Tarmac October 2007.pdf - Chaminade High School

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THEPilot’s Seat FROM Lost in Translation Tutor of English Learns Lesson in Patience 4 by Salvatore Garofalo ‘08 “Despite the substantial cultural and linguistic gap between us, I was ultimately able to connect with a complete foreigner.” COMMENTARY I lya Sweeney! Ilya Sweeney! Ilya Sweeney!” he shouted angrily. I was trying to teach him his name, but he would do nothing but fight me. It was a daunting way to begin a lesson – my pupil screaming at the top of his lungs – but I was determined. Two summers ago, I volunteered to be a teacher’s assistant at an English second-language program. One student, eight-year-old Russian orphan Ilya Sweeney, needed a one-on-one tutor because of his deficiency in the English language. I assumed the responsibility. In fact, when the four-week course had concluded, I suggested that I could tutor Ilya for another five weeks. Mrs. Sweeney, Ilya’s adoptive mother, was happy to take me up on my offer. When I met Ilya, his understanding of English was limited to one word, hello. To complicate matters, my knowledge of the Russian language was, well, non-existent. The tutoring session I remember most was a particular spelling lesson in early August. Writing each letter was a challenge because Ilya was still used to spelling with the Cyrillic alphabet. I repeated his name as he wrote it, but instead of appreciating my help, he lashed out at me. He began to scream his name over and over as he threw his notebook across the room. Even though we had been working together for five weeks, he still had trouble spelling his name, and his temper tantrums were just as explosive as when we “Mother Teresa,” continued from page 2 Noticing the striking similarity between these two cries of pain, Rev. Neuner observes, “It was a redeeming experience when she realized [that] what she felt in her heart was a special sharing she had in Jesus’ Passion.” In his role as her spiritual advisor, Neuner tried to help Mother Teresa understand this connection between her own agony and that of her Savior. Mother Teresa was comforted by Neuner’s response. In a letter to him (circa 1961), she wrote, “. . . for the first time in . . . years – I have come to love the darkness. I believe now that it is a part of a very, very small part of Jesus’ pain on earth . . . Jesus can’t go anymore through the agony – but He wants to go through it in me.” Now, ten years after her death, the “Saint of the Gutters” is also emerging as “a saint to the skeptics,” as Rev. Martin calls her. Apparently, Mother Teresa un- had begun. While he sat cross-armed and breathed heavily, I told him I was trying to help him, but he kept shouting, “No thank you.” Despite the setback, I was determined to persevere. Some of my friends called it stubbornness on my part. I preferred to think of it as faith in my student’s innate ability. After a short break, Ilya had relaxed enough to continue. Before we went back to his book, I reminded him that I was acting in his best interests, and he said, “Ilya know.” By the end of that day, with a little resolve and effort, Ilya learned how to spell his name and count to 20 in English. I was pleased not only with the outcome of that day’s lesson, but also with the cooperation that Ilya finally demonstrated. Although he often lost his temper, I cared about him too much to just walk away. He did not speak perfect English by the end of the summer, but I had certainly taught him enough to prepare him for his first day of school in September. Ilya and I shared some of the most memorable weeks of my life. He gave me the experience of a lifetime. Despite the substantial cultural and linguistic gap between us, I was ultimately able to connect with a complete foreigner. Ilya’s success in learning left me with a great feeling of accomplishment. What had started as an attempt to teach a student English had become an immeasurable reward. Ilya learned how to spell his name, and I learned what effort and patience could reap. derstood that her legacy would include not only her shining example of Christ-like service but also the inner darkness that gnawed at her soul. “If I ever become a Saint – I will surely be one of the ‘darkness.’ I will continually be absent from Heaven – to [light] the light of those in darkness on earth.” For Hitchens, Mother Teresa “was no more exempt from the realization that religion is a human fabrication than any other person.” In other words, she was living a lie. For Kolodiejchuk, Martin, and millions of believers, she provides a powerful example of faith in the midst of doubt, perseverance in the midst of pain, and light in the midst of darkness. Living a lie, or seeking the truth? Given the magnitude of Mother Teresa’s charitable work, the humility of her soul, and her sharing in the Passion of Jesus Christ, we think the answer is obvious. Tarmac • October 2007
Don’t Drink the Water . . . But Do See the Play Fall Comedy Set to Open November 16th by Joe Ross ‘08 A curious phenomenon occurred during the first week of school. Several students, particularly freshmen, seemed to be avoiding the water fountains. They had, no doubt, seen the signs in the hallways reading “Don’t Drink the Water,” but apparently they were taking the message a bit too literally. The signs, in fact, referred to the Darby Players’ latest production, not to the potability of Chaminade’s H O. “The title Don’t 2 Drink the Water refers to the advice travelers often receive when they visit foreign countries,” said cast member Tim DeLuca ’08. “I have high hopes for a great production.” Don’t Drink the Water focuses on the paranoia that existed on both sides during the Cold War. “The play is an ensemble piece, much like Godspell was last year,” said director Mr. Michael Bruno. “I Founder’s Finds Much-Needed Space New Dormitory Wing Adds Room for 32 by Philip Lettieri ‘09 A though it is hard to believe, the new Activity-Athletic Center was not the only major construction project the Chaminade Family worked on this past year. This August, Founder’s Hollow, the Marianist Retreat House in Stone Ridge, New York, opened up a new dormitory wing. The project, conceived almost three years ago, involved constructing nine new bedrooms – eight for retreatants and one for faculty moderators. Each of the retreatants’ bedrooms sleeps four students comfortably, and each has its own bathroom with a shower, a toilet, and three sinks. “No more excuses about being late to morning prayer because there weren’t any bathrooms available!” joked Bro. Thomas Cleary, the assistant director of Founder’s Hollow. The new dormitory wing also includes a living room, a multi-media room, and a purposely picked a play that would highlight the strong core of returning actors.” In the opening scene, Axel Magee, played by Pat Kennedy ’09, takes over his father’s job as a diplomat at the American embassy in a fictional, unnamed Eastern European country. He protects fellow American Walter Hollander, played by Mike Rinere ’09, from the country’s police after Hollander is accused of spying on the government. The rest of the play revolves around Magee helping the family find a way to return safely to America. Performances can be seen on Friday, November 16 and Saturday, November 17. Tickets are $5.00 apiece. CHS and KMHS volunteers enjoy a retreat full of work and prayer at Founder’s Hollow. carpentry shop. All three rooms are located beneath the nine new bedrooms and are built into the side of a hill on one side. On the other side, these three common rooms offer unobstructed vistas of the main house, the chapel, and the property’s lower pond, as do the nine bedrooms. According to Bro. Thomas, “The purpose of the project was to accommodate more students, more comfortably on retreats.” A breezeway connects the new complex to the rest of the house. An attic runs the length of the entire dormitory wing, creating considerable additional storage space. Professional construction workers and Marianists from both Chaminade and Kellenberg Memorial High Schools worked on the new dormitory wing all summer long. Bro. Thomas and Bro. Stephen Ries from Chaminade did a great deal of work on the new wing, as did Fr. Philip Eichner, Bro. Donald Nussbaum, and Bro. Richard Hughes from Kellenberg. Bro. Richard is the director of Founder’s Hollow. While the nine bedrooms are fully opera- Julia Massoti KMHS ‘09 and Pat Kennedy ‘09 practice for the Darby Players’ production of Don’t Drink the Water. Junior Joe Gallagher installs Sheetrock in a hallway at Founder’s Hollow. tional, there is still a good bit of finishing work to be done on the hallways and the common rooms downstairs. Under the supervision of Fr. Garrett Long from Chaminade and Bro. John Sandrowicz from Kellenberg, 16 student volunteers from the two schools spent the weekend of September 14-16 installing vinyl-clad Sheetrock in the hallways and capitalizing on their time at Founder’s Hollow as an opportunity for an Ora et Labora (Prayer and Work) Retreat as well. “ It was a wonderful opportunity to combine prayer, work, and relaxation – and to continue the work on the dormitory building,” said Fr. Garrett. Tarmac • October 2007 NEWS 5
Page 1 and 2: TARMAC Newspaper of the Chaminade F
Page 3: It All Begins with a Handshake A Re
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 and 22: Outward Bound by Brendan O’Shea
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

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