April 30, '11 edition of OPEN - Oratory Preparatory School

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OPEN
Oratory Prep’s Electronic Newsbits April 30, 2011
National Art Honor Society Chapter Formed
A sheet cake from
Natale’s Bakery,
above, proved to be
a work of art in its
own right.
Above, the inductees included from left,
senior Tom Amundson, senior Spencer
Berstler, senior Jon Schwolsky, senior
Daniel Sommer, junior James O’Hara,
sophomore Alex McDonald, sophomore
Kegan O’Brien and junior Tim Kelly,
the vice president of the society. Missing
from the photo is senior Wyatt Craig.
Newly elected president senior Thomas
Amundson, left, lights his candle in the
National Art Honor Society induction
ceremony.
Jazz Band Swings at Arts Alive!
S
even
songs by the Jazz
Band under the baton of
Dr. Clifford Whitelegg,
music teacher, entertained the
Arts Alive! audience on April
14. Special moments of the
songs, which opened and
closed the night, include “Pick
up the Pieces” with soloist
David Batista and “Rock
Around the Clock” conducted
by senior Brian Croneberger.
Guitars, violin, percussion and brass combine for the
smooth sound of the Oratory Jazz Band.
A
rt Teacher Mrs.
Susan Preston is
rightly proud that a
chapter of the National
Art Honor Society, the
Michelangelo Chapter, is now
officially a way to recognize the
talent of students who take art
classes at OP. “I have wanted to
be able to set outstanding art
students on a recognition path
ever since I got to Oratory ten
years, ago,” she said.
The Arts Alive! celebration of
the arts on Thursday, April 14
featured the induction ceremony
with candle lighting and an exhibition
of student work as well as
a band concert.
“These boys fit all of the criteria
—including service projects—so
it was the perfect time to apply
for our chapter,” the adviser/teacher
said.

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PAGE 2
Inductions to Quill & Scroll
A
t the St. Philip Neri Breakfast on April 19, inductions to the Quill &
Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists
were held. Below, inductees light their candles from the candle of
truth, held by Jon Schwolsky. Omega (newspaper) adviser Frank Kearns
and Aries (yearbook) adviser Michelle Gribbin nominated the students for
inclusion into the society because of their outstanding contribution to their
high school publications.
Introducing the candidates for induction
to Quill & Scroll is Mrs. Michelle
Gribbin, the school’s journalism
teacher and adviser to the Aries, the
school’s yearbook that will be distributed
to all students in June.
2011 Inductees: At right, senior
Jon Schwolsky, seated, senior Harris
Hoke, junior Tim Lynch, senior Joe Ghio,
junior Jordan Spritzer and junior Fernando
Garcia. Missing from photo is
Bobby Vander Meulen.
Inducted last year: Wyatt
Craig, Christopher Kraft, Tobi Kraft,
Joe Koomar and Brandon Deger.
Seniors who are in the society will be
honored at graduation by wearing blue
and gold cords over their graduation
gowns and have the Quill & Scroll seal
on their diplomas.
St. Philip Neri Scholars Honored at Breakfast
t the third and final St.
A Philip Neri breakfast of
the year, Mr. Bob Costello
commended the twenty-one
students from all grades on
maintaining their grade point
average despite snow day interruptions.
“Seniors should especially
by applauded for staying the
course,” he told the boys and
their parents. “It’s easy to
slack off once you’ve been accepted
to college, and I’m
proud of these seniors for
maintaining their excellent
grades,” Mr. Costello said.
Mr. Bob Costello shakes the hand of
Mario Nasta while Mr. Owen
McGowan gets ready to present the
junior with his certificate of merit.
Ninth grader James O’Toole is congratulated by the
administrators as parents finish their coffee and
breakfast. The St. Philip Neri breakfast was also the
site of the Quill & Scroll International Honorary Society
for High School Journalists and the parents of the
inductees.

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APRIL 30,2011 PAGE OPEN 3
Transitioning from the old to the New
Student Council Leaders Selected for 2012
Michael Rosella, outgoing
Student Council President,
below, thanks the student
body for the “honor and
privilege of serving as your
president this year.”
Photo by James O’Hara
Senior Retreat
Candidate Ken Mika who was voted
Student Council President 2012.
Candidates Ken Mika, Tim Lynch,
Andrew Marshall and Josh Velazquez,
at left, are ready to answer questions
on the day of their speeches.
Candidates for junior
class CEO, from left:
Matt D’Angelo, Brian
Durkin, Matt Munro and
Evan Warshauer. Munro
was named the winner on
April 19, the day after the
speeches were delivered
followed by the question
Photo by James O’Hara and answer period.
I
t’s not easy giving speeches for some people, but
candidates for positions on the 2012 Student
Council did just that on April 18 when they faced
the student body with their ideas and plans for
next year.
After candidates got signatures by teachers, had their
speeches approved, waged a campaign with flyers, they
read their speeches to an all-school assembly and then
fielded questions from the outgoing council president.
T
he senior retreat saw the Class of 2011 heading to the Kearny Retreat Center where the
boys played “nose jousting “and a Ninja game. On a serious note, Sam, their presenter for
the day, discussed major elements of being a man. In between sessions, Christian music
played and the boys were asked to sing along with words projected on a giant screen.
A little rain
didn’t dampen
the spirits of
the boys on
their last retreat
together
as they
returned to the
main building
after lunch.
Boys cheer on their favorite Ninja moves by classmates.
Finalists of the competition face off in the Ninja game that was,
according to D.J. Toft, “awesome.”

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PAGE 4
O
n April 28,
the Star
Ledger
named the Oratory
Varsity Tennis Team
a “Team to Watch”
and cited Jack
Waltzinger, Mac
Dolan, Jordan Hendy
and Christian Knight
as “standouts for
Oratory thus far.”
The team got their
chance to shine recently
at Union
County Tournament
where Jordan Hendy,
and Christian
Knight, first doubles
team, won fourth
place.
Tennis Team Ledger’s “One to Watch”
From practice, Photos by
James O’Hara
etting ready
G for the twoday
Counties,
members of the
tennis team wait
for the bus in the
lobby. For Loren
Reinoso, it was his
first time at the
Counties and said
it was an interesting
experience.
“We went in without any warm up practice, unfortunately,” he said,
so he and his second doubles partner Connor Riley “went in cold,”
literally and figuratively, on a gray, bitterly cold Thursday.
Winning Continues for LAX and Baseball
Baseball Ranked No. 10
T
uesday, April 26th’s
Star Ledger ranked
the Oratory Varsity
Baseball Team as number
10 in Union County. Head
Coach Pat Gist was rightfully
pleased. “The boys are
consistent and playing well,”
he said of their 8-4 record as
of April 27.
At the Hillside game on Cavalero Memorial
Field, senior Rich Jacobs is next in the batting
order. The Rams were victorious that day with
an impressive 14 –2.
Senior
Mac
Dolan at
practice.
Mario Nasta and Greg Toye
practice on home courts.
Jordan Spritzer displays fine form at
home against Hillside on April 21.
Brandon Deger checks stats
with Anthony Trusso.
Track Team finishes Undefeated
T
he track team finished their dual meet season undefeated
with a win over Roselle Catholic on April 26.
Reportedly, this is the first time in Oratory track history
that they have hit this noteworthy accomplishment.
Fueling up before a Game
aybe it was the pasta
M dinner (above) that
the lacrosse team had recently
that propelled them
in doing well this year. It’s
probably because of great
playing.
Chris Billups and Andrew
Kontra were named
by the Star Ledger as two
LAX players to watch. The
Ledger said: “...Kontra
fired in a career high five
goals and Billups had two
goals as Oratory defeated
Newton 9-1, to launch a
four game winning
streak...Kontra has recorded
16 goals and three
assists with Billups at 13
goals and seven assists”
to date.

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Cheering on the athletes, above, OP National
Honor Society members try to stay warm on a chilly
Saturday morning, From left, Anthony Perrella,
Chris Ditta, Mike Brennan, Mike Pacelli, Tom
Ward, and Matt Kelly.
At right, many of our teen volunteers gather at
the sign announcing the Middlesex and Union
County Special Olympics track and field event that
was held at Carteret High School on Saturday, April
16, 2011.
After checking and recording
scores of the softball throw,
junior Mike Sbarra and senior
Colin McReynolds chat
with one of the athletes.
At right, the boys line up
for hamburgers that they
cooked earlier in the day for
the athletes and the high
school volunteers.
An athlete asks for
divine strength.
Matt Billups and Tim Lynch try
to warm up over the grill coals.
PAGE 5
NHS
Volunteers
Learn
‘Special’
Meaning
M
rs. Ann
Geissler had a
vision of volunteerism
and when she
shared it with the National
Honor Society, they were
up for the challenge of
helping at the Special
Olympics held on Saturday,
April 23 at Carteret
High School.
The OP bus left for the event
at 7 a.m. and although the temperature
during the week
reached 75 degrees, that gray,
cool day barely reached 45.
“This is crazy,” said Matt
Billups, referring to the cold
spring weather with a wind chill
that made it feel like the 30s.
But warmth came from helping
the athletes who participated
in wheelchair events, running
events, the softball throw
and other track and field
events.
Mrs. Geissler said she
was proud of the boys
and their work ethic.
“To get up that early,
brave the cold and participate
so fully, I was
pleased with them.”
She anticipates what
she calls a “partnership
with Special Olympics
and the National Honor
Society boys” in the
coming years.

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Phone: 908-273-
1084, x 46
If you have information or photos to
share, please send them to OPEN
editor Susan Dougherty
PR Coordinator
E-mail: sdougherty@oratoryprep.org
Prayer Service for Holy Week
T
he
school celebrated Holy Week with a special prayer service
the day before Easter break. Fr. Sal explained that the service
was comprised of three parts: Readings from Sacred Scripture,
the Prayer of Petition and Veneration of the Cross. He explained
to the boys that the veneration was an age-old custom that is an act of
devotion. After Joe Mascolo, Chris Ditta and Tim Lynch proclaimed
the word from Isaiah and Hebrews and read the prayer, Fr. Sal read
from the Gospel of John. He explained that the English phrase that we
attribute to Christ, “It is finished,” taken from ancient Greek language,
really means “paid in full.”
Fr. Sal explained, “When Christ cried out the one single Greek
word, he was saying he paid for our original sin in full.”
In his homily, the chaplain encouraged the boys to continue to
strive to become young men who “walk in the light of God.”
Veneration of the Cross entails kissing the statue of
Christ as exhibited above by senior Chris Nunn.
Fr. Sal DiStefano blesses the boys at the Prayer Service
on Wednesday, April 20. Special ministers for the service
were juniors Joe Mascolo, Tim Lynch and Chris Ditta.
Juniors
Named
by
NMSC
Daniel Santos, Loren Reinoso and Fernando Garcia were
notified by Owen McGowan, Dean of Academics, that they
were recognized by the 2012 National Merit Scholarship
Corporation’s Program. The junior boys were included in
this honor because of their Selection Index Score of 202 or
above. Each of these students is among the 50,000 highestscoring
participants of some 1.5 million program entrants
taking the PSATs. From the 50,000, approximately 16,000
will be named National Merit Semifinalists next year.
Koomar Accepted to West Point
C
ongressman Leonard
Lance has nominated
Joe Koomar, senior,
to the United States Military
Academy at West Point.
Joe, an involved senior,
who is the Omega’s editor in
chief and a sports columnist
for the local weekly paper,
said he became interested in
West Point when he attended
the Eisenhower Conference
last spring.
He was named the school’s
Eisenhower Leadership Recipient
last May, attended
the Summer Leaders Seminar
at West Point and has
been there for visits and
conferences this school
year.
When asked why he was
interested in West Point, he
shared, “ I want to start my
adult life as an army officer.
The school will provide
the leadership skills to put
me in good stead for whatever
I choose to have as a
career later in life.”
OPEN APRIL 30, 2011 PAGE 6