http://www.sjprep.org/downloads/news/prepnews/PrepNews_07_Summer

A magazine for alumni, parents, students, faculty and friends of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School Vol. 3 No. 2, Summer 2007

news • Alums of Service • Rupertus and Morrissey • Hawktion

• Braithwaite’s 25th Show • Baseball Championship • Prep Classic

president’s letter

There is much that will engage your interest in this issue of The Prep News.

Editor Bill Avington ’90 ably assembles the news three times a year, but The Prep Community makes it. You are going to meet some outstanding members of that community in this issue.

The Prep is people, of course, and the people profiled here are among our very best.

Featured in this issue are alumni who are admirable for their commitment to service (Jack O’Leary ’53, Dominic Vallone ’71, Tom McBride, ’41, and Sean Lavelle ’96). Justgraduated athlete-leaders Jeff Battipaglia and Matt Griffin are featured. English Department Chair and baseball coach Chris Rupertus gets some ink in this issue for two great reasons – a Catholic League Championship and a trip to Africa to adopt a son. Paul Morrissey, a math teacher and swim coach who holds a law degree, is featured for his many talents and effective pedagogy. Ashton Miller ’08, a graduate of the Gesu School who is a leader in The Prep’s Black and Latino Culture Club, has an admirable out-of-school involvement with his church community that makes for interesting reading. And recent graduate Matt Binck, who left his mark literally and figuratively on the world of Prep art, provides evidence that the visual arts are alive and well here.

Dr. Marty O’Riordan ’79 is a creative cardiologist who, as you will read in his profile in these pages, took a sabbatical in Italy to learn how better to test athletes for possible coronary problems. And for those who attend to their preventive coronary care by spending more time on the golf course, there is a story about the annual alumni golf classic that honored Paul Kelly ’66 this year.

Much more will meet your eye-Tony Braithwaite’s 25th Prep production; Mike Robinson’s philanthropy, and Beth Missett’s success with the Hawktion; she is a Prep Mom and the daughter of football-famous Bob (Bubbles) Doyle ’47.

The Campaign for The Prep went public last February and is now two-thirds of the way there on the road to its ambitious $30 million goal. Factored into this total is $3 million from an enhanced annual fund that we call The Prep Fund. The best way to enhance annual giving, which means reinvigorating The Prep Fund, is to increase the participation rate of alumni in this annual effort. We stand at about 31 percent this year. If all who turn the pages of this magazine contributed to The Prep Fund, that participation rate would rise dramatically. See what you can do to make that happen!

Yours gratefully,

William J. Byron, S.J. ’45 President

[Cover photo] Sean Lavelle ’96 with a young friend during a service trip.

inside:

school news

s c h o o l f e at u r e s

Graduation

2

Alums of Service

Hawktion

3

Faculty Profiles

Junior Ring Mass

5

Baseball Championship

7

alumni news 8

Alumni Profile

13

14

Profile in Giving

22

Student Profiles

16

The Prep Classic

23

Science Profile

18

Class Notes

25

Sports

20

Perspectives

32

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3

23

president Rev. William J. Byron, S.J. ‘45

principal Michael Gomez

vice president for development

editor

John T. Anderson

Bill Avington ’90

executive vice president/ chief financial officer

designer

Timothy Klarich ‘71

Maridel McCloskey

director of ignatian identity

editorial staff

Rev. Bruce A. Maivelett, S.J.

Bonny Barry, Angie Falcone, Beth Missett, Nancy Moule, Carton Rogers ‘00, Richard Van Fossen, Al Zimmerman ‘73

director of alumni relations Al Zimmerman ‘73

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Director, Marketing and Communications

McCloskey Designs

photography David DeBalko, Mike Monti, Brendan Murphy ’01, Frank Raffa

The Prep News is published three times a year. Please send comments or contributions to: Attn: Editor The Prep News St Joseph’s Preparatory School 1733 Girard Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19130 or e-mail to: afalcone@sjprep.org For additional information, check our website www.sjprep.org

school news

GRADUATION 2007 ST. JOSEPH’S PREPARATORY SCHOOL CONCLUDED ITS 156TH ACADEMIC YEAR by bestowing the Class of 2007 with diplomas at ceremonies in the Church of the Gesu and Saint Joseph’s University. Dr. John Berna (counseling) received the coveted Rev. J. Vincent Taggart, S.J., Memorial Award, selected by the Student Council and presented to someone who shows a true commitment to the students of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School. During the year, Mr. Joe Feighan (science), Mr. Charles Ghapthion (facilities), Mrs. Ree O’Neill (copy center) and Mrs. Janet Sullivan (facilities) received Ignatian Awards honoring their 20 years of service to The Prep.

The following students received academic and special awards at the Commencement ceremony.

Brad F.X. Adams, Jr.

Silver Medal for Honors Calculus

Mark A. Alexander

Scholar-Athlete Award

Jeffrey M. Battipaglia John L. Bauer

McCloskey Award Silver Medal for Spanish

Gold Medal for Honors Calculus

Matthew J. Binck

Gold Medal for Fine Arts

John J. Braithwaite

Gold Medal for AP Government

Matthew A. Campanella

Silver Medal for AP Government Silver Medal for AP Spanish

Thomas M. Carey

Gold Medal for German

Anthony P. D’Angelo

Silver Medal for Classical Archaeology

Francis A. DeMichele III

Silver Medal for German Silver Medal for Biology

Matthew E. Diener

Brian M. Dillon

Alumni Award

John J. Dodig

Gold Medal for English

Timothy W. Dooley Peter Dugan

Silver Medal for AP Calculus AB Gold Medal for Chemistry

Pedro Arrupe Award Silver Medal for AP English

Edmund Cassidy Award The Hon. Henry J. Bender, Jr., Gold Medal for Latin Gold Medal for Religious Studies Silver Medal for AP Psychology

Michael A. Gallagher Matthew J. Griffin James P. Ionata

Edmund Cassidy Award

Geoffrey R. Johnson Gold Medal for Matrices/Probability & Statistics Gold Medal for AP Psychology Silver Medal for Chemistry

Thomas M. Kelly

Gold Medal for AP European History

Sean J. Radomski

Silver Medal for Calculus

Saint Joseph Award Silver Medal for Fine Arts

Robert N. Keleher

James M. Ousley

Silver Medal for AP Calculus BC

Edmund Cassidy Award Silver Medal for Latin Gold Medal for AP Calculus AB

Luke M. Reilly Edmund Cassidy Award John L. Himes Medal for Mathematics Gold Medal for AP Calculus BC Gold Medal for AP Statistics Silver Medal for Religious Studies Nicholas O. Rosenberger Ignatian Service Award Gold Medal for United States Government Anthony J. Rossano

Edmund Cassidy Award Gold Medal for AP Spanish

Alexander J. Rulon

Silver Medal for AP European History

Joseph R. Kruse

Edmund Cassidy Award

Eric P. Leis

Edmund Cassidy Award Silver Medal for Greek Silver Medal for English

Phillip J. Tomezsko

Kevin R. Lemnick

Gold Medal for Spanish

Francis A. Weber

Andrew A. Matas

Silver Medal for Computer Science Gold Medal for Physics

Christopher R. Whitney

James J. Shields

Thomas G. McGlynn

Prep Spirit Award

Andrew A. Mone

Gold Medal for Calculus

Jonathan A. Monteiro

Silver Medal for French

JSEA Award Gold Medal for Classical Archaeology

John McShain Award Silver Medal for Matrices/Probability & Statistics

Devin T. McDermott

Gold Medal for Computer Science Silver Medal for United States Government

Silver Medal for AP Statistics

William C. Woody Mothers’ Club Award The William F. Ford Memorial Award for Greek The Joseph L. Walsh Memorial Award for French Gold Medal for Biology James A. Zebley

Silver Medal for Physics

Anthony J. Notte III Gold Medal for AP English

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HAWKTION Celebrates 25 Years The 25th anniversary gala celebration for Hawktion 2007 was a great success with more than 800 people filling the Fieldhouse for a night of food, fun and bidding, all to benefit student scholarships.

A special thank you goes to Joann and Bob Duff and Sheila and Jim McGlone ’79 [above right] for serving as cochairs for this event, and to Beth Missett, Director of Hawktion.

“I am very grateful to Sheila, Jim, Joann and Bob for their tireless work as chairs and I want to also thank the dozens of other men and women who gave their time to the numerous committees,” says Missett, who has helmed the Hawktion for three years. “I especially want to mention the members of the Wednesday Night Decorating Committee, especially Joe Clearkin ’75 and John Shindle and their mighty band of brothers who swung many a hammer to design the unbelievable sets for the evening and to Mary Cycon, Lisa Guilday and Maria O’Hara and their gallant gals of artistry who wielded many a paint brush to put the finishing touches on the sets and other pieces of decoration.”

This year, the Hawktion honored the 25th anniversary while also signifying the year with a “James Bond 007” theme. “The volunteers really dove into their work and transformed our Fieldhouse into a special place,” says Missett. “The work of Tony Fiume (Prep Director of Facilities) and his staff is also vital to making this event the success that it is.”

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school news

TAGGART SERIES

welcomes noted author to The Prep The Rev. J. Vincent Taggart, S.J. Cultural Events Series hosted more than 250 parents and students to hear from noted author Alexandra Robbins [left] on January 31. Robbins is the author of Overachievers: The Secret Lives of Driven Kids, a true story of nine students who were “bright, funny, talented, and lovable - and who struggled over whether the way some circles labeled them actually reflected their identity.” Robbins answered questions from the audience, signed books and spoke one-on-one with many Prep students, parents and faculty.

From Robbins’ website: “A story about life, love, friendship, family, illness and rage, drugs and depression, this is a book that will make you laugh, cry, sigh, and clench your fists in anger. Robbins spent a year with the students at her old high school, 10 years after her graduation, and was surprised by what she found.” More on the book can be found at http://www.alexandrarobbins.com.

SPEAK UP! Prep students joined with peers from Merion Mercy Academy, Malvern Prep and the Academy of Notre Dame for a special event called “SpeakUp!” Students from the four schools planned a day of communication between young adults and their parents.

The program was designed in collaboration with parents, teachers and administrators.

SpeakUp! is a program designed to open conversation on topics often uncomfortable among parents, teens and educators. It stands alone among similar programs because the conversations take place in safe, non-judgmental environments. Topics discussed were Alcohol and Harmful Substances, Sex and Pressure, Destructive Behaviors, Internet Awareness, Stress Management, and Parent-Teen Trust.

After a brief multimedia opening presentation, the group dispersed into smaller groups, each led by a presenter with experience and knowledge about the particular topic. Everyone attended three sessions before the entire group reconvened for a presentation.

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Junior Ring Mass The annual Junior Ring Mass took place on Thursday, April 19 in the Church of the Gesu. Fr. Bruce Maivelett’s homily challenged students to allow the Lord into their lives so as to become leaders who love and serve God and their neighbor. The evening concluded with a wonderful reception in the Multi-Purpose Room, coordinated generously by the Mothers’ Club.

[Photos from l-r] Mary Jean Powers tries on her grandson Thomas Iannacone’s new ring.

Prep students Mike Protesto, Jim Voter, Ryan Sudeck, Kevin Courtney and Kevin Kennedy gather at the reception after Mass.

Freshman Retreat: Enotes

Art in Italy Students from Ms. Deborah Hilton’s summer Renaissance Art course recently returned from a 10-day tour of Italy where they visited Rome, Florence and Venice.

Here are some of the students at the Roman Colosseum: [l-r] Elee Wakim, James Montgomery, Hank Savage, Andrew Bevilacqua, Zach Mattioni, Doug Gordon.

Kairos 91

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Mothers’ Club hosts annual fashion show and first “Teacher Appreciation Day” The Mothers’ Club’s annual fashion show, “On the Way to Cape May,” was held on Wednesday, March 7. Several hundred women braved the winter weather to enjoy a wonderful Mass, lunch and fashion show at the Park Hyatt at The Bellevue. A special thank you to this year’s co-chairs Kathy Kampman and Ro Mullen and the respective committees.

The Mothers’ Club also hosted the first-ever “Teacher Appreciation Day” on Monday, March 12. Lunch was provided for all faculty, staff and administrators and served by members of the Mothers’ Club, who also provided some wonderful homemade desserts. A special thank you to event co-chairs Nancy Donnelly and Dee Hager.

Ignatian Heritage Week As part of our continuing Mission Renewal, The Prep celebrated Ignatian Heritage Week from April 23-26. The Ignatian Heritage Week Committee-composed of Dr. Stew Barbera ’86, Sam Deitch, Kathy Quinter, Paul Rourke, S.J. and Andrew Whelanplanned several events for the week, highlighting the different aspects of our identity.

Rev. Scott Pilarz, S.J., the President of the University of Scranton, spoke to the school community, challenging students to find time for reflection, take advantage of service opportunities even those outside their comfort zone and to engage in daily prayer. The week culminated with a special celebration of the Eucharist in the Church of the Gesu.

Every day during seventh period announcements, students representing each class offered “This I Believe...” essays celebrating their personal experience with our Jesuit traditions. These aspects included the idea of the magis, Ignatian pedagogy and the call to be a man for and with others.

In addition, The Prep community expressed its solidarity with those most in need by having a day of modest fasting. Instead of our usual breakfast and lunch offerings, the Dining Room only served bread, soup and water at lunch.

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BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP The baseball team, under the direction of head coach Chris Rupertus and assistants Dennis Hart ’95 and Ed Turner ’00, won its first Catholic League title in over 80 years, emphatically ending the season by crushing Archbishop Ryan 19-0 in the championship game.

Matt Dolan ’07 pitched a five-inning shutout and the offense provided a 13-run second inning as The Prep won its first baseball title of the modern era. The last title came in 1925 when the league had just five members and no playoffs.

MORRIS picked as PA’s top coach St. Joseph’s Prep basketball coach Speedy Morris was selected

by Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director Magazine as the top high school coach in Pennsylvania during the past 75 years in any sport. Morris – who also coached at Roman Catholic, Penn Charter and La Salle University – has won nine high school league titles, including two Catholic League championships at The Prep where he is also the school’s all-time winningest coach.

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Senior Prom 2007

c o v e r s t o ry

Alums of Service “Men for and with Others.”

THOSE FIVE WORDS (AND THE LETTERS

MFO) ARE USED WIDELY AND OFTEN IN THE PREP COMMUNITY. THEY SUM UP THE PHILOSOPHY THAT ST. JOSEPH’S PREP STUDENTS AND GRADUATES ARE CALLED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR WORLD, TO SERVE OTHERS AND PARTNER WITH THEM FOR CHANGE. This is a tall task and one that is countercultural but many Prep alums are doing it every day. In the following profiles, we see just a few who are living the Ignatian/MFO mission in their lives.

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I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something.

And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

– EDWARD EVERETT HALE N 1976, DOMINIC VALLONE ’71 [above] WAS JUST ONE MAN, LIVING IN

CAMDEN, N.J. BUT HE WAS INSPIRED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND THAT HAS HELPED TO FEED MANY HUNGRY MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S POOREST CITIES. Vallone was working in the print shop at Saint Joseph’s University in 1976 when Fr. Ed Brady, S.J., brought him a printing job. Fr. Brady was helping to put together the International Eucharistic Congress to be held in Philadelphia that year and needed Vallone to print some materials for the Congress. Vallone, who became interested in the material while reading the job as it printed, asked Fr. Brady for tickets and then attended with three of his housemates.

The foursome went to the conference and heard luminaries such as Mother Teresa speak on issues of social justice. They then decided to do what they could.

After a brief fundraising, they started a food kitchen out

of the school at their local church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. At first, Vallone said the offerings were small.

“We went to a couple of churches and got donations of canned goods and then Saint Joseph’s University had a fundraising event for us, just to get started,” Vallone says. “We bought a couple rolls of salami, opened some cans of Campbell’s soup and served maybe 30 or 40 people.”

Those humble beginnings formed Cathedral Kitchen, which has lasted more than 30 years and feeds an average of 350 people per day. Vallone, who served as the kitchen’s president and executive director for most of the first 25 years of its existence, remains on the board and chairs the building committee of a campaign to raise $3.5 million for a facility that the Kitchen can finally call its own.

“We have always had the fortune of having a facility donated for our use, whether it was a church basement, a church gym, a Fraternal Order of Police lodge or a

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Methodist Church,” he says. “We were in nine places in 31 years and that has limited our ability to move the mission forward.”

Vallone hopes the new facility will allow for services to be extended to the weekend. Also, the group wants to expand on the medical services provided now in a truck in the parking lot. The new kitchen will also have space for job training in food services.

“A lot of things that we have never been able to do we are very anxious to begin doing,” he says.

Although the food is necessary, Vallone says that is not the biggest part of the kitchen. “The biggest difference we have made is raising the dignity of the guests who came to the kitchen, even for just one day, even for just one hour,” he says. “For me, there is a symbiotic relationship. It’s a Eucharist thing. We all sit at one table, giving to one another. What we receive from the poor and the hungry is just as valuable as what they receive from us.”

Vallone credits Fr. Brady for his roots in social justice.

Before their paths crossed at the University, Fr. Brady also taught Vallone at The Prep.

“Fr. Brady was the biggest influence in my life,” Vallone says. “He took us into people’s homes, delivering heaters and food, and he taught me to believe that this was important. This was well before community service was part of the curriculum.”

Although he recognizes the value of Cathedral Kitchen, Vallone deflects credit for the endeavor. “The kitchen was simple really, there is plenty of food around and there are a lot of people who want to be a part of it,” he says. “Being politically savvy enough to push the mission forward is the most difficult part of it but feeding people and raising their dignity is easy.”

After the fundraising campaign, Vallone – who has worked with the Jewish Federation since 1982 and now is the Director of Operations there – may find himself moving in a new direction, though a part of his heart will always be at the kitchen. “It would be hard to shake it out of my system but my long-term goal was always to find a permanent home for the kitchen,” he says.

“Once that milestone is reached, I’m not sure what I’ll be doing, but I trust I’ll continue to find a way to express my faith.”

[Photos from top to bottom] O’Leary with Archbishop Raphael S. Ngdni of Nairobi; The Observation Ward from St. John’s Cottage Hospital; Father Stephen Mbuguma, General Contractor, standing in front of the St. John’s Cottage Hospital during construction.

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We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

– WINSTON CHURCHILL

JACK O’LEARY ’53 [above left] HAD RETIRED AFTER 38 YEARS OF WORK. NO ONE WOULD HAVE BLAMED HIM FOR RELAXING, TRAVELING FOR PLEASURE AND JUST TAKING IT EASY. After all, he had worked hard at Burroughs, Inc. (a manufacturer of mainframes for computers) and then started International Imaging Materials Inc. in 1984 taking the company that made thermal transfer ribbons public in 1993 before his retirement in 1998. But it turns out that O’Leary had another career in the wings, this one built upon philanthropy.

O’Leary, who lives in Rochester, N.Y., made friends with Fr. Charles Lavery, then president of St. John Fischer College. Fr. Lavery had invited many priests from Kenya to study in America with the hope that they would experience democracy and help keep their own country

c o v e r s t o ry from turning Communist as some of its neighbors had.

O’Leary and his family became close to many of the visiting priests, having them over for dinners and other functions. In fact, some of the priests had officiated at family baptisms and weddings.

After retiring, O’Leary took advantage of new-found free time to travel to Kenya at the urging of many of his friends. Once there, he was launched on a new mission, to help the Archdiocese of Nairobi do something for the oppressively poor in the nation.

“There is so much poverty there,” says O’Leary. “There is more than 70 percent unemployment and the government is terribly managed and corrupt.”

On his first trip, one of the stops was an old English farmhouse. The house had been left behind when the British left Kenya. The original land was broken up and used by several hundred farmers but the buildings were of no use because of their immense size.

“The people who owned the land offered to give the property to the Catholic Church if the church would open a hospital there,” O’Leary says. “Once I saw the poverty, I knew a hospital was something they desperately needed.”

O’Leary provided all of the capital for the hospital, which was named in honor of his parents Catherine and Joseph O’Leary. But that building was just the first of many projects that O’Leary would get involved in at the behest of Archbishop Rafael Ngdni. Next was a tea plantation on 400 acres outside the city of Nairobi. Tea, a cash crop, would provide much needed money for the diocese. The plantation now employs 120 people and produces fruit and vegetables for the workers and other needy people.

Next was a second hospital, this one built for children in Homa Bay, which has the highest HIV concentration in the world. Then a third hospital was built, this one run by the Little Sisters of St. Francis in Boguma. A school building was next, with the first floor housing a kindergarten and the top floor serving as a Newman Center for nearby Elderet University. Finally, in 2007, a home for handicapped children was built in Soy, which was located in the northern part of Kenya.

“There are about 50 children housed there who are cared for by a priest who graduated from St. John Fisher College and members of the parish,” O’Leary says.

“There are dorms with a nice kitchen with running water, toilets, showers, all things we take for granted.”

O’Leary funded all of these projects himself. But it was not enough. The need was too great.

“Somewhere along the way, we realized that even though we were building these hospitals they weren’t well equipped and they could not afford to buy the supplies they needed,” says O’Leary, who reports seeing hospital beds that were no more than mats on dirt

floors and bandages being washed and reused.

Doing some digging in the U.S., O’Leary found three non-profit companies that collect medical equipment and supplies to be donated to needy organizations.

Since 2006, O’Leary has arranged for 13 40-foot containers to be sent to Nairobi. Each one contains roughly $300,000-400,000 worth of equipment and supplies.

Once there, the supplies are sent to a warehouse he owns. It has full-time employees who distribute the equipment and supplies to 57 Catholic hospitals and clinics run by the Archdiocese of Nairobi.

For O’Leary, there is little choice but to continue this work. “Quite honestly, I feel like I have no choice,” says O’Leary, who also funded two scholarships to help students from Kensington, where he grew up, attend his alma mater. “I was so fortunate and The Prep changed my life; I knew I had to give back as much as I can.”

The successes are readily apparent. The first hospital built now cares for 50,000 people, even though it occupies just 15,000 square feet. The tea plantation has brought in much-needed revenue and provided food and jobs to people who desperately needed it.

“We measure success in the decrease in the local mortality rate in children,” he says. “Before the hospitals, they would die of dysentery or malaria. Now they can get decent health care.”

Again, the work was not something he planned on doing. “I had no intention of getting involved in these projects when I went over there,” he says, “but once I saw the poverty, I just got pulled into it.”

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Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little.”

– EDMUND BURKE IN 1968, DR. THOMAS MCBRIDE ’41 [right] WAS WELL INTO HIS CAREER AS AN INTERNIST

AT CHESTER HOSPITAL, CROZIER HOSPITAL AND SACRED HEART HOSPITAL. His family was growing and needed time and attention. It would have been far easier to concentrate on work and family.

However that was not the path McBride chose when he was approached by the mayor of Chester to become the health officer. After all, the need was too great.

But, McBride knew that he was not equipped to do the job himself. At the time, there was no staff and the job was mostly ineffective. So he took the position with the proviso that a professional Department of Health be created as well as a Board of Health and that he would resign the position as health officer as soon as a trained

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public health professional was in place. He served the city and its people as president of the Board of Health from 1969 until 2006 and still serves on the board, which is comprised of physicians, academics, activists and lawyers.

Before his founding of the Board, Chester’s City Council acted in that capacity. But the politicians were not trained in that area and health issues were rarely addressed. Since its inception, the Board has tackled difficult projects such as the city’s significant lead paint poisoning issue and a rampant rat population. Although the Board of Health is strictly advisory, it has been instrumental in advocating for laws to limit the damage done by both problems.

“I am very proud of the work the Board has done in advocating for public health in Chester,” says McBride, who, though he has lived in Wallingford with his wife Olga for more than 40 years, is a Chester native. “It has been very gratifying.”

After lessening his work load at Crozier-Chester Medical Center to one day a week, Dr. McBride initially began working with a literacy program, helping children to read. After a few months, it got to be too much so he had to stop that service. But the desire to serve is always there, and he says that it began at The Prep.

“They (Jesuits) didn’t put it in words like they do today but I know that the idea was definitely instilled in me there,” he says. “An awful lot of people have left there and done wonderful things and they had to get the idea somewhere.”

And McBride is happy to have served his hometown.

“I am rather proud of what we were able to accomplish,” he says. “We didn’t cure cancer but we made a contribution to the city.”

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No man stands so straight as when he stoops to help a boy.”

– KNIGHTS OF PYTHAGORAS IT IS HARD TO SEE ANY POSITIVES WHEN A YOUNG BOY LOSES HIS FATHER, UNCLE AND SIBLING IN A CAR ACCIDENT. But somehow, through all of the pain and loss that event caused, something good did eventually shine through in Sean Lavelle ’96.

In the immediate aftermath of the car accident in which Lavelle lost his father, uncle and unborn sibling, a community formed to care for the broken family. It was in that love that Lavelle found a calling.

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“I remember how difficult it was for my mom but I also remember so many people coming into our lives,” he

c o v e r s t o ry says. “The sense of community was profound.”

Lavelle brings that sense of community now to the students at La Salle University as a Community Service Coordinator in the University’s Ministry and Service Office. There he is responsible for the 150-175 students who work in tutoring and mentoring projects with local youths and with the approximately 100 students per year who participate in the LaSallian Service Trips. This year, La Salle sponsored trips to Los Niños (Tijuana, Mexico), Project Mapendo (Tanzania), Habitat for Humanity (Americus, Ga.) and Project Appalachia (Harlan, Ky.).

Los Niños is a trip close to Lavelle’s heart. After graduating from college, Lavelle worked for 18 months with the group, a bi-national non-profit organization on the border between Mexico and the U.S. that promotes longterm community development. In Tijuana, Lavelle hosted groups from the U.S. and partnered them with different local communities. The groups worked on community construction projects, such as community centers and schools, during the day and then experienced new cultures at night.

“It establishes a real connection and gives both sides a reality of the other’s culture,” says Lavelle. “For Americans, I think it is important to see that what is going on in Mexico has a direct impact in the U.S.”

Lavelle also values the chance to see students undergo the same conversion that he did. “They grasp that there is something greater, something more in life than their day to day activities,” he says. “It makes quite an impression on them.”

As did the impression of the love and care of his mother and a loving community made on young Sean Lavelle. “My mother (Lynne) was constantly involved and volunteering,” he says. “She is a great reason why I am invested in service.”

And Lavelle hopes to pass that along to his newborn son (Liam Daniel). And he has a willing partner in his wife Shannon. “She is a big proponent of service and has been very supportive,” Lavelle says. “She was a Jesuit Volunteer for a year in Sacramento and even went on a trip to Mexico with the La Salle students to get a feel for the immersion experience.”

In the future, Lavelle, who recently received a Master’s degree in Bilingual/Bicultural Studies, plans to work in the development end of the non-profit world. “I think that it is such a vital need for non-profits to have the funds necessary to grow and continue to impact communities in need,” he says. “But it also is a chance to help people invest in socially conscious programming while establishing a real connection to the mission of the organization.”

While working in Tijuana, Lavelle met students and employees from La Salle University and was impressed with their sense of social justice. When an opening came up in the Ministry and Service Office, Lavelle took the opportunity and has been happy there for four years. After all, it is a chance to put into action those things he learned from four years at The Prep and four years at Saint Joseph’s University.

“For me, it goes back to my experiences with Jesuit education - we are here to serve with and for others - it is as simple as that” he says, pointing to his own service while at The Prep at St. Vincent’s Baby Home in Germantown and CORA Services in Northeast Philadelphia along with serving as a Kairos leader.

Lavelle and a young girl at Los Ninos.

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alumni profile

Profile on Marty O’Riordan ’79

T

HE STORIES ALWAYS SHAKE THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY APPEAR ON THE NEWS: AN ATHLETE, IN THE PRIME OF HIS OR HER LIFE, DROPS DEAD FROM A HEART DEFECT OR ANOTHER CARDIAC ANOMALY THAT HAD GONE UNDETECTED. It is one of the greatest dichotomies in the world when an athlete so healthy and strong is felled by a silent killer.

Dr. Marty O’Riordan’79, a cardiologist at Fitzgerald Mercy and Lankenau Hospitals, hopes to lessen the occurrences of these stories. And he spent several weeks in Italy to improve the process of detecting those athletes who may be in danger.

In addition to his normal clinical practice, O’Riordan along with a pediatric cardiologist developed a sub-specialty clinic treating patients who were born with congenital heart disease but had grown into adulthood thanks to either transplants or other cardiac procedures.

“In many cases, these patients had outgrown their pediatric cardiologist and most adult cardiologists were uncomfortable treating them because we haven’t been trained to take care of these people with complex congenital heart disease,” says O’Riordan.

After additional training from Philadelphia’s St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Temple University Hospital, O’Riordan and the pediatric cardiologist started seeing these patients.

At the same time, stories about highprofile athletes such as Hank Gathers (the Philadelphia native who starred for Loyola Marymount) felled during sporting events, prompted many nervous parents to bring their athlete-children to the cardiologist for checkups.

“We started to see more and more athletes in their teens and 20s requesting a cardiac evaluation because they were concerned about sudden death provoked by sports,” O’Riordan says. “Once the media published these high-profile stories, the general population began to worry that they ought to be evaluated.”

But unlike a bone or muscle injury, where the disease or threat might be more readily apparent, in many cases the athlete has no symptoms and it is hard for a cardiologist to determine whether an athlete is at risk.

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“It’s a very difficult issue from a physician’s standpoint because there are a large number of people participating in athletics and the vast majority of them are fine so when they come to you and want to ensure their heart is okay, picking out the one who could potentially die suddenly is like picking out a needle in a haystack,” O’Riordan says.

So O’Riordan started to research the subject. He found that the Italians were pioneers in this area and that “much of the published literature on this subject comes from Italy.” In the early 1970s, the Italian government passed a law mandating that athletes at all levels and age groups must be examined annually by a sports medicine doctor before participating in sports. The data collected from these evaluations was used to establish a standard for athletic screening.

“The screening program began in 1982 and what they have now is a collection of data showing that they have reduced the incidence of sudden death in athletes because of their screening program,” O’Riordan says. “By screening people annually, they are able to disqualify athletes who have heart diseases. If they don’t play rigorous sports, they are less likely to die.”

So, having read the research and recognizing a real need in the United States, O’Riordan took a sabbatical from his practice and went to Italy, where he and his family (wife Marie and children Martin, Mary Kate and Jake) spent three months. For O’Riordan, it was a chance to learn from the experts. He observed and participated in the screening process,

giving him a good base for developing a similar program in the Philadelphia area.

After returning home, O’Riordan contacted local universities and high schools to work with their team physicians and athletic trainers to develop effective screening programs and subsequently a medical database derived from the evaluation of a large number of athletes. His goal is to develop a database like the Italian model so that doctors can determine the normal EKG and echocardiogram for a broad cross section of athletes. The EKG and echo are two important tools used in screening athletes. “The EKG and echo of a normal athlete is different from a nonathlete,” he says. “Right now, we don’t have enough information.”

According to O’Riordan, one of the challenges facing U.S. doctors is the racial and ethnic diversity that exists here. “The Italian population screened was genetically homogeneous (Caucasians of Italian descent),” he says. “The ‘normal EKG’ in one ethnic group may be different from the ‘normal’ in other groups. An African American is different than a Caucasian, etc. In Philadelphia for example, the ethnic diversity makes it more challenging.”

Although the data collection is just beginning, for Dr. O’Riordan the benefit is that “we will be able to prevent fatal events.

Ultimately, I would like to bring truly effective methods of screening athletes to the Philadelphia area. The data collection and information processing will take time but contribute substantially to our ability to competently evaluate athletes and minimize the risk of sudden death.”

faculty profile

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REP ENGLISH TEACHER MR. CHRIS RUPERTUS AND HIS WIFE KATE HAD ALWAYS PLANNED TO ADOPT. Even the birth of two natural children didn’t lessen their desire. But it was a personal essay, written by a Prep student, that helped the Rupertus’ focus on the place they wanted their new child to come from.

Walter Rizzo ‘02 was a student in Mr. Rupertus’ personal narrative class.

One of Rizzo’s essays told of the joyful day when his dad Tony arrived home from Ethiopia with Walter’s new adopted brother Gabriel.

“I brought the essay home to show Kate,” Mr. Rupertus says. “I thought this was maybe something we should think about. She agreed and that is when we decided to adopt from Ethiopia.”

Adoption is a natural part of Kate’s family history, with an adopted sister and a nephew. Those experiences made adoption an obvious decision, even after the conception and birth of two daughters (Annie and Lucy).

Profile on Chris Rupertus

“I saw how adoption was a part of their life and the success it could be in a family,” says Mr. Rupertus. “Kate’s sister is her sister, not her adopted sister; her nephew is her nephew, not her adopted nephew. There is no difference made in their family so I knew that it could work.”

In August 2005, the couple decided to begin the adoption process. At the time, both daughters were very young but were kept in the loop. “Of course we were talking about it, but from the get-go we decided to not talk over their heads,” says Mr. Rupertus. “I think that worked well because it was very natural for them. They were so excited to welcome their little brother.”

But the excitement had to wait. As with most international adoptions, the process was painfully long. In November 2006, the Rupertus family knew that Abel was there in his orphanage in Ethiopia but they weren’t able to bring him home. Finally, in late February, Mr. Rupertus took a 19-hour plane ride to Africa to meet his new son.

“It was wonderful to meet him on his home turf,” says Mr. Rupertus, who worked his way incrementally into his son’s life. “When I first held him, I was worried but it went well. By the end of four days, he had figured it out and the 19-hour flight home, strapped to one another, made for good bonding.”

And through all of the pain of waiting, plus the financial burdens the process can place on a family, nothing could match the feeling he had when he returned home.

“It was incredibly powerful to come off the plane and introduce my son to his mother,” says Mr. Rupertus. “No amount of waiting could make that moment not worth it.”

The anxiety of Mr. Rupertus’ journey was eased a bit by the presence of an old pro, Tony Rizzo, Walter’s father who had inspired Rupertus five years prior. After adopting Gabriel, Rizzo and his wife Peggy went back to

Ethiopia and adopted two older children, Emmanuel and Hannah, adding them to their three natural children, Walt, A.J. ‘99 and Anna. “They are the most generous, warm and friendly people in the world,” Rupertus says.

“After we read Walter’s essay, we approached the Rizzo’s to discuss their experiences. We would never have been able to work our way through the process without them.”

In addition to having Mr. Rizzo along, Mr. Rupertus also carried several concrete examples of the love of the St. Joseph’s Prep community. Prior to leaving, Mr. Rupertus asked for donations of supplies and money for the orphanage. He collected eight 70-pound duffle bags full of flip flops, sheets, backpacks, soccer balls and children’s medicine, all of which was needed at the orphanage. He also collected $4,300 in donations.

“I was overwhelmed to be the conduit for all of this kindness,” says Rupertus, who saw the donations put right to use. “I was humbled by all of the generosity exhibited by the people here at The Prep. I never expected it but was truly grateful.”

For now, Abel continues to get used to his new home, taken care of by a loving mother, father and two sisters. But while Rupertus reports that people think he and his wife have done a great thing, he thinks that Abel has done great things for him and his family. “We are all blessed, all five of us, for having our family,” he says. “I tell people that I have four numberone moments in my life, my wedding and seeing my three children for the first time. We are all richer for the experience.”

Above [inset]: Kate Rupertus meets Abel for the first time.

Below: Rupertus holds Abel at the orphanage.

Right: The Rupertus Children, [l-r] Annie, Abel and Lucy.

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Profile on Paul Morrissey

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HEN MR. PAUL MORRISSEY GRADUATED WITH A DEGREE IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM PRINCETON UNIVERSITY IN 1997, landing a teaching job in the math department of St. Joseph’s Prep was probably not high on his list. Law school was on the horizon and Mr. Morrissey graduated from Villanova before moving on to the construction group at Pepper Hamilton, LLP. So, how did this Ivy League grad with a law degree and a wellpaying job with a prestigious firm end up teaching high school math? Well, dreams have a way of staying with you.

“I had always wanted to be a teacher,” says Mr. Morrissey, who teaches geometry to sophomores and is an assistant coach with the swim team. “I went to law school because, at the end of college, I wasn’t done learning.”

After four years of law, the time was right. “I wanted to be happy and do different things with my life that were not possible with my job at the firm,” he says. “At some point, I woke up and thought, ‘Why am I postponing my dream? Go be happy. Go teach.’”

While teaching and law might seem very different, Mr. Morrissey sees a connection. “In both jobs, you are expected to fulfill your service to your client and as a teacher that means to the students,” he says. “You do whatever you can to fulfill their needs and in some ways-standing on your feet for five hours a day-it is a lot more physically exhausting than law.”

Mr. Morrissey also serves as an assistant coach with the swim team, which had a very successful 2006-07 season. For him, coaching is another chance to meet students’ needs. “It gives me an opportunity to connect with students across grade levels and interact with them on a non-classroom level, to demonstrate that the person in front of the classroom has other interests,” he says.

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One of the highlights of the season came early, during a swima-thon called “Breaking the Waves.” Mr. Morrissey conceived of the fundraiser, during which the swimmers from The Prep and Merion Mercy Academy raised money and awareness for mental health. “Breaking the Waves” raised nearly $10,000.

As with many things, the fundraiser rose out of darkness.

Mr. Morrissey’s best friend committed suicide and The Prep had lost gifted alumnus Kyle Ambrogi ‘02 to suicide as well.

“We wanted the swim team to have a service component and there was so much around about suicide that I saw an opportunity to shine a light on prevention as much as possible,” he says. “It started as a swim-a-thon but it became something much bigger.”

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At some point, I woke up and thought, ‘Why am I postponing my dream?

Go be happy. Go teach.’”

– PAUL MORRISSEY While the money raised will help The Prep’s counseling department start a lecture series about mental health, the awareness it raised among many in both schools is priceless. “If one or two students get something out of it then it is worth it,” Mr. Morrissey says. “Mental health issues are a societal taboo. It is important to talk about mental health in order to prevent further tragedies.” He hopes to expand the fundraiser to other schools throughout the area.

So while teaching math and coaching swimming might seem very different than practicing law, Mr. Morrissey would not trade it for the world. “Delivering a lesson to five different classes with the same excitement level can be exhausting,” he says, “but the rewards are a lot more satisfying.”

student profile

Profile on Ashton Miller ’08 T IS RARE FOR ASHTON MILLER ’08 TO HAVE MUCH FREE TIME. After all, what is the fun in that?

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To call Miller an active student is an understatement. He is a part of the Black and Latino Culture Club (BLCC), a member of the Track and Field team and he works at the Gesu School, his alma mater, as an after school tutor.

He is also hoping to start a political debate society at The Prep.

But it is outside school where his leadership skills really shine. He is the president of the Youth Council, which encompasses all of the youth groups of the Episcopal parishes in Pennsylvania. In addition, he is on the National Board of the Union of Black Episcopalians and President of that group’s Philadelphia youth chapter.

“I can’t help but get involved,” says Miller, a resident of the West Oak Lane section of Philadelphia. “I like to have a voice. Plus, life would be boring if I didn’t have a lot to do.”

As an active member of the BLCC, Miller helped coordinate the group’s Black History Month celebration. He also led the school’s Madden Football Tournament, which raised $2,000 for charity.

“Our goal with Black History Month is to make students aware, to generate fun activities but also show respect for what the month is all about,” he says. “We realize that others might not know some of the history that we do so it’s important to share with the community.”

The Madden Tournament had 128 participants, who paid to enter or raised sponsorship money. The tournament was then played down to an eventual champion.

“We realized that a lot of students are here waiting for the buses to take them home after school,” he says. “A video game tournament gives them something to do while also raising money for a good cause.”

About to begin his senior year, Miller is narrowing his college choices. He is looking at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Morehouse and Georgetown, among others. “Those schools have been goals my whole life,” he says. Those goals have been made attainable thanks to years of hard work.

Miller’s work with the Youth Council has allowed him to refine his leadership skills. Every November, his group goes to the Episcopal convention, where he serves as a delegate from his church. Although he is dedicated to his faith and his church, he does not mind going to a Catholic school.

“I’ve done it my whole life so it is really no big deal,” he says. “It’s good to come into contact with people of other religions. It helps us learn about each other.”

By the time he graduates in June 2008, Miller will have spent 13 years in the vicinity of 17th and Girard. The nuns at his pre-school insisted that he go to the Gesu School, which occupies the old Prep building at 17th and Thompson. There, he met people like Mr. Tyrone Myers, a third-grade teacher who became a role model.

“I watched the way he carried himself and I was impressed,” says Miller.

The Prep was always a constant presence in Miller’s life. He was involved in the Young Scholars program and took part in an exchange day, eventually convincing him that The Prep was the place where he wanted to study. He has found that reality met his expectations.

“I was in The Prep all the time and grew to love it,” he says. “The faculty and coaches have real ambitions for us, they want us to learn and thrive.

There are high standards here but they work with us to help us meet them.”

Those high standards are backed up at home where Miller lives with his mom Cheryl Lynn and his grandmother Oritha. “My mom and grandmom really value education,” he says. “I know that I am blessed.”

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Profile on Matt Binck ’07

OR MATT BINCK ’07, art has been a constant. But, what started as doodling has turned into a major passion.

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Binck, a native of Valley Forge, has always been drawing. His parents and teachers have encouraged the skill and at The Prep he has gravitated towards art courses. That has led to a career ambition and he will major in animation at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).

“I really enjoy art, it’s relaxing,” he says.

While many kids are fascinated by movies such as Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story or Finding Nemo, Binck took it a step further. He used it as inspiration for his life’s work.

“Seeing those movies convinced me to pursue animation in college,” he says. “I would doodle before but I never had a specific thing in mind.

Once I saw those Disney and Pixar movies, I knew what I wanted to do.”

At The Prep, Binck took five art courses including the freshman elective. He also enjoyed the yearlong multimedia class. He augmented those with two courses at the University of the Arts, one on advanced drawing and the other on character design.

The course on character design resonated with Binck. The teacher gave them minimum requirements for a character and then let them design what they wanted. It was reminiscent of scenes Binck remembers from “Making of...” movies that accompany some animated films and he took the projects and ran with them.

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“As a junior he was in a painting class of seniors and, quickly, he outshined the other students because of his keen observational skills and creative compositions,” says Prep art teacher

Ms. Deb Hilton. “He has a wonderful talent for design, using the right balance of art elements to create professional looking projects. He should excel in his college studies.”

Art will play an important role at VCU as well. In fact, Binck’s mom Diane, while researching universities with substantial art programs, found the school in an Arts Book, which had highly rated VCU’s program. “VCU was rated the No. 1 art program nationally for a public university,” says Binck. “They told us that 1,500 students apply but only 570 get in.”

In addition to his artwork, Binck was the assistant captain of The Prep A ice hockey team. He also plays in several leagues at Center Ice in Oaks near his home.

This summer, Binck travelled with Bruce Maivelett, S.J., and two other graduating seniors to El Salvador for a service immersion trip. This followed a summer 2006 service trip to Rural Retreat, Va. “I really wanted to be a part of this trip because it’s a great opportunity to experience a different lifestyle and work with those less privileged,” he says.

Binck continues a Prep legacy. His older brother Dave is a 2005 grad while younger brother Joe will be part of the Class of 2011. In addition, he has another brother Peter (entering fifth grade) and a sister Grace (entering first grade).

department profile

Focus on Science Department The room is abuzz with activity.

Mr. Edward Robson stands amidst it all as small groups fiddle with different parts of a mechanism. These groups will eventually bring their work together to form a larger unit.

This is a spot in which Mr. Robson is comfortable. After all, he started Production Systems Automation and ran the engineering/manufacturing company for 22 years before turning it over to his employees. But this isn’t a factory floor.

This is the physics laboratory at St. Joseph’s Prep and the workers are Prep students, bringing physics to life.

For some Prep students, science courses may not seem important.

After all, many do not pursue careers in medicine or research. But according to Ms. Barbara Brown, a longtime member of The Prep science department and current chair, all educated people should be scientifically aware.

“There are thousands of examples of science playing a part in regular life. I like to bring that to the students so that we can create future technologists and engineers, two careers that we are desperately in need of in our world.”

The debate is intense as the group discusses one of the country’s hot button topics, stem-cell research. It is typical for a religion or morality class to touch on such a serious moral topic but this is not a religion class. No, it is a biology course and Mr. Brian Martin ’95 stands in front of a group of 28 sophomores framing the discussion from both a religious and scientific approach.

“The religion aspect guides everything that we do in the school, even

in the science classroom,” says Mr. Martin, who is in his third year as a full-time teacher at The Prep after four years at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls and a year as part of the Alumni Service Corps.

“That doesn’t mean we don’t teach good science but our religious heritage guides everything we do.

Religion goes beyond just religion classes.

Echoing the comments of Ms. Brown and Mr. Robson, Mr. Martin believes in teaching the practicality of science.

“You need to make it practical enough that it is going to affect their life every day,” he says. “For example in biology, you teach them about their health, their well-being, regardless of whether they are a science person.

“We know that most of our students will not become science majors or pursue a career in the natural sciences but all will become citizens of a world that moves ahead in science and technology at breakneck speed,” says Ms. Brown, who teaches biology. “We have an obligation to educate them to be environmentally aware and technologically aware.”

Mr. Robson sees a great value in making science as practical as possible. “Science is used in every field in some way and we confront it in nearly everything we do,” he says.

And his experience is valuable because he has tangible proof of the need for science and research. “I bring them practical examples of science from my work experience,” he says. For example, he exhibits a roll of paper, made from a machine that his company designed and created.

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We are not teaching just the future doctors or scientists in the room.

Everyone needs to know something about science.”

field of study; developing writing skills; generating articulate speakers; and giving a platform for the discussion of ethical issues within the scientific community.

But Mr. Martin adds that “those students who are going to pursue science in college and beyond are getting a good base for it. I think we challenge all of our students and offer a hard-nose science education to all levels.”

“As ethical issues surrounding science become more pronounced, science classes are an important venue for discussion based in a Catholic, Ignatian core,” says Ms. Brown.

In a recent presentation to the Board of Trustees, Ms. Brown outlined several goals for the department: providing a strong foundation in the three basic fields of natural sciences in preparation for college; developing critical thinking and analytical skills that are useful in any career choice or

“The goal is that students see science in the real world around them every day,” says Mr. Martin. “It’s important that they become educated citizens so that they can talk about issues, think about them, maybe even vote on issues that involve science. It’s important for them to have these

debates now so that they can be informed and make mature, educated more responsible decisions later in life.”

A junior, struggling to get through a thick chemistry text book, needs some help.

Luckily, he can turn to a Website created by his teacher Mr. Fran DeHoratius ’63.

Mr. DeHoratius, after spending 15 years bringing The Prep’s administrative offices into the computer age, has been back in the classroom for seven years now, combining his love of teaching science with his knowledge of computers.

Mr. DeHoratius, The Prep’s most veteran science teacher, sees differences between the science he taught in the 70s and 80s and the science of today.

“The technology has changed tremendously,” he says, alluding to a gift from the Class of 1953 that allowed the chemistry department to purchase computer equipment for the lab. “This gives us an opportunity to have students work with the equipment that they will use in college and beyond. That has been a wonderful change.”

He also points out that the volume of science material has increased dramatically. “The textbooks are now huge and it is difficult to finish all of the material,” he says. Mr. DeHoratius uses his Website to synthesize and distill information for the students.

Regardless of the course or its level, Prep students can expect an interactive and thought-provoking subject, one that will be both practical and challenging.

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[L-r] Mr. John Milewski, Mr. Joe Feighan, Rev. Frank Skechus, S.J., Mr. Tom Fitzpatrick, Mr. Fran DeHoratius ’63, Ms. Barbara Brown (Chair), Mr. Ed Robson, Mr. Brian Martin ’95 and Dr. Barbara Giuliano.

sports profile

Profile on Matt Griffin ’07

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ATCHING MATT GRIFFIN ’07 WALK THE HALLS OF ST. JOSEPH’S PREP, IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE HIM AS A BASKETBALL STAR. After all, he is under six feet tall and he carries himself with a humility not often seen in Division I college basketball or the NBA. But, then again, few players at those levels have ever worked as hard as Matt has.

Griffin, whose father (John) and brother (John ’04) both earned basketball scholarships, does not have the typical basketball body, not even for a point guard.

Critics scoffed that he was too small and would not be able to compete at the next level. Through a lot of hard work, he proved them wrong, and earned a scholarship to play at Division I Rider University.

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He plays with an attitude that makes the whole team better.”

– BILL “SPEEDY” MORRIS Now, Griffin will take his game to Rider, a program that got interested during Matt’s very successful senior season. “About midway through the year, they called to say that they liked me,” Griffin says. “I feel like I can play there right away and that I can be an asset.”

Morris believes that success will follow Griffin. “Off the court, he is a really nice kid but on the court there is no one tougher,” he says. “He plays with an attitude that makes the whole team better.

There is never a question about his work ethic.”

“Every year I tried to progress and improve my skills,” says Griffin, who worked out with his dad and brother often. “It wasn’t until the summer before my senior year when I really thought about playing Division I.” His brother John, who will be a tri-captain at Bucknell in 2007-08, helped lead The Prep to the Catholic League Championship in 2003 and 2004, launching a renaissance in the sport under head coach Bill “Speedy” Morris. Matt has followed in his brother’s footsteps, earning first-team, all-Catholic honors and keeping The Prep among the top programs in the area.

Ironically, Morris also coached the boys’ father at Roman Catholic.

“Playing for Coach Morris was a dream come true for me because my dad and brother both played for him and we can share that experience,” says Griffin. “On the court, Coach Morris demands a lot from us but he’s not hard to play for because you always know what is expected of you. He knows what’s right and the right way to play.”

For Morris, watching Griffin get better and earn that scholarship has been a joy. “What he has accomplished was simply through hard work, desire and dedication,” Morris says. “I’ve dealt with hundreds of kids over the years, many of them were first-class people, but Matt rates up there with the best of them. He was a pleasure to coach.”

Although there was a blueprint for success laid out by his brother, Griffin says he also has an internal desire to get better. “I have always felt like I owe it to myself to do my best in everything I do,” he says. Luckily for him, his mom Marissa was there to balance it out.

“My mom keeps things in perspective for me,” he says. “When things seemed like they were not working out, she was always there.”

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Profile on Jeff Battipaglia ’07

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HE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 REMAIN INDELIBLY EMBLAZONED UPON THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF MOST U.S. CITIZENS. Watching the towers of the World Trade Center fall and the lives of innocent men and women come to an end inside them is something that few will ever forget. For one Prep student, it changed his life’s goal.

Jeff Battipaglia ’07 was just 12 years old when the attacks happened. His dad Joe was across from the Trade Center and saw it all, eventually running down the street with the soot and dust from the buildings covering him after the collapse. It made a profound impact on the young boy’s life, so much so that he decided then to serve his country. Now he has chosen the United State Naval Academy to continue his education and fulfill his goal to himself and his country.

“That day put things in perspective for me; I realized how proud I was to be an American and I wanted a chance to serve the country in any way I could,” Battipaglia says.

The lure of the military academies was great.

Battipaglia, an outstanding student and football player, had his choice of either Navy or the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. Through his friend’s dad who was an alumnus of West Point, Army was Battipaglia’s first choice but when he visited Navy’s campus he fell in love despite the rainy, dreary weather that greeted him.

“Right away I knew it was the right place for me,” he says of the Academy’s campus in Annapolis, Md. Although some might worry about entering the Naval Academy while the country fights a war in Iraq, Battipaglia feels great support from his family and friends. “Everyone, from my family to my friends and teachers, has been so supportive,” he says. “Once they see what the military academy stands for, they understand my decision.”

Not many people can have two schools of this prestige competing for them but Battipaglia is a special case. In addition to being one of the best football players in the area (two-time all-Catholic and all-city), he is also one of the best people. He was a leader on the Kairos and junior retreats, went on a service trip to Rural Retreat, Va., and was a leader of P.R.E.P. (People Respecting Every Person), a program that teaches students about the skills necessary to be a leader.

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“Jeff is a great person, mature beyond his years,” says Prep football coach Gil Brooks ’75. “He had scholarship offers from major colleges, but after 9/11 he decided that he wanted to serve his country in the military and he did not waiver from that plan. I am proud of Jeff’s choice because, in a time of great need in this country, he is the best of the best. Jeff is always focused and dedicated and he is a great competitor, but he is a compassionate warrior who never got carried away with

success and who never let failure deter him. He is humble and always put his teammates and the team first.”

Battipaglia had a blueprint to follow for success at The Prep and beyond. His brother Matt is a 2001 Prep graduate who earned a degree from Dartmouth and his sister Christen just graduated from Georgetown University.

“As an eighth grader, I wanted to stay with my friends and go to the local public school but my parents wanted me to attend The Prep because my brother had such a good experience,” Battipaglia says.

And Jeff is now thankful to his parents (Mary Ann and Joe) for guiding him to St. Joseph’s Prep. “I am honored to be a part of this group of Prep students,” he says of his graduating class. “During the freshmen retreat, they taught us not to stereotype people and we all took that to heart. That gave us all a chance to try new things.”

On the football field, Battipaglia was a two-year starter, playing offensive tackle as a junior and senior and adding defensive end and tackle during his senior year.

He was also part of one of the most successful football runs in the area, winning the Catholic League title in his junior year and holding a 48-game regular-season league win streak. Brooks has also scheduled difficult early-season opponents to get his team ready, including games on national TV. “It was such a great ride and I loved being a part of it,” he says.

Looking back, much of the focus of Battipaglia’s memories is on his o-line mates (including John Gazzola ’07, Joe D’Orazio ’07, Adam Kasprzak ’07, Pat McCarthy ’07, Joe McKendry ’07, Jim Tatlow ’07 and John Mangan ’07). “There isn’t a lot of glory in what we do as an offensive line but we knew what our role was,” he says. “We have been through it all together and it was great to see games when the results were really showing.”

For all of this success and for a future that looks so bright, Battipaglia feels grateful. “I am very fortunate that I made the right decisions,” he says. “I am thankful for the opportunities to do the things that I have done.”

profile in giving

Profile in Giving Michael Robinson ’50 HEN MICHAEL ROBINSON ARRIVED AT ST. JOSEPH’S PREP IN 1946, he says that he was “very unpolished.”

But he is grateful for how the Jesuits molded him in his four years at The Prep and then his four years at Saint Joseph’s College and for the wonderful friendships he made.

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Robinson and his wife Rosemary have taken advantage of a tax incentive program that allows people age 70 1/2 and older to tap into their IRA accounts for tax-free distributions to qualified charities.

This program – which is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2007 unless extended by Congress – has allowed the Robinsons to donate generously to both St. Joseph’s Prep and Saint Joseph’s University.

“I have a great deal of respect for what the Jesuits did for me and I would hope that the same opportunity will be available for a lot of other young men too,” Robinson says.

After graduating from The College in 1954, Robinson spent three years in the Air Force. He also served five years in the reserves before earning discharge as a captain. He then worked at a small CPA firm, earning his professional accreditation. Since 1960, Robinson has worked in the tax and financial field, mostly in the mutual fund industry and in assisting wealthy families with their tax, estate and other financial needs.

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That crimson and gray blood runs deep.”

– MICHAEL ROBINSON But Robinson’s greatest accomplishment has been his family. His son Michael is a 1975 graduate of The Prep and he also has four daughters (Kathleen Colicchio, MaryJo Shields, Jane Robinson and Patti DeFeo). In addition, he and Rosemary have, according to Robinson, “12 of the greatest grandchildren ever,” including three Preppers (Michael Robinson IV ‘04, Sean Robinson ‘08 and Michael

DeFeo ‘11, son of Michael ‘80) and three granddaughters who have attended the pre-8th grade program. “Of my seven grandsons, one lives in Princeton so it is a bit too far for him to travel to The Prep but I think the other six will graduate from St. Joseph’s Prep,” Robinson says proudly. “That crimson and gray blood runs deep.”

Although Robinson was able to direct $150,000 to The Prep from a liquidating private foundation for a scholarship in honor of Rev. David Sauter, S.J., he mostly leaves it to the school to decide where his donations are most needed. For Robinson, it is a chance to help a school that has given him so much.

“I grew up in a small parish in West Philadelphia, St. Rose of Lima,” he says.

“I went to The Prep as a very unpolished kid and they turned me into something.”

Robinson and his wife Rosemary

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THE PREP Classic More than 200 golfers and a dozen tennis players participated in the annual Prep Classic, this year held at the Philadelphia Cricket Club on Monday, May 21. At the dinner following golf and tennis, Paul Kelly ‘66, co-chair of the Campaign for The Prep, was honored for his service and generosity to his alma mater and Al Zimmerman ‘73, Prep Director of Alumni Relations, was surprised by the Alumni Board of Governors with the Rev., Charles A. Schnorr, S.J., award for dedicated service to The Prep.

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development news

Update The Prep Fund had a stellar year ending on June 30, 2007, surpassing the goal of $1.6 million. We are deeply indebted to all our volunteers and donors whose generosity enhances the academic life of all our students. Our boys come here hoping to be challenged in every facet of their lives – intellectually, physically, emotionally and spiritually – and you truly help make that hope a reality.

Special recognition must be paid to our 2006-2007 Prep Fund Cabinet. We are so appreciative of all the efforts they put forward on The Prep’s behalf.

The Prep Fund Cabinet Chairs Leadership Chairs

Mary and John Swanick William McKernan ’87

Alumni Chairs

Martin Quinn ’73 and Anthony Torre ’91

Parents Chairs

Marianne and Stuart Gordon

New Parents Chairs Alumni Parents Chairs Faculty Chair

Patty and Tom Savage Ceal and John Biello Jason Zazyczny ’90

As we start our preparations for next year, we are excited to announce the members of the 2007-2008 cabinet: Patty and Tom Savage (Prep Fund Chairs), Marianne and Stuart Gordon (Leadership), Dianne and George Belecanech (Parents), Martin Quinn ’73 (Alumni Parents), John Regan ’94 and Fenton Fitzpatrick ’80 (Alumni).

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THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE PREP ~ OUR LEGACY, OUR FUTURE moves into the homestretch with $23.9 million (cash, documented and verbal gifts) raised as of August 15 towards the goal of $30 million. The focus of the campaign now is to secure the funding necessary to complete the renovation of the new academic center (formerly the Jesuit

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Residence located at the corner of 18th and Thompson Sts.).

At this point, $12.2 million has been raised towards the $20 million price of the renovation.

The National Alumni Division has now been completely engaged with more than 60 classes being solicited. Current and past parents are also being solicited, with 15 committee members already active. A general solicitation of all members of the community will begin this fall.

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For information on how to get involved with the campaign, call 215-978-1003 or go to campaign.sjprep.org.

Demolition is mostly completed in the Jesuit Residence.

1: Making way for a new stairwell on the Jesuit Residence’s west side.

2: The Art Center takes shape.

3: The future Harron Communications Center.

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alumni news

The Class of 1952 enjoyed a recent get-together at North Hills Country Club.

1930s Rev. Joseph Walsh ’39 celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood this past spring. He is a resident at Villa St. Joseph in Darby.

1940s Joseph Oetinger ’41 and his wife Margaret have been married 57 years. They have two children, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Rene Tritschler ’41 informs us it has been 25 years since he retired as a staff engineer at IBM. He worked on some of the early computers in the 1950’s.

Rev. William Stanton ’43 celebrated his 55th year of ordination to the priesthood this past spring. He is a resident at Villa St. Joseph in Darby.

Joseph Klock ’44 announces publication of his book The Real World of Selling Real Estate.

Rev. William Byron, S.J. ’45, President of The Prep, was the featured speaker at a breakfast meeting of the Scranton chapter of the Woodstock Business Conference.

Louis Duffy ’45 has been honored by LexisNexis and the International Bar Association (IBA) who have established a scholarship in his name. The Louis F. Duffy Scholarship will help young attorneys from developing countries participate in the IBA’s Distance Learning Program. For many years, Duffy has served as the liaison between LexisNexis and the IBA. Rev. Msgr. James Mortimer ’45 celebrated the 55th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood this past spring. He is pastor emeritus of St. William Parish in Philadelphia.

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Rev. Msgr. Arthur Nace ’45 celebrated the 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood this past spring. He is retired and residing in Broomall.

Peter Sigmund ’47 attended a retreat at the Malvern Retreat House recently with several Prep alums (below).

Rev. Msgr. Paul Curran ’49 celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood this past spring. He is a resident at Holy Cross Parish in Springfield.

Rev. John Nevins ’49 celebrated the 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood this past spring. He resides at the Grey Nuns motherhouse in Yardley.

1950s William Kline ’55 was named the “First Citizen” of Portsmouth for 2006.

Louis Kosinski ’57 and his wife Christine celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in June 2007.

Joseph Mugford ’59 retired earlier this year after working in the nursing profession for 43 years.

Dr. William Ott ’59 was elected a Fellow of the American Physical Society in March 2007 for “sustained leadership of the research and service programs of the Physics Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.”

Scientists in the NIST Physics Laboratory have won three Nobel Prizes in Physics in the last 10 years.

1960s Thomas Busch ’65 was featured in Alaskana Catholica: A History of the Catholic Church in Alaska. The book, a reference work in encyclopedia format written by Louis Renner, S.J., chronicles major people, places and events in the Alaska Catholic Diocese. Dr. Busch launched KNOM, a Catholic radio station in Nome, in 1970 and was the general manager there for 30 years.

James Comey ’65 is the Director of Education for Stages of Imagination, Inc. a nonprofit, entertainment and learning organization. Stages of Imagination produces original, issues-based, children’s live musical plays, audio tapes, CDs and video tapes.

Joseph Canuso ’66 directed Theatre Exile’s world premiere of “Hearts & Soles,” an evening of short plays by local playwrights Bruce Graham, Michael Hollinger and Arden Kass.

[L-r] William McNulty ’60, Peter Sigmund ’47, John Fogarty ’61, George Hagerty ’51, John Gaffney ’50, Donald Green ’52 and Tom Brady ’46.

alumni news Dr. Thomas Gamba ’68 was named PresidentElect of the Pennsylvania Dental Association (PDA) at their annual session in April. He has served the PDA as a member of their Board of Trustees for eight years, five of those as Speaker of the House presiding over 125 delegates from the Commonwealth.

1970s Thomas Brophy ’70 is proud of his two daughters Mary Beth and Annie who are stars for the Archbishop Carroll girls’ lacrosse team. Mary Beth was an All-American and will play at Georgetown this year while Annie is an up-and-coming midfielder.

William Mulligan ’70 began his first season as head softball coach at Lower Cape May High School in the spring.

Phil Martelli ’72, head men’s basketball coach at Saint Joseph’s University, and co-author Hal Gullan will release Don’t Call Me Coach, a 250page book that tells of Martelli’s experiences as a player and coach and shares some important, universal lessons.

Gerald Jablonowski ’73 has been ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Camden.

Gerald Maginnis ’73 was recently named managing partner of the Philadelphia office of global Big Four accounting firm KPMG, LLP.

Rev. Gerald McGlone, S.J., Ph.D. ’75 has been appointed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to serve as Director of Clinical Services for Saint John Vianney Center, which is operated by the Archdiocese’s Catholic Health Care Services.

Michael Nutter ’75, who resigned from his City Council seat to run for mayor, has won the nomination and will be the Democratic candidate for mayor of the City of Philadelphia in the fall.

James Smart ’75, Chief Executive Officer of Smart Business Advisory & Consulting, LLC in Devon, was featured in the Business section of The Philadelphia Inquirer after his company received a $60 million cash infusion when a controlling stake was purchased by the Boston-based Great Hill Partners, LLC. Frederick Amrein ’76 was a speaker and sat on two panels of experts at the National Conference for Certified College Planners in Las Vegas. This organization brings together the financial aid process, college savings plans and various tax strategies to lower the cost of education for families.

William Gleason ’76 is the owner/operator of Cottman Transmission located in Norristown.

Lawrence Arrigale ’77 and Prep English teacher Andrew Whelan starred in “The Exonerated,” a Drama Group show which ran at the First United Methodist Church of Germantown in the spring. In addition to these two, Prep Administrative Assistant Leslie Ryan was a production assistant.

Col. William Gallagher ’77 has been the chief of war plans for the Multi-National Force in Iraq during the past year.

Aidan McPoyle Callahan

J. Michael McPoyle ’74 is happy to announce the birth of his grandson, Aidan McPoyle Callahan who was born last winter. Aidan is the greatgrandson of longtime Prep secretary Dolores McPoyle.

Patrick Dugan ’78, [below] a Captain with the 358th Civil Affairs Brigade, U.S. Army Reserves, is pictured on St. Patrick’s Day while serving in Afghanistan. He was a recipient of the 2005 Sean McBride Award, the highest award given to a member by the National Board of the Ancient Order of Hibernians in recognition of his program to collect pencils, vitamins, soccer balls, etc. for the Iraqi children while he was in Iraq in 2002.

Vincent Giusini, Esq. ’78 has relocated his law practice to 1518 Walnut Street, Suite 1400 in Philadelphia.

Stanley Jaskiewicz ’78 is one of the fathers from around the world featured in a new book Autism: Heartfelt Thoughts from Fathers from Autism Enhancement Publishing.

Jaskiewicz, a member of the Corporate Law Group of the center city law firm Spector Gadon & Rosen, P.C., contributed two essays about how his son Peter has changed and enhanced his family’s life.

Paul Quinn ’78, who spent 12 years as a physician assistant, has taken a step in the natural health field. He is working as a wellness-oriented chiropractor specializing in directing peoples’ health transformation in non-drug, non-surgical approaches.

1980s Stephen O’Connor ’81 has moved to Moscow, Russia with his family to become a partner in the commercial real estate development joint venture between American International Group (AIG) New York and Lincoln Properties of Dallas. He is Director of Business Development for www.aiglincoln.com across the Russian Federation.

Thomas Monari ’82 proudly shares that his daughter Jane was selected for the all-Eastern Vocal Chorus. She was chosen from a field of applicants ranging from Massachusetts to Virginia. The event, which took place in the spring, was held in Hartford, Conn.

Dr. John McHugh ’83 is the OB/Gyn department chair at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, Calif.

Brendan Reilly ’84 is a Major in the Marines and flies Cobra Attack Helicopters in Iraq.

Edward Quinn ’74 is President of The InnerWork Company, a management training and consulting firm he founded in 1990 that serves Fortune 500 firms globally. He and his wife Lisa live on a farm in Chester County and are developing an international wellness and retreat center in the mountains of Panama.

Anthony Cirillo ’75, president of Fast Forward Marketing Consulting, recently became a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders.

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Dr. Joseph Iocono ’85 performed a historic surgery as he removed a liver from a girl who had two. The kindergartner from Crab Orchard, Ky., who was adopted from Guatemala, is the 11th child recorded in medical literature to be born with two livers, and is one of the first such cases discovered in the United States. Joe managed to remove her second liver in a minimally invasive surgery - the first time the technique was used in such a case.

1990s

Donald McCloskey ’95, a singer-songwriter with a unique brand of anti-folk music, played the House of Blues in Atlantic City in May in support of his newest album, “Northern Liberties.”

Thomas Reynolds ’95 recently left the Washington, D.C. office of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), where he served as press secretary, to work as the Iowa communications director for New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s Democratic presidential campaign. Reynolds, who will be based in Des Moines, will serve as a spokesman for state and national media and advise Gov. Richardson on communication strategy and message development.

Robert Cassidy ’87 is a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees, which is working in conjunction with the Phillies and other groups in the area to restore the old Liberty Bell which hung in Veterans Stadium.

Capt. Patrick McHugh, D.O. ’88 and his family have moved to Landstuhl, Germany where he serves as an emergency physician at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

Tony Braithwaite ’89 was the Master of Ceremonies at the inaugural gala for Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell. Other “Preppers” in attendance were Adrian King ’85, Prep parent John Dodig and alumni parent Joe Torsella.

Braithwaite was also the director for the University of Pennsylvania’s Mask and Wig Society’s 119th Annual Original Production, “Troy Story.” In addition, Braithwaite played himself on the MTV reality show “Made” as an acting coach to three high school girls who want to be on the ABC daytime series “All My Children.” The show filmed in June and aired this summer.

Jonathan Dever ’89 was recently promoted to Managing Director of Investment Banking at Lehman Brothers, Inc. He and his wife Christina and their two children live in New York.

Walter Piecyk ’89 and his wife Jessica recently moved to Armonk, NY. They have four children and the oldest proudly wears his Eagles jersey in the heart of Giants territory.

Maximillian Potter ’89 is a journalist, serving as executive editor of 5280, Denver’s city magazine. One of his classmates, Tim McMenamin ’89, is a Marine who served two tours of duty in Iraq. Although the two are good friends, they have very different points of view on the war (Potter against and McMenamin in favor). Potter spent time in Iraq with McMenamin and the result was a fascinating article which appeared in the February 2007 issue of Philadelphia Magazine.

The Bodell Brothers

Daniel Bodell ’90 and Justin Bodell ’93 recently climbed Mt. Shasta (14,000 feet) in northern California as part of their goal to climb the highest peaks in California, Oregon and Washington. Dan is senior counsel with Gordon & Rees, LLC in San Diego and Justin is a landscape architect in Sebastopol, Calif.

Dr. Michael Graveley ’92 is a sports medicine physician and an acupuncturist. He opened a practice, “Progressive Sports Medicine,” in Kennett Square. His practice focuses on integrative, non-surgical treatment of acute and chronic musculoskeletal conditions. He lives in Kimberton with his wife Meghan and sons, Sean and Colin.

Andrew McNamara ’92 recently passed all three parts of the Court of Master Sommeliers Exam, becoming just the 12th person to ever pass all three parts of the exam on the first attempt.

For this achievement, he was awarded the Krug Cup. He and his wife Jennifer are currently living in Palm Beach, Fla., where he is a sommelier at The Breakers.

Eric Tenuto ’92 is employed at the DuPont Marshall Laboratory as a mechanical research engineer in the process technology group for the Performance Coatings business unit. He also teaches Tae Kwon Do in Philadelphia and New Jersey. He and his wife Michelle live in Sicklerville, N.J., with their sons, Dominic and Vincent.

Ray Ali ’93 has completed his Doctorate in Education and is now working at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. He and his wife Michele have a son, Isaiah.

Michael Dougherty ’93, a Classics teacher at The Prep, was the best man for Prep English teacher Joe Coyle and Shannon Shultz at their spring wedding. Pat Curry ’94 and Nevin McGinley ’95 were groomsmen and Rev. Bruce Maivelett, S.J., The Prep’s Director of Ignatian Identity, celebrated the Mass.

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Christopher Sutphen ’94 is currently working for PennDot District 6-0 in King of Prussia as a Real Estate specialist. He, his wife Marea and daughter Kylie live in Northampton.

Capt. Daniel Fitzpatrick ’96 is in Iraq for his third tour of duty. He pilots CH53 helicopters for the Marines.

Capt. Thomas McAvoy ’96 is serving in the Marine Corps on recruiting duty in Albany, N.Y. He and his wife Kelly recently celebrated the birth of their second daughter.

Brian Pinter ’96 is pursuing a Masters Degree in Pastoral Theology at Fordham University.

Joseph McCool ’97 received his J.D. degree from the Beasley School of Law at Temple University this past spring.

Rev. John Donia ’98 was ordained to the priesthood at a ceremony at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia in May. Joseph Genuardi ’98 graduated from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Design and is presently apprenticing with renowned custom clothing designer Joseph Centofanti. Joe’s limited edition “Cotton Radio” tee shirt designs have successfully sold out at finer boutiques in and around Philadelphia.

Jeffrey Kelly ’98 has joined a newly formed investment management firm, Summit Rock Advisors, in New York City.

Capt. F. Patrick Rooney ’98 is serving with the 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army. After completing a year tour in Iraq, he is a Chemical Weapons Officer now assigned to Operations and Planning in the 548th Corps Support Battalion in Fort Drum, Watertown, N.Y. Richard Cooper ’99 graduated from Temple Law School in December 2006.

Christopher Panna ’99, who taught history for three years in Philadelphia, has moved to Paraguay and will teach at the American School of Asuncion.

alumni news

2000s Matthew Cardellino ’01 is a 1st Lieutenant in the army serving in Baghdad.

Kyle Domzalski ’01 graduated from College Misericordia with a BS in Sports Management. He was recently accepted into the Master’s program at Neumann College. He and his fiancée Jacqueline are planning a 2008 wedding.

Mark Gress ’01 has recently become engaged.

He and his fiancée Kristine are planning a June 2008 wedding.

Brendan McGrath ’01 wrote a short story titled “The Gift,” which was been published by Dappled Things, an online Catholic literary magazine. He is currently earning a Master’s degree in Theological Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Brendan is a 2005 Summa Cum Laude graduate from Georgetown University.

Matthew Lista ’02 is currently working as a Financial Advisor/Planner with Independence Financial Associates in Conshohocken. His primary market is working with Prep alumni in the area, helping them plan a financial future for themselves and their family.

Michael Mailey ’02 was awarded the 2006 Kyle Ambrogi Award from The Prep football team. The award was given for being an outstanding representative of St. Joseph’s Prep while playing college football at the University of Delaware.

Sean Doyle ’04 has been elected to the following Honor Societies at Fordham University: Phi Beta Kappa, National Honor Society, Alpha Sigma Nu, The Jesuit Honor Society and ETA Sigma Phi, The Classics Honor Society.

John Griffin ’04 was named the tri-captain of the Bucknell University basketball team for the 2007-2008 season.

Sean McGonigle ’04, a junior at Fairfield University, and Colin McKenna ’05, a sophomore at Loyola College in Maryland, competed for their respective schools at the 2007 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Swimming and Diving Championships in Baltimore in midFebruary. Both competed in the 1650, the 1000 and the 500 yard freestyle events and both were named to the 2007 MAAC all-academic team.

Michael Robinson ’04, a junior at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., earned a spot on the 2006 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Fall All-Academic Football Team. Mike had an outstanding season, earning kudos from the Football Gazette all-East Region Second Team, The D3 Football.com all-East Region Third Team, and the all-NESCAC First Team.

Matthew Crawford ’05 was selected to participate in a National Science Foundation Fellowship this summer. He will be involved in wireless communication research at Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass., where he will be a junior this fall, majoring in Electronics and Communications Engineering.

Edward Quinn ’02 recently graduated with highest honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and now serves as a deck officer aboard the USCG Cutter Alert, patrolling the Pacific coast of the Americas from Columbia to Alaska.

In the 2005-06 President’s Report, the following errors were made:

Charles Strowhouer ’02 graduated from the University of Delaware and is now attending Rutgers University School of Law.

Mrs. Paul Nolan made a gift to The Prep in memory of her husband Paul ‘45. Paul was omitted from the list of In Memory.

Andrew Friedlander ’03 has become one of the top rowers at Saint Joseph’s University despite his loss of hearing. He rowed for SJU varsity eight at the annual Dad Vail Regatta in May.

Mr. and Mrs. Vincent DiGiesi and the TransAmerican Office Furniture Co. should have been listed as Hawktion Donors.

Patrick Tavers ’03 was named to the All-Ivy Academic honor roll in the spring. Patrick, a history major at the University of Pennsylvania who graduated in May, was a member of the lightweight crew team for four years. This summer, he will travel through Peru with teammates from his boat.

Mark Zoller ’03 was instrumental in helping the University of Pennsylvania basketball team win the Ivy League championship for the third consecutive year. Mark recently had a tryout with the Philadelphia 76ers but will most likely play in Europe next season.

CORRECTIONS

Jerry O’Connor ’50, who gave a generous gift through his family’s foundation, was mistakenly omitted from his class listing.

In addition, Andrew Molchan ‘06, was omitted from the list of Edmund A. Cassidy General Excellence Award winners in the summer 2006 issue of The Prep News We apologize for the errors.

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alumni news

Alumni Weddings

Alumni Births

Christopher Sylvester ‘86 and Suzanne Pleier

Julianna Grace to Shannon and Charles Dougherty ‘77

Arthur Durrant, III ‘89 and Bridget C. Duffy

Addyson Hope to Lynette and Timothy Darragh ’84 [1]

Neal McGee ‘92 and Erin Ferguson

Justin Liam to Heather and Justin McGlynn ‘87

Richard Dankanis ‘95 and Meredith Hall

Alexander George and Zoe Katherine to Nicole and Daniel Kelly ‘88

Thomas McGlaughlin ‘96 and Francine Webster

Eden Jane to Jenny and Andrew McCloskey ’88 [2]

Derrick Walker ‘97 and Megan Elizabeth Frank

Bridget Rose to Heather and Robert Irwin ‘90 [3]

Richard Cooper ‘99 and Stephanie Smith

Annabelle Marie to Melissa and Michael Purvis ‘90 [4]

Matthew Pedicino ‘99 and Kathryn Ferko

John Isaac to Sarah and James Brogan ‘91

Joseph Coyle, Prep English Teacher, and Shannon Shultz

Colin Michael to Meghan and Michael Graveley ‘92 [5] Elyssa Anne to Alison and Michael Dougherty ‘93 Anna Claire to Kathy and Dennis McCunney ‘94 [6] Kylie to Marea and Christopher Sutphen ‘94 Matthew John to Julie and Nicholas Falcone ‘95 [7] Michael Walter Gallagher to Amy and Michael Gallagher ‘95 [8] Carver Welles to Sarah and Wm. Beaumont Johnson ‘96 [9] Liam Daniel to Shannon and Sean Lavelle ‘96 [10] Bailey Jeanne to Jennifer and F. Patrick Rooney ‘98 Abel to Kate and Mr. Christian Rupertus, Prep English Teacher

[l-r] Conor Corcoran ’95, Tim Lawson, Rich Dankanis ’95 (groom), Justin DiDomenico ’95, Dan Lawson, Eric Vesotsky ’95 and Bill Dankanis ’92.

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2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Kathryn Ferko and Matthew Pedicino ’99.

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Calendar of Events SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER

4 12 13 17 19 20 21 25-28 30

1 4 6-9 14

First day of classes Mothers’ Club Liturgy and Meeting Mini-School Night for Parents (Grade 9) Mass of the Holy Spirit Alumni Board of Governors Mini-School Night for Parents (Grades 10-12) Back to School Mixer Kairos 96 Mother-Son Communion Breakfast

24 27 28

OCTOBER 5 10 18 19-21 21 25-26

17 21 22

Freshman Father-Son Night Fathers’ Club/Mothers’ Club Joint Meeting Presidents’ Club Dinner Reunion Weekend Father-Son Communion Breakfast Freshmen Retreat

Boston Alumni Gathering Open House Kairos 97 Mothers’ Club Liturgy and Meeting Parent-Teacher Conferences Scholarship/Entrance Exam Wednesday Night JUG Prep-Malvern Homecoming Football Game (@ Villanova Univ.)

Homecoming Alumni Board of Governors Freshman Parents Mission Night

“Death of a Salesman,” the fall production of the Cape and Sword Drama Society, will be held on 11/9-11 and 15-18.

DECEMBER

Phonathons will be held on October 9, 11, 16-17, 23-25, 30 and November 4.

4 5 6 7 11-14 12 15 16 20 26-28

Board of Trustees Meeting Mothers’ Club New York Bus Trip Senior Mother-Son Christmas Mass and Dinner New York City Alumni Gathering Christmas Mixer Kairos 98 Mothers’ Club Liturgy and Meeting Battle of the Bands Christmas Concert Christmas Mass Grade School Basketball Tournament

In Memoriam Walter M. Freeman ‘31 John M. Considine ‘37 John H. Harris ‘38 Philip W. Warga ‘38 Raymond J. Considine ‘39 Harry A. Kelly ‘39 William F. Brogan ‘40 Richard J. Restrepo ‘40

James J. Fox ‘41 Hubert O. O’Reilly ‘42 William Simpson ‘42 John J. Coyle ‘47 Paul E. Taylor ‘48 Joseph L. Rutledge ‘49 George J. Thomas ‘49 John E. Buckley ‘50

Henry A. Quinn ‘52 Edward J. Wiza ‘52 Donald T. Perrotta ‘54 John A. Ridgway ‘61 Gerald R. Scharff ‘61 George F. Schoener Jr. ‘72 Kevin J. Devlin ‘76 Andrew P. Stinger ‘82

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Perspectives

by Tony Braithwaite ’89

In May of 2005 I had one of the best moments of my life.

It happened in my favorite place in the world: The Prep Theatre.

THIS GREAT MOMENT OCCURRED DURING A PERFORMANCE OF FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. I had just given the pre-show speech (“please turn off all cell phones,” yada, yada) and I nervously trotted back up the aisle in my usual fashion and stood in my usual spot (back house left, by the entrance) and waited for the show to start as I normally do: heart beating fast, swaying fast from side to side, a nervous wreck. (To this day, involvement in professional theatre still doesn’t give me the quakes – or the visceral thrill and elation – that Prep theatre does.)

Quick cut to ten years earlier, when then-Principal Father Herb Keller, S.J. asked me – a novice part-timer who had just returned from a failed show biz career in L.A. to teach “Religion and Sex Ed” to freshmen (no joke) - to take over as Director of the Cape and Sword Drama Society. I was flattered, thrilled, and eager to do so.

When I accepted the job, I made some lofty goals. I promised Fr. Keller that I would devote my full energies and attention to Prep Drama. I promised him that Prep Drama would become one of the most popular activities at The Prep - on par with football and crew – and that our shows would sell out. I predicted that Prep drama would provide a foundation from which its alums would go on to celebrated careers in the arts. And I assured him that one day Broadway professionals would praise our productions as on par with their own.

At any other school, I probably would have said we’d get the shows up on time and we’d sell ads in the program.

But I knew that at The Prep we expected more. We knew the taste of the magis and we strove for greater glory.

So I made some lofty goals. The Prep always taught me to shoot for the moon.

We now fast forward to Fiddler in ’05. At that point, I was deeply proud of where Prep Drama had come. Ten years worth of reviews were in from alumni, parents and faculty and we were a continued hit, with a likely long run ahead of us. Of course, many adults will often blindly praise high school theatre without a critical eye, but our success had, helpfully, been even more palpable than that, as we had garnered the praise of the harshest critics in the building – The Prep students. Extra-credit paper after extra-credit paper said things like, “I hated high school theatre until I saw the shows at The Prep,” and our student performances became more and more popular.

This audience popularity led to sold-out houses and huge turn-outs at auditions, as well as mad scrambles to land even spots behind the scenes. As such, I even had to develop an application process for the tech staff.

(A Mothers’ Club President playfully said in a speech to parents, “Have you ever heard of a school where Drama is so popular that there are cuts for Stage Crew?”) In short – and 10 years later - some of those lofty goals that I presented to Fr. Keller had been reached.

But the sense of satisfaction at that particular performance of Fiddler was different. Sure, there was much buzz about this show being the best we’d ever put on,

TONY’S AWARDS The first Tony’s Awards were presented in honor of the 25 shows that Tony Braithwaite ’89 has produced at The Prep.

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Drew Haas ’06 as Sir Osgood Fielding in “Some Like It Hot” Best Lighting: Andrew Matthews ‘05, Lighting Manager, “Fiddler on the Roof” Best Supporting Actress in a Musical: Kate Brennan (Merion Mercy ’99) as Abigail Adams in “1776” Best Couple: Dan Schwartz ’05 and Alyse Wojciechowski (MMA ’05) as Tevye and Golde in “Fiddler on the Roof” Best Supporting Actress in a Play: Jen Lancaster (MMA ’05) as Mrs. Kravetz/Mrs. McCarthy in “Red Herring” Best Supporting Actor in a Play: Chris O’Donnell ’99 as Flute/Thisby in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Best Set in a Play: “Arsenic and Old Lace” (2002) Best Set in a Musical: “Anything Goes” Best Actress in a Play: Karen Murphy (Mount St. Joseph’s ’02) as Aunt Abby in “Arsenic and Old Lace” (2002) Best Actress in a Musical: Maria Brinkmann (MMA ’00) as Marian Paroo in “The Music Man” Best Musical Number: “The Lambeth Walk” - Me and My Girl Best Actor in a Play: Justin Hopkins ’02 as Sefton in “Stalag 17” Best Actor in a Musical: Chris Heuisler ’97 as J. Pierrepont Finch in “How to Succeed...” (1997) Best Ensemble: “Fiddler on the Roof” Best Play: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Best Musical: “Fiddler on the Roof”

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which was its own kind of reward. But that wasn’t the only reason things felt different. As the show started, I looked down to row four and spotted three people who I had seated there minutes earlier. However, as I glanced at them again from the back, I was thunderstruck and I began to cry.

In the first seat was Assistant Director Mike Zabel ’96.

Mike played one of the leads in the very first show I directed, “Arsenic and Old Lace.” Mike was there by my side as a student during those early days, and he experienced first hand the way a revamped Prep Drama started to make its mark in the late 90’s. Mike loved Prep Theatre so much he returned to help me run the program as an adult, joining about 15 other alums who have done the same over the years. As the Fiddler cast sang, “Tradition,” that night, I became aware in a very real way of the proud Cape and Sword tradition we now all share. We are, as Mike says, a community within a community.

In the second seat was Mike Rady ’99. Years ago, Mike had quit Prep football to star in our shows, culminating in his terrific portrayal of Puck in “Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Mike has gone on to a wildly successful television and film career, as many of you know. He joins Chris Heuisler ’97, Chris O’Donnell ’99, Joe Mallon ’99, Justin Hopkins ’02, Tommy Saporito ’04 and a myriad of others whom you can find on professional stages, comedy clubs, on television, or on film. Mike just returned from Greece where he finished filming another major motion picture and he still keeps his Prep Drama credits on his resume.

And in the third seat was Broadway actor John Cariani, who was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance as Motel the Tailor in Broadway’s Fiddler on the Roof. Through some connections, I had met John and asked him to lead a workshop for the students in The Prep’s Fiddler and, as a surprise treat for me, the students had gotten John to come see our performance.

John loved it, led a standing ovation, and told me that parts of our show were better than the Broadway production he had starred in. (I will never forget that.) John also said, “Everybody who does plays should take a page out of The Prep’s book.” (I won’t forget that either.)

There they were, three individuals - sitting side by side enjoying another great show in the packed Prep theatre – representing something far deeper.

As I stood there watching Fiddler, crying - watching Mike, Mike, and John watch the show - I was reminded that something special happens at The Prep when Jesuit mantras meet blood, sweat and tears. And I am proud to be a part of that special something in a little shiny corner of The Prep known as the Cape and Sword Drama Society.

But it it’s more than pride in work that keeps me coming back. In May, I wrapped up my 25th Prep show, “How to Succeed in Business....” It went swell, and we invited back all Prep Drama alums from 1996 to 2006 to see the show and have an awards ceremony honoring their achievements over 12 years and 25 shows: “Tony’s Awards.” As I told the large and vocal group of my dear alumni friends gathered that night, serving as Director of The Prep’s Cape and Sword Drama Society has truly been the greatest joy in my life.

Opposite Page: Dan Schwartz ’05 in “Fiddler on the Roof” in 2005 Top: Chris Heuisler ’97 in “How to Succeed...” in 1997 Middle: [l-r] Howie Brown ’99, Joe Mallon ’99 and Andy Farrell ’99 in “The Fantasticks” in 1999 Bottom: [l-r] Mike Rady ’99 and Natalie Dorazio (MMA ’99) in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in 1997

Reunion: October 19-21 see p. 29

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