February 28, '10 edition of OPEN - Oratory Preparatory School

OPEN
Oratory Prep’s Electronic Newsbits, February 2010
I F Y O U H A V E I N F O , C A L L S U S A N D O U G H E R T Y , X 4 6
Ash Wednesday Signals Beginning of Lent
Father Sal
Offers Ashes
S
eniors line
up for ashes.
Fr. Sal distributes
ashes to
Dwayne Jordan.
A
fter Mass on Ash Wednesday, the altar servers pose for a picture
with Father Sal. “There is always room for boys to join our group
of servers,” Fr. Sal explained.
Be merciful, Lord,
“ for we have sinned,”
Father Sal began his
homily on Ash
Wednesday. “Yesterday
is history; tomorrow is
a mystery and today is
a gift,” he explained.
“Are we stuck in guilt
of the past,” he asked.
Lent means “spring
time”, so it is a time for
spiritual spring cleaning.
These physical
ashes remind us of our
sinfulness and our
need to change.”
Father Looks for a
Few Good Men
F
ather Sal has issued an invitation
to all boys to be involved in the
school Masses. “Being an altar
server is an honor, a privilege and is a
witness to one’s Christian faith,” he said
after Ash Wednesday’s service.
“We have a core of dedicated, wonderful
boys who assist in Mass, but we
are always looking for more,” he said.
Not only do the boys gain experience
by volunteering, they provide a service
to their school.
“Let me encourage everyone to
search their heart to share their gifts
and talents in this manner,” he said.
W
ith a representative check of the money
raised for Haiti relief, Mrs. Cathy Marshall,
freshman Nana Cancam, Student Council
president Nick Luther and Fr. Sal smile at the thought of
doing good for the earthquake victims.
Council Helps
Haiti Victims
N
ana Camcan, a
sophomore, went
to Mrs. Cathy Marshall,
the Campus
Ministry moderator, to ask
what Oratory could do for
the people of Haiti. Her
solution? A dress down day
run by Student Council in
February to raise more
than $1,200. “We decided
to give the money to
Catholic Charities since it
has been an established
entity there for years. “

PAGE 2
Winners of
Math Competition
Announced
Math Competition
Middle School Winner:
Augie Atencio
Freshman Winner:
Winner : Scott Turtur
Runner-up: Alex Berberi
Sophomore Winner:
Dan Santos
Junior/Senior Winner:
Bobby Vander Meulen
Highest Overall Score:
Scott Turtur
Faculty/Staff Winner: Mrs. Mahan
fter Mass on Ash Wednesday, Dr.
A Peter Astor announced the names
of the winners of the Christmas Math
Competition. He announced the names
of the young men listed to the left and
congratulated all who entered the
competition. $25 gift cards to Best
Buy were given to the winners in
each grade category.
Ski photos by parent Greg Mayer
Ski Trip to Vermont Offers Fun on the Slopes
The boys wisely obey the posted signs.
On cold
days, warm
friendships
ignite.
R
eady
to
hit the
slopes
(from top
left) are Matt Ciolino,
James Peter
O’Toole, Greg
Mayer and in
front, Jon Tice
and Vlad Marhefka.
Greg Mayer catches air.
Their own Winter Olympics
“
Conditions improved every day because
it snowed every night,” chaperone Rob
Crum said of the recent ski trip to
Smuggler’s Notch in Vermont. A total
of forty-four students, faculty/staff chaperones
and parents boarded the coach bus for the six
and 1/2 - hour trip.
Skiing the Black Diamond, the hardest trails
and glades runs in the trees was a blast for teens
and adults alike.
Mr. Walter Crum, who has been running the
event for 35 years, said, “Although we had a few
minor mishaps that caused three trips to the local
hospital, we had a great time.”
Dan Pallone offered special thanks and acknowledgement
to Walter Crum, Sherry Mahan, Jonathan
Gordon, and Robert Crum for their planning, organizing,
nursing, and chaperoning the weekend.
“The young men were very well-behaved and made
me proud to be an Oratory parent,” he said in an e-
mail.
Walter Crum’s favorite moment came at the Saturday
night Mass at St. Mary’s where he said he
“never heard the kids sing so loud as in that
church.”

FEBRUARY 2010 OPEN PAGE 3
Tracking the Scores: Team off to Championship
Golden Moments from the
2010 Winter Track Team’s Season
Tom Herrel
Evan Warshauer
Mike Brennan
Meet of Champions:
February 27, 2010
C
oach Mike Firestone announced
the results of the
winter track team at the
Group Championships in Toms
River on Friday, February 19:
OUR TEAM: 6th PLACE
400 Meter Run: 4th– Gavin Brown
800 Meter Run: 4th - Mike Brennan
Joe Mascolo
Gavin Brown
55 Meter Hurdles: 3rd -
Alex Martynetz
1600-Meter Relay — 4th
Bobby Vander Meulen, Alex
Martynetz, Mike Brennan and Gavin
Brown
Alex Martynetz
Digno Andino
he four boys in the 1600
T Meter Relay have now
qualified for the Meet of Champions
on February 27, 2010 in
Toms River since they were in
the top 24 competitors’ category
in the state in their event.
Mock Trial Finishes in Regionals
F
or five of the
past seven years,
Oratory ‘s Mock
Trial Team has earned
the title of Union
County Champions.
Under the direction of
moderator Bill Martin,
the team competed in
the regional round at
the New Jersey Law
Center in New Brunswick.
On Tuesday, February
23, the team won
against Mercer
County’s champion.
The trial judges, Barbara
Turen and Richard
Chusid, had nothing
but praise for the Oratory
team. “A courtroom
is theater where
performance is key,”
Ms. Turen said. She
cited seniors Wyatt
Craig and Sean Doddy’s
performances as
“marvelously good” as
the defendant and a
witness. She also mentioned
Harris Hoke’s
February 28, 2010
bow tie as a “great
touch” for his expert
witness demeanor.
“They did a superlative
job,” the lawyer
said. “Their level of
preparation and understanding
of procedural
issues was outstanding.
I don’t often see so
much brilliance in one
room,” she continued.
Moderator Martin
added his kudos. “This
team did their preparation
and I’m proud of
what they were able to
accomplish.”
Defense preparation. Chris Kraft, Sean Doddy
and Taylor Rosenbauer, part of the defense team, prepares
in the Gibbons Room of NJ Law Center in New
Brunswick on Tuesday, February 23 for Regionals
where the team won their first round and lost the second
to North Brunswick.

If you have information or photos to share,
please send them to OPEN editor
Susan Dougherty, PR Coordinator
Phone: 908-273-1084, extension 46
E-mail: sdougherty@oratoryprep.org
OPEN
February 28, 2010
B
irdie on a Perch is one
of the ice breaker games
that kicked off the seventh
grade retreat.
C
ircling during the ice breaker,
the boys had a fun day while
bonding with each other and
deepening their relationship with
God. Mr. Jonathan Gordon, religion
teacher, ran the retreat day with the
help of Fr. Sal and the senior retreat
leaders.
7th Grade Retreat
“ THINGS
that people
give us
don’t equate love,”
Mr. Gordon said.
He ripped up yellow
posters to
prove a point.
I
n
Newman Hall, Mr. Gordon explains that the
cross is the ultimate expression of God’s love
to us—not the giving of goods or things.