Tarmac October 2007.pdf - Chaminade High School

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FLYERS ON THE GO, DURING AND AFTER SCHOOL FLIGHT PATH 20 Flyers Attend Civil War Institute at Gettysburg by Andrew Scarpitta ‘10 T rekking through a wooded area on the outskirts of Gettysburg National Park, 14 Chaminade students, one alumnus, and four moderators came across a clearing. In it, they discovered a grave marker with the epitaph “Edward I. Florence, Pennsylvania, Mech. Co. D. 60 Inf., 5 Division, World War I, November 19, 1895 – June 4, 1958.” “This grave marker belonged to a mechanic with the first group of tanks ever sent into war,” explained Bro. Lawrence Syriac, who organized the trip to Gettysburg. “The gravestone had been removed for some reason and dumped on the perimeter of the park. Later, we found out that a replacement grave marker has been placed in the National Cemetery at Gettysburg.” This almost 50-year-old piece of history represents just one of the many highlights of this year’s trip to the Gettysburg Civil War Institute. Sophomore Pat Schmitz was particularly excited at this historical find: “It was a completely unexpected discovery during our excursion to a place that is so important to our country. The entire trip made me feel that I had a real connection to America’s past.” Held annually at Gettysburg College, the Civil War Institute does indeed provide “a real connection to America’s past.” This year, the Institute ran from Sunday, June 24 to Saturday, June 30. When the group arrived, Bro. Lawrence wasted no time in giving a tour of the famous battlefield. The students saw both Culp’s Hill and Power’s Hill, crucial vantage points on the battlefield. Another memorable part of the trip was an auction of original Civil War memorabilia. The most expensive and unique item offered was a rifle from 1863 that sold for $3,000. During the trip, the group was able to rub elbows with a number of Civil War experts, including James Future Leaders Convene at Boys’ State FLIGHT PATH by Dennis Grabowski ‘08 Every student learns about democracy over the course of his education, but how many get the chance to live it before they are old enough to vote? In New York State, the number of students who receive such an opportunity is approximately 1,100 a year. From June 24 to June 30, Jack Gamber ’08, Gary Dawes ’08, Cody Alt ’08, and Dennis Grabowski ’08 were among the 1,000plus young men attending Boys’ State, a week-long program meant to introduce high-school seniors throughout New York to the practices of democracy, the workings of the political process, and the merits of patriotism. “Boys’ State, the name the American Legion chose for the program, refers Students listen intently as Bro. Lawrence Syriac guides them on a tour of the Gettysburg battlefield. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom, and Dr. Gabor Boritt, author of The Gettysburg Gospel. Chaminade’s own Civil War expert, Bro. Lawrence Syriac, went with the students as both a member of the Civil War Institute and a guide. The theme for this year’s Civil War seminars and lectures was the Battle of Fredericksburg, the site of the first amphibious assault in history. More than 10,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in this pivotal battle. On Tuesday, historian Francis Augustín O’Reilly conducted a walking tour of Fredericksburg. The Flyers were privileged to accompany him. “This trip helped me see the battle in a different way,” said sophomore Dan Tierney. “I had access to new information that cannot be found in books or online, which was awesome.” to the opportunity to be politically active, even as young people,” said Bro. Lawrence Syriac, who regularly encourages members of the Social Studies Club to attend. “It is a good opportunity for them to practice leadership. It also teaches them different skills that they wouldn’t normally be able to find in a school environment,” Bro. Lawrence said. The week was filled with meetings, assemblies, athletics, and speeches given by prominent politicians. Among all of the activities, however, a few constants helped to give the week its fairly regimented structure. Led by the Marines, physical training began each morning at 6:00 a.m., and it was “definitely a good idea to be on (l.-r.) Seniors Cody Alt, Gary Dawes, Dennis Grabowski, and Jack Gamber learned valuable lessons in politics and government at Boys’ State. time,” according to Cody Alt. See “ State,” page 18. Tarmac • October 2007
Outward Bound by Brendan O’Shea ‘09 T P here is more to us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps for the rest of our lives, we will be unwilling to settle for less.” Kurt Hahn described the Outward Bound program that he founded in 1961 with these simple but profound words. Since its inception, Outward Bound has helped hundreds of thousands of young people discover their potential, challenging them to test their mettle in a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, camping, canoeing, and kayaking. Each year, Chaminade has nominated one student to attend Outward Bound. Director of guidance Mr. Daniel Petruccio, who oversees the selection process, reports that past CHS delegates to the program have called it a “wonderful experience.” Joe Kaplan ’05, a cadet at West Point, told Mr. Petruccio Eamonn Cummings ‘08 that Outward Bound was “a kayaks around the San huge part of the process that Juan Islands in the helped me choose my career.” Pacific Northwest. Eamonn Cummings ’08 was this year’s CHS delegate to Outward Bound. From the many Outward Bound programs offered throughout the United States, Eamonn chose to sea-kayak around the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest. Eamonn and the other members of his team embarked from Shaw Island, off the coast of Washington, and traveled to seven other islands, making a stop at the Lummi Indian Reservation and ending in Bowman Bay. Eamonn thoroughly enjoyed seeing “nature preserved in its pristine state” and visiting islands “with no one around.” The “best part” of Eamonn’s kayaking adventure was “learning how to navigate by using the tides and currents.” And what did Eamonn discover about himself? “I learned about kayaking, but mostly I learned leadership skills and how to take charge of a group when usually I let someone else lead.” Rebuilding New Orleans by Brandon Pues ‘10 acking into the car after work, my family and I drove to the infamous Lower Ninth Ward to see for ourselves the destruction of Katrina,” said Conor Finnegan ‘08. “Even while we were crossing the bridge to get there, we sensed a complete change; it was completely empty.” Conor, along with his brother Danny ’11, witnessed the devastation of New Orleans firsthand. Even though the city is more than two years removed from Hurricane Katrina, many neighborhoods are still devastated, and the Finnegans were determined to help in the rebuilding process. They volunteered with Habitat for Humanity from August 5 to August 10, working on two houses in Jefferson Parish, a neighborhood that was hit particularly hard by Katrina. Their work included installing siding, painting the exterior of the houses, putting up Sheetrock, and building an attic floor. “We became involved with Habitat because, after visiting my brother several times at Tulane [University], we fell in love with the city,” said Conor. “We would definitely encourage anyone interested in volunteering for Habitat for Humanity,” said Danny. “It was a great feeling seeing the neighbors understand that people still cared about rebuilding the city.” Flyers Attend Leadership Programs This Summer Participants Gain Experience in Fields of Medicine, Law, and National Security by Ryan Krebs ‘09 W e walked in the room, and the medical student pulled the cover off the examining table. The cadaver staring back at us reeked of embalming fluids,” said junior Alex Kamath. “The student then proceeded to point out all the major organs, including the brain, lungs, intestines, and heart.” Alex gained insight into the medical field, including a look at the human anatomy, during a session of the National Youth Leadership Forum. This summer, thousands of high-school students participated in similar programs throughout the country. Students who received nominations for the National Youth Leadership Forum, National Student Leadership Conference, and Global Youth Leadership Conference attended programs in one of six cities, including Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. Juniors Andrew Curiale, Mike Gaffney, Alex Kamath, Ryan Krebs, and Chris Rypl, and seniors Ricky DeCicco, Mike Osorio, and Mike Sehn attended the NYLF; seniors Abner Fernandez, Victor Garcia, John Giammarino, and Pat Gillespie participated in the NSLC; and seniors Michael Mink and Zach Wynkoop went to the GYLC. The NYLF program offered students the opportunity to specialize in medicine, law, and national security. “The program I attended wasn’t just about medicine,” said Mike Gaffney ’09. “It was about the camaraderie we developed Conor Finnegan ‘08 (l.), Danny Finnegan ‘11 (3rd from l.), and their family volunteered for Habitat for Humanity. with high-school students around the nation.” (l.-r.) Seniors Mike Osorio, John Giammarino, Zach Wynkoop, Victor Garcia, Michael Mink, and junior Matt Fitzsimons studied various topics at leadership programs over the summer. Tarmac • October 2007 FLIGHT PATH Photo by Phil Falzone ‘08 21
Page 1 and 2: TARMAC Newspaper of the Chaminade F
Page 3 and 4: It All Begins with a Handshake A Re
Page 5 and 6: Don’t Drink the Water . . . But D
Page 7 and 8: Flyer Rower Competes in Beijing Ant
Page 9 and 10: COUNTRY ROADS, TAKE ME HOME Flyers
Page 11 and 12: Teaching Halfway Around the World P
Page 13 and 14: BUILDERS BECOME A “BAND OF BROTHE
Page 15 and 16: TARMAC Newspaper of the Chaminade F
Page 17 and 18: “Things have really changed in th
Page 19: As always, the event began with Mas
Page 23 and 24: Show Me the Money! Ad Drive Hopes t
Page 25 and 26: Bad As Their Bark After this blast
Page 27 and 28: PARA Chutestrings Nothing Like a Ga

Tarmac October 2007.pdf - Chaminade High School

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