Spring Revue a Big Hit - St. Sebastian's School

Vol LXII, No. 7
The Walrus
The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things:
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. - Lewis Carroll
New Walrus Regime
Heralds in Golden Age
By TOM KEEFE ‘11
The time has come.
The seniors have been sent
packing and the legends of the
junior class are stepping up.
For five years the community
has waited for this moment.
From the cradle these men
were bred for greatness. They
drank glory from the bottle.
Before bed, their parents read
them Homer, Dostoyevsky,
and Faulkner. These men mastered
the craft of language and
composition. This class goes
by many titles: the cream of
the crop, the elite, the august.
And now, they have come to
rule the paper.
The time has come, the
Walrus said, for the changing
of the guards. But these guards
are no ordinary mortals. These
are titans, demi-gods in their
own right. They experienced
the Scyllian fury of Mr. Cornish,
Mr. Rogers, and the
late-great Mr. Wiehman in
the Middle School years. They
laid waste to the curriculum of
Freshman Writing, shocking
faculty and parents alike with
their Pulitzer-Prize winning
copy of Freshmen Voices (Joe
Fasciano, in fact, served caviar
and scallops wrapped in bacon
for the exquisite black-tie
event). They swelled the ranks
of the upper school with topnotch
work, building up the
Quiver, Walrus, and Journal
into strongholds of literary
masterpieces. These men
have labored in the trenches,
and now they assume the full
responsibility to make the
Walrus the best publication it
has ever been.
And so, here comes the
change. Gone are the days of
yore, when editors engraved
their stories on slabs of marble,
etched them on scrolls,
and quilled them on sheets of
papyrus. Though we stand on
the shoulders of giants, and
are forever indebted to the
work of our forefathers, the
Walrus is excited to announce
a revamping. New technology
breeds innovation. The
Walrus is changing in oh-somany
ways: new features,
new format, new games, and
new tone—all at the hands of
the community…from grubby,
skittle-munching eighth
graders to lazy sophomores,
from sophisticated faculty to
anxious parents, from snazzy
trustee to Headmaster Bill
Burke himself. There will
be something for everyone
in this new-and-improved
Walrus, and this spectacular
group of up-and-coming seniors
are just the men for the
job.
Who are these men,
masters of the pen and experts
of the prose?
First, the veteran.
Edmund Murphy, hailed from
a city on the river, entered the
class of 2011 as a freshmen.
He quickly took his place in
Sebs lore, earning the Jack
Birmingham award and delivering
an unreal chapel speech
that left the whole audience
in awe and wonder. He survived
a notorious Freshman
Writing class, helmed by Mr.
Dan Burke, which supported
the best and brightest of the
grade: Wes Cosby, Corey
Peters, Joe MacIntire, Chris
Sullivan, and John Barrack,
to name a few. As a junior,
E-Money made history by
becoming a rare Senior Editor
of the Walrus. This year, he
continues to hold the posi-
St. Sebastian’s School
Continued on pg 3
The senior editors will own this paper like the Celts owned LeBron. Courtesy of Paul Lee ‘11
NEWS SPORTS
Prom season is here; check out
Ryan gettin’ funky.
See Page 3
tion, blazing the trail for the
rest of the neophytes.
Next, the saint. Alex
Spear joined the crew as
an eighth-grader, and the
class of 2011 has never been
the same. A captain of both
varsity soccer and varsity
baseball, Spearsie is a leader
in every sense of the word. He
is friend to all and hated by
none. He tries hard in school
and possesses a great sense
of humor. Every girl in the
greater Boston area wants
his...digits. In short, Spear
dominates all aspects of life,
and in the Walrus he will
prove no different. He will
head the Arrow Sports coverage
and will bring his unique
writing style to the program.
Then, the brain. Dillon
Ecclesine was raised to
be an Arrow. Following the
legacy of his two brothers
Shane and Brendan, Dillon
E(!) is easily making a name
for himself around the halls
of St. Sebillians. He devours
textbooks like it’s his job, and
he has the honor of holding
one of the highest Grade-
Point-Averages in the class
of 2011, a remarkable feat
considering that most of the
grade possesses stellar marks
in school (Paul Lee, Ryan
Bacic, Tom Nunan, Tom
Murphy, Conner Wiik, Nick
Franco, to name but several
soon-to-be-senior brainiacs).
He is a likely candidate for
valedictorian, if he plays his
cards right. Another notable
trait is Dill’s joking demeanor
with teachers, including Mr.
Ryan, Mr. Palmaccio, and Mr.
Cressotti. He will contribute
his surplus of knowledge and
his knack for faculty humor to
next year’s publication.
Continued on pg 2
May 2010
The Saxaphone Big Three, consisting of Joe Albanese ‘10, Robbie Spencer ‘11, and Andrew
Sullivan ‘13, lead the Advanced Jazz Band in “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder.
Spring Revue a Big Hit
By TOM NUNAN ‘11
On Friday, May 7, St.
Sebastian’s once again held
its annual Spring Revue. This
event has been a mainstay at
School for several years, but
has enjoyed a remarkable
upswing in quality within the
last few years in particular.
The Fine Arts Department
originally conceived it to be a
showcase for the disciplines
of both music and drama,
and this year it was just that.
Given the number of cancelled
events so far this school
year, it was refreshing to see
the Spring Revue go on as
planned.
The evening opened
with a performance of the play
Don’t Say Macbeth, written
by Burton Bumgarner and
directed by Tom Keefe ’11 and
John Barrack ’11. The production
featured middle school
students exclusively and was a
spoof on Shakespeare’s famous
play (which is part of the
sophomore English curriculum
at St. Seb’s). The action
of the play began in a coffee
shop, where one of the staff
members explained to a patron
the plot of Shakespeare’s
original play. The rest of the
play chronicled various mishaps
associated with performing
the perennial favorite, and
hence the development of the
word “Macbeth” as a superstitious
curse word.
Cast members included
Geoffrey Wade ’15, Marlon
Matthews ’14, Jack Goldman
’14, Zachary Chambers ’14,
Cam Kelly ’14, Christian Santosuosso
’15, Patrick McGowan
’14, Des DiGiovanni ’14, Tom
Caravolas ’15, Jack van der
Velde ’14, and John Ryan ’15.
All cast members did a terrific
job. The action moved quickly
and the laughs were plentiful.
Tom Keefe and John Barrack
must be recognized again for
the effort they expended to
make the production possible.
They had the responsibility of
planning and running all re-
Does not appear in
photo: Secretary John
Fee’s speech.
hearsals, organizing blocking,
props, costumes, lighting, as
well as many other aspects of
the production, AND they had
the task of trying to control
more than ten middle schoolers.
As Mr. Rogers noted
at the Fine Arts Cookout on
Tuesday, May 18, it was their
dedication that brought so
many middle schoolers to the
Drama Club this year. Bravo!
After a short intermission,
the musical portion of
the evening commenced. The
Jazz Band, directed by Mr.
Grohmann, opened with an
artful medley of jazz tunes
(featuring Footprints (W.
Shorter) and Killer Joe (B.
Golson)), and the band, with
Peter Cimini ’12 on drums,
did a good job navigating the
tricky meter change between
the two songs (from 6/4 to
4/4). Also part of the band
were students Mike Healy
’10 on bass, myself on piano,
Luke Scotten ’13 on guitar,
Joe Albanese ’10, Robbie
Spencer ’11, and Andrew
Sullivan ’13 all on alto saxophone,
Joseph Mears ’14
on trumpet, John Fee ’11 on
trombone, and John Ryan
’15 on flute. Patrick Clark ‘13
provided vocals and Quandel
Johnson ’12 drums for the
band’s next song, the popular
“Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder.
This piece required great
rhythmical precision, which
the band certainly delivered.
Next came a series of
individual acts, all of which
were featured on the first ever
St. Sebastian’s CD (entitled
Trust). Joe Kerwin ’15 (guitar),
John Ryan ’15 (flute),
and Kenney Chen ’13 (bass
guitar) performed a catchy
and melodic original composition
of Joe’s.
Following that, Kenny
switched from bass to viola
to perform a section of J.C.
(not J.S.) Bach’s “Concerto in
C Minor” (accompanied on
piano by someone who felt he
made too many mistakes…).
Kenny’s performance was
superlative, and his rendition
of the intense cadenza was
riveting to say the least.
Up next, Tom Keefe ’11 sang
“Lost in the Wilderness” from
the Stephen Schwartz musical
Children of Eden, and did a
fantastic job as expected. The
piece is written in a pop/rock
idiom, very rhythmic and
very rangey for the singer,
but Tom handled it very well,
particularly the quite high
and quite climactic final note.
(The performance was getting
so intense that by the end the
accompanist was starting to
lose it.)
Quandel closed up
this section of the evening
with an original song of his
entitled “Success.” Even
though this reviewer is generally
not a huge fan of hip-hop,
he found Quandel’s song to
be quite enjoyable, infectious,
and authentic. The audience
was very engaged by his great
performance.
The final act of the
evening was put on by the
Pop/Rock Band, under the
direction of Mr. Pettine. The
ensemble performed Wild
Cherry’s “Play That Funky
Music.” Joe Kerwin and
Luke Scotten both played
electric guitar. Kenny Chen
was on bass, Charlie Gordon
’15 on drums, Kevin Patterson
’13 on keyboard, and the
vocalist was Patrick Clark.
This, again, was very welldone.
The instruments fitted
well together and the band
“gelled.”
Another successful
Spring Revue indeed. The
only thing that would have
made it better would have
been greater student attendance.
Special thanks to Mr.
Grohmann, Mr. Pettine, Mr.
Rogers, and the Fine Arts
Department in general for
helping to make this evening
possible once again.
Get the baseball scoop with
Spear’s lengthy prose...
See Page 4... and 5... and 6....

Vol LXII, No. 7 The Walrus: School News May 2010
Frosh Writing Night
Full of Literary Prowess
By PETER DEMATTEO ‘13
On May 10, freshmen arrived
at school at seven o’clock,
many of them with parents,
for Freshmen Writing Night.
Prior to the event, all students
across the seven sections of
Freshmen Writing submitted
pieces of writing, varying
from long research papers
and creative writing works, to
short poems such as a Haiku,
to the Freshmen Voices book,
which holds an essay from
every single student who takes
Freshmen Writing. Also,
each class chose one student
to represent the section on
Freshmen Writing Night by
reading his submission in
front of the entire grade and
many parents. The Seven
Speakers were Brian O’Malley,
Mike Petro, Peter Breslin,
Matt Vandini, Alex Moore,
Brendan Daly, and Cole Eden.
After the Class of 2013 had
flooded into Ward Hall, and
had some of the slight refreshments
(mainly cookies), both
the students and their parents
began to applaud as the speakers
walked onto the stage and
took their places at the front of
Ward Hall.
Mr. Chris Lynch began
the night with a few brief comments,
before announcing Mr.
McCarthy, the director of the
writing program. First, Mr.
McCarthy thanked the other
three Freshmen Writing teachers,
Mr. Curran, Mr. Wishart,
and Mr. Cressotti. Next, he
told a story about writing,
which centered on his own
Continued from pg. 1
experiences with a poet with
an interesting accent. Both
teachers stressed the importance
of writing, and how all
students had progressed in
their writing ability throughout
the year. Upon finishing
his speech, Mr. McCarthy
returned to his seat as the
speakers began to read their
essays.
The essays of the
various Freshmen Writing
students covered a wide variety
of topics. Each speaker
would tell the audience what
the assignment they wrote the
essay for was before starting
the speech. The first speaker,
Brian O’Malley read an essay
about a day in his summer.
Next, Mike Petro gave
a speech about how the color
red has influenced him from
an early age. Two speakers,
Peter Breslin and Cole Eden
both read fictional stories
which they had written; Peter
Breslin read a descriptive
story about a bar-restaurant
in Alaska, while Cole Eden
read a story about a cop who
stopped a robbery of Dunkin
Donuts while off duty. Alex
Moore read a research paper
about the holes and problems
in the theory that the moon
landing in 1969 was a fake
by NASA. Matt Vandini read
a paper about a monkey he
received when he was young,
even showing the now worn
down monkey to the audience.
Last, Brendan Daly
talked about an average
morning, from waking up to
going to school. The speeches
were clearly different in topic
and also in length, but they
all kept the audience entertained,
both with the content
of what was written and the
high quality. When the last
speech was over, the winner
of the Jack Birmingham writing
award, which is given to
the best submission to Freshmen
Voices each year was
announced to be given to Andrew
Sullivan for his fictional
story about a boy who has an
accident and ends up in the
hospital.
After the orations
had ended, Mr. Burke came
to the podium to talk some
more about the paramount
importance of writing. He
related the story of how,
after he had just became the
headmaster of St. Sebs, Mr.
Birmingham, the chairman of
the board, brought the idea of
the school becoming strong
in writing to Mr. Burke. That
idea, of which Mr. Burke
spoke, became the successful
Freshmen Writing program.
After Mr. Burke concluded
his speech, all the Freshmen
Writing Students went to the
back of Ward Hall to collect
the Freshmen Voices books.
This year, the cover art was
by Will Jundanian, Brandon
Jones, and Thayer Wade.
Every Freshmen Writing student
has a passage in it, and it
shows all the effort and work
the students put into improving
his writing throughout the
year.
Whether a Senior Editor or a Freshman Writer, writing plays a major role in our life.
Gaggle of Enthusiastic
Editors Takes the Reins
And now the IBM-er.
Tom Hoff loves Cambridge,
always has. He decided to
attend St. Sebastian’s as a
wee little seventh grader,
and boy has he grown Tom
Hoff is notable for many feats
(Where do I begin?). One,
he is very tall, but lacks the
speed and leap to run show
on the basketball court. Then,
there are is World Renown
Merrells, known both in the
classroom and on the baseball
field. Hoff also loves twirling
his ball-point pen around
his fingers, to the chagrin of
his fellow classmates. All in
all, Hoff is a goofy, very likable
kid whose knowledge in
sports-stats and world news
will prove invaluable to the
pages of the Walrus.
Finally, the drama
king. Tom Keefe is the tenth
child of eleven children, and
his four older brothers (along
with his cousin who now
works at Trader Joe’s) paved
an outstanding legacy for him
to fulfill. He also hails from
Wellesley, known to be a hub
of Arrow production. When
he entered the seventh grade,
however, Keefer moved to
the llama-bearing boonies
of Sherborn with Murphy
Thomas, and his well-formed
legacy was but a mere memory
in the minds of gigantic
seniors and faculty. And so,
Keefe has paved a way for
himself. Most students know
him for his contributions to
the arts, through his tenure
as a drama officer and participation
in Schola. Besides
the stage, Tom enjoys raiding
the servery, singing to Sharon
and Janet, throwing Frisbees
on the top of the Art Building
with Johnny Rodriguez, playing
basketball, and surviving
the hefty workload of school.
Having lost his position in
student council, Tom looks
forward to utilizing his work
effort and creative side, and
he is excited to serve the
school community alongside
this team of legends.
And there you have it. The
senior editors. Yes, there are
five, more than ever before.
They will wield the scepter
of authority over the new
Walrus regime. But they are
not alone. Joining the squad
are the tenacious head writers,
spurring the swarms of
articles that will storm the
paper next year. This group
consists of Ryan “Pokemon
Master” Bacic, Nick “Waxed
Shoulders” Chappel, Andrew
“Complaint Guru” Dematteo,
Nick “Sneaky Creighton”
Creegan, and Tom “Bearded
Man, Clurph, Turphus,
Durphus, Surphin’ Murph,
Furphus, Jurphis, Purphus”
Murphy.
The entire squad. Yes, they
span all regions of the school
and boast resumes that would
send a shiver down any
college admissions officer’s
spine. They are smart, athletic,
charming, well-rounded.
Let there be no doubt. The
senior class will dominate
the Sebs Scene next year. The
future of the Walrus rests in
their hands. Having been
bereft of the school presidency,
they are hungry for it.
A new era has dawned. Get
ready.
Are you ready to Futbol? Bacically, Ryan takes us through this year’s World Cup.
The Beautiful Game Takes
Center Stage at World Cup
By RYAN BACIC ‘11
The world’s biggest
sporting event is back again
this summer. Starting on
June 11, 32 nations from
across the globe will begin the
group stages in South Africa
as the World Cup comes to
the African continent for the
first time ever. The tournament,
as always, features
eight groups of four countries
each, with the top two from
each group moving on to the
“knockout stages” where the
winners move on and the losers
are sent home to wait out
the long four years until their
next shot at glory.
Like in most years, a
few major powerhouse teams
are sure to take center stage
as favorites for the trophy.
Brazil, the top-ranked team
in the world, is certainly a
premier threat. With Luis Fabiano
and Robinho up front
and Real Madrid star Kaka in
the midfield, the Brazilians
are a team that can score in
bunches, and a strong defensive
core of Maicon, Juan,
Lucio, and Dani Alves will
make sure that they’re not
going to be giving up much,
either. However, new Brazilian
coach, Dunga, in an effort
to craft a new identity for the
national team, has chosen
to leave several famous and
highly-talented Brazilian
players home, including AC
Milan’s Ronaldinho, widely
regarded only a few years
ago as the best player in the
world. In winning last summer’s
Confederations Cup,
Brazil showed that it was
capable of winning with this
more “blue-collar” style without
the flashiness of players
like the aforementioned Ronaldinho.
However, the team
was far from perfect, falling
behind 2-0 to the U.S. in the
first half of the championship
game before coming back
to win. And, although they
throttled defending World
Cup champion Italy, the
team also avoided having to
play then-top-ranked Spain.
Therefore, while Brazil looks
like a definite favorite, it is
also an unproven commodity,
in spite of its hardware.
Just about on par with
the Brazilians are the Spanish,
whose 35-match unbeaten
streak between November
2006 and June 2009 landed
them at the top of the rankings
for nearly a full year. Led
by Liverpool striker Fernando
Torres and recent Barcelona
signee David Villa up
top, Cesc Fabregas and Xabi
Alonso at midfield, Sergio
Ramos and Carlos Puyol in
the back, and whom many
believe to be the world’s best
goalkeeper, Iker Casillas, in
the net, Spain is a talented
team from top to bottom.
But, as the United States
showed last summer, like
Brazil, they’re not invincible.
The U.S. players dug in deep,
played great defense, and
took advantage of their opportunities
and one key Span-
ish error in the back en route
to a stunning upset. Torres,
the focal point of Spain’s attack,
was visibly frustrated
by the sheer physicality of
the American defenders and
was rarely allowed a decent
scoring chance throughout
the game. With Torres off,
the rest of the offense was off,
and though Spain controlled
the ball for most of the game,
they simply could not find
the back of the net. With one
of the weakest of the eight
groups, though, Spain should
have no problem getting off
to a good start and should be
extremely confident and wellprepared
heading into the
knockout stages.
Besides these two
main superpowers, there
are a number of other teams
who have an outside chance
at winning it all in South
Africa. Argentina comes to
mind, with superstar Lionel
Messi leading the way, even
though the team did struggle
in qualification, finishing only
in the last of four guaranteed
qualifying spots in the CON-
MEBOL South American region.
But with the past aside,
look for Messi to elevate his
game even further and help
Argentina make a run for the
cup. Germany, the hosts of
the last edition of the World
Cup—in which they finished
third overall—could be dangerous
this time around as
well. Bastian Schweinsteiger
and Lukas Podolski form a
dangerous scoring tandem,
but the recent injury to midfielder
and captain Michael
Ballack, though aging, is an
unlucky one. Portugal, the
world’s third-ranked team,
is best-known for Cristiano
Ronaldo but has a host of
other top players to complement
their star, including
Manchester United forward
Nani and Chelsea defenders
Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo
Ferreira. The U.S.’s first opponent,
England, could also
be a tough out. Stud Wayne
Rooney should be brilliant,
but an unstable situation in
goal puts a big question mark
on the ultimate success of
the team. Finally, the Netherlands,
featuring Bayern
Munich’s Aryen Robben and
Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder,
are a surefire candidate
to win it all, too.
The United States,
while no favorite by any
stretch of the imagination, actually
has a good opportunity
to make some noise in South
Africa. Though we may not
have anyone as skilled as a
bona fide star over in Europe,
the U.S. has been able to assemble
a solid and cohesive
group of players that have
already proven how much
damage they are capable of
doing if they manage to put
it all together. As mentioned
earlier, the U.S. was the huge
surprise of last summer’s
Confederations Cup, upsetting
top-ranked Spain before
nearly defeating Brazil as well
before losing by one. Besides
the invaluable experience of
having played such top opponents,
the U.S. was also able
to get a good sense for playing
in South Africa’s World
Cup venues, a familiarity
which should come in handy
this June.
Unfortunately, the
United States team that is
heading to South Africa will
not be the exact same as the
one that almost shocked the
world in the Confederations
Cup. Striker Charlie Davies,
a major bright spot for the
national team in outstanding
games against Egypt, Brazil,
and Mexico, was seriously injured
in a car crash in Washington,
D.C., last October,
and his club officials did not
clear him for the camp that
is currently taking place in
Princeton, NJ. This unfortunate
series of events has
ended his dreams of competing
in the Cup. Look for
Clint Dempsey of Fulham to
move up from right midfield
to striker and Bolton’s Stuart
Holden to slide in seamlessly
in the midfield. While
Dempsey might not provide
the speed or flare of Davies,
he is still pretty close, and he
does bring some impressive
aerial play to the position that
Davies did not, having scored
two amazing headers against
Egypt and Brazil in the Confederations
Cup.
Several other Americans
have also been banged
up, but all look to have healed
sufficiently to be 100% come
June. The one troubled area
for the U.S. throughout qualifying
has been the left back
position, but Captain Carlos
Bocangera typically a center
back on the national team
should be able to slide over
to the outside as he did last
summer while Jay DeMerit
and Oguchi Onyewu man
the central part of the pitch.
In addition, Everton keeper
Tim Howard is always great
in the net for the Stars and
Stripes. While the U.S. is not
a very good team in terms
of possessing the ball, and is
somewhat limited offensively,
their trademark counterattacking
style has shown itself
to be pretty effective, with
speedy left midfielder Landon
Donovan, fresh off a highly
successful loan to Howard’s
Everton squad, leading the
way. Future star Jozy Altidore
is fast and physical up top in
pairing with Dempsey and
will provide another scoring
touch to the team.
In the end, while I
wouldn’t get my hopes up
about the U.S. actually winning
the World Cup this year,
they have certainly shown
that they can beat any given
team on any given day. If they
are able to string a few such
games together, the pieces are
there for the U.S. to potentially
go deeper than it has
ever gone before in any World
Cup. Will they, though? We’ll
see. Let the games begin.

Vol LXII, No. 7 The Walrus May 2010
Clearly someone is getting in the spirit of helping out the Best Buddies Prom event.
Seb’s Students Volunteer at
By TOM MURPHY ‘11
On Saturday May 8th students
from St. Sebastian's gave up
their Saturday nights in order
to benefit a very worthy and
fulfilling cause: helping those
with disabilities enjoy an
experience that many of them
will never forget. Many of the
students who attended realized
by night’s end that it was
in no way a waste of time, and
was both for a great cause and
was also a very fun time. The
short drive over to Dana Hall’s
beautiful campus was well
worth it, as the night was definitely
a wonderful experience
for all of those who attended.
Prom is something that is a
major part of the lives of any
high school student, and is
many times prevalent in their
minds from an early age. For
some who were there, this was
their first ever prom and they
definitely were not disappointed,
while for others this was
just their first of many. Every
year this prom is hosted, and
many of those who attended
have been mainstays year
after year. Unlike some high
school proms, this one was not
reserved for kids of a certain
age, as there was a vast variety
in the ages of those who
attended. The group from St.
Sebastian’s learned that proms
are enjoyable experiences for
all who attend if they have the
Best Buddies Prom
SADD Update for Safe Drivers
By WILL ADAMS ‘11
As the school year
comes to a close and teenagers
across the country begin their
summer vacations, the opportunities
to make destructive
decisions greatly increase in
number. Starting with School
Proms and graduation parties
and moving to summer
houses, beaches, and concerts,
students may constantly find
themselves in potentially dangerous
situations. Preparing
yourself to react safely to these
encounters or trying to avoid
them completely will allow
everyone, students, friends,
and family included to have a
happier summer this year.
Throughout the month
of May, many students have
and will attend Proms at high
schools around the area. The
Proms themselves are fairly
well moderated by the faculty
and staffs of the school,
but the parties held after the
prom have the potential to
get out of control, especially
if parents are not around. By
holding after parties either at
a public venue or at a house
where responsible parents will
definitely be home, the teenagers
will be watched out for or
the chance for them to make
harmful decisions will be cut
down on significantly.
correct attitude. All of the
kids at the Best Buddies prom
definitely had the correct
mind set as absurd dancing,
limbo lines, and conga lines
abounded throughout the
night. Although Mr. Curran
was not present, he would be
proud of how the Arrows that
attended behaved, not shying
away from dancing with
anyone and bringing great
attitudes and dance moves
to the prom. This prom is
unlike most in that it gives
children with special needs
an opportunity to engage
in an event that should be
available to all high school
students, but unfortunately
is not. Dana Hall volunteers
run the event annually, and
the turnout from Seb’s this
year was extremely inspiring
and special. The excitement
and sheer joy of all of those
with special needs that were
present was apparent on each
and every one of their smiling
faces—they undoubtedly
enjoyed the night. The dance
started with a simple meet
and greet as everyone looked
nice in their suits, tuxes, and
dresses, after a few minutes
of standing around, the DJ
played the first song of the
night and the event began. Although
the night started very
slowly as many high school
events do, as no one wants
Similarly, students
will be attending graduation
parties this time of year.
Those parties, however, are
normally attended by the
families of the graduating
student. With parents and
younger members of families
around, situations tend to
stay under control. Even with
those people present, graduation
parties can still be enjoyable
and fun for people of all
ages. You can play games, listen
to music, have a barbecue,
and partake in many other
activities with your whole
family around and without
making poor decisions. In
general, remember to respect
yourself, respect others, and
respect the mission of those
student who are a part of the
SADD chapter
After students have
graduated and exams have
ended, students are faced
with much more freedom
over the summer. There are
no more teachers watching
over events, parents are at
work, and students can still
drive themselves basically
anywhere and can be now
alone more often than during
school. Some students have
beach houses on the cape
where parents do not reside
full time, and they can easily
to be the first onto the dance
floor, this was overcome quite
quickly as a dancing circle
formed and many individuals
showed off their stupendous
dancing skills. The party took
off from here as the night
was quickly danced away,
and many left feeling that
it was a good time, but had
simply gone by too quickly.
Attending the Best Buddies
Prom truly showed me that
everyone, no matter the age,
shape, size, race, ethnicity,
with needs, or without, loves
to enjoy themselves and have
fun. It felt great being able to
show these high school boys
and girls with special needs
a great time, and most of all,
show them that they could be
themselves in an accepting
community. The only downside
was that there were only
eight people from Sebs that
were present, and all of them
would tell you that they had a
good time. It would have been
even better if there had been
more people there, and so
hopefully we’ll have an even
better turnout next year, and
thus, an even more successful
Prom.
invite others to their house.
Instead, students could hang
out at public beaches and still
enjoy the summer weather
without being alone and being
pressured into potentially
dangerous situations.
Finally, safe driving
is the base of all other safe
decisions. If you follow the
rules posted around school
while driving to places this
summer, you will arrive there
safely and happily and prepared
to make more safe decisions.
•Wear your seat belt
•Do NOT use your phone
•Do NOT drive under the
influence alcohol and other
drugs
•Wear sunglasses when bright
•Drive a safe speed
•Watch out for cars, pedestrians,
and bicyclists
•Limit passengers
•Avoid road rage
•Do NOT distract the driver
•Do NOT try and show off
The St. Sebastian’s
SADD chapter invites all
those in need of a car wash to
stop by on Wednesday, May
26 between 1:30 and 4:30 pm
outside the academic building.
Start off your summer
with a clean car, and a safe
attitude for your plans this
summer.
Junior-Senior Prom Preview
By EDMUND MURPHY ‘11
There’s been a certain
uncharacteristic air of urgency
about the upperclassmen these
past few weeks—lunch tables
are louder, jokes are flying like
grenades in the hallways, and
drama is kindling, its sparks
threatening of a bonfire-esque
climax. Why is all this happening,
you ask? Well, Naïve
Reader (I remember, Mr.
Thomasy), welcome to the
Junior-Senior Prom.
By now, a week before
the Big Dance (literally),
the Juniors and Seniors have
weathered the eye of the
storm: finding that perfect
date. Whether she was easy
to find (The Sure Bet), quite
elusive (The Where Did You
Come From?!) or the result
of a useful connection with
a friend (The Fresh Set Up),
everyone who will be in attendance
has found his Her
(hopefully). And so, on May
28th, these members of the
Junior and Senior classes will
head into the storied metropolis
of Boston, Massachusetts,
to celebrate this annual occasion
of school’s denoument
with a formal evening on the
town.
The place? None other
than the Langham Hotel, a
radiant beacon of luxury and
elegance, or so we have been
informed, which has been
kind enough to receive our
rambunctious party of upstart
gentlemen and their female
counterparts. You might also
be wondering why the Prom
is scheduled after most ISL
Father-Son Supper Brings
Sebs’ Families Together
By TOM HOFF ‘11
On Wednesday Night,
May 12, St. Sebastian’s held
its annual Father-Son Communion
Supper, which was
yet again a major success.
The night started off at 6:30
when about 100 fathers and
their sons reported to St. Bartholomew’s
Church. Mass began
when Sean Sullivan carried
the Cross down the aisle,
and the choir did what all of
us, as students, expected, but
they also gave the fathers in
the Church a surprise. They
delivered a great performance
during the first song, and
continued until the end of the
Mass. Mr. Chambers and the
Schola and Mass Ensemble
were an integral part of the
night, and much of the success
can be attributed to their
fantastic music. Then, Nick
Cortese ‘11 gave the first reading,
and, in the spirit of the
night, Mr. Cortese fittingly
gave the second.
After the Gospel
Reading, Father Arens’ sermon
was up next. He made
sure to focus on the night’s
schools and sister schools
have already had their Proms.
I will take this opportunity
to repeat the old adage and
overused cliché: Save the Best
for Last. Thus, by the commutative
property, because the
St. Sebastian’s Prom is saved
for last (in comparison to
other schools), it must be the
best. Now that we’ve covered
the algebra of it all, lets concentrate
on the tangibles—
you know, the real stuff.
Because this is a
Prom Preview, projections
are indeed an integral part of
the mix. I can undoubtedly
promise exquisite food, as
trendy Bostonian hotels never
fail to meet every expectation
in the dining realm. I can also
promise that there will be a
great deal of dancing occurring.
This might seem rather
ridiculous, because dancing is
very much the expected activity
of the evening at dances
such as this. However, I am
not merely speaking about
the awkward “arms-length”
slow dances that often occur
at the hands of the quietly
snickering, mean-spirited
Master of Ceremonies (the
MC/DJ). The DJ laying down
the plethora of bass-heavy
tracks at the St. Sebastian’s
Prom has been briefed by
the Powers That Be not to
let his fingers slip and press
“Play” on any “slow songs”. It
would be awkward if he did,
because the entire student
body present at the dance
would most likely recline on
the dance floor, waiting for
the DJ to take the hint. I liken
The Fathers and Sons of St. Sebastian’s enjoy some quality time together.
theme, giving a powerful sermon
about experiences with
his father during his childhood,
and about the memories
that he and his siblings
have of their father. I know
that many dads, including
mine, felt that the homily was
right on cue with how they
hope to be and what they try
to gain out of a night like last
Wednesday. Similarly, many
students felt the same way
about their fathers, which
should be expected due to the
fact that we all gave up on
precious homework time or
relaxation time (actually, no,
check that, definitely homework
and that’s it) to be with
our fathers during a ceremony
that many would consider
lame or just a plain waste of
time.
After Father Arens’
sermon, Communion, and
the closing remarks, the Mass
ended. We all then migrated
down to Ward Hall for dinner.
At this point, I’d like to
apologize to Joe for seven billion
kids asking him what was
for dinner only three minutes
the partygoers at this school
to one Ricky Bobby—we want
to go fast, and by God, we will
have our music fast. There is
no glamour (yeah, I threw the
‘ou’ in there) associated with
our prom. We will board a
bus. We will go into a hotel in
Boston, and we will have an
absurd time of it. You might
say, “Oh! It sounds like a really
gentlemanly, grandiose,
and august evening of piano
and dance!” and if you are
saying those things, woe to
you, because you have a jaded
vision of Prom’s true shining
reality. Don’t expect a tea
party, and also don’t expect
a fulfillment of all your life’s
dreams—expect a nice old Arrows
good time.
So, the scene is set.
A gorgeous hotel in the big
city, a bunch of vagabond
youths from a small town
private school, some dainty
finger sandwiches, and some
good music mixed with stellar
chaperoning. What more
could you ask for? The school
year is winding down, and
there is an empty Poland
Springs bottle of stress within
each one of us waiting to be
twisted and then opened so as
to produce a volcanic explosion.
Prom in many ways can
be our outlet of explosion is a
humane, relaxed, controlled,
and responsible manner.
If everyone goes in with a
good attitude, and as SADD
maintains, stays away from
destructive decisions, we
should be looking at the most
successful and fun prom in
recent history.
before we were about to eat.
It didn’t make sense then, but
we were quite hungry. Sorry
Joe! Anyway, he reported that
the dishes were stuffed shells,
chicken parmesan, spaghetti
and meatballs, and Caesar
salad, as well as choices of
soda and water, and finally
great rolls at every table.
That meal was flawless: I’m
still full.
Last came the Raffle
drawing. First prize was a
trip to Yankee Stadium in a
Delta Luxury Box game vs.
the Red Sox, as well as a hotel
room in New York. This went
to Connor and Tyler Wiik.
Secondly, Michael Hoff won
a new iPad. He was pumped.
Trust me.
Overall, with the great
songs, mass, dinner, and
raffle prizes, the Father-Son
Communion Supper was yet
another success. I’m sure it
will be next year, as the dinner
truly makes for the type
of close, Catholic bond between
Fathers and Sons that
our school promotes.

Vol LXII, No. 7
ARROWS SPORTS
Edmund Murphy ‘11 attempts to deliver some heat on the Sebillian turf.
Baseball Finishes Year Well
By ALEX SPEAR ‘11
The St. Sebastian’s Arrows
Varsity Baseball team started
the year playing extremely
well, and, in the second half of
the season, the Arrows continued
their success en route to
a twelve win, five loss season
(overall) and an 11-4 record in
ISL league play.
In the start of the
second half of the season, the
Arrows welcomed St. Paul’s to
campus, but the welcome was
not a nice one. The Arrows
gave St. Paul’s a beating, 14-0,
as Junior Edmund Murphy
pitched a shutout gem through
seven innings. The Arrows
were led by senior captain
Will Connolly and sophomore
Andrew Vandini, who contributed
3 hits apiece in the
rout. Riding a three game win
streak now, the Arrows traveled
to Belmont Hill the next
day. The game was promised
to be a showdown, and, oh yes,
it was a showdown. Johnny
Nicklas ’12 squared off against
the Belmont Hill pitcher as
neither pitcher gave an inch.
The Hillies managed to score
a quick two runs off Nicklas
early in the game, but the
Arrows bounced back in the
fourth inning as junior Alex
Spear was knocked in by a
base hit. The Arrows managed
to plate another, but Belmont
Hill put up a rebuttal and
notched another run to make
the game 3-2. Then, in the
top of the sixth inning, senior
Jimmy Fitzgerald came up
to the plate with runners on
second and third. After working
a good count, Fitz roped a
missile to the right-center gap,
scoring the tying and go-ahead
runs for the Arrows. Fired up
by Fitz’s hit, the Arrows held
off the Hillies in the bottom
of the sixth. But, in the seventh,
the Dark Side tied up the
game off of some well-struck
balls. In extra innings, the Arrows
had runners on second
and third with one out but
could not capitalize and the
score remained a tie at four
apiece. Then, in the bottom
of the eighth, with runners
on second and third with one
out, a Belmont Hill batter hit a
rocket out to right-center field
to win the game. Although a
great game, the Arrows got
their first ISL loss. It was an
extremely well-fought game
with superb defense. Lucas
Mykulak ’11 made several
nice plays at second base that
game. Two days later, the Red
and Black went to BB&N to
battle the top-ranked Knights.
Jared Clement pitched his butt
off for six innings, only salvaging
a few earned runs and
striking out multiple talented
hitters, but his own hitters
could not supply enough runs
as they faced a skilled adversary
on the mound. Although
another dirt-dog game, the
Arrows fell to the Knights 6-1.
After a difficult two
days against Belmont Hill and
BB&N, the Arrows shook it
off and managed to win seven
straight games. The Arrows
handily beat the Middlesex
Zebras 12-2, which featured
absolute bomb homeruns
from Will Connolly, Christian
Venditti, and Andrew Vandini.
Starter Edmund Murphy
pitched a phenomenal game
once again, holding off the
opponents and allowing his
team’s bats to do the damage.
The next day, the Arrows
hiked off to challenge a very
talented Lawrence Academy
team and responded
well. Starter Johnny Nicklas
had another outstanding,
complete-game effort en
route to leading his team to
an 8-4 victory. Connolly and
McGuirl got their team’s bats
started with back-to-back
hits that resulted in a run,
and Reenstierna, Connolly,
McGuirl, Clement, and Spear
all registered multi-hit performances.
The following day,
on a scorching hot Saturday
afternoon and after SAT’s,
the Arrows hosted a very,
very good Rivers Red Wings
squad. The game proved
to be an odd one, as walks
dominated the scoring. The
Arrows scored their first four
runs off of walks as Arrows
hurler, Clement, battled
hard for six innings on the
bump. A tie game entering
the bottom of the seventh, the
Arrows managed to load up
the bases for Chris Nadeau
’12 with two outs. With a 3-1
count, Nadeau drew a walk to
win the game for the Arrows,
marking the Arrows’ second
walk-off win of the season.
That Wednesday, the Arrows
ventured to Milton to play the
Mustangs, and the Arrows
quickly fell behind 2-0. After
Spear went down with a leg
injury in the second inning,
the Arrows marched back
and ended up winning the
game 6-5. Key base hits from
Johnny Nicklas, McGuirl,
Connolly, and Jim Fitzgerald
secured the Arrow victory.
Nicklas showed his fortitude
as he kept on battling the
whole game and got the victory.
Two days later, the Red
and Black hosted Governor’s
Academy for a low-scoring,
defensive matchup. Starter
Edmund Murphy picked up
the win and fanned 10 batters
en route to a fine perfor-
mance. Rightfielder Venditti
hosed a runner at the plate
in the first inning and made
a great diving catch later in
the game. Chris Nadeau was
phenomenal behind the plate
and Vandini made a bunch of
nice plays at third base. On a
rainy Wednesday, the Arrows
hosted St. Mark’s for a true
battle. The Arrows went down
2-0 early on, but clawed
their way back to make the
score 4-3 in the bottom of
the seventh. With a runner
on first base, Chris Nadeau
perfectly executed a sacrifice
bunt to move the runner to
second base with one out.
Jimmy Fitzgerald, with a
runner on second, smoked a
liner to left-center to drive in
the winning run and give the
Arrows their sixth straight
victory and their third walkoff
win. Reenstierna ’12 had
a nice game at shortstop.
That Saturday, the Arrows
squared off against a formidable
Brooks Academy squad,
and quickly tallied six runs.
Although Brooks managed
to get three runs, Edmund
Murphy shut down his opponents
for the remainder of
the game en route to another
one of his victories. Venditti
’10 made another web-gem
in rightfield. In front of the
Reunion Crowd, Nicklas,
McGuirl, Clement, and Connolly,
who hit a fat three-run
homer, which landed on the
lacrosse field, led the Arrow
attack on a fine Saturday
afternoon. After a tough loss
to Thayer Academy, where
Jared Clement and Andrew
Vandini combined for seven
innings, where Venditti hit a
missile home run into the tree
at Babson College, and where
the Arrows made a few defensive
errors en route to the 8-7
loss, the Arrows finished up
their regular season at home
against the RL Foxes. A true
battle, the Arrows went down
3-0 but managed to come
back 3-2 off of a Will Connolly
double to left. Nicklas
fought hard again on the
mound, and the Arrows were
gaining momentum going
into the sixth inning, but the
umpires decided to end the
game after five innings due to
unfavorable field conditions.
Therefore, the Arrows lost an
important matchup 3-2 and
their regular season was over.
On behalf of the team,
I would like to thank all our
parents and fans that came to
watch. On behalf of the players,
I would like to thank our
manager Sean Frazette ‘12
and our coaches Mr. Schell,
Mr. McCann, and Mr. Lepley
for all they did this season.
EDITORS’ NOTE: The WALRUS Staff apologizes for the lack of a Lacrosse article,
which did not reach us in time for publication. Congrats on your fantastic 15-2 season!
St. Sebastian’s School May 2010
Golf Dominates ISL Again
By D. ECCLESINE ‘11
The golf team set out this year
with very lofty goals, hoping
to follow last year’s success
with yet another ISL Championship.
After months of hard
work, the golf team was able
to grab both titles—the ISL
Match Play Tournament as
well as the ISL Tournament—
for the second straight year.
If one team member had a
rough day, it was a guarantee
that someone else would have
a stellar day. This is where the
true success for the golf team
came from.
The top four players
are seniors, and each has
had a massive impact on the
golf team. Playing numbers
one and two, respectively, are
Co-Captains Taylor Peck and
Robbie Donahoe, followed
closely at three and four by
Peter Cahill and Joe Bergeron.
These four seniors have been
the core of the golf team for
several years, and much of the
success of the team is a direct
result of their hard work and
dedication. Other senior members
include John Kavolius,
Tom Harrington, and Chris
Dillon, each of whom also
had several key wins in close
matches. These seniors are
simply not satisfied with a loss
or tie, and they will only settle
for victory. Their work ethic
and dedication is a true example
for the younger members
of the team.
The ISL itself
was incredibly competitive this
year. There were some real
powerhouses that fought hard
all year, most notably Thayer,
Belmont Hill, and Middlesex.
The golf team faced a difficult
opponent in only its second
match of the year against
Thayer, the major threat to a
repeat of the ISL Championship.
After some key wins, the
score was tied 3-3, and the final
match would be the one to
Tennis Slams Into Summer
By ANDREW DEMATTEO ‘11
At the end of this season,
the Varsity Tennis team has
been sorely depleted. The
core of seniors, who made up
the backbone of the team for
the last four years, is finally
graduating. They will be unable
to be replaced, and next
year’s team will not be as fun
or as crazy. Needless to say
with the departure of Captain
Ryan McCarthy, Scott Neuberger,
Dave Ruffalo, Chris
Moses, and Mike Falb, the
tennis team will never be the
same again. Now that they
are gone, the only person left
on the team, who remembers
these stories first hand will be
Connor Haughey.
The entire team from last
year was returning so everyone
felt confident about
the season. The rest of
the team included Terry
O’Connor, John Cheever,
and me (Andrew DeMatteo,
if you didn’t notice). Caleb
Aldrich, a new eighth grader,
was the only addition to the
team, which rounded out
the number to ten, a rather
large tennis team, but that
was okay. Around week six,
Captain Ryan McCarthy began
to experience restrictive
shoulder problems, which
sidelined him from playing
singles the rest of the season,
decide our undefeated season
early on. Luckily, the number
seven man that day had
closed out a victory on the
eighth. The team had avoided
a serious blow early on.
Success would continue
for the next several weeks,
despite facing some very
tough opponents. The squad
was able to squeeze out two
notable wins in a tri-match
against Thayer and Belmont
Hill, thanks to a great performance
by Charlie Callanan
on the ninth hole. He was
able to clinch an individual
tie against Thayer, and thus
a victory for the team. And
with our final match against
Belmont Hill and Middlesex,
the team was able to win both
and thus take home the ISL
Match Play Title for the second
consecutive year.
The ISL Tournament
also proved to be a successful
endeavor. The top five members
of the team played in this
tournament, with the top four
scores counting. The total of
our team was then compared
to the total of the other teams.
The site of this year’s tournament
was at Townsend Ridge
Golf Club, the home course of
Lawrence Academy. Therefore,
it was to the Arrows’
advantage that the team had
already played there and gotten
a feel for the front nine.
The back nine, however, was
not quite as well known, so
the team arrived early to walk
the back nine. Despite having
only played the course a few
times, the team was able to
post some low scores. Taylor
Peck ’10 shot a 75, Matt Michaud
’13 posted a 78, Robbie
Donahoe ’10 pulled out an 80,
Joe Bergeron ’10 managed an
82, and finally Peter Cahill ’10
took 84 strokes. The combination
of the four lowest
scores was enough to clinch a
victory for the Arrows, and St.
Seb’s was able to repeat a vic-
and was only able to play
doubles. This was a tough
injury for the team, as he
was the number three player,
but everyone else moved up
and performed admirably.
It should also be noted that
Coach Beilin joined the team
as an assistant coach and
along with Coach Richter and
Coach Thomas made up this
year’s coaching staff. Coach
Beilin was a great improvement
over Ned, (I don’t think
he had any other name), who
was an assistant last year.
The second half of the
year was much better than
the start. All the matches,
except Roxbury Latin, were
winnable and could have gone
either way. Right after the
heart breaking loss to Middlesex
came a chance to redeem
ourselves against Lawrence
Academy, which we did. Poor
Lawrence had no chance the
most games dropped in a
set was two, and they were
crushed. Next was a tough
loss to Rivers, which was followed
by a close win against
Governor’s (8-7). Following
the loss to St. Mark’s were
back to back wins against
Brooks and Thayer. The
Thayer win, more of a mauling,
was especially important.
It proved to us that the team
had come a long way from
tory at the ISL Tournament.
The golf team this
year was enormously successful
in attaining its lofty initial
goals. We set out from day
one hoping to go undefeated
(without any ties) and to take
home both championships.
After superb coaching by Mr.
Sullivan and Mr. McArthur,
the team was able to do just
that. These two men were the
forces behind our success:
their wisdom and advice on
the golf course is unmatched,
and their thoughts can really
make a difference. I especially
learned how valuable Mr.
Sullivan is on the first hole at
St. Mark’s Golf Course. The
hole was a short Par 4, and
Mr. Sullivan encouraged me
to hit a 7 iron off the tee, and
then a pitching wedge onto
the green. I was stubborn,
however, and I insisted on
hitting a driver, despite the
narrowness of the course. I
clearly should have heeded
the advice of my coach: I put
three consecutive balls into a
grave yard across the street.
Needless to say, I lost the
hole.
That anecdote is just
one of the numerous examples
of how integral our
coaches are in the success of
the golf team. They often go
unappreciated, and people
remark that a golf coach cannot
actually coach a team.
This is the farthest thing from
the truth. I cannot imagine
what our golf team would be
without the wisdom and advice
of Mr. Sullivan and Mr.
McArthur, and I know I speak
for the entire team when I say
that we have an enormous
amount of respect for them.
On behalf of the entire golf
team, I would like to express
my sincere thanks to Mr.
Sullivan and Mr. McArthur.
Thanks for a great season,
one we will never forget.
the beginning of the year, and
was much better at the end
of the season than the beginning.
The team ladder fluctuated
most of the season, especially
after the Captain got hurt, but
it eventually settled on Connor
Haughey at number one
singles, Scott Neuberger at
number two, John Cheever
at number three, Terry
O’Connor at number four, me
at number five, and Dave Ruffalo
at number six. Doubles
changed even more often,
and while Scott and Connor
played together most of the
year at number one, I played
with Connor the last four
matches in preparation for
next year. Likewise number
two was also jumbled. At the
beginning of the season, Ryan
and I played there, and after
much switching it eventually
ended with Scott and Ryan.
The third doubles was played
at the end by John and Terry;
however Dave did substitute
in occasionally.
It really was a great season,
everyone had worked hard
and had a good time. DT
even got his grill out twice
this year. No doubt Coach
Richter will have said everything
I said and more during
his presentation at the athletic
awards ceremony.