THE
aU
WINTER 2019 A Magazine for Alumni, Parents & Friends of St. Francis High School
Story on pp. 4-8
2 WSTF-TV 4-8 Alumni News and Notes 9 Winter Sports Recap 10-11 SFHS Hockey Program Part 2 12-13 Spring Arts Events 15 President’s Letter
Errata to the 2017-2018 Annual Report In the Alumni section under Franciscan Club, a gift from Mr. Nicholas Krochta’57 in incorrectly listed as in Memory of and should be listed as In Honor of Fr. Alexander Cymermann, OFM Conv.
WSTF-TV THE
AU
WINTER 2019 A MAgAzine for AluMni, PArents & friends of st. frAncis HigH scHool
Remember that when we leave this earth, you can take nothing that you have received – only what you have given. I have used this quote of St. Francis previously, but for this issue of the TAU I would like to use it in tribute to an alum; Mr. Ronald Beckman, class of 1950, who passed on to his eternal reward in December. I have met Ron Beckman many times when he would come back to Buffalo from his home in Grand Junction, Colorado to visit relatives here. These little visits where always enjoyable and moments that gave me a glimpse of what St. Francis High School means to so many of our older alums. These visits also served as a spiritual uplifting because I witnessed an alum who genuinely believed in the mission of St. Francis, and supported St. Francis faithfully and generously for many years. Ron was so generous that he made sure funds were set aside by donating to our St. Joseph fund so a relative of his could to attend St. Francis. Ron is just one example of the many alumni who generously support St. Francis, and an alum who will be missed especially by me. Ron’s generosity will continue to impact and help many as we continue the mission of St. Francis High School. It was a pure pleasure to have known Ron Beckman and I am sure he is in the presence of God Himself. Ron may you rest in peace. The 2018-2019 Annual Giving appeal is off to a great start, and I am very grateful for your generosity towards helping us to help many families who need assistance to send their son to St. Francis. Funds raised through Annual Giving are primarily used to fund tuition assistance here, and I ask for your continued support. Whatever gift you send matters and is a great help in meeting the financial needs of others. An envelope is provided in this issue of the TAU for your convenience, or you may make your donation securely online through our website. May God continue to bless your generosity. Mark your calendar and save the date for Justinian XXXVIII on Saturday, May 11, 2019. Gift gathering parties are in full swing, and we have many great gifts. You can preview these gifts on our website. Click on the Advancement Tab on the St. Francis homepage and then click Justinian Auction Website in the drop down menu. Our sponsors are listed on the website as well. Information regarding sponsorship opportunities has already been mailed and the formal invitations will be out soon. You can purchase your Justinian reservation securely on our website today. With your continued support and generosity, we will continue to pursue the growth of our endowment fund which will help secure the future for generations of young men. Costs continue to increase, the demographics of our area are a challenge, and many families need financial assistance to attend St. Francis. We need to build a substantial endowment. Many institutions that you are aware of have endowments that are extremely large and help fund the needs of many families. Please consider making a substantial gift to the St. Francis High School endowment fund and secure our future for generations to come. Pax et Bonum,
Story on pp. 4-8
2 | WINTER 2019
Fr. Michael Sajda, OFM Conv. President
alumni happenings Over 40 members of the Class of 1978 gathered at Wanakah Country Club on Saturday, October 20th for their 40th reunion. Peter Cromwell’78 organized the event and said there were about 68 guests in total who enjoyed a reception, dinner and dancing followed by a trip to Hoaks after the event.
Over 40 members of the class of 1998 gathered at Hoak’s on Saturday, November 24th to celebrate their 20th reunion. A special thanks to Mike Regan’98 for organizing the event. Photo credit to Jen Regan.
Family Day On Saturday, January 12th the Alumni Association hosted the 11th Annual Family Day for children and grandchildren of St. Francis High School Alumni. The over 250 in attendance enjoyed a pizza lunch as well as bounce houses, mini-golf, face painting and caricature artists. Always entertaining and informative, the program from Nickel City Reptile and Exotic Animals in the Alumni Hall Theater was a crowd favorite. Each child also received St. Francis insulated reusable lunch/snack tote to remember the day by. Mark your calendars for Saturday, January 11, 2020 and join us for this fun filled day of family activities next year!
Alumni Networking Event at Community Beer Works
Pictured from left to right:L to R. Paul Bartell, John Conmy, Larry Jay, Scott Czamara. All class of 1988
On Thursday, December 27, 2018 the St. Francis Alumni Association hosted a networking event at Community Beer Works in Buffalo. Approximately 30 Alumni and guests attended and food was provided by Ru’s Pierogi. The next “St. Francis @” event will be held this spring at the Barrel Factory in the Old First Ward. More information to come. Hope to see you there!
St. Francis Tau | Vol. 10 No. 2 Published three times a year by the St. Francis High School Office for Institutional Advancement
4129 Lake Shore Road | Hamburg, NY 14075 | 716-627-1200 | www.stfrancishigh.org Sue Schaffstall Editor VP of Communications & Marketing Paul Bartell’88 VP of Development & Alumni Relations Alumni News and Notes
Photography Yearbook Staff Toni Lambert Lifetouch Photography Jason Cretacci
Contributors Jenny Attea Marc Fattey, ‘99 Mike Messore ’91
Proofreading Pat Kaczmarczyk Katie Fattey
We welcome your comments... schaffstalls@stfrancishigh.org
The TAU | 3
WSTF-TV by mike messore ’91
When I was a freshman at St. Francis in 1987, one of the highlights was when the TV cart would get rolled into the SDR, and we would be treated to skits and satirical news performed by members of WSTF-TV. This happened only a few times each year. The shows were funny and memorable; however, as production proved to be costly and time consuming, the venture started by longtime friar Fr. Mark David and continued by legendary math teacher Bruce Reopolos ended its run in the early to mid 90’s. Fast Forward to 2010…after a few of my students collaborated on an impressive music video for a class project, I eagerly asked how they did it. These guys were aspiring musicians, savvy with audio and video recording software... creating songs and music videos in a world with new outlets for getting noticed and being discovered. As I listened to them explain the process, I immediately thought about WSTF-TV. Could we resurrect the program? Keeping students, faculty, parents, alumni, and all other members of the St. Francis High School community informed and updated on current student and alumni achievements has always been a goal of the school. The possibility of using the classroom television, closed-circuit system and the infinite space of the internet was too exciting not to explore. We could increase interest and attendance at school events! We could intensify school spirit! We could represent all that’s best about our academic, spiritual, and extracurricular life by showcasing the talents of all Red Raiders. We could be on TV. We could go viral! The excitement was infectious, and the buzz spread quickly. With a cast of talented, inspired, enthusiastic students we ventured into mass media production. For two months I did research—interviewing local journalists and TV personalities, visiting local televisions studios and local universities with communications programs, gathering philosophies and strategies from teachers
4 | WINTER 2019
at schools with programming capabilities. We settled in and started writing a show to see whether we could make this work at St. Francis. Our first show was a light reporting of the morning announcements in the spirit of a Saturday Night Live Weekend Update segment, complete with the worst puns possible. Our second show was created in a makeshift studio—my classroom. We used a “Flip” camera on a tripod. Our “Green Screen” was projected from a laptop onto a Smart Board. We recorded audio on a student’s laptop with a lapel microphone we found rummaging through a closet. After filming, a student spent hours at home editing the show and adding graphics, then burned the show onto a DVD. With DVD in hand on a Friday morning in May 2010, we played our first show over the old box televisions, pre-empting Channel One, and changing the morning viewing at St. Francis forever.
What began as a fun, creative outlet for students to keep everyone up on events at the school quickly emerged as a central part of the weekly routine. With the development of the program came a need for time in the schedule to write, film, edit, and produce the content. For every few minutes of footage seen by the audience, there are hours of work done behind the scenes. The first shows generated enthusiasm and interest among the general student body. The growing club and the demands of creating programming to represent all facets of the school led to the development of a specialized homeroom in Room 301 as well as a new elective in the English Department: Introduction to Mass
Communication, which has evolved into Experiences in Filmmaking, Journalism, and Advertising…a much cooler title, but still essentially the same thing. News, sports, commercials, short films, interviews, game shows, talk shows…. development of content and creating quality programming became a challenge that demanded closer study, dogged practice, and lessons learned from plenty of technical difficulties. Students created shows based on their interests and modeled their work after their favorite shows and films. The productions earned instant notoriety for the guys on screen, and the collaborative spirit in the classroom and in the studio provided support for individual and group ventures. This spirit, hard work, and creativity spilled over into productions supporting various administrative and business aspects of St. Francis High School. Not only do students create marketing campaigns and pitch their ideas for films and programming in class, they compete with each other to create video promotions for school fundraisers such as the Annual Giving Appeal and the Red Raider Raffle. Open House promotions and acceptance videos are produced for the Admissions Office. In 2017, we produced a 30-second spot that was aired on MSG during a Red Raider football game vs. Canisius to promote St. Francis High School. Tributes for retiring teachers, alumni spotlights, Hall of Fame inductions, Fine Arts promotions, FYM field trip highlights— our program serves the school community and uses the best possible ambassadors to do so…our students. This year we proudly host our 6th Annual St. Francis Film Festival. This is an event for which the students in the Mass Communications elective are 100% responsible. They host the festival and for create the films. They decorate, sell concessions, emcee, collect
Others find that their collaborative experience with the group is proving invaluable in their current majors in college. Many often visit to discuss the value of their experience with current students, even sharing expert advice and providing workshops. Recently I caught up with several WSTFTV alumni whose talents have taken them to many places: The Cannes Film Festival in France…Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta… Hollywood and New York City…and right here at home in Buffalo. Here’s what they’re up to and what they had to say about their WSTF-TV experience. donations, solicit items for raffle, play the role of paparazzi, walk the red carpet, and entertain with their art! Films are submitted in three categories: creative short, investigative documentary, and promotional short. Films are judged by a panel of experts from outside the school and prizes are awarded to the top film makers in each category. The award for the best creative short is affectionately called “The Repo” in honor of the aforementioned Bruce Reopolos, whose passion for film and whose creative spirit is commemorated each year during the presentation. Many of those award-winning film makers and several other members of WSTF-TV are now working in a variety of fields, including filmmaking, that trace back to their experience with WSTF-TV and the Mass Communications elective after declaring a major in communications, journalism, or filmmaking in college.
Alumni visits to the studio provide continuity to the WSTF-TV mission and invaluable updates on technology and production.
Jake Smolinski ‘13 While attending LaSalle University, the former WSTF-TV news anchor and lead producer gained early access to the anchor desk. Jake arrived at LaSalle with a diverse background in production that he continued to polish throughout his college
years. Before graduating, he won a MidAtlantic College Emmy for his work as a producer on the short documentary “Philly28: ‘Off the Canvas’ Mural Art”, and Jake’s creative short “College Graduate” won the Silver Tripod, an award given to the top university filmmaker. This earned him recognition on a national level at the Campus Movie Fest with a nomination for a Golden Tripod. Although he did not win, his film “College Graduate” was entered and shown at the Cannes Film Festival. He traveled to France and rubbed elbows with a few big names in the process. Currently, he is the Technical Coordinator with the Media Mentoring Program for Uncommon Individual Foundation, a nonprofit that believes in using the power of media to create social change.
studio where we facilitate workshops, live productions, and studio interviews! We also shoot short documentaries in the city of Philadelphia for our OnUp Media Brand! Without WSTF-TV, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in now. I learned the value of constantly needing to grow, to improve, and to be independent in the media world (even at that early, early stage). We figured out how to make quality content... with not-so-quality gear--all thanks to Mr. Messore instilling the “ideas-come-first” mentality. Anyone can make something look professional if you spend enough money. The true professionals can make do if their concept is strong enough. Some of my favorite memories go back to sitting in the WSTF-TV homeroom at 10 pm with Harry Jones trying to finish an edit with a big skit for a Friday broadcast or getting completely delirious at midnight writing terrible jokes with Kerrick Woyshner for the announcements. There’s a real trend of staying up as late as possible to make the video you’d wanna see and that’s something that’s stuck with me throughout my media career. From cutting Philadelphia 76ers highlight reels on a late-night shift, to pulling off 24-hour editing binges to meet deadlines for a film festival--WSTF-TV prepared me to do this work. Matt Unger ‘14 A Mass Communications student, Matt pursued journalism and media at Marquette University where he worked in the Sports Information Department. Matt was recognized for his documentary “Lucky to Win a Game” which was an ESPN 30-for-30 style film about the Marquette Lacrosse team which currently has over 100,000 views on Youtube.com. After leaving Marquette, Matt was hired as a videographer for the Los Angeles
Jake: I direct, produce, edit, do graphic design, and work with university interns, students, and businesses in the Greater Philadelphia Area creating multimedia and video content. I manage a multimedia
The TAU | 5
WSTF-TV continued from page 5 Rams and recently covered the team at Super Bowl LIII! During a recent podcast interview with WBEN 1270, Matt was kind enough to give WSTF-TV a shout out while being interviewed by Bucky Gleason and Jerry Sullivan about his job with the Rams. I talked to him while he was in Atlanta leading up to the big game. Matt: It’s surreal that I’m covering the biggest sporting event in America less than a year after graduating from college. The stage and platform that I have to share my creative content has elevated exponentially. Just last night I shot and edited a video with Aqib Talib and Wade Phillips that already has over a million views! Luke Healy ‘14 Former lead producer and commercial star, Luke recently graduated from Roy H. Park School of Communication at Ithaca College with a degree in Cinema Production and Photography. After an internship in Hollywood, he’s now working in New York City as a VFX Coordinator and Artist for Flying Turtle
Since leaving St. Francis, he’s worked on feature length films that screened at the L.A. Film Festival and Sundance Film Festival. He also wrote, directed, and produced a short film that was voted one of the best in the Roy H. Park School of Communications in 2018, and is now beginning to screen at small film festivals across the country. Luke: My favorite memories of my time at St. Francis are mostly from my time making videos for WSTF-TV. It was a great platform for me to create and share work with my best friends. I was always interested in making movies, but never had any idea how to get started. WSTFTV gave me that start with a group of really great people to teach me. Producing two videos a week, on top of editing the show together created a hectic creative environment that has allowed me to work really well with tight deadlines on larger projects. Filmmaking requires practice and experience, and WSTF-TV offered a great deal of both. I was able to begin tinkering with ideas on how to craft a story, joke, or visual effectively. There was a great mix of pressure and openness that is hard to find, and allowed me to really grow as a filmmaker. Harry Jones ‘13 The original McGyver of the WSTF-TV crew, Harry worked his wizardry behind the scenes and made everyone look good. With dual majors in Video Production and Audio/Radio Production from SUNY Fredonia, Harry currently words as a Digital Media Producer for Full Circle
there is a picture of Harry and a caption that reads: “The Hero from Down Under (well, Fredonia). Harry rides to the rescue as he tackles editing two very long online courses and successfully completes them in record time. His reward? A full-time job at Full Circle and an office of his own” Harry: Mass Comm allowed me to explore the video field with other likeminded people. Some of my favorite memories were making commercials after school. We would plan, shoot, and edit all in one day with friends who were all just as interested in film and video which made the process extremely fun and new every time we did it. One of the biggest things I developed was confidence in my work. I learned how to edit quickly and efficiently which made me confident that I could meet deadlines and have confidence that my work would have little to no mistakes. This confidence transferred over to many other areas and something that is always with me. Eric Piotrowski ’17 Eric is currently a double major in Journalism & Sports Management at Canisius College after spending 4 years reporting sports for the Red Raiders. His experience led to an internship with the Buffalo Bisons during high school and set him up for his dream job of being a sports broadcaster.
Luke Healy ‘14 (left) and Dylan Regan ’14 pose with the inaugural St. Francis Film Festival Awards. Post LLC, where he is assistant to Shaina Holmes, helping to bid, organize, and manage Visual Effects work on feature films. Luke has been recognized in a variety of film festivals including as a double winner at the 1st Annual St. Francis Film Festival, awarded the firstever “Repo” for his creative short film and awarded Best Investigative Documentary for his film on sports related concussions.
6 | WINTER 2019
Studios in Buffalo, NY. His job requires him to shoot and edit video, record audio, design graphics, program digital signage, and shoot photographs. Harry continues to work his magic at Full Circle. On the company timeline for the year 2017,
Eric: I am grateful to have been a part of WSTF-TV. It taught me how to be comfortable and confident in front of a camera and brought out my creative side. The most important aspect of the entire club was being hands on. I tried different editing tools, filming angles, and off the wall ideas. Being a high school sportscaster for four years gave me practice developing my craft: writing a script, filming the segment and editing
the final product. Since the beginning of freshman year at Canisius, I have been a broadcaster with the ESPN3 program as well as called the Men’s D1 Ice Hockey home games, on AtlanticHockeyTV as either the color commentator, or the playby-play commentator. The four years in WSTF-TV truly set me up for the rest of my life. I cannot express how much love I have for the club and the countless memories I have.
“Jay and Jake in the Morning”, sports report Jake Watkins ’14 A UB grad with a degree in Marketing, Jake was one half of the sports reporting team “Jay and Jake in the Morning”. Following his passion for sports, Jake is currently a writer for Buffalo sports media outlet and podcast Trainwreck Sports. He writes stories on UB Athletics, fantasy football, and the NHL. Jake: My Mass Comm class started a yearly film festival, and I take pride in knowing that it’s become an annual event. While I didn’t win any awards at the festival, seeing my work up on the big screen combined with being told how proud my teachers were of me for my work gave me the confidence I needed going forward and into my college education…but confidence doesn’t matter if you aren’t well prepared and thanks to these opportunities, I was the best version of myself. I experienced a positive group dynamic where we exchanged ideas and came up with collaborative solutions. You’ll always be working with other people so I firmly believe it’s best to gain experience doing so as early as possible. I’m blessed that I was able to in WSTF-TV.
Jay Wilkie ’14 The other half of “Jay and Jake in the Morning”, Jay is special education teacher in the Pioneer school district. While earning a degree in Childhood Inclusive Education, Jay became the play-by-play radio announcer for the Fredonia Blue Devils hockey team. Fellow St. Francis grad and WSTF-TV alum Matthew Pantano was the sports director for the station WCVF, and the two of them were awarded “Best Play-by-Play” by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Jay: My favorite memory by far was the impact we had on the whole school. We were able to make all of the students (and most of the teachers) laugh. If we did something super cool, there would be a buzz about it the whole day. I also remember that putting a show together was truly a team effort. My top memory I think was when the water fountain exploded and we did a funeral service for it...I still rewatch it and get cracked up. The value of WSTF-TV is based on the relationships that are built in the studio. It taught us how to be great collaborators and really helped with my public speaking skills. I never feared going up in front of an audience. That confidence also helped me land a role as hockey play-by-play man for Fredonia’s hockey team, and it was the most fun experience in college for me. I owe all of that to WSTF-TV! Johnathan Ciolek ’17
Currently a Journalism/Sports Communication major at Buffalo State College, John “Sunny” Ciolek began his WSTF-TV career reporting the weather, then moved on to sports. He’s regularly writes features and covers news relevant
to college students for The Record, Buff State’s student newspaper. John: WSTF-TV gave me the opportunity to be creative with film, gave me experience in photo/video editing, but mainly helped me improve my writing because behind every commercial, documentary, or news cast there is a lot of planning and writing. Yu Chen (Michael) Meng ’13 Mike was the original ambassador of our international student program, introducing the Chinese language and Chinese culture to the St. Francis student body. Mike hosted the popular weekly segment “Chinese Word of the Week”. With a degree in Information Management and
Technology from Syracuse University, he is currently employed by IBM, advising and mapping out companywide IT plans for clients. Mike: My favorite memory of WSTFTV is hosting the “Chinese Word of the Week” program. It was rewarding when strange schoolmates gave me high-fives because they recognized me from TV. I gained presentation skills and the ability to present in front of a big crowd. I found that valuable to me as I entered my career as a consultant. My job requires me to constantly present ideas to different groups of people. Also, the video editing skills I learned from WSTF-TV and Mass Comm Class is helpful at work. I found that adding videos to my presentations gave clients more visual impact than traditional PowerPoint slides and they always turned out to like them a lot. Like Mike Meng, many other WSTF-TV alums are using lessons and experiences in multimedia to succeed while earning degrees in communications and other fields.
The TAU | 7
WSTF-TV
continued from page 7
Shawn Schneider ’16 (Clarkson University, Mechanical Engineering) Some of my favorite memories include running around the school filming commercials and sitting in the studio with some of my closest friends, laughing and fooling around coming up with ideas and trying to get through it for the Friday morning news. The greatest value of WSTF-TV for engineering were the soft skills it helped me develop. I experienced the importance/ struggle of communication, decision making, compromise, and teamwork. Now I am involved on an engineering team here at Clarkson designing, manufacturing, and testing a diesel powered snowmobile prototype, where again, a whole group of people need to bring their skills to the table in order to have a successful product. When I graduate and start my career in industry, I will continue to work in teams, communicate, and compromise in order to achieve a common goal. Companies today find these teamwork skills essential and invaluable. Conor Kellner ’16 (University at Buffalo, Chemical Engineering) I believe that my participation in both WSTF-TV and Mass Comm Class had a significant impact on my life and aided in developing different skills. I remember working hard on many projects to make sure we put on a quality production each and every week on top of all the other
8 | WINTER 2019
school responsibilities my friends and I carried. I was able to see the importance of time-management and understand how crucial it is to creating quality work, putting myself one step ahead when I got to college and had much more freedom. The freedom offered through the student-run aspect of WSTF allowed me to understand how to prioritize my responsibilities and ensured that I was well-prepared for college life, academically and otherwise. They are crucial skills that I have had to rely on countless times in college on different projects and experiences, and as an aspiring engineer.
Film Festival Award Winners Jacob Tasker ‘16 and Michael Senus ‘17 Jacob Tasker ’16 (Savannah College of Art and Design, Industrial Design) WSTF-TV played a huge role in my high school career. The aspect of it that I remember most fondly is the time I spent with the other guys in WSTF. Being given the opportunity to be creative in ways that would be visible to the whole school was exciting. It allowed me and the other
guys to focus on writing, planning, and executing a variety of films, shorts, and skits. Being challenged like this was a great way for us to grow as artists, and also to become comfortable with collaboration, which I’ve learned is inescapable in the professional world. I think it also forced me to stay on top of my time management. Instead of a homework assignment that was due a day or two later, we had projects that would last a week and sometimes more. We had to resist the temptation to procrastinate . It was a really unique opportunity, unlike any other activity I had done at St. Francis. Steven Gray ’15 |(SUNY University at Buffalo, Mechanical Engineering) I genuinely enjoyed every minute of WSTF-TV, even staying overnight working on a project! I was able to establish some lasting friendships, get to know many of the students and teachers personally, get to explore my creative side, and learn some really cool skills and methods that I plan to utilize after I graduate. Being part of the homeroom really helped me come out of my shell, and even inspired me to participate in the musical in high school, clubs, sports, and other activities in college! I cannot undersell how awesome of an opportunity it was to participate in media homeroom. It’s one of my favorite things that I’ve ever done.
2019 and Counting… The Red Raider Media Club and WSTFTV continue to evolve and adapt with the times. With the increased presence of social media and the need to get quick messages out to large numbers of people, short videos have become a powerful tool in connecting with the masses. Studentcreated video is used to promote all facets of student life as well as provide vital content for communication with alumni, parents, and other supporters of the school. Knowing that screens are powerful in our lives, we use the televisions in the classrooms and the power of the internet to extend St. Francis’ legacy and to further Fr. Justin’s mission to provide talented, young men an opportunity to succeed and to be productive members of society…and have a lot of fun along the way.
alumni news and notes... 1960s Rich Rutkowski ’60 retired in 2010 after serving as the President of Green River Community College in Auburn, WA for 27 years. Prior to that he was the VP of Business Affairs for the college for 10 years. Rich currently serves on the Board of Directors of two organizations in the state of Washington: PEMCO Insurance Company and Inspirus Credit Union, where he has been Chair of the Board for the last 6 years. Both organizations are not-for-profit and value giving back to the community. In retirement, Rich and wife Shirley enjoy boating, travel trailering, photography and many other outdoor activities in the Pacific Northwest. Ed Hoak ’68 attended the Pittsburgh vs. Notre Dame game on October 13, 2018 and met up with Brian Polian ’93 who is currently working for the Fighting Irish as their Recruiting Coordinator as Special Teams coach. Ed is happy to report ND was able to pull out a 1914 win over the Panthers. Semi-retired Ed is enjoying the company of his first grandchild Boomer Lange (SFHS Class of 2036)
1970s Robert Dolan ’73 recently retired after 39 years with Estee Lauder Companies where he was a plant manager of several manufacturing sites in Bucks County, PA-just outside of Philadelphia. His wife Pat also recently retired from the social work field where she worked with infants (0-3) They look forward to travelling as well as spending time with their three children and two grandchildren. Richard Lewczyk ’77 reports that he relocated to Gainesville, FL in 2015 and is currently working for the Florida Department of Corrections. In addition to enjoying the sunny weather and lower taxes, he is a soon to be first time grandfather. He does, however, miss Buffalo and the sense of community in Western New York.
1980s Eric Young ‘85, a career coach at Georgetown University, was meeting with a first-year MBA student about making the most of the two-year graduate business program at the oldest Jesuit university in the United States. “If you can find time, go on a retreat,” Eric suggested. The student commented he was the product of 12 years of Catholic education that included Villanova University (run by the Augustinians) and a Franciscan high school. After a little digging, Eric learned that Andrew Gordon ‘08 was a fellow alumnus of St. Francis High School -- and Class President and Athlete of the Year. When not studying, Andy is giving back to the community as Assistant Football Coach at Gonzaga High School in DC.
1990s Andrew Kozak ’92 and his wife Dr. Sarah Lippert just celebrated the birth of their first child (Isaac Joseph Kozak)on November 26, 2018.
Andy Ruszczyk ’99, of Ru’s Pierogi, stopped by Mrs. Lambert’s Entrepreneurship class to speak with students about the various aspects of business ownership as well as the food truck industry. His knowledge is invaluable as the students begin planning their virtual business for their class
2000s Andrew Lanigan ’02 married Sarah Braunscheidel on New Year’s Eve 2018. Andy and Sarah both are teachers at St. Francis High School and currently make their home in South Buffalo. Numerous members of the St. Francis High School Family joined in the celebration of their union including Dan Kick ’02 who served as his best man. Andrew Gorkiewicz ’03 and his wife Kelly welcomed their third child Ellis Patrick on February 21, 2018. He joins siblings Cate (5) and Joe (3). Andrew is employed by West Herr Auto Group in the corporate offices. Brian Grove ‘06 married Lindsay Kryszak on June 23, 2018 in Buffalo, NY. The couple is happily residing in Charlotte, NC. Groomsmen included Derek Grove ‘03, Justin Mace ‘06, Sean Cannan ‘06, Nicholas Albini ‘06, Jason Covelli ‘06, and Daniel Vargo, M.D. ‘06. Jason Hirtzel ’06 graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Jason will begin his career out west as a traveling physical therapist. One of his goals is international medical relief in the realm of physical therapy.
2010s Thomas Anderson ’14 received a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Finance with a minor in Communications/Public Relations/ Advertising from Canisius College in 2018. He won a MAAC Championship as a member 2015 Baseball Team in his freshman year at Canisius but unfortunately had to stop playing due to a hand injury. After baseball, he worked as an assistant salesman at West Herr Buick GMC Cadillac in East Aurora and as a Guest Services Representative for the Buffalo Bills. Upon graduating from Canisius College he was hired by Morgan Stanley as a Financial Advisor. As a financial advisor, he strives to help clients achieve financial success no matter what stage of life they may be in. He cites the education he received at St. Francis as the cornerstone for his success in higher education and with his career as well as helping him become a true Renaissance man. Tom resides in Orchard Park and has recently joined the SFHS Alumni Association Board of Directors.
The TAU | 9
FALL Sports Recap Photography by Toni Lambert and Jason Cretacci
SOCCER Season Record 6-13-2 1st Team All Catholic 2nd Team All Catholic Jakob Pericak Michael Jurek Ben Pinkowski Joshua Schuler
FOOTBALL MMHSAA Champions Season Record 5-7 1st Team All Catholic Mark Arrizza Dan Browning Antonio Corsi XZavier Janczylik Matthew Jaworksi Reilly Miller Grayson Myers
Jake Ritts • MMHSAA Offensive Player of the Year Eric Schon Dominik Thomas Nolan Thomas Dawson Tyger
Coach Jerry Smith • MMHSAA Coach of the Year
10 | WINTER 2019
golf League Record 9-4 Season Record 10-5 1st Team All Catholic Brendan Reid Noah Unger
VOLLEYBALL
League Record 5-3 Season Record 14-7 1st Team All Catholic Dan Busha Mario Moretti 2nd Team All Catholic Tom Moore Jacob Sacilowski
CROSS COUNTRY
League Record 3-2 2nd Team All Catholic Zach Brydalski Patrick Henshaw
The TAU | 11
St. Francis High School Hockey Program part two
Past and Present
by marc fattey ’99
In the previous edition of The Tau, we reminisced about the St. Francis High School hockey program’s beginning and the actions of +Lou Billittier Sr. and +Gus Dotterweich that helped bring the fastest game on earth to St. Francis High School. In this edition, we will take a further look into some of the details that throughout the years have shaped the program to what it is today.
Tryouts
Coaching
The following excerpt is from CRUSADER, 1974.
It was clear from the turnout in 1973 that many on the St. Francis campus were eager to hit the ice. Administration recognized the sport was becoming wildly popular amongst its students. Administration also recognized that large groups of high schoolaged boys, equipped with sharpened blades, leather pads, and armed with heavy wooden sticks, would require capable supervision. At the behest of Fr. Xavier, then student Timothy McNamara ’74 approached his father, Mr. Bill McNamara, a seasoned hockey coach in the Buffalo Regals organization, to ask that he lend a hand with the budding St. Francis program. Mr. McNamara agreed, lending valuable instruction and careful supervision over the next months. As the fall season approached, three more coaches would step forward and volunteer to meet the campus’ growing hockey needs, namely – Mr. Gus Dotterweich, Mr. Thomas Cooper, and Mr. Robert Blake.
“In keeping with the constant expansion of the scope of co-curricular activities here at St. Francis, ice hockey has been introduced into the menagerie of athletics to which students may avail themselves. Well received by the student body, over a hundred potential team members tried out for only twenty spots. Practices began last May at the ice of Fort Erie Rink... After returning in September, it was announced that St. Francis had entered the Southtowns Hockey League, composed of area high schools. Coaching duties were assumed by Mr. Bill McNamara after several practices. Since the majority of players were playing organized hockey for the first time, position hockey had to be learned. A playbook was devised and through “chalk talk” sessions, the players came to understand it.” October 2018, the Red Raiders still play out of Leisure Rinks in West Seneca, and once again had over one hundred student athletes attend hockey tryouts. Only now, there are five hockey teams on campus, two Varsity and three JV, and over one-hundred roster spots available. New this season, to best assess the large talent pool, the St. Francis coaching staff ran a series of two-day class contained evaluations before officially holding tryouts. From these evaluations, a select 30 were invited to attend the Prep Varsity tryout the following week. Once the Prep Varsity team’s 24-man roster was finalized, open tryouts were held for the remaining four teams – Varsity Federation, JV Federation, JV Red, and JV White.
Since this first season, St. Francis Hockey would see dozens of men dedicate their time and talents as coaches for the benefit of our student athletes. Noteworthy among this list, is Mr. John Bowers, who proved to be a valuable asset many times over. Under Coach Bowers’ direction, the Red Raiders would capture – Monsignor Martin Championships in ’86, ’87, ’88, and ’90; WNY Federation Hockey Championships in ’92, ’94, ’95, ’98, and ’99; and Midwest Prep Hockey League (MPHL) Championships in ’03 and ’06. Bowers was instrumental in the formation of both the WNY Federation Hockey League in 1992 and the MPHL in 2000. His mentorship coupled with the school’s academic reputation would attract top talent from the area; including four future NHL’ers – Aaron Miller ’89, Peter Ratchuk, Lee Stempniak ’00, and Patrick Kaleta. In 1999, Mr. Bowers was honored as the J. Michael Duffett Award winner - given annually to the coach whose contributions to amateur hockey in WNY “best exemplifies the knowledge, teaching, love of the game and gentle humanity of Mike Duffett.” In 2012, after 26 years with the Red Raiders, John Bowers retired from coaching. The 2018-19 season coaching staff is comprised entirely of St. Francis High School Alumni. Varsity Prep is headed by Mr. Anthony Day ’09 and assisted by Mr. Vincent Scarsella ’07. Day, a graduate of Yale University, and Scarsella, a graduate of Canisius College, both enjoyed prolific Red Raiders hockey
careers, holding the #1 and #2 Varsity hockey single-season scoring records at St. Francis High School (in 42 games played, 79pts and 71pts respectively). WNY Varsity Federation is headed by Mr. Timothy Benner ’07 and assisted by Mr. Mike Musialowski ’08. Benner, an educator, teaches English Language Arts and Musialowski, who recently passed the NYS Bar exam, works as an attorney. JV Federation is headed by Mr. Marc Fattey ’99 and assisted by Mr. Kyle Anderson ’12. Fattey is the Director of Hockey Operations at St. Francis High School and Assistant Alumni Director and Anderson is a Social Studies teacher in the city of Buffalo. JV Red is headed by Mr. Jay Ciamaga ’00 and JV White is headed by Mr. Dallas Szustak ’12. Both Ciamaga and Szustak work in the asphalt pavement industry.
Leagues The following is an excerpt from St. Francis campus newsletter ‘Spotlight’ February, 1975. “HOCKEY: ‘ICING ON THE CAKE’ - Fitted in new equipment and sporting uniforms, the year’s hockey team is working harder than ever. Coaches Mike Kelly and Mike Loftus are putting the varsity and junior varsity teams through tough workouts, trying to make the program a success. The varsity team will be competing in two leagues: the Bishop Head League (consisting of other Catholic high schools); and the Southtowns League (primarily composed of area public schools). The junior varsity team, however, will only be playing in the Southtowns League, seeing that the Bishop Head League does not have a junior varsity program as of yet.” The 1980-81 season marked the formation of the Monsignor Martin Ice Hockey League, comprised of St. Francis, St. Joseph’s, Canisius, and Bishop Timon. For the next 11 seasons, this ensemble of area catholic schools would put their best out on the ice to compete for the coveted Bonaventure Cup. Then in 1992, the four catholic high schools from the Monsignor Martin League combine with four public high schools (Williamsville – North, South, and East, and Amherst) to form the Varsity Hockey Federation. Today, the WNY Varsity Hockey Federation has expanded to 26 teams across three divisions. Our St. Francis’ Red Raiders, under the leadership of Coach Benner, play in Division 3 of the Fed and have only one regular season loss in the last two years of league play. Sporting an impressive record of 24-1-4 since the 2017-18 season. In 1999-2000, Coach Bowers successfully petitioned the St. Francis administration to allow the creation of an independent Prep Varsity team. Once labeled independent, this team would not be governed by Section VI and therefore be permitted to play against the schools of their choosing; focusing on the best competition possible. Unfortunately, this would also make the Prep team ineligible to play against any team recognized by Section VI and therefore unable to play against long-time rivals from the Monsignor Martin League. This sanction remains in place today. Though at times this can be a tough pill to swallow, the upside of consistent exposure to college and junior scouts and facing elite competition is undeniable.
In the spring of 2000, after a successful independent season, Coach Bowers and Coach Len Semplice of Shadyside Academy in Pittsburgh, PA organized to form the Midwest Prep Hockey League (MPHL). The original six league members were Culver Academies (IN), Gilmour Academy (OH), Lake Forest Academy (IL), Park Tudor School (IN), Shady Side Academy (PA), and St. Francis High School (NY). Today, the MPHL is in its 19th season with eight teams from the US and Canada, and the original objective to provide colleges with well-prepared student athletes that can succeed in the college hockey environment remains.
Direction As it was in 1970s, the popularity of the sport is on the rise once again. At St. Francis High School, not only do we offer the five named teams during the high school season, but we also offer Red Raider Youth Hockey (USA Hockey sanctioned) in the summer and fall. The RRYHA is a hockey club comprised entirely of St. Francis students who are motivated to develop their on-ice skills and improve overall conditioning without detriment to their student experience. Students playing RRYHA miss fewer days of school than most travel hockey teams, and get to work with the same core coaching staff between the RRYHA and St. Francis hockey seasons. For more information, or to share your stories and experiences with St. Francis hockey, contact hockey@stfrancishigh.org.
The TAU | 13
In Memoriam Please remember in your prayers the following members of the St. Francis High School Family who have recently passed away. ALUMNI +Ronald Beckman ’50 + George Davis ’63 +Daniel Drew ’71 +James Francis ’86 +Michael Hartnett ’84 +Steve Hojnowski ’57 +Robert Kulhawik ’66 +David Marrano ’07 +Edward Skokowski ’51 +Walter Sobus ’44 +Mark Steen ’86 +Kenneth Tencza Jr. ’12 +Frank Szaba ’68
FAMILY AND FRIENDS +Denise Albano Grandmother of Aidan Albano ’21 +Christine Bella Mother of Maintenance Department member Joe Bella and mother in law of staff member Michele Bella +Patricia Brydalski Grandmother of Zachary Brydalski ’20 +Thomas Bystryk (Bishop Ryan Class of 1963) Grandfather of Joseph ’21 and Ty ’18 Syta +Betty Ellis Wife of former faculty member Tim Ellis and mother of Ed ’94 and +Tim ’92 Ellis +Patricia Eustace Mother of John Eustace ’02 +Joseph Fabi Father of Joe Fabi ’74 and Keith Fabi’80, Grandfather to Bernie Daley ’98, Alexander Fabi ’02 and Joshua Fabi ’07 +Marilyn Hall Sister of K-OS instructor Marcia Fattey. Sister in law of faculty member Craig Fattey and Aunt to Chris ’96, Marc ’99 and Nik ’97 Fattey +Joseph Hawayek Grandfather of Brad ’12 and Nathan ’18 Hawayek +Helen Hennessy Mother of Brian ’73, Dan ’78 and Paul ’71 Hennessy, Grandmother of Lee ’13 and Neal ’08 Kerwin, Brendan ’99 and Tom ’89 Orrange, and Bill ’91 and Jim ’93 Pippine +Patricia Hens-Loretto Former School Board Member +Doris Kostecky Mother of Alumni Parents Karen (Richard) Penfold and Grandmother of Patrick Penfold ’89
14 | WINTER 2019
+Joseph Leising Father of Alumni Parents Board Members Lynn (Gene) Ruszczyk, Grandfather of Kevin ’05 and Robert ’02 Marciniak and Andrew ’99 and Ryan ’06 Ruszczyk +Carol Mantino Mother of Faculty member Jerry Smith Grandmother of Christopher’05. Thomas’05, Matthew’07, Joseph’12 andnd Timothy’15 Smith +Sr. Bernadette Okulicz, FSSJ Former Librarian +Nadine Penfold Mother of Alumni Parents Richard (Karen) Penfold and Timothy (Karen) Penfold, Grandmother of Justin ’98, Patrick ’89 and Robert ’04 Penfold +Ellen Raymond Mother of Business Manager Jacquelyn Dole and Joe Raymond ’89, Grandmother of Jack Raymond ’22 +James Daniel Rebmann Sr. Father of David Rebmann ’88, Grandfather of Zachary Galloway ’14, Brett ’01 and Brian ’99 Peglowski and Anthony ’13, Joshua ’17 and Nicholas Rebmann ’02 +James Robertson Grandfather of Michael Robertson ’22 +Josephine Sacilowski Grandmother of Jacob Sacilowski ’21 +Joey “Kelso” Settipane Sr. Grandfather of Evan Settipane ’21 +Norman “Bill” Shea Father of Christopher ’86 and Timothy ’90 Shea +Michael Strosky Grandfather of Joseph Jerge ’21 +Virginia Suida Mother of John Suida ’66 +Carole Ann Van Remmen Mother of former faculty member Kevin Van Remmen, Grandmother of Brian ’97, Gregory ’02, David ’11, Jonathan ’08, Matthew ’06 and Nathan’11, Van Remmen +Dawn Wind Grandmother of Christopher Wind ’21 +Clara Wisniewski Mother In Law of Jerry Kornowicz ’63, Great Grandmother of Cory Kornowicz ’18 and Christopher Maue ’12 +Robert Zmitrewicz Father of Robert Zmitrewicz Jr. ’99
SPRING ARTS EVENTS St Francis Players Presents
XXXVIII
Grounded in Tradition, Embracing the Spirit of St. Francis Fr. Michael Sajda is pleased to announce the co-chairs for the 38th Annual Justinian Dinner Auction; Urmas and Kim Lupkin (Nicholas ’18 & Connor ’20) Chris ’88 and Eileen Luterek (Aaron ’19) and David and Laurieann Jacobs (Benjamin ’19). The Justinian XXXVIII Dinner Auction, one of the largest fundraisers for St. Francis High School, will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2019. Over the past 37 years The Justinian, named after our founder Fr. Justin Figas, has generated revenues to help generations of young men attend St. Francis. Proceeds from this event support tuition assistance programs that directly benefit current and future students. The event is held in the transformed gymnasiums, with a gourmet dinner provided by Frontier Catering and top shelf bar from Ilio DiPaolo’s Restaurant. The evening will include silent and live auctions, as well as a Split Club and an opportunity to win the verbal auction item of your choice through the Golden Ticket Raffle. We hope that you will join us on Saturday, May 11, 2019 for this night of elegance, fine dining and camaraderie in support of St. Francis.
Music By Alan Menken Lyrics by Jack Feldman Book by Harvey Fierstein Stop the presses! This Disney film turned Tony-winning Broadway hit inspires everyone to fight for what’s right and seize the day.
Tickets: 627-1200 or StFrancishigh.org March 15 & 16 at 7:00PM March 17 at 2:00PM Special Preview Performance
Concerts Instrumental
Tuesday April 9th, 7:00PM
Alumni Hall Theatre Featuring Concert Band, Jazz Messengers, & K-OS Vocal
Thursday April 11th, 7:00PM
Alumni Hall Theatre Featuring Chorus Classes, Men’s Choir, & Senior Schola
The Fine Arts Banquet and Award Ceremony Including the annual induction into the Fine Arts Alumni Hall of Fame
May 19th - Salvatore’s Italian Gardens The TAU | 15