Tarmac October 2007.pdf - Chaminade High School

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Flyers Travel South to Serve Flood, Falzone, Cunningham, and Kutner Volunteer in Central American Missions 22 by Conor Finnegan ‘08 Four Flyers headed south this past summer – not to the ocean beaches of the South Shore, nor to Florida’s popular tourist attractions, nor to the Caribbean’s tropical resorts. No, these four Flyers traveled to some of the poorest parts of Latin America. There, they worked as missionaries, lending a helping hand and bringing hope where both are frequently in short supply. Leaving on Friday, June 22 for nine days, seniors Ryan Flood and Phil Falzone journeyed together to Ticuantepe, Nicaragua, with Phil’s mother, Ryan’s father and uncle, and eleven other volunteers from the organization “Bridges to Community.” Ticuantepe is a suburb of the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, but still remains an impoverished and destitute area. One quarter of the population cannot read, and the people often live without water for days. “Bridges to Community” has been working with local leaders and citizens since 2002, building better homes and one school. Ryan, Phil, and the other volunteers constructed a home for a large family that had previously lived in a tin-roofed “shack” with no door, a dirt floor, and only two beds. “I was stunned when we first got there,” said Ryan. “I could not believe this is how they lived day after day.” After one week, however, the group had built a new house made of cement blocks, and while the family still does not have “things that we take for granted,” like running water, “they were so happy and even began to cry tears of joy,” said Ryan. “This type of service opened my eyes to what is really out there,” said Phil. Ryan added, “I took away a sense of how fortunate I am to have the life that I live. I must always remind myself that, no matter how ‘bad’ life may seem here, it is still miles above the way the people live in Nicaragua.” Sophomore Conor Kutner also visited a Latin American country during his summer break. From July 6 to 15, Conor traveled throughout Guatemala with his father, older brother, and a group of volunteers, bringing clothes to the needy of the country. Fr. Tom Moran, a missionary priest in Guatemala, led the group to the various FLIGHT PATH Above: Ryan Flood ‘08 sees the benefits of his work in the smile of a young Nicaraguan girl. Right: Conor Kutner ‘10 distributes clothes to Guatemalan children. villages where he has taught and worked for thirty years. There, the volunteers distributed clothes, prayed, celebrated Mass, and came together in the people’s homes to enjoy a meal and each other’s company. “They gave us such a receptive welcoming,” said Conor, “despite the fact that they have nearly nothing compared to us.” As is the case in Nicaragua, most housing in Guatemala is substandard. Most houses are built of straw and mud, although some are made of cinder blocks. Most of the time, a family of six will live in a single 7’ x 10’ room without running water or even a floor. “It really puts things in perspective,” said Conor. “Life is not about money or material possessions. These people who have it so rough are some of the happiest people I’ve ever seen because they have what matters most – family, friends, and faith.” The final Flyer to trek south was Greg Cunningham ’08. Accompanied by twenty other students from St. Mary’s in Manhasset, his local parish, Greg traveled to San Manuel Chaparrón, Guatemala, from June 24 to 30, where he and the others distributed clothing, toys, and candy and painted the local school, the Mother Teresa School. A small town four miles from Guatemala City, San Manuel Chaparrón is better off than most other towns and villages. The people have just enough to support themselves, and running water works about every other day. In the smaller, surrounding villages, however, “conditions are terrible,” said Greg. “There were families of eight living in a 12’ x 15’ single-room shack with no running water at all.” Despite these dire living conditions, the people were “great, especially the kids.” Every day, after several long, hard hours of work, the American students competed against the Guatemalan youngsters in a friendly game of fútbol. “At the beginning of the week, we were terrible at soccer, but by the end, we were just as good, making the games really fun and exciting,” said Greg. “It was a good cultural exchange, but it also helped to break down the language barrier that we faced in the beginning, bringing us closer together.” “I really learned a lot from those kids. Never take anything for granted; always remember that there are people who could use your help; and know that even the smallest deeds, like donating your old clothes or painting a house, can go a long way,” said Greg. Perhaps Conor Kutner put it best: “It was the best trip I’ve ever taken.” In fact, the others agree so much that Ryan Flood and Phil Falzone both plan on returning next summer, and all four would highly recommend this kind of trip to other Flyers. “I would definitely recommend it to anyone, because this was one of the most influential trips of my life,” said Ryan. “Anyone who gets the chance to go on this trip or a similar one should definitely take that opportunity.” Homerun Hopefuls Milk cartons replace gloves. Rocks replace balls. These are the adaptations that underprivileged and impoverished children make to play baseball in many underdeveloped countries. Jordan Ott ’09 traveled to the Dominican Republic from August 20 to 28 to participate in Homerun Hopefuls, a non-profit project that brings new and slightly used baseball equipment to underprivileged children. For eight days, Jordan traveled from town to town, playing by Brett Wishart ‘08 catch and giving dozens of children new equipment and, in turn, new hope. Jordan visited 14 towns, including Peralta, Negro Santo, and a Haitian refugee camp, organizing pick-up games with the local children. “Most of the places we went to were so poor that the kids would beg us for our shoes and clothing,” said Jordan. “I realized that what I regard as such a small thing could change someone’s life down there. We always felt good at the end of the day.” Tarmac • October 2007
Show Me the Money! Ad Drive Hopes to Rake in the Dough for Yearbook by Allen Buzzeo ‘10 Show me the money!” The 2008 Crimson and Gold ad drive chose this classic line from the film Jerry Maguire as its theme, as staff members decorated the halls with colorful posters of $100 bills. On Monday, September 17, John Buonocore ’08 and Dan Sheehan ’08, the editors-in-chief of the yearbook staff, officially kicked off this year’s drive. Appearing on ETV, Chaminade’s closed-circuit television network, John and Dan urged the student body to raise $220,000 by Monday, October 15. They specifically asked the Senior Class to raise $125,000 to pay for their own full-color section in the final yearbook of their Chaminade careers. “Selling ads is easy. All you have to do is ask, and you will be surprised with the results,” said Mr. Daniel Petruccio, financial moderator of the Crimson and Gold. “The students’ enthusiasm contributes enormously to the success of this awardwinning yearbook every year. They take a lot of pride in the finished product, and they support it by selling ads.” One Last Farewell for the Class of ‘07 Yearbook BBQ Unites the Newest Alumni Before They Set Off for College by Michael Bucaria ‘10 L ike most Long Island teenagers, Chaminade’s most recent graduates spent their time “hanging out” with their friends, earning some extra cash, and getting ready to leave for college. On Friday, August 10, however, they reported to school one last time, for one last “afternoon assembly,” so to speak, at the annual Yearbook Distribution Barbecue. Two groups, the Alumni Association The Crimson and Gold rewarded a 15% commission to each student who sold an ad in the first week of the drive. Each student who sold an ad during the remaining three weeks earned a 10% commission. “Every year, the Crimson and Gold works with ETV to create ad-drive commercials not only to boost ad sales, but also to bring laughter to the morning announcements,” said John Buonocore. Ryan Sullivan ’08 produced the commercials for ETV, working daily to coordinate the project with the Crimson and Gold. “I was with them in the studio when they were capturing and editing clips from Jerry Maguire, and I found their theme to be both appropriate and attention-grabbing,” said ETV moderator Mr. Patrick Reichart. “As always, we’re working hard to ensure that the 2008 yearbook is better than previous years’,” said ad-drive coordinator Michael Mink ’08. “With the support of the student body, we believe we can accomplish this goal.” and the Crimson and Gold staff, joined forces to sponsor the event. The highlight of the event was the distribution of the fourth and final yearbook to the recent graduates and soon-to-be college freshmen. Several yearbook staff members helped yearbook moderator Mr. Michael Foley and assistant moderators Bro. Peter Heiskell, Bro. Robert Fachet, and Mr. Daniel Petruccio hand out the books. John Buonocore ’08, co-editor-in-chief of the 2008 Crimson and Gold, and R y a n Horrmann ’09, activities-section editor for the 2008 book, were particularly helpful. Rob Drummond ‘07 (l.) and Anthony Trombetta ‘07 catch up with Fr. Ernest Lorfanfant during the yearbook BBQ. Ad-drive coordinator Michael Mink ‘08 (l.) supervises the construction of the 2008 ad-drive billboard. “Processing over 1,900 yearbooks and setting up for the event took the entire day, but it was well worth the effort,” said Mr. Foley. “I am grateful to everyone who contributed to the 2007 book, particularly co-editors-in-chief Sean McGonigle and Sean Rober.” According to George Anderson ’07, now a freshman at Stonehill College, “The turnout was great, actually. It was one of the last times we saw each other before we all took off for college. The faculty served us hamburgers and hotdogs right off the grill, and we received our yearbooks. There was a lot of catching up to do with classmates and faculty members. It was an exciting, high-energy event.” As their theme, the editors of the 2007 Crimson and Gold chose Fortes in Unitate, “Strength in Unity.” The camaraderie evident at the barbecue certainly provided a concrete example of that theme. Matt Quinterno ‘07, one of the senior-section editors of the 2007 yearbook and now a freshman at West Virginia Tech, put it this way: “Socializing with high-school friends one last time was the perfect ‘going away party.’” Tarmac • October 2007 CRIMSON AND GOLD 23
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 and 20: As always, the event began with Mas
Page 21: Outward Bound by Brendan O’Shea
Page 25 and 26: Bad As Their Bark After this blast
Page 27 and 28: PARA Chutestrings Nothing Like a Ga

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