You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
TARMAC<br />
Newspaper of the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Flyers <strong>Chaminade</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>, 340 Jackson Avenue, Mineola, New York 11501-2441 (516) 742-5555<br />
http://www.chaminade-hs.org est. 1934 Vol. LXXI, No. 7 JULY 2005<br />
True <strong>Chaminade</strong> Men — Now and Forever<br />
Flyers Take Off into Tomorrow<br />
by Rory Tolan ‘06<br />
With only five minutes to go before<br />
the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Concert Band<br />
struck up the recessional, CHS<br />
president Fr. James Williams crossed the<br />
stage to the podium, where he would make<br />
the announcement that the capacity crowd<br />
at the Tilles Center was waiting to hear.<br />
Four-hundred-and-three diplomas had<br />
been distributed, 403 hands had been<br />
shaken, and 403 seniors had graduated.<br />
There was only one thing left to do – and<br />
that was to bestow “the most cherished<br />
award” at the graduation ceremony.<br />
June 5 was a hot and humid Sunday, and<br />
with over 2,500 people packed into the Tilles<br />
Center, the temperature may well have been<br />
almost as warm inside as outside. Regardless,<br />
there was no pulling at collars or lolling<br />
of heads up on the stage where the seniors<br />
sat, even at this last leg of a graduation now<br />
running two hours long. Out<br />
of deference for whoever the<br />
recipient of this award would<br />
be, the seniors – the alumni –<br />
were as attentive as ever.<br />
With a smile, Fr. James declared<br />
the name, and “the most<br />
outstanding senior” of the<br />
Class of 2005 rose to his feet.<br />
Graham Otton, <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
Man of the Year, had exemplified<br />
throughout his four years of<br />
high school the values that a<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> education tries to instill.<br />
For this reason, all of<br />
Graham’s class members also rose<br />
to their feet, applauding a man<br />
who had shown, countless times,<br />
what it means to do “the right<br />
thing at the right time because it’s<br />
the right thing to do, and not because<br />
anyone is watching.”<br />
Graham, however, was not the<br />
only one to receive a standing<br />
ovation that day. In fact, everyone<br />
did. Two hours earlier, the<br />
seniors had marched in to the<br />
One Small Step for<br />
Pro-Life Advocates<br />
Above: An example for all <strong>Chaminade</strong> men: Graham<br />
Otton, <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s most outstanding senior,<br />
receives the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Man Award from CHS<br />
president Fr. James Williams. Below: Now CHS<br />
graduates, the Dream Team - senior Intramural<br />
Basketball Champs - reunite for one last time.<br />
page 2<br />
Junior Prom a<br />
Tropical Paradise<br />
page page9 5<br />
tune of “Pomp and Circumstance.” As they<br />
came down the aisles – their big smiles as<br />
uniform as their white tuxedos – every member<br />
of the audience rose to his feet, proud as<br />
ever of a son, a grandson, or a nephew about<br />
to complete his formal transition from childhood<br />
to adulthood. It was every senior’s day<br />
to look back on all that he had accomplished<br />
since his first climb up the <strong>Chaminade</strong> steps<br />
during 3-C Week, and it was every senior’s<br />
day to reflect on what an accomplishment it<br />
was to be receiving his diploma. While Graham<br />
may have been the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Man of<br />
the Year, every single one of them was a<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Man of the Day.<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> diplomas were not all this class<br />
had achieved. One-hundred percent of them<br />
were accepted into college. Sixteen seniors<br />
were commended by the National Merit<br />
Scholarship Competition, four were finalists,<br />
and two were winners. All in all, the Class<br />
of 2005 received 865 academic<br />
scholarships and seventeen<br />
athletic scholarships. The<br />
awards they garnered at the<br />
graduation ceremony – from<br />
the President’s Award for<br />
Educational Excellence to<br />
Honor Character Certificates –<br />
totaled well over a thousand.<br />
Earning all those awards certainly<br />
earned them the right to<br />
a standing ovation, let alone to<br />
be the men of the day.<br />
However, as much as that day<br />
– June 5 – was a time to look back<br />
and honor the accomplishments<br />
of <strong>Chaminade</strong> students, it was<br />
also an occasion to look forward<br />
and consider the obligations of<br />
being <strong>Chaminade</strong> alumni. According<br />
to valedictorian Tom<br />
Preis, the students at <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
all have their gifts. “Every one<br />
of us possesses some unique talent,”<br />
he insisted in his address to<br />
his classmates. “Simply having<br />
CHS Blood Drives<br />
Break All Records<br />
See “Graduation,” page 12.<br />
page 11
TARMACEditorial<br />
by Gregory Maloney<br />
‘06<br />
“Although Mr.<br />
Suozzi’s plan<br />
will not end the<br />
abortion crisis,<br />
his plan offers<br />
hope that . . .<br />
there will be a<br />
decrease in<br />
abortion rates<br />
throughtout<br />
the nation.”<br />
Suozzi Takes Step in the Right Direction<br />
Nassau Dem’s Abortion Move Offers Hope<br />
For close to thirty years, Democrats have regarded<br />
provisions for legal, safe, and accessible abortions<br />
as one of the fundamental planks of their party<br />
platform. On Long Island, however, one Democratic<br />
politician has recently proposed some modifications<br />
of the party platform. The modifications are admittedly<br />
slight, but they do seem to signal a much-needed<br />
change in the way Americans think about this most<br />
controversial of issues.<br />
In a speech on May 10, 2005 at Adelphi University,<br />
Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi, a <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
graduate of the Class of 1980, outlined a new plan for<br />
the county and a new stance on the issue of abortion.<br />
Arguably Long Island’s most prominent Democrat,<br />
Suozzi has taken a significantly different tack from traditional<br />
party lines. In an agenda called “Common<br />
Sense for the Common Good,” the County Executive set<br />
out a course of action designed to help prevent unintended<br />
pregnancies and support women who are faced<br />
with the physical and emotional consequences of becoming<br />
unwed mothers. Though Mr. Suozzi still maintains<br />
the standard Democratic position of protecting the<br />
legal right to abortion, this program is a step toward<br />
limiting the loss of innocent life in Nassau County.<br />
By finding and developing low-cost housing, increasing<br />
collaboration between local and county governments,<br />
and utilizing non-profit organizations, “Common<br />
Sense for the Common Good” will contribute one-million<br />
dollars per year towards alleviating the troubles<br />
that come with unplanned parenthood.<br />
The plan also tackles the growing adoption quandary<br />
on Long Island. Last year, there were over 4,000 abortions<br />
in Nassau County, an appalling number that,<br />
when compared to other counties across the United<br />
States, is among the highest.<br />
Unfortunately, the number of abortions greatly exceeds<br />
the number of adoptions. Despite the fact that<br />
most Nassau County residents claim to support adoption<br />
as a viable alternative to abortion, there were only<br />
about three-hundred county-wide adoptions in the last<br />
year. To increase the dwindling adoption rates, Suozzi<br />
plans to allocate $200,000 a year to informing young<br />
mothers on birth and adoption services.<br />
The timing of Mr. Suozzi’s speech is significant: he is<br />
reaching the end of his first term and, if the political pundits<br />
are to be believed, contemplating a run for governor<br />
some time in the future. Other notable Democrats with<br />
higher political aspirations, have also modified – ever so<br />
slightly – their public positions on abortion. Most notable<br />
among these is New York’s Sen. Hillary Clinton, who,<br />
in recent months, has shifted right of her once hard-line<br />
pro-choice stance to court political centrists.<br />
Whether Mr. Suozzi’s motives stem from politics or<br />
from principle – or from a little bit of both – his<br />
newly enunciated position should be a welcome first<br />
step for all those who support life.<br />
Mr. Suozzi calls himself “a committed Catholic,“ although,<br />
like many prominent Catholics in the Demo-<br />
cratic Party, he refuses to use legislation and the power<br />
of the law to eliminate abortions. Instead, he believes<br />
that people should look “beyond the confines of the<br />
morality of the issue and look to our basic responsibility<br />
to help others.”<br />
Mr. Suozzi’s position is less than ideal, but it does<br />
have some merit. If the war on innocent death is ever<br />
to be won, perhaps that victory will be accomplished<br />
only through a series of small battles. In the words of<br />
Bishop William Murphy of the Diocese of Rockville<br />
Centre, Mr. Suozzi’s plan is “a courageous and positive<br />
call to move beyond the polemic and to work together<br />
to find alternatives to abortions.”<br />
In the grand scheme of the fight against innocent<br />
deaths, this is a small step, affecting only one county in<br />
one state of the country. It is, however, a step in the right<br />
direction. Although Mr. Suozzi’s plan will not end the<br />
abortion crisis, his plan offers hope that, if other counties<br />
across America follow suit and are willing to reach across<br />
party lines, there will be a decrease in abortion rates<br />
throughout the nation. To all who oppose abortion, that<br />
should be a welcome change.<br />
T ARMAC<br />
Established 1934<br />
Published by the students of <strong>Chaminade</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
LAYOUT EDITOR<br />
Robert Ryan<br />
FEATURE EDITORS<br />
Robert Frawley<br />
Michael Matosic<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> H.S.<br />
Photo Service<br />
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF:<br />
Nicholas Kantor Andrew Manfredi Matthew Sharp Rory Tolan<br />
MANAGING EDITORS<br />
Andrew Dorin<br />
Patrick Donnelly<br />
STAFF ARTISTS<br />
HEADLINES AND CAPTIONS EDITORS<br />
Conor O’Reilly<br />
Alex Abbott Boyd<br />
MODERATOR<br />
Bro. Stephen Balletta, S.M.<br />
ASSISTANT MODERATOR<br />
Mr. John M. DeSantis<br />
ASSOCIATE EDITOR<br />
FOR PRODUCTION<br />
Brian Allen<br />
NEWS EDITOR<br />
Sal Garofalo<br />
EDITORIAL EDITORS<br />
Dennis Kavlakoglu<br />
Gregory Maloney<br />
PRINTING<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> H.S.<br />
Print Shop<br />
2 COMMENTARY<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
TEAM A<br />
TEAM B<br />
SPORTS EDITORS<br />
Kevin Martin<br />
Eric Tellekamp<br />
Matt Doherty<br />
LAYOUT STAFF<br />
Mike Blach<br />
Phil McAndrews<br />
Matthew Wimpelberg<br />
Will de Lannoy, Alexander Dufek, John Estevez, Ramil Ibrahim, Jince<br />
Kuruvilla, Lawrence Pacheco, Joe Yatco, Gregory Moncada, Anthony<br />
Trombetta, Ryan Welsh<br />
WRITERS: Brian Corneliess, Andrew Gallagher, Stephen Holowczyk, Kenneth<br />
Kraska, Brendan O’Brien, Stephen O’Brien, Robert Pergament, Thomas Remy,<br />
Patrick Scotti, Kevin Alas, Dan Bruen, Alex Ferrera, Sean Manzione, Kevin<br />
McDonald, David Miller, Matt Wierzel, Eamonn Cummings, Tyler Considine,<br />
Albert Malafronte, John McGill, Brett Wishart<br />
WRITERS: Ted Fifield, Chris Harrison, George Kasiaras, Matthew Markham,<br />
Luke O’Brien, Robert Patronaggio, Raymond Pinto, Andrew Rula, Pete<br />
Sweeney, Daniel Bamba, Peter Cavallaro, Michael Manasia, Steven Martinez,<br />
Ryan McDermott, Dan Pearles, Kyle Blanco, Michael Calcegila, Chris McCune,<br />
Charles Perry, Joseph Ross
THEPilot’s Seat<br />
FROM<br />
Flight Training with Expert Instructors<br />
by Robert Frawley<br />
‘06<br />
“The iPod, I<br />
feel, is taking<br />
the romantic<br />
element out of<br />
the music<br />
industry.”<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
Some time after Easter Vacation, when<br />
the senior Tarmac editors were wrapping<br />
up their high-school careers and<br />
their ties to the paper, I became worried. The core<br />
of this past year’s staff was primarily composed<br />
of seniors, who, through their talents, carried the<br />
bulk of the paper on their backs. After the 2005-<br />
2006 pilots were announced and began drawing<br />
up the next year’s staff list, it became clear that,<br />
despite there being a grand total of seventy-one<br />
Tarmacians, the majority of the editorial staff<br />
would be relatively new, young, and inexperienced.<br />
While there was certainly a lot of talent aboard, this<br />
inexperience would definitely be a challenge.<br />
For guidance, I needed only to look to our outgoing<br />
editors-in-chief – graduates Ryan<br />
Considine, Chris Blair, and Ryan Rodrigues.<br />
These “retiring pilots” embodied camaraderie,<br />
teamwork, dedication, and leadership – the very<br />
qualities necessary to keep the newspaper of the<br />
Flyers cruising at 30,000 feet.<br />
One thing I learned from my predecessors<br />
is that the surest route to camaraderie is having<br />
fun. The friendships I gained through the<br />
school paper are invaluable, and I will truly<br />
cherish them for the rest of my life. From Saturday<br />
workdays to food runs to the running<br />
joke of the week, there was always time to<br />
wear a smile, despite the heavy work load.<br />
The past editors-in-chief checked their egos at<br />
the door, realizing that team accomplishment<br />
was more important than individual recognition.<br />
With this approach, the triumvirate always<br />
kept the wheels turning towards getting the paper<br />
finished in a timely fashion. On several occasions,<br />
we were ahead of schedule, much to<br />
Bro. Steve’s shock. If it weren’t for their efforts<br />
to draw upon the talents of the entire team, I<br />
have no idea how any of the work would have<br />
gotten done. There were no singular heroes; it<br />
was the TitanicTarmac Trio, along with everyone<br />
else, that made it happen.<br />
Dedication was paramount in turning the issues<br />
out. Every week, the three pilots lent a collective<br />
forty hours of their time. One of them was always<br />
available to assist with any problem in the office,<br />
be it a paper jam, writer’s block, or the need for a<br />
witty headline. Their constant presence in the office<br />
led us all to aspire to such dedication.<br />
Ryan, Chris, and Ryan demonstrated true<br />
leadership – a rare quality. It’s easy just to bark<br />
out orders and tell others what to do, and this is<br />
exactly what they did not do. Not once did<br />
they delegate to the staff a task to which they<br />
themselves were not ready to commit. By example,<br />
they led the staff to complete each and<br />
every issue on time. Perfectly.<br />
I have no doubt that the transition from old to<br />
new will be challenging. Amid this difficult period,<br />
I can be certain of one thing, however – with<br />
an occasional glance in the rearview mirror, we’ll<br />
keep Tarmac cruising at 30,000 feet.<br />
by Andrew Manfredi<br />
‘06<br />
“By example,<br />
they led the<br />
staff to complete<br />
each and every<br />
issue on time.<br />
Perfectly.”<br />
CULTURECorner<br />
Ten-Thousand Tunes in Your Pocket<br />
This Apple device is small enough to fit in your pocket and can contain<br />
up to 10,000 songs,” says Alex Trebek. The contestant buzzes in. “What<br />
is an iPod?” The audience erupts in applause.<br />
I had already begun to notice that the Apple iPod was slowly supplanting<br />
CD players and the like, but when “iPod” was an answer on “Jeopardy,” I knew<br />
that this music box was getting serious. But the next logical question would be<br />
“What are young people expected to do with such an overwhelming abundance<br />
of songs at their fingertips?” To listen to every song on a full iPod could literally<br />
take days. “It’s just another step in the music industry,” offered junior Andrew<br />
Ferrazzoli. “It’s the new CD player.”<br />
It’s true that music listeners have been upgrading their sound systems<br />
endlessly for the past two generations. Tracing music-player history brings<br />
us from sound bytes back to CDs, cassettes, eight-tracks, reel-to-reels, and<br />
the legendary records. The days of vinyl are now so far behind us that<br />
most teenagers regard records as they do biplanes and Gatling guns. Vinyl<br />
is the stuff that lines your car, and a diamond needle is associated with a<br />
new and inventive piercing.<br />
Older methods of promulgating songs had one thing in common, however<br />
– a tangible object. Whether it was a hit single record, a compilation cassette,<br />
or a best-hits CD, all were items with dimension, magnitude, and<br />
autographing capacity. But it seems those days are behind us, and no one is<br />
See “Apple iPod,” page 12.<br />
COMMENTARY<br />
3
4<br />
FLYERS ON THE GO, DURING AND AFTER SCHOOL<br />
FLIGHT PATH<br />
Local Hospital Recognizes<br />
Outstanding Flyer Volunteers<br />
A<br />
nswering the call of various local hospitals, seventy-eight<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> students dedicated valuable time to assist<br />
Long Island’s health-care professionals. The students<br />
performed small but helpful tasks, such as staffing the patient-information<br />
desk and working in the pharmacy. Some<br />
took on greater responsibility by serving as security guards<br />
and helping to keep track of medical records. According to<br />
Hospital Volunteers moderator Mr. Robert Paul, “Our students<br />
play a vital role in the daily functions of the hospital<br />
and take on many critical tasks.”<br />
On Sunday, May 1, nearby Winthrop University Hospital honored<br />
student volunteers who worked there over the course of<br />
the year. Senior Edward Pierre-Paul worked one-hundred hours<br />
at Winthrop and received a $2,500 scholarship for his services.<br />
Receiving an award for working two-hundred hours was junior<br />
Pete Dagher. “In the beginning, it’s not easy to sacrifice three<br />
to four hours a week to volunteer,” admitted Pete, “but, in the<br />
end, you realize that it is really worth it.”<br />
Junior Greg Manfredi and sophomore Anthony Trombetta<br />
received awards for working one-hundred hours. Also receiving<br />
awards were Chris Miraval ‘05 and his brother Kevin<br />
‘06; each accumulated fifty hours of hospital service.<br />
TARMAC RECEIVES HIGH MARKS IN JOURNALISM CONTESTS<br />
After hours upon hours spent in the newspaper office, the<br />
efforts of the Tarmac staff this year culminated in recog<br />
nition by several different news organizations. In April,<br />
the American Scholastic Press Association announced the results<br />
of its annual journalism contest. Tarmac won a “First Place with<br />
Special Merit” Award, earning 940 of a possible 1000 points.<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> was one of only three private and parochial schools<br />
in the entire nation to receive this distinction.<br />
In addition, graduates Andrew Flynn ‘04 and Mark Piro ‘04<br />
garnered a First-Place Award in the category of non-school-related<br />
outstanding story for their piece, “Mr. Cheapo’s: Mineola<br />
Vintage Music Store Is a<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> and Tarmac Favorite,”<br />
a feature story about a local<br />
used record, tape, and CD store.<br />
On May 19, several Tarmac<br />
staff members traveled to St.<br />
Anthony’s <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> for the<br />
Forty-third Annual Long Island<br />
Catholic <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Journalism<br />
Awards Ceremony. The<br />
newspaper won third place in<br />
the category of general excellence.<br />
Seniors Ryan Considine<br />
and Rahul D’Sa won first place<br />
for their “Dodgeball Craze<br />
Catches on at CHS” in the category<br />
of best sports writing.<br />
First prizes were also awarded<br />
to seniors Ryan Rodrigues and<br />
Phil Teston in the category of best<br />
news story for “Flyers Salute<br />
Their Newest Gold Star.” Juniors<br />
Andrew Gallagher and Rob<br />
Frawley won first-place awards<br />
for best graphics and best coverage<br />
of faith and spirituality, re-<br />
FLIGHT PATH<br />
by Alex Ferrera ‘07<br />
by Sean Manzione ‘07<br />
(Kneeling, l.-r.) Will McLeod ‘04, Mark Piro<br />
‘04, Andrew Flynn ‘04, (standing, l.-r.) Phil<br />
Teston ‘05, Andy Manfredi ‘06, Ryan<br />
Rodrigues ‘05, Chris Blair ‘05, Ryan Considine<br />
‘05, and Matthew Sharp ‘06 were recognized<br />
by Newsday for their journalistic excellence.<br />
Hospital Volunteers (l.-r.) Greg Manfredi ‘06,<br />
Anthony Trombetta ‘07, Chris Miraval ‘05, and<br />
Pete Dagher ‘06, with Mr. Robert Paul (r.) and<br />
principal Bro. Joseph Bellizzi (l.), were<br />
recognized for their work at Winthrop Hospital.<br />
These students sacrificed much of their spare time during<br />
the week to help others. “They worked hard and enthusiastically,”<br />
said Mr. Paul, “and they very much deserve the awards<br />
they have received.” Ms. Carmela Anglim, director of volunteer<br />
services at Winthrop Hospital, added, “The<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> volunteers’ positive attitude brought hope and<br />
happiness to every one of the patients they served.”<br />
spectively. Junior Matt Palmeri also won top honors in the best<br />
news or feature photo category. In best feature story, first place<br />
went to senior Chris Blair and junior Matthew Sharp for “Mineola<br />
Veterans Share War Stories.” In addition, the Tarmac staff won<br />
five second-place awards and three third places.<br />
Tarmac was also honored at Newsday ’s <strong>School</strong> Journalism<br />
Awards, held at Newsday ’s headquarters in Melville, Long<br />
Island on Monday, May 23. Tarmac won five second-place<br />
and two third-place awards. In addition, first place in commentary<br />
went to Andrew Flynn ’04 for his editorial, “A Work<br />
of Passion for a World in Need,” a piece about the film The<br />
Passion of the Christ, written after its release last year.<br />
“When a secular newspaper<br />
like Newsday awards first<br />
place to an editorial expressing<br />
such a clearly Catholic<br />
viewpoint, you know the<br />
judges must have had high regard<br />
for the quality of both the<br />
writing and the reasoning of<br />
that piece. I was very proud<br />
of this accomplishment, and I<br />
know Andrew was too,” commented<br />
Tarmac moderator<br />
Bro. Stephen Balletta.<br />
Though proud of past<br />
achievements, Tarmac staff<br />
members for the 2005-2006<br />
school year are excited<br />
about furthering the<br />
newspaper’s tradition of<br />
journalistic excellence.<br />
Newly appointed editor-inchief<br />
Rory Tolan ’06 said,<br />
“We’re ready to continue<br />
the same level of quality for<br />
which Tarmac has been recognized<br />
in the past.”<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
Photo by Conor O’Reilly ‘06<br />
NYSSMA Honors CHS Virtuosos<br />
by Kevin McDonald ’07<br />
Each year, one-hundred-thousand students from New York<br />
State participate in spring adjudication festivals for the New<br />
York State <strong>School</strong> Music Association. Among these one-hundred-thousand<br />
were almost two-hundred aspiring <strong>Chaminade</strong> musicians.<br />
In early May, after months of practice, members of the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Bands,<br />
Glee Club, and String Orchestra displayed their talents at Garden City<br />
<strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> before a panel of judges.<br />
As a whole, <strong>Chaminade</strong> performed exceptionally well on level five and<br />
six solos, level six being the highest. Flawless performances by Matt<br />
Doherty ‘07 on cello, Pete Kanuika ‘07 on piano, Stefano Marchegiani ‘08<br />
on violin, Keane Nacional ‘07 on piano, and Alex Vichinsky ‘06 on trumpet<br />
earned perfect scores for each of these five musicians. Other outstanding<br />
performances were turned in by Rob DeStefano ‘06 on alto saxophone,<br />
Matt Heckman ‘08 on flute, Rich Nuzzolese ‘08 on trombone, and<br />
Keith Walpole ‘07 on drums, who all received a score of 99%.<br />
Some students challenged themselves a step further, performing an<br />
All-State solo. Luke O’Brien ‘06 on trumpet and Anthony Parks ‘06 on<br />
bassoon earned 100%, while Sean Curran ‘07 on violin and Ramil Ibrahim<br />
‘06 on flute received 99%.<br />
“We were all very happy with our scores and proud of our accomplishments,”<br />
said Luke O’Brien, “but the scores we earn are much more than<br />
an individual accomplishment. They’re a testimony to the dedication of<br />
our instructors and to the quality of <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s music program.”<br />
Leporati, Sharp Excel at CFL Nationals<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
by Eamonn Cummings ‘08<br />
For most, Memorial Day weekend is spent at backyard barbecues<br />
and picnics. For thirteen members of the <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
Speech and Debate Team, however, the weekend was a completely<br />
different experience.<br />
From Friday, May 27, to Monday, May 30, those thirteen speakers<br />
and debaters participated in the Catholic Forensic League<br />
Grand National Tournament, held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at<br />
Milwaukee Area Technical College and Marquette University.<br />
Out of the two-thousand students representing nearly four-hundred<br />
schools from across the country, senior Greg Leporati broke<br />
to octafinals in extemporaneous speaking, and junior Matthew<br />
Sharp reached double-octafinals in Lincoln-Douglas Debate.<br />
“Pitting my skills against some of the best debaters in the country<br />
was a great opportunity,” recalled Matthew. “I had an amazing<br />
time in Milwaukee.”<br />
According to Speech and Debate Club moderator Bro. George Zehnle,<br />
Students Write Award-Winning Essays, Poems<br />
by David Miller ‘07<br />
Nothing inspires more than a poignant essay,” commented<br />
senior Ryan Costigan. Apparently, nothing inspired the<br />
Catholic Daughters of the Americas more than Ryan’s essay<br />
– at least on the county level of their annual literary contest,<br />
where he achieved first<br />
place. His essay later moved<br />
on to take third in the state.<br />
Considering all of the lucky<br />
(l.-r.) Seniors John<br />
DeVivo, Anthony Monico,<br />
Lorenzo Ottaviano,<br />
Ian Hanes, Chris Lippolis,<br />
and Ryan<br />
Costigan pose with<br />
religion teacher Bro.<br />
Thomas Cleary.<br />
NYSSMA awards winners pose for a group photo:<br />
(front row l.-r.) Keith Walpole ‘07, Rob DeStefano<br />
‘06, Matt Heckman ‘08, Rich Nuzzolese ‘08, Keane<br />
Nacional ‘07, (back row l.-r.) Stefano Marchegiani<br />
‘08, Matt Doherty ‘07, Anthony Parks ‘06, Luke<br />
O’Brien ‘06, and Sean Curran ‘07.<br />
“The contest was a wonderful<br />
opportunity for all<br />
involved. Not only was it<br />
a good chance to meet<br />
some of the best speakers<br />
and debaters in the country,<br />
but also a fine way to<br />
spend one’s Memorial<br />
Day weekend.”<br />
Greg Leoprati ‘05,<br />
winner of the<br />
Robert C. Wright<br />
Speech and Debate<br />
Club Award at<br />
graduation,<br />
reached octafinals<br />
at CFL Nationals.<br />
Photo by Ben Koche ‘06<br />
participants from Bro. Thomas Cleary’s senior religion class, however,<br />
Ryan is only one of many <strong>Chaminade</strong> essayists and poets who have<br />
made an impression on the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.<br />
A total of eighty-four Flyers entered the contest, submitting essays<br />
and poems with the theme, “I Can Make a Difference.” Chris<br />
Lippolis achieved second place for an eight-line poem condemning<br />
prejudice and violence. “If there’s a problem in society, I think the<br />
writer, or any voice, for that matter, should strive to fix it,” Chris<br />
explained. Seniors Anthony Monico, Ian Hanes, John DeVivo, and<br />
Lorenzo Ottaviano also received awards for their work.<br />
“I’m convinced that, if someone wants to make an impact, the written<br />
word is one of the surest ways to do so,” commented Bro. Thomas.<br />
“For this reason, I try to convince my students to take advantage<br />
of every opportunity to write. The Catholic Daughters’ contest provides<br />
an excellent opportunity for them not only to hone their writing<br />
skills, but also for them to reflect, through writing, on a worthy topic,<br />
namely, ‘I Can Make a Difference.’“<br />
FLIGHT PATH<br />
5
Flyers Finish First and<br />
Second in Local Triathlon<br />
E<br />
xhausted and, by his own admission, “slightly<br />
winded,” junior Mike DiDonato nevertheless smiled<br />
from ear to ear as he sprinted around the last corner<br />
on his way to a victory in the annual Eisenhower Park Triathlon<br />
on Sunday, April 24. Mike rose above a pack of over one-hundred<br />
competitors, racing just behind <strong>Chaminade</strong> graduate and firstplace<br />
finisher Damian Bergamaschi ‘03, to take second place.<br />
The triathlon consisted of three consecutive events: a fourhundred-meter<br />
swim, a six-mile bike ride, and a two-mile<br />
run. “The three events alone are not necessarily difficult,”<br />
said Mike, “but performing all three of them in a row and<br />
without breaks requires a great deal of endurance.”<br />
Over the summer, Mike will continue to run and condition<br />
in preparation for the Half-Iron Man Competition, a<br />
grueling event consisting of a one-and-a-half mile swim,<br />
fifty miles of cycling, and a half-marathon run of thirteen<br />
miles. “I am confident that, if I continue my workout program,<br />
I should have no problem competing in this event<br />
and others like it to come.”<br />
Junior Mike<br />
DiDonato<br />
puts the<br />
pedal to the<br />
metal and<br />
crosses the<br />
finish line<br />
with a<br />
secondplace<br />
win in<br />
this year’s<br />
Eisenhower<br />
Park<br />
Triathlon.<br />
by Albert Malafronte ‘08<br />
Sapiential Students Ace<br />
Classical Language Exam<br />
CHS Senior Wins German Essay Contest<br />
by John McGill ‘08<br />
German has a long history at <strong>Chaminade</strong> as the only language<br />
taught during every one of the seventy-five years since the<br />
school was founded in 1930. This year, John McQuade ‘05<br />
added a new chapter to that history by winning first place in the<br />
German-American Cultural Council Essay Contest.<br />
Held at Hofstra University on April 28, the German-American<br />
Cultural Council Essay Contest contest allotted John only one hour<br />
in which to write on how decisions made in childhood affect one in<br />
adulthood. McQuade, who needed to be a high-school senior of<br />
German descent in order to participate in the contest, was handselected<br />
by German III and IV teacher Bro. Richard Hartz to represent<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>.<br />
“The judges were very impressed with John,” remarked Bro. Richard.<br />
Indeed, John took home a one-thousand-dollar scholarship<br />
and a certificate from the German-American Cultural Council for<br />
winning the contest. “Entering the contest was a great opportunity,<br />
and it was a surprise and an honor for me to win it,” commented<br />
John, pleased with his Kunsthandwerk.<br />
John McQuade ‘05 (r.) accepts a first-place plaque<br />
for his essay from Mr. Heinz Buck, president of the<br />
German-American Cultural Council.<br />
6 FLIGHT PATH<br />
by Tyler Considine ‘08<br />
The test has really shown me a new appreciation for the Latin<br />
language and offered a new challenge to further understand<br />
it,” said Magna Cum Laude winner Garrett Campbell ‘08.<br />
On Tuesday, March 8, thirty-one of <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s Latin scholars<br />
participated in the American Classical League Latin Examination.<br />
Competing against both public and private schools<br />
across the nation, twenty-one participants from various divisions<br />
merited special honor. Test administrator Bro. John<br />
McGrory said, “I was very pleased with the students putting<br />
in so much work and learning a great deal about Latin culture<br />
and language this year.”<br />
“I have taken the test for three years, and you always want to<br />
improve after each time you take it. This year, I did my best yet,”<br />
said Gold Medal and Summa Cum Laude (with highest honor)<br />
winner Rob Frawley ’06. Other top award winners included Gold<br />
Medalist Mike Milone ‘06 and Silver Medalists Chris Durr ‘06<br />
and Vinny Stracquadanio ‘07. Fourteen Latin students earned<br />
the rank of Magna Cum Laude (with great honor); three other<br />
students earned the distinction of Cum Laude (with honor). Bona<br />
fortuna proximo anno! (Best of luck next year!)<br />
Wisdom of<br />
the ages:<br />
(l.-r.) Vinny<br />
Stracquadanio<br />
‘07, Mike<br />
Milone ‘06,<br />
Chris Durr<br />
‘06, and Rob<br />
Frawley ‘06<br />
demonstrated<br />
their Latin<br />
expertise<br />
with high ACL<br />
test scores.<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
Sharing the Bread of Life<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Commissions<br />
Forty-two Eucharistic Ministers<br />
by Patrick Scotti ‘06<br />
Merciful Father, creator and guide of<br />
your family, bless our brothers.<br />
May they faithfully give the Bread<br />
of Life to your people,” prayed CHS president<br />
Fr. James Williams as he invoked<br />
God’s blessings on over three-dozen juniors<br />
who had gathered in the front of<br />
Darby Auditorium. After this short<br />
prayer, Fr. James presented each of these<br />
juniors with a pin depicting Jesus’ feeding<br />
of the five thousand – a symbol of their<br />
new role in the Church. At the Marian<br />
Mass held on Thursday, May 19, Fr. James<br />
commissioned these juniors as extraordinary<br />
ministers of Holy Communion. In<br />
all, forty-two new extraordinary ministers<br />
were commissioned – the most in<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>’s history.<br />
Handling what has been called “the<br />
source and summit of the Christian life” is<br />
not a task that one can undertake without<br />
some preparation. For this reason, the<br />
would-be Eucharistic ministers left for<br />
Founder’s Hollow on Sunday, May 15, for<br />
a three-day “crash course” in the spiritual<br />
and practical elements regarding their new<br />
role. Over the course of the three-day re-<br />
CHS CELEBRATES MARY’S MONTH<br />
Prayer Service Honors the Blessed Mother<br />
by Matt Wierzel ‘07<br />
A<br />
packed courtyard, full of students<br />
reciting prayers and singing<br />
hymns in honor of Mary on a<br />
beautiful May morning. The Salve Regina,<br />
acclaiming the Blessed Mother as “mater<br />
misericordiae” and “advocata nostra.”<br />
These images are part of the collective<br />
memory of thousands of <strong>Chaminade</strong> alumni,<br />
and the same is true for the current crop of<br />
Flyers. In recent years, <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s devotion<br />
to Mary in May, the month especially<br />
dedicated to her, has taken the form of the<br />
Marian Prayer Service, held this year on<br />
Wednesday, May 18.<br />
As <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s club dedicated especially<br />
to Mary, the Sodality of Our Lady of the Pillar<br />
appropriately took the lead in the Marian<br />
Prayer Service. Sophomore and junior<br />
sodalists gathered in the courtyard, while the<br />
remainder of the student body took part via<br />
the school’s closed-circuit television system.<br />
CHS president Fr. James Williams presided<br />
over the service, which included songs, readings,<br />
and a variety of prayers.<br />
The service culminated in the recitation<br />
of the traditional Litany to Mary, otherwise<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
treat, Fr. James, sophomore religion<br />
teacher Bro. Patrick Sarsfield,<br />
and CHS chaplain Fr. Garrett<br />
Long stressed the Eucharistic<br />
principles of receiving God’s<br />
grace, giving thanks, breaking<br />
oneself for others, and sharing<br />
oneself with the community of the<br />
Church. The soon-to-be Eucharistic<br />
ministers also discussed their<br />
goals and values, as well as the<br />
unique gifts that each brought to<br />
the service of the Lord. These topics<br />
became the basis for much contemplation<br />
as the trainees roamed<br />
the 175 acres of Marianist property<br />
in Ulster County, upstate New York.<br />
Like all other ministries of the Church, the<br />
Flyers’ new task also required some practical<br />
training. On their final night at<br />
Founder’s Hollow, using water and unconsecrated<br />
hosts, the ministers-in-training<br />
practiced how to distribute Communion.<br />
“This marked the end of our preparation,”<br />
commented junior Brian Allen. “Now we<br />
just couldn’t wait to put all that we had<br />
learned into practice!”<br />
They wouldn’t have to wait long: that<br />
Mike DiDonato ‘06 leads the<br />
procession into the Courtyard of<br />
Our Lady of Good Counsel for the<br />
Marian Prayer Service.<br />
“The Blood of Christ”: Eucharistic<br />
minister Alex Diorio ‘06 hands Rich<br />
Comuniello ‘06 the chalice of salvation.<br />
opportunity came at the Mass held only<br />
two days later. Shortly after they had received<br />
their pins, the newly commissioned<br />
ministers distributed the Eucharist to the<br />
student body. “The magnitude of the task<br />
made us all a bit nervous at first,” recalled<br />
junior Joe Gambino. “More than anything<br />
else, we were in awe at the privilege of distributing<br />
the Body and Blood of Jesus<br />
Christ. I can now look forward to every<br />
Mass as a way not only to receive Jesus,<br />
but to bring Him to others as well.”<br />
known as the Litany of Loretto. Sodalists<br />
and faculty members led the litany, naming<br />
Mary under such familiar titles as “Mother<br />
of God” and “Blessed Mother,” as well as<br />
lesser known but equally time-honored titles<br />
such as “Queen of Angels” and “Our Lady<br />
of the Pillar,” the title to which <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s<br />
sodalities are particularly consecrated. As<br />
Fr. James noted, “This traditional litany reminds<br />
students of the many aspects of the<br />
life and mystery of Mary, and in so doing,<br />
helps them to grow in their devotion to Jesus<br />
through Mary, which was Blessed<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>’s ideal.”<br />
The service ended with the singing of the<br />
Salve Regina, a traditional Latin hymn to<br />
Mary which implores her help for mankind,<br />
described as “poor banished children of Eve.”<br />
Similarly, the Marian Prayer Service on the<br />
whole served as a rededication of the<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> students and faculty to Our<br />
Lady, who serves as their ideal. According<br />
to freshman Garrett Campbell, who helped<br />
lead the litany, “The prayer service reminded<br />
me of how important Mary really is and how<br />
much she helps me in my everyday life as a<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> student.”<br />
THE THE SPIRTUAL SPIRTUAL LIFE<br />
LIFE<br />
7
Ticket out of Class or Invitation to Salvation?<br />
Prayer Service Tackles Religious Apathy<br />
To many a <strong>Chaminade</strong> student, a<br />
prayer service is less a vehicle of<br />
spiritual renewal than it is a free<br />
ticket out of class. “Oh, good, I’ll miss Latin<br />
class with Fr. Garrett,” confided Bryan<br />
Mosher ’08 to his classmates. “That class is<br />
so boring it could put an insomniac<br />
to sleep!”<br />
Bryan and his friends were<br />
referring to schedule adjustments<br />
routinely made to accommodate<br />
each of three<br />
prayer services held throughout<br />
the school year. When<br />
students attend a prayer service,<br />
they do so during one of<br />
their regularly scheduled<br />
classes; so, in effect, they miss<br />
that class for one day.<br />
Actually, the conversation<br />
between Bryan and his friends<br />
was not only about this year’s<br />
prayer service, staged during<br />
three separate class periods on<br />
Thursday and Friday, May 12<br />
and 13; it was actually part of<br />
this year’s Easter Prayer Service.<br />
By means of songs, skits,<br />
and film footage, the Easter<br />
Prayer Service contrasted religious fervor<br />
with spiritual indifference. As prayer service<br />
actor Sean McGonigle ’07 later explained,<br />
“We tried to tackle head-on the unfortunate<br />
reality that many of us are either skeptical<br />
about religion or fairly apathetic towards it.”<br />
From the start, those who scripted and performed<br />
this prayer service wanted to make<br />
sure that not a single second of the approximately<br />
twenty-five minute program would<br />
leave audiences cold. For example, musicians<br />
Sean Paulsen ’06, John Abrusci ’06, and Keith<br />
Walpole ’07 began the prayer service by bang-<br />
8<br />
by Ramil Ibrahim ‘06<br />
THEATRICS<br />
ing out some tunes from the popular, hardrocking<br />
Red Hot Chili Peppers as students<br />
filed into the auditorium. Once the students<br />
had been seated, juniors Ramil Ibrahim and<br />
Rory Tolan switched musical gears completely,<br />
playing Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring”<br />
on flute and piano, respectively.<br />
After the musicians had finished, the<br />
curtain opened to reveal a scene full of<br />
lockers – a typical <strong>Chaminade</strong> hallway.<br />
Getting ready for a day of school, actors<br />
Bryan Mosher, Sean McGonigle, and Ryan<br />
O’Brien ’07 relate their skepticism about<br />
the prayer service they would be attending<br />
later that day. However, their dialogue<br />
is interrupted by a blind beggar, who turns<br />
out to be none other than Bartimaeus (Tom<br />
Carman ’06), whose sight Jesus restored.<br />
The conversation among the three<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> students is interrupted a sec-<br />
Flyers Give Bizet an “A”<br />
Music Club Travels to Manhattan to See Bizet’s Carmen<br />
by Robert Pergament ‘06<br />
In her freshman music classes,<br />
Mrs. Sally Zehnter teaches<br />
Georges Bizet’s Carmen by<br />
sketching stick figures of the various characters<br />
on the chalkboard to lead the students<br />
through the opera’s many scenes and<br />
plot twists. On Sunday, April 17, members<br />
of the Music Club traveled to the Amato<br />
Opera House on 319 Bowery in New York<br />
City, as junior Rory Tolan quipped, “to see<br />
those stick figures come to life.”<br />
Some twenty students gathered at the<br />
Darby Auditorium steps at noon, walked to<br />
(l.-r.) Bryan Mosher ‘08, Ryan O’Brien ‘07, and Sean<br />
McGonigle ‘07 reenact typical student reponses to the<br />
school’s three yearly prayer services.<br />
the Mineola train station, and rode the railroad<br />
into Penn Station. From there, they took the subway<br />
to the Bowery, where the theater is located.<br />
“We felt the theater’s intimate nature as soon as<br />
we walked in,” recalled Joe Ross ’08. “The stage<br />
was only about one fourth the size of the one in<br />
Darby Auditorium, and there were only around<br />
one-hundred seats in the entire place.”<br />
The stage itself may have been small, but the<br />
performance was “tremendous,” said Joe<br />
Caciola ’06. According to senior Chris<br />
Calderone, “The acting was fantastic, and we<br />
were able to understand what was going on,<br />
even though the entire opera was in French.”<br />
ond time by a Samaritan leper (Mike<br />
Costagliola ’06) who is healed both physically<br />
and spiritually by the Lord Jesus<br />
Christ. Both Biblical figures provide striking<br />
examples of men whose lives have<br />
been touched by Jesus, who are clearly<br />
passionate about their faith because they<br />
have been healed by the<br />
Lord. Their fervor contrasts<br />
sharply with the apathy and<br />
indifference of the three<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> students gathered<br />
around their lockers.<br />
A third interruption comes<br />
in the form of a brief film,<br />
chronicling the story of two<br />
brothers whose lives are<br />
changed after they view Mel<br />
Gibson’s The Passion of the<br />
Christ. Moved to tears by<br />
the suffering of Jesus, these<br />
two brothers decide to forgive<br />
and ask forgiveness of<br />
someone whom they had<br />
once both hated with every<br />
fiber of their being. Once<br />
again, the prayer service emphasized,<br />
as CHS chaplain<br />
and prayer-service organizer<br />
Fr. Garrett Long explained,<br />
that “real religious experiences can never<br />
leave us cold; they affect us profoundly<br />
and change our lives.”<br />
With a skit that drew its inspiration from<br />
the daily routine of students’ lives, this<br />
year’s Easter Prayer Service tried to convey<br />
that true religious experience is anything<br />
but routine. “Our faith,” said Fr.<br />
Garrett, “centers around the death and resurrection<br />
of Jesus Christ. This was and is<br />
an earth-shattering experience. From us,<br />
it merits nothing less than conversion, conviction,<br />
and passion.”<br />
During the three intermissions of the<br />
four-act show, students had an opportunity<br />
to buy raffle tickets for a chance to<br />
win an Amato OperaT-shirt. Sophomore<br />
Vinny Stracquadanio was one of only<br />
two lucky winners. His shirt displayed<br />
the motto of the Amato Opera House:<br />
“Small, but oh so grand.”<br />
“That motto certainly summed up our experience<br />
at the Amato Opera House,” commented<br />
Music Club moderator Mrs. Zehnter.<br />
“At that small theater, we had nothing short<br />
of a grand time. I only wish my stick figures<br />
could put on such a performance.”<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
Parrots, Palm Trees, and Pink Flamingos<br />
Make for the Perfect Junior Prom<br />
by Andrew Gallagher ‘06<br />
It was an awesome night,” said junior Kevin Martin of this year’s Junior<br />
Prom. <strong>Chaminade</strong> opened its doors at seven o’clock on Saturday,<br />
May 28, admitting the first of 265 couples to arrive for their Junior<br />
Prom. Although the sky threatened rain, couples took the time to pose<br />
for pictures before entering the school.<br />
After receiving disposable cameras for the night, Flyers and their dates took<br />
their first steps out onto the dance floor. “I was pretty shocked to see a volcano<br />
in the gym,” recalled junior Brian Farrell, describing one of the decorations<br />
that helped to capture the tropical island theme of Junior Prom. Spearheaded<br />
by Junior Divisional moderator Mr. Brian Anselmo, the Junior Prom<br />
Committee spent the weeks leading up to the event assembling cardboard<br />
palm trees, straw huts, pink flamingos, hanging snakes, and dangling parrots<br />
and toucans. On the morning of the prom, a contracted professional put the<br />
finishing touches on the gymnasium-turned-tropical-paradise, constructing<br />
giant palm trees out of brightly colored balloons.<br />
In addition to the beautiful decorations, everyone was treated to a scrumptious<br />
buffet dinner with the choice of a Caesar or a tossed-green salad, penne à<br />
la vodka, beef with broccoli, and honey-mustard chicken. “The food was great,”<br />
remarked Kevin Kiley ’06. “I went back for thirds on the chicken.” After finishing<br />
their meals, couples could enjoy the cool night air in the courtyard,<br />
where sophomore volunteers served dessert from a tiki hut. It wasn’t<br />
long, however, before the music began and it was time to dance.<br />
“The DJ spun some hot songs that everyone enjoyed,” said Dan<br />
Howard ’06. “It was a good mix of new stuff with older dance<br />
classics. There was also a chance for everyone to slow dance with<br />
their dates.” As the night approached its end, prom-goers danced<br />
to some songs from before their time, including the “YMCA,” “The<br />
Twist,” “Shout,” and “Rock Around the Clock.”<br />
At the stroke of eleven, the final song concluded, and the couples<br />
slowly made their way to their limos. Each girl received a souvenir<br />
plush puppy as she left. “It was such an adorable reminder of the<br />
night,” said Jessica Grunenberg ’06 of Smithtown <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>. Junior<br />
Emil Manuel captured the feeling of the night in a fitting, although<br />
admittedly overused expression: “The prom bid cost me onehundred<br />
dollars, and the limo was expensive too, but a great night<br />
to end the junior year with all my friends . . . priceless.”<br />
Clockwise from top left:<br />
1. The glow of romance:<br />
Lou Della Fera makes creative<br />
use of his necktie and<br />
a glow stick. 2. Dan<br />
Howard and Danielle Cervantes<br />
take a spin on the<br />
dance floor. 3. Kevin Leboff<br />
and Danielle De-<br />
Gregoris make the perfect<br />
prom couple. 4. Against a<br />
backdrop of colorful balloons,<br />
Alex Diorio and Kelly<br />
Harms pose for a photo.<br />
Tarmac • July 2005 CHAMINADE PROMENADE<br />
9
Alumni Offer Juniors Insights into Job Market<br />
10<br />
by Matthew Sharp ‘06<br />
Listening to legendary television personality<br />
Bill O’Reilly tell his own<br />
story, one would conclude that he<br />
was not a “particularly successful student at<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>” and that most of his classmates<br />
would not have predicted “I’d end up where I<br />
am today.” But there he was, a <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
graduate of the Class of 1967 and arguably<br />
television’s most recognizable political<br />
talk-show host, addressing fellow<br />
Flyers thirty-eight years after his graduation,<br />
retracing the long and often difficult<br />
route that led him from beat reporter<br />
in Scranton, Pennsylvania to host of The<br />
O’Reilly Factor and now a veritable<br />
household name across America.<br />
On Tuesday, May 10, in a kind of personal<br />
“No Spin Zone,” Mr. O’Reilly<br />
spoke candidly, even bluntly, about the<br />
challenges of his profession; the opportunities<br />
available for those who work<br />
hard and succeed; and the controver-<br />
sial style that has become the signature<br />
of his television show, books, and public<br />
appearances.<br />
Not every guest at Junior Career Night<br />
could offer the celebrity and crowd appeal<br />
of a Bill O’Reilly, but every one of them –<br />
thirty-seven in total – offered important information<br />
and insights about the kinds of opportunities<br />
available in the job market today.<br />
Mr. Joseph Lucchesi ’63, lead architect and<br />
engineer for <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s new Activity and<br />
Athletic Center, for example, discussed the<br />
particulars of civil-engineering and the experience<br />
needed to coordinate a major construc-<br />
For Class of ‘06, College Search Begins<br />
LIFE CHOICES<br />
by Thomas Remy ‘06<br />
Catholic University, Colgate University, St. John’s University,<br />
Gettysburg University. These are just a few on the long list<br />
of more than fifty colleges that sent representatives to<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>’s second annual College Fair on Wednesday, May 25,<br />
2005. Hundreds of <strong>Chaminade</strong> juniors and their family members<br />
filed into the gymnasium, some hoping to narrow down their college<br />
search and some hoping to begin it.<br />
With the SATs over with and the eleventh grade drawing to a close,<br />
most juniors now have one thing on their minds – college. “This<br />
time can often be a confusing and intimidating one,” remarked director<br />
of guidance Mr. Daniel Petruccio. “For this reason, we host<br />
the College Fair so students can at least begin to sort out this complex<br />
process. The students get a chance to learn about their colleges<br />
of interest. They might even find a new school they had not considered<br />
prior to the event.”<br />
In addition to informing students about various universities and<br />
colleges, the fair gave the juniors a chance to sharpen their interview<br />
skills by speaking one-on-one with several college representatives.<br />
The pamphlets that most schools handed out were also “extremely<br />
helpful,” according to junior Kevin Leboff, containing information<br />
on acceptance rates, tuition, and class sizes.<br />
Junior Zach Jordan and his family converse one-onone<br />
with a college rep.<br />
tion project. Dr. Howard Hecht ’58, psychologist<br />
and mental-health-care expert, contrasted<br />
two different fields of his profession: clinical<br />
psychology and experimental psychology. A<br />
more recent graduate, Mr. Keith Doran ’88 described<br />
the joys of a career in education, drawing<br />
on personal reflections from his teaching<br />
career. Two graduates spoke on medicine, and<br />
No bloviating: Juniors enter the “No Spin<br />
Zone” as they get some candid advice about<br />
careers in communications from Fox News<br />
Channel’s Bill O’Reilly ‘67.<br />
two represented the field of law.<br />
Teacher, doctor, lawyer, or engineer, each<br />
speaker at Career Night brought not only information<br />
and personal experience but evident<br />
enthusiasm about his career as well. Mr.<br />
Italo Zanzi ’92 demonstrated that enthusiasm<br />
with a lively trivia game at the beginning of<br />
his presentation on sports management; students<br />
who answered his questions correctly<br />
received Major League Baseball T-shirts.<br />
Mineola mayor Hon. Joaquim Martins ’85<br />
made a fervent appeal to students to consider<br />
a career in public service, advising them to begin<br />
at the local level, “where some of the most<br />
important business of government takes<br />
place.” And Mr. Alan MacKenzie ’84, a regular<br />
at Career Night, spoke with his usual enthusiasm<br />
about his high-intensity,<br />
high-excitement profession: “From<br />
retail brokerage to corporate investment,<br />
the stocks and securities industry<br />
opens numerous gateways to<br />
trading on Wall Street.”<br />
“The talks were really interesting,<br />
and I walked away from Career<br />
Night fairly convinced that I<br />
should pursue a career in investment<br />
banking,” recalled Matt Smith<br />
’06. For others less sure of their occupational<br />
goals, the night certainly<br />
provided them with a good starting<br />
place. “I had no idea what pro-<br />
fession I was most interested in,” remarked<br />
junior Pat Scotti, “but, with<br />
such a variety of options to choose<br />
from, I left with a better idea of<br />
where to start looking.”<br />
In 1966, when he was just a junior, Bill<br />
O’Reilly had no idea what he wanted to do.<br />
But look where he ended up. “I think it’s not<br />
so much knowing what you want to do as it<br />
is finding something you’re interested in,” he<br />
advised. Indeed, many a junior walked away<br />
from Career Night not necessarily with a clear<br />
career path, but at least with a couple of ideas<br />
to begin considering.<br />
Although most students did not come away with a definite decision<br />
regarding their future college, they certainly walked out<br />
with some options to think about. Whether it gave them a first<br />
taste of the college search or narrowed down their choices, “the<br />
College Fair made some sense of what can be an overwhelming<br />
process,” commented junior Alex Kriete.<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
Tapping a Vein of Generosity<br />
Juniors Donate Over 231 Pints of Blood<br />
J<br />
by Stephen Holowczyk ‘06<br />
unior Nick Giacone reclined nervously<br />
on the blue cot while a nurse<br />
prepped his arm. He flinched slightly<br />
as the nurse slipped the needle in. For the next<br />
ten minutes or so, Nick’s blood flowed from<br />
his vein through a needle and tube to a collection<br />
bag dangling by the side of the cot. And<br />
by this simple act, four lives were saved.<br />
“Everyone has to do his part,” Giacone insisted.<br />
Nick was not the only one who did<br />
his part, however. On Wednesday, May 25,<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>’s Junior Class gave over 231<br />
pints of blood, in effect saving over 924 lives.<br />
“This year, giving blood is more important<br />
than ever,” noted one of the attending<br />
nurses at the blood drive. “With madcow<br />
disease present in Europe, the U.S.<br />
has stopped importing blood from there.<br />
It was necessary to explore new options<br />
in blood donation.” One of those new<br />
options was lowering the minimum age<br />
for blood-drive participants. For the first<br />
time ever, the New York Blood Center, the<br />
umbrella organization coordinating blood<br />
drives such as this one, allowed sixteenyear-olds<br />
to donate, provided they had<br />
parental consent.<br />
This decision opened up <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s<br />
Junior Blood Drive to more students than<br />
ever before. From first to ninth periods,<br />
Class of 2006 “Rings in” Final Year<br />
Junior Ring Ceremony Marks Passing of the Torch<br />
by Kenneth Kraska ‘06<br />
On Wednesday, May 11, 403 seniors<br />
worked diligently on<br />
their last com-prehensive exam<br />
– their final step towards completing their<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> careers. That same day, 397 juniors<br />
filed into Darby Auditorium for their<br />
own rite of passage. What CHS principal<br />
Bro. Joseph Bellizzi called the “passing of<br />
the torch,” the Junior Ring Assembly<br />
marked the official transition of leadership<br />
from the Class of 2005 to the Class of 2006.<br />
As they crossed the stage one-by-one, each<br />
junior received a school ring signifying this<br />
“passing of the torch.” “You are now charged<br />
with the task of setting the primary example<br />
for the underclassmen,” stated Bro. Joseph<br />
in his address to the juniors.<br />
This task is not all that the ring represents,<br />
however. Incorporating a number of familiar<br />
symbols – including a portrait of Blessed<br />
William Joseph <strong>Chaminade</strong>, the official<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> seal, and the class’s year of<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
Laid back, no sweat: Dennis<br />
Murphy ‘06 donates a pint of<br />
blood. Over the course of the<br />
year, Dennis and his fellow<br />
Flyers donated over 550 pints of<br />
blood, saving 2,200 lives in the<br />
process. The seniors won Long<br />
Island Blood Service’s “Yankee<br />
Challenge” for donating the<br />
most blood in Nassau County.<br />
graduation – the ring also denotes the students’<br />
commitment to each other, to the<br />
school, and to the Catholic Faith. According<br />
to Junior Divisional moderator Mr. Brian<br />
Anselmo, “<strong>Chaminade</strong>’s motto – Fortes in<br />
Unitate, Strength in Unity – has a prominent<br />
place on the school ring. It reminds us of the<br />
spirit of solidarity and cooperation that is the<br />
backbone of the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Family.”<br />
As the seniors were making their final step<br />
towards graduation, the juniors too were<br />
making a major advance in their high-school<br />
careers. The Junior Ring Assembly commemorated<br />
that next step for the Class of<br />
2006. Now, all that remains is one more year<br />
of high school and the next symbol of the passage<br />
from adolescence to adulthood – a<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> diploma.<br />
CHS principal Bro. Joseph Bellizzi<br />
presents junior Nick Agosti with<br />
his ring, a sign of the leadership<br />
and example expected of senior<br />
Flyers.<br />
over 231 juniors entered the gymnasium –<br />
all eager to give “the gift of life.” Before<br />
they could do so, however, they needed to<br />
go through a screening process that included<br />
a private questionnaire about their<br />
medical history, as well as a preliminary<br />
blood test. Once these were completed, all<br />
the students had to do was wait for their<br />
number to be called. Then they could each<br />
head to their blue cot and save four lives.<br />
While the cause is noble, giving blood<br />
is not always an easy experience for firsttime<br />
donors. “For this reason, we wanted<br />
the juniors to feel as comfortable as possible,”<br />
remarked Mr. Thomas Dillon, National<br />
Honor Society moderator and Blood<br />
Drive coordinator. The New York Blood<br />
Center provided the recovering students<br />
with snacks and juice. In addition, the<br />
generous juniors who gave the gift of life<br />
received wristbands and T-shirts with slogans<br />
promoting blood donation.<br />
Three blood drives have already been<br />
scheduled for next year: a National Honor<br />
Society senior drive in the fall, a divisionwide<br />
senior donation in March, and a junior<br />
drive in May. This year, <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
collected nearly fifty more pints than last<br />
year’s 501, shattering the previous record.<br />
Hopes are high for yet another recordbreaker<br />
next year.<br />
STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE<br />
11
“Graduation,” continued from page1<br />
this talent is not good enough, however. Instead,<br />
we must share these unique gifts by giving our<br />
best to the world around us.” With all the scholarships<br />
they have won, there is no doubt that<br />
the Class of 2005 has its gifts to bring to the world.<br />
Needless to say, bringing gifts to the world<br />
requires going out into the world. This fact was<br />
bittersweet for the graduates. On the one hand,<br />
leaving 340 Jackson Avenue meant leaving the<br />
hallways and classrooms where so many friendships<br />
had been formed. Bro. Joseph Bellizzi,<br />
principal of <strong>Chaminade</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>, gave his<br />
assurance on the matter. “You are forever united<br />
to the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Family,” he reminded them.<br />
On the other hand, this rite of passage meant<br />
going on to use the gifts one has developed at<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> to achieve greater things with them.<br />
“Today, the Flyers of the Class of 2005 stand on<br />
the runway, ready for takeoff,” observed salutatorian<br />
Ryan Rodrigues. “With <strong>Chaminade</strong> in<br />
the rearview mirror and college on the horizon,<br />
it is our time to shine. <strong>Chaminade</strong> has given us<br />
so much, and now it’s up to us how high we can<br />
fly. The sky is our limit.”<br />
Before they could leave the runway, however,<br />
they had to leave the Tilles Center<br />
stage. Now that the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Man of the<br />
Year had been announced, they made this<br />
one last step. Diplomas in hand, the<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Men of the Day followed Graham<br />
Otton down the aisles, all to the tune<br />
of Purcell’s “Trumpet Tune in D Major.”<br />
Where they had entered seniors, they left<br />
alumni – both times, though, as Flyers. And,<br />
accomplishments and future promise aside, one<br />
more thing is certain about the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Man<br />
of the Year and the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Men of the Day<br />
– they will be <strong>Chaminade</strong> Men for Life.<br />
Sunday, June 5 was diploma day<br />
for Craig Foreman and 402 fellow<br />
graduates.<br />
12 BITS AND PIECES<br />
Twenty-five years ago, Scripture teacher and CHS principal<br />
Bro. Joseph Bellizzi (l.) professed his first vows of poverty,<br />
chastity, and obedience in the Society of Mary. On Sunday,<br />
May 22, Bro. Joseph renewed those vows before provincial<br />
superior Fr. Thomas Cardone as Bro. Michael Gillen looked on.<br />
Both the <strong>Chaminade</strong> and Kellenberg Memorial Communities<br />
attended the Mass and the reception that followed it, as did<br />
Bro. Joe’s family. During his twenty-five years as a Marianist,<br />
Bro. Joe has served as assistant principal at Kellenberg<br />
Memorial <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>, director of the <strong>Chaminade</strong>-Mineola<br />
Community, and principal of <strong>Chaminade</strong>. Congratulations,<br />
Bro. Joe, and thank you for your years of service.<br />
complaining about this rather drastic change<br />
in recorded music. Our history teachers drill<br />
into us, “Don’t forget the past.” Meanwhile,<br />
the entertainment industry likes to dim the<br />
past to make the latest inventions brighter.<br />
But what arae students saying about<br />
Apple’s newest creation. “They’re conveniently<br />
sized and very user-friendly,”<br />
enthused junior Kevin Labeck, a proud<br />
iPod owner. “I can access any of over<br />
3,000 songs in seconds.” iPods also<br />
boast a number of handy features and<br />
accessories that allow them to transfer<br />
information and store files and records.<br />
The novelty of iPods is a two-edged<br />
sword. Apparently, they’re not only attractive<br />
to consumers, but also to crooks. The<br />
New York City Police Department has one<br />
warning for iPod enthusiasts: “Keep an eye<br />
on it.” In the first three months of 2005, fifty<br />
iPods were stolen on New York’s subways<br />
alone. While some were quick to blame urban<br />
pickpockets, others placed the blame on<br />
the iPods themselves: it certainly is easier<br />
to loose track of a 3"x5" box than older,<br />
bulkier devices. Late-night comedian Jay<br />
Leno quipped, “Imagine the audacity –<br />
stealing stolen music,” which conveniently<br />
brings up the final flaw of the iPod and the<br />
entire digital music industry – fiscal loss.<br />
“Apple iPod,” continued from page 3<br />
Says Byfiona Morgan of Independent<br />
Weekly, the music industry is “pushing<br />
hard for a bill making future generations<br />
of the iPod illegal.” This may seem harsh,<br />
but the industry is losing out to digital<br />
music sales. The traditional method by<br />
which artists release albums is coming to<br />
an end. Nowadays, many artists release<br />
songs online and consequently decrease<br />
their profit margin. More importantly, the<br />
industry is losing direct control over those<br />
music sales – their worst nightmare. The<br />
anti-iPod bill, however, will probably never<br />
come to pass, so long as artists continue to<br />
sell their music via the Internet.<br />
So what is the final say on the iPod? I myself<br />
do not own one or any comparable device,<br />
and I don’t intend to. The technology<br />
is astounding, perhaps too astounding. The<br />
iPod, I feel, is taking the romantic element<br />
out of the music industry. My dad still revels<br />
in showing me his old 45s from his highschool<br />
days: tangible objects, bought with<br />
hard-earned money, emblazoned with<br />
memories. I couldn’t imagine saying to my<br />
son one day, “Hey, you see this megabyte?<br />
I stole it when I was 16. It was a huge hit.”<br />
I expect the digital music monopoly to<br />
continue expanding, but as for me, I’ll stick<br />
with what I know and hold dear.<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
A Night to Remember for the Class of 2005<br />
Over Three-Hundred Couples Enjoy Dining and Dancing at Senior Prom<br />
G4<br />
by Stephen O’Brien ‘06<br />
The typical senior prom follows a rather<br />
predictable routine. Shortly before the<br />
festivities are about to begin, dozens<br />
of limousines pull up to the front doors of a<br />
catering hall, dropping off prom-goers dressed<br />
in tuxedos and formal gowns. Couples proceed<br />
to an ornate lobby, where they pose for<br />
photographs before making their way to the<br />
so-called “coketail hour,” usually a lavish array<br />
of hot and cold hors d’ oeuvres, accompanied,<br />
of course, by a variety of soft drinks.<br />
About an hour later, a series of doors opens,<br />
revealing a grand ballroom decorated in the<br />
school colors, waiting to play host to an evening<br />
of dancing and dining.<br />
This year’s Senior Prom, however, saw some<br />
new variations on the traditional prom theme.<br />
For one thing, professional photographers<br />
charging hefty prices for prom-picture packages<br />
were nowhere to be found. Instead,<br />
Tarmac moderator Bro. Stephen Balletta and<br />
Senior Class moderator Bro. Thomas Cleary<br />
roamed the ballroom, cameras in hand, snapping<br />
pictures of any couple that asked to be<br />
photographed. The next day, all the pictures<br />
that they had taken were posted on<br />
kodakgallery.com and snapfish.com, two<br />
websites hyperlinked from <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s<br />
homepage. With a simple click of the mouse,<br />
students could order prints for about twenty<br />
cents a copy.<br />
By far, the biggest innovation at this year’s<br />
Senior Prom – held on Friday, May 20 at the<br />
Huntington Town House – was “The Flyers<br />
Club,” which prom organizer Bro. Thomas described<br />
as “a funky, Manhattan-style club located<br />
at one end of the dance floor where the<br />
seniors and their dates could hang out and enjoy<br />
one another’s company.”<br />
Couches upholstered in purple, crimson,<br />
lime green, and zebra stripes were interspersed<br />
with crimson-and-gold draped tables, and<br />
lights positioned underneath the tables made<br />
Samantha Hiltzik and Mike<br />
Marmo enjoy a romantic moment<br />
on the dance floor.<br />
the entire Flyers Club glow. “The music, the<br />
food, the dancing . . . it was all great,” noted<br />
Brian McGowan, “but the best part was the<br />
Flyers Club.”<br />
Despite its popularity, the Flyers Club was not<br />
the only hot spot. Many couples – close to three<br />
hundred in all – flocked to a bountiful ice-cream<br />
bar when it was rolled out on several banquetstyle<br />
tables. All the popular flavors were served<br />
with an array of toppings, allowing the promgoers<br />
to make their own sundaes. With ice<br />
cream, platters of pastries and cookies, and coffee<br />
and tea, the seniors were treated to the whole<br />
gamut of dessert delights.<br />
The main meal pleased the prom-goers as<br />
well. The repast consisted of a fresh-fruit appetizer;<br />
Caesar salad; and a “Duet” of filet mignon<br />
and chicken Merlot, served with a vegetable<br />
medley.<br />
Throughout the evening, prom-goers partied<br />
and danced to the music of D.J. Mike “D.” “He<br />
played lots of different styles of music, and I<br />
thought he did a great job of getting people<br />
onto their feet,” said Mike Fisher, one of several<br />
seniors who dominated the dance floor<br />
with dazzling moves and indisputable “cool.”<br />
By the time the clock struck midnight and<br />
the night’s festivities came to an end, the footloose<br />
Flyers had danced their dates all across<br />
the floor for several hours. Finally, the dancing<br />
stopped, and the night concluded with a<br />
raffle, from which seven lucky winners<br />
emerged with brand-new iPods.<br />
Although not everyone could leave with an<br />
iPod, no one left empty-handed. As they made<br />
their way from the grand ballroom, the guys<br />
received FDNY T-shirts and a box of Krispy<br />
Kreme donuts. As is tradition, cuddly teddy<br />
bears were the favors for the ladies, who<br />
seemed delighted by this thoughtful memento<br />
of such an enjoyable evening.<br />
“True to form,” Bro. Thomas said, “the Class<br />
of 2005 celebrated the conclusion of their highschool<br />
years with class, enthusiasm, and a<br />
whole lot of fun!” Conor McDonald expressed<br />
a similar sentiment, albeit more succinctly and<br />
colloquially: “Dude, it was sweet!”<br />
Above left: Decked out in their formalwear, (l.-r.) Ilana Wyler, Bobby Herrmann, R.J. Moulton, and Lea<br />
Duranti make their grand entrance. Above right: During a quick break from dancing, T.J. Solazzo and<br />
Regina Danca take a seat in “The Flyers Club.”<br />
GRADUATION PULLOUT<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
Strong • United • Blessed<br />
After four years<br />
of hard work and<br />
dedication, Shamard<br />
Charles<br />
accepts his academic<br />
diploma<br />
with open arms.<br />
(front row, left-right)<br />
Graham M. Otton<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Man of the Year Award<br />
Nassau County Award<br />
Kevin P. McDermott<br />
John R. Lenz “Semper Fidelis” Award<br />
Christopher M. Fitzpatrick<br />
Joseph F. Thomas Student-Athlete Award<br />
G2<br />
Josef A. Kaplan<br />
Bro. Louis Faerber, S.M. Service Award<br />
NY State Attorney General Triple “C” Award<br />
Thomas F. Preis<br />
Valedictorian<br />
Town of Hempstead Award<br />
Above: Proud parents<br />
Steven and PattiAnn<br />
McDonald pose for a<br />
photo with their son,<br />
newly minted alum,<br />
Eric W. Shannon<br />
Alexander Ott Glee Club Award<br />
Conor. Right: The ex-<br />
tended <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
Family: 403<br />
seniors left the<br />
Tilles Center as<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> men on<br />
graduation day.<br />
At the top of his<br />
class: Tom Preis<br />
receives his valedictorian<br />
trophy,<br />
along with the<br />
Town of Hempstead<br />
Award, from<br />
CHS principal Bro.<br />
Joseph Bellizzi.<br />
“. . . every one of us posseses some unique<br />
talent. Simply having this talent is not good<br />
enough, however. Instead, we must share<br />
these unique gifts by giving our best to the<br />
world around us.” Tom Preis, Valedictory Address<br />
Graduation Award Winners<br />
Gregory M. Leporati<br />
Robert C. Wright Speech and Debate Club Award<br />
Peter J. Haas, Jr.<br />
Parish Religious Education Award<br />
Jonathan M. Karl<br />
NY State Comptroller Achievement Award<br />
Nassau County Comptroller Achievement Award<br />
Alumni new<br />
and old: Kevin<br />
Considine ‘72<br />
stands proudly<br />
next to his son<br />
Ryan outside<br />
the Tilles Center.<br />
(top row, left-right)<br />
Ryan J. Rodrigues<br />
Salutatorian<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Academic Excellence Award<br />
Congressional Medal of Merit<br />
Richard J. Ward<br />
Fr. Philip Eichner, S.M. Award<br />
Above left: It’s a family<br />
thing: CHS alumni Shaun<br />
McGowan ‘99 (l.) and<br />
Glenn ‘02 (r.) congratulate<br />
their brother Brian<br />
‘05. Right: In his salutatory<br />
address, Ryan Rodrigues,<br />
recipient of the<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Academic Excellence<br />
Award and the<br />
Congressional Medal of<br />
Merit, recounts the journey<br />
of the Class of 2005 from<br />
3-C week to graduation.<br />
“Today, the Flyers of the Class of 2005<br />
stand on the runway, ready for takeoff.<br />
With <strong>Chaminade</strong> in the rearview mirror<br />
and college on the horizon, it is our time<br />
to shine.” Ryan Rodrigues, Salutatory Address<br />
Kevin E. Dooley<br />
Frank “Boiler” Burns Student-Athlete Award<br />
Michael J. Adamovich<br />
Bro. Joseph Fox, S.M. Service Award<br />
NY State Attorney General Triple “C” Award<br />
Michael R. Cali<br />
Angelo Ferdinando Band Award<br />
On graduation<br />
day, with his<br />
framed diploma<br />
in hand, Glenn<br />
Garcia can’t<br />
help smiling.<br />
Robert L. Ryan III<br />
String Orchestra Award<br />
John A. Siegel III<br />
Albert Kozar Drama Club Award<br />
“And so, my dear young men, <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
men, always remember these<br />
three words: strong, united, blessed.”<br />
Bro. Joseph Bellizzi, Principal’s Remarks<br />
Tarmac • July 2005 GRADUATION PULLOUT G3
TARMAC<br />
Newspaper of the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Flyers <strong>Chaminade</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>, 340 Jackson Avenue, Mineola, New York 11501-2441 (516) 742-5555<br />
We’re back!<br />
Don’t miss our first<br />
issue!<br />
The October 2005 issue<br />
of Tarmac will feature:<br />
— World Youth Day<br />
— Summer Renovations<br />
— Senior Night<br />
— Our Island: Jones Beach<br />
— Nazareth Farm<br />
— 3-C Week and Orientation
Class of 2005<br />
A Challenge to Follow in Faith<br />
At Baccalaureate Mass, Class of 2005 Ponders Spiritual Choices<br />
by Nicholas Kantor ‘06<br />
Follow the leader. It’s a simple game;<br />
someone is designated leader, and<br />
whatever he does, you follow.” Although<br />
this game is often associated with<br />
childhood memories, the concept of following<br />
the leader is by no means limited<br />
to child’s play. In fact, “follow the leader”<br />
was the theme of CHS president Fr. James<br />
Williams’ homily at this year’s Baccalaureate<br />
Mass, held on Sunday, June 5, at C.W.<br />
Post’s Tilles Center in nearby Brookville,<br />
Long Island. “After you graduate today,”<br />
Fr James asked the Class of 2005, “which<br />
leader will you follow?”<br />
In a world of leaders, both good and<br />
bad, would the Class of 2005 live up to the<br />
Altar server Rick Ward, recipient of the<br />
Fr. Philip Eichner, S.M. Award, holds the<br />
incense before the Gospel reading.<br />
The Tansey family joins the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Family<br />
for the Baccalaureate Mass. Trevor (center)<br />
was one of 403 members of the Class of 2005.<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
values instilled in them at<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> and follow the<br />
leadership of Jesus Christ,<br />
Fr James wondered aloud,<br />
or would they follow the<br />
empty promises and false<br />
leadership of an often immoral<br />
culture?<br />
The Baccalaureate Mass,<br />
Fr James noted, was the<br />
culmination of four years of<br />
spiritual formation, including<br />
retreats, evenings of<br />
recollection, prayer services,<br />
and student-body<br />
Masses. A culmination,<br />
however, is not necessarily<br />
an ending, since<br />
“no one leaves<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>; you<br />
take a part of us<br />
with you.”<br />
According to Fr. James, the Class<br />
of 2005 “will encounter many false<br />
leaders.” Starting in college, false<br />
leaders will tempt them to sin, to<br />
“take the easy way out,” to forswear<br />
the Christian values in<br />
which they have been formed during<br />
their high-school years.<br />
Yet, “you know better,” said Fr.<br />
James. “You have witnessed the<br />
dangers of following the wrong<br />
leader better than any class at<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>. In the first days of<br />
your freshman year, on 9/11 we<br />
witnessed what happens when<br />
people follow the wrong leader.”<br />
By contrast, Fr. James explained,<br />
Christians are called to “follow<br />
the real leader; follow the Lord.”<br />
If the Baccalaureate Mass represented<br />
the culmination of four<br />
years of spiritual growth, it also<br />
represented the culmination of<br />
preparation and practice by<br />
many members of the<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Family. Faculty<br />
members and members of the<br />
National Honor Society set up<br />
for the Mass the day before,<br />
transforming a barren stage into<br />
a fitting space for worship. Another<br />
group of National Honor<br />
Society members ushered at the<br />
Mass. Concelebrating the Mass<br />
were Fr. Garrett Long and Fr.<br />
“Follow the Lord!” In his homily, Fr. James<br />
Williams, CHS president and principal<br />
celebrant of the Baccalaureate Mass,<br />
emphasizes the need to follow good leaders.<br />
Ernest Lorfanfant. Graduation award winners<br />
Graham Otton and Rick Ward were<br />
the servers for the Mass; Joe Kaplan, also<br />
a graduation award winner, was the lector.<br />
The <strong>Chaminade</strong> Glee Club, some<br />
eighty strong, provided the liturgical music,<br />
culminating in a Communion solo by<br />
Alexander Ott Glee Club Award winner<br />
Eric Shannon.<br />
Lector Joe Kaplan leads the<br />
congregation in the Prayer of the<br />
Faithful.<br />
GRADUATION PULLOUT<br />
G1
A Celebration of Seventy-five Years<br />
by Michael Matosic ‘07<br />
T<br />
hroughout the 2004-2005 school<br />
year, <strong>Chaminade</strong> students, faculty,<br />
and alumni have joined together to<br />
celebrate the Seventy-fifth Anniversary of<br />
the school’s foundation in 1930. Flyers of<br />
all ages honored the anniversary with a student-body<br />
photo, a Mass and Social, a<br />
groundbreaking ceremony for the new Activity<br />
and Athletic Center, a Gala dinner,<br />
and a surprise barbeque lunch in school.<br />
The yearlong commemorations began with a<br />
student-body photograph on Tuesday, September<br />
14. Aligned in a perfectly rectangular formation<br />
on Ott Field, the students smiled up at the<br />
cameraman located on <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s rooftop.<br />
Following the picture, they enjoyed surprise icecream<br />
sandwiches and each other’s company.<br />
Four days later, on September 18, over 2,300<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> alumni, students, faculty members,<br />
and their families gathered to celebrate Mass in<br />
honor of the anniversary. The Mass and Social,<br />
originally intended for Ott Field, took place in<br />
the auditorium and gymnasium due to the<br />
downpours and high winds visited upon Long<br />
Island by Hurricane Ivan. Sophomore Steve<br />
Martinez, who sang in the Glee Club at the Mass,<br />
commented, “I was surprised at how many<br />
people came out for the Mass and Social. It really<br />
shows the unity of the <strong>Chaminade</strong> Family.”<br />
On Saturday, April 23, the school hosted a<br />
groundbreaking ceremony during the day and<br />
the Seventy-fifth Anniversary Gala in the<br />
CHS Cooks Up a Surprise for Students<br />
BBQ Commemorates Move to “New” Building<br />
On May 20, 1931, the young <strong>Chaminade</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> celebrated<br />
a major milestone: the entire school moved from its original<br />
home in the Garden City Bar Building to its current location – a<br />
stately, Federal-style structure located at Jackson Avenue and Emory<br />
Road in nearby Mineola. To commemorate this occasion and the many<br />
students who have put in four years of blood, sweat, and tears in this<br />
building, the current <strong>Chaminade</strong> student body had its own celebration<br />
on Friday May 20, 2005. As CHS president Fr. James Williams announced<br />
at the Mass in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary on May 19, the faculty<br />
and administration would host a free barbeque featuring hamburgers,<br />
hot dogs, chips, iced tea, and ice cream to celebrate the event.<br />
Fr. James later noted, “Friday, May 20, which was the first day of classes<br />
in this building seventy-four years ago, seemed a fitting occasion to reward<br />
the student body for its hard work.” Head chef Mr. Anthony Madia and<br />
his assistants cooked up over 4,800 hot dogs and hamburgers, which faculty<br />
members, student volunteers, and cafeteria staff served during each of<br />
the four lunch periods. Threatening thunderstorms forced the barbeque,<br />
originally slated to take place on Ott Field, indoors to the Courtyard Café.<br />
Pouring rain and poor weather conditions, however, failed to<br />
dampen the Flyers’ enjoyment of their special day. As excited sophomore<br />
Mike Duranti put it, “What better way to commemorate such a<br />
momentous occasion than with fun, friends, and lots of free food?<br />
The faculty certainly did a fantastic job turning an ordinary lunch<br />
period into an extraordinary feast.”<br />
The second of two seventy-fifth-anniversary festivities to celebrate the<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
by Dan Bruen ‘07<br />
evening. Over seventy-five spectators gathered<br />
at the former Koeppel Ford dealership on Jericho<br />
Turnpike to witness the groundbreaking ceremony.<br />
CHS president Fr. James Williams ’87<br />
broke ground for the new Activity and Athletic<br />
It’s all in the book: Mr. Kevin<br />
Schuler ‘95 (l.) and Bro. Peter<br />
Heiskell ‘86 debut Chamiande’s<br />
Seventy-fifth Anniversary Journal.<br />
Center with the same shovel used seventy-five<br />
years ago when Bro. Alexander Ott broke<br />
ground in the middle of a Mineola potato field<br />
for what would eventually become the school<br />
building as <strong>Chaminade</strong> students know it today.<br />
The day’s events continued later that night<br />
with the Anniversary Gala at the EAB Plaza in<br />
nearby Uniondale, New York. Members of the<br />
String Orchestra, Glee Club, and Jazz Band entertained<br />
the guests during the cocktail hour. Following<br />
speeches by current administrators and<br />
several alumni, the attendees enjoyed a threecourse<br />
meal and a chance to put on their dancing<br />
shoes to the tunes of a live band. In addition,<br />
guests received a copy of the ninety-sixpage<br />
Seventy-fifth Anniversary Journal, produced<br />
by Mr. Kevin Schuler ’95, his committee,<br />
Bro. Peter Heiskell ’86, and the yearbook staff.<br />
On Friday, May 20, the student body had its<br />
own celebration on the occasion of<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>’s location change exactly seventyfour<br />
years ago from the Garden City Bar Building<br />
to its current location. A free barbeque, compliments<br />
of the school, was originally slated to<br />
take place on Ott Field, but thunderstorms<br />
forced the feast of over 4,800 hamburgers and<br />
hot dogs inside to the cafeteria. “Ironically, we<br />
ended our seventy-fifth anniversary celebrations<br />
in the same way we began them, with<br />
inclement weather forcing us indoors,” noted<br />
dean of students Bro. Thomas Cleary ‘81, who<br />
coordinates all of the food services of the school.<br />
“Still, I think everyone had a great time at both<br />
events, as well as all the ones in between.”<br />
Fr. James summed up the year’s celebrations:<br />
“Anniversaries provide an opportunity along<br />
the journey of life to pause and reflect on the<br />
many blessings of the past as well as affirm a<br />
direction and commitment to the future. The<br />
year’s events certainly fulfilled this goal.”<br />
“Who says there’s no such thing as a free<br />
lunch!” exclaim Terrance Wakely ‘07 (l.) and<br />
Trevor Vincent ‘07 (r.) as CHS president Fr.<br />
James Williams stops by.<br />
students specifically (The first was the student-body photograph<br />
and free ice cream on Tuesday, September 14.), the<br />
barbeque was a success, as indicated by the many smiles<br />
on the faces of the satisfied students. Indeed, according to<br />
freshman Phil McAndrews, “While every lunch period may<br />
be a feast fit for a Flyer, this was a feast fit for a king!”<br />
75 YEARS<br />
13
CHS Students Deeply Conflict-ed<br />
Social Studies Club Game Examines International Politics<br />
14<br />
by Andrew Rula ‘06 & Sal Garofalo ‘08<br />
Suspended time plans are now due to<br />
the Control Center.” These words<br />
echoed over the ETV broadcast system<br />
as all four Conflict teams rushed to polish<br />
off their plans for their respective engagements.<br />
The final game of the Conflict<br />
season was coming down to the wire. From<br />
the destruction of the United States to the<br />
Russian invasion of China, twists and turns<br />
had punctuated the entire season.<br />
Despite all the earth-shattering events of<br />
the past year, the championship was still up<br />
“Ain’t No Mountain <strong>High</strong> Enough”<br />
Hiking Club Explores Northeast’s Natural Beauty<br />
by Alex Abbott Boyd ‘07<br />
There are many ways to unwind after a<br />
week of hard work at school. Some students<br />
watch television; others go to the<br />
movies. The thirty-five members of the<br />
Hiking Club, however, know of no better<br />
way than to go to the mountains, which<br />
provides, as sophomore Antonio Camargo<br />
put it, “an opportunity to hang out with<br />
friends and explore new places.”<br />
All year long, hikers tackle some of the highest<br />
mountains in the Northeast. Hikes this year<br />
have included Mt. Breakneck in the Hudson<br />
Valley, which involved a two-thousand-foot<br />
scramble up solid rock; Mt. Washington in New<br />
Hampshire, and Slide Mountain, the highest<br />
mountain in the Catskills.<br />
Club moderator Bro. Ryszard Decowski, an<br />
avid hiker since his boyhood days in Zakopane,<br />
Poland, views the hikes as an opportunity “to<br />
bring students to an appreciation of nature –<br />
something that’s often lacking among teenagers<br />
today.” Bro. Ryszard teaches members how<br />
to navigate trails and puts their skills to the test<br />
by allowing them to take turns leading the<br />
group. He also teaches them to identify various<br />
animals that they encounter. “This year,<br />
we’ve come across a number of animals,” com-<br />
AFTER 2:50<br />
for grabs. The two favorites were the Triad<br />
Alliance, captained by Corey Sheeron ’06,<br />
and the Islamic Alliance, headed by John<br />
Petsche ’06. When all the espionage,<br />
strategizing, and invading had come to an<br />
end, the final scores were tallied, revealing<br />
that the closing game of the year had been<br />
won by the Beijing Alliance, the novice Sacred<br />
Heart Team. The championship – a cumulative<br />
tally from the entire year – on the<br />
other hand, went to the Islamic Alliance by<br />
a remarkably slim margin.<br />
Conflict is, simply, a game of world domination.<br />
Each game consists of multiple blocs<br />
of nations, called alliances, which are run<br />
by a group of five to ten students. These<br />
alliances – paying close attention to global<br />
politics, current events, and socioeconomic<br />
trends – have to respond to realistic news<br />
flashes and political crises.<br />
Written responses from each team are<br />
scored by another group of players who run<br />
the Control Center. Presenting the alliances<br />
with countless complex and confusing sce-<br />
Junior Corey Sheeron dictates<br />
troop deployments in Conflict, a<br />
game of international conquest.<br />
mented club member Alex<br />
Casanova ’07. “We’ve seen everything<br />
from eagles to vultures<br />
to deer – and even one<br />
very aggressive rattlesnake!”<br />
Each fall and spring, the<br />
Hiking Club takes a three-day<br />
trip to the Marianist Residence<br />
at Founder’s Hollow.<br />
There, they take full advantage<br />
of the beautiful Catskill<br />
Mountains – swimming,<br />
kayaking, and hiking from<br />
sunrise to sunset. This fall’s<br />
Founder’s Hollow trip included<br />
a visit to Kaaterskill<br />
Falls, a waterfall even higher<br />
than Niagara. Bro. Ryszard<br />
used his extensive knowledge<br />
of the Catskill area to lead the<br />
group on trails above, below, and behind the<br />
falls, giving hikers a view of the incredible<br />
spectacle from every possible angle.<br />
The Hiking Club offers a unique alternative<br />
to everyday recreation. Members enjoy time<br />
with friends, not at the local mall or movie<br />
theater, as is customary for teens today, but in<br />
the splendor of nature. But, even more than a<br />
narios, those in the Control Center mastermind<br />
the infrastructure and flow of the game.<br />
This year, to make the game more up-todate<br />
and high-powered, Conflict devotees<br />
incorporated numerous technological advances<br />
into their game, now a staple of the<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Social Studies Club. These innovations,<br />
initiated by juniors Pat Scotti and<br />
Andrew Rula, added a never-before-seen<br />
edge to the game. For the first time in the<br />
game’s history, for example, the news<br />
flashes, political crises, and other announcements<br />
were broadcast via the ETV closedcircuit<br />
television network. Three-year veteran<br />
Dan Burke ‘06 noted, “The new additions<br />
really make the game a lot more interesting,<br />
intense, and enjoyable.”<br />
“Although the game is over thirty years old,<br />
it never seems to lose its novelty,” remarked<br />
Bro. Lawrence Syriac, creator of Conflict and<br />
moderator of the Social Studies Club. In recent<br />
years, the game has spread to colleges and<br />
other high schools across the United States,<br />
and even a firehouse. (The contact for the latter<br />
was a <strong>Chaminade</strong> alumnus who had<br />
played Conflict when he was still a student<br />
in the school.) Perhaps these are the game’s<br />
first steps towards world domination.<br />
Hikers Antonio Camargo ‘07, Alex Casanova<br />
‘07, Mike Ruggiero ‘08, Alex Abbott Boyd<br />
‘07, and Pete Warny ‘07 stop to admire a<br />
waterfall near Founder’s Hollow.<br />
chance for recreation or an enjoyable getaway,<br />
hiking is, according to Bro Ryszard, “a religious<br />
experience. When you’re climbing a<br />
mountain, you are surrounded by the beauty<br />
of God’s handiwork. For me – and, I hope,<br />
for the members of the club too – those majestic<br />
sights are a way of drawing closer to the<br />
awesome God who created them.”<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
A Humorous, Candid Look at the T.R.U.T.H.<br />
MTV Star, Abstinence Speaker Share Stories, Advice<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
by Dennis Kavlakoglu ‘06<br />
No ringy, no dingy!” These words summarize Hope and<br />
Chris’s message of abstinence: no sex until marriage. The<br />
two sex-education speakers have toured the country<br />
with their presentation “T.R.U.T.H. Sex, Love, and Choices,” and<br />
on Tuesday, April 19, they brought their<br />
message to the all-male student body of<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>. “I’m sure that<br />
speaking about sexuality in front of a<br />
group of teenage boys is no easy task,”<br />
said Kyle Keinath ’06, “but Hope and<br />
Chris won over their audience with their<br />
quick wit, upbeat attitude, and remarkable<br />
personal candor. As a result, I think<br />
that almost all of us could relate to what<br />
they were saying.”<br />
Hope Lopez, spokeswoman for the<br />
T.R.U.T.H organization, began the program<br />
with an allegory about a gentleman named<br />
“Truth” and his counterpart, a man named<br />
“Lie.” In her story, both men went swimming.<br />
When they came out of the water,<br />
Lie stole Truth’s clothes and tried to fool the<br />
townspeople into believing that they had<br />
always been his. At the conclusion of the<br />
story, Hope offered the students a question:<br />
“Whom will you believe, the naked truth<br />
or a lie in truth’s clothes?” Contemporary<br />
society, Hope explained, tells young people<br />
many lies about sexuality and its consequences,<br />
all masquerading as the truth.<br />
In the next part of her program, Hope called upon five Flyers to<br />
help her demonstrate a clever metaphor for sexual promiscuity.<br />
Juniors Kyle Gentile, Steve Dalton, Alex Diorio, and Tom Cassano<br />
were called up to the stage to walk, stamp, and even dance on a<br />
piece of duct tape that Hope had slapped down on the stage floor.<br />
Continuing the metaphor, she then offered the sullied piece of tape<br />
– a symbol, of course, for lost sexual purity – to her pretended fiancé,<br />
a role taken by audience volunteer Jim O’Shea. Jim, disgusted by<br />
the filthy piece of tape, refused it, exclaiming, “That’s nasty!”<br />
Hope concluded her portion of the program by telling the students<br />
that, based on their sexual activity, they could be classified<br />
into one of three groups. The first group, or the “A group,”<br />
as Hope called it, consists of virgins and “secondary virgins,”<br />
people who had had sex but had since vowed to abstain from<br />
further sexual activity until marriage. The “B group” – perhaps<br />
the largest – includes all those who are undecided about the nature<br />
and extent of their sexual activity before marriage. And<br />
Clockwise from left: 1. Emil<br />
Manuel ‘06 receives a “No ringy,<br />
no dingy” T-shirt for being the<br />
first in the audience to stand up<br />
for abstinence. 2. MTV star Chris<br />
Grabbe discusses his conversion<br />
from a party animal to an<br />
abstinence advocate. 3. In a<br />
humorous but pointed skit, Hope<br />
Lopez presents would-be fiancé<br />
Jim O’Shea ‘06 with a trampledupon<br />
piece of tape symbolizing<br />
squandered virginity.<br />
then, Hope joked, there is the “C group,” those who had decided,<br />
“Sister Girl, speak to the hand. I’m a man, I have a plan, I’m<br />
gonna get all I can.”<br />
Hope then turned the stage over to Chris Grabbe, star of MTV’s<br />
Road Rules: South Pacific and Battle of the Sexes, who spoke<br />
candidly about the time he spent in all<br />
three of the groups that Hope had just<br />
outlined. Chris’s celebrity status, combined<br />
with his forthright approach, made<br />
his presentation “especially riveting,” according<br />
to junior Mike Milone.<br />
For example, Chris recounted an experience<br />
that he had on his sixteenth birthday<br />
when, still “a confused teenager,” he was<br />
pressured into giving up his virginity. The<br />
experience left him emotionally scarred,<br />
and “later in life, though physically an<br />
adult,” Chris noted, “I still carried with me<br />
the stigma of my first sexual encounter.”<br />
After his traumatic experience in high<br />
school, Chris vowed to abstain from sex<br />
until marriage. “Unfortunately,” admitted<br />
Chris, “college proved to be a challenge<br />
I could not overcome. I found myself<br />
getting drunk almost every night and<br />
waking up with a different girl every<br />
morning.” After hitting rock bottom with<br />
a drug overdose, however, Chris underwent<br />
a profound conversion; left college;<br />
and began the slow, difficult, but ultimately rewarding journey<br />
from worshiping sex to worshiping Christ, from drunken debauchery<br />
to a sober and committed married life.<br />
In the most heartfelt part of his presentation, Chris spoke of the<br />
hurt he felt having to tell his fiancée, “I didn’t care enough about<br />
you to practice abstinence. I didn’t respect the relationship that we<br />
would one day have.” Towards the end of his speech, Chris urged<br />
the audience to make a decision. Referring back to Hope’s message,<br />
he stressed, “You have to decide which group you want to be<br />
in. Will you cherish or betray your future wife?”<br />
Junior Scott Melamed recalled, “I really liked Hope’s humorous<br />
speech, and its humor certainly helped to drive the message<br />
home. Chris’s candid and compelling story of trial and error made<br />
his message especially powerful and convincing. More than just<br />
preach to us about what we should or shouldn’t do, Chris came<br />
out and said, ‘Here are the mistakes I made. Maybe if I share<br />
them with you, you can learn from them too.’”<br />
SPECIAL ASSEMBLIES<br />
15
Kelly “Green” with Envy<br />
MVP Jim Kelly ‘06 and Fellow Golfers Vow to Take First Next Year<br />
Golf, simply put, is one of the most frustrating sports in the<br />
world. For centuries, men and women have tried to direct<br />
a small, white ball into a cup that is a mere two-and-a-halfinches<br />
wide. The 2005 <strong>Chaminade</strong> Varsity Golf Team, however, “made<br />
the sport look easy,” laughed Varsity Golf Coach<br />
Mr. James Hock as he looked back at the season.<br />
Averaging forty-three strokes per nine holes,<br />
the Flyers compiled a league record of twelve wins<br />
and two losses, good enough for a second-place finish<br />
in the Catholic <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Athletic Association.<br />
In April, the Golf Team started its season strong<br />
with landslide victories over Archbishop Molloy, St.<br />
Mary’s, and St. John the Baptist. Although the rest<br />
of the season would be characterized by overall success,<br />
that success would not come effortlessly.<br />
The first real challenge for the Flyers was a face-off at the<br />
Rockville Links on April 25 against a traditionally powerful Holy<br />
Trinity squad. On the final hole, <strong>Chaminade</strong> sealed a 5-4 victory in<br />
dramatic fashion as junior Jim Kelly drained a twenty-foot birdie<br />
putt. “The victory over Holy Trinity set the tone for the rest of the<br />
season and showed us that we could compete in tight matches,”<br />
commented four-year veteran Mike Furman ‘05.<br />
The next trial for the team, on April 26, was the first of<br />
two important matches against league archrival St.<br />
Anthony’s. Facing tough competition, the Flyers came<br />
up short, dropping the match 6-3 despite strong play from<br />
junior Will Adamski and freshman Matt Heckman.<br />
“Despite a tough loss, the team bounced back strong and,<br />
over the course of the next five matches, really showed<br />
what they were capable of,” noted Mr. Hock. Indeed,<br />
during a streak of successes against Kellenberg Memorial,<br />
St. Mary’s, Archbishop Molloy, Holy Trinity, and St.<br />
Dominic’s, the Flyers showed they could play the game.<br />
“Those successes gave us just the confidence boost we<br />
<strong>Spring</strong> Awards Dinner<br />
Honors Flyer Athletes<br />
16<br />
SPORTS<br />
by Matt Doherty ‘07<br />
by Matt Doherty ‘07<br />
On Wednesday, June 1, 2005, student-athletes, their<br />
coaches, and their parents gathered at the Crest Hollow<br />
Country Club in Woodbury, Long Island for the<br />
annual <strong>Spring</strong> Athletic Awards Dinner. In addition to the traditional<br />
presentations made at this banquet, this year’s event included<br />
a special dedication. The award for Most Valuable Player<br />
on the Varsity Lacrosse Team was renamed. The Ronald Winchester<br />
‘97 Memorial Award, in memory of the CHS graduate<br />
who gave his life serving his country in Iraq, was presented to senior attackman<br />
Rich Sgalardi. Ron was a large part of the athletic family at <strong>Chaminade</strong>,<br />
excelling in both football and lacrosse during his four years in the program.<br />
With Ron’s parents in attendance, Varsity Lacrosse Coach Mr. Jack Moran<br />
announced the dedication to the entire audience.<br />
The following student-athletes were recognized for outstanding performance<br />
during the spring season: (front, l.-r.) Charles Donnelly ’08, MVP Freshman<br />
Track & Field; Mike Liguori ’08, MVP Freshman Baseball; Dan Connolly ’05,<br />
Athletic Director’s Award (ADA); Anthony Altimari ’07, MVP JV Crew; Bill<br />
Coughlin ’08, MVP Freshman Lacrosse; Dan Falanga ’05, ADA; (middle, l.-r.)<br />
Kevin McDermott ’05, MVP Varsity Track & Field; Andrew Forero ’05, MIP<br />
Varsity Volleyball; Jon Brenner ’05, MVP Varsity Tennis; Brian Dussel ’05,<br />
ADA; Rich Semenick ’07, MVP JV Track & Field; Mike Furman ’05, SA Varsity<br />
needed for our second match against St. Anthony’s,” said Mr. Hock.<br />
The Flyers had their second and last match-up with St. Anthony’s<br />
on May 19. Although they came up short once again, the 5-4 score<br />
was much closer than their previous defeat. The Friars prevailed<br />
on the eighteenth green of the final match after a stunning comeback<br />
over the last three holes. Fine performances were turned<br />
in from freshmen Matt Heckman and Joe Lovas. The team<br />
finished up their league schedule on May 21 when they<br />
handily defeated St. Dominic’s by a score of 9-0.<br />
With the regular season coming to a close and the playoff<br />
competition about to commence, three Flyers were selected<br />
to participate in the Catholic League Tournament.<br />
Held at Bethpage Red Golf Course on May 31, the tournament<br />
showcased the top talent in the CHSAA. Jim<br />
Kelly shot a 78, Will Adamski shot an 80, and Matt<br />
Heckman carded an 86, qualifying them for the<br />
Catholic State Tournament in mid June at Beekman<br />
Country Club in upstate New York.<br />
The Flyers met further postseason success at the<br />
Long Island Lutheran Classic on May 31 at the Tam<br />
O’Shanter Club in Brookville. The three-man team<br />
of sophomores Matt Doherty, Conner McMahon, and<br />
Colin Quinn compiled a score of 252, good enough<br />
for second place out of a field of twenty-nine teams.<br />
Matt shot an 82, while Conner and Colin added<br />
rounds of 83 and 87, respectively. With only two seniors,<br />
Mike Furman and Jim Lynch, graduating, the<br />
outlook for the team is positive. “Our goal for next<br />
season is a first-place finish,” commented Mr. Hock.<br />
“With the core of our team returning, we are poised to<br />
climb to the top of the Catholic League – a difficult task,<br />
though I’m sure they’ll make it look easy.”<br />
MVP Jim Kelly ‘06 helped lead the golf<br />
team to yet another strong season.<br />
Golf; Tim McNally ’05, ADA; Will Adamski ’06, MIP Varsity Golf; Chris Durr<br />
’06, SA Varsity Track & Field; Matt Loosen ’07, MVP JV Baseball; Chris Silva<br />
’05, ADA; Dominick Cice ’05, MIP Varsity Track & Field; (back, l.-r.) Alex<br />
Wong ’06, MVP Varsity Crew; Andrew Vella ’05, MVP Varsity Baseball; Dave<br />
Hegermiller ’06, SA Varsity Crew; Brian Mulligan ‘05, ADA; Pat Morris ‘05,<br />
ADA; Greg Hoffman ‘05, ADA; Tom Steinert ’05, SA and MIP Varsity Tennis;<br />
Tim Regan ’07, MVP JV Tennis; Ryan O’Malley ’05, SA Varsity Volleyball; Jim<br />
Kelly ’06, MVP Varsity Golf; Dominick Acevedo ’08, MVP Freshman Crew;<br />
Tom Mansfield ’07, MVP JV Lacrosse; Kevin Cooper ’05, MIP Varsity Baseball;<br />
Ian Hanes ’05, MVP Varsity Crew; Rich Sgalardi ’05, MVP Varsity Lacrosse;<br />
and James Spicer ’05, MIP Varsity Lacrosse. (Missing from photo:<br />
Chris Fitzpatrick ‘05, SA Varsity Lacrosse; Jim Zenker ’05, MVP Varsity Volleyball;<br />
and Mike Milone ’06, SA Varsity Baseball.)<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
CHS Oarsmen a National Success<br />
JV National Championship Caps Off Antoher Record-Breaking Season<br />
by Brian Corneliess ‘06<br />
Webster’s Dictionary defines the<br />
word team as “a number of persons<br />
associated in work or activity.”<br />
It defines champion as “a winner of<br />
first prize or first place in a competition,<br />
or one who shows marked superiority.”<br />
When it comes to crew, perhaps the two are<br />
inseparable. “From<br />
day one, way back on<br />
February 28, these<br />
ninety guys have<br />
been like my second<br />
family. Every day, we<br />
went out on the water<br />
and gave it our all.<br />
Now our team has<br />
earned the right to<br />
call ourselves champions,”<br />
commented<br />
junior Mike Jonas, a<br />
member of the juniorvarsity<br />
boat.<br />
Indeed, Mike and his team were truly<br />
champions. On Saturday, May 28, for the<br />
first time in <strong>Chaminade</strong> history, the JV<br />
rowers captured first at the Scholastic National<br />
Championships, at Mercer Lake,<br />
New Jersey, capping off an undefeated<br />
season. “Not a lot of people get to say that<br />
they are the best in the country at what<br />
they do,” reflected JV rower Dave<br />
Hegermiller ’06. “It really was a special<br />
year the whole way through – the result<br />
of a lot of work and a lot of camaraderie.”<br />
A championship requires plenty of practice<br />
and teamwork. From February into March,<br />
the Crew Team spent many long hours at Bar<br />
Beach, rowing together in the frigid Long Island<br />
Sound. In addition to rowing, the team<br />
“<strong>Spring</strong> Track,” continued from page 18<br />
put. Pessala finished first in the discus with<br />
a throw of 144‘ 5”, followed by sophomore<br />
George Herger in third.<br />
With the meet coming to an end, the Flyer<br />
4 x 100-meter relay team finished in third<br />
place with a time of 46.29 seconds. Despite<br />
outstanding performances on all levels,<br />
however, the Flyers would have to settle for<br />
a second-place team finish, beaten by the<br />
Friars of St. Anthony’s. “Even though we<br />
came in second, we demonstrated the hard<br />
work and determination of champions,” said<br />
Assistant Coach Mr. Patrick Slevin.<br />
At the newly constructed Ichann Stadium<br />
on Randall’s Island in the Bronx, the Flyers<br />
competed in the Seventy-eighth Annual Intersectional<br />
Championships. At this championship<br />
meet, five Flyer athletes qualified<br />
to compete in the New York State Championships.<br />
Senior Kevin McDermott captured<br />
first place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
toned their “sea legs,” running through the<br />
wooded areas surrounding Bar Beach.<br />
Several weeks after their winter practices,<br />
the Flyers finally saw their physically<br />
grueling work come to fruition.<br />
Traveling to competitions as far as Massachusetts<br />
and Delaware, the team grew<br />
close over the many hours spent away<br />
Racing to victory, the JV-A boat nears the finish line to win<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> its first-ever first-place national title.<br />
from home. “Camaraderie is essential on<br />
the water,” explained novice rower Jack<br />
Conway ’06. “One man can’t carry the<br />
team to victory, as in some other sports.<br />
To have any hope of winning, you need<br />
everybody on board working together as<br />
a single unit.”<br />
From the starting shot of the first regatta<br />
to the finish line of the last, the <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
rowers performed excellently in waters all<br />
over the Eastern Seaboard. The Flyers met<br />
their first big success on Sunday, May 15,<br />
at the New York State Championships at<br />
Saratoga. Despite the varsity-A boat’s loss<br />
to archrival St. Anthony’s, <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
brought home the Overall Boys Team Trophy<br />
for the third year running.<br />
with a time of 9:30. Rich Semenick finished<br />
second in the long jump with a leap of 20’<br />
4”. The 4 x 800-meter relay team of Kevin<br />
Kiley, Ryan McDermott, Conor McNamara,<br />
and Kevin McDermott held off two oncoming<br />
teams to come in second place with a<br />
time of 8:02.<br />
On June 4, 2005, this group of five elite<br />
Flyers competed in the New York State<br />
Championships held at Cicero-North<br />
Syracuse <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>. The highlight of<br />
the meet occurred when senior Kevin<br />
McDermott raced to a first-place finish<br />
in the 3,000 meter steeplechase, holding<br />
off senior John Martinez of North<br />
Rockland <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> and setting a new<br />
meet and Federation record with an eyeopening<br />
time of 9:13.<br />
Seeing double? No. The McDermott<br />
brothers - Kevin ‘05 (l.) and<br />
Ryan ‘07 - helped lead the track<br />
team to victory this year.<br />
Seeking to prove their abilities beyond<br />
New York State, the team headed to Philadelphia,<br />
on Saturday, May 21, to participate<br />
in the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, the nation’s<br />
oldest and largest high-school crew competition.<br />
There, for the first time all season, the<br />
Flyers pitted themselves against some of the<br />
best rowers in the nation. This time, the varsity-A<br />
boat came out<br />
on top, leaving the St.<br />
Anthony’s squad<br />
vowing revenge.<br />
Eager to expand<br />
upon their success,<br />
the Flyers began to<br />
prepare for the upcoming<br />
Scholastic<br />
National Championships.<br />
The freshman-A<br />
boat, the JV-<br />
A boat, and the varsity-A<br />
boat all<br />
reached the finals.<br />
While the JV boat’s first-place finish may<br />
have stolen the show, all shared in the success.<br />
The freshmen finished sixth in the<br />
nation, and the varsity-A came in fourth,<br />
again defeating the Friars. “It felt great<br />
beating them again, especially on that kind<br />
of stage,” gloated Dan Connolly ’05. “The<br />
Friars have a great team, and they did beat<br />
us once, but I think we proved who had<br />
the better boat.”<br />
Better boats – and a champion boat – were only<br />
made possible through much practice and camaraderie.<br />
“This was a great team,” commented<br />
Head Coach Mr. John Callinan. “Every moment<br />
on the water, they worked hard and worked together<br />
– truly becoming a team and defeating a<br />
few opponents in the process.”<br />
Senior Kevin McDermott’s astounding performance<br />
characterized a season of achievement<br />
on all levels of competition. Although<br />
the Varsity Track and Field Team will be losing<br />
one of the best runners in <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s history,<br />
with such a breadth and depth of talent,<br />
the outlook for next year appears bright.<br />
SPORTS<br />
17
Friars Prove to Be Flyers’ Only Achilles Heal<br />
With the Speed of Hermes, McDermott Takes First at States, Sets New Record<br />
18<br />
by Ryan McDermott ‘07<br />
With 2,600 meters and five lead<br />
changes behind him and an opponent<br />
breathing down his neck,<br />
senior Kevin McDermott shifted into high<br />
gear with only four-hundred meters left in<br />
his race. On his “last legs,” he raced to the<br />
finish line to become <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s first New<br />
York State Champion since 1997. “I planned<br />
to stick with my strategy throughout the<br />
race,” said McDermott, “but with that last<br />
lap, all racing tactics went out of my head,<br />
and I just wanted to win.”<br />
Outstanding individual performances at the<br />
New York State Championship were the pinnacle<br />
of a season full of excitement, camaraderie,<br />
and personal bests for the 2005 <strong>Spring</strong> Track<br />
and Field Team. Under the direction of Head<br />
Coach Mr. William Carriero, the Flyers captured<br />
a sixth-place finish at the Intersectional<br />
City Championship and a second-place finish<br />
at the Nassau-Suffolk Catholic <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
Athletic Association Championship, the<br />
season’s most important team meet.<br />
On a drizzly, cold Saturday morning in<br />
March, over one-hundred athletes began their<br />
quest for another successful season. Before<br />
they could even begin running, the Flyers met<br />
their first trial in an ice-and-snow-covered<br />
track. Shovels in hand, the Flyers met this challenge<br />
head-on, enthusiastically beginning a<br />
three-month-long period of practice.<br />
After weeks of daily wind sprints and fivemile<br />
runs, the team was ready to<br />
compete against the best on Long<br />
Island. Although dismal weather<br />
cancelled several meets, the team<br />
never gave up on their season.<br />
“<strong>Spring</strong> track is a demanding<br />
sport, both physically and mentally,”<br />
remarked Coach Carriero.<br />
SPORTS<br />
Right: <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s first state<br />
champ since 1997, senior Kevin<br />
McDermott ran the 3,000m<br />
steeplechase in an eye-opening<br />
9:13. Below: Junior Sean<br />
Finnegan leaps to a second-place<br />
finish in the high jump at<br />
NSCHSAA Champs.<br />
“The discipline required to keep the training<br />
going when meet after meet is cancelled<br />
is a difficulty that the spring track runner has<br />
to endure – and did.”<br />
The team started their season off strong<br />
on Friday, April 29 to Saturday, April 30,<br />
when a group of fifteen <strong>Chaminade</strong> runners<br />
traveled to compete in the 111 th Penn Relay<br />
Carnival at Franklin Field at the University<br />
of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<br />
On Friday, the 4 x 800-meter relay<br />
team of Greg<br />
Hoffman ’05, Kevin<br />
Kiley ’06, Conor<br />
McNamara ’06, and<br />
Ryan McDermott<br />
’07 placed seventh<br />
in their heat of<br />
twelve teams, running<br />
a time of 8:03,<br />
one of the fastest<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> times<br />
recorded at the<br />
Penn Relays in several<br />
years. Senior<br />
captain Greg<br />
Hoffman commented,<br />
“It was an<br />
Above: Sophomore<br />
Richard Semenick<br />
braces himself for a<br />
landing, leaping to a<br />
second-place finish<br />
in the long jump.<br />
Left: Senior Greg<br />
Hoffman races to a<br />
third-place finish in<br />
the 1,600m run at<br />
NSCHSAA Champs.<br />
amazing experience<br />
to run in front of<br />
such a large crowd<br />
and also to have<br />
such a great time as<br />
a team.”<br />
Other highlights<br />
of the meet included<br />
senior Kevin<br />
McDermott’s ninthplace<br />
finish in the<br />
3,000-meter run<br />
with a time of 8:41. The 4 x 400-meter relay<br />
team of Dan Falanga ’05, Kevin Kiley ’06,<br />
Brian Farrell ’06, and Rich Semenick ’07<br />
placed third in their heat with a respectable<br />
time of 3:31, capping off a successful first<br />
meet for the Flyers.<br />
With an NSCHSAA championship on the<br />
line, the Flyers were prepared for the focal<br />
point of the season. Kevin McDermott’s firstplace<br />
finish in the 3,000-meter steeplechase<br />
and Ryan McDermott’s second-place finish<br />
in the 3,200-meter run started off the Flyers’<br />
day strong. Also adding valuable points to<br />
the team’s score, Tim Jarzynka ’06 sprinted<br />
to a second-place finish in the 110-meter high<br />
hurdles, and senior captain Greg Hoffman<br />
placed third in the 1,600-meter run. Juniors<br />
Kevin Kiley and Conor McNamara placed<br />
fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 800-meter<br />
run, and Brian Farrell ’06 ran to a third-place<br />
finish in the 400-meter dash.<br />
The field events, usually the Flyers’<br />
Achilles heal, proved to be a surprise<br />
herculean strength for the team at the championship<br />
meet. In the long jump, Rich<br />
Semenick recorded a 19’ 4" leap, and Alex<br />
Dufek ’06 provided a 17‘ 11" effort, placing<br />
second and fourth, respectively. In the<br />
triple jump, Rich finished first with a jump<br />
of 40’ 8", followed closely by senior captain<br />
Dan Falanga with a jump of 40’ 2". Continuing<br />
their dominance in the field, seniors<br />
Alex Pessala and James Fitzgerald placed<br />
second and fourth, respectively, in the shot<br />
See “<strong>Spring</strong> Track,” page 17.<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
Flyers Eke Out a League Championship<br />
Varsity Baseball Takes Title in 6-5 Nail-biter over Trinity<br />
by Kevin Alas ‘07<br />
or a team that outscored their opponents by a combined total<br />
of 110 runs this season, who would think that a single run<br />
F would determine the difference between victory and defeat?<br />
For a team that scored 204 runs this season, how tough could it be to<br />
get just one more? For a dominating pitching staff that simply overpowered<br />
league competition all year long, could it be that difficult to<br />
prevent a team from scoring just one more run? There’s an old saying<br />
that baseball is “a game of inches,” and this year’s <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
Flyer Baseball Team proved the saying true.<br />
The Flyers emerged as league champions after an epic<br />
three-game series against their rival, the Holy Trinity<br />
Titans. The Flyers went 19-5 in league play to take<br />
the regular-season title and the league tournament<br />
championship, edging out Holy Trinity<br />
by just one game both times. Behind<br />
tremendous team defense and consistent<br />
pitching, <strong>Chaminade</strong> won every<br />
series they played<br />
during the season, which was a goal<br />
that they established at the first day of<br />
practice. The Titans gave the team all they<br />
had and more, but bend as they might, the<br />
Flyers refused to break all year long.<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>’s top seed gained them a first-round<br />
bye, and they easily dismissed St. Dominic’s in the<br />
semifinals. Holy Trinity also plowed through their competition,<br />
and the two teams were poised to meet to determine<br />
a champion.<br />
On May 29, a beautiful Sunday afternoon, the teams met at<br />
Citibank Park in Central Islip, home of the Long Island Ducks,<br />
to play a doubleheader that would decide this year’s champion.<br />
If necessary, a Game Three was to be held at the New York Institute<br />
of Technology. The always-pivotal Game One posed a tremendous<br />
challenge for the Flyers. Trinity’s ace, Darren Jenkins,<br />
held the ball for the Titans, and Flyer head coach Mr. Michael<br />
Pienkos countered with senior hurler Will Hassett. Hassett did<br />
all he could, but Jenkins lived up to his 6-0 record and 0.51 ERA,<br />
baffling the Flyers with a consistent fastball and deadly curve.<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> simply couldn’t figure him out and was held to just<br />
three hits in a 4-2 defeat.<br />
The Crimson and Gold now had their backs up against the wall.<br />
The regular-season series had begun the same way, with a Trinity<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
victory before the Flyers roared back to take the final two games.<br />
“We were in that same situation against Trinity, but the team never<br />
lost confidence,” commented Coach Pienkos.<br />
History was to repeat itself. <strong>Chaminade</strong> sent staff ace and CHSAA<br />
Pitcher of the Year Andrew Vella ‘05 to the mound to stop the bleeding,<br />
and he did just that. After struggling to get a base runner against<br />
Titan starter Nick Tomosulo in the first three innings, the Flyer offense<br />
exploded for ten runs in the next two innings. Leading the attack<br />
was senior catcher Mike Marmo, who had two hits, including a<br />
double and four RBIs in the rally. Vella battled to make the<br />
lead stand up, gutting out a 123-pitch five-hitter to secure<br />
the victory and force the series to a third game. “That<br />
was Andrew’s role all year; he was the stopper. I<br />
thought he did a tremendous job,” beamed an<br />
obviously satisfied Coach Pienkos.<br />
The season could end no other way. After<br />
the two teams had battled so fiercely<br />
all year long, it had come down to a<br />
final game, a winner-take-<br />
Clockwise from left: 1. Lou<br />
Picconi ‘06 slugs a double to<br />
right field. 2. Flyer ace Andrew<br />
Vella ‘05 fires a strike. 3. Got ‘em:<br />
Kevin Dooley ‘05 catches a Trinity<br />
runner sleeping on the base paths.<br />
4. Mike Marmo ‘05 isnt afraid to get his<br />
uniform dirty to score a run for the Flyers.<br />
all scenario. Holy Trinity sent Mike Mongiardo to the hill,<br />
and senior Greg Dimmling took the ball for the Flyers. Trinity<br />
jumped ahead early on with a run in the top of the first, but the<br />
Flyers answered right back. Junior center fielder Brian Kemp led off<br />
with a single, and Mike Marmo singled him in two batters later. Senior<br />
Kevin Dooley later plated Marmo to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead.<br />
However, Trinity wouldn’t give in. They came back to score three<br />
runs and take a 4-2 lead.<br />
Junior Tom Soler took the ball for the Flyers in the fourth inning<br />
and held the Titans at bay. They threatened twice, but big plays by<br />
junior Lou Picconi at shortstop kept the Titans from pushing a run<br />
across. <strong>Chaminade</strong> tied the game in the fourth inning on a lead-off<br />
home run by junior Ken Doherty.<br />
The Flyers’ big break came in the fifth, however. After a controversial<br />
call, senior Chris Jenney singled to load the bases with two<br />
See “Baseball,” page 23.<br />
SPORTS<br />
19
Varsity Tennis Has a Racket on Winning<br />
Flyers Compile 11-1 Record, Defeat Friars for Crown<br />
20<br />
by Eric Tellekamp ‘06<br />
The <strong>Chaminade</strong> Varsity Tennis Team<br />
came into the spring season with high<br />
expectations, looking to repeat another<br />
year as Catholic <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Athletic<br />
Association champs. With the rest of the<br />
Catholic League gunning for them, however,<br />
they knew it would be no walk in the<br />
park. As junior Jon Cleva commented, “We<br />
knew it was going to be a difficult season<br />
from the beginning, so everyone worked<br />
hard to make sure we would achieve our<br />
ultimate goal – winning in both the regular<br />
season and the playoffs.”<br />
The Flyers kicked off the season in a nonleague<br />
competition against a highly touted<br />
Great Neck South team. After a series of difficult<br />
matches, <strong>Chaminade</strong> was able to fend<br />
off the Rebels by a final of 4-3. They continued<br />
the non-league portion of their schedule<br />
against nearby Garden City <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>. The<br />
team soared to an easy 6-1 victory over the<br />
Trojans, gearing them up for a match against<br />
powerhouse Cold <strong>Spring</strong> Harbor.<br />
Although eager for a shot at such a<br />
tough team, the Flyers fell flat in the first<br />
few matches and struggled throughout the<br />
day. The miserable day ended in a 7-0 defeat.<br />
Some good things did come from the<br />
match, however. Junior Andrew Sudano<br />
remarked, “The match against Cold <strong>Spring</strong><br />
Harbor opened our eyes and showed us<br />
we couldn’t just coast through this season.<br />
I think everyone stepped it up a notch in<br />
practice after this loss.”<br />
This loss led <strong>Chaminade</strong> into the more<br />
important part of their schedule, the<br />
CHSAA league games. League play began<br />
with a match against Kellenberg Memorial<br />
<strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>. Much to the surprise<br />
of the Flyers, the Firebirds were not as<br />
strong as they had been in the past, and<br />
the team had an easy time defeating them,<br />
7-0. After adding another shutout against<br />
St. John the Baptist, the Flyers prepared<br />
for a bout against perennial rival St.<br />
SPORTS<br />
Anthony’s. The Friars were expected to<br />
be <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s main competition for the<br />
season, and their performance on the<br />
courts confirmed those expectations.<br />
Through six of the seven matches, the<br />
Flyers and Friars each compiled three victories.<br />
The final match pitted Tom Steinert<br />
‘05, veteran and one of the team leaders,<br />
in a single match against a strong St.<br />
Anthony’s player. A hard-fought battle<br />
ensued, with Tom barely coming out on<br />
top. “I knew I had to buckle down,” Tom<br />
said after the match. “This was an important<br />
game for us, and I could not let the<br />
team down.”<br />
After the match against St. Anthony’s, the<br />
Flyers definitely found their groove. They<br />
recorded five straight 7-0 shutouts, all over<br />
league opponents. Then, in their second-tolast<br />
match before the playoffs, the Flyers were<br />
scheduled to play St. John the Baptist, whom<br />
they had handily defeated in the<br />
early stages of the season. The<br />
Cougars came out with a vengeance,<br />
however, and snuck away<br />
with a 4-3 win.<br />
This surprising loss was the<br />
first in league play for the Flyers,<br />
with just one game left before<br />
the playoffs were to begin.<br />
And, of course, the game pitted<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> against St.<br />
Return to sender: With a<br />
keen eye, Sean Nolan ‘06<br />
prepares to return his<br />
opponent’s serve.<br />
Holding court: Jon Cleva ‘06<br />
(above) and Matt Aaron ‘06<br />
(left) show off the perfect form<br />
that placed them fourth in the<br />
championship match.<br />
Anthony’s. This time, however, the Flyers<br />
took control early and cruised to a 5-2<br />
victory.<br />
The Flyers finished the regular season<br />
with an 11-1 league record. They felt confident<br />
and in control as the playoffs began.<br />
After a bye in the quarterfinals,<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> turned their attention to<br />
Kellenberg Memorial, whom they had<br />
shut out in both of their regular-season<br />
meetings. Once again, the Flyers proved<br />
superior to the Firebirds, coming away<br />
with yet another shutout.<br />
The finals pitted <strong>Chaminade</strong> against –<br />
who else? – St. Anthony’s. Having already<br />
beaten the Friars twice, the Flyers saw no<br />
reason to tarnish their perfect record against<br />
their rivals. <strong>Chaminade</strong> came out strong<br />
and looked poised to take home the crown<br />
once again. The Friars made a valiant comeback<br />
but fell just short. The Flyers were<br />
again CHSAA playoff champions.<br />
“This year’s championship was definitely<br />
special because of what the team<br />
had to overcome,” said head coach Mr.<br />
James Quinn. “We lost three out of four<br />
singles players from last year’s team, and<br />
the one returning player was injured for<br />
the majority of the season.”<br />
Following the team championships,<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> also performed well in the<br />
League Individual Tournament. The Flyers<br />
finished first and third in the singles<br />
tournament, and took second, third, and<br />
fourth in doubles. These performances further<br />
enforced the Flyers’ position at the top<br />
of the Catholic League. With several talented<br />
juniors and some strong underclassmen,<br />
the Flyers are looking forward to reigning<br />
as kings of the court again next year.<br />
Photo by Conor O’Reilly ‘06<br />
Tarmac • July 2005 T<br />
N<br />
E<br />
L<br />
Fp<br />
e<br />
G<br />
M<br />
O<br />
d<br />
t<br />
S<br />
“<br />
t<br />
i<br />
S<br />
Ns
AFTER TWO-YEAR HIATUS, FLYERS IN “TITLETOWN”<br />
Prolific Scoring, Rock-Solid Defense Vanquish Archrival Friars<br />
by Ted Fifield ‘06 & Brett Wishart ‘08<br />
Refusing to be deterred by a steady rain<br />
and a November-like chill, hundreds<br />
of <strong>Chaminade</strong> faithful packed into<br />
Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium on the evening of<br />
May 24 to cheer on the varsity Flyers as they<br />
battled archrival St. Anthony’s for the<br />
Nassau-Suffolk Catholic <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Athletic<br />
Association lacrosse title. With months<br />
of grueling practices and a long season culminating<br />
in that final game, the Flyers came<br />
out flying from the very first whistle, pouring<br />
every ounce of their energy into what<br />
could have been the deciding ground ball,<br />
body check, or shot on goal.<br />
Above: Geery Grant ‘05 dodges a St. Anthony’s<br />
defender. Right: Ever focused on the game, Coach<br />
Moran doesn’t know what’s coming as MVP Rich<br />
Sgalardi ‘05 douses him with a bucket of water.<br />
To the dismay of the crimson-and-gold-clad<br />
fans, however, the Friars scored two quick goals<br />
in the first quarter to take the lead and the momentum.<br />
Determined not to let the game slip<br />
away from them, the <strong>Chaminade</strong> defense buckled<br />
down and shut off St. Anthony’s for the<br />
remainder of the half. With the second quarter<br />
coming to a close, junior attackman Colin Tigh<br />
knocked in a goal to cut the deficit in half and<br />
send the Flyers into halftime with hope.<br />
At the onset of the second half, St. Anthony’s<br />
came out and almost immediately scored a<br />
goal. Little did they know it would be their<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
last goal of the season. Led by seniors Chris<br />
Viviano and Regis McDermott, the Flyers’ stifling<br />
defense shut down St. Anthony’s highpowered<br />
offense for the remainder of the contest.<br />
With the defense controlling its end of the<br />
field, the pressure now fell upon the offense to<br />
win the game, a task easier said than done.<br />
With the clock ticking down on the third<br />
quarter and the Flyers still scoreless in the second<br />
half, junior attackman Brendan Gibson intercepted<br />
a pass and ripped a goal to open the<br />
floodgates of the <strong>Chaminade</strong> offensive. Although<br />
Gibson’s goal was their only goal for<br />
the third quarter, it was the beginning of a 7-0<br />
run by the Flyers that propelled them to a con-<br />
vincing victory, 8-3, ending St. Anthony’s hopes<br />
of a three-peat and landing <strong>Chaminade</strong> in the<br />
promised land dubbed by Assistant Coach John<br />
Laden as “Titletown.” Finally, after a two-year<br />
hiatus in the hands of what <strong>Chaminade</strong> fans<br />
jokingly call the “Evil Empire,” the varsity lacrosse<br />
title was back where it belongs.<br />
As impressive as the championship victory<br />
seems, it was characteristic of a<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> team that played consistently<br />
well throughout the season. The Flyers<br />
compiled an 18-2 overall record and finished<br />
undefeated in league play.<br />
The season was highlighted by many key<br />
victories for <strong>Chaminade</strong>, the most outstanding<br />
of which were two one-goal wins over<br />
St. Anthony’s. Both regular-season games<br />
were charged with the same excitement and<br />
intensity as the championship. In the teams’<br />
first meeting, the Flyers scored first and never<br />
relinquished their lead, defeating the Friars<br />
in a 7-6 nail-biter.<br />
The second match-up was a night game under<br />
the lights at St. Anthony’s. The Friars<br />
jumped out to an early three-goal lead, and<br />
the Flyers limped into halftime still trailing,<br />
5-3. Coach Moran rallied the troops at halftime,<br />
though, and <strong>Chaminade</strong> exploded in<br />
the third quarter, outscoring the Friars, 5-0.<br />
The Crimson and Gold warriors held on for<br />
a 9-8 victory. In a euphoric hype that defied<br />
all past grammatical schooling, four-goal<br />
scorer Geery Grant ’05 explained to a News<br />
12 reporter, “We out-intensed them.”<br />
The Flyers’ only two losses of the season<br />
came against nationally ranked opponents in<br />
non-league matches. After a long, cramped bus<br />
ride to New Jersey, <strong>Chaminade</strong> suffered its first<br />
defeat at the hands of national powerhouse<br />
Delbarton. Two weeks later, despite a valiant<br />
five-goal output by Brendan Gibson, the Flyers<br />
dropped their second game in a heartbreaking<br />
one-goal loss to the Yorktown Cornhuskers.<br />
Commenting on the painful losses, Coach<br />
Moran remarked, “As much as it hurts now,<br />
these losses are<br />
going to help<br />
us come playoff<br />
time.” How<br />
right he was.<br />
Also highlighting<br />
the<br />
season, the<br />
Flyers won a<br />
convincing<br />
victory over<br />
New Jersey<br />
opponent Don<br />
Bosco Prep<br />
and edged out<br />
local power<br />
Massapequa<br />
in a one-goal<br />
victory. Other notable games were a surprisingly<br />
close 11-9 victory over the Titans of<br />
Holy Trinity and a cold-weather conquest of<br />
Connecticut opponent Fairfield Prep.<br />
Ultimately, the Flyers’ hard work and commitment<br />
to “Be the Best” paid off in their dramatic<br />
triumph over St. Anthony’s in the final.<br />
In bringing the varsity lacrosse title back to<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>, the team fulfilled its preseason<br />
goal of a championship. Team MVP and Academic<br />
All-American Rich Sgalardi ’05 summed<br />
it up perfectly: “I can’t think of a better way to<br />
end my career at <strong>Chaminade</strong>.”<br />
SPORTS<br />
21
Flyers Make Short Work of a Tall Order<br />
It’s a Four-peat, in Three Games, Against a Tough Opponent<br />
P<br />
erhaps the hardest thing to do in<br />
sports is to win a championship. It<br />
is even harder to win a championship<br />
four times in a row – nearly impossible.<br />
Members of the 2005 Volleyball Team, however,<br />
completed their four-peat in a truly triumphant<br />
fashion. “This year’s team exhibited a dedicated<br />
work ethic, a strong sense of camaraderie, and<br />
a series of marvelous successes,” remarked volleyball<br />
coach Mr. Salvatore Trentacoste.<br />
On Tuesday, May 17, 2005, eager fans<br />
packed into Woodruff Hall Gymnasium at<br />
Adelphi University in Garden City for the<br />
Nassau-Suffolk Catholic <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong> Athletic<br />
Association Volleyball Championship. The<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Flyers were about to square off<br />
against the Kellenberg Memorial Firebirds.<br />
According to Brendan Hickey ’06, “The game<br />
was a grudge match between two rivals who<br />
had struggled neck and neck all season.”<br />
“Our strategy was to be aggressive and not<br />
allow the Firebirds any opportunity to change<br />
the game’s momentum,” explained Mr.<br />
Trentacoste. When all was said and done, the<br />
Flyers came out on top, beating the Firebirds<br />
25-21 in the first set, 25-17 in the second, and<br />
25-18 in the third. “I won’t lie; we were all a<br />
little nervous going into the game. We knew<br />
we had the better team, but Kellenberg had<br />
played well all season and was hungry for a<br />
championship. I’m proud to say that we rose<br />
to the occasion,” reflected Connor Hickey ’06.<br />
22<br />
by Stephen O’Brien ‘06<br />
Pat Heiman ‘06 surprises the<br />
defense with his middle hitting<br />
ability.<br />
SPORTS<br />
The road to the four-peat,<br />
however, required dedication,<br />
persistence, and a lot of practice.<br />
Faced with stiff competition,<br />
the Flyers had to work<br />
hard if they expected to capture<br />
a fourth consecutive<br />
championship and start what<br />
team members and fans are<br />
now calling a dynasty.<br />
It all began on March 14,<br />
when nearly eighty young men<br />
showed up in <strong>Chaminade</strong>’s<br />
gymnasium to try out for the<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> Varsity Volleyball<br />
Team. After several sweaty<br />
and grueling days of tryouts,<br />
the team of eighteen was selected:<br />
two freshmen, five<br />
sophomores, six juniors, and<br />
five seniors.<br />
Despite a finalized roster, the<br />
Flyers had not yet completely<br />
gelled, and at the start of their<br />
season, it showed. After only<br />
a few weeks of practice,<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> entered the Port<br />
Washington Tournament;<br />
there, despite a tenacious attitude,<br />
they failed to pass the first<br />
round. A few days later, the<br />
Flyers encountered another setback<br />
in a loss to Floral Park<br />
<strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong>. “Although we didn’t play to our<br />
full potential in the first games, we didn’t lose<br />
our persistence,” recalled James Tuomey ’06.<br />
“In fact, we were inspired to try harder.”<br />
With a new resolve, the team went on to<br />
achieve victories over Holy Trinity, St.<br />
Anthony’s, and St. Francis Prep. On April<br />
15, however, their winning streak came to a<br />
screeching halt in a match against the<br />
Kellenberg Firebirds.<br />
The game volleyed back and forth, each<br />
team claiming two sets, sending the game into<br />
a fifth and final set. But in the end, the<br />
Firebirds pulled out a win and handed<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> their second loss of the season. Although<br />
disappointed by the loss, the squad,<br />
led by senior co-captains Jim Zenker ‘05 and<br />
Andrew Forero ’05, went on a tear, defeating<br />
St. John the Baptist, St. Francis Prep (twice),<br />
Holy Trinity, and St. Anthony’s.<br />
On April 27, the Flyers got a chance to take<br />
out the one thorn in their side, the Kellenberg<br />
Firebirds. The game was another fiery contest,<br />
but this time, the Flyers came out with<br />
the win, defeating their rival in five sets.<br />
Continuing their winning streak, the team<br />
met success at the Plainview Tournament,<br />
where they defeated East Meadow in the semifinals<br />
and Long Beach in the championship to<br />
win the tournament for the first time in ten<br />
years. After this triumph, the team went on to<br />
Team M.V.P. Jim Zenker ‘05 soars through<br />
the air for a spike, propelling the Flyers to a<br />
victory.<br />
beat Holy Trinity and St. Anthony’s.<br />
On May 9, <strong>Chaminade</strong> returned to Kellenberg<br />
for one last regular-season game and once again<br />
defeated the Firebirds in just three sets. “This<br />
was probably the biggest win of our regular season,”<br />
observed NSCHSAA Player of the Year<br />
Jim Zenker ’05. “We won the final game in the<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong>-Kellenberg miniseries, and it really<br />
gave us momentum going into the playoffs.”<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> then went on to beat St.<br />
Anthony’s in the semifinals on May 13. Four<br />
days later, the team conquered the Firebirds for<br />
the last time, earning the NSCHSAA Championship,<br />
the four-peat, and the start of a dynasty.<br />
Along with the championship, the Flyers<br />
also garnered the Sportsmanship Award from<br />
the NSCHSAA Board of Officials. “Receiving<br />
the admiration and recognition of the Board<br />
of Officials was certainly a cherished accomplishment,”<br />
commented Mr. Trentacoste during<br />
his speech at the Athletic Awards Dinner.<br />
With a total team average of 93.1, the Flyers<br />
also earned All-Academic honors.<br />
After a long season, the Flyers captured their<br />
fourth consecutive championship and earned<br />
the right to be called a dynasty. “Through a<br />
lot of hard work, they were able to reach their<br />
potential to make the fourth championship a<br />
reality,” reflected Mr. Trentacoste. “I’m looking<br />
forward to their return next year as we attempt<br />
to ‘strive for five’!”<br />
Tarmac • July 2005
Chutestrings<br />
PARA<br />
Overpaid, Underachieving? No Thanks, Yanks!<br />
T<br />
he 2005 Major League Baseball season is now in<br />
full swing. After last year’s fiasco in the American<br />
League Championship Series, the Yankees<br />
looked to add to their repertoire of talent in the off-season.<br />
The organization signed second baseman and outfielder<br />
Tony Womack, first baseman Tino Martinez, second<br />
baseman Robinson Cano, and pitchers Carl Pavano<br />
and Randy Johnson to the Pinstripes. These players were<br />
added to the list of the longtime Yankee stars – including<br />
shortstop Derek Jeter, closer Mariano Rivera, and catcher<br />
Jorge Posada – for the 2005 season.<br />
With all of these individual stars, George Steinbrenner’s<br />
payroll has skyrocketed. As of April of this year, the Yankee<br />
payroll had swelled to well<br />
over $200 million – light years<br />
ahead of the rest of the MLB. The<br />
Boston Red Sox post the second<br />
highest payroll at just under $125<br />
million, and the New York Mets<br />
round out the top three at just<br />
over $100 million. The rest of the<br />
league falls between the $100<br />
million and $25 million range.<br />
So, with all this individual talent<br />
and a gargantuan payroll,<br />
why are the Yankees currently in<br />
fourth place with a record wavering<br />
on the .500 mark?<br />
According to the numbers, hitting<br />
has certainly not been the<br />
source of the Yankees’ problems.<br />
The Yankee lineup is a force to be<br />
reckoned with, consisting of an<br />
overpowering collaboration of<br />
hitters from top to bottom. The<br />
team is currently third in the<br />
American League in both runs<br />
scored and home runs, fourth in<br />
runs batted in and total bases, and sixth in team batting<br />
average with .272. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez is tied<br />
for both the most home runs and RBI’s in the MLB, with<br />
seventeen and forty-nine respectively. With this level of hitting,<br />
the Yankee bats have succeeded in providing the pitching<br />
staff with a comfortable amount of run support throughout<br />
the opening months.<br />
The Yankees’ pitching thus far has been mediocre at best.<br />
Pinstripe pitchers have compiled an earned run average<br />
of 4.65, twenty-eight wins, and twenty-nine losses. In ad-<br />
“Baseball,” continued from page 19<br />
outs in the sixth, and Marmo again came to the plate in a<br />
clutch situation. “Marmo’s been doing it all year for us. I<br />
had confidence he would come through with a hit,” commented<br />
Coach Pienkos. Marmo did just that, scoring two<br />
with another RBI single. Soler returned to the mound to<br />
try to seal the deal for the Flyers. Trinity scored to make<br />
the game 6-5, but they stranded the tying run at third with<br />
a two-out strikeout that ended the game. “Tom was awesome,”<br />
Coach Pienkos remarked. “After pitching five innings<br />
on Friday, it was a real gutsy performance.”<br />
Tarmac • July 2005<br />
dition, they have given up more hits than any other team<br />
in the American League, with thirty more hits than the Los<br />
Angeles Angels. They have also allowed 188 runs, fifth most<br />
in the Major Leagues. Newly acquired Randy Johnson and<br />
Carl Pavano have had their moments, but on the whole,<br />
they have performed well below what had been expected.<br />
In addition, starter Kevin Brown has only recently recovered<br />
from a series of back problems, causing him to miss a<br />
significant part of the beginning of the season.<br />
In addition, the Yankees thus far have struggled to find<br />
their groove on the field. They have allowed thirty-nine errors<br />
in fifty-three games and have the fifth worst fielding percentage<br />
in the MLB. They currently have the lowest efficiency<br />
rating in baseball. Shortstop Derek<br />
Jeter has staggered on six of his attempts,<br />
and third baseman Alex<br />
Rodriguez has committed an error<br />
in one out of every ten of his<br />
attempts. The Yankees’ porous<br />
defense has allowed twenty-six<br />
unearned runs to score, which has<br />
made the difference in a number<br />
of close games.<br />
Thus far in the season, the Yankees<br />
have proven that a high payroll<br />
and an abundance of individual<br />
stars do not necessarily<br />
buy success in the realm of athletics.<br />
The Yankees’ individual<br />
stars include some of the best<br />
players in the league – Derek Jeter,<br />
Gary Sheffield, Mike Mussina,<br />
Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez,<br />
and Mariano Rivera, just to name<br />
a few. But while the Yankee organization<br />
has continued to buy<br />
more and more individual talent,<br />
they have failed to realize that<br />
baseball is essentially a team sport and that even the most<br />
talented player only gets a hit one out of every three times<br />
up at bat. The Yankee organization seems to be putting<br />
more emphasis on individual achievement than on wins,<br />
and the Yankees’ declining team record has reflected their<br />
misplaced priorities. In order to start winning games, the<br />
Yankees certainly have to continue putting runs on the<br />
scoreboard, but they also need more consistent pitching and<br />
fewer mistakes in the field. Without all three, the Bronx<br />
Bombers will almost certainly “bomb” this season.<br />
The win summed up a season in which six <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
players earned All-League honors: Will Hassett, Andrew<br />
Vella, Chris Jenney, Mike Marmo, Kevin Dooley, and Lou<br />
Picconi. Mike Marmo took home the Playoff MVP Award<br />
after belting out six hits in nine at-bats with nine runs<br />
batted in during the final series. The Flyers showed the<br />
heart and determination that had characterized their performance<br />
all year when it counted most. <strong>Chaminade</strong><br />
emerged as the champions, winning by just one run, just<br />
a few inches.<br />
A sports<br />
commentary by<br />
Kevin Martin ‘06<br />
“Thus far in the<br />
season, the<br />
Yankees have<br />
proven that a<br />
high payroll and<br />
an abundance<br />
of individual<br />
stars do not<br />
necessarily buy<br />
success in the<br />
realm of<br />
athletics.”<br />
SPORTS<br />
23
Lax is Back!<br />
Flyers Defeat Friars for Title<br />
xx<br />
page page page xx<br />
21<br />
It’s a Dynasty<br />
Volleyball Makes It a 4-Peat<br />
T A R M A C<br />
SPORTS<br />
page page 13 page 22<br />
Flyers are the Kings of <strong>Spring</strong><br />
Clockwise from top left: 1. Right through the wickets! Larry<br />
Kopsick ‘06 splits two Kellenberg defenders for another kill.<br />
2. Web gem! Catcher Mike Marmo ‘05 makes a diving catch<br />
for a crucial out. 3. Practice makes perfect! The varsity-A<br />
boat worked tirelessly<br />
for their fourth-place<br />
ranking at the Scholastic<br />
National Championships<br />
in Mercer<br />
Lake, NJ. 4. He shoots!<br />
He scores! Doug Buckley<br />
‘05 prepares to put<br />
one past the Titan<br />
goalie.<br />
T A R M A C<br />
Non-profit<br />
<strong>Chaminade</strong> <strong>High</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
340 Jackson Avenue<br />
Organization<br />
Mineola, New York 11501-2441<br />
US Postage<br />
P A I D<br />
Mineola, NY<br />
Permit #54<br />
24 SPORTS<br />
SPORTS<br />
Tarmac • July 2005