level, I celebrated Mass for the faculty, students, survivors and the gauchos who led the team to the top of this sacred spot. We were all moved by the sight of the crude stone monuments, plane fragments, and memorial plaques left on this otherwise barren spot high in the mountains.

Dr. Canessa spoke over the howl of the wind about the way those who endured seventy-two days in the hostile weather and near starvation conditions were able, in spite of the worst possible conditions, to find God in those very mountains which held them captive.

I was surprised that three of the survivors who were not very impressive in the book were really wonderful people when we met them. Maybe there is no telling how anyone will react under terrible conditions.

Joe Daly Class of 2000 2 1. Students and faculty faced a grueling trek to the memorial site.

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2. Priory group, Roberto Canessa and gauchos (cowboys) at the site.

3. An unseasonable snow covered the landscape outside the tents.

4. Father Martin celebrated Mass at the site, which is marked with a cross.

5. In Buenos Aires, students visited a "cemetery street" where graves markers were upright, almost like doors.

3 “We had studied in our religion classes and in our homes about God,” Canessa said, “but here we discovered God of the mountains. And now God was real.”

I could not but help to reflect on the message of Saint Benedict in his Rule, that the real purpose of life is to seek God in everything and in every circumstance which becomes a part of our lives. Yes, there is God in the beauty of the high Andes who revealed Himself in the suffering of those who crashed that day many years ago, and there is the God Who reveals Himself in the quiet of the monastery, in the spin of Silicon Valley, the workings of the family...everywhere. May our eyes be open to His presence as our own journeys unfold.

Fr. Martin Mager, OSB

6. Roberto Canessa, Andes survivor, led the faculty-student trip.

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FALL/WINTER ‘99 Best of the Fall-Winter Months

Students and teachers are busy but pleased with the eight additional Advanced Placement course offerings and expanded elective opportunities (especially evident in the arts).

The Parent Association created a new volunteer group to provide communication and support between the dorm students and staff, and the day student community.

The entire student body turned out to hear Father Martin bless the addition to the Fine Arts Building; everything to the right of building sign is new. Expanding both the facilities and the course offerings was a high priority recommended by faculty last year. Students react with surprise and amazed delight when they see the quality of the work they can create at the new metalsmithing stations.

Campus Ministry offers its own community service options, including transportation, supervision, and usually pizza served up with conversation after the activity. Student groups leave weekly for tutoring elementary-school children, activities with the elderly, and feeding the homeless. The new student-centerand-Campus-Ministry-office is one of the most popular student hangouts.

6 What better way to learn the force of wind power - and student design power - than to build a kite?

Kim Heffernan’s sixth grade tried out their models on a breezy day last fall. Michelle Bradford was especially tied up in the project.

More than 90 grandparents were on the campus for the annual Grandparents Day celebration. The honored guests shared classes, Chapel and lunch with their grandchildren, and took home a souvenir family photo.

Seven WPS friends honored with St. Benedict Medals at an Oct. 2 dinner and dance are Sir Daniel Donohoe, John and Dianne (Didi) Fisher, Carl and Shirley Larson, Matt O’Rourke, and Matilda Wilbur.

They are honored for devotion to Benedictine education.

E-bulletin is now the most popular way for parents to keep in touch. It is available on-line every morning at about 7 a.m.

Third Annual Golf Classic winners in various categories were the Jamie DiBoise Team, Tim and Kip Kado, Doug Sargent, Mark Stogner, Alan Will, Andy Duncan, Buzz Ogren, Grant Evans, Kevin Schofield, Dan Alegria, Bob Waterman, Jim Salter, Gene Flath, Matt O’Rourke, Art Schultz, and John Newman. The event raised funds for school scholarships.

Zuzka Fedorkova and Maria Ferencova were among students carrying some 30 national flags for the fall Diversity program in the Chapel. The two girls, from the Republic of Slovakia, are each spending the year with a Priory family and are members of the senior class.

AT A GLANCE During the Christmas season, students challenged themselves to collect even more food and funds to help the poor than last year (an award-winning year).

This time, they wanted to do it with no rewards or public recognition. Also, they wanted to use their own resources and ingenuity before asking parents to help. They more than succeeded For the second year, parents revived an old tradition and sold hand-made Christmas ornaments — little monks that looked very Benedictine clustered in a basket or perched on a tree. Funds were given to charity.

Students are now mounting three drama productions per year — fall, winter and spring. During winter break, Visual Arts Department Chair Cayewah Easley and her sisters hand-built professional-quality, reusable sets — an important start for a department with no permanent facilities.

Model United Nations has tripled in size in the past three years and this year sent teams representing the Philippines and Republic of the Congo to both Berkeley and Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) for conferences.

Everyone gets a Middle School view of campus life via its newspaper, The Scoop.

College planning now begins with an information night especially for families of ninth and tenth graders. Course choices during these first years affect options later in high school. All high school classes meet with Academic Dean Holly Thompson to discuss course choices.

Father Pius celebrated his 65th birthday among students, parents, faculty and friends - then took a wellearned rest in the rocking chair, specially carved with the Priory seal, presented by the community earlier in the day at a Chapel ceremony.

The sign says it all. While students started fall semester finals, parents were congratulated for the best possible conclusion to the Middle School Fund drive. MS Chair Carol Duncan dressed up her sign with a bouquet of balloons. The Priory’s top priorities for these funds are small class size and competitive teacher compensation.

The exploits of twelve children being reared by their industrialefficiency-expert parents in the early 1920s is the theme for Cheaper by the Dozen, WPS’s winter play. Here, big sister Anne (Kathleen Ruiz, right) explains to her younger sibs how she plans to get Dad to let her wear silk stockings and go out with (oh, no!) boys. Julie Davidson (left), Chrissy Spanoghe and Andrew Smith share space on the family sofa, lent for two weeks by a Los Altos family.

Freshman Michael Yost was one of a host of students who turned out in force and turned up the volume for the “Super Seven” championship girls volleyball team. They won the PSAL and Division V CCS Championships and the first round of the NorCal tournament.

Father Maurus feels that he can toss his cane following successful hip joint surgery this winter.

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Conversation With

nancy Newman Ask the average person what subject was the toughest in school, and math will be at the top of lots of lists. More than a few of us got the message early on that math was something to avoid because we couldn’t succeed.

Fortunately, Woodside Priory’s Nancy Newman was blessed with parents and teachers who believed that she could succeed in math and science, and regularly told her so...and that made all the difference in the world.

From elementary school on, Nancy turned this love into her life’s vocation. Communicating her passion for math and science, as well as her belief in all her students’ abilities to use their “incredibly strong, incredibly powerful brains to achieve anything they want in life,” is Nancy’s number one priority in her job as Head of Priory’s Math Department.

In this “Conversation With...” she talks about the importance of math at the secondary school level, and the future of math education.

L. McDermott

Why does math remain a required subject at the secondary education level, given the introduction of sophisticated computers and calculators that can solve most of the math problems the average individual would ever need to solve?

I tell my students that math is Jazzercize for the mind!

Many of my students ask the same question! My favorite explanation is that the mind is an organ that needs to be trained. At this level math is one very effective way to train students how to think. It’s learning how to solve problems from different perspectives, taking the mind through logical exercises that other fields just don’t do at the same level of detail. I tell them it’s jazzercize for the mind!

Do we still need to learn the fundamentals, skills that can be performed on a calculator?

Absolutely! Just as with any discipline, the fundamentals are the foundation of the training, and teaching of these skills needs to begin in the very early elementary years. A student who reaches high school math and cannot do the fundamentals without a calculator (basics such as multiplication tables, square roots, fractions) is incredibly handicapped. I call it math abused, and I think it’s teaching malpractice.

Are you in favor of standards and rubrics that spell out what these fundamental skills are at each grade level?

Yes. We just can’t let kids out of the chute without the whole package of skills, and standards define for every school what those should be. I cringe when a parent of a third grader tells me their child is learning about functions. I’ll teach them about functions and more abstract concepts when they reach the secondary level and are capable of more abstract thought. Please teach them the basics and more importantly, make it fun to learn. There are so many exciting ways to teach young children the fundamental math skills they’ll need for later success.

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Since children do arrive at middle school with a variety of different math backgrounds, skills, and aptitudes, what’s the best way to teach math at the secondary level?

At Priory we use an “ungraded” system. This means that regardless of grade level, we try to figure out where the student is in their math journey and plug them into the right class. The best match takes into account not just a student’s current skill level, but also whether they are developmentally ready to move from concrete thinking and basic computation to the more abstract thinking required in higher level math.

At the same time, their motivation and ability to put the time and effort into mastering these new skills is an important factor also. We don’t always get the match right, but we have the flexibility to adjust and really individualize each student’s math experience.

What alternatives are there to the traditional educational track in math?

Whatever your future career, some math training is essential. But individual students do have very different math aptitudes and needs. For very accelerated students who complete all of our advanced classes before they graduate, we participate in EPGY, a computer-based advanced math program at Stanford. Alternatively, for students who finish their formal math training with Algebra or PreCalculus, we’ve added two great classes: ProblemSolving and Statistics and Probability. All of these different alternatives keep students’ minds in math until they move onto college, and encourage them to continue with math regardless of their interest and ability. At Priory we’re just not willing to let them say they’re done with math!

Are you an advocate of “new” or “traditional” math teaching approaches?

I learn when you tell me how something works, let me play with it, and then solve problems using it.

Other people can’t possibly get behind things unless they’ve built it themselves from scratch. Some students can’t learn without a combination of both

approaches. So I’m not an advocate for one approach versus another. I think the best method really depends on the teacher. A teacher who is great using the traditional approach might be ineffective using a new math approach, and vice versa.

In a classroom of students there are some who are going to learn like me, and some who don’t. A good math teacher has to love what they do and how they do it. They need to teach within their own comfort level, whether it’s traditional or new math, and they have to recognize and reach out to the student who’s not getting it the way they’re teaching it.

What else makes a great math teacher?

A great teacher first and foremost loves math and communicates that enthusiasm to the students. He or she makes math interesting, fun, and important. Math is not hard. It may look hard, but there are always tricks, always different ways to approach any problem. Textbooks don’t necessarily communicate this. Experienced teachers have their own repertoire of other ways to teach math, and they share them with the students. They demystify math by bringing the students along with the secrets and making the secrets fun.

You’ve mentioned again and again the need to communicate that math is fun. Why is this so important?

Because math makes many people feel uncomfortable or fearful. The roots of this very prevalent math anxiety often lie in the early years. Parents pass on their own math anxiety by saying things like “Math is really hard,” or “I don’t like math,” or “I’ve never been any good at math.”

These same attitudes are communicated in many grammar schools. One day I asked a group of sixth graders, “Did you like math in elementary school?

Did your teachers like math?” The majority of them said no. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for parents and educators to communicate to children that math is fun and exciting and just as important as 9 reading and writing.

Calculators can’t replace knowledge of basic math skills but a graphing calculator can bring new creative possibilities to advanced math.

We hear much these days about gender inequity in math. Is this what happens to girls? They get the message that they can’t do math?

I think this is one of the problems. We don’t completely understand all of the factors that affect, especially, middle school age females in the classroom. But we’re learning. There are many interesting experiments in progress that may help to clarify the best learning environments for girls.

We are aware of these issues at the Priory and perhaps having female math teachers is helping us model that girls can do math.

I’m very excited that my current PreCalculus class has eight girls and two boys, but even in this class I see some hesitation among the girls. I don’t believe you can tell girls too much, or too often, how very good they are at math and other subjects.

Do math and music abilities go together, as some brain research indicates? Or, do some people just think both are fun?

Charles Kou, Jeff Lin and Richard Lin may be good examples of either theory. They are taking multivariate calculus via a computer-based distance learning program from Stanford University.

Have you been surprised by the research that links math aptitudes and music ability?

I don’t think this is surprising to anyone who really knows math, because math is itself a very creative process. To be creative you have to look at a problem or something you want to create, and pick and choose which options make the most sense...which note goes with which note, which color goes with which color, which process goes with which problem.

Just as there are an infinite number of sounds and ways to combine them, there are an infinite number of numbers and ways to combine them. How you compose them, whether numbers or notes, is the difference between both a creative answer and an unimaginative answer, or a great piece of music and an uninspiring piece of music. It’s all very tied together.

They are better known among students as three of the four singers in the highly popular Shoo-Be-Do-Wahs, which specializes in a ‘50’s Do-Wop sound. With their fourth member, Jason Lam, they independently arrange and rehearse their music for school concerts.

Stephen Sondheim said that if he hadn’t succeeded in musical theater he would have pursued his second love, theoretical mathematics. Who knows?

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How has math education changed since you’ve been a teacher?

At the high school level the way we teach math has changed remarkably, and for the better, with the invention of the calculator and especially the graphing calculator. With the press of a few buttons an educated calculator user can look up the sine or log of any number and you can graph any equation in seconds. This frees teachers to take math conceptually to the next level. Instead of spending an entire class mired in the tedium of creating graphs, we can move quickly to experimenting with graphs and trying to understand what this equation is really trying to say. This is where the creative process in math kicks in.

The frustrating thing about any educational system is that there’s just a lot of basic stuff that students have to slog through in order to get to the fun, creative part of any subject.

Where do you see math education headed in the next 10-20 years?

What would horrify most students today is the fact that math in the next 10-20 years will be more and more about word problems! There is nothing better for a student than to grapple with a one- or twoparagraph description of a problem, try to create an equation, figure out an approach to solving the problem, and then to plug it into the calculator and model what it’s going to look like. It’s all about integrating fundamental skills with creative problem solving in real world situations.

This is really the key to a good math education... teaching students to look at problems with multiple solutions, and use their entire repertoire of skills to discover the best solution. At its best, math education is about pushing students towards connecting the verbal, creative sides of their brains with the analytical sides of their brains. It’s good preparation for life!

Student View

By Dan Riveong Class of 2000 Editor’s Note: Most of us view lots of on-line text and graphics. Some some we ignore, some we endure no matter how frustrating they are what’s there (if we can only reach it). Web designers have a lot to reaction. We asked Dan Riveong, Class of 2000, who has been corporate web sites on a contract basis for more than a year, to explain how he does what he does.

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r e n d o n i U uct e Sit nstr o c e D web sites grab our interest, — because we need do with our designing

hat makes a web site great? Here are some ideas... As many animations as possible. Threepage paper on the company philosophy. Lots of pop-up windows. Music to accompany each web page. Bright flashing text...in bold red of course.

Hopefully, you realize I am joking here. The scary thing is that all of the above have been requested by a few of my clients, whose embarrassment in this article is saved by their NDAs (NonDisclosure Agreements, which means I can’t talk about them).

And since clients sign my paychecks, I have given in to many of their “insightful” suggestions.

A great web site follows these three sacred virtues: it must be useful, it must be user-friendly, it must be elegant.

What are the cardinal sins? Useless big graphics. Confusing navigation. Zero information. This is not to say that the utilitarian design found in Yahoo! is the ideal. Its usefulness and simplicity is negated by its deafening dullness.

Other then the guidelines mentioned above, the process of designing a web site is an individualist’s path.

Let’s take the re-design of the Zamba web site as a case study. The original web site was a second generation web site (simple blocks of text and messy, big graphics). It has eighty pages of basic corporate content: job openings, mission statement, SEC filings, et cetera. On a happy note, the stock of the company jumped on the initial launch of this site. But time passes and effectiveness wanes. Fast.

The conception of any web site begins with the question, “Why do we want people to come to the web site and what do we want them to experience?” In Zamba’s case, they wanted a site for potential employees and shareholders. The site needed a beefed-up and in-depth career and Investor Relations section. They mainly wanted the site focused as a business-to-business marketing tool. Lastly, they wanted the web site to embody the active and dynamic character of its namesake (Zamba is an Argentinean dance, but Zamba Corp. is a customer care company).

The next question is “What is the profile of people that comes to our web site?” Since the site was aimed for business-to-business use in the U.S., we no longer had worries over users with slow connections or older browsers. Thus, the cardinal sin of big, useless graphics did not apply. With no worry over bandwidth or old browsers, we were free to embellish the site with “eye candy:” streaming videos of the CEO, a Zamba dance video and fat graphics.

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Don’t Miss Passage to Paris WPS Auction, Dinner and Gala Party Will Be A Night To Remember!

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he luxury liner Normandie was the ultimate in modernity and glamour - the most elegant, exclusive ocean liner ever to grace the waves. It sets the theme for this year’s gala fund-raising event, 6p.m., May 6, at Hotel Sofitel in Redwood City.

At Passage to Paris, Woodside Priory’s annual auction, guests will experience both the luxury of a Normandie Atlantic crossing, and the fun of a night out on the town in the legendary French capitol.

The Normandie’s time is the second half of the 1930s. The French were anxious to put the privations of war and depression behind them. They wished for a beautiful symbol of French national pride — a dazzling showcase of France’s excellence in art and design as well as a demonstration of its leadership in technology. The ship delivered on all those hopes and expectations.

True to the original experience, Passage to Paris guests will stroll through spacious promenades, a charming deck with a view of the sea, and salons that take touches from the ship’s gracefully mirrored halls. Floor-to-ceiling towers of glass, a famous part of the Normandie’s Grand Salon, will grace the Sofitel. (The Priory’s faux models are unbreakable but reproduce the glittering effect that enchanted the Normandie’s passengers.)

As guests stroll the ship, sipping wines and champagnes, enjoying the hors d’oeuvres, they won’t be able to resist the treasures there for the taking. As always, restaurants,

vacations, wines, family excursions, clothes, sports tickets and collectibles, and much more will be waiting for the highest bidder in the silent auction. A live auction follows dinner; music and dancing amid the lights of Paris will top off the evening.

“This is our first party of the millineum, the twentieth anniversary of the school auction. We have an extraordinarily creative committee and they are thinking out every detail to be sure that people have well, just a wonderful, wonderful evening. They are doing a terrific job and I think people will be delighted by the many special touches the committee has planned,” said Cindy Davison. Cindy and her husband, Wayne, are co-chairs for the second year.

An enticing array of treats for every taste and price range is coming together and every day brings new surprises, said Donna Little, who is chairing the solicitations committee for the second year. A great way to keep in touch with new additions is to visit the school web site - it is updated frequently, added Renee Rankin, chair of the silent auction set-up.

A sampler of items ready for the auctioneer’s gavel or bidder’s pen includes: • Father Martin’s 15th Tall Clock, hand crafted from fine woods especially for the auction, will

A private concert performed by jazz musician Taylor Eigsti (Class of 2003), whose professional acclaim just keeps growing, is sure to be a popular live auction item.

Auction party information and items are on the Passage to Paris Website: http://www.woodsidepriory.com. Click on Auction 2000.

incorporate a St. Benedict’s medal inside the case.

• A meant-to-be-an-heirloom quilt lovingly stitched by Priory faculty, staff, parents and students - 20 in all. Each square is a variation on a house theme created by local artist Freddy Moran, recreated in riotous, whimsical colors.

• A week at Northstar, or Pine Mountain Lake; a weekend on the north coast. Several new transcontinental trips are described on the website.

• Hours of professional service in personal financial planning or estate planning • Rights to a party featuring Father Martin’s world-famous pizza, served by waiters Pete Kasencheck and Pete Hammond, who have been friends of each other and the school since their boys attended in late 1980’s (Classes of “88 and ‘91).

Headmaster Tim Molak will be wearing his auctioneer’s hat for the live auctions during the salad and after dinner. “It’s going to be fun, as always, and the cause is important,” he said. Auction proceeds are an essential part of next year’s school budget, he added. The funds directly support Woodside Priory’s

effort to keep class size small and to “put faculty first” with a competitive salary and benefits package, he said.

Private schools cannot provide a quality education with tuition alone - gifts and fund-raising events are also crucial, explained Doug Ayer, Director of Development. Last year, 16% of Woodside Priory’s education budget was funded by gifts and grants, and a successful auction is a significant portion of that funding.

Whatever auction guests are seeking — a restful few days away, some help entertaining friends, computer gear to upgrade and organize their lives, tutoring or driving lessons for a child, a family portrait - the auction tables are bountiful and the cause reaches the heart of everyone “on board.” Faculty and students are especially generous in offering auction gifts that call on their time and talents.

In the Sofitel dining room, guests will be in the “neighborhoods of Paris,” amidst the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the bohemian Rive Gauche, or perhaps the stately Notre Dame Cathedral. Paris, the City of Lights, has inspired decorator Linda Moore to set the Sofitel dining area a-twinkle. As always, people will be seated with friends (and potential friends), be entertained by the auction excitement that always generates much laughter, and will take away special treats at each place setting.

After the coffee, the music, the dancing, the laughing and the fun, it’s handy not to have to fly home from Paris. Even so, people who would rather stay overnight are invited to contact the hotel for special room rates.

A Porsche 912 classic, donated by Trustee Bob Ward, is being restored by students, under the supervision of vintage car expert Dr. Martin Mayer. Read its story on the web site.

The adventure begins when guests embark at the "West 48th St. Pier" at 6 p.m. Guests will enjoy champagnes, French wines, mixed drinks and hors d’oeuvres on board ship.

They will disembark in "Le Havre" and enjoy wonderful French cuisine, music and dancing under the city lights of Paris.

BUY A RAFFLE TICKET! Only 300 will be sold!

Raffle tickets are available at the Woodside Priory School Office, or from Virginia Taylor (650) 598-9181, vltfsc@aol. com.

It’s a $100 donation and the winner receives a full year of Priory tuition or $10,000 cash. Second place prize is a $500 shopping spree at Stanford Shopping Center.

Faculty Focus Three Paperbacks Offer Food For Philosophical And Spiritual Thought

By John Provost Theology Chair Ed. note: John recommends here three books that were part of a faculty-parent discussion group this year. The group meets monthly in the evenings to talk philosophy.

Wilber argues that it is not only possible but essential that we learn to integrate our quest for truth through science with our search for meaning through religion.

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The Marriage of Sense and Soul: Integrating Science and Religion by Ken Wilber (Available in paperback from Broadway Books, April, 1999) n Marriage of Sense and Soul, Wilber, one of the foremost philosophers in America today, offers a map of the world and reality that is both integral and holistic. A founder of the Transpersonal Psychology movement, Wilber stresses the importance of acknowledging the spiritual dimension as essential to a full understanding of human nature.

He examines a fundamental dilemma of the modern era - the schism between science and religion.

In this book he argues that it is not only possible but essential for the future of the human race that we learn to integrate our quest for truth through science with our search for meaning through religion.

Through an examination of the history of science and religion, Wilber points the way towards a philosophy which attempts to honor any truth, spiritual and scientific, in a way that does justice to both without diminishing one or the other.

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas Kuhn (Available in Paperback, University of Chicago Press, November, 1996)

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A classic, Kuhn’s book was itself a revolutionary breakthrough in the history of science. Kuhn was the first to coin the term the “paradigm” to describe “a conceptual framework that permits explanation and investigation of phenomena or the objects of study in a field of inquiry.”

Through a fascinating examination of the history of science and the role of creativity in scientific thought, Kuhn defines scientific progress as “a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions” where one mindset or paradigm is replaced by another. The book club found this book especially illuminating as we discussed the similarities between the way “seeing a new model or paradigm” happens in the search for scientific truth and the ways people gain new insights about spirituality and religious truth.

The Marriage of East and West, Bede Griffiths, (Available in Paperback, Templegate Publishing, June, 1982) Bede Griffith was a Benedictine monk who lived for over 30 years in India. In The Marriage of East and West, Griffith describes his struggle to make sense of the truths he encountered in Hinduism. He describes how he came to understand that although there are many significant intellectual differences between Christianity and Hinduism, the two have much in common on an experiential level.

Griffiths’ came to believe that the spiritual truths of the West could be enhanced and enriched by the spiritual truths and traditions of the East. In this book he explains his belief that the future well-being of the world is dependent on the ability of people with different spiritual and religious backgrounds coming to appreciate the truths they each bring to the table without the need to tell others that they are wrong.

Start Carefully With Weight Training

By Kim Mason PE Chair

W

eight training machines look exciting and fun to use...almost like toys. The problem is, they’re not toys. When used improperly, especially by younger athletes, weight training equipment can cause serious damage.

Most experts agree that children under the age of 13 should avoid heavy training loads of any kind, whether it’s weight or sport-specific training that intensely develops just one set of muscles. Children’s muscular and skeletal systems just aren’t developed enough to bear the heavy load intense training puts on them. Too much too soon can lead to all kinds of serious sports-related injuries - something physicians report seeing more and more of in recent years.

This doesn’t mean, though, that correctly designed weight and strength training routines don’t have a place in your teen’s fitness program.

The safest approach to training for children and

preadolescents is one that lets them experiment with different sports that allow them to develop fitness and motor skills and work on greater flexibility. As the growth spurts of early adolescence pass, and adolescents gain muscular and skeletal strength, they can increase the use of weight training equipment.

Weight and strength training can increase flexibility and endurance, and even help teens gain in self esteem and positive body image....big issues for just about any adolescent.

The most important thing to remember about weight and strength training for athletes of all ages, though, is don’t try it without proper supervision and training. Sports trainers and coaches can determine the most appropriate program for your teen, and more importantly, teach them how use free weights and machines correctly so as to avoid injury.

To read the American Academy of Pediatrics’ statement on Strength and Weight Lifting for children and adolescents, go to : http://www.aap.org/ policy/03327.html

...don’t try it without proper supervision and training.

Ed. Note: Woodside Priory has a new and nicely equipped weight room. To start a program, any student (athletic or otherwise) can talk to any of the coaches, or Corinna Schmidt, WPS’s sports trainer, who is on campus after school.

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Athletics PSAL All-League Athletes Season Highlights Photo by Keith Peters, Palo Alto Weekly

• The Women’s Varsity Volleyball team is the League Champion, CCS Division V Champion, and — a first for Woodside Priory — made its first appearance in the State Volleyball Championships. (Grace note: parents of a CCS visiting team remarked that the welcome at WPS was notably warmer than they sometimes experienced at competitions, a point of pride for a Benedictine campus.)

Sports writers from San Francisco to San Jose commented on this winning team - with six on the court and one on the bench, they were the smallest team from the smallest high school in the PSAL. The size of the spirit is obvious.

Fall Sports Boys’s Varsity Cross Country Steve Trudelle - First Team Ross Anderson - Second Team Boy’s Varsity Soccer Paddy Sullivan - First Team (PSAL Soccer Player of the Year) Sung Kim - Second Team Paul Lewis - Second Team Ed Wilson - Second Team Girl’s Varsity Volleyball Francesca Centofanti - First Team (PSAL Volleyball Player of the Year) Cassie Perret - First Team Lisa Flagg - Second Team

Members of the championship team are Francesca Centofanti, #7, who was named League MVP, Cassie Perret, Michelle Ogren, Helene Nguyen, (top row) Coach Delna Lancaster, Kendall Holland, Kit Newman, Lisa Flagg, Assistant Coach Erica McClelland.

• Women’s Varsity Soccer missed the playoffs by a single game.

• Cross-Country Runner Steve Trudelle is the first Priory athlete to run at State-level competition. Teammate Ross Anderson competed successfully through the divisional competitions.

• In Varsity Basketball, Bobby Christian was the top scorer in the CCS, and was profiled by both the San Francisco Examiner and the San Jose Mercury.

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• New sports teams for the Spring season are Golf, Swimming, and Softball. Adds and changes to the coaching staff include: Golf Coach John Montalbano (Golf Professional at Sharon Heights Country Club; Athletic Trainer and Head Softball Coach Corinna Schmidt; Head Swimming Coach Brian Ogden, Assistant Coach Jennifer Gire; and Boys Volleyball Coach Dustin Moore

Winter Sports Boy’s Varsity Basketball Bobby Christian - Second Team Girl’s Varsity Soccer Laura Hurlbut - Second Team Kayti Sullivan - Second Team Jessica Uphoff - Honorable mention

Basketball Top-Scorer Bobby Christian:

A Quiet But Powerful Presence

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Photo by Keith Peters, Palo Alto Weekly The High School Boys Soccer team had their best season since entering the more competitive Private School Athletic League, ending the season in a second place tie. They would have been headed for CCS playoffs except for a technical decision that sent Valley Dublin instead. VD eventually won Division 3. Paddy Sullivan, League MVP, has another life as a musician and is pictured on pages 22-23 chatting with drummer Jim Cowan.

Paddy plays with a jazz and rock group and often accompanies Troubadors, Priory’s chapel singers.

Photo by Keith Peters, Palo Alto Weekly High School Girls Soccer had a strong season despite a series of injuries that kept key players sidelined.

his year’s Varsity basketball team garnered extra attention thanks to Priory junior, Bobby Christian. Averaging 26.5 points a game, and scoring 30 points or more in eight games, Christian was this year’s leading scorer in the Central Coast Section - the first Priory athlete ever to achieve that distinction.

Thanks to his standout play this season, as well as profiles in both the San Francisco Chronicle and San Jose Mercury, Bobby, who lives in Los Gatos, has become quite well known throughout the Central Coast Section. His teachers and fellow students at the Priory, though, know there’s a lot more to Bobby than just basketball.

Although he’s played basketball competitively for seven years, Bobby loves all kinds of sports. He’s been on Priory’s Varsity soccer and volleyball teams since his Freshman year, and has also participated in track and baseball.

For Bobby, though, sports doesn’t end on the field. His hobbies include collecting sports cards, reading five different sports magazines a month, and reading the sports pages of newspapers from all around the country.

Bobby also enjoys bowling, and confesses to enjoying Monday night big-time wrestling on TV!

Bobby’s future goals include, no big surprise, a career in journalism...preferably as a sportswriter. To get a head start and some experience, he initiated and is editor of the campus’s first sports newsletter - Priory Sports Update. Not only does the newsletter give him a chance to practice his future craft, but he also hopes it provides more in-depth coverage and generates more enthusiasm for all of the sports teams.

He’d also like to pursue coaching. He has enjoyed helping to coach his middle school’s eighth grade girls team as well as his younger brother’s rec teams. College plans are for a small school in the Northeast, where he intends to play basketball.

Bobby is often asked why he chose to attend Priory, knowing Continued on page 18

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Site Under Deconstruction continued from page 11

Bobby points out that playing at a smaller school ensured that he got as much on-court experience possible from his freshman year on.

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Also, since the web site’s content was to be nearly doubled from 80 to 150 pages, we applied every javascript trick in the book to make the navigation simple and easy. Taking advantage of the fact our targeted users were technologically-equipped, we built the navigation around complicated javascript coding and over 160 images. You can visit www. gozamba.com if curiosity leads you.

To project the image of a dynamic company, the people at Zamba decided to put their content on the spunky side. So, along with the traditional (boring) white papers on company philosophy, one can find “Recipe For Killer Pesto and Spinach Lasagna” by Chef Zambague and of course some poetry from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Well-placed humor is always welcomed, especially in an otherwise dry corporate site.

Let’s move back to the philosophy of web design.

The oldest debate in web design is that of technology versus design.

Technologically intensive web sites present three problems. First is the “So what?” factor. Does it add any value if the graphics can flash across the screen or if there is streaming audio? Few if any users will download a program so they can see some “cool” animation on a web site. Also, not everyone has the latest browser equipped for viewing, say, a DHTML based web site. Lastly, the more technically advance the site, the more difficult it might be to maintain. A web site should be sophisticated and elegant, not complicated.

Take for example Salon Magazine at www.salon. com, it has one of the most elegantly designed web sites around. There are no javascripts, no flash animation and no DHTML. It looks beautiful on my four-year old Netscape Navigator 3.0 browser. This site proves that sophisticated design has nothing to do with complicated technology.

On the other hand, there are a few web sites that

effectively use these sexy tools to the fullest abilities.

Audi, Saatchi & Saatchi and Siegel Gale exploit the best of Macromedia Flash and DHTML. They all marry the guidelines mentioned above with pushing the limit on web design and technology.

They say a newspaper ages the minute it is published. A web site begins to age long before it is launched. So as web sites continue to evolve, designers will be working into countless late nights and weekends, trying to build the best of the next on-line generation.

Contact Dan at daniel@e-storm.com

Bobby Christian continued from page 19 that he could have offers from other schools with larger, better-known sports programs. The Priory’s academic environment, the woodsy campus setting, and the student-teacher ratio all appealed to Bobby, as well as the positive feelings he had from his visits to the Priory. He also points out that playing at a smaller school ensured that he got as much on-court experience possible from his freshman year on. Bobby feels this experience has really improved his game in ways that might not have been possible in a different environment. Bobby says the deal was clinched, though, when he walked into the gym the first time, shot a three-pointer, and it went in!

One of Bobby’s favorite moves on-court is to drive down the baseline, go up for a lay-up, bring the ball down, and finish with a reverse lay-up. It’s impressive to watch, but at the Priory, Bobby’s moves off-court are just as impressive.

L.M. Dermott

Alumni News & Notes Michael Kiely, Class of 1962, was in Nigeria at the time of the Christmas Reunion. He suggested to Father Martin that maybe a reunion in Africa would be a good idea. (Are you paying for the airline tickets, Michael?)

John Lanzone, Class of 1962, announces the successful launch of Annie Takeuchi Lanzone’s, first CD, Instrument of Worship 1. Annie, John’s wife, is a classically trained concert pianist and the CD is a pleasing mix of religious works that lie easy on the ear, said Carolyn Dobervich, Director of Communications. Annie will have the CDs available at her concerts for a $10 donation, all of which will go to Kentucky Mountain Mission, which sponsors Youth Haven Bible Camp in Beattyville, Ky. For more information, contact John via the WPS web site alumni directory, or email him at acoogak@fuse.net.

Charles J. Gregory, Ph.D., Class of 1974, is the Chair of the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences at Southern Maine Technical College, South Portland, Maine. He resides in Falmouth, Maine with his wife, Anne, and four cats.

Carlos Enrique Araujo Eserski, Class of 1966, has returned to the United States and is now living in Miami, Florida. (We have his Email address, if you wish to contact him.)

Christopher Kennedy, Class of 1967, is now Associate Director of Athletics and Assistant Professor of English at Duke University.

Edward Gaspar, Class of 1968, has a position as a computer programmer with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in Missouri. His son, James, is now in 5th grade.

Carlos Montero, Class of 1972, is living in Spain and spreading the word about Woodside Priory School.

Carlos wrote the Fathers at the Priory that he is grateful for his education here and especially his English language training. He asked that information concerning the school be sent to a friend of his in Brazil who has two students that might be interested in attending school, here.

Harold Cicerone, Class of 1975, is now living in Pacifica, CA. He and his wife, Brenda, are the proud parents of 4 year old Dominic and Mario, 8 months.

John Kirch, Class of 1976, lives in Tokyo with his wife Chiharu. John is now providing Internet security systems to companies in Asia. For pleasure he enjoys swimming, motorcycling, sailing, squash, and travelling to interesting countries.

Todd Foglesong, Class of 1982, after graduation attended Bowdoin and went on to graduate school in Toronto.

After five years of teaching at the University of Kansas Todd is now a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Utah in the Political Science Department.

Johnnie Huang, Class of 1990, wrote to thank the Priory for teaching him Pascal. He said that the languages his is now using are based on that logic. He received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1999 and is now working at Siemens Medical Systems. On July 2, 2000 he will be marrying Joy, a girl he met several years ago. Since they met in the Bay Area, they are returning here for the wedding. Visit his website at www.geocites. com/huangjohnw.

Maura Ambron, Class of 1995, mentioned in Priorities last spring when she graduated from the University of Colorado, Denver, in 1999, is currently working as an Administrative Assistant at a venture capital firm in Menlo Park. Her long-range plans are to obtain a degree in veterinary medicine. (Last-minute update: Maura’s father called to say she will begin a master’s degree at the University of Colorado at Denver in June.)

Continued on page 20

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Alejandro Chavez, Class of 1995, stopped by the Priory September 1st for a visit. He is now living in Santa Clara.

Elaine Middleman, Class of 1995, wrote that she is spending the year in England. If any of you wish to write or visit her, call or email Gail Kimball (650) 851-6193, gkimball@woodsidepriory.com. Gail has her address.

Kevin Visconti, Class of 1995, graduated from Notre Dame in May 1999 and is living in Redwood City, CA, once again.

He plans to begin medical school applications soon.

Chester Congdon, Class of 1996, is now attending the University of Southern California. He plans to graduate in 2000.

Cory Roberts, Class of 1996, traveled to Spain, Portugal and London this summer and reported that the trip was “wonderful.” Upon returning to the area she interviewed at St. Raymond’s school in Menlo Park and as of August 30th she is their Childcare Director. She says she plans activities, helps with homework and is thrilled to be working as a teacher.

Transitions Keith Collins, Class of 1964, passed away June 23, 1999 in Oroville, California after a long battle with diabetes. His brother, Jim Collins, Class of 1969 asks that you remember Keith in your prayers.

Our own Coach Joe's father, Mr. Joseph Montero Sr., died on January 7, 2000. Services were held at St. Denis Church in Menlo Park. You may contact Coach Joe c/o Woodside Priory School.

Missing Classmates This is the Reunion Year for the classes of 1995, 1970, 1975, 1985, 1990, and 1995. We don’t want any members of those classes to miss an invitation to this great event. If you have information regarding any of the following people, please contact us.

Class of 1965 - Adrian E. Schoegl Class of 1970 - David J. Gallagher, Enrique Mereles, John M. Riconosciuto Class of 1975 - Geoffrey S. Goodfellow, John D. Snyder Class of 1985 - Bryan W. Chan, Johnson Y. Chan, Victor A. Zele Class of 1990 -Stephen Ko, Patrick Lee, Chung-Ying Liu, Jonathan C. Yu Class of 1995 -Shintaro Nakamura, York Tiachi, David Tiao, Michael Tran.

P. Reed

Tim and Ken Will Head Fund Drive Woodside Priory made important gains in annual giving last year. Andy Kuchins, Class of 1977, and Tim Griffin, Class of 1984, Alumni Annual Fund Co-Chairs, presided over a campaign marked by an increase in both the amount of money given and the number of givers.

Eight of the 37 WPS classes exceeded the 18% national average of giving by independent school alumni. Another eight classes had over 15%. The overall average was 12% — 9% over previous years.

“I want to thank Andy and Tim, who really made a difference, and all the alumni who made this possible,” said Doug Ayer, Director of Development.

“As we ramp up this year’s fund-raising drive, we salute Andy Kuchins’ leadership and wish him the best of luck,” added Gail Kimball, Associate Director. Andy moves with his wife and baby daughter to Washington, D.C. this spring.

Andy will be the Director of the Russian and Eurasian Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Tim Griffin agreed to serve another year, and Ken Tehaney, Class of 1966, will join him.

“Participation by all the classes is the key objective,” Tim said, “Boosting our alumni participation rate by 50% would put us on par with the national participation rate of 18%.”

Gail Kimball added, “We welcome all donations, large and small. By giving, you can make a tremendous difference!.”

Grads Reunite For Pizza ‘n Chat

Olivia Basegio (right), St. Mary’s College; Audreyanna Seki, University of Redlands, and Emily Haine, Wheaton College, all from the Class of ‘98.

This year Father Martin, Director of Alumni Relations, welcomed more than thirty recent graduates - a recordbreaking number for the annual reunion in the Father Christopher Room. Christmas break is the traditional time for Priory grads now in college to get together with each other and the monks. Father Martin made pizza, everyone shared stories and each took home a list of e-mail addresses for those attending the reunion.

Return to the Priory!

Alumni Reunion June 3-4 Renew friendships and join us for a fun-filled Alumni Weekend to be held at the Priory on Saturday, June 3rd and Sunday, June 4th! All alumni are welcome to attend and especially the graduating classes of 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1990 and 1995. This year Alumni Field Day activities will include: • Soccer Saturday morning • A campus tour by Tim Molak, Headmaster • Open gym, astro-jump and pony rides in the afternoon • Wine reception followed by a delicious Italian dinner • Sunday morning Mass and brunch. All who attend the Alumni Mass are invited to brunch with the monks. Father Martin says that he, Father Maurus and Brother Edward are great chefs and that they personally will prepare the food.

The following alumni volunteers are Class Reunion Chairs. Please feel free to contact them or Gail Kimball about registration. Gail’s phone number is (650) 851-6193 and her e-mail address is gkimball@ woodsidepriory.com.

Father Martin and Ian Kochian,, Class of ‘97, UC San Diego

Carl Spanoghe (right), Loyola Marymount, Tom Alexander, UC San Diego; Carlos Gonzalez (back to camera), UC Santa Cruz, all from the Class of ‘99.

Kevin Yost, Class of ‘99, now Midshipman 4/C, Priory’s first graduate to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, wore his uniform when he visited WPS but this photo is from the Annapolis campus.

1965 - Hal Kuchins, hal@bassnote.com 1970 - Reunion chair pending 1975 – Harold Cicerone hcicerone1@gacintl.com 1980 – Jay Jensen, jay@plxtech.com 1985 – Dan Begin, m2begin2@earthlink.net 1990 – Reunion chair pending 1995 – Kevin Visconti hoski@leland.stanford.edu

21 Darren Zulberti, Class of ‘99, USC; Suzi Kovaks, Class of ‘98, University of San Francisco; Brendan Kelly, Class of ‘99 (in the background) University of Miami, and Julie Kimball, UCLA, Class of ‘99 (back to camera).

Special Assembly

Melendez’s

Music Is An Inspiration

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ony Melendez, a well-known musician and role model for triumphing over adversity, brought his message of hope to Woodside Priory in a concert on Feb. 4 for the Woodside Priory School students and staff.

The hour of music ranged from a serene and melodic Hail Mary to a rousing “La Bamba” featuring the drums, guitars and voices of all four members of his band. His “mission” was to encourage his audience to respect their power, their individuality and their integrity.

“If I can do this with no hands,” he said, describing his life and music, “then think what you can do with ten fingers and a good education.

“The biggest handicap you face is yourself, when you say, ‘I can’t,” he told them.

A “thalidomide baby,” Tony was born without arms because his mother was prescribed this drug during pregnancy. He was brought to the Los Angeles area from Nicaragua to be fitted with artificial arms. He wore them until he was ten, when he disposed of them.

“I didn’t feel comfortable,” he explains, “I could use my feet so much more.”

His father encouraged him to play by setting the

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guitar on the floor in front of his feet.

Tony’s brother, Jose, who now lives near and travels with him, talked about the mixed feelings he had growing up with a brother who got extra attention at home and was socially unacceptable around his friends. Watching his brother, seeing the effort he exerted to accomplish feats from the everyday to the near-miraculous, taught him to appreciate Tony for the extraordinary person he was, he said. He echoed Tony’s hope that students, especially, be aware of what they can do.

Sometimes young people feel uncomfortable in church, Tony told the group. But he encouraged them to remember that, according to the Catholic faith, it was a teenager - a 13-year-old - who was trusted by God to become the mother of Jesus. That, he told them, says a lot about the confidence God has in youth.

Melendez is a strongly religious man who once wanted to be a Priest. He felt the calling following a high school retreat, but learned that without hands he did not meet the Church’s requirements for the office.

Shortly after, however, he began to develop another type of ministry with his music and has pursued it ever since, he said. He asked to hold his concert in the Priory Chapel and to incorporate a prayer service.

“We’re not all Catholic here (in the Chapel), and

His “mission” was to encourage his audience to respect their power, their individuality and their integrity.

Photo courtesy of Evelyn Zappia, Catholic SF

that’s good. You have the opportunity to share and learn about a lot of denominations. Get to know each other!,” he encouraged the group.

Dean Leh, Director of Campus Ministry, worked with Melendez at a New York concert that drew nearly half a million teenagers in the 1980s, shortly after Tony received national coverage singing for Pope John Paul II in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles appearance was “an unforgettable moment,” Dean said. Pope John was so moved by the performance that he leaped from the four-foot podium, dashed across the stage and kissed Tony on the cheek, Dean said. The song Melendez performed, Never Be The Same, gained national attention.

His television appearances include The Today Show, Good Morning America, Geraldo, CBS This Morning, The Late Show with Arsenio Hall, 700 Club, Robert Schuller, and prime-time network specials.

He has received numerous awards and honors, including the first annual Inspirational Hero Award from the NFL Alumni Association at Super Bowl XXIII in Miami. His autobiography, A Gift of Hope, published in 1989 by Harper & Row, was re-released

in 1997 by Toe Jam Music, Melendez’s production company Currently, Melendez lives in Branson, Missouri with his wife, Lynn, five-year-old daughter, Marissa, and two-year-old son, Andres. A daily television show, Gift of Hope, limits his opportunity to travel.

His family, and the family of his brother, Jose, accompanied the music group on its tour of the Bay Area.

Tony has several CDs available through his production company, Toe Jam Music, Inc. and a book, A Gift of Hope, published in 1989 and 1996 by Angelus Media Publications. The book and his CD, Hands in Heaven, are available in the school bookstore, thanks to the generosity of a parent who wanted to make them available.

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Woodside Priory School 302 Portola Road Portola Valley, CA 94028 (650) 851-8221 fax (650) 851-2839

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