f Spring - Chaminade High School

TARMAC
Newspaper of the Chaminade Flyers Chaminade High School, 340 Jackson Avenue, Mineola, New York 11501-2441 (516) 742-5555
http://www.chaminade-hs.org est. 1934 Vol. LXXI, No. 7 JULY 2005
True Chaminade Men — Now and Forever
Flyers Take Off into Tomorrow
by Rory Tolan ‘06
With only five minutes to go before
the Chaminade Concert Band
struck up the recessional, CHS
president Fr. James Williams crossed the
stage to the podium, where he would make
the announcement that the capacity crowd
at the Tilles Center was waiting to hear.
Four-hundred-and-three diplomas had
been distributed, 403 hands had been
shaken, and 403 seniors had graduated.
There was only one thing left to do – and
that was to bestow “the most cherished
award” at the graduation ceremony.
June 5 was a hot and humid Sunday, and
with over 2,500 people packed into the Tilles
Center, the temperature may well have been
almost as warm inside as outside. Regardless,
there was no pulling at collars or lolling
of heads up on the stage where the seniors
sat, even at this last leg of a graduation now
running two hours long. Out
of deference for whoever the
recipient of this award would
be, the seniors – the alumni –
were as attentive as ever.
With a smile, Fr. James declared
the name, and “the most
outstanding senior” of the
Class of 2005 rose to his feet.
Graham Otton, Chaminade
Man of the Year, had exemplified
throughout his four years of
high school the values that a
Chaminade education tries to instill.
For this reason, all of
Graham’s class members also rose
to their feet, applauding a man
who had shown, countless times,
what it means to do “the right
thing at the right time because it’s
the right thing to do, and not because
anyone is watching.”
Graham, however, was not the
only one to receive a standing
ovation that day. In fact, everyone
did. Two hours earlier, the
seniors had marched in to the
One Small Step for
Pro-Life Advocates
Above: An example for all Chaminade men: Graham
Otton, Chaminade’s most outstanding senior,
receives the Chaminade Man Award from CHS
president Fr. James Williams. Below: Now CHS
graduates, the Dream Team - senior Intramural
Basketball Champs - reunite for one last time.
page 2
Junior Prom a
Tropical Paradise
page page9 5
tune of “Pomp and Circumstance.” As they
came down the aisles – their big smiles as
uniform as their white tuxedos – every member
of the audience rose to his feet, proud as
ever of a son, a grandson, or a nephew about
to complete his formal transition from childhood
to adulthood. It was every senior’s day
to look back on all that he had accomplished
since his first climb up the Chaminade steps
during 3-C Week, and it was every senior’s
day to reflect on what an accomplishment it
was to be receiving his diploma. While Graham
may have been the Chaminade Man of
the Year, every single one of them was a
Chaminade Man of the Day.
Chaminade diplomas were not all this class
had achieved. One-hundred percent of them
were accepted into college. Sixteen seniors
were commended by the National Merit
Scholarship Competition, four were finalists,
and two were winners. All in all, the Class
of 2005 received 865 academic
scholarships and seventeen
athletic scholarships. The
awards they garnered at the
graduation ceremony – from
the President’s Award for
Educational Excellence to
Honor Character Certificates –
totaled well over a thousand.
Earning all those awards certainly
earned them the right to
a standing ovation, let alone to
be the men of the day.
However, as much as that day
– June 5 – was a time to look back
and honor the accomplishments
of Chaminade students, it was
also an occasion to look forward
and consider the obligations of
being Chaminade alumni. According
to valedictorian Tom
Preis, the students at Chaminade
all have their gifts. “Every one
of us possesses some unique talent,”
he insisted in his address to
his classmates. “Simply having
CHS Blood Drives
Break All Records
See “Graduation,” page 12.
page 11

TARMACEditorial
by Gregory Maloney
‘06
“Although Mr.
Suozzi’s plan
will not end the
abortion crisis,
his plan offers
hope that . . .
there will be a
decrease in
abortion rates
throughtout
the nation.”
Suozzi Takes Step in the Right Direction
Nassau Dem’s Abortion Move Offers Hope
For close to thirty years, Democrats have regarded
provisions for legal, safe, and accessible abortions
as one of the fundamental planks of their party
platform. On Long Island, however, one Democratic
politician has recently proposed some modifications
of the party platform. The modifications are admittedly
slight, but they do seem to signal a much-needed
change in the way Americans think about this most
controversial of issues.
In a speech on May 10, 2005 at Adelphi University,
Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, a Chaminade
graduate of the Class of 1980, outlined a new plan for
the county and a new stance on the issue of abortion.
Arguably Long Island’s most prominent Democrat,
Suozzi has taken a significantly different tack from traditional
party lines. In an agenda called “Common
Sense for the Common Good,” the County Executive set
out a course of action designed to help prevent unintended
pregnancies and support women who are faced
with the physical and emotional consequences of becoming
unwed mothers. Though Mr. Suozzi still maintains
the standard Democratic position of protecting the
legal right to abortion, this program is a step toward
limiting the loss of innocent life in Nassau County.
By finding and developing low-cost housing, increasing
collaboration between local and county governments,
and utilizing non-profit organizations, “Common
Sense for the Common Good” will contribute one-million
dollars per year towards alleviating the troubles
that come with unplanned parenthood.
The plan also tackles the growing adoption quandary
on Long Island. Last year, there were over 4,000 abortions
in Nassau County, an appalling number that,
when compared to other counties across the United
States, is among the highest.
Unfortunately, the number of abortions greatly exceeds
the number of adoptions. Despite the fact that
most Nassau County residents claim to support adoption
as a viable alternative to abortion, there were only
about three-hundred county-wide adoptions in the last
year. To increase the dwindling adoption rates, Suozzi
plans to allocate $200,000 a year to informing young
mothers on birth and adoption services.
The timing of Mr. Suozzi’s speech is significant: he is
reaching the end of his first term and, if the political pundits
are to be believed, contemplating a run for governor
some time in the future. Other notable Democrats with
higher political aspirations, have also modified – ever so
slightly – their public positions on abortion. Most notable
among these is New York’s Sen. Hillary Clinton, who,
in recent months, has shifted right of her once hard-line
pro-choice stance to court political centrists.
Whether Mr. Suozzi’s motives stem from politics or
from principle – or from a little bit of both – his
newly enunciated position should be a welcome first
step for all those who support life.
Mr. Suozzi calls himself “a committed Catholic,“ although,
like many prominent Catholics in the Demo-
cratic Party, he refuses to use legislation and the power
of the law to eliminate abortions. Instead, he believes
that people should look “beyond the confines of the
morality of the issue and look to our basic responsibility
to help others.”
Mr. Suozzi’s position is less than ideal, but it does
have some merit. If the war on innocent death is ever
to be won, perhaps that victory will be accomplished
only through a series of small battles. In the words of
Bishop William Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville
Centre, Mr. Suozzi’s plan is “a courageous and positive
call to move beyond the polemic and to work together
to find alternatives to abortions.”
In the grand scheme of the fight against innocent
deaths, this is a small step, affecting only one county in
one state of the country. It is, however, a step in the right
direction. Although Mr. Suozzi’s plan will not end the
abortion crisis, his plan offers hope that, if other counties
across America follow suit and are willing to reach across
party lines, there will be a decrease in abortion rates
throughout the nation. To all who oppose abortion, that
should be a welcome change.
T ARMAC
Established 1934
Published by the students of Chaminade High School
LAYOUT EDITOR
Robert Ryan
FEATURE EDITORS
Robert Frawley
Michael Matosic
PHOTOGRAPHY
Chaminade H.S.
Photo Service
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF:
Nicholas Kantor Andrew Manfredi Matthew Sharp Rory Tolan
MANAGING EDITORS
Andrew Dorin
Patrick Donnelly
STAFF ARTISTS
HEADLINES AND CAPTIONS EDITORS
Conor O’Reilly
Alex Abbott Boyd
MODERATOR
Bro. Stephen Balletta, S.M.
ASSISTANT MODERATOR
Mr. John M. DeSantis
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
FOR PRODUCTION
Brian Allen
NEWS EDITOR
Sal Garofalo
EDITORIAL EDITORS
Dennis Kavlakoglu
Gregory Maloney
PRINTING
Chaminade H.S.
Print Shop
2 COMMENTARY
Tarmac • July 2005
TEAM A
TEAM B
SPORTS EDITORS
Kevin Martin
Eric Tellekamp
Matt Doherty
LAYOUT STAFF
Mike Blach
Phil McAndrews
Matthew Wimpelberg
Will de Lannoy, Alexander Dufek, John Estevez, Ramil Ibrahim, Jince
Kuruvilla, Lawrence Pacheco, Joe Yatco, Gregory Moncada, Anthony
Trombetta, Ryan Welsh
WRITERS: Brian Corneliess, Andrew Gallagher, Stephen Holowczyk, Kenneth
Kraska, Brendan O’Brien, Stephen O’Brien, Robert Pergament, Thomas Remy,
Patrick Scotti, Kevin Alas, Dan Bruen, Alex Ferrera, Sean Manzione, Kevin
McDonald, David Miller, Matt Wierzel, Eamonn Cummings, Tyler Considine,
Albert Malafronte, John McGill, Brett Wishart
WRITERS: Ted Fifield, Chris Harrison, George Kasiaras, Matthew Markham,
Luke O’Brien, Robert Patronaggio, Raymond Pinto, Andrew Rula, Pete
Sweeney, Daniel Bamba, Peter Cavallaro, Michael Manasia, Steven Martinez,
Ryan McDermott, Dan Pearles, Kyle Blanco, Michael Calcegila, Chris McCune,
Charles Perry, Joseph Ross

THEPilot’s Seat
FROM
Flight Training with Expert Instructors
by Robert Frawley
‘06
“The iPod, I
feel, is taking
the romantic
element out of
the music
industry.”
Tarmac • July 2005
Some time after Easter Vacation, when
the senior Tarmac editors were wrapping
up their high-school careers and
their ties to the paper, I became worried. The core
of this past year’s staff was primarily composed
of seniors, who, through their talents, carried the
bulk of the paper on their backs. After the 2005-
2006 pilots were announced and began drawing
up the next year’s staff list, it became clear that,
despite there being a grand total of seventy-one
Tarmacians, the majority of the editorial staff
would be relatively new, young, and inexperienced.
While there was certainly a lot of talent aboard, this
inexperience would definitely be a challenge.
For guidance, I needed only to look to our outgoing
editors-in-chief – graduates Ryan
Considine, Chris Blair, and Ryan Rodrigues.
These “retiring pilots” embodied camaraderie,
teamwork, dedication, and leadership – the very
qualities necessary to keep the newspaper of the
Flyers cruising at 30,000 feet.
One thing I learned from my predecessors
is that the surest route to camaraderie is having
fun. The friendships I gained through the
school paper are invaluable, and I will truly
cherish them for the rest of my life. From Saturday
workdays to food runs to the running
joke of the week, there was always time to
wear a smile, despite the heavy work load.
The past editors-in-chief checked their egos at
the door, realizing that team accomplishment
was more important than individual recognition.
With this approach, the triumvirate always
kept the wheels turning towards getting the paper
finished in a timely fashion. On several occasions,
we were ahead of schedule, much to
Bro. Steve’s shock. If it weren’t for their efforts
to draw upon the talents of the entire team, I
have no idea how any of the work would have
gotten done. There were no singular heroes; it
was the TitanicTarmac Trio, along with everyone
else, that made it happen.
Dedication was paramount in turning the issues
out. Every week, the three pilots lent a collective
forty hours of their time. One of them was always
available to assist with any problem in the office,
be it a paper jam, writer’s block, or the need for a
witty headline. Their constant presence in the office
led us all to aspire to such dedication.
Ryan, Chris, and Ryan demonstrated true
leadership – a rare quality. It’s easy just to bark
out orders and tell others what to do, and this is
exactly what they did not do. Not once did
they delegate to the staff a task to which they
themselves were not ready to commit. By example,
they led the staff to complete each and
every issue on time. Perfectly.
I have no doubt that the transition from old to
new will be challenging. Amid this difficult period,
I can be certain of one thing, however – with
an occasional glance in the rearview mirror, we’ll
keep Tarmac cruising at 30,000 feet.
by Andrew Manfredi
‘06
“By example,
they led the
staff to complete
each and every
issue on time.
Perfectly.”
CULTURECorner
Ten-Thousand Tunes in Your Pocket
This Apple device is small enough to fit in your pocket and can contain
up to 10,000 songs,” says Alex Trebek. The contestant buzzes in. “What
is an iPod?” The audience erupts in applause.
I had already begun to notice that the Apple iPod was slowly supplanting
CD players and the like, but when “iPod” was an answer on “Jeopardy,” I knew
that this music box was getting serious. But the next logical question would be
“What are young people expected to do with such an overwhelming abundance
of songs at their fingertips?” To listen to every song on a full iPod could literally
take days. “It’s just another step in the music industry,” offered junior Andrew
Ferrazzoli. “It’s the new CD player.”
It’s true that music listeners have been upgrading their sound systems
endlessly for the past two generations. Tracing music-player history brings
us from sound bytes back to CDs, cassettes, eight-tracks, reel-to-reels, and
the legendary records. The days of vinyl are now so far behind us that
most teenagers regard records as they do biplanes and Gatling guns. Vinyl
is the stuff that lines your car, and a diamond needle is associated with a
new and inventive piercing.
Older methods of promulgating songs had one thing in common, however
– a tangible object. Whether it was a hit single record, a compilation cassette,
or a best-hits CD, all were items with dimension, magnitude, and
autographing capacity. But it seems those days are behind us, and no one is
See “Apple iPod,” page 12.
COMMENTARY
3

4
FLYERS ON THE GO, DURING AND AFTER SCHOOL
FLIGHT PATH
Local Hospital Recognizes
Outstanding Flyer Volunteers
A
nswering the call of various local hospitals, seventy-eight
Chaminade students dedicated valuable time to assist
Long Island’s health-care professionals. The students
performed small but helpful tasks, such as staffing the patient-information
desk and working in the pharmacy. Some
took on greater responsibility by serving as security guards
and helping to keep track of medical records. According to
Hospital Volunteers moderator Mr. Robert Paul, “Our students
play a vital role in the daily functions of the hospital
and take on many critical tasks.”
On Sunday, May 1, nearby Winthrop University Hospital honored
student volunteers who worked there over the course of
the year. Senior Edward Pierre-Paul worked one-hundred hours
at Winthrop and received a $2,500 scholarship for his services.
Receiving an award for working two-hundred hours was junior
Pete Dagher. “In the beginning, it’s not easy to sacrifice three
to four hours a week to volunteer,” admitted Pete, “but, in the
end, you realize that it is really worth it.”
Junior Greg Manfredi and sophomore Anthony Trombetta
received awards for working one-hundred hours. Also receiving
awards were Chris Miraval ‘05 and his brother Kevin
‘06; each accumulated fifty hours of hospital service.
TARMAC RECEIVES HIGH MARKS IN JOURNALISM CONTESTS
After hours upon hours spent in the newspaper office, the
efforts of the Tarmac staff this year culminated in recog
nition by several different news organizations. In April,
the American Scholastic Press Association announced the results
of its annual journalism contest. Tarmac won a “First Place with
Special Merit” Award, earning 940 of a possible 1000 points.
Chaminade was one of only three private and parochial schools
in the entire nation to receive this distinction.
In addition, graduates Andrew Flynn ‘04 and Mark Piro ‘04
garnered a First-Place Award in the category of non-school-related
outstanding story for their piece, “Mr. Cheapo’s: Mineola
Vintage Music Store Is a
Chaminade and Tarmac Favorite,”
a feature story about a local
used record, tape, and CD store.
On May 19, several Tarmac
staff members traveled to St.
Anthony’s High School for the
Forty-third Annual Long Island
Catholic High School Journalism
Awards Ceremony. The
newspaper won third place in
the category of general excellence.
Seniors Ryan Considine
and Rahul D’Sa won first place
for their “Dodgeball Craze
Catches on at CHS” in the category
of best sports writing.
First prizes were also awarded
to seniors Ryan Rodrigues and
Phil Teston in the category of best
news story for “Flyers Salute
Their Newest Gold Star.” Juniors
Andrew Gallagher and Rob
Frawley won first-place awards
for best graphics and best coverage
of faith and spirituality, re-
FLIGHT PATH
by Alex Ferrera ‘07
by Sean Manzione ‘07
(Kneeling, l.-r.) Will McLeod ‘04, Mark Piro
‘04, Andrew Flynn ‘04, (standing, l.-r.) Phil
Teston ‘05, Andy Manfredi ‘06, Ryan
Rodrigues ‘05, Chris Blair ‘05, Ryan Considine
‘05, and Matthew Sharp ‘06 were recognized
by Newsday for their journalistic excellence.
Hospital Volunteers (l.-r.) Greg Manfredi ‘06,
Anthony Trombetta ‘07, Chris Miraval ‘05, and
Pete Dagher ‘06, with Mr. Robert Paul (r.) and
principal Bro. Joseph Bellizzi (l.), were
recognized for their work at Winthrop Hospital.
These students sacrificed much of their spare time during
the week to help others. “They worked hard and enthusiastically,”
said Mr. Paul, “and they very much deserve the awards
they have received.” Ms. Carmela Anglim, director of volunteer
services at Winthrop Hospital, added, “The
Chaminade volunteers’ positive attitude brought hope and
happiness to every one of the patients they served.”
spectively. Junior Matt Palmeri also won top honors in the best
news or feature photo category. In best feature story, first place
went to senior Chris Blair and junior Matthew Sharp for “Mineola
Veterans Share War Stories.” In addition, the Tarmac staff won
five second-place awards and three third places.
Tarmac was also honored at Newsday ’s School Journalism
Awards, held at Newsday ’s headquarters in Melville, Long
Island on Monday, May 23. Tarmac won five second-place
and two third-place awards. In addition, first place in commentary
went to Andrew Flynn ’04 for his editorial, “A Work
of Passion for a World in Need,” a piece about the film The
Passion of the Christ, written after its release last year.
“When a secular newspaper
like Newsday awards first
place to an editorial expressing
such a clearly Catholic
viewpoint, you know the
judges must have had high regard
for the quality of both the
writing and the reasoning of
that piece. I was very proud
of this accomplishment, and I
know Andrew was too,” commented
Tarmac moderator
Bro. Stephen Balletta.
Though proud of past
achievements, Tarmac staff
members for the 2005-2006
school year are excited
about furthering the
newspaper’s tradition of
journalistic excellence.
Newly appointed editor-inchief
Rory Tolan ’06 said,
“We’re ready to continue
the same level of quality for
which Tarmac has been recognized
in the past.”
Tarmac • July 2005

Photo by Conor O’Reilly ‘06
NYSSMA Honors CHS Virtuosos
by Kevin McDonald ’07
Each year, one-hundred-thousand students from New York
State participate in spring adjudication festivals for the New
York State School Music Association. Among these one-hundred-thousand
were almost two-hundred aspiring Chaminade musicians.
In early May, after months of practice, members of the Chaminade Bands,
Glee Club, and String Orchestra displayed their talents at Garden City
High School before a panel of judges.
As a whole, Chaminade performed exceptionally well on level five and
six solos, level six being the highest. Flawless performances by Matt
Doherty ‘07 on cello, Pete Kanuika ‘07 on piano, Stefano Marchegiani ‘08
on violin, Keane Nacional ‘07 on piano, and Alex Vichinsky ‘06 on trumpet
earned perfect scores for each of these five musicians. Other outstanding
performances were turned in by Rob DeStefano ‘06 on alto saxophone,
Matt Heckman ‘08 on flute, Rich Nuzzolese ‘08 on trombone, and
Keith Walpole ‘07 on drums, who all received a score of 99%.
Some students challenged themselves a step further, performing an
All-State solo. Luke O’Brien ‘06 on trumpet and Anthony Parks ‘06 on
bassoon earned 100%, while Sean Curran ‘07 on violin and Ramil Ibrahim
‘06 on flute received 99%.
“We were all very happy with our scores and proud of our accomplishments,”
said Luke O’Brien, “but the scores we earn are much more than
an individual accomplishment. They’re a testimony to the dedication of
our instructors and to the quality of Chaminade’s music program.”
Leporati, Sharp Excel at CFL Nationals
Tarmac • July 2005
by Eamonn Cummings ‘08
For most, Memorial Day weekend is spent at backyard barbecues
and picnics. For thirteen members of the Chaminade
Speech and Debate Team, however, the weekend was a completely
different experience.
From Friday, May 27, to Monday, May 30, those thirteen speakers
and debaters participated in the Catholic Forensic League
Grand National Tournament, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at
Milwaukee Area Technical College and Marquette University.
Out of the two-thousand students representing nearly four-hundred
schools from across the country, senior Greg Leporati broke
to octafinals in extemporaneous speaking, and junior Matthew
Sharp reached double-octafinals in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.
“Pitting my skills against some of the best debaters in the country
was a great opportunity,” recalled Matthew. “I had an amazing
time in Milwaukee.”
According to Speech and Debate Club moderator Bro. George Zehnle,
Students Write Award-Winning Essays, Poems
by David Miller ‘07
Nothing inspires more than a poignant essay,” commented
senior Ryan Costigan. Apparently, nothing inspired the
Catholic Daughters of the Americas more than Ryan’s essay
– at least on the county level of their annual literary contest,
where he achieved first
place. His essay later moved
on to take third in the state.
Considering all of the lucky
(l.-r.) Seniors John
DeVivo, Anthony Monico,
Lorenzo Ottaviano,
Ian Hanes, Chris Lippolis,
and Ryan
Costigan pose with
religion teacher Bro.
Thomas Cleary.
NYSSMA awards winners pose for a group photo:
(front row l.-r.) Keith Walpole ‘07, Rob DeStefano
‘06, Matt Heckman ‘08, Rich Nuzzolese ‘08, Keane
Nacional ‘07, (back row l.-r.) Stefano Marchegiani
‘08, Matt Doherty ‘07, Anthony Parks ‘06, Luke
O’Brien ‘06, and Sean Curran ‘07.
“The contest was a wonderful
opportunity for all
involved. Not only was it
a good chance to meet
some of the best speakers
and debaters in the country,
but also a fine way to
spend one’s Memorial
Day weekend.”
Greg Leoprati ‘05,
winner of the
Robert C. Wright
Speech and Debate
Club Award at
graduation,
reached octafinals
at CFL Nationals.
Photo by Ben Koche ‘06
participants from Bro. Thomas Cleary’s senior religion class, however,
Ryan is only one of many Chaminade essayists and poets who have
made an impression on the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.
A total of eighty-four Flyers entered the contest, submitting essays
and poems with the theme, “I Can Make a Difference.” Chris
Lippolis achieved second place for an eight-line poem condemning
prejudice and violence. “If there’s a problem in society, I think the
writer, or any voice, for that matter, should strive to fix it,” Chris
explained. Seniors Anthony Monico, Ian Hanes, John DeVivo, and
Lorenzo Ottaviano also received awards for their work.
“I’m convinced that, if someone wants to make an impact, the written
word is one of the surest ways to do so,” commented Bro. Thomas.
“For this reason, I try to convince my students to take advantage
of every opportunity to write. The Catholic Daughters’ contest provides
an excellent opportunity for them not only to hone their writing
skills, but also for them to reflect, through writing, on a worthy topic,
namely, ‘I Can Make a Difference.’“
FLIGHT PATH
5

Flyers Finish First and
Second in Local Triathlon
E
xhausted and, by his own admission, “slightly
winded,” junior Mike DiDonato nevertheless smiled
from ear to ear as he sprinted around the last corner
on his way to a victory in the annual Eisenhower Park Triathlon
on Sunday, April 24. Mike rose above a pack of over one-hundred
competitors, racing just behind Chaminade graduate and firstplace
finisher Damian Bergamaschi ‘03, to take second place.
The triathlon consisted of three consecutive events: a fourhundred-meter
swim, a six-mile bike ride, and a two-mile
run. “The three events alone are not necessarily difficult,”
said Mike, “but performing all three of them in a row and
without breaks requires a great deal of endurance.”
Over the summer, Mike will continue to run and condition
in preparation for the Half-Iron Man Competition, a
grueling event consisting of a one-and-a-half mile swim,
fifty miles of cycling, and a half-marathon run of thirteen
miles. “I am confident that, if I continue my workout program,
I should have no problem competing in this event
and others like it to come.”
Junior Mike
DiDonato
puts the
pedal to the
metal and
crosses the
finish line
with a
secondplace
win in
this year’s
Eisenhower
Park
Triathlon.
by Albert Malafronte ‘08
Sapiential Students Ace
Classical Language Exam
CHS Senior Wins German Essay Contest
by John McGill ‘08
German has a long history at Chaminade as the only language
taught during every one of the seventy-five years since the
school was founded in 1930. This year, John McQuade ‘05
added a new chapter to that history by winning first place in the
German-American Cultural Council Essay Contest.
Held at Hofstra University on April 28, the German-American
Cultural Council Essay Contest contest allotted John only one hour
in which to write on how decisions made in childhood affect one in
adulthood. McQuade, who needed to be a high-school senior of
German descent in order to participate in the contest, was handselected
by German III and IV teacher Bro. Richard Hartz to represent
Chaminade.
“The judges were very impressed with John,” remarked Bro. Richard.
Indeed, John took home a one-thousand-dollar scholarship
and a certificate from the German-American Cultural Council for
winning the contest. “Entering the contest was a great opportunity,
and it was a surprise and an honor for me to win it,” commented
John, pleased with his Kunsthandwerk.
John McQuade ‘05 (r.) accepts a first-place plaque
for his essay from Mr. Heinz Buck, president of the
German-American Cultural Council.
6 FLIGHT PATH
by Tyler Considine ‘08
The test has really shown me a new appreciation for the Latin
language and offered a new challenge to further understand
it,” said Magna Cum Laude winner Garrett Campbell ‘08.
On Tuesday, March 8, thirty-one of Chaminade’s Latin scholars
participated in the American Classical League Latin Examination.
Competing against both public and private schools
across the nation, twenty-one participants from various divisions
merited special honor. Test administrator Bro. John
McGrory said, “I was very pleased with the students putting
in so much work and learning a great deal about Latin culture
and language this year.”
“I have taken the test for three years, and you always want to
improve after each time you take it. This year, I did my best yet,”
said Gold Medal and Summa Cum Laude (with highest honor)
winner Rob Frawley ’06. Other top award winners included Gold
Medalist Mike Milone ‘06 and Silver Medalists Chris Durr ‘06
and Vinny Stracquadanio ‘07. Fourteen Latin students earned
the rank of Magna Cum Laude (with great honor); three other
students earned the distinction of Cum Laude (with honor). Bona
fortuna proximo anno! (Best of luck next year!)
Wisdom of
the ages:
(l.-r.) Vinny
Stracquadanio
‘07, Mike
Milone ‘06,
Chris Durr
‘06, and Rob
Frawley ‘06
demonstrated
their Latin
expertise
with high ACL
test scores.
Tarmac • July 2005

Sharing the Bread of Life
Chaminade Commissions
Forty-two Eucharistic Ministers
by Patrick Scotti ‘06
Merciful Father, creator and guide of
your family, bless our brothers.
May they faithfully give the Bread
of Life to your people,” prayed CHS president
Fr. James Williams as he invoked
God’s blessings on over three-dozen juniors
who had gathered in the front of
Darby Auditorium. After this short
prayer, Fr. James presented each of these
juniors with a pin depicting Jesus’ feeding
of the five thousand – a symbol of their
new role in the Church. At the Marian
Mass held on Thursday, May 19, Fr. James
commissioned these juniors as extraordinary
ministers of Holy Communion. In
all, forty-two new extraordinary ministers
were commissioned – the most in
Chaminade’s history.
Handling what has been called “the
source and summit of the Christian life” is
not a task that one can undertake without
some preparation. For this reason, the
would-be Eucharistic ministers left for
Founder’s Hollow on Sunday, May 15, for
a three-day “crash course” in the spiritual
and practical elements regarding their new
role. Over the course of the three-day re-
CHS CELEBRATES MARY’S MONTH
Prayer Service Honors the Blessed Mother
by Matt Wierzel ‘07
A
packed courtyard, full of students
reciting prayers and singing
hymns in honor of Mary on a
beautiful May morning. The Salve Regina,
acclaiming the Blessed Mother as “mater
misericordiae” and “advocata nostra.”
These images are part of the collective
memory of thousands of Chaminade alumni,
and the same is true for the current crop of
Flyers. In recent years, Chaminade’s devotion
to Mary in May, the month especially
dedicated to her, has taken the form of the
Marian Prayer Service, held this year on
Wednesday, May 18.
As Chaminade’s club dedicated especially
to Mary, the Sodality of Our Lady of the Pillar
appropriately took the lead in the Marian
Prayer Service. Sophomore and junior
sodalists gathered in the courtyard, while the
remainder of the student body took part via
the school’s closed-circuit television system.
CHS president Fr. James Williams presided
over the service, which included songs, readings,
and a variety of prayers.
The service culminated in the recitation
of the traditional Litany to Mary, otherwise
Tarmac • July 2005
treat, Fr. James, sophomore religion
teacher Bro. Patrick Sarsfield,
and CHS chaplain Fr. Garrett
Long stressed the Eucharistic
principles of receiving God’s
grace, giving thanks, breaking
oneself for others, and sharing
oneself with the community of the
Church. The soon-to-be Eucharistic
ministers also discussed their
goals and values, as well as the
unique gifts that each brought to
the service of the Lord. These topics
became the basis for much contemplation
as the trainees roamed
the 175 acres of Marianist property
in Ulster County, upstate New York.
Like all other ministries of the Church, the
Flyers’ new task also required some practical
training. On their final night at
Founder’s Hollow, using water and unconsecrated
hosts, the ministers-in-training
practiced how to distribute Communion.
“This marked the end of our preparation,”
commented junior Brian Allen. “Now we
just couldn’t wait to put all that we had
learned into practice!”
They wouldn’t have to wait long: that
Mike DiDonato ‘06 leads the
procession into the Courtyard of
Our Lady of Good Counsel for the
Marian Prayer Service.
“The Blood of Christ”: Eucharistic
minister Alex Diorio ‘06 hands Rich
Comuniello ‘06 the chalice of salvation.
opportunity came at the Mass held only
two days later. Shortly after they had received
their pins, the newly commissioned
ministers distributed the Eucharist to the
student body. “The magnitude of the task
made us all a bit nervous at first,” recalled
junior Joe Gambino. “More than anything
else, we were in awe at the privilege of distributing
the Body and Blood of Jesus
Christ. I can now look forward to every
Mass as a way not only to receive Jesus,
but to bring Him to others as well.”
known as the Litany of Loretto. Sodalists
and faculty members led the litany, naming
Mary under such familiar titles as “Mother
of God” and “Blessed Mother,” as well as
lesser known but equally time-honored titles
such as “Queen of Angels” and “Our Lady
of the Pillar,” the title to which Chaminade’s
sodalities are particularly consecrated. As
Fr. James noted, “This traditional litany reminds
students of the many aspects of the
life and mystery of Mary, and in so doing,
helps them to grow in their devotion to Jesus
through Mary, which was Blessed
Chaminade’s ideal.”
The service ended with the singing of the
Salve Regina, a traditional Latin hymn to
Mary which implores her help for mankind,
described as “poor banished children of Eve.”
Similarly, the Marian Prayer Service on the
whole served as a rededication of the
Chaminade students and faculty to Our
Lady, who serves as their ideal. According
to freshman Garrett Campbell, who helped
lead the litany, “The prayer service reminded
me of how important Mary really is and how
much she helps me in my everyday life as a
Chaminade student.”
THE THE SPIRTUAL SPIRTUAL LIFE
LIFE
7

Ticket out of Class or Invitation to Salvation?
Prayer Service Tackles Religious Apathy
To many a Chaminade student, a
prayer service is less a vehicle of
spiritual renewal than it is a free
ticket out of class. “Oh, good, I’ll miss Latin
class with Fr. Garrett,” confided Bryan
Mosher ’08 to his classmates. “That class is
so boring it could put an insomniac
to sleep!”
Bryan and his friends were
referring to schedule adjustments
routinely made to accommodate
each of three
prayer services held throughout
the school year. When
students attend a prayer service,
they do so during one of
their regularly scheduled
classes; so, in effect, they miss
that class for one day.
Actually, the conversation
between Bryan and his friends
was not only about this year’s
prayer service, staged during
three separate class periods on
Thursday and Friday, May 12
and 13; it was actually part of
this year’s Easter Prayer Service.
By means of songs, skits,
and film footage, the Easter
Prayer Service contrasted religious fervor
with spiritual indifference. As prayer service
actor Sean McGonigle ’07 later explained,
“We tried to tackle head-on the unfortunate
reality that many of us are either skeptical
about religion or fairly apathetic towards it.”
From the start, those who scripted and performed
this prayer service wanted to make
sure that not a single second of the approximately
twenty-five minute program would
leave audiences cold. For example, musicians
Sean Paulsen ’06, John Abrusci ’06, and Keith
Walpole ’07 began the prayer service by bang-
8
by Ramil Ibrahim ‘06
THEATRICS
ing out some tunes from the popular, hardrocking
Red Hot Chili Peppers as students
filed into the auditorium. Once the students
had been seated, juniors Ramil Ibrahim and
Rory Tolan switched musical gears completely,
playing Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”
on flute and piano, respectively.
After the musicians had finished, the
curtain opened to reveal a scene full of
lockers – a typical Chaminade hallway.
Getting ready for a day of school, actors
Bryan Mosher, Sean McGonigle, and Ryan
O’Brien ’07 relate their skepticism about
the prayer service they would be attending
later that day. However, their dialogue
is interrupted by a blind beggar, who turns
out to be none other than Bartimaeus (Tom
Carman ’06), whose sight Jesus restored.
The conversation among the three
Chaminade students is interrupted a sec-
Flyers Give Bizet an “A”
Music Club Travels to Manhattan to See Bizet’s Carmen
by Robert Pergament ‘06
In her freshman music classes,
Mrs. Sally Zehnter teaches
Georges Bizet’s Carmen by
sketching stick figures of the various characters
on the chalkboard to lead the students
through the opera’s many scenes and
plot twists. On Sunday, April 17, members
of the Music Club traveled to the Amato
Opera House on 319 Bowery in New York
City, as junior Rory Tolan quipped, “to see
those stick figures come to life.”
Some twenty students gathered at the
Darby Auditorium steps at noon, walked to
(l.-r.) Bryan Mosher ‘08, Ryan O’Brien ‘07, and Sean
McGonigle ‘07 reenact typical student reponses to the
school’s three yearly prayer services.
the Mineola train station, and rode the railroad
into Penn Station. From there, they took the subway
to the Bowery, where the theater is located.
“We felt the theater’s intimate nature as soon as
we walked in,” recalled Joe Ross ’08. “The stage
was only about one fourth the size of the one in
Darby Auditorium, and there were only around
one-hundred seats in the entire place.”
The stage itself may have been small, but the
performance was “tremendous,” said Joe
Caciola ’06. According to senior Chris
Calderone, “The acting was fantastic, and we
were able to understand what was going on,
even though the entire opera was in French.”
ond time by a Samaritan leper (Mike
Costagliola ’06) who is healed both physically
and spiritually by the Lord Jesus
Christ. Both Biblical figures provide striking
examples of men whose lives have
been touched by Jesus, who are clearly
passionate about their faith because they
have been healed by the
Lord. Their fervor contrasts
sharply with the apathy and
indifference of the three
Chaminade students gathered
around their lockers.
A third interruption comes
in the form of a brief film,
chronicling the story of two
brothers whose lives are
changed after they view Mel
Gibson’s The Passion of the
Christ. Moved to tears by
the suffering of Jesus, these
two brothers decide to forgive
and ask forgiveness of
someone whom they had
once both hated with every
fiber of their being. Once
again, the prayer service emphasized,
as CHS chaplain
and prayer-service organizer
Fr. Garrett Long explained,
that “real religious experiences can never
leave us cold; they affect us profoundly
and change our lives.”
With a skit that drew its inspiration from
the daily routine of students’ lives, this
year’s Easter Prayer Service tried to convey
that true religious experience is anything
but routine. “Our faith,” said Fr.
Garrett, “centers around the death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. This was and is
an earth-shattering experience. From us,
it merits nothing less than conversion, conviction,
and passion.”
During the three intermissions of the
four-act show, students had an opportunity
to buy raffle tickets for a chance to
win an Amato OperaT-shirt. Sophomore
Vinny Stracquadanio was one of only
two lucky winners. His shirt displayed
the motto of the Amato Opera House:
“Small, but oh so grand.”
“That motto certainly summed up our experience
at the Amato Opera House,” commented
Music Club moderator Mrs. Zehnter.
“At that small theater, we had nothing short
of a grand time. I only wish my stick figures
could put on such a performance.”
Tarmac • July 2005

Parrots, Palm Trees, and Pink Flamingos
Make for the Perfect Junior Prom
by Andrew Gallagher ‘06
It was an awesome night,” said junior Kevin Martin of this year’s Junior
Prom. Chaminade opened its doors at seven o’clock on Saturday,
May 28, admitting the first of 265 couples to arrive for their Junior
Prom. Although the sky threatened rain, couples took the time to pose
for pictures before entering the school.
After receiving disposable cameras for the night, Flyers and their dates took
their first steps out onto the dance floor. “I was pretty shocked to see a volcano
in the gym,” recalled junior Brian Farrell, describing one of the decorations
that helped to capture the tropical island theme of Junior Prom. Spearheaded
by Junior Divisional moderator Mr. Brian Anselmo, the Junior Prom
Committee spent the weeks leading up to the event assembling cardboard
palm trees, straw huts, pink flamingos, hanging snakes, and dangling parrots
and toucans. On the morning of the prom, a contracted professional put the
finishing touches on the gymnasium-turned-tropical-paradise, constructing
giant palm trees out of brightly colored balloons.
In addition to the beautiful decorations, everyone was treated to a scrumptious
buffet dinner with the choice of a Caesar or a tossed-green salad, penne à
la vodka, beef with broccoli, and honey-mustard chicken. “The food was great,”
remarked Kevin Kiley ’06. “I went back for thirds on the chicken.” After finishing
their meals, couples could enjoy the cool night air in the courtyard,
where sophomore volunteers served dessert from a tiki hut. It wasn’t
long, however, before the music began and it was time to dance.
“The DJ spun some hot songs that everyone enjoyed,” said Dan
Howard ’06. “It was a good mix of new stuff with older dance
classics. There was also a chance for everyone to slow dance with
their dates.” As the night approached its end, prom-goers danced
to some songs from before their time, including the “YMCA,” “The
Twist,” “Shout,” and “Rock Around the Clock.”
At the stroke of eleven, the final song concluded, and the couples
slowly made their way to their limos. Each girl received a souvenir
plush puppy as she left. “It was such an adorable reminder of the
night,” said Jessica Grunenberg ’06 of Smithtown High School. Junior
Emil Manuel captured the feeling of the night in a fitting, although
admittedly overused expression: “The prom bid cost me onehundred
dollars, and the limo was expensive too, but a great night
to end the junior year with all my friends . . . priceless.”
Clockwise from top left:
1. The glow of romance:
Lou Della Fera makes creative
use of his necktie and
a glow stick. 2. Dan
Howard and Danielle Cervantes
take a spin on the
dance floor. 3. Kevin Leboff
and Danielle De-
Gregoris make the perfect
prom couple. 4. Against a
backdrop of colorful balloons,
Alex Diorio and Kelly
Harms pose for a photo.
Tarmac • July 2005 CHAMINADE PROMENADE
9

Alumni Offer Juniors Insights into Job Market
10
by Matthew Sharp ‘06
Listening to legendary television personality
Bill O’Reilly tell his own
story, one would conclude that he
was not a “particularly successful student at
Chaminade” and that most of his classmates
would not have predicted “I’d end up where I
am today.” But there he was, a Chaminade
graduate of the Class of 1967 and arguably
television’s most recognizable political
talk-show host, addressing fellow
Flyers thirty-eight years after his graduation,
retracing the long and often difficult
route that led him from beat reporter
in Scranton, Pennsylvania to host of The
O’Reilly Factor and now a veritable
household name across America.
On Tuesday, May 10, in a kind of personal
“No Spin Zone,” Mr. O’Reilly
spoke candidly, even bluntly, about the
challenges of his profession; the opportunities
available for those who work
hard and succeed; and the controver-
sial style that has become the signature
of his television show, books, and public
appearances.
Not every guest at Junior Career Night
could offer the celebrity and crowd appeal
of a Bill O’Reilly, but every one of them –
thirty-seven in total – offered important information
and insights about the kinds of opportunities
available in the job market today.
Mr. Joseph Lucchesi ’63, lead architect and
engineer for Chaminade’s new Activity and
Athletic Center, for example, discussed the
particulars of civil-engineering and the experience
needed to coordinate a major construc-
For Class of ‘06, College Search Begins
LIFE CHOICES
by Thomas Remy ‘06
Catholic University, Colgate University, St. John’s University,
Gettysburg University. These are just a few on the long list
of more than fifty colleges that sent representatives to
Chaminade’s second annual College Fair on Wednesday, May 25,
2005. Hundreds of Chaminade juniors and their family members
filed into the gymnasium, some hoping to narrow down their college
search and some hoping to begin it.
With the SATs over with and the eleventh grade drawing to a close,
most juniors now have one thing on their minds – college. “This
time can often be a confusing and intimidating one,” remarked director
of guidance Mr. Daniel Petruccio. “For this reason, we host
the College Fair so students can at least begin to sort out this complex
process. The students get a chance to learn about their colleges
of interest. They might even find a new school they had not considered
prior to the event.”
In addition to informing students about various universities and
colleges, the fair gave the juniors a chance to sharpen their interview
skills by speaking one-on-one with several college representatives.
The pamphlets that most schools handed out were also “extremely
helpful,” according to junior Kevin Leboff, containing information
on acceptance rates, tuition, and class sizes.
Junior Zach Jordan and his family converse one-onone
with a college rep.
tion project. Dr. Howard Hecht ’58, psychologist
and mental-health-care expert, contrasted
two different fields of his profession: clinical
psychology and experimental psychology. A
more recent graduate, Mr. Keith Doran ’88 described
the joys of a career in education, drawing
on personal reflections from his teaching
career. Two graduates spoke on medicine, and
No bloviating: Juniors enter the “No Spin
Zone” as they get some candid advice about
careers in communications from Fox News
Channel’s Bill O’Reilly ‘67.
two represented the field of law.
Teacher, doctor, lawyer, or engineer, each
speaker at Career Night brought not only information
and personal experience but evident
enthusiasm about his career as well. Mr.
Italo Zanzi ’92 demonstrated that enthusiasm
with a lively trivia game at the beginning of
his presentation on sports management; students
who answered his questions correctly
received Major League Baseball T-shirts.
Mineola mayor Hon. Joaquim Martins ’85
made a fervent appeal to students to consider
a career in public service, advising them to begin
at the local level, “where some of the most
important business of government takes
place.” And Mr. Alan MacKenzie ’84, a regular
at Career Night, spoke with his usual enthusiasm
about his high-intensity,
high-excitement profession: “From
retail brokerage to corporate investment,
the stocks and securities industry
opens numerous gateways to
trading on Wall Street.”
“The talks were really interesting,
and I walked away from Career
Night fairly convinced that I
should pursue a career in investment
banking,” recalled Matt Smith
’06. For others less sure of their occupational
goals, the night certainly
provided them with a good starting
place. “I had no idea what pro-
fession I was most interested in,” remarked
junior Pat Scotti, “but, with
such a variety of options to choose
from, I left with a better idea of
where to start looking.”
In 1966, when he was just a junior, Bill
O’Reilly had no idea what he wanted to do.
But look where he ended up. “I think it’s not
so much knowing what you want to do as it
is finding something you’re interested in,” he
advised. Indeed, many a junior walked away
from Career Night not necessarily with a clear
career path, but at least with a couple of ideas
to begin considering.
Although most students did not come away with a definite decision
regarding their future college, they certainly walked out
with some options to think about. Whether it gave them a first
taste of the college search or narrowed down their choices, “the
College Fair made some sense of what can be an overwhelming
process,” commented junior Alex Kriete.
Tarmac • July 2005

Tapping a Vein of Generosity
Juniors Donate Over 231 Pints of Blood
J
by Stephen Holowczyk ‘06
unior Nick Giacone reclined nervously
on the blue cot while a nurse
prepped his arm. He flinched slightly
as the nurse slipped the needle in. For the next
ten minutes or so, Nick’s blood flowed from
his vein through a needle and tube to a collection
bag dangling by the side of the cot. And
by this simple act, four lives were saved.
“Everyone has to do his part,” Giacone insisted.
Nick was not the only one who did
his part, however. On Wednesday, May 25,
Chaminade’s Junior Class gave over 231
pints of blood, in effect saving over 924 lives.
“This year, giving blood is more important
than ever,” noted one of the attending
nurses at the blood drive. “With madcow
disease present in Europe, the U.S.
has stopped importing blood from there.
It was necessary to explore new options
in blood donation.” One of those new
options was lowering the minimum age
for blood-drive participants. For the first
time ever, the New York Blood Center, the
umbrella organization coordinating blood
drives such as this one, allowed sixteenyear-olds
to donate, provided they had
parental consent.
This decision opened up Chaminade’s
Junior Blood Drive to more students than
ever before. From first to ninth periods,
Class of 2006 “Rings in” Final Year
Junior Ring Ceremony Marks Passing of the Torch
by Kenneth Kraska ‘06
On Wednesday, May 11, 403 seniors
worked diligently on
their last com-prehensive exam
– their final step towards completing their
Chaminade careers. That same day, 397 juniors
filed into Darby Auditorium for their
own rite of passage. What CHS principal
Bro. Joseph Bellizzi called the “passing of
the torch,” the Junior Ring Assembly
marked the official transition of leadership
from the Class of 2005 to the Class of 2006.
As they crossed the stage one-by-one, each
junior received a school ring signifying this
“passing of the torch.” “You are now charged
with the task of setting the primary example
for the underclassmen,” stated Bro. Joseph
in his address to the juniors.
This task is not all that the ring represents,
however. Incorporating a number of familiar
symbols – including a portrait of Blessed
William Joseph Chaminade, the official
Chaminade seal, and the class’s year of
Tarmac • July 2005
Laid back, no sweat: Dennis
Murphy ‘06 donates a pint of
blood. Over the course of the
year, Dennis and his fellow
Flyers donated over 550 pints of
blood, saving 2,200 lives in the
process. The seniors won Long
Island Blood Service’s “Yankee
Challenge” for donating the
most blood in Nassau County.
graduation – the ring also denotes the students’
commitment to each other, to the
school, and to the Catholic Faith. According
to Junior Divisional moderator Mr. Brian
Anselmo, “Chaminade’s motto – Fortes in
Unitate, Strength in Unity – has a prominent
place on the school ring. It reminds us of the
spirit of solidarity and cooperation that is the
backbone of the Chaminade Family.”
As the seniors were making their final step
towards graduation, the juniors too were
making a major advance in their high-school
careers. The Junior Ring Assembly commemorated
that next step for the Class of
2006. Now, all that remains is one more year
of high school and the next symbol of the passage
from adolescence to adulthood – a
Chaminade diploma.
CHS principal Bro. Joseph Bellizzi
presents junior Nick Agosti with
his ring, a sign of the leadership
and example expected of senior
Flyers.
over 231 juniors entered the gymnasium –
all eager to give “the gift of life.” Before
they could do so, however, they needed to
go through a screening process that included
a private questionnaire about their
medical history, as well as a preliminary
blood test. Once these were completed, all
the students had to do was wait for their
number to be called. Then they could each
head to their blue cot and save four lives.
While the cause is noble, giving blood
is not always an easy experience for firsttime
donors. “For this reason, we wanted
the juniors to feel as comfortable as possible,”
remarked Mr. Thomas Dillon, National
Honor Society moderator and Blood
Drive coordinator. The New York Blood
Center provided the recovering students
with snacks and juice. In addition, the
generous juniors who gave the gift of life
received wristbands and T-shirts with slogans
promoting blood donation.
Three blood drives have already been
scheduled for next year: a National Honor
Society senior drive in the fall, a divisionwide
senior donation in March, and a junior
drive in May. This year, Chaminade
collected nearly fifty more pints than last
year’s 501, shattering the previous record.
Hopes are high for yet another recordbreaker
next year.
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE
11

“Graduation,” continued from page1
this talent is not good enough, however. Instead,
we must share these unique gifts by giving our
best to the world around us.” With all the scholarships
they have won, there is no doubt that
the Class of 2005 has its gifts to bring to the world.
Needless to say, bringing gifts to the world
requires going out into the world. This fact was
bittersweet for the graduates. On the one hand,
leaving 340 Jackson Avenue meant leaving the
hallways and classrooms where so many friendships
had been formed. Bro. Joseph Bellizzi,
principal of Chaminade High School, gave his
assurance on the matter. “You are forever united
to the Chaminade Family,” he reminded them.
On the other hand, this rite of passage meant
going on to use the gifts one has developed at
Chaminade to achieve greater things with them.
“Today, the Flyers of the Class of 2005 stand on
the runway, ready for takeoff,” observed salutatorian
Ryan Rodrigues. “With Chaminade in
the rearview mirror and college on the horizon,
it is our time to shine. Chaminade has given us
so much, and now it’s up to us how high we can
fly. The sky is our limit.”
Before they could leave the runway, however,
they had to leave the Tilles Center
stage. Now that the Chaminade Man of the
Year had been announced, they made this
one last step. Diplomas in hand, the
Chaminade Men of the Day followed Graham
Otton down the aisles, all to the tune
of Purcell’s “Trumpet Tune in D Major.”
Where they had entered seniors, they left
alumni – both times, though, as Flyers. And,
accomplishments and future promise aside, one
more thing is certain about the Chaminade Man
of the Year and the Chaminade Men of the Day
– they will be Chaminade Men for Life.
Sunday, June 5 was diploma day
for Craig Foreman and 402 fellow
graduates.
12 BITS AND PIECES
Twenty-five years ago, Scripture teacher and CHS principal
Bro. Joseph Bellizzi (l.) professed his first vows of poverty,
chastity, and obedience in the Society of Mary. On Sunday,
May 22, Bro. Joseph renewed those vows before provincial
superior Fr. Thomas Cardone as Bro. Michael Gillen looked on.
Both the Chaminade and Kellenberg Memorial Communities
attended the Mass and the reception that followed it, as did
Bro. Joe’s family. During his twenty-five years as a Marianist,
Bro. Joe has served as assistant principal at Kellenberg
Memorial High School, director of the Chaminade-Mineola
Community, and principal of Chaminade. Congratulations,
Bro. Joe, and thank you for your years of service.
complaining about this rather drastic change
in recorded music. Our history teachers drill
into us, “Don’t forget the past.” Meanwhile,
the entertainment industry likes to dim the
past to make the latest inventions brighter.
But what arae students saying about
Apple’s newest creation. “They’re conveniently
sized and very user-friendly,”
enthused junior Kevin Labeck, a proud
iPod owner. “I can access any of over
3,000 songs in seconds.” iPods also
boast a number of handy features and
accessories that allow them to transfer
information and store files and records.
The novelty of iPods is a two-edged
sword. Apparently, they’re not only attractive
to consumers, but also to crooks. The
New York City Police Department has one
warning for iPod enthusiasts: “Keep an eye
on it.” In the first three months of 2005, fifty
iPods were stolen on New York’s subways
alone. While some were quick to blame urban
pickpockets, others placed the blame on
the iPods themselves: it certainly is easier
to loose track of a 3"x5" box than older,
bulkier devices. Late-night comedian Jay
Leno quipped, “Imagine the audacity –
stealing stolen music,” which conveniently
brings up the final flaw of the iPod and the
entire digital music industry – fiscal loss.
“Apple iPod,” continued from page 3
Says Byfiona Morgan of Independent
Weekly, the music industry is “pushing
hard for a bill making future generations
of the iPod illegal.” This may seem harsh,
but the industry is losing out to digital
music sales. The traditional method by
which artists release albums is coming to
an end. Nowadays, many artists release
songs online and consequently decrease
their profit margin. More importantly, the
industry is losing direct control over those
music sales – their worst nightmare. The
anti-iPod bill, however, will probably never
come to pass, so long as artists continue to
sell their music via the Internet.
So what is the final say on the iPod? I myself
do not own one or any comparable device,
and I don’t intend to. The technology
is astounding, perhaps too astounding. The
iPod, I feel, is taking the romantic element
out of the music industry. My dad still revels
in showing me his old 45s from his highschool
days: tangible objects, bought with
hard-earned money, emblazoned with
memories. I couldn’t imagine saying to my
son one day, “Hey, you see this megabyte?
I stole it when I was 16. It was a huge hit.”
I expect the digital music monopoly to
continue expanding, but as for me, I’ll stick
with what I know and hold dear.
Tarmac • July 2005

A Night to Remember for the Class of 2005
Over Three-Hundred Couples Enjoy Dining and Dancing at Senior Prom
G4
by Stephen O’Brien ‘06
The typical senior prom follows a rather
predictable routine. Shortly before the
festivities are about to begin, dozens
of limousines pull up to the front doors of a
catering hall, dropping off prom-goers dressed
in tuxedos and formal gowns. Couples proceed
to an ornate lobby, where they pose for
photographs before making their way to the
so-called “coketail hour,” usually a lavish array
of hot and cold hors d’ oeuvres, accompanied,
of course, by a variety of soft drinks.
About an hour later, a series of doors opens,
revealing a grand ballroom decorated in the
school colors, waiting to play host to an evening
of dancing and dining.
This year’s Senior Prom, however, saw some
new variations on the traditional prom theme.
For one thing, professional photographers
charging hefty prices for prom-picture packages
were nowhere to be found. Instead,
Tarmac moderator Bro. Stephen Balletta and
Senior Class moderator Bro. Thomas Cleary
roamed the ballroom, cameras in hand, snapping
pictures of any couple that asked to be
photographed. The next day, all the pictures
that they had taken were posted on
kodakgallery.com and snapfish.com, two
websites hyperlinked from Chaminade’s
homepage. With a simple click of the mouse,
students could order prints for about twenty
cents a copy.
By far, the biggest innovation at this year’s
Senior Prom – held on Friday, May 20 at the
Huntington Town House – was “The Flyers
Club,” which prom organizer Bro. Thomas described
as “a funky, Manhattan-style club located
at one end of the dance floor where the
seniors and their dates could hang out and enjoy
one another’s company.”
Couches upholstered in purple, crimson,
lime green, and zebra stripes were interspersed
with crimson-and-gold draped tables, and
lights positioned underneath the tables made
Samantha Hiltzik and Mike
Marmo enjoy a romantic moment
on the dance floor.
the entire Flyers Club glow. “The music, the
food, the dancing . . . it was all great,” noted
Brian McGowan, “but the best part was the
Flyers Club.”
Despite its popularity, the Flyers Club was not
the only hot spot. Many couples – close to three
hundred in all – flocked to a bountiful ice-cream
bar when it was rolled out on several banquetstyle
tables. All the popular flavors were served
with an array of toppings, allowing the promgoers
to make their own sundaes. With ice
cream, platters of pastries and cookies, and coffee
and tea, the seniors were treated to the whole
gamut of dessert delights.
The main meal pleased the prom-goers as
well. The repast consisted of a fresh-fruit appetizer;
Caesar salad; and a “Duet” of filet mignon
and chicken Merlot, served with a vegetable
medley.
Throughout the evening, prom-goers partied
and danced to the music of D.J. Mike “D.” “He
played lots of different styles of music, and I
thought he did a great job of getting people
onto their feet,” said Mike Fisher, one of several
seniors who dominated the dance floor
with dazzling moves and indisputable “cool.”
By the time the clock struck midnight and
the night’s festivities came to an end, the footloose
Flyers had danced their dates all across
the floor for several hours. Finally, the dancing
stopped, and the night concluded with a
raffle, from which seven lucky winners
emerged with brand-new iPods.
Although not everyone could leave with an
iPod, no one left empty-handed. As they made
their way from the grand ballroom, the guys
received FDNY T-shirts and a box of Krispy
Kreme donuts. As is tradition, cuddly teddy
bears were the favors for the ladies, who
seemed delighted by this thoughtful memento
of such an enjoyable evening.
“True to form,” Bro. Thomas said, “the Class
of 2005 celebrated the conclusion of their highschool
years with class, enthusiasm, and a
whole lot of fun!” Conor McDonald expressed
a similar sentiment, albeit more succinctly and
colloquially: “Dude, it was sweet!”
Above left: Decked out in their formalwear, (l.-r.) Ilana Wyler, Bobby Herrmann, R.J. Moulton, and Lea
Duranti make their grand entrance. Above right: During a quick break from dancing, T.J. Solazzo and
Regina Danca take a seat in “The Flyers Club.”
GRADUATION PULLOUT
Tarmac • July 2005

Strong • United • Blessed
After four years
of hard work and
dedication, Shamard
Charles
accepts his academic
diploma
with open arms.
(front row, left-right)
Graham M. Otton
Chaminade Man of the Year Award
Nassau County Award
Kevin P. McDermott
John R. Lenz “Semper Fidelis” Award
Christopher M. Fitzpatrick
Joseph F. Thomas Student-Athlete Award
G2
Josef A. Kaplan
Bro. Louis Faerber, S.M. Service Award
NY State Attorney General Triple “C” Award
Thomas F. Preis
Valedictorian
Town of Hempstead Award
Above: Proud parents
Steven and PattiAnn
McDonald pose for a
photo with their son,
newly minted alum,
Eric W. Shannon
Alexander Ott Glee Club Award
Conor. Right: The ex-
tended Chaminade
Family: 403
seniors left the
Tilles Center as
Chaminade men on
graduation day.
At the top of his
class: Tom Preis
receives his valedictorian
trophy,
along with the
Town of Hempstead
Award, from
CHS principal Bro.
Joseph Bellizzi.
“. . . every one of us posseses some unique
talent. Simply having this talent is not good
enough, however. Instead, we must share
these unique gifts by giving our best to the
world around us.” Tom Preis, Valedictory Address
Graduation Award Winners
Gregory M. Leporati
Robert C. Wright Speech and Debate Club Award
Peter J. Haas, Jr.
Parish Religious Education Award
Jonathan M. Karl
NY State Comptroller Achievement Award
Nassau County Comptroller Achievement Award
Alumni new
and old: Kevin
Considine ‘72
stands proudly
next to his son
Ryan outside
the Tilles Center.
(top row, left-right)
Ryan J. Rodrigues
Salutatorian
Chaminade Academic Excellence Award
Congressional Medal of Merit
Richard J. Ward
Fr. Philip Eichner, S.M. Award
Above left: It’s a family
thing: CHS alumni Shaun
McGowan ‘99 (l.) and
Glenn ‘02 (r.) congratulate
their brother Brian
‘05. Right: In his salutatory
address, Ryan Rodrigues,
recipient of the
Chaminade Academic Excellence
Award and the
Congressional Medal of
Merit, recounts the journey
of the Class of 2005 from
3-C week to graduation.
“Today, the Flyers of the Class of 2005
stand on the runway, ready for takeoff.
With Chaminade in the rearview mirror
and college on the horizon, it is our time
to shine.” Ryan Rodrigues, Salutatory Address
Kevin E. Dooley
Frank “Boiler” Burns Student-Athlete Award
Michael J. Adamovich
Bro. Joseph Fox, S.M. Service Award
NY State Attorney General Triple “C” Award
Michael R. Cali
Angelo Ferdinando Band Award
On graduation
day, with his
framed diploma
in hand, Glenn
Garcia can’t
help smiling.
Robert L. Ryan III
String Orchestra Award
John A. Siegel III
Albert Kozar Drama Club Award
“And so, my dear young men, Chaminade
men, always remember these
three words: strong, united, blessed.”
Bro. Joseph Bellizzi, Principal’s Remarks
Tarmac • July 2005 GRADUATION PULLOUT G3

TARMAC
Newspaper of the Chaminade Flyers Chaminade High School, 340 Jackson Avenue, Mineola, New York 11501-2441 (516) 742-5555
We’re back!
Don’t miss our first
issue!
The October 2005 issue
of Tarmac will feature:
— World Youth Day
— Summer Renovations
— Senior Night
— Our Island: Jones Beach
— Nazareth Farm
— 3-C Week and Orientation

Class of 2005
A Challenge to Follow in Faith
At Baccalaureate Mass, Class of 2005 Ponders Spiritual Choices
by Nicholas Kantor ‘06
Follow the leader. It’s a simple game;
someone is designated leader, and
whatever he does, you follow.” Although
this game is often associated with
childhood memories, the concept of following
the leader is by no means limited
to child’s play. In fact, “follow the leader”
was the theme of CHS president Fr. James
Williams’ homily at this year’s Baccalaureate
Mass, held on Sunday, June 5, at C.W.
Post’s Tilles Center in nearby Brookville,
Long Island. “After you graduate today,”
Fr James asked the Class of 2005, “which
leader will you follow?”
In a world of leaders, both good and
bad, would the Class of 2005 live up to the
Altar server Rick Ward, recipient of the
Fr. Philip Eichner, S.M. Award, holds the
incense before the Gospel reading.
The Tansey family joins the Chaminade Family
for the Baccalaureate Mass. Trevor (center)
was one of 403 members of the Class of 2005.
Tarmac • July 2005
values instilled in them at
Chaminade and follow the
leadership of Jesus Christ,
Fr James wondered aloud,
or would they follow the
empty promises and false
leadership of an often immoral
culture?
The Baccalaureate Mass,
Fr James noted, was the
culmination of four years of
spiritual formation, including
retreats, evenings of
recollection, prayer services,
and student-body
Masses. A culmination,
however, is not necessarily
an ending, since
“no one leaves
Chaminade; you
take a part of us
with you.”
According to Fr. James, the Class
of 2005 “will encounter many false
leaders.” Starting in college, false
leaders will tempt them to sin, to
“take the easy way out,” to forswear
the Christian values in
which they have been formed during
their high-school years.
Yet, “you know better,” said Fr.
James. “You have witnessed the
dangers of following the wrong
leader better than any class at
Chaminade. In the first days of
your freshman year, on 9/11 we
witnessed what happens when
people follow the wrong leader.”
By contrast, Fr. James explained,
Christians are called to “follow
the real leader; follow the Lord.”
If the Baccalaureate Mass represented
the culmination of four
years of spiritual growth, it also
represented the culmination of
preparation and practice by
many members of the
Chaminade Family. Faculty
members and members of the
National Honor Society set up
for the Mass the day before,
transforming a barren stage into
a fitting space for worship. Another
group of National Honor
Society members ushered at the
Mass. Concelebrating the Mass
were Fr. Garrett Long and Fr.
“Follow the Lord!” In his homily, Fr. James
Williams, CHS president and principal
celebrant of the Baccalaureate Mass,
emphasizes the need to follow good leaders.
Ernest Lorfanfant. Graduation award winners
Graham Otton and Rick Ward were
the servers for the Mass; Joe Kaplan, also
a graduation award winner, was the lector.
The Chaminade Glee Club, some
eighty strong, provided the liturgical music,
culminating in a Communion solo by
Alexander Ott Glee Club Award winner
Eric Shannon.
Lector Joe Kaplan leads the
congregation in the Prayer of the
Faithful.
GRADUATION PULLOUT
G1

A Celebration of Seventy-five Years
by Michael Matosic ‘07
T
hroughout the 2004-2005 school
year, Chaminade students, faculty,
and alumni have joined together to
celebrate the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of
the school’s foundation in 1930. Flyers of
all ages honored the anniversary with a student-body
photo, a Mass and Social, a
groundbreaking ceremony for the new Activity
and Athletic Center, a Gala dinner,
and a surprise barbeque lunch in school.
The yearlong commemorations began with a
student-body photograph on Tuesday, September
14. Aligned in a perfectly rectangular formation
on Ott Field, the students smiled up at the
cameraman located on Chaminade’s rooftop.
Following the picture, they enjoyed surprise icecream
sandwiches and each other’s company.
Four days later, on September 18, over 2,300
Chaminade alumni, students, faculty members,
and their families gathered to celebrate Mass in
honor of the anniversary. The Mass and Social,
originally intended for Ott Field, took place in
the auditorium and gymnasium due to the
downpours and high winds visited upon Long
Island by Hurricane Ivan. Sophomore Steve
Martinez, who sang in the Glee Club at the Mass,
commented, “I was surprised at how many
people came out for the Mass and Social. It really
shows the unity of the Chaminade Family.”
On Saturday, April 23, the school hosted a
groundbreaking ceremony during the day and
the Seventy-fifth Anniversary Gala in the
CHS Cooks Up a Surprise for Students
BBQ Commemorates Move to “New” Building
On May 20, 1931, the young Chaminade High School celebrated
a major milestone: the entire school moved from its original
home in the Garden City Bar Building to its current location – a
stately, Federal-style structure located at Jackson Avenue and Emory
Road in nearby Mineola. To commemorate this occasion and the many
students who have put in four years of blood, sweat, and tears in this
building, the current Chaminade student body had its own celebration
on Friday May 20, 2005. As CHS president Fr. James Williams announced
at the Mass in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 19, the faculty
and administration would host a free barbeque featuring hamburgers,
hot dogs, chips, iced tea, and ice cream to celebrate the event.
Fr. James later noted, “Friday, May 20, which was the first day of classes
in this building seventy-four years ago, seemed a fitting occasion to reward
the student body for its hard work.” Head chef Mr. Anthony Madia and
his assistants cooked up over 4,800 hot dogs and hamburgers, which faculty
members, student volunteers, and cafeteria staff served during each of
the four lunch periods. Threatening thunderstorms forced the barbeque,
originally slated to take place on Ott Field, indoors to the Courtyard Café.
Pouring rain and poor weather conditions, however, failed to
dampen the Flyers’ enjoyment of their special day. As excited sophomore
Mike Duranti put it, “What better way to commemorate such a
momentous occasion than with fun, friends, and lots of free food?
The faculty certainly did a fantastic job turning an ordinary lunch
period into an extraordinary feast.”
The second of two seventy-fifth-anniversary festivities to celebrate the
Tarmac • July 2005
by Dan Bruen ‘07
evening. Over seventy-five spectators gathered
at the former Koeppel Ford dealership on Jericho
Turnpike to witness the groundbreaking ceremony.
CHS president Fr. James Williams ’87
broke ground for the new Activity and Athletic
It’s all in the book: Mr. Kevin
Schuler ‘95 (l.) and Bro. Peter
Heiskell ‘86 debut Chamiande’s
Seventy-fifth Anniversary Journal.
Center with the same shovel used seventy-five
years ago when Bro. Alexander Ott broke
ground in the middle of a Mineola potato field
for what would eventually become the school
building as Chaminade students know it today.
The day’s events continued later that night
with the Anniversary Gala at the EAB Plaza in
nearby Uniondale, New York. Members of the
String Orchestra, Glee Club, and Jazz Band entertained
the guests during the cocktail hour. Following
speeches by current administrators and
several alumni, the attendees enjoyed a threecourse
meal and a chance to put on their dancing
shoes to the tunes of a live band. In addition,
guests received a copy of the ninety-sixpage
Seventy-fifth Anniversary Journal, produced
by Mr. Kevin Schuler ’95, his committee,
Bro. Peter Heiskell ’86, and the yearbook staff.
On Friday, May 20, the student body had its
own celebration on the occasion of
Chaminade’s location change exactly seventyfour
years ago from the Garden City Bar Building
to its current location. A free barbeque, compliments
of the school, was originally slated to
take place on Ott Field, but thunderstorms
forced the feast of over 4,800 hamburgers and
hot dogs inside to the cafeteria. “Ironically, we
ended our seventy-fifth anniversary celebrations
in the same way we began them, with
inclement weather forcing us indoors,” noted
dean of students Bro. Thomas Cleary ‘81, who
coordinates all of the food services of the school.
“Still, I think everyone had a great time at both
events, as well as all the ones in between.”
Fr. James summed up the year’s celebrations:
“Anniversaries provide an opportunity along
the journey of life to pause and reflect on the
many blessings of the past as well as affirm a
direction and commitment to the future. The
year’s events certainly fulfilled this goal.”
“Who says there’s no such thing as a free
lunch!” exclaim Terrance Wakely ‘07 (l.) and
Trevor Vincent ‘07 (r.) as CHS president Fr.
James Williams stops by.
students specifically (The first was the student-body photograph
and free ice cream on Tuesday, September 14.), the
barbeque was a success, as indicated by the many smiles
on the faces of the satisfied students. Indeed, according to
freshman Phil McAndrews, “While every lunch period may
be a feast fit for a Flyer, this was a feast fit for a king!”
75 YEARS
13

CHS Students Deeply Conflict-ed
Social Studies Club Game Examines International Politics
14
by Andrew Rula ‘06 & Sal Garofalo ‘08
Suspended time plans are now due to
the Control Center.” These words
echoed over the ETV broadcast system
as all four Conflict teams rushed to polish
off their plans for their respective engagements.
The final game of the Conflict
season was coming down to the wire. From
the destruction of the United States to the
Russian invasion of China, twists and turns
had punctuated the entire season.
Despite all the earth-shattering events of
the past year, the championship was still up
“Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
Hiking Club Explores Northeast’s Natural Beauty
by Alex Abbott Boyd ‘07
There are many ways to unwind after a
week of hard work at school. Some students
watch television; others go to the
movies. The thirty-five members of the
Hiking Club, however, know of no better
way than to go to the mountains, which
provides, as sophomore Antonio Camargo
put it, “an opportunity to hang out with
friends and explore new places.”
All year long, hikers tackle some of the highest
mountains in the Northeast. Hikes this year
have included Mt. Breakneck in the Hudson
Valley, which involved a two-thousand-foot
scramble up solid rock; Mt. Washington in New
Hampshire, and Slide Mountain, the highest
mountain in the Catskills.
Club moderator Bro. Ryszard Decowski, an
avid hiker since his boyhood days in Zakopane,
Poland, views the hikes as an opportunity “to
bring students to an appreciation of nature –
something that’s often lacking among teenagers
today.” Bro. Ryszard teaches members how
to navigate trails and puts their skills to the test
by allowing them to take turns leading the
group. He also teaches them to identify various
animals that they encounter. “This year,
we’ve come across a number of animals,” com-
AFTER 2:50
for grabs. The two favorites were the Triad
Alliance, captained by Corey Sheeron ’06,
and the Islamic Alliance, headed by John
Petsche ’06. When all the espionage,
strategizing, and invading had come to an
end, the final scores were tallied, revealing
that the closing game of the year had been
won by the Beijing Alliance, the novice Sacred
Heart Team. The championship – a cumulative
tally from the entire year – on the
other hand, went to the Islamic Alliance by
a remarkably slim margin.
Conflict is, simply, a game of world domination.
Each game consists of multiple blocs
of nations, called alliances, which are run
by a group of five to ten students. These
alliances – paying close attention to global
politics, current events, and socioeconomic
trends – have to respond to realistic news
flashes and political crises.
Written responses from each team are
scored by another group of players who run
the Control Center. Presenting the alliances
with countless complex and confusing sce-
Junior Corey Sheeron dictates
troop deployments in Conflict, a
game of international conquest.
mented club member Alex
Casanova ’07. “We’ve seen everything
from eagles to vultures
to deer – and even one
very aggressive rattlesnake!”
Each fall and spring, the
Hiking Club takes a three-day
trip to the Marianist Residence
at Founder’s Hollow.
There, they take full advantage
of the beautiful Catskill
Mountains – swimming,
kayaking, and hiking from
sunrise to sunset. This fall’s
Founder’s Hollow trip included
a visit to Kaaterskill
Falls, a waterfall even higher
than Niagara. Bro. Ryszard
used his extensive knowledge
of the Catskill area to lead the
group on trails above, below, and behind the
falls, giving hikers a view of the incredible
spectacle from every possible angle.
The Hiking Club offers a unique alternative
to everyday recreation. Members enjoy time
with friends, not at the local mall or movie
theater, as is customary for teens today, but in
the splendor of nature. But, even more than a
narios, those in the Control Center mastermind
the infrastructure and flow of the game.
This year, to make the game more up-todate
and high-powered, Conflict devotees
incorporated numerous technological advances
into their game, now a staple of the
Chaminade Social Studies Club. These innovations,
initiated by juniors Pat Scotti and
Andrew Rula, added a never-before-seen
edge to the game. For the first time in the
game’s history, for example, the news
flashes, political crises, and other announcements
were broadcast via the ETV closedcircuit
television network. Three-year veteran
Dan Burke ‘06 noted, “The new additions
really make the game a lot more interesting,
intense, and enjoyable.”
“Although the game is over thirty years old,
it never seems to lose its novelty,” remarked
Bro. Lawrence Syriac, creator of Conflict and
moderator of the Social Studies Club. In recent
years, the game has spread to colleges and
other high schools across the United States,
and even a firehouse. (The contact for the latter
was a Chaminade alumnus who had
played Conflict when he was still a student
in the school.) Perhaps these are the game’s
first steps towards world domination.
Hikers Antonio Camargo ‘07, Alex Casanova
‘07, Mike Ruggiero ‘08, Alex Abbott Boyd
‘07, and Pete Warny ‘07 stop to admire a
waterfall near Founder’s Hollow.
chance for recreation or an enjoyable getaway,
hiking is, according to Bro Ryszard, “a religious
experience. When you’re climbing a
mountain, you are surrounded by the beauty
of God’s handiwork. For me – and, I hope,
for the members of the club too – those majestic
sights are a way of drawing closer to the
awesome God who created them.”
Tarmac • July 2005

A Humorous, Candid Look at the T.R.U.T.H.
MTV Star, Abstinence Speaker Share Stories, Advice
Tarmac • July 2005
by Dennis Kavlakoglu ‘06
No ringy, no dingy!” These words summarize Hope and
Chris’s message of abstinence: no sex until marriage. The
two sex-education speakers have toured the country
with their presentation “T.R.U.T.H. Sex, Love, and Choices,” and
on Tuesday, April 19, they brought their
message to the all-male student body of
Chaminade High School. “I’m sure that
speaking about sexuality in front of a
group of teenage boys is no easy task,”
said Kyle Keinath ’06, “but Hope and
Chris won over their audience with their
quick wit, upbeat attitude, and remarkable
personal candor. As a result, I think
that almost all of us could relate to what
they were saying.”
Hope Lopez, spokeswoman for the
T.R.U.T.H organization, began the program
with an allegory about a gentleman named
“Truth” and his counterpart, a man named
“Lie.” In her story, both men went swimming.
When they came out of the water,
Lie stole Truth’s clothes and tried to fool the
townspeople into believing that they had
always been his. At the conclusion of the
story, Hope offered the students a question:
“Whom will you believe, the naked truth
or a lie in truth’s clothes?” Contemporary
society, Hope explained, tells young people
many lies about sexuality and its consequences,
all masquerading as the truth.
In the next part of her program, Hope called upon five Flyers to
help her demonstrate a clever metaphor for sexual promiscuity.
Juniors Kyle Gentile, Steve Dalton, Alex Diorio, and Tom Cassano
were called up to the stage to walk, stamp, and even dance on a
piece of duct tape that Hope had slapped down on the stage floor.
Continuing the metaphor, she then offered the sullied piece of tape
– a symbol, of course, for lost sexual purity – to her pretended fiancé,
a role taken by audience volunteer Jim O’Shea. Jim, disgusted by
the filthy piece of tape, refused it, exclaiming, “That’s nasty!”
Hope concluded her portion of the program by telling the students
that, based on their sexual activity, they could be classified
into one of three groups. The first group, or the “A group,”
as Hope called it, consists of virgins and “secondary virgins,”
people who had had sex but had since vowed to abstain from
further sexual activity until marriage. The “B group” – perhaps
the largest – includes all those who are undecided about the nature
and extent of their sexual activity before marriage. And
Clockwise from left: 1. Emil
Manuel ‘06 receives a “No ringy,
no dingy” T-shirt for being the
first in the audience to stand up
for abstinence. 2. MTV star Chris
Grabbe discusses his conversion
from a party animal to an
abstinence advocate. 3. In a
humorous but pointed skit, Hope
Lopez presents would-be fiancé
Jim O’Shea ‘06 with a trampledupon
piece of tape symbolizing
squandered virginity.
then, Hope joked, there is the “C group,” those who had decided,
“Sister Girl, speak to the hand. I’m a man, I have a plan, I’m
gonna get all I can.”
Hope then turned the stage over to Chris Grabbe, star of MTV’s
Road Rules: South Pacific and Battle of the Sexes, who spoke
candidly about the time he spent in all
three of the groups that Hope had just
outlined. Chris’s celebrity status, combined
with his forthright approach, made
his presentation “especially riveting,” according
to junior Mike Milone.
For example, Chris recounted an experience
that he had on his sixteenth birthday
when, still “a confused teenager,” he was
pressured into giving up his virginity. The
experience left him emotionally scarred,
and “later in life, though physically an
adult,” Chris noted, “I still carried with me
the stigma of my first sexual encounter.”
After his traumatic experience in high
school, Chris vowed to abstain from sex
until marriage. “Unfortunately,” admitted
Chris, “college proved to be a challenge
I could not overcome. I found myself
getting drunk almost every night and
waking up with a different girl every
morning.” After hitting rock bottom with
a drug overdose, however, Chris underwent
a profound conversion; left college;
and began the slow, difficult, but ultimately rewarding journey
from worshiping sex to worshiping Christ, from drunken debauchery
to a sober and committed married life.
In the most heartfelt part of his presentation, Chris spoke of the
hurt he felt having to tell his fiancée, “I didn’t care enough about
you to practice abstinence. I didn’t respect the relationship that we
would one day have.” Towards the end of his speech, Chris urged
the audience to make a decision. Referring back to Hope’s message,
he stressed, “You have to decide which group you want to be
in. Will you cherish or betray your future wife?”
Junior Scott Melamed recalled, “I really liked Hope’s humorous
speech, and its humor certainly helped to drive the message
home. Chris’s candid and compelling story of trial and error made
his message especially powerful and convincing. More than just
preach to us about what we should or shouldn’t do, Chris came
out and said, ‘Here are the mistakes I made. Maybe if I share
them with you, you can learn from them too.’”
SPECIAL ASSEMBLIES
15

Kelly “Green” with Envy
MVP Jim Kelly ‘06 and Fellow Golfers Vow to Take First Next Year
Golf, simply put, is one of the most frustrating sports in the
world. For centuries, men and women have tried to direct
a small, white ball into a cup that is a mere two-and-a-halfinches
wide. The 2005 Chaminade Varsity Golf Team, however, “made
the sport look easy,” laughed Varsity Golf Coach
Mr. James Hock as he looked back at the season.
Averaging forty-three strokes per nine holes,
the Flyers compiled a league record of twelve wins
and two losses, good enough for a second-place finish
in the Catholic High School Athletic Association.
In April, the Golf Team started its season strong
with landslide victories over Archbishop Molloy, St.
Mary’s, and St. John the Baptist. Although the rest
of the season would be characterized by overall success,
that success would not come effortlessly.
The first real challenge for the Flyers was a face-off at the
Rockville Links on April 25 against a traditionally powerful Holy
Trinity squad. On the final hole, Chaminade sealed a 5-4 victory in
dramatic fashion as junior Jim Kelly drained a twenty-foot birdie
putt. “The victory over Holy Trinity set the tone for the rest of the
season and showed us that we could compete in tight matches,”
commented four-year veteran Mike Furman ‘05.
The next trial for the team, on April 26, was the first of
two important matches against league archrival St.
Anthony’s. Facing tough competition, the Flyers came
up short, dropping the match 6-3 despite strong play from
junior Will Adamski and freshman Matt Heckman.
“Despite a tough loss, the team bounced back strong and,
over the course of the next five matches, really showed
what they were capable of,” noted Mr. Hock. Indeed,
during a streak of successes against Kellenberg Memorial,
St. Mary’s, Archbishop Molloy, Holy Trinity, and St.
Dominic’s, the Flyers showed they could play the game.
“Those successes gave us just the confidence boost we
Spring Awards Dinner
Honors Flyer Athletes
16
SPORTS
by Matt Doherty ‘07
by Matt Doherty ‘07
On Wednesday, June 1, 2005, student-athletes, their
coaches, and their parents gathered at the Crest Hollow
Country Club in Woodbury, Long Island for the
annual Spring Athletic Awards Dinner. In addition to the traditional
presentations made at this banquet, this year’s event included
a special dedication. The award for Most Valuable Player
on the Varsity Lacrosse Team was renamed. The Ronald Winchester
‘97 Memorial Award, in memory of the CHS graduate
who gave his life serving his country in Iraq, was presented to senior attackman
Rich Sgalardi. Ron was a large part of the athletic family at Chaminade,
excelling in both football and lacrosse during his four years in the program.
With Ron’s parents in attendance, Varsity Lacrosse Coach Mr. Jack Moran
announced the dedication to the entire audience.
The following student-athletes were recognized for outstanding performance
during the spring season: (front, l.-r.) Charles Donnelly ’08, MVP Freshman
Track & Field; Mike Liguori ’08, MVP Freshman Baseball; Dan Connolly ’05,
Athletic Director’s Award (ADA); Anthony Altimari ’07, MVP JV Crew; Bill
Coughlin ’08, MVP Freshman Lacrosse; Dan Falanga ’05, ADA; (middle, l.-r.)
Kevin McDermott ’05, MVP Varsity Track & Field; Andrew Forero ’05, MIP
Varsity Volleyball; Jon Brenner ’05, MVP Varsity Tennis; Brian Dussel ’05,
ADA; Rich Semenick ’07, MVP JV Track & Field; Mike Furman ’05, SA Varsity
needed for our second match against St. Anthony’s,” said Mr. Hock.
The Flyers had their second and last match-up with St. Anthony’s
on May 19. Although they came up short once again, the 5-4 score
was much closer than their previous defeat. The Friars prevailed
on the eighteenth green of the final match after a stunning comeback
over the last three holes. Fine performances were turned
in from freshmen Matt Heckman and Joe Lovas. The team
finished up their league schedule on May 21 when they
handily defeated St. Dominic’s by a score of 9-0.
With the regular season coming to a close and the playoff
competition about to commence, three Flyers were selected
to participate in the Catholic League Tournament.
Held at Bethpage Red Golf Course on May 31, the tournament
showcased the top talent in the CHSAA. Jim
Kelly shot a 78, Will Adamski shot an 80, and Matt
Heckman carded an 86, qualifying them for the
Catholic State Tournament in mid June at Beekman
Country Club in upstate New York.
The Flyers met further postseason success at the
Long Island Lutheran Classic on May 31 at the Tam
O’Shanter Club in Brookville. The three-man team
of sophomores Matt Doherty, Conner McMahon, and
Colin Quinn compiled a score of 252, good enough
for second place out of a field of twenty-nine teams.
Matt shot an 82, while Conner and Colin added
rounds of 83 and 87, respectively. With only two seniors,
Mike Furman and Jim Lynch, graduating, the
outlook for the team is positive. “Our goal for next
season is a first-place finish,” commented Mr. Hock.
“With the core of our team returning, we are poised to
climb to the top of the Catholic League – a difficult task,
though I’m sure they’ll make it look easy.”
MVP Jim Kelly ‘06 helped lead the golf
team to yet another strong season.
Golf; Tim McNally ’05, ADA; Will Adamski ’06, MIP Varsity Golf; Chris Durr
’06, SA Varsity Track & Field; Matt Loosen ’07, MVP JV Baseball; Chris Silva
’05, ADA; Dominick Cice ’05, MIP Varsity Track & Field; (back, l.-r.) Alex
Wong ’06, MVP Varsity Crew; Andrew Vella ’05, MVP Varsity Baseball; Dave
Hegermiller ’06, SA Varsity Crew; Brian Mulligan ‘05, ADA; Pat Morris ‘05,
ADA; Greg Hoffman ‘05, ADA; Tom Steinert ’05, SA and MIP Varsity Tennis;
Tim Regan ’07, MVP JV Tennis; Ryan O’Malley ’05, SA Varsity Volleyball; Jim
Kelly ’06, MVP Varsity Golf; Dominick Acevedo ’08, MVP Freshman Crew;
Tom Mansfield ’07, MVP JV Lacrosse; Kevin Cooper ’05, MIP Varsity Baseball;
Ian Hanes ’05, MVP Varsity Crew; Rich Sgalardi ’05, MVP Varsity Lacrosse;
and James Spicer ’05, MIP Varsity Lacrosse. (Missing from photo:
Chris Fitzpatrick ‘05, SA Varsity Lacrosse; Jim Zenker ’05, MVP Varsity Volleyball;
and Mike Milone ’06, SA Varsity Baseball.)
Tarmac • July 2005

CHS Oarsmen a National Success
JV National Championship Caps Off Antoher Record-Breaking Season
by Brian Corneliess ‘06
Webster’s Dictionary defines the
word team as “a number of persons
associated in work or activity.”
It defines champion as “a winner of
first prize or first place in a competition,
or one who shows marked superiority.”
When it comes to crew, perhaps the two are
inseparable. “From
day one, way back on
February 28, these
ninety guys have
been like my second
family. Every day, we
went out on the water
and gave it our all.
Now our team has
earned the right to
call ourselves champions,”
commented
junior Mike Jonas, a
member of the juniorvarsity
boat.
Indeed, Mike and his team were truly
champions. On Saturday, May 28, for the
first time in Chaminade history, the JV
rowers captured first at the Scholastic National
Championships, at Mercer Lake,
New Jersey, capping off an undefeated
season. “Not a lot of people get to say that
they are the best in the country at what
they do,” reflected JV rower Dave
Hegermiller ’06. “It really was a special
year the whole way through – the result
of a lot of work and a lot of camaraderie.”
A championship requires plenty of practice
and teamwork. From February into March,
the Crew Team spent many long hours at Bar
Beach, rowing together in the frigid Long Island
Sound. In addition to rowing, the team
“Spring Track,” continued from page 18
put. Pessala finished first in the discus with
a throw of 144‘ 5”, followed by sophomore
George Herger in third.
With the meet coming to an end, the Flyer
4 x 100-meter relay team finished in third
place with a time of 46.29 seconds. Despite
outstanding performances on all levels,
however, the Flyers would have to settle for
a second-place team finish, beaten by the
Friars of St. Anthony’s. “Even though we
came in second, we demonstrated the hard
work and determination of champions,” said
Assistant Coach Mr. Patrick Slevin.
At the newly constructed Ichann Stadium
on Randall’s Island in the Bronx, the Flyers
competed in the Seventy-eighth Annual Intersectional
Championships. At this championship
meet, five Flyer athletes qualified
to compete in the New York State Championships.
Senior Kevin McDermott captured
first place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase
Tarmac • July 2005
toned their “sea legs,” running through the
wooded areas surrounding Bar Beach.
Several weeks after their winter practices,
the Flyers finally saw their physically
grueling work come to fruition.
Traveling to competitions as far as Massachusetts
and Delaware, the team grew
close over the many hours spent away
Racing to victory, the JV-A boat nears the finish line to win
Chaminade its first-ever first-place national title.
from home. “Camaraderie is essential on
the water,” explained novice rower Jack
Conway ’06. “One man can’t carry the
team to victory, as in some other sports.
To have any hope of winning, you need
everybody on board working together as
a single unit.”
From the starting shot of the first regatta
to the finish line of the last, the Chaminade
rowers performed excellently in waters all
over the Eastern Seaboard. The Flyers met
their first big success on Sunday, May 15,
at the New York State Championships at
Saratoga. Despite the varsity-A boat’s loss
to archrival St. Anthony’s, Chaminade
brought home the Overall Boys Team Trophy
for the third year running.
with a time of 9:30. Rich Semenick finished
second in the long jump with a leap of 20’
4”. The 4 x 800-meter relay team of Kevin
Kiley, Ryan McDermott, Conor McNamara,
and Kevin McDermott held off two oncoming
teams to come in second place with a
time of 8:02.
On June 4, 2005, this group of five elite
Flyers competed in the New York State
Championships held at Cicero-North
Syracuse High School. The highlight of
the meet occurred when senior Kevin
McDermott raced to a first-place finish
in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, holding
off senior John Martinez of North
Rockland High School and setting a new
meet and Federation record with an eyeopening
time of 9:13.
Seeing double? No. The McDermott
brothers - Kevin ‘05 (l.) and
Ryan ‘07 - helped lead the track
team to victory this year.
Seeking to prove their abilities beyond
New York State, the team headed to Philadelphia,
on Saturday, May 21, to participate
in the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the nation’s
oldest and largest high-school crew competition.
There, for the first time all season, the
Flyers pitted themselves against some of the
best rowers in the nation. This time, the varsity-A
boat came out
on top, leaving the St.
Anthony’s squad
vowing revenge.
Eager to expand
upon their success,
the Flyers began to
prepare for the upcoming
Scholastic
National Championships.
The freshman-A
boat, the JV-
A boat, and the varsity-A
boat all
reached the finals.
While the JV boat’s first-place finish may
have stolen the show, all shared in the success.
The freshmen finished sixth in the
nation, and the varsity-A came in fourth,
again defeating the Friars. “It felt great
beating them again, especially on that kind
of stage,” gloated Dan Connolly ’05. “The
Friars have a great team, and they did beat
us once, but I think we proved who had
the better boat.”
Better boats – and a champion boat – were only
made possible through much practice and camaraderie.
“This was a great team,” commented
Head Coach Mr. John Callinan. “Every moment
on the water, they worked hard and worked together
– truly becoming a team and defeating a
few opponents in the process.”
Senior Kevin McDermott’s astounding performance
characterized a season of achievement
on all levels of competition. Although
the Varsity Track and Field Team will be losing
one of the best runners in Chaminade’s history,
with such a breadth and depth of talent,
the outlook for next year appears bright.
SPORTS
17

Friars Prove to Be Flyers’ Only Achilles Heal
With the Speed of Hermes, McDermott Takes First at States, Sets New Record
18
by Ryan McDermott ‘07
With 2,600 meters and five lead
changes behind him and an opponent
breathing down his neck,
senior Kevin McDermott shifted into high
gear with only four-hundred meters left in
his race. On his “last legs,” he raced to the
finish line to become Chaminade’s first New
York State Champion since 1997. “I planned
to stick with my strategy throughout the
race,” said McDermott, “but with that last
lap, all racing tactics went out of my head,
and I just wanted to win.”
Outstanding individual performances at the
New York State Championship were the pinnacle
of a season full of excitement, camaraderie,
and personal bests for the 2005 Spring Track
and Field Team. Under the direction of Head
Coach Mr. William Carriero, the Flyers captured
a sixth-place finish at the Intersectional
City Championship and a second-place finish
at the Nassau-Suffolk Catholic High School
Athletic Association Championship, the
season’s most important team meet.
On a drizzly, cold Saturday morning in
March, over one-hundred athletes began their
quest for another successful season. Before
they could even begin running, the Flyers met
their first trial in an ice-and-snow-covered
track. Shovels in hand, the Flyers met this challenge
head-on, enthusiastically beginning a
three-month-long period of practice.
After weeks of daily wind sprints and fivemile
runs, the team was ready to
compete against the best on Long
Island. Although dismal weather
cancelled several meets, the team
never gave up on their season.
“Spring track is a demanding
sport, both physically and mentally,”
remarked Coach Carriero.
SPORTS
Right: Chaminade’s first state
champ since 1997, senior Kevin
McDermott ran the 3,000m
steeplechase in an eye-opening
9:13. Below: Junior Sean
Finnegan leaps to a second-place
finish in the high jump at
NSCHSAA Champs.
“The discipline required to keep the training
going when meet after meet is cancelled
is a difficulty that the spring track runner has
to endure – and did.”
The team started their season off strong
on Friday, April 29 to Saturday, April 30,
when a group of fifteen Chaminade runners
traveled to compete in the 111 th Penn Relay
Carnival at Franklin Field at the University
of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On Friday, the 4 x 800-meter relay
team of Greg
Hoffman ’05, Kevin
Kiley ’06, Conor
McNamara ’06, and
Ryan McDermott
’07 placed seventh
in their heat of
twelve teams, running
a time of 8:03,
one of the fastest
Chaminade times
recorded at the
Penn Relays in several
years. Senior
captain Greg
Hoffman commented,
“It was an
Above: Sophomore
Richard Semenick
braces himself for a
landing, leaping to a
second-place finish
in the long jump.
Left: Senior Greg
Hoffman races to a
third-place finish in
the 1,600m run at
NSCHSAA Champs.
amazing experience
to run in front of
such a large crowd
and also to have
such a great time as
a team.”
Other highlights
of the meet included
senior Kevin
McDermott’s ninthplace
finish in the
3,000-meter run
with a time of 8:41. The 4 x 400-meter relay
team of Dan Falanga ’05, Kevin Kiley ’06,
Brian Farrell ’06, and Rich Semenick ’07
placed third in their heat with a respectable
time of 3:31, capping off a successful first
meet for the Flyers.
With an NSCHSAA championship on the
line, the Flyers were prepared for the focal
point of the season. Kevin McDermott’s firstplace
finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase
and Ryan McDermott’s second-place finish
in the 3,200-meter run started off the Flyers’
day strong. Also adding valuable points to
the team’s score, Tim Jarzynka ’06 sprinted
to a second-place finish in the 110-meter high
hurdles, and senior captain Greg Hoffman
placed third in the 1,600-meter run. Juniors
Kevin Kiley and Conor McNamara placed
fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 800-meter
run, and Brian Farrell ’06 ran to a third-place
finish in the 400-meter dash.
The field events, usually the Flyers’
Achilles heal, proved to be a surprise
herculean strength for the team at the championship
meet. In the long jump, Rich
Semenick recorded a 19’ 4" leap, and Alex
Dufek ’06 provided a 17‘ 11" effort, placing
second and fourth, respectively. In the
triple jump, Rich finished first with a jump
of 40’ 8", followed closely by senior captain
Dan Falanga with a jump of 40’ 2". Continuing
their dominance in the field, seniors
Alex Pessala and James Fitzgerald placed
second and fourth, respectively, in the shot
See “Spring Track,” page 17.
Tarmac • July 2005

Flyers Eke Out a League Championship
Varsity Baseball Takes Title in 6-5 Nail-biter over Trinity
by Kevin Alas ‘07
or a team that outscored their opponents by a combined total
of 110 runs this season, who would think that a single run
F would determine the difference between victory and defeat?
For a team that scored 204 runs this season, how tough could it be to
get just one more? For a dominating pitching staff that simply overpowered
league competition all year long, could it be that difficult to
prevent a team from scoring just one more run? There’s an old saying
that baseball is “a game of inches,” and this year’s Chaminade
Flyer Baseball Team proved the saying true.
The Flyers emerged as league champions after an epic
three-game series against their rival, the Holy Trinity
Titans. The Flyers went 19-5 in league play to take
the regular-season title and the league tournament
championship, edging out Holy Trinity
by just one game both times. Behind
tremendous team defense and consistent
pitching, Chaminade won every
series they played
during the season, which was a goal
that they established at the first day of
practice. The Titans gave the team all they
had and more, but bend as they might, the
Flyers refused to break all year long.
Chaminade’s top seed gained them a first-round
bye, and they easily dismissed St. Dominic’s in the
semifinals. Holy Trinity also plowed through their competition,
and the two teams were poised to meet to determine
a champion.
On May 29, a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the teams met at
Citibank Park in Central Islip, home of the Long Island Ducks,
to play a doubleheader that would decide this year’s champion.
If necessary, a Game Three was to be held at the New York Institute
of Technology. The always-pivotal Game One posed a tremendous
challenge for the Flyers. Trinity’s ace, Darren Jenkins,
held the ball for the Titans, and Flyer head coach Mr. Michael
Pienkos countered with senior hurler Will Hassett. Hassett did
all he could, but Jenkins lived up to his 6-0 record and 0.51 ERA,
baffling the Flyers with a consistent fastball and deadly curve.
Chaminade simply couldn’t figure him out and was held to just
three hits in a 4-2 defeat.
The Crimson and Gold now had their backs up against the wall.
The regular-season series had begun the same way, with a Trinity
Tarmac • July 2005
victory before the Flyers roared back to take the final two games.
“We were in that same situation against Trinity, but the team never
lost confidence,” commented Coach Pienkos.
History was to repeat itself. Chaminade sent staff ace and CHSAA
Pitcher of the Year Andrew Vella ‘05 to the mound to stop the bleeding,
and he did just that. After struggling to get a base runner against
Titan starter Nick Tomosulo in the first three innings, the Flyer offense
exploded for ten runs in the next two innings. Leading the attack
was senior catcher Mike Marmo, who had two hits, including a
double and four RBIs in the rally. Vella battled to make the
lead stand up, gutting out a 123-pitch five-hitter to secure
the victory and force the series to a third game. “That
was Andrew’s role all year; he was the stopper. I
thought he did a tremendous job,” beamed an
obviously satisfied Coach Pienkos.
The season could end no other way. After
the two teams had battled so fiercely
all year long, it had come down to a
final game, a winner-take-
Clockwise from left: 1. Lou
Picconi ‘06 slugs a double to
right field. 2. Flyer ace Andrew
Vella ‘05 fires a strike. 3. Got ‘em:
Kevin Dooley ‘05 catches a Trinity
runner sleeping on the base paths.
4. Mike Marmo ‘05 isnt afraid to get his
uniform dirty to score a run for the Flyers.
all scenario. Holy Trinity sent Mike Mongiardo to the hill,
and senior Greg Dimmling took the ball for the Flyers. Trinity
jumped ahead early on with a run in the top of the first, but the
Flyers answered right back. Junior center fielder Brian Kemp led off
with a single, and Mike Marmo singled him in two batters later. Senior
Kevin Dooley later plated Marmo to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead.
However, Trinity wouldn’t give in. They came back to score three
runs and take a 4-2 lead.
Junior Tom Soler took the ball for the Flyers in the fourth inning
and held the Titans at bay. They threatened twice, but big plays by
junior Lou Picconi at shortstop kept the Titans from pushing a run
across. Chaminade tied the game in the fourth inning on a lead-off
home run by junior Ken Doherty.
The Flyers’ big break came in the fifth, however. After a controversial
call, senior Chris Jenney singled to load the bases with two
See “Baseball,” page 23.
SPORTS
19

Varsity Tennis Has a Racket on Winning
Flyers Compile 11-1 Record, Defeat Friars for Crown
20
by Eric Tellekamp ‘06
The Chaminade Varsity Tennis Team
came into the spring season with high
expectations, looking to repeat another
year as Catholic High School Athletic
Association champs. With the rest of the
Catholic League gunning for them, however,
they knew it would be no walk in the
park. As junior Jon Cleva commented, “We
knew it was going to be a difficult season
from the beginning, so everyone worked
hard to make sure we would achieve our
ultimate goal – winning in both the regular
season and the playoffs.”
The Flyers kicked off the season in a nonleague
competition against a highly touted
Great Neck South team. After a series of difficult
matches, Chaminade was able to fend
off the Rebels by a final of 4-3. They continued
the non-league portion of their schedule
against nearby Garden City High School. The
team soared to an easy 6-1 victory over the
Trojans, gearing them up for a match against
powerhouse Cold Spring Harbor.
Although eager for a shot at such a
tough team, the Flyers fell flat in the first
few matches and struggled throughout the
day. The miserable day ended in a 7-0 defeat.
Some good things did come from the
match, however. Junior Andrew Sudano
remarked, “The match against Cold Spring
Harbor opened our eyes and showed us
we couldn’t just coast through this season.
I think everyone stepped it up a notch in
practice after this loss.”
This loss led Chaminade into the more
important part of their schedule, the
CHSAA league games. League play began
with a match against Kellenberg Memorial
High School. Much to the surprise
of the Flyers, the Firebirds were not as
strong as they had been in the past, and
the team had an easy time defeating them,
7-0. After adding another shutout against
St. John the Baptist, the Flyers prepared
for a bout against perennial rival St.
SPORTS
Anthony’s. The Friars were expected to
be Chaminade’s main competition for the
season, and their performance on the
courts confirmed those expectations.
Through six of the seven matches, the
Flyers and Friars each compiled three victories.
The final match pitted Tom Steinert
‘05, veteran and one of the team leaders,
in a single match against a strong St.
Anthony’s player. A hard-fought battle
ensued, with Tom barely coming out on
top. “I knew I had to buckle down,” Tom
said after the match. “This was an important
game for us, and I could not let the
team down.”
After the match against St. Anthony’s, the
Flyers definitely found their groove. They
recorded five straight 7-0 shutouts, all over
league opponents. Then, in their second-tolast
match before the playoffs, the Flyers were
scheduled to play St. John the Baptist, whom
they had handily defeated in the
early stages of the season. The
Cougars came out with a vengeance,
however, and snuck away
with a 4-3 win.
This surprising loss was the
first in league play for the Flyers,
with just one game left before
the playoffs were to begin.
And, of course, the game pitted
Chaminade against St.
Return to sender: With a
keen eye, Sean Nolan ‘06
prepares to return his
opponent’s serve.
Holding court: Jon Cleva ‘06
(above) and Matt Aaron ‘06
(left) show off the perfect form
that placed them fourth in the
championship match.
Anthony’s. This time, however, the Flyers
took control early and cruised to a 5-2
victory.
The Flyers finished the regular season
with an 11-1 league record. They felt confident
and in control as the playoffs began.
After a bye in the quarterfinals,
Chaminade turned their attention to
Kellenberg Memorial, whom they had
shut out in both of their regular-season
meetings. Once again, the Flyers proved
superior to the Firebirds, coming away
with yet another shutout.
The finals pitted Chaminade against –
who else? – St. Anthony’s. Having already
beaten the Friars twice, the Flyers saw no
reason to tarnish their perfect record against
their rivals. Chaminade came out strong
and looked poised to take home the crown
once again. The Friars made a valiant comeback
but fell just short. The Flyers were
again CHSAA playoff champions.
“This year’s championship was definitely
special because of what the team
had to overcome,” said head coach Mr.
James Quinn. “We lost three out of four
singles players from last year’s team, and
the one returning player was injured for
the majority of the season.”
Following the team championships,
Chaminade also performed well in the
League Individual Tournament. The Flyers
finished first and third in the singles
tournament, and took second, third, and
fourth in doubles. These performances further
enforced the Flyers’ position at the top
of the Catholic League. With several talented
juniors and some strong underclassmen,
the Flyers are looking forward to reigning
as kings of the court again next year.
Photo by Conor O’Reilly ‘06
Tarmac • July 2005 T
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AFTER TWO-YEAR HIATUS, FLYERS IN “TITLETOWN”
Prolific Scoring, Rock-Solid Defense Vanquish Archrival Friars
by Ted Fifield ‘06 & Brett Wishart ‘08
Refusing to be deterred by a steady rain
and a November-like chill, hundreds
of Chaminade faithful packed into
Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium on the evening of
May 24 to cheer on the varsity Flyers as they
battled archrival St. Anthony’s for the
Nassau-Suffolk Catholic High School Athletic
Association lacrosse title. With months
of grueling practices and a long season culminating
in that final game, the Flyers came
out flying from the very first whistle, pouring
every ounce of their energy into what
could have been the deciding ground ball,
body check, or shot on goal.
Above: Geery Grant ‘05 dodges a St. Anthony’s
defender. Right: Ever focused on the game, Coach
Moran doesn’t know what’s coming as MVP Rich
Sgalardi ‘05 douses him with a bucket of water.
To the dismay of the crimson-and-gold-clad
fans, however, the Friars scored two quick goals
in the first quarter to take the lead and the momentum.
Determined not to let the game slip
away from them, the Chaminade defense buckled
down and shut off St. Anthony’s for the
remainder of the half. With the second quarter
coming to a close, junior attackman Colin Tigh
knocked in a goal to cut the deficit in half and
send the Flyers into halftime with hope.
At the onset of the second half, St. Anthony’s
came out and almost immediately scored a
goal. Little did they know it would be their
Tarmac • July 2005
last goal of the season. Led by seniors Chris
Viviano and Regis McDermott, the Flyers’ stifling
defense shut down St. Anthony’s highpowered
offense for the remainder of the contest.
With the defense controlling its end of the
field, the pressure now fell upon the offense to
win the game, a task easier said than done.
With the clock ticking down on the third
quarter and the Flyers still scoreless in the second
half, junior attackman Brendan Gibson intercepted
a pass and ripped a goal to open the
floodgates of the Chaminade offensive. Although
Gibson’s goal was their only goal for
the third quarter, it was the beginning of a 7-0
run by the Flyers that propelled them to a con-
vincing victory, 8-3, ending St. Anthony’s hopes
of a three-peat and landing Chaminade in the
promised land dubbed by Assistant Coach John
Laden as “Titletown.” Finally, after a two-year
hiatus in the hands of what Chaminade fans
jokingly call the “Evil Empire,” the varsity lacrosse
title was back where it belongs.
As impressive as the championship victory
seems, it was characteristic of a
Chaminade team that played consistently
well throughout the season. The Flyers
compiled an 18-2 overall record and finished
undefeated in league play.
The season was highlighted by many key
victories for Chaminade, the most outstanding
of which were two one-goal wins over
St. Anthony’s. Both regular-season games
were charged with the same excitement and
intensity as the championship. In the teams’
first meeting, the Flyers scored first and never
relinquished their lead, defeating the Friars
in a 7-6 nail-biter.
The second match-up was a night game under
the lights at St. Anthony’s. The Friars
jumped out to an early three-goal lead, and
the Flyers limped into halftime still trailing,
5-3. Coach Moran rallied the troops at halftime,
though, and Chaminade exploded in
the third quarter, outscoring the Friars, 5-0.
The Crimson and Gold warriors held on for
a 9-8 victory. In a euphoric hype that defied
all past grammatical schooling, four-goal
scorer Geery Grant ’05 explained to a News
12 reporter, “We out-intensed them.”
The Flyers’ only two losses of the season
came against nationally ranked opponents in
non-league matches. After a long, cramped bus
ride to New Jersey, Chaminade suffered its first
defeat at the hands of national powerhouse
Delbarton. Two weeks later, despite a valiant
five-goal output by Brendan Gibson, the Flyers
dropped their second game in a heartbreaking
one-goal loss to the Yorktown Cornhuskers.
Commenting on the painful losses, Coach
Moran remarked, “As much as it hurts now,
these losses are
going to help
us come playoff
time.” How
right he was.
Also highlighting
the
season, the
Flyers won a
convincing
victory over
New Jersey
opponent Don
Bosco Prep
and edged out
local power
Massapequa
in a one-goal
victory. Other notable games were a surprisingly
close 11-9 victory over the Titans of
Holy Trinity and a cold-weather conquest of
Connecticut opponent Fairfield Prep.
Ultimately, the Flyers’ hard work and commitment
to “Be the Best” paid off in their dramatic
triumph over St. Anthony’s in the final.
In bringing the varsity lacrosse title back to
Chaminade, the team fulfilled its preseason
goal of a championship. Team MVP and Academic
All-American Rich Sgalardi ’05 summed
it up perfectly: “I can’t think of a better way to
end my career at Chaminade.”
SPORTS
21

Flyers Make Short Work of a Tall Order
It’s a Four-peat, in Three Games, Against a Tough Opponent
P
erhaps the hardest thing to do in
sports is to win a championship. It
is even harder to win a championship
four times in a row – nearly impossible.
Members of the 2005 Volleyball Team, however,
completed their four-peat in a truly triumphant
fashion. “This year’s team exhibited a dedicated
work ethic, a strong sense of camaraderie, and
a series of marvelous successes,” remarked volleyball
coach Mr. Salvatore Trentacoste.
On Tuesday, May 17, 2005, eager fans
packed into Woodruff Hall Gymnasium at
Adelphi University in Garden City for the
Nassau-Suffolk Catholic High School Athletic
Association Volleyball Championship. The
Chaminade Flyers were about to square off
against the Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds.
According to Brendan Hickey ’06, “The game
was a grudge match between two rivals who
had struggled neck and neck all season.”
“Our strategy was to be aggressive and not
allow the Firebirds any opportunity to change
the game’s momentum,” explained Mr.
Trentacoste. When all was said and done, the
Flyers came out on top, beating the Firebirds
25-21 in the first set, 25-17 in the second, and
25-18 in the third. “I won’t lie; we were all a
little nervous going into the game. We knew
we had the better team, but Kellenberg had
played well all season and was hungry for a
championship. I’m proud to say that we rose
to the occasion,” reflected Connor Hickey ’06.
22
by Stephen O’Brien ‘06
Pat Heiman ‘06 surprises the
defense with his middle hitting
ability.
SPORTS
The road to the four-peat,
however, required dedication,
persistence, and a lot of practice.
Faced with stiff competition,
the Flyers had to work
hard if they expected to capture
a fourth consecutive
championship and start what
team members and fans are
now calling a dynasty.
It all began on March 14,
when nearly eighty young men
showed up in Chaminade’s
gymnasium to try out for the
Chaminade Varsity Volleyball
Team. After several sweaty
and grueling days of tryouts,
the team of eighteen was selected:
two freshmen, five
sophomores, six juniors, and
five seniors.
Despite a finalized roster, the
Flyers had not yet completely
gelled, and at the start of their
season, it showed. After only
a few weeks of practice,
Chaminade entered the Port
Washington Tournament;
there, despite a tenacious attitude,
they failed to pass the first
round. A few days later, the
Flyers encountered another setback
in a loss to Floral Park
High School. “Although we didn’t play to our
full potential in the first games, we didn’t lose
our persistence,” recalled James Tuomey ’06.
“In fact, we were inspired to try harder.”
With a new resolve, the team went on to
achieve victories over Holy Trinity, St.
Anthony’s, and St. Francis Prep. On April
15, however, their winning streak came to a
screeching halt in a match against the
Kellenberg Firebirds.
The game volleyed back and forth, each
team claiming two sets, sending the game into
a fifth and final set. But in the end, the
Firebirds pulled out a win and handed
Chaminade their second loss of the season. Although
disappointed by the loss, the squad,
led by senior co-captains Jim Zenker ‘05 and
Andrew Forero ’05, went on a tear, defeating
St. John the Baptist, St. Francis Prep (twice),
Holy Trinity, and St. Anthony’s.
On April 27, the Flyers got a chance to take
out the one thorn in their side, the Kellenberg
Firebirds. The game was another fiery contest,
but this time, the Flyers came out with
the win, defeating their rival in five sets.
Continuing their winning streak, the team
met success at the Plainview Tournament,
where they defeated East Meadow in the semifinals
and Long Beach in the championship to
win the tournament for the first time in ten
years. After this triumph, the team went on to
Team M.V.P. Jim Zenker ‘05 soars through
the air for a spike, propelling the Flyers to a
victory.
beat Holy Trinity and St. Anthony’s.
On May 9, Chaminade returned to Kellenberg
for one last regular-season game and once again
defeated the Firebirds in just three sets. “This
was probably the biggest win of our regular season,”
observed NSCHSAA Player of the Year
Jim Zenker ’05. “We won the final game in the
Chaminade-Kellenberg miniseries, and it really
gave us momentum going into the playoffs.”
Chaminade then went on to beat St.
Anthony’s in the semifinals on May 13. Four
days later, the team conquered the Firebirds for
the last time, earning the NSCHSAA Championship,
the four-peat, and the start of a dynasty.
Along with the championship, the Flyers
also garnered the Sportsmanship Award from
the NSCHSAA Board of Officials. “Receiving
the admiration and recognition of the Board
of Officials was certainly a cherished accomplishment,”
commented Mr. Trentacoste during
his speech at the Athletic Awards Dinner.
With a total team average of 93.1, the Flyers
also earned All-Academic honors.
After a long season, the Flyers captured their
fourth consecutive championship and earned
the right to be called a dynasty. “Through a
lot of hard work, they were able to reach their
potential to make the fourth championship a
reality,” reflected Mr. Trentacoste. “I’m looking
forward to their return next year as we attempt
to ‘strive for five’!”
Tarmac • July 2005

Chutestrings
PARA
Overpaid, Underachieving? No Thanks, Yanks!
T
he 2005 Major League Baseball season is now in
full swing. After last year’s fiasco in the American
League Championship Series, the Yankees
looked to add to their repertoire of talent in the off-season.
The organization signed second baseman and outfielder
Tony Womack, first baseman Tino Martinez, second
baseman Robinson Cano, and pitchers Carl Pavano
and Randy Johnson to the Pinstripes. These players were
added to the list of the longtime Yankee stars – including
shortstop Derek Jeter, closer Mariano Rivera, and catcher
Jorge Posada – for the 2005 season.
With all of these individual stars, George Steinbrenner’s
payroll has skyrocketed. As of April of this year, the Yankee
payroll had swelled to well
over $200 million – light years
ahead of the rest of the MLB. The
Boston Red Sox post the second
highest payroll at just under $125
million, and the New York Mets
round out the top three at just
over $100 million. The rest of the
league falls between the $100
million and $25 million range.
So, with all this individual talent
and a gargantuan payroll,
why are the Yankees currently in
fourth place with a record wavering
on the .500 mark?
According to the numbers, hitting
has certainly not been the
source of the Yankees’ problems.
The Yankee lineup is a force to be
reckoned with, consisting of an
overpowering collaboration of
hitters from top to bottom. The
team is currently third in the
American League in both runs
scored and home runs, fourth in
runs batted in and total bases, and sixth in team batting
average with .272. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez is tied
for both the most home runs and RBI’s in the MLB, with
seventeen and forty-nine respectively. With this level of hitting,
the Yankee bats have succeeded in providing the pitching
staff with a comfortable amount of run support throughout
the opening months.
The Yankees’ pitching thus far has been mediocre at best.
Pinstripe pitchers have compiled an earned run average
of 4.65, twenty-eight wins, and twenty-nine losses. In ad-
“Baseball,” continued from page 19
outs in the sixth, and Marmo again came to the plate in a
clutch situation. “Marmo’s been doing it all year for us. I
had confidence he would come through with a hit,” commented
Coach Pienkos. Marmo did just that, scoring two
with another RBI single. Soler returned to the mound to
try to seal the deal for the Flyers. Trinity scored to make
the game 6-5, but they stranded the tying run at third with
a two-out strikeout that ended the game. “Tom was awesome,”
Coach Pienkos remarked. “After pitching five innings
on Friday, it was a real gutsy performance.”
Tarmac • July 2005
dition, they have given up more hits than any other team
in the American League, with thirty more hits than the Los
Angeles Angels. They have also allowed 188 runs, fifth most
in the Major Leagues. Newly acquired Randy Johnson and
Carl Pavano have had their moments, but on the whole,
they have performed well below what had been expected.
In addition, starter Kevin Brown has only recently recovered
from a series of back problems, causing him to miss a
significant part of the beginning of the season.
In addition, the Yankees thus far have struggled to find
their groove on the field. They have allowed thirty-nine errors
in fifty-three games and have the fifth worst fielding percentage
in the MLB. They currently have the lowest efficiency
rating in baseball. Shortstop Derek
Jeter has staggered on six of his attempts,
and third baseman Alex
Rodriguez has committed an error
in one out of every ten of his
attempts. The Yankees’ porous
defense has allowed twenty-six
unearned runs to score, which has
made the difference in a number
of close games.
Thus far in the season, the Yankees
have proven that a high payroll
and an abundance of individual
stars do not necessarily
buy success in the realm of athletics.
The Yankees’ individual
stars include some of the best
players in the league – Derek Jeter,
Gary Sheffield, Mike Mussina,
Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez,
and Mariano Rivera, just to name
a few. But while the Yankee organization
has continued to buy
more and more individual talent,
they have failed to realize that
baseball is essentially a team sport and that even the most
talented player only gets a hit one out of every three times
up at bat. The Yankee organization seems to be putting
more emphasis on individual achievement than on wins,
and the Yankees’ declining team record has reflected their
misplaced priorities. In order to start winning games, the
Yankees certainly have to continue putting runs on the
scoreboard, but they also need more consistent pitching and
fewer mistakes in the field. Without all three, the Bronx
Bombers will almost certainly “bomb” this season.
The win summed up a season in which six Chaminade
players earned All-League honors: Will Hassett, Andrew
Vella, Chris Jenney, Mike Marmo, Kevin Dooley, and Lou
Picconi. Mike Marmo took home the Playoff MVP Award
after belting out six hits in nine at-bats with nine runs
batted in during the final series. The Flyers showed the
heart and determination that had characterized their performance
all year when it counted most. Chaminade
emerged as the champions, winning by just one run, just
a few inches.
A sports
commentary by
Kevin Martin ‘06
“Thus far in the
season, the
Yankees have
proven that a
high payroll and
an abundance
of individual
stars do not
necessarily buy
success in the
realm of
athletics.”
SPORTS
23

Lax is Back!
Flyers Defeat Friars for Title
xx
page page page xx
21
It’s a Dynasty
Volleyball Makes It a 4-Peat
T A R M A C
SPORTS
page page 13 page 22
Flyers are the Kings of Spring
Clockwise from top left: 1. Right through the wickets! Larry
Kopsick ‘06 splits two Kellenberg defenders for another kill.
2. Web gem! Catcher Mike Marmo ‘05 makes a diving catch
for a crucial out. 3. Practice makes perfect! The varsity-A
boat worked tirelessly
for their fourth-place
ranking at the Scholastic
National Championships
in Mercer
Lake, NJ. 4. He shoots!
He scores! Doug Buckley
‘05 prepares to put
one past the Titan
goalie.
T A R M A C
Non-profit
Chaminade High School
340 Jackson Avenue
Organization
Mineola, New York 11501-2441
US Postage
P A I D
Mineola, NY
Permit #54
24 SPORTS
SPORTS
Tarmac • July 2005